Optimist, sunshine, nature, apples, clouds, animals, walking, being me, air-rifle, sketching, music, laughing with friends, reading, living each day to the fullest
'On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

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Today is the second of April.

Rounding up my day of being an nus student, was an encounter with a man who had a stroke - which caused a good half of his right side of the body to be immobile.

It was a chance encounter. And, it also made me wonder if I have an affinity to talk to people, or it could be my disposition that made me someone approachable and they can feel free to tell me anything.

This week NUH is commemorating SARS ten years on, and I was at the side reading two posters about a consultant, and a speech therapist. He was looking at it too, before he started the conversation.

It brings me comfort to know that I'm helping him to distract himself from a burning sensation on the right side of the face due to the stroke as he explained to me about it. Through our conversation (that seemed to last for a really long time), I have also learnt much about his background, his treatment with help from the health professionals, his purpose for being in the hospital today, his period of being warded the last time, his family, his his sentiments of NUH, his period of recovery and his will to get well.

It makes sense why you read about articles in the Mind your Body Section where doctors are happy when their patients and motivated and would listen to their advice. I understand that experience and felt that way too, for a moment. I like it that he faces his multiple conditions positively.

Initially when he first approached me, asking if I was a student from medicine, dentistry, or from nus, what faculty did I belong to, I was quite skeptical whether I should tell him the truth. Hence, the first sentence of this post, because it is not April fool's day. I told him the wrong stuff (fooling him) in a matter-of-factly way, and surprised myself that I just lied. (digressing, to a certain extent April fools day is about jokes, pranks, I think lying is supposed to be a large part of the Day too.) I find it difficult to lie most of the time. And my plans to lie to people on the first of April didn't get through, because I've realised that I've forgotten about the plan after I told them the truth. So, everything is the truth. I told the man the truth after that too.

What is memorable is empathizing with others, offering another person your time to listen to

For every wise man, there is a foolish corner

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