華姐

Went to Aberdeen for the College examination.

Frequent visitors of this site would know this was not the first time I took part in the viva voce. Since the event is usually held in Saturday afternoons, it becomes my habit to finish with the morning ward round in my hospital, take the underground to the Tin Hau station, and then pay a short visit to Sister Wah (華姐清湯腩) before I take a taxi to the Academy Building.

This time, as usual, I ordered brisket and noodle in clear soup (清湯腩粗麵) and radish in brisket sauce (腩汁蘿蔔).

I must say the place was crowded, and the food was not entirely flawless - there remained a trace of ammonia smell in the noodle, and some of the brisket pieces were slightly less tender than I would like. Nonetheless, their soup and radish could silence all critics.

And, so was their efficiency: I arrived at 11:30 AM, made my order before taking a seat, finished with my lunch and, when I jumped into a taxi, it was 11:45 AM. My stomach was filled, and I was satisfied.

PS. Not too long later, my strategy of a quick lunch proved to be important: The examiners' meeting started at 12 noon, with only coffee and light sandwich being served. The examination began at 1 PM and did not finish until 5:20 PM - without any break. My co-examiner that afternoon was slightly late for the meeting and did not have anything for lunch, so much so he was badly in need of cookies every time when the candidates change over.

Life could sometimes be tough even for senior physicians.