Emi did Engineering at Stanford. And her subsequent medical school is recognized as the 7th top Ivy League school, Geisel. The famous Surgeon General Everett Koop is an alumnus of Geisel. I mentally make reference to him whenever I ask my assistant at surgery to take the suction and prevent me from second-hand smoking avoiding the dangers of second-hand smoking. Geisel is a great school.
Moving on to a different note. Listening to Iam Tongi, the winner of American Idol 2023, at the same time that Emi joined us, I thought that I had to visit the beaches of Hawaii. Familiarizing myself with Tongi I was introduced to the concept of Aloha. But wait that was my philosophy of life all along. It was a revelation that this was also shared with islanders from the mid Pacific. And I went and found this speck, the Big Island, in the middle of my world map and my globe. And I could not easily find Kahuku on Oahu. I then took Google maps and also zoomed down into Honolulu. Thinking about retirement in Hawaii. Oh no, cannot retire there. Iam said “Priced out of Paradise”. Cannot retire there. But Emi talked about practicing in her home town there. She could not appreciate my envy.
I continued my Google map exploration of the islands. I visited with the Sweet Lady of Waiahole. I saw her vending her papaya and her green and ripe bananas sitting by the highway. I saw her fruit cart. I was then left with the strong suspicion that a Hawaiian artist will in the near future compose a sweet and popular song about a Lady Surgeon of Waiahole.
Talking about sweet songs. By the way Iam Tongi’s performance of “Monsters” with the English singer Blunt went viral. This coincided with Emi joining our Surgical Residency. Recall that Iam’s first performance of Monsters on American Idol made both all judges and audience cry living tears. Interestingly Emi ever so often makes every one in the OR have an opposite effect. Doctors and Nurses in the OR laugh with her shrill voice and giggle whenever I say “We shall; I shall….”. When medical students and residents complained about her stern talk, I always said to myself, I never saw that side of her. Me, myself, when I am frustrated, as often I am, I warn that I will show my bad side. Here I usually get reported for threats against female anesthetists. At these times I am said to be antifeminist. I usually feel like I am going to be fired. And then I react by becoming even more pro-feminist. I am still waiting for someone to call Emi misandrous. Then she should become more pro-androus. My young residents might attest to this if they read her pro-junior emails. Of course her femile colleagues might not attest to anything for her.
Back to considerations about the islands. In the OR with Emi I have Fun talking about volcanoes in the Ring of Fire. I refer to ulcerated cancers as the craters of volcanoes. But Hawaii, The Big Island, has big and active volcanoes. There is even an underwater volcano. Now the story of the partner volcano rising out of the seas in the song “Lava” with use of the term “I Lava you” takes on great significance. I now more fully understand the full meaning of Aloha. And for sure now appreciate Emi.
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