How long has it been since I sat down to write a blog post and bring you something from my world. I can’t tell you how thankful I am for the warm response I received at the blog relaunch over the gram and FB. It truly means a lot when you take a few minutes of your time to read one of my posts and let me know how you felt about it. I started blogging with a lot of passion and it has become part of who I am. I took a few months off to change a few things at my end and I’m very very glad that I did.
For starters the new blog name ”The Shamrock Notions’‘ somehow gets me going. I’m totally in love with it and I really do hope that you like it too. I have also changed the theme of the blog as well as the colours.
I have also added a lot of new features and series to the blog itself which I’ll be bringing you in the next week. Chosen 2 of the series will be on IG and the rest on http://www.theshamrocknotions.com
Eid Ul Adha came and went quietly this year, I spent mine with my children with my husband being away, I had to ensure that I make each and every second count for them so we did a lot of stuff together, I also started giving my kitchen a good much-needed makeover on the chand raat and that I think was a brilliant idea as it kept us busy during Eid holidays.
We started with putting henna on my girl’s hands, I’m no expert trust me but it made them super super happy and that’s all that matters.
We went shopping together, had yummiest desserts.. we went out for meals and fire works in between and made it all fun & festive.
I also set up the table in a very special yet simple way to make the meal grand for my beloved kiddos ❤
The schools have reopened so naturally our lives are going to be busier than ever, Thank God for the long summer break, it was soooo relaxing. I will say bye to you for now as its my son’s 2nd birthday today (4th September) but will see you in the next post.
Stay tuned!!
Thanks for reading
Tons of love ❤
Sonya
Talking Tuesdays! Dear All, How long has it been since I sat down to write a blog post and bring you something from my world.
If you are from Islamabad then Natasha Humera Ejaz is a name that you can definitely relate to in many ways. She is a singer/songwriter from the capital with a voice so melodic, soothing and hauntingly beautiful, it takes you into a different world altogether. She stepped into the world of song writing at an early age of 15. She rocked the Radio stations as a Radio Jockey for both city FM 89 and…
Sanford undergraduate Sonya Ali gives the scoop on her experience interning at the Boston Medical Center:
Flying to Boston in early June all the way from Houston might not have been that big of a deal, unless you considered the 30°F drop in temperature, gusts of powerful wind, drizzling rain, and shorts I was wearing while walking out of Logan Airport. As my dislike for Houston's as-per-usual muggy, oppressive heat and hairstyle-annihilating summer reaches beyond the level of normal, I have surprisingly come to equally love Boston's refreshing little quirks while here for my internship at the Boston Medical Center (BMC).
Other than the weather shock, a lot has happened since I've began my internship – from participating in the celebration at the Gay Pride Parade (so much color everywhere) to enjoying the live orchestra rendition of Frank Sinatra and Billy Joel songs during the Independence Day “Boston Pops Firework Spectacular” concert and firework show (again, so much color and pyrotechnic explosions everywhere) on the Esplanade facing the Charles River and Cambridge city skyline. As for the food, Flour, a bakery 5 minutes away from BMC with the longest lines yet best sandwiches, apple spice snacking cakes and chocolate meringue clouds, is my go-to place during lunch on a weekly basis. Upon recommendation from my supervisor, I ventured out of my comfort zone and tried Ethiopian cuisine for the first time from Lucy Café while enjoying Lega Tibs (a spicy beef and vegetable dish) and peanut tea.
Beautiful (and exotic) tea-making jars and decorations
During my first week interning at BMC, I met my supervisor, Courtney, got my intern badge, went to orientation, and received a tour of the Shapiro building (which has a beautiful landscape view of Boston’s South End) including the Adult Primary Care suites where I’ll be focusing much of my energy and time throughout the summer. The different suites serve a diverse socioeconomic and ethnic range of patients, from refugees to substance abuse high-risk patients, further validating BMC’s motto: “Exceptional Care without Exception.” During that same week, I was able to meet the other MDs, nurses, medical assistants and managers, despite their hectic day-to-day schedules, and gradually became a familiar (face) member of the practice.
The scenery while walking to work on broken, sometimes wobbly and crooked cobblestone alleys and streets.
“So be sure when you step, step with care and great tact. And remember that life's A Great Balancing Act." ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, The Places You'll Go!
(Never have these words been any more relevant, literally)
My usual day consists of coming into my very own office-like area at 8am (with tons of coffee and apple snacking spice cake pumping through my body), running around and taking notes from one meeting to another, and working on the data analysis, design process, tracking sheets, literature review and current state assessment for various primary care transformation projects until 5pm (if not later). With the recent policy changes in the national healthcare system and BMC’s transition to EPIC (a widely used Electronic Health Record software), the two main projects I’ve been working on with Courtney and the other strategy and management team members includes nursing workflows and the VNA forms process redesign.
Furthermore, Courtney has been completely amazing and one of the best supervisors (and the nicest person) I’ve ever met. Just last Saturday, she invited Nadia, another Primary Care intern working with the population health team, and I, along with other fellow coworkers, over to her house for an outdoor dinner party and introduced us to her family (and newly completed, absolutely gorgeous, patio). During the first two weeks, she also took me to the monthly BMC Leadership for Change networking event and the annual Be Exceptional Awards, where I met other outstandingly bright associates from various departments and higher-up leadership and management (as well as a handful of intimidating yet passionate ex-McKinsey consultants). So far, my experience interning at BMC has been a never-ending progression of excitement along with the huge learning curve. While I continue to mature, expanding my knowledge about health policy and immersing myself in the current, vibrant healthcare landscape, I look forward to all the challenges and projects I’ll get to work on and add value to throughout the summer.
Also looking forward to my future adventures around Boston (so I can feel less like a hermit and finally have a catharsis from crossing another thing off my checklist)!
Sonya Ali is a Public Policy major graduating this fall in the class of 2016. This summer, she will be interning at Boston Medical Center, focusing on primary care clinical transformations, public health and hospital operations and strategy.
