Introducing  Dr. Enoch Choi, a Family Medicine partner in urgent care at Palo Alto Medical Foundation. In his spare time, Enoch is a prolific blogger, a clinical instructor at Stanford University School of Medicine, a volunteer at the Community Pregnancy Center of Mountain View, a member on various boards including the Menlo Park Presbyterian Church Medical Missions, an advisor for venture firms, a doting father, a dedicated husband, and a fantastic  karaoke singer. This is far from an exhaustive list of all the things that make up Dr. Enoch Choi. That’s why “Renaissance Man” is an apt description for him.

Recently, Dr. Choi spoke  about the H1N1 virus (”swine flu”),  emphasizing the importance of getting vaccinated. Even if you rarely get sick and don’t usually get the flu shot, he says, this year is the time to do it. People who are  most vulnerable to H1N1? Pregnant women, those with already compromised immune systems, young children,  and travelers.

That’s right, you globetrotters! Even if you’re as  healthy as a horse, get vaccinated because on the road, you’re exposed to a considerable amount of germs, including H1N1. To listen to Dr. Choi’s entire chat, please click here.

Meanwhile, we delved into one of Enoch’s many pastimes: traveling. Here are a few of his travel tips:

1. Is there a gadget you can’t live without?

The iPhone.

2. When you travel, what is the one item you always take with you?
I always pack a corkscrew.

3. What is your favorite city in the world and why?
Singapore because it’s multicultural, clean, affordable, accessible, and a gateway to Southeast Asia.

4. What is your favorite dining spot in the world?
The hawker stalls in Singapore.

5. What book is on your nightstand?
Testosterone for Life by Abraham Morgentaler.  

6. What’s the most surprising/unexpected place you’ve ever visited?
Poyang hu, in the Jiang Su Province of China.

7. Can you offer an insider tip or recommendation for your favorite vacation place?
Get unlimited data / wi-fi access for wherever you’re going. I confess: I’m a big Boingo Wi-Fi fan.

Thanks, Dr.  Renaissance Man! Keep saving the world!

Have you ever used your phone and/or laptop while, ahem, using the restroom?   If you’re worried that chatting, texting, emailing, and surfing while on the can is socially unacceptable, then worry no more!

According to a recent Intel study on technology etiquette, 75% of U.S. survey responders feel “it is perfectly appropriate to use Internet-enabled devices, including laptops, netbooks and cell phones, in the bathroom.”  (Never mind the germs!)

But you’re not quite off the hook when it comes to mobile usage in public situations: 69% of respondents feel that “checking e-mails, sending text messages and making phone calls while in the company of others, are unacceptable.”

To be frank, I employ a mixed approach to mobile etiquette. I text and surf the Internet on my smartphone while in the company of friends, family, and colleagues. But I rarely answer phone calls while in the company of anyone (unless it’s an emergency), and I turn off my phone entirely when in a business meeting. However, I find it irritating to be in the company of people, including my friends, who constantly text, surf, and talk on their phones.

Clearly, we are in need of some hard, fast rules, and Anna Post — author and etiquette expert for the Emily Post Institute — agrees: “As technology continues to become more prevalent and play an integral role in our everyday lives, it becomes more challenging to discern appropriate behavior from potentially offensive behavior.”

Guide us, please, Ms. Post!

In the meantime, let’s make up our own rules. Which mobile usage scenarios are acceptable/unacceptable, normal/weird for you? Surfing the Internet on a date? Talking in the elevator? Texting in church?

Read about Intel’s survey here.