Sniff, cough and sneeze

Isn't it funny how we assume other people would know the same things we know? Like how nice it is to eat sambal tumis ikan bilis with lempeng;). But then, maybe only I am the one who assume such things.

Anyway, when different people meet we discover the revelation that however familiar one thing is to us it may totally be foreign to others.

And this is worse when you meet a doctor. A sickly doctor that is. The doctor usually knows that when she is ill what is usually the problem. When she coughs badly she knows that it is worse because of her asthma and the only thing to do is take her inhaler and ensure that her room and environment is dust free.

And when she has back-ache is most probably due to her poor sleeping posture the night before and she just need to 'sleep it off'.

But then, to a person who is totally non-medical, the coughs, sneezes, moans and groans are pretty scary. It is totally foreign. Hey, it may be something sinister. And it is totally not reassuring when the other person tries to reassure you that it is something mild between her bouts of cough. It is sweet when you see how the other person is concerned and then you know how they really care.

On a different note, in a reverse situation the non-medical ill person may think that the doctor do not care or take it too lightly when they are sick. And the doctor have to consciously remind themselves to show compassion and share their reassuring thoughts.

So, in conclusion, it is a not an advantage to marry a doctor. Hahahahaha.

Sofia

Took this when we had buka puasa with my old diving buddies. Sofia is Wanie's and Amir's first born. She was initially shy but the sight of jello turned her into a 'Jello Monster'



She is so adorable, I must say!

Despair

Initially I was planning to write a joyous and happy post but the hast 30 minutes my feeling has undergone a major turn.

Have you ever wondered how a doctor can appear so calm and to an extent cold when breaking bad news? Many of us have seen it in ER, Grey's Anatomy and many other western medical dramas and we assume that it is an inherent part of being a doctor. It comes with the job, many would say. Well, it is true in some sense but many never realise that is the hardest part of the job. Holding the person's hand, so calm and collected when you tell them they have only a few months to live; or when you tell the family to learn to let go. Many of us would feel so bad inside after that, some may even cry. But then, we know, these people look at us for hope, into our souls they search for solace and it is part of the Hipocratic oath we undertook - to always comfort out patients.

Even then, when this happens to someone close we do not know how to handle the situation. The ideal doctor may know but then he is a myth. Majority of us are mere mortals who do not. We are lost. There is no Hutchinson textbook on menaging your fears for a loved ones. We go through the grief process as any other person.

But it is worse for the medical personnel. We know. We know the eventual outcome, we know the pain that the person will go through and we can forsee the suffering. So how can you seek solace and find hope if you know all this?

Words are cheap. Be strong for them. That is what I used to tell the family members. But finding my own strength when I am faced with this has proven to be very difficult. How can I tell my friend that everything is going to be allright when in my heart I am praying that she does not suffer when her time comes?

It is wierd. I would take a deep breath each time before I see her. Suck in all my fears, all my sadness. And she knows the truth, she may have a glimmer of hope in her soul but deep inside she knows. She is a strong lady but she have seen a lot in her career. She also used to give hope to others when she was a nurse looking after some of the oncology patients, and she have seen what the disease do to people.

But as sad as I may feel I have to do it. Not coming in terms with this and running away makes me a coward and a disloyal friend. I am filled with dispair but I just have to do my part. Keep her company. Support her through the bad days. Laugh with her through the good and try to be a pillar of her strength.

And yes, today is a bad day!

I haven't been calling anyone lately but when I finally did I feel sad. My good friend who was diagnosed to have breast malignancy 2 years back and had a mastectomy done told me that she is now diagnosed with spinal metastases. That is Stage IV of the disease. She sounded so down and I do not know how to comfort.

I am guilt stricken. I should have called her earlier. And I am sad; I am so so sad.

Cuti-cuti Malaysia 2010

The ongoing Airasia sales got me excited. RM98 return to Tawau is so cheap. Anyway, for those interested to plan their holidays, these are the dates for national public holidays in Malaysia; I have also included the Selangor and KL state holidays.


Date Holiday
1 Jan (Friday ) New Year
30 Jan (Saturday) Thaipusam

1 Feb (Monday ) Federal Territory Day
14&15 Feb (Sun/Mon/KIV Tue) Chinese New Year
26 Feb (Friday ) Prophet Muhammad's Birthday (Maulidur Rasul)

1 May (Saturday ) Labour Day
21 May (Monday ) Wesak Day

5 Jun (Saturday ) Agong's Birthday
27 Aug (Friday ) Nuzul Al-Quran Kelantan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Selangor & Terengganu only
31 Aug (Tuesday ) National Day
10/11 Sep (Fri/Sat) Hari Raya Puasa *

5 Nov (Fri ) Deepavali
17 Nov (Wednesday Hari Raya Haji *
7 Dec (Tuesday ) Awal Muharram (Maal Hijrah)
11 Dec (Saturday ) Sultan of Selangor's Birthday Selangor only
25 Dec (Saturday) Christmas


Taken from:One Stop Malaysia website


So guys go to airasia and book your flights.

p.s. the international flight promo is on next week.

Shoes Addict?

I have never deen the typical minimum 10 pair-a-time kind of lady. Most of the time I am a one shoe woman. My shoes generally last me 2-3 years until it is time for them to enter the garbage can. However, that doesn't mean I don't splurge on my shoes. In fact, they are the only things I don't mind paying a lot for. Furthermore, I am in the business of foot aches and back pains and it is a fact that it is the shoes that make or break your back.

But this showed up in our letter box last week.



Hmmm...to go or not to go..... I hate the crowds of warehouse sales but then, SCHOLL my number one choice for working shoes. It doesn't matter if some people say they look kind of 'Ah Poh', my feet are not complaining. And my Scholl's do last.


And so this morning at 10 am I was at the venue. I thought I was early. Damn people are already leaving with 2-3 pairs. I manage to squeeze in between a few ladies to get some flats. Hooray. Not much choices left but then I am not that picky. However, I wasn't too lucky in the sandals section. I was aiming for the Gelativ range of shoes but by the time I got to the counter sizes 5 and 6 were sold out. Shucks.

All in all, I got 6 shoes for RM360. One shoe per year - means no shoe shopping for 6 years (opps 4 years, two of the loafers are for Marina and mom). And usually they costs between 130 to 210 per pair. It is so cheap.




I heard that this is an annual event. I wonder where do I sign up so I will get a tinker when they organise this again.

New Chicken Recipe

I have always had friends who are great cooks and also love food like me. Out of these friendships I learn new wonderful (and easy) recipes. My favourites so far (which means I cook these recipes a lot) are Saliha's roast chicken and Spena's potato salad. And today I tried a new recipe - Teh's (my colleague) whatever chicken (named as such as I have no idea what to call it).

Teh came up with the recipe when he was 'babysitting' his wife when she was taking her part two exams in Newcastle. The recipe sounded so promising I had to try it out today.

Recipe
2 slices of chicken ham
2 deboned chicken breast
Red capsicum
Yellow Capsicum
Swiss Mushrooms
Onions
Celery
Garlic
Cheese (I used a combination of Parmesan, Mozarella and cheddar)
Salt and Pepper to taste



Chicken breast was flattened and the sliced vegetables and cheese were put at the centre. The chicken is then rolled with the ham on the outside. I used toothpicks to keep it in shape. The whole thing was then put over a bed of celery in a baking tray. Cooked in the oven for about 20 min at 250 celcius. Then turn the chicken to brown the other side




The finished product. It looked yummy



And it tasted yummy too. Got the seal of approval from merman.

Handmade Notebook

Juliana, my friend and OT nurse was just offered a place to do her nursing degree in UM. It is a great development for her as she aspires to be a tutor nurse. It is sad for me as I have less kaki to gossip with in OT. Anyway, I have known her since she joined HKL A&E OT as a new nurse fresh from nursing college. She was initially timid and I was the fierce Ortho MO. We grew into good friends and we were reunited when I was transferred to Ampang last year.

Apparently she became a garang OT senior but is very righteous about her work. Nowadays, I am not allowed to reminiscence about her first few months working as I will spoil her image as the ever efficient nurse...hahahah





Cik Juliana

Anyway, I wanted to give something special as a farewell gift and I decided to make something useful - a notebook. It is my first attempt in a long time making handmade gifts (used to do it when I was younger). I was lucky I found a nice looking piece of cloth for my project at Nagoya - and it is cheap too. Other stuffs were already i my stash of odds and ends - it pays to hoard things:)



The cover - wanted to put her initials but don't have matching fabric



The inside : made it so that she can change the notebook once it is full. Can use with any similar sized book



Cracked my head on how to close the book and then found this unique bead amongst the stuff I bought at the bargains corner in Carrefour. The pattern matched. What luck!

I am going to give it to her this Friday. And I hope she will cry....*wink*


p.s. another friend Mei Lin is leaving too.... Another project?

Today's headache

I simply love driving alone. It is my me time with no distractions and interruptions. I guess in this sense I am not a Green person as I would hate to car pool with anyone. My morning cruise to work is when I catch up with the latest music and news. And in the evening, it is usually the time I think. It is actually very weird as everyday, when I ply the route home I will be thinking of what I want to write in my blog. Nowadays, I analyse my thoughts as how I would portray it in my blog. Not to say everyone gets published but the feeling of getting it out of my chest is such a relief.

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Today, I am pretty miffed. I am upset with my house-officers. Out of four, only one is an outstanding doctor. The other three annoy me. Hmmm...25% that is definitely not good.

Back to why I am upset. Four months ago we received our first batch of HOs. To make sure we are objective in our expectations and assessment of the interns we decided to sit down and list what they need to do and know. Step by step. This is so that we do not unnecessarily penalise them. It is VERY clear. But today, after 8 days of tagging my HO has not done ANY of the prerequisite procedures needed for her to start her calls. Damn! What do they expect?

I was never an excellent HO, I did my work and enjoyed the experience thoroughly. I had my share of mistakes but it was not due to lack of trying. I still remember that on my first day of work I was so worried I'll make a blunder. Medical school never prepares you for housemanship. Less than 10% of my undergrad knowledge is usable in 'real' life. I had my medical officers to thank. They taught me a lot of what I needed to know as a doctor. Some of them even inspired my subsequent career choice. Thinking back, I did my first femur plating, femur k-nail, below knee amputation, and external fixator as a house-officer. Amazing! But the main thing is attitude, I was willing to learn and did not mind the hard work. As a doctor's daughter I knew exactly what I was getting into and thus, I was prepared and could not nor would not complain.

And the problem with MAJORITY of today's young doctors are that: ATTITUDE. They think being a doctor is all glamour and fun. Hello is is bloody hard work. AND is a person cannot take the stress then this career is clearly not suited. Other people's heart attack is a stress on my heart. Their uncontrolled blood pressure raises my BP. We have to do it right because it is a person's life. So, it is a stressful career, what's new? But today added stress comes from supervising the new doctors. Should a intern pass his housemanship because his parents paid so much for his education? Should I close an eye and let a doctor who is not competent pass? Or those who are not bothered or care about their patients pass?

It is difficult to figure out but the minimum standards should be adhered to. For me, it is a matter of making sure only SAFE doctors get their full registration. To the VIPs and politicians it is a purely a political issue - they want to get the ideal ratio of 1:400 doctor people ratio. To them the quality is not their problem; they have their personal physician treating them. It is us commoners who may get a myocardial infarct in some ulu place and the only doctor there may be the incompetent one that we let pass.... wouldn't that be ironic?
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Perhentian Revisited

Spent the weekend in Perhentian. The last time I was there I was with Saliha and Salwa doing a 7 day Perhentian-Redang hop after my exams. Anyway, we left KL after the Federer semifinal French Open match. Reached Kuala Besut at about 8.30am. However, we only managed to board the speedboat at about 11am.

This time we stayed at Teluk Dalam,Perhentian Besar with Alu-alu Divers. The place is lovely and exceptionally clean. Anyway, this side of the island has always been excellent.




We did three dives in total. The first dive was at T3 and the visibility was about 3 feet and the last dive was at Vietnamese Wreck and this was worse, strong currents with poor viz. There goes my dream of taking wonderful photos with Kaz's wide-angle lense. But the 2nd dive was WONDERFUL. Tokong Laut with 8-10m visibility with NO CURRENTS. This is the first time I was able to make a full circle around the pinnacle.






Bamboo shark seen at 23m at Tokong Laut





Giant clams



Safety stop at Tokong Laut




Milo, the resident otter at Alu-alu. The poor creature has a limp and thus refuse to go back to the wild.

Overall, it was a nice short getaway. If I had any complaints it would be about the speedboat/sea transfer but that needs its own post.

Mind Your Language

A few things are on my mind this week. One is English. The DPM was surprised that English is not a must-pass subject in SPM and wants to find out the people's reaction in making it a compulsory pass subject.

It is a lose-lose subject. For one the issue will be exploited by political individuals who have not the interest of the country in their hearts. Many would play on sentiments to oppose the idea.

As for me, I think it needs to be thoroughly studied. Before English is made into a must-pass subject other steps have to be put in place. It is not just a Cabinet decision on one Wednesday and then walla... next year every child has to make sure he or she pass for them to have a future.

We have to start at the beginning - primary school and even kindergarten. Our teachers have to be equipped to teach 'proper' English. Mind you, there are teachers who teach English but was unable to pronounce properly. How do you get students to enjoy and learn if the teachers themselves are struggling?

I was fairly lucky throughout my childhood. I had parents who speak excellent English and who encouraged us to read and converse in English. In primary school I had Mrs Siew and; in secondary school Mrs Ganehsan and Mrs Philomena. They enjoyed teaching and all had their special ways to make us USE English everyday. We sang songs from 'the King and I'; and do word puzzles and even produced a play. I enjoyed it thoroughly (perhaps my classmates did not share my sentiments) and at the end in Form Five my classmates spoke fairly reasonable English. And I must say, my school is mainly those people living in the high rise flats and slums of Kuala Lumpur, we were not from an elite school and many had no privileged background.

But then, by not addressing the English at an early level things will not change. Just look at the using English as a teaching medium in Mathematics and Science. For me, that was a knee jerk reaction decision. It is not going to make children more apt at speaking English nor will it make them understand Maths or Science better. The core issue is English. It is not Science or Maths. The application of English in daily activities is important. I had no problems with Science and Mathematics in university because I understood the language, minor problems of definition and meanings can be resolved by asking the right people or looking up the dictionary.

It is sad that a lot of people imply that by speaking English we are less of a Malay or a Malaysian. Being able to communicate effectively in a language that has huge 'followers' enable us to be more global, more marketable, more visible and more prominent. And this is not just in the academic and corporate world; for example, Malaysia now strives to a world tourist destination. We have the necessary attraction, our lovely beaches, islands, forests, our history and even our food. But a setback would be communication.

My latest trip to Perhentian is just the perfect example. In the speedboat with us from Kuala Besut were 4 Caucasians, and 8 Malaysians. The boatman was trying to get us so-called 'balance the boat' but became upset when no one understood him. Well, he was shouting 'belen, belen' and even we had a problem understanding what he wanted to say. Only when we heard 'belen de bok' we figured what he wanted and then only we manage to appease him and get the boat moving.

Therefore, to ensure our future society's competitiveness in the globalisation era the government, the political leaders, the academics and the society have to think hard and decide. It is not a one day decision, it cannot be a 'popularism' decision hence no SMS or EnglishUNDI kind of thing. A thorough study or research on the issue have to be made. We have to understand the basis of resistance towards the language and work around it. It may take a longer time but it should not be a rushed decision. We can't just decide and then after a few years another popularism poll that say we had made a mistake. This is our children's future we are talking about.

A noble human being

A good friend of mine used to comment on how lucky I am to work as a doctor. He reckons that being a doctor makes it easier for me to do good deeds. As for him, since he is not one, he becomes obsessed in searching for good deeds to be done - joining a voluntary paramedic service.

I do not agree with his sentiment. Yes, we are in a position and place where helping people is a daily occurrence. But apart from the act of helping the important thing is our intentions. What is it that drive doctors in their daily work? I must say not many doctors are 'noble' as we are made to believe. There are many who are driven by other factors :wealth, position, status, politics, and even knowledge. The patient is secondary. It is a sad sad reality but that is the truth. It doesn't make the person a less good doctor but then definitely not noble.

As for me, I still have no idea what drives me. One thing for sure definitely not money or now I would have been in one of those money minting hospital. I know I enjoy doing what I do, I enjoy 'helping' and educating people but most of all I relish the opportunity to look at the strength of other people.

I may be digressing into another issue but then, the theme is the same :Nobility. Everyday we are pushed with stories of so-called noble people helping others in the papers. So many politicians would step forward to lend a hand when a unfortunate event occurs - giving money (which is not theirs anyway!), assistance etc. And the generally it ends with a handshake on the frontpage.

It is so ingrained in people's mind that only if things we do get reported then only it is a good deed. Anyway, being a doctor, I get the wonderful window of opportunity to see everyday wonderful 'normal' people coping and doing their best in life. Some do it out of love, some out of responsibility and some just don't see any other way of doing things but they are doing the right thing.

One of these wonderful persons is a seventy year old man comes diligently to the hospital to accompany his 45 year old son who is a schizophrenia. He is still working but in his daily routine he also makes sure his 'kid' takes his medicine. He have seen the worst of his son's illness and he just wants to make sure it never recurs. And when the son was admitted with a fracture, he was there all the time to be by his side. Curious as I am, I did ask how did ask how he copes over the years and for him it is mainly because he doesn't want his son to suffer. And in his heart, he hopes that if he dies, it happens after he his son's.

And then some days you see a bed bound 25 year old cerebral palsy patient in the ward. The mom sits by her side all the time, alert to her every single breath. 25 years earlier she might have thought that at this time she may be a proud mother attending her girl's graduation but alas a twist of fate leads her to the current day. But then not a sigh, not a complaint and always smiling. I am sure previously she would have gone through the motions of grief but then at the present day she is the solid rock that ensure the 'child' is comfortable, 'healthy' and happy.

Well, there are so many individuals like that. They are the true heroes and they usually make me think "If I am thrown into that situation, how would I fare? Would I be psychologically prepared and emotionally strong to take in life and fate unfairness? Or would I bolt and run?". I have no idea. But then looking at these noble people gives you hope against life's twist of fate. And it gives us hope that there really is a human soul.

Teamwork

Took this today.

Muckking Around in Lembeh Straits

It was a wonderful outing for me. Finally I am getting used to my heavy underwater setup and I manage to take a few reasonable shots. I won't say they are excellent as I have seen other people's photos plus I am just a 'point and shoot' person.

Lembeh Straits was true to its calling. A muck diving heaven. Visibility was not an issue as it didn't matter. By the way, the visibility was only 5-10 metres at its best. We had a very hard working dive guide Mickel who was busy finding for us things to see and photograph. Numerous nudibranches, shrimps and crabs can be seen at all the divesites. The group were ecstatic when we were shown frogfishes, pipefishes, octopuses and especially SEAHORSES. We got to see pygmy seahorse, common seahorse, thorny seahorse..... yippie.

The best site for us were (ah...2 'best' sites) were Teluk Kambahu which had numerous frogfishes of various colours and Nudibranch Retreat: which had so many species of nudibranches and the highlights were ghost pipefishes, winged pipefish, and pygmy seahorses.

As for the other aspects of the trip, the resort were great; staffs were friendly and courteous, rooms were clean and food was excellent. The kitchen staff made extra effort when we told them we were Muslims and thus can only consume seafood and vegetables. (Fyi, 90% of North Sulawesi population are Christians and thus not many places of halal food especially out of Manado town).

My only grouse is the heat. It was so hot in the evening and being in a fan room that is facing the strait didn't help. Wind came from the other side of the slope and we did not get any breeze. I regretted not asking for an air-conditioned room. Hahaha...now I know why Kaz always insists on having the 'A-C'.

As always, good things have to come to an end. I am not sure when I will be back but I hope soon.
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Note: Airasia flies three times a week to Manado (every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). With its recent schedule changes a worthwhile trip have to be a 6D5N trip as you will arrive in Manado at 8pm on Day One. While it is such an inconvenient schedule for the divers, I guess it have to be acceptable as it is quite cheap (Previously it used to cost Singapore Dollars 600 for flights to Manado via Singapore).

Also take note that Airasia may charge you an extra Rp125000 (RM40) for your diving equipment on the way back. This is on top of the exit visa that Indonesia charges. We were told by an 'insider' to say that there is no sporting equipment in our luggage if asked when checking in our bags. But alas, the information came in too late :(

Ever Efficient Air De-Laysia

This was sent to us today via email. A week prior to departure. Ain't it convinient?

Dear Valued Guest,

AirAsia regrets to advise that our flight AK432 from KLIA(LCCT) to Manado on 01May09 is now canceled & moved to the next day(02May09) Kindly refer to the flight details as per below:

New Flight No. : AK 432
Sector : KLIA(LCCT) to Manado
New Departure Date: 02 MAY 09
New Departure Time: 3.50pm(1550hrs)
New Arrival Time : 7.40pm(1940hrs)

We appreciate your understanding of our position in this matter and hope your future flights with us will be pleasant and problem free and apologize for the inconvenience caused.

You’re sincerely,

AirAsia Bhd.
LCC Terminal,
Jalan KLIA S3,
Southern Support Zone,
Kuala Lumpur International Airport,
64000 Sepang, Selangor Darul Ehsan,




I have stated before what I feel about this. So disappointing Air Asia!

Air Delay-sia

Yesterday I was just dreaming how it would be like diving in the Lembeh Straits. Macro Heaven. Muck diving mecca. Well, it was supposed to be another 21 days till I finally get to see Manado. I first heard of this wonderful diving heaven from Ben, my OWD instructor. He invited me to join them that year (2004) but alas the trip was during the fasting month. Plus the flight arrangements is not that straight forward. KL Singapore and then Manado... something like that. It would cost me about RM1K at least for the travelling alone.

Therefore, when Air Asia finally launch KL Mando I was absolutely elated. I booked my flights for this coming May (9 months in advance); booked my leave and informed my colleagues and then started dreaming of frogfishes, seahorses, nudibranches, pipefishes etc etc etc....

And then, this morning I got a frantic call from Yanni, our dive organiser. "Lynn, please check your flight details- apparently some people got bumped off the 1st May flight and only arriving in Manado late night on the 2nd".

Hmm... I thought. Airasia would usually send a text message or email if there any changes... I won't be affected. But then listening to Yanni's voice I decided to check. Surprise...surprise.... Changes...changes...changes....

Instead of flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays (and two flights on each day) they changed it to Tuesday and Saturday ONLY!!! Plus the flights arrive at night!


Then I went into my annoyed frenzy mode. Options: Stick with what they have given us means only two days of diving....and after 5 years of dreaming...DAMN YOU AIRASIA!!!
And not just that, the dates was chosen because of the long weekend, 1st is a public holiday (therefore I only need to take 2 days leave)

But then, going so far and only seeing it for 2 days is such a waste... Today, I may have used up my RM75 phone charges quota... teleconferencing, info seeking blah..blah..blah.... Finally, decided - extend stay and change return flight to the 7th. It was Merman and my plan... thank god we are also buddies ;). When everyone heard of our plan they decided to follow.

And then frenzy calls to Air Asia Call Centre. Merman got all done in a synch. He had a knowledgeable call centre staff that briefed him on the situation. And then changed our flights without any added cost. But our posse was not so lucky.

We managed to exposed the inadequacies of the AA call centre staffs with our repeated calls. Many of the staffs were not even briefed on the change of flights and thus blamed the customer for trying to make changes. Many did not know that AA only fly twice a week to Manado suggesting to us other unavailable dates. Some were obviously rude trying to push away the customer for making their job harder. Hello you are in the customer service department, that is your job!!! The faint hearted got bullied (Combat...so dissapointing, mana ke machoan of the personal trainer ni?) whereas others got mad and made the AAA personnel suffer.

In the end, the whole group is going back two days later...hahaha extra 3 dives ;)

As for Air Asia... MAJOR DISSAPOINTMENT!!!!!!!

Time: Where Can I Get More of it?

It has been a long time since I wrote a post.

Few factors influenced this.

One: Maxis broadband connection sucked for the past 3 weeks. But walla, since 2 days back it improved more than 100%. I guess they must have had some mantainence work done. My complain is 'Why were the consumers not informed???'

Two: I had so many other things to do. Finally, I cleaned up all the jars I collected and started to decorate them for my kitchen. It was fun and it is still a work in progress. I haven't got yet the theme that i want and thus still toying around with some ideas: glass painting, decoupage etc to name a few.

Three: Another work in progress is my garden. I have decided that although it is a rented house I will still try and make it into my dream garden. I have been hustling around for plants (mom is my main victim) as plants are extremely expensive nowadays. I am also dabbling in the 'Edible Garden' concept as I love cooking food that I grew myself.

Four: Almost everyday I try new simple recipes. One or two failed (my spinach antipesto tasted yucks; and my brownies did not look as it should in the cookbook) but I had a few wonderful successes : Ayam pandan (used pandan leaves and lemongrass from my garden); Celery Roasted Chicken (recipe thanks to Teh my colleague); Tuna Pasta Salad (thanks to Mei Lin); my own creation 'Ayam Berlada ala Siam' (hahahah such a corny name)...

Thus I wish there is a 48 hour day. I have so many things to do but so little time.

Bukit Lanjan Fracas

I am now paranoid. When I bathe at home I do it fully clothed, I scrub my body with soap underneath the clothings and try to rinse off the suds as much as I can (which is usually not that effective). And when I change, I try my best to use the old fashioned 'berkemban' way of removing the WET clothes, dry myself, wear my undies and only then discard the 'batik sarong' to put on my shirt and pants. Ah shit, what if I get photographed while in my grandma's panties and bra.... Damn, I may then have to resign as a civil servant.

This week I am truly amazed by the Malaysian politicians. I knew they were stupid but never in my mind this I think there are worse than 'eejits' (hahaha...Mike sorry if I insulted you by using this word).

A lady sleeps in her house scantily dressed (hey, it is her house) and an MORONIC then boyfriend took photos of her asleep (NO POSING, mind you, just the 'air liur terleleh' pose). Later, she dumps him because he is a MORON (this part I am doing some assumption). He gets pissed and since she's a VIP he post those photos on the net (I am assuming again) for some MONEY.

Then all hell breaks loose, she is called immoral and everybody starts questioning her ability as a politician.

" Selangor Opposition chief and former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo has called for Pakatan Rakyat state executive councillor Elizabeth Wong to resign on moral grounds.

He said Malaysians were not ready to accept leaders who were embroiled in scandals."

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/17/nation/3284186&sec=nation

Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam said Wong’s decision to resign was appropriate considering her standing in politics.

“Being photographed nude is something that Malaysians are unable to accept, in particular if it is a state exco member or assemblyman,” he told reporters after opening the 3rd Annual Conference of Asian Cities Against Drugs in Malacca yesterday.

http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/2/18/nation/3291916&sec=nation

Hmmmm..... Barisan Nasional leaders have indeed shown why some of them should not be elected. And it is obvious, that just because she is a woman she is given so much crap. Hey, she did not pose for the photos. Damn, it is sad that in this country sexual discrimination is still so widespread. Yes, true the photos were taken by her boyfriend but then who are we to morally judge people?

If really people affected by so-called lack of 'moral' then why the hell did the Perak BN party accepted a man who 'terima sedekah' of sexual favors. And how many party members who have been suspended due to sexual offence...remember an ex-menteri besar who was proven to have sexual relationship with a minor??...and he is now back in the party fold.

I am not is not just in one party; there are good people there too but there way are too many bigots, idiots, morons running around creating havoc in this country.

As for Elizabeth Wong, she is just a normal person doing normal things and getting punished for it. Mind you, Khir Toyo may be the only person in this country who pee under the covers of his sarong cos if any peeping tom catches him in action at the loo he might also be accused of being immoral, a pervert and a exhibitionist.

Annoyance

I always believe as doctors we should treat our patients as if they are our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters etc. When we do that, then we know we are not mistreating people based on their gender, race, wealth or position. In this country, many people only see status and treat people only based on that. Some people bend their backs to please some Datuk, Tan Sri or Tun BUT would not pay attention to the normal people on the street. Isn't that so sad?

This shouldn't happen in the health service, especially in government hospitals. Even if a person is a VIP he should get the same service as any other person. They should wait in line for their turn and not demand special attention just because of who they are. Mind you, for the 10 years I have been in government service I have met a lot of crappy so-called VIPs BUT I have met also so many Datuks, Datins and Tan Sris who are genuinely nice people and never demand anything special. They are ever so grateful even to us lowly house-officers. Demanding people should go to private doctors and not harp on how sub-standard the service when they only pay RM5 to see a specialist.

Anyway, sometime the fault lies at the service providers themselves. People are so awed at titles that they forget their duties and responsibilities. They go all out to please the VIPs. I was a medical officer in HKL when I was called to review an 'end-stage renal failure' patient who had infection of his great toe. The elderly gentleman was such a nice fella, I spoke to him with respect and addressed him as uncle. However, the ward sister was so distressed with this. She kept mentioning to me that this 'Uncle' was in fact a Datuk and should be addressed as such. She was not really bothered about the treatment. Well, being me, I told her to *&^% off.

After that I had a good relation with this uncle. I took care of him till his wounds were better and he was able to go home. About a year after that, his wife came around the clinic to look for me. The old man had passed away and she wanted me to know. Apparently, he used to tell his wife how well I treated him and how he thinks of me like a daughter. When I heard this I was so elated. That is the best compliment a person has ever given me.

Why am I rambling on about this? Well, it is because I am annoyed. I am annoyed because my friend's father-in-law was admitted to the hospital and in my personal view he was not given the best treatment. Mind you, my friend is also a specialist (in the same hospital and ward) and to avoid conflict of interest he decided to stay out of the way of the other doctors. However this resulted in sub-standard care given to this gentleman (would not elaborate further on this, but trust me it is). Gosh, if this is the way the doctors treat one of their own I wonder how they treat the Apak, pakcik, makcik, ah soh out there.

Or perhaps this is exactly how they treat their own family?


p.s. the government's doctor factory is now busy churning out doctors to meet their 1 doctor per 4000 people quota. I wonder what quality of doctors would that be. We need more people with compassion but lately many of the young doctor lack such quality. Alas, there is no entrance exams to gauge compassion.

The Government Slave

It has been a month since I last blogged. Actually, I wrote a few entries but decided not to post it. These are matters (mainly complaints) that may offend other people so nah... I decided not to.

Anyway, a few things have been on my mind for the past month. The first is my youngest brother upcoming wedding at the end of the month. Loads of things to do and prepare. So little time.

The next is the Government's option for its employees to opt for the Pension scheme instead of KWSP. The dateline is next Monday, I have to make a decision.

I think I am almost 95% certain of my decision. After I signed for KWSP only I realise the implications of it. I remember at that time, the clerk in-charge was so happy to persuade us to sign for the KWSP option, and being naive I did so. Later did I found out that opting for the pension causes less paperwork for the clerk, duh. Anyway, at that time I was concerned with whether I would stay with the Government for life. I was actually worried if I was pushed around here and there at the whims and fancy of some clerks (really, KKM is run by clerks who have no sympathy for people) and also if I don't like the office politics. That may push me to resign and thus 'nil' savings if I was in the pension scheme.

What have changed since then? Nothing much really. The concerns are still there but I am looking at a different perspective. Right now I am more concerned about long term health care. At the age of 56 (when I retire) I would have no health benefits if I am still under the KWSP scheme. If I needed a bypass or and angiogram (touch wood) in IJN perhaps, I would need to raise RM20000 for the surgery. That is provided I do not have any other complications. If I do, I am sure that would cause a serious dent in my savings and I may not enough funds for my retirement plans.

This is not just me but my family too, my husband and our future children. Aging people have more degenerative problems and diseases, it is fine to say now 'I AM HEALTHY' but we definitely do not know what is in the future. An unhealthy person is not just a liability in terms of health costs, they are usually not productive and thus, the disruption of their employment plans and cash flow.

It is a fact that healthcare is an expensive affair and it will be more so in the future as this country goes into managed healthcare. No amount of insurance can cover you for every eventualities - every coverage has its limits.

Anyway, the monthly pension is not really a deciding factor. As doctors, working after the pensionable age is very feasible (provided I am not senile) and thus I am sure I can find a job so not that worrisome. And, would I leave government service now or in the future? I guess maybe not; I enjoy my work, I am too lazy to suck up to patients, I love the 35 days leave I have per year and I am not a businesswoman.

I guess I would not have these thoughts if I married a fellow government servant (with the appropriate retirement plans i.e pension scheme). Hmmmm, perhaps should advise people looking for a future spouse to ask the questions "Kerja Gomen ke????" and then if positive "Pencen ke, KWSP??". Only after that proceed with the courting...