Don't be a sourpuss Mr T.

This is one of the question in Canadian Citizenship Test.

The Question reads "What is the role of the Opposition parties?"
The answer is "To oppose or try to improve government proposals"

That's Canada. Not in this country.

So last week, a controversial 'religious' speaker was barred from entering our state. This was upon request from an MP of the opposition party. Bringing in this man would disrupt the racial harmony in our state. The man in question is a lecturer in the Defense University. Known for his extremism, and racial bias.

This man accused our Chief minister of bowing down to the opposing party.

Quite immature I would say. Opposition party is there to help improving government proposal. if there's Yin. there must be Yang. A good ruling party is the one concern about the people. Same goes with the opposing party, a good one is the one concern about the people. If the opposing party's suggestion is relevant to the state, ruling party should consider their suggestion.

Ruling party and opposition are 2 parties with different ideas. But that doesn't mean that they are enemies. Both parties shouldn't be enemies. Both sides should work together for the betterment of the state.

Mr Chief Minister, good work. Kudos to you, Mr CM. Mr T, don't ever step your foot here. You're not welcomed by ruling or opposing parties in this great state. Insulting our CM, that's low. Sourpuss.

Yayyy...

50 states? Easy

Little Annette the dyslexic...

One of my little neighbour is Annette. She's 10. Her cousin Rick is also 10.

They have been revising mathematics with me. One thing I noticed about Annette is, she's a bit slow. Just a bit slow. However, once I explained our revision topic, she did well. Misplacing numbers during mathematics revision is common. Thus the poor performance.

I am suspicious. She can't be that 'stupid'. She is smart. Maybe she had problem that I had. The way it manifests is familiar. Confusion, that leads to frustration. Somehow, there's an interference in relaying information. Written information/instruction. The interference makes it longer to solve mathematical problem. Frustration comes when her cousin finish early. In this part of the world, finishing last is frustrating. Thanks to 'kiasuness'.

That is not something new. I had the same problem when I were her age. It's frustrating. In addition to that, having a typical Asian parents worsen the situation. The parents would compare you with your peers or siblings.

I asked Annette how is she doing when reading. Any dizziness, fuzzy letters, dancing letters. Apparently, she had all those symptoms.

Annette is also creative. At 10, she can play ukulele very well. She prefers drawing than writing. That confirms my suspicion. Little Annette is dyslexic.

I talk to her mother, Susie my preliminary diagnosis. Her mother knew about it. I told her mother not to worry. I'm a dyslexic too. Nobody believes me. A dyslexic bookworm. I read. But I still have it. Sometimes I have to reread the whole page because sometimes the paragraph doesn't make sense.

Apparently, it's easy for a dyslexic to diagnose dyslexia. First hand experience.

"Rest assured that your Captain is well prepared to ensure your plane will never get lost"

Moral of the story, don't be so smug.

Life is like a wheel...

I don't mean that they deserved it, but just to remind ourself, not to be too proud and make fun of other's misfortune. Not a good marketing strategy. Can you eat your words if shit happens?

In the evolving dynamic of aviation industry, there's no room to be complacent. A successful airlines can go bankrupt (PanAm, SwissAir to name some). 'Underdog' airlines can get a 5 star rating (Garuda)

Life is like a wheel. Even in aviation industry.

PK-AXC, I hope you're doing okay

Apparently, Annoying Orange lives in Singapore!

Here's a video of Annoying Orange

And a screen capture of the video

The control tower looks familiar isn't it?

Here's a wikipedia link for Changi Airport (SIN)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singapore_Changi_Airport

The Handyman in me.

I like watching home improvement show especially This Old House. In the past, I used to buy Family Handyman magazine. I also have some experience in plumbing. Not an expert, but still I can repair minor leaks. Just ask my aunt. There's a leaking trap underneath her kitchen sink. It's been there for almost a year but nobody's there to fix it. Coincidentally, I'm on my sabbatical leave, and sometimes have a slumber party with my late cousin.

There's a leak in our kitchen sink. The problem with construction practise here in the 80's is, there's no building code. Another that irks me is some 'contractors' or 'handyman' are not qualified enough. There is a need for a building code. It's easy to do renovation if building code are applied. One know how long the water inlet should be.

There's a really short space to work on. The copper pipe is too short. And there's no shut-off cock under the sink. I need to install one. Well, it's not a common practise here but in America, it's a must. At least to Richard Trethewey. And I have some American publication on plumbing which advises on the importance of shut-off cock near a water fixture.

So the faucet is leaking. And there's no shut-off cock. Copper piping. I'm more familiar with PVC pipes, but with all the knowledge I learnt from Richard of This Old House, I'm confident.

My tools and fittings. 2 wrenches, the faucet and the grubby copper pipes are salvaged from the existing faucet. The shut-off cock and 2 connector are from the hardware store. I need the connector because I need the ferrules and nuts. And also it's good to have back-up.

This is a tubing cutter. When I was younger, I ruined my father's cutter. I applied too much pressure. And I get a big smack! I used to avoid using this contraption until I watch Richard using one. Apparently, one have to apply pressure gradually. Apply and rotate. Tighten and rotate. It will leave a groove. Repeat until it cuts the pipe.

There! Adding a new fitting. The shut-off valve. Using a ferrule is quite hard. Maybe, I'm still not familiar. One have to tighten until it compresses the pipe. Hence the name, compression ring.

This is not an engagement ring. This is a ferrule. Or a compression ring. Depends on where you live. I told the store-helper where is the ferrule and all I get is a BIG QUESTION MARK. In a country which favours BrE, this is called a compression ring. 

I learnt my plumbing from Americans. Therefore I use faucet instead of tap. cock instead of valve and ferrule instead of compression ring.

Calling a valve, a cock is something frown upon by my father. Whenever I say cock, he'll correct me. "It's a valve"

Cock is a dirty word.

Are my arms big.

3 occasions in this week, people squeeze my biceps.

One was my little neighbour. Well, not surprising, he's 12. That's what 12 year old do. Comparing biceps.

Twice by a store-helper. This store-helper do have nice biceps too. A TKI. A friendly one. He's always ready to assist.

Once was when I offered to carry a box of drinking bottle myself.
"Wah! kuat ini!"
Today, while I was looking for some mosquito repellent, he did the same.
"Mas, buat apa ni? Gede"

Wondering if Ade Rai shops in the store he works in. What would he do?

P/s Everybody is a gym-rat or gym-rat wannabe now. Supplements everywhere, gyms everywhere. 10 years ago, looking for a gym buddy is hard. Only Roystone is kind enough to spot me. If only I were 10 years younger.

If I have super-villain power...

My mother is at home. She's still bitter about me. Well, typical Asian mother.

Back to the entry title, if I have super-villain power.

If I have a super-villain power I would like to have a dyslexia ray. A ray which turn non-dyslexic to dyslexic. Evil? Not really. Some people need to feel how it is to be dyslexic to understand one. And she's a guidance counsellor for Pete's sake!

Also in my list

1)PTSD ray

2)Schizophrenia ray

3)Left-hander ray

4)Deaf ray

.......... any other ray which make 'normal' people understand the 'weird minorities'

PK-AXC where are you?

Praying for the safety of all aboard PK-AXC

To be honest, it's shocking. 

Funny vs not funny...

When it comes to satirical comedy, there's a very thin line dividing funny and not funny.

It's not racist to call someone slit-eye when you are Asian (with hooded eyes) but it's a big deal if a non-Asian call somebody slit-eyed.

A dyslexic joking about dyslexia is funny, but not if you are not dyslexic.

Same with the word Nigger. Only an African American can say this word without being labelled racist.

So a good comedy is making fun of yourself in front of your audience. Making fun of others is just mean.

Highlight of Christmas... Christmas messages

Christmas messages from Head of States/Head of Governments around the world

From Queen Elizabeth II

Aussie's PM Tony Abbott

President Obama

Felipe of Spain

President Aquino

Prime Minister Harper

Dutch King

Boxing day???

December 26th also called Boxing day is celebrated in some country, particularly commonwealth nations. It used to be a holiday in this state. So older generation are familiar with Boxing day but not the younger generation.

If I were in Canada, it's gonna be a long weekend holiday. Christmas, Boxing day, Saturday and Sunday.

This boxing day is also a 10 year anniversary of the devastating tsunami. Let me recall what I did that day.

On Saturday, Christmas day, our father scolded us for playing firecrackers. So, we're not really in a good mood that night. When ever the Hitler scolds, it would last for a few days. Living in terror with the Fuehrer.

The next day, we flew from the big city to this little city. The tsunami occurred around noon. At that time, we're on the way to the airport. Not knowing a disaster happened. That flight is an eventful one too. It's monsoon season and the little city's airport was raining heavily. Slippery runway. After 3 attempts we finally landed. Initially, the pilot planned to land in an airport in an island which is it's final destination. The little city is just a stopover.

However, the pilots decided to try landing after the second attempt. Third time's a charm.

After reaching home, turning on the telly, we watched the devastating natural disaster.

At times, 10 years ago feels like yesterday.

Flintstone?

In the simple mind of a child, a car is something you can ride on. Petrol is just a different thing. A car can magically work without fuel. Petrol is just to enhance the car performance. I wish.

So my little neighbour, said the same thing. And I replied
"Well, if only I'm in Flintstone's world. Human powered car."
And with wheels made of rock, instead of making life easier, it's quite a burden to ride a car. Maybe Yabadabadoo is a magic word. Their car zoom upon saying this word.

Let's go down the memory lane Gen Xs.

Recalling

Crocodile-like dinosaur as garbage disposal.
Flying dinosaur, probably pterodactyl - an aeroplane
Bird as a remote control transmitter
Long-necked dinosaur, probably a brontosaurus - a crane

Their car looks similar to a steamroller.

Flintstone, a cartoon which Gen X are familiar with, but not Gen Y.

The indecisive Libra (smartphone)

I've been thinking of  buying myself a smartphone for more than a week now. And I still haven't decide which one I should get. Initially, a BlackBerry is top on my list. I'm still a fan of keypad. Xperia comes second. I had a major crush with the first Xperia in 2008. X1.

Motorola is in my list too. I wish Motorola have a smartphone version of Moto RAZR. The clam-shell one.

iPhone is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down the list. Samsung Galaxy too. They are saturated. There's always somebody using iPhone or Galaxy.

Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Be a man and decide!

eeny meeny miny more...

Now my list is still
BlackBerry, Xperia, Moto X...
sigh

Good Morning, Guten Morgen,

My Christmas PJ. It's Christmas already in this part of the world. In the Western Hemisphere, people are counting down.

Today, I'll be celebrating my Christmas with my kind neighbour. We've been neighbour for more than 27 years. So, not surprising that we are like family.

I'm cooking my spaghetti and bread pudding.

Maligayang Pasko, Selamat Hari Natal

Hahaha... a poor boy's way of celebrating Christmas. No trees. Just candles.

Not a menorah.

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Bom Natal, Feliz Navidad

Merry Christmas

I am thinking of going to the DVD store to get myself  Home Alone DVD. Maybe Die Hard.

I didn't know that Die Hard is a Christmas movie until I watch FRIENDS.

The telly sucks. Not much Christmas movies.

I'm a Javanese bride...

I rinsed my hair after 30 minutes in agony. Beauty is pain... My hair turn into shiny jet black. Oh shit. I like matte colour better.

Well, the downside of home kit is it would leave some black marks near the hairline. I wish I had applied some petroleum jelly along my hairline. Now I look like a Javanese princess. I wonder why they like widow's peak very much. If only there's Gamelan performance in this Keraton.

Cooking chilli paste and dying my hair. Not a princess thing.

I wish I had bought myself some chicken. Fry them and mix into my red chilli paste. My aunts specialty. Shit! They'll probably cooking it now with black gravy duck.

Now, I sounds like a Grinch

Hair dye

I saw a few strands of stray grey hairs. If it's all grey, I would leave them. Or maybe colour it salt and pepper. Since it's more pepper than salt, I decided to colour my hair. Just dark brown which is my natural hair colour. Funny for an Asian not to have jet black hair. I have some red and gold hairs too. Just a few. Like finding a needle in a haystack. I got it from my mother.

So, I bought a home kit. DIY hair dye. A Schwarzkopf. I followed the instruction. Scrutinizing all the steps.

First step, mix developer with colourant. I miss our chemistry lab session. It was in college. Good old days.

Next, apply. OH DEAR LORD! It's like mashing a century egg and applying it on your head. It smells like century egg. Ammonia. My eyes watered. This is the second time this week. Yesterday was 2 rotten eggs.

It's overpowering that I think that's how the end of the world would be. Or Bhopal or gassing of the Kurds. Or falling into a septic tank full of horse urine.

Next time, I'll just wear a ventilator with extra extra Extra HEPA filter. Okay, I'm exaggerating.

It's almost time for me to rinse off those grey smelly gunk off my head.

The thing I miss most about medicine

The most memorable medical posting I had is Psychiatric Posting. It's eye-opening, and if you play your cards right, the most fun. Memorable.

Eye opening. Yes. It during this posting I learnt that everybody can be inflicted by psychiatric illness. Lawyers, Police Officers, Doctors, Teachers, Bus Drivers... and the list goes on. Including yours truly. And most of the stereotypes are wrong. It's all stigma. During my 2 postings in the psychiatric hospital, nobody harmed me.

Those institutionalized  patients are friendly. They need somebody to talk to. Ask a man what his tattoos mean, and he'll tell you his story. Ask a religious fanatics where he stands and you'll have a very clear insight.

A middle aged man asked me if I'm a Christian. Apparently, he had doubts about his stand on religion. Born and raised as a Buddhist and converted recently to Christian. He asked me is it sinful to practise some Buddhist rite. He is full of guilt, so my reply was "I don't know if I'm right. To me Buddhism is just a teaching. Adhering to Buddhism doesn't really mean to sin. Buddhism teaches moral values too" Relieved, he thanked me. I'm not sure if I have given the right answer, but to him it's assuring. Do I have to burden him with more guilt by saying it's not right? That's up to God to judge.

It's kinda funny, during my second psychiatric posting, my colleagues are afraid to enter the wards. I entered confidently. One have to be in the same 'frequency' with them. Well it's my kind of 'people like us'. Perhaps the wards itself are intimidating. Iron grilles and huge padlocks. It's not surprising one think it's a jail. I looks like a jail and the 'inmates' wear uniform. Except its green instead of orange.

And one think for sure, nobody likes a patronizing people. So, don't patronize these patients, well all patients. Spend time with them, built rapport and eventually, they'll tell you their story. Mostly colourful stories. The newly admitted are usually shy. I am incline to blame this on stigmas. I've been there, so I know how it feels.

How to stop those stigmas, especially among Asians? Health Education. Yes! Health education to 'normal' populations. Especially family and caretaker. It's sad to see some patient with psychiatric illness were kept in a cage, or locked in a store. I've never witness one, but the nurses and social workers shared their experiences.

Patients with psychiatric illness are human too. Who knows one day you might be one?

Oh dear Lord!

Colourful

Cheap way to improve your home ambience.

Yes, cheap and easy.

First, music. Background music. Try to look for relaxing music you had. Waterfall sound, ocean waves sound, or even a lounge jazz. Hey, boarding music played by airlines works too. You can just find them in YouTube and play.

Next, scent. Not the expensive one. Find a crockpot or slow cooker. Dump all the herbs and spices you have in the kitchen and set to low. Lemon peels works too.

Cheap and easy.

Here's a list of music I played to improve the ambiance

or

 a foolproof way is use boarding music. They are meant to be relaxing. To reduce the anxiety level of passenger. For a more pleasant flight.

Or natural relaxing sound

Lounge jazz. My personal preference is Paulo Arruda

Chrismukkah...

If you live alone, time passes quickly. Losing track of time is common.

I was watching The O.C. Episode 10 Season 3 to be exact. The Chrismukkah Bar Mitz-vahkkah. I have a box set, all 4 seasons in a box. A coincidence.


And I thought. "Oh, it's Chrismukkah already, in The O.C. How long away would Christmas be?"

One thing about TV stations in this region, sometimes a Christmas special episodes would play in June. Maybe it's a late release OR nobody seems to care. Yeah, I still can recall, My Wife and Kids Christmas special, played in June. So pardon my disorientation.

One thing about The O.C. I could relate to the Cohens. A hybrid 'Christian-Jew' family. Well, if you grow up in a Christian denomination which emphasize a lot from the Old Testament. Yeah, I eat Kosher preferably. I was baptized on my 13th birthday. I call it my Christian Bar-Mitzvah sans the money and party of course.

Well, here's some screen capture I have. I just learn how to yesterday. Hahaha...

I can't help it.... Morena boloka setjhaba sa heso

I can't help but to sing along

And yes seTJhaba is pronounced as seChaba. Dutch orthography.

Guess what is tjoetjoe and tjap koepoekoepoe.

The trans-pacific delivery

Malaysia Airlines have a new Boeing 737-800. I've fly with this Boeing family. From 200 series in the early 90s, to 400 series from mid 90s to early 2010s. I've fly with 800 series 4 times already. It's different. Fresh. Mood lighting and better in-flight entertainment.

So the youngest in the fleet, 9M-MXY. I was watching the news, and saw this new plane. I quickly look for the registration number, to cyber-stalk this particular plane. As soon as I saw XY near the nose gear, I quickly search for 9M-MXY in Flightradar24 (Malaysia Airlines registration always starts with 9M-M followed by the 2 letters near the nose gear. 9M is the code for Malaysian aircraft.

From Seattle to Kuala Lumpur via Honolulu in Hawai'i, Majuro in Marshall Islands and Guam. 

My 'no-speaking-to-former-crush' policy

I would... avoid talking to a former crush at all cost, except when that former crush turned to be your bestie.

To be honest, it's awkward to have a conversation with them. If she's already my best friend, we have other thing to talk about. And I'm already over her. So it can be handled.

The way people express their love is sometimes silly. There was a beautiful girl in the next class when I was 11 years old. She's beautiful but she had a congenital leg deformity. If I recall it correctly, talipes equinus. So she limps. I kinda like her, so I mimic her gait. I'm not making fun of her. Emphatic maybe, I just want to be her friend.

A puppy love is cute. It's not really erotic. It's usually, a fraternal love. Remember when it's "She's so cute, I wish she's my sister" kind of love. It's purely love. No erotic thought involved.

A few days ago, my crush, Ms K initiate a conversation. I just nodded. Not wanting to utter a word. It's quite awkward. She about to be engaged. It's awkward, and to be honest, I'm afraid of her boyfriend. A bit. Her boyfriend's brother used to bully me.

One of my first crush is Ange. She a beautiful girl. Still is. There were a handful of almost puberty guys had a crush on her. She got married already. We were Facebook friend. So one day (before she got married) She asked how am I. I was shocked, but somewhat elated, but still awkward. Hoping that she don't remember about the crush I had.

Replying that I am fine. Doing okay in the 'hell on earth'. Hoping that it's just that. Just a courtesy talk. Then she posted on my facebook "Remember when we were 12?"

Uh oh... crossing my fingers that she don't remember. I try a diversion. "Oh, yeah! How can I don't remember. I planted shallots in my plot, adjacent to Zuan's plot, who also planted garlic"

Hoping the diversion works. Then the most, embarrassing reply "No, silly! I'm referring to the crush you had on me"

Bragging or just reminiscing a 'sweet' memory. I'm not sure. Is she being an asshole trying to tell me that, she's hot?

No, she's not a bitchy girl. Just a sweet girl. So she's probably just reminiscing a sweet chapter in my life. If only, she's my girlfriend. If only. But one better not question, just ponder. Matching is in God's hands, as the old adage goes. Thus, a match made in heaven.

That year was one of the best. I have the best best friend, I got good grades. Can love drives us to be better. I'd think so. Maybe if I have somebody to love during my university years, I would complete the stupid and agonizing 5 year course. A good support system.

C'est la vie.

Child birth? Scary?

What is the big deal with child birth? One of my friend told me, her father left her near the sink when she was born. Apparently, her father was 'traumatized' by the sight of child birth. Try to show a picture or video of child birth to children. They would swear never to give birth. I did this accidentally. I was watching a video of water birth, when my little neighbours entered my room. A friend of mine too, swear never to give birth.

I was watching an Indonesian sinetron this afternoon. There, a primigravidarum broke her water. Locked in a room by her enemy. (well, that Indonesian sinetron, enemies sabotaging is a must). Her husband and in laws were nowhere around. The lady's twin sister sensed something wrong. It took them 2 hours to arrive to the house. The pregnant lady, fainted.

Why on earth would somebody leave an almost due pregnant lady alone? And a first born usually take about 12 hours to deliver a baby. That sinetron is too dramatic. Well, it's a sinetron. Their main concern, amniotic fluid aspiration.

Rule of thumb, push only when there's a contraction. It's a natural process, nothing high-tech involved. But why is it a big deal?

Say, a lady is about to give birth. First, ask for help. Ask the pregnancy status. The lie of the baby. Assuming it's normal, well, almost 90% are normal. Then, it's just giving support and ask the mother to be to push when there's a contraction.

I might say, it's not high tech, but bear in mind, delivering a baby is a PAINFUL experience. Painful, tiring but rewarding... or not, depending on how much you want the baby. I can say it's painful because I've seen not less than 30 deliveries, live. Try letting those mothers to hold your hand while pushing out a 3kg baby. It's a vice-like grip.

Once, I assisted a delivery. After 3 hours of painful and tiring ordeal, a healthy 3kg baby boy was safely delivered. The tired mother, smiled and cried out of joy, seeing her precious little baby.

It's funny how people perceive childbirth.

Wouldn't you prefer a stork to deliver your baby, like a courier mail?

p/s once the baby is delivered, don't forget the placenta.

Emotionally distant parent...

One thing that I have in common with Robin Scherbatsky is our pursuit to get our father's approval. It's hard to get my father's attention. Maybe because I am the middle child. The neglected one. He is indifferent to my achievement. He would reward his nephews and nieces whenever they get a 'good' result. My result is better than theirs, but I seldom get any reward or at least a congratulations.

Yeah, it is sad to be sidelined by your biological father. This causes me to doubt my paternity. Maybe these deep seated insecurity caused me to just flop. Daddy issue. Achieving good performances without rewards, is tolerable. But watching your father rewarding the others with 'not so great' achievement, it's just painful. Denied by your own father. I don't mind if my parents don't acknowledge my achievements all this while, but if rewarding, as they say, is not necessary, then don't just simply reward the others. That's not fair.

Growing up with such parents is painful. They never appreciate it when you're getting the best results in exam. But they would scold you non-stop if you fail. Why not for once, typical Asian parents be grateful. We are 'a gift' from God. Going to the church every week, doesn't mean, that person is abiding with our Lord. That's an abuse, emotionally.

I made a mistake pursuing my father's approval. The cheapskate Medical College. He was proud. But only for a while. Until a home-wrecking cousin, his brother's son, came to live with us. Believing his nephews more than his own son, that's my old man. That home-wrecker framed me. I did nothing. I gave my bedroom, while I slept in the living room.

Back then, I am a positive thinker. My other siblings were doubtful, knowing what this conniving cousin could do. They are opportunist, taking advantage of my father's 'kindness'. I thought of giving them a chance. Who know we need their help next time. Yeah, the positive side of me backfiring.

I was framed. He purposely left our house when I was at home for my holiday. My father, the 'kind' uncle blamed me. He said that my cousin left because I mistreated him. He left because there's no freedom in my house. No smoking, no drinking, curfew at 2000 hours. He's a smoker, and goes to club regularly.

Now, whenever somebody asked me to think positively, I would just give them a sharp stare. Being positive 'eats' me. Obviously, they have a loving parents, non-opportunistic relatives and a parent who looks through all angle before penalizing them. Obviously, their live is 'smoother' than mine.

Now, there are few teardrops on my keypad. Life is sometimes unfair.

The only thought that keep me going is... to be honest... to go to Canada. I don't know when would it be, but I'm positive that I would one day go visit the 'land where the kind lady came from'

It's funny how a small act of kindness from a Canadian lady keeps me going.

Smartphone...

Smartphone is already a necessity, rather than a luxury.

A computer which was a luxury 3 decades ago is now a necessity. A mobile phone which was a luxury 2 decades ago is now a necessity. If more than 75% of the population (urban population) owned it, it's considered a necessity.

I never had a smartphone. So, imagine how hard it is to update with my colleague back in Uni. Whenever, I asked, "Why am I not informed" the common reply would be "Didn't you check your Facebook? I've posted it like 2 hours ago"

Do you expect me to check my Facebook every hour? With a laptop? With WiFi coverage like in here? It's easier to smartphone user or tablet user. They can check their social media anywhere, anytime. So, it's kinda sucks to be the one without such devices when about 90% of my classmates have them.

It is not a peer pressure or kiasu syndrome. What was a luxury is now a necessity. Even a 5 year old own a smartphone. Not that I encourage pre-schooler to own one. Just to illustrate how it is a necessity. I'll link Sacha Stevenson's parody below. An Indonesian parody of Lenka.

Hopefully, before Christmas, Santa would send me one. Just kidding. But I do really hope, my 5k would be ready before Christmas, so that I could buy a smartphone.

Now, another challenge would be choosing one. I prefer one with keypad. So I am thinking of owning a BlackBerry. BBM is a plus too, isn't it? I'm a smartphone 'virgin'. I don't really know what to look for in a smartphone. I'm not a tech-savvy person.

BlackBerry. Aye or Nay?

It's Canadian, Just like Sacha.

 

Prankster

I have orchestrated a lot of pranks. Small one to a big one. Yes, I'm a prankster. I've surprised/scared my sister in the museum, hiding among the wooden idols and jumped out as she approached the exhibits. I've turn the radio into to a full volume while it's still off, hoping the next user to jump once it's turned on. Tuning the CD player until it sounds like chipmunk while my sister was 'testing' her new CD. Try pressing the treble or bass button on any audio devices, you'll get a to raise or lower the pitch.

But my favourite and the 'meanest' is the delivery man prank. To do this, one must know the victims address, and his/her schedule. All you'll need is a phone. Preferably a phone booth, to prevent the victim from tracing the call to you. Or if possible, use the victim's mobile phone or house phone.

First, call any restaurant which delivers. Pizza Hut for instance. Order a large amount of pizza. But not absurdly large that one might suspect. Say 5 pizzas and a few bottles of soda and chicken wings and some side dishes. Make sure it's more than the victim could handle. Deliver them to your victims house and other details.

Imagine how confusing it would be. The victim would deny such order and the delivery man would insist that, he's delivering to the right address.

That was before one can find pranks online. In the early 2000s. Now one can just google up prank ideas online.

You can share your prank ideas in the comment section below. Happy pranking!

Ben McKenzie and Range Rover

I like Ben McKenzie. I watched The O.C. and Southland.

But what it is with him and Range Rover. Ryan Atwood drives a Range Rover. Ben Sherman drives a Range Rover too.

Will he drive another Range Rover in Gotham?

Easy coconut oil... half DIY

I need some coconut oil. Just a few spoonfuls to add to my homemade leave on conditioner. Yeah, I am quite a cheapskate. Actually, I enjoy making my own beauty products.

I've seen my mother process coconut oil from scratch. Go to the backyard, pluck some old coconut, crack open the shell, grate, squeeze, heat on slow fire.

I can do the plucking, cracking, grating and squeezing, but I am not that keen, especially on the grating part. So I bought coconut cream from the supermarket. Look for one without additives. It's not that fresh but it's a great shortcut.

In this little city, some homes are supplied by town gas which is freaking cheap compared to LPGs in canisters. So instead of using firewood, I just heat the coconut cream on the stove.

Heat the coconut cream on slow fire until the crud browns. The clear liquid is the coconut oil. Easy right?

Coconut cream is quite expensive compared to grated coconut in sundry shops. So a cheaper but easier alternative is to buy grated coconut, mix it with little water and squeeze. You'll get coconut milk. My mother would just heat the coconut milk. This takes longer than coconut cream.

Some would prefer to let the coconut milk sit overnight, and scoop up the scum. That scum is coconut cream.

it's funny when a girl confess...their crush

My neighbour's grandchildren were with me when another boy neighbour passed by, driving a 4 wheeler. That boy, lets call him Keith, turn into a handsome boy. He's quite a rascal when he was younger. He is probably, considering his bad boy vibe. Handsome bad boy, cool and mysterious. That's enough to attract a girl. Almost every girl wants a bad boy boyfriend whom they hopefully one day could turn into a better man. Girls really want to be a heroine, who help a bad boy turn better. Isn't it? Just my opinion. I have a lot of women in my life, I can think like one.

So these girls, lets call them Angela and Zeytoun. Mesmerized by the strong bad boy vibe, uttered "Oh my Lord, isn't he handsome". Zeytoun admitted that he was her crush. I giggled. Same thing happened to my sister, cousins and nieces.

It's cute, how shy they are to confess what's in their heart, but they still have to confess because it's unbearable. Imagine how many butterflies fluttered in their stomach. Heart skipped a beat. Blushing.

Note to girls, we, boys like it when girls are forward. Just tell us what you feel. You may stalk, but don't be creepy.

Again, don't be a creepy girl

Am I a SNAG? Sensitive New Age Guy?

It's up to you to decide.

The diplomat

Say, if my father were the King of his kingdom, I'm more of a diplomat than a crown prince. I would abdicate in favour of my younger brother.

I am a naturally born mediator, a diplomat. Birth order might play its role. Middle child, the mediator.

I like networking. I have 3 books full of business card. When other guys collect trading cards, I collect business cards. Not on Facebook doesn't hinder me. I prefer face to face networking anyway.

Hospitable. Yes, I am. Today I hosted a high tea for the princes and princesses from neighbouring kingdom (actually, my neighbour's grandchildren.)

In a make believe world, I would prefer a post as a diplomat than a crown prince. Not obliged to rigid responsibility.

Happy Hanukkah

HAPPY HANUKKAH!

Shake it off, Indonesian style and Singaporean style

2 of my favourite YouTubers made a funny parody

Munah Hirzi's rendition

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiO7s74sv-Y

Sacha Stevenson's

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kUxJrur0jk4

Oh bubble tea. My favourite!


p/s Hey, maybe next time instead of a YouTube link, I'll just upload YouTube videos directly.

Congratulations Garuda Indonesia!!! The real life Phoenix

Last year, Garuda Indonesia was still rated as 4 star airlines by Skytrax. Improving rapidly from a 3 star airlines to 4 star airlines within a decade. This year, GA is rated as 5 star airlines joining flag carriers from neighbouring countries (Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines*) . This rapid improvement earned them the worlds most improved airlines 2010 and best regional airlines in 2012.

To some, this is not may not be a big thing. Considering Garuda is an Asian airlines. And 5 star rating is 'almost exclusive' to Asian airliners. But to somebody who follows the aviation industries, it's a very good example from underdog to hero.

In the past, the Indonesian flag carrier was plagued with delays, cancellations, and poor air safety. That's in the 90s. Flying with Garuda back then is a hassle. Plane crash.

The situation worsens when the European Union banned all airlines from Indonesia due to poor safety in 2007. This is after several incidents by other Indonesians airlines, particularly Adam Air and an air crash by Garuda. Thus, Garuda have to axe their CGK-AMS route. This was a big hit to Garuda.

A lot of improvement was done since then. Fleet revitalization, new uniform design, and better services. 2 years later, after improving it's safety standard, EU lifted the ban.

Acquiring a few 777-300 in it's fleet, they started a new class of service, The first class. Which according to Roni Hawi, an airline reviewer, is among the best service he had ever experienced. A momentous improvement.

Garuda is also a Skyteam member. Gaining international recognition.

Congratulations Garuda Indonesia! You did it! Like Phoenix reborn from ashes



Tahniah!



A few YouTube clips to illustrate its story

An advert showcasing it's modern fleet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSqlWVzI0Dk


A Christmas advertisement, one of my favourite

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoUVfFrHrSI

The turning point for improvement?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=58n8Nl00Vgc

New uniform, in the introduction, the Managing Director expressed their vision of becoming a 5 star airlines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWvpXFgx25I

Flight revitalization

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm9Ni6RkCDY

Their pride and joy, the Boeing 777-300ER

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC3svroDwJs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCS3DuudirA

Some of my favourite advertisement by this great airlines

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRci8viTaaE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dplq6x0kMPk

Must watch! cuteness galore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LxiTjnAtbg

Funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlUFxdPyfR0



Garuda Indonesia's official YouTube channel
http://www.youtube.com/user/GarudaIndonesia1949

insomnia

too anxious to sleep. Damn you PTSD

My favourite airliner

My favourite airliner is still and always be the Queen of the Skies. The Boeing 747. Call it Jumbo Jet or MegaTop or any names you like. To me, it's the real Queen of the Skies.

It is cute too. It looks like a rabbit. Other planes look like flying dildos.

Some would argue, The Concorde is the Queen too. Well, with that much drag, it's a drag queen with a rhinoplasty. No offense, but although fast, it's boring. It's hotter, noisier the exact words one use to describe drag queen.

Tupolev do manufacture supersonic aircraft too. But it's gross. Literally. 144 is a gross. Ask your maths teacher.

More and more airlines retire 747 from their fleet in favour to newer, more efficient or bigger aircraft. Only a few ordered the 747-8, the latest variant of the Jumbo with passenger configuration. Lufthansa has the most orders.

In the past, having a Jumbo jet in your fleet is a luxury. A prestige. Singapore Airlines used to market their airlines using Jumbo Jets (and Singapore Girls of course). MegaTops. After receiving the first Super Jumbo, their tagline changes into "The First To Fly A380". And eventually, phasing off their 747s.

Is my favourite airliner an endangered species?

p/s KLM is retiring their MD-11. If only I have the chance to fly in one. An American Classic.

I want to wake up in a city that never sleeps

Big Apple, New York, Empire States...

Non American have different expectation when it comes to Big Apple. New York to most non-American is just Manhattan and its surrounding. To them, the capital of the state of New York is New York City when it is actually Albany. New York is too urbanize that Buffalo is not in New York.

To them, Newark, New Jersey is more 'New Yorkish' than upstate cities like Albany or Buffalo. It is safe to say, non-American think New York covers only Manhattan and probably Queens, Brooklyn and several cities in North Jersey.

A friend of mine even argued that, Niagara is not in New York. It's too 'rural' to be New York. Misconception. New York City and New York are the same.

When asked on if what to do with infinite amount of money, a girl responded in a 'bimboish' tone;
"I would probably working in New York. It's vibrant. Melting point. Everything is there. It's the centre of the world."
"I would live in a penthouse in Manhattan" she added.

It's a bimbo's dream. Probably from watching too much Sex and The City or Gossip Girl.

If I were to live somewhere near New York City with that money to spare, I'll live in a seaside mansion in The Hamptons. Own a helicopter, or at least timeshare or have a fractional ownership, to transport me to and fro from The Hamptons to Downtown Manhattan. It only PanAm/MetLife building still permit helicopters to land and take off, that's even better. Own a yacht. Shopping? I'll just ask my personal shopper to buy for me, or bring the store to you. Just ask a representative from Saks to bring a trolley full of garments. It's literally bringing the store to your house. Well, how hard it is to choose a preppy Polo shirt and ecru pants and golf shoes. Go online.

Penthouse in Manhattan 5th Ave? Sure! That's my guest house. That is only if I have jillion dollars, need to be near from New York City. Other options include any seaside cities in New England. Martha's Vineyard, Newport or Providence. Who needs a city view when one can afford a sea side mansion.

Yeah, I watch Revenge and Royal Pains. Not a bimbo.

Apparently this small city is not just a small city

Was watching the telly. And I saw a familiar face for a drama intro.

Mind you, I haven't watch local TV station for years. I am not into local drama. I would prefer watching documentary or news channel. Not just any news channel, I prefer Al Jazeera. To me, it's the most neutral news channel. You may beg to differ, but that's my opinion.

This change after our satellite broke down. It's windy and our 6 feet dish rendered useless after a strong wind knock the dish down. For now, the only TV channels on our telly are local, terrestrial, analog TV channel. With biased news, sappy drama and so-so reality shows.  

I also haven't check my Facebook for more than a year. Social media detox. And one of the reason why I start blogging is to connect to my very close friends, while keeping my anonymity.  Only a few friends know. I am not ready to expose myself. No, I'm not a fugitive or under witness protection.

Considering myself a failure, I am not ready to face the judgement from others. I might say I am fine, but deep inside, that how I feel. I'm lucky to have understanding friends.

Not on facebook, I lose cantact with most acquaintance. Old schoolmates, classmates even collegemate. So, it's safe to say, I'm in the dark with my surroundings, locally. Maybe, I just don't care.

So, back to the familiar face I saw on the telly. Apparently, one of my classmate is the main actress in this drama. I'm a bit of stalker, so I Googled up her name, full name. Nothing. Then, I recalled her name as in Facebook. There, she's acting with another popular local actor. She's an eye candy, so not really a big surprise. Unlike me, an ugly person.

My classmates. Some are engineers, some are doctors, another one is a film director, actress, model (yes, a model. It's safe to say I sat next to a model during my senior year in school)

And I am just another crazy, intelligent (not my own word) 'failed' medical student. No, I don't fail, I just quit. I quit because I don't really want to be a hypocrite. Calling myself a professional when there's nothing professional about doctors. I may have PTED from my university years. Only not as apparent as my PTSD. I just don't trust their system.

Not having a support system, I am prone to negativity. Or is it just SAD. SAD as in Seasonal Affective Disorder. Gloomy days, gloomy me.

Ideas ideas, beauty ideas

Thinking of making sea water hair spray. Can I just use natural sea water. It's free. Add coconut oil instead of conditioner? Can I substitute hair gel with agar-agar? What if I mix in some lemon? To highlight my hair?

Alcohol to preserve? Can I just use glycerin? Where to buy? Is it okay to use glycerin to substitute alcohol as preservative and at the same time substitute the conditioner?

How bout if I use baking soda instead of salt?

Why do I care about my hair so much?

As a distraction from my loss in trust fund?

Shit, can I just forget it?

Nope! I'm an Asian, a cheapskate Asian.

who knows it's a blessing in disguise...

Yesterday, my elderly neighbour asked me to teach him how to use a sphygmomanometer. He has a digital one. He survived 2 stroke attack. The first was an ischaemic stroke, the second was haemorrhagic. And he had some episodes of TIA too. What a good case for a write-up.

Doctor or not, I like listening to histories. These people need somebody to talk to. I am a chatterbox, but a chatterbox who listens and remember stories.

Here's a summary of his history and my conclusion . He had a tooth extraction by an unqualified tooth extractor. Not a dentist, just somebody who extract tooth. A few weeks after that, he helped a man push a car. Then he had stroke. I told him my conclusion which is, the tooth extraction caused vegetative growth on his heart valves, which causes thrombus and the thrombus dislodged after an exertion (pushing the car)

He told me nobody explained to him before.

Nobody explain what drug is administered to him. And why. For instance, he recalled an incident where the dentist gave him antibiotic before tooth extraction. No explanation given.

Nobody explain the side effects of statins. He had rashes and pruritus. Nobody explained the diet for warfarin regiment.

No one.

This morning, I bumped into a nurse friend of mine. She asked me where am I posted now. I told her that I quit medicine. Not a surprise for her. She knew me well.
"At least, you won't be a trouble to us nurse" she said jokingly.
She told me a junior doctor in her ward made a complaint, that she bullied her. All she did was, reminding the junior doctor to reduce unnecessary wastage. I would assume it's the disposable gloves or surgical kit. Those are the commonly 'abused' things. Gloves are sometimes used as tourniquet. The surgical kits are sometimes disposed just because 1 wrong step, usually crossing dirty tools over sterile area. An honest mistake commonly done by medical students and junior doctors.

All my nurse friend did is to avoid wastage. And this 'princess' think she is a bully.

That's just one junior doctor/princess. There are other arrogant junior doctors too. Doctors who think that they are better than nurses when in reality, only a handful have the skill of a nurse. Finding a doctor who can do venepuncture, without causing much pain is just like finding a needle in a haystack. (why am I using the needle analogy when describing an injection?)

It's a blessing in disguise not to be a doctor. Patients hate them, nurses hate them more. Everybody sees a doctor as a hero, but curse one when they deal with them. Of course not all are 'curse-worthy'. Just forget those hero/doctor. They only exist in TV. In reality, they are just another human being. Some are to used to the doctor/hero thingy that they are too proud to admit that, they make mistakes too.

My answer to my bestie's comment. I could be a good doctor in theory, but probably not a good one in reality. So consider it God's way to deter me from unnecessary curses.

I had too many curses anyway. Care to have some?

Only Canadian pronounce 'about' a-boot?

As you all might know, I'm a big fan of This Old House. I watched them on YouTube. I just like watching houses.

This Old House projects are usually in New England. Mostly Boston. That's where they are from. So, it's save to say, I'm quite familiar with New England accent or Boston accent. The contractor, Tommy Silva has a Boston accent.

One thing that I observe, they (the New Englander) also pronounce about as a-boat. (yup, it's sounds more like a-boat instead of a-boot) House and hose are homophone. This phenomenon is called Canadian raising. Beside the Canadian raising they also share the cot-caught merger.

Now, it's time for me to watch houses after a long week. I'm having a date with Kev, Tommy, Norm, Richard and Rog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_raising

Literal German.

If you know a little German, some phrases sound funny when translated into English

Schwarzkopf is blackhead. Imagine putting those comedones on your head. Disgusting!

Schweinsteiger a pig raiser.

There's a particular German brand with funny name to. I never heard it before. The first time I saw it was at a laundry. I was helping my bestie doing laundry. Actually, she did the laundry and I just accompany her. There, on the table, a drawstring laundry bag labelled Liebeskind.

My German is just basic German so I asked my bestie, a big German fan "Isn't Liebeskind, Love child in German?"

Oh my German!

The short lived happiness of a dyslexic...

I've invested about 40k in an investment bank 8 years ago. All this while, I'm in the dark regarding my investment. So, I've decided to go to their branch in this little city last Tuesday. At the said bank, I was told that the Trust Fund department is not there. But they gave me the address of the Assistant Vice President of the Trust Fund Department.

Looking for the house (yes a house, apparently, the teller gave me the house address of her colleague) is hard. It's an old housing estate. The house address given to me is the 'old style' address. Back in the 90's streets are numbered. Now most streets are given names. Even worse, if the street is divided by two. One have to look for the address in both street.

The 'old style' is easier. It's more like Manhattan Street numbering. Streets and Avenues. For example, 102nd street between 5th and Madison. In the current street naming system, 102nd street have 2 or 3 names. To illustrate,  say 102nd street between 10th and 9th were renamed as Moon street, between 5th and Madison were rename as Star street. So Moon St and Star St are different section of 102nd St. Local municipal should think twice before renaming street, be it the name of a national figure or other patriotic sounding name. Streets name after a British colonist is often the first to change name.

After 1 hour driving in that small area, I still can't find the house. So, I parked my car and walk around and ask the resident. The resident aren't that helpful. Thinking that I'm just annoying salesman, peddling goods at an absurdly expensive price. Daylight robbery.

After half an hour under the sun, with ambiguous directions, I decided to try another round driving. At last, a house hidden in an unnamed alley.

At the house, I was greeted by a man. He's the assistant's vice president's elder brother. The person that I need to see is not at home. So, I asked him the contact number. The person I'm looking for is not around and we arranged a meeting today.

So today, I met with the assistant vice president of the trust fund of the investment bank. The main reason why I need to see him is I don't remember my account number for this particular bank. And I need to know how my money's doing with them. I filled in a form for him to check. And I asked him to text me the current amount of money.

After 2 hours, he texted me. It read "There's 32000 in your account". I jumped in ecstasy. Thinking that my money had tripled. Then came another text "Probably due to the recession"

A big question. Didn't my money tripled to 132000? I checked the previous message. Oh damn, I actually lose around 8K in the investment bank. 8 years wasted. My money and my education.

Is it my bad karma?

Now, I'm thinking of withdrawing half and invest with another bank. Can't put all eggs in one basket.

If only it's 132K, hmmmm...

At least I know the situation now. What if I invest in gold or platinum?

Doctors, please explain

In our first year of medical school, an experienced professor told us, doctors are teachers. In Latin it is. Docere, means in Latin is to instruct or teach. Same goes to Docent. If a doctor can't explain, should we call him or her a doctor? Why not shaman, or medicine man?

I was talking to my neighbour. He had stroke a few years ago. I can't leave my habit of asking medical history. My opening line usually is, "How are you today?" or literally "Are you healthy?"

I inquired about his other illness, how's his blood pressure and blood sugar level. His primary complaint for now is blurring of vision. Opthalmology to me is a fairly easy subject, as long as you follow the algorithm set by our opthalmologist. Is it painful? Is it red? Distortion? Blurred vision? those are the crucial question aside from the basic physical examination.

From the history I've collected, I've came to a conclusion that he's just having refractive error and maybe astigmatism. Those you can correct with glasses. I explained to him that he might need to see an optometrist and get a new glass.

His reply was "Oh! No wonder the doctor asked me to see an optometrist! But I didn't because I think it's a medical thing. So I just don't bother to go."

Had the doctor told my neighbour what he/she think, and explain to him about refractive error and that those complaints can be corrected by making a new glasses, my neighbour would not delay his visit to the optometrist. They keep him hanging, not knowing the diagnosis, possible treatment. And blaming patient for not complying to their advice? Do they give proper advice in the first place?

It's common phrase uttered by the doctors here.
"Please go to the XXX department. There, they'll explain to you what to do"

Instead of using that annoying, ambiguous phrase why not
"Sir, I think you have XXX, My advice s to visit the YYY department. They are more expert in XXX. I'll arrange an appointment for you. Is it ok? Do you have any query regarding to XXX?
By saying this, you give the patient your opinion on his/her illness and the chance to asked any uncertainties.

My psychiatrist use the latter phrase. That's why I respect him.

Creamless Ice Cream?

I like ice-cream. To me, beside from being sweet, it's a healthy snack. Don't kill me yet. The main ingredient is milk. Milk is a good source of calcium. The only downside of ice cream is the sugar. Customized ice cream can be expensive. One can adjust the sugar level but it is still expensive. Why not make your own ice cream? No ice cream maker? No problem. Look for some recipes in the internet. Most don't use ice cream maker.

I love ice cream so much that I could argue about how healthy it really is. Once, my friend Cherri told me her parents never give her ice cream as a child. Unhealthy they said. Well, I grew up eating freshly made ice cream. Frosty Boy to name one. Another fresh ice cream vendor that I know of is our church. Ice cream is good for bone. I would give my children limitless ice cream. They're gonna grow up spoilt. Well, if this method that I'm going to share succeed, I'm gonna make low sugar ice cream. Let's see tomorrow.

I have a lot of leftover milk. Actually, it's my mother's Omega 3 fortified milk powder. So, an idea came to me. Making ice cream.

First, I prepare the milk. Mixing a heap into some water. Cool water. This makes blending the powdered milk easier. Something that I learnt from a nurse while preparing milk for diabetic patients. Leave aside some milk to dilute with cornstarch.

Heat the rest of the milk until boiling, then simmer. I've burnt a lot of milk before, so be careful when heating milk. It's recommended to use bain marie/double boiler or simmering plate. I use a heave bottom pan. It heats slower than aluminium pan but constantly. One may use copper simmering plate to separate open flame from the pan. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer.

While heating, I also add some condensed milk, vanilla essence and sugar. I even add some butter hoping that it would make the ice cream creamier. In this island, cream is expensive. And because I am a frugal Asian, I don't use any cream. The cornstarch help stabilize the milk fats. Adding butter to milk is just an idea. I saw it once on frugal living website. I'll add the link later below.

Once the milk reduced to two third, or until it thicken, I add the cornstarch mixture into the simmering milk. Make sure to mix the cornstarch completely to prevent lumps from forming.

Heat until it thickens. Custard thick. Maybe a bit runny.

Then put the milk mixture into a bowl and immerse the bowl into an ice bath, stirring. This helps reducing more water from the mixture. Mix until the mixture is lower than room temperature. Keep mixing. But in the hot tropical sun, just pop it inside the freezer.

After 2 hours, scrape the ice and blend the ice cold mixture. It should be flurry like consistency. Mix again and leave for 8 hours or overnight. I can't say anything beyond this point. I'll update tomorrow.

Next time, I'll use egg yolks. Or maybe coconut cream to make it creamier. Coconut and pineapple perhaps. Pina colada. See if the ice cream is a success tomorrow.

And I apologise for not mentioning the measurement. That's how Asian cooks. Not that I am keeping them a secret. If in doubt, follow your heart. Cooking is from the heart. Secret ingredient is always love.


Frugal living
http://frugalliving.about.com/

There's a lot of ice cream making videos in YouTube. I like those demonstrated by CHOW and masak.tv. The latter is in Indonesian, but the method is practical to Asian kitchen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y265GcqB_4c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkCl8IOf_1Q

Crossing fingers for the outcome

____________________________________

My ice cream is ready! It's a hybrid of gelato and sorbet. Yum!

Talking to the urchin.

While feeding the dog, not my dog, my neighbour's dog, an urchin cycled along our street. He smiled. Probably as a gesture of gratefulness. A few days ago, I gave them 2 bunches of bananas. I'm not sure if he did get his share of bananas. (please refer to my earlier post this week)

He is smiling. I never seen the urchin smiled before. Just nervous or scared. I must admit, I do look as stern as a schoolmaster at times. He always cycle in our street and would make a big turn on our driveway.

As he gets nearer to me, I asked him how old he is. From our conversation, I got to know that he is 13 years old, the first child, a drop out and working. He lives with his mother, step-father, 7 siblings and half siblings, all living in a small hut behind our house. His father died at 37 when he was in Standard 3. That's quite like taking patient's history. Well, I can't just leave my habit behind.

I asked him, if he worked today.
"No, I was supposed to go to the church, practicing, but it was cancelled"
"For Christmas?"
"No, for my confirmation"
"So you're a Catholic?"
My question is responded with a slight nod
"Oh, where? Mater Dei of St Joseph's?"
"Actually, it the Latter Day Saints church" he said shyly
Maybe he had heard too much of the negative comments from other Christian denomination.
"Oh, The one with cycling white men?"
"Yes! that the one"
"I heard they do give free English lessons. So, do you attend their classes?"
"Yes"
"Oh, that's good!"

He told me earlier, he dropped out of school because he got drunk at school. It's shocking to hear a 13 years old drunk at school. But everyone have their reasons to do something stupid. Considering his living condition, his family, maybe it's normal to him.

"Do you still drink? I know LDS does not encourage drinking" I asked again
"Not anymore"

I hope he told me the truth. As we speak, he is smoking. Well, he is strong enough to stop drinking. Maybe he could cut down his smoking one day. To me, it is good enough if he has good influence to guide him.

Our conversation continued on how his father died. Apparently his father died while sleeping. He used to live with his aunt. And his aunt seems not to care about his disciplinary problem at school. When I asked about his step-father, he told me his step-father is okay. I'm not sure about the okay. I don't want to pry more. Maybe next time.

Life seems unfair, but we don't know what God had planned for us. I wish him the best.

P/s
I do miss history taking. I took longer time to take patient's history because I like to know how other people lives, and how the world look from their point of view. I'm just being emphatic.

Failure to launch? Well let's view it from another perspective.

Well, I am considered to have 'failure to launch'. Those who are judgmental would see it as our fault. Mine is multi-factorial. I see it as a wrong place at a wrong time. Do you think we 'fail to launch' just because we want to. It's even worse if somebody who judge you are so-called pious. Don't they think that it is God willing. I choose to ignore those negative stigma. I tried to. It's hard if you're an Asian. That how the stereotype starts. Asian committed suicide after getting a B stereotype. They can say what they want, but they never been in my shoes. Imagine getting PTSD, dyslexic and a left-hander in a not-so 'left-hander friendly' place. Experiencing so many death of your confidantes.

Well, not everything launch early. How many delays does Airbus 380 experienced, same goes to 350 and Boeing 787. It's like priming. Maybe those difficulties are my test flights, which I survived. But I'm still not ready to fly.

And not all airliners are build like in concept. The Boeing 777 was designed to have foldable wings. 767 is supposed to have 3 engines like DC-10/MD-11 or L1011. Not everything happens as planned. Doesn't mean it's a failure. Both airliner are still reliable. 777 is a safe airliner. Those fatal accidents are most probably due to pilot failure or unforeseen circumstances. 767 is the most comfortable twin aisle aeroplane. At 7 abreast with 2-3-2 configuration, most seat are window seat or aisle seat. Only the middle seat of the 7 are neither window or aisle. That the coach.

Moral of the story, don't be upset when things doesn't go as planned.

And those test toughen you.

Single and 'mingleable'

No, I'm not marketing myself to the dating scene.

This morning I went to shop for some rations. Eggs, milk, and vegetables. Surprisingly, there's too many couple shopping together.

I don't hate them, nor am I jealous. But please stop hogging the aisle! I know in your eyes, there's only the two of you in the entire world. Like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

Now, I sound like Jughead Jones. Single, awkward, food aficionado and would avoid girls at all cost If only I have high metabolism.

Redneck way to get a whiter teeth. Cheap and easy

Redneck is somebody who works under the sun. They'll burn, and any exposed skin would turn red, especially the neck. Usually poor.

In this tip, nothing is required except for the sun. Cheap and sun. Very redneck.

First get yourself a nice tan.

Et voila! A whiter teeth. The tan helps making your teeth whiter by illusion. It enhance the contrast.

Not everybody can tan. If you can't. apply bronzer or use tanning oil.

V and W in the eyes of Germans and Thais

My bestie is a German fan. From German cars to German National Football team. If she were a German, she could be from Alsace/Bavaria maybe Swiss since she speaks French well too. I'm just kidding about the Bavaria Alsace Swiss, but she is indeed a 'Germaphile'. Well, she's not a germaphobe so a Germaphile. Bad pun huh? Sorry. Maybe AleMania sounds better for German loving people. Alemania is Germany in Spanish (coincidentally, she has a Latino beau)

Once her boss said she has OCD because of her meticulous way of sorting things like linens. I comforted her by saying

"That not how OCD manifests. OCD would be very uptight and weary"

I know because I've seen some patients with OCD myself. She too knew somebody with OCD.

"Hey!, that's German efficiency! Next time somebody call you OCD just say that it's German efficiency."

And she smiled. Well, I know her much, I know how to console her

Now, back to how the Germans and Thais see the letter V and W.

German pronounce Volkswagen as like my bestie said, Volks-vagen. Even Anna in Mind Your Language had problems with her enunciation. Went is pronounced as vent and so on. So basically, it's a faux pas, a crime, to pronounce German W as W.

"There's no such thing as W sound in German. It's SchVeinsteiger not Schweinsteiger!" my bestie's comment on the way our sportscaster pronounced the German football player.

Enough with the Germans, now let's see how Thais use W and V.

Basically, the Thais do what the Germans do in reverse. The country gateway. biggest airport (BKK) is pronounced as Sue-Wanna-Poom.

BKK full name is Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, replacing Don Mueang as Bangkok main gateway. Literally, it means Golden Land. However, no plane turn to gold upon landing. Just kidding.

Imagine the confusion a German Thai would face. Are there any German Thai? Mario Maurer. I'm just exaggerating.