Why film maker need to go to a medical school

I like watching 'medical' scene in any Asian drama. They are absurd!

I was watching a drama circling around a life of the blind.

1st: Ophthalmologist can diagnose glaucoma just by doing visual acuity test. Where is your tonometer or at least slit lamp? Aqueous depth? Yes you can do that with primitive tools, but to come to a diagnosis, one have to have the intra-ocular pressure, unless if the person is already blind, by then the cause is apparent.

2nd: One can get blind from glaucoma. Yes indeed it is true, but iridectomy, is not that hard to do. One can just use laser beam to open up a hole. As long as the doctor detect it earlier.

In the drama, the diagnosis was done before the hero gone blind.

Asian drama... DRAMATIC! no wonder Asians are a bunch of paranoid and hypochondriac.

Lunchbox

I was preparing my lunchbox a while ago. While preparing, I reminisced the past.

I was thinking of packing some chips to school. However, I would never put that idea into action. Back in the kindy, we had a strict regulations on junk food. Initially, almost everyone would pack junk foods to school. Not my mother though. They are convenient and... delicious?

Back then, there were no specific regulation from the ministry on junk foods at school. The new regulation was introduced to our teacher to encourage students to have proper nutrition. However, students speculated that, our teacher impose the rule because of our tendency to litter. After eating those junk foods we would simply throw the packaging on the school ground. The refuse bin is always full anyway. That is just a speculation.

Our teacher, Madam Suzanna and Madam Annie would inspect our lunchbox. Students line up and show the teachers what they are packing for recess. A friend of mine, Jacqueline brought a lunchbox full of fish crackers to school. She usually shares her lunch with her twin cousins, Rachael and Cynthia. Madam Suzanna warned her not to bring junk food to school.

She did the same the following day. A few seconds later, she received a stroke of rattan cane. She cried. Even worse, her lunch was confiscated. So Jacqueline, Rachael and Cynthia have no food for recess. Luckily, Robson was kind enough to offer them some of his lunch. Valena too. I didn't offer them mine because I would usually pack boiled egg with soy sauce and vegetables. I have the most boring food.

We think that she's innocent because she only bring the contents of the packaging. Yes, we didn't know the idea behind the new rule. We thought that we are good enough not to litter the school compound. This was more than 20 years ago.

Children never care whether our food are nutritious or not. We cared more about the taste.

Yes, our teacher would cane us. However, I had no resentment towards my teachers. They were brought up the same way. And I don't promote canning. We've taste our medicine. Detention is better.

Packing junk food for recess? I would definitely think twice.

Mas, I would like to have a glass of limeade.

My mother and I were at the town, shopping at the Sunday Market. It's where jungle produce can be found. One can buy wooden pestle an mortar, snails (local 'escargot'), even turtles and tortoises. Live chickens, quails and fish are also available. If they're in luck, one can find pythons and venison and other exotic foods. Today I saw some civets lying in front of the peddlers.

Then we went to a coffee shop to have our breakfast. Serving us is an Indonesian gentlemen. As we are seated, I call for a waiter. Asking for a glass of limeade, I address him as Mas, a polite way to call another male (your age or slightly older) in Indonesian.

"Mas, can we have 2 glasses of limeade?"

He replied "certainly"

A few minutes later, he came with our order. I thanked him "Thank you, mas" while my mother handed him some money. He came back with the change and said "This is the balance, thank you Bu"

The moral of the story is, if you want a good service from a foreign worker, try to make them at home.

That's how my younger brother survived his internship at a plantation. He tries to make friends with his Indonesian colleague. His new friends were pleased that they gave him a Buginese machete, probably from the Celebes as a token of their friendship.

Jumping on a New Year...

Yes, jumping, literally...

My Filipino aunt would ask us children to jump on the midnight of New Year. By doing so, we would get taller. I'm the tallest among all of us, and I'm just 173cm high!

I should get a trampoline next time.

Thanks Mikey Bustos. I can't stop laughing.

And having a Filipina aunt is fun too... new food. new custom, new language...

The world could be a better place with atheist... REALLY?

I'm not an atheist, nor am I a devout religious pious person.

Never underestimate an atheist. They know a lot more about religions than the religion adhering person. They lack faith. Not to say that I am very faithful. Life experience could change a person's point of view towards religion.

The Muslims would label a Christian 'Kaffir' in a Muslim majority nation. Not complaining. Halfway across the world, Christians call Muslims 'Infidel'. Doesn't apply to all but the truth is religions do divide human beings.

Growing up, I am afraid of the Catholics. Well, Sunday Law is a very big thing in our denomination. Yes, I'm a paranoid. My Catholic friends doesn't do any good. They questioned me with 'how genuine is our denomination?' and 'why I don't worship on the Lord's day?'. Well, we're naive. As long as you're not of the same flock, you will be marginalized.

Can the atheist help? SURE? Put a Christian and a Muslim (preferably those extremist, both) in an atheist majority world, they'll more likely to be friend, understand each other's religion better, and would taste the taste of prejudice. There, atheism saves the world.

Well, personally, I think religion is man-made. God is God. And man are more likely to worship a religion than worshipping God. Religious tension? Man-made. Nothing to do with God. And religion politicize God. Blatant idolatry.

And God would surely smite me! For blogging on Sabbath and for promoting atheism. And my left ball hurts.

Canadian would thank Aussies for this (Aussies help Canucks retaliate?)

All this while, Canadian monies became the subject of almost every American joke. Canadian banknotes looks like monopoly? Let's hear what Aussies think of America?

Yes American banknotes are not as colourful as Canadians or Australians...

And yes, why do you like imperial units so much?

Thanks Aussies for the help. Canucks are too polite to answer back.

Beau and his reflection

Finally Beau made peace with his reflection.

And he starts to jump out of water.

A cute boy.