What you don't know...

What you don't know...

Well, I suppose what you don't know does not mean you don't have. I strained my inguinal ligament.

The feeling is really bad. The pain is unbearable. It's the most awkward to describe, I suppose. I was telling my doctor, "When the underwear is hugging a bit too tightly, the pain is unbearable because of the pressure. When the underwear is a bit loose, the pain is searing because there is no support. When I take a bath, wind makes it tender and painful, and the water makes it very painful."

Frankly, I actually thought I had hernia, because the groin felt a little swollen. Hernia would have been terrible. It means that the entire muscle has been pulled out of the socket.

When the doctor examined me, he had to eliminate appendicitis (which I also told him one of my guesses was). Somehow, the inguinal ligament and the appendix are about a finger and a half width apart. So, he was not too sure if he could rule of appendicitis immediately.

Anyhow, I told him when I walked in, "I think it's either a muscle strain, hernia, or appendicitis. But I think I can rule out the last." Well, something that exotic is new to me.

But exotic to me is common to the footballers.

So doc says no more packing. Cannot move anything by feet. Cannot even squat down and push the boxes.

But I'm really moving on 2 Nov. So, I'll just make do. Somehow, not packing does not seem a possibility after all... Sigh!

Uncertain Period

Uncertain Period

Moving on 2 Nov to my own place. The packing is killing me. So I won't be blogging much.

Work has been terribly hectic also, so I'm just glad to be able to make it alive to bed.

Tomorrow 7 am, I have a breakfast meeting. I hate these! See but can't eat. Talk shop over meals. Duh!

Not as though I cannot afford to eat good.

Dear all,

With the current petrol prices skyrocketing, Toyota has pre-emptively launched a new model to capture the market up-front. According to reliable sources, this new model does not run on petrol or diesel. It is a new technological breakthrough in engine design using only biodegradable materials and with very low maintenance.

To avoid any last minute rush or stock out, please place early booking preferably six months in advance. Please book early !!
 

Hospital Specialties' Theme Songs

Hospital Specialties' Theme Songs

Just had this evil, evil though running through my head for a good many months. I think that hospitals should have theme songs for their departments. Let me kick the ball rolling with some examples and if you have a good piece to add, put it in the comments section and I'll add to the list! You're welcome to suggest alternatives, too!

Song (Department)
You light up my life (Burns)
My heart will go on (Cardiology)
My heartstring come undone (Cardiology) - thank you Cherlyn!
Breathe (Cardio-thoracic)
I'm broken (Orthopedics)
Looking your big brown eyes (Colorectal - hemorrhoids)
Shake your bon bons (Colorectal)
Just like a pill (Psychiatry) -Thanks Quinsy
Placebo (Psychiatry)
I'm not okay (Internal medicine) - Thanks Quinsy
Breathe (Nose) - Thanks Quinsy
The sounds of silence (Ear)
Hollaback girl (Throat) - More thanks, Quinsy
Angels brought me here (Emergency) - More thanks, Quinsy
Cancer (Cancer)
My humps(Breast)
Take my breath away (Breast Cancer)
Barbie Girl (Plastic)
You raise me up (Pediatrics) - Thanks Kenny
Daddy-Long-Legs(Legs)
Beautiful eyes (Ophthalmology - Eyes)
Amazing Grace (Ophthalmology - Eyes & ENT)
You cut me like a knife (Surgery) - Thanks Ron
Addams Family TV show theme (Family)
House of Pain Anthem (Obstetrics & Gynecology)
Dead man, dead man (Pathology)
Numb (Anesthesiology)
Love song for a vampire (Hemetology)
Mack the knife (Forensic Pathology)
Morphine (Pain management/Rehabilitative)

PSLE

PSLE

Dunno what the big fuss over the PSLE is all about? The remedy is actually very simple. Explain to the parents the idea of standardization and everything will be evident.

This is how it works. In layman's terms, the scores collected from the candidates are rescaled on a scale known to Singapore Assessments and Examinations Board, but not to the outsiders. It's ok, because we don't need to know.

All we need to know is that what the candidate scores is taken RELATIVELY to the scores returned. That means, if the highest score for the math paper is 90 marks, then this 90 mark will likely be scaled to 100 marks after rescaling or moderation.

Suppose there are 30 000 candidates, and we are expecting 20% failures. So they will count from the scores returned, the lowest 6 000 scores and then the 6 001st score will likely be scaled to 50 marks. It is about WHERE the candidate's score is, not WHAT his/her score is.

Of course, turning in a better mark places the candidate higher up in the pecking order and ensures that s/he gets a better grade.

-------------------------------

Question: What happens to the candidates' grades in a difficult paper?

Answer: Simply put, nothing. Because the relative positions will be taken into account and rescaled to the Normal distribution and then, so long as you turn in the candidate's score within the first 15% (assuming top 15% gets A*), s/he get the A*. Candidates are thus get awarded the grades according to WHERE their scores lie.

-------------------------------

Question: Does it mean that if everyone who scores more than 92 marks will necessarily get an A*?

Answer: Technically, no. Not only does the paper preclude such an occurrence, even if freak results happen, there will be a scaling done. Perhaps now A* may be 98 marks. Nobody knows. So stop counting chickens or lamenting losses.

If anything at all, last year's "EXTREMELY TOUGH" science paper should have dispelled all myths. But then again, Singaporeans have extremely short memories.

-------------------------------

Question: There is a mistake in the paper. So is it fail to give everyone the two marks?

Answer: Yes and no. Yes, because the question is invalid owing to its mistake. But the generosity of SEAB is laudable. It pacified everyone without actually causing any big problems for the outcome of the grading. Remember, because it is WHERE the scores are and not WHAT the scores are, it does not matter what SEAB does, except that in this particular case, everyone's relative position moves forward by 2 marks.

No, because it would have been unfair to those who have obtained a correct answer. However, in a MCQ situation, luck also plays a part.

One good way out would be to give everyone the two marks (or none at all) and for those who got the answer correct for the question, give two bonus points. This is only fair, in my humble opinion.

-------------------------------

Question: Is the full mark for PSLE 300?

Answer: Not likely. Ask SEAB if they would divulge but then again, it does not matter what the full mark is. Just remember when candidates are assigned secondary schools, it is again where his/her mark stands with respect to the other applicants'. What s/he scores is important, but more important is whether the scored obtained is at the front of the admission queue or at the back.

-------------------------------

Good luck and stop being so freaking kiasu! Marks are not everything. Like I always say, if you are good, you are good.

The DOCTOR is IN

The DOCTOR is IN


HEALTH QUESTION & ANSWER SESSION

Q: I've heard that cardiovascular exercise can prolong life; is this true?

A: Your heart is only good for so many beats, and that's it... don't waste them on exercise. Everything wears out eventually. Speeding up your heart will not make you live longer; that's like saying you can extend the life of your car by driving it faster. Want to live longer?

Take a nap.

---------------------------------



Q: Should I cut down on meat and eat more fruits and vegetables?

A: You must grasp logistical efficiencies.. What does a cow eat? Hay and corn. And what are these? Vegetables. So a steak is nothing more than an efficient mechanism of delivering vegetables to your system. Need grain? Eat chicken. Beef is also a good source of field grass (green leafy vegetable). And a pork chop can give you 100% of your recommended daily allowance of vegetable products.

---------------------------------



Q: Should I reduce my alcohol intake?

A: No, not at all. Wine is made from fruit. Brandy is distilled wine, that means they take the water out of the fruity bit so you get even more of the goodness that way. Beer is also made out of grain. Bottoms up!

---------------------------------



Q: How can I calculate my body/fat ratio?

A: Well, if you have a body and you have fat, your ratio is one to one. If you have two bodies, your ratio is two to one, etc.

---------------------------------



Q: What are some of the advantages of participating in a regular exercise program?

A: Can't think of a single one, sorry. My philosophy is: No Pain...Good !

---------------------------------



Q: Aren't fried foods bad for you?

A: YOU'RE NOT LISTENING!!!. Foods are fried these days in vegetable oil.

In fact, they're permeated in it. How could getting more vegetables be bad for you?

---------------------------------



Q: Will sit-ups help prevent me from getting a little soft around the middle?

A: Definitely not! When you exercise a muscle, it gets bigger. You should only be doing sit-ups if you want a bigger stomach.

---------------------------------



Q: Is chocolate bad for me?

A: Are you crazy? HELLO ...... Cocoa beans! Another vegetable!!! It's the best feel-good food around!

---------------------------------



Q: Is swimming good for your figure?

A: If swimming is good for your figure, explain whales to me.

---------------------------------



Q: Is getting in-shape important for my lifestyle?

A: Hey! 'Round' is a shape!

How to be a Successful Evil Overlord

How to be a Successful Evil Overlord

I found this at Mr Brown's blog. I've heard his podcast too, about zhnging his car.

His podcast is original and creative and it hinges a lot on the Beng culture in Singapore. But after a while, the novelty wears off and it gets lame. But it sustained a 19 nasal minutes. Not recommended.

But the How to be a Successful Evil Overlord page was good. It had me thinking about all those movies where the bad guys finally lost because they committed one of the errors listed in the page.

I've so many favourites I don't even know where to start.

Lunch at Maxwell 1

An Open Letter

Dear Madam,

At around 1.45 pm today, you intruded into my lunch with your two children. You were the single rudest person I have ever met in Maxwell Road Food Centre to date. I have met many rude and uncouth people in that food centre that caters to both white and blue collar workers but you are about the worst.

“Can share this table?!” You yelled at me when you wanted to share my table. Have you forgotten your manners? I should not be saying this but I think I would really be interested to know if you managed to learn any from anyone at all?

Of course I can share the table but do you deserve to sit at the table? I am not able to decide but I would have expected to share my table with human beings. I’ve shared others’ tables just like others’ have shared mine. Sometimes, a courteous hand gesture and nod are enough to seal the table sharing pact.

Then you intruded into my visual field. Which kiddy gang did you belong to? I cannot even imagine that you are already a parent. When I saw you and your two children appear, I thought you were some gangster chief with your two underlings. Your hair was blond and you were dressed like a vamp. I would really want to say tramp, but I think I should respect your pride. So vamp. Your two kids are dressed quite like you but their relative youth is evident. You look much older. I must also admit that at that time, I did not know that you were a parent. It looked as though all your clothes were shared. I think you should dress your age and behave your age too but being the well-bred gentleman I am, I shall let that thought remain in my head.

Your daughter took out a packet of obviously cold food and opened it. I did have a glimpse of what she was eating when I lifted my head up from my bowl of delicious noodles. Barely did your daughter begin eating that your son came along and opened his packet of food. He was then dispatched by his sister to pick up some crockery so that they could start to eat. He managed to get some plastic spoons and forks, which your daughter deemed too tough to eat with - she wanted the metal ones. Her tone and behavior to your son were rough and uncouth. I should not be saying this but I now know even better the manifestations of inheritance, nurturing, resemblance and mimicry.

Your poor children have hardly swallowed a mouthful of rice when you came over with a can of Baron’s Strong Brew and a packet of Marlboro cigarettes. I know I really should not be stereotyping people but it is 1.50 pm in the afternoon. What kind of people would be drinking at this time of the day? I’m going to ask you if you know, with your street-smart, that it is commonplace for people to associate folks like you with alcoholics? I don’t know if you are one but certainly, a can of beer at lunch time, instead of a proper meal, makes you suspect.

You then riled at your kids. You chided them for packing food instead of eating the food off plates, like normal eat-in customers would. Your daughter felt maligned and she defended both she and her brother by saying that they were not sure when you would end (your appointment) and did not want to lose sight of you (after your appointment). What was said here is not difficult to comprehend. I should not be making it too clear but I think your children fear you. They live in fear that if they dare sit down for a proper meal and miss you in the course of their meal, you would leave them behind without a second thought.

You then tried to ask me if what kind of noodles I am eating. Frankly, my vamp, it’s none of your f**king concern. Why do you bother what I am eating? I don’t know you. But being the well-brought up gentleman I am, I explained to you that I bought it at that stall and it consists of stuff like pork balls, squid balls, fish balls and other ingredients and not that fish ball noodles that you think it is. Then you asked me how it tasted. It tasted great but with you occupying my table, the noodles are just a horrible source of my misery. If I eat, I suffer you. If I leave it behind, my wallet suffers. So I gave you an ambivalent so-so answer.

And don’t try and get chummy with me. I’ve never thought much about people like you. I know I should not be saying this, lest I be accused of being elitist. However, I don’t know how else to put it to someone as ill-bred as you, who do not know enough manners and courtesy to leave a stranger eating his meal alone. Even a dog or a cat would bite you if you try and disturb its meal. But of course, I should not blame you or be harsh with you. For all I know, anyone who attempted to teach you any manners or courtesy at all may have really been driven to their graves early. God bless their souls, for they are spared further misery from your existence.

Then you tell me you are a single parent and you start knocking your pack of Marlboro on the table. I know what you are going to do. You are going to start smoking but I know better to wait till you take out the offending cigarette before I tell you that it’s against the law to smoke in a food centre.

And take out a cigarette you did. And tell you I did.

You asked me where are there signs to say smoking is banned. I should have told you that there aren’t signs to say that smoking is allowed either. But being an educated, wise man, I decided not to engage in your pre-nursery “I-did-you-did-not kind” of argument.

I tried to reason with you that the laws have been revised on 1 Oct 05 (although a check after lunch showed that the ban is only effective Jul 06). I told you that enforcement officers or police officers can book you and fine you in excess of $200 if you are caught smoking. You challenged me to call them. And your immediate reaction was that your ex-husband works across the road; your ex-husband is a lawyer and he works across the road. You even accused me of stopping you from smoking when you are trying to be friendly to me. What flawed logic. But never mind that.

For goodness sake. If you were indeed trying to be friendly, stop trying to murder me with second hand smoke. And come on, you vamp. The fact that he’s your ex-husband says a lot, doesn’t it? I don’t mean to dig at your old wounds but which man would be able to live with you? Think about it. You’re probably getting the kids’ custody because of the terribly flawed Women’s Charter in Singapore. Had the judge known the kind of person you were, perhaps the ruling would be different. I have not met your husband and so I shall refrain from comment but if he’s a lawyer, then at least he could have been some sort of a gentleman. I qualify my sentence because even Chief Justice has very recently chided lawyers for their errant ways.

I may be digressing but I guess you could have just gone up to argue with your ex-husband over something. After all, a divorcee with brains and dignity would not be so ready to tell others that her ex-husband is in the vicinity and what’s more, she has her children in tow.

So I took out my hand phone and wanted to call the police. Your children begged me to let you off. I recall the fear in your daughter’s face as she mouthed the words, “Please Sir! Don't! She’s like that. Mum, don’t smoke! Don’t smoke!” DON’T smoke…” Your son was not any different from his sister in trying to keep you out of trouble.

Correct me if I am wrong again, but it seems like folks like you like nothing more than a quarrel. But what is the price of the quarrel? I won’t quarrel with you. You are way beneath me.

So I told you that you should be very happy to have brought up children like these for they have good upbringing. You defiantly claimed that you are proud of your children. I am sure you are.

I wish to ask you, Madam, two things. One, why are your kids not in school? Two, if today is a school holiday, then the education system is doing something right because it has nurtured two beings to become significantly different from their life giver.

Alas, the insult was, expectedly, lost on you. In case you have not figured out yet, I am trying to tell you that your behavior, your EQ and your IQ are lower than that of your younger offspring’s. But no surprise. If your ex-husband is really a lawyer, your children must have had a good chance to inherit good genes. Fortunately for us, I think they did.

I think the true meaning of the last paragraph would be lost on you again, Madam, but no harm.

I tried to placate you by telling you to think of your children, to think of the waste of being fined. I tried telling you how smoking killed my grandmother. Before I could begin my sharing, you quickly said that there was another table behind us, you wanted to move over. Fine by me. And so you commanded your children to move. Their reluctant faces said it all.

It was not difficult to hear a ranting vamp even though there is a general din at the food centre. Your high pitched shriek was loud and boisterous. You have been scolding your kids and taking it out on them. Your daughter was almost in tears when she came and picked up the drinks that she did not manage to carry over initially.

Spoiling my lunch is a small thing, but publicly showing your kids how unworthy you are as a parent once and yet again will increase their resentment of you. Mark my words. If you don’t die of some smoking-related illness fast, your kids will leave you once they are old enough to fend for themselves.

Perhaps when you have ex-children, in addition to your ex-husband, and you are lying on your death bed wheezing due to emphysema – I should not be using such tough words – trying very hard to catch your breath because your lung is no longer working properly, maybe you would realize the folly of your ways.

The sad thing then would be that it would already be too late. Think about it.

[This letter is about Primary 6 standard. I hope you, Madam, will be able to understand it.]

Singaporeans' Gullibility and Show-Off Tendencies

Singaporeans' Gullibility and Show-Off Tendencies

Suddenly, Prof Lee Wei Ling became my idol. I have never been a fan of hers. But her article last Saturday had me leaping for joy.

So I had been right all along to insist that the surgery to separate the Simamese twins joined at the head was a case of medical buffoonery. We have used human guinea pigs to show the world that we are at the leading frontier of medicine. This operation is gravely flawed. Nothing of this sort should have been allowed.

Existence of quality is an obligatory function of life. Being alive yet being no different from being dead is no excuse to be living. The vegetative state of being is a burden to the people alive and a drain on precious resources. The late Pope John Paul II knew that. When he had a relapse, he did not want to be re-admitted to the hospital. But Terri Shiavo's family didn't and wanted her life extended for as long as the machines can keep her body "functioning". (See 02 and 03 Apr entries in the archives.)

A pair of Iranian twins came to Singapore to be separated too a couple of years back. They were grown women. One was a lawyer and another was a journalist, professions by training. Their ops failed but they had their dreams fulfilled. They hoped that if they had to die, they would be lying in different coffins. So they laid in different boxes.

But I digress.

Prof Lee's letter drew a flurry of backlashes and protests, as expected. This is not surprising, considering the generally depressed social and medical IQ and EQ levels of Singaporeans. Contrasting that with the need to show-off, the existence of disagreements has become a contrite consequence.

Here are a few reasons why Singaporeans are sore about being called gullible.

1. No giver wants to be told that what s/he gives is for the wrong cause.

2. No giver wants to be told that his or her giving does not form part of the solution to the problem at hand.

3. Many givers belive they are truly altruistic (even if they live in hope that when they give, somehow their stars will shine and they get profiled in the news as one of the "generous and caring" Singaporeans).

4. No giver wants to believe that the people they helped are actually needy victims of their own unquenchable desire.

Singaporeans have a short memory. It seems like the NKF fiasco was some event in the Jurassic age now. No one remembers anything. When you give, you let the people, to whom you entrust the money, use the money justly. In this case, the money was abused and yet no one raised an eyebrow.

Where are the reporters to blow the whistle and start name-calling? Imagine the twins' parents are actually coming here to get more sympathy money! That alone would have shown Singaporeans how rapacious the parents have become after the initial episode.

Why did they REFUSE equally good treatment in Kathmandu? SGH will fly the surgeons over! What's wrong with getting treatment in Kathmandu? Answer? Because they want to come here to get more sympathy money.

Why can't the surgery be done at SGH? Why must they do it at East Shore Hospital? I have no answers here. Actually, I do have conjectures which I cannot state freely.

Why do the parents feel that Singaporeans will give them more sympathy money? Is it because they know how gullible Singaporeans are?

I think the trust did a great job to refuse to pay for Botox and physiotherapy treatments. If the twins had been given aggressive physiotherapy in Kathmandu, then there is no need for such drastic measures in Singapore. Or is it just to while time away because Gunga had to heal after her shunt operation? No one knows and I am not going to speculate.

I will just say that there are many questions yet to be asked, even more answers to be provided. I am not exactly pleased with this episode.

Huang Na's case is a really a great case to showcase the Singaporean show-off tendency. How many of you out there actually know that she was placed in a gold plated casket? Ah, now you remember! I cannot imagine the lavishness of actually putting a murdered girl in a gold plated coffin. For what? For advertising? I don't know.

Based on Prof Lee's lament, the money that has been given to Huang Na's mum was probably enough for her to live rather well in China. What say you, my readers?

Really, Singaporeans need to reflect on their actions. Is generosity always good? Must we respond to every event?

Ethics are important considerations. What are some measures we can put in place to prevent more of such fiascoes? I recall when people get old and very sick, hospitals tend to advise the next-of-kins of the futility of treatment. Instead, they would recommend palliative care for the aged sick to live out their remaining days in some comfort. Why is this not done for the Nepalese twins?

I recall my grandmother in her last days was so reliant on the morphine cocktail that we had her admitted to hospital to wean her off the drug. She was in genuine pain but we all thought she was feigning it because of the addiction. Medical science failed to diagnose her illness. Even to her death, her cause of death was "suspected cancer of the spleen". When she finally collapsed, she was rushed to CGH and placed in the ICU. At that time, the prognosis was bad. She was bleeding internally and due to the suspected cancer, there is a blood clot in her lung. So the doctor said that only SGH could manage. So in the night, I sped behind the CGH ambulance that brought her to the cardio-thorarcic ICU in SGH. The doctors there were good but nothing could help. If we let her be, the blood clot in the lung would kill her. If we opted to operate, the internal bleeding and the suspected cancer would do her in. It was a Catch-22.

A couple of days later, she sobered up and said she wanted to go home (to die). We arranged for the ambulance, the mobile oxygen tanks, and also made arrangements for the nurse from the Singapore Cancer Society to do daily palliative care home visits. We reached home and in less than 2 days, she left. We had hardly finished the first cylinder of oxygen.

Why spend money doing things like separating siamese twins who were at the onset better off dead? Why not spend money to upgrade skills in diagnosing illnesses better? After my grandmother, there are many other people I know who died of "suspected spleen cancer". Medical science has stopped progressing? Or have we dedicated our energies elsewhere?

Who polices medical ethics? Someone should have stepped out or a medical board should have been convened to provide a professional judgement of the feasibility of such an operation! I think I recall the original team of surgeons did convey the risks. I am not too sure now. But I think we must go further than this. We should have a ethics board who can actually veto the operation altogether.

Similarly, even if Singaporeans wish to donate to any cause they deem worthy, do we actually want to have a ethics committee to actually give a weighed judgement and/or objective facts? This is an interesting point because one of Prof Lee's critics mentioned in his/her mail that Prof Lee had privy knowledge to the insides of the entire case, which we don't. So would this make an ethics committee an attractive suggestion?

I really do not know. But what I know is, I am glad I did not give the Nepalese twins a single cent. I know if I did, I would be contributing to their misery. And Huang Na? Nah...

Nepalese twins: A tale of misplaced sympathy

Nepalese twins: A tale of misplaced sympathy

The Straits Times, 8 Oct 05
Assoc Prof Lee Wei Ling
Director and Senior Consultant
National Neuroscience Institute

I am writing in response to the report on the Nepalese twins (“Wrangle over Nepalese twins’ hospital bill”; ST, Oct 6).

I had previously written to ST Forum stating that their technically successful operation was a medical mistake. But having made a mistake, the Singapore General Hospital (SGH) did not abandon them and, in fact, tried its best to help, given the circumstances.

When the twins retuned to Kathmandu after their surgery in November 2001, SGH continued their follow-up treatment, jointly with local doctors. In 2002, the SGH doctors went there to plan their follow-up management in Nepal with the local neurosurgeon.

Between 2002 and this year, SGH’s team of Dr Chumpon Chan (neurosurgeon), Dr Vincent Yeow (reconstructive plastic surgeon) and physiotherapists made a few trips, at SGH’s own expense, to assess and plan further treatment.

The consensus with the local neurosurgeon, Dr Devkota, was that a shunt was required for Ganga, and this straightforward operation could be done safely in Kathmandu. SGH offered to fly its surgeons to assist in the operation, and to fund the cost of treatment in Kathmandu from the balance of the funds raised in Singapore. At a later stage, both twins would be brought to SGH for skull reconstruction, a complex procedure requiring a team of neurosurgeons and plastic surgeons. This was explained clearly and repeatedly to the family.

However, the mother and grandfather insisted on coming to Singapore. They refused to let the local surgeon treat the twins. The mother then approached Dr Keith Goh, who agreed to bring Ganga to Singapore for treatment at East Shore Hospital.

After my previous letter to ST Forum, I received a letter from ms Angella Cheng, who is very close to the twins’ family and was their guardian when they were in Singapore. She wrote, and I just confirmed again over the telephone with her, that the twins’ parents’ motive for coming to Singapore is to get more sympathy money, which they have actually got while in East Shore Hospital this visit.

The parents even approached the Gurkha contingent in Singapore again but were turned down this time because the contingent had already donated to the twins on the first occasion.

SGH was subsequently approached by East Shore Hospital for funding from the balance of the funds when the twins arrived here. In consultation with the Nepalese Consul-General here, Mr Swami (who is also a member of the trustees of the fund), SGH informed East Shore Hospital that it would reimburse it based on the cost if the twins had been treated at SGH.

When East Shore Hospital submitted its claim for reimbursement following their treatment, the trustees (with the Nepalese Consul-General present) went through the bill. Only a shunt operation was done for Ganga. SGH then reverted to East Shore Hospital with SGH’s estimated bill size and reimbursed it accordingly.

As for claims of Botox and intensive physiotherapy for Jamuna, I have no confirmation as to whether it was indeed carried out, but, even if it was, for any improvement to be possible it has to be a long-term treatment that needs to be continued in Kathmandu.

Obviously, this short-term intensive and expensive therapy will have little permanent effect on her leg deformity or ability to walk and is not justified.

As a bystander and a Singaporean, I watch this saga unfold with sadness and disappointment. I feel very sorry for the twins who will never have a normal life – perhaps less sorry for Ganga, who is a vegetable with no awareness of her own suffering, and more so for Jamuna, who has enough comprehension to know what suffering is.

I am disappointed with my fellow Singaporeans’ gullibility. Some of you may remember the Indonesian baby with grossly swollen head who landed on our shores not long ago after the technically successful separation of the Nepalese twins.

Public sympathy again produced enough funds for a palliative operation to be done. Last seen at age 2½ years, the baby was severely disabled, mentally and physically.

Then there was the saga of the Yishun siblings who had an operation for deep-brain stimulation done in Taiwan at tremendous cost, again paid for by the Singapore public. They could have been treated in SGH or the National Neuroscience Institute at a fraction of the cost.

The operation was claimed in the press to be a miraculous success, and the siblings were shown walking with assistance. Now they are no longer able to walk, not even with assistance.

I cannot resist one last story which illustrates both the propensity of the press to sensationalize and the gullibility of Singaporeans.

When the story of Huang Na’s murder hit the papers, many people donated money to the girl’s mother, with the total sum enough to cover many subsidized patients’ hospital bills or provide bursaries for many, many poor students.

But what good is that money to Huang Na who has died?

Good jokes for adults

Good jokes for adults

I dedicate these to Old Whig and "Therapy Sessions". They have equally bent minds, from what I read in their blogs. Enjoy!

# 1
Husband climbs on the bed naked.
Wife: I have a headache.
Husband: Good! I have powdered it with aspirin. U want to take it orally or as an injection.

# 2
Three fastest means of communication:
1. Telephone
2. Television
3. Tell-a-woman

# 3
One day, DUREX complained to KOTEX: " Every time u work, I gotta 7 days off!"
KOTEX retorted: "Whenever u make a mistake during work, I gotta take 9 months leave".

# 4
A man called his 4th wife - Baby doll,
3rd wife - China doll,
2nd wife - Barbie doll &
1st wife - Guess What ?
- Panadol

# 5
Man admiring his naked body in the mirror says to wife:
"Look at that 75 kg of pure dynamite".
Wife replies: "It is a shame though about the 2 inches fuse".

# 6
Friends are like underwear, always near you.
Good friends are like condoms, always protecting you.
Best friends are like Viagra, lift you up when you are down.

# 7
Man tell MP:
My son's a drug addict, my daughter's a prostitute, and my wife's a gambler.
MP: Isn't there anything positive in your family?
Man: Yes, I am HIV positive.

# 8
What is common between a wife and a private swimming pool??
Answer: The cost of maintenance is too high compared to the time you spend inside them!!!

# 9
Naked girl boarded a taxi. Driver stared.
Girl scolded him, "Never seen a naked girl before?
Driver replied "Yes! Seen many before but wondering where you keep your money to pay taxi fare."

Pakistan Quake

Is it so hard to live together?

Forcibly divided by man
Compellingly reunited by nature
Incendiary flames brightened the yesteryears
Darkness pervades the hearts, minds and souls

Kashmir
An area in southwestern Asia whose sovereignty is disputed between Pakistan and India
Kashmir
Sanskrit name for a girl
Kashmir
A Paradise turned into Hell by Terrorists
Kashmir
Paradise lost

"We are Kashmiris!"
Strong nationalistic pride
Transcends the claims of both sides
Custody being fought in (law) courts and (war) theatres
Yet should not the land rightfully belong to the people living on it?

A devastating catastrophe
A chilly divorce that brought the two estranged lands closer together
In sadness, sorrow and loss
does it now matter if they are mine or yours?
A generation wagered and unexpectedly lost

We go by but don't expect us to go at it together
The rifts in the hearts are too narrow to let pass
in the open are too deep to mend
The world sees and helplessly twists its hands

Some hands appear to clear the rubble
Food that fills the stomach for now
Some cold comfort from the tents
But hands go and then, what grows?

Then the land settles
The growing mass graves
The never-ending sorrow of being together, yet apart
When can we let Kashmir be one
Be alone and free?
When will the day be?
Will it ever come?

No one ever knows, I guess
Kashmir is weary and needs some rest
In quiet solitude perhaps the best medicine
Is deep reflection of a tumultous past

Memories rust but the tongues still speak
"Kashmir is mine, not yours..." they shriek
In the face of disaster now
Whose?

We will we will...

We will we will...

Rock You I

Bali got blasted by terrorists again.

Rock You II

Bloggers jailed.

Rock you III

South Asia Earthquake.

It's not your fault that you're born ugly

It's not your fault that you're born ugly

There is this Chinese Blogger by the name of Furong Jiejie (Furong = Hibiscus, Jiejie = Sister). Saw her blog when I was reading Mr Brown's blog. There was this link to a song called Furong Jiefu (Sister Hibiscus' Husband) by a blogger of the same moniker.

After watching the flash, I decided to take a look at Sister Hibiscus' blog.

I guess it's best for those who are proficient in the Chinese Language to see for themselves. The rest can really opt not to know about the contents, except that the accompanying graphics for the song is a good summary of Hibiscus.

My main takeaway from the entire episode? The wonderful insult hurled at Hibiscus:

It's not your fault that you're born ugly. But coming out to scare others, that's not right.

Bali Blasts

Bali Blasts

Been some time that I blogged seriously. I just got too busy and too caught up with work to blog. During my little hiatus, Bali got bombed again.

Recall after that 2002 blast that rocked Bali, I visited it in Dec. Just a few months after the bomb. Even went to Kuta, and the site of the bomb blast. It was a disappointing sight. Nothing big deal.

What was I feeling then?

What was I supposed to feel?

We are all prisoners of our own device...

The Eagles have aptly summarised everything in one neat line in Hotel California.

I just went past the blast site and went, "Eh? So clean ah? No blood stains...?" Human nature? Inhuman nature? Who can tell?

In the face of irrationality, what is rational? Just ask the survivors and the plunderers of Hurricane Katrine.

I still recall after the Bali Blast 3 years ago, when I was in Bali, many of us were trying to get a good bargain when shopping. When we bargained, the vendors actually said, "Fuck you!" My friends and I walked away and felt two things.

One, the pride of this community is amazing. Two, someone's coming to fuck you again.

True enough, it happened in 2005.

I hope Bali can pick itself up again. I know it can. Singapore Airlines has said that they will not cease flights into Denpasar (Bali).

We are toughening up against irrational terrorists attack. And it seems like we have understood, finally, that in this long pursuit to eradicate terrorism, collateral damage is inevitable. (And if I might add for all my wonderful readers out there, as long as it's not in my backyard.)

How evil?

Wonder if you have ever ...

walked past a plump, slutty little girl and have the uncontrollable urge to call her a fat pig?

walked past a coquettish little slut and have the uncontrollable urge to slap her bloody cheeks?

heard the persistent, high-pitched attention-seeking cries of a little child and wish you could have shoved your socks (or whatever you desire) into the brat's mouth to shut it up?

wished you could just stand in the way of a meandering boy whose attention is in whatever he is doing and not on the road ahead, and then let him slam into your thighs and fall backwards?

desired to walk into little kids dashing all about at the shopping malls and send them flying?

felt that some kids were better off aborted than given birth to?

thought that some couples ought never to have become parents?

thought that some people ought to have been sterilised at birth?