Sounds like a figure of speech but I'm talking literally.
I've just received a phone-call from my nursing sister, reporting that one of our nurses was robbed on her way back home for the weekend. She was alright, traumatised nonetheless, but unharmed. Only her handbag was snatched and she's now at the Police Station, filing report of the incident.
Sure, it sounds like an everyday thing, happens so often that we don't make much of a big deal about it anymore... until it happens to one of our own people.
I have close to a hundred young nurses working in the interiors of Beluran (and by saying interior, we don't just mean you don't get your morning papers on time, or you can put your 3G phone down - we're talking of hours of car ride, boat ride and walking cross hills, valleys, rivers, swamps and open sea... and I'm not being dramatic here).
We've raised up the issue of safety of these girls (some of them even working alone in a rural clinic) but somehow they always turn out okay. Anyhow I don't think it is fair that we keep on betting their safety on luck and chances. I'll be calling a brainstorm session to think of ideas to keep our girls safe... we have a few suggestions listed...
1)Equipt every nurses with pepper spray - we have provided one for each clinic, but maybe we need to give to everybody
2)Sponsor them to self-defense classes ie karate, taekwondo etc, and some are already built for sumo ;-)
3)Did anyone say Tazer?
My Own Happiness Project
because happiness begins inside and flows out...
20081128
coffee with tony and anas.......
6 years later and we're still talking craps... It was nice to catch up with ol' med-school mates and see what becomes of us half a decade after graduation. Tony's doing masters in surgery, Anas is into Traumatology and I'm doing much desktop and traveling job that was conveniently left out from the syllabus (either that or I slept through SPM - Social& Preventive Medicine - what they call Public Health in Uni).
There's supposed to be our picture, taken at Espressemente Café...
[..here..]
...but I'm still figuring out how to post a picture from my (#%*+%) phone.
Damn. Later lah!
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Cafe
Sandakan
There's supposed to be our picture, taken at Espressemente Café...
[..here..]
...but I'm still figuring out how to post a picture from my (#%*+%) phone.
Damn. Later lah!
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Cafe
Sandakan
blogging from my phone again......
I wish I had my laptop with me now, blogging from the phone may appear to be really cool when I first discovered the magic of wireless connectivity, but the novelty wears off after a few times. I may adapt to the slowness of the connection, but I don't seem to be getting used to typing on micro keypads. I may be a finger typist (meaning that I stab on the keyboard with my 2 index fingers to type) but stabbing the keypad with a toothpick is a different feat all together!
Anyway I'm here again at my usual place, that is, Jesselton Café in Sandakan, passing time while waiting to board the last flight home to KK later. It wasn't part of the plan to come so early, I even thought of staying back in the office till way past 5pm to settle the year end accounts, but we needed to do some banking in
the afternoon. So to be more economical on fuel expenditures, I had to come down early. not that I am complaining,I was looking forward to get lunch at Sim-Sim anyway. Just that my staffs had to stay up and did OT last night until 11pm. Even with that, they were still rushing this morning!
Lunch was ikan bakar at Pasar Sim-Sim. Nothing to shout about, other than they serve only the freshest seafood for cheapest price. My staffs and I shared 4 pieces of fish between us, with free-flowing rice, veges cooked in traditional recipes like kerabu and tempe, nangka muda masak lemak etc, and asam fish soup. All that only for RM27nett. Try ordering the same meal in KL or even KK!
wifi on HTC
Jesselton Café
Sandakan
Anyway I'm here again at my usual place, that is, Jesselton Café in Sandakan, passing time while waiting to board the last flight home to KK later. It wasn't part of the plan to come so early, I even thought of staying back in the office till way past 5pm to settle the year end accounts, but we needed to do some banking in
the afternoon. So to be more economical on fuel expenditures, I had to come down early. not that I am complaining,I was looking forward to get lunch at Sim-Sim anyway. Just that my staffs had to stay up and did OT last night until 11pm. Even with that, they were still rushing this morning!
Lunch was ikan bakar at Pasar Sim-Sim. Nothing to shout about, other than they serve only the freshest seafood for cheapest price. My staffs and I shared 4 pieces of fish between us, with free-flowing rice, veges cooked in traditional recipes like kerabu and tempe, nangka muda masak lemak etc, and asam fish soup. All that only for RM27nett. Try ordering the same meal in KL or even KK!
wifi on HTC
Jesselton Café
Sandakan
20081125
another thing made me cry today.......
This may make me sound like a woos, and I'm not helping it by talking about my crying on the blog, but something really strong pulled on the heart-string, and I'm not talking about some Hallmark movies that I've watched.
I just came back from KASIH, which is a non-governmental support group that aims to relief the burden of people infected and affected by the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Kota Kinabalu, of which I've pledged membership. Talking to Monica, the person running the show behind the courtain, alongside DrFong who cares for the infected children in Sabah, I was notified that there are about over forty infected children (unofficial figure quoted) currently are under follow up at the retroviral clinic, and more than half of them are already started on treatment. Well, why am I sad about this, let me put it this way. Infected children can be healthy or health-compromised. The healthy ones may not require HIV treatment for the moment, and there are only less than half of them. And we are not only talking about the infected ones when we bring up the issue of HIV/AIDS in the community, because we have not yet begun counting thos who are affected (but fortunately not infected) who have lost their parents and any form of social support because of the prejudism and stigma associated with these 6 lettered nightmare - HIV/AIDS.
One of those kids, JC is his name, who is infected and affected, was already orphaned before he was even 5 years old. I was offered to adopt him, and be his care-taker so that he can be enrolled into the welfare programme, and receive a little funding from the government. KASIH is also helping him financially, to ensure that he comes for his follow ups regularly without missing his medication.
It didn't take long for me to say yes, of course. After leaving my particulars with them, I came home having mixed feelings, mostly good. A cocktail of sadness, pride, happiness, joy -- and I am really bad with adjectives -- but one thing I know, being a dad makes me look at life at a different angle, and there's a sense of fulfillment to it.
I've not met JC yet, but I hope to see him soon. Now you can call me a woos for crying, but you would too if you've just got a child, and when you know he is healthy, but not exactly.
I just came back from KASIH, which is a non-governmental support group that aims to relief the burden of people infected and affected by the HIV / AIDS epidemic in Kota Kinabalu, of which I've pledged membership. Talking to Monica, the person running the show behind the courtain, alongside DrFong who cares for the infected children in Sabah, I was notified that there are about over forty infected children (unofficial figure quoted) currently are under follow up at the retroviral clinic, and more than half of them are already started on treatment. Well, why am I sad about this, let me put it this way. Infected children can be healthy or health-compromised. The healthy ones may not require HIV treatment for the moment, and there are only less than half of them. And we are not only talking about the infected ones when we bring up the issue of HIV/AIDS in the community, because we have not yet begun counting thos who are affected (but fortunately not infected) who have lost their parents and any form of social support because of the prejudism and stigma associated with these 6 lettered nightmare - HIV/AIDS.
One of those kids, JC is his name, who is infected and affected, was already orphaned before he was even 5 years old. I was offered to adopt him, and be his care-taker so that he can be enrolled into the welfare programme, and receive a little funding from the government. KASIH is also helping him financially, to ensure that he comes for his follow ups regularly without missing his medication.
It didn't take long for me to say yes, of course. After leaving my particulars with them, I came home having mixed feelings, mostly good. A cocktail of sadness, pride, happiness, joy -- and I am really bad with adjectives -- but one thing I know, being a dad makes me look at life at a different angle, and there's a sense of fulfillment to it.
I've not met JC yet, but I hope to see him soon. Now you can call me a woos for crying, but you would too if you've just got a child, and when you know he is healthy, but not exactly.
20081120
tsk tsk tsk.......
Accidents like this happens almost everyday along the oily road of Telupid - Sandakan - Lahad Datu - Tawau route, especially after rain, when water would lift the oil spills up to the road surface and making it really slippery for speeding vehicles.
This one happened as I was on my way back to KK last Tuesday. Fortunately there was not casualty in this accident.
pollo fungi.......
The thin crust stone-baked chicken and mushroom pizza from Yesteryear Cafe, RM11.50. Quite okay for the price paid, perfect for people like me, who's quite impartial about his pizza. Actually I've been thinking of having this since last weekend, and a friend (sort of) promised to come get it together. But last minute change of plan and being stood up is not part of my evening itinerary, so I went ahead anyway, and got Dr Alex to join me for dinner.
20081119
something made me cry today.......
I found a video on Tony Melendez in Greg's blog, but I think rather just entertainment, I'm sure I've found something more...
All of a sudden my heart cringe... is it longing? Is it time?
Go ahead, don't forget the tissue, it's okay to cry at this...
Tony does Paul McCartney's Let It Be...
20081117
november blues' here again......
Time went by extremely fast this year. It felt like only last week when I had my November Blues, and now it's here again... wait, I did have November Blues last week, in fact for this year, it came early.. haha. What I wanted to say was, time went by really fast, and if the sayings were true, I must be having fun. Am I? I guess I did have a bit of fun. Yes, I did.
November Blues is a period for me to reflect on things that I have achieved (or have not) for the year, and usually it coincides with the season of Advent of the Christian calendar. But I am not quite sure if Advent is already here yet, at this moment of time.
The issue of significance comes back during this season, like P.Ramlee reruns during Hari Raya, same thing over and over again. But this time, it is stronger as I approach the end of my third decade of life. Need some more time to think this over, before I can write about it.
November Blues is a period for me to reflect on things that I have achieved (or have not) for the year, and usually it coincides with the season of Advent of the Christian calendar. But I am not quite sure if Advent is already here yet, at this moment of time.
The issue of significance comes back during this season, like P.Ramlee reruns during Hari Raya, same thing over and over again. But this time, it is stronger as I approach the end of my third decade of life. Need some more time to think this over, before I can write about it.
20081116
what a wonderful world......
I may have hundreds of favourite songs, and they are reshuffled in my own Billboard chart according to my current moods. But I have only 2 soul-songs, meaning, that these 2 songs will remain in the top list at all time - and Sheena knows it!
Thanks, Sheens, the video-clip you posted really made my day! :-)
Stacey Kent singing What A Wonderful World
And since I am in the mood for youtube suddenly, here's another one of my favourite, by Eva Cassidy, on her guitar singing O'er the Rainbow.
20081114
jesselton cafe again...
Before anything else, I want to wish my mom a very happy birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!
Here I am again, stranded at Jesselton Café Sdk waiting for my bus ride. Not airbus, how I wish, but TungMa. It's been a while since I last took a long bus-ride home, I hope I can still sleep through the journey as before.
I'm in Sandakan again to chair a maternal mortality meeting, the fourth for our district. After so many, what Keets said once, came to mind again... that are these just statistic to me? Honestly, I do not connect to her, beyond finding out what could be the shortfalls in service, and how could we have done better... I'm glad that for this particular case, we are in the clear. But that's unlikely what would be felt by her loved ones...
I wonder if I've grown too cold towards soul-connections, that Spiritual interactions in Medicine, the first and actual reason that got me interested in doing Medicine as a life vocation. I need to sit and reflect...
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Café
Mile4, Sandakan
Here I am again, stranded at Jesselton Café Sdk waiting for my bus ride. Not airbus, how I wish, but TungMa. It's been a while since I last took a long bus-ride home, I hope I can still sleep through the journey as before.
I'm in Sandakan again to chair a maternal mortality meeting, the fourth for our district. After so many, what Keets said once, came to mind again... that are these just statistic to me? Honestly, I do not connect to her, beyond finding out what could be the shortfalls in service, and how could we have done better... I'm glad that for this particular case, we are in the clear. But that's unlikely what would be felt by her loved ones...
I wonder if I've grown too cold towards soul-connections, that Spiritual interactions in Medicine, the first and actual reason that got me interested in doing Medicine as a life vocation. I need to sit and reflect...
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Café
Mile4, Sandakan
20081111
the attempt to be sexy...
My one attempt to be sexy... in the voice department that is, since physically quite impossible, also failed...
The last thing I need when attending a meeting is a sore-throat, and yes I've got a full-blown one that gave me hoarse voice, alas not sexy like Brian Adam's but squeaky and scruffy one like Grover from Sesame Street.
Sigh...
wifi on my HTC
KLIA
Sepang
The last thing I need when attending a meeting is a sore-throat, and yes I've got a full-blown one that gave me hoarse voice, alas not sexy like Brian Adam's but squeaky and scruffy one like Grover from Sesame Street.
Sigh...
wifi on my HTC
KLIA
Sepang
20081104
just trying this out...
I'm here at Jesselton Coffee, trying to blog using a stylus on my HTC while sipping on some warm café mocha, killing time before the flight later at 0910pm.
It is difficult to work while always on the move, meaning that I have to manage Beluran via remote control, thanks to handphones, fax and internet... but I'm actually starting to appreciate this job, and loving it! It's a challenge actually to organise work that should be done in 5 days and try doing 'em all in just 2...
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Cafe
Sandakan
It is difficult to work while always on the move, meaning that I have to manage Beluran via remote control, thanks to handphones, fax and internet... but I'm actually starting to appreciate this job, and loving it! It's a challenge actually to organise work that should be done in 5 days and try doing 'em all in just 2...
wifi on my HTC
Jesselton Cafe
Sandakan
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