Monday, July 24, 2017
Keeping cool (part 2)
I fail to learn. Got into another argument with my mum again - this time over silly plastic bags. I realize I am reacting 反應 instead of responding 回應. I came all the way to Singapore to help look after my mum as her maid goes on home leave. It's really silly of me to try to "reason" with my obstinate mum and try to get her to see my point of views. My bluntness and loudness have deeply hurt my mum's feelings. I apologize to her thereafter but the damage is already done. God, please help me to have more patience, help me to be open minded and to accept my mum as she is. Grant me the serenity to accept what I cannot change and the wisdom to choose my response. Amen
Friday, February 07, 2014
Singapore Philatelic Museum 6th Feb 2014
Seeing is Believing!
At Singapore Philatelic Museum, I discovered stamps made of unusual
materials such as bead, pearl, plant seed, wood, cork, lace, silk, cloth and
genuine gold. There are also diamond/crystal studded stamps and scented stamps
that smell of chocolate, rose, tea, herb etc.
China even printed a ‘smell and taste’ stamp –it smells like sweet &
sour pork and when licked, it supposedly tastes like the famous dish! Bhutan
circulated an unusual ‘record stamp’ containing native folk songs and can be
played on a record player!
The word Philatelic (ˌfɪl.əˈtel.ɪk) is derived from Greek
words philos (‘love’) and ateleia (‘paid’ or ‘tax-free’). Stamps are symbols
that postage or tax has been paid. They are the icons of a society – its
culture, its people, its history and its development. An avid stamp collector, Former US President
Franklin Roosevelt said ‘Stamp collecting
dispels boredom, Enlarges our vision, Broadens our knowledge, Makes us better
citizens, And in innumerable ways, Enriches our lives.’ Visiting the museum reminded me of a
Malaysian I met in Bhutan - he got to know Bhutan from his stamp collection in
his younger days and since then, has always wanted to visit the country!
‘Window to the World’ exhibits stamps from around the world.
Having just read ‘Angels of a Lower Flight’, I zoomed into Haiti and discovered
stamps depicting crystal clear blue sea and various Chinese inventions – a
rather unusual illustration, I guess it got to do with Sino-Haiti relationship.
Currently, Singapore Philatelic Museum also showcases ‘Spice
is Nice’ where visitors understand various types of spices and get to ‘shop’
for vegetables and spices in a ‘market’ – definitely not a ‘boring’ place for
visitors especially the children!
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Keeping Cool
Recently, I blew my
top! Everyone, including myself, was
taken aback by my behaviour. I was so angry that I wanted to smash the glass
bottle I was holding and walked out! I’m
now on a long break and supposedly, should be very relaxed, calm and happy. I guess so far, I’ve not been tested or being
pushed to such limit.
2. Two or more people (esp. persons whom you look after) or matters seeking my attention at the same time
3. Others’ (esp. person whom you look after) obstinate behaviour, constant nagging or reminders
4. Insufficient sleep/rest
2. Alter – attempt to change the situations. E.g. state limits in advance to avoid colleague’s non-stop chatter.
3. Adapt – change your standards or expectations.
(a) Adjust your standards. E.g. do you really need to vacuum twice a week?
(b) Stop negative thoughts immediately.
(c) Reframe/look at situation from a new and positive angle.
(d) Adopt a positive mantra. E.g. I can handle this!
(e) Look at the big picture. E.g. will this matter in a year? In 5 years?
4. Accept – accept things as they are.
(a) Share your feelings
(b) Forgive. It takes energy to be angry.
(c) Practise positive self-talk. E.g. Let’s try to make it work!
(d) Learn from mistakes.
My mother’s obstinacy
constantly irks me. My mother, among
other things, stubbornly works herself to exhaustion to ‘please’ her children
or to fulfil her ‘obligation’ in various rituals or worship. Instead of buying, she often braises 2-4 ducks
& chicken, wraps lots of zhongzi, makes numerous kueh and for CNY, even cracks
up to 4 kilograms of gingko nuts. As age
catches up with her, my siblings and I often advise her to simplify things. And
often, we get a good scolding or cold shoulder from her. After having stayed
out for more than 10 years, this is the 2nd time I stayed with my
parents for up to 2 months. This time, the
‘tension’ is higher with various CNY preparations.
A day or two after
my outburst, I watched a movie “After Shock 唐山大地震” – a moving story
about earthquake, human suffering, strength and courage one demonstrates in
face of extreme and devastating situations and most important of all, finding
forgiveness. It is also a timely reminder for me to “ask HOW not WHY” question. In
the movie, a son also faces an obstinate mother who refuses to move out of her
run-down house. Instead of asking WHY
(there may be reasons which only my mother or an obstinate person know in
his/her heart but may or may not articulate), let me ask HOW – how to handle my
mother, how to live with the situations best possible. My sister has a good advice - ‘when the food is being made, keep your mouth
shut and work on. It does not help to rationalise/question her behaviour at that
moment’ or ‘get out of the house’.
I'm sorry for my action. I know my mother was deeply hurt. I pray for strength and wisdom to keep my cool.
God, please grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference.
I'm sorry for my action. I know my mother was deeply hurt. I pray for strength and wisdom to keep my cool.
God, please grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change, Courage to change the things I can and the Wisdom to know the difference.
My list of Cool-breakers: Situations
which deplete my positive energy or give me negative energy and when I find it particularly
difficult to keep my cool:
1.
Others’
(esp. person whom you look after) constant moaning due to pain or discomfort2. Two or more people (esp. persons whom you look after) or matters seeking my attention at the same time
3. Others’ (esp. person whom you look after) obstinate behaviour, constant nagging or reminders
4. Insufficient sleep/rest
Keeping Your Cool (tips from Mayo Clinic) The four As to managing stress: Avoid, Alter, Adapt, Accept
1.
Avoid
– avoid the surroundings, persons, things that stress you. E.g. leave early to avoid the traffic jam, learn
to say no to request, remove the non-essential in your to-do list.2. Alter – attempt to change the situations. E.g. state limits in advance to avoid colleague’s non-stop chatter.
3. Adapt – change your standards or expectations.
(a) Adjust your standards. E.g. do you really need to vacuum twice a week?
(b) Stop negative thoughts immediately.
(c) Reframe/look at situation from a new and positive angle.
(d) Adopt a positive mantra. E.g. I can handle this!
(e) Look at the big picture. E.g. will this matter in a year? In 5 years?
4. Accept – accept things as they are.
(a) Share your feelings
(b) Forgive. It takes energy to be angry.
(c) Practise positive self-talk. E.g. Let’s try to make it work!
(d) Learn from mistakes.
Friday, January 17, 2014
Asian Civilisations Museum 16 January2014
Asian Civilisations Museum, located at Empress Place building, was built between 1864 and 1867 by Indian convicts. It used to be the government court house and government offices. It faces the Singapore River which used to be an important and thriving port in the 19th and 20th century.
In 1983, the last 300 twakow大䑩 (or lighters) on the Singapore
river were moved to Pasir Panjang and the clean river project began. Lighters or twakow 大䑩 are boats that transport goods
between the harbour and the river. The eyes painted on the bow of the twakow
denoted whom the twakow belonged to - if the color around the eyes was green,
it was Hokkien twakow; if it was red, it belonged to a Teochew.
In 1819, Stamford Raffles landed in
Singapore which he described as 'everything we could desire'. Stamford Raffles’ mission was to break the
Dutch monopoly of trade in South East Asia.
Between 1824 and 1826, a new balance of power between the British and
Dutch was established - the British was able to break the Dutch monopoly of the
important waterway along the straits of Malacca i.e. Melaka and Penang.
Chulia
Street, a street in nearby Raffles Place was probably named after the Tamils
from south India who were known popularly as chulia.
Nearby Empress Place, stood Fort Canning Hill, previously known as Bukit Larangan (the forbidden hill). Fort Canning Hill may have been the site of the palace of the ancient Malay king and a burial ground for royalty. On the hill was the supposed tomb of Iskandah Shah, the last king of Singapore.
Orang Laut was the indigenous people, original inhabitants of Singapore. However, with the vast and rapid development in Singapore especially at the Singapore River, the Orang Laut was eventually forced to disperse - to join similar communities in the Riau Islands Indonesia or be absorbed into the mainstream Malay population in Singapore.
Nearby Empress Place, stood Fort Canning Hill, previously known as Bukit Larangan (the forbidden hill). Fort Canning Hill may have been the site of the palace of the ancient Malay king and a burial ground for royalty. On the hill was the supposed tomb of Iskandah Shah, the last king of Singapore.
Orang Laut was the indigenous people, original inhabitants of Singapore. However, with the vast and rapid development in Singapore especially at the Singapore River, the Orang Laut was eventually forced to disperse - to join similar communities in the Riau Islands Indonesia or be absorbed into the mainstream Malay population in Singapore.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Wan Qing Yuan 晚晴园 (aka Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall)
www.wanqingyuan.org.sg 19Dec2013
Located in the lush garden, is a sculpture commemorating Nan Qiao Ji Gong 南侨机工. Nan Qiao Ji Gong refers to the more than 3,200 overseas volunteer drivers and mechanics including non-Chinese from Southeast Asia who had responded to call to support China’s wartime efforts against the Japanese between 1939 and 1942. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident (卢沟桥事变 aka 七七事变) was a battle between China and Japan, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
After touring the museum, I feel proud
to be part of the Teochew Chinese community in Singapore, to have the grand
villa to enjoy and proud of the camaraderie and unity of people in Southeast
Asia to uphold justice & peace.
A beautiful, elegant two-storey Victorian villa built in the
colonial era in 1880s. It was originally
built by a businessman for his mistress and later bought by another businessman
(Teo Eng Hock 张永福) for his aged mother. The villa was renamed 晚晴园 Serene Sunset Garden. In 1906, Teo Eng Hock offered the
villa to Sun Yat Sen 孙中山 who used it as a base for Tong Meng Hui 同盟会. Tong Meng Hui was an anti-Qing Dynasty
revolutionary movement in 1900s and Teo Eng Hock was a keen supporter. In 1937,
six men (including philanthropist Lee Kong Chian 李光前) helped saved the villa which was in a
dilapidated states due to years of neglect. Singapore Chinese Chamber of
Commerce subsequently bought over the villa and Wan Qing Yuan is now a museum.
At Wan Qing Yuan, we could see photographs, artefacts and paintings which trace
the story of Sun Yat Sen and the contributions of Chinese communities in
Southeast Asia to the revolution.
Located in the lush garden, is a sculpture commemorating Nan Qiao Ji Gong 南侨机工. Nan Qiao Ji Gong refers to the more than 3,200 overseas volunteer drivers and mechanics including non-Chinese from Southeast Asia who had responded to call to support China’s wartime efforts against the Japanese between 1939 and 1942. The Marco Polo Bridge Incident (卢沟桥事变 aka 七七事变) was a battle between China and Japan, often used as the marker for the start of the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945).
Monday, December 02, 2013
Oi! 油街实现
Oi! 油街实现
http://www.lcsd.gov.hk/CE/Museum/APO/en_US/web/apo/about_oi.html
While walking along Electric Road, Hong Kong on a Friday in
November, I was drawn to a quaint and colonial style building. Curiosity got
the better of me and I decided to check out the building at 12 Oil Street. It
turned out to be the premises of the former Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club – a building
with 105 years of history. It is now an art space, an incubator for art.
Oi! is like an Oasis on the bustling HK Island – tranquillity,
friendly staff and interesting art display await visitors.
Sip a cup of free herbal drink at I’MPERFECT café - ponder the
maxim “It's ok to be imperfect 擁抱不完美” and appreciate our own
imperfection. Check out the I’mperfect Barter (herb pot and food exchange) on Thursdays
and various ad-hoc workshops. https://www.facebook.com/imperfectX
Among the many art displays, I found curator Gum Cheng’s “After
One Hundred” insightful – a project to document the changes in and around Oi! over
a two-year time frame. There are at least three possible outcomes in terms of
perspectives: 1. To move forwards; 2. To fall backwards; 3. To remain the
same. It inspires me to name my break
project “After One Hundred”.
Thanks Guide Fun & Fung for an enjoyable afternoon at Oi!
Thanks Guide Fun & Fung for an enjoyable afternoon at Oi!
Saturday, November 23, 2013
About Death
Here’re some thoughts / notes after
attended a talk “Christian Perspective on Death Preparation出生入死 岀死入生"
on 16th Nov 2013 by 庐惠铨牧师 – this is part of a series of talks on “Preparing for Death, Appreciating Life 生死预演”.
on 16th Nov 2013 by 庐惠铨牧师 – this is part of a series of talks on “Preparing for Death, Appreciating Life 生死预演”.
Death is a fact. No one is immortal. Nothing could guarantee
a person would escape bodily death. As
long as there is life, there will be death. And to dust we shall return (Gen
3:19). We cannot control how long or how
short we want to live. We cannot avoid the coming of death.
When a person passes
away, what really dies is the physical body. The soul 灵魂remains, the
soul is alive. The existence of soul explains the mystery of how two persons
can feel connected even though they are physically apart.
Death can be a learning lesson. Remind/teach others to value
life, to live in the present.
Since we cannot avoid death, let’s live fully活得丰盛. Let’s
live in the present活在当下. Living fully and in the
present is more meaningful than thinking of ways to die or ways to avoid death.
Often, a person commits suicide because he/she wants to reduce the pain or
avoid certain problem – it’s not really a desire to die.
Life is happy if we live fully in the present and we live with
hope and faith. Have hope and faith that
our soul lives on and will return to God, our Creator – thus we attain eternal
life 灵魂归属 得到永生.Even if we have to die
tomorrow, we will not be afraid or sad 迎向死亡 不再死亡.
Faith is the only and reliable way to eternal life.
Some interesting
and thought provoking questions/topics during Q&A session:
How and what do we look like after we die? Are we at the
same age and look at the time of death?
The speaker responded with: Does it matter? Are you really concerned about
your look? He then spoke about a dying
friend who refused visitation except visit by selected few people. The dying
friend even contemplated to do away with funeral ritual/memorial service as she
did not want to bother others. The
speaker asked his friend to reconsider: would she be denying the chance for
people who knew her, people whose life she may has touched, to accompany the
last journey with her, to say their goodbyes?
Wednesday, November 06, 2013
A Tribute to Bruce Lee 李小龙
On 4th Sept 2013, I had a date with the legendary
Bruce Lee李小龙at
Hong Kong Heritage Museum to celebrate his passion for Kung Fu, Art and Life.
A Man-Lee Jun Fan (汉子-李振藩) Bruce Lee was born in November 1940 in San
Francisco. His father, Lee Hoi Chuen 李海泉, was a celebrated Cantonese opera actor.
Bruce spent his childhood in Hong Kong but pursued his higher studies in the US
from 1959. He married an American, Linda
and the couple had a son, Brandon and a daughter Shannon. In 1971, Bruce returned to Hong Kong to make
films again. He died suddenly in July 1973 at the age of 32. This year is the 40th anniversary
of his passing.
Bruce was fond of acting, obsessed with martial arts and
highly skilled at the cha-cha. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eed6xYupHj8.
He meticulously & methodically recorded, in words and drawings, cha-cha dance
steps, martial art movements etc. He also loved reading and writing. He signed his name and wrote notes in many of
his books he read. He wrote many poems http://sandrapalmer3.tripod.com/brucelee/id32.html and oh, his
handwriting was beautiful! Bruce was a
man with great courage, determination, perseverance and focus. He subjected
himself to painstaking martial training programme. At the age of 29, he put in
writing, His Definite Chief Aim ”to be the
first highest paid Oriental superstar in the United States.” http://strengthandsong.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/personality-analysis-of-bruce-lees-handwriting/. Bruce was also a philosopher. Check out his
many quotes at http://www.bruceleequotes.org/
Actor-Bruce Lee (演员-李小龙) Bruce Lee made
his screen debut as a baby in the film <Golden Gate Girl 金门女>
shot in the US. He went on to cast in
Kung Fu Master-Bruce Lee (武术家-李小龙) Bruce Lee was
passionate about martial arts. He was a student of Wing Chun 詠春Master
Ip Man 叶问at
the age of 13. When Bruce was
studying in the US, he founded his own martial arts school and studied the
styles and techniques of other martial arts in great depth. He later went on to
develop his own martial arts system called Jeet Kune Do 截拳道. He considered that, in any sports, yin
(tenderness) and yang (forcefulness), act as a pair of mutually complementary
and interdependent forces to form an inseparable whole.
My thoughts Bruce Lee’s learning attitude
impresses and inspires me. He believed
in a meticulous and systematic approach to learning, whether in dancing or
martial arts. To learn new things
thoroughly and systematically, layer upon layer. Take time to master each new idea or skill
before feeling comfortable enough to move on to the next. While we rejoice, take pride in Bruce’s
achievement and try to emulate him, let’s also remember to slow down at times,
to allow our body and mind to rest. Let’s strive for a happy, fruitful,
meaningful life!
Empty your mind. Be formless, be shapeless like water. Water can
flow or it can crash. Be water my friend
Monday, August 05, 2013
Happy Birthday Singapore
What does Singapore's National Day mean to a born and bred Singaporean who now lives and works overseas?
For several years, together with other Singaporean friends living in Hong Kong, we organised Birthday Party for Singapore. We took the pains and time to learn and make local delicacies like Popiah, Chwee Kuek, Chicken Curry and Bak Kut Tek. We then dressed up in kebaya and played CDs of xinyao and Singapore national songs. We invited Hongkongers and non-Singaporean friends to the party to savour the delectable Singapore food and to understand more about Singapore and its culture.
For many years, I always wanted to attend the National Day Parade ("NDP"), be it the actual event or the rehearsal. This year, I'm so blessed to realise my long lost dream! I was there for the final rehearsal on 3rd August with my sister, brother & sister-in-law. It's not the same watching the NDP on television. You got to be there to express your love for the country and to experience the great fellowship! You got to be there together with thousands of Singapore Lovers, to sing the National Anthem, national songs and to renew our pledge! Thanks to the unfailing commitment of organisers & performers and many months of preparation, the big Birthday Party is fully packed with lots of fun, precision, energy and love!
This is My Story, which forms part of Many Stories, One Singapore! Happy Birthday Singapore!!
Ps. Special thanks to my sister-in-law who secured the tickets to the parade and my brother who snapped the picture of my sister & I with precise timing - the site cameraman apparently has captured us on the big screen too! Look what is behind us.
For several years, together with other Singaporean friends living in Hong Kong, we organised Birthday Party for Singapore. We took the pains and time to learn and make local delicacies like Popiah, Chwee Kuek, Chicken Curry and Bak Kut Tek. We then dressed up in kebaya and played CDs of xinyao and Singapore national songs. We invited Hongkongers and non-Singaporean friends to the party to savour the delectable Singapore food and to understand more about Singapore and its culture.
For many years, I always wanted to attend the National Day Parade ("NDP"), be it the actual event or the rehearsal. This year, I'm so blessed to realise my long lost dream! I was there for the final rehearsal on 3rd August with my sister, brother & sister-in-law. It's not the same watching the NDP on television. You got to be there to express your love for the country and to experience the great fellowship! You got to be there together with thousands of Singapore Lovers, to sing the National Anthem, national songs and to renew our pledge! Thanks to the unfailing commitment of organisers & performers and many months of preparation, the big Birthday Party is fully packed with lots of fun, precision, energy and love!
This is My Story, which forms part of Many Stories, One Singapore! Happy Birthday Singapore!!
Ps. Special thanks to my sister-in-law who secured the tickets to the parade and my brother who snapped the picture of my sister & I with precise timing - the site cameraman apparently has captured us on the big screen too! Look what is behind us.
Sunday, September 02, 2012
没吃蛇 , 就生蛇
My immune system is breaking down under the pressure & stress of hectic schedules and anxieties. Shingles (aka 生蛇) found me!
Last Saturday 25Aug2012 morning, I felt my back very itchy and slightly painful – it looked like rashes (I thought it was just normal skin infection). I consulted a GP who diagnosed it as Herpes Zoster (生蛇 in Chinese) and prescribed a special (特效药) tablet (acyclovir) – 2 tablets 5 times a day over 5 days (that’s 50 tablets!). After 4 days, the itch & pain did not seem to subside and I consulted another GP who reconfirmed the earlier diagnosis. Miraculously, on 5th day, the rashes subsided mostly. Now, I’m on Chinese Medicine to clear (清) the virus and also balance (调理) my body. Looking back, during the first few days, I had no idea what shingles is and how serious it is until I spoke with my colleagues. Further research on the net revealed: http://www.medicinenet.com/shingles_picture_slideshow/article.htm
Shingles is an inflammation of sensory nerves. Symptoms are itchy and painful blisters. Shingles, also known as herpes zoster, is not related to the sexually transmitted herpes virus disease. Shingles is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. After an individual has chickenpox, the virus lives dormant in the nervous system and is never fully cleared from the body. The virus ‘wakes up’ when one’s immune system is weak. The blisters follow the path of an individual’s nerves and the Chinese believes the illness is fatal when the rashes spread and form a band round the body. Before the blisters ‘dry’ or crust over, Shingles is contagious and can be spread to anyone who has not had chickenpox infection or chickenpox vaccination. But instead of developing shingles, the person develops chickenpox. Once an individual has had chickenpox, he cannot catch shingles (or contract the virus) from someone else. Once infected, however, he has the potential to develop shingles later in life. Shingles on the face or near the eyes, may cause loss of vision.
My recovery is fairly quick (thanks to early treatment). Through this short illness, I get to know Mr. Shingles but most important of all, a strong signal for me to slow down and pace myself! Saturday, August 25, 2012
Kau To Shan (九肚山) 15 August 2012
Kau
To Shan oversees Shatin Racecourse - could it be the reason for the many horse
related street names/house names in Kau To Shan? Ma On Path马鞍径,
Ma Lok Path马乐径, Ma Ling
Path马铃径, Winner Lodge, The Barogue伯乐居2. I’m not too
sure. Maybe these names got to do with the nearby area called Ma Liu Shui 马料水 and/or
the Ma Liu Village马料村.
As
we strolled along Ma Lok Path马乐径,
taking in the sights of many posh houses, private swimming pools, tennis courts
and luxury cars, we stumbled on another small signboard “Ma Liu Village马料村”. We followed the sign
and walked on. We saw many typical village houses, we heard villagers chatting
loudly and happily, we caught sight of huge hanging jackfruits and bananas. We were
‘welcomed’ by many dogs (behind the fence) but had to put on a ‘brave’ face as we
slowly & steadily walked past a pack of wandering fierce barking dogs.
We
were intrigued by this place and did further research on the net when we got at
home.
Kau
To Shan (九肚山) also known as 狗肚山 is originally an indigenous
Hakka village settlement. The main Hakka family, surnamed Lo (罗) found many wild dogs (豺狗) in the area and called the place 狗多. This Hakka name got twisted
a little and became 狗肚 (dog’s
stomach). Having a ‘dog’ as a name wasn’t too elegant and so it was
subsequently changed to九肚 (nine stomachs). The number ‘Nine’ sounds the same as ‘Dog’
in Cantonese.
So,
what has happened to the vast villages and wild dogs? I guess they were mostly
‘chased’ away by big property developers. Two remaining villages viz. Ma Liu
Village & Kau To Village are now obscured by the luxury houses – there is
no clear sign/direction to the village. I imagine the struggle of the villagers
and their fight to stay. I applause the existence of these indigenous residents
in Kau To Shan. I wonder for how long the villagers will stay united before
caving in to the big fat cheque offered by the unscrupulous developers.
From
Google Map, we discover a hiking trail from Kau To San to Taiwai. We look
forward to exploring it one day.
And now,
I think I know why no green cab is allowed in Kau To San.
1 Hong Kong has 3 types of taxi
– Red color taxi, the most expensive and could travel anywhere in Hong
Kong. Green color taxi, the 2nd
most expensive is restricted to New Territories. Blue color taxi, the least expensive is
restricted to Lantau island.
2 伯乐 is a Chinese mythical God who manages horses in
heaven. 伯乐 is also used to describe
someone who excels in recognizing and managing talented people.
Denied Basic Hospital Care!!
Gibson was recently being denied access to basic hospital
care in Hong Kong! Can we really trust the
Government’s policy that “no one should
be prevented, through lack of means, from obtaining adequate medical treatment”?
While working in Dongguan one Monday evening, Gibson had
severe diarrhea, felt great abdominal cramp and nausea. With a long history of gastroenteritis, he
knew he needed treatment at the hospital. He rushed to Hong Kong border and
asked for ambulance service. At the government hospital, he was given injections
(to relieve pain and nausea) and was asked to leave. It was one in the morning and
his request to be admitted for further treatment was denied due to lack of bed.
He was then left, for observation, in the corridor, lying on a bed under a
television which was on full blast.
After four hours or so, not feeling better, Gibson decided to leave and seek treatment at a private hospital. The attending doctor at the private hospital acknowledged
his critical condition but could not admit him due to lack of bed. The doctor prescribed some medicine and asked him to wait at home for available
bed.
After seven hours or so, Gibson felt worse, the medicine
did not help. His sister called all hospitals in New Territories & Kowloon and
found all were fully booked except one. Dragging his weak and highly dehydrated
body, he sought immediate admission. Upon examination, he was diagnosed “Gastroenteritis
Presumed Infection” but was denied admission due to lack of isolation bed. At
this time, Gibson was extremely exhausted and weak. Gibson and his sister went home feeling so
helpless!
At about 6pm, Gibson and his sister rushed to a clinic just before it closed, to
consult a private doctor who cured him of H. plylori infection years
ago. The doctor realized Gibson’s grave
condition but gave the standard answer after the nurse called the nearby
hospital - lack of bed. Seeing Gibson was on the verge of collapsing, he exercised his special privilege to
secure an admission.
Finally after 18 hours and 4 attempts, Gibson was given
the basic hospital care he badly needed. Laboratory tests showed norovirus
infection.
Hospital Authority’s website states the Government ensures “all members of the community have access to
comprehensive, affordable, highly professional and people-centred preventative,
curative and rehabilitation healthcare services if they need them.” Is this just an empty promise?
ps: I flew to Bangkok on that Monday morning and was feeling totally helpless and frustrated! I'm extremely grateful that Gibson's sister is around to help!
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
Seasons & Colours of Summer Lodge
Seasons &
Colours of
Summer Lodge The colour represents each
season Winter冬 Spring春 Summer夏
Autumn秋
Lunar New Year Che Kung Temple 车公庙 welcomes hordes of tourists
Pretty pink Bauhinia 洋紫荊 , Sweet fragrant Osmanthus 桂花 flourish.
Flame of the Forest 凤凰木 blossoms, Bougainville 簕杜鹃 is awesome.
Early spring brings high humidity, no more great smell air-dried laundry!
Wampee 黄皮 flowers small & white, Cotton flowers 木棉花 red & bright
Bleeding Heart Glory Bower龙吐珠 the two unite.
Cottons float in the air, Wampee fruits and jackfruits大树菠萝 bear.
Lychee fruits ripen when Cicadas call 蝉鸣荔熟 Summer mozzies and blackflies on the ball!
Sweet sour Wampee we savour in July, Big jackfruits hanging nearby.
Mid Autumn Festival, BBQ food at Summer Lodge is delectable.
Troop of hikers tramp higher ground,
Shing Mun Reservoir, Lion Rock Mountain, Wilson Trail off they bound.
Along Shing Mun River all year round, cyclists & joggers are often found.
Around Summer Lodge all year round, often heard is bird’s sweet sound.
Summer Lodge, our humble abode. Thank You Lord for this lovely compound!
Lunar New Year Che Kung Temple 车公庙 welcomes hordes of tourists
Pretty pink Bauhinia 洋紫荊 , Sweet fragrant Osmanthus 桂花 flourish.
Flame of the Forest 凤凰木 blossoms, Bougainville 簕杜鹃 is awesome.
Early spring brings high humidity, no more great smell air-dried laundry!
Wampee 黄皮 flowers small & white, Cotton flowers 木棉花 red & bright
Bleeding Heart Glory Bower龙吐珠 the two unite.
Cottons float in the air, Wampee fruits and jackfruits大树菠萝 bear.
Lychee fruits ripen when Cicadas call 蝉鸣荔熟 Summer mozzies and blackflies on the ball!
Sweet sour Wampee we savour in July, Big jackfruits hanging nearby.
Mid Autumn Festival, BBQ food at Summer Lodge is delectable.
Troop of hikers tramp higher ground,
Shing Mun Reservoir, Lion Rock Mountain, Wilson Trail off they bound.
Along Shing Mun River all year round, cyclists & joggers are often found.
Around Summer Lodge all year round, often heard is bird’s sweet sound.
Summer Lodge, our humble abode. Thank You Lord for this lovely compound!
