Monthly Archives: January 2009

A Ceylonese Wedding


I attended the wedding of a dear friend last Wednesday.

I got her permission to blog about it and place the pictures here. Some of you might know her. I know the bride and the groom. Anyway, here is one pic and 2 videos.

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The bride and the groom on the pedestal.

The groom goes into the hall first and undergoes an elaborate ceremony. Watch the video

And then the bride comes in and another very long elaborate ceremony starts! Watch the video.

I’ve never seen the bride looking so radiant and beautiful before! :)

Congratulations to both of you!

Sat, 310109 @ 0700

Attitude of Gratitute


There were 2 patients in my ward last year.
They had many similarities.
Both were placed in beds opposite each other, at the far end of the ward.

They both had Infective endocarditis.
Both have Hepatitis C as well.
Both were intravenous drug users.
Both have chronic immunosuppression.
Both received identical antibiotics meant to be continued for 4-6 weeks.

One passed away.
The other completed the therapy and made an uneventful recovery.

The difference between the two?
The one who lived had a positive attitude and wanted to live.
The other gave up on living long before any therapy was initiated.

The one who lived decided to go back to Penang but before he did, he took a piece of ‘Chinese Paper’ from the ward and wrote this and pasted on the ward’s notice board:

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He did have one vice which he continued in the ward: He would go around all over the hospital asking any one who might per chance let him have a smoke.

I let him smoke.

I think it did him a lot of good.

:)

Fri, 300109 @ 0700

Exotic service


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Jimbo was surprised that his ward now offers an exotic kind of service as well ~ probably part of the effort to add complimentary medicine into mainstream health care services. :)

Psst…in case you don’t get it, it’s supposed to read, ‘Message Book’, not ‘massage’ book. Sigh, I hate it when I have to explain a pun. :)

Wed, 280109 @ 0700

Ben 10


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The flava-of-the-moment for my two kids is ‘Ben 10′, an animated series (also made into a series played by real actors) about a rather mischievious boy who, with the help of a special watch-like-gadget, could turn into a number of alien life forms or monsters.

Nothing special there.  Ryan, my 5 year old son, could turn into a monster, WITHOUT the help of any gadgets!

Anyway, that’s besides the point.

I had the following conversation with my kids regarding Ben 10.

With Darlene (10 year old)

She: Daddy, when you were young, do you have Ben 10 on TV?

Me: No, we only had Ben 9 back then….,he only became Ben 10 recently…

With Ryan (5 year old)

He: I’m gonna kill you! I’m Ben 10!

Me: No, you can’t!!! I’m Ben 11! And 11 is better than 10!

He: Awwww…shucks!

Sun, 250109; Pre-CNY. Happy New Year everybody!!!

Love Letters


Last week the mother of a HIV+ patient walked into the clinic and gave us 2 tins.

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The medical officer posted to the ID clinic took one tin while I took the other.

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Inside the tins are the most delicious and crispy ‘love letters’ (kueh kapek in Malay) I have tasted in a long long time.

The medical officer commented that the patients in the Infectious diseases clinic are so nice and grateful people.

Yes they are. When one stares at imminent death in the face and gets a second chance, one looks at life differently from then on. It’s the little acts of kindness that matters.

“Thank you” to the aunty who blessed us with such lovely gifts. God bless you this Chinese New Year!

Fri, 230109 @ 0700

Zero Quality


Let me introduce you to a product in the hospital.

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This is a box of disposable non-sterile latex gloves made by a company named ‘Yakeen’ (a play of word from the Malay word ‘Yakin’ which means ‘confidence’)

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And this product is made in Malaysia.

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And this is what happens when one puts on a glove…

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Ditto with the other hand…

I felt like Spiderman after an encounter with the Green Goblin or after a chance encounter with the Wolverine.

Sigh…

What can I say?

I am sure glad this ‘Yakeen’ company does not make condoms…

Thurs, 220109 @ 0700

Things you find in the hospital


I thought I saw it all when I spotted a cardiac monitoring electrode pad stuck high up in a hospital lift the other day.

Apparently not.

I also spotted these a few days later…

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A cardiac monitoring electrode pad stuck to the edge of a CT brain film’s envelope!

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A used glove discarded on the steps of the hospital! :)

Psst…I once stumbled across a used condom on the floor in the stairwell of a hospital I worked in! Scandal or what?!!! LOL!!!

Wed, 210109 @ 0700