When I read this, I didn't know what to feel...or think.
Here's a commentary about the case.
The field of medicine has come so far in this day and age and yet, there are still cases beyond help, cures that have yet to be found, and mysteries to uncover when it comes to the 'less than perfect' conditions of our human body -- the condition referred to as 'sickness', 'illness', 'disease', 'suffering', 'pain', 'epidemic', 'pandemic'....
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
School traffic headache
The first week of school came and went with little fanfare except for the horrendous traffic jam around the school area due to the many anxious parents of Year 1 pupils hanging around and parking everywhere. They have yet to familiarise themselves with the 'special' traffic system set up by the school and residents of the housing area where the school is situated. To make things worse, this housing area is an old one, with narrow roads and bungalow houses on both sides of the steep slope. Imagine trying to manoeuvre your car downhill or uphill squeezing between cars parked on both sides of the road.
Or even more challenging, parking your car on the steep slope bumper to bumper with other cars or trying to get out of the slope when your car is squeezed bumper to bumper between two cars....or worse than worst, not being able to find any parking and being forced to queue from the bottom of the hill, inching your way to the school entrance, waiting for your turn to arrive at the gate for the teacher on duty to notice the placard on your dashboard displaying your child's name, hollering out the name via a hailer for your kid to climb into the car....
Top that with the 'exemplary' attitudes of Malaysian drivers and kiasu parents who want to be first in line, cut queue or get the choice parking spot to be the quickest in getting their kid out of school during dismissal. Major stress and headache.
Today, the first day of the second week, the traffic doesn't seem too bad, almost back to normal. I hope it'll be better in the weeks to come once new parents, kiasu parents, and Malaysian-style driving find an equilibrium somehow.
Or even more challenging, parking your car on the steep slope bumper to bumper with other cars or trying to get out of the slope when your car is squeezed bumper to bumper between two cars....or worse than worst, not being able to find any parking and being forced to queue from the bottom of the hill, inching your way to the school entrance, waiting for your turn to arrive at the gate for the teacher on duty to notice the placard on your dashboard displaying your child's name, hollering out the name via a hailer for your kid to climb into the car....
Top that with the 'exemplary' attitudes of Malaysian drivers and kiasu parents who want to be first in line, cut queue or get the choice parking spot to be the quickest in getting their kid out of school during dismissal. Major stress and headache.
Today, the first day of the second week, the traffic doesn't seem too bad, almost back to normal. I hope it'll be better in the weeks to come once new parents, kiasu parents, and Malaysian-style driving find an equilibrium somehow.
Friday, January 8, 2010
Technology
It appears that even technology is not exempted from hiccups. Our desktop computer failed to power up two days ago just when I needed to check on a few important email. At first I thought the electrical connections were loose or something, so I crawled under the table, checked out all the switches and plugs, tested them but still nothing changed. It looked like the computer just died overnight without any warning, like a sudden cardiac arrest!
Since we are not computer hardware repair experts, we've got to take it out for someone to take a look. And since I'm not the techie around the house, we'll have to wait for E to do that, probably over the weekend hopefully, or whenever he is free enough.
I'm using E's office notebook right now and learning to get used to using a notebook, the reason being that we just got a new notebook as an alternate to the desktop (E is setting it up right now). This would give me the option of having computer access in any part of our home other than the third floor where the desktop is.
All this while, I've not really enjoyed using a notebook due to the limited screen size and keyboard space (read failing eyesight and clumsy fingers!) but I guess there's no escaping since notebooks are such a norm these days with the convenience it brings.
In general, I like wide, open spaces - be it on computers, indoor and outdoor living, public places, practically with anywhere I'm at and anything I use I guess! Gimme an open park anytime instead of a crowded mall, or a long stretch of quiet beach instead of a strip of busy street....
Since we are not computer hardware repair experts, we've got to take it out for someone to take a look. And since I'm not the techie around the house, we'll have to wait for E to do that, probably over the weekend hopefully, or whenever he is free enough.
I'm using E's office notebook right now and learning to get used to using a notebook, the reason being that we just got a new notebook as an alternate to the desktop (E is setting it up right now). This would give me the option of having computer access in any part of our home other than the third floor where the desktop is.
All this while, I've not really enjoyed using a notebook due to the limited screen size and keyboard space (read failing eyesight and clumsy fingers!) but I guess there's no escaping since notebooks are such a norm these days with the convenience it brings.
In general, I like wide, open spaces - be it on computers, indoor and outdoor living, public places, practically with anywhere I'm at and anything I use I guess! Gimme an open park anytime instead of a crowded mall, or a long stretch of quiet beach instead of a strip of busy street....
Monday, January 4, 2010
MegaZip at Sentosa Island
I'm too tired and lazy to write another long-winded account to continue my story of our holiday in Singapore so here are some photos and links of our MegaZip adventure in Sentosa.
As we were walking around Siloso Beach, we came across the ticketing booth for the MegaZip. The MegaZip is the thrilling flying fox that zips you all the way from the top of Imbiah Point down to a landing off the beach. Get a virtual tour here.
After checking out the age requirements, we found out that C qualified and she was very excited, suggesting that we experience it. So after paying, we went back up to the Megazip take-off point at Imbiah on their complimentary shuttle. There, we queued for our turn to get harnessed up, climbed up the tower (that took a long time because there were many people waiting in line).
Finally, it was our turn and it was indeed a very thrilling 'flight' 75 metres high and 450 metres long, all the way down past the the tree tops and across the sea. It was indeed an adrenaline pumping experience!
Actually, at the MegaZip Adventure Park, they also have the ClimbMax High Ropes (like tightrope walking) and the Paramax Jump (vertical jump from the top) but C is still either too light or too young for those two.
All the way down:
Some guys on their way down:
A&C just before take-off, C was too light to go on her own so we had to fly tandem:
C & E all harnessed up:
As we were walking around Siloso Beach, we came across the ticketing booth for the MegaZip. The MegaZip is the thrilling flying fox that zips you all the way from the top of Imbiah Point down to a landing off the beach. Get a virtual tour here.
After checking out the age requirements, we found out that C qualified and she was very excited, suggesting that we experience it. So after paying, we went back up to the Megazip take-off point at Imbiah on their complimentary shuttle. There, we queued for our turn to get harnessed up, climbed up the tower (that took a long time because there were many people waiting in line).
Finally, it was our turn and it was indeed a very thrilling 'flight' 75 metres high and 450 metres long, all the way down past the the tree tops and across the sea. It was indeed an adrenaline pumping experience!
Actually, at the MegaZip Adventure Park, they also have the ClimbMax High Ropes (like tightrope walking) and the Paramax Jump (vertical jump from the top) but C is still either too light or too young for those two.
All the way down:
Some guys on their way down:
A&C just before take-off, C was too light to go on her own so we had to fly tandem:
C & E all harnessed up:
Happy New Year 2010
Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the new school year for Malaysian children. Luckily, we didn't have much trouble getting Caitlin up this morning. Last week we tried getting her to bed earlier (she had been going to bed very late since the school holidays started six weeks ago). Then we tried getting her up half and hour earlier each day to target the 6am school-day waking time. Unfortunately we only managed to get up around 7am or 7.30am these past few days and I was worried if we could actually get up at 6am without much fuss.
Also on New Year's day, she woke with a fever, followed by vomiting after breakfast. We managed the fever with paracetamol and gave her light food. She kept her lunch down but at tea time, after a snack, she threw up again. Her fever was under control so we decided to still wait and see. Thankfully, by the next morning, she was better. However, it was my turn by late evening on new year's day to feel ill with almost the same symptoms - no fever but headache, body aches and lots of wind in the tummy. I wonder if we caught some stomach bug.... Rested all day on 2nd January and took it easy, lazed about, grumbled, nagged (my way of therapy but the people around me suffer as usual) and am better today, despite averaging five hours sleep the past few nights. Must be some kind of insomniac stomach bug because I had difficulty going to sleep!
So with the kid back at school again, I guess life goes back to the usual rhythm once more. Blogging and writing to catch up on, bills and household stuff to settle (When will these ever end? Never!), cooking, child minding, chauffering and all the busy-ness in between. Juggling act? Balancing act? Headless chicken or cool cat?
Also on New Year's day, she woke with a fever, followed by vomiting after breakfast. We managed the fever with paracetamol and gave her light food. She kept her lunch down but at tea time, after a snack, she threw up again. Her fever was under control so we decided to still wait and see. Thankfully, by the next morning, she was better. However, it was my turn by late evening on new year's day to feel ill with almost the same symptoms - no fever but headache, body aches and lots of wind in the tummy. I wonder if we caught some stomach bug.... Rested all day on 2nd January and took it easy, lazed about, grumbled, nagged (my way of therapy but the people around me suffer as usual) and am better today, despite averaging five hours sleep the past few nights. Must be some kind of insomniac stomach bug because I had difficulty going to sleep!
So with the kid back at school again, I guess life goes back to the usual rhythm once more. Blogging and writing to catch up on, bills and household stuff to settle (When will these ever end? Never!), cooking, child minding, chauffering and all the busy-ness in between. Juggling act? Balancing act? Headless chicken or cool cat?
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