HAPPY DUMPLING FESTIVAL FOLKS!
Showing posts with label Rambling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rambling. Show all posts
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Friday, June 22, 2012
My Journey as an Optometrist
When I first graduated with my Optometry degree, there was a wave of optimism in my mind that I would be helping a lot of people with their eyes. However, this was stunted to a certain extent when I started working in UK with an optical chain outlet. It dawned on me that working as an Optometrist in a commercial setting is way different to working in a hospital setting. While you still more or less provide most of the optometric services that you have learnt in University, you are also obligated to work on the economics of the field and consider monetary needs of your employer. As a result, some sort of clinical cannibalism had to be done. An eye test that would normally take 30 - 40 minutes to complete had to be done in less then 15 minutes. I then learnt that I need to be more cohesive in my routine and be more picky on the routine that I should do and not do for the benefit of my patients and even if I do pick up an abnormality, I won't have the luxury of further diagnosis but to refer the patient on to the Hospital for further investigation. Working in the hospital however was absolutely more satisfying for the Optometrist in me, since you are exposed to more clinical practices (albeit at lower remuneration). I was thankful for that short stint that I had at the hospital as I managed to sample the experience of working in both a commercial and clinical setting in the UK.
With high hopes, I returned to Malaysia to start my private practice in Optometry. My first few month totally shattered me. I knew that by returning to Malaysia, I would have to take things slow as setting up a full optometric service opticians would cost a lot of money and would have to be done in phases. However, what I could not take was the total lacking of public awareness of what an Optometrist does. The general public had no idea what an Optometrist was and what we could offer to them as compared to the grandfather optician or qualified opticians in the field. Most treat an optical outlet like buying a pair of shoes, they only come in expecting a pair of glasses and nothing else. Even the big chains do not offer much primary eye care services but are totally retail orientated (even till now). Some of my patient didn't even know that there is a need to take up a degree course to become an Optometrist. While some even thought that you do not need a qualification to test eyes.
For the first few years of practice I had been scolded many times by my patients when I informed them of probable eye disease that they may have. The reaction that was given to me was always the same that is I am not a doctor and have no right telling them they have any eye condition and that they only wanted me to provide them with a pair of glasses and nothing else. Of course on every case I bit the bullet and insisted that further examination should be done before any glasses could be dispensed. Most times I would be reprimanded severely and with the patient walking out of my practice in fume.
8 years on, I persevered, adding more diagnostic equipment along the way. I would say that I am a machine or two away from my ideal optometric setting. Of course, the perception of the general public towards Optometrist are starting to catch up as well. One of the major challenges that I constantly face is a psychological war that I have with myself, one part of me tells me it is economically not sound to invest in diagnostic machinery that you could hardly charge since the public are still much ignorant about what we can do and of course the only way to convince them would be to give them full service at nominal or no charge, the optometrist side of me tells me to push for it since its what an optometrist should do. Of course the optometrist side of me wins at most times but of course the economics side of me dictates the pace of upgrading.
Did I regret coming back to Malaysia to practice? No, because I believe that what i do here means more to the patients that I see now (even if they may not realise it) then back in UK in which the patients already expect such services in the first place.
Although full Optometric facilities in a private practice setting is hardly to be seen in abundance in Malaysia, I am hopeful that one day it would be THE norm.
I for one is almost getting there....
With high hopes, I returned to Malaysia to start my private practice in Optometry. My first few month totally shattered me. I knew that by returning to Malaysia, I would have to take things slow as setting up a full optometric service opticians would cost a lot of money and would have to be done in phases. However, what I could not take was the total lacking of public awareness of what an Optometrist does. The general public had no idea what an Optometrist was and what we could offer to them as compared to the grandfather optician or qualified opticians in the field. Most treat an optical outlet like buying a pair of shoes, they only come in expecting a pair of glasses and nothing else. Even the big chains do not offer much primary eye care services but are totally retail orientated (even till now). Some of my patient didn't even know that there is a need to take up a degree course to become an Optometrist. While some even thought that you do not need a qualification to test eyes.
For the first few years of practice I had been scolded many times by my patients when I informed them of probable eye disease that they may have. The reaction that was given to me was always the same that is I am not a doctor and have no right telling them they have any eye condition and that they only wanted me to provide them with a pair of glasses and nothing else. Of course on every case I bit the bullet and insisted that further examination should be done before any glasses could be dispensed. Most times I would be reprimanded severely and with the patient walking out of my practice in fume.
8 years on, I persevered, adding more diagnostic equipment along the way. I would say that I am a machine or two away from my ideal optometric setting. Of course, the perception of the general public towards Optometrist are starting to catch up as well. One of the major challenges that I constantly face is a psychological war that I have with myself, one part of me tells me it is economically not sound to invest in diagnostic machinery that you could hardly charge since the public are still much ignorant about what we can do and of course the only way to convince them would be to give them full service at nominal or no charge, the optometrist side of me tells me to push for it since its what an optometrist should do. Of course the optometrist side of me wins at most times but of course the economics side of me dictates the pace of upgrading.
Did I regret coming back to Malaysia to practice? No, because I believe that what i do here means more to the patients that I see now (even if they may not realise it) then back in UK in which the patients already expect such services in the first place.
Although full Optometric facilities in a private practice setting is hardly to be seen in abundance in Malaysia, I am hopeful that one day it would be THE norm.
I for one is almost getting there....
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Monday, August 22, 2011
Fakes at Pavilion?
While having our mid morning coffee, my sister in law was relating to me a story that her sister told her not too long ago.
Apparently, one of her sisters patient is convinced that The Pavilion, famed with Prada's, Gucci's and many more exclusive designer brands are also selling fakes at premium prices.
The story started when the husband bought an LV bag for this lady.
One day the lady went to Paris for a holiday. And with Paris, one would not escape the chance of browsing at the famed Louis Vuitton outlet at Champ Élysées. As she entered the outlet, to her horror, one of the LV staff cut her LV bag strap with a scissors. Of course the lady threw out a fit seeing the lovely LV that was given to her by her loving hubby vandalized. However, the staff in the outlet was firm and told her that the LV bag that she was carrying was a fake. Of course she brought up the fact that the bag was indeed purchased at a genuine LV outlet in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the sales representative cared no word of hers and insisted that it was a fake. And this is not even coming from the branch manager in Paris but from the front desk sales representative. She was then later advices to go back to the LV outlet in Malaysia to seek an explanation if indeed it was bought there.
Of course all this while I would believe that the lady would have really felt small and humiliated as none of the working staff truly believed that she bought the bag from a legitimate LV outlet.
Hence, the moment she came back to Malaysia, the lady stormed into LV, at Pavilion and asked for an explanation. Lo and behold, the branch outlet instantly identified the product as a fake and simply gave an explanation that the fake could be due to an inside job. She was then asked to pick any bag in the outlet as compensation. (wait a minute here, you mean the manager can identify the bag so easily? If that's the case then what guarantee that any of the LV in the outlets are original in the first place?).
We did not dwell on the nitty gritty details that happened after that as we progressed through our conversation that morning.
If I were the lady, I would write a letter to the management of the company, cc them to the domestic trade and consume department, the consumer tribunal, the consumer association and any other related department that I can think off. Hell, I think I may even want to cc it to the prime ministers department!
If it is indeed true that even Pavilion outlets are selling fakes then non of us consumers are safe.
Good thing I buy most of my day to day needs at Jusco...........
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Apparently, one of her sisters patient is convinced that The Pavilion, famed with Prada's, Gucci's and many more exclusive designer brands are also selling fakes at premium prices.
The story started when the husband bought an LV bag for this lady.
One day the lady went to Paris for a holiday. And with Paris, one would not escape the chance of browsing at the famed Louis Vuitton outlet at Champ Élysées. As she entered the outlet, to her horror, one of the LV staff cut her LV bag strap with a scissors. Of course the lady threw out a fit seeing the lovely LV that was given to her by her loving hubby vandalized. However, the staff in the outlet was firm and told her that the LV bag that she was carrying was a fake. Of course she brought up the fact that the bag was indeed purchased at a genuine LV outlet in Malaysia. Nevertheless, the sales representative cared no word of hers and insisted that it was a fake. And this is not even coming from the branch manager in Paris but from the front desk sales representative. She was then later advices to go back to the LV outlet in Malaysia to seek an explanation if indeed it was bought there.
Of course all this while I would believe that the lady would have really felt small and humiliated as none of the working staff truly believed that she bought the bag from a legitimate LV outlet.
Hence, the moment she came back to Malaysia, the lady stormed into LV, at Pavilion and asked for an explanation. Lo and behold, the branch outlet instantly identified the product as a fake and simply gave an explanation that the fake could be due to an inside job. She was then asked to pick any bag in the outlet as compensation. (wait a minute here, you mean the manager can identify the bag so easily? If that's the case then what guarantee that any of the LV in the outlets are original in the first place?).
We did not dwell on the nitty gritty details that happened after that as we progressed through our conversation that morning.
If I were the lady, I would write a letter to the management of the company, cc them to the domestic trade and consume department, the consumer tribunal, the consumer association and any other related department that I can think off. Hell, I think I may even want to cc it to the prime ministers department!
If it is indeed true that even Pavilion outlets are selling fakes then non of us consumers are safe.
Good thing I buy most of my day to day needs at Jusco...........
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Pasar Malam Contact Lenses : Geo Lens and the likes of it
Recently I am sure many of you have observed the sudden mushrooming of colour and big eye contact lens stalls as we have our nightly stroll along our local pasar malam spots. You will see brands ranging from Geo lens, kinky eyes and much more fancy names associated with it.
This products are mainly bought by secondary school kids that for reason only known to puberty, grab them at the cheap. From my last visit, they are sold at a meager price of RM15 a pair. A big bottle of contact lens solution is more expensive then that!
Then there was this situation I bumped into while I was doing some shopping at Watson's. There is this group of about half a dozen secondary school girls, all clad in skimpy and tight fitting jeans or miniskirts browsing the contact lens solution area. Out of the group, I heard this girl teaching her friend on what product to buy and what not. To my amazement she told them to buy saline to wash their contact lens and not the standard multi purpose solution! The tone of her authority towards those kids could only be described as pure mistress like. I was telling myself, this is really a time bomb waiting to happen. On the way home, I regretted not voicing out towards the young kids on their misgivings.
This is but a small example of a malignant problem in society. Deep inside, I do not feel that authorities will do anything on the illegal sales of contact lens by non professionals in our country so I won't even try to shout about it. Probably the only thing that would turn this around would be a couple dozen of poor kids blinded by such contact lens sales and with the media blazing the news in force.
To those that understand Cantonese, I will leave this YouTube link regarding problems arising from cheap colored contact lens sales in hong kong for you to ponder upon.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
This products are mainly bought by secondary school kids that for reason only known to puberty, grab them at the cheap. From my last visit, they are sold at a meager price of RM15 a pair. A big bottle of contact lens solution is more expensive then that!
Then there was this situation I bumped into while I was doing some shopping at Watson's. There is this group of about half a dozen secondary school girls, all clad in skimpy and tight fitting jeans or miniskirts browsing the contact lens solution area. Out of the group, I heard this girl teaching her friend on what product to buy and what not. To my amazement she told them to buy saline to wash their contact lens and not the standard multi purpose solution! The tone of her authority towards those kids could only be described as pure mistress like. I was telling myself, this is really a time bomb waiting to happen. On the way home, I regretted not voicing out towards the young kids on their misgivings.
This is but a small example of a malignant problem in society. Deep inside, I do not feel that authorities will do anything on the illegal sales of contact lens by non professionals in our country so I won't even try to shout about it. Probably the only thing that would turn this around would be a couple dozen of poor kids blinded by such contact lens sales and with the media blazing the news in force.
To those that understand Cantonese, I will leave this YouTube link regarding problems arising from cheap colored contact lens sales in hong kong for you to ponder upon.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Malaysia Today : Optometry Now
I have been asked many question about the eyecare industry and how it would shape up in Malaysia in the next 5-10 years.
Most common question by most aspiring eye care professionals would be :-
Should I study to become an Optometrist or an Optician??
If you are unsure what is an Optometrist compared to an Optician, read here
My answer would be take your Optometry course now and forget about the latter.
My reason is based mainly on a 3 factors :-
1) There is currently 6 (if i am still correct) Universities offering Optometry course in Malaysia. That means in the next 2-4 years, we would be churning out 200-300 optometrist per year. In the next 5-10 years numbers of Optometrist may well be at par with number of registered Opticians if not more.
2) As you know, the government are now discouraging the public to take up medicine that have been experiencing a glut in recent years. At the moment, the ratio of Houseman to Tutors are way off the charts resulting in the fear that the profession is suffering from a deterioration in quality. This will inevitably cause prospective student to look at other health related fields in Malaysia and Optometry is definitely up there. This may result in more universities offering Optometry courses and resulting in more Optometrist in the general market.
3) There is now a better awareness among the public between what is an Optometrist as compared with an Optician. This awareness will only increase as the years go by.
This 3 factors alone will propel Optometrist as the main eye care practitioner in the Optical Industry.
This in 7-10 years would result in the government to amend the Optical Act to make it compulsory for every optical outlet to have a registered Optometrist (like in Pharmacist to a Pharmacy). Many people are skeptic when i tell them this but i really beg to differ.
Furthermore, even before the act is amended, public awareness on the role of Optometrist as compared to an Optician is already on the rise. Not too long from now, i am sure most consumer may even insist that they have their eyes refracted by an Optometrist rather then an Optician.
This will also see the government tighten the already existing legislature on contact lens sales. At the moment all optical outlet are selling contact lens but the Optical Act states that only Optician with Pink Form and Registered Optometrist can dispense them to the general public. This may constitute to less then 50% (25% is my gut feeling if you include rural areas) of the optical outlets out there. An alarming figure indeed. As more Optometrist come out in the open market, pressure will be on the relevant department to enforce the already existing legislature.
For Opticians that have already been practicing in this industry, there will be challenging days ahead with the slowly but surely revolution of the industry. They will eventually have to work with Optometrist to ensure there is a more comprehensive approach in eye health care (if not also for their own livelihood). In UK, Optometrist are normally confined to their sight test room and sales are done by Opticians. This may be a good way forward.
One thing for sure, the change is coming and it is for the betterment of not just the industry which at the moment are degraded into somewhat a "pasar malam" culture but also to the consumer at large.
Most common question by most aspiring eye care professionals would be :-
Should I study to become an Optometrist or an Optician??
If you are unsure what is an Optometrist compared to an Optician, read here
My answer would be take your Optometry course now and forget about the latter.
My reason is based mainly on a 3 factors :-
1) There is currently 6 (if i am still correct) Universities offering Optometry course in Malaysia. That means in the next 2-4 years, we would be churning out 200-300 optometrist per year. In the next 5-10 years numbers of Optometrist may well be at par with number of registered Opticians if not more.
2) As you know, the government are now discouraging the public to take up medicine that have been experiencing a glut in recent years. At the moment, the ratio of Houseman to Tutors are way off the charts resulting in the fear that the profession is suffering from a deterioration in quality. This will inevitably cause prospective student to look at other health related fields in Malaysia and Optometry is definitely up there. This may result in more universities offering Optometry courses and resulting in more Optometrist in the general market.
3) There is now a better awareness among the public between what is an Optometrist as compared with an Optician. This awareness will only increase as the years go by.
This 3 factors alone will propel Optometrist as the main eye care practitioner in the Optical Industry.
This in 7-10 years would result in the government to amend the Optical Act to make it compulsory for every optical outlet to have a registered Optometrist (like in Pharmacist to a Pharmacy). Many people are skeptic when i tell them this but i really beg to differ.
Furthermore, even before the act is amended, public awareness on the role of Optometrist as compared to an Optician is already on the rise. Not too long from now, i am sure most consumer may even insist that they have their eyes refracted by an Optometrist rather then an Optician.
This will also see the government tighten the already existing legislature on contact lens sales. At the moment all optical outlet are selling contact lens but the Optical Act states that only Optician with Pink Form and Registered Optometrist can dispense them to the general public. This may constitute to less then 50% (25% is my gut feeling if you include rural areas) of the optical outlets out there. An alarming figure indeed. As more Optometrist come out in the open market, pressure will be on the relevant department to enforce the already existing legislature.
For Opticians that have already been practicing in this industry, there will be challenging days ahead with the slowly but surely revolution of the industry. They will eventually have to work with Optometrist to ensure there is a more comprehensive approach in eye health care (if not also for their own livelihood). In UK, Optometrist are normally confined to their sight test room and sales are done by Opticians. This may be a good way forward.
One thing for sure, the change is coming and it is for the betterment of not just the industry which at the moment are degraded into somewhat a "pasar malam" culture but also to the consumer at large.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Do not take things for granted
Last week marked my last chapter of my 2nd decade of life. I am not officially paving my way to the 3rd decade and honestly, I see a pleasant road in front of me.
Life have truly been a relatively good road so far. Although I have encountered plenty of roadblocks, bumps and accidents in life, it has all borne great significance in enhancing my perspective in life.
Anyways, on a different matter, for the first time this year I verbally reprimanded my clients for negligence. I have not been that pissed off at people that actually pay me money for a long long time. Of course when they pay you for your services, its a general consensus that you leave them happy. However this was not the case today.
Anyways, here's what happened.
A patient came in accompanied by his son. Apparently the father just had a collapse yesterday night and was hospitalized for the day due to hypoglycemia (too little sugar in the blood). At a look at his records, this patient came to me about 3 month back complaining of poor vision, however I referred him on to the eye specialist since he was suffering from diabetic retinopathy (to put it simply, inside his eyes were bleeding).
His vision had deteriorated severely (one eye blind) since then due to his diabetic condition. He told me that he was initially booked to see an eye specialist at University Hospital 2 month back but his children refused to sent him there since they were all busy with work. I was fuming when I heard about it since I specifically told them that if treatment were not done, his eyes could be severely jeopardized.
To cut it short, I gave the son 20 minutes worth of lecture on how to become a filial son and that he should be setting his priorities straight.
The only petty excuse that he gave me was, "I didn't know it was that bad".
Bloody hell, if I ever had a son like that, I would have chopped him to little tiny pieces and fed to the fishes.
Moral of the story, do not take your parents for granted or regret it for the rest of your life when its too late.
Life have truly been a relatively good road so far. Although I have encountered plenty of roadblocks, bumps and accidents in life, it has all borne great significance in enhancing my perspective in life.
Anyways, on a different matter, for the first time this year I verbally reprimanded my clients for negligence. I have not been that pissed off at people that actually pay me money for a long long time. Of course when they pay you for your services, its a general consensus that you leave them happy. However this was not the case today.
Anyways, here's what happened.
A patient came in accompanied by his son. Apparently the father just had a collapse yesterday night and was hospitalized for the day due to hypoglycemia (too little sugar in the blood). At a look at his records, this patient came to me about 3 month back complaining of poor vision, however I referred him on to the eye specialist since he was suffering from diabetic retinopathy (to put it simply, inside his eyes were bleeding).
His vision had deteriorated severely (one eye blind) since then due to his diabetic condition. He told me that he was initially booked to see an eye specialist at University Hospital 2 month back but his children refused to sent him there since they were all busy with work. I was fuming when I heard about it since I specifically told them that if treatment were not done, his eyes could be severely jeopardized.
To cut it short, I gave the son 20 minutes worth of lecture on how to become a filial son and that he should be setting his priorities straight.
The only petty excuse that he gave me was, "I didn't know it was that bad".
Bloody hell, if I ever had a son like that, I would have chopped him to little tiny pieces and fed to the fishes.
Moral of the story, do not take your parents for granted or regret it for the rest of your life when its too late.
Monday, October 13, 2008
A Near Miss
Just came back from a weekend trip from KL.
Bloody tired as always.
However, it could have been worse. I was fortunate enough to escape a major car pile up accident on the way back.
It was raining pretty heavily the whole journey so I decided to drive at a much slower pace then my usual cruising speed.
The bus in front of me slowed down suddenly and I followed suite.
A few seconds later I realized there was a major accident up ahead and the bus stopped to avoid hitting the already damaged car up ahead. Then I heard some major emergency brake action behind me and cars honking frantically. At that point, I had virtually stopped my car leaving about half a car length between the bus and me. I was prepared for the possibility of my car being knocked from behind as I held my steering wheel tightly (just in case I need to do some last minute maneuvering). Fortunately the car behind didn't hit me but frantic honking continued behind me.
A minute or so, the bus managed to maneuver his vehicle past the damaged car in front of him and i followed suit. As I drove through, I saw what may be 10 damaged vehicles (3 turned turtle). I looked my side mirror and realized that no car followed behind me. I wondered if another pile up proceeded behind me.
Anyways, glad to be home.
Bloody tired as always.
However, it could have been worse. I was fortunate enough to escape a major car pile up accident on the way back.
It was raining pretty heavily the whole journey so I decided to drive at a much slower pace then my usual cruising speed.
The bus in front of me slowed down suddenly and I followed suite.
A few seconds later I realized there was a major accident up ahead and the bus stopped to avoid hitting the already damaged car up ahead. Then I heard some major emergency brake action behind me and cars honking frantically. At that point, I had virtually stopped my car leaving about half a car length between the bus and me. I was prepared for the possibility of my car being knocked from behind as I held my steering wheel tightly (just in case I need to do some last minute maneuvering). Fortunately the car behind didn't hit me but frantic honking continued behind me.
A minute or so, the bus managed to maneuver his vehicle past the damaged car in front of him and i followed suit. As I drove through, I saw what may be 10 damaged vehicles (3 turned turtle). I looked my side mirror and realized that no car followed behind me. I wondered if another pile up proceeded behind me.
Anyways, glad to be home.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
I am not THAT sentimental, I am just LAZY
A friend of mine told me the other day while I was giving her a ride home.
"You seem to be a sentimental sort of guy"
"Why do you say that?", I asked.
"Cause everytime I hop on your car, you seem to be playing the same CD over and over again"
"Me sentimental? Naaaah.... well maybe a little bit"
Anyways, the CD that I keep listening is a compilation of Olivia Ong's songs. Its really good and I do recommend to those of you that have not heard of her before.
To be honest, I think i am more lazy rather then sentimental. I am just not bothered changing the CD while I'm driving. More often then not its the passenger in my car that change the CD for me. However I do admit that I would change back to Olivia when I get bored of the rest. Her songs just seem to make my drive just a bit better for some reason. Maybe cause I have a soft spot for slow sentimental songs lah.
So here we go.... I am not THAT sentimental.... I am just LAZY :P
"You seem to be a sentimental sort of guy"
"Why do you say that?", I asked.
"Cause everytime I hop on your car, you seem to be playing the same CD over and over again"
"Me sentimental? Naaaah.... well maybe a little bit"
Anyways, the CD that I keep listening is a compilation of Olivia Ong's songs. Its really good and I do recommend to those of you that have not heard of her before.
To be honest, I think i am more lazy rather then sentimental. I am just not bothered changing the CD while I'm driving. More often then not its the passenger in my car that change the CD for me. However I do admit that I would change back to Olivia when I get bored of the rest. Her songs just seem to make my drive just a bit better for some reason. Maybe cause I have a soft spot for slow sentimental songs lah.
So here we go.... I am not THAT sentimental.... I am just LAZY :P
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Risk
Taking risk can be something that everyone do from time to time. For me, its a necessity in life if one wants to move forward. Of course I am not one that take risk unnecessarily. The bigger the risk the more you reap from it if it pays off (of course with bigger consequence if it didn't turn out the way you want it to be).
I feel lucky.
This year may turn out to be a good year after all.
Who says 2008 is not a good year for those born in the year of the horse? :P
I feel lucky.
This year may turn out to be a good year after all.
Who says 2008 is not a good year for those born in the year of the horse? :P
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Random Rambling
If I were to Emo.......
A : For the gazillion times, I am not attached. Please get that into your head! You won't get a red envelope from me anytime soon. So Fxxx off!
B : Yes lah, please don't ask me out to drinking sessions anymore. Go out with you is like a nightmare my brother. Its like baby sitting a drunken dinosaur. Please do not call me if its about partying ok!
C : Yes, I know i need to go for meetings. I am a lazy ass, so what else can I say!
D : Please cut off the bullshit and tell me whats in your mind. If you think I can read your mind then your dead wrong! Idiot!
E : Yes, this year is about changes. Already done all the planning. Keep you posted about the developments ok. Somethings cannot be revealed now :P
F : Your a total bastard. You know how many times you got me into trouble? I had to cover for you every time. One day I'll not care and let you rot in jail!
G : You girls getting on my nerves sometimes. Come to work late and never tell me a valid reason. I may be kind but please don't let me show you my flip side. You won't like it.
H : I want to go abroad on vacation but I don't want to go alone. So how? How? HOW???
I : I give up!
This is just random replies to people in my life. So don't be puzzled that I am talking nonsense :P
A : For the gazillion times, I am not attached. Please get that into your head! You won't get a red envelope from me anytime soon. So Fxxx off!
B : Yes lah, please don't ask me out to drinking sessions anymore. Go out with you is like a nightmare my brother. Its like baby sitting a drunken dinosaur. Please do not call me if its about partying ok!
C : Yes, I know i need to go for meetings. I am a lazy ass, so what else can I say!
D : Please cut off the bullshit and tell me whats in your mind. If you think I can read your mind then your dead wrong! Idiot!
E : Yes, this year is about changes. Already done all the planning. Keep you posted about the developments ok. Somethings cannot be revealed now :P
F : Your a total bastard. You know how many times you got me into trouble? I had to cover for you every time. One day I'll not care and let you rot in jail!
G : You girls getting on my nerves sometimes. Come to work late and never tell me a valid reason. I may be kind but please don't let me show you my flip side. You won't like it.
H : I want to go abroad on vacation but I don't want to go alone. So how? How? HOW???
I : I give up!
This is just random replies to people in my life. So don't be puzzled that I am talking nonsense :P
Monday, January 28, 2008
Random Quote
The secret of staying young is to live honestly, eat what you feel like eating, be truthful about your age and living a healthy lifestyle.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Fed Up
Today is one of those days that I wished I am still practicing in UK rather then here in Malaysia.
A patient came in complaining of poor vision. She is a heavy diabetic. One eye virtually blind and the other only having 40% vision. She have been having treatment by the eye doctor for the past year but stopped for the last 4 month. I was shocked to hear that since she was still under laser treatment. Apparently she said her vision did not improve and she felt pain every time the treatment was done on her. On further examination, it was clear that she had extensive hemorrhage on the retina. I proceeded to explain that with her condition (proliferative diabetic retinopathy - in simple term, the inside of her eyes was bleeding due to her diabetes), laser must be done so as to protect what is still there. It is very rare to see recovery and if recovery do occur its a small percentage of what you have already lost.
Needless to say my half hour trying to talk to this lady was in vain. She told me that she only wanted glasses and I should just do what she wanted. At the end I told her boldly that she would go blind if she insist on not having her treatment done.
To cut things short, it ended with an angry lady leaving my practice and me wasting 40 minutes free table time.
Optometrist in Malaysia are just not appreciated.
A patient came in complaining of poor vision. She is a heavy diabetic. One eye virtually blind and the other only having 40% vision. She have been having treatment by the eye doctor for the past year but stopped for the last 4 month. I was shocked to hear that since she was still under laser treatment. Apparently she said her vision did not improve and she felt pain every time the treatment was done on her. On further examination, it was clear that she had extensive hemorrhage on the retina. I proceeded to explain that with her condition (proliferative diabetic retinopathy - in simple term, the inside of her eyes was bleeding due to her diabetes), laser must be done so as to protect what is still there. It is very rare to see recovery and if recovery do occur its a small percentage of what you have already lost.
Needless to say my half hour trying to talk to this lady was in vain. She told me that she only wanted glasses and I should just do what she wanted. At the end I told her boldly that she would go blind if she insist on not having her treatment done.
To cut things short, it ended with an angry lady leaving my practice and me wasting 40 minutes free table time.
Optometrist in Malaysia are just not appreciated.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Jacky Cheung Concert 2008 Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands
I was really pleased when I was offered free tickets for the Jacky Cheung concert at the Arena Of Stars, Genting Highlands. I have always been a fan of him since secondary school days. Although I have not listened to his new songs much this couple of years, his golden classics has always been the top of my list among my favourite Chinese songs.The concert in Genting was only suppose to be for 2 days but due to popular demand they extended it to a 3rd day. Again the third day was fully booked as well. I guess many did not get enough of him at Bukit Jalil last year. To be honest, the concerts at Genting are so much better since you are able to see him so much closer up front.
As I got in the Arena Of Stars, I was definitely not disappointed as my seat was about 10-15 rows from the front and situated almost at the centre of the stage. The perks of having free tickets...hehe.
8.30pm sharp, the concert started with Jacky Cheung rising up from a platform at the centre of the stage and him singing "Ngoi For Far" (Love Fireworks).
From the start of the concert you would know that something was a miss. Somehow the Jacky I knew that has perfect vocals did not perform up to expectation. After a few songs, we were informed by Jacky himself that he nearly cancelled the concert due to a terrible sore throat and flu. You can hear from him talking that indeed he was not well. There were points in the concert that I truly thought he would not finish the concert as he was grasping with air and notes that he is able to hit easily seems so hard to achieve. But beside his health, everything was spot on. The dancing was very well choreographed and every part of a medley ended with a well planned finally (ie confetti flying all over or fireworks shooting up). He also told us a bit of himself and in a way gave us a slight insight on who Jacky Chung was.
One thing that I did learn through this concert was his sheer determination. He persevered through and made the 3 hour and 15 minute concert a night to remember for a long time for his fans. This concert was not about his voice but about a dedicated artist trying his very best not to disappoint his fans. There were a few parts into the concert where he was virtually shouting and you could feel his pain and there is this sense of disbelief that he is doing it, despite his condition. There was also parts in which he had to catch a few gulp of water before he could even speak a few words as every attempt to talk ended up with him coughing. Who else would command such great cheer from fans even when singing while eating an apple! (yup... he was singing while eating the apple at the same time.... apparently it helps). He had to drink water after every song half way through the concert as well. And to top it off... he gave 10 encore songs (that's another 40 minutes of golden hits).
I guess some of the fans might complain that they did not hear Jacky at his best that night but for me its not that important. If I wanted to hear him sing at his best, I could have just listened to his CD's in my car or at home. For me, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me realise that this 46 year old artist cares a lot for his fans then the money that he is getting (So far he has made RM11 million over 98 concert). They nearly cancelled the show.
Respect to you Mr. Jacky Cheung!
Here's a short video of him at the very end of the concert
Enjoy!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Selamat Datang Ke Tesco Ipoh
Last weekend was one of my stay in with mama and papa day. Not been spending time with them for a few weeks so decided this week would be my stay in week. Anyways, decided to go shopping with them and do some groceries as well.
So Tesco here we come............
One thing that do give me the Awwwwww factor is the fact that my dad carries my mom's handbag around with him all this years (not all the time lah but most of the time). And that's after more then 40 years of marriage. Way to go you 70 yr old man! I also wonder where they get their energy from. They did not seem tired at all despite us already being to few other places prior to Tesco. Maybe its me getting old and not them. 
As usual, grocery shopping involves a trolley full of stuff.......
... good thing I got enough space to fill in everything.
Oh yeah, I would want to introduce to you all my favourite juice label of all time, F&N Fruit Tree. Their juice is not too expensive and taste much better then the others. Especially love the apple & aloe vera combo.
This is my spare ammunition that I take once in a while. Korean noodles are the best instant noodles out there wei. Although I still have a soft spot for Maggi Mee but Nong Shim noodles are just way more appetizing for my pallets.
Finally, something unexpected. My first time buying a whole set of facial product. Walked into guardians and as usual was looking for a standard facial cleanser. Then this cute beauty advisor came to talk to me about her product and somehow or rather I got lured to buying the full set. Its not because of the girl..... honest!!
At the end of the day. I was exhausted, my parents was happy and I had my first cup noodle for the night
*burp*
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
The Meaning Of A Successful Relationship
Recently I have been having conversations of how people suffer or complain about their current relationships. Some can be as petty as not calling more then once a day to not being caring enough or even him being a complete "batu or kayu".
This then brings me back to my thinking box. What does a relationship mean?
For me a relationship means 2 person getting together and each being able to fulfill the other person's needs either emotionally, spiritually or even materially. A relationship is about 2 person understanding each other as they move along the winding road we call life while supporting each other along the way.
So what makes a successful relationship?
The success of a relationship is a function of the extent to which it meets the need of two people. If you are happy and contented while your partner is not, that would mean you have not done enough to fulfill your partners needs. If your partner is contented but you are unhappy, then your partner have not done enough to fulfill your needs. Lets all be frank, everyone has needs in their lives. Some of the needs cannot be procured alone and has to be given by the other. For example, we can pamper ourselves with tender loving care but we yearn for tender loving care by our loved one's. So it is important for both parties to know what is needed to fulfill the needs of the other. Tell each other what makes you tick.
A lot of people would complain that their partner do not understand them or do not know how to please them. If that's the case, isn't it your responsibility to TELL your partner what you need? There should be no hesitation to ask or tell the other on what makes you tick. Isn't life about self exploration after all? Do not expect your partner to mind read you. We humans are not able to do such things. Unless you ask or tell, no one would really know what you need. So both should be proactive in understanding the needs of one another in order to build a successful relationship. Do not complain to people that he is not doing enough...TELL HIM/HER.
So here you go, my formula for a long lasting relationship. Of course this is a personal view, so follow at your own risk!! haha
Friday, January 4, 2008
Made in China Product
2 weeks back, one of my staff bought a cheap (less then RM10) made in China solar powered calculator for the office. Sad to say 2 weeks later it died on us. She even tried putting the calculator under the sunlight for an hour but to no avail the calculator did not come back to life.
Since it was not a very busy day at work, the little kid in me decided to have a closer look at the calculator since we would be throwing it away anyway.
And guess what??
Removed all 4 screws at the back and investigated closer
Since it was not a very busy day at work, the little kid in me decided to have a closer look at the calculator since we would be throwing it away anyway.
And guess what??
Removed all 4 screws at the back and investigated closer
I smell something fishy here
Damn.... what happen to the solar panel?
Now this is something totally not what I expected. I know cheap made in China goods would be of low quality (after all the cost reflects the quality that you get). BUT what I do not expect is them pulling a fast one. I was actually expecting a faulty wiring or something but to not have a solar panel at all... now that's naughty!
So next time your made in China product died on you maybe its a good idea to snoop around. You might find something interesting!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Random Rambling
Just had a conversation with a close friend of mine on MSN. I was given an example in which the guy answered her question in a real untactful manner. That made her a bit annoyed. So that made me think,
Are we guys that thick?
How come we give stupid answers that gets us into trouble?
Do we actually think with our "other" head?
My answer is yes and no. There are many guys that are sensitive and kind while others are just obvious oxymoron walking with an empty shell. This goes to the ladies as well.
At the end of the day, its a matter of need. Guys, if you really care then try to be sensitive to your woman. If they give you a question, do not shoot them down as they have feelings too. To the girls, if you are not happy with the reaction that you get, show it and let the men know that its not the right answer. If you don't give us a nudge then how would we learn?! At the end, try to understand each other and learn from past experiences. If that doesn't work then its time to look for the exit door.
Time to sleep. Was told to go to bed early to recuperate.
Off I go to slumber land.................
Are we guys that thick?
How come we give stupid answers that gets us into trouble?
Do we actually think with our "other" head?
My answer is yes and no. There are many guys that are sensitive and kind while others are just obvious oxymoron walking with an empty shell. This goes to the ladies as well.
At the end of the day, its a matter of need. Guys, if you really care then try to be sensitive to your woman. If they give you a question, do not shoot them down as they have feelings too. To the girls, if you are not happy with the reaction that you get, show it and let the men know that its not the right answer. If you don't give us a nudge then how would we learn?! At the end, try to understand each other and learn from past experiences. If that doesn't work then its time to look for the exit door.
Time to sleep. Was told to go to bed early to recuperate.
Off I go to slumber land.................
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Random Rambling
Few weeks back, I was having coffee with a friend and his gf. He is a hunk in every way. Runs his own business, works out at the gym 4-5 times a week, perfect complexion, 6 foot tall and a humorous personality. His gf? A 360 degree difference, she is heavy sized, just an ordinary girl. Nevertheless, they are surely a loving couple. A living testimony that looks ain't everything. He always say this in front of me, "xxx is perfect in every way, with her I feel complete". That's definitely words of contentment. Alas, that was just a glimmer of hope in this materialistic world in which appearance is still the centre stage for many people's mind.Had another conversation with a net friend of mine. She ask me if I mind my gf getting fat during the process of our relationship (hypothetical question here since I am now single). My reaction was the same as always, as long as her attitude towards me is the same then it doesn't really matter BUT i would ask her to do her yearly medical so that the weight gain does not affect her health. If it is, then I would have a problem. Her bf gave her a different answer though. "No lah my darling, you won't be fat leh, you so skinny now.... i cannot imagine you being fat. Besides, you go gym very often". His answer may not be wrong, maybe he truly cannot imagine his gf getting fat since she is very conscious about her own body (she always complain that she's fat even though she isn't). Nevertheless I guess it was a moment of insecurity on her part and her bf should have been more tactfully when answering her question.
Come to think of it, I have yet to meet a girl that does not complain that she isn't fat. Apparently the skinny girls wanna be skinnier, the more or less medium sized wants to be thinner and the chubby cute girls wanna shed more weight by going on high protein low carb diet. Come on girls you are pretty as you are!! What has happened to the "beauty is only skin deep" theory? Rake it out from the drain will ya. Ya ya.... I am sure some will say, common dude, don't tell me you will not mind if your gf is a fat ass. To be honest, of course I do but I bet a 6ft 2" 200 kg guy won't mind. Then again, I could be like the case above where love over powers everything. All I am saying is, whatever form, shape and size you are, there is always someone out there that would adore you for who you are. This seems to be a contradiction from my first statement that people nowadays are vain and that looks do count for many. That's right too and hence the world we live in. A world full of contradictions. So it really depends on what angle your looking at i guess.
Me on one hand is not really bothered. I am already a fat ass... SO BE IT!
One thing though, woman are more forgiving about guys body shape. Most woman I talked to don't really mind their man being on the heavier side. I take comfort whenever I hear that.
Oh well.... enough rambling.
Until next time..............
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