Saturday, August 27, 2005
A few thoughts
I didn't know that I have a few concerned readers of mine (as reflected in my tagboard), and thanks for those tags. Yes, Qiong Hui, I'm trying my best not to be melancholic! Well at least I have Kelvin to speak to during lunchtimes in the cookhouse. I can only hope that he does not leave the Commando Formation no matter what. Apparently, army is making my language skills decline. This is worrying especially when I return back to the university. I've the feeling that we males' language skills will become a joke when we return to university.
I wonder how NS will have an impact on one's body weight. BMTC is notorious for being Singapore's most successful slimming centre. It's noot just the Obese BMT per se. Even the Enhanced BMT, like what many of my friends would say, is quite successful in reducing your weight. I also understand that the Jungle Confidence Course conducted in Brunei (meant for infantry officer cadets) allow you to lose 10 kilos within a week. Well, for such a skinny person like me, I really feel that I need to put on weight. I just don't understand. I just eat and eat and eat, leading a sedentary lifestyle, and yet I'm still so skinny. Perhaps it's due to my appetite. My official records say that I weigh 56kg. Well I think I need another 10 more kilos man.
People tell me that muscle mass is heavier than fats and that it'd be good to be start an aggressive excercise program. On the other hand, people tell me to make more tea-breaks as long as time permits. Some suggest that I should concentrate my diet on red meat (hey I already start to eat the fats in my pork that mother cooks, much to her own surprise). I really don't know who's right. One of my fellow clerks even offered to train me up, to the extent that it's like Olinda's extreme change in her body (while she lost weight, I need to gain weight). Any suggestions from my readers?
I wonder how I'm going to spend my weekend. I've not finished my Fukuyama Book cos' work just keep on piling up. Nonetheless, the Channel News Asia Documentaries are really superb. One of them which interests is The Corporation in which economists and busninessmen speak about environmental devastation as a result of the free-market economy. I do not profess to be an expert about the issue of 'externalities' but I felt very touched by the disturbing images in the documentary. It made us the devils and the terrorists of our own world. I now wonder how my child will be like in the future. With the wonders of genetic engineering and nanotechnology, I wonder what the Fourth Generation Singapore will be like. Perhaps our NEWater in the future will be very different from now. Imagine how our urine (and soon, our sperm, I won't be surprised about that) will power up our island so easily! However, with our oil resources running out, the way Singapore will be half a century later... I don't know! PM Lee said in his Rally about what he dreamt of Singapore 40 years later. With the resorts and the sophiscated MRT Lines.... On the other hand, the world is trying to grapple with high oil prices (and soon it'll be oil shortages)... I just can't imagine the future...
Anyway, it's back to my research (my superior asked me to do something. Thank goodness he doesn't know what I did back in TJ), and back to Fukuyama's book.....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
15:00
Friday, August 19, 2005
A lone ranger's thoughts
Yes..... Mr Nathan has got a walkover. However, there's really nothing much to talk about this. Well considering my past two articles commenting about the presidential elections and the SAF medical corps, it seems that medical centres in the SAF seem to function very differently. Comparing 24-hour medical centres to other medical centres which are not, it's easy to see the contrast between these two with regards to the mood. One medical centre has a cheery mood, the other a sour mood. I do not need to say which one is which.
Did my FFI for BMT recourse. Failed, and was put on hold for half a year cos' my specialist was not done with his tests and was rather reluctant to classify me as epileptic. He told me of the implications of such a classification, that it'd 'drastically' change my life. I understand that I'd not be allowed to drive. I wonder if it'd have any impact on any job or scholarship applications. That's quite ominous for me indeed. The MO said that such a decison will also decide whether I downgrade in the first place. Well I'm trying to take things with a pinch of salt.
Do you ever wonder how I spend my saturdays? I walk around orchard road as a lone ranger, looking at the how bustling the street is, looking at guys behaving intimately with their crushes, looking at gangs bitchin' and celebrating their gatherings.... Nowadays I find solace rather in a 'dead' companion: the book. I find myself loitering around library@orchard, Kinokuniya or Borders. I browse around in silence and stealth, I look for guidance in the field of knowledge. At times, I seek the broadening of my history knowledge. I just like the subject too much compared to the sciences. On the other hand, I look for direction. I fing myself reading inspirational and career books. I just don't seem successful in reaching the goals and dreams that I've set before. Everyone else seem to be getting what they want but not me. I'm reading very slowly. As a lone ranger (apparently, my former TJ mates can't find a common time, and I just don't feel like bonding with my fellow colleagues with Hendon. My own brethen just feel more like home for me.), it seems that I've to continue trying hard.
It just seem ironical that the Ranger Slogan is "Rangers lead the way". Unfortunately, I myself feel not being leaded, let alone being a leader. The outlook just seem ominous.
P/S: I just got myself a book by Francis Fukuyama. The book is "Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution". It'd seem surprising that a writer of history/politics books suddenly decides to write about genetics. I'm right now at the second chapter of the book, and as usual, it's not very easy to comprehend for the above-average history student. He writes about how genetics affect the validity of his earlier proposition of the 'end of history', making it clear in the introduction that the since there is no 'end of science' even if there is an 'end of history' (though it's abit inter-related); society (especially the government) is responsible for managing it. This is where his typical political discourse comes into play where Hitler's Eugenics policy marries Darwin and the scientists of the Human Genome Project. Interesting read, and I've never seen a humanities person being so apt in talking about science as well. Typical book for someone like me who just like to marry science with the humanities... and I'm back to reading it......
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
21:40
Friday, August 12, 2005
Singapore's Presidential Elections
We just pass through Singapore's 40th birthday and all of Singapore seem invigorated about having celebrated this milestone in our nation's history. This is more so when Singaporeans suddenly put aside their apathetic thoughts to gossip about the upcoming presidential election. No one bothers to question the health of our incumbent, Mr SR Nathan; while the Fourth Estate probes into Andrew Kuan's dirty laundry questioning his credibility and his motivation to be the next president.
I'm only 19 years old, and I have the feeling that Singapore is being at the mercy of the media now. (Or rather, Andrew Kuan himself.) No doubt many people have written to forum pages, saying that we should let the Presidential Elections Committee decide whether we should even have a contest. Well, my mum has the feeling that there'll be a contest for contests' sake. She thinks that the elections will make Andrew Kuan $37,500 poorer. Mr SR Nathan is just too powerful to be challenged. He has the endorsements of his close mates like the NTUC and even the Senior Minister! However, his title as a People's President would not be as significant as other Peoples' President like the late Wee Kim Wee and Ong Teng Cheong. To be frank, I did not hear of his presence until 1999 that I noticed how impressive his civil service record was.
The Fourth Estate is making this election more of a sham. I think it's even more of a joke than 1999. Even though they were performing their duty of keeping Singapore well-informed about the profiles of both Mr SR Nathan and Mr Andrew Kuan, they've simply destroyed the mood of the contest if there was to be one. No matter how Mr Kuan fights it out in his campaign, it'll be extremely difficult to fight off the dark shadow of himself that has been painted by the media. Now, we're being confused. Who is telling the truth? Nobody knows. Well, I think it's pointless to find out who's telling the truth in an election. In an election, a voter makes his choice based on the kind of picture that he is being given. He, regardless of his education level and his views about the election, will make the 'informed' choice based on what he knows about the candidates. In this case, the Fourth Estate has overdone the election mood right now.
If I was to vote, I wouldn't vote! Unfortunately, voting is compulsory in Singapore. Hence I'd just cast a blank vote. The reason is simple. Casting a blank does not mean that I'm an apathetic person. This is because I could not be bothered as to how the results turns out because in Singapore, the president has limited powers. He is merely a ceremonial figurehead placed there to impress the outside world. The president is there merely to tell others that he's the biggest man out there in Singapore when in reality, he has limited powers. A very good example was that of the late Ong Teng Cheong when he clashed with the government over the way they managed the reserves. Both sides pointed the finger over the issue of the lack of transparency and consultation.
That's the reality of countries which practices a liberal democracy with a presidential cum parliamentarial system. The ideal system in my opinion would be where the power and authority of the president and the prime minister is ambiguous. In their constituition (and also ours), there should be a clause where both of them can check on each other. However, it is important that both sides must engage each other well and frequent, where a clear message must be sent to the people that no one is more powerful than the other. Nevertheless, I sound very utopian to speak about such an ideal system. Perhaps, it just defeats the purpose of having a presidential cum parliamentarial system. However, reality dictates that countries with such a system tend to be more stable and relatively less corrupted than other countries which relies on the judiciary to check on one sole head of state (the president). It's easy to compare the powers of both the president and the prime minister and it'll be endless talking about country after country. Well how I view it and how I'll comment about it in future, again is at the mercy of the Fourth Estate. If only I was the Fourth Estate.......
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
21:20
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Some thoughts about the SAF Medical Corps
Well I never expect the month of August to open with lots of things to crop up my mind. There're so many things that I have to take note of cos' it might affect my future! First of all, my possible plans of attempting to get scholarships from the private sector can only be better made more worth if I attempt to make applications to overseas universities. You see, a scholarship that can take you overseas is certainly very hard to obtain, let alone local. Nevertheless, the one-year deferred entry for both the US and the UK means that I've to strike quickly. There's a UK fair coming right the end of this month...
And thank you Benny junior for leaving a tag here. I hope you're doing fine now and all the best for your prelims and A levels. If you need any help about your future I'm more than willing to assist you to my ability. In addition, to Dwayne: You don't knowme in the first place so how did you find my blog?? Anyway sorry for the error.
In addition, the SAF is trying to pull me out of the comforts of the office back into the 'siong' barracks of Tekong. In the first place, I've not even downgraded; let alone get a letter from my specialist. I can't possibly go for a FFI empty-handed... Speaking of this only give me rather mixed memories of the dealings with the SAF Medical Corps...
The SAF Medical Corps is like a service of its own. The difference from its civilian government hospitals is that things are done with due respect for the military needs of our army. In the hospital, you have nurses serving you with a smile. On the other hand, you've service medics (NSFs) who always greet you with a grim look on their faces. Despite the relatively lighter amount of stress that military medics face in comparison to their civilian counterparts, this in one way will reflect how you're being dealt with when you're sick in the military camp. Yes, we do not have a choice to do what we like to do as an enlistee. However, a smile does make a difference. Nobody likes to report sick cos' we miss out on the things that we ought to be doing. A grim look just adds on to the level of suffering of one's illness. Apart from this, mannerisms is very important. I can one time when I was chided by the Tekong senior medic ("Why you never tell us you saw Dr X for another illness earlier! People like you make us sign extra!" In the first place the form doesn't ask me to speculate that a previous medical condition will lead to another different one.) If he was working in a civilian hospital, I think he'd lose his job. Medics, I suggest that you learn from your female counterparts when it comes to service.
In addition, I wonder whether the rights of a patient varies in both the civilian and the military aspect. The words of the Tekong Chief MO (We're not your friendly GP) was a rather shocking statement I heard as a new enlistee. He then went on talking about decorum in the medical centre as well as malingering. Later on when I reported sick and got my medication that his words really meant something. The answer actually laid in my medication. (and on the other hand, broaden my knowledge about the pharmaceuticals industry.) For the first time in my life I realised that Western drugs could be categorized into two different types: the original and the generic drugs. To understand the difference, we must first consider what generic drugs is. Generic drugs are 'copies' of orginal medication which are considerably cheaper to manufacture. As a result, the effects of such drugs may not cure a person as fast compared to the relatively stronger and highly effective drugs. Yep. The SAF Medical Corps seem to prefer generic drugs over orginal drugs. It now seems so ironic where the SAF gets the most money from the government's coffers; yet we get sub-standard medication for our illnesses. Now I can derive another reason why recruits are easily bogged down by sickness. It's the medicine. That also drives the COSs into a state of aggravated madness because when he delegates the recruits to perform light duties, he realises that they cannot perform them as effectively as they can when they're healthy. The reason is simple. Generic drugs has a higher potency to cause drowsiness in the patient compared to other drugs. Unfortunately, the question of the quality of drugs remains unanswered.
Parents are then brought into the fray, where they constantly complain over the standards of the SAF doctors. Remember the news of the mysterious death of one NSF that was reported this June? The claims that the MO accused the patient of malingering disturbed me considerably. No matter who is really at fault, I'm very concerned about how parents view the SAF. Our tough and high-risk training isn't the only thing that make our parents paranoid. The medical standards of the SAF just adds another point of contention for our parents. There is an unspoken fact that most MOs and medics are NSFs. This leads to the common perception that any job in the SAF performed by NSFs are 'half-past six' in comparison to DXOs and regulars; regardless of how professionally trained are they. This is where the SAF has to increase the confidence level of our medical corps in Singaporeans, just as they've done so in terms of training safety following the CST fiasco two years back. Show our medical corps in action in the civilian hospitals. Let the medics learn from the 'Sisters' in the hospitals itself. Allow the MOs to have a longer period of housemanship so that they can deal with the soldiers better. Get the media involved. It is henceforth important to reach out to parents, for they do affect the soldier son's state of mind when he visits the medical centre. I myself had to endure my mother's endless advice about visiting the medical centre. When I was in the sick bay, my mother actually even disturbed the MO insisting on the kind of medicine that I should be given. (By the way, she freaked out when I showed her the medicine that I got from the medical centre. Especially when my antibiotics had no name.)
If the SAF Medical Corps can perform so well in dealing with catasprohic incidents like the tsunami, resulting in their acclaimed role in Ops Flying Eagle; as well as through their local ambulance support in Ops Menolong; I believe that the Medical Corps can work better in the normal peacetime situation like a professional hospital. Yes. We NSFs have numerous grouses about our medical centres. We may not get what we need to cure ourselves, but at least help to reduce our misery as much as you can. After all, your motto is "Life First". We need the bright positive feeling in order to get that "Life".
Ok, that's all for now. I got a fucking duty this National Day which has soured my mood for the past few days. The gloomy fact that I might return to Tekong soon just add on to the misery. Luckily a few friends from Alpha Company (Kelvin included)helped me cheer up. It just seem so weird that they have an infatuation over my blue beret. One even said that he didn't want to touch it lest he feels wet below....
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zeligdhilee breaking the MUSIC.
07:30
