Luckily I am Not a Bird

The dreaded H5N1 virus has been detected yet again in some nearby farm(s) recently. The alarm has been sounded and once again, everyone is on the alert.

According to reports, birds located within a 1km radius from the affected farm(s) will henceforth be culled as a precautionary measure under some procedure established by authorities.

Personally, I am very grateful that we have been largely shielded from the deadly effects of the very formidable virus. So far, there has not been any local casualty from the H5N1 enemy.

But I cannot help but feel very sad for the (innocent) birds which are being culled & which will be culled as a result of their infected cousins. Very cruel thing to do, don't you think? And in my view, this is a little senseless.



If the birds which are culled have already been infected, I can understand the need and urgency to kill them quickly in order to stem the infection. But the mandatory culling has been decreed to apply to all birds, healthy or otherwise, so long as they are located within the 1km radius. So it is a clear case of 宁可杀错，不可放过！





I am no scientist, definitely, but I always think there must be a better way to respond to an outbreak. Maybe culling is just the simplest and least expensive way?

For the time being (while culling applies only to birds), I am just thankful that I am not a bird.

Where's My Hair?

My hair has been falling at a ridiculously rapid rate! The hair loss has been so bad that my hair especially at the front third of the scalp looks so thin and feels so bare now.

I am depressed each time I look into the mirror. And panicky each time I comb my hair. It feels totally lousy.

Established literature suggests that it is likely to be at least partially hereditary, but I believe stress has a lot to do with it too. And stress was exceptionally acute last month and the month before that. During those month, I also stopped taking LifePack and Hairpush - too much in a rush to remember to take.

Now I am back on track with my remaining stock of LifePack. Will also continue with Hairpush. Last night, I restarted Regaine. Sigh.

吃里爬外

吃曹操的饭，做刘备的事。

自己妻儿的事，永远不记得。无关重要的人的事，永远不会忘记。

自己家里的事，永远没时间，永远要开会，永远走不开。无关重要的人的事，懂得抽空，随时可以请假。

Pay More Any Way

This morning, I heard over the radio that NETS is going to increase its service charge several-folds with effect from next month, when the GST increases. Although this is not directly levied on consumers, it is almost certain that the increased charges will eventually be borne by consumers.

I think this is ridiculous! The pendulous swing "for" and "against" using cash is confusing simple consumers like me.



First, we were told to go cashless. And so, as we progress from primary school to secondary school and to JC and then to the university and finally now in the "work force", we find ourselves carrying more and more cards and less and less cash. We were told that going "cashless" is the way to go.

In fact, the bias against cash payment became so great that even bus passengers who pay by cash are penalised with a higher fare than those who pay by a "cashless" method.

Then when we go to stores which claim to accept cashless payment methods such as credit cards, we are told that if we use credit cards to pay for our purchases, we will have to be charged several percent more than if we use cash or if we pay by NETS. So, then it must mean "cash" is better, correct?

So, right now, with the NETS charges increased, does it mean:

a) pay by cash = pay more;

b) pay by credit cards = pay more;

c) pay by NETS = also pay more?

Or, maybe we shouldn't pay at all???

No more Madagascar for me!

This may sound hilarious but I actually got giddy trying my hands at playing Madagascar on the laptop on Saturday!!!!

AAAHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!

Last Saturday, WF requested to bring our laptop to Mother's place for some 'comp time'. To his delight, I agreed. WF chose to bring Madagascar along.

When we reached Mother's place before 6pm - which was much earlier than the usual time we would arrive at Mother's place on Saturdays, we waited for YP, BK, WS & WP. After a while, Mother decided that we wouldn't wait any further, and so R, WY, WF and I had our dinner 1st. Mother and CP followed soon after. We later learnt that YP & gang were at the theatre watching the Pirates of the Carribean and would be late.

So, after finishing dinner and washing up, the boys played their toys in the living room. I decided to set up the laptop in the balcony and try my hands at Madagascar. I was thinking, if WY and WF could get so excited and always chuckle so much playing this game, it must be quite an interesting and fun game, right?!

Soon, it was all ready and I started the game. For the 1st level, I needed to kick some gates open and collect some cards and coins. All these were pretty simple and I cleared the level without too much trouble. *Gleeful smugly smile*

Then I proceeded to the 2nd level. This time, I needed to jump through 7 rings and gather similar coins and treasures. I cleared the 1st 3 without too much difficulty.

By this time, WY and WF already realised that I was playing the game on the laptop, and so they joined me at the table. WF, especially, was so exicted that he started to offer to 'help'. I had to keep telling him to keep his hands off the mouse and keyboard.

WY, in the meantime, wisely stood by my left and gave me tips as to what I should do. "Use the mouse to help you, Mum!" he said at least 2-3 times. But with each move of the mouse, the computer screen changes perspective and those darting changes make me giddy! So I insisted that I was fine working with only the keyboard.

So whilst WY tried to 'fend off' WF 'distubring' me, I went for the 4th ring. Oh boy, it wasn't exactly easy, and I had to re-do so many times those climbs and jumps that I began feeling really light-headed. It didn't help that WF continued to move the mouse every now and then despite WY's stern 'warnings' to stop.

At about this time, YP, BK, WS & WP arrived. WP, who having completed the entire game some time ago and so is quite an expert in it, began to also advocate the use of the mouse. This was echoed by WS too. Even R commented that using the mouse would be quite 'essential'.

"But moving the mouse is making me even more giddy!" I screamed in exasperation. Seeing the state I was in, WY asked gently, "Mum, would you want me to help you for this level?"

I declined his kind offer. Then he began to encourage me, "Mum, don't worry, you can do it. Just keep trying, don't give up."

Just as I thought I was about the clear the 4th ring, I missed and had to start the climbs all over again.... "It's ok, Mum. They all say Practice Makes Perfect. It is ok to miss it, just try your best again. You can do it, really!"

Ah, I was so comforted to hear these words of wisdom and inspiration, I almost cried. And so, despite feeling increasingly giddy (by then, I felt as if I was in a sampan on some choppy seas!), I persisted. How could I give up, right?!

When I eventually managed to clear that 5th ring, it was such a relief! I think sitting for an examination was easier!

Once again, WY saw the 'difficulty' I was in, he offered, "Mum, may I help you to clear the next ring?" Again, I declined, "Let me try it. I think I can do it."

So, I did all those climbs and jumps all over again, and finally cleared the 5th ring. WY cheered, "Yeah! Well done, Mum! Good try! Keep it up! Now there is only one more to go....."

By now, my head was really in a spin. I was feeling so faint from the giddiness that I could hardly move my shoulders....

The 6th ring was finally cleared after much struggle. WY cheered me on, but I couldn't take it anymore.

"WY, help me to clear the next ring, and you can take over the laptop after that," I told WY, much to his delight (and relief) as I stumbled away from the table.

I tried to recover from the truly intense giddiness sitting on the sofa in the living room. It didn't help. Neither did the children singing on the Variety Show on the TV then.

Eventually, I stumbled to Mother's room, switched on the aircon and slept. Thank goodness, the one-hour nap helped.

I guess, Madagascar is just not for me.

童年时的卡通片

在念小学的时候，我不常出门。每天除了到学校上课、参加课外活动，大多时间都是在家里。

那时，父母都不允许我们像乡子里其他的小孩子一样，随意到乡子的各个角落玩耍、流荡。怕的是，如果跟一些比较野的孩子在一起，我们也很有可能会变坏。

所以，每天回到家，除了做功课，就是帮忙把地板扫一扫、把衣服从竹竿上收下来、折好它。有时，闲着没事，也会到‘大房子’外荡秋千、乘凉。

一直到黄昏时分， 才也是我看电视的黄金时段。

这个时候，荧光目上最精彩的节目，莫过于我所喜爱的卡通片。虽然有一些是英语的，多半都是华语的。

还记得，《小甜甜》的故事最感人。她和安东尼的交往和跟其他角色的接触，都非常深动感人。小甜甜的那个发形，也是如此的有魅力，连我学校里的同学，也都赞叹不已！

《小海獭〉是另一个让我怀念的卡通片。这是一个童话故事，故事里的动物们有‘好’的，也有‘坏’的。它的主题歌很好听，现在，我还能哼几句呢！

另外一个也是很感人的卡通片，就是 《万里寻父》。虽然我已经不记得故事的细节，可是，它的主题歌， 我一直没忘记。

山也不怕水也不怕，我要尋找我的爸爸。
風也不怕雨也不怕，你在那裡我的爸爸？

我已經長大，不再是個小娃娃。
那個可愛的孩子，你還記不記得他？

膽量也大志氣也大，千里萬里尋找爸爸。
苦也不怕累也不怕，找到爸爸陪我回家。



在众多卡通片中，我的最爱就是。。。。 《小宝历险记》。小宝的布娃娃，有魔法，可以把时间暂停着，带着小宝到梦幻世界游玩、伸张正义、消灭恶魔王！ 它的主题歌，也让人怀念：

小宝有个布娃娃， 娃娃会变化。
它像一个小精灵， 本领真真大。
小宝跟着布娃娃， 到处去玩耍。
梦幻世界真有趣， 可爱又可怕！

小宝真勇敢， 小宝胆量大。
打败恶魔王， 大家笑哈哈！

人间友情最可贵， 你要珍惜它。
帮助别人最快乐，真心满天下！

Remembering LL on Vesak Day

On each Vesak Day, I remember and think of my good friend Lian Lee. She is a devout Buddhist and has been so since BPS days. I am certain she was amongst those thousands of Buddhists who celebrated Vesak Day yesterday.

LL and I have been classmates since P2 in BPS. Our group of girl-friends from the class used to go to her house in Bunga Rampai Place in the afternoons to 'revise our work'. Her parents and home-army of aunties always welcomed us and would generously serve us drinks and snacks. :)

LL was a feather-weight sprinter. She always represented our class in the BPS Sports Day and won many trophies for the tracks events. She also played the piano very well.

Even though LL and I 'compared' each other's school work and results a lot (she almost always scored the 2nd highest in tests etc), it was a friendly and healthy kind of competition between ourselves; there was never the 'die-die-also-must-beat-you' type of rivalry which seems to prevail in schools and at the workplace these days, between us.

We also shared the common experience joining the band in BPS, attempting to run away from it and then finally re-joining it after we were both sheepishly 'hauled up' by the band instructor.

In P6, LL and I both chose to go to Cedar Girls' but we were both unsuccessful - how ironical, considering that we did well in our PSLE, hor. Nevertheless, we ended up together in TKGS because of the Music Elective Programme (MEP). Then, somehow, we ended up joining the same school band (ha?! again?! ya, that's right!). Hahhaha.....

After 'O' levels, LL and I went to the same junior college. We took the same subject combination. Also, we joined the same band - only that this time, she was an unwilling member but because there was pressure from the school for students 'with band experience' to join the school band, she had had no choice but to attend the band practices etc.

Given our long-standing friendship, many people expected LL and I to be 'going everywhere and doing everything' together type of girl-friends. But strangely enough, we were never like that.

Our friendship was more like what Confucius called '君子之交淡如水' = Great friendship is really like plain water - essential and sustainable. Don't understand how plain water can be analogy of great friendship? Just contrast plain water with those fanciful & sweetened aerated drinks - which would we drink more and drink more consistently?

But alas, the last time LL and I spoke was almost a decade ago. I wonder how she is and what she is doing now. Perhaps I should do more to try to contact her and renew our long-paused friendship.

Happy Vesak Day.