Theatera Bombastica?

Below is from a page calling for membership in MMA's(Malaysian Medical Association) Magazine

The branches and sections of the MMA, (SCHOMOS & PPSMMA) need to be active so that MMA grows. They need to garner more support for MMA so that MMA speaks with a stentorian voice on matters affecting the profession. Doctors should not stay billeted within the confines of their workspace. Doctors are not in a couture profession.

The MMA needs to asseverate its position very clearly to the Government so that the MMa can forfend policies that are detrimental to the public and the profession. Fortunately, the Ministry of Health (MOH) has a warm and engaging relationship with MMA. The MOH has always lent their ears to the EMMA. There are moments when sensitivities are kindled but to have a meaningful relationship which works for the hoi polloi of the nation, not just the doctors, the MMA perseverates on some policy matters till a satisfactory exegesis is obtained during the meetings. Unlike others, the MOH does not have a carapace of arrogance. Under the mentorship of the warm minister and the effervescent DG of health, the MMA has gone places with the MOH. But sometimes the government appears to draw up a gallimaufry of health policies without consulting the MOH. The government needs to take cognizance of the view of the MOH and MMA

The MMA should never go into a soporific mode and stay alert to the developments and directions the Government takes on health matters. We, as doctors, should contribute our ideas. We should get involved and thus far, the MOH has been responsive to the EMMA. We should be engaging, involved and cogitate in resolving burning issues and not be intrepid however obfuscate the policy is.

The MMA receives a stream of outright billingsgate from some members. But, we have to be realistic. Diplomacy and meetings which are germane to the issue will be a benison to all of us. No issue should be blown to Brobdingnagian proportions that cannot be resolved. We need irenic diplomacy and civic humanism to resolve matters rather than adopt a myrmidon stance. MMA does not rusticate on issues affecting the profession. Be assured that the MMA looks into all problems that affect the public and private sector doctors. The media does not always carry MMA's ratiocinating views.

On your part, get your friends to join the MMA and make MMA more roborant so that the profession is viewed with more empathy and respect.

Have fun interpreting the Article!

The meanings are listed below in order of appearance

1. Booming

2. Lodging- staying in

3. High fashion design – as in haute couture

4. Assert

5.Prevent the Occurence of

6. Interpretation (used in the context of the bible)

7. Bubbly, (though its hard to imagine the DG of health being bubbly..)

8. A motley assortment of- the three stooges?

9. Ken. Comprende. Savvy

10. Sleep inducing - like our lectures

11. Think

12. Make obscure - cover with a veil

13. Foul-mouthed or obscene abuse. profanity

14. A spoken blessing (as opposed to deer meat? LOL)

15. Immense – referring to imaginary country of Brobdingnag (What the Hell?)

16. Conducive to peace

17. a member of the warriors who followed Achilles on the expedition against Troy- a follower who follows orders without question
(as opposed to following without thinking? well, it can't be helped if the leader's cerebral capacity is so constricted- think UMNO) lol.- coin- UMNO-nic stance.

(case in point

"Johor Baru Puteri Umno chief Azura Mohd Afandi wants the Information Ministry to curb television shows and commercials that could lead people astray from the right religious paths. “For example, commercials on sanitary pads are openly shown on TV and this could influence the young to get involved in social ills,” said Azura")

18. Leaving a rustic idyllic life- in this context, I think it means "rest and do nothing about", here.

19. Reason methodologically and logically

20. Restoring vigor or strength.

PS-*Theatera bombastica probably can't be found because... well, I coined it. Lol*

Parenting: East Vs West 孩子教育学问深奥!

Such as interesting article, I don't know the source, but kudos to the author!


洋媳婦的教育方法...令中國婆婆大開眼界~

兒子去美國留學，畢業後定居美國。還給我找了個洋媳婦蘇珊。如今，小孫子托比已經3歲了。今年夏天，兒子為我申請了探親簽證。在美國待了三個月，洋媳婦蘇珊教育孩子的方法，令我這個中國婆婆大開眼界。

不吃飯就餓著

每天早上，托比醒來後，蘇珊把早餐往餐桌上一放，就自顧自地忙去了。托比會自己爬上凳子，喝牛奶，吃麵包片。吃飽後，他回自己的房間，在衣櫃裡找衣服、鞋子，再自己穿上。畢竟托比只有3歲，還搞不清楚子的正反面，分不清鞋子的左右腳。有一次托比又把褲子穿反了，我趕緊上前想幫他換，卻被蘇珊制止了。她說，如果他覺得不舒服，會自己脫下來，重新穿好；如果他沒覺得有什麼不舒服，那就隨他的便。那一整天，托比反穿著褲子跑來跑去，蘇姍像沒看見一樣。

又一會而，托比出去和鄰居家的小朋友玩，沒多久，氣喘吁吁地跑回家，對蘇珊說：「媽媽，露西說我的褲子穿反了，真的嗎？」露西是鄰居家的小姑娘，今年5 歲。蘇姍笑著說： 「是的，你要不要換回來？」托比點點頭，自己脫下褲子，仔細看了看，重新穿上了。從那以後，托比再也沒穿反過褲子。

我不禁想起，我的外孫女五六歲時不會用筷子，上小學時不會繫鞋帶。如今在上寄宿制初中的她，每個週末都要帶回家一大堆髒衣服呢。

一天中午，托比鬧情緒，不肯吃飯。蘇珊說了他幾句，憤怒地小托比一把將盤子推到了地上，盤子裡的食物灑了一地。蘇姍看著托比，認真地說：「看來你確實不想吃飯！記住，從現在到明天早上，你什麼都不能吃。」托比點點頭，堅定地回答：「Yes!」我在心裡暗笑，這母子倆，還都挺倔 ！

下午，蘇珊和我商量，晚上由我做中國菜。我心領神會，托 比告別愛吃中國菜，一定是蘇珊覺得托比中午沒好好吃飯，想讓他晚上多吃點兒。

那天晚上我施展廚藝，做了托比最愛吃的糖醋裡脊、油悶大蝦，還用意大利麵做了中國式的涼麵。托比最喜歡吃那種涼麵，小小的人可以吃滿滿一大盤。

開始吃晚飯了，托比歡天喜地地爬上凳子。蘇珊卻走過來，拿走了他的盤子和刀叉，說：「我們已經約好了，今天你不能吃飯，你自己也答應了的。」托比看著面容嚴肅的媽媽，「哇」地一聲在哭起來，邊哭邊說：「媽媽，我餓，我要吃飯。」「不行，說過的話要算數。」蘇珊毫不心軟。

我心疼了，想替托比求情，說點好話，卻見兒子對我使眼色。想起我剛到美國時，兒子就跟我說，在美國，父母教育孩子時，別人千萬不要插手，即使是長輩也不例外。無奈，我! 只好保持沉默。

那頓飯，從始至終，可憐的小托比一直坐在玩具車裡，眼巴! 巴地看著我們三個大人狼吞虎嚥。我這才明白蘇珊讓我做中餐的真正用意。我相信，下一次，托比想發脾氣扔飯碗時，一定會想起自己餓著肚子看爸爸媽媽和奶奶享用美食的經歷。餓著肚子的滋味不好受，況且還是面對自己最喜愛的食物。

臨睡前，我和蘇珊一起去向托比道晚安。托比小心翼翼地問： 「媽媽，我很餓，現在我能吃中國面嗎？」蘇珊微笑著搖搖頭，堅決地說：「不！」托比嘆了口氣，又問：「那等我睡完覺睜開眼睛時，可以吃嗎？」「當然可以。」蘇珊溫柔地回答。托比甜甜地笑了。

大部分情況下，托比吃飯都很積極，他不想因為「罷吃」而錯過食物，再受餓肚子的苦。每當看到托比埋頭大口大口地! 吃飯，嘴上臉上粘的都是食物時，我就想起外孫女。她像托比這麼大時，為了哄她吃飯，幾個大人端著飯碗跟在她屁股後面跑，她還不買賬，還要談條件：吃完這碗買一個玩具，再吃一碗買一個玩具……

以其人之道，還治其人這身

有一天，我們帶托比去公園玩。很快，托比就和兩個女孩兒玩起了廚房遊戲。塑料小鍋、小鏟子、小盤子、小碗擺了一地。忽然，淘氣的托比拿起小鍋，使勁在一個女孩兒頭上敲了一下，女孩兒愣了一下，放聲大哭。另一個女孩兒年紀更小一些，見些情形，也被嚇得大哭起來。大概托比沒想到會有這麼嚴重的後果，站在一旁，愣住了。

蘇珊走上前，開清了事情的來龍去脈後，她一聲不吭，拿起小鍋，使勁敲到托比的頭上，托比沒防備，一下子跌坐在草地上，哇哇大哭起來。蘇珊問托比：「疼嗎？下次還這樣嗎？」 托比一邊哭，一邊拚命搖頭。? 說他以後再也不會這麼做了。

托比的舅舅送了他一輛淺藍色的小自行車，托比非常喜歡， 當成寶貝，不許別人碰。鄰居小姑娘露西是托比的好朋友，央求托比好幾次，要騎他的小車，托比都沒答應。

一次，幾個孩子一起玩時，露西趁托比不注意，偷偷騎上小車，揚長而去。托比發現後，氣憤地跑來向蘇珊告狀。蘇珊正和幾個孩子的母親一起聊天喝咖啡，便微笑著說：「你們的事情自己解決，媽媽可管不了。」托比無奈地走了。

過了一小會兒，露西騎著小車回來了。托比看到露西，一把將她推倒在地，搶過了小車。露西坐在地上大哭起來。蘇珊抱起露西，安撫了她一會兒。很快，露西就和別的小朋友興高采烈地玩了起來。

托比自己騎了會車，覺得有些無聊，看到那幾個孩子玩得那麼高興，他想加入，又覺得有些不好意思。他蹭到蘇珊身邊，嘟囔道：「媽媽，我想跟露西他們一起玩。」蘇珊不動聲色地說：「那你自己去找他們啦！」「媽媽，你陪我一起去。 」 托比懇求道。 「那可不行，剛才是你把露西弄哭的，現在你又想和大家玩，就得自己去解決問題。」

托比騎著小車慢慢靠近露西，快到她身邊時，又掉頭回來。來回好幾次，不知道從什麼時候開始，托比和露西又笑逐顏開，鬧成了一團。

管教孩子是父母的事

蘇珊的父母住在加利福尼亞州，聽說我來了，兩人開車來探望我們。家裡來了客人，托比很興奮，跑上跑下地亂竄。他把玩沙子用的小桶裝滿了水，提著小桶在屋裡四處轉悠。蘇珊警告了她好幾次，不要把水灑到地板上，托比置若罔聞。最後，托比還是把水桶弄倒了，水灑了一地。興奮的小托比不覺得自己做錯了事，還得意地光著腳丫踩水玩，把褲子全弄濕了。我連忙找出拖把準備拖地。蘇珊從我手中搶過拖把交給托比，對他說：「把地拖幹，把濕衣服脫下來，自己洗乾淨。」托比不願意，又哭又鬧的，蘇珊二話不說，直接把他拉到貯藏室，關了禁閉。聽到托比在裡面發出驚天動地的哭喊，我心疼壞了，想進去把他抱出來。托比的外婆卻攔住我，說： 「這是蘇珊的事。」

過了一會兒，托比不哭了，他在貯藏室裡大聲喊：「媽媽，我錯了。」蘇珊站在門外，問：「那你知道該怎麼做了嗎？」 「我知道。 」蘇珊打開門，托比從貯藏室走出來，臉上還掛著兩行淚珠。他拿起有他兩個高的拖把吃力地把地上的水拖乾淨。然後，他脫下褲子，拎在手上，光著屁股走進洗手間，稀里嘩啦地洗起衣服來。

托比的外公外婆看著表情驚異的我，意味深長地笑了。這件事讓我感觸頗深。在很多中國家庭，父母管教孩子時，常常會引起「世界大戰」，往往是外婆外公護，爺爺奶奶攔! ! 夫妻吵架，雞飛狗跳。

後來，我和托比的外公外婆聊天時，提到這件事，托比的外公說了一段話，讓我印象深刻。他說，孩子是父母的孩子，首先要尊重父母對孩子的教育方式。孩子雖然小，卻是天生的外交家，當他看到家庭成員之間出現分歧時，他會很聰明地鑽空子。這不僅對改善他的行為毫無益處，反而會導致問題越來越嚴重，甚至帶來更多別的問題。而且，家庭成員之間發生衝突，不和諧的家庭氛圍會帶給孩子更多的不安全感，對孩子的心理髮展產生不利影響。所以，無論是父輩與祖輩在教育孩子的問題上發生分歧，還是夫妻兩人的教育觀念有差異，都不能在孩子麵前發生衝突。

托比的外公外婆在家裡住了一週，準備回加利福尼亞了。臨走前兩天，托比的外公鄭重地問女兒：「托比想要一輛玩具挖掘機，我可以買給他嗎？」蘇珊想了想，說：「你們這次來，已經送給他一雙旱冰鞋作為禮物了，到聖誕節時，再買玩具挖掘機當禮物送給他吧！」

我不知道托比的外公是怎麼告訴小傢伙的，後來我帶托比去超市，他指著玩具挖掘機說：「外公說，聖誕節時，給我買這個當禮物。」語氣裡滿是欣喜和期待。

雖然蘇珊對托比如此嚴格，托比卻對媽媽愛得不得了。他在外面玩時，會採集一些好看的小花或者他認為漂亮的葉子，鄭重其事地送給媽媽；別人送給他禮物，他會叫媽媽和他一起拆開；有什麼好吃的，也總要留一半給媽媽。

想到很多中國孩子對父母的漠視與冷淡，我不得不佩服我的洋媳婦。在我看來，在教育孩子的問題上，美國媽媽有很多值得中國媽媽學習的地方。

The Sentimental Luddite

Is sentimentality over-rated?

If you've chanced by the article about a tomboyish girl and her 11 year old pink scissors given by her mum (which she hated) and now cherish in memory [in Starmag today, 3rd of October, TheStar.] it might trigger your thoughts a little.

My dad had a watch, given by his dad, which he used for more than 45 years. He couldn't part with it even when it breathed its last (despite innumerable fixes and CPRs). And I believe he's still keeping it somewhere safe, laying in the midst of his black hole of a Cabinet

Then there's this guy in ?japan ?UK who has been using the same Gillete Razor for 75 years.

I bet if you're Gillette, he'd be The MOST LOYAL customer ever, that you wouldn't want, LOL. Coz his first purchase, is his last purchase..

Do you have something in your keeping that you know will practically be useless, even as a decorative piece? I know I have plenty....

Nowadays, there's a Gadget-Grabbing Techno Rage that surrounds us, Iphone 4 being the recent case in point.




With radio deejays, blog posts humming the Apple's Tune, there's really been a craze over it...

but, as I've said in my facebook wall-post,

Going out for dinner that day, we saw how many parents gave their childrens gadgets; initially it could have started with a mobile phone java game- parents passing the phone to child who claims they are bored in order to shut them up so that parents can do their shopping in peace.

Now we have dad, mom, and child playing with gadgets during dinner, with grandma looking forlorn at the food because no one is talking at a meal.

I believe children who you shut up with gadgets, will really no longer talk to you when they are adolescents, being absorbed by the fancy tech, and the relationship will just turn worse into adulthood.

So I'm a luddite; until we can really plan, and educate them about using it responsibily. I've seen People who get caught up with gadgets, often turning into otakus, becoming less adventurous, reliant on their GPS, lose their natural instincts for adventure... bla bla bla..

Coz I really pity the grandma... and discussion with my colleagues on it. 3 out of 4 of them recommend that they should buy grandma a gadget.

It's really Sweat inducing, their mentality...

Technology should improve communication, not stifle it. Especially within families.

---

That said, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, as they are entitled to the autonomy over their own cash. But maybe you'd like to hear me out...?

Although often situations make me hail 3 times to the person who espoused

"Nature is awesome, adventure is wholesome, Human Beings, plain troublesome"

I'm actually sentimental with human relationships as well. And striking up conversation with strangers on my trips and forging unique relationships has always been a part of me, and has always enlivened my adventures everywhere. 或许我贵人运不错？

My latest trip to Brunei alone has two such people touch my lives. One who is a resort manager,


(the guy in blue, that's my saviour!)

who went out of his way to help secure a stay for me at a rival lodge because I'm a student who couldn't afford his accommodation. This swell guy actually called two other tour operators and even concocted the story of me being an exchange student to help me secure a stay in Ulu Temburong, without which these pictures would never have been taken.

Another is a poor little ol lady who has no friends, cheated by her husband in relationship, and of money by the hubby's little vixen, and ostracized by her own family because of her subsequent depression- who was my tour guide, personal transporter and story-teller in and out of Bander Seri Bagawan.

Sabah- where the resort operator for Halleluyah hill resort gave us a whole apartment to ourselves when we paid the amount for a room, invited ruhui for hot showers in their own home, and dished out finger licking meals fro a paltry RM5, just a stone's throw away from Mount Kinabalu. Their numerous pets entertained us, as much as their owners did!

Over in Terengganu,

there's this extremely tasty yummy juice drink that's almost 100% real, thick, fruit puree sold in a little shop for RM3.00, and I would return to the stall like a homing pigeon everyday after cycling through KT.





I chatted with the lady during my 1st visit, on my second visit, she offered us free keropok lekor,


and on my 3rd visit, we enjoyed a coconut mango, straight from her garden!... It's a stall I vow to return to if and when I go there..

then there's also this gentleman who runs a bubble milk tea stall opposite Ping Anchorage, where I was staying...

had a short chat with him... then on my second visit, he invited me to play badminton with his pals, and even prepared badminton shoes in addition to the racquets for me because he knew I wouldn't be well prepared.




So on the last day before I left terengganu, I had a great game with uncles and aunties in terengganu, haha...

That,

Friend, and friends of said friend while in UK, Cheery lil lady Yumi while in Hong Kong, ... another lady who gave me a discount because I didn't have enough cash with me, no questions asked while in terengganu; marvelous people who I would not have met or talked to were I having me head down looking at a GPS instead of asking for directions, or playing a Java Game instead of striking up a conversation with a fellow bus passenger. Therefore, I'm a placard carrying dude who lifts the sign: a handphone, should be a handphone, and nothing more.

Speaking about losing our natural instincts, strip the handphone of a teen anywhere- and he'd rather part with his wallet no matter the amount or cost- and you'd find him dumbfounded,disorientated and lost in the city. this is not conjecture. This came from an Interview I made with one. And Experienced with many, my relatives included.

why are we revolving our lives around gadgets and tools when they should be just an aid, a hammer we occasionally use, a lightbulb we change now and then.

By the way, how many 21st Gen Y adults do you need to change a lightbulb? 5;

one to call up a electrical engineer friend to complain,

one to tweet :"OMG! D wurld 's ending, 'm blind, 'm freakin scared X("

one to blog about his blackout experience in an overdramatic fashion,

one to surf wikipedia to find out,

and one to turn to DIY-for-dummies to learn how to unfold a collapsible ladder)

Har har..says you. now, which 3 parts should you suspect is bust when the flourescent light blows out?

Gee... My post looks pretty protracted by now... but, this is a topic that I will certainly return to, no doubt about it...

I'd end the post with this video on sustainable consumerism, enjoy :-) It starts slow, but it will certainly not ring hollow.

The price of consumerism- on the planet, on other people, on ourselves,

Notice what are:

Externalizing costs

Planned and perceived obsolescence
The purpose of an ad, is to make you unhappy with what you have.

By buying the newest gadget that money can buy, are you falling into the trap?

ps.- the answer, the flourescent tubing, the starter, and the choke.