Evident racism

An American uni student had a racist attitude towards Asians on her selfmade video. She was unhappy that they invited their relatives to visit them over the weekend. I find nothing wrong with that. She claimed that they have "no manners" but doesn't she also lack them through this video?

What utterly disgusts me is when she showed disdain at their calls to check up on their family members during the recent Japanese disaster. It shows her lack of compassion and sympathy. I wonder whether she would still feel ashamed at these feelings if she were in their shoes and they showed understanding towards her, which I have no doubt they would. Her reason for such an attitude is that they disturbed her studying progress. How insignificant!

Thank goodness she has decided to leave the uni. She is a disgrace to it and society. However, in citing her reasons for her move, I detect a resentment in the tone she uses. Perhaps I am prejudiced against her. I hope that the consequences of her video have taught her to respect others and their feelings in times of crisis. It is unfortunate though that her family has to bear them as well. I feel that she deserves them but not her family.

Japanese tsunami disaster

There is a reason why I am blogging about it only now. I found an article that touched me so much to do so.

Teachers are ensuring that 30 students in school are physically and emotionally taken care of, in the midst of finding their missing parents. These teachers have their own families too and willingly become surrogate parents to these kids. I guess being a teacher has had this article evoke much poignancy in me.

Then, my thoughts drift to the workers at the nuclear plant and the medical staff staying with their patients. They are making the same sacrifice to save others. This is true nobility; to place one's family below outsiders.

'Back to school'

I realise that I have been manifesting my nostalgia in reality. First, I went back to reading Chinese prose articles which I used to read in preparations for my A'level Chinese examination paper. The same enjoyment and appreciation returned as I perused the short articles of expression.

Secondly, I have again taken up the habit of copying words and their meanings into a notebook. I did it in preparation for my O'level English examination paper. Even as a teacher, I never stop learning new things. Thus, I want to note them down for future use and reference :)

Answers to Writer's Block questions

(This is based on Livejournal.)

1. If you could turn back time, how far back would you go?
Ans: I would go to either the 1960s of Singapore, when life was simpler and cheaper, or to the Regency era, when Jane Austen's characters were living and everything about their lifestyle seemed so appealing.

2. If you were a country, what would be your national anthem?
Ans: It would contain ideals of unity, harmony, peace and collective welfare.

3. If I were able to transform into any object while carrying conscious thoughts for only 24 hours, I think I would be...
Ans:...a dog. I would like to understand what it thinks and goes through, especially an abused one.

4. Was there ever a fictional character whom you admired so much that you strived to be like him or her?
Ans: Yes. The character is Elizabeth Bennet. I admire her wit and thought process in the novel, and how she ultimately learns more about herself and others, growing and maturing with time.

5. If you won a trip to anywhere, where would you go and why?
Ans: England. There are so many other parts that I want to go to, especially since it is the core centre of the literary journey I embarked on in my degree.

A self-imposed increase in medical costs

Dr Susan Lim has been under scrutiny by the media and the law for her exorbitant medical bills on the sick patient of a royal family. Doctors certainly have the right to charge patients for their services and medicine rendered, but they have to do so within reasonable boundaries. How does charging $400 000 for a $10 000 bill fall within the category?? To make things worse, another charge of $2 million was imposed for other services.

Granted, the royal family has money to pay those bills but the issue here is integrity and true concern for the sick, rather than the desire to make more money and in this case, to fleece rich patients of their money. Should a doctor's purpose not be to cure illness and heal the sick? Call me naive in this thinking, I am not bothered. If a doctor wants to earn more money, there are other jobs that allow these perverts to do so. It is so sad that these people are actually accepted in society, to the extent that medical school entry interviewers are nonchalant when this reason of earning money is given for the candidates' desire to be doctors. On the contrary, real and heartfelt reasons of wanting to heal the sick are seen as false and said just to impress them. What is the world coming to?!

I am not writing this entry without backup. My own doctor actually bothers to check with me if the cost of my medical bill is too high, even though my family can afford to pay it. Her tone is genuine and she does not ask me as a form of duty. She then explains to me the reason for the cost of the medicine.

I really hope Dr Lim is properly disciplined by the medical council and her medical licence be suspended for such unjustifiable costs on patients.