some people think they rule the world....

all resident doctors in the hospital have their personal car park slots, as do the doctors of most other public & private hospitals. this helps when we need to see patients in a hurry, eg. for emergencies.

even if they don't have a named parking slot, they will at least be alloted a specific common space for this purpose.

for most of us who are used to this privilege, it irritates us no end when we find someone else parked in our slots. most times, the culprits are visitors or patients themselves, esp during peak hours.

so, you know how i felt when this happened to me today. the car was an A-class mercs with a 3 digit plate number & an insignia that proclaimed it's owner social importance. so instead of scratching it & puncturing the tyres  i informed the security guard of my predicament but before he could clamp the wheels, the owner had appeared. i was parking at the visiting doctors' space so i did not witness the argument that took place between the offender & the guard.

apparently, as the guard later related, the owner was a doctor from another private hospital. when informed that the slot was for the hospital doctors only, she retorted that she is a doctor as well & has every right to park. it must be her 1st time because, had she bothered to ask, the guard would have shown her the visiting doctors' slots.

i guess with some goodwill on her part & an apology to boot, none of that aggravation would have taken place. as it is, it just reinforces the perception that people in high position just like to push their weight around.

pro bono

it's an unspoken law  rule understanding amongst doctors that we do not charge fees on our colleagues who come under our care.

this includes colleagues we don't even know personally, eg. those from private clinics or govt hospitals. however, if they have insurance cover for their hospitalisation, then we charge as we would for anyone else.

today, the lunar new year has come early for me. a colleague from the govt hospital who had a procedure done last week, returned with a little gift.

believe me, when i say it touched me right to the core. no doubt, it's a small token but it just showed that this colleague, a houseman, has put himself in my shoes - no surgical procedure comes without risks.

i've mentioned to other colleagues that we all in private practice ought to have our own medical insurance. no doubt the hospital provide an allowance as benefit-in-kind & we don't charge fees on each other, but i don't think it's fair to carry major surgery & see out a stormy recovery in the ICU, & not be adequately remunerated for the hard labour.

and, it's not that the insurance premiums are beyond our means.

it's all about giving & taking.

the staunch Man U supporter

i was teaching my son some general knowledge stuff this evening when he asked how come i knew so much. so i told him i had to read a lot from young to accumulate all these knowledge.

i encouraged him to read, too, and in a moment of personal triumph, i asked him if he wished he had a brain like mine.

he replied: maybe so, but i wished you were a Man U supporter instead!

sure-fire weight loss program (for guys)

someone sent this to me & it's too good not to share.....

A guy calls the company and orders their 5 day - 5kg weight loss program. The next day, there's a knock on the door and standing before him a voluptuous, athletic, 21 year old babe dressed in nothing but a G-string and a pair of Nike running shoes and a sign around her neck. The sign reads, 'If you can catch me, you can have me.' Without a second thought, he takes off after her. A few miles later, huffing and puffing, he finally gives up. The same girl shows up the next four days and the same thing happens. On the fifth day, he weighs himself and is delighted to find he has lost 5kgs as promised.

He calls the company and orders their 5day - 10kg program. The next day there's a knock at the door and standing before him is the most stunning, beautiful, sexy woman he has ever seen in his life. She is wearing nothing but Reebok running shoes , a G-string and a sign around her neck that reads, 'If you catch me, you ca...n have me'. Well, he's out the door after her like a shot. This girl is in excellent shape and despite his best efforts, but with no such luck. So for the next four days, the same routine happens with him gradually getting in better shape. Much to his delight, on the fifth day when he weighs himself, he discovers that he has lost another 10kgs, as promised.

He decides to go for broke and calls the company to order their 7 day - 25kg program. 'Are you sure?' asks the representative on the phone.. 'This is our most rigorous program.' 'Absolutely,' he replies, 'I haven't felt this good in years.' The next day there's a knock at the door and when he opens it he finds a huge muscular guy standing there wearing nothing but pink running shoes, a G-String and a sign around his neck that reads, 'If I catch you, you're mine.' He lost 31kgs that week.

thanks, YO, but i'll settle for just the 5kg program.

the beginning of the end

no, this is not about the incumbent's political future nor berating the country's mounting debt .

on the contrary, this is about the 1st day of school.

for some, it's the beginning of a long journey at primary 1. for most, it's just the start of another school year.

for my daughter, it's the beginning of her final year of a brief sojourn in the Little Red Dot. although the early years were trying, i guess eventually, it's a matter of getting used to the military-like regimented training schooling. i still remember the tears & angst of a teenager. some have actually given up & returned to the homeland.

but i've always upheld perseverance & hoped some part of this belief in oneself has rubbed off unto her.

so, i lauded her in an sms & this was her response....

is it just me, or was she being cynical?

monday blues

i dread mondays......

because i'm a weekend sort of guy.....

you know, lounge around.....stagnate......stay off work.....

so, for me, even the day after a midweek public holiday feels like a full-blown monday.

like today.

:(

too much coffee

you know you've had too much coffee when............

you wake up......

jump out of bed......

& get ready for a new day........

then you look at the clock & it's only 3.30am.

yesterday, when i sent in the car for the regular service, i had a cup of white coffee from the dispenser. pretty good coffee, i'd say.

then when i collected the car in the evening, i had another cup of the same.

and in between, i've also had my usual 2 cups at work.

so, to recap, coffee is good because it:
reduces the risk of Parkinsonism, cardiovascular disease, colonic cancer & gallstones.

but coffee is bad because it is:
associated with osteoporosis, reduced fertility in women & poor sleep patterns.

unlike smoking which has no good outcomes, coffee has both good & not-so-good effects. in such a case, i would, and should, practise moderation.

so, here's good health to all in the new year & beyond!

**source**