Health systems/myths

Ah-doa has heard some real horror stories about the health system in Asia; ones filled with maniacal doctors, uncaring clinics and incompetent staffers. On his most recent interaction however, he has been left with a sense of practical satisfaction and content.

I’ve been suffering the ill-effects of food-poisoning and diarrhea for a few days now. Something I thought would clear up (it usually does in just a few hours) has lasted a little longer than expected. Correspondingly I paid my first visit to the free clinic provided by my employer.

Now I may have got special ‘foreign teacher’ treatment (not sure if the students get seen so quickly), but I was in and out (with appropriate medication) in 13 minutes and the whole thing was free. Despite the fact that the doctor was clearly more interested in the WoW game he was playing on his laptop (than dealing with a trivial patient) he still asked me all the right questions and a correct diagnosis.

Following this, perhaps the best part, he over-prescribed prescribed about four different medicines to treat my problem. Usually this is the point in Oz where I start to get pissed off, thinking how its gonna cost me a fortune to pay for a handful of prescriptions instead of just one, only to find out the medicine is chucked in for free! The clinic has a stock set of generic medicine (antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, etc) that it dispenses for free to students and staff alike. Nobody abuses this system (each visit is documented) and portions cover just a few days.

Once yuor medicines are prescribed, a nurse puts them in a ‘whizz-bang’ machines where they get sorted and automatically dispensed into plastic pouches. One pouch thus represents one dose, saving you from rifling through a range of instructions after you’ve left the clinic.

Now its not a really touchy feely medical environment (as Dad would term it), however it gets the job done and services the University’s community. It’s only really meant to handle basic concerns (I wouldn’t want to go there for something serious), but I think clinics such as this (which would no doubt be abused in OZ), are a practical and sensible approach to minor-case medical issues.

Students!!

The lunch rush at my school is starting to drive me nuts! Just went today in the midst of chaos (waited until 12:30 in fact to avoid the mega-rush), I had my lunchbox knocked over by an unrepentant undergrad. Wasted food aside, it reminded me of just how ‘nuts’ the locals go about food and eating on time.. the fact that the school has a designated lunchtime only seems to provoke the students more to get their kiasu radar out.

When I looked at this kid with indignation, he just shrugged and stared at me (despite the fact that I’m dressed and clearly LOOK like a staff member!).  He then proceeded to brush past me as he earnestly rejoined the queue, in mortal fear that he would lose his space. He didn’t mutter any apologies or sense of regret..

Bottom line from this, when food is involved, locals, Ah-doa has noticed, can easily transform into savages!

Bread

Soy & Linseed, Wholewheat, Dark & Light Rye…I really miss all the ‘proper’ bread that you can get back home. As I sit here “chomping” into my lunch, what appeared on purchase to be a standard mini loaf roll, I can’t help but feel dissatisfied. For some reason a lot of the bread throughout Asia is super-starchy and mega-sweet *Ah-doa’s mind ticks over, as only it can, if there’s some academic study already conducted on this trend*. I long for thick bread, full of seeds and heart fibre.

Maybe its the trend towards generic pastry franchises (Mister Donut, Yamazaki, 85 Degrees), but it seems that for the average Asian if its not mantou , then it must be fluffy and sweet. My Grandma Omi (an avid lover of rye and dark ‘meaty’ breads) would have a fit if she had to spread her Philadelphia cream cheese on this stuff! I’ve actually switched to dry biscuits/crackers, so dissapointed have I become with bread quality here.

Moving back to today’s mini-roll disaster. I should’ve guessed someting was up when I noticed that the top of the loaf was covered in a film of oil (a current baking practice here), but there was no way to tell what the filling was inside. As G & I have often discovered and joked about during work breaks, literally ‘anything’ can make its way inside a roll here. Most popular are a.) tuna, b.) pork floss and c.) beans. Today I ended up with red-bean (which personally is the one I dislike the most), but after you’ve already bitten into it, you can’t take it back.

Whinging aside, Ah-doa has managed to find some exceptions to this (although I still think most of the bread is sh&^) by discovering bagels. Boiled in the traditional manner, bagels (which can be found at a number of different places, to varying qualities) is the lone <em>Kohinoor</em> in a world of baking wannabies.

3 weeks since last update…Oops!

I had to post this video as I can’t believe Yuan Wei Ren is only 27!! The guy looks like he’s in his 40s!

http://youtube.com/results?search_query=s.h.e.+yuan+wei+ren&search=Search

So who is he exactly, well think Ian ‘Dicko’ Dickson crossbred with Harry Potter. He’s a music producer/composer here, and he’s one of the judges on the local ‘idol’ format. His personality is completely different though, ppl adore him and he usually says nice, constructive things!

I will try to be more ‘Metamucil’ like with my future updates.

Bad News W’end

On top of there being a massive Typhoon passing through, the Wallabies got knocked out of RWB 07 yesterday. Perhaps the most annoying thing is that I still haven’t had  a chance to watch the game.. It’s fair game when there isn’t a Typhoon passing through, I can travel into the city and watch games live in a pub, but when you’re housebound don’t count on any sport on TV bar Baseball..

Now I like MLB as much as the next man (watched the Boston Red Sox y’day and they definitely look the goods for winning the Championship) , but the way that they repeat games 3 or 4 times is just ridiculous. Perhaps its the media-critic in me,  but  the fact that ‘only’ baseball exists is a little closed minded.

Back to results, the Wallabies got ‘done’ again, and even worse the Kiwis got knocked out.. If ever there was a good chance for the Aussies to becomes the first team to win 3 World Cups, this was it.The Kiwis were red-hot favourites, and now the door is wide open for France, South Africa and England..My outside hope is Argentina, but also hoping Fiji (who impressed against Wales) are a chance.

Been watching ‘Caddyshack’ over the weekend, you remember that golf comedy with Chevy Chase (whatever happened to him?). Well apart from bringing back nostalgia of the old day 80s comedies, it also brought back Jackie Mason. You remember him, that ‘nebish’ Jersey comedian? I never realised quite how funny he is, I was literally laughing my way through the whole movie..

I’d like to be a little less ‘cerebral’ today. It’s a weekend anyway, so ahdoa’s brain doesn’t really work that well on a Sunday.

I did want to bring up one thing though from a couple of days ago. Was at the vege market just near my apartment (I am ‘trying’ to cook more now, even though my kitchen is the precise dimensions of a shoebox) and chanced by the ‘live chicken stall’ in action. Now whilst most animals are too large to be slaughtered on demand (i.e. beef, pork) chicken can be kept alive (and thus more ‘fresh’) on site. Although I’ve visited this market numerous times before, I’ve never been present for a ‘live’ slaughter. As the chicken ‘cried’ for its life (I’m not making this up), I forced myself to watch the gruesome procedure. I felt like it really taught me something new about ‘food’ and how a live being is turned into chicken drumsticks.

Needless to say I’m not turning vegetarian, but ‘a la’ Jamie Oliver (when he slaughtered a pig in Italy), I feel like its important to be aware of what animals go through before they end up on our plate.. I’m even considering seeking out Peter Singer’s book “The Ethics of What We Eat”

http://www.amazon.com/Ethics-What-We-Eat-Choices/dp/1594866872

I was passing by McDonald’s in the city yesterday when I chanced upon this toy being sold outside to the general public. Cast alongside Snoopy and Hello Kitty figurines was ‘Mr.Koala’.. At first I thought it was yet another ‘cutesy’ packaging of Australiana, but with a closer look (you try yourself, click on the photo for a clearer view) I was a little shocked.

Ostensibly this character is ‘Nigel’ from Disney’s The Wild movie, but I saw a deeper meaning to his presentation. Now I don’t tend to take symbolic ‘texts’ at their face value anymore (I tend to thing EVERYTHING has a deeper meaning), but even an 8 year old can see what’s wrong with this Australian representation.. Apart from not wearing any pants (a habit which does not make him ‘unAustralian’ in any way) he is clearly holding the Satue of Liberty’s torch.

Now if ever there was a symbol of Australia’s own tenuous current identity, perhaps ‘Nigel’ is it..As I detailed in my previous APEC entry, Australia appears in a crisis of representation, both at home and abroad. Note his confused expression (his furrowed eyebrows bear a striking resemblence to our currently beleaguered PM), legs splayed apart (thus unbalanced) and the seeming ignorance of the torch that stands above and ‘guides’ him..

Now America has for generations attempted to serve as the world’s ‘guiding light’, agressively and didactically imposing its systems onto both ally and enemy alike. This has created ambiguities for sure, but in my opinion none so challanging as to identity. Nigel, the humble Koala bear probably ‘goes down a treat’ in LA, NY and Washington, a cuddly and approachable notion of ‘Australiana’ for the USA, but to a native, he presents an ambiguous and worrying stereotype.

At times I’m really challenged by just how Australia is represented abroad. Today I watched the most recent Wallabies victory over Fiji in the rugby. Whilst I found myself cheering along loudly (especially when Force players like Giteau and Mitchell scored), the commentators (a Scot and a Kiwi) were lamenting having to hear ‘Waltzing Matilda’ being played constantly by adoring fans.. Perhaps Oz is outstaying its welcome in the international arena, and a once humble and modest country is now being perceived as a predictable and self-absorbed nation..