Happy Birthday Malaysia!

Happy Birthday Malaysia!  I still love you, just not that much anymore.

Last night I decided that all the guys I work with should tag along on today’s trip.  Sort of like an informal company trip.  Will blog about last night some other time.  We were supposed to leave this morning but it’s noon now and only 2 fellas are here.  Understandable considering how late last night ended for us.  Still waiting for the rest who are on their way.  Guess we might as well leave after lunch.

We’ll be going in two cars.  My car is the automatic choice because I love long distance driving.  Long being less than 4 hours.  My apprentice has volunteered the other car should be his.  "Merdeka mah" he says.  We’ll let the other guys decide.  His car also has a history of breaking down on long distance travel.  Maybe we’ll just take the flag.  Ahahaahha.

Walau eh! D is the only one I know who has a flag on his bonnet! Semangat giler!

Ah… perfect timing.  The rest are here.  Time to make a move.  Will blog whenever possible.

Tomorrow is the big 50th birthday for Malaysia.  Excited or not?  Excited leh.  Cannot wait leh.  Prepared your yellow underwear oledi or not?

After this short post, I’ve got to go down town and won’t be back until very late.  Someone invited everyone in my company to a night spot tonight and I promised I’d be there as well.  Networking mah.  I’ve got to dig for my party clothes as well and pray that it still fits me.  Hopefully I’d look like a young John Travolta and not an old Elvis Pressley.

Tomorrow a few of us will be taking a slow drive down to Kuantan/Cherating for a part work, part holiday weekend.  A client is launching a product and wants us to cover the event for their website.

So I’ve got no time to blog about how I want to wish a speedy recovery to our beloved Transport Minister who is on medical leave.  He needs to go abroad for a medical check-up.  This has nothing to do with the PKFZ issue.  I understand his predicament.  He’s just trying to send a message that the hospitals in this country are just not adequate enough to do a medical check-up. :P  Perhaps he read my post on my emergency room incident?

I also won’t be able to blog about the shouting match at Dewan Rakyat yesterday.  Some MPs were labelled as traitors and unpatriotic because they didn’t rise when Merdeka was shouted out.  Tsk, tsk, tsk.  But wait, what did our most respected Prime Minister say about being a patriot?  Someone who rises when Merdeka is shouted?  Oh yes, a patriot is someone who loves Malaysia and respect all Malaysians.

I will sorely miss seeing Khairy Jamaluddin hoisting the Malayan flag during the re-enactment of the countdown to independence tomorrow.  He says he’s all geared up.  This is huge and makes Merdeka more meaningful to me personally.  Aiyoh, really rugi lar. :P

Most of all, I won’t be able to blog about how sad I am about eight year old Nurin Jazlin Jazimin who has been missing since August 22.  Apparently she was reported to have been seen being pulled into a van.  Please let her live.  Please let her be safe.  Please don’t let her become a statistic.  It doesn’t help when the police make statements that they will check every nook and corner including houses, construction sites, abandoned houses, buildings and undergrowth.  Tiu, why do you guys sound as if you are already looking for a body!!  My thoughts are with her and her parents.

Deng, why this post become so long wan?  I just wanted to wish every one a happy Merdeka weekend or would you prefer happy holiday weekend.  That’s what this weekend will be for most of you right?  To those who are travelling, be safe always.  To those going nowhere, party hard, sleep late and stand up when they shout Merdeka! :P

There are many positives to take away from my wife’s ordeal, one of which is how my seven year old daughter stepped up to the plate.  Ever since she was born, we’ve had maids.  We’ve had three maids in total.  I’m not a big fan of live in maids.  I cannot walk around in my g-string. :P  I prefer to get someone to come once a week to do the cleaning, etc.  My kids are now so dependent on maids.  They call on the maid to do everything, "Kak, change baju", "Kak, brush teeth", "Kak, give me my water".  Deng, everything is done by the maid even simple things that my daughter should be able to do, she calls on the maid!

When my wife was admitted, the maid stayed with her.  The first night, my kids and I crashed out on the living room.  They slept on the sofas while I crashed on the carpet.  The next morning my alarm rang at half past six but the kids were still asleep so I snoozed.  I only managed to wake up after eight!  That’s only because I heard my kids whispering.  I jumped up and told them we were late for the hospital.  They had to wash their faces and brush their teeth, change and we had to step into gear.  To my surprise, they had already done so!

In the absence of the maid, my daughter stepped up to do those things herself and helped her four year old brother as well.  After cleaning up, she even took out a coloring book and some crayons, told her brother to sit quietly so that he wouldn’t make too much noise and wake me up.  While I took care of her brother, changing his pyjamas, etc.  She took care of herself.  She chose her own clothes and changed herself.  On normal days, it would have been "Kak, tukar baju".

In the car, I was quite impressed it had been easier than expected to get them ready and out of the house.  The reward was McDonald’s Breakfast on the go.  I told my daughter, "See, today I found out another thing you’re good for".  My daughter smiled, she remembered.

Sometime back my daughter had asked me, "Daddy, what am I good for?".  I knew why she asked me that.  My wife gets super cheesed off at my daughter because she keeps on losing her things in school; pencil cases, stationery, water bottles, spoons and even her text books.  Often in anger, my wife use demoralizing phrases like "You’re really good for nothing!", "Sang kaw char siew ter mou kum laow (Give birth to a piece of BBQ pork also not so angry)!".

I don’t know whether it was part of her upbringing but I always object strongly when I hear her say those words.  Everyone is good for something.  Many times, we would end up having arguments.  She feels I’m always protecting, siding with my daughter but that’s not it.  I strongly feel those words should not be used on a child.  It should perhaps be used on some of those in our beloved government. *ahem*

Back to the question.  I realize this was one of those character building opportunities.  Something that I just cannot give a simple mumble and move along.  I stopped working on my notebook and told her with a smile, "Don’t accept when people tell you you’re good for nothing. No one is good for nothing. Everyone is good for something especially you….".  She cuts in and asked me, "Then why mommy say I good for nothing?".

I explained, "Sometimes mommy say things when she’s angry but she doesn’t mean it. What she wanted to say was that you’re careless and keep on forgeting your things in school. So next time you should remember to check that you didn’t leave anything behind". 

"Oh. But then I good for something. What?"

"Well, for one, you’re good for hugging. :)  What else do you think you’re good for?"

"Erm… sleeping! Erm…. coloring!"

"Hahaha. You’ll find out more as you grow bigger(older) and if I find anything else I’ll let you know"

I’ve been busy catching up on work.  I haven’t been commenting on your blog but I was there. :)

On that night of the emergency room incident, after I left the hospital, my heart was heavy and my mind was running wild.  While driving back home along the LDP, I was thinking of what had happened that day, whether my wife can tahan until morning for the doctor.  I used my messed up mind to access the situation.  What are my goals in this situation?  I need a to do list, a check list.  What’s the best case scenario?  I smiled.  What’s the worst case scenario?  My eyes tear up.  Were there any cute nurses in the ward?  Snap out of it!  What about work?  Who should do what, who should take over my meetings.  Oh shoot, I missed Lost on Astro.  Oh well, I knew the ending anyway.  But wait, the repeat is on at 2am.  My knee still hurts.  I thought about my wife again.  Sigh.

I was also thinking about my kids, how I was eager to pick them up, eager to see them, to give each a huge bear hug.  Oh please let them be tired because I am. 

I reach the LDP toll and only a few lanes were open.  I accelerate past a slow moving Iswara.  I look back and see an old ah pak and aunty in the Iswara.  I reach for my wallet.  I take out RM3.20.  I told the girl inside the toll booth, the extra RM1.60 is for the car behind me.  I speed away.  I hope ah pak got my car number because he will want to buy 4D.  I say to myself, "Oh my gosh, I really siaw liao".

My car number 9892, comes out as 9289 on Saturday’s Sportstoto.  Consolation prize only.  If ah pak got paow my number, get RM60 only.  Why did I pay for ah pak that night?  Coincidence?  Everything happens for a reason.

Update :  I forgot to mention I was actually driving my wife’s car that night.

My wife lost a lot of blood and had to go into the operation theatre for a second time.  The doctor sucked out a lot of blood.  He said it only happens to 3% of patients in these type of surgeries.  He was very apologetic that he had earlier discharged my wife.  He said he had felt it in his spirit that he shouldn’t discharge her on Thursday.  The important thing is that we took the decision to return quicker instead of waiting longer.  Because of the blood loss, she is weak and still feels dizzy.  Her hemogoblin level is low.  The doctor has been prescribing iron tablets.  She is well now and should be discharged today.  She will be staying with her grandparents for a week or two to recuperate.

I have more to say about this and what I’ve gained from this experience at a later time.

Thanks to every one who sent well wishes, comments and prayers.  Mucho gracias.  Now please send money to the HATPWMB Fund (Help Adrian to pay wifey’s medical bill fund).

On Tuesday, my wife was admitted into Damansara Specialist Hospital for what was supposed to be a minor haemorrhoids surgery.  By Thursday afternoon, she couldn’t wait to get back home.  The doctor came and she was discharged.  We reached home at 3pm, she went to the toilet and the bleeding started.  Each time she went, she lost blood.  Heck, nothing came out except blood.  By 7pm, she lost so much blood, she nearly passed out.  We decided to head back to the hospital.

I just got back from DSH where I spent two fucking pointless hours in the emergency room waiting for people who are supposed to do their fucking job, to do their job.  I was one notch way, one "Yes, please wait a while" away from tearing that fucking emergency room down.  I forced myself to remain calm, fearing that if the guy at the counter gets pissed off with me, he would purposely delay my wife’s admittance.  I reminded myself to be calm because of the numerous sick kids in the waiting hall.  The look of worry on their mothers’ faces.  Yes, everyone’s worried for their loved ones.  Everyone’s waiting for their turn. 

But the difference was I reached the emergency room at around 8.30pm.  They knew it was an emergency when I drove up right in front of the entrance into the ambulance only area.  The security guard there motioned to the nurses for a wheelchair.  They wheeled her into the emergency room, bypassing the registration and waiting area.  We didn’t have to wait long for the doctor.  He was with us in less than 20 minutes.  He did a quick check and left to give the doctor who performed the surgery earlier a call.  He came back a few minutes later and said that it was best that my wife was admitted again.  I was relieved to hear that.  I was amazed at how efficient these professionals work.  I signed a few documents and paid the deposit.  Everything’s done, it was 9.20pm.  I was told by the friendly counter guy, now all I had to do was to wait for someone to come and bring us to her room.

No one came.  And no one came again.  I asked the friendly counter guy what’s wrong.  He assured me nothing was wrong, he will be with us in a while.  I waited.  I looked at their mission statement they proudly hung on their wall.  The line that states, "To admit 80% of patients in 35 minutes or less" caught my eye.  I wonder why only 80%?

My wife went to the ladies where she bled some more.  She nearly passed out again.  She was becoming weaker and weaker.  She started throwing up badly.  She started to feel the pain.  I went to ask the friendly counter guy what the fuck am I waiting for.  Is the room not ready or what?  "The room is ready.  Now please just wait a while".  My wife starts to shiver.  I called for a nurse.  A nurse gave her an IV drip.

I went to the friendly counter guy again.  I demanded that I wheel my wife up myself.  He said he would do it in a short while.  At 11.20pm, he comes with a wheelchair and a smile.  I wanted to tell him to wipe that fucking smile off his fucking face.  But I heard "Adrian, what would Jesus do?" inside of me.  I answered "File a complaint" which I have every intention of doing.  But for now, my wife’s well being comes first.

We settle into the room.  I get a call from my wife’s grandparents where I had earlier dropped off my kids.  My son tells me that he’s not going to sleep and will wait for me to pick him up no matter how late.  I then hear my maid calling for me from the toilet and I go in to see more blood.  I call for the nurse and she comes to help out.  Both of them help my wife up and then her eyes rolls up and she passes out.  I managed to grab her before she falls.  Her mouth opens but her eyes are gone.  We get her on to the bed.  My maid starts crying.  The nurse calls my wife’s name trying to wake her up. 

My eyes swell up.  My thoughts run back to Sunday where my wife and I had a major argument resulting in her giving me the silent treatment.  I remember how glad I was that she was not speaking to me.  Finally some peace and quiet for a few days.  I remember I wanted to make a post about what to do when a person no longer loves someone.  Should that person continue with the relationship or be honest about it and just end it without considering the consequences.

My wife wakes up.  My maid makes her a cup of Milo.  She takes a sip and starts falling to sleep.  Her lips are the same colour as her face.  I tell her I need to go take care of the kids.  She nods.  I leave.

I’m tired.  Physically and emotionally.

I was in the middle of a long post but will have to now put it off.  My wife was discharged this afternoon but just now she nearly passed out on the toilet floor.  She’s been bleeding nonstop.  I need to rush her to the hospital again.

My knee is swallon and I’m in alot of pain.  Started on Saturday night after futsal.  X-rays shows no injury to the bones so that’s good.  The doctor thinks it could just be a swallon tendon or the worst case scenario would be a torn ligament.  He feels I should wait for a few days to see if the pain will go away with painkillers.  In the mean time, I shouldn’t walk too much.  I’ve got no problem following his advice because with every step I take comes excruciating pain.  But then there’s another problem.  My wife was admitted to the hospital today and had to undergo minor surgery.  My maid is with her so I’ve got no choice put to walk around like a one legged man and do some of the housework.  So if I stop blogging for awhile you know why lar.

I want to blog about the PKTZ as brought up by zewt but my blood pressure would shoot up sky high.  High blood pressure would only magnify the pain from my knee.  So better not.  Besides I’ve already put in my comment on his post.  But I urge you to go over and read his post if you have not done so.  Why?  Because you work hard for your money the whole year long.  Then comes the time when you have to fill up a form which tells the govt how much is their "cut".  Yes, you work but they get a cut.  It’s called income tax.  And if you own a business like me, then you have to pay even more taxes. 

But tax is good.  Tax is what helps the govt to build up the nation.  Next time when you pay your taxes, remember that you are contributing to the development of the nation.  Next time when you see a new highway or a new bridge, know that you had contributed a part of it.  Heck, the govt should even write you a thank you letter.

But also know that when a project is supposed to costs 1 billion ringgit and somehow, someone, somewhere, screwed up big time, and the project is now in debt of 4.6 billion ringgit and the govt decides to pay for it.  You’re the one actually paying for it!

Damn, my blood pressure is rising liao.  Ciao!