Of something red and warmly given

Have you donated blood before? The last time I did, was on 15 July 1998! I was swept along by the "Give Blood, Save Lives" campaign or something similar of such slogan. And I remember it vividly, because I only managed to give slightly less than 400ml before I felt faint. And that almost 400ml trickled into the bag (which took a good half hour!), unlike others who filled up the 500ml bag in no time at all. The doctor and nurses immediately said enough after they had a look at my face which by then had turned quite pale. Even giving that little amount, I couldn't get up, and had to lie down for a good 45 minutes. Well, that was the first and last time I have ever donated blood, and it was during my pre-hypertensive days. Nowadays, due to the daily medication, am not entitled to donate blood.

Actually, I have always been apprehensive about needles poking me. I saw enough of it (well, not me, but others being poked) during my secondary school days as I was a member of the Malaysia Red Crescent Society, and helped out during one of the blood donation drive. I could barely look as the needle was inserted, and when I saw the blood gushing out into the bags, I was flabbergasted. And yes, I did cop a feel of the blood bag and it was surprising warm (to me anyway), but heck, the warmness was to be expected. After all, aren't all of us warm blooded beings?

The first time I was consciously aware of having a blood test, I saw the humongous needle and almost freaked out. The doctor reassured me that it wouldn't hurt, but who would believe the doctor after seeing the needle! Actually, it wasn't painful, just an initial pricking sensation as the sanitised needle punctured the skin and delved into the vein to draw out the required amount. But I didn't look in my moment of anxiety, turning away all through the process and even refused to see how much blood they took. After that, I made it a point never to look at the needles before a blood test and never to see the actual process of the insertion of needles and the withdrawal of blood.

However, today I did my blood test for a checkup required to purchase some insurance cover. As the matronly looking doctor was preparing for the "moment", I quickly looked away. The doctor chuckled, and I told her that I don't like needles. Somemore, after hearing that I don't like needles, she had the cheek to say:

Female Doctor (with her evil grin): Make a fist, and keep still. If I can't find the vein, I may have to prick you three or four times!

Me (thinking in my head!): What the *(&@#*!!!

Female Doctor (with her even more evil grin): And I am taking this opportunity to whack you, for never listening to me to lose weight and to exercise more! (and just as she said that, she whacked my hand a few times to find that elusive vein).

As though I wasn't feeling apprehensive enough, I had to hear that. But after the ordeal was over, I did steal a glance at the needle and the amount of blood taken, and I was like, "Wah! She took so much blood!". Somehow, the blood looked a lot darker, more like a deeper red than the one in this picture, but yes, I did see something like that little droplet at the end of the syringe.

I guess through it all, if I could donate blood, I think I would again, no matter my distaste for the needle. But I can't, so won't dwell on it too much. However, here's to hoping all would help in one way or another, to donate that little amount of blood for someone who may need it in desperate times. Give blood, save a life.

To spend or not to spend...

Been a while since I had my regular paper tosei, and since my vocal lesson time was swopped to an earlier slot of 10:00am, I thought I would indulge a little bit at 9:30am. Need the energy to sing muh, otherwise cannot last the entire class. Never knew singing can be tiring, eh? Need to work those abdominal muscles. But alas, not sure why I still don't have my six-pack!

However, what shocked me was that for a small glass of teh tarik and a cone shaped paper tosei (and I noticed that it has gotten to be a smaller portion or shape), the bill came up to RM4.20!!!

Me: HUH!?! Empat Ringgit Dua???
(translated: HUH!?! Four Ringgit and Twenty???)
Foreign Waiter: Ya! Ini (pointing at the paper tosei) Tiga Ringgit.
(translated: Ya! This (pointing at the paper tosei) is Three Ringgit.
Me: TIGA Ringgit??!! [almost shouting, but trying to keep my voice down as I saw some other customers looking my way]
(translated: THREE Ringgit??!!) [almost shouting, but trying to keep my voice down as I saw some other customers looking my way]

I duly handed him the money but was aghast at the escalating cost. Last time, as in 2 years ago, it cost RM1.50. Last year, it cost RM2.00, TODAY it cost RM3.00!!! My goodness!!! That's like a 100% increase in price since 2 years ago (and the portion has gotten smaller too!). And here I thought commodity prices have come down. :(

But when I think about it, I can sometimes go shopping, and buy a nice tie which cost RM90 (cheap! on sale muh!), and am not appalled about the cost, yet, when it comes to paper tosei, I baulk at the price. Is this then a case of "Penny Wise, Pound Foolish"? But then again, I don't buy a tie that often anyway, well, at least not as often as I could consume a nice portion of paper tosei, but the point is that I am more conscious of the little stuff as opposed to the bigger ticket items. Like for lunch, I would notice that certain outlets in the foodcourt tend to overcharge for a plate of mix rice, and I would boycott that shop, yet sometimes, I wouldn't think twice about "premium" items, especially when there is a sale going on.

I suppose it is the regularity of it all, since the spending on the smaller stuff are on a regular basis which can really add up over a period of time. But at the end of it all, the more fanciful cup of coffee, or that nicer looking shirt or tie going for a bargain, can also hit the wallet in the same way.

And when I hear about people holding two jobs to earn extra pocket money, I do feel a tad guilty. I guess I can only console myself that I also sing for various occassions and earn those little extra angpows to supplement my regular income. Not that it amounts to much, but hey, every little Ringgit helps to pay for the higher cost of paper tosei!!!, and my occassional shopping spree.

One! Two!... WHAT?

"Koooooom-Choom!"

That's the sound we make in Hakka when we were young playing rock-paper-scissors. The long drawn out "Kooooom" is like the pace of counting "1, 2", and a fast expelled "Choom!" will seal the game at "3" to show either a rock, a paper or a pair of scissors with the shape of the hand.

It's also used when trying to decide something without using the flip of a coin. And you know what, there are even competitions for this rock-paper-scissors thingy, and it is interesting to find out the history regarding this game. Can read more about it here.

Since I have been in West Malaysia for so long, I have heard various versions of the counting, most notably, "1, 2, Jus!". And the first time I had to "play" this game to decide on something, it went like this:

Me: Ok, ready yet?! (Me just about to go "koooom...")
Friend: Ok. ONE.... TWO....
Me: Wait! Wait! Ok, ONE... TWO.... and I kept silent, whilst my friend went...
Friend: JUS!!!

Thinking to myself "so different wan!", I showed PAPER, whilst my friend showed something peculiar. I was like... errr... something like this picture, but with the thumb pressed towards the fingers like the shape of a bird's head, without the painted bits of course.

Friend: I won!
Me: HUH?? What's THAT!
Friend: Bird'lah! Bird to TIOK your paper!
Me: NO SUCH THING!!!
Friend: GOT!
Me: It's either rock, paper or scissors! Where got bird wan!!!
Friend: GOT!
Me: All the while growing up in Sarawak, I have never come across BIRD!
Friend: Of course got BIRD!

Wah! Show me "bird" somemore by my friend who was female! Lucky not the middle finger type of bird! I was like, "Ciss!". West Malaysians ah, trying to con East Malaysians!

Me: Where got like that wan! Cheat!
Friend: You come from ulu-ulu, don't know anything!

Tsk! Tsk! What prompted this post? Well, I have been meaning to post this for a while, but kept forgetting. Suddenly, as I was waiting for my car to be serviced this morning, two young chinese kids, but conversing in English (about 6 and 5 I reckon) were seated next to me and they were playing "1, 2, JUS!". When I glanced over, one of the kid had his hand with the "BIRD" shape! "What the *&&*^*!". I wanted to correct them but held my tongue!

So, hence this post, and you know what? since coming back, I googled for "rock paper scissors", I managed lots of findings, but for "rock paper bird!"??? Nothing!! Now, thinking objectively, maybe the kids in west malaysia were corrupted by someone somewhere who thought it was difficult for kids to do the scissors shape and thought it easier for the bird shape to be made. And somehow, that variation came about through cultural distortion. Well, I will give them that at least, but for my HOKKIEN west malaysian friends who kept insisting it is "BIRD", I still think it is SCISSORS, not bird! The powers of brain washing whilst young...

Then again, researching rock-paper-scissors online, I understand that this game was originally invented by the Chinese! With my HOKKIEN chinese friends insisting they are right, perhaps I need to reconsider which culture has made the distortion. But hang on! I am also chinese what! But HAKKA instead. And all my HAKKA friends play the rock-paper-scissors version, never bird!

How ah??!