The guidance has always been there

My usual sunday morning is with the 'nasi lemak' or 'roti canai' plus the morning papers. There is this very good article in Berita Minggu which I sincerely believe everybody should read. Considering now there's the launch of Baby Hatch at Kampung Tunku, PJ which is supposed to be the temporary shelter for unwanted babies. Or better say the safer 'dumpster' for the innocence babies instead of being buried alive. This hatch will never be needed if only we truely commit to the guidance He has already given to us.

Do read.
Berita Minggu 30 Mei 2010

Working Out

I've been extra early for work eversince early May. Extra early as in 10 minutes early than usual. Ngee. No, I'm not a workaholic. Neither is my alarm clock broken. I have to rush earlier to work nowadays just to get a decent parking. The vast empty lot right behind the main clinic building is now closed for construction of a new building. Hence the parking chaos in the hospital now.

As early as I try, I still couldn't get the nearest or the hotspot parking. So now mostly everyday I have to walk quite a distance from where I park. It's not a big deal actually. Let's be optimistic. I get to have free exercise! Hehe. To expect me to drag my lazy bum to jog hasn't been quite successful. Walking is the next option. With heels that I believe can shape my calf nicely and lugging my heavy laptop makes it more challenging. Hee..

While in the hospital, I only used the staircase. It's a very old hospital, in fact the first in Malaysia or Tanah Melayu back then. So you cannot imagine the antique state of the one and only lift here at the specialist clinic building. It's a two storey building but to take the stair is faster than the lift. The creaking sound of riding the lift is scary enough. What it lacks is just the grill door to make it more antique. Hehe.

I think I'll try to walk more now. Starting today. I know it won't burn the existing fat but at least the calory intake for the day? Hopefully. Huhu. So walk fast!

of Tayar

Hello. My name is Khan Tayar.

I'm scared of cats. Really really scared. Maybe it has to do with the fact that I got scratched with one when I was very little. Or maybe I'm just not comfortable with the way they suddenly put both their paws on my thigh (I hate it when they do that while I'm eating. In fact no animal should be allowed inside a restaurant) or when they're suddenly sliding and brushing their body at my legs. I get very jumpy when they do that. It's not just me, it's the same with my whole family. There has never been any cat in our home.

Suddenly this little fella came into my family. Into my life. It was a few weeks after Eid last year. There was this tiny cute kitten meowing at the front door looking very hungry. At first, we fed him with rice out of pity since he was so small. But we never took any notice of him aside feeding him. I'm not sure where he sleeps at night or where he came from. He keeps coming back. Everytime polishing off the rice without fail.

Soon, he became a permanent resident. We began to adore him and my father put an old rug on top of a small box to make a comfy bed for him. We bathed him and get proper food for him. He was very tiny yet very active. Always jumping about and pouncing on us. No doubt I'll scream and go jumping about myself. He would always meddle with whatever we do. I will hang the laundry and he will hold on with four legs at the kaftans which is hanging side by side swinging happily. My mother will tend to her plants and he would jump into the flowerpots too. My father will inspect the car engine and he will climb from beneath and pop himself out between the engine. A very cheeky cat indeed.

Slowly I began to see the other side of cats which I don't really care before. Of which I couldn't understand why some people are so fascinated with cats before. I came to understand that cats are very much like human. They show emotion and they have a unique way of interacting with us. When he suddenly pounce on me or slide his body at my legs, he either wants attention or someone to play with him or he just want to eat. How do I tell? Well, if he's hungry he's loud and very insistent but if he just wants attention and someone to pet him while he's sleeping then he gets this very cute face, meowing and staring at me with dopey eyes. Sometimes he's very nagging and attached, and I always thought that maybe it's because he's still small and he needs his mother. I kind of pity him for that. But he's bigger now and most probably consider us family. Hehe. Now I guess the childhood trauma is slowly forgotten. I'm not so scared anymore though I still jump everytime he pounce.

This sleepyhead can sleep anywhere at anytime. He's so big now!


Alololo~ I don't know how he can sleep like this. He squeeze in no matter what. It's his favourite spot since small. But you're so big now Tayar!


I'm a sleepyhead. ZZZzzzzz.

He do sleep awfully long. Or maybe it's because he didn't sleep at night, too busy patroling the house. Hehe. I like it when he's sleeping. Firstly of course because he won't be jumping around and chasing me so I was brave enough to touch him or simply pat him. Then it's because he looks so cute while sleeping! I find it amusing to see him stretching in his dreams and I never thought that cats can sleep on their back. With all four legs stretched out. Darn cute.

My mother dots him with love. She's really fond of him. To think that she has never hold a cat in her life before=p

This is his pre-pouncing action. Ready on all four, eyes on the target. When I saw him like this I'll either stand still or run quickly and save myself. Especially if he's staring at me. Hehe.

I still can't believe that one day I would come to love a cat like this. But seriously Tayar, you're in my heart. Eceh. Hehe.

Daa~

The Importance of Early Screening

I've just presented this topic on this morning for an eyecourse and I thought I would just share a few points here. Vision screening in children is really really important but unfortunately most people take it for granted. Sometimes most parents are not aware that their child is having problem. But sadly sometimes parents didn't bother to have a proper eye examination for their children just because they assume their children is lying when they complain they cannot see well. Eye disease or eye problems are not selective. It happens to anyone regarding any age.

Vision is not really about seeing well or seeing 6/6 only (6/6 is the smallest line of letters on the Snellen chart) Vision includes color vision, visual field and binocular vision. So, even if a child can read 6/6 yet the eye is not aligned, it's something to look at. Or if a child sees well but keeps confusing colour, painting the grass red instead of green, miscalculate the number of green balls in maths class, that's something to be properly examine.

But really screening is important because children mostly didn't realize when they have vision problem. Why? Because they have no idea that they're seeing differently than anyone else. They didn't know because their vision is the only vision they have known. They thought that's how other people sees too. So hopefully by screening, any problem could be detected for earlier intervention. Without early detection and treatment, a child's vision problem can lead to permanent visual loss and subsequently learning difficulties.

Some tips for the parents. When to be concerned:

• When the child is not fixing and following at 3 months old
• the child is reading or watching tv at close distance
• there is abnormal head posture such as face turn, head tilt, chin depressed or elevated
• squinting eye or closing one eye to see things at distance
• there's a tendency to bump into objects

The recommended guideline will be to have screening as babies, at 3 years old and again before entering school.

And of course, screening should be done by a qualified practitioner. Preferably an optometrist. No child is too early for an eye examination.