In the hustle and bustle of the city where I worked, sometimes I just wonder does it really matters?
To people who are caught up in the rat race for money, good luck and take care.
I also fell victim to greed. I want to earn more money. I want to be rich and buy expensive clothes and handbags. This is materialistic thinking. I realised that when I fell sick. Not from overworking but just from some random virus that I caught in clinic. I wasn't even overexerting myself. Once I am sick, I want nothing but my health back. The saying is true, "Once you lost something, only you realised how important that something is". (I am quoting based on memory)
Why are we so obssessed with money and power?
I am still coughing consistently. It hampers my job sometimes and might caused some stress to my colleagues for fear of getting infected. I am reading too much in one go, a few books at one time, my mind is all over the place, I can't speak without coughing, I can't sleep without coughing. I got annoyed with little things (especially patients). Things I do that I thought would make someone happy but someone doesn't think so. I am making myself catering to other people's needs but what about mine? Burden, burden
To avoid overthinking, I just focussed on the present and work with it. It is not easy, I might add but sure helps keep me sane sometimes.
Reading meditation book does help me. I treasured this book more that those books that I bought. I remember back when I am still in a-level without my parents with me. I am searching for my identity (and I am still not sure that I found it yet). I was exploring ways to help me concentrate. To keep my turmultous feelings in check.
Peace Is Every Step by Thich Nhat Hanh is a book I got for free from Kota Kemuning Buddhist Centre. I took it back and devoured every single words. The words that present themselves calm me down and I hold on to the book. I never once let go of it during my years of study. I might not read it every night but the thought that I have the book with me give me peace. Now I am rereading it and trying to memorise it all over again. Somehow it brings back fond memories and what I cherish in my life. I am the one who is going to forge a path for myself. I am not depending on other people to decide for me. I became who I am today because I wanted to.
We might want something really bad but have we thought of the price? Isn't letting it go better? What is meant to be yours, it will be yours.
I only remember my time in college and university of being with friends and having a good laugh. Sometimes I got so caught up with the race of trying to be the best that I got so down. Then I learn to let it go. I might not be the best and I will not be the one who put others down. I am just being me
Friday 27 April 2012
Saturday 14 April 2012
sick again
I can't believe I am being sick again after recovering for a few days. This is the third time I am being sick in 2012 =(
I thought I am still not recovering until a doctor gently corrected me.
Dr: So you have been sick for 3 times this year?
Me: No no, this is the second time.
Dr: You said that you don't have greenish sputum after taking antibiotic?
Me: But I do now after finishing my antibiotic course
Dr: Actually you recover and got sick again
Me: Ahhhhhhh so that is what you mean.....
Sigh...a sick pharmacist means blurred and tired all the time.
I am prescribed lots of rest and soft diet. There goes my weekend. I am hoping I get to see hunger games or battleship tomorrow.
I thought I am still not recovering until a doctor gently corrected me.
Dr: So you have been sick for 3 times this year?
Me: No no, this is the second time.
Dr: You said that you don't have greenish sputum after taking antibiotic?
Me: But I do now after finishing my antibiotic course
Dr: Actually you recover and got sick again
Me: Ahhhhhhh so that is what you mean.....
Sigh...a sick pharmacist means blurred and tired all the time.
I am prescribed lots of rest and soft diet. There goes my weekend. I am hoping I get to see hunger games or battleship tomorrow.
Tuesday 10 April 2012
hazards of being a pharmacist
A pharmacist is a highly paid job that specialized in various medicines. We are there to educate doctors on different types of medicine available and prevent mistakes from reaching patients. However, pharmacists are not appreciated and often got bullied by doctors or patients.
Hazards of being a pharmacist
1. Being sick.
The government clinic setting is based on 60's and 70's era planning. They do not expect the population of Malaysia could increase exponentially in the years to come. (same goes with the population of pharmacists and dentists in Malaysia). So, a small clinic is expected to handle 500 patients load instead of 200 patients load. Imagine a clinic that has tuberculosis patients coming in to eat their tb medicines and mothers bringing their a-few-months-old (weak and sick) babies to clinic for treatments. Tb is an air-borne disease which could infect babies that have not fully strengthen their immune system. That is just one example. What about flu viruses or bacterias? In that outdated era, the authorities have not think about air ventilation. So, your health doesn't bode well with environment that does not have proper air ventilation. Which explains why I keep on getting sick (or it could be just plain-old-sambal )
2. Being scolded by patients.
Listen out there patients. We are there to help you. You are not helping yourself by scolding us. We can choose to ignore you but we didn't. 90% of problematic patients speak in Indonesian. It would help us if you would speak slower or if you would be able to speak bahasa malaysia since you are on Malaysia soil. Some of the problems are inevitable due to missed appointments and we can direct you to the personnel who can help you. It is not our fault because you couldn't remember your appointment dates or forget to collect your medicines at the appointed date. We repeatedly emphasized to you while we are dispensing. It is not fair that we got blamed for your own lack of concentration and poor memory. It is your health and you are supposed to take care of yourself (or your relatives).
3. Being scolded for government policies.
This is a government pharmacy in a government clinic. We are helping you (patients) to lessen your medicine costs. It would be better if you are able to abide by a few rules. Government had already stated that all medicines are only supplied for 1 months duration FROM THE PHARMACY not 6 months duration. This is to minimize medicine wastage and ensure that patients are eating correct medicines in the correct way. This is a policy that come out in view of storage problem (due to no space in small clinic) and a huge amount of medicine wastage caused by public. Do you think that we make you come every two months because we want to see you for fun? We would want to lessen our work load as well. If you came to us earlier or later then we know that you might not be eating correctly and we could educate you.
However, government did come out with a few schemes that can lessen your burden from coming to pharmacy. We have post services and 'sms take and go'. If you think collecting medicine is a waste of time and you feel that we are not doing our jobs correctly (with all the services we are providing), please feel free to buy from outside pharmacy. They will provide 6 months or more medicines willingly as long as you pay up! We are not expecting payments from you. It's just the registration counter that are money-minded. You just need to pay RM1 (malaysian citizen) or RM15 (warga asing) or free (government servant/pension/kebajikan) to them and you are taking hundreds ringgit of medicine (insulins, insulin pen, high blood pressure/diabetes/cholesterol medicines) from us. Why are you scolding us again?
4. Being overworked and underpaid
Sometimes the amount of reports due every month is a task so daunting that I feel that I could not possibly elaborate on that. That's why we are overworked with low remunerations. On the topic of underpaid, comparisons between doctors and pharmacists who worked extended hours (outside office hours in a government clinic to better serve the public) can be made. Doctors are able to claim rm80/hour for each hour they work extra. For pharmacists, we can only claim hours. Imagine you are the only pharmacist working and you have accumulated probably 48 hours, how are you going to claim because you don't have a replacement. Each pharmacy must have one pharmacist working. Case closed.
5. Future of pharmacy in Malaysia
The future of pharmacists are quite bleak due to dispensing rights. Dispensing rights are not exclusively pharmacists. Doctors, nurses and medical assistants can dispensed. Private gps could earn alot because they prescribe and sell medicine at the same time. (Some might argue that things are changing and private gps are not earning alot but they still have dispensing right!) Compared to UK and Australia, they have a proper system to ensure that patients received utmost care and pharmacists are there as a safeguard against errors. In Malaysia, the net that could catch errors caused by private gps are removed. Inside clinic itself, there are various errors caused by medical assistants that are prevented by pharmacists which is quite scary for the rate of them occurring.
For pharmacists, if you chose not to work with government, you have to be really resourceful to find another job that really utilized your specialty or you could end up being a cosway pharmacist like everyone else. Then you have to fight for sales, advertise, make sure your turnaround is high, recruit members which inadvertently caused each and every friend of yours to run for their lives! (that would be an exagerration) So far I have not heard anything other than being a community pharmacist in a private pharmacy and sell huge amount of medicine to increase profits.
6. Being called other names
This is just my private grouse. I just hated patients who called me ah moi, jie jie, missy, nurse or doctors. You can call us by Miss or Ma'am or Cik or Puan. I used to correct patient who called me nurse or doctor. "Thank you, doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*."
"I am not a doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*, I am a pharmacist"
"Oh sorry. Thank you, doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*"
"I am not a doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*, I am a pharmacist"
"Oh thank you" (patient rolled their eyes and couldn't be bother to pronounce)
*circle where applicable
Is it so hard to enunciate pharmacist? It's just a NOUN [COUNTABLE] and you could pronounce /ˈfɑː(r)məsɪst/ according to Macmillan dictionary or you could just do bahasa baku 'far-ma-si'. Easy-peasy. Nope, in the end the patients couldn't even thank us properly. I have long since given up the attempt of correcting patients although I would give them an annoyed look if they call me ah moi/jie jie/missy/nurse. I am freaking not a nurse. I don't wear a uniform. From which part of your brain think that I am a nurse? Shakes head and just looks up to the sky.
I hate to be on the negative side but sometimes you just have to let it all go so that you are at peace with yourself. Maybe I would do a benefits of being a pharmacist when I am in a better mood. I could just scribble all the words just like the good ol doctors handwriting and leave you guessing what benefits I am talking about.
Yours sincerely,
Pharmacist
Hazards of being a pharmacist
1. Being sick.
The government clinic setting is based on 60's and 70's era planning. They do not expect the population of Malaysia could increase exponentially in the years to come. (same goes with the population of pharmacists and dentists in Malaysia). So, a small clinic is expected to handle 500 patients load instead of 200 patients load. Imagine a clinic that has tuberculosis patients coming in to eat their tb medicines and mothers bringing their a-few-months-old (weak and sick) babies to clinic for treatments. Tb is an air-borne disease which could infect babies that have not fully strengthen their immune system. That is just one example. What about flu viruses or bacterias? In that outdated era, the authorities have not think about air ventilation. So, your health doesn't bode well with environment that does not have proper air ventilation. Which explains why I keep on getting sick (or it could be just plain-old-sambal )
2. Being scolded by patients.
Listen out there patients. We are there to help you. You are not helping yourself by scolding us. We can choose to ignore you but we didn't. 90% of problematic patients speak in Indonesian. It would help us if you would speak slower or if you would be able to speak bahasa malaysia since you are on Malaysia soil. Some of the problems are inevitable due to missed appointments and we can direct you to the personnel who can help you. It is not our fault because you couldn't remember your appointment dates or forget to collect your medicines at the appointed date. We repeatedly emphasized to you while we are dispensing. It is not fair that we got blamed for your own lack of concentration and poor memory. It is your health and you are supposed to take care of yourself (or your relatives).
3. Being scolded for government policies.
This is a government pharmacy in a government clinic. We are helping you (patients) to lessen your medicine costs. It would be better if you are able to abide by a few rules. Government had already stated that all medicines are only supplied for 1 months duration FROM THE PHARMACY not 6 months duration. This is to minimize medicine wastage and ensure that patients are eating correct medicines in the correct way. This is a policy that come out in view of storage problem (due to no space in small clinic) and a huge amount of medicine wastage caused by public. Do you think that we make you come every two months because we want to see you for fun? We would want to lessen our work load as well. If you came to us earlier or later then we know that you might not be eating correctly and we could educate you.
However, government did come out with a few schemes that can lessen your burden from coming to pharmacy. We have post services and 'sms take and go'. If you think collecting medicine is a waste of time and you feel that we are not doing our jobs correctly (with all the services we are providing), please feel free to buy from outside pharmacy. They will provide 6 months or more medicines willingly as long as you pay up! We are not expecting payments from you. It's just the registration counter that are money-minded. You just need to pay RM1 (malaysian citizen) or RM15 (warga asing) or free (government servant/pension/kebajikan) to them and you are taking hundreds ringgit of medicine (insulins, insulin pen, high blood pressure/diabetes/cholesterol medicines) from us. Why are you scolding us again?
4. Being overworked and underpaid
Sometimes the amount of reports due every month is a task so daunting that I feel that I could not possibly elaborate on that. That's why we are overworked with low remunerations. On the topic of underpaid, comparisons between doctors and pharmacists who worked extended hours (outside office hours in a government clinic to better serve the public) can be made. Doctors are able to claim rm80/hour for each hour they work extra. For pharmacists, we can only claim hours. Imagine you are the only pharmacist working and you have accumulated probably 48 hours, how are you going to claim because you don't have a replacement. Each pharmacy must have one pharmacist working. Case closed.
5. Future of pharmacy in Malaysia
The future of pharmacists are quite bleak due to dispensing rights. Dispensing rights are not exclusively pharmacists. Doctors, nurses and medical assistants can dispensed. Private gps could earn alot because they prescribe and sell medicine at the same time. (Some might argue that things are changing and private gps are not earning alot but they still have dispensing right!) Compared to UK and Australia, they have a proper system to ensure that patients received utmost care and pharmacists are there as a safeguard against errors. In Malaysia, the net that could catch errors caused by private gps are removed. Inside clinic itself, there are various errors caused by medical assistants that are prevented by pharmacists which is quite scary for the rate of them occurring.
For pharmacists, if you chose not to work with government, you have to be really resourceful to find another job that really utilized your specialty or you could end up being a cosway pharmacist like everyone else. Then you have to fight for sales, advertise, make sure your turnaround is high, recruit members which inadvertently caused each and every friend of yours to run for their lives! (that would be an exagerration) So far I have not heard anything other than being a community pharmacist in a private pharmacy and sell huge amount of medicine to increase profits.
6. Being called other names
This is just my private grouse. I just hated patients who called me ah moi, jie jie, missy, nurse or doctors. You can call us by Miss or Ma'am or Cik or Puan. I used to correct patient who called me nurse or doctor. "Thank you, doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*."
"I am not a doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*, I am a pharmacist"
"Oh sorry. Thank you, doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*"
"I am not a doctor/nurse/something-creative-those-patients-think-of*, I am a pharmacist"
"Oh thank you" (patient rolled their eyes and couldn't be bother to pronounce)
*circle where applicable
Is it so hard to enunciate pharmacist? It's just a NOUN [COUNTABLE] and you could pronounce /ˈfɑː(r)məsɪst/ according to Macmillan dictionary or you could just do bahasa baku 'far-ma-si'. Easy-peasy. Nope, in the end the patients couldn't even thank us properly. I have long since given up the attempt of correcting patients although I would give them an annoyed look if they call me ah moi/jie jie/missy/nurse. I am freaking not a nurse. I don't wear a uniform. From which part of your brain think that I am a nurse? Shakes head and just looks up to the sky.
I hate to be on the negative side but sometimes you just have to let it all go so that you are at peace with yourself. Maybe I would do a benefits of being a pharmacist when I am in a better mood. I could just scribble all the words just like the good ol doctors handwriting and leave you guessing what benefits I am talking about.
Yours sincerely,
Pharmacist
Monday 9 April 2012
Seikisho exfoliating massage gel and sekkisei supreme washing cream
Kose products that I am currently using:
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Seikisho exfoliating massage gel
It is unique in the sense that it doesn't have beads or rough chips in it to scrub all the dirt from the face. Upon massaging onto your face, it will feel warm and with further massage, it will turn into greyish solution. Then it would be time to wash it away. Face do feel cleaner after using. I love Shiseido's face scrub as it has little beads inside that clears the dirt away but this exfoliates well.
This was recommended by Kose SG when I wanted to buy Kose Seikiso Mask. She told me that the peel off mask will dry my face. Instead I should exfoliate more and put more toner and rice power extract serum (which does not help in the end. My face just continued to be dry and peeling off). That prompt me to change back to Shiseido (which is another topic).
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right: sekkisei supreme washing cream left: seikisho exfoliating massage gel
Seikisho exfoliating massage gel
It is unique in the sense that it doesn't have beads or rough chips in it to scrub all the dirt from the face. Upon massaging onto your face, it will feel warm and with further massage, it will turn into greyish solution. Then it would be time to wash it away. Face do feel cleaner after using. I love Shiseido's face scrub as it has little beads inside that clears the dirt away but this exfoliates well.
This was recommended by Kose SG when I wanted to buy Kose Seikiso Mask. She told me that the peel off mask will dry my face. Instead I should exfoliate more and put more toner and rice power extract serum (which does not help in the end. My face just continued to be dry and peeling off). That prompt me to change back to Shiseido (which is another topic).
.JPG)
Sekkisei supreme washing cream
This is a smooth with lots of foam cleanser. Whenever I use this cleanser, my face feels deeply cleanse. I actually love this more than kose white liquid wash which I think doesn't really clean my face. I just love how this lathers up and feeling so smooth on my face. Then I would massage my face gently and feel all the dirt melt away. Bliss!
Abrupt end of post
Cheers
daiso natural pack
Daiso natural pack is my current 'mask'. Actually I am waiting for it to dry while I am typing away on my keyboard. It is a peel off face mask that is black in colour and gooey in texture. I normally do this mask once a month as I find that it is very drying after using it.
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I normally followed up with a toner mask.
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A toner mask is a fantastic invention. I wish I have discovered it sooner. I would cover my freshly peeled (red and inflammed) face with this mask. Heavenly soothing.
.JPG)
The effects of using Daiso natural pack:
Face feels incredibly smooth
Satisfying feeling of seeing all the stubborn blackheads and whiteheads come out
Leaving face very clean
Downside:
Very drying
Mild irritation (due to peeling)
Redness of the face (counter with lotion mask)
Not a daily usage
I think this is an incredible worth-for-your-money for only RM5. It is definitely comparable to Nivea visage gentle peel off mask which I used to use long time ago. The smell is definitely similar but I would say Daiso looks more effective as I could see more whiteheads on Daiso compared to Nivea peel off. It could be due to the black colour of Daiso mask so there is more contrast. In a tube form, it is definitely worth more than 5 times usage. I used about 4 times and so far there is no face sensitivity.
.JPG)
I used seikisho exfoliating massage gel beforehand to loosen up all the black/whiteheads followed by sekkisei supreme washing cream.
cheers
.JPG)
I normally followed up with a toner mask.
.JPG)
.JPG)
A toner mask is a fantastic invention. I wish I have discovered it sooner. I would cover my freshly peeled (red and inflammed) face with this mask. Heavenly soothing.
.JPG)
(kose sekkisei lotion + 5 pumps of moisture skn repair rice power extract)
The effects of using Daiso natural pack:
Face feels incredibly smooth
Satisfying feeling of seeing all the stubborn blackheads and whiteheads come out
Leaving face very clean
Downside:
Very drying
Mild irritation (due to peeling)
Redness of the face (counter with lotion mask)
Not a daily usage
I think this is an incredible worth-for-your-money for only RM5. It is definitely comparable to Nivea visage gentle peel off mask which I used to use long time ago. The smell is definitely similar but I would say Daiso looks more effective as I could see more whiteheads on Daiso compared to Nivea peel off. It could be due to the black colour of Daiso mask so there is more contrast. In a tube form, it is definitely worth more than 5 times usage. I used about 4 times and so far there is no face sensitivity.
.JPG)
I used seikisho exfoliating massage gel beforehand to loosen up all the black/whiteheads followed by sekkisei supreme washing cream.
cheers
Sunday 8 April 2012
back and better!!!
Dear blog,
I understand your frustrations to me. One, I am not regularly visiting you. Two, I have not been updating. Three, I totally ignored you for my other pursuits of beauty and relaxing.
I have a perfectly good reason for ignoring you because I have been sick, not once but twice in a span of one month.
Warning: a disgusting explanation ahead
Each time I have a terrible fever that is accompanied by severe shivering and hacking cough that could induce vomiting or heart stopping reactions. My throat would grow or better explanation would be my cute little tonsils became inflamed and nothing can be done to reduce the inflammation. The inflammation irritates the hell out of me and I cannot eat anything except for porridge or some clear soup noodles. That is a torture since I have not been eating anything good. I have been taking NSAIDS just to reduce my fever and inflammation and pain so that I can have a quality life (sleep). Sometimes the vomiting is so bad that I threw up. Scariness. Lastly i would be sniffling with cold/flu that has a bright greenish yellow sputum produce. After that, I hope I am fully recover except for a cough and sneeze somewhere.
Note: I have been eating healthily with lots of vege and occasional fruit thrown in the mix. Maybe I have not been getting enough sleep and drinking water in the morning (the water is so cold and I can't wait for the water to boil, I need to rush for work!) Best advice is to sleep and drink alot of water with fruits and vegetables. They are good for your health! It must be balance because without balance, your body will be thrown into a wack (like in my case)
Anyway sorry for being sick (to my blog and my body) but remarkably I lost another 1-2kg from these debacle. So my weight drop to 57-58kg according to my weighing scale at home. However, weight is not a good scale to see whether you are in the correct path for good healthy lifestyle. It is better to have more muscle than fat as muscle takes up less space but more weight compare to fat.
I am hoping to take up something new to boost my immune system. Maybe aikido or self defense class in addition to jogging and youtube classes by tiffany rothe.
Cheers to a good life
Yours truly <3
I understand your frustrations to me. One, I am not regularly visiting you. Two, I have not been updating. Three, I totally ignored you for my other pursuits of beauty and relaxing.
I have a perfectly good reason for ignoring you because I have been sick, not once but twice in a span of one month.
Warning: a disgusting explanation ahead
Each time I have a terrible fever that is accompanied by severe shivering and hacking cough that could induce vomiting or heart stopping reactions. My throat would grow or better explanation would be my cute little tonsils became inflamed and nothing can be done to reduce the inflammation. The inflammation irritates the hell out of me and I cannot eat anything except for porridge or some clear soup noodles. That is a torture since I have not been eating anything good. I have been taking NSAIDS just to reduce my fever and inflammation and pain so that I can have a quality life (sleep). Sometimes the vomiting is so bad that I threw up. Scariness. Lastly i would be sniffling with cold/flu that has a bright greenish yellow sputum produce. After that, I hope I am fully recover except for a cough and sneeze somewhere.
Note: I have been eating healthily with lots of vege and occasional fruit thrown in the mix. Maybe I have not been getting enough sleep and drinking water in the morning (the water is so cold and I can't wait for the water to boil, I need to rush for work!) Best advice is to sleep and drink alot of water with fruits and vegetables. They are good for your health! It must be balance because without balance, your body will be thrown into a wack (like in my case)
Anyway sorry for being sick (to my blog and my body) but remarkably I lost another 1-2kg from these debacle. So my weight drop to 57-58kg according to my weighing scale at home. However, weight is not a good scale to see whether you are in the correct path for good healthy lifestyle. It is better to have more muscle than fat as muscle takes up less space but more weight compare to fat.
I am hoping to take up something new to boost my immune system. Maybe aikido or self defense class in addition to jogging and youtube classes by tiffany rothe.
Cheers to a good life
Yours truly <3
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