"Help" - According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is to "give assistance or support to, to make more pleasant or bearable, to be of use to..."
Help usually extends from someone who has something of value to another who desire the value in question.
Help is beautiful when the one giving is willing and the one receiving is grateful.
Help sparkles when the one receiving says "Thank you".
When Help becomes an "expectation", an "obligation", a "demand", an "insistence", and worst still when it becomes a source of complaint from the receiver to the one providing the assistance, then help takes on a new meaning - a bad word.
Help will no longer be as helpful, as beautiful and loses its sparkle.
I ended my day today receiving an email that makes "Help" and "helping" unhelpful words. There was no gratitude. Even though it was not about me, I can't help but feel that help is being taken for granted.
Do we need any reminder to be grateful when we receive help? I hope NOT!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Pet Peeve ... Continued 16 - 25
I cannot resist continuing with my list...
16.
17. The use of an intellectual arguement when the practical arguement fails
18. Talk for the sake of talking
19. A pussy cat faking like a "tiger in the kitchen"
20. Putting on the "other hat" when only this hat matters
21. The whiner...
22. Politicking - otherwise do it with style
23. The silent destroyer
24. People who turn around other's idea as their own and take credit
25. mumble, mumble, mumble
16.
17. The use of an intellectual arguement when the practical arguement fails
18. Talk for the sake of talking
19. A pussy cat faking like a "tiger in the kitchen"
20. Putting on the "other hat" when only this hat matters
21. The whiner...
22. Politicking - otherwise do it with style
23. The silent destroyer
24. People who turn around other's idea as their own and take credit
25. mumble, mumble, mumble
Raffles Town Club - The Saga Continues
Peter Lim's suit against current owners of the Raffles Town Club revealed interesting facts - that the new owners systematically depleted the assets of the club by paying handsome dividends to themselves amounting to some $54 Mil and bought questionable art craft pieces. This was revealed in the ST article today.
The article went on the say that when the founding members (Raffles5000) of the club sued and won the case against RTC and were awarded $3,000 damages each, the current owners claimed that they could not afford to pay the damages in cash. The article reported that it was because, by then, the owners have depleted the assets of RTC. If this is indeed true, I wonder whether members have been misled into accepting the damage in the form of food vouchers, etc.
The Raffles Town Club the "exclusive" club debut at a cost of $28,000 and was in the trouble right from the beginning. Members complained of overcrowding from day 1. I recalled the day when members were invited for the club's launch when it first opened it doors and the place was like a fish market! Then, when I invited my family to the club for a swim at my "exclusive" club, they were told to park along the road outside the club and to share a towel because the club ran out of towel. At that time, I learnt the latest meaning of "exclusive".
More suits to continue - this time by the new owners against the founding owners including Dennis Foo. I hope more incriminating details will be revealed, much like the suit of TT Durai against SPH. Till that day comes, I often looked at the parking label on my car and sigh... my worst investment that is now valued less than $4000 on the open market!
The article went on the say that when the founding members (Raffles5000) of the club sued and won the case against RTC and were awarded $3,000 damages each, the current owners claimed that they could not afford to pay the damages in cash. The article reported that it was because, by then, the owners have depleted the assets of RTC. If this is indeed true, I wonder whether members have been misled into accepting the damage in the form of food vouchers, etc.
The Raffles Town Club the "exclusive" club debut at a cost of $28,000 and was in the trouble right from the beginning. Members complained of overcrowding from day 1. I recalled the day when members were invited for the club's launch when it first opened it doors and the place was like a fish market! Then, when I invited my family to the club for a swim at my "exclusive" club, they were told to park along the road outside the club and to share a towel because the club ran out of towel. At that time, I learnt the latest meaning of "exclusive".
More suits to continue - this time by the new owners against the founding owners including Dennis Foo. I hope more incriminating details will be revealed, much like the suit of TT Durai against SPH. Till that day comes, I often looked at the parking label on my car and sigh... my worst investment that is now valued less than $4000 on the open market!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Counting Blessings...
1. A wife that I delight in and whose presence I enjoy
2. Three healthy, happy kids whom I adore with all my heart
3. A great career
4. Great bosses - past, present and future
5. Wonderful colleagues
6. Parents who still dote on me :-)
7. Laughter still fills my day
8. A beautiful house and a comfortable home
9. Meaningful work
10. Colleagues who care beyond work
11. A nice old 20-year old car whose sight I behold
12. A healthy body
13. Having enough to enjoy what I like
14. A bunch of good friends
15. Wonderful church where I can count on to get my spiritual feeding and support
16. Kids who adores me
17. A pond with beautiful kois that I could only dream of in my own backyard
18. Education at Harvard (albeit short one at AMP) fulfilling my childhood dream
19. Able to enjoy 2 models of Apple iPhone although for only 2 weeks each
20. To have a savior who died for my sins so that I may live life more abundantly, that his body was pierced so that mine can be whole, that he took all my sins (past, present and future) so that I may be his righteous, that he became poor so I may be rich, that he distanced himself from God at the cross so that I might call God my Abba father and enjoy an eternal relationship of love, grace and mercy.
There are so many blessings to count that I have decided not to continue my previous list of pet peeves. I would rather spend time counting my blessings :-)
2. Three healthy, happy kids whom I adore with all my heart
3. A great career
4. Great bosses - past, present and future
5. Wonderful colleagues
6. Parents who still dote on me :-)
7. Laughter still fills my day
8. A beautiful house and a comfortable home
9. Meaningful work
10. Colleagues who care beyond work
11. A nice old 20-year old car whose sight I behold
12. A healthy body
13. Having enough to enjoy what I like
14. A bunch of good friends
15. Wonderful church where I can count on to get my spiritual feeding and support
16. Kids who adores me
17. A pond with beautiful kois that I could only dream of in my own backyard
18. Education at Harvard (albeit short one at AMP) fulfilling my childhood dream
19. Able to enjoy 2 models of Apple iPhone although for only 2 weeks each
20. To have a savior who died for my sins so that I may live life more abundantly, that his body was pierced so that mine can be whole, that he took all my sins (past, present and future) so that I may be his righteous, that he became poor so I may be rich, that he distanced himself from God at the cross so that I might call God my Abba father and enjoy an eternal relationship of love, grace and mercy.
There are so many blessings to count that I have decided not to continue my previous list of pet peeves. I would rather spend time counting my blessings :-)
Sunday, February 8, 2009
The "Never Reply" Syndrome
I was just chatting with my wife and she said that she is rather annoyed with the "never reply" syndrome from my daughter's primary school.
She said that she had left multiple messages for my daughter's math teacher, form teacher, CCA teacher and the school's CCA coordinator since mid of last week about a new conflict in schedule in the math and CCA class, and never received a reply. What is most disconcerting is that the conflict in schedule will start tomorrow and the one caught in this maze will unfortunately be my daughter.
Waiting in the absence of information is very uncomfortable indeed. During such time, we conjure up new imagery and imagine new information which may be completely wrong to "fill the void" in information. Negative emotions are generated and often result in conflict, ill opinion and complaints.
This syndrome is particularly bad in the healthcare setting. Do we ask patients to wait for the call regarding a lab test result and then forget to call? Do we tell patients that we have already received their feedback/ complaint letter even as we are working on it? Do we make patients wait for indefinitely long period at the clinic even when the delay is inevitable eg. doctor called away for emmergency? Do we keep a patient waiting without information about his delayed surgery even as we are working hard to reinstate it? The answer is YES, sometimes, because processes do break down, but when it happens we should learn quickly and make it right (so that the possibility of it happening again is eliminated or reduced) because they create highly anxious situations for our patients and their family.
All organisations with service operations would do well to reduce/ eliminate the "Never Reply" syndrome.
She said that she had left multiple messages for my daughter's math teacher, form teacher, CCA teacher and the school's CCA coordinator since mid of last week about a new conflict in schedule in the math and CCA class, and never received a reply. What is most disconcerting is that the conflict in schedule will start tomorrow and the one caught in this maze will unfortunately be my daughter.
Waiting in the absence of information is very uncomfortable indeed. During such time, we conjure up new imagery and imagine new information which may be completely wrong to "fill the void" in information. Negative emotions are generated and often result in conflict, ill opinion and complaints.
This syndrome is particularly bad in the healthcare setting. Do we ask patients to wait for the call regarding a lab test result and then forget to call? Do we tell patients that we have already received their feedback/ complaint letter even as we are working on it? Do we make patients wait for indefinitely long period at the clinic even when the delay is inevitable eg. doctor called away for emmergency? Do we keep a patient waiting without information about his delayed surgery even as we are working hard to reinstate it? The answer is YES, sometimes, because processes do break down, but when it happens we should learn quickly and make it right (so that the possibility of it happening again is eliminated or reduced) because they create highly anxious situations for our patients and their family.
All organisations with service operations would do well to reduce/ eliminate the "Never Reply" syndrome.
25 Pet Peeves...
1. Drivers who care only about their convenience and put others at risk
2. Injustice, particularly when demonstrated towards those who are vulnerable eg young, elderly and weak
3. People who carry a "black face", as if the whole world has offended them
4. Those who has lots to say, but won't move one inch to makes things happen
5. People who ask for suggestions but turn down every suggestion put forth by others; then when asked for their suggestion, they say they have none
6. People who throw tantrum to get their way
7. People who are full of themselves - when we all know that it is the ONE behind behind them who matters
8. People whose first response to every idea is "No" and then goes on to say how much they welcome creativity and innovation
9. People who "curse and swear at the way the world is going around", but dont make the world go round
10. Self interests disguised as noble purpose
11. Say "A", mean "B" and do "C"
12. Those who say "Charge!" and then suddenly has a shoe lace to tie
13. Throwing the baby out with the bath water
14. Signal to park but the car behind inches his way so close that it becomes impossible to do so
15. Signal to change lane and the car speeds up to make it dangerous to do so
To be continued...
2. Injustice, particularly when demonstrated towards those who are vulnerable eg young, elderly and weak
3. People who carry a "black face", as if the whole world has offended them
4. Those who has lots to say, but won't move one inch to makes things happen
5. People who ask for suggestions but turn down every suggestion put forth by others; then when asked for their suggestion, they say they have none
6. People who throw tantrum to get their way
7. People who are full of themselves - when we all know that it is the ONE behind behind them who matters
8. People whose first response to every idea is "No" and then goes on to say how much they welcome creativity and innovation
9. People who "curse and swear at the way the world is going around", but dont make the world go round
10. Self interests disguised as noble purpose
11. Say "A", mean "B" and do "C"
12. Those who say "Charge!" and then suddenly has a shoe lace to tie
13. Throwing the baby out with the bath water
14. Signal to park but the car behind inches his way so close that it becomes impossible to do so
15. Signal to change lane and the car speeds up to make it dangerous to do so
To be continued...
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Wash Our Hands For Safe Patient Care
Culture after Cleaning Healthcare worker's Hand
Culture of Healthcare worker's hand after palpating a patient with MRSAThese are images from the Jan 15 2009 New England Journal of Medicine. They are startling reminders of the need to consistently and constantly maintain hand hygiene in the healthcare setting.
To bring home the message on hand hygiene - watch this excellent skit by the SGH team at the recent Quality convention. The yellow balloons are bugs, the yellow stickies are bugs passed on from contacts and become a source of contamination from one patient to another. This light-hearted skit brings home a serious message for all healthcare providers "Wash our hands for excellent patient care".
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Throwing tantrums, think again!
I am beginning to observe a troubling trend.
More people are decidedly throwing tantrums to get their way. In the spirit of harmony, they often get their way. The problem is that the more such behaviors are tolerated, the more they are perpetuated.
I have decided that I will not tolerate such behavior anymore.
The remedy could be for such people to swallow their own medicine, be put in their place, or be shamed for bad behavior.
More people are decidedly throwing tantrums to get their way. In the spirit of harmony, they often get their way. The problem is that the more such behaviors are tolerated, the more they are perpetuated.
I have decided that I will not tolerate such behavior anymore.
The remedy could be for such people to swallow their own medicine, be put in their place, or be shamed for bad behavior.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Mobile Phone Bill too complicated!!
Has anybody tried to read their mobile phone billing statement recently? Or have you given up, like me?The complexities in billing when you have a multi-sim, broadband on mobile, Blackberry, auto-roaming add up. There are "surcharges", "discounts", "rebates" that do not seem to add up, plus broadband use on blackberry that is docked against your mobile broadband subscription when you actually surf the internet on a blackberry. Ask your Telco and they will tell you to check your APN - go to "Options", "Advance Options" and then TCP, if it is "empty" there are no charges for using the internet on blackberry, otherwise it is chargeable and not part of the BB subscription. Gosh, how will anyone know such garbledegook! Access the internet via YahooMail or Gmail other than the Blackberry browser and the data charges will be docked against your mobile broadband - gee that makes sense!
Try calling your Telco and they too will need to take time and study your questions on billing and revert to you hours or a day later.
IDA has made a good decision on number portability. People as frustrated as me will switch even when it means paying the hefty penalty just to make a point!
Teach Less, Learn More
I am on my way to fetch my daughter in Primary 5 for her Chinese tuition. On saturdays, she goes for her science tuition and soon, my wife intends for her to restart her math tuition.
My second daughter who is currently in K2 at a nearby Kindergarten has also started Chinese tuition and math tuition.
The intensity of learning even in junior school is very high and I must say the same can be said about the standard. Some of the school problems that they are expected to solve are quite difficult and require a fairly high level of reasoning and modeling skills. Based on our judgement, to entirely depend on the teaching done in school without supplementation by additional home coaching or tuition is insufficient for the student to be able to fully grasp the subject matter and to do well. Doing well, is important because of the meritocratic society that Singapore has become and where education feature high in one's destiny.
So, no choice - In school, they "Teach Less" and in order to "Learn More", many parents have resorted to sending their kids for many tuition classes. Actually, this gives a new meaning to "Teach Less, Learn More" - the motto of our education ministry. We should add, "Pay More".
Not complaining but just making an observation as I live my life with my children growing up.
My second daughter who is currently in K2 at a nearby Kindergarten has also started Chinese tuition and math tuition.
The intensity of learning even in junior school is very high and I must say the same can be said about the standard. Some of the school problems that they are expected to solve are quite difficult and require a fairly high level of reasoning and modeling skills. Based on our judgement, to entirely depend on the teaching done in school without supplementation by additional home coaching or tuition is insufficient for the student to be able to fully grasp the subject matter and to do well. Doing well, is important because of the meritocratic society that Singapore has become and where education feature high in one's destiny.
So, no choice - In school, they "Teach Less" and in order to "Learn More", many parents have resorted to sending their kids for many tuition classes. Actually, this gives a new meaning to "Teach Less, Learn More" - the motto of our education ministry. We should add, "Pay More".
Not complaining but just making an observation as I live my life with my children growing up.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
