"I believe we are in danger of being swamped by Asians." - Pauline Hanson.
When I saw Pauline Hanson on The Apprentice Australia, I believe she is a good person despite her anti-Multiculturalism stand. She has her support and that reflects some Australians' sentiments of migrants at that point of time. How can we say we have a politician of the same fierceness, who dares represent Singaporeans' sentiments of migrants these days? Everyone is so politically correct...
Recently, a long time SG friend visited me and she told me about the PRC who stated Singapore has more dogs than people. I thought it's really funny but my friend is clearly upset. This Singapore-PRC tension has been going on for a while I guess.
Sometimes, I wonder if people could see the big picture. Migration is inherent in human nature. There are a few tribes or societies that don't, but most of us are born to migrate. If you trace your family history, there will be a migration somehow in 2-3 generations. Maybe it's just between state, or between countries. Then again countries are just lines drawn out on a map, the earth is round and everything is interconnected. Respect the survivors as we all are trying to ride on the tide of change. And there is nothing to jeer about if someone fails because everyone fails at some point of time.
Back home, friends and family always ask if I experience any racism in Brisbane, the homeground of Pauline Hanson. My sister used to study here back in those days and she thought it was unbearable. I have no idea on the basis that I deal with a few hundred Australians a week. But I could recount one or two incidents of seemingingly racist attempts for as long as I am here. One was an old lady driver swearing at me with her third finger up at a junction during a traffic jam. I had done nothing wrong but she was trying to embarress me at the junction...which I thought it backfired on her. I would say it's an isolated incident. And to be honest I don't even know if she's Australian. Most Australian Australians I have met, are very warm, bearing in mind there are many migrant white races who show racism against Asians than the Aussies. Similar to Singapore, foreigners don't differentiate us between the Singaporeans and the PRs...So what's with Australian's Australians and Singaporean's Singaporean as we were all migrants from the beginning...
I think it's also human nature to protect your own race and group in the environment. And for myself, I would say I tend to trust some races over a few others not just of their skins but the circumstances where they were brought up. There will also be some black sheep in the nicest groups while a few angels in the flock of magpies. I guess it's down to the individuals.
My previous life in Singapore, I had too many nasty incidents to state while being in my own soil considering I was overseas most of time. The moment from landing at Changi Airport to sharing a lift. I felt I was in a hamster cage so populated, everyone is just bickering with one another. The brown hamster fighting with the beige hamster, but they are all hamsters. For the umpteen time, I still hear those racist jokes against Indians, Malays or Chinese amongst Singaporeans. So if you really ask me if Brisbane is full of racist people, I would say in turn, Singapore is full of discriminatory people, albeit Singaporeans, PR and other migration workers. Elite schools against neighborhood schools. Private home owners vs. HDB dwellers. But they are still hamsters. As my hubby puts it, there is more important things to worry in life. So why this tension? One stops being nasty, the other will follow (I know a few will not) but just best of luck to these people in their future endeavours...We are not hamsters, so stop thinking like one!
Friday, April 6, 2012
Monday, April 2, 2012
Becoming a First Aider
The thought of becoming a First Aider didn't cross my mind until a string of accidents struck us last year. My hubby was already a First Aider as it was one of his job requirements and his company often sent him to those refresher courses. But when he turned the victim, I was so lost.
One beautiful morning, I was doing facial and my hubby decided to instal some IKEA cabinets in an empty room. I went downstairs to see how he was doing and saw there was a ladder and a pair of scissors on the floor. As he told me he was going to keep his tools, I suddenly heard a thud. He had tripped over the ladder and somehow, the pair of scissors sliced his foot. At that point of time, we couldn't tell how badly he was injured but blood was spurting out of the gap. We could see some white tissues but not sure if those are fats or bones.
He didn't feel a thing though, and part of it he was in shock lying on the floor. I had to act quickly and used whatever limited First Aid knowledge I learnt in Home Econs, raised the leg and suddenly remembered not long before, I received a First Aid kit as a gift from my insurance company. Thank God! I opened it and couldn't differentiate the various bandages. So I just applied everything I could find to stop the blood. Later I was told by the medics I used an eye patch. Anyway, my bandage looked like a wreck itself and it was quickly turning red with blood. I had to get help.
My next door neighbour is a nurse and my back neighbours are paramedics with an ambulance in their garage and sometimes work from home. I was still in my pyjamas and removed my facial mask as I ran knocking on their doors. No one answered. I think that was the only time both families weren't at home and I needed their expertise! Bad luck! I raced back to my house, remembered the emergency number on the sticker the council sent us, and dialed. I was panting when I spoke to operator, and to make things more complicated, I just moved into a new neighbourhood and she didn't have the street names. She kept asking me, "Is that an emergency or do you just need an ambulance?" I was very confused by her question, so I said I don't know but I need an ambulance because I couldn't move him myself. The phone conversation was very confusing for me and I later learnt in my First Aid course there is a set of information the caller should give so they can make the right decision. I was confusing the operator.
She told me the ambulance will arrive in a few minutes, then a few minutes later the medics on the ambulance called me to say they will arrive in a few minutes. So it took 20 minutes for an emergency. About the time I could drive him to the hospital. Interestingly, there is a report on the news that the average responding time is 20 minutes in QLD if you're lucky. So we were damn lucky. When our angel paramedics arrived, they told me to meet them at "The Hospital". I remembered once our friend pointed out to us excitedly that he could see the hospital from our balcony, so I asked if that was it.
To cut the story short, my hubby had an emergency operation which didn't happen until 2 days later because they were all packed in a non-peak period and he had some permanent nerve damage. He booked me on a First Aid course after that. I dreaded reading the 120 page manual, but the practical course itself was more interesting than I thought.
Looking back with my new First Aid knowledge, I could have done a bit more. To stop his blood from spurting all over our new carpet, I could have used a cling wrap. It's easier to wrap as his foot was split. I could have talked to the operator more efficiently and she would have acted more decisively.
We asked some professional cleaners about getting rid of the blood that soaked through our light colored carpet and they all said it can't be done! I had to experiment a few solutions, thankfully, I found a solution that works wonders.
Back to the First Aid course, it was very useful especially when we're stuck Downunder. The instructor had 20 odd years experience as a paramedics and he told us to use the tools that are available around us to save people. I wouldn't imagine myself saving anyone but who knows another accident may strike?
I remember a few years back, I was holidaying with my hubby and mom, and as we were walking near a road junction, we saw this pair of young girls on a motorbike and suddenly there was a a shrieking sound of metal against metal. I thought it rained a bit until I saw there was splatter of blood on myself. A sedan had crashed onto the bike, ran over them. It was not a crowded junction so we had to jump in. I couldn't do much so I directed the traffic to prevent them from running over the girls. One girl was unconscious and we didn't know whether to touch her. Finally the driver decided to lift her and send her to the hospital. It was a risky decision as she would have suffered spinal injury. I don't know what happened to the girl. If I had First Aid then, I would have done the right thing.
I have to work on my knowledge of Australian animals. In the First Aid course, we were trained to treat different stings and bites. We were shown a few pictures of the aftermath of animal attacks, but no way, I am going to tell the difference in real life.
I really had no extra time to do the First Aid course, but had to go through the mill to fit in time because I know how important it is. There is no excuse because accidents also happen without excuse. I just wish I had done it earlier!
One beautiful morning, I was doing facial and my hubby decided to instal some IKEA cabinets in an empty room. I went downstairs to see how he was doing and saw there was a ladder and a pair of scissors on the floor. As he told me he was going to keep his tools, I suddenly heard a thud. He had tripped over the ladder and somehow, the pair of scissors sliced his foot. At that point of time, we couldn't tell how badly he was injured but blood was spurting out of the gap. We could see some white tissues but not sure if those are fats or bones.
He didn't feel a thing though, and part of it he was in shock lying on the floor. I had to act quickly and used whatever limited First Aid knowledge I learnt in Home Econs, raised the leg and suddenly remembered not long before, I received a First Aid kit as a gift from my insurance company. Thank God! I opened it and couldn't differentiate the various bandages. So I just applied everything I could find to stop the blood. Later I was told by the medics I used an eye patch. Anyway, my bandage looked like a wreck itself and it was quickly turning red with blood. I had to get help.
My next door neighbour is a nurse and my back neighbours are paramedics with an ambulance in their garage and sometimes work from home. I was still in my pyjamas and removed my facial mask as I ran knocking on their doors. No one answered. I think that was the only time both families weren't at home and I needed their expertise! Bad luck! I raced back to my house, remembered the emergency number on the sticker the council sent us, and dialed. I was panting when I spoke to operator, and to make things more complicated, I just moved into a new neighbourhood and she didn't have the street names. She kept asking me, "Is that an emergency or do you just need an ambulance?" I was very confused by her question, so I said I don't know but I need an ambulance because I couldn't move him myself. The phone conversation was very confusing for me and I later learnt in my First Aid course there is a set of information the caller should give so they can make the right decision. I was confusing the operator.
She told me the ambulance will arrive in a few minutes, then a few minutes later the medics on the ambulance called me to say they will arrive in a few minutes. So it took 20 minutes for an emergency. About the time I could drive him to the hospital. Interestingly, there is a report on the news that the average responding time is 20 minutes in QLD if you're lucky. So we were damn lucky. When our angel paramedics arrived, they told me to meet them at "The Hospital". I remembered once our friend pointed out to us excitedly that he could see the hospital from our balcony, so I asked if that was it.
To cut the story short, my hubby had an emergency operation which didn't happen until 2 days later because they were all packed in a non-peak period and he had some permanent nerve damage. He booked me on a First Aid course after that. I dreaded reading the 120 page manual, but the practical course itself was more interesting than I thought.
Looking back with my new First Aid knowledge, I could have done a bit more. To stop his blood from spurting all over our new carpet, I could have used a cling wrap. It's easier to wrap as his foot was split. I could have talked to the operator more efficiently and she would have acted more decisively.
We asked some professional cleaners about getting rid of the blood that soaked through our light colored carpet and they all said it can't be done! I had to experiment a few solutions, thankfully, I found a solution that works wonders.
Back to the First Aid course, it was very useful especially when we're stuck Downunder. The instructor had 20 odd years experience as a paramedics and he told us to use the tools that are available around us to save people. I wouldn't imagine myself saving anyone but who knows another accident may strike?
I remember a few years back, I was holidaying with my hubby and mom, and as we were walking near a road junction, we saw this pair of young girls on a motorbike and suddenly there was a a shrieking sound of metal against metal. I thought it rained a bit until I saw there was splatter of blood on myself. A sedan had crashed onto the bike, ran over them. It was not a crowded junction so we had to jump in. I couldn't do much so I directed the traffic to prevent them from running over the girls. One girl was unconscious and we didn't know whether to touch her. Finally the driver decided to lift her and send her to the hospital. It was a risky decision as she would have suffered spinal injury. I don't know what happened to the girl. If I had First Aid then, I would have done the right thing.
I have to work on my knowledge of Australian animals. In the First Aid course, we were trained to treat different stings and bites. We were shown a few pictures of the aftermath of animal attacks, but no way, I am going to tell the difference in real life.
I really had no extra time to do the First Aid course, but had to go through the mill to fit in time because I know how important it is. There is no excuse because accidents also happen without excuse. I just wish I had done it earlier!
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