Global Pandemic

2009 is a bad enough year with the global financial crisis... and now with the global pandemic coming up and creeping towards Asia, I cannot help but say that life is getting so miserable. Needless to say we will see all airlines crashing (I mean the stock value) and visitor arrivals and tourism revenue will bound to dip to the lowest of all levels. I foresee many more people cutting corners to save costs, be it the F&B industry, or whatever industry. Already my mee pok for $3 is not enough to fill a N.E.R.D's stomach, I am not sure with this crisis how pok the mee pok will be.

I wrote this while doing work in the office; which is something I do rarely. I get very depressed when I see the news everynight, and probably get a clenched jaw when I sleep at night because there is so much anxiety and angst after seeing the news.

So we were told today that WHO has raised it to level 5. I think HCWs at my workplace (or even admin staff) are all admirable people eventually, because I see it right in front of me the unity that we have exhibited, the eagnerness to pull this through together. However of course there are some who are scrutinising as to who is doing which shift for VSS - not because they want to ensure that duties are covered but that they want to make sure that everyone gets it). I of course do not think we should be heroes at this point in time - whenever advised please put on masks BUT we have to be discerning about using them as there is now a worldwide shortage.

Also I think it is unfair for people to name it "swine flu". I cannot imagine how many people in the pork industry will suffer - from farms to restaurants everyone will just have to shut their doors soon. And think about the repercussions... I wonder how can we pick up this mess after it has tailed down... I think we all pray everyday that this will subside, that it will mitigate. What all health administrators fear is that because only one in three victims do not show symptoms before the flu's onset, it is difficult to track and therefore a pandemic is imminent and hence we can only mitigate at its best. And that it will be more challenging than SARs. Therefore the importance of contact traceability is so very important, so please comply and write your names and contact numbers whenever you are required to at a public place.

As what ST has nicely put together a good column in today's headlines "What you need to know about swine flu", social responsibility has its utmost significance in a time like this. We need to wash our hands regularly, be careful when we sneeze and cough and wear a mask if you must go out when sick. I don't understand why train commuters who adhere to the rule of "Please move to the rear" get dirty looks from Ipod listeners when we have to "excuse me" and jostle to alight - I didn't choose to listen to Ipod, you were the one so please jolly well highten your situational awareness and look left, right and behind at every mrt stop. In my opinions, those who sneeze and cough right into the face should get dirty looks. These are the true culprits of spreading even normal flu around.

Hopefully with our vigilance we can mitigate this situation to a very high degree.

Quiz mad

Recently there is a spate of quizzes in Facebook... Well of course blue strip was never interested and never had intended to join FB... But her recent blog entry was interesting - a quiz on yourself (duh). But the comments were interesting so I thought I gave a try too :D



Here is what I got from the quiz:



Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.


Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.


The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.


Your views on education:

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.


The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.


How do you view success:

You are afraid of failure and scared to have a go at the career you would like to have in case you don't succeed. Don't give up when you haven't yet even started! Be courageous.


What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.


Who is your true self:

You like privacy very much because you enjoy spending time with your own thoughts. You like to disappear when you cannot find solutions to your own problems, but you would feel better if you learned to share your thoughts with a person you trust.



Quite a true account! Credibility points up for this website...