when my parents go holiday

I’ve been traveling quite a lot in the past two years, I’ve learnt from checking the packing list one week in advance to packing the luggage one night before departure, things has been so routine to me now that I prefer to live on business trip more than home.

I do not worry about when to go, where to stay and how to commute anymore, the working culture here has trained me to be a “last minute” person, things will be worked out anyway, so don’t spend so much time thinking about how to work things out.

Until yesterday my parents told me “ this holiday we are going for holiday: mama is going to Sabah and papa is going to China.” What?!?! You are going on separate holiday? Nope, we are taking turn to go holiday, we have separate schedule and companion.

At first I told well it's good for them to take some time off to rest and relax, you know “parenting” job does not offer them any annual leave or sick leave through out the years. They have joined many local tours whenever they can squeeze out the time and energy to have fun a little.

When I come back from work today, my mom casually said “I use your black colour bag for my trip ya” Then so many thoughts crossed my mind over the split second: When is the flight? Where is the hotel? Who is the room mate? What is the hotel number? How is the itinerary?

I thought I do not want to over react, so I just nod my head and walk to my room. But when I was in the shower, my mind continued to wonder: What have she packed? What have she not packed? How is the weather there? How much money does she needs? I nearly want to go straight to her room and open up the luggage to check.

It feels just so strange that it’s time when we worry about our parents like they did when we were kids, I now finally understand why parents never stop worrying about their children, it is the never ending love that they have for the children. I feel so much like giving her a goodbye hug before she went to bed, but I’m worry that I may scare her off, lol.

Stay Away from Cervical Cancer

It was to my great surprise when the gynae told me the other day that we can now take vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, gynae took out a brochure and told me “Think about it, it’s good for yourself”. Well, firstly I have not heard about it before, secondly I doubt we can prevent cancer. So I go on to study about it, here’s some fact to share:

What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease caused by the abnormal growth and division of cells that make up the cervix, which is the narrow, lower end of the uterus (womb). Cervix is the neck of the womb (uterus) and it connects the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal).

What is the cause?
Cervical cancer is caused by a common virus called Human PapillomaVirus (HPV) and at least 50% of people who are sexually active will get genital HPV. HPV has nothing to do with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. There are 46 genetic types of HPV, but not all are dangerous. Only certain types of HPV, which can be transmitted from one person to another during sexual contact, increase the risk of cell dysplasia (abnormal cell growth) and/or progression to cervical cancer.

Who is at risk?
Every year, about half a million women have cervical cancer and about a quarter million die, and it is sad to know that every two minutes a woman dies of cervical cancer. In Malaysia, an average of about 2,000 to 3,000 women are admitted to hospitals for cervical cancer every year and about 500 die from it. The National Cancer Registry Report 2003 lists cervical cancer as the second-most common cancer that affects women in Malaysia, accounting for 12.9% of all female cancers.

Can it be prevented?
Until recently the only way to prevent cervical cancer wa regular Pap Smear testing to look for early signs of the disease. Pap Smear is a test that checks the cell on the cervix for changes that could lead to cancer. The good news is there is now other means of protection against cervical cancer.

Types of vaccines:

1. Cervarix
Cervarix is a vaccine intended to protect females against the diseases caused by infection with Human Papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18. HPV types 16 and 18 are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases.

2. Gardasil :
Gardasil is the cervical cancer vaccine that helps protect against 4 types of human papillomavirus (HPV): 2 types that cause 70% of cervical cancer cases, and 2 more types that cause 90% of genital warts cases. Gardasil is for girls and young women ages 9 to 26.

How the vaccine works?
Vaccination is to prevent HPV infection and may help to reduce risk of cervical cancer and other HPV related diseases caused by certain types of HPV. Ideally, a female should get the vaccine before they are sexually active because the vaccine is most effective in female who have not yet acquired any of the HPV types covered by the vaccine.

How much it costs?
At the moment, the market price of each dose of vaccine ranges from RM400-RM450 per dose. One will receive 3 doses where after the first does, the second and third dose will be given 2 months and 6 months after the first dose.

I came across this when I ran through all the news clipping :“The decision to protect your health is your own responsibility – you owe it to yourself, your husband and your children to do what it takes to protect yourself from this disease.” I’m seriously considering the vaccine, and you hope you feel the same and please spread the news to all ladies around.

do you want to know when will you die?

What will normal people response to this question? Many of us will say “choi!!! dai gat lei si!!!*” Death always seems to be a dark and gloomy word to think about, what more to think about out own death. If given a choice, many of us rather not to know when we will die so that we don’t have to face the remaining days left with fear and tears.

But today I read a book about this person who said “I’m very lucky to know when I would die because I have all the time I get to say good-bye.” He even had a “living funeral” for himself, for he thinks it is a waste when all the friends and family pay tribute to the dead but they never got to hear any of it. He cried and laughed with the dearest people in his life and all the heartfelt things he never get to said to those he loves he said that day.

He is the main character in the best selling nonfiction book by American author Mitch Albom “Tuesday with Morrie”, Professor Morrie Schwartz. This is a true story of the last lesson that the author learnt from his college psychology professor who is dying from some serious neurological disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease.

Death is the main topic around all the topics they discussed every week (if you want to know why Tuesday, go grab a copy of the book); it is death that makes Morrie had profound philosophies about living. I especially like what Morrie said when Mitch asked him if he felt sorry for himself. Morrie said he give himself a good cry if he need it, but then he concentrate on all the good things still in his life. He doesn’t allow himself anymore self-pity than that, a little each morning, a few tears and that’s all.

I thought exactly the same like Mitch about all the people who spent many of their waking hours feeling sorry for themselves, maybe they don’t stay in a luxury condo, maybe they don’t drive a sports car, maybe they don’t have a rich and handsome boyfriend and the list go on and on and they don’t intend to stop it. Sometimes we focus too much on the material things on earth and we forgotten about the most basic and original reason and live on.

I like this story I heard about this teacher who ask the students in the class “What are the seven wonders of the world?” Some said the Great Wall, the Pyramid, the Pisa Tower and so on, but there is one little girl who put up her tiny hand and answer “ The seven wonders of the world is to able to see, to hear, to smell, to taste, to touch, to feel and to love.” We should be grateful to God every morning we open our eyes, for we have been given another day in life.

Tiffany & Co

今天我要和你说一个和Tiffany有关的故事；当然说到Tiffany，这个故事是和女人有关；当然说到Tiffany和女人，这个故事是和求婚有关；当然说到Tiffany、女人和求婚，这个故事背后都和为了钻石而牺牲的男人有关。

嗯，既然你什么都知道了，那我就不用费那么多力气把这个故事整在一起写日志了，今天的故事到此结束！！

呵呵，不好意思，太久没有写日志，竟然变得有点懒散。。

今天心血来潮想起我北京的室友Mila这个时候应该拍完婚纱照，就发给邮件问她什么时候有照片看。结果我得到的回复如下：

“我老公偷偷在北京给我买的Tiffany & Co :)
在我们派婚纱照的时候,突然拿出来送给我的,
那天正好是我们交往一周年。”

哇，哇，哇。。我真的是看傻眼了，这可是我听过最浪漫的求婚过程了，在拍婚纱照的实景提出求婚，一来可以给新娘子一个百分百惊喜，二来现场摄影师可以顺道把整个过程拍摄下来。实在太感人了，我看到都差点感动的说不出话来了。不知道Mila当时的反应是如何呢？

当初还每天晚上和我抱怨说关于结婚的是Ted总是表现得爱理不理的模样，婚期，拍照，婚戒，注册，蜜月都是Mila一手包办，有时候她还委屈的觉得好像自己在逼婚一样，一点兴奋甜蜜的感觉也没有。

我就说“你还以为是电视剧，男主角跪地求婚，女主角感动到痛哭流泪才像结婚的感觉么？现实生活就是这么残酷，当两个人到达论嫁的时候其实大家都心里有数，那还会有那么多闲情搞什么浪漫求婚仪式。”

Mila总会闷闷不乐的嘟起嘴巴说“是啊，我就是想要像电视剧的女主角有一个难忘的求婚经验，有一样受宠若惊的感觉。毕竟结婚是一辈子一次的事，怎么能马马虎虎就混过去了呢？”我顿时感觉到电视剧真的害人不浅。

真没有想到平时被批评的最木呐的男人为了自己的女人竟然可以使出这么高招的手段，Mila这次肯定完完全全融化在他手里了。。