Rantings of a Broken Hearted Non-Citizen

Earlier this year I was shocked to know that my working contract was not being renewed as it was always year after year. This year they said, they needed to sit down and deliberate.

So for a month, I sat at home staring at my medical degree (Distinction? it doesnt matter if your jobless) and wonder what would my fate be.

After much hustling and pushing and begging, finally, they came to a decision to give me another year of contract. They did not even give me the grade I deserved, they kept me at UD 41. Its ok, beggars can be choosers, I thought to myself to just be thankful I can get back to work.

It was apparently a fluke, they already gave me mine this year, so thats fine, but it seems that they have no intentions to prolonged any more non citizen contracts despite them being married to locals or already having PR. I know of a Doctor, who is a non-citizen, married to a local. wife a doctor and a specialist. he just passed his exam and qualify to be a specialist, but they said NO, we only pay you as MO. (details and name have been kept to keep the confidentiality of the Doctor)

So that means, I'm sure to be jobless next year past february when my contract for this year will be terminated. How to be a productive citizen if the country doesnt allow you to work. Go private? I called MMC the other day and they said that non specialist cannot receive licence to work with private. Work abroad? then.... i just leave my husband and family here? go alone? and most countries want a minimum experience of 5 years in service.

Not to mention that the Gov still owe me money. my gratuity money from my previous contract is still being owed to me. It may not be a whole lot, but it has been a year and still i haven't received it for various reasons from various people. Miss A say call Mr B. Mr B said waiting for Mr C. Mr C said waiting for KKM. n KKM said tunggu! bagus la.

Did I mention that my husband is a local, a doctor, and working for the goverment too? yeah, but does it matter? no, not at all. Gov only want the spouses to make babies for the country. Let the husband be the only bread winner in the family. His pay? mere pennies. How to pay for 2 loans, house rent, insurance, overheads, groceries and family support? Now they put the icing on the cake - GST!

Thats not even the best part of this tragic drama. The best part is that I was born on Msian soil. in 1987 was born on an Island of labuan. I was raised on that soil till i was 18. I ate msian rice, seafood and vege. I went to local schools, aced all the local papers and only finally when it was time to go to University did i leave msia for 6 years to complete my medical degree. and after that i came back and worked in service in Sabah, a place where not many want to go with my husband who was a msian. 

Many Ask me why I'm not malaysia. why i dont have IC or at least PR? I return you the questions. Its your country. you should know!

When I ask to be citizen, they said NO, you dont qualify. (even if im born here and lived more than 18 years, just coz my parents werent locals) When i ask for PR status they told me NO, i dont qualify coz i need to have a dependant visa for 5 years. its ridiculous because i have been married for 8 Years now! and when i said, ok ok fine at least give me some leniency and give me visa 5 years. they said again NO, they said coz i got no kids!

the frustration is endless. I work in a district filled with people who are just from over the border. people who, some regarded as enermy of the country after recent breach in tawau. But these people come in at night by boat, land on some shore, and poof, within a year, sometimes less they will somehow be citizen. I dont know if its legally, via some back door, or some gov policies. all i know is, they go to the hosp, sometimes to the point were they dont even speak malay, but they have IC! best of the best!

Maybe this is my ticket to be accepted. Maybe in my resume i need to write, landed on shore by boat.

I don't hope for anything out of this, just want to rant my heart out. the frustration is killing me. But I shouldn't be selfish, I know it bothers other non citizens who are in the same boat as I am. Some have served for even longer year, suffered through greater trials and hardships. Have children and families here brought all the way from afar only to be rejected with a flick of a finger.

Go out they said, go to another country. No worries, at this rate, we wont have a choice. And we will bring our spouses with us, and our children and the whole family. and in the new country, I bet their laws to be citizen isnt as crazy as yours, like exp australia or singapore. just work there, live there for a certain time and bam, you be accepted as one of them. Is it my loss? I dont think so. I think its your loss. With the decline in your birth rates already, you can't afford to loss your citizens. But at this rate, you will loss not just your citizens, but your smart citizen with professional careers and high educations. Your loss since you are the one that paid for their education, their healthcare, and everything else till this point. 

Again, just some rather random rants. Nothing will change after this. Maybe I am unlucky, maybe I wasn't born with a silver spoon, or maybe it just fate to be this way. I learned to take it easy, because being a control freak only makes me grow white hair. I will let the boat ride the waves, I'll paddle with the waves, and I hope the waves bring me to an Island with treasures beyond. 

If I am wrong in any of my statements, i would love to be corrected. I write based on my personal experience. You could ask my husband, he would sing the same song. Maybe I should change professions. LOL. I can't think of doing anything but medicine. so not flexible.. maybe consider joining showbiz? too old sudah ba kan. sigh. 

Chow mates.. Life is a box of chocolate, some of them are poisonous :P

Its not a Hangover, its montoku flu!

First of all, I would like to wish all my Sabah Friends and readers 

Kotobian Tadau Tagazo Do Kaamatan!

This festival, and every-other one  before it is filled with joy, food, culture and ofcourse, for the natives and locals, alcohol.

Lots, and lots of alcohol, home brewed, import, canned, bottled, anything and everything that ferments into -OH (alcohol) is consumed.

I'm not jugding, its a once a year kind of thing and its their culture for many many years. who am I to advocate them to stop. so long as u are not an alcoholic (alcohol dependent), things will be back to normal by 1st June.

Anyhow, what I would like to share is the understanding of a HANGOVER. whats is a hangover, its the wonderful sensations and joyride you get the morning after your 'party' with Mr Alcohol. everyone leaves a gift after a good party, sex- gives you STD, sometimes a baby, and alcohol gives you hangovers, and sometimes the extra bonus of amnesia to forget the stupid things you did while under its influence.. its how they show their appreciation :P

So ok. we now know its alcohol that gives you hangovers.

Lets look at some of the 'fun' of getting a hangover

• Fatigue and weakness
• Thirst
• Headaches and muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain
• Poor or decreased sleep
• Increased sensitivity to light and sound
• Dizziness or a sense of the room spinning
• Shakiness
• Decreased ability to concentrate
• Mood disturbances, such as depression, anxiety and irritability
• Rapid heartbeat

Ring a bell? 

Why? why do we get hangovers. simple redundant answer is well... you drank poison, you really think you would come out feeling nothing at all?

ok ok, well, alcohol is nasty when taken in excessive amounts (any amount that gets you drunk). 

some of its effects are...

• Alcohol causes your body to produce more urine. In turn, urinating more than usual can lead to dehydration — often indicated by thirst, dizziness and light-headedness.
• Alcohol triggers an inflammatory response from your immune system. Your immune system may trigger certain agents that commonly produce physical symptoms, such as an inability to concentrate, memory problems, decreased appetite and loss of interest in usual activities.
• Alcohol irritates the lining of your stomach. Alcohol increases the production of stomach acid and delays stomach emptying. Any of these factors can cause abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting.
• Alcohol can cause your blood sugar to fall. If your blood sugar dips too low, you may experience fatigue, weakness, shakiness, mood disturbances and even seizures.
• Alcohol causes your blood vessels to expand, which can lead to headaches.
• Alcohol can make you sleepy, but your quality of sleep will decrease. This may leave you groggy and tired.
• Alcoholic beverages contain ingredients called congeners,which give many types of alcoholic beverages their flavor and can contribute to hangovers. Congeners are found in larger amounts in dark liquors, such as brandy and whiskey, than in clear liquors, such as vodka and gin.

but i think the leading cause and key to the cure for hangover is dehydration.

That being said, the cure is simple. just drink lots and lots of water (ok, when i say lots, i do mean like a litre or so not 3-5 liters. water poisoning is a real and dangerous thing)

I've heard that in sarawak, when the natives consume their home brews, they wash it down with equal amounts of water. so half glass of spirit, with half glass water. they say, it prevents a bad hangover the next day. so yes, hydrate as you go.

or you can hydrate the next morning, so this is more of a cure than a prevention since you will probably be suffering from a hangover.

before you go for bed, drink at least 2-3 glasses of water. when you wake up, drink another 2-4 glasses of water.

other than water, you can go for drinks that replace electrolytes and have a little sugar in them. sport drinks are excellent. but be careful, many sports drinks use the shortcut and add lots of fructose instead of glucose. sorry, but I havent gotten around writing about fructose. its some nasty food minion. 

ok, focus. so among your other healthy choice of fluids are

• mineral water, 
• ORS, (oral rehydration salt, the name is self explanatory)
• sports drink (performance from shaklee is good),
• coconut water (a little hard to find if you are in the city, but if you aramaiti at kampung then no problem), and of course 
• nutritious soups with lots of water (soups have lots of salt, if you dont drink extra water, you can get more dehydrated)
• i think you can go for fruit juices too but they contain lots and lots of additional sugar. not good for the nausea or the waist :P

if you surf the net, there will be thousands if not millions of remedies from people around the world. some even advice to drink more alcohol (tsk tsk). whatever you choose to do, make sure to remember to correct your dehydration first, then you can go for all the egg in a stout or virgin bloody marry and stuff. 

rehydration works! how can i be sure? because i have lots of positive feedbacks from patients who try it out. And please stay away from the paracetamol, or locally known as panadol. you are just poisoning your liver further. drink plenty of fluids and the headache will go away. eating a panadol will only mask the problem.

So please, party responsibly, consume moderately, hydrate as much as possible and be safe.

Best way to prevent a hangover is.... DONT DRINK ALCOHOL! period.

signing off for now, long weekend ahead. time to relax in the jungle among my garden, ducks and a good book.

Dirt Poor

Have you heard of the expression 'dirt poor' - roughly means extremely poor.

We are not here today to rant on about money, but rather the poverty of nutrients plaguing humanity today.

Everything is on the rise,including diseases like heart disease, cancer, obesity, malnutrition and many other diseases despite us moving forward in our medical advancements. Have you ever wondered why? what is the root to all of this evil?

Health is influenced by numerous factors, thus termed multi-factorial. This means its not just about the one thing, its about the bigger picture. your pedigree, where you live, your job, what you eat, what you do daily all have a big impact on your end result.

eg, causes of acne

You are what you eat, and this is true in so many profound ways.  we are merely biological machines that need a constant uptake of nutrients for conversion into biochemical energy. energy to live and change the world. but unlike a car that uses fuel to propel it ahead, we assimilate some of our food to make new cells, for repair, and thus it becomes part of us.

But what we all fail to ask is whether or not the quality of our food is preserved over the years. when we shop at the market or the grocery store we tend to pick the biggest and prettiest fruit or veg thinking that its the best of the lot.... is it really?

I was reading a book by Dr Ross Walker - Highway to health ,antioxidants and you.I was fascinated to come across the fact that out soil today is depleted of nutrients and hence so is the fruits and veg that grow on them.

OUR SOIL TODAY!

There is an estimated over 7 billion people around the world today, and all of them, including you and me need to eat. so we cannot grow our crops the traditional slow and steady, small patches of tender love and care style.

In this modern age, crops are mostly genetically modified so they become bigger, stronger and more resistance to disease and plague. but we forget to focus on the effort to make them more nutritious. crops grow faster, and have bigger yield. rice used to take a year to grow and harvest, now we see crops that can be grown n harvested 3x per year. but all these practices are coming at a price. they are depleting our soils... and hence what we eat is just an empty fiber pod with little to trace nutrients.

Table 1. Average Yields of Major Crops in the United States, 1950-92 (Tisdale et al., 1999)
Year	Corn (bu/acre)	Wheat (bu/acre)	Soybean (bu/acre)	Alfalfa (ton/acre)
1950	37.6	14.3	21.7	2.1
1964	62.1	26.2	22.8	2.4
1972	96.9	32.7	28.0	2.9
1982	113.2	35.5	31.5	3.4
1992	128.7	41.4	37.0	3.6

A landmark study on the topic by Donald Davis and his team of researchers from the University of Texas (UT) at Austin’s Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry was published in December 2004 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. They studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century. Davis and his colleagues chalk up this declining nutritional content to the preponderance of agricultural practices designed to improve traits (size, growth rate, pest resistance) other than nutrition. - taken from Scientificamerican.com

Every delicious looking carrot you eat today is less nutritious than the one you ate before it.

taken From a study by 

Dept of Soil Science, University of Wisconsin - Madison

And this is a worrying situation. because much of our health depends on what we eat. I am not even talking about the amount of pollution and junk that gets in your food like pesticides and stuff which definitely makes us more sick.

So what now?

well, we still need to eat our fruits and veg. in fact, we need to eat more. It is said that to achieve the same amount of vit c that your grandfather had in one orange, we, my friends need 8 now!!!

are you willing to go that extra mile to keep yourself properly nourished? eat 8 oranges a day, few kilos of veg, oh my, i cant imagine.

Well, luckily humans are smart and they invented this thing called vitamins and supplements. In his book, Dr Ross Walker - a cardiologist, advocated the use of supplements as a mean of prevention. He said that 50% of cardiologist take supplements but only a hand full will advice their patients to take. Why is that? Alot of Drs are evidence based and they wait and wait for research to be done and it takes years, sometimes until indefinitely. Its hard to do trials regarding the long term effects of supplements and antioxidants and thus we have little evidence despite it being around for so long.

But whatever it is, the facts are undeniably obvious. our foods are not as nutritious as they were before and they are not likely to change for the better any-time soon. we need to make modification on our health and take up supplements to fill in the gaps. What supplements you choose is equally important because companies these days are geared for profit and that could result in some shady practices like adding fillers, preservatives, dangerous compounds and so on.

Supplements are not substitutes for a healthy lifestyle!

All too often I come across people who just want a magic pill for everything. they say "oh so now i take these slimming set, That means i dont need to exercise?" seriously, this is a joke. please read up on my previous articles touching the benefits of exercise.

The point is, even with supplements, you still need your fruits, your veg, your nuts and legumes. You need to have proper sleep, put in some exercise, have a hobby to reduce stress. I told you in the beginning of this blog, health is a multi-factorial thing, you need to ensure you can change as many of the factors as you can. what you cannot, you leave to fate!

Key message, in case it wasnt already staring in your face,  - live a healthy lifestyle, take your supplements, be happy and hopefully you will die of old (very old) age and not heart disease or cancer..