The house is oddly silent without Gordon. Some days I come home half-expecting my Golden retriever to come bounding to the door.
Ah well.
The busy week has helped to distract my thoughts. We had CHP meetings every day, not all of which were very fruitful. It's really challenging to work as a group of 37 people - obviously not everyone is going to get a chance to speak. And even if only 10 people start an earnest discussion about something, chaos will ensue and the discussion will go nowhere.
I've lost track of the number of things that we've had earnest discussions about: our study title. where to do the study. how to go about doing it. who to do what.
It had been mind-numbing and exhausting. Because every idea had to be supported and defended.
Then suddenly, it's over. The presentation is given, the report is done (or almost done, I think)
I'm happy we did a good job!
It's certainly a CHP to remember :)
28 January 2010
23 January 2010
A Sad Day
This morning I was rudely awakened from my slumber by my maid bringing depressing news: Gordon, my nine-year old Golden Retriever, was no more. She had found him lifeless after beginning her morning chores minutes earlier.
I was shocked at first, but as the news set in, I was inconsolable. I have no idea how long my grief will last.
Gordon was a terrible dog - when he first arrived he started wrecking havoc in my garden. He dug so many holes and pooed at so many places that the grass started dying and the lawn stank. He jumped at me when he was younger every day after I returned home from school. He barked in the day and in the night. He barked whenever he was angry. He barked to remind us that it was time for his dinner or time for his walk. He tailed us around the house. He eyed the bread we were eating. He peed in the house, on the floor, even the carpet. He bit up newspapers. He was, in short, a monster.
But during his last day of life, he was shivering, curled up in a corner. He didn't want to move, his hind legs were weak, he could hardly make a sound except for this harsh breathing sound which frightened us. He refused to eat. In my humble opinion, it was an emergency, but just how much of an emergency it was, I really didn't know. The day before, we planned on bringing him to the vet the next morning, but it was too late. It always is.
I shall never know if he could have been saved if he had been to the vet earlier. But this question serves no purpose - the dog whom we loved and hated is gone.
Gordon lived a short but active life. I don't know what he thinks, but our time spent together was very fulfilling and meaningful.
RIP Gordon. I'll always remember you.
I was shocked at first, but as the news set in, I was inconsolable. I have no idea how long my grief will last.
Gordon was a terrible dog - when he first arrived he started wrecking havoc in my garden. He dug so many holes and pooed at so many places that the grass started dying and the lawn stank. He jumped at me when he was younger every day after I returned home from school. He barked in the day and in the night. He barked whenever he was angry. He barked to remind us that it was time for his dinner or time for his walk. He tailed us around the house. He eyed the bread we were eating. He peed in the house, on the floor, even the carpet. He bit up newspapers. He was, in short, a monster.
But during his last day of life, he was shivering, curled up in a corner. He didn't want to move, his hind legs were weak, he could hardly make a sound except for this harsh breathing sound which frightened us. He refused to eat. In my humble opinion, it was an emergency, but just how much of an emergency it was, I really didn't know. The day before, we planned on bringing him to the vet the next morning, but it was too late. It always is.
I shall never know if he could have been saved if he had been to the vet earlier. But this question serves no purpose - the dog whom we loved and hated is gone.
Gordon lived a short but active life. I don't know what he thinks, but our time spent together was very fulfilling and meaningful.
RIP Gordon. I'll always remember you.
14 January 2010
Halfway through CHP
~~~~
"Kokokok!""Kokokok!"
The door opens and a curious auntie/uncle/a-boy/a-girl peers out at us. We begin our introduction,
"Hello! We are medical students doing a survey in your neighborhood regarding urinary problems in men older than 40 years old. We wonder if yourself or your husband are eligible for our survey?
Before we begin, we'd like you to know that this is a strictly voluntary survey (but we hope that you will help us), and we do not take down your name or ic number, so there is no way for us to trace back to your unit. The survey would take around 10 mins..."
"Aiya don't need lah. I'm very healthy, got no urine problems one..."
"Aiya uncle nevermind! If you have no problems then just say no problem lor!"
The auntie/uncle/a-boy/a-girl looks mildly amused.
We begin the survey :)
~~~~
"Kokokok!"
"Kokokok!"
The door opens and an auntie/uncle looks out and says, "Wa si kokokok?" (Why do you knock the door?)
We attempt to explain but the door slams shut.
"Kokokok!"
The door opens and an auntie/uncle looks out and says, "Wa si kokokok?" (Why do you knock the door?)
We attempt to explain but the door slams shut.
~~~~
Some residents are mildly bemused by our survey, others simply refuse us outright. But for every straight refusal, there is at least one resident who sits through the whole survey without complaining.
Then there are the extremes - some are in such a rush for time that they demand that the survey be finished in ten minutes. Others have so much time that they spend one and a half hours dissecting the deeper meaning behind every single question. Then there are people who said they were non-eligible, but suddenly became responders when we accidentally pressed their doorbell. Ditto the non-responders.
I don't know to be mildly or severely bemused.
Then there are the extremes - some are in such a rush for time that they demand that the survey be finished in ten minutes. Others have so much time that they spend one and a half hours dissecting the deeper meaning behind every single question. Then there are people who said they were non-eligible, but suddenly became responders when we accidentally pressed their doorbell. Ditto the non-responders.
I don't know to be mildly or severely bemused.
09 January 2010
Of CHP and Sherlock Holmes
R was right - doing CHP surveys after watching a movie does make one feel a little disoriented.
I would have liked Sherlock Holmes if he was less action and more true to the book, to be honest. I'm not even sure which story the movie was based on - it felt like an action-mystery thriller in the style of "the Da Vinci Code" - with Sherlock Holmes thrown in as the main character. If Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were alive today (perhaps he should attempt to rise from his grave by blowing up his tombstone) I wonder what he would have thought of this impersonator.
Haha. Enough complaining about the movie. At least it's plot was sufficiently convoluted to provide conversation material.
CHP is surprisingly xiong, but it has certainly brought home the point that a community study is not a walk in the park. Most of the times door knocks go unanswered. Some people refuse us outright despite our best attempts to put on pitiful faces. And when the door does open, half the time the potential respondent is not in - On Friday night they are tired and need to rest; On Saturday mornings many are out for work; On Saturday afternoon some continue working.
Thank goodness for E- we are not too far behind target!
I would have liked Sherlock Holmes if he was less action and more true to the book, to be honest. I'm not even sure which story the movie was based on - it felt like an action-mystery thriller in the style of "the Da Vinci Code" - with Sherlock Holmes thrown in as the main character. If Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were alive today (perhaps he should attempt to rise from his grave by blowing up his tombstone) I wonder what he would have thought of this impersonator.
Haha. Enough complaining about the movie. At least it's plot was sufficiently convoluted to provide conversation material.
CHP is surprisingly xiong, but it has certainly brought home the point that a community study is not a walk in the park. Most of the times door knocks go unanswered. Some people refuse us outright despite our best attempts to put on pitiful faces. And when the door does open, half the time the potential respondent is not in - On Friday night they are tired and need to rest; On Saturday mornings many are out for work; On Saturday afternoon some continue working.
Thank goodness for E- we are not too far behind target!
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