The Best Hospital In The World

I have many quirks. I only buy books that have fonts I agree with, paper stock that I like. I love airplane food and how there is a little something for every task you take to feed yourself. I have to eat my french fries before I eat my burger and if I don't finish my fries before I start on my burger, I will not re-visit the fries. They'll cut my tongue 'cos they're dead fries. Yes, so before you go delete me off your Facebook list of friends, I have one more that will push you over to disown me forever.

I like visiting hospitals.

I like it when I can go and visit someone (not that I like my friends and family to be admitted) or receive outpatient treatment myself. Yes, I go to the hospital for outpatient treatment. I only visit GPs if I have a company card that doesn't require me to pay and my sickness is small enough that I feel well the moment I step out of the clinic. But when I get hit by large sicknesses like the recent flashmob of a gastric flu, I head to the hospital. A&E no less.

And my preferred hospital, which in my humble opinion is the best hospital in the world even after they have changed management? Alexandra Hospital.

The motley crue that ran management at Alexandra Hospital (AH) recently upsized their operations at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, a large building far flug in the corner of Yishun so JurongHealth took over AH and I must admit I was skeptical but I soon realise it was all unfounded. Before you run off thinking I have too much time on my hands, having an opinion about hospitals, read on.

AH has saved me once too many times for me not to pledge loyalty to them. Many a times when I get struck by the odd stomach flu, I run to them and like a mother hen with open arms, they take me in and nurse me back to health in a matter of 2 days. When a biker friend of mine had a metal chip so tiny we couldn't see fly and embed itself in his budding pilot's eye, AH banded around him and worked relentlessly till they got the chip safely out of his eye and waved him as he soared the skies in a great way to fly. So like I said, AH has saved me once too many times for me to trust another hospital. It's just not right.

I was first whisked to AH by my then boyfriend, now fiance when I was hit by a bad case of cough. I scowled when I had to pay $60 (then. it's $75 now) upfront. But as I went through the procedures I realised my mighty $60 gave me full access to all their technology. I was brought for a consultation with a doctor. Then he recommended an X-ray which was done 10 minutes later with results displayed 20 minutes where I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. I was sent home with medicine that cost me $5 and an MC for 2 days. I was as fit as a fiddle within 2 days.

Just in case you think I'm sickly, frail and constantly diseased, I'm not. I'm just condensing my experiences, or at least the worse ones.

Another time I had a bad bout of gastric / stomach flu (I never know the difference). They brought me in, another $60. The doctor decided I needed to do a scope. A week later, I was lying on my side with a tube down my throat into my stomach (and gagging of course). In 30 mins, I was looking at images of my insides. If I ate a mentos mint 5 mins before the scope, it might be sitting there looking smug squeaking, I'm the king of the world! I framed up the picture. I kid you. My reddened stomach walls were proof that it was protesting and I had a bad bad case of gastric. But in a week, I was done. I was cleared of it and everything was back to normal, order was restored.

I ranted so much just to say this: AH may not look like its prettier Tan Tock Seng cousin, or the handsome Khoo Teck Puat NKOTB and though it sometimes look haunted and pre-war and like a 'small public hospital', but in my opinion, they are the best hospital in the world. bar none.

*Alexandra Hospital is located at 378 Alexandra Road, next to Queensway Shopping Centre where you can go for laksa after getting your MC. I recommend the A&E for the 'best hospital in the world' treatments. No complimentary tea provided. Help yourself to an apple at the registration counter though. 

Book Review: Giants of Asia - Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew

I haven't been writing for a while (obviously) and the last I did, I promised to do a book review on the Giants of Asia - Conversations with Lee Kuan Yew piece when I was done reading it. Truth be told, I had finished it sometime back and have passed the copy on to be borrowed. But since National Day had just passed, this moment might be most appropriate.

I was greatly inspired by the book having felt like I was given a secret seat by the fireplace with the Grandfather of Singapore. Unlike the other biographies or books on him, this book differs in tone and heart. It might be the author who was daring enough to add humour into a written piece about grandfather Lee. It could be the paper stock they used to print it on, giving it a slightly classy yet fun feel. It could be the font (I am a fontist) among other reasons. But I came to a conclusion that it was simply LKY opening himself up unbashedly to Tom Plate, who freely wrote and represented the grandfather in an almost caricature way (therefore the cover).

The main thread that ran through the entire book was a heat pad. Yes, a heat pad that LKY was fiddling with and had placed on his knee throughout each interview held over 2 days. Shifting it, adjusting it, making it give him comfort. He was in some pain, but what sort we are not told. The heatpad, the star of the book doesn't divulge us as well. The only thing it suggests is that LKY is not as robust as he used to be in his 1965 days where he valiantly lead the country into independance. But yet though his physical being is weakened but the heart that fiercely ploughed Singapore through third-world status to first still burns with pride.

I am a patriot and I and passionately proud of being a Singaporean. I know of lots of people from different generations that are skeptical about LKY and everything he does and young Singaporeans make up this majority. We have not gone through the Japanese Occupation or when Singapore proudly turned independant. We were not there during early nation building days when water had to be rationed or uncertainties wrought the land. And therefore, their excuses for being skeptical is that LKY rules with an iron fist, he is an Asian Hitler, he runs Singapore like his family business. But we speak with ignorance that we do not know we should be embarassed of.

LKY is deeply respected by great leaders around the world. Deng Xiaoping looked to him on how to wake the Chinese sleeping giant, of which LKY was somewhat responsible for the opening up of China today. LKY gave America advice on the Vietnam war and Henry Kissinger wise insight on the affairs of America (if you must know, they came to him, not him to them). LKY was late for his 2nd day interview because the Vice President of Indonesia was visiting to get some TLC from Grandpa Lee because he was facing problems with his President.

When we do not know the heart of a man, we doubt his actions. But if you will make a trip down to the Library and borrow a book (I forget the name) that has bound page to page quotes from LKY, you will know that his heart since 1959 was to make Singapore good for the people. When Singapore first became independant, he was quoted as saying, "This has to work. I am not responsible for just myself and my family. I am responsible for the many citizens and their families that trust their lives with me". That is the responsibility he carried and I must say he has done damn well.

I find it hard to do a review on the book without gushing in admiration for the person but I must say that if you found his previous (LKY, not Tom Plate) books boring and dry, you should give this a shot. It is refreshing  and humourous and like I said, once you know a man's heart, you will trust his actions.