請給小生命一個活命的機會！PLEASE GIVE THE LITTLE ONES A CHANCE TO LIVE!

There are some topics that are very close to my heart and this is one of them.

I am not thinking less of those ladies who opted to abort before. What I am saying here is if you had done so before, in the articles I am going to share below, you now have the knowledge to make up for what you have done before.

Whatever the reason was, we cannot go back to undo it. But if it is to happen again, please don't take the easy way out. It is the human instinct to fight for survival. The same goes for our baby.

I remember what my student once said to me when I was tutoring in the past. She was very unhappy with the way she was being treated by the adults in the household and came to me wailing hysterically, "Teacher, why do you adults always think you really know what is best for us? Why do you adults never ask us what we think, what we want? Why do we always get knocked off just because we are children? Why, teacher, why??? I hate being a child! I hate being a child!"

If that is what a disgruntled child feels, what will the baby feel when his body is crushed ruthlessly and ripped apart into pieces?

Ladies, if you want to have unprotected sex, please be fully aware of the consequences. And before you jump into bed with a man, please ask if he is ready to have a child with you if things go awry. If he's not, whatever 'I love you' he said is fake. He just want a cheap thrill out of you.

I salute Tammy Tay from Ohsofickle for standing by her decision to have a child out of wedlock and not taking the easy way out. You might say because she has $upport. I think otherwise. Respect for giving Baby Elroye a chance to live and bearing responsibility for her own actions.

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Master Dai Hu, a trained and professional geomancer with more than 15 years of experience, has posted more than 70 insightful articles on Buddhism and Chinese Metaphysics like Feng Shui, Name Analysis and Bazi Analysis in both English & Chinese on his Facebook Page.

 

 

Articles below are shared from Master Dai Hu's Facebook Page (www.facebook.com/masterdaihu):

【玳瑚師父出差碌】 《不要摧毀自己的命運》

Do Not Destroy Your Own Destiny (English version below)

吾說了又說，勸了又勸。 千萬不要墮胎！千萬不要墮胎！

不要傻傻地以為沒有把孩子生出來，妳的生活會好過些。更不可以給這種理由，說那時候沒有錢，那時候還小，才16歲，18歲，我害怕等等。

這麼多理由，當初為何還要縱慾呢？

妳天真地以為那麼簡單，哪知後來數十年糟糕了！整個樣子，整個命盤都變了。

墮胎等同於墮掉一切的福因啊！

吾真實看過太多太多這樣的例子了。請認真地思考再思考吾的勸告。

做男人的，不要始亂終棄、不負責任，以為魚水之歡不用付出代價。慫恿自己的女伴去墮胎，殺生之罪你一樣沒得幸免。

做母親的，對方不負責任，妳怎麽也象他一樣不負責任呢？不要讓恨的烏雲遮擋智慧的太陽。妳有最後的決定權。如果妳不要拿掉自己的孩子，沒有人可以逼妳走進 那手術室，任由冷酷的醫療器材把嬰孩的身軀給砸碎，再吸出來丟棄。告訴妳，那血淋林的‘肉碎’被丟進垃圾桶時，妳身後就會有位充滿恨意的水子靈（嬰靈）， 勢必要向父母復仇。不要說妳走頭無路，妳應該知道會有那麼一天。到最後，妳要負起的因果報應，妳以為是吾在開玩笑嗎？妳真以為妳負得起嗎？別傻了！因果之 事，不用你妳信，一樣照報！

沒有能力養，可以讓別人領養，讓孩子的生命延續下去。

勸別人墮胎的人，很不忍心地告訴您，您自以為的一番好意早已種下惡因了。天底下沒有一位福神會跟隨像您這樣的幫兇。進行墮胎手術的醫護人員和做出和墮胎相關的產品和服務人士，後面的果報是你妳得不償失的。你妳的後代也會遭殃。

你以爲吾在唬你？唬你根本得不到好處啊！

讓吾再說一次。吾所見過，墮過胎的婦女的業報有身患婦女病如子宮長瘤、婚姻不美滿、身體有異味、樣子比同輩老得快速、事業一波三折、得憂鬱症等。後來無法生育、流產、難產或生出不孝子女，很難帶、很難教因為是之前的水子靈來轉劫洩恨。

流產的、夭折的也被歸類為水子靈。父母親也得負起責任。因為吾觀現在很多婦女沒有照顧好身子，亂吃亂喝亂睡，卻一直想懷孕。結果受孕後，孩子在子宮不到十 個星期就發現沒心跳，又或者生出體弱多病的孩子，導致夭折。吾批八字時，曾勸過一位婦女不要在某幾年懷孕。但她求子心切，不把吾的話放在心上，不斷嘗試受 孕，結果胎死腹中三次之多。天啊！這都是殺生啊！

流產過、墮胎過或有夭折孩子的父母都得為孩子在寺廟安靈位、修法懺悔己業和報名超度法會至少500次（由有證量的上師主壇）。若有人說幾次就可以了，別聽 信。自己用腦筋想想，如果吾用個鉗子夾碎您的頭直到頭破血流，再將您五馬分屍，血肉一團，再扔進垃圾桶，您會因為吾幾次的道歉賠償幾千元就原諒吾嗎？

吾已經做了十多年的師父，以上的所見所聞是確確實實的經驗。遇到有水子靈的婦女，彷彿是家常便飯。可見這草菅人命的問題事態嚴重。最令人擔憂的是很多女性對水子靈之事根本沒有悔意。寧願這樣子對待自己的親生骨肉，果然人比鬼更可怕！

(嬰孩照片取自搜房。嬰孩的母親藉此照片希望大家切勿墮胎，給小生命一個活命的機會！）

Do Not Destroy Your Own Destiny (English version)

by Master Dai Hu

posted on 24 Sep 2014

I have said it over and over, and given countless advice on this.

Never go for an abortion! Never ever!

Do not foolishly think that by aborting the child, your life will be easier. It is absurd to hear reasons like "I am broke", "I am only 16 or 18, too young to have a child", "I am scared" etc.

So many excuses, then why did you allow yourself to fall prey to the temptation of lust in the first place?

You were too naive to think that this is not a serious matter, but alas, years of sufferings will follow. Your entire destiny and well being will take a turn for the worst.

Aborting a baby is akin to aborting all seeds of fortune and merits!

I have truly seen too many, countless, in fact of such cases. Please ponder deeply upon my words of advice.

As a man, please be responsible and do not fool around, thinking that there is no price to pay for your reckless behaviour and casual flings. Persuading your female partner to go for abortion is the same as being an accomplice to a murder, for which the karmic retribution you shall not be spared either.

As the mother of the child, how could you shirk the responsibility, like your partner did? Do not let the dark cloud of hatred obstruct your light of wisdom. You hold the ultimate vote of decision. If you decide against abortion, no one can force you into the operating theater and allow the cold and feeling-less medical instruments to crush the helpless fetus limp and sucking it out from your body. Let me tell you this, once the bloody and mangled piece of flesh, that was once your baby, is thrown into the waste bin, a fetal spirit will be standing right behind you, full of hatred for you and your partner. The spirit will be bent on exacting revenge on you and your partner. Please do not say that you had no other choice. You should know that this day will come. In the end, you would bear the karma of your cruel action. You think I am joking with you? You think you can easily bear this responsibility? Please do not be foolish. The Law of Karma holds its power over all, regardless if you believe it or not!

If you are not capable of raising the child, you can put the child up for fostering. At the very least, you preserve the child's life.

For those who had advised someone else to go for abortion, I really hate to tell you this, but your 'kind' intention had already sowed the seed of sufferings for yourself in time to come. No god will bless an accomplice to such a heinous act. The same goes for other 'accomplices' like the surgeons and nurses who administered the abortion, as well as those companies promoting abortion-related products and services. It is totally not worth it to bear the brunt of karma, and it will even implicate your descendants as well.

You think I am kidding you? I have absolutely nothing to gain from this!

Allow me to repeat myself. I have seen cases of women who had previous abortions and now suffering from various ailments concerning the female health (ovarian tumor, for example), their bodies giving off a strange odor, as well as a more aged appearance compared to their peers. They have depression bouts and their marriages encounter more obstacles. Any future pregnancy is either impossible or fraught with many difficulties resulting in miscarriages or traumatic births. The fetal spirit may reincarnate as their future offspring, who will turn out to be a child that is extremely difficult to teach and manage due to the innate hatred.

Babies that die from miscarriages or at a very young age after birth are classified under fetal spirits. The parents have to bear responsibility too. I have observed that many ladies do not take care of themselves well, wilfully consuming unhealthy food and adopting irregular sleeping hours, but yet hoping to bear a child. Once they got pregnant, the fetus could not sustain for more than 10 weeks before being discovered that the child's heart had stopped. Should they carry the pregnancy to the full term and deliver the baby, the child, more often than not, will have a bad health predisposition, resulting in a premature death. I once adviced a lady, who came to me for birth chart analysis, not to try for a child during certain years. Overcame by desperation to have a child, my advice fell on deaf ears. As a result, she had to suffer a stillbirth, not once but thrice! My goodness, this is killing of another being!

For babies who died in abortions, miscarriages or at a young age after birth, the parents should set up a tablet in a suitable temple for the fetal spirit, cultivate repentance practice and enroll for bardo deliverance ceremonies (conducted by a Master with spiritual attainment) for the fetal spirit for at least 500 times. Do not believe if somebody tell you that a few times is enough. Exercise your wisdom and ask yourself this question: "If I use a pair of steel pincers and repeatedly crush your head and body, ripping you apart till you become a mangled state of flesh and blood before dumping you into a bin, will you forgive me just simply because I apologise a few times and compensate you with a few thousand dollars?"

What I have described in this article are all true experiences from my line of work for the past 10 over years. I have seen many ladies with previous abortions that it is becoming too common for my comfort. It is a very grave situation that human lives are treated as if they are not worth a straw. What worries me most is that many of these ladies have no sense of regret at all! To have no qualms in treating their own flesh and blood with such cruelty, a human being can be more terrifying than a ghost indeed!

Photo credit: Google & SouFun. Photo is used as the mother of the baby hope to warn all against abortion. Give the innocent child a chance to live!)

【玳瑚師父出差錄】 你不要的那個小孩還在

The Baby You Did Not Want Is Still Around　(English version below)

posted on 20 Apr 2014

上個星期一，我到台中的新光三越買褲。 在臺灣買褲一大好處是櫃檯專賣店都提供即刻改褲的服務。 等待當兒，我向售貨員要了一張白紙，免費為她測名。
...
離開前，我問：“你有曾經不要過孩子嗎？”

她一臉驚訝地點了點頭說有。

“你要為你的孩子報名超度。他一直還在你的身邊走來走去。”

我不只看到售貨員的嬰靈，也稱爲水子靈，更看到她未來精神的問題。我看人不是單純地看外貌，而是看進去裏面，看他的氣色、他的磁場、他的思維。

我看到很多女客人身邊有水子靈，但她們絲毫沒有悔意，可見這問題很大，需要多去告訴人們水子靈會帶來的問題。

很多人對‘失去’的孩子都漠不關心。世人無知，不知蓄意墮胎，先影響到個人，然後家庭、社會，之後就是國家。很多家庭的風波如孩子叛逆、事業不振、生意衰敗、疾病纏身、夫妻失和，就是因爲沒有人去留意這些被遺忘的孩子。等到事情發生時，才去求神拜佛。其實真正要求的是自己。

在這宇宙閒，根本沒有一個人有權利剝奪另外一個人的生命，或一個生物，就算肉眼看不到的細菌，這些都是不能夠的，更何況是一個比較具有靈性的人。衆生皆有佛性，墮胎如殺佛。 五戒裏面，殺生為第一重罪，所以妻財子祿這些福都會在頓時閒被消除很多很多，如一粒苹果在分秒中被切成一半，所以不可不慎。

很多人以為經過人工墮胎，孩子就不會出現在她們的生命里。告訴你，你的想法是錯，錯，錯。被打掉的孩子會以另外一個形體留在你的身邊，因爲你還欠他，而這個欠是多了一倍，甚至多好幾倍。你下一個生出來的孩子，爲什麽會是體弱多病、軟骨、有唐氏綜合症或很難教，多方面地耗盡你的體力、家產和精神，不是沒有原因啊！

被殺的孩子最想看到我們誠懇地懺悔跟向他道歉，再求真正有證量的法師/修行人為水子靈做超度法事。這樣雙方之間才能夠解掉那個冤，否則未來一定是悲慘的。我看到我的女客人，因爲水子靈的問題，身體有異味、脫髮、睡不好、健康每況愈下、甚至有婦女健康和精神問題。就算當初是男伴要求墮胎，女的責任始終比較多因爲她是做出最終決定的人。

我們都要快樂輕鬆地過日子，曾幾何時卻增加了自己的負擔？所以大家要動動腦筋，不要一失足成千古恨。

The Baby You Did Not Want Is Still Around (English version)

by Master Dai Hu

Last Monday, I was buying a pair of pants at the Shin Kong Mitsukoshi department store in Taichung. The good thing about buying pants in Taiwan is the on-the-spot alteration service they provide. While waiting for the alteration, I asked for a piece of paper from the sales lady and gave her a free Name Analysis.

Before leaving, I asked, "Have you not want a child before?"

She nodded yes, with a bewildered look on her face.

"The spirit of your child is still lingering around you. You need to enroll in puja sessions to deliver his spirit to a better realm. "
What I saw was not just the fetus spirit, I also saw the emotional ailments that would take place in the sales lady in time to come. When I look at a person, I see beyond the outer appearance and read into their energy fields and mental thoughts.

A lot of my female clients have fetus spirits with them from their past abortions but scarily, they have little regret. This is a serious matter that needs a much broader awareness on the implications of abortions.

Many people are not concerned about their aborted babies. A great majority of us are ignorant about the grave effect of deliberate abortion, from oneself to the other family members, even affecting our society and country on the whole. Family problems like difficult children, flagging careers, failing businesses, illnesses and broken marriages are caused by our neglect to these fetus spirits. It's not too late to repent now.

In this universe, no one has the right to take away the life of another person, another animal and even the micro-organisms which escape our naked eyes. There exists a Buddha nature in all living beings. To abort a child is akin to killing a Buddha. I sincerely hope all of us will meet enlightened ones in our life to guide us onto the path of light.

Amongst the five precepts of Buddhism, the act of killing carries the most severity, heavily and speedily reducing our fortunes in marriage, wealth, descendants, career and health. It is akin to halving an apple in a split second, thus we need to be very cautious against committing the act of killing.

Many who had an abortion perceived that their child would not appear in their lives again. How wrong you are! Their aborted fetus spirits will manifest in other forms, as their karmic debtors. The next child that comes along is likely to be sickly or very hard to teach, draining the energy and resources of the parents. This is the law of karma!

The aborted children seek a sincere apology from their parents and a true cultivator with the ability to do deliverance pujas for them. It is only through sincere repentance that the enmity and grievances in the spirits of the aborted children can be resolved. Misfortune befalls those who chose otherwise. Many of my female clients with past abortions suffered from various ailments: strange body odor, hair loss, poor sleep, women health issues and even declining mental health. Even though the man might have initiated, the woman is ultimately the final decision maker when it comes to abortion and thus bears a larger responsibility.

Everyone yearns for an easy, carefree life, but why are we adding burdens to ourselves? Let's think harder about this for one wrong step may cause a lifelong of regret.

Photo credit: Google

 

ABORTION - THE SILENT SCREAM COMPLETE VERSION (with permission from APF). Republished with Permission from Roy Tidwell of American Portrait Films as long as the following credits are shown:

VHS/DVDs Available
American Portrait Films
Call 1-800-736-4567
www.amport.com

The Silent Scream Complete Version - Abortion as Infanticide

Dr. Bernard Nathanson's classic video that shocked the world. He explains the procedure of a suction abortion, followed by an actual first trimester abortion as seen through ultrasound. The viewer can see the child's pathetic attempts to escape the suction curette as her heart rate doubles, and a "silent scream" as her body is torn apart. A great tool to help people see why abortion is murder.

The unborn baby is a member of the human community. Please don't act recklessly. And no matter what you think, please know that having intercourse means that is always a chance of having a baby. Whether you are ready or not.

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

MY TAIWAN TIPS

One of my favourite countries to visit is definitely Taiwan. It was always so exciting when I get rostered for Taiwan during my flying days. It is only a 4-hour plus flight, one meal service and we get to stay in a nice 5-star hotel. I love having Shabu Shabu (I love soupy meals) and fried chicken cutlets, taxis are much more affordable than in Singapore, many cheap & pretty shoes in Ximending, I can stock up on my favourite skincare brands For Beloved, My Beauty Diary facial masks and this clinical brand of red wine mask in a tub.

But sadly, I only get to be rostered on a Taiwan flight once in a blue moon. Reason being, there has to be a Taiwanese and a Japanese stewardesses onboard, due to the route the flight covers, so there aren't much vacancies left for local stewardesses. Divide it by the probability that we get a Taiwan flight out of the 5000+ stewardesses...sigh.

Ironically, the best tips I have for those who are visiting Taiwan are not from my flying days. When everything is arranged nicely for you, there isn't much to plan and compare.

I was really happy to be able to go Taiwan again this year for my pilgrimage with my family after a 6-year hiatus. Nothing has changed much in Taiwan. It is still as adorable. Some of its cab drivers are still very angsty when broaching on the topic of domestic politics and when they know we are from Singapore, the politician they remember most vividly is Mr Lee Kwan Yew. 

Not everyone like Mr Lee or agree with him, but I think it is none of their business to comment on how things should be run in Singapore and start putting our forefathers down. I'm sorry but if what you know is from hearsay and misleading media, then you are not more suitable than me to comment on Singapore. I don't see why I should be paying for your taxi service and yet put up with condescending words about my country's politicians. I got into a verbal disagreement that has me raising my voice at a Taipeitaxi driver who dislikes Mr Lee for a particular comment Mr Lee once made and the taxi driver wishes for Malaysia to start a war on Singapore. 就是為他出一口氣. I was like what the fish @$%#*. How many innocent people are going to die because of one puny selfish thought of yours? Do you know how many Singaporeans have relatives in Malaysia and vice-versa? Did you just advocate killing of human beings to satisfy your silly pride??? My mum was pulling my arm, telling me to leave the topic to the men (my Husband who was in the front seat and the taxi driver) and I told my mum that when it comes to defending my country and, for goodness sake, innocent lives, everybody has a duty. I'm not going to let my gender determine that I should always play the damsel in distress. (I must say standing up for what I believe in gets easier with age. Don'tknow why on earth I'm so timid to speak up during my younger days.)

So yes, tip no. 1 will be never to broach on the topic of politics with the cab drivers. Totally spoil the holiday mood.

TIP #2： BEST PLACE TO CHANGE SGD TO TWD

If you think the best place to change Singapore Dollar to Taiwan Dollar is in Singapore, you're wrong. Not even Chinatown has the best exchange rates. As a air crew, I used to change my Singapore Dollars at the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport after touching down. There is no difference in the rate between the various money changers of different banks at the Taoyuan airport. 

Exchange rate at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, 11 April 2014

The exchange rate was 1 SGD to 23.56 TWD. It was 0.3 - 0.4 more than Singapore money changers. There is also a processing fee of 30 TWD to change money at the Taoyuan Airport. It is not reflected in the receipt above, because just before this transaction, I changed S$2100 and the money changer treated both transactions as one, hence I was only charged 30TWD once.

I went Taiwan twice this year. Once, I touched down at 5plus am. Recently I reached Taiwan at 5pm. Both times, there were money changer counters open. 

So if you are changing more than S$100, then it certainly makes sense to save the commuting to the money changers in Singapore and do it straight at Taoyuan Airport. The rate difference will more than cover the 30 TWD processing fee, and hey, you save the transport fares you could have spent in Singapore!

But ladies, the best is yet to come. During this trip, by a stroke of luck, my mum & the Husband discovered the best place to change our Singapore Dollars to Taiwan Dollars!

Surprise surprise!! Turned out to be our local bank, DBS! They have many branches in Taipei and whole of Taiwan. 

It can be pretty hard to change money upon leaving the airport. Money changers are not available everywhere, unlike in Singapore, where we know there is at least one in a shopping centre. But not for Taiwan. At big department stores like 新光三越, they provide money changing services for currencies like Japan Yen, USD, China RMB, Hong Kong Dollar, but not our Singapore Dollar. Why??

And while in Taipei 101, we went to the bank at the building, thinking that we can change for TWD there. Most disappointed to learn from the bank counter staff that of all the banks in Taiwan, only Bank of Taiwan accepts SGD to change for TWD. What a strange policy when at the airport, there were several money changing counters of other banks!

So my family was walking along the street, looking for Bank of Taiwan with road directions from the hotel staff. When they saw DBS, they walked in, just wanting to try their luck and BINGO!! Turned out DBS has the most favourable exchange rate for SGD to TWD! I'm pretty sure because the bank is patriotic in a foreign land and this is how they show they love Singaporeans! Hahaha!

Exchange rate at DBS Taichung Branch, 14 April 2014

Exchange rate at DBS was 23.92, OMG! Compared to the 23.56 at Taoyuan Aiport 3 days ago and no processing fee at DBS Taiwan!

Things to note: 

1) DBS banks in Taiwan are open till 330pm from Mon-Fri. The banks are not opened on Saturday, unlike in Singapore.

2) My personal experience is, don't rely on the hotel staff to tell you where the bank branch is because Taiwan is really a big place and some of the staff might not be so aware of a foreign bank location compared to their local banks. Check out online where the DBS bank branches are. Then, ask the hotel concierge which branch is the nearest to your hotel.

http://www.dbs.com.tw/personal-zh/deposits/other-services.page

I would recommend reading the DBS Taiwan webpage in Chinese, because the English version will show the street addresses in hanyu pinyin and that will be tricky if we pronounce the road names wrongly to the taxi drivers. If you are not proficient in Chinese, at least you can get the hotel staff to look through and write it down for you.

In the above screenshot, the first 3 words circled in blue indicates the city. So if you are in Taipei, look out for addresses beginning with 台北市. If you are in Taichung, look out for addresses beginning with 台中市.

3) Taxis in Taiwan are affordable, even more so when you are in a group. It cost about TWD115 ( approx. S$4.80) for a 10-15min cab ride for us. We wanted to go to a department store at Taichung, so we went to the DBS branch that was nearest to the department store, to save us unnecessary travelling time and cost. No point travelling to a different direction, if there is a nearer branch to our next destination.

4)  To make a better comparison, you can always check out SGD to TWD exchange rate from DBS Taiwan website: 

http://www.dbs.com/tw/zh/personal/deposits/pages/fe3.aspx

 

There's a warm feeling of home when we stepped into a DBS bank in Taiwan. The familiar logo, the corporate colours and layout...I don't get that homely feeling when I go to DBS in Singapore. Just crowded & noisy. Oh well, you can't take the Singapore out of a Singaporean, can you?

TIP #3: CONTACT LENS ARE CHEAPER IN TAIWAN!

I can't believe all these years I didn't know this from all those years of flying!!! We all know beauty brands from Taiwan are the cheapest in their countries, but guess what??

For years, I've been buying contact lens from Malaysia, mainly bought by the Husband when he goes over for work trips. For Acuvue Define daily disposables, the Husband buys it at 100 Ringgit per box (usual retail price is 110 Ringgit).  But the Husband has not been going to Malaysia for the past few months and my lens supplies were nearing zero. So at Ximending, I walked into a random optical shop to check on the prices. I wasn't expecting much as hey, it was at Ximending, Taipei's Orchard Road. It couldn't be that cheap right? My jaw nearly dropped when the staff said a box of Acuvue Define daily disposables only cost TWD850 (approx. S$37). It cost a deadly S$62 in Singapore and still more than $6 cheaper than Malaysia!!

This is only a portion of the lenses I bought. And it's not just Acuvue that is cheaper. A friend of mine bought another brand from the same shop as I and also remarked that it was cheaper in Taiwan too. I checked out the prices at quite a few optical shops and prices are fixed.　

Read from the box and daily disposables are known as 日抛式隱形眼鏡. Interesting to know its translation in Chinese. 

I bought one box of Acuvue Moist (normal daily disposables) because daily wearing of the cosmetic lenses can be tiring for my eyes. The cosmetic lenses are thicker and prevent more oxygen from getting to the eye, and in comparison, the Acuvue Moist lenses are such a relief to wear. Phew.

The Husband asked if the lenses were made in Taiwan, hence the cheaper price. I checked and nope, the lenses were made in Ireland! Probably higher demand in Taiwan, more brand competition, economies of scales from big optical shops and lower rentals all contributed to the lower selling price? Gaah, this sounds like Econs. My least favourite subject in JC.

Things to note:

1) Your preferred brand of lenses in your degree might not be available. So don't wait till the last day in Taiwan to buy. Go earlier, so that you have time to go check out another optical shop or at least the optical shop can order for you. It takes about 1-2 days.

2) There is liquid in the lens containers. I'm unsure how strict the airport staff will be but if you are buying ALOT, please check in the loots instead of bringing them all onboard the plane.

TIP #4: MY FAVOURITE HOTEL IN TAIPEI

西悠飯店 CU Hotel Taipei

This is the only hotel I have stayed in Taipei during my personal trips. Previously as a crew, I have stayed in Grand Hyatt but the neighbourhood is not as interesting compared to that of CU Hotel. And I would highly recommend CU Hotel in Taipei!

Daily breakfast is provided by the hotel, but when you stay at a food haven, why would you want bland hotel breakfast?

The best thing about staying in this hotel is that cheap & good food is easily available at all times of the day because of the Ning Xia Night Market 寧夏夜市 just beside the hotel and the food stalls all around. The hotel is situated above 雙連市場, a fresh food market.

For me, food accessibility plays a important role. Grabbing some food before starting the day is great, as I can brush my teeth in my room after food (yes, I'm protective of my teeth). After a long day out, it's nice to put down my load in my room and head down for some dinner/supper before calling it a day.

My mum would go to the fresh fruits stall to get her bittergourd juice in the morning, the Husband loves to have the mee sua for breakfast at the stall just beside the hotel entrance and I love to have the baked potato for supper from Ning Xia.

Real baked potato! There are other versions in other night markets that sell a skinless, deep fried potato. It was yucks, yucks, yucks as that version is like some very creamy and buttery mashed potato which is very thick. This Ning Xia version is so much yummier! I always forgot to opt for no pepper and garnish. Oh, Baked Potato of less than S$3, how I miss you sooooo!

It was strawberry season when we went to Taipei in February and I had a cup of these Taiwan strawberries almost every night from Ning Xia. 不輸給韓國的草莓哦！They're smaller than the USA strawberries, just as sweet as their Korean counterparts and it's just so nice!!! At less than S$3 a cup (I think TWD50), it was my comfort 'fruits' almost every night.

Such a poetic chopsticks wrapper. We visited this 滷肉飯 joint - 鬍鬚張almost every other night. It closes at 1am and it was great for supper after a busy day out. The little eatery is lined along the Ning Xia Market.

There were of course lots of other food at Ning Xia Market and the various eateries that line the neighbourhood, like the 古早味desserts stall, a soyabean milk stall, a 四神湯stall and the nearby convenience stores. I'm not a eat-everything-and-try-it-all girl, so as long as the place has food that I like, I'm contented.

CU Hotel Taipei have friendly counter staff. The rooms are small but new (started in 2013), clean, come with free Wifi (yay to usage of Watsapp) and accessible with a 10-15 walk to the nearest MRT station,  雙連 Shuang Lian. While walking to the station, there are lots more other cafes and eateries, a 24-hour Watsons, Macdonald's, telco shops (for you to buy or top up a Taiwan phone card) and optical shops. Definitely keeping you occupied even while walking.


(p.s. since this is such a long-winded post, I decided to publish this first and add on more later, just in case Blogger eats up my post and I will dieeee after spending more than 6 hours on this entry! Will tweet once I add on to this post!)

Metta, 

欣雨 Xinyu

NOW WHO'S GONNA SAVE THE DOCTORS?

A friend of mine worked as a gynecologist in Australia and she shared a blog entry on her Facebook.

I clicked on it, thinking it was a light-hearted article and ended up reading a very genuinely-written article, highlighting the legal & work problems faced by the doctors in Queensland, Australia. The blog entry was written by a Emergency Physician who worked in the public hospital of Queensland.

Ran a Google search today and this came up:

I can't believe what I am reading. A government wanting to sue hundreds of doctors in its state??? According to the blog writer, his reason for refusal to comply was:

"I simply want to be able to do what I have trained my entire adult life to do; To make sick people better, without being told that I can’t use drug x, or device y, or technique z, because they are too expensive. We take the doctor-patient relationship extremely seriously. From day one in medical school, we are constantly reminded of the sacrosanct nature of this bond...I have to be free to do my best for my patients, or I do not deserve the title Dr."

From ABC news, hundreds of senior medical officers in Queensland are threatening to quit over new State Government contracts.

I can't quite fathom why the politicians will resort to such a biased medical contract that affects the morale and welfare of its state doctors so badly. I pray, with such a dangerous medical system in play, I will never ever need emergency care in Queensland. And please, Singapore, don't ever end up like this. Not so chek ark please. Sure will 折福折壽 & 絕子絕孫, no matter how many parenthood campaigns you run.

On another side note, if I ever have the tremendous fortune to be a great doctor (no no, not the aesthetics kind) in my next life, please don't let me be born in Queensland and suffer the fate of 英雄無用武之地.

Below is a re-post of the brilliantly detailed article of a hectic day in the life of the Emergency Physician, who have since resigned from the public hospital. I wish you well, Doctor. May your noble ambitions of serving the Queensland population in the public sector be fulfilled soon.

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It can’t be right!

Posted on 27/02/2014 by hippocratesintheed

Like many professionals, I find myself in my early forties, settled, with a partner and two young children. I’m an older parent than most. My partner and I postponed having our children until I had completed my training since my pay, short term employment contracts and working long hours as a junior doctor in the public health system meant that it was financially not viable for us to start a family earlier. Qualifying as a doctor is just the beginning of a long, long journey. I completed nine years of postgraduate training and moved eleven times, including twice internationally, before I passed my final fellowship and became a consultant Emergency Physician.

That was ten years ago this year. Since then I have worked as a full time Staff Specialist in Emergency Medicine in the public hospital system of Queensland. I vividly remember the Bundaberg and Caboolture hospital scandals, and have no wish to return to the days of skeleton staffing and unacceptable standards of care. I deliver hands on, 24 hour a day emergency care to the people of Queensland in some of the most difficult moments of their lives. Sometimes I am with them as they are born, frequently I help them as they confront a serious illness in themselves or a loved one. Sometimes I am with them when they die. This is the challenge and the privilege of Emergency Medicine.

I am starting a ten hour clinical shift in a metropolitan emergency department. Most days we will see around two hundred to two hundred and fifty patients per 24 hours. Every single one of these Queenslanders brings their own unique medical problem in their own personal context. My job is to see that each one of them receives the care that they need in a caring, compassionate and timely fashion. I have a team of young doctors with me, and together we aim to achieve this goal. Today, at the 8am handover, I learn that two of our junior doctors are sick. Since we have a total of 6 juniors on the day shift, we have lost a third of our medical staff before the shift has even begun. The Emergency Department is already understaffed so there are no replacements. We will simply have to “suck it up” as it is known in the trade. The night doctors are tired. It has been a busy night, and the on call Consultant was called in for a critically ill patient at 5am, having only finished the evening shift at 1am. The call, however necessary,  and her departure will also have woken her partner, and probably her two children. We are on call after an evening shift at least once a week, and the nights on call don’t just affect us, but our families too. She is finishing her clinical notes having just transported the patient to the intensive care unit. The patient, a 47 year old man with a young family, arrived with chest pain before promptly having a cardiac arrest in the emergency department. My colleague led the team who administered drugs and an electric shock to restart the patients heart, placed a tube in his airway to allow him to breathe and called in and coordinated the arrival of a Cardiologist and cardiology team to take the patient for an emergency angioplasty in the “Cath Lab”. As the senior emergency doctor, she personally escorted the patient with their life support machine to the lab. She remained with them for the duration of the one hour procedure, whilst administering anaesthetic drugs to keep the patient asleep, before escorting the still unconscious patient to the ICU. She should be back on duty in 5 hours, but has only had 3 hours sleep. Another Consultant, probably on their day off, will come in to cover the first half of her shift. The late notice phone calls to come in to work are just accepted as part of the job, but are disruptive to family life. Our children quickly learn that Mummy or Daddy’s promises to be at their sports day or school music concert actually come with a silent “unless the department needs me” on the end!

The Emergency Physicians and some of the Intensive Care doctors are the only senior doctors who work shifts. We know that a patient who is seen by a senior emergency doctor on arrival is more likely to survive, and we are committed to this concept. If you are sick, we will be there for you – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. That is the commitment that we make to you.

The day has begun badly, but it often does. We just have to deal with it. Public Emergency departments don’t close just because they are full or because there are no beds in the hospital or because of staff sickness, so we work on…

I see a 98 year old lady with a broken hip after a fall. She tells me that she is looking forward to getting her telegrams from the Queen and Governor-General. I prescribe morphine for her pain and order x-rays, a heart tracing and blood tests. I can’t just assume that she has tripped. If I miss the fact that actually she has had a heart attack, seizure, sudden disturbance in heart rhythm or any one of a dozen other conditions that could have led to her fall, then those telegrams may never become a reality. I reassure her that all will be well, and that our doctors will refer her to an Orthopaedic Surgeon for surgery.

I see a 27 year old girl who is 8 weeks pregnant and has started to bleed. This is probably a miscarriage, but I can’t assume anything. I need to be sure that this is not something more sinister like an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilised egg develops outside the womb causing pain and catastrophic bleeding. I ask a female junior doctor to perform an examination on the young lady, and order an ultrasound and blood tests, whilst making sure that a transfusion sample is taken just in case. She also receives painkillers. The possibility of miscarriage is a devastating psychological blow for this patient, and a nurse and myself spend time trying to reassure her and put her more at ease before her partner arrives. I offer to break the news to him when he arrives.

I see a 19 year old heroin user who came in overnight having been found unconscious. The night team saved his life by giving oxygen and medication when he stopped breathing. Since then he has been sleeping peacefully, but now he is awake and angry. I want to x-ray his chest to make sure that he did not inhale any mouth secretions whilst he was lying unconscious in the park. He throws his breakfast pack at a nurse and delivers a stream of obscenities. I intervene and attempt to reason with him whilst security are called. He spits at me, but the presence of three burly security guards deters him from further violence and he relents. The x-ray is performed before he is discharged in search of more heroin.

The scan result on a 23 year old girl in our short stay unit has come back saying that she has a blood clot on her lung. Left untreated, this is life threatening. I prescribe medication to thin her blood, having calculated the correct dose, and explain the implications of her diagnosis and that she will have to be admitted to the hospital for further treatment and investigation. I refer her to a Respiratory Physician.

An alarm sounds, and our team rushes to the resuscitation area, where a middle aged lady arrives on an ambulance trolley looking sick. Very sick. This lady is now my absolute priority. Everyone else will have to wait. She has an abnormal heart trace, but also has back pain and low blood pressure. The resuscitation team, of which I am the leader, quickly apply oxygen, place intravenous drips and administer medications, but she rapidly deteriorates and her heart stops. I coordinate the resuscitation attempt, standing by the patient and managing the team’s interventions, whilst simultaneously alerting the rest of the hospital to events in the ED. I call ICU and a Cardiologist in order to mobilise the resources which this lady may need if she survives. She rallies for a period of time, but sadly dies without regaining consciousness. I ensure that she spends her last moments with her husband, and take time to express my condolences and to offer support. Putting my hand on his shoulder as he cries, I ask our social worker to speak with him, and offer him a telephone if he wishes to call anyone. Even in his moment of grief, he thanks me for caring for his wife.

The day continues. At 3pm I realise how hungry I am and that I really, really need to go to the bathroom. Time pressure has meant that food and bathrooms have not been an option until now. I have limited time, so the bathroom wins. Lunch will have to wait. There is always one more patient to see.

The last time I checked, if I chose to work in a private ED then I could earn two to three times what I do now. It’s not that I can’t work in the private system. The two fellowships I have completed during my training mean that my qualifications are as good as, if not better than many of my private colleagues. It’s simply that I don’t WANT to work in the private hospital system. I see my job as delivering high quality, compassionate and timely emergency care to the WHOLE population of Queensland, not just those lucky enough to be able to afford private insurance. I also value my role in helping to teach the next generation of Emergency Physicians, a responsibility taken on almost solely by the public hospital system.

Work pressures in Emergency Departments are increasing, as are emergency attendances, while at the same time budgets are being cut. We are constantly being told to do more with less. What is expected of the staff in this high stakes environment continues to increase. I work at least one evening shift and night on call a week and every third or fourth weekend. This has a significant impact on my home life, my partner and my children. I have accepted all of this without complaint. Emergency Medicine is not glamorous and rarely makes the headlines. I accept this. I just want to be able to do a good job and take good care of my patients.

My employer is now asking me to sign an individual contract with them, which removes all of the rights and protections which I currently enjoy under the award. My right of appeal to the QIRC has been removed. If I sign this contract, my ability to protect YOU from bad decisions by bureaucrats is massively compromised. I can be fired for speaking out over important issues, or for “refusing a reasonable direction” from a manager. This could include being ordered to not prescribe a particular drug or to open the Cardiac Cath Lab out of hours on the grounds of expense. At the moment I have the right to fight them, to fight for you, but I have a wife and two children to feed and clothe. I can’t afford to lose my job.

They have also removed the existing fatigue provisions from the new contract. Tired doctors make bad decisions, and these clauses protect us from being forced to work excessive hours by an organisation who’s own report into fatigue in doctors, produced at significant taxpayers expense, concluded that we should just drink coffee! The contract now states that fatigue will now be managed “locally”. I think we all know what that means.

The worst thing about the contract is that any aspect of it can be unilaterally and retrospectively changed by my employer without my consent. Half of the doctors leave? No problem, we’ll just flog the rest harder, they can cover the extra shifts. No need to employ any expensive new ones. After all, they can just drink coffee, our own report says so, and the patients will never notice. If the doctors complain, we’ll change their contract and put them on the minimum wage, or just terminate their employment. Try to open an operating theatre for a sick patient in the middle of the night? The bureaucrats might think it’s too expensive. Argue with them? You are terminated with immediate effect. That will make you think twice!

One leading employment lawyer described the contract as the most one sided contract they had ever seen. Like many emergency doctors, I have a mortgage to pay and a partner and two children who depend on me as their main bread winner. It will be a cruel irony indeed if my employer, the Queensland Government, forces me into the private hospital system by its insistence that I sign a contract which fundamentally shifts the balance of power in the health system away from those who actually care for patients, and towards accountants and bureaucrats, who only see the financial bottom line.

I work for the organisation which employed Jayent Patel, and then flew him out of the country when it all went wrong. It closed Caboolture Emergency Department by letting the working conditions become so hazardous and unbearable that all the senior staff left. It left us unpaid for weeks at a time by its incompetent management of the new payroll system, but now I am being asked to trust it, and put my employment rights and YOUR health in its hands.

The public health system is sleep walking into a disaster for patient care.

Queensland, I need your help!

I have always been there when you need me.

Will you be there for me?

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Metta,

欣雨 Xinyu

BEDTIME REFLECTIONS

Typing all this out on my Note, while lying on my bed. I prefer blogging with my laptop. It's faster and easier than grappling with the phone (Note One is fat!) but least my work distracts me, so I didn't on my laptop tonight. Have been clocking a week of 9am bedtimes. And my skin is showing it. Sometimes while researching for stuff, I end up mindlessly surfing. Told myself that hey, instead of just reading other blogs, I can also create my own content. Actually the real reason for my resumed blogging after half a year was my Fengshui master.

If you have read my old entries, he is known as Master Dai Hu. He was reading my annual luck for 2014 when he briefly mentioned I should make more effort to connect with people, both people I know & people I don't. He said I would learn to care more & open up my heart. I told him quite seriously I don't really know how to & that I find small talk a waste of time when I probably don't really care that much. Master Dai Hu said I have been lucky to be born with many benefactors in my life, but yet at the same time, I have never given that kind of help & concern to that many people. He told me that I would be a happier person if I find myself a useful person and can bring happiness to others. He said he had seen so many clients from all walks of life & he had rarely seen a happy one.

His words set me thinking for the past one month. What else should I be doing?

Then, one day, my neglected blog came to my mind. Blogging is sure hell of a way to connect with people right? Some of you are my customers, some are fellow online retailers,  some came here while googling for something (why does Happy Plant ranked so high in the subject search??) and some I don't know. I reckon as long as I blog about something useful, it would be a productive use of my time & at the same time, connecting with you, you and you. When I share with you the way I think and if you are facing the same problem as me, maybe you will feel less alone and see things from a different viewpoint. When I share the things I like, the food/places I fancy, you will have something new to check out or it might bring back some happy memories. Maybe is only a possibility, but then again, it IS a possibility.

Randomly, yesterday while taking the train, the cabin was packed with people and there was this lone empty seat in the middle. I peeped over to see why nobody wanted it and saw blood stains on it. Some poor girl must have stained it while menstruating. This is the second time I saw such an incident. The previous time, I took out my wet tissues to wipe it clean, prior to alighting at my stop. I used 3-4 sheets and a whole lot of tissue to grab the used wet tissues. But this time, I didn't have any wet tissues with me. I toyed with the idea of asking for wet tissues but I chickened out. 2 stops later, I alighted. I could have done better. I should have done better and I will next time. I didn't mind cleaning up such stained seats. Well, my previous SQ toilet training probably helps. The thing is I am sure everyone would be delighted to have a seat on the train, especially after work. And who wants to stare at blood stained seats on the train?

Oh well. Please let me be more thick skin and less self-conscious about silly things that should not mattered in the first place.

For readers who from time to time inquired about Master Dai Hu after reading about him here, he now has a newly set-up Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/masterdaihu. His FB posts are in both Chinese & English (you got to click 'See more' to read the English version as it's below the Chinese version). He's very polite (I inevitably also become more polite when talking to him) & most importantly, accurate in what he says & very resourceful with solutions to help his clients. Now you know where to find him, ladies!


Metta,
欣雨 Xinyu