just came back from a rather tiring but fulfilling day.


went for the public health screening in the morning. arrived rather early, so i helped to arrange the chairs and tables. was initially assigned to do the kids' quiz, but the registration obviously needed more manpower, especially since many of the old folks could hardly read, so i helped them with the questionaire. almose all could speak mandarin, and z- passed me a canto lady. stumbled through all the technical terms because i hardly use or hear them being spoken.


but it was interesting. what with the lady who wept because her husband is as good as dead (stroke, needs intubation, can't breathe on his own), the seventy-seven year old ex-british army guy who goes to mcritchie every morning, rain or shine, at five thirty in the morning to walk five kilometres, and the woman who was adopted and so has no idea at all about her family history and her risk factors. this woman in particular doesn't see the doctor at all, not even with (what i suspect to be) floaters and a skin condition on her leg. the woman who wept, on the other hand, asked me to let the pharmaceutical companies know that vegetarians aren't supposed to consume milk that has added vitamins or chemicals in it. she used to have osteoporosis (can you ever -fully- recover from that?!) and now she claims to be better because she became vegetarian, stopped taking milk, and does some moderate exercise. hmmm. food for thought. i listened to her for a long time, since it's the only chance i have to listen to her at leisure. prob won't get to do that once i start working, which, of course, is rather far away...