Unexpected return

IT was about 9:00 PM when I received a call from my friend. He seem panic with the matter. Once I asked the cause, he said that he just lost his wallet and don't know what to do next. I asked him to report the bank and police as soon as possible. He only knew his wallet has been dropped on the way when he pull out to pay his phone-bill payment at nearby 7-Eleven store. He immediately rush back the way he just walked through to find nothing. He then called me for advice as he is distraught at least for that particular moment. 

I tried to console him not to panic. I shared him a story in which my colleague had lost his wallet two times and get it back later. Few minutes later, my friend called me back to tell me good news. Like my friend, I was amazing to learn that he had got his wallet from neighborhood police station upon report. What a good feeling will it be for a person who just lost and panic for losing wallet is it? I could imagine how my friend would be happy. He said, police just asked him to fill up the form and ask if there are some items which he didn't fill up. He said 'yes' and police asked him why not in the reporting list. He answered, he didn't report them because they are deemed minor items. Then, police no longer ask him and pass wallet to my friend. My friend was so happy and grateful to a person who has returned his wallet. Sadly, he didn't ask police who had returned wallet.

My friend was so impressed with the rule of law happening in this small island nation. And he told me that he wants to share his experience on social media service like Facebook if he can write. I didn't pledge him to write the post on my blog one day. Now I feel that I should record the true story so that I could able to recall when we are getting old and of course share the good attitude of unsung hero who has found somebody's wallet on public road and returned to police without taking a single piece inside. Hopefully my friend and I will try to do the same manner if we got the chance finding things not belong to us on public places in future. If all the people around the world adapt such manner, our world will become a peaceful place to live in for doubtless.

EOS lesson

SECOND time in a row, my daughter will come visit us this Saturday. As a part of preparation, my wife and I bought a digital SLR camera to capture lifetime memory during our daughter's month long holiday here. We attempted to buy similar quality camera last year just before our daughter visits us for first time. After prolong discussion with some close friends who already owned DSLR camera and we chose not to buy it. The common reason that bar us was the problem attaching with DSLR camera's maintenance. We learned that the major risk with DSLR camera is moisture that make lens kit infected with fungus which can cost owner few hundreds dollars.

With the desire of my wife, we bought it on last expo sale to taste DSLR experience. As a beginner level, I needed to learn from A to Z by reading all inclusive manual books to familiarize myself with camera components as well as how to operate it properly. It is easier said than done. As a compact family camera user, almost everything with DSLR camera is new and advanced technology. It took me some sizeable time to understand some basis to begin operation. Besides, I need to make sure the dry cabinet is set at 45% RH value as it is recommended by manufacturer. Dry cabinet is another area I needed to learn together with DSLR camera. I sometime felt that I have bought a troublesome expensive toy to punish my desire. When we don't have things, we want to own it. When getting, it turn us to worry from losing, spoiling, etc. As time is limit, I certainly need to surrender doing something I like such as reading and surfing because we could able to do once at a time. Hopefully, owning DSLR camera will make us worth for investing our hard-earn money in the long run despite we got initial difficulties which is temporary.

Japanese make us dream

ANOTHER mission I am attached during my recent trip back Rangoon is to detect the land related rumor and make a decision to mitigate the risk. Hence, I managed to visit the area where my land plots are existing. The lands are locating just beside mouth-watering project called Thilawa Industrial Zone which will be developed by Japanese assistance. As a promising land, everybody wants to own a piece of parcel land around the region. I am not exception and purchased two plots with the help of my friend since a year ago. In recent months, there were some bad news saying residents are striking for their rights against government's order to move out with immediate manners. Nobody know the true story. But such news make land owners concern with their unfenced land parcels indeed. Especially for owner like me because the money I paid was hard-earn money. I may not afford to miss my land for certain reasons. 

Fortunately, I won an air ticket lucky draw and decided to visit the place. I went the industrial zone with the intention of assessment toward current affairs. I last visited 7 months ago and see some visible improvement in infra-structure. Also found some basic tests conducted by JICA. Some local companies already started their operation to figure out their dream. I witnessed the huge block which is meant for Japanese investors. There are planned residential block next to Japanese firm's industrial wards bordering with two ways concrete pavement roads. There are several busy trucks with carrying soil from one place to another to make some plots get level ground before it is go ahead with development. When I asked my friend where is affected area related to recent protest, he explained by showing the places and it help me decide on whether sell back or maintain my land.

In fact, there are buyers there but hardly found no sellers for the land plots. There are some property agent offices by the roads. There are some stalls to feed patronage around. There are some cars looking forward a suitable deal. There are some people who are looking at their property in physical. I also witness some transaction between seller and buyer through agent. I visited regional government authority office which is governing on all transaction. All buyers have to come across that office to check the documents are correct or not. Some owners are busying with constructing of fencing to their plots so that they can block some intruders inside their premise. It also serve to warn other onlookers that the land is belong to somebody else. In brief, the lands are quite promising to own as Thilawa Industrial Zone is quite sure thing to be developed right now. It is widely considered the first priority of ruling government during their term and meant to open phase-1 before next election on 2015. I finally easy to make decision not to sell back my plots for good investment. I however realize that the value of land in future will purely fall on the Japanese firms. For the time being, people who own a piece of lands including me are day dreaming with the prospect of successful industrial park in near future coming in without falsifying.

Ugly service

THE third place I visited was a private hospital. I needed to take token one day advance to meet dermatologist there and my number was even 35. Guess how many patients demanding specialist care in our country. Let it be. I reached there on about 10:00am and reached my turn on 1:30pm approximately. Never mind for waiting. What matter to me is the way he is treating me as a patient. From beginning our relationship never been right manner. He started with a usual question as follow:-

Physician: what's matter

Me : I got dandruff problem, Sir.

Ph : Phyae' (Make it visible in Burmese language).

Me: What...(I did not understand what he's talking about exactly)

Ph : I tell you, make your scarf visible by putting your hairs aside.

Me: Oh,,I see.....(I'm trying to show him affected area)

Ph : Do you know Physician in foreign country will ask such patient to bald?

Me: I already bald my head but no improve, Sir

Ph: What I tell you is foreign dermatologist ask their patient to bald first before seeing them.

Me: I see..

Ph: Hold, hold, I see dandruff now.

Me: thank you, Sir

He is writing some prescription on medical notebook and pass it back to me. As I intended to consult him my wife's skin problem, I didn't leave him as he expected.

Ph: I told you can go now, ok?

Me: But I want to discuss another, Sir

Ph: What's that? quick quick

Me: It's about my wife, Sir

Ph: where is your wife?

Me: she is not accompanying me now.

Ph: then go back, I can't help you.

Me: Please please, Sir

Ph: Hey I told you again go back now.

Me: Please I beg you as my wife's problem is so bad now.

Ph: then where is your wife's medical registration book?

Me: hmmm I forgot to make it, but you may charge me for your service

Ph: why your wife is not coming here?

Me: she's working abroad and not getting on leave for the time being

Ph: Hmmm, there are better dermatologists in foreign lands, just go and consult them lah.

Me: But it's too expensive and we can't afford, Sir. But more importantly, we trust in your wisdom and experience, Sir.

Ph: How do I check your wife's problem then?

Me: I took photo of her problem to show you, Sir.

Ph: where is it?

Me: Here it is....(by showing photos on my iPhone)

Ph: Hmmmmm, it looks so bad, I give you medical soup to wash it and some lotion to apply on.

Me: Alright Sir, thank you very much.

Ph: You are the one who will downgrade my reputation.

Me: Not really Sir, I don't mean so

Ph: Go back, now you got what you want, Ok?

Me: Alright Sir, Thanks for your kind help.

I tried my best to swallow my anger by his behavior and attitude toward patient. They are treating patient like their servants. Without patients, they will be useless and nothing. I believe they were taught to treat patient as kind as possible while studying at their college days. Why like that? I don't understand. We come and see to pay money them. We are not coming for free. We are in fact making them richer day after day. I paid Ks 5000 for his few minutes time. But I thank him for his wisdom and written prescription. Luckily my wife's skin problem had been improved within few days after I return. I finally felt that it is worth to be scolded by that stupid dermatologist. I am not sure if my dandruff will disappear on his medication till now. Sadly, such thing happening on my country indeed.

Bad service

The second clinic I visited was an eye specialist center to recheck my eyes' condition. The place I go is expensive one and one of top center located in downtown Yangon. I am pleased with initial service with technician staffs from clinic. Soon after waiting on lounge, my turn came and nurse like lady signaled me to enter a room. When I enter, there is a parent on the treatment table undertaken by an eye specialist. Understanding the situation, I took a seat nearby meant for next patient. I look around and see how the physician is acting on patient. 

I am disgusting to learn how the physician is speaking to his patient. He is chewing guns while talking to patient and doing his job. To me, it is not a behavior of a good professional. But I have to understand that I am getting homeland where specialists are being treated like a King by businessmen. My turn reach and I lightly answered his questions. According to his finding, my lens degree has exchanged left and right. Previously my left had 200 and right for 250. Now, he told me that my left eye became 250 and right is reduced for 200. Plus, my right eye has cylinder for 50 now. He wrote on a slip and pass it to nurse for next section to purchase glasses frame and lens.

I got suspicious with his professional skill and wanted to retest with another physician on different place. Hence, I rejected their proposal to make spectacle frame and lens with immediately. On the next day, I took appointment with another specialist to retest my eyes and encountered different result. This time, my eyes suggest 225 for left and 200 for right with no cylinder. I adapted second result and made my new lens there. It is apparent okay on my eyes and I rate the first physician as a bad service despite taking maximum fees per head. The first day test cost me Ks 5500 while second day only charged me Ks 3000. At the end of the day, I took the second result for making my lens as I can't afford to make mistake in changing lens. Our life are sometime funny like that. No choice, we have to live in it.

Good service

The first place I went in Yangon was a dental clinic as I wanted to plant my lower right teeth which has been gone 10 years ago. My lower left teeth also had gone for 20 years and notice there has been no space to replant. As a result, the remaining other lower teeth have been swayed equally that make some pockets to keep some food residual I eat. The clinic is no strange for me but it is located amid high end landed properties quarter. I managed to find it by taxi as I was almost forgot the place now. The dentist I met was a young professional who is apparent even younger than me. 

As I have time constraint compare to the service I want to do, I chose any dentist to serve me. There are few dentists working at the same time that provide customers a choice. I took any and a young dentist was introduced for me and offered his best. Once I came in the surgery room, he and his assistants are greeting at me with warm smiles and I am quite relief at first sight. It is not a small group, it include about 6 person to participate in my operation. Upon my explanation on dental problem, my dentist and his team keep busying for about 1 and half hour continuously. They are skillful and quite good in ensuring patient won't pain so much. They would ask me often if I could able to resist incoming pain. I got some smelly while they are hard working with my teeth. 

I understood that in order to plant one teeth, they have to set frame on next teeth close to a intended place so that they could bridge each other. I don't know their procedure but I could imagine how tough job will it be. And I expected the maximum pain during operation. The most upset one for me however became muscle pain for prolong opening my mouth rather than electric motor grinding toward my original teeth. I noted that it take couple weeks under normal circumstance to plant a teeth for a patient. Upon my request, they tried their best to minimize the duration to about 5 days from 14 days. I don't need to pay premium fees for urgent service. On first visit, they took the mold of my teeth and put a plastic teeth for temporary before install permanent one on later date. On second visit, my pearl-while natural look teeth were ready to fix in my mouth and it took me about half an hour only. 

Since then, I didn't feel uncomfortable in my mouth and I am grateful for their professional service at affordable cost. Other than planting my outgoing teeth, I also did other service for filling, cleaning plaque and polishing my teeth. Now I can eat as a normal person by both sides of my jaw. Hopefully it will function to its eternal on me.

Which is closer to you?

RECENTLY, I went back Yangon for a week as I won air ticket from lucky draw. I went back with the intention of surveying local property market and medical check up. My schedule was fulled with clinic visits for my eyes, dental, blood and skin checkup. My Yangon resident friend noticed me that I am extra ordinarily taking care my health this time. I replied him that I must do it as prevention is better than cure. As a married man with a daughter, I have to take extra care myself so that I could able to look after my family until my daughter is grown up. He is quite bullish on my saying and countered me with a question.

Tomorrow and next life, which one is closer for you?

I paused for awhile to think deep and answered him, 'of course, next life'.

My friend continue by laughing at me, 'well, what's worth for worrying your family?'

I was motionless without reacting, meaning I am agreeing with him.

But I try to convince myself that I must be wise if I want to maintain my health at optimum.

There is a Burmese saying, 'our life is guarded by wisdom'. We can't afford to ignore things around if we want to live long. 

As a person who is practicing Buddhism, we must believe the consequence of karma. Karma means work/attitude that reflect our insight quality. We tried to do good things as much as possible while to mitigate bad behaviors. I am not happy to learn communal unrest between Buddhists and Islamist followers in my homeland now. Wish the authority may able to prevent our people falling to the trap of perpetual and become victims. Life is too short to regret and we should have a chance to live peacefully without fear.

Fall in love with iPhone 5

FINALLY, the beautiful iPhone-5 belong to me following 2 years contract agreement with top local operator. It took me more than 8 years to enjoy the non-disrupt service from mobile operator since I have been working abroad from early 2005. I am stubborn with making contract as it is deemed unnecessary for me. As an office worker, I have internet access during working time and got similar privilege at home. The only time free from internet is traveling time to and from the office. I see almost every fellow passenger on board are busying with their mobile through various reason. But I don't feel impressed by such surrounding. I prefer to read something like newspaper or book or magazine than eye-damaging screen.

For me, using mobile is just to make call and receive calls from friends. My mobile doesn't need to perform work related things that make call traffic reduce visibly. I would think it is not worthy for my hard earn money and also some form of cruel to my tiresome eyes from day long computer facing works. These all thinking make me ensure using pre-paid line which is relatively budget and save my money at the end of the month. I see there are quite closely compete in the IT market among industrial big boys from west and east. Our desire to own new technology gadget will not end unless we could able to kill our unlimited desires. I don't feel down for using prepaid line at all.

In the wake of recent meditation retreats, the way I think toward my lifestyle might have change from other perspective. Everything we own in this particular life will be left behind when we one day die. If so, what's the point of saving money by refraining from doing/ tasting expensive toys? We are doing some donation towards our community and relatives to kill off our greedy minds. If we think of that way, unable to use latest technology gadget is consequence of our past life's manner. In other words, it is reflection of bad karma for what we've done in past life. With the recommendation of my wife, I this time didn't confuse with her suggestion to sign up one postpaid line that make me own world's most advanced technology phone with immediate effect. Thanks my wife for paying all upfront bills to lure my quiet desire.