Being 21 was all good and exciting. I’m not sure about 22. It just so happens that this is the year where pretty much everyone turns 21 so we’re looking at crazy parties every weekend (not really) and speeches (both embarrassing and not). There were 3 going on simultaneously yesterday which one would be insane to navigate through. But it was all fun and good. As I was listening to Mel’s parents giving a speech to all of us (they ALWAYS say they’ll keep it short but parents can go on forever when it comes to their kids right?), it struck me suddenly that I did not remember having my mom giving a speech on mine (ie. divulging all my past embarrassing moments to all and sundry, how difficult I was, how I turned out great in the end (to her credit), and how happy she is to now wash her hands of me). Something to that effect anyway. Granted, it would be the longest 10 minutes one will have to endure but it seems to be the accepted custom here. I’ve never been to many (any???) proper 21st before this so I couldn’t really judge.

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Different note: I couldn’t help noticing during my weekly hospital clinics that there seem to be no asians / indians etc patients at the wards. It was all filled with Caucasians. So where do the rest go???

and I really can’t stand how Australia always stress that they are one of the developed countries when they have such high prevalence rates of diseases that are commonly seen in developing countries. I do not think adding ‘except in aboriginal communities’ warrants as an acceptable excuse. It just like them to do things their way. With all the demographic studies and epidemiology studies conducted, you’ll find ‘Australians’ in one category showing very little disease prevalence and then, you see beside the graph, this tall bar skyrocketing up , labeled ‘Indigenous groups’. O_O So then everyone goes off happily announcing that they are on par with the developed countries that have successfully eradicated some particular disease and sadly, for those unfortunate developing countries (who of course have sub-standard health care), they still have to struggle with these infectious diseases that are so easily preventable in the first place. Hello? What happened to ‘We are all australians, this land belongs to all of us bla bla bla??’. That’s a blind spot if there ever was one. Seriously, if one were to put these 2 groups in together, it would give them some serious health issues to reconsider. Oh, and to hear these people talk about migrants and how to treat these patients!!! How they have traveled overseas and brought light to these people…. All those condescending, patronising talks. As if foreigners were incapable of normal mental processing. Give me patience.

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Rant over. I was just getting it out of my system. We’re going over a few cases with similar problems right now hence all these venting. I’ve been sitting on this for a few days now and so it all came pouring out just now and I’m pretty sure it didn’t come out well. Not as good as if I were to spend time restructuring my whole argument but no matter. I’m not wanting to say too much in case I get kicked out of the country or something. =P (overly drastic I think) I shall leave them to their problems and deal with mine first.