I used to visit Pantai Hospital a lot, when we used to send my kids to the padaetrician at Pantai.  For the past year, we switched to Island Hosp.  And for our biyrly wellness check-ups, we go to Adventist.  All 3 hospitals are pretty modernised in facilities, service style and most of all the atmostphere.  In Pantai and esp Island, getting hospitalised is like checking into a hotel.  But last Fri, for logistics reasons, I went to LamWahEe’s ENT consultant for an ear infection.  Dr Jonathan Deong was good.  But, being in this particular hosp, gave me the creeps (BIG time).  I’ve never felt more depressed walkin into a hospital in Penang. They make you queue in lines for registration.  (I queued for half an hour).  Then, waited for another 2.5hrs (all in, fr 9am to 12noon) b4 the doctor finally saw me.  While waiting in the big waiting hall u're stuck in the company of all kinds of sick ppl around you.  (Note: the other hospitals have separate waiting rooms for different consultations.  Eg.  all padaetric clinics have 1 waiting hall, obstetrician in another, etc etc.)  Note there is also no mags or papers around, so for 3 hrs, I was drowned in depressing “scenery”. 

The floor tiles in sandblasted pale yellow, walls in pale bluish beige - already make me wanna run away. I look around (have to - u can't jes be starin at ur own toes for 3hrs, rite?!). An Indon guy (who looks terribly like CannyOng’s murderer) sat nearby with a nose profusely runny.  An old man in his 70s who was wheeled around (for some reason) by his son, has hands and lower jaw that couldn’t stop shaking.  I think that’s Parkinson kuar.  A bald famished looking nun, with very dry skin, wearing a really oversized sweater, looking very miserable, sits directly infront of me.  A rude Chinese woman in her 40s, who acted like her husband was the big Bro of 3 little dragons (or whatcha call that notorious gang), was arguing loudly with a nurse, apparently complaining the long wait.  A little naughty boy was playing by himself rolling on the floor, unwittingly gathering germs, and I wonder where his parents were!!  The list goes on …….  Luckily, the waiting seats were comfy, else it’d hv been complete hell.  I tried to make conversation with the indian woman beside me, to kill time, but obviously everyone were too preocupied with the pain they were there to treat, than to converse with a deaf pimpled-face Ah Ji (me).  So I sent a few smses to kacau some frens.  :P

After this episode, it just make you want to be very healthy, so you won’t have to be in a place like this again!  Especially when you have 2 kids whose happiness and wellbeing depends on you.

Couple of days ago, someone said I think too much.  Well, d thing is - if I don't, why am I here?   ;)