One day, Angela looked at my tie and said, “It is stained. You should wear a napkin at meals.”
“Daddy is a baby! Daddy is a baby!” Angelina chanted.
I told them a story.
Once upon a time, a famous painter always wore a napkin when he was drawing pictures. With time, the napkin was stained with every color.
One day, he was summoned by the king. It was not until he had reached the court when he realized he was still wearing the napkin.
“What is that thing on your neck?” the king asked.
Without pausing a second, the painter answered, “This is a tie, your majesty. I wear it for decoration.”
The king was very pleased and asked the painter to paint a tie for him.
This marked the birth of ties.
28 Mar 2013
21 Mar 2013
Organ
Lately, a childhood friend recognized me at the church and I became organist again. In fact, organist was Mozart’s last job under Prince-Archbishop Colloredo. Apart from composing music, Bach was also famous for making organs. He made it sound easy, “There is nothing to it. You only have to hit the right notes at the right time and the instrument plays itself.”
I was obviously content with the job and my wife asked, “Is it for the love of God or love of music?”
“Are they not the same?” I replied.
I was obviously content with the job and my wife asked, “Is it for the love of God or love of music?”
“Are they not the same?” I replied.
14 Mar 2013
Prepared
As the 10th anniversary of SARS drew near, JW got loads of interviews. “One striking thing is that almost all reporters asked the same question in the end,” said JW. “Are we prepared for the next SARS outbreak?”
We were puzzled. In the past decade, we got a huge infectious disease center in the city center, and all big hospitals had built dozens of isolation rooms. We no longer need to worry about the supply of face masks and protective gowns. Of course we can never prepare for everything, but we are better prepared than ever.
“The point is,” JW explained, “we do have better hardwares. The reporters were asking about the preparedness of professionals. They saw that the best medical graduates all want the ROAD to success. Would they risk their lives for their patients when the need arises?”
We went silent. That said, aren’t the people working ten years ago still very much alive?
P.S. After the SARS outbreak, so many people said their lives were no longer the same and their values were changed. A few years later, the very same people hungered for fame and money more than ever. I am truly surprised how the experience could have so short an impact.
We were puzzled. In the past decade, we got a huge infectious disease center in the city center, and all big hospitals had built dozens of isolation rooms. We no longer need to worry about the supply of face masks and protective gowns. Of course we can never prepare for everything, but we are better prepared than ever.
“The point is,” JW explained, “we do have better hardwares. The reporters were asking about the preparedness of professionals. They saw that the best medical graduates all want the ROAD to success. Would they risk their lives for their patients when the need arises?”
We went silent. That said, aren’t the people working ten years ago still very much alive?
P.S. After the SARS outbreak, so many people said their lives were no longer the same and their values were changed. A few years later, the very same people hungered for fame and money more than ever. I am truly surprised how the experience could have so short an impact.
7 Mar 2013
Build
At the Department Research Day last Saturday, KL mentioned Good to Great by Jim Collins. He described great leader as one who builds a team rather than oneself.
Coincidentally, I read Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future? by Harry R Lewis not long ago. In one chapter, Lewis explained why professors do not like teaching. Universities select them that way. Nowadays, universities focus so much on research output that they hire their staff based almost solely on their research track record. Along the same line, research performance is the main determinant of contract renewal and promotion, whereas the assessment of teaching performance is often reduced to a single average student evaluation score and scarcely discussed. According to Lewis, we should not ask why professors do not like teaching. Rather, we should ask why there are still professors who care about teaching. Using the same argument, we would not be surprised if professors only want to build their own fame (or in the jargon of the university administration, international reputation) through research.
When we look around the department, however, we can only be amazed at the number of people who care to teach and care to build the next generation. Many are even young academics who are themselves struggling. This is almost suicidal, but it is lovely to be surrounded by good people.
Coincidentally, I read Excellence Without a Soul: Does Liberal Education Have a Future? by Harry R Lewis not long ago. In one chapter, Lewis explained why professors do not like teaching. Universities select them that way. Nowadays, universities focus so much on research output that they hire their staff based almost solely on their research track record. Along the same line, research performance is the main determinant of contract renewal and promotion, whereas the assessment of teaching performance is often reduced to a single average student evaluation score and scarcely discussed. According to Lewis, we should not ask why professors do not like teaching. Rather, we should ask why there are still professors who care about teaching. Using the same argument, we would not be surprised if professors only want to build their own fame (or in the jargon of the university administration, international reputation) through research.
When we look around the department, however, we can only be amazed at the number of people who care to teach and care to build the next generation. Many are even young academics who are themselves struggling. This is almost suicidal, but it is lovely to be surrounded by good people.
28 Feb 2013
Debt
A while ago, GW asked me to sign on a pile of bills.
As I duly complied, I asked, “I am happy to pay, but listen. Your account has zero dollars. Mine has minus xx(*) dollars. Even my seven-year old daughter can tell I am poorer than you.”
“The university people say that you have earned money before and I haven’t. Therefore, they have more confidence in your ability to settle the sum.”
I began to understand the national debts.
* Omitted to protect the account holder.
As I duly complied, I asked, “I am happy to pay, but listen. Your account has zero dollars. Mine has minus xx(*) dollars. Even my seven-year old daughter can tell I am poorer than you.”
“The university people say that you have earned money before and I haven’t. Therefore, they have more confidence in your ability to settle the sum.”
I began to understand the national debts.
* Omitted to protect the account holder.
21 Feb 2013
Premium
At the final year medical students’ farewell party, JW told us a story.
A middle-age man attended the emergency department of a local hospital complaining of fever, jaundice and upper abdominal pain. Blood tests showed obstructive jaundice and high white cell count. The emergency doctor diagnosed common cold and sent the man away.
The man did not feel right and decided to seek second opinion at a hospital in Shenzhen. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram was performed on the same day and showed a small stone in the bile duct. The diagnosis of acute cholangitis was made. Eventually, the man was admitted under our team, and the cholangitis was successfully treated by endoscopy.
During morning round one day, the man talked about his experience. He did not really complain, but he could not help mentioning that he only spent RMB200 for the scan and was very satisfied with the service.
JW remarked that doctors in Hong Kong had been charging a premium of 5 to 20 times by claiming to deliver better service. He questioned if the performance of future doctors could still justify the premium. He anticipated keen competition from mainland 10 to 20 years later, but it appeared that the time had already come silently.
I rarely link money with medicine, but this is one of the few occasions in which I hope our students are worth the premium.
A middle-age man attended the emergency department of a local hospital complaining of fever, jaundice and upper abdominal pain. Blood tests showed obstructive jaundice and high white cell count. The emergency doctor diagnosed common cold and sent the man away.
The man did not feel right and decided to seek second opinion at a hospital in Shenzhen. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatogram was performed on the same day and showed a small stone in the bile duct. The diagnosis of acute cholangitis was made. Eventually, the man was admitted under our team, and the cholangitis was successfully treated by endoscopy.
During morning round one day, the man talked about his experience. He did not really complain, but he could not help mentioning that he only spent RMB200 for the scan and was very satisfied with the service.
JW remarked that doctors in Hong Kong had been charging a premium of 5 to 20 times by claiming to deliver better service. He questioned if the performance of future doctors could still justify the premium. He anticipated keen competition from mainland 10 to 20 years later, but it appeared that the time had already come silently.
I rarely link money with medicine, but this is one of the few occasions in which I hope our students are worth the premium.
14 Feb 2013
Proud
Recently, my friend TW was admitted to the hospital for chest infection. For a fit young man, that was quite an experience. It was so overwhelming that he reflected on his life and made the bold decision to buy an apartment to please his wife.
Lying in bed and overcome by myalgia, he also made some interesting observations. He noticed that some nurses were in traditional uniforms. They wore dresses and caps. The attire originated from that of nuns, who used to be the ones taking care of the sick in the past. In fact, we still call senior nurses ‘sisters’. Nowadays, some other nurses dress in tunics and trousers. TW remarked that the nurses in traditional uniforms were more caring and professional. He asked me for an explanation.
I answered that there were several possible explanations. First, the ones in trousers might not be nurses. There are different types of healthcare workers in the hospital. Second, the observation could be biased due to sampling variability and/or prejudice of the observer.
“Suppose your observation is correct,” I continued, “there is one more possibility. The nurses who continued to dress in traditional uniforms might be more proud of their job. This may have affected how they treat their patients.”
Outfit is of course trivial. The important thing is whether we are proud of what we are doing. Another day to declare myself a proud husband and father.
Lying in bed and overcome by myalgia, he also made some interesting observations. He noticed that some nurses were in traditional uniforms. They wore dresses and caps. The attire originated from that of nuns, who used to be the ones taking care of the sick in the past. In fact, we still call senior nurses ‘sisters’. Nowadays, some other nurses dress in tunics and trousers. TW remarked that the nurses in traditional uniforms were more caring and professional. He asked me for an explanation.
I answered that there were several possible explanations. First, the ones in trousers might not be nurses. There are different types of healthcare workers in the hospital. Second, the observation could be biased due to sampling variability and/or prejudice of the observer.
“Suppose your observation is correct,” I continued, “there is one more possibility. The nurses who continued to dress in traditional uniforms might be more proud of their job. This may have affected how they treat their patients.”
Outfit is of course trivial. The important thing is whether we are proud of what we are doing. Another day to declare myself a proud husband and father.
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