1410. To publish*****: Myanmar Stories - The maid ran away again

TOA PAYOH VETS toapayohvets.com Date:   11 May, 2013     Focus: Small animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs & rabbits The maid ran away again   Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS Date:   11 May, 2013  toapayohvets.com  Be Kind To Pets Veterinary Education Project 2010-0129 Thursday, May 9, 2013 1410. Myanmar Stories - The maid ran away again The following are text messages from Swee Swee, a 27-year-old Myanmar maid to her employer, Mrs Robinson and her employment agent, Aunty Khin: Message 1 I went to kill my self .I wernt to die mardam.Please i went to stay along .Icamback later .Not finish rezult .please sorry nor i very sorry. Yes i go  aunty khin office. (From: Mrs Robinson to Khin Khin -  This is a message from Swee Swee!) Message 2 Unty ye,u went to inform police me i go ready .But now  i have very inportant problem .This one finish i can go.I went to die .Iwent to run away . Everybody cant help me . I went to killy self . (From: Khin Khin) Message 3 later i comong ur office. I explain  all unty .I coming rearly.Now i go hospital waiting me .nor unty. (From: Khin Khin) Message 4 Ko gyi i coming now . Now i    near sea.I went to die. (From: Khin Khin) --------------------------------------------------------- I had met Swee Swee 3 months ago when she got the job as a domestic worker through Khin Khin Employment Agency. I was visiting Khin Khin at her office. Swee Swee had worked for a Singaporean employer before and her conversational English was good. The new employer, Mrs Robinson was a very kind Caucasian lady who paid Swee Swee $550/month, one Saturday off per week and some time off during the weekdays. There was another senior maid who took off on Sundays. The job was to look after the aged mother and do house-work. The Caucasian couple travelled overseas most of the time and so there was practically much free time for two maids. Singaporean employers typically pay around $300/month with only one day off per month. The asking salary nowadays is now $450. So Swee Swee had a higher salary, a dream job and she was most happy. She earned more than her mother who worked as a teacher in Myanmar. But love came in like a ferocious lion. From what I was told, Swee Swee thought she was pregnant. She had at least one male friend in Singapore. "But the friend she named as responsible for her pregnancy said it was not him," Khin Khin told me. "He said Swee Swee was having menses last month and so he could not be the father!" Khin Khin advised Mrs Robinson to terminate Swee Swee's services in order not to lose the bond. Employers have to pay $5000 if the maid disappears. Swee Swee came back and Mrs Robinson forgave her and said: "After all, she is young and young ones make mistakes. We were all young once." But 5 days later, Swee Swee disappeared again. It was hard to contact her as she would not answer her handphone. This time, Mrs Robinson reluctantly terminated her services. I had come back from a holiday in Europe and visited Khin Khin at her office on May 10, 2013. "Lots of problems in the office," Khin Khin always complain about problems. I always say: "If an employment agency is so easy to operate, why are so many people employees? All Singaporeans will open employment agencies instead of working for others since there are no problems. All business owners have work and staff problems till they go bankrupt or die. Why don't you just go back to Yangon and retire as a lady of leisure? You don't need the money." Three months ago, Swee Swee had shown me her phone images of her family, her friends and house in the Irrawaddy Basin when I first met her at the employment agency. She was a personable short delicate-framed lady, the type of personality and  happy facial features that everybody likes. "The man does not love you. Now you lose your job," I said to her as she, Khin Khin and the manager sat in my car on the way back to Mrs Robinson's condo in the prime district 9 of Singapore. Swee Swee rubbed her nose and shook her head saying: "I don't care." She must be glad as she was not pregnant. She had asked Aunty Khin for money to buy the pads earlier in the day, speaking Myanmarese. She was wearing shorts as is the common practice with the young ladies of Singapore.  "Go and ask Aunty May for a longzhi (sarong)," Khin Khin gave her ten dollars." "Aunty May will charge her," I know Aunty May needs to charge for services since her business of employment agency and organising meetings and publishing were not making much money and rentals had gone up. A few businesses including employment agencies, trading companies and the seamstress shop had closed in this mall. "No," Khin Khin said. As I was going back to the Surgery at 5.30 pm to continue my consultation, taking over Dr Daniel, Khin Khin, her manager and Swee Swee hitched a ride from me to Mrs Robinson's condo.  The storm clouds had burst as if the skies were weeping for the runaway maid who lost a very good job in the name of romantic love. Black clouds poured buckets of water on my windscreen. Visibility was 1 metre ahead but I knew where the condo was as I had been in this Cairnhill Road condo built some 20 years ago. "You have such a large maid's room in this type of old condo," I said to Swee Swee. "Other maids have to live with the family members or in a small utility room just enough for a bed. In Hongkong, some live in the living room." "She even has a big LED TV inside her room," Khin Khin laughed. This was a luxury job at $550/month, one Saturday off/week and freedom to go out after work to visit Aunty Khin. But materialism lost to romanticism just after 3 months as a maid in Singapore.   The next day, she would be escorted back to the airport by Khin Khin's manager on a one-way ticket to Yangon. She would then take a bus to the Irrawaday village and be welcome home. For young ones with family support especially for Singaporeans from the middle- and higher- income families, the motivation to earn more and be independent is not as much as for those who are hungry and ambitious to make a living and become an expert. The same situation applies to other countries too and much family funds are wasted sending the young ones overseas to work or study to improve their station in life. P.S. Many Singaporean employers may sound heartless as they only permit their maids out once a month as they will lose their $5,000 bond if the maids run away. There are men who befriend such maids on their days off and so it is hard for the young maids to resist when love comes out of the blue. Many have lost their jobs in the name of love.             Updates will be at: http://www.sinpets.com/letters/20130511 pregnant_maid_toapayohvets.htm More info at: Dogs or Cats To make an appointment: e-mail judy@toapayohvets.com tel: +65 9668-6469, 6254-3326 Toa Payoh Vets Clinical Research

Copyright © Asiahomes All rights reserved. Revised: May 11, 2013 Toa Payoh Vets

1409. Animal activism - the young Singaporean lady

TOA PAYOH VETS toapayohvets.com Date:   10 May, 2013     Focus: Small animals - dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs & rabbits A stray dog got pregnant young   Dr Sing Kong Yuen, BVMS (Glasgow), MRCVS Date:   10 May, 2013   toapayohvets.com  Be Kind To Pets Veterinary Education Project 2010-0129 1406. Animal activism. A pregnant stray dog has a black tongue May 7, 2013. I reached Changi Airport from Amsterdam at 5.30 am Singapore time and arrived at the Surgery at 9.10 am to check on the administrative processes and cases done while I was on leave for 12 days. It is part of the responsibility and good management. If the leader (vet) is lazy and come late to work, don't expect the staff to be hardworking -that applies to all businesses. As expected, my assistant turned up at 9.14 am thinking I was still overseas. I had spoken to him about work attitude but some young people lack self discipline. It should be 3.15 am now in Amsterdam and I ought to be sleeping. The first phone call I answered was from a young lady asking whether the vet does house-call and how much. I said we do house-call and the fees start from $250 but not every dog can be treated on the premises. "A pregnant black cross female dog at the Ang Mo Kio factory is walking here and there," she said. "Can a vet do the check up? The side of her tongue is black." I wanted to give her the dog transport man's phone number. She was hesitant as this might upset the dam. "You can accompany her," I said. "Some dogs do have black tongues from birth. Some black pigments on the tongue," I said.    "Is the dog eating and drinking normally?" I asked. "Yes," "Is she peeing and pooping normally?" I would say that the black tongue was natural since the dog did not show any signs of salivation, bleeding ulcerations and was eating. "Yes." "Is she active?" "Yes," the young lady said. "How long has the dog been pregnant?" "2 months ago," she replied. "Did you see the mating?" "No, I know it is 2 months. Everybody loves her. She is a friendly dog." "She may be giving birth soon" I did not explain that the pregnancy is 60 days as nowadays, the young lady Singaporeans are well informed by researching the internet on canine gestation.  I just read the Sunday Times dated yesterday on the Singapore Airlines flight back that there are 30 animal welfare groups as compared to many years ago. Some female Singaporeans go on animal care tourism e.g. panda parks. "Find a big box, towels and newspapers. Put the box in a quiet place e.g. the landing between floors to provide privacy for giving birth." It was not practical advice as this was an industrial park and no privacy in between floors would be available to give birth. The lady said so accordingly. "How about near the Security Guard house?" I asked "No, the guard will not permit it esp. during daytime." Where to place her for birth? The young lady came to the conclusion that the dog was wandering around to seek a private space. So this young lady is an animal welfare activist. Her action reminded me when I was in the Bukit Merah Primary School. I used to bring bread and food to a nursing female dog on the first floor of the landing of the Redhll flat. That was 50 years ago. Now, there will be a few hundred young female Singaporeans taking care of the disadvantaged dogs. Men are fewer. As for this pregnant dog, I told the young lady that a house-call was not needed. She thanked me. P.S. The lady send an image of the dog to my iPhone the next day. The dog is a cross-bred and looks like a one-year old based on her snow-white teeth.  I asked the young lady to contact the dog transport man who will bring a microchip scanner to find out if the dog has a microchip. She suspected that the dog could be lost or abandoned. I would hazard a guess that this is a stray dog that survived being captured by the authorities and pest control contractors hired by town councils to get rid of stray dogs and cats, through the kindness of the young Singaporean workers in the industrial park and non-protests from the older ones. She got pregnant young and is looking for a den to give birth. Recently, I read 3 newspaper reports of two stray dogs being captured and put to sleep by the authorities causing distress and protests from the animal lovers in the neighbourhood. A member of parliament who adopted one black stray dog also lost it as she wandered out of the house and disappeared.  In 2013, stray dogs are quite rare unlike 20-30 years ago when one could see them around coffee-shops. As a country advances, the strays get easily trapped and eliminated by the authorities or are protected in safe havens.  Updates will be at: http://www.sinpets.com/F5/20130509pregnant_stray_dog_toapayohvets.htm More info at: Dogs or Cats To make an appointment: e-mail judy@toapayohvets.com tel: +65 9668-6469, 6254-3326 Toa Payoh Vets Clinical Research

Copyright © Asiahomes All rights reserved. Revised: May 10, 2013 Toa Payoh Vets

1408, Internship - Republic Polytechnic

I am Dr Sing Kong Yuen from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your email.
Pl come for an interview, with your resume and testimonials, at 10 am on a weekday or Sunday. Phone 9668 6468 for the date.

On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 2:17 PM, A...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Dear Sir/Mdm,
>
> Hi, my name is A... I'm a student from Republic Polytechnic currently
> doing my Diploma in Biomedical Sciences. I am in my 3rd year now and I'll be
> having my internship this coming October. So I would like to inquire in
> advance about the internships/attachments you have available.  I would like
> to work and get the experience working in a veterinary clinic and learn
> about the procedures and how animal patients are being cared there.  I
> really have a great interest and passion in helping animals and I would like
> to further my studies by doing Veterinary Science after graduating from
> Poly. I do not have any experience in studying veterinary or animal science
> currently, but I would love to learn and gain my experience from working
> with the doctors and animal patients  there. I have had experience in caring
> for birds and animals at the SPCA and at home likewise. So is this possible
> for me, even though I'm not a vet student?
> Thank you for your attention, I hope to hear from you soon.
>
>
> Yours Sincerely,
> A..

1407. Internship plan for RI students - July 29 - Aug 9 and Aug 19 to Aug 30, 2013 (2 weeks)

1406. Animal activism. A pregnant stray dog has a black tongue

May 7, 2013.
I reached Changi Airport from Amsterdam at 5.30 am Singapore time and arrived at the Surgery at 9.10 am to check on the administrative processes and cases done while I was on leave for 12 days. It is part of the responsibility and good management. If the leader (vet) is lazy and come late to work, don't expect the staff to be hardworking -that applies to all businesses. As expected, my assistant turned up at 9.14 am thinking I was still overseas. I had spoken to him about work attitude but some young people lack self discipline.

It should be 3.15 am now in Amsterdam and I ought to be sleeping. The first phone call I answered was from a young lady asking whether the vet does house-call and how much. I said we do house-call and the fees start from $250 but not every dog can be treated on the premises.

"A pregnant black cross female dog at the Ang Mo Kio factory is walking here and there," she said. "Can a vet do the check up? The side of her tongue is black."

I wanted to give her the dog transport man's phone number. She was hesitant as this might upset the dam. "You can accompany her," I said. "Some dogs do have black tongues from birth. Some black pigments on the tongue," I said.   

"Is the dog eating and drinking normally?" I asked.
"Yes,"
"Is she peeing and pooping normally?" I would say that the black tongue was natural since the dog did not show any signs of salivation, bleeding ulcerations and was eating.

"Yes."
"Is she active?"
"Yes," the young lady said.
"How long has the dog been pregnant?"
"2 months ago," she replied.
"Did you see the mating?"
"No, I know it is 2 months. Everybody loves her. She is a friendly dog."
"She may be giving birth soon" I did not explain that the pregnancy is 60 days as nowadays, the young lady Singaporeans are well informed by researching the internet on canine gestation.  I just read the Sunday Times dated yesterday on the Singapore Airlines flight back that there are 30 animal welfare groups as compared to many years ago. Some female Singaporeans go on animal care tourism e.g. panda parks.

"Find a big box, towels and newspapers. Put the box in a quiet place e.g. the landing between floors to provide privacy for giving birth."
It was not practical advice as this was an industrial park and no privacy in between floors would be available to give birth. The lady said so accordingly.
"How about near the Security Guard house?" I asked
"No, the guard will not permit it esp. during daytime."
Where to place her for birth?
The young lady came to the conclusion that the dog was wandering around to seek a private space.

So this young lady is an animal welfare activist. Her action reminded me when I was in the Bukit Merah Primary School. I used to bring bread and food to a nursing female dog on the first floor of the landing of the Redhll flat. That was 50 years ago. Now, there will be a few hundred young female Singaporeans taking care of the disadvantaged dogs. Men are fewer.

As for this pregnant dog, I told the young lady that a house-call was not needed. She thanked me.


 

1405. Second opinion from another travel agent?

Park Plaza Amsterdam Airport
May 6, 2013  7.18 am
Leaving for Singapore soon.

Seeking a second opinion? Not only do doctors and vets suffer from it. In this 12-day European tour, there was a "free and easy" day in Paris. Our tour itinerary mentioned about optional tours on a River Seine boat cruise and Moulin Rouge show and dinner. But our tour leader did not ask us although he said he did.

One woman asked the tour leader of another group of Singaporeans flying Emirates and staying in the same Parisian Mercure Hotel. She wanted to join the cruise and asked the other tour leader. That equivalent to a 2nd opinion!

 More info in a later post.

   

1404. How to get almost 100% acceptance of Seine River Cruise or a vet health check?

Much can be learnt if you ask how a person successfully does somerthing. Even on a group tour.

1403. Earliest date for 3rd vaccination email query

On Fri, May 3, 2013 at 8:20 AM, i@hotmail.com> wrote:

Hi Judy,

Kindly advise on the following for my puppy. Thanks!

1. First vaccination on 23rd March, second on 23rd April, when is the earliest date she can go for her 3rd vaccination? Btw, born on 26th Feb

2. What's your operating hours on weekdays evening? Do you do vaccination at home for dogs?

Cheers,

J

---------------------------

 I am Dr Sing Kong Yuen from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your email.
The earliest 3rd vaccination is 3 weeks from the 2nd vaccination, around 16th April 2013.
Opening hours are at www.toapayohvets.com website
House calls are available at $200-$250 excluding vaccination costs. It is best to have the dog examined and vaccinated at the Surgery in case tests are needed.

1402. Is a "4th vaccination" necessary for a puppy imported from Australia?

On Fri, May 3, 2013 at 7:53 PM, n@gmail.com wrote:

hi there,

i have recently bought a puppy (pembroke welsh corgi) from a pet shop (...), and was told to go for a 3rd vaccination by 30th apr. however, i only manage to get him vaccinated today which is 2nd may, due to a bad diarrhea (which lasted more than 2 days) when i just gotten him on the 21th apr but was later recovered after i brought him to see a vet near my house.  but today i went to another vet recommended by the pet shop, and the vet advised me to go for another vaccine a month later as the puppy is a pembroke corgi imported from australia. may i know if this is really advisable and necessary? and the vaccine given was this, both 1ml each (Pfizer brand) believed to be 7in1 as told by the vet;

1) Canine Coronavirus Vaccine
     Killed Virus
    FirstDose® CV
2) Canine Distemper-adenovirus Type 2-parainfluenza-parvovirus Vaccine
     Modified Live Virus
     Leptospira Canicola-icterohaemorrhagiae Bacterin
     VANGUARD® Plus 5/L

so may i know was this vaccine given really a 7in1 and is it a good one? and does the puppy really required a 2nd vaccine of this prior to the annual vaccination? and if a 2nd vaccine is really necessary, i was thinking to go down to your clinic instead for the 9in1, which seems to be the best available.

pls kindly advise me ASAP! thank you for your time.

regards
nat



------------------------------------------------

 I am Dr Sing Kong Yuen from Toa Payoh Vets. Thank you for your email.

In reply:

1. Your "3rd vaccination" was done on May 2, 2013. Your vet recommended another vaccination a month later as the puppy was imported from Australia. You asked whether this "4th vaccination" was advisable. It depends on when this  puppy had its first vaccination and what type of vaccine was given in Australia before exporting to Singapore. If the puppy had been given the vaccination before 6-8 weeks of age as the first vaccination, a 4th vaccine is advisable as the puppy might not have been effectively vaccinated due to the presence of maternal antibodies. This may be getting technical for you.

In brief, a minimum of two vaccinations at 6th-8th week and 10th-12th week of age has been mandated by the AVA before the import of puppies from Australia and before the sale of the puppy. This should include  distemper and parvovirus vaccination given around 3-4 weeks apart.

A 3rd vaccination is recommended by Singapore vets.This makes it a total of 3 vaccinations from the age of 6-8th week, 10-12th week and 14th-16th week for optimal effect. Canine parvovirus and distemper are viral diseases that are still present in Singapore's puppies and the vaccination is effective to prevent these two deadly diseases.

2. Your vet did give the 7-in-1 vaccine. It is a good vaccine as it protects against the important parvoviral and distemper disease components.

3. Your last question is really whether your puppy requires a "4th vaccination" as I presumed it had 2 vaccinations in Australia before exporting to Singapore. As you did not state the dates of vaccination and age of the puppy when vaccinated, it is very difficult to advise. However, the answer is given in Point No. 1.

I hope the above answers your queries as puppy vaccination is a complex issue for most owners and dog breeders. As to the number of vaccinations required, it is best to communicate directly during consultation and examination of your vaccination certificate as each puppy is vaccinated at different ages and with different vaccines used in Australia and Singapore. Best wishes

1401. Geneva and Paris city tour for Singapore group

May 3, 2013
Hotel Mercure Paris Porte De Pantin Hotel

The Geneva and Paris city tour guides I met were extremely dedicated and knowledgeable about the history and culture of the city and they connect with the group by comparing the situation in Singapore.The Paris guide said Egypt donated the monument to Paris and wondered when Singapore would do so.


The Singapore tour leaders are also under pressure to get the group punctual as some go missing or is unpunctual. My coach driver's grandma is very ill and he had to leave for Holland yesterday 8 pm, being replaced by another.


Bright sunshine seemed to be rare in the last 6 months and we were lucky May 2 was sunny. 3 images of 3 hardworking tour leaders. They need to perform to high expectations of some Singaporean group members while others grumble. There seems to be no system for some tour leaders as some don't inform us early which hotel we will be staying or the optional city tours to Louvre etc on a free day in Paris.

Some pictures of sunshine in Paris and the 3 tour leaders I met. Had dinner in the 6th floor of Galaries Lafeyette. Long queues waiting to pay for the purchase of LV.