Now, it's 6 MONTHS paternity leave...

... in UK.

After my warning to father-to-be and reading about 'joys' of pregnancy, which I guess I am having a fair share of those 'joys' lately, I guess it is nice to read about something rather constructive and paternally-friendly from UK.

Hopefully, some fellas in the our Bolehland's Parliahment could come up with something constructive like longer paternity leave, instead of suggesting the prolongation of compulsory service of junior doctors, which is technically and basically the most efficient way to brain-drained our public healthcare of its human resources.

The pimped newspiece as below:

Fathers to get six months of paternity leave

They will have a legal right to take the place of the mother at home for the last three months of her nine-month maternity break.

Fathers would be eligible during that three-month paternity leave to statutory government pay of £123 a week.

They would then be allowed to take an additional unpaid three months off, in effect providing families with 12 months of parental leave.

Ministers believe the measure would allow mothers who earn more than their partners to return to work earlier than would otherwise have been possible. Government data has shown that about 350,000 working mothers give birth every year. Two thirds return to work.

The announcement represents a victory for Harriet Harman, the Equalities Minister, who has championed the cause in a Cabinet battle with Lord Mandelson. He wanted businesses to be spared the extra administrative and financial burden.

Last night, the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) pointed out that the new measure would be one of eight extra costs to businesses already planned for next year. In total, business leaders estimate that red tape and planned increases in national insurance will cost £25.6 billion over the next four years.

At present, fathers are allowed two weeks of paternity leave when their child is born. That will continue, but after the mother has spent six months of her permitted nine months maternity leave, she will be able to return to work – swapping with the father.

The changes will come into force in April next year and apply to children born after that date.

The timing will infuriate business groups who argue that firms cannot bear more regulation at such a sensitive time for the economy.

On Tuesday, poorer than expected quarterly figures showed that Britain had only just scraped out of recession with growth of 0.1 per cent.

David Frost, the director general of the BCC, has written to Lord Mandelson and Pat McFadden, the Business Minister, urging them to recognise that businesses need a period of stability.

He said: “In order for businesses to get on with creating jobs, the constant threat of tinkering to employment law – from both parties – must stop.

‘‘The next government needs to create the right regulatory environment that will encourage companies to take on more staff and drive economic recovery. There should be a commitment to a three-year moratorium on the implementation of new employment regulation.”

Last night Mr McFadden said businesses should not fear the new rules and that they were simply “a useful element to flexible choice” for parents.

Ministers expect only between four and eight per cent of those eligible to take the new leave will do so. The Business Department claims that only one per cent of small businesses will be affected.

Mr McFadden added: “The Government has transformed the help available to new parents with increased maternity pay and leave and the introduction of paternity leave.

‘‘The balance between work and family life has changed for the better in the past decade and these changes will give parents the chance to share their leave and will give families a useful element of flexibility and choice.”

The Fawcett Society, which campaigns for equality between men and women, welcomed the move. Ceri Goddard, the chief executive, said: “There is a huge appetite among fathers to spend more time with their children. This extra choice is a good thing.”

Concerns

The hardworking JM, assisting my room, yesterday dashed home, in tears. She was a known case of choriocarcinoma in remission. Yesterday, her Hcg results shown 5-digits number. Could still be an investigative error, but even so, she just couldn't hide her devastating depression. Luckily, the nice Sister let her too emergency leave till repeat Hcg on Sunday.

My specialist, Dr. M's mother hospitalized for ruptured appendicitis. She was a filial daughter, camped in hospital. Hearing from her that her mother still haven't got better, sadness and worries still linger on.

My cousin sister met with motorbike versus motorbike accidents. She was static, the other was hysterically light-speed. She was thrown up high in the sky and landed, twisting and fracturing her femur. She survived but had to taste the bitterness of using crutches for the next few months. I hope there will be no surprises in the long recovery journey.

A patient came in, miscalculated period of gestation, unconfirmed by the another. Artificial rupture membrane was performed which hasten a preterm delivery. Thank God, the baby so far doing well.

I hope at the end of the day, for the unfortunate ones, everything will turn out for the better.
I shall keep my prayers focussed, my fingers crossed and mind opened.

Taiwan 1 | Footprints 5 | Taipei's Best

Last day of the guided tour was the best Taipei City can put forward.

First stop was the toilet stop, and I spotted the first malay word in Taiwan.

Outskirts of Taipei, we had our morning stroll down Sen Kang Old Street, home and origins of the famous smelly tofu. Basically, this is another food stop.

I could totally imagine my BMI going skyrocket. Well, at this stage, who cares, anyway, right?

Here’s the wonderful smelly Tofu. Never did think I can put the word ‘wonderful’ and ‘smelly’ right next to one another. I used to think that only happens in dirty porn literature.

And it was so nice that my dearest decided to take over the stall. Wouldn’t be a bad idea, but probably should consider selling those lovelies beside a durian stall.

Then we’re off to the most posh (or is poshest a valid term?) and also the tallest building in Taipei, which is the Taipei 101. Yes, it is definitely a must go place, just to tell people that you had been there and done that, plus to be able to go all out to take the whole building with you in it. Retrospectively thinking, probably I could have Photoshop it later.

And I also decided to take some jingle balls, err.. I mean bells photos.

101 - gesturized...

The ticket to observatory was just too overpriced, and we decided to enjoy the view, the Picaso’s way.

Yes, I can be pretty cheap skate sometimes.

But this stop is plain boring, mainly because the items there are mostly, if not all, carrying a grand price tag. I actually had a chance to see a few trivial items on sale which with the same amount of bucks back in my homeland can buy me a motorcycle. No, I am not bullshitting. But then again, only one thing we found that was worthy of purchase is their Japanese steamboat set lunch which was totally economical. But at that point, we’re almost time for lunch and we didn’t settle for any.

After our midday appetizer, we left to see the changing of guard at the Zhong Zhen memorial.

It’s a two-hourly affair, in which the guard in two hours must stay completed dead stiff, almost a manikin. There were few things that Fen told us not to do to the guard. First, not to touch them. Second, not to make them laugh, no jokes. I think the most important should be, not to fart near them.

After that, it was another purchase stop for Jade. We didn’t buy any, mainly because we don’t really need it, plus my really really really absolute basic understanding of the ‘Elements’ revealed that one of the ‘master’ is bullshitting me into buying a jade.

Before we were being dropped off to Shiling Market, concluding the trip, we’re being introduced to the supposedly finest pineapple biscuit in Taiwan – Vigor Kobo’s with President Ma’s endorsement. But seriously, I still think the one I tried at JiuFen rocks and definitely tops this vigor any time of the day.

At last, Shiling Market!!

OK. Where to start? Well, it is the biggest and trendiest and probably the most happening place in the whole Taiwan. We tagged along with our newfound couple friend, Darren & Shirli for the dinner, which was basically stall to stall hopping for the best of food there. The first thing we had was the BIG BIG CIPAI (chicken ribs) – which was awesome food, not because of its size. More in my later entry on the Taiwan’s finest food.

Then we crossed the busy street to the shopping area and in the midst of shopping, we lost Darren & Shirli. With such a big crowd, all the great bargains, all the great trendy clothes and apparels and of course, with neither of us having any handphones, surely any ladies would have lost themselves in the shopping madness.

And just we thought we’re coming to the end of the row of shopping stalls, there were more. Plus, there were food stalls with long queues that actually went out to the street and took out half of the street, partially turning a small part of the road into a one way street. Wow. I was like going ‘where is the traffic police?’. I wasn’t sure this is actually legal in Taiwan.

Back to the hotel, all tired, save for my curiosity about the long queue of young adults lining up beside the hotel. Each of them was holding like a bouquet of dashing flowers, like the one you see during Valentine’s date.

I followed the beeline and I reached a temple with Four-faced God, and learnt later, that it was the God’s birthday that day. I guess even praying were much livelier and trendy here.

Prior to dreamtime, we packed for our own journey the next 2 days.

Taiwan 1 | Footprints 4 | Lake day

* Delayed blog

Day 4

The bright next day is the ‘lake’ day. Rumors had it that an important minister from Mainland was coming to the lake and there was a probable chance that the lake maybe closed for a certain period of time. Everyone was keeping their fingers crossed. There is a low chance of cancellation of any itinery, but high chance of postponement of certain activities and being caught in a traffic or human jam.

We treaded on. First visit of the day after our lovely breakfast was the Peacock Garden. And we marveled at several peafowls there, and enjoyed the lovely morning laze there.

White peafowl

Then we’re off to a ‘purchase’ stop, the Mao Wang’s (Mao King’s) house. He was a leader to one of the aboriginal tribe, who was crowned king by the President as both of them had facial resemblance. They were all out to trade of their honey. Yes, real honey, not the honey with legs.

Also there's a pix of our ex-PM with Mao Wang

Then we’re off to the Sun Moon lake for the lake cruise.

photobombed here.. ishks...

The boat took us to the smallest island within the lake which was the home to the smallest aborigines’ tribe, and that white deer supposed to be their mascot.

Lunch was next on the list before we stepped into the famous Wen Wu temple, which worships mainly the champion of Wen (Literate or Mental) Confucious and the champion of Wu (Martial Art or Physical) Kwan Kong. For Chinese, a person with great Wen with great Wu is close enough to perfection, kind of like a knowledgeable medical professor with good fitness level.

view of the whole lake at the temple's rooftop...

lighted a candle, made a wish...

Before we called it a day, we had a wonderful thematic dinner in a famous restaurant in Taiwan, named Wu Jiao Ban Chuan, literally translated as Fifty-cents Wooden Boat. Others preferred to call it Ghost Restaurant as the whole deco was a bit scary to outright spooky, but the food it was awesome. And you can’t refill the dessert or the drinks, kind of like limited for the night.

The most notable interior that strike me was their urinals which look a lot like the vestibule with labia minora. For a while, it was like passing urine into a giant vagina.
.

heartbroken

I guess, any ladies will stay heartbroken longer than any men, probably not because it is purely an emo thingy, but initial understanding that females with smaller arteries and a higher spasm component, tend to have longer lasting chest pain.

Here's the article, pimped from THOTM:

We have always struggled with chest pains in females in the risk groups because they are often atypical. We have always attributed it to the fact that females are smaller in size and so their arteries are also smaller. This maybe true to a certain extend. Coronary flow restriction becomes more obvious by lesser narrowing and by fixed ( atherosclerotic plaque ) narrowing and also by some degree of coronary spasm, on top of the fixed narrowing.
I happen to browse over in medscape, an article published in the Dec 14th 2009, online edition of BMC family practice ( BioMed Central family practice , an article published on-line by a German team, Dr Haassenritter et al from University of Marsburg, a study that they carried out on coronary chest presentation, amongst German females presented to 74 pprimary care clinics. A total of 1212 patients were studied.
The authors found that there seemed not much difference in presentation between the sexes, except that females tend to have more associated psychogenic disorders, and that their chest pains seem to last longer. Males with cardiogenic chest pains tend to have pains which last about 30 mins or less then 1 hour, whereas females tend to have chest pains which last 1 - 12 hours typically. Females tend to have chest pains brought on by emotional upsets, more often. Also, females are less often smokers, although I suspect that this may change, with the increasing number of females who take up smoking in this country.
I suppose, these findings go well with our initial understanding that females with smaller arteries and a higher spasm component, tend to have longer lasting chest pains and emotion plays a greater part.
I must say that this is also what I notice here. Females still have exertional angina, but there is usually a higher emotional component, and they tended to last longer, although for me, 12 hours is way too long. I have seen coronary angiograms of females with chest pains where the artery wall have minimal atherosclerosis, but had a very high incidence of spasm, documented angiographically. In fact, one patient had total occlusion of her right coronary artery due to spasm, which was relieved by IV nitroglycerin.
There are gender differences and we need to be more aware. The fact the more females are having diabetes, and their presentation can be even less typical.