According to Miss Venezuela, the fastest way to make a point is not to go straight to it but ‘to the curves’ – an answer that won her the crown. AFP
Times have changed… can you relate to this one?
From My Say
MY PAPER WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2008
IAGREE with Ms Esther Au Yong’s commentary “It’ll take more than baby bonus” (my paper, July 14).
Following the arrival of a new colleague who is single, it became apparent to a friend of mine that “singletons” are a preferred breed at the workplace.
It also dawned on her that marriage and family were “awful diseases” which her boss wished would disappear from the office.
Over a casual lunch, my friend’s boss told her: “I actually didn’t want to hire you because you were married.”
The concern was that married women would soon be sporting baby bumps, require frequent medical leave and eventually go on three months of maternity leave.
As mothers, their priorities would also be their children and family. Thus, the assumption is that they would not be able to devote all their time and attention to their work.
They would also take leave should their child fall sick or rush home when they get a call telling them that their child is hurt, said the boss. What work could get done? he asked.
The boss also said that if the company could manage without the employee during her maternity leave, then she must not expect to return and still have a job.
Additionally, the boss said that women should not be so stupid as to sacrifice their careers for family.
Should they get divorced, their husband would get custody of the children because, with a career, he is better equipped to provide for the kids. Hence, women should always put their careers first, the boss said.
Needless to say, this attitude shocked my friend and me.
Yes, if we have children, our families would naturally come first. Why should we be made to feel guilty about caring for them or feel guilty about having brought them into this world in the first place?
Married couples should be encouraged to have children and employers and the Government need to continually support them in this area.
The Government has done its part in providing child subsidies, but what about the employers? With employers holding such negative views about married women and family life, who would dare to have children?
Ms Michelle De Roza
From My Lifestyle - MOMENT
MY PAPER WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2008
MORE people are likely to suffer from kidney stones as a result of global warming, said researchers at the
Kidney stones, formed from dissolved minerals in urine, can be extremely painful. They are often caused by dehydration.
If global warming trends continue – as projected by the United Nations (UN) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change last year – countries can expect as much as a 30 per cent rise in this disease in some of their driest areas, said findings published in the Monday’s Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The increased incidence of disease would represent between 1.6 million and 2.2 million cases in the
“This study is one of the first examples of global warming’s direct medical effect on humans,” said Margaret Pearle, professor of urology at
“When people relocate from areas of moderate temperatures to warmer climates, a rapid increase in stone risk has been observed. This has been shown in military deployments to the
The lead author of the research, Mr Tom Brikowski, compared kidney-stone rates with UN temperature-increase forecasts, and created two mathematical models to predict its impact.
One showed an increase in the southern half of the
“Similar climate-related changes in the prevalence of kidney-stone disease can be expected in other stone belts worldwide,” the study said.
– AFP
From My News – World
MY PAPER WEDNESDAY JULY 16, 2008
They pride themselves on being able to classify and display thousands of species – from birds and mammals to insects, dinosaurs and snakes – and are confident can identify most living things on the planet.
Except a tiny red-and-black bug that has appeared in the museum’s own gardens.
The almond-shaped insect, the size of a grain of rice, was first seen in March last year on some of the plane trees that grow on the grounds of the 19th-century museum, its collections manager, Mr Max Barclay, said yesterday.
Within three months, it had become the most common insect in the garden, and had also been spotted in other central
The museum has more than 28 million insect species in its collection, but none is an exact match for this insect. Still, Mr Barclay was cautious about calling it a new discovery.
The museum will be involving international experts to analyse the bug’s body shape, form and DNA to see if it has been discovered before.
“I don’t expect to find a new species in the gardens of a museum,” he said.
“Deep inside a tropical rainforest, yes, but not in central
The bug resembles the Arocatus roeselii, which is usually found in central
Entomologists suspect the new bug could be a version of the roeselii that has adapted to live on plane trees, but admit it could be a whole new species.
-AP
From My Say
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 14, 2008
I CANNOT agree more with the commentary “No one has the right to mistreat maids” (my paper, July 10).
Self-centred employers have been responsible for the many instances of maid abuse as they are more concerned about the well-being of their own households.
Along the way, they neglect the essential task of showing their domestic helpers how to improve the quality of their work.
It is true that there are issues caused by workers who find it difficult to adapt to their new environment.
This can especially be the case when they are in a foreign land for the first time.
Add to this the problems if bosses fail to try and understand the background or problems of their maids.
Many ugly incidents arise from miscommunication or a lack of communication.
Whatever their needs may be, it is important for employers to lend a willing and attentive ear to maids who have grievances, personal or otherwise.
Any ill-treatment of domestic helpers should not be tolerated in our present society.
Many employers have not realised that today’s domestic workers cannot be taken for granted anymore.
Nowadays, maids are better-educated and are more aware of their rights and expectations with regard to their job situation.
Hence, employers must shed their old concepts and regard modern-day maids in a whole new light, so that there will be positive employer-maid relationships.
Mr Jeffrey Law
ON FOSTERING A BABY-LOVING SOCIETY
From My News - Home
MY PAPER MONDAY JULY 14, 2008
ESTHER AU YONG
AS a newlywed, there is one question that keeps coming my way.
The ubiquitous “So, when are you having kids?”
Or this: “How many children are you planning to have?”
What I actually hear is this, really: “Are you willing to give up your career to have kids?”
This is the issue I’ve grappled with since my relationship with my husband (then boyfriend) became more serious about two years ago.
He has known since he was a teen that he wanted children of his own.
I, on the other hand, have always been sitting on the fence.
It’s not because of the fear of pregnancy – the pain involved during delivery and the nine months’ long “suffering” – or the realities and hardship of bringing up children.
I’m quite confident that somehow – with lots of help from my spouse and our parents – I’ll get through those stages. And I’ll very likely enjoy them too.
After all, despite my reservations, I do firmly believe that children are blessings from God.
It’s also not the cost of bringing up children, which I’m sure through perseverance and resourcefulness, we’ll manage.
I’m also grateful that the Government has recognised the financial strain placed on many families, who choose to have children, by offering timely relief, like the baby bonus and other subsidies.
Just last week, Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew hinted that even more may be done to foster a pro-family environment.
So, the truth of the matter is this: I’m afraid I will hate my children if they get in the way of me achieving my personal goals, especially those on my career path.
Let’s face it,
A female finance manager, 29, summed the situation up in a local newspaper last week: “With three months’ maternity leave, morning sickness and numerous medical certificates, a mum will be less productive than a peer who is free of the above.”
Besides, mothers are seen as traditional caregivers. No matter how willing their husbands are to stay at home, society still dictates that mothering is a woman’s responsibility.
That’s why the challenge for working mothers here is a cultural one.
Even in
I do think that the Government should take the initiative and help in educating local companies and bosses to be more open and receptive to high-flying working mums.
Still, society in general needs to change its values to a set that’s more balanced. I may be naive, but I’m sure with the right support, the career woman and the loving mummy can co-exist.
And I hope this co-existence can materialise before my fertile years run out.
myp@sph.com.sg
From My Say
MY PAPER FRIDAY JULY 11, 2008
RECENTLY, there has been a road safety campaign with advertisements featuring pedestrians of various age groups appealing to motorists to look out for them on the road.
I think the campaign is sending the wrong message to pedestrians.
While one of the major responsibilities of a motorist is to look out for pedestrians, the pedestrians should also be responsible for their own safety – they should look out for vehicles too.
I have seen many pedestrians crossing roads or walking in carparks while talking on their mobile phones without looking out for vehicles.
They take for granted that the cars will stop to let them cross. They do not consider the fact that their actions could force vehicles to brake suddenly.
Once, my brother was driving along a narrow side road when he spotted a mother pushing a stroller standing in the middle of the road, gesturing for her toddler, who was still on the pedestrian pavement, to join her in crossing the road.
My brother sounded the horn but was ignored. He had to stop his vehicle, thereby causing a minor traffic jam, before he could proceed.
I often see pedestrians who, despite seeing oncoming vehicles, still dash across the road. They might save a few minutes, but do so at the risk of injuring themselves and other road users.
Perhaps we could consider having a campaign featuring motorists appealing for pedestrians to look out for vehicles too.
Ms Yuen Mei Peng