So people think I'm balding. According to my colleague, men should be worried if they are fat and bald. She looked at me and said, "Oh Sorry! But you're not fat! And you have tanned-skin."
So much pressure on my head, I decided to see a doctor. Actually I'd been eyeing on that "Male Pattern Hair Loss" poster outside the clinic below my block for quite sometime. But I was too shy to admit that I have a "problem".
I woke up early in the morning just to make sure that I could be the first person to see a doctor. I walked in. There were already few people inside. I sat down and wondered if this was a good idea. Fifteen minutes later, I walked out.
I ended work early and went back home, still thinking about the clinic. When I reached home, the clinic was still open. I walked around outside the clinic for almost 10 minutes or so, not sure whether I should go in. Twenty minutes left before it's closed, I walked in. Now there's no returning back. I registered and waited. Oh man I never felt this nervous for so long. The lady signaled for me to go in. She didn't call my name. I guess she wasn't sure how to.
Once inside, the conversation went like this:
Doc: Sawadee Krup! Which part of Thailand are you from?
Me: Er...I'm from Laos.
Doc:Oh but your name sounds so Thai...So what's your problem?
Me: Not so much a problem. It's just my hair...
After examination:
Doc: It looks very serious. This is what we call Male Pattern Hair Loss. You'd better start seeking treatment before it's gone completely...
The doctor explained the cause of my hair problem and how I could get treatment. He mentioned about pills and cost of them.
Doc: you need to take it daily for at least 1 year to see visible results...
Me: wow! any side effects?
Doc: yeah you may lose sexual urges. You can still function normal; it's just that you don't feel the urge for it.
Me: it doesn't sound so bad.
It sounds impotent to me. So I have to choose between losing hair or losing sexual desires. Very tough! But you see, I want to have my head full of hair so I can attract other human beings more. So my sex life can be improved.
Nah I'm just being vain.
Some people say just be content with what you have. And in my case I should be content with what I don't have.
Friday, May 19, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
There were things I’d never do again. But then they’d always seemed right.
(April-May)
Had two cans of Coke in one day. Cos “food tastes better with Coke”
Watched telly the whole weekend. Cos I hate going out when it rains.
Borrowed four books at one time from a library; never finished reading them. And always returned them late. I just don’t know why.
Watched three midnight movies in cinema in one month! Cos I’m always released from work late and need to “escape from reality” once in a while.
Wandered around a Thai market like a hooker. Cos I feel like home here.
Visited a CashConverter store just to search for American Idol CDs. Cos they sell CDs at cheaper price and I like listening to Idol CDs.
Watched American Idol on weekday and still watched its encore telecast on Sunday. Cos I am a big fan.
Had late lunch and late dinner almost everyday. Cos I’m hard-working and working late.
Ate Burger King just to get a contest coupon “UPSIZE & WIN tickets to “AMERICAN IDOL” Finals in Hollywood”. Cos I won a Nokia phone from them once and am a big fan of the Idol.
Drank four glasses of beer in one month; two glasses at a Thai Karaoke pub, one and ¾, at Marina Bay, and ¼, at Brewerkz. Cos in my culture it’s considered impolite to refuse a drink or two (beer included) when offered by a friend or someone more senior. Cos “Declining an offer is tantamount to rejecting friendship”.
Bought a T-shirt too tight and too small for my own good. Cos I thought it would show off my body (ahem). Cos’ I work hard for it (ahem).
Told a white lie about working at “Singapore Embassy”. Cos it’s fun to bluff people. And Cos I’m good at “manipulating the truth”.
Fell asleep at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Cos I’m awake at night but fall asleep in the office. Cos I suffer from insomnia and my place is near a market and clinic. Cos they start their business very early.
Told another lie (true lie) about me being from Thailand. Cos I hate having to explain that Laos is a country itself, not part of Thailand nor a capital city of Myanmar or Cambodia, for that matter. Cos it’s disturbing to learn that some people are just ignorant.
Bought newspaper from 7-Eleven instead of from a small store below my block. Cos a store owner once shouted at me in Malay in front of other customers. Cos he thought I didn’t pay for a paper. Though he apologized and patted me on the back, I’m still too traumatized to buy stuff from his store thereafter.
And list goes on…
Had two cans of Coke in one day. Cos “food tastes better with Coke”
Watched telly the whole weekend. Cos I hate going out when it rains.
Borrowed four books at one time from a library; never finished reading them. And always returned them late. I just don’t know why.
Watched three midnight movies in cinema in one month! Cos I’m always released from work late and need to “escape from reality” once in a while.
Wandered around a Thai market like a hooker. Cos I feel like home here.
Visited a CashConverter store just to search for American Idol CDs. Cos they sell CDs at cheaper price and I like listening to Idol CDs.
Watched American Idol on weekday and still watched its encore telecast on Sunday. Cos I am a big fan.
Had late lunch and late dinner almost everyday. Cos I’m hard-working and working late.
Ate Burger King just to get a contest coupon “UPSIZE & WIN tickets to “AMERICAN IDOL” Finals in Hollywood”. Cos I won a Nokia phone from them once and am a big fan of the Idol.
Drank four glasses of beer in one month; two glasses at a Thai Karaoke pub, one and ¾, at Marina Bay, and ¼, at Brewerkz. Cos in my culture it’s considered impolite to refuse a drink or two (beer included) when offered by a friend or someone more senior. Cos “Declining an offer is tantamount to rejecting friendship”.
Bought a T-shirt too tight and too small for my own good. Cos I thought it would show off my body (ahem). Cos’ I work hard for it (ahem).
Told a white lie about working at “Singapore Embassy”. Cos it’s fun to bluff people. And Cos I’m good at “manipulating the truth”.
Fell asleep at the wrong place and at the wrong time. Cos I’m awake at night but fall asleep in the office. Cos I suffer from insomnia and my place is near a market and clinic. Cos they start their business very early.
Told another lie (true lie) about me being from Thailand. Cos I hate having to explain that Laos is a country itself, not part of Thailand nor a capital city of Myanmar or Cambodia, for that matter. Cos it’s disturbing to learn that some people are just ignorant.
Bought newspaper from 7-Eleven instead of from a small store below my block. Cos a store owner once shouted at me in Malay in front of other customers. Cos he thought I didn’t pay for a paper. Though he apologized and patted me on the back, I’m still too traumatized to buy stuff from his store thereafter.
And list goes on…
Monday, May 08, 2006
Now I can call myself an award-winning director!
I’m so happy. I can’t contain it. And I have to share it. I feel like I’m on top of the world. Some people may say our FYP video is overrated. Hey some people don’t like it, but some people do. There are things I wish I could have covered and inserted in our video, though. For example, I should have spent one night with Mr. Leum, our main subject, on the island where he lives and fishes alone, talking to him and watching him doing his routines; then from the other side of the island, we would use our second camera to shoot. You would see a dim light from his hut against the big sky full of million bright stars. You would hear Mr. Leum talking from far with music from the radio as a background. You would hear ambient sounds from the streaming Mekhong river and the chirping of crickets. And how I wish I should have shot the scene when Mr. Leum and his daughter were having an argument; she wanted him to stay in Vientiane longer, but he just wanted to go back fishing. But well, given a chance we always wish to do things differently, don’t we?
It’s not that bad now that we won an award for our video. It gives me a sense of accomplishment however small. And it makes me want to do more documentaries or even movies. It feels great to be appreciated.
“Against the Tide”
Director: Xaisongkham Induangchanthy
Producer: Tan Wee Liang
Editor: Farah Iqbal
Sound: Foo Soo Hian
-Outstanding Documentary, 4th Annual University Student Film and TV Festival in the Greater China Region 2006, Hong Kong
-Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival 2006, New York
-TV Mobile 2006, Singapore
It’s not that bad now that we won an award for our video. It gives me a sense of accomplishment however small. And it makes me want to do more documentaries or even movies. It feels great to be appreciated.
“Against the Tide”
Director: Xaisongkham Induangchanthy
Producer: Tan Wee Liang
Editor: Farah Iqbal
Sound: Foo Soo Hian
-Outstanding Documentary, 4th Annual University Student Film and TV Festival in the Greater China Region 2006, Hong Kong
-Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival 2006, New York
-TV Mobile 2006, Singapore
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