To clamp or not to clamp, thats the question.

Its that time of the year again. The year end school holidays, traffic flow in KL is relatively a breeze now, families go on holidays, wedding receptions are in full swing and then there is the circumcision demand.

The TV 9 commercial really rings true, "Buka dulu, tekan kuat-kuat, cari ...........". Fortunately most children don't end up screaming and jumping out nowadays. The procedure is simple and almost completely pain free. However that doesn't alleviate the fear and apprehension that children have. No matter what, it has to be done for every muslim male child, through hellfire or hale storm.

Personally I prefer the older method, guillotine method, as compared to using a clamp. There are some models of clamps nowadays but essentially they all apply the same principle. The claim that the clamp method is painless is not completely true. One still has to inject local anaesthesia to numb that area, thats the painful part, immaterial if one is using the clamp or the older method.

The advantage of using the clamp is that its fast, almost no bleeding, there is no need for suturing (stitching) and the cut is very even and nice. The downside of using the clamp is that the boys have to come back to remove the outer ring of the clamp and that may cause pain. The inner ring is suppose to drop of by itself. Unfortunately in my personal experience, many boys have come back a second time to remove the inner ring and that causes more pain.

Nowadays, more and more doctors are using a cautery (usually referred to as the laser by the layman, I wonder why) to cut in the guillotine method. There is also almost no bleeding using the cautery. But one still has to suture the skin edges together. And its fast, almost as fast as using a clamp.

To clamp or to 'laser', thats the question. I for one am definitely in favour of the 'laser'. And so it has been written. Now you all decide for yourselves.

After the exams

The year end schools holidays are just a week away. Already the holiday mood is in the air. What with the festive period still going strong, it is even more so. School attendance is at a all time low.

Most schools if not all have already finished their final exams. Some schools completed the exams more than 2 weeks ago. So one can the imagine the enthusiasm and motivation of the students to attend school, or rather the lack of it. At times I am baffled at the timing of the exams, its either too early, too late or too prolonged. I know of some schools that extend the exams over 3 weeks! I thought this only happens in tertiary institutions.

Better time management and planning is definitely needed.

And what do the students do after the exams are over, I wonder. There are many who don't attend school but hang out at cybercafes and malls. No constructive use of precious time, not to mention the negative influences they may succumb to. Some teachers on the other hand are not concerned about student absentism.

I would have hoped that the teaching profession would be more professional in curbing or at least minimising this. Hopefully in the coming academic year we will see a better planned end of year exam schedule and post exam activities.

But of course this is only my opinion, I am after all not a teacher but a only a concerned parent.

Anyway, I wish every success to all our children in the exams. Have a pleasent and fruitful holiday.

No time is ever right

What do we say to someone who is grieving the death of a dear and beloved? Even more difficult, how do we inform them of it?

One thing is for sure there is no easy way. Many a time I have had this grim task of informing the death of a beloved one, something which I dread. Each and every time its difficult. It certainly doesn't get easier, the more you do it.

The words don't come easy, no matter how grave the preceding illness may have been. And always the news is shattering no matter the circumstances. For always there is hope for respite of the defining time. But then no time is ever right, its always too soon.

It is our faith in God and His promises that help us cushion this eventuality that we must all face.

"Truly! To Allh we belong and truly, to Him we shall return." (al Baqarah:156)