Availing of Health Benefits at the Onset of Winter, As My Thoughts Teetered Out!
These pictures were taken at my friend's apartment up on the 7th floor, after we got back from a recent hospital minor operation. He had to stay overnight previously to make sure he'd be fine. The snowstorm was raging when we were out ready to go home after his discharge. In the meantime as I accompanied him, my thoughts wandered out......I've learned to really enjoy and make the most of my experiences during snowtime, which is one curious aspect not usually described to most people who come from tropical countries like myself. I was grateful, though, that I had great exposure to one terrible winter storm one February over 4 years ago in Japan; I was told it's one of the few occasions that Tokyo experienced snowstorm as strong as that one in long years. I gleefully took pictures, and took note of how terrible it is really for someone who's from a tropical country not to be explained what kind of season "Winter" can be in its worst natural appearances. Also, I happened to have experienced being exposed to the cold weather up in many mountains, including having mild hypothermia more than twice, in the Philippines during my active career as a mountaineer.
During this occasion when my friend had to avail of his healthcare benefits for his need to be operated on for his badly-functioning gall bladder, my thoughts wandered into seemingly unrelated ideas that got into mind as harsh weather conditions raged outside. I started by being grateful that there are nurses who are mostly from the Philippines, and some other Asian, or Caribbean countries, or even Hispanic countries in hospitals where I've been given the opportunity to visit, either to visit a friend, or be with a friend. I remember my Mom's who's a nurse herself, and who's now retired. And my thoughts segued to my observation on certainly knowing that my friend's stay in the hospital has been a lot more convenient than usual as we were dealing with some Filipino nurses. They were really more than prepared to assist us (just like the rest of the staff in the said hospital, Mt. Sinai in Astoria, Queens, NYC). I also happened to hear remarks from some of them about how tough these nursing job assignments can be, with expressions saying what kind of hard work they do as they perform their tasks [I reminded myself, "that's why you're paid that much," and remember some snide remarks I heard from other non-healthcare people who think "low" of being in those jobs, which they consider "dirty" even if they pay that much, & wonder out loud how they can stomach doing such jobs]. I've also heard the same expressions before about exasperation over work load, or perhaps their way of voicing out their unheard grievances on job conditions, like sounding it's "just simply rough (& tough)." Nurses and other healthcare workers, particularly those from Asia, are thought to be "subservient" or "timid," which can be one reason why they're preferred over other nationalities. [But this will be a topic for another posting, as I'm still gathering my materials]. But these are merely mistaken notions, from my own experiences.
I've always wondered out loud why Filipinos are almost always cornered into four walls doing healthcare jobs when they have to go abroad (among certain stereotyped jobs); if only those who make policies and those in positions of power and authority will get enlightened and better aware that Filipinos can actually accomplish more than getting engaged in stereotypical healthcare jobs. I've been keen on studying the implications of these "ethnically stereotyped" jobs, and have wondered why would those in positions of power and authority will encourage "typecasting" their most important resources: its people. But of course, as I've read somewhere, we don't really have to ask these people, particularly the bureaucrats, the questions of "WHY" as there would always be no ready answer. And I'd always remind myself, as I have repeatedly read in the Bible, that each one born has certain purposes to accomplish in life, such that certain gifts have been given and provided accordingly. It's tragic and sad, and most certainly maddening when a person has to be doing work that he / she has not been meant to do according to God's purposes. It's even worst if such a situation just serves to continue and justify the political set-up and needs of those who are in influential positions. May the set-up change fast, as what may have been happening now.
During this occasion when my friend had to avail of his healthcare benefits for his need to be operated on for his badly-functioning gall bladder, my thoughts wandered into seemingly unrelated ideas that got into mind as harsh weather conditions raged outside. I started by being grateful that there are nurses who are mostly from the Philippines, and some other Asian, or Caribbean countries, or even Hispanic countries in hospitals where I've been given the opportunity to visit, either to visit a friend, or be with a friend. I remember my Mom's who's a nurse herself, and who's now retired. And my thoughts segued to my observation on certainly knowing that my friend's stay in the hospital has been a lot more convenient than usual as we were dealing with some Filipino nurses. They were really more than prepared to assist us (just like the rest of the staff in the said hospital, Mt. Sinai in Astoria, Queens, NYC). I also happened to hear remarks from some of them about how tough these nursing job assignments can be, with expressions saying what kind of hard work they do as they perform their tasks [I reminded myself, "that's why you're paid that much," and remember some snide remarks I heard from other non-healthcare people who think "low" of being in those jobs, which they consider "dirty" even if they pay that much, & wonder out loud how they can stomach doing such jobs]. I've also heard the same expressions before about exasperation over work load, or perhaps their way of voicing out their unheard grievances on job conditions, like sounding it's "just simply rough (& tough)." Nurses and other healthcare workers, particularly those from Asia, are thought to be "subservient" or "timid," which can be one reason why they're preferred over other nationalities. [But this will be a topic for another posting, as I'm still gathering my materials]. But these are merely mistaken notions, from my own experiences.
I've always wondered out loud why Filipinos are almost always cornered into four walls doing healthcare jobs when they have to go abroad (among certain stereotyped jobs); if only those who make policies and those in positions of power and authority will get enlightened and better aware that Filipinos can actually accomplish more than getting engaged in stereotypical healthcare jobs. I've been keen on studying the implications of these "ethnically stereotyped" jobs, and have wondered why would those in positions of power and authority will encourage "typecasting" their most important resources: its people. But of course, as I've read somewhere, we don't really have to ask these people, particularly the bureaucrats, the questions of "WHY" as there would always be no ready answer. And I'd always remind myself, as I have repeatedly read in the Bible, that each one born has certain purposes to accomplish in life, such that certain gifts have been given and provided accordingly. It's tragic and sad, and most certainly maddening when a person has to be doing work that he / she has not been meant to do according to God's purposes. It's even worst if such a situation just serves to continue and justify the political set-up and needs of those who are in influential positions. May the set-up change fast, as what may have been happening now.
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