This post is not directly about H1N1 but more towards the events that surrounds it.
I just read Blogger J's blog about Bruneians blaming scholars for contracting H1N1. My initial reaction to it is "Who, in their right state of mind, could even blame anyone for contracting this flu.". but then I gave it more thoughts and realized that I actually have once said a statement that actually kinda hints in blaming someone for this pandemic. The actual situation in which the statement was made was:
Location: Inside my sis's car infront of The Mall complex, Gadong
People involved: My family members
Event: Saw 3 tourist buses parked infront of The Mall, packed with tourists of different colours.
Statement: They must've come to spread the disease. Those pigs finally gets back to them!
Defence: It was a joke that I felt appropriate (and funny) at that moment. Brunei does not usually have that much tourists. Ironically, at this very moment, we seems to experience a sudden large influx of tourist. Now, I just can't help myself from making such (bad) assumption so pardon me for that :) . Btw, i just read somewhere something that I find really funny, its "Swine Flu spreading, Pigs are not co-operating" Hahahahah
Explanation: Obviously they are coming for the scheduled celebration of His Majesty's birthday.
Another side-effects of the pandemic to Bruneians are:
- People now wash their hands a lot of times throughout the days. I have seen lots of dry hands lately. Congrats MOH, it seems like your ads are working :)
- Sudden huge demand for colourful face-mask. I heard a pink one sells for $10.. Apparently Bruneians want to prevent H1N1 with style haha.. honestly, I havent jump on all these face-mask bandwagon as its effectiveness has not been proven scientifically and to me, its just not practical enough to be done daily nor is it an effective measure. Do you know that everytime your mask is dampened by your breath, its actually useless? So, if I were to wear the pink one, thats like $300 per month.. Multiply that for the 2 year expected period of this pandemic..
- Travelers are asked to stay home for one week. Since the infectious period of H1N1 is approx. 1 week after the carriers started showing the symptoms, it seems like a fair tradeoff for me. However, some people (hint:Blogger J) thinks that its unfair for them to be quarantined when they have to be quarantined even after taking drastic measures to prevent them. Well, to such people, all i can is to think positively. Now you can spend quality times with your family (haha, as if :D)
- A government website actually gets updated DAILY! U get that rite.. Those *.gov.bn* are known for being horrendously slow in terms of updates, but now the MOH websites actually gets updated daily.
- Sudden increase in awareness of personal hygiene.
- A temperature check during starting of school day. Students are checked for their body temperature when they arrived at school before starting their classes. Although I know its a good preventive action, I absolutely loath it! I came late to school almost everyday, but now I actually HAVE to come early otherwise I won't be allowed to enter my classes. Oh well... I guess i have to try to be a real student now :)
- His Majesty's birthday celebrations are delayed for the first time in Brunei's history. Now you know how much he loves you :D
- Thermal scanning is required before you enter the hospital, although technically you have to actually be inside the hospital to take it. Weird. You have to write your name, IC, contact number and the ward you are visiting. Then queue for the scan and finally get the sticker of approval for visits. Its a good thing, but only when its correctly practiced. Unfortunately, having seen the system in Brunei firsh-hand, I dont think its worth doing. Imagine, there is no rule for staying like 2 meters apart from each other before the scan, so even if someone is suspected a carrier after the scan, he/she might have infected some other healthy dudes when queing and through sharing of pens to write the name (FYI a pen is provided).
- Visiting hours in hospitals are now actually being re-inforced. There used to be a time when bruneians can just come visit patients in the hospital anytime they want. Now, its no mercy for you haha.. One of my siblings was actually told to wait for visiting hours when she came during non-VH.. Ouch.. I salute you VH officers! :D ehehe
- School holiday got extended for one week. Yay!
Haha, enough of the changes. Here are some of the things that remained unchanged:
- The Mall.. Still packed. Cinemas still can be fully booked (case in point = Transformers 2)
- Basic knowledge of "Virus" remains at all time low. Most seems to think that H1N1 will cause death most of the time.. Fortunately, for the moment at least, that assumption is terribly wrong. But its not entirely impossible either..
- Muslim and Non-Muslim still lives in harmony, without us blaming them for angering the swinesss.. Kekekeke
- Entertainment stuff is discussed more than real issues. E.g. MJ's death is more frequently posted in FB than H1N1 by bruneians
- We are still spoilt brats. In my house, the sink in my kitchen have 4 different handwash with different colours and fragrance. I chose one of them. Way to go, Me! Haha
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