Two Days of Dysphonic Excitement

Dear Diary,

Fast recovering from dysphonia (loss of voice) over the last 3 days. I could barely speak last night. Not even a proper verbal pronunciation could be spoken yesterday evening… and it was a little embarrassing but most of the customers at my pharmacy were pretty understanding and forgiving. =)

The last two days were pretty awesome ones. I was already suffering from some form of dysphonia by then though. So on Saturday morning, realising that I could lose my voice totally, I borrowed my sister’s portable microphone and slung it over my neck. However, maybe the batteries weren’t fully charged, so the speaker kept having those crackling sounds as I tried it in my pharmacy. Oh man…. Gave up after a while.

Was a little nervous because I was supposed to be the pharmacist in-charge of the Smoking Cessation Road-show event organised by Health Promotion Board (HPB). Got the stocks to the destination and set up the mobile dispensary within the tents. Thankfully, Michelle from HPB was there to brief the rest of the volunteer pharmacists from the various organisations.

Initially, there was a slight hiccup because the pharmacists weren’t too sure about the workflow but eventually the mechanics of the process went on smoothly with the hosts drawing crowds and the some teenagers dressed as “Phua Chu Kang” look-alikes in those yellow safety helmets and boots. The crowd poured in despite the blazing sun. Thank God that we had some students from NUS to help us. Got one of them to help me with the dispensary, while the other two were allocated to man a mobile smoker-lyzer and observe pharmacists counselling respectively.

I had to skip my lunch because there was no one else to man my dispensary stocks. Even going to the Gents was a dash…. Oops, the toilet was closed! Took a lift up to 3rd level in the Hub building. Every minute was precious, hoping that the customers were patiently waiting for me to return to sell them those Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRT).

In short, the event ended nice and sweet… got to know Michelle (British) from HPB and a couple of Nicorette sales personnel and product manager… kinda nice. The NUS students were nice too. =) One of them was pretty cute too! Haha… Kinda exhausted by the end of the event but well… it is a nice experience nonetheless! =)

Although exhausted, I woke up early today and went to the 8am service at St Andrew’s Cathedral. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Reverend Dr Rowan Williams was conducting the service. He is the chief archbishop for the entire Anglican Communion worldwide, similar to the papacy but without that authority vested in the Holy See Office though. The Theological Education for the Anglican Communion (TEAC) committee was there and so was His Excellency, the British High Commissioner to Singapore. Quite interesting to see many British Caucasians in clerical collars, huge crosses hanging from their necks and the black coats they wore over.

The Archbishop illustrated the difference between committing to a cause or just being involved in it, by drawing an analogy of a British breakfast of bacon and eggs. The chicken may be involved in the breakfast but the pig is committed to it! Haha… I guess it illustrates how we live our Christian lives too! =)

Seeing the Archbishop constantly making the sign of the cross over himself, bowing constantly to the Blessed Sacrament and lifting the Sacramental elements (bread and wine) at the climax of the Eucharistic liturgy… really made me feel the Anglican theology (taught to me when I was undergoing Confirmation in 1995) come alive. I guess Anglicans in Singapore haven’t really been pure Anglicans in the strictest sense, haha…

Took the consecrated bread from the Archbishop and shook his hands before I left the church. Well, not that it really meant anything…. But it sure made me feel that I am part of the larger communion of Christians worldwide who believe and practise the catholic and apostolic Christianity I believe in.

It is Mother’s Day today and thank God for mothers. They really are extraordinary people in our lives! =) Happy Mother’s Day to you if you are one! Haha… Goodnight.

God Bless,

Andrew