Wednesday 13 December 2006

Growing old... and PUBERPHONIA ;)

lets start the blog with what i wanted to write yesterday... but it lookes like it may be short and snappy... because i want to share some knowledge with you all about boys at puberty and speech therapy (me) and so... you won't think its funny when i mention it again..

It just dawned on me that i am turning 30 next year... and i am older... older than i anticipated... older than i expected myself to be... i have been lying to myself all these while... i always thought i am young... like mid 20s... i'm in my 20s... late 20s... always 20sss... now... i have to say i am 30... and i am SINGLE!!! Life is so not like i imagined it to be..

there is absolutely nothing wrong with turning 30... and i am for growing old gracefully.... but sigh... 30 is such a big number... i remembered i was so depressed turning 20... sigh... teen to 20s... sigh... I'm AGEING!!! and i have no significant achievement in life... my degree... my patients... my driving licence.. what else?

before, a friend and i made a pact... we were going to go around the world when we are 30 and still single... and so... i am 30 and still single... even if i am no longer 'friends' its a plan i was trying to achieve.. perhaps not the whole world... but... I am going to cambodia next year... perhaps i should go to vietnam and KL as well while i am there... and then... i would want to go indonesia as it is the only asean country i have not been to... and perhaps... LIN... i may go to germany... that is if i get to save up... but i want to go during winter.. i miss the cold and snow :) so... what do people do in their 30s? meditate???

I know what I want to be when i am much older... I want to be like this old couple i know... they were probably about 70s... and the husband was unwell... and i was sent to see him... and so... this wife of his stuck by him day and night, despite living in KB (admitted in RIPAS). the wife still looked at the husband adoringly... they still hold hands and chat... and they pray together! what more do you want??? What more do i want.... more than companionship...???

and so... that part has come to an end... and the second part of the blog is starting:

So.... When a boy hits a certain age... in ISLAM and in Bruneian culture, especially during the school holidays, boys approximately 7-9 years old undergo circumsition. This is the act of removing the foreskin from the phallus... and it is done in the hospital. You'll be suprised at the waiting list and the number of boys undergoing it every school holidays...

And, thank you to another blog reader, mewow, who also happens to be a boy himself, raised that it is also a time of growth and changes to them... boys started to show the growth of BRAIN CELL (some of them) - he he he (not clinically supported!) , the spurt of height, growth of hair all over and more... but the most obvious of hormonal and growth of boys is the change in voice... its cracks, high pitch, squeky and more..

Normally, this is just a period of development and soon, voice changes to be this deep, clearer quality resonance... and all is fine with the world... they boys are much happier and is no longer 'ashamed' or shy of their voice...

Unfortunately... not everyone undergoes this normal turn... SOME, unfortunately for them, retain their high pitch, squeky voice till over the normal stage... lets say.. boys tend to change their voice into that deep quality at early teens... but... these boys with problems... retain that voice quality even until late teens.... 18/19... some older...

and so... the consequences of such voice has a social and emotional impact... boys are mean... can you imagine what such a voice ( high pitch and squeky) would do to one's self-esteem??

and hence, boys with this voice; which happens to be a problem and called puberphonia, goes and see a speech and language therapist (ME) to help them with this voice quality. first, being seen by a ENT doctor!... and so... this is where the seriousness begins and my work starts... boys at puberty and me ;)

So do you all see it now? Lets not go into it clinically... but lets just say its challenging, emotional journey for both of us... and a great struggle to find the strength to change and adapt...

3 comments:

dr.rin said...

This is in response to the first part of your blog, Meel! I myself have been thinking about this turning 30 business. Like you, I'll be the big three-O next July - dear god! Ah, but age is only a number. I actually don't feel my age. People who meet me for the first time always think that I'm in my early 20s. Now, I'm hoping that I look it, rather than act it, haha! Who knows!

Though, recently, I've been feeling restless. Again, like you, I feel that I haven't achieved much, and most of what I did achieve tend to be in academia. I want to be more than that, I want to do something more for the world, etc. - haha, basically I have big dreams and I feel that time is running out. So in a way, I'm actually happy being single since it'll allow me to concentrate more on pursuing my dreams. I know, I'll end up a lonely old maid but at the moment, this is what I feel is the right thing to do. If I'm not happy with myself, how can I make anyone happy?

But Meel, I believe you have achieved a lot in your almost 30 years, not just the degree, etc. I mean, one example is the fact that you were on the kapal belia. I think that's an amazing achievement, especially since you were also the head of the team (not sure what the official title is!). You were able to visit so many places and meet so many new people.

However, I do understand your feeling. I mean, no matter how much we achieve, there's always more that we feel we need to do. But you know something, we've plenty of time, insyallah. You'll meet your jodoh, you'll achieve your dreams, etc. I have great faith in our Creater! Everything happens for a reason, I truly believe that. So chin up, girl! Let's face the next birthday with all we've got, hehe!

By the way, about travelling, I know some really nice ppl in Hanoi, Vietnam. I'll introduce you, if you want. Been meaning to go there again some time. Also, Germany in winter sounds cool! Let's go skiing! Liza may be interested too! And let's not forget June! I'm dragging her abroad, hehe! ;)

Oh yeah, one thing I want to do when I'm 30 is to improve the languages I know and learn a new one (i.e. German)!

Padian said...

hey Lin... *hugs* of all people, I knew you would have similar feelings as me... it was a hunch...

we are never happy with what we have... and ain't that true... I do try to be happy... but sometimes... you get gready and wish you have done this and that.. and more... sigh... but reality, if you were given the chance to turn back time, would you have done anything differently???

and you lin, you have achieved MANY MANY things in this lifetime... if not many achievements, i dare say we got wiser FASTER from personal experience... *hugs*

SIGH... Oh well... Head on... 30... here I come!!!

dr.rin said...

-hug- Yeah, our personal experiences till now were most-definitely character-building! I'm kind of happy with how I turned out so far, just feel that I should have learnt a lot more in these 29-ish years than I did. Ah, well, c'est la vie, as they say. :) You know what, let's look forward to the changes we'll see in ourselves and others after we turn 30. Positive thoughts all the way! ;D

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