EAST TIMORESE PEOPLE AND FORGIVENESS
I couldn't
understand why the East Timorese people forgive so easily. Especially
with regards to the Indonesian massacre of the East Timorese in 1991
and 1999 (apparently up to ~1/4 of the population died), why they
have still have little problem with Indonesian culture or Indonesian
people. It's a complete contrast to a significant portion of Chinese
and Koreans who hate Japan coz of WW2, and the Australian Aboriginals
who still complain about injustice even though they've already
received an official apology, and copious social welfare (unlike the
East Timorese who receive virtually NONE) and academic scholarships
despite the statistical majority not making the most of what they've
been given.
I got told that
it's because East Timorese people need to look forward and not dwell
on the past. Their economy is also still largely independent on
Indonesian products, so it's important to have amicable relationships
to avoid an embargo that would destroy their economy even further.
But I wondered how much of their external humility is due to their
poverty. If East Timor was in an economically superior position,
could they then be less forgiving and get away with it? Do they
genuinely forgive Indonesians (eg as a Catholic notion, eg “turning
the right cheek”), or is this a strategic move to not “rock the
boat” any further lest they suffer from a hypothetical Indonesian
embargo?
An Aspie (before
I came to East Timor) told me that she never burns bridges with other
people, “you never know when you need them”. Maybe East Timor is
in a similar situation.
Nevertheless I
find their attitude very inspiring, and it helps to put into
perspective the significance of some of my previous problems, of
which I've now moved on from.
MINI-CLINICAL NOTES
- I saw a patient
whose respiratory symptoms were milder than before. I thought that it
couldn't be TB, if he wasn't diagnosed with it after the first time
(that was more severe), but I was proven wrong. He was still given a
provisional diagnosis.
- There was a
dyspnoeic patient who had suspected TB. He didn't officially have
Asthma, and never used “Ventolin” (salbutamol) before. He had
digital clubbing for a long time. I was puzzled as to what condition
he had. Maria came to listen to me present the patient, and soon
commenced him on nebulized salbutamol + budesonide.
I felt dumb; it
was obvious but it just didn't occur to me at the time. Just because
a patient has never been diagnosed with the condition, doesn't mean
they can't have it. You might as well give the treatment a try.
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