Blood-y Affair.

18 March 2011

If only I was born seven months earlier, i would have slurped down a steaming hot cup of Milo and head straight into the icy-cold lecture room at the Sepakat Driving Institution to have a pint of blood drew off for the needy. No worries, I can donate blood at any time after the twenty-third day in September this year.

So, you must have realised by now that what I am going to talk about. Or should I say, narrate or even crap about.

It was the blood donation drive this morning! It was an annual event organised by Wei Tuo Tian Zun Association Taiping, in order to help replenish the blood bank in the local hospital for those in need.  Lugging along a large fragrant pot of steaming hot chicken curry, and some fluffy homemade cakes, off I went to the driving institute with my parents. (Well, actually, the food is for the blood donors there. Strictly no picnic.) I lent a helping hand to the fellow members of the association by arranging the food for the blood donors. Surely no one had wanted to donate off his blood with a rambling tummy! (Blackout awaits if you don't!)

Nine o'clock in the morning was just like any other morning during the lazy Sundays, except that the ever-oh-so-generous blood donors began pouring it and there was no more time to lepak around the centre. I mean business. Filling in the forms with the particulars of every prospective donor is crazy, as I had not went for any writing marathon ever since I stepped out from the school doors of my alma mater for the last time.

Filling up the forms with those oh-so-ubiquitous details of every blood donor. Name, I.C. Number, Marital status, occupation etc. 

Well, to be frank, the blood donors did not actually flood the driving centre at one time! Instead, there they went, one at a time, until there were episodes which I had to hesitate-on resting and checking the schedule for the upcoming driving examination. Fortunately, there were Auntie Yap and Auntie Siew Meei to the rescue! Most of them were married people in their forties. Everywhere-except the dining area-was silent. I beamed in glee whilst watching people packing in cakes, slice after slice, and holding plates overflowing with the gravy of the curry chicken. Hello, I baked the cakes, you know??!!

It was not until eleven o'clock in the morning, when the blood donors began pouring in like crazy. Entering into my ears were the moans by those impatient donors:

"Wa Xiang bo lang eh. chap yit diam liao ying gai bo lang eh ma. Seng cho xiao liao!"

(Translation: I expected less people at eleven o' clock. I had predicted it wrong!)

Even the health-related questions supposedly to be asked by the medical personnel, has now entered my working scope! I had to ask them everything related to the health questions (which I found it pretty ridiculous! ) Except for the first question, "Adakah anda sihat hari ini?" (Are you healthy today?) "Tidak" (No) are the obvious answers for the other questions. Otherwise, no blood donation from you! (And obviously not for me too. I am not yet eighteen. 

Imagine these:

Adakah anda menghidap penyakit Hepatitis? (Do you have hepatitis?)

Adakan anda mengambil ubat aspirin dalam seminggu yang lepas? (Do you take aspirin a week before?)

Adakah anda datang haid, mengandung atau mempunyai anak berumur kurang daripada satu tahun? (Are you having menstruation, pregnant or have a child below one year old?)

And, blah blah blah. (Please don't say me yucky!)

Part of the health-related questions. (If you are a Malaysian, that won't be a problem. =) )

Eleven o' clock in the morning. There were so many people that the crowd extended  into the waiting room. 

Hard work is nothing anyway. (Eh you lazy-bone, writing is hard work for you?) I enjoyed helping out at the blood donation drive a lot! (Probably, that will be the second and last time for me to help out in such drives, because I will be studying soon! (For the time being, online, writing and looking for jobs is what I am doing.)

Donate blood and save lives! Hopefully I am fully eligible and can pass the screening should I become a blood donor anytime soon. XD