Mile high doctors' club
"Being a doctor, it was my 'dream' that I would be once called upon to attend an emergency mid-flight," writes Saurabh Bhatia. "I will save a person's life, will be called a hero, have my pics in a newspaper, and the person I saved will name his/her son after me. What actually happened was this: Announcement is made if there is a doctor on board, I stand up and so does a Chinese woman. 'Can you show me a proof that you are a doctor?' asks the flight attendant. I look blankly at her ... The Chinese doctor meanwhile produces a business card and is 'allowed' to see the patient. I am sent back to my seat. Next year, again flying ... This time I am carrying a miniaturised photocopy of my medical licence in my bag. Again an announcement happens. I scramble for my laptop bag, take out my licence copy ... rush to the rear where there is a patient. I am probably the 10th doctor in the queue. First 2-3 doctors dismissed by the stewardess. I am chuckling and thinking '... bloody losers. They don't even carry their biz card. Haha ...' I am also keeping fingers crossed that all 9 still in front of me get rejected. But someone is 'approved' to see the patient. Rest of us are rudely herded back to seats. Schooled again. I am flying again next month. Mum is stitching a special pocket in my pyjamas to permanently carry my laminated licence. I have bought Nike air shoes to run fastest in the aisle towards the patient. And I am gonna carry the steth around my neck too, to show my preparedness. Also bought a selfie stick to click pics of myself doing the treatment so that if newspapers don't oblige, will make myself famous on social media." (Via quora.com)
Thomas fans in need of cultural awareness training
Thomas the Tank Engine will have foreign characters and female characters in the new The Great Race - a one-off film being made to coincide with this summer's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. And some readers of the Daily Mail are unable to accept the diversity. Thomas's new companions include Ashima of India and Yong Bao from China. "That's great, Ashima will be able to teach the kids how many passengers she can balance on her roof, and Thomas will learn some valuable health and safety lessons. Meanwhile Bao's knock-off reverse-engineered parts will introduce industrial espionage story lines, not to mention the inevitable high-speed crash drama." But another Daily Mail reader says: "Do people really think kids should be brought up not knowing other countries exist?" Owner of "Thomas & Friends," Mattel lists about 100 characters on the brand's official website. The vast majority are male and apparently white.
