Mr S - the head nurse at my hospital has started to call me 'Angry Bird' - he says it with affection & it is usually accompanied with a statement such as "Thank you for staying Esther, I know we frustrate you but I want you to know that I appreciate you." Shortly following this he will then ask me to do something for him, I will say 'yes', it works every time.
Angry Birds - a merchandise sensation here in Asia - is in fact a very fitting term of endearment for me because currently I am angry most of the time (although as a feminist I would usually object to being called a bird - it makes me angry!). I've been hoping that this is all down to the heat & 'going troppo' will vanish with the rains but I fear that there is a deeper rooted cause that a drop in ˚C is not going to address.
You will only have to read my previous blogs to get a general idea about what kind of things cause me to become frustrated & angry. My development of a visual analogue scale probably is a good indicator as to how much time I have been feeling this way recently.
Last month I under took a health facility review, for VSO, of a group of counsellors in Phnom Penh. 60% of their clients are Cambodian, mainly presenting with post traumatic stress & anxiety disorders. When I asked what the 40% ex-pats common complaints were, the answer was Culture Shock. This can present with many symptoms - poor appetite, sleep disorder (but that could be Wat related!), anxiety, depression, irritability.... Then I tentatively asked "Anger?" - apparently yes!
However I don't think that I am culture shocked, I don't believe I am going troppo, what I am experiencing is just a normal reaction to current life events. From Cambodia to UK, work to home, professional to personal, regional politics & gender issues to bad driving - everything is driving me crazy.
But who I'm really angry with the most is myself & my failure to shake this angry bird trap. So if someone could please catapult a bird in my direction, release me from this cage & get a bonus pineapple for your troubles, it would be very much appreciated.
Angry Birds - a merchandise sensation here in Asia - is in fact a very fitting term of endearment for me because currently I am angry most of the time (although as a feminist I would usually object to being called a bird - it makes me angry!). I've been hoping that this is all down to the heat & 'going troppo' will vanish with the rains but I fear that there is a deeper rooted cause that a drop in ˚C is not going to address.
You will only have to read my previous blogs to get a general idea about what kind of things cause me to become frustrated & angry. My development of a visual analogue scale probably is a good indicator as to how much time I have been feeling this way recently.
Last month I under took a health facility review, for VSO, of a group of counsellors in Phnom Penh. 60% of their clients are Cambodian, mainly presenting with post traumatic stress & anxiety disorders. When I asked what the 40% ex-pats common complaints were, the answer was Culture Shock. This can present with many symptoms - poor appetite, sleep disorder (but that could be Wat related!), anxiety, depression, irritability.... Then I tentatively asked "Anger?" - apparently yes!
However I don't think that I am culture shocked, I don't believe I am going troppo, what I am experiencing is just a normal reaction to current life events. From Cambodia to UK, work to home, professional to personal, regional politics & gender issues to bad driving - everything is driving me crazy.
But who I'm really angry with the most is myself & my failure to shake this angry bird trap. So if someone could please catapult a bird in my direction, release me from this cage & get a bonus pineapple for your troubles, it would be very much appreciated.
Howdy Neighbour,
ReplyDeleteI just read your blog. I'm in Ho Chi Minh and my thought processes are the same as yours but I can add middle age hormonal shifts as another element. I try to live in ambient temperature, like the rest of my native Viet family, but apart from the odd successful stint I usually retreat to the aircon of our bedroom or a good local cafe for respite. Need to manage this because I think it is really affecting my disposition. Not a problem in 3 years in Singapore but back then I worked everyday in aircon so climate was less an issue. I don't recognize the angry bird that I have become. Figure I am aware of the situation so I'm not following George III! Anyway, Good luck with to you and thanks for the helpful thoughts. Cheers simon