Blood Donation at Bloodbank @ HSA

Date: 22nd August 2014
Venue: Bloodbank @ HSA

This was not my first time doing a blood donation. It's my third time doing this, including this visit. Although my polytechnic did hold a blood donation drive a week before my actual appointment, the timing was not right due to busy schedule dealing with academic. Presentation, project submissions and tests made me forget about doing blood donation. My last donation was January 2013 and I have planned to do it once every year. However, maybe because of my busy life, I kept postponing that plan until I want to give this year's donation a miss. Fortunately, I didn't!

That particular week was considered as term test week for my polytechnic. Due to the fact that there's no exam due to "compressed modules", I chose my blood donation day on a Friday as one, no more tests on that day and two, like to do such plan at the end of the week just like my driving lessons.

Before the blood donation, I had my lunch because I don't want to faint in the middle of the blood donation process. I've tried doing blood donation without eating and that's a wrong way to do if you do not have the mentality to do it. One bowl of Japanese ramen was my lunch for that day.

I've reached the Bloodbank @ HSA at 2pm after lunch and strolling around. 2pm was my appointment time as I've indicated during my online booking. As I reached there, I was startled by the new look of the Bloodbank @ HSA. Wait a minute! That was just my second visit there and it changed a lot after I just picked up a free diary on my first visit. I remembered it was a dull environment and it changed into a colourful place.

The newly renovated Bloodbank@ HSA with vibrant colours and new furnitures. (Source: www.hsa.gov.sg)

I entered the place and didn't know what to do next so I approached the customer service officer for help since it was my first official visit to do blood donation. As I have done an online questionnaire before my appointment, I skipped the completion of filling up the questionnaire. I updated my particulars and done a health assessment by a health screener. The door will slide open when the number is called. After it was done, the health screener will click the button and let the door to slide open again. It's a big advancement after a renovation! I was surprised by that.

Blood haemoglobin level was done before entering another room for blood donation. The process...was not painful since I've already done it umpteenth times from blood test to blood donation. It's just a mosquito bite! The whole process took around 45 minutes from registration to the full blood donation. During the blood donation, I've received a card which stated that the next time that I can donate again (3 months is the next time that I can donate), iron tablets (Vanilla flavour keeps me wondering whether are there any other flavours? Chocolate?) and free refreshments voucher.

Completion of the blood donation

A blood donation card and vanilla-flavoured iron tablets

After the blood donation process, it's time for refreshments! Just when I thought it would be simple snacks like biscuits and Milo, I was wrong! When I asked where's the refreshment counter, it was actually a Cafe selling sandwiches, spaghetti and beverages. I can't remember what the counter told me the choices of food that I can get as I handed the voucher but I just said spaghetti and hoping that it would be a small serving since I've already eaten a big bowl of Japanese ramen. Nope! Normal serving! On top of that, orange juice in hoping that I would not waste any food and red bean soup which I initially rejected but took it because it's a source of iron. It was a big serving I would say after having a lunch. I took it as I was having a tea break so I finished it all within 30 minutes. It was a nightmare to me after that.

I'm planning to do blood donation next time but hopefully would not lead to the same situation I've done previously when I visit there again. My polytechnic is a good place to do blood donation but I can only visit there when there is and only before I graduate unless I'm still receiving e-mail from them stating there's blood donation event at my polytechnic. If not, Bloodbank @ HSA will my regular place for blood donation.

Crazy TV Show Fan #2: Muhan Dojeon (Infinity Challenge)

Previously, I've mentioned my first favourite TV Show in my blog. Here comes the second favourite TV Show being mentioned here in my blog. Don't get it wrong! This show is not ranked 2nd even though it is mentioned second as those shows that I've written are the ones that I like and feel that it should not be ranked, those shows are of different kinds. It can't be compared.

Here we go. The second favourite show that I'm going to talk about is a South Korean variety program, Muhan Dojeon or Infinity Challenge or Infinite Challenge (Don't mix up with a boy band of a same name!). 

(Credit: www.dramarecap.com, Main Source: Munhwa Broadcasting Channel (MBC))

To avoid confusion, the English name that I always use is Infinity Challenge or in short, IC. I've watched various South Korean variety programs since late 2000s. Back then, drama was the only thing that I knew. After that, when I had cable TV in 2008, I started to watch variety programs from South Korea. 

IC was not the first variety show I've watched and I only started watching it after I've watched Running Man, another variety show from South Korea. When you watch both shows, you will find similar hosts. 

Yoo Jae-Suk, the legendary MC, and HaHa or Ha Dong-Hoon are in both shows. Apart from them, there are 4 other members, Noh Hong-Chul, Park Myeong-Su, Jung Jun-Ha and Jung Hyeong-Don. Unfortunately, not many people know what's IC is all about even there are familiar faces. IC is not broadcasted in my country whereas Running Man is, internationally, I would say. So, what one of the IC's FB Fan Page stated, if you like Running Man, you would definitely like IC. That's why I started to like it.

IC started in May 6, 2006 as an independent program, 5 years before the debut of Running Man. Previously, it was only a small segment and featured crazy challenges. Now, instead of crazy challenges, they did a lot of specials like concerts, singing competitions, urban variety, sport projects and many more. Before Running Man played hide-and-seek, chasing people and tearing off each others' name tags, there was IC! ''Run away with the Money Bags'' (Episodes 110 - 112) was a classic example of Running Man, followed by Pimple Break (Episodes 158 - 159) and TV War (Episodes 275 - 276) and many more.

The ratings didn't go well at first but as the show got more interesting, funny and emotional, the ratings increased to a maximum to 30%. Although it's hard to hit the record again, IC still stands strong and ranked #1 most of the time in Saturday timeslot.

Unfortunately, for this show being on air for 9 years, it has suffered a lot. Since 2010, the show was put on hold due to labour strike in MBC. The show paused for 7 weeks. After that, in 2012, it was again put on hold due to labour strike. That time was a record, 24 weeks or 6 months before it was back on air again. When there was no airing of IC during the 6 months, I switched to Running Man instead.  In 2014, the show paused for 2 weeks due to ferry sinking incident. During that time, one member was caught drink driving and left the show. It was an emotional period as I could not smile and laugh when it was back on air again. Same goes to a Korean drama that I was chasing during my internship period, I stopped watching for a week as a respect to the victims even though I was falling way too behind the TV schedule. 

Overall, this show is great and all the episodes that I've watched were mostly interesting and funny. Recent episodes (Episodes 389 and 390) were the ones that I think I need to review and post it on my blog. Suddenly, this becomes a so-called an Individual Crazy Fan Blog which many posts consists of IC. Hopefully, it can be a long running show like what my first favourite show has done.

That's all for my 2nd Crazy TV Show Fan post. Till next time, bye!