UK Keratoconus Self-Help and Support Association

I'm back, and had a dippy tummy on my return [oh joy]. Interesting but quite hard trip. The theatre tech crew were excellent and went to great pains to get the lighting right so that I wasn't blinded whilst I was dancing. I even had my own dressing room with my name on it, how cool is that!
The art musuem lecture was fine, met a few British nurses there who were lovely.
The hospital dance & lecture was another matter though. They had none of my practical requirements despite having known these for months, indeed, they did the complete opposite. So I had explain this to someone whose english was not too good 45 mins before I was due on. The professor of psychiatry was all over like me a rash beforehand practically fawning, citing my wonderful references from British professors/consultants and proudly told me he had done his training here [I had to supply references for the hospital lecture]. He then proceded to introduce me as giving a talk on a completely different subject!! He had my title/synopsis months ago, but I reckon he introduced me as giving the talk we would have preferred me to have given.
They didn't want to hear anything political, nothing criticising the biomedical model or anything about new conceptualisations. They just wanted personal experience with no analysis and preferably nice & fluffy, and I'm not fluffy!!
They ran off afterwards and wouldn't speak to me, other than to say that they "don't have many Schizophrenics here" , which seems strange given that Singapore has recently formed it's own branch of the ISPS [International Society for the Psychotherapy of Schizophrenias and other Psychoses].
I emailed a psychiatrist back here who has also spoken out there and he told me that they did excatly the same to him, indeed, they viewed him as subversive to speak of psychotherapy!!! In which case, I must have been the antichrist to them...ah well.
I did go to the famous Raffles Andrew, I didn't have a Singapore Sling as I can't tolerate cherry flavours but I had my favourite cocktail, a Brandy Alexander, mixed to perfection.
It was SO oppulent, you can just imagine it in its colonial days, it's another world. So I pretended to be rich & famous with my lovely guide. He is a Phd student and it seems I taught him the meaning of the word 'activist', they don't have any there, well not in mental health it seems.
Now sight assistance, that was very variable. I took my lens out on the plane and I just couldn't negotiate the plane toilet. Cabin staff were not very good at all, indeed on my outward trip they really upset me. I couldn't see the toilet, nor the engaged/vacant signs so I asked for assistance. They said, 'just go down there, you can see' and 3 times I explained that I couldn't see. They just wouldn't help, so I made my way down the isle bumping into a couple of passengers who were leaning out of their seats but I couldn't see until I bumped into them as the lights were dimmed by now. At the other end, I finally found someone to help me. I felt quite humiliated.
Ground staff however were fab, at Singapore they filled in my immigration card for me and even remembered me on my return. Stopping at Bahrain, again they were excellent, especially good. As it's quite drying on the plane, it is easier to leave the lens out especially if you want to sleep because it's not good to sleep with RGP's. So that was my experience

Hi Louise

Sounds like you had fun. International work is always an unpredictable experience.

Glad you are back safely

Brigid

Welcome back Louise.

What airline was that? Let us know and we can try to avoid it!

sounds like you had an interesting time.

back to earth now.

I'm glad you enoyed Raffles

Yours aye

Andrew

Thankyou. It was Gulf Air which I've since heard from seasoned travellers is not highly regarded

Will make a mental note never to travel with gulf Air!

Louise, I am sorry you had all this trouble when in the air. Still, it is good to have you back.

I have some experience of speaking at international conferences, aknow the scenario: speaker submits abstract, speakser is included in conference programme, speaker submits paper for publication in conference proceedings, then speaker turns up and thinks that the conference chairman must be introducing somebody else.


They always seemed to give me the slot just after lunch. Still, I guess that the conference goers probably enjoyed and benefited from the littls sleep that I was able to afford them

Andrew

SOrry to hear of your experiences with Gulf Air and the strange intros.

FOr info of anyone travelling sans contacts: cabin crew will not give assistance inthe aircraft toilet. this is for hygience reasons because they also handle food (allegedly). SO you have to insist on being helped *to* the toilet and maybe *told* where things are, and that you understand the restrictions....... though these sound like they were over the top here.

Rosemary

I clearly asked and they clearly declined on that outward journey whereas at the other end of the cabin they did the opposite and showed me the door, and the lock. I'd like a pair of glasses made up which show what my sight is like without lenses so I could shove them on a persons face and say, 'here you go dear, this is what it's like'.

Now there's a marketing opportunity for a bright optometrist entrepreneur

Andrew