Foodis horribilis!
This may be a problem peculiar to my hospital, but I'm inclined to think that most hospitals are afflicted.
The affliction? Bad food. Or in the case of my hospital, bad AND expensive food!
We demand better food. It's a pretty basic human right after all - the right to decent food. Especially if you are paying for it. I am not a picky eater. I'm an omnivore, I don't practise food taboos and I have no reservations paying more for palatable meals. But walk into the establishment thinly disguised as the "hospital cafeteria" and you will empathise with me. I suffer from anorexia of sudden onset everytime I walk into this joint. It's the usual "cafe fare" - measley portions of meat, boiled veggies drained of colour (and whatever vitamins they contain) and overfried fish that cost a fortune. A simple meal consisting of a chicken drumstick and 2 pieces of tofu (and half a portion rice) can set you back something like RM4.58. The odd 58 cents? Government tax. Like I said, I'll willingly pay for real food but this, I'll do so grudgingly.
Of course, there's always the option of eating out. Except when you have rounds that go on till 1 pm and clinics that start at 2pm sharp, eating out remains a luxury. Besides, once you vacate your parking bay at lunch time, do not expect to find an empty slot when you come back that is not at least 3 slopes, 2 blocks and 1 mortuary away from the main building (coming soon in my blog : car park woes in my hospital)!
I remember a time not too long ago in the land of the hornbill far, far away. There was a coffee shop located just outside the hospital that served decent food - red-wine mee sua (rice vermicelli), claypot tom yam noodles, fried noodles in tomato sauce, laksa Sarawak etc. We always looked forward to lunch. Now, lunch feels like a drag. I'm not expecting gourmet lunches, but is it too much to be asking for better food?
I want this for lunch!You know, I could go on a hunger strike, but the canteen operator will have his tender renewed year in and year out anyway. I think I'll have to start packing lunches to work.
Ridiculous blog title, you say? That's because I'm hungry - I skipped lunch today!
3 comments:
I used to go for Chinese economy rice and vegetarian food right opposite HSB at the traffic light junction. They still there?
Hey cytusm, we call it the "3.50 shop" but the price has gone up to RM3.70 now. Good food...but having to surrender my parking slot proves too difficult so I don't go there anymore unless someone else is driving! Did you used to work here or were you an IMU student?
I was a HO in HSB. I used to walk there everyday for lunch and 'ta pau' for dinner. Tough life backed then.
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