Palliative Care lies in between the usual medical culture of active treatment and the culture of death and dying. Was that what attracted me to Palliative Care, having lived as an in-betweener for most of my life? Growing up between two cultures; Chinese at home and mostly Eurocentric outside of home. This continued for me in University being part of the local Chinese Group but also being part of the newer Asian immigrant group. A bridge is needed between the two groups as the two different cultures can be different in many ways, and may think that they have little in common.

Standard healthcare is directed at saving life, curing disease, fixing things which are broken. Death is looked upon as the great enemy, something to be fought against, railed against until the dying of the light. People have to go to battle against their diseases, go to war, but when it comes to your own bodies the collateral damage may be too much too handle.