Gene Optometrist

Glasses were new to Uwaris and his family. When we met for the second time, the mum watched her boy putting on the pair that we picked at the shop a few days ago. And I caught a crescent grin, brief but sweet enough for her to complete with an unexpected request. “Tangkap gambar dengan uncle?” she asked casually.

Before coming to us, Uwaris had been wearing contact lens on his right eye for the past 6 months. Or rather, his parents were helping him everyday since he was given a contact lens prescription of 850 short-sighted power during their visit to Penang General Hospital (GH).

Right Eye’s Contact Lens Power: -8.50

We reminded Uwaris and the mother to check his eyes annually: I would be happy to examine his eyes by then and the follow-up with GH’s ophthalmologist is equally important. With both glasses and contact lens available to him, the young boy can choose between them for his vision now. It was an uncommon eye prescription but one that we do come across at work. The challenge is always how we manage and educate as optometrists — every patient is in the good hands of their ophthalmologist too.

Eye Prescription for Uwaris on 1/2/24
Right: -10.00
Left: -1.00

粿条汤看得很清楚 1.53pm
没问題 1.53pm

Our customer’s WhatsApp replies told us how clear and delicious her Koay Teow was during lunch. I don’t think she takes chillies though because she didn’t respond to my subsequent request of counting them.

Miss Tiong is visibly enjoying her food with comfortable vision and companion. Having another look at the photo made me believe that she is a Kopi-O-Mai-Liao person. I should probably get us two cups of Americano when we meet the next time.

Wei Jian’s wife and children are always on his mind. The only time I didn’t hear him talking about them was during his visit with Chuen Ying to our optical shop for new glasses.

When three of us met for their frame adjustment a few weeks ago, I was reminded about Chinese New Year (I don’t know why) as soon as they came through the door. This imminent celebration is an annual opportunity for most people to meet our family and friends — people whom we always think about and never get bored of spending time with.

Helping everyone to get the “best” glasses is what we do at an optical shop everyday. You will be checking the quadruple boxes of vision, comfort, look and price with us.

Before or after an eye test, our role is to recommend frames that offer stable vision and ideal fit for your face. You pick one that makes you look good (or even better) with it and we will take care of your budget.

Some of my favourite glasses are in this photo — this one is for our camaraderie since December 2019.

I was happy to meet the husband and wife for three consecutive Decembers. If anything else, the third evening visit made my day with the couple glasses that both of them came in with.

The first lines of our conversation were about contact lenses and glasses (what else?). It was a comfortable exchange and I liked how they told me about sharing the same clothes and shoe designs with their spouse — this sweet idea never gets old.

We missed meeting some of you at the shop last month when our family was away for about 2 weeks.

Mr Chan drove to Gene Optometrist when he started seeing abnormal curtain-like shadows, but all of us were not around. Diagnosed with retinal detachment by an ophthalmologist, he was then treated at the doctor’s eye specialist centre. After a successful eye surgery, Mr Chan is enjoying his time with Mrs Chan at Hong Kong now.

The WhatsApp enquiry about getting a pair of multifocal glasses for Mr Chow ended with our coincidental unavailability on 21st October. We were not able to meet him as he was leaving for Singapore before our trip back to Penang.

Reporting to the shop after so many days of not working in October felt unusual. And the reason behind it is exactly what uncle Kian Foo said to me this morning.

“I noticed that you have a ring on your finger now,” he observed and smiled.

We apologize if you are reading this in front of our shop. Gene Optometrist will be closed from 20th October (Friday) to 26th October (Thursday).

Thank you for sending your wishes to us and spending time with our family at Averie Hous two weeks ago. Bridgette and I are going to remember all of you witnessing us as husband and wife.

One of the things all of us miss a lot during our career-defining years is the time we have for long distance families and friends.

Gene Optometrist will be closed on 23rd September (Saturday) and from 29th September (Friday) to 2nd October (Monday) as Bridgette and I look forward to meeting some familiar faces in Penang.

我問阿豪最喜歡台灣哪裡，他幾乎是秒回。

“ 他们很注重亲情！”

這張在台東觀景台的照片真好看。一起比剪刀手拍照就是不會過時。

#仁光學眼鏡中心 #視力
#吉豪的眼鏡會變色也防藍光

A piano teacher in Cape Town, Michael travelled home with Laverne for their 95-year-old ye ye and his cousin’s wedding at Averie Hous (e-ve-ry house).

We were able to get new glasses for both. The husband put them on during the big day, but his wife’s purple frame missed the party on 7th July.

During their visit, Michael and I spent some time talking about Liverpool and Arsenal: two English football clubs that we support. Our conversation convinced me that we will be sharing some sports banter every now and then through WhatsApp. However, I didn’t need to be convinced that Michael will be coming back from South Africa for his grandfather and family.

I didn’t know scuba mask is available with eye prescription for scuba diving. Our friend enjoyed her first dives at Redang Island by putting on contact lenses, the other comfortable option that required Chie Min’s novel but successful practice before visiting Terengganu.

The convenience of contact lenses doesn’t stop at water sports (and sports). Some people need these silicone hydrogels for work and travel, majority of us would wear them occasionally — when we want to look good and are in a celebratory mood.

Dad was capturing the fundus of a young lady after taking her eye pressure at an eye screening event yesterday. They are a pair of eye examination tests available during your visit to our shop.

The ride home from Seberang Jaya reminded me of my skills, knowledge and passion as an optometrist started with what dad and mum did for a living. I’m proud and grateful to have my family on this rare working trip. Can’t ask for more.

Before my compulsory off day today, we have spent a full month at our new place: it is just 2 shop lots away from where you used to visit us.

54 months of attending to your vision concerns were unbelievable. I’m thankful for all the tacit support since September 2018 and we always looked at what I could have done better on.

Time to reach the handbrake for some good rest, moderate food and — quality time with my family. We will be back at work on second May, this year.

One of our final customers is wearing the translucent blue for driving. And she will pick up the colourful wood in the forest as her eyes to read small prints and skim through the phone.

Both looked classically classy on Kim when she came to collect them. We were able to dispense her own glasses after replacing their lenses with the latest eye prescription on 27th March. It was three days before our shop was relocated from the 3rd to the 5th unit at ground floor.

The owner of these round frames left behind an impression as much as the frames did. She told us about her almost-complete ocular history, visual condition and optical preference. We were then pleasantly surprised by NINE pairs of sunglasses in her quiet bag: all too vibrant and loud to be kept unnoticed. Believe it or not, there are even more at home.

Spectacles are the staple of our job, but I can finish counting mine before pair number 11. Kim was spectacular — and she certainly caught my eyes with hers.

We started Gene Optometrist on 17th September 2018 and are ready for a shop facelift with new eyewear brands.

My parents have guided me behind the scene with their career experiences. Our shop is better off because of all the open discussions — and I am too.

This is the most complete family photo for a Chinese New Year notice, among the ten thousands of them in my photo albums. It was so hard to find any in recent years.

Let us all have a good break from work and meet people whom we have missed spending time with during this annual holiday.

We will be back at the store on 27/1/23 (Friday): away from 21/1/23 (Saturday) to 26/1/23 (Thursday).

Spend time with our family at all stages of life. No matter how soon and how much we grow, we want to experience it through their eyes next to ours.

Jamie talked fondly of her niece: seemingly still and obedient in the photo. And if you are Hannah, that is a pretty good reason to be smiling about — no matter the occasion or celebration.

We can talk on the brand, the thickness and all the details of your lenses. Our bread and butter can be very interesting over a developing conversation.

Ask us about Nikon and Hoya from Japan; Essilor from France; Carl Zeiss from Germany; and any other lenses that come into your view. Next, we recommend lens refractive index for your eye prescription. It can be 1.56, 1.59, 1.67, 1.74 or any of them not listed here: the higher the number, the thinner your lenses are.

If none of the above piques your interest, how about some coffee with the recent episodes of TV series we binge-watched?

Now in college, this young man was skimming his phone after putting on his then new glasses 3 years ago.

“I’m not sure if you remember me, I came here when I was a student,” our returning customer looked at me. We had a brief chat as he was trying to find a new frame for himself.

My friend asked me about the challenge of running an optical shop. There are plenty of them and we can never hide from retaining our customers.

We will not have everyone coming back to us for glasses, but no matter how long it has been from a previous purchase, it is our job to help find you a new pair of eyewear here. Then, we can discuss on taking the frame home.

I didn’t realize how much I was picking up from a pioneer of my own profession. Not when we sat down for hours in front of each other.

Mr. Choong welcomed any questions, deflecting them before or after answering with his knowledge and patience. Our conversation always made it back to the field of optometry: despite travelling to his 18-year-old life experience at Belgium, my childhood memory with Kulim and many unintentional topic destinations.

The advices were priceless and I’ll definitely apply them at work. It was unbelievable to listen and learn from a meticulous optometrist, more so when I was offered a view of his tail-end, long and successful career.

Before you capture a pair of glasses, we want you to look for your favourite colour in the mirror.

“The smiles look sincere and happy,” the guy in the photo WhatsApp described what he likes most about it.

My high school friend, standing beside his wife, put on a frame that he could never wear because of his eye power.

The idea of wearing contact lens first before his glasses worked. And this is an optical combination we recommend often, particularly for taking wedding or family photos.

It is also common for a pair of bride and groom to practice inserting and removing contact lenses weeks before their wedding ceremony.

Having your eye prescription on helps you to see clearly, and you may need that to look at someone whom you are spending the rest of your life with.

People asked if we are brothers today.

We talked briefly about how Amsler Chart is used to detect certain early retinal changes in eyes. This useful test can be downloaded online. Look it up.

After an eye test for the niece, some Wordle attempts and a good couple of hours, I seemed to finish my day at work with a colour vision assessment and a final 3-dimensional vision test.

This is what we do as optometrists - other than dispensing glasses and prescribing contact lenses. And before I went home after a fulfilling day at work, my brother came back for his wallet.

“How do you feel when people travel from different places to see you for glasses?”

I had many unmasked faces and quick names flashing in my mind within seconds. And the guy who asked this random question drove quite a distance to our place. His family came over several times from Farlim and Sungai Petani too.

This is a photo of my high school friend who visited us for contact lenses every time he was back from Singapore.

Nothing feels better than meeting everyone who makes time and effort for us. It is always an unspoken appreciation.

A couple of IC Berlin glasses for the spouses.

These stainless steel frames are screwless and more durable than they look. They are very lightweight compared to most brands too.

Find your favourite pair and try putting them on before picking another for the person next to you. The husband did just that and we are thankful for his return purchases with his wife.

Happy holiday!

Our business resumes on 8th February (Tuesday) and let us appreciate these annual good times with everyone.

Happy Chinese New Year!!

All of us smile during the time spent with the people of our life.

Next year on, Gene Optometrist is closing on every Wednesday. It will be a day off and we take it to recharge once a week.

Let’s look at our working calendar and start picking some leaves with both family and friends. We deserve it and that is the best reason for you to start smiling.

We started our business 3 years ago today.

The woman in the photo is one of our early customers back in 2018. She was a first-time progressive lens wearer with us after putting on bifocal glasses previously.

We miss both the mask-less consultation and after-eye-test conversation. It was a memorable visit and we wish her well in Vancouver.