SOS: Time To Give Back!

There are sunny days. There are also rainy days.

There are days when we feel like we're on cloud nine. There are also days when we feel like all the odds are against us.

Stress. Anger. Sorrow. Hatred. Greed. 

Sometimes having too much makes us feel like we have too little.

But for these children, everyday is a new day filled with hope, happiness and love.

The 3rd of February was an eye-opening day for me and my friends. It was not my first time volunteering at foster homes, but it was the first time I realized the true value of sharing.

We visited three foster homes in Penang with the "Responsible Blogging" team- Asrama Ramakrishna, Children's Protection Society and Penang Shan Children's Home Association. For many it was their first time acknowledging the existence of these homes. Unlike larger charity organisations, these homes lacked the resources to promote themselves to society. But this did not deter the founders from continuing to provide for the children, physically and spiritually.

While we helped out at the homes, it was hard not to notice how the children were always smiling. They were polite, courteous and above all, grateful. The phrase "Thank you" seemed to come naturally to them; their sincerity was a breath of fresh air in a society plagued by materialism and deteriorating moral values.

That was when I thought: these children deserve so much more compared to the rest of us. Many of us live our lives complaining and taking things for granted, because we couldn't see what was there in front of us until it was gone. As a result, we became selfish, proud and cunning, shutting ourselves from a life of sharing and happiness.

But would we have been happier worrying about how to make more money for ourselves rather than giving the money away to put a smile on a child's face?

Chinese New Year is approaching its end. While you're listing down the things to do with your angpao money, don't forget to put "donation" in your list.

Money is only paper if you don't put it to proper use. Love and happiness will never increase unless you share it with someone else. If you are willing to give love to these children, then you will feel the magnitude of all their love for you. 

More information on the homes and how you can help:
Ashrama Ramakrishna

Founded in 1938, it is a charitable organisation which runs an orphanage catering for boys and girls, with ages ranging from 6 to 20 years old. Asrama Ramakrishna seeks to fulfill its mission to help the needy by providing for their basic needs and education. All children are provided with proper education to ensure that they give back to society when they come of age.
How you can help:

• Sponsoring a child programme: RM1500 per annum per child (inclusive of education, food, maintenance and miscellaneous fees. Click here for more info)
• Donations: Can only be done via CIMB Cares (Click here for more info)
• Contact details: 04-2270869 (telephone), 04-2278921 (fax), ramkorp@hotmail.com (email)

Children's Protection Society

Children's Protection Society was formed as an initiative by Dato' Nazir Ariff in 1991 under the Penang Rotary Club. Officially launched in 1992, CPS focuses on the emotional and physical development, education, social and recreational skills of the children. The organisation also aims to reunite each child with his/her family by close cooperation and communication with parents and other family members.
How you can help:

• Become a volunteer : Areas include tuition and learning, while times are flexible and can be anything from an hour up 
• Sponsor-a-child
• Donations: Cheques should be made payable to Children's Protection Society Pulau Pinang (mailing address: 118-a Jalan Scotland, 10450 Penang. Click here for more info.)
• Sponsoring an Activity or Outing: Click here for more info.
• Contact details: 04-8294046 (telephone/fax), cpspg@hotmail.com (email)

Penang Shan Children's Home Association

Founded in 2005, this association is non-religious and non-profit NGO catering to the needs of orphans, neglected children, dysfunctional families and single parents. PSCH aims to not only provide for the children's needs on a short term basis, but also to support them to complete their tertiary education or develop their skills for the workforce. It is their hope to eventually reunite the children with their respective families through home visits and cooperation with parents.

How you can help:

• Adopt a child programme: RM400 per month per child, inclusive of lodging, education, meals, transportation and allowance.
• Donations: Contact the home for more details.
• Contact details: 04-2292186 (telephone/fax), 016-4127711 (mobile number), shanchildrenhomepg@yahoo.com (email), 679-D, Jalan Mount Erskine, Tanjung Tokong, 10470 Pulau Pinang (mailing address)

The children are waiting for you! :)

The End of the World?

After a long absence, I've decided to return to the world of blogging.

Anger and disappointment were the reasons.

Although I loathe to inflict more pain on the Yau couple, I cannot help myself.

The Mayans predicted the end of the world to be on the 21st of December, 2012. So, it didn't happen. But that doesn't mean the end of the world is still far, far away. The world is not the safe haven we used to know.

Fear is fixated in our heads as we walk down secluded alleys; parents forbid their children from playing alone in playgrounds; we are instructed to see strangers in a suspicious light, and not give them the benefit of the doubt.

What has our world come to? More importantly, is it too late to make a difference?

A female medical student in New Delhi was gang-raped and has died of her injuries. A six-year-old boy was murdered mercilessly, leaving his parents and siblings heart-broken. Countless others have suffered and died, their names once chanted by the public, now long forgotten.

Who has the right to inflict pain on another being? God did not create living beings to see us waging war against each other, torturing fellow beings and rinsing the earth with innocent blood.

Let's not add to the murder count. Please stop this cold-blooded rampage. The end of the world is much nearer than we think.

R.AGE Open Mic: [Drops of Jupiter]

Random Snapshots 1

Be gracious

I am seriously contemplating shutting down my Facebook and Twitter accounts. Why? Because I am getting very tired.

Not tired of maintaining it (for someone who logs in everyday, that's definitely not a problem). But tired of seeing so many status-es going on about the same thing.

People complain, people grieve, people explode. It's all just a matter of time. And self-control. There's nothing wrong with expressing your emotions, because it's not good to bottle it up all inside. But doesn't that mean that by telling someone (or everyone) your problems, you're dumping your problems on them?

Maybe you don't ask for their advice. Maybe you don't even expect anything in return. But it's perfunctory for listeners to offer a little advice for the one in suffering. And then there's that fear of saying the wrong thing and offending him/her.

Sometimes, you don't expect anyone to leave comments. But it can get a little irritating for your Facebook friends if they see you complaining over and over again on Facebook about how unfair the world is, yadda-yadda.

Get away from the computer screen and go outside. Look at the sky and see how bright the sun shines. Then come back and tell me, is the world really that awful? Or is it just that you blinded yourself to all that was good in life?

While you are here complaining about how you didn't get to go out with your friends on Sunday, someone could be praying for a warm home to go back to. While you are complaining about eating mushy peas, know that it tastes a lot better than fresh tree bark. Perhaps the Internet at your house is slow, but there are many people out there who don't even have the luxury of a computer, let alone the privilege of using the Internet.

There are many things that are bad in life, and it's not fair that you get an extra helping of it. But as Kelly Clarkson once sung, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. If you were once a victim of bullying, I would definitely symphathize with you, but that doesn't mean I think it's alright for you to muck about life, being moody and cynical about everything in life.

It's okay to be sad now and then, but don't inflict it on others and treat it as if it were the end of the world. Remember that life is very short, and you only have one chance to enjoy it as much as you can. If all you wish to do with it is point out every single flaw in it, then you will never know what true happiness is, even if it was thrust right before your eyes.

It is not my business if you want to make your life a misery. But know that your friends have the right to be happy and carefree. And only because you're sad, it doesn't mean that everyone else doesn't deserve to be happy.

If you want to complain or thrash about someone/something, you can always just keep a diary.

Just know that as long as the sun is shining, and there is laughter and love, then the end of the world is still far, far away in the future.

Telling time with the heart

I forgot to wear my watch to school today.

Reading this, you may think this is not a big deal. But it is an unwritten, default rule for prefects in my school to wear watches. 

Why? Because it reminds us to go to our respective posts for duty on time. Not a minute too early, not a minute too late. Besides, we are a small school. Almost everyone is on the committee board of a society, or maybe even a few. There are countless things to do in our precious 20-25 minute breaks; without a watch, you may imagine little blue or red specks running around our school compound like super-speedy mutant ants.

Then again, I'm very forgetful. It is not the first time I have forgotten to wear my watch to school. This time was a very different experience though.

My first two periods in school today is Physics. Not one, but TWO periods of Physics in the early morning, when we're still technically half-asleep (or very asleep, for some of us). This is one of the times when we check our watches every few minutes, just to see if it's any closer to the ring of the bell that sets us free. 

But I didn't have my watch today. So my only other option was to stick through the lesson and (sort of) forget about the bell. And...it wasn't as bad as I thought. I wasn't nervously checking my wrist. I wasn't mentally wishing that the minute hand would turn faster (I didn't have a dial so imagining was too tricky for me). I was just listening in class and doing nothing else.

Miraculously, I wasn't late for my rounds, and nor did I feel any less productive today. In fact, a short separation from my watch was rather relaxing. It was so stress-free, I kind of enjoyed it.

Because when you don't spend so much time wondering how to harness those 20 minutes, it is then that those 20 minutes are used most wisely. 

So, let's take off that watch for a while, shall we? 

The star of the post, my watch :)

Contentment

I'm sitting in front of the computer, and....I have nothing to write about.

Is that a bad thing? For a writer, that's a very big yes. It could be a sign that you're losing all your creative potential. Your writing abilities are seeping away from you. In a week's time you'll be English-illiterate. And BOOM, that's the end of your writing career for you. Time to dig a grave for your pens and pencils.

Okay, maybe that's gone a little too far. But what if I go back to the very basis of blogs and online posts?

Most people write blogs or online posts for one of the below reasons:

1. Something really bad or depressing has happened in your life. 
2. Something really good or cheering has happened in your life.
3. Something really inspiring caught your eye and you're dying to share it with the world.
4. You're bored.

So if I can't find anything to write, that would make me...none of the above. I'm not sad, happy, inspired or bored. That makes me...content.

Does it make sense? Yes.

If you're content with your life, then you're not devastated or in the throes of depression, so that's good. If you're content with your life, you aren't ecstatically happy, but life's still not too shabby for you. You may not be as inspired as others, but life goes on all the same. And at least you don't have boredom nagging at your heels.

Oh, and I've ended up with something to write about after all. Who knew being content could churn out a blog post? 

I guess I know now.