Life is a Gift.

Today I registered as a voter, ,finally. Its something I should have done long ago but I didn't because I couldn't be bothered previously.

But today, is the day. It's the day of the year where I celebrate the Life that has been given to me. It's also the day where, I hope the whole nation, mourns for the loss of someone to injustice. Today is Teoh Beng Hock's funeral day. I don't know him at all but I know the fight for injustice unites people of the same passion, whether it's fighting for the voiceless, the poor, the innocent or deaths without truth.

In the freedom I live, I remember those who lost theirs.

Anything with life in it can flourish only if it abandons itself to what lies beyond it, eventually to be lost as a separate being, though continuing to live on in relation to others. Life is inner power to reach and live "beyond".
- Dallas Willard, The Spirit of Disciplines.

I.am.ANGRY.

Today's news headlines made me real angry. Unbelievable. Shocking. Sick.

Justice For Beng Hock

A new postcode

Since my last entry, I've shifted...yet again in just 1 year plus after I moved back to KL. My life's been nomadic of late.

It's an old-new place - old *coughs* because its a place *coughs* where my boss' childhood years were spent *coughs* and new cos its a new 'home' for me. There are 4 of us, 2 girls and 2 guys. The girls are normal beings...the guys, uhmmm I'm not so sure. Sorry guys, you both are too 'special' to be labeled normal ;) ..and their names even rhymed! Well, depends how to call them.

So far, we've been good. I hope we'll get along more than well, I hope we will have a blasting time of joy and laughters together, growing in friendship rather than ending up killing each other. I'm settling in fast, perhaps due to my constant shifting these past few years...and I guess also cos I'm living with familiar faces whom I know I can trust.

We have been real blessed with 'donations' of some items to make this place feels like a home and for my house mates who have all been wonderful thus far. I hope this can only get better as we journey along.

And none of this would have been possible without our generous-hearted landlady cum my boss at work - Mei =)..and 'the other boss' who helped shifted the ultra heavy TV + some muscles from colleagues. Thank You once again to none other than my beloved Jehovah Jireh.

Dinner with Melz aka The Goat

Melz aka The Goat was in town last week and she is flying back to Canada today. We only get to see her once every 3 years! Melz was my classmate and my cycling mate. Lotsa memories spent together during our schooling days, that's for sure! After so many years, she remained the humble person she has always been. The only thing is she has picked up an accent...from the many years living abroad.

Here are some of us - Amelia, Sara, Melz, Audrey and Moi
The colours are a bit odd here. Hmmmm.



Finally, a shot with 'ze goat'!

姐妹

Happy Belated 18th Birthday to my dear sister!

Can you spot the age difference?

A moment with bubbly Jessey

Bubbly Jessey was back in Malaysia 2 weeks' back and graciously made time for Deb and moi, just the day before she flew back to Aussie. And she said, "Eh make sure you put these pics up on facebook." She got new hair style lah, just curled her hair!

So this post is dedicated to you, Jessey aka Sanz :) Great to see you again and happy that you are settling well into being Mrs Yeoh and life Down Under! Deb..nice to see u too *winks*


Us, after a long time. Esther is missing, so I'm tagging you on fb, 'pretending' that you were here ;p

Meet *R, India

My recent work trip to India once again widen my lenses and I met a few families, each has its own story to share. But the most compelling for me is meeting *R and I must tell you his story...

*R is barely 10 years old and he is HIV positive. When I met him, he wasn't feeling well that afternoon. "He is having a fever," his dad told us. But they knew we were coming and wore their best to welcome us. That act itself has already moved me.

I looked at *R and immediately noticed the spots on his hands were evident because of HIV. While snapping shots of him, flies were everywhere. This humble family lives in the slums area, so this is of no surprise. Those little annoying creatures were feasting on his face, hands, feet..just everywhere. The boy just sat there, oblivious to what's taking place, he didn't even try to shoo them off. It is as if he has accepted this part of reality to be a norm.

I kept shooing those little creatures away, almost every 5 minutes and they just kept coming back. I realized, my efforts were futile. I silently teared, "How can anyone live like this Oh God?"

I can't even begin to tell you *R's story without first taking a deep breath because his story is a sad one. In 2007, his dad took him to a local hospital because *R had jaundice. And that's when he contracted HIV through blood transfusion. I feel sorry for the dad because he regretted taking his son to the hospital til this day. But what choice do they have? As if they can afford a private hospital?

I could see how much *R's dad love his son. This is his only son. He feels bad he can't even provide the basics of fruits and milk regularly for his son, which are supposed to keep him healthy. Imagine a father's heart...broken.

A small hope has come to the family, World Vision gave him a rickshaw 2 weeks back so that he could generate some income for his family. With this mode of transportation, he is able to fetch *R to the hospital for his regular medication and saved Rs200 each trip. He had to even borrow money previously just to cover the cost of transportation for taking his son to the hospital. However the rickshaw is still pending licensing which WV is helping to apply, so for the meantime, *R's dad can only work at night. And indeed, he did work hard - 10 to 12 hours every night. Which means when we visited his home, he must have not slept for almost a whole day.

He is only 27 but the hard life must have taken a toll on his appearance. It brought me to think, when I was 27, what did I understand about life? Surely, not the way *R's dad did.

Their zeal for life never failed to amaze me. Their strength, resilience, perseverance...I hope they have inspired you too, to live your life contented with less complains, less wants and doing something in the capacity you can to make your world a better place then when you first found it (borrowing this phrase from a friend, credits to -B).

Before leaving, I went up to *R. He was sitting on the rickshaw. I began to show him the pictures I took of him and his family from my camera screen. And when he saw his family's picture, he smiled. That was the first time I saw him smiled. That made my day.

*it is a policy that for people living with HIV/AIDS, no frontal shots are to be published / shaded and their real names remained anonymous.

Braving the extreme summers of India

enn@j will be away, for work. This pic was taken today while waiting for car wash - to illustrate how crazily HOT it is here!


I'm sure those living in the Klang Valley will agree with me how horrendous the weather has been. The heat is really up to a level like never before. *sweat* And off I will be to a country where summer is at its peak now! I call it EXTREME SUMMER - 40 degrees! I hope I won't melt and my stomach would be as strong as an iron!

See you when I get back peeps, touching down KLIA on May 15, 6.55am (Malaysian time). Prayers appreciated! ;)

"A piece of bread is important, and a cup of water is necessary. We want good health for the children, and we seek good nutrition for them all. It is meaningful to have a school to attend, and a place to play must be part of every child's life. A place to sleep and a family around the dinner table are essential. All these good things are desired for every child and indeed every person".
- Valdir Steuernagel, World Vision International Vice President of Christian Commitments.

Chicken a la Carte

I'll let the video speak for itself because I believe it can, very strongly. Worth every second of your time...and much more.

Learnings

It has been a long week. An unexpected incident took place, another being was upset with me but most of all, I had to deal with myself. The whole episode has brought me upon the reflection of Good Friday and Easter.

I pray I will never in my lifetime, become like Judas. He was so close to Jesus and yet missed it altogether. What a tragedy it would be. So close yet so far. It serves as a good reminder for me, for all of us that our Faith is a lifelong journey, a constant choice.

We sang this hymn at Good Friday service tonight and this remained one of my favourite songs of all time, especially the verse below:
Were the whole realm of nature mine,
That were a present far too small;
Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.

"When Christ calls a man He bids him come and die" - Dietrich Bonhaufer