firefly
I finally had a chance to visit an orphanage. Along with 10 others including Ms. Debbie, we went to El-Shaddai Shelter Home on the 2nd of November 2008. We wanted to get the children's Christmas wishes so that we can have a Christmas Wish Donation Drive for them and buy them the Christmas presents they wished for.
We, I mean Circle K'ers (I'm no longer in the club anymore due to various personal reasons), are supposed to launch the Christmas Tree Project today. We had borrowed a Christmas tree from the Department of Student Affairs to be set up at Lower Foyer, Main Block, HELP University College from 3rd of November till 3rd of December 2008. The Christmas tree will be decorated with the children's wishes. We believe that HELP has a very generous community who are always enthusiastic with helping the needy and wholehearted about community service. Therefore, we are looking forward to the donations of everyone to make the little children's dreams come true.
We arrived at the orphanage which is situated at Old Klang Road quite early at 10.30am and the children were all ready to welcome us. Although everyone seem quite awkward with each other at first; the children looking at us, and we looked at the children, we were able to start off by introducing ourselves by the “HI-game” and name train (I suggested that to train our memory) so lets see if it works.
Children: Jonathan, Raymond, Simon, John, Kelvin, Muthu, Peter, Pricilla, Rebecca, Rachel, Ruts, Elizabeth, Cynthia and Pristilla.
Circle K'ers and others: Jia Min, Jeffrey, Joyce, Yin Tong, Yvonne, Boon Chin, Gym(me), Megan, Carmen and Amy!
It works! Oh and Ms. Debbie, our faculty advisor, Mr. Anthony, the person in charge in the home and Mr. Mano, the friendly uncle that sent us there.
For the first time, I find it difficult to apply my communication skills to these children after taking all those classes. Most of them are in kindergarten, only a few in primary school and one very young girl, Rebecca who hardly understand us because she's too young and she's also a bit mentally challenged. Nonetheless, all of them are cute and adorable in everyway (to me). I don't mind children being a bit annoying and I gain satisfaction through getting them paying attention, listen or attracted to me without having to scold them.
The game was quite confusing and honestly speaking didn't really go well. It's a game called Two Truths and A Lie. Everyone has to write down 3 statements about themselves, 2 of which are true and 1 which is false. Yvonne had modified the game a little since our purpose of the visit is to get the children's Christmas wishes but we want to give them a surprise. As a result, the children were given specific instructions of what to write, i.e. their hobby, the Christmas gift they want, and a person they like. It wasn't really so difficult but we had a tough time explaining, looking, controlling all of them. Those little boys are hyperactive... Rebecca too. She didn't really get to participate in the activity since she was too young to understand. She can't even write words. All she did on the three pieces of paper was drawing pictures that only she can understand-four crotchet-like bean sprout, some kind of abstract art chicken or vegetable (I really don't know) and a few dots. She ended up sitting on my lap, while I draw a few flowers and butterflies for her and playing with my glasses. Thank god, it's still in good shape.
We were finally over and done with the game at 12.00 noon and its lunch time! Children, those are watermelons not papayas...
After lunch was when everything's a bit more serious, our big project-paint the banner! Newspaper? Check. Cloth? Check. Color? Check. Here we go!
Some of the members started painting the predesigned pictures done by Zoe while the others help the children to paint their hands and print it on the banner. We had so many designs and everybody is definitely having fun while Yvonne is looking after the children. We were so mean. We can actually hear her scolding the children now and then when they misbehave. I believe that she's a teacher now. Eventually, I took after her job after awhile so that she can take part in drawing the banner. I manage to keep the children busy with the coloring books that I've brought, while teaching Rebecca the animals in each page.
Uncle Mano came at 2 something, but we weren't done yet. We suggested the children to play the Eagle and Lil' Chicks game where the mother hen will look after her lil' chicks from being snatched by the eagle. They had so much fun where they screamed and screamed. That was when we started getting closer. Rebecca was so attached to me that she was clinging to me when we had to leave.
The journey back to college was short, but I had a lot of time thinking about the children at the home and many other things that I would like to do with them.
I wish I could help the all the unfortunate children. Tell them that they can still be the best. I can see from the shine in their eyes, that one day, they'll be a superstar.
With Love~
firefly
I couldn’t get any Mother’s Day present neither in KLCC nor Berjaya Times Square. What a bothering thought. As I was busy doing my house chores as usual on Friday night, the a-ha moment came…
I quickly rushed to my brother’s room and ask him how to fold roses using origami style. It’s one of the most complicated origami I’ve ever came across, but due to the pressure, I managed to roughly get the idea and structure in 10 minutes. I can’t bother him any longer since he is having exams now.
I’ve made 10 roses and my sister made 3, but at the ended up using 9 of them only since the vase is a bit small. I’ve also made a card for my mum with a lil doggerel.
In the process of making all the stuff I remember how I use to make presents for my mum. And what tickle my bones are the facts that, I always take her stuff to make into presents for her. For instance, when I was around 9, I took her pearl-looking beads, thread, and hooks for necklace DIY and made a necklace for her. I also took a box from her drawer somewhere, slightly wrap it again and put the necklace in and gave it to her. It’s kinda funny when I recall what I’ve done in the past. I bet she must be somewhat happy with a tinge of frustration when I took her stuff to make it a present for her. Furthermore, I couldn’t do a good piece of work at that age. Things are a bit loose here and there, so she never wore that. But I’m pleased when I know; she still keeps it with her till today.
My mum may scold me and punish me all the time, but I always try to understand and empathize her situation. Nevertheless, punishments are to stop a certain undesirable behavior. So I think she must be doing that for my own good. I feel fortunate to have a mum that can scold me and correct my mistake because I knew that I would not have done so without her. In another words, if you like who I am now, it’s all her contribution. I’m thankful that she shaped me so well.
I love you, mum. Happy Mother’s Day.
firefly
I decided not to reflect on myself today. Instead, I’ll learn from what I experience today – the nuisance that my ELDER sister created. Since there’s a saying which goes, “Learn from the mistakes of others. You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.”
Anyone can become angry – that is easy. But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way – that’s not easy.
ARISTOTLE
The Nicomachean Ethics
Due to the level of difficulty of anger, people came out with another meaningful phrase. “Anger is only one letter short of danger.”
Okay. Story time. My sister came home after work and said she wanted to use the computer to access the internet before she even had her dinner. Fine, no one is using the computer then. But she went on watching TV but never came upstairs. So I used the computer to type some documents. She came upstairs and saw me using the computer and said she wanted to use it. I was like okay, since she always hijacks the computer when I use it anyway. Furthermore, I was using the computer while waiting for her. Yet, she put her stuff on her table and went into my mum’s room and watched TV again…
I was sure that she’ll only come out around half an hour time so I accessed the internet to send a e-mail to my lecturer and a couple of other stuffs.
Suddenly, the door flung open and SHE came out insisting on using the computer. I just wanted to wrap up what I was doing but being the eldest, she gave me that demanding tone and my dad was there too. I asked her what she wanted to do, because usually I help her to download the fund price everyday and during normal “hijack” routine, she will tell me what she wants so that I can help her type in the search engine while I finish my last bit.
Alas, she scolded me for being such a busy body and accused me for poking my nose into her business. I was horrified and she left me dumb-founded. Mum was there and told her that I was just asking to know whether she urgently needs to use the computer. And she for one, when she can’t or I should say she usually can’t refute arguments constructively, she’ll divert the topic and said that she had already told me a number of times that she wanted to use the computer. Oh come on, since when I said that I wouldn’t let you use the computer?
She started making a big fuss out of it and my dad got irritated and started scolding everyone. Great, look what you have done?
She stormed into the room and let out her temper by stomping, banging the wall, the door. All sorts of natural disaster happened in 15 minutes. I didn’t really care because she always does that ever since she was a kid. I just remembered how she throws my toys onto the floor when she was 9 and how she sweeps all the stuff on my table to the floor when she was 15. Well she was right for one point; she can’t hurt me physically, so all she can do is make me sad by spoiling my things. I never thought that all those would happen even almost 10 years later. When the disaster was over, I went into the room to check out the aftermath. I was right; my spectacle case was in odd form. It’s kind of remarkable that she gave me the excuse that she sat on it because my spectacle case is an original case which comes with me spectacles and it is very tough. I have tried sitting on it and even sleeping on it for the whole night and it is still in shape. Why didn’t she try another more logical excuse, like “I lied down on the bed and there’s something stuck on my back, I was so pissed off then so I didn’t really care what it was and I took it up and threw it against the wall.” At least that makes much more sense to me.
She was being so immature. And obviously she doesn’t learn her lesson. She kept behaving like a kid and acting like a baby over and over again. When will she learn? When will she think and act her age? Hasn’t the society shape her mind yet? Or was she too stubborn to gain any insight from all the things that had happened?
To handle yourself, use your head;
To handle others, use your heart.
Make sure that you don’t have to regret after you have take the actions. So, think before you act. And please, Act Your Age.
Fin.
firefly
Everyone - no matter how successful - has periods of heartache and despair as well as joy and happiness. What can we do about this?
-continue sinking to the deep end of the pool?
-struggle to swim even if you don't know how to swim?
Felt like giving up at times and just let it be. But I'm afraid that I might regret...
I have to pick myself up!
Go back to the drawing board! Not just staring at it but draw something. Who cares if it is nice or ugly.
Not going to let myself drift around doing nothing...
