such a silly thing

It is simply so amazing. One moment I was feeling upset about something I have been wasting my energy on and when I chanced upon this article and read the last line, I smiled to myself.

They are two extremely amazing people.

I can't wait to get the plan into action.

Two girls raise funds for smiles

Updated: Sun Dec. 20 2009 12:27:37 PM

ctvmontreal.ca

Kiki Cooper and Victoria Kalisky are on a mission to get kids in developing nations to smile.

The 11-year-olds from Hampstead and Cote St. Luc have raised over $4,500 so far for Smile Train, a charity that funds cleft palate surgeries in 75 of the world's poorest nations.

The two Akiva School students sell bracelets door-to-door and speak in classrooms about cleft palates, spreading awareness about the birth defect that creates an opening between a child's upper lip and nose.

"We're encouraging them to smile so they'll learn that even something - just smiling is a special, extraordinary thing," said Victoria, as she and Kiki spoke to a kindergarten class about the defect.

After reading about the organization in a magazine article, the girls knew they wanted to contribute. Of the 111,000 cleft palate surgeries Smile Train has funded this year, the girls have contributed enough money for 18.

"It's just so heartwarming and so nice to see two young children take such initiative," said Debbie Pollack, Victoria's mother.

The fundraising efforts have taught the girls, above all else, perspective.

"I keep posters of Smile Train all over my room so when I'm upset about something, I just go and I turn (and realize) I can't feel upset about this, it's such a silly thing," said Kiki.

mandarin

Basic Mandarin Final Exam Semester 1: Over.

Time: 2 hours.

Pages: 4.

Time it took me: 15 minutes.

If I compare Mandarin to Arabic, I'd say... Mandarin is harder. Or maybe I'm being biased because I've only learned Mandarin for 4 months. Still, perhaps thats why it's so hard. Because we've got to learn the intonation and spelling and memorize new words all within those 4 months. Only at the last minute did I memorize the intonation or the strokes used for numbers (1378 uses stroke 1, 10 uses stroke 2, 59 uses stroke 3 and 246 uses stroke 4). Didn't really help when Najah kept repeating Wo xihuan yi dali mian (I like spaghetti). There was no question asking what we liked to eat. There were questions about mama and papa but I didn't understand that so I just bantai.

I think I take learning Arabic for granted just because I'm so used to the letters since I was young. If I were to learn Arabic now, it WOULD be very frustrating having to keep in mind the Arabic letters and how they're formed. But I guess that's nothing compared to Mandarin; with the strokes and lines and this and that. Honestly, I get very confused:(

For the finals, there were questions on translating into mandarin. Of course, even if you know it doesn't mean that you'd get it right unless you get the strokes right too. The last word to translate was "Your welcome". I couldn't remember the translation so I just left it. When I came out of the exam hall and asked Min, she said: You know what? I couldn't remember it either. So I was actually planning to put a smiley; because yknow when someone says thank you, you smile back at them." :)

I laughed at that. A universal "Your welcome" I guess.

I thought Mandarin would be over. But then I realized: Here comes Semester 2. Pray I get through better this time.

Ni xi huan hanyu pinyin?

conflict

I'm under approach-approach conflict.

Or maybe it's avoidance-avoidance conflict. Or maybe it's neither. I need to be at both places. And it's at the same time.

Both are extremely important.

How... why...

Only one way: Solat Istikharah.

saje.

:)

of chicks and goslings

Stone pavement leading to the pen for the chicks and goslings:)

Meadow to the left and bamboo bench to the right.

Being back at Janda Baik for less than 24 hours has done nothing but made me fall impossibly in love. I could just watch them for hours and hours, staring at how their tiny feet carries them from the feed, to the water bowl and to each other, huddled up to gain as much heat as possible. And occasionally chasing each other when my brothers throw in an insect; then this calls for a fight between the chicks and goslings in what we can compare to a gladiator arena (insect to a gladiator as the chicks and goslings to the lions). As syarif says: Once we've got our hands on the mantis, its fate is sealed.

But apart from that, having the little chickiyanos curling in your hands is really a totally different kind of delight. At first their legs are unstable balancing on your hands; but after a while they calm down and even get all pampered when you start stroking them. Even if you're not doing anything but sitting in the pen watching them chirp here and there, sooner or later they'd come close to you and start pecking at your feet which brings nothing more than an attempt of tickling feat from their part.

One of the chicks. I can never tell them apart; only my brothers can call them by name.

Overall, there are 5 chicks and 2 goslings. Without my presence, they were all given guy-ish names. Not things like fluffy wings or cutie pie. But names like Houdini (because it keeps 'mysteriously' escaping the pen), White Wings (self-explanatory), "something" Beak (I can't recall this one), Sleepyhead (another self explanatory; it's the first to fall asleep and even dozes off to dreamland after you hold it only for a few seconds) and Super Chick aka Benedict (let's not indulge into the reason behind this one shall we. Even I don't know). The goslings are called.... Gosling 1 and Gosling 2. Or they DO have a name but I forgot (Note to self: Consult Safi on this).

The most adorable thing about them would be when they fall asleep. Not that I was able to watch them fall asleep- that one night I was in Janda Baik, I fell asleep super early! But since the temperature outside was freezing cold, we brought them in just for the night. Before they slept, they were all huddling together and pushing each other to get as comfy as possible. The goslings were already curled up and falling asleep but the extremely energetic baby chickens were jostling against one another and even walking over the goslings. Eventually, the chirpings mellowed down into the night... and the next morning, they're all up and about, chirping at the top of their lungs, ready to carry out their normal routine of eating, drinking, chasing and sleeping.

Ahh I just can't wait to see them again!:)

Note: My upcoming posts may come up a bit slower because I will be entering Microbiology block. I'm really not so sure why I'm announcing this but for some reason, there have been requests of updates (which is quite a surprise- people want to know what's going on in MY life?) so there's my explanation:)

Insya Allah

Insya Allah-Maher Zain

Everytime you feel like you cannot go on

You feel so lost

And that you're so alone

All you see is night

And darkness all around

You feel so helpless

You can`t see which way to go

Don`t despair and never lose hope

'Cause Allah is always by your side

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Everytime you commit one more mistake

You feel you can`t repent

And that it's way too late

You're so confused, wrong decisions you have made

Haunt your mind and your heart is full of shame

Don`t despair and never lose hope

'Cause Allah is always by your side

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah you`ll find your way

Turn to Allah

He`s never far away

Put your trust in Him

Raise your hands and pray

OOO Ya Allah

Guide my steps don`t let me go astray

You`re the only One who can show me the way,

Show me the way 2x

Insya Allah3x

Insya Allah we`ll find the way

10 things

I received an email from a fellow Toastmaster the other day. It read:

My Dearest Toastmasters!

Every year on 31/12, I'll list down 10 things I achieved in 2009, and 10 things I want to achieve in 2010.

Every year I would be so amazed, didn't know I have achieved so many wonderful things in my life, if I just rush through a new year. God is indeed Great & Wonderful.

Simply taking 10mins of your time reflecting and writing down what you have achieved on 2009 (be it big/ small, "spent a 3 full days together with my family" is an achievent for me) and 10mins to think and write down what you want to achieve in 2010 (Not what other want you to achieve, but what are important to YOU and you sincerely want to achieve, personal & career).

It will have a magical effects on written Goals.

Do it, you'll amazed yourself with what you have achieved. And you will not regret when you review on 31/12/2010.

Goals written down has 60% higher chance to achieve!

And there are only 3% of the people has written goals, 13% had goals, not written down, 84% no specific goals at all.

BE THE TOP 3%!

HAVE A HAPPY, HEALTHY & PURPOSEFUL YEAR AHEAD.

Joescher Chee

So here I implore you readers to do the same. And although it's past 31st December, it wouldn't hurt just writing it a few days later:) So here goes (not in a specific order):

10 things I achieved in 2009

1. Won my first award for a speech contest- Area C1 Toastmasters Evaluation Speech Contest (2nd place). After only having given an evaluation twice, I was more than surprised to have won such an award.
2. Raised $50 for the Smile Train- the amount needed for one cleft lip repair medication. Solely saved from my savings; but also with contributions from Alina and Zahid.
3. Learnt to cook! I do know how to cook before this but not like being able to cook to keep myself from starving for a day. With the availability of kitchen utensils, time and a "teacher" (aka Faz), I managed to pull off some surprisingly edible cuisines:)
4. Passed through Foundation and entered First Year MBBS. Alhamdulillah, even managed to get a High Achiever's Award from Foundy:)
5. Passed the Basic Life Support Exam and was offered to go to LTDJ '09 where I spent an amazing time with kampung folk.
6. Gave a talk on how to do an SCTL during Orientation for our juniors. Never expected I could do it. Alhamdulillah, proud of myself. Thank you Alina for being my bench-marker:)
7. Did not mess up huge artworks - Carwash promo poster and LTDJ Token of Appreciation.
8. Learnt a new sport:)
9. Learnt how to use Flash MX, Photoshop, and my awesome Graphics Tablet all starting this year- an advancement in my drawing capabilities:)
10. Organized two (TWO!) Toastmasters Demo in CUCMS-not exactly with the success that I was hoping for but with a lot more favorable outcomes that I had imagined and knowing that I had inspired people when I gave my speech.

10 things I want to achieve in 2010 (my final year as a teenager)

1. Raise money for a cleft lip repair. Go to Kerala, meet Dr Hirji, and have the most awesome trip to a cleft lip repair surgery in India.
2. Participate in Toastmasters International Speech Contest 2010. Earliest club contest is in February! District contest at Miri in May! I've been meaning to get prepared since mid last year. Time has gone by so fast...
3. MMU TMC to be recognized as at least Distinguished Club! As Vice President Education, I'm going to make a difference for my term.
4. Get my Competent Communicator Award before April. This means another 4 more speeches to be done...
5. Join The Star Public Speaking Competition (held ever year, probably midyear)
6. Get into 2nd year MBBS.
7. ...
8. ...
9. ...
10. ...

Still thinking. I do know I've a lot I want to achieve but I just cannot seem to recall at this moment in time...

*post still under construction*