TEDxYouth@KL!

 It was awesome!

*note: the final paragraph holds the most important part of this post.

I know the word is overused but it's short for amazingly wonderfully excellently superbly overwhelmingly movingly exceptional! plus all other words related to those.

When Shobana messaged me a few months back, all she said was, "Hey Alia, are you interested to be a speaker for our youth program?" and I never heard from her again til about one and a half months ago when she confirmed my speaking slot about my Smile Train project at TEDxYouth@KL.

Basically it's a summit gathering youths and featuring speakers who would share on how to Be the Change. You can check out more about them here: www.tedxyouthkl.com

I've given a speech about the Smile Train a few times before but it only lasts about 7 minutes. This was a challenge because it's timed for 18 minutes. I crafted the speech about a month back; but with studies, SCTLs, assignments, assessments, exams, I was a little distracted. On Thursday morning, few days ago, I was having a really bad sore throat and woke up to find that I could only croak a few sounds much to my horror. From then til the morning of the event, I had been coughing and sneezing and hoping to conserve my voice; and that my immune system would please please please not start acting up during the presentation. Allah answered my prayers:) But during the whole event, I ended up talking to people (many amazing ones, I must say), straining my already-inflamed throat and it is now mayday-ing for some rest.

I met many dedicated youths today; people I would want to work with and associate with any time, any where:) They are so awe-inspiring (is there such a word?). Prashun, Shobana, Hafiz, Tristan, Teng Yew, among some of the organizers. And listening to the other enlightening speakers, Niki, John-Son, Navin (sorry I missed, I would definitely listen to your future talks!), Sabrie, Aanatha and JFK. They're all really entertaining and some educational speeches. Niki talked about the education system, Navin talked about recycling business, Sabrie talked about politics. I talked to Navin after that and he shared about the difference between profit and social businesses. He's got a lot of insight to share:D

TEDxYouth@KL Speakers. 

Picture from Prashun Kumar, Organizer:)

Most importantly, I'd like to say that I am so immensely thankful to be surrounded by people who care about me. The night and also the morning of the event, I had people messaging me and wishing me all the best:) I wish I can name them all here but not too sure if they would like to be mentioned:P But you all know who you are:) I would like to personally thank each and everyone of you; if you didn't receive a reply, please forgive me because my mind was elsewhere. But do know that I deeply appreciate each and every one of them :) They were my source of strength.

Among the inspirational: "Don't be afraid if you're going to fall because even if you did, then it will only make you go nowhere else but up. So, just be inspiring the way you are Alia Nadhirah." I got a delightful message on my way to the event "We came to support you, aliaXD" so I knew my classmates were coming:D Sangat sangat sangat terharu to see Najwa, Evieygaliasyg, Mira, Syuk and Cukie. Also to the people who wanted to be there but couldn't (yes, I got your message, aki). You guys are the best:) Thanks also Hafiz and Hamzah, and also it's a pleasure meeting you, Azim :) All your presence speak volumes.

Certificate of Appreciation from organizer Prashun Kumar

Also, met someone who came to me after the event to personally congratulate me and ask me more. He happened to be a friend of a friend (who couldn't be there because he had to attend his graduation). Again, a pleasure and DEFINITELY a surprise.

Special thanks to Ummi Ayah and my greatest supporters; my brothers. When I thanked them, they said, "Of course, Kak Alia, how can we not be there?"

Looking forward to future youth programs and be inspired by all these amazing people :)

The Best Raya Haji EVER. part II

continued from previous post.


He had an air of honesty and humbleness around him. When he conveyed his life-changing stories, he spoke with such sincerity that it gripped our attention from the very beginning. He told us two stories. How he converted to Islam and the heart-rendering experiences which opened his heart to establish the old folk's home.

His father had already converted to Islam and so his heart was readily about to accept. His main concern was to convert his wife and children; and he was sickly worried when he was informed that he would have to abandon his family. But persist he did, and his unique method of convincing his family to see the beauty of Islam managed to show them the Right Path after 12 years of prevalence. And they converted to Islam on 09.09.2009.

What tremendously reached my heart was how he started the home which had only been established for a year. Some time back, he was driving a motorcycle in KL and he suddenly lost consciousness. He woke up 2 days later in an ICU. He had experienced a minor stroke and his eyesight was partly clouded (After just having gone through a PBL case, I was excited to apply in my mind about stroke, transient loss of consciousness and contralateral homonymous hemianopia). His wife and children came often to visit. During that period, he had a man lying on the next bed who was paralyzed neck down; that man had undergone a major stroke. Mr Abdullah found out that he had 5 children. But there was no one who visited.

Mr Abdullah also told us about the time he worked driving his lorry around houses and collecting old, used metal. He came across this kampung around and passed a house which made him stop. The house was senget and the roof looked like it was about to fall off, the lalang were high and he walked towards the front door. There was a frail looking old lady and he had to shout to be heard. He asked (in malay of course), "Do you have any metal you don't want?" She went in and took out 3 bags of sardine and milk cans. It weighed less than a kg which means only a ringgit in return. But looking at the house, what else could he do but give a bit more? The lady then asked if he would take in a motorcycle frame (I think that's called bingkai) which had all been torn apart. It was at the back of the house and the whole motorcycle was engulfed in the lalang and only the handle could be seen. In total, he gave the lady RM 70. Later, he found out that the lady had 14 children. And they never visited. Except once a year during raya. And the content of the cans were her meals.

And that's how he started the home. All of what he told us were just so mesmerizing that I wish I can blog them all down. But I think I will leave some left untold so that anyone who reads this might decide to visit the home and hear it for themselves, straight from the heart.

Coming back to the present time at that home, there were things that really touched my heart.

The chinese man we saw earlier was Ah Koi. One of his friends was actually a resident of that home. Weekly, Ah Koi would come and bring vegetables for his friend. They were actually business partners before. While we were talking with Mr Abdullah, he came in to say that he was leaving for the day. He added, "I took away this box of cigarettes from him." and Mr Abdullah said, "Yes, thank you. Keep it away from him please. He's having asthma."

Mr Abdullah's whole family is the AJK for the Home; they have one son and 3 daughters. They only have one person as a helper. What amazed me most was his son's resilience. We found him fast asleep because he had actually spent the whole morning helping out for the qurban. What I also found out was that he had only finished his SPM but he was so dedicated to this home. He's been changing the diapers of the old folks and that is just so amazing. I mean, what had I been doing at 18? He told us that he wants to just train to be a police fast and then help his dad for this home. When I asked him what was the strength that allowed him to do this and all he replied was, "This is amal jariah." Allahuakbar.

So there's a lot more beautiful and heart-rendering stories than that. And if you'd like to hear more from the man himself, which I highly highly recommend, and also to help in whatever way, do give them a visit. You can click on this link to find out more.

After the old folks home, we went to Titian Kaseh, an orphanage with single moms. We had been there before numerous times so seeing them was like seeing old friends though there were many additions to the family. There was a delightful surprise when a group of Yemeni dudes, students from APIIT, came and brought sweets for the kids. The kids all came scrambling for the sweets and chocolates and played with them.

Some of the kids from Titian Kaseh, the Yemeni dudes and us posing after solat Maghrib:P

Indeed, this was the best Raya Haji I ever had. Thank you Ummi and Ayah. InsyaAllah, today has been a huge eye-opener for me and I hope the lessons I derive will make me into a better person; useful to the society and the Ummah and pleasing to Allah.

Lessons and thoughts might be updated in part III.

Photos to be uploaded later~

The Best Raya Haji EVER.

I think I'd have to say that today would have to be the best-est day I've ever had. Too many, just TOO many things I learnt today.

I came back from cyber for just one day to spend Raya Haji with my family. Before that, I was undecided since I felt that I had a lot of work to complete, that it was just for one day, that assessment was on Friday, that 6 topics of anatomy needs to be covered by Thursday. It turned out to be the best decision I had ever made.

This morning, we went to the surau for solat raya and for lunch we went to eat the daging qurban. This was near to our house and it was the first time the feast was held in collaboration with other surau; so we ended up standing while eating hot steaming meat with rice and soup and it started to drizzle which turned into a downpour. We got drenched. But Safi said, "It's such a blessed day, Allah has even decided to bless us with the rain." Allahuakbar.

My dad had already planned that we go to an old folk's home in Semenyih to visit. I was, again, undecided. Besides, I had yet to cover about basal nuclei, diencephalon and all other anat topics, I had a speech to refine, I was tired, I was having a sore throat and runny nose, I had a million excuses in my mind, and we're probably just going to sit there for a while and then drive back home. And of course, my dad being so understanding would excuse us if we're "busy".

But Hari Raya only came once a year and what was the point of coming back home if it was just the same as me being back in cyber? So my parents, my younger brothers and I went to Semenyih. Small side story here: Everyone was really tired for some reason and fell asleep. I ended up being my dad's co-pilot, using googlemap on the iPad. I gave the wrong directions TWICE and we ended up in the heart of Kajang and making a huge U-turn. But Ayah said, "Alia, the hikmah is that we allow them to sleep a little longer." Allahuakbar.

When we finally arrived, we saw the huge signboard which read, "Saudara Mualaf (for converts); Rumah Siti Noraini" planted next to the terrace house. There were 4-5 elderly men who sat up on the beds on the porch when we entered the gates and my dad and brothers all shook hands with them. One was lying down, unable to move. The others gazed at us curiously. There was a chinese man lingering there too. When we entered the house, we saw a teenager who was fast asleep on the sofa. Apart from the sofa, I saw several hospital beds lined in the living room. My dad called up the number and a few minutes later, the owner, Abdullah Noel, came down the stairs smiling with his wife and a little girl (which we found out was their youngest daughter).


The teenager who was previously asleep, woke up, and we later found out that he was the son. We were all then seated on the sofa and my dad immediately jumped into a conversation with Mr Abdullah about how exactly did he start this home for the elderly. From the very minute he began, we were all hooked.

To be continued in the next post.

motivating the unmotivated

I thought my one week holiday would be jam packed with my pre-planned goals and aims. Unfortunately, my lack of self-discipline has resulted me in "resting and recuperating" more than I had planned. I shall regret this when my mind is blank when CNS classes begin.

I was scheduled to give my first Advanced Speech at MIM Toastmasters today. I was thinking about it, drafted the speech and noted down the main ideas a few days back, but never really prepared. I normally prepare at least one day before, refining my sentences and practicing with gestures and movements. But yesterday, a turn of events resulted me in being glued to my brother's iPad and even more glued to the 100 chapters of FullMetal Alchemist. (On a side note, I was a huge fan of manga back in my secondary school days, ergo the anime-style drawings). When the sun set yesterday only did I realize I would be in deep deep trouble if I did not complete my speech. But my brothers started pleading me to watch the movie Inception with them. I agreed to watch a little at the beginning so as not to let them down. After watching half an hour, I went to my speech, stared at my speech, closed my laptop... and continued to watch the movie. And then went to sleep.

The next morning (this morning), my brother shook me awake early in the morning and said, "Hey, aren't you supposed to practice your speech?" I mumbled a sleepy reply... and went back to sleep. Finally, an hour before the meeting, I got up and was getting increasingly frustrated at my lack of anxiety and motivation. Normally, I would be anxious having to deliver a speech, and this would propel me to craft a speech as well as I can. I need the anxiety so that I know that I'm not going to give just any normal presentation.

I needed to get motivated so I TRIED to motivate myself. How can I try to motivate others when at this very moment, I felt unmotivated for some strange reason? So instead of practicing my speech, I went online and searched for "Inspirational videos" and watched Steve Job's How to Live Before You Die. I watched until the end but that didn't give me enough. I read About Being Tremendous and that sparked my conscience when I read that "If you’re for real, you’ll do things because you have to do them, not because you want to do them." Not just whether you're for real or not, but also an important reminder about being a Muslim. You do it or don't do it because you HAVE to. So I managed to complete my speech and print it out.


My mom and dad, away at a course, messaged me and wished me all the best, assuming that I would normally be really nervous to deliver a speech. I however complained that I was strangely NOT feeling nervous. My mum called me up for a morale booster. Then my dad called me up and said, "Hey, what's wrong with not being nervous?" I countered, "Well, I'm not feeling nervous and I'm not even prepared! This is abnormal." This was 1 hour before the meeting. And he said, "Well, that's good then. It means you're desensitized." And I said, "No, it means I'm not prepared! What if I FAIL? What if I lose my lines?" and my dad said, "So what if you fail? Failure means feedback. When you get lost, it just means you've stepped into unchartered territories."


That got me thinking and saw some truth in what he said. I ended up going to the meeting but not attending the first session because I was practicing my speech. But I did deliver it. People congratulated me on a speech well done. And Yeok Siew as my evaluator said that it was good, except that it needed more purposeful gestures, expressions and pauses (but here Cyril, as General Evaluator, said that it's a little hard to slow down when you're so passionate in what you're conveying). :D


So when you're feeling down, uninspired and you just need to get some kick, watch great people, read about great people, or talk to great people (like Ahmad Fakhri and Jamilah Samian); and you might just get motivated :)


P.S. Thank you, you, for the sunshine-y message this morning and for "trying" to motivate me. Haha. Maybe next time you'll do better:P

perspective

Me: Syarif, remember when you told me you won't be able to hold off any bad guys so you'd want to learn about Parkour (art of free running) instead? Well, if you can't fight off people, I don't think you can go running like how they do either.

My 14-year-old brother: Kakalia kakalia kakalia. You probably watched the Parkour videos (which shows people jumping from high buildings, over barriers, "climbing" walls, sprinting like crazy down and up the stairs through the poles) on Youtube right?

Me: Yeah, so?

Syarif: Ok, take this for example. Imagine you don't know what cycling is. And then I tell you I want to learn how to cycle. And then you go to Youtube, type cycling and then you watch people using BMX. Then you'd tell me, "Ooh Syarif, I don't think you can cycle".

Me: ...

I love how he always puts things into perspective using examples.

the goal.

Note to self: Never forget.

Look at Clinical Correlations

I got a little lazy to go through the mundane anatomy on first day of GIT (Gastrointestinal Tract). What I did differently and what managed to spark my interest was to skip to the clinical applications at the back of the chapter (which only consisted of 2-3 pages). I didn't understand most of the terms but that was what made me more interested:) And when I DID learn the basic anatomy, it made me go "Aaah" when understanding dawned upon me:)

Same thing I realized when I went to India. Dr Hirji, Dr Narayanan and Dr Pashupathi explained to me so much of the pathology and the treatment of cleft deformities that I wished that I could go to anatomy and physiology and learn everything back.

Sometimes during first and second year when we feel "bored" learning step by step first anatomy (where you don't really see WHY you're studying it); look at the diseases. Then that might interest you more:)

Lesson: Look at applications first then that would make you feel like learning the basics more.