E.R.A.S.E. with love

"Every action in our lives touches on some chord that will vibrate in eternity."

The first time I came across the words 'AIDS' and 'HIV' was when I took part in a science quiz in primary school, and learnt the full name of those two words - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. HIV leads to AIDS, where a progressive failure of the human immune system occurs and develops life-threatening opportunistic infections.

I feel deeply sorry for the innocent HIV/AIDS patients who were genetically inherited with the disease. Besides having to bear with the reality of their immune system getting weaken by the viruses as days go by, the worst part is how they have to deal with the social stigma of the society around them. Instead of showering these ill people with love and words of encouragement, the society alienates and sets them apart from us, making these ill ones feel like they are different.

If there is one thing we could do, it would be to show our love and support for the people who are living with HIV or AIDS. The indifference of the society in caring for the people living with HIV/AIDS causes their will to live to wear away and makes them want to give up on life.  We should not run or hide when someone needs somebody. By getting to know the illness, we will realize the faults of the social stigma. Offering a hug to the people living with HIV/AIDS is NOT contagious, but instead it brings hope and acceptance to them. Togetherness brings hope, and hope gives them the strength to go on when it feels like nothing else works. We can bring a change to erase stigma and discrimination to HIV/AIDS.

World Aids Day falls on the 1st December of every year. This year, the Medical Society of the University of Malaya, together with Malaysian AIDS Council (MAC) will be celebrating World AIDS Day on the 1st and 2nd of December 2012. The event 'E.R.A.S.E.' envisioned to eradicate stigma against people living with HIV/AIDS, and to educate the society and create awareness on HIV/AIDS. Do check out their facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ERASEAIDS

WHAT CAN I DO?
The organizers have came out with postcards to raise fund for Malaysian AIDS Council in funding the aids given to people living with HIV/AIDS. A minimum donation of RM 10 will be collected for a set of 4 postcards, and if some of us could not afford the whole set, we could donate RM 3 for 1 postcard. The postcards also act as inspiration and support to those people, where the donors will write down their words of encouragement on the postcards, which will then be collected and sent back to the Malaysian AIDS Council and viewed by the HIV/AIDS patients in need of love and support.

If you guys are interested, do get the postcards from me or Yean See by this Friday, as we will be volunteering for the event on this coming Saturday and Sunday. And if you guys would like to volunteer as well, feel free to sign up on their facebook page and join us this weekend.

I sincerely hope that we as Team IX Members can each do a small part in contributing to this good cause. =)

"Act as if you do make a difference. Because it really does."

Sincerely,
Yvonne.

Questions : Yvonne!

Questions - Yvonne!
1. What time did you get up this morning?
7.30 am. The power went off, so the fan stopped spinning and I was awaken.
2. How do you like your steak?
Well done.
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?
Taken 2. (Liam Neeson is 60 and still hot!)
4. What is your favourite TV show?
How I Met Your Mother. There's not a single scene I find dull.
5. If you could live anywhere in the world where would it be?
Dublin, Ireland. (Watch 'P.S. I love you' & you'll know why)
6. What did you have for breakfast?
Skipped breakfast. *guilt*
7. What is your favourite cuisine?
I don't have a favourite in particular. Why pick when you can have it all yaww'?
8. What food do you dislike?
Anything raw. ughhhhhh. Raw seafood on sushi. Eww.
9. Favourite place to eat?
Somewhere quiet and homelike.
10. Favourite dressing style?
Simple and yet classy and chic.
11. What kind of vehicle do you drive?
Starships. Im kidding. A compact car.
12. What are your favourite clothes?
I love wearing tees and jeans shorts on a sunny day!
13. Where would you visit if you had the chance?
India. Athens. Rome.
14. Cup 1/2 empty or 1/2 full?
1/2 full. This is a weird question. Are you trying to play
15. Where would you want to retire?
Ask me when I retire.
16. Favourite time of the day?
7 am. When I wake up at 7 am feeling like I have all the time in the world.
17. Where were you born?
Seremban.
18. What is your favourite sports to watch?
Formula 1 races and synchronized swimming.
19. Who are you most curious about their responses to this?
Anyone.
20. Bird watcher?
Get me a binocular then I'll start.
21. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Both. Mornings are for bright beginnings and nights are for self-reflections.
22. Pets?
Never had one. My mum had a pet bunny and she cried her heart out when it died so she doesn't let me have any.
23. Any new and exciting news that you'd like to share?
Jason Mraz is in the process of writing a new album!
24. What did you want to be when you were little?
A lawyer. Lol.
25. Are you a cat or a dog person?
Dogs. Yorkshire terrier!
26. Always wear your seat belt?
Yeah, or the car seat belt chime will bug me till I do so.
27. Been in a car accident?
No.
28. Any pet peeves?
When someone hits/whacks/pushes my head. VERY annoying.
29. Favourite pizza topping?
Pepperoni!
30. Favourite flower?
ROSES and PEONIES! =)
31. Favourite ice cream?
Chocolate and coffee-like flavour. And oh! Mint Chocolate Chip from Baskin Robbins.
32. Favorite fast food restaurant?
Carl's Juniorrrrrrrrrrrrrr! (Everyone go try Bacon Swiss! Soooooooooooooo good you'd wish there's no last bite!)
33. From whom did you get your last email?
Textbook asia.
34. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?
I will NEVER max out my credit card. If I have to name one store, it'd be 'Typo'. The stationeries are sooo cute I could dieeee.
35. Did anything spontaneous lately?
Visited The-Awesome-Setia City Mall.
36. What was your favourite vacation?
Every trip to Penang! & Singapore early this year. & Bali, where my friend and I toured the Island on a bike, without license. LOL.
37. Last person you went out to dinner with?
Family!
38. What are you listening to right now?
Uncharted, Sara Bareilles.

I'd do it all over again

This is sooooo long overdue but I'd like to share with you guys, because I had the best time that week.

I took part in Nike We Run KL 2012 on the 13th of October 2012 (Saturday). I love running. I enjoy the solitude accompanied by the sound coming from the earphones and my own heartbeat when I'm running. It calms me down and keeps me in a happy state of mind.

The streets of Kuala Lumpur was conquered by over 12,000 runners on the day of Nike We Run KL 2012, including Yean See and I. The 10 kilometres race flagged off at 5.30pm. The crowd was so huge I couldn't catch a sight of the starting line AT ALL when I first heard the gun shot. It was a drizzly evening, the perfect weather for a long run, and I ran my heart out. The streets of KL have never been more beautiful than in the 10 km journey, where I ran alongside people of different ages and races, wearing the same race tee. I completed the race in 1 hour and 17 minutes. I was sweat-drenched and could barely feel my own feet at the finish line, but I had a blast. I left the race village feeling positive and contented. Because when you do something you love, you simply don't need any other reasons to be happy.

Guess what I did the very next day?

I went to one of the places I love the most. PENANG.

Sara, Niloufar, Yean See and I went up to Penang for a 4 days stay from the 14th til 17th of October. Darryl was already there a week earlier and he hosted us during the stay. Each of us were excited for different reasons. Sara's reason comes without saying - She was stoked thinking bout' her pancakes & crepes from the famous 'Crepe Cottage' (Muahahaha), while my reason being to be able to step foot in the island puts me on cloud nine already.

My close friends know of my fondness for Penang and they often ask me why. I'd say you don't need a reason to love something, but I know you'd give me the troll face, so I say, I love how the streets look old and filled with history; how the shop-houses have beautiful floor and wall tiles; how the whole place is so rich in culture; how you can see water surrounding the island; how you can find good food in every corner (char kuey kark/char kuey teow/prawn mee/and the ais kacang at Swatow Lane with my favourite papaya in it oohhhhhmygod/apam balik with banana oh.my.gosh so yummy you could die eating it/the crepes at Crepe Cottage especially the one with banana & nutella mygoodness best crepe in the world ever ever everrr/wantan mee at pulau tikus/and ohmygoddddddd Harvest Inn!/the list goes on and on); the to-die-for STRAITS QUAY; and the ultimate experience - that excitement you get as you go on the Penang bridge. But really, you don't need any reason, you'll just love the place. Lol. =)

The awesomeness-filled 4-days stay made my holidays. I had the time of my life with the 4 of them. Oh not to forget, Yean See's and Sara's odd infatuation for lamp posts and road signs that they snapped pictures with almost every of it that you can find in Penang. LOL! And also, the girls had a great time partying in the hotel room. *smirk*

Penang's impeccable beauty can touch one's heart and bring you tears and laughters. It's just, amazing.

Yours sincerely,
Yvonne.

Two is better than one.

''Siblings. Nature's way of creating a slightly (or very) different version of us.''

I picked up my brother from school this afternoon and witnessed something that touched my heart. I slowed down my car as the students were crossing the road, and that was when I watched a boy holding the hands of his younger brother as they cross to the other side of the road. The elder boy looked carefully at both directions of the driveway while firmly holding his brother's hands to ensure that they get to the other side safely, and the younger brother followed closely by his side. The warmth of their brotherhood radiated through a simple act of bringing each other across the street.  


As I was driving and searching for the sight of my brother, I found him doing the same thing. Our eyes met and he headed towards my car. I smiled to myself (like an idiot), because I have a sibling. =)   

I have a younger brother. Our age gap is rather huge, and in sundry ways our uniqueness is clear, but nothing gets in the way of our close and whimsical sibling-hood. Like most siblings, we annoy each other to the core at times. We fight then we make up. Siblings fight over ANYTHING and EVERYTHING, but you know they are the ones who will be right next to you when the world tumbles down. There's a saying that goes 'Half the time when siblings wrestle, it is just an excuse to hug each other', I think this is somewhat true. LOL. Through siblings fights I learnt that anger is natural and that relationships can survive disagreements. Because despite how much we fight, he is the one person I know that will never leave me behind. I'm truly glad that I have a close relationship with my brother and that he'll always come to me to share everything. 

This video of Charlie and Harry reminds me of the silly things that we do with our siblings. Plus, it's cute.


Having siblings is a blessing. To the outside world we grow and change, but not to our brothers and sisters, because we know each other as we always were by heart. We share family feuds and the ups and downs. Siblings can sit next to each other in utter silence all day and be completely comfortable. They are like best friends that you can never get rid of; You know no matter what you do they'll still be there. When siblings get together, no fortress is as strong as the pact they make. 


'Sweet is the voice of a sibling in the season of sorrow', when we feel like nothing seems right, our siblings come and pick us up from the ground to make things right again, and we do the same for them. We all act like we don't care, but deep down we know that we're looking out for each other. Sometimes being a brother/sister is even better than being a superhero.

'It snowed last year: I made a snowman and my brother knocked it down and I knocked my brother down then we had tea.' - Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet and writer.

Love your siblings. 

P.S. If you don't have a sibling, that doesn't make you less special, it only makes you unique in your way, where you share your love with cousins or friends. 

Sincerely,
Yvonne

Pleases and Thank Yous

'The small courtesies sweeten life; the great ennoble it' - Christian Nestell Bovee

'Courtesy is a way of life', what is your take on this?

I was driving at the highway yesterday noon and my car was running out of petrol so I stopped at the Shell petrol station near Sg. Besi. Despite the irritatingly hot weather, the counter personnel was really friendly and he greeted every single customer with a warm smile, which I find impressive. I smiled back and greeted 'thank you', as a recognition of his effort in providing service at his best. I was filled with a sense of contentment through a stranger's warmth and goodness.

Just as I was about to be convinced of the idea of courtesy still being practised in today's society, something happened and failed me. An old Australian couple was filling petrol into their car parked in front of mine. And there was a huge double-decker bus parked next to their vehicle. The bus driver sat in the driver seat with the bus engine on, so I guessed he had pumped petrol and was ready to leave. Unexpectedly, an incredibly loud and lengthy car honk was released from the bus out of nowhere. It was so disturbingly loud that some of us jumped to the sound and everyone turned their heads towards the bus to catch a glimpse of the happening. I caught a sight of the old Australian man looking like the loud honk scared the living daylight out of him. I was puzzled for a moment as I question the reason behind this irrational and inconsiderate behaviour of the bus driver. It turns out that he was honking at the bus passengers who were buying things inside the mini mart, signalling them to hurry up and get back into the bus. I pitied the poor old man as he stood nearest to the bus.

That wasn't the end. In less than 3 minutes, the bus driver honked again, this time even louder and longer. The old man jumped again to the sound of the intensely loud honk. He turned to the bus driver and said 'Hey! Stop doing that!'. And then the bus driver scrolled down the window and shouted back at the top of his lungs 'Shut up! You've got a problem?? I do what I want! This is my job! F*** off!'. Everyone at the petrol station were stunned by the bus driver's words. The poor old man was in silence as the bus driver continued to scream at him with nasty words. The bus driver's impudence was humiliating and disappointing. What happened to his morality? Where are the values as promoted by the government's campaign of ''Budi Bahasa Budaya Kita / Courtesy is our culture''?

I'm sure most of us have come upon road bullies. I'm referring to those drivers who drive way too fast, come way too near to the back of your car, then overtake your car. BUT, that wasn't the end, they just had to pull off some filthy moves as they overtake, such as flashing their middle finger, or screaming foul words.  I've had countless encounters with road bullies and I find them very very disgusting, simply because I don't get why it is so hard for them to act like decent human beings.

I strongly believe that courtesy is a way of life. Courtesy is being respectful and considerate towards others, and that's what makes us a civilization. Everyone wishes to be treated nicely. The act of consideration starts from ourselves if we desire the same treatment from others. Courtesy is as simple as a warm smile, or an acknowledgement like 'thank you', or apologizing when we make a mistake. Often we are overtaken by our emotions and let it get in our way. If we could be thoughtful of what others are going through, negativity can be eliminated from our lives.

A man may fight fiercely in a war, a business, or in a court, but he does not need to fight to get ahead of everyone else in a queue. No one is too big or too busy to practice courtesy, as it is one of the little things that could change the world. Random acts of kindness bring you a lifetime of happiness.

After all, is it really that hard to say 'Please' and 'Thank You'?

Let us all practice kindness and pass it on. Go put a smile on someone's face today. =)

"Courtesy is the one coin you can never have too much of or be stingy with." - John Wanamaker, entrepreneur.

Sincerely,
Yvonne

To love is to share.

“Happiness quite unshared can scarcely be called happiness; it has no taste.” - Charlotte Bronte

It was my mum's birthday yesterday (4th of October). I've been anticipating this day since the start of the year. Those close to me would know even better due to the number of times I have mentioned it in my daily conversations in the past one month. LOL. 

If you guys don't know yet, my mum is a teacher. And she loves flowers. So I decided to surprise her at school with a bouquet of roses. I love surprises. The person who is going to be surprised must mean a lot to the person who makes the surprise, or the entire event will not even happen in the first place. Because planning a surprise is not easy. It takes love, time, and sufficient knowledge about the person to plan a surprise (referring to pleasant surprises). So yeah, we love you Sara! Which explains the pleasant and mildly thrilling surprise at Cyberia Crescent that day. ;-) 

On a different note, I'd like to share something that I have come to realize recently. Often we take things for granted, like the people we love. We tend to expect them to know their significance in our lives simply because you know they will always be around, such as, you don't tell your siblings or a good friend that you love him/her because you thought it comes without saying. While that may be true in certain ways, I think we still need to remind these people of their greatness and express our love and appreciation for their presence. I mean, how would they know if we don't say it or show it? And vice versa. We'll never know how much others love us till they tell us.   

Out of billions of people in this world, we are so blessed to have come into each others' lives. Born with feelings and emotions, it is perfectly natural for a person to feel unloved or unimportant at times, just like how we think the world hates us on our bad day. The need to express our love and appreciation is crucial. Spare the time to listen to your sibling/ a friend/ someone who needs a hand, to find out about their lives, and to be the light in their darkness. You'll be amazed by how much joy you bring to people when you shower them with love. 

In the midst of our insanely busy lives, spare the time to tell your loved ones that you love them!

I LOVE YOU GUYS! I mean it! ALL of you! =)

'How come we don't say ''I love you'' enough?' - Kris Allen.

Sincerely,
Yvonne.