I was definitely more prepared this time. I kept reminding myself during the long journey there that I was going to meet a group of unfortunate children. There was little I could do to make their life better but that was a fact I forced myself to accept prior to the trip.
Curious eyes wondered around as we walked towards the orphanage home after alighting the bus. I wonder how they would have felt when they saw us. All I could see was unsureness. I didn't know if it was because we were a big group of almost 30 or they were just waiting for us to get started.
After leaving my bag inside, we had a small ice breaking session to get to know the kids. It was really funny to see the small kids standing up one by one and uttering their names. There was a small boy with a cute smile who was so shy that he covered his face after saying his name. And then there was this girl who was hiding below the table while the ice-breaking session was going on because she was too shy to introduce herself. Small kids.
After that, while waiting for the organizers of the trip to prepare the games they had planned, I went around to meet the kids. I must say that I fit in pretty well. To be honest, if I hadn't gone, I think the others on the trip would have been able to socialize with the kids a little more because I was only one of the 2 people who could converse in Tamil, the language that all the kids there were fluent with regardless of race.
I sat at one of the tables with some of the kids around me. I smiled. They smiled back. And then I smiled again. That continued for a few more seconds until I asked them to say their names again. I asked them one by one so that it didn't sound like a routine. Before I could go any further, it was time for the first game.
It is called "do you like your neighbour?". Honestly, it's very complicated to put the game in words as it has a few rules and definitely needs some visual insights to make it easier to understand. I was carrying a 5 year old boy on my lap all along the game. That game reminded me of times when I used to carry my little brother in my arms.
After that game, it was time for a short break. Again, it was time for me to get to know the kids better. I went around playing with the kids. I asked some of the other kids I hadn't met earlier, for their names. It didn't last for long and it was time to begin the next game.
I can't recall what the game was called but it was something like this. One person had to stand in the centre and the others had to stand in a circle around the person in the middle. Then,the person in the middle had to shoot a person in the circle. If the person in the circle didn't manage to duck down in time, he or she would be eliminated.
That game was kinda fun too. The kids kinda liked the part where we had to shoot each other. And soon, rules fell apart and the kids were shooting everyone. To me, that's the beauty of a child's mind, the ability to shrug off rules and enjoy regardless of the situation.
After that game, it was time for some refreshments. There were some snacks and cold drinks for everyone at the home. This time, I got to know the kids way better. I found out who were siblings and was finally starting to get the hang of their names.
Then, it was time for banner painting. This turned out to be the most fun game for the kids. Well, it wasn't even a game to start off with. The kids were supposed to paint their hands and put a hand print on the banner prepared by the organizers.
It started off pretty well till...................the kids infatuation with colours and water got over them. I was helping out with washing the kids hands. As the number of kids waiting to get their hands washed increased, one boy just dunked his entire hands into the bucket full of water. Then, the other kids followed. And then, instead of just having one hand print on the banner, the kids were placing hand print, washing their hands, and putting hand prints again. Some of them were washing their hands again and again just to get their hands painted again. Little children are so much fun to be with. I had a great time playing with them too.
Once the whole fiasco was over, it was again time to sit down and wait for the next activity-or that's what I thought. I was spending some quality time with the kids, chit chatting and teasing them when I realized that everyone else was just sitting down and relaxing. I asked someone from the organizing committee if there was anything else and disappointingly, she replied with a no. Immediately, a boy asked me if I was going back home soon. I had to reply with a nod.
Small children who lack attentive parental love have a tendency to appreciate the small things which bring happiness to them. Today, it was me. It was a little difficult for me when I told another boy I was going home soon and he said I can't go. Me, being the soft-hearted kind when it comes to unfortunate people, felt tears lining up my eyes when he said that. But, I held it back because I know I came prepared.
Another thing that was difficult to accept was the sad stories of these kids. What's more difficult than that was the innocence in the eyes of the kids who told their stories with almost no sad feelings at all because they never had the chance to feel that much of attachment with their parents.
There was one boy who is slightly mentally challenged. He was fine until his mother was murdered in a robbery. He became so traumatized by the incident that he was a troubled child for 4 years. Since then, his condition has improved. There was also this boy who had 2 other brothers in the same home but his sister was in another orphanage home. They only meet up during Christmas. When the eldest boy, aged 9, was telling the story, his youngest brother was saying that he wanted to see their sister.
These are the kind of stories that move my consciousness away from this materialistic world. I still remember how much I started appreciating the little things my mum did for me after that visit to the disabled children's home. But then, the feeling kinda faded off. Today, before I went back to square one, I asked myself one thing.
Why do I need someone else to tell me to appreciate the things around me? I then realized that human beings in comfort can be very ungrateful at times and I am one of them. We just constantly need someone to tell us indirectly that we have been blessed with so many things that other people can't even dream of.
Before I left, I met all my new friends one last time to say goodbye. I patted everyone on the back or head and high fived some of them so that they would remember this day as the day spent with a special friend who dropped by to cheer them up. It still strikes me hard on how unfortunate they are but at the end of the day, life is always about what we have and how we cherish them. For my new found buddies, they have something I don't have-they have each other........
Sunday, July 28, 2013
Friday, July 5, 2013
Malaysian Politics And Race Relations
Malaysia's 13th general election concluded a couple of months ago amid much controversy on the validity of the election results and evidence of fraud. Well, the opposition were really frustrated at certain things about the general election, especially the fact that more Malaysians voted for them compared to the ruling coalition.
Politics is a very long winded, tangled topic. I generally hate politics, and only gained some interest in it because of the big 'hu-hah' during the recent general election. However, there's still something that disturbs me right to the core. Racism.
I've talked about it before in this blog but it saddens me that things have taken a turn for the worse recently. Politicians jumped on the racial wild card whenever the opportunity came. The ruling coalition took sides with a pro-Malay party while the opposition also had their racial dirty-play although not that clear. It all still boils down to one thing-many Malaysians are still very racist to heart.
When a study conducted revealed how racially intolerant Malaysians are, I was feeling rather ambivalent. I was surprised by the way the study was condemned by some Malaysians considering the fact that it's happening every day in our lives. But at the same time, their comments were not surprising because the people who commented are the racially-tolerant minority in the country.
Different people have different perceptions on racial tolerance. And in Malaysia, racial tolerance is always viewed superficially. We are all so united and tolerant as long as there are no racial riots in the country. But the truth is, unity is more than that.
Racism still happens in my own house and I'm definitely losing my patience over it slowly. My parents still give out racially inclined statements at home. The fact is that it happens in many homes in this country and it's more of an open secret.
The situation in Malaysia is like this-people think that the Malays are lazy, the Chinese are fraudsters and the Indians are gangsters. It has been the perception passed down from ages. People find an easy way to blame vice on people based on their race.
Another factor that has indirectly caused racism in this country is the Malay special rights. It was established during independence to improve the lives of the Malays who were condemned to their farms during the British rule. Honestly, I would say the Malay rights were very relevant during that time because the Chinese and Indians were basically, immigrants.
However, our forefathers did not foresee the future well enough. A Malay guy wrote to the newspaper,recently, stating that we need to move on referring to the fact that the Malay rights have made the Malays very complacent and even implanted the fact that they should be in a way protected, and I can't agree less. Considering the fact that it has been 56 years since independence, the high rate of unemployment and low-skilled employment among Malay youths clearly shows the failure of the Malay rights.
In addition to that, the Malay rights haven't gone down well with modern Malaysians. The non-Malays are seeing the unfair side of Malaysia where we are deprived of what we deserve. University quota is something that I can never agree too.
I can still recall the scene during the SPM result day for the batch of students before mine. There in one corner was a Malay guy rejoicing over getting credits for all his subjects in his exam. One of my teacher's was quick to point out the ease at which a Malay could rejoice compared to the non-Malays.
I don't think it would be right to just blame the Malay people. They have been made complacent because of their privileges. The government has not boldly come out to make a proactive change in the rights and all of us are suffering.
Sadly, the government thinks they are carrying out measures to bring back the unity but it's surely not working. Nothing is changing except for the smiles on the faces of politicians in so called unity-fostering events.
Racism is also fostered in schools, rather indirectly. Even from a very young age, children are in a way taught to be with their "own kind". Many people would disagree with me that vernacular schools are in a way paving the path for racial-intolerance.
Vernacular schools are not promoting racism. What they're doing is that they are indirectly establishing comfort zones for students among their own race. People from vernacular schools still do make friends of other races in secondary school but not many have best friends outside their own race. And that is a fact that vernacular school advocates have to learn to accept.
I personally feel that English-medium schools would be a great step to foster unity among Malaysians. Why?? English belongs to no one and that would negate the fact where people join a certain school just because they are of a certain race. But then again, there are those selfish politicians who continue to fight on to prevent the re-establishment of English medium schools just so they can gain the popularity of the masses.
At the end of the day, you come to wonder whether there is a solution to this predicament. Honestly, I don't think so. There is too much of politics in the efforts to foster unity in this country. And, the ones who suffer the most are the racially tolerant few who see beyond the colour and status but are forced to dwell among the prejudiced.....
Politics is a very long winded, tangled topic. I generally hate politics, and only gained some interest in it because of the big 'hu-hah' during the recent general election. However, there's still something that disturbs me right to the core. Racism.
I've talked about it before in this blog but it saddens me that things have taken a turn for the worse recently. Politicians jumped on the racial wild card whenever the opportunity came. The ruling coalition took sides with a pro-Malay party while the opposition also had their racial dirty-play although not that clear. It all still boils down to one thing-many Malaysians are still very racist to heart.
When a study conducted revealed how racially intolerant Malaysians are, I was feeling rather ambivalent. I was surprised by the way the study was condemned by some Malaysians considering the fact that it's happening every day in our lives. But at the same time, their comments were not surprising because the people who commented are the racially-tolerant minority in the country.
Different people have different perceptions on racial tolerance. And in Malaysia, racial tolerance is always viewed superficially. We are all so united and tolerant as long as there are no racial riots in the country. But the truth is, unity is more than that.
Racism still happens in my own house and I'm definitely losing my patience over it slowly. My parents still give out racially inclined statements at home. The fact is that it happens in many homes in this country and it's more of an open secret.
The situation in Malaysia is like this-people think that the Malays are lazy, the Chinese are fraudsters and the Indians are gangsters. It has been the perception passed down from ages. People find an easy way to blame vice on people based on their race.
Another factor that has indirectly caused racism in this country is the Malay special rights. It was established during independence to improve the lives of the Malays who were condemned to their farms during the British rule. Honestly, I would say the Malay rights were very relevant during that time because the Chinese and Indians were basically, immigrants.
However, our forefathers did not foresee the future well enough. A Malay guy wrote to the newspaper,recently, stating that we need to move on referring to the fact that the Malay rights have made the Malays very complacent and even implanted the fact that they should be in a way protected, and I can't agree less. Considering the fact that it has been 56 years since independence, the high rate of unemployment and low-skilled employment among Malay youths clearly shows the failure of the Malay rights.
In addition to that, the Malay rights haven't gone down well with modern Malaysians. The non-Malays are seeing the unfair side of Malaysia where we are deprived of what we deserve. University quota is something that I can never agree too.
I can still recall the scene during the SPM result day for the batch of students before mine. There in one corner was a Malay guy rejoicing over getting credits for all his subjects in his exam. One of my teacher's was quick to point out the ease at which a Malay could rejoice compared to the non-Malays.
I don't think it would be right to just blame the Malay people. They have been made complacent because of their privileges. The government has not boldly come out to make a proactive change in the rights and all of us are suffering.
Sadly, the government thinks they are carrying out measures to bring back the unity but it's surely not working. Nothing is changing except for the smiles on the faces of politicians in so called unity-fostering events.
Racism is also fostered in schools, rather indirectly. Even from a very young age, children are in a way taught to be with their "own kind". Many people would disagree with me that vernacular schools are in a way paving the path for racial-intolerance.
Vernacular schools are not promoting racism. What they're doing is that they are indirectly establishing comfort zones for students among their own race. People from vernacular schools still do make friends of other races in secondary school but not many have best friends outside their own race. And that is a fact that vernacular school advocates have to learn to accept.
I personally feel that English-medium schools would be a great step to foster unity among Malaysians. Why?? English belongs to no one and that would negate the fact where people join a certain school just because they are of a certain race. But then again, there are those selfish politicians who continue to fight on to prevent the re-establishment of English medium schools just so they can gain the popularity of the masses.
At the end of the day, you come to wonder whether there is a solution to this predicament. Honestly, I don't think so. There is too much of politics in the efforts to foster unity in this country. And, the ones who suffer the most are the racially tolerant few who see beyond the colour and status but are forced to dwell among the prejudiced.....
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