WHITE RIBBON MALAYSIA - White Ribbon is a campaign championed in Malaysia by Reach Out a local NGO, to involve men in tackling violence against women.

(AS POSTED IN WHITE RIBBON MALAYSIA'S PAGE)

It dawn upon me , the fact is , not many people who will stand for truth and justice and that knowledge saddens me. I hope it will not be their mothers, or daughters, or sisters, or themselves who will be abused one day. This society has always been about selfishness on how good they look outside, on how much money they have, the assets they owned, and these are the people who will decline to stand behind any principals at all for fear of losing what they have ... But living a lie and keeping up their pretenses are their own punishments. Justice is about pointing out what is not right. Abuse comes in many forms. Today I am sad, to acknowledge the fact that most will decline when you asked them to fight alongside you ...

Another excerpt from my friend Nicole Queen's page for the "Silence Hides Violence" campaign.



I Remember

I remember when yo u brutally hurt me,
I remember how you left me bruised and abused,
I remember how you made me cry floods of tears,
I remember how you cut my heart and let it bleed,
I remember how you neglected me and watched me weep,
I remember the anger and smirk on your face,
I remember your deathly looking eyes,
I remember how you were breaking my heart into pieces,
I remember how you attacked me with so much fury and aggression,
I remember how you violated me, thinking you were innocent and could get away with it,
I remember those fears taking over me,
I remember the sadness upon my face and within my heart,
I remember the ghastly nightmares you brought in my restless sleep,
I remember how you made me feel worthless and become a burden,
I remember how I constantly prayed to my Lord to save me from you,
I remember those frightening moments when you threw me across the dirty floor,
I remember how you thought you were so much better than me, just because you were a man,
I remember how you forgot to treat me like your queen,
I remember how you forgot to love me unconditionally,
I remember how your heart forgot to even remember me.

I remember…but do you remember?
Or have you forgotten how you damaged me,
Leaving me with scars and fearful memories.

Will you ever remember how you almost ruined me?
But I will always remember,
Only to make me stronger,
That’s why I remembered to set myself free.

YOGA anyone?? Hellowww!!

Few years ago, I have written for two magazines. Both were on Yoga topics. I was excited in having my very own column so I wrote away... (If you are wondering , that my grammar is not an oxford university material, and how could she be a writer, that was because my articles were proof read before it was published! Now happy??).

Was excited for my columns because I imagined myself to be Sarah Jessica Parker aka Carrie in 'Sex and The City' (ring a bell?)so I wrote as to what I thought, witty and cool...
My excitement crushed because both of my columns which were supposed to be about YOGA should be a matter of facts and serious and must follow strictly on topic requirements by Editor! Owww that was the end of my excitement (Plus they didn't let me have a cool column name like 'Yoga and the city'? perhaps?), err by the way, aren't plenty of yoga books in Borders if people want to read facts?

But now ...I have my very own blog that I could name anything I want or write anything I feel.. why didn't I think of it earlier?? Well, some job commitments and managing my own company plus I hated computers before as I had to figure out new things which I hated and have no time for plus I had staff to do the computer things for me. Now I am a free lance Consultant who dictated my own time so, well it wasn't really that hard as I thought it would be ...

Something disturbed me today ...an old school mate, contacted me a few days back to join my private yoga class! (blessed her for her will to learn) I was a bit disappointed when her husband said it is haram to learn yoga! (Thanks to the media hyped of 'Yoga is haram' in Malaysia a few years ago and although it was declared permissible, damaged has been done unfortunately). But nevertheless, his opinion is respected because I blamed it on the media!

That get me into thinking or analyzing (again)of the many times people exercised haram things when they thought people are not looking?? Taking bribe and dismissed it as a 'gift'?
Married two women but could hardly afford them? Lusted after another woman while forcing wives to wear hijab? Have plenty but will not do zakat or sedekah? Left behind children because they could?? Shouted foul languages and beat the crap of a wife right after an Isya' prayer?? Are these people hiding behind a pillar so fake of a hypocrisy mask of a learned Muslim? Blamed on his daughter's extramarital affairs on her good friend who has no hijab on as bad influence! (because the said girl wore hijab)??
And how many good people then dare to stand the ground and say 'Hey this is wrong??'

Let me laugh again when they said yoga is 'haram' due to it's origin and the mantra that comes with it! Mantra is Sanskrit word that means 'zikir'... Are we Malaysian Muslim so weak as to get influenced that easily? Shouldn't we analyzed first and then judged and not the other way round? To me and many of my yoga students not forgetting my dear husband Peter, "Sisters in Islam' Malaysia kini, Aljazeera and my friends who have stood behind me in the year 2009 when they tried to ban yoga, I say, hallelujah!! we are practicing yoga because it is good for our MIND, BODY and SOUL!

Hey ! am I not in a Hijab now and not in some temples practising hinduism like they claimed to be?? TO BE OR NOT TO BE . IT IS UP TO ME (Thanks shakespear!)

Meet Me By The River: Tough? You Bet. - by Peter Nicoll (Another day in the life of a REACH OUT Volunteer ...)

Meet Me By The River: Tough? You Bet.: "Haven't been on this blog for a while. Haven't had the heart to write really. Not been well, house got burgled, but in the end I haven't had..."

Modest Style Guide: That 70's style

Modest Style Guide: That 70's style

Meet Me By The River - by Peter Nicoll

Meet Me By The River: Aunty Enn and Uncle Pete!: "Sometimes you just know that things are going to be a bit strange when you work with Reach Out. You get that feeling that its not going to b..."

Our friends from the street ...

It is 2.48 am now Malaysian time..(when I wrote this but slept half way through)  I just got back from feeding the homeless on  the street of Kuala Lumpur under REACH OUT programme ...This is the norm for me and my husband to go out very close to midnight at least twice a week and come back at this time ...One thing for sure no clubbing for us anymore!  It was  our turn tonight to pick up some food from Petaling Jaya Hilton. The food  was a left over from their buffet spread . Mind you, the  food normally smell good! At least for our hungry friends, they have the opportunity to eat Hotel food !

Many people asked us why are we doing this? My answer would always be, because I can do it and I have extra and I am happy doing it. Some people will justify by saying that we are encouraging lazy people or drug
addicts. These are the people who are not only living life thinking they are better than others, but also too busy looking at other people  but themselves.

I do not care what people think!  To us who are  Reach Out Volunteers, we are doing this for various reasons, we want to help,  for some, to heal their souls, or just happy doing it. Whatever the reasons are, it is not for other people to justify.

Some people asked  if they are dangerous? hmm never thought it like that ...they are human like us too  but they were born on the other side of the coin,  when I gave them food, I can see that they searched my face if I would treat them differently but I smiled at them  instead. And they smiled back ... I have always been treated by them like a lady or a sister.  Respect is not given, it is earned.

I am not better because I am the one who is giving but instead I feel grateful for the opportunity to share...

The men with no home .....

We fed dogs too (during a flood in Kedah 2010)

In a moment's notice we are off to where we are needed (we have jobs and we do not do this full time!!)

Our colorful volunteers ...

And I know our kindness will be repaid forward...Let them believe that this world is not all filled with hatred or ego because when we die, we bring nothing and then I will be the same like my street friends ....

Hijab Tutorial #14 (Pashmina Wrap) - another of my favourite way of tying my hijab as created by Yaz the spaz

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