World Refugee Day 2007

Every year World Refugee Day is remembered on 20 June. This year, a carnival will be held on 15 June 2007 organised by United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Malaysia (UNHCR Malaysia)where it focuses on refugee children.

This event is held to provide the refugee children a chance where they rarely have to play outside in a safe environment. The refugee children are normally without a proper upbringing in terms of childhood life. What is life like playing at the playground? What is it like to be playing with kids of your age without any worries?

The funds available for the UNHCR Malaysia is generally for the protection of refugees and assistance to them. In order for this carnival to be a success, UNHCR Malaysia seeks the support from private companies/individuals in Malaysia. It will be a modest event, a chance for the refugee children to experience childhood in an open environment, so the carnival's needs is also modest.

This carnival will cater for around 150 - 200 children. Direct item contributions/cash donation are greatly appreciated and you could pass this message to companies and philanthropists. SAVE COST by doing so BUT effective as well if you pass the message also. Volunteers for this event are most welcomed. In interested, please do contact:-

* Yante Ismail (External Relations Officer)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 570, Jalan Bukit Petaling, 50460 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: (603) 2141 1322 ext 303 / Fax: (603) 2141 1780
Mobile phone: (6) 013 352 6286 / Email: ismaily@unhcr.org

Tags: World Refugee Day 2007, World Refugee Day, UNHCR, Malaysia, Refugee Children, Refugee, UN, United Nations

Christ Followers in KiasuLand

Have you met any "kiasus" (Hokkien dialect word to describe someone who is afraid of losing) recently? It's really easy to spot one. Some characteristics of "kiasus" are:-

* Their favourite words are "Me", "Myself", "Mine" and "I" in big bold capital letters.

* They make choices solely on the basis of what benefits them the most.

* They are resistant to the fact that anyone can be better than them.

* They want to win at all cost, even willing to sacrifice integrity, relationships and health at the altar of success.

If you have problems finding a "kiasu", let me tell you a place where you can likely find one. Look at the mirror! Jab! Jab! Ouch! That's painful, isn't it? But it is so terribly true. Let's admit it. We live in a "me" era. However, many of us are sophisticated enough to mask our "kiasuism" with subtle packaging.

Our pride is called ambition. Our greed is named "hunger for growth". Our seeking for fame and popularity is hidden under the veneer of "marketing our talents and skills".

Don't get me wrong. I am not anti-growth or anti-competition. Godly stewardship of our marketplace position entails a strong focus on productivity, growth and profitability. However, my concern is that we may focus entirely on self interested motivations and on winning at all cost that we end up being another "kiasu" in kiasuland.

Surely, our calling as marketplace Christians should compel us to see beyond salaries, profitability and increasing of market share. Laura Nash in her book "Believers in Business", noted a covenantal approach among some evangelicals to the competitive drive in business.

In a covenantal approach, the first question asked is not, How much money did we make? but how is the customer faring? In other words, the primary purpose of Christians in the marketplace is the creation of value for others.

In Philippians Chap 2 Verse 4, the Bible said, "Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others." That seems to be a value creating call to me. And, it is also a warning against "kiasuism".

I'll end with some questions on how we can create value for others:-

* In your workplace, what does it mean to be more of a giver than a taker when it comes to adding value to your organization?

* Is your organization a better place to work because you are on the payroll?

* If Christ were to have your job, how would He create value for your bosses, peers, subordinates, clients and society at large?

As Christ followers, let's focus on creating value for others. It's the antidote to being a self seeking "kiasu". (By Wong Fook Meng, Graduate Christian Fellow i-Commentary)

Tags: Christianity, Christian, Kiasu, Kiasuland

Discovery of New Medicine

World Health Organization, PATH and Serum Institute of India Limited have jointly developed a new vaccine for meningitis A, considered as the deadly virus that could kill a person within hours. This new vaccine is extremely welcomed for meningitis hotspots in India and Africa.

I can vouch for that as I have at least 4 different kinds of jabs for my working trip to Sudan. What do I have? Meningitis (can't remember whether it's for A or Z), Typhoid, Yellow Fever and Hepatitis (was it A or B that I have been vaccined against?).

There is a yellow book which I have to carry around when I'm travelling abroad. It's like a register book showing what type of vaccination that I have in my body and date of vaccination taken. Certain countries, at the gate of entry to their country, may ask for your yellow book if they noticed (in your passport) that you have travelled to Africa before.

If you didn't bring it along, you could be sent back to your country on the first flight out or the worst could happen, they will quarantine you in their medical centre - segregated faraway in a room....... hehehe....don't mind if I got deported back to Malaysia when I arrived at Sudan but sadly they don't worry on that.....
Tags: World Health Organization, PATH, Serum Institute of India, Meningitis A, Meningitis, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Hepatitis, Vaccination, Health, Sudan

Useful Dead Bodies

Nope, not blogging about pledging your body parts here. It's more of sustaining your body (when you are dead) and then see that you have the same face/body when you came back to life. What am I talking about?

A USA-based company located in Michigan, Cryonics Institute, has created a way to ensure that your body will not rot away. While waiting for the right medicines being produced to cure your incurable disease, your body would be maintained in their storage. Once there's a medical breakthrough, your body could be retrieved and the relevant medicines be applied to your body and thus, you could live a new life again without that fatal disease again and your body didn't age as well. Fun?

How do they do it? They actually freeze your body with liquid nitrogen in which your body is cooled to a temperate that will stop your body from rotting or decaying.

Their membership is not really that expensive looking at the fact that they can maintain your youthfulness all the while.

656 members with 80 of them being stored in liquid nitrogen. How true is it? Meaning to say that 80 of them could be frozen with fatal disease that could kill them if they were still alive. So, might as well be 'dead' temporarily first.

Besides Cryonics Institute, another company - Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Arizona-based, is offering the same service too.

Alcor's website even mentioned that clergy and theologians have endorsed such practise. What's your view on this?

Tags: Cryonics Institute, Alcor Life Extension Foundation, Cryonics, Cryonics Research, Cryonics Technology, Human Cryopreservation, Michigan, Arizona, Clergy, Theologian, Liquid Nitrogen, Cold Temperature

Book of Records

Do you know that in order for a world record to be accepted by the Guinness World of Records, a representative from their office must be present to verify that particular record attempt. But it's not a requirement in Malaysia.

In Malaysia, we have the Malaysia Book of Records. This book of records will only record all records achieved by Malaysians. A record is easily achievable in Malaysia. But you still need to proof that it was done.

Malaysia's Minister of Youth and Sports, Azalina Ibrahim, flew in a Russian-made MI-17-IV helicopter up to the Mount Everest's base camp to meet Malaysia's contingent of Mount Everest climbers who would making their climb then. Owing to this sending off by Azalina, her ministry will try to put her into the MBR under the following feat - the first minister and the first female minister of Malaysia to set foot at the base camp.

I really respect them. So from now onwards, any Malaysians attempting to break any records, efforts are not compulsory as in climbing up to the base camp but being there is the most important criteria irregardless of how you got there .......... hehehe

Let me see ........... I feel like being the first Malaysian to fly into Artic and get out from there in the shortest time, all via airplane. Just get a mobile phone to video record my attempt and post it in YouTube. Should be good enough as a record. You can too!! (suddenly felt the urge of becoming a motivator)
Tags: Malaysia, Guinness World of Records, Malaysia Book of Records, Azalina Ibrahim, Ministry of Youth and Sports

Pac-Man World Championship

I remembered when I was young, the Pac-Man game was a craze. Be it on those handheld Games & Watch or in the arcade game shop, everyone was in it.

Trying to eat all the fruits in the screen and then the 4 powerful pellets that could turn you into a greater monster and eat those ghosts in return.
The craze has not ended after all this years. X-Box has taken a step further with this Pac-Man game. They had organised the Pac-Man World Championship in New York for their X-Box 360 owners.

Todate, only 1 gamer has achieved a perfect Pac-Man game. With just 1 Pac-Man, Billy Mitchell, from Fort Lauderdale, USA hit the maximum points of 3,333,360 in year 1999. That maximum points was achieved in 6 hours and video recorded by Twin Galaxies' Official Video Game & Pinball Book of World Records. Can you beat that?
Tags: Pac-Man, Pac-Man World Championship, Billy Mitchell, Twin Galaxies, Game & Watch, X-Box, X-Box 360, Arcade Game, Perfect Game

Privilege for Broken Hearted Customers

All young South Korean men were required mandatorily to serve in the national army by the government. If during this period of service, you received a email or letter from your darling stating that she wanted to break off with you, there will be some good news after all for you.

Though the good news may not come from your darling anymore or their family members trying to salvage the broken relationship, a South Korean bank has decided to chip in to assist such soldiers. Wow! not bad but how does a bank comfort a soldier in such a scenario.

Nonghyup Bank, upon solid proof provided that you have been dumped by your darlings (wonder if being jilted by the wife counts???) will provide the following benefits for you:-
* new deposit plan with better rates
* waived service fees

This plan is not restricted to men only but also available to female soldiers, family members of professional troops, wounded veterans and trainees. Besides that, Nonghyup Bank will also donate 0.1 per cent of the new clients' balances for dead war heroes and wounded veterans.

Only 1 catch, the offer is valid from 4 June 2007 to end Sept 2007. If want to break up, make sure you break up within this few months or if you sense it in Sept 2007, make sure you get those email or letter by 30 Sept 2007 morning and rush to the bank by that afternoon.

Reading: S. Korea bank eases ache of heartbroken soldiers - Washington Times
Reading: Special bank rates for dumped soldiers - Metro UK
Reading: S. Korean bank to help dumped soldiers - Canoe Network
Tags: Nonghyup Bank, South Korea, Soldier, Jilted, Dumped, Break Up, Heart Broken, Bank Rates