Who is the strongest of them all? (Photo by Anna Shvets on Pexels.com)
Who is the strongest of them all?
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
who is the strongest of them all?
A figure so tiny, so frail,
but she's a matriarch behind a veil.
Besides a man so strong and tall,
is a woman who takes over when he falls.
When the family is cracking and breaking,
that maternal glue is in the making.
See the dame running the family millstone?
The comforting bosom that belies a financial backbone?
So, mirror, mirror on the wall
who indeed, is the strongest of them all?
QUOTES“You’ve got to stay strong to be strong in tough times.”
– Tilman J. Fertitta
“Sometimes you don’t realize your own strength until you come
face to face with your greatest weakness.” – Susan Gale
This is a poem, titled after a hand-painted bowl which was created by the author, a few years ago. Whereas , the poem is inspired by the many tragic news of perished immigrants on rough seas. They were trying to reach a better-land in this, ironically, vastness of land on mother earth.
In this vastness of land “Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.” ― Leonardo da Vinci
IRONICALLY, IN THIS VASTNESS OF LAND
In this vastness of land
stretching and circling this bowl
round and round, but, to no end!
From the bowl’s interior
radiates that phosphorescent glow
a beckoning promise, almost superior!
Across the wide seas and oceans
breaking families, risking lives
to find that elusive ‘greener grass’ notions!
On rough waters, human lives
inhumanly packed in over-crowded sea vessels
clutching desperately to partners and wives.
“I see the land, I see the land!”
But it was, many a times, an illusion
to touch beaches, to kiss the sand.
Can you see the land,
a better-land?
Will freedom be your stand
in this vastness of land?
-Chen Song Ping @ TPTan, 18 Jan 2021-
“Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
“What has happened to us in this country? If we study our own history, we find that we have always been ready to receive the unfortunate from other countries, and though this may seem a generous gesture on our part, we have profited a thousand fold by what they have brought us.” ― Eleanor Roosevelt
Sing a song of freedom (Photo by cottonbro on Pexels.com)
SING A SONG OF FREEDOM
The following poem is about music as a plausible and healing therapy. Especially for those incarcerated in mental hospitals, prisons, or immigrant centers. A notable concept is Making music, healing souls including Sing Your Heart Out (SYHO),and Finding sanity through songs.
Sing a song of freedom
Sing a song of freedom
breaking through four walls
is a light; a beacon
In immigration detentions
prison or hospitals
do buoy up musical extensions
Rehearse a song
for sanity sake
all day long.
Sing your heart out (SYHO)
as loud as you want
even if you carry no clout.
Adopting therapy in music
as a tool for recovery
Keeping minds clear; lucid
So, do sing a song of freedom
finding sanity through songs
to free the mind of demons
for one with no intent of treason.
Chen Song Ping, 18 Jan 2021
That was Mary’s answer, as to why she runs an orphanage. It was a second Christian home that Anna had stepped into.
Why she ran an orphanage home
“I looked after His lost lambs here. Some lost their parents. And some are here during the day only. Their single parents need to work.”
“When I am not around one day, I know that God will have someone to help my older son looks after his younger and mentally- challenged brother,” Mary explained. “I have one bright and successful son, and a differently-abled son.
Conclusion
So you see? God is fair,” (nodding her head absent-mindedly into the air), “He gives some, and he takes some!”
Tuhan itu adil: Dia memberi sebahagian dan Dia mengambil sebahagian.
Itu adalah jawapan Mary, mengapa dia menguruskan rumah anak yatim. Itu adalah rumah kristiani kedua yang Anna masuki. “Saya menjaga anak-anak -Nya di sini. Ada yang kehilangan ibu bapa mereka. Dan ada berada di sini hanya pada waktu siang kerana ibu bapa tunggal mereka perlu bekerja. Apabila saya tidak berada pada suatu hari, Saya tahu bahawa Tuhan akan mengaturkan seseorang untuk menolong anak saya yang lebih tua menjaga adiknya yang terencak akal, ”jelas Mary. “Saya mempunyai seorang anak lelaki yang cemerlang dan berjaya, dan anak lelaki yang berbeza keupayaannya. Jadi anda lihat? Tuhan itu adil, (menganggukkan kepalanya). Dia memberikan beberapa, dan dia mengambil beberapa! “
Sebaliknya;
“Hidup ini tidak adil; membiasakan diri.” – Bill Gates
“Siapa bilang hidup itu adil, di mana itu ditulis?” – William Goldman, Pengantin Puteri
Anna watched from a near distance to the kitchen. There were two groups. May, Lionel, Tom and Kenneth were in team one.
How they make and bake buns.
“Alright, now weigh 500 gram of flour!” came the instruction. May stepped forwards and was scooping into the container of flour.
“No, I do first. I am the team leader!“ intercepted Lionel.
Smack! Lionel was stunned; the right side of his face, whitened with flour.
Tom grasped Lionel’s right hand towards May’s face. Both Tom and May are non-verbal.
Lionel held back his hand and his tears, “no, mummy said, ‘boy cannot hit girl!'”
May threw the scoop angrily on the table. Lionel took over.
“One… two… three…four hundred,” Lionel looked at his team-mates, hesitatingly, “should I take away some?” and was returning the scooped flour to the container. (Lionel’s mum later told Anna about Lionel’s difficulties and mixing-ups with numbers).
Kenneth stopped his hand midway, and guided that flour back into the bowl on the scale, and another spoon, ” … there! 500 gram!”
He clapped away the flour on his hands and stood behind them again; seemingly unfocused.
How these differently-abled bake hot-dog buns. (Photo by Malidate Van on Pexels.com)
His team-mates looked up at him now, with new admiration!
After mixing all the ingredients in the electric mixing-bowl, the dough was divided into four.
“You are going to do your own hot-dog buns. Divide your dough into smaller balls like this…” the chef teacher showed them and shoved the smoothened ball under a big enamel bowl. All of them were attentive, except Kenneth.
“Kenneth, Kenneth, your turn!” Lionel went to call him in, from the garden in front of the kitchen. Lionel showed and guided Kenneth on how to divide and roll the dough.
Later, while waiting for the baked hot-dog buns to cool down, it was washing-up time!
“Kenneth, your trays are not clean! Wash again, see, here?” Lionel put the trays back into the huge sink. He was a good team- leader. His mum told Anna that Lionel wanted to work in a bakery shop one day.
While waiting for their children, Anna met up with the other mothers, admiring their patience and persistence in driving their autistic children for the classes the last three years.
Conclusion
Baking lessons were part of Kenneth’s rehabilitation and socializing activities for one and a half year. But, Anna knew that Kenneth would make a better food connoisseur than a bakery chef!
Chen Song Ping, 12 January 2021
Bahasa Melayu Google translation:
Bagaimana orang berbeza keupayaan membakar roti ‘bun’
Anna menonton dari jarak yang dekat ke dapur. Terdapat dua kumpulan. Mei, Lionel, Tom dan Kenneth berada dalam satu pasukan. “Baiklah, sekarang seberat 500 gram tepung!” datang arahan itu. May melangkah ke hadapan dan mencedok ke dalam bekas tepung. “Tidak, saya buat dulu. Saya ketua pasukan!” dipintas Lionel. May menampar muka Lionel. May melemparkan suaka dengan marah di atas meja. Lionel mengambil alih.
“Satu… Dua… Tiga… empat ratus,” Lionel melihat rakan sepasukannya, teragak-agak, “harus saya mengambil beberapa?” dan mengembalikan tepung yang dicekup ke bekas. (Ibu Lionel kemudian memberitahu Anna tentang kesukaran dan pencampuran Lionel dengan nombor).
Kenneth menghentikan pertengahan tangannya, dan membimbing bahawa tepung kembali ke dalam mangkuk pada skala, dan satu lagi sudu, ” di sana! 500 gram!” Dia menepuk tepung di tangannya dan berdiri di belakang mereka lagi. Rakan sepasukannya memandang ke atasnya sekarang, dengan kekaguman baru!
Selepas mencampurkan semua bahan-bahan dalam mangkuk pencampuran elektrik, adunan dibahagikan kepada empat. “Anda akan melakukan roti ‘bun’ anda sendiri. Bahagikan adunan anda ke dalam bola yang lebih kecil seperti ini …” guru tukang masak menunjukkan mereka dan menembak bola licin di bawah mangkuk enamel besar. Kesemua mereka mendapat perhatian, kecuali Kenneth.
“Kenneth, Kenneth, giliran anda!” Lionel pergi memanggilnya, dari taman di hadapan dapur.
Kemudian, sementara menunggu buns roti yang dibakar untuk menyejukkan, ia adalah masa mencuci! “Kenneth, dulang anda tidak bersih! Basuh lagi, lihat, di sini?” Lionel meletakkan dulang kembali ke dalam sinki besar. Beliau adalah seorang pemimpin pasukan yang baik. Ibunya memberitahu Anna bahawa Lionel mahu bekerja di kedai roti suatu hari nanti. Sementara menunggu anak-anak mereka, Anna bertemu dengan ibu-ibu yang lain, mengagumi kesabaran dan kegigihan mereka dalam memandu anak-anak autistik mereka untuk kelas tiga tahun yang lalu.
Kelas membuat roti adalah sebahagian daripada aktiviti pemulihan dan sosialisasi Kenneth selama satu setengah tahun. Tetapi, Anna tahu bahawa Kenneth akan membuat makanan yang lebih baik connoisseur daripada tukang masak roti!
Killing only two birds with one stone? It challenges one to think if one can achieve more than the common idiom below.
Killing only two birds with one stone?
‘Killing two birds with one stone’ means achieving two things at the same time. But it doesn’t have to stop at two! For example:-
During the earlier phase of his mental illness, Anna used to send Kenneth for pottery and clay-works. There were at least five ‘birds’ to kill with that one activity in mind. They are;-
It was therapeutic, functionally, for Kenneth to wedge (or knead) and to create the clay pieces manually. He shaped bowls on the pottery wheel, He glazed the clay products. And of course, he would proudly look at his finished, fired, shiny, and at times, unevenly shaped products!
Kenneth got to socialize and communicate with people, whom he rarely talked to. [And there was a non-verbal autistic girl. Occasional glances and gestures did the ‘talking’!]
The activities kept him focused on the present moments. They were to dissuade him from thinking and talking to himself.
Although it was a messy task supervising Kenneth in the clay works, it was their handy touches that mattered!
Being an artist herself, Anna was also learning a new hobby! The sculpted lady [inset] is one of the results. This hobby brings Anna much joy.
‘A Woman First‘ dengan berbesar hati menyambut penulis undangan. Beliau ialah Dato ’Dr. Ziaudin Ahamed Bin Abdul Kareem, seorang Pengamal Perubatan Paliatif.
Pantun Kanser Payudara
Read by: Zurainawaty A Rahman, PNC, Gp 2/92
‘A Woman First‘ is pleased to welcome a guest writer. He is Dato’ Dr. Ziaudin Ahamed Bin Abdul Kareem, an advocate for Quality of Life. ‘Pantun Kanser Payudara’ means a poetry about breast cancer.
“女人优先”很高兴欢迎特邀作家。他是拿督的Ziaudin Ahamed Bin Abdul Kareem博士，生活质量的倡导者。 “ Pantun Kanser Payudara”是一首关于乳腺癌的诗。
The above poem can be summarised as /Puisi di atas dapat diringkaskan sebagai:/以上诗可概括为
Self-esteem comes from being able to define the world in your own terms and refusing to abide by the judgments of others. ― Oprah Winfrey
How high is one’s self-esteem? Here are some examples of young people with high confidence and self-esteem. What others think does not matter!
Kavievanan and his masala tea business [see above] It was sensational news when jobless graduate engineer, Kavievanan Subramaniam, 23, took to the road on bicycle to sell masala tea. He becomes an instant businessman, his own boss! Mr. Kavievanan became a role model for many young people to emulate, especially during this trying COVID-19 period. This is an example of a person with high self-esteem. Never mind what others think. As long as he is making an honest living! Congratulations!
Michael Tee and his bagful of goodies! “Michael lugged a bagful of calculators, pens, and toys. He went from table to table at the restaurants.” “Why can’t you just sit at home and wait for your A-level result?” “I enjoyed doing this. Many aunties bought from me. They must have pitied me!” Michael grinned cheekily. He flopped onto his bed and was soon fast asleep! So high was his self-esteem then. He ignored what others think about him selling items table to table openly. That was quite an experience while waiting his result and entry to tertiary education!
Tommy Lam, his free chemistry book, and a washing machine Tommy approached the stationary shopkeeper. “If I buy thirty books from you, can I get one free?” And he did [RM400 per book]! Next he bought a washing machine and shared the price with other course mates who stayed in the same house they rented. When they graduated from that university, the machine was sold to the next lot of housemates! Good self-esteem, very enterprising, too!
‘Kenneth in Japan’ is a tri-lingual video about how people reacted towards the odd behaviors of a person with mental disorder in a Shinkansen bullet train. This vignette tells about communication and cultural challenges and handling an oculogyric crisis.
Fitting mental chips into a societal blockHappy he got a seat for mum!
Mental illness , an unseen handicap?
Zac Chang, the pianist
‘Locked them up at home: Human rights violation!Societal acceptance, vital
‘Fitting mental chips into a societal block’ is about a mother taking her son for an outing, despite his odd behaviours, which are the side -effects of his medications, when he first started on medications. This video hopes to increase awareness of people with mental illness , the side -effects of antipsychotic medications, and the resulting behaviours.
‘Pemasanagan cip mental ke dalam blok sosial‘ adalah tentang seorang ibu yang membawa anaknya pergi bersiar-siar, walaupun tingkah lakunya yang aneh, yang merupakan kesan sampingan dari ubatnya, ketika dia pertama kali menggunakan ubat. Video ini diharapkan dapat meningkatkan kesedaran orang yang menderita penyakit mental, kesan sampingan ubat antipsikotik, dan tingkah laku yang dihasilkan.
‘Kenneth in Japan’ is a tri-lingual video about how people reacted towards the odd behaviors of a person with mental disorder in a Shinkansen bullet train. This vignette tells about communication and cultural challenges and handling an oculogyric crisis.
please put up your hands! ( Fish sculpture on lid cover by author)
See below for Google translation for Malay (lihat di bawah untuk bahasa melayu) and Chinese (看到下面的中文)
Everybody here? Those absent- please put up your hands! So, if you are present, would you agree on behalf for those who have left [past] and those who have yet to arrive [future]? In presentism, present-day rules. Not the past, not the future.
Many names of roads during colonial times have been renamed to VIPs of today. That part of history and story about those locations is therefore, lost.
‘Pa, you always say that during your time, you used to have ten cent daily pocket money! What can ten cents buy, today?’
‘We used to manage these workloads with half the work force! You don’t need extra staff!’ opined a senior nurse manager. Yea, but today, we manage patients, machines, and lots and lots of defensive documentations! However, the future may changed when we start to get more robots instead of nurses!
Don’t compare why things done then, cannot be done now, and vice versa. Each period has its own weaknesses and strengths, and it’s own challenges. Yet the true challenge is when a veteran or baby boomer, used to chalk and black board, now has to meld into current technology and computer age! One can’t help but to compare and contrast differences!
Lihat di bawah untuk bahasa melayu) and Chinese (看到下面的中文)
Semua orang di sini? Mereka yang tidak hadir, tolong angkat tangan! Dalam presentism, peraturan masa kini. Bukan masa lalu, bukan masa depan.
Banyak nama jalan pada zaman penjajahan telah diubah namanya menjadi VIP hari ini. Oleh itu, bahagian sejarah dan kisah mengenai lokasi tersebut hilang. Oleh itu, jika anda hadir, adakah anda akan mengundi?
Pa, anda selalu mengatakan bahawa selama ini, anda mempunyai wang saku sepuluh sen setiap hari! Apa yang boleh dibeli sepuluh sen hari ini? ‘
“Kami biasa menguruskan beban kerja ini dengan separuh tenaga kerja! Anda tidak memerlukan kakitangan tambahan! ‘ berpendapat seorang pengurus jururawat kanan. Ya, tapi hari ini, kita menguruskan pesakit, mesin, dan banyak dan banyak dokumentasi pertahanan! Namun, masa depan mungkin berubah apabila kita mula mendapatkan lebih banyak robot dan bukannya jururawat!
Jangan bandingkan mengapa perkara yang dilakukan ketika itu, tidak dapat dilakukan sekarang, dan sebaliknya. Setiap tempoh mempunyai kelemahan dan kekuatan tersendiri, dan cabarannya sendiri. Namun, cabaran sebenarnya adalah ketika seorang veteran atau ‘ baby boomer’ yang biasa menggunakan kapur dan papan hitam, kini harus menyatu dengan zaman teknologi dan komputer semasa! Seseorang tidak dapat mengawal dan sentiasa ingin membandingkan dan membezakan perbezaan kehidupan antara generasi!
If one thinks talking to children about the birds and bees would be difficult, this one about ‘living and dying’ is another challenging one!
“My mother never taught me about this, nor did my school!” Li Na thought to herself.
Perhaps, that’s why stories always had it this way, “… she has gone to heaven, and angels are looking after her now. Look at the stars! She is up there now, twinkling from above!”
“She is now an angel. Put your hands together, and say hello!”
Wen Li closed her eyes and her hands together, “May you be happy up there!”
The kids were playing on the road, in front of their terraced houses and stepping aside each time for oncoming cars returning home from work.
A girl, Wen Li, noticed an old lady neighbor lying on the floor of her car porch. “Popo*, why are you lying on the floor?” as popo’s hands weakly beckoned her.
“Mom, mom, popo is lying on the floor and unable to move!” Her mother, Li Na tried to open the gate while some kids had already climbed over to see her. Just then, the old lady’s children arrived home from work. She was sent to hospital that evening… but never returned.
A month later, was Wen Li’s birthday. After singing and blowing her birthday cake, she sat pensively, looking out of the window. Li Na noticed and went to her, “a penny for your thought?”
Her lower lip jutted out, “I don’t want any more birthdays.”
“Why?
“Because, when I grow older by one year, mom and dad will grow older one year, too. When we grow older every year, my own granny will grow older, too. And she will die!”
Caught unaware on how to answer, Li Na pulled her close and hugged her.
