A story to live by ...

A friend emailed me this story today:
There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.
She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend.
He was always there for her.
She told her boyfriend: "If I could only see the world, I will marry you."
One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her.
When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.
He asked her: "Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?"
The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind.
The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that.
The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.
Her boyfriend left in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying:
"Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine."

This is how the human brain often works when our status changes.
Only a very few remember what life was like before and who was always by their side in the most painful situations.
Life is a gift.
Before you say an unkind word - Think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - Think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Before you complain about your husband or wife - Think of someone who's crying out for a companion.
Today before you complain about life - Think of someone who died too early on this earth.
Before you complain about your children - Think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house someone didn't clean or sweep - Think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive Think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - Think of the unemployed, the disabled, and those who wish they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - Remember that not one of us is without sin .
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - Put a smile on your face and think: you're alive and still around.

Food for thought ...

Rising prices have plunged an additional 75 million people below the hunger threshold, bringing the estimated number of undernourished people worldwide to 923 million in 2007. As the World Food Day is observed today, UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Director-General Jacques Diouf called for a political and financial push to boost sustainable agriculture in the world’s poor countries, double global food production and free the world of hunger and malnutrition.
"I wish to reaffirm that we know what needs to be done to eradicate the hunger of 923 million people in the world. We also know what needs to be done to double world food production and feed a population that is expected to rise to 9 billion people by 2050," he said at a ceremony in Rome marking World Food Day, the anniversary of FAO’s foundation in 1945.
Noting that $US22 billion was pledged to promote global food security earlier this year, but that only 10 percent of this has so far materialized – mainly for emergency food aid – Diouf declared:
"What we need ... is political will and delivery on financial commitments, if we are to be able to make the essential investments that are needed to promote sustainable agricultural development and food security in the poorest countries of the world."
The theme for this year celebration is "World Food Security: the Challenges of Climate Change and Bioenergy".
FAO estimates had put the number of people suffering from chronic hunger worldwide in 2003-05 at 848 million, an increase of 6 million from the 842 million in 1990-92, the World Food Summit baseline period.
Soaring food, fuel and fertilizer prices have exacerbated the problem. Food prices rose 52 percent between 2007 and 2008, and fertilizer prices have nearly doubled over the past year.

New stamps, new friends...

When I wrote last Sept 16 about a man who got started on collecting first day covers (FDC) after an unexpected visit to the philately section at Kuala Lumpur general post office, it drew a response from the man himself.

Signing his name as ‘Din’, he said he had since collected many stamps and was getting hooked to it. Like most collectors, 'Din' was looking forward to the next issue of FDC, which happened to be today in conjunction with World Post Day.
By coincidence, we bumped into each other again. What's interesting was that ‘Din’ brought along a friend whom he had encouraged to take up the hobby.
As any other day when new stamps are released, the place will be a meeting point for collectors. While you get to see familiar faces, there will be new friends to make like Mr Ho and retired Major Ranjit Singh.

Being a seasoned collector, Ho took the trouble to explain to us the ‘secrets’ of stamp collecting.
To think that we were total strangers who could sit together to talk about stamps and become friends is most satisfying. Surely this kind of interaction should be encouraged especially among the young generation.
Everyone is free to join this friendship circle. All you need to do is go to the philately section of the KL main post office whenever new stamps are issued.
As for the latest stamps offering, Pos Malaysia has showcased some of the country's unique flowers in conjunction with World Post Day 2008. The collection is to increase awareness of such flowers that are attractive and unique because of their shape or fragrance.
The collection features four flowers -- kembang songsang (climbing lily), kenerak (kenerak), akar dani (rangoon creeper) and cempaka pisang (banana shrub) while the miniature sheet depicts the bakawali (gooseneck cactus).

Footnote: World Post Day is celebrated each year on 9 October, the anniversary of the establishment of the Universal Postal Union in 1874 in the Swiss Capital, Berne. It was declared World Post Day by the UPU Congress held in Tokyo, Japan in 1969. Since then, countries across the world participate annually in the celebrations. The Posts in many countries use the event to introduce or promote new postal products and services. In most countries philatelic exhibitions are organized during this period and special stamps and date cancellation marks are issued on 9 October.

Despite doom prediction, postal services remain relevant.…

Billions of parcels, letters and express items are sent by post to people all over the world. Goods or important documents, migrants’ remittances to their families, newspapers and books -- the list goes on.
Director General of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) Edouard Datan says despite predictions of their demise not so long ago, postal services are alive and well and now more relevant than ever.
"E-mail and the Internet have not replaced them, but have instead created new opportunities," he said in his message to mark World Post Day today.
"We live at a time where the different means of communication complement each other. The postal sector provides a precious service, not only to anyone who buys or sells online, but also to people not yet able to make full use of the new technologies and for whom the mail is a vital link with the outside world. With growing international and inter-regional trade, the development gap between postal services around the world needs to be narrowed so that businesses and individuals can benefit more from them," he said.
It is worth recalling that the UPU this year is celebrating its 60th anniversary as a United Nations specialized agency. Since 1948, the postal sector has contributed in meaningful ways to the noble mission of the United Nations, assisting development, reducing poverty and the digital divide, promoting health, environmental protection and sustainable development, to name just a few.
Owing to their universality, postal services provide a link between people all over the globe. This is especially important at a time when millions of people do not enjoy the right to communication. In a constantly changing world, postal services make it possible to establish and maintain this contact and this link, both of which are vital.

Smile…you’re on World Smile Day!

"Smile an everlasting smile, a smile can bring you near to me…"
I recall the opening lyrics of the Bee Gees hit ‘Words’ as the World Smile Day is celebrated today.
There are hundreds of languages in the world but a smile speaks them all. It is perhaps the only thing that unites us and bonds us together as human beings.
It is rare that a smile fails to get a friendly response. Say it with a smile, no matter what language you speak and you will communicate. A smile may happen in a flash but the memory of it can last a lifetime.
The World Smile Day was first celebrated in 1999. As usual, the theme for the day is "Do an act of kindness. Help one person smile". And as ever, the image that leads the way on this day is the iconic Smiley Face.
Harvey Ball, co-owner of an advertising and public relations firm in Worcester, Massachusetts designed the irresistible Smiley Face in 1963 to help ease the acrimonious aftermath following the merger of two insurance companies.
The logo was to accompany a "friendship campaign" that the company came up with to encourage employees to smile as they went about their work or interacted with customers. Thinking about what would inspire employees to smile, he decided the most simple and direct symbol would be a smile itself and that is what he drew.

"I made a circle with a smile for a mouth on yellow paper, because it was sunshiny and bright," Ball recalled in a 1996 interview with The Associated Press. Turning the drawing upside down, the smile became a frown. Deciding that wouldn't do, Ball added two eyes and the Smiley Face was born. He was paid a $45 fee for his timeless creation.
"Never in the history of mankind or art has any single piece of art gotten such widespread favor, pleasure, enjoyment, and nothing has ever been so simply done and so easily understood in art," said Ball. He died in April 2001.
In Malaysia, we had a song about smile that was aired over radio and television:
Here's the lyrics of the song Senyum Seindah Suria:
Senyum Seindah Suria,
Yang membawa cahya,
Senyumlah dari hati,
Duniamu berseri,

Senyum umpama impian,
Dalam kehidupan,
Kau tersenyum ku tersenyum
Kemesraan menguntum...

Senyum..kepada semua,
Senyumanmu amatlah berharga
Senyum..umpama titian
Dengan senyuman terjalinlah ikatan...

And here's the English version:

A smile is quite a funny thing
It lightens up your face
And when it's gone you'll never find
Its secret hiding place
Far more wonderful it is
To see what smile can do
You smile at me
I smile at you
And so one smile makes two

Smile
Smile
It isn't hard to do
Smile for a while
And let one smile catch two...

New friend on Facebook ...

Yasmin Ahmad, my new friend on Facebook, is in South Korea to attend the screening of 'Muallaf' at the Pusan International Film Festival. One of Asia’s top, the festival kicks off today in the beach resort city. It will show 316 movies from 60 countries.
Like many others who commented on Facebook, I hope Yasmin will have a good trip.
From the comments given, many love her Petronas Raya TV commercial which I had wrote about on this blog.
While Hari Raya enters its second day in Malaysia, the Malaysian Embassy in Jordan emailed me some photos of the Aidilfitri celebrations in Amman which was attended by visiting Tengku Muda of Pahang, Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah. The celebration was held at the residence of ambassador Hasnudin Hamzah on the first day of the Aidilfitri on Tuesday. Hasnudin said there was the usual spread of Malaysian food such as lemang, rendang, satay, nasi dagang, nasi tomato and lontong.
On the second day of the Aidilfitri Wednesday, the celebration was held at the Malaysian Students Department attended by the Tengku Muda, Hasnudin and over 500 Malaysian students throughout the kingdom.

Surprise ‘Hari Raya’ visitor…

Talk about working on festive holiday, Bernama staff on duty had a surprise visitor when Information Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek turned up at Wisma Bernama today to personally convey his Hari Raya greeting.
Accompanied by his family, the minister made stops at Radio Bernama24, NAM News Network (NNN), Bernama TV and the editorial department on the 1st floor.


Interviewed by the radio station, Shabery highlighted about Malaysia’s unique Hari Raya ‘open house’ which livens up the festive atmosphere.
He was just back from the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) where the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, his Cabinet colleagues and their wives jointly held a Hari Raya open house.
"Seluruh lapisan masyarakat mengunjungi rumah terbuka itu dalam suasana ceria yang mungkin tak ditemui di negara-negara lain...inilah suasana yang membuatkan Malaysia indah.
(Malaysians of all walks of life were there in a cheerful mood that is uniquely Malaysia...this is the kind of atmosphere that makes Malaysia beautiful)," said Shabery.
He gave credit to the media for cheering up the festive occasion.
"Apalah hari raya tanpa TV dan radio? (What is Hari Raya without TV and radio?)" said Shabery who later attended the Hari Raya ‘open house’ organised by the station.