This is a community service announcement. Nilai University College (Nilai UC), where my buddy Mr Anfield Devotee is attached with, will organise a seminar on Autism and are hoping to reach to as many potential participants as possible. My hope is that this announcement will reach the right people, i.e those who are either direct or indirectly involved with Autism will come across this piece and keen to take part in the seminar. With all the names lined up as speakers, I’m sure we will learn a lot about this brain disorder syndrome.
The least we could do is to spread the word around. I’m positive by doing so we are actually contributing something to the society, via a very minimal effort.
And with this little effort, who knows, you could make a huge of a change for the better and ultimately improve a soul’s life.
For those interested, check out the details of the seminar below. Thank you.
AUTISM & ASPERGER'S SYNDROME SEMINAR
Nilai University College (Nilai UC) together with the Faculty of Allied Health Sciences UKM is organising a seminar featuring updates on high functioning autism and asperger's syndrome.
ABOUT THE SEMINAR:
The seminar brings together a panel of local and international speakers who are renowned practitioners in this area. Together they will cover topics on the assessment and identification of the disorders, available professional treatment and the empowerment of parents and caregivers in a specially crafted half day seminar.
DETAILS OF SEMINAR:
Title : Making sense of another piece of the puzzle: Updates on High Functioning Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome
Date : 20th DECEMBER 2008 (Saturday)
Time : 8.30am-1pm
Venue : UKM KL Branch, Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz
Fees : RM30nett per person (fee includes tea break)
TOPICS:
FOR SPEAKER PROFILES PLEASE GO TO
:http://www.nilai.edu.my/Autism_Seminar/Autism.htm
1. Assessment, Diagnosis and Associated Difficulties by Clinical Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zasmani Shafiee
Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, Gleneagles Medical Centre Penang
2. Cognitive Behaviour Therary by Ms. Winnie LauClinical Psychologist, Minds and Hearts, Brisbane, Australia
3. Parent Empowerment by Dr. Alvin Ng Lai OonClinical Psychologist, Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia
To register, please call my colleague - Ms. Shoba at 06-8502338 ext 298 or email seminardec20@nilai.edu.my
Monday, December 1, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Finding issues
I received some emails from anons a.k.a silent readers, wondering what I’ve been up to lately and why I have not been updating as frequently.
First of all, I truly appreciate their concern and for having to go through the trouble to check on any updates here every so often only to be greeted with the same posting from last week.
To be honest, I am not up to anything exciting besides earning a living, which I can always use as an excuse.
And I can always blame this temporary loss of idea due to writer’s block but that’s not quite the case.
Here’s the thing. I’m trying to stay focus and bomb this blog only with disability issue at least for the time being. Which means no footie, and definitely no politics as what I have vowed to stay away from as long as I could.
But its never easy to come up with something on regular basis when you limit yourself to a single topic- in this case, issue that concerns the disabled community in our country.
Hey, not by any means are we- the OKUs- currently living in a wonderful time, where everything is rosy, fine and dandy. Not by a long shot.
Our woes are far from over. If I were to bitch about it, our daily adversity can be made into a book and the end product will be twice thicker than all Hefner’s magazine collection combined.
In fact, I doubt if our problem will see any ending to it.
Take public transport for example, the community’s age-old quandary. If you think by making it compulsory for all buses to provide facilities for wheelchair-user would shut our mouth for good, you’re way off the mark. There’s the roadside curb to think of, the uneven ground,…then there’s the mentality of the people involved; the driver, the PBT personnel, the assholes etc.
You get the drift. It will be a long and tedious campaign, numerous of lobbying just to get one dealt with. Then while getting to the next woe, the other one will be lost in oblivion.
The cycle will go on, while us in the community will still be in the stinky quicksand waiting to be rescued.
So basically it’s the same thing. I can always come up with a different shit every other day for the sake of updating but you will pretty much sniff the same smell, and ultimately throw up.
To those who have written in, I thank you all once again for sticking around.
How about this- for your sake, I’ll create an issue and give em authorities concerned a reason to retire early.
Ok ah?
First of all, I truly appreciate their concern and for having to go through the trouble to check on any updates here every so often only to be greeted with the same posting from last week.
To be honest, I am not up to anything exciting besides earning a living, which I can always use as an excuse.
And I can always blame this temporary loss of idea due to writer’s block but that’s not quite the case.
Here’s the thing. I’m trying to stay focus and bomb this blog only with disability issue at least for the time being. Which means no footie, and definitely no politics as what I have vowed to stay away from as long as I could.
But its never easy to come up with something on regular basis when you limit yourself to a single topic- in this case, issue that concerns the disabled community in our country.
Hey, not by any means are we- the OKUs- currently living in a wonderful time, where everything is rosy, fine and dandy. Not by a long shot.
Our woes are far from over. If I were to bitch about it, our daily adversity can be made into a book and the end product will be twice thicker than all Hefner’s magazine collection combined.
In fact, I doubt if our problem will see any ending to it.
Take public transport for example, the community’s age-old quandary. If you think by making it compulsory for all buses to provide facilities for wheelchair-user would shut our mouth for good, you’re way off the mark. There’s the roadside curb to think of, the uneven ground,…then there’s the mentality of the people involved; the driver, the PBT personnel, the assholes etc.
You get the drift. It will be a long and tedious campaign, numerous of lobbying just to get one dealt with. Then while getting to the next woe, the other one will be lost in oblivion.
The cycle will go on, while us in the community will still be in the stinky quicksand waiting to be rescued.
So basically it’s the same thing. I can always come up with a different shit every other day for the sake of updating but you will pretty much sniff the same smell, and ultimately throw up.
To those who have written in, I thank you all once again for sticking around.
How about this- for your sake, I’ll create an issue and give em authorities concerned a reason to retire early.
Ok ah?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Political foes
If anyone of you had noticed, its been a while since I touched anything on our political state of affairs. I don’t think I can come up with a better reason than trying my best to shed this socio-political blogger image that I’ve been carried over my head which I can very much do without.
Just being realistic, I simply don’t have the cut to become one. Another attempt and I might end up writing the most slanderous and libellous political piece that would make even the likes of Utusan feel like a greenhorn spinner.
The thing about politics is, it has become somewhat predictable. Take the on-going amno’s nomination process for instance; the odds are on Muhyiddin to take the number 2 spot. Betting against him would be like putting your money on Titus Bramble to walk away with FIFA's best player award.
Even the US presidential election held recently, you don’t need Madam Zora to tell you of the eventual outcome.
And politics, it divides people. Even the gayest of bedfellows –let alone strangers- would not hesitate having a go at each other’s throat, all in the name of defending their respective political beliefs.
We are passionate lot, strongly believe in the party of our choice and their struggle. Tell me something new. Not a single political figure is sparred from being criticised for being one of the front-liners of a party that does not suit the critic’s taste bud.
By all means man, take a shot or 3.
But when a critic takes a swipe at his buddy for upholding the latter’s political stand, that is as far I can stomach and exactly where my line is drawn.
Friendship goes beyond everything, including politics. But apparently not to some over-charged ‘political pundits’, which is a sad case.
Politics is a game played by politicians. If one feels like delving into it so much, go ahead and join a party of your choice. Stand up and lick your master’s bottom. Once a big shot party man, you’re a class above your former friend. This is the time you can kick his bottom real good because you’re an established politician and he is…well, JUST another one of your ex-friends.
I am however, a friend of you lot. Do consider me as yours too for reason I am not a politician. I may be a Mahathirist as we are fondly known nowadays, or a PAS sympathiser for that little twist of political unpredictability. But above all, I am just like you people who shits every morning, and who may share common interests in football, rock & roll or even favourite porn stars for that matter.
Its not difficult to just sit together over a few glasses of Teh tarik without touching on this petty topic we could do without, or is it?
Its almost 5am, I’m off to bed now.
Just being realistic, I simply don’t have the cut to become one. Another attempt and I might end up writing the most slanderous and libellous political piece that would make even the likes of Utusan feel like a greenhorn spinner.
The thing about politics is, it has become somewhat predictable. Take the on-going amno’s nomination process for instance; the odds are on Muhyiddin to take the number 2 spot. Betting against him would be like putting your money on Titus Bramble to walk away with FIFA's best player award.
Even the US presidential election held recently, you don’t need Madam Zora to tell you of the eventual outcome.
And politics, it divides people. Even the gayest of bedfellows –let alone strangers- would not hesitate having a go at each other’s throat, all in the name of defending their respective political beliefs.
We are passionate lot, strongly believe in the party of our choice and their struggle. Tell me something new. Not a single political figure is sparred from being criticised for being one of the front-liners of a party that does not suit the critic’s taste bud.
By all means man, take a shot or 3.
But when a critic takes a swipe at his buddy for upholding the latter’s political stand, that is as far I can stomach and exactly where my line is drawn.
Friendship goes beyond everything, including politics. But apparently not to some over-charged ‘political pundits’, which is a sad case.
Politics is a game played by politicians. If one feels like delving into it so much, go ahead and join a party of your choice. Stand up and lick your master’s bottom. Once a big shot party man, you’re a class above your former friend. This is the time you can kick his bottom real good because you’re an established politician and he is…well, JUST another one of your ex-friends.
I am however, a friend of you lot. Do consider me as yours too for reason I am not a politician. I may be a Mahathirist as we are fondly known nowadays, or a PAS sympathiser for that little twist of political unpredictability. But above all, I am just like you people who shits every morning, and who may share common interests in football, rock & roll or even favourite porn stars for that matter.
Its not difficult to just sit together over a few glasses of Teh tarik without touching on this petty topic we could do without, or is it?
Its almost 5am, I’m off to bed now.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Make believe: happy man in a happy land
I’m a frustrated soul. Can’t help but to simply whinge and whine non-stop for every single shit that does not suit my fancy. The parking space, the disabled-unfriendly bowling alley, the arrogant Mr supervisor proudly defending his company’s stupid policy and I tell ya, basically everything under the sun.
Maybe I should just stay at home and die from excessive boredom instead of making life harder for others.
But its beyond my control. My outings lately were never short of incidents. For whatever reason I couldn’t tell myself. Maybe for flexing my rights as a disabled citizen I became more sensitive on certain issues that I have no qualms to hit out at every hitch that crosses my path.
I hate it when people tend to (figuratively) look down on me just because I’m a crippled guy on wheelchair.
On one occasion, a flea market retailer ticked my girlfriend for touching his selling goods and he was fully aware she was with me. To me that points out to only one thing; a clear disrespect shown to both of us because for one, she has the right as a customer and secondly, either this bastard thinks I’m a stupid retard on wheelchair or I can only watch while my girl being pushed around.
Lets not get into what transpired next but I wish I had done more like forcing the guy to fucking lick my wheels clean.
No man, I’ve never behaved like a thug, let alone being one because I know where I ’stand’. But neither have I been so pissed than that particular afternoon. In the heat of the moment, especially when your pride is at stake, anger controls your mind. If it means creating a scene to put the record straight, then be it. That guy deserves more than just some piece of my mind.
Nonetheless I’ll always keep my ammo all set. I don’t wanna look stupid hence the need to constantly be on my toes.
And I’ve got my own weapon too in case some assholes are trying to be funny; a urine bag full of fresh, warm pee. Shaken but definitely not stirred.
So pukimak kau, drink to that.
Maybe I should just stay at home and die from excessive boredom instead of making life harder for others.
But its beyond my control. My outings lately were never short of incidents. For whatever reason I couldn’t tell myself. Maybe for flexing my rights as a disabled citizen I became more sensitive on certain issues that I have no qualms to hit out at every hitch that crosses my path.
I hate it when people tend to (figuratively) look down on me just because I’m a crippled guy on wheelchair.
On one occasion, a flea market retailer ticked my girlfriend for touching his selling goods and he was fully aware she was with me. To me that points out to only one thing; a clear disrespect shown to both of us because for one, she has the right as a customer and secondly, either this bastard thinks I’m a stupid retard on wheelchair or I can only watch while my girl being pushed around.
Lets not get into what transpired next but I wish I had done more like forcing the guy to fucking lick my wheels clean.
No man, I’ve never behaved like a thug, let alone being one because I know where I ’stand’. But neither have I been so pissed than that particular afternoon. In the heat of the moment, especially when your pride is at stake, anger controls your mind. If it means creating a scene to put the record straight, then be it. That guy deserves more than just some piece of my mind.
Nonetheless I’ll always keep my ammo all set. I don’t wanna look stupid hence the need to constantly be on my toes.
And I’ve got my own weapon too in case some assholes are trying to be funny; a urine bag full of fresh, warm pee. Shaken but definitely not stirred.
So pukimak kau, drink to that.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Idiots at work
So I was at the nearest Giant Mall the other day to get some personal stuff, which is not really a biggie, right? Definitely not because this wasn’t my first trip there.
But certain matter can do with urgent attention.
Here’s the thing, for the umpteenth times running we couldn’t get the best parking spot which is obviously reserved for the disabled, because it was always taken by someone else.
I am not being fussy about this whole parking issue, as the mall provides ample parking space for all shoppers. But we have our own reason to not park our vehicle meant for other shoppers because usually designated parking lots are wider, which makes it easier for us to alight from our vehicle and transfer to the wheelchair.
Yes, we need that extra space.
So anyway, since we rarely get the chance to use this particular parking spot, it hits on me that afternoon to check if these people actually have the right to enjoy the privilege or otherwise. On that day, this commercial van below was conveniently seen parked there.
As I pretty much had guessed - after a quick check with the staff wandering about the parking bay- the driver was not in any ways crippled. I know it sounds rather cliché but cant help to think if the driver was indeed suffering from some kind of mental illness.
I did the next best thing (or so I thought!) and went up to a security personnel to ask if he was aware of a certain dickhead parking his vehicle illegally. To my surprise he did and went on to explain the driver used the parking space to do some deliveries.
And I thought that’s it? The goddamn driver had to send some stuff so he was allowed to fucking break the feeble law. That easy.
Ok so the driver is a stupid dickhead, and we can all agree to that but to deal with the security guy who apparently turns out to be a bigger dickhead, I totally didn’t see that coming, to be very honest.
Y’know, I always thought that by displaying a sticker that verifies you as disabled driver is not good enough because time and again we witness assholes tend to abuse the ruling. The best solution I thought was to have a security personnel permanently stationed at the parking spot but judging by the case above, even the enforcer couldn’t give 2 hoots about it.
I cant help to believe the disabled community in our country are still being marginalized, even in this age and era. Ask everyone and chances are majority of you lot, like that security guy minus his stupidity, couldn’t really give a shit because not just it’s kinda trivial, it is also none of your business to begin with.
Hey, no man, I am not blaming you. Its just a simple observation I did lately and if the case above is not shitty enough, I had to put up with another typical (and bigger) case of discrimination on the same weekend. For this bigger crap however, a bigger spotlight is required.
However, regardless the size of each crap, it still stinks. And thus, strengthens my belief.
* A shout-out to one Mr Mohd Fitri!
But certain matter can do with urgent attention.
Here’s the thing, for the umpteenth times running we couldn’t get the best parking spot which is obviously reserved for the disabled, because it was always taken by someone else.
I am not being fussy about this whole parking issue, as the mall provides ample parking space for all shoppers. But we have our own reason to not park our vehicle meant for other shoppers because usually designated parking lots are wider, which makes it easier for us to alight from our vehicle and transfer to the wheelchair.
Yes, we need that extra space.
So anyway, since we rarely get the chance to use this particular parking spot, it hits on me that afternoon to check if these people actually have the right to enjoy the privilege or otherwise. On that day, this commercial van below was conveniently seen parked there.
As I pretty much had guessed - after a quick check with the staff wandering about the parking bay- the driver was not in any ways crippled. I know it sounds rather cliché but cant help to think if the driver was indeed suffering from some kind of mental illness.
I did the next best thing (or so I thought!) and went up to a security personnel to ask if he was aware of a certain dickhead parking his vehicle illegally. To my surprise he did and went on to explain the driver used the parking space to do some deliveries.
And I thought that’s it? The goddamn driver had to send some stuff so he was allowed to fucking break the feeble law. That easy.
Ok so the driver is a stupid dickhead, and we can all agree to that but to deal with the security guy who apparently turns out to be a bigger dickhead, I totally didn’t see that coming, to be very honest.
Y’know, I always thought that by displaying a sticker that verifies you as disabled driver is not good enough because time and again we witness assholes tend to abuse the ruling. The best solution I thought was to have a security personnel permanently stationed at the parking spot but judging by the case above, even the enforcer couldn’t give 2 hoots about it.
I cant help to believe the disabled community in our country are still being marginalized, even in this age and era. Ask everyone and chances are majority of you lot, like that security guy minus his stupidity, couldn’t really give a shit because not just it’s kinda trivial, it is also none of your business to begin with.
Hey, no man, I am not blaming you. Its just a simple observation I did lately and if the case above is not shitty enough, I had to put up with another typical (and bigger) case of discrimination on the same weekend. For this bigger crap however, a bigger spotlight is required.
However, regardless the size of each crap, it still stinks. And thus, strengthens my belief.
* A shout-out to one Mr Mohd Fitri!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Dial-up: I feel so Yesterday
Damn it man, I have been without any internet connection since last week and calling the TM guys have been very much part of my boring routine these past few days.
Now that this case affects even my bread & butter, it in a way has given me a reason to harass them every minute and call them names for all the crappy crap crap I have to put up with.
But I’ve got my temper checked. They came up with a valid reason; that some cables near my place were stolen and as far major repair is concerned, it is going to take a while before normal service can be fully restored. Whether or not it’s a genuine excuse, I’ll just be a sucker and suck up to everything they want to tell me.
One option is to create a dial-up connection, which I did and painfully on right now. I dont know about you guys but after so many years of relying on high-speed broadband for any Internet activity, surfing on a dial-up connection can be a real test of the nerve. It is just not surf-able and super duper crappy kuasa dua.
Nothing that I want now than to have my broadband connection back. It feels so weird without it. Its been almost a week since I last drooled on pictures of naked anime soccer moms that I myself feel so naked, only minus the eroticism.
And political news, fuck man, I need more balance report before the terrestrial tv can claim victory to have successfully persuaded a sucker to buy all the grandmother’s story they cook everyday. Ok maybe not that simple but to a certain degree, I too need to know what’s been cooking on the other side of the fence.
I think I’ll just get the hay outta here for now. To those who left feedback in the previous post, rest assured I will get back to you once the connection comes back.
Lets hope it wont take its own sweet time.
Now that this case affects even my bread & butter, it in a way has given me a reason to harass them every minute and call them names for all the crappy crap crap I have to put up with.
But I’ve got my temper checked. They came up with a valid reason; that some cables near my place were stolen and as far major repair is concerned, it is going to take a while before normal service can be fully restored. Whether or not it’s a genuine excuse, I’ll just be a sucker and suck up to everything they want to tell me.
One option is to create a dial-up connection, which I did and painfully on right now. I dont know about you guys but after so many years of relying on high-speed broadband for any Internet activity, surfing on a dial-up connection can be a real test of the nerve. It is just not surf-able and super duper crappy kuasa dua.
Nothing that I want now than to have my broadband connection back. It feels so weird without it. Its been almost a week since I last drooled on pictures of naked anime soccer moms that I myself feel so naked, only minus the eroticism.
And political news, fuck man, I need more balance report before the terrestrial tv can claim victory to have successfully persuaded a sucker to buy all the grandmother’s story they cook everyday. Ok maybe not that simple but to a certain degree, I too need to know what’s been cooking on the other side of the fence.
I think I’ll just get the hay outta here for now. To those who left feedback in the previous post, rest assured I will get back to you once the connection comes back.
Lets hope it wont take its own sweet time.
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Back to life
The worst part about a vacation is the end of it, or the long journey back home.
After spending days in a dreamland, getting back to reality can be extremely dreadful, which is exactly what I’m experiencing right now. Breaking out of routine is almost heavens-like but getting back to it is triple the hell that sometimes I wish I had not taken any break in the first place.
Ok, maybe not about coming back as you tend to miss your room at some point of the holiday break but to kick-start your routine again is what makes it tough. To add to the misery, you are greeted with piles of workload craving for your attention to get it done.
Getting out of the usual routine is what I look forward to the most when on a holiday and the last trip was no different. I managed to stay clear completely from any news; be it the newspapers, the ever-so-crap news on terrestrial tv stations, blogs and even from any sports event, from F1 to Arsenal’s league game. Well…ok maybe not the last one.
Who am I kidding right? Although I stayed away from the tele on that footie night, my mind was always at The Emirates. I specifically told my friend to only let me in on the full time result but as if that would work. Anyway, glad it was a favourable result or the whole vacation would have been ruined. Maybe I should plan my next holiday during international friendly weekend. That ought to do it.
Now its back to square one, struggling to find the rhythm of getting back to a boring life again.
I should just stay at home for now while making some bucks.
After spending days in a dreamland, getting back to reality can be extremely dreadful, which is exactly what I’m experiencing right now. Breaking out of routine is almost heavens-like but getting back to it is triple the hell that sometimes I wish I had not taken any break in the first place.
Ok, maybe not about coming back as you tend to miss your room at some point of the holiday break but to kick-start your routine again is what makes it tough. To add to the misery, you are greeted with piles of workload craving for your attention to get it done.
Getting out of the usual routine is what I look forward to the most when on a holiday and the last trip was no different. I managed to stay clear completely from any news; be it the newspapers, the ever-so-crap news on terrestrial tv stations, blogs and even from any sports event, from F1 to Arsenal’s league game. Well…ok maybe not the last one.
Who am I kidding right? Although I stayed away from the tele on that footie night, my mind was always at The Emirates. I specifically told my friend to only let me in on the full time result but as if that would work. Anyway, glad it was a favourable result or the whole vacation would have been ruined. Maybe I should plan my next holiday during international friendly weekend. That ought to do it.
Now its back to square one, struggling to find the rhythm of getting back to a boring life again.
I should just stay at home for now while making some bucks.
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