Jason of Buangmasa.net has irrevocably confirmed his participation in this charity event. He has an entry titled Going Botak For Charity! We hope more bloggers will join us in this worthy cause. The donation to the Penang Hospice-At-Home-Programme will help provide palliative care to patients with terminal cancer staying at their own homes. While Jason, Bryan and I may not be able to help these patients directly, we hope by supporting the Hospice, they will be well looked after during these difficult times.

Related entry:
Hair for Hospice

This entry will stay up here for the duration of the Hair for Hospice Charity Campaign. Please scroll down for new entries.

In those dark hours, the Hospice was like the sun shining through an opening in the clouds after an exceptionally terrifying storm.
September 24th, 2005

The Lesson
“Say thank you to aunty,” I can still hear Mum’s voice instructing me after I was given an ang pau. That was decades ago. I was still a toddler then. That lesson in gratitude was drummed into me again and again by my parents throughout my childhood. It is one of those manners in politeness that will be difficult forget.

The Reason
For the longest time, I thought hard about how I could return the kindness that the Penang Hospice-At-Home-Programme had showered on Mum and me. A kindness received must be reciprocated, no matter what. I am truly grateful that at a time when I had needed help most, the Hospice was there. Their just being there was enough consolation but they made available the resources to help Mum cope with her illness.

The Gratitude
Mum has passed away but that act of unconditional benevolence is one that I will always remember. I am certain that if Mum were still alive today, she would have wanted to do something for the Hospice too. She is not, but I will carry this torch for her, and I have identified how I can achieve that.

The Campaign
I am pledging to shave my head to raise RM5,000.00 for the Penang Hospice-At-Home-Programme. This is removing forty two months worth of uncut hair from my scalp. I have invariably grown attached to them after so many years. It has become part of me, a distinct identity that I have come to be associated with. However, this is all for a cause that I strongly believe in. It is worth the sacrifice.

The Baldies
Two Three Four Five bloggers have pledged to shave their head along with me. They are Buangmasa.net, SapiensBryan.com, Sharizal Shaarani, Devyne and Jason Mumbles who willingly committed to join me when I shared with them the reasons I am doing this. James had coined a name for this campaign called “Hair For Hospice” which is very apt. We have targeted to achieve that amount by the end of October. We will shave our heads in November at a date to be determined later and will be announced in this blog.

The Cost
It costs RM31 for a palliative care nurse from the Hospice to visit a patient at home. The RM5,000.00 will be able to support 161 home visits. This is only a fraction of the RM290,000.00 that was spent in the year 2004 for a total of 9,325 visits to 485 patients. Patients are not charged for these visits and neither are they obliged to reciprocate in any other way. This is truly service from the heart, and one of the great examples of human compassion at its best.

The Donation Part
Donations can be in any amount. Tax exemption receipts will be issued for donations of RM50.00 and above. Please note that all donations by cheques must be sent directly to the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch or deposited into their bank account. No individual is authorised to collect donation in any other form for this cause. For donations via cheque, please write “Hair for Hospice” at the reverse side. For deposits or bank transfers, please email the transaction code, bank, branch, time, date and amount deposited to the Society with the header “Hair for Hospice” for record purposes to ncsmpg@tm.net.my and also a copy to me for updating the list below. Please also provide a mailing address for receipts to be issued and sent to you. For more information, please visit the Hospice’s website at http://www.creatgsee.com/hospice/donation.htm.

The Wish
My fervent wish is that my fellow bloggers and blog readers will contribute generously to this cause. I have experienced their generosity and I was truly touched. I hope others in a similar situation as what Mum went through will be able to receive the same when they need it. This is all I can do for now. Together with your support, many who need the Hospice-At-Home-Programme will get the support they need at the closing chapters of their lives. Please help me help them.

Supporting documents from the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch:
The Letter of Authorization
Donating instructions

List of Pledgers and Donors:
This list only contains the pledgers and donors who have
informed me and is in no way comprehensive or accurate.
Marita Paige (RM20)
9394 (RM300)
Jahabar Sadique (RM100)
Adam (RM100)
Tan Kah Leong (RM50)
Au Hun Boon (RM50 - paid)
Tang Wan Fong (RM50 - paid)
Wendy Ooi (RM200 - paid)
Wai Quan (RM20 - paid)
Virgorat (RM100 - paid)
FindingMe (RM100 - paid)
Sashi (RM50 - paid)
Lucia Lai (RM50 - paid)
Sharizal Shaarani (RM100 - paid)
BawangMerah (RM50 - paid)
Andrew Wong (RM50 - paid)
CK (RM50 - paid)
Eugene Phuah (RM20 - paid)
Evelyn Phuah (RM20 - paid)
Anonymous (RM10 - paid)
Tan Soon Leong(RM50 - paid)
Lee Cheng Guan (RM50 - paid)
Tan Ah Phong (RM50 - paid)
Loh Kok Teong (RM50 - paid)
How Sok Imm (RM20 - paid)
Tan Soon Aun (RM20 - paid)
Chan Yoot Mooi (RM10 - paid)
Anonymous (SBB 0140) (RM100 - paid)
ReallyBites (RM150 - paid)
Chan Kee Saik/Exabytes (RM1,000 - paid)
Liew Cheon Fong (RM350 - paid)
Allison Lai (RM50 - paid)
Nagula Selvakannu (RM50 - paid)
Anonymous (HLBB525117) (RM100 - paid)
Munirah Cheong (RM50 - paid)
Saw Cheow Lip (RM1,000 - paid)
Tanka (RM200 - paid)
Khoo Ee Fei (RM100 - paid)
Becky Ong (RM50 - paid)
Fat Cat Lim (RM100 - paid)
Kenny Sia (RM50 - paid)
Law Tien Soon (RM50 - paid)
Kervin Chong (RM50 - paid)
CYW (RM200 - paid)
Susan Chiang (RM100 - paid)

Total pledged: RM5,490
Total paid: RM4,920

Blogs promoting this campaign:
Buangmasa.net ~ Going Botak For Charity!
Angels Fly, Devils Rejoice…? ~ Hair For Hospice
Midnite Lily’s Think.Deck ~ Hair For Hospice
Minishorts.net ~ Finally!
Sashi-ism ~ Peter Tan’s Hair For Hospice Charity Campaign
SapiensBryan Blog ~ I Am Going Botak (Bald), Very Soon !
Beyond This Box ~ Shaving There For A Good Reason
Antworten Zum Universum ~ Pimp!
Les Perceptions Perpétuellement Permutantes ~ Shaving for Sharity: The Hospice at Home Programme
Foolish Guy In Action ~ Hair For Hospice
As Suanie Sees It ~ Hair Today Gone Tomorrow
Teh O Ais Limau ~ Hair For Hospice
Hey Adriene! ~ Donate Generously To hair For Hospice
Mental Jog ~ A New Peter At End Of November
Never Been Slim ~ Short Change For Charity
YvonneFoong.com ~ Carnival Of Compassions
Project Petaling Street Blog ~ Hair For Hospice
A Spicy Life ~ Hair-y Tales…
Thousand Words : Snapshots Of Life ~ By The Bedside
jee mee ~ Happy Birthday Dad And Go Away Pontianak
Angels Fly, Devils Rejoice ~ A Hairy Letter
My Magnificent Life Not ~ How Do You Thank?
Just So You Know… ~ A Penny For Your Hair?
Les Perceptions Perpétuellement Permutantes ~ Plug for PPS: Hair for Hospice Charity Drive
Profound Sentiments of the Demented Soul ~ Hair-less Quest
Profound Sentiments of the Demented Soul ~ Hair-For-Hospice: I’d Like A Shave Now Please
blog.kuchingfest.com ~ Hair For Money!!!
fading_sanity ~ Mother, Kena Pimped Pulak…
Eye On Everything ~ How to Force Yourself to Cut Your Hair: An Expert Guide
Stanch.net ~ Hair For Hospice
Push-Button Publishing ~ Hair For Hospice
Life Through Little Eyes ~ Please! Rid Me Of My Sins
Limitations & Latitudes ~ The One About Catching Up…
Lainie :Artword Addict ~ Assignment / Peter’s Hair For Hospice Thing
LiewCF.com ~ Hair For Hospice
Reality Really Bites ~ Hair For Hospice
Pastel ~ Hair For Hospice, and…
The PPS Review ~ PPS Review Episode 10
Avril Chan ~ The Restoration Of Faith In Humankind
dSaint’s Education ~ Good Deed
A Pathetic Attempt At Blogging ~ Rockwills or Webwill?
Little Girl In A Reverie ~ I Can’t Be All About Myself
Oey! ~ I’m Shaving My Head
Sweet Days R Good 4 The Diabetics As Well ~ No Hair!
Have A Nice, Steamy Of ShutTheF*ckup ~ Bye Bye Weekend
DustyHawk :: Broken Mirror ~ 30 Seconds To Change The World
AegisRyan’s Island ~ Hair For Hospice! Your Little Help Means A Lot To Other
Profound Sentiments Of A Demented Soul ~ Another Reason To Go Bald
Loc Kee Trading ~ Let Go
Somewhere Between Nowhere And Goodbye
The Sanctuary
Jeremy C
Ah Ok Lah
Nine3Nine4
The Trash Can
The Chronicles Of A dreamer’s Life

Somewhere along the highway in Perak.
Photo by Wuan.

Barely three days after going back to Penang, I am in Kuala Lumpur again, arriving late yesterday evening. Peter had to come down to the city to attend to some personal matters. I tagged along for several reasons. I foresaw that I will be busy beginning October right up to the end of the year. I wanted to experience the wide open vistas of the North-South Highway to recharge my senses. Indeed, that ride did wonders to an exhausted mind.

He had also offered to give a ride to Wuan who was returning to Kuala Lumpur on the same day. I wanted to spend a few more days with Wuan. The times that we get to be together are simply not enough. Parting is always such sweet sorrow for us. I will be going back tomorrow or the day after and get recharged again on the way home.

Spanking new lever for the toilet door.
Photo by Wuan.

Malaysia Airports gets two thumbs up for their responsiveness to my complaint regarding the faulty toilet lock at the Penang International Airport. To recap, I got trapped in the same toilet for PWD twice. Subsequently, I emailed a complaint to Cik Noor Hafiza Ruslan, Senior Executive of Corporate Communications for Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad.

Encik Aznan of Malaysia Airports’ Terminal Operation Services called up several days later to apologize and discussed about my complaint. He later followed-up with an email informing me that they have rectified the problem of the faulty toilet lock at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport as well.

When we landed at the Penang International Airport last Thursday, I dragged Wuan along to check on that particular toilet. I am happy to report that the door knob has been replaced with a lever. Kudos to Malaysia Airports for the prompt action. It certainly will alleviate the apprehension should I need to use the toilets there the next time.

I have also sent an email to Malaysia Airports to commend them on their quick action in resolving this problem. It is a reflection of a responsible corporate citizen that is sensitive to the needs of its clients. I wish all corporations and authorities will emulate Malaysia Airports where accessibility issues of the PWDs are concerned.

Each time a valid complaint from a PWD regarding accessibility is looked into and addressed, it leads us closer to a truly barrier-free environment. This will allow us to integrate into society more effectively. Many PWDs possess the skills and desire but not the opportunities to contribute meaningfully. A barrier-free environment is the first step to liberating us from the all too familiar confines of our own homes or institutions.

The E-Gate Mini Bloggers Meet was mooted by SapiensBryan, ReallyBites and me initially. I had wanted to catch up with the duo before I leave for Kuala Lumpur again in November. However we have already met for dinner yesterday evening but this bloggers meet will go on anyway. Things have been especially hectic these few months. Travelling and meetings have taken up a lot of my time but it has all been time well spent. Old friendships were rekindled. New acquaintanceships blossomed. I have met as many PWDs as I have met non-disabled people. Where possible, I have always shared with them some of the causes that I am working for and many have offered to contribute their expertise, time or money.

Among others, Mack and MataKecik have indicated that they will help get sponsors and donors for a charity campaign that I am organising. Jason agreed to sacrifice some parts of himself for the same cause. ReallyBites and SapiensBryan have volunteered to set up and maintain several websites of non-profit NGOs that I am supporting. Several others have also shown interest in working with me on similar projects.

These people are the manifestations of bloggers walking their talk. They represent the good that can come out of blogging. I would not have been able to work effectively had I not taken the plunge into this fruitful activity more than two years ago and met these wonderful people with hearts of gold. I must thank Suanie especially for giving me the motivation to begin on this crusade with the Bloggers Are Morons project. God works in mysterious ways indeed. I am truly grateful for that opportunity to work with my blogging friends to make this world a better place for people who need it most.

Keeping this blog has changed me in many ways. As I read the archives, I could see how much I have grown. I have stumbled many times too but only to grow even stronger afterwards. The friends that I have met through this blog have enriched me beyond my wildest dreams. I am able to move on to this next phase of my life because of the unreserved support of those people that I have mentioned and more whom I am gratified to have the privilege to know.

This is one of the wonders of keeping a weblog. As a person with severe physical disabilities, I have benefited from it tremendously in the sense that I am able to reach out and make friends without leaving the comfort of home. Nevertheless, being a social creature, I always have this yearning to go out and meet people in the real world, thus the many blog meets that I have initiated and attended. I hope I can meet a few more bloggers during the E-Gate Bloggers Meet before I leave Penang again. Details of the meet are as below: