Blogs Of Courage: NST - Tech & U - April 7, 2008
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New Straits Times
BLOGS OF COURAGEWhen Daren Lee started to blog about his son’s epileptic condition in 2006, little did he realise the impact it would create. The blog inspired many, and gave new hope to others.
BRINGING HOPE AND INSPIRATION TO OTHERS
By Cindy Koh
IT all started out with curiosity. Daren Lee began fiddling with blogging sometime in September 2006, when he wanted to start a blog for his church’s youth service. He subsequently got hooked and went on to start to blog about his older son, Nathanael’s epileptic condition.
The blog, www.darentiff.blogspot.com, serves as the main point of connection for friends and family members to get Nathanael’s updates and progress in his medical treatment. It contains details on how the four-year-old was diagnosed with infantile spasm after going through a series of tests at a local private hospital since he was a newborn, how he started treatment (medical and physical therapies) at a public hospital, and the family’s struggles, joys and courage.
It has been a stressful journey for this father of two and his wife Tiffany Tang, as they juggle Nathanael’s condition, work and other responsibilities which can deem the blogging routine challenging. But what kept him and Tiffany (she helps update the site as well) going was the people’s responses to the blog.
Darentiff.blogspot gets from 50 to 100 hits per day and this speaks volumes for Lee, as it is educating and creating awareness of epilepsy, which is often a misunderstood neurological disorder.
According to a World Health Organization report for the Southeast Asia region, at the global level, it is estimated that there are nearly 50 million persons suffering from epilepsy, of which three-fourths or 35 million are in developing countries. Many people who have family members with such disease are still reluctant to talk about it, as it is seen as a curse or an incurable evil disease.
“The responses have thus far been very encouraging and through the site, the respondents learned, rejoiced and were inspired or ministered to,” Lee says. The family has also made friends online that led to five families from different race and religion forming a support group of sorts. But most rewarding of all, Lee says, is that the family has grown closer through blogging and sharing of information.
The blog has also ignited interest from international viewers, one of whom is a Swedish professional who asked if he could get a video recording of a therapy – Snoezelen – that Nathanael is going through. (It is a room equipped with special lights and music to stimulate senses in the child.)
In addition to that, Lee was invited to write about fatherhood for a Singapore family magazine after the editor visited the blog.
Lee also found out that Malaysians are a compassionate lot. After putting up a posting on Nathanael’s need for a swing to be set up for his occupational therapy session at home, two good Samaritans offered to do it and they are from the Klang Valley. “What are the chances of knowing anyone who could set up a swing here? It’s amazing!” Lee exclaims.
Looking at the hope and inspiration the blog has given to those who visit, Lee sees himself still blogging in five years’ time, perhaps even further into the future. At Press time, he is setting up a domain, www.darentiff.com, to expand on family interests.
A VOICE FOR AND FROM THE DISABLED
By Izwan Ismail
WHAT inspires someone to write a blog, that in turn, inspire others? For Peter Tan, he blogs to discuss the plight of the disabled people. Wheelchair-bound, the 42-year-old Penangite suffers from spinal cord injury and chronic renal failure.
About five years ago, Tan started The Digital Awakening (www.petertan.com), which chronicles his life as a disabled, and shares his experience with others who may be interested.
Five years on, Tan says his life is now more enriched by the Internet experience.“Through my blog, I can say that more people now have a better understanding about disabled people and the problems that they face every day,” he adds.
Tan has also managed to make more friends, to share and exchange views. “Most of them are bloggers and people who read my blog. In fact, I have made more friends over the last five years through the Internet than I had before.”
In 2005, Tan initiated a fund-raising campaign for the National Cancer Society of Malaysia, Penang Branch. The organisation had provided hospice services when his mother was seriously ill. To show his appreciation, he and four other bloggers shaved their head and raised more than RM5,000 for the society.
“I am forever grateful to the community of Malaysian bloggers who had chipped in and promoted the cause in their blogs. This shows that blogging can make the world a better place,” says Tan.
According to Tan, blogging has also inspired him to lead a life that is as normal as others. “The last five years have been the most interesting in my entire life. I have travelled long distance, visited foreign countries, drive a car, and even got married. I never thought that these were possible.”
To date, Tan has posted slightly more than 1,000 entries in the five years of his life as a blogger. That makes it an average of 200 entries per year.
On the fifth anniversary of his blogging journey recently, Tan wrote, “It is the archive of my struggle within, the things that I have done and places that I have been. Most of all, this blog is a gift to myself for that one day in the future when my memory is not that good anymore. This blog is about me, myself and I. It is about my journey through life. These are the stories that I want to tell myself when that one day comes.”
Another inspiring blogger is Maryani Abdullah. She has Cerebral Palsy, a medical condition caused by a permanent brain injury, which makes speech difficult and voice hardly audible.
Through her blog, Art of Body Expression (http://mariannie-missycat.blogspot.com), Maryani expresses her personal views and concerns.
Her blog has also enabled her to connect with other talented disabled individuals to pursue a common interest – performing arts.“I want to change public perception that we are an incapable lot. I hope to introduce a new type of innovative art performance, which will be accepted by all, and not just by the disabled community.”
In her blog, Mariani posts lots of pictures and slide shows of her performing arts activities and how the performers have developed physically, mentally and emotionally.
“Through blogging, I hope that my voice will be heard, and more will be done for the disabled,” she says.
Rise Of Silver Bloggers: NST - Tech & U - February 25, 2008
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Rise of silver bloggers
by: Tech&U teamForget coffee shops, gardening and crossword puzzles. Blogging, often considered the domain of the young, is gaining a foothold as a new leisurely option for the middle-aged and senior citizens alike.
insidepix1Sharing wisdom and experience
THE Internet and its spin-offs such as social networking sites and blogs are not just for the younger generation as the middle-aged and senior citizens, although small in number, are also fast in adopting such modern communication tools for various reasons.
Based on Tech&U’s Internet survey on Web sites and blogs, there are quite a number of blogs belonging to people in this age group. And the topics of the blogs are diverse and colourful, reflecting the wisdom, experience and many moods of these silver bloggers.
Some examples are Seeing Malaysia My Way, Bibliobibuli, Dari Dapur Makcik Kampung and Di Bawah Rang Ikang Kering.
“I enjoy writing and getting things off my chest,” said Tengku Mohd Ali Bustaman, the writer of Di Bawah Rang Ikang Kering (http://bustamann.blogspot.com).
Pokku, as he is fondly known, is a 63-year-old pensioner from Kuala Lumpur. For him, blogging is one way to inform and entertain his children who are all abroad. He started blogging since August 2004 and has since attracted a string of followers.
“Others have come to appreciate my stories and occasionally my advice and voted my blog as the Best Malaysia Blog in 2004 (http://
simonworld.mu.nu/archives/056981.php),” said Pokku, who writes mostly about his home State, Terengganu, and social commentaries.
Pokku’s love for blogging began with a comment on a post in one of his daughters’ blog.
While most senior citizens might find technology or computers a no-no, this is not the case with Pokku.
“I was computer literate even before the PC became a household item. I set up a national computer club, Commodore Users Exchange, in 1985,” he said.
For Penangite Peter Tan, his blog, The Digital Awakenin (http://www.petertan.com/blog/), is a reflection of his life as a wheelchair user trying to enjoy life to the fullest.
A blogger for the past five years, Tan is a peer counsellor for the Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities in Malaysia and also for the Kuala Lumpur Independent Living Centre.
“In the beginning, it was just about myself. Then my mother who had leukaemia became severely ill. It became a place for me to express my fears, insufficiencies, desperation, helplessness and eventually grief when she passed away,” he said.
The next phase of Tan’s blog chronicles his involvement in the Independent Living Movement that took him on a journey to Tokyo, Bangkok and Seoul.
“Advocacy is part of the Independent Living Movement. It was an awakening and realisation of my place in society as a disabled person and the rights I have as a citizen of this country. It traces my work in advocacy and promoting equality of opportunities for disabled people in the areas of accessibility to public transport and built environment,” he said.
“In between those are stories of my life, issues related to spinal cord injury, my friends, the people I have met, the places I have been to, faith, thoughts, opinions and everything else that caught my fancy.”
For Tan, blogging is a powerful tool.
“Where once disabled people had little avenues to express the frustrations that we face in society, we now can do it openly at very little cost. Our reach has become so much wider. Where once we could only tell to people we meet, now we can tell it to everyone who has an Internet connection,” he said.
To date, Tan has posted slightly over 1,000 entries in his blog.
For Captain Yusof Ahmad, 60, from Kelana Jaya, his passion for blogging started in November 2006.
“I started blogging to record and share my thoughts, anecdotes, life experiences, etc. Lately, I got a bit ‘political’ in light of what’s happening in the country,” said the former pilot superintendent of the Klang Port Authority and pioneer general manager of West Port.
The owner of the blog The Ancient Mariner (http://cyusof.blogspot.com) blogs as a means to express himself. “Perhaps this is much better than shooting the breeze with idle kopitiam talk,” he said.
Despite his age, technology is never an issue for Yusof as he has been quite computer savvy since his working days.
“I was quite active writing in a number of alumni and professional e-group Web sites and thought I might as well go ‘solo’ by blogging where I can command a wider international audience,” he said.
Freelance consultant Abdul Samat Kasah may only have some five months under his blogging belt, but he already has four blogs running. The 54-year-old, who hails from Subang Jaya, cites time as his major constraint in blogging, and not technology since he is an electronics engineer by training.
“What drives me to blog is my passion about Internet technology, my aim to document my life story, my ethnic cultural heritage and of course, to share my working experience with others. Depending on time availability, I update my blogs daily, weekly, fortnightly or even monthly. You can see the transaction from my blogs,” he said.
The uniform resource locators for Abdul Samat’s blogs are http://itsurday.blogspot.com, which focuses on current affairs, cultural heritage, religion, etc; http://darahkedayan.blogspot.com, which is essentially about his life story; http://wiratidakdisanjung.blogspot.com, which focuses on his working experience; and http://simply-kedayan.weebly.com, which is on his ethnic group done up in the Kedayan dialect.
The Kedayan reside in Brunei, Labuan, Sabah and parts of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
Convenient and cheap way to keep in touch
Ismail Omar seems to view the hype in blogging today as a natural progression from earlier tools made available on the Internet combined with convenience to communicate with friends and relatives.
“I started blogging since 1994 on the Geocities site. I am not a serious blogger as I really do not have much to tell the public, unlike some of our famous bloggers,” said the 68-year-old electrical engineer who has been residing in Kuala Lumpur since 1970.
His blog, Teh Tarek Kurang Manis (labokin.blogspot.com), mainly focuses on his family and friends and their golfing achievements.
He confesses that he seldom updates his personal blogs, but he updates two Blogspot pages regularly for two Toastmasters clubs where he is a member. He also runs a Yahoo group and a Google group for some of his friends.
“I like seeing my work published online even though I know no one else reads it. It is also a means of keeping in touch with friends and family. I think more people should take an interest in this aspect of keeping in touch. It is a very cheap method. You just need a PC and broadband connection, and the rest takes care of itself,” Ismail said.
For “bokjae”, a retiree and full-time home caregiver to his stroke-survivor wife, blogging is a means through which both of them can reconnect with others in the world.
In his early 60s, bokjae created a blog in late November 2006 at the encouragement and help from a good friend, Doris, a much younger work-at-home mum who hosts a couple of successful blogs.
Listening..Learning..Living (http://jangbokjae.blogspot.com) is about living, and sharing bokjae and his wife’s life experiences as well as their journey through a stroke from a survivor’s angle and a caregiver’s viewpoint.
“As a full-time home caregiver to a stroke survivor, we are very much home-bound. Places that we used to go are no longer easily accessible. I am not saying that we have a lot of spare time. In fact, it’s the opposite – caregivers never have enough time.
“However, blogging provides an avenue where one can keep in touch with other people and learn from others who are going through similar experiences and of course, make new friends through social networks, all from the comfort of your home,” bokjae said.
Another enticement, according to him, is that through blogging one can make some pocket money.
“To me, it’s better than spending all the time on golf courses, mahjong tables, chatting at coffee shops, which I notice many retirees tend to do and this often leads to arguments. As I venture into blogging, I begin to realise that it is also a place for ongoing learning.”
Bokjae also pointed out that blogging does not need much technical know-how.
“It’s a matter of interest and desire to learn. Age is not an obstacle. Of course, English being the language on the Internet, it would be easier for those who know English. However, there are blogs in other languages, too!”
On how often he updates his blog, bokjae said he does not follow any hard and fast rules, but advice by top bloggers is to write every day, not blog every day.
“In the whole of 2007, I had done 393 posts, so it averages to one post a day. At times, I do a couple of posts in a day, but at times nothing for at least a week. Of course, if you neglect your blog for too long, then your readers would leave or think you have ‘closed shop’, so to say.”
Tags: bloggers, middle-aged, NST, senior citizens
Wheelchair remark: Retract that statement: Letters To The Editor - NST - October 25, 2007:
NST Online » Letters
2007/10/25
Wheelchair remark: Retract that statement
By : PETER TAN for Independent Living Programme for People with Disabilities Kuala LumpurAS a wheelchair user for the last 23 years, I am absolutely upset with Jerai member of parliament Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin for telling fellow-MP Karpal Singh that the latter’s use of a wheelchair is a punishment from God (”Kar-pal: Lawyer wrote part of judgment for civil suit” — NST, Oct 23).
Badruddin’s remark is an affront to all wheelchair users, implying that our condition is a punishment and that we are all sinners.I have been using a wheelchair long enough to have experienced many times such drivel from holier-than-thou people. People must be educated that being disabled is one of the things that can happen to anybody. People can become disabled. People can become afflicted with diseases. It is part of life.
Perhaps Badruddin seldom meets wheelchair users. As an MP, he should turun padang and meet his electorate to realise that they include disabled people, some of whom are wheelchair users.
He should be working towards empowering disabled people instead of insulting us. After all, he was elected to serve the people and not otherwise.
I call on Badruddin to retract that statement and apologise to all wheelchair users and the disabled community for such an insensitive remark. It does not matter if he was targeting Karpal.His utterance smacked of insensitivity and ignorance and has insulted the dignity of all wheelchair users.
Uncalled for
THE Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled Malaysia is disappointed with the statement made by Badruddin that the disabled in wheelchairs have been punished by God. The statement was uncalled for.
By ASSOC PROF DR TIUN LING TAfor Society of the Orthopaedically Disabled
THE Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association is outraged at the offensive remark made by Badruddin during the parliamentary session on Oct 22. Referring to MP Karpal Singh, he said: “You are no better calling us (BN MPs) animals. You insult people. Now you are in a wheelchair. God has punished you.”
Disability is not a punishment from God. Badruddin reveals his insensitivity and ignorance in making such a statement. The lack of dignity and decorum shown by several MPs during parliamentary debates recently is appalling.
Instead of abusive personal attacks on fellow MPs, they should focus on fulfilling their responsibilities to their electorate.
By BATHMAVATHI KRISHNAN for Malaysian Spinal Injuries Association
Related entry: Datuk Badruddin Amiruldin: Using A Wheelchair Is God’s Punishment
Screenshots - Wheelchair… ‘God has punished you’
Mental Jog - bad, bad, rude, boy!!
Lim Kit Siang - Insensitive, ignorant, deplorable and abhorrenst attack on the Disabled (OKU)
Tags: Badruddin Amiruldin, Jeff Ooi, Karpal Singh, NST, wheelchair user
The Hunchback’s Revenge
Malaysia’s socio-political blog taikor Jeff Ooi of Screenshots together with Ahirudin Attan of Rocky’s Bru was sued by the taikors at New Straits Times Press (Malaysia) Berhad for defamation. When you keep hurling rocks at the hunchback’s hut, he is bound to come out to even up the score. The outcome of this suit will be very interesting and closely watched. It will determine the direction of blogging in Malaysia, especially socio-political blogging. May the truth and the righteous prevail.
Tags: Ahirudin Attan, Jeff Ooi, NST
