Simple truth

The Chinese Spring Festival is almost over and now we can get back to our normal routine. Like to share these simple stories.


Five (5) lessons to make you think about the way we treat people.



1 - First Important Lesson - Cleaning Lady.
During my second month of college, our professor gave us a pop quiz. I was a conscientious student and had breezed through the ques tions until I read the last one: 'What is the first name of the woman who cleans the school?'Surely this was some kind of joke. I had seen the cleaning woman several times. She was tall, dark-haired and in her 50s, but how would I know her name? I handed in my paper, leaving the last question blank. Just before class ended, one student asked if the last question would count toward our quiz grade. 'Absolutely,' said the professor. 'In your careers, you will meet many people. All are significant. They deserve your attention and care, even if all you do is smile and say 'hello.'I've never forgotten that lesson. I also learned her name was Dorothy.



2. - Second Important Lesson - Pickup in the Rain One night, at 11:3 0 p.m., an older African American woman was standing on the side of an Alabama highway trying to endure a lashing rainstorm. Her car had broken down and she desperately needed a ride.


Soaking wet, she decided to flag down the next car. A young white man stopped to help her, generally unheard of in those conflict-filled 60s.. The man took her to safety, helped her get assistance and put her into a taxicab. She seemed to be in a big hurry, but wrote down his address and thanked him. Seven days went by and a knock came on the man's door. To his surprise, a giant console color TV was delivered to his home. A special note was attached..It read:'Thank you so much for assisting me on the highway the other night. The rain drenched not only my clothes, but also my spirits. Then you came along. Because of you, I was able to make it to my dying husband's bedside just before he passed away... God bless you for helping me and unselfishly serving others.'Sincerely, Mrs. Nat King Cole.



3 - Third Important Lesson - Always remember those who serve. In the days when an ice cream sundae cost much less, a 10-year-old boy entered a hotel coffee shop and sat at a table. A waitress put a glass of water in front of him.'How much is an ice cream sundae?' he asked. 'Fifty cents,' replied the waitress.The little boy pulled is hand out of his pocket and studied the coins in it.'Well, how much is a plain dish of ice cream?' he inquired. By now more people were waiting for a table and the waitress was growing impatient.'Thirty-five cents,' she brusquely replied. The little boy again counted his coins. 'I'll have the plain ice cream,' he said. The waitress brought the ice cream, put the bill on the table and walked away. The boy finished the ice cream, paid the cashier and left. When the waitress came back, she began to cry as she wiped down the table. There, placed neatly beside the empty dish, were two nickels and five pennies.. You see, he couldn't have the sundae, because he had to have enough left to leave her a tip.



4 - Fourth Important Lesson. - The obstacle in Our Path. In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone would remove the huge rock. Some of the king's wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simpl y walked around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the stone out of the way. Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold



Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our condition.



5 - Fifth Important Lesson - Giving When it Counts...
Many years ago, when I worked as a volunteer at a hospital, I got to know a little girl named Liz who was suffering from a rare & serious disease. Her only chance of recovery appeared to be a blood transfusion from her 5-year old brother, who had miraculously survived the same disease and had developed the antibodies needed to combat the illness. The doctor explained the situation to her little brother, and asked the little boy if he would be willing to give his blood to his sister. I saw him hesitate for only a moment before taking a deep breath and saying, 'Yes I'll do it if it will save her.' As the transfusion progressed, he lay in bed next to his sister and smiled, as we all did, seeing the color returning to her cheek. Then his face grew pale and his smile faded.He looked up at the doctor and asked with a trembling voice, 'Will I start to die right away'. Being young, the little boy had misunderstood the doctor; he thought he was going to have to give his sister all of his blood in order to save her but he had chosen to save her anyway. Now you have 2 choices. I hope that you will choose No. 2 Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt, and dance like you do when nobody's watching.

Personal effectiveness

Through role play, discussions, oral presentations and mini lectures this group of young lecturers and staff of TAR college sharpened their skills in being more effective both in the workplace as well as in their social interaction.

The training focussed on three dimensions in the framework of personal effectiveness, namely self disclosure, receptiveness to feedback and perceptiveness. There was a great deal of laughter when group E members - Puvenaswaran, Loh Mei Yee, Yong Yen Ping, Chong Pei teng and Mohd Rizzham practised confronting and defensive forms of behaviour when responding to feedback. This group also created liveliness when they applied the attribution theory in the role play situations.

The role play to demonstrate aggressive, assertive and passive behaviuor enacted by Soo Soon Seng, Mogana, Anisah, Tan Wee Tion and Chin Sam Feng was so realistic that the class thought that a fight would ensue.

Ooi Shiu Luan, Siew Mei Leng, Choo Keat Yeen, Shubashini and Lai Shui Kiong from group A should be applauded for the good article review ( "More than idle chatter" by Donald Sull and Ben Bryant) on business discussion. To avoid the pitfall of discussions or " idle chatter", managers should focus on the following simple questions: "Are we trying to make sense, prioritize, make it happen or revise assumptions". Discussions carried out to suit the situation will enable managers to acquire strategic agility in order to master uncertainty.

Group B members - Kee Bee Suan, Nur Liana, Lee Mun Yee and Lim Poh Keng were fortunate to learn first hand some counselling skills from thieir group member Yap Hock Heng. Deserving praise are members of group C - Tengku Nur Nikman, Yap Yong Yong, Zu Farnim, Rachel and Thirukuman for their rapt attention and total involvement in all activities.

Everyone enjoyed themselves and all went away with the commitment to practise what they have learnt.

Sharing interests

What would a group of ladies from different backgrounds, nationalities and professions have in common? Interesting question but not difficult to answer.

The group is a mixture of home-makers, retired school teachers, a medical doctor, beauticians, business women, manager of a hardware company, a stock broker, and the youngest is the co-owner and operator of a tuition and day care centre. Further diversity is reflected in the background for three of the ladies are from Taiwan but have since become full fledged Malaysians in their outlook , their way of live and values.

Many interesting threads run across o to link up this group. The core group is related by marriage, then clan group, sports related activities, work related environment and also business connections. The most recent connection is the current involvement in promoting e-learning.

What is this e-learning all about? With "webucation", home tuition, study habits and revision tools have made it possible for students to score straight 'A's . A Malaysian company called Kenshido International Sdn Bhd. markets an e-learning programme which covers all subjects and at all levels following the Malaysian school syllabus with the tag line "Now! Everyone can score".

The effectiveness of this method of learning called "output learning" includes (among many others,) features to enable parents to appraise their children's academic progress as well as help them supervise and determine their children's strength and weaknesses of their children, to know their children's development at anytime and to render help immediately, when necessary. This is of utmost importance for parents have always wanted to be involved in their children's success instead of depending only on face to face tuition. Parents who have so far felt at a loss as to how they can empower their children, can make use of this comprehensive programme which is both user friendly as well affordable. More information can be obtained from the web site.

But whatever the type of relationship, the regular lunch gatherings is a healthy activity. Although food may be top priority, the fellowship shared, the ensuing laughter after a good joke is cracked, and recalling of past activities and experiences are the premiums on the menu. Everyone goes away lifted and relaxed.

Four People

Can you identify with this story? Sad to say the answer is "yes" for most of us. People have the tendency to follow the path of least resistance. When something crops up that requires our attention, the easiest way out to to say..."it's none of my business", or "don't look for trouble" or "let's wait for directives", or something along these lines just to avoid taking action.



If such a situation is allowed to perpetuate, it is tantamount to "passing the buck". Few are prepared to take responsibilty, show interest, or be proactive when action is called for. To break away from this culture of complacency demands courage, conviction and great effort because this sort of behaviour will be perceived to being "Kaypoh" (busybody). But try we must to change this mindset so that we can be effective.

Sleepy Hollow

Sleepy Hollow? If you are having images of dilapidated dwellings and old and tired people, you are wrong. Taiping has often been fondly or sacarstically been called 'The sleepy Hollow" or "Pensioners paradise". These two terms encaspulates the essence of what makes Taiping a unique town. (And also recently made national head lines regarding ther All Saints Church)

It was the first state capital of Perak, the centre of tin mining activities and cab also boast of having schools which are more than a hundred years old. The King Edward VII school, Convent school, Treacher Methodist Girls school and St Georges Institution are still maintaining their reputation of being leading schools in the town.

This brings us to the recent announcement by the Ministry of Education that the first twenty high performance schools have been named. And among the list which included residential school, primary and secondary schools, is the SK Convent Taiping, my alma mater. I fully agree with the views expressed by another old girl, (now a journalist) , Chok Suat Ling in her article in the NST January 28, 2010. The main issue on most peoples' minds is how the selection was made. What does it take for a school to be receive such an award?

Another interesting feature of the schools in Malaysia is the plethora of categories of schools... we have smart school, high performance schools, cluster schools, vision schools, premier schools, controlled schools, central schools, sports schools and the list goes on. It is sad to imagine the the attendant inplications of this situation. Are schools which are not on the list to be regarded as "second rate? Will there be no hope for the students to achive high academic success and receive a holistic education. Well these are really interesting as well as confusing issues which parents have to cope with.

Historical site

Few places can boast of the long history of this club. Founded in 1894, it was initially meant for the expatriates who were then working as planters in the estates as well as the engineers from the tin mines and also colonial civil servants. Sources have revealed that there was another club located opposite this club further down the road and this was meant for the local people. It is not surprising that such discrimination existed at that time and we can proudly say that we have come a long way since the membership of this club has evolved with the times.

Visitors to Taiping should not miss the chance to visit this historical club. The "classical" structure has remained basically the same but renovations and upgrading of the building and facilities have added a modern touch without spoiling the "colonial air" of the club. The verandah with the green palms have added a soft and cool ambience while members and their guests have a refreshing drink. Members can even just relax or just read the newspapers while enjoying the cool breeze form the lake gardens.

The open concept of the front facade overlooking the town esplanade commands a spectacular view when there are functions, football games and of course the annual National Day celebrations. Inside the main hall which is used for club functions, dinners and dances.Visitors can be informed of the sports honour rolls as well as the previous office bearers. Also to be admired the silver trophies displayed in the glass cabinets.

For the members the club represents a good place for sporting and social activities. Added to this the club also serves delicious food at all times and the price is reasonable. This will remain a good place to meet up with friends as well as entertain visitors because of the friendly, cosy and relaxed atmosphere.

Ninja Turtles

What do Ninja Turtles and Giant Lobsters have in common? These two came together for a joyous birthday celebration of a lucky father/grandfather/and brother.

Such celebrations are very meaningful occasions. Besides the delicious and exotic food, it also brings family members together. For the young, birthdays are times associated with birthday presents and the inevitable birthday cake, the blowing out of candles and the cutting of the cake.

But for the adults, birthdays may mean more than that. Quoting from a Memory Lane birthday card.... "Everyday is a gift from God", we are also reminded that life is precious and as such we should live our lives in a meaningful way, always mindful of the roles we have to play as well as being contented with what God has bestowed on us. Instead of counting how old we are, we should count our blessings in the "box of chocolates ...to quote Forrest Gump...Life is like a box of chocolates...you do not know what you are going to get.....". Enjoy life!!!