The Special People

Seattle Special Olympics

A few years ago at the Seattle Special Olympics, nine contestants, all physically or mentally disabled, assembled at the starting line for the 100 yard dash.

At the gun, they all started out, not exactly in a dash, but with a relish to run the race, to the finish, and win. All, that is, except one little boy who stumbled on the asphalt, tumbled over, and began to cry. The other eight heard the boy cry. They slowed down and looked back. Then they all turned around and went back. Every one of them. One girl with down’s syndrome bent down and kissed him and said," this will make it better."

Then all nine linked arms, and walked together to the finish line. Everyone in the stadium stood, and cheered; the cheering went on for several minutes.

People who were there are still telling the story. 

~ Retrieved from http://www.snopes.com/glurge/special.asp

This may not be an entire true story, but for one like me who works with people with special needs, this story actually tells of the courage of our athletes. Winning is secondary, but to be out there to show the World what they can do and to be given the opportunity to be out there; these make a lot of different to the special needs community.

They may be different, but they can do it, as long as WE believe in them. 


Special Olympics is an organisation providing sporting opportunities for people with intellectual disability. It inculcates the importance of allowing people with special needs to showcase their sporting ability to the community out there.
Special Olympics had programs over 170 countries and if you are keen to volunteer, please do not hesitate to call in at any of the Special Olympics office near you.


Special Olympics -  http://www.specialolympics.org/
Special Olympics Singapore - http://www.specialolympics.org.sg/

http://youtu.be/HTNVXlirF4Y - Don't Laugh At Me (Something that I always share with my students)

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt" ~ Special Olympics Oath

Friends of Peaceful Children Home - A Sponsorship program

Peaceful Children's Home is a place where happiness can be found in abundance, but do you know that these happiness actually make my heart ache so much, so much? When I thought that life had not been fair to me, God allowed me to meet these 'Angels' who soon became part of my life journey.

These children make my heart ache for them

When they show no emotions when I asked them about them visiting their real families
When they tell you that their only Home is Peaceful Children's Home, not anywhere else
When they long to go home, in the arms of their real family, but they cannot

Looking at them made me ask why these children have to go through so much, just as a child

When they have to use lit candle to study in the dimly lit dormitory room

When the 13, 14 year agers tell me their favourite food is Hamburger when I expected something more
When they tell me they want to be doctors and lawyers so that they can help their people, their country

Hard their life journey may be; they never fail to keep my heart warm
Seeing their smiles, no matter how difficult things may be
Witnessing their love, for their little brothers and sisters at the Home
Hearing them say "see you again" sincerely at every departure, even though that 'again' may not come
Feeling their appreciation, no matter how small the gift they received is
Watching them pick themselves up, despite falls in the course of chasing their dreams

Friends of Peaceful Children's Home (FOPCH) is a Sponsorship program started in Holland for individuals to sponsor a child on a monthly basis. The amount sponsored will go to the food, daily necessities, medical and school materials. Do take a moment to read on and find out more about the Homes and the children.

FOPCH is looking for more sponsors, and if you are keen to sponsor, please do not hesitate to contact any of us to find out more or even to find out how you can make a trip down to the Homes to visit these lovely children and place:

Feikje (Netherlands) - FeikjeL@hetnet.nl

Linden (Italy) - LindenH@alice.it

Jinnie (Singapore) – jinnie_lim@hotmail.com
Adeline (Singapore) - ilovetolaugh_@hotmail.com

These Angels had taught me so much about Life and Living and I hope, these little things that I do for them, can help them even more in life.

"We can do no great things, only small things with great love" ~ Mother Theresa

Peaceful Children's Home 1 and 2, Cambodia

A little preview of Peaceful Children Homes, Cambodia (Home 1 in Kandal Province and Home 2 in Battambang Province). The Homes are run by the Khmer Foundation for Justice, Peace and Development.

http://vimeo.com/9878962

A day at the Peaceful Children Home from Joachim Ottow on Vimeo.

Cambodia, the place that is close to my heart

The Kingdom of Cambodia is an independent country with a population of more than 7 million people. With a surface area of 181,035 sq. km and once a French colony, is the least known Indochinese country. Cambodia has a distinct geographical personality: it is a wide basin surrounded by highlands. In this basin the farmer has created a simple life - an original civilization and philosophy of mildness. Cambodia is divided into 20 provinces and 4 cities.

Cambodia was once know as “The Pearl of Asia”. As a consequences of the War in Vietnam, the Khmer Rouge cam to power. During their 5-year reign of terror, 2-3 million people died and the country was left devastated.

Today, Cambodia remains to be one of the poorest countries in Asia, with hundreds and thousands of orphans and street children. ~ http://www.asiatravel.com/cambinfo.html

The Kingdom of Cambodia is fondly known as my Second home. Sandwiched between Vietnam, Thailand and Laos; it is a little known country even to Asians. Not known to many is also that this Kingdom has a charm that cannot be put into words. Many friends asked, "Why does Cambodia attract you so much?", I always reply, "Visit it and you will know why, it has a charm that needs to be experienced first hand."

And yes, I had been charmed.

Charmed by its people... Their smiles, their happiness regardless how hard life had been on them...

Charmed by its landscape... The serenity, the peace, the calmness...

Charmed by its history... the majestic, the tough times and how its people overcame the difficulties...

Most importantly, I am charmed by these people who have so much impacted my life... The people of Peaceful Children's Home (Khmer Foundation for Justice, Peace and Development)

To find out more about these children and how you are able to help them, do stay tuned to the next post...

Till then...

Finding Your Strongest Life

Picked up this book, Find Your Strongest Life: What the Happiest and Most Successful Women Do Differently by Marcus Buckingham, a few weeks ago. In fact, I was looking for some other books to read when I chanced upon this book. Attractive title and when I read the synopsis and the reviews, I was WOWED and I decided I am not going to put this book back on the Library shelves.

I am glad I borrowed the book for it is one of the most powerful book that I certainly had read thus far.


The first take-away:
This book shows how two person undergoing the same life courses can have varying feel and outcomes based on the decisions and choices they have made when they encounter needs to make decisions/ choices. It tells us the importance of making choices based on our 'strongest moments'. 


There are times when the path ahead may seem uncertain but if we feel strongly in moving ahead, we should. Even if it may not lead us to anyway we thought it, we will not look back in our old age one day and regret that we have not taken that path.

The second take-away:
It is a fine line between doing the right things and doing what we want to do and the former usually drains us of our energy because of us trying to strike a balance. In all our lives, many of us try to strike a balance in all that we do, because that SHOULD be the right way, but this book tells us to find the imbalance in life - to go for what we really want to do and believe in.


The third take-away:
Work on our strengths rather than weaknesses. Focusing at a person's strength enhances and magnifies them, the same goes for focusing on our weaknesses. Focus on what we can do best and let the weaknesses stay in the background.


The fourth and most important take-away:
Finding out my own 'roles'. Take the Strong Life Test at stronglifetest.com and find out your lead and supporting roles you are born to play which makes you feel good and how you can make better choices in life based on these roles. 

The 9 Roles of Women

My lead role is: Creator (which surprises me) 

My supporting role is: Advisor

From the book:  "If you look at what you have in life, you'll always have more. If you look at what you don't have in life, you'll never have enough." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Journey of a Thousand Miles start with a Single Step

Fuji Maru - My Home for over 40 days (Photo credits: Koh Zhizheng)

Having been on the 53-days once-in-a-lifetime journey on board Fuji Maru really defines the above saying very well. With Grace's numerous persuasion, I finally get to achieve what I have wanted to do since 1999. The hectic lifestyle is one reason that kept me postponing my encounter with the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) and when I thought it is a dream that can never come through, opportunity struck.

25th October 2011, I started on this journey on board Fuji Maru together with 318 other youths from ASEAN and Japan. And of course, nothing comes easy. The build-up to this journey consisted of arduous pre-journey work of 91 days, 28 Singapore youths, 1 National Leader, countless late night meetings and many other things starting from 26th July 2011. However, looking back at the effort and time invested into it, the take-away can be described with one word, "Magical".

Photo for individual namecards (Photo credits: Koh Zhisheng)

Magical because of the friendship that I would not have thought of forging. Magical because of finding affirmation of my directions in life. Magical because being able to showcase my first (not to mention a couple more times) dance performance in front of hundreds of audiences. Magical because of the countless opportunity across contingents that had been opened up. Magical because of the growth it had given me, as an individual, in the short span of 53 + 91 days.

Pre-departure trainings

Demonstrating indoor kite flying during Pre-departure training

Team Building activities

Rehearsals for Pre-departure Concert and National Presentation on Board Fuji Maru

On-board Fuji Maru:

25th October to 2nd November 2011:

Departure from Singapore, Japan-ASEAN-Youth Leaders' Summit in Tokyo (National Youth Centre)
and Niigata visit before Homestay in Niigata

Homestay family in Niigata, on board Fuji Maru and 
departing and sailing from Yokohama port, Japan to The Philippines

4th to 13th November 2011:

On board ship programmes
(Solidarity group activities, cultural performances, costumes exchanges), 

Institutional visit and Homestay in the Phillipines

13th to 19th November 2011: 

Sailing from the Philipines to Brunei, on board ship programmes,
Institutional Visit and Homestay in Brunei

19th to 28th November 2011: 

Sailing from Brunei Darussalam to Indonesia, on board ship programmes,
Welcome ceremony in Indonesia, Homestay in Indonesia, Institutional visit in Malaysia

28th November to 6th December 2011: 

Homestay in Malaysia, sailing from Malaysia to Vietnam,
Institutional visit in Vietnam and Homestay in Vietnam

6th December to 16th December: 

Sailing from Vietnam back to Tokyo, Japan 

So, why Journey of a Thousand Miles start with a Single Step? For, I see SSEAYP as a beginning of more great dreams to come. I thank SSEAYP for all the Eureka! moments as well as the tough times I had to go through that made me a person more affirmative of my role I want to play in the community I work with and is involved with. And thus, I have finally decided to get this blog going...

For more information about the SSEAYP program, please kindly check out
1) SSEAYP Singapore International:  http://www.sseayp.com/sis/
2) SSEAYP International: http://www.sseayp.com/

“The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands, and then work outward from there.” ― Robert M. Pirsig