Wednesday, March 25, 2009

the five K s

"ki ki ku ki ki" - literally translated from cantonese means 'self take care of self'
well in other words, selfish
the word typed out looks weird to me
but it is far from extinct
frequently see that as the reason for the things or situations encountered daily
just look at the amount of rubbish strewn in many varied places other than its rightful place ie the garbage bins

in the back lanes - food remnants such as rice, dhall curry, stale bread etc scattered for pigeons, cats and dogs and even little sparrows not to mention the aggressive eerie-looking crows!
flies and fur and stench will assail your nostrils and ensure your windows permanently shut

in the drains - plastic of all kinds - food wrappers, detergent bottles, cooking oil containers, styrofoam packs, polythene bags of all colours....clogging the flow and retaining the enriched outflow of domestic waste water which adds to the potpourri!...what a collection!
this is often the drive to pray for heavy rain to flush everything away so as to get some reprieve before the cycle begins...
i personally witness a lady opening the window of the back room and flinging some rubbish out direct into the drain ....oh how convenient ... a giant garbage 'bin'

any corner patch esp when the corner lot is vacant will quickly be designated as the 'official' garbage patch and the mountain of refuse will build up over the week...it begins with pruned branches (well at least this is organic and biodegradable) then the game 'follow the leader' begins - soon old containers, bags , polystyrene insulator, and even an old couch, wood pieces join the gang and lo and behold the newly installed garbage collection point is official.
what an obnoxious sight! ...the finale of the episode - a council lorry was despatched to clear the pile recently but the joy is short-lived cos the root is still there.

a neighbour keeps an alsatian which seems too large for a tiny terrace home - with no kennel for him, no 'toilet training' and no bath routine
so the 20 by 20 compound of the house becomes a gold mine of faeces and urine daily
and what does the owner do?
ya, a water hose assists him to clean his compound but the 'gold' is conveniently swept into the drains
out of sight out of mind for him yes
but by mid day with the heat the stench from the drains will definitely put him in my mind!!!!
infuriating , exasperating......till the night when the cool breeze comes a blowing into the living room...guess what bonus comes along with it???? patience, forbearance, tolerance to the highest degree URGENTLY WANTED!!!!

a bus zooms by- be it a public or school bus
plop! out flew the plastic bag of finished tea or syrup with straw and rafia string attached
through the window out to the ....dont know where it was aimed at
some invisible garbage bin i guess
tailing a proton wira notice some UFO s (unidentified flying objects) from the left front window
wonder what they may be
make a wild guess
husband driving with wife beside him - enjoying her ice cream peeling off the cone wrapper and letting the wind take the refuse on a carpet ride!!!!
many many 'live tales' of the same been encountered
go to the magnum- 3D, toto or cant-remember-their-signage shops and observe....
a carpet of ...slips of paper galore - autumn fall scene lah
the moment customer leaves the counter after putting in their bets
lo a little 'leaf' naturally falls from their grip and join dozens on the floor!!!
how can this be???the establishment just stay passive and condone this irritating habit of its customers???
oh yeah they do something about it - they have a lady who will sweep the mess as it comes!!!
that s 'nice' - i call it pampering

i really wonder why it is so difficult for folks, young and old, to just place any rubbish in its proper place?
the irony of it, the homes are clean and well swept but beyond their 'territory' a different story unfolds.
cleanliness - personal and environmental, is a core element in the school curriculum primary to secondary and also in families and homes
what has gone wrong?
schools are kept clean with enforcement - so any littering bug will not be found doing it openly
maybe stricter enforcement is required from school to community level??
i really dont know
or joint responsibility to keep school and community environment free of indiscriminate littering
imposed on folks would work better to inculcate the good and desired habit and ensure it gets deeply rooted???
i once advised a neighbour not to throw food remnants directly into the drain and that s the end of good neighbourliness between us - one sided of course
i was on the verge of doing something in response to the growing mountain of refuse ...lost courage and was pretty relieved when the lorry came to demolish the mountain
your good intent may actually run a risk of being interpreted as 'nosey',' not minding your own business'- after all it is not on your property and who make you their boss???? ooh cant imagine the consequences and response...
and these folks are those who have no qualms at throwing whatever and wherever they like
who are you to question???

so in conclusion it boils down to the 5 ks?? so sad isnt it?

Thursday, March 12, 2009

my heart is warmed

how time zooms past!
been more than a month since my last post....

my heart is warmed by a few changes i observed lately....
they are not what you would call drastic changes
little yet significant....and God it is your working! thank you!
You have been working in the hearts of your children... and still will be...
my HEART IS WARMED
..... when i hear my daughter expressing emphatically her desire and commitment to meet regularly with her uni fellowship group amidst some glitches she encountered to follow thro this commitment..
earlier in the sem she intentionally selected class slots so as to make that meeting night free
and that was so gladdening to my heart... thanks dear for being the reason
it not only pleases me but it definitely pleases our God who has been holding you in His palm!
May your time in uni be an opportunity and adventure with Him as you learn and enjoy what He has in store for you!!! JEREMIAH 29:11
my HEART IS WARMED
..... when i hear the son of a friend emphatically 'pushing' the mum to go to church come weekends when he s back from studies!
not too long ago it was the reverse and human persuasion came to no avail but now look what God has been doing in his heart despite what the family has been through....
his desire to worship springs from a heart of thankfulness to the God who has brought him and his family through crises and hardship...
and i am glad he didnt sink into bitterness, crying unfair and why he gets a bad deal from God?? and somewhere deep inside i sense a restored self-esteem released from feeling inferior bec of his family condition...set free to move on...
May he discover more and more of our Loving, merciful and faithful God!
my HEART IS WARMED
...... when there was less 'resistance' to release funds in our efforts to help provide for Karthic and family in the form of giving in kind and helping the undernourished boy try to catch up on the basic three Rs so that he wont become another statistic in the drop-out list.
provision allocation approved promptly, some electrical fault repair bill settled and soon the bill for repair leaking roof and rotting wooden beams....
May God who stirs our hearts to act upon what He wants us to do, teach us to be like Him in action......ever so full of compassion, of grace, of gentleness, of kindness as we avail as His arms to the needy...... Matthew 25:34-40
........i see you God clearly in these....