Thursday, July 28, 2011

I laughed

Credit: Threadless 

A website I <3 but only ships to Malaysia via normal post. Of course mine disappeared but they resent it via registered mail to a Sg address. Bless..   

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

The Furry Friends Farm


The Furry Friends Farm. 
Absolutely delightful name for an animal shelter, don't you think!

I made a visit last week and yes, I fell in love many times over. Its a joy being at the shelter that does not have an air of despondency. I could sense  that the animals are at a place where their welfare is paramount and they are taken care with love. Every animal has a name there and Sabrina, doyen of the farm, knows every one of the dogs.  

Helps that the animals are among the friendliest. Being an avid dog lover, I didn't expect to be the subject of affection of a juvenile calico cat. I was lost the moment she jumped on a stool, closed her eyes and rubbed her face against my chest with the tiniest of smiles. Of course my heart was reduced to a syrupy puddle. 

Being just from the dog enclosure, no way she could have mistaken me for a giant tuna.          

The furry friends farm is a no-kill centre, meaning that if the dogs or cats are not adopted, they will still have a home for life at the shelter. Even the difficult, uncute and old won't be put down.  

However this means that the shelter can only take in a maximum number of animals. At present it is already at full capacity at over a hundred dogs and cats hence they are forced to turn away new strays. They have already taken in the dogs that were abandoned at Pulau Ketam if you recall that sad incident. 

Anyway, more about the farm here: http://www.furryfriendsfarm.org.my/
And as with every shelter, volunteers, donations and assistance in kind are always in short supply. They are trying to obtain NGO status but its taking time. Hence they can't really offer tax exemptions now for donations which discourages most corporate sponsors. So they rely on people like you and me.

The farm is in Kundang, past Sungai Buloh. You will DEFINITELY need a map. Here is the link and please note that the flyover bridge is completed so please don't go looking for rubble.  
Next time I am there, I will get the GPS coordinates. 

*  sorry, map has been removed from the FFF site.

To visit please call Ms Sabrina a few days in advance. She has a farm to run hence don't expect immediate call backs. Visitors are welcomed on Sundays after 12pm.  If you intend to be up close and personal, a change of clothes is good and don't bring your best shoes as you will have to disinfect your footwear in bleach as you leave. 
Whatever it is I'd definitely encourage you to go have your heart stolen.  


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*We mourn the passing of Sabrina Yeap on 17 July 2012.  My heart is resolutely broken. May she rest in peace.

Monday, July 11, 2011

WOW. What a weekend.

As most who know me personally would attest, I have been going on quite abit about the BERSIH initiative, which culminated in the demonstration that was on Saturday 9 July.

As to why BERSIH is important to me and to a lot of Malaysians, I direct you  to the words of others with superior eloquence. Art Harun's Bersih and Fall of Reason is a very good read.

People who attended the rally cited overwhelming pride, unity and patriotism..as well as tear gas, water cannons, arrests by the police and manhandling by riot teams. Despite not attending the rally - I was left behind by SOMEONE who got tear gassed trice as a consequence (bribe me and I won't tell dad) -  my BB was close to calling it quits due to my 12 hour Twitter vigil.

Social media has played its part in transforming Egypt and I dare say that it will continue to be a platform for people's movements everywhere including Malaysia. BERSIH would have been less organised and its effects less far-reaching without Twitter for one.  From eye-witness accounts, to warnings and words of comfort, strangers are linked to each other by a common aim and a hashtag.  How amazing is that!

Anyway, back to BERSIH, the mainstream media's coverage of the affair is filled with half truths but that is to be expected, being the governments' lackeys. The most blatant lie is that only 6000 protesters marched the streets of KL. In the age of camera phones and Youtube, who are they kidding?




While many did not  make it to Dataran Merdeka, being chased by FRUs, the demonstration was largely peaceful, and if you are on Twitter, do  follow the #bersihstories and you will find many heart warming experiences of those who were there.

Yes it was a success in the sense that there was  no parang wielding molotov cocktail hurling mob as warned by the IGP or the government, and it was a damn good show of support for electoral reforms, the largely non-partisan effort is being sadly hijacked by opposition  parties taking credit for the move and claiming support for their causes. This is highly regrettable to me.

Anyway, for more thrill and spills, the best reads are from the following: 

Well done and thank you to all who were there, braving risks of arrest and violence, walking for the rest of us who can't and making a stand for our rights. And I have never been prouder of the legal fraternity especially the legal aid emergency arrests teams.