Jane, a young pretty girl

I met an 18 year old pretty disabled Indian girl together with her lovely Mum at Mac.Donald in Gurney Plaza last Sunday. Jenani is her name, but she prefered to be called Jane. Her Mum, Patricia brought her to meet me as she wants Jane to mix with more friends and also come out to the outside world.

It was my first time meeting both Patricia and Jane. I didn't know who to expect when I waited at Mac.Donald until they arrived, then I found out they were friendly and pleasant family, especially Patricia. Jane's dad was very quiet sitting at the back, but he left us after a while to meet his son.

I talk to Patricia and Jane for nearly an hour before my other friends joined me. Jane was a soft spoken girl who seldom mix with the outside world. When I see her and talked to her, I recalled my young day when I was as shy as Jane. I continue asking Jane things but she didn't talk, so I talk to Patricia as she keen to let her daughter come out mix with friends. For myself, I don't have many friends, so I couldn't introduce Jane to any clubs or groups.

I asked Jane one thing, do you like to work and she nodded, Patricia didn't discouraged her instead she was very encouraging. I introduced her to Eden Handicap Service Centre, the place where I work. I told them I need to arranged with my boss the time date and for them to meet.

On Wednesday, Patricia and Jane came for the interview. Within an hour my boss (Bertie) gave Jane a job as a clerk in the Recycle Unit. The same evening, Jane sms me saying that she was happy that she got a job. I was really happy that I had helped someone in time when they were desparate for help.

Changes and Choices

Changes and choices. That is what I wish to have, but I can never have the chance to earn it. To others, it's so simple, but never to me. If I'm still at my parent's roof, I will never will get the chages and choices in my life.

Sometimes, when going shopping with my family is a pain the neck. Why? Because the things I want to buy is not my choice. Most of the time it must suit their taste and not mine. Once a while, I got the chance to pick the choice of mine. Do you think that is fair to me? It is the same the when our family goes out for lunch or dinner. I seldom get the chance to choose the choice of the food I like. It's always my family ordering the food. Sometimes, when I order some food, it would turned out to be other things. Can you imagine that?

Most of the time, they will decide things for me, so how can I make my own desicion when they keep deciding most of things for me. That is why I seldom like to go out with my family, unless there is some special occasion. I would prefer going out with my friends and that is when I can get chance buy any anything I like.

I know my family love me very much, but it's time for me to make my own decision. I believe I have the right for that as I'm old enough.

Mum' s day

Yesterday Mum's turns 69 and we had a simple celebration for her. Julie (my youngest sis) and I brought her a bottle of perfume as a gift. It is always during birthdays' among our family member's when mum would cook for us delicious western food. Everyone in the family always enjoys Mum's western food especially the "baked crumbs chicken". It's not easy to cook, so we only get to eat it on special occassions.

Janice (my eldest sis) brought Mum a birthday cake full of fruits and with lots of hearts around it. We were supposed to cut it in the afternoon, but Janice's an her kids' were all so busy that they had to rush home. So, we waited till at night after dinner.

Mum gave us a treat for dinner at Kham Kee Restaurant where we had steam-boat. The restaurant is just 5mins walk as it's outside our house. We took an evening walk, while Janice and family together with her mother and her sister in-law, Gloria joined us. There were 11 of us and all of us enjoy the food untill everyone was full.

After we came back, Mum cut her birthday cake as the kids' couldn't wait to have their share of the piece of cake. I really believe Mum had a happy day as she feel cared and loved.

Suffering people come for exercises

Physiotheraphy Department at Penang General Hospital is always full with patients. Every Thursday morning I would go there for my exercises. I see lots of people with all type of cases like accidents cases, people with strokes and many elderly people (mostly women) suffering from knee trouble. Pratically, everyone who goes for physio department for exersices are suffering in one way or another.

There are 3 to 4 physiotherapies attend to all these patients'. The theraphies would advice the new comers on what to do and later leave them to do the exerices themselves and attend to other patients. As I'm there alone to do my exercises, most lf the people who already knows me as I'm ther for the 1 past year. Most of these people are regular patients' who comes every week with relatives, friends or even their maids. When I needed help, I would call for them especially in getting up and down from the bed. Some of them even concern and curious about me condition and they talk to me.

Just like yesterday, when I had some difficulty in pushing my wheelchair, a lady came to my help. When another lady saw me, she offers her help to put my card in the counter.

I made friend with an old uncle who arein his late 70's. He is staying in Penang Home (an old folk home). He goes for exercise to strengthen his leg as he had a fall not long ago. I haven't seen Uncle Leong these the past 2 to 3 weeks. Few weeks earlier, when I met Uncle Leong outside the physio room, he told me he had skin problem. I believe he went for his check-up. Yesterday, when I was about to go back, I saw the van take Uncle Leong and his friends's home.

This 1 year, I met lots of people in the physio department. I know these people will improve as they come for their regular exercises and do not give even though there's a lot of pain they have to go through. The only thing, they must never give up and continue to preserve.

An afternoon with new friends

It was Saturday afternoon when Kuan Aw asked Yeap and I out. The meeting was at Gurney Plaza, Coffee Bean. The intention of both of us coming out was to meet another 2 new disabled friends who are on wheelchairs too. It was such a small world that the new friend (a young Malay guy) Shahid was Derrick (my colleague's) friend.

Shahid in his 20's seems to be an a very active and out-going guy.. I didn't get to talk much because not far from Coffee Bean, there was a mini concert and it was very noisy. Even though he sat just opposite me, I couldn't hear much of what he said . But he is a nice guy. He is now studying in USM but will be going to England to further his studies. I know he will definitely have a great further ahead.

Another friend was Alfred, he came slightly late. I didn't talk to him at all, but what I know he's working at Intel dealing wth computer. He was a quiet guy or maybe I didn't know him that much yet. Both of them have good life ahead.I really admired people like them.

I had a nice time getting to know them though it was only a short period of time. I hope I would be able to continue keeping in touch with them.

Spiritual Warfare

When the spirit inside you is low, you can feel very down, isn't it? This is the feeling I'm facing this whole week. Everytime when my spirit is down, emotionally also I feel very down. I can feel I'm at a warfare with the evil one. Everytime this happen, I have to call to great GOD for extra help to fight with "bad guy". I hate having this feeling because it can pull me real down and makes me think of all the unpleasent thing.

It's like the spiritual tug of war. The good and bad inside me are fighting. At this time I have to especially call for The Almightly God's to fight with the evil one. It's never easy to get over it, but with lots of prayers I can do it.

Despite this happen, I must never to give up but keep on going. With the GOD's help, I can still carry on.

Easy Access

GURNEY PLAZA is a very suitable and convenient shopping mall for disabled to visit as it has all the disability access. Mostly of the weekend my disabled friends hang-out there as we, wheelchair users can move around the place very easily.

Before entering into the mall, there is a slight slop where my friends and I needed to be wheel up as their hands are not strong enough. After going into the mall we are free to wheel around the whole mall without any difficulty

There are few lifts’ inside the mall which are equip with disabled friendly, as the buttons are low enough for us to press. These lifts’ are only at the ground floor.

The disabled toilets are situated at every floor. Some of the toilets are slightly bigger as they are situated at corner of the mall, but most of them are in the middle, between ladies' and gens' toilets. They are all equips with railings by the side. But the biggest and cleaners toilet I could find is on the 7th floor, where the cinemas’ are situated. There are railing at the side and the wash basin is low for wheelchair uses.

This is why my disabled friends and likes to hang out in this mall. There are no steps or ramps and it’s very easy for wheelchair user to access everywhere in the mall except the ground floor where there all the restaurants. There is one step up into the restaurant but outside they have tables and chairs for anyone who wants to enjoy the fresh air. Most of the time friends and I always sit outside.

All I can say is Gurney Plaza shopping mall is very disabled friendly.

A Nice Meet Up

It was a casual afternoon where my friends and I gathered at Gurney Plaza. But it Kar Wei's "special day" I believe you all know what I mean, right? He need not have to mention as all of us (his close friends) already knew it, so we just had our usually gathering. It was really nice to see and have everyone's company there and it's not always that we have this gathering as individual has their own way to go.

While waiting for YT, Ken and Roger, Kar Wei, Annah Yeap and I had a simple lunch at Mac.Donald, our favourite place. The 4 of us have so much things to catched up with as we have not met for quite sometime. When the rest arrived around 2pm, they joint us and had some light food.

After everyone finish, we adjoured to the shops to check out what the new arrival. First, I went with Annah to Elle's shop but everything is so expensive, so went to Giornado's shop where the rest of my friends' were. They were choosing some clothes as there were on sales and discounts. It didn't interested me, so I went to Body Shop to buy something.

When everyone is done with the shopping, we went for a drink at Ipoh Street Restaurant and chit-chat before dismissed. It was a nice meet up with out you all.

Have a safe trip, Aunty

It was a pleasure to have Aunty Elsie with us for the past a week. Yesterday at 11am, she a bus back to Kuala Lumpur. Aunty has migrated to Sydney, Australia for the past several years ago, but she would come back to Malaysia few years once to visit her family, relatives and friends. Everytime when she come out to Penang, she would surely put up in our house. Even though, she is now 79 years of age and she has gone through a major operation end of last year yet, she has not chance at all since her last visit here in 2002.

Aunty is a very nice lady who is very warm and friendly. She is a very active person and could travel alone without any company even at her age. I have no doubt she is a person who could easily build a friendship with anyone, because she has many friends not only in Sydney, Malaysia few other country too. When I think of her,I always wish to myself, how wonderful to have a grandma like her!