Racial Harmony.

My favorite advertisements usually come up during Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Usually, in yesteryear that was when the Indian races celebrate their Deepavali as well. The dates coincides coincidentally.
One of my all time favorite is this one from Petronas if i am not mistaken.
It is about three best friends who lives in a kampung. The three boys are always together, playing with the cows in the paddy field or they'd be swimming in the river.
So one day, the Malay boy has to be circumsized as it is required in the islam religion, so the two best friends, one who was a Chinese, the other an Indian boy waited patiently for their best friend.
And when the Malay boy was done with the ceremony, he walked to his friends who was waiting on a beca.
The chinese boy asked the Malay boy
:' Sakit tak?'
Meaning 'Does it hurt?'
And the malay boy said yes.
Then the indian boy asked 'Nak tengok boleh?'
'Meaning can i see it?'
The Malay boy shrieked and said No. And they all bursted out laughing.

The message of the advertisement was simple.
Than we can get along with anyone of any races, any religion, and any differences.
Than even if kids could get along with each other, why can the older ones get along with each other as well?

Finding harmony in Malaysia is not hard, but it is not easy as well.
I believe in starting young, and planting the respect for others in young ages is important.
I was raised to respect my neighbors, who are of a different race than i am.
I cannot imagine my country without these other, diversed races surrounding me.
Our diversity proves to other countries in the world that racial harmony can be achieved if you give it a chance.

Racial harmony can be achieved through schools, work place and social events.
I met my best friends through an exchange student program, we went through the highs and lows together. And we've been best friends for 2 years now.
Another thing i love about having such diversed set of friends is because we always have constructive arguments about almost everything.
To wear shoes in the house or no?
To eat herbal eggs and drink ginseng drinks or no?
To put tamarind on your face to kill all the germs or no?
The funny arguments go on and on.
And actually, we adapt the good ones in our lives.
Example drinking herbal tea, which is something i adapted from my Chinese friends is healthy for me.
And eating chapati is a good break fast diet!
I love my diversed culture, and i will not be the same person if i were to live without it.

'When you have nothing, look back and you'll see me'

Much love,
Deanna

This is what i call Racial Harmony

'People say two is better than one, i say three is better'

When i was a little girl, i never realized that there were any differences between me and my Chinese neighbor or my Indian kindergarten best friend, Kasturi. I have always known all of us as the same. No race, just Malaysians.
As i grew older, and wiser, i learned that they are a little bit different from me. And that i have a lot of things to learn from them. They have different skin tone than mine. They speak a different language, they still can speak Malay and English at the same time, they have different foods, and they have different dates for festive seasons and also their traditional costumes are a lot different that my race.
I love the fact that we have extra sale seasons here, just because of the other races that we have in Malaysia. I love going to the supermarkets and the prices are all cheaper!
When it comes to Chinese New Year, i go crazy for the mandarin oranges. And when it's Thaipusam or deepavali, i go nuts over the lights!
But as for me Hari Raya Aidilfitri would be the best because it is my celebration and i get lots of money during that month! :D

My father taught me, ever since i was kid, that to respect someone regardless age, religion or race.
And that is something that i will hold on to until the day i die.
I believe that with respect from and for each other, we can live more peacefully and happily.

I was an exchange student to the US a year ago, and i was the only Asian in my high school. I lived in a small town, population barely 10000. So everyone knew everyone, and i was known as the math geek, overly smart, short cute little Asian.
I have to be honest, because of my race, some weren't even friends with me and some shied away from talking to me.
I remember thinking that this would hardly happen in Malaysia.
We are just so used to seeing people who doesn't look the same way as we do that we no longer alienate them, but we acknowledge them.

I have always secretly thought of myself as quarters of everything --I have Chinese looking eyes, i love Indian food but i am purely Malay. And I am lucky enough to celebrate all the 3 main celebrations in Malaysia, just because my best friends are Chinese and Indian.

And i love learning new words from their language.


And share with them my culture.

'Harmony is achieved through the willingness to learn, the ability to accept, the readiness to listen and the heart to give.'

And with this, i end my post for today. Thank you for reading ;)

Much love,
Deanna

College Life.

Hello readers. I hope all is well and everything is sunny side up for you.
Today is 28th of January. Which means, i have been in college for almost 3 weeks now.
It has certainly lived up to my expectations. I love every minute of it.
Yes, i do have my complaints. Who doesn't? It is just a part of life.
But all in all, my classes are great, the lecturers are educational, and the people are all friendly and nice. So far, so great.
I have always liked routine. It makes my life more easier to live, so manageable.
When high school was over, and i had nothing to do, i was about to go insane. Thank God my mother found me an everyday task which is to clean the house. Well that was exactly what i did every single day for 5 months. Every morning I'd clean the house, do some exercises, feed the cats. I guess i am just so custom-ed to routines. I like it better that way.
And now that i have college to attend to, i like my life even more better now!
I love learning new things everyday. And i have to be honest mass communication seems like the perfect course for me.
I like the subjects for this semester. And i especially love the fact that there's a class that i can just write and write and write.
I am so happy and at ease at the moment. I love my new friends. They make me laugh on the days i feel down.
I am acclimating to the life of being a college student.
I actually enjoy doing the assignments. It's fun, and i get to do what i love. Writing!
Plus the lecturers are really warm. They are really easy to communicate and share ideas with. The learning system is so different from high school. I like it.

I can never thank my mother enough for letting me go to Taylor's. It is one of Kuala Lumpur's expensive colleges. And for my single mother to be willing to pay for me is a great proof that my mother would go to any lengths for my education and future. And because of her, i will do my greatest in college. And make her sacrifices worth everything.

I love this new chapter of my life and the fact that my life is so routined now. I wake up every morning, get ready, kiss my mom goodbye, drive myself to college, meet my friends at the stall, get to class, have lunch, more class, drive myself home, rest, and after dinner I'll start doing my assignments.
So far so great, i am loving every minute of this.

Here's something for my fellow readers. Pictures that will speak to you how i am enjoying college.

This is us being abnormal.

Now, here we are being normal.







And there you go readers, a simple conclusion of my new life as a college student!
Hope you enjoyed it.

'We don't live forever, so live today like there's no tomorrow'

Much love,
Deanna