The Brick Wall Challenge & the Jumpers

I recently spoke to a "bruder" (trying to act young.. sorry) cause he had some frustrations and disappointment about being in a youth organization as he always have felt there are obstacles ahead of him, especially that he feels there are those senior members who are "controlling" him and his members, and also... not respecting them as individuals. The complaints have always been as follows:

i) He should have respected us before asking us to call him or address him properly as RESPECT is earned and not given

ii) Who does he think he is? Very big meh?

iii) I dont like him, his style, his method

iv) He Yong Suey (cantonese for 'face problem')

v) Outside our activities, why do we still have to address him as XXXX? We should be just normal people what. I call by the name enough lah...!

Well, let me tell you all a story of JUMPERS and BRICK WALLS.

Inevitably, in any organization.. be it government, private sector, school, Leos or Lions Clubs, other NGOs, or even in our family.. there is always the BRICK WALL in front of us. Now, we need to understand one very simple point... Sometimes, these brick walls are there for a reason. Valid reasons would be... they are there to assert uniformity, discipline, support, encouragement and so on. There are many types of brick walls. Let's start with the good ones....

There are those brick walls that are there to support other structures.. To ensure that when the entire "building" is built, the brick wall is always there to support the base.. the roof, the sides everything!

There are also those brick walls that encourages growth and don't mind the growth is actually dependent on the brick wall... Without the brick wall, these "plants" would probably not see the light of day...Some brick walls don't even mind if the plants "overshadow" or "overtaken" its surface... cause to these brick walls.. as long as they see the light of day.. they get to live .. and be happy.. these brick walls would rather stay in the shadows...

And Of course... there are the brick walls that don't mind and allow you to creatively "use" them to be converted to something else? These brick walls would go to the extend of ensuring that ... as long as you are happy and successful, even the brick wall converts itself to something else.. it's fine to them...!

However... there are those brick walls... that are there, simply to ensure that nothing else lives. Some feel that these walls are useless and they are there and blocks growth! What about the old walls, dirty and ugly looking ones that are really a bad sight to just look at? Not only they are there to block growth, other "insects" and rubbish grow in them!

What about those walls that are built simply to ensure that no one gets out.. or gets in!? The Brick wall that is so long and strong... if you are within it's areas, you would feel "small", feel useless at times, and feel that... "What is a world without these walls? What would people on the other side be doing?"

 I BET SOMETIMES YOU WISH THIS WOULD HAPPEN!!!!

HOWEVER... some brick walls are not easily crushed or taken down! You organize a battalion of army and bulldozers to bring the wall down... and the only thing you managed to "hurt" is actually the surface.. and within the walls... there is a stronger layer! Then, you might just realize that... you are just being a dumb and silly person for trying the "break" the wall as all your efforts and energy are wasted! Not forgetting also, what would others think of you and how would they feel about you trying to bring down the wall? Have you ever thought... "bringing down the wall" would probably be a silly thing to do as .. 

At the end of the day, you didn't hurt the wall at all (simply its a brick wall for crying out loud!) and the person you hurt most is YOURSELF!!!! Aiyo.. pain mahhh... try to tembus ... your hand sakit only.. stupid!!!  

Drive a car and crash into the wall in hoping to bring down the wall??!!! HELLO!!! Got brains or not?!

You will bleed ... and do you think the brick wall will cry for you and come and help you recover? Oh please.. It's a BRICK WALL. If it has a face, a heart and a mouth, it'll probably laugh at you and talk to the wall next to him how dumb you are for trying to bring him down. Will the other "walls" help you? Oh puh-leaseee.. they are walls. Walls of the same bricks ..err stack together? haha!"

INSTEAD...

HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED....

HOW can you get to the other side of the wall.. without having to crash a car directly into it.. punch it, bring it down.. or do anything stupid that will hurt yourself more than it will hurt the wall? have you ever thought... instead of going "against" the brick walls...   trying to break it down, why not... DON'T Break it down...?

Or.. have you ever thought of another pointer... 

Your growth; development are stopped... 

simply because of YOU 

and not really the brick wall? I mean.. SERIOUSLY....!

Why not you do something else and 

GO AROUND IT, maybe?

All these while .. have you ever thought that whatever you do, you keep thinking about the brick wall! You will blame everything on the brick wall...! You will complain about the brick wall... You will always use the existence of the brick wall being there and THATTTTT.. is the cause of your failure!

Have you ever thought of the fact that.. the brick wall WILL ALWAYS BE THERE whether you like it or not! The Brick Wall was there even BEFORE you were even born! you reckon you will be able to bring it down? Pleaseeee lah!

To live a happy life, why not change your perception of the BRICK WALL? Why don't you try to:

i) Move around it, climb over it, or Jump over it?

ii) If the Wall is really that long, why don't you re-think your methods of getting to the other side of the wall? Why don't you MAKE THAT U TURN, and go back to where you have started and try to look for another possible way out?

There is always a solution to every possible problem you face in life. The only thing that is stopping you here is not really the BRICK WALL. It is YOU... YOURSELF!!!!

If you continue thinking about the brick wall blocking you in every way possible, then.. you will FOREVER live within the areas of the wall! You will FOREVER be lost and you will FOREVER be filled with hatred, anger and everything around you would seem more negative than ever because simply YOU chose to see the Wall as a PROBLEM and not a CHALLENGE!

Take my advice. Don't avoid and ignore the wall. The most successful person in this world would be able to make that wall a benefit to his/her growth rather than to destroy it. Making your enemy your friend is never easy, but worth a shot. You will see it from a different point of view one day if you choose to see it differently. 

Good Luck Jumpers! :)

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

District Chairperson for Leo Clubs

District 308B2 (Malaysia) 2009/2010

Penang took it to the next level!!!

When Region 1 Leos (Penang) decided they wanted to go green, they really meant it!!! I was invited to attend the GO GREEN project by Region 1 Leo Clubs, spear-headed by RCC Ong Lai Peng & the Leo Club of Penang City (O). The project, a collaraborative effort with the Marine Studies Dept. of University of Science Malaysia (USM) was in line with an international effort - INTERNATIONAL COASTAL CLEAN UP!

I'm very proud of each and everyone of the Leos who took part in this as the little beach clean-up exercise will definitely go a long way! Lion Dignitaries such as District Governor for District 308B2, Choong Kwei Loi; Vice DGs Hudson & Shaun alongside many other Cabinet Officers & Lions members also joined in this noble cause. The main objective is to clean up 2 coast-lines of Penang where the entire delegate was divided into two teams.

Clean? Well... one glance you would think so!

Leos/Lions being briefed as they were separated into groups

One look you might think the beach is clean... but when we start to look for rubbish carefully, you will be amazed on what you might be able to find!

Some of the finds include an old dot-matrix printer, a rusty anchor, fishing nets, heaps of bottles, polystyrene bits and pieces and many more!

When the officials gave us the garbage bags we thought that.. "It's so clean, what is there to fill up in these bags?!!!!" And yaaa.. after only 1 hour, we had more than 20 bags filled up to the max and some chemical drums that can't fit into the bags!

DG Choong Kwei Loi being interviewed by Bernama TV

Thumbs up for the serving of lunch where paper containers and metal
spoons were used. Leos from Central & Perak region might learn from this perhaps. Yes, we know that paper containers are more expensive. But heyyy... think big and selfless... think of the environment!

DG Choong Kwei Loi and I @ the dock. We had to take the boat back and not track as DG had to rush off to Alor Star for another project and I had to catch a plane back to KL. It was indeed a great project for all Leos/Lions who came!

In October, another GO GREEN project will be carried out in Langkawi. Headed by Celebrity Lion Baki Zainal from 8TV, a program called MCG2 (Malaysian Celebrities Go Green) will be launched @ the Westin Langkawi! Parts of the funds raised will be channeled to assist the District 308B2 LEO Cabinet's Environmental Department!

In December, we will fund a special Eco-Camp in Penang where all Environmental Chairpersons and Presidents of the clubs will be invited to learn how important of keeping our mother earth clean and also what does it really mean when we say... GO GREEN.

Leos, all it takes is just one step at a time.. and in return, your effort of not throwing rubbish or limiting the usage of plastic/polystyrene will go a long way....

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo
District Chairperson for LEO Clubs
District 308B2

Let's help Abg Shafie & Family have a stress-free Raya Celebration this year.

Just over last weekend, I flew in Dina, Azizi & Baki Zainal to Langkawi as a part-sponsor for flights. Also with us were members of the media from karangkfra (you guys rock!!!) and Zeekaa from Fashion Online (Blogger yg glamer ya.. jgn main2).

Anywayz, it was a combined effort of the KL/ & local media + Giant-Ants Talent Hub... and of course the major driver is none other than Westin Langkawi!!!!

Shafie Mustaffa, 30+, lives with wife and 3 schooling kids aged 4, 11 & 12 in Langkawi, Kedah. He used to be a staff in Westin Langkawi @ the In-room service separtment. Early this year, Shafie constantly had fever and always felt tired and had body aches. It was then learned that he had Hepatitis B that attacked his liver with cancer @ stage 2!!! He has had half his liver and gald bladder cut off to sustain his life.

Currently, after his operations that cost a big bomb... he still has to go to Kedah Medical Centre once a month to get his medication which cost Abg Shafie about RM700+ a month. There was a night when Abg Shafie tried to lift a chair and it hurt him so much that the management has decided that he should stay home to rest and recover. Even so, Westin places high respect and care for its staff... they still pay for his medical needs.

Dina, Azizi & Baki with local/KL media + Westin staff visited Abg Shafie and his family at his half completed home in Langkawi.

On the very same night, a dinner was held @ Westin Langkawi where guests attended donated some small sum to Abg Shafie and family. Dina and Azizi sang some songs to entertain the guests with Baki hosting the event.

This entire outing in Langkawi stopped me and made me rewind to look at my life and what I have now vs. some unfortunate souls who aspire to have what others have but simply are slapped with bad luck and I have to say, it's probably just fate and life challenge that they have to face...

We have done a small part in highlighting Abg Shafie's plight to the public. His wife, who wants to work to suppor the family... is still waiting for our "highly efficient" social welfare department to get her a job or to support her... been waiting for 4 months now and still there's no news. I was told that the media has done quite a good job and they are bringing some of the department officers to visit Abg Shafie soon.

My main worries... are the welfare of the kids. Adik Ai Man, who is just 4, is so adorable and cute. He may not know what is happening here... but I know though.. It's not going to be easy for him as he gradually grows up and slowly understanding what's going on. I really hope that Ai Man could continue his studies... be a "someone"... and will be ableto contribute back to his family in years to come...

I would like to activate ALL LEOS... and also, call upon ALL Lions in Kedah & Penang....! We can either donate cash directly to Abg Shafie's account directly, or send goodies via Westin to the family.

How about this.. let's celebrate Hari Raya together. It doesn't mean that we have to be Muslim to celebrate Hari Raya. Whether we are Malays, Chinese or Indians. or any other races. THERE'S A MALAYSIAN that is desperately in need of our help and let's heed that call!!!! That's what I call ONE MALAYSIA!

My ears are open for any form of proposal! The one that I have is... let's all make a visit to Abg Shafie's house! I can't be flying everyone in... I would rather convert the costs into donations to Abg Shafie. So... let's go over and celebrate Raya with them perhaps? better not have too big a group.... Kedah & Penang Leos.. I leave this to you...

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo
District Chairperson for LEO Clubs
District308B2
Malaysia (Selangor - Kedah)

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"Beauty with a Purpose" by Soo Wincci 蘇盈之

Well, for those who were at the Multiple District LEO Forum in Penang back in June 2009... do you remember one of our guest performers, was Soo Wincci (蘇盈之), Miss World-Malaysia 2008/2009???!!!!

Well, Wincci has just released her latest EP and I got myself a copy (original of course! ahem!)..! The Star quoted Wincci's debut as a very "One Malaysia" concept as there's a song done in 3 languages - BM, English & Mandarin! The album comprising 4 Chinese numbers, 1 BM & 1 English, is now available in all record stores nationwide!

Besides her busy schedule, Winnci is also ambassador/spokesperson to several charity organizations. Wincci is certainly one that stands out as a beauty queen + talented pretty chic who spends time doing good for the needy ones... The album is co-produced by big names like Ajai, Mac Chew etc...Wincci has performed with Hong Kong superstar Jackie Cheung and Singapore's Stephanie Sun before!

We are so happy to have Miss World Malaysia, Wincci performed 2 numbers during our LEO Forum this year and we hope Wincci will find a milestone of success in her journey in the music industry!

Who says beauty queens cant do anything else but wave?
Wincci @ the LEO Forum in Penang in June 2009!

Building Castles in the Air....

Am sure you have heard this one before! "Son, stop day dreaming! You can't be doing this! It's impossible...." All these negativity over the years.. from a child to a teenager... youth to adult.. we were told that we should stop day dreaming... don't think about big goals... THINK BOUT YOUR STRAIGHT A's in your exams before anything... bla bla bla bla bla!

Yup.. As a child, my mum too, always use proverbs and constant nagging on me... (She's a retired English teacher.. what do you expect?!!!) Even at school, when I had some big ideas on something, my friends or teachers would have told me that... "Stop day dreaming dude! It won't work!!!!"

See.. the Wright brothers in the early stages of building a plane... were laughed at, cursed, bla bla.... to the max! Now, we fly from KL to LA in less than 18 hours~!!!!

Have you seen the size of the first computer and phone? What about the mobile phones? The huge ones where we call them "water tumblers...", or the "tai kor tai" mobile phones? For those who have used the Tai Kor Tai mobile phones before, have you ever thought that the mobile phone 5 years from then... would be smaller than the size of the palm that can do video conferencing and surf the internet???! When the first computer was created, do you think that anyone would have thought that... the computer in the next 20 years, would be a million times faster and can be stored into a small bag?

Mostly ~ the answer is no... don't you think so? How about the next set of questions?

i) Cars will no longer need petrol and solar cells would be good enough to power up the engine? Wheels? OMG, that is just so... 21st century mannnn! Cars will hover on magnetic surfaces where there is a device that controls the flow and it just simply hovers on the road?

ii) Teleportation? - this is big. hahaha... Ever watched the Fly? Star Trek where the equipment demolecularize an item and remolecularize at another point?

iii) Speed - you reckon Warp speed is possible? (waaayyyy faster than the speed of light if you are an arden Trekkie fan!!!)

iv) Mobile phones? ~ Gee, who needs them?!!!! You tap your watch and the person you are talking to, there's this hologram image that transmit data, video & audio.. you simply "tap" in the air.... It's like when you tap on the watch.. it goes

"Hello Mr Thoo, welcome to DiGi, caller ID pls"

"Dial Lion Clayton Tan"

"Dialing Lion Clayton Tan, House, office or Mobile"

"Mobile"

"Connecting you"

v) Again.. my last question ~ Building castles in the air?

What about the thought of everyone no longer live in house but spacecrafts overlooking Mars? I would call that a Castle in the air!!!! or.. simply.. the entire Condominium floats in the air.. yup!!!!

WE JUST HAVEN'T DISCOVERED THE TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT THE CASTLE IN THE AIR YET!!!!

Therefore... folks, remember!!!! There's no such thing as building castles in the air... no such thing as.."Hahahah.. you have got to be kidding me! that's impossible!!!".... "That's rubbish".... "Stop day dreaming"

Eventually, whatever goes around comes around. Most importantly you need to ensure that YOU... know what you are doing!

YOU dare to dream...!

YOU dare to accept the challenge!

YOU dare to go beyond boundaries!

YOU dare to climb a thousand mountains, run a million miles, swim a zillion oceans....

to achieve your goals and dreams.. Let no one or nothing stop you! If you fail, pat yourself at the back, pick youself up, and continue your journey!

As for me... I'm now at a juncture of thinking.....

Should I build an Alpha Castle in an open land

.. brand new...

New lands give new problems... everything else is new.. fresh,...people who work at the castle will also be new and they have to be trained etc etc etc

OR...

Should I just buy an existing Omega Castle...!

old castle.... has their old problems. By waiting to buy the castle alone, took me ages.. pursuation... hints... encouragements... loads of work had to do...begging....

But.. after the purchase... there might be problems too... the workers may not listen to the new boss... the senior workers are just too conservative in change....

Sighhhhhh!

Hence... should I buy an old Castle, or Build a new one?!!!! Alpha or Omega....

Thinking... thinking.....!

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

DC Leo

One Hectic Month....!

DISTRICT 308B2 GO GREEN
As the District Chairperson for LEO Clubs for the new fiscal year, I am very happy to see many Leo Clubs thinking "green!" these days! BRAVOOOO to all of you!!! FYI, Celebrity Lion, Baki Zainal from 8TV will be launching a special Go Green! project together with his media friends and partners. Funds will be raised for Leo Clubs in our District to conduct environmental projects in this fiscal year and some other organizations too!!! Yeayyyy!!!!

The good news is, in October, we'll have a mega launch of the project, and we will be organizing a beach clean up in Langkawi Island! 10 LEO Club members from our district will be selected from our District.. (most likely the Environmental Directors/Chairpersons of your club) to take part in the beach clean-up and a special Go Green Forum that will be attended by celebrities, media and other environmental agencies too! More info to come up real soon on this one!!!! :)

Leo Ng Zi Qin from the Leo Club of Penang City (O) headed a project called "3R" in line with Penang's aims of becoming the first "Green state". The project was also supported by Leos from Chung Ling High School, Convent Datuk Keramat and Penang Chinese Girls' High School. Leos managed to collect old newspapers, aluminium cans, cardboards, plastic bottles from a 5 block radius. The items collected were sold to a recycling center and RM86.70 was raised.

The Leo Club of SMK Taman Sea organized their installation @ their school hall with the "Go Green" concept in mind! They served food using reusable utensils made of plastic and metal... and NO disposable plastic utensils & polystyrene plates/cups were used! BRAVO, Taman SEA LEOs!!!!!!!!

The Leo Club of La Salle Klang, added more trees and did a clean-up of their LEO Garden recently!!! Bravo! Expand your LEO Garden,... plant more trees...create more "Green" @ your school. in fact, the entire school could be your "Leo Garden" project. This might be too big or ambitious a project for you Leos.. but think about it... why not work with your school and keep your teachers, students and Principal happy! Instead of only taking care of a Leo Garden, why not go bigger!!! :P Why don't you organize "Green" projects, and create more spots @ your school to plant more trees... hence, making the entire school ground a mega sized "LEO Garden!!!"

Up & Coming INSTALLATIONS...

13 Leo Clubs in Perak are hosting the 30th Perak Annual LEO Joint Installation on the 23rd of August 2009... Penang is also having their Region 1 Joint installation on the 31st of August too!!!! Facebook-ers..lock in your calendar here.

SERVING THE COMMUNITY...

Visit to Beautiful Gate, Kampar...Home for the disabled (mental/physical)
The Leo Club of Penang City (O) took the initiative to organize a project out of their region, Penang, and Organizing Chairperson, Leo Teoh Him Keat said that, this was a great experience as sharing and caring for the needy ones have no boundaries at all. They took the effort to jointly organizing this project with the Leo Clubs of ACS and Pei Yuan, Kampar. Other guest Leos who attended the event included Leos from Anderson & Sam Tet, Ipoh as well as Petaling Jaya Integrity too!

Leos and Lions played games and many Lions contributed a little something and the money was used to purchase items for daily use... Bravo Penang City!!!! Besides doing charitable work, you managed to build bridges across 3 regions to foster better fellowship amongst Leos and Lions!!!

The Leo Club of Tanjung Penang, Chung Hwa & Union High School organized a trip to the Hospice Pure Lotus home...Our Leos fed the patients there, cooked for them, cleaned up the surrounding area and done loads of other work for the home in aid of charity! This certainly has helped and assisted the management of the home and eased their jobs in the name of charity! Bravo Leos!!!!

The Leo Club of Assunta, PJ & the Leo Club of Ipoh Metro (O) organized a joint visit to the Rumah Seri Setia Old Folks Home. Leos played games @ the home with the uncles and aunties and also donated food supplies and other items to them too! Teacher advisors of the Assunta Leo Club and Leo Advisor Lion Ivan Lim were present too!!! Great support from the advisors!!!! Parts of the visit were documented by Zenny Lyn, host for Jalan-jalan with Zenny on the LEO WebTV channel... click here to view!

The Leo Clubs of Sam Tet, Ave Maria Convent & Yuk Choy Ipoh jointly organized a visit to the Moonlight Care Centre Old Folks Home. Heeding the call for more regional/joint projects... the 3 clubs decided to carry out the visit with a more personal touch... that is to cook food together with the uncles and aunties at the home.....RCC for Leo Clubs Region 4, Lion Mary Goh also joined them. Unfortunately Perak LEOs still have yet to GO GREEN. Look at the many polystyrene boxes used during the event. Wonder if this could be reduced in the next visit... wouldn't that be good? :) (Hint!!!! Hint!!!! Do I have to start penalizing clubs for using polystyrene boxes for events to finally make you guys see what Go Green really means???!!!!)

INAUGURATION DINNER FOR DISTRICT GOVERNOR FOR DISTRICT308B2, LION CHOONG KWEI LOI

Left: Leo Club of Penance City members with DG ChoongKwei Loi...
Right: Leo Jack Ng (Petaling Jaya Intergrity), Leo Daniel Kok (Sam Tet), Lion Hjh Ellis Suriati (International Director), Leo Carl Cheong & Leo Joon Yang (Anderson)

Young Leos and Young-at-heart Lions ... truly a mixture of

the younger and more experienced LIONS in this photo!

1st August 2009 marked a historical and memorable date in the District 308B2 history as this was the inauguration night of our District Governor, Lion Choong Kwei Loi. DG Choong, who hails from the Lions Club of Bidor Orient said in his inaugural speech that "Move to Grow".. and "Growth with Actions" come in line with each other.. as one is an international theme and the other, his theme for this fiscal year. He added that with the strength that we have amongst the Lions in the district, he wishes to see more true Lionism in the fiscal year and hopes to have more fellowship at the same time... with the main intention of "Growth.. with Actions"!!!

Fellow Leos, let's heed our DG's call.. let's move together with him.. 'Grow' together with DG to a greater height!

Left: DC Alan Thoo & RCC Mary Goh with Leos from PJI (O), Anderson & Sam Tet Right: DC Alan Thoo, RCC Ong Lai Peng & VDG1 Hudson Hah with Leos from Anderson, Sam Tet, PJI(O) & Ipoh Unity (O).

Alrighty.. that's all for now.... ROAR! ROAR!!! ROARRR!!!!!!