I don't think I want to apologize for not blogging for so long. Seriously, I couldn't find any urge to blog, least the energy to. For the past 3 weeks, I have been always home late and feeling damn shagged because of my job. It really makes me wonder, I am working in an office. But why at the end of the day, I feel so damn drained?
The nature of my job is very simple - answer a few calls, do some data entry and drink lots of coffee. How tiring is that? But somehow, I am able to leave office totally drained of my energy. I suppose it is the mundane aspect of the job that is totally draining the crap out of me.
Anyway, less rant more meaningful blog post.
I was at the first 'serious' blogger forum last Saturday with the graceful invite of Nuffnang (muackXx Nuffies). It wasn't really a serious serious forum that deals with world finance and international issues. But it deals with a serious topic - HIV/AIDS.
If you guys would have went down to Orchard Cineleisure, you guys would have see a tent over there. Inside the tent would be artistic pictures that revolves around the theme of HIV/AIDS.
"Oooohh...yummy...Chocolate Eclaires and Donuts" *Drools*
Anyway, all the bloggers attending this forum are ushered into this tent to view a short film - August 29 *I will leave its trailer at the end of this post*.
And here is our lovely Ming, giving a short opening talk over here to get everything started.
And as the Bloggers started to sit down, the movie was played. August 29 is a short film about a girl and a boy who went through courtship once again, little did the boy know, the girl is infected with HIV. The storyline is simple (read: predictable) but it definitely hits the bullseye on what this campaign is all about - Opening your heart. But then, the girl died in the end (sob sob).
There were interesting interviews with some of the HIV patients in Singapore and their heart wrenching stories and ordeal is enough to make Governor Arnold whimper like a girl in the dark, well but of course that was a bit exaggerated, but the interview really makes me feel very fortunate and blessed.
So right after the movie, we started to mingle around, that is if you call talking amongst yourself and gossiping with each other, mingling around (PR-ing is a different thing, PR-ing is fluttering around like a butterfly from group to group as if they are flowers, talking to them and sucking their nectar sweet interest dry before you flutter off somewhere to collect more popularity.).
Here are some photos.
The one in green is the male lead in the film, the guy in the middle is responsible for the photos in the exhibition and the girl on the right is the female lead.
Thats me and Ming.
After this, we are supposed to go up to the preview lounge at level 6 to continue with the forum. Knowing that this would take at least 2 hours or so, Ryan and I decided to take a drag of smoke. I am not surprised that both of us are the only ones there smoking, we are easily one of the oldest blogger there. And I don't think smoking is something out of this world. But somehow, our habit sparked some interest in some bloggers (esp the brothers).
But anyway,
The whole preview lounge was booked for the 60 of us.
We had some ice breaker games. The first one was some bingo game where you have to find people who matches what the boxes on the paper says. I matched my name to "Person with an interesting hobby".
I din quite know that the host is going to ask who are these people who listed their name down though. My named was called, I had to say and I confessed that I knit. And boy was the whole room surprised.
This is a very good example never to judge a book by its cover. I smoke, I club, I swear like a sailor but never did you guys know I knit. But this is what happened when you have lots of free time on hand before you found work.
After the ice breaker, we had another activity. The activity puts the participant into circumstances with prerequisite actions. This simple activity simply depicts how different people would react to a HIV/AID infected person and the different ways an infected person act.
The one in green is the male lead of the short film. If you do remember, he is also the guy in the McDonald online delivery ad.
The forum started, and we touched on a few things. But what I find is most interesting is the topic of why people react the way they do to HIV patients.
Normally, whenever we hear about this guy or girl who contracted this disease, we would probably just throw in a few negative comments and just walk away as if nothing happens.
But then, when we really face up with one patient, usually, under natural reaction, we do shunt them aside and cast them away like plague.
This is probably the way why most people are afraid to come out and reveal their deepest darkest secrets. We are all humans, social animals, we need interaction with other people. HIV patients are humans too, social animals as well, they need interaction with other people and as a matter of fact more love and care from other people than the normal healthy ones.
But why are they being ostracized?
Its because, humans are afraid. They are all afraid of contracting this disease. Misconception plays a part as well. The risk of the disease being transmitted during day to day activities are very low, albeit care have to be taken.
Another reason why is that, we just don't know how to react appropriately to it, or we think we don't know how to react appropriately to it. The thing about Singaporean is that, we are not prepared for anything. We wait till something big happens and then we deal with it.
And between the time it happened and the time an action is made, there is a pause there, a buffer period. And in the situation of finding out someone you know has got this disease, the buffer period is probably isolation from him/her.
But I think the most appropriate way to treat the patients is the way you treat any of your other friends. Treat them with respect and love, no matter what they did, they still deserve the basic human respect.
Another topic we have touched on which I find equally interesting is Why people opted out of HIV testing?
Very simple - The truth is hard to take. We would rather live in a world of fairy fantasy, where rainbows are everywhere and the sun shines high and bright.
I am going to conclude over here already.
HIV/AIDS is a deadly disease and the damages that a patient faces not only restrict to their own health. They also face psychological damages as well.
We all should learn to accept them the way they are and not avoid them like plague. They need more than just medical support. They need our support as well. Instead of making the rest of their lives miserable, why not make it happy for them?
Open Your Heart.
and here is the trailer
Featured Song
The Way I am - Ingrid Michaelson (Girls and Boys)
The nature of my job is very simple - answer a few calls, do some data entry and drink lots of coffee. How tiring is that? But somehow, I am able to leave office totally drained of my energy. I suppose it is the mundane aspect of the job that is totally draining the crap out of me.
Anyway, less rant more meaningful blog post.
I was at the first 'serious' blogger forum last Saturday with the graceful invite of Nuffnang (muackXx Nuffies). It wasn't really a serious serious forum that deals with world finance and international issues. But it deals with a serious topic - HIV/AIDS.
If you guys would have went down to Orchard Cineleisure, you guys would have see a tent over there. Inside the tent would be artistic pictures that revolves around the theme of HIV/AIDS.
"Oooohh...yummy...Chocolate Eclaires and Donuts" *Drools*Anyway, all the bloggers attending this forum are ushered into this tent to view a short film - August 29 *I will leave its trailer at the end of this post*.
And here is our lovely Ming, giving a short opening talk over here to get everything started.
And as the Bloggers started to sit down, the movie was played. August 29 is a short film about a girl and a boy who went through courtship once again, little did the boy know, the girl is infected with HIV. The storyline is simple (read: predictable) but it definitely hits the bullseye on what this campaign is all about - Opening your heart. But then, the girl died in the end (sob sob).
There were interesting interviews with some of the HIV patients in Singapore and their heart wrenching stories and ordeal is enough to make Governor Arnold whimper like a girl in the dark, well but of course that was a bit exaggerated, but the interview really makes me feel very fortunate and blessed.So right after the movie, we started to mingle around, that is if you call talking amongst yourself and gossiping with each other, mingling around (PR-ing is a different thing, PR-ing is fluttering around like a butterfly from group to group as if they are flowers, talking to them and sucking their nectar sweet interest dry before you flutter off somewhere to collect more popularity.).
Here are some photos.
The one in green is the male lead in the film, the guy in the middle is responsible for the photos in the exhibition and the girl on the right is the female lead.
Thats me and Ming.After this, we are supposed to go up to the preview lounge at level 6 to continue with the forum. Knowing that this would take at least 2 hours or so, Ryan and I decided to take a drag of smoke. I am not surprised that both of us are the only ones there smoking, we are easily one of the oldest blogger there. And I don't think smoking is something out of this world. But somehow, our habit sparked some interest in some bloggers (esp the brothers).
But anyway,
The whole preview lounge was booked for the 60 of us.
We had some ice breaker games. The first one was some bingo game where you have to find people who matches what the boxes on the paper says. I matched my name to "Person with an interesting hobby".
I din quite know that the host is going to ask who are these people who listed their name down though. My named was called, I had to say and I confessed that I knit. And boy was the whole room surprised.
This is a very good example never to judge a book by its cover. I smoke, I club, I swear like a sailor but never did you guys know I knit. But this is what happened when you have lots of free time on hand before you found work.
After the ice breaker, we had another activity. The activity puts the participant into circumstances with prerequisite actions. This simple activity simply depicts how different people would react to a HIV/AID infected person and the different ways an infected person act.
The one in green is the male lead of the short film. If you do remember, he is also the guy in the McDonald online delivery ad.The forum started, and we touched on a few things. But what I find is most interesting is the topic of why people react the way they do to HIV patients.
Normally, whenever we hear about this guy or girl who contracted this disease, we would probably just throw in a few negative comments and just walk away as if nothing happens.
But then, when we really face up with one patient, usually, under natural reaction, we do shunt them aside and cast them away like plague.
This is probably the way why most people are afraid to come out and reveal their deepest darkest secrets. We are all humans, social animals, we need interaction with other people. HIV patients are humans too, social animals as well, they need interaction with other people and as a matter of fact more love and care from other people than the normal healthy ones.
But why are they being ostracized?
Its because, humans are afraid. They are all afraid of contracting this disease. Misconception plays a part as well. The risk of the disease being transmitted during day to day activities are very low, albeit care have to be taken.
Another reason why is that, we just don't know how to react appropriately to it, or we think we don't know how to react appropriately to it. The thing about Singaporean is that, we are not prepared for anything. We wait till something big happens and then we deal with it.
And between the time it happened and the time an action is made, there is a pause there, a buffer period. And in the situation of finding out someone you know has got this disease, the buffer period is probably isolation from him/her.
But I think the most appropriate way to treat the patients is the way you treat any of your other friends. Treat them with respect and love, no matter what they did, they still deserve the basic human respect.
Another topic we have touched on which I find equally interesting is Why people opted out of HIV testing?
Very simple - The truth is hard to take. We would rather live in a world of fairy fantasy, where rainbows are everywhere and the sun shines high and bright.
I am going to conclude over here already.
HIV/AIDS is a deadly disease and the damages that a patient faces not only restrict to their own health. They also face psychological damages as well.
We all should learn to accept them the way they are and not avoid them like plague. They need more than just medical support. They need our support as well. Instead of making the rest of their lives miserable, why not make it happy for them?
Open Your Heart.
and here is the trailer
Featured Song
The Way I am - Ingrid Michaelson (Girls and Boys)
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