I was very blessed while growing up. Through school, church, the Girl Scouts and other organizations, I was given a plethora of opportunities to volunteer in the broader community. From bakes sales to raise money for charities, to painting the walls at an aging retirement home I had ample opportunities to connect with people, feel good about myself, and at least for a fleeting moment, think that I have made a difference.
However now that I am working, I’m finding it much harder to give back. Sure, I can donate a few dollars to a charity or religious organization, but as my mom always told me “time is way more valuable than money… anyone can donate money (even if it’s a small amount) but few people donate your time.” You see, donating time requires real commitment. It takes dedication to determine what skills you have to offer, what organization(s) or causes can benefit from those skills, and how to fit the donation of your time into your busy schedule. I’m in no way saying that donating money is wrong or not needed, because as anyone with NGO can attest – not-for-profits always welcome and are in need of donations. Rather, I’m arguing that to really give of yourself, to really make a difference, donating your time and skills can make a bigger impact – especially in your own life.
For the average person, when you donate money you may take some time to research where you want to donate. However, once the money is transferred, most people quickly forget that they even donated, and rarely if ever check up to see what their money resulted in. When you donate time, the impact to the volunteer usually lasts a little longer – remembering how you felt during the volunteer assignment, feeling the appreciation of others or even appreciating yourself. Now some may say that this is a selfish reason to volunteer, but I beg to differ. I believe God mad volunteering and doing good deeds ‘feel good’ because it is a good thing to do. There is nothing wrong with doing something that lightens your heart, puts a smile on your face as well as others, and generally leaves you with pleasant memories. With that said, even these feelings go away after time.
I believe the only way to really change yourself on the inside through doing good deeds, is to do good deeds on a repetitive basis. Now that I’m an adult, with real skills that can be utilized (like accounting and bookkeeping, fundraising, writing, and communication skills) I believe I have an obligation to give back to the community.
There is so much injustice and suffering in the world that I see, hear about and read about on a daily basis. I need to stop just feeling it’s wrong, and start doing something about it. But what can I do? Well the first step, is to research what is in the area. In KL I’m particularly affected by how beautiful the jungle is. As more and more developments go up, more and more jungle (and all the flora and fauna associated with it) are destroyed – primarily for profits. Maybe I can join a wildlife conservation society or environmentally-focused community group. I also am extremely moved by the number of people I see here with disfiguring illnesses and disabilities. This is shocking to me because in the US, most people have access to healthcare where they get treatment. The most appalling are the men who have lost limbs and whose skin is infected with sores. Are these sores treatable? Are they able to get medical attention? I could try to contact some medical professionals and organise a group to meet once a month and walk the streets and make on-the-spot consultations of medical treatments that can be done to help.
These are just thoughts for now. I’m interested to know what others in KL do to volunteer and give back. I’m open for ideas.
Now this meditation will have an Islamic core. Instead of trying to clear my mind of all thoughts, I plan to focus my mind only on God; and clear away all else. I can start small; focusing on the Oneness of Him. Then move to His blessings, and ultimately the wonders of His creation. Many Muslims don’t realize that meditation is Sunnah (an activity undertaken by the Prophet). My belief is that through meditation, one’s soul can be cleared from this world and transcended to something higher. 
What is up with all the bad smells in KL? For starters, what is with this haze? I moved here to get fresh tropical air, feel the warm oceanic breeze, and get out of all the pollution created by the ‘Western-world’. So it was a complete shock when I looked out the window of my office a few weeks ago and thought the entire city was up in smoke – I honestly thought there was some major forest fire occurring as I had never seen pollution this bad before. After some inquiry I came to realise that it was a result of all the slash and burn tactics that farmers are doing, mostly on the Indonesian Island of Sumatra. Now, I’m usually one of the first people to stick up for farmer’s rights, at least small family farms, but this is ridiculous!! All these industrial farms in Sumatra have found it more affordable to take a short-cut and burn their crops at the end of their lifecycle instead of choosing the environmentally friendly and economically stimulating option of hiring labourers to remove the old crops before re-cultivating the land. I mean, really…. How is this allowed when on a global level we are ‘suppose’ to be decreasing pollution. All this smoke creates an interesting smell when you go outside – a faint essence of fire – that makes the air feel really thick when you breath it in (which it is because you are breathing in so much pollution). It even makes me rethink running outside.
On to smell number 2: insecticide. Yes, Malaysia is a tropical jungle, so of course there are a lot of bugs. However, is that really that bad? I’m super bug-phobic, just ask my husband. However, I acknowledge (if not appreciate) that God created bugs for a reason – they play a vital role in the environment that should not be disturbed. Additionally, isn’t it common sense that pesticides are unhealthy. The entire organic food movement is based on these two facts – and this is a growing market. So why do ALL, and I mean ALL, businesses, homes, etc. have to pour massive amounts of insecticides over every inch of man-made floor? For example, my apartment ‘must’ for some unknown reason get sprayed every two months. The smell is so bad that I have to open all the windows and re-clean the entire apartment right after the guy is gone. When I ask him to not spray the kitchen, especially the pantry where I keep my food and dinnerware, he looks at me in bewilderment. I mean really?!?! I guess not. Does that make logical sense not to spray your food and plates with chemicals? Plus, the smell lasts for over a month – no matter how much I clean. Even at work someone comes ever couple weeks to spray the floors and walls. Of course this is done during work hours, because well… why not. So I’m left covering my face and eyes with a scarf from the time they enter till about 30 minutes after they are gone, just to keep my eyes from tearing up and my through from tingling.
The final smell that blows my mind is the fresh blood smell in the grocery store meat aisle. Fresh meat is a luxury in many countries, and I understand that, but I choose to shop at real grocery stores, and not wet markets, to better ensure the meat I’m buying is fresh and safe. However, every time I go to pick up chickens it sickens me that there is all this fresh blood in the bag and in the bottom of the refrigerated meat shelf. The smell is pretty much undescribable – something that you have to smell for yourself. 
In the US, I'm not aware of anyone who eats it. My ONLY two experiences with stingrays are when (1) my mother was stung in Galveston one summer when I was small, and (2) hearing that a stingray resulted in the untimely death of Steve Irwin, the Crocodile Hunter, in 2006. Thus, stingrays to me are ruthless predators - leaving unpleasant memories at best. So, I wasn't compelled to eat it. I mean "you are what you eat" right? And I want people to like me. :-) 
