After a long drawn battle with the biggest catastrophe in our living memory, global humanity is finally getting to see some quintessential ray of light at the end of the treacherous tunnel in the form of COVID-19 vaccines, currently being rolled out to all parts of the globe.  A ‘COVID-19 free world’ is still some distance away as we continue our march there, slowly but surely.

The year 2020 was all about suffering, surviving and sustaining.  More importantly, it was all about ‘learning’, from the crisis we were forced into, the changes we had to adapt to and the social, medical and economic modifications we had to adjust to.  There were many ‘firsts’ we had to witness and go through, some of which were not exactly pleasant.

After being host to an online ‘Quiz series on the COVID-19 theme’ which is a yearlong now, there is a sense of realization that I have become more and more reflective towards life during the pandemic times, often wondering whether everyone else around me were also experiencing it at some degree.  Are there any mental ‘take-aways’ from the pandemic?, is there a desperate need to learn from it?, did anything change in our priorities or got added to our life goals and ambitions post 2020?  Questions kept mushrooming my mind.

Global community of quiz participants
I realized that the best way forward was to open a dialogue box with my global community of quiz participants by asking them a simple question, the answer to which, I am sure, was not so simple for them to instantly come up with. I asked each of them “What was the biggest lesson COVID-19 taught you?”

To attain a wide variety of perspectives from every corner of the world, based on social, geographical and economic conditions people were accustomed to in their part of the world, I chose to pick participants from as many countries as possible for this survey. Many of my quiz participants, friends and followers from Malaysia, India, The Netherlands, New Zealand, US, Singapore, Lebanon, Germany and Mexico took part in this survey and each of them came up with their own analogy of life perspectives during COVID-19 times. There were even some students at the ISUtrecht who took part in my survey.

 

Major findings from this survey

Harmonious co-existence between humans and habitat

Many participants felt that there was an immediate urgency for humanity to establish a ‘mutual connect of co-existence’ with habitat.  Love, care, compassion and affection towards nature and animals is not just the dire need of the hour.  It should be an ongoing process which should become the prime focal point of any government’s social plans or welfare measures.  Many felt that humans should stop living with the false feeling that they are superior to animals.  A good amount of wisdom and logic must have gone into framing the term ‘mother earth’ by our earlier generations from times immemorial.  The more we dig into forests, the more we encroach on habitats, the more we invite catastrophes like Covid-19. We learnt it through the hardest experience possible, a lesson which came at the cost of many lives and living.

Basic Health is the biggest wealth

Covid-19 times opened up many human insecurities and needs – loss of livelihoods, living in quarantine, longing to travel, eat out and shop but the biggest of the insecurities was all about the sudden new found scare associated with potential, life threatening and dangerous lifestyle diseases like diabetes, heart disease and obesity to name a few. The pandemic has painfully show cased that people with underlying health conditions, proved to be more vulnerable in succumbing to the virus.   ‘Self-esteems’ of many have taken a brutal beating after testing positive during pandemic times.  Many surveyed participants urged on the importance to ‘build’ and ‘strengthen’, not just on their economic front, but to nicely balance it out through healthy life style choices.  Health care became vital after the covid-19 scare.

Not taking near and dear ones for granted

Covid-19 turned the world upside down in every possible way.  After the initial panic pangs set in, at the advent of the outbreak, global humanity quickly lifted itself up and learnt admirably to adapt and adjust to the adversity at large.  Participants of the survey felt that a new routine kicked in through pandemic times, life’s mega pace underwent a paradigm shift with some of them suddenly re-discovering long forgotten domestic pleasures like long walks, little hugs and the pleasures of cooking, instead of reaching out to a packed meal box.  But many felt that the most important positive take away for them was to adapt to changes and be always equipped to fight challenges life throws at you which they felt was only possible by not taking near and dear ones for granted.

‘Life is what happens when you are busy making plans’

‘Ambition’ is a big word but many surveyed participants now opined that the word ‘unpredictable’ is also quite big.  Some of the most repeated lines participants came up with throughout this survey were;

• ‘Take life as it comes’
• ‘Don’t be overly ambitious’
•  ‘Don’t plan too far ahead in life, try and have short term goals’
• ‘Be nice to people around you’

‘Minimalism’ and spending sensibly

All of us, at some point of time in our lives, have heard religious sayings and ethical preaching on holding back and letting, if not many but a few material needs or cravings go.  The pandemic times opened arms for each of us to put some of these words of wisdom to practice.  Many participants mentioned that they started to enjoy nature from their backyards and streets more than checking into an expensive skiing resort or hill station elsewhere in the world.  Many of them explored the joys of cooking at home, not just the regular food but also try their hand at making fancy foods we are used to eating at fancy restaurants for an equally fancy price.  Necessity became the godmother of invention here. Gone were the expensive event celebration parties we hosted for friends and well-wishers with a lot of paraphernalia, parties which used to get forgotten by guests, the day after.  Personal finances were understood better and spending took a more sensible and sustainable path.  More importantly, participants felt that they understood the thin line of difference between fruitful and frivolous spending.

There is no such thing called the ‘old normal’

Some of the young participants from the survey felt that ‘life plans may change and a greater need to respect and adapt to the new changes is one of the biggest lessons learnt through the pandemic’.  Life may never be the same, even post Coved-19 times and a return to the ‘old normal’ which many talk about may never happen.  Instead, the sooner humanity builds strength and resilience to embrace the ‘new normal’, the happier life gets.  Some young participants also felt that ‘hope’ is a big word which assumes an altogether different meaning for them after this crisis.  Life experienced by most youngsters these days is often confined to laptops, online studying, ‘zoom’ meets and mobile phones.  Some of them opined that the need to go out, express ourselves, physical bonding and valuing human contact need to be respected.

*The article was first published on by Bernama, the National News Agency of Malaysia.

***
Phanindra Ivatury started his quizzing journey in 2002.  He finds quizzing very interesting, engaging and considers it an impactful way of disseminating knowledge, by raising curiosity through a question asked. Until recently, Phanindra was a Public Sector Auditor by profession and an International Quiz Master by passion.  After opting for voluntary retirement with the Government of India in 2019, he turned into a full-time professional in quizzing. Alongside writing and hosting quizzing events, he now contributes articles in the media, writes quiz columns for journals or in-house magazines of organizations, delivers corporate lectures as a motivational speaker on topics like motivation, communication, leadership and teamwork.

Phanindra hosts quizzing events for social groups, corporates, academic institutions, banks, government organizations, cultural centers to name a few. His quizzing is usually theme-based (like for example the current ‘Covid times’ theme). In his quizzes, all the questions asked are his own researched creations and are not borrowed from any quizzing sites or from the works of other quiz masters.

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My first memory of LIGHT

I do not recall,

But my ‘daak naam’ seemed to have

a luminous circle around it.

I guess it pays to choose to come

into the world on days like Diwali.

When I realized that I am actually called LIGHT

I kind of laughed out loud … yeah right!

Light on my feet I am certainly not.

And light as a … feather(?) …no, don’t even go there.

 

At three, I was fascinated by the streetlight

Outside my Mashi’s house in Kuala Pillah.

The darwan (as my Mesho called him), much to the chagrin

Of my Anglicized cousins, who in unison would say

‘watchman, Baba’.

 

…. Where was I?

Yes, the darwan , the watchman

would make his rounds tapping his staff.

And stand at the light post – he scared the dayLIGHTs out of me.

Tall, scraggly, uniformed, with a ‘cane; as I saw it.

 

Next vivid memory is

of Baba getting the ‘kerosene’ lamp to work

whenever there was a power outage …

‘load-shedding’ Ma would say,

And the flickering light

cast shadows on the blank walls.

And I imagined stories

that never could be told.

 

When much older, it was

the LIGHTing of the pradeep in the puja room

LIGHTing diyas during festivities

especially at Kali Pujo and Diwali

And Xmas trees all lit up

in neighbour’s homes.

 

Then came the fascination with words – idioms/proverbs

to be LIGHT years away

to cast LIGHT on something

to see the LIGHT of day

and …. Lines from the Good Book - Let there be LIGHT and there was LIGHT

 

Then rolled in the music –

the bhajans , kirtans, the hymns in the chapel hall,

a LIGHT that never comes;

you LIGHT up my life;

Come on baby, LIGHT my fire… really?

 

And the voracious reading….from

All the LIGHT you cannot see to

the LIGHT between Oceans that broke your heart,

barely making you grasp

the unbearable LIGHTness of being

in the LIGHT of what we know

 

One day not too long ago I remember when I said,

“No, there is no LIGHT at the end of the tunnel.”

And an older, wiser one told me,

“You yourself are LIGHT;

you are a lamp.

That’s what you are DEEPA.

It is fine not to be

a flooding LIGHT.

It is totally okay

to be just a ray!”

 

Notes:

Daak naam - a name you are addressed by (like a nickname)

Mashi – maternal aunt Kuala Pilah – a town in one of the states south of Kuala Lumpur

Mesho – maternal aunt’s husband

Baba - father

pradeep – a ‘light’ holder

puja - prayer

Kali Pujo – prayers for the goddess Kali

bhajans – devotional songs

kirtan – songs of praise during worship

 

***

Dr. Swagata Sinha Roy has been a facilitator in education for more than 30 years, having worked in educational institutes in Brunei and in different parts of Malaysia. She is interested in reading and writing about, as well as discussing the diaspora, her Bengali roots, issues of identity, narratives for children, and most recently, popular culture and social media toxicity. Currently, she is with a Malaysian university, nurturing her passion to get learners to enjoy the written word. She organizes book and poetry clubs in Kuala Lumpur and enjoys experimenting with different forms of poetry and getting to read poems aloud. For her every poem is a conversation. She is deeply grateful to be extraordinarily ordinary. She can be reached at www2.utar.edu

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It was recently reported that the Indian Medical Association called on the health minister, himself a doctor (Dr. Harsh Vardhan), to provide evidence that Ayurveda and yoga are effective in treating the coronavirus.¹ This has been the source of ongoing, and sometimes contentious, discourse. The story of Asha (not her real name) illustrates this point.

A year ago, Asha pleaded with her Ayurveda practitioner, “Please listen to me. Everyone is just passing me from one specialist to the next.” When she was 35 years old, after several years of investigations, Asha was finally diagnosed by the endocrinologist as being hypothyroid. Her relief that with this diagnosis she would begin to then heal was short lived.

When her menstrual cycle was still not regulated, Asha was referred to a gynaecologist who prescribed the contraceptive pill. When her eyesight was affected as a side-effect of the pill, she was referred to an ophthalmologist to get prescription glasses. When she found that her skin was dry and she suffered from allergies, a dermatologist prescribed steroidal cream. With the unexplained weight gain came a visit to the cardiologist who diagnosed her as being pre-diabetic and prescribed yet another medication.

“One day, I sat alone in my flat and cried,” Asha said. “I had spent close to RM2,000.00 on tests alone because each specialist wanted his own tests done. I tried to tell them that maybe the medicines were all contraindicating with each other, but they wouldn’t listen. When I told my endocrinologist that I was too tired to commit suicide, she wanted to refer me to the psychiatrist.”

Refusing to do so, Asha turned to the Ayurveda practitioner for help; she had nothing left to lose. Deeply frustrated, Asha said, “All the specialists said that there was no evidence that Ayurveda would work. Sometimes, I wonder if they even know what evidence means.”

 

What does evidence mean?

The word evidence has its origins in the legal field and is an entire undergraduate module for those who read law. At its most basic, it is the available body of facts or information indicating whether or not a belief is true or valid. The application of such evidence requires a lawyer to state a particular rule, provide facts that support this rule, state the exception to the rule, provide facts that showcase this and, finally, apply these to any particular case in hand.

When those in the healthcare industry demand evidence, as the Indian Medical Association has, what they are often referring to is ‘evidenced-based medicine’ (EBM) which is reported to mean ‘the conscientious, explicit, judicious and reasonable use of modern, best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients.’ The EBM movement is now used as means to dismiss any treatment of a disease that isn’t subject to systematic reviews and meta-analyses, research methods based on multiple studies and critical analyses.

 

Treating the disease, not the patient

Therein lies the basic problem and fundamental difference between the two systems of treatment of a patient: where allopathic medicine focuses on ‘treatment of a disease’, complementary medicine focuses on the patient. The endocrinologist treated Asha’s hypothyroid, the dermatologist treated her skin condition, the cardiologist treated her pre-diabetes and the psychiatrist would have examined her state of mind. The Ayurveda practitioner, on the other hand, treated Asha.

Making this distinction does not in any way dismiss the contributions that each of these specialists makes towards the treatment of patients seek their help. The majority of doctors are no doubt providing treatment to the best of their ability.

What this statement aims to showcase is that the responsibility of what is happening to a patient isn’t confined to only one part of the patient’s body. And that there is no better person who understands what is happening to his body than the patient himself.

 

Complementary not alternative

This emphasises the point that each patient must shoulder part of the responsibility of the treatment he agrees to undertake. Asha’s road to recovery was fast because of her discipline and the methodical approach she took: she followed all the instructions given, took the medications (both allopathic and complementary), listened to her body, communicated her concerns to healthcare professionals who listened to her and, in some cases, stood her ground.

“Even though all my test results showed that I was back to normal, the cardiologist insisted that I start taking statins as a precautionary measure. He was so angry when I told him it was unnecessary and scolded me for believing in Ayurveda.”

Therein lies the next problem. There is an assumption that practitioners of Ayurveda and yoga are practising alternative medicine and either circumventing or usurping the role of modern medicine. This cannot be further from the truth. Ayurveda and yoga are not alternatives to allopathic medicine. They complement the established medical systems.

Ultimately, the last word belongs to Asha who said, “I had to learn to listen to and understand my body. I also accepted that with complementary medicine, there is never going to be the kind of evidence they want. Every single patient is different. I didn’t know if Ayurveda and yoga, together with allopathic medicines, would work for me until I tried them. And what worked for me may not work for someone else. But I am the evidence that it works for me.”

 

References:

1. Home remedies boom as India pandemic cases soar. Starlifestyle, Monday 2 November 2020 (Woman); p.p. 6
2. Masic I, Miokovic M and Muhamedagic B; Evidence Based Medicine – New Approaches and Challenges; Acta Inform Med. 2008; 16(4): 219–225 or online at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3789163/

***

Vaidya C. D. Siby is the Chief Ayurveda Practitioner at Ayur Centre, Petaling Jaya and Council Member of the Traditional and Complementary Medicine Council, Ministry of Health in Malaysia. Together with Aneeta Sundararaj, he is the co-author of the best-selling book, Knowledge of Life: Tales of An Ayurveda Practitioner in Malaysia published by MPH Publishers (ISBN 9789674154004).

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‘Bengali’ is not a pejorative term, but endows the recipient with a sense of self-worth and respect rooted in glory.

 

“Say their name. Start there,” said President Dalton, a character in the popular American television series, Madam Secretary. In this fictitious story, the president encouraged the leader of Myanmar to recognise a faction of its citizens, the Rohingya. In various parts of the episode which aired in 2018, the terms Rohingya and Bengali seemed to be interchangeable. Dismissing this misnomer as artistes exercising their creative licence, we thought nothing more of this.

It all came back to us recently when our thoughts took a somewhat alarming turn upon reading the newspaper report, ‘Muslims, Hindus sidelined in election’.¹ Although our hearts went out to the hardships and challenges faced by the marginalised in Myanmar, we zoomed in on the fact that the term ‘Bengali’ is now a pejorative one normally used to refer to the persecuted Rohingya, and that Muslims across Myanmar were being coerced into adopting ‘Bengali’ as an identity.

For reasons that will become clear, we will admit that our initial instinct was to vociferously defend the erroneous use of this term. This was soon tempered by an overriding need, instead, to first understand the actual import of the article and then set right the misconception surrounding the term ‘Bengali’. This also arises from our vested interests at being referred to as ‘Bengali’ all our lives.

For example, during our discussion, one commented that, “Even those who guess my family’s origins refuse to accept it. Some ask if my mother’s Chinese. Now, I just accept being Bengali. Much easier.” When the other was once asked, “You not Indian? You Shah Rukh Khan?” she didn’t give in to the temptation to reply, “No, I Kajol”.

We will, therefore, humbly ask that we be allowed to showcase why it is of utmost importance that the term ‘Bengali’ be treated with respect and dignity, instead.

For a start, the word ‘Bengal’ is believed to be derived from a tribe called Bang that settled in modern-day East Bengal around the year 1000 BCE. Although the Bengali people are its dominant ethnolinguistic tribe, the region has been a historical melting point, blending indigenous traditions with cosmopolitan influences from pan-Indian subcontinental empires.²

Its language, Bengali, is spoken by more than 210 million people – 100 million of them in Bangladesh, 85 million in India (primarily in the states of West Bengal, Assam, and Tripura) and a sizeable number of immigrant communities in the UK, US and the Middle East.³

In fact, towards the end of the last millennium, the Bangladeshis started an initiative to honour their language. As a result, on 17 November 1999, UNESCO formally recognised International Mother Language Day as a worldwide annual observance held on 21 February to promote awareness of linguistic and cultural diversity, and to promote multilingualism.⁴

With what veers on an obsession in the arts, almost, it is no surprise that Bengalis are some of its most illustrious proponents, advocates and supporters. Through their works, they have changed the course of world history and left indelible marks in their chosen fields.

In 2016, during a visit to Malaysia, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi announced the renaming of the Indian Cultural Centre in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Indian Cultural Centre. This was to honour the Indian nationalist whose defiant patriotism made him a hero in India. However, during World War II, Netaji’s attempt to rid India of British rule resulted in an unresolved mystery surrounding his disappearance and death.

An earlier protest against British rule (and in this case, cruelty) was by yet another Bengali – Rabindranath Tagore. He renounced the award of a knighthood by King George V as a response to the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre in Amritsar, Punjab. The world still celebrates this Nobel Laureate’s works, the most famous of which is his collection of poems, Gitanjali.

The other Bengali Nobel Laureate, Amartya Sen, is an alumnus of the learning institution that Tagore is credited to have founded, Shantiniketan, as is Indira Gandhi, former Prime Minister of India.

We cannot help but include the penmanship of Amitav Ghosh, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni and Jhumpa Lahiri whose literary works are not only read, but studied and researched in academic circles.

A spectacular collision between spirituality and literature occurred in mid-20^th century with the publication a seminal classic, Autobiography of a Yogi by the son of Bengal, Paramahansa Yogananda. It is widely reported that when Steve Jobs died, those who attended his funeral were each given the gift of this book.

Paramahansa Yogananda’s brother in the most ancient order of monks and fellow Bengali, Swami Vivekananda, gave a speech at the First World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago, USA in 1893. The words he uttered then resonate now more than ever:

“Sectarianism, bigotry, and its horrible descendant, fanaticism, have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often and often with human blood, destroyed civilization [sic.] and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now.”⁵

One of the greatest filmmakers of the 20th century, Satyajit Ray, was an illustrator and writer. His creative genius added flavour and finesse to celluloid technique and style. Still on the topic of films and closer to the times, Bollywood actresses like Sushmita Sen and Rani Mukherjee continue to be the favourites of many moviegoers.

There is no doubt that the world of music would be quieter had there not been Pandit Ravi Shankar. The sitar music he created touched souls and influenced many other musicians throughout the world in the latter half of the 20^th century.

From the few people mentioned above, it is clear that the term ‘Bengali’ is weighted with the gravitas of a people with a glorious history and heritage. To say it, but view it in any other way would be unjustified and uncouth, to say the least.

 

References

1. Muslims, Hindus sidelined in election. (2020, August 29). The Star. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2020/08/29/muslims-hindus-sidelined-in-election
2. (n.d.). Bengal. Https://En.Wikipedia.Org/Wiki/Bengal. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal
3. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (n.d.). Bengali Language. Britannica. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Bengali-language
4. (n.d.). International Mother Language Day. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day. Retrieved September 18, 2020, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day
5. SAHU, S. N. (2020, August 5). Babri Masjid demolition. The Citizen. https://www.thecitizen.in/index.php/en/NewsDetail/index/4/19154/Sectarianism-Bigotry-and-its-Horrible-Descendant-Fanaticism-Have-Possessed-This-Earth---Swami-Vivekanand

***

Dr. Swagata Sinha Roy is Assistant Professor of English and co-organiser of the Paperback Book Club, Kuala Lumpur who likes to read Bengali books and their English translations to understand how words and nuances stay true to the original content. Aneeta Sundararaj is a writer who regards the now worn-out copy of Autobiography of a Yogi she received as a birthday gift many years ago as a family heirloom.

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Buddha Statue - Cambodia (2018)[/caption]

I recently watched a movie on Netflix about the life of Gautama Buddha and it had a profound effect on me. I was eager to learn about the life of this prince born into privilege who gave up everything and everyone to search for the ultimate truth.

When he was born, Gautama Buddha was given the name Prince Siddhartha. During the celebrations to celebrate the prince’s birth, a sage came forward. He prophesied that Prince Siddhartha would become the greatest sage in history and would lead humanity to the path of salvation. His father, King Suddhodana, wanted his son to be a great warrior, not an ascetic. To this end, he made every conceivable effort to prevent the Prince from witnessing sickness, death and poverty and inadvertently brought Siddhartha face to face with the harsh realities of life. The Prince then embarked on the journey that would lead to him becoming the Buddha or Enlightened One.

When Buddha eventually returned home, King Suddhodana was shocked to see his son going from home to home with a small bowl seeking alms. But Buddha explained it so well: ‘Begging’ or seeking alms is an exercise in humility. It allows one to cast aside ego and pride and to practice patience and to bless everyone they meet no matter how they are treated.

Those who in turn provide alms are given the opportunity to do good, thus cultivating in them the values of generosity, kindness and love for their fellow man.

Indeed, on more than one occasion, Buddha was asked, “Why do you go around begging? Why don’t you get a job like everyone else?”

“I have a job,” he answered. “My job is to teach humanity the knowledge I have acquired and lead them to salvation.”

He may have turned in his princely garb for a saffron robe, but to many he will always be a king.

This story resonated with me. There was a time when I enjoyed many luxuries: a home of my own, a car and a comfortable life. I was financially secure enough to say, “I’m done working. I want to do what makes me happy.” The decision was made – I would work with animals, especially dogs.

In no time, all my plans began to unravel. My investments began to disappear. Projects I was supposed to be working on didn’t materialise. My car got ‘totalled’ in an accident. My savings were depleting.

Breaking in all ways from financially and mentally to emotionally, physically and spiritually.

How was I going to live?

What would people think?

What would they say?

How embarrassing. I can’t let anyone see me like this.

I have an image to uphold.

All these thoughts continued until one day, we ran out of kibbles, food and didn’t eat for three days. There was no choice left. Standing at the counter of the pawnbrokers, I handed over a gold pendant in the shape of the Cross and gold necklace. At that moment when the broker handed me the money, a thought occurred to me: Why the hell am I so obsessed with what people think? People think what they want. They will believe what they want. So what does it matter what they think of me? Who am I trying to impress?

This was just the start. For the next two years, we struggled daily. Still, I was resolute in my conviction that my furkids didn’t deserve this. No matter what, my dogs must eat. I grew a thicker skin and started ‘seeking alms’. Initially filled with embarrassment, I was sure everyone would start looking down on me, the ‘beggar’ who was once the social butterfly.

Although it hurt, I also felt liberated from a life of show-and-tell and keeping up appearances. As quickly as friends disappeared, acquaintances offered support by sending us kibbles, food and money. I’ve had strangers become regular donors.

What I learnt echoed Buddha’s teachings that the seeking of alms allows others to act accordingly. I had friends ‘Unfriend’ me, ignore me or just plain tell me to eff off.  Nights in the clubs, days on sunny beaches, all reduced to dust in the wind.

I’m not a bad person. I don’t steal. I don’t cheat. I’m not lazy. I had a bad turn of luck. I had to adapt. I had to make decisions, choices. I had to stay committed to what I believe in. I had to trust that there was a purpose in play. I had to be humble. I had to have faith. I had to keep my intent true at all times. I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I just wanted to take care of dogs. These beings that had four legs and a tail. Times forty.

I let go of all expectations I had of others and turned inwards to find myself. On some days and nights when the hunger had become so unbearable, I held ChelseaBoo close to me and cried. I apologised to her for not having the means to feed her.

In the dead quiet of night, I also found God again. I found Him in the eyes of my dogs and in the hearts of those who continue to show me and my pack love and support no matter what. He was always there. I just needed to be stripped of every possible worldly distraction to see Him again. I learnt about gratitude.

I am grateful to ‘friends’ who showed me the real meaning of friendship by turning away, for you allowed me to see the shallowness of the company I keep.

I am grateful to acquaintances and strangers who showed me the real meaning of kindness and generosity, for you allowed me to practice humility and gratitude.

I am grateful to those who until this day continue to bless me and the kids with what we need when we need it. You have given me the gift of being able to continue doing what I do and I will never ever be able to be grateful enough. You know who you are. I hope you realise every day that other lives thrive all because of you.

Love, you are the reason I am strong. No one will ever believe what we’ve been through. Anyone else would have left. But not you. You saw Him in their eyes too. It isn’t me you stayed for; it was them. For that, I am eternally grateful and blessed to be on this adventure with you.

Just like Buddha, I too was asked, “Why don’t you get a job?” Now, I have the answer.

I am nowhere near enlightened. However, I do have a job. I’m the Keeper of the kids of The ‘ALIVE’ Project. To my furkids, I am their Queen.

 

Seema Subash

(17 September 2020)

[Please contact Seema by phone at +6016 2363197 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like to be involved in The ALIVE Project's sponsorship programme.]

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Click here to read more stories about comPETability

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Is looking after a dog one dog too many? How about 40? There are some rules and habits you can stick to, though, to make it all work.

Aneeta, who manages this website, has often remarked, “I can’t think of taking another dog yet. It’s so much responsibility. And I only had one. You have 40. Die!”

One dog? That’s nothing.

Over the years, as our dog population increased, there are a few rules and habits that I’ve stuck to. I compiled them several years ago and I’d like to share them here by re-telling a story I wrote. Please comment on or add to this list.

I may get into trouble for writing this but I have 4 pooches at home. Yes, a 12-year old Labrador named Cleopatra, a 12-year old Maltese named Cuddles, a 3-year old mini-Shitzu named Carmelo and a newly adopted 4-month old mix breed named DeNiro (oddly I didn’t realise I gave my boys Italian names). They are the most loving, obedient, well-behaved dogs you will ever meet. Not to blow my own horn, but it’s all because of me. I am a responsible pet owner.

I used to take Cleo and Cuddles to the park near my house every Friday morning. Cleo and I would play catch with her favorite tennis ball and Cuddles would just roam the park wilderness until she exhausted herself. Dogs need to run. Then MPSJ (the municipal council) decided to put up a sign declaring ‘No Dogs Allowed.’ So where am I supposed to take these lively animals too? Am I not a tax-payer as well? Do I not clean up after them? Where is the Love?!?

You don’t need to buy books and watch education programs to know that being a responsible pet owner benefits not just you but everyone else. So, in my attempt to encourage good pet ownership habits amongst us Malaysians, I have compiled this list:

 

1) Animals are living, breathing things just like us. Adopting an animal is very much like having a baby. You have to feed them the right food, get them vaccinated regularly and house-train them. Just like babies need nutrition, so does your puppy. Just like your baby needs her jabs, so does your puppy. And just like your baby will need to eventually stop using diapers and learn how to do their business, so will your puppy. Animals aren’t born knowing these things, so take the time to educate them. They are fast learners and it makes your life easier. Uneducated animals are only a sign of an uneducated owner.

2) Please DO NOT adopt a canine if you intend to use it as a guard system. They aren’t meant to be tied up all day, outside the house under the elements. If you want a guard system, invest in an alarm company.

3) Clean up after them when you take them for walks. In my neighborhood, most of my neighbours are Malay. Because I have trained the pooches to behave well in public, my neighbours have never been concerned about me taking them for their walks without their leashes. And most importantly, I make it a point to carry a pooper scooper and plastic bag with me to clean up after them. Not only is it sanitary, but my neighbors have come to appreciate that with this simple gesture, I’m showing them respect for their home and the area where they live.

4) Get them vaccinated regularly. Most dog owners overlook this very simple but life-saving duty. It costs you less than RM100 to get your dog vaccinated for a year, and could prevent serious diseases. My once a year trip to the vet is quite a sight. 3 dogs and 3 cats sitting in the back seat of my car as we drive to the vet. If you can spare the change, put them on daily vitamins. Animals can’t voice out when they are sick and a good way to keep them healthy longer is with a daily dose of minerals.

5) Spend some time every day playing with them. Just like humans need attention from loved ones, your pooches need some from you too. To them, you are their whole world. Remember that whenever they get playful and you’re too busy watching TV or working on your laptop. 5 minutes of loving playtime from you goes a long way to giving your pet the love and security it needs.

6) I am a huge advocate of pets being indoors. I hate the idea that some pet owners leave their pets outside at night to sleep alone. Why don’t you try sleeping outside for one night curled up on your hard, cold cement porch? One of the reasons I made sure my pets were house trained was so that I can leave them indoors all day and know that they are kept safe, cool and comfortable. And at night, everyone sleeps in my room. Cuddles has her rattan basket, Cleo has her blue cotton mat, Carmelo and DeNiro rotate between my head and my feet.

7) We need to set up more dog-friendly parks for people like me who actually educate our pets, and are responsible when it comes to taking them out to public places. Until that happens, remember dogs, especially big ones, need their exercise, or they will put on weight and get ill. It only takes 15 minutes a day to take them for a walk around the block. You could lose a few kilos yourself in the process. Having a pet is not easy, but then again neither is getting married, working, or having your own children. Like any other life-changing decision, this too takes lots of time and consideration. Dogs aren’t here for our amusement; they are here to love and protect us just as much as we are here to do the same to them. They are incapable of understanding human cruelty and have no idea that you just had a bad day. So please, if you have pooches of your own, it’s never too late to teach an old dog new tricks. Start being responsible to your community, and most of all, to your loyal four-legged friend. Trust me, and I speak from experience, the love of a dog will change your life forever.

 

Seema Subash

(14 August 2020)

[Please contact Seema by phone at +6016 2363197 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like to be involved in The ALIVE Project's sponsorship programme.]

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I want you to know that you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I have loved many of your kind my whole life, but you are something special. For you, I feel my heart grow bigger and beat louder. I love you with a love that I have never experienced before and I believe it is because you are different from anything that has ever entered my life. Even when I am not perfect you still look at me like I am. You are, without a doubt, the beat of my heart.

Dear ChelseaBoo,

Do you remember that afternoon when we went to collect some papers from PJ, then to the cold rooms to get your meat dust, after which we went to the supermarket to grab a bag of cat litter, and then a quick stop at the KFC drive-thru to grab some nuggets? Before we finally headed home? I do. I remember glancing at you and thinking, ‘I cannot believe how much I love her.’

You almost didn’t come to live with me. Apparently, you were such an aggressive puppy from not having any company all day at home that when your previous human was trying to find you a new home, you kept getting sent back to him. I can understand. You are such a loving little thing that you were upset at not getting any attention. I would be too.

After three or four homes couldn’t handle you, I took you in. At that time, if you can remember, I already had Cuddles, Cleopatra, Carmelo and DeNiro. I wasn’t sure if bringing another pooch into the home was a good thing. Luckily for us both, I agreed to give it a try for one week. And it became forever.

I remember the first time I saw you. You were this tiny looking thing with big brown eyes that expressed a mixture of curiosity and wariness. You had a perpetual scowl. You looked like a little old man. I stared back and a name popped into my head - ChelseaBoo. Don’t ask me where or how I got that name. But you are one smart puppy. By the end of the day, you responded to it. The first few weeks you were a very happy puppy. There was no sign of the aggression the other homes claimed you’d displayed. Then, something happened. You were not aggressive, my darling. What you did begin to display and still do until today is that dominant feisty behaviour that is a mini schnauzer’s primary characteristic. You became the boss. You also became my best friend, my companion, my cuddle buddy, my sun and moon, my heartbeat, and the love of my life.

Do you remember my birthday 2 years ago when we did our first Pawse For A Cause! At The Pound Bar? My favourite part of the night was when the DJ started playing all my favourite old skool tunes and I had too much to drink. I carried you in my arms onto the dance floor and for the next hour we danced together. You were so relaxed in my arms as I swayed and swirled away. You’re like the best dance partner ever! I still rather dance with you than anyone else.

I also love the way you like to sleep on my chest at night. I know you do it because you like to feel my heartbeat as you doze off. I, on the other hand, find great comfort in hearing you breathing softly as it lulls me to dreamland. And in the morning when we wake up, it’s usually with you by my side with my arms around you because somehow in the middle of the night, you will slowly ease your way down from the pillow and curl up close enough for me to instinctively pull you closer to cuddle.

I know you hate it when I go out without you. You’re always jumping up and down at my feet and running to the gate with me because you want to come with me. I hate it when I can’t take you, but I try my very best to these days. I especially enjoy our road trips to Ipoh. You are the best companion to travel with. You never say anything but I have the most fun just having you there. And whenever we go to The Pound Bar and someone wants to play with you or carry you, you allow them to but you never take your eyes off me. And if I disappear to go to the ladies for a few minutes, you start whining because you can’t see me. But you know I will never leave you.

You are always so polite whenever we go out, and you say “Hello” to everyone you meet with a series of cute little howls. We all know you are talking to us and we appreciate that you make the effort to speak with us on a closer human level.

It always fascinates me how you never get excited when you see other animals but go crazy when humans are around. But it would make sense though. In all the time I have spent with you, you have been more human than dog to me. It is so apparent in your behaviour when we are together. And you never ever cause trouble to me or anyone else by always being on your best behaviour. But the most special thing about you, ChelseaBoo, are your eyes…

They are so big, so brown, so beautiful. But that’s not the thing that catches my attention. It’s the way you look at me. You know me. You watch me with concern when I am worried, comfort when I am sad, excitement when I am happy. Those eyes are filled with so much love I think you must be an angel. I often just sit eye to eye in front of you just so I can absorb all that love you show. And you never move away. You just stay there and watch me back. And you give me love. I can feel it. And it is the best thing in the world.

I want you to know that you are the best thing to ever happen to me. I have loved many of your kind my whole life, but you are something special. For you, I feel my heart grow bigger and beat louder. I love you with a love that I have never experienced before and I believe it is because you are different from anything that has ever entered my life. Even when I am not perfect you still look at me like I am. When I am feeling heartbroken or sad all you do is look at me and I don’t feel sad anymore. You are the best friend I ever had, the best companion, the best of all that is good in my life. You must be an angel. I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but it must have been something I did right.

You are, without a doubt, the beat of my heart.

Love, Mummy

 

Seema Subash

(15 June 2020)

[Please contact Seema by phone at +6016 2363197 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like to be involved in The ALIVE Project's sponsorship programme.]

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Seema and Duchess

Even at four months of age, anyone could see that she was no ordinary dog, IF they looked beyond everything that WAS ordinary about her and looked into her eyes. She had already seen too much for a puppy that young. It was like her heart was already broken, but until her body broke, too, she would still need to feed it. But her eyes were there for everyone to look into - a peculiar mix of sadness tinged with a tiny sliver of the gigantic love she was so capable of giving and yearning to receive. She just didn’t understand why it had to be this way. This is the rags to riches story of the one we shall, for now, call ‘the dumped dog’.

Rescuers (who are also sometimes active feeders) first spotted the dumped dog in March 2018 in Klang, about 30km south of Kuala Lumpur. She was estimated at around four months old and had been seen wandering around alone and frightened. Most street puppies that age still have that puppy innocence in their eyes. But not the dumped dog. She was most certainly an old soul.

Rescuers continued feeding the dumped dog every day in an effort to not only keep her alive but to eventually gain her trust so that their eventual ‘catching’ would be a smooth process for both the catcher and the dog. And because street pups tend to come and go on their own schedule, assigning the right time for the catcher to be present is a constant work in progress.

Nevertheless, getting the dumped dog off the streets was not just an exercise in animal rescue, it was also a case of life and death. Despite being recognised yet undisturbed by daily passers-by at her usual Shell petrol station in Klang, it was only a matter of time before freedom ran out. If Duchess was caught by the town-council assigned third-party street dog catchers, she would become another statistic on a report card of death row dogs. Nonetheless, with the help of an experienced ‘independent dog catcher’, she was ‘caught’ and promptly transported to the vet for a check-up. The vet kept her in his boarding area until we arrived.

When it comes to humans, dogs need two vital connections – love and trust. A dog that experiences the lack of both connections with humans, it can take a long time to develop them again. Dog-catching is one activity that if done without these connections, will leave long-lasting negative effects. All it takes is one bad experience. She experienced several consecutive traumatic human connections - life as a street dog, her misunderstood-catching, emotionally detached vet attendants - and these are only the ones we know of. This is where The ‘ALIVE’ Project came in.

The rescuers had asked us to foster the dumped dog under our sponsorship programme. We agreed and went to the vets. As David followed the vet attendant into the boarding area, his heart broke a little when he saw the dumped dog. There were cages of dogs stacked one on top of the other. Dogs in the lower cages were drenched in the piss of the dogs in the upper cages. All of them were cowering and barking in this unfamiliar territory. The vet attendants were cold, flippant and more interested in the furry poodles that were, no doubt, paying customers.

“It’s ok, you’re coming home with us,” he whispered in the ears of the dumped dog as he carried her out the cage. In that short journey to the car parked outside, the puppy pissed all over him. I often wonder if this was in fear or relief.

That evening we named the dumped dog. She was graceful, soft and fluid in her movements, a street dog that seemed like she belonged in a castle, like a duchess. That was it. Her name would henceforth be 'Duchess'.

Much damage, however, was already done. Duchess refused to come close, never allowing us to touch her. She seemed eager and curious, but her eyes displayed deep-rooted mistrust. So we gave her some space and watched as she was welcomed warmly by the pack at home, who provided that added assurance that she was in a safe place.

It was wonderful to witness what was happening. Duchess soon discovered what it felt like to be the one protected and watched over, the one who didn’t have to be ‘big sister’ because Christmas, one of our rescues who is also our self-appointed farm perimeter ‘watchdog’ took Duchess under her paw. Duchess became her ‘little sister’ and accompanied Christmas, taking long walks around the outskirts of our acre, looking out for unwelcome visitors and, most annoying of all to Christmas, cows and buffaloes who grazed around our farm. Slowly, Duchess's eyese got softer by the day and her body language went from jumpy and startled to alert and observant.

I could sense their thoughts. I’ll get to know these humans soon enough.  And Christmas would respond, They just want to love us. Duchess would give one wag of her tail. I’d like that.

Processed with MOLDIV

You see, Duchess and I had something going. Every time I gazed into her eyes and whispered her name, they sparkled. She took one step closer. Only one. “Trust me, Duchess. I got you,” I would say each time. This continued until, one day, we were close enough and she licked my nose. I picked her up and took her to have her first bath together.

I’ve learnt to say her name in a particular way. It’s not a whisper,  I whispered her name again, in the way that she loves that makes her run to me and kiss me and beg to be cuddled, and she looked at me with those deep dark eyes as if to say, Please love me like I will ALWAYS love you. I knew that she knew she was indeed finally home.

Now that she looks forward to a happy life, the quirky side of her has emerged. You can’t simply say, “Duchess,” to get a response. Sure, she'll come to you. But, to get that look of love, you need to do a little more. You need to say her name in a forced whisper that sounds like Macy Gray and lengthen the ‘hessssss’; so, it goes like this: “Duchessssssssssssssss.” Once is enough. She’ll melt for she understands that yours is a whisper of love.

 

Seema Subash

(15 May 2020)

[Please contact Seema by phone at +6016 2363197 or send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you'd like to be involved in The ALIVE Project's sponsorship programme.]

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Echo, as we came to name our sweet Dalmation, was born with his disability. Despite being deaf in both ears from birth, he is the calmest and happiest puppy I have ever met. He doesn’t know any differently and perhaps thinks that silence is just life. He will never know or hear his name being called or hear other dogs bark at him or be afraid of the sound of thunder.

Echo

 

[Watch a YouTube video of Echo here: https://youtu.be/rzQ-XQkPO7A ]

Did you know that 80 per cent of Dalmatians are born either deaf on one side or both?

Echo, as we came to name our sweet Dalmation, was born with his disability. Despite being deaf in both ears from birth, he is the calmest and happiest puppy I have ever met. He doesn’t know any differently and perhaps thinks that silence is just life. He will never know or hear his name being called or hear other dogs bark at him or be afraid of the sound of thunder.

Echo is a special needs dog, and special needs dogs cannot be trained like normal dogs, therefore making their assimilation into a family or pack challenging. A special needs dog requires just that, special needs.

Adopting Echo made me realise that however much I thought I knew about dogs, I still had so much more to learn. Here’s his story.

Echo was found tied to a pole in Kajang by a young girl who could not bear to leave him there. Apparently, his owner contacted her a few days later after seeing her post on Facebook asking for the dog back. She refused. Good girl! The owner told her that Echo was tied up because he wouldn’t stop barking. No matter what his owner did, he wouldn’t stop.

When Echo was rescued, he was immediately put up for adoption. At four months old, he was probably one of the cutest puppies you’ve ever seen, playful and hyperactive. There was no way anyone would have guessed that he was deaf until a visit to the vet confirmed it.

By that time, he had already been placed with two families and returned to the girl who rescued him. When she called me and asked if I was prepared to adopt him, I said yes. As it happened, David was in KL at the time. However, just when he was about to pick up Echo, she called to let us know that she was going to let a housewife from Cheras, Kuala Lumpur adopt him, instead. According to her, said housewife wanted to 'try him out for a few days’ before deciding.

I decided to have a chat with the girl who'd rescued the puppy. I inquired about Echo’s history. She told me about his rescue, re-homing, being returned, medical diagnosis and, all the while, taking note of how Echo behaved in each environment he was placed in. They ranged from insecurity and wild barking to frenzied whining, being aloof and deaf, and non-responsive.

Then it was my turn to speak. The questions I asked were: “Have you ever dealt with a deaf puppy before?” “Have you educated yourself on what a deaf puppy like Echo needs?” “Have you interviewed his potential adopters and asked them if they have educated themselves on his needs?” “Are they aware of the time and patience required to train him and are they prepared to commit to it?”

And, the final, but certainly the most important one: “What happens to Echo if this lady from Cheras returns him? I guarantee you she will.”

Her answer to this last question was a quick, “No, no, no.” Taking a deep breath, she confessed, “Actually, I don’t know, but I don’t think she will.

“Not good enough,” I replied, rather blunt.

Still, she insisted that all would be well. I wished her luck and hoped that Echo would reach his forever home.

Three days later when my phone rang and my screen displayed the rescuer's name, I knew Echo was being returned.

“Can you please take him?”

I couldn’t help but respond with, “I told you this would happen”

Defeated, she let out a heavy sigh. “Please,” she all but begged, “I don’t know what to do with him now or who will adopt him. I am so sorry.”

I told her that I’d think about it and get back to her as soon as possible. It didn’t take long because seconds after the call ended, I already knew that we would take him in. It was always about the dog. Always.

We met with his rescuers / fosterers back in KL four days later and brought ChelseaBoo along for the first meet. As his rescuer opened her car door and carried him toward us, we fell in love with Echo. He was a docile and timid puppy, curious and unperturbed by everything around him. He and Chels said hello and in that instant, he had a new friend. We were warned that he was uncomfortable in cars and sure enough he was a handful as we ran a few errands before heading back to Ipoh that evening.

By the time we reached the farm he had become visibly attached to David, never taking his eyes off him and sleeping right next to him wherever he was. At first, he barked when David left the house, but eventually didn’t even care as he had 12 other dogs to keep him company. (The number has since grown to 40).

He is this amazing ball of love and affection. As all puppies are, Echo is a bundle of high energy. But what amazes me the most is how he never ever flinches in his sleep no matter what is happening around him. In his head, there is nothing, but silence and peace. He could possibly be the calmest dog I have ever met in my life.

My ever-lasting memory of Echo will be something that we witnessed during his first week at the farm. It had rained heavily the night before and there were water puddles in the garden. Without a care in the world, he played in these puddles of water until there was no more playing left in him. There is nothing in this world quite like the joy and love a puppy has for life. He is our Echo of life and love.

 

Seema Subash

(15 April 2020)

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