It is not the strongest or the most intelligent who will survive but those who can best manage change. – Charles Darwin, English naturalist, geologist and biologist My dear friends, change is inevitable. One of the hottest news in the past one week is the retirement of national badminton star,
Three Britons died recently of food poisoning eating pre-packaged sandwiches. According to the UK heath authorities, they died of listeriosis, a rare bacterial infection especially dangerous for people with weak immune systems or pregnant women. The listeria bacteria develop primarily in dairy products and chilled ready-to-eat food. The deceased were
“Has anyone in your family died?” a nine-year-old girl I knew asked me. “Was it your grandmother or your grandfather?’ she asked again even as I was thinking of how to reply to her first question. After I had gathered my thoughts and composed the answers properly in my mind,
Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers and every woman who is a mother at heart! Today, May 12, is Mother’s Day in Malaysia. Although it was not a public holiday, it was celebrated by millions of Malaysians to honour mothers and motherhood. Of course, the fact that it fell on
“Selamat berpuasa” (Happy fasting) to all Muslim friends. Today is the first day of Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar which is observed by Muslims all over the world as the fasting month to commemorate the first revelation of the Quran to Muhammad according to Islamic beliefs. Fasting
On January 1 next year, eateries under the jurisdiction of Sibu Municipal Council (SMC) will stop giving out plastic straws to customers. The chairman Datuk Tiong Thai King wants the public to cooperate when the council’s “Say No to Plastic Straws” ruling is implemented next year. Speaking at the launch
Last Thursday, I attended my first Toastmasters meeting in weeks. Later that night, when a Toastmasters friend based in a foreign country asked me about the meeting, I replied, “It was a fun learning experience.” A Toastmaster for decades, I always find Toastmasters’ meetings interesting. There is always something new
I had a whale of a time this past week. My younger sister, the youngest of my siblings, is back in Kuching for a short break and I have been revisiting certain parts of old Kuching City. Places we re-explored together are Gambier Street, India Street and the Open Air
Recently, I had an opportunity to interact with some primary schoolchildren from private elite schools in Kuching. Life for them is no bed of roses. They have tons of homework to do. After school, they attend tuition classes to improve their academic performance. When they are not at their tuition
Do you know that currently, some 3.6 million Malaysians are suffering from diabetes? This is the highest rate in Asia and one of the highest in the world. By 2025, seven million diagnosed and undiagnosed adults in the country are projected to be affected by diabetes, a worrying trend that