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The student newsletter ofINTI College Subang Jaya

InsiderN T I

n e w s l e t t e r I s s u e

EDITORIAL Editor-in-chief Qisti Parr B. Zahairi Managing Editor Nahjan Amer NordinWRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS Alya Amirah, Ha� zah Jamal, Jerusha Sanjeevi, Kristy Voon, Nadia Wong, Nahjan Amer Nordin, Stephanie Aeria

DESIGN Creative Director & Layout Artist Inoue Taki PHOTOGRAPHY Pok Wern Hsiang OPERATIONS Operations Directors Jared WongEMAIL editorial.icsj@gmail.com WEBSITE edboard-icsj.blogspot.com

INTI Personality :Guy in the Stroller

What to Read :4 Books to Inspire

Ghosts, Ghosts and..

Be AwareBreast Cancer Awareness

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B E T C H A D I D N ’ T K N O W !

EDITOR’S NOTE

Dear Readers,I don’t know about each of you, but for me 2009 has been a bumpy year of ch-ch-changes. So instead of bidding goodbye to one another on a dreary note, we’ve decided to embrace something powerful: perseverance. It might be clichéd to say this, but what doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger aft er all. Come along for the ride with us as we push on forward! Do read our exclusive interview with Tan Thong Kai –perhaps he’s “the guy in the stroller” to some of you- in Britt le Bones, Strong Heart. The ti tle says it all. Not to be missed, we honor October by addressing two events it is att ributed with: breast cancer and adopt-a-pet. Check out Jerusha’s emoti onal (but necessary) Breast Cancer Awareness: Raise Your Voice and tune in with Alya and Stephanie as they fi ll you in about animals’ plight. But wait, there’s more! How could we celebrate October without putti ng in some spooks and gore as well?This is the last issue of the year – I’m honored to be in charge of it! – So happy reading, happy holidays and take care everyone!

Managing EditorNahjan

A Long CountdownIf you were to spell out numbers, only at one thousand would you fi nd lett er “A”.

Sweet !Honey is the only food that has no expiry date

That’s Cool...The Eiff el Tower shrinks 6 inches during winter

Who turned off all the lights?Light bulb inventor, Thomas Edison was actually afraid of the dark

No Grav, No GasAstronauts cannot burp in space – there is no gravity to separate liquid from gas in their stomachs

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TOP 4 INSPIRING BOOKS TO OWN!

Perseverance: True Voices of Cancer of Survivors by Carolyn Rubenstein.Imagine being in high school or college and suddenly discovering that you have cancer? In Perseverance, this is exactly the situati on faced by 20 young people. The stories are told from the cancer survivors’ perspecti ve, giving an inti mate look as amazing depth to their stories.

Perseverance gives an account of the survivors’ trials, tribulati on and triumph. A must-read.

Chicken Soup for The Soul series.Who doesn’t know about this? These collecti ons of books are famous reads that have thousands of heart-warming real life stories about people who manage to persevere in life. There are books especially for teens, people who suff er from cancer, sisters, brothers and many more. Each book tells stories of people whose future seems bleak but sti ll persists. This is the kind that’ll make you questi on, “if

they can succeed, why can’t I?” Available at ICSJ library – grab one now and be inspired!

Once in a while we all feel as if there’s no end to our misery. NADIA suggests 4 great reads that remind us to view the glass as half full.

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.” ~Newt Gingrich

Unstoppable: 45 Powerful Stories of Perseverance and Triumph from People Just Like You by Cynthia Kersey.

Reader’s Digest magazines.

Another no-brainer. A monthly magazine that may not be all about perseverance (now that would be kind of boring) but packs it up with other important att ributes. Not only that, they also feature heart-warming real life stories and major issues of concern. For the light-hearted, there are plenty jokes in RD that will put a smile on your face too.

Once again, head over to the 5th fl oor and obtain a great read all for free!

Ordinary people accomplishing extraordinary things – Kersey puts forward her point as she shares her insight. These stories can help inspire readers about what they can achieve, however diffi cult the goal

may seem. So if you feel like your dreams are unatt ainable, your spirit broken - this is defi nitely the book for you.

BY NADIA WONG

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Somewhere in the world, a woman slides her fingertips across the frail, pink flush in her newborn’s cheeks. Somewhere

else, the same flush fades out in a dying breath of air. Life leaves and enters the world, unanswerable and without beckon. But its glowing, pulsating presence cannot be denied. This October, we remember the color pink, its ribbon, and what they together stand for. We remember Breast Cancer Month.

Breast cancer has seen many lives, taking some, and grazing many. It is the most common form of cancer among Malaysian women, no stranger to many households. A Malaysian woman bears a 1:19 chance of getting breast cancer, a rate nearly twice higher than that of her European counterpart.

With early detection, however, rates start to look up with an estimated 80% survival chance. Although science continues to provide better treatments, the blows breast cancer deals to a woman run deeper than the physical. The psychological impact of breast cancer pronounces a forceful presence on a woman’s life. Though everyday people might not be able to invent medical cures for their mothers, wives, or sisters, they can however be pillars of support in their psychological wellbeing.

With obsession with youth and beauty deluging our culture, it is difficult for a woman to lose what she symbolizes as her fertility and femininity. The disease, posing a threat to her concept of womanhood, thus takes on a new face: a

In light of Breast Cancer Month,

Jerusha Sanjeevi explores issues

surrounding breast cancer

awareness

Breast Cancer Awareness: Raise Your Voice BY JERUSHA SANJEEVI

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vicious, accusing one that snatches more than it should be allowed to. A woman with breast cancer, especially one who has had to have her breasts removed, may go through periods where she questions who she is, or no longer is as a woman.

The questioning this woman has to go through leads her back to one particular question: how she attributes the cancer to her sense of self, and how she relates that self as a social and individual person. According to a study by Taylor, Lichtman, and Wood, who researched attributions and adjustments in persons with breast cancer, believing in one’s control over one’s cancer was associated with positive adjustments. Simply put, a woman who believes in herself a certain power and responsibility over what is happening to her body seems to employ

better coping strategies. That sense of empowerment is something that friends and family of the breast cancer patient can help encourage.

We can begin by flitting away the misconceptions misting the view of breast cancer. By recognizing a woman for who she is, instead of what a part of her body ascribes her to be, we also recognize that she is capable of defining her own life and womanhood. As with a woman who lost her hand or a leg, a woman who has lost her breasts remains just that: a woman.

One may have come across a Malaysian project entitled Pink Ribbon: R2R (Reach to Recovery), a journal noting down breast cancer survivors’ thoughts. Many entries describe the fear, doubts, and longing for support and companionship entwined in their battles with breast cancer. Many entries also display the resolve of their contributors; some with the passion of an iron-clad will,

Visit Pink Ribbon: Reach to Recovery’s website at www.pinkribbonr2r.my

Did you know? Although uncommon, breast cancer can also happen in men. Male breast cancer makes up about 1% of all

breast cancer cases. It is possible for men to

develop the cancer due to the small amount of breast tissue they have beneath the nipple and

areola.

still others with a quiet but determined acceptance. Yet, of outstanding note is their desire to see increased awareness of breast cancer.

Today, even as you read this article, you possess the potential of contributing to the fruition of their wishes. Creating awareness about breast cancer involves not just bringing attention to ways of prevention, but also to ways of coping with it. The isolation a breast cancer patient may feel can be eliminated by having a supportive comrade. Speak about it to friends, family, or colleagues: break down the social barriers stigmatizing a woman’s sense of beauty and worth. Raise your voice. Create awareness, because you can.

Breast cancer undoubtedly has driven shards of pain into the lives of the people it enters. Alongside, though, it casts light on an unremitting strength that has come to characterize the pains and triumphs of being human. One cancer survivor noted “If I cannot change things, then I will have to change.” Her tenacity resounds of the choice we make in what we bring into and out of the face of adversity: sometimes, you can’t lose the things you don’t give up.

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BRITTLE BONES, STRONG HEART

This month, INTI Insider satisfies

your tickling curiosity about

yet another INTI personality.

NAHJAN helps to answer your

burning question about Tan Thong

Kai, or “that guy in the stroller”.

BY NAHJAN AMER NORDIN

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You may have seen him around campus, perhaps even ending up in the same lift as him – where the silence in that cramped space

would suddenly become too palpable. Were you curious? Did he perhaps make you feel uncomfortable?

The person in question is, perhaps, more familiar to some of you as “that guy in the stroller”.

Yet Tan Thong Kai is just like any other regular 22 year-old college student. In fact, he is currently pursuing his Diploma in Business Administration (DBAD) in INTI College Subang Jaya.

I sat down with him recently to ask him about his condition, his life, and what is next for him. Yet at the same time, I also found myself laughing and making small talk as if I have known him before. During the interview, as cliché as it might sound; I thought to myself that “one should definitely not judge a book by its cover”.

Do you mind explaining your condition?

It is called osteogenesis imperfecta. In simple terms, it is known as brittle bones. It’s an inborn condition.

Does it bother you what others think of you? How do the people in INTI treat you?

No, I do not bother with people’s perception [of me]. People in INTI are okay; my friends have been thoughtful and helpful. Even my lecturers treat me like normal and I prefer it that way.

How do you perceive yourself?

I see myself as a normal person. In fact, [I see myself as] someone who inspires and motivates.

In what ways do you see yourself inspiring and motivating others?

To me, personal attitude is the reason why people do not achieve their dreams. Having a negative attitude is like facing a brick wall. So I believe that motivation is the key to getting started, which is why I see myself as a motivator and hope to inspire others to be more outgoing and brave in whatever they are facing. Once they are inspired, willpower comes in next to make sure they accomplish their dreams.

So what do you hope to achieve from that?

I know that there are many people who have better advantages than me but somehow never exactly achieve their dreams. So I hope that when they see me this way but still working on achieving my own dreams that they’ll be inspired to push forward and question themselves: “why have I not achieved my dreams as well?”

With that said, who motivates you?

Hannah Tan [renowned local singer-songwriter and television personality]. She is hardworking and pushes things forward. She makes me feel that if she can do it, I can do it better!

Have you ever wondered how things would be like if you didn’t have this condition?

I have. I do not think that I would be such a dreamer, instead [I will] just be like any other regular Joe. But I see [my condition] as a blessing in disguise – I do not take things for granted and reflect on my place in life.

Are you out to prove anything?

I want to show, not just to my normal friends but also to people with similar conditions, that it is okay to come out into society and make friends. People will accept you for who you are if you first accept yourself for the person [that] you are.

Are you currently facing any difficulties?

(He thinks for a moment) Nothing in particular.

So would you say that you are a happy-go-lucky guy?

Yes. I can manage just about anything... except maybe girls. That’s probably my biggest challenge (He laughs).

How do you cope with that then?

[It has been] very hard…but I’m trying. I cope with sincerity.

What are you up to these days? You mentioned previously about going on a trip to Penang with your high school friends.

I did. These days I’m busy attending ‘Blogger’ events, movie screenings and press conferences.

That sounds fun! You told me earlier that you are planning on working on a big project?

I hope to start an event company. Actually, I am in the process of establishing it right now. We are currently building our contacts network. But so far nothing yet, it is still very early.

That really is something. One last question: what is your advice to fellow college mates and everyone else who will be reading this?

Do what you think is right and do it ethically.

By the end of the interview, I concluded that Tan Thong Kai, “that guy in the stroller”, is a people’s person and that he is definitely one of us. Say what you want and think what you will; it matters little to him if others view his condition as a limitation because to himself: it is clearly not.

For many of us, once the journey starts to get tougher (the ground less steady, the hill a little steeper, the climb more difficult) we complain, groan and sometimes even give up. We fail to persevere.

There is a quote that says “the best way out is always through”. That line strikes me as fitting of Tan Thong Kai. True to his words, he is undeniably an inspiration; what he aims to achieve, he follows through. He does not give in to his condition at all. There can be no better example of perseverance.

Get to know Thong Kai better through his blog, www.botakai.com.

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With a simple yet a vast mission, Society for the Preventi on of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) had been in operati ons since 1824 in England to advance the safety and well-being of animals.

From passing the laws regarding carriage horses when horses are the main mean of transportati on, the Society had expanded to other animals. In 2006, SPCA went internati onal in the United States. Besides promoti ng the safety of animals, SPCA Internati onal seeks to support and assist independent animal shelters in a worldwide platf orm.

In 2007, SPCA Internati onal had launched their fi rst major initi ati ve – Shelter of the Week, to provide fi nancial support at the local level by awarding emergency grants to selected animal welfare organizati ons every month.

The second initi ati ve – Operati on Baghdad Pups, were founded due to requests made by U.S. military personnel. Besides providing veterinary care and saving animals’ lives, SPCA Internati onal also helps to transport animals out of war zone.

Through the SPCA Answers program, an educati on incenti ve, thousands

of animal guardians can be assisted by informati on and resource from internati onal staff and volunteers.

The latest program – Cruelty Crime Stopper Rewards program was launched in 2008. This program off ers money rewards to the public for useful informati on related to animal abuse criminals.

Besides these programs, SPCA Internati onal also has an informati on portal to educate the public in a variety of issues and topics which helps to promote the safety and well-being of animals worldwide. The topics covered are from animal care advice to pet insurance.

Interested in being involved with SPCA but don’t know how to do so? You don’t have to look that far! On our campus itself, there is the INTI – Society for Animal Welfare (I-SAW) which was recently formed a few months ago. It was established with support from SPCA itself.

I-SAW is an independent group of animal lovers dedicated to improve animal welfare. In line with the SPCA mission, I-SAW is looking forward to making the world a more humane place by creati ng awareness of animal cruelty in the society. As I-SAW is relati vely new, their only parti cipati on was during English Week whereby they sold SPCA goods. Join now to get involved in the war against cruelty of animals. Moo luck!

Stand Up

Against

Animal Cruelty!BY ALYA AMIRAH AZMAN

To know more about SPCA you can go to their main website: htt p://www.spcai.org

As we welcome October, we remember it as Adopt-A-Pet month. ALYA gives you the scoop on SPCA’s global role in combati ng animal cruelty.

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The phone rang on a Sunday night, a dog who had been adopted, needed to be picked up as soon as possible.

The owner decided she didn’t want him anymore.

She thought her new boy would be fine being left alone 8+ hours a day in a strange house, perfectly contented to stare at the walls. He should have been grateful! After all, she did rescue him.

What she didn’t expect, was that he actually had the nerve to chew up things and treated the house like a bathroom, peeing and defecating just about anywhere. He was 6 years old, a dog that had lived his whole life in a shelter. He should have been thankful she picked him. After all, he was a big black dog- rarely the kind to be adopted.

The Long WaitBY STEPHANIE AERIA

He was found roaming the streets as a stray, un-neutered, suffering from heartworm. A rescue group

took him to the vets, had him treated for the heartworms, neutered and given most likely, his very first set of shots. Once he was healthy, they gave him a bath and a new collar. He was then brought to various adoption events, hoping to find himself a new family.

He could only watch as all the cute puppies went to their new homes. Even the small older dogs found their new families. The years passed as he waited patiently for his own family. Finally, this woman decided to take him. Unfortunately, this arrangement only lasted for a week. He wasn’t perfect enough to fit into her perfect little world.

Here was a big dog who cowered at everything. He was afraid of paper, loud noises and especially, to be caught in a corner. He had been in the shelter ever since he was a puppy so he didn’t know what housebreaking was all about but he had other dogs to learn from. He was quick to learn what living inside meant.

He was put up for adoption again, yet once more, no one showed any interest; nobody wanted a big black mutt. As the weeks passed he finally learned to trust. He found out that he could dig a hole or chew up a toy without being reprimanded.

Finally, his moment had arrived. A family decided to take him in. They were a couple with kids aged 8 and 11. It’s been over a year now, and he might not be perfect but if he believes it himself, he dare say that he comes pretty close to that – at least to this family.

Based on a true story, this dog was previously a foster dog. However, he’s only one out of handful lucky ones. According to The Humane Society of USA, in the US alone, six to eight million dogs and cats are sent to shelters yearly. The number of those put to sleep is far too large.

In fact, in Malaysia, abandoned animals are also a concern. Just earlier this year, SPCA Selangor reported that 300 abandoned dogs were driven to cannibalism and mauled one another

after being dumped on a mangrove island somewhere in western Selangor. Stated SPCA, while on site, they saw several emaciated dogs crowded and hunched around something – that ‘something’ turned out to be the remains of another dog. They hungrily feasted on that.

Thus, second chances are definitely the best gift to abandoned animals. Please consider fostering a rescue, or adopting an older dog or cat if you’re considering adopting an animal. Just as you would be to them, they could turn out to be the best one you’ll ever have.

S T E P H A N I E AERIA shares a story for the soul about the plight of an abandoned dog.

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Ghosts of Malaysian

FolkloreManananggalA manananggal is an attractive, older woman whose body is severed in two. While the lower torso stays on the ground, its upper torso, equipped with wings, takes flight in search of blood. Villagers often dust garlic or salt outside their houses to prevent their entry.

Hantu GalahMale ghosts who are thought to have elongated limbs like that of coconut trees. Compared to other spirits and ghosts, they pose a lighter threat.

Hantu Tetek A female ghost with abnormally large breasts (it’s not supposed to be funny but yes go ahead, laugh). She attacks people, namely children, by hiding or suffocating them with her breasts. Children are advised to return home after dusk.

水鬼(Shui Gui) A water ghost that resides in the location that it formerly drowned in. It is said to pull its victim underwater, so that it can take that person’s place in the living world as a newborn. The victim then takes that ghost’s place as the new water ghost of that area.

饿鬼 (E Gui) A hungry ghost is a being that, in some schools of Buddhist thought, exists in the lowest of the six realms of existence. A person who was filled with greed, envy, desire, or anger is reborn as a hungry ghost. The ghost usually surfaces during the Hungry Ghost Festival of the seventh month. It is believed to have a large, empty stomach and a mouth and neck so tiny that it cannot eat food, leaving it constantly tormented by hunger.

僵屍 (Jiang Shi)A hopping ghost that has long, white hair and greenish skin. It is formed when a soul does not leave its body because it was buried improperly or, sometimes, because a cat jumped over the corpse. It kills the living to absorb their life essence, but can be stopped by having rice thrown in its path or a talisman stuck to its forehead.

MohiniA female ghost who appears as a pretty woman in a white sari and preys on young men. She is said to give off a fragrant, irresistible scent and a tinkling sound from the anklets on her feet. According to some legends, the men who turned back to look at her were killed and turned into stones.

KuttisaitanA small-sized ghost with a disfigured face that attacks little children by turning into the figure of a trusted person in order to lure them. It is said to have been an aborted fetus that becomes jealous of the little children who were given the chance to live.

BrahmaparushA ghost whose head is filled with the blood that it has drunk. Its skull is also supposedly surrounded by intestines.

BY HAFIZAH JAMAL & JERUSHA SANJEEVI

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THE KEEPER

The moon hung low in the sky, casti ng long forbidden shadows over the ground. Mist rolled past me as I slowly inched my car closer to the

main entrance of the ancient mansion. The mansion had once belonged to my family before death unleashed his claws and took my family one by one. Coming back now was like knocking on the door of the reaper.

In a distance, a dog howled, as if sending out a distressed warning. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the torch and stepped out of the car. Dead leaves crackled like thunderclaps under my feet, as I made my way to the heavy double door. The door was ajar; it screeched when I att empted to push it open.

Over the years, people had ransacked the place that now, what were left were only the family portraits on the walls and the sickening smell of forgott en memories. As I neared the stairs, the eyes of the dead followed me, questi oning my presence there – as if daring me to intrude further. A shiver ran down my back as I plucked up my courage. I had a job to do; I had to gather the evidence needed to prove that my father was killed by the grounds-keeper.

The steps screamed out its protest as I headed upstairs. The master bedroom looked the same as it did the night it happened. Nobody had dared to touch anything. Unti l now. Outside the storm was brewing; I had to move fast.

Scanning the fi les quickly, I discovered a few interesti ng legal papers that clearly had never seen light before. It seemed that Father was planning to banish the keeper from the house because he was suspected of murdering the rest of my family members! So it must be true,

he was the one who had destroyed my family. As I looked further, probed deeper, I started feeling uncomfortable. My senses were suddenly sharper than ever; I was no longer alone. Right then, I heard an audible screech from the hallway. Spinning around, I saw shadows dashed across the doorway.

I froze.

Outside, the storm was now rolling, releasing lightning bolts from the heavens above. Heart thumping, I stuff ed all the papers I needed into my overcoat pockets and grabbed the iron poker. Holding the metal rod over my shoulders, ready to bring it down at the fi rst sign of an assault, I crept closer to the door.

I sti ff ened when I heard the swoosh of fabric next to the door. The curtains? The coat of the intruder?

What could it be?

I must fl ee, and quickly. Taking one last look around me, I made a wild dash for the stairs. I tripped and landed headfi rst on the landing. Behind me, I heard the unmistakable laughter of a familiar voice – the groundskeeper. Franti c now, I clutched my throbbing head as I bolted for the door.

Raindrops thumped heavily on me, mixing with blood from the wound on my head. As I stumbled into my car and stuck the key in the igniti on, I could not see anything; it was too dark outside here. “Oh God, please,” I pleaded as I turned the key to the igniti on again and again. “Please don’t do this to me!”

The car coughed and sputt ered, refusing to start. My heart sank as I looked up and saw the menacing smile on his face, mocking me. His ominous laugh was the last thing I heard, before all went dark…

An Inti Insider’s special, one-time only original story written by KRISTY VOON to leave your skins crawling with goosebumps.

BY KRISTY VOON

I N T I I n s i d e r N e w s l e t t e r O C T 2 0 0 9I n s i d e rI n s i d e r N e w s l e t t e r O C T 2 0 0 9

I am part of the apatheti c and lethargic generati on. And I refuse to believe that

If we persevereWe can achieve.

It is true thatWe live in a society of procrasti nati on;

I do not believe that Persistence yields good results.Those who endure suff er more.

I do not concede that I will be successful because of my perseverance;

It will be clear that Relinquishment would make you happier;

They are lying when they tell youThere is hope

But as long as you reverse it...There is hope.

They are lying when they tell youRelinquishment would make you happier.

It will be clear that I will be successful because of my perseverance.

I do not concede that Those who endure suff er more.Persistence yields good results.

I do not believe that We live in a society of procrasti nati on.

It is true thatWe can achieveIf we persevere.

And I refuse to believe thatI am part of the apatheti c and lethargic generati on.

Pe� eve

rance

Kristy V� n