Random Thoughts: Week 1

• If you do not have baby powder for use while in visiting a subtropical country Singapore, Malaysia, Colombia, etc. (especially as a woman); then you will be soaking wet all the time from sweating!! (Ladies, I suggest you invest in something including a mid-day change of underwear to avoid infections abroad! I am hearing horror stories and they are no bueno)
• Today at USM, we received sim cards and internet connection for our phones (if you had apple products). We went from interacting with each other to interacting with our social networks. Remember rule #5? My family may be upset that I chose not to connect my phone to the internet for immediate contact but I did not come here to talk to them every day while abroad. It would be difficult to be completely engaged in lecture discussions if I am facebooking or texting during classes.
• I have been diving into all types of food since leaving the U.S. all of a sudden my top lip began to peel and was suddenly swollen Sunday night. Hhhmmm… maybe it was an allergic reaction (?) Oh well.
• Had a few conversations with a few of the group members about spirituality and it seemed some are searching for their own personal answers. They so happen to keep talking to me individually (coincidence?), one-on-one. Well most of the time the conversation is about the fundamental difference between Islam, Buddhist, Hinduism, and Christianity and how some denominations of Christianity have intense religious practices as Muslims.
• I woke up this morning for my daily bible reading in front of this relaxing window view and came across Acts 15. The chapter is about the gentile believers being told by some men they must undergo circumcision in order to be “saved” and true believers. But the scriptures states in Acts 15:7-11, 20 that it is not necessary to create all types of rules and regulations to become a believer of the One and Only True God. All you have to do is “confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…” (Romans 10:9-10). I see this education abroad in a spiritual country is challenging our own personal spiritual beliefs. Those who do not have a belief are taking bits and pieces of all religions we encounter, while those who have a belief in something are becoming stronger in their faiths.
• What an amazing conversations, interactions, and spiritual experiences in Malaysia thus far!!
• Presenters seem to love eye contact and new tools they can use to build awareness within their communities. The presenters/lecturers learn as much from you as much as you learn from them.
• When surrounded by many great thinkers and community initiatives, it is hard not to want to join them in their movement to make it successful while holding true to your own passion in life.
• When the dominant passions of the world are overshadowing the less spoken or less known passions of the world, it is hard not to want to give up walking down the harder road (chasing your passions) to walk down the easier one (passions of the world that are more acceptable than your own.
• When you see a problem, look carefully; you can see the solution too.
• Since the time when the internet access codes and the sim cards were given to us, the more I see people looking at their phones than I see looking at the presenters/presentations.
• Some complain about not having air conditioner here in the hostels. It is fine to me since I do not use the a/c in the U.S. I turn my ceiling fans on and keep my windows open so the hostel room condition is divine to me.
• I wonder if the lecturer’s always talk towards me because I am looking at them, “engaged,” or simply trying to use this time to stare at someone that is not clearly everyday Malay (?).
• Boleh Buat means “Can Do”!!
• Rural kids do not like cartoon pictures in science books. The wish to see real photographs of things since they do not see these things where they live.
• Educational books do not have any type of religious or spiritual content. They are neutral for the purpose of teaching all children regardless of their family religious beliefs. If the children are primarily Muslim then the teacher is expected to teach Islamic values that complement the text.
• Google: Cicely Williams – “Mother of Maternal and Child Health.” Milk and Murderers.
• I love how the organization leaders that present in our lectures have so much intense passion for their topics that is quite contagious and overwhelming. Not sure if they really love talking about the topic or just trying to stuff us with as much knowledge as possible).
• Google: Where there are no pharmacists
• People that are use to squatty potty’s think it is gross to sit on toilets as western countries, so they stand on those seated toilets to squat and do their business!
• Is spiritual music that is not related to your belief “harmful” if you do not understand the words? (Islamic prayers through the mosque speakers sound so soothing).
• Everything that I said that I would NEVER DO… I keep seeing that I will have to do them eventually. I.E. “I will never go into politics”… I majored in public health.
• Google: Strong Medicine by Arthur Hailey; Constant Gardener; Inside CIBA-GEIGY by Olle Hansson, International Organization of Consumers’ Unions; International People Health University; and People’s Health Movement.
• These presentations/lectures are more of a learning experience than we thought; they are community discussion forums. Maybe there should be crowd waters to stop the discussions when 90% of the audience are no longer interested in the lecture but cannot leave on their own accord.

Completely Random Yes I Know!

Krystal