Wednesday 31 March 2010

So what was FT Weekend about? - The Sequel

The previous post was shared by someone new to the FT. Now, here are some thoughts shared by William, an experienced FT member, on what happened during the Weekend. If you're looking for a comprehensive recount of the FT Weekend, look no more. Here it is!


With the theme of ‘Racism’, FT Weekend 1 was definitely fulfilling. Thanks a lot to Michael Voon for his sessions with us. His sharings left us with many questions to ponder upon and of course, some new insights - how we perceived what is happening around us, the environment and people, and also how can we change this.

The first activity ‘Hi, La Salle’ was full of fun and laughter, and it encouraged self-awareness of whether we’re visual, audio or kinetics learners. The activity ended with segregation into groups based on dots (any mistake in the game earned us one dot…kudos to Tsu Chong and Kartig for having 5 and Yages for having 7…haha).

We then shared about how minorities and majorities felt throughout the process. We also watched the movie ‘Gadoh’. A true movie that reflects reality - I have nothing but praise for it. It is a good medium to spread the message of anti-racism and personally I felt that it raised more than just the question of race.

For me, the highlight was ‘flocking’, a perfect way to end the sessions. A simple activity of moving in small groups, yet it sends a strong message on how one’s action can affect the community, how one community can affect another community, and how these communities can co-exist.

Thank you, Mike.

At night, we had an interesting discussion on racism. We discussed when we experienced racism, why is there racism and what can we do as Lasallians. I always felt that there is something special about the team, the Formation Team; we are so diverse yet most of us share the ‘same frequency’, which makes it easy and interesting for us to discuss issues.

Many meaningful thoughts were shared between the school, university and working groups. One question occurred to me - what is right about the youth today? To me, most of us are on the right path because we know what is right and what changes are needed to correct the wrong. The challenge for us now is to act and be the change we want to see.

The visit of Brother Alvaro Rodriguez, the Superior General of La Salle Brothers, together with Brother David, Brother Thomas and Brother Anthony made our FT weekend more memorable. The humility of the Brothers made this big family seem close and warm.

The whole weekend, as well as the sharings during the dialogue with the Brothers, reaffirmed my reasons for coming back. I always felt ‘re-charged’ after each trip to La Salle Centre. Besides meeting up with friends, there are always people in the team who are sources of inspiration for me.

From my first step of staying for 3 weeks in Kg. Chang (an indigenous village in Bidor) until today, La Salle Centre always gave me the courage to be different and to move towards the change that I want to see.

Thanks to La Salle Centre, Brothers and the Team.


Monday 29 March 2010

So what was FT Weekend 1 about?

With (More Than) Earth Hour up and running (heads-up: most regions are doing their clean-ups this coming weekend so it's not too late for you to contact them), there's now some time to spare for some reflection on the FT Weekend 1.

Here's what Deisigan had to say about the weekend.


Moving is the word to describe the FT weekend.


Although I lost touch with the Lasallian family for more than two years, I still felt the Lasallian spirit in me by the end of the weekend.


I had a warm welcome when I arrived at the center on a beautiful Saturday morning.


We had lots of group activities, dancing, coordinating, movie watching, and sharing. Our theme was racism and we had fruitful discussions about it. Ideas and comments were flowing viciously.


Among the comments which struck me most was 'subconscious discrimination' shared by Shaun. I thought his example of the manager and the pregnant lady was very thought provoking.


Racism still exists in this modern era. It is up to the younger generation to start impacting changes on society. As Lasallians, we should start breaking the invisible barriers among races in our respective surroundings.


A change in one person can make a difference because it can cause a chain reaction of people waking up from the spell of racism. As what Bro. Alvaro mentioned, youths are the accelerators in Lasallian family.


When racism is overcome, we'd be able to accentuate our Lasallian mission of helping the last, the lost and the least by means of fair education for all races and religions.


Change starts with the man in the mirror -MJ


Is the Extended Family Altruistically Linked? Direct Tests Using Micro Data

Thursday 25 March 2010

(MORE than) Earth Hour

"As Lasallians, we're called to do more..."

Sounds familiar? Agree with the statement?

Here's your chance to do MORE than 'Earth Hour' for our Earth herself.




Date - 27 march 2009


The simple plan
- switch off your lights & all electrical equipment from 8.30pm to 9.30pm

Our Lasallian plan

- Go to the nearest park, or if you dare, the dirtiest area. Do your part and CLEAN UP. Go in a bunch, make it fun!


The following are coordinators for clean-ups in different locations. They'll have something simple (not longer than 2 hours) planned.

Contact them by 26 March 2010 (Friday) to find out more!

1. Chun Yian (Melaka) - 016-6588291; wewe_yeah@hotmail.com

2. Nicky (Sarawak) - 014 682 8693

3. Nazrin (P. J.) - 0124337536; nazz_603@hotmail.com

4. Yumin (Klang) - 0163010380; yumin92@hotmail.com

5. Kelvesh (Seremban) - 0176602441; aftermath_6602@hotmail.com

6. Brenda (Tambunan) - 0149553415

7. Sara (Ipoh) - 0165636798; sara_rutherford1808@hotmail.com


Some suggestions to make things fun:

1) TALK to EVERYONE YOU MEET ,tell them what you're doing and invite them to join you!

2) Turn up in something GREEN (20YAC t-shirt, 19th NLLC t-shirt...).



Alternatively,

For those of us who can't make it to any clean-ups, we invite you to pledge to do 3 things that will benefit our Earth for as long as one week - a personal initiative.

Feel free to share your pledges with others by commenting here, or on Facebook.




We have but one planet, will you make a stand for her?


More Than

Tuesday 23 March 2010

As Lasallians...

...we spoke about racism, in conjunction with International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 21 March 2010. As Lasallians, we pledged to do more in our daily lives to overcome this issue. Tonight, some of us will be attending a forum on racial issues.


This coming weekend, another issue begs our attention.


A commendable effort began in Sydney, Australia, and reached our shores in 2008.


It looks impactful. The twin towers disappeared!

Is it changing the world?



Or do things, in fact, remain as they are?



Can we, as Lasallians, do more?


Stay tuned for more updates.

Monday 22 March 2010

KOMAS Cartoon Book Launch & Forum: Uncovering the Dirt Under The Racism Carpet

NOTE: PLEASE RSVP ON YOUR OWN

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CELEBRATING INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR THE ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION

Come join us for the launch of KOMAS's cartoon book “Sweeping Dirt Under The Carpet: Reflections of Race Issues in Malaysia” and forum on “Uncovering the Dirt under the Racism Carpet". This event is timed to also celebrate the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21st. Komas looks forward to your participation to show your support to fight racism in Malaysia. Together lets rewrite a new chapter for Malaysia.

Date : 23rd March 2010 (Tuesday)
Time : 8.00 PM -10.30pm
Venue : Central market Annex, Level 2, Kuala Lumpur

Forum Panelist:
Datuk Zaid Ibrahim
Dr.Kua Kia Soong
Tijah Yok Chopil
Jerald Joseph (Moderator)

For reservations, please email prakkash@komas.org with the following details: 1) FULL NAME 2) HP NUMBER before 21st March, 2010.

Monday 15 March 2010

Final Call for FT1

Guys and gals, final call to sign up for FT 1. Please email Isaac if you're coming.

In addition to Bro. Superior's visit on Sunday, we're having celebrity MXV who was recently featured in NST to help us on Saturday!

NST Extract:

Ingenious Voon

He has weathered depression, survived an major accident, mentored a TV reality show and helps with community work. MAX KOH gets to the heart of dancer-choreographer Michael Voon

MEETING dancer-choreographer Michael Voon is like bumping into an old friend. Caught munching on a sandwich at a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur recently, he says: “Hi... have I met you somewhere before? You look familiar.” Before you can say “No this is a first for me”, we are chatting away like pals.

Jam Collage: A signature dance piece which Voon performed in Malaysia, the US and  Australia. You can catch it on  www.youtube.com

Jam Collage: A signature dance piece which Voon performed in Malaysia, the US and Australia. You can catch it on www.youtube.com

He says his first New Sunday Times interview was in 1987. “At that time, I had just completed my SPM, and Operasi Lalang had caused newspapers to be shut down.

“NST was the only English publication left available that weekend. So, everyone read that little article about me.” The full-page colour spread titled Over-Achiever told of how Voon had received a full scholarship to study dance in Mesa State College in Colorado. “For a poor boy in Ipoh, it was a big dream come true. “Until Standard Five, I lived in a house where the jamban was outside. I had never even flown in a plane before. Who would have thought I’d go and study in the United States?” How did this happen anyway? Voon says he loved to listen to the short-wave radio as a child. One night, he had tuned in to the Voice Of America programme hosted by Arlene Francis which included a section where listeners could send in their questions to the show.

“My question about the performing arts was picked. At that time, I had just watched Fame. (The original with Irene Cara.) “Somehow, my name got spread around in the shortwave (radio) and people asked me to apply to Colorado to study performing arts,” recalls Voon who did his first piece of dance choreography for a pantomime on Charlie’s Angels when he was 14. “The professor in Mesa State said the college would sponsor my first semester but I didn’t even have money for my flight there. In the end, I got a full scholarship and completed my Bachelor of Arts.” He says the NST article even caught the eye of a local resort who created “an illustrious job for me”.


Live performance in Times Square on Broadway, 2005. Voon also taught movement classes at Chelsea Studios, New York City.

Live performance in Times Square on Broadway, 2005. Voon also taught movement classes at Chelsea Studios, New York City.

But Voon felt it was a joke because the story came out during the political turmoil and recession of 1987. He was in the midst of personal problems as his grandfather had just died and his parents were in the process a of divorce. He didn’t last long at the resort. “I got really depressed and I decided to run back to Colorado and escape all my problems. They promised me another scholarship and to give me my old job back, which was painting Southwest Indian jewellery,” said Voon, a former student of St Michael’s Institution in Ipoh.

But he got neither the scholarship nor the job. Voon recalls spiralling into a depression.

“I was labelled an overachiever, got a double major and a minor within four years, my Master’s degree at a certain age, and the possibility of climbing the corporate ladder — it all came crashing down. “But I was glad it happened that way, because the depression allowed me to find my spiritual centre. Before that, I realised that I had been dancing externally.

“The depression forced me to ask myself why I danced in the first place. “It was then I realised that I had to find the movement in my heart. When the movement is so strong you cannot contain it, you’ll find it flowing out to your limbs. At this point, you find that (movement) has meaning.” Since then, Michael has taught countless dancers at workshops to identify their movement within themselves and then express it.

Director-choreographer Voon for of YKLS’ jazz concert called Breakin’ It Down in 2008.

Director-choreographer Voon for of YKLS’ jazz concert called Breakin’ It Down in 2008.

“When you are dancing to a certain movement at home, you are actually following an image of a dance routine. To me, that is syiok-sendiri. When you identify your own movement, it comes out naturally.” Today, Voon has acted and performed in more than 100 stage and TV productions.

He is a lecturer in digital-graphic design, dance, choreography and performing arts. Among others, he has directed the choirs Young KL Singers and Wicked Pitches, facilitated in Digi’s Amazing Malaysians, performed on Times Square in New York, coached actors of Popiah Pictures, choreographed Susuk The Movie, and coached 8TV-Unit artistes including Malaysian Idol 1 & 2 winners Jaclyn Victor and Daniel (Danell) Lee. Voon is also involved in social community work, something he took up when in the US.

As a lecturer, Voon has met many a young talent including film-maker Bernard Chauly, whom he helped choreograph his first dance piece.

“When I graduated, I was supposed to choreograph Lat The Kampung Boy Musical which starred a Form Four boy named Afdlin Shauki. “I also met a young boy, Sean Ghazi, in 1987 who was dancing freelance at that time,” recalls Voon.

Voon would later work with Afdlin in the successful Hip-Hopera Musical which ran for two seasons in 1998 and 1999. So what’s next? “It’s going to be exciting as the next project would signify my re-debut in musical theatre after so many years.” Under the flagship of Broadway Academy Production, Voon and producer Casey Koh are working to bring Shout! The Mod Musical in June. “It will feature local performers. So far, Ning Baizura and Francesca Peters have expressed their interest to be part of it.

“The musical is all about suspending disbelief and enjoying the British 60s swing era when songs by Shirley Bassey and Cilla Black were hot,” he said.

In April, Voon’s Diaries In Black, a choreographed piece performed in the Short + Sweet dance festival, will make its debut in Sydney. The Short + Sweet event offers new pieces by anyone in bite-sized treats, each less than 10 minutes. The dance featured retired ex-gymnasts and wushu exponents who has sustained injuries in their careers.

“Two years ago, I was in a bad road accident and broke my femur (thigh bone). It could have ended my stage career, but I was calm as I knew God would teach me new things through the accident,” he said after displaying he could walk without any problems despite having permanent titanium in his legs. It was his accident that led him to choreograph Diaries In Black with the numerous dancers. After that full-page spread in the NST, the 45-year-old has overcame many obstacles in life. “What kept me going all these years is the desire to help people discover their movement within.

“Of course, sometimes I wished I had received more accolades and become more famous. It is only natural that you feel that sometimes. But what is even more important is that I must be honest in everything that I do — be it

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Freedom Film Fest 2010!!

"I've just watched the most excellent 36 min. documentary, "Selepas Tsunami/After the Tsunami" directed by Anna Har (formerly director of '3R', seen on TV3).

Hosted by Haris Ibrahim and featuring interviews with Pakatan Councillors, ADUNs and MPs, academics and various stakeholders, it shows us the good works done so far by the respective Pakatan state govts and also their shortcomings, problems and obstacles faced.

"Selepas Tsunami/After the Tsunami" is a must-watch for anyone wishing to know 'what Pakatan has done so far' or for anyone needing reasons why, in the next GE, one should vote to establish a strong 2-party system as a basis for a mature democracy in Malaysia."

-Aneel David Kannabhiran-



What's "Selepas Tsunami/After the Tsunami"?? Read on!

__________________________________________________________________

Can't wait for FT Weekend to come along?

Don't know what to do with your time?

Here’s your chance to make a film! The annual KOMAS FREEDOMFILMFEST film competition is back! (For those of us who don't make films, we can always look forward to watching great films by other young Malaysian.)

All you need to do is submit a film proposal (2-3 page) on any social issue which you are passionate about. The best three proposals will receive a grant of RM6,000 and support form KOMAS to produce that film.

Come and join us at the official launch to get mor

We information about the FreedomFilmFest.

Date: 11 MARCH 2010
Time: 8 PM – 10 PM
Venue: Theatrette, Main Building, HELP University College


The launch ceremony will be followed by the premiere screening of KOMAS's latest documentary, "SELEPAS TSUNAMI" (After The Tsunami)

FILM SYNOPSIS
The 12th general election did not only result in the change of government in four states or the lost of Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in Parliament. It brought along many practices never seen before in the government system. In Selangor a body under the state assembly was formed to monitor the use of public funds.In the federal Parliament the increase presence of opposition representatives has resulted in more serious debates. Today Umno and Barisan Nasional has started speaking the language of change. However, the real reform process is not as easy as voting on polling day.

This documentary discusses the meaning behind those promised changes.


For reservation of passes, please SMS to 017-3749887 or e-mail freedomfilmfest@komas.org with the following details:

1) Full Name
2) HP Number
3) Amount of Passes

For more information on the competition and to watch previous FreedomFilmFest films, please visit http://freedomfilmfest.komas.org

____________________________________________________________________________


And you can tell all the other FT members how great the documentary was during FT Weekend!


Thursday 4 March 2010

FT Weekend 1

Hi guys and gals,

Reminder that FT Weekend 1 is on 20-21 March 2010. The Bro Superior (biggest boss) of the Lasallian family will be coming to meet us. We've got a range of programmes lined up. Do not miss the once in a life time opportunity!

Please email ISAAC to let us know if you're coming. Isaac's new email is aisaac610@gmail.com (his old email got hacked, so please use this instead).

Include in your mail:

Name:
School:
Convention no./year:
Date of arrival and time:
Date of departure and time:
Any special food needs (e.g. Vegetarian, allergies):

Thanks and hope to see you there!