"Big Dreams, Little Bears" at the KLEFF

Over the last decade, there has been a rise in documentary film-making, especially those with an environmental or social justice theme, including by Malaysians. The common objective of such films would naturally be to raise awareness on environmental and social issues and hopefully engender a spirit of activism.

EcoKnights, the same lovely organisation behind the Anugerah Hijau awards, has been conducting the Kuala Lumpur Eco Film Festival since 2008 to make these documentaries accessible to the public.

You would think that someone with my pedigree in environmental activism would have attended the film festival before, especially since Yasmin of EcoKnights did such a glowing write-up on me in their newsletter. Well, I haven't, partly because almost all my after-work hours are filled with other volunteer and social commitments, and partly because I feel that watching a documentary and familiarising oneself with environmental issues almost never translates into hands-on action. Very few of the hipster yuppies and fad-following college sophomores who throng these green festivals end up walking the talk, although I would never discourage anyone from wanting to learn more by attending these film festivals.

My (genteel and largely silent) objection to such film festivals is chiefly due to the fact that: (a) At least half the people attending these documentary screenings would have driven there in private vehicles; and (b) they're preaching only to the choir -- those with high-consuming, high-waste lifestyles are not going to attend green film festivals. Half the population of the Klang Valley would still be shopping and dining out and yakking on their phones as they do every weekend, while a negligible minority who are actually interested in the documentaries would have driven out so they could catch the film festival.

The reason I haven't attended any of the documentary screenings in any of the installments of the Eco Film Festival is also that there isn't much the documentaries could tell me that I haven't already read or learned about. After all, if I have watched most of the documentaries on my computer or during volunteering stints, it doesn't make any sense to drive out on a particular weekend just to show my support at a "green" event.

 This year, I made an exception for "Big Dreams, Little Bears", a documentary on Malayan Sun Bears and the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre, a wildlife sanctuary and non-governmental organisation founded and managed by my friend, Wong Siew Te.

Directed by Howard Jackson and presented by Dr. Audrey Low, "Big Dreams" introduces the viewer to challenges faced by the Malayan Sun Bear population, including those resulting from deforestation, habitat destruction and forest clearing for agriculture. Thus began Wong's 10-year struggle to save the little-known sun bears.

When the Bornean Sun Bear Conservation Centre was first set up, few people outside of conservation circles knew of it, or were even aware that these little bears are natives of Sabah. Few people have any encounters with sun bears apart from glimpses of the two forlorn sun bears in their barren enclosure in Zoo Negara (now improved and with enrichment activities). Many did not even realise that the BSBCC was independently funded, and had assumed that they received funding from the State government or WWF.
 

Aravind and I dropped by Universiti Malaya on Sunday after volunteering at the SPCA animal shelter as usual to catch the film and to catch up with old friends. Here are a few clips from the documentary:

Wong and team observe the sun bears, mostly rescued from private zoos, private owners and the cooking pot, shortly after the rescue centre was set up.

Two of the biggest male bears had a fight and they were given medical treatment under anaesthesia. Here is the foot of one of the bears. Isn't it adorable, even with blue wound spray on? The hairs in between his toes help him have a better grip while climbing. The bears may be small but they are very strong. Their claws and teeth could rip through a young coconut the way we crunch through peanut shells.

Wong, Wai Pak and the BSBCC team put up electric fencing to keep rogue macaques out and the sun bears in.

"Hello, I may be cute, but I am a wild animal and am unsuitable as a pet".

Wai Pak decided to try to lure Om the male bear out.

Om decided to go back into his enclosure and roll around in the leaves and branches that he pulled back into his enclosure.

Suria accepted Wai Pak's invitation to come out and play.

Suria chased Wai Pak around the compound for over 20 minutes. It looked like so much fun! I told Aravind that when we go to volunteer at BSBCC, I would like to be chased by a sun bear too. Aravind asked me to consider what would happen if a sun bear manages to catch me with his or her coconut-shredding claws. (Photo credits: TimeOut KL)

The film cast and crew: Dr. Audrey, Wai Pak, Wong Siew Te and Howard. (Photo credits: Siew Te's blog)
 

Siew Te has made many sacrifices in order to save these bears. This was a photo he posted on his New Year's Eve celebrations, when all of us were posting from wherever we were partying. What we wouldn't do to be in his place instead! He is doing such a great job. May we all continue to do our best to save the sun bears and their habitat.


What YOU can do to help sun bears:

1. Educate yourself on this little-known species.
2. Raise awareness on the plight of sun bears via blog and social media.
3. Support BSBCC's fundraising efforts.
4. Volunteer both at the BSBCC rescue centre and for their fundraising and awareness events.
5. Offer your skills and services -- whether as an editor, photographer, copywriter or graphic designer.
6. Be a smart consumer -- Read your labels. Buy only certified sustainable oil palm and timber products.
7. Do not support the wildlife trade. Report any incidences of sun bears being kept in captivity. Even in licensed facilities, sun bears may be ill-treated or not provided with adequate nutrition and enrichment. Keep your eyes open for such incidences of poor treatment.
8. Report wildlife crimes (including poaching, hunting, sale and consumption) to the Wildlife Crime Hotline at 019 356 4194 / report@malayantiger.net.



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  This Week's Photodump:

The baby bird CovertDad and CovertMum rescued from the drain 3 weeks ago, getting a sponge bath from CovertMum.

CovertMum feeding the baby bird. I think it's a Eurasian Tree Sparrow.

Post-bath treats for the dogs at the SPCA.

My latest foster cats, who were rescued from our office canteen on 11th October. They have since been given a flea bath and been spayed and dewormed. The adult cat is Cantina. Her kittens are named Boris and Clyde. All of them are up for adoption.

My friend Jennifer is providing temporary food and shelter for this handsome, friendly and approachable young male dog. We believe he was a former pet and has been abandoned. Dingo has already been bathed, Frontlined, vaccinated and neutered. As we have spent quite a significant amount on vet fees, we request a kind donation of RM100 as adoption fee. You will only have to attend to the second vaccination and the dog licence application. Please contact me if you would like to adopt our Dashing Dingo!

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Chances and Choices

“Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?”
- “Nowhere Man”, The Beatles.


There is no lack of opportunities for those who are willing to work honestly, hustle and produce results. I am immensely grateful to have been made 3 offers, the advantages and disadvantages of each which I am still weighing. I will, in all likelihood, accept the second offer as it will entail a mix of work that I am familiar with as well as more challenging work.

I am, in the meantime, making the most of what’s left of my days of leisure before I return to the blessed workforce. I am looking forward to donning my court whites again. Friends who know of my current situation have been remarkably helpful and unnecessarily sympathetic. I can live quite comfortably on my severance package for at least two or three months, guys. Although I appreciate being showered with dinner treats, organic soybeans, ice skating outings, potted ferns and whatever else I have been given, it really isn’t necessary. I’ve been keeping busy both in and outside the BOQ, and living life to the fullest. I can sleep in as long as I like after having spent the night catching up on my reading. By reading, I don’t mean improving books (to borrow from Jay Gatsby) like Walter Woon’s ‘Company Law’ or my admittedly lugubrious tome of Sartre’s essays. I’ve been losing myself in utterly self-indulgent baloney like Top Gear’s “Midlife Crisis Cars” and “The SAS Survival Guide”.

The political situation over here is still ghastly. At the rate we are going, we will still be in economic and political uncertainty when the Earth’s magnetic poles flip around again.

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1st March 2009: Thrice Bitten



SPCA Jumble Sale

Our SPCA had another mini jumble sale on Sunday to bring the donated items in our Charity Shop and storeroom (yes, the haunted one) to a more manageable level. Chelvy has decided to organise a mini jumble once every other month to generate income for the animal shelter and to promote the 3Rs (reducing, reusing and recycling), which will see greater acceptance due to the sluggish economy.

I arrived at the Shelter only at midmorning, having spent the night drafting a partnership agreement and deed of trust for someone as a personal favour. Also, I am aware that we now have regular school/college groups, Boy Scouts and Girl Guides coming in to volunteer for the Jumble, so my absence would not be felt. My services would only be critical around noon, after the Charity Van had picked up the unsold items and the young ‘uns have gone home.

Chelvy reported that the Shelter made over RM5,000.00 from the mini jumble, which isn’t too shabby by our standards. Our surrender rate currently stands at 868 animals, while the adoption rate remains encouraging at 309 animals. The Shelter is still operating at full to overcrowded capacity and we still need homes for all our animals.

The Charity Van arrived around lunchtime to remove the reusable items for resale or redistribution. We bagged up and carted away junk that could never be cleaned up, repaired or reused. The young volunteers, most of whom are students from INTI College, helped me remove rubbish and sweep the floor so I could wash and disinfect the Office, Charity Shop, Front Reception/Admin and Central Areas where the Jumble had been held.

Once the grunt work was done, Rose and I got the shampoo, Tactik EC solution and leashes ready and got to work washing the Pound dogs. These are strays and former strays that had been taken away for rehabilitation or euthanasia by the SPCA, and are generally aggressive and not very sociable. Wonder Boy (I don’t know his real name but he’s an affable chap about half my age who comes to help out sometimes and has managed to rehabilitate and tame Sparkle, an albino Spitz-cross with a churlish temper and jaws like a steel trap) joined us at the Pound and we managed to leash and wash 3 of the dogs.

One of the dogs bit me on the forearm and started shaking her head vigorously as though trying to break the neck of her prey. With much yelling and stamping of feet, we managed to get her to release my arm, which was thankfully protected by gloves and there was therefore only a closed wound. We finished washing her with much haste and then endeavoured to lasso another dog.

The other dog bit my hand and pulled my glove clean off. Wonder Boy had the good sense to hose the dog directly in the face to make him drop my glove. We had to run all over the Pound trying to corner him so we could wash him. It was like chasing chickens, only with a higher risk factor. I had purple rows of bite marks all over my hands and forearms when I was done.

Once we were done with the Pound dogs, we washed the new arrivals from the Maternity Kennel and Kennels E and F to prevent parasite infestation. Rose and I then called it at day and I rinsed out and put away the pails and things. I proceeded to clean and disinfect the Cattery and clean out all the cat baskets and litter trays.

Jane cleaned out the cages of the smaller dogs and let them out to play while I scrubbed out and washed the cages. I finished cleaning around 1640h and went up to the Bungalow to shower and change and have a powwow with The Glycol. They had visited the Singapore SPCA over the weekend and had bought me a gorgeous planner with photos of shelter animals on it as a gift (Thanks, guys!). We walked over to Studio 5 for an early dinner and discussed the recent shelter audit and the steps that could be taken to reduce the chances of animal deaths, infectious diseases and injuries.

I said goodbye to The Glycol after dinner, as I had to be at Mee Hong’s house for our t-shirt reusing and repurposing brainstorming session. We have only 2 weeks left until Raptor Watch Week and everything is still pretty chaotic right now. Siew Hua, Mee Hong and I ended up bickering over which ideas to keep and which to scrap.

Siew Hua raised a very valid point that many people do not have Mee Hong’s needlework skills, and the more complex projects, although interesting and impressive, would be too intimidating for beginners. We stopped for a dinner of dumplings and the puddings I brought for dessert, inspected Mee Hong’s homemade rice wine and fruit peel enzymes, and went back to the t-shirt scraps on the floor. It was an exhausting affair, trying out ideas that would work and finding out which wouldn’t. We finally settled on one simple project and I asked Mee Hong to bring her samples over anyway so we could make a 3R project display corner. I find projects for children to be a tiresome affair and would prefer dealing with adults over children any day. I just am very grateful to have the assistance of a few highly capable and intelligent volunteers.

Went back to the BOQ sometime around midnight, tidied the place up, checked the Battletank’s engine oil and radiator water levels and hit the sack with two rambunctious kittens.

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3rd March 2009: Local Agenda 21 Seminar

One of the best things about not having to go to work is that I could attend seminars and conferences on environmental issues on weekdays, the attendance of which I would otherwise have delegated to others as I would have wanted to concentrate on my work.

The MNS Secretariat had asked if I could attend a Local Agenda 21 Pilot Project Seminar organised by City Hall, and Vegan Eugene and I had accepted the challenge. The Seminar was attended mostly by government officials, industry players, business owners and some representatives from non-governmental organisations like us.

There was so much greenwash being dished out that I could repaint the BOQ with it. There were, of course, the obligatory PowerPoint presentations with disturbing photos of landfills and sewage pipes clogged with grease. I find it disgraceful that people would pour grease down the sewers. It shows a marked lack of disrespect for the Ninja Turtles and Master Splinter.

Bored out of my skull, I started sketching anti-heroes based on the attendees of the Seminar and scribbled notes on their anti-powers. Among them are:

Suspenders Man: Taking Cluelessness To New Heights!
”You just can’t improve stupidity!”

Greasetrap Man: Speaks at the Speed of One Word Per Minute!
“There’s just no substitute for dimness!”

Monolingual Man: Strives Not to Make Himself Universally Understood!
”If it’s good enough for Great-Grandmaw, it’s good enough for me!”

The Microphone Hogger: Says Nothing Of Any Consequence!
“I have no points to make but my presence!”

Pie Guy: Starts His Speech With A Prayer, and Says Nothing Worth Your Attention After!
“I take ten minutes of your time to speak to my God!”

Vegan Eugene posed questions on the Solid Waste Management Bill which made the City Hall officers and waste collection contractors shit their pants. Thankfully, they had brought spare pants with them. No, not really. That’s an outrageous lie. I don’t know why I am telling such whoppers in my blog. Vegan Eugene posed questions which made them very uncomfortable, so they made some sufficiently ingratiating and conciliatory response.

I was then asked to present the perspective of a non-governmental organisation, and I made some off-the-cuff astringent remarks about memorandums that went missing or unread, privileges extended to business concerns without the knowledge of citizens, misleading information on environmental issues, and the disenfranchisement of citizens and consumers.

I was mobbed by so many people (largely supportive) over my comments during the coffee break that I think it is best I remain incognito for the time being, before City Hall, the Federal Government, government contractors, manufacturers and the Malaysian Plastics Forum hunt me down, baying for blood.

The Seminar was over by 1645h, and Vegan Eugene and I made a dash for the train station as big, lazy raindrops started plopping on the sidewalks. We parted at the station as he had to go home, while I had another interview to attend. When it was finally over and I was ready to go back to the BOQ, I found out that the heavy rains and flash flood had caused the Light Rail Transit system to break down and commuters had been stranded at the KLCC station for the past hour or so.

I made the most of it by waiting it out in KLCC instead, and I spent 3 blissful hours browsing at Kinokuniya and Times Bookstore.



Flash flood in Kuala Lumpur, near Masjid Jamek, on 4th March 2009. What an irony that this happened right after a Seminar on making KL a safe, beautiful and clean city.

As it was a Tuesday, the rest of the week stretched ahead languorously, like an endless balmy beach lined with swaying coconut palms. Life is good if you are willing to convert adversity into better prospects.

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Little Big Dog Undergoes Surgery

Little Big Dog

Went back to the parental home on Friday night so we could get Little Big Dog ready for his neutering appointment the following morning. The Twin and his Girl were understandably tense and worried about the surgery despite my assurances that it’s only a superficial cut for boy dogs, and that it would heal quickly, especially since we had opted to get it done early.

Initially it was agreed that it would just be the 3 of us accompanying Little Big Dog to the SPCA for the surgery, but when Dad wanted to come along “to offer moral support”, I had to put my foot down. It was going to be a surgical procedure, not a rock concert, and it would do Little Big Dog more good to have The Parents waiting for him at home to get his bed all nice and ready for him, than have the whole family crowding poor Dr. Pushpa’s surgery and wringing their hands in agony.

The deed was done in half an hour. I didn’t even have time to help out much in the shelter, except to help Wolfhound transfer a balefully growling cat into his new cage. The Twin carried Little Big Dog to my car and his Girl held LBD in the backseat while I drove us all home.

Little Big Dog recovered from the effect of the anaesthetics by afternoon, and Mom and I gave him lunch to make up for his having to fast the night before. He was groggy but otherwise in good spirits and could play with Amber without stumbling and bumping into things.

I spent Saturday and Sunday at the parental home watching over Little Big Dog and cleaning up the parental home. Washed the rugs and doormats, cleaned out the living and dining room cabinets, wiped down and polished everything, spring cleaned my bedroom, spruced up the yard, bathed Amber, prepared dog meals 3 times a day and finally completed my 20-page report on the Climate Change seminar in the afternoon when everyone was napping.

It was an uneventful weekend otherwise, which judging by the circumstances, was highly welcome because it meant that Little Big Dog could have time to recover from the surgery without much incident.

5th June 2008: World Environment Day 2008

Today I had a welcome respite from work in the form of a CETDEM seminar on the topic of "Between Bali and Poznan: Concrete Actions on Climate Change".

The first part of the seminar consisted of a diplomatic dialogue on actions and policies executed by different nations to cut carbon emissions. Encouraging though the statements made by the ambassadors of the Netherlands, the UK, Australia, India, Singapore and Malaysia were, we must, however, remember that they are diplomats and it is their duty to accord their countries the highest praise possible.

It was during the first coffee break that the journo from The Star text messaged me to inform me that the interview in conjunction with World Environment Day had been published in the special pullout today.

You can read the article here:
Green Every Day Pullout


(Photo reproduced without permission from The Star, but in accordance with the principles of fair use)

And sweet mother of dog, it was mortifying. There were so many errors that I didn't know where to start.

Here are a few of my complaints:
1. Being the Coordinator of the Green Living Group isn't my job. It's a volunteer position.
2. I have never exhorted consumers not to buy organic products or energy saving appliances. I spend a significant amount on organic products. What I actually said was: "Don't miss the forest for the trees. Don't, for a start, clean your house with lemons air-flown from Florida and olive oil shipped from the Mediterranean. That makes no environmental sense. Invest in a locally-produced, consumer-reviewed organic cleaning agent. There are many brands sold under multi-level marketing schemes like Amway, CNI and Cosway. Buy it in the largest size with the least packaging possible, and use it for all your cleaning needs. Don’t buy 10 cleaning agents to do 10 different jobs."
3. The reporter has listed all the piddling idiotic inconsequential actions I have done, but not the important ones. I actually recommended carrying out simple Household Energy, Water, Fuel, Waste and Food Wastage audits by listing areas and circumstances in which wastage occurs, and minimising opportunities for wastage until you find you have made significant savings.
4. I never uttered the words: "It's a constant challenge." Why should it be a fricking challenge? Conservation is fun and exciting and easy as all hell. What I said was: "Goals should not remain stagnant. Continue to challenge your own goals once you have achieved them to reach higher standards and attain greater good. For instance, if you have managed to reduce your electricity bill by 10%, keep at it, and add on the goal of cutting down your petrol/diesel use by 10%."
5. I was never so arrogant as to claim that my friends have started carrying cloth bags and bringing their own reusable takeout food containers because of me. I said that many of my friends are greener than I am, and we learn from each other and share information and resources. I also happened to mention that they take public transport, bring their own cloth shopping bags and takeout containers and audit their resource use as well.

I'm sure the reporter was very well-meaning and diligent, and they had to cut out a lot of superfluous information, but this article has caused others to question my credibility as the Green Living Coordinator.

What a game of Chinese Whispers this has turned out to be! I think I'll decline any offers to be interviewed in future and be incognito henceforth.