Octobirthday Week

“God gave us the gift of life; it is up to us to give ourselves the gift of living well." 
~ Voltaire, 21 November 1694 – 30 May 1778.

 There comes a time several years after our childhood when birthdays cease to be special anymore. But I think birthdays are a good time to take a break, take stock of all the blessings in one's life, surround oneself with family and friends and do something memorable and meaningful.

 And so when Aravind's birthday came around, I didn't think one day was enough to celebrate our friendship and the exceptional guy that he is. We took most of the week off so we could do the things we love, as well as recover after a busy and productive weekend of volunteering with the MNS during the Festival of Wings and to sort out some bureaucratic and housekeeping issues. One of our initial plans was to donate blood but the Blood Bank was unfortunately closed on the day that we stopped by, so we will have to postpone that plan to another week. I also managed to squeeze in the usual afternoon of volunteering at the SPCA as well as spending time with our respective parents, but that's just something we always do as a matter of course.

I didn't want to just get him a store-bought card, so I made him one. It's not perfect but it's a start.
Gift-wise, I am guilty of the uniquely female habit of "gift squirrelling". For over the past 4 months, each time I saw something that I think he would like/need/want or would look good on him, I bought it and squirrelled it away. So Aravind received a bagful of gifts from me, which included sportswear, workwear, cologne and chocolates. Nothing is complete without chocolate.

Tuesday is Earthquake Day at Swensen's, so we went to my favourite ice-cream parlour and sat at a table under my favourite lamp and ordered one of the most gratifying things one could possibly have on a hot afternoon -- an Earthquake.

Eight scoops with eight different toppings -- and they all went straight from our lips to our hips with no detour! The servings are still of a reasonable size, and the ice cream flavours still have a classic, crowd-pleasing quality about them. The fruit, nut and dairy-based toppings complemented the flavours and texture of the ice cream very well.

We met up with our good friends Jo and Mark the same night at Home and Away Pub in Desa Sri Hartamas for a pint and a pow-wow and ended up participating in the weekly pub quiz. It didn't take much to persuade us to participate -- we love those things. Aravind is good at almost every topic. Jo's forte is popular culture and alcohol-related trivia. Mark is good at sports and technology-related topics. I usually rule when it comes to books and natural history. (P/S to the gang: Trust my instincts next time when it comes to Oscar Wilde.)

Team Stratos a.k.a. Absinthe-Minded a.k.a. Green Mango Rojak did it! We won 2 jugs of beer and a bottle of Black Label whiskey in the quiz! What a haul for an hour's work! We are formidable!

Wednesday was a rather wet day, and we spent it mostly cleaning Aravind's apartment.

I had heard so much about a neat little burger bar near my bachelor pad that I was eager to check the place out with Aravind. And so we dropped by and placed our orders despite the tremendous crowd which necessitated a 45-60 minute wait.

Our verdict? MyBurgerLab's burgers are worth the hour-long wait!
(Reminder to self: Bring a book to read next time.)

Here is Aravind, sinking his teeth into an A+ chicken burger, which was a scrumptious combination of sharp cheddar, shiitake and enoki mushrooms and caramelised onions.

We ordered the set meals, which came with a side of rosemary-infused fries and free flow of soda. I had the Shroom Shroom Shroom, a delightful fusion of portobella, shiitake and enoki mushrooms, Swiss cheese, lettuce and oven-roasted cherry tomatoes. As you can see, I was in vegetarian heaven. Most fast food joints have one token vegetarian option, but MyBurgerLab has three. I can't wait to sample the other two.

 

The black charcoal buns look diabolical but are supposedly healthy, so that should assuage our guilt about consuming all those fries. I was hungry by the time our food arrived, so I took a bite out of my burger before remembering that I should have taken a photo for a bloggy food review.

I would highly recommend this place for its food but I would suggest either getting a takeaway (there aren't enough tables and seats) or bringing a book to read while you wait. But it does have very exuberant and whimsical decor and ambiance, and food that we won't get tired of easily, so we will be back.

I had a hard time keeping Aravind's surprise party a secret from him since we spend so much time together, but I did manage to pull it off eventually. He sort of guessed something was up, but I think he just thought that we would be going to our usual pub for drinks with a couple of friends. He almost certainly did not expect 2 boxes of customised cupcakes delivered to the pub and about 20 of his friends turning up. I think he realised something was afoot when I decided to wear a sundress instead of my trademark football jersey and shorts to the pub.

Adorable yet manly Liverpool FC-themed cupcakes, made by my talented friend, Jennifer, whose baking initiative Buttery Bites raises funds for all the injured and stray dogs that she rescues and fosters.

Some baked goods are a feast for the eyes but taste pretty ordinary. Jennifer's cakes and cookies are not that big on decor, but taste deliciously sophisticated without being cloying. I made the Liverpool picks for the cupcakes, by the way. This is Jennifer's first attempt at a football theme.

Aravind's friends turned up despite the driving rain and bitterly cold and wet weather, and a great time was had by all. I am so grateful and happy that so many of them turned up to honour him! He is usually such a quiet guy that he was quite overwhelmed by all the attention and well-wishes, especially when the band struck up the birthday song and we all sang along and raised the roof.

And so Aravind's birthday week turned out to be a pretty satisfactory one.

I want to thank him for our 16 years of friendship --
* for all the years in which he had been my big brother and mentor, and now the love of my life;
* for always having faith in me even when I didn't have faith in myself;
* for teaching me how to take the bus to the SPCA animal shelter back in 1996;
* for helping me with my law school assignments when I was his junior;
* for being so brilliant and so good at imparting knowledge;
* for all the phone calls he made to my family home back in the day before we had cell phones, just because he wanted to chat on the weekends and during vacations;
* for agreeing to be my companion for Hip Hopera back in 1998 when I won 2 tickets to the play (I don't care if you didn't "like" me yet then, dear, I am still going to count that in as our first date);
* for actually reading my Letters to the Editor and newspaper articles and actually saving some of the newspaper clippings from way back in the '90s;
* for trying not to eat meat in front of me even though I told him countless times that it didn't bother me in the least, most of the people I know who did the most for animals aren't even vegetarians;
* for being such a thoughtful, sincere, kind, humble and generous person;
* for helping me with my research work when I had to stay back late in the office to complete some urgent research;
* for being such a pillar of strength;
* for loving all my quirks and forgiving all my bad qualities (I'm still working on them, I promise);
* for always being so unfussy, laidback and accommodating;
* for being such a quietly dependable volunteer and doing far more for the community and environment than people who brag about being "volunteers";
* for making sure I wake up early and get to work on time;
* for being the kind of boyfriend all my friends like to have around because he is so laidback, non-judgemental and genial;

and simply for being the lovable guy that he is.

Happy Birthday again, Big Guy. 
You mean so much to me.

Flying High at the Festival of Wings 2012

The Malaysian Nature Society's (MNS) Festival of Wings 2012 is the 8th Festival of Wings we have conducted to date; the fifth Festival for which I am a volunteer; and the second one in which we conducted the Firefly Conservation and Awareness Programme.

Festival of Wings is a migratory bird festival organised annually in October by MNS with the support of the Kuala Selangor District Council, the Selangor State Government and the state tourism board, with the objective of creating environmental awareness on mangrove and forest ecosystems and on the importance of birds as bio-indicators.

Kuala Selangor is the ideal location for this event, not merely because the Kuala Selangor Nature Park is managed by MNS, but because of the amazing biodiversity and natural beauty in Kuala Selangor, a district known for its synchronous congregating firefly population.

 In 2011, I developed the Firefly Conservation and Awareness Programme with the assistance of Sonny, the MNS Head of Science and Conservation, along with my incredible volunteers, Liza Manshoor, Ilani Manshoor and Sheela Prabhakaran. We were happy to repeat the programme this year due to its success last year, and I am pleased to report that we received an encouraging response from the public at our booth and for our activities this year as well.

One of the side attractions at our Firefly Conservation Awareness Booth -- Games! In the Nerf gun challenge, visitors learn to identify threats to firefly habitats (which include the clearing of river reserves, large scale oil palm cultivation, unregulated sand mining activities, river widening for flood mitigation, water pollution and poor waste management) and shoot them down. They have to name at least one threat to firefly habitats before picking up their prize(s) to ensure that this doesn't descend into a gratuitous game of target practice. 

 The second challenge, the buzzwire challenge, helps visitors develop empathy for fireflies and acquire natural history knowledge in the process.

Informative posters on congregating firefly zones, firefly life cycles and major threats to firefly habitats and populations.

Folklore in bottles, to help visitors understand the cultural value and significance of fireflies. This one is a story from Central Luzon, about Alitaptap, the firefly princess.

Bilingual firefly bookmarks with natural history and conservation information designed by our awesome volunteer, Liza Manshoor. I just prepared and verified the text and got the bookmarks printed.

Aravind explaining threats to firefly habitats and populations to the youngsters, while Sheela explains the natural history of fireflies to another group of visitors.

Wise Macaque, he says: "A worm in banana is better than half a worm in tummy."

A rare quiet moment at the booth before we are besieged by schoolchildren and visitors again.

Our environmental educators Laila and Syuhada... all ready for Halloween, I see?

Schoolgirls trying their hand and shooting down threats to firefly habitats.

A view of the wetlands from the watchtower.

Monkeys, park benches and a lighthouse -- a combination that never goes wrong.

A mother silver leaf monkey and her golden-haired offspring at Bukit Malawati.

Green Living's Water Conservation Challenge was flagged off at noon on Sunday. Participants had to locate 12 laminated tags bearing pictures of water-wasting habits, and suggest alternatives and water saving measures in response to each picture. This contest was a test of speed and environmental know-how, and we had a full turnout for it.

Aravind and I taking down team positions after the Water Conservation Challenge.

The prizegiving ceremony for the Water Conservation Challenge was a joyous affair for the local schoolchildren who formed the majority of the participants. The 2nd place winners were all smiles when they saw the science kits and other prizes in their bag of goodies.

All the participants of the Water Conservation Challenge received a copy of the Green Living booklet and a Firefly Awareness bookmark each, so no effort was left unrewarded.


 

Young visitors trying out the buzzwire game at our Firefly Conservation & Awareness Booth.

An exhibit on mangrove flora and ecosystems by the schoolchildren. The drinking water bottles on the right hold different water samples for water quality testing.

A horseshoe crab in one of the mangrove exhibits set up by the schoolchildren. They assured me that they would release the horseshoe crab on Sunday evening.

And so another meaningful yet fun Festival of Wings came to an end on a rainy Sunday evening. But the Kuala Selangor Nature Park remains open to visitors all year around.

The Kuala Selangor Nature Park has been under the management of the Malaysian Nature Society since 1987. For more information, please contact:
Kuala Selangor Nature Park (KSNP)
Email: ksnaturepark@yahoo.com
Tel : (603) 3289 2294
Fax : (603) 3289 4311
Link: MNS KSNP

Firefly Watching Etiquette:
1. Do not switch on bright lights. This includes lights from mobile phones and cameras.
2. Do not talk loudly or make unnecessary noise.
3. Do not try to catch or touch fireflies or break branches of trees to get a closer look.
4. Do not litter. Please bring your litter out with you.

 What You Can Do To Help Firefly Populations:
1. Switch off all unnecessary outdoor lighting.
2. Keep the environment clean and free of litter, especially near rivers, ponds and lakes.
3. Avoid using pesticides.
4. Use only natural fertilisers.
5. If you live near/beside Sg. Selangor, please avoid felling trees, clearing natural vegetation, farming activities that involve the use of chemicals and sand-mining on riverbanks.

"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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