Parents do have competitors in teaching their young.

When our children are young, we give them lots of love With love comes obedience. With love and obedience, all parents need is to tell and show the young ones the rights and the wrongs of things. But then life is not as simple for we have competitors as teachers in the forms of the television and other families or people around us.

Children learn fast, both the good and the bad from every source in and around their environment. And their minds,on the quest of knowledge and understanding, frequently enquire the reasons and what-nots of all that their senses encounter.To satisfy their curiosity and the need to know, they would experiment and research whatever they meet with.  And that is the reason we get children who smoke or drink excessively even though their parents might be non-smokers or teetotallers. Someone somewhere or the television screen caught their attention and gave them their first idea of the seemingly delightful drink or puff. Having to stealthily try the drink or the puff makes it so exciting that it might add to the fun. With that the children could be hooked and once adulthood is reached nothing but awareness could help those children and prevent such activities from becoming habitual or excessive. When it comes to alcohol, such as red wine, having a glass or two can be healthy but certainly not intoxication. When it comes to smoking, it has to be admitted that it is best not started.

But then, this is where love wins all the time. Only with great love can there be sufficient parental patience to persuade and show what can possibly happen when certain undesirable actions grow and develop. Frustration with the child can never help as this could only lead to scolding and nagging which is never pleasant and so could only serve to drive away the child. Love would also disappear under such circumstances. Thus, parents need to be patient with the beloved child to gain his/her attention to what has to be done to cancel out any bad behaviour.

With attention from the child intact, there are so many instances which can be pointed out to show what could happen should the child continue with his action(s). Live examples such as these is the best teaching method for parents. It brings awareness and the mind of the child can evaluate and so choose what is best for him/her.

Perhaps, at this point, I could use myself as an example. Like all children, I was eager to learn and experiment with things. I still do. Well, at the age of about ten, I had my first alcoholic drink. Stupid, yes! But, at that age, it was more the sweetness of the brandy that delighted my mouth. The taste was and still is undeniably good. After more than a glass, I felt uncomfortable and there was this terrible urge to vomit. I suffered many hours after the pleasure.

Fortunately, with no money for such expensive drinks, I did not have any further opportunity to drink such smooth sweetness till I started work. At work I was active in the sports area, in stadiums as judges of events. During the sixties and seventies, we had parties after each sporting event where beer, wine and brandy flowed freely. I reached out for that memorable drink of my childhood and learned to be good at beating others at staying sober longer than them no matter the number of glasses. I learned to cool the body with glasses of cold water and frequent visits to the toilet. It was enjoyable, no doubt about that.

Things could have taken me along the road of disaster if I had not been hospitalised for fatigue which the doctor claimed was a rheumatic heart problem. While recuperating at the hospital I was lucky to see a man with outstretched shaking hands and fingers. I asked him what was his problem and was told that it was due to a burnt liver, the result of years of drinking beer, wine and brandy. And the sad truth was there could never be a total recovery from it.

I certainly would not want to be like that man, unable to hold a cup steadily in his hand or even with two hands! Well, I was not even married then and would definitely hope to hold a beautiful girl's hand steadily as I slip a ring into her finger. My awareness of possible consequences have arrived. I knew that problem was not for me. So, I put a stop to drinking alcoholic drinks. Thus, maturity and awareness helped to bring changes to my life. And the change was certainly good, good enough to have me free of medical problems at this age of sixty-five. Thank God for the revelation!

Yet people nag!

We must never nag, no matter what role we may play in life. It drives away those people we love the most, primarily because people nag the very ones they love.
Some time ago, I visit a family. The wife was friendly, sociable and very attractive. More than just attractive; she was beautiful. Yet, the husband was usually not around. Sometimes it was because he was working but then I was told he came home just to eat and clean up before going out again to meet his friends, to gamble the night away.
As someone always interested in life and the reasons people behave towards others, I enquired further and discovered that the wife nags him most of the time. When that happens, she was like a radio switched on with the battery knocked off only by sleep. Worst than a radio, it was like one of those old record players which have needles that refuses to go to the next track on the vinyl records, repeating the many complains of the past. Such nagging is most annoying and depressing.
I'm not saying that was no reason to complain. There certainly is a reason when the victim of the nagging is addicted to gambling. He uses up all the money for this addiction of his and even uses the children's savings at times. But then, the purpose of complaining about his bad habit is to make him realise that it is becoming a burden to the family and ought to slow down and gradually stop the vice, and nagging will never achieve that purpose. It would only serve to drive him away to his gambling friends.
What should be done? The wife ought to slowly tell her the problems she and the family face due to his gambling besides finding ways to get him to join the family in some form of alternative activities. Slowly get him to understand that the family needs him as much, if not more, than his friends. Well, get his mind away from his addiction.
I believe we all know of another group of people who nag. Parents! Yes, parents, it can be the father or the mother, or even both, and when that happens the poor child has no way to escape such torture unless he has reach the age when he can walk off on his own. I knew a young man who would daily get out to friends' homes and return very late at night just to avoid nagging. It was the easiest way to prevent confrontation between parent(s) and child.
And where do naggers get the habit of nagging? Is it from their parents? Or was it because they were not successfully in communicating their frustrations to the other party and so had to resort to nagging. But since to nag is to fail, should we not discuss with friends and discover better ways to convey our messages or get the other person to comply to our wishes?
As I have discovered even at the age of sixty-five there are still things about ourselves that we might need to improve. So there is still so  much to live for. 

It was a Sunday morning when I awaken early at five thirty to get ready for a ten kilometre run. As I drove out to the starting point which was near the clock tower, I could see that the organisers were ready with their people at the checkpoints. Near the clock tower was the registration of the runners which comprises of various age groups. At the age of sixty-five, I found myself in the veteran men's group, that is made up of all men aged forty and above. 

My aim of going for the run was to gauge my capability in a running race. I have not entered into any running race or long distance jogging for more than twenty years although I consider myself very fit and healthy. Yes, I must be healthy to trek up and down the Semarak Hill every morning with short distance jogging at the level ground at the top. But then, I also understand that running ten kilometres is hardly the same as jogging that short level path at Semarak Hill. 

I ate some food, two slices of whole-meal bread and two bananas about one and a half hours before the race. I added a little salt to my isotonic drink, gave my legs a good rub and massage before setting out. Of course, since I had jumped onto a stone a few days back before this and suffered pain in the left heel, I had to put on three pairs of socks to cushion the impact of the ground on my heel and made the pain more bearable. .

Among those who turned up for the run were two young Kenyans, a man and a woman, as well as a Siamese man. All of them did very well, coming in first in their categories. So each of them received a certificate, a medal and a cheque for RM500. Those who came in second and third received the same things except that the value of the cheques were different. For second place, it was RM300 while a third place got RM100.

The oldest male participant was seventy-two years old while the third oldest female participant was fifty-eight years old. The two oldest women were not around to receive their prizes and so the award has to be given to the third oldest. See! We can still have an active life at seventy-two.

Below are some of the photographs I managed to take when I returned from my run. The only photograph before the run must, of course, be the one in which dawn has yet to arrive.

It was still dark at 6am. when I reported to confirm my participation.

And here I am after my run, muscles overstrained but still standing tall.

And here are some of the participants who have successfully completed the run.

The finishing point with S.P. Plaza in the background.

 

And a runner reaches the finishing point.

Next is the runner who is awarded the oldest woman participant in the event.

And below are the first, second and third winners of the various categories.

Well, did you recognise which of the winners were the Kenyan runners? They both got first prize in their grouping, a handsome young man and a beautiful young woman.

Pictures of the medicated oils mentioned in the previous posting.

This blogger was unable to load the pictures given below when he wrote about these two over-the-counter medical oils even when editing the article. Mysteriously, the uploading is only possible as a new posting. So, here are the pictures so that should anyone need to find alternative means to halt the infection, here it is although the writer himself has not tried it as he has no such problem. Well, when all else fails, here is another opening.


This is the Double Prawn Brand Herbal Oil packaged in this box. The oil is only for external use.


At the side of the box is information concerning its use as well as a warning.


And this is the herbal oil in a bottle.Read the information, instructions and warning given in a leaflet.


The top half of the leaflet found inside the box.


The lower half of the leaflet found inside the box.


Here's the King Cobra Brand Medical Oil in a box.


Inside the box is a bottle of the King Cobra brand medical oil. This oil is also for external use only. Read the instructions given on one side of the box.

Terrific oil from over the counter.

The other day I met a friend whose skin is full of blemishes. So I saw the scabs and semi dried areas where the break in the skin had not totally dried up. There was even a toe which has the tip gone and the nail could no longer be seen.

Since he is a diabetic, I asked him how he managed to survive all those cuts and wounds on his skin. You see, normally, the skin of diabetics have very poor healing capability. I have seen diabetics who ended up having to have extremities of the limbs amputated as a result of wounds and cuts refusing to heal despite being under the care of doctors. Sometimes, it is the fault of the patient as he refuses to take care not to scratch or rub the healing skin, thus exposing the raw flesh to further infection and not allowing scabs to form properly. However, there are also cases where ointment or creams given just had not much effect even when under the supervision of doctors in hospitals and amputation had to be done to prevent the infection from moving further inwards towards the main body part.

This friend told me that he had initially seen a skin specialist and was given a cream. Unfortunately, the cream had no apparent effect. Fortunately, another friend came along and told him about two types of medical oils. He told me that when he heard the advice, he called his friend a fake doctor. Though he laughed at that friend, he was getting desperate. The wound was not healing and the infection was moving deeper. Well, obviously thinking there was nothing much to lose in trying out the fake doctor's advice, he bought the two bottles of medicated oil.

One of them is a herbal oil with the double prawn brand. He used that to rub onto the cuts and wounds. It stung badly and he had to fan or blow on it to lessen the pain but it was effective and soon scabs formed. To have the scabs removed properly he used oil with the cobra brand. Three days after applying this cobra brand oil, the scabs came off nicely. Smiling at me, he told me that the fake doctor was good after all. Those two types of oil are so good for him that he had his children have some ten bottles of them ready inthe house.

Well, we have to accept the fact that some 'fake doctors' do have effective solutions to health problems. We have to listen to the voice of experience and who knows when we may need such knowledge. (However, you are advised to try out the medicines or ointment and cream given by your skin specialist first.)

(Unfortunately, this blogger could not upload images of the oils on this posting. However, pictures of the oils have been posted on the next posting.)

Look what a passion for rare coins can get you!

I have written on the importance of encouraging any kind of interest our children may have. My elder son, for example, has a lot of interests and all of them are encouraged by me at all times. He was interested in stamps and I took out my stamp collection to help him get started. Every opportunity my son, my wife and I had, we looked for stamps from all over. He had a wonderful time arranging them in stamp albums. From them he learned a lot from the various stamps from the many countries they came from.

He was also interested in coins and notes, collecting coins and notes whenever he found the chance and time to do so, putting the notes and coins in albums, appreciating not just the designs but also their rarity.

And today, in the news was an item about an exceedingly rare coin, the 1787 gold Brasher doubloon, which was sold for 7.4 million US dollars which was one of the highest prices ever paid for a gold coin. The identities of the buyer and seller were not disclosed. The company which brokered the deal was Blanchard and Co., a New Orleans-based coin and precious metals company.(Note: The Brasher doubloon is considered the first American-made gold coin denominated in dollars; the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia didn't begin striking coins until the 1790s.)

As it can be seen from the above, hobbies such as coin and stamp collecting can be as much an investment as antiques and paintings. They are worthwhile interests to cultivate as it takes those interested to a desire to know more which could lead to language learning and further reading. Life can never be boring when there are things to be interested in.

So, let us help our children develop more of such interests instead of insisting upon them to read and learn without the motivation to do so. Yes, it is the lack of motivation that leaves children without a purpose in learning, be it language or skill.

Growing the passion.

Passion in something is important if we want our children to be extremely good at it. So, if a child were to be truly interested in something, searching for knowledge on it, doing everything needed to understand it well and constantly as well as tirelessly working at it would never be a chore. It would always be a pleasure. There is no need for the parents to fear that the child would give up easily in his/her search for further knowledge when he/she is passionate about that something.

However, we have also seen children who do not seem to have much interest in anything. Of course, they do get interested in things but not for long. There just isn't that great interest that would stand the test of time and energy. So, in the face of such circumstances, what does the parent do?

To explore everything in his surroundings and become exposed to as many things as possible could be a first move. After getting to know his/her own house well, take him/her out to explore and experience things in the park, at the club, on the beach, up a hill or along the roads. Introduce to the child the birds, insects and animals, plants, trees, flowers and their fruits, the buildings, the people or workers in them, and the various types of vehicles. And the list of things to see, appreciate and know goes on.

When my kids were young, I took them anywhere we could afford to go. Certainly, they were interested in many things. They were interested in animals such as the monkeys in the botanical gardens. A visit to the zoo or some kind of animal-farm was always greeted with delight. Fond of fish in streams and lakes, they would watch intently for many minutes. They delighted in the fruits on the trees and the colourful flowers which they encountered. And today, one of them is a nature lover who cares for animals. This interest has lead him to read so much on animals and become a veterinarian. Today, he still continues to further his knowledge on animals, precious stones and plants.

Next move could be to make available the tools, the objects of interest or the instruments. With them, the child can further his interest should any develop. Of course, be ready for some waste and things left around without any hope of them being used. I have two tennis rackets that has remained used only once. I have musical instruments such as the guitar and harmonicas which interested my children only fleetingly. Never mind for all it takes is just one strike and our children would have a beautiful life ahead. Studies and work connected to their interest would be easy as there could be nothing boring in what they are really interested in.

One of things I have bought my children were watches. Well, normally parents buy watches for their children expecting nothing but their looking at them for the time. The younger of my two sons do not look at watches as time-indicators. To him it was something puzzling that moves its hands so consistently. He just had to know what caused that. So, he dismantled the back cover, studied it and replaced it. That, of course, resulted in it no longer being water-proofed. And he had a spoiled watch. Then when he was about ten or eleven years old, there was this electronic Japanese toy which allows a child to own a pet in it. The owner of the toy has to feed the pet and look after it. As it was too costly, he purchased spoiled ones, repaired them, resold them and earned enough money to buy such a toy. This son became interested in electronic things and even before attending university he was welding, repairing televisions and computers. He is now in his final year in engineering.

Thus, as can be seen, given the opportunities to meet something a child can be passionate about, provided with the necessary things to foster his/her growth in it and given all the aids essential to his/her progress, there can only be one path forward-the path to successful mastery of his passion.