Hymn Singing Performance

Hello BUDDYies (:

If you have not heard (which is likely), the Youth and Teen Hymn Singing Group will be performing THIS saturday !

Location : Hilltop Buddhist Centre
Street : off Jalan Awan Pintal, Taman Tan Yew Lai

Time : 6.30 pm - 8.30 pm

(: You should come along and support them as they've practiced real hard, and they'll be representing BUDDY! (:

The last time, I went to this Hymn Singing Competition and noticed that BUDDY could use more supporters to cheer from them. I'm sure our cheers can beat the other teams who bring busloads of supporters!

So, it'll be GREAT if you'd come along, and show your support for your very own hymn singing group!

Transportation can be arranged.
Please just leave a message in the cbox with your email, and I'll get back to you ASAP!
Or you can email me directly at:

melinda.loves.dramatism@hotmail.com

(Yes, laugh at it. Laugh.)

ON ANOTHER NOTE!

The Hymn Singing group is also looking for awesome, enthusiastic, talented people, for example, YOU! (:

Don't worry if you can't sing, we've got an Opera Singer who'd teach you Singing 101! (:
I'm not pulling your leg alright?! She's really a trained singer (:

We'll be learning basic inhaling and exhaling techniques, rythm, and all sorts of singing stuff (:
anyone can sing, you just need to know how!

Our practices are on Sunday mornings, 10.30 - 11.30a.m

Yes, it sort of clashes with BUDDY session, but you can always dismiss yourself earlier if you'd like to.

Do leave a message at the cbox if you want more information or if you're interested! (:

That should be it.
Have a good week (:

BUDDY Guitar Lessons for Beginners!

*click to enlarge*

Great news! Starting this Sunday, we'll be having free guitar lessons thanks to Sister Melinda! For those who have a guitar, haven't had the time/money to start on lessons, this is for you!

The program will be carried out for 1 and a half months, so be sure to attend every class to make the best out of it. You wouldn't need to bring anything except for a guitar and have those fingers at the ready :)

If you are interested in joining the session, please email your name to Melinda at melinda.loves.dramatism@hotmail.com

Congratulations, Jia Wei!

Congratulations, Jia Wei for bagging First Prize for the Secondary Solo category of the 5th Inter Dharma School Hymn Singing Competition.

D2Y: Public Speaking Workshop

Objective: To improve the youth's public speaking and presentation skills with their peers in a friendly environment

This workshop is made for: All youths who has the time, effort and intention to remarkably change their presentation and public speaking skills.

You definitely have to go, because: At this workshop, we will not laugh at people who makes mistakes, we will laugh with each other. Therefore, there's no shame in attending this public speaking workshop. There's so much to gain and so little to lose. You will never regret spending your time at this public speaking workshop because this experience could possibly be life-changing for you

And the really important deets:

Date : June 14, 2009 (Sunday)
Time : 11.00 AM - 4.00 PM (1.00pm to 2.00pm is lunch break)
Venue : Buddhist Maha Vihara (exact location to be confirmed once venue booking is done)
Charges : RM6 (for your lunch)

Bring along: a strong intention to learn and if possible, have your pen and paper along. Another thing to bring is money for your own lunch or your lunchbox if you are not fond of eating out!

To those interested, please drop me an email at jiarhwei@gmail.com by Monday (29 May) for me to register for you :)

Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change

Dear friends,

Today I received an email asking me to check out the Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change and to sign my name if I were to agree with the statement.

Please just take 5 - 10 minutes of your time to check it out.

Buddhist Declaration on Climate Change

"Collectively, we are violating the first precept—“do not harm living beings”—on the largest possible scale. And we cannot foresee the biological consequences for human life when so many species that invisibly contribute to our own well-being vanish from the planet."

It is a very interesting article, so please do take a look because we all play a part for our future (and those after).

By the way, support the earth by refraining the usage of plastic bags and practice recycling! Turn off the switches if you're not using the computer / laptop / radio and when you're not in the room.

Yes, the future is in danger. You have been warned!

Wesak Charity Sales 2009

Come by our booth tomorrow to buy a limited edition BUDDY GOES GREEN bag!

Wesak Blood Donation Campaign 2009

written by Jiar Hwei

On Labour Day (1 May 2009) fell BUBS annual Wesak Blood Donation Campaign. This year, I vowed to donate my blood instead of chickening out *cough* like the last two years.

Basic guidelines to follow when you want to be a blood donor:

• Enough rest/sleep before donating
  
• Had food before donating
• 17 years and above (17 years old require parents' consent)
• Feeling well (and do not have any serious medical conditions e.g. HIV/Aids, STDs)
• Weigh 45 kg and above (this one I pass lah, for sure)

I was there early with my mother, hoping to be one of the first few. I have this feeling that they always treat the first few people with more care. Heh.

First, you have to fill up an extensive form (it's dwibahasa like your SPM paper) about your information and medical background. You then weigh yourself (!) and wait for the guy to test you blood. They prick your finger with this cool plastic thing to get the blood out and they test the iron consistency in it by seeing does it sink to the bottom of the liquid. After that, they test your blood type by doing cute doodles on their clipboard. Hah. I'm type B.

Next you get your heart/blood pressure measured by a fresh/training doctor. I had to get it done twice, so I was kinda afraid that there was a problem with me. When that was done, it was just getting my donors book ready and done!

So here's the part that makes me nervous. I was the 2nd donor of the day and was determined to get this over and done with. But, the nurses couldn't find my vein to poke in. I was panic, saying things like "Am I too fat? Is that why you can't find it?" Well, they just ignored me lah, 'exercised' my hand to get the nerve out.

The getting the needle part in was hard, I'll admit, but wasn't as painful as I thought it'd be. My mother was trying to distract me until she couldn't stand the sight of blood herself. After that, my hand was numb and I couldn't feel a thing while my bag was filling up with blood.

I finally overcame a fear of thinking it's super painful to donate blood when it really isn't. A whopping 450 ml! I did get a little dizzy after but I just had to lie down for a minute and down a super sweet cup of gluclosin (grape flavour!). It's really a great meritorious deed to give your blood to someome who needs it. So if you do fulfill the guidelines, I urge you to give it a go!

PS: Vice Prez Eugene was there to donate his blood too, like a pro. Btw, he's special cause he's type O.

PPS: I rewarded myself by stuffing down a Big Mac during the McDonald's 12-3 lunch promo.