Hair For Hope 2012

 

To all children with cancer

Keep smiling, keep fighting

We're here to fight with you,

To smile with you

To be beside you

Alright as promised I will fill you up on this year's Hair For Hope which I went yesterday! Well I went again today with Nivedha, to take some photos and to meet her for lunch as well. And OMG a photographer took a photo of me with his Leica M9! I was like spazzing just now, me is happyboy92! Hahaha. I hope they will upload it on HFH Facebook page! It's like my first Leica photo.

Anyway yep, this year is my third year shaving for Hair For Hope. It all began back in year one, when I went with Saeyeoh and also Huiting. And then in year 2 more people joined, Victor, Yang Peng, Elton. And this year... I went alone! Haha sad, but it's great to know from my Facebook homepage that there are other people who shaved. Two females actually, a CLS senior of mine and Jeslyn's sister! So brave of these young ladies. SALUTE! :D

 

Salute to this beautiful lady who shaved!

Being my third year shaving... Well I decided to do more interesting stuff. I recorded my shaving process! I'll show you the video below hehe. Took it with my iPod touch and edited it via Windows Movie Maker. It's really fun doing this hehe. And I took a few photos today as well which I hope to share it on HFH FB page so that people can see it.

Hair For Hope has become like a yearly event for me since I signed up for it 2 years ago. I think it's pretty much a symbolic event, not just simply an "event". As I said last year, you have to go through it to feel how symbolic it is (Especially the ladies!). It's more than just shaving your head bald, it's also to morally show your support to the children with cancer.

I guess shaving is the least I could do. Losing my hair is nothing compared to the conditions that they have to go through while undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapy as well. I know how it feels, indirectly of course, seeing my aunt going through all these. Losing her hair slowly and seeing the pain and weakness in her face at times when she was here for treatment.

 

You're never too old, or too young to shave ^^

Being an adult, I guess she, and the few others have a higher pain threshold and also a more understanding about life. Challenges, accepting the fact, and so on. But children, not so much. They are pretty young and having this disease is not something easy for them to accept. The pain, the conditions they have to go through etc are not something easy to accept.

So this event is very symbolic for us, and for them too. I guess it goes to all children with cancer, not only in Singapore but around the world. This act of "silence" we are going through speaks louder than a thunder of a thousand words to them. Spiritually, morally, though not necessarily physically. I really hope they will feel supported by our acts. Though we're not there physically to tell them it's okay to be bald. Just hope our actions will! (And of course they will)

And not only being a symbolic event, but Hair For Hope is well, I think, an event that taught me lots of things too. Today I bought the book of stories written by some of the cancer survivors, which I can't wait to read! I hope to find a day to just spend the whole day reading it. And so lovely of them to give them their signatures on the book too hehe.

Stay Strong!

One thing I realised about them that I never fail to notice is this - they're a bunch of energetic, bubbly, lively and cheerful kids. At times I think, they went through so much and yet somehow their smile and energy hide away the things that they have went through. So knowing all the people I met just now are cancer survivors, I'm just awed and inspired really.

It's such a pity that well I guess we tend to take things for granted. We tend to give up when life gets tough. We tend to just feel that we're worthless when things get rough. I myself, sometimes, is one of these people. I have to admit I'm someone who's easily stressed. But I don't give up, but I just feel horrible at times when things are going wrong etc and I don't have the motivation to go on.

Having these survivors around me just now is just a reminder for me that we need to live life to the fullest. At times we don't know how lucky we are to have a healthy body up till now. No serious disease has ever struck on us and we are one healthy individual that's kicking-ly healthy. Battling a cancer is not just a "recovery" but is a journey. And these people have went through this tough and arduous journey and I'm really proud of them. Inspired by them. 

Don't just take things things for granted. When life gets tough, you simply give up? When problems pop by here and there, you simply walk away? Then take a look at those survivors. Trust me they went through much worst conditions and times before and did they give up? No. So simply, there is also no reason to give up when things get tough around you too!


So yeah I reckon HFH as not just something symbolic and supportive for children with cancer. But it also taught me so many things I can learn and apply in life as well. If you wish to go next year, I recommend you to go! Haha. Trust me once you go through it I think you'll understand how symbolic it is. I heard some passer-bys at Vivo just now commenting "Why would you want to shave your head for this event?" "Why would people queue up to get their head shaved?"

My answer is there for you to read hehehe.

Okay that's all for now. Here's the video of me shaving this year! Please pardon the weird faces and if it's too soft for you to hear me. I recorded this with my iPod touch so that explains why hehe. Enjoy!



And well my point of view is this. People may call me brave to go for Hair For Hope. But well I don't think they should call me brave. The children with cancer are the brave souls. And because of them, I'm brave too. :)

Toda I Ran Against Cancer

Yup today I Ran Against Cancer!

As I was saying on my last post, yup today was the race day for the event Run Against Cancer which was held in East Coast Park. It was my first 15KM run and I was really nervous by it since this will be the longest distance of race that I've participated so far. Well it was interestingly... Challenging. A few unfortunate events happened during my race and bleah, I've learnt my lesson.

Okay so the distance is 15KM right, here are the series of unfortunate events. At 6 KM my pants' pocket tore and my phone dropped on this super awkward position in my pants (not what you're thinking!) and so I have to stop to take it and put it in my back pocket instead. At 8 KM while drinking water I threw up cause I choked on it. Lesson learnt, no running while drinking. It took me some time to recover and yeah was feeling so unpleasant. 12 KM, my whole leg was cramping. My knees hurt when my feet landed. Was forced to walk for a while. And I've been walking-running from 12 - 14 K.

Above all of these, what I'm proud of is that I did the whole race and I finished it. I didn't stop and walk all the way to the finish line which was something I planned to do when my knees were hurting. Was just thinking to walk from 12 to 13, but nope, I just walked a few metres and ran and walked a bit and ran and after 14K, I just gave it all and zoom!

Yes I'm pretty disappointed with my timing. Actually I don't know what's my timing... But yeah I took longer than I expected. And as I planned to run for. But it's okay, just goes to show me that I can still improve on my timing. It was my first 15 after all and I really didn't know what to expect. But yes at the end of the day, that sense of accomplishment was just awesome.

It feels different, it felt like SCMS 2011 last year.

 Doreen, Russel and I! :D

But come to think of it, this seemingly arduous 15KM that I went through is nothing compared to the battle that cancer patients have to go through. The pain of chemo, radiation, drug effects this and that, my run is nothing. And this is what kept me going through the run. I think if these cancer patients have the courage to fight the disease, I sure can have the strength to finish the race too!

Cancer... Has been well. A few of my relatives have lost their battle with this disease. My grandpa, grandma, great-uncle and aunt. My good friend's dad, and a few other people which I know as well. My aunty, however, is one particular individual which I can refer to closely. She has been battling with cancer for... Was it 6 years? I know before I came to Singapore and then she passed away when I was in P6. Shocking news I received when I reached home. That day...

My aunty's battle is a special story for me. She would come to Singapore for her chemotherapy sessions back when I was in P5. I still remember those days when I would accompany her during her sessions at Mt Elizabeth hospital. She would be on the drips, while I was doing my homework. Sometimes we chatted, sometimes she would fall asleep.

And I would also come and visit her at the hotel, and bring her around to and fro the hotel and the hospital. Back when I was in P4 my brother and I would also come and visit her. I still remember she was teaching my brother economics and accountancy stuff. We would eat together or bring food to her. She was really one strong woman I know.

Then in P5 when I went back for December holidays, she was hospitalised back in my hometown. My family gathered and seeing her in a dire condition hurt me. There was one incident when she vomited blood out and I was there wiping her mouth and cheek. And she told me "Sorry for troubling you" and I said "it's okay", not knowing that night was the last time I would see her. I returned to Singapore the next day, and 2 months later, she left this world.

And my other aunties were telling me more stories of her, of how strong she was to fight the disease. In one night it felt like she was going to leave and the next day, she was there reading newspaper eating fruits. She has the will to live. And the strength to continue fighting. That's why this run, I was so reminded of her. She kept me going in one way or another.

And also she was the one who taught me some songs on the piano. Swan Lake, I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, and a few more. I still have her old piano scores which she once used when she was learning piano (I think). Pity I didn't really play all the songs inside.

So yeah, those are the reasons why I this run reminded me so much of her.

Nyehehehe

To all cancer patients, everywhere you are, please don't give up your fight and continue battling the disease! Perseverance is key, and your courage never failed to amaze me, to inspire me to fight the challenges I have in life too. I cannot give up and so do you! :)

And... In this race I did something special too!

 
Tadah! I placed this behind my singlet just to cheer people up. I know I'll be too tired to verbally say this to everyone so I hope this cheered up the runners who ran pass me! Cause nothing beats the joy of making someone's day, especially in a race when everything seems tough. Just inspired by some runners in last year's SCMS who did the same thing too hehe. Plus it's fun doing this!

There are a few groups of people who tapped my shoulder and said thank you, or some people who gave thumbs up as they ran pass me. But there's this special group of runners that I'm really appreciative of. I remember it was the 13 KM mark and I was running alone (the road was empty). Suddenly 4 guys surrounded me and cheered me up and ran along with me for a while!

I was feeling extremely tired then. I was thirsty, having cramps, and I couldn't seem to find the 14th KM mark haha. But these people seriously boosted my morale and I ran even faster, and pushed myself even more! Thank you to the 4 of you :)

I hope more people will do this during marathons too. I felt happy when people gave me thumbs up or smiles. And I hope that people felt an increase in morale as they saw this on my back. And if there are people who did this and I saw it too, I'll feel the same way. Make others happy, share your joy, cause happiness never decreases when being shared.

Hmm now what to write for Safra run hehehe.

Alright I guess that's all for the long post! Week 15 tomorrow. It'll be an awesome-r week and well, I began the week with an awesome run, and gonna end the week with another awesome event! Can't wait for Saturday :D :D :D Good night and see you!