This time, my good friend and I had the opportunity to attend the "Mental Illness" workshop hosted by RC Deaf Missions Malaysia on September 29, 2024. It is an honor to welcome the speaker, Vishnu Priya Ravi Chandran, a Counselling Psychologist. She discussed the symptoms of mental illness and where to seek assistance. We don't realize if some of us have unexpected mental illness symptoms. As a result, it is essential to gain a better understanding of mental illness so that we can assist our family members or friends who have suffered from it. So this workshop is a serious topic to focus on because many cases of depression, anxiety, and other issues have occurred around us. If not managed properly, it has the potential to lead to commit suicide.

Mental illnesses are health conditions in which a person experiences changes in emotion, thinking, or behaviour, or a combination of these conditions. As a result, it may indicate that someone is distressed and/or having difficulty functioning in social, professional, or family activities. If you notice the health condition, it indicates that this person suffers from a mental illness and should seek help before the illness worsens. 

She explained that there are four different categories in the continuum model of mental health, as shown below.

Optimal health and well-being without symptoms of mental illness. For example, if a person does not have a diagnosed mental illness, they have good mental health and well-being.

Optimal health and well-being with symptoms of mental illness. For example, consider a person who has been diagnosed with a mental illness but can manage it through therapy, medication, or mindfulness. As a result, this person's mental health improves as he or she adheres to the doctor's instructions and takes medication on time.

Poor mental health and well-being with no signs of mental illness. For example, a person may not have a diagnosed mental illness but is coping poorly and has had negative experiences with their mental health and well-being. 

Poor mental health and well-being with symptoms of a mental illness. For example, if a person is diagnosed with depression and begins a new medication, they may continue to experience sadness, low energy, and difficulty sleeping while waiting for the medication to take effect. It is serious mental illness. 

Three factors affect mental health: biological, psychological, and social. Each of these factors has a different cause that can have a significant impact on mental health. You can refer to the slide in the photo I took below. 

Thus, it is essential to understand how to detect and prevent mental illnesses. We faced stress and challenges daily. So, we need to know how to cope with our daily lives and just have good habits. For example, if a person has a problem with bad habits and it can lead to a serious mental health illness, such as a person who frequently gambles and drinks alcohol and is in debt, it can lead him/her to commit suicide due to financial issues. 

Anyway, if you have a friend or family member starts to have a warning of mental illness, you should give them support and become a listener. Even if the situation is getting worse, it should be recommended to seek counselors/psychologists.  

Overall, there is much more to be discussed on this topic, but the workshop was brief, and we learned about the importance of understanding mental illness issues. It is a serious topic to focus on because some real-life incidents have occurred around us. Once again, thank you so much to the speaker, Vishnu Priya Ravi Chandran for this informative and beneficial workshop. I hope to see more related to this workshop in the future.

To learn more about RC Deaf Missions Malaysia, please visit the social media platforms listed below.

Website : https://www.rcdeafmissionsmalaysia.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/rcdeafmissionsmalaysia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/rcdeafmissions

Aww!! I attended a workshop titled "Advocate For DeafBlind Community" and "Inclusivity In Empowering Community Interpreters and The Deaf Communities In Kenya and Nigeria" on September 28, 2024. It is organized by RC Deaf Missions Malaysia (RCDM), which offers different workshop topics every weekend in September to commemorate International Sign Language Day. It is located at MAHSA Avenue, Kuala Lumpur. Anyway, I missed a few workshops in the previous few weekends due to a vacation and family obligations. However, this did not deter me from attending the last workshop, which was held on September 28, 2024. As a result, my good friend and I spent the entire day at the workshop.

It was a pleasure to welcome a Deaf Speaker from Korea, Park Min Ho, who is a Deafblind leader and Korean Sign Language Instructor in the morning. He shared his experiences, perspectives, and contributions to the Deafblind community in Korea. There is little awareness of the Deafblind community. That is why he shared it to raise awareness. It would be helpful to learn more about the Deafblind Community, as Malaysia lacks awareness due to the small percentage of Deafblind people. It is not comparable to Korea, which may have approximately 1000 deafblind people. However, Park Min Ho stated that the percentage of the Deafblind population in Korea cannot be confirmed or guaranteed.

Furthermore, he explains the distinction between Deaf-Blind and Blind-Deaf. As he stated, it is a significant difference. Normally, people assume that these are the same terms, but they are not. In addition, he stated that there are different schools for the Deaf, Blind, Mental, and Physical, but there is no school for the Deafblind in Korea. He shared his experience because he had a Deaf friend who later became blind. From that situation, he didn't know how to help his friend or those who were in the same situation at the time, so he started learning more about deafblind issues, as there is a lack of awareness about the deafblind community in Korea. There aren't many interpreters who are willing to assist and accompany deafblind people. Since then, he has realized that it is essential to learn about the deafblind community because they require more attention and assistance due to their difficult situation and challenges than the Deaf community. 

Furthermore, he stated that there are two methods of communicating with deafblind people: Tentacle Sign Language and Tentacle Braille Language. He even showed a video about it during his PowerPoint presentation. According to him, when using Tentacle Sign Language, an interpreter would sign while holding hands because they still know how to use sign language. As we all know, braille is a printing system for the blind in which each letter is represented as a raised pattern that can be read by touching it with the fingers. The best example is using tentacle braille language to point at the back body of a deafblind person.

Even how to guide a Deafblind person through walking and communicating. He stated that an interpreter must commit their time and contribution to accompanying a deafblind person due to the heavy-duty and responsibility that comes with being present 24 hours a day. A Deafblind can't do anything because of their difficult situation in which they can't see and hear simultaneously. I believe many of us are aware of Helen Keller, a famous deafblind woman in history.

It is a very rare case of Deafbuild due to the small percentage of the Deafblind group; however, the purpose of this workshop is to raise awareness about the deafblind community, as there are several Deafblind who require assistance and companionship. Even there is a lack of interpreters who are willing to take on the heavy responsibility. Thus, this workshop has truly touched us, particularly a friend of mine, Jason who became deafblind and attended this workshop to learn more about the Deafblind community. Everyone was surprised and moved by his true story about how he unexpectedly became Deafblind. 

However, he was delighted to see us and grateful to Calysta for being his BIM interpreter during the workshop. He gained a better understanding of the deafblind community. Overall, it is a very good exposure for us to learn more and raise awareness about the Deafblind community. 

Even Jason is delighted to see me after a few years. The last time we met was before the COVID-19 era. My junior, Edward, and Jason introduced each other, and Jason talked about his experiences and life.

In the afternoon, three speakers, Aliyu Mai (Deaf Speaker), Bernard Oduor Otieno (Hearing Speaker), and Emmanuel Munyasi (Deaf Speaker), shared their experiences with empowering interpreters and encouraging Deaf people to contribute to the Deaf Community in their country. 

Honestly, they faced difficult challenges due to a lack of interpreters and awareness about the Deaf community. Kenya and Nigeria have a high rate of poverty. As a result, they encountered numerous challenges in their efforts to improve the Dcommunity. 

Because of their country's poor education and environment, the majority of deaf people have little interest in improving the Deaf community. However, there are a small number of deaf people, such as Aliyu Mai, who have education and studied at Gallaudet University. Aliyu talked about a United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-sponsored activity carried out by Gallaudet University. It aims to improve education, employment, and empowerment for Deaf and Deafblind people, allowing more deaf people to receive a better education and improving the Deaf community.

Bernard Oduor Otieno and Emmanuel Munyasi shared their experience and the challenges that they faced in their lives. There are a few challenges, such as a shortage and limited availability of qualified sign language interpreters in various services such as hospitals, courts, and educational institutions. Not only that but there aren't many interpreters who are willing to give their time and dedication to helping and improving the Deaf community. As a result, raising awareness about the importance of empowering more interpreters and investing in training programs to increase the number of qualified sign language interpreters, as well as improving education, employment, and empowerment for the Deaf, is critical to ensuring a better future for the Deaf community.

Aside from that, the Deaf community faced limited opportunities for sports participation, as deaf people were unable to participate in sports due to a lack of inclusive programs and trained coaches. They hope to see more inclusive sports programs for deaf athletes, as well as training for coaches and organisers in deaf-friendly sports techniques and communication methods. 

Finally, I would like to thank you so much to the Deaf speaker, Park Min Ho, who shared about his experience with the deafblind community, and Aliyu Mai (Deaf Speaker), Bernard Oduor Otieno (Hearing Speaker), and Emmanuel Munyasi (Deaf Speaker) for highlighting the importance of empowering interpreters and the Deaf community. Thank you so much RC Deaf Missions Malaysia, who hosted the special workshop. 

If you are interested in learning more about RC Deaf Missions Malaysia, please visit their social media platforms listed below.

Website : https://www.rcdeafmissionsmalaysia.com

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/rcdeafmissionsmalaysia

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/rcdeafmissions

Don't forget about my upcoming post. 

Please stay tuned.

What a stunning Saturday night! One of my good friends was able to secure a special ticket for me and another good friend to attend a special event titled "Theatre For All" (Teater Untuk Semua). Persons with disabilities performed their acting in the theatre. Honestly, it is difficult to obtain due to the limited invitation. It is the most meaningful theatre experience I have ever had. Anyway, we came to support our friends, Gejaletchumi and Dino who are performing in the theatre. It took place on September 28 at Taylor University's Experimental Theatre.

It is a very moving experience to see different people with disabilities immerse themselves in theatre performances. They did a fantastic job of expressing their feelings. Because they commit their time to practicing and performing their acting in order to have an inclusive performance over the course of 12 weeks. It is best to immerse yourself in their world so that you can imagine what it looks like. Anyway, I was unable to share each of their stories because they expressed their true feelings so sincerely. I hope it will reach out to the public very soon. It is a must-see! Anyway, my good friends and I are grateful for the opportunity to witness their beautiful performance.

Aside from that, I was surprised and pleased to see my juniors after 15 years of not seeing each other. Absolutely, it makes me happy to see them again. Time passes so quickly. 

Overall, we hope to see this type of theatre reach out to the public because it can raise awareness about how different people with disabilities can perform and interact together. It can encourage more people to get ideas to plan programs, training, workshops, or theatre that are more inclusive and accessible to people with disabilities.

P/S Teater Untuk Semua is a research and documentation project on adaptive and accessible theatre trainings for People with Disabilities (PWDs) according to their Instagram. 

If you have any enquiries, you can contact them via their Instagram page as below:-

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/teateruntuksemua

Aww!! Happy Friday! My good friends and I went to a special place last Friday. It is the first live stand-up comedy show organized by KL Comedy Corner. They featured several comedians, including Russell Curtis, Hindra Bose, Nicholas Lim, King, Preethina, Sujesh, and Chin Chong, who shared their jokes and funny stories with the audience, which included deaf people. It was a pleasure and honour to attend and experience the live Comedy Show for the first time. 

It was a fantastic experience to see how the comedian made us laugh and to experience the joys of burster and live standup comedy. We thanked the BIM Interpreters, Calysta and Kimberly for translating all the comedians' jokes. Aside from that, Sujesh is a generous sponsor, offering 15 free tickets to the Deaf community. Deaf community grateful to him for this ticket.

This comedy show successfully makes live entertainment more accessible and inclusive by opening the doors to the Deaf audience, who are often left out. Thank you for making the impossible event become possible. As a result, this event is unique for us because most of us have never attended a live comedy show before. Thus, this is our first time attending this special event. Some comedians took some time to adjust, but they did their best to entertain us with their silly, funny, and hilarious jokes. Even they enjoy interacting and talking to us. Awesome! 

To be honest, it was a good experience for us because we never expected that the comedian would make us laugh along with the audience. It means that we deserved to experience the live comedy show, we laughed as well as hearing people laugh. Otherwise, some Deaf people would have no idea what a live comedy show was and would have assumed it was boring, but it actually entertains everyone. In addition, it was great to meet a few friends there.

Thank you so much, KL Comedy Corner, for collaborating with the Deaf Community and organising such a unique event: a live comedy show for Deaf audiences with BIM Interpreters. As a result, we all thoroughly enjoyed and laughed together, exactly like hearing did. Even we had a memorable experience. It successfully leads a night filled with laughter and good vibes.

"Laughter is the best medicine" is one of the best quotes. Can make you happy, young, and feel refreshed after laughing for a while.

Looking forward to seeing more live comedy events and attracting more deaf people to enjoy the joy of burster. If you enjoy listening to hilarious stories, you should check their schedule on their website where they will provide.

If you are interested in knowing more about KL Comedy Corner, you may check out their Instagram Page below:-

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/klcomedycorner/
Website: https://www.klcomedycorner.com/

Yahoo! I can't wait for my group and I to enjoy some delicious food that is served buffet-style, so we will be able to eat as much as we want. Even so, we would like to opt for The Pink Elephant Thai BBQ & Steamboat, located in Jinjang Selatan, Kuala Lumpur. I even told my close friends about this restaurant and made plans to bring them along. Anyway, my group and I considered it to be the best Mookata experience we have ever had. The fact that we absolutely loved it. 

Upon arriving at this restaurant, I was surprised to find it to be quite spacious and offer both indoor and outdoor dining options. Due to the light mode, the atmosphere is a little dark, but the air conditioning will prevent you from sweating while eating barbecue and steamboat continuously. But your attention was attracted to the adorable pink elephant in the logo.

The Pink Elephants offers over 50 types of ingredients and 6 types of unlimited barbecue, starting from only RM40.80++ per person! The soup base is available; Corn Soup, Tom Yam Soup and Gaeng Som Soup. The six varieties of BBQ are Signature Marinated Pork Slice, Exclusive Special Black Pepper Pork Slice, Pork Slice, Signature Marinated Chicken Slice, Exclusive Special Black Pepper Chicken Slice and Minced Pork. However, you can upgrade to the Deluxe Refill for an extra RM6.00 if you would like to have fish, smoke duck, prawns, scallops, clams, and moo ping. 

I had never tried an Exclusive Special Black Pepper Pork Slice before. The black pepper sauce gives it a spicy and flavorful taste. My group was also impressed by the flavor's taste. Everybody enjoys it. Another BBQ variety that is also fairly tasty. Additionally, you should try dipping the Thai Chilli Sauce, Gold Jizzla Sauce, and T.P.E. Signature Sauce on the BBQ varieties and ingredients to enhance the flavor.

Mookata Buffet Price

Super Refill

• Adult - RM40.80 nett
• Senior Citizens (65 years and above) - RM 30.80 nett
• Children (7-12 years) - RM 30.80 nett
• Children ( under 6 years below) - Free 
• Super Value Set Menu is available from Monday to Thursday with a set meal for 2-3 people only priced at RM 54.90 nett

• Upgrade to Deluxe Refill only costs an additional RM6

Currently, The Pink Elephant Thai BBQ and Steamboat operate 4 outlets. You can look at a place nearer to you as listed below.

KUALA LUMPUR

Kepong Branch
71-54 & 72-56, Jalan Kepong,
Jinjang Selatan,
52000 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : 011-2431 9688

Business Hour :
3pm to 12am (Monday to Friday)
12pm to 12am (Saturday to Sunday)

SS 15 Branch
No 7 & 9, Ground Floor,
Jalan SS15/4C,
47500 Subang Jaya,
Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel : 017-600 9688
Business Hour : 12pm to 12am

PENANG

Karpal Singh Branch
No.8 , Ground Floor, Lebuh Sungai Pinang 5,
Persiaran Karpal Singh 2,
Georgetown,
11600 Jelutong, Pulau Pinang

Tel : 013-512 5688
Business Hour : 12pm to 12am 

Icon City Branch
Ground & Mezzanine Floor of 66, 
Jalan Icon City, Icon City,
14000 Bukit Mertajam,
Pulau Pinang

Tel : 017-406 3688