Saturday, February 11, 2012

Sundaystills/photohunt: From the heart


Fellow Blogger and Facebook friend Cheryl loves hearts. I always try to look for hearts to photograph. It is not easy to find.


A Japanese jelly called Konnyaku. Their texture is not unlike gelatin but instead of animal products, Konnyaku comes from a type of mountain potato


A pair of very good friends, one gave the other a surprised birthday party, and gave her this present.

Anthurium are heart shaped, and these flowers are really from the heart. A young man man had drowned, and family and friends set up this memorial hidden in the bush. And I a bereaved mum happened to look and found it.

At our Main Course cookery class, one group's presentation of their chocolate brownie was this. Why we didn't think of it?



In Malaysia and Singapore, they bake this flat wafer biscuits and call it a Love letter.



I believe strongly in the beauty of the heart. Flash back 30 years, a group of university students went to help our friend Bill Starr put the beam on his new house.
Bill Starr helped the university navigator's club, cooking for the camps we had. We went to help him put the main beam on his house.

Just as well I was there to make it exactly 12 persons.I was wearing the Japanese dress the plastic surgeon gave to me.
In return, Bill had a spa pool, and we enjoyed using that especially in winter.



Ben is my kind of man with a big heart. Here he was, as a green peace member giving up a day at the beach to tell people to save the world.







I don't normally post photos of the time when I was involved with the Siamese twins and the Deaf in Kenya. Those friends had the biggest hearts.

In December 2000, I woke up and read the Straits Times that a pair of Siamese or conjoined twins have arrived in Singapore General Hospital to be separated. Ganga and Jamina were from Nepal and were joined together on their heads as though one was standing on top of the other.

The newspaper called for public donations. There was something in me that I couldn't explain. Besides shedding some tears for their parents Bushan and Mrs. Shrestha.

I decided to do something constructive. I have been raising funds for the Deaf in Kenya through Foodsale. I asked the Foodsale Committee if they would support me if I spearheaded the donation drive in NTU. Myfriends overwhelmingly agreed to help both in collection and give cash.

I did this drive first by emailing as many people I knew on the campus, put out flyers in the residential blocks. This attracted those who were not on my email lists. A friend's young daughter also helped when she saw the flyer. Some of the university students also donated.

Among my neighbours were some families from Nepal, and they were extremely grateful that I took up this to help their fellow country men. One of them is the husband of the sister of my friend. He was training as a doctor in the same hospital. He offered to be our contact person.

The drive was very intense with a flurry of emails and telephone calls. There was a sense of urgency because I was going back to New Zealand for a month long holidays. My friends told me to go and they will do the rest. We kept in contact by email, up dating me with the donation figures.

We raised quite a lump some. I was very happy even though I also got some brick bats from those who didn't want to donate. Some asked why I was raising funds for foreigners.

Manchala and I went to visit the babies twice. I am most privileged to see them while they were still conjoined. Not manypeople get to see conjoinned twins.We went again after they were successfully separated.

I brought a gift to the mum from my American Jackie friend. Mrs. Shrestha was in tears and hugged me. She asked through an interpreter why I did this. I answered in tears, I said, "My son didn't have a chance, I wanted to give her girls one."






Sunday Stills-From the Heart
Posted on February 5, 2012 by Linda

I was walking through Wally World the other day and noticed all the Valehttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifntines stuff they had out on http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifdisplay…….everything from flowers to marshmallow (my favourite) hearts. So in honour of Valentines Day lets get creative and take some pictures from the heart. It can be anything from candy and flowers to a home cooked meal or a child out having fun.

I always liked these little cinnamon hearts that come out around this time of year……I remember them being more heart shaped though

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7 comments:

Cheryl said...

Dear Ann, I was so overwhelmed by your kindness and thoughtfulness in sharing so many different hearts with me, and to think that someone on the other side of the world is thinking of me is so kind. I loved all of the hearts! I think you are an amazing woman in all that you do. And to help the cojoined twins is just amazing, it is a gift from the heart for sure. I am sure you will never be forgotten by that grateful family. I wished one day that I could meet you in person! Take care and thank you again. Happy Valentine's Day!

Brenda said...

what an amazing story. You have a very kind heart too. I love the first pic of the vine wreathed heart.

Sandi @the WhistleStop Cafe said...

I see one HUGE heart here... Yours. You are quite a remarkable person with the willingness to reach out to others.
Thank you for sharing that with us!
♥Sandi

Shirley said...

You, my dear, are a come from the heart person. God bless you.

Far Side of Fifty said...

Way to go Ann! You made a difference! Loved your story about the conjoined twins..I hope they are still doing well and can live independently:)

Jama said...

You're one kind lady! I remember almost the whole of the nation contribute to the twin's hospital expenditure, it was a big news then.

Firas said...

This is remarkably a wonderful post with a good small collection of hearty photos
: )