I believe in supporting a good cause. I admire passionate people who are creating an awareness to many issues that needs to be addressed. One of these passionate persons I met and that I am privileged to work with and to call my friend is Jasmine, author of Hyde Park Blues Blog. I am excited that Jasmine will be sharing with us, one of her many advocacies and I hope you will support her too.“
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When Little Miss Honey first approached me to guest blog for her, I was pleasantly surprised. Followed by a growing sense of anxiety. After all, her blog is so pretty and chic and her posts are so nice and sweet. Would I be able to replicate that sense of chic and freshness? Well, I hope you will let me know at the end of this!
First, just a little bit about me. Unlike Little Miss Honey, I am a born and bred Singaporean. I stayed in the same HDB flat for all of my childhood until I left in 1999 for my University studies. And that’s when my vagabond lifestyle began with lots of minor moves and major moves for the next 15 years. I think it will be safe to say that the majority of my adult life was spent in the Western Hemisphere. And after all of that moving, I felt a little tired, and I thought I ought to come home. Everyone speaks of the culture shock that occurs when you leave home for unknown territory, but I think that when you move back home after a significant amount of time again, its shocking to find that you are experiencing culture shock. In many ways, I am an expatriate in my own homeland.
That said, it’s a lot easier to feel free when you are far away from your parents or home. It’s so much easier to take risks without much of an afterthought. But when you come home, there is an inevitable sense of regression to the age you were at before you left. When I left Singapore, the MRT only had 2 lines: North-South and East-West. Now there is the circle line, the downtown line AND another purple colored line that I have never figured out the name for. We had 2 interchanges. Now there are … well, more than 2.
While working in the USA, one of my nurses shaved her head for St. Baldricks. St. Baldricks is a non-profit organization that tries to raise money for the children’s cancer fund by asking people to donate money in support of a brave soul who shaves his or her head. By shaving their hair, the shavee is showing support and solidarity with a child suffering through the side effects of chemotherapy. By donating, we are showing the shavee and the children that we care and that we hope a cure will be found soon. Although I had secretly wanted to do it with her, I just never mustered enough courage. I hate to admit it: I am vain.
This year, however, I’m taking the plunge and having my head shaved. But why now? I know that I’m no longer in my 20s and that the age of taking risks has passed. I’m also past the age of doing something “just for the heck of it”. Well, there are lots of reasons. One of them is that I finally passed my pediatrics board exam. I obtained my specialty through a lot of hard work and tears. But not all the patients through whom I honed my skills have made to see me graduate.
Another reason is that I’m turning 35 this year. I didn’t do anything for my big 3-0 and I think I ought to mark this special milestone with something truly special and what can be more special than by trying to help someone meet another birthday as I amble my way to my own? And last, but not least, is that I hope I finally have a level of self-esteem that will be able to tolerate this temporary loss of my identity. Its easy enough to say things like “its your inner beauty that counts”, and “looks are superficial” but to actually live it is quite different, isn’t it? Naturally, I’m not comparing my (future) discomfort with the way I look to the trauma that cancer patients have to live with. But I hope that by doing this, I will be better able to understand how it feels to have to have that strength to hold your head up high even when your crowning glory is longer on display.
I am very very lucky that my boss at the clinic has chosen to understand my desire to undertake this ‘project’. In fact, to show his support, he even photo-shopped a projection of how I would look without hair!
As we race towards July 25th, 2015, I really hope that you will all show your support for my endeavor by donating money to Hair For Hope! I really really appreciate it! Thank you in advance!
Cheers!
Chief Monkey of Hyde Park Blues
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Thank you Jasmine for sharing with us about Hair for Hope! You are a one cool gal and I am sure you will be rocking that shavee look like a superstar. For more of Jasmine, head to her blog: Hyde Park Blues.
Let us support Jasmine and her worthy cause. I know I definitely will! To support Jasmine & raise money for the Children’s Cancer Foundation, go to this link. “