Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Is your home stocked with products made by trafficking victims?






5 Things To Know About Human Trafficking
By Amanda Kloer, Special to CNN

Human trafficking might not be something we think about on a daily basis, but this crime affects the communities where we live, the products which we buy and the people who we care about. Want to learn more? Here are the five most important things to know about human trafficking:

1) Human trafficking is slavery.
Human trafficking is modern-day slavery. It involves one person controlling another and exploiting him or her for work. Like historical slavery, human trafficking is a business that generates billions of dollars a year. But unlike historical slavery, human trafficking is not legal anywhere in the world. Instead of being held by law, victims are trapped physically, psychologically, financially or emotionally by their traffickers.

2) It's happening where you live.
Stories about human trafficking are often set in far-away places, like cities in Cambodia, small towns in Moldova, or rural parts of Brazil. But human trafficking happens in cities and towns all over the world, including in the United States. Enslaved farmworkers have been found harvesting tomatoes in Florida and picking strawberries in California. Young girls have been forced into prostitution in Toledo, Atlanta, Wichita, Los Angeles, and other cities and towns across America. Women have been enslaved as domestic workers in homes in Maryland and New York. And human trafficking victims have been found working in restaurants, hotels, nail salons, and shops in small towns and booming cities. Wherever you live, chances are some form of human trafficking has taken place there.

3) It's happening to people just like you.
Human trafficking doesn't discriminate on the basis of race, age, gender, or religion. Anyone can be a victim. Most of the human trafficking victims in the world are female and under 18, but men and older adults can be trafficking victims too. While poverty, lack of education, and belonging to a marginalized group are all factors that increase risk of trafficking, victims of modern-day slavery have included children from middle-class families, women with college degrees, and people from dominant religious or ethnic groups.

4) Products you eat, wear, and use every day may have been made by human trafficking victims.
Human trafficking isn't just in your town - it's in your home, since human trafficking victims are forced to make many of the products we use everyday, according to ProductsofSlavery.org. If your kitchen is stocked with rice, chocolate, fresh produce, fish, or coffee, those edibles might have been harvested by trafficking victims. If you're wearing gold jewelry, athletic shoes, or cotton underwear, you might be wearing something made by slaves. And if your home contains a rug, a soccer ball, fresh flowers, a cell phone, or Christmas decorations, then slavery is quite possibly in your house. Human trafficking in the production of consumer goods is so widespread, most people in America have worn, touched, or consumed a product of slavery at some point.
5) We can stop human trafficking in our lifetime.
The good news is not only that we can end human trafficking around the world, we can end it within a generation. But to achieve that goal, everyone needs to work together. Already, activists around the world are launching and winning campaigns to hold governments and companies accountable for human trafficking, create better laws, and prevent trafficking in their communities. You can start a campaign on Change.org to fight trafficking in your community. You can also fight trafficking by buying from companies that have transparent and slave-free supply chains, volunteering for or donating to organizations fighting trafficking, and talking to your friends and family about the issue. Together, we can fight human trafficking … and win.

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Amanda Kloer.


Just doing my part to educate the public on this matter. Just because we do not know or do not see, doesn't mean we can pretend they don't exist. The above article was taken from CNN.

For other related articles, refer below.
1) End modern day slavery project, click here.
2) Foreign tourists seek children for sex, click here.


--moon

Monday, March 28, 2011

The joy of being a minimalist






What is a minimalist - One who believes in or seeks a minimal state; one who seeks to minimize or reduce to a minimum.


It means living a life of simplicity.



Accumulate little
The more you possess, the more time and energy you spent worrying about them and looking after them. Keep things to the basic and you will find that you have thrown out a whole chunk of worries off your mind. 

What you don’t need or don’t use for months, donate it. There are others who need them much more than you. There is only so much you can use in this one life.

Eat and dress simple
Eat moderately and dress simply. Your body does not need that much food, especially if you sit in the office most of the time. We need clothes for protection, and in this modern era, glamour for some. Make it a point to dress comfortably, that’s the most important, not to impress.

Lead a simple stress-free life
In our lives, a million and one things are demanding for our attention and action. Family members, work, personal needs, social obligations, etc, etc. Learn to prioritize. No one else can do it for you.

Most importantly, enjoy life and have fun while you’re alive and trying to survive. This will get you through anything that life throws at you.

Sometimes, having a simple mind isn’t that bad at all.


You think it’s not possible to be a minimalist and still be successful in life? Mahatma Ghandi did it. He was a world leader and idolized by millions! Imagine that!


--moon



Friday, March 25, 2011

Have you read a book this month?







No entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting – Mary Wortley Montagu

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirate’s loot on Treasure Island – Walt Disney

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you will go – Dr. Seuss

There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all – Jacqueline Kennedy



Reading is a door to a world of wonder. Open it and find beauty or intrigue, mystery or life’s lesson. Reading will also take you on a journey of expression and explore the many forms of writing, without you noticing it.

Encounters with art and literature affects our sense. We feel joy, sorrow, fear, anxiety and grief. We empathize with the characters. We learn from them about ourselves and about other people.

Give me a good book and I can be contented for hours. Reading can soothe like no other. Given that I’m a pretty high-energy person, reading forces me to sit still and be still. 


--moon

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Laughter the best medicine



                                                    Picture taken from here




                                                           Comic taken from here




                     This is what I say to myself each time I get on the treadmill


                                                        Click on picture for clearer view  
                                                              Comic taken from here 




                                                          Click picture for a clearer view






Have a fabulous week ahead!


--moon


Blog name - carrot head and applemint

Monday, March 21, 2011

The easy way or the hard way?






The cheap and easy way or the expensive and hard way?

Seems like the answer is obvious..., if only it's as simple as it sounds. Whatever it is, the decision lies in my own hand. That's good, at least.


--moon


Blog name - carrot head and applemint

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A day when anything that could go wrong, went wrong





There was a mega storm on Monday afternoon. One of the lightning bolts hit our house, I think, and it got our modem router. Because Belkin modem router is under a lifetime warranty, after a quick trouble shoot over the phone, we were assured within 10 minutes that it will be replaced with a new one.

Needless to say, we were jumping with joy upon hearing that, because this is our 4th or 5th router (the last one was also hit by lightning but different brand). However…, it took them one day to instruct their service center to have a new unit ready for us and another day for the e-mail to be sent to us, instructing us where to go, to get it changed. 1 + 1 = 2 full days in total.

The best part was, ST had tons of urgent mails and documents to work on and to be sent out by Tues & Wed. And our back-up plan, the MAXIS broadband stick somehow decided to go on strike only with his lappie this particular week. So he was super anxious to have the modem router replaced asap.

Can you imagine, I had to call their Technical Support Center somewhere far far away (for sure it’s not in Malaysia) because their customer care personnel names are like Raghu, Suresha, Yogesh; they speak PUURFECT English, with a very heavy accent. Not only that, they must also appoint a service center here in Malaysia that is located at a place where it is NOT in Puchong, but the road says Jalan Puchong; it is NOT in OUG but the address says Tmn Perindustrian OUG...! The place description sounded like somewhere on this earth that was non-existent to me. Anyhow, we finally got it replaced by Thursday morning.

On Tuesday, I found out that I had to fill-up approximately 18 types of form (online via their new portal) for the coming MetalTech Exhibition, and the submission deadline was the next day.





On Wed, I tried to register in our customer’s online supplier management portal to access and to print out a Purchase Order issued to us. While doing to do that, I almost wanted to run out and kill someone, coz their step by step instruction given was incomplete, the system hangs halfway, and when I called all the 5 telephone numbers provided in the e-mail, no one answered until the call went dead. When I finally managed to get thru one of the number, they told me their helpdesk number has changed...!?!? But when I called the new number, it rang till it got cut off.




And don’t forget, by Wednesday, I was still waiting for the e-mail from Belkin to direct us to their service center. They kept saying our case is under "queue".

I exploded on Wed afternoon.



End of story...




Eh, sorry, not yet! That night, while still fuming mad,  we went for a piece of...






chocolate indulgence in Secret Recipe. Needless to say, it was scrumdidlyumptious..!!


And so, my good mood was finally restored..




*******************************************************************************

Went down to Bangkok Bank to settle some banking matter, and decided to meet up with my sis-in-law, Winnie for lunch coz her office is around there. We left the house late, and because it was Friday, there were mega jam everywhere, so we decided to drive to KLCC and take a LRT to Central Market.

I was at Central Market in Dec last year, but it was still under construction. I didn’t expect it to look so impressive this time round when we reach there.



We went for beef noodle, located along Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Seems that this is quite famous.

Indeed it was delicous. This was what I ordered. They make their own noodle, taste good! The beef ball and slices of meat was lovely!

                                  This was what ST and Winnie ordered

                      See, so happy that she got to eat her beef noodle

                          Not enough, ordered some more, just the "liu"

ST finished his bowl of noodle in record time, look at his shirt, all drenched with sweat but he's one happy chap!




That's all for now, ta ta!


--moon


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Work and play in Koh Samui





We were in Bophut, Koh Samui last week for the Stratasys 2011 Sales Kick-Off Conference for ASEAN Team.


Upon completion of the conference, we extended our stay in Lamai Beach, where we were last year.


























I have up-loaded most of the pictures in my Facebok. If you are interested to take a look, please click here. It took me a rather "long" time to up-load those pix, so I won't even want to think about up-loading them here.


If you can't see them, then you might have to add me. For those who have no FB, uuuh... sorry, can't help you there.


.....


.....




Ok la, here's a few more, that's all you're gonna get.




                          Enjoying a cuppa while playing UNO at Subang Sky Park Airport. 

                   Trying to demonstrate how big and huge all the trees and plants are around the resort

Love their giant bean bags that are strewn all over the beach. Once you sit on it, you'll start to dream before you know it. This is Anantara Resort & Spa in Bophut, Koh Samui.

                                        Tea break during sales conference





                                   Went island hopping, hiking, kayaking, boating and snorkelling.




                                                     On the boat heading to an island
                                   
                                  Letting off a giant Thai lantern into the night sky at the beach.


                                                  Hanging out on the beach 


                                                    Their library and internet room



                                       Koh Samui Island Airport, walking towards boarding gate


--moon


Blog name - carrot head and applemint

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