We Without Borders, Ep. 32: powered by human connection...

what would happen if the "human connection" part is brought into real life conversations, discussions and decision-making ? hmmmmm...

Coz I'm hippie like that, Ep. 21: think out of your reach

While watching dinner cook, my mind was globetrotting: 

* Malaysia is my birth place
* Canada is my definition
* Japan is my playground
* Peru is my curiosity
* New Zealand is my wonderland
* Kenya is my wanderlust
* Switzerland is my ambition
* the World is my home
* Outer space is my dream

[P.s. Out of the 8 "life destinations/actions" listed here, I have achieved 4. 4 more to go in the second half of my lifespan. Being a citizen of the World came as a default at birth; I can't ask for more <3. But where exactly in the World will I settle after fulfilling these ambitions? Only time and love will tell.] 

Coz I'm hippie like that, Ep.18: good things come in pairs

At October 2013 Division meeting, I sat next to Michele. B.St. came over my other side.

B: Can I sit here, next to you Michelle?
me: Sure can, B. You are always welcome.
M: Good morning B (over my shoulder).
B: Oh and there is Michele too.
M: What a lucky day for you B. You have Michele and Michelle by your side. Good things come in pairs.
We laughed. 
B: Well that is very nice to hear and to start my day.

And the meeting began...


Note: two is one of the lucky numbers in East Asian culture as it signifies that either one will not be alone and more things can be accomplished and become well-balanced when there is two of us. 

Beyond imaginary narratives 15: ...reach out...you'll never know when you may be needed in space...

My Day 2 - part 2 of Dietitians of Canada's national conference.

In 2011, I worked with J.T. (from DC) last summer at Health Canada on a major infant nutrition database revamp. We hadn't met in-person at all because activities were done remotely from each other, provinces apart - teleconference meetings, emails, phone calls, fancy log-in codes (that changes ever week due to security compliance) to fancy looking webby things.

At this 2012 conference and during Roberta Bondar's speech (first Canadian woman astronaut), she brought up J.T.'s name and her role as the registered dietitian for the space mission. She continued the story of how J.T. was a key part of the space team and the mission by ensuring that each astronaut get their nutritional needs and personal food preferences (when feasible). And a whole lot of cool stuff that J.T. had done as part of the team.

My mind just went "whaaaaaa...t". Remember: I am easily impressed/inspired by people because I believe everyone has something special or skills and accomplishments that make them cool no matter how small the accomplishments may seem to anyone else.  So, I had to mentally say WOW! that is so cool! J.T. is so cool.

At the end-of-day reception, after chatting with friends and new acquaintances, on the way to the washroom, I bumped in to J.T., using her name tag as my clue. I called her out, and introduced myself as someone whom she has worked with a year ago. She remembered me. She introduced me to her friends. I continued to hear about her cool space mission stuff as well as a whole lot of other amazing fun opportunities. The 40+mins of bladder stress was worth it. 

Always reach out to different projects and networks. Make your connection. You'll never know when you may be needed in space too. (J.T., 2012). 

Bursary application - support my application for DC conference sponsorship

Dear Members of Practice in Global Context Network:

My name is .... As an international student from Malaysia, currently in the Master of Public Health at the University of Toronto, I am fortunate enough to personally experienced health and food systems in different countries. My interests in food and health began during my childhood through an inspiration from my grandmother’s magic in making family meals that were healthy, wholesome, and tasty. Since then, I have built a strong interest for putting dietetic practice into working within the area of global health, particularly in 1) relating different food and cultural influences to food systems, and 2) understanding the impact of globalization on nutrition issues in Canada and abroad. Additionally, I have engaged in various opportunities to witness the politics of food and health from the local to the global scale.

I have been intrigued by Dr. Valerie Tarasuk and Dr. Dennis Raphael’s research regarding social and economic determinants of community health, quality of life and food security. Their critical analyses on the “upstream” approach to sustainable health and food policies have boosted my interest in further learning about health in the global scale. Beyond inspirations from academia, my interest in photography has led me to Peter Menzel’s book Hunger Planet – What the world eats, from which I learned more about how globalization changes the food systems in the world. These learning experiences have fueled my ambition in becoming a registered dietitian who expresses the passion for integrating the social determinants of health into international health promotion and food policy. I aim to dedicate my expertise in dietetics to international affairs and humanitarian work with the World Health Organization, Doctors without Borders, and Oxfam; as inspired by Dr. James Orbinski’s contribution to advocate for healthcare access in developing countries.

This year’s DC conference will be my first conference. With the Network’s potential support in providing sponsorship, I will be able to gain more personal and professional development opportunities through learning from different seminars and networking sessions. I have also submitted a research abstract which I may be able to present at the poster presentation session. The poster presentation will inform the results from a pilot test on the use of front-of-pack nutrition labeling within the last 12 years. This topic has strong public health implications in promoting healthy eating at the population level and is one strategy that the WHO has recommended in prevention of chronic diseases. Through these activities, I will be pleased with the opportunity to share an article with the Practice in Global Context newsletter.

Sincerely,

you know you have written your best letter, when you smiled from reading it the 47th time

Letter of intent - Master of Public Health

As an international student from Malaysia, I am fortunate enough to personally experienced health and food systems in different countries during my quest of living and travelling around the world. Having witnessed the politics of food and health from the local to the global scale, I am now curious to determine the best method of working together with health professionals to make a difference in my community. It is for these reasons I submit my application for the Master of Public Health (MPH). The program’s commitment to foster self-directed learning in advanced nutrition, coupled with hands-on learning through various community practica, has attracted my attention as it provides an exciting opportunity to develop the competencies for interdisciplinary practice. My knowledge and continuous involvement in health promotion, food security and community research put me in the position of being an ideal candidate for the MPH Community Nutrition program at the University of Toronto.

My interests in food and health began during my childhood. I was inspired by my grandmother’s magic in making family meals that were healthy, wholesome, and tasty. Out of the curiosity as a child, I would closely watch my grandmother’s activities in the kitchen, the vegetable garden, and the market. From these interactions, the important role that food played in building my family’s health and well-being became clear to me. Thus, I decided to pursue an education in health promotion. I had completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Sciences at the University of Waterloo before my entry into the Nutrition and Food program at Ryerson University. Upon graduating from my first degree, I felt that there had been a gap between what I learned from my science courses and what health meant to me. However, the transition from the traditional medical model to the more social-based model of health at Ryerson made me realize the significance of community development in sustaining health at the individual and population level.

At the School of Nutrition, every day has been an opportunity to learn about the healthcare world. An ‘eye-opening’ moment happened when my professors introduced the social determinants of health during my first day at Ryerson. In addition, my learning experiences from food security courses have made me understand the implications of community development and food citizenship in a sustainable food system.  Recognizing that this could be to the answer to effective health promotion, I decided to engage in a various work and research opportunities, so that I could apply my classroom knowledge into real-life situations.

Through academic work, I have conducted several quantitative and qualitative research projects for different courses including a senior research course, Psychology and Immigration course, and Health Promotion and Community Development course. My senior research project involved using my knowledge in quantitative research to carry out a study regarding immigration stress and acculturation experience. In the course ‘Psychology of Immigration’, I had successfully conducted oral history interviews for a research paper regarding the influences of immigration on family attachment. Furthermore, I am proud to say that I have had the opportunity to build a comprehensive portfolio of volunteer work in clinical, food service and community settings. On my own initiative, I used my multilingual ability to facilitate health promotion workshops for seniors at a community centre. I have also demonstrated critical thinking skills through co-leading the “Family Meal Initiative” project, which will be showcased at the 2010 Incontro Romano Congress in Rome. These experiences have strengthened my interpersonal, leadership and management skills that are necessary for working in multicultural environments.

I am often intrigued by Dr. Valerie Tarasuk and Dr. Dennis Raphael’s research regarding social and economic determinants of community health and quality of life. Their critical analyses on the “upstream” approach to sustainable health and food policies have boosted my interest in further learning about public health. My career goal is to be a registered dietitian who expresses the passion for integrating the social determinants of health into health promotion and food policy projects. In the future, I hope to dedicate my expertise to international affairs and humanitarian work with the World Health Organization, Doctors without Borders, and Oxfam; as inspired by Dr. James Orbinski’s contribution to advocate for healthcare access in developing countries.  I believe that the MPH program will equip me with a solid grounding to strive for excellence to achieve my learning goals and career plans. It is for these reasons I submit my application for the MPH program at the University of Toronto.

My educational background and community experiences have provided me with the qualities essential for my success in the MPH in Community Nutrition. I am confident that my professional competencies will prepare me for a successful career in community health and interdisciplinary practice.I look forward to meeting you to discuss how I may contribute to the institution and our community.

Yours Sincerely,

We Without Borders, Ep. 23: fun for life

of course, beautiful and creative Stockholm is putting(testing) this in action. Wonder if people using the piano stairs were aware of the reason behind making stair-walking fun. Not just making melodies during morning/afternoon commute, although (no doubt) imo we should how we should start and end our busy work days :) 

Bravo  Sverige !