You-Want's Life

I have long been familiar with the concept of volunteerism. In fact, I had been introduced to a plethora of volunteering opportunities since my secondary school days. There was no short of exposure, be it in the fields of education, environment, and even healthcare. As an active St. John Ambulance member, I was allowed on first aid duties (having passed tests to qualify as a certified first aider) at sports events and community outreach programmes that directly worked with people in need. My school also organised field trips that raised awareness on environmental conservation. One of the most significant memories I have from those days was a trip to the Tanjung Piai Wetlands in the south of Johor, where we learned about the roles of mangroves in maintaining biodiversity and even planted saplings in mud. But what I'm new to, is the idea of voluntourism. A similar spelling with volunteerism, but note that it is coined with the concept of tourism. I imagine it as people touring somewh...

  There is business in everything these days. Recently, I took a trip to Sabah, Malaysia to hike Mount Kinabalu, and I could not help but notice that business opportunities exist almost everywhere- from the pre-booking stages, to during hiking and even to the post-summit descent stages.  When you pre-book your hiking slot, which comes with the accommodation arrangements at Laban Rata on Mount Kinabalu, you are given a choice to choose a hostel based on how much you are willing to spend. For Lemaing hostel, which is the simpler option at around RM364, you will be allocated a bed in a 16-slot bunk-bed dormitory, with three meals provided throughout the hike. For an additional RM200, the more comfortable option, Panalaban, comes not only with a single bed and more personal spaces, but also two extra meals on the day of hiking. Note that Lemaing Hostel is limited to Malaysian citizens only. Foreigners are only allowed to choose for Panalaban, which is the more expensive option- wh...

A lot of artists never have their work seen by the world. But not for Nor Azhar Ishak (NAI), an Educator Storyteller whose children's books incorporate his mesmerising paintings and a spray of educational elements especially on environmental awareness. Not only had he recently organised his ‘The Ocean Wanderer’ Exhibition at The Museum of Picture Book Art, his works were displayed at Tsutaya Books at Pavilion Bukit Jalil earlier this year.  Having published more than 10 children’s books in the past decade, NAI has multiple picture book awards under his belt. Our Charisma Movement journalists were curious how he explores his inspirations, and strives to fight for education and environmental awareness with his artistic career. ^We visited NAI’s art studio near Batu Caves. Euan: We first met at ‘Alam Nan Tunggal’, an event organised by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Museum and Art Gallery, which aimed to promote local artists and support their entrepreneurial journey. How do you feel abou...