TLMUN 2021 (26/2/2021-28/2/2021)

Most of us are celebrating the last day of Chinese New Year, but for Katelyn is back to her Model United Nations (MUN) after four months of break. The first MUN of the year is Taylor’s Lakeside Model United Nations 2021 (TLMUN). I’m playing the delegate of the UK under the World Health Assembly. We have two topics to choose from which is the vaccine for covid-19 and the effects of bioterrorism. As always on the first day, we go through the ground rules and getting to know each other. 

On the second day, before we head into formal debate, we have to vote on which topic should be discussed in council. As expected, the first topic on covid-19 vaccines has the most votes. Also, it is related to us because the vaccines are a hot topic these days. In Malaysia, we have received the vaccines on 24 Feb 2021 (Wednesday) and received the vaccines from China recently. 

To make sure our Internet connection is running smoothly, the chairs did a mic test on each of the delegate. When it comes to me, I got into character which made Amalia, my co-chair to crack up. After some formal debates, we head into an unmoderated caucus. At one point, I almost lose composure, while the delegate of North Korea, on the other end wondering whether I would blow up anytime. Don’t worry, I am fine! 

Even though, our brain cells are totally worn out on the second day, the delegate of the US insists us to join immediately after the meeting because we are writing a draft resolution that is going to present on the third and final day of the conference. Being in a blur, I didn’t know what did I put in the draft resolution, but my points are there. 

On the third day, I overslept by 12 minutes of the first session of the day despite doing the best to wake up by 8am. To back up some points, always stick to the policy of the country that we are representing. The delegate of Malaysia bashes that I should check my foreign policies, I did during the general speakers list session. For the first time in my MUN experience, the resolution passes! I did expect some juicy debates after handing in the resolution, but it didn’t happen which is good news! 

As per MUN tradition, we have a superlative award in our council. Two hours of rest and it’s the closing ceremony. I didn’t expect to win a verbal commendation alongside the delegates of North Korea and Malaysia. China wins the Best Delegate award with the delegate of Japan bags the Honourable Mention, and USA wins the Highest Commendation, the delegate of Namibia takes home Best Position Paper. 

Thank you TLMUN team and a huge thank you to my chair, co-chair and rapporteur Pumudika, Amalina and Theo, as well as each and every delegate in the World Health Assembly council. This is Kar Marn, delegate of the UK from the World Health Assembly, signing off! 

农历新年2021：心连心新希望，元气满满Moo Moo Da (12/2/2021)

农历新年来到人间了！往年会早起身，但是今年会较轻松，可以睡到自然醒。第一时间是向身在雪兰莪的父母通过电话送上祝福。一向传统的爸爸不忘提醒新年要起身，只好拖着沉重的身子准备新年的到来。

洗刷后，换上开运颜色—— 黄色的裙子迎接金牛年。每逢的初一十五会吃素，今天也不例外。我们向外公外婆拜年，由于只有两个孩子（大舅和阿姨）和一个孙（我），今年的敬茶仪式显得简略些。“文儿，到你啦！家里唯一的牛。” 阿姨说。我向外公外婆拜年，“希望你可以得到理想的工作。” 外婆说。

平时在这时候我们会到马六甲文化街的青云亭祈福，可是政府拟定的安全作业，只好在家里向神明祈福希望一切可以早日过去，恢复以前的日常生活。正当在听新年歌时候，小舅舅视讯。“小舅舅！” 小舅舅说：“文儿，是你啊！阿姨呢？” 我说: “阿姨在外面，怎么啦？” 小舅舅说：“听说你出新年翻唱MV？” 我说：“是啊！” 正当把拍好的照片上传到各个社交平台，大舅唤我：“文儿，出来。跟你妈咪他们线上拜年。” 我们全家人都同时隔空拜年，有感受浓浓的新年气氛！

小舅舅通过他的手机拍一张 “全家福” 。陈家隔空拜年，正式大功告成！今年的农历新年，大家就地过年，无法回乡过年，把健康摆第一最重要。等到疫情结束后，大团圆也不迟啊！心连心最重要。

祝大家心连心希望，元气满满Moo Moo哒！

送给大家这首《年盼》。

今年是第二个牛年

The Star R. AGE: #StandTogether SEA (3/2/2021-5/2/2021)

#StandTogether Kindness Leaders are back! This time we are going bigger than ever! We are heading to the region of Southeast Asia. Yes, we go that right! Southeast Asia how amazing is that? Before we go into more details of the event, allow me to refresh the memory. Launched in 2017, #StandTogether kindness campaign is to encourage students to practice empathy and kindness to combat school bullying - which is a social issue in Malaysia. With its success, national kindness week was declared by the Ministry of Education (MOE) of Malaysia that on the first week of April, students will have to practice empathy and kindness in their schools for the whole week. 

Slowly, Malaysians are encouraged to take part in the kindness challenge too. We have a kindness chatbot on WhatsApp and each day we are required to complete the kindness challenge. It's difficult at first, slowly we will feel great about ourselves when complete the challenge by the end of the week. In 2019, I was lucky to attend a Kindness Concert and got to meet our #StandTogether celebrity ambassadors, especially UNICEF Malaysia's national ambassador, Kak Lisa Surihani. 

Last year, the kindness challenge has moved to online. There is a bit of challenge because we are stuck at home most of the time and we are encouraged to send our kindness stories. Throughout the year, kindness workshops were conducted virtually all over Malaysia. Now, we are heading bigger than ever, let's go to the SEA region! 

The first day, kindness leaders from all over Southeast Asia have joined the kindness revolution, including our friends from China. Same as the previous workshops that Malaysians kindness attended, we are broken up into breakout rooms for each section - types of bullying, the storytelling (with action cards) and gratitude notes. At one point, our Bahasa Malaysia was put to the test for the easiness for our Indonesian counterparts. After that, we have a special celebrity appearance from Choi Siwon - singer of the Korean boyband, Super Junior and UNICEF ambassador for the East Asia region. 

The second day, my fellow kindness leaders volunteers are broken up to assist kindness leaders. Oscar and I are assigned to China. Each country has to present the Kindness Workshop blueprint after that. I have three preferences - Malaysia, China and the Philippines. We hope that every kindness leader will bring the workshop back to their home countries and conduct them. For us Malaysians kindness leaders at the conference, we have a WhatsApp group chat - Tadika Mesra (Friendly Kindergarten). 

The third and final day, we have panellist of people ranging from the medical field and law firm on how they see corporal punishment towards a child and how can we break the cycle. During the Q & A session, I ask Dr Goh and Dr Farrah on how to include people with special needs in schools and communities. What we need is the equipment to make the community an inclusive environment. 

My favourite part of the panel discussion is the students' point of view on corporal punishment, it triggered the memory of me being embarrassed in front of the class, especially in primary school. Especially when we are in a Malaysian Chinese primary school, the possibility of being caned in front of the class is super high. 

Next, we are broken into groups and it's back to our host countries. Each question is given 5 to 10 minutes of discussion on what is the ideal relationship between a student and a teacher. We think our positions as teachers and students at the same time, how should we practice kindness and empathy in both positions. We are back to the main room when the discussion is done. Ismail Izzani - youth advocate for UNICEF Malaysia makes an appearance with a special performance. 

To end the conference on a sweet note, the #StandTogether team and their partners recorded a congratulatory video to encourage kindness leaders that this is the beginning of the kindness journey and hope to bring it back to our respective countries. Three days of kindness leaders conference has come to an end. 

Thank you to the R. AGE team and to my fellow kindness leaders we will meet again!