I Stand For Mercy

Illustration by John Shakespeare via Sydney Morning Herald 

It was in the year 2005 when we lost our fellow Australian, Van Tuong Nguyen to the death penalty in Singapore as a result of drug trafficking. Now, in less than 24 hours, the world could lose two more Australians facing with the same fate in Indonesia. 

It's hard to believe that currently in the year 2015, there are still countries around the world which still implement this form of punishment. Naturally, this issue of capital punishment has got the world divided on whether its morally right or wrong. I personally think it's socially, ethically and morally wrong and very inhumane in every sense. Of course, not everyone will agree with me on this one. 

However, over the years, I have come to realisation that there are probably two kinds of offences (and only two offences) why I may actually support the death penalty, and these are; serial murderers and sex offenders. Other than those, I support the complete removal of the death penalty in all countries worldwide. 

Yes, I'm aware that Myuran Sukumaran and Andrew Chan should've known better, and that they are paying the ultimate price for their mistake of supporting the illegal drug industry. And, they may have also shown complete disregard for the welfare of its addicts and victims who pay the even more ultimate price. However, I believe in being compassionate to make the world a better place, and hope for their lives to be spared.

These Bali Nine leaders were only in their 20's when it happened, hence they were still young and naive. And, have we forgotten that they have already lost their freedom for nearly 10 years? So, what was the point of having them imprisoned for that long, only to be executed at the end? I hardly think these men are the same two men when they first entered those jail cells. They have changed, learned and grown. If anything, they could possibly represent strength and successful rehabilitation and become full contributing citizens for society. 

Regardless of how you feel, whether you're for or against, please spare a thought for these two (and others currently on death row) and their loved ones. 

Lots o' Love, Linda

Final Interview as Bruce Jenner

"All of us deserve the right to be loved for who we are." - Bruce Jenner 

Probably one of the most anticipated interviews have recently aired on television, and that was the ABC News 20/20 exclusive of the Diane Sawyer interview with Bruce Jenner. It was an important discussion on the former American Olympian and reality TV star's transition from male to female. 

After spending the majority of his 65 years of life having to fight his internal battle with his identity (and having media constantly on his back), to share his vulnerable journey and have it broadcast to a wide audience is something that takes a lot of courage and something to be proud of. 

While he may not represent all members of the transgender community, this is a great step heading towards a society with more understanding, tolerance and acceptance towards this challenging issue that has often been ridiculed and mistaken as a mental illness. At the same time, this encourages transgender (generally the LGBT or anyone really) people to just be themselves. And, that's the kind of world we have the right to live in. 

I first started learning more and have become more open-minded towards transgender people since coming across Julie Vu also known as PrincessJoules on YouTube.
  
PrincessJoules' Draw My Life video:    

I've also been quite attentive towards my surroundings in public over the years and have noticed a male in my local area who appears to be in the transitioning phase who receives a lot of stares (and giggles) from strangers in public. 

Naturally, society is generally a disappointment because of its ignorance but it's not so bad when there are people out there who are not so close-minded.

I hope everyone takes a moment to listen, learn and become more open-minded for this community. 

One of my favourite quotes from the Bruce Jenner interview would be; 

"I can be married to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I am. I can have the most beautiful little daughter in the world, and I have that. But I'm nothing if I can't be me. If I can't be true to myself, they don't mean anything." - Kanye West to Kim Kardashian on Bruce Jenner. 

Lots o' Love, Linda 

Cleaning Out My Closet

I'm currently in the process of downsizing my excess of possessions. I must admit, it has been quite a struggle but very liberating at the same time. I'm not fortunate to have a big room but I have accumulated too much stuff over the years which has ultimately led me to a state of unhappiness and a room full of clutter. I guess you can also say I'm quite a hoarder. 

I've been feeling quite stressed and seeing so many things fill up my room but are usually left untouched is quite overwhelming. I've been inspired by some online articles such as this one from Harvard Magazine and videos I've seen on YouTube about minimalism and downsizing. The following quote from the online article really got me thinking; 

"Buddhists say that desire for things, including material goods, is a root cause of suffering. And in Walden, Henry David Thoreau, class of 1837, makes clear his view: "Most of the luxuries and many of the so-called comforts of life are not only not indispensable, but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind."

Hence, I've finally made my first step. Although the process is quite slow for me (I need a bit of time), it's getting easier each time. 

Just like most of us, there really isn't any real reason why I have an overflowing wardrobe, especially when I'm not really a "fashionista" nor do I find much joy in shopping. So, I guess it's finally time to let go of stuff that are useless, holds no value nor make me feel happy. 

Meanwhile, I also aim to be more conscious and have more self-control with my shopping in general (especially clothes, shoes and cosmetics) with determination to get more wear out of my current clothes that I'd actually still wear again. 

Less Stuff = Less Stress! 

Most of the clothes on this rack are clothes I would actually still wear again. 

Letting go of some of my books is my biggest challenge. 

A fraction of my shoes under my desk. I'm running out of space! 

The following video by RyMingTahn was the very first video that I watched that ultimately inspired me. 




If you need further inspiration, check out The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.

Lots o' Love, Linda 

Uncool People Unite

Image via Instagram: @dark_musings_

This is AMAZING! Love reading everyone's input for this movement created by Nicole Alvarez and Tamar Levine. It serves to remind us to never compare someone's social media highlight reel to our "behind the scenes." Cause as amazing as everyone else's lives may appear to be, just like me and you, they also struggle with their own insecurities or quirks that are considered "uncool" which are usually well hidden. 

After spending some time reading people's posts, it made me realise how much we have in common on what we think are our imperfections. Yet, we all struggle with the same kind of anxiety that stops us from being open about it. We are often made to compete with one another and sugarcoat our everyday struggle, mostly in fear of judgement. I think the world will be a much better place and will bring people closer together if we were allowed to open up. Don't you think? 

Here is my contribution to the campaign that I've posted on Instagram:

 

It's taken me some courage to post this, cause apparently, social media is no place to discuss our insecurities/problems/struggles and when we do, we get labelled as "attention seekers", negative or ungrateful people. By not posting this defeats the whole purpose of this WeAreAllUncool movement that I'm 100% behind, and being open about things that make us vulnerable without fear of judgement unites us and may save people's lives. 

I may lose some "cool points" after this, but here we go. Here are 3 things that make me uncool; 

1. I have troubles with letting people into my life. I've built a strong wall around me. I get anxious when people get closer and shut people out almost immediately cause I feel I'm never worthy enough for some reason. 
2. I am my own worst enemy so I'm very hard on myself and have issues with forgiving myself for past mistakes. I constantly replay past scenarios in my head wishing that I was smarter and made better decisions. Unfortunately, I seem to allow my past mistakes define me. 
3. To this day, I'm very self-conscious about my physical image because I'm a part of a superficial society that puts a lot of value on someone's appearance. I'm not genetically blessed, I suffer from acne, I have the most crooked teeth (braces are sort of helping but I still have a LONG way to go), and I have such itty bitty titties which society constantly disapproves. No one has ever caught me in a bathing suit/bikini on its own at the pools/beach mainly for this reason. I enjoy being at the beach but I'm still not game enough. 

So there you have it. I lack self-confidence and I have anxiety issues, but I'm working on them (slowly). #wearealluncool

Lots o' Love, Linda 

Social Media Week Sydney

I spent a week as an event volunteer for Social Media Week (SMW) in Sydney which was held September 22-26 at the Beresford Hotel. It was also happened to my uni graduation week, which I missed out on because I made the decision to be at the social media conference instead. 

It was an engaging week filled with keynotes, panels, workshops and discussions about the constantly evolving rise of social media and its implications on our relationship with it in life, society and business. 

Myself (left) with fellow volunteers

Real time engagement 

Tania Debono (The Writing) 

Definitely looking forward to the next SMW conference. 

Lots o' Love, Linda