Interests

1. Alternative education – I’ve been in the traditional education system and it’s a massive mess. It doesn’t treat students as human beings, just as grade cattle. I’m always up for reexaminations of current education systems, as well as practical alternatives to the formal system. I’m especially fond of self-education and experiential education – learning from experience that you decide for yourself.

2. Youth culture/engagement – Young people are full of energy, enthusiasm, ideas, and fresh thinking. However (at least where I come from), they’re underappreciated at best, discriminated against at worst. Malaysia has a huge youth population, yet youth culture is often seen as an evil construct of vices and “yellow (Western) influences”. I’m constantly amazed by what some young people have managed to do with themselves and others, and am advocating for ways to give them more options, resources, and respect.

3. Reading/books – I was a self-taught voracious reader – even at early childhood my dad would be puzzled at why I always went after his business magazines. The first thing I do when going into people’s houses is to find their book collection (and often hide there). Whenever I travel I always get a new book, and I check out tons of books from the library at one time. I’m using BookMooch to swap books now, but I still can’t help myself. Books are AWESOME. I’m addicted to them.

4. Creativity – I was always more right-brained, and I like to dabble with anything creative. For a long time I was an avowed writer; however, university knocked that out of me (hard lesson: I prefer writing as therapy, not as a career). I love performing – the rush on stage and the preparations are invigorating. Dance is excellent exercise and so much fun, and I’d love to learn choreography. I’m not that great in visual art or textiles/craft but I’ve tried a bit. I like social action through creative/performance art, such as the Instant Art Grants – clever, creative, fun, doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m started to get into poetry slams – the atmosphere is electric and the creativity is immense, but it doesn’t feel as closed-off as some other arts events.

5. Travel & international cultures – Being born of one culture but spending most of my life as a minority in a separate culture has made me a nomad at heart (that, and having flown about once a year since I was 40 days old. I was a good flight baby). I don’t feel like I have “roots”, so I constantly feel the need to move. 3-4 years in one place seems to be my limit currently. I love living with host families (including my one try at CouchSurfing) and experiencing the culture first-hand. Having a Bangladesh passport complicates this, due to visas, but whenever I get the chance to travel I take it on. I’d love to to an around-the-world cruise, something like Semester at Sea – that would be brilliant.

6. Expressions of sexuality including sex work – this was such a taboo and hush-hush topic growing up, and I never really had the interest anyway (sex always seemed so alien to me). When I came to Australia I saw a whole new perspective on sexuality, and now have a great appreciation and interest in the complex world of sexuality, sex work, and the complications that come with it in terms of legality and stigma. In Australia, being a sex worker is (usually) legal, so their take on it differs majorly not just from conservative countries like Malaysia, but also from supposedly “liberal” places like the US where it’s not totally legal. Aside from the industry, I’m also interested in how people express themselves and relate to each other through body and their senses – the “sensuality” part of sexuality – as well as the concept of empowerment and dispowerment through sexuality (including the latest trends of neo-burlesque and pole-dance classes). There’s so many nuances; it’s not just “porn is wrong” or “strippers are hot sluts”.

7. Experiential spirituality – I find comfort in spirituality as an experience – figuring out your relationship with Deity through personal insight and experience, rather than through literal interpretations of words. Paganism has proved especially useful as a lot of it is based on “mysteries” – so-called because you can only really appreciate it by experiencing it as words don’t do them justice. I personally feel that every faith and viewpoint (including atheism, agnostics, etc) have value; everyone considers spirituality differently, and ultimately we’re all looking for much of the same – doing good, being connected, living.

8. Inclusivity and anti-discrimination – my experiences with racism growing up has made me deeply appreciative and protective of diversity, whether in race, sexuality, tastes, gender, whichever. I don’t really understand exclusion just for being “different” – who’s to decide which group is better than the other? It all comes down to class, which is eventually a very subjective and complicated matter. Through this, I’ve worked for multiculturalism, gay rights, and women’s rights, though I often speak out against exclusion of more subtle ways too (such as a lone minority voice being piled on just for having a different point of view).

9. The Internet and connecting with people – I first used computers at around age 2; the Internet came to Malaysia when I was about 10 and I’ve hardly left. I used to be really into web design, but I was working with outdated systems and skills, and generally don’t really enjoy coding. I enjoy communicating and connecting with people – most of the great things in my life have come up thanks to the Internet, and it’s a god-send for keeping in touch with people and meeting interesting folks. That said, I think the recent hype over social networking is a little overblown – it’s great, but joining every Web 2.0 site in existence doesn’t make you a “social media expert”, people. (also, I am strangely addicted to LOLCats.)

10. Friendships and relationships – I had a hard time with friendships as a child, and it’s taken me a long time to actually accept the idea that friends exist. Since then, I’ve been intrigued by the different ways people relate to each other, and the unspoken rules and expectations about relationships in different societies. After a lot of ups and downs, I’ve developed a view of relationships that’s somewhat “against the rules”: I want specific people, not roles, in my life. They don’t belong to me, nor I to them, but we have a deep connection with each other while still living independently.

11. Anxiety and stress amongst young people – I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression as a teenager, and the experience gave me insights into how young people coped with mental conditions and how they were taught to handle stress. In Malaysia there is very support for youth and stress; however, in Australia I’m heartened to see so much support without stigma. I’ve particularly noticed how vulnerable young achievers (or overachievers) are to anxiety and stress – they’re committed to putting other people first, but at the cost of their own self-care. I would like to start a support network for such young overachievers to encourage them to make themselves a priority, and provide resources – a hamper of self-care services such as a chiro appointment or a cool concert ticket would be awesome!

12. Giftedness and talent – Most people want to feel special; in my case I had desperately wanted to be a child prodigy. Had my school have a “gifted students” program I would have jumped for it – mainly because mainstream school was boring. I’m now fascinated by how giftedness and talent manifests in people, and what counts as “gifted” in society – you often hear about the mathematics and classical-music prodigies, but not much else. At the same time, there’s some concern over pushing gifted kids beyond their limits and setting them aside from the rest of the world – I’ve heard from a lot of former gifted kids who were paralysed from high expectations and beat themselves up for not being amazing in their adult life. I’d favour efforts that recognise the varied range of interests, gifts, and skills available within gifted people (in a way everyone is gifted), while also helping them gain confidence and inner strength to not just define themselves by their gift.

13. Everyday stories – as the saying goes, “everybody has a story”. I remember the fillers Star World had about this guy who’d throw a dart on a map, go to where it landed, and record the life story of the first person in the phonebook that said “Yes” to him. There were rags-to-riches-to-rags, a few little kids, interesting hobbies, art exhibitions, so much more! A lot of people think that their stories aren’t remarkable, but often there has been so much strife, magic, miracles, strange events, and the unexplained in their history – more fascinating than Hollywood! I’m interested in knowing why people do what they do, and what they feel strongly about – the triggers for their motivation would tell us a lot about their personality.

14. Volunteering and community development – Volunteering is fun! Besides the obvious social good that it creates, it’s also a great way to meet interesting and fun people, and a hotpot of skills and learning experiences. Sometimes the strangest things happen in volunteer jaunts – I’ve had to help a woman who was scared of library “security” (really just a bag check) and I’ve stage managed a show that didn’t even have a proper rehearsal. Sometimes the work can be utterly heartbreaking or overwhelming, but the overall good will is so worth it. Along the same lines, I’m interested in learning how to form communities and develop them internally – I see communities and neighbourhoods as dying concepts and there’s definitely a need to revive those structures, even if our borders are disappearing. Most social change happens when people start to care about the people involved, and they’ll care if they count those people as being in their community.

15. Mail – letters and packages are the best! I’d often go through a month of shopping sprees online (second-hand clothes, zines, crafts, etc) and join things like Bookmooch or mail exchanges just so I could get the satisfaction of getting something in my post box. (One of the clerks in the local post office remarks “Sending yourself mail again?” whenever I come by to pick up a package.) I did mail art for a little while, and I often like to send aerogrammes – most underrated mail item! In 2007 I made a video plea for mail and actually received quite a few letters, postcards, and packages thanks to Metafilter members and other video viewers. I also like email, though I don’t often get personal email – send me a letter!

16. Museums – I am a major museum and science centre geek. Everywhere I go I often make it a point to visit the local science centre. They’re full of interactive goodness and spark so much creativity. It was visiting the Museum of Moving Images in London that got me interested in media work – I got to be in a TV talk show and read the news! The British Science Museum (linked to Imperial College) is one of the best I’ve seen – they constantly update their exhibits and they’re highly interactive. If Lonely Planet, Discovery Travel & Living, or another travel show company wants to do a travel show around museums, please contact me!

17. Mental games, puzzles, and challenges – I tend to live in my brain, and I find mental puzzles fun – though admittedly I do get lazy and cheat! Point-and-click games like Myst appeal to me, as well as lateral thinking challenges (which I sometimes overthink). I’m really into treasure hunts and have organised a few; a dream would be to participate in something like The Game), a major 24-hour treasure hunt that involves puzzles in all sorts of areas. I joined Mensa just to see if I could, and surprisingly I passed the test, though I haven’t really gotten a lot out of my membership. I also enjoy fun and silly RPG-ish card games, like Munchkin and 1000 Blank White Cards – they take creativity and a measure of problem solving, but swerving around the rules is encouraged and it gets really crazy really quickly!

18. Ideas – I come up with a new idea for something every two seconds. I was especially enthralled with BrainStore when they had their session at the GK3 conference in 2007 – they had all these strategies and systems for brainstorming and collating ideas together, and they built an entire business just from idea generation! As mentioned earlier, I’m great at coming up with ideas and planning out how they should be implemented, but I’d rather stick with the idea-making and have others work on their implementation. My ideas mainly come from noticing an unfulfilled need of mine, or from meshing two random things together (as a quick one: hot chocolate + tables = heating implements in tables? Made out of the wood of the cocoa tree? Chocolate-flavoured tables?).

19. Food, including cooking and baking – Speaking of hot chocolate…it’s one of my favourite drinks. I generally enjoy food and have an appreciation for flavour and food-centered social events – that’s what you get for being Malaysian! I can follow recipes but still need to work on being creative on my own. I’m curious about degustation menus (when you have about 20 short courses in a meal) and molecular scientific cookery, but for me it’s mainly about being satisfied and cooking with love. I’ve recently gotten into baking – cookies are fun and I make a great banana cake! I’ve also considered a mocktails business, because I don’t drink alcohol but am fed up that my only choices are often soft drinks! There’s bound to be fun and fresh non-alcoholic drinks that would go great in a bar; it just takes some experimentation.

20. Bats – My obsession with them came out of a convoluted conversation/injoke between my best friend and I over a costume. I’m now known as “divabat” (or just plain Batty) amongst friends offline and online, and I’m building a small collection of bat items and media. They are adorable, and describe me quite well – unusual, stands out in their group, mysterious, and misunderstood. I’d like to work with actual bats one day, though I’ll need to be vaccinated (for the Lyssa virus) first. I’ve been considering starting a blog about bats in all aspects – education, conservation, mythology, pop culture, art, and so on. Maybe a category for this site?

21. Social enterprise – I hang around a lot of people who feel that business is evil, and a slightly smaller (yet still significant) group that thinks business is great and that traditional activism is useless. I personally feel that they don’t have to be mutually exclusive – indeed, there’s great things about both sides that can be combined into something even greater. Hence the appeal of social enterprise, or “profit for purpose” – organisations that are run like normal businesses but have social change and doing good as the heart of their work. I’d especially like to explore how business methods (such as project management and staying sustainable) can be integrated into creative arts and DIY – it’s super controversial, and I’ve been slammed for it before, but I think that it is possible to make your creativity sustainable and fulfilling through understanding business methods while still maintaining your honesty and integrity.

22. Folklore and superstitions – As a kid I was really into superstitions – a precursor for my interest in Paganism and spirituality in general. When I was 13 I found a massive book about folklore in the school library (last place I’d expect to find it) and poured over it for days, testing some of them out. I feel that there is some value in superstition – at the very least, it explains something about the originating culture’s values and ethics, and there’s usually an interesting backstory behind them. Some of the superstitions are a bit silly and irrelevant, but most of them seem to be connected to the idea of being aware of your surroundings and thinking about the consequences of your actions – pretty logical!

23. Festivals, events, and conferences – basically, any opportunity to hang around and interact with other energetic, motivated, and interesting people. I tend to be really shy and awkward at parties, but anything that involves working together on a project, or bouncing off ideas, brings out my extroverted (but still awkward) self. I like festivals and events that are fun, unusual, unpretentious, and creative – whether as a volunteer or as a participant. I became a conference nut recently and have bounced around the world for them – though I’ll have to say that often it’s the small first-time “amateur” gigs that are often the best! I’d love to speak at conferences more often; I’ve presented at a university teaching & learning conference (as part of a panel) and would love to do similar jobs.

24. Surprises – good surprises, that is! An unexpected letter, package, poem, message, or anything at all makes my heart smile! I also like to spring surprises on people – usually surprise gifts, though I have shocked my boyfriend and my best friend by popping up without notice! (Don’t worry, it was a welcome appearance.)

25. Dressing up and glamour/art photography – I usually find fashion and modelling rather boring; however, I really enjoy and admire photography where the model’s dressed up as someone or something else and the photo evokes a different time or atmosphere. I figure that there’s no point putting on makeup to look more like yourself, but go all out for character building! I’ve done a few glamour shots before just for personal fun, but I’d love to get involved as an art model for someone else’s creativity. Kate O’Brien is one such photographer that I admire – such personality and storytelling!

26. Magic – when I was younger I used to be OBSESSED with stage magic (of the David Copperfield variety). We’d get magic kits from everywhere, with cards and wands and ropes and other fun things, and I had a growing collection of books about magic. I stopped after a disastrous attempt at a show at 14, but I’d like to get back into it again. It was my first passion and my first full-fledged hobby. Besides stage and close-up magic (and the odd mental trick or two), I’m also interested in magic in a spiritual sense, such as ceremonial magic and witchcraft. It links in closely with my experiential spirituality, and helps give a framework towards a wish or dream. I’d like to know more about how certain correspondences (such as red for passionate love, lavender for sleeping, moonstone for psychic development) came about – it’s essentially a study in semiotics, culture, psychology, and history, not just of the particular witch but also of the culture they use in their work.

27. Burlesque – this is my current obsession at the moment. I started burlesque classes on a lark but eventually fell in love with it. It’s fun, crazy, offers plenty of self-expression, and the people in the local burlesque scene are open and friendly and casual. I’ve seen burlesque shows with immense creativity and humour – many which make you wonder “you can do a show around THAT???”. I love it SO much now. Wow.

Favourite Music: Darren Hayes, Savage Garden, Aqua, Lene Nystrom, Clay Aiken, Up with People, Audiotraffic, parodies, musicals, mash-ups, Finnish(ish) folk music, chill-out music, meditative music, poetry + music (e.g. Ghostboy & Golden Virtues), James Bond themes, bellydance/Arabic music, dancepop, dark cabaret

Favourite Books & Magazines: Harry Potter series, His Dark Materials, Looking-Glass Wars, JK Rowling, Phillip Pullman, Neil Gaiman, Frank Beddor, SARK, Paulo Coelho, Dumbo Feather Pass It On, GOOD, Frankie, inspirational, unusual, non-fiction about interesting topics, Malcolm Gladwell, Freakonomics-type books – I’d read just about anything!

Favourite People: Darren Hayes, Asha Gill, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Sir Ken Robinson, Lena Marlene, anyone that does good and is a lovely person