Barbie Doll

Dot and I discussed Barbie this morning before school. She has 3 Barbies. I bought them not at Toys R Us or any departmental store, they were all bought from Jualan Gudang Mattel. One of the perks of living in an industrial area is exactly that, you get loads of stock clearance and factory outlet sales. So, i got them at maybe 80 to 90% cheaper than they would at Jusco and such. I know some of you disapprove of Barbie Dolls but really, I have to approve because err… Dot says Barbie looks like me haw-haw-haw. She may be a politician in the making, but allow me to bask in the light of perasan for a while (by the way, Sun thinks I look like Panacea from Asterix Omnibus cartoon, hehehe. Kids only worship you before they discover that teachers are better, kan? So I am enjoying it while it lasts).

Dot pointed out that her cousin; Dek Ya has no Barbies at all. Dek Ya and Dot are about the same age. They are both into Barbies and colourful Ponies and Polly-ies. It is not that her parents couldn’t afford it but they have their priorities. The mother works as a production operator at some factory in Shah Alam and the father drives a lorry. I am sure they can buy Dek Ya a Barbie doll or two but, they have more common sense than me, what can I say.

And so Dot told me that maybe Dek Ya can have one of her Barbies. I thought that was so generous of her to offer so I said maybe we can get Dek Ya a new one. Why not, a birthday treat. Her birthday will be in April. We can get her one.

And with that, Dot and Yamtuan said goodbye and left the house for school. But just as I was locking the door after them, I heard Dot shouted asking me to open the door again. She sounded extremely excited.

Apparently, the neighbour downstairs was spring-cleaning too. She found two Barbie dolls. Her daughter has graduated into Hannah Montana and High School Musical and doesn’t want Barbie Dolls anymore. And so, they gave Dot the two dolls.

Just for the intention to give others one of her prized Barbie Dolls, the powers that be gave Dot two more.

I am delighted for her.

Dr Bubbles is working on a new mini project of mini libraries at orphanages. If you are looking for a good cause to spend some money on, check out his work.

Our RM50 maybe for one dinner of peri-chicken at Nando’s but for some others, it might mean that they can have rice three times a day for the whole family for a month. When we say we don’t have money, that we are broke, it might mean that thre are still RM20,000 worth of unit trusts somewhere and RM200,000 worth of insurance or some cash in the bank. Maybe we say we don’t have money because our wallet is empty and we don’t have time to go MEPS yet. But when some families say they don’t have money, it might mean that they have not a single cent to their name. How we value money differs and very much dependent on how much we bring home each month – I think.

There was a time when I was very sceptical of where donation money really goes to, heck, I still don’t give money to beggars. Just because you have kudis buta the size of Australia doesn’t mean you cant go find a job kan? I agree we have to be careful and there are lots of con-man out there, but the little money that we give away we meant it well and for good reasons. If it gets abused, it should be their worry, not ours.

Someone once told me, the moment the heart is moved to do something charitable, something unselfish, just do it. Don’t let the mind starts reasoning with the heart. Because, the mind might be influenced by nafsu and iblis. There are signs and lessons everywhere if we care to look. Even in something as err... tacky as Barbie Doll, dont you think?