Season 1 | Episode 27 | Show Notes & Transcript

Episode Title: Accepting Special Needs Friend and Cycling Adventure in Singapore | Occupational Wellness with Author-Publisher Hidayah Amin III

Music Copyright and Attribution 

1. “On My Way” by Kevin MacLeod. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en_US
2. “Inspiration” by Ethan Tay. February 20, 2021 (Sydney, Australia). This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
3. “Pro Wellness” by Ethan Tay. March 9th, 2021 (Sydney, Australia). This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
4. “Gift 01” by Hardi Kamsani. September 2021 (New York, U.S.A.) This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
5. “Gift 02” by Hardi Kamsani. September 2021 (New York, U.S.A.) This work is an original contribution by the artist for the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
6. “Sunrise Tweets In Milton” by Syazana B. Mohamed Sani. September 2021 (New York, U.S.A.). This work is an original contribution by the founder for ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.
7. “Tweets and Crows In Milton” by Syazana B. Mohamed Sani. September 2021 (New York, U.S.A.). This work is an original contribution by the founder for ASK Trio About Wellness podcast.

Co-Sponsors

Hardi Kamsani and Azman Repin (M. S.)

Hosts

Azimah Azman, Azfar Azman and Syazana B. Mohamed Sani (M. S.)

Guest Speakers

Hidayah Amin of Helang Books (Singapore)

Volunteer Contributor

Hardi Kamsani (Audio Editing and Sound Design) 

Scriptwriter | Producer | Director 

Syazana B. Mohamed Sani (M. S.)

ASK Trio About Wellness podcast is a production of ASKtrioWello LLC (New York).

Disclaimer

The information provided in the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast is for educational purposes only. You should consult your doctor, specialist or physical trainer for advice on your physical wellness goals before you plan to follow any of the suggestions or recommendations in this podcast. 

All Rights Reserved ©ASKtrioWello LLC 2021.

* * *

TRANSCRIPT

[Intro]

Hello! Holã! Marhaba! 

WELCOME to the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast! Join me, Syazana Sani and the Astro Duo, Azfar Azman and Azimah Azman, your hosts from New York. Let’s strive to educate, regenerate and elevate family institutions through optimal productivity and wellness education, one episode at a time. 

[Intro to Segment I] 

ARE YOU READY to listen to inspirational stories of trust, respect, acceptance, integrity, love and social responsibility from multicultural families and special needs communities? Sit back, relax and be inspired by the awesome people that we highlight in the first segment of the podcast…

Segment I | Accepting Special Needs Friends and Cycling Adventure in Singapore  

[Azfar] Welcome back to the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast! This episode is co-sponsored by Hardi Kamsani and my dad, Azman Repin. Thank you and may God bless you.  

[Azimah] Hello! May peace be upon you! 

[Syazana] you are listening to the 27th episode of the podcast with me, Syazana, and the Astro Duo, Azfar and Azimah. 

[Azimah] It’s still the fall season and we had slight snow for several days just like in winter!

[Syazana] Brrrr! We’re starting to put on our winter jackets. We’ve had a super challenging time in the past three weeks! Our small team has been reporting sick and our family is in the process of moving from our rental townhouse to our new home. We’re happy to be able to resume podcast recordings this week. Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah.

How about you, Azimah: What’s up yo!

[Azimah] Before the weather became too chilly, I had a chance to go apple picking. We went to the Indian Ladder Farm in Altamont, New York. 

[Syazana] Tell us more about it, Azimah.

[Azimah] Since last September, I joined the Girls Youth Group at Al-Hidaya Center and one of the fun activities is apple picking. I’m so grateful that a special needs teen like me is accepted into the program. My special thanks to sister Aleyna, my teacher, and the mentors for making me feel so welcome!

I went with the girls group in mid-October and we took a private bus. When we arrived there, we ate apple cider donuts and drank apple cider juice. The donuts and juice were yummy!

After that, we got our bags and went to the apple trees to pick the apples. I picked some big, red juicy apples and some green ones to bring home. 

[Syazana] Hmmm…Sounds like a lot of fun! 

Next, let’s update everyone about our co-host, Azfar, who has started his National Service at the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Do you miss him, Azimah?

[Azimah] Yeah, of course!

[Syazana] We all miss him! We’re currently living near the Saratoga County Airport so when I hear the sound of the jet plane in the air, I’d wish I could be with him in Singapore too.

We’re grateful that before he started his National Service on October 5th, he had bonded with our families of friends through recreational activities such as cycling. Let’s listen to the recordings from Azfar in Singapore…

[Audio recording: Bedok reservoir, Singapore.]

[Azfar] Okay, guys! Now we’re gonna start our journey to (the) East Coast and Marina Bay! 

We’ll keep you updated along the way and we’ll send more pictures and videos, insha’Allah. Assalamu’alaikum!

[Audio recording: Marina Bay, Singapore.]

So now we’re at Marina Bay. Here’s the Singapore skyline.

[Audio recording: Merlion Park, Singapore.]

[Azfar] Now we’re at Merlion Park. This is the iconic Singapore Merlion.

Over there, we can see the Singapore Flyer. And here, this is Marina Bay Sands Hotel. Now we’re in the heart of Singapore!

[Azimah] Awww! Love, hugs and kisses! Muahhh!

[Syazana] That’s it for Segment I.

[Azimah, Azfar, Syazana] Stay tuned to the next episode...and listen to stories of trust, respect, acceptance, integrity, love and social responsibility in the colorful fall.

~ End of Segment I ~

Coming up next…

In the second segment of the podcast, we’ll learn about productivity and the nine dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, environmental, spiritual, social, intellectual, mental, occupational and financial wellness—so we can survive and thrive in this unpredictable world.

~ End of Segment II ~ 

Segment II | Occupational Wellness with Author-Publisher Hidayah Amin III

[Azimah] Now it’s time to welcome our special guest...Author-Publisher...Hidayah Amin.

[Syazana] Welcome to the show, Hidayah!

[Azfar] Welcome to the ASK Trio About Wellness podcast!

[Hidayah] Thank you!

[Syazana] In the last episode, Hidayah had answered questions that helped listeners to understand why integrity is the most important value to her from the six values of TRAILS (Trust.Respect.Acceptance.Integrity.Love.and Social Responsibility). 

[Azimah] Hidayah had also shared her ideas on building good relationships with people of other races and faiths. I like her simple suggestion that we could try to be caring, friendly and willing to strike conversations with neighbors who live in the neighborhood.

[Syazana, Azimah] Yup! Me, too, Azimah! Doesn’t that remind you of how we try to strike conversations with our neighbors including the elderly?

[Azimah] Yeah! I say “Hi! Good morning!” to several old couples when I walk to the bus pick-up point.

I know! Our neighbors told me that youngsters nowadays hardly greet the elderly when they see them.

Did you know that one morning, when I was out at the drive way, one of the elderly couples passed by and saw me? So I greeted them as usual. Then they said something unexpected that made me smile from ear to ear with gratitude: 

“You did a good job raising your children!”

I said: “Huh! What did they do?” 

And so, they told me about how both your brother and you would greet them whenever you see them taking their early morning walk unlike many other teens. I’m blessed that you and your brother listened to your parents’ advice on how Muslim teens should behave respectfully towards the elderly. Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah, the Almighty God. Thank you, my darling! I’m so proud of you.

[Azimah] Aww! You’re welcome, Ummi! (My mother!)

[Syazana, Azimah] Okay! Let’s quickly recall what else Hidayah shared in the last episode. 

Sure! 

Hidayah shared her inspirational story of why she started her company, Helang Books and the challenges she encountered.

[Syazana] Through establishing Helang Books and pursuing a dream career as a writer and publisher based in Singapore, Hidayah has achieved occupational wellness and overall wellness.

In this episode, let’s focus on social responsibility and overall wellness. 

Question #4

[Azimah] Okay! The next question for Hidayah: 

What is your contribution to the community as part of your social responsibility during COVID-19?

[Hidayah] Singapore had a “lockdown” last year for a few months. We don’t call it “lockdown”, it’s such a taboo word so they call it “Circuit Breaker”. 

What happened last year was I couldn’t organize my book launch and some book readings but life goes on. I’m also an adjunct lecturer in one of the polytechnics in Singapore so we actually conduct our classes online.

It’s a bit unfortunate because I miss the interactions with students so we only see them on the computer screen, not able to see them face-to-face. 

So, last year, one of my relatives who lives in Abu Dhabi actually got in touch (with me). I mean, we’ve been keeping in touch, but she asked me if I could read a short story. 

They submitted the short story for a competition but they were disqualified because one of the judges actually thought that the mother wrote the story for the daughter, which is NOT true!

[Syazana] Oh no!  

[Azimah] I would be so upset!

[Hidayah] I know how fragile a child’s feelings and confidence level can be, especially when you have an adult who told you “You’re no good! This cannot be your work.”

I have seen the girl. Her name is Nuha. Whenever she’s in Singapore, she’ll visit me and she writes me letters, I’ll give her my books and all that. She writes well for someone her age.

And then I told the mother we don’t need some competition to let the world know that we have arrived or we have achieved this. We don’t need this. And I believe that this is what the daughter wrote and so I said “Let’s publish it into a book.”

So, we have a chapter book. I got an illustrator to illustrate it and I’ve published it. It’s called “The Cure.” It’s basically about reflections, about COVID-19: you know the confusion, the desperation. When we did this, we decided to donate all the sale proceeds to the migrant workers in Singapore.

Last year at the beginning of COVID-19, the migrant workers in the dormitories were badly hit. In fact, there were a lot of clusters, a lot of people were sick because they were in overcrowded dormitories and maybe their level of sanitation isn’t very good. It was a very sad situation. 

[Syazana] We heard about that heartbreaking news last year, right Azimah? 

[Azimah] Yeah. So sad...

[Hidaya] They are a part of Singapore as well even though they are migrant workers; they have contributed to Singapore. They have helped us in building our infrastructure and making Singapore the lovely and developed country that we’re in.

[Syazana] I can imagine how anxious and stressful the families of those migrant workers must have been as they live far away from their loved ones. This is the reality that we, migrants, struggle with. My family often turns to prayers and supplication to God, Almighty Allah, for His mercy to help everyone cope with this challenge. Ameen.

[Hidayah] With this book, we actually raised about $4,400 which we donated to the charity that helps the migrant workers. So, in a way, these are the little things that we did to give back to the community. 

When you look at the situation, it’s very bleak with the numbers of people dying very high and people getting sick. But at the end of it, we need to also show that we have some humanity left, these are little gestures. Hopefully with the small contribution that we did, especially for Nuha because we did ask her “This is YOUR book.”

[Syazana] Hmmm...so nine-year-old Nuha agreed to donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of her book to the migrant workers?

[Hidayah] She said “Yes.” In a way, I think this is a better deal for her: to have many people read her story and to have the ability to also give back to our migrant workers.

[Syazana] Wow! Impressive!

Thank you for sharing your story of social responsibility and overall wellness on our podcast.

[Azimah] Thank you so much, Hidayah! 

[Syazana] There’s a famous saying or quote that you probably know already and we would like to highlight as a reminder first to ourselves then to all our listeners:

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” So, remember that…

So, to all teenage and young adult listeners: Have you thought about your career options? Are you making your plans now? I hope you all are making some solid plans early on.

In the next episode, Hidayah will continue to answer more questions and offer more tips for you to achieve occupational wellness and overall well-being.

[Azimah] So stay tuned to the next episode with Hidayah Amin...

~ End of Segment II ~ 

* * *

We’ve now come to the end of the show today. If you have enjoyed our show, like us on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @asktriowello a-s-k-t-r-i-o-w-e-l-l-o. Send us your feedback to syazana@asktriowello.com or hello@asktriowello.com. 

 Visit our website at asktriowello.com and *SUBSCRIBE to ASK Trio About Wellness podcast!

*Available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Amazon Music Podcasts, Tune In, Listen Notes, Pandora, Podbean Podcast App & Player and YouTube@asktriowello as of December 2021.

~ End of episode ~

* * *

Notes

Helang Books is an imprint of Archipelago Consultancy, 

a Singapore-based consultancy providing high-quality services in the areas of Research, Heritage, Education and Creativity. Helang Books has carved its niche in publishing important history and heritage books, as well as award-winning children’s literature.

Find Helang Books on FB, IG, Twitter, YouTube.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.