Shin Na & Breast Cancer

Another unit through and done with. But what's not over and done with is the stories I have gathered and will remember while researching on my project. The most prominent one that stuck in my head is this blog which opened my eyes to a person's route to looming death. It has me thinking more deeply about cancer, life and loved ones.

I had to do this major assignment about the best media/showcase to find information related to breast cancer. We had a real client this time, which is the Breast Cancer Foundation. The main point here is to find creative yet realistic ways to improve communication means between the publics (in PR, there's no such thing as a single public) and raise awareness about breast cancer.

Before the formulation of a strategy comes research. So while researching on breast cancer online, I came across this blog whose blogger has passed on in this world - http://shinscancerblog.blogspot.com/.

You might have read a recent news article about a TV journalist donating her body to medical research; or seen any one of the documentaries about her called 'Gentle Good-byes' and 'In the Face of Death'. Yes, that's her. Her name is Shin Na, and she was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2005.

After reading her posts, I was simply amazed at how pragmatic and strong one cancer patient can be, especially like what the documentary's title said, "in the face of death". It is hard not to like her after reading her posts, which circles around her life with her two adorable kids, her husband and her battle with breast cancer. I have not seen any of those documentaries but I'm certain that reading her blog is much more personalized and heartfelt than just watching them.

She looked far, like how she wanted her husband to tell her children of her death; and how her memorial service was going to be. She seemed to have thought about her children's lives without her often. Here's what she said in an unpublished post published by her husband:

"Shin's post (10 Dec 2008).......

People want to leave a mark on this world, leave behind a legacy, be immortalized in history books. That's never seemed important to me. After all, why would I care what people remember or think or say about me after I'd dead and gone? I'll be gone, after all.

The only reason leaving behind any kind of legacy is important to me is for my kids. If they can't have a living mother, at least they can have the memories of a mother who loved them to pieces. That isn't about me being encapsulated in their hearts and minds so that my existence on Earth will not have been for naught; it's about giving the kids something, anything to replace the mother who had to leave them too early. "

Here's a tribute to a brave warrior. I'm dedicating "Anyway" by Martina McBride, one of her favorite songs, in remembrance of her; those who have gone; others who are fighting this illness; and their families and loved ones.



Here, I'll like to make a point for everyone, including guys, to go for early screenings for breast cancer as early detection can cure it. Everyday, there are 3 - 4 diagnosis of breast cancer diagnosed. Please don't be the one to add on to the death statistics.

(These Pink Ribbon pins were given to me at the courtesy of 'Friendship Sponsors'. Left with pink crystals: Joyce, right: Christina. Thanks gals! You can get these pins at the Breast Cancer Foundation for $2 - $5 each, all for charity.)

A note to myself:
1) Cherish my loved ones every second for every single day.
2) Cherish myself & my health (been badly neglected)
3) When the going gets tough, the tough gets going :)

panda-zombie-wordy-Blast!!

I'm so glad it's over and done with. At least for this unit.

My pampered brain who is so used to absorbing (via the neurological filter system I called the OIDR - Only Interested Details Registered) only the topics I'm interested in gets raw, unfamiliar theories forced into it.

I like communication theories, especially those on globalization, hegemony and political discourses. I like reading, though not necessarily absorbing (heez). But I don't like the process of squeezing my brain juice on an eleven-hour basis repetitively everyday because I have to complete eight assignments (6 Qs, 8 lovely sections) in 3 weeks while aiming for a D or HD. Yes, visualise a shriveled brain which is 98% dehydrated.

In the midst of it all, I resorted to filling my deprived stomach of only food that is bought from convenience stores like sandwiches and hot Milo two times a day. And I'm not even trying to go on a diet. Thank goodness feel-good films still exist! Shoving all these work aside, I sneaked out to watch 'Bride Wars' and, despite the bad reviews for it, I felt renewed after watching it. Banzai!

Life's too stressful to watch films that I labelled 'heavy'! And I know very well that I will feel depressed after watching it even though I'm not the protagonist and the plot isn't even a least bit related to me. I like 'Bride Wars' specifically because it is not your typical romance comedy but a story that focuses more of the sisterly friendship shared between two best friends. Hey xiang, where're you? I missed you gal!

Nonetheless, I find the some of these communication theories interesting and fun. One of them is about places that are a form of cultural text themselves - the White House that signifies America's politics like its presidents, government and its bureaucratic systems. The other one is Postmodernism. Think Gwen Stefani's music videos. Think Andy Warhol's iconic artpieces like the multiple replicas of the Campbell soup cans in different flavors. Yes, Postmodernism is Pop culture and everything satirical, fun and against the norms.



This is the whole set of the 32 Campbell soup cans paintings. I saw them once at Collectors Contemporary, a gallery specializing in Western contemporary art last year, and was amused and thoughtful as to why this has become an object of fascination for Warhol to paint them. They are placed in a chronological order based on the order of the time the flavors were introduced.



This is another one of my favorites from Warhol, titled 'Double Elvis'. Sadly, this was not exhibited in Singapore so I can only admire the photograph of it here in my lappy. To me, this is like a clever work of an artist to make a portrait film-like, as if you are watching a snippet of an action film of the role of Elvis Presley facing the villain in a gun showdown. And the beauty of it lies with Warhol's depiction of the different faces a superstar like Elvis portrays to the public - one in a film, one being his real self.

Hopefully the next intensive three weeks of the coming unit will at least be as fun as this if the lecturer decided that six to eight is a healthy number of assignments to be completed in such a short time, especially if the already panda-cum-zombie lookalike has to complete several incomprehensible readings just to do one assignment.

Never mind, just let me indulge in oblivion for now.