The Tale of the Soon-to-be Bald Coconut
February 2nd, 2009
i’ve been meaning to write a post about this person for the longest time, under my What I Got In The Mail category (no i did not get this person in the mail; he sent me a postcard from London), but i just never got around to it because i’m such a lazy bum. nevertheless, i’ve got a new reason to blog about this person now, and it’s a reason that’s better than any, because…
he is going to shave his head for charity!
i guess most people reading this right now know who Kenny Sia is, but for the benefit of those who dont, he’s one of my favorite people in the world, and that’s really all you need to know about him :P
Kenny has decided to run a charity drive on his blog to raise money for the Sarawak Children Cancer Society, where if the amount of RM 50,000 is collected before the 12th of February, he will shave his head as a show of support for the cancer foundation.
while i have my opinions on celebrity endorsements for a charity’s publicity, i think that what Kenny is doing is wonderful. why? firstly, he was very careful about his choice of cause, and it is one that is close to his heart. secondly, amidst all the politicking of the money-greedy blogosphere, it is extremely refreshing to see a blogger take this step to turn his readership into a fundraising engine for a good cause. thirdly, i am extremely proud of Kenny for selflessly giving up something that he guards so protectively: his hair!
i wholeheartedly agree with Kenny that east Malaysian charities do not receive enough attention as those of the peninsular, and having come from a high school that very much liked to pledge fundraisers only to the bigwig charities (much to my chagrin), i am fully supportive that the money Kenny raises goes to the SCCS. the SCCS was founded by a group of parents of children with cancer, and even if you dont have friends or family suffering or have suffered from that horrible affliction, surely you must know in your heart of hearts how much pain these young children go through, as well as the nightmarish lives that their parents endure, never knowing just how much time they have left with their children.
i knew a girl who died of leukemia when she was only 10. that is more than enough for me put forth my entire support into the SCCS’ cause.
also, i appreciate this little development in the blogosphere, where bloggers are starting to reach out to their readership no longer just to get help or procure favors for themselves, but for a higher purpose that serves society. if you can put a notice on your blog to ask for free stays in whatever country you’re traveling to, you can damn well put up a notice on your blog to raise funds for the needy, yes?
as for the part that involves Kenny’s hair… hahaha. my eyes kinda widened in shock when i saw that he had pledged his hair for charity, and i didnt think that he was actually serious. i didnt know it was public knowledge, but since Kenny wrote it on his blog, i will reiterate it here — Kenny actually has a hair-thinning issue (yes at 26?!) and has been taking medication for a while now to prevent the loss of his hair. see, that’s how much he loves his rambut :P so the shaving of his head, i think, goes way beyond a publicity stunt — and for that, i really admire what Kenny is about to do. the bulk of us wouldnt dream of getting ourselves a bad haircut, much less shave it all off, and even lesser so those of us who’ve always wanted a thicker crop of hair!
having said all that, i wanna talk a little bit about the Kenny Sia whom i know. in the time that i’ve known him, i’ve met a handful of people who have nothing but mean things to say about him. the usual slander: commercialized lah, mainstream lah, womanizer lah, stuck up lah, only hangs out with hot chicks lah… but just about all of these people have never met him in person or are basing these claims off silly rumors. either that, or they just adamantly want to hate him for petty reasons like him not lingering to make small talk at public events. but truly, there are few people i know who are nicer, kinder and more humble than Kenny. i have a lot of respect for Kenny’s ability to forgive the people who have been unkind to him in the past, especially the fairweather friends, as well as how down-to-earth he is about his popularity. i also hold in high regard how he goes out of his way to help his friends, never expects anything in return, and yet doesnt complain when they really dont return his favors — such rare generosity in today’s dog-eat-dog world.
us at the peak of Mt Kinabalu… moments before i fell helter-skelter down the mountain :P
i dont see Kenny very often, perhaps a handful of times or so a year whenever he drops by KL, but when i do, we can catch up and chatter away like we never stopped talking. it’s great. he’s one of my favorite people in the world to talk to, mostly because he has all the level-headedness and rationale that i do not have, and also because beneath that tough exterior, he’s really just a big warm cuddly bear who gets so excited about the things he cares most about!
the last time i was in Hong Kong, i met someone who reads Kenny’s blog regularly, and he said that he really likes the way Kenny captures Malaysian life, whether comically or honestly. a girl whom i met in New York a couple of months ago told me that Kenny’s jokes brighten her day when she’s upset or simply needs a distraction from life. a couple of lone souls even make the speculation of Kenny’s life and daily grind their very raison d’etre. in Bangkok, a friend of a friend said that the only lifestyle blog he reads is the Malaysian blog called kennysia.com. but more significantly, circumscribing all of these testimonies are the thousands and thousands of people who log into his blog daily just for a slice of humor and opinion, and find amongst these snippets of a stranger’s life a little smile for themselves :)
so in closing, if you believe in the SCCS’ cause, or have always wanted to do your bit for charity but never knew how, or you simply want to show Kenny some support and appreciation, do go and donate to his charity drive. Naeboo and i have already pledged a chunk of our Nuffnang money to the cause. i personally am slightly afraid of beholding a bald Kenny, but if it’s all for a good cause, i will shut my eyes tight the next time i’m looking at him lest i burst out laughing :P
Kenny, if you are reading this, kudos :) proud of you. at least now you save money on your Propaneiciacianaina hair thingy. wish i could be there to rub your botak head next week!! save some shine for me when i come back in the summer, ok?
and thank you for the postcard!!!
Entry Filed under: People
39 Comments Add your own
1. S | February 2nd, 2009 at 10:10 pm
he’s a brave guy! let’s hope he can make it to rm50,000 soon! :)
2. annant | February 2nd, 2009 at 10:15 pm
bald coconut lol!
yala, hope he can raise da 50 000bucks or more :)
3. zachary | February 2nd, 2009 at 10:37 pm
wow.. it’s more than 11k at this point of time.. way to go kenny~! i’m having the same prob wif kenny on the hair loss prob, so i can feel his pain.. looking fwd for a bald coconut!!
btw, nice pic u hav there wif the postcard~
4. bjk | February 2nd, 2009 at 10:40 pm
kenny deserves all the limelight. love him lots and love you too!
5. sweatlee | February 2nd, 2009 at 10:58 pm
/boo so sweet!! good job everyone! should i donate ar…………………..
6. kreazi | February 2nd, 2009 at 11:33 pm
such a noble cause, bravo~ :)
7. shun2u | February 2nd, 2009 at 11:47 pm
U seem very admired him! hehe..actually he’s nice la.
T______________T
8. amber | February 3rd, 2009 at 12:14 am
su ann, the second pic of u with kenny, was it at sunburst kl 2008?
9. smartypants | February 3rd, 2009 at 12:24 am
great job! kenny and you too
10. iamthewitch | February 3rd, 2009 at 1:18 am
Way to go Kenny!
11. Patricia | February 3rd, 2009 at 1:22 am
agreeee!!! btw love your last picture u look so sweet!
12. KY | February 3rd, 2009 at 1:40 am
why u never bring me to london!
13. Michelle | February 3rd, 2009 at 1:51 am
I don’t get it why people make a big fuss out of the Gaza Palestinian thingy when they could actually donate to help people around them. Like in our country, how people desperately need a liver or a heart… Or some blood?
14. naeboo | February 3rd, 2009 at 2:16 am
LOLLL
it;s not a chunk of my nuffnang money. it’s ALL my nuffnang money.
but nuffnang just replied to me and said canot send the money directly to SCCS. so, arr.. i will brainstorm with kenny laters on how to do this lar.
like,, ahems he puts in the money then wait for my cheque to clear then i pay him back. he’s so friend with them ok one lar.
whats a few hundred bucks amongst frens when i have helped in to gain so much back the past yrs! :P (some also in monetary forms ok.. like how i pushed him up on stage to make tomatoes with chilli sauce for 200rm)
15. naeboo | February 3rd, 2009 at 2:19 am
**mistake 1= helped in gaining so much
**mistake 2=EAT tomatoes with chilli sauce
sigh my eyes!~ sleepy
16. ShaolinTiger | February 3rd, 2009 at 3:08 am
Yah I think it’s great what he’s doing, I’ve made my pledge too :D
17. Az1 | February 3rd, 2009 at 3:57 am
Good old Kenny Sia. Support him all the way. Hope to see him go bald, hehehe.
How’s life in NYC?
18. Ee Vonn | February 3rd, 2009 at 4:49 am
This post is very nice, Su Ann! :)
19. YM | February 3rd, 2009 at 4:56 am
So, su ann, are you gonna pledge ur hair as well? :P
20. kennysia | February 3rd, 2009 at 5:15 am
Pinkpau! You made me tear! How could you! :( I always admire that you can write really good tribute posts for wwq and the like, but I never knew it’d be my turn!
Thanks for plugging my cause. We’re only a quarter into our target so there’s quite a long way to go.
Meanwhile, I need to shop for a hat…
21. orange | February 3rd, 2009 at 7:01 am
i don’t think you should pledge your hair.
22. Simon Seow | February 3rd, 2009 at 8:54 am
Yupe, will donate once I am free this Thursday or Friday and deposit into Bank Muamalat. I alredy took down the account no.
23. clem | February 3rd, 2009 at 9:26 am
kenny, or a wig. it does wonders.
24. carrie | February 3rd, 2009 at 9:29 am
Hi… i’m your new reader… Well, have seen your face somewhere before. U look gorgeuos
25. kennysia | February 3rd, 2009 at 12:21 pm
oh ya, i’m sure you knew this already. but i just have to say that you (and cheesie, and joyce) are among my favourite people from the online community!
/boo
26. pee dee | February 3rd, 2009 at 7:26 pm
hehe doesn’t shaving your hair make it grow thicker? my leg testifies to that :P
27. sheon | February 3rd, 2009 at 8:52 pm
going bald!!!! would do that for charity also…..coz have always wondered how i’d look like bald. :)
good for kenny to do that for charity!! i will go and see what i can do to help.
28. pinkpau | February 4th, 2009 at 5:13 am
s : mmhmm!
annant : i hope so too :)
zachary : dont take that propenapanenena thing, whatever u do :P
bjk : aww haha thank u! but what did i do!
sweatlee : yes!
kreazi : bravo indeedy
shun2u : haha yes. sincere charity always has my admiration.
amber : nope, rainforest 2008 in kuching!
smartypants : i didnt really do anything la :) i’m not the one shaving my head!!
iamthewitch : :)
patricia : hahaha thank u :)
ky : wtf i cant even bring myself to london, let alone an extra person!!
michelle : what do u mean u dont understand why people make a big fuzz out of gaza?! O_O it’s kind of like mass murder going on there..
naeboo : tomatoes with chili sauce!?!??!!
st : so i see :D kudossss
az1 : stressful, azwan, but thank u for asking :))
ee vonn : thank u my dear!
ym : gosh, no, i only wish i were that brave
kennysia : hahaha this was a long time pending. i meant to write it when i got your postcard but i never figured out how to use iphoto until quite recently :P dont cry kennysia! go buy urself a nice big flowery hat !
orange : so uncharitable :P ei we shave our heads together la
simon : cool of u :))
carrie : haha i’m not so sure abt that but thank u :))
kennysia : no i didnt know that tell me more /boo
pee dee : HAHA well let’s hope so for kenny’s sake :P
sheon : EH i think you would look SUPER CUTE bald!!!
29. sheon | February 4th, 2009 at 5:35 am
i’d look like ET with my long forehead…..YUCKS!!! but if anybody would even pledge rm5000 in donations for my hair, i’d do it with a big smile on my face!!!
side track abit: i think the Palestine and Israel conflict has been going for too long!! certainly nobody is benefiting from war and unrest. i condemn those responsible for killing innocent lives, not only of women and kids. but equally blamed are those terrorists that have been terrorizing israel for so long!!!!
30. pinkpau | February 4th, 2009 at 5:47 am
sheon : run a drive la! i would pledge :)
re israel/palestine, let’s hope the next prime minister of israel does some good. and that it is not benjamin netanhayu.
31. anon | February 4th, 2009 at 9:03 am
wow looking through your musical taste,i’m quite taken aback…a girl yr age with a taste in music that’s so quirky,i mean sigur ros is da bomb!
32. pinkpau | February 4th, 2009 at 10:46 am
anon : ahh you should have met the 16 year old me then!! my music tastes have not changed at all since i was 15 or so.. i havent been listening to anything new in recent years. but im happy you think i’m young, haha.
33. naeboo | February 4th, 2009 at 10:52 am
i didnt knw mar.. they (club reps) only said got contest and asked for ppl to join. i asked him to go up lar.
then the contest was to see who can eat tomatoes with chilli sauce and some Tabasco sauce with hands at the back.
he won 200rm what.. not like it was all futile :P
oh.. and that cleo’s bachelors’ ahahahaha! no need to be shy what. just join nia!!
34. naeboo | February 4th, 2009 at 10:53 am
oi, kenny now im no longer one of ur fave persons isit!!
grrr
35. The Faux Fashionista | February 4th, 2009 at 8:23 pm
Heya, work is pretty good, but my boss doesn’t have time for me cos he’s too busy. Such a lot to learn cos everyone seems to be talking in a different language. Too much jargon >.<!
36. Fu Han | February 5th, 2009 at 12:10 am
I’m commenting today because I am too bored by curved frontiers. Heh.
And I love your sweater.
Blair.
37. Michelle | February 5th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I mean, we should donate to the people near to us than the people faraway from us.
38. Vanez | February 11th, 2009 at 9:49 am
ahh kennysia! It’s been a while I haven’t checked his blog. The first time I knew his blog from Cowboy Caleb, it has been a while ago. I can say it was hmm … 3 years ago.
i hope he’ll get more than 50.000 bucks tho
39. pinkpau | February 11th, 2009 at 10:25 am
hehe he already did
one botak kenny coming up!
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