~ International Left-Hander's Day~

*plays Beyonce's "Irreplacable"*

As everyone around me is going very 'gaga' about NS,
I think we all deserve a break from NS talk,
and let us talk about..
ME!

Why?
Because I am fun and amazing,
No one can deny that.

Fine. Totally irrelevant.
Just like Aisha said it,
"Why do I want to blog about you?"

My point is,
Today, 13th of August is the International Left-Hander's Day.
(also Ashwin's birthday. Macha, happy birthday!)

And I am proud to say that I am allowed to celebrate it
Unlike you right-handers,
because you are not left-handers.
Haha! I have an extra celebration compared to you all right-handers.
*replay Beyonce's "Irreplacable"*

Sempena Hari Orang Tangan Kidal Antarabangsa,
(lol, it sounded fancier in Engrish!)
I would like to share some facts about us, the interesting and rare left-handers.
Before that, I would like to answer some questions that might linger in the minds of ill-knowledged right-handers about us, the left-handers.

• Yes, we're born with the capabilities of using our left hands.
• No, it is not a gift from our Daddy on our 1st birthday.
• Yes, we use our left hands most of the times.
• Yes, we use the OTHER hand than the one you usually use.
• No, we're born with the same physical features as you, the right-handers. No less, no more.
  
• No, you cannot pick to be a left-handed or a right-handed person before you're born. It's destined to be like that.
• Yes, we sometimes do feel out of place in the right-handers' world.
  

Sekarang saya telah menyelesaikan kekeliruan di minda pemikir-pemikir tangan kanan,
(Fuiyoh! Sounds fancy. *writes it down*)
I shall move on to facts regarding the left-handers.

• One in 10 people in this world is left-handed. So, can say we're minority. That makes us special. And I am a left-hander. So I am special. Now, Aisha, this is why you blog about me. Because I am special. *feels like Bloo*
• Some left-handers are hesitant and even ashamed to admit to being left-handed.Why? Sebab kamu semua orang tangan kanan (is it tangan kanan?) yang men'taboo'kan kami orang tangan kiri.
  
• Almost everything is designed for, or favours, right-handers. Susah tau hidup kitorang yang left-handed ini.
• Many left-handers have grown up being told it is not good to be left-handed. Kami insecure sebab anda cakap kami tak elok. Siapa yang nak dipersalahkan?
• We have a shop that caters to left-handers called " Left-Handed Convenience".
• Left-handers are statistically said to die 8 years earlier compared to right-handers. Miss us, A LOT!
• Left-handers struggle everyday to use tools that are designed for right-handed people.
• Left-handers end up tearing and 'bruising' their paper each time they use right-handed scissors. (I face the exact same problem!)
• When writing, left-handers have to position their writing hand (and elbows and shoulders) in a writing position, just so that they won't smudge their writing. Thus, we need big space when we write. Now that explains why I cannot have people sitting too close to me whenever I write. Sekarang, siapa kata saya gila space?
• When a right-handed person writes from left to right, the nib of the pen is pulled across the page from left to right, and this results in a smooth flow of ink. But when a left-handers writes, she pushes the pen from left to right, and this does not assist the flow of ink. In addition, because left hand follows after the pen from left to right, this means that the hand could very easily smudge whatever has just been written before. (This is also applicable to water colour, crayon and whatever stationary. Now, this is why I suck in Art)
• Left-handers tend to twist the sharpener when using the right-hand sharpener while right-handers twist the pencil.
• Left-handers cannot see what they are cutting when they use a knife that is serrated on the right side. (Now mommy cannot scold me because I cut vegetables using my left hand)
• Telephones, fax machines, photocopier machines-virtually all the things that righties take for granted - have their command keys on the right side.
• Back then, in the ancient Roman or Victorian era where a child with left hand tendencies was beaten to be right.
• A lot of people look at us (left-handers) differently. And because of that, even we left-handers think left-handers are a bit different. But whenever we (the left-handers) see a fellow left-hander do well, we feel some pride and happiness because we know what hurdles he or she had to overcome.
• The thing left-handers dread is the label "creative genius" being put on them, because it is thought that lefty brains are cross-wired to the right hemisphere, which governs creativity and imagination. But, both left-handers and right-handers are capable of being creative; but only lefties get noticed because they are the minority.
• Some believe that the reason lefties are smarter *ahem* is because they have to fight for so much in life.

See? It's difficult to be a lefty.
Before this I don't see that being a lefty is a fuss.
But after this article from NST (credits to NST, dated 12th August 2007)
pointed out how difficult lefties' lifes are,
I just realized it.
Maybe 17 years in the righties' world sort of forces you to adapt to it.

I remember how EVERYONE would come up to me and say,
"Eh, kidal ek? ( Eh, you're left-handed is it?)"
with the shocking face, like they never see a lefty before.
Of course, firstly I don't like it.
But after the 100th time, you sort of ignored it.

And I also have a lot of difficulties in doing artsy stuff,
because lefties tend to be clumsy.
Not only that, I cannot use certain scissors.
Mom said I am distorted. LOL.
I also cannot use the potato skin peeler.
Because I peel the opposite way the peeler works.

I also tend to bang people's hand while writing.
That's why I prefer sitting at the left side of the table instead the right side.

I also rememberes how my kindergarten teacher forced me to use my right hand,
But cannot la! So she gave up after 5 times of switching the pencil from my left hand to my right hand.

Therefore, all the righties out there,
You all should be more considerate to us the lefties.
Wang amat dialu-alukan. LOL.
Ei, left-handed products are expensive k?
A left-handed pencil sharpener would cost RM 17.90.

Before I end this post,
I would like to encourage you people out there to give the lefties a big hug tomorrow.
And be more considerate kepada mereka yang menggunakan tangan kiri.
(Maybe they should have an association for lefties)

With this, I end my post. Before that, I would like to include the famous left-handers.
Why?
Saja je nak buat sakit hati sebab ramai lefties yang famous kat dunia nih.
Haha!

• Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
• Alexander the Great
• Julius Caesar
• Fidel Castro
• Mahatma Gandhi
• Leonardo Da Vinci
• Jim Carrey
• Angelina Jolie
• Nicole Kidman
• Marilyn Monroe
• Oprah Winfrey
• Kurt Cobain
• Celine Dion
• Ludwig Van Beethoven
• Bill Gates
• Marie Curie
• Albert Einstein
• Rafael Nadal
• Tan Boon Heong
• Mawi
• Khadijah (lol! Soon. Soon)

See? All these people are really successful in life.
I might be too.

Signing Out,
Majulah tangan kidal untuk negara!