Wednesday, August 29, 2001

The Vail Daily 
Vail, Co.

Vail resident rewarded for not listening

Breast Cancer fight lands Letofsky in Malaysia

By Polly Letofsky

Editor's note:  Polly Letofsky left Vail on Aug. 1, 1999, on a quest to walk around the world for breast cancer.  She keep us updated regularly and she's now in Singapore.  You can follow along with her journey on her Web site at www.globalwalk.org.

If you'd like to make a donation to help Polly's cause mail a check to GlobalWalk/Breast Cancer Fund, 857 South Curson Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90036.

MALAYSIA-- If there' one thing I've learned over the past two years it's that people that give advice are usually people that have no business giving advice.

There've been a lot of conversations in the past year people telling me that talking about breast cancer in Malaysia will be tough because of its Muslim culture.

"And you can't wear shorts -- or T-shirts.  You have to wear long sleeves."  "Get  rid of your blonde hair.  Dye it dark or people will paw at you."

So I did what any shorts-lovin', T-shirt-wearin' blonde woman would do--I asked the Lions.  Shorts are fine, T-shirts are fine, my hair is fine and people won't paw at me.  They told me that the east coast of Malaysia is still predominantly conservative Muslim, but the west coast, which I'll be walking is much more liberal, more people speak English and the towns are closer together.

***

A half-dozen Lions walked the second half of Singapore with me, guiding me to the Causeway and into the arms of the waiting Malaysian Lions.  We rolled BOB through passport control and down the road toward the border to the waving crowd of thirty-ish people.

My head started spinning as the police escort started up beside me and a banner was spread out across the highway bringing traffic to a halt.  Cameramen started coming out of the woodwork, snapping my every step and all the Lions from both countries started shaking hands and thanking each other for taking good care of me.

"We'll take good care of her, don't worry!" I heard someone shout over the crowd to SK.  

I slowly strolled BOB in pace with the crowd heading toward the Malaysian customs  One of my fears going through passport control is that upon entering a country, you have to provide an outgoing ticket.  Of course I have no outgoing ticket.  Lucky for me the customs officers didn't dare bring it up with all the press,  Lions and banners waving.  He just  waved BOB and me through.

The greeting at the border was overwhelming but nothing could have prepared me for what has on the other side.  I stepped d out of Customs, turned the corner and there were about a hundred  people cheering, welcoming me to their country, waving Malaysian flags and stretching out a huge banner that said, "Welcome Miss Polly to Malaysia and her Globalwalk Walk for Breast Cancer.  

Even more press was there, people  were yelling my name for photos, shaking my hand, putting pins and badges all over BOB, handing me flags.  Holy ....

Then the press started surrounding me and shouting out questions.  I told them that the rate of breast cancer in Malaysia is starting to catch up to the Western world so start educating women now before it gets out of control.  The money raised here in Johor Bahru goes to the Breast Cancer Support Group that goes around the state doing exhibitions on signs to look for and how to do breast exams.  They're trying to breakthrough cultural barriers and let women--and their men--know that if caught early it can mean the difference between life and death.

"What will you do first in Malaysia?" A reporter asked.

There were so many people, so many microphones in my face.  It was so hot, I was still in a bit of shock over the magnitude of this reception.  I couldn't quite think straight.  Catch your breath--think fast--

"Ummm, I'm looking forward to the great Malaysian food I've been hearing so much about...and...ummm...I intend on studying Malaysian phrase book so I'm ready for you guys next time...I look forward to talking with the Breast Cancer Support Group to see if there's anything they want me to stress as I walk from town to town.  And I'm also looking forward to sitting down with the Lions and figuring out my schedule of engagements over my two months in your country."

I was more than a little overwhelmed by the whole scene and it took a while to get my head around it.  After two million photos were taken and the crowd dispersed, we raced off to the next stop.

A breast cancer forum hosted by the Johor Bahru Breast Cancer Support Group and the men and women of the local lions Clubs.  Standing in front of the crowd in my shorts, T-shirt and sweaty, messy blonde hair, I spoke briefly of the whys, how's and where's of my walk.  And for the first time, in what I suspect will be many, I had an interpreter for those who speak only Mandarin.

Men pushing  breast cancer education?  Women wearing singlets while they walk?  A slide show displaying sick breasts to Malaysian, Chinese and Indian women?  

Is this  the same Malaysia that didn't want to hear about breast cancer?  Good thing I ignored that advice.

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