About a week ago, a dear friend of mine lent me one of his latest hard-earned toy - his Fuji Finepix S6500fd or..
So I got quite excited when he agreed to the short loan. (Well this dear friend of mine just so happens to be very particular about the condition of anything of his - books, cam, car, car door, etc.)
I began thinking about wild trips to the jungle just for the sake of photography. Can you imagine, everyone going to a random place - be it a jungle, a god forsaken town, etc. - just to capture still scenes of the world.
Overdramatic.
Anyhow so after meeting up, I spontaneously suggested that I follow him back to Putrajaya to take some night photos and so that he might be able to give me some insight on how to operate this advanced piece of thing-a-magic. To cut a long story short, I present to you a beginner's go at pro-photography. =D
(Please click on the thumbnail for the full blow-up. Images have been scaled down and quality compensated to avoid hair loss while uploading pics..)
So there was this bridge. It's one of the 3 bridges that connects the Precints of Putrajaya. "Is it important", you ask? Yes, it is if you don't have any avenues to claim fuel or have a Petrol-growing-tree at home.
Well, this is one of the mosques that we had a direct sight of while he was givin me my cam tutorial
Trying to be all artistic..
Our dear friend trying to have an emo pose. Didn't really jadi(make it), tho.
I stumbled upon this road on the way to the bridge (below). Turned in and this was all I got. A.. em, compound? What's wrong with these people man..
Close up. See what I mean?
Bridge pic.
Another bridge pic.
This is my bitch, Pixel. She has two peculiar things about her: i) She has a pigtail, literally. It's curled. ii) One of her ears refuse to listen to her, lol.
Su's present for me. A close-up. ;)
Attempt at camwhoring. Su said I 'looked like an alien'.. --____--"
Today was another one of a stream of bad events that has been going through my life. When Ian found out, he said Buddhists would call it bad karma. I feel that God's trying to 'put me to the test..and deliver me from evil' as they say. And what's worse, I don't seem to be passing. :(
I duno man. Call it whatever you will, karma, luck, fate, etc., I'm avoiding succumbing to attributing events in my life to these factors. Apparently a friend of mine said that a typical 'Chinese' cure would be to give some donations to the poor. Although I have nothing against that and makes alot of sense, I still feel that it's an indirect way of washing your hands of things, dont'cha think?
A conversation could between Mr.Aeh and Mr. Bee would go like: A: Man, damn crappy weh today.. B: Why la bro? A: Duno la, keep screwing up everything B: Bad luck weh u.. A: Yealah, bad luck.. What to do? B: Can't do anything bro, just plain 'ol bad luck.
See what I mean? My approach is that unless you've done everything in your capacity to avoid whatever just happened to you, it ain't luck bro. I call it "Learning it the Hard Way" or an "Expensive Lesson".
Oh also, I did something today that I never imagined I'd do. I yumcha-ed with about 7 cops. I didn't know much to talk about when they were going about their usual police garblebob language. Duno whaat la. I'll reserve whatever comments I have for now, though.
On another note.. Here's a fantastic track by Boyz II Men called Tracks of My Tears. In case you didn't know, these guys ROCK. What I'd give to have any one of their voices. Don't get too mesmerized that you forget to check out their coordinated steps too.
Btw, didn't they have 4 members before?
Anyway, here are the lyrics to it. (As far as I've looked, I'm one of the few who have a copy-able version on the net, so you're welcome for typing it out! :)
Boyz II Men – Tracks of My Tears
Verse 1 People say I’m the life of the party ‘Cause I tell a joke or two Although I might be laughing loud and hearty Deep inside I’m blue
Chorus So take a good look at my face You’ll see my smile looks out of place If you look closer, it’s easy to trace The tracks of my tears
I need you, need you
Verse 2 Since you left me if you see me with another girl Seeming like I’m having fun Although she may be cute, she’s just a substitute Because you’re the permanent one [Chorus]
I need you, need you
Bridge Outside (I’m masquerading) Inside (My hope is fading) Just a clown (Ooh yeah since you put me down) My smile is my make up I wear since my break up with you
No, I'm not referring to KFC, but the stuff this guy comes up with his guitar. Simply Amazing, and not just skilled like some rockers - it actually sounds darned good. Anyway, watch and you'll see what I mean.
Do you agree with me now? Percussion+Strings = Percusstrings. Never have I heard/seen anything like this, seriously. O_o" Now Zack Kim looks like he has some competition.
You can also check out and vote for the other guitar clips running for the Best Guitar Clip award at guitarworld.com.
BTW, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all aMerry andJolly Christmasand have lotsa fun with your loved ones. And also take extra good care of your wallets/purses.
It's 12.30 a.m, and I have work tomorrow. But knowing what I know now, I feel that it is my personal responsibility to myself and my country to inform you all of the following happenings.
As you all would know, there has been some widespread violence going around in this country by all parties. (lets not be biased here, most were arrested for a reason) But most of you all probably would not be aware of the extent of which this is happening. Below are a compilation of some videos of the happenings that would show you how close to home this is..and how lightly it has been portrayed to us in formal media.
Hindu temple Demolition in Klang Oct 2007
It's business, not personal..
Don't forget them reporters!
Even in parliament!
That was something. Havoc's even happening outside of parliament. Look at blatant insult to the sanctity of the parliament (ordinarily considered sacred judicial grounds of the law), the justice system - whatever's left of it - as well as individual rights.
click here for a longer and clearer version. Watch from 8:30 onwards. And most recently, the Hindraf rally, 25th November 2007.
I TOTALLY can't agree with the interviewee, can you? and finally quoting from Nak Tak's article: Police says: 1000 people attended the rally Media says: 4000 people Najib says: 10,000 people Bersih says: 40,000 people Picture says: A picture is indeed worth a thousand words - tens of thousands in this case.
This shit is f*cked up, seriously. And I'm pissed off.
Much *pause* has happened during my absence from this blog. In fact, these happenings are perhaps the cause of my desire to avoid writing about them as: Firstly, there's too much to write. Secondly, there's nothing much to write. Thirdly, to think about what I'm writing would be like trying to blow an already fully inflated balloon.
I'd
pop.
Dramaticism aside. I'm at one of the lowest points of my life where almost nothing I do seems to be right. Have you ever been through that? You don't have to be a genius to know that it's tough. Especially when you're used to having almost everything going your way right before this.
So I'm wondering to myself, "Why is this happening?" "What's different now?" "What am I doing wrong?" "Should/can I blame anyone else but myself?" "Is it me.. or is it my situation/condition?" "Is it me?" "Is it..me?"
Notice never once did I ask, "Why me?"
I understand that in this life, you have to go through the rock bottom of shit to know how you should appreciate the times you're not in it.
But this is close.
I'm probably trying too hard to be too [insert adjective here]. Maybe I'm trying too hard. Working too hard. Loving too hard. Thinking too hard.
Yeah bro, the person who gets hurt most in the end is.. (yep, you guessed it) yourself.
Come to think of it, all this being hard is making me soft in the head. (No pun intended, whatsoever) No really, methinks this is draining energy out of me. Everyday I come home tired and mentally exhausted. (For some reason, I've been needing naps periodically and needing additional night sleep. Much more than what I used to need)
All I can do now is utilize my time to the best of my capacity; the rest is up to God.
I can't bring myself to say that this'll be better soon, but I've learnt the hard way not to overpromise others and myself. To those who're also going through trying times, you have my moral support and I'm sure I have yours.
In the meantime, I'll be working overtime. So pardon my neglect of this blog temporarily; though I may drop in to write a word or two once in awhile. Wish me luck, 'n thanks for the love.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Dear Malaysians,
You have to read/watch this. Hahaha, i really have nothing else and am still choosing whether to laugh or cry.
Erections are comin up people. *oops*, elections I mean. So brace yourself for loads of (temporary) good news! Why oh why can't our leaders just be honest about the situation.
I was just discussing with my dad earlier. And it hit me hard when I realized that it's no point even if DAP wins all the seats they're contesting for as it would account for less than 20% of the total seats. On the other hand, 25% or a quarter of votes come from East Malaysia.
I totally support Bangsa Malaysia. It's the only way proper reform can be done cuz the current system's just OOP(out-of-point, as quoted by Jayson). All races fighting for their individual rights. Isn't our political system is fundamentally racist then?
If anything, it'll take awhile to get the formula right - at least 10 years imo. Like the golden day where people will realize that calling themselves Malay, Chinese or Indian.. is just stupid. Aren't we waaay past calling ourselves based on our grassroots?
Anyhow, I'll leave the details to the political blogs, but like always, I just gotta vent.
Picture two tigers in confrontation. The trespasser growls with such intimidation making meeker creatures sense impending danger and scurry away. The other tiger rises and gives a stare so intense it strikes the intruder with such fear that he trembles at the thought of further conflict. A mighty roar paralyses his opponent's will and warns him to never return again.
Scenarios such as the example above are common in the jungle, where battles are won and lost without physical confrontation. We, humans - albeit being more evolved and civilized - are no much different from wildlife as we employ the ultimate tool - Fiducia, Italian for confidence.
The reason I chose the Italian translation of it could perhaps be attributed to the mafia image portrayed in many movies and series alike; where mafia leaders employ can instil fear in their enemies by plain eye-contact.
It's proven when Vincent Curatola (one of the leading men in the hit series The Sopranos) was asked how he would deal with someone of 'higher authority',"After telling him to go to hell, I maintained eye contact. I didn't blink.", "It's a way of showing someone that you could be psychotic in a split second", he says.
But we're not all so violent, are we?
The more applicable employment of confidence is the one we use during our everyday lives. As many of you know, authentic confidence doesn't come from fancy clothes, bulging muscles (for guys), bulging other things (for girls), a thick wallet, or a pretty face.
There are certain people with these criterion yet have a deep inferiority complex. I say deep because ordinarily, it's well hidden under mountains of ego and money.
To me, authentic confidence comes from a myriad of factors, most of which doesn't include many of the above. The following is my personal checklist of why confidence is important. (just in case you haven't realized)
We use it when we meet people. Someone who can be trusted. People need to know that you are someone that has unlimited potential. Someone who will be the last man standing when everything crumbles.
More importantly, we need it for ourselves..myself. To be able to laugh at others as well as myself. To be able to look into another's eyes without being self-conscious. To know that winning does not always mean victory. To know that in the end only I can shape the image of myself. We need to know that when I say I can, I can. When I say I must, I will. To know that I am in control of my life. I am the best.
Above everything else, we have got to know that we can trust our own word. Don't get what I mean? How many times have you told yourself that you must exercise only to end up parked comfortably in front of your TV?
To all my Indian machas, wishing you all Deepavali nal Vaalthukal! =D
Msg from random guy in facebook:"Hi Justin,I'm Rahul and I'm new on Facebook. I got online just to speak to a few Malay people and check if you've seen any UFOs in the Malaysian skies, or any Y Shapes in the night sky.I know this might sound strange but for the last 5 days, there's been a UFO sighting in Calcutta, India everynight. And there's this Malaysian gentleman who's been in touch with me about something similar. Have you seen or heard anything of this sort?"- Rahul
A hoax perhaps? Requires further investigation.. So I went to his facebook and guess what..
Fishy..
Honestly, I've never given 2 craps about anything beyond our fragile atmosphere (also explaining my lack of interest in the Angkasawan program). [explain about UFOs] According to Wikipedia, most UFOs actually become IFOs -- Identified Flying Objects. However, a small residual, from 3% to 30% depending on who is doing the counting, remain unexplained. But after countless episodes of X-files, one tends to become a skeptical wonderer. Nevertheless, I decided however to explore the subject because you never know when you might need knowledge such as this one fine day.
*Googles for "UFO sightings in Calcutta"*
Kolkata in a tizzy over UFO sighting 30 October 2007, Tuesday Kolkata gaped last night when a television channel showed footage of a UFO captured on a handy cam. The strange object emitting myriad colours streaked across the dark sky changing shape and dancing as it were.
"Farhan Akhtar, a senior executive of a private company, got up at the ungodly hour to close a window and pull the drapes after his wife started feeling cold. He first thought it was an airplane and then thought it was a star. Wah. Hmm... Sure bo? So what about our localised news? I didn't see anything. I never looked anyway. I wasn't on Thestar. Maybe I'm not reading the Chinese newspapers. ANYONE saw ANYTHING? lol
Why did this Rahul guy ask me about Malaysia anyway? Are we facing a real prospect of visitations of the unknown kind? Or am I just wasting my time on nothing here?! I hate conspiracy theories for this reason. Anyhow, here's my attempt to explore the possibility..
If I were an alien, what would I want to come to Malaysia and see?
First I would probably want to see their people to see whether they would prove to be a resistant bunch..
Nope, doesn't look like it. They seem to be particularly interested in feeding themselves and others. But what are they consuming anyway? Analysis says that has 40% oil content.
"Looks like waste, sir.."
"Captain, i think we found their weapons.."
Don't think they're comin to Malaysia.. I think the 'aliens' - if any - brought out a good analogy being, "if you aren't from around here, I don't think you'd know how to appreciate this place". We're a bunch of lazy people just going on with our lives. If you aliens were to come here, yes we'd be fearful; but if it happens anytime soon, I don't think unity would be enough.
But if they do come? What would be the first thing you'd do?
Go meet them new neighbors? Hide? Run to another state/country? 'Do it' (alot) cuz you don't want to die a virgin? Go rob a bank? Or hope n pray that they're just here for the money.. If you come and think of it, in this time and day, that's exactly what's happening to many people in many countries - even without them aliens.
As for me, if aliens really were to come. I'd want to see and meet them (after an extended observation whether anyone got their eyes gorged out, of course).
Then, what would I say? .. What would you say? (cuz I still can't think of something..)
I also found a short clip I found in Youtube called UFO Sightings in Klang dated October 2006 (Apparently spotted at Vistana Hotel)
But well, I like the response by Barack Obama, the leading man for 2008 US elections, when asked whether he believed there was life elsewhere: “I don’t presume to know. What I know is there is life here on Earth, and — and that we’re not attending to life here on Earth,” Obama said.
Makes more sense to me than anything I've written ere.
Challenging. Fiery. Down. Different. Dented. Politics. Be strong. Speed. Take it easy.
The above mentioned words basically sum the ongoings in my life in the past month. As many of you know, I'm past my first month of actual working life; and I will affirm the old saying by many elders, "It's not easy.."
Indeed, you may argue that it is never easy. But talking about work, I am not. In fact, the work (or admittedly the lack of it, sometimes) has been the best part of things. I think I'm doing pretty alright in that field. Keyword being think.
I'm referring to the soft skills, the life skills - the other 50% of what matters. Some of you probably are reading this in disbelief, when I am willingly admitting that, "Yes, I am not that good with people after all.." I've neither problem with honesty, nor with humility.
But finding out - not through thought but through experience after experience - that you were wrong all this while about yourself and many other things is like a reality check that didn't ring the doorbell. I was hit, and injured badly. It's not easy crawling on a battlefield that you cannot get out of and constantly taking bullets while you try to switch to offense mode.
Truth be told, this is one of the few times of my life where I am caught off guard. Many other a time I would be pretty sure of my exact position; through thorough bouts of self-contemplation and reflection on foreseeable misgivings, which would then enable me to make quick fixes.
So this is..new to me.
But new is good. I always welcome new - good or bad. Because this is how us homosapiens grow and differentiate ourselves from the rest. Reminds me of the rather thin yet profound book called Who moved my cheese by Dr Spencer Johnson where he implied that if you don't welcome (or at least accept) change, you better be good at counting spare change.
So I persevered and took on the challenge, knowing that winning this battle would give me a crucial edge in this game called life - where the strong survive, but the best conquer. I sought to improve myself by whatever means necessary - and I mean whatever. I searched and searched for answers in books, articles and such, but none seemed to be helping as much as I hoped.
Then the old adage "Rome wasn't built in a day, you idiot.." hit me. (yeah, the last part was from the devil within) Then I realized, that no matter how many baby steps you have to take, walk the distance as it is the only way.
Now here lies another complication. When you see the other generals in the same battlefield yet winning and slaughtering their enemies effortlessly, the pressure to at least match their level arises. So I started learning from the best of them and I did improve a fair bit.
But it reached an extent where I felt confused; confused on my own identity. You see, in this whole pursuit of 'a better me', I seemed to have lost my passion for all things else. Interests that previously sculpted my and others' image of myself. Music, singing, guitars, graphics, writing aka blogging, exercise are among the justinian activities that I have forcefully let go off due to time and energy constraints. And more than anything, it takes out the fun out of living.
When I realized this, I zoomed out on my game stopped everything, paused it took a deep breath, and looked at the big picture and started contemplating...
Was I that bad? Am I better.. or worse off? What are the reactions? What about work-life balance? Can you keep doing this? Yes.. and no.
Because you've learnt in one month what you would've expect to be tenfold of that period! To throw away everything that has made me a better man would be foolish - read: understatement. And on the other hand, to change 20 years of who you are and have become is impossible (and will make you look like an absolute fool when people realize that you're not even good at being "yourself") Because I am what I am, and not even I can change that.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
46 hours n counting!
V Double O claims to be the fastest rapper in the UK. IMO, he's pretty damned fast and has good rhythm to his rapping. FAB.
Gotta love it.
P.S. : This post is to override the pink spinning thingamagic cuz it's annoying the heck out of my eyes. 0_o"
Ok, this is a brain trick I received from my sister via e-mail.
********************************************
If your eyes follow the movement of the rotating pink dot, you will only see one color, pink. However. if you stare at the black "+" in the center, the moving dot turns to green.
Now, concentrate on the black "+" in the center of the picture. After a short period, all the pink dots will slowly disappear, and you will only see a green dot rotating.
It's amazing how our brain works. There really is no green dot, and the pink ones really don't disappear. This should be proof enough, we don't always see what we think we see.
***********************************************
In other words, the saying "I've seen it with my own eyes" has just lost it's credibility. Who else do you trust then? *ponders*
I went to the doctor's the other day with a steering wheel in my pants. The doctor said, "What happened?". I said, "I don't know but it's drivin' me nuts.."
by young comedian Jake Pratts in Britain's got Talent Lol man, wth.
I know I said 1st November but oh what the heck.
And to all Muslims out there, Selamat Hari Raya / Eid Mubarak! =)
I would like to apologize for my complete absence and from the site for a long time. Please allow me some time to stabilize with the routines in this new phase of life.
Also, many thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes on my 21st anniversary of my 1-year old birthday, (I'm not sure whether that's right) especially everyone who took the trouble to remember and those who called from all over the world! Again, many thanks!!!
Also I am planning a site revamp soon. To make it look more eye-pleasing or such.
My next post will be on the 1st of November in time for the festive
Till then, Justin
In the meantime, please enjoy this video which i found immensely hilarious!
During a harmless visit to IKEA last week, I lost my wallet containing my IC, driver's license, quite some cash that was supposed to last me till I get some dough inflow, ATMs and a few documents. How? Well, lets just say no matter the brand, do not invest in pants/jeans which have shallow pockets; you're bound to give charity sometime. Not to mention when it happens during buka puasa timing, people ain't what they used to be. But would've I returned a wallet that I found some good cash and I need it urgently?
It's like asking a rich man whether he needs more money.
Sigh, so I'm left IC-less, and everything-less. But thanks to some hard therapy I was forced to endeavor sometime back, I somehow mustered enough strength to let go of the loss of my wallet on that day itself. It's based on what someone once told me, the more you let go of all sense of material belonging, the more peaceful you'd be. Lets do a simple test, shall we?
Could you: i) Lose your wallet and just do the next best thing? (e.g. get dough with your pass book?) ii) Lose your handphone along with all your contacts and say "oh well.. was due for changing anyway".. iii) Let go of your car for whatever reason and just wait for the next bus? iv) Migrate to say, Swizerland for the next 5 years and with 2 weeks notice? (yes, you will have a job and stuff waiting for you there) v) Lose your house to a diasaster (and all the history that has become you for all the years back when you were a 1-year-old toddler sucking on your pacifier?)
If you score: 0-1: Cement You'll be hit hard when tragedy strikes. Devastated feeling of an identity crisis imminent. 2-3: UHU glue You're right in the middle. You'll feel the tinge, hate what's happening but accepts the brutal reality that shit happens. You'll survive. 4-5 - Ice Kacang Like the namesake, you're as cool as ice and everything else is kacang (peanuts). Your motto : "Steady/Rileks/Biasa-lah brudder..." You've developed this ability to just slide through when the going gets tough simply because you've literally "been there, done that". Because there's no replacement for experience: everyone wants to bury their head in a hole anytime any of the above happens, but we can't.
Only the tough survive.
Btw, saw this funny 'bumper sticker' in FB. "Officer, I swear to drunk that I'm not God!!!" I'd love to have one of those. XD
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Steady steady...
Bleh.
4th day and I'm feeling burnt out. The change of clocktime is really exhausting. Hmm.. need some motivation. MUST sleep at 11 tonight.
I've been having a pretty stretching first few days. The most obvious first would be the multitude of names that I've forced my petty brain to memorize. And I do this by saying their name in my mind for about 6 times and going round again. So far I've met about close to a sixty people in this past 3 days, so you can imagine the 'party' going on inside. And that's along with the hundreds of abbreviations they're constantly throwing at me. On top of my mind are DMM, DSM, ASS, BOI, BOE, HPR, SPR, SDR, RCS, CO, PO, CI.... Wala*eh. One fine day, I will understand all the terminology and write a rap song using only letters and Uhuhs, yos, ya-feel -mes.
Another pleasant surprise was the amount of effort actually put into the Management Trainee program. Today a few fellow Management Trainees and I were in a room with a few HR-Marketing managers, and for about an hour plus accumulatively, they discussed our 2 year program in depth. I tell you this because I honestly never expected this program to be taken as seriously as portrayed to us in the beginning and I thus doubted the alignment between its planning and execution. But it seemed like the bosses here were more gung ho about implementing it as well as continuously improving the program. BAT's HR and administration continues to amaze me.
Coming soon: A philosophical approach on life prioritizing
Briefly answering the question most of you all have been asking:
First two days at work has been great! Although what I went through was mostly inductions but it made me feel a part of the company, a good company with even better employees. You can actually feel the energy everywhere you walk. Thank God for that, else I'd be dying in a dying office.
Tomorrow'll be my first day out on the field where I'll be attached with the CoE (Centre of Excellence) or DSS(Direct Sales Specialist) with the DMM(District Marketing Manager) and after that I might see the SS(Sales Specialist) and the ASSes(Asst. SS). Lolz, I can imagine some people begging to get out of that position. Yeah, it's like BMW all over again with the short forms.
Will update soon, as for now *yaawn*, feeling sleepy. And it's just past 12 O_o"
Been pretty busy these few *hick* days and will update in abit. But I just had to post this cuz I've been *hick* having a bad case of 'serial hiccups' (as Devan puts it) for about *hick* a day and a half now. *hick* The moment I got back, i searched for a *hick* remedy and this is what I got.
30-Second Hicc*hick*up Cure
Step 1: *hick* Start by inhaling through your mouth until your lungs feel full (when it feels like you cannot *hick* inhale any more). For overall best results, try to *hick* do this as quickly as you can. DO NOT LET ANY AIR OUT.
Step 2: Swallow. You are not really swallowing anything but it seems that without this act, it doesn’t work. DO NOT LET ANY AIR OUT.
Step 3: Now inhale some more. You don’t need to inhale a lot, but do get some more air in. It will start to get difficult to do this as you go, but keep trying. You obviously can’t suck in as much air as you did initially, but just a little will do (think of it as taking a “sip” of air). DO NOT LET ANY AIR OUT.
Step 4: Swallow again. This too will start to get difficult as you go. DO NOT LET ANY AIR OUT.
Step 5: Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you cannot swallow again. While it seems you can almost always suck in just a little more air, it is the swallowing that gets to be impossible. When you feel like you cannot swallow again, swallow again anyway. It will be hard to do, your face will probably turn red, and you may make squeaking sounds. But you CAN swallow one last time. By this time, your lungs should also be quite full and it should be difficult to get much more air in as well. While you should try not to let any air out, if you have really repeated steps 3 and 4 as many times as you can, you probably will end up letting a little out before you can take that last swallow. If you find that air keeps escaping out of your nose even early in the process, try squeezing it shut with your fingers.
Step 6: Exhale.
Credits to Kevin and Kris from Cognitial.com cuz this shit WORKS!
"Human rights? Why should I care about that? Most people don't even know what it means. Many people - like u and me - are only interested in one thing - TO BE ABLE TO LIVE IN PEACE AND HARMONY. And that's the very reason that BN is still holding to power! That's exactly what they are giving - and can very much still do so - to the M'sians people *regardless of race*"
"If you look at history people have and will continue to vote for whoever can give them peace and harmony. For now only BN can do that. Sure you can quote that Khairy monyet, but if you look at the big picture it's like the stock market having a slight correction - not a stock market crash yet - that's why people have no fear to rush to sell."
"In other words they are not interested in DAP criticizing what the government did not do. THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT DAP/PAS/KEADILAN AS PART OF THE NEW COALITION CAN DO FOR THEM."
This guy is goooooood. He got my first ever youtube comment and deservedly so.
Among the things he advocated, the most important was his honest and open attitude, to look at the situation beyond race and religion enough to objectively judge what was right or wrong (with hints of humor and sarcasm too!). Amin Idris, I await your involvement in the GE! =D
(II) "Some four million eligible voters, who can make a major difference in a democracy, have not registered with the Election Commission (EC) and two-thirds of them are aged between 22 and 30." and therefore -YOU-! Even babies know that with great power comes great responsibility.
Ah, finally something to ease the bad blood. Glad there's still hope after all. =) I sure hope the government knows what they're doing cuz aside from the food, everything else doesn't seem promising.
Note: I know I've been pretty engrossed in the whole problem issue that was sparked since 'that song' arose but can you blame me? Elections are coming mah, and it's my first time I (and most of you) actually play a damned real part in this. So bear with me, aite?
I've noticed that the recent tribulations within our country and the government has made us less ignorant than we were before and even to the extent of being proactive in matters pertaining to our troubled nation - a rare sight.
So the average Bobby goes to a newsstand to get our daily press to read the dailies such as The Star or NST somewhat skewed from the news he hears around the water dispenser during breaks. Bobby starts doing the next best thing, internet research on Malaysian news. He finds links to the newspapers that he has read. The fourth site however, brought him to a whole new world; Malaysiakini.
Their: Vision To use the Internet to provide free and fair news to the Malaysian public and to set new standards in journalism as well as to support the development of freedom of speech, social justice and democracy in Malaysia.
Mission To publish an online newspaper that informs the Malaysian public of the latest news and critical issues in an independent and fair manner, and to facilitate discussion of current concerns, thereby challenging the views produced by the government-dominated mainstream media.
It's a noble cause. See what others can't, know what others don't. See the other side of the story or even the gray area, because the 'white' side doesn't stretch very far. You never know who's right or who's wrong but one thing's for sure, it screams of a Malay metaphor I remember so well, "Ada ketam di sebalik batu" (translated as "There's a crab behind the stone") meaning hidden agendas.
Even the recently announced Budget 2008 that was aimed at enhancing the nation's competitiveness, strengthening human capital development and ensuring the well-being of all Malaysians was not spared and described as an "unusual one” with a mix of “confused priorities” and “mismatch objectives” and above all, pointed at elections. Then there are numerous open criticisms concerning government decisions as well as reports of shady activities. I shan't comment on any of these as someone like me who barely reads newspapers or malaysiakini for that matter inadequate information and that it's better to leave it to the experts.
But I've seen what an overdose of MK can do to one. You feel irritated at the slightest things and would develop chronic Aaahism, the unwritten disease of someone incessantly going "Aaah" at the slightest things and proceed to come up with an alternate conspiracy theory. (a friend of mine jYong comes to mind, hahah) It increases your blood pressure, no matter which side you're on - because you either are losing due to certain unfair policies or (assuming you're a person who actually cares and have the slightest bit of integrity) are just plain ashamed.
I can feel that my love for Malaysia is slowly metamorphing into a love-hate relationship. The increasing problems faced by our people cause me to to think more. And the more I think, the more I wonder whether my permanent residentship is worth keeping any longer. Yes, you may argue that it isn't any better overseas with racism and poverty shooting through the roof. But for now it seems like it's led by more civilized and less selfish people. I don't think there's a conclusion to this post but more of a big rant that I had to let out. Can you feel my frustration?
I just found out that this blog is the FIRST LINK that pops up if you search for "Who kill Namewee". What Google thinks I'm some Sherlock Homes site now? Sigh, am terribly misunderstood.
Speaking of which, PLEASE watch these videos. I laughed my pants off.
Warning to Namewee
What were these people thinking?
And better yet - a video reply.
I've no comment but I just had to share that. My favorite part was the beginning when he went, "Hallo fren, go and stadee la.."; the priceless Malaysian accent. Although imo he went a lil too far with the piggy stuff but still, that's for humiliating your fellow Malaysians, guys.
Post edit: I just clicked on the "who kill Namewee" link again and the results have changed. Google understands! Kudos to their efficiency. =)
Here's another twist in the unending fight for equality.
We are working for equality between early birds and night owls.
Now, that's what I call music to my ears.
First, let me give you a jist of what probably sparked these late bloomers' (a shocking fourth of our general population) shouting. "Scientists have long known that early and late risers have genetic differences. A study from the University of Surrey found that extreme larks are more likely to have a long version of a gene called Period 3, while extreme owls are more likely to have a shorter version, leading to physiological differences. Professor Angela Clow from the University of Westminster in London found that early risers had higher levels of cortisol, the body's main stress hormone, than the alarm-clock refuseniks." In other words, we, late sleepers are born this way and no one should question our times of sleeping as that would tantamount to questioning our genes.
Welcome to the world of B-society. Where we now fight back where we have been suppressed. Where we are wide awake when others are fast asleep. Where we rule when no one is on the streets.
I for one having wanted to be an A-group convert now have a conflict. I've always loved the thought of getting up early in the morning, taking my own sweet time, doing a light workout, smelling the yet to be polluted air, etc.
But is that as sweet as the joys of teh tarik, the late-night chats, the warmth of the midnight oil, the needlessness for sunglasses, and the uttermost effectiveness of my mental capability.
It's hard to say, not to mention as being known as one of the night owls among my groups. Wait, all my groups are ultra-nocturnals. I've a friend, whom we fondly refer to as Bobo and is known to switch his clock all the way to US time and back just in time for the exam period. I quote, "Well, it's easy lah, you can either tahan for one whole day.. or sleep for one whole day..". Not to mention that our citizens are known as one of the most sleep deprived in the world. The things we Malaysians are capable of.
Signs of change are already prevalent in more 'open' countries like Denmark, which attracted almost 5000 members in the first month. How about the ultra-flexi-hours - as well as many many other irresistable perks - Google offers to their workers in Google Campus? Even science has proven we are why are are - signs are beckoning.
As for now, we all know it's better to hope for snow than to hope for drastic changes in Malaysia. You're not going to see government servants starting work at 11am and going back at 8pm. Call me what you will, but I don't think I have a choice but to (sadly) give up the lust of nightlife soon enough.
*proceeds to set alarm to 6.30a.m.* What're you laughing at?
Not too long ago, I wrote a piece on words; and I noted how carefully one should choose the weapons they wish to wield in verbal combat. As it has once been said, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words shall never hurt me." In my humble opinion, that phrase is invalid and even a contradiction of the truth; in other words, bullshit.
Because wounds from words takes the longest to heal - if ever.
So I started thinking about Soon Yee's request for examples and one movie clearly outstated any other movie I have ever seen in the usage of words. It's V for vendetta. The particularly memorable scene was at the beginning where V introduces himself to Evey. Some jobless people have taken years off their lifespans and valuable brainpower to memorize this. Anyway, I found the script, found a translation and I for one, will attempt to further translate the speech to a more comprehensible Malaysian version.
V - The silent vanguard of what is right and just. But (imo) has a skewed perception of the solution. Yellow man - The slightly sophisticated Joe who understands and wants to make a change. Apek - Your average Malaysian.
Voila! Behold! See!
In view humble vaudevillian veteran, cast vicariously as both victim and villain by the vicissitudes of fate. In sight, a retired entertainer cast indirectly as both victim and villan by the changes of Fate. As you can see I'm an old joker blaming people..and got jokers blaming me because of nothing!
This visage, no mere veneer of vanity, is a vestige of the “vox populi” now vacant, vanished. This mask, no show of pride, is a trace of the people’s voice, now empty, gone. What you see is what you get.
However, this valorous visitation of a bygone vexation stands vivified, and has vowed to vanquish these venal and virulent vermin, van guarding vice and vouchsafing the violently vicious and voracious violation of volition. However, this brave visit of a by-gone irritation stands animated, and has promised to destroy these corruptable and malicious vermin facing the front of immoral conduct and giving the violently vicious and power-hungry violation of will. But right, watch how I come now angry and annoyed, and I swear I will whack the ^)*% out of those blardy corrupted b%#*&#$ who represents evil and are forcing me to do sh*t!
The only verdict is vengeance; a vendetta, held as a votive not in vain, for the alue and veracity of such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous. The only choice is revenge, a feud, held as a wish, not unsuccessful, for the value and truthfulness of such shall one day clear the names of the watchful and the morally good. I got no choice but to shoot the b*#&@d (sure can wan) so that when they're dead, our names will have a clean sheet.
Verily, this vichyssoise of verbiage veers most verbose, so let me simply add that it's my very good honour to meet you and you may call me V. In truth, I need to shut up now because I am becoming too wordy, so let me simply add that it is my very good honor to meet you and you may call me “V”. Actualleeee, I better shaddap now cuz I think I crap too much adi, was great to meet you, and call me V.. cuz it's cool.
So watch your words. They can heal as well as kill. And if you're 'jobless' like I am, start memorizing this mouthful of Vs.
I don't have to tell you that it's a good movie, do I?
[Note to self : Never write to be continued. You never will. Too much pressure.]
So here I am, back with my patriotic post. Like I said, I've been trying to gather as much information as I can and get a larger view on things..unlike some biased articles I've read.
So the first thing i did was rummage through YouTube to see what juice I could find. I found what was reportedly an unreleased recording by Tun Dr. Mahatir regarding the State of the Nation. It's rather long winded, but I suppose it's to be expected from one of Malaysia's finest speaker who seems ever-ready to give a speech. He speaks about many issues that most of us have heard about before - our national budget, equality amongst the Rakyat, the economy, foreign policies, etc. - albeit with an inside scoop only accesible to the 'higher people'.. until YouTube came along.
Then there were the numerous socio-political blogs that are around mostly condemming either the government or a single race. Such as this one by pembebel who threatens to kill Namewee, though I just cannot seem to accept the immaturity of the author. Here's some exerpts..
"Ingat! Orang lain yang “berani” buat macam ni lepas ni - Jangan harap korang lepas! Ni dah sentuh isu perkauman la babi! Memang tak sayang nyawa lah!"
"Ko adalah anjing yang diburu sekarang! Ya, anjing yang diburu! Berdoa la agar keluarga dan orang yang ko sayangi tak diapa2kan orang rakyat Malaysia lainnya yang terasa."
*inhales*
Alright..alright. Then there was the killer May 13 book I mentioned by Kua Kia Soong. Besides the fact that alot of it seemed new to me (Justin's voluntarily reading history for the first time in his life), the bombasticness of the language left me reading with almost half my normal speed and with growing grammar frustrations. Here are some excerpts from the book so far that demonstrate my point:
"The official version is fraught with contradictions and inadequacies to which few pay credence." Just goes to show how a full blown massacre of both innocent people along with the democratic process was shortened into a few paragraphs in our Sejarah textbooks.
"For the newly Independant Federation of Malaya, the basic provisions of 'juridical equality' had to be compromised simply because the Malay rulers were strongly opposed to it." In lame man's terms - "What communal equality? I don't want, means I don't want"
"At UMNO headquarters in Batu Road, the feeling was that democracy had gone too far - in other words, that the political hegemony of the Malays was in real danger. A non-Malay Mentri Besar in both Selangor and Perak seemed dangerously likely." Like the song once said, "Uh oh.. we're in trouble, someone's gonna come and burst our bubble.. Yeah yeah.."
Like all controversial readings, you never know who's right and who's wrong. What's true and what's BS. But, the book offers an insight into something I'd consider one of turning points in what made Malaysia the way it is. Get your copy today. =p
About the whole situation As far as I’ve lived here, the issue of impartiality of opportunities between different segments of the population has been the longest lasting one and I believe that it will remain that way until something is done. Because it is in some way similar to grievances about the IMF – that they do not realize that a simple change in regulatory clauses (or in this case, government policies) indirectly affects whether or not a child has rice to eat, or whether or not he will get the level of education that every citizen has right to.
NooOo, some just think it’s all politics and about business deals. Reality check my friend, politics is business. And business equals money. You figure the rest.
I also use the term ‘segments of the population’ instead of ‘race’ because the 13 May book makes one realize that sometimes the struggle is not only between the races but within the races – specifically between the higher and lower strata of the population. YES, it’s not always about the damn racial issue.
*calms down*
Ok, enough about the past. So tell me, how successful do you feel Malaysia has progressed so far? Somehow I think one would only feel the real effects of it once they’re in businesses – where the big moolah lies.
*pause*
Come to think of it, I shall not delve into this intricate area. Yes, call me chicken for having the slightest fear in the eye-ass-eh, but screw you, you selfish bs3rd if you never thought about your loved ones.
I am lucky enough to have a friend, who remains to be the rare breed that I am able to rationally debate political issues with. D once said that the government’s political system is fundamentally flawed. He said, “How would you expect unity between the races when the coalition is racially segregated?!
Makes sense, doesn’t it? Technically speaking, we should concentrate instead on ‘class solidarity’; meaning to reduce the gap between the higher and lower class Rakyat instead of the typical stereotypical fight between ‘Rich Chinese’ versus others.
Now when a party starts complaining, the government holds up their palm and calmly says, “Tolerance, my friend..” BS. In this country, tolerance is a direct equivalent to ignorance. Our education system has groomed us to think that questioning is an act of defiance. Based on my experience, the times I have truly understood and absorbed something was when these internal arguments were settled and I agreed with what was being taught to me. That can only happen through (you guessed it) questioning!
Now don’t even get me started on the freedom of speech/press in this country. Our leaders constantly paint a rosy picture for us like we’re stuck in the happy section of a Bollywood movie. I sincerely believe that only when there is honesty can there be progress. Tell us there’s something wrong and we’ll think of a solution together..not behind closed doors.
The outcomes of a failing system are already evident. Outflows of Malaysian intellectuals from our motherland. This article wrote about the situation.
“Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed said qualified Malaysians can seek their fortunes overseas where they gain experience, remit part of their income home but most importantly, return someday to impart experience and capital earned while working in a more lucrative environment.”
Perhaps he forget about institutionalized discrimination.
D also repeatedly talked about how wrong it is to combine Religion and Politics. I on the other hand used to argue that it’s the Malaysian way, and it has worked for us. Sadly now I think he’s right. We have parties here whose sole manifesto is/was based on this.
I’ve another question - why did the government abolish inter-faith talks between the religions? IMO, that’s the stupidest thing any government would ever do. It’s anti-peace! WTF?! I just.don’t.get.it. I'm almost begging for enlightenment.
Just recently I heard rumors about demonstrations by the Indian community in Putrajaya. I assume it’s about them not getting a fair share of the political cake in Malaysia. According to my sources, they said, “If nothing’s changed by the 31st, see lah…”
Now that’s a scary thought. I think you and I know that no one ever wants to wield parangs and be on the run and burning down things. It's happened before, it may happen again. Do not take peace for granted.
Sigh.
I’ve vented enough. I’m no longer angry, just tired. Tired of this feeling of animosity between those I hope to call my Malaysian brothers and sisters. Tired of the few jokers who tarnish everything good about this country as we know it for personal gain. What goes around comes around..
Oh and the ungrateful who over-compare and complain should really open their eyes.
What we (desperately) need is a massive psychological revamp. Chinese should stop being selfish and start thinking about others. Malays should be less sensitive and take the bitter pill of reality. And the Indians should serve better roti canai. (lol ok, honestly I don’t know as much about the Indian plight, but the roti canai’s really make our days. =) Maybe Malaysians can learn from the hidden meaning behind Russel Peters’ seemingly racial jokes. If we can laugh about Indians, Jamaicans, British and the rest, why take ourselves so seriously here?
In the famous words of Martin Luther King, "Why can’t we all just get along?"
We’ve come a long way now. 50 years is no easy feat – and it doesn’t seem to be getting any easier. We’re technologically savvy. We have lovely infrastructure. Our economy is booming. We have GREAT FOOD! And we’ve worked hard to get here.I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulate the government on that part at least. It is my sincere hope that Malaysia keeps getting better and that I stay in this country that I adore so much, flaws and everything.
Reminiscants of the past, chronicles about the present, and contemplations about the future.
If you're up for it, have a pleasant stay.
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So I got quite excited when he agreed to the short loan. (Well this dear friend of mine just so happens to be very particular about the condition of anything of his - books, cam, car, car door, etc.)
So there was this bridge. It's one of the 3 bridges that connects the Precints of Putrajaya.
Trying to be all artistic..
Our dear friend trying to have an emo pose. Didn't really jadi(make it), tho.
I stumbled upon this road on the way to the bridge (below). Turned in and this was all I got. A.. em, compound? What's wrong with these people man..
Close up. See what I mean?
Bridge pic.
Another bridge pic.
This is my bitch, Pixel. She has two peculiar things about her:
Su's present for me. A close-up. ;)
Attempt at camwhoring. Su said I 'looked like an alien'.. --____--"
WTH.
