Happy Independence, I feel inclined to say to you, just 50 minutes past 12am and we're officially into 31st August 2007, 50th Anniversary of our Independence.
I feel like saying it wistfully, tenderly and softly. I'm all for yelling Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! but now does not seem to be the time to do it; instead I would just like to quietly reflect upon my 24 years of existence in an independent state. I'd like to say thank you for a change. Heartfelt gratitude, none of those cynical crap like Yeah, thanks a lot for nothing.
Firstly, I'm thankful to have a decent place to live in, a roof over my head, food on my plate, and broadband that provides me endless entertainment. Thank you also, for being a country of few natural disasters and for having warm weather all year around. Thanks for bringing together our brothers and sisters of different ethnicity, and teaching us to live and love together. Thanks for providing me the basic education to be built upon, to shape me into what I am today.
Sometimes it's easy to take for granted what you have given us, but I am always jolted back to counting my blessings when I witness hardships of others in other countries, of poverty, of war, of natural disasters.
I realize that we still have a long way to go. I realize that you're not perfect, but so is every other country. I realize that in order to make you better, I need to have a better understanding of why you became what you are today, and how we can make you better tomorrow. The heartache in me will fuel my endeavours to make you a better place for many more generations to live in, to love you for who you are, and not hate you for who some people want to shape you to be.
Happy Merdeka =)
Love,
A Malaysian Citizen
Tuesday and various gallivants
I woke up this morning to find the pimples on my right cheek magically transferred to the left, overnight. I imagine that one of them decided to pack up and look for greener pastures, and the rest followed suit.
I'm going to retrieve my convocation gown from UM this afternoon, and tonight I'll be going for a play called The System of Cikgu Tuko at KLPac. Just felt like watching a play =D
Yesterday me and my parents went for a night out at No Black Tie for Rendra Zawawi's performance. Admittedly it was somewhat of a “dutiful” attendance – both ‘coz Prof W had invited me (and apparently he forgot that he had invited me, aiks) and ‘coz I felt like I should support the local musicians.
Actually it turned out to be rather good. I liked Rendra’s live performance better than on the CD (which I bought some time ago). His voice is really powerful, and reminds me of Josh Groban. I’m glad to say that his pitch is almost impeccable, and spared my sensitive ears of any cringing. All were his original compositions, and performing was a band with a pianist, a bassist, a drummer, a guitarist, Rendra himself who played the guitar and had a piano solo, and later on a violinist went onstage to perform 3 songs.
No Black Tie is at one of the back alleys nearby Bukit Bintang, which I would never have found if it weren't for my sporting mum and dad. It serves Japanese food and the Sake Harasu was great =D
I also blogged about clubbing (on Sat night after the Bangsa Malaysia gathering) during Blogger's dreadful down time yesterday but am deciding to bin it because the moment has passed. So I'll just leave you with this photo.
I'm going to retrieve my convocation gown from UM this afternoon, and tonight I'll be going for a play called The System of Cikgu Tuko at KLPac. Just felt like watching a play =D
Yesterday me and my parents went for a night out at No Black Tie for Rendra Zawawi's performance. Admittedly it was somewhat of a “dutiful” attendance – both ‘coz Prof W had invited me (and apparently he forgot that he had invited me, aiks) and ‘coz I felt like I should support the local musicians.
Actually it turned out to be rather good. I liked Rendra’s live performance better than on the CD (which I bought some time ago). His voice is really powerful, and reminds me of Josh Groban. I’m glad to say that his pitch is almost impeccable, and spared my sensitive ears of any cringing. All were his original compositions, and performing was a band with a pianist, a bassist, a drummer, a guitarist, Rendra himself who played the guitar and had a piano solo, and later on a violinist went onstage to perform 3 songs.
No Black Tie is at one of the back alleys nearby Bukit Bintang, which I would never have found if it weren't for my sporting mum and dad. It serves Japanese food and the Sake Harasu was great =D
I also blogged about clubbing (on Sat night after the Bangsa Malaysia gathering) during Blogger's dreadful down time yesterday but am deciding to bin it because the moment has passed. So I'll just leave you with this photo.
Merdeka!
I'm just back from the Bangsa Malaysia Forum and Get-Together. *beams* A quick one, before YJ and co. come and pick me up for Round kedua.
You see, I'm looking for an answer. Why I should remain positive that the country has hope, the country has people who care, the country is not going to the dogs. I don't think I found a straightforward answer per se, but I guess I wouldn't be contented with the usual answers fed to us, mostly by the media. (Oh look we have the tallest (not anymore) buildings in the world! We have the longest buffet table! We made some flag out of some lego tiles! - Do I look like an idiot to you?)
I don't need much. I just need to meet up with like-minded people, bounce some ideas, get some indications of what can be done. The attendance was encouraging. The talks were fiery. At times I was contemplative. At times I felt like crying.
Ah have to go already. More later.
Oh yeah. I also have a tiny crush on Azmi Sharom. *heart aflutter*
You see, I'm looking for an answer. Why I should remain positive that the country has hope, the country has people who care, the country is not going to the dogs. I don't think I found a straightforward answer per se, but I guess I wouldn't be contented with the usual answers fed to us, mostly by the media. (Oh look we have the tallest (not anymore) buildings in the world! We have the longest buffet table! We made some flag out of some lego tiles! - Do I look like an idiot to you?)
I don't need much. I just need to meet up with like-minded people, bounce some ideas, get some indications of what can be done. The attendance was encouraging. The talks were fiery. At times I was contemplative. At times I felt like crying.
Ah have to go already. More later.
Oh yeah. I also have a tiny crush on Azmi Sharom. *heart aflutter*
Speechless.
SPEECHLESS. I used to argue that we're not an Islamic state because our framework is based on the common law. Apparently now, there's a study to change that.
"I think I am going to make sure that my PR goes through," says a friend.
.............
In other depressing news, the government bails out the Port Klang Free Zone. RM4.6bil. More details at Jeff's.
I weep for our country.
Thanks Kean-Jin for the heads up.
Minister: Study proposal on switch to Syariah law thoroughly
PUTRAJAYA: The proposal to use Syariah law to replace English common law in court proceedings should be studied thoroughly first, said Datuk Dr Abdullah Zin.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department said the move, if approved, should be done in stages.
Lauding the proposal by Chief Justice Tun Ahmad Fairuz Sheikh Abdul Halim, he said Syariah law gave importance to justice.
It would also be a further development for Syariah law in the country in addition to introducing a uniform syariah law in all states, Dr Abdullah said yesterday.
“We are already in the process of getting a uniform syariah law in all 14 states including the Federal Territory relating to family, administration and criminal law.
"I think I am going to make sure that my PR goes through," says a friend.
.............
In other depressing news, the government bails out the Port Klang Free Zone. RM4.6bil. More details at Jeff's.
I weep for our country.
Thanks Kean-Jin for the heads up.
Bangsa Malaysia Get-Together:
I've been meaning to put this up forever, but because of [insert lame excuse] I never did, so here it is and it isn't too late and it would be good fun to see the new Blog House and mingle around with interesting people and see the slideshow that we put up for Merdeka and see me grin awkwardly at you when you say hi.
So come.
Time: 8:30pm
Venue: Blog House, at No.66, Lorong Setiabistari 1, Damansara Heights, KL.
(But before that, register first by sending an email to bangsamalaysiamerdeka@gmail.com with the following details:
Mob1900 has a bunch of these in several different colours: Click here to get them!
So come.
Time: 8:30pm
Venue: Blog House, at No.66, Lorong Setiabistari 1, Damansara Heights, KL.
(But before that, register first by sending an email to bangsamalaysiamerdeka@gmail.com with the following details:
- Name ( as per IC ) and IC number
- Contact number
- A little bit about yourself ( where you’re from, what you do ) [ This might help us identify and decline c-t and SB ]
Mob1900 has a bunch of these in several different colours: Click here to get them!
On writing.
An inspiring English teacher once said that we should all write from our hearts, because that's what makes our writing special and out of this world. That is because everyone is unique and noone would have had all the experiences that you had, to come up with something from your head.
That is saying that, noone is able to come up with the same thrash as you do, not even say, Shakespeare or Jane Austen, even if they tried. That always makes me feel kinda gratified, enough to make faces at dead literary geniuses. You couldn't write like me even if you tried. Bleh.
(Though, being the logical person that I am, I realize that it works vice versa. You couldn't write like Shakespeare if you wanted. But that corresponds to what other English teachers have told you all your life, so that's not a particularly fresh depressing point you need to dwell upon.)
We used to submit journals to her. I loved writing those. I think I wrote 18 pages at the first sitting, describing myself, my family and friends to her in a verbal diarrhoea. I don't know if she was being nice, but she seemed to like what I wrote. Her kindness extended to a point where she recommended me to go for some interschool essay-writing contest, which I accepted quite willingly. Bashfully honoured, vowing to make Ms Inthira proud.
I slaved over that piece, which had something to do with a boy who had big dreams and then got caught in an accident or something. Or maybe he succeeded. I don't really remember much of what I wrote, only the expression on Ms Inthira's face when she gave that piece back to me and said that she was disappointed with the story. It had no heart. She didn't understand why I could write in such effortless eloquence in my journals, but the story that I had worked on for ages had to end up in a bin.
The failure was painful but it wasn't too hard to explain. I've never been a boy, and at 16 the biggest dream I ever had was probably to score in Physics (a dream never realized). Maybe it was my lack of imagination. Maybe I found it difficult to put myself into shoes of a little boy, who, for example, dreamt about blowing up the world when he grew up. I should have stuck onto a subject matter that I was familiar with, like the perils of sleeping in class. I would have aced in telling a story of failing math because I accidentally dozed off during the test.
However, recently when recovering from yet another migraine + writer's block, Ms Inthira's wise words of writing from the heart suddenly sprang out from a drawer in my head where I keep stacks of wise words ("Apple cider vinegar is good for you", "Don't try licking your elbow - it's not possible", "You'll understand when you grow older" etc.).
In retrospect, maybe that's why I screwed up the essay. I was under intense pressure to perform - and my idea of performing was to guess the scheme within the examiner's mind and write towards that direction. With writing journals, I had the freedom to blab on and on about anything under and above the sun, be as silly as I want (thus being original - people don't have same ideas of being silly) and noone would judge me. The essay? Well no. It was going to be judged by pompous bigshots, probably sneering at my shallow vocabulary and shaking their heads at the lame attempt of a pun. Oh what meanies they were, in my head.
Same with blogging lah. It's difficult to write from your heart, when you conjure images of the virtual crowd, silently judging your neuroses or fascination with piano-playing homely men. I don't exactly know who's reading. For all I know, my prof may be reading this, tut-tutting at all the time I'm wasting here instead of completing our project.
Gotta maintain asexual writing style for the benefit of my aunt, and as a precaution against lurking pervs. Gotta keep the crazies in the closet, to befit my calm composure. Gotta quit whining, because I am 24 fucking years old and supposed to be an adult. No badmouthing or making fun of any acquaintances or relatives because I'd always wonder if word would get back to them.
I'm getting virtual agoraphobia as I write on.
But I guess opening up is something that I have to get used to, if I hope to make writing a career. I don't want to write something so bland, so constipated that it ends up in the bin (Exception being the book on blogs that I'm writing now - it's academic so a certain level of constipation is expected). So, dear Ms Inthira, whereever you are now, I will remember your advice.
Thank you, and good night =)
That is saying that, noone is able to come up with the same thrash as you do, not even say, Shakespeare or Jane Austen, even if they tried. That always makes me feel kinda gratified, enough to make faces at dead literary geniuses. You couldn't write like me even if you tried. Bleh.
(Though, being the logical person that I am, I realize that it works vice versa. You couldn't write like Shakespeare if you wanted. But that corresponds to what other English teachers have told you all your life, so that's not a particularly fresh depressing point you need to dwell upon.)
We used to submit journals to her. I loved writing those. I think I wrote 18 pages at the first sitting, describing myself, my family and friends to her in a verbal diarrhoea. I don't know if she was being nice, but she seemed to like what I wrote. Her kindness extended to a point where she recommended me to go for some interschool essay-writing contest, which I accepted quite willingly. Bashfully honoured, vowing to make Ms Inthira proud.
I slaved over that piece, which had something to do with a boy who had big dreams and then got caught in an accident or something. Or maybe he succeeded. I don't really remember much of what I wrote, only the expression on Ms Inthira's face when she gave that piece back to me and said that she was disappointed with the story. It had no heart. She didn't understand why I could write in such effortless eloquence in my journals, but the story that I had worked on for ages had to end up in a bin.
The failure was painful but it wasn't too hard to explain. I've never been a boy, and at 16 the biggest dream I ever had was probably to score in Physics (a dream never realized). Maybe it was my lack of imagination. Maybe I found it difficult to put myself into shoes of a little boy, who, for example, dreamt about blowing up the world when he grew up. I should have stuck onto a subject matter that I was familiar with, like the perils of sleeping in class. I would have aced in telling a story of failing math because I accidentally dozed off during the test.
However, recently when recovering from yet another migraine + writer's block, Ms Inthira's wise words of writing from the heart suddenly sprang out from a drawer in my head where I keep stacks of wise words ("Apple cider vinegar is good for you", "Don't try licking your elbow - it's not possible", "You'll understand when you grow older" etc.).
In retrospect, maybe that's why I screwed up the essay. I was under intense pressure to perform - and my idea of performing was to guess the scheme within the examiner's mind and write towards that direction. With writing journals, I had the freedom to blab on and on about anything under and above the sun, be as silly as I want (thus being original - people don't have same ideas of being silly) and noone would judge me. The essay? Well no. It was going to be judged by pompous bigshots, probably sneering at my shallow vocabulary and shaking their heads at the lame attempt of a pun. Oh what meanies they were, in my head.
Same with blogging lah. It's difficult to write from your heart, when you conjure images of the virtual crowd, silently judging your neuroses or fascination with piano-playing homely men. I don't exactly know who's reading. For all I know, my prof may be reading this, tut-tutting at all the time I'm wasting here instead of completing our project.
Gotta maintain asexual writing style for the benefit of my aunt, and as a precaution against lurking pervs. Gotta keep the crazies in the closet, to befit my calm composure. Gotta quit whining, because I am 24 fucking years old and supposed to be an adult. No badmouthing or making fun of any acquaintances or relatives because I'd always wonder if word would get back to them.
I'm getting virtual agoraphobia as I write on.
But I guess opening up is something that I have to get used to, if I hope to make writing a career. I don't want to write something so bland, so constipated that it ends up in the bin (Exception being the book on blogs that I'm writing now - it's academic so a certain level of constipation is expected). So, dear Ms Inthira, whereever you are now, I will remember your advice.
Thank you, and good night =)
Books!!
Just got back from the Big Bookshop warehouse in Atria. The books are cheap!! Up to like 70% off regular prices. Syok. I spent 30 minutes in there and came out, sans migraine, happy and sunshiney =D
Some books I bought and an idea of the prices:
Some books I bought and an idea of the prices:
- Nick Hornby - A long way down - RM12 (The paperback. The hardcover costs RM19.90)
- Michael King - The Penguin history of New Zealand - RM29.90
- Mick Conefrey - A teacup in a storm - RM14.90 (Hardcover)
- Jennifer Cox - Around the world in 80 Dates - RM12
- Marian Keyes - Further under the duvet - RM12
- The Rough Guide to New Zealand - RM39.90
Heard that the warehouse is only till 26th Aug. Better catch it quick =D
My, Jay Chou's such a homely character
But I would die in his strong, piano-playing fingers...
Oh well. Back to work.
Oh well. Back to work.
Friday Morning Ramblings II
My blog's turning into a weekly affair! I'm rather disoriented to put everything in good nice readable paragraphing so I'll just throw everything in la ok.
My mum asked me to show her the Namewee Negarakuku song yesterday. The government's certainly doing a good job publicizing Namewee's work. What is the world coming to!!! I seriously hate the people up there. I'm having a crazy urge to twang their self-righteous moustaches. *Twang* And flick them on the forehead. *Twap* Gross wastage of public funds! *Pow* Disintegrating our national unity! *Kaboom* Cowards unable to confront bloggers in an intellectual way! *Zzzingg*
The violence in my head scares me sometimes. *Continues to fling pop-pops at them*
Prof found us a publisher! Quick quick CEPAT CEPAT ka-gin ka-gin (An example of the marque that is running in my head)
There is something to Tun Dr Mahathir that makes me want to stand at his presence. I am proud that we had him as the PM. I went to the talk on Wednesday and saw TDM at work for the first time in my life. Wow. I do not want to mess with this guy (nor to twang his moustache).
I've booked the air tickets and with any luck, I'll be off on 21st September!!! Coming back on 15th March next year. I will miss you all my bitches!
The sleepover at Bukit Tinggi last weekend went great. We played Monopoly and I only had four properties, but managed to be the second most cash-rich player at the end! (JenHui went bankrupt. Nyahahahaha....) How I did it? By surviving on government subsidies from Chance and Community Chest (I must have landed at least 10 times on them, and every time I got money from the government, hahaha). And landing on Free Parking. And landing into jail (my favourite place, really). And landing onto properties with no houses, just beside those which had 3 houses... *sweat* And landing onto my own properties of course. HueyYin landed into jail 6 times! We dubbed her "Menjalara Hilton" 'coz she kept having to pay to get out of jail... hahaha...
Photo of us in Jail... I'm Mr. Krabs and HueyYin is Gary... Look at the Get Out of Jail Free Cards at the back! I got those too, when landing on Chance and Community Chest!
What else what else what else.... One week couldn't have passed just like that? Maybe it did. Okla enough rambling, I am going to hang the clothes and then to work!
Quick quick CEPAT CEPAT ka-gin ka-gin....
Do me a favour. End this sentence for me: "I love Malaysia because..."
My mum asked me to show her the Namewee Negarakuku song yesterday. The government's certainly doing a good job publicizing Namewee's work. What is the world coming to!!! I seriously hate the people up there. I'm having a crazy urge to twang their self-righteous moustaches. *Twang* And flick them on the forehead. *Twap* Gross wastage of public funds! *Pow* Disintegrating our national unity! *Kaboom* Cowards unable to confront bloggers in an intellectual way! *Zzzingg*
The violence in my head scares me sometimes. *Continues to fling pop-pops at them*
Prof found us a publisher! Quick quick CEPAT CEPAT ka-gin ka-gin (An example of the marque that is running in my head)
There is something to Tun Dr Mahathir that makes me want to stand at his presence. I am proud that we had him as the PM. I went to the talk on Wednesday and saw TDM at work for the first time in my life. Wow. I do not want to mess with this guy (nor to twang his moustache).
I've booked the air tickets and with any luck, I'll be off on 21st September!!! Coming back on 15th March next year. I will miss you all my bitches!
The sleepover at Bukit Tinggi last weekend went great. We played Monopoly and I only had four properties, but managed to be the second most cash-rich player at the end! (JenHui went bankrupt. Nyahahahaha....) How I did it? By surviving on government subsidies from Chance and Community Chest (I must have landed at least 10 times on them, and every time I got money from the government, hahaha). And landing on Free Parking. And landing into jail (my favourite place, really). And landing onto properties with no houses, just beside those which had 3 houses... *sweat* And landing onto my own properties of course. HueyYin landed into jail 6 times! We dubbed her "Menjalara Hilton" 'coz she kept having to pay to get out of jail... hahaha...
Photo of us in Jail... I'm Mr. Krabs and HueyYin is Gary... Look at the Get Out of Jail Free Cards at the back! I got those too, when landing on Chance and Community Chest!What else what else what else.... One week couldn't have passed just like that? Maybe it did. Okla enough rambling, I am going to hang the clothes and then to work!
Quick quick CEPAT CEPAT ka-gin ka-gin....
Do me a favour. End this sentence for me: "I love Malaysia because..."
Friday Morning Ramblings
So I reread the little piece of travelogue that I wrote, and being the fastidious editor that I am, I decided that it was fully crap and little else. I may post it up when I am in a less fussy mood. I have this horrible habit of announcing future posts, effectually jinxing them into draft oblivion later.
I was reading some lovelorn barely-post-preteen's blog pining for her boyfriend, short of being in cyber hysterics, when I realized that I actually envied her slightly for her raw, in-your-face type of emotions. Me, on the other hand, have an energy-saving emotions dispenser, which squeezes out small rations of "yay", "wtf", "gaaahhhh" etc. as you press corresponding buttons. Other times it malfunctions and dribbles quantities of substances like "crippling shyness".
It's simply too tiring to harbour strong feelings. Perhaps I am aging prematurely. I saw four strands of silver hair in the mirror the other day. Sian. Speaking of that, I am recommending to you this Singaporean blog named The Misadventures of Sibeh Sian*. "Sibeh Sian" translates to "extreme mental fatigue". Loses a lot of its punch after translation though. I found it some days ago and wasted no time in going through the archives chronologically. Good stuff. And the proper way to read it it is from starting from the archives, chronologically.
I only took one interesting picture while I was at Bandung. Behold:
I was reading some lovelorn barely-post-preteen's blog pining for her boyfriend, short of being in cyber hysterics, when I realized that I actually envied her slightly for her raw, in-your-face type of emotions. Me, on the other hand, have an energy-saving emotions dispenser, which squeezes out small rations of "yay", "wtf", "gaaahhhh" etc. as you press corresponding buttons. Other times it malfunctions and dribbles quantities of substances like "crippling shyness".
It's simply too tiring to harbour strong feelings. Perhaps I am aging prematurely. I saw four strands of silver hair in the mirror the other day. Sian. Speaking of that, I am recommending to you this Singaporean blog named The Misadventures of Sibeh Sian*. "Sibeh Sian" translates to "extreme mental fatigue". Loses a lot of its punch after translation though. I found it some days ago and wasted no time in going through the archives chronologically. Good stuff. And the proper way to read it it is from starting from the archives, chronologically.
I only took one interesting picture while I was at Bandung. Behold:
I am back!
Currently sifting through the avalanche of emails, blog posts and events - it's only been 3 days! Apparently three years have passed in the cyber world. What with RPK's wife being questioned, the flurry of events for Merdeka Day, a chinese blogger award this Sunday...
The respite from the web was good while it lasted.
Wrote a little travelogue while I was in Bandung. Brought the lappy and lugged it around as a practice for New Zealand. Will post it later, stay tuned!
The respite from the web was good while it lasted.
Wrote a little travelogue while I was in Bandung. Brought the lappy and lugged it around as a practice for New Zealand. Will post it later, stay tuned!
Paiseh
No time to update. Gonna be at Bandung for 4 days, and then a sleepover during the weekend. Have to finish this chapter by 5pm today! With that, I leave you with a top view of my desk in its messy glory:
Have a great week! Be good, and eat your vegetables!
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