Where was I?
I forgot. To do. To write. To share. To stop. To keep in touch.
My life's a humdrum no more. Changes were naturally repelled at first but eventually welcomed and adopted. Confusing yet interesting most of the time, half the time challenging. (Un)Fortunately, I seemed to be liking it, and enjoying it all together.
I miss everyone. I am glad everyone seems to be doing great. Maturity has finally caught up with (most of) us, lets now put the wisdom to great use shall we?
Current craving : for leaders who genuinely think of his people rather that political power. Sudah-sudahla tu, shut up and get back to work, or can someone please take over?!! For God's sake, 2008 is almost over.
Latest book read : "Perihal Orang Melayu" by Frank Swettenhem, of his direct observations and conclusions from living among the Malays back then (1884). I have always been fascinated with this 'latah' habit among the Malays (Indonesians included) and why are they(we) the only ones with this trance-like behaviour; heredity perhaps? Minor mental disturbance? Mr. Swettenhem was equally fascinated too, and fully aware on how dangerous a person can be under the influence(??!). Seriously, if the person, while ' melatah', you were to ask him to kill somebody, he would do it straightaway, trust me he would. Mind bobbling isn't it? and he wrote (translated) "Latah juga pernah dikenalpasti di kalangan pemotong-pemotong kayu di Canada." I wonder how they do it, like, "opocot mak engkau" in English?! Dang.
On a non-related issue, how convenient is convenient enough. Convenient should never be mistaken with love. Tell me how would you feel if the person you love and want to spend the rest of your life with, only chose to marry you because you are convenient to him. Friends, stay friends, because you are convenient to them, tak menyusahkan mereka, not because they can't live without you, or life is no fun without you in it. Sucks ey? Friends who sought companionship, going to concerts and what not, only when they have no one else around to join them. Claimed lovers who only listens to you while you were telling great jokes, not when you need to bitch about work. Parents who only listen to their kids after the milk has been spilled, not before, brushing off kids when they asked for guidance on how to properly pour the milk into the bowl in the first place. Where am I going with this? Loved ones aren't necessary the most convenient ones, but you suck up to their annoyances just because you love them. It is much suck-ier to be the convenient ones.
Oh well. Suck it up people. Selamat berpuasa
September 21, 2008
May 21, 2008
picturesque
I found this footnote indicating the origin of my favorite 'life mantra', the Desiderata.
Very good advice. True to the core.
"Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection."
Last but not least, one good piece of news on my birthday-mate (different year of course), Raul Gonzalez Blancho.
The Raul Gonzales.
Sleep deprived, too lazy to write. What more to say, I am just a fan. Adios
May 04, 2008
instant
made in ThailandReckless minivan drivers, 'ralfting', Squareone, simba, not-so-spicy tom yam, bachelor party, topi carik makan, show girls - golf ball, a very long thread and fishes coming out from unlikely places, Patong Beach, overcoming the fear for stray dogs, not-so-skinny dipping, rashes from dirty swimming pool, lunch on Phi Phi, walked to the middle of a sea during low tide, Khai Beach, feeding the monkeys bananas, Maya Bay, kayaking without a life jacket, McDonalds, 11 supermarket, effective "smoking is dangerous" warning on cigarette boxes, deaf Thais, being ripped off in Bangla Road, bargain shopping everywhere else, rejuvenating Thai massage, last minute shopping, Indian Thais, hungry on board.
Almost (doesn't count) - expensive Muay Thai, very cheap bungee jump. Oh well, there's always next time.
April 19, 2008
March 13, 2008
alliance
Di suatu malam di sebuah FeldaPetikan daripada Utusan Malaysia, 11th of March 2008;
[Ditanya adakah beliau masih sayangkan UMNO walaupun digantung keahlian seumur hidup, Ibrahim berkata: “Saya sayang semua, saya sayangkan agama, bangsa dan negara... jadi saya sayangkan parti yang sayang semua perkara ini.”Ahli Parlimen Pasir Mas, Datuk Ibrahim Ali.
Bersandarkan pengalaman yang dilaluinya, beliau mendakwa sering menjadi mangsa kalangan yang dengki dan cemburu terhadap peranannya apabila berada dalam parti sehingga beliau digugurkan jawatannya di dalam UMNO.
“Apabila saya memegang apa-apa jawatan yang diberikan, saya selalunya bersungguh-sungguh dan bekerja kuat. Tetapi apabila laju, orang dengki.
“Status saya kini masih seorang ahli politik Bebas yang akan bekerjasama dengan Pas dalam memperjuangkan hak- hak rakyat bagi memastikan sebuah kerajaan yang baik,” katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.
Pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12, Ibrahim menewaskan calon Barisan Nasional (BN), Ahmad Rosdi Mahamed dengan majoriti 8,991 undi.]
Datuk Ibrahim Ali; my kind of Wakil Rakyat. It's not about glamor or power or wealth, it's about serving the people, and working very hard at it. You have to be passionate about your people, and committed, and willing to be the medium shared by many, no kidding. March 8 marked my first voting experience and frankly speaking, my vote is base on the quality and eligibility of the candidates, no party preference. Politik di Malaysia adalah bersifat tempatan, wakil rakyat adalah wakil, suara kepada rakyat, ketua yang rakyat percaya mampu menjaga kebajikan, menyelamatkan serta membawa mereka ke arah yang lebih baik. Lain tempat, lain caranya, bandar lain, kampung lain. Quoting a friend of mine, Jacq ;
"The area that I stay, was won by the opposition. The past three nights were like new-year celebration. Even though the people vote for them..it is not because the people supports the opposition, it is plainly because they no longer want to support the current system they have been in after so many years. Hilarious isn't it.." Undoubtedly the people have spoken and the existing government should have learned a lesson of an inestimable value. Several factors as discussed by many, contributed to the so-called tsunami of the latest GE, and one of them is the internal conflicts in UMNO itself. Some deserve to lose but great leaders like Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Dr Awang Adek and several more who lost their seats due to hatred towards the top leaders of BN, not to them personally, is to me was such a waste.
Post GE, comes Pemilihan UMNO Bahagian, where things would get even uglier (remember the Mona Fendy case?!). Some say that this phase of election is much important and bigger than GE itself, provided that BN had won the Dun and Parliament seats beforehand. Ketua UMNO Bahagian plays an important role for candidates placement during elections and what not. Then there'd be several more elections before the presidential election of UMNO. Internal elections are vital in ensuring the integrity of parties and alliances.
I grew up politically conscious(?!) and aware(whether I want to or not) of our political and democracy systems, functions, history and what not. One side of the family is pretty much divided between PAS and UMNO, majority with the latter. On the other side, I have been introduced and exposed to PKR ever since its early stage of formation in 1998. Laungan REFORMASI sememangnya tidak asing lagi pada kami, sudah menjadi halwa telinga pada ketika itu. Memang rojak. Tu belum campur the Chinese side of family yet. Rojak, is what Malaysia is all about. We gained independence from the alliance of multi races of Malaya, together developing Malaysia into a new era, together, as Malaysians. That is why it sadden me to core when the racial cards were being played during the last GE, to toy with people's emotion and aggravate racism.
The common ground is bangsa Malaysia. What most people don't realize is how difficult it is to form alliances, moreover to lead a country of multi races and ethnic backgrounds. From Wikipedia; "The population as of February 2007 is 26.6 million consisting of 62% Malays, 24% Chinese, 8% Indians, with other minorities and indigenous peoples (Dept of Stats. Malaysia)". Malays forms the majority but still outperformed by the rest. I personally think that the special rights for Bumiputra shouldn't be totally abolished but rather improvised, and ensure its implementation caters to those in need, not those with connections. It is proven that even with all the special rights, the Bumiputras in percentage are still way behind the Chinese and Indians in several aspects, kurang daya saing mungkin, sebab asyik diberi subsidi?! Still, they need to be paid a little extra attention than the rest, especially those in rural areas and the Orang Asli.
Hopefully all differences would be resolved in time, between new alliances, between existing Alliance(Parti Perikatan) and between the states and federal government, for Malaysians best interest. Ramai orang yang berkata, duit dan kuasa punca banyak dosa. Jangan sampai makan rasuah, nanti bangsa dan negara jadi musnah.
March 02, 2008
Jan Tag
Tagged by Fiezan the Kak Jan, so here goes;
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.
Chris March of Project Runway 4. He made dresses out of real human hair!!! (episode 13).
2. What were you doing at 0800?
Still sleeping.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Watching Project Runway Season 4, episode 13
4. What happened to you in 2006?
Have to check my journals. Quite an unproductive year I think.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
"Fierce!!", imitating Christian of Project Runway 4.
6. How many beverages did you have today?
Plain water, sirap limau, Nadiah's iced coffee, Earl Grey Tea, Iced Milo. Five.
7. What color is your hairbrush?
Brown, from Bodyshop, FSC 100%, I don't know what that means ~shrug.
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
Iced Milo .
9. Where were you last night?
Cineleisure.
10. What color is your front door?
Brown (adakah soalan2 akan terus sebegini?!! ~faint)
11. Where do you keep your change?
My new army camouflage wallet, my friends would think it's ugly but I'm so liking it, wee!
12. What’s the weather like today?
It rained. Nama saya Rain.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Chocolate of course!
14. What excites you?
SURVIVOR, beaches, good songs, good movie, dance performance by Ramli Ibrahim; so many other things. Current excitement to my almost non-existing life; Project Runway season 4. Finale's coming up!
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
Yes. I was thinking of cutting it myself but..
16. Are you over the age of 25?
Not yet!! :p
17. Do you talk a lot?
When I feel like it, or when I don't feel like it but was high on sugar, or caffeine, or plain hungry
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
I watched a couple of episodes, didn't really like it. Mischa is Hot though :D
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Steven Gerard, haha! Nope. Eh no wait, ya, one of the supervisor in college, Steven ape tah.
20. Do you make up your own words?
In high school, we created or inherited lots of made-up words like gell, Salbonch, boston, beng beng, sanggam, etc.
Fakedodadeeyyyyyy
21.Are you a jealous person?
I am jealous of Bill Gates and Tun Mahathir, and Tommy Lee, and anyone who could swim, play the guitar or paint really really well.
I am also jealous of the US Citizens because they are eligible to join the PEACE CORP, qualify for SURVIVOR and get to actually see and listen to OBAMA in person.
I am extremely jealous of those who had been to Woodstock, been in the 70's, or get to meet Lennon before he died.
I envy those who can do this (see photo below)
1. Name one person who made you laugh last night.
Chris March of Project Runway 4. He made dresses out of real human hair!!! (episode 13).
2. What were you doing at 0800?
Still sleeping.
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago?
Watching Project Runway Season 4, episode 13
4. What happened to you in 2006?
Have to check my journals. Quite an unproductive year I think.
5. What was the last thing you said out loud?
"Fierce!!", imitating Christian of Project Runway 4.
6. How many beverages did you have today?
Plain water, sirap limau, Nadiah's iced coffee, Earl Grey Tea, Iced Milo. Five.
7. What color is your hairbrush?
Brown, from Bodyshop, FSC 100%, I don't know what that means ~shrug.
8. What was the last thing you paid for?
Iced Milo .
9. Where were you last night?
Cineleisure.
10. What color is your front door?
Brown (adakah soalan2 akan terus sebegini?!! ~faint)
11. Where do you keep your change?
My new army camouflage wallet, my friends would think it's ugly but I'm so liking it, wee!
12. What’s the weather like today?
It rained. Nama saya Rain.
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor?
Chocolate of course!
14. What excites you?
SURVIVOR, beaches, good songs, good movie, dance performance by Ramli Ibrahim; so many other things. Current excitement to my almost non-existing life; Project Runway season 4. Finale's coming up!
15. Do you want to cut your hair?
Yes. I was thinking of cutting it myself but..
16. Are you over the age of 25?
Not yet!! :p
17. Do you talk a lot?
When I feel like it, or when I don't feel like it but was high on sugar, or caffeine, or plain hungry
18. Do you watch the O.C.?
I watched a couple of episodes, didn't really like it. Mischa is Hot though :D
19. Do you know anyone named Steven?
Steven Gerard, haha! Nope. Eh no wait, ya, one of the supervisor in college, Steven ape tah.
20. Do you make up your own words?
In high school, we created or inherited lots of made-up words like gell, Salbonch, boston, beng beng, sanggam, etc.
Fakedodadeeyyyyyy
21.Are you a jealous person?
I am jealous of Bill Gates and Tun Mahathir, and Tommy Lee, and anyone who could swim, play the guitar or paint really really well.
I am also jealous of the US Citizens because they are eligible to join the PEACE CORP, qualify for SURVIVOR and get to actually see and listen to OBAMA in person.
I am extremely jealous of those who had been to Woodstock, been in the 70's, or get to meet Lennon before he died.
I envy those who can do this (see photo below)
Frosti of Survivor China
Dan banyak lagi, dah malas dah nak tulis.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’.
Aiza Morat.
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’.
Katak Koil.
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list?
Jibeng. She called to inform that she'd bought a new kitten in addition to the Maine coon she's already having, yay!
25. What does the last text message you received say?
"Portabella Mushroom, jgn lupa copy pictures hen's party! Aku panic esok awal jell!!". Baik Nadiah!
26. Do you chew on your straw?
Always! Bad habit, I know.
27. Do you have curly hair?
Wavy. Curly when's not brushed.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to?
Tomorrow, I'm off to Muar for Zack's wedding
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life?
She'd like to remain anonymous.
30. What was the last thing you ate?
Chocolate Cheesecake from Secret Recipe
31. Will you get married in the future?
Insya Allah, bila sampai seru, amin :D
32.What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks?
I watched two movies ; Jumper and Vantage Point. I must say that both are not bad, not bad at all.
33. Is there anyone you like right now?
Jason Siska of SORVIVOR Micronesia, Rami, Jillian and Christian of Project Runway 4 (tamak kan nak suka banyak2. Ke tak menjawab soalan?!! hmm..)
34. When was the last time you did the dishes?
Yesterday. Basuh seketul cawan.
35. Are you currently depressed?
Not really.
36. Did you cry today?
No.
37. Why did you answer and post this?
To play along with Kak Jan hehe. Plus I was like, bored BORED you know
38. Tag 5 people who would do this survey.
Shazreen, Faqroul, Asni, Ricet, Kak Waney
. Sekadar mengisi masa lapang.
Good night!
February 28, 2008
peace
"When people speak of great men, they think of men like Napoleon - men of violence. Rarely do they think of peaceful men. But contrast the reception they will receive when they return home from their battles.
Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war.
William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more"
Lord Charles Ford, on William Wilberforce (August 24, 1759 - July 29, 1833), the man behind the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
Go and watch Amazing Grace the movie and be moved by a story of one peaceful man.
I get to watch Vantage Point on the big screen yesterday. Highly entertaining. Reflectively, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth that I had to spit it out - it bothered me the fact that the movie is the 3rd movie I watched this year focusing on terrorist actions by who else, the Muslims. 1st was Rendition, then The Kingdom. Paranoia and obviously, ill-informed, creating a 'state of fear' towards Muslims in general, is all this really necessary?!
During one of the performance night, David Archuleta of American Idol season 7, sang IMAGINE, my ULTIMATE favorite song, one of the greatest ever written too. Lennon was a genius. Lennon was the man, man.
Normal people threw away compassion when they are too busy living. Sometimes they just forgot.
IMAGINE can help you remember the most fundamentals of living, basically those things that matter.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world.
Peace and out.
P/S : February 28, 2008. Happy 26th Birthday Ricet!
Napoleon will arrive in pomp and in power, a man who's achieved the very summit of earthly ambition. And yet his dreams will be haunted by the oppressions of war.
William Wilberforce, however, will return to his family, lay his head on his pillow and remember: the slave trade is no more"
Lord Charles Ford, on William Wilberforce (August 24, 1759 - July 29, 1833), the man behind the passage of the Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
Go and watch Amazing Grace the movie and be moved by a story of one peaceful man.
I get to watch Vantage Point on the big screen yesterday. Highly entertaining. Reflectively, it left me with a bad taste in my mouth that I had to spit it out - it bothered me the fact that the movie is the 3rd movie I watched this year focusing on terrorist actions by who else, the Muslims. 1st was Rendition, then The Kingdom. Paranoia and obviously, ill-informed, creating a 'state of fear' towards Muslims in general, is all this really necessary?!
During one of the performance night, David Archuleta of American Idol season 7, sang IMAGINE, my ULTIMATE favorite song, one of the greatest ever written too. Lennon was a genius. Lennon was the man, man.
Normal people threw away compassion when they are too busy living. Sometimes they just forgot.
IMAGINE can help you remember the most fundamentals of living, basically those things that matter.
Imagine there's no countries
It isn't hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace.
You may say I'm a dreamer
But I'm not the only one
I hope someday you'll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world.
Peace and out.
P/S : February 28, 2008. Happy 26th Birthday Ricet!
February 27, 2008
once upon a time
Sad lion
Conversation" I was having this deer for lunch, one of its bone got stuck in my throat", said the Lion, all teary eyed.
Bone Riddance ProcedureBending down, the Woodpecker fashionably took out the bone that had been sticking out the Lion's throat, putting an end to the Lion's discomfort.
Happy LionAnd they lived happily ever after.
One of the many stories of Buddha I remembered still (sort of) from the walls of Borobudur - a ninth century Buddhist Monument in Central Java. It was a humbling experience, just standing there amidst those ancient ruins, each full of stories of the yester-years, in the form of carved reliefs everywhere.
Courtesy of Mr. Maki, our reliable, flexible, super sporting tourist guide.
Sekian ceritera untuk hari ini =D
January 15, 2008
being human
It's fifteen days into the new year. Happy New Year everyone! Hope you didn't spend your New Year's eve in a traffic jam like me. Oh well, no harm done.
I am officially a nomad. I want and I need to get a place of my own, for just me and my cats (and maybe a cat-sitter). Soon, I hope. A broke beginning due to year end sales all the way from north to down south, this new year holds a promising prospect of going places, literally. South East Asia on a shoestring - a bit too wishful of a thinking considering probationary period at workplace, but still achievable.
The fear of the unknowns - or so people say. Personally I think most of the times it’s what you know that's going to hurt you, not the other way around. I was oblivious of my fear of snakes until I had touched one (selama ni perasan berani, salah rupanya). As for Mom, the anticipation while delivering me into this world was more nerve wrecking than her first time in labour, as she knew for sure how painful it was going to be. What you don't know won't hurt you. So let’s just first try and do anything, everything we've been wanting to do before throwing in the towel and say "No, I'm afraid".
Embarking onto an unknown phase of life, I can say that I am rather blessed to be where I am right now. I think I have grown up a bit, there's a bit of wisdom written on the face (:p), and I have never felt so transparent and true to myself before. Coming of age you might say (sepatutnya time 18-21 tahun, kan? Late bloomer kot, ha!), where you recognized who you truly are, what you aspire to be, where your passion lies; not to just do what others expect you to do. I still have lots of things to figure out, I need guidance and knowledge and skills but hey, life is a learning process, no? As for family and friends, never have my life been a bliss without them being part of it. They have done wonders, just by being there, through my thick and thin, and I can never be more grateful.
On the other hand, people got shot in the heads here in Malaysia, what was that all about?! No more Malaysia aman dan harmoni, budak-budak nak main petang-petang pun tak boleh dah, naseb ada PS2. God I miss the old days.
"The United States spends over $87 billion conducting a war in Iraq while the United Nations estimates that for less than half that amount we could provide clean water, adequate diets, sanitation services, and basic education to every person on the planet" - John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and The Food Revolution. When politics wins over humanity, the subtlety of the situation itself is a sign that there is something very wrong with everything we are today. Why can't we just forget the differences on political preferences, religions and races, and conjoin efforts for the sake of the ultimate race of all; THE HUMAN RACE.
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