It's Time For Change

Corruption. Wastage. Selective persecution by the 'authorities'. Collapsed buildings just recently completed. Cronyism. Nepotism. Murder of a foreign national. Expensive submarine purchase. Ships that were never delivered although additional money has been pumped in. Theft of jet engines, truck and tyres. Illegal takeover of an opposition held state. Court appointed MB put in place. Lighting candles, wearing black and peaceful gatherings are banned. Mansion owners who were not investigated and penalised although reports have been lodged with the anti-corruption agency. And so on and so forth.

We read about all these excesses and persecution daily both in the papers and internet. There's always a bad news almost daily. The news are what sells the papers. However, the papers have been instructed to publish more negative news on the opposition, in order to gain support and funding by their political masters. However, the traditional source of news have declined popularity as the government's voice, as the young and old indulge themselves in 'more accurate' news via blogs and internet news sites. The rakyat's distrust in the traditional media have reached the peak. Every little bit of news on the internet is now accepted as the gospel truth, contrary to what's published in the government controlled media. Facebook and Twitter groups are trying their best to spread the truth and to open the rakyat's eyes to the gross abuses by the dying regime and their conniving partners in crime.

Only those living in the rural areas and the old who don't have access to the internet, are still relying on the traditional media and are prone to being manipulated by what they read and watch on television. The fear propagated by these media is what make the rural folks retain their support for the dying regime. Traditional 'rights' are being snatched from them, these folks are being told. If you vote for the opposition, you will have less rights as a native of the country, they will say. If you want to 'sell' away your traditional rights, go vote the opposition in, and so the propaganda goes on. Do these people know what 'rights' they have and what they do not? Do they ever read the Federal Constitution which guarantees fairness and equality in treatment for all citizens?

Do they not want their fellow citizens to live harmoniously with them and share the same rights as a fellow countryman? Exactly what kind of rights do they expect to retain? The rights to the land they live on or the national reserves which continue to be plundered for a few ringgit? The rights to their special allocated places in tertiary institutions? The rights for 15% discount when purchasing houses even though they're not exactly poor when buying RM200,000 houses? The rights to worship in the houses of worship of only one particular faith, even though they could possibly be the minority in the housing estate? The rights of the privileged few who are guaranteed passes in the tertiary institutions so that they may 'progress' in life but payment of study loans notwithstanding? There are plenty of study loan defaulters out there who have good paying jobs but are reluctant to settle their debts due to an inefficient collection system. Even Datuks and Datins are amongst those who default on their study loans without nary an action taken against them in an effort to recover the debt.

As we mature politically as citizens of this beautiful country, we should allow mediocrity rule our thoughts. We have been cheated for 52 years by the regime who's main concern is to enrich themselves through dubious schemes and projects at the expense of the taxpayers. What have taxpayers benefited from the schemes and projects, but to witness the collapse of the structures that were only completed just recently? Where's the accountability of the authorities entrusted to ensure our money is well spent? Why are the excesses allowed to happen? Isn't there any monitoring body to guard the nation's wealth, making sure that the money is well spent? As far as the rakyat can see, projects are only awarded to cronies and family members of an elite few. Is this the only reason why politicians become politicians? The power to award projects, corrupts absolutely when there's no open tender to select suitable companies among the many. Even though transparency has been touted by the Prime Minister, the rakyat can see that it's merely hot air without a desire to really ensure transparency in the award of contracts, amongst others.

Do we accept mediocrity in the management of this country? Do we want to see our nation's resources get plundered for the wealth of an elite few? In the East, the virgin jungle has been raped for years, for the elite few to accumulate sinful wealth at the expense of the rakyat. Electricity and water supply has been wanting in the rural areas. Areas where villages are only accessible by boat or helicopter. Isn't it a wonder that after 52 years of plunder, the poor aborigines or the real natives of the country, continue to live in abject poverty? Children have to walk at least 3 hours across mountainous ranges just to attend school whilst others have to suffer the risk of 2 hours travel by boat. Why aren't the basic necessities provided after all these years?

It's time for change and the tide of change is riding high on the waves of public support. It's time to reject the mediocrity that has been forced upon us for thus long. We can do our part in this 'change' by first ensuring that we're registered voters. Go to the post office or the Rocket Cafe to register yourselves over a cup of coffee. It is our right as a citizen of this country, to vote. Do not allow yourselves to be a fence sitter. Every vote counts and we should ensure that the tsunami of March 2008 have greater force in the coming general elections. I'm betting on it being held in April/May next year. By the way, it takes 4 months from the time you apply, to becoming a full fledged voter in the system. Don't waste any more time. Don't waste the precious opportunity to take part in this change. Federal control is essential to access the already dwindling funds due to mismanagement of the country. We need to save what's left. Vote and ensure that your vote counts in making this country a better place, where Competency, Accountability and Transparency rules. Please vote for change! Thank you.

Life's Direction - Who's Responsibility?

Right or left? Stop or go ahead? Beat the red lights or follow the traffic rules? Overtake or be overtaken? Slow down or speed up? Employ the brakes when going downhill or make use of low gears to slowly traverse down to lowland? Questions after questions arise as we trudge on the daily grind of what we call LIFE.

While there are rules that have been created to guide us in making the above decisions, it is ultimately up to ourselves to decide for ourselves as only we are responsible for ourselves. Right or left? Well, it depends on where we're heading. If we had turned right when it should've been left, it's not really a big problem as we can still slow down and make the appropriate correction to head towards the correct direction by making a U-turn.

Precious time will be lost, especially if we're attending an interview or meeting a client for discussions. That's without question. However, rather than continue to head towards the wronged direction, it's wiser to make the U-turn and then try to make up on lost time. It is futile to continue to head in the wrong direction in the hope that it will somehow lead to the correct path. And only you, the one behind the driver's wheel can make that decision to correct yourself. There's no one to honk at you to tell you that you took the wrong path, for only you know the true path towards where you're heading.

To overtake or be overtaken? What are the stakes here? If you encounter a slow vehicle ahead, you can make the decision to activate the indicator lights and proceed to overtake the vehicle, provided that there's no oncoming traffic to hinder your safe cutting in front of the slow vehicle. It's your choice to overtake. Likewise, it is also your choice to let yourself be overtaken. If you're already driving at the maximum legal speed limit, allow other impatient drivers to overtake you. Again, activate the indicator lights and move to the left. There's no harm in allowing this. Do not let ego or pride prevent you from making a wise decision to be overtaken.

In LIFE, it is sometimes wiser to let yourself be overtaken rather than competing with the other party in a meaningless competition that will surely end in tragedy should both cars meet with an accident. In LIFE, we should ask ourselves what's the hurry to get to the destination. Whether slow or fast, we're going to reach it anyway, right? Provided that there's nothing to end that path abruptly. But we wouldn't know, won't we? If we decide to overtake, make sure that there's no obstacle ahead. Always ensure that no one is injured or hurt if we decide to overtake. Likewise, it is our responsibility to allow those who overtake, a safe passage too. Slow down instead of speeding up and allow that driver to cut in safely in front of you. It is the wisest and more appropriate thing to do since we're sharing a common road.

When we're heading down a hill, do you have a bad habit of relying too much on the brakes to slow down your vehicle before taking the corner? Do you realise that if the hydraulic fluid overheats due to constant use of the brakes, the brakes may fail to work as the fluid boils? Can you then, slow down the vehicle still? At this time, it is better to stop the vehicle and let the fluid cool down a little before proceeding with the journey. Well, only you can decide whether to use the brakes constantly or employ the low gears in tackling the tricky downhill situation.

If you're too negative in your view of life and its challenges or in your workplace, you're actually applying brakes to your progress in both your LIFE and employment career. Think of it - what advantage do you get when you're obstinately negative? There's more disadvantages than advantages to this poor outlook in LIFE. On the contrary, if you employ the gears to slow down the vehicle, it is akin to making the appropriate decision to either slow down or step back momentarily to view the problem on a macro level and then tackling the problem in the appropriate manner. This way, you won't be 'overheated' with your problem but instead, you would be in a better position to overcome the challenges faced. Having a positive outlook in LIFE is essential to ensuring that you're capable to face the onslaughts of living through this challenging LIFE.

All being said, you have to make many, many decisions in LIFE. People around you can either give you the appropriate nudge to get you back on the right path if you decide to stray, or they can also lead you astray at the same time. The choice of making the right decision lies with you and only you alone. So, make sure that you equip yourself with the knowledge on what's right or wrong and continue to built on your own values as you progress. Do not trust others too easily, but don't distrust others extremely at the same time. We were given this gift of Thought, so make full use of it and may it steer you in the right direction. Carpe diem!

Working With Idiots Can Kill You

Work, work, work. Who doesn't work at all? Everyone needs to work in some way or other to earn a living. Some may hawk their wares in night markets, some may hawk their fare in hawker centres or food courts, some may apply their designing ability in constructing beautiful homes or offices, some may apply their engineering knowledge in producing computer microchips, etc. The choice of occupations are myriad and only the natural creative ability of humans limits what can be done or made in this world of many opportunities.

Working with people can suffer you with idiots who continue to irritate you with their silly actions. However, working for yourself can also subject you to idiots for you will always have to depend on someone else to carry out some part of your job. Both ways, idiots will continue to ruin your working life if you choose to let the chapter continue to run its course. Would you prefer to do something about it or choose to turn a blind eye towards it? To suffer or to ignore, that's the question.

One can choose to take action by aggressively pursuing these idiots to their wits end. One can choose to live with the idiot's actions. But the issue here will be - which path will lead to a more comfortable life for yourself. Forget about the other party - it's your own life and health which is more important. In this dog-eat-dog world, survival in the corporate world is more important than anything else. Who will love yourself if not yourself?

Let's picture this scenario - continue to let yourself be affected by the actions of this idiot. One day, two day, three days, and by the fourth day you decide to live with the antics of this idiot. No matter what, you tell yourself that you can tolerate the idiocy in spite of the effects it has on your mental health and consequently, it will take a toll on your body as your blood pressure and stress levels increases every time the idiot carries out his antics. A recent study showed that working with idiots can kill you. I believe it's true. Heart attack kills, if stroke doesn't.

Or...you can take action to tell off the person and make your stand on how working colleagues should treat each other and then after that, consider that person 'invicible' in your daily life. Will you experience a better work life after this? Definitely. For you have taken control of your life and will not let anyone take away the joy of living from you. Clowning around is the way should be lived. Life shouldn't be too serious. In the end, you'd still die whether you choose to ignore or tolerate the idiots. But isn't it better to be die a happy person? Being selfish for yourself doesn't sound too good morally, but if you don't love yourself, who will?

The work environment should be filled with happiness and satisfaction. Happiness because you know that you're among friends and the good relationships go a long way towards ensuring that you'd have a satisfactory career because everyone is basically helping and supporting each other to ensure success in every work opportunity. Is this heaven or hell? Who will determine it? It's really yourself to decide whether the work environment is heaven or hell for yourself. What you do goes a long way to ensure a heavenly work environment. Who would want to go to work, dreading the moment each morning? Would you rather wake up in the morning, anxious to go to work and meet friends? Or would you rather wake up with hesitation, dreading the chore of going to work to earn a living to pay off the house or car?

I'd say take a decision to be happy and consider these idiots to be invicible and that nothing they do can destroy your beautiful day. Let the idiots suffer by themselves when no one longer pays any attention to them, while we go round our daily tasks with exuberance and anticipation. By treating the idiots as invicible, you've already taken a decision to be happy with life. Life's too short for you to let these idiots ruin your day. It's always better to have more friends, so concentrate on having more friends and more friends, for it's a joy to be working among friends. Idiots always are in the minority. Once they see that they no longer command any attention for their idiocy, they'd relent and hide in one corner and slowly, they'd fade way into nothingness for they no longer see any future working in an environment hostile to them. I choose to be happy and so can you. Enjoy yourself in the circle of life because if you spread cheer, you'll get cheer in return. Cheers!

Thailand - The Land Which Buddhism Reigns Mighty

When someone mentions Thailand, what images or impressions might the word conjure? A few words immediately comes to mind e.g massage, wats (temples), tuk-tuk vehicles, polite manners, tomyum, good food, etc. These few words are so synonymous with the country that if a visitor fails to grasp these few impressions, it would've been a futile visit to the country of smile and politeness.

I was there for three (3) days last week on a business trip to explore the running of a few ports. Staying along Rama IV, opposite Lumphini Park, is not really a nice spot. It was located smack in the middle of chronic traffic congestion. However, a call for taxi was immediately served within minutes. How efficient they are. It's just a call away even though traffic was snarling.

I never cease to be amazed at the cleanliness level of the whole of Bangkok and its immediate surrounding areas. Even though some of the buildings may be old, it's only covered with moss which grew over time in damp areas. However, there's nary a plastic or pieces of unwanted paper lying strewn on the road and passageways. Perhaps being a majority Buddhist country helped to nurture this discipline of cleanliness. Even it's public toilets are spotless. I'm sure many of those who've visited the country's capital can attest to this.

Peaceful the town of Bangkok was during my visit. Even though the politics wasn't favourable to Thaksin, the people of Thailand were not violently protesting the rule of Abhisit. The days of early protest were over and I can still hear praises of Thaksin even as he continues to live in self-exile. From the support from the poor and the football fans when he acquired Manchester United, the great man continues to live on as a legend, the white elephant of ordinary Thais. The mere mention of the word Thaksin brings smile to the people as they recall his efforts to help the poor rise above their poverty.

The streets opposite Siam Paragon were a hive of business activity. From street peddlars hawking food, to street performers busking for a bit of change, to transport providers aka tuk-tuk waiting by the roadside, to people buying lotteries in the hope of striking and subsequently obtaining a richer future...they mind their own business as each goes about their daily activities, in the hustle and bustle of city life. I should be ashamed at the lack of creativeness of the Malaysians in doing business. In between buildings, the streets were converted into little restaurants with both eastern and western fare on offer. Proper chairs and tables which are normally found in restaurants found their way into these cramped 'lorongs'. If one doesn't look at both ends of the alley, one would have imagined oneself to be in a comfortable but cramped restaurant. You have to see it to believe it.

The cost transport is phenomenal compared to what we pay here in Malaysia. Fuel price ranges from Bt21.79 to Bt41.30 which is equivalent to about RM2.18 to RM4.13. Even as we complain of paying a high price for fuel at RM1.80 for RON95 and RM2.05 for RON97, we should consider the suffering of the Thais as they battle the high cost of transport in their country, even though they don't produce fuel and therefore, suffer the high cost of purchasing the carbon energy to run their mechanised vehicles. But they're not the complaining type. They'll simply find a way to reduce their fuel consumption. Tuk-tuk drivers often switch off their engines at intersections as they await the change in traffic lights. Complaining and grumbling is not their cup of tea.

Being devout Buddhists, they'd rather live with it and consider it as one of the challenges in life and one must accept it and get on with life. It's part of the cycle of karma where one keeps on improving in the many lives that each has. I hope to be able to emulate them in this simple philosophy of life and I wish that everyone would do the same and accept that no matter how one well one succeeds in life or how rich one can earn to be, life will still end but how it ends will depend on how we handle this journey called LIFE...

Is It Natural?

Is it always wonderful to ogle at pretty little things? Or pretty young things, if you prefer. Is it a guy's problem or was this feeling towards the opposite sex created so that we can procreate? Don't ladies also ogle at men? Especially those who have Bollywood looks? Should we feel guilty about it? Or should we just live with this feeling, towards each other?

I was at this photo shoot event organised by Nikon, held at MidValley Megamall last Saturday. There were plenty of photographers, both amateurs and 'professionals'. They can both be differentiated by the equipment that they carried. D40 was the choice for beginners whilst D90 and D700 and super long lens were choice of the 'professionals'. Really, some of their lenses were so long that I thought they brought canons to this show. And of course, there were those with the all too familiar white and black bands on the lenses, characteristic of Canon lenses. But this show was for Nikon to show its best. But we don't mind 'outsiders' into our event. After all, Nikon has informed in its rules and regulations, that photos taken with any brand of camera will do.

Should photographers ogle at the ladies too? Who knows what goes on in the minds of those who peek through the tiny viewfinder of the camera? As we busy ourselves with clicking the 'right' shots amongst the zillions of shots, should we also take time off to ogle at the ladies through the viewfinder? Perhaps some of us were really concentrating on the shoot, whilst some may have some other ideas. There were those who were obviously oggling, for the stood near the stage without a camera of any kind. Why should they block the view if they're not participating in the contest? Aren't they a selfish lot?

For every model who strutted their stuff on stage, there could've been easily a thousand shots taken each round, as each camera was capable of at least 7 fps. For those without a mean looking external flash unit, they could 'hop on' to the flashes that were emitted by others. And if they were lucky, they can have the correctly exposed shot at another's expense. But that's life. Not everyone could afford a mean looking flash, so they had to make do with what they have. It's not that there's a lacking of flash units. There were plenty to go around, as some of the participants took it as a platform to show off their equipment.

Back to the subject of oggling. I suppose we could do both at the same time. Oggling while striving to get a good shot. It is by oggling that we make use of our internal instincts to decide the best shot when the model struts and twists her pencil thin body on stage. As we ogle, we can also choose and select which part to ogle and perhaps get another best shot? Some would take full bodies shots whilst some would take upper bodies. Not because we chose to, but out of necessity as the place in front and sides of the stage is filled with budding photographers who are trying their luck to get a break in the photography world.

No, there's nothing wrong with oggling. I don't think so anyway. Oggling is what we were created and designed for. We get to choose what we want and shoot what we think deserves to be shot. After all, the ladies were hired to strut their stuff and be oggled at. It's part of their job. They should understand that their nature of job requires them to be oggled at. They would feel flattered that they are being oggled, for the attention that they're getting. Definitely there will be more contests for us and definitely I'll be there if I can make it. Thank you, Nikon, for organising the event. For us to ogle and also to practise our photography theory and skills.

Leading A Peaceful Life

Sounds simple, right? I mean, how difficult can it be to lead a peaceful life? Is peace as elusive as some make it out to be? Was 'peace' created as a marketing tool for those offering courses to teach us how to find 'peace' wherever we are, whatever state of mental health we're in?

Could a peaceful life be 'found'? Or is it up to ourselves to find peace with ourselves, in whatever environment we're in? Do we expect others to create a peaceful life or do we make an effort to make our lives a better one? Are we the captains of our lives? Or do we always want others to show the way and take the easy way out than putting in some effort to find peace?

Could we just turn a blind eye to our surroundings in our endeavour to find peace? If we see a fight at the carpark, most probably caused by someone sneeking into a parking spot or someone accidentally causing a dent in another's car, do we have the moral guts to step in and interfere in the argument, so that the aggrieved parties are able to shake hands at the end of it? Are we afraid of the negative consequences so much so that we choose to look the other way and achieve a 'peaceful' life?

If we see a crippled beggar at the local pasar malam, should we feel pity for him/her and place a few dollars into the collecting tin? Or do we consider him/her part of a syndicate and walk away, knowing that the syndicate will 'take care' of them, if we choose not to donate some money? Will we feel better by placing a few coins into the tin? Is the money used to placate our feelings of guilt or do we donate sincerely, in the hope that the few coins or dollars collected will go a long way to provide a better life for the beggar? Should we look at disdain at those who only place a few coins into the container? If a rich person only donates RM1.00, are we going to look at him/her cynically, knowing that he/she could've afforded a lot more RM1.00 for the crippled beggar? Can peace be bought?

Life is full of complex considerations. One man's meat may be another's poison. If a person goes forth to spread happiness and cheer to the world, one might think that the person has ulterior motives. Maybe the person is selling happiness and cheer. Is Santa Claus real? Is there such generous people in this world? Yes, there are. But few, they are. However, it is sufficient that these few exist, to spread as much happiness and cheer to the world as possibly can. Is such person sane? Will we be afraid of such happy and cheerful person? Is he psychotic?

Is it easier to be happy or sad? It has been said that less facial muscles are used to laugh than to frown. So should we laugh all the time? No, but smile more often. Those who laugh more are more healthier, both spiritually and physically. Laughter is infectious. Find every reason to laugh. It's easy. I was attending a funeral wake near my house. While the chanting session was in process, I noticed that a neighbour had in his arms a mat and pillow. Isn't that hilarious? I mean, the prayer was in session and the neighbour could've decided that enough is enough, and that he's moving out to find some peace and quiet, knowing that prayer chantings would last at least three days? Almost everyone else who attended this funeral wake was cheerful and none were too sad. Isn't it good for the deceased, knowing that her passing didn't bring sadness to those closest to her? Looking more than 85 years old, she would have wished for happiness for those close to her and she'd moved on peacefully.

Leading a peaceful life is not too difficult. Choose to spread happiness and cheer and peace will come to you. Do to others the way you want others to do to you. We'e heard this advice umpteen times and should put it into practise than just let it remain in theory. Go to a quiet place to contemplate on Life and seek peace in life. It's easier than you think and you'd be better for it. I'm going to choose to be happy and spread cheer to everyone I know. How about you? May you lead a peaceful life...

The Sawah Padi

What can a padi field be associated with? Padi, of course. Besides that, there's the mud that helps to contain water so that the padi can obtain nourishment from its roots. Then, there's the rustling of the padi stalks as the breeze coazes it to gently sway left and right like dancing to the rhythm of music. The beating of the padi stalk against the wooden drums as the farmers attempt to separate the rice from the stalks. Rump! Rump! Rump! The farmers seem to be lost in their own pace as each other compete to complete their tasks before the sun sets, with the sun's rays beating on their well worn bodies.

Ladies in straw hats bent down as they plant the padi using the traditional 'kuku kambing' to ease each stalk into the mud in a systematic manner and in neat rows. This has since been replaced with the mechanisation of the padi planting process, with the machines being towed by tractors as the machine steadily and quickly inserts the padi into the soil. Productivity increases as the farmers are now able to cover a much larger area since the padi planting process has been speeded up significantly.

The padi will be left to mature over the next 6 months or so. With plenty of water around, fishes begin their life in the padi field as thousands of eggs hatch over time. Catching fish is sport in the padi field with the 'keli' variety outsurviving the other fishes as the fields dry up over time as the padi matures. Catch a few and place them in our little aquarium as we watch them with excitement over our catch. It won't survive long in this environment because it's habitat is in the muddy padi field.

Being bitten by leeches is also another aspect of fun in the padi field, as we traverse along the raised bunds that separates each padi plot in our endeavour to catch fish. The leech sticks to our legs, increases its grip on our skin as it attempts to suck my blood. A dash of salt would save the day, as it falls off onto the ground due to its adverse reaction to the salinity of the salt. Out comes my magnifying glass as I concentrate the sun's rays onto the leach, to see how much it can tolerate before burning up. Yes, that cruel I am and leeches are not the only objects that get burned under my magnifying glass.

As the padi matures, the whole padi field will be painted by golden yellow hues. The much stiffer stalks that has aged, will give out a soothing rustling sound as it sways in the wind. Images of kite flying now floods the memories as I recall my growing up years with the padi field in front of my house. No, I don't own the padi field. It's someone else's. After the rice has been collected and the dried stalks accumulated in heaps all over the dried padi field, I prepare my eagle shaped fabric kite ready to fly it. My brothers would take turns to run in a few attempts to launch the kite up into the sky. Then, the eagle kite will soar in the wind as it pretends to be a real eagle.

These are my memories of the padi field that has since been replaced with a housing development project. I am a kampung boy at heart and it pains me to see the padi fields slowly being replaced with houses. No doubt, we need more houses as the population grows but couldn't they be sited somewhere else? The padi field was on prime land, therefore it had to make way. In a year's time, I can only expect to see houses where the padi field used to be, in front of my house. I only have a few photographs to remind me of how it used to look like. Film being expensive to develop and print in those days, these few photographs are the only proof of the legacy of the space in front of my house. I will now retreat to dreamland... as I recall my adventures in the padi field as I was growing up.

The Setting Sun

Humans have always been fascinated with sunrises and sunsets. What's the reason, I wonder? Is it because of the sun's rays as it casts its light onto Mother Earth? Is it because of the way shadows are formed when objects are blocking it's rays. Or is because of the warm hues of the sunlight that generates a kind of warmth that touches the humans' hearts as they view the sunrises and sunsets?

Or maybe sunrises and sunrises represent the beginning and the end of life? As the sun rises, it gives energy and food for all living things, humans and plants alike. In so doing, it gives life to all things living. As the sun shines brighter, we can witness the animals and insects get busy forraging for food for their daily sustenance. Bees getting their honey from the flowers' stigmas, ants heaving food 30 times their weight as they soldier on throughout the day, humans of every creed working hard to put food on their table, mother birds feeding their young with worms caught in the early morning, and other types of animals who regurgitate to feed their young. Life is so wonderful, isn't it?

As the day extends into the evening, the sun set represents the later stage in life. Where the young get older and the elder one expire into the netherworld. As the sun sets, it casts a warm glow on mankind before succumbing the world to nightfall. It is this warmth of light that continues to fascinate the world of humans and animals. Some may sit in their garden as they appreciate the view that the sunset provides. Animals will return to their nests as they prepare for the next day. As this warm glow continue to fade away into darkness, it represents the end of the day. Humans and animals alike would return to their respective homes and nests and seek some solace in the quiet of night.

For some, it is easy to seek solace in the quiet of night. However, for some, it could be a challenge. New mums and dads would have to take turns to feed the baby, crying out his/her longing for milk to satisfy the hunger pangs. And that is if the dad manages to wake up at all. I'm sure many of you out there can empathise with this scenario. We have gone through it before. On the other hand, some of us may be working the afternoon or starting the night shift. As the body clocks struggles to catch up with the different levels of melatonin in our body in order to synchronise the sleeping hours, the shift workers would suffer insomnia if the body clock cannot somehow adjust to the difference in light levels. And for them, sunsets would not have any meaning for them, but sunrise will.

That's life. There's the ups and there's the downs. Before the sun sets too often and we begin to take it for granted that there's always another day's sunset to catch, we'd better be sober and do our best to do all the things that we wish or hope to do or achieve, and get on achieving the dreams instead of lounging in front of the idiot box that is the bane of technology, and wasting our life away. Before the next sunset, here's another little article about life...

Independence From ... ?

Everybody is wishing each other 'Happy Independence Day'. In two (2) days' time, we'd be celebrating the big day, in comemoration of the historical day. A historical day so important that it's a crime if Malaysians can't remember the day in which we were liberated from British rule in 1957. A crime punishable by the retraction of citizenship perhaps?

Historical aspect aside, Malaysians have encountered many issues that have been bothering the nation as we grow older. Race and religion being the most outstanding issues that continue to trouble us as we hope for a united nation in the country called 'Malaysia'. Why these two subjects continue to be raised every now and then? The reason being that our rights as Malaysians are ultimately associated to who we are. There's certain privileges that certain race enjoys while another race enjoys a stripped down version of the privileges. As we go towards becoming a developed nation, our 'race' should be 'Malaysian'.

Privileges aside, we have encountered race and religion bigotry. Certain groups would go at great lengths to raise issues that would raise the ire of the various race and religions. Take for example, the recent fracas surrounding the relocation of a temple to another residential area. Is there anything criminally wrong for a temple to be sited in a housing estate? Where is the tolerance that has been the constant rhetoric of political parties? If it's wrong to gather with the severed head of a sacred animal to protest the relocation, where are the cops when you need them? Is there a conspiracy between these two parties? Otherwise, why are the cops quick to be present only at People's Alliance's gatherings?

If the people are to be united, could we have housing developers construct places of worship for the three main religions of Malaysia? Could they exist side by side, as illustrated by historical places such as the famous street in Malacca where Buddhist & Hindu temples and a mosque are sited side by side? Could we return to that part in time where the people of various religions lived together harmoniously? Do we need politicians to create disharmony amongst the peace loving rakyat?

Race and religion aside, corruption continues to deny basic rights and justice to the people. It is so endemic that a day without corruption is like something amiss. Businesses need to be 'facilitated', licenses need to be 'facilitated', offence summonses need to be 'settled', etc. Is it possible for a country to be run with minimum corruption? I don't believe it's possible. Even if not requested for, 'gifts' are given as tokens of 'appreciation'. Should only gifts without monetary value be given? Are the government servants and public sector strictly following the various anti-corruption policies? Even the justice system belongs to those who can afford it. Yes, justice can be bought. Yes, that is also corruption.

As we celebrate Independence Day in a muted form this year due to the H1N1 scare, we should reflect on these few critical issues that have continued to strike feelings of disgust in the citizens of Malaysia, and strive towards a country that is free of corruption and racial/religious polemics.

The country should not accept foreigners as citizens just to ensure the political support of oneself. The country will suffer because of the migration of outsiders into this lovely country. There are many things that we should be independent of. When we are liberated one day, then we can truly appreciate the meaning of independence...

This Disease, That Disease...

In today's day and age, it would seem that dieases are aplenty. This disease, that disease. It is very risky to be alive these days. As we struggle to stay alive, we are also exposed to disease every other day. Diseases are very much a part of our daily lives. We cannot avoid meeting DISEASE any day of our staying alive.

The current critical, high risk disease would be the virus A (H1N1). It could well be NH4 or ... No, it can't be. That's the chemical formula for ammonia. Ha! Almost everyone who have been following both the printed and broadcasted media would know what H1N1 is by now. It is otherwise known as swine flu as it originated from the swine.

If previously, we had bird flu, now swine flu is the 'in-thing'. If you haven't been struck by H1N1, you could well be on the way of contracting the deadly disease if you're not careful about your personal hygiene. Surgical masks and alcohol based hand sanitizers are the minimum measures that one can depend upon to avoid contracting the virus. And due to this, greedy business owners are hoarding the limited masks and hoping to strike it rich while their human brethern suffers or dies from the disease.

Diseases are a source of revenue. Why not? For all we know, the disease could have been cultured in the laboratories for the sole purpose of creating vaccines for the disease. Create the disease, create the cure. Get it? Unethical as it may seem, well, that's business. The creator of anti-virus programs are probably the same ones who created the computer viruses in the same place. Business is business. But the business could have been strategically planned in a better way. At least, get the vaccines out in bulk before letting the virus loose.

Why let the virus loose when you're not ready with the vaccine? As a result, the human race is getting sick by the thousands and most probably would be dying by the thousands too. It could be part of someone's grand idea of human population control, for all we know. The world is getting over populated. A scientist once said that for mother earth to recover from the damage caused by humans, 70% of the human race must die. Well, H1N1 could be among the many options avaible to achieve this effect. But does this necessarily make the scientist bad? Remember the atomic bomb? The physicist regretted ever creating the dreaded bomb that killed thousands of Japanese and the effects carried on for a few generations. The scientist is just doing his job to earn his bowl of rice. Good scientists 'created' botox for the benefit of the fairer sex. Good scientists create artificial intelligence to assist the disabled to lead a better life e.g Stephen Hawkins.

What can we ordinary humans do, as we struggle to carry on our lives despite the economic downturn? Well, there's many things we can do. Masks, sanitizers, self quarantine if we're sick, educating the others on how to defend themselves, controlling the price of masks so that the masses can continue to enjoy some degree of protection against the dreaded disease, etc are things that we can do. Continue to do so, as we battle yet another potential epidemic. Humans are known as survivors. Hopefuly, humans will not go down the way of dinosaurs who were exterminated by viruses and bacterias, whose size is a million times smaller than them. Isn't it strange that no matter how powerful humans think they are, it's the little things that can kill them?

Good luck in battling this disease and hope to see you again in my next blog. Take Care.

Little Kitty Cat

I used to have dogs as my friends in my house, when I was growing up. Our first dog was a stray who happened to pass by our house. It was a nice brown dog. After several rounds of food, as it was hungrily roaming around for food, it finally decided to make our house it's home. Home was under the ciku tree. The ciku tree provided shelter for it for about a month after which it 'graduated' into the house. Dad and mum consented to us keeping it upon seeing that we have grown quite attached to it.

The special thing about this brown dog was that it had the capability of de-husking the coconut. The coconut which was collected by our grandfather from the nearby jungle. We had fun watching it struggle as it attempted to de-husk it. If other dogs were contented to play with balls or sticks thrown at it, ours were happy with the coconut. It was still young then, and it's fangs were strong enough for the task.

During the era of the BMX, we had a bike of our own. The brown dog was happy to tow us along, providing kinetic power to propel the bike. Yes, it was that strong. There was no doubt about it. It was so eager to go out and about, that it was willing to drag us along. Of course, we didn't abuse it more than necessary. After a while, we lead it for its daily walk on foot. Other than de-husking coconuts, the brown dog also pulls our bike. Yes, it was that special. Now it lays buried in front of our house for the last 12 years. My, how time flies. But the brown dog will always remain in our memories forever, as we recall all the fun we had together.

Mating season was one busy time for the brown dog we called 'doggie'. It dug below the chain-linked fence to get out to find it's mate as the pheromones permeate the air. As it dug through, it's back was scratched badly by the fence. Nevertheless, it was adamant on going for a few days at time, to look for its mate. It would return after a few days, with its back bloodied and its body smelled as it went without a bath for such long periods of time. But it came back contented that it had achieved its purpose for that season.

The special thing about our house is that even though there's a dog, cats would never fail to drop by our house. They say that dogs would run after the cats. But no, in this 'house of peace', cats and dogs would stay together for meals. Yes, this house was special and till today, cats continue to come uninvited. It could be due to the aura of the house. Animals thrive in our house, amongst the many plants that we have in our bungalow garden. Ciku, cocoa, starfruit, sugarcane, nangka (jack fruit), 3 types of mango trees, guava, pomelo and custard apple. Yes, our house had those trees and also including a patch at the back where grandfather used to plant vegetables for our daily needs. Yes, we were quite self sufficient. But hey, let's not stray from "doggie's" story.

As time passed, a female dog decided to make our home it's choice of stay. And so, it stayed on and gave us two generations of off-springs. Yes, it was noisy as the puppies yelped through the night as they were kept in the cages. We had to dispose a few by 're-designating' their homes to the housing estate a few kilometres away. Thankfully, they did not find their way back. But if we went to look for them, they could still recognise us. They were 'adopted' by kind people there and we were grateful for that.

The last of the generation left us about 8 years ago. The house doesn't feel the same anymore, without the barking of the dogs. Yes, we miss those days where dogs and cats roam freely in our house. The house has been very quite quiet comparatively. However, cats still come to our house and this is the kitten which came from nowhere. We're happy to let it roam our house and feeding it became the normal routine. Things will never be the same again as we reflect on time past when we were younger and had our hands full 'bringing up' the dogs.

Perhaps we'll never keep dogs anymore in the near future, as the emotional burden is too great to bear. It's like family members who have 'passed away' as we grow older in age. Nothing lasts forever, and we have to accept there. So, appreciate what you already have and savour the moment, because all of it will be taken away from us one day. Till the next blog, I'd say 'hey doggie, you will always be remembered ... ' and may you continue to live happily in the afterlife and may we meet again one day.

The Adults Of Tomorrow

Children - the beginning of innocence as they walk through the journey into being adults. Children - the innocent beings who are subjected to differing experiences as they grow up in different environments. Children - who may grow up one day to be our future leaders ... or criminals.

The innocent joy of them being captured on film - it reflects their innocence in life. They laugh without hesitation, devoid of pre-judgement of people around them. If they are happy, they are happy. If they are sad, they are sad. There's no two ways about it and that is the beauty of innocence.

In the colours of red and white, which are the colours of our national flag, they dress appropriately for the occassion. The event was a colouring contest held as an activity as we near the birth-date of our country's independence from the British. They may or may not know or understand the significance of the colours they are wearing. They are innocent.

However, what has happened in the last two days is unimaginable. Kids were were detained for taking part in the anti-ISA march on 1st August, 2009 (Saturday). They were there because their parents were there. Onlookers they were, as they were innocent victims of the law. It is imperative that they are released immediately and the learned court judge must quickly address the negative-ness that will prevail should he fail to ensure their release by tomorrow, for they are under-aged victims of the law. Do not subject them to adult law for they are children. There's no law to punish children for taking part in a street protest. Do not hold them any longer.

Children who have the intelligence to grow into proper thinking adults. They must not be stained by the activities inside the prison cell. They must not be amongst drug addicts and other kinds of criminals as they await their release. However, the action of the police have firmed up their belief - that they must go against the unnatural justice. In the streets, they witnessed for themselves the solidarity of the various races, as they march together in their call for the abolishment of the draconian ISA. They may or may not understand the significance or even the meaning of the Internal Security Act, let alone read the contents of this piece of legislation. But by seeing so many people voicing their discontent about this unfair law which is mainly used against the opposition members, the kids would have formed their thoughts and made up their mind on who is right and who is wrong.

They saw for themselves how the citizens of Malaysia were bombarded with tear gas and shot with chemical laced water cannon, as they were preparing to disperse after the organisers had announced that the street protests were over. The police moved in because they were prevented earlier, by the huge crowd. It's clearly an act of over agression on the part of the police because the crowd did nothing but just to gather to show support for a common cause. They did no harm to anyone and did not damage anything. The businesses were affected because the police had cordoned a major part of the city. They were never really in any danger of losing their business because the crowd is also their potential customers. No, they didn't lose any more money than they do any other day. The shutters were pulled down because the police were shooting chemical laced water at the citizens of Malaysia.

Throughout the internet, photos and updates were fast on the update. The internet, being the more reliable source of information as the people have grown cynical of the mainstream media as they are instructed to publish only positive news about the people who gave them the orders to do so. Children - they are the ones who are fast catching up on the cyberworld and they are absorbing the information fast. It is the children who will be the future voters and they will know who they will choose. Children - do not belittle them because they are little. They will grow into giants one day...

Defending The Country

If a country cannot defend itself, does it indicate a failure of the country? If the country's soldiers are seen in sandals due to the country's limited defence budget, does it mean that it is able to defend itself against external forces? If a country has nuclear weapons, does it mean that it is very capable of defending itself?

Defend against what? Are external forces a bigger threat than those within the country itself? If a country has a lot of natural resources, does it mean that other countries would want to conquer it? If a country has no natural resources, does it mean that nobody will be interested in fighting for its land and people?

Despite the international publicity over the mass media which broadcasts reports of cross border threats, internal crimes are a bigger problem for a country. Theft, rape, robbery, political demonstrations, criminal breach of trust and get-rich-quick scams are some of the common types of crime committed daily. Internal crimes are those that affect the citizens of the country directly. If such crimes are not reduced to an acceptable level where citizens and members of the public feel safe to walk in the streets or their residential areas, does it mean that the authorities aren't doing enough on their part?

What do we, as the country's citizens and members of the public, need to do to make the country safe? Do we just leave it to the police and other uniformed bodies to secure the country against crime? Do we need to take part in making the streets safe? If you see a snatch theft in progress, will you step in to catch the thief and his accomplice? If you hesitate, will it make you less a citizen? If we get hurt in a public arrest, will it stop us from getting involved in future? Ultimately, we have to get involved in crime reduction actively as the country's uniformed forces and governmental agencies lack the manpower to secure the whole country against the crimes committed within.

Don't get involved because he/she is of the same race as you. Get involved because he/she is a fellow Malaysian. Colours and creed are hindrances to a united country. We must be able to see ourselves as Malaysians first and race second. Do not let politicians pollute our minds with their narrow interpretation of racial belonging to the country. We decide together as a proud Malaysian, defending our beloved motherland.

2nd Blog For 1st Day

My first experience with a propeller driven airplane was on 24th July, 2009 (Friday). The plane was Firefly's flight to Kuala Terengganu in the afternoon. It was very noisy on my walk to the airplane, as a nearby plane was getting ready to take-off.

The newly renovated Subang terminal was a sight to behold. It was a refreshing change from the days of the old terminal. I regretted not taking shots of the old terminal during my rare visits there. Those were the days of film camera, when I didn't have the luxury of a digital camera as the technology hadn't existed then.

The plane was slightly more cramped than AirAsia's. The 45 minutes flight was without drama, as I was told that occasionally planes flying at lower altitude experiences air pockets where the airplane will plunge suddenly and cause the stomach to churne. During the short flight, pastry and drinks were served. The flight ended too fast because the plane landed shortly and kudos to the captain for the smooth landing. The view from above Subang was a refreshing change from my usual view from Sepang.

First Blog

There's so many of my friends who have started their own blogs that I'm tempted to try it and see if it's as simple as it looks. So far, so good. The registration process was simple and followed up by inserting this text.