The overcast sky blocked out rays of sunlight; the earth sodden with tears from the sky and the winds were howling with dangerous intent. No, it's not a line from a novel, I don't think so anyway. That was the scene from yesterday night till this morning all over Singapore.
Yeap, it has been raining almost incessantly since last night with almost no dry ground in all of Singapore. It' s pretty normal around this time of year with the monsoon season in full swing. On the way to work this morning, the rain was especially heavy at Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio that no cars dared to breach 100kmh, though a Nissan Sunny did try to cut me off at Lentor Avenue. No, I'm not about to launch into another tirade on errant drivers.
The rains did cause some flash floods around the island and countless water ponding. Think I counted 10 on my route just now. They are particularly dangerous. The heavy rains already cut down visibility, and the pools of water are almost impossible to see. Running over one, even at 50kmh, would cause small cars to wobble, which I experienced first hand. Almost lost control of the car for while there. Thank god I took the advice of my friends and chnaged the stock tyres to something with a little more bite.
I'm pretty sure that the rain is gonna last the whole day and some flooding is to be expected. According to the Met Service, it's gonna be a wet few days to come. I think I should start saving up for a dinghy soon because there are reports that some parts of Malaysia are already under water and even some parts of Singapore though information is rather sketchy.
Let's see what happens next, shall we?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Monday, December 18, 2006
Putting a price on sporting glory
The Asian Games are over. I honestly didn't follow the whole sporting event, except for the badminton singles final match between Taufik Hidayat and Lin Dan. That was a cracker.
Our athletes did well, in fact, it was their biggest ever showing at the Asiads. 8 gold medals. It sounds like a big achievement, but when compared to China's gold medal haul, it's a pittance. Then again, compared to China's geography and population sizes, we are just a speck of dust. That explains the gulf in sporting excellence. Our sailors came back with more than half the gold and congratulations are in order for them for a job well done. Now, setting their sights higher, they are gunning for Olympic medals. All the best to them.
While I do follow sports, especially football, I'm not much of a Games fanatic. Be it SEA Games, Asian Games or Olympics, I've never been one to follow closely, apart from headline skimming. I mean while I love football, I don't give a damn about hockey and while I enjoy badminton, I don't care what happens in volleyball. Quite honestly, I couldn't care less if Singapore came home top of the medal standings or dead last, I only want to know what happened in the marquee events, like the 100m sprint or the football finals.
There's just too much going on in and around the Games to make ignite the interest within me. I mean, medal standing does nothing other than to boost national pride. Looking at it from a layman, what's the use of spending millions of dollars on a few sportsman hoping that they'd bring back gold medals only to reward them some more. Think about it. They spend insane amounts of money to send these elite athletes to overseas tournaments and training stints and at the end of the day, pay them some more when they bring glory to the nation? It's insane isn't it?
The value of sporting achievement and excellence has been eroded to me. In the years of Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong and Junie Sng, I doubt that money was an issue. It was more of their passion for their sport of choice and the love for their country which drove them to excel. It was so simple back then, they had the talent, they had the drive and they had the passion. Nowadays, it's what-do-I-get-in-return-for-committing-my talent-to-the-nation mindset that rules. The payout that the athletes receive for bringing back gold medals could well feed many a family for a whole year.
While I can't deny that the athletes deserve some form of recognition for their services, time, sweat and toil, it's absurd to think that they deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars after the millions spent on their athletic development. I mean, I doubt Ang Peng Siong ever got $250,000 for winning Asian Games Gold or setting the fastest 50m freestyle time in the world in 1982. He would have gotten at least $175,000 for the Asian Gold had the SNOC implemented the award back in 1982. He might even had gotten $1 million if the 50m was included as an Olympic event in 1984. However, I doubt all that meant anything to him then.
Like I mentioned before, while I do agree with recognition being given where it's due, I'm not quite in agreement with putting a financial value to each achievement. Then again, words of thanks are never enough nowadays.
Our athletes did well, in fact, it was their biggest ever showing at the Asiads. 8 gold medals. It sounds like a big achievement, but when compared to China's gold medal haul, it's a pittance. Then again, compared to China's geography and population sizes, we are just a speck of dust. That explains the gulf in sporting excellence. Our sailors came back with more than half the gold and congratulations are in order for them for a job well done. Now, setting their sights higher, they are gunning for Olympic medals. All the best to them.
While I do follow sports, especially football, I'm not much of a Games fanatic. Be it SEA Games, Asian Games or Olympics, I've never been one to follow closely, apart from headline skimming. I mean while I love football, I don't give a damn about hockey and while I enjoy badminton, I don't care what happens in volleyball. Quite honestly, I couldn't care less if Singapore came home top of the medal standings or dead last, I only want to know what happened in the marquee events, like the 100m sprint or the football finals.
There's just too much going on in and around the Games to make ignite the interest within me. I mean, medal standing does nothing other than to boost national pride. Looking at it from a layman, what's the use of spending millions of dollars on a few sportsman hoping that they'd bring back gold medals only to reward them some more. Think about it. They spend insane amounts of money to send these elite athletes to overseas tournaments and training stints and at the end of the day, pay them some more when they bring glory to the nation? It's insane isn't it?
The value of sporting achievement and excellence has been eroded to me. In the years of Fandi Ahmad, Ang Peng Siong and Junie Sng, I doubt that money was an issue. It was more of their passion for their sport of choice and the love for their country which drove them to excel. It was so simple back then, they had the talent, they had the drive and they had the passion. Nowadays, it's what-do-I-get-in-return-for-committing-my talent-to-the-nation mindset that rules. The payout that the athletes receive for bringing back gold medals could well feed many a family for a whole year.
While I can't deny that the athletes deserve some form of recognition for their services, time, sweat and toil, it's absurd to think that they deserve hundreds of thousands of dollars after the millions spent on their athletic development. I mean, I doubt Ang Peng Siong ever got $250,000 for winning Asian Games Gold or setting the fastest 50m freestyle time in the world in 1982. He would have gotten at least $175,000 for the Asian Gold had the SNOC implemented the award back in 1982. He might even had gotten $1 million if the 50m was included as an Olympic event in 1984. However, I doubt all that meant anything to him then.
Like I mentioned before, while I do agree with recognition being given where it's due, I'm not quite in agreement with putting a financial value to each achievement. Then again, words of thanks are never enough nowadays.
Monday, December 11, 2006
My apathy
I remember somewhere in August when I posted something about the Malay community initiative to raise awareness through the Lebih Sexy, Katakan Tidak campaign. That was roughly around the time the campaign was launched. Fairly recently, a press release stated that the campaign has been labelled a success for the awareness it has created.
Personally, I think it's all just wayang. Granted that the campaign is targetted to the youths who are, in a way, uncorrupted as yet, to create that awareness that it ain't cool to be pregnant. Well, that would work if the social framework within which the youths live in. It's always the environment in which we are brought up in that moulds us into the person we are today, though there are the occasional exceptions. If the correct values are instilled into the youths from a young age, there wouldn't be a social problem now would there?
A friend highlighted to me about a blog which she read some time ago where the author, a Malay lady, disses another Malay lady blogger for her shamelessness in blogging about her drinking sessions. As most Malays are Muslims, it's fair to assume that she did commit a sin as drinking is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is pre-marital sex. However, when looking at the author's - the one doing the dissing - profile, I saw pictures of her frolicking with her husband and son, only clad in a bikini, which is also forbidden in Islam.
When highlighted of the fact, she was adamant that there's nothing wrong with wearing a bikini. Herein lies the irony. Here she was dissing someone else of shamelessness while failing to see that she was shameless in her own right. Now, I'm not about to start dissing anyone here, but there's the problem with our Malay community. We try so hard to see the failures of others but fail to see our own failures. While we look upon with disgust at the youths indulging themselves with such vices, we fail to see that we ourselves indulge in other vices. While there is nothing wrong in pointing out the failings of others, we have to be aware of our own shortcomings and mistakes and not just paper over them.
Quite honestly, I do have friends who indulge in such excesses. And I couldn't care less. I have friends who also posted about their wild lives, the parties they were at, the beaches they frolicked in and the drinks they have drunk. While I think it is wrong for them to indulge, I can't force my own beliefs on them. As friends, and as human beings, we are all subjected to the same emotions and moments of weakness, so why should we question what they do?
Apathy? Maybe.
Sometimes it's better to live with the apathy than to poke our noses to where it does not belong. So what if he/she decides to drink their sorrows away or even for the pleasure? So what if he is a womaniser and she is the village bicycle? In the end, it's between them and the Almighty. Like I said before, it's best if we live our lives as we see fit in the hope that we have lived a good life with little regrets and in the knowledge we lived as it has been ordained by Him.
Why bother about what others are doing wrong when we should worry about ourselves and that those closest to us, who share our beliefs, live their lives according to those shared beliefs?
Personally, I think it's all just wayang. Granted that the campaign is targetted to the youths who are, in a way, uncorrupted as yet, to create that awareness that it ain't cool to be pregnant. Well, that would work if the social framework within which the youths live in. It's always the environment in which we are brought up in that moulds us into the person we are today, though there are the occasional exceptions. If the correct values are instilled into the youths from a young age, there wouldn't be a social problem now would there?
A friend highlighted to me about a blog which she read some time ago where the author, a Malay lady, disses another Malay lady blogger for her shamelessness in blogging about her drinking sessions. As most Malays are Muslims, it's fair to assume that she did commit a sin as drinking is strictly forbidden in Islam, as is pre-marital sex. However, when looking at the author's - the one doing the dissing - profile, I saw pictures of her frolicking with her husband and son, only clad in a bikini, which is also forbidden in Islam.
When highlighted of the fact, she was adamant that there's nothing wrong with wearing a bikini. Herein lies the irony. Here she was dissing someone else of shamelessness while failing to see that she was shameless in her own right. Now, I'm not about to start dissing anyone here, but there's the problem with our Malay community. We try so hard to see the failures of others but fail to see our own failures. While we look upon with disgust at the youths indulging themselves with such vices, we fail to see that we ourselves indulge in other vices. While there is nothing wrong in pointing out the failings of others, we have to be aware of our own shortcomings and mistakes and not just paper over them.
Quite honestly, I do have friends who indulge in such excesses. And I couldn't care less. I have friends who also posted about their wild lives, the parties they were at, the beaches they frolicked in and the drinks they have drunk. While I think it is wrong for them to indulge, I can't force my own beliefs on them. As friends, and as human beings, we are all subjected to the same emotions and moments of weakness, so why should we question what they do?
Apathy? Maybe.
Sometimes it's better to live with the apathy than to poke our noses to where it does not belong. So what if he/she decides to drink their sorrows away or even for the pleasure? So what if he is a womaniser and she is the village bicycle? In the end, it's between them and the Almighty. Like I said before, it's best if we live our lives as we see fit in the hope that we have lived a good life with little regrets and in the knowledge we lived as it has been ordained by Him.
Why bother about what others are doing wrong when we should worry about ourselves and that those closest to us, who share our beliefs, live their lives according to those shared beliefs?
Friday, December 08, 2006
Acceptance is a commodity
I was reading the news about Kelantan's plans to introduce a state law banning skimpy clothings for all and the Federal Government's opposition to it fearing racial tensions may yet be reignited. Funny isn't it?
Around the world, we have this problem, failure to accept one another's differences. How else do you explain racial segregation, racial tensions, genocides and the Holocaust?
Thankfully, most of us around the world are educated enough to know that life itself transcends any physical, emotional or psychological barrier we may have inadvertantly placed. I've always believed that nurture takes precedence or nature. I mean, even if your parents were convicted criminals and habitual drug addicts, it doesn't mean you'd turn out the same way if you've had the privilege of being raised to be a good person. How we turn out are defined by the people around us and the impacts each has had in our lives.
I was one of those who grew up in a family who while religious, didn't quite really embrace the concept of Love Thy Neighbour. In fact, our family were quite selective in befriending our neighbours. While we were close to our Malay neighbours, we weren't close at all to our Chinese or Indian ones. As a matter of fact, I knew only 1 chinese neighbour in my old unit. Growing up, I used to hear my parents, aunts and uncles talk about anyone who is Malay as Melayu kita while the other races were thought of as a lesser race. Growing up, amongst my friends, it was the same, there were called bangsa dia, also with an equal measure of disdain.
The unknown has always evoked a fear within us. Looking around us we see people of different races, different religions, different beliefs to what we believe. In other words, those who share our belief, religion and race are considered as one of us. Because of that fear or perhaps, to a certain extent, refusal to accept, we cast those who are not one of us as outsiders. Think of it, how many amongst us have at one point felt a slight disdain whenever we see one of us marry outside our race, or at least thought to ourselves, aren't there enough Malay men left in the world that she had to marry an Ang Moh, or any other race for that matter?
In between our best efforts to forge a smile while extending our best wishes to the bride and groom and trying to feel happy for the bride and groom, we do at times feel that feeling of disdain whenever an interracial marriage takes place. I think it's pre-programmed in us that we question non-conformity. However, in this day an age where primary education is compulsory, it is thought that conformity to age-old values which no longer hold as much importance as it once did. Where mothers and fathers used to disown daughters for marrying outside their race, it is now very much acceptable though not really encouraged.
To accept someone into our lives takes a lot of trust, and probably, that distrust still lies deep in our Malay souls that stops us from embracing someone of a different race fully and unconditionally. Thankfully for us, Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans specifically, our government has always encouraged multiracialism. However, deep within us the feeling of racial supremacy is always there, evident in the way we think of other races. We all think that our race is better, genetically, morally and socially. I mean, how many amongst us have close friends of another race? Not that many I suspect.
Does that equate to us being racist or at least, selective racists? I think not and I hope no one comes to that conclusion. You see, that's the thing I find funny. While we expound the concept of multiracialism and one society, we find it hard to accept differences amongst us.
Around the world, we have this problem, failure to accept one another's differences. How else do you explain racial segregation, racial tensions, genocides and the Holocaust?
Thankfully, most of us around the world are educated enough to know that life itself transcends any physical, emotional or psychological barrier we may have inadvertantly placed. I've always believed that nurture takes precedence or nature. I mean, even if your parents were convicted criminals and habitual drug addicts, it doesn't mean you'd turn out the same way if you've had the privilege of being raised to be a good person. How we turn out are defined by the people around us and the impacts each has had in our lives.
I was one of those who grew up in a family who while religious, didn't quite really embrace the concept of Love Thy Neighbour. In fact, our family were quite selective in befriending our neighbours. While we were close to our Malay neighbours, we weren't close at all to our Chinese or Indian ones. As a matter of fact, I knew only 1 chinese neighbour in my old unit. Growing up, I used to hear my parents, aunts and uncles talk about anyone who is Malay as Melayu kita while the other races were thought of as a lesser race. Growing up, amongst my friends, it was the same, there were called bangsa dia, also with an equal measure of disdain.
The unknown has always evoked a fear within us. Looking around us we see people of different races, different religions, different beliefs to what we believe. In other words, those who share our belief, religion and race are considered as one of us. Because of that fear or perhaps, to a certain extent, refusal to accept, we cast those who are not one of us as outsiders. Think of it, how many amongst us have at one point felt a slight disdain whenever we see one of us marry outside our race, or at least thought to ourselves, aren't there enough Malay men left in the world that she had to marry an Ang Moh, or any other race for that matter?
In between our best efforts to forge a smile while extending our best wishes to the bride and groom and trying to feel happy for the bride and groom, we do at times feel that feeling of disdain whenever an interracial marriage takes place. I think it's pre-programmed in us that we question non-conformity. However, in this day an age where primary education is compulsory, it is thought that conformity to age-old values which no longer hold as much importance as it once did. Where mothers and fathers used to disown daughters for marrying outside their race, it is now very much acceptable though not really encouraged.
To accept someone into our lives takes a lot of trust, and probably, that distrust still lies deep in our Malay souls that stops us from embracing someone of a different race fully and unconditionally. Thankfully for us, Singaporeans, Malay Singaporeans specifically, our government has always encouraged multiracialism. However, deep within us the feeling of racial supremacy is always there, evident in the way we think of other races. We all think that our race is better, genetically, morally and socially. I mean, how many amongst us have close friends of another race? Not that many I suspect.
Does that equate to us being racist or at least, selective racists? I think not and I hope no one comes to that conclusion. You see, that's the thing I find funny. While we expound the concept of multiracialism and one society, we find it hard to accept differences amongst us.
Monday, December 04, 2006
My feeble attempt to understand love's logic
I read a post one of my friends posted in his blog sometime back and it has stayed etched in my mind eversince. It was an honest man's thoughts on his family and his love for them. The one thing that kept replaying back in my mind ever since reading that post was the unconditionality of love.
That set me thinking. Is anything in life unconditional?
Very often, we see an agreement between 2 parties with certain conditions appended. When Japan accepted unconditional surrender in September 1945, it was with the proviso that the Emperor remains in his status quo. When Malaysia Accepted Singapore into its federation, it was with the proviso that neither involves themselves in the other's internal politics. However, love is not an agreement. It is a feeling. Therefore, it is not subjected to the same logic that defines everything else, which is why love is illogical. It makes us say and do things we would normally and rationally avoid.
A lot of times I have been asked, "How do you know she's the one?" The beauty of it is you don't. You just make a decision based on your gut feeling and a little common sense too. The rest you leave to God. The feeling of being in love is something you can't miss and something we all can't runaway from. It's there for all to see. I see it in my wife's eyes all the time. It's a feeling that is evoked when you are with that someone. You don't know if he or she is the one but you don't really care as it seems time has slowed to a crawl whenever you are with the person. We all want love. Yet at the same time, we fear love, with all the trepidation that comes with that fear.
It's not so much a phobia as it is a lack of understanding. As much as we want love, we fear all the emotions that accompany it and the knowledge that, at some point, we are bound to get hurt by that love. We want that loving feeling to be unconditional, ie, not expecting anything in return for what we have sacrificed for that person. Is that entirely possible? The notion of unconditionality is something we all want but not many are willing to give, unless the conditions are right. How's that work?
While looking for love, we want the other party to be able to accept us as we are, to be able to accept all our character flaws, yet, are we able to do the same and put our loved ones as a priority in our lives, ahead of evrything else life has to offer? From time to time, we read of heart warming stories of true love happening around us such as the email I received the other day regarding the Hoyts. Then again, that is the love of a father to his physically-disabled child. How about love between a guy and a girl, that's different, right? Not entirely, who could forget the close-to-home story of Pierre Png giving up one of his kidneys to his then-fiancee, Andrea D'Cruz?
True love? Perhaps.
Unconditional love? Definitely.
There are some couples who bicker at every little thing they perceive to be wrong. You are not doing enough for this relationship to work! What have you done for me lately? I'm doing all the work in making this relationship work! These are just some of the phrases that can be heard in the arguments of some couples. Each wanting to stamp his/her own authority and to make sure that they get as much as they give. Quite honestly, being in love is always about giving, there's no give-and-take here. Whatever you receive in return should be viewed as a bonus, a token of the other's appreciation for your love.
What, then, if you receive nothing in return? My answer would be to ask yourself if that is enough for you and if you love the other person enough not to ask for anything in return. If you really are in love, chances are it wouldn't matter! I'd like to think I've reached that pinnacle of my love story with my wife, though I know in love, you should always be looking to reach the peak without actually reaching it.
Make any sense? Like I said, it's my feeble attempt.
That set me thinking. Is anything in life unconditional?
Very often, we see an agreement between 2 parties with certain conditions appended. When Japan accepted unconditional surrender in September 1945, it was with the proviso that the Emperor remains in his status quo. When Malaysia Accepted Singapore into its federation, it was with the proviso that neither involves themselves in the other's internal politics. However, love is not an agreement. It is a feeling. Therefore, it is not subjected to the same logic that defines everything else, which is why love is illogical. It makes us say and do things we would normally and rationally avoid.
A lot of times I have been asked, "How do you know she's the one?" The beauty of it is you don't. You just make a decision based on your gut feeling and a little common sense too. The rest you leave to God. The feeling of being in love is something you can't miss and something we all can't runaway from. It's there for all to see. I see it in my wife's eyes all the time. It's a feeling that is evoked when you are with that someone. You don't know if he or she is the one but you don't really care as it seems time has slowed to a crawl whenever you are with the person. We all want love. Yet at the same time, we fear love, with all the trepidation that comes with that fear.
It's not so much a phobia as it is a lack of understanding. As much as we want love, we fear all the emotions that accompany it and the knowledge that, at some point, we are bound to get hurt by that love. We want that loving feeling to be unconditional, ie, not expecting anything in return for what we have sacrificed for that person. Is that entirely possible? The notion of unconditionality is something we all want but not many are willing to give, unless the conditions are right. How's that work?
While looking for love, we want the other party to be able to accept us as we are, to be able to accept all our character flaws, yet, are we able to do the same and put our loved ones as a priority in our lives, ahead of evrything else life has to offer? From time to time, we read of heart warming stories of true love happening around us such as the email I received the other day regarding the Hoyts. Then again, that is the love of a father to his physically-disabled child. How about love between a guy and a girl, that's different, right? Not entirely, who could forget the close-to-home story of Pierre Png giving up one of his kidneys to his then-fiancee, Andrea D'Cruz?
True love? Perhaps.
Unconditional love? Definitely.
There are some couples who bicker at every little thing they perceive to be wrong. You are not doing enough for this relationship to work! What have you done for me lately? I'm doing all the work in making this relationship work! These are just some of the phrases that can be heard in the arguments of some couples. Each wanting to stamp his/her own authority and to make sure that they get as much as they give. Quite honestly, being in love is always about giving, there's no give-and-take here. Whatever you receive in return should be viewed as a bonus, a token of the other's appreciation for your love.
What, then, if you receive nothing in return? My answer would be to ask yourself if that is enough for you and if you love the other person enough not to ask for anything in return. If you really are in love, chances are it wouldn't matter! I'd like to think I've reached that pinnacle of my love story with my wife, though I know in love, you should always be looking to reach the peak without actually reaching it.
Make any sense? Like I said, it's my feeble attempt.
Monday, October 30, 2006
It's the kids!!!!!
In my last post, I did say something about this Raya being exceptionally dull. and I couldn't find a reason for it. I think, I found the answer over the weekend. I think the key to having a great Raya is kids! No, it's not another post about me and kids, or lack thereof - that bothers me not!
Here's the thing. My aunt came over, the very same one whose son I asked about his coming of age, with her family and my parents, siblings and sis-in-law were there too on Sunday. From my house, we split up as my mom and dad had their own agenda, my sister, brother and sis-in-law following them, my uncle and aunt had theirs while me and my wife had ours. While they were there, the festive mood within me kicked in. It's not just that the family was there, it was the kids who livened up the mood with their antics. Ask any newbie parents and they'd say the same thing. Hari Raya before having kids and after are a lot different.
After we went our separate ways from my home, I went to the homes of 2 of my paternal aunts whom I had made appointments with prior to that. Thereafter we met up with the whole family again at my younger brother's house in Punggol. At my 4th aunt's place in Tampines, it was just me, my wife and my aunt having a chat while her husband was in the bathtub having just came home from work. No kids around - her eldest daughter, now a beautiful woman of 23, is studying in the US, her second son was in camp - doing his duty, while her youngest son was out with friends. The mood? Sombre.
At my 5th aunt's place, it was much better. All 4 of her kids were in, though 1 was sleeping - conserving his energy for his trip back to Pulau Tekong. There were some other extended family members around as well as she was having an open house. It was so much livelier there than at my 4th aunt's place with kids making a din with their laughter and constant screaming. It has to be the kids making all the noise rite? Cos if it were the adults, something must have gone wrong!
From my brother's place in Punggol, my wife and I drove back to my in-laws to bring her mom to visit my wife's side of the family. My BIL, SIL and MIL with 3 kids crammed into my tiny car and off we went. This time the festive mood was there throughout the time, in stark contrast to the trips my wife and I took on our own. In all 3 houses we went, the baby of the bunch, my youngest nephew, 2 years old and growing, was the biggest noise maker with his antics. Though terrified of me, due in large part to my inculcation of a climate of fear surrounding me, he still was lively.
I have always believed that someone in the family must be the bad guy to keep the children in check - it just had to be me this time. My youngest paternal aunt was the same with me. That aside, growing up, I've heard some parents say that Hari Raya is all about the kids, it's not so much for the parents to celebrate as it is for the kids. I mean the parents don't get the green packets, the kids do. What joy would there be in this world without the kids? I couldn't agree more.
Just don't ask me where mine are!
Here's the thing. My aunt came over, the very same one whose son I asked about his coming of age, with her family and my parents, siblings and sis-in-law were there too on Sunday. From my house, we split up as my mom and dad had their own agenda, my sister, brother and sis-in-law following them, my uncle and aunt had theirs while me and my wife had ours. While they were there, the festive mood within me kicked in. It's not just that the family was there, it was the kids who livened up the mood with their antics. Ask any newbie parents and they'd say the same thing. Hari Raya before having kids and after are a lot different.
After we went our separate ways from my home, I went to the homes of 2 of my paternal aunts whom I had made appointments with prior to that. Thereafter we met up with the whole family again at my younger brother's house in Punggol. At my 4th aunt's place in Tampines, it was just me, my wife and my aunt having a chat while her husband was in the bathtub having just came home from work. No kids around - her eldest daughter, now a beautiful woman of 23, is studying in the US, her second son was in camp - doing his duty, while her youngest son was out with friends. The mood? Sombre.
At my 5th aunt's place, it was much better. All 4 of her kids were in, though 1 was sleeping - conserving his energy for his trip back to Pulau Tekong. There were some other extended family members around as well as she was having an open house. It was so much livelier there than at my 4th aunt's place with kids making a din with their laughter and constant screaming. It has to be the kids making all the noise rite? Cos if it were the adults, something must have gone wrong!
From my brother's place in Punggol, my wife and I drove back to my in-laws to bring her mom to visit my wife's side of the family. My BIL, SIL and MIL with 3 kids crammed into my tiny car and off we went. This time the festive mood was there throughout the time, in stark contrast to the trips my wife and I took on our own. In all 3 houses we went, the baby of the bunch, my youngest nephew, 2 years old and growing, was the biggest noise maker with his antics. Though terrified of me, due in large part to my inculcation of a climate of fear surrounding me, he still was lively.
I have always believed that someone in the family must be the bad guy to keep the children in check - it just had to be me this time. My youngest paternal aunt was the same with me. That aside, growing up, I've heard some parents say that Hari Raya is all about the kids, it's not so much for the parents to celebrate as it is for the kids. I mean the parents don't get the green packets, the kids do. What joy would there be in this world without the kids? I couldn't agree more.
Just don't ask me where mine are!
Friday, October 27, 2006
A dull Raya and the passage of time
It's Hari Raya + 4.
It doesn't seem like Hari Raya anymore these days. Somehow I feel that the seri is no longer there. Why do I feel this way? Not too sure myself. Friends have been wishing me Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin left, right and center, but somehow, I feel that the spirit of Hari Raya is no longer there. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm but I am one of those pessismists who thinks that the spirit is fading away. Should I attribute it to my growing older, hence, the lack of enthusiasm, or issit the ever smaller number of houses to visit?
I do feel in some sort of limbo. Hari Raya used to be an excuse for the whole family to gather at my late grandma's house and seek forgiveness from one another, as is our tradition. However, since my grandma passed away, there is no longer a focal point for the family. My aunts and uncles, instead, congregate at their respective in-laws. Since both my maternal and paternal grandparents are no longer around, my family just stayed home for a while before visiting the granduncles and grandaunts. And that number is becoming smaller.
Where the first day of Aidilfitri used to be a hectic affair with frenetic scurrying all over the island to visit as many of the elders' houses as possible, it slowed down to a slow crawl nowadays. Where we used to visit more than 15 houses on the first day alone, it'd be an achievement if we could cover 6 now. It's not that there are no more relatives to visit, just that my father being the 2nd eldest amongst his siblings, the younger aunts and uncles would naturally seek him out on the first day, as such, he would be home more than be out and about.
How does that affect me?
Simple, since I have no longer have grandparents to visit, the logical place to go would be my parent's place followed by my immediate aunts and uncles. However, since they would be busy visiting my dad and other family members on their in-laws side, I have very little places to visit, since not many of them will be home. Before, I could just turn up at the doorstep of my late granduncles and grandaunts, I can't do the same now. It has become a yearly game of cat and mouse, catch-me-if-you-can style. Now, I even have to book their times and make appointments.
Now, I only have 2 grandaunts still around and they are the only ones I get to visit on the first day, apart from my parents and in-laws' places. To make matters worse, I have to worry about making appointments, especially since I am married and expected to know who my extended family members are and go to their houses on my own, with my wife, of course. No more following Mom and Dad now. Heck, I'm approaching 30, and if at that age I can't recognise my extended family and visit them on my own, something's wrong with me.
I was joking with a cousin of mine who is now 10 years old - big age gap, huh? I asked him when is he ever going to come of age and his voice will break into the baritone sound like his elder brother who is 13. His mom, my aunt, retorted with a smile on her face, "Eeeehhh, dun wan lah. He wun be as cute as he is now when that happens, I hope that day wun come for a long while!" I understand where she was coming from, with regards to her sone being the baby of the family.
Then it hit me! How I wished time had stopped or we could go back in time. I wouldn't have to worry about whose house to visit - that'd be my parents' job - and my aunt won't have to worry about her son coming of age and losing his adorableness and cuteness. Well, that's the passage of time for us all......
It doesn't seem like Hari Raya anymore these days. Somehow I feel that the seri is no longer there. Why do I feel this way? Not too sure myself. Friends have been wishing me Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin left, right and center, but somehow, I feel that the spirit of Hari Raya is no longer there. Pardon my lack of enthusiasm but I am one of those pessismists who thinks that the spirit is fading away. Should I attribute it to my growing older, hence, the lack of enthusiasm, or issit the ever smaller number of houses to visit?
I do feel in some sort of limbo. Hari Raya used to be an excuse for the whole family to gather at my late grandma's house and seek forgiveness from one another, as is our tradition. However, since my grandma passed away, there is no longer a focal point for the family. My aunts and uncles, instead, congregate at their respective in-laws. Since both my maternal and paternal grandparents are no longer around, my family just stayed home for a while before visiting the granduncles and grandaunts. And that number is becoming smaller.
Where the first day of Aidilfitri used to be a hectic affair with frenetic scurrying all over the island to visit as many of the elders' houses as possible, it slowed down to a slow crawl nowadays. Where we used to visit more than 15 houses on the first day alone, it'd be an achievement if we could cover 6 now. It's not that there are no more relatives to visit, just that my father being the 2nd eldest amongst his siblings, the younger aunts and uncles would naturally seek him out on the first day, as such, he would be home more than be out and about.
How does that affect me?
Simple, since I have no longer have grandparents to visit, the logical place to go would be my parent's place followed by my immediate aunts and uncles. However, since they would be busy visiting my dad and other family members on their in-laws side, I have very little places to visit, since not many of them will be home. Before, I could just turn up at the doorstep of my late granduncles and grandaunts, I can't do the same now. It has become a yearly game of cat and mouse, catch-me-if-you-can style. Now, I even have to book their times and make appointments.
Now, I only have 2 grandaunts still around and they are the only ones I get to visit on the first day, apart from my parents and in-laws' places. To make matters worse, I have to worry about making appointments, especially since I am married and expected to know who my extended family members are and go to their houses on my own, with my wife, of course. No more following Mom and Dad now. Heck, I'm approaching 30, and if at that age I can't recognise my extended family and visit them on my own, something's wrong with me.
I was joking with a cousin of mine who is now 10 years old - big age gap, huh? I asked him when is he ever going to come of age and his voice will break into the baritone sound like his elder brother who is 13. His mom, my aunt, retorted with a smile on her face, "Eeeehhh, dun wan lah. He wun be as cute as he is now when that happens, I hope that day wun come for a long while!" I understand where she was coming from, with regards to her sone being the baby of the family.
Then it hit me! How I wished time had stopped or we could go back in time. I wouldn't have to worry about whose house to visit - that'd be my parents' job - and my aunt won't have to worry about her son coming of age and losing his adorableness and cuteness. Well, that's the passage of time for us all......
Thursday, October 19, 2006
It's Hari Raya!!!!!!!!
It's more than 3 weeks now since we began fasting in Ramadan. For the uninitiated, Ramadan is not a place but a month in the Islamic Calendar. A few more days and it’s AidilFitri. It is a big day for us Muslims, celebrating the arrival of Syawal - again a month not a person - and of our successful completion of fasting in Ramadan, one of the pillars of Islam - for those who fast, of course. Though the ones who do not fast are known to be shamelessly partaking in the festivities - all set with their traditional garb, songkok, piercings and tattoos not withstanding.
In all honesty, fasting is not such a difficult task to do. I personally feel that fasting is easier as compared to the 5 times daily prayers we Muslims are required to perform. This is because, fasting lasts the whole day and you are only required to stop eating and drinking for roughly 14 hours, from 5.30am to 7 pm or thereabouts. It's darn easy once you get used to it. If you can't take it, due to illness or back-breaking work or serving your NS, you are permitted to quit. It's not something that you have to force yourself to the detriment of your health; of course you have to redo it at a later time. Of course, if a lady is having her period, she is exempt, but that is the only exception, other than being crazy or dead.
Prayers, on the other hand are a must and no one has an excuse to skip even one, even if you are sick. There are of course contingencies and ways to pray to adapt to the predicament one is faced with. The only times a Muslim is excused is when either he is mentally-disabled or he is dead. Add to that the requirement of praying at certain times, it makes it a bit more complicated to stick to schedule, knowing you have to work, still it is no excuse. It makes it more perplexing that people would willfully skip a day or even the whole month, since it's not that hard to fast.
Years ago, OK, decades ago, while still in my childhood, the sight or knowledge of anyone who'd knowingly ponteng or skip a day of fasting would be greeted with unabashed teasing and continuous ribbing at his/her failure to complete a day. As we grow older, the youths would tease their friends who'd complete the day by questioning the need to fast. They'd even question the need to pray and the need to believe in God. Strangely enough, most of those who do such questioning are born-Muslims, some has had some form of reigious instruction at an early age.
No doubt about it, where religion stands, there will be those who questions its veracity. I find it appalling that those Muslims who willfully neither fast nor pray actually have the cheek to celebrate a day for which they have no accomplishment of note to celebrate. While Islam maintains a policy of mutual inclusion with other religions, where we celebrate AidilFitri by inviting non-Muslims to join in the festivities, I personally think that it is a good idea to be forcibly exclusive towards those who declare themselves to be Muslims but neither practice nor learn the religion. At least, until such a time they realise their follies.
My religious teacher said once, there are those who declare themselves to be Muslims only on several occasions in their lives - namely, the 2 Hari Rayas, AidilFitri and AidilAdha, their wedding and their death. Honestly, I do not despise them, but feel sorry for them, for they'd only be Muslims in name not in spirit. Still, I honestly say to all Muslims around the world, Selamat Hari Raya, ku pohon maaf zahir & batin.
Now, where did I put my new clothes........
Friday, October 13, 2006
Knowledge fuels understanding.
I had a fun discussion with my colleagues the other day regarding this whole religious issue between Muslims, Christians and Jews and the history in the Middle East. With such a chequered past, it proved to be interesting to say the least.
It does surprise me that my colleagues are almost clueless as to what started the whole Arab-Israeli conflicts of yesteryears and the current furore over what has been termed as Islamophobia coming from western media and governments. Well, I explained to them what exactly happened in the inter-war years in Palestine and how Israel came to exist as neutral as I could be. In all honesty, they were quite surprised at the history of it all, and I found it funny that people can choose to be ignorant at what's happening around the world.
Who could blame them? We have to realise that we now live in a world where the sum of the collective may not be as important as the self. Many of us have been brought up looking to the west and adopting many of their way of lives, right down to the way we talk and dress. The amount of available information nowadays allows us to do so. Never has the world been so connected. Back in the 70's you'd have to wait a few days before anything was published about, say, the World Cup Finals or the FA Cup Finals. Now, we plonk ourselves in front of the telly or the PC and all we need to know is there.
Where we once used to have the wellbeing of others at the back of our mind, is now replaced with a sense of self serving of utmost importance. These days we don't care much about what others say but we worry about our own lives so much that we have little time to take in what's going on around us and the world. It's amazing to me that while we have wars, famine and brutality going on all around us, we can choose to live in relative oblivion, happy in the knowledge that we have money in the bank and food in our tummy.
In spite of my amzement, I took the time to educate my colleagues at what's going on, not out of my own self-serving feeling of importance or all-knowing, but out of concern that we, as humans, could turn a blind eye to the very happenings which will shape the future for us and our children. I do agree that the gloom taking place elsewhere does seem so far away and detached from us that we have nothing to worry, or do we?
Who's to say what's happening thousands of miles away will not escalate and affect us in future? Remember 1941? The British assured us that we have so much protection here the Japanese will not dare attack us, let alone attempt to conquer us. No prizes for guessing what happened. My point is if we allow ourselves to be wilfully ignorant of the things that are happening around us, there may be a time when such things may come back to hanut us.
In this age where religious fanaticism threatens our peaceful way of life, ignorance is not bliss, it's simply unforgivable, especially when racial harmony and religious tolerance are something we are working towards. Without knowledge, there can be no understanding.
It does surprise me that my colleagues are almost clueless as to what started the whole Arab-Israeli conflicts of yesteryears and the current furore over what has been termed as Islamophobia coming from western media and governments. Well, I explained to them what exactly happened in the inter-war years in Palestine and how Israel came to exist as neutral as I could be. In all honesty, they were quite surprised at the history of it all, and I found it funny that people can choose to be ignorant at what's happening around the world.
Who could blame them? We have to realise that we now live in a world where the sum of the collective may not be as important as the self. Many of us have been brought up looking to the west and adopting many of their way of lives, right down to the way we talk and dress. The amount of available information nowadays allows us to do so. Never has the world been so connected. Back in the 70's you'd have to wait a few days before anything was published about, say, the World Cup Finals or the FA Cup Finals. Now, we plonk ourselves in front of the telly or the PC and all we need to know is there.
Where we once used to have the wellbeing of others at the back of our mind, is now replaced with a sense of self serving of utmost importance. These days we don't care much about what others say but we worry about our own lives so much that we have little time to take in what's going on around us and the world. It's amazing to me that while we have wars, famine and brutality going on all around us, we can choose to live in relative oblivion, happy in the knowledge that we have money in the bank and food in our tummy.
In spite of my amzement, I took the time to educate my colleagues at what's going on, not out of my own self-serving feeling of importance or all-knowing, but out of concern that we, as humans, could turn a blind eye to the very happenings which will shape the future for us and our children. I do agree that the gloom taking place elsewhere does seem so far away and detached from us that we have nothing to worry, or do we?
Who's to say what's happening thousands of miles away will not escalate and affect us in future? Remember 1941? The British assured us that we have so much protection here the Japanese will not dare attack us, let alone attempt to conquer us. No prizes for guessing what happened. My point is if we allow ourselves to be wilfully ignorant of the things that are happening around us, there may be a time when such things may come back to hanut us.
In this age where religious fanaticism threatens our peaceful way of life, ignorance is not bliss, it's simply unforgivable, especially when racial harmony and religious tolerance are something we are working towards. Without knowledge, there can be no understanding.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
The haze and good neighbourly relations
For the last few weeks, everyone has been talking about the haze. It all got to a head on Saturday with the PSI reaching 140 - unhealthy levels. That announcement by the weatherman got the asthmatics scrambling for their ventolin inhalers and the paranoid sprinting for the nearest pharmacist to get face masks.
Only this time it wasn't as bad as previous years. I remember back in school, circa 1996-1997, where the haze was kind of a welcome reprive for those who loathe PE lessons back then. For me though, the only thing I remember was the dread I felt whenever a PE lesson had to be cancelled as that would have meant that a football game would not be played. There went the kickabout.
The haze, did, however cause a lot of plans for outdoor activities to be cancelled, owing to the overly-cautious nature of Singaporeans, excarbated by the weak immune systems of some. As most putdoor activities were shunned, thousands flocked to the shopping malls to escape the haze. A sizeable portion made a trip to VivoCity, the latest kid on the block. It's quite often the case, we all flock to see the latest attractions, not wanting to miss out on the action. Oh, back to the haze, one thing I do not understand, this is not a recent problem, in fact, it has been around for the last decade.
However, despite several ministerial summits and meetings, the problem keeps coming back. the reasons the Indonesians are giving is that the area affected is so big that they do not have enough resources to cope. I say it's all about good neighbourly practice. Keeping your house in order is basically a prerequisite of being a good neighbour, so is maintaining respect, which is what Singapore and Malaysia are doing by not interfering and extending a helping hand when needed.
That brings me to another thing on my mind. My MIL had a new neighbor move in fairly recently, less than 5 months back. As it so happens, the neighbor is quite a prominent arts and musical performer in the local Malay scene. My MIL had been living in the same flat for the last 20 odd years, and had always had excellent relationships with her immediate neighbours. I mean living on the ground floor and sharing the same walkway and "lawn" in front of their flats, they had to. For the longest time, my MIL being an kampung lady through and through had been cultivating a small garden on that "lawn".
Everyone else along that stretch has been doing likewise and without issue too. In fact, being law-abiding citizens, they had asked the town council if it was OK to do so, and the answer was OK as long as other residents did not complain. For 20 years, it was peaceful as fruits such as papaya trees were planted and cultivated, so to were the chilli plants, pandan plants and lime plants. Then it had to happen. A complaint came and the plants were all brutally chopped down without warning to the residents. Normally, the residents would be informed to chop down the plants themselves, there was no such leeway this time, indicating the severity and ferocity of the complaint.
My MIL and the other neighbours knew who lodged the complaint but chose to keep quiet and not have any repercussions dished out. Even my wife knew, that it was the wife of the new neighbour as having shared a train ride to work with her, it was fairly established that she was the ever-complaining type of person. What I will say is that having moved in only recently, the new neighbour should have excercised a bit more restraint and shown respect to her elderly neighbours. Being a good neighbour is not just about saying the occasional hello. It goes beyond that. Showing respect is a basic human tenet that we all should have. Sadly not all of us excercise it.
One thing's for sure, had it been my neighbour who did that, they's have gotten an earful from me and a shunned existence in my eyes.
Only this time it wasn't as bad as previous years. I remember back in school, circa 1996-1997, where the haze was kind of a welcome reprive for those who loathe PE lessons back then. For me though, the only thing I remember was the dread I felt whenever a PE lesson had to be cancelled as that would have meant that a football game would not be played. There went the kickabout.
The haze, did, however cause a lot of plans for outdoor activities to be cancelled, owing to the overly-cautious nature of Singaporeans, excarbated by the weak immune systems of some. As most putdoor activities were shunned, thousands flocked to the shopping malls to escape the haze. A sizeable portion made a trip to VivoCity, the latest kid on the block. It's quite often the case, we all flock to see the latest attractions, not wanting to miss out on the action. Oh, back to the haze, one thing I do not understand, this is not a recent problem, in fact, it has been around for the last decade.
However, despite several ministerial summits and meetings, the problem keeps coming back. the reasons the Indonesians are giving is that the area affected is so big that they do not have enough resources to cope. I say it's all about good neighbourly practice. Keeping your house in order is basically a prerequisite of being a good neighbour, so is maintaining respect, which is what Singapore and Malaysia are doing by not interfering and extending a helping hand when needed.
That brings me to another thing on my mind. My MIL had a new neighbor move in fairly recently, less than 5 months back. As it so happens, the neighbor is quite a prominent arts and musical performer in the local Malay scene. My MIL had been living in the same flat for the last 20 odd years, and had always had excellent relationships with her immediate neighbours. I mean living on the ground floor and sharing the same walkway and "lawn" in front of their flats, they had to. For the longest time, my MIL being an kampung lady through and through had been cultivating a small garden on that "lawn".
Everyone else along that stretch has been doing likewise and without issue too. In fact, being law-abiding citizens, they had asked the town council if it was OK to do so, and the answer was OK as long as other residents did not complain. For 20 years, it was peaceful as fruits such as papaya trees were planted and cultivated, so to were the chilli plants, pandan plants and lime plants. Then it had to happen. A complaint came and the plants were all brutally chopped down without warning to the residents. Normally, the residents would be informed to chop down the plants themselves, there was no such leeway this time, indicating the severity and ferocity of the complaint.
My MIL and the other neighbours knew who lodged the complaint but chose to keep quiet and not have any repercussions dished out. Even my wife knew, that it was the wife of the new neighbour as having shared a train ride to work with her, it was fairly established that she was the ever-complaining type of person. What I will say is that having moved in only recently, the new neighbour should have excercised a bit more restraint and shown respect to her elderly neighbours. Being a good neighbour is not just about saying the occasional hello. It goes beyond that. Showing respect is a basic human tenet that we all should have. Sadly not all of us excercise it.
One thing's for sure, had it been my neighbour who did that, they's have gotten an earful from me and a shunned existence in my eyes.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Regrettable
It's been a while since I said something about current affairs. The last time I said something, was about Israel's attack on Lebanon. Damn, that made my blood boil.
Last month, the Pope said something most Muslims thought would never come out from a man of his stature. He had quoted the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel II, who was known for his hatred of Muslims. Being a former professor of theology, he should have known better than to tread on religious sensitivities by quoting, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".
Personally, I feel this is worse than the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) printed in the European press. Unsurprisingly, the backlash was even worse this time round. Not only effigies of the pope was razed, there were even calls for his head coming from Somalia. Now that's a little absurd isn't it? After all, the Pope was only delivering a lecture. Having done so in his native German, it is highly plausible that such a quote was taken out of context as has been done and witnessed countless times before. Prior to his quoting that line, he was talking about the unacceptable practice of forced conversions and that conversions should only be done through reason and reason alone. He goes on after that quote by saying further that the Emperor Manuel II describes in detail why the spreading of religion through violence is unacceptable and goes against the nature of God.
No, I'm not defending the Pope for his actions or intended meaning. I condemn what he said as for thousands of years, there are deinitely better alternatives to quote examples from. I have read through many commentaries on this subject and the acid-laced words that has been used to describe this unfortunate event, yet I can see the polarity of it all. On one hand you have the western government and religious organizations defending the lecture while on the other hand, you have the Muslims defending their religion's honor and condemning the Pope. I too felt the same way, angered by the quote. However, upon reading the transcript, I felt that it was taken out of the context of the lecture. I still feel that he shouldn't have used that as an example, but he did have a point, even if he failed to understand the reasons behind the so-called "forced conversions".
Funny isn't it that the Pope had to use that example in his lecture when his lecture could be better served by recounting how the Crusaders massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem when they conquered the city in 1088, or the genocides in the Balkan Peninsula, ethnic cleansing anyone? It's a bit shortsighted on the part of the Pope for him to quote something sensitive such as that. Having called for religious dialogue and tolerance, it would have been better served had he taken the time to understand Islam himself before launching himself into muddied waters with such a diatribe again.
Another thing that strikes me is how jumpy the world had become. This is not the only case of something ascribed to someone being taken out of context. Tun Mahathir had that when he claimed Jews ruled the world by proxy and the whole western world felt violated and demanded an apology. Well, the roles are reversed now and here we are, Muslims, described as a religion of peace and tolerance, calling for the head of the Pope.
We all need to take a step back and contemplate before acting. Sadly, that is the one thing we find hardest to do.
Last month, the Pope said something most Muslims thought would never come out from a man of his stature. He had quoted the Byzantine Emperor, Manuel II, who was known for his hatred of Muslims. Being a former professor of theology, he should have known better than to tread on religious sensitivities by quoting, "Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached".
Personally, I feel this is worse than the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) printed in the European press. Unsurprisingly, the backlash was even worse this time round. Not only effigies of the pope was razed, there were even calls for his head coming from Somalia. Now that's a little absurd isn't it? After all, the Pope was only delivering a lecture. Having done so in his native German, it is highly plausible that such a quote was taken out of context as has been done and witnessed countless times before. Prior to his quoting that line, he was talking about the unacceptable practice of forced conversions and that conversions should only be done through reason and reason alone. He goes on after that quote by saying further that the Emperor Manuel II describes in detail why the spreading of religion through violence is unacceptable and goes against the nature of God.
No, I'm not defending the Pope for his actions or intended meaning. I condemn what he said as for thousands of years, there are deinitely better alternatives to quote examples from. I have read through many commentaries on this subject and the acid-laced words that has been used to describe this unfortunate event, yet I can see the polarity of it all. On one hand you have the western government and religious organizations defending the lecture while on the other hand, you have the Muslims defending their religion's honor and condemning the Pope. I too felt the same way, angered by the quote. However, upon reading the transcript, I felt that it was taken out of the context of the lecture. I still feel that he shouldn't have used that as an example, but he did have a point, even if he failed to understand the reasons behind the so-called "forced conversions".
Funny isn't it that the Pope had to use that example in his lecture when his lecture could be better served by recounting how the Crusaders massacred the inhabitants of Jerusalem when they conquered the city in 1088, or the genocides in the Balkan Peninsula, ethnic cleansing anyone? It's a bit shortsighted on the part of the Pope for him to quote something sensitive such as that. Having called for religious dialogue and tolerance, it would have been better served had he taken the time to understand Islam himself before launching himself into muddied waters with such a diatribe again.
Another thing that strikes me is how jumpy the world had become. This is not the only case of something ascribed to someone being taken out of context. Tun Mahathir had that when he claimed Jews ruled the world by proxy and the whole western world felt violated and demanded an apology. Well, the roles are reversed now and here we are, Muslims, described as a religion of peace and tolerance, calling for the head of the Pope.
We all need to take a step back and contemplate before acting. Sadly, that is the one thing we find hardest to do.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Between safety and paranoia
Oh wow!! Been a month since I checked in here. Nah.....I've not lost any of the zest I started out with. It's just that time is a premium which I can't seem to have enough rite now. Yes, I know that this little page I have here has fallen into the depths of negligence. Lemme see now, what has changed....
Nothing much actually, I'm still alive and kicking and ranting, for that matter.
Went through my reservist without a hitch, though, the 8 hours shift of doing nothing was mind-numbing to say the least. Imagine doing nothing but staying vigilant for 8 hours at a stretch. What could we do, vigilance is the name of the game nowadays, thanks Osama for making our lives so much easier! My guess is that my unit was not scheduled for a callup so early, but it was done due to the IMF and World Bank conference which was held in Singapore. I think we are the reserve security force covering the reserve unit which was already in place.
Dumb? Absolutely. Waste of resources? Definitely. Enough? Probably never.
In spite of that, the show of force, although my unit was nowhere near the action, was a strong enough deterrence factor for any would-be mischief-makers or terrorist. Imagine having to walk through a gauntlet of security personnel, armed to the teeth with automatic weapons and the latest gadgetry in security. Imagine having multitudes of cameras trained in on you if you behave suspiciously. I guess it's a Singaporean trait, it's never enough, better be safe than sorry. Seriously, only a country like Singapore would go to such lengths as to ensure that what's been ensured is ensured. Then again, in such an age where a climate of fear is ever present and with lingering doubts on safety and security, it seems being prepared and vigilant is never enough.
On a personal level, I've always maintained the belief that your life has been written for you, just not revealed yet. Yeah, it's the belief of all Muslims. I still recall the conversations I had with my mum more than a decade ago with regards to my decision to get a motorcycle license. The words 'dangerous', 'accidents' and 'injuries' kept coming up, seriously, which mother would want to see her child get injured? My usual riposte, if it's your time, you can't delay it by even a second. If you are meant to die of a freak accident, you can't stop that, you could die from falling in the bathroom, does that mean you stop going to the bathroom?
I chose to believe that while there is nothing wrong with being prepared, vigilant and in taking precautions, there is certainly something wrong when the need for security takes over our rationality resulting in paranoia. Similarly, while it's good to have the occasional reminders for us to be vigilant, too much will probably serve to create an unnecessary climate of fear. This might, in turn, cause us to be so used to such reminders that we, from time to time, let our guard down, thinking it's just another ad or reminder to the millions of reminders we get daily.
I, for one, would live my life as I have always. Having dignitatires from all over the world come here for a conference lasting for a few days, while having immeasurable economic benefits, does have its downsides, in that we, while having been acknowledged as being friendly and eager to please, are also being seen as a paranoid nation with a lot of loosening up to do.
Nothing much actually, I'm still alive and kicking and ranting, for that matter.
Went through my reservist without a hitch, though, the 8 hours shift of doing nothing was mind-numbing to say the least. Imagine doing nothing but staying vigilant for 8 hours at a stretch. What could we do, vigilance is the name of the game nowadays, thanks Osama for making our lives so much easier! My guess is that my unit was not scheduled for a callup so early, but it was done due to the IMF and World Bank conference which was held in Singapore. I think we are the reserve security force covering the reserve unit which was already in place.
Dumb? Absolutely. Waste of resources? Definitely. Enough? Probably never.
In spite of that, the show of force, although my unit was nowhere near the action, was a strong enough deterrence factor for any would-be mischief-makers or terrorist. Imagine having to walk through a gauntlet of security personnel, armed to the teeth with automatic weapons and the latest gadgetry in security. Imagine having multitudes of cameras trained in on you if you behave suspiciously. I guess it's a Singaporean trait, it's never enough, better be safe than sorry. Seriously, only a country like Singapore would go to such lengths as to ensure that what's been ensured is ensured. Then again, in such an age where a climate of fear is ever present and with lingering doubts on safety and security, it seems being prepared and vigilant is never enough.
On a personal level, I've always maintained the belief that your life has been written for you, just not revealed yet. Yeah, it's the belief of all Muslims. I still recall the conversations I had with my mum more than a decade ago with regards to my decision to get a motorcycle license. The words 'dangerous', 'accidents' and 'injuries' kept coming up, seriously, which mother would want to see her child get injured? My usual riposte, if it's your time, you can't delay it by even a second. If you are meant to die of a freak accident, you can't stop that, you could die from falling in the bathroom, does that mean you stop going to the bathroom?
I chose to believe that while there is nothing wrong with being prepared, vigilant and in taking precautions, there is certainly something wrong when the need for security takes over our rationality resulting in paranoia. Similarly, while it's good to have the occasional reminders for us to be vigilant, too much will probably serve to create an unnecessary climate of fear. This might, in turn, cause us to be so used to such reminders that we, from time to time, let our guard down, thinking it's just another ad or reminder to the millions of reminders we get daily.
I, for one, would live my life as I have always. Having dignitatires from all over the world come here for a conference lasting for a few days, while having immeasurable economic benefits, does have its downsides, in that we, while having been acknowledged as being friendly and eager to please, are also being seen as a paranoid nation with a lot of loosening up to do.
Friday, August 25, 2006
Winds of change
I was thinking just now about the last few days and my exceitement over my "new" phone. Did a few things I never thought I'd do, like trust a guy in China enough to hand over 80 bucks for a memory stick with no guarantee it'd come. Yesterday, I went a step further. I flashed my K750i, risking everything in the process. I mean you know how anal manufacturers can be with regards to their products.
Now, I have a K750i Walkman phone, combining the best of K750i and W800i, which pretty much shares the same hardware, shell excluded. Add my 2GB memory stick and stereo headset, which I bought in Malaysia for Rm38 and I'm all set for my in-camp activities. This ain't my first in-camp, so, I'm more than aware of what my job will be like during these 2 weeks - catching up on lots of zzzz. A little music will make the time pass easier.
Some time ago, I wouldn't dare to do any business over the net, especially those of the auction type where you deal with people you don't know, free-lancers mostly. I mean, there's been a lot of stories circulating about unscrupulous and shady characters hawking their wares on the net, demanding upfront payment and then disappearing when the payment is made without delivering on the promised goods. I mean, those spooked me. Trust is not something most people treat lightly, it has to be earned. God knows what they did to get my trust, or perhaps, should I say what made me believe them?
Oh well, we all change. Although the memory stick was more of a gift from my wife, it was still my decision to get it from that guy in China. I did spend about $15 to get my phone flashed like I mentioned. It was by far the riskiest thing I had attempted. Having splurged on the the phone a year ago, that would seem rather callous of me. Still I went ahead, hoping that it would work out fine. In spite of my reservations, it worked fine, after paying close to $20 for that upgrade. I felt like it was worth it, having a W800i firmware on my K750i.
Well, I'm all set for my reservist. Back soon.
Now, I have a K750i Walkman phone, combining the best of K750i and W800i, which pretty much shares the same hardware, shell excluded. Add my 2GB memory stick and stereo headset, which I bought in Malaysia for Rm38 and I'm all set for my in-camp activities. This ain't my first in-camp, so, I'm more than aware of what my job will be like during these 2 weeks - catching up on lots of zzzz. A little music will make the time pass easier.
Some time ago, I wouldn't dare to do any business over the net, especially those of the auction type where you deal with people you don't know, free-lancers mostly. I mean, there's been a lot of stories circulating about unscrupulous and shady characters hawking their wares on the net, demanding upfront payment and then disappearing when the payment is made without delivering on the promised goods. I mean, those spooked me. Trust is not something most people treat lightly, it has to be earned. God knows what they did to get my trust, or perhaps, should I say what made me believe them?
Oh well, we all change. Although the memory stick was more of a gift from my wife, it was still my decision to get it from that guy in China. I did spend about $15 to get my phone flashed like I mentioned. It was by far the riskiest thing I had attempted. Having splurged on the the phone a year ago, that would seem rather callous of me. Still I went ahead, hoping that it would work out fine. In spite of my reservations, it worked fine, after paying close to $20 for that upgrade. I felt like it was worth it, having a W800i firmware on my K750i.
Well, I'm all set for my reservist. Back soon.
Thursday, August 24, 2006
My first online transaction and more to come...
A week ago, I posted about my birthday and how uneventful it was. My wife was quite intent on getting me a present but could think of anything. So, I thought hard about it and decided that the only practical thing I'd use would be a a bigger memory card for my K750i. It only came with an external 64MB memory. I figured that since the K800i was a tad too expensive, I'd just downgrade my desires....
Off I went hunting on the net for a cheap 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. I got a good deal for S$83.90 but the catch is the card will be shipped from China. I had to pay the guy first and wait a week before I get the card. Sounds like a big gamble rite? Not exactly, considering that the same card is retailing for roughly S$160 here. Honestly, I was fearful of the fact that I could be duped and I'm still wondering what made me take that leap of faith. Anyway, I got the card after a few days, came by registered mail, and am now happily fiddling with my phone and dumping so many song, most of which I'd not listen to much anyway. So, if u see a big guy walking around with a big, smug smile on his face, it could just be me.
I did come across something which only serves to further whet my appetite for all things techy and geeky. The first is a handsfree with remote music player compatible with the K750i. Now, I am aware than Sony has the HPM-82 coming soon to our shores, which is compatible with several other phones, but I am not sure when that will be coming in. I did find an alternative, the IDNA MRH-200, available online for UDS45.00. You could plug in any earpiece or headphones and still use the remote to control the music playback and answer calls. It is cool though the k800i paired with the bluetooth stereo handsfree, HBP-DS970 would look so much cooler.
The other one that whet my appetite was the possibility of flashing the firmware of my K750i to a W800i firmware, which would not only make my K750i work just like a W800i, sadly enough, it would also void my warranty. Still, it'd look awesome, imagine a K750i with a Walkman logo on the screen. Why am I doing all these? Simply because my reservist is coming up and my unit will probably be tasked to guard Jurong Island again, so this will come in handy to break the monotony.
Yeah, I could live with a K750i for 2 years more I guess. Whether or not it happens remains to be seen.
Off I went hunting on the net for a cheap 2GB Memory Stick Pro Duo. I got a good deal for S$83.90 but the catch is the card will be shipped from China. I had to pay the guy first and wait a week before I get the card. Sounds like a big gamble rite? Not exactly, considering that the same card is retailing for roughly S$160 here. Honestly, I was fearful of the fact that I could be duped and I'm still wondering what made me take that leap of faith. Anyway, I got the card after a few days, came by registered mail, and am now happily fiddling with my phone and dumping so many song, most of which I'd not listen to much anyway. So, if u see a big guy walking around with a big, smug smile on his face, it could just be me.
I did come across something which only serves to further whet my appetite for all things techy and geeky. The first is a handsfree with remote music player compatible with the K750i. Now, I am aware than Sony has the HPM-82 coming soon to our shores, which is compatible with several other phones, but I am not sure when that will be coming in. I did find an alternative, the IDNA MRH-200, available online for UDS45.00. You could plug in any earpiece or headphones and still use the remote to control the music playback and answer calls. It is cool though the k800i paired with the bluetooth stereo handsfree, HBP-DS970 would look so much cooler.
The other one that whet my appetite was the possibility of flashing the firmware of my K750i to a W800i firmware, which would not only make my K750i work just like a W800i, sadly enough, it would also void my warranty. Still, it'd look awesome, imagine a K750i with a Walkman logo on the screen. Why am I doing all these? Simply because my reservist is coming up and my unit will probably be tasked to guard Jurong Island again, so this will come in handy to break the monotony.
Yeah, I could live with a K750i for 2 years more I guess. Whether or not it happens remains to be seen.
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
The wedding and an uneasy peace
It's official, she's married, off the market. Malaysia's most eligible bachelorette is now hitched. That's not the big news though, for me the bigger news was the number of people I know taking the day off just to catch the "LIVE" telecast of the wedding ceremony at 9am. And to think there is a repeat of that at 7.30pm. Even our national football team don't get as much coverage - we got all 0f 30seconds worth of excerpts on Football Crazy, for those lucky enough to have subscribed to SCV. So much for World Cup 2010....
OK back to the wedding of the year....
Granted that she is the media darling of Malaysian entertainment, probably of the Malay-speaking world, the wedding and the media circus surrounding it is extraordinary. I don't think even the wedding of Charles and Diana had the privilege of a repeat telecast back then. Well, she did look divine in her wedding garb, as she always does. Well, I guess that's the price you pay for being famous - a sacred ceremony becomes a spectacle in itself. No private ceremonies involving only relatives for her. I was reading the papers the other day and it stated that the alleged cost of the whole wedding was close to $6million. I'm sure some of it are sponsored. Nevertheless, it's an obscene amount isn't it? Especially when you consider that, probably, 75% of her fans can't begin to understand that figure, let alone imagine.
Oh well, they could afford it. Still, I can't help but wonder at the haste of the whole affair, I mean the ink on the Datuk's divorce papers has hardly dried and the division of matrimonial assets between the Datuk and the ex-wife was still pending when the announement was made. Little wonder then, that a lot of tongues were wagging and palms gleefully rubbing at the prospect of sleazy stories coming out. I think I better shut up about this already, else I'll be one of those people spreading rumours. In any case, my wife's been sniggering and teasing me to no end that my self-proclaimed girlfriend is now hitched to a Datuk. What was that I said about Siti being the object of desire and fantasies of many a hot-blooded malay male? I just hope their marriage lasts, unlike the other "Wedding of the year", if you know what I mean....
OK, back to the real world...
The ceasefire in Lebanon has been in effect for roughly 2 weeks now. I still can't believe how long it took for them to get their act together. Lebanon is not exactly resource rich as are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Iraq, for that matter, so it was in no one's strategic interest to intervene, least of all, the US. I can't help but draw parallels between the crisis in Lebanon and the Rwandan Genocide a decade ago. In both crisis, world nations powerful enough to do something dragged their feet in putting an intervention force or peacekeeping force. The end result? A racial genocide in Rwanda claiming roughly 1 million lives and millions more became refugees. Though, the situation in Lebanon is not as acute, it still says a lot of the ulterior motives of the powerful nations. Heck, even Japan practice selective diplomacy with the Iranian nuclear standoff, simply because, it can't survive without Iranian oil. Why else are they adamant against any economic sanctions placed on Iran?
Oh, lest I forget, Italy has offered to lead the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon with a contribution of 2000 troops. I do remember sometime back that there was a call for a Muslim peacekeeping force in Lebanon, however, no Muslim leader has stepped up to the plate and offered to take the lead. It's a good thing, from my perspective that the US is not leading this. Being a staunch supporter of Israel, it could not afford to be involved in such events, perhaps, worried at its waning credibility.
What credibility???? Exactly!
OK back to the wedding of the year....
Granted that she is the media darling of Malaysian entertainment, probably of the Malay-speaking world, the wedding and the media circus surrounding it is extraordinary. I don't think even the wedding of Charles and Diana had the privilege of a repeat telecast back then. Well, she did look divine in her wedding garb, as she always does. Well, I guess that's the price you pay for being famous - a sacred ceremony becomes a spectacle in itself. No private ceremonies involving only relatives for her. I was reading the papers the other day and it stated that the alleged cost of the whole wedding was close to $6million. I'm sure some of it are sponsored. Nevertheless, it's an obscene amount isn't it? Especially when you consider that, probably, 75% of her fans can't begin to understand that figure, let alone imagine.
Oh well, they could afford it. Still, I can't help but wonder at the haste of the whole affair, I mean the ink on the Datuk's divorce papers has hardly dried and the division of matrimonial assets between the Datuk and the ex-wife was still pending when the announement was made. Little wonder then, that a lot of tongues were wagging and palms gleefully rubbing at the prospect of sleazy stories coming out. I think I better shut up about this already, else I'll be one of those people spreading rumours. In any case, my wife's been sniggering and teasing me to no end that my self-proclaimed girlfriend is now hitched to a Datuk. What was that I said about Siti being the object of desire and fantasies of many a hot-blooded malay male? I just hope their marriage lasts, unlike the other "Wedding of the year", if you know what I mean....
OK, back to the real world...
The ceasefire in Lebanon has been in effect for roughly 2 weeks now. I still can't believe how long it took for them to get their act together. Lebanon is not exactly resource rich as are Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Iraq, for that matter, so it was in no one's strategic interest to intervene, least of all, the US. I can't help but draw parallels between the crisis in Lebanon and the Rwandan Genocide a decade ago. In both crisis, world nations powerful enough to do something dragged their feet in putting an intervention force or peacekeeping force. The end result? A racial genocide in Rwanda claiming roughly 1 million lives and millions more became refugees. Though, the situation in Lebanon is not as acute, it still says a lot of the ulterior motives of the powerful nations. Heck, even Japan practice selective diplomacy with the Iranian nuclear standoff, simply because, it can't survive without Iranian oil. Why else are they adamant against any economic sanctions placed on Iran?
Oh, lest I forget, Italy has offered to lead the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon with a contribution of 2000 troops. I do remember sometime back that there was a call for a Muslim peacekeeping force in Lebanon, however, no Muslim leader has stepped up to the plate and offered to take the lead. It's a good thing, from my perspective that the US is not leading this. Being a staunch supporter of Israel, it could not afford to be involved in such events, perhaps, worried at its waning credibility.
What credibility???? Exactly!
Friday, August 18, 2006
Suspicions over rationality
I pity celebrities, I really do. Most celebrities are endowed with talents which most of s could only ever dream about, be it, sports or entertainment. They go out there with the hope that whatever God-given talent they have can be used to entertain people, put a smile on the faces of the masses and generate a feel-good feeling.
Most of the people who live in this part of the world would know who Siti Nurhaliza is. Posessing a truly wonderful voice with powerful lungs to boot, and not forgetting that sweet, innocent look and wholseome appeal, she is truly the dream wife or girlfriend of most young men and the ideal daughter-in-law for many a Malay auntie. Oh, and lest I forget, she gives a pretty good recital of the Quran too. Now, if that's not an image of perfection, I don't know what is. I'd be lying through my teeth if I was ever to say that she is not attractive and I do not like her. Heck, I'd marry her if I could. When news broke out of her alleged romance with a businessman who holds the title of Datuk, a form of chivalrous rank in Malaysia, it started a media frenzy. I mean at least half the Malay-speaking world was intrigued.
Soon, the identity of the man became a hot topic in the tabloids of Malaysia. When the identity of the man was, finally, divulged, it was accepted with much shock. The man is 20 years her senior, with 4 kids, the eldest of which is a young man of 19. I pity the boy, the woman of every Malay man's desire and fantasy is going to be his stepmum. Now, I have got nothing against it. It's her choice, her life, let her live it the way she sees fit. In fact, while I feel she could have done better than getting hitched with a 47-year old moustachioed man who looks like a cross between George Lam, Tom Selleck aka Magnum PI and a smirking cat, I could only wish her all the best as she embarks on the next phase in her life. Still, I could just imagine the smug datuk singing in the shower, I'm snogging Siti tonight to the tune of Are you lonesome tonight? thinking, eat your heart out, you other men, she's mine, muahahahahahha , with an evil laughter which Dr Evil would be proud of.
The worst thing to come out of this is the allegations that Siti is a husband snatcher and a home-wrecker. It's typical of the Malays and our general reaction to things around us. Our suspicions and distrust towards each other precedes our rationality. How else would that explain the countless allegations against Siti? I am not defending Siti nor am I against her, like I said, it's her choice. However, I take it as a slight at our own morals when we question others to which we have no right to question. We Malays, have this weakness that when we see a person successful, we immediately think that it is gained through immoral means. It is difficult to progress when suspisions are at the forefront of our dealings.
Heck, recently, I read up a blog and it was posted that Siti was rather open about her past relationship with another celebrity and was all touchy feely with him on numerous occasions. Her squeaky clean image is just that - an image, a facade behind which she hides. Well, it's not allegations posted by that blogger, she was just posting an email which she has received making those allegations. Could we stoop any lower than that? Even the common people are not spared. Recently, there were allegations that a Malay family selling Nasi Lemak at Changi Village practised black magic in order to make a bigger profit. And that allegations were made by someone who knows this story from someone who was told by someone that areligious teacher saw it firsthand. Let's not forget the many people discrediting others of their fame, wealth and happiness.
What I mean to say is that we all, not just the Malays, have to be more respectful of one another in our lives and daily dealinsg with one another. Bad mouthing, throwing false allegations and trying discredit one another is all a lack of respect we show. Let the people around us live their lives without having us judging them, having negative thoughts of them and worse, spreading those negative thoughts.
Lastly, as hard as it would be for me to say it,
Selamat Pengantin Baru Siti.
Most of the people who live in this part of the world would know who Siti Nurhaliza is. Posessing a truly wonderful voice with powerful lungs to boot, and not forgetting that sweet, innocent look and wholseome appeal, she is truly the dream wife or girlfriend of most young men and the ideal daughter-in-law for many a Malay auntie. Oh, and lest I forget, she gives a pretty good recital of the Quran too. Now, if that's not an image of perfection, I don't know what is. I'd be lying through my teeth if I was ever to say that she is not attractive and I do not like her. Heck, I'd marry her if I could. When news broke out of her alleged romance with a businessman who holds the title of Datuk, a form of chivalrous rank in Malaysia, it started a media frenzy. I mean at least half the Malay-speaking world was intrigued.
Soon, the identity of the man became a hot topic in the tabloids of Malaysia. When the identity of the man was, finally, divulged, it was accepted with much shock. The man is 20 years her senior, with 4 kids, the eldest of which is a young man of 19. I pity the boy, the woman of every Malay man's desire and fantasy is going to be his stepmum. Now, I have got nothing against it. It's her choice, her life, let her live it the way she sees fit. In fact, while I feel she could have done better than getting hitched with a 47-year old moustachioed man who looks like a cross between George Lam, Tom Selleck aka Magnum PI and a smirking cat, I could only wish her all the best as she embarks on the next phase in her life. Still, I could just imagine the smug datuk singing in the shower, I'm snogging Siti tonight to the tune of Are you lonesome tonight? thinking, eat your heart out, you other men, she's mine, muahahahahahha , with an evil laughter which Dr Evil would be proud of.
The worst thing to come out of this is the allegations that Siti is a husband snatcher and a home-wrecker. It's typical of the Malays and our general reaction to things around us. Our suspicions and distrust towards each other precedes our rationality. How else would that explain the countless allegations against Siti? I am not defending Siti nor am I against her, like I said, it's her choice. However, I take it as a slight at our own morals when we question others to which we have no right to question. We Malays, have this weakness that when we see a person successful, we immediately think that it is gained through immoral means. It is difficult to progress when suspisions are at the forefront of our dealings.
Heck, recently, I read up a blog and it was posted that Siti was rather open about her past relationship with another celebrity and was all touchy feely with him on numerous occasions. Her squeaky clean image is just that - an image, a facade behind which she hides. Well, it's not allegations posted by that blogger, she was just posting an email which she has received making those allegations. Could we stoop any lower than that? Even the common people are not spared. Recently, there were allegations that a Malay family selling Nasi Lemak at Changi Village practised black magic in order to make a bigger profit. And that allegations were made by someone who knows this story from someone who was told by someone that areligious teacher saw it firsthand. Let's not forget the many people discrediting others of their fame, wealth and happiness.
What I mean to say is that we all, not just the Malays, have to be more respectful of one another in our lives and daily dealinsg with one another. Bad mouthing, throwing false allegations and trying discredit one another is all a lack of respect we show. Let the people around us live their lives without having us judging them, having negative thoughts of them and worse, spreading those negative thoughts.
Lastly, as hard as it would be for me to say it,
Selamat Pengantin Baru Siti.
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Yeap, twas my birthday
Yeap, yesterday was it. The day children look forward to, women dread and men just want it over and done with. The day my life began, all 29 years ago. Well, lemme see, Natasha Henstridge of Species fame shares the same date, so does Ben Affleck - not that I care - and Japan surrendered, ending World War 2. Oh, and Elvis died within hours of my birth.
I was working on my birthday though, I hadn't planned for anything special to mark the day, neither had my wife. Just a simple dinner at Secret Recipe at IMM, after which we went marketing for some necessities. Not the ideal birthday to some, but it does it for me. For the past few years, especially since starting work and getting married, birthdays doesn't seem that important to me anymore. I mean, besides being the day we were born, there's nothing else to suggest that it is a special day. I mean, the sun was still shining, birds still chirping and I still had a job to do.
I had always wondered what's there to celebrate in the first place. Is it to celebrate the past or to celebrate the future? Should I be joyous over the past 29 years or joyous for the years to come? I thought to myself, have I done anything in the past year to be joyous about? Is there anything that I am anticipating that would make my life a whole lot better? On all accounts, I'd have to say a conservative no. Besides getting my car, going on 4 trips up north and patching up after the big fight, nothing really happened that would have been a major cause of celebration. I lived my life, did what I should, and that was it.
We all have our own way to mark our special day, the day we saw the light. Some go on a cruise or holidays, some pamper themselves with fine dining, others have a wild night out and hope to wake up without regrets, others offer prayers and some just treat it like any normal day. I prefer the last option, it's a lot less complicated. On days such as theses, the adage, "It's the thought that counts", seems to ring so much truer. My best bud sent me an SMS, a rather long one at that, wishing me all the happiness, and that meant a lot to me. It doesn't matter how many people remember your birthday, but who does, matters a lot. Thanks bro.
Personally, I don't dread my birthday, neither do I loathe it. It serves as a reminder for me that time doesn't wait for me and that, in spite of what has happened, life goes on. I haven't had a birthday party in 2 decades, no birthday cakes since I was 10 or 11 and , though I do get the small gifts from my family every year, there hasn't been a celebration of my birthday in years. Just the birthday wishes from my mom on the morning of my birthday, every year, without fail. Mom called me at 6am to wish me a happy birthday and asked what I wanted for lunch. She'd normally whip up a succulent meal on special days, I just said, it's ok, just cook as you would on any other days. I think I've lost the zeal to celebrate my own birthday.
Mom and Dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. For once, I was stumped, I hadn't thought about it and had no idea what I would like. In previous years, I would have plumped for an MP3 player or a new HD LCD TV, this time, I just said "nothing". Yeah, I know was hell-bent on upgrading the sound system in my car and was pretty upset at how things panned out then, I've grown to realise that there is much more to life than material posessions - I knew that, I just lost track of it. Every now and then, we all need that kick up the butt or that slap in the face just to remind us of how good we have it.
I guess 15th of August was my time.
I was working on my birthday though, I hadn't planned for anything special to mark the day, neither had my wife. Just a simple dinner at Secret Recipe at IMM, after which we went marketing for some necessities. Not the ideal birthday to some, but it does it for me. For the past few years, especially since starting work and getting married, birthdays doesn't seem that important to me anymore. I mean, besides being the day we were born, there's nothing else to suggest that it is a special day. I mean, the sun was still shining, birds still chirping and I still had a job to do.
I had always wondered what's there to celebrate in the first place. Is it to celebrate the past or to celebrate the future? Should I be joyous over the past 29 years or joyous for the years to come? I thought to myself, have I done anything in the past year to be joyous about? Is there anything that I am anticipating that would make my life a whole lot better? On all accounts, I'd have to say a conservative no. Besides getting my car, going on 4 trips up north and patching up after the big fight, nothing really happened that would have been a major cause of celebration. I lived my life, did what I should, and that was it.
We all have our own way to mark our special day, the day we saw the light. Some go on a cruise or holidays, some pamper themselves with fine dining, others have a wild night out and hope to wake up without regrets, others offer prayers and some just treat it like any normal day. I prefer the last option, it's a lot less complicated. On days such as theses, the adage, "It's the thought that counts", seems to ring so much truer. My best bud sent me an SMS, a rather long one at that, wishing me all the happiness, and that meant a lot to me. It doesn't matter how many people remember your birthday, but who does, matters a lot. Thanks bro.
Personally, I don't dread my birthday, neither do I loathe it. It serves as a reminder for me that time doesn't wait for me and that, in spite of what has happened, life goes on. I haven't had a birthday party in 2 decades, no birthday cakes since I was 10 or 11 and , though I do get the small gifts from my family every year, there hasn't been a celebration of my birthday in years. Just the birthday wishes from my mom on the morning of my birthday, every year, without fail. Mom called me at 6am to wish me a happy birthday and asked what I wanted for lunch. She'd normally whip up a succulent meal on special days, I just said, it's ok, just cook as you would on any other days. I think I've lost the zeal to celebrate my own birthday.
Mom and Dad asked me what I wanted for my birthday. For once, I was stumped, I hadn't thought about it and had no idea what I would like. In previous years, I would have plumped for an MP3 player or a new HD LCD TV, this time, I just said "nothing". Yeah, I know was hell-bent on upgrading the sound system in my car and was pretty upset at how things panned out then, I've grown to realise that there is much more to life than material posessions - I knew that, I just lost track of it. Every now and then, we all need that kick up the butt or that slap in the face just to remind us of how good we have it.
I guess 15th of August was my time.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
Come, join my queue!
Yesterday, we celebrated our nation's 41st birthday and many Singaporeans were in or around the National Stadium, which, by the way, will be torn down after the National Day Parade, for the fireworks spectacle of the Parade. For many families, it's been a ritual of sorts, having a picnic along Kallang river and wait for the fireworks display.
The National Day Parade in itself is a mega-event watched by most Singaporeans, not just for the pomp and pageantry but also for the spectacular displays which has never failed to take the spectators breath away. From the sky-divers to the pilots to the Guard of Honour contingent to the show itself, every single display is greeted by a chorus of cheers and thunderous applause. Personally, I have never been to the NDP. Though, when I was still serving my NS, my camp was one of the centres for ticket distribution for the NDP tickets. I remember the snaking queues, the pitched tents and the picnic-like atmosphere. Only thing that was missing was live entertainment and BBQ pits and they'd have a party.
One thing that did not escape my mind was the fact that I was on duty that day. My brief was simple, stay in the air-conditioned comfort of the medical center and see to any medical emergencies that might take place within the queue. I thought that was typical of the army to have extra medics on standby for any emergencies for a bunch of people sitting around, doing nothing while waiting for the tickets to be distributed. There were 2 medics on standby that weekend as opposed to the standard 1. Despite the queue being quite orderly and no incidents took place within the queue, seeing that the people were quite orderly and water being available in the form of watercoolers, there was still one casualty. Funny thing is, he wasn't even queueing. He skidded his motorbike outside the camp while sending food to his family. Till now, I still wonder what happened to the food.
One good thing that has taken place since is the introduction of balloting for the NDP tickets instead of having people form up queues 3-4 days in advanced for them. That saves a lot of time and resources not just on the would-be spectators, but also the organisers and the Army boys who'd have to set up the queueing area and man them on the day itself. Even if the wonders of technology has stopped Singaporeans from engaging in one of our national pastimes, apart from food and shopping, it is one pastime I'm glad we'd no longer have. I mean, there are still a lot more we could queue for. I mean there's the queue at the hawker centers during lunch time, there's the queues at the post offices at the end of the month and, of course, the long queues at Singapore Pools for 4D and Toto.
Some people, admittedly, queue up just the sake of queueing without knowing what the queue is for. While some people would say that if something is good, it's worth queueing for, these people seem to equate it as if it's something worth queueing for, it must be something good. The next time you end up in a long snaking queue, try asking the person in front of you what they are queueing for, chances are they might not know because they are following the herd, kinda like the zebras and wildebeest on Animal Planet.
PS: On a different note, I'm still waiting for the UN Resolution on the Israeli-Lebanon conflict to be passed. Seems like they are still squabbling over the terms to be used. Oh, and tomoorow going to watch the fireworks again. you know?
The National Day Parade in itself is a mega-event watched by most Singaporeans, not just for the pomp and pageantry but also for the spectacular displays which has never failed to take the spectators breath away. From the sky-divers to the pilots to the Guard of Honour contingent to the show itself, every single display is greeted by a chorus of cheers and thunderous applause. Personally, I have never been to the NDP. Though, when I was still serving my NS, my camp was one of the centres for ticket distribution for the NDP tickets. I remember the snaking queues, the pitched tents and the picnic-like atmosphere. Only thing that was missing was live entertainment and BBQ pits and they'd have a party.
One thing that did not escape my mind was the fact that I was on duty that day. My brief was simple, stay in the air-conditioned comfort of the medical center and see to any medical emergencies that might take place within the queue. I thought that was typical of the army to have extra medics on standby for any emergencies for a bunch of people sitting around, doing nothing while waiting for the tickets to be distributed. There were 2 medics on standby that weekend as opposed to the standard 1. Despite the queue being quite orderly and no incidents took place within the queue, seeing that the people were quite orderly and water being available in the form of watercoolers, there was still one casualty. Funny thing is, he wasn't even queueing. He skidded his motorbike outside the camp while sending food to his family. Till now, I still wonder what happened to the food.
One good thing that has taken place since is the introduction of balloting for the NDP tickets instead of having people form up queues 3-4 days in advanced for them. That saves a lot of time and resources not just on the would-be spectators, but also the organisers and the Army boys who'd have to set up the queueing area and man them on the day itself. Even if the wonders of technology has stopped Singaporeans from engaging in one of our national pastimes, apart from food and shopping, it is one pastime I'm glad we'd no longer have. I mean, there are still a lot more we could queue for. I mean there's the queue at the hawker centers during lunch time, there's the queues at the post offices at the end of the month and, of course, the long queues at Singapore Pools for 4D and Toto.
Some people, admittedly, queue up just the sake of queueing without knowing what the queue is for. While some people would say that if something is good, it's worth queueing for, these people seem to equate it as if it's something worth queueing for, it must be something good. The next time you end up in a long snaking queue, try asking the person in front of you what they are queueing for, chances are they might not know because they are following the herd, kinda like the zebras and wildebeest on Animal Planet.
PS: On a different note, I'm still waiting for the UN Resolution on the Israeli-Lebanon conflict to be passed. Seems like they are still squabbling over the terms to be used. Oh, and tomoorow going to watch the fireworks again. you know?
Monday, August 07, 2006
Martyrs, rejection and getting the words right...
Did you guys catch the news over the weekend?? Damn, it was entertaining. Ok, in the nutshell, the Muslim world is up in arms, well, at least just the extremists, Israel got snubbed and the UN are still squabbling over some words to stop the violence in Lebanon. Yeap, it's an interesting world we live in.
To kick off today, I was watching the news on Channel News Asia (CNA) and CNN, yes, I subscribe myself to the epitomy of American journalism, over the weekend and they reported that somewhere in Kalimantan, Indonesia there are militants getting ready to go to the Middle East by becoming martyrs. There was footage of some 50 men, some boys maybe, all decked out in black, complete with the customary balaclava, lining up in formation with the commanders in front. I have been in the Army, as has most Singaporean men, and this is no army. In fact, they looked like extras of a bad Jean Claude van Damme movie.
I don't get it, firstly, why the balaclava?? If it's some important mission ordained by God, why the need to mask yourselves?? Our Prophet (PBUH) went on countless missions carrying the word of God and I don't think balaclavas were invented yet then. C'mon, be real, if it's the truth you are fighting for, why hide behind a mask? Secondly, the men lining up didn't seem to have the conviction. The half-hearted commands and execution of said commands were amatuerish at best and these are the same men going to the Middle East to wage a Jihad against the Israeli war machine? Such a waste of time, effort and life. Lastly, they were supposed to be trained in matial arts but couldn't throw a punch properly. If these men think they want to die a martyr, they are wasting their lives; it's no longer just an Islamic fight, which guarantees martydom, it's a fight for humanity against Israel.
I'm not against such a show of force, but at the very least make it believable and don't make the Muslims look like a bunch of mindless idiots running around Israel with bombs attached to their torsos. Suicide bombings just don't cut it anymore, what was once seen as the pitiful Palestinian fight against the Israeli occupation, now is branded terrorism by westen media. Where's Ghandi when you need him? Gone are the days when one man could bring down an Empire. These days, you don't just get shot in the head, the rain bombs and missiles on a whole city to kill just one man.
Ok, on to more exciting news. Malaysia's in the news, for the right reason in my point of view this time. Something to take note of, of the four countries in South East Asia with a sizeable Muslim population, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, only Singapore has diplomatic relations with Israel. This is beacuse Singapore shares much in common with Israel being a country whose majority is a minority in the region. Israel is a Jewish State in the Arabic/Muslim hinterland, as is Singapore a predominantly Chinese nation in a perdominantly Malay neighbourhood. The major difference is that Singapore engage in multiculturalism and ethnic integration while Israel practices segregation and selective annihilation.
In light of the reason attacks, been a month already, Malaysia and Indonesia has been vocal critics of the Zionist State, very vocal. In fact, the Israeli ambassador to Singapore suggested a dialogue to ease the simmering tension and deep-rooted hatred to Israel. Guess what the embattled Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had to say to that? Roughly he said, Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with the State of Israel and does not recognise Israel, as such, such dialogues is an issue not for consideration in the first place. That was by far the best response yet. There is also a call by Pak Lah, as he is affectionately known in Malaysia, for a Muslim Peacekeeping force in Lebanon. For what? To give more reasons for Israel to attack more Muslime there? They already killed a number of UN observers, who's to say they won't do the same to the Muslim peacekeepers and say it was an accident.
Last topic of the day, UN is still haggling over the terms in the resolution to stop the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon. I don't understand this. It took the UN just hours to pass Security Resolution 660 to condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and here we are, a month on, and still no sign of any resolution being passed. In fact, it took the US all of a week to assemble a fighting force and mobilised into Saudi Arabia to prevent further Iraqi invasion. I can't help but wonder where is that force now? Is this because Lebanon has no natural resources worth protecting? Oh, they are doing Israel a favour by crippling Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as, keeping an eye on Iran. When, there are no checks on the region, terror will reign, and I meant the terror is Israel.
What's so difficult about telling Israel to stop the bombardment of Lebanon and Hizbullah to stop the foolish acts of attacking a de facto world power with no tangible results and return the 2 soldiers they set out to rescue before turning that into an operation to annihilate Hizbullah and terrorise the Lebanese? the world powers just don't get it, the longer they wait, the more people die, the more they fuel anti-US and anti-Israel feelings in the Muslim population, especially those in the Muddle East, I mean Middle East.
Oh, and a parting shot to the world leaders; get your heads out of the bush and start doing something for the betterment of humanity!!!!!!!!!!! Tha's your real job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
To kick off today, I was watching the news on Channel News Asia (CNA) and CNN, yes, I subscribe myself to the epitomy of American journalism, over the weekend and they reported that somewhere in Kalimantan, Indonesia there are militants getting ready to go to the Middle East by becoming martyrs. There was footage of some 50 men, some boys maybe, all decked out in black, complete with the customary balaclava, lining up in formation with the commanders in front. I have been in the Army, as has most Singaporean men, and this is no army. In fact, they looked like extras of a bad Jean Claude van Damme movie.
I don't get it, firstly, why the balaclava?? If it's some important mission ordained by God, why the need to mask yourselves?? Our Prophet (PBUH) went on countless missions carrying the word of God and I don't think balaclavas were invented yet then. C'mon, be real, if it's the truth you are fighting for, why hide behind a mask? Secondly, the men lining up didn't seem to have the conviction. The half-hearted commands and execution of said commands were amatuerish at best and these are the same men going to the Middle East to wage a Jihad against the Israeli war machine? Such a waste of time, effort and life. Lastly, they were supposed to be trained in matial arts but couldn't throw a punch properly. If these men think they want to die a martyr, they are wasting their lives; it's no longer just an Islamic fight, which guarantees martydom, it's a fight for humanity against Israel.
I'm not against such a show of force, but at the very least make it believable and don't make the Muslims look like a bunch of mindless idiots running around Israel with bombs attached to their torsos. Suicide bombings just don't cut it anymore, what was once seen as the pitiful Palestinian fight against the Israeli occupation, now is branded terrorism by westen media. Where's Ghandi when you need him? Gone are the days when one man could bring down an Empire. These days, you don't just get shot in the head, the rain bombs and missiles on a whole city to kill just one man.
Ok, on to more exciting news. Malaysia's in the news, for the right reason in my point of view this time. Something to take note of, of the four countries in South East Asia with a sizeable Muslim population, Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei and Singapore, only Singapore has diplomatic relations with Israel. This is beacuse Singapore shares much in common with Israel being a country whose majority is a minority in the region. Israel is a Jewish State in the Arabic/Muslim hinterland, as is Singapore a predominantly Chinese nation in a perdominantly Malay neighbourhood. The major difference is that Singapore engage in multiculturalism and ethnic integration while Israel practices segregation and selective annihilation.
In light of the reason attacks, been a month already, Malaysia and Indonesia has been vocal critics of the Zionist State, very vocal. In fact, the Israeli ambassador to Singapore suggested a dialogue to ease the simmering tension and deep-rooted hatred to Israel. Guess what the embattled Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had to say to that? Roughly he said, Malaysia has no diplomatic ties with the State of Israel and does not recognise Israel, as such, such dialogues is an issue not for consideration in the first place. That was by far the best response yet. There is also a call by Pak Lah, as he is affectionately known in Malaysia, for a Muslim Peacekeeping force in Lebanon. For what? To give more reasons for Israel to attack more Muslime there? They already killed a number of UN observers, who's to say they won't do the same to the Muslim peacekeepers and say it was an accident.
Last topic of the day, UN is still haggling over the terms in the resolution to stop the Israeli bombardment of Lebanon. I don't understand this. It took the UN just hours to pass Security Resolution 660 to condemn Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and here we are, a month on, and still no sign of any resolution being passed. In fact, it took the US all of a week to assemble a fighting force and mobilised into Saudi Arabia to prevent further Iraqi invasion. I can't help but wonder where is that force now? Is this because Lebanon has no natural resources worth protecting? Oh, they are doing Israel a favour by crippling Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as, keeping an eye on Iran. When, there are no checks on the region, terror will reign, and I meant the terror is Israel.
What's so difficult about telling Israel to stop the bombardment of Lebanon and Hizbullah to stop the foolish acts of attacking a de facto world power with no tangible results and return the 2 soldiers they set out to rescue before turning that into an operation to annihilate Hizbullah and terrorise the Lebanese? the world powers just don't get it, the longer they wait, the more people die, the more they fuel anti-US and anti-Israel feelings in the Muslim population, especially those in the Muddle East, I mean Middle East.
Oh, and a parting shot to the world leaders; get your heads out of the bush and start doing something for the betterment of humanity!!!!!!!!!!! Tha's your real job!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Friday, August 04, 2006
If only I could stop the devastation......
I was just trawling the net, blog hopping to take a look at what people around the world are writing about. One thing that struck me was the fact that the violence taking place in the Middle East is drawing lots of reaction from the people of the world. Mostly, the reaction is one of horror, exasperation and anger.
Horror at the violence, exasperation at the indecision and anger at the politicians.
Undoubtedly, I am one of them who feel the same way. Words just can't express the grief and pain etched on the faces of the innocent victims. The grief and pain at seeing your home destroyed, your family vanish and your life, hopes and dreams shattered. There are countless images, videos and commentaries talking about the situation in Lebanon. But that's all there is to it - talk.
There was talk of a ceasefire a week ago, but that has yet to materialise. The sluggishness of the whole process coupled with the delay of aid is only exacerbating the problem. I don't even want to talk about peace in the region as that, in reality, is a far-fetched idea, at least for now. Tony Blair, long been seen as Tonto to Bush's Lone Ranger persona, doesn't seem to have the guts nor the spine to issue a strong-worded statement pushing for a ceasefire. Hmmmm, this seems to be too big for me, I'll hide behind Bush. He'll know what to do. That seems to be his style of leadership. Truth be told, he IS the Prime Minister of a sovereign nation. Pity the Brits, having a spineless leader leading them.
Dr. Condoleezza Rice is jetsetting all over the place without any concrete plan to stop the violence. Probably, there was no plan to plan a stop to the violence. Confused? Befuddled? So am I. There's nothing much the world can do to stop it all. The UN has lost a lot credibility in it's failure to stop the US from invading Iraq and Afghanistan. It's position as the world's governing body has been downgraded to that of a US crony. Any sympathy gained by the US has also been eroded by it's invasion of Iraq and the impasse over the current situation in Lebanon. While once the world stood in awe at the resilience of the Americans in the wake of the 9/11 terrorrist attacks, the world now stares in disbelief at its flagrant and overt support of Israel terrorism of the innocent civilians of Lebanon.
Honestly. if I could I would have wringed Tony Blair's neck, bitch-slapped Condoleezza Rice and gouged out George Bush's eyes. I think Blair wouldn't have felt anything, seeing that he is spineless after all, neither would Rice feel a thing - damn, did you see the amount of make up that woman puts on everytime you see her on TV?. George Bush on the other hand would feel a slight tinge at the back of his head but it wouldn't matter anyway cos he's never opened his eyes anyway, except when it is to his advantage. I can't hide my feelings when it comes to these politicians. Anger is too kind a word to describe my feelings.
Yes, I am exasperated, angry and disgusted. Lebanon is a beautiful place, posessing a charm few countries could dream of. Years of civil war, followed by Israel occupation in the 80's has reduced the once magnificent country to a pale shadow of its former beauty and glory. How could I not be? Have you seen the photographs that depicts the devastation? I feel so sad and helpless looking at the children being killed. How many more has to be sacrificed before the world stands up to put an end to this violence?
I just hope that the people responsible for these atrocities get their just rewards. For the people of Lebanon and Palestine, have faith, be strong and never give up, insyallah, God will answer your prayers.
Horror at the violence, exasperation at the indecision and anger at the politicians.
Undoubtedly, I am one of them who feel the same way. Words just can't express the grief and pain etched on the faces of the innocent victims. The grief and pain at seeing your home destroyed, your family vanish and your life, hopes and dreams shattered. There are countless images, videos and commentaries talking about the situation in Lebanon. But that's all there is to it - talk.
There was talk of a ceasefire a week ago, but that has yet to materialise. The sluggishness of the whole process coupled with the delay of aid is only exacerbating the problem. I don't even want to talk about peace in the region as that, in reality, is a far-fetched idea, at least for now. Tony Blair, long been seen as Tonto to Bush's Lone Ranger persona, doesn't seem to have the guts nor the spine to issue a strong-worded statement pushing for a ceasefire. Hmmmm, this seems to be too big for me, I'll hide behind Bush. He'll know what to do. That seems to be his style of leadership. Truth be told, he IS the Prime Minister of a sovereign nation. Pity the Brits, having a spineless leader leading them.
Dr. Condoleezza Rice is jetsetting all over the place without any concrete plan to stop the violence. Probably, there was no plan to plan a stop to the violence. Confused? Befuddled? So am I. There's nothing much the world can do to stop it all. The UN has lost a lot credibility in it's failure to stop the US from invading Iraq and Afghanistan. It's position as the world's governing body has been downgraded to that of a US crony. Any sympathy gained by the US has also been eroded by it's invasion of Iraq and the impasse over the current situation in Lebanon. While once the world stood in awe at the resilience of the Americans in the wake of the 9/11 terrorrist attacks, the world now stares in disbelief at its flagrant and overt support of Israel terrorism of the innocent civilians of Lebanon.
Honestly. if I could I would have wringed Tony Blair's neck, bitch-slapped Condoleezza Rice and gouged out George Bush's eyes. I think Blair wouldn't have felt anything, seeing that he is spineless after all, neither would Rice feel a thing - damn, did you see the amount of make up that woman puts on everytime you see her on TV?. George Bush on the other hand would feel a slight tinge at the back of his head but it wouldn't matter anyway cos he's never opened his eyes anyway, except when it is to his advantage. I can't hide my feelings when it comes to these politicians. Anger is too kind a word to describe my feelings.
Yes, I am exasperated, angry and disgusted. Lebanon is a beautiful place, posessing a charm few countries could dream of. Years of civil war, followed by Israel occupation in the 80's has reduced the once magnificent country to a pale shadow of its former beauty and glory. How could I not be? Have you seen the photographs that depicts the devastation? I feel so sad and helpless looking at the children being killed. How many more has to be sacrificed before the world stands up to put an end to this violence?
I just hope that the people responsible for these atrocities get their just rewards. For the people of Lebanon and Palestine, have faith, be strong and never give up, insyallah, God will answer your prayers.
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
Blood and sex and our participation
Have you read the news recently? Have you seen the photos of the devastation wrought on the people of Lebanon?
It's a shame. A country so beautiful destroyed by the hands of man. My uncle was in Beirut for a year or so working for MAS as the country head somewhere in 2003-04. He showed me photos of the place and I was gobsmacked. It looked so serene. Beirut was like the French Riviera. That's how beautiful the city is. I honestly couldn't care less if 2 groups of people with differing political ideologies wants to beat the living hell out of each other. I couldn't care less if they wanted to assasinate each others' leaders and send suicide squads to wreak havoc in the other's territories. What I do care was the targetting of innocent civilians.
In that respect, both sides are acting like savages. Hezbollah attack Israel's border patrols and captures 2 soldiers. Israel then retaliates with unequal measure by bombarding targets all over Lebanon indiscriminately, even killing UN observers. Hezbollah then fires back missiles at residential areas of northern Israel. Personally, I agree that Israel has the right to self-defence, though they are stretching the definition of self-defence to include the destruction of Hezbollah at all costs. After so much destruction and death, the world community are slowly beginning to react to stem the bloodshed.
I don't know about you, but I find it funny and, at the same time, debatable on the response of Big Brother. Their swift reaction to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and their subsequent invasion of Iraq under the pretext of stopping a tyrant in the form of Saddam Hussein doesn't seem to be replicated when Israel attacked civilians in Lebanon. I can't help but wonder where is the swift reaction for the North Koreans or the many tyrants now in power in Africa. It also poses the question if the powers that be are selective of who they want to help or who they think are worth help.
As much as I want to go on at the political terrorism some countries are practicing, no amount of frustration would change the fact that the leader of the most powerful nation in the world has shit for brains and bias to boot. On to more interesting and gratifying news for now....
I remember reading Berita Harian, the local Malay newspaper featuring this particular campaign revolving around youths and premarital sex. The slogan of the campaign is "Lebih sexy, katakan tidak", transliterated to More sexy, say no. One of the campaign stills features a young girl looking into the mirror which shows her but pregnant, driving home the point of being pregnant is not sexy.
Honestly, pre-marital sex is a problem which leads to more serious social problems such as teenage pregnancy, discarded new-borns, unprepared parenthood which leads to more problems. You get my drift. It's a vicious cycle. I was reflecting upon this campaign and how effective it would be and somehow I had this feeling that such efforts are only scratching the surface. I mean most community efforts require participation from all walks of life. Otherwise, such efforts may be futile as the targeted audience would not be reached otherwise. Also, participation from parents are crucial though some parents can't seem to care less about their children's well-being much less such efforts.
From what I do know and can see, most of the youths who are susceptible to negative influences and, thus, would be more open to such activities, would be those who come from broken home or have broken hopes. The life they lead is one revolving around friends, desirable or not, it's their choice. Pubs and clubs are more of their kind of place as compared to mosques or community centers. Personally, I feel, all youngsters need is attention, love and someone to talk to. If they can't find it at home, they'd go elsewhere to find the acceptance they crave. I believe and hold on to that adage that everything starts from our home. If we can't get our home in order, there is no way such efforts will work.
That said, such efforts need to be brought to the fore as even making our youths aware of the potential pitfalls is winning part of the battle. I mean being young and impressionable, youths are likely to get involved in such activities, what more the youths who struggle to find acceptance from their parents and peers. So, I'm all for it, let the youths know what they are getting into even if we are scratching the surface, it's a start.
PS: I am confused, we have a campaign by Action for aids promoting safe sex and we have this campaign with promotes abstinence. Can't help wondering which is better.....
It's a shame. A country so beautiful destroyed by the hands of man. My uncle was in Beirut for a year or so working for MAS as the country head somewhere in 2003-04. He showed me photos of the place and I was gobsmacked. It looked so serene. Beirut was like the French Riviera. That's how beautiful the city is. I honestly couldn't care less if 2 groups of people with differing political ideologies wants to beat the living hell out of each other. I couldn't care less if they wanted to assasinate each others' leaders and send suicide squads to wreak havoc in the other's territories. What I do care was the targetting of innocent civilians.
In that respect, both sides are acting like savages. Hezbollah attack Israel's border patrols and captures 2 soldiers. Israel then retaliates with unequal measure by bombarding targets all over Lebanon indiscriminately, even killing UN observers. Hezbollah then fires back missiles at residential areas of northern Israel. Personally, I agree that Israel has the right to self-defence, though they are stretching the definition of self-defence to include the destruction of Hezbollah at all costs. After so much destruction and death, the world community are slowly beginning to react to stem the bloodshed.
I don't know about you, but I find it funny and, at the same time, debatable on the response of Big Brother. Their swift reaction to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and their subsequent invasion of Iraq under the pretext of stopping a tyrant in the form of Saddam Hussein doesn't seem to be replicated when Israel attacked civilians in Lebanon. I can't help but wonder where is the swift reaction for the North Koreans or the many tyrants now in power in Africa. It also poses the question if the powers that be are selective of who they want to help or who they think are worth help.
As much as I want to go on at the political terrorism some countries are practicing, no amount of frustration would change the fact that the leader of the most powerful nation in the world has shit for brains and bias to boot. On to more interesting and gratifying news for now....
I remember reading Berita Harian, the local Malay newspaper featuring this particular campaign revolving around youths and premarital sex. The slogan of the campaign is "Lebih sexy, katakan tidak", transliterated to More sexy, say no. One of the campaign stills features a young girl looking into the mirror which shows her but pregnant, driving home the point of being pregnant is not sexy.
Honestly, pre-marital sex is a problem which leads to more serious social problems such as teenage pregnancy, discarded new-borns, unprepared parenthood which leads to more problems. You get my drift. It's a vicious cycle. I was reflecting upon this campaign and how effective it would be and somehow I had this feeling that such efforts are only scratching the surface. I mean most community efforts require participation from all walks of life. Otherwise, such efforts may be futile as the targeted audience would not be reached otherwise. Also, participation from parents are crucial though some parents can't seem to care less about their children's well-being much less such efforts.
From what I do know and can see, most of the youths who are susceptible to negative influences and, thus, would be more open to such activities, would be those who come from broken home or have broken hopes. The life they lead is one revolving around friends, desirable or not, it's their choice. Pubs and clubs are more of their kind of place as compared to mosques or community centers. Personally, I feel, all youngsters need is attention, love and someone to talk to. If they can't find it at home, they'd go elsewhere to find the acceptance they crave. I believe and hold on to that adage that everything starts from our home. If we can't get our home in order, there is no way such efforts will work.
That said, such efforts need to be brought to the fore as even making our youths aware of the potential pitfalls is winning part of the battle. I mean being young and impressionable, youths are likely to get involved in such activities, what more the youths who struggle to find acceptance from their parents and peers. So, I'm all for it, let the youths know what they are getting into even if we are scratching the surface, it's a start.
PS: I am confused, we have a campaign by Action for aids promoting safe sex and we have this campaign with promotes abstinence. Can't help wondering which is better.....
Monday, July 31, 2006
Blogs, friends and happiness....
I was having a good laugh listening to the deejays of Class 95 this morning. They were talking about me - the blogger, and the rest of the bloggers out there. I do find it funny though listening to them debating this topic. I guess I understood where they were coming from in reference to the blogs who seek attention, especially those who chronicle their extracurricular activities. Well, to each, his own.
Admittedly, there are those who crave attention and view the burgeoning hit count as a sign that their blog is a success. Personally, I view my blog as an extension of myself - an avenue for me to let my feelings known in a subtle way. I mean, when we are angry or pissed, words spewed from our lips tend to have more fire and passion in them and that may touch a few nerves and missing the point altogether. A friend and a ex-colleague and ex-boss once said to me, emails are very powerful. I guess that notion extends to blogs we write and letters we send.
This is simply because, with letters, emails and blogs, we tend to be retrospective in our views so much so that in getting our points across with such subtlety, we do not trip and fall and made to look like fools. In the heat of the moment, words don't just cut, they tear into you. Away from the heat though, when calmer and with hindsight, the words mellow, the mind becomes clearer and our judgements are not as clouded as when we are better able to get our point across. I have no problems with people who do everything they can to get their hit rates skyrocket - from posting nude photos of their not-so-beautiful bodies and faces to acid-tongue remarks which would only come back to haunt them. I say, let them be and let the powers that be handle them.
In the end, it all comes down to the purpose of it all - the purpose you create and maintain a blog and why you sniff around other people's blog.
OK, enough talking about others, my egomanical, self-centric personality's about to take over now. Yeah, it's kinda lame.....I know. So, I was out and about Suntec on Friday evening - had a meeting with an ex-camp mate from NS who's now a financial advisor. He got me a good quote for my insurance and we were there to talk a bit while settling the business. On the way to meet him, I chanced upon a trio of babes whom I know from secondary school. All three are teachers now though only 1 has settled down. The other 2 remain single and available, I think. Spent almost 10mins, chatting, exchanging pleasantries, introducing my wife - the kind of things you do when meeting old friends, without ever exchanging contacts.
On the way back though was when the conversation between me and my wife got interesting. I remember a few posts back where I mentioned about her friend who is so desperate to get hitched while acting like a juvenile schoolgirl breaking out of puberty. I asked my wife if she noticed how my friends reacted when I asked them if they were married or in a relationship. Well, nonchalant was a nice way to put it. I didn't think they were too bothered over the fact that they were not hitched at 29. I told my wife that there is more to life than just finding a man, getting married and having babies. I guess my friends had different priorities as compared to my wife's friend.
After 29 years if breathing the polluted air around me, it's safe to say that my perspective of life has changed though my desires have not waned. I think I'd much rather have a fulfilling life as opposed to a long life with unfulfilled dreams and desires. To me, it's better to enjoy what you have now than to risk losing everything without ever feeling the enjoyment that comes with it. The more we worry about where our next meal will come from, where our Mr or Miss Right is or contemplating buying that dress or hot gizmo, the further we are from happiness and closer we are to death.
I just don't want to come to a point where I'm drawing my last breaths wishing I had done something when I had the chance.
Admittedly, there are those who crave attention and view the burgeoning hit count as a sign that their blog is a success. Personally, I view my blog as an extension of myself - an avenue for me to let my feelings known in a subtle way. I mean, when we are angry or pissed, words spewed from our lips tend to have more fire and passion in them and that may touch a few nerves and missing the point altogether. A friend and a ex-colleague and ex-boss once said to me, emails are very powerful. I guess that notion extends to blogs we write and letters we send.
This is simply because, with letters, emails and blogs, we tend to be retrospective in our views so much so that in getting our points across with such subtlety, we do not trip and fall and made to look like fools. In the heat of the moment, words don't just cut, they tear into you. Away from the heat though, when calmer and with hindsight, the words mellow, the mind becomes clearer and our judgements are not as clouded as when we are better able to get our point across. I have no problems with people who do everything they can to get their hit rates skyrocket - from posting nude photos of their not-so-beautiful bodies and faces to acid-tongue remarks which would only come back to haunt them. I say, let them be and let the powers that be handle them.
In the end, it all comes down to the purpose of it all - the purpose you create and maintain a blog and why you sniff around other people's blog.
OK, enough talking about others, my egomanical, self-centric personality's about to take over now. Yeah, it's kinda lame.....I know. So, I was out and about Suntec on Friday evening - had a meeting with an ex-camp mate from NS who's now a financial advisor. He got me a good quote for my insurance and we were there to talk a bit while settling the business. On the way to meet him, I chanced upon a trio of babes whom I know from secondary school. All three are teachers now though only 1 has settled down. The other 2 remain single and available, I think. Spent almost 10mins, chatting, exchanging pleasantries, introducing my wife - the kind of things you do when meeting old friends, without ever exchanging contacts.
On the way back though was when the conversation between me and my wife got interesting. I remember a few posts back where I mentioned about her friend who is so desperate to get hitched while acting like a juvenile schoolgirl breaking out of puberty. I asked my wife if she noticed how my friends reacted when I asked them if they were married or in a relationship. Well, nonchalant was a nice way to put it. I didn't think they were too bothered over the fact that they were not hitched at 29. I told my wife that there is more to life than just finding a man, getting married and having babies. I guess my friends had different priorities as compared to my wife's friend.
After 29 years if breathing the polluted air around me, it's safe to say that my perspective of life has changed though my desires have not waned. I think I'd much rather have a fulfilling life as opposed to a long life with unfulfilled dreams and desires. To me, it's better to enjoy what you have now than to risk losing everything without ever feeling the enjoyment that comes with it. The more we worry about where our next meal will come from, where our Mr or Miss Right is or contemplating buying that dress or hot gizmo, the further we are from happiness and closer we are to death.
I just don't want to come to a point where I'm drawing my last breaths wishing I had done something when I had the chance.
Tuesday, July 25, 2006
There are some things money just can't buy
I have been thinking a lot over the last few days. There's been a lot going through my mind which made me neglect my blog for a few days. Yeap, tumultuous to say the least. I had a fallout with my parents over things I have been planning to get but I'm not gonna talk about that.
Those who have been reading my posts diligently, I doubt there are, would know that I was planning on doing some upgrades or enhancements to my car - something I have been planning for the longest time, even before I got the keys to the car. Well, that's all up in smoke now. It's all because of the quintessential question of expenditure or over-spending. Fingers were pointed at me, specifically, calling me a "glamour boy", colloquially translated as someone who likes to spend on the latest stuff in order to be perceived as cool or "in".
Let me ask you this question then. Put an IT geek in Sim Lim Square or put gamer in a shop selling games or put an Audiophile in Sim Lim Tower or a car enthusiast in an autoshop selling all there is and what do you get? A great big smile and a wild imagination....give him a blank check and you'll see him doing cartwheels.
We as humans have our own unique interests. Most men would have an interest in either sports, cars, bikes or IT gadgets, some have an equal amount of interest in all. Same goes for women. Only thing is that for women, fashion is high on that list. We go to work, slog hard and hope to get enough money at the end of the month to be able to buy that latest football jersey or MP3 or DVD player or the cool car accessory. If we don't, we'll save up and wait till we've accumulated enough. Women do the same too, they crave for that nice, hot dress or the latest perfume or the latest shade of pink lipstick.
While some would balk at the price tag of $200 for that hot dress or $400 on the new amplifier or $600 on the latest graphics card, there are those who'd scrimp and save to be able to own such items. Deep down, everyone has that desire to own something new, instead of just hand-me-downs all their lives. Having not enough money is, more often than not, just a time-delay mechanism which only serves to slow down the process of realising that coveted dream. However, at the end of the day, being able to realise that dream is a reward far more rewarding than anything tangible.
Let me ask the wives this question. What would you give to see the look on your husbands face when you buy him that latest handphone he's been eyeing eversince it was announced? For the husband, what price would you pay to see that look upon your wife's face when you present her with a new dress or jewelry? For the parents, what price would you put for that look on your child's face when you buy him that new games console he's been pleading you to buy for him? More often than not, it's the intangible rewards that matter, be it you buy something for some you love or you buying it for yourself as a reward for your past year of hard work.
Buying new things may not always be a waste of money, no matter how pragmatic you are. Even if you think your wife is wasting her money when buying a new pair of shoes when she already has 300 pairs lying around at home, to her its the realisation of a dream she has. Same thing goes for the wives. When your husband goes out to trade-in his handphone for the latest model, even though his current handphone is working just fine, does that mean he is wasting his money when you know owning that new piece of hardware will put a smile on his face, the very smile you love to see?? Would you have the heart to deny your child his toothy grin when refusing to buy him candy or ice-cream??
Well, as with all others, I too, dreamt of the latest stuff, I dreamt of upgrading my car, dreamt of getting the new Sony Ericsson K800i and hope to go to Australia for a holiday. However, due to certain events which transpired, I have since decided that they will remain just that - dreams.
Those who have been reading my posts diligently, I doubt there are, would know that I was planning on doing some upgrades or enhancements to my car - something I have been planning for the longest time, even before I got the keys to the car. Well, that's all up in smoke now. It's all because of the quintessential question of expenditure or over-spending. Fingers were pointed at me, specifically, calling me a "glamour boy", colloquially translated as someone who likes to spend on the latest stuff in order to be perceived as cool or "in".
Let me ask you this question then. Put an IT geek in Sim Lim Square or put gamer in a shop selling games or put an Audiophile in Sim Lim Tower or a car enthusiast in an autoshop selling all there is and what do you get? A great big smile and a wild imagination....give him a blank check and you'll see him doing cartwheels.
We as humans have our own unique interests. Most men would have an interest in either sports, cars, bikes or IT gadgets, some have an equal amount of interest in all. Same goes for women. Only thing is that for women, fashion is high on that list. We go to work, slog hard and hope to get enough money at the end of the month to be able to buy that latest football jersey or MP3 or DVD player or the cool car accessory. If we don't, we'll save up and wait till we've accumulated enough. Women do the same too, they crave for that nice, hot dress or the latest perfume or the latest shade of pink lipstick.
While some would balk at the price tag of $200 for that hot dress or $400 on the new amplifier or $600 on the latest graphics card, there are those who'd scrimp and save to be able to own such items. Deep down, everyone has that desire to own something new, instead of just hand-me-downs all their lives. Having not enough money is, more often than not, just a time-delay mechanism which only serves to slow down the process of realising that coveted dream. However, at the end of the day, being able to realise that dream is a reward far more rewarding than anything tangible.
Let me ask the wives this question. What would you give to see the look on your husbands face when you buy him that latest handphone he's been eyeing eversince it was announced? For the husband, what price would you pay to see that look upon your wife's face when you present her with a new dress or jewelry? For the parents, what price would you put for that look on your child's face when you buy him that new games console he's been pleading you to buy for him? More often than not, it's the intangible rewards that matter, be it you buy something for some you love or you buying it for yourself as a reward for your past year of hard work.
Buying new things may not always be a waste of money, no matter how pragmatic you are. Even if you think your wife is wasting her money when buying a new pair of shoes when she already has 300 pairs lying around at home, to her its the realisation of a dream she has. Same thing goes for the wives. When your husband goes out to trade-in his handphone for the latest model, even though his current handphone is working just fine, does that mean he is wasting his money when you know owning that new piece of hardware will put a smile on his face, the very smile you love to see?? Would you have the heart to deny your child his toothy grin when refusing to buy him candy or ice-cream??
Well, as with all others, I too, dreamt of the latest stuff, I dreamt of upgrading my car, dreamt of getting the new Sony Ericsson K800i and hope to go to Australia for a holiday. However, due to certain events which transpired, I have since decided that they will remain just that - dreams.
Monday, July 24, 2006
Went to Sentosa, came back with nothing.
There goes my weekend, in another blur of activities. The wife and me went to Sentosa, well, it was more of me hell-bent on going while she having had no choice or say in the matter, simply tagged along. Well, I starterd the day very early, washed the car and cleaned the house, while my wife cooked up breakfast and lunch, knowing we would be spending lunch at Sentosa.
It was supposed to be a meetup of the car club, of which I am a member, and a grand one at that. There was this marquee event for car enthusiasts, featuring a drifting competition, some booths and a movie screening ofThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. So, at around 10am we left the house and made our way there, all the while imagining in my mind what to expect. On reaching the island, after paying the $6.00 entrance fee, ouch!!, we proceeded to the wrong carpark. Only after a flurry of phone calls was I able to make my way to the right place.
What I came upon sank my heart.
While I did expect the car drifting competition to be held in the sun, what I didn't expect were the spectators were also standing in the hot sun. While I expected there to be booths all lined up with a carnival-like atmosphere with fun and games, what I got was 20 or so booths, mostly automotive in nature (it is a car enthusiasts event after all), with a smattering of booths hawking ladies accesories, all with a distinct lethargy in hawking their wares. Well, maybe with the exception of the Pioneer booth, there was an air of disinterest in the whole event. Disappointed was a feeling my friends and me shared.
After 1 hour, I decided to make full use of my time in Sentosa, having not visited the place in years, plus I had set aside $100 for some fun. So, off we - we being my wife and me - went to explore what changes has been taking place on the island. First, we tried Cinemania, at $25 for 2 to enter for all of 15 mins spent strapped to a chair going thru the so-called adventure. Damn, I got ripped off. Then, we went to the Orchid Garden, nothing much but, what else, orchids. Next, we went to Imbiah Lookout, where we were greeted by heavy rain.
Now, I know where's the new Carlsberg Sky Tower and the Sentosa Luge & Skybridge. Well, I'm ignorant about Sentosa, or choose to be. Being the big boy that I am, I wanted to try both the Sky Tower and the Luge, but darling wifey managed to convince me otherwise. In the end, I could only look on as those happy people queued for their turns. Well, at $10pax for the Sky Tower, I guess, missing it wouldn't be such a bad thing, but missing the Luge and Skybridge which would have set me back only $8pax was a travesty. In truth, she had left her "bravery scarf" at home, so walks on the wild side were out for the day.
Being the mountain tortoise that I am when it concerns local attractions, I had also wanted to go to the Underwater World. Could you believe it? I'm 29 and have yet to visit the Underwater World and the Night Safari. Then again, at $19.50pax, I could come back another time. In the midst of much haggling over where to go next, my wife said something to me which did make some sense. The reason why we were reluctant to part with our cash to visit local attractions is because we are not in a holiday mood. I mean, she's right, had we been elsewhere, we'd have no qualms splashing the cash.
I mean, we were at Langkawi for our honeymoon, and I remember visiting the Underwater World there and, though it was such a disappointment, I didn't come out feeling as empty as I would have had it been a local attraction. I mean walking around the complex, gawking at fishes in tanks and not their natural environment was not exactly what I envisioned the Underwater World to be. Same goes for the Sky Tower. While I would have paid for entry into the KL Towers, I'd have second thoughts at paying to look at familiar surroundings, albeit from a different angle. I'd have a great view from Mount Faber for free.
All said and done, at least we had a nice finish to the crappy day at Sentosa - dinner at Delifrance Bistro, courtesy of my leftover budget.
It was supposed to be a meetup of the car club, of which I am a member, and a grand one at that. There was this marquee event for car enthusiasts, featuring a drifting competition, some booths and a movie screening ofThe Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. So, at around 10am we left the house and made our way there, all the while imagining in my mind what to expect. On reaching the island, after paying the $6.00 entrance fee, ouch!!, we proceeded to the wrong carpark. Only after a flurry of phone calls was I able to make my way to the right place.
What I came upon sank my heart.
While I did expect the car drifting competition to be held in the sun, what I didn't expect were the spectators were also standing in the hot sun. While I expected there to be booths all lined up with a carnival-like atmosphere with fun and games, what I got was 20 or so booths, mostly automotive in nature (it is a car enthusiasts event after all), with a smattering of booths hawking ladies accesories, all with a distinct lethargy in hawking their wares. Well, maybe with the exception of the Pioneer booth, there was an air of disinterest in the whole event. Disappointed was a feeling my friends and me shared.
After 1 hour, I decided to make full use of my time in Sentosa, having not visited the place in years, plus I had set aside $100 for some fun. So, off we - we being my wife and me - went to explore what changes has been taking place on the island. First, we tried Cinemania, at $25 for 2 to enter for all of 15 mins spent strapped to a chair going thru the so-called adventure. Damn, I got ripped off. Then, we went to the Orchid Garden, nothing much but, what else, orchids. Next, we went to Imbiah Lookout, where we were greeted by heavy rain.
Now, I know where's the new Carlsberg Sky Tower and the Sentosa Luge & Skybridge. Well, I'm ignorant about Sentosa, or choose to be. Being the big boy that I am, I wanted to try both the Sky Tower and the Luge, but darling wifey managed to convince me otherwise. In the end, I could only look on as those happy people queued for their turns. Well, at $10pax for the Sky Tower, I guess, missing it wouldn't be such a bad thing, but missing the Luge and Skybridge which would have set me back only $8pax was a travesty. In truth, she had left her "bravery scarf" at home, so walks on the wild side were out for the day.
Being the mountain tortoise that I am when it concerns local attractions, I had also wanted to go to the Underwater World. Could you believe it? I'm 29 and have yet to visit the Underwater World and the Night Safari. Then again, at $19.50pax, I could come back another time. In the midst of much haggling over where to go next, my wife said something to me which did make some sense. The reason why we were reluctant to part with our cash to visit local attractions is because we are not in a holiday mood. I mean, she's right, had we been elsewhere, we'd have no qualms splashing the cash.
I mean, we were at Langkawi for our honeymoon, and I remember visiting the Underwater World there and, though it was such a disappointment, I didn't come out feeling as empty as I would have had it been a local attraction. I mean walking around the complex, gawking at fishes in tanks and not their natural environment was not exactly what I envisioned the Underwater World to be. Same goes for the Sky Tower. While I would have paid for entry into the KL Towers, I'd have second thoughts at paying to look at familiar surroundings, albeit from a different angle. I'd have a great view from Mount Faber for free.
All said and done, at least we had a nice finish to the crappy day at Sentosa - dinner at Delifrance Bistro, courtesy of my leftover budget.
Wednesday, July 19, 2006
Mid East Flare-ups
OK, it's been more than a week since I last posted. I am yet to find out exactly what transpired in the Zidane-Materazzi affair, not that I'm fixated on finding out anyway. Oh, and the big news now is Israel's offensive in southern Lebanon against the Hezbollah. The basic premise is that 2 of their soldiers were abducted by the Hezbollah and they would use any force necessary to obtain their release.
It's been the story of the region hasn't it?
The siege mentality adopted by the Zionist state surrounded by Muslim neighbours who'd gleefully rub their hand together at any chance they'd get at annihilating the Jewish neighbour they oh-so-love-to-hate. The turbulence engulfing the Middle-East shows no signs of abating and it seems like there may not be peace any time soon. Built from land usurped from their Arab neighbours, Israel seems to have this policy of striking first and striking hard at the enemy, and they excercise this policy a lot, mostly, with brutal outcomes.
For me, personally, I'd like to see the day the Arabs triumphing over their Israel, not because I am a Muslim, but more because I hold to the principle that no one has the right to chase the indigeneous people off their birthland. I felt the same for the Aborigines of Australia, long marginalised by the white immigrants, and for the Native Indians of the Americas. I do believe that Jerusalem should be sanctioned as an international city, due to it's uniqueness of being the cradle of the 3 major Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Then again, who am I to say?
Despite having UN Resolutions hanging over its head, there seems nothing that can be done to diffuse each and every flareup caused by the Israelis. However, if the flareup was caused by the Arabs, the rebuttal and response is swift and hard. Sad but true, in a region where stones are answered with bullets and "every means necessary", more often than not means excessive use of force, it's hard to see the end of such hostilities. The Arabs aren't doing much to diffuse it either, suicide bombings under the veil of martyrdom are hardly the kind of answers need to to the perennial question of the possibility of peaceful existence.
Fighting fire with fire will only cause the situation to get even hotter and more tense than it already is. Every Israeli incursion into the Palestinian territories, killing innocent civilians while at it, is replied with suicide bombings of innocent civilians from Israel. Likewise, any suicide attacks replied with more incursions. It's a vicious cycle which never seems to end. And now this. Israel attacks south Lebanon to force Hezbollah to release their kidnapped soldiers. While I pity the innocent Lebanese killed in this show of force by the Israelis, I can't help thinking that had these 2 soldiers be released, the bloodshed might just end - for now.
The way I see it now, the situation is set to escalate further, I'd probably not discount a full-scale invasion by Israel into South Lebanon just as they did in 1980. I do not think Israel should not excercise its right to self-defence, however, that said, they should have excercised restraint - a concept the Israel government seem to to find alien. It's kind of like a playground fight between 2 boys. The smaller boy provokes the bigger boy, calling him stupid, and get a slap, a shove, a punch and kick up the backside all at once. At the same time, sniggering at the rest of the boys, taunnting them to do domething about it.
Yeap, we are those other boys, some watching, some egging on the 2 boys, all the while waiting for someone to step in, only to see the biggest boy around sitting at the corner, pretending nothing happened, if you get my drift.
It's been the story of the region hasn't it?
The siege mentality adopted by the Zionist state surrounded by Muslim neighbours who'd gleefully rub their hand together at any chance they'd get at annihilating the Jewish neighbour they oh-so-love-to-hate. The turbulence engulfing the Middle-East shows no signs of abating and it seems like there may not be peace any time soon. Built from land usurped from their Arab neighbours, Israel seems to have this policy of striking first and striking hard at the enemy, and they excercise this policy a lot, mostly, with brutal outcomes.
For me, personally, I'd like to see the day the Arabs triumphing over their Israel, not because I am a Muslim, but more because I hold to the principle that no one has the right to chase the indigeneous people off their birthland. I felt the same for the Aborigines of Australia, long marginalised by the white immigrants, and for the Native Indians of the Americas. I do believe that Jerusalem should be sanctioned as an international city, due to it's uniqueness of being the cradle of the 3 major Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity and Islam.
Then again, who am I to say?
Despite having UN Resolutions hanging over its head, there seems nothing that can be done to diffuse each and every flareup caused by the Israelis. However, if the flareup was caused by the Arabs, the rebuttal and response is swift and hard. Sad but true, in a region where stones are answered with bullets and "every means necessary", more often than not means excessive use of force, it's hard to see the end of such hostilities. The Arabs aren't doing much to diffuse it either, suicide bombings under the veil of martyrdom are hardly the kind of answers need to to the perennial question of the possibility of peaceful existence.
Fighting fire with fire will only cause the situation to get even hotter and more tense than it already is. Every Israeli incursion into the Palestinian territories, killing innocent civilians while at it, is replied with suicide bombings of innocent civilians from Israel. Likewise, any suicide attacks replied with more incursions. It's a vicious cycle which never seems to end. And now this. Israel attacks south Lebanon to force Hezbollah to release their kidnapped soldiers. While I pity the innocent Lebanese killed in this show of force by the Israelis, I can't help thinking that had these 2 soldiers be released, the bloodshed might just end - for now.
The way I see it now, the situation is set to escalate further, I'd probably not discount a full-scale invasion by Israel into South Lebanon just as they did in 1980. I do not think Israel should not excercise its right to self-defence, however, that said, they should have excercised restraint - a concept the Israel government seem to to find alien. It's kind of like a playground fight between 2 boys. The smaller boy provokes the bigger boy, calling him stupid, and get a slap, a shove, a punch and kick up the backside all at once. At the same time, sniggering at the rest of the boys, taunnting them to do domething about it.
Yeap, we are those other boys, some watching, some egging on the 2 boys, all the while waiting for someone to step in, only to see the biggest boy around sitting at the corner, pretending nothing happened, if you get my drift.
Monday, July 10, 2006
Give the man a break
OK, I am shocked. Just like the rest of us are. Zizou, arguably the best footballer of his generation, one of the most soft-spoke athletes around, launched into a headbutt into the chest of Marco Materazzi in his final, farewell match. Damn, that was some headbutt too, any bull in Pamplona would have been proud.
I'm not even gonna talk about the circumstances leading to the event nor am I gonna talk about the match - there are enough websites covering that incident. What I do find disturbing is the fact that people are lauding Zidane for his sense of honour and chastizing Materazzi for his provocation. I mean, seriously, do we have to do that? Let's go past the fact that they are indeed public figures whose actions are watched by millions, if not billion all over the world.
We have this sick fixation for stargazing and I'm not talking astr0nomy here. We love heroes and at the same time we hate villains. To us, it epitomises the struggle between good and evil - the very fundamentals of our lives - and the hope that comes with the good. No ones wants to be a villain but everyone wants to be a hero. Due to this fiaxation we find ourselves looking up to our heroes.In this case, is Zidane the hero and is Materazzi the villain? But who defines who as a hero?
To me, I'd rather just look at it as one man's reaction to another's provocation. There are no heroes here. This thing happens all over the world. You get jibes all the time from your friends, I get it for my rotund figure. Do we really have to scrutinize Zidane's reaction even if he is a public figure? He is not a hero, he is a mere mortal, a real life person with feelings - feelings that are susceptible to being hurt at the provocations and insinuations of others.
Heroes exist only to give hope to those in need of the little ray of hope. We have Robin Hood, King Arthur, Hercules and Archilles as heroes. God knows if they had ever been real or just webs spun by old men to inspire the young of their time, whose tales have been retold countless times with a generous dose of embellishments of their own. I guess in every era, in every community, in every social structure, heroes exist for a unifying reason - to give hope and direction to the desired morality in our lives.
The Greeks has Hercules and Archilles as their beacon of hope, Anglo-Saxons has King Arthur and Robin Hood, the Malays has Hang Tuah, the Chinese has Wong Fei Hong, the Americans has........well, they have Rambo and Luke Skywalker. All these heroes symbolizes the good - in every facet of their lives - that we desire to have in our lives and the hope that our children will be as good as these heroes. Dare we put Zidane in the same bracket as them?
Last I check, none of those heroes have headbutted their adversaries. Give Zidane a break, he's not a hero, just a mere mortal with immortal talents.
I'm not even gonna talk about the circumstances leading to the event nor am I gonna talk about the match - there are enough websites covering that incident. What I do find disturbing is the fact that people are lauding Zidane for his sense of honour and chastizing Materazzi for his provocation. I mean, seriously, do we have to do that? Let's go past the fact that they are indeed public figures whose actions are watched by millions, if not billion all over the world.
We have this sick fixation for stargazing and I'm not talking astr0nomy here. We love heroes and at the same time we hate villains. To us, it epitomises the struggle between good and evil - the very fundamentals of our lives - and the hope that comes with the good. No ones wants to be a villain but everyone wants to be a hero. Due to this fiaxation we find ourselves looking up to our heroes.In this case, is Zidane the hero and is Materazzi the villain? But who defines who as a hero?
To me, I'd rather just look at it as one man's reaction to another's provocation. There are no heroes here. This thing happens all over the world. You get jibes all the time from your friends, I get it for my rotund figure. Do we really have to scrutinize Zidane's reaction even if he is a public figure? He is not a hero, he is a mere mortal, a real life person with feelings - feelings that are susceptible to being hurt at the provocations and insinuations of others.
Heroes exist only to give hope to those in need of the little ray of hope. We have Robin Hood, King Arthur, Hercules and Archilles as heroes. God knows if they had ever been real or just webs spun by old men to inspire the young of their time, whose tales have been retold countless times with a generous dose of embellishments of their own. I guess in every era, in every community, in every social structure, heroes exist for a unifying reason - to give hope and direction to the desired morality in our lives.
The Greeks has Hercules and Archilles as their beacon of hope, Anglo-Saxons has King Arthur and Robin Hood, the Malays has Hang Tuah, the Chinese has Wong Fei Hong, the Americans has........well, they have Rambo and Luke Skywalker. All these heroes symbolizes the good - in every facet of their lives - that we desire to have in our lives and the hope that our children will be as good as these heroes. Dare we put Zidane in the same bracket as them?
Last I check, none of those heroes have headbutted their adversaries. Give Zidane a break, he's not a hero, just a mere mortal with immortal talents.
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Football: sport or business?
For those who know me personally might find this a bit strange. This is the year of the FIFA World Cup and me being a football nut/junkie/fanatic/addict, I have yet to discuss anything on my blog even remotely related to football or soccer, depending on which side of the planet u live in. Strange isn't it?
Having spent the last 4 years gearing myself up for the biggest event on any football mad person, nothing has yet to come out of me is indeed surprising, even for me. No, it's not a case of me going cold turkey to cure myself off my football addiction, it's just that I felt there was no interesting thing to discuss. I mean look around you. Banners are everywhere. So are the posters. Not that I have lost interest, far from it, I just did not see the need to discuss my thoughts on the shocks of this tournament when there are countless footballs pundits all over the world waiting to give their take on things. I'm not about to join Gary Lineker or Bryan Robson as a pundit.
But let's looks at the hype surrounding this event or any football event for that matter. Just point me to any major football tournament which do not generate as much hype and interest. As the commercials go, "We all speak football". Well, I know that sports, in general, trancends any barriers, be it, religious, racial, language, ideologies and politics. However, any kind of organised sports still at it's very core administered by a bunch of people, who are, nevertheless, politicians. And you know when politics come into play, things will get cloudy.
I pity the football millionaires. I really do. I mean look at how many of them have fallen by the wayside. Prime example amongst them, the legendary George Best. Acclaimend by many to be the most gifted of footballers, he threw his life away when at the age of 26 he walked way from it all. Overcome by the trappings of success, he just didn't know what to do with all his money and spent it all on the booze. It's a very common tale, poor young boy comes to the city to play his favourite game, gets noticed by the thousands of scouts, signs a huge contract with more zeroes he could count, gets better, becomes more famous. Remmber Garrincha? The World Cup winner with Brazil in 1958, a team-mate of the immortal Pele, well, he died penniless.
While George Best is not the only one, he remains the epitomy of fame getting into the head of a young footballer. And this was way back in the 60's and 70's when football has yet to reach it's financial pinnacle. Owing to the fact that there will always be the insatiable demand to watch the skills of top players, tournaments are created to exhibit these very skills. And at whose expense? Of course, without the spectators, the footballing gods will not be as rich as they are now. But success always come with a price. I mean they are being thrust into the limelight and not all of them are comfortable with a microphone shoved in their face, flashes going off everywhere.
Then again, without these sporting administrators and the whole media circus, we would never be able to witness the many unforgettable skills on show. Way back in 1970, only a handful of people would have been so lucky to be able to watch the Final itself. Now, in 2006, almost everyone had access to the games, even those poor detainees in Guantanamo Bay. While I dislike the commercialism that is so prevalent in my beloved sports - The Beautiful Game, I have to admit that without such overt commercialism, we would not have had the luxury of witnessing the rise of South Korea in 2002 or the triumph of Zizou and France in 1998 or the gut-wrenching penalty miss by Robberto Baggio in 1994.
I have to admit that while it is crazy to wake up at the unearthly hours here just to watch 22 men chasing after a ball, many amongst us would miss the games for anything in the world. Not me, I'd gladly fork out my money all over again to watch that freekick by Beckham against Colombia in 1998, that wonder solo goal by Owen in the same tournament, that superb strike by Bergkamp against Argentina in 1998 and the long range strike by Gheorghe Hagi in 1994. Pieces of skills that we, mere mortals, could only dream of.
2010, yeap, I'll be watching. Again
Having spent the last 4 years gearing myself up for the biggest event on any football mad person, nothing has yet to come out of me is indeed surprising, even for me. No, it's not a case of me going cold turkey to cure myself off my football addiction, it's just that I felt there was no interesting thing to discuss. I mean look around you. Banners are everywhere. So are the posters. Not that I have lost interest, far from it, I just did not see the need to discuss my thoughts on the shocks of this tournament when there are countless footballs pundits all over the world waiting to give their take on things. I'm not about to join Gary Lineker or Bryan Robson as a pundit.
But let's looks at the hype surrounding this event or any football event for that matter. Just point me to any major football tournament which do not generate as much hype and interest. As the commercials go, "We all speak football". Well, I know that sports, in general, trancends any barriers, be it, religious, racial, language, ideologies and politics. However, any kind of organised sports still at it's very core administered by a bunch of people, who are, nevertheless, politicians. And you know when politics come into play, things will get cloudy.
I pity the football millionaires. I really do. I mean look at how many of them have fallen by the wayside. Prime example amongst them, the legendary George Best. Acclaimend by many to be the most gifted of footballers, he threw his life away when at the age of 26 he walked way from it all. Overcome by the trappings of success, he just didn't know what to do with all his money and spent it all on the booze. It's a very common tale, poor young boy comes to the city to play his favourite game, gets noticed by the thousands of scouts, signs a huge contract with more zeroes he could count, gets better, becomes more famous. Remmber Garrincha? The World Cup winner with Brazil in 1958, a team-mate of the immortal Pele, well, he died penniless.
While George Best is not the only one, he remains the epitomy of fame getting into the head of a young footballer. And this was way back in the 60's and 70's when football has yet to reach it's financial pinnacle. Owing to the fact that there will always be the insatiable demand to watch the skills of top players, tournaments are created to exhibit these very skills. And at whose expense? Of course, without the spectators, the footballing gods will not be as rich as they are now. But success always come with a price. I mean they are being thrust into the limelight and not all of them are comfortable with a microphone shoved in their face, flashes going off everywhere.
Then again, without these sporting administrators and the whole media circus, we would never be able to witness the many unforgettable skills on show. Way back in 1970, only a handful of people would have been so lucky to be able to watch the Final itself. Now, in 2006, almost everyone had access to the games, even those poor detainees in Guantanamo Bay. While I dislike the commercialism that is so prevalent in my beloved sports - The Beautiful Game, I have to admit that without such overt commercialism, we would not have had the luxury of witnessing the rise of South Korea in 2002 or the triumph of Zizou and France in 1998 or the gut-wrenching penalty miss by Robberto Baggio in 1994.
I have to admit that while it is crazy to wake up at the unearthly hours here just to watch 22 men chasing after a ball, many amongst us would miss the games for anything in the world. Not me, I'd gladly fork out my money all over again to watch that freekick by Beckham against Colombia in 1998, that wonder solo goal by Owen in the same tournament, that superb strike by Bergkamp against Argentina in 1998 and the long range strike by Gheorghe Hagi in 1994. Pieces of skills that we, mere mortals, could only dream of.
2010, yeap, I'll be watching. Again
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