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.

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.

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

I'm staying

I have always wondered why some people would want to move away from the place they called home, where they grew up, made friends, fall in love for the first time. I remember a few months ago where there was this debate about the stayers and leavers, or something to that effect.

Being young, we all have this adventurous streak in us, save for the few chicken-hearted amongst us. I have a few friends who have been complaining and whining for the longest time about how shackled they feel living in Singapore, not having the kind of freedom that they crave. Even up till now, I have yet to understand what it was meant by that.

Freedom? Freedom from what?

We have long since left behind our colonial past and the shackles that once came with it. Heck, the ones doing all the whining have never known what it was like to be treated as second-class citizens in their own lands. Terror tales abound about the treatment of Asians in western nations, Australia included. It seems like Asians are generally viewed as usurpers to their economy, adding more competition to an already competitive economy. Grass is greener on the other side?

Strange isn't it? While governments around the world expound the virtues of Free Trade Agreements and a free market economy, the population, as a whole, dread the extra competition, even if it means more choices. So, even if we think we are going to a land of opportunities, the stark reality of it all is that, we may not be as welcomed, in spite of the banner welcoming you at the airport. Think about it, would you rather have holiday makes come to your country and splurge the cash or would you rather have the same people settling down permanently and compete for whatever resources that are available?

I guess this is why a lot of those who migrate, especially those who are not as well-off financially, often find themseles in a conundrum, trying to eke out a living out of nothing. Most of those who have studied these phenom would say that it is a vicious cycle, while success breeds success, pverty breeds, poverty. Often it is said that to break out of this vicious poverty cycle, a good education is key, that in itself is flawed. How do you guarantee a good education when the people you are trying to educate don't have enough for their own survival, let along education.

I guess most of us Singaporeans do not fall under that category where we live hand to mouth. A day to day existence which most would cringe at. I am happy where I, in spite of all the talk about lack of freedom and a vibrant life. Think of it this way, probably half the world do not have access clean drinking water, much less buffets and gourmet cuisine.

A few lecherous old men......

We have come caross a multitude of characters in our lifetime. The ones we usually treat with disdain are the voyuers, perverted and chee ko pek, or leacherous, to the uninitiated. I mean, we sometimes look at criminals with a certain amount of caution, but lecherous old men are simply treated with disdain. Some have even gone as far as to distant themselves from relatives who are labelled as chee ko pek.

The low life amongst the low lifes. Yeap. that's how we treat them.

Having walked the back alleys of red light districts in our sunny island-nation, one thing strikes me, it's either the foreign workers or the chee ko peks and the occasional gawking young men who roam the streets. I can't fault the foreign workers. They do things that we don't want to do, ever. they leave their hometowns, some leave their wife and kids in order to earn more here to provide better for those they left behind.

Bereft of any sense of belonging here and away from their loved ones, most of them, young men, become lonely. Living in a dorm with other men as company, loneliness is a painful thing to live with. Let's face it, they are men, so the desire is there. It's either they start a relationship with another foreign worker, be it amongst them, God forbid, or a female domestic worker (read: maid) or they go to the back alleys and look for love for hire. Well, they are young men, by any standard, hormones raging and all, so it is forgivable, taking into consideration their circumstances.

What I can't fathom are the older local men who roam the very same streets. Most are grandfathers and some are living off their pensions and CPF money. Heck, some even depend on their children to give them money to satisfy their vicely cravings. Well, the children wouldn't know this dark secret. It wouldn't be so bad if these old men are single, widowers or divorcees. There are those who are still married. Whatever their reasons for visiting, or worse, frequenting such places, I doubt there are any reasons which society would willingly accept.

The recent news about seedy massage parlours offering dubious health massages only reinforced the public's disdain towards such businesses. I pity those who offer professional massages who will undoubtedly have a poorer reputation, no thanks in large measures to their seedy cousins. One question that has to be raised is why is it that these seedy business are cropping up like mushroom after heavy rain. Well, as the old business adage goes, where there is demand, there will be supply.

Wonder who could be driving the demand up where you seldom see foreign workers wondering about on their offdays in the heartlands of Singapore?

Do I know you?

Have you ever noticed how intertwined our lives are with the people around us?

I mean look around you and you'd see people. The only times you won't other people are when you are taking a crap in some cubicle or you are lost all by yourself einter in the jungle or out at sea. That will put us in 2 extremely opposite situation, the former, you have no wish to see another pair of eyes staring back at you while the latter, you wish for someone to look at you, well, more to look for you than anything else.

Well, whatever it is, the fact remains that our lives are somewhat intertwined with each other. Whether we like or not, it is a fact that our every action, word spoken and every move affects someone else. Consider this, you sneeze loudly, people will turn and look at you; you talk loudly, people will glare at you, and if you fart, people will pinch their noses and walk away as soon as they can from Ground Zero.

We all go through many phases in our lifetime - when we were kids, when we were in primary school, secondary school, polytechnic, JCs and for the few smart ones, university. Then, we start work, go through many courses, meet more people yet again. So many people have walked into our lives and, some, left it as quickly as they came, yet there as those few who have made a small imprint in our lives, be it a footnote in our life's story or an indelible mark permanently etched in our memory.

So many times, have we stumbled upon a face so familiar yet we can't recall who they are or where we met them. A lot of times it takes a lot of courage just to approach that some one so familiar to say "Hi, don't I know you from somewhere?". More so if it happens to be that cute girl you used to admire from afar back in school. Well, it happens to me a lot of times. In fact more often than not, I'd just pass by and act like I never met them, unless of course they recognised me firstor gave some form of acknowledgement by way of a smile.

Best part of it all is, there area few occasions where I know the face but just can't put my finger on their name or even where we met. Recently, I met with an aquaintance, whom I knew from my National Service days. We served in the same camp, he was a clerk, while I was a medic. I guess he recognised my face but like me, unsure who I was and whether or not I knew him. It's only when I first said, "You look familiar, don't I know you from somewhere?" that he smiled and acknowledged me and after some fact finding did we establish and were able to recall.

I guess he forms some of the countless footnotes in my life. Isn't it weird? The people you left behind and have and having no attachments to, seem to come back into your life every now and then, while the people whom you have lost contact with and long to meet again, never seem to appear and those who are currently hanging around us, whom we have no inclination to ever see again, never seem to leave.

Drifting away again.

I think I need help.

No, I'm not going crazy. Well, not yet anyway. It's just that the past week was so hectic. I got myself to blame for my having this feeling of apathy. You know how they say, too much work made jack a dull boy. Well, no one ever told me too much play would spoil me!!

3 days in Pangkor followed by 4 days of work with 2 days in KL really sapped me. Not so much because of the driving up and down half of Peninsular Malaysia but more because I couldn't get myself in the zone at work. Every so often, I find myself drifting away from whatever thing is on my PC screen and find myself looking out at sea. Waste of productivity? To the company, yes, to me, it's more of the hope and expectation that the realisation of that dream comes sooner rather than later. What dream? The idyllic lifestyle.

I guess most of us would want to live an idyllic life, somewhere by the beach, where the hustle of city life is far away from our eyes, ears and mind. It's just something about the beach that gives us all a sense of calm and tranquility that would otherwise be absent in our lives as long as we live our normal lives. I have read about quite a number of expatriates who have uprooted their lives and whole families for some and moved to another part of the world in order to find some peace. Mostly, they settled in some resort island in Malaysia and set up resorts or chalets of their own which they rent out.

Well, they get the best of everything. Peace for their mind, customers for their business. I do admire their courage in doing that. Not too sure if I could ever muster the courage to do likewise. Then again, I asked myself, could I really leave behind all that I have worked so hard for and start anew somewhere else? Would I have the discipline to do without the cinemas, foodcourts, shopping malls andother entertainment I have come to enjoy? While I can do without the fast-paced environs of my little red dot, I 'm not sure if I could do without the entertainment avenues currently open to me now.

Idyllic island life, replete with it's rustic charms, soft see breeze and beautiful sunset/sunrise, is perfect for most of us for getaways, just not for permanent lifestyle. I think I'm just reading too many tourism brochures and travelogues.

Drove up north again!

I was up in KL over the weekend. Yeah, I know, I just got back from Pangkor the Sunday before and was still feeling a bit jaded. Not so much because of the trip's exertions, more because my wife and I felt that the trip to Pangkor was too short. When my sis called asking us to go to KL with her and my parents for the weekend, we jumped at it.

Another getaway? Hell, yeah!

I don't know why but I just enjoy hitting the open road. Strangely enough, I never did that when I was still riding my bike. Partly because, my mom wouldn't allow it, more so because, I suffered cash flow problems which very much inhibited my innate desires for long rides up north. Just couldn't spare the budget when the opportunities for riding trips with friends opened up. Not like my cash flow problems have eased, just that now with dual income (read: the wife), there is more chance of me being seen trotting up the NS Highway.

One of the reasons why I upgraded was so that my wife and I could go on such long drives. Damn, we really are making it worth our time and money with the car. Well, it satisfies my wife's desire for short holidays to take her mind of life's stresses while satisfying my own cravings for driving up north. While it would seem like a long distance to drive up north to KL, after the Pangkor trip, I found that driving up to KL seems easy.

While previously, I would have made a stop at Pagoh, roughly halfway from Singapore to KL, this time I went almost 250km to Seremban non stop before making a first rest, which lasted all of 10 mins. That's almost 75% of the journey in one go. I was surprised at myself that I could last that distance, in fact, it felt like I could drive to KL all the way without stop. I wasn't about to over-exert myself though.

I guess it's like a challenge for me and our car to drive up north. We have been to Cherating last December, Pangkor this June, KL twice, Malacca twice. When we first bought the car, my wife had reservations on its long distance capabilities, so much so, doubts started lingering in me. Those doubts have long been dispelled with the drives we have made so far.

Once thing's for sure though, more will be planned!!!

My initially dreaded Pangkor trip.

Well, the trip to Pangkor's done with. It's over. What was thought to be a dreaded holiday turned out OK in the end. Eventually, we drove up in our own cars respectively, turned out to be really pleasant drive, though I had to keep a check on my right foot for fear of losing the car behind.

The place was gorgeous thought the company could have been better. No, I'm not spiting my wife's relatives, rather it was a case of being with the wrong company at the wrong place. I mean, there are some places we just wouldn't go with some people. Who goes to some beach party with their parents in tow, right? I'm pretty sure that none of us would have our religious teachers and elderly parents along in such environments.

That being said, we wouldn't have gone in the first place had my wife's aunt not asked us along, though in the end she was following us even if she asked us to go with her. What?

Exactly.

The person being invited to go along on the trip ended up being the leader of the trip. Not that I was complaining, being a Leo and all. So, the trip started at 5am where we met up at the Shell station across the Causeway. After filling up the petrol tanks to full we set off, though, she missed the first turn and we spent 30 mins wandering around JB trying to find each other - thank God for mobile phones! It was then that I found that the aunt, like some women I know, is unable to orientate herself with the unfamiliar roads and reading maps.

After finding each other, we set off for the North-South Highway, our main route to Perak, roughly 550km up north. I find it a challenge driving up north. Drove up to KL twice and Cherating , Pahang, once. Just something about hitting the open road that strikes a chord with me. The trip up north was uneventful for the most part. We made our first "pit stop" in Machap for our dawn prayers and some breakfast for an hour, then continued onwards to our next stop at Seremban for another short stop, just to stretch out those legs and for a quick toilet break. By then, it was 10am and we have covered some 280km.

From there, we hit the highway all the way till Nilai Utara where we left the E2 and continued on the E6 before hitting the E1 all the way to our exit at Bidor. Here was where the fun began. The scenery once we reached Perak was spectacular to say the least. We were basically driving through the meandering valleys. Mountains and cliffs lined the sides of the road. Much like taking a kayak down some river through the mountains. It was that spectacular. Too bad we couldn't stop the car by the side and take pictures.

We missed our 1.45pm ferry to the resort by virtue of getting lost in Perak looking for the right route to Lumut. Can't blame the wife here cos we didn't have proper maps and the road signs in Perak aren't actually that helpful either. We had no way of really knowing where we were and where we needed to be, in the end, with some guesswork and a little luck we did find the place, had some lunch at one of the many eateries lining up the town's roads before boarding the 3.45 ferry to the resort. The ferry took us 30mins but the journey was well worth it. The sights that welcomed us were simply breathtaking.

Once at the resort, I was in awe at the beauty that was staring back at me. No, I wasn't referring to the prtty staff at the front desk, but the place itself. We settled into our rooms and arranged for some transportation to take us to town for some shopping and some food. Not only were the local produce excellent, it was cheap too. To top it all off, the place where we decided to have dinner whipped up some excellent food at prices which almost knocked me off my seat. Yeah, was dirt cheap. Imagine a seafood spread with 8 dishes for 7 people setting us back by only RM70.

Went snorkelling on the second day but the snorkel site was not the best around, I have been to better snorkelling sites around Malaysia and this was not the best place for it. Pulau Payar Marine Park, near Langkawi was better and, of course, the Tioman Marine Park was better as well. But it was the first time the aunt and her son had gone snorkelling so, what the heck, I indulged them a bit here. Towards the end of the day, we hit the town again, but not without some "nice" happenings which I loathe to talk about - mainly because of the stupidity of the episode. Dinner was nice though.

Here are some picture I took of the place:

Dreading a holiday

Well, it's my third wedding anniversary today and I'm at work, well, if it's any consolation, so is the wife. We did not make any special plans for tonight, no candlelit dinners, rose petals on the bed or fancy gifts. Just a trip to my MIL to confirm the details of our trip to Pangkor Island with her aunt. HUH???

Yeah, the feminists are already sharpening their claws. That's no way to celebrate a wedding anniversary. Truth is, I had a beautiful evening in mind. However, those plans were scuttled when her aunt asked us to go with her family to Pangkor. My wife, being the kind-hearted person that she is just couldn't say no. This was after all the very same aunt who worked her ass off during our wedding and having been recently widowed, she was not prepared to disappoint her. So, there went the plans for a romantic evening.

The departure date and accommodation arrangements were already taken care of by yours truly. The only thing left was mode of transportation. Up till now, there is no agreement on that. The aunt and her family wants to rent a car, an MPV, no less. My wife and her mom is in agreement with them. I'm the odd man out in the sense that I am against renting an MPV, when both families have a car each!!! Which means there will be 3 people to a car.

Well, their logic is that it will be more fun to travel together and because the trip will take 7 hours roughly, it wouldn't be so taxing on the driver. I honestly find that stupid mainly because I am biased and also because we would be incurring unnecessary cost for this trip. Renting an MPV would set us back easily by $450 for the 3 days 2 nights trip and we will be driving the MPV for only the trip there and back. Damn!! I could have extended my stay at Pangkor by 2 more nights with that money!!!

I mean I have driven up the East Coast for roughly 7 hours without having to change drivers with only 2 stops along the way. To make it worse, there was no expressway along that stretch, it was all kampungs and small towns along the way. Had to be extra careful not to knock down and monkeys, chickens or cats along the way. Well, the aunt's daughter was worried that her mom couldn't take it. Well, so was I when I took that trip but sometimes we have got to throw caution to the wind and enjoy the ride. Else life will just get too boring.

Yeah, well, I am pissed at not being able to drive my own car as the majority has spoken. I mean one of the reasons I bought a car was so that the wife and me could enjoy long driving holidays to KL or some place in Malaysia. Looks like that thought will be on a backburner for now. I just dread the thought of splurging $200 (after splitting with the aunt) on renting a car we would use for less than a day on a 3 day 2 nights trip when I could think of better things to do with that money, like a new sound system for my car!!!

Never in my life have I been so unenthusiastic about a holiday as I am now.

Man's fixation with discrediting the truth.

Got a surprise in my mailbox today. Someone actually took the time to read my blog and leave a comment. Whoever that person was, thanks for taking the time reading my blog. Well, I published the lies, I mean comments that person put up for some curious minds to read through. Reading it halfway, I'd have to say, I admire the brilliant mind who concocted the story in the first place.

I finally watched the Da Vinci Code yesterday. I must say, contrary to what most people opined, I enjoyed the film. Not because of the lies or inconsistencies Muslims see in the movie, but more for the mystery it enshrouds. Yeah, the detractors are gonna say that the film does no justice to the great literary work by Dan Brown, who am I to argue? I have yet to read and have no intention to read the book. Just don't want to spoil the movie by reading the book.

Well, back to the comment. The anonymous person actually left a rather long comment, allegedly of the lost verses in the Quran. All these lost verses alleged that Muhammad PBUH was a drunk, coward, thief, paedophile, liar, tyrant, despot and calls himself a god. I have to give credit where it's due. This commentor is smart, that he/she does not leave his/her name. Yeah, I could trace him down, but what for? Engage in a religious debate with someone who sees nothing but lies?

Well, the author, not necessarily the commentor, has a good imagination and a glib tongue to have come up with such tales. This attempt at creating verses which was supposedly lost was poor, at best. The language used in the Quran is unworldly while the language in the "lost verses" were something a secondary school student could conjure up. I could go on and scrutinise it line by line, but the fact is, it is nothing but a cheap lie.

Have you ever wondered why Muslims vehemently deny categorically any allegations the Islam is a lie? It is for the simple reason that Muslims believe Islam to be the true religion of Allah and no lies shall desecrate it. This is the reason why any images of Muhammad is explicitly forbidden. When the cartoons of Muhammad PBUH were published, Muslims all over the world denounced the cartoons because it is considered sacrilegious.

Why is it that when the Da Vinci Code is published, with allegations which rocked the very foundations of Christianity, which questions the divinity of Jesus Christ, which puts into doubt the resurrection of Jesus, not all Christians are unequivocal in denouncing the book and the movie? Yes, there are calls from the Catholic Church to boycott the book and the movie but somehow, the conviction in those calls seems to be missing.

It is an innate reaction in Man to defend what he beliefs to be true. Think of it this way, if someone told you that your father was a drunk, and your mom was a prostitute and you were born in a backstreet and left at the doorstep of a nice house for adoption, would you have believed it, knowing it is all lies? You'd definitely defend the truth vehemently and deny categorically your dad is a drunk and your mum is a tramp. Unless, of course you yourself know it to be true and evidence is shown to support the claims.

Same goes to the anonymous commentor. You lack the conviction to sway me from my beliefs. You put in the alleged lost verses without telling me your sources. No mention of any references, worst of all, no names. Something to hide?

Views of an armchair politician

Yeay, I'm past my half-century landmark. It is an achievement for me, seeing how I always seem to give up at importune moments. Nevertheless, I'm encouraged by some if the comments posted and some of the quips made to me personally by some friends about my musings. I am quite surprised to see some of the comments, pleasantly surprised, I might add.

Been a while since I covered some news. In fact, a lot has happened around me but I just chose to ignore them for the time being. Let's see, Indonesia suffered another quake which left more than 6000 dead, thousands more injured and roughly 200,000 homeless. Timor Leste is going through a national crisis. The nascent state having had to appeal for foreign troops to quell what now amounts to a civil war. All because the government sacked half the army. The PAP won the Elections, though not with as strong a mandate as they would like, though they would not publicly acknowledge it. James Gomez got a slap on the wrist for his antics. Iran still in defiance over US demands to scale down nuclear enrichment.

Phew! That a long list right there. Let's break it down shall we?

Still licking her wounds from the Boxing Day tsunami where the reconstructions efforts are still on-going, another earthquake struck Indonesia. Only this time there is no tsunami and it struck Java instead of Sumatra. Fact is, Mount Merapi has been spewing hot ash and threatening the villagers with an eruption soon. Geologists in the area were just waiting for the eruption which never happened to happen. As such many people in Yogyakarta and it's surrounding areas were unprepared for the devastation that was to follow.

I have been to Yogyakarta back in 2002. It was so beautiful. Took a halfday drive from Jakarta to Yogya, as it's affectionately known. Such beautiful countryside and such a laidback and historically rich place. Visited Borobudur and the palace or in Yogyakarta who are now the provincial governors of the special region. The royal family has been in power even before the Dutch set foot on the island. So sad to have such destruction wreck such a beautiful city.

Well, the nascent state of Timor Leste, fresh from it's tumultuous struggle for independence woke one find day to find almost half it's army deserting and promptly sack them. This plunged the world's newest nation into a state of total chaos and anarchy. Gangs of youth now rule the streets with their own brand of law enforcement. Enter Aussie troops acting a peacekeepers. While the violence has subsided somewhat, the question that needs to be asked is how was it that this was allowed to happen? To think that Timor's Foreign Minister is a candidate for the UN Secretary General post to replace Kofi Annan when his term expires. Makes me wonder how you expect to be able to keep a lid of rogue nations when you can't keep a lid of street gangs ruining your own neighbourhood.

I'm not even going to talk about the past Elections, because there is nothing worth talking about, It's still the same old song and dance and, besides, I wouldn't want to risk having my wrists slapped for speaking my mind. Let's talk about Big Brother, Uncle Sam. Still struggling to control Iraq after 3 years, they have now focused their attentions of Iran and North Korean nuclear programs, accusing them of enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. Well, North Korea are fairly confident that the US will not be launching any invasion in the near future as the are already bogged down in Iraq and Afghanistan. Iran, being so close, can't be too confident yet.

In any case, I reiterate my belief that the US has outstayed its welcome and usefulness in the region. In spite of all this, Bush has been saying, with his poker face, about how Iraq has been a success and how Afghanistan is on the way to be a free country again, I doubt having a virtual puppet state in the region qualifies as a free nation. Back home, they argue that no one has the right to force his ideologies on others, yet they are doing it to the Afghans and Iraqis. If that's not double-standards, I don't know what is.

For now this armchair politician will take a break. Saying too much too soon makes me thirsty.

My pet peeve - while driving

Went out with the wife to JB yesterday night for some seafood. Brought the MIL along because the wife wanted to. How could I say no? Everything was fine apart from the terribly long jam we found ourselves in approaching the Causeway. Once past that we went for our seafood binge and went to the BIL's place, deep in the suburbs of JB, a condo no less. Reached Singapore at about 12 midnight, eyes half-open, mind thinking only about my pillows and my bed.

Then, everybody's favourite public transport had to rear it's ugly head. Yeap, I'm talking about the taxi-driver. My very own personal favourite. Not because they are efficient or because they seem to disappear at 15 mins to midnight only to reappear in droves after midnight, or for the pleasant conversations they could come up with when all you wanted was some peace and quiet but more so for the fantastic and I-own-the road attitude some taxi drivers seem to exude.

Don't get me wrong, I don't hate all taxi drivers, only some, but that minority can drive me up a wall in a flash. I mean my dad's a taxi driver himself, but he is one patient man. At times, when we drove together and I lost my cool at other inconsiderate road users, he was telling me to calm down. Admittedly, I am an aggressive driver. I don't have any qualms about tailgating or blocking off another driver if I think he is taking advantage of the fact that I drive a small car which can be easily bullied. Try bullying this bully.

Oh! Back to the drive back home from JB. After sending my MIL home, we went home, my mind was focussed on my pillows by now. On the wasy back, after making a right turn at the traffic light on a cross junction, a taxi on my left swerved into my lane and tried to squezze me out all because his lane was blocked by another taxi alighting passengers. I honked hard at him twice and he still squeezed me out. That pissed me off. Not only had he squeezed me off, he didn't have the brains to wave sorry or something like that.

So, me being the kind, considerate one, decided to take matters into my own hand, knowing this is nothing more than a monkey on my back. I proceeded to let him pass me and positioned my car directly behind him. Then, I switched on my high beam and stayed on his tail for a good3 km before he turned left at a junction when I went straight. Best part was he saw what I was doing and tried to move away from being in front of me by swerving left at a bend.

Well, this is not some novice he was dealing with. On hindsight, it was an immature stunt but if honking twice with my loud-ass horns, Stebel Magnums no less, just about the loudest aftermarket and legal horn around, high-beaming him at close distance ought to get his attention. I just hate it when other drivers act irresponsibly behind the wheel, endangering other road users. I mean, if I were being honked at that would mean I am endangering someone else, and would apologise immediately if I was wrong. So, the least I would expect is the other driver to acknowledge they were wrong.

Word of advice - be patient, take deep breaths when angry and don't do what I do. I just don't have the patience.

My minds says yes, my body says no!!!

Back in 1995, I had a really nasty injury, the kind that would forever stick with you. I was playing 5-a-side football with some friends, wasn't the best but I know I could hold my own. It was a beautiful day, not too hot, sufficient cloud cover to allow some testosterone-charged boys to play football on a basketball court on a warm June afternoon. Then, it happened.

The ball was up in the air and I went in for a header. I jumped and next thing I know I was lying in a heap on the concrete, pain shooting through me, mind numbed all at once. My ankle just buckled under me. It seemed from the guys that I landed awkwardly on my ankle, with my full bodyweight crushing the joint. I knew it was bad. Somehow, I managed to get back up and limped away from the game, grimacing while the rest carried on after I assured them I was gonna be OK.

I picked up my stuff, still limping heavily and somehow managed to ride my motorbike home, all 25 km. The next day, I woke up to a badly swollen ankle staring back at me. Pain was so excruciating, I couldn't walk for a few days. Strangely, I don't remember ever going to the doctor. I let it heal naturally. Bad move. It never did heal completely. For the whole month of June that ear, I did not do much, just sat at home for 2 weeks, unable to move my ankle.

For six months I couldn't run without any pain. After 8 months, I started jogging but not sprint. This cause me to miss the 1996 football season which I would have made the team had I been OK. As things were, I missed that season. I did manage to get myself in the team the following year, played all the games, winning 2, drawing 2 and losing 2. The 1997 football season ended in the last group game for us, for me, it marked the end of my sports "career". Not like there was any to begin with.

Still, that injury stuck with me and never went away. I still remember doing my 24km route march during my Basic Military Training (BMT). My ankle buckled under the weight of all those equipment at roughly the 18km mark. This happened even after wearing ankle guards and lacing up my boots as tight as possible to ensure adequate support. I din't give up and continued the march, albeit at the tail end of the column. Crossed the finish line to rapturous applause for completing the arduous journey.

After I left the Army, I scaled down a lot on physical activity, fearing for my ankle. Suffice to say while that minimised the chances of me twisting my already weak ankle, it did cause me to "expand". All that inactivity caused another problem - backaches. I have lost count of the number of times my ankle gave way. Most times I didn't even go to see the doctor and just bear the pain. I'd love to be able to play soccer, badminton, sepaktakraw and silat like I used to, fact is, I can't.

Last Saturday, I went to have a traditional massage for my back which has been in perpetual pain ever since I helped my brother move his furniture the week before that. Damn, that guy was good. Well, my back did get better though there is still some pain. Then, yesterday, I managed to sprain my ankle again. While walking down the slope at the multi-storey carpark at my home.

Should have asked him to massage my ankle then.

Damn the stork!!

I have been reading a dear friend's blog from time to time and it did puzzle me why whe had some password-protected posts. I just never got around to ask her till this morning. Well, it's just the same thing about not wanting unwanted attention from unknown people. Well she granted me access to her posts and I got a pleasant surprise, her 2nd baby is on the way!

Well, my younger brother's wife, yeah my sis-in-law, is also expecting her first kid, which would make me a blood uncle, is that what you call it? I know I already am an uncle by marriage, but that's not the same isn't it. A year ago when my brother got married, I said, in jest, that the race is on - the race to reproduce, seeing that I have been married for 2 years and still waiting for our first. Well, I lost the race, I think the stork got lost looking for my home.

For the moment, I am OK with the status quo, though my wife is not exactly contented. Sometimes it's the things we do unintentionally that gives away our feelings though. For example, I love kids, I dote on my niece and nephews, I play with my friend's first boy, gee, that little devil is so cute. However, it does not bother me too much that I don't have one of my own yet. For me what's more important is that me and my wife are financially, mentally and psychologically ready to have kids before we do start a family.

Me and my wife do get angry and sad whenever we read about abandoned babies, abused toddlers, irresponsible parenting and abortions. I guess it's because we love kids and also because we have yet to have one after 3 years. She feels hard done by when she reads about all these things and thinks of the unfairness the whole situation is. Here, we are waiting for our first kid and there, they are killing their kids.

My wife does feel pressure, though it's more self-inflicted than anything else. Noone has ever put pressure on her, least of all me. Our parents are supportive of us in whatever we do and have never questioned when we are going to have a baby. For that, I am thankful.

Still there are some insensitive ones who do ask how come or why. It's not like we ain't trying, just that the damned storks has gone to the wrong houses.

What do you believe in?

A: Do you know who Leonardo Da Vinci is?
B: Oh, you mean the Da Vinci Code? Are they the same person?

Up to a few months ago, most people in Singapore would not have cared much for the man and his genius. Then, Dan Brown wrote the novel which got millions hooked up. Not forgetting the outrage in the Christian world at the claims in the book which rocks the very foundation upon which Christianity is based upon.

Honestly, I have no idea what the hoopla is all about. On a religious level and speaking from a Muslim point of view, the Da Vinci Code matters not. This is because Muslims believe Jesus was a Prophet, just like Muhammad PBUH. He was a messenger of god preaching the same religion Muhammad PBUH did 600 years later. Christianity, as we know it today, is perceived by Muslims to be corrupted by man over the years to fit their needs and feed their desires. I'm not about to get into a religious discussion here.

It is now accepted by many that the Da Vinci Code is nothing but a fabrication, something Man has done over the years. Conspiracy theories exists because man has always questioned the truth. Remember JFK? The Holocaust? While there exists a universally-accepted truth regarding the headlines, there are those who question the truth and fabricate stories and evidence to make their version of the truth more compelling. It is hard to accept one version of the truth over the other, to present evidence supporting each claim makes it even harder.

The difference between the Da Vinci Code and other conspiracy theories or alternate truths that makes it so compelling and so rivetting is the fact that the claims made in the Da Vinci code questions the faith of millions. While a lot of it is blasphemous and non-canonical, it does ask some very interesting questions. Personally, I am intrigued by all this hoopla, who wouldn't? Not because of the theories put forward, but more so for the imagination one man has and dared to put forward.

It's not just Christianity who has these alternate truths, Islam has it too. The Sunni and Shiites have been at loggerheads since our Prophet's death. While the Sunni agree on the choice of the 4 Rightly-Guided Khalifas, the Shiites argued that only the last Khalifa was to be accepted as the earlier three were considered to be usurpers. Then, there are theories of our Prophet being labelled as a womaniser and paedophile. Muslims all over the world has rejected these claims as heretical and blasphemous.

Imagine Jesus having descendants who are still alive today and the belief of resurrection of Jesus is false and that there will be no resurrection. In the end, it's all a question of faith and the strength of that faith we have. Put it simply, if our belief in our faith is strong, any lies put forward and depicted as the truth will not matter and will not shake the foundations of our beliefs if we believe it to be true.

Young and restless

Blink. Blink. Blink.

That's all it takes and the day is gone. It's still relative how time flies, our perception of time is determined by our interest in the things we do at that point in time. For something we enjoy doing, 3 hours seems like too short a time, something we loath will take forever to finish even if it takes 5 minutes.

I was out bowling yesterday night with my wife, parents and sister. I spent 30 mins wandering in Parkway Parade awaiting their arrival at East Coast because I didn't want to be sitting there doing nothing while waiting for them. I went to meet them at East Coast once they arrived and we began our game. On the lane next to ours was a young malay couple minding their own business, playing their own game. So did we. I noticed that the boy - yeas, boy, cos he didn't look like he was past the legal drinking age in Singapore - had some nice tattoos on both his forearms.

Now, this might seem like a normal thing nowadays. But in a part of the world where being Malay would normally mean being a Muslim, this is not right. Tattoos and piercings are explicitly haram, not permissible, in Islam, with the exception of an ear piercing for the ladies, that's about it. Then again, there are countless Malay youths out there who sport tattoos and piercings, thinking it is cool to do so, as if wearing revealing clothes is already not enough.

Call me backwards, call me . Last, I checked they were Malays, Muslims and brought up on Eastern values of filiel piety, social tolerance and proper behaviour. Yet, there they were acting like a bunch of ruffians, tattoos everywhere, bodies pierced at places I don't want to know drinking alcohol - the very things the religion they profess doesn't permit. One religious teacher once commented that most Malays in Singapore become Muslims on special occasions only, namely, Hari Raya, their wedding, the collection of their IC and their death.

It's true. When Hari Raya comes around, the very same people who do not observe the fasting during the month of Ramadhan are the very same people who will wear the nice clothes, normally baju kurung. The Very same people who do not pray the required 5 times daily are the same ones who throng to the mosque during the Hari Raya prayers. The very same people who get drunk, commit pre-marital sex, sports tattoos and piercings are the very same ones who profess Islam as their religion during their wedding. And when they die, they are buried accoring to Islamic burial rites, all the while never practising the religion they profess.

I lament the fact that getting drunk, sporting tattoos, going to nightclubs/discos/pubs and pre-marital sex is getting more and more common among our youths, more so the Malays, because of the religion we profess. Such a sad situation but nothing we can do about it.

Shamelessness: Nature or Nurture?

Help!! My creative juices are running dry!!

I shudder at that thought. I mean for someone who has a lot to say about alot of things, not having anything to say about nothing is like dying a slow painful death. I like making my feelings known and I am not ashamed to show people how I really feel. Heck, I cried at my wedding. Ooopsss....

OK, the topic of the day is, what makes us who we are? Ever wondered that? Nature vs Nurture?

I was out with my wife, MIL and niece yesterday. I took half-day leave while my wife too the day off cos we were tired from our trip to Batam. More on that later. We went to Jurong Point for dinner, intending to bring my MIL to Seoul Garden, not realising they had closed that outlet. In the end, we brought her to eat at the Banquet foodcourt. Not the ideal place to bring her for a Mother's Day Dinner, albeit a belated one. Cutting it short, after dinner we went to do a little shopping, my wife had accidentally mixed my white singlets with coloured clothes, causing them to be stained pink. Pink!!!!!

So, we went to buy my singlets and she went to look through some other items. Later on, she decided to buy new clothes for her niece. While looking at some pieces she was looking to buy for her niece, her niece had actually picked out some pieces of clothings without being asked to, indicating she wanted that piece. There we were looking at some cheaper items and she picked out a dress which was 4 times more epensive than what we were looking at. All this at 5 yrs of age, not bad for an illiterate kid huh?

I have always thought kids would be reserved when out with people other than their parents. Seems not for this kid. I remember when I was growing up, I had always slept over at my late grandmum's place and had a great time with my cousins. Difference is we always played with what we were given and didn't dare ask for more. Even if I was thirsty, I wouldn't go to the kitchen and get a drink for myself. Instead, I'd ask my aunt or my grandmum for a drink or at least permission to get a drink. To me, what's not mine and closed shouldn't be opened without permission, even if it was for a little while. This has been drilled into me, something cultivated since young.

Well, back to my niece. I don't hate her, in fact, I love her. I play with her whenever I go to my MIL's place. However, seeing her act that way, it wasn't the first time - she opened my fridge at my home when we weren't looking and took for herself a piece of candy without asking, really made me wonder if this is part of nature or a lack of nurturing. I personally feel it's a lack of nurturing which is her shortcoming - not her fault really. She lacks this feeling of segan, Malay for shamefulness. Could I blame her for picking out a nice dress when her parents never seem to take her out shopping? Could I blame her for taking candy off my fridge?

Honestly, I was not angry, more shocked actually at her audacity. As such, I can't blame her. The blame has to fall on the very people charged with her education and development. No prizes for the correct guess though.

Anonymity - boon or bane?

When I first started out on blogging down my thoughts, I grappled with the seriously thought-provoking, imsomnia-inducing and stomach churning issue of anonymity. I honestly didn't know if I should leave myself invisible to those who do read my blog, especially considering the amount of mud I was throwing at other people.

As I continued to write, I received some fairly encouraging words and some nice comments complementing my style of writing as well as the troubles I had gone through. Then, a friend suggested for me to let people know about my blog. I thought, why not? After putting so much effort into writing, updating and chronicling the various facets of my life, it would have been a waste if, even my close friends did not know about this. So, I did. Well, it's suffice to say, some are pleasantly surprised that I am doing something without quitting halfway, and doing a nice job at that.

Now, even my wife reads my blog. It's not that we don't talk to each other or we can't talk to each other about some things. Far from it. When talking face to face, emotions can and will cloud our judgements, especially when the topic is contentious. Reading a blog or a letter, dampens the emotional effect by limiting the human interaction thereby limiting the emotional interference. You get your point across better and more clearly. Furthermore, when writing your thoughts down, you could revise what you want to get across before it is sent, but with face-to-face communication, one wrong word or tone of voice could just send everything on a downward spiral.

Being totally anonymous would not have given me joy of hearing what my close friends has had to say about my writings. It would also have blocked an avenue which I have used in the past to get my message to my wife, in times of conflict. While blogging anonymously would have granted me considerably much more freedom to write about anything, save for defamatory and seditious comments, it would have meant that my blog would almost certainly go unnoticed, except for the occasional blog hoppers and that would have made my blog as important as Jean-Claude van Damme's latest movie.

While blogging down my thoughts will not make George Bush step down or Israel to cease to exist, it does gives me a certain degree of power. I know there are those who read my blog occasionally, though I'd like to think that I have a fan-club somewhere, so I couldn't go too far as make some comments to hurt those who do read my blog. That would have been utterly irresponsible.

"With great power comes great responsibility." Remember that quote from the movie Spiderman?

My vote matters - not this time

I'm having a good laugh at myself. After so long, thinking about who I should be voting for, I finally realised that I do not have to vote after all. This confusion stems from the fact that the estate I stay in, Bt Panjang is divided into 2 electorates, Bt Panjang and Holland-Bt Timah. Well, as it turned out, my area is under Holland-Bt Timah, hence, I do not need to vote as it is a walkover in favour of the ruling party.

Now, I do not know if i should rejoice or feel gutted that the chance to vote is no more. Rejoice because I will not have to spend roughly an hour of my time going to the voting center to cast my vote. Gutted as I would have no say in who will be in the Government. Not that it matters anyway. I mean let's be honest, how many of us actually get to have a say in the policies, how many amongst us get our views aired in Parliament and how many of us who work, hand to mouth, actually are aware of the political issues being drummed up at each elections?

Honestly, I am intrigued at what the various candidates had to say. I would like to know the plans each candidates have brought with them and how they intend to carry out those plans. While one election may not change the face of Singapore politics, it may start something of a revolution in the way the population thinks. I have never been interested in politics until a few years back when an aunt said to me, "Judge people not by what you hear from others but by what you see for yourself. Look beyond the prejudice and see the achievements."

Those words resonated within me and reverberated as I grew older. It all stemmed from a statement I made about voting for the opposition when I could vote just to spite the ruling party for what I perceived to be hardballing the opposition. Then, I began to realise and appreciate the transformation of Singapore from a sleepy trading outpost to thriving business center. What's more, despite our growth and wealth, the population is never left behind. Seriously, how many other countries could boast of such an achievement?

Personally, I think not having to vote does spare me the need of having to evaluate who is a better choice. Because, if the elections are anything to go by, politics is not about the future of the citizens but more about how you go about discrediting your opponents and presenting yourself as the person to take care of your constituency.