Thoughts in Transit

How on earth did I end up here? (a quick pictorial update)

2012-01-04T16:54:00.000+08:00

... was my question to myself at 5:30 a.m. on a Tuesday morning, as I drove to Gemas from the only city I've known, Petaling Jaya. Here's a quick update of the last few months:

My awesome students from class "A4"

Teachers' training (in Nov and Dec) came by in a flash. We sat in lectures, cracked our heads for the best lesson plans, learnt and practiced best teaching techniques and practices, brainstormed activities - and taught students in what we called "Kem SKORlah", a holiday-school programme.
My proudest moment was when we got them to participate in an actual debate with another class - a feat they would have otherwise shrugged off for being "too difficult" (and they won!). I learnt - with them - that a sense of possibility is very contagious. We, the teachers and their leaders, need to believe in them first, and soon, they would too.

Cards by the students. "I will continue working hard after this...Work Hard, Get Smart!"

Gemencheh, one town before Gemas

My favourite part of the journey

Gemas, the town where my placement school is located at, has a lovely old-town feel. Everything can be found or reached within 5 minutes, and at night people run from shade to shade for safety because hordes of birds descend upon the town (and so do their lunches and dinners!). Dusty electrical shops decorate the roads, and a giant picture of the Nokia 3310 hangs from one of the shop's walls. I love it.

Gemas town

Uncle, can give discount?

Outside our weekday' home

Wai Khong and Yin Yee, my Teach For Malaysia colleagues who are teaching in the same school with me have built a home out of this house... our home for the next 2 years.

Before...

After (---much scrubbing)

Tomorrow marks the second week of school (and work). As Teach For Malaysia fellows, we have been allotted the last few classes to teach, and along with this privilege comes the challenge of engaging our students and keeping them interested. It's what we signed up for, but many of us are starting to feel the daily grind of a teacher's day-to-day routine: the bureaucracy, lethargy and challenges that come in all shapes and forms. Yet, at the end of this week, the question bounced back to me, "How could we NOT teach - when we see what we see?"

I'm reminded of how I ended up here.

Crossroads

2011-11-13T18:44:00.001+08:00

Today represents the transition between two distinct phases of my life.

Yesterday I bade my student life farewell. Tomorrow I'll stand before my class, a teacher.

There are many things that remain the same -- family, friends, values, faith, goals -- but with the other things, life rarely stops to let us catch up. Let tomorrow come!

J

2011-10-18T23:51:00.000+08:00

"Many here do not have the basics in academics as most were never enrolled or allowed in the mainstream education system. Most are not even able to write their names. Couldyou teach some to write their names so they can sign theirmonthly wage slips? A daunting task?"

I spent noless than 4 hours with this big guy today, as we sat down to write his name :Jia Yung. We never got past "J". The abovementioned daunting task, amplified by thewords of head of the centre ("many have tried teaching him and have givenup, discouraged") seemed like a challenge - and so we flipped pageafter page of his worn-out notebook, trying to get the letter right. I decidedto stop teaching only when he gave up trying - and we kept going, because henever stopped trying.

For hours,Jia Yung learnt and re-learnt those 3 strokes that form the first letter of hisname. We advanced from tracing 12 dots to 6, to just 2, and occasionally we would trywriting it without any dots, but the outcome was never always a perfect "J".At times, the letter was a singular downward stroke; at times, he made his ownversions of the letter. He would laugh when that happened, and then he'd goback to trying the real "J" again, unperturbed by his forgetfulnessand failure. Now and then when he got it right, the smile of achievement beamedon his face, if only for a moment before he had to re-learn the letter again.

I wish Icould say we finally got it right, but we didn't. This sort of task would takemonths to master and requires a teacher who would sit with him every day forthe next 6 months, drilling into him those 3 strokes: "straightline…down…up!" (my utmost respect is for the full-time volunteers here). Yet despite the seemingly insurmountable task, each tryalways began with rigour, determination; he never stopped wanting to get itright. Jia Yung didn't write his name in his exercise book today, but he will someday, because he knows it.

What a great display of persistence...

2011-10-03T14:21:00.001+08:00

"The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself nor less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less."

Tim Keller, The Reason for God

The empty space

2011-09-29T23:57:00.001+08:00

The scene was impressive: physically challenged, wheelchair-bound residents found their mobility in the able-bodied ones, who despite being mentally challenged could push them around. In the garden, the older ones poked at the soil in the pots to plant their seeds and tilted their bottles to water their plants - despite their twisted, frail hands - while the younger ones looked on to learn.

Then, out she came from the darkness of the corridor, with a crooked smile and a clumsywalk. She shook our hands as if we'd been friends for ages, said a fewthings we couldn't comprehend, pointed outside to tell us her friends were returning from work - smiling always.

We excusedourselves to take a tour around the home on our own, and she walked with us, eagerto be the one acquainting us with the place she had known for so long. I've always admired their innocent friendliness. At the corridor, we passed by a board ofphotographs; each picture had a name below it.

There, shepointed to an empty space in the middle of a sea of smiling faces, saying something indistinct we couldn't understand,"Kawan…". Pressing her finger against that empty blue space where a photo once was, sherepeated herself, but this time, gesturing with her right hand. She was trying tosay something important.

"Kawan"

"Kawankamu?"

"Ya"

"Nomore?"

"Ya"

And thenI understood. "Your friend, no more?"

She nodded,still smiling her unassuming, crooked smile. But this time, her face betrayedan ineffable sadness. In her childlikeness, she had wanted to show us a part of her little world - the home - but first she wanted us to know her friend: a faceless person whose story we would never know about, yet was so important to her in life, and now in death. That empty space was not empty for it meant something dear to her.

That day,I saw more humanity in a place than I've ever seen in most places.

Cik Cheong

2011-09-16T14:11:00.001+08:00

So it's official now: I'll be posted to SMK Gemas for the next 2 years(located about 45 min - 1 hour from Bukit Beruang), and I'll be teachingHistory. Come November, we will be sent to 'teachers' bootcamp' at the Institute, and in Jan, we will begin teaching in schools.

Predicting that my subject was either going to be History, English orGeography (or a combination of these), I insisted on only teaching these 3subjects to my 2 ~~test subjects~~ students at a tuition centre here, as away to familiarize myself with the syllabus and prepare for the Fellowship - and it's been fun, butchallenging at the same time. I'm amused when I think of my students sometimes.Both are Form 1 students, a boy and a girl, who hate each other's guts. Yetwhen one of them forgets to bring something, they make up with each other justfor the moment, to borrow whatever it is from the other - after which they thenresume their squabbling. Like most students who have the opportunity to be tutored, they complain about their school teachers a lot.

It's funny, because my mind raced back to my days as a Form 1student, upon being told that I am going to be teaching History. CikCheong had been my History teacher then, and who could forget her? Atiny-framed, shrill-voiced, bespectacled Chinese lady whose eyes bulged beneathher glasses everytime she emphasized a point or lesson to us. Cik Cheong had away of making Sejarah an art, literally, for she made us colour our notes withcolour pencils and decorate our notebooks with portraits of historical figuresand pictures of artefacts - which I hated, because I was never good at art anddrawing.

Cik Cheong was the most likeable teacher we knew, and she had this gift ofrelating with us as a friend without losing her place as our teacher, and wealways looked forward to her lessons! She knew how to make a dry syllabus interesting,and in many ways, she made the dead historical figures come alive during ourlessons. What a great example to aspire to...

Next History class, I'm going to get my students to draw this :P

To dream - and not make dreams your master

2011-09-12T23:11:00.004+08:00

Storiesof great social enterprises rarely begin with nods of approval, handshakes ofagreement and pats on the shoulder. Most of them actually begin with laughter, or raised eyebrows, from bemused hearers and bystanders.

I'm realising that cynicism is really 'expired hope'; no different from milk that turns sour with time. Cynicism is to inspiration what a clogged pond is to a fresh, fast river, teeming with life. We need a fresh perspective all the time!

Theodore Roosevelt once said,

"It is not the criticwho counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or wherethe doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the manwho is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, ... becausethere is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually striveto do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spendshimself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of highachievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daringgreatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls whoneither know victory nor defeat"

If you are trying, and are being laughed at, remember that it is a privilege to be in your position; a privilege many squander away in exchange for the comforts of watching from the stands, instead of fighting in the arena.

2011-03-28T12:47:00.006+08:00

^"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me."

Nothing really prepares you for difficult decisions, not even the stories of heroes from your days of childhood; heroes I would read about and admire. And now that this privilege/opportunity has come, it's so encouraging to know: "My Father will honor the one who serves me".

All this is nothing compared to what I have received.

Boston/New York!

2011-02-01T13:56:00.015+08:00

So I've arrived at Boston and will be here (and in New York City) for the next 2 and a 1/2 weeks. It's absolutely COLD here, -7°C outside, and weather forecasts project the temperature to worsen for the next few days - not that I'm complaining, I love the snow!

On the 13-hour-flight from Tokyo to Chicago earlier I was seated next to a Tibetan monk and a Taiwanese student. After a few attempts at communicating with each other in English (and failing to do so miserably), we then settled on the universal language of sleeping. We did pretty well at that...

I've made a 'hit-list' of places to visit/things to do for the next few days, and Jas (she's being a wonderful host) and I will be meeting John on Fri to hit New York too. But here's the list:

Walk along the Freedom Trail
Visit the New England Aquarium
Walk along Charles River
Check out the Harvard Museum of Natural History
Take pictures of lighthouses at Boston Harbor
Have Clam Chowder at Boston's oldest restaurant: Union Oyster House
Snap pictures of the Statue of Liberty
Visit the Empire State Building
Walk to Ground Zero
Take a picture with the bull and bear at NY Stock Exchange
Walk about Time Square and the Bronx
Celebrate Lunar New Year at Chinatown
Build a snow man!

The Joy of the Outdoors

2011-01-24T00:01:00.024+08:00

"A traveler.

I love his title.

A traveler is to be reverenced as such.

His profession is the best symbol of our life.

Going from--toward;

it is the history of every one of us."'

-Henry David Thoreau

I love the outdoors. Early in the holidays (Nov last year) I decided to make the best out of these precious months by doing what I think is valuable, knowing that this semester break would well be my last (then comes working life - a whole new adventure of its own). Since then, 5 hiking trips have happened.

Chilling Falls

I love the idea that you could enter a totally different world after just a 45 minutes drive and a 2 and a half hours climb, and be able to share that experience with friends and acquaintances. The joy of hiking is found in the camaraderie of friends achieving a common goal and enjoying the reward of it; I once tried solo-hiking and found it to be extremely unpleasant and lonely!

Tabur West (above). Went there twice with two different groups of friends A less-trodden path, which led to a higher cliff, at Tabur West
Magnificent view at Broga Hill (above), where I got to spend the morning with old buddies, Wai Wai and Ian
Nick and Jared (above), at Tabur East
Sheer cliffs at Tabur East

Perhaps the reason for this compelling urge to hike every chance I get lies in the notion that there are still countless places yet to be discovered - and that no two are the same. Maybe it is an 'adventurer's complex': an odd, puzzling feeling when a person becomes both satisfied having traveled to a new place, yet, unsatisfied with the greater realization that there exists many more places and people to be experienced.

What is sure is that life is a passing vapour. And it shouldn't be wasted on the things that don't matter! Life in itself is one great adventure.

The Evils of Staying in the Crowd

2011-01-17T22:53:00.005+08:00

In the early hours of 13th March, 1964, Kitty Genovese was murdered just a few steps away from her apartment door, out in the cold. Her neighbours heard shouts for help, some even saw what had happened, but no one came out. After stabbing her twice Kitty Genovese's attacker fled the scene, but realised he didn't need to when no one bothered to respond to his victim's cries; he later came back to stab her a few more times before raping her.

Social psychology calls it the "Bystander Effect" - when social responsibility is diffused in a crowd of onlookers/bystanders who witness to a particular incident they would otherwise have engaged in if they were alone. In a crowd of bystanders, everyone assumes the other person would help, thus no one does.

It is an intriguing social occurence, especially because it opposes the popular notion that crowds are 'good'. It challenges the age-old belief that the 'majority rules', and that the 'people are always right', while proving that people are, by nature, self-perserving and selfish. And while we are very acquainted with the positives of the 'crowd', being told that there is safety in numbers, and being taught that so much more could be achieved with the hands of many, I know the 'crowd' can rear its ugly head too. These are the dangers of only staying in the 'crowd':

1) The 'crowd' swallows the goodness of the individual and brings out the worst in humanity. Faceless, nameless and devoid of any personal responsibility, the 'crowd' is a social monster that survives on the strength in numbers - but take its members away, and you will notice how the 'crowd' falls silent and loses its strength. Hidden behind the faceless mask of the crowd are individuals who are lured into exchanging their personal opinions and individuality for the false strength of a crowd. Where there is no responsibility, there are no consequences. And even when the crowd is wrong, no one is guilty.

2) The 'crowd' is lethargic and always happy to remain where it is. Because it is adverse to change, it is also often trapped in the trenches of inaction and complacency. Clouded in a false sense of security, the 'crowd' is able to fend off its conscience, and need not do much because everyone is comfortable. Teamwork is difficult in a 'crowd', because a crowd tends to be directionless anyway.

3) The 'crowd' rarely rewards initiative and punishes different behaviour. In school, whenever a guy in our circle of friends did a humourous thing, or made us laugh, the deed was often celebrated, no matter how terrible it was (skipping school, cursing at the teacher, etc), but a person who was too 'right'/good would not be accorded the same reception. Unless we rise from the pressures of conforming to the crowd, we are slaves to the majority - and there's no guarantee it is always right.

Let's move beyond the 'crowd', and make things happen!

When wills collide

2011-01-16T22:16:00.007+08:00

"Submission is only necessary in a disagreement. When two people already agree there's no need to 'submit'" - Colin Hurt

Farewell, 2010

2010-12-27T16:52:00.019+08:00

1) Whow, what a busy season it's been! Many things have happened in the last 3 weeks; the end of my short stint at a professional car detailing centre (some memories there...), the 365 youth camp (which was excellent), the sleep-over and Christmas Dinner with the cell guys, the hike up Bukit Tabur, etc.

2) It's the last week of 2010 and there is a 'transitionary' feeling about this week, being sandwitched between the celebratory season of Christmas and the start of a New Year. As with how it is every year, there is a mingling of moods in this Christmas/NY season - between the air of festivity and the happy sounds of the year-end celebrations and the nostalgia of another year passing by.

3) 2010 has been a year of 'firsts' and learning. There were many memorable experiences as well as the occasional moment of regret. Among others, I

...saw the humble ways of the Myanmarese people in their native land, and learnt to have a heart (and a pair of eyes) for the likes of these people...baked cookies (for 15 hours!), got teased endlessly for it, and learnt that it wasn't such a difficult task (especially with a good recipe ;)
...climbed Tabur, trekked at Chilling, rested at Fraser's, and learnt how to appreciate nature and its beauty...worked at an unlikely place (I had to explain my decision to do so several times), and learnt that people, no matter where they come from or where they stand in society, are generally the same and have the same needs (companionship, respect, correction, a listening ear)

...took over a new cell group of guys, and learnt that people, no matter how different, are extremely valuable and full of potential...worked with small committees to organize small efforts and projects, and learnt that people are happy to work for clear, achievable, honorable goals

...oversaw 365 events in my capacity as Chairman (but did not lead them directly), and experienced the joy of seeing other/younger leaders lead well and succeed ...shared a full sermon at a church service, and was reminded that the spoken word is only as effective as a life that models the message
...played Paintball for the first time, and enjoyed it immensely - the adrenaline rush, the bullets whizzing past your ear, the feeling you get after shooting another person! Going again next year, definitely :>...organized a "Leaders Retreat" and a "thanksgiving dinner" for the youth leaders of 365, and learnt to always appreciate them for their service, time, effort and talents (also tried the Durian Cendol in Malacca heheh)...studied for subjects and university papers which I wasn't totally confident about and received assignment grades I probably didn't deserve, and learnt that God honours human effort by providing divine grace
...helped to organize a project for an Orang Asli village, learnt how to relate to them, and realised that people can be very generous to good causes...started intentionally mentoring a small group of potential leaders, and learnt to 'replicate' what I've learnt to them
...organized the events for the 30 Hour Famine Camp (Monash), and learnt that almost everyone has an innate desire to "make a difference"...attended a relative's funeral, a few months after having dinner with her (during which I realised that it was probably going to be our last dinner together), and learnt to constantly remember the certainty of death and the urgency to live
...spent good quality time with Jas for New Year '10 and "summer", and enjoyed her company thoroughly!...played the "Father" of the prodigal son in an Easter play in Monash CF, and learnt how to cry while acting :P...bade farewell to friends who left Malaysia, and learnt to be as much of a 'friend' as I can be to the people I meet everyday now

4) What a year it's been! It's time to leave all these things behind and look forward. The prospect of an entirely different list in 2011 is exciting! Here's to a great list of 'firsts' in 2011 for all of you :>

2010-12-21T01:53:00.004+08:00

With Idealism a dream floats
With Cynicism a dream sinks
With Diligence a dream moves

An education

2010-12-04T21:58:00.014+08:00

"You may have good grades, a double-degree today... but we older folks got an education in our time"
- On my lack of dexterity with the spade, while helping out with a bit of gardening

An amusing jibe at my expense, nonetheless something I've come to accept: There is always something to learn from someone, as long as I want to keep learning.

There is nothing like listening to, or speaking with genuine, unpretentious people whose lives do not just boast of conventional qualifications and titles but contain unfound treasures of wisdom and experience.

Why only gravitate toward the acclaimed, celebrated and prestigious, when we could pursue a different kind of education, from unlikely places and unlikely people?

Hungry for more!

Suka bantu orang

2010-11-27T22:13:00.005+08:00

Today, at a petrol station where I was going to fill my gas tank up, a young boy of 7-8 years walked up to me with a window wiper in his hands, "Bang, nak tak? Boleh saya cuci?"

Unsure of how to respond, I nodded, and he proceeded to wipe my car windscreen. Was he working there? Wasn't he too young for this job? Wouldn't he be wearing a uniform?

"Dik kerja di sini?"
"Tak lah"
"Terima kasih ya! Tapi kenapa dik ada di sini?"
"Tak lah. Saya memang suka bantu orang!"

Boys and cars

2010-11-24T22:19:00.021+08:00

There was something profound about washing my car just the other day, having spent most of my time on a Maserati, an Aston Martin DB7, a Mercedes C200 and two BMWs. I am currently working at an automotive detailing centre for this summer holidays till January (before I resume my uni semester) for some extra cash, and the job entails everything from handling customers to interior/exterior car care, mostly for an upper class niche. It’s hard work but I’m enjoying the experience of learning about an industry I never really took notice of, and the boys there are good men.

The mechanical task of spraying and wiping, coupled with the irony of washing my shabby, humble Proton Saga after washing those luxury cars invoked something in me that day – I couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride towards my car, that despite its scratches, cracks and dents, it still serves me well and does its job.

Cars, like clothes, may have a universal function (to transport/to cover), but they vary in their social values, and, to a certain extent determine the measure of a person’s image and social worth. The great gap in prices between the cheapest and most expensive cars reveals - beyond the unavoidable effects of capitalism - society’s great fixation on status and image. With so much emphasis on form, functionality is a given and more often than not, ignored. But while the capitalistic system is unable to measure values beyond what is material, I believe we should never discard some important ‘measures’. That which has little "social value" may be of much more worth than we think.

On this day, I think about the school bus that transported me (and thousands of other children) to kindergarten every morning 18 years ago, the different cars I sat in on my way to Saturday Youth Meetings when I couldn’t drive, my carpooling partner’s blue Proton Wira that took me to my secondary school and back every day, and the 3 well-used (understatement?) vans that go as far as Kajang and Bukit Jalil to make sure that different ones get to attend my youth group in Subang Jaya every weekend. In light of all that, the Maserati still holds its appeal, but does not stand a chance against any shabby, humble Proton car that is used for the good of others.

And if that is true of cars, it has to be true of people and their abilities.

On this subject of size,

2010-11-20T22:56:00.004+08:00

Small man. Big God.

Size doesn't matter

2010-11-18T17:58:00.003+08:00

Particularly love "1:27"!

As a thief in the night

2010-11-17T20:29:00.005+08:00

There is something about the fleetingness of time that defines what we do. Have you noticed how we are all collectors of memorabilia in some way? That, as if knowing we may never 'come back' to certain places, memories, situations and circumstances, we often bring along with us keepsakes of the past to soothe the pain/prospect of never returning?

I think something in all of us relate to this 'pain of never returning'. We find ways to freeze moments in our everyday lives, through photographs and random scribblings, relying on them to help us 'return' one day to those people, events, experiences and stories. Our pictures and writings transcend time, while we live in the moment. I guess this is why so many people are into cameras these days.

I've decided to return to blogging because of the above reason, and also because I'd like to get back into the habit/discipline of writing. I haven't stopped writing for the past 1 and a half years (did I say time is fleeting?); I've been jotting my thoughts down in random places like my ITouch and notebook (maybe this is reflective of my thoughts too), and I guess it'd be nice to write in a space where friends (and strangers) can read some of these thoughts too. My resolve is to blog at least once a week (just like how it was 1 and a half years ago)!

Perhaps this will help me 'return', someday in the future.

2009-06-09T20:47:00.002+08:00

"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit"

Thank You, Lord

2009-05-08T17:28:00.006+08:00

A heart-wrenching, utterly saddening video about my country's government and the police force. How absurd, that as the crime rates escalate in the nation, the police are unscrupulously arresting people with opinions- the very people our country needs! How will the young learn to love their country and all its ideals, when the people who do are put behind bars and silenced? How will the ones with a heart for this land; the people who have been jealously guarding its reputation and serving the government continue, without thoughts of leaving and bitterness if they stay?

The young can, and the people who love this country can, with a stronger resolve. Let's not lose hope.

To my uni friends and fellow (stressed up) students,

2009-05-06T21:50:00.007+08:00

The cause > the cost

Religion and grace

2009-05-06T21:02:00.012+08:00

"In church the other Sunday, I was intent on a small child turning around smiling at everyone. He wasn't gurgling, spitting, humming, kicking, tearing the hymnals, or rummaging through his mother's handbag. He was just smiling. Finally, his mother jerked him about and in a stage whisper that could be heard in a little theater off Broadway said,
"Stop that grinning! You're in church!"
With that, she gave him a belt and as the tears tolled down his cheeks added,
"That's better," and returned to her prayers....

Suddenly I was angry. It occurred to me the entire world is in tears, and if you're not, then you'd better get with it. I wanted to grab this child with the tear-stained face close to me and tell him about my God. The happy God. The smiling God. The God who had to have a sense of humor to have created the likes of us...By tradition, one wears faith with the solemnity of a mourner, the gravity of a mask of tragedy, and the dedication of a Rotary badge.

What a fool, I thought. Here was a woman sitting next to the only light in our civilization- the only hope, our only miracle- our only promise of infinity.
If he couldn't smile in church, where was there left to go?"
-Erma Bombeck (in What's so amazing about grace? by Philip Yancey)

The tragedy of contemporary Christianity is despite the radical truth about grace it carries, followers adulterate the message of the Cross with worldly legalism and self-righteousness. The world continues to cry for grace and a love that is beyond man's limited capacity to give while elitism creeps into the religious circles.

What a sobering reminder to me... that we, who have the truth and the gift of grace, are capable of betraying the people who need them the most. Non-conformity, if not balanced with grace and a heart for the people can easily turn into religious exclusiveness. If we serve a God of grace, we must be people of grace.

2009-04-26T22:36:00.001+08:00

“Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.”-Sun Tzu

A vaporous life

2009-03-21T11:13:00.009+08:00

It is said...

An average woman, over a lifetime,
- Spends 2 years getting ready for a function
- Cleans her household and performs chores for 2 and a half years
- Cooks for 3 years
- Spends 6 years watching television
- Talks on the phone for 5 and a half years

An average man, over a lifetime,
- Spends 10 and a half years working in his office
- 6 months getting ready for a function (as opposed to 2 years for women)
- 1 year shopping
- 2 years exercising
- 3 years in the toilet (as opposed to 6 months for women)

One wonders how much can be achieved or experienced in a short lifetime of 70 years, when one is awake for 50 years (20 years spent sleeping), out of which 2 weeks are spent waiting for red traffic lights to change and 3 years are spent waiting for others (possibly getting ready for a function).

Truly, the average human doesn't have much time on his hands. God speed

A matter of greeting

2009-03-12T17:40:00.015+08:00

Eastern pride says "I'm fine" when the opposite is true.
Western pride asks "Hi, how are you?" when there is in fact no interest.

Simple greetings tell much about us.

Quote

2009-03-06T11:52:00.004+08:00

"Sad is the day for any man when he becomes absolutely satisfied with the life that he is living, the thoughts he is thinking and the deeds he is doing; until there ceases to be forever beating at the door of his soul a desire to do something larger which he seeks and knows he was meant and intended to do."
-Philips Brooks

Be not weary of well doing

2009-02-11T00:46:00.011+08:00

In my absence I've been reading quite a fair bit, and I chanced upon the story of John Wesley who wrote his last letter to William Wilberforce, the man we remember today for his opposition to slavery. It was a significant letter for the both of them- for Wesley because it was to be the last recorded letter of his life, and for Wilberforce because upon receiving the letter he had just suffered another defeat in one of his many futile attempts to abolish the cruel practice of slave trade. The words of this letter, however, inspired Wilberforce many a time in years to come to continue in his effort until finally, the Parliament outlawed the practice in 1807.

Balam, February 24, 1791

Dear Sir:

Unless the divine power has raised you us to be as Athanasius contra mundum, I see not how you can go through your glorious enterprise in opposing that execrable villainy which is the scandal of religion, of England, and of human nature. Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them together stronger than God? O be not weary of well doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery (the vilest that ever saw the sun) shall vanish away before it.

Reading this morning a tract wrote by a poor African, I was particularly struck by that circumstance that a man who has a black skin, being wronged or outraged by a white man, can have no redress; it being a "law" in our colonies that the oath of a black against a white goes for nothing. What villainy is this?

That he who has guided you from youth up may continue to strengthen you in this and all things, is the prayer of, dear sir,

Your affectionate servant,
John Wesley

"O be not weary of well doing!"

2009-01-23T23:10:00.002+08:00

Happy Chinese New Year and happy holidays to all :>

Moments Captured (Dec to Jan)

2009-01-16T00:39:00.019+08:00

Some of the guys in my cell, after a hike in FRIM. A good bunch who remind me of my own youth.

Photo courtesy of Jonathan, taken during the camp briefing in the youth camp. I served as the Camp Commandant last year, and thoroughly enjoyed the process of planning and executing our plans.
The committee, whom I appreciate very much and are dear friends to me.
The 145 of us, unprepared for the shot. Photo courtesy of Leo.
This is Eugene Koo, my treasured team member, who leads the group of young guys with me.
Watching Vegetales intently with some friends, during the Christmas Eve Party.
Christmas Day, with Meng Yoe, Joey and Kar Kien.
This is Jason, a close friend of mine from the days of high school whom I think has never been mentioned here. We meet every now and then, and during each time, share and exchange ideas, thoughts and dreams. Soon, Jason leaves to Tasmania to further his law studies.
This is a reluctant 'Arsenal' fan whose picture I thought is worth displaying. My fellow 365 committee member and buddy, Daniel Chia.
Chien Aun, another friend who leaves to continue his studies in Monash Australia soon. A person of well balanced opinions and good sense, I enjoy many engaging conversations with him.

This is a shot of a MUFY orientation session in which I came along to assist my youth pastors in, speaking as a Monash student on university life.

I decided to spend the rest of my holidays helping out at a home for disabled and handicapped children during my free time. The experience alone has many colours to it, and I thoroughly enjoy the kids there. Many have terrible stories to tell, and many of these stories need to be told to the rest.

Have a good week, to all of you.

Happy New Year

2009-01-02T14:31:00.003+08:00

Unity

2008-12-19T21:17:00.029+08:00

A collage is made when cuttings which vary in size, shape and colour are put together meticulously, piece by piece, until a bigger image is formed. Prior to the finished work is the process of sticking these papers which by themselves, bear no logical sense or aesthetic value unto a big sheet or canvas. In isolation, an insignificant, tiny piece of coloured paper is of little value. At a close range, one barely sees a meaningful image when looking at these cuttings. From a distance, the collage, made up by tiny, insignificant pieces makes perfect sense.

Unity must never be carelessly equated with similarity, or mere common-ness. To achieve homogeneity (a state in which a group of people are found to be uniform in characteristics and are like-minded to each other) is to achieve nothing more than a comfortable place of similarity. There is no synergy here; there isn't a 'team' of people, rather a ritualistic and bland condition people succumb to which they call 'unity'. On the other hand, to completely advocate 'diversity' may sometimes be folly; we cannot embrace anything under the sun that is right, and wrong too. Unity is more that this.

Wars at all levels, from the domestic to the international have been fought because of this very struggle: to embrace the differences, or to stand up against the unacceptable. We know today, many of these wars were justifiable, just as well as we know some of them should never have been fought. We hear unity preached and bellowed from the dim classrooms of our schools to the living rooms where our televisions are.

What seems to be lacking however is the understanding that unity is not a single coloured sheet of paper, but a collage of sorts. Yellow and brown are different, yet when put together as one, they present a common picture. The educators need to know: achieving unity is NOT by making the people homogeneous through the pages of national History books. The governments need to realise: too much of a single colour ruins the collage. Friends need to see: 'different' is not necessarily 'opposition'. Legalists need to tell apart: tolerance and compromise. To say, "my team is not united because its members are too different from each other" is a false idea. There is only unity where diversity comes together.

2008-12-11T23:49:00.004+08:00

"You're never closer to defeat as when you are in victory"

To ponder upon. I pray hype and temporary excitement will not get to us; because a lifelong commitment to die to selfish dreams and lofty desires is what makes it all truly worth it.

Cats

2008-12-11T22:40:00.010+08:00

2008-11-25T10:49:00.002+08:00

Truly live

2008-11-06T00:55:00.008+08:00

"The paralysis of refusing to act leaves a man exactly where he was before; when once he acts, he is never the same.
The moments when I truly live are the moments when I act with my whole will"

-Oswald Chambers (My Utmost of His Highest)
(One of my favourite authors)

...But we must not obsess about 'acting', without rightly acting.

2008-10-12T21:42:00.003+08:00

"Who is the judge?"
"The judge is God."
"Why is he God?"
"Because he decides who wins or loses. Not my opponent."
"Who is your opponent?"
"He does not exist."
"Why does he not exist?"
"Because he is a mere dissenting voice of the truth I speak"
-The Great Debaters (2007)

Liberal? (applying post-structuralism into a moral context)

2008-10-08T01:18:00.012+08:00

In the last few weeks of classes some of us have been subjected to the grueling idea of post-structuralism (and wondering whether we really do exist if ‘reality is a matter of production’). In taking a double-degree, I find the Business course solid and pretty objective, while the School of Arts and Humanities offers many interesting discourses to chew on (and spit out). Nevertheless, the latter provides many lenses with which to look at life and to ponder about certain realities. p.s. Will post again after my exams (ending on 4th of Nov).

________________________________________

The idea of post-structuralism fits well in this age of expressionism. Prevalent in every form of written/oral communication are thousands of attempts to express emotions of some sort by individuals who desire to be heard and known. This very web page, an outlet of expression and thought, is no different from the millions of blog pages around the world- it only guises itself in a less personal way than the average Ah Lian blog. Some present their expressions in the guise of clever thoughts, some in profound pictures, some in narratives; but in essence, all have the same basis- to make a statement of some kind for others to be aware of. Otherwise, blog pages will not be blog pages- they will be saved Microsoft Word files safely stored in a personal folder.

Post-structuralism finds its roots in the fact that all meaning is reduced to language, for we cannot think without first forming our thoughts through the medium of language. Because no thought could be made without the inevitable influence of language, post-modernism says all meaning may be deconstructed. In summary, the 'truth' behind meaning is irrelevant in a post-modernist world because we can construct 'reality' by the use of language.

If this is true, the world we live in is one flooded with messages which bear unstable meanings, for they could be interpreted in any way and may be used in any way. This is daunting, because this negates any truth. More importantly, this means many things are ‘relative’ and non-absolutes.

Yet, this idea fits perfectly in our expressionist world, where the 'liberal' are glorified and the conservative, stoic ideas are perceived to be 'closed and narrow' ways. This is the convention of the world today- any truth could be seen in any way. Any code could be read in any way, and therefore, moral codes are not absolutes, for they have relative meanings and are to be interpreted in a relative manner. Individuality reigns supreme, and 'one man's meat is another man's poison'. We live in a relative world.

Where, then, can we find ‘truth’ in a post-modern world, where one's own rights are fought for (often out of sheer selfishness) and "human rights" are glorified (often excessively and naively) and where the righteous are always 'stiff and up-tight' while the liberal are always 'open-minded'?

After all, history itself has shown that humankind requires absolutes to function. From the dawn of time, laws have been made and re-made for one reason: to limit human activity and to draw the line. Humankind needs borders in order not to ‘cross the line’- and borders are absolutes to be obeyed. Why is it, that the immediate reaction to a ruthless case of rape is usually the demand that the perpetrator be punished severely according to the law?

The waves of this age of post-modernism may bring to many a sense of liberation from the 'weights of moral and social codes', but we must never be too enthralled by the spirit of liberation, especially when it is used loosely and when it is the excuse for decadence.

It was the 'weights', after all, that built the strong man, not the sense of liberation.

Be right back

2008-08-27T22:45:00.003+08:00

The absence of any writing here is by no means a sign of a loss of interest; it is only due to the fact that between what I have to do and what I want to do, the former takes precedence. I will write here again soon...

"You do what you need to do, to do what you want to do"

2008-07-22T23:57:00.003+08:00

The river goes to places of which its source will never dream of reaching.

The extent of our services or actions for other people may go further than the immediate results we are aware of.

We will keep learning

2008-06-21T21:59:00.018+08:00

As a matter of honour, if you’re a member of a team, submit yourself to your authority as you would expect submission from your team under you

As a matter of honour, you don’t pull a punch on someone when he/she’s turned away, or conspire among other social circles

As a matter of honour, you speak straightforwardly and uncompromisingly, directly- one to one- and the buck stops there

As a matter of honour, you unflinchingly refuse to take sides within the same team, should it happen, for the maintained unity and well-being of the team

As a matter of honour, you don’t allow yourself to believe all that is said about another teammate, especially if it induces prejudice or disrespect for him/her

As a matter of honour, you show the same grace to your teammates as you would receive it from them for your own shortcomings

As a matter of honour, you don’t fight fire with fire, or unfairness with unfairness- because it is already enough that the mistake has been made

As a matter of honour, others' shortcomings must never be forum discussions or unnecessary e-mail threads, or coffee talk

And

if performing the above puts you in a less than desired position, you try to do them anyway- accepting the hard lessons - as a matter of honour.

______________________________________________

-To tickle your funny bones... :> One of my favourite YouTube videos

When You Ask Her About Monsters

Happy 20th

2008-06-08T23:34:00.004+08:00

To Han Sheng who has been a dear buddy to me in all the years of our academic lives: SKDU (primary school), SMDU (secondary school), HELP (pre-uni), and presently, Monash University.

(...and unless the trend is proven otherwise, it looks like there will be more pictures like this taken of him, years from now.)

Flag bearers

2008-06-08T22:56:00.009+08:00

Personal reflection (faith)

The war stories tell of soldiers who march out to face their enemies and perish by the blade of the sword or the bullet of the gun. Some march out valiantly, some march out reluctantly, but the bullets don't favor anyone. At the battlefield, a prominent soldier carries in his arms the pride of the army, and the spirit behind their foolish march onward: the flag. He knows very well that everyone in the opposition will take their aim to bring him down, just as everyone behind him will take their aim to kill the other flag bearer. But he also knows of other foolish ones like him who wait to pick up the flag when that happens.

The flag bearers in the war know that they run into their deaths for representing their army and taunting their opponents, if only for a few moments. They don't whine when the bullet meets the flesh- they subscribed for it. They don't quit at the prospect of being shot. They share the same fate of their commander-in-chief, in victory or in suffering.

Likewise in the matter of faith, the flags we carry bring, and will bring

slander, false accusations/labeling, punishment for standing up to the right thing, betrayal, rejection, disrespect, mockery, deception, being used, abuse, assault, misrepresentation...

..but grace abounds for us to march on.

2008-05-18T19:05:00.022+08:00

Just a quick follow-up to the post below particularly regarding the scholarship and education system in Malaysia. Some facts to consider (*taken from unicef, unescap) that prompted my questions:

About half of the youth in Malaysia are not 'urban' youth.
Only 29 % of the Malaysian youth between 15-23 have a tertiary education
Only 34 Indian youth received the PSD overseas scholarships this year (NST 15th May)
25% of average Malaysian families survive on a household earning of less than RM 1000 a month (quoted in the Eighth Malaysian Plan)

I read with interest an interview with the Public Service director-general in the newspaper today, and think some steps taken should be rightfully applauded, like the steps taken to punish government-funded students who study overseas and refuse to return home to serve the country (a total waste of our tax-payers money):

"Before 2003, if you broke your bond, you or your guarantor had to pay. The amount was less than what was spent on you. But now, the penalty is the actual cost (of what was spent on the student). So, before this, if you were doing medicine, you had to pay RM160,000, which is less than a year’s scholarship. We spend RM1.2 million for each medical student. But over 90 per cent of our students come back. The ones who don’t come back are mostly medical students. If they don’t come back, we get their guarantors." - Tan Sri Ismail Adam

That being said, my opinion stems from the logic that monetary aid can benefit two groups of Malaysian youth:

1) The group that applies for a scholarship/loan and, if rejected, can still afford to pursue tertiary education

2) The group that applies for a scholarship/loan and, if rejected, cannot afford to pursue tertiary education

This was not covered in the interview, and my contention is that the criteria points-system of 70- academic excellence, 10- interview, 10- family economic background and 10- co-curricular activities, should be revised in favour of the lower-income earning groups. The second group should be given priority, and not just a mere 10 points bonus. Hey, some youth are already getting more pocket-money than 25% of all the families in the country (imagine 5 family members per family) every month.

According to the 8th MP, only 9.8% of Malaysian families have a household income of more than RM 5000 (the top of the income class). Let's assume these people can afford to send their kids to universities.

If one makes a further assumption that in each family there is 1 youth, 90 out of 100 youth in Malaysia are born to families that earn less than RM5000 a month. The lower the income groups get, the more difficult it is to support youth planning to pursue their education. Why give so much money to the top of the income classes who can afford it, when the bottom can barely get by with daily necessities and deserve this more? Which is more pressing- award according to merit (easily attained by the rich who have resources available to them) or aid for the poorer groups? Giving more money to the rich who already have the resources to study and who don't really need it is another form of elitism, I'm afraid.

Just consider: Rm 1000 per month, shared between 5 family members who have to eat, pay for school/electricity/water/petrol/rent bills... and then compare it to your monthly spending as an 'urban' youth.

Do things make sense? This is the world we'll live in for the next 50 or so years. The world of 6.6 billion, out of which 1.1 billion live on less than US$ 1 a day.

No sense

2008-05-17T11:30:00.035+08:00

The main challenge of the current generation here lies not in the poverty of the land, nor in the inadequate resources available to us to live comfortable lives. No, by the toil and economic struggles of the generations before us, this generation was born into a world of convenience, luxury and extravagance; and our challenge is of a different type. Set on the road to success, most of us traverse along the path of materialism and glory forgetting that we leave several precious things behind as well. And thus some things no longer make sense...

It doesn't make sense that some entertainment programs are structured in a way that puts an entity or person down in order to elevate another. Many of the salient themes on the television consist of those that condemn lousy cars, lousy food or lousy people, ignorant of the context in which they are found: lousy cars serve to provide cheap and affordable transportation for the middle-class citizens, lousy food is good enough to fill the stomachs of those who do not afford escargots and Wellington steaks, and lousy talent does not stop people from being happy singing or dancing. Yet, imperfection is capitalized upon, and our comedy is another's tragedy. It doesn't make sense that this happens in the same world whose inhabitants suffer and lose their lives to catastrophes and human injustice.

It doesn't make sense that in a nation that faces a brain-drain problem, generous scholarships are awarded to the already rich and privileged (whose wealth could purchase them the best schools, books and teachers) or to a select race or group- at the expense of the equally competent, only less privileged and their rights to education to fulfill a pathetic quota. The poor drop out of schools and dream a distant dream of a tertiary education while the rich are sent to expensive foreign universities by government funding , where they obtain their degrees and often times, eventually stay on and become even richer, not wanting to return and work for the nation; some even scoffing at the incompetence of their homeland and exalting the cultures they weren’t born to. And while this is not a generalization of all the 'rich', it doesn't make sense that a government that aims to get as many people educated as possible in order to increase human capital could fail in delivering subsidies and financial aid to the people who need them the most.

It doesn't make sense that 'cats prefer to bark'; and when Malaysians perceive anything non-Malaysian to be more superior. When the very dreams our parents instilled in us involve working hard, to study overseas, to stay there and have good lives- we are nothing short of Malaysians with an identity crisis. While they mean well, some forget that they cheat the country of its voices, by sending them away. It doesn't make sense that an average and fairly blessed country with problems not unlike other countries is perceived to be a place to escape from. When Englishmen could be so proud of their country, or Americans boast about their home, and when both countries are flawed in their own ways- what a sin it is to be discontented with a beautiful country like ours! There is a difference between realizing our country's lack and the need to improve, and pure discontentment and cynicism.

Oh, many things don't make sense today, but when people realize these disparities in logic, they must stand up in their own ways. Malaysian youth must be proud citizens, proud of who they were born to be, and proud of who they are. Those who stay back must realize their privilege to do so, while those who leave temporarily must be effective ambassadors of this land.
We must all have a passion for our land, our families, our loved ones and our roots - to help make sense, and most of all, we must love who God made us to be.

Not a matter of when, but how

2008-05-09T23:43:00.001+08:00

"All men die; not all men really live"
-Braveheart

Unsung heroes

2008-04-17T12:19:00.005+08:00

A display of sheer gut and spirit. I am more than impressed and challenged. The irony of stories like these is many of us, privileged ones, would probably be more interested in Paris Hilton and her chihuahua, never once hearing of extraordinary, inspiring individuals like her, who put us all who have hands to shame. Life is put into a proper perspective, just watching these unsung heroes live their lives...

The 4 letter word

2008-04-15T16:36:00.009+08:00

“Stubbornness” always carries negative connotations, but at times it seems to me that love takes the form of stubbornness when the rainbows and laughter fade. How much is one capable of being stretched to love, despite circumstances that provide justification for ‘returning the punch’ rather than ‘turning the other cheek’? Against all opposition, accusations, prejudice, misunderstanding, differences, contrasting ideologies, backgrounds, colour, abilities (or the lack of), time (or the lack of), how far can one continue to love relentlessly until the limit is breached- if there should be a limit?

The more I think about it the more it occurs to me that this concerns all levels- from the national to the simple, everyday friendships. I can only aspire to love like Christ

Richard the Butler: You found God, sir?
William Wilberforce: I think He found me.
-Amazing Grace (2006)

The simple heart

2008-04-10T01:51:00.012+08:00

In 1991 a census was taken on “Population and Housing”. It was found that the urban population was at 62% nationwide . It is now 2008, 17 years later. Today,

Malaysia

ranks 34^th in the list of countries based on GDP (Gross Domestic Product), suggesting an average financial standing and economic size. We have a commendable economy, but statistics aside, the trend of modernization is catching on….

Half a century ago, our forefathers toiled in labor to bring the people out the jungles into the cities. Immigrants, traveling with the clothes on their backs were pioneers of a sacrificing generation; one that left their homes to give comfort to their future offspring. This was the typical vision for the generation then: the legacy of a better economic and financial state for the future generations. With every generation that has passed, most of us have now stepped closer to the ‘city’, if we haven’t already entered. Success stories are being written of rural boys working to the top in the capital city, aboriginals obtaining scholarships, students setting records of A’s achieved in national exams, the rich becoming richer, the good becoming the best. But something is missing.

We ARE becoming better. But only in a certain way that the world holds. There is a problem with moving up- we forget there is essentially no ‘up’.

Perhaps this is why the hegemony of power will always be controlled by an elite group; call it what you want: politicians, bishops, kings, tycoons, overstaying MIC leaders. This thirst for greatness ironically puts us further away from it; for in every class in society, the chase for it has made men leave many things behind.

Among these things is the simple heart.

In the midst of all the seriousness of life or situations we ‘wake up’ to or grow to discover, there is always a voice that wakes me up in the morning; one which sings in an off-key set of notes; but never fails to remind me that for all that this life could ever offer, there’s nothing quite like simplicity. At times, this voice would be accompanied with a three-stringed worn-out guitar, strummed out of rhythm with a broken melody.

As I learn more about a complex world in the newspapers, I am reminded of a simple soul who lives under the same roof as I do; who at the sound of the auto-gate opening, rushes to the windows where she waves to her father returning from work with a broad smile on her face. Oblivious to the complexities of the world and the ambitions many of the people of her age would be growing up with should she be normal, her life is pure and speaks a message of its own, unlike the superficial lives everywhere. I wonder whether she is in fact abnormal, or just really, the rest of the world.

It is at these times that I look at her and I know that she’s a living reminder that God made us all simple at heart, and more do I understand the truth that the ‘least’ become the greatest in His kingdom. There are more deserving lives to be mentioned in my writings (one as hers) and more around us to emulate, apart from great men who started wars they died in, and big names that people forget when other big names replace them. There are more ways to ‘be better’. There is another race for ‘greatness’ which takes a reverse route that we wouldn’t commonly take, in which the contestants almost seem to run the wrong way, as the participants of the world would see.

Am I anti-progress, to say we must shun great plans for ourselves and stop looking for the best in the world? No. Progress will find us with time. The best of the world is in the simplest of places, and the greatest ‘plans’ are ones made without a ‘my’ in front. In all that we awaken to, from the political, economic, academic- we must never abandon a simple heart; one that statistics will never record, but lives remember.

Quick post

2008-03-25T22:44:00.016+08:00

To do justice to this perpetually banal, inactive page, here are some recent pictures taken:

A 'bridge' at the shore of Kuala SelangorJesmond, my cell member and Jonathan at his house in Kajang.
The MCF booth during CNS week.Cheeky Josh Evans, who asked that the picture be taken like this
The infamous Mat Cemerlangs during a BN ceramah at my housing area.

I must add that the crowd increased dramatically by 4-5 times during the next night, at the opposition ceramah for Elizabeth Wong from PKR.

A quick look at the Five Immediate Actions she would take once elected (for the uninitiated, she won the Bukit Lanjan seat), which were presented that night:

1)The initiation of the Private Member Bill, which will ensure freedom of information for the residents
2)No more demolition of places of worship
3)The Sungai Buloh Forest Reserve to be re-gazetted
4)The crime rate to be worked at and reduced
5)Local council elections to be held

(Thoughts on these in next post, due to entirely different nature of subject and time)

___________________________________________

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day"

There couldn't be a better place to be in, I still believe. There is much to be glad about. There is much to appreciate...our leaders, our advisors, our companions, our privileges. There is much to hope for.

Do have a good week, everyone.

The national dream

2008-03-08T00:14:00.014+08:00

Long have I desired to write something to this effect, after watching the many hands raised up when I asked the Form 2 students while teaching as a temporary teacher, "Who plans to leave Malaysia when you grow up?", after observing the response I got (and still get) for wanting to "study and stay in Malaysia if I can and God wills", after hearing my contemporaries scheming and planning to attain PRs in other countries as soon as they can, and after listening to so many snide remarks about our nation's incompetence, uttered not out of concern for the disadvantaged or underprivileged, but out of pure disdain for this place.

__________________________________________________

My national dream is to see a renewed love for this land.

Days ago, the nation went to the ballot boxes and cemented their decisions on paper. The sentiment for change was in the air, we were gearing towards a democratic revolution, we pushed against the walls of oppression and then...The walls came, crashing down.

Of all of the enormous, ambitious and repeatedly mentioned hopes that have been re-birthed along with the political awakening of my fellow Malaysians, there is a national dream that has yet been realized- one that threatens to destroy the very foundations of this country should it prevail, and more importantly, one that plagues my generation.

How many times has it been said time and time again, that we were fooled to love! We were trained to lift our right hands up to recite the national oath every week, we were made to stand to sing the national anthem every Monday of our schooling years, we were indoctrinated with ideals and notions of the country in our very textbooks, we were encouraged to proudly swing the “Jalur Gemilang” on the National Day; we were taught to love this land, even made to as it seems. But soon after, my generation grew up, and growing up, we saw more.

.
Untainted by the doctrine of nationalism and unbiased to certain ideals, the higher education we pursued opened our eyes to the ugliness of our home. The more we saw, the more we hated, and the more we hated, the more resolved we became, "to leave this screwed up place as soon as I can and get a better life where my race will not be discriminated and my privileges will not be based on the colour of my skin". Like grapes dried by the sun, we became as prunes - tired and cynical of the system, eager to escape a desert of injustice, incompetence and corruption.

.
And so I ask, what good is change in the system if our hearts can't love a nation whose rulers would inevitably rise and fall with time? If our patriotism depends on the names of the leaders who govern this land, it could very well waver in a matter of 4 years.

Hence, my dream for a renewed love for this nation. Not a tolerance for corruption, nor a liking for sin, but a steadfast, stubborn choice to stand for this place and the insistence that 'where my destiny began is where my destiny lies'. A renewed love for this nation, which, isn't dependent on the abilities of its rulers or the times, rather a willingness to be counted as one of its citizens, and if so be, mocked at for being 'patriotic for a lost cause' when all others have lost faith in it.

It is the firm idealistic stand that beauty is not to be a reason for love- because Malaysia may very well be 'ugly' in many ways. It is the appreciation of a new, unbiased view of the country and the choice to love despite what one sees. Most importantly, it is the passion for our birthplace and identity. Sure, we were taught to love this place, and even indoctrinated to, as some may say,

but if we, who realize all these things and can now see for ourselves...

if we, who know the shortcomings of this land and no longer recite oaths or sing songs ignorantly…

…knowing that love is a choice to be made, not a passion to be forced - love anyway, then change has truly come to

Malaysia

Lose to gain

2008-02-22T23:39:00.008+08:00

If time could be seen in a line, and just, through some form of miracle one could walk down that line of time, and see, how the hardship, struggles and pain of his present circumstances helped chart out the path which eventually led to his future; if he could for a moment meet his 'past' self, and stir, shake and encourage him to toil on just because he knows his present glory began in that moment in time of difficulty, just because it began in the past and he knows how the story would end...the possibilities are endless.

And yet, faith is hoping in something yet unseen because life was fashioned such that one would only be able to look back - down the line of time - after he had traversed it before. In this way he will only know 'too late', in celebration of the right thing done, or in despair and regret for mistakes in the past.

If there were no struggles, how could 'happily ever after' be appreciated or even realized? Beauty would be born in a palace, the Beast would have never been cursed and the story of "Beauty and the Beast" would be a one-page bore. If there were no tears, how would the struggle of Wilberforce and the abolition of the slavetrade inspire people bent on making a difference? If there were no toil and turmoil, how would Gandhi's tale serve as a testimony of human perseverance and hope?

Needs serve to remind us that we can't do it alone. Perhaps our generation has been too caught up with making our lives comfortable, not realizing we have made ourselves unable to appreciate it all. We have made ourselves numb, in pursuit of happiness. How ironic, that our self-sustenance has backfired.
.
.Before the appreciation of a met need is felt, there must be a need to be met. Thank God for needs. They remind us we're only mortal.

On teaching and such (pictures)

2008-02-21T00:21:00.016+08:00

Firstly, a heartfelt thanks for the great, great farewell, cards and gifts! In reply to the messages in the chatbox: Thanks Min Ern, Gary, Chanel, Heidy and Justin Wong. I will try to stop by whenever I can. Thank you all for the appreciation, for almost making me cry (keyword being 'almost' ;P), for being the great students any teacher could ask for and for the well wishes. I know, as my holidays come to a close and as the new semester in university begins the time spent teaching temporarily in school was not to waste. Some pictures to remember...

(click to enlarge)

With the other temporary teachers, (from left) Tysern, Meng Kuan, Chong Xian and Patrick for supper.The boys of 2 Keruing during recess.

At the field with the students having P.E.

The boys in the SMDJ Christian Fellowship whom I spoke to on the 15th of Feb, in conjunction with Valentine's Day

2 Batai and the farewell they put up.

There are many more pictures, in fact, but alas, I have to rush for time...

"To everything there is a season. A time for every purpose under heaven"

May you find yours. Have a week week to all!

Penang

2008-02-11T20:08:00.000+08:00

Here's hoping you had a good CNY break.. Just some pictures taken during the trip up north, with my new camera (which my sister thinks seems to follow me everywhere I go now ;>). I'll let the pictures do the talking

Queens Bay

My cousin, Gavin, with Claudia and I

Abby, who enjoyed her time tremendously (eating & swimming)

Blowing the candles on my twentieth birthday cake, with the rest of the family members behind the camera.

Family time is indeed, always a good time. A little note of appreciation for all the birthday wishes and greetings. With possibly more than a quarter of my life passed (and that is if my life extends that long) I am more than convinced many things in life are temporal and superficial, and how men in all their folly and frailty have always chased what they could never keep- and lost what they ought to keep, yet God, in His grace has always been waiting at the other end. There is much to do...

...and much to arrive at.

Have a good week- back to school and work ;>

For the SMDJ-ians

2008-01-26T19:00:00.000+08:00

Some may know that for the past three weeks, I have been teaching as a temporary English teacher in five Form 2 classes and one Form 1 class (for Moral) in SMDJ. To say that the job is interesting would be an understatement; it has opened my eyes to several things, made me understand what MY teachers went through to educate me, created doors for me to speak into younger peoples' lives, shown me the rewards of coming to a class awaiting not just a session of academic learning but one eager to know more about the world that awaits them outside...and has reinforced in me: how humble and 'mediocre' jobs such as the teaching profession has more meaning than most of the jobs we have been made to, or have ourselves been dreaming about. With down to about one and a half weeks more of working as a temporary teacher before the university semester resumes, I know I WILL miss these people. For all their enthusiasm, humour, freshness and laughter.
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Anyway, this post is for the students who read the blog- and find nothing interesting/relevant to read, or like one student complained, "Teacher, I don't understand what you write in your blog!".
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One day while teaching at a form 2 class, I asked each of the students to write something secretive/interesting/personal about themselves on a piece of paper, anonymously. I wanted to prove a point that people do not seem to be how they appear to be always, and more often than not, are just 'putting up a show' and have many things to hide. And so we had a "classroom-'PostSecret'-session". Below are some of the statements written on those pieces of paper:
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"I tell my brother my secrets before I go to bed."
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"I sometimes feel as if I'm too inadequate to live up to my siblings."
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"I used to play princess and prince with a guy and I still wish I could do that."
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"I'm sick of being nerdy-looking."
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"I want people to be fair and not always give everything to popular kids when they don't deserve it."
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"I play computer games without permission when my parents are out."
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"Accept me in your Friendster please!" (This one made me really amused)
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"I don't like the prefectorial board a lot."
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Just some pictures of some of the familiar characters in the stories I've been telling in classes:

From left: Ian ( "Follow the trail"), Lit Rong, Myself, Satchid (Car Hijacker), Ernest, Guang Yu and Han Sheng (and his trademark pose).
From left: Joshua ('steel chair and lift' story) and myself.

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Here's an upcoming event at my church this Saturday. Do let me know if you're interested to come and check it out... it can be arranged

Also on the subject of Valentine's Day, I will be speaking at the SMDJ CF (Christian Fellowship Society) on the 15th of February (Friday), on "Love" (it's one day after Valentine's Day as you know). Incidentally it will be my last day of teaching, so do come to CF if you're around. Would be great to have you guys around. =)

Keep enjoying school! Have a great week ahead.

When all is said and done

2008-01-14T22:01:00.001+08:00

There. Is. More.

..To this beauty, glory, youth, acknowledgment, prominence, excellence, image, wealth, health, happiness, laughter, peace, prosperity, comfort, luxury that we enjoy

..To this chase for more of what we don't really need, to this amassing of more of what we cannot keep.

Just to be simply... unimpressed, sometimes. How we need to learn how to live again!

The prospect of God

2008-01-03T21:56:00.000+08:00

"There is an emptiness and a loneliness that an atheist feels, which people of faith cannot understand. The world is absurd, an accident. Science has, or will have, all the answers, but life has no real meaning or significance. Death is final. You can have influence and an impact on the world through your children; you can do well, be remembered in the history books for hundreds, even thousands of years; when the sun dies mankind may colonize other star systems, maybe even other galaxies. But ultimately, even if it takes 15 Billion years, the universe itself will die, or collapse into a black hole or whatever, and the end is absolute nothingness, the only thing that is infinite is a void. Life, then, is meaningless and death frightening. Truth and morality can become relative, which may lead to moral confusion, hedonism, and worse…”

-Unknown source

I do believe purpose in life and God are inseparable. I see it more with every new piece of news pertaining to corruption, death, tragedy and immorality; more with the realization that no amount of success can buy you definite satisfaction and fulfillment (even significance); more with how the world will keep chasing the wind and be swept by it- never knowing the vanity of it all; more with the frailty of life; more with how more people need more love than ever before.
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If God does not exist, we cease to have a reason to exist- and should there be a reason, that reason in itself could never last more than a lifetime. It simply dies with us and our mortal bodies. But if He does, which is a compelling possibility we must stop to consider, then the notion of life after death must be considered as well, because we WILL go somewhere. Sometimes, all that stands before man and God is a simple realization.
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'God' is just too big a prospect to ignore.

Only a sling and a stone

2007-12-31T14:47:00.000+08:00

Oh, what I would do to have
the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant
with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound
of a thousand warriors
shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
.
But the giant's calling out
my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
time and time again
"Boy you'll never win,
you'll never win."
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But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"
and the voice of truth says "This is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

-Voice of Truth, Casting Crowns

Have fun picking a fight with the giants.

-A nervous owl (and me) in Lake Gardens

Happy New Year!

Waste

2007-12-17T01:59:00.000+08:00

“Vanity, definitely my favorite sin”- John Milton/Lucifer, The Devil’s Advocate.

Humanity is full of paradoxes. We speak of maturity, wisdom and character but at the heart of humanity lies an indisputable element, preserved through the ages. One that has fueled wars, broken families up, torn relationships apart and shattered and shredded hearts: vanity.

Isn’t it funny, how being ‘different’ has become so fashionable and romanticized among ourselves, that one is pressured to have a certain style of his own to stand out and be noticed? Isn’t it funny how ‘standing out’, has become a physical quality- that a person who ‘stands out’ needs to wear a certain type of clothing, have a certain type of hairstyle, speak in a certain way and possess certain items, when ironically that puts that person among a majority of blinded youth who think the same way?

How then does a person ‘stand out’? Where does one draw the line between being himself and being another person he isn’t? I do believe it’s simple. You draw the line where the most basic human function is, love.

I believe love was designed to be ‘wasted’ on others. The very fact that love is kept to one’s self, fed by selfish desires, stuffed with personal wants makes it no wonder why humanity needs more grace than it ever needed. It is for this reason the love of a friend for another is manifested outwardly, through a pat on the back, a smile, a hug, a gift, a message of hope. Love isn’t love when it’s kept to yourself.

So what happened to chivalry? And honor? What happened to all that needs to be protected: the principles we have been taught, the discernment between good and sinful, the ability to love beyond ourselves, the capacity to think for others? What happened to love?

For “greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

That, in my humble opinion, would be the difference between the Christmas the world sells and the Christmas that should be rightfully celebrated. You see, one is full of vanity, and the other, full of love.

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On a sidenote, I found this brilliant one on Youtube called "George Lucas in love". For the Starwars geeks ;P

Learning to love like Christ

2007-12-06T04:03:00.000+08:00

Winter's chills, Spring's joy, Summer's blaze, Fall's gloom. The sun may not show up and the leaves may fall. But whatever hits you, love persists like the tree that stands firmly, almost stubbornly, through every season.

"...Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
- the Bible

And once again, Christmas draws near!

2007-11-22T19:10:00.001+08:00

Not by might, nor by power...

Needs

2007-11-15T02:05:00.000+08:00

Perhaps one of the commonly used methods in achieving a ‘balance’ when in doubt, is to use the ‘needs versus wants’ approach, in which significant necessities are weighed against current desires. Needs are ubiquitous and ever-present; we try to satisfy them all the time, whether they be generally, socially recognized needs or personal, individual ones. We try to satisfy the need for achievement, or the need for acceptance. Some needs are never satisfied, and they become obsessions, like the need for attention, popularity, or a sense of belonging. Some unsatisfied needs eventually become layers of insecurity reinforcing a façade to hide those very needs. Yet, whatever they be, and however they may occupy the mind, fuel our actions, move our spirits, our needs will always be there, as will be our actions to fulfill them- and thus, the means and ends are inseparable. We will always be motivated to satisfy a certain need.

H. Maslow (a certain psychologist prominently mentioned in Management) categorizes needs in a hierarchy. According to this theory, at the bottom of the pyramid of needs are the primal, human survival needs (love, unfortunately isn’t a basic need ;): food, sleep, water. As a certain level of needs is satisfied, a new category becomes dominant which never before was. A person who has had all his physiological needs fulfilled would not feel an urge to satisfy his physiological needs anymore, as urgently as his ‘safety’ needs now. And so the needs change as they are satisfied.

However, students analyze this theory and find flaws in it- a fasting monk does not feel compelled to satisfy his hunger pangs (physiological), but is more concerned about his ‘self-actualization’ needs- his spirituality, his higher calling. A rich, prosperous man, acclaimed and recognized, may not feel as compelled to satisfy his need for sleep as his need for success. A mother is willing to risk her health for her family, denying her physiological needs for her family. It’s my contention that needs are what we choose to see as important, and hence our needs reflect on ourselves.

What I mean is, what you need is indicative of what you are made of.

Looking at my contemporaries, I realize our needs are easily identifiable. Friendship, acceptance, achievement, excellence, pleasure, relevance. The best results, the best university education, the most number of friends, the best projected image, the best jokes, the most influential leadership, the biggest possessions. If one stops to think to himself/herself, “What truly occupies my mind, my time and my passion?” one would be able to identify his/her most prominent needs (and very likely, realize his/her maturity of thought too). Yet, I wonder, have we lost the ability to choose our needs, and determine what’s truly best for ourselves?

If needs reflect what we are made of, why do we bury our faces in the superficial needs, that fade as the morning vapor and sway like grass in the wind? Ah, certain needs are rightfully important- we need to excel to be a positive influence in the environment, we need to eat to continue living, but just as a man who craves only for sexual satisfaction and is seen as a pervert, have we lost sense of our other needs, being too focused on one or two which are, in actuality, trivial, in the bigger scheme of things? Have we lost our need to find our reasons for existence, our relevance in the world of 6 billion, our moral compass?

Once I asked a group of adolescent guys, what would they do if they were given the liberty to do anything, for as long a time as they wanted, without the guilt of knowing that there would be other ‘important’ things to do. Most answered computer games or watching television. I then asked them, whether they would like a life of computer games and television, 5, 10, 15 years down the road, and silence permeated the air. 5, 10 ,15 years down the road, they knew they would be adults, possibly fathers, instrumental in making changes, being ‘in charge’ and doing ‘the big things’. I’m a strong advocate of letting one’s hair down and seizing every opportunity to outdo ones self, but how we are like this sometimes! We are obsessed with our little university bubbles, the hottest news, the newest hype, our guilty pleasures- at the expense of the road ahead, in the name of present satisfaction.

Perhaps a little reflection on our ‘higher needs’ is in order. Perhaps we should be conscious about the more abstract issues in life, instead of running away from them just because they aren’t palpable- because the options are clear…and we decide what we need.

Relevance in this lifetime, or superficial attention?

Purpose in life, or aimless living?

Are we ambitious realists, or ignorant idealists?

2007-11-10T23:22:00.000+08:00

The author promises a post soon, when the sudden rush of activities with the start of the semester break declines.

Happy birthday to Ignatius, Chelle, Eugene Koo, Yuhhui, Grace Eu, and anyone who's celebrated during this season!

2007-10-10T08:21:00.000+08:00

A children's poem recently introduced to me, which I think is quite a classic. One that makes one smile!

The Owl and the Pussy-Cat went to sea
In a beautiful pea-green boat,
They took some honey, and plenty of money,
Wrapped up in a five pound-note.
The Owl looked up to the stars above,
And sang to a small guitar,
'O lovely Pussy! O Pussy, my love,
What a beautiful Pussy you are,
You are,
You are!
What a beautiful Pussy you are.'

Pussy said to the Owl, 'You elegant fowl,
How charmingly sweet you sing.
O let us be married, too long have we tarried,
But what shall we do for a ring?'
They sailed away for a year and a day,
To the land where the Bong-tree grows,
And there in the wood a Piggy-wig stood,
With a ring in the end of his nose,
His nose,
His nose!
With a ring in the end of his nose.

'Dear Pig, are you willing, to sell for one shilling
Your ring?' Said the Piggy, 'I will.'
So they took it away, and were married next day,
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince, and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon;
And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand,
They danced by the light of the moon,
The moon,
The moon!
They danced by the light of the moon.
-- Edward Lear

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I have been reading the book of Romans in between my revisions and, with the 365 message Joyce and I shared recently still fresh in my mind, came across this sentence which could very well hold the reason for living and appreciating life.

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

-Apostle Paul

There will be no posts until at least the 5th of next month- that is when my holidays commence. The days are interesting, at best, and I have no complaints. I have many things in my head to write about so I assure you more will be put up during my holidays. Till then, enjoy October!

2007-10-02T19:14:00.000+08:00

The struggle between what one is able to do and what one is called to do would at some point arrive at the juncture where one’s loyalties cannot be divided anymore, lest much is done but little is achieved. And one is made to choose and stand by his decision, regardless of which he feels he prefers to contribute in. Opportunity cost? Not if God leads us to lead. And where to!

-written during time of turning down opportunities

Have been unable to write lengthy posts due to time-constraints. The days have been good, though. Hope everyone is well, and coping. All the best to those taking exams this season, and to those who are just starting to adjust to their new places! Good week

Keep swimming

2007-09-29T10:33:00.001+08:00

"Remember, the biggest fish gets that way by not getting caught"

-Big Fish (2003)

The seed 'dies' first

2007-09-26T13:01:00.000+08:00

Remember that no man loses any other life than this which he now lives, nor lives any other than this which he now loses.

-Marcus Aurelius

Address

2007-09-26T12:25:00.000+08:00

I have changed my blog address to

http://www.abelcheahszewei.blogspot.com

I've been inclined to do this in the past but never had the time to move the posts from a site to another until recently. There are several reasons to this, but they do not matter so much as the same writer and brains from which these thoughts are expressed, remain. Anyway, that's my full name :)

I have made it a point to keep the 'best of Beats' posts and retained their dates as they were originally posted (this was pretty ardous) because some posts are personally, timeless to me- and so nothing much has changed except the address.

Jottings

2007-09-22T03:33:00.000+08:00

And so the week comes to a close. Many things have kept me occupied- from working on assignments in uni, to my involvement in some events , to leadership roles in several areas and being part of committees, to teaching tuition. This few months have been nothing short of eventful- and although they aren't all that I've been involved in, here are a few pictures I've received of some of these events.

Damai Beach- 3rd of July. Thoroughly enjoyed the kayak-ing man

The Speaker's Corner, which is basically an open space in Monash for anybody with something to speak about, situated in front of the cafeteria where students have their meals (some have to unwittingly hear the speeches)

Liang, speaking /singing at the Speaker's Corner, about God's love. Bless his heart

One has to mentally cope with the image of people leaving while you speak, though, because it is in front of a cafeteria- which is quite unlike the experience of public speaking in highschool/college.
The Street Party Carnival, in which the CF took the stage to perform 3 songs. 18th of AugustSome of the other band members not in the picture (there isn't a group picture): Lynette (keyboardist), Joanna (drummer), Anna (back-up vocalist)
From left: Ernest Khaw, Guang Yu, Han Sheng, Ian Han, Abel, Lit Rong, Satchid.

The last 'Jedi' gathering, incidentally, a belated birthday party for Ian (he has since left for the UK) and a Belian reunion. That's Ian before he was tossed into the lake.
The best band of brothers anyone could ask for :> 15th of September

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Perhaps one of the joys of leading a cell is the opportunity to impart the little you have obtained yourself, through the previous cell leaders during the course of the years. Apparent awkwardness was the initial response I received last cell, when the topic was "Christians and Sex", but it later turned out to be one of the more memorable lessons we went through. Great young dudes, in whom I see hearts of gold and have much hope for. In light of that, here's something scribbled on a piece of rough paper sometime recently, during a sudden surge of thoughts while studying in the university library.

A good week to all

One heart, each

Why do hearts change?

When we only have one heart, each.

Why do we dilute what only one heart can give?

How many times can there be a ‘first’?

How are some things meant to be done once- given, again?

Few can be offered which has not been given before.

Still, that 'few' is worth the thanksgiving!

For when, more and more in us grows a longing

that comes from this heart for the very heart that moved to form it;

and when, we realize we don’t quite know many things,

because of the state of our heart - it is quite plain:

We do not know how to truly love!

Except, till we have a heart like His

2007-09-17T12:11:00.000+08:00

“Can you tell a plain man the road to heaven? Certainly, turn at once to the right, then go straight forward.”

-William Wilberforce

Never a cleverer, more succinct way in giving directions for (after)life ...

It's going to be a full week. Here's a good one to all :)

2007-09-14T06:15:00.000+08:00

Yearn not for lighter burdens to carry, but bigger shoulders

A (special) birthday in the family

2007-09-08T14:34:00.000+08:00

As a young boy with an imaginative mind, I used to cry myself to sleep by picturing how it would be like if something would happen to her. Innocently I had asked my mother if I could marry her - not knowing the difference between romantic love and my affection for her as a brother back then. As she grew up, the onus was on me to grow up even faster than I naturally would. I had to take care of the house at the age 4 onwards, sometimes crying at the grill door waiting for my mom to come home from work or doing errants, because I didn't want to. Growing up with her, I was given the task of disciplining her whenever she misbehaved or needed to understand certain norms- something I realized most brothers didn't have to do. Yet, when a cousin once bullied her I couldn't stop myself from kicking him where it hurt the most!

Today when I observe other people who share experiences like these and see how Claw is maturing from her own experience of being Abby's sister, I'm glad for all that has happened. Oh, she puts our patience to the test many times and still misbehaves - but I look back and realize my family wouldn't be where it is today without her presence in our lives.

She teaches me so much; that life is essentially simpler than the way we live it, that patience and humility are lifelong lessons, that tragedy can turn into blessing, that God will and can make a way, that joy is a natural thing- sometimes we normal ones look more 'Down'-syndrome than her. But perhaps on top of all these things, this is the most valuable lesson :

That she has taught me to be a brother...

And so it's been 16 years of blessing.

Cause>cost

2007-09-01T10:08:00.002+08:00

I enjoy chancing upon witty/inspirational lines and this one got my attention today:

"The cause is greater than the cost"

The cost of a cause, whatever it is, must not weaken the will to see the cause ultimately fulfilled. What a challenge!

Full days sum up to full lives

My country

2007-09-01T10:08:00.000+08:00

For everything it is and, isn't.

For all its beauty, glory and blessings. Many a place may be better than this, many may have more to boast about. But of no where else can I say, "This is my country", and more importantly, that "I love it", simply because.. I'm Malaysian. And no matter how little it may mean to others sometimes, it forms part of who I am, my identity. People don't change homes because someone in the family is sick , or an abnormal child is born to the family, or a misfortune happens or when there seems to be injustice. Let's learn to love this place- it's 'home', irregardless of its state.

Happy independence day to all!

Balanced View

2007-08-24T11:31:00.000+08:00

Here's a little something I typed out and saved unto my laptop the other time, recently; I'm pasting it here due to the lack of time to type something now. It's a brain-spill, an opinion, something my mind chewed on for sometime before I put the thoughts into words.

Balanced view.
Often we coin that term up quickly in situations where an urge to draw a middle-ground between two extremes of opinions (usually strong ones) arises. In many cases the balanced view stand is a commendable one- it makes the most convenient conclusion when there is a dead-lock in opinions, it solves two arguments in a negotiated agreement, it makes moderation the answer and generally satisfies the mass.

In fact, it is so heavily used; it is my contention that the BV (balanced-view) has in itself, become an irony of its own. If ‘balance’ is the point between two extremes, and drawing the balanced view has become a norm (the most common way of making decisions) in itself, where then is the balance in making decisions, or as we say, looking for the ‘right balance’? For if everything is settled by drawing a balance, ‘everything’ is obviously going to be imbalanced.

I don’t think the balanced view works all the time. Here are my reasons why:

1) It is often used as a convenient way to settle an issue; and convenience, by nature eases difficulty but may not always be the best solution. Sure, if two children fight over the ownership of a ball, you could make them play together and save the day with both parties playing happily, but the core issue of the children fighting is not directly addressed and the question of who rightfully owns the ball is not answered.
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2) Balance is relative. One man’s balanced diet may be another man’s sinful indulgence. So is ‘balance’ really the balance? Is a balanced view truly the solution or is it merely a compromise, and in actuality, a third view by its own? Who is to say the ‘balance’ is truly a balance, and even if one piously makes a calculated middle-point, would measuring a situation rigidly is the best solution?
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3) We are losing the ability to make decisions, to discern between right and wrong. Truth is more confusing than lies now: is good good, or is good something that is acceptable to be good, or is good even necessary, since every man has his own opinion about good? In the same way a Multiple-Choice Question answer sheet has no 'in between' answers, there are instances when finding the 'balance' is not possible. In some cases, the answer will always be A.. or B...or C, but never A-B or B-C. Sometimes finding a balance could be a form of escapism. Sometimes making a 'balance' could dilute the truth for something more 'acceptable'.
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4) A balanced view, is a view. Views are subjective, unless based on solid references. But which reference is sound, then? This is where one's personal beliefs come in; one who stands strong on principles knows where to draw the line between an instance to make a 'balance', or not. The truth is while balance can be found in some instances (and probably be the wisest solution), there is never a balance between 'good' and 'evil'. And you can't find a balanced view for that.

So which are you?

On the fence, or just escaping? Politically-correct, or just afraid to make a stand? Wise or just cowardly? Balanced, or just compromising?

We fight in the shade

2007-08-13T09:31:00.000+08:00

Long week ahead - 2 assignment handups, 1 presentation, 1 performance, 1 major event.

Here's a little shout-out to someone dear to me, Ms Tagal, who made a short and surprise trip back recently to this part of the world. She is now back in her hometown, Kuching (where the pace of life is slow) and will be leaving for the US at the end of this month. I must say her company was the highlight of last week, and will miss it dearly. She is someone I treasure very much because of (among other reasons) the sweetness of her character, her pleasant demeanor and her genuine care and concern. And beneath the mask of an 'aunty', there is a beautiful person :> This friendship is a blessing

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On another note, for the 300 junkies (I'm clearly one myself):

Queen Gorgo: Spartan!
Spartan King Leonidas: Yes, my lady?
Queen Gorgo: Come back with your shield, or on it.

Daxos: I saw those ships smashed on the rocks. How can this be?
Stelios: We saw but a fraction of the monster that is Xerxes' army.
Daxos: There can be no victory here... why do you smile?
Stelios: Arcadian, I've fought countless times, yet I've never met an adversary who could offer me what we Spartans call "A Beautiful Death." I can only hope, with all the world's warriors gathered against us, there might be one down there who's up to the task.

Queen Gorgo: Freedom is not free, it requires great sacrifice. The price is paid in blood.

Dilios: We did what we were trained to do, what we were bred to do, what we were born to do!

Dilios: The enemy outnumber us a paltry three to one, good odds for any Greek!

Dilios: Hundreds left, a handful stayed, only one looked back.

Dilios is putting a patch over his eye
Spartan King Leonidas: Dilios, I trust that "scratch" hasn't made you useless.
Dilios: Hardly, my lord, it's just an eye. The gods saw fit to grace me with a spare.

Perhaps the gore was overdone in the movie, but I will always be inspired by the fight of the Spartans- to the death. In many ways, life is a great fight/struggle. Here's to one good week :>

Respect

2007-08-10T15:27:00.000+08:00

I'm too busy to post something substantial, although I've been wanting to =/ Nevertheless since I try to maintain a post a week (at least), here's a thought I wrote and saved into the computer sometime ago.

"Respect is like a rope. It must not be tied too loosely, for the bound object would be lost or stolen; or tied too tightly, for the bound object would be choked or damaged, yet it does its job to hold the object in place. The strongest knots are always formed when two parts of the rope are brought together to make a loop- but as one end is sometimes longer than the other, so are people made to have different measures and expectations of respect. For some respect is harder to earn: the rope must prove its strength and durability. For some respect is an easy thing to attain: some ropes already look strong. Every rope has a breaking point, and I must remember my own breaking point."

2007-07-31T11:26:00.000+08:00

Today is the birthday of Ernest, a close buddy I've had the honor of knowing for years now. Besides being the usual heart-breaker/player Ernest has always been a vocal person- something I've always liked about him. I recall how we did a double-team, and walked right up to the office desk of our headmistress to deliver a protest note (which later on caused quite a stir in the school). If there's ever a person who, in my opinion, leads an interesting life, this friend of mine would be one of the first to cross my mind. Good fella.
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The days almost seem 'faster', with new responsibilities on top of the current ones...and of course, studies. It's all challenging, and good (I try). Here's a little shout-out to the people I haven't been able to keep in contact with, under the circumstances.

And a very amusing Pickles comic strip. Have a good week ahead!

2007-07-18T08:30:00.000+08:00

"The television is a medium. It's neither rare nor well

Named

2007-07-16T12:49:00.000+08:00

I’ve always taken a special interest in names- they often are an indication of who a person is (or at least, who the person’s parents would like him/her to be). Each name has a form of meaning- ‘Grace’, ‘Melody’, ‘Richard’, ‘Joy’ and ‘Faith’ are names derived from adjectives; ‘Samson’, ‘Paul’, ‘Daniel’, ‘Joan’, ‘Arthur’ carry strong qualities, while others just sound like fighting-effects in cheap Tamil movies, like ‘Piao’ (He’s a great dude btw)

In the past I used to harbor a degree of resentment with the choice of my name. Many people would associate my name with an adjective that sounds exactly like it, and ask me whether I’m living up to it. Today I’ve come to accept it (I like it actually) and the expectations attached to it, but only because there are certain names God has given us to let us know who we are in Him. Just thought I’d share this here.

He has called us His workmanship, created with purposes and plans which have been prepared long before our birth. The same hands that formed the galaxies immeasurable and stars uncountable formed us. More than conquerors, we are created to be unstoppable, immovable and capable of rising above trying circumstances. Forgiven and adopted, we are new creations, made great by a great Maker. Blessed and chosen, we have talents and qualities generously bestowed to do good works. Justified, we are vindicated when we choose not to fight back and absorb undeserved flak. Friends of God, we are in good company. Complete, we are never in want. Protected and made strong, we have a calling to protect the helpless. And above all, loved- we will never run out of giving love.

In a lesson I taught my cell was a line on the notes that quotes W. Shakepeare,

“Be not afraid of greatness: some men are born great, some achieve greatness and some have greatness thrust upon them”

Many of us do not feel great, much less have the word associated to us. But what is greatness? A position in society? Seven digits in your bank account? A busload of admirers? More ‘A’s’ in your results slip than in a stamp factory? Greatness is when you live up to the name God has called you by and the plans He has set for you, and accept who you are- that He has called you to be. Some of the names are naturally part of us, some are difficult to imagine or live up to. Like natural names given to us, God calls us differently- because He has made us differently.

Regardless, we all have a race to run. A price to win. A challenge to compete in.

And the confidence that we are named.

______________________________________

Tmr marks the official start of university life. :>
"Men, what we do in life echoes in eternity" - Gladiator

Time to hit the road

2007-07-09T11:23:00.000+08:00

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble."

_______________________________________________

Here's something interesting...

Introduction

2007-06-29T16:37:00.000+08:00

I'm constantly aware of the fact that reading this space could be someone interested in knowing more about me and this could be the only way old friends may stay connected and informed- because that's how it works for me. It is my pleasure then, although I usually avoid doing this as far as I can, to write something more personal about myself and where I am at this point- currently. So,
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Hello, I’m Abel.
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There are many things that I love, and few (I try my best) that I hate. I love my family because they are God-given, my friends because they teach me many things about myself and my mentors/spiritual leaders/models because I can continually glean from their ways and experiences.
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Music puts the color to the picture in my life- many times I associate events or memories with music. My music taste can be summed into 2 words “Swing rocks” (because I love both swing and rock). I like trying to make music as well- singing, drumming or just fiddling around with a harmonica or testing piano keys. I enjoy reading, having engaging and thought-inducing conversations and movies in general. I enjoy a good laugh, and if a prank would do the trick to achieve that… ;>
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I’ll be studying at Monash University this coming July (I've been having an awesome, memorable break the past few weeks), pursuing a 4-year double-degree in Business and Commerce, and Communication, likely to major in Business Law/Economics for the first, major in Comm and minor in Writing/International Studies for the second-as how it looks for now. There’s still time to decide on that. I must say though, that the campus looks pretty swell and I already feel a sense of pride when I talk about the place.
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I am considerably actively involved in church, in Youth work and constantly struggle to work on my cell guys- mostly in Lower Secondary school. A friend once made a passing remark that I’m quite a ‘priest’. This, to me, is more of a compliment than an insult because the name by which I’m called does not matter, rather which side I am on, which stand I take and what I love. I can never deny how God has worked in me and knowing this Person called Jesus has made me a better person in more ways than one. Sharing this knowledge of who He is can be a great pleasure.
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Aside from all these I've been teaching a little bit of tuition, driving my youngest sister around, and being an occasional house cleaner because we decided sometime ago to live without a maid. Of course, my favourite past-time would, hands-down, be sleeping.
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Ah, I must say I’m a sucker for come-back stories or underdog tales, like David and Goliath or the 300 Spartans because I believe nothing speaks more than a small group of people, or just one person who is wholly consecrated to a certain cause, attempting an impossible feat. For this reason I’m looking forward to the next 4 years and the tests that will come- not just in juggling between a compressed academic course and my responsibilities but also in working towards, maintaining and improving relationships on all levels. I am also reminded that when I'm unable, God is more than able!

J

NECF MALAYSIA’S RESPONSE TO THE LINA JOY JUDGEMENT

2007-06-24T03:11:00.000+08:00

Issued on 1 June 2007

NECF Malaysia is gravely disappointed by and dissatisfied with the Federal Court’s dismissal of Lina Joy’s appeal.

First of all, the Federal Court’s decision does not uphold the constitutional safeguard of freedom of religion. It is a person’s fundamental right to profess a religion of her own choice free from compulsion or interference by the state or its institutions. Freedom of religion under the Federal Constitution can only be restrained where a person acts contrary to any general law affecting public order, public health or morality. Therefore, it defies all logic that Lina Joy’s freedom to profess and exercise a faith of her own choice can be subject to administrative barrier in the NRD refusing to effect a change to her religious status except upon the order of the Syariah Court.

The foundational principle of supremacy of the Constitution over all other laws must be upheld.

NECF Malaysia is also deeply dismayed that the majority decision of the highest court has failed to bring about resolution to the present interfaith issues. By insisting that a person who no longer professes the religion of Islam but has embraced another religion to seek an order of the Syariah Court is equivalent to insisting that a muallaf 1 who has attained the age of majority is obliged to seek the clearance of the religious leaders or authority of his former religion. Mutual respect and tolerance surely cannot be fostered without due regard to the principle of reciprocity.

In affirming the decision of the Court of Appeal, the Federal Court has perpetuated a most unfair and untenable position for Lina Joy and others in a similar dilemma. They now cannot enjoy the full rights as citizens as they are trapped in a religion which they no longer profess and are unable to lawfully marry, have children and live in accordance with the values, precepts and practices of the religion of their choice.

Finally, NECF Malaysia is extremely concerned that the Lina Joy case demonstrates the highest civil court retreating in the face of the relentless onslaught on their position as the third institution in a democratic system of government. In the hierarchy of the judiciary, the Federal Court is vested the judicial power of the Federation.

In this case, the judiciary has unfortunately failed to play its most important role of being both the guardians and interpreters of our Constitution. As an institution above the fray of politics, it is the only institution that can neutrally and without partisan considerations decide the serious issues raised in the Lina Joy case. It is constrained only by true and loyal allegiance to the rule of law and the supremacy of the Constitution, the twin pillars of our Rukunegara.

In the civil court’s abdicating its judicial power in religious matters on the basis of Article 121 (IA) of the Constitution, the Federal Court is placing undue stress and strain on the government to legislate or amend related laws when the due exercise of its judicial power as interpreter of the Constitution would have brought about a fair and just resolution to the issues.

While the country has undergone a significant shift towards “islamization” since the 1980s, the proclamation of Malaysia as an Islamic country in 2001, though a political expediency, has had considerable psychological impact and further polarized Malaysian citizens of different ethnic and religious backgrounds. Religious vigilantism has been heightened among not only the religious ones, but also the bureaucrats. Administrative actions whether in policies or laws are being implemented without scrupulous regard to the requirements of the policies or laws but with the imposition of syariah rules and requirements. For example, non-Muslim police women are to wear Muslim headscarves for the annual parade. The happenings in recent years are indeed grave concerns. Among others, there are religious authorities breaking up families in the name of religion, the custody tussles between a non-Muslim parent and a Muslim parent, and public morality based on the principles of a particular religion.

The Christian community acknowledges the special position of Islam as the State religion for ceremonial purposes, and recognizes the application of Islamic family laws to those professing the religion of Islam in areas outlined in the Federal Constitution. We uphold the sanctity of the Malaysian Constitution as the supreme law of the land, and it is our hope that the Prime Minister, who has publicly declared to be the Prime Minister of all Malaysians, would fulfil his promises to establish a clean, just, harmonious and prosperous nation.

The decision of the Federal Court sets a landmark example of making legal judgement based on religious sentiment and thus inadvertently disregarding the fundamental right of an individual to profess and practice the religion of his or her choice. In the light of this, NECF Malaysia urges all Christian leaders to encourage their congregations to set aside time, both corporately and privately, to pray for our nation as a whole, in the next few weeks and months. Let us bring to God these matters of extreme gravity and urgency, and humbly ask Him to intervene so that truth, righteousness and godliness will prevail in our land.

The very basic structure of our nation, our institutions, our Constitution and the Rukunegara must remain the solid rock on which Malaysia will continue to prosper and stand tall among the community of nations, and on which all Malaysians strive and thrive together as a multiracial, multicultural and multi-religious society. Let us, the concerned citizens of Malaysia, exercise our rights to make a good decision at the right place and at the right platform.

1 Muallaf: a convert from a non-Islamic religion who has chosen to profess Islam

God loves paradoxes

2007-06-09T15:40:00.000+08:00

I'm encouraged, that in God's economy,

Ashes are traded for beauty

Weakness for strength

Plight for wellbeing

Sorrow for joy

Filth for righteousness

Poverty for riches

Mistakes for maturity

Hurt for hope

And mercifully, He grants us "Second Chances"- because all is Fair Trade now.

Please wait

2007-06-05T15:52:00.000+08:00

Pace is something that differs from one individual to another, whereby its subjective nature makes one man's "swiftness" another man's "slowness", or vice versa. It has dawned upon me: where does one apply the right amount of 'pace' in varied situations- from the choice of majors in a course, to realising an old dream, to working towards a big project, to taking a jog in the evening?

Like an eagle that patiently awaits the right time to sweep down from its flight to capture its prey, like the athlete that anticipates the gunshot before the race, like the drummer before a roll in a song- there will always be a considerable measure of anticipation before something big happens, or the right moment comes.

Many would rather have something quicker than slower. It is no secret that I, too, find it difficult to wait at times, evident in many things, from the way in which I drive (much to the chagrin of the passengers) to the simpler things, like how I play Counterstrike ;>

Yet, we often forget this element of waiting and despise it's irony; that it can be so painfully slow, excruciatingly mundane, seemingly pointless, but more often than not crucial for the end to be realized. And while at times we can afford to ignore the wait and seize the opportunity before it goes, there are times when we must endure, allow for a slower rate in pace, listen to the rational thought rather than the compelling feeling, and walk slowly even if your heart is racing.

There was once a man who, upon meeting his wife-to-be and winning her heart decided to ask her to marry him. At the park where he was to produce the ring with which he would slip unto her finger, he noticed many policemen chasing a robber, who was running in his direction. Out of sheer misfortune, the man was mistaken by the confused policemen as the robber and he was taken into custody. As a result, the innocent man was put behind bars for years, never having the chance to propose to the woman he loved. For a while, he was bitter, for he was wrongly accused and it would take years before he could make her his wife, if she didn't marry someone else in the first place. But when his jail term ended, so did his waiting and he finally made her his bride, realising that the few years spent waiting were not as bad as he thought them to be, for he had been waiting for the love of his life

... all his life, anyway.

It is in this perspective that one is able to have the faith and be more than willing to anticipate a vague future which may or may not take place, because despite circumstances, the hope of the ending compels him... to wait.

So, please wait

Remember

2007-06-02T13:50:00.000+08:00

You are more than you know yourself to be

Reward ÷ Effort, 2

2007-05-28T05:55:00.000+08:00

It's been a great break for me (still is), while I wait for the semester in Monash to start in July. With the spare time I have when I'm not away or meeting people, I've been catching up on some reading, and some of them touch a little on an intriguing subject: Economics

One primary idea in the subject is the element of 'incentives' and how the study of incentives can tell a lot about matters of any kind, even predict certain scenario outcomes because human decision generally revolves around a simple formula:

Rewards (or the expectation of Rewards) over Effort (or the amount of Effort perceived)

It is by this idea that it can be explained why a group of thieves find it justifiable (by their own standards) to perform a high risk robbery because of the incentives they are eye-ing at, why the zealous cop is willing to risk endangering his life and limb (big effort) to catch these thieves because of the award and recognition that entail brave acts of this kind (big reward) and, (closer to home) why the ubiquity of bribery, which is actually a business of sorts, makes events like, the sun rising up in the east and Christiano Ronaldo being 'fouled' (often by an enigmatic, invisible force ;) pale in comparison.

One thing that the thief and cop both have in common is the Reward they strive to achieve outweights the Effort involved to accomplish the crime/job. Yet ,they differ in how they mentally form the idea of their rewards.

Most economists agree, while collectively most people have more or less predictable responses because of the incentive concept, a man as an individual is capable of having a different idea of an incentive. After all, we're stuck in a postmodern society, where "want" is prioritized over "need", (or made the same), "feel" is prefered over "think". For this reason, they have come up with different categories of incentives, like the Financial Incentive, Social Incentive, and so on.

I think one man's words and I believe, one man's innermost desire pretty much messed up this equation of Reward over Effort. He believed,

"I must do my utmost to act in harmony with my conscience and my better self" -Vaclav Havel

That was his idea of a Reward, and evident in his words, he had a willingness to pursue this choice even with the prospect of a high amount of Effort involved, because after 'calculation', it was worth it. What a challenge, especially when the "worse self" always seems to prevail over the "better self". In a moment of rage, disappointment or frustration, the very principles a person tries so rigorously to build into his/her character can vanish, like they were never there. Yet, the lines of a poem go:

"If you can...watch the things you gave your life to broken
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools...
...Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it..."

The arduous journey to better one's self never ends as long as we are in it.

Tribute to a dear pet

2007-05-25T16:37:00.000+08:00

Peering into the box, it was quite a sight
My stone heart melted at the cat’s plight
But how foul it smelt then, I shan't now begin to say
The stench was so pungent it drove the girls away.

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In the kitchen it quickly lapped up the water
“How cute!” cooed my delighted young sister
So amused was she, the odor didn’t matter
A far cry from the response of my mother
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“Are you sure about this?” she quickly voiced her concern,
Thus was my reply, “I care for this kitten”
Day after day I tended to it with great ardor
And as my love grew, so did the orange ball of fur.
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In some ways it was quite an asset
In many ways it was a dear friend
In all ways it surpassed the ordinary cat
Yet, none can tell, why it ran!
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For through the rearing of this frail feline
I have obtained traits which were once not mine
From cleaning its litter to clearing up the mess
I found myself to be like a father in duress.

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A stray kitten nurtured to a cat so tame
It didn’t mind having a female name
For all that it was and taught me about
A smile is ever more appropriate than a pout.

2007-05-18T03:15:00.000+08:00

I have often walked down this street before;

But the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before.

All at once am I several stories high.

Knowing I'm on the street where you live.

Are there lilac trees in the heart of town?

Can you hear a lark in any other part of town?

Does enchantment pour out of ev'ry door?

No, it's just on the street where you live!

And oh! The towering feeling

Just to know somehow you are near.

The overpowering feeling

That any second you may suddenly appear!

People stop and stare. They don't bother me.

For there's no where else on earth that I would rather be.

Let the time go by, I won't care if I

Can be here on the street where you live.

Freddy Hill- My Fair Lady

A wonderful song in the musical, I thought!

Character

2007-05-11T13:29:00.000+08:00

A plate hung on a wall in a house I went to recently reads:

When wealth is lost, nothing is lost

When health is lost, something is lost

When character is lost, all is lost

___________________________________

>Claw posing on the staircase

Bukit Tinggi

2007-05-06T15:00:00.000+08:00

This was the first waterfall among the few we had to find our way across or around in a recent jungle trekking trip I went, with Ian and Xuan Yi. Pretty satisfying trip I must say

A noteworthy part of the trip, where we had to get into the water passage between the rock on the right and the rock on the left to move on with the journey. There was a moment when I thought XY was getting sucked into the water because of the force of the current.

An awesome view of one of the last waterfalls we passed by before going back(taken from a pretty risky spot). A more detailed account of the trip in XY's post.

________________________

-How we celebrated Satchid's birthday ;) The poor fella had to walk in that from the ground floor of One Utama to GSC (where line after line of people waiting to buy Spiderman tickets gawked at him) One lady looked as if she saw the most horrifying thing (maybe she did) while other faces seemed to crack into smiles of amusement. Hats off to the man

Thought and shout-out

2007-04-30T14:04:00.000+08:00

One of the most awesome lines that have stuck to my head goes

"Where sin increased, grace increased all the more"

As deep as the phrase is and as myriad as the interpretations are, to me it does not imply that sinners can afford to sin as they wish, rather the people victimized by the deeds of others have sufficient and more than enough grace to overcome their circumstances, and the people who think their past deeds are too big to be forgiven may know no sin is bigger than the Grace to forgive it.

Nothing can buy that

___________________________

Also, here's a birthday shout-out to a crazy partner-in-crime. Everytime I reminisce about the highschool stunts, Satchid comes into the picture. A future Malaysian Patch Adams and a joker in any company he's in, this fella's also the most hypocritical Jedi, man. Have a good one dude.. ;>

Days for years

2007-04-17T11:27:00.000+08:00

"So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days because of the love he had for her."

The story goes that a great man, Jacob, or Israel once lived. Born second to his twin brother, Esau, he had the nature of a smooth talker, and when the day came for their father to bless the first-born, Jacob outwitted Esau and stole his older brother’s birthright (a preplanned performance involving wearing animal skin). He’s arguably one of the most appealing characters to me, personally, because of the great feats he did. It is said that he wrestled with a Man (whom he didn’t realise was actually God) through the night and ‘prevailed’- and impressed God with his persistence, and left a great nation behind after he died, but one story always seems to be very outstanding: how he waited for the love of his life.
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When time sped up.

-Story is longer and can be found here for further reading.
-Inspired by a short exchange of words with TMY

2007-04-10T08:39:00.000+08:00

"I have one life and one chance to make it count for something . . . I'm free to choose what that something is, and the something I've chosen is my faith. Now, my faith goes beyond theology and religion and requires considerable work and effort. My faith demands -- this is not optional -- my faith demands that I do whatever I can, wherever I am, whenever I can, for as long as I can with whatever I have to try to make a difference."

-Jimmy Carter, 39th President of the United States

So clever

2007-04-06T13:33:00.000+08:00

Chew: Men afraid to mary 'cleverer' women

"Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun took a swipe at Malaysian men who preferred to marry foreigners....Malaysian men were marrying foreign, especially mail orders, brides because local women were getting more knowledgeable than them....

"The problem will not be solved if the men are not brave enough to marry women who are more knowledgeable than them" "

-the STAR, 5th April

Well, this article cracked me up real good over dinner but it sparked some interest. Here's my take.

The concept of power-relations exists everywhere, more so in relationships. The hegemony of power or 'control' is something, although people often try to deny, very real in relationships. Often times, no matter how balanced a couple is, different personalities dictate that one would be more dominant than the other in some way- out of love or out of tolerance. Dad plays the role of the father, mom plays the role of the mother- both hold different types and amount of control. If money, status and circumstances are crucial factors that determine this 'balance', what about 'who's cleverer'?
But, what defines 'cleverer', or 'more knowledgeable'? Higher education? Language proficiency? Sharp thinking? All these are separate entities that can survive alone.
Or, are the men in Malaysia really getting afraid or intimidated by cleverer women? Amusing as her statement is, there may be instances where some actually feel that way,and sadly so.
But whatever the case, (considering how a subjective issue has already been addressed by Chew by disregarding the other possible contributing factors using a sweeping generalisation) I ask you...

Have we forgotten, that child-like thinking phrase that...

"All we need is Love and Fresh air" ?

'Clever' is more of a good than bad thing. Besides, what makes a 'better half'?

_________________________

A Good Friday and Happy Easter to everyone. The biggest act of love tells us you can never love too much

2nd quarter of 2007

2007-04-02T07:52:00.000+08:00

Cast of "Second Chances"

Top row: Joel,Daniel,Kheng Yee,Grace,MHong,MYoe

Bottom row: Jamie,Jacintha,Joshua,Gideon,me

As you can see, that's Gideon posing as his character, as are most of us. A few months back Meng yoe and I wrote a little script for this drama (he did 75%) to be performed by the youth. We created the characters bearing in mind the many personalities in everyone who would be watching it, some obvious, some subtle- Richard's pride, James' meekness (no correlation to the 'James' in LIAI), Ah Beng's doubt, Ah Lien's faith or Donna's indifference.

This coming Easter Sunday morning will be the actual performance and I must say, these people make good actors and whatever the final result of the drama may be, it's been a privilege trying, and practicing with them. (Tell me if you're interested to come...)

On another note, wow, it's already the fourth month of the year. This month promises a hectic schedule full of tests, assignments, presentations, papers, and other non-college activities. As a man I hold in high regard once said

"..a soldier, he does not get involved in civilian activities.."

Therefore soldier on we must!

A good week to you all ;> and remember, the music never, never fades ...

Second Film

2007-03-22T14:23:00.000+08:00

This was a group project for my Movies class we had to submit two days ago. The following are some interesting facts to do with the film:

The actor and actress for the story are among some of my best friends. They willingly did the shooting again after a technical glitch involving the video camera.

Han Sheng genuinely fell down (as can be seen in the movie) and as a result, had a small part of his tooth chipped off. No kidding. Really appreciate his help!

The book the girl (Yuhhui) was holding is "Freakonomics"

We shot the bus scene a few times and during one of them, the bus driver actually stopped thinking HS wanted to board it

XY and yours truly were the 'voices'. XY was also the cameraman for the toilet scene.

Some of the song tracks were taken from Meng Yoe

True to my love for swing music, there's a Tony Bennett song in the film

I have a mini cameo appearance

Wedding

2007-03-13T15:40:00.000+08:00

Troy and Janice's

Troy and Janice "The way you look tonight" With Laura

Post-wedding

Passion of suicide bombers

2007-03-09T15:45:00.000+08:00

(spoiler alert)

"We Spartans have descended from Hercules himself. Taught never to retreat, never to surrender. Taught that death in the battlefield is the greatest glory he could achieve in his life. Spartans: the finest soldiers the world has ever known.”

Call me morbid, I don’t think death is the worst thing that could happen to a person. A life of emptiness, unfruitfulness is.

As a young kid, reading about the Battle of Thermopylae churned something inside me about standing unmoved in the heat of things even if the odds are stacked against you. It’s not such an easy thing to do as compared to merely reading it and enjoying the story, yet, it appealed so strongly because I thought underdog stories like David and Goliath and the 300 Spartans were supercool!

The tale of the 300 Spartans is intriguing. 300 against a million! Surely the only thing that kept them standing against such a vast foe was that there was a good chance of winning. No one runs to his death for nothing . But, how could victory be achieved in such a circumstance as this?

Today, watching this great story, adapted into film made me see their victory wasn’t in killing all the million Persian soldiers (it wouldn’t have been a victory then). Their victory, their achievement came in the form of overcoming their fears, fighting to the very end and creating a legacy so great generations later would read and marvel about. Truly, they never died, because they were makers of history.

The issue is not about merely dying (anyone can do that at anytime) so much as it is about what you live for. One’s willingness to buy a certain product can be seen in his willingness to sacrifice his valuables for it (a principle in Economics). If passion could be calculated, passion at its peak would be a person’s willingness to give up everything for something, in exchange with nothing.

What we need to know is, no matter who we are, where we’ll end up or what we'll have to do, the privilege of making a difference is available to all. Take for example, that scene where King Leonidas asked the Thespian soldiers “What is your profession?”

Jobs like ‘blacksmith’ and ‘sculptor’ were their replies.

Then, turning to his own 300 Spartan soldiers, he asked them the same question, with a booming voice,

“What is your profession?”

And all in unison, they roared their battle cry.

_______________

“A new age has come, an age of freedom. And all will know that 300 Spartans gave their last breath to defend it.”

We need the passion of suicide bombers.