I was convinced that the world was made up of two types of people ~ those who COULD dance and those who COULD NOT! I obviously fell into the latter group.
A couple of years back, a software vendor of American and Japanese mix invited me to learn the salsa at El Nino's. Having always wanted to learn latino dances but lacking male partners who were interested to do so, I foolishly said yes! But alas! Instead of getting into a beginner's class, we accidently went to an advanced class and were promptly shown how inept we were (or at least I was) at dancing. My partner at least had some rhythm since he was into swing dancing, whatever that is. (Must be an American thingy.) But me, having born with two left feet, had to brave out the entire situation even though I must have looked stiff and klutzy.
In the intervening years, I have kept away from latino dances. Once burnt, twice shy. There are some limitations in life even for me. :p
An old schoolmate of mine returned from US not too long after that, and lo and behold, she turned out to be one heck of a salsa dancer! (Must be an American thang!) Ever since her return, she has been bugging me to join her for salsa but I declined politely. I ain't never gonna embarrass myself again in a whole room of "professional" salsa dancers. EVER! (Yeah! Famous last words!)
As in everything in life, never say never. Last Monday, this same friend invited me to her birthday bash at Qba, the famous salsa dancing club in the city. I went but thought I could sit out the whole salsa thing and make a quick getaway if things got a bit sticky.
Unfortunately, I met this crazy, persistent Malay chap who wore down my resistance and dragged me down to the dance floor. Surprise! Surprise! It didn't turn out as difficult or as bad as I thought. He made it seemed much easier by repeating similar steps over and over again. He was also a pretty good and strong dancer as he led the steps and threw me into twists and twirls! He was up to all sorts of funny dancing steps and it was a hilarious affair. This time was so different from my previous experience where I felt so tense and stiff. Even the close body contact with a complete stranger did not faze me. He was clowning around so much that half the time, I felt like I could actually dance!
Weee ... the fact was I quite enjoyed myself on the dance floor in the end except for the burning sensation at my calf after a good few minutes on the dance floor where I thought the song would go on for all eternity! :P Eventually, I had to call it quits.
Blinking hell! Trekking or playing badminton or going for combat class is a lot easier and less strenuous than salsa dancing. But then, it doesn't seem like such a difficult thing to learn now.
Hmm, perhaps ... Salsa anyone? :)
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Friday, December 15, 2006
Airport safety ... Singapore versus Malaysia
Airport safety ... there are standards, and then there are STANDARDS!
Malaysia
I never meant to put this to the test but I unwittingly did so with scary results!
Don't ask me why but there was a screw driver in my computer bag! A huge screw driver mind you, not a small one. But that got pass the officers with the scanner at KLIA.
Then I found a razor in my toiletry bag. I forgot that I left it there but as I was too lazy to check in my luggage, it went through the scanner as hand luggage. Once, again, it got through the officers at KLIA!
On my return trip at JB airport, once again both these items got through the scanner!
I only found these items when I unpack my stuff at home.
One wonders what the officers are looking at when they scan the hand luggages.
Singapore
Now, compare the above with Singapore.
Luckily I found the items and took them out before I left for Singapore.
On my return trip at the Singapore Airport, I was surprised that we had to take out our laptops/notebooks from the computer bag or day pack and put these separately through the scanner.
Now, don't you just feel safe when travelling through the various airports in Malaysia? If you don't believe me, you can put it to the test yourself!
Malaysia
I never meant to put this to the test but I unwittingly did so with scary results!
Don't ask me why but there was a screw driver in my computer bag! A huge screw driver mind you, not a small one. But that got pass the officers with the scanner at KLIA.
Then I found a razor in my toiletry bag. I forgot that I left it there but as I was too lazy to check in my luggage, it went through the scanner as hand luggage. Once, again, it got through the officers at KLIA!
On my return trip at JB airport, once again both these items got through the scanner!
I only found these items when I unpack my stuff at home.
One wonders what the officers are looking at when they scan the hand luggages.
Singapore
Now, compare the above with Singapore.
Luckily I found the items and took them out before I left for Singapore.
On my return trip at the Singapore Airport, I was surprised that we had to take out our laptops/notebooks from the computer bag or day pack and put these separately through the scanner.
Now, don't you just feel safe when travelling through the various airports in Malaysia? If you don't believe me, you can put it to the test yourself!
Thank God for Thursday nights!
I am in an extremely buoyant mood. We had a good game of badminton tonight, and for the first time since last Thursday I saw glimpses of my old game (honed during high school days) returning. I never expected that my passion for the game would return either. After all, I have hung up my badminton racket due to lack of regular badminton partners a long time ago.
Since early this year, Zack has tried very hard to pull our group of ex-MBA course mates together for a regular game of badminton. I did not put much hope that he would succeed. After all, through my years of adulthood, such attempts tend to peter out after awhile as work and family commitments would intrude eventually.
On my part, I was also hard put to commit to a regular game schedule. It is only in recent months that I started making it a point to do so. Call me crazy but I have been known to reschedule customer dinners and even family dinners, just to ensure that I can go for the game.
Who would have thought that our group would hang out together because of the game? The enthusiasm, commitment, competitiveness and fun we have on and off court (i.e. supper at mamak after the game) make a big difference.
All I can say is thank god for Thursday. It’s fast becoming my favourite day of the week! :D
Since early this year, Zack has tried very hard to pull our group of ex-MBA course mates together for a regular game of badminton. I did not put much hope that he would succeed. After all, through my years of adulthood, such attempts tend to peter out after awhile as work and family commitments would intrude eventually.
On my part, I was also hard put to commit to a regular game schedule. It is only in recent months that I started making it a point to do so. Call me crazy but I have been known to reschedule customer dinners and even family dinners, just to ensure that I can go for the game.
Who would have thought that our group would hang out together because of the game? The enthusiasm, commitment, competitiveness and fun we have on and off court (i.e. supper at mamak after the game) make a big difference.
All I can say is thank god for Thursday. It’s fast becoming my favourite day of the week! :D
Thursday, December 14, 2006
My little misadventure in the Pearl of the Orient
I am beginning to believe that I have a dual personality. One is my "easy going, anything goes" personality and the other, my corporate persona! Before my recent adventure in Penang, I would have strenuously protested to any accusations of having a corporate persona whatsoever. But, the truth stared me in the eye whilst I was there ...
Last weekend, we had an event in Seberang Jaya. Due to the recent spate of travelling, I was tired of driving and took the flight to Penang instead. We left the airport at almost 7.00 pm. The taxi driver warned me that a trailer broke down at the bridge earlier at about 5.15 pm but he expected that the roads would have cleared by then. Unfortunately, he was so wrong! The wonderful road system in Malaysia is such that any breakdowns/ accidents would cause a massive jam in the vicinity which would take hours to disperse!
In any case, we decided to take the ferry across instead. So off to the ferry terminal we went ... and lo and behold! we got stuck in a long queue as everyone else had the same thought of avoiding the jam at the bridge.
One wonders why these people do not turn back and rest at home after witnessing such a massive jam. I would have done so if I am a Penangite! Unfortunately, I had no choice!
At that point, the taxi driver was hinting at me to get down the cab and get on the ferry as a passenger. I was extremely resistant to that thought due to 3 reasons:
1. I have already paid RM60.00 to be taken there.
2. I had 2 pieces of luggage and it would be a hassle.
3. I was a little wary as I am unfamiliar with the place. It was night, I was alone, and I wasn't sure if it was safe.
However, in hindsight, it was a very sound plan as I would have reached my destination much earlier.
In any case, I just kept quiet and waited. As the minutes dragged on, the taxi driver became more and more restless. He once again tried to convince me to take the ferry on my own. I remained adamant!
Finally, just as it was our turn to go up the ramp onto the ferry, the taxi broke down! The taxi driver tried to start the engine but to no avail. (Call me suspicious, but I think he was acting that part out.) In any case, I could hardly call his bluff!
Reluctantly, I got off the cab but managed to get back RM20.00 from the driver since he did not take me to my destination. Each step forward I walked in dread. I quickly called my sales staff to inform them that I was taking alternate transport to the place (just in case I get kidnapped or robbed).
I got on to the ferry and realised that there were many folks using the ferry to cross as well. As the ferry chugged along the Straits of Penang, my earlier trepidation slowly left me. My entire demeanour relaxed.
With the wind blowing in my hair, the far-off city lights blinking along the horizon and the noisy din on the ferry, I felt almost like a holiday-maker on one of my backpacking trips. It was then that I realised that this little adventure was no different from any of my numerous backpacking adventures overseas. In fact, I faced more dangers of the unknown when we were in Tanzania and South Africa! This little misadveture should have been a piece of cake for the likes of me. In fact, it was a piece of cake for me. I ended up at my destination by 9+pm with none the worse for wear.
Strange isn't it how our minds play tricks on us when we don on different personas ...
Last weekend, we had an event in Seberang Jaya. Due to the recent spate of travelling, I was tired of driving and took the flight to Penang instead. We left the airport at almost 7.00 pm. The taxi driver warned me that a trailer broke down at the bridge earlier at about 5.15 pm but he expected that the roads would have cleared by then. Unfortunately, he was so wrong! The wonderful road system in Malaysia is such that any breakdowns/ accidents would cause a massive jam in the vicinity which would take hours to disperse!
In any case, we decided to take the ferry across instead. So off to the ferry terminal we went ... and lo and behold! we got stuck in a long queue as everyone else had the same thought of avoiding the jam at the bridge.
One wonders why these people do not turn back and rest at home after witnessing such a massive jam. I would have done so if I am a Penangite! Unfortunately, I had no choice!
At that point, the taxi driver was hinting at me to get down the cab and get on the ferry as a passenger. I was extremely resistant to that thought due to 3 reasons:
1. I have already paid RM60.00 to be taken there.
2. I had 2 pieces of luggage and it would be a hassle.
3. I was a little wary as I am unfamiliar with the place. It was night, I was alone, and I wasn't sure if it was safe.
However, in hindsight, it was a very sound plan as I would have reached my destination much earlier.
In any case, I just kept quiet and waited. As the minutes dragged on, the taxi driver became more and more restless. He once again tried to convince me to take the ferry on my own. I remained adamant!
Finally, just as it was our turn to go up the ramp onto the ferry, the taxi broke down! The taxi driver tried to start the engine but to no avail. (Call me suspicious, but I think he was acting that part out.) In any case, I could hardly call his bluff!
Reluctantly, I got off the cab but managed to get back RM20.00 from the driver since he did not take me to my destination. Each step forward I walked in dread. I quickly called my sales staff to inform them that I was taking alternate transport to the place (just in case I get kidnapped or robbed).
I got on to the ferry and realised that there were many folks using the ferry to cross as well. As the ferry chugged along the Straits of Penang, my earlier trepidation slowly left me. My entire demeanour relaxed.
With the wind blowing in my hair, the far-off city lights blinking along the horizon and the noisy din on the ferry, I felt almost like a holiday-maker on one of my backpacking trips. It was then that I realised that this little adventure was no different from any of my numerous backpacking adventures overseas. In fact, I faced more dangers of the unknown when we were in Tanzania and South Africa! This little misadveture should have been a piece of cake for the likes of me. In fact, it was a piece of cake for me. I ended up at my destination by 9+pm with none the worse for wear.
Strange isn't it how our minds play tricks on us when we don on different personas ...
Home Sweet Home
It felt like I have been away from home for a long while although I was just travelling in spurts the last two weeks. It probably felt worse because I was working over the weekend as well.
First it was down south to JB, then it was back to central in Genting. And then it was up north to Penang (oh what an "adventure"!) and straight down south to Singapore. I hope that's the last of my work travel for the year.
I miss my sofa!
First it was down south to JB, then it was back to central in Genting. And then it was up north to Penang (oh what an "adventure"!) and straight down south to Singapore. I hope that's the last of my work travel for the year.
I miss my sofa!
I miss my bed!
Ahh ... home sweet home!
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Road blocks
Have you ever wondered how police make decisions on who to pull over during a road block?
I used to think that people who look suspicious or drunk ~ other than those who committed a traffic offence i.e. speeding ~ would get the short straw. (Besides, I have never been pulled over before when I am innocent of any wrongdoing.)
But after tonight’s hilarious incident … I am not so sure anymore how the police make their selection.
We had a late Friday night badminton game. It started late @ approximately 9.30pm and ended later still @ 11.30pm. By then, we were tired, dirty, smelly but darn thirsty. Therefore, we decided to adjourn to a nearby “mamak” stall for sustenance. Thus, the five of us ~ “old man Tuck”, “steel man Suresh”, “Zack the Jack Black fan”, “Steph the drop shot Queen” and me ~ piled into Tuck’s eleven year old white Proton.
On our way back, we encountered a road block and expected to continue on. Tuck even said, “We should be ok la. After all, this car is very muhibbah. We have an Indian, a Malay and three Chinese.”
However, we were all stupefied/ mystified … yet amused … when we were asked to pull over. There we were ~ five dirty, smelly persons in soiled t-shirts and shorts! Wonder what activity the police thought we were up to. Hmmm …. The police checked the road tax, Tuck’s driving licence and identity card (ID). Then, he shone the torchlight into the car and asked everyone to hand over their IDs.
Zack tried to explain. “Encik, kami baru habis main badminton.”
The police continued to check our IDs one by one, until he was finally satisfied that we are who we are.
Once we pulled away from the road block, we all collapsed into laughter. We theorised that the police thought Tuck was the pimp, Steph and me the China dolls, and Zack and Suresh were the very satisfied customers (since they were hard put to contain their amusement during the entire incident).
Zack laughed and said, “Luckily I didn’t just say ‘kami baru habis main’. He might wonder what we just ‘main’.”
What say you? Do you think we hit the nail in the coffin with our theory? : )
And the serious bit:
Do you know why road blocks are conducted?
According to this North American website,
“ … The stated purposes of roadblocks are usually legalized excuses to stop and scrutinize motorists for which there would otherwise be no reason to do so. These excuses include "sobriety checks," license and registration verification, possession of insurance, proof of citizenship, and seatbelt usage. The desired effect is to establish a sense of fear and intimidation among the population. …”
Yup. That sounds like in Malaysia too.
Additionally, these could be potential avenues for “excess funds” from road users. Otherwise, why are road blocks frequently set up during weekends? And usually at stretches of roads where party/pub goers would pass? If it is to ensure road safety from drunk drivers, then the drivers who have been summoned for drinking should pull over to sober up. How many times have these drivers been allowed to go their merry way once they have “negotiated” their summons? And of course the other telling point is, during and/or close to festive seasons, the number of road blocks set-up would increase substantially.
I used to think that people who look suspicious or drunk ~ other than those who committed a traffic offence i.e. speeding ~ would get the short straw. (Besides, I have never been pulled over before when I am innocent of any wrongdoing.)
But after tonight’s hilarious incident … I am not so sure anymore how the police make their selection.
We had a late Friday night badminton game. It started late @ approximately 9.30pm and ended later still @ 11.30pm. By then, we were tired, dirty, smelly but darn thirsty. Therefore, we decided to adjourn to a nearby “mamak” stall for sustenance. Thus, the five of us ~ “old man Tuck”, “steel man Suresh”, “Zack the Jack Black fan”, “Steph the drop shot Queen” and me ~ piled into Tuck’s eleven year old white Proton.
On our way back, we encountered a road block and expected to continue on. Tuck even said, “We should be ok la. After all, this car is very muhibbah. We have an Indian, a Malay and three Chinese.”
However, we were all stupefied/ mystified … yet amused … when we were asked to pull over. There we were ~ five dirty, smelly persons in soiled t-shirts and shorts! Wonder what activity the police thought we were up to. Hmmm …. The police checked the road tax, Tuck’s driving licence and identity card (ID). Then, he shone the torchlight into the car and asked everyone to hand over their IDs.
Zack tried to explain. “Encik, kami baru habis main badminton.”
The police continued to check our IDs one by one, until he was finally satisfied that we are who we are.
Once we pulled away from the road block, we all collapsed into laughter. We theorised that the police thought Tuck was the pimp, Steph and me the China dolls, and Zack and Suresh were the very satisfied customers (since they were hard put to contain their amusement during the entire incident).
Zack laughed and said, “Luckily I didn’t just say ‘kami baru habis main’. He might wonder what we just ‘main’.”
What say you? Do you think we hit the nail in the coffin with our theory? : )
And the serious bit:
Do you know why road blocks are conducted?
According to this North American website,
“ … The stated purposes of roadblocks are usually legalized excuses to stop and scrutinize motorists for which there would otherwise be no reason to do so. These excuses include "sobriety checks," license and registration verification, possession of insurance, proof of citizenship, and seatbelt usage. The desired effect is to establish a sense of fear and intimidation among the population. …”
Yup. That sounds like in Malaysia too.
Additionally, these could be potential avenues for “excess funds” from road users. Otherwise, why are road blocks frequently set up during weekends? And usually at stretches of roads where party/pub goers would pass? If it is to ensure road safety from drunk drivers, then the drivers who have been summoned for drinking should pull over to sober up. How many times have these drivers been allowed to go their merry way once they have “negotiated” their summons? And of course the other telling point is, during and/or close to festive seasons, the number of road blocks set-up would increase substantially.
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Peace descends on Nepal
FINALLY! Good news at least in one part of the world!
The mountain trekking and mountain climbing community would be rejoicing now. At least I am. :) The long awaited end to the civil war in Nepal has finally come to pass. And it would be wonderful news to the Nepalese as tourism (especially mountain trekking) is a key contributor to the country's economy.
In 2003, my friends and I made our way to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) in Nepal despite the civil unrest. We were lucky that the situation was not so bad at that time. Prior to our trip, a few friends who went to Nepal got caught in Kathmandu when the city declared a state of emergency while they were there. They were trapped in the city for a few days before they were able to get flights back.
Our experience were a lot milder.
We were told beforehand that we need to pay "passage fees" ala "cukai pintu" to the Maoist during our trek. We were also told to insist on a receipt as there were many Maoist "soldiers" manning the Himalayan mountain treks. If we hold on to the receipt, we could show the said receipt to the next group of Maoist "soldiers" who asks us for such fees. The Maoist will honour that receipt and will not insist that we pay a second round. I can't remember now how much we paid for the "fees" but it was no small amount. It was definitely more than RM100 per person.
In any case, we did meet with the Maoist "soldiers" and they had rifles/guns with them. They looked quite ordinary except for the weapons. Val almost took a picture with them but we prevented her from doing so as we heard that the Maoist would also confiscate cameras from trekkers as extra fee payment. We got off lightly.
However, some other trekkers that we met were not so lucky. One group of volunteer workers from Belgium (I think) had to pay the fees twice because when the group split up to go on different trails, only one group was able to keep the receipt, Thus, the other group who did not hold on to the receipt was "taxed" again. Unfortunately one Belgian lady from the group had no more cash with her. She ended up having her very expensive camera confiscated as payment. The camera itself was worth more than 5x the fee!
We also met an American couple who had to pretend to be Europeans so as NOT to get "taxed" heavily. Americans were the least favoured folks with the Maoist as America contributed heavily and were strong supporters of the Nepalese monarchy then.
In any case, this new "peace" is certainly great news for all of us and we hope that it will last ... well, at least until after our next two trips there. We are eyeing the Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit. We are certainly looking forward to returning to Nepal again as this is a beautiful country with some fantastic treks and amazing scenery. Besides, the people are just simply wonderful!
Check out this site for photos from my previous trip to Nepal in 2003.
The mountain trekking and mountain climbing community would be rejoicing now. At least I am. :) The long awaited end to the civil war in Nepal has finally come to pass. And it would be wonderful news to the Nepalese as tourism (especially mountain trekking) is a key contributor to the country's economy.
In 2003, my friends and I made our way to the Annapurna Base Camp (ABC) in Nepal despite the civil unrest. We were lucky that the situation was not so bad at that time. Prior to our trip, a few friends who went to Nepal got caught in Kathmandu when the city declared a state of emergency while they were there. They were trapped in the city for a few days before they were able to get flights back.
Our experience were a lot milder.
We were told beforehand that we need to pay "passage fees" ala "cukai pintu" to the Maoist during our trek. We were also told to insist on a receipt as there were many Maoist "soldiers" manning the Himalayan mountain treks. If we hold on to the receipt, we could show the said receipt to the next group of Maoist "soldiers" who asks us for such fees. The Maoist will honour that receipt and will not insist that we pay a second round. I can't remember now how much we paid for the "fees" but it was no small amount. It was definitely more than RM100 per person.
In any case, we did meet with the Maoist "soldiers" and they had rifles/guns with them. They looked quite ordinary except for the weapons. Val almost took a picture with them but we prevented her from doing so as we heard that the Maoist would also confiscate cameras from trekkers as extra fee payment. We got off lightly.
However, some other trekkers that we met were not so lucky. One group of volunteer workers from Belgium (I think) had to pay the fees twice because when the group split up to go on different trails, only one group was able to keep the receipt, Thus, the other group who did not hold on to the receipt was "taxed" again. Unfortunately one Belgian lady from the group had no more cash with her. She ended up having her very expensive camera confiscated as payment. The camera itself was worth more than 5x the fee!
We also met an American couple who had to pretend to be Europeans so as NOT to get "taxed" heavily. Americans were the least favoured folks with the Maoist as America contributed heavily and were strong supporters of the Nepalese monarchy then.
In any case, this new "peace" is certainly great news for all of us and we hope that it will last ... well, at least until after our next two trips there. We are eyeing the Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit. We are certainly looking forward to returning to Nepal again as this is a beautiful country with some fantastic treks and amazing scenery. Besides, the people are just simply wonderful!
Check out this site for photos from my previous trip to Nepal in 2003.
Is this a sign?
I received an email a few days back from Jobstreet. It seems an employer has read my resume through the Jobstreet database and requested for me to apply for a vacant position with the company. It was a nice surprise as I can't even remember the last time I updated my resume in Jobstreet.
I guess God works in mysterious ways. It was only last week that I was asking myself if I am getting too lackadaisical and unambitious. Now I am being prodded once again to do something about it.
Perhaps I will ride along this wave and see where it takes me.
I guess God works in mysterious ways. It was only last week that I was asking myself if I am getting too lackadaisical and unambitious. Now I am being prodded once again to do something about it.
Perhaps I will ride along this wave and see where it takes me.
Have I (we) trusted the wrong man?
It's strange how fast fortunes can turn. The once almighty, unstoppable Tun Dr M must be asking himself the above question repeatedly. After all, not only has he been at the losing end of the battle for one-upmanship and power recently, so has his son.
But the more urgent questions should be asked by us, the faithful minority citizens of this country. Have we trusted the wrong man? Have we been fooled? Are we led by a wolf in sheep's clothing?
In the following article that appeared in the al-Jazeera's website, it provides an interesting view of the state of "racial" political affairs in Malaysia and the role of our PM in "creating" the differing impressions. To the uninitiated, al-Jazeera is the Arab satellite news station owned by the Qatari government since its foundation in 1996. It is the most popular source of news in the Arab world with a regular audience of between 35 and 50 million, and is a rare gem considering that it provides uninhibited reporting and free expression in a region where strict state control of the media is the norm.
The fact that the following article is published in this site provides a certain amount of credence, at least to me. Consider the article and you be the judge.
------------------------------------------------
NEWS ASIA-PACIFIC
Racial tensions on rise in Malaysia
By
Romen Bose, in Kuala Lumpur
Critics say Abdullah has failed to address "the plight of the other races". The Malaysian prime minister's warning to citizens to stop the debate on race and religion has rankled some in the country.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi outlined the challenges faced by Malays, who form 60% of the population, in a two-hour speech to thundering applause at the opening of the United Malays National Organisation's (Umno) general assembly.
But while his speech promised much in terms of national development, the problem, according to Fazil Mohd Som, a political analyst, "is that it neglects the real issue at hand, which is the plight of the other races".
Abdullah is head of the Barisan Nasional coalition led by Umno and comprising the Indian-based MIC and the Chinese supported MCA, along with several other minor parties.
Liow Tiong Lai, the head of MCA's youth wing, said the statements made by young Malay leaders at the general assembly were vicious.
"It is regretful that the Umno youth assembly was shrouded in an atmosphere of fiery and emotional sentiments, remarks that were more poisonous and unreasonable than those of the opposition," said Liow, who is also a deputy minister in the Abdullah government.
Status quo
Abdullah's unwillingness to alter an unwritten social pact among the various races in the country has caused much consternation.
There have been many calls to revise this unofficial contract of political power distribution, which the founding fathers of Malaysia developed prior to independence in 1957.
Many today argue that the agreement is outdated and that non-Malays should have a greater say in the country.
Abdullah said in the English media that he wanted all races to work together, but his comments in the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia were stronger.
"If we change this balance and if we are forced to meet all over again on the rights of every group, it will not be the same as now. It would be far from satisfactory. Whatever the new formula, it will not succeed because the old formula is enough, is already maximum. As everyone had agreed to this before, why do we want to disturb this and meet again?" he said in the Utusan.
Playing to audience
Fazil said the prime minister was playing to his audience.
"People who read the English papers are middle class, rational thinkers and value logic. They expect a more moderate position and tone. He is saying the right thing to them. For the people who read the Malay papers, they are more the working class, more emotional and the points he is making to them is definitely much stronger. He is saying and doing the right things for them politically."
Malay Muslims make up 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million population.
Some non-Malays are also unhappy with the continued application of the country's New Economic Policy (NEP).
The NEP was implemented in the 1970s to reduce the income disparity among the different races, especially between the poor Malays and rich Chinese.
It was supposed to have been achieved in 20 years but the policy carried on after 1990 under a new name, the New Development Policy and was to have expired in 2000.
A National Vision Policy was to have been implemented after 2000 which would be more equitable to the various groups but the government under its 9th Malaysian Plan, launched earlier this year, reinstated the original NEP.
A huge debate then ensued over whether the NEP target had been reached with the government saying the NEP would now continue to 2020.
In his speech to the Umno general assembly, Abdullah said: "The debate is now about the process rather than about philosophy and objectives". He said his government will continue to "focus on reducing the income gap between races" as "true balance is a prerequisite for sustainable development".
Liow said the NEP "should have ended in 1990".
"Whatever policy is drawn up should take into account the interests of all races. I hope the government can honour its promise to implement the National Vision Policy."
Inter-faith commission
"... the nation understands that religious issues should not rightly be brought up. This is not on the agenda for discussion. Accept the formula that has been determined by previous leaders"
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysian prime ministerAnother area under the spotlight is the setting up of an inter-faith commission. Various groups have been pushing for an independent body to examine issues that have given rise to conflict between the different religious groups.
Many Muslim groups have viewed this as an attack on their religion and there have been confrontations at several forums discussing the creation of such a commission.
Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst, said the commission was initially rejected by other Umno leaders but Abdullah's attitude was to go slow, postpone discussion and see what happened. "He did not reject it offhand," said Khoo.
At least not in the English media.
In the interview with Utusan, he said: "Actually, I did not at any time say that we in Malaysia need an inter-faith commission. This is because I am of the view that in this country all of this is secure and the nation understands that religious issues should not rightly be brought up. This is not on the agenda for discussion. Accept the formula that has been determined by previous leaders."
Abdullah said that he has provided a "more open environment which has allowed debate but this has digressed to a level where the line on religion and race issues have been crossed".
"The openness we are seeing today is a new phenomenon for Malaysia", he said.
He added, however, that "no one should even attempt to test the government's resolve on this issue. If the need arises, the government will act swiftly and firmly in enforcing the existing laws to ensure that our peace, stability and prosperity is not jeopardised."
Fazil said Abdullah was playing "an old game".
"I think for the non-Malays they are in a cul de sac. Where else can they turn to? The only credible party that can win in elections is Umno and Umno is playing that card."
Said Khoo: "He has actually strengthened the people's perception of him. Many view him as an Islamist, as a real champion of the Malay agenda. He is not a Renaissance man as many thought previously."
Source: Al Jazeera
But the more urgent questions should be asked by us, the faithful minority citizens of this country. Have we trusted the wrong man? Have we been fooled? Are we led by a wolf in sheep's clothing?
In the following article that appeared in the al-Jazeera's website, it provides an interesting view of the state of "racial" political affairs in Malaysia and the role of our PM in "creating" the differing impressions. To the uninitiated, al-Jazeera is the Arab satellite news station owned by the Qatari government since its foundation in 1996. It is the most popular source of news in the Arab world with a regular audience of between 35 and 50 million, and is a rare gem considering that it provides uninhibited reporting and free expression in a region where strict state control of the media is the norm.
The fact that the following article is published in this site provides a certain amount of credence, at least to me. Consider the article and you be the judge.
------------------------------------------------
NEWS ASIA-PACIFIC
Racial tensions on rise in Malaysia
By
Romen Bose, in Kuala Lumpur
Critics say Abdullah has failed to address "the plight of the other races". The Malaysian prime minister's warning to citizens to stop the debate on race and religion has rankled some in the country.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi outlined the challenges faced by Malays, who form 60% of the population, in a two-hour speech to thundering applause at the opening of the United Malays National Organisation's (Umno) general assembly.
But while his speech promised much in terms of national development, the problem, according to Fazil Mohd Som, a political analyst, "is that it neglects the real issue at hand, which is the plight of the other races".
Abdullah is head of the Barisan Nasional coalition led by Umno and comprising the Indian-based MIC and the Chinese supported MCA, along with several other minor parties.
Liow Tiong Lai, the head of MCA's youth wing, said the statements made by young Malay leaders at the general assembly were vicious.
"It is regretful that the Umno youth assembly was shrouded in an atmosphere of fiery and emotional sentiments, remarks that were more poisonous and unreasonable than those of the opposition," said Liow, who is also a deputy minister in the Abdullah government.
Status quo
Abdullah's unwillingness to alter an unwritten social pact among the various races in the country has caused much consternation.
There have been many calls to revise this unofficial contract of political power distribution, which the founding fathers of Malaysia developed prior to independence in 1957.
Many today argue that the agreement is outdated and that non-Malays should have a greater say in the country.
Abdullah said in the English media that he wanted all races to work together, but his comments in the Malay-language Utusan Malaysia were stronger.
"If we change this balance and if we are forced to meet all over again on the rights of every group, it will not be the same as now. It would be far from satisfactory. Whatever the new formula, it will not succeed because the old formula is enough, is already maximum. As everyone had agreed to this before, why do we want to disturb this and meet again?" he said in the Utusan.
Playing to audience
Fazil said the prime minister was playing to his audience.
"People who read the English papers are middle class, rational thinkers and value logic. They expect a more moderate position and tone. He is saying the right thing to them. For the people who read the Malay papers, they are more the working class, more emotional and the points he is making to them is definitely much stronger. He is saying and doing the right things for them politically."
Malay Muslims make up 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million population.
Some non-Malays are also unhappy with the continued application of the country's New Economic Policy (NEP).
The NEP was implemented in the 1970s to reduce the income disparity among the different races, especially between the poor Malays and rich Chinese.
It was supposed to have been achieved in 20 years but the policy carried on after 1990 under a new name, the New Development Policy and was to have expired in 2000.
A National Vision Policy was to have been implemented after 2000 which would be more equitable to the various groups but the government under its 9th Malaysian Plan, launched earlier this year, reinstated the original NEP.
A huge debate then ensued over whether the NEP target had been reached with the government saying the NEP would now continue to 2020.
In his speech to the Umno general assembly, Abdullah said: "The debate is now about the process rather than about philosophy and objectives". He said his government will continue to "focus on reducing the income gap between races" as "true balance is a prerequisite for sustainable development".
Liow said the NEP "should have ended in 1990".
"Whatever policy is drawn up should take into account the interests of all races. I hope the government can honour its promise to implement the National Vision Policy."
Inter-faith commission
"... the nation understands that religious issues should not rightly be brought up. This is not on the agenda for discussion. Accept the formula that has been determined by previous leaders"
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysian prime ministerAnother area under the spotlight is the setting up of an inter-faith commission. Various groups have been pushing for an independent body to examine issues that have given rise to conflict between the different religious groups.
Many Muslim groups have viewed this as an attack on their religion and there have been confrontations at several forums discussing the creation of such a commission.
Khoo Kay Peng, a political analyst, said the commission was initially rejected by other Umno leaders but Abdullah's attitude was to go slow, postpone discussion and see what happened. "He did not reject it offhand," said Khoo.
At least not in the English media.
In the interview with Utusan, he said: "Actually, I did not at any time say that we in Malaysia need an inter-faith commission. This is because I am of the view that in this country all of this is secure and the nation understands that religious issues should not rightly be brought up. This is not on the agenda for discussion. Accept the formula that has been determined by previous leaders."
Abdullah said that he has provided a "more open environment which has allowed debate but this has digressed to a level where the line on religion and race issues have been crossed".
"The openness we are seeing today is a new phenomenon for Malaysia", he said.
He added, however, that "no one should even attempt to test the government's resolve on this issue. If the need arises, the government will act swiftly and firmly in enforcing the existing laws to ensure that our peace, stability and prosperity is not jeopardised."
Fazil said Abdullah was playing "an old game".
"I think for the non-Malays they are in a cul de sac. Where else can they turn to? The only credible party that can win in elections is Umno and Umno is playing that card."
Said Khoo: "He has actually strengthened the people's perception of him. Many view him as an Islamist, as a real champion of the Malay agenda. He is not a Renaissance man as many thought previously."
Source: Al Jazeera
Monday, November 20, 2006
“I have a Dream”
My sister’s best friend recently completed her doctorate. She can now call herself Dr Chung. We are all so happy for her.
She had come a long way from that young girl from a one-street village, who was brought up with little money as her dad passed on when she was young. Due to the local education quota system, she was unable to get entrance to the programme of her choice at a local university.
Instead of accepting her fate or waiting for hand outs, she took a chance and went over to Australia to study with only enough money to last one semester. Once there, she got herself a job as a waitress which earned her enough money to see her through university. She told me that those were the worst times of her life. She had to travel two hours to her place of work and rushed back to study. Her determination to succeed in life saw her through those tough times. That’s perhaps why, upon graduation, she left Australia for good, as it meant leaving the memories of her hardship behind.
Then, she went on to Hong Kong and found a career working her way through a few large multinationals. A woman with a voracious appetite for knowledge, she slogged through two Masters programmes whilst working in Hong Kong. Not an easy feat, considering what a powerhouse Hong Kong is when it comes to work and stress. Then, a couple of years back, she was retrenched. She decided then to chase another one of her dreams i.e. getting a doctorate.
Recently, she sent us an email regarding her triumph. Her mail touched me and made me think. Here is what she had to say …
“The thing with 'dream(s)' is just do it when the opportunity comes...worry about $$ later...I have no money now...but God is kind enough to 'arrange' a job for me...although I don't like to be based in Dubai...I will resign very soon...and run my own business.”
“… what is there to lose leh...my home.. flexible one...just sell it and rent....my car is in the market now...although (it’s an) old Mercedes Benz...try already enough la...no need to (be) 'attach' to it...”
It’s a pretty interesting philosophy in life. We are always so attached to material things that we think we cannot leave without them. But if we could only take our blinkers off and view life from a different angle … perhaps these material things are not as important as we think.
She had come a long way from that young girl from a one-street village, who was brought up with little money as her dad passed on when she was young. Due to the local education quota system, she was unable to get entrance to the programme of her choice at a local university.
Instead of accepting her fate or waiting for hand outs, she took a chance and went over to Australia to study with only enough money to last one semester. Once there, she got herself a job as a waitress which earned her enough money to see her through university. She told me that those were the worst times of her life. She had to travel two hours to her place of work and rushed back to study. Her determination to succeed in life saw her through those tough times. That’s perhaps why, upon graduation, she left Australia for good, as it meant leaving the memories of her hardship behind.
Then, she went on to Hong Kong and found a career working her way through a few large multinationals. A woman with a voracious appetite for knowledge, she slogged through two Masters programmes whilst working in Hong Kong. Not an easy feat, considering what a powerhouse Hong Kong is when it comes to work and stress. Then, a couple of years back, she was retrenched. She decided then to chase another one of her dreams i.e. getting a doctorate.
Recently, she sent us an email regarding her triumph. Her mail touched me and made me think. Here is what she had to say …
“The thing with 'dream(s)' is just do it when the opportunity comes...worry about $$ later...I have no money now...but God is kind enough to 'arrange' a job for me...although I don't like to be based in Dubai...I will resign very soon...and run my own business.”
“… what is there to lose leh...my home.. flexible one...just sell it and rent....my car is in the market now...although (it’s an) old Mercedes Benz...try already enough la...no need to (be) 'attach' to it...”
It’s a pretty interesting philosophy in life. We are always so attached to material things that we think we cannot leave without them. But if we could only take our blinkers off and view life from a different angle … perhaps these material things are not as important as we think.
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Kata Leanne
It's a blardy Saturday afternoon and I am down with a pounding headache, flu and runny nose. Certainly not a sight to behold!
In any case, since I am grounded at home, I thought to try out the web translator recommended by my cousin in his blog. It's hilarious! Check out my blog in the translated BM version @ Kata Leanne.
Even some of your pen names are not spared ...
And your posts as well ...
translated to:
Dipanah ... dalam bawah??? Ouch! Hahahaha .... ROTFL
And check out some of the funnier blogname translations.
In any case, since I am grounded at home, I thought to try out the web translator recommended by my cousin in his blog. It's hilarious! Check out my blog in the translated BM version @ Kata Leanne.
Below are some fine translation that would get Dewan Bahasa and Pustaka busy for a long, long while. Hehehe ...
It’s not a Bond movie. => Ia bukan satu Ikatan filem.
There is no infatuated secretary. => Terdapat setiausaha yang tidak tergila-gila.
It is not a bad movie. => Ia bukan satu celaka filem.
Even some of your pen names are not spared ...
Dangerous Variable => Pembolehubah Berbahaya
discordant_dude => diskordan_mat
And your posts as well ...
translated to:
L B berkata...
Ini dipanah sedikit perentas suatu tempat dalam bawah... Lebih baik syaitan anda tahu.....
Ini dipanah sedikit perentas suatu tempat dalam bawah... Lebih baik syaitan anda tahu.....
Dipanah ... dalam bawah??? Ouch! Hahahaha .... ROTFL
And check out some of the funnier blogname translations.
Are You Rooted? => Adakah Anda Berakar?
Curiousity Kills the Cat => Curiousity Bunuh Kucing
Little Monster Speaks => Beberapa Raksasa Bercakap
Semi Charmed Kinda Life => Semi Dipukau Kehidupan Kinda
Curiousity Kills the Cat => Curiousity Bunuh Kucing
Little Monster Speaks => Beberapa Raksasa Bercakap
Semi Charmed Kinda Life => Semi Dipukau Kehidupan Kinda
I had a ball of a time. Hope you enjoyed as well. Alrighty, quarter of the weekend is gone. Good day!
Casino Royale
It’s not a Bond movie.Here’s why. (Caution: Spoilers ahead.)
~ There is no infatuated secretary. Moneypenny did not make an appearance.
~ There is no gadget man. No signs of Q.
~ There are no snazzy gadgets except for the tracer and the machine that saves Bond’s life.
~ There is no modified car.
~ There is no bevy of beauties. Only two.
~ There is not much fooling around. There is not much wild, fun-loving romp.
~ Bond has to work too hard for his mission.
~ He has to get too physical; too much fist work and blood are involved.
~ His Martini is neither shaken nor stirred.
~ He falls in love! A big NO NO since he usually just love ‘em and leave ‘em.
~ He is too serious. So is the entire movie.
~ The movie is too long.
~ Some parts of the movie are too mushy.
~ And Daniel Craig is just not Bond material.
I can envision him as a cold hearted killer. But I can’t envision him as a suave, charming, womanising, cold hearted, secret agent!
For that, we have to look back at previous Bonds.
* Sean Connery oozed with that.
* Roger Moore had quite a fair bit of that.
* Timothy Dalton had some of that.
* And of course, Spaghetti legs … oops! … I mean Pierce Brosnan had loads of that.
* But Daniel Craig, sadly, just DO NOT have that! He is a good actor but he is just not Bond.
Don’t get me wrong though. It is not a bad movie. In fact, I would have enjoyed it more if it is marketed as another secret agent movie. It started off with a great chase scene! It has some good car chase sequences. There are a few interesting twists here and there (nothing unpredictable though). And I enjoy the wittiness on Bond’s part during the torture scene. It’s certainly a good watch for a free weekend.
But, it’s clearly just not a Bond movie! For me at least.
Friday, November 17, 2006
Musings
Am I being too unambitious and lackadaisical? Have I fallen into the vicious cycle of contentment and inertia?
Recently, I came to know of an internal job opening within the company but with another business unit. The job however warrants the candidate to be based either in China or Vietnam. I couldn't be bothered and like any other email with regards to internal openings, I moved that one to the trash bin too.
Then yesterday, a colleague brought up the subject of this opening and encouraged me to apply. But I was resistant to the idea. The main issue is that I would have to relocate if I get the job. And then, there is also the fact that I only know a smattering of Mandarin. And the job is in another business and on a product that's not very exciting. Also .....
Dang! I'm doing it again. Giving a million and one excuses of why I should not go for it. Which brought me to this post tonight. Another colleague brought up the subject of this job today and when I offered the above reasons (and more) of why I cannot move, he shot down every excuse and made me think and question myself.
Why the inertia?
Granted, there are not a lot of pull factors for me to go. But upon reflection, there are not a lot of pull factors for me to stay on either. Yet, I am in no hurry to leave the company. Truth be told, I have had a few calls from friends asking me if I am interested in leaving my current company since they know of suitable positions that are available elsewhere. I have given them lukewarm responses all this while.
It dawned on me that since I joined this company three years back, I have been bombarded with so much office politics that I have grown an enormous fear of moving anywhere. After all, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't", right? And in my current job level, it is difficult to avoid office politics wherever I go. One has to be smart about this ~ either you learn to side step the politics or you dive into it full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes. Unfortunately, I am the type who tries to side step them but have gotten singe along the way.
But today I realised that I have, subconciously, allowed this fear to rule my head and my heart many times in the last few years. So much so that I sometimes feel suffocated having to toe the line over issues I can't agree with. While we have to be smart about playing our cards right, we have also to balance that with honouring our views and giving them a fair chance for discussion.
It's clearer to me now after articulating my thoughts in writing. Whether I apply for the said position is immaterial. The point is I need to straighten out my priorities and direction of where I want my career to go. Perhaps my destiny is not meant to be with this company. Perhaps my destiny is not meant to be in Malaysia. Hmm ... I would have to give this further thought.
Goodnight Malaysia wherever you are and thanks for "listening" in the wee hours of the night.
Recently, I came to know of an internal job opening within the company but with another business unit. The job however warrants the candidate to be based either in China or Vietnam. I couldn't be bothered and like any other email with regards to internal openings, I moved that one to the trash bin too.
Then yesterday, a colleague brought up the subject of this opening and encouraged me to apply. But I was resistant to the idea. The main issue is that I would have to relocate if I get the job. And then, there is also the fact that I only know a smattering of Mandarin. And the job is in another business and on a product that's not very exciting. Also .....
Dang! I'm doing it again. Giving a million and one excuses of why I should not go for it. Which brought me to this post tonight. Another colleague brought up the subject of this job today and when I offered the above reasons (and more) of why I cannot move, he shot down every excuse and made me think and question myself.
Why the inertia?
Granted, there are not a lot of pull factors for me to go. But upon reflection, there are not a lot of pull factors for me to stay on either. Yet, I am in no hurry to leave the company. Truth be told, I have had a few calls from friends asking me if I am interested in leaving my current company since they know of suitable positions that are available elsewhere. I have given them lukewarm responses all this while.
It dawned on me that since I joined this company three years back, I have been bombarded with so much office politics that I have grown an enormous fear of moving anywhere. After all, "better the devil you know than the devil you don't", right? And in my current job level, it is difficult to avoid office politics wherever I go. One has to be smart about this ~ either you learn to side step the politics or you dive into it full speed ahead and damn the torpedoes. Unfortunately, I am the type who tries to side step them but have gotten singe along the way.
But today I realised that I have, subconciously, allowed this fear to rule my head and my heart many times in the last few years. So much so that I sometimes feel suffocated having to toe the line over issues I can't agree with. While we have to be smart about playing our cards right, we have also to balance that with honouring our views and giving them a fair chance for discussion.
It's clearer to me now after articulating my thoughts in writing. Whether I apply for the said position is immaterial. The point is I need to straighten out my priorities and direction of where I want my career to go. Perhaps my destiny is not meant to be with this company. Perhaps my destiny is not meant to be in Malaysia. Hmm ... I would have to give this further thought.
Goodnight Malaysia wherever you are and thanks for "listening" in the wee hours of the night.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
One day of indulgence, ??? days of reckoning
Caution: Long post ahead. Pure rambling about nothing of significance. Read at your own peril and boredom.
I guess I’ll never learn. But life is short. Thus, when I have to spend a weekend working, I tend to over compensate (read over indulge) the following weekend. And so I did last Saturday. Having spent the previous weekend on a roadshow out of town, I couldn’t wait to catch up with my regular activities.
With the Sikkim trip cancelled (a sad tale of which I have yet to lick my wounds), Val, my trekking buddy decided to go AWOL. After all, there are no more mountains to train for a climb this year. Thus, I had to rework my exercise regime. So, the plan was to meet up with Bell for Body Combat at FF Menara Manulife @ noon.
But that was not to be as I was caught in The Curve with ze parents, helping them with some banking matters. Yup! Banking on a Saturday is unheard of these days but CIMB just opened a new branch at The Curve which provides banking services 7 days a week! Smart move by CIMB ~ catering to the upper middle class clientele of Mutiara Damansara and its likes. (Incidentally, I am excluded from this reference.)
I digress. In any case, I ended up spending more time than I intended and missed the Body Combat class. By the time, I completed the task of being a filial daughter, I decided heck(!) I really needed the exercise. So, off I went to FF The Curve, got on the treadmill and pushed myself for a 15-minute run @ 9.5 level with a 5-minute warm up, warm down walk. Boy! I was so out of breath and out of shape. Bah! I was probably breathing very heavily and felt stares upon my unremarkable self. It was not until later that I discovered that just the week before, one chap in his 30s or 40s collapsed and died on one of the treadmills at The Curve. Talk about eerie.
In any case, the run was not enough. With determination burning in my heart, I went for the Body Attack class. Yup! I must be insane. After all, I haven’t been doing any high impact cardio sports for months. (Trekking doesn’t count as it involves more stamina than immediate energy.) For the uninitiated, Body Attack is an extremely high impact cardio class with non-stop jumping/ hopping tracks. It helps work out your leg and arm muscles as you are continuously moving during the entire session. Halfway through the class however, I had to call it quits. The flesh is willing but the body is weak. Truly, it was weak to the point of body aches. Bah! In any case, I had a dinner party to attend later in the eve to celebrate Bell’s 30++ coming of age. Hehehe … She’ll kill me if she reads this.
I had only an hour between to rest before I was out on the road again to pick up Bell and gang for her birthday bash. Bell, with her nose for finding cosy, expensive fine dining spots, directed me to a restaurant called Cava (which serves Spanish and Italian dishes) in a little street somewhere in Bangsar. The ambience was great, the food fine, the wine well chosen, the company a riot! And thus the inspiration for several conspiracy theories was born on that fateful evening.
The night wore on and we moved on to Souled Out for after dinner drinks to join more friends and friends of friends. Surprise! Surprise! There was a life band of old foggies playing at Souled Out. And it was in celebration of Octoberfest. Yup! Strange things do happen here. The Germans celebrate Octoberfest in Malaysia on November 11th. Hmmm … Despite the crowd, we managed to find seats for more than 10 people. Truth be told, I can’t recall how many people joined us in the end. The crowd were singing along to songs from ABBA and an older selection. Conversations were rife. The guys called for a bottle of Black Label. Alrighty, it was a long night of much liquor and loud conversations. After nursing the second glass of Black Label mixed with coke, I decided to quit while I was still ahead. I was feeling sleepy and that’s a clear sign that my alcohol tolerance level was about to be breached.
The party ended at 1+am, I think. The night was still young for some but I certainly had enough. After doing my driver duty, I got home, had a quick shower and hit the sack. I did not surface until well after noon the following day. My day of reckoning has arrived. And it was a quiet day at home to recover.
We are now into Tuesday, and I am still recovering from my single day of over indulgence. Perhaps age is catching up.
To those who actually read through the entire rambling, hallelujah! And good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
I guess I’ll never learn. But life is short. Thus, when I have to spend a weekend working, I tend to over compensate (read over indulge) the following weekend. And so I did last Saturday. Having spent the previous weekend on a roadshow out of town, I couldn’t wait to catch up with my regular activities.
With the Sikkim trip cancelled (a sad tale of which I have yet to lick my wounds), Val, my trekking buddy decided to go AWOL. After all, there are no more mountains to train for a climb this year. Thus, I had to rework my exercise regime. So, the plan was to meet up with Bell for Body Combat at FF Menara Manulife @ noon.
But that was not to be as I was caught in The Curve with ze parents, helping them with some banking matters. Yup! Banking on a Saturday is unheard of these days but CIMB just opened a new branch at The Curve which provides banking services 7 days a week! Smart move by CIMB ~ catering to the upper middle class clientele of Mutiara Damansara and its likes. (Incidentally, I am excluded from this reference.)
I digress. In any case, I ended up spending more time than I intended and missed the Body Combat class. By the time, I completed the task of being a filial daughter, I decided heck(!) I really needed the exercise. So, off I went to FF The Curve, got on the treadmill and pushed myself for a 15-minute run @ 9.5 level with a 5-minute warm up, warm down walk. Boy! I was so out of breath and out of shape. Bah! I was probably breathing very heavily and felt stares upon my unremarkable self. It was not until later that I discovered that just the week before, one chap in his 30s or 40s collapsed and died on one of the treadmills at The Curve. Talk about eerie.
In any case, the run was not enough. With determination burning in my heart, I went for the Body Attack class. Yup! I must be insane. After all, I haven’t been doing any high impact cardio sports for months. (Trekking doesn’t count as it involves more stamina than immediate energy.) For the uninitiated, Body Attack is an extremely high impact cardio class with non-stop jumping/ hopping tracks. It helps work out your leg and arm muscles as you are continuously moving during the entire session. Halfway through the class however, I had to call it quits. The flesh is willing but the body is weak. Truly, it was weak to the point of body aches. Bah! In any case, I had a dinner party to attend later in the eve to celebrate Bell’s 30++ coming of age. Hehehe … She’ll kill me if she reads this.
I had only an hour between to rest before I was out on the road again to pick up Bell and gang for her birthday bash. Bell, with her nose for finding cosy, expensive fine dining spots, directed me to a restaurant called Cava (which serves Spanish and Italian dishes) in a little street somewhere in Bangsar. The ambience was great, the food fine, the wine well chosen, the company a riot! And thus the inspiration for several conspiracy theories was born on that fateful evening.
The night wore on and we moved on to Souled Out for after dinner drinks to join more friends and friends of friends. Surprise! Surprise! There was a life band of old foggies playing at Souled Out. And it was in celebration of Octoberfest. Yup! Strange things do happen here. The Germans celebrate Octoberfest in Malaysia on November 11th. Hmmm … Despite the crowd, we managed to find seats for more than 10 people. Truth be told, I can’t recall how many people joined us in the end. The crowd were singing along to songs from ABBA and an older selection. Conversations were rife. The guys called for a bottle of Black Label. Alrighty, it was a long night of much liquor and loud conversations. After nursing the second glass of Black Label mixed with coke, I decided to quit while I was still ahead. I was feeling sleepy and that’s a clear sign that my alcohol tolerance level was about to be breached.
The party ended at 1+am, I think. The night was still young for some but I certainly had enough. After doing my driver duty, I got home, had a quick shower and hit the sack. I did not surface until well after noon the following day. My day of reckoning has arrived. And it was a quiet day at home to recover.
We are now into Tuesday, and I am still recovering from my single day of over indulgence. Perhaps age is catching up.
To those who actually read through the entire rambling, hallelujah! And good night, sleep tight and don’t let the bed bugs bite!
Monday, November 13, 2006
The truth is out there!
The recent (alleged) brutal murder of a Mongolian model has left the nation in horror and truth be told (and apologies to the victim and her family) in fascination.
Alleged because till today, forensics have yet to confirm that the bone fragments belong to the said model.
Horror because despite some really sensational nasty crimes in recent years, nothing thus far has reached this magnitude.
And by the same token, fascination because the world that we inhabit has not been touched by such "evil".
Therefore, it is of no surprise that the crime has been "the talk of the town" and has captured the imagination of the nation.
And as the story unfolds, the following questions plague our minds:
1. Was the (alleged) accused blackmailed?
2. Why should the (alleged) victim be killed in such a manner? Isn't there an easier and less messy way out?
3. Why involve persons of authority?
4. Who tipped the authorities?
5. Is there a cover up?
Conspiracy theories began to form even before new evidence are found and released for public consumption. In a recent gathering with friends, budding conspiracy theorists had put forth their versions for discussion.
Disclaimer: Please note that these are just conspiracy theories that hold no truth of evidence whatsoever. Read for the pleasure of imaginations gone wild.
Conspiracy Theory #1
The (alleged) victim demanded/blackmailed the (alleged) accused. In a heated argument, he accidentally killed the woman. Fearing discovery, he quickly called in reinforcements to help him dispose the body. However, this theory has lots of loopholes.
1. Does he have that much influence over people of such authority to do the dirty job?
2. Why choose such a drastic way to dispose the body which could clearly point back to the source?
For an intelligent man (i.e. the alleged accused), why would he act so stupidly in covering up a crime?
Conspiracy Theory #2
The (alleged) accused is made a scapegoat for a huge cover-up for a high ranking official. The high ranking official could have used the (alleged) accused premises to have a lover's tryst but ended up committing a crime of passion when the (alleged) victim threatened him. As in theory #1, the high ranking official then seeked the assistance of people of authority to help dispose the body. However, the question still remain, why use such an obvious method (i.e. C4 explosives) to dispose the body? And could he have summoned up these people of authority so quickly to do the dirty deed?
Conspiracy Theory #3
As in theory #2, instead of an accidental crime of passion, it could be premeditated. The (alleged) victim could have blackmailed the high ranking official. To safeguard his position, he could have planned the murder and called in the people of authority to execute the crime. He could have told the (alleged) accused that he needed to use the (alleged) accused premise as a point for a lover's tryst, but unbeknownst to the (alleged) accused, the official could have planned the crime and the cover up as well. Again, the question of why use such an obvious method of disposal that would clearly point back to the (alleged) victim's executioner? Even if he could cover his tracks by implicating the (alleged) accused, the truth would eventually surface by virtue of the fact that he used the people of authority to dispose the (alleged) victim. Pretty weak planning for one to commit such a crime, don't you think? It'd be easier for him to get away with it without involving these folks.
Conspiracy Theory #4
The (alleged) victim was a spy. She was on a secret mission and was supposed to meet her contact at the (alleged) accused premise. The (alleged) accused was not aware that his premise was used as a meeting place to pass on secret information amongst the spies. Unfortunately, something nasty happened. The (alleged) victim was double crossed and found herself at the wrong end of the gun. She was carrying some secret codes on her personal self which could be detrimental to world peace. And despite a thorough body search, nothing could be found on her. Fearing that the bad guys could get ahold of these codes on her body, the powers that be decided to blow up the body to get rid of the codes. Far fetched as this might sound, at least there is an obvious reason why the body was blown apart.
Now there ... the last conspiracy theory sounds like it. It has all the stamp of a Hollywood movie ... likely due to the influence of The Bourne Identity, The Departed, Alias, ... you name it!
Conspiracy theories anyone?
Alleged because till today, forensics have yet to confirm that the bone fragments belong to the said model.
Horror because despite some really sensational nasty crimes in recent years, nothing thus far has reached this magnitude.
And by the same token, fascination because the world that we inhabit has not been touched by such "evil".
Therefore, it is of no surprise that the crime has been "the talk of the town" and has captured the imagination of the nation.
And as the story unfolds, the following questions plague our minds:
1. Was the (alleged) accused blackmailed?
2. Why should the (alleged) victim be killed in such a manner? Isn't there an easier and less messy way out?
3. Why involve persons of authority?
4. Who tipped the authorities?
5. Is there a cover up?
Conspiracy theories began to form even before new evidence are found and released for public consumption. In a recent gathering with friends, budding conspiracy theorists had put forth their versions for discussion.
Disclaimer: Please note that these are just conspiracy theories that hold no truth of evidence whatsoever. Read for the pleasure of imaginations gone wild.
Conspiracy Theory #1
The (alleged) victim demanded/blackmailed the (alleged) accused. In a heated argument, he accidentally killed the woman. Fearing discovery, he quickly called in reinforcements to help him dispose the body. However, this theory has lots of loopholes.
1. Does he have that much influence over people of such authority to do the dirty job?
2. Why choose such a drastic way to dispose the body which could clearly point back to the source?
For an intelligent man (i.e. the alleged accused), why would he act so stupidly in covering up a crime?
Conspiracy Theory #2
The (alleged) accused is made a scapegoat for a huge cover-up for a high ranking official. The high ranking official could have used the (alleged) accused premises to have a lover's tryst but ended up committing a crime of passion when the (alleged) victim threatened him. As in theory #1, the high ranking official then seeked the assistance of people of authority to help dispose the body. However, the question still remain, why use such an obvious method (i.e. C4 explosives) to dispose the body? And could he have summoned up these people of authority so quickly to do the dirty deed?
Conspiracy Theory #3
As in theory #2, instead of an accidental crime of passion, it could be premeditated. The (alleged) victim could have blackmailed the high ranking official. To safeguard his position, he could have planned the murder and called in the people of authority to execute the crime. He could have told the (alleged) accused that he needed to use the (alleged) accused premise as a point for a lover's tryst, but unbeknownst to the (alleged) accused, the official could have planned the crime and the cover up as well. Again, the question of why use such an obvious method of disposal that would clearly point back to the (alleged) victim's executioner? Even if he could cover his tracks by implicating the (alleged) accused, the truth would eventually surface by virtue of the fact that he used the people of authority to dispose the (alleged) victim. Pretty weak planning for one to commit such a crime, don't you think? It'd be easier for him to get away with it without involving these folks.
Conspiracy Theory #4
The (alleged) victim was a spy. She was on a secret mission and was supposed to meet her contact at the (alleged) accused premise. The (alleged) accused was not aware that his premise was used as a meeting place to pass on secret information amongst the spies. Unfortunately, something nasty happened. The (alleged) victim was double crossed and found herself at the wrong end of the gun. She was carrying some secret codes on her personal self which could be detrimental to world peace. And despite a thorough body search, nothing could be found on her. Fearing that the bad guys could get ahold of these codes on her body, the powers that be decided to blow up the body to get rid of the codes. Far fetched as this might sound, at least there is an obvious reason why the body was blown apart.
Now there ... the last conspiracy theory sounds like it. It has all the stamp of a Hollywood movie ... likely due to the influence of The Bourne Identity, The Departed, Alias, ... you name it!
Conspiracy theories anyone?
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
How do I love thee NOT?
I don't think there is much to rejoice these days when we read the local news. Perhaps we should just quit reading the newspapers altogether. Then we will feel more like we are citizens of this country that we love and perhaps we will respect the governing body more. But with each dawning day, one can't help but feel a little bit more disillusioned. Another ideal bites the dust!
Here is a satirical spin to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (1806-1861) poem, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
How do I love thee NOT? Let me count the ways.
I love thee NOT for the slipping ranks of the graft index
Where the filthy rich gets richer without paying tax
Where councillors build "palaces" without approval
And got away with resignations and mere disapproval
I love thee NOT for the way the ASLI report was being handled
Where the core issues were dismissed and were not being tackled
Where politicians sparked off a racial storm with their verbal diarrhea
Over the much beleaguered, much debated rising bumi percentages
I love thee NOT for the levels of issues raised
Where every issue becomes a matter of race
From meritocracy in education to double festive celebration
Is this how we are going to build a strong nation?
I love thee NOT to the depths of the stupid remarks made
By seemingly moronic reps that form the government parade
But worse it is when spouted by an "Oxford graduate"
Remorseless he was in his insinuation that sparked off a racial debate.
I love thee NOT for countless other transgressions
The latest being the issue of Bangsa Malaysia
Yet, like a battered wife I return for more transgressions
And like an addict, I love thee with an unexplainable passion.
Here is a satirical spin to Elizabeth Barrett Browning's (1806-1861) poem, "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."
How do I love thee NOT? Let me count the ways.
I love thee NOT for the slipping ranks of the graft index
Where the filthy rich gets richer without paying tax
Where councillors build "palaces" without approval
And got away with resignations and mere disapproval
I love thee NOT for the way the ASLI report was being handled
Where the core issues were dismissed and were not being tackled
Where politicians sparked off a racial storm with their verbal diarrhea
Over the much beleaguered, much debated rising bumi percentages
I love thee NOT for the levels of issues raised
Where every issue becomes a matter of race
From meritocracy in education to double festive celebration
Is this how we are going to build a strong nation?
I love thee NOT to the depths of the stupid remarks made
By seemingly moronic reps that form the government parade
But worse it is when spouted by an "Oxford graduate"
Remorseless he was in his insinuation that sparked off a racial debate.
I love thee NOT for countless other transgressions
The latest being the issue of Bangsa Malaysia
Yet, like a battered wife I return for more transgressions
And like an addict, I love thee with an unexplainable passion.
Thursday, November 02, 2006
And the Saga continues
People in positions of power should NOT abuse the power and mandate given to them, or so that should be the case. But then, reality is far from ideal. And over the centuries, we have seen enough of power abuses. After all, "absolute power corrupts absolutely".
In the case of UMNO Klang division chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, who is also a councillor in the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), he was probably one of the unlucky few who DID NOT get away with it. As a friend gleefully ranted in his blog, Justice is served... FINALLY!, not only was Datuk Z called to task for the above transgression, he had several other transgressions lined across his belt! He further lay the blame for the non-submission of building plans squarely on his architect's shoulders. Now, isn't that the epitome of a "highly respected exemplary leader" who lays blame elsewhere for his transgression?
One wonders how he could have gotten away with all these transgressions over the years. Hello?! Is someone sleeping on the job? Shouldn't that person be called to task for letting such a huge error escape his attention? It boggles the mind that no one noticed! Or are there a whole can of worms behind this saga? Perhaps, those who kept silent had reasons doing so ... I leave that to your own interpretation. Thus far, two more councillors have been identified for the same transgression. Would more be coming out of the woodwork? And yet another one lay the blame at the feet of his architect. But at least, he took responsibility for the act and resigned.
So, what next? Building plans are still not forthcoming. Is there a deadline for submission? Would the transgressors be further penalised? Are more investigations underway? What are the punishment/ penalty for the transgressors other than stop work on the buildings while awaiting approval? Should they still continue to serve as councillors?
Or as with all "hot news", would all these blow over with no answers after a few weeks of being headlined in the papers? The slow arm of law and laidback government bureaucracy strikes yet again when dealing with issues such as these.
In the case of UMNO Klang division chief Datuk Zakaria Md Deros, who is also a councillor in the Klang Municipal Council (MPK), he was probably one of the unlucky few who DID NOT get away with it. As a friend gleefully ranted in his blog, Justice is served... FINALLY!, not only was Datuk Z called to task for the above transgression, he had several other transgressions lined across his belt! He further lay the blame for the non-submission of building plans squarely on his architect's shoulders. Now, isn't that the epitome of a "highly respected exemplary leader" who lays blame elsewhere for his transgression?
One wonders how he could have gotten away with all these transgressions over the years. Hello?! Is someone sleeping on the job? Shouldn't that person be called to task for letting such a huge error escape his attention? It boggles the mind that no one noticed! Or are there a whole can of worms behind this saga? Perhaps, those who kept silent had reasons doing so ... I leave that to your own interpretation. Thus far, two more councillors have been identified for the same transgression. Would more be coming out of the woodwork? And yet another one lay the blame at the feet of his architect. But at least, he took responsibility for the act and resigned.
So, what next? Building plans are still not forthcoming. Is there a deadline for submission? Would the transgressors be further penalised? Are more investigations underway? What are the punishment/ penalty for the transgressors other than stop work on the buildings while awaiting approval? Should they still continue to serve as councillors?
Or as with all "hot news", would all these blow over with no answers after a few weeks of being headlined in the papers? The slow arm of law and laidback government bureaucracy strikes yet again when dealing with issues such as these.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
What happens when your male buddy becomes attach or gets married?
Or what happens when your male buddy is already attach or married?
The former means you know him before he got himself hitched or attached and the latter simply means you know him after he had done so.
Would the friendship just peter out and die?
I wish there is a guide book for this sort of situations. What are the Dos and Don’ts and how do we maintain peace in his household while we continue the friendship?
Buddy 1
I was having a nice Thai dinner with my male buddy when he received a call from his girlfriend who was residing in Australia. It seemed that she had waited for his call but the “dungu” fella forgot to call her. She threw a tantrum and threatened to break off when she found out that he was having a dinner for two with moi while she was patiently waiting by the phone for over an hour for his call. It wasn’t my fault as I was merely having dinner with my buddy (whom I knew before he got attached to her) but I was made to feel like the guilty party. Dang!
But thank god things worked out later and she is now his wife. She is now based in Chiengmai and he comes back to KL every now and then to visit his family. We do hang out but infrequently these days as I had to back off just in case the wife gets the wrong notion.
Buddy 2
The wife was my gym buddy and the husband, my squash and wine drinking buddy. Things were pretty cool until I found them arguing one day about whose turn it was to go out ~ gym or squash. Then she got pregnant and baby number two came along. I took up a new hobby i.e. mountain/ road biking which he was into as well. He then became my squash, biking and wine drinking buddy albeit irregularly. When I realised that some of those irregular times were infringing into his time to “jaga” his kids, I had to back off a lot more. These days my squash has deteriorated quite tremendously, my bike feels like a white elephant but the wine drinking part is still flourishing. However, I feel a lot easier (and safer to avoid misunderstandings) to text the wife for these get-together sessions.
Buddy 3
He was one of my best male buddies. And I had a shock discovery of him dating this girl during a dinner for three. (Sounds like ménage a trios NOT! :P) He said nothing but she was all over him, as if marking her territory. Boy! Needless to say it was an extremely uncomfortable dinner. I believe I could be scarred for life! :P Strangely enough, I had not realised then that I was a little possessive of the friendship.
So, I demanded the next day why I was not told beforehand and he answered that he didn’t know how to tell me and that it should not change our friendship. While agreeing that our friendship would not change, in my heart I knew I was telling a big fat lie. I tried really hard to keep things going but it is difficult when you don’t really know the girlfriend and the memory of those uncomfortable territory marking moments put you off further get-togethers. After awhile, the friendship died a natural death due to lack of nurturing. It’s a real pity.
So there! Stories of my three buddies; the second friendship is thriving, the first is surviving and the third is quite dead. I am still hunting for a guide to handle friendships with married or attach male buddies.
Any clues? Or is it a “Don’t go there!” territory?!
The former means you know him before he got himself hitched or attached and the latter simply means you know him after he had done so.
Would the friendship just peter out and die?
I wish there is a guide book for this sort of situations. What are the Dos and Don’ts and how do we maintain peace in his household while we continue the friendship?
Buddy 1
I was having a nice Thai dinner with my male buddy when he received a call from his girlfriend who was residing in Australia. It seemed that she had waited for his call but the “dungu” fella forgot to call her. She threw a tantrum and threatened to break off when she found out that he was having a dinner for two with moi while she was patiently waiting by the phone for over an hour for his call. It wasn’t my fault as I was merely having dinner with my buddy (whom I knew before he got attached to her) but I was made to feel like the guilty party. Dang!
But thank god things worked out later and she is now his wife. She is now based in Chiengmai and he comes back to KL every now and then to visit his family. We do hang out but infrequently these days as I had to back off just in case the wife gets the wrong notion.
Buddy 2
The wife was my gym buddy and the husband, my squash and wine drinking buddy. Things were pretty cool until I found them arguing one day about whose turn it was to go out ~ gym or squash. Then she got pregnant and baby number two came along. I took up a new hobby i.e. mountain/ road biking which he was into as well. He then became my squash, biking and wine drinking buddy albeit irregularly. When I realised that some of those irregular times were infringing into his time to “jaga” his kids, I had to back off a lot more. These days my squash has deteriorated quite tremendously, my bike feels like a white elephant but the wine drinking part is still flourishing. However, I feel a lot easier (and safer to avoid misunderstandings) to text the wife for these get-together sessions.
Buddy 3
He was one of my best male buddies. And I had a shock discovery of him dating this girl during a dinner for three. (Sounds like ménage a trios NOT! :P) He said nothing but she was all over him, as if marking her territory. Boy! Needless to say it was an extremely uncomfortable dinner. I believe I could be scarred for life! :P Strangely enough, I had not realised then that I was a little possessive of the friendship.
So, I demanded the next day why I was not told beforehand and he answered that he didn’t know how to tell me and that it should not change our friendship. While agreeing that our friendship would not change, in my heart I knew I was telling a big fat lie. I tried really hard to keep things going but it is difficult when you don’t really know the girlfriend and the memory of those uncomfortable territory marking moments put you off further get-togethers. After awhile, the friendship died a natural death due to lack of nurturing. It’s a real pity.
So there! Stories of my three buddies; the second friendship is thriving, the first is surviving and the third is quite dead. I am still hunting for a guide to handle friendships with married or attach male buddies.
Any clues? Or is it a “Don’t go there!” territory?!
Migration
MIGRATION!
In recent years, that seems to be the buzz word. Everyone is talking about secondment or migration. And quite a few have done it too. A few friends have in fact garnered enough points to migrate over to Australia, a few others have left for secondment in UK/Australia. Others have married foreigners and live abroad.
And then there is me ~ someone who is totally happy and contented to stay on in Malaysia. There have never been enough push factors for me to leave nor pull factors in any country for me to move to. But Val would likely beg to differ as she thought I was in danger of moving over to Vancouver at one point in my life. Sure I wish to travel to this country and that country for a visit. But home is always Malaysia to me and home is where the heart is. Nothing beats the food, nothing beats the people, nothing beats all the idiosyncrasies one can find only here in Malaysia ~ the good, the bad and the ugly.
Strangely, despite this contentment, I am beginning to wonder if I am being too lackadaisical about the whole thing. We are no stranger to the issues facing the country. As years go by, more and more folks get disillusion with how things are run. I have always been the first to defend the country when conversations turn that direction (as they inevitably would) and I would also be among the first to point out to these folks that they do not know better because after all, they left the country but we stayed on to fight the battle.
Or did we? Did we stay to fight or did we stay because that's the easy way out? Did we just allow issues to drift until one day what little hope we have would peter out and die?
Do I sound disillusioned? Melancholic even? Perhaps a little. What we sometimes forget is that though we may suppress our voices, we can never suppress our thoughts. And fear feeds on suspicion and lack of transparency.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, some would say. You bet they are. But I have heard enough counter arguments to expect life NOT to be on a bed of roses.
Does this mean I would pack my bags and leave tomorrow? Certainly not. I am just voicing out my thoughts and concerns. I certainly hope that day would not come but ... I should not remain so lackadaisical. Leastwise, I should perhaps start thinking of options. Just in case ... and what ifs ...
In recent years, that seems to be the buzz word. Everyone is talking about secondment or migration. And quite a few have done it too. A few friends have in fact garnered enough points to migrate over to Australia, a few others have left for secondment in UK/Australia. Others have married foreigners and live abroad.
And then there is me ~ someone who is totally happy and contented to stay on in Malaysia. There have never been enough push factors for me to leave nor pull factors in any country for me to move to. But Val would likely beg to differ as she thought I was in danger of moving over to Vancouver at one point in my life. Sure I wish to travel to this country and that country for a visit. But home is always Malaysia to me and home is where the heart is. Nothing beats the food, nothing beats the people, nothing beats all the idiosyncrasies one can find only here in Malaysia ~ the good, the bad and the ugly.
Strangely, despite this contentment, I am beginning to wonder if I am being too lackadaisical about the whole thing. We are no stranger to the issues facing the country. As years go by, more and more folks get disillusion with how things are run. I have always been the first to defend the country when conversations turn that direction (as they inevitably would) and I would also be among the first to point out to these folks that they do not know better because after all, they left the country but we stayed on to fight the battle.
Or did we? Did we stay to fight or did we stay because that's the easy way out? Did we just allow issues to drift until one day what little hope we have would peter out and die?
Do I sound disillusioned? Melancholic even? Perhaps a little. What we sometimes forget is that though we may suppress our voices, we can never suppress our thoughts. And fear feeds on suspicion and lack of transparency.
The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, some would say. You bet they are. But I have heard enough counter arguments to expect life NOT to be on a bed of roses.
Does this mean I would pack my bags and leave tomorrow? Certainly not. I am just voicing out my thoughts and concerns. I certainly hope that day would not come but ... I should not remain so lackadaisical. Leastwise, I should perhaps start thinking of options. Just in case ... and what ifs ...
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
And the mountain beckons
It’s that time of year again where the mountain beckons and my feet are itching for a long climb.
Looking around the globe, we have to rule out Nepal (due to political unrest), South America (due to cost issues) and East Africa (also due to cost issues). This leaves us with India ~ Sikkim to be precise. Situated in the eastern Himalayas, Sikkim is spread below Mount Khanchendzonga (8534 m), the third highest mountain in the world. For more information on Sikkim, please refer here.
Our aim is to reach the southern foot of Mount Khanchendzonga, not to climb the third highest mountain itself. That I leave it to the experts. I am not a lunatic. : ) The trek we planned to do is known as the Goechala Trek, which would lead us from Dzongri to Goechala Pass, reaching the highest altitude at 4,940 m of the trek. The trek would take about 7-8 days with an average trek of 8 hours a day.
Considering our fitness level and our current work commitments, this vacation is looking to be quite an ambitious endeavour! To date, I have postponed our flight tickets once (which were earmarked to kick-off during the Deepavali/Hari Raya hols) and we look set to postpone the second one which I targeted for 10th November. It’s extremely frustrating as the longer we wait, the colder it gets at the peak. I still have nightmarish memories of trekking in the night at Kilimanjaro. The cold was beyond description. We were told by our guides that it was negative 20 degrees Celsius then. This is going to look like a repeat of our previous climb. Bbbrrrr …
We have also just started to trek again to build up stamina. Our travelling and working schedules for the last few months had been at such a crazy level that it was difficult to coordinate our fitness training. But we kicked off our training in style (or was it in insanity?) last week. Four treks in a week is a feat for me, i.e. a 3.5-hour trek in Fraser’s and 1.5-hour treks a day for 3 days at Bukit Gasing. This weekend would be difficult to train as I am travelling yet again. However, the plan is to work out on the “stepper” machine in the gym. At some point, I’d probably ask myself if I am going stark raving mad pushing myself at this level. Then again, even if the answer is affirmative, I doubt we’d stop. We are women on a mission! Hahaha …
But wait! I’m still on tenterhooks. Everything is now dependent on whether the long leave is forthcoming.
We live in hope. And after that, we have to pray hard for great weather. Dang! The lengths I go to for a climb. Perhaps I seriously have to visit the loony house. :p
Looking around the globe, we have to rule out Nepal (due to political unrest), South America (due to cost issues) and East Africa (also due to cost issues). This leaves us with India ~ Sikkim to be precise. Situated in the eastern Himalayas, Sikkim is spread below Mount Khanchendzonga (8534 m), the third highest mountain in the world. For more information on Sikkim, please refer here.
Our aim is to reach the southern foot of Mount Khanchendzonga, not to climb the third highest mountain itself. That I leave it to the experts. I am not a lunatic. : ) The trek we planned to do is known as the Goechala Trek, which would lead us from Dzongri to Goechala Pass, reaching the highest altitude at 4,940 m of the trek. The trek would take about 7-8 days with an average trek of 8 hours a day.
Considering our fitness level and our current work commitments, this vacation is looking to be quite an ambitious endeavour! To date, I have postponed our flight tickets once (which were earmarked to kick-off during the Deepavali/Hari Raya hols) and we look set to postpone the second one which I targeted for 10th November. It’s extremely frustrating as the longer we wait, the colder it gets at the peak. I still have nightmarish memories of trekking in the night at Kilimanjaro. The cold was beyond description. We were told by our guides that it was negative 20 degrees Celsius then. This is going to look like a repeat of our previous climb. Bbbrrrr …
We have also just started to trek again to build up stamina. Our travelling and working schedules for the last few months had been at such a crazy level that it was difficult to coordinate our fitness training. But we kicked off our training in style (or was it in insanity?) last week. Four treks in a week is a feat for me, i.e. a 3.5-hour trek in Fraser’s and 1.5-hour treks a day for 3 days at Bukit Gasing. This weekend would be difficult to train as I am travelling yet again. However, the plan is to work out on the “stepper” machine in the gym. At some point, I’d probably ask myself if I am going stark raving mad pushing myself at this level. Then again, even if the answer is affirmative, I doubt we’d stop. We are women on a mission! Hahaha …
But wait! I’m still on tenterhooks. Everything is now dependent on whether the long leave is forthcoming.
We live in hope. And after that, we have to pray hard for great weather. Dang! The lengths I go to for a climb. Perhaps I seriously have to visit the loony house. :p
Sunday, October 15, 2006
The irony of racial discrimination
Random conversation
Me: Do you realise how the issue of race seems to be popping up more frequently in the news these days? I just can't understand why everything has to be about race. How can we claim to live harmoniously and tolerant of other races and religions when every time something goes wrong, the first thing that's brought up is race or religion!
Friend: That's the beauty of Malaysian politics. I was reading an article on the quota system and discrimination recently and it struck me the irony of the situation we are in.
Me: What do you mean? What situation?
Friend: Recently, we ran an essay competition in one of our workshops for teenagers. And we were supposed to pick the top 3 winners. When we realised that all the winners picked were Chinese, we had to go back, check on the names and re-select a Malay and an Indian winner. And since there was only 1 Indian, she won the prize. But the two poor Chinese girls who didn't get the prize was not because they aren't good, it's because they are Chinese!
Me: See ... why should everything be about race? That's what I can't understand
Friend: I thought it was sooooo unfair! But I can't argue with the other committee members. It was something "non racial" when we "blindly" selected the top 3. But to appear "un racist"... we had to reselect... based on their race!!!!!!
Me: I can see where you are going with that. You had to do something racial so as to appear non racial. And that's the irony of racial discrimination!
Me: Do you realise how the issue of race seems to be popping up more frequently in the news these days? I just can't understand why everything has to be about race. How can we claim to live harmoniously and tolerant of other races and religions when every time something goes wrong, the first thing that's brought up is race or religion!
Friend: That's the beauty of Malaysian politics. I was reading an article on the quota system and discrimination recently and it struck me the irony of the situation we are in.
Me: What do you mean? What situation?
Friend: Recently, we ran an essay competition in one of our workshops for teenagers. And we were supposed to pick the top 3 winners. When we realised that all the winners picked were Chinese, we had to go back, check on the names and re-select a Malay and an Indian winner. And since there was only 1 Indian, she won the prize. But the two poor Chinese girls who didn't get the prize was not because they aren't good, it's because they are Chinese!
Me: See ... why should everything be about race? That's what I can't understand
Friend: I thought it was sooooo unfair! But I can't argue with the other committee members. It was something "non racial" when we "blindly" selected the top 3. But to appear "un racist"... we had to reselect... based on their race!!!!!!
Me: I can see where you are going with that. You had to do something racial so as to appear non racial. And that's the irony of racial discrimination!
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Thinking Out Loud
Why is it that one has to work hard at conversations with some people and mere seconds seem to drag on for hours? And yet, for the one person that is off limits, one can have the most delightful conversation and hours seem like mere minutes.
Perhaps that is Fate’s practical joke.
Perhaps that is Fate’s practical joke.
Friday, October 13, 2006
Have “we” been looking at the problem the wrong way?
It is amazing how one study can create such drama, strong emotions, accusations, reactions, debates … the list goes on! Of course I am referring to the “controversial” study by Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute’s (Asli) Centre for Public Policy studies, which found that bumiputra corporate equity ownership could be as high as 45%, instead of the government’s figure of 18.9%.
While a political figure flew off the handle and called the study “irresponsible”, “rubbish”, “useless” and “has an ulterior motive”, and subsequently, the president of the institute retracted the report stating that the calculations and assumptions used were faulty (some parties were of the opinion that the retraction was due to pressure), and then the head of Centre for Public Policy Studies resigned because of "... the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship", the entire point has been missed! It is not about percentages and race! If I remember my Pengajian Am correctly, both Buku Hijau (The Green Book) and the New Economic Policy (NEP) have two core objectives i.e. to eradicate poverty regardless of race and restructure society so as to eliminate race identification with economic function.
I agree wholeheartedly with Zainon Ahmad’s sentiments in his recent column “What They Say” in The Sun dated Tuesday October 10, 2006. The title of the article, “What have ratios got to do with need?” The following excerpt from the article makes a lot of sense.
“Zain: Actually I do not understand this obsession with whether the 30% equity has been achieved or not. Ok, so it is 18 something per cent or 45%. So what. Meaningless. Take the Indian ownership for example. They are supposed to be owning 3%.”
“Mohan: Two Indians may be owning it all!”
“Zain: Exactly. So it is the income disparity that needs to be looked at – and across racial lines …”
Very well said. What has race got to do with being poor? Instead of using race as a yardstick, the criteria should be the definition of poverty and all Malaysians who fall within that definition should be given assistance.
The criteria and the implementation of the policy should also be looked into i.e. is the assistance given to the “wrong” group of people? For example, is the assistance given to really poor Malays as opposed to average/ rich ones? I remember meeting a number of Malay students who were on government loans or scholarships, but yet have cars and drive to the university. (This was more than 10 years ago.) The questions that begged to be asked then were:
1) Isn’t assistance supposed to be given to the poor?
2) What is the definition of poor? (Obviously not those who can afford to drive to the university.)
It is interesting to note that when the NEP ended in 1990, official figures showed that Malay corporate equity ownership was only between 19% and 20%. But the NEP was then extended under a new name, the National Development Policy (NDP). Now, sixteen years later, the government numbers showed not an increase but a slight drop to 18.9% of Malay corporate equity ownership. Despite the billions spent, there seemed to be no improvements. Therefore, if this is the true percentage claimed by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), shouldn't the more urgent action be to enquire why the results were so dismal after 16 years (instead of arguing over the methodology)? The parties concerned should be asking the following questions instead.
1) To whom did the money go to? Did it go to the right people i.e. the poor?
2) Was the money lost in transmission i.e. did the middle man swallow part of the money?
3) What was the money used for? Were they effective spending?
And so on and so forth ...
It is only when all these have been reviewed that the shortfalls of the policies can be corrected/ amended. What’s the point of continuing decade after decade, policy name change after policy name change if vast improvements cannot be observed? After all, even for social funding, the social return on investment (ROI) should be measured. Otherwise, it is a total waste of taxpayers’ money.
Finally, a wise man once said, “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a life time.” Are there policies and programmes in place to “teach” these people to “fish”? If not, then the giving of “fish” would be tantamount to breeding laziness and expectations that the government/country owes them a living.
It’s like the unemployment policy in Australia where one can collect “dole” from the government if unemployed. According to a friend of mine, this is where the policy breeds laziness among the young adults as they continue to live at home and rely on their parents’ goodwill for food and lodging, while they collect enough “dole” to enjoy life. There was no need for them to look for a job.
Therefore, have “we” not been looking at the problem the wrong way all this while? First, understand the root cause of the problem and acknowledge that it exists (and not jump the gun on something else), then review the current policies, actions and loopholes, and then plug in all the loopholes and resolve the problem, while putting in place check and balances to ensure that all actions drive towards the core objectives.
Sounds rational and logical right?! But then, I am no politician. : )
While a political figure flew off the handle and called the study “irresponsible”, “rubbish”, “useless” and “has an ulterior motive”, and subsequently, the president of the institute retracted the report stating that the calculations and assumptions used were faulty (some parties were of the opinion that the retraction was due to pressure), and then the head of Centre for Public Policy Studies resigned because of "... the need to defend the position and integrity of independent and non-partisan scholarship", the entire point has been missed! It is not about percentages and race! If I remember my Pengajian Am correctly, both Buku Hijau (The Green Book) and the New Economic Policy (NEP) have two core objectives i.e. to eradicate poverty regardless of race and restructure society so as to eliminate race identification with economic function.
I agree wholeheartedly with Zainon Ahmad’s sentiments in his recent column “What They Say” in The Sun dated Tuesday October 10, 2006. The title of the article, “What have ratios got to do with need?” The following excerpt from the article makes a lot of sense.
“Zain: Actually I do not understand this obsession with whether the 30% equity has been achieved or not. Ok, so it is 18 something per cent or 45%. So what. Meaningless. Take the Indian ownership for example. They are supposed to be owning 3%.”
“Mohan: Two Indians may be owning it all!”
“Zain: Exactly. So it is the income disparity that needs to be looked at – and across racial lines …”
Very well said. What has race got to do with being poor? Instead of using race as a yardstick, the criteria should be the definition of poverty and all Malaysians who fall within that definition should be given assistance.
The criteria and the implementation of the policy should also be looked into i.e. is the assistance given to the “wrong” group of people? For example, is the assistance given to really poor Malays as opposed to average/ rich ones? I remember meeting a number of Malay students who were on government loans or scholarships, but yet have cars and drive to the university. (This was more than 10 years ago.) The questions that begged to be asked then were:
1) Isn’t assistance supposed to be given to the poor?
2) What is the definition of poor? (Obviously not those who can afford to drive to the university.)
It is interesting to note that when the NEP ended in 1990, official figures showed that Malay corporate equity ownership was only between 19% and 20%. But the NEP was then extended under a new name, the National Development Policy (NDP). Now, sixteen years later, the government numbers showed not an increase but a slight drop to 18.9% of Malay corporate equity ownership. Despite the billions spent, there seemed to be no improvements. Therefore, if this is the true percentage claimed by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU), shouldn't the more urgent action be to enquire why the results were so dismal after 16 years (instead of arguing over the methodology)? The parties concerned should be asking the following questions instead.
1) To whom did the money go to? Did it go to the right people i.e. the poor?
2) Was the money lost in transmission i.e. did the middle man swallow part of the money?
3) What was the money used for? Were they effective spending?
And so on and so forth ...
It is only when all these have been reviewed that the shortfalls of the policies can be corrected/ amended. What’s the point of continuing decade after decade, policy name change after policy name change if vast improvements cannot be observed? After all, even for social funding, the social return on investment (ROI) should be measured. Otherwise, it is a total waste of taxpayers’ money.
Finally, a wise man once said, “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a life time.” Are there policies and programmes in place to “teach” these people to “fish”? If not, then the giving of “fish” would be tantamount to breeding laziness and expectations that the government/country owes them a living.
It’s like the unemployment policy in Australia where one can collect “dole” from the government if unemployed. According to a friend of mine, this is where the policy breeds laziness among the young adults as they continue to live at home and rely on their parents’ goodwill for food and lodging, while they collect enough “dole” to enjoy life. There was no need for them to look for a job.
Therefore, have “we” not been looking at the problem the wrong way all this while? First, understand the root cause of the problem and acknowledge that it exists (and not jump the gun on something else), then review the current policies, actions and loopholes, and then plug in all the loopholes and resolve the problem, while putting in place check and balances to ensure that all actions drive towards the core objectives.
Sounds rational and logical right?! But then, I am no politician. : )
If you think you are being marginalised, then consider the plight of the Chinese in Brunei
While the debate/ argument/ bickering rages on over the statement made by Singapore’s former Premier Lee Kuan Yew regarding the marginalisation of the Malaysian Chinese, I was shocked to discover the plight of the Chinese in Brunei.
According to my Brunei distributor, the Chinese in Brunei faces by far, a worse situation.
Did you know that …
1) A Chinese in Brunei can only claim PR status but not citizenship, even if he/she is a second or third or forth (and so on) generation Chinese born and bred there!
2) A Chinese in Brunei have to pass an exam conducted in Malay to claim citizenship. And passing the exam is subject to a minimum yearly quota.
3) A Chinese in Brunei (who is not a citizen) carries a PR passport and have to apply for visa for whichever country they visit even West Malaysia (except for Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore).
4) A Chinese in Brunei (who is not a citizen) do not have the right to own land in the country.
Now, that would have been bad enough but it seems that there are people in Brunei who are even worse off!
Did you know that …
1) There are groups of Chinese and ethnic minorities (i.e. Iban, etc) in Brunei who are considered “stateless” people. This came about due to their parents’ (who happened to be East Malaysians who went across the border to work) ignorance! These Malaysian parents were ignorant over the fact that if their children were born in Brunei and if the parents did not register the birth with the Malaysian nor the Brunei government, then these children will be considered “stateless” as Brunei would not grant them citizenship nor PR even though they were born and bred there.
2) These “stateless” people are not given a passport. They live in the country on work permits which in turn allow them very limited travel i.e. within Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.
I extracted the below from the US State Government website.
Brunei
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 8, 2006
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
There were a sizeable number of "stateless" persons and permanent residents, mostly ethnic Chinese, including persons born and raised in the country, who were not automatically accorded citizenship and its attendant rights. They had to travel abroad as stateless persons and did not enjoy the full privileges of citizenship, including the right to own land. Stateless persons and permanent residents also were not entitled to subsidized medical care. In 2003 a reform to the nationality law allowed some older, stateless persons and some permanent residents over age 50 to acquire citizenship by passing an oral rather than a written nationality test. All stateless persons and permanent residents became entitled to free education at government schools and other vocational and technical institutions. During the year 680 persons were granted citizenship, including more than 150 children.
How about that?! It is no wonder the Chinese is a shrinking population in Brunei. Year on year the migration level is high among the Chinese population. Currently, Chinese form approximately 15% of the country’s population.
So the next time you think you have been marginalised, consider the plight of the Chinese in Brunei!
According to my Brunei distributor, the Chinese in Brunei faces by far, a worse situation.
Did you know that …
1) A Chinese in Brunei can only claim PR status but not citizenship, even if he/she is a second or third or forth (and so on) generation Chinese born and bred there!
2) A Chinese in Brunei have to pass an exam conducted in Malay to claim citizenship. And passing the exam is subject to a minimum yearly quota.
3) A Chinese in Brunei (who is not a citizen) carries a PR passport and have to apply for visa for whichever country they visit even West Malaysia (except for Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore).
4) A Chinese in Brunei (who is not a citizen) do not have the right to own land in the country.
Now, that would have been bad enough but it seems that there are people in Brunei who are even worse off!
Did you know that …
1) There are groups of Chinese and ethnic minorities (i.e. Iban, etc) in Brunei who are considered “stateless” people. This came about due to their parents’ (who happened to be East Malaysians who went across the border to work) ignorance! These Malaysian parents were ignorant over the fact that if their children were born in Brunei and if the parents did not register the birth with the Malaysian nor the Brunei government, then these children will be considered “stateless” as Brunei would not grant them citizenship nor PR even though they were born and bred there.
2) These “stateless” people are not given a passport. They live in the country on work permits which in turn allow them very limited travel i.e. within Brunei, Sabah and Sarawak.
I extracted the below from the US State Government website.
Brunei
Country Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005
Released by the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
March 8, 2006
National/Racial/Ethnic Minorities
There were a sizeable number of "stateless" persons and permanent residents, mostly ethnic Chinese, including persons born and raised in the country, who were not automatically accorded citizenship and its attendant rights. They had to travel abroad as stateless persons and did not enjoy the full privileges of citizenship, including the right to own land. Stateless persons and permanent residents also were not entitled to subsidized medical care. In 2003 a reform to the nationality law allowed some older, stateless persons and some permanent residents over age 50 to acquire citizenship by passing an oral rather than a written nationality test. All stateless persons and permanent residents became entitled to free education at government schools and other vocational and technical institutions. During the year 680 persons were granted citizenship, including more than 150 children.
How about that?! It is no wonder the Chinese is a shrinking population in Brunei. Year on year the migration level is high among the Chinese population. Currently, Chinese form approximately 15% of the country’s population.
So the next time you think you have been marginalised, consider the plight of the Chinese in Brunei!
Monday, October 09, 2006
What's your poison?
Mine is Vodka.
My love affair with vodka started four years ago in a beautiful stretch of land called Southern Africa ~
With warm safari sunrise
Beautiful savannah land
Amazing BIG FIVE
And Vodka! What a combination!
Not being a hard liquor drinker, I prefer vodka served diluted with lemon squash or lately with 100 Plus. It should be served with 4 parts of diluting substance to 1 part vodka. That's probably blasphemous to serious vodka drinkers but I loved my vodka served that way. :0)
Here's a little bit of info on my poison:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vodka is typically a colorless liquor, usually distilled from fermented potatoes, but can also include alcohol made from other raw materials such as grain. The word is a diminutive of the Slavic word "voda" (voda, вода) for "water."
Except for various types of flavorings, vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol). Vodka usually has an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian vodka is 40% (80 proof).
At strengths less than this (40%) vodka drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) can taste 'watery' and above this strength the taste of vodka can have more 'burn'. Under US Federal law, the minimum alcohol strength of vodka is also 40% by volume, whilst in Europe the minimum is 37.5% by volume.
Although vodka is generally drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) in its Eastern European and Scandinavian homeland, its growth in popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the Vodka Tonic, and the Vodka Martini.
In the subsequent years since, I have had the opportunity to try out various brands of vodka. Here are a few that I enjoy:
Stolichnaya - Russian vodka - and the cause of my love affair with Vodka! :o)
Absolut - Swedish vodka - a recent acquired taste. I love the packaging!
Smirnoff - Russian vodka - also a recent acquired taste. Among the cheaper brands around but offers an interesting array of flavours. My all time favourite is the citrus flavoured vodka. My most recent purchase is an apple flavoured one though and it has such a sweet apple cider smell.
Finlandia - Finnish vodka - a friend introduced me to my first taste of vodka kept in the freezer for a freezing cold consumption. It was interesting. Hmm ... perhaps I should try that again.
Skyy - US vodka - was introduced to this by another friend who is a strong vodka drinker. He had once challenged another friend to a 1.5 bottles of vodka drinking contest. He claimed that he could drink a lot more than that. :o)
And that's the end of the vodka lesson. For more details, check out Wikipedia!
My love affair with vodka started four years ago in a beautiful stretch of land called Southern Africa ~
With warm safari sunrise
Beautiful savannah land
Amazing BIG FIVE
And Vodka! What a combination!
Not being a hard liquor drinker, I prefer vodka served diluted with lemon squash or lately with 100 Plus. It should be served with 4 parts of diluting substance to 1 part vodka. That's probably blasphemous to serious vodka drinkers but I loved my vodka served that way. :0)
Here's a little bit of info on my poison:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vodka is typically a colorless liquor, usually distilled from fermented potatoes, but can also include alcohol made from other raw materials such as grain. The word is a diminutive of the Slavic word "voda" (voda, вода) for "water."
Except for various types of flavorings, vodka consists of water and alcohol (ethanol). Vodka usually has an alcohol content ranging from 35% to 50% by volume. The classic Russian vodka is 40% (80 proof).
At strengths less than this (40%) vodka drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) can taste 'watery' and above this strength the taste of vodka can have more 'burn'. Under US Federal law, the minimum alcohol strength of vodka is also 40% by volume, whilst in Europe the minimum is 37.5% by volume.
Although vodka is generally drunk neat (not mixed with other liquids) in its Eastern European and Scandinavian homeland, its growth in popularity elsewhere owes much to its usefulness in cocktails and other mixed drinks, such as the Bloody Mary, the Screwdriver, the Vodka Tonic, and the Vodka Martini.
In the subsequent years since, I have had the opportunity to try out various brands of vodka. Here are a few that I enjoy:
Stolichnaya - Russian vodka - and the cause of my love affair with Vodka! :o)
Absolut - Swedish vodka - a recent acquired taste. I love the packaging!
Smirnoff - Russian vodka - also a recent acquired taste. Among the cheaper brands around but offers an interesting array of flavours. My all time favourite is the citrus flavoured vodka. My most recent purchase is an apple flavoured one though and it has such a sweet apple cider smell.
Finlandia - Finnish vodka - a friend introduced me to my first taste of vodka kept in the freezer for a freezing cold consumption. It was interesting. Hmm ... perhaps I should try that again.
Skyy - US vodka - was introduced to this by another friend who is a strong vodka drinker. He had once challenged another friend to a 1.5 bottles of vodka drinking contest. He claimed that he could drink a lot more than that. :o)
And that's the end of the vodka lesson. For more details, check out Wikipedia!
Saturday, October 07, 2006
It is a sad day for Universiti Malaya
PETALING JAYA: Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) has supplanted Universiti Malaya (UM) as the country’s highest ranked university in the latest survey conducted on world university rankings. (For the full report, go to this link.)
I was bombarded by the news the moment I walked into the office today. My alma mater, our pride and joy (or it used to be).
Those days, students fight to get into UM. Those days, it meant something to be from UM. Those days, one gets respect from job interviewers when they find out that one is from UM!
But alas! Those days were gone!!! And somehow I am not surprised by the downward spiral of the university and its reputation.
According to The Star Online, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang attributed Malaysian universities' poor ranking to the failure of the institutions “to practise real meritocracy in academic appointments and promotions, as well as in student intake.”
I am not quite sure of the situation now although I don't think the quota system has changed overly much from my time. And based on my experience (which was more than 10 years back), it's a great divide between the entree points for different races. But even that would not have mattered if the end justify the means i.e. the students who were given the opportunity were able to catch up or in quite a few instances, even bother trying to catch up.
But that's only one side of the story. The other is the quality of lecturers! For a premier university, the lecturers attached to the university (or at least those in my experience) left a lot to be desired. I could count on one hand the total number of good lecturers I have had in my four years of education there. Isn't that absolutely sad?!
As if that wasn't enough, I recently discovered from a friend who is doing her MBA at UM that one of the worst lecturers I ever had the misfortune to encounter, is still lecturing at the university and that she is one of the senior lecturers there now and is of some standing within the faculty. My jaw dropped!
In any case, I believe in giving people a second chance to redeem themselves. But what irks me was that I heard that this lecturer's attitude has not changed i.e. she is still that prissy woman who is also a royal a**hole (pardon the language). It seemed she shut up an MBA student by saying that a certain question asked is not in the syllabus and thus not open for discussion. (I had it on good authority that it was a reasonable question.) In any case, how could a lecturer suppress the learning process especially within the environment/confines of an MBA Programme? To top it off, from what I heard, she still teaches her lessons using the OH Projector. And it wouldn't surprise me if the slides she is using are the same old ones she used to teach me in my first degree. (Yeah! Yeah! That's a bitchy remark.)
Gosh! If lecturers as bad as these still get promoted and are roped in to teach the MBA programme, is it any wonder that the quality of students and the quality of research produced have gone on a downward spiral.
To drop in ranking from 89 in 2004 to 169 in 2005, and to have a further drop of 23 places to 192 this year is shameful and inexcusable for a university like UM. But true to form of a Malaysia Boleh type of mentality, the downward ranking caused a national debate on the status of the premier university and the validity of the criteria used for the rankings. Yeah! Right! Blame it on the criteria instead of looking inwardly to seek for areas of improvements. How would we ever progress if at the first signs of criticism, we react defensively?
It's just a sad, sad day for Universiti Malaya. I weep for thee and for what you could have been.
I was bombarded by the news the moment I walked into the office today. My alma mater, our pride and joy (or it used to be).
Those days, students fight to get into UM. Those days, it meant something to be from UM. Those days, one gets respect from job interviewers when they find out that one is from UM!
But alas! Those days were gone!!! And somehow I am not surprised by the downward spiral of the university and its reputation.
According to The Star Online, Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang attributed Malaysian universities' poor ranking to the failure of the institutions “to practise real meritocracy in academic appointments and promotions, as well as in student intake.”
I am not quite sure of the situation now although I don't think the quota system has changed overly much from my time. And based on my experience (which was more than 10 years back), it's a great divide between the entree points for different races. But even that would not have mattered if the end justify the means i.e. the students who were given the opportunity were able to catch up or in quite a few instances, even bother trying to catch up.
But that's only one side of the story. The other is the quality of lecturers! For a premier university, the lecturers attached to the university (or at least those in my experience) left a lot to be desired. I could count on one hand the total number of good lecturers I have had in my four years of education there. Isn't that absolutely sad?!
As if that wasn't enough, I recently discovered from a friend who is doing her MBA at UM that one of the worst lecturers I ever had the misfortune to encounter, is still lecturing at the university and that she is one of the senior lecturers there now and is of some standing within the faculty. My jaw dropped!
In any case, I believe in giving people a second chance to redeem themselves. But what irks me was that I heard that this lecturer's attitude has not changed i.e. she is still that prissy woman who is also a royal a**hole (pardon the language). It seemed she shut up an MBA student by saying that a certain question asked is not in the syllabus and thus not open for discussion. (I had it on good authority that it was a reasonable question.) In any case, how could a lecturer suppress the learning process especially within the environment/confines of an MBA Programme? To top it off, from what I heard, she still teaches her lessons using the OH Projector. And it wouldn't surprise me if the slides she is using are the same old ones she used to teach me in my first degree. (Yeah! Yeah! That's a bitchy remark.)
Gosh! If lecturers as bad as these still get promoted and are roped in to teach the MBA programme, is it any wonder that the quality of students and the quality of research produced have gone on a downward spiral.
To drop in ranking from 89 in 2004 to 169 in 2005, and to have a further drop of 23 places to 192 this year is shameful and inexcusable for a university like UM. But true to form of a Malaysia Boleh type of mentality, the downward ranking caused a national debate on the status of the premier university and the validity of the criteria used for the rankings. Yeah! Right! Blame it on the criteria instead of looking inwardly to seek for areas of improvements. How would we ever progress if at the first signs of criticism, we react defensively?
It's just a sad, sad day for Universiti Malaya. I weep for thee and for what you could have been.
How candid should you be when you blog?
The bare naked truth … how comfortable are you in baring your soul in your blogs?
I have always thought that my life is an open book and that I am the most open person around. There’s nothing to hide. What you see is pretty much what you get. And my friends know that from the onset (or so I assume).
Thus, it came as a surprise to me when I started blogging that indeed there are things I am not comfortable in revealing to all and sundry. There have been blogs that I have conducted self censorship and there are others that I had misgivings in posting them but decided to do so in the end.
The oddest thing is that my discomfort stems from exposing my vulnerability to folks who already know me. It’s like revealing the bare naked truth about your innermost thoughts. And sure enough, friends whom I never thought would read my blog would have read them and picked opportune moments (i.e. during lunch) to shock me with their knowledge of … well ... my innermost thoughts! (Thanks for the lunch tip on silent blog readers Tim. :p)
I have no qualms if the blogs were only read by total strangers who came across them, likely because there is no history between us and there is no “vulnerability” felt. That’s probably why chat rooms and forums are thriving communities especially to shy and timid folks, who could act out the alter egos and fantasies behind the web screen. Perhaps the anonymity gives them Dutch courage.
Back to blog candidness, I am still not totally convinced that total candidness is the way to go although in most times, I just tell myself to post it and to hell with the consequences. Thus far, I have not reached hell yet with the consequences. Hahahaha …
To bare or not to bare the bare naked truth? Now that’s the question. ; )
I have always thought that my life is an open book and that I am the most open person around. There’s nothing to hide. What you see is pretty much what you get. And my friends know that from the onset (or so I assume).
Thus, it came as a surprise to me when I started blogging that indeed there are things I am not comfortable in revealing to all and sundry. There have been blogs that I have conducted self censorship and there are others that I had misgivings in posting them but decided to do so in the end.
The oddest thing is that my discomfort stems from exposing my vulnerability to folks who already know me. It’s like revealing the bare naked truth about your innermost thoughts. And sure enough, friends whom I never thought would read my blog would have read them and picked opportune moments (i.e. during lunch) to shock me with their knowledge of … well ... my innermost thoughts! (Thanks for the lunch tip on silent blog readers Tim. :p)
I have no qualms if the blogs were only read by total strangers who came across them, likely because there is no history between us and there is no “vulnerability” felt. That’s probably why chat rooms and forums are thriving communities especially to shy and timid folks, who could act out the alter egos and fantasies behind the web screen. Perhaps the anonymity gives them Dutch courage.
Back to blog candidness, I am still not totally convinced that total candidness is the way to go although in most times, I just tell myself to post it and to hell with the consequences. Thus far, I have not reached hell yet with the consequences. Hahahaha …
To bare or not to bare the bare naked truth? Now that’s the question. ; )
Moon Cake Festival booboo
I received the following message from my sister and a friend today. It read:
“I look at the moon,
The moon is beautiful …
I look at you …
I …
I …
I …
I’d better look at the moon again …
Happy Moon Cake Festival!”
Ha ha ha ha … I loved it. I thought it was a riot and promptly sent that out to friends whom I thought could take it as a joke. I had a few good laughs from the replies I received. Most were amused except one who seemed insulted by the message.
Then it got me thinking that perhaps the rest who were silent and did not reply me were insulted as well. Dang! What a booboo to make on this festival.
Therefore, to friends who might have been insulted by the message, my apologies to you. It was meant to be something funny that we could laugh over together. I have a whacky sense of humour and it just never crossed my mind that THAT could be insulting to you.
Thousand apologies and a sincere Moon Cake Festival wish to all of ya!
“I look at the moon,
The moon is beautiful …
I look at you …
I …
I …
I …
I’d better look at the moon again …
Happy Moon Cake Festival!”
Ha ha ha ha … I loved it. I thought it was a riot and promptly sent that out to friends whom I thought could take it as a joke. I had a few good laughs from the replies I received. Most were amused except one who seemed insulted by the message.
Then it got me thinking that perhaps the rest who were silent and did not reply me were insulted as well. Dang! What a booboo to make on this festival.
Therefore, to friends who might have been insulted by the message, my apologies to you. It was meant to be something funny that we could laugh over together. I have a whacky sense of humour and it just never crossed my mind that THAT could be insulting to you.
Thousand apologies and a sincere Moon Cake Festival wish to all of ya!
Friday, October 06, 2006
Managing People 101
Every Tom, Dick and Harry (as well as their female counterparts) wants to be a manager these days. In fact, almost every young graduate I spoke to wants to be a manager. It’s the money and the status, I believe. But I wonder if they comprehend what the role entails other than just a title to flaunt.
The biggest concern of a manager is people management. No management guru can teach you how to manage people and how to study the nuances of the politics behind these folks. You can get the best books with the “best” advice but the bottom line is one person’s attitude, character and traits very much differs from another. And handling people in certain situations differs very much from another.
I have been at this for a few years and yet, it has always been a constant struggle. People are not static, they are constantly changing. Dealing with bosses is certainly different from dealing with peers, which in turn is different from dealing with subordinates. There's no one size fits all advice in dealing with them. Besides, if an issue arises, we have to resolve it then and there as these are the “in your face” kind of things where one can’t very well sweep a problem under the carpet.
For example:
How does one handle an unreasonable boss?
How does one thread the ground when dealing with local and regional bosses that do not see eye to eye?
How does one deal with a non performing peer who is co-running a project?
How much “face” should one accord the peer before jumping down his/her throat?
How does one deal with an over achiever subordinate?
How much of a leash does one give to an over achiever subordinate?
How much of the whip should one apply and how much of the carrot can one dangle?
How much authority should one delegate to an average Joe?
How much coaching should one give before it becomes spoon feeding?
How much … blah, blah, blah, …
And the list goes on and on ...
It is mind-boggling the amount of engagement, diplomacy and energy needed for this. I’m usually tired out after a full day of dealing with the various relationships and inter-relationships amongst the people I manage and the people who manage me! Being non confrontational yet cognizant of the fact that I should not allow people to bully/step on me, it is always a struggle to find that fine balance.
But ultimately, one learns this very fundamental lesson; "You can’t please everybody all the time."
The biggest concern of a manager is people management. No management guru can teach you how to manage people and how to study the nuances of the politics behind these folks. You can get the best books with the “best” advice but the bottom line is one person’s attitude, character and traits very much differs from another. And handling people in certain situations differs very much from another.
I have been at this for a few years and yet, it has always been a constant struggle. People are not static, they are constantly changing. Dealing with bosses is certainly different from dealing with peers, which in turn is different from dealing with subordinates. There's no one size fits all advice in dealing with them. Besides, if an issue arises, we have to resolve it then and there as these are the “in your face” kind of things where one can’t very well sweep a problem under the carpet.
For example:
How does one handle an unreasonable boss?
How does one thread the ground when dealing with local and regional bosses that do not see eye to eye?
How does one deal with a non performing peer who is co-running a project?
How much “face” should one accord the peer before jumping down his/her throat?
How does one deal with an over achiever subordinate?
How much of a leash does one give to an over achiever subordinate?
How much of the whip should one apply and how much of the carrot can one dangle?
How much authority should one delegate to an average Joe?
How much coaching should one give before it becomes spoon feeding?
How much … blah, blah, blah, …
And the list goes on and on ...
It is mind-boggling the amount of engagement, diplomacy and energy needed for this. I’m usually tired out after a full day of dealing with the various relationships and inter-relationships amongst the people I manage and the people who manage me! Being non confrontational yet cognizant of the fact that I should not allow people to bully/step on me, it is always a struggle to find that fine balance.
But ultimately, one learns this very fundamental lesson; "You can’t please everybody all the time."
Weekly Thursday Night Badminton
Boy! Talk about missing in action for months. I haven't seen my MBA coursemates in yonks i.e. since I have dropped outta the weekly badminton tourney with them.
It was a darn good two hour workout tonight. And these guys had no mercy! Blardy hell!!! I was scrambling all over the court, retrieving shots. I bet my muscles will start protesting tomorrow.
But it was a good sort of pain. Yeah! Yeah! Perhaps I am a masochist. :p In any case, I am making a wow to myself to join them every Thursday if I am in good ol' KL.
I'm glad that they continued with the mamak session to end a perfect game day. It's a great way to catch up and start bitching about how the uni ripped us off! Hahaha ...
Life's A Bitch Till You Day. But sometimes, there's a silver lining in the clouds! ;)
It's GREAT to be back!
It was a darn good two hour workout tonight. And these guys had no mercy! Blardy hell!!! I was scrambling all over the court, retrieving shots. I bet my muscles will start protesting tomorrow.
But it was a good sort of pain. Yeah! Yeah! Perhaps I am a masochist. :p In any case, I am making a wow to myself to join them every Thursday if I am in good ol' KL.
I'm glad that they continued with the mamak session to end a perfect game day. It's a great way to catch up and start bitching about how the uni ripped us off! Hahaha ...
Life's A Bitch Till You Day. But sometimes, there's a silver lining in the clouds! ;)
It's GREAT to be back!
Back in business again!
Wow! Three blogs in four days ... and still counting!! Am I back in business or what?!
I took a hiatus from blogging and other activities for awhile as I was caught up with my DVD marathon every night that I am home. Also, my muse was clearly not working and thus, it was better to be entertained than to entertain in the last few weeks! :p
And when I am not home, I'm out busting my butt for work. Been travelling a fair bit lately for work too ~ Genting, JB, Singapore, ... and counting ... although I have a mini reprieve for now.
JB was tiring. I left home at 8 am on a Friday morning, drove down to the office and picked up a few colleagues, then onward to JB. Reached there about 1.30pm, checked in, had a quick lunch, and off again with my sales guys to visit a few customers. We ended up having dinner with a customer at 8.30pm in Kota Tinggi, and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was already 11.30pm. Gosh! Talk about fatique! The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak!
The next day, we had to attend a roadshow. Thank god that only starts at 3pm but it ended way past midnight. The plan was to drive back to KL at 10.00 am the next day, BUT I only managed to wake up at 10.15 am. By the time we left JB, it was 11.00+ am. The drive back was pure torture as my eyelids were ready to close anytime. It didn't help that my passengers were all snoozing soundly at the back of the seat. By the time we reached KL and I have sent the rest home, it was 4.00+pm. Gosh! Talk about FATIQUE!!!
I'm glad that I will be grounded for a few more weeks before the madness began again.
I took a hiatus from blogging and other activities for awhile as I was caught up with my DVD marathon every night that I am home. Also, my muse was clearly not working and thus, it was better to be entertained than to entertain in the last few weeks! :p
And when I am not home, I'm out busting my butt for work. Been travelling a fair bit lately for work too ~ Genting, JB, Singapore, ... and counting ... although I have a mini reprieve for now.
JB was tiring. I left home at 8 am on a Friday morning, drove down to the office and picked up a few colleagues, then onward to JB. Reached there about 1.30pm, checked in, had a quick lunch, and off again with my sales guys to visit a few customers. We ended up having dinner with a customer at 8.30pm in Kota Tinggi, and by the time I got back to the hotel, it was already 11.30pm. Gosh! Talk about fatique! The spirit may be willing, but the flesh is weak!
The next day, we had to attend a roadshow. Thank god that only starts at 3pm but it ended way past midnight. The plan was to drive back to KL at 10.00 am the next day, BUT I only managed to wake up at 10.15 am. By the time we left JB, it was 11.00+ am. The drive back was pure torture as my eyelids were ready to close anytime. It didn't help that my passengers were all snoozing soundly at the back of the seat. By the time we reached KL and I have sent the rest home, it was 4.00+pm. Gosh! Talk about FATIQUE!!!
I'm glad that I will be grounded for a few more weeks before the madness began again.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Friendship
I came across a few quotes that ring so true about friendship.
Quote:
I believe-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.
My say:
You might no longer see things the way I do.
You might no longer do the things I want to do.
And though I no longer hang around with you,
It does not mean that I no longer need you.
Quote:
I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
My say:
Your words were harsh, your thoughts unreasonable.
I lashed out in pain, but that was inexcusable.
Harsh words were said but we couldn’t call them back.
We were both wrong; can we not just forgive and forget?
Quote:
I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
My say:
We parted ways, five years or more,
Separated by oceans, both on different shores,
After a long, long while, we met once more
It felt like only yesterday we were young gals in pinafores!
Quote:
I believe-
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.
My say:
Be it hours of chatting, and paying hundreds in phone bills,
Be it wine drinking sessions, or trekking up hills,
Be it watching the sunrise or listening to the birds chime,
Whatever it is or is not, we are having the best of times!
This is for you my dear friends ~ you know who you are.
Quote:
I believe-
that we don't have to change friends
if we understand that friends change.
My say:
You might no longer see things the way I do.
You might no longer do the things I want to do.
And though I no longer hang around with you,
It does not mean that I no longer need you.
Quote:
I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is,
they're going to hurt you every once in a while
and you must forgive them for that.
My say:
Your words were harsh, your thoughts unreasonable.
I lashed out in pain, but that was inexcusable.
Harsh words were said but we couldn’t call them back.
We were both wrong; can we not just forgive and forget?
Quote:
I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance.
My say:
We parted ways, five years or more,
Separated by oceans, both on different shores,
After a long, long while, we met once more
It felt like only yesterday we were young gals in pinafores!
Quote:
I believe-
that my best friend and I can do anything
or nothing and have the best time.
My say:
Be it hours of chatting, and paying hundreds in phone bills,
Be it wine drinking sessions, or trekking up hills,
Be it watching the sunrise or listening to the birds chime,
Whatever it is or is not, we are having the best of times!
This is for you my dear friends ~ you know who you are.
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
He says, she says … but what do I say?
My love life has been fodder for speculation for a while now. Therefore it is of no surprise to me to find out that that has been a topic of conversation even when it is out of my earshot. :p
Recently a friend told me about a conversation she had with another friend regarding my requirements for a man. It seemed that I am a “lost cause” as I am believed to have very high requirements for a man i.e. one who has a better job/ career than me, earns more than me, is better educated, etc., etc. Hahaha … What a perception! I now wonder what kind of vibes I have been sending out.
I recalled another conversation I had with another friend, who said in jest (or so I thought), “You have all the Cs (as in the 5Cs). So what do you need a man for?” I remember replying flippantly, “Hmm … companionship?”
Another friend believes that I need a man who is not around half the time and is willing to allow me my independence. One more believes that only “gwei los” would be a match in heaven for me. Yikes! That made me sound like a sarong party girl. One even went as far as to comment that the kind of man I look for is extinct but did not elaborate on what kind of man that is.
Hmmm … all these speculations!
It’s high time I come clean on the subject and squelch more speculation. Here is my say on the subject. Instead of asking me my requirements, let’s start by reviewing the type of man I have fallen for thus far.
The first one was good looking with a boyish charm about him. But what truly intrigued me was his MIND! He had one of the best brains I have ever come across. Not just book smart, he had an amazing yet convoluted philosophy of life with the most interesting views and interpretations of our social structure, and of human and marital relationships. He believed that we should choose with our minds, and not with our hearts. He believed in challenging the status quo at every turn. He had barely a penny to his name; but he had lots of ambition and a self confidence that’s larger than life.
The second one was bestowed with the gift of wit and humour. Life was a laugh to him and yet he was one of the most caring and honest guy I had the good fortune to know. The best part was that we could chat for hours about anything under the sun. He was like a best friend, a playmate, a soul mate. He had a huge appetite for knowledge and a love for the great outdoors. And he had the patience of job. There was a “connection” with him that’s beyond physical attraction and is difficult to put into words.
I connected on both work and education level with the third one. I could bounce off ideas regarding issues at work, and I could get a logical and impartial view from him, which helped me in finding a solution to most work related issues. Unlike the other two, which I felt I was on equal footing, the third one was like a mentor to me ~ someone I could look up to. Conversations with him were easy. The physical attraction was exciting, yet disconcerting. What attracted me most were his maturity and his mind. I had a lot of respect for him.
Hmmm … so what do I really require in a man? Not so easy to define eh? I don’t even know myself. Are my friends’ perceptions true? Are my requirements too high? Have I been sending out the wrong vibes? Gee … I am more confused now.
And the verdict is … only god knows. :D
Recently a friend told me about a conversation she had with another friend regarding my requirements for a man. It seemed that I am a “lost cause” as I am believed to have very high requirements for a man i.e. one who has a better job/ career than me, earns more than me, is better educated, etc., etc. Hahaha … What a perception! I now wonder what kind of vibes I have been sending out.
I recalled another conversation I had with another friend, who said in jest (or so I thought), “You have all the Cs (as in the 5Cs). So what do you need a man for?” I remember replying flippantly, “Hmm … companionship?”
Another friend believes that I need a man who is not around half the time and is willing to allow me my independence. One more believes that only “gwei los” would be a match in heaven for me. Yikes! That made me sound like a sarong party girl. One even went as far as to comment that the kind of man I look for is extinct but did not elaborate on what kind of man that is.
Hmmm … all these speculations!
It’s high time I come clean on the subject and squelch more speculation. Here is my say on the subject. Instead of asking me my requirements, let’s start by reviewing the type of man I have fallen for thus far.
The first one was good looking with a boyish charm about him. But what truly intrigued me was his MIND! He had one of the best brains I have ever come across. Not just book smart, he had an amazing yet convoluted philosophy of life with the most interesting views and interpretations of our social structure, and of human and marital relationships. He believed that we should choose with our minds, and not with our hearts. He believed in challenging the status quo at every turn. He had barely a penny to his name; but he had lots of ambition and a self confidence that’s larger than life.
The second one was bestowed with the gift of wit and humour. Life was a laugh to him and yet he was one of the most caring and honest guy I had the good fortune to know. The best part was that we could chat for hours about anything under the sun. He was like a best friend, a playmate, a soul mate. He had a huge appetite for knowledge and a love for the great outdoors. And he had the patience of job. There was a “connection” with him that’s beyond physical attraction and is difficult to put into words.
I connected on both work and education level with the third one. I could bounce off ideas regarding issues at work, and I could get a logical and impartial view from him, which helped me in finding a solution to most work related issues. Unlike the other two, which I felt I was on equal footing, the third one was like a mentor to me ~ someone I could look up to. Conversations with him were easy. The physical attraction was exciting, yet disconcerting. What attracted me most were his maturity and his mind. I had a lot of respect for him.
Hmmm … so what do I really require in a man? Not so easy to define eh? I don’t even know myself. Are my friends’ perceptions true? Are my requirements too high? Have I been sending out the wrong vibes? Gee … I am more confused now.
And the verdict is … only god knows. :D
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