Last post

I know this was supposed to be due on Sunday but since many didn't post until recently, I thought I'd buy my time as well. Anyway, I feel kinda poignant knowing that I'll probably never blog again after this. The unfortunate outcome of the blog will probably be pretty similar to the other one, left to wither and slowly decompose in the cruel online world. After all, knowing that my pebel marks won't be cut if I don't blog plays a pretty big factor in my laziness. It's still pretty sad though, knowing that nothing will ever amount from my time(15 minutes) and effort(short one paragraph posts). Bur I guess that's life. I know everyone expects you to write an impactful last post as a farewell token but I've honestly nothing much to say. It's funny, throughout the year, I had so much to say and I'd always tell myself "oh, I'll put it on my blog" but now that we're at the end, I find myself reflecting on a more silent note. And maybe farewells aren't meant to go out with a bang, maybe just a small fizzle will suffice. The word "farewell" is such a beautiful word and it shouldn't be limited to just the English language so adieu, abschied, addio, comiat, farval, despedida, vale, and wakare.

6/8-12/8

Can someone please tell august to slow the hell down and wait for me to catch up? Yes, I just realised that trials are only in a couple of weeks and I've barely started on revision. I mean, I thought I had all the time in the world and suddenly, *whoosh* where did all the time go? Oh yes, i spent it on the internet and watching the Olympics. speaking of the Olympics, did you know that there were more people in the stadium watching the athlete from Grenada than Grenada itself? And I thought Malaysia was small. So, back to the issue of August being a total b**** and wanting to speed along without any consideration for my poor, unprepared soul. Even as I am complaining about not having enough time, here I am utilizing it by blogging (not that I don't enjoy it, it's actually quite therapeutic) Well, that's all for now. If anyone can find a way to reach the higher echelons that control time, do contact me as I have urgent issues in dire need of settling with them.

23/7-5/8

As usual, I didn't really do anything exciting this weekend other than lazing about and being a bum. Honestly, I was so unproductive that I can scarcely remember doing anything at all. Oh, I watched the Olympics (was it the badminton weekend?) See how hazy my memory is? Anyway, nothing particularly interesting happened to me this week, I honestly cannot comprehend how people have uber-exciting social lives and then have gazillions of things to blog about. I, for one, am a lifeless starfish and intend to remain so. Thus, here ends my post as I leave to decompose in all my starfish glory.

Childhood Fears

         I was a weird kid. Instead of watching Disney movies and Barbie the Magic Princess, my favourite movies were "James and The Giant Peach" and "Billy Elliot". Who doesn't love a welsh kid that dances ballet? Thus, it would only be natural that my fears were just as out of the ordinary. I remember being afraid of lots of things yet doing them anyway, not to conquer my fears but out of sheer stupidity. For example, I had a real fear of the iron when I was a kid. To me, they were these heavy metal things that could potentially endanger your life. They were a more realistic and less adequate version of the Power Rangers' weapons. For any other kid, he/she would not have touched the iron with a ten-foot pole but not me. I just has to touch the base of the iron with my hand right after my grandmother was done using it. Of course, it definitely wasn't as hot as I expected it to be and I didn't die, but it was still pretty hot. Ever since then, I have hated all things hot, including the sun. Thanks iron, for causing me to get bronchitis because I don't drink any hot drinks.
            Another quirky fear of mine is definitely the fear of chicken going extinct. As I have mentioned, I devour chicken the was our culture devours reality television. Chicken, to me was like the Kardashians to reality TV addicts. If I had chicken for lunch, I would probably have it for dinner again. As a kid, it was the only type of meat I ate-except for a short phase when I had a strange passion for lamb. Even now, I still love chicken more than my family and friends. Just yesterday, I had fried chicken for breakfast, BBQ roasted chicken for lunch and paprika chicken for dinner. There is rarely a gastronomical moment in my life that does not include chicken. So, for a chicken-lover like me, the idea of there being no more chickens in the world for my consumption is akin to a singer losing his/her voice. It would be a downright calamity and a severe injustice to me. You might question the validity of this fear of mine but pause to think for a moment. What if someone took your favourite thing in the world and there were no other replicas? Just substitute it with chicken and you will understand.
                  There was also another fear of mine that I find difficult to explain. Remember the face of a baby on the sun in everyone's favourite children's show; Teletubbies? Did you think it was cute and simply adorable? Did you look up to the sun and wonder why there was no baby in it? Well, that's because only sadists and extremely intelligent people would trap innocent little babies in suns. Believe me, I hated the baby in the sun. Every time it came on, I would cry out and beg my mum to fast forward the part where it shone and gurgled. I mean, I wasn't a particularly precocious kid but even I could tell that any baby that was banished to the sun and still smiled with all the optimism in the world would definitely have to be evil. Do I sense a little Stockholm Syndrome? And the way it spied on the Teletubbies was a tad Orwellian for my liking. All the teletubbies ever did was sigh with amazement and amble around, they weren't exactly very interesting creatures. That solidified it for me that the baby in the sun was a weird, twisted stalker that deserved to be censored form television.
                    My last and least interesting fear has to be the fear of dogs. I purposely listed this fear as the last one to ensure that you will read my whole essay without skipping the generic portion of it. While the fear of dogs is quite a commonplace fear, when I say that i fear them, I literally mean it. Take for example, once when I was walking to the local orphanage with my maid, I saw a dog a great distance away. Yet, I refused to continue with my journey for fear it would pounce on me and rip me to shreds. It wasn't a puppy or a poodle, mind you. I was afraid of them, not stupid. However, it was pretty big and seemed intimidating even from afar. Maybe it was my poor eyesight but I swear I could see it's eyes searing into my body, probably thinking to itself "Well, there stands my lunch." My maid, being of an extremely insensitive nature, practically dragged me for a few centimeters more before she gave up. While she dragged me, I stood shock still whilst begging her to spare my life. As we stood there arguing, I saw the dog approaching us with evil in it's eyes. My poor heart couldn't take anymore so I ran home and burst into tears. My inane fear of dogs actually stemmed from when I was about 9 years old and got chased by a bulldog. I ran so fast back then that my slippers flew into the drain. Ever since then, I tremble and cry like a baby whenever there's a dog around.
                   Well, those are just a few of my childhood fears that I can recall vividly. I could expound on a few more but then I would end up boring you and who would want to be bored senseless reading a factual essay on childhood fears? If I was Freud, I'd probably theorize that fears stem from some deeply hidden sexual feelings just to spice it up, but this is a family- friendly blog. That's all I have to say for my childhood fears whist remaining on topic. If you are in need of reading more mature and less frivolous essays, please read the essays of other people that have spent more effort and time on theirs. Lastly, I dare you to find any of your childhood fears that are stranger than "the sun in Teletubbies."      

16/7-22/7

Oh, of Japanese food and beer! Well, on saturday, the whole bunch of us went to Umai-ya for lunch to celebrate our victory and Pei Ming's birthday (which I subsequently found out the next day). Anyway, the food was great, as it should be considering the exorbitant price one pays for it. Of course, the best part of the lunch was the free flow of the beer! I know, it's only Tiger but hey, it's beer,ok? re: not an alcoholic. So, we ended the lunch with a drinking game which I volunteered myself to drink for those who couldn't. See how noble and self-sacrificing I was? Oh, you embarrass me with your praise. After the lunch, eight of us met up with Carmie the car-men choong at OU to watch "THE DARK KNIGHT RISES". It was just djkfjhksk. Yeah, that's how awesome it was. While we are on the topic of the movie, I think it's only suitable to remember the victims of the horrific colorado shooting that died during the premiere of the movie. For the majority of us, the movie will be etched in our memories as one to remember but for those who lost their lives, family and friends, it is a tragedy. So, let's not forget them even while we enjoy ourselves. Alrighty, that's all for this week. Adios, little invincible ones

'Step by Wicked Step"

         Based on the novel 'Step by Wicked Step' by Anne Fine, Richard Clayton Harwick's character had faced many problems starting at a young age prominently after the demise of his beloved father. Along the way, he was forced to make many decisions to solve his problems based on what he deemed right at the moment. Richard became desolate when his helpless mother marries the wicked Reverend Coldstone whom he called "the black bat". It did not help that her sister, Charlotte was fond of him. His stepfather treated him cruelly often chastising him harshly and even decided to send him to boarding school. Being convinced that he had had enough. he ran away from home, far away from his family who could not relate to his predicament. He worked as a laborer in the seas for many years, working his way up. At that point of time, Richard believed that it was the best resort as he was emancipated from his agony. One day, he chanced upon an advertisement seeking him. Charlotte who possibly died during childbirth revealed the true state of misery of their family in a letter. He was remorseful that his poor mother had died of heartbreak, ignorant of the many years she tried to locate him. He wondered, had all these events occurred because of his wrong decision? He was not any happier than that moment he decided to leave thinking he was doing the right thing. Richard wrote in his journal that the trials and tribulations of his life, expressing his inner thoughts kept too long to change anything to whoever that would find it, read it and pity him.

2/7-8/7

'elo lovahs! Alright, so i woke up at 6.30 on saturday for the HELP Law Olympiad 2012. Remember how i mentioned in one of my previous posts that I was scurrying to join any competition that existed? Yeah, this was one of those aforementioned competitions. Ok, so i woke up pretty early as I told my team members to arrive at my house at 7. Well, guess what? no one came on time. Not that i'm begrudging them or anything (they're awesome) but if they had informed me beforehand that they were going to be late, I would've woken up later. Anyway, we then made our journey to HELP accompanied by a big fat book of proverbs and quotes which later turned out to be quite useless. I barely even touched the book as I thought there's absolutely no chance for us to win so why bother? It's not being defeatist, it's a little something called realism. I mean, I read that the SECOND PLACED winners last year did months of preparation and yet failed to emerge champions. What about us? we treated it as if we were going for a vacation minus the last minute said flip through fat useless book. The only form of preparation that we did was scheme to act dumb so the other competitors would not be wary of us and then we would strike like a ninja. So, we arrived and we joked, laughed and fooled around till the point that one of the marshals actually came to our table and shushed us. I bet that no one, least of all ourselves, expected us to win anything. I'm not going to explain the challenges as you can read it on Esther's or Zhi hao's blog so it would be redundant for me to do so. Plus, I'm just plain lazy so sue me. After lunch-which was nasi lemak-the Law Department presented a mock trial to us in a moot court. I think it was more of a comedy show than a serious legal case but I suppose that providing humour was their original intent. Did it make me laugh? Yes. Did it inspire me to become a lawyer? No. I'd rather be a stripper than a lawyer. Not that I've the looks or the body for it but it's just a comparison. But I digress. Back to the competition, we thought that maybe we had an outside chance of placing 10th or 9th but when they reached the top 3 without announcing our team, we were pretty deflated. Great, we'll just be failures then. Serves us right for being indifferent to the whole thing. Then, when they announced us as the champion, we were completely taken by surprise. I've no idea how many profanities flew out of my mouth as we walked up. Then, it hit me. They must have made a mistake, they announced the wrong team. Commence humiliation. But as they took pictures of us with our crazy smiles and unruly hair, no one came to take back our medals. If they were though, I would have shot out of the building, gripping my medal tightly to my chest whilst shouting "It's mine, it's mine!". So, I guess it just proves that the impossible does happen. When I went home, my momma said that this victory should make up for not winning the essay competition. By the way, the guy who won the essay thing came for the Olympiad too. it's like a whole "I join all competitions" circuit. Freaky. Returning to my original point, although winning the essay comp would be more of a personal achievement, I'm gladder that I won this together with the bunch of crazies that I went with. Crap, this means my parents are going to force me to do law. NOOO!!!

24/6-1/7

Hi! As usual, I've nothing much to say so I'm just going to ramble on about inconsequential matters. Last week, I went for the essay competition at sunway. While I'm sure the winners did some kind of preparation the night before, I didn't bother at all. In fact, I was watching movies till 2 in the morning. Now, this wasn't a sign of overconfidence. If anything, it was a complete lack of confidence. I knew I wouldn't stand a chance so why bother? Honestly, from the moment I wrote that first paragraph till the end of my essay, I knew I wrote terribly. I wasn't about to fool myself and say that it was because of artistic differences or I was creatively misunderstood. No, I just wrote an extremely crappy essay. End of story. By the way, in case you are as blur as me, I didn't win. However, the most important thing isn't about winning or losing. It's about the free lunch that I got. We even took extras. Hey, no one ever said DJ-ians weren't greedy. Oh yeah, we went out and celebrated PM's birthday yesterday at pavilion. The Mexican restaurant we went to was selling shisha - is that how you spell it- as well. While it did seem interesting, the others weren't really up for it. No surprise there. So, I thought I'd settle for a cocktail instead but apparently, they had no cocktails at all. Certainly quite upsetting but oh well, one can only accept it as it is. That's all for these week. Tune in to stay informed on the meaningless details of my life. Bye

Discrimination Lives Within Everyone

           Discrimination is a negative manifestation of power in each and everyone of us. Whether intended or not, it's omnipresent grip on our beings has contributed to shaping who we are. The question begs, what is discrimination? Is it a natural instinct in similar vein to happiness, sadness and anger or is it an acquired one that's influenced by the environment we grow up in? As people, it is inbred in us to judge people by their physical appearances as well as their personalities. It comforts us to realize that we can pigeonhole people and that everyone belongs in a certain group or demographic. However, where do you draw the line between mere observational oddities and actively isolating people based on their differences?
             Discrimination is the epitome of a dormant disease or gene. In line with today's modern society, discrimination is a dirty word. We try our best to remain unbiased or non judgmental and instead, go all out to accept diversity in people. While this is a positive move towards a more understanding society, people will invariably discriminate against others who are different when push comes to shove. Discrimination starts as a single thought which slowly allows itself to fester in our minds. Whether we knowingly or unknowingly do it, we all discriminate regardless of our race, gender or age. As we grow into a person, this single thought is then fueled by adults' prejudicial opinions which then contribute to forming our mindset. This mindset is rigid in the sense that it restricts our thinking. We, as society come to accept that a person of colour will act in a certain way or a person who possesses less physical beauty is not competent enough. These preconceived notions cause us to discriminate against others who do not fit into the status quo.         
             Racial discrimination, gender discrimination and age discrimination are just some of the more popular forms of discrimination that exist but now there seems to be discrimination spreading to other areas as well such as weight, beauty and character. Each as different in it's terms but just as similar in it's essences. Stemming from social prejudices and misconceptions, it is a horrific magnification on how much our society has regressed. From young, we are taught to discern who we mix with and who we should avoid. From the first day of school, we see concerned parents whispering at their child's ear to stay away from the naughty or weird student. To the impressionable young minds of children, fat equals lazy and neat equals well behaved. While a person's appearance may speak a lot about the traits of a person, it is not a determinate factor. These children are taught to discriminate others even before they are old enough to form their own opinions and this carries on till they reach adulthood. Unfortunately, it then creates a vicious cycle of prejudice and discrimination that will be passed on from them to their descendants.
                  Take for example, the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960's when racial discrimination was rampant and the blacks were treated as a lower class of society. They were made to serve as the help in the privileged homes of the affluent whites. Not only that, there were segregated buses and schools to further highlight the differences between the two races. Ultimately, the message that 60's America was trying to send   to it's citizens stank of the putrid smell of white supremacy. There was a common public assumption that because the blacks had a darker tone of skin colour, they were inferior to the white's abilities. While the blacks were generally on the downside of the economy, that did not render them mere thugs whom were not going to amount to anything. Since then, society has definitely experienced a significant change when America elected a black president in the form of Barack Obama. However, in the more white dominated parts such as Midwest, blacks are still generally being looked down upon. Ironically ,although one of the world's powerhouses have a black man as it's leader, racial discrimination is still rife among most of American society.
                   Let's speak of something closer to home. In Malaysia, most members of the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender community are not given equal opportunities as those who may have "normal" sexual leanings. Although Malaysia may be a Muslim country, it does not just consist of Muslim citizens. Even then, a person's religious faith should not be judged by his/her sexual orientation. More than preventing them from deserving the same rights as everyone else, a non-government organization recently organized an anti-LGBT campaign in more than 20 schools in Selangor and Perak. This hate campaign only highlights the organizers as immature and narrow-minded. Is this the type of education we need spreading around our young students?  We should not teach them to discriminate against people who are different, instead they should be taught to embrace it. Only then, they will be molded into great leaders. If Malaysia can accept racial diversity, why can't they accept sexual diversity?
                   Ultimately, as creatures of emotion, we judge. We form opinions about other people and we assume that whatever society dictates must ring true. While prejudice and stereotyping is certainly unavoidable, it can be controlled before it spirals out of control as in the unfortunate case of Travyon Martin. Martin was just another innocent teenager walking home when he was shot because of one man's racial profiling. Although he had not done anything to prove himself guilty, the colour of the skin had became a gratuitous proof of his guilt. No two snowflakes are the same just as no two people are the same. Society has to stop expecting people to merely conform to their norms and instead allow freedom of expression. Learning to embrace each others differences and perhaps, celebrate it will hopefully banish discrimination from our lives once and for all.  

11-17/6

I foresee an extremely busy week ahead for me. First, there is an essay writing competition in Sunway University College that I signed up for in a moment of pure insanity. At first glance, I thought to myself "hey, this is right up my alley." Then, I found out that it's more of a factual essay and much less of creative writing required. Immediately, I knew that even being shortlisted was merely a pipe dream. Have I mentioned that my forte is not at factual essays? Not that I'm particularly brilliant at fictitious essays but I'm more in my element when writing a story. I can still muster up enough brain juices to write a mediocre opinion piece but an essay with real facts? I mean, my mum has mentioned that I excel at inventing bullshit but I can't exactly wax lyrical about haze or human trafficking for more than a paragraph. The next day, I've to help make sandwiches to sell during e-thon to raise funds for our nostalgia page. Do you know that some classes managed to find anonymous sponsors and are booking 5 pages? Even then, they still have enough leftover money to hold a class party. I think by the end of the year, our class party would have to be held at Syed Abu. It's not that I'm bemoaning our lack of funds. After all, we didn't actively search for sponsors as well. On the 7th of July, I'm also participating in the HELP Law Olympiad which should be fun since I have been a regular spectator in the courtroom since I was a fetus. My mum's a lawyer, not a convict unless she's been lying to me all these years. Well, if you know me well, you would probably be surprised as to why I am suddenly partaking in various competitions this year because I'm usually a bit of an introvert completely devoid of all school spirit. I've never really worn the whole 'eager beaver' label comfortably so what actually inspired me to join all the competitions I humanly can? Oh, did I mention I'm considering entering the HELP psychology challenge? Seriously, if I wasn't so inept at computers and suffer from perpetual stage fright, I probably would have signed up for the 'digital storytelling' thing as well. Anyway, I was filling up my scholarship applications the other day and everything was fine as I filled out the generic information part until I reached the 'Outstanding Achievements' section. As I sat there trying to think of a single outstanding achievement, I came up with nothing. Hence, came the niggling feelings of self-doubt which led to my need to join every single competition available. A farting competition? Heck, I would have been the first to sign up. That was how low I sunk, you could practically sense the desperation emanating from me a mile away. I was like a crack addict who had never smoked crack but bought cartons of it. You might scorn and mock my over-eagerness but it was a pressing concern for me. I'd never been part of a nationals-winning choir side (I quit the year before), I've never won a debate competition (I didn't even bother applying) and I am athletically challenged. How do you expect me to stack up to all the brilliant students with all the impressive resumes? It was disappointing, to say the least. But then, I started thinking about what it means to be "outstanding". Different people might have different notions about the definition of the word. Person A might think Marie Curie was one of the most influential people of all time while person B might be indifferent and say "Oh yeah, she discovered radiation. So?" I define my own "outstanding" and if I think winning a farting contest is outstanding then so be it. Who gives a damn about what the college administrators perceive as outstanding? Oh right, the applicants. Back to the drawing board...sigh.  

4-10/6

Why do other people's blogs seem so deep and insightful while mine's practically a gist of the first things that pop into my mind? Really, it's as if there is no filter between my thoughts and the things i type out. I should learn to put more thought into my postings. But then, only Pn M reads my blog and my friends occasionally drop by and comment just because they feel like it. Hence, i will continue writing in the same frivolous vein of my previous posts. If you are looking for a profound, inspirational blog that moves you to ponder and think about the meaning of the universe, there is a little 'x' on the corner of the tab just pleading for you to click on it. Believe me, you'll be doing yourself a favor. Alrighty, on to the second week of school holidays. I only went out once because I am an anti-social addict. Why go out and make the effort to fraternize when you can snuggle up in your blanket at home with a good book and a beer. Wait, did I say beer? I meant bear...damn those silly typo errors. Don't question why there is a bear, jut accept it as it is. After all, that is what the G-men are trying their darndest to promote, isn't it? Oh, I also got back my lit marks from the mock exam in my English Lit class. I think i did fairly well (highest in the class) but I don't mean to brag. Somehow, I seem to do better in my English Lit than the literature component in school. Don't you find that ironic? Maybe it's because I don't really connect with "Step by a Wicked Step". Oh well, life's full of incomprehensible ironies and sometimes we just have to roll with the punches. I watched "The Avengers" after hearing from everyone how awesome it was and that it would be a deadly sin if I missed it. Well folks, it was a GOOD movie but it wasn't GREAT. I mean, there were some pretty breathtaking action sequences and Joss Whedon almost never makes a bad movie per se but I thought it was a tad overrated. However, those are just my personal opinions so fanboys, don't burn me on a stake for it.

Till we meet again,
the not-so-deep thinker

28/5-3/6

Blogging is just like bathing, it's hard to return to the groove of things after neglecting to do it for a long time. Another one of my inanely ridiculous analogies. Yes, i compile a personal list of nonsensical analogies, so sue me. There's another one of my personal favourites but I think it's a little too x-rated to share on my family friendly blog. Oh lord, I sound exactly like one of those innocent little hypocrites from the censorship board. See what happens when I don't blog on a regular basis? I start to imagine that I possess qualities that don't even exist in the deepest recesses of my soul, such as moderation and consideration. So, first week of holidays. I went back to Ipoh and went on an insane binge of good food and humid, air conditioned lacking hawker stalls. I consumed so many bowls of curry noodles, devoured plates of chee cheong fun, practically ate all the steamed kampung chicken in Ipoh till I had to camp outside the toilet for 5 hours. I swear, I am not exaggerating to produce a more dramatic effect. I literally sat outside the toilet waiting for nature's call. Ok, on second thought, maybe I shouldn't share such grotesque details over here but hey, who doesn't enjoy a little bit of toilet humour? Hahahaha, do you get it? I made a pun? I should be commended for my pun. Uh,  the rest of my week was kinda banal as I spent it hibernating and watching videos of pandas. I don't have a particular liking for them but they do remind me of Michael Jackson. I don't particularly like MJ either but it doesn't matter. Final message: Go watch videos on pandas.

Signing off,
the toilet conquerer

21st-27th May

Alright, I've decided to use the dates of my journal postings as the title instead of racking my brain to think of a catchy and original headline. One, I suffer from a terminal illness called laziness. Secondly, I can barely keep track of all my postings and after neglecting my blog for the past month or so, I was forced to whip out the calendar and check how many entries I've missed. I hate calendars, don't ask my why, I just do. Anyway, according to a friend's blog, this week is supposed to be about exams so i guess that's my topic of the week. Most of the papers were moderate except biology but that's because I've no affinity for the subject. I'm terribly sorry, Pn Lim, but i just cannot relate to how a plant lives. I mean, if transpiration and algae bloom were part of my daily activities, perhaps i would have done better. Maybe i should emulate method actors and attempt to live like the plants do. You know, hang out by the sun, pollinate and make my own food. Just the average teenage plant. Although, my mum would be pleased because all she would have to pay for are my fertilizers but i digress. As usual, I did my own fair share of last minute studying and midnight cramming. These late night study sessions basically consist of an hour of proper studying and 3-4 hours of anxiety attacks and hyperventilation. Yes, really productive. Oh, I skipped school on friday because I thought I deserved some R&R after spending so many sleepless nights suffering from mini panic attacks. I swear, I had such a torrid time that I even had heartburn or it could have been the 10 course meal I had the previous day. As I laid on my unmade bed clutching my chest as if my heart was on fire, I had an epiphany; I thought, "This is such a disgraceful way to die. I imagined some elaborate death scene with my family and friends crying over my Chanel-clad body, not while I'm in my ratty pink teddy pajamas with unruly hair and bad breath." Thus, i decided that with my newfound appreciation of the natural life and an overwhelming sense of my own mortality, I was going to enjoy what was left of my brief life and close the textbooks. I should get heartburns more often...

Dear editor...

Dear editor,
           In our daily lives, we encounter the many facets of society in the multi-cultural world we live in. However, I am not speaking about the cultural divide between Malaysia's many diverse races. Instead, I am talking about the 'unique' Malaysian culture that we have inculcated here. While the government prefers to promote tourism by conveniently highlighting good Malaysian habits such as friendliness, we have to acknowledge the social problems and some of the horrible attributes portrayed by Malaysians. One of the daily problems that I encounter is road bullying. The road rage displayed by some of our Malaysian drivers is simply shocking, to say the least. For example, I have seen drivers getting out of their cars during a red light merely to scold another driver whom has swerve into their lane. While I understand the frustration when somebody else cuts into your lane without forewarning just to beat the traffic light, there is no need to overreact by getting out of your car to confront or provoke the other driver. In the end, you hold up the line behind you and add to the already congested traffic. In another instance, there are drivers who are rude and inconsiderate. Just the other day, there was an old woman who was driving at approximately 20km/h in a housing area. The woman that was behind her was so impatient that she tailgated the poor old lady, then proceeded to flash her, overtake her and show her a rude gesture in the process. Is consideration a foreign word in these drivers' vocabulary?
                While I; as a non-smoker, respect other people's choice in whether they smoke or not, I expect smokers to do the same for me as well. Even though the signs evidently show that it is a non-smoking area, some Malaysians choose to ignore the sign and blatantly smoke in front of other people. I find it disturbing as there are senior citizens, pregnant women and young children around. What smokers think about their health is none of my business but they should at least have a modicum of concern and consideration for their fellow Malaysians. If they smoke in the confines of their own home or in smoking areas, I have no issue that. It is when they smoke in areas where it is not allowed that annoys me. As if their actions were not inconsiderate enough, there are a section of them that either purposely or accidentally blow smoke straight into your face. This is particularly disgusting as I absolutely detest the smell of smoke and I always start to choke when I unknowingly inhale some of the smoke. Studies have shown that the percentage of passive smokers who die of lung cancer are significantly higher than active smokers who die of the same disease. One incident that beckons is when I saw a young man that was smoking in a bus stop. Other than he and I, there was also a mother with her toddler son. The mother then politely asked the young man if he would stop smoking as her son suffers from asthma. Instead of stubbing out his cigarette or even leaving to smoke somewhere else, he went up to the young boy and blew a billow of smoke right into his face. Before we could reprimand or scold him, he ran off. This is the type of horrendous attitude that I've seen in some of our Malaysians.
                 I understand that as humans, we are not meant to be perfect. Rather, we make mistakes at every turn of our lives. What I am asking for in all Malaysians is not to be the perfect citizen but strife to attain some basic level of courtesy and humanity.
                                                                                                              Sincerely,
                                                                                                              a frustrated citizen

I'm onto you, Astro

'elo mate! Or mates! Yeah, I guess only 1 person reads my blog so we'll jut stick with mate. Moving on then, I've just received RM50 worth of vouchers from Astro. In all my 11 years of being a dedicated Astro customer, I've NEVER received any complimentary item from Astro. Could it be because another rival tv network is finally gaining ground on them and this is just a cheap attempt on their part to keep the customers? I certainly think so...or maybe I'm just thinking too much into it. Maybe they're doing it out of love and care for their devoted subscribers. Yeah...I just laughed at my own statement. Anyhow, the vouchers are applicable for KFC, Pizza Hut and Ayamas (who knew Ayamas had a restaurant). Bottom-line is, I don't really want them becaue a) I hate pizza hut and b) I'm never going to use the vouchers. So, it'll be left on my table to collect dust until it expires and I throw it away. What a waste! Hence...pn m, Is there a possibility that you are an ardent fan of any of the restaurants mentioned above and would like to be a lucky recipient of the vouchers?? Ok, that's all for this week. Toodles.

Absence of sobriety

Hii!!! Ok, ignore the ridiculous amount of exclamation points here..it's annoying you and it's annoying me. Anyhoo, I'm typing this while feeling a little tipsy. Who knew that wine+beer+chatime was a potent combination?? Well, evidently not me. In my defense, it was mumsers' birthday celebration and what's a party without a little alcohol? Oh, we actually finished 2 bottles of wine and a large can of beer but we're not alcoholics, merely social drinkers. On to less 'controversial' topics, i've a recommendation! You should check put Patrick Teoh's blog, aptly titled 'Niamah'. Yes, the title's a little tounge-in-cheek but that's what makes it all the more cooler. In case you people don't know, Patrick Teoh's a prolific DJ now guest DJ-ing at BFM (my favorite radio station) where he dishes out sardonic remarks for free! Although the blog may seem like a political commentary, it's delivery makes for a light, entertaining and funny read. So, check it out! Till then...

Flightless bird

I should start blogging now before I put it into the back burner again. Alright, a short summary of this week so far..let's see, I attempted to study (I can imagine the mock horror on your face) but failed miserably. There, you can breathe a sigh of relief now. Seriously, lord knows where some people get the motivation to start so early. Heck, my motivation doesn't even kick in the day before exam. Oh yes, the ups and downs of being a slacker. Although, I feign blissful ignorance at the downsides and prefer to focus on enjoying my life like any true slacker. Alright, I'm not exactly giving pnM an incredibly good impression of me. I think we should move on... I also took my tae Kwan do grading on Saturday! Before I proceed, there's something you need to know about me. I've horrible, I repeat, HORRIBLE hand-eye coordination. I'm not kidding, i swear. I actually stressed out more on my TKD grading than my major public exams. That's the full humiliating extent of my lack of motor skills. Sometimes I thank frank that I'm not a bird or I'll probably be crashing into a lot of trees, maybe even shrubs. Ok, one last thing, I'm selling some old clothes for really cheap prices like this black Calvin Klein blouse. It costs RM 30 and price may be negotiable!

Flock of sheep (not a christian reference)

Hello, my good fellows! Alright, it doesn't rhyme as well as last week but it rhymes. That's not really important though, I'm merely making slight, insignificant observations to procrastinate my time and yours too. Oh, burn me on a stake if you wish. It doesn't take that much time for you to read my blog, does it? Not to mention that there is such an enigma called 'freedom of choice'. Why enigma, you may ask? Well, it seems that more and more people are getting sucked into the black hole called 'peer pressure'. I mean, I do understand that it's easy to succumb to but why forsake your own identity to follow the crowd? It's silly and absurd to think that there are people who change and act differently just to be accepted. Why can't they decide for themselves instead of acting like a sheep and following the rest of the flock? Another enigma that they should know about is individualism. Yes, it exists. You don't have to fuse identities with your bestie (god, i hate that word) and become another person. Utterly nonsensical! Alright, I promised I wouldn't rant on this blog because it annoys me-this rant doesn't count- so I shall stop here. Oh yes, movie pick of the week is a little unknown French film called "Incendies" First of all, I literally had a "Oh Lordy" moment at the end. Look at me , I'm getting ahead of myself. Well, long story short, a pair of twins go in search of their father and brother in the Middle East in accordance with their mother's last wishes. As they dig deeper, they soon discover a secret that will alter their lives. I know it sounds a tad cliche but go it's worth watching just for that twist in the end. I feel like posting a spoiler here and revealing the twist but then you wouldn't watch it. So, you can get it at any DVD shop (I'm not promoting piracy) for RM7. Buy it, watch it and share your thoughts. I'm starting to sound like an Oreo ad. I have legitimate reason to stop typing. Goodbye

Triangle head

Hola, señora! Hey, it rhymes. I don't really know what to say this week. Actually? I never really have a clear topic in mind when I post... I just keep on typing and hopefully something will string itself together. I'm such an amazing planner, right? Anyway, pn lim was explaining that babies that were vacuumed out when they are born have a triangular shaped head. Well, seeing as I was vacuumed out, I naturally started feeling my head for signs of deformity. Unfortunately, pn lim saw and asked me, loudly in front of the whole class "Nicole, were you sucked out?" Great. Now Lisa calls me triangle head. Thanks, really appreciate it. Ok, nothing else happened much..there, there, nic. Your life will be more exciting next week. Oh, there's an 8 year old little boy in the chempaka orphanage who just started school but lacks school supplies. If you have some time, please donate some pencil boxes or school bags. I know philanthropy is overrated but you don't have to emulate Bill Gates and build a couple of schools..just donate a couple of school supplies. Alright, that's it for now. Signing off, triangle head.

Contemplation for the foolish

Hello dear followers! Although I've nothing interesting to say today, I shall post because it's mandatory. How do people get the inspiration to post religiously every week? These people honestly have too much to say...such strange creatures. Well..while I'm cracking my head open trying to think of something worthwhile to post here, I'll elaborate a little about my holiday week. Let's see, I went out and had fun and didn't do anything remotely productive. It was a great week! Oh, I found something from the deep recesses of my mind to fill the space with. I'm still contemplating as to whether I should join the Dublin literary competition. Yes, I know the dateline's early April and yes, I'm still debating as to whether I should. It's not because I tried once and didn't win that's holding me back. I'm not afraid of failure, only conspiracies. So unless it's a conspiracy preventing me from partaking, I guess I might join. Hmm, going to Ireland is quite a delectable prospect. Oh wait, are there conspiracies in Ireland? *ahem* IRA *ahem* Great, another dilemma...

Paris is most beautiful in the rain

Bonjour, my ardent devotees! Alright, you don't have to worship me that much, just enough to feed my deflated ego. After last week's unexpected midweek post, I'm back to my procrastinating ways and blogging during the weekend. Rejoice, for I now no longer have to feign being hardworking anymore! After all, being hardworking doesn't really become me. Being lackadaisical is more of my niche. Ok, on to an interesting discovery I found in an online journal. Apparently- well, according to the research anyway- if you are a woman with a size C cup (you know what I mean), if you run fast enough, your *ahem* will actually oscillate with enough speed and generate enough power to charge an ipad. Now,as to whether this particular piece of news is fact or fiction, I can't guarantee. All I know is that we females are environmentally friendly even without trying. Seeing that I've shared this inappropriately humorous discovery, on to the next segment of my (interesting) journal; Movie of The Week! I've just watched Woody Allen's "Midnight in Paris", you know, the one that won an Oscar for original screenplay. Firstly, I do have to say that it's an amazingly surreal movie. Every few years, Woody Allen produces these mini masterpieces for our viewing pleasure but I've to say his greatest feat is definitely managing to transform Owen Wilson into a credible leading man. From "Starsky and Hutch" to Woody Allen material? Owen Wilson, where have you been hiding this whole time? I immediately fell in love with the movie during the first opening scenes, where they showed the streets of Paris veiled by soft, misty rain. It was wonderful, to say the least. Well, after the movie, I started to think how thrilling it would be if I could return to Paris in the 1920's, just like the protagonist, and meet my literary idols. Personally, there are two eras I'd like to visit. The first being Paris in the 1920's, in the Golden Bourgeois age of Paris. Oh, the thought of meeting Wilde and Hemingway and Fitzgerald! Another era which intrigues me is U.S.A in the 1970's, in the heart of the hippie movement and student unions, protesting outside the White House against the Vietnam War. I'd get to hang out with Bob Dylan, Patti Smith and Janis Joplin. It is escapism for the idle dreamer. Before I end my insignificant remblings, I pose this question to you, "If you had the oppurtunity to travel back in time, which era would you like to live through?" Cheers, the inspired francophile. 

Where did YOU come from?

For once I'm actually posting midweek rather than rushing it at midnight on Sunday. Relax! There's no need to panic, I haven't been abducted by extra terrestrials and replaced with a hardworking non-procrastinating bubbly schoolgirl. Oh gosh, she sounds terrible! Alright, now that we've established that my abominable character is still safely intact, let's move on to more interesting topics. Such as the banning of Peter Mayle's controversial' book "Where did I come form?" Seriously, people, it's extremely ridiculous. No one is forcing the public to buy the book and if parents feel as if it's denting their moral values-whatever that means-there's a simple solution. Be discerning and just don't buy the book! There's really no need to ban it. It's just sex education and it's something that the public will actually benefit from. Mind you, I'm not merely saying that because I'm a teenager with raging hormones. There's got to be a reason why baby dumping is becoming a lifestyle here equivalent to eating nasi lemak. Stop playing moral police and inform the public that babies do not come from storks. Oh, lest I forget, we won the drama competition. And pn M, sorry if you're offended,I just had to get it off my chest

Notes of a drama

Although I wouldn't claim to have contributed much to the drama, I'd like to think that I wasn't completely and utterly useless. Well, don't we all? Convincing ourselves that we are more important than we really are? Anyhow, I would say we started our drama earlier than other classes. Hence, I'm sure you can imagine the humiliation if we failed to win. I mean, what excuse can you give? Not enough time? Now that would be pretty ironic..or a big fat lie. Well, the only part I could say I contributed in was the scriptwriting segment. Some ideas, editing and other menial duties. The idea was quite cute, I suppose. You know, with the superhero and the villian... The actual script was done mainly by sze yuin and to whoever that disliked the script, how easy do you think it is to write a script? Not naming names here but a play about four 'cool' guys and their stupid janitor is NOT a worthy play. Alright, I really have to stop ranting here. It's terribly unhealthy on my fragile state of mind. So after the script was done and edited countless times-I swear, the final product looked practically unrecognizable-practice commenced. And wow, was there drama. More pre drama than the actual drama, in my humble opinion. Well, with such strong personalities running the show, what do you expect? What CAN you expect? I mean, certainly everyone has a different interpretation of the play and that's where the problem arises. It's funny though because there, the class is split into 3 camps; the ones that are overtly passionate about the drama, the ones that don't care if there was or wasn't a drama and of course, my personal favorite, the ones that didn't even know the drama existed. Sometimes, our class makes good fodder for comedy but somehow, by nook or by crook, the drama managed to get done and the cast and crew did their best. Of course, not everyone takes it seriously and there will be some obnoxious presence lurking around on stage. From a more subjective point of view, I don't think we performed as fantastically as a couple of other classes (feel free to throw stones at me now) but I guess the important thing is not whether we emerge victorious or not. We had fun, there were some conflicts...gosh, we sound like a replica of any typical Chinese family. Loud, rambunctious and feisty but we care. We care.

February week 3

Well now, hello sirs! A very good morning and blah blah..yeah, I bored myself with such formal greetings. Is it even possible to be so utterly dull that that you are actually capable of boring yourself? I wonder... Anyhoo, I haven't been up to much the past week, in case you were wondering but you probably didn't because i'm quite certain no one spends their time pondering about someone else's life. Call me a cynic but everyone's self-centered that way. Oh gosh, you might be reading this while remarking to yourself "how dreadful" or something along those lines. The truth is, people feign selflessness because they can't handle their own egotism. And this is coming from an egotist, just so you know. But I digress, back to the original topic of my incredibly mundane life, I've done basically nothing I would deem as productive the past week. Yes, my ardently devoted readers that seem to be dwindling in numbers, weep for the banality that is my life. Alright, that's enough weeping for now. No one you know has cancer. Though, if you do, I'm terribly sorry. You know, I've inconsiderate tendencies at times. Only at times, mind you. Oh, have I told you that I've reached the conclusion that I now aspire to be a beach bum living on social security. Why a beach bum, you may ask? Being a lackadaisical hobo does have its perks. For one, it rolls off the tongue beautifully; much nicer than say, a lawyer or a doctor. Oh well, that's all for now. Tune in next week to find out if my dreams of becoming a good for nothing materializes! Till we cyber-meet again, folks..

Entry for February Week 2

Hola, my only 2 followers! This is actually the one blog that i bother updating on a regular basis, maybe because it's compulsory. While this blog has been 'flourishing', my other blog has been left to wither and die a slow painful viral death. A moment's silence, please, to mourn it's untimely passing. Now, on to less morbid topics, one of my favourite bands; The Pains of Being Pure at Heart are coming to malaysia for a gig and the best part? Earlybird tickets only cost RM98 per pop. How often do you get to watch an international band for less than a hundered? There are all those horrible bands that come to Malaysia and lip synch throughout the concert and you have to pay an exorbitantly high price to watch them parade around to music that they did not write themselves. Ricidulous, I tell you! You know what? I really shouldn't rant here because I think it's supposed to be daily reflections and all the deep thoughts instead of such superficial issues but really, I'm not Plato or Socrates. Here I go, ranting again. Although, it is strange as I've never really thought of myself as a "ranter" or anything remotely close to it but you surprise yourself sometimes. Well, to end my journal entry, i'll attempt to sound vaguely intellectual (Yes, I am that pretentious) by naming some books that I've been diligently reading. First, there's Murakami's "Norwegian Wood". Then, Milan Kundera's "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" and oh, lest I forget, my all-time favourite Joyce's "Ulysses" just to remind me how high the standard of Literature is. If you took the trouble to actually read it to the end, just be frank and admit that you think...what? not telling you, bye

Entry for February Week one

Coming back to school and diving straight into routine after a long holiday is more often than not, tiring for both the students and teachers alike. After the languor and the lackadasical lifestyle we revert to during the holidays, it is difficult to automatically switch back into 'hardworking' mode so soon after. Not that I am implying I have one. What with the piles of homework to complete, tution to attend and co-curricular activities to fulfill, we are hardly culpable for feeling fatigued to the bone after Week One of After Holidays. Oh, and I musn't forget the innumerous projects to be completed by the deadline set. (Add maths, I'm looking at you).
Though, all in all, it really isn't all that terrible. We get so preoccupied by all the stressful times that we forget the small but incredibly satisfying times. The laughs, the jokes and all that jazz are put aside in the shelves of our minds while the lethargy and stress are put in display on our memory. Why put yourself through such torture? So I say, take a breather and relax for a moment. Then maybe you just might survive another week.

Article for "Night Without End"

When I undertook the task of tailing the Marines, I would have never thought that this particular mission would be such an eventful one. Although our vision was slightly obscured by the blinding, driving snow and our hearing blocked by the rising winds, I still managed to maintain a sense of the happenings on that glacier. As we trudged through across the glacier, braving the icy cold wind that bit at us from every corner, I could catch a few voices shouting above the sharp whistling of the wind but unfortunately I could barely make out what they were saying. However, I was able to sense that they did not sound too pleased with one another. The Marines that were moving towards the group of people were moving with stealth for fear of alerting the opposition to our presence. The air was so thick with suspense and tension that I could cut it with a knife. The Marines were armed with high-tech powerful guns designed specially to kill in a single fatal blow while a six or seven men that had alighted from a fishing boat were approaching the group as well. As we drew closer, I saw that a man had taken hold of a girl by pointing his gun at her and holding her hostage.
For a moment, I was confused by my surroundings. Although I knew that the Marines' mission was to stop a wretched businessman from illegally stealing Government property and to retrieve that particular object, I knew of nothing else as it was supposed to be highly-classified information that only the Marines were privy to. Suddenly, out of nowhere, our approaching foes had sighted us and were trying to get the man with the gun's attention to let him know we were here. Unfortunately, he heard them and turned to see that we were gaining on them. His entire gait took a 360 degree turn and he been gesturing wildly with his hands like a madman while shouting furiously at the man opposite him. Furiously, the panic-stricken man pushed the girl away and jumped into the driving cabin of the tractor. The other man tried to foil his getaway but was shot on the arm as the villian fired up the tractor and drove away.
We watched with horror and shock as the two men attempted to chase the gargantuan tractor as it spun wildly in circles. It was evident that the tractor wa now gravely out of control. It then started sliding backwards, approaching some huge rocks with alarming speed. Before we could react, it hit an ice-hill, spun around uncontrobally and crashed straight into one of the biggest rocks. The passengers then lost their footing and fell into the deep crevasse. The teo men that were chasing the tractor threw themselves down onto the ice as the planes above were firing shots at the enemies. Further down, we caught sight of two men running back to their fishing boat to take shelter.

Different strokes for different folks

As I sat silently on the rickety and frankly, unstable old chair in a tippy boat in the heart of Tonle Sap lake, it was not a sense of fascination or peace that I felt. Surrounded by poverty stricken huts that reminisce the inhuman Pol Pot era and mothers offering their infant children to tourists for a mere dollar, who could take in the sights wont of all care or worries? The times we fret about seemingly significant matters now pale into insignificance when compared to the troubled lives that these slum ravaged youths have to live. Here, it is as if I was transported to a completely different world that was alien to my culture. In fact, I bet top dollar that I would've felt more at home in the states or any other western country rather than my southeast Asian comrades. And it is this disparity that makes me question about the obscurity of life and what it brings.

Next on the itinerary was the majestic and ethereal Angkor Wat that boasts of astounding architectural miracles and stunning design detail. The view from the summit of Angkor Wat was so amazingly breathtaking that it actually made the trudge through the treacharous heat worthwhile. As I stood on one of the ancient seven wonders of the world, the feeling was so surreal that I could hardly believe it myself. To think that approximately thousand years ago, man was 'uncivilized' in a sense of the word, yet managed to build an engineering wonder out of bricks and sheer manpower. I'd like to say I felt even a tiny bit spiritually enlightened surrounded by the buddha motifs and long forgotten Hindu-Buddha culture but I didn't. Sure, it felt that time just slowed itself down for me for those few special moments but to gain a deeper sense of religious understanding? I highly doubt it but of course it's all a matter of personal beliefs and perception. What I took back with me from Cambodia was not a sore throat from the dryness in the air or the myraid of souvenirs from the Old Market or even the nightlife experience at vibrant Pub Street, rather I bore witness to the impoverished underbelly of Cambodia;brimming underneath it's lucrative tourist trade. From the Khmer Rouge era to it's current slum situation, this war torn country showed me things some people take a hundred years to learn. As iconic musician John Lennon says "Happiness is a warm gun."