Why did Obama get the Nobel Peace prize after all?

(Photo courtesy of news.com.au)

I was quite shocked that a lot of Americans were questioning Obama's move to move more US troops into Afghanistan. I mean it does contrast with Obama's earlier comments especially during the US presidential campaign, of returning more US troops back from countries like Iraq.
This was the first time I notice there was mixed reactions about Obama's move to make America be the great country it is.

There was even global scepticism on how he can be eligible to receive the Nobel Peace prize. The Nobel Peace prize is deffinitely something that a lot of people and countries are vying for.

As we continue to question Obama's move and why he still got the Nobel Peace prize, let us see the whole picture.

11th September 2001 was another beautiful morning in New York city. People were going to work and the city streets were busy as ussual with commuters. I guess we can imagine it like KL where people go to work in the morning and people sending kids to school and looking forward to the weekends.

Americans were totally caught unaware when disaster struck - the hijacked airliners crashed into the NYC World Trade Center. A lot of innocent people, someones mom , dad, brother, sister or child, perished so unexpectingly. Fire-fighters, rescue workers and police from NYPD also included in this devastating disaster. Not only were lives lost, but dreams.

Somewhat war had hit America, a country thought to be very guarded and secured. It was an attack by the Taliban which was centred in Afghanistan.

Both ex-president Bush Junior and Obama pledged to eradicate such terrorism from their shores and also the world. It is an on-going effort that only time will tell as it has already been 8 years since September 11th 2001.

I believe Obama's intention to send troops to Afghanistan is not a sign of him not meeting his promise for peace globally. It is a sign of his continued effort to put a stop to terrorism that is endangering peace. Hence, it is this effort that he should be applauded for.

In summary, we should not look at it from a bad perspective but instead look at the good that Obama is trying to do for all of us.

Giving back for Christmas at the Penang Eurassian Association

(Photo courtesy of Santa Roger)

The Penang Eurassian Association has been organizing Christmas parties every year for as long as I can remmember.

Since my family and I moved to Penang from Kedah in the late 1980s, my parents have taken me and my sister every year. It was a very important and special time in my early years as a kid, celebrating Christmas and also getting to know more of the Eurassians of Penang.

There were so many Eurassian families there from all over Penang. Sadly this quantity has dwindled as many have migrated domestically and internationally. A lot of the younger generations are in KL.

Each kid (under 12 yrs), gets a bag of snacks and a toy from Santa Clause at the closing of the even when Santa makes his appearance.

There will be those crazy kiddy games where all the kids will take part. It was loads of fun at that time. I rememmember coming back home sweating and tired after those parties. Sadly, I do not have any photos as memories of those times.

I almost became one of Santa's helpers once but turned down the offer coz too chicken out! Haha!

This year 2009, it came to my understanding that there was a shortage of sponsors for invited orphans from the Salvation Army in Penang. The organziers were very understanding in the sense that it will be fair to call all the kids under 12 yrs old rather than inviting a few. However, it would be costly for them so they were looking for sponsors to sponsor the kids.

As I read the notification on Facebook that they were inneed of sponsors, it suddenly struck me. After all these years of having a good time as a kid at the Penang Eurassian Association for Christmas, it was time to share the moment with the younger generation especially the kids from the Salvation Army who were less fortunate.

I called my aunt who is one of the organizers and told her to put me down for 4 kids. She said that was all they needed coincidently to complete the sponsorship and invitation list for the kids. I was so happy. It felt like it was so meant to be.

I am happy for doing my small part and hope whoever these kids are have fun.

I declined to attend the event and preferred to keep a low profile. :P

The reason I am blogging about this is to remmember those good times as a kid. :)

Remorsed

I have been through a lot of hurdles these years and now another one. I am just too ashame to admit what happened. It is a big lost! The more I think about avoiding problems, the more I get myself into them. It is a lesson that life is really never easy. Dreaming of sunny days and all smiles does not work for me. I guess it is about inner happiness!

What had never been dreamed of, did happen. It slowly came to a halt; a realization that it was not meant to be. Not for us and not for the people that we love the most including our friends.

It is sad to lose someone that has meant so much to you. The good and bad times will now be memories. Memories or phases in life that has contructed who I am and who I shall be in future.

The heart can no longer continue. What was once full, is now surprisingly empty. I guess the priorities and goals have evolved. There was parallelism but instead now separatism. A separation to continue life on our own and seek individual gratification. The results can be positive and also negative. However, life must continue. We need strength to continue our journey while on this earth.

Time now is not easy. The heart is very heavy and filled with sadness. How should I continue? How do I heal? I put myself in God's arms. I can only imagine Him hugging me and holding me tight with me crying out in His arms. I beg for His merciful forgiveness. It was my human failure that had led me to this state. I am scared I may have gone against God's plan. But this is what we want now.

The thoughts keep running in my mind almost all the time. What the hell happenned? It happenned so swiftly and I don't know why I let it go so easily. After all my hardships in building it, I just let it go this time. Very confusing.

My mind is not at peace. I need time to heal. I need time to reflect on what happenned before, now and the future.

I imagine myself laying naked on the floor. Just as the words from Natalie Imbruglias song Naked or whatever the name is. I feel I have nothing and my energy drained.

When moments like Christmas especially soon round the corner, you feel sad. Christmas is all about fun and sharing it with your loved ones. This year it will be very lonely for me. Not because I don't have my family and my friends but because I wanted a quiet and composed time to gather my strength. I selfishly would like to see this moment past although it is a happy event. It is a time of the Christian calendar when God brings us all together as a family to celebrate the birth of Jesus who changed the earth. A very important time in the Christian calendar. I must focus on this important Christian celebration and put my personal thoughts aside.

Honestly, I always believe in happiness. Happiness not only for me but for all who walk this earth. It is something that is free and is entitled. I do not want to be the reason for that someone to be suppressed of that happiness. I really prefer to see that person happy and enjoying life.

Since I am not that person to provide that happiness, I beg to God on my knees and pray for that person to achieve it. I am confident there will be a better replacement. That is all I sincerely wish for.

I feel like an old Volvo that has reached the end of my era, to be replaced with newer Volvos that serve their owners better and provide more.

I apologize for my short-comings and the times that I had failed to fulfill what was desired of.

Pls do not see this as me being sympathetic or the nice guy. I speak my mind and how my heart feels. I know now a lot of ppl hate me for what has happenned. But pls, give us the respect and time to heal and not point fingers.

It is was a difficult decision to come to and something very sacred to us that we have realized and want to do what is best for each other.

Is going fast the new way to go?

(Photo from Google: Can you guess what car this is?)

Tom's, Greddy, Apexi! These are some of the after-market performance car brands that are mushrooming as a result of a trend to go faster than normal. I sometimes feel it is the fault of the emergence of Formula 1 in Malaysia and influence of the Japanese car culture that has made an impact on the Malaysian shores. Prices for these after-market parts are astronomical compared to a simmillar OEM part that is of equivalent quality and function.

An average income person for example, is forking out loads of money trying to make a mid-range car look like a race-rally car; modified engine, exhaust, fancy rims, bodykits. Money like that should be well spent on a good investment plan, childrens future education or healthcare. But people fail to see these as an importance but rather than their selfish greed of feeling accepted by peers or in a car club.

Times have changed! Looking back at the old days of the 60s and 70s when our parents could afford quality built continental cars, prices of cars then were not so high, cost of metal was cheaper and the automobile was just being introduced in Malaysia to the average individual. Most importantly, it is the economy that has changed. A brand new Volvo in the 80s cost around RM 50, 000. Today it is over RM 200, 000. Almost 4x more! Hence, we cannot compare to the times of the 60s and 70s because the economy has grown and changed so drastically. The value of metal is so much greater; the value of metal for money that you get today for a new car cannot be compared to cars built in the 60s or 70s. Back then you get a lot more metal for your money which is of course value for money and worth the money spent. Just look at the strength of car panels and rigidity of car frames we see today.

The mid-range cars these days are built for a purpose. They are supposed to be cheap, low maintainance, low consumption and comfortable for a small family or for the new working class adult. They are vehicles that are meant for easy commuting, getting you safely from point A to point B. 0-100 or BHP is not the primary criteria here and should not be compared to the likes of German or Italian automobiles like BMW and Ferrari. It is totally a different segment.

I do not see a car as just a car. They all fall under different segments. Perodua, Proton, Toyota and Honda are meant to be mid-range cars. Then there is the high range cars like BMW, Mercedes and Audi. Above that segment, there are luxurious cars like Bentley and Rolls-Royce. In another segment there are sports cars like Ferrari and Lamborgini. Being in a different segment, each vehicle has it's purpose, build quality and functions differently. You can't really compare the BHP of a Perodua Kancil with a Lotus Elite can you? That would be so dumb. It would be even dumber to see a Kancil tail-gating a Ferrari on the expressway. :S

As I drive around Penang town, I see more and more heavily modified mid range cars. So what's with the extra power? Are they planning on competing in the next Japan GT or F1?

Take for example my Myvi. Simple and practical. Gets me places and it's relatively cheap and safe to commute compared to a motorcycle. It would be absurd to over-do it with wild bodykits and a loud exhaust. It was built to be a simple car and I have so much fun with it although it is plain simple. To me, fun would be defined as taking my family, friends and dog out in it. The car takes me to new places and discovering new things when I travel within Malaysia! It's these memories that I wish to cherish rather than driving like a maniac and putting me and my passengers at risk.

I mean don't get me wrong. I love the Subaru Imprezza and Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution! They are good racing cars and they were built for it. These hot cars can be used for doing 1/4 miles, drifting or donuts and you would feel at ease! They are built for motorsports and is most ideal. The body's overall reinforcement and suspension settings help the driver achieve the ultimate driving exprience that they are pursuing.

Taking a Myvi, modifying it with bodykits and loud exhaust system does not prove it to be a sports car or bringing it close to the likes of the Subaru or Mistsubishi. Even the Proton Wira that owners modify to the best they can to make it look and feel like a Mitsubishi Evution III, falls short to the latter. No way can it be made to be equal. The material, quality and workmanship is vastly different. The Wira is built at a lower cost to make it a cheap selling car in it's era and technology and quality put in cannot be compared to the guys at Mitsubishi.

Both vehicle and owner go hand-in-hand towards making road safety a reality rather than an aspiration.

With more and more people getting educated and campaigns carried out by the government to promote road safety, it is surprising that people do not adhere to it. People like this are well off with nice luxurious cars but drive fast on small/ narrow roads like in Penang's town centre. How can you explain the intelligence of this people? They are not stupid. These are the new breed of professionals. They are just plain ignorant when it comes to road safety.

Driving carefully and courteously should be the "in thing" instead. It should be a reflection on the driver's wisdom, maturity and understanding of safety. You may not be as fast from 0-1oo km/h but atleast you arrived safely and stress free to your destination. Driving fast only forces you to increase your alertness but most drivers fail and end up in crashes. We are only human. The faster you drive, the slower your reflexes are to react to emergencies or unforseen situations; dog or car coming accross the road. These unforseen situations are unpredictable but potentially can happen while driving on the road. You can't really blame these other reasons for an accident when actually it's the driver that needs to be careful and practice safe driving.

When we are on the road, we all have our own plans of going to our destination in our own ways. For example, we can't really get pissed off and honk at a car that has come out of the intersection when it is your right to the road ahead. Possibly, he has waited a while at the intersection but can't come out due to heavy flow of on-coming traffic. Sometimes, it could be an emergency. I mean emergencies do happen like rushing to hospital, late for work or appointment. Today, it may be that guy who rushed out of the intersection. Tommorrow, it could be you. Have a heart! :)

People seem to go fast like their rushing. Rushing for what? Are these people rushing because they are so bad at managing their time that everything needs to be done fast? Actually, as technology continues to grow, it is suppose to make our lives easier and stress free, hence, I do not see the reason to rush and get yourself stressed out which forces you to drive unsafely.

TV shows like Top Gear and Extreme Machines do display the ultimate performance of a car. To achieve the overall goal of proving to the audience the full potential of these vehicles, the cars are tested by trained and experienced professionals under safe conditions like an empty air-field or racing circuit. The cars are driven fast on these conditions without jeopardizing safety.

AAM organizes plenty of defensive driving courses. I feel the government should applaud and encourage more trainings for defensive driving. Defensive driving does not mean preparing you for road bullies or driving like a F1 driver. It's purpose is to educate motorist to drive responsibly and with awareness to the full functions and safety of your vehicle.

However, these trainings can be expensive but it is possible for the government to partly sponsor participants for these driving courses. Afterall, I don't see it as a problem partially sponsoring considering we pay high car prices, car taxes and road taxes. JPJ should come out with this proposal to the government.

Can't wash 5 pieces of clothes.

One day, I was chilling and having a beer at Arathi Villas in Tanjung Bungah. I was waitting for Ruby to come for dinner after her work.

2 doors next to the restaurant there is this laundry shop. I was observing the amount of customers stopping, double parking their cars and walking almost queeing to enter the shop. I think it was really peak hours for the shop at around 6 pm plus, after work.

There were some with lots of clothes and others with just a handful(no joke!). The customers look like residents nearby in contrary belief that they would be mostly guest at the nearby Tanjung Bungah hotel. The cars that these customers owned were slightly above an average person's car.

I am surprised at some of them. Why can't they wash their own clothes? How come they are willing to spend money to have someone do it for them? How can people not have time or make time out of their busy schedules?

I totally understand that the services provided by some laundries are quite unique like steam cleaning or dry cleaning. But most customers just requested for normal washing.

People like this are spoilt and take things to easily in life.

Almost every household has a washing and drying area for clothes. Some have invested in turning rooms to a fully functional in-house laundry just for their needs. Others are still able to hang at their balconies and even inside their houses.

Washing to me is so simple. I just dump my dirty clothes in the washing machine. Pour some clothes detergent and let it run a full cycle. About an hour later, I hang my clothes on the hanger. A day later I collect my clothes so that it does not get dusty after leaving it outside for days.

Who am I? I am not poorer than those people who can afford the laundry. Neither am I richer than them as I have my own washing machine at home. As for time, I am seriously busy like anyone else. However, I make time and schedule my chores such as washing clothes. Honestly, it is easy and effortless.

You do not need to be a genius to operate a washing machine. Most of todays washing machines are automatic such as the one I have. There are even better and more advanced washing machines with fuzzy logic abilities. But, the simple and cheaper one works fine. Just to share that my family and I have had our trusty National for almost 2o years. You know the old school green one from the late 80s. Haha! Washing machines today are cheap and I am sure you can get a basic washing machine for less than RM 400 brand new.

I really felt it was so crazy for someone to take like 5 pieces of clothes to a laundry. Just imagine to drive all the way there, find parking and queue to submit clothes for washing.

No doubts about it that the shop is doing well and possibly it's percentage for growth and profit is almost equivalent to a Fortune 500 company. This is a cash cow and money making industry that attracts idiots! It sounds harsh but it is true.

Marriage? Is it that easy?

Lately, I have been invited to many weddings of friends and relatives. The calendar for September is practically packed with weddings. I am really looking forward to them as it is a happy occasion and because how much these people who are getting married mean to me. :)

Then, I ponder. When will mine be?

Marriage to me is a very important milestone in ones life. It is a decision to share your life with that special someone in good and bad times. Living with that person all your life and sharing things together is not easy. However, it must be that burning desire to be with that someone, a certain degree of understanding, trust, loyalty and respect that will overcome the challenges of married life. Fundamentally the most important of all is communication.

Communication should be borderless! In a relationship, each should be given the right to talk and to listen. If there is something bothering you, the topic should be openned up for discussion. Also, we should listen and be open to proactive comments or criticism. Criticism should never be viewed as a bad thing or as a weapon to be used against anyone. It should be taken as a form of constructive feedback to develop someone personally and professionally.

However, there may not be an ideal scenario of both individuals agreeing with what each other says. I feel it is fair and it should be respected. We are all different and so are our views on life. There is no right nor wrong. It is a matter of accepting each other and loving them for what they are. Give and take is important. There may be somethings your partner is lacking in but you have it as an advantage. Great! That is the attraction and I honestly believe that this is what consolidates a relationship.

The time would be ideal to marry when the time is right. When? When both agree that he and she is ready for this communion of two individuals. It has to be made clear so that no one is offended in the relationship.

As individuals, our mental and emotional growth varies. Each of us have needs that we want to achieve in life. It is undoubted that career, education background, family or possessions are some of these elements that we aspire to achieve or to have. These are some of the reasons that weddings are put-off or postponed to a more suitable time. It is not strange but only human that such of this reasons exist.

Life is short and the chance we have is only one. The time that we have to achieve so much is crazy and is never perfect. Never perfect in the sense that with these goals in place, obstacles will always exist that may prevent or postpone us from achieving them. These goals that we have set, can be seen as things that enriches our life and makes it meaningful to us. That goal may differ from one another but it should be seen as something that brings happiness and satisfaction.

Age is no barrier. God has planned our lives so perfectly that when it is meant to be, it will be but in His time. Sometimes that perfect partner is 10 years different in age. So what? Has long there is a union and love for each other, it should be harmonized.

Religion should also be no barrier. There are so many great and compatible people for each other but are only different in religious values only. As for this, one should analyze this thoroughly, to see how will religion impact them. Would there need to be a conversion or a mutual understanding for each others beliefs? Also, to consider are the repercussions of the decisions made on that person and the family institution as a result of difference in religion.

It is so sad to see married couples divorced and separating. It is deffinitely taboo in my culture and family background. The word divorce should never come up in a married relationship! I feel sick to see people desecrate this sacred act and to not respect what it stands for. For example, Britney Spears on the story of her marriages on E! channel. If one does not understand or is not ready, then don't do it! Never be forced in marriage or to do something against your will.

To summarize, it is deffinitely exciting to get married! To seal the deal with that special person whom you adore greatly. :) Marriage is part of life and is highly looked upon in any culture or religious sector. It is about the promise of being together with each other on this earthly world and a declaration for that responsibility and duty to hold, to care and provide for that person and to bring up children together as active parents!

I want to get married. ;)

I love him coz his rich!

I heard this statement from someone close to me and was honestly quite saddened by it. They met at a party and there was an attraction. An attraction of her to him because he could shower her with anything she wanted. In return, she gave him herself when he needed it. Blady whore!

She is very happy with Gucci, Prada and maybe a BMW Z4 coming up. Both are young in their early 20s, just graduated and starting out their career. Also as a couple and in their relationship(if you can call it healthy), have a new chapter to learn and grow together. For sure, there are going to be good and bad times. But I guess all of this is blinded by wealth for her and reasonably good looking body for him.

I honestly cannot stand this sort of symbiotic nature of such people. The reason I say symbiotic is because both are benefitting in their own narrow minded way. Parasiting would happen if one is gainning from the other and another at a losing end. Oh, I have a friend who is a victim of parasited relationship. I trully feel sorry for him.

A relationship should be one founded on common ground, mutual understanding, respect and unconditional love in the context of a romantic relationship. These are the fundamental foundations that strengthen a relationship.

What if there was another richer guy? What if there was another hotter girl? Would they part because of this and find new "love"?

These are people who do not understand the true meaning of life and are so caught up in the material world where possession defines power. How about the power of love? Totally non-existent in their books!

They think they are mature enough and regard themselves as well established adults but they have lots to change in their mentality. The truth is, they are immature, do not have general knowledge and entirely confused individuals. Their lives are meaningless and empty within.

It is hard to advise such people and it will only seem wise for them to come to you first for advise. That time may be too late for them to realize. They could have been hurt badly physically and emotionally.

Life is short. If we are uncertain about things and need clarification, we should take the initiative to find out from books, internet, subject experts, religious groups, family members and friends. Then, spend the rest of lives living effectively!

I feel that religion plays an important role because it covers so many aspects of life. Going to church for the sake of going is meaningless unless one wants to take the opportunity to learn, deepen ones understanding about life, contribute as a member of society and to find inner peace from within.

May God pray for these lost people to find meaning and see the world in a new light!

A big blow to the Chinese community

It is very disturbing to hear the lost of Teoh Beng Hock, 30, who was found dead sprawled in a pool of blood on the 5th floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam after falling.

Just look at how distraught his mom(pink blouse) is at the loss of her son. It should not be this way for the family.

(Photo courtesy of The Star)

Teoh was the political secretary to Selangor exco member Ean Yong Hian Wah. He was involved in a good cause to bring change to Malaysia via Parti Keadilan Rakyat(PKR). Teoh was a man of integrity, dedication and devotion to his task to serve the community better.

He was taken in under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission(MACC) for an enquiry. As most Malaysians know, MACC is going all out to catch people involved in corruption and who are going against the law. MACC's intentions are good and applauded.

However, their tactics at interogating people may need to be investigated and ammended if neccessary.

As to how and why Teoh fell down is still a big question. I do hope that a Royal Commission of Inquiry be formed to unfold the truth of Teoh's mysterious death. We need to find out how, who and why he fell. The people that are caught and proven guilty in this murder should be hung! MURDERERS!

Malaysian Chinese Association(MCA) is also pushing for a Royal Commission of Inquiry. It goes to show that the Chinese have come together irrespective of political parties for justice.

Based on what I have read, Teoh is not one to take his own life. This has been stated by his friends that Teoh was a man of high spirits.

It is so sad to see his wife to be who is carrying their child in her womb. She is 2 months pregnant. The day that Teoh died was the day that they were to be registered. I hope based on Chinese customs, they will marry in a special ceremony eventhough Teoh is now gone.

It is sad that the child she is carrying could not see his/ her father. However, someday the child should be proud of the late father as he was part of a force fighting for a new and reformed Malaysia.

He is gone but he will live on forever!

The photo above was used for the cover of Michael Jackson's album which I first started to listen.

My introduction to Michael Jackson happened before my primary school days. My brother was a hardcore fan and he had music videos of MJ on those old fashioned VHS video tapes. My aunt used to allow us to play the video every now and then and I was so thrilled by it! :D

My favourite video clip was from his music Bad. I guess I was fascinated by his black out-fit and his coolness being the leader of the gang in the video. I was very afraid of Thriller till today with zombies coming out from their tombs. :(

I guess he continued to evolve as the years passed becoming fairer. It was his song "Black and White" that caught my attention where he looked so different.

I feel his songs managed to penetrate all kinds of listeners both young and old. It is his charm and his cool dancing moves that fascinated audiences the world over. Ask people about MJ whether young or old and they will answer you yes they have either heard of him or watched him.

As I watch now on Youtube the many music videos of his time, what I noticed is the multi-racial dancers in the background. Only now I realize his hidden message to unite people of the world regardless of race which was something that was difficult, even back in the 1980s. I guess it was his way of playing his part towards breaking the barriers of race that still existed at that time. That barrier may have been broken from how the world is today in terms of the dependency and interaction of people amongst each other. However, racism sadly still exist today and it is just limiting us from discovering the culture and beauty of other races.

From what I believe, he really loved kids sincerely even if they were not his. He really took kids who were less fortunate and gave them a good time in his own haven called Neverland. The home come park was filled with entertainment rides, games and animals. He wanted to capture that happiness in his home and share it with people.

Honestly, I don't feel he grew up and was a child living in an adults body. How can you blame him since he shot up to stardom from such a young age and pretty much missed out on his childhood. His father was also pushing him to stardom to benefit from the talent of his children as he came from a very poor beginning.

Sadly on the 25th of July 2009 Michael Jackson passed away as a result of an overdose of prescription drugs. All can be said and done but nothing will change the fact that he is gone. What he has left behind is a true legacy and milestone in the music industry that has created such a global impact. It will be hard to find someone to match his credentials.

His father, Joe Jackson said that his son is now bigger than ever after passing away. It is sad that we did not appreciate him when he was alive then. It was those times when he was alive that we were so drawn to the sensationalized story of him accused as a child molester.

Michael Jackson was so big and had a lot of money. Who did not know that? Being a person who reads a lot that goes on in America, I know that there are many crazy people out there who want to capitalize on it by coming up with false stories.

Somehow the stories died off. Could have MJ paid them or fallen victim to their pleas? From what I heard MJ was such a kind guy and did not want any trouble. I feel he may have granted their wishes by giving them what they asked for.

Only end of last year he was involved in another lawsuit from a Sheik from Saudi Arabia who claimed he had breached a performance contract when actually it was the Sheikh that may have misunderstood the agreement. The issue was later resolved out of court.

His businesses also did not run well and were later sold off to corporations. I feel the reason for his financial dilemma may be due to his financial advisors who may have misappropriated his money or it could be MJ who may have splurged on the money that he had as his life was filled with extravagance.

I feel he died a poor man. He sold off his Neverland ranch in 2008 that he wants dreamed of and that he loved so much. He died in a rented mansion where he was alone.

I read about Lisa Marie Presley's post on her blog from CNN and I am able to gather how she(MJ's ex-wife and first woman he married) must have felt as a wife. You could tell she loved him and cared for him. She tried her best to help him combat the addiction to prescription drugs. He did tell her that he may end up like her father, Elvis, the King of Rock. The story may have turned out to be true. The story of MJ and Lisa is a story of love between a couple and not to be misinterpreted with the media as a public display of attention!

MJ inspired the world! Where do we go now?

R.I.P. Michael Jackson (1958 to 2009)

Demolition gone wrong!

Jaya Supermarket in Petaling Jaya has been around since the 70s. When I was a kid, I started going to the original one(I could not find any photos of the original building). Then in the late 1980s, adjusting to urbanization/ modernization, the supermarket went through a drastic face lift.

The skeleton of the old building remained but was cosmetically remodelled in blue. You could see it from miles away. The building was also extended out front replacing the open-air car park. The new car park was to be underground and also multi-storied on it's side. The supermarket has been closed almost 2 years ago.

3 weeks ago when I started training, I was chatting with the IT administrator of the training centre. He said that the building is to be demolished to make way for a new building. He said they will demolish the historical building but did not say when.

It was last Thursday that I left the training centre and went to fill up petrol at Jalan 222 and then to the HSBC bank and Maybank in PJ New Town. I casually went there and did my banking without feeling anything amidst.

After that, I headed back to my house. I used the Asia Jaya road which would lead to the Jaya Supermarket. I noticed that an unussual jam had built-up and the area looked chaotic with cars. Suddenly I felt something was not right but was not sure what it was.

So I reached the front of Jaya Supermarket and was about to turn into one of the lanes when a Rela Member stopped me and diverted me to go straight rather than turn in. I had noticed dump trucks linning the streets. I had thought they were re-surfacing the road and was thinking how good of the state government to improve public services. Then as I passed the supermarket there was the police, fire-brigade, ambulance and emergency assistance teams. I figured it could have been a riot or something, you know lah being in the big city, such thing can possibly happen.

I was curious. Can say Kay Po lah! Haha! So I parked the car down the road and walked up to the busy area where I saw a crowd. I actually wanted to go the Digital Mall nearby to get a new handphone casing. However, this gathering looked unussual so I went to the crowd first.

I asked a pak cik on his motorcycle what happened. He told me that the rear end of the building collapsed during demolition and that 20 people were buried alive. I was shocked and went closer to the scene.

Now how can a demolition go wrong? What were the construction workers doing in the building during demolition? How bad the communication of the demolition was between the workers and the team in-charge of the demolition? All these questions ran through my mind.

I feel that the team in-charge of the demolition to be responsible for this dissaster. They did not take the necessary precautions. The residents in front of the demolition site were still inhabiting the row of houses. Only today Sunday that the residents have been relocated to a nearby hotel until the demolition is over or when the local city council deems the area safe again.

It is very disappointing that in this current times, such things still can happen because of poor planning and miscalculation. The people in-charge did not consider the safety of the nearby residents as the supermarket is surrounded by houses and apartments. Only after this accident that the residents are being prioritized and placed in safe areas. Sadly they did not think of this earlier.

How on earth could they put so many cranes on the roof of the supermarket without considering the accumulated weight in tonnes put on the building which was the reason for it to collapse? I find this stupid planning and there was no application of common sense.

I think base on the newspapers, 7 workers actually perished. I think only 1 survived. 2 of them could not be identified because of how badly disfigured their faces were.

I do feel sorry for them as they are foreign workers and come from far to earn money to send back home. Just think of their families and how they will react to this news.

I have seen how organized demolition is done in the USA and Europe. The building collapses so gracefully and how detailed the planning was to ensure the safety of everyone from the workers to the residence nearby.

The rules and regulations of demolition should be tightened. The local city council should also conduct inspections to ensure that the rules are complied by the demolition team/ developer. It would be much pro-active compared to chilling at the local 'mamak' stalls in droves. The safety and welfare of the public should be their number one concern and I am sure it is stated somewhere in the constituition of the council. This could be a sign why the opposition may take over the country for better change that the public wants.

It is embaracing for us to brag about the tallest building or the longest roti to the world when the simple things are neglected.

Free Aung San Suu Kyi!

Aung San Suu Kyi is the face of democracy, fighting hard for the people of Myanmar. She is now 61 years old but her determination and drive is still the same as the early 1990s. She is greatly influenced by the late Mahatma Gandhi for his philosophy for non-violence and from Buddhist teachings.

Somehow, I really admire people like this who sacrifice their freedom, time, health and effort (in short their LIVES) for the greater goal of others.

The people of Myanmar were enlighted by democracy assuming from seeing how it's neighbouring countries were progressing well under this system. It was her drive to form the National League Democratic Union in 1988 and she felt that she could make a difference for Myanmar and it's people with democratization. To be honest with you, Myanmar is still way behind compared to other countries in Asia and can do with a person like Suu Ki to propel it to greater heights.

In 1990, she and her party won the national elections. Unfortunately, the party's victory was not recognized by the Myanmar Military @ Military Junta. The funny part is that the Junta were the ones who organized the elections. Such dumb assess!

In addition to not victoriously leading the new-Myanmar, she was placed under house arrest for the past 19 years since then. The only way for her to be released would be if she leaves her homeland, Myanmar.

During this time, she has painfully gone through the death of her husband in 1999. Throughout this time, they have only met 5 times since she was detained under house arrest. She has 2 kids whom are in their 30s and residing in the UK.

The Junta are probably having a smashing good time with wealth, booze and women, that they felt inferior for someone like Suu Ki, would be a party pooper by putting an end to their endless celebrations.

She has been recognized globally for her good intentions and efforts in bringing peace to Myanmar. In 1991, she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Also, she won the Rafto Prize and the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought . In 1992 she was awarded the Jawarhalal Nehru peace prize by the Indian government.

Like many other famous but humble people who strive to make a difference, she too has her own quotes. One famous quote from Suu Ki :

"It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it".

Now I am sure you can just go to Google and search her. However, I wanted to provide a summary of her goals, achievements, her pain and her sacrifice for the good of the people of Myanmar from my perspective. The news about her from CNN caught my attention and made me draw interest to learn more about her quest for Myanmar's democracy.

The international leaders are clearly aware of this situation and have made many appeals to the Junta but to no positive effect. Perhaps now is a good time to jump in guys to take advantage of this delicate situation.

The situation is now at it's climax! She was promised to be released end of May 2009 by the Junta. Unfortunately, an American "clown" is in the picture. Nothing better to do one fine night, he claims he swam accross the river, where her house overlooks and got tired. So he seeked shelter and food from her house. Of all the houses and places to do a pit-stop, it has to be her house.

He is now being investigated for trespassing and interfering with Suu Ki's house arrest. Suu Ki is also now being trialed by the Junta for her offence in violating the house arrest by accepting and being in contact with the American. The American is nothing but bad news for her! If Suu Ki is found to be guilty, she will be jailed from 3 to 5 years(like has if the 19 years was nothing!).

I suspect, the Junta is using this as a reason to extend her arrest and put her out of politics for longer period. However, this would exceed the maximum punishment for person being placed under house arrest. Otherwise, she will be placed in prison just like the other pro-democracy activist who dreamt of building a new- Myanmar.

Please, let us join forces as global citizens and to rally for the freedom of Aung San Suu Kyi!

Teacher's Day!

Love them or hate them, they played a significant role in our accademic years from kindergarten to university.

I was very impressed with some of the teachers I came accross. They were so devoted in their subjects and never showed any sign of boredom to what they taught. They deffinitely had interest and looked like hardcore geeks of their subject. They put in so much effort towards teaching and learning new things to be shared with their students. For example, a history teacher will be so into history including emphasizing on how important it is to document history and the whole process of documenting it. Sounds very deep and BORING but they felt it was an important component of the subject.

Puan Siva was my standard 1 teacher whom I dreaded. She was so strict and she used to punish me. Why? I never did my homework and found that education was not important! Never felt that READING was so important but felt the television was a better road to happiness! Yes, I was a very slow learner and took a long time before I could read. I was so scared of her and psychologically I was so worried of going to school.

Then, I changed. I did all my homework and learnt how to read. My parents made time to teach me at home and bring me up to pace. I appreciated their effort and doing homework actually gave me satisfaction in the end. It was that satisfaction of knowing how I can equip myself with knowledge and using it wisely and making full use of my intellectual ability. School became better for me. Thankfully I did very well in school and quite satisfactory in university! Haha!

I still remember the time when I got Pelajar Cemerlang in standard 6 back in primary school. Pn Siva was still teaching there at that time. She came up to me to confirm if the news was true that I got the award and I confirmed it. I noticed she was feeling proud that I got the prize and all her efforts and scolding had paid-off. I could only smile. I look back now and I should have said, "Thank you".

There were some who were just too smart in their field but could not teach. They failed to communicate well with their students and were unsuccesful in relaying their lectures accross to them. Student-teacher engagement is just as important as salesman- customer engagement. If you don't connect, no deal!

There were teachers who used physical punishment on students; slapping, canning, pulling the student's ear. Such punishment does not really educate and inform the student of the error made effectively. It just a form of cosequence to the mistake done by the student. A better solution would be to have a 1 on 1 with that student and talk about it. Understand why did it happen, the source of the problem and how to tackle the students problem in more pro-active way.

Some teachers in secondary schools are idiots! They fail to realize that their student are in a phase of maturing and are experiencing hormonal imabalances that is not the fault of the student but part of the human biological cycle. These are honestly stupid teachers and reflects their level of accademic achievement(not only certification related but level of understanding as a human).

Can teachers be regarded as only human and their acts should be accepted generally? NO. When one stands in front of the class, the focus of authority and attention is on that one person. That would be an ideal scenario where students look up to the teacher as a mentor, an educator or a provider of supreme knowledge. However, the treatment from the teacher is bias and unfair. They judge a certain group of students and pick the best and discard the rest. All students should be treated equally and respectfully in the classroom environment. In Malaysia or from my experience, that drive and determination from a teacher to a weak student has not been reflected unlike those happy ending stories in the movies where the teacher goes all out to see the weak student succeed.

The nature of accademic success should never be judged by the intelligence of the student but by how much effort the student had put in. The reason being psychologically if a student fails, the student sees him or herself as being intelectually inferior. If students make mistakes, educate them wisely and identify what was the root cause and how to circumvent it. Always remember to be positive to students as ones mental and psychological belief plays an important role in seeing how knowledge is absorbed and put to good use. It is always harder to work with negative people rather than positive people because negative people create a barrier on how far they want to go.

Then there were those and this population is growing rapidly of teachers who are just stupid. They do not know head or tail of their fields. There is no drive and determination within them. This is evident among the new graduates from the Maktab Perguruans. Many of them graduate but are of no substance or display any dynamism. They are just out there for the sake of getting a job, the assumption it is an easy job and they are lazy to do anything else. The government is pumping in money to them and introducing so many perks but they do not do their part in developing their teaching career. The term no pain, no gain is beyond their comprehension or to some unheard of.

Where are those teachers who had that love and devotion for classical literature from the early Western era as early as the Greeks? There are a few or none of these new teachers from the Maktab Perguruan who have that appreciation not only towards literature from the Western world but also from our very own local Malaysian literature. The awesome teachers of the 20th century who had such appreciation and interest in their respective fields are dwindling. Perhaps, if robots become educators someday, they could be programmed to express deep liking and understanding for literature or for whatever field.

Labour Day... a labour of love?

The word labour sounds so negative. What comes to my mind with that word is labourer; someone who is involved in cleaning the sewers and involved in heavy lifting of rocks and sweeping a highly vegetated garden. Labour also reminds me of the difficult task a mother has to undertake to give birth to a child. Just the sound of those examples above makes you tired and uninterested.

Let us be honest with each other and ask ourselves what on earth are we working for? It is not a difficult question and without any hesitance I am sure your answer will be MONEY. Let's face it, what can we get for free these days. Irrespective of physical belongings that we fall for, services also today is a money making industry. That is the reason why there are so many businesses that provide maintainence services and consulting services. Even offering your ideas is a service that is billed to a customer.

Some of us are fortunate enough to get our hands on our dream jobs. With this passion for the job, it drives us towards introducing new standards in the respective industry and achieving personal job satisfaction. Confusious did say, "If you choose the right path in your life, you never have to work a single day". This is something I believe in but if it is truely some thing that I have put into action or personally experienced is a question I ask myself often.

Some of us work for the sake of money and to survive in this highly inflated world. The job we have helps us to pay bills and keeps us contented with possessing the stuff we had always dreamed of having. We may really hate our jobs but we acknowledge the fact and realize that no work means no money.

As for me, I couldn't say my job is the greatest job or is the most fun job. But, I try my best to make it fun! Just having that enthusiasm and interest in something although boring really can make a difference. Being in the IT line, what is interesting is to see how the features of a software can be best developed to better serve the needs of the customer. Yes, to any lay person it sounds so geeky! Haha! It is all about providing additional features and services for the customer that creates the edge amongst our competitors in highly growing industry. There is so many things to read about and to learn on how we can turn those brilliant ideas into a reality and to break the barrier of the unimaginable. So, I have now learnt to love my job to a certain degree.

My objective here is to motivate those of you who feel your job really sux. Firstly, in this current economic turmoil, do realize and be happy that you actually have a job. Trust me there are many without a job and the boredom of sitting at home is killing them to the bone! Secondly, realize that the ultimate goal in life is happiness @ fun who won't deny that. So if you think work or life for that matter is boring, introduce a little fun to it! A change of attitude can really make a difference not only to yourself on the job but your whole working environment. A successful company is not one that has achieved outstanding results but has employees that are happy and has that eagerness to come to work each day to be a contributor towards the growth of the company and meeting the company's mission!

I just love thinking of those ideas as it really motivates me. You don't have to ask the boss to paint the whole office striking colours to add the fun but it could be the simple fun of learning something new and sharing it with your co-workers. It kind of gives you that satistfaction of sharing and feeling like a key contributor towards the growth of your team. Try to have that thought that you are an important figure no matter whatever position you hold and that your company just can't live without you! Haha!

Happy Labour Day everyone! :D

A fallen hero but soon to be resurrected!

The title may seem a little too dramatic for the absence of a neccessity that we utillise so much but we take for granted; our cars or to add a little luxury to the word, automobile. Most of us have them, while some are in the process of getting one and some who feel it is more convenient to use public transport or a motorbike.

Be it whatever car, from a Mazda RX-8 to a Perodua Kancil, the owners take pride in their machines for daily commute and simply for fun! I guess it is not only about the value of the car but the ability to be mobile and the freedom to move boldly where our hearts desire.

My recent post here is a sad one about something that both Ruby and I treasure deeply; Ruby's Perodua Kelisa Auto @ "Christine".

Last Wednesday, I received a call early in the morning from Ruby saying that someone had knocked her car from the rear. I jumped out of bed and made a few calls to my favourite Perodua service centre in Penang, near to the Gama shopping complex, but to no avail as it was before office hours. Thankfully Ruby was fine and was able to tell me what was going on at the scene.

Ruby's car could still move so she took the culprits contacts to meet up later that day to make the police report and subsequently arrange for the cars to be fixed. Well, most deffinitely the culprit's insurance company will pay for the repairs to Ruby's car!

As we speak, Ruby's car is currently in the Perodua Main Service Centre in Penang under the care of my "boys", hence, everything is "organized".

Dreadfully, it is going to take approximately two weeks to have the car repaired and collected by Ruby. It is something I very much dislike but I have no choice but to leave it in the hands of the relevant authorities.

The point that I would like to bring up here is the agonizing fact of owning a car but you can't use it because of someone elses fault. Yes, accidents are inevitable since the dawn of the car. When cars came, accidents came with it too. Nonetheless, I cannot stop outpouring my dissatisfaction over this.

Being without a car can be a real pain. I know what it feels like as I have been in the same situations before with my old car. God forbid anything were to happen to my new one!

No matter how careful we are on the road, there are always other factors that contribute to an accident; other motorist, road conditions and weather. It sounds pretty scary and some may be very stressed out with driving due to extreme stress of being involved in an accident. However, I assure you, in life, we can do so much. There will be always be other things that be the reason for things to go wrong.

What I have learnt from this event is that it is good to have an automobile association or a reliable insurance company that handles accident claims and towing away the car to a safe spot. In addition to that, the complicated paper work and people to see to get the issue resolved can be tedious.

Based on my experience, I am a member of AAM(Automobile Association of Malaysia) . My parents and my aunts have been loyal supporters of AAM for many years. When I first got my driving license, my mom got me a supplementary card under her as a precaution.

When I started working, I joined on my own as a member. They handle my roadtax, car insurance, my driving license, vehicle breakdowns and accidents (towing and all the necessary paperwork). It is convenient in the sense it puts you at a little ease of being a car owner and driving. The service I admit is not perfect but they get the job done.

One thing that I try to practice is defensive driving. Be always on the lookout and alert to different situations in traffic; motorist, road conditions and weather.

Motorist are unpredictable. They are like sperm that roam freely during conjugation to fertilize the egg. Some of them are in a rush and some are just plain stupid! We always need to anticipate the moves of such people for the bennefit of our safety and that of our our loved ones and the safety of our vehicles.

Roads in Malaysia are tricky. Some are good roads but most are not; roads are filled with uneven surfaces, potholes, confusing road-signs and road-kill. Using our instinct, we need to be always alert and adapt to these changes and abnormalities. Also, this is to protect the wear-and-tear of our cars like from potholes that could damage our undercarriage, tyres and suspension system.

Weather these days is unpredictable. The rain sometimes gets so heavy that it disrupts our view while on the road. A suggestion would be to switch on your lights and wipers and lower your speed. Never use your emergency signal lights as it gives the wrong impression that the car has broken down and is stationary.

Always ensure the tyres have sufficient thread to sustain grip while driving. A tip would be to check the grooves of a tyre with a coin. I suggest that if only 25% or less of the coin is "hidden", it would be best to change your tyres. Don't go for re-threaded or uncommon brand names. Stick to the main tyre manufactures like Sime Tyres. However, despite having new tyres, we still cannot take for granted the road conditions on a rainy day.

With this post in mind, I do hope everyone drives safe, be cautious while driving and try to help others by giving them a lift if needed! :)

Sleep more to feel healthy and happy!

When we were babies, we used to sleep a lot. In fact, our parents and grandparents ensured we slept well during our early years of our lives when our body adapts to the world, outside of the womb of the mother and to ensure the healthy growth of our body and organs. We would be put to sleep right after we had been nourished with milk. I still remmeber KLIM milk powder back then in my early years! :)

As I grew older, my sleeping hours has become less due to my activeness. I noticed this during my school days when there was tuition to attend and homework to complete. Then in university because of the Internet and the wonders of downloading and watching tv series and going out with friends up to the wee hours of the morning, time spent sleeping was less.

Now with work, I have to constantly keep myself abreath with the growth in IT and international economics so I spend a lot of time on the computer. Also with work during the day, it leaves me only with the nights to do my laundry, iron my clothes and wash my car. I wonder what will happen when I have kids someday? :S I may be so busy till my sleeping hours will be even more less!

However, despite my hectic lifestyle, time management is now totally super important to me. There are so many things to juggle but what I have learnt is to prioritize. I may not be satisfied that I could not get to wash my car on a particular day because of other chores like laundry but instead wash the car on another day. I know I may sound so rigid and up-tight but this is what I need to do to ensure smooth "operations" of my life.

The same goes for my sleep, I need to ensure that I have sufficient sleep and rest before starting a brand new day. I used to sleep at crazy hours of the morning on a work day. Now, with my timetable, I have enough rest to begin a great morning and day at the office. It may be long hours at the office but I will not feel tired because I have rejunevated the night before with sufficient sleep. I also feel, sleep plays an important role in influencing our mood for the next day.

Ruby and my mom have also been telling me to ensure I have enough rest and sleep so this was a form of encouragement for me to prioritize on my sleep. At first I was wondering how can I achieve sufficient amount of sleep. Then, after some minor planning to my lifestyle, I have that time now. I trully feel happier and healthier.

These days with the change of weather, I have been falling ill often. Who hasn't this year? If you haven't, your lucky! This was when I realized how important sleep was to heal the body. I mean you cannot avoid consuming medicine but with the sufficient rest and sleep helps to heal your body. For example, taking two Panadols and sleeping it off when your sick. The next morning when you wake up if your lucky, the illness may have gone away or have been less intensed.

This is what I have discovered and I felt I should share this with all of you. Less sleep is something we are all experiencing these days and we should do something about it as there are lots of bennefits from sufficient sleep.

Catching up on sleep over the weekend honestly never helps and wastes your good weekend for sleeping rather than getting out there and having fun! Sleep more people! :)

Thailand goes bang!

What comes in mind of the people of Thailand is there gentleness, respectfulness, courtesy and kindness. Some guys drool over Thai girls thinking they are the ultimate rosie cheeked soft-gentle sexy women wrapped in batik style cloth that would turn their wild fantasies into realities. The people that build up the country gives it a very peaceful and calm nation.

That mindset has now changed with the recent political turmoil that has rocked this holiday cum shopping destination. The people of Thailand are protesting for the return of the ex-prime minister, Thaksin, back into power. It is really sick and sounds disgusting.

Thaksin was charged in court for fraud and squandering the citizens money as his own. He use to be the ex-owner of Manchester City for a while before selling it off. There are stories that he was a billionaire even before being the premier but a lot of people are doubting how he became rich. As of now, he has divorced his wife to protect the wealth of his assets from being exposed to all.

With respect to his leadership, he seemed like a nice guy. I remmember the time he visited KL and met up with the then Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir. A lot of ties were forged for economic bennefits of both countries, monitoring the illegal trade of rice and petrol and safety at our borders at Bukit Kayu Hitam.

As for the current crisis, the protest is mostly contained within the busy Bangkok. The protesters clad in red T-Shirts march to the streets creating chaos; vandalizing military vehicles and terrorizing cabinet ministers of the coutry. Some say that these protesters are being paid by the billionaire ex-pm to organize such demonstrations. How can people say this is a peaceful protest? How can a once peaceful nation have a misconception on the term peaceful? Thais are not stupid people despite the language barrier towards the world but they could be clever in bull-shitting. This is bogus!

Thailand has been changing prime ministers like how Paris Hilton has been changing boy-friends. Where is the symbol of the country's stability? Can you just imagine the impact of this political volatility have on the nation's economy especially during this current economic crisis? Thailand is a haven for holiday makers but I am sure they will think twice if not three especially about their safety. When 9/11 happen in the US, it openned the eyes of the world that such catastrophes could happen anytime, anywhere and to anyone.

After Thaksin left office, there have been so many replacements. However, the people have some reason to get rid of them be it corruption woes and non-democratic selection of their leaders. Thaksin is hoping to return back to Thailand and regaining his control of the country as Prime Minister. This would include a some-how genius idea of clearing the charges against him and pretending nothing happenned. Fat hopes lah coming from a non-political science scholar.

I personally think that the current Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva is a nice guy. He is deffinitely a wise choice as leader having graduated from a prestigous institution in the UK. His international relationship is very good and is trying his best to boost the economy especially travel. If you go to CNN.com, you may still be able to view an advertisement of Thailand beginning with him introducing himself and elaborating on how wonderful Thailand is to the world.

The chaos continues until some form of convincing, clarification and persuasion can come to the country. I feel the best person to make this happen is the highly respected king of Thailand as everyone looks up to him. He is respected almost God-like and most Thais display their affection to him with his photo all over from inside their wallets, front of their shops and key-chains.

There is no place for the US to get involve in acting as mediator or whatsoever. This is not another Iraq or Afghanistan. It will do a lot bennefit to bring back the stability and peacefulness of the now torn nation. I am optimistic and hoping that things will return to before, once this issue has been resolved as Malaysia and Thailand have very close business ties.

The new Sheriff!

It has been a week now since Najib took over the relm as prime minister of Malaysia. I have nothing much to remmember of his predecessor except for his wide smile. :)

Being in Najib's shoes, it is a rather bad time to come in during the current economic crisis to deal with unemployment and the drop in purchasing power due to difficulty in obtaining loans. Also, with the severed relationship amongst races, it is difficult to pull everyone together to build a stronger and harmonious nation.

With more and more people being convinced that the opposition is better than the current government, it is hard to gain the peoples support for the governments efforts and policies. We have been waiting for Anwar but nothing has materialized. Who likes waiting? The opposition who is rulling certain states in the country are governing base on trial and error and still seem a little virgin to procedures and dealing with issues.

Trying their best to be transparent be it in murder trials, human rights and corruption, the new government is doing their best to win the hearts of the nation.

Mahathir is also back in the leading party having renewed his membership with the party. He is trully brilliant as we all know and has led Malaysia to outstanding heights. We are actually now somewhere in the world compared to our neighbouring countries. He has shown his support to the new premier. Somehow, whatever Mahathir says, we listen and we believe in it because concretely he has done a lot for us. Mahathir may have made some errors or misjudgement but what he did right has outweighed or substracted the bad.

From what Najib has done so far has made me think that he may be of some good afterall. Yes, it is quite evident there have been lots of rumors about him and some have judged his leadership and sincerity to serve the people. However, what I applaud of him is his vision. A vision is vital in bringing any organization or body to where one wants it to go.

Isn't he making some difference to the people so far? It could be a sign for better times to come I honestly feel. The release of the ISA detainees and booting of certain cabinet members whom we all felt hurt and unworthy by are amongst the changes he has done so far. ISA is now under evaluation of it's effectiveness it protecting the country and ensuring it is abiding my human rights policies. It is the same thing that Obama did for the US in shutting down Guantanamo.

He may not be able to solve the current economy crisis because it is a global issue and has hit badly in the United States and in Europe but he could try to repair the fault and defects of the previous administration.

Too be honest, anyone can lead the nation has long everyone is protected, no discrimination or marginalizing certain sectors and their is equal rights to citizens. Psychologically, it is difficult to bridge the divide amongst different races and culture. When people see differences, people see breakdowns that prevent us from achieving our goals together.

I know it sounds weird that I may have changed my views suddenly of who can best serve the people but it could be pre-mature and we shall see what happens. As for now, I would like to give my support to the new PM and see what he can do to fix the brokeness that has affected many homes throughout Malaysia. Let us give the new guy a chance! We may not know what may turn out of his leadership and I am saying that with positiveness and optimism for good change.

Ruby and Trevor - A great 1st year together!

It has been exactly a year since the 13th of March 2008 since Ruby and I made a vow to be faithful to each other. I am glad that this 'declaration' happened in my backyard of Pulau Tikus, where I come from in Penang and has created a very big part of me.

When the question was directed to her, she paused for a moment, smiled and said "Yes". That is the fondest memory I have of that moment. We were having dinner at the Western Food shop near my home. The Western Food shop is actually my neighbours house. I was so happy because I was really fallen for her.

Well, so what can I say so far?

I love Ruby. Love to me can be defined as the psychological and emotional attachment to someone special in your life that makes you feel high up above the clouds! :) She is too kind, honest, helpful and to me, everything. Ruby is my support. I cannot imagine doing anything more without thinking of her and including her in my life. At my age then, I realized that inner beauty was the most important thing to me compared to physical looks and I was charmed by that within her. It was all about creating an invisible chain to each other. Ruby is beautiful to me in every aspect inside and out.

For us to cross paths would be the most unthinkable for many reasons. Reasons that are too deep to decribe. Trust me, it wasn't planned. It just happenned! However, it must have been something magical or may I say spiritual that brought us together.

My late grandmother always told me that I must find a good girl. My aunt in Spain prayed for me to get a good girl. My parents also are very protective over me and wanted a good girl for me. My best friend, Gan, prayed for me to find the right girl considering the years of friendship that we have been in together and how well we know each others ways. When Ruby came into my life, things changed for the better. They were so happy for me.

This year has been a moment of learning each other and knowing each other better. I have my traditional and sometimes narrow ways, goal oriented to the max to get things done and my values of being simple and humble. Never forgetting also to put God in front of us at all times.

I also admit, I do have my weaknesses and am not perfect. I do make mistakes here and there but I learn from them. Like any other couple, we do have our differences and I have to admit we express it openly! Haha! That is something new I have learnt and it is good because we know very well how each other feels at that particular moment. We are different but I guess this difference has brought attraction to each other. I have learnt so much from her and I hope she has learnt something useful from me other than cars. Haha!

Thankfully, Ruby has been patient with me all the way and I feel very blessed to come accross Ruby.

Although we are apart due to our work commitments, there is never a day that goes by that I never think of her or miss her. I wonder what she doing and where she is. I have picture of her curling up on her chair at her house to a good book. That image will be forever be embedded in my mind.

I will always remember the time when I was jobless for 4 months and Ruby was there for me, supporting me financially and emotionally during those trying times in getting a job especially when the economic crisis of 2008 hit. That was the worst/ lowest moment of my life being jobless. The stress was very much on her as well, hoping for me to get a job soon.

With all that I have mentioned, Ruby is precious to me. I care for her safety and ensures she is safe with any company where she goes. I am thankful for her friends and those that have been kind for looking out.

The Volvo 240 may be the ultimate dream in my life but the feeling of being in love with Ruby is the one that has topped it all other than my family.

For all that I have done wrong Ruby, I openly appologise for those short-comings and seek your forgiveness. Let us learn, share and grow together especially with the Christian faith. God bless us both in our journey of life! ;)