Thursday, 29 December 2011

Year-end sojourn

It's about me
I have been looking at my blog archives, and I noticed one thing: the number of posts each year has been declining steadily since I entered the virtual world of writing. Okay, fine, I lied, I noticed another thing: The quality of my writing has improved (I hope!). When I first started this blog, I have this idea of 'my blog about myself' planted in me. After all, the blogs of most of my peers revolves around themselves, or posting several cryptic sentences about happiness and life. 

Taken from an unspecified source. Cryptic, isn't it?

Hence, my early writtings focused too much on myself. Blogger was like Facebook at that era (Oh I feel so old). After all, that's before Facebook became THE social media to use, where the focus is basically yourself. Oh mankind, why are we so narcissistic?  


Face it, it's all about yourself

So lately, I have been placing more emphasis on posting writings that doesn't really involves me, but are things of interest to me (such as football!). I take this chance to implore my fellow peers to do the same, or at least make your writing a tad more humorous and a little less cryptic. I am not saying I don't like your posts...er hello? Are we still friends? Hello....never mind. 

End of the year, end for dictators?
Thus, 2011 is drawing to a close, and 2012 approaches. Personally, I thought 2011 has been a bad year for dictators, whether fictional or in reality. 2011 is the year I completed reading the Hunger Games trilogy and the Inheritance series. In these series, evil dictators were dethroned against all odds (what a shocker). On a more serious note, Mubarak, Gaddafi, Kim Jong-il, Steve Jobs* are now gone. 

'Nyahhhhhhhh!!!! Don't forget me!'
*Obviously, it's a joke, but some people take things too seriously. 


Year-end sojourn
Once again, I will be MIA-ing for the next 10 days or so. I am going overseas, so I can't guarantee I have access to internet. No, I am not going to be Tarzan and stay in the wild. My six-packs is not quite ready yet. 

My new year resolutions? Instead, let me tell you about my hopes for 2012 (since I have no one to talk to). I hope that by some miracle, all of us will sort out our differences, and seek peace. Forgive, but don't forget. Let go of that hate, and start anew, with fresh determination and impetus. 

Happy new year.

Thursday, 22 December 2011

NFC, new notes and Luis Suarez

As usual, I have been absent for quite a long time from my blog. Now I am back with a vengeance, to discuss the puzzling, the mind-blogging and the downright outrageous.

Disclaimer: To understand my writing, you must have a sense of humour, with a pinch of sarcasm and all your wits thrown into the mix.

National Feedlot Corporation (NFC)
The NFC is a Malaysian government initiative to increase the production of local meat and hence, reduce dependency on imported meat. Aligning with the Prime Minister's slogan of 'People First, Performance Now', there has been allegations that the NFC is doing just that. The NFC is benefiting the rakyat alright, but only a select few. And yeah, the NFC's performance is top-notch,with the Auditor-General's Report 2010 released in October stating that the NFC have failed to meet its objectives. What a shocker, isn't it? And throwing in claims that the cows under the NFC is getting excessive VIP treatment (BMWs and high class condos were involved), you get your typical dose of a ridiculously expensive, ultimately fruitless Malaysian government project. Whether the NFC scandal will head towards the direction of the Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) or the SMART tunnel is still up in the air*. Oh, did I mention that RM250 million sent by the government to the NFC is allegedly misappropriated?

'I only earned that much, really!'

*I could write a pretty long post regarding the PKFZ scandal or about the SMART tunnel's failure to halt KL's floods problems, but do yourself a favour and Google it alright?


New Notes
Bank Negara recently announced that new notes and coins will be issued by the central bank July 1 next year. The new notes and coins will contain elements that reflect Malaysian culture and heritage. I admit, I am rather impressed by the new currency, but the question is: how much was spend, and will be spent for the new currency to enter circulation come next July? And more importantly, is it necessary? Shouldn't the central bank be focusing on, oh I don't know, how to ensure Malaysia doesn't go bankrupt by 2020, as claimed by Idris Jala? After all, it is Bank Negara's role as a banker and adviser to the Malaysian government to ensure Malaysia remains financially sound. Yes, I am looking at you, Europe.

'I did warned you, you know.'

Luis Suarez: racist?
Inevitably, I return to football. If you are following English football (or soccer, if you insist), you should know by now that Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has been slapped with a hefty fine and an eight match ban from the English Football Association (FA) for racially abusing Man Utd's Patrice Evra during an English Premier League match. If you didn't know before, now you know. As expected, there has been varying reactions from different parties. If you are pro-Liverpool, you will be very likely to slam the FA, and defend Suarez by saying that he isn't racist, or that Suarez abused Evra in the heat of the moment, or that Evra is a lying,cheating scumbag. Liverpool shouldn't be too worried, after all Liverpool is clearly not a one man team, and don't rely on Suarez to score/create goals. Remember, they still have Adam, Henderson, Downing, Carroll. That's sure to make opposition defenders quiver in their boots.

'Hey, at least I am better than Flop-nando Torres!'

My humble, unbiased opinion on this issue? I say that any form of racist,whether said in the heat of the moment or not, should not be tolerated at any moment during a football match where millions of people are watching, including young kids (not to say kids aren't young, it' all relative). In fact, racism should not be tolerated at all. So yes, I support the ban. It may be true that Suarez used words that are acceptable in his native Uruguay, but he is in England, and he needs to abide by the local norms. If anything, it shows the lack of cultural understanding between the English game and anything else non-English (interesting article on this issue: http://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/2896/premier-league/2011/12/22/2814253/liverpools-luis-suarez-should-have-known-better-but-his). Anyway, I am pretty sure the FA wouldn't risk their credibility on the word of one man, especially if that one man is Patrice Evra.

Next? John Terry.

'Who?'
Merry Christmas all. 

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

Less of me, More of something else

What? Two posts in two days? It's the end of the world! Oh wait, it's not. I am just overly bored. By the way, being bored does not mean that I have nothing to do (Random Fact #1).

After reading through the last few posts, I concluded that my recent posts concentrated on one subject only: me (although my inner narcissistic self will point out that I talked about exams too). Speaking of narcissism, it's actually quite an interesting topic. Serious cases of narcissism is actually considered a psychological disorder (Random Fact #2).  Anyway, the point is I am not going to talk about myself, at least not that much.

'But I am so awesome!'


Alright, first off, why do certain people call football 'soccer'? I mean American and Australian football uses less of the foot than the actual football, and yet they insists on calling those sports 'football'.  At least that's one thing that the Brits got spot on. Please note that this is just humourous banter and I am not insulting anyone. You'll be surprised at the number of people who takes things way too seriously.  


'This is football, really!'


If you didn't know, I am an avid follower of football, particularly English football. Over the last 3 weeks or so, there has been racism rows raging in the world of football. It basically started with 2 incidents, with Luis Suarez allegedly racially abusing Patrice Evra and England captain John Terry being all chummy with Anton Ferdinand. Both incidents allegedly occurred during Premier League matches. And to make matters worse, the exalted FIFA president, Sepp Blatter claimed that racist incidents in football should be forgotten by a handshake between the parties and that there is no racism in football. Right, Mr. Blatter, and I am the Prime Minister of Australia. This is the guy who has been the head of the world's governing football organisation for more than 10 years, since June 1998 in fact (Random Fact #3). You would think that Blatter would choose his comments more wisely. Well, not to say it would make much difference, since he is as credible & trustworthy as Voldemort promising not to hurt Harry Potter. I mean, the footballing world (including yours truly) considers FIFA to be nothing more than a corrupted, money-loving organisation for Blatter and his cronies.

'By golly, where's my hair?'

Malaysia's football team recently won the SEA games football gold after beating Indonesia 4-3 on penalties. Firstly, kudos to them. I think they did well to defend their tittle as SEA's best football team. However, something that irritates me is that the sheer number of people expecting a public holiday in Malaysia just because of that. I mean, come on, it's just the SEA games, it's not like Malaysia won the World Cup or even qualify for it. Malaysia has never qualify for the World Cup before (Random Fact #4), so qualifying for it would be a pretty big deal.There are some who complained that the  government is playing politics with sports when they announced a holiday after Malaysia won the Suzuki Cup last year, but these are the same group of people who moaned when no holiday was given this time round. Hypocrites, if I may say so, but understandably so. Even my Australian friends (yes, I have friends) guffawed when I told them Malaysia had an extra public holiday when Malaysia won the Suzuki Cup. 

'PM, why you no give holiday?'

Now, moving away from football. Unless you have been living under shell, you would probably know about the Euro crisis and US's rising debt. European countries such as Greece and Italy have new premiers, and the Euro continues to be in turmoil.

'At least I still have AC Milan.'

The US debt is now above $15 trillion (Random Fact #5http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-15830176), and with the Democrats and Republicans indecisive on how best to tackle the debt, this could mean not only huge implications for the US, but for the world too. I don't pretend to be an economics/finance expert, but simply look at the global financial crisis during 2008. It (more or less) started in the US, and if the US were to 'blow over' now, who knows what could happen.

'Debt, why you no go away?'


Monday, 21 November 2011

Insert Tittle Here


Alright, first off, I would like to announce that I am scratching the short story I put up for preview on my last post. Frankly, I don’t have much of a plot for that story without sounding tiresome and predictable. Thus, I apologize and I will start a new one once I have some inspiration. 

Next, I would like to explain my long absence from this blog. Well, the reason is simple really: exams. How was the exams, you ask? Let’s just say the exams were absolute torture for those who are intellectually challenged (like yours truly).

On a brighter note, I am now on holiday. I have about 2-3 months before having to return to uni of R & R. No, I did not imply that I dislike studying (as I write this, I can hardly keep a straight face). Anyway, I want to make sure that I spend this break more productively than the last. Some things on my ‘to-do’ list: write more and lose weight. Ok fine, I lied; I am not sure what I am going to do yet. I will think of something...tomorrow.  No, I am not procrastinating. How dare you suggest that?

Personally, one thing I should do this break is to rediscover myself. The year of 2011 has not been kind to me. Well, at least I thought 2011 was the year I went backwards (not literally of course) as a person. Some things have gone stale on me, and my drive & motivation are probably at an all time low. This time around, I failed to deal with adversities and let people & emotions get the better of me. I admit, I have been moody and anti-social, more than usual anyway. 

Sunday, 23 October 2011

Affliction

It's that time of the year again. There are 12 weeks of classes in university for a semester, and this week will be Week 12. And you know what that means: exams are edging ever closer.

Unfortunately, the exam timetable has not been kind to me. 3 papers on 3 consecutive days, and the hardest paper is the last of the trio. Great eh?

Over the last few weeks, I was raging a internal, mental battle within the entirely empty cranium of mine (oops). I won't go into the details, but this 'mental' thing is like an affliction, some sort of mental weakness, or mental block. Needless to say, I have not been functioning at 100%. From tomorrow onwards, I am hoping, no, I  want to be committed and functioning again. I announced this to the online world hoping that this public declaration will spur me forward. Fingers crossed, or not if you hate me.


Anyway, I am currently writing a short story. Below is the unconfirmed draft of the story, just to make this post longer. Enjoy:

Ben sighed heavily and placed his pen on the table. The words and numbers of his notes swarm in and out of focus. One side of his head was throbbing, and the stuffy room he was renting wasn't helping.

He glanced at the clock. Sarah wasn't due for another hour. He skimmed through his notes one last time. It was crucial that he was sufficiently prepared for the job.

He closed the curtains, stripped and went to the bathroom to shower. He then carefully put on his tuxedo, making sure not to crease it. He perfumed himself, and gelled his dark hair. Ben turned and looked at his own reflection in the mirror. A tall, fit-looking Caucasian male in a handsome tuxedo with short, dark hair and brown eyes looked back at him. Ben cursed under his breath, and reached for his backpack for his contact lenses. He put it on, and now his eyes were green. Trivial mistakes like this can get him killed. He reached for his backpack again, and drew out his pistol. He tucked it into his blazer, and checked the time. Yes, Sarah should be here by now.



Sunday, 9 October 2011

Reflection

It isn't pleasant, when you fail the one thing you perceive yourself to be good at. To add salt to the wound,  my other endeavours have also fail. It hurts to see others succeed at something you have fail at, something perhaps I have taken for granted.

Maybe it could be the best thing that ever happened to me. Like when Steve Jobs got fired from Apple (Yes, like everyone else, I am in 'appreciate Steve Jobs' mode even though I don't own a single Apple product). It could be the wake-up call I needed.

I admit, I love to make excuses for my failures. But at the back of my head, I know I am the one losing out. Whatever perceived 'failures' I experienced from the last few months, I accept my part of the blame. I hope to have learned heaps from that. What could have, should have, may have is irrelevant now. It's time to start again.


Monday, 19 September 2011

What Define's a Person (Part 2)

We only know how 'good' we are by comparing with others.

On the flip-side, we only know how 'bad' we are by comparing with others.

We often come to our own myopic conclusions by comparing personal achievements, skills & abilities, friends, family, and social life with others. Your perceptions of others and most importantly, yourself, play a huge role in determining your well-being. Let's take an obvious case: a person who has belief in his/her own capabilities tends to be more satisfied with life. In contrast, a person lacking in self-conviction is always derailed by doubts, and likely to be unhappy with life. This situation can, unfortunately, define a person.

A person can be defined by emotions. Human beings are peculiar creatures. We almost always act irrationally when we are over-ridden by emotions. Don't we all wish we had in the past control our emotions better and acted accordingly rather than letting emotions over-rule our common sense that resulted in some sort of embarrassment & loss?


Friday, 2 September 2011

What Define's a Person? (Part 1)

A person should never define himself or herself by comparing achievements and milestones with others. Otherwise, when everyone seem to be doing better than you, you will experience disillusionment and lose your self-worth and self-confidence. And the worst thing is that you could have been working hard, and yet have to settle to see others enjoy the fruit of your labor. Frustration is just the beginning.

Whatever I have painstakingly built over the last year is slowly eroding into nothingness. Call me oversensitive, but I have issues when someone I barely know intrude on my work and introduce your methods and people. Especially when what the people introduced are there to take advantage of the situation. And after what I have done, I just get side-stepped and labelled as a has-been? I face a dilemma: should I work hard & let others get the credit they don't deserve or should I do nothing & get lambasted as a consequence?

Fine, I admit, I probably messed-up somewhere along the way. Some things should have been said and done, but I never came around to it. But that's what makes us human. Mistakes are part of learning. What do you expect when an inexperienced person takes on an important role with virtually no helpful guidance? Everything to go smoothly your way? Now that is just wistful, naive thinking.

But closed doors means another door is open somewhere. Surely there are suitable opportunities out there. I can salvage what is left, and don't let the past define me. It's difficult, but there's no other choice. One cannot afford to wallow in self-pity while others make huge leaps forward. Maybe Darwin is right after all, it is really the survival of the fittest.

Note: I find it easier to write in first person view, and it produces a more dramatic effect. Don't take the 'story' on its face value. 

Thursday, 28 July 2011

A Day in the Office

This is the second short story I have written and posted online. I had already posted both short stories up on my Facebook profile. The first story is entitled 'The Letter', and the theme is sorrow and regret. You can read it on the post before the last. On the other hand, the second one is entitled 'A Day in the Office', and the theme is more action-based. Needless to say, these stories are entirely fictional, and cannot be published without the permission of the author. In case I didn't make it explicitly clear, I wrote these stories (heh).

A Day in the Office

‘It will go off in Madison Square at 5.00pm sharp.’

The haggard man spoke in a tired voice. His hands were tied behind him, and he was seated on a wooden chair in a dingy and dark room, lit only by a naked light bulb. His eyes were swollen, nose broken and there were bruises everywhere on his body. There were small splatters of blood on the mouldy walls of the room.

Dom glanced at his watch. 3.55pm. He turned away from the man and speed-dialled a number on his mobile phone. He only waited for half a second before the call was connected.

‘This is Martins. Priority one alert. Bomb is located at Madison Square, scheduled to go off at 5pm.’

Dom held the phone for a split second longer before turning around to face the bounded man, whose name was Amund. Dom loathed threatening and using violence to anyone. But he had no choice. He had no time, and thousands of innocent lives are at stake. And Amund was a well known terrorist. He was wanted in at least 5 countries. More than that, he was a gifted bomb maker. And right now, Dom wanted to be sure.

‘You sure that it will go off at Madison Square at exactly 5pm?’

The bounded man groaned and whispered, ‘Yes, I speak the truth. And since I helped you, you let me go. We had a deal.’

Now the tricky part. Dom put on his best poker face. ‘Yes, we had a deal. But you still wasted a great deal of time of my time. You repeatedly lied to me. In fact, you lied to me again. ‘

In spite of himself, Dom watched with grim satisfaction as Amund flinched. Dom somehow had the innate ability to discern when people lied to him. Dom noticed the expression of Amund after making the phone call through the reflection off his mobile phone screen. Dom saw that the man’s face almost twitched into a smile after he made the phone call, and knew that Amund was withholding something.

Dom continued speaking. ‘Besides, I am not authorised to make deals with terrorists. But I am authorised to use whatever means necessary to extract information from a terrorist in order to save lives of innocents. ‘Dom reached into his holster to pull out his gun, and removed the safety pin. He pointed the gun at Amund’s right knee, and pulled the trigger.

The bullet discharge from the gun was loud in the confined space of the room. Amund cried out in agony. Dom pointed the gun at the left knee.

‘Wait, wait.’ Amund blurted out. ‘There is a bomb at Madison Square, will go off at 5pm, just like I said. But there is another one. It will go off at 4.45pm.’

‘Where is it?’ Dom asked. And the man told him. Dom glanced at his watch again. He exited the room, ignoring the cries of pain from the man. David was outside, talking on his mobile, and his eyebrows arched upwards when he noticed Dom’s gun was not in the holster.

‘..Yes sir. I understand sir.’ David slipped his mobile back into his jacket, and spoke to Dom. ‘Just got here, and the chief called to say that we aren’t needed at Madison Square, our department’s job is done. ‘

Dom rolled his eyes in exasperation and sighed. It’s a well known fact that the heads of the various departments disliked each other, and often do not pool their resources, including information and manpower. He replaced his gun at the holster and said, ‘Well, there’s another bomb. And it’s going off at 4.45pm. Come one, I will explain on the way. No time to waste.’

‘How about the suspect?’ asked David, as both of them jogged to David’s car.

‘Oh, right, I better call the ambulance. I shot him in the knee. ‘ Dom spoke briefly on the phone , before entering David’s car. David started the engine, and asked,’ So, you haven’t told me where the other bomb is. ‘

‘It’s at the Raffles Bridge. I just notify HQ too. Quick, its rush hour, and we haven’t got much time. ‘

As David drove, Dom took the moment to gather his thoughts. He regretted shooting Amund, but he put it at the back of his mind for now. He had more pressing matters to worry about. A bomb going off at the Raffles would be disastrous. Right now, the bridge would be crawling with hundreds of cars. But Dom felt something wasn’t quite right.

David spoke up, ‘You know, I think the bomb at Raffles is just to stop the bomb squad from ever reaching Madison. Because the only way via land to Madison Square is through-‘

‘-the Raffles Bridge. I thought as much. If the bridge gets blown up, then no one is getting to Madison Square, not by land at least.’ Dom gritted his teeth. ‘It’s up to us to find and disarm the bomb at the bridge then.’

By the time they reached the bridge, the local police had already blocked the entrance to the bridge, turning disgruntled motorists away. Even so, hundreds of cars were still on the bridge at this moment. Dom glanced at his watch. 4.35pm.

David parked his car, and grabbed a backpack from the boot. Both of them flashed their ID cards to the police officers manning the entrance.

‘Special Agent Martins, and Special Agent Yuen. We’re here to look for the bomb. ‘said David.

One burly police officer exclaimed, ‘Just you two? I thought they will send the cavalry.’

Dom answered curtly, ‘We are the cavalry. Did the bomb squad heading to Madison enter the bridge already?’

Another officer answered, ‘Yeah, about 10 minutes ago. ‘

Dom calculated briefly in his head. In this traffic, the squad would probably reach Madison in 15 minutes. Yes, they should have enough time to disarm the bomb. Dom hoped for the best, as there was nothing he could do about the Madison Square bomb now.

Dom and David ran to the centre of the bridge. If the terrorists wanted to effectively destroy the bridge, the bomb would definitely be in the centre. As the two agents ran past the cars stuck in the jam, curious motorists glanced at their direction. But Dom and David dutifully ignored them.

4.40pm.

‘You think this is it?’ panted Dom as they reached the centre, marked by steel arcs reaching into the sky. The Raffles Bridge was a spectacular piece of architecture and engineering, the pride of the local town.

‘It’s has to be. We got no time left.’ replied David. ‘We got to disarm it.’

Dom understood. 5 minutes left on the clock. Not sufficient time for the cars to clear out of the bridge. If the bomb squad was still on the bridge, they will never reach Madison Square on time.

The terrorists were prepared. They expected agents to attempt to disarm the bomb. Perhaps they had not trusted Amund to keep quiet. Hired mercenaries were told to keep watch over the bombsite, and kill anyone who approaches the bombsite too closely. But they were told the bomb was timed to detonate at 5.00pm. Gunfire greeted the two agents, and they dived into cover. Panic erupted from the motorists, as many people exited of their vehicles and started running towards the other side of the bridge.

‘Dom! I will hold them off. You are the best in disarming bombs! GO!’ shouted David, as he turned around to return fire.

It was true. As counter-terrorism field agents, Dom and David were trained in every aspect of counter-terrorism. Gun battles, interrogation, and bomb disarming. David was the sharpshooter of their batch, and Dom got top marks in bomb-disarming. Dom grabbed David’s backpack and climbed the ladder down the bridge.

The bomb wasn’t difficult to find. It was the kind with a digital timer attached. It wasn’t terribly hard to construct, and that’s the scary part about making bombs. Anyone with the right knowledge and tools could do it.

4.43pm.

Dom unzipped the backpack and took out a wire cutter. He untangled the mass of wires from the centre of the bomb. Red, green, blue, yellow, black and pink wires. Dom gulped. He had never seen this before. He had no time to individually check each wire to determine which was connected to the charge. Dom briefly considered cutting 1 wire at random. 1 in 6 chances to get it right. The odds were stacked against him.

Dom shook his head, as if to clear his increasingly panicky thoughts. ‘There must be another way. Think, Dom, think.’ muttered Dom to himself.

4.44pm.

He examined the back of the bomb. It had straps attached to it, just like a backpack. This must be how the terrorists carried the bomb here. It was rather big and cumbersome. Someone must have strapped it onto himself to carry it here. Dom had an idea. He quickly stripped himself of his jacket and strapped the bomb onto his back. He jumped into the cold, grimy water of the Raffles River, and started swimming as hard as he could away from the bridge. 10...20...30...Dom mentally counted the seconds away as he swam. When he counted till 40, Dom unstrapped the bomb from his back, and weighed it on his hands. It was big, but it wasn’t heavy. Was he far away enough from the bridge? Too late to do anything about that. With as much strength he could muster, Dom threw the bomb away from himself as he dived underwater. Almost instantaneously, the bomb exploded. Dom resurfaced and looked around. Pieces of the bomb were floating around him, but he was unscathed and the bridge was intact. He had succeeded!

A wave of exhaustion hit Dom. He had succeeded against all odds, yet he felt no sense of elation. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep. The water current carried him to the banks of the river, and David was there to greet him.

‘Dom, that was incredible. You just saved hundreds of lives, including mine!’ grinned David, as he pulled Dom out of the river. ‘You all right?’

Dom nodded and managed a tired smile. ‘I will be fine. You are welcome by the way. You owe me a drink later. I assume you manage to kill every one of the baddies at the bridge?’

David’s mobile buzzed as it received a text message. David laughed and said, ‘I had some help from the police.’ He then read the text message, and Dom noticed David’s face paled considerably.

‘What’s wrong?’ asked Dom, concerned.

‘The bomb went off earlier than 5pm at Madison. Probably remote controlled. 5 members of the bomb squad were killed. More than 30 civilians were killed too. More could have perished, but evacuation had commenced before the bomb squad arrived. ‘ answered David, shaking his head.

Dom swore. Amund didn’t tell them everything again.

‘And your drink will have to wait, Dom.’ continued David. ‘The chief wants us for a counter operation tonight. We are to report to HQ ASAP. We have possible intelligence about the terrorists’ leader’s location.’

Dom sighed. Rest will have to wait. It was already a long day for him. He spent the better part of the morning trailing Amund, before spying on the bomb maker the whole afternoon as he rested in his secluded room. On the chief’s orders, he burst into the room and interrogated Amund for the bomb’s location. After that, he went the bridge and tried to disarm the bomb, but had to swim in the slimy waters of the river in order to get rid of the bomb. Now, it seems that he will spend the night involved in some insanely dangerous counter terrorism operation. Another typical day in the office. Dom inhaled deeply and stood up.

‘All right then. Let’s go.’


Monday, 25 July 2011

Semester 2


After the debacle that was the first half of the year (semester 1), now I have the chance to start afresh again. Semester 2. After almost a month of much needed rest, without (much) worries of academic studies, I get thrust back into the unforgiving world of...academic studies.

I promised myself that a leaner, smarter, and happier Jeric will emerge from semester 2. That's right, I want to lose weight, improve on my academic results, and have a sense of fulfillment. And it started off pretty well today, as it is 1st day of semester 2. I tried my best to pay attention in classes today, and may I say that I succeeded. Although once or twice, (okay maybe a couple of times) I drifted into dreamland. But hey! At least I tried. Then I came home, promising myself that I would have a jog around the neighbourhood. And I did! But 5 minutes in, as luck would have it, I stepped on some pine cones on the slightly wet pavement, and my notoriously weak left ankle gave way. So much for exercise for the next few days. In the meantime, I still happily gobble down food like there's no tomorrow. I say there's a fat chance of me burning off my excess fats now (no pun intended). But at the same time, I will not let this setback set me back (haha?). I must have a positive attitude at all times, and that's the 1st step to having a sense of fulfillment, and to borrow from Kung Fu Panda, a sense of inner peace. Or at least I think so.

On a more serious note, I am hoping to post my next short story on my blog within the next two weeks. This will be my second short story since the first one (like duh!), and the genre will not be the same as 'The Letter'. And I did sprained my ankle too.

Tuesday, 28 June 2011

Writing

The essay below is a random essay that I wrote. Not quite my favorite theme, but I guess I will write another essay with my favorite theme next time.

Note: All names used are entirely fictional

The Letter

I promised myself that I would write more. In the midst of saying our goodbyes, I found myself agreeing to write to you on a weekly basis. It was an agreement that I could and will honour. After all, I will miss you. However, as the months passed by, I found myself not writing, not putting my thoughts in ink as you have every week. I was busy. Busy with work, busy with studies, busy with life over here without you. At first, when your letters came in, I dutifully wrote back. Now, when your letters poured in, I would put it to one side, and would delay writing back. Like our mama used to say: ‘Put off doing something important is like throwing a boomerang. It will hit you hard when you least expect it.’ When I little, I thought it sounded lame, but I did not expect it when two police officers came knocking on my door, bearing the terrible news.

I still can remember the exact exchange of words between the officers and me. It’s funny how the human mind works. When we want to remember something, like a paragraph of facts for exams or an item to get while shopping, we would forget it. When we want to forget something, like terrible moments in our lives, we will remember it.

It was an off-day from work, so I was at home, studying. Then, a brief knock on my door, and I went to see who it was.

‘In this the home of Mr. Law? ‘

‘Yes, that’s me. What’s the matter?’

‘Sir, your sister got into an accident at the 78 Freeway.’

‘What?! Damn, how...who...’

‘Sir....’

‘Where is she warded now? What was she doing at the highway anyway? I will...’

‘Mr. Law, your sister was bought to the nearest hospital. But she...she didn’t make it. A van hit her car. The driver was drunk, and we have him in custody now.’

‘What? You are saying...’

‘I am sorry Mr. Law.’

So that was it. The person who had cared for me since our mama died. The person who was always there for me. The only person whom I wholly trust. We were siblings, but we were also best friends. Gone.

Now I wish I wrote back every week. No, I wish I wrote to you every day. Hand-written letters may not say a million things, but it carries meaning. It reflects the effort put in by the author. I remembered you saying once about letters: ‘For me, email, Facebook cannot replace hand written letters. It just doesn’t carry the originality and meaning. That’s why I always wrote to mama when I was studying out of state’. And I promised to write to you every week, but I didn’t.

I even found out why you were on the highway that day. Mrs Lee, mama’s old friend, visited me a few days after the incident. She was always someone who did not mince words.

‘Karl, I am sorry about...’

‘It’s okay Mrs Lee.’

‘You look tired and haggard.’

‘It’s been a tough week.’

‘Karl, do you know why Jessie was on the highway?’

‘I don’t know. She never told me.’

‘She tried.’

‘What do you mean? You know why she’s on the highway?’

‘She told me before she left, Karl. She was on her way to see you. She was worried about you not writing back. She called your mobile just before she left. ‘

‘She was driving to see me? I dropped my phone a few days ago, it’s not working. Damn it, if my phone was working...’

‘Karl, if you actually wrote back and told her you were doing fine, she wouldn’t be worried. She wouldn’t drive out of state just to see you.’

Mrs. Lee didn’t need to say it out aloud, but I can see it in her eyes. She blamed me for Jessie’s death. I wasn’t angry with her. I blamed myself too. If only I replied your letters. I am sorry. There's nothing else I can say, or write. So right now, when it’s too late, I finally put ink onto paper. This is my belated letter to you.


Tuesday, 21 June 2011

Who do you think you are?

Who made you king?

Saying ridiculous things, making thoughtless remarks.

Yet you act as if you are invulnerable.

Who do you think you are?


Monday, 30 May 2011

Pre-Exam Blues

After coming to terms with the hangover that was the Champions League Final, something momentous hit me: my first exam is less than a week away. And I have not studied for this subject before.

Even before the actual exam starts, I am already having the blues. Come to think of it, why is it called the 'blues'? Why not 'greens', or 'reds'? I guess it sounds ridiculous. But wait, it only sounds ridiculous because 'greens' and 'reds' are hardly ever used. Its the same with clothes. One guy in a thousand wears his pants high (higher than usual anyway) and wears thick spectacles too, suddenly he is the odd one out, the nerd. But if everyone sports this fashion, all of a sudden it's considered normal and not ridiculous. So it a subject of relatively.

It's probably obvious my thinking is not exactly coherent at the moment. You could say my train of thought is off the rails (haha?). What has exam worries got to do with 'greens' and nerds?


















I can't think of anything to write. But then again, my train of thought went off the tracks. All right, till next time loyal readers, 'cya'.

Sunday, 22 May 2011

Musing

Apparently, left-handers feel fear more acutely then their right counterparts.

I am a left-hander.

I admit, I fear a lot of things.

From the cockroach hiding in the corner, to the probability worksheet lying on the table.

However, there is only one fear now that leaves me feeling helpless, on the brink of just surrendering and hiding in the corner of the room.

But I can't. I know I can do it. I have to. As they say, failure is not an option.

I am in deep merde. But it's definitely not over yet. I still have a fighting chance.

Sunday, 8 May 2011

Peer Pressure


Peer pressure.

For the better, or for the worse?

Kids beg their parents to buy the latest clothes, phone, because of peer pressure.

Many children smoke, take drugs, because of peer pressure.

But,

Peer pressure is without doubt,

My main motivation to study.

Seriously.

Wednesday, 20 April 2011

Breather


Yes. It has finally arrived. The eagerly anticipated, absolutely essential one week Easter break. I was just about to start wondering: will the break actually happen at all? Or was it just an illusion; some cruel trick played by the university? It’s suppose to be a mid semester break after all, but it’s already Week 8 now (there are 12 weeks in a semester).

It felt as if I was holding my breath since the start of the semester. Second year has been extremely to the power of 100 difficult, oops, I mean extremely difficult. You see what I mean? I have been doing a lot of (financial) maths lately, and the present value of the money in your wallet assuming an effective interest rate...gahh! Actuarial subjects have the innate ability to make the material you have studied so rigorously stick to your head and haunt your every thoughts.

With Easter break arriving, I have that awesome feeling, which is synonymous with the moment when you have been holding your breath under water for what felt like the longest time ever, and then you surfaced. Oh yes, that wonderful feeling that numbs your pains, and erases your worries (albeit temporary). It’s high time for a breather.


Let’s talk about what’s on almost every Malaysians’ minds: the already infamous 1Malaysia email address. Apparently, every Malaysian aged 18 and above will receive a special 1Malaysia email address, so that the government can securely send notifications etc to everyone of age. The issue that got many people so worked up is that a certain exclusive group will be paid to create these emails. Now, the sum paid is not of a small value. Suspicious? Indeed.

There is speculation that the government wants to do this because the PM’s wife want to read our emails. Bemused people are even suggesting that this is some kind of April Fool’s joke on the government’s part, but it was delayed because they were so inefficient.

Surely there is a much better way to spend taxpayers’ money rather than building a mega tower and creating 1Malaysia emails for everyone? Wait, I stand corrected. There isn’t a much better way, there are many better ways.

Let’s face it, no country is perfect, no government is spotless. Take Australia for example. In the state of Victoria, the previous government has spent billions of dollars by introducing the ‘myki’ system into their public transport system. It’s pretty much like Touch & Go in Malaysia. Well, the fact is the current state government is thinking of scrapping the myki system because the cost went overboard by millions of dollars, and it is still incurring losses. Well, if there’s one thing I learned, it is that Aussies are notoriously lazy and inefficient. (Note: I’m being cynical here)

For example, they follow their working hours to the very second. Here’s a situation:

Australian receptionist: *looks at clock* Oh looks its 5.15pm already. Happy hour!

Visitor: *walks in* Erm, good evening, I was wondering if...

Receptionist: Sorry mate we are closed. We are open again tomorrow at 9am.

Visitor: But...

Receptionist: Yea (pronounced’ yeeeeeea’), so please do come back tomorrow. Bye.

But it seems that Malaysian government is trying very hard to spend taxpayers’ money on (putting it bluntly) useless pursuits that will not help the nation.

Anyway, thank for reading. It's one of the longest post in a while. Happy Easter!


Saturday, 9 April 2011

The clock is ticking


The clock is ticking.

Another goal left unachieved.


Another problem that could have been resolved.


Another mistake that could have been avoided.


Something you could have said earlier.


Something you should have done earlier.


The clock is ticking.


Monday, 7 March 2011

Under Construction

Yes, it’s time for the long overdue blog maintenance. I recognize the need to occasionally freshen things up, and this blog needs an overhaul. The features you see now may or may not be permanent.

On a sidenote, the lack of updates is due to my new role as a ‘bro-rent’. A ‘bro-rent’ is a cross between a brother and a parent. My responsibilities include cooking, washing, marketing and doing other household chores in addition to being my younger siblings’ unofficial guardian. Of course, I share the household chores workload with my siblings. But I am telling you, taking care of two hyperactive, hungry, sarcastic kids in the absence of my parents is no easy task. And studying actuarial science at the same time definitely does not make it any simpler.

Sunday, 6 February 2011

Rabbits & Regulations



As we enter into the Year of the Rabbit, I can almost hear Bugs Bunny saying ‘Wassup Doc’ with a huge grin plastered on its face. For some funny reason, I think of Bugs Bunny when I think of rabbits. I guess it must be the old Warner Bros cartoons on Cartoon Network back in the day when my shoes were size 5. But one thing is for sure, I am pretty sure that I can hear adults/parents grinding their teeth in despair when handing out ang paos to the younger, unmarried generation. I certainly can empathize with the ang paos givers. How would you feel if you are required by custom and tradition to hand over your hard-earned money to the grubby hands of small children who don’t appreciate the meaning behind ang pao giving & receiving? It’s like coughing up RM30 (10 Australian dollars) for a bowl of curry noodles in Melbourne. Weird comparison, I know, but that’s beside the point. Moral of the story: Stay single, and you don’t have to give ang paos.

Sticking to the Chinese New Year theme, what makes a great festive celebration? Good food and great company of course. Notice that I that wrote ‘good’ for food, and ‘great’ for company. Yes, being able to spend CNY with the people you are comfortable with is certainly more important than great food. Although it certainly helps that the people I am most comfortable with also provide awesome food.

Friendly reminder: The next few paragraphs may or may not contain political issues. Consider yourself warned.

As I was browsing through Malaysian news website a few days back, I came across an article reporting that the Malaysian government is looking to introduce a new set of regulations to regulate Internet in Malaysia. Flip through any dictionary and you will find that the word ‘regulate’ is closely related to the word ‘control’.

Does that mean that Internet users in Malaysia are going to be watched and controlled by some government regulatory body? Well, if certain websites containing illicit material such as pornography and such are blocked, I can’t say naught to that.

But wait, the relevant ministry (Information, Communication and Culture Ministry) said that it will, among other functions, weed out ‘false information’. What exactly is false information? What if the government tries to cover up an incident detrimental to their standing among the people in order to win the next election, and brands the incident as ‘false’?

Personally, regulating the Internet is like stifling information. That is definitely not the way forward, especially for a developing (possibly stagnant) country like Malaysia. To win the people over, the government needs to be transparent (among other attributes of course). Perhaps the events in Egypt and Tunisia had the current government worried, but I am only a powerless observer. If this is one of the many methods that the government use to ensure they remain in power, I say the country has really gone to the dogs.

On a sidenote, can you imagine a government-friendly website named 1Malaysia.com replacing Facebook? Fortunately I live in Australia most the time now, free and able to use Zuckerberg's creation.

Are the set of regulation guidelines a form of internet censorship? That is the question.

Sunday, 30 January 2011

Update


At the start of the new year, I know I promised myself to update this blog more regularly. Evidently, I failed in that sense. (Hint: Look at my blog archives to the right. This is only my second post of the year). So right now, even though I'm devoid of any ideas or motivation to write, I am still going to update this blog. But here lies the problem: what am I going to write about?

While I think about what to write, perhaps you would like to entertain yourself with my previous posts below about new year resolutions and my Time Vortex theory. Maybe even update your Facebook profile. Speaking of the Time Vortex, I am yet to be contacted by the Nobel Prize committee despite already submitting all my data and results to the National Science Committee (or whatever its called).


Okay I give up. It feels as if my brain has been turned to mush. I can't write anything at this moment. I blame the erratic Australian weather. One moment it's chilly, the next moment it's blazing hot. Oh yes, before you ask, I am back in Australia, or more specifically, Mount Waverly, a suburb of Melbourne.
Hopefully, next time I can provide quality reading. Cheers.

Sunday, 2 January 2011

New Year update: From appendicitis to new year resolutions


Happy New Year. Thanks to the effect of the Time Vortex (by the way, I am yet to be contacted by the Noble Prize Committee), 2010 sure flew past pretty fast. So hello 2011.
Note: Read my older posts for the details of the Time Vortex theory, which I founded and proven the theory

I have to be brutally honest. When I wish people 'Happy New Year', I do sincerely hope that you (or whoever it is) have an awesome year. But that does not mean I can make you happy, for example, by giving you money etc. Just to be clear.

Most people spend New Year Eve's eating, partying, having fun. I did do that, but not before going to SJMC to check whether I have appendicitis which thankfully (or if you hate me, unfortunately), I didn't. According to the tired-looking doctor, I had some virus in my intestine, thus causing the stomach pain. On a sidenote, I would feel down too if I had to treat bad-tempered, ill patients on New Year Eve's.


New Year, new resolutions? Alright then. Here are my resolutions.

1. Lose more weight. Perhaps be 5kg lighter by the end of the year.

2. Heck, I don't need to change for the better, as I am already an awesome person *ahem*. In fact, the rest of the world is the one that needs to improve.


Ok, alright, who am I kidding. But one thing for sure, I resolve to be a happier person, one that is adaptable to different, even adverse situations. I don't want to be the one that says 'Don't dwell on the past, look to the future'. In fact, I say 'Listen to the past, Think for the future'. History is important. It's crucial not to repeat one's mistakes in the past and more importantly, learn from it. And remember, what is done is done. We can't undo time (maybe not yet), but we can plan for the future. We are in charge of our own destiny.


If you can't read the comic strip above, well, you're getting old mate.


I have an announcement to make. My family and I are migrating to Australia later this month. Yes, we have Australian PR (for some time now actually). Hence, e will be moving out of this my current house, and after days of packing, we still have plenty stuff we don't want. Thus, we will be having a garage sale, in an attempt to get rid of the stuff and earn some cold, hard cash.
Among the items for sale are books (a lot of books), assorted soft toys, old shoes, vases, pots, plants, a variety of bags, cups, key chains, beds etc. Even two dogs up for adoption. It will held this coming weekend, from 8/01/11 to 9/01/11. All who are willing to spend are welcome.