Public Holiday, Huh?

I was driving to work this morning when I heard over the radio that our Prime Minister has declared tomorrow as a public holiday. The reason? Our soccer team has won the World Cup!!!! eh...no... not World Cup, but the AFF Suzuki Cup. I was like: "What the ****?"

Look, it's not that I don't like holidays, who doesn't? But is it necessary to declare one just because we've not lifted the Cup in 21 years? The only ones who "benefit" from holidays are the civil servants who don't have to serve customers or replace classes on another day. What if we had won the World Cup, I wonder? 

Seriously, if they want to declare a holiday, they should give us two days off annually for every major festival  but no, cannot do that as it affects productivity, right? Hmm...

Anyway, look on the positive side. We don't have to wake up early to work tomorrow. It's gonna be a long weekend, the highways are gonna be filled with vehicles, and major cities will be clogged with visitors.

N.B.: Malaysia lost 2-1 in the second leg, but in the first leg, they won 3-0. I don't think that's an improvement.. hmm...

Christmas Eve in Church

Christmas Eve was a meaningful event this year, as it was the first time in a few decades, I am attending the service. It wasn't as glamourous and glittery as it used to be years ago; there weren't any decorated lights or lighted pine trees unlike in other churches but then, Christmas is not about all these fancies. It's about the birth of Jesus Christ. We were entertained to some performances by the church choir who were dressed in modern white blouses and red skirts for the ladies, and red shirts and ties for the men. Gone were the white gowns with purple sashes that drape around the necks. Times have changed, but not the spirit.

Wesley Methodist Melaka Choir

The crowd wasn't as large as it used to be. I guess as time goes on, people - especially the younger ones - go to malls to see Christmas decos more than going to church. The elderly... are probably busy looking after their grandchildren.

Yup time has changed :)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What Luck!

People don't believe in astrology, numerology, palmistry and geomancy. They don't believe there's such a thing as luck; they don't believe that our lives have already been pre-determined at birth, therefore you can't change it, but along the way, there's something called luck. Watch this video. He's unemployed for 18 months, walks into a McDonald to order his food, something caught his eye, then he became an instant millionaire. And he doesn't even play lotto or buy Magnum 4D regularly. How would you explain this phenomena if it's not luck?

Luck plays a part in our lives. If you have a loving family who understands your needs, that's luck. If you have a job which pays your bills, that's luck also. You're promoted though others are more senior than you - that's luck with hard work. Out of nowhere, a nice girl comes along and you two start dating. Isn't that luck, too?  Then there are people who keep having strings of good luck, so what? They were born under the lucky stars, I suppose.

There's nothing to be jealous about when people have luck. You have your own too. You don't have to rob other people's happiness as a result of their good luck just because you cannot enjoy the same.

You are LUCKY enough to be born, and to live in this generally peaceful country, not in a war-torn, poverty-stricken and calamity-prone one. Forget those recalcitrant politicians. :-)

First Time Christmas!

Christmas is just a week away, but I've already started celebrating - my first ever Christmas celebration in my entire life. I invited a few of my colleagues to my mini party. We had a gift exchange too. Well, I've to thank someone for making it a special event. Here are some photos taken on that night.

The door deco - simple but symbolic

My first Christmas tree - minus the snow

My friends: truly 1-Malaysians (Malay, Chinese, Indian)

Ze Cuisine - glorious food. Pot luck style.

Presents for everyone

The whole spread

Pretty baubles

Not champaign, but apple juice

It was a memorable night... hopefully, it won't be the last. Looking at how things go, I don't think it will. Thank you God. :-)

I Celebrate What, ah?

A few minutes ago, I met my boss at the elevator and the first question she asked me was: "Are you celebrating Christmas?"

Err... gee. It's kinda tough to give an immediate response because those who know my story also know that I went back to church - yeah, went BACK - only recently. Therefore, I'm not a Christian yet. Nevertheless, the answer I gave my boss was: "Yes... and Chinese New Year too." because I'll continue going to church.

Apparently, she was told that I'm involved in a Christmas celebration, and she thought that anyone (born in Malaysia) with an English name, by default, celebrates Christmas. Boy... was she wrong! I told her that some parents prefer giving English names to their children so that it's easier just to call by that name. You know how long and difficult some Chinese names can be sometimes, don't you? The other reason (which I didn't mention) is that some people have English names just to be glamorous, or want to be in the same "league" as their idols. These names don't normally appear in their identification card.

So, yes... I'm celebrating Christmas from 2010 onward... and Chinese New Year, too.

Well, now that's cleared. :-)

I Love You is Hard to Say

I was reading a fellow blogger's post recently, and I've this big question in my thick head. Is it so hard for us to say "I love you"? Oh no..., we can say it effortlessly to our girlfriend and boyfriend, but we can't seem to force it out of our mouths and say the same to our parents (or even to our spouses). In the same light, our parents don't know how to verbalize the THREE words.

My conclusion is simple: Most Asian families are not accustomed to being expressive in terms of showing their love to their offspring, but they certainly are expressive in an argument. It is still so damn bloody hard for me to say the word "LOVE" to my mom and dad as I feel so bloody awkward, but deep in my heart I know I love my parents though I do not explicitly show it to them by verbalizing it.

On the day my ex-wife's parents announced the divorce to my parents (we were both present), my dad gave me an earfull when the other party left, but he was kinda sympathetic. I felt so bloody guilty, I stood there and said to him: "Can I give you a hug?" My dad was speechless, he nodded his head, and I hugged BOTH my parents. Of course when that happened, my ex-wife and her parents were long gone. I have never given any of them a hug in my four decades of existence, and it took something so drastic to happen for me to do it. Yet, I still don't feel "nice" if I were to go home each day and hug them, so I don't do it. I want to, but I can't. Try as much as I can, I still can't.

Is it a sin? To me, it is not. Sometimes, what matters is not your action, but the content of your mind at the point of action. Do you really mean it?

I'm not putting the blame on anyone here, but if one day - if that day ever comes - I remarry and have a kid, I pray hard that I'll be a better parent, educate my child so that he/she not only loves, but know how to say "I love you" and mean it from the bottom of the heart.



Christmas?

Look at the picture below, and guess where it was taken.

This is not London

No, it wasn't taken abroad. Instead the photo was taken in a renown shopping mall  where  I went  a couple of days back. Those who have been there know where it is. In fact, any shopping mall you go to, you'll see lavish Christmas decos. Besides listening to songs, and admiring the ornaments on the trees (now they come in three colours - orange, green and white), I wonder what else Malaysians know about Christmas.

Not everyone can celebrate Christmas, but everyone can take part in the celebration. There is a difference. Regardless of what race you belong to, you should know why you celebrate your festival, and why others celebrate theirs too. Don't let shopping centres educate you, because they don't.

In the meantime, just enjoy the celebration and pray for continuous peace and prosperity in this country.

Woozy and Queasy

Today isn't a good day for me. I woke up feeling queasy, and dizzy. It wasn't a joke when I felt it; I don't remember when I last felt this weird. There was headache, and my eyes could hardly open. Yet, I had to force my reluctant feet to walk and teach the 8:00AM class.

No, I'm not pregnant. I went to the restroom twice this morning. The second time was really a bad one. No need to describe the shitty details as it's gross. I don't remember eating anything wrong last night or even this morning. It could possibly be due to exhaustion of "running" around town and out of town recently - yeah, age is catching up on me, but maybe it's just an excuse. I don't know.

Breakfast is usually quite heavy, but this morning just ate a bit. I didn't even order a glass of plain water as I normally would. Somehow, there's just no appetite. Maybe I should just go home and rest, and later come back for the 2:00PM class - nah... next time i'd just bring a pillow and a bed spread, lock my office door and snooze. That would be cool, huh.

It has been 4 hours since waking up at 6:00AM, and I still feel woozy and queasy.

What Kind of Relationship?

How long can a marriage last? Some of us have a delightfully happy marriage (you're blessed), some have a rocky one, while others have ended theirs. When a marriage fails, the blame falls on incompatibility. Maybe, but that's not always true and that's not the main reason. Personally, if you want your marriage to work, you need to have a really good relationship with your partner from Day 1. You need to work hard.

If you expect your spouse or partner to be there for you all the time, but you do not reciprocate, then your relationship with them will go downhill real quick. Men often believe that when they're into a relationship, all attention must go to them; well, if you have that kind of mentality, it's time to change because in a relationship, you'll need two hands to clap, and these hands have to continue clapping till the end of time. To be fair, it goes the same way with women too.

If you assume that life is so simple that you could just let your partner go any time you don't need them or when you're sick of them, then you're sadly wrong, too. It takes a long time to build a relationship. An everlasting relationship constitutes a continuous act of getting to know each other - it just doesn't stop when you're married - it goes on. Therefore, don't just let a fish go if you believe it is very precious to you just because there are tonnes of other fishes in the ocean that you could choose from. It is sometimes the ugly fish that could sometimes give you the best taste (but it depends on how you cook it, too).

Don't you ever believe that if you want to have a successful relationship, both need to have some common interests. Well, in my personal point of view, that's a biased statement. Two people can have many opposing opinions, likes and dislikes, and attitudes yet get along very well till all eternity. For instance, you could be a doctor, and your partner could be an administrative clerk. If you could just let go of your status-consciousness and egoism, and focus on building your communication and relationship instead, then sparks will fly. There are also sacrifices to be made - and both parties need to do that. If either one is egoistic and chauvinistic all the time, then the relationship will eventually crumble.

And yes, some people are just not meant to be with each other. I can't deny that. No matter how hard you both try, there's simply no chemistry. Then, the relationship has to be platonic.

Love - Say What?

Can someone tell me how "love" is defined? Can we show love without showing? Do we have to actually see the action of love to be loved?

Many of us subconsciously or consciously think that love has to be shown. Therefore, the following are all acts of love:

• kissing and hugging
• holding hands, waist (and anywhere legal)
• giving presents, money (and credit cards)
• remembering birthdays
• celebrating anniversaries
• speaking gently to one another
• sending greeting cards
• saying "I love you" with plenty of saccharin
• calling nicknames to show affection

Are the following then, not acts of love?

• praying silently for someone's health, prosperity and wisdom
• being worried that someone is not well at the other end of the world
• making regular phone calls to check on someone
• going home regularly as you know your folks are getting old
• stopping your car in a way that it's easier for the passenger to alight
• working hard so that your family has good financial standing

What's wrong with people anyway? Just because we don't explicitly show or tell you that we love you, you believe that we don't love? I don't have to say: "Hey Jane, I'm helping you out with the chores because I love you." or... "I'm calling you tonight because I love you." Do I have to go to that extend to convince others that I love them?

Honestly, I'm not bothered. I don't have to say it. I just do, and if people say that I have a heart of stone, let them.

By the way, how many of you still say "I love you" to your spouse after years of marriage? If you do and mean it, then good. If you don't, then just do something to show your love. If your spouse takes no notice, it's pitiful.

When People Can't Shuddup

Office politics, office bitching, office back-stabbing, office ass-licking ... all of them suck BIG time.

Those of you who have nothing better to do but look into other people's business, please buzz off. Those of you who are so free that you meddle into your friends' lives, please shoo! Those who enjoy killing their friends' happiness by spreading "news" along the corridor just because they themselves can't receive happiness - or have not arrived at that stage yet - should just jump off the Petronas Twin Towers.

God gave you a mouth to speak, ears to hear and eyes to see.

God never gave you a mouth to slander, back-stab, and bitch about others. He never gave you ears to hear, and then spread the "word" around about people's personal lives for the enjoyment of others. He never gave you eyes to see your friends' happiness, only to pull them down by saying things that are detrimental to the soul.



So, people... if you've nothing better to do at the office, just go fly a kite. That way, nobody (else) gets hurt.

Language Destruction or Evolution

It began with the ubiquitous SMS. Now it has spread to any forms of writing, formal or not, online or offline. I'm not talking about the communications technology itself but the language used as the result of this technology. It has become so fashionable to use abbreviations in our wireless text messages that even in formal writing, we may inadvertently write in the same way we send SMSes.

"I need to see you A.S.A.P". Looks/sounds familiar?

Then, we also have other common ones like:

• OMG
• BRB
• BTW
• WTF

There are other not-too-common ones, at least to me they're uncommon like:

• TTYL
• BFF
• ROTFLWLITA

...and, just a minute ago, I received a message that read:

"GBU and ur family" - It took me a few seconds to guess what GBU is.

Is technology destroying the language we use, or is this what we call the evolution of language?

By the way, who owns a car with a registration plate bearing the number "WTF 69"?

Innocent Kids

Why do we love children? ... I received this via e-mail this morning, so I thought it's good to share with all of you. Gosh, that makes me wanna have a kid, too - any kid.

Enjoy!
===============================================================

NUDITY
I was driving with my three young children one warm summer evening when a woman in the convertible ahead of us stood up and waved. She was stark naked! As I was reeling from the shock, I heard my 5-year-old shout from the back seat, 'Mom, that lady isn't wearing a seat belt!'

OPINIONS
On the first day of school, a first-grader handed his teacher a note from his mother. The note read, 'The opinions expressed by this child are not necessarily those of his parents.'

KETCHUP
A woman was trying hard to get the ketchup out of the jar. During her struggle the phone rang so she asked her 4-year-old daughter to answer the phone. 'Mommy can't come to the phone to talk to you right now. She's hitting the bottle.'

MORE NUDITY
A little boy got lost at the YMCA and found himself in the women's locker room. When he was spotted, the room burst into shrieks, with ladies grabbing towels and running for cover. The little boy watched in amazement and then asked, 'What's the matter, haven't you ever seen a little boy before?'

POLICE # 1
While taking a routine vandalism report at an elementary school, I was interrupted by a little girl about 6 years old. Looking up and down at my uniform, she asked, 'Are you a cop? Yes,' I answered and continued writing the report. My mother said if I ever needed help I should ask the police. Is that right?' 'Yes, that's right,' I told her. 'Well, then,' she said as she extended her foot toward me, 'would you please tie my shoe?'

POLICE # 2
It was the end of the day when I parked my police van in front of the station.. As I gathered my equipment, my K-9 partner, Jake, was barking, and I saw a little boy staring in at me. 'Is that a dog you got back there?' he asked.
'It sure is,' I replied.
Puzzled, the boy looked at me and then towards the back of the van. Finally he said, 'What'd he do?'

DEATH
While walking along the sidewalk in front of his church, our minister heard the intoning of a prayer that nearly made his collar wilt. Apparently, his 5-year-old son and his playmates had found a dead robin. Feeling that proper burial should be performed, they had secured a small box and cotton batting, then dug a hole and made ready for the disposal of the deceased. The minister's son was chosen to say the appropriate prayers and with sonorous dignity intoned his version of what he thought his father always said: 'Glory be unto the Faaather, and unto the Sonnn, and into the hole he goooes.' (I want this line used at my funeral!)

SCHOOL
A little girl had just finished her first week of school. 'I'm just wasting my time,' she said to her mother. 'I can't read, I can't write, and they won't let me talk!'

BIBLE
A little boy opened the big family Bible. He was fascinated as he fingered through the old pages. Suddenly, something fell out of the Bible. He picked up the object and looked at it. What he saw was an old leaf that had been pressed in between the pages.
'Mama, look what I found,' the boy called out.
'What have you got there, dear?'
With astonishment in the young boy's voice, he answered, 'I think it's Adam 's underwear!'