On Disasters

Read the papers, listen to the news. What do we see? Sadness, anguish, fear. First it was the massive earthquake, then ferocious tsunami. Disaster has struck Japan real bad, and then the wave hit Hawaii and part of the U.S. Even China felt it. Now there's a threat that the nuclear reactor might be leaky, thus emitting radiation. If I remember correctly, only a few days back I read about a disease threat. Some of my friends are ill, having flu-like symptoms. What does all this mean? 

It means the climate and whatever that is under our feet are changing rapidly but we can't see it till tragedy happens. It also means that this is the time to do your part to help victims of such calamities. You can give financial, spiritual, emotional and physical support. This is the time for philanthropists to help rebuilt cities that have been destroyed, not just donate only to show that you're the founder of an organisation.

It also means you'll receive flyers and newsletters telling you that God is showing his wrath, so you must repent. Others would say it's a sign that Armageddon is near.  I say that you need not worry. The end of the world will come, but not in our lifetime, so please don't bother about what others tell you about 2012 - the year when the end of the world is said to occur. What you must do now is to pray for those in need of your prayers.

Malaysians are lucky not to have to go through this disaster. If our country were to have a disaster, it would be a political one where half-baked politicians incite hatred against the people using the race card as their weapon to retain power. We have seen what had happened (e.g.: calling Malaysian-born Chinese "immigrants", the cow head issue, using the word "Allah" in sermons & newsletters) and is still happening right now. They never will learn, so please vote them out in the next General Election. We used to be a harmonious nation; we don't need disastrous politicians that will do nothing but break this country apart as quickly as tsunami destroyed parts of Japan.

UPDATE:

A volcano, Mount Karangetang in Indonesia has erupted. It is located around Sulawesi.It happened hours after the tsunami in Japan (last week). I don't remember hearing about this in the news, did you?

Powerful Money

One of the issues that lead to marital breakdown is shortage of money. That's right. Couples argue about the lack of financial means to keep the family afloat. Bills have yet to be paid due to insufficient funds, some purchases need to be postponed and meals have to be cut down to only once or twice a day. I'm not pointing fingers at any particular reason, but one thing's for sure - if I'm not careful, I'd be in the same predicament though it will not reach melting point unless I get thrown out of the company I work for.

There is a saying: "Money is not everything; money is not the most important thing in the world."

While that is true, we need to be realistic. We don't wear dried leaves as our clothing or use stones as knives anymore, do we? The days of the Flintstones are long gone. We don't pluck copper coins from money trees. We have to earn every single penny to feed ourselves, and if we have a family, or intend to do so, we need to earn even more to cater to the needs of our wife and children (and parents/parents-in-law). Money is so important that without it, getting married is impossible. It is so vital that if you lose money through mismanagement of funds - not through foolishness like gambling - you'll might lose your loved ones.

In the family institution, men are always looked upon as the "Money God" as they are responsible for ensuring that everyone has their basic needs looked into - clothes, food, shelter and education. For this reason, it is my personal belief that even if a woman earns enough salary for the family, she would still dump her other half if he's out of job or can't seem to bring in additional funds so that the family could enjoy some extra comfort and entertainment. Of course, you cannot deny that there are non-working moms who could just depend on their husbands for financial support, and they both don't mind about it as there is mutual agreement;  there are also non-working dads in the same scenario, but how many are THAT fortunate?

The reality is, the minute you mention that you're running out of cash, your other half sees a red flag. If you're married, there will be discussions on how to improve your financial standing. If you're in a relationship, chances are, the other half would just give you a final kiss if the situation remains status quo, pack up the belongings and leave you for greener pastures.

That's how powerful money is...  so, if you're in financial distress, get some help - not from loan sharks, but from a professional fund manager, or if you cannot trust them, just discuss with your partner how to get over the financial difficulty. There will definitely be sacrifices that both of you (and your children) have to make, but unless you're born into a wealthy family, you have no choice.

I don't want to run out of money, I don't want to lose my loved one, and I don't want to be insane. Now let's see... where can I get part time job at this age, huh?

Horrified with Relationships

If you've been in just one relationship, and marry that person in the end, then you're really a lucky person. In reality, this doesn't happen to many of us who have had at least two relationships prior to getting hitched for good. Some never make it despite dating numerous times, and they become singles for life.

It's tough. Being in a relationship, to me, is somewhat like walking in the jungle without a guide. The scene is fresh, the sights are beautiful, the water is pristine and the air is clean. However, you don't know if you're going into the direction that leads you out into the open. Some will be trapped forever, thus will never be able to find their way out. What's worse is that along the way, you find a person who presumably is a guide, follows you, tells you where to go but just when you start having confidence that the guide is your ultimate saviour, there's a distraction from a pretty sight, the guide bids farewell and leaves you without a trace.

That is an analogy of a relationship. You find someone you truly love, do things together, share jokes and problems, but somewhere along the romantic path, this same person finds another partner and tells you to go away. Let's be more explicit. You allow your partner to go on a trip, assuring yourself that your partner is in good hands and that things will remain status quo. In fact, there is nothing to be concerned about as both of you have been in love for months. Alas, while on the plane, your partner gets attracted to one of the passengers. When your partner returns, you find a change. There is not much communication going on, lesser fun, far lesser bedroom activities and more arguments. It makes you wonder why you let this person take that trip in the first place. Imagine seeing a text message that reads: "Hi, we need to talk when I get home." - and it is sent on another flight with another person.

Ouch!! I'm hurt. Are you?



Back in Facebook

I was down in the dumps for over 24 hours two days ago, and within that period, I deactivated my Facebook account as I was so frustrated about everything, and I didn't want to share my problems with others because they could be judgemental or they could just scoff at the comments that I make.

Somehow, I also realise that when there is no place to vent that same emotional "outburst", and when there's no one around whom you could talk to, I had to reactivate the account, and I'm grateful that Facebook doesn't permanently delete users' accounts without the latter's written authorization.

In Freddy Krueger's words: "I'm baaaack!"

Time to Go Home

The past four decades have taught me just too many things from the good and bad experiences that I've had. The good experiences will be kept close to me even when I'm gone. Unfortunately, the bad experiences keep recurring, I'm unable to uphold morality, thus bringing shame to everyone who are close to me or causing stress to my loved ones - family, friends and relatives.

I would like to thank everyone, especially this particular person, for being there when I was in deep trouble. Thanks, for lending an ear without fail the past 12 months or so, and for lifting my mood when I was down. However, I've disappointed you repeatedly as a friend and I beg for forgiveness,

Thanks to all those who have read / been reading my posts without fail. It is you who have encouraged me to keep blogging till today... but now it's time to leave. Leave everything.

God bless everyone.

Just Some Garbage Stuff

I've not blogged in a long time out of sheer laziness, and plain numbness of my mental faculty. Those who follow my posts regularly will find that most of my posts have melancholic and solemn tones. Today's post is no different because I've nothing exciting to share but lots of emptiness to pour.

Everywhere I go, I observe people - the elderly smiling and spending their remaining years with friends. I see teens half-embracing and attempting to smooch in a secluded corner of a shopping mall but couldn't out of shyness. I see married couples arguing then reconciling. I see people spending like nobody's business each time there's a big sale and going home gleefully with armfuls of shopping goodies.

Don't they have anything to worry about? I guess they do, but they just discard them temporarily, or perhaps they're reached Nirvana or enlightenment, so nothing at all bothers them.

I don't know what I'm talking about here, but I do know that I'd like to go to sleep now without having to worry about what is gonna happen tomorrow (and the next), and without stressing people out.

Research: To Do or Not to Do

Doctors do research to look for cures for illnesses. Engineers do research to see if they could come up with safer designs for buildings. Teachers also need to do research to look for ways to enhance learning. But what about something more specific like language teachers? What are they researching for?

Over the past years, local universities are so crazy about doing researches, not realising that in the social science field, it is tough to come up with research that is niche. Social science people are unlike those in the pure science and engineering field where there are too many things to discover and too many new inventions that could be made. Why do universities keep pushing their staff to do research when sometimes there's hardly anything to research on? Why can't these academicians do what they do best - impart knowledge, which should be paramount, rather than unwillingly dwell into research? Yes, research does contribute to acquisition of new knowledge, but can everyone do research? And if an academic staff doesn't do research, does that mean they're inadequate, inefficient and less knowledgeable, therefore do not deserve good annual appraisals or salary increments?

I'm not against doing research, but making research compulsory for all staff in order to fulfill a university's Key Performance Indicators (KPI), is not a good way to encourage research, for the focus will be on meeting the KPI rather than the purpose, outcome and value of the research to the institution, community or nation. Could the research culture be forced into unwilling researchers this way? I've done a research when I did my masters' (still at it), and I can tell you that it is not easy, and not everyone is cut out to be a researcher. I find it tough to analyze results and to synthesize articles that I read for my research, and that's why it is taking me so long to complete my thesis, if I ever complete it.

Anyone who aspires to be a researcher - even an amateur one - firstly needs to love reading, and have interest in an area of research. Then he also needs to have an analytical mind or else it would be very difficult to synthesize articles, use the correct instruments, report findings and make recommendations. Forcing anyone to do a research would possibly lead to plagiarism, and result in half-baked efforts.

So, what would you want to research on? How would you go about it?