god save the queen!

the college flag was flown at full mast today above the great gate of christ's college...which is a pretty unusual thing...considering the fact that the flag is never raised on ordinary days...

even the union jack was flown above the town hall n king's college...(i wonder what happened to their flag?)...the cambridge flag was also flown above st mary's church...

so i went to the plodge to have a chat with the porters...n enquire on this oddity...turns out...today's the queen's official 80th birthday...god save the queen!

the river chronicles (part 2 of 5)

the river chronicles (part 1)

gracefully...she dances along the green grassy banks of the river...with elegant steps she whirls the vienesse waltz...her long tresses of ebony hair cascade down her shoulders...to flow behind her in time with the imaginary music playing in her mind...

s she weaves in n out of her own shadow...her emerald eyes glitter intermittently in the benevolent sunlight...the same colour s the sparkling salzach river...which reflects the lofty festung hohensalzburg...

proud n tall it stands on the highest peak of the monchsberg...protecting the city of salzburg beneath it...n its inhabitants...s it stands out defiantly against the blue sky...

the river chronicles (part 1 of 5)

...the marienplatz...this is not only where the heart of the city beats...but also where the world-famous carillon can b heard...at noon the figures move around in the tower of the rathaus...whose neo-gothic facase is one of photographers' favourite subjects in the town centre...

that was what the guidebook wrote...she glances instinctively at her watch...ten to noon...that was what the silver hands of her watch pointed at...ten to noon...n she was still three stations away from the marienplatz...

impatiently...she flicks a lock of her red hair back...uncovering her deep black eyes which dart from one passenger to another on the s-bahn...studying their physical traits n attributing different histories they might have gone through...resulting in their present-day appearances...

restlessly...she glances at her watch again...five to noon...n still two stations away...with her inner strength she urges the train faster...hoping that her faithful watch was fast...it was imperative that she didn't miss the spectacle...considering the fact that she was on a one day trip to the capital of bavaria...

she arrives at the marienplatz station at three past noon...she hoists her heavy backpack n gets up from her seat even before the train had come to a stop...once the doors had open sufficiently enough to let her through...she dashes on to the station amidst the throng of commuters n forces her way through...running up the stairs out of the subway...the bells were already tolling s she hoped against all hope that she wasn't too late...

she emerges out into the dazzling sun...n stops dead in her tracks...blinded for a moment after spending such a long time in the relatively dark underground...n yet the bells carried on ringing loudly in the background...s if to rebuke her for being late...

s her eyes became accustomed to the bright light...she discovers a sea of people gathered right in front of her...she follows their upward gaze n her eyes alight on a large clock face built into the tower of n impressive monument...

n s if it had been waiting for her...the bells strike their last note...n the carillon starts up a melody...to which the figures below it dance to...oblivious to the cheering crowd beneath them...s the sun smiles down upon the children of the world who had gathered at the plaza...in the city of munich along the isar river...

currently pleased with myself again

i'd better blog this before i forget...so the other day...yesterday actually...i volunteered at another access programme...this time for emmanuel's college...but this time...i get paid!...15 quid for roughly three hours!...plus free lunch!...woo hoo!!!

but knowing me...i wasn't in it for the money...i just like doing stuff like this...i really have no idea y though...i mean...i've given it some thought before...n it could simply b because i'm helping others...or because i like being out of doors...or even because i like being surrounded by children...but i'm side-tracking...

i was quite pleased when i was told that i would b chaperoning a group of 15 year olds...that meant i needn't bother with university applications, interviews n all the other stuffy topics i had to help out with when dealing with potential applicants...this time...it was simply university life in general...informal n fun.

n the thing about 15 year olds is that they're matured enough to think for themselves...which meant that i didn't have to look out for each n every one of them...n yet, they're not matured enough...which meant they still have their childish side...n i have to say...i certainly had tonnes of fun with the whole lot of them!

for once...in such a long time...i was myself!...the childish, mischievous n playful kid that i m...n it felt so good...just to let go of all my inhibitions...to break free from the shackles which had restrained me for far too long...n simply b free...it was the sweetest feeling...to b free.

we had completely pointless banter between us throughout the entire tour...we made fun of each other whenever we had the chance...we skipped all the way from christ's to king's parade...we leap-frogged over every single obstacle we came across...n we gave each other piggy-back rides...it was a good change for me...from a complete stiff to a carefree kid...

n all this i have to give thanks to james n sam...mischievous little imps...one was bad enough...but they just had to b twins...lol...they were the pride of the school...bright students who were also runners...n they were the coolest of their peers...extroverted n confident they were...talking n laughing loudly...cracking all the jokes...n getting me to do all those silly things...

i was already contented with the day's happenings by lunch time...but at the very end of it...they came up to me...n asked me for a picture n my autograph...flattering though it may b...i was much more touched when they each gave me a hug n thanked me for being such n inspiration to them...they vowed to work really hard in order to achieve greater heights n hopefully b able to study here at cambridge...n i remember being completely speechless at that very moment...

i'm glad they left with so much more than what they had came here with...so much more than a picture s well...(i didn't give them my autograph because i felt it would b too overbearing of me to do so)...i'm glad that it might b a turning point in their lives...(they promised me 50% of their income when they become millionaires in six years time...n james promised to find the cure for cancer)

but what do i get out of it all...well...the picture of course...a reminder of who i truly m...n of what i truly like...s well s satisfaction...that i've actually made n impact on the lives of other people...oh n not forgetting 15 pounds!...yay!

primitive courting ritual?

i remember having a discussion with alex n nick on the way to dot's last saturday night...details of the conversation r somewhat blurred...due to the influence of alcohol on my memory...however...considering the fact that alex was there...it was undoubtedly about dance...

i do remember starting it though...i said that...in my opinion...dancing was a remnant of our primitive courting behaviours...it was followed by a lot of bollocks...on behalf of alex n the bottle of beer he had in his hand (he was drunk by the time we got to dot's)...n we got a lot about alpha males...n hitting on the male judges...n what not...but it did shorten our long walk to dot's...

but now that i'm sober...(or so i hope)...i would like to elaborate on my statement...let's take clubbing for example...even before leaving for the club...we dress ourselves up in the best of our clothes in order to show off our assets...we make ourselves up n do up our hair in the attempt to look absolutely attractive on the dancefloor...rather similar to birds such s the peacock who display their colourful plummages isn't it?...

once we're on the dancefloor...we begin a complex dance to pull the hot stud from all the way across the floor...the dance involves creating sensual shapes with our bodies to attract attention...it involves complicated steps which subtly lead us to the target...n if everything goes according to plan...it all ends with two convoluted bodies gyrating against each other n sinuous hands feeling each other all around in the heat of lust...all very akin to certain birds that perform extravagant dances to attract n court their mate i have to say...

hmm...looks like evolution may have some truth in it after all...lol

m way too drunk...

another brilliant night out!...so before i turn in...n wake up hours later with a complete hangover...i shall pen down a few words in order to retain whatever memories i have left later on...

1. alex tried to pull this hot russian guy...who apparently didn't look too good up close...bad skin n crooked teeth...but due to his drunken stupor...he was willing to overlook it...so with my help...he tried to snag him...which was a rather hilarious attempt...i had to push alex towards the guy coz he was so reluctant to go talk to him...n while when we were on the dancefloor...i had to lead alex right up to the guy n give him a small shove in that direction so he could show his moves off to him...the fact that it ended in failure made it even more amusing...oh well...he wasn't that good a dancer anyway...

2. after mr russian guy...alex asked me if there was anyone there i'd pull...n me being completely drunk...pointed to this cute guy who was dressed rather smartly...n alex commented on the fact that he looked like a nine year old kid...(so what if i like the boyish type?)...anyways...alex cajoled me to speak to him...n when i was reluctant to do so...he dragged me all the way to him...n started introducing the both of us to sam (or so he is named)...sadly though...he was straight...which gave us quite a good laugh...coz i've always joked that the guys i fall for r either straight or unavailable...sam was rather open about it though...n i actually thought he was rather nice...(not to mention matured for his looks...lol)

3. on our way to the club...i had a discussion with alex about the lack of a fixed dance for gay men...i mean...u c female couples competing in the beginner's modern n latin ballroom competitions...but no male couples...n it was rather sad that society has placed such a negative outlook on males dancing together...with that in mind...n the fact that we spent four hours on the dancefloor...alex n i came up with the gyro...a non-discriminatory dance for all sexual orientations...we've already fixed the basic gyro steps...including the forward/backward gyro, the side gyro n the gyro rolls...lol...we also came up with the bend over, double bend over n shadow bend over...s well s the homage...all very entertaining...lol

4. finally...must immortalize the drunken state i'm in...or was in...a full pint of beer...a double vodka with red bull...a tequila shot...n a bottle of smirnoff ice...that's the most i've ever had so far...not to mention the fact that i was having a drinking competition with alex...so we practically downed all our drinks...(although i have to say that i wasn't very far behind...n my tolerance has gone up considerably)...but i couldn't keep my balance...n the only way i could do so was to keep on dancing n moving so s not to lose balance...urgh...also felt a few urges to let up for the first hour or so on the dancefloor...but it's alright now after a few glasses of water...courtesy of alex...now i'm actually rather sober (although i hope it's not the alcohol speaking right now)...but lots of water should make me feel alright later on...hope i don't get a hangover...although it'd give me a reason not to work... :P

overall...it was another great night out...following the one at dot's...but alex is really fun to club with...he's not only a great dancer (which justifies the fact that he's beginner's dancesport team captain)...but he's also a great sport!...n the fact that we're good friends (s well s him being my captain) makes it impossible for the both of us to fall for each other...so it's fun n dance all the way...woo hoo!

reminder to self: dancing three step turns n spirals all the way to life while being drunk n completely off balance is NOT a good idea...trust alex to come up with something like that...

inferiority complex?

so...barely two days ago...friday...i volunteered at n access programme...for potential university applicants...which involved the usual...answer questions...give advices...organize tours...rather fulfilling i found it to b...

that evening itself...i asked a friend over dinner...y he did not volunteer...being the confident person i know...n he answered nonchalantly..."inferiority complex"...to which i replied..."bollocks!"...aren't we just as good or even better than they r?...

so...barely a few hours ago...alex called me out to a big monthly clubbing scene...one word: fantastic!...alcohol was just right...music was perfect...but dance was at its peak...it was n unforgettable night out...

one regret though...in the midst of my moves...i caught the eye of n adonis!...s if chiselled right out of a greek vase...complete with blue eyes...n yet...i let the moment between us pass...alex noticed me checking him out constantly n told me to make my move...to which i replied nonchalantly..."nah"...

so he went up to him...n struck up a conversation with ease...leaving me in my dance with Envy...n it wasn't until the wee hours of the morning...when it was all over...did alex reveal the conversation he had with Joe (or so he was called):

i told him you thought he was hot!...n he said..."well...he's an amazing dancer!"...so i told him that u were too shy to meet him...n he said..."well...he's got to work on his self-esteem"...

inferiority complex?

Kreuzige, kreuzige!

the elaborately ornamented beams of the ceiling loomed far above...s the orchestra began to accompany the choir...the interweaving melodies of bach's st john passion cascade along the wooden panels..."Kreuzige, kreuzige!"...the stained great windows shake...while the stars above shiver...

fuck all of u malaysians!!!

dear emilyn...

while i'm at it...i wanna bitch about another malaysian trait that always gets on my nerves...it always happens at ktm stations, lrt stations n monorail stations...

imagine u're in a ktm or lrt or monorail...n u're about to reach your destination...but when the carriage pulls up at the station...u try n try your best...but u suddenly realize u can't get out...n y?...coz every fucking malaysian on the platform rushes to the doors...n forces their way into the carriage...ignoring those who try their best to get out...

i mean...what the fuck's their problem?...scared of being squished by the doors?...well it doesn't hurt...i can guarantee u that...i've been a victim of carnivorous doors far too many times...the result of trying to get out of the carriage when every fucking person on the platform's trying to get in...n i can vouch that it doesn't hurt a single bit...

but what's the problem actually?...i mean...if u're talking about the putra lrt...then maybe i can excuse u...coz it's driverless...but what the fuck's the problem when it's star lrt, monorail n ktm?...i mean...there r drivers driving the fucking thing...n it wouldn't make sense if they closed the doors when there r still passengers on the platform now would they?...dumb ass!...n even if it's the putra lrt...there's no excuse actually...coz i've tried n tested the timing of doors opening n closing...n i've always managed to get in just when the doors r about to close...

n don't use the fucking lame excuse of needing a place to sit...coz unless u're disabled, pregnant, elderly or having young kids with u...there's no need for u to sit...n if u're included in the category above...i'm quite sure there r thoughtful malaysians who r willing to offer up their seats for u...(but right now...i'm doubting that...but let's just assume for now ok?)...so stop being a loser n stand for a bit...

seriously...u guys make me feel ashamed of being a malaysian...try lar...just try for once to b good malaysians...live up to my expectations...they're not that high...i'm not asking u to give away all your possessions to the homeless...i'm just asking u to fucking b patient n let those inside the carriage come out first...is that really so hard to do?...

fuck u all!
k

i m british s voted by malaysians

dear emilyn...

feeling damn fucked up right now...bout two hours ago...daniel was crowned our second malaysian idol...shocked at first...but now...terribly disappointed n utterly disgusted with the attitude n mentality of malaysians...

i've said it many times already...malaysian idol is a singing competition...not a beauty pageant...i have to admit...daniel's cute...he's my type of guy with his typical chinese guy-next-door look...but he can't sing...n although nita doesn't look too good herself...she can sing...not s good s jacq nor dina...but certainly better than daniel...

i m seriously very disappointed to call myself a malaysian right now...i can't believe that people can still vote for the wrong reasons...once again...the shallow mentality of malaysians has been proven by the fact that they vote for someone based entirely on his/her physical appearance...

at least that i still can take...but i recently heard that daniel was voted because of his race!...i mean...how disgusting is that?!...fuck man!...that's the most childish lamest n stupidest thing to do...voting for someone coz of him being chinese...please lar...it doesn't fucking matter if the winner's a malay or a chinese or n indian...whoever it is...he/she has to b good enough for us malaysians to hold our head high when he/she is representing us at the international front of world idol...

that said...i'm now a british...i've renounced my malaysian citizenship...n m now a british...i'm too ashamed to call myself a malaysian...*sigh...but deep down in me...i'm damn patriotic...which is y i'm damn fucked up right now...although i'm utterly reviled by malaysians...i still can stand by them...i'll still support daniel when he represents us at world idol...i'll still hold my head high n tell everyone that he's the best...coz it's not his fault anywayz...(plus he is cute...somebody intro me to him!...kekeke)...

so that's that...
laterz
k

contemplating china (pix)

forbidden city

great wall

cute lil gong tao zai

contemplating china (thoughts)

dear emilyn...

here r my contemplations on my trip to china...kekeke...which to me...is much more interesting than the itenerary...or what i did there...

ok first off...like malacca...visiting china was really something...to actually bear witness to the great edifices n magnificent structures...i was practically struck dumb...the forbidden city...the summer palaces...the great wall...n to think they were constructed during ancient times...one can only imagine the wealth n power of chinese emperors...the greatness of the chinese civilization...

s i explored the ancient palaces of the emperors...looked in upon the lavish throne room...walked down the long graceful corridors...rested at the vast exotic gardens...i transported myself back into the past...during the reign of the emperor...right into his shoes...clothed in yellow silk robes...adorned with priceless jade...i could imagine the power n wealth in my hands...n the desire to proclaim it to the world...

but suddenly...i'm transported into another world...the separated world of the commoners...outside the forbidden city...into the narrow streets...n small poor houses of beijing...it's a real shocking change of reality actually...from the yellow silk covered beds of the emperor...to the hard gravel where the homeless sleep...from the comfortable life of royalty...to the hardworking life of peasants...

this sense of hardwork made n impression on me...in beijing...wherever u go...u c teenagers...probably around my age...or maybe younger...15 onwards...doing all sorts of jobs...guards...cleaners...factory workers...all sorts...really...the sort of jobs that malaysian teenagers would not normally do...n i found out that these teenagers r from provinces outside of hebei province...

without sufficient money to further their studies after middle school...these provincial teenagers who come from a family of farmers travel to the capital to look for jobs in the hopes of altering their destinies...but considering that fact that beijing itself has already 13 million people...it's no surprise that they have no choice but to accept n settle for any job...unlike malaysians who r really spoilt for choice...

but i have to commend them on their determination...their struggle to change their futures...to survive in this cold harsh world...all on their own...

ooh...n another thing...china's transportation system is so cool!...they have the usual buses n taxis...but they also have electrical trams...kinda like the ones in san frans i think...which is so eco-friendly...n they have subways...which reminded me of london...kekeke...but what makes it all unique is their trishaws...n bicycles...in fact...the bicycle is the main form of transport in beijing...with bicycle lanes conjested with people n their bikes...kekeke...it's really cool...someday...someday...i'm gonna live in a country where bikes r favoured...n i won't even buy myself a car...kekeke

all in all...travelling to china...in a way...it made me look in on myself n introspect...i understand myself better now...since i now know where i come from...my past n history...my origins...n somehow...i've found a part of my identity...understand the blood the flows through my veins...n whenever i come across a wall...all i have to do is look back over my shoulders...to look upon the greatness of the ancient chinese civilization looming over my back...its shadow protecting me n yet at the same time...threatening me...n goading me to challenge its own greatness...that once was...because i m from the same flesh n blood...

regards
k

contemplating china (itinerary)

dear emilyn...

here's the itinerary of my travels in china...it's 8 days long...n we visited quite a lot of places...so i'll leave the thoughts n pic for later...

day 1
flight to beijing | spectacular acrobatic show

day 2
gate of heavenly peace in tiananmen square | forbidden city | underground beijing city | temple of heaven

day 3
great wall of badaling | dingling tomb of the ming tombs

day 4
confucius temple | imperial summer palace | trishaw ride through hutong

day 5
bus to chengde

day 6
summer resort of chengde | little potala temple | bus back to beijing

day 7
bus to tianjin | cultural street | food street | bus back to beijing | zheng yang men ancient gate | bus to back beijing

day 8
beijing national zoo | flight back to kl

might not seem a lot...but it is...coz the places were expansive n took up lots of time...n not forgetting the various factories n shopping places we visited that i've omitted due to the lack of interest on my part...

so that's it for now...i'll blog about my take on the trip later...

cheers
k

malaysian tour: part 3 (pix)

malaysian tour: part 3 (thoughts)

dear emilyn...

so now here's my take on the trip...basically...visiting the historical town of malacca was really something...everytime we visited a historical site...i kept thinking to myself...'this was already there 5 centuries ago'...'this was already real half a millenium ago'...n i kept imagining how it really was back then...the place...the people...the atmosphere...

imagine a famosa...500 years ago...after the fall of the malaccan malay sultanate to the portugese...war cries echo off the fort walls...long spears n keris' flash in the blazing sun...under the leadership of sultan mahmud...the malay warriors charge upon the walls of a famosa like the waves of the straights of malacca...up on the battlements...the thunder of guns can b heard...s the portugese soldiers defend the fort confidently...felling s many malay warriors s their ammunition allows...although the walls of the fort have lasted for half a millenium...it still remembers the bitterness of spilt blood n the saltiness of seaspray...

another thing...i'd like to put in my 2 cents worth on the bus system in malacca...if u'd noticed...we travelled around by bus most of time...but unlike in kl...the bus system in malacca is efficient...largely due to the construction of malacca sentral...a fully air-conditioned hub for bus transportation within the state...all 'domestic' n 'international' bus routes converge there...making it really efficient to get around n not to mention comfortable...

kl sentral should emulate this...i mean...busses r relatively much more cheaper n can serve a wider coverage area...so besides being the convergence point for the lrt, monorail, ktm n erl...y not make it into a hub for bus transportation too?...then only would kl sentral truly serve s the centre for public transportation that is worthy of the capital of malaysia...the people would also b much happier too...

oh n one more thing...whatever the goverment's trying to do...to fairly distribute the races throughout malaysia...isn't working at all...i mean...after travelling around malaysia for the past few months...i can definitely say that states outside of kl...have fewer non-bumis than in kl...i mean...come to think of it...it was quite hard for me to find a non-bumi in kt, kb, alor n mal...in my opinion...this isn't fair...coz i think the bumis should have a shot at living in kl too...n i think the goverment should do something about it...since it has promised to do so...

n last but not the least of all...it's a known fact...i love to travel...coz it opens my eyes to things i would never c at home...n after all this travelling...one thing has made a deep imprint on my mind...n that's how thankful i should b with the blessings that God has bestowed upon me...

i mean...visiting the states outside of kl really gives me n insight into the lives of those who live in poorer states...what they lack...what they need...n what they want...n it makes me grateful that i'm living in affluent kl...where there is abundance in resources...if not adequate...food...knowledge...n stuff...so i'm thankful to God for that...

so that's all for now...quite a bit actually...i think i'll postpone my blog on my travels to beijing till later...give u time to digest all of this first...kekeke...

cheers
k

malaysian tour: part 3 (malacca)

dear emilyn...

right...so i promised to blog about my travels...well...first off...was the continuation of my malaysian tour...or cuti-cuti malaysia...s my good friend azam would put it...kekeke...so this episode of state hopping takes me to the historical state of malacca...oooh...aaah...

thankfully though...i didn't go alone coz my good friend cherap tagged along...after much persuasion on my part...our 'tourguide' this time was none other than cherap's ex-roomate lid...who's also a good friend of mine...he was helped by another friend of ours aufa...

so let me c...if i remember correctly...cherap n i left for malacca by bus at 12 noon from pudu...n arrived at malacca sentral about 2 in the afternoon...after meeting up with lid n aufa...we had lunch before setting of by bus to the town of malacca...

our first stop was the christ church of malacca...followed by the stadhuys or administrative centre during the portugese n dutch occupation of malacca...next we hiked up the hill to st paul's church...before going down to the a famosa fort...or what's left of it...kekeke...last but not least was the palace of the malay sultanate...or a conjecture to b more precise...after which...we took the bus back to lid's house...wow!...on retrospect...i can't believe we visited so many places in just 1 afternoon...kekeke...we sure did walk quite a distance...

the next day...we headed out of town to ayer keroh side...we went to the mini malaysian n asean park...which is basically a big park with traditional malay wooden houses from all the states of malaysia...s well s houses representing each country of asean...after visiting all the houses of malaysia...(the asean one's were under renovation)...we had lunch...before visiting the crocodile farm...before heading home at night...lid took us to a beautiful scenic spot of a petroleum refinery near his house...it was so beautiful...a city of lights set against a black star-speckled blanket of night...breathtaking n inspiring...

the next day...cherap n i headed home...yeah...quite a short stay...but we did c quite a bit actually...but that's just what we did in malacca...the next post has my take on the trip...kekeke

cheers
k

this is yeoth reporting live from kl...

rite...so today...i had some business to settle in town...right in the middle of city centre...kuala lumpur...the big apple of malaysia...

n i was thinking to myself...'omg...i have to go to town...in this haze!...made worst by pedestrians inhaling precious oxygen n exhaling unwanted carbon dioxide...s well s congested traffic belching up poisonous exhaust fumes...n what with the dust n all some more'...omg...yep i had to brave such dangers s i ventured into the concrete jungle of kl...

but then again i thought...kl's api reached the hazardous level yesterday...300+ if i'm not mistaken...so anyone out on the streets...what more the streets of kl...r definitely out of their minds!...or suicidal!...unless like me...they have some well-justified reason...so i thought...'hmm...well maybe there won't b any pedestrians in kl taking up all my oxygen'...n with that thought in my head...i bravely don my haze mask...n made my way to town...

my house - pusat bandar damansara - bangsar station - pasar seni station - central market - petaling street - plaza rakyat - maybank tower - pudu station...n back...that's the route i took...so it's a no brainer that i had some business to settle at pudu...but what business that is...is for u to think about, brainy... :)

but that's not the main point here...what i wanna blog about is that...everything in kl is pretty much normal...seriously!...i was surprised...i mean...we had n api that was in the hazardous level...n here were pedestrians...lots of them too...walking up n down the streets of kl...without masks on...s if the air didn't contain any carcinogenic particles...which who has supposedly claimed...omg...don't these people know that they're having a death wish!...

i personally believe they should go n smoke themselves to death with ciggs...i mean...at least they'll feel calmer too at the same time...coz that's what nicotine does...but now i think i have a small glimpse of the smoking realm...n i still can't understand smokers...i mean...for one thing...there r much more better ways to kill oneself...ways that r more dramatic n artistic...but worst of all is the fact that they're killing those around them too!...people they know...n probably love...s well s innocent people whom they don't know...i mean...how selfish can u get?...

gosh...seriously...i'm sorry if u're a smoker n u're reading this...but i don't like lying to people...i prefer to b honest with them...coz i'd like them to b honest with me...n maybe tell me things that i might have missed out on smoking...coz s u can c...my argument's pretty much one sided...

but anywayz...on a much lighter note...i think the haze is clearing up...yay!...coz the sun peeked in this afternoon on my way to town...for the first time...the sun!...heh...hmm...if it gets better...maybe i might not need to cancel my excursion to malacca...hurray!...

haze phase...

ok so what else is new?...i mean...it's frontpage news...n it's been blaring on the radio n tv all day long...but because it affects me...since i'm a malaysian citizen living in the klang valley...here's my two cents worth of...no not thoughts...but bitchings n rantings...

i mean...have u looked out your window today?...i can barely see the trees surrounding my house...n what happened to the sparkling blue skies, puffy white clouds n bright yellow sun that malaysia is so proud of?...i'm judging visibilitie's down to what?...100 m?...my goodness...the haze is bad...wait...check that...it's not bad...it's terrible!...

seriously...i mean...what do u do when the air pollutant index (api) reaches 300 plus in the klang valley?...y...stay at home of course...indoors...away from the haze...but what happens when the haze diffuses into your very house?...argh!...where do i run to?...i can't escape...i'm trapped...help!

the worst thing is...it seems that this haze is worst than the 1997 episode...i mean...it's gotta b...considering the fact that some parts of malaysia have declared emergency...damn...n i used to think that n emergency would b nice...no school n all the crap that comes with it...but now i think it practically sucks...i mean...i might have to call off my trip to malacca...s well s the trip to beijing...n grad might b called off this sat...damnit...everything's disrupted...

n to top it all...world health organization (who) seems to have declared this haze to b carcinogenic...damnit...s if it couldn't get any worse...when it rains it pours...i mean...great...now i'm being surrounded by microscopic particulates that could cause cancer...omg...this explains the mask i'm wearing now...while typing this...

hmm...n i'll have to close all the windows in my room...which means having to cut of all air curculation...if i'm found dead tomorrow...it's probably coz of suffocation...

malaysian tour: southbound (prt 1)

dear emilyn...

so i continued my malaysian tour today...southbound...to johor...it was killing 2 birds with 1 stone actually...coz i volunteered to help out at a medical mission under mercy malaysia...we provided standard outpatient treatment n primary medical health screening to the orang asli seletar...at kampung teluk kabung in johor...past johor baru n port pasir gudang...right to the sea...heh

so we left mercy hq in ampang at 5 in the morning...no kidding...coz it's a 4 to 5 hour journey...n we had to b there by 8...so s it already was...we were late...but seriously tired...getting at 4...slept a bit...except for the 2 stops in between for subuh prayers n breakfast...was really nice talking to the doctors about life s a medical student n officer...they were really cool n sporting n all...it was nice...

arrived there...at 11...heh...guess we overstayed on our stops...heh...so the crowd was quite small by then...n we handled the stragglers...heh...me being a non-medical volunteer...couldn't do much except help out by feeding deworming medication to children...it wasn't that hard...coz i've experienced it before when i helped out with gleneagles hospital...

anywayz...the place there is really beautiful...teluk kabung...it's always windy with the slight tinge of salt in the air...the houses of the orang asli...they being fishermen...were built on the sea...some floating whilst the rest were anchored to the seabed...was really interesting to have n insight into their livelihoods...living in peace with the sea...

after the healthcare service was over...the penghulu treated us at his seafood restaurant...oh my gosh...we were presented with a feast fit for kings...fried rice...mee...prawns...squid...lala...crabs...fish...n coconut water to top it all off...we ate like there was no tomorrow...heh i'll b looking forward to the next mercy malaysia event...heh...

oh n guess what?...i witnessed something which reminded me both of koi fish n prostitution...of course the restaurant was on the sea too...so there were a group of orang asli kids in the sea...who grab the attention of the restaurant's patrons...who fling coins into the sea for them to catch or look for on the seabed...all for the amusement of the patrons...

well...of course it's extra pocket money...but don't u think there r better ways of earning it...then to sell yourself to other people for their entertainment?...now i'm wondering whose fault is it?...the kids who sell themselves or the patrons who encourage it?...hmm...

so anywayz...after that...we headed back home...with full bellies...naturally goading us to sleep on the way home...but we stopped by a few houses along the way to drop off the doctors...we stopped by johor baru for some shut eye first coz the doctor driving the 4 wheeler couldn't take it...what with waking early in the morning...n then driving home with a full stomach...

n much later...on our way home...we stopped by a minangkabau kampung in negeri sembilan to drop of kak yatie...who treated us to a typical malay dinner...which meant sitting cross-legged on the floor n having to eat with my bare hands...but surprisingly...i didn't find it unusual anymore n it just came to me naturally...heh...guess my previous excursion to the northeastern states with my other malay friends left n indelible mark...heh...

after that...they dropped me off...at home...was about 10 i think...can't remember clearly...coz i was completely knackered...let's c...17 hours overall...yeesh...although the travelling part's exhausting...the experience was nonetheless priceless n worthwhile...really enjoyed myself...heh...like i said...killing 2 birds with 1 stone...heh

anywayz...that's it...oh n guess what?...i finished harry potter's half blood prince in a day...guess that comes from doing nothing except bumming around the house...hmm...looks like i'll b ravaging all my books until i fly i guess...heh...now reading telling tales weaved with coelho's the devil n miss prym...heh...

happy hols from
k

ps sorry no pics...damn cam ran out of battery...n there were so many beautiful scenes there too...damnit...but i have myself to blame...for not charging it...

constitutional contradiction

dear emilyn...

remember i told u about the discussion i was having with my x-classmates the other night?...well...it was regarding the following statement...extracted from this article:

"Significantly, the High Court also concluded that Malays could not renounce Islam at all as they were defined by the Federal Constitution to be persons of the Islamic faith."

basically...it states that under the federal consitution of malaysia...all malays r considered to b muslims...n they cannot change their religion...because the constitution recognises them only s such...

i find this rather disturbing...because our constitution is suppose to guarantee our freedom to practise any religion we desire...but how is this possible?...considering the fact the malays r already categorised under islam...n not having the right to change it when they come of age...

despite discussing it all night...we could not come to a conclusion...because we do not even know our own constitution well enough...but if we r correct...then there must b a contradiction within our constitution...n i find that rather troubling...considering the fact that our constitution is the highest law in malaysia...

but here's something interesting which i read somewhere...according to the hudud law...any muslim who renounces islam...will b sentenced to death by the syariah court...but here's the catch...it seems that in malaysia...a country claiming to b n islamic country although it does not execute the hudud law...if a muslim were to renounce islam...he/she is no longer bound to the hudud law...thus, he/she cannot b sentenced to death by the syariah court...cool huh?...

anywayz...that's about it...a nice little brainteaser for u...that should keep u occupied for a while...heh...but the thing about malaysia is...it's claims to b n islamic country...n yet...it doesn't adhere to certain characteristics of n islamic country...but then again...it's malaysia we're talking about...period...heh

cheers
k