Be Careful?

I receive this forwarded email in my inbox this morning:

"BE CAREFUL....

PLEASE READ and pass them on....

(1) Today i passed by a building which has an ATM machine. There was an old man looking at me and suddenly called me. He said he doesn't know how to read, so he gave me an ATM card and asked me to help him take money from the ATM machine. I answerd him 'NO!! If you need help, ask the security to help you.' Then he said 'nevermind..' and just continue to find other people to help him... REMEMBER : ATM machines have CCTV. If you help him, and later he says you have robbed him or stole his ATM card, or even his ATM card wasn't his too. So please be careful for these frauds.
(2) When the house electricity suddenly goes off, seeing from the windows that my neighbours still have lights, went out my house to check the Meter Box. But once i open the door, a knife was pointing at the door to stop me from closing it. And they robbed and injured us. REMEMBER : Eventhough your electricity suddely goes off, DO NOT open ur door immediately. Look around to see if there is anything unusual or sounds.
(3) This is another story. You think you had heard it before, but this is slightly different. Its about a girl, she saw a kid by the roadside crying. When she asked the kid, the kid said he was lost and wanted her to take him home. The kid even gave her a paper which he said it was his house address. So she took him home. But when she ring the bell on the door. She was shocked by pressing the door bell with high-voltage electric. Once she woke up, she was naked in an empty room. REMEMBER : Being such a compassion person might not be a good thing. Pass this on and girls, especially, please be careful..AND DON'T BE TOO GOOD!!
(4) One day, there was an old lady outside my house holding 2 packets of sweets. At first i thought she was our neighbour and wanted to give us these packs of sweets as a gift. But then when she talk, i can hear that she is a foreigner i guess, because i don't really understand what is she talking about. But i know that she is asking for money. And it just feels that there's something wrong. i immediately closed the door and ignored her.
(5) I was at the ATM machine to take my money. Behind me, there was an old lady asked me whether i'm able to take my money or not, because she said there's a button might be spoiled, and i don't know since when a small girl came beside me. The small girl was squeezing to my side but i didn't notice, i thought she was just naughty and playful. But then, the small girl put her hand at the hole of the ATM machine where the money comes out, ready to take my money. I felt something wrong and immediately push the small girl away. Then i thought, the small girl and the old lady cooperate together to take my money. The old lady distracted me so that the small girl can take my money away. REMEMBER: Be VERY CAREFUL when you are at an ATM machine and be aleart for anyone suspicious around you.
(6) My parents are retired and they stay at home. One afternoon, there was a young stranger said his motorcycle has no more petrol and the petrol station is too far, it's hard to push the motorcyclefor such a long distance, so he asked my parents for an empty coke bottle to buy petrol. He said he will pay 2, 3 bucks for it. So my mum took one coke bottle for him. He really did took out money from his pocket, but it was a RM 100 note, and even let my mum to find change for him.But luckily my mum was smart, she said just take and go. REMEMBER : obviously that note is fake!! Who would want to pay for a stupid empty coke bottle!! Its OBVIOUS to know that that starnger is a fraud!!
(7) this happened in Bali . A newly married couple were having their honeymoon at the hotel. When both are in the changing room, the wife suddenly gone missing. The husband was very anxious and went around to find her. He asked the hotel staffs to help him find her too. Then he thought his wife was just playing hide and seek or wat. So he went back and waited for his wife. After a few hours, he decided to call the police. 3 weeks has passed, there were no news about his missing wife. So he went back and his honeymoon just ended up like that. He was so dissapointed and has no mood to work and so he went to travel to other places. Few years later, he came back to Bali , to watch 'FREAK SHOW' in an old house. He saw a dirty and rusty metal cage, there was a lady without limbs, body including the face, full of scars. When she was distorted on the ground, she gives out a sound of a monster-like voice. when he saw her face, he was shocked. He could not recognise the face anymore, her missing wife's face has a red birthmark.
(8) this happened in shanghai. Few yeas ago, a girl reported to the police that her cousin sister was missing in the shopping complex. But after 5 years, one of her friend found her cousin sister begging beside one of the street in Bangkok , Thailand .. The worst thing is that her counsin sister has no more limbs and her body is tied to a lamp post with a Shackle (metal chain).
(9) Let's just shorten this story. DO NOT open your house door when you hear some sound of a BABY CRYING!! It might be a trap! Women in the house must be alert in these case. The police said it will be a murderer using a recorder with de baby crying sound to attract your attention. These normally happen at night and when you are only alone in the house. GIRLS, especially, plese be careful.
(10) i read an email that was sent by my friend. Her friend, who is known as A, went to Luo Hu Commercial City with 2 friends, B and C. Luo Hu Commercial City is Shenzhen counterfeit goods distribution center, there are many people there, its also near to the ShenZhen train station and Hong Kong's Luo Hu Port. Its says, C wants to go to the toilet. So A and B waited outside. But then after they waited for so long, they felt weird and went into the toilet to ask her to hurry up. But once they went in, there were nobody inside there. Both were scared as they called C's phone but no one answered. So they called the police. The police asked them whether they had saw anyboby suspicious went into the toilet. Both said there were none and its impossible to bring an alive person with more then 100 kg out of the toilet without them noticing. Then A remember there was a cleaner pushing a trolley in, and then came back out...the police told them this is not the 1st time happening. The police has already suspect a gang of criminals that always attacks the toilet in a complex where many people are. They use cleaners to kidnap or trafficking in human organs. REMEMBER : please be careful when using the toilet. For anybody, not only girls, boys too!! Do not go to the wash room or toilet ALONE!! Please at least have a partner with you.

PLEASE PASS ON THIS MAIL TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS!!""

You see, most of these stated situations are ones that would have us (with the less prejudiced minds) react in aid of these people. But then again, who's safe to help, and what's right to do? I just find it sad how even helping becomes questionable these days. Sigh.

Wouldn't It Be Nice?

Wouldn't it be nice if smiles pass off as easily as glances do?
Wouldn't it be nice if fuels can be substituted with water?
Wouldn't it be nice if people can teleport?
Wouldn't it be nice if insults sound like compliments?
Wouldn't it be nice if worrying is like dancing?
Wouldn't it be nice if people do not berate people?
Wouldn't it be nice if there are more people like Atticus Finch in this world? Or Mother Theresa? Or Mohandas Gandhi?
Wouldn't it be nice if everybody is able to see beyond the skin color, belief, background of people before judging?
Wouldn't it be nice if people don't judge at all?
Wouldn't it be nice if politicians do not philander?
Wouldn't it be nice if prices are reasonable?
Wouldn't it be nice if the word WAR couldn't possibly be an adverb, or better still, not be a vocabulary at all?
Wouldn't be nice if Adolf Hitler had found a better way of solving his issues with the Jews?
Wouldn't it be nice if people appreciate what they have more than complaining not having more?
Wouldn't it be nice if it only takes a second for people to realize the consequences of their actions?
Wouldn't it be nice if Josef Mengele had different methods for his medical experiments?
Wouldn't it be nice if people can look past their ego before taking revenge?
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone is able to see the awesome beauty of variety of nations, races, religions, beliefs, attitudes, characters, interests, etc.?
Wouldn't it be nice if anger doesn't exist?
Wouldn't it be nice if people doesn't know how to kill?
Wouldn't it be nice if people treat other people like how they expected to be treated?
Wouldn't it be nice if people are more grateful of the rain rather than complain?
Wouldn't it be nice if people really listen and ponder upon the lyrics to the song "Where Is The Love?" by Black Eyed Peas, as Hip Hop as it may be?
Wouldn't it be nice if there are 1billion Erin Gruwells spreaded across the globe?
Wouldn't it be nice if people really know what love is and love all people as much as they love thmeselves?
Wouldn't it be nice if everything I've written here is possible?
But really, wouldn't it be nice if genuine smiles pass off as easily as glances do?
Wouldn't that be great...

Courage the Cowardy Sent Hero to Kamunting

"Syed Hamid berkata penahanan Raja Petra itu berasaskan kepada penulisannya yang mempunyai unsur menghina dan boleh membangkitkan kemarahan umat Islam." - BERNAMA.
Read more here.

Raja Petra is a Muslim. And he had in numerous ways admitted that he is, explained thoroughly why he thinks that the majority of the Malaysian Muslims are not applying it the way it should be applied - NOTE that he did not in any way insulted or offended the religion. The way I see it he was just criticising how the religion is being practiced by most Malaysians. I'm a Catholic who have three-years of Islamic education experience - though vaguely remembered - and tonnes of Muslim friends who agree with this guy (Raja Petra), so I know that he couldn't be wrong in convicting his opinions. So tell me, in what way are the Muslims enraged by his posts, and if so, were my three years of Islamic education distorted in any way, or are my faithfully practising Muslim friends wrong in having the same opinion like Raja Petra?

And if the answer to all these questions are "NO", is it safe for me to say that the Government are just acting like insecure babies?

Change

Change. A word, more often than not, repeated in the mouths of many since the past few decades, but more prominently so since the past few months. Is it happening? The current ruling party lost its 2/3 majority for the first time last March. Five states of this nation, who had in majority voted for the Opoosition, make up a lot of people. It is a way of saying, "No more." I would say, it is starting.

The Opposition may or may not fail to do what they promised they would fulfill when/if they managed to take over the governance of this country. By the time that (take-over) happens, they'll probably be fighting amongst themselves - with the predominantly Chinese DAP in it, Islamic State-visioned PAS in it, and the Keadilan in it. We can't deny the possibility that what's happening amongst the BN coalition (pissed Gerakan and MCA peeps) can happen to the Opposition. But hey, let's accept the fact that the current situation in our government is already screwed anyway, and what we really need right now, is CHANGE. Any change now would do, probably even if it means passing on the governance to people whose ability to bring about a positive change we doubt. But any change would do. Long as we do something about it. If they (the Opposition) said they can change this country, then give them that chance. How else would we know and then learn to trust a person's driving skills without even giving them the chance to put their hands on the steering wheel?

A friend I was having a drink with asked me, "What exactly do we need to change?" after telling me how he's sick of people - bloggers, in particular - who just can't stop complaining and firing up opinions of their readers to chastise the government along with them. He said, "You've never been to Indonesia or India before and try living there. You don't really take into consideration how aweful it is there. Ugly politics? Check. Corruption? Check. Blood-spilling riots? Check. Checked all these and they are way worse than what our people keep complaining about here. Why don't we just be thankful for what we have? What's there to change?"

He has a point. He is right about being thankful how things are not as bad as the condition of other war-tormented countries. But friend, this isn't about only complaining. This isn't about how ungrateful we are for the country we were born in and live in. This is about loving this country too much to let it be run the way it is being run. This is about loving this country too much to let the same old takes place year by year yet things get worse. This is about loving this country too much to just sit on the problems that are occuring in her economy, education, racial relations, crimes, etc. This is about taking a stand to change, deciding to do something for our country, because she is obviously not well.

The Opposition is blaming the Government for being racists. The Government is blaming the Opposition for being power-obssesed. The Chinese are blaming the Malays for being chauvinistic. The Malays are blaming the Indians for increase of criminal rates. The Borneans are blaming the West Malaysians for being biased. And so on. For the racial tension that is going on in our country, I'd like to just blame our forefathers for not being able to handle what was possibly easily curbed simply by not demanding too much for their own respective race's gain. But now is not the time for blaming. I don't see why if truly, the Government is doing what they're doing for the sake of the Rakyat, the people of this country, can't hear people out instead of detaining them when they bring up the issues that are essential to be discussed. And if truly they are about bringing about betterment for this country, why can't they just accept and discuss the opinions of the Opposition TOGETHER, instead of lashing out at them and create war in the media, defending themselves and boast about what they have done for the people? If truly, they are about this country... Why not?

Will things be better if the Opposition takes over governance? Maybe yes, maybe no. Whatever it is, we can't keep doing things the way we've been doing it for the past decades. Like what Barrack Obama said, "We need a president who can face the threats of the future, not keep grasping at the ideas of the past.” What makes me think that the Government should step down and let others take control? Present was future in the past. And in the past they had said they would change the country to be better for the greater good. But as present is now here, we see that things are only worsening. If they love this country, and the Rakyat, they would be less selfish and see that there must be something wrong in the way they're doing things, and give other people - who claim that they can do something about it - a chance.

And as for us the people, to go about organizing nationwide campaigns might sound too big and not achievable, or even ridiculous to some. The least we can do is not make things worse by being racists or biased in any whatsoever way. I have a dream that one day we will live in a world where everyone live about without being judgmental, regardless of race, of religion, of sexual orientation, of attires, of habits, of anything tangible, where everyone is selfless. Because somehow I believe that indirectly, these little things that rarely cross our worried mind are the ones that cause the bigger things. Microscopic-sized bacterias can take on your life. That's why for things to change, we need to change first, at least change in the way we treat each other.

Being a democratic country, who rules the nation is for us the people to decide. If we can change the way we see things, change the way we assume a person's character, change the way we judge others, and come as one under one name, Malaysia, we can change the country. Martin Luther said this, "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character," and I share this dream. If we can grasp this and put it to practice, I believe that this country would be a better place. Betterment is not impossible. Change is not impossible.

Sept 16 (yea, the Government-Toppling thing)

It's 6.50pm of September 16, 2008. No news. Nothing. Niente. Nada. Aiso. Wala.
I didn't expect anything to happen really. And just because none of the government MPs jump ship, it doesn't necessarily mean that all the 9-16 furore was in vain and for nothing. Look at the bright side; didn't the opposition got the government to tremble a bit? And, as a result of that, Sabah and Sarawak are suddenly getting all of the attention, scared that the wooing of the opposition would convince them to jump ship. Fascinating.
If there's anything that went wrong in all this commotion, it's only the accuracy of the chronology. Anwar shouldn't have named a date. But hey, for all you know, something is already happening. We'll see.

Yours Truly.

Initially, i started blogging with the objective of updating friends and family on my life. and that's obviously something that I hadn't done in such a long time. So here we go:

• Kinki my ten-year-old dog died two days ago. I took it hard because all family members are always present to bury any of our dogs that passes away, yet Iris and I couldn't be there for the dog that we took care of the longest. And it's just sad to think how she's not gonna be there to welcome us the next time we fly home. Sigh... All dogs go to heaven they say. If that's the case, then she is in a much better place now. Rest in peace, buddy. Thank you for making our lives whole.
• I'm in my final semester, and currently doing my internship in a PR firm. It's been two months now and I'm not the least interested in making PR as the field I'm going into upon graduation. I'm still not convinced that I would wanna do PR. Don't get me wrong. The place is great. (Some of) the people are nice too. But it's just the job. Observing the asscociates and consultants do what they do everyday makes me question myself on whether I'd able to stand such daily tasks for long, to which the answer is 'No'. I hardly have the passion for it.
• I've made up my mind to take up the offer in Bintulu once I'm done with internship. The thought of it is exciting and scary all at the same time. I've asked a number of people about it and taking all of them into consideration, plus a huge deal of my own desires and intuition, I said yes. Bintulu, I'm coming.
• I haven't make up my mind on what exactly do I want to do and where do I want to be(after the whole Bintulu excitement is over) - whether or not I should work in KL or find a job in KK. I'd want to work here and the experience I need before settling in KK years later. But on the other hand, I don't want Samantha my baby sister to grow up not knowing her sister. As much as people think that I want to go back there and work because Sam needs me, I think that it's more because I need her instead. I miss her too much to be far away from her any longer. Three years is more than enough.
• I need to work out, it's been long since I last sweat out. Apart from growing thighs and double chin, it's also because I need to get rid of the toxins caused by continous consumption of unhealthy foods (and drinks) and nicotines.
• For friends and family who just can't stop asking, "So who's your boyfriend now?" I'm still single and not looking. I just don't think that anyone is capable enough to handle me and my zest for life (yea, I only realized that after so/too many relationships). I have to admit tho, that at times I do miss being someone's someone - the joy that comes with it, and the thrill of feeling the kind of pain that only a guy you're fond of can give you. Sigh... But I'm not complaining.
• Besides the kind that God can give and the kind that my mother had loyally showered me with in my 23 years of living, I still don't believe in the big 'L' word. I hate how people these days use them way too often to explain how they feel about a person, throwing the word around without even considering how heavy the word is.
• The world is getting too dangerous. It's such a scary thing to watch news these days. Wars, murders, riots, animal cruelty, decreasing natural resources, messed up governments, increasing racial polarization, social illnesses, the list goes on... What's even more scary is how it seems impossible to do anything about it.
• When it comes to God, I still have a lot to say about Him, I still have the passion for Him. But if there's anything that I'm doing different these days compared to how I was doing when I was still in the firm grip with the help of being in a ministry, it's LISTENING. To really listen. I could barely do so today. I miss the fire. I miss the high appreciation of salvation and what I used to do with it. I miss serving Him in the ministry... I miss being close to Him. But all in all, I'm always convinced that He's always around and that this feeling of estrangement won't be for long.

For all I know, the final point of this whole update is the determining factor for all the rest, which means that I need to get that part straight in order for everything else to fit in the puzzle.

Sept 16 (Nothing to Do With Anwar's Plans to Topple the Government)

"Kamu orang dari mana datang?" asked a middle-aged Chinese aunty we met while shopping the other day. When we told her where we come from, she replied with a nice-mannered way of she "could tell by our looks." What came out next was either hillarious or offensive, depending on the decoder of the message. "Ramai orang Sabah and Sarawak datang Malaysia kerja." We laughed...

Ya we found it funny, until it finally came to my mind how offensive that was, I screamed, "What??!!!" at her and swore my way out of the shop. Ha ha. Kidding.

It's funny (or maybe sad) how some people still think that Sabah and Sarawak are separate entities and it makes me wonder why. Part of it could probably be the blame of the Borneans themselves (some of us can be quite defensive or take pride in telling how we're not from 'here'). It's an attitude that really needs to be altered. But on the other hand, it couldn't be our fault that we're classified as 'the others' by the government, right? While all the other races are given their respective proper race classifications, we're enlisted as 'Lain-lain' (okay, okay, I know I've been going on and on about this, but hear me out). I understand that there are just too many ethnicities to list out in forms and such - hundreds. But we would appreciate it if we could tick 'Bumiputra' when filling out forms. This, and a number of other things as well, could have been the cause of Borneans sometimes being too defensive about our ethnicity. I reiterate, we should have only one race classification; Malaysia. It would be nice to stop hearing people say "Chinese," "Indian," "Malay," "Kadazan," "Iban," when they're asked "Orang apa?", or better still, not to hear people - Malaysians in particular - asking the question at all.

And speaking of that, I remember Klahid Ibrahim's proposal on making Sept 16 a nationwide public holiday. Back in KK we're used to having that priviledge. Sept 16 is always a holiday for us and we would celebrate it by attending the parade at Padang Merdeka downtown (di KK ah, bukan di KL), very much like celebrating the usual Merdeka Day. It's kind of weird not having that 'here' (again, it feels like referring to a foreign place).

It's not that I'm making up excuses for more of public holidays, but shouldn't we acknowledge the day Malaysia was formed? Doesn't it mean as much to welcome new members, which completes an entity, as it is to form one? Just a thought. (NOTE: I'm not complaining. It's just something that I thought of and want to share *smiles*).

I'm sure there are a lot of things that can be done to counter this problem, this whole racial polarization (and I don't think ISA is part of it). Just sitting on it and prohibitting people from talking about it are definitely not solutions. I've always believed that education can do so much to a person. And I mean, informative education instead of persuasive ones. One of the reasons why I became so aware and critical of issues like these was BTN, and very chauvinistic talks we were made compulsory to attend during my three-years of uni life. For a start, why don't we drop that from the course, kan? That would be nice. And probably things won't get as tight as they are today if things like BTN, TITAS and CTU don't exist. Why do they anyway? Oh well. I don't get to call the shots.

More later. Ciao.