The Perak Crisis

Lately, keeping abreast with news in Malaysia provokes mixed feelings — apart from the plain old being well-informed, the news viewing package includes disgust, disappointment, and sometimes, embarrassment?

The most ironic thing is, while experiencing all these feelings, it begets a short, chuckle-like laughter — because the scenario depicted in the news is pathetically hilarious.

One such (of many many series of developments) is the political imbroglio in Perak, dubbed the Perak Constitutional Crisis. (Perak is one of the states that fell into the opposition hand in the recent election.) It all began with several defections — the takeover by the National Front was quickly disputed as illegal.

More detailed treatment of this subject is available at Wikipedia.

So these sequences of events have started to appeal to me less. It is fair to say that perhaps it is too tiring to follow up. These news do not bring about the notion of hope, as opposed to President Obama’s weekly address to the citizens, which is accessible to all via the White House official portal (in HD video). That, I follow almost religiously. Slowly, I frequented The Malaysian Insider and The Star less. My reading medium quickly reduced to U.S. and British newspapers only (New York Times, USA Today, and BBC).

So I had not been reading about the sensation in Perak, until recently when it was featured on BBC. Apparently the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that the takeover orchestrated by the National Front is invalid, which is a big blow to our newly elected Prime Minister. Then, unsurprisingly, the clown scene ensued — the illegal Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Zambry compares himself to Mandela and Gadhi in these so-called “struggles.” This is what I call pathetically hilarious. I have to give this bloke some credits though — his shameless comparison warrants my best oh-my-god-are-you-f*cking-kidding-me? facial expression.

Of Reason and Influence

Recently I was involved in a casual discussion regarding decision making and how free will factors in.

The person with whom I conversed argued that decisions are never made with free will. We, he added, make decision based on influences. Thus no one decides on something based on one’s free will.

I immediately disagreed. I believe that we decide based on our free will as long as we are conscious and of course, if we are not under threat. There may be factors, on which we justify our decisions, compelling us towards the specific resolution we favor. To me, these factors are not influences, but reasons.

Reasons differ from influences in a lot of ways. For starter, reasons justify our actions, but influences do not. People choose not to smoke because of legitimate health reasons, that smoking jeopardizes our heath. We do not refrain from smoking because of influences. We make the decision with our free will entirely.

For example, I make my desicion to pursue my graduate education based on my free will.

Therefore, it is my school of thought that any reversing of decisions made is entirely up to ourselves, unless of course the earlier decisions were made for someone’s sake. In the same way, reversing a decision shall entail a process of justification with valid reasons. So, this is another instance of free will decision making, is it not?

Bits and Pieces

My life has returned to its hectic mode recently. Homework are piling; readings are never ending. I shall not even get myself started on how I do not have time for myself because of all these commitments.

Instead of writing complete pieces of several topics that I would like to share, I shall present here a series of snippets:

1. Le 20 janvier 2009

   This is a very historical date. January 20, 2009 witnessed the inauguration of the first African-American President of the United States. Barack Hussein Obama was sworn in at the 44th President. Despite that little “dictation twitch” during the oath ceremony, the inauguration went pretty well — with his ever so inspiring speech equipped with his eloquent articulation — as the American citizens and I rejoiced for this new dawn in the U.S. political landscape.

   I was particularly pleased when President Obama acknowledged non-believers during his inauguration speech.

   On a more personal (and different) level, this day is a day that I will always remember as it snowed for the first time in Chapel Hill during this winter. I was told that the last time it snowed so “badly” was several years back. Mind you, “badly” is defined as 2 inches or less snow accumulation. Some professors were snowed in and the Univesity was formally closed later in the afternoon.

   Euphoric I was! However being a Michigan resident previously, I responded “Seriously?” and “Are you kidding me?”

   I could not help but chuckled. The logical reasonings aside (how three counties shared a snow plow rendered inefficient snow removal causing hazardous driving conditions and yada yada yada…), I was really laughing my ass off. We don’t even think of class cancellation in a 12-inch snowfall in Michigan; we might complain, but we brave through the brutal cold.

   And 2-inch of snow is less than mild on this very scale…

2. Of respect

   I recently found myself in an extremely unpleasant situation, so much so that revisiting the incident itself irritates me. I had this unfortnate opportunity in dealing with a very angry person. I have to say that describing this person as “angry” is an understatement his/her characters.

   This individual is very cantankerous. Not only that, he/she often act in a way where diplomacy is least of his/her concern. He/she talks in a very condensending manner. When you speak to him/her, you actually sense that he/she implores you to be less idiotic than how he/she perceives you. Furthermore, to add salt to the wound, he/she does not hesitate to impose his/her values on you. I call that sheer wanton preaching. People are opinionated — that I know and I understand. But why protificate when you could share you ideas instead? What a despicable bastard/bitch!

   Of course, as much as I was tempted to, I did not react in the same angry, respectless way. Why be like him/her when his/her personality is the very core that you gainsay?

3. Taxes

   It’s partying time again! I sat down for more than 4 hours to prepare my 2008 tax return. Fun, indeed!

4. Apple Mighty Mouse

   My mouse had been acting weird for a couple of months. It had difficulty in performing scrolling. I finally took some time off to visit the Apple Store at Southpoint. I managed to have my current mouse replaced rather than getting a brand new one.

5. Cereal Man!

   I was commuting to campus on one fine morning when I noticed a driver eating his cereal with milk in a bowl while maneuvering the steering wheel! Gosh! Consuming food with liquid in a bowl while vehicle is in motion. The art of multitasking?
    

Chinese Wedding Dinners in Malaysia

Sometimes, I really wish that I do not need to follow my parents to wedding dinners, especially the Chinese ones. Wedding dinner is of course an auspicious event for the married couple; and I reckon wedding dinners are to celebrate the love that brought them together. However, I just dislike the atmosphere of most of the wedding dinner. To me, it’s unbearable. I had some hard time describing to people as to why I do not look forward to attending weeding dinners until I read this little post in TheStar. I found it in TV Smith Dua Sen’s homepage today. The title of the article is 15 reasons why I hate Chinese wedding dinners…

DISGUISE - The reception table is a thinly disguised payment counter. All ang pows are opened on the spot with the payer’s name and amount recorded into a ledger book.

DUH - Gifts are frowned upon because the restaurants do not accept steam irons and other useless presents as barter payment. The host settles the restaurant bill at the end of the night with the cash proceeds. The balance is profit. Duh!

DURESS - There are good reasons why the invitation cards are known as summonses. If you get the saman, you pay; whether you show up or not.

DAMAGE - A strict formula governs the prevailing rates:
Show up with your partner, you pay double.
Children under seven years of age are not charged.
‘No show’ discount – maximum 50% NCB (“no came” bonus).

DILEMMA - To make matters worse, Chinese weddings tend to take place all on the same day due to the importance placed on auspicious dates. Just when you are broke at the end of the month, you’ll get hit with five summonses.

DELUGE - With almost every couple marrying on the same day, things can get really impersonal and crowded. It is not uncommon to see one tiny restaurant hosting five different wedding banquets. It is also not uncommon to end up sitting at the wrong party.

DEVOR - All those friends who forwarded e-mails enclosing passionate pleas to save the sharks never read their own e-mails, apparently. They dive into that mandatory second course like piranhas.

DETACHED - There is racial polarization even at wedding dinners. Muslim guests are usually relegated to one dark corner with cold and bland food served by a sweaty caterer.

DELUDED - I wish more Chinese wedding dinners are held at halal restaurants because they usually DO NOT have karaoke equipment. Without it, there are less chances of encountering people with delusions of talent.

DETERRENT - It may be fashionable to be late at these weddings but there is a heavy price to pay. You end up sitting with nine anti-social strangers. The guy next to you is bound to spit out fish bones and prawn shells in the most disgusting manner.

DEGENERATE - The guy opposite you will abidingly get drunk and start spinning the table carousel to see who gets the chicken head.

DEFICIT - The entrenched payment system has some serious drawbacks. Some guests are bent on creating a deficit account. They try to consume as many bottles of brandy as they humanly can. Which brings me to my next point.

DISGUST - Never visit the loo after the fifth course. You are bound to see regurgitated shark’s fin soup and one season of the four seasons on the sink, urinals or floor.

DAHSYAT - In fact, try not to go to the loo at all. You don’t want miss one of the 300 gowns the bride changes into that night.

DECEPTIVE - If you were at the ceremony in the day, you are bound to be surprised in the night. Those sleepy eyed ‘chee muis’ (bride’s girlfriends) you met in the morning show up in the evening magically transformed. Push-up bras rule, says my friend Pey Ling.

Or course, I do not agree 100 percent with him (maybe 90 percent). Say, for example, the first reason – I am glad that people in my hometown do not actually open your red packets in front of you!

But still, most of the reasons are valid, especially the unbearable cacophony of karaoke that strongly affects my appetite throughout.

Airport – A Place for Contemplation

To some people, the airport is just a place where planes take off and land. To frequent travelers such as businessmen, the airport is often perceived as the gateway to infinitely many opportunities as they travel around to expand their business or meet clients. However, to me, the airport taught me to appreciate the family bond and friendship. It instilled in me the courage to step beyond the safety grid and the confidence to start a new chapter in my life. I learnt to think more maturely, and I knew my mum deserved more than a wrinkled complexion.

It was a couple of months ago when I was separated from my family, starting a new chapter in the States. I heard the announcement of my flight. It was the right time for me to board. I hurried to the safety grid where I glanced momentarily at each of my beloved family members and close friends who had come to send me off. I took a look at my beloved mum. Time had cruelly taken away her youth. I could see the slight wrinkles on her face. This was so unfair! My heart was tinged with considerable melancholy when I tried to comprehend why all the magnanimous sacrifices that she made were rewarded a wrinkled countenance. I looked at her more closely. She was happy to see her grown up son embarking on a new journey in a foreign land. At the same time, I could see through her hidden grieves and worries. After all, this was my very first time leaving home to somewhere substantially far away. To mum, I was always a cute smiling angel who sometimes played a role of a little screaming monster, waiting keenly to be breastfed in her affectionate arms with tender care. I embraced her as tightly as I could, feeling the indescribable strong bond between us, sensing the endless love that she has been pouring on me. A drop of tear rolled over her smooth cheek, making my heart sob terribly loud inside.

However, my AUSMAT (Australian Matriculation) friends are changing their roles now. In August 2004, they sent me off. Now, they are about to bravely step across the safety grid. They are about to carry the luggages on the plane. They are going to bid goodbye to others. I regret that I could not send them off. I wish I could. In Chang Yang’s blog, there is an article that reminds me about a nice song, i.e. Leaving on a Jet Plane. I love that song a lot. Allow me to quote the lyrics.

I’m … I’m …

All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go
I’m standin’ here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin’, it’s early morn
The taxi’s waitin’, he’s blowin’ his horn
Already I’m so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go

‘Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane
I don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

I’m …

There’s so many times I’ve let you down
So many times I’ve played around
I’ll tell you now, they don’t mean a thing

Every place I go, I think of you
Every song I sing, I sing for you
When I come back I’ll wear your wedding ring

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go

‘Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane
I don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

Now the time has come to leave you
One more time, oh, let me kiss you
And close your eyes and I’ll be on my way

Dream about the days to come
When I won’t have to leave alone
About the times that I won’t have to say …

Oh, kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you’ll wait for me
Hold me like you’ll never let me go

‘Cause I’m leaving on a jet plane
I don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

And I’m leaving on a jet plane
I don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh, babe, I hate to go

But I’m leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
Leaving on a jet plane
(Ah ah ah ah)
(Leaving) On a jet plane