The exam they call "THE MOTHER"

Which apparently, as I found out today after scrutinizing a certain handbook, stated that the recommended study time for the abovementioned exam is a whopping 400 hours.

Goodbye to social life for year 2008.

Hunting for....

Guns N' Roses "Appetite for Destruction" album.

If any of you out there know where I can get one, please let me know. Been looking high and low for it in KL but they dont seem to have it anymore.

Christmas Morning

630am

While the world outside is asleep.
While I wait.

There is silence in the air, and there is peace.
There is beauty in the stillness.

On the other hand, I wanna ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZzz.

Christmas Eve

I read my last post and concluded that I was partially insane then. That's the only face saving explanation I can think of for posting such nonsensical gibberish on the internet.

---------------------------------------------------
The year is coming to an end soon, and for some odd reason or another, I'm particularly pleased and looking forward to it. Which could be a good thing or a bad thing. But anyways, the new year is always something to look forward to, it's like you get to start on a clean slate and forget all the stupid things you did this year. Which in my case, are too many to be mentioned here.

I have half a mind to continue spulrging more $$$$ into guitars and the peripherals (read: pedals), but the half of the mind is giving me a resounding NO! so for now I think that will suffice.

And.

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Why did I....

Not obey the golden law of never buying guitar pedals on impulse??

But oh well, that's done anyways, AND I ARE GOTTEN MYSELF NEW OVERDRIVE PEDAL. UFOOOOOOOOOO!

Excuse me, a bit excited =P

I would post a picture of it but I can't find my USB cable.

And much poorer too. Oh well, happy belated b'day and melly christmas, happy new year, happy belated graduation and whatever else to me.

La la la la LAAAAA!

Ok now to TRY to work.

Why didn't I...

Take leave??

There are days when you really really don't feel like working. This is one of them. (So blog instead =P)

On the bright side, the office is nice and quiet, with hardly anybody around. Christmas is round the corner, and soon the year will be over. And we welcome 2008.

Time to take stock of 2007. And get ready for 2008. And maybe write that mandatory but will never be followed "New Year Resolutions" post.

But for now, its time to get back to writing some reports.

On the other hand, some muppet bought the apartment which we are staying in. Which means when our contract expires in August next year (thinking long term is always good), we shall have to look for a new place to stay. Boohooooooo.

Something to tell you

This morning, I came online just to say:

CIMB sucks.

I think they are still operating in the ice age. Blah!

Sometimes, saying "No" is good.
And sometimes also, saying "no" is not so good.

Example A:
When saying "NO" is good.

Hey dude, lets go out for a drink!
No-lah, I'm not feeling too well. Need to stay home and rest. Solly.

Example B:
When saying "NO" is not so good.

Hey Daniel, are you ready to go for cousin's wedding dinner tonight?
No-lah, I'm not feeling too well. Need to stay home and rest. Solly.

I think I've got myself into some potentially difficult conversations at the next family reunion. Gulp.

And the gloom lifts

Health still not good.
Work even worst still.
Car...dont even get me started.
Guitar use as charcoal ady.

But... everything is different when God is there.

On another note, I think i swallowed a piece of paper while eating my tau sah pau ><

Time for the annual depression....

Health is not good.
Work is not good.
Guitar playing is horrific.
Car is a piece of trash - despite spending so much money and time trying to fix it.

It's that time of the year again.

Where's my blues music when you need it....

You mean ONE WHOLE MONTH has passed by!!!

And I didn't blog at all. Man, i'm one lazy ass.

More importantly, where's that damned bill for my credit card. If they don't send it to me and later bill me for interest, somebody's gonna be getting a hurt real bad. Somebody.

I think its my wallet ><

Late dy lah, have to sleep. Feeling the flu again. Ughh.

The internet connection at work sucks

It really really sucks. But then, imagine life at work without internet.

To quote the auntie in the singaporean movie I Not Stupid, its "horleejeepel teleecheepel vegieetapel" (read horrible terrible vegetable).

Its been raining in KL recently. So heavy that its like raining water buffalos. Makes very nice sleeping moments but poor working conditions. Especially when the damned air con in your office is freezing cold. Makes you feel like...hibernating.

Will update more on the upcoming AYA awards when more information is available.

AYA Awards, baby yeah!

AYA Awards are coming up on the 4th of November!

Click on the picture above for a direct link to the website.

Having taken a while to convince the skeptic side of me, I think that this is a brilliant idea, and now, execution plan as well. Considering that Astro will be broadcasting it live, and it has the support of the Ministry of National Unity, it's gonna be quite a mega event. I'll be there at KLPAC!

My housemate is nominee no 13. Wakaka.

BBC hard talk

This was a BBC interview with Malaysia's foreign minister, Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar. While I do not totally agree with all his views, I must say, Mr Albar (thankfully not Alba(!)) did a good job in holding his own. Sarah Montague (the gwai loh interviewer) got pawned. Big time. I think she did a very poor job in preparing for the interview and getting her facts and sources right. Louya betul. Ahahaha. Sucks to be her.

Haven't done this in a while....

Posting pictures, that is.

Aiyo. I hate the its-monday-tomorrow sunday night syndrome.

Time to blog about stuff

Its a beautiful Friday and in a few hours time I shall be making my drive back home to Melaka for the weekend. Always nice to have the weekend round the corner.

HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I was reading my own blog -yes I like to read my own writings- and noticed that a total stranger would get the impression that I'm a raving lunatic. Well, I am :D

But anyways I was thinking long and hard about whether I should blog about what was on my mind earlier in the day. And as of now I'm still kinda undecided, but I guess since I'm halfway through I'll mention it briefly anyways.

Following recent developments about the different issues in our country today, mainly THAT video clip that everyone is talking about (well there are other things too: PAC findings, ACA, EC, police force, C4-ed Mongolian model, lawatan sambil belajar to Silk Road in China, not very intelligent ppl in the dewan rakyat, etc), reading different articles and reports (newspapers, blogs, websites), well, I dunno what to conclude. Its just interesting to note how the pro govt newspapers (i.e. the Star), the slightly more neutral (NST & Sun), the very not pro govt (the rest of the media) choose their choice of words -or none at all- in reporting the issue.

You know, the thing I never like about reading "opposition" blogs like Lim Kit Siang (see hyperlink on right) and MalaysiaToday or MalaysiaKini (google them cos I'm lazy to link), is that although they contain a element of truth (note that depending on the writer/topic of discussion the size of the "element of truth" varies greatly, but anyways read it on your own and draw your own conclusion on that as well), after a certain period of exposure to these blogs, you kinda feel angry or depressed or both. It's hardly inspirational material. But then again when you read some of the local papers you get a sneaky feeling that lots of stuff is not properly reported or worded in such a way that you get a different impression (well not exactly inspirational either, just the kena tipu type of feeling). Ignorance is foolishness, but knowledge is a pain as well.

Which is why I refrain from blogging down my thoughts -on the political side of things- here. There's enough websites out there for you to read those kinda stuff.

So as far as I'm concerned, LETS GO ROLL SOME KATAMARI!

*rollrollrollrollroll*

I seriously need to come up with a better plan for my future dictatorship to work.

Something was stuck in my eye

but thankfully its gone now, i think. Either that or I've gotten used to it being there.

Its one cold and rainy day here in KL (well cold being relative to the usual 34C), and the gloomy weather just makes me wanna lie down and sleep. But then again, I always wanna lie down and sleep so I guess I don't qualify to make any statements like that.

I just realized how quickly time flies by when you are working. Like blink blink and the week is over. Blink a bit longer and then you're 40 years old. Nonetheless, its enjoyable. (working life that is, not the blink and reach 40 years old part)

Last night I happen to come across the most incredible game mankind has ever made. Its called "WE LOVE KATAMARI!!" and right now all I can think of is *roll roll roll roll roll*. Basically they game revolves around you -yes, you- having a sticky ball and being responsible to roll up everything in sight on with your sticky ball. Everything meaning paper clips, books, cats, fish, people, cars, houses, monuments, countries, ultraman vs godzilla (yes i'm not kidding), clouds, the list is endless. Its so cool that all i can think of now is *roll roll roll roll rolllllllllllllllllll*

I need to get new guitar pedals. Boutique ones. But I dunno where to get them in KL. Its times like these when I miss London.

And finally,

WE LOVEEEEE KATAMARIIIIIIIIII!!!!!~~~

"roll roll roll roll roll"

I don't know what to write

I remember there was this time when I could just start to blog about anything anytime.

Right now, I'm stuck -_-"

Time to sleep anyways. I blame work for the lack of inspiration.

Facebook Part II

After two weeks of insane facebook-ing i.e. throwing sheep, buying drinks, writing on walls, sending pandas to seduce other people; I think its fair enough to say I've had my fair share of it.

*throws sheep*

Anyways, been working for slightly more than a month now; and it's been a pretty good learning experience. The first thing I found out that while whatever I learned in uni is very much directly applicable to whatever I've been doing, it's also fair to say that its not sufficient enough, which also means A LOT OF PAIN AND SUFFERING when you're sitting down there trying to figure out what other more experienced and qualified people have done.

So far most people have asked me what do I actually do for a job, so instead of the very general but not so true answer of "math", I shall take the time to elaborate a little bit more.

My job - working with Bank Negara Malaysia - basically revolves around regulatory and supervisory work, specifically towards the insurance industry in Malaysia. In practical terms this means reading a lot of reports and checking other ppl's work, and giving them a good spanking if they don't do it properly (note: the term spanking is intended to be metaphorical, so for those of you who were thinking otherwise, errrrr....we'll just leave it at there). It's basically a 9-5 deskjob (well actually 830 to 530), so I'm pretty cool with that.

It also suddenly dawned on me that I will have to be studying (again!!! *@#4%@%*) pretty soon, when the actuarial exams begin. Sigh. Moral of the story to all kids out there: Do some research before you decide on what you want to study. Or what you don't want.

To compound matters, the inevitable arrival of the PS2 has already made the whole studying-while-you-work-which-we-know-is-impossible even more ridiculous. But hey, somebody needs to save the world, right?

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On more trivial matters, it's been an incredible start for Arsenal fans! Whoooooo! But I hardly have the chance to catch the matches nowadays (sigh). Condolences to all Chelsea fans on the loss of Jose Mourinho. He's a great coach no doubt.

---------------------------

Things in church have begun to pick up, rather, they've always been up, just that I've been picked in to the flow a bit more. So here's to a event filled life. *drinks redbull*

It's been so long since I last blogged properly it feels like I'm having writer's/blogger's block. Ughh.

Time to wake Ding up and go pay the bills.

Facebook

Due to intense diplomatic pressure (its always easier when you blame people), I've finally succumbed to Facebook.

TAKE ME NOW!! FACEBOOK!!! TAKE MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Night Out @ AF Practice Session

So I was out last night at Altered Frequency's band practice session, being the kepo that I am. It was good fun to meet up with bass master guru DG again, and even more fun to gawk at Kysern's amazing guitar tone, lines, chops, licks err... in short... guitar playing.

Uber.

I. Need. To. Practice. More. So hooray for band practice tonight.

I was asking Kysern how does he does he find the time to practice with work and all that.
"Well...no social life loh."

So it's goodbye social life. So much for the rock star glamour. This whole actuary playing guitar thing isn't really working out.


We have a spanking new PS2 in the house with 10 different games and I haven't even touched it yet. Lunacy I tell you.

Selamat Menyambut Ulangtahun Merdeka ke-50!

I wanna blog, but no time.

So in the likely event that I won't get to blog before Friday, I'd like to wish my readers (if there are any left) a very happy 50th independence day celebration!

Transformers!!

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!!!!

TRANSFORMERS IS SOOOOOO SOOOOO GOODDDD!!!

*looks longingly at dad's proton waja hoping it will transform*

Biawak alert

HOLY COW I'VE JUST SEEN THE LARGEST BIAWAK IN MY LIFE!!!!

Man that thing was huge. And when me and my brother were trying to prod it out from behind the shoe cabinet, it made a dash AT us (me, actually, since my brother ran off), until I smacked it in the head with a broom i was holding. Fortunately for me, it ran off in to some neighbour's bush.

Traumatised. What if it runs in the house and attacks me when i'm sleeping tonight.

ARRRGHHHH.

WHERE'S THE RUKUN TETANGGA WHEN YOU NEED THEM! I DEMAND NIGHT PATROLS!

502 words

I was asked by a friend to write an article (which if was good enough, would be published in the papers) on well, something to do with patriotism, but i think i sort of missed the deadline. So rather than let my 430am writings go to waste, I'll just deposit them here:

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Because Home Is Where the Heart Is

“Eh, why-lah don’t want to work in London? Makes sense what…better pay, better working environment, better expertise and support….”

To be honest, I wonder too at times. Reading our local papers, blogs, talking to various people, occasionally one feels the desire to run away from all the sadness and grief that always seems to steal the headlines; violent crimes, corruption, incompetence, politics, so on and so forth. Escapism, a friend once termed it.

But you see, the problem with running is that it never made the difference.

Three years overseas thought me a lot about patriotism. We are too quick to criticize, too quick to give up, too pessimistic to fight for ideals, too slow to put our hands to the plough when it really matters, too blinded to see that there are plenty of things worth fighting for.

Yet I can relate to the frustrations of others. Reality dictates that there are places out there which your average Malaysian will be better off living at. Fortunately, patriotism is not about moving out when things don’t go right and swearing your allegiance to whoever pays you the most. Patriotism, at least as I understand it, is acknowledging that there are fault lines which can’t be covered up. More importantly, it also means taking the responsibility to make the wrong things right. It’s about being the difference.

This is Malaysia. The land we call home. We are Malaysia. The people who feel sad when our badminton doubles lose out on the gold medal. The people who sit by the teh-tarik stall, eat nasi lemak, complain about reduced government petrol subsidies, buy illegal DVDs, all at the same time. The people who come together and celebrate Hari Raya, Chinese New Year, Deepavali, regardless of race. The people who complain loudly about the state of our national football team all the time, but deep down inside really want to see them do well. The good, bad and ugly.

No, we’re not perfect. Far from it. Which is all the more reason for us to stand up and be counted. We need to stop sitting by the sidelines waiting for someone else to do the work. We need to fight to preserve what is good and what is right. We need to lose that “tidak apa” attitude, because really, when you think about it, it does matter. Every little bit, every single person. There will always be people who seek to undermine, to steal, kill and destroy for their own gain; but if we run away, lose hope and despair, then we lose everything.

50 years of independence may have passed, but we have thousands of years of history ahead of us to be made. It’s time to lose the shades of Malay, Chinese, Indian or “dan lain-lain” and put our hands together. It’s time to be Malaysia.

So, why not work in London? It’s simple. Because home is where the heart is. Really, I never bluff you one.

Jet lagggg

Its 230 am, and all I feel is hungry cos its supposed to be dinner time.

My body is confused.

So long, farewell.

So it's goodbye to 3 years in London.

Thanks to all the friends who were family. You guys made life here alive.

Dover and Calais Trip

So, we made a trip to Dover and Calais (in France) on a whim sometime back, and here are the pics.

Sometimes life deals us a cruel blow and leaves us out of the picture, even though we're posing hard. Sorry Daniel Nee aka CB

And because of that, the next few pictures will feature him heavily :P

The man himself, CB aka Miri Beng

Upacara penyampaian coklat Toblerone terbesar di dunia.

CB doing his thing with the ladies.

And again.

And again. Wait, that's me. Not a lady. Dude looks like a lady maybe, but not a lady.

The daniel's and the ladies.

Ladies aka Yiing Ting and Caryn.

I was apparently sad about the size of my oyster.

CB reflecting on the ego damaging first picture.

On board the ferry to Calais.

Approaching Calais.

Ugh. Ok lah malas to post more already.

I'll be home on Wednesday!!!!

...which also made me realize that this is goodbye to the fabulously good internet connection that I have over here in the UK, and "welcome home" from streamyx.

So any uploading of photos to this blog should be done NAUUUUUUUUU! without anymore procrastination (not to mention streaming and watching all the dvd quality movies that I can).

Anyways, here's some pictures from my Porto holiday back in January after my first sem finals, together with Caryn and Alvin.

Porto is a port (a sweet kind of wine) producing city, so it wasn't particularly scenic. But then again, with 3 very good looking ppl (+ shameless) armed with 3 cameras, there's no need for it either :P

We started posing once we got on the plane. No let up I tell you.

Self made magnum ad.

The scenic bit.

Me and Alvin sharing an affectionate moment.

Alvin & Caryn, with the Atlantic ocean as the backdrop.

Being statistics students interested in finding out the effects of wine on the human body, we took large samples of wine and discovered that 99% of the time your tongue will change colour after that. Like this picture.

For some reason, I look like I'm about to collapse and start foaming at the mouth.

Alvin touching a BIG wine (port) vat.

Got bored of walking, so decided to pose.

And again.

Hurrah for AOL broadband!

The Rain in Spain.. err.

And sooooooooooooooooooooooo,

I'm back from my money blowing holidays, the recent excursion being the island of Mallorca in Spain. What I really enjoyed about this trip was that it was a proper holiday, unlike the one where I brought my parents around europe, that's just a trip, not a holiday :P

Anyways, here's some pictures.

Bad Horsie

Caryn and Yiing Ting doing their pose.

At the beach.

Sangria (the drink, not the person)

Picture by the beach.

Reflecting on the meaning of life after mistakenly cycling on the highway.

Me and Caryn (my hair nicer) :P

Clear blue seas.

Chap fan king in Spain

I R BACK! (in london)

So shortly after the ending of my final exams, Pa and Ma came over here for their holiday, and so I was tour guide for the past 12 days.

London, Edinburgh, London, Paris, Rome, London is a sure and definite method to ensure that your wallet is sent to the very depths of hell. And I'll be off to Spain in the 11th. Goosebyes monies, goosebyes.

Anyways, I'm glad I'm back in London and my parents will be going back home to Malaysia today. Well not that I don't enjoy their company, heck I love being with them after not seeing them for so long, but playing tour guide to your parents is a bit more stressful and demanding than I expected.
Anyways I'll slowly be uploading pictures and stuff. Thought I wanted to do it now but then I happen to read (about) this book that that friend of mine wrote and, lets say, it greatly influenced me :P

Anyways.... till then

And it's over.....

Exams ended today. I was pretty excited this morning at the thought of it when I woke up, well you know, graduation and all that, but now, all I want to do is sleep.

Quite the anticlimax.

*hugs pillow*

Song of the Moment

As I'm getting totally owned/pawned/destroyed/(insert word that describes a feeling of doom) preparing for my last paper on Weds, one song particularly keeps me going:


Rescue
By Michael Gungor

You are the source of life
I can't be left behind
No one else will do
I will take hold of You

I need you Jesus
To come to my rescue
Where else can I go?
There's no other name
By which I'm saved
Capture me with grace
I will follow you

My heart is Yours for life
I need Your hand in mine
No one else will do
I will put my trust in You

The world has nothing for me
I will follow you

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LAST PAPER BABY YEAHHHHHHHH!

Something For All

I stole this from The Star Newspaper, but it's not really theirs anyways. But below here is a speech from a person whom I believe will be a great leader of our time, Raja Nazrin Shah, which I believe all Malaysians should take note of.

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PROSPECTS AND CHALLENGES FOR NATION BUILDING

Ladies and Gentlemen:

It is my pleasure to be here to deliver the keynote address at this Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia: Challenges and Prospects for Nation Building. I am always happy to take part in an event where there are many young informed Malaysians. I find that this is time well spent. Not only does it give me a chance to share my thoughts, but it also lets me do a bit of opinion research among the younger generation. We like to say that our youths are the future of this country, but then we proceed to ignore or marginalise them. We want our future generations to be able to think and act wisely, but then we do not give them sufficient opportunities to do so.

In my view, this is not a good way to prepare those who will take our place. If the young are to be good leaders and citizens, they must be exposed to more than just abstract concepts. Even those nation states which have failed miserably have had great political ideals. I believe that good and upright leadership must be demonstrated. It has to be both taught and observed at work. Then, those who are found to be able must be mentored by those who are capable. In this way, success can be learned and replicated. Finally, the young must be given responsibilities they can handle. They should be allowed to make mistakes along the way as part of their overall learning process. If we do these things, our actions will echo loudly into the future.

My address this morning is on the challenges and prospects of nation building, a topic that is of the greatest and gravest importance. Nation building is essential to national unity which lies at the heart of what this country was, is and will be. With the passage of time, it seems that we are starting to forget this and it is imperative that we do not. In the time available, I hope to say enough to provide some fuel for the discussions to follow. It is my earnest wish that you will gain some further perspectives on the nature of nation building and that you will also deliberate on specific actionable ways to further it in this country.

Confucius insisted that language must be properly used if things are to get done, if justice is not to go astray, and if people are not to "stand about in helpless confusion." He disapproved of those who misused words to hide their true intentions and actions. So what exactly is nation building? Not surprisingly, there are many definitions, some which differ by a little and others by quite a lot. In his book, The Making of a Nation, for example, Professor Cheah Boon Kheng defined it as "both economic progress and socio-political integration of a nation, i.e. prosperity and national unity." This captures what are hopefully the two end results of nation building, but it makes no mention of its nature and process. I prefer the more common understanding, which is that it is the use of state power across different dimensions to ensure that a country is politically stable and viable in the long term. These dimensions include ethnicity and religion.

As a brief footnote, it should be noted that nation building is a heated and even hated notion in some parts of the world. The main reasons for this are, first, that it is taking place in the midst of great domestic turmoil and, second, that it is primarily initiated and managed by foreign powers. Trying to cobble a functioning state by papering over deep social and political rifts is, of course, easier said than done. History has shown us time and again, that it is much easier to break down, rather than build up, nations.

In the case of Malaysia, nation building has occurred in generally peaceful circumstances. It was not imposed by another country. And it is undertaken mainly by collective choice rather than compulsion. The fact that we have been able to forge a nation without resorting to the rule of the gun has made us something of a rarity and a case to be studied, if not emulated. It has allowed a relatively effective system of governance to develop. Our track record at development and resolving problems such as illiteracy, poverty and poor health has been good.

There is, of course, much more that can be done. Our institutions of governance are far from perfect and quality improvements will probably occupy us for at least the next fifty years, if not longer. Nevertheless, for all the criticisms that have been made, it is only common sense that we could not have survived, let alone prosper, these last 50 years if government institutions had not been responsive or effective.

So what are the central challenges to nation building going forward? Let me speak first more generally about the world, and then move specifically to Malaysia. To my mind, there are many challenges, but the one that stands out most is that of having to balance the need for change with that of continuity. Globalisation, in particular, has unleashed sweeping economic, political, social and cultural transformations that have weakened national institutions, values and norms. It is as if all the boats on the ocean had suddenly lost their anchors, rudders and compasses overnight. Naturally, this has produced a strong reaction in the form of a desire to preserve identity, character and tradition. These are among the strongest motivations known to mankind and have been at the foreground or background of practically every conflict that has ever been waged. Add to this, a deep sense of deprivation, powerlessness and injustice, both real and imagined, and the tension between change and continuity mount greatly.

Managing change on a national level is never easy, and certainly not on the scale and speed that we are witnessing. Multi-ethnic countries have to be especially watchful, and particularly if they have a weak sense of national collective identity. In the absence of a strong binding nationalism, they are prone to polarisation and competition along ethno-religious lines. The state, which may well start out by being a relatively honest broker, can become increasingly pressured to act in ways that favour the interests of one group over another. If the pendulum swings too far in one direction, dissatisfaction and frustrations will inevitably result. These can be expressed in ways that range from passive non-cooperation to active opposition and even violent conflict. To a large extent, this has led to the fragmentation of states.

Countries need to recognise the larger macro forces at work and understand their implications. They have to engage creatively to ensure that there are sufficient investments in social capital and cohesion. They must create and capitalise on co-operative systems within societies. In recent times, it has become usual to try and place the blame for the disintegrating state of world affairs on the doorstep of religion. This is a misunderstanding of the first order. Religion is not the cause of societal dystrophy; it is the antidote. It is a social stabiliser that allows believers to reconnect to values that are fast being lost in today's ever more materialistic and self-centred world.

What does Malaysia have to do to ensure that it continues to be successful at nation building? Psychologists say that our short-term memory can only hold seven items. Let me outline seven guidelines that I think will have to be borne in mind in future national building efforts.

First, Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun. Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul. In Malaysia, the Federal Constitution, the Rukun Negara and Vision 2020 encapsulate the rights, hopes and aspirations of the population in a way that no other documents do. The integrity of these documents must be defended and promoted, especially the first.

Second, when we seek solutions to problems in nation building, we must be careful not to assume away problems. Nation building is required precisely because there are stark differences within society. If we all walked, talked and thought the same, it would probably not be needed. There will therefore be chauvinistic groups in this country, just as there are in others. They will fight the idea of national unity, block social change and try to be politically dominant. The existence of these groups, however, does not mean that nation building is a futile exercise. It does mean that we must be prepared to negotiate our way through and around these differences. We can, for example, create social movements that aim to enlighten and dissuade popular support being given to them.

Third, nation building requires accommodation and compromise. In our haste to be prescriptive, we should not be so idealistic that we are incapable of also being practical. We should not allow perfection to be the enemy of the good. Yes, we should seek the best solutions and expect the highest standards of performance. But we should also be prepared to sacrifice some part of our positions for the good of the whole. The virtues of pure self-interest are largely a myth. What seems to be a reality is that individuals end up worse off when they act out of self-interest, as opposed to acting in their collective group interests.

Fourth, if nation building is to be successful, enforced solutions must be avoided. Nation building is effectively rendered null and void by coercion or the threat of violence. 'Might' cannot and must not be shown to be 'right'. If solutions cannot be found within the political and social structures, there will be a strong temptation to resort to illegitimate ways and means.

Fifth, nation building occurs when society is open, tolerant and forward-looking. So important are these values that they are embedded in Vision 2020's nine strategic challenges, as are those of mature democracy, caring society and innovation. Only by being inclusive and participative can the various sectors of our society be productively engaged. It follows that all forms of extremism, chauvinism, racism and isolationism must be guarded against. They must be soundly sanctioned socially, politically and, if necessary, also legally.

Sixth, nation building is a process rather than an outcome. When Malaysia started off 50 years ago, there were no examples to study. There were no manuals to follow. Mistakes were made and, to a greater or lesser extent, lessons have been learned. While a sense of impatience is perhaps fully understandable, nation building takes place over a period of time and only with persistence. Where there is no trust, trust has to be built. Where there is no cooperative network, one has to be established. Building on layers of foundation is the only way to ensure that the process is solid and sustainable.

Seventh, the political, social and economic incentives must reward good behaviour and penalise bad. I know that this statement is virtually self-evident, but it is a fact that many countries are as likely to punish good behaviour as to reward it. After all, if there are benefits for corruption, then there is a real cost to being honest. The incentives for building up a nation must be greater and more compelling than breaking it down. The price of racial and cultural intolerance must be made prohibitively high.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I believe fostering national unity is the responsibility of every Malaysian. However, schools, institutions of higher learning and sports centers have a very special role to play. This is because the sense of national unity is best inculcated in the young. Through textbooks, sports and interaction, educators should eliminate ethnic stereo-types. Through the imaginative teaching of the history of Islamic, Chinese and Indian civilisation, educators could foster greater understanding among different ethnic groups.

It is said that it takes a village to raise a child. I believe this is true. To me the village comprises three main institutions - family, school and community. From birth we should be taught to respect and honour each other's culture and heritage. Learning to interact with others is part of this process. Playing with children of other races on the play ground and in friends' homes, we learn to go beyond the colour lines early in life. In school we should be taught about other cultures and beliefs under the same roof as others of different ethnic groups - once again cutting through the colour lines.

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am aware that there are many Malaysians who are deeply troubled at the state of national unity in this country. What I have tried to do today is disabuse you of the notion that there are any 'quick fix' solutions in nation building. If you look closely enough at any country, even ones that are regarded today as highly successful such as Japan, you will find there have been episodes in its past where events were very tenuous. I hope we will do our best to guard against cynicism and hopelessness. And I hope we will all stay the course. Failure, may I remind you all, is a costly option.

I wish all speakers, facilitators and participants a constructive and fulfilling day ahead.

-------------------------------------

Hang in there Malaysia. There's still hope. There will always be.

Lucky in Love

I've got a roof that leaks,
A floor that squeaks,
A car that breaks down every two or three weeks,
But I'm lucky,
Lucky in LURRRRRRRRVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

*hugs picture of Jessica Alba*

Ok that's it. I'm officially declare myself a lunatic.

I was doing a bit of studying for my math paper, on the subject of Bayesian statistics, where it was concerning this function called a posterior distribution/density. Then I took a moment and contemplated the lunacy of what I'm studying. Posterior distribution? You mean like, Backside Distribution? Density? Buntut yang tumpat?

Two more weeks. Two more weeks and this lunacy will be over.

1 down, 2 to go.

Yeah baby yeah. 2 more papers left and I graduate.

If I look back hard enough, I'd realize that that paper was not too good but then I'm not looking back.

Mainly cause I watched Spiderman 3 right after that. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Thought the movie was pretty good, but it wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I think the villains' character's weren't developed well enough, but hey, its still a good movie.

*hums spiderman tune*

Hopes

In a years time, I hope to be able to look back on this upcoming month and smile at it.

Cause at the moment, it's getting really desperate.

Out of Control.

I hate it when that happens. Especially when it supposed to be within MY control.

2 days to my first paper, and I have yet to solve a single question of the past year papers (hang on, make that any question) without making an error of some sorts.

WHICH HAPPENS TO MAKE ME EXTREMELY ANNOYED! ARGHHHHHHHHH! *proceeds to vent frustration by smashing a few guitars, punk rock style*

It's frustrating because I KNOW and CAN do the question, only to be undermined by a series of mistakes, for e.g., reading the wrong table, keying in the wrong number in the calculator, making a mistake in simple integration, misreading a question etc. Sigh. It's amazing I tell you. The possibilities of simple but fatal mistakes I've made is endless. I've thought I've exhausted all possible forms of mistakes but new ones come up every time. Or worst, I make the SAME mistake.

Now, lets assume that this Weds paper is going to have a couple - no make that 3 - killer questions, which I wont be able to solve. Which leaves me about 6 other questions to get my act right. But take away 50% to 70% of the marks of those questions because I'll definitely make a mistake in EVERY one of them (trust me, this is statistically proven. I've done enough questions to know I have P(Daniel makes mistake)=1). Throw in the impossible act of finishing them all in the stupidly short time frame of 2 1/4 hours.

Ugh.

Dear God, I think I'm gonna need some help.

*hugs pillow and cries*

Exams babeh

I had a brief moment of panic last night when I miscounted the weeks left to my exams and thought that my first paper was next week.

Well at least it got me studying last night.

AIYOH MALAS LAH WEIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!

*ahem*

On other matters, this weekend is the London Guitar Show!! Hooraa....oh wait exams are coming. Sigh. But anyways I got a ticket to the Steve Vai masterclass, so that should be rather interesting. Though in truth we all know that going for "masterclasses" such as these will only result in me giving up guitar. The only thing I'm planning to get out from it is Steve Vai's guitar & pedals...yeah I intend to steal them and cart them home. Shhh don't tell anyone. Wish me luck.

Steve Vai

On the other hand, there'll be about 2 million guitars on display there, so I'll be looking to steal... I mean try out some of them. Especially the Floyd Rose ones.

Hurrah. Excited excited.

Oh wait. Exams.

ARGGGGGHHHHHHHHH.

Giant Bumble Bee Alert

Edit: Okay maybe she doesn't look like a giant bumble bee =p

Spring is hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!

*hop skip hop skip happyhappyjoyjoy dance*

Oh wait. Exams soon.

*sigh*

2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation 2 more months to graduation2 more months to graduation

*goes back to studying*

Daniel's 101 Guide On How to take Defeat

Don't lose.

XD

Pressure untold

Just when I thought I was granted temporary respite from the troubles of life, it came in the most unexpected way possible. I was chatting with one of the aunties from my hometown church in Melaka (yes really. aunties these days are incredibly funky, they use Yahoo! Messenger with Voice!) and she was pestering me on whether I had a girlfriend or not (its an annual event, everytime I go back for the summer, chinese new year, whatever social functions -_-").

I duly obliged her with a picture of *OMGHOTCHIXXOR* Jessica Alba *faints*

I don't know whether she bought it - at the point of writing she seemed to have - she has been asking whether its my uni mate, where i met her, where I take her out for dates...etc.

Yeah I wish ><

Aiyoh. Super funny lah talking to aunties. ON MSN. What's wrong with the world today.

*continues fending off aunty's questions*

Life's tough.

Kawan Aku Gila

Malay for "My friend is mad."

See why?

WOT?!

WOOT?!

WOOOOOOTT??!!

They Replied!!!!

In my previous post I was lamenting about my email that didn't get through. This morning when I woke up, I had a pleasant surprise! This was what came through the mail:

Dear Mr. Daniel Lee,

Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback with us.

Currently, we have the following information display in the information panel on each bus stop

(a) The single bus route number that is stopping

(b) The list of bus stops

(c) The bus operating time i.e. the first and the last bus together with the types of day fares available

(d) The map showing the routes that are stopping together with the City shuttle map (shuttles that are going to the Central Business District)

Nevertheless, we will also look into your other suggestion on the approximate time of journey taken from each stop so that we can provide better service to our commuters. We thank you for bringing up your valuable feedback to our attention.

Manager

Customer Relationship Management

Corporate Communication Division

Rangkaian Pengangkutan Integrasi Deras Sdn Bhd

No 1 Jalan PJU 1A/46

Off Jalan Lapangan Terbang Subang

47301 Petaling Jaya

Toll free: 1-800-388-228

www.rapidkl.com.my

Aiyak. Paiseh only. I didnt know they had the information panel up also. Didn't notice any when I was back home in the summer.

Oh well :P


Lallalalala DEE da!!

On other fronts, my supervisor has given my FYP an all clear. So effectively I'm done with it. HURRAHHH!!!

*jiggle jiggle wiggle wiggle*

Aerosmith - Dude (Looks Like A Lady)

And this ladies and gentlement, is why we all love Aerosmith. Beat that jiggle man. Beat that.

Aiyoohhh

Last Monday, this particular report in The Star Newspaper caught my eye. It was about RapidKL, the company that is in charge of the public transport system in Kuala Lumpur, wanting to make upgrades to the existing system. More specifically, to quote the report;

".....Mohd Ali is also inviting the public to provide feedback on what they expect from the bus company in order to convert car users to bus users.

“If you compare the network from what it was before we took over, there has been a lot of improvement. There is certainty in getting a bus now, with a 30-minute waiting time being terrible.

“So the question is, what are the public's expectations of a bus company in KL considering we are limited by certain factors,” he added. ..."

So being the nice and kind soul that I am, and wanting to do my bit to provide feedback on what they expect from the bus company in order to convert car users to bus users, I spent my Monday morning typing an email to the company, rapidKL; which went like this:

Dear Sir,

With regards to your comments reported in the Star Newspaper on Monday 26th March concerning suggestions for the Rapid KL Bus Network.

My name is Daniel Lee, and I am a Malaysian doing my final year of studies in London.

I was working in KL last year on an internship attachment and was a daily user of the public transport system to get to work and back each day. While I did not use the Rapid KL bus line extensively (mainly the Metrobus) as I lived in SS13 in Subang and traveled to downtown KL to work, I did use the Rapid KL service on a number of occasions, especially from Subang to the Kelana Jaya LRT station.

Being a frequent user of London's bus and tube network, I would like to highlight some observations and suggestions that hopefully can contribute towards the betterment of Rapid KL's services.

Most people are reluctant to use the bus service as there is not enough information to inform them where each bus is going, whether if they will need a connecting bus to take them to where they go, how long will they have to wait etc. If Rapid KL can provide some sort of notice board at each bus stop, which states:

1. The bus number
2. The route taken (if possible with each stop listed on the route) for that particular bus
3. Bus operating times, for eg. first bus begins at say 6am, and then every 8 mins approx. per bus, and last bus at 1am.
4. The approximate time of journey taken from each stop.
5. An overall chart showing all the buses routes that will be stopping at that stop.

So using the bus from the Kelana Jaya LRT towards Subang as an example:

Bus No. X

KJ LRT
| 15 mins
|
Giant Hypermarket
| 20 mins
|
Sunway Pyramid
| 5 mins
|
Subang Parade
| N mins
|
etc

Bus Operating Times:
Monday to Friday
6am - 8am
600am, 615am, 630am, 645am etc

8am till 11pm
Every 10 mins per bus

11pm onwards
1120pm, 1140pm, 1200am, 1215am (Last Bus)

And so on and so forth

And also the obvious of having frequent and relatively reliable and punctual buses during peak hours will help encourage more users.

Another thing to note is that sometimes, when buses are overcrowded the driver still continues to allow people in, until it terribly packed. A simple bus ride from KL to anywhere at around 5-6pm will show this. It would be good if drivers can be instructed to not take in any more passengers when the bus is already full (which of course, to placate those being left behind, having buses that are coming swiftly and punctually will go a long way).

Generally I've nothing but good words to say about the improvements that have been made over the recent year(s). Keep up the good work, and I sincerely hope that these suggestions will be able to contribute towards the improvement of the system.

Regards,

Daniel Lee


Satisfied and happy with what I wrote, I proceeded to email them.

A couple of hours later, I got a reply:

Your message

To: suggest@rapidkl.com.my
Subject: Attn: The CEO, En. Mohd. Ali Mohd. Nor
Sent: Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:51:28 +0800

did not reach the following recipient(s):

Katherine on Mon, 26 Mar 2007 18:27:45 +0800
The recipient was unavailable to take delivery of the message
MSEXCH:MSExchangeMTA:PUTRALRT

:MAILSERVER


Undeterred, I tried again, checking I got the email correct. Not too long later, I got another reply, this time from Google:

This is an automatically generated Delivery Status Notification

THIS IS A WARNING MESSAGE ONLY.

YOU DO NOT NEED TO RESEND YOUR MESSAGE.

Delivery to the following recipient has been delayed:

suggest@rapidkl.com.my

Message will be retried for 2 more day(s)

Technical details of temporary failure:
TEMP_FAILURE: Could not initiate SMTP conversation with any hosts:
[xmaildata.rapidkl.com.my. (0): Connection timed out]


Like WOOOT man!! WOOOOOOOTTTT!!!!!
Aiyoh, please lah, after spending my morning writing that email they could've at least ensured that the email address was working.
Please, don't let me write that for no reason.

Or maybe i'll just snail mail them.

If I ever bump into their webmaster on the street, somebody's gonna get some ass kicking.

*happy sigh*

Aih. I love being a kor-kor =)

Negaraku

Reading YB Lim Kit Siang's blog over the last few errr... months has certainly evoked some emotions on my part. I never intended to blog on such issues, and as I'm writing this, a part of me still wonders about the point (or futility) of blogging about this. But anyways.

Reading his blog, makes for depressing stuff, especially if you're Malaysian and you care. I generally regard Mr. Lim's blog a more credible source than that of certain blogs/sites, where there's lots of smoke instead of fire. Generally each time I read an article on his blog, a part of me screams out and says that it can't be that bad. That we are still OK.

What makes it more disheartening is usually the comments made by other readers of the blog. In my perception, they appear to be most, err, lets say cynical and critical. And if you continue to read the comments on other sites such as say, MalaysiaToday, its even worst. How people's minds are so easily manipulated according to what the writer writes. Condemnation after condemnation of our country ensues by the very same people who make their living in there. But since I'm writing this from the comfort (which is not much, its bleeding cold) of my room in London, I guess I'm in no position to judge.

Anyways, back to the issue. Many people I know, mainly Chinese Malaysians, complain about the existence of discrimination back home. Saying that this doesn't exist, would be denying the truth at hand. Hence, most of them come to the conclusion that it's no point going back to Malaysia, we'll live better overseas, better pay, we appreciated more etc. I once read on a friend's blog a statement that said, "Our forefathers left their own country in search of a better life. And its only natural if we do the same." Which is true. But not the whole truth.

When I consider my position, I am indeed relatively blessed. With my education sponsored, a job waiting for me back home, I am very well off compared to some of my peers. Hence I do sympathize with them, as they are people who are generally much more intelligent, talented and capable that I am, not getting the opportunities that their abilities would "deserve". Better phrased, not getting the same opportunities back home as those that they would get elsewhere.

But yet at the same time, we non-bumis have this terrible siege mentality mindset. While there are hundreds and thousands of endless arguments to support that statement that will go on till the end of time, the truth is, most of us never felt a proper sense of belonging for our home, neither have we made the effort to do that (of which you may beg to differ, but this is my perception). We never say anything good about our country, we blame everybody else for everything, and we diss our own country at generally every opportunity.

More importantly, what now?

I believe that most of us have to come to terms that Malaysia will only get better if and only if we make the effort to make it better. Of course, relatively there are better opportunities elsewhere, there will always be. But if we don't fight for what we love and all that is good, then who will? The faults, the hypocrisy, all the bad things are there, but within those constraints, let's fix it, let's make it what we know it can be.

Bak kata pepatah Melayu,

Hujan batu di negeri sendiri, hujan emas di negeri orang; lebih baik di negeri sendiri.

Maybe I'm naive, or haven't-eaten-enough-salt, but home is where the heart is, and home is where we belong, and home is what we fight for.

Itu Kamu!

That's you!

Bryan showed me this video clip of a local Malaysian band, Estranged, with their hit song Itu Kamu. They have a blog too which you can check out here.

Estranged with their hit song, Itu Kamu.

I must say I'm superbly impressed with what I saw. These guys are quality. Credit to the video director as well for the great idea and amazing quality.

So guys and girls, support our local artistes instead of BitTorrent. Yes. Don't pretend. I know you know that we know that everybody knows that the norm is to errr....acquire music through less costly measures.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Anyways, theres this new link on the right called VMY2007, (this link is a wee bit different from the other one as you can personalize it your own country, but they all end up in the same place eventually) which basically stands for Visit Malaysia Year 2007. It was voted one of the best websites for tourism (I forgot under what category/competition) but do check it out. Its really amazing. I didn't even know there were so many places to visit in my own hometown till I saw the website. Its very very well done.

*skip skip hop hop*

Edit: Oh yeah, I forgot the important bit -_-"

Come visit Malaysia!!!!

*hop hop skip skip*

Daniel's CD Wishlist Update

After spending a good part of my morning reading about multiple decrement models, I've came up with a list of CDs that I wish to possess in the near future. So to all you readers out there, yes you, are privilledge to share in this knowledge. *HINT HINT*

Man I'm shameless.

Anyways. CD wishlist:

1. Venus Isle - Eric Johnson
2. Seven Worlds - Eric Johnson

Reasoning: If you play guitar, you need to hear Eric Johnson. He's an extremely unique player and there's no other player like him.

3. Open All Hours - The Hamsters

Reasoning: One of the most unheard of bands, but one of the best ever I've heard. Blues rock for the win.

4. A Little South Side of Sanity - Aerosmith

Reasoning: You have to buy this for the classic songs, Janie's got a gun, Dude Looks Like a Lady, Sweet Emotion, Love in an Elevator etc. We all love Joe Perry and Steven Tyler.

5. Contraband - Velvet Revolver

Reason: Buy this specially for Fall to Pieces and Slither

6. No More Tears - Ozzy Osbourne

Reason: None whatsoever. Saja.

7. Hell Freeze Over - The Eagles

Reason: Dessspeeradoooo....

8. Appetite For Destruction - Guns n' Roses

Reason: The classic Rock and Roll album. MUST HAVE!!!

9. The Skies Above, The Black Mages - The Black Mages

Reason: Final Fantasy sountracks. Period.


So to you folks out there, tau-tau lah.

*grin*

Reviews, reviews

It's time for a review.

Simply because I say so =p

Term 1 Review
Jan exam results came back recently(they sure took about 300 years to mark it) , and overall I did OK I think. I felt errr... nothing when my results got back. Usually i'll be jumping for joy or wallowing in despair (generally the latter), but this time, I didn't feel much. In fact all I felt was sleepy. I think its a process called aging. Oh well, screw exams. But on the other hand, 3 MORE PAPERS TO GO AND I GRADUATE!!! WAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA! *points finger at medical students and ...* *cough* Just realized that I could jinx myself if I'm not careful here.

Term 2 review
Its like week 8 of the term (out of 11), and I've already declared myself graduated as far as classes are concerned, which in my case means I intend to ponteng lectures for the rest of the term (oops did I say that out loud?). But seriously, this term so far has been absolute PWNAGE. I mean like, ABSOLUTE. Those babi fellas decided to condense the most most most (3x for extra emphasis) difficult modules of the course in the final term. And I've 3 courseworks sitting on my table while I wait for one of my friends to finish them so I can rephrase them in my own words.

Not to mention an FYP that is still pending my supervisor's approval ><

Food Review
After 2 1/2 years in London, I finally found a place that serves food that I would say is decent enough to be called Malaysian (and no, no matter what you insist, C n R just doesn't quite cut it). It's this place called Hare and Tortoise in Brunswick Court near the Russell Square tube station. The curry mee I had today was just...amazing. I downed the whole gigantic bowl of curry soup. *happiness* Must make it a weekly visit from now on.

Movie Review
I caught the sneak preview(early preview, early release whatever you call it) of the movie 300 today as well. It's a movie based around Frank Miller's graphic novel (as least that's what I've heard from the trailers), and the entire movie (or almost all of it) is CGI rendered. Which is amazingly cool. Which also at the same time, led to a ridiculous amount of slow motion scenes, facial shots for example, where animators are keen to show that now they've managed to make human faces more realistic (instead of settling of polygonal shapes for faces that can only look good in shows like toy story). The movement of the hair, the twitch of the eye, the changes in the facial expressions, sweat droplets dripping down, all very impressive. But at the same time having no point to the story at all. Not to mention a few ridiculous sex/nude scenes (which again has no bearing to the story whatsoever, but I get the feeling that those guys were trying to show err...different positions that 2 people can errr... share some intimacy). AND TEH BLOOD. ZOMG TEH BLOOOOODDDDD. It was everywhere. Every thrust of the sword/spear/shield brought out blood droplets flying in the air in slow motion, splattering here and there. Almost poetic....NOT.

But anyways, this movie should be a age 21 rating -18 is actually ok but I just wanna rub it in to the teenagers. And the newly 20 year olds :D

-----------------------------------------------------------
Turning to other matters,

GOOGLE AND YOUTUBE I DEMAND YOU GIVE ME BACK MY WEEK!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yeah, don't forget to check out the Ah Long Bukit Beruntung link, and also the Tommy Emmanuel ones. Go for the full DVD one if you have a relatively decent internet connection and 2 hours to kill. It's so good, I watched it TWICE in a row.

YOUTUBE I WANT MY LIFE BACKKKKKKKKK!!!