Can you imagine?

Last night was a streak of oddities. Sis and I sent mom to a medical centre coz apparently my mom has a lung infection. Nothing serious... but the odd thing was we only found out about it AFTER she contracted the cold that I was having over the weekend. Doc said that the infection was dormant for god-knows how long... if she hadn't caught my flu, it would've gone unnoticed for a while more. Talk about weird.. who'd ever heard about an illness being beneficial :P
...
... Ok ok, maybe you HAVE heard about it but gimme a break. Have you heard the common flu being useful for anything? Huh.. huh? Have you? Have you?


Er.. better stop arguing with my alter-ego now :P

Well back on track: that wasn't the only odd thing. I was mostly seated in the reception area, minding my own business... looking around... trying to stay awake from all that boredom. Just then, I noticed the security guard.
Dark complexion, relatively short for a guy, early 50's perhaps. Attentive eyes, suitable for his job, and a pleasantly sharp nose. His hair discoloration was what suggested his age but he doesn't show the normal signs of ageing like wrinkles and loose skin.

I admit his looks ain't anything spectacular (nor do I care) but his habit and the realization of what he does, kinda intrigues me. Here you have an elderly man working night shifts for a job he doesn't need to move around much. He doesn't talk with anyone. At times he's still as a statue, yet he doesn't look sleepy. I'd sware I barely saw him even blink. This guy literally is the epitome of a M'sian guard... stationary post yet alert. And mind you, I was there for 5 hours. I moved enough to generate enough electricity to light a light bulb.. or something like that.

So wats so intriguing? *rolls eyes* Dense aren't we...
Can you imagine yourself at that age doing what he does? The pay isn't much, the work is boring, and the durations are long. You work at a time when there's little activity. Even if it's broad daylight, I doubt you can get any kick from doing that job. Yet this man does it, and he does it well. I've never seen a guard look so alert ever! Every guard I've ever seen has that bored look, given up on life and letting each moment pass as it comes.. except him!
Not that I want to do his job, but it is amazing that people can handle such... mundane levels of daily activity. I'd sooner go bonkers and drive myself over with my own car :O

*er.. is that even possible?*

We are not alone :P

Whoa, guess what!? Looks like the people of the green flag with a circle are not alone in the world of ridiculously deflated common-sense. Check this out:

http://www.kyw1060.com/news_story_detail.cfm?newsitemid=44981

I'm not gonna say much about this coz I intend to leave my mind and blog for more useful thoughts than this :P I'd just wanna add that the limits of human idiocy seems to be bottomless... bottom being the degradation of the psyche *rolls eyes*

chiaoz

Censorship: Done the wrong way

I almost got drunk at school, at fourteen
Where I almost made out with the Homecoming Queen
Who almost went on to be Miss Texas
But lost to a slut, with much bigger breast-es
I almost dropped out to move to LA
Where I was almost famous for almost a day

Now the above is an excerpt from a song on radio titled Almost by Bowling for Soup. Well anyway, I've heard this numerous times before but yesterday evening I was feeling sleepy and relied on the radio to keep me attentive. And that's why I must say I got extremely irritated when the censorship was in place. I admit some of those highlighted words are probably forgiveable to be censored, knowing how M'sia does it. But several others were *ridiculous*!! If I were the artiste, I'd just request them to not play the song. Period.

Censorship is only effective if it was carefully implemented and M'sia is one example where the system is conceived wrongly from start to end. What's the point of having movie ratings if you don't enforce them properly? They put an 18SX and still censor the part the lead actor and actress get all lip-tied. They put an 18SG and still censor that uber-360spin kick that throws the baddie through some pain-inflicting layer of glass.

And since when was 'drunk' flagged for censorship. They have community messages that use the word (albeit in a dont-get-drunk fashion). Drugs? Sheesh... nonsense. Utter n o n s e n s e! Now can I have my music back. *folded arms*

Priceless

It's amazing how humans adapt to changes. Admitably, there will be blokes out there who would put that claim to shame but I'm not talking 'bout them. I'm talking 'bout the general populace. We experience sadness, happiness, angst, fear and a whole lot more... and each experience is just a stepping stone to develop our resolve to move on... using the past to guide the future, optimistically speaking.

This thought crossed my mind while I was having my breakfast. Breakfast itself was nothing special, but I was seated directly facing my dad's portrait. I find it pleasant that the mind keeps fresh all the tiny things that hint to us what and how we represent a person in our own understanding. The mind logs information that words cannot depict... and it does it like a video player, haha. You can remember events not as snapshots but as a live playback.

As I was walking down memory lane, an introspective observation dawned to me. It felt somewhat amusing to me that there had been one extra person walking around the house in the years past. Amusing not in a funny way, but ironic if not cynical. When I walked through these memoirs, I couldn't help being fascinated at how non-dependent we've become over such accounts. The impression of existential awareness is there, no doubt. However, the residues of existence are subtle in appearance, if at all there.

I remembered the TV shows we used to watch... the food he used to cook... the playful teases he used to make... the occasional stern warnings over discipline... bad temper over someones' lack of punctuality... his silence when he is showing he listened but waiting to see how I make my own choices. The list is endless. It is nigh impossible to summarize 20 years of memories.

But the fact remains that we moved on. We don't worry about it anymore. The memories are priceless... but the truth is the truth. And life moved on...

Amazing creatures, aren't we all... *smile*



Nevertheless... I miss my dad tremendously... more so today than the days before. No explanation to it *sigh*

How do you solve a problem like Maria~!?

Sounds familiar? Think of nuns and mountains... kids and whistles...

*sigh* Not making sense?

To the few (hopefully no more than few) who can't identify the title, it is an excerpt from the musical show 'Sound of Music'. I'm just humming it along because right now, they're having the broadway version of 'Sound of Music' here in M'sia. It's being held at Istana Budaya for the better part of a month. My advice: go watch it!

True, shows like this ain't for everyone. But people like me, who've watched the original movie like way too many times, would definitely enjoy this one. I'm not really into musicals, but I admit that 'Sound of Music' has always been of particular interest to me. Probably because of Julie Andrews *scratch chin*...
She has that educating, maternal aura to her I suppose...
... Wonder what were YOU thinking?

Istana Budaya, on the other hand, sure caught me by surprise. After hearing negative descriptions about it from two very different people, I was pleasantly surprised with the grand impression it left in me. Sure, the seats layout could do with some improvement... but they were nowhere near a catastrophy.
I was even more surprised to see that many attractive young women actually come to places like this :P Alright, alright... I admit I'm probably not cultured enough, hence the ignorance... but I gotta quote, to those guys who are totally not into these events; if not for the show, you could still benefit from the crowd. Better make sure you're willing to make a move... else it is one helluva expensive means of proving your hopelessness.

Well, I dun feel like talking much else about the show. Not about the people with me, not about the trip to and fro and everything between. Would like to disconnect today's post from my daily events.

-gnite-

The Rainmaker

My bloated ego sometimes makes me feel all-powerful *rolls eyes*. On recent times, my friend and I have observed that I could be the (un)fortunate harbinger of rain =Þ At first it was just an 'Oh man~ it's raining'... and it gradually became 'Dude~ why is it that each time you come along, it starts raining?'... and most recently it was 'Gawd... it IS you!'. [Quotes courtesy of Mr. Lionel]
Ok ok... it's just coincidence, I know. But I can exaggerate the meaning of my existence, right? *whistles in ignorance*

But... it does hit you back, usually hard and painful. My car was relatively at its filthiest state ever last week. Was too tired after the Bukit Tinggi trip the weekend before, so I skipped its much needed wash then. Well, having a black car and a career in dusty-ol'-desert-wannabe Cyberjaya is indeed punishing on a cars looks. So yesterday (Sunday) was a day for my car to look forward to. It gets to get caressed, and rubbed, and... er... ok ok; What I meant was it was scheduled for a thorough wash. 4 long hours of dedicated time to wash, vacuum, wipe, polish, and wax my technological darlin'.
.
.
.
.
.
.
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And then it rains... not in Klang, but in PJ... where I go for my regular weekly badminton sessions. And boy, must I say that 'raining cats and dogs' was a sorely limited expression compared to what poured back there. Yes, I was heart-broken when the rain kept getting heavier and heavier, bringing with it my hopes of all that hardwork paying off *sigh*. But all is well, because heavy rain is always better than drizzles. This morning, the car still looked shiny and clean *woohoo*.

Well, while I'm still on the topic of natural events, I saw a beautiful display of natural wonder this morning on the way to work. It was a gloomy morning, cloudier than usual... and lo' and behold... when sunlight broke through the clouds... it was a majestic view *mesmerised look*. I don't know what it is with sun-rays... or how I'd rather call them as God-rays. It is (to me) almost hypnotic to see those streaks of light escaping through minor gaps that occur every once in a while in the clouds. I suppose, indirectly, it reminds us that in all the pollution and destruction of nature all around us... nature can still afford to shed its beauty in the hopes that we realize what we're (inevitably?) gonna lose in times to come.

The wonders of nature are truly as mysterious and breathtaking as the power of creation that is bestowed upon our women. Worthy comparison?

Gather around, people... Group hug~ Group hug~!

*grin* Lapsed into a Disney's Aladdin mood for a while there. So why the good, warm fuzzy mood? Simple - had a simple gathering with a bunch of old friends last night. It was to celebrate two birthdays simultaneously, but the crowd itself would be reason enough to be there even if there weren't any b'days :)

I'm one of the more unfortunate people amongst the bunch, usually. I live in Klang... in English, that means I live in a land far, far away from civilization in PJ. Although I do pass PJ en route home, but the long journey is usually a turn off to such desires to hang around. I've missed one too many such gatherings before... and boy it sure feels nice to not miss one for a change *happy*.

Well, the crackpots still remain as cracky as ever. And no doubt, it nice to know conversations never stop in the group. Never has, never will :D Heck, last night there was so much to talk about, it was hard to decide which topic to participate in. At one point I was so determined to listen to two simultaneous topics (in futility), and I had this blur look on my face. Sharkgila was calling out to me to wake up! At that point, common sense told me to stick to one topic at a time. But.. but.. there's so much to hear *drool*

Anyhow, should have more of these outings... preferably on weekends. Days when most of us (me included) won't feel zombified by midnight. Here's to hopin'. -Cheerio-

Frustrating...

Ok, based on my post title, I must admit posting THIS particular blog has been frustrating. This is my 3rd attempt at putting up a blog for today. 1st one crashed with my browser, 2nd one apparently expired with my cookie (thus it neva got posted) and I sure hope this one gets thru.

Read the news today? Some neuron-limited nincompoop actually thought it prudent to highlight his brilliant idea that women wearing skimpy attire are primary motivators to rape activity. Well, someone obviously failed statistics paper. Its hard to imagine that people, at this age and day, would still be judgmental on issues but basing their observations on generalizations with no concrete grasp on the complexity behind the idea of possibilities.

What am I getting at? In short... disappointment with the mentality of the average M'sian and their (lack of the) ability to absorb the depth of an idea. But why the sudden thought...?

Lunch topic: Travel.
Interesting place: China.
Interesting reason: MagLev (Magnetic Levitation) train

Well, most people wouldn't find that very interesting, but that's beyond the point. The problem was that the weird colleague of mine (weird coz everyone finds him weird) said 'but its just a train. You get inside and it won't feel any different'.

I cannot explain the exact sequence of chemical reactions that induced thorough forward-scheming in my head that revolved around the 1001-ways to inflict mental torture on this guy. There is a significant difference in knowing something, understanding something, and experiencing that something. True, getting on that train would feel no different for all I care.. but the experience counts.
Actually I had a lot more explanation and coverage of the complexity of my perception on this issue, but after 2 previous attempts that got destroyed by darn IE... I'm losing my motivation to explain it better.

Lets just say the value of judgement is not at face value. Nothing is really black and white. M'sians tend to depend a lot on what lies on the surface. The implications of depth can often be overlooked, yet the importance of depth can be far more profound to self and society than otherwise.
Even comparing the perception of fun... I believe fun is quite often equated to the simplicity at which it can be experienced, not necessarily at the simplicity to attain it. Quite often, complex daily events can all be converted to a self-perceived and satisfying sense of fun... only if you take the trouble to look a little deeper and see the meaning behind these. All that trouble just to find some (miniscule) amount of fun?... I'll tell you Why not? The value of fun is so underrated, and the profound implications of fun on our sociological and psychological experiences may go unnoticed... hazardously so.

So what's my take? Learn to see things not as a simple notion of left and right. Life is rarely, if ever, black and white. Making hasty conclusions and shallow observations are merely hints for me to see the de-evolution of the modern mind.

Contradictions upon contradictions? Food for thought, perhaps...

Takumi wannabe's~

Sorry if the post title makes no sense, but to my fellow anime freaks... you guys should feel right at home. So what's the deal with the said wannabe's!?

I don't know what is it with M'sians and their need to be hasty on the roads. Yeah, I can understand when you want to speed in the highway... after all, highways (contrary to M'sian laws) are technically made for speedy travelling. Auto-bahn, anyone? Don't quote me on that though... I still believe defensive driving is the best, regardless of speed. But, back to the point...

Residential areas are a whole different story. I'm talkin' about single-laned (per direction) roads with occasional busy spots along the road sides due to famous 'mamak' stalls and what-not. Last night, there was this Toyota Altis tailing me... apparently a new car judging by the number plate. Newer than mine, no doubt. The road ahead was packed with cars, and so was the rear. But this guy kept getting so darn close to my tail, it got me irritated. He was actually 'considering' overtaking me... and THAT is insane. I mean, take these points:

• overhead bridge, with no-overtaking lines
• we were going UP the bridge (you can't see oncoming traffic)
• there's no space in front of for him to squeeze in
• even if I gave him space, chances are he'll be making a sudden cut-in... akin to an emergency entry... I probably won't have time to give him the space without endangering the car behind me

Now, if you are on a suicide run... be my guest. I'm sorry but I don't give a rats a** if you want to do a 720 degree, upside-down, lane-crossing stunt to leave a mark in the following days' news headlines... as long as it doesn't involve others. Have some road civic sense, please~

Toyota Altis some more... grrr. Not like its THAT powerful *folds arms in discontent*

Which brings me to my other experience last night... a Kancil! One small, ciku, noise-ramped, performance-damped, green Kancil. The car can easily de-throne a truck in terms of noise, but even a bullock cart would be better at speed. Sheesh~ And what does this guy do? He overtakes me with speed, and slows down in front of me... that OK by me...
BUT -- he had to cut in soooooooo close, almost --almost-- kissing my car's front. And he didn't even signal his entry. Worst yet, he slows down like Pumbaa when he saw a lion (translation: emergency brake!). And the lane he was originally in was sooooo empty ahead, and he had a long time more to enter my lane before the nearest exit.

When we actually got to the highway exit, I do what I usually do... I proceed to the middle or right-most lane (left is usually heavy vehicles). Of course, the road entering the highway was slightly uphill, so I stepped on it a little. The guy must be soooo egotistical, he actually thought it prudent to make sure he was ahead of me at all times. Grrr...

It was soooo tempting to just wind down the window and ask him to get a car upgrade before he does anything stupid like that. Decided against that... didn't wanna end up getting murdered by a road bully, haha. Besides, his car was so far behind he wouldn't be able to hear me :P

Well, what can I say. Sometimes the driving standards in M'sia are appalling. People still lack the common sense to behave on the road. No wonder the need for public messages on the air to remind people about this... not that it's actually effective. *sigh*

Day of the pointless blog

hrm... it sure feels a bit dull to be writing away just to chronicle wat has happened over a given period. I mean, we have diaries (for those who DO have) for a reason. I'm seriously not sure how many people actually treat a blog as a diary... but I'm quite convinced that such a path will probably lead me to abadoning this whole bloggin' idea *scratches chin* Must find ways to spice up the ideas that go here.

How about.. er.. random rantings about topics that I probably come up with on a whim? Just the other day I remember having an interesting discussion about the concept of 'death'. Now THAT was an inspiring talk. Too bad I can't recollect what came out of the discussion :P Heck, I can't even remember who I had it with *slaps forehead* <-- *blames self for being a numbskull*

Shall get back to my thinking board to work up something interesting to spice up this bloggin' concept... *think.. think.. think..*