Maybank oh Maybank

Sometimes I wish the Coop I work for will change its directions and switch to another bank to deliver our monthly pay. Right now we're stuck with the biggest bank in the country, Maybank.

Man... where do I start. Not that I think the bank's service is very bad, but in certain branches the staff tend to be the kind of people you wish you never met.

Take today for example.

There we were, in Maybank Taman Midah just under ten minutes after the bank opened its doors for business. With a bag of coins to deposit.

We went up a floor to where the counters are and saw someone inside Counter 7, where the coin counter machine is in operation.

That someone came out quicker than we thought. Just as we were about to enter, one fine-dressed man beat us to it.

Now why isn't Counter 7 added as part of the bank's queue system?

Then the kiasu fellow also came out quicker than we expected.

We entered, thinking "Wow, the staff on duty must have been very efficient to service its 3rd customer before the clock hits 9.45AM."

We gave our deposit slip and bag of coin. The woman on duty took it.

"OK yew keluar," she said after placing the bag under the counter, shooing us out like we're a couple of hens.

"Huh?"

"Yew bole keluar sekarang." She shooed us again.

"What about my deposit?"

"Nanti saya masuk yew punya duit. I'm busy now." She promised us, sounding just like a mama-san giving orders to one of working girls.

"What about my deposit slip? Then how will I know if I counted correctly, or if you've found some foreign coins?"

"Nemmind, I will do everything for yew. You no need to stay."

"Eh, cannot lah like this. I want to make sure my coins are safely deposited."

"Yew takmau yew boleh angkat la yew punya duit," she challenged crossly.

Wow, how about that, huh?

So we went down and tried asking the front desk staff if they can help us with this situation. The front desk guys were busy trying to pacify one old man who seemed to be quite peeved over something. And suddenly the old man slapped down two passbooks in front of the two staff.

"BLA BLA BLA!!!" said the old man in Cantonese. Everyone dropped what they were doing the moment the old man shouted. "BLA BLA BLA!!!" he went again and more people peered from inside the office.

He then collected his passbooks and went out.

Just then a guy in a three-piece suit hobbled out, pretending to look for the old man. "Where is he? What happened?" he asked, peering out through the glass doors.

"He was asking to update his books, but he got angry." said the frontdesk staff, who don't seemed to be that upset over the situation.

We decided that the branch has had enough angry fellows for the day. So we quietly inquired our problem, and was told that what the Counter 7 staff did is "normal".

We kept thinking that such a practice is not a good one cause the staff can easily swindle money - though it would be quite unpractical to smuggle coins but hey, it still can be done and coins are still money. A little from each customer can get you quite a big sum at the end of the day.

Bottom-line is, it is just not professional.

We figured we just had to let this one go and have faith that Maybank staff in Taman Midah branch (as well as others) are a bunch of trustworthy folks, even if some are a bit rude (or unintentionally rude, perhaps just can't speak good English or Bahasa Malaysia).

With that we approached the branch's cash deposit machine and started to deposit some cash. Just as the machine confirmed the amount of the bills we've put in, we hit the confirmed button.

And waited. (For it to confirm our deposit.)

And waited. (For it to dispense the receipt.)

And after a bit more waiting, finally a receipt came out and told us that we need to approach the bank to confirm that our bills have safely been deposited.

We looked at the queue in front of the front desk, a flock of customers had suddenly started to create a long line.

Apparently all the machines had gone offline.

Sigh... Another round at the front desk.

And we were not the only ones have a complaint... Check this link...

Cabbie's perspective of Bersih 2.0?

It was raining. In fact, while this post is being typed, it is still raining.

I was running late, and apparently the LRT is stuffed. Forget that, I thought to myself, I'll grab a cab instead. So there I was, at a bus stop near home, neck peering out hoping for a sight of a vehicle don in red and blue.

And there it was! Barely two minutes after setting my butt on the cold tiled bench, a cab showed up. I hailed, and it stopped.

"[Blip!] can, uncle?" I requested as I saw a white-haired Tionghua gentleman behind the wheel.

"Can. Where in [Blip!]?"

"[Blip Blip!]"

"Oh you work for the press?"

"Yes."

"So you will be covering the 907 rally?"

"No, I only write about technology. Will you be going?"

"No, I'm old but not crazy hahahahaha! This cab is not mine, if I venture in KL that day who knows what kind of damage I'll be paying for. I have to figure some other way to make RM40 for the cab rent," he said, I'm not sure if he was going to get angry once he recalled which media I work for.

"I'll be staying at home too."

"That's a smart thing to do. I don't understand why those folks feel like they need to do this. They're busy trying to overthrow those people on top, but they forget people like me still need to make a living. You see I don't have high education, I have tons of bills and fees to pay, and I got a family to look after. I bet those folks are just like me too, except for those lawyers and doctors and other professionals joining, so aren't they concerned that their action will cause a drop in business? Those mall merchants won't make money as other people are afraid to go shopping. One day of no business is a lot of money you know," he lectured slowly.

"I know. What about you uncle, apart from the RM40, what else will you be losing?"

"I have a few regulars, those people who work in KLCC but live in Bangi, Sri Kembangan and Sungai Way. I've cancelled ahead with those folks, that's near RM150 of fare - one of them said he will call another cab. I doubt if he's going to get one. A lot of my cabbie friends won't be going out. We all hate this rally thing. If our cab gets smashed up who's gonna pay for it? You think the Bersih 2.0 organisers will pay? I think it is likely things will get ugly once the police comes in..."

Isn't it ironic?

It's like raieain... on your wedding day

It's the free rideeeee.... that you've already paid

It's the good adviceeee... that you just didn't take

So sings Alanis... The song played on and on in my mind today after buying Vitagen from a small time agent slash roadside seller. So I SMSed my friend after lunch today.

"Eh, I tak faham la, what happened lah wei?" asked my friend.

"Takdelah, today after lunch as we were walking back to the office I saw one akak and her daugther selling Vitagen on the pavement outside my office. I got a bit kesian as well as ternostalgia sikit, you know when I was that girl's age Vitagen is a luxury. I feel jealous everytime the Vitagen van comes to school and friends buying in bulk to take home. My sis and I would feel so guilty to ask mom or dad for money to buy just a bottle each.... So I went to buy a pack of 5 for RM3.50 from the seller."

"Then what happened?"

"I was with three colleagues, and right after I bought them two of them started a conversation about the virtues of Vitagen. One of them said Vitagen can cause cancer, the other one said Vitagen can destroy vaginas."

"What the f... ?"

"The one who said Vitagen can cause cancer also said it is better if one takes Yakult."

"Really aah?"

"Not sure lah. My third colleague said she buys Vitagen for her kids, and that the bad rep on Vitagen could've been a doing of Yakult sales team. But you know how we drink colas and eat fried chicken? One has lots of sugar, can cause diabetes and the other is laden with cholesterol?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Just that we live dangerously."

"I was eating an apple this morning as I took the stairs down to the basement carpark - nearly choked when I saw a little girl with a big, ugly like hell dog on a leash. I thought I nearly died."

"What are you getting at?"

"Just that you can die from eating something as harmless as an apple."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Hmm. Want a Vitagen?"

"Sure."

Thanks for the discount, Rajnikhant

Good news for fans of Rajnikhant, the king is out of the hospital and is now in good health. So I heard from my cabbie's radio this afternoon.

I was at Sunway trying to get a ride back to the coop when a cab finally stopped and offered to send me to Bangsar, as per meter price plus RM2 (this is cheap considering most cabbies in Sunway will ask you for extra RM5 on top of what's displayed on the meter).

So there we were, listening to some groovy Tamil songs when suddenly the DJ gets talking and I can only catch a few words (among others, vanakam and serri) when the name Rajnikhant popped up. I asked the cabbie, "Sorry could you just translate the deejay, is Rajnikhant out of the hospital already?"

The cabbie nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, yes, he's better now. Just yesterday I read about his kidney failure and he's going downhill, but today all of a sudden he's better," he translated.

"I see... So that robot movie won't be his last then," I commented.

"Oh are you a fan?"

"Not so much of his fan, but I do enjoy his movies. I still could not get over Chandramukhi," I said, and told him the actress did a fantastic job of being possessed in that film.

"I love that one too. It's one of his best ever. You've seen the robot one?" asked the cabbie.

"No la."

At that point we arrived at my destination. "So it is RM16, plus RM2 for the tol, and another RM2 extra right?" I said as I fished through my big bag.

"Eh RM16 is already inclusive the tol. Can give me RM16 enough."

"What about the RM2 extra you asked earlier?"

"Eh nevermind la. Save it for Rajnikhant's next movie ticket," he suggests.

Thanks!!!!

Farmer, Farmer, where art thou (head/brain/IQ)?

So Farmer just asked This Chicken to start farting eggs on this new app called Sweeter.

Farmer: From now on, not all eggs need to be farted out as usual. Some will be pushed to Sweeter.

This Chicken: Which ones should go on Sweeter? And which ones to go as usual?

Farmer: Er, which ones do you think should go on Sweeter?

This Chicken: Er, Brown Eggs stuff? Cause they tend to be smaller than Big Brown Eggs?

Farmer: OK. Brown Eggs then. So how do you do it? You have a plate thing that can do Sweeter right?

This Chicken: No, all I have is a regular plate.

Farmer: You ask lah some plate maker to give you a plate that can do Sweeter.

This Chicken: Ask who?

Farmer: Whoever, just tell em you need a Sweeter-friendly plate.

This Chicken: Me, ask those big plate makers? Why would they give me any? I'm a nobody.

Farmer: OK, you ask, then I'll follow up.

This Chicken: And who do we Sweeter-talk to? Whose gonna eat those Sweetened eggs?

Farmer: Everyone la. Just push to everyone on the Clouds.

This Chicken: Er, you know Sweeter works when you actually have folks Sweetened to you. If you don't have Sweetened folks, you'd be farting eggs, but no one will eat them.

Farmer: Can't it be a one-road to heaven kinda thing?

This Chicken: Of course you can, but the eggs will be in the clouds and no one will know about it because there's a gazillion stuff on the Clouds. When this happens, how do you tell Bigger Farmers that your farted eggs on Sweeter has been eaten by anyone at all?

Farmer: Really? Hmm. But can be done, right?

This Chicken: If you like. Fart as much as we can on many plates. Sure, but the issue here - to ensure our necks don't get slaughtered, don't you need to prove your eggs are gobbled up? Isn't that the goal - that you fart eggs on many plates, usual and Sweeter so that more people eat our eggs and in turn our necks gets awarded with some diamond studs?

Farmer: Hmm. OK why not you fart out those issues and I'll tell em Bigger Farmers.

This Chicken: (NO, CAUSE THAT'S YOUR THING TO FART, NOT MINE. I JUST FART REGULAR BROWN EGGS ON REGULAR PLATES.) Er, no lah. I think you are better at doing it.

In case you didn't know what's happenning by the end of this post, call me.

Missing Jamiroquai

It's been a while since I had a dose of Jay Kay.

Back then when I was still dancing to Canned Heat and King for a Day, Jay Kay was my muse each time writer's block hits. Now, I simply drink coffee like regular folks whenever my brain refuse to work.

Speaking of Jay Kay, read online that his last gig was quite a blast, in spite of his lack of fitness from too-much-partying lifestyle. Ah well he is 42 this year.

I'm still harbouring hopes that one of these days he'll come down Malaysia for a quiet little do and I'll finally get to see him live. If it had to come down to Genting Group bringin him in to blow 52 candles on his yoghurt birthday cake, I'd still pay for that.

But in any case please, concert organisers, STOP BRINGING IN MICHAEL LEARNS TO ROCK! I don't care if they're 25 minutes early!

p/s: Photo borrowed from www.striptm.com/album/v2/foto.php?codFoto=419

Farmer, thy is like tis annoying mosquito

Oh how this Chicken pines for some peace within the Coop.

Last couple of weeks, the Farmer annoyed the heck out of this Chicken so much so this Chicken do not know what to say when come the weekend, the Farmer got the cheek to ask This Chicken for help. As if all the sarcasm that went into Farmer's speech a few days before that weekend didn't happen.

C'mon! R.E.S.P.E.C.T! Is that too much to ask.

And today. Today the morning started so nicely for this Chicken and the Farmer had to ruin it again by doing another booboo.

First at 10AM this Chicken got a wire saying, "Go here. 1PM. Fart eggs."

So this Chicken replied the wire, "Please give more details about 'here'. Where's 'here' exactly?"

No reply to this wire.

This Chicken tried calling for more details. No one answered.

Oh-kay. How do we do this, think Chicken, think. So says Chicken to meself.

This Chicken tried calling other Chickens. A few calls and no one seems to know about this particular egg-thing.

Finally this Chicken went to the general whereabouts of 'here'. Spent 30 minutes combing the bloody building then finally found what seems like a potential egg-thing happening.

Thank goodness it was the right 'here'. And I guess thank you Farmer for giving this Chicken a chance to exercise, window shop, consider reflexology in between and fart an egg out.

Sheeeeeesh...

Happy Birthday ma fwen

Here's an open wish to my friend, Jem, for her 33rd birthday. And hope you've gotten over that can of sardine I got you for your 14th birthday years ago..

p/s: Happy birthday Gila-Gila!

Kaching..!

As Chickens in the Coop flap our wings excitedly at the notion of big bags of Chicken Feed, This Chicken knows not to expect too much. And true enough, as the big bags of Chicken Feed were distributed, only a lil sum ended up near This Chicken's dwelling space.

The Big Farmers said there's bound to be lots for every Chicken alive, but This Chicken knows it is all, well, pretty much 'talk-cock'. And only those who talks cock get most of the stuff inside the big bags of Chicken Feed.

After years of farting brown eggs, This Chicken knows exactly what she deserves, and she deserves it, really.

Like a few extra bags of Chicken Feed is such a big thing. It isn't. Not when This Chicken knows the kind of brown eggs she's been farting out is not exactly hot stuff. Otherwise This Chicken might be one of those Chickens who are right now angered by what lil sum that they've gotten for the brown eggs they've farted out.

Sigh. When will these Chickens learn? When will they stop trusting the words of the Farmers and Big Farmers and Bigger Farmers? That only the akhem, Loved Chickens like Lil Napo and Blue Eyed Boy will get most of the Chicken Feed? That unless you're willing to do the akhem, kepak fanning, you'll never get to be a Loved Chicken?

That whatever else extra you get down here in this Coop is good enough as it is. That is, if you're just a Chicken like me.

Today between 8.45AM to 10.15AM

Inevitably, I do age. We all do, but don't let me be the one to remind you.

But since I've gone ahead and done that, let me be the one to remind you that there are ways to keep young. Feel young. Whatever, but somehow you'll feel good inside la.

The grand 'stay young' tip goes like this: Find a way to instantly switch on your inner fresh-grad self.

(I mean c'mon, who really wants to be 16 again - I wana help you feel young, not young and ops sorry shtupid. I didn't say stupid cause generally you hardly find a stupid 16 year old but lately it is getting quite frequent that you see a 16 year old who is not yes wise in the ways of the world, but they act like a shmuck. So shtupid it is. Cause stupmuck is just way too confusing.)

Anyway let me tell you how I do it, this instant feel young switch.

Everytime I feel like getting in touch with my inner fresh grad self, I take the public transport and go through my going to my second job commute. My route back then starts at Cheras' STAR station, get off at Plaza Rakyat, a little walk through the scary parts behind Puduraya to the bus stop in front of Kotaraya, then long-wait-short-ride on the bus to Jalan Bangsar.

So this morning I managed to get myself to a STAR station - the moment I encountered the rude girl manning the ticket booth, little strings in my system started to stir.. And as she fumbled for my 20 sen change and the Sentul Timur bound train zoomed by... my inner fresh grad self woke up!

But waking up (my dear friends would tell you I'm bad at waking up in the morning) is not enough. You gotta do the dance.

So I put on a little music - Cinta Kita by Maman Teacher's Pet played on my little 2GB Sony Walkman. I waited for the next train.

It came sooner than I'd hoped, but I hopped on anyway. My inner fresh grad dance began to take over my system.

The dance goes like this. On a train, don't sit. Stand next to the door so that you can see the world goes by at 40kmph. I did just that.

Next, don't be a good girl. If you see anyone not giving up his or her seat to a more deserving passenger, give em a good icy cold glare. Better if you can make the folks on the entire row feel uneasy. I did get a chance to do this!

Once your stop arrives, don't get pantsy. Wait for the door to open and make those guys trying to get in before the folks inside disembark wait as well. If there are some of them trying to get in anyway, give em a good shove using your big bag. Just turn 45 degrees as the guy passes your side and walk out as if you were the thinnest model that would not dream of getting any stranger DNA rub on your expensive get up. Yep, I did this too.

As my dance ended, I walked through the scary Puduraya back route. Though it is less scary than before, to appease my inner fresh grad self I pretended that I was still the same young exec who carries a door-gift swiss knife with 256MB USB drive attached.

I was quite pleased to discover that a bunch of new stalls are in operation right outside Puduraya as well as next to Ancasa Hotel. Back then when I was a fresh grad, there are always exciting small stuff on sale at these bazaars, but I could not afford them. Again, to appease my inner fresh grad self, I didn't buy any knick knack.

As I approached the bus stop, I saw that the Pantai Dalam bound Metro bus had just left the station. That's alright - it's just like back then. I know what to do.

I continued walking towards CM, passed my old hound Yusoof & Zakhir Restaurant aka Lorong Katak. Tokyo Jihen's Killer Song accompanied me as I trot along.

Oh no, CM. How could I just walk by. I decided a stroll around the areas would take less than 10 minutes and went for it. After all, that's what my inner fresh-grad self would do.

As expected, I encountered the overzealous guards trying to shoo away the private college students loitering, the guy who says hello to everybody, the water-colour and acrylic artistes, the handsome pony-tailed 'braders' wearing Slayer t-shirt, the I-look-tough-with-black nail polish girls... Ah, it was year 2002 once again!

So what keeps you young? A game of Pong? An NKOTB song? Find out. I'm sure you got a switch in there somewhere.

Everyone can blog! But can everyone keep blogging?

Right after lunch we met a colleague, who looked kinda dazed as she made her way to the nearby eatery.

"I've just been asked to blog," she explained. That's what we heard, but I also heard, "I think I've just been 'awarded' a 'punishment'," in the tone of her voice.

"Blog about what?" we asked.

"Fashion," she said simply. I thought I also heard an "Egad!!!" in her little reply.

Thing is our friend here is a writer alright, but fashion is not exactly her beat. (She's a business journalist.)

So I tried, "So you've been asked to blog about the fashion industry from business perspective?"

"Er, um. I guess. Since the person who asked me to start blogging had just been given a title, I just said yes lah." Again, her reply pregnant with uncertainties.

"Ah well, good luck with that," we wished her before parting.

Oh man, talk about taking the fun out of something! I mean if I were asked to blog about something I don't know about, I probably could, but I'm not so sure if I can keep posting entries after entries about it.

After all, blogging is easy. Just like bitchin' (s'cuse my French). But to keep blogging about something you have no idea or interest in - now that's challenging. Not to mention boring...

Chicken's back!!!

Dear oh dear, tis 2011 and it's this Chicken's God-knows-how-many-years-tis-been year blogging. Can't believe I'm still blogging - and to think they say blogging is losing steam (well they've been saying that since 2009 anyway, but who cares?).

And this Chicken has a great entry this morning.

Guess what Farmer has asked this Chicken to fart out, all in the spirit of the new year? Yep! That's right. This Chicken has been tasked to take over a little stupid basket started by a stupid Barbarian back in the cave years.

Thing is, this little basket is so useless that all this while This Chicken has never even grant a glance through. The morning went like this:

Farmer: Chicken, can you fart out a couple of eggs to fill up this basket?

Chicken: Er this basket? What is it about ya?

Farmer: Oh you know, about something funny and quirky and not-so-eggy. Hmm I don't know?

Chicken: Actually, all this while that the Barbarian started this basket, I really didn't get it either.

Farmer: The basket says it's a basket of things you can learn something about.

Chicken: And the funny, quirky, not-so-eggy part?

Farmer: Tak tahulah I. (I'm not sure either.)

Chicken: So what do want me to fart out then.

Farmer: Anything lah.

Chicken: If it's anything then I rather suggest we kill this basket. Why waste coop space?

Farmer: OK, OK. (Thinking hard...) Anything not so straight-forward eggy.

Chicken: Just a couple of those?

Farmer: Yes.

Chicken: Will do.

Moral of the story. If you're a farmer and you're running a coop, make sure you know everything about it. Otherwise the chickens will laugh at you.

Happy New Year!

Team Malaysia

When our sportsmen and sportswomen do badly, we...
A] say "Biasalah... Tak boleh harap... Jaguh Kampung.."
B] tell our kids to practice their piano/violin/electone/ballet cause athletes don't make money
C] get frustrated and start doing some damage
D] read Manchester United vs Chelsea scores as lead story on Sports news

When our sportsmen and sportswomen do well, we...
A] quickly tell our peers that we have been a football/badminton/tracks fan for years
B] take our kids to the nearby park to have a bit of football/badminton/tracks activities
C] feel all jubilant and talk-jock even with the people we hate at the office
D] read how the use of laser has affected the performance of the team that our sportsmen beat

Let's hope our boys do well in the next 90-odd minutes!

Boy oh boy!

Why is it so cold today...? I wish the weather is much warmer outside so that I can play.

How to ease traffic jam in Malaysia

Just chatted with a friend a few minutes ago, and with great despair I made a mental note right after finishing the chat which says, "I think I've lost P."

P is my friend, Pooh.

He's a Javanese/Malay chap who will be migrating to UK in a week. Like me he's an X-Genner, but unlike me he went to a high-profile boarding school, sponsored by the government to get higher education, went to work in a local MNC, married a girl who 'doesn't fancy Malaysian food'...

I asked him, "Will you be one of those folks who goes, 'All that is Malaysian is bad, and it is so much better in UK?'"

He replied, "Are there many people like that?"

I said, "Quite a number, yes, those 'More Mat Salleh than Mat Sallehs'."

"But if there are so many of those people than don't you think it's true?"

I inwardly gasped. Sorry. That's me, the Malaysian me. The one who will love my country no matter what bad things goes on on its soil, tis still my mother earth.

He continued, "I'm Muslim, I'm not a Mat Salleh."

"Are you saying, you're a proud Muslim but a not-so-proud Malaysian then? Or worse, a not-so-proud Malay?"

He said I sounded racists, and he's a proud Muslim, he loves every other Muslim regardless if they're Chinese, Indian or Mat Salleh.

Oh what a heartbreak? That wasn't my intention at all (to be/sound racists). Told him that if my 'Malay comment' is me trying to preach to him that I should be proud of Ketuanan Melayu and about being superior than other races, sorry, that's not where I was heading. (In fact if that's what you're implying, then you're more racist than I am, if I am at all.)

I was more heading towards being able (as a Malay) to appreciate that somewhere inside my genetic makeup I have talent to do joget (though I can't right now, not that my macarena is so hot either), and knowing that my love for petai and tapai are inherited from my gran's grans.

It's about being proud, associated, connected to my genes and heritage. Forget all that Perlembagaan stuff. I'm not qualified to talk about it. I never read it. And there wasn't a film made to chronicle it. I wish there was one.

But I've watch Yasmin Ahmad movies. I remember her going, "I want the Malays to be Malays, the Chinese to be Chinese, the Indians to be Indians, the Ibans being Ibans..."

I knew exactly what she meant. I identified exactly what her vision was. She just wanted all of us to be happy with the way each one of us are. There's no need to be serving mooncakes during Raya Haji just to demonstrate your 1Malaysia spirit. I bet Yasmin would give me a hi-five if only she could hear me saying this right now.

Back to P.

I wished him well anyway. Told him he'll enjoy making UK his new home. Having 12 children there. Sending Salam Perantau photo to Harian Metro to let his parents and their friends see what his offsprings look like having fun playing with the snow man.

I'm still shaking my head right now. I can't believe he succumbed to being predictible. Wonder if it is a set thing for the boarding school boys and babes to go "When I was in UK... " and "My dream house is a piece of property in Notting Hill..."

Tis already an accepted thing to have them go, "I want to be married by the time I'm 26, have 1.5 children by the time I'm 30 and own a UK property by the time I'm 33, get Datukship by the time I'm 35..." It's like they all leave their respective hostels with the same Gantt chart to put up on the wall.

I remember one 'Who wants to be a millionaire' contestant who answered Jalaluddin Hassan's question to what she'll do if she wins a million ringgit... and she goes, "Well, a million ringgit is not enough for me to buy a house in UK to settle in.." and sounding as if that question just managed to pull her mood down. Like "Boo hoo..."

I get a feeling more and more educated Malays who are of my age do not have faith in Malaysia anymore. They have no sense of belonging to their home country, no sense of pride of their origin, no feeling of I-O-U to the government (though flawed) that gave them the scholarship that eventually led them to the UK/US/AU whatever other country that they feel so strongly about simply by having stayed there for a coupla years.

I've met some people and have friends who did go overseas to study - not even on gov grant, note that - and they have more love for their home country. Sure they do appreciate Subway sandwiches, Starbucks coffee and the public transportation model in Washington or Tokyo more, but they think our own Putra LRT and health ministry are quite cool though the education system could do with a full-blown reshuffle. Thank God for these fellas. I see them as folks who love their country but hey, they're (and I am) not blind either.

I wonder if this is worth feeling sad about? For a milisecond, yes, I guess. Malaysia could use more folks with skills, brains, experience who could contribute towards making this country better. This country is not perfect, I doubt it will ever be, but I still love it!

I guess to those folks who are like P, who think other countries (Singapore/UK/US/Australia /whatever) are so much better than Malaysia (which I'm sure by certain standards and measures they are, and there's nothing wrong about admitting that they are either) by all means, follow your American dreams. I'm sure those countries will welcome you with open arms.

Leave my Malaysia to me.

I ranted this much to my friend who quipped, "If those folks love it there so much, migrate lah. Less traffic jam for us!"

But hey, Good Luck P! Selamat Hari Raya Aidiladha and Maaf Zahir Batin!

Not that cool: flying, mind-reading or super strength

^ Silver Scorpian, the first cross-cultural superhero with disabilities created by bringing together Syrian and American youth with disabilities in Damascus, Syria as part of the Open Hands Initiative’s inaugural Youth Ability Summit. Silver Scorpian is a Muslim, who loses his legs in a tragic landmine accident and must learn to come to terms with the reality of his disability while learning to use his newfound power to fight for social inclusion, equity and justice. Artwork by LLC, story by AP.

When I was a kid I thought flying is one of the most wonderful thing, next to invisibility. But here's a bunch of Syrian and American kids (well they're kids of today, not a yesteryear batch like me) who believes other super powers are way much more cool than flying, mind-reading or the capability to lift an airplane.

Check out this Yahoo! entry:

New Muslim comic book superhero on the way

Raya lessons

I remember kutuking a couple of tudung mamas who sit by at a corner with their toddler, taking the opportunity to rest instead of getting busy and helping out at family gatherings, raya open houses and so on.

Now that I have a family of my own, I learnt that, yep, the those mamas were lazy. But I'd like to apologize anyway for my badmouthing, as I now know that taking care of a toddler can be quite a tiring task anyway. But that said, I still think there are tasks that you can do while taking care of a toddler, for example putting the hooks on french-lace curtains, filling up the cookie canisters, folding laundry, shouting at other toddlers who are trying to watch blue films on DVDs...

Anyway.

My raya wasn't much different from before, except now it's so much fun to receive duit raya envelopes once again. And counting the money everytime before we sleep. And making beeline to relatives' houses that we didn't get to visit previous year.

What's different is that I have a house to clean. Clothes to wash and dry and fold and bring. Shopping to do in Ramadhan (tiring!).

And more people to wish Selamat Hari Raya, Maaf Zahir Batin to. Which includes you.

So I had a bad day...

Today could possibly one of the days that started bad, and it might likely go worse (after all tis only 11AM right now). And I'm betting I'm not the only one thinking like this.

For anyone sane enough to feel nice, unhappy, cool, upset, energised or deflated, it is quite a normal thing to have a bad day. Take me for example. I just saw one of the stupidest mistakes a human can make, and the a**hole is not even sorry about it. The baddest part of this all is that it is a costly mistake. One that can't, or rather shouldn't happen to anyone who have just gone through a rough patch - scratch that - it shouldn't happen to anyone period.

So what do I do? Take my Sony Walkman out. Blare Alanis Morissette's You Oughta Know. Leave the premise. Head to where I'm needed.

She started slow and steady, within 5 seconds my mind began to focus on the song. It got me thinking, "Man, she sounds steely mad. Perhaps madder than I am right now."

As I crank up the volume I heard Flea's basslines and I could imagine his fingers plucking and slapping as furiously as Alanis' vocal going "And everytime I scratch my nails down someone else's back I hope you feel it.. Well can you feel it?"

Inevitably I began singing, "It's not fair! To deny me of the cross I bear that you gave to me! Ya! Ya! Yah!" Perhaps a bit too loudly that the gal sitting next to me on the Rapid KL bus is beginning to scoot a few inch away. Ah she doesn't know that I'm just sharing my pain with Alanis.

I feel like handing her my left earpiece so that she can share too. I'm sure she must have had a bad day or two, even if today started well for her.

And that's what music can do for you.

Panas, panas, panas...

I thought things are bad when you don't get good grades.

I thought people are mean when they make you wait.

I thought life sucks when you get low pay.

Turns out ultra sad equals to babies being thrown away.

Gile ke ape buang2 bayi ni? Or kes abuse budak. I don't know what is wrong with these people...

Thinking makes me happy

If you're unhappy, try think of happy thoughts. If that gets you nowhere, just get naked!