Thursday, December 31, 2009

I Am Hungry

There is a futsal competition organized by Rakan Muda due to be held at Dataran Merdeka on 2nd Jan, 2010 at 8am. I contacted alot of old teammates to form up a participating team. Sadly, only one person responded positively while the others gave excuses that they couldn't make it either because they are busy or they are just not up to it.

That only person who had replied me back showed a great deal of enthusiasm. He was eager to participate despite not knowing where is Dataran Merdeka in the first place & whether we have a good chance of winning or not. That is what I want to see in a teammate, passion & courage.

I guess that what I'm trying to say is, you gotta show that 'hunger' if you really wanna achieve success in life. You gotta show passion even in the little things that you have been doing for years. If I have to cycle to my local gym in Sunway Lagoon Resort Club for training all the way from my house in SS14 then so be it!

I maybe 20 years old now, but my passion for sports will never fade. Even if all of my usual kaki bola friends have 'retired' in order to focus their time & energy on other things, I will still be playing at the futsal court infront of my house. Surprisingly there were people asking whether will I ever get bored of doing the same thing over & over again. The answer is no. Simply because this is what I love to do, which is football. Even at the age of 50, I can still see myself playing at the same old court together with a new generation players. In my opinion, any Tom, Dick & Harry can start on something new but to develop consistency, one needs passion.

I know that at my age, I'm suppose to own a car by now. But instead, I'm travelling around Subang Jaya relying heavily on my bicycle. It's not that I don't want a car, it's just that I can't afford one okay? However, I don't mind if I have to cycle every Thursday night for cell group (CG) to meet up with my church friends.

No doubt it's dangerous for me to be cycling at night. But as long as I can experience a little of God's presence at CG, I am willing to take up the risk of being mugged or even being attacked along the way. Some might think that this is crazy shit, but I would prefer to call it as passion.

I'm writing on the first day of 2010. I can imagine only endless possibiblities of greater things to be achieved this year. For too long I have supressed this 'hunger' of mine of which have lead me to avoid taking bold risks in life & 'safer' pathways instead. I say no more! It's time to feed that 'hunger'.

Jon Bon Jovi once wroted a song entitled "It's My Life". It's now or never. I'm not gonna hold back & listen to other's opinions on what is 'acceptable'. I'm not talking about the rules of society. I'm talking about reaching your dreams despite how unusual or unconventional it may be.

You can't expect to distinquish yourself from the rest if you are unwilling to do something different. You can't expect to be unique if you refuse to put yourself in an uncomfortable position above everyone else.

So the next time when I call you guys up for an upcoming football or futsal competition, please show me a little bit more passion as well as commitment that you really want this badly. Learn from the MINT cluster. Our VU cluster is just as strong as them but what made them special was their hunger for success. Therefore, 'starved' yourself with goals & ambitions. Be 'hungry' to win!


Option B - Fitness Instructor


Option A - Professional Football Player


Option B sounds nice, but let me try to achieve option A first ~

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Kiasuland

How was my trip to Singapore? Kinda exciting I guess. At the same time, not really. My family & I stayed at my uncle's apartment in Tampines after landed at Changi Airport. Nothing much to see at Tampines except for their local shopping complex which is plainly named Tampines Mall. Maybe things can be a little bit more interesting if I were to travel to Sentosa Island or Merlion Park instead.

Nevertheless, I went to destinations like Bugis Junction & Orchard Road which are a must for shopping lovers. By the way, I'm too lazy to upload the pictures so there won't be any in this post. Holiday break!

Singapore is a good place to shop because some of the things over there are actually cheaper compared to M'sia. Here, a good quality fedora hat will cost me around RM50-RM60 but I got it at Singapore for just S$15 (RM37). This is just one of the things I've bought. If you wanna get a good deal especially in electronic goods, then you better fly over there right now!

There are alot of things in Bugis Junction which are nearly impossible to be found here in M'sia. Like my sister, she got herself a device that can warm up a person's beverage.

To travel around, you can choose to take the MRT (like our M'sian LRT) or the public bus. Either way is pretty much the same because you can move from point A to point B within a short time at a rapid pace. The MRT is so smooth & silent, not to mention much faster too than the speed of our LRT which is ironically noisy & bumpy. If you're in a real rush, then take a taxi.

Whenever I want to take the bus in Singapore, there will be a shuttle within 5 minutes. But in M'sia, it took me around 20-45 minutes of waiting for a bloody shuttle to arrive. If a bus in Singapore ever comes late, it will not arrive more than 15 minutes. On the other hand, M'sian buses can take up to hours if they ever experience traffic jams or whatever reason that causes them to be late. In a nutshell, public buses in Singapore are very efficient & fast. M'sia, apalah you ~

However, it is advisable not to dine in Singapore. If possible, you should bring your own food supplies & cook in Singapore unless you're loaded with cash. This is because the food in Singapore is twice or thrice more expensive than dining here in M'sia. For example, having a McChicken Burger Meal over here will cost you around RM7 but in Singapore, you may have to fork out around S$8 (RM20)!?

I try not to spend all my Singaporean Dollars because I know that the more I save, the more Ringgit Malaysia I will have to exchange for when I fly back to KL. For every S$, you can redeem back RM2.46.

Now this is the thing which really puzzles me. Why on earth that a small country like Singapore, has a stronger currency than our RM? I mean c'mon our country is rich with resources man! We have petroleum, palm oil, land & talented brains. It should be the other way around! Our RM is suppose to be stronger than the S$. Due to their limited natural resources, Singapore relies on the services, electronics & chemicals industries as it's main source of revenue. So why despite Singapore's disadvantages, their S$ is still stronger than our RM?

That is the problem with corruption. When the government is corrupted, all sectors will be affected as well especially our RM. M'sia already has the resources to be a great country. But because of corruption, We are going backwards in our progress as a nation. I really don't know lah, should I stay here or go to overseas to further my education? I sudah fed up reading the news everyday of how taxpayers money are being misused by the ruling coalition & yet the culprits can get away with it. Obviously going to overseas will clear a brighter path for my future. But I've already made alot of good friends here & I don't think I have the heart to leave them behind.

Alright back to the topic about Singapore. Are Singaporeans really as kiasu as others claimed? I'm neither working or studying in Singapore so I don't know what is their culture like. I only know that Singaporeans are more civilized than their M'sian counterparts when it comes to taking public transportations. Singaporeans are generally systematic by lining up at the side of each door entrance & let the others through first which I find it a very rare scene here at the KTM, LRT & bus stations.

When it comes to fashion, the younger generation of Singaporeans really know how to dress up well. If you're gonna go visit Orchard Road, then make sure that you look your absolute best. That place is just full of sophisticated & cultured people. Almost everyone you see over there will be wearing branded clothing of the latest trend. Therefore don't go to Orchard Road only by wearing your sandals, shorts & singlet because most Singaporeans are bloggers plus they can & will snap photos of you.

I don't agree with people regarding Singaporeans as an uncaring society. I actually went there to attend my cousin's wedding. After the wedding, my dad drank too much & he ended up puking at the roadside. Of course it was an embarrassing situation. However a very nice lady passing by, saw us & offered me a can of tea. She told me to heat it up so that it would help reduce my dad's grogginess as well as giving me a pack of tissues. I felt touched & wanted to pay her kindness with some cash but she declined.

Here are two things why M'sians don't like Singapore:


  1. Again Singaporeans are kiasu.
  2. Singapore's environment is like a pressure cooker.


I want to ask a question. What is wrong with being kiasu? The world is going through an era of globalization. To survive the food chain of the corporate world, you need to be competitive as ever to stay at the top. We complain that Singaporeans are kiasu because they are too hardworking, what's up with that!?

In my experience as a footballer, I must say African players are the most difficult people to play against. They are strong, quick & determined. Even so, can I complain by asking them to lower their own standards? Freaking hell no! The only way I can compete against them is when I also train my ass off as hard as I can so that I too will be as good as the Africans. So don't complain that Singaporeans are kiasu because they have earned the right to say that they're better than us. Stop whining & start improving yourself!

About the pressure cooker environment, yes this is somewhat true because you are constantly surrounded by very bright & talented people in Singapore. I know of this fact because my cousins whom have been living & working there. This might be a rude shock especially to M'sian students that used to being top of the heap in their little schools in Segamat or Petaling Jaya will suddenly find themselves relegated to the third or fourth class in school. Therefore, if you're gonna study in Singapore, don’t freak out if you no longer find yourselves the first boy or girl in your class. This is because you are now out of your jaguh kampung and competing globally!

It's very impressive that for a small country like Singapore, they have placed their marks on the world map. What does that tells us? It doesn't matter of your size, it doesn't matter of your circumstances, it doesn't matter if the odds are pinned against you but what matters, is our hunger to succeed. I know that M'sia boleh, but does M'sia want it that badly? I always hear the same M'sian excuse for not trying to pursue their dreams, "This is M'sia lah, it's impossible one!"

I also used to think that God made me a M'sian because he is upset with me in the past life. As a Msian, you are cursed with limited capacity to succeed if that's what most typical M'sians think of. If you have a dream, then too bad lah because it's impossible to achieve excellence as this is M'sia mah, correct or not?

Seriously, how long do we wanna keep believing that we're not capable of anything when Singaporeans have already proven themselves?

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Let The Fat Lady Sing

STPM, it's finally over ~


Escaping to Singapore in 8 hours time

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Wishing You Well In Your Future Endeavors




I felt so emotional after watching this. Although the song is sang in Korean but you can pretty much understand what is it all about by just watching the music video. Actually I regretted watching it in the first place because once I'm in the state of emo-ing, I won't feel like doing anything at all. I wanted to study yesterday for my final papers but all I did was stoning into empty space while thinking about the past, *sigh* ~

Then eventually, the next day I came across a note posted by one of the church leaders on Facebook;


Let them go

There are people who CAN walk away from you.

And hear me when I tell you this. When people can walk away from you: let them walk... don't try to talk another person into staying with you, loving you, calling you, caring about you, coming to see you, staying attached to you. I mean hang up the phone.

When people can walk away from you let them walk. Your destiny is never tied to anybody that left.

The bible said that, they came out from us that it might be made manifest that they were not for us. For had they been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us. [1 John 2:19]

People leave you because they are not joined to you. And if they are not joined to you, you can't make them stay.

Let them go.

And it doesn't mean that they are a bad person it just means that their part in the story is over. And you've got to know when people's part in your story is over so that you don't keep trying to raise the dead.. You've got to know when it's dead.

You've got to know when it's over. Let me tell you something.. I've got the gift of good-bye.. It's the tenth spiritual gift, I believe in good-bye.. It's not that I'm hateful, it's that I'm faithful, and I know whatever God means for me to have! He'll give it to me. And if it takes too much sweat I don't need it. Stop begging people to stay.

Let them go!
-By Bishop T.D Jakes


I have decided. It's time to let go





Friday, November 27, 2009

Hurry Up Clocky!!!

Left 6 more papers to go
Next paper is on the 30th Nov & 2nd Dec
Both papers consists of Micro & Macroeconomics
Economics is my kryptonite
Involves alot of calculation & equations
Math is not my strong point
Picked the wrong subject
Definitely will flunk next Monday & Wednesday
Planning to sacrifice Economics
To use up the time instead for other subject revisions
Last paper is on the 10th Dec
13 more days to total freedom
In the meantime, Selamat Hari Raya Qurban to all the Muslim faiths ;)


This is worse than child abuse ~



Monday, November 23, 2009

Going Through A Tough Season

Each subject in the STPM exam comprises of 2 papers. So far I have finished 2 papers, the first one which is the Sports Science Paper 1 during last week Thursday & today, General Studies Paper 2. This coming Thursday would be my Malay Language Paper 2 & Business Studies Paper 1.

Alot of people told me that the most mentally torturing part of your life is exams. Because of exams, we are too busy revising our studies until we don't have time for other things like our friends. That is the problem, I need to socialize.

STPM in a way, does takes a toll on me emotionally. Right now I am socially deprived. I desperately need to go out or else I would go bonkers if I were to touch my books any further. After an Emerge Conference session last Saturday, I had a great chat with friends at Asia Cafe. Then on another occasion, I had a meal with Jay Dee after finishing our exam paper this morning. It is still not enough though. I gotta lepak like almost 24/7. I wasn't aware that I'm the kinda guy that likes to meet people until recently.

STPM also caused my biological clock to go haywire. Normally I would sleep at twelve midnight but due to the pressure of exams, I only manage to sleep during six in the morning! I'm sure that other students whom are going through their exams right now also experienced the same problem, agitation. Oh my God, how am I gonna keep this up since I have sixteen more days to go?

However between my moment of restlessness, I was thinking about stuffs like what I really wanted actually. Honestly I just wanna spend time with my lovely friends & in church. I thought that winning, especially in football was my everything. Now in this season of STPM, I came to realize what are the most important things in my life which is God, friends & just enjoy my football.

Before the finals during the Emerge Futsal Competition, most of the time I wasn't focusing on the gold medal. Instead, I was looking at my teammates whom they brought their girlfriends together to watch them play. The emotional bond in a relationship, man I wanna experience it too. I start to ask myself after the competition, why am I so obsessed to be number one? The first prize is just a bloody piece of metal being painted gold. In time, it will collect dust as well as rust. Eventually the medal along with everything else on earth will grow strangely dim. But love & friendship, last an eternity ~


Fish & chips with jasmine honey tea at Old Taste, SS15

Jay Dee, a hot chick treated me a strawberry smoothie. Thanks love ;)




Sunday, November 8, 2009

Pride 1-3 Humility

Ever since my team lost in the Emerge Football Finals last year at the Panasonic Stadium (formerly known as Matsushita), I never once stop thinking about it, not even a single day. Failure to qualify for the knockout stages is disappointing, but losing in the finals is even more of a bitter pill to swallow for each & every footballer.

After the defeat, I made a promise to myself that I will train my ass off as hard as never before. I told God that I will not let anyone stand in my way in winning that gold medal at the following year, not even He Himself.

Just ask the gym technician at the Sunway Lagoon Resort Club. Amongst all the people there, I'll be the one who stayed the longest & sweated the most. Or ask my maid who have witnessed me self-train at home when I'm not at the gym & she'll tell you that my training methods are unconventional. I feel gulity because everytime after working out, she has to wipe the floor which is drenched with my sweat everywhere.

I was very determined to win that gold medal. However, that determination slowly turned into an obsession until football has become more important than anything else in my life. In addition, I put God, church, family & friends aside. I thought that the more time I invest in these things, the less time I have for myself. And the less time I have for myself, the less time I have to train. And the less time I have to train, the closer I am to defeat.

I believe there are some Christians who were also like me especially students. We really want to score good results, secure scholarships & get admitted into the best colleges/universities. But because we want to achieve excellence so badly, we put studies as our main priority above everything else especially God.

Not just in the area of sports, but I also practised alot in my English proficiency, increase my general knowledge by reading news articles & intellectual blogs as well as associating myself only with people that I find interesting, attractive, well-bred, matured & accomplished.

I think that is how arrogance & pride start to take a hold on me. When my game improved significantly, I show contempt to those whose football skills are like crap. When I see people that write & speak bad English, I scorn at them. When I see others unaware of the latest issues that is happening around them, I laugh at their ignorance in my mind. Since that most of my friends are either smart, sophisticated, cultured, popular or talented, I felt that I was too good to hang out with anyone who neither belongs in under one of these categories.

Yes I was a very egoistic, conceited & self-centred person. I claimed that I am good in my respective gifts & abilites not because of God, but because of my own efforts alone. I showed great dissent to anybody who tries to correct me whenever I'm wrong because I have developed this mentality where I am so geng now until I don't need anyone telling me what to do.

This year I participated in the Emerge Futsal Competition on Sunday, Nov 8th at Xtreme Park. I wanted to prove that my theory is right that only the proud shall be glorified while the meek shall falter. That day my team won straight all the way to the finals & I knew that victory is almost imminent for us. Somehow before the last game, doubt started to creep in my mind. So I started to pray to God, asking him to let me win by hook or by crook just this once (selfish, I know) although I'm pretty sure that the opponents are praying that they'll win too.

Alas, it was not meant to be. My team lost 1-3. After the referee blown the final whistle, I just sat there on the pitch refusing to get up. I wondered what went wrong. How can I be still second best after putting up so much hardwork for this competition's preparation? The opponents could have celebrated their win with the supporters. Instead, one of them came up to me, thanked me for putting up a good fight & offered his hand to pull me up back to my feet. That is when I realized that I am missing one vital key to success, humility.

"God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." (James 4:6)

Now I know the reason why God refused to answer my prayer during that time. Don't be cocky, or else you will learn it the hard way through humiliation. This is exactly what happened to me, humiliated & put to shame.


Look carefully, the eyes tells a sad ending

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Congratulations Facebook, You Have Now Millions Of Haters

If 1,000,001 people join, Facebook will re-install the old News Feed!


CHANGE FACEBOOK BACK TO NORMAL!!


MILLIONS AGAINST FACEBOOK's NEW LAYOUT & TERMS OF SERVICE


We Hate The New Facebook, so STOP CHANGING IT!!!


Facebook: SWITCH BACK TO THE OLD NEWS FEED!!!



Yeah these are the few groups that I've found on Facebook as ways of protesting against it's new layout. For me, I don't have problem with changes. In fact, change is good as long their attention is to improve a current system or organization. It's just a matter of adapting really. Why are you complaining of changes when nobody is forcing you to use Facebook in the first place? Weirdos ~

On another note, what's up with people displaying their relationship status under 'It's Complicated'? What's so complicated about that? Just make it uncomplicated!



Sunday, October 18, 2009

The Challenges Of Digital Faith

Each of us has, at one time or another, said or done something regretful. I know I had. If given the chance to turn back time, I wouldn't have posted "Busy As A Bee On Weekends, Lazy As A Pig On Weekdays" in the first place. I know that the damage has been done & deleting that post will not change anything, but at least allow me the liberty to write this apology statement;

"What I wrote was demeaning, if not clearly offensive & I am deeply sorry to all the parties concerned that are affected by my posting(s). If I'd tried it one hundred times or a million times, it wouldn't happen again."

No this is not sarcasm, this is serious shit. Whatever reason that lead me into posting this, it will remain as sacrosanct.

Anyway, I'm actually aware of the fact that I'm always angry most of the time. Any matter be it small or big, I'll just get angry at people of their shortcomings or weaknesses. But normally I don't do anything about it because back then, I thought it was considered 'acceptable' to judge others through my blog as everybody else seem to be doing the same thing. I've learned that just because I can hit 'Publish post', doesn't mean I should.

In other words, just because there are people who pissed me off & will piss me off in the future, that doesn't give me the right to curse them in my blog even if the blogosphere allows instantaneous dissemination of thoughts. Yes from now on, I will blog more responsibly.

Why the sudden change of heart? Simply because as a Christian, I am held liable for my postings on whether they will impact the kingdom of God & not destroying or bringing down another person. Therefore before blogging about something, I will evaluate my motives first & make sure I do not write them out of anger, impatience or self-righteousness.

To the chap who made a brouhaha about my blog, don't worry I know who you are. The next time I see your handsome face *cough*, rest assured I'm not going to stick a pair of chopsticks up to your throat because I'm a real nice guy. You lucky son of a woman ~

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Just A Short Post Before Heading Towards Hell

There is a serious burden in my heart that really needs to be released right away!

I am concern that alot of M'sians including Christians have a problem about the concept of agreeing or disagree with one another. If you visit websites such as Youtube or MalaysiaToday, you will notice that there are people fighting through posted comments with vulgarities & obscenities hurdled at each other just because their views are different from one another.

Alright what about politicians? I can see Barisan Nasional & Pakatan Rakyat cannot seem to co-exist peacefully because of their political view differences. If not politics, then what about sports when soccer fans who have the tendency to curse their opponents especially during a match between Manchester United & Liverpool? The main focus here is about religion. Nowadays young Christians in high school will go to the extent of debating with their schoolmates with 'strong' point & arguments just to prove or defend that God exist & Jesus is the answer or the best solution.

I'm not saying that it is wrong to debate or defend your religion. However, would anyone really backs down during a fight? I used to do this too during my younger days. When I converted to Christianity from Buddhism, I was still somewhat active in the school's Buddhist Society. I would argue with almost everyone, especially my good friend Yik Sheng just to prove that my religion is right & their religion is wrong.

I realized that my actions were really dumb & inconsiderate back then. I can come up with all kinds of good points about Christianity but at the end of the day, none of us would want to give in to each other & we would continue arguing even until the cows came home! Not only I was wasting my energy & time opening my mouth, but I was also straining our friendship. Therefore from that day onwards, I've learn to respect other peoples views even if their opinions are conflicting towards mine.

Currently I have a classmate who is very critical of religion particularly when it comes to Christianity. He would claimed that religion is the cause of most wars to occured especially during medieval times. Even so, we still can have a good chat about the latest trends like movies, music, events, chicks, etc. This is simply because I gave the respect of him being entitled towards his own views rather than trying to gaduh with him to no avail. That is why despite our differences on religious views, we can still talk like buddies.

"But aren't we suppose to save the lost for Jesus?"

Of course, but there are so many ways of reaching out to other people besides convincing head on that your religion is better & trying to force, if not pressure them to agree with you. In the old days if somebody says he/she likes apples but you say that you like oranges, the next thing you know there will be a knife stabbed into your guts.

That is how people think of once upon a time ago. Due to their differences of ideologies, Christians waged war amongst themselves during the Reformation period. But today I assumed that all of us have access to good education. So by right, every one of us especially Christians should talk & behave like 'educated' people.

Therefore if you come across a person who opines differently from you, give him/her respect. They are entitled towards their own views & you are in no position to judge them because you're not God okay. By the way, seriously all this evangelism thingy doesn't appeal to me. This is because I have yet to reach a level where I am hungry to see the works of salvation. So if there is a church event in the future, please don't ask me to invite friends & family. All I care at the moment is my personal goal & ambitions.

What do I mean about giving respect to a person? Let me give you an example based on my experience. There are a number people that I don't like in church. Although there are times I get pissed off by them due to conflicting views, still I would recognize their presence whenever I see them like greeting & addressing them according to the positions they hold in church. Even after arguing, you can still see me placing my arm around their shoulders & joke with them.

Yes, I acknowledge the status & age of the people in church, even the ones I don't like. And I give the respect due to them. We can disagree with these people on the basis of ideology & principle. However, that does not take away the fact that they hold a certain position in our community plus the fact that they are older than us. Because of that, we must conduct ourselves in a certain manner when we are in their presence & give them the due respect befitting their age.

Some might think that I am 'old'. And I mean old in values rather than in age when I say this. Therefore, I will never issue an ultimatum whenever I have a disagreement especially with my leaders. Sure there are days where we will argue about something. But we'll engage in a matured & gentlemanly discussion instead of being like kids throwing insults & tantrums around. This is proper etiquette & the most civilized thing to do, even if they are 'the enemy' (just an example).

On another note, I support Manchester United. But that doesn't mean I have to go around making fun of other teams especially their supporters. If you support Liverpool, Arsenal or Chelsea then fine, because both clubs are good anyway. I admire the likes of John Terry, Steven Gerrard & Cesc Fabregas even if they are playing for Man Utd's rivals. If you're truly a soccer fan, then you would respect your opponents because that is what sports is all about, sportsmanship.

Okay back to the topic of Christianity. If the 'fight them face to face' method is lame for Christians is today's modern world, then what would be an effective way for evangelism? As for me, I would simply try to be the best I can be especially in the things I love to do specifically soccer. In every match, I would play my heart out & treat as if each game would be my last. That is how people see the qualities of Christ in you.

To be exact, last week I received four messages & a miscall from friends asking me to play futsal. Those who are living around SS14 knows how good I can play & through soccer/futsal, that is how I influence people. But like I said, evangelism is not my forte. I would prefer focusing on my personal goal & ambitions instead.

To sum it all up, again I want to stress that M'sians have a lot to learn about the concept or agreeing & disagree with one another. The choice is yours. Be the typical M'sian, or be the better one?









Monday, October 5, 2009

Second Chance For Redemption

44 more days until D-Day...

33 days of ongoing mental torture...

6 months of total freedom...

I am ready...


What is more fulfilling than winning football matches? It's putting up a smile on others =)



Wednesday, August 5, 2009

My England Not Very Powderful

27th July - 9th August 2009

Selepas mengambil bahagian dalam 4 acara maraton dalam 4 minggu berterusan seperti yang dinyatakan dalam "No Woman, Don't Cry", akhirnya saya sudah dapat menghabiskan kesemua acara-acaranya. Semasa perlarian, saya mendapati bahawa perlumbaan berlari jarak jauh bukanlah sahaja sesuatu yang memenatkan secara fizikal, malah ia juga sesuatu rintangan yang mencabarkan kekuatan mental seseorang individu. Untuk mengatasi cabaran tersebut, anda memerlukan sokongan moral dari keluarga, rakan-rakan & Tuhan.

Kadangkala semasa perlarian, terdapat situasi dimana saya hampir ingin mengalah & menarik diri dari acara tersebut kerana kaki saya terlalu penat bahkan juga kesakitan otot. Tetapi apabila saya terkenang akan kata-kata daripada golongan atas tersebut yang menggalakkan saya untuk berusaha bersungguh-sungguh, kepenatan serta kesakitan kaki saya akan hilang secara perlahan-lahan & semangat akan terbina dalam hati saya untuk meneruskan perlarian. Terima kasih banyak terutamanya kepada rakan-rakan saya dari E11 yang tidak pernah mencurigai impian saya serta memberi sokongan mereka yang tidak terhingga.



You guys are just bloody damn awesome ~



Persoalannya bukan sama ada M'sia boleh ke tidak, tapi mahukah M'sia berjaya?


I'm actually tired of blogging in Malay. Too much time is needed for the translation works & there's not much improvement in my Malay composition by doing so anyway. It's too difficult, just too difficult. I want the easy way out, just stick back to English. Never mind if I'm a M'sian, I decline to write in bahasa M'sia anymore as well as learning how to speak my mother's tongue which is Mandarin. I refuse to upgrade myself to be better linguistically.

But wait! Don't you see that this is a problem that lies within most of us M'sians? We're not enthusiastic when it comes to challenges in life. We M'sians always want the easy way out. Hardwork, perseverance & determination doesn't seem appealing to most of us. The same thing goes for the latest controversial issue that everyone has been going hoo-ha about. It is none other than the Teaching Mathematics and Science in English policy or better known as PPSMI (Malay acronym).


My Economics lecturer, Mr. Gopal once said that what a M'sian student learns in the SPM level (specifically the General Math subject) is equivalent to what a GCE O-Level Year 2 (or simply Form 2) student in Singapore is learning. If what he said is true, then M'sian youths must really buck up their efforts in order to be globally competitive lest
should they be outclassed by their foreign peers forever. On the contrary, I see youth nowadays are really lazy, ignorant & too emotional especially high school students.

The main focus is about their ignorance. They are not bothered on improving themselves in terms of linguistic skills. Everyone wants to speak only one language. Every race only uses their respective languages. Even English speaking M'sians wants to stick to English only, claiming that English is the international language & learning other languages is a waste of time. I think that this kind of mentality is wrong. Everyone should learn to be multilinguistic. At the moment I am only bilinguistic as I can speak two languages which consist of English & Malay. But it is not good enough because I need to master my mother's tongue as well. I must preserve my heritage as a Chinese person. No matter how good my English is, people will always still see me as a Chinese person & this is a fact that I cannot escape from;



Me: So you're a Chinese but you were born in the United States. Can you speak your mother's tongue?


American chick: Of course I can. What about you?


Me: Honestly I can't. Wanted to but I'm too old to learn a new language.


American chick: C'mon, what kind of dumb excuse is that?



This is probably the first time in my life that an American actually lectured (more towards scolding) me for conveniently giving excuses for not learning Mandarin. I want to reiterate that she is right for doing so. How can I give up on learning when I haven't even try yet? Yeah I was born in a English speaking environment, but that should not deter me from picking up a new language. Therefore I've decided that I'll start attending Mandarin classes after my STPM is over, no excuses.


Since we know that the standards of SPM is lower than the GCE O-Level, yet there are people who still wanted the government to lower the SPM standards even more by reverting the teaching medium of Science & Mathematics subjects back to bahasa M'sia. For those who advocated the teaching medium in English, actually it is not entirely the government's fault. The government is just bowing down to the demands of the majority who wanted bahasa M'sia. Yes if you compare the ratio, educated M'sians are still outnumbered by the
'katak di bawah tempurung' type of M'sians that forms the majority.

I am pleased to be a Form 6 student due to it's high academic standards. I think this is the only educational route that we can proud of in the M'sian education system. But the STPM still has it's drawbacks as most of the subjects are taught in Malay. Even the 5th subject that I'm taking, which is the Sports Science subject must be answered only in bahasa M'sia during examination. Can you imagine how much stress & frustration I have to go through by translating all the scientific terms from English to Malay? At the moment this subject has no reference material whatsoever in Malay as the current market only offers books authored in English. What a real pain in the ass!

Why can't the Education Minister simply understand this? Every knowledge & information at tertiary level will be taught in English. If students learn everything in Malay during STPM, they will definitely gonna have problems grasping instructions & lectures in English when they pursue their higher studies. I was lucky enough to be raised in an English speaking family but what about the others? Most of my classmates have repeated their MUET (M'sian University English Test) but they are still struggling to score a good band because English is not their main language during conversations with friends or at home. Bloody hell for God's sake, just change the teaching medium into English for all subjects! That way students can be more fluent in the language & life in university later on would be much smoother for them.

Again it is not entirely the government's fault. Personally, I blame the majority of M'sians whom are narrow-minded nationalists that voted these politicians into power. Whatever seed you have sowed, you shall then reap it's harvest. I don't want to harp too much on this issue (although I wrote quite alot), instead I'll end it with an article that I've picked from Raja Petra's blog;



A Republic of Virtue

Azly Rahman

The refusal to teach Mathematics and Science in English is not just an ideological position but an idiotic one as well.

It is an attempt to self-fulfill a prophecy that the rural children especially the Malays, cannot be challenged and must continue to be given easy passes through social promotion.

The refusal to acknowledge that English is currently a language of scientific progress, more than Bahasa Melayu, is an example of the policymakers' and Malay language nationalist's hypocrisy in dealing with success.

Based on spurious research findings headed by a teacher training university, sanctioned by other public universities, the government has erred in its decision that will not only impact the future of Malaysian children in a continually globalised world where English is the lingua franca.

And this will open up avenues for the establishment of classes of schools, increasing the demand for the setting up of private schools that will emphasise the English language as a language of instruction and a rigorous curriculum that will prepare students for a competitive world.

The premise that Malay children cannot follow instructions in English and therefore not only standards should be lowered and subject matter made easier, but the teaching of Mathematics and Science itself must be reverted to the Malay Language points to this: that Malay children especially are presumed to be losers even before all avenues of success are provided.

Because in one study they voiced their concern over their inability to understand instructions, the future of a generation is sacrificed.

It is like saying that the more a child says that he/she does not like school, the less the teachers need to work to challenge them.

While children of the privileged in urban areas get first class education through private and international schools or even in high schools abroad and master the English Language (so that they can be given places and sponsorship in English-speaking universities abroad), children of the rural poor are left to become victims of policies dictated by research findings that hardly make sense in the realm of educational futurism.

Retired professors, poet laureates, die-hard Malay nationalists who themselves are well-educated in the English language having tasted the successes and given national accolades become incoherent and hypocritical spokespersons to a government policy that will make the myth of the last native a reality.

'Strategically denying success to the poor'

These individuals do not understand changing times; that English is no longer a language of the colonials.

The colonies revolted against the colonials through the natives' mastery of the English language.

These individuals who are against the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English are giving wrong advice to the nation; mastering English does not mean challenging whatever status Bahasa Melayu has been accorded to.

The government is strategically denying success to the poor of all races, with this language policy reversal.

We are creating a nation at risk; incompetent in the language that will give them the chance to pursue their studies in good universities in the English-speaking world.

There is a specific process one needs to follow in order to gain access to Western education; especially in the fields of Science and Mathematics.

Many of the critical subjects are taught in English.

The multitude of English proficiency tests is evidence that one must understand English for specific purposes (especially in the Mathematics and Sciences) right up to being able to write a Bachelors, Masters, or even Doctoral and Post-doctoral dissertations in the English language - all these are stages one has to go through.

Especially for entry into American colleges where English proficiencyis given through tests ranging from the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) to the challenging GRE (Graduate Record Examination), which require consistent polishing of skills not only in English as a language but English taught in the content areas.

The government has blundered big time, succumbing to irrational voices disguised as those who care about the rural poor who are slow to master Mathematics and Science concepts in English.

Who said kampong kids can't learn?

There are enough success stories of children of the poor of all races coming from the rural areas slogging and struggling hard to master any language and to any subject matter and triumph to become world-class surgeons, engineers, lawyers, academicians, diplomats, musicians, and even culinary experts.

Who said kampong kids cannot be challenged academically? There is enough evidence that if you provide them with dedicated teachers, a nurturing learning environment, a supporting home, and a challenging curriculum, and constant reminder of "yes you can" and "when the going gets tough, the tough get going" - kids will excel.

Down with those who are out to underestimate the ability of our children to succeed.

We must ignore bad advice and demand for success for all - urban and rural, Bumiputra or non-Bumiputra.

We must demand a radical restructuring of our schools so that the same standard and support is given to all schools and the commitment to a philosophy that however we want our own children to succeed, we want the children of others to achieve similarly as well.

Start early in teaching English. Put an end to any effort to make the myth of the lazy native a reality.

We must remove our glass coconut shell.









Thursday, July 23, 2009

No Woman, Don't Cry

20th - 26th July 2009

Bahan-bahan yang aliran media utama pasti tidak akan menyiarkan untuk tontonan umum;






Saya telah membuat keputusan untuk menyertai 5 acara maraton dalam tahun ini. Kini saya mahu fokus sahaja terhadap 4 acara maraton yang akan diadakan dalam 4 minggu berterusan ini dari Julai tengah hingga awal Ogos manakala acara kelima akan diadakan di sekitar Oktober. Di bawah adalah pendahuluan kepada acara-acara tersebut;



Olympic Day Run, 12hb Julai


Jog for Hope Charity Run, 19hb Julai


International Golden Towerthon, 26hb Julai


adidas King of the Road, 2hb Ogos


Worldwide Festival of Races, 10hb-11hb Oktober



Acara-acara ini adalah setakat sahaja yang akan saya sertai. Jika terdapat lebih acara maraton dalam masa depan, pastinya saya tidak akan teragak-agak mendaftar diri sendiri untuknya. Sebelum anda membuat anggapan, sila fahamkan ini bahawa saya tidak langsung suka berlari. Bagi saya, larian adalah sukan kedua yang paling bosan sekali selepas golf. Saya lebih gemar untuk bermain sukan kesayangan saya, iaitu bola sepak. Namun begitu, anda memerlukan persetujuan daripada 10 monyet yang lain untuk bermain & dan membentuk sebuah pasukan. Dalam dunia ini, dimana saya boleh mencari individu yang berminat untuk menyertai pasukan saya terutamanya pemain-pemain yang bagus?

Maka, lebih baik saya menyertai sejenis sukan lain yang melibatkan seseorang individu sahaja iaitu berlari sejenak ini. Saya bukannya mahu melakukan kerja ini demi menyeksakan kaki sendiri dengan andaian saya tidak ada kerja lain nak buat. Sebaliknya saya berbuat demikian untuk meningkatkan peluang saya untuk memasuki universiti-universiti yang bertaraf dunia khususnya institusi-institusi yang menawarkan kursus Sains Sukan.

Kursus yang unik seperti ini memerlukan bukti fizikal seperti sijil atau pingat yang boleh mengesahkan bahawa saya pernah menjadi aktif dalam acara-acara sukan. Tidak mengapa kalau saya tidak dapat memenangi pingat atau hadiah dalam acara-acara diatas. Yang paling penting adalah apabila saya sampai ke garisan akhir , saya berharap untuk mendapatkan sekurang-kurangnya sijil atas usaha keras saya menghabiskan larian bodoh tersebut. Ya sijil adalah benda yang paling berharga kepada saya. Tanpanya, saya tidak dapat membuktikan diri saya kepada penemu duga universiti bahawa saya pernah melibatkan diri dalam acara-acara sukan.

Aku sebenarnya bercadang untuk memberi M'sia satu peluang lagi untuk menyedarikan aku bahawa masa depan & rezeki masih boleh dicari di tanah air sendiri, tetapi berita terkini telah menyebabkan aku tidak tahan lagi. Aku rasa mual melihat gambar di bawah;


Kematian Teoh Beng Hock


I'm sad really. Not only because I am convinced that he was murdered but also the unbearable torment that Teoh's fiancee & his family has to endure. If you, the young high school students think that breaking up with your girlfriend/boyfriend is painful, try putting yourself in the shoes of Teoh's family as well as his fiancee, Soh Sher Wei. Your small petty breakup is nothing compared to the pain of Soh's! She's pregnant for two months now & suppose to marry Teoh on the same weekend of his unfortunate death. Just imagine your soulmate, who is suppose to marry you in the following day. Everyone is talking how lucky you are to marry such a person. You've been dreaming with enthusiasm on how life will turn out to be like after marriage. But all this sheer joy were taken away from you in a blink of an eye! And yet kids (teenagers) nowadays, especially high school girls will come complaining to me that their boyfriend had dumped them while bitching about life been cruel to them as if like it's the end of the world! Tsk youngsters, they don't know how to count their blessings ~



Tunang Teoh, Soh mengatakan bahawa dia sangat merindui beliau & berjanji untuk mendidik anak mereka bagi pihaknya. Kebanyakan penghadir menangis apabila mendengar pernyataan tersebut. Saya juga menangis, sumpah.


Hasil penterjemahannya;

明福,你没有任何的交代匆匆的离开了我,
Beng Hock. You left me so suddenly without any messages.

你说我们还有很多事还没完成,
You said we have so many things we have yet to do together

有很多地方很想去,
There are a lot of places we were suppose to visit

你还说这一辈子的路都会陪我一起走下去的,
You said you would accompany me all the way

现在的我该怎么办呢?
Now, what should I do?

怎样才能再见到你呢?
How can I see you again?

我的脑海里一直都想著你,
I think of you constantly.

念著你……我只要你回来,回来我的身边……
I'm thinking of you... I want you to come back, come back to my side...

这几天我一直都在等你,
Over the past few days, I keep waiting for you

但是却让我失望了,
But it has been a disappointment.

我只想知道你现在过得好不好,痛不痛……?
I just want to know if you are alright, are you in pain...?

请你别让我等那么久好吗?就让我再见你一次,一次就好。
Could you not keep me in waiting? Let me see you once. Just once is enough.

当哭泣以及呼唤都无法叫醒你的时候,
When my tears and shouts are unable to wake up you,

我已不能不相信你已永远的离开了我。
I have no choice but to believe that you have left me forever.

再多的不舍今天还是要与你告别了。
Today, I still have to say goodbye.

我答应你,我会好好的活下去。
I promise you, I will lead a proper life.

但是,你一定要在我身边陪伴我,陪我一起照顾他。
But, you must promise to be beside me, and raise (the child) with me.

明福,虽然今世我与你的缘分已尽了。
Beng Hock, our journey in this life has ended.

但是我希望,如果有下一辈子的话,我很想与你再继我们今生的缘分。
But I hope, if there is a next life, I really hope that you can I can continue our journey.

你安心上路吧,愿你安息。
May you rest in peace.


"The corrupt politicians say, "Where is your God now?" When I look for Him in the north, He is not there. When I look for Him in the south, He is not there. Neither He is in the west or east. I've realized that God has already left M'sia a long time ago..."


A sarcastic statement from Marc ~





Air Mata
Baba Zain

Air mata teman setia
engkau tak pernah mungkir

dalam genggaman sepi kurungan duka

dalam kebenaran yang diterima
gugur seperti embun dingin dari gelap jiwa.


Andainya pada malam hari

menangis seorang lelaki

air mata adalah saksi

kejujuran pengakuannya

air mata tak bisa mungkir

apabila keikhlasan menjemputnya.


Andainya pada subuh sunyi

menangis seorang wanita

air mata adalah nabi

datang dengan bibir suci

mengucup deritanya

air mata tak bisa mungkir

apabila ia tak lagi berpura.


Air jernih mengalir ini

tak akan membantu senyuman

ia sampai sempadan yang memisahkan

kegelapan dalam diri

dan senyum pada wajah.


Air mata memberi kita kesempatan

untuk menemui diri

sebagai suami yang penyayang

atau isteri yang setia

sebagai lelaki yang lemah

atau wanita yang berdosa.



Puisi di atas adalah penghormatan kepada tunang Teoh, Soh. Semoga beliau yang telah meninggal dunia dapat berehat dengan aman.


"God, forgive those who have sinned against you, for they do not know what they are doing. But please burn the murderers of Teoh in hell, for they know what they are doing yet unremorseful"


A selfish yet noble prayer from Marc ~







































Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Save The Cheerleader, Save The World

6th - 19th July 2009

I've realized how much my English composition has improved ever since my blog was set up for the first time. Recently the results of my trial exams is only 40% particularly for the Bahasa Malaysia subject. This is a warning sign that I must buck up my efforts as my STPM is just around the corner in a few more months. Maybe now is the time for me to start paying more attention towards my Malay-ness. Therefore from now on, I will post articles in my blog by using only the national language until the month of December. Hope you guys don't mind too much because of my below average proficiency in Malay =/


Harimau Lembik VS Syaitan Merah


18hb Julai, 5.30 petang, pasukan bola sepak Manchester United akan melawan pasukan kebangsaan kita. Walaupun saya menyokong Manchester United dengan sepenuh hatiya, namun saya berasa amat kecewa bahawa pasukan ini yang berkaliber tinggi ingin datang ke M'sia untuk 'membuli' pasukan negara saya. Adalah ketara sekali betapa teruknya standard pasukan M'sia. Apa yang lebih saya hairan ialah kebanyakan penonton rakyat M'sia akan menyokong pasukan yang akan membelasahi negara mereka sendiri. Ini menunjukkan tahap semangat patriostisme rakyat kita terhadap tanah airnya.

Malah ahli pemasaran yang mempromosikan perlawanan tersebut telah habis menjualkan tiket untuk penonton menyaksikan sesi latihan Syaitan Merah (The Red Devils). Bagaimana pula dengan tiket untuk menyaksikan sesi latihan pasukan Harimau (The Tigers)? Saya dengan mengandaikan bahawa satu tiket pun masih belum dijual. Inilah hakikat yang mencerminkan iman rakyat terhadap pasukan kebangsaan mereka sendiri.


Cuba bayangkan jika anda berada dalam keadaan ahli pemain negara kita. Setiap penonton yang hadir untuk perlawanan tersebut, bersorak untuk pihak lawan pula. Kalau saya mestilah motivasi saya hendak bermain dengan semangat terjejas. Di samping itu, saya juga akan berasa amat kecewa. Lebih baik saya duduk dalam rumah daripada memalukan diri saya di depan beribu-ribu rakan senegara sendiri, kan? Tetapi itulah realiti yang akan berlaku pada 18th July. Tujuan pasukan bola sepak M'sia didirikan adalah untuk kalah sahaja.


Faktor psikologi memainkan peranan yang penting dalam pretasi para atlet kerana ia boleh membezakan antara menang dengan kalah. Atlet yang bermoral tinggi pastinya akan memberikan persaingan yang hebat. Manakala atlet yang motivasinya rendah pula pasti akan mudah mengalah kerana dia tidak mempunyai semangat nak berusaha bersungguh-sungguh untuk mencapai kemenangan. Maka, untuk penonton rakyat M'sia menghulurkan sokongan mereka kepada pasukan negara sendiri adalah sangat penting supaya ahli pemain pasukan M'sia kita akan berlawan bermati-matian.


Contohnya, kita boleh melihat negara Korea Selatan semasa Piala Dunia FIFA 2002 diadakan di Japan/Korea Selatan. Adakah anda boleh melihat sekurang-kurangnya seorang di negara-negara tersebut, khususnya rakyat Korea Selatan memakai jersi negara lain untuk menunjukkan sokongan mereka? Langsung tiada seorang pun! Sebaliknya setiap rakyat Korea Selatan akan memakai jersi pasukan kebangsaan sendiri yang melambangkan cinta terhadap tanah air mereka. Akhirnya, pasukan Korea Selatan berjaya memasuki sampai peringkat separuh akhir dalam pertandingan tersebut. Tengok betapa hebatnya sokongan moral boleh membantu seorang para atlet menunjukkan peraksiannya yang hebat sekali;



Perlawanan dengan Togo semasa peringkat kelayakan


Perayaan atas kemenangan dalam peringkat suku akhir dengan Sepanyol


Bandar Seoul semasa perlawanan dengan Germany dalam peringkat separuh akhir


Penyokong meneriakkan "Daehan Minguk" (Korea secara formal)


"Terima kasih rakyat atas sokonganmu!"


"Kami memerlukan bantuan anda untuk menghadapi musuh. Sokonglah M'sia!"


Memenuhi kewajipan anda sebagai anak M'sia atau membuat sebuah kelab asing lebih kaya? Pilihannya terletak di tangan anda.


Saya bukannya seorang patriotik, sebab saya sudah memutuskan untuk melanjutkan pelajaran saya ke negara lain selepas STPM berakhir. Jesteru itu, saya akan memohon kewarganegaraan di negara tersebut lepas tamat pengajian saya. Jadi buat apa saya nak sokong pasukan bodoh yang korup dari segi perkauman & agama? Tengoklah gambar pasukan M'sia sekali lagi;

Bukan pasukan M'sia, tetapi pasukan Me-Layu


Saya tidak percaya langsung bahawa tiada seorang Cina, India & lain-lain pun yang tidak pandai bermain bola sepak. Tak sangka Dasar Ekonomi Baru (DEB) juga dipraktikkan di bidang sukan. Sebab itu saya mesti berhijrah ke negara yang lebih adil, saksama & amanah supaya saya boleh diberi peluang untuk menunjukkan kebolehan saya tanpa sebarang diskriminasi. Negara itu ialah;


Ooh Kanada, awak membuat saya terpegun ~





O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy sons command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada!
Land of our forefathers
Thy brow is wreathed with a glorious garland of flowers.
As is thy arm ready to wield the sword,
So also is it ready to carry the cross.
Thy history is an epic of the most brilliant exploits.
Thy valour steeped in faith
Will protect our homes and our rights
Will protect our homes and our rights.


Yes I know. I've stated in my previous post that I'll be staying in M'sia to study in a university locally. Well, I change my mind!


At least I won't get arrested for singing the national anthem while holding a candle in Canada!




"Tegas, Adil & Berhemah" ;)