The title of the post did not came from me but from a prominent guy in my church, Shawn Lee (google it up) who is best known for his beatboxing skills. I just love people who are highly ambitious. They are those that dare to take the bull by it's horn. In other words, these people are not afraid to take risks in their lives. They are willing to make sacrifices, putting everything in stake in order to reach their dreams & goals. Like the Nike slogan, they don't care what others think, they JUST do it. Ambitious people inspires me to give my best especially in the things I love to do, football. Seeing Shawn achieving success today with his talents motivates me to believe that I too can overcome challenges & obstacles that I face.
I can predict what has Shawn gone through in his life. Probably both of his parents & friends have never believe that he could actually made this far. I'm sure there is one time they told him before that beatboxing should be regarded as a hobby only & not a career because "this is M'sia mah, how to 'cari makan' doing something like this?". You have heard that familiar phrase a million times isn't it? Imagine what is his parents reaction when he said that he wants to travel to Germany to participate in a beatboxing competition at international level. A typical Chinese parents would just lash out a flat no. How distressing it is for Shawn when his parents ask him tough questions like;
- "Are you out of your bloody mind!? Have you been drinking lately?"
- "This is M'sia you know. Either you study or you do business thats's it!"
- "You are an Asian about to compete with Westerners. What makes you so special?"
- "We're M'sians lah! M'sians where can excel in things like music or sports!?"
- "Absolutely cannot! Pay more attention to your studies instead!"
- "If you treat us as you family then don't ever bring up this issue again!"
- "How can much can you earn really with a career in beatboxing?"
- "One day you have to feed your future wife & kids. Don't tell me beatboxing is going to help you put food on the table."
- "You have to be realistic in life. Just treat beatboxing as a hobby."
- "Germany ar!? Lei chi sin lah! Their currency Euro is more expensive than our Ringgit M'sia you know? So more you have think where are you gonna live, what are you gonna eat & how to travel there! How leh if you get kidnap in Germany!?" Bla bla bla...
Despite negative remarks from his peers, Shawn managed to travel to Germany as a representative of M'sia & won 6th place in the World Beatboxing Championship. Today almost every M'sian urbanite knows who is Shawn Lee. He's travelling all over the place to perform & showcase his ability on public events. He has wowed every person he meets especially famous celebrities like Hannah Tan. Shawn Lee is on a role! I too face a similar persecution from my family & friends when I told them that I want to be a football coach. Whatever rejection I faced is exactly what Shawn may had experienced too. People are doubtful of their own abilites just because of their own nationality as M'sians. To them if you are born a Malaysian, then you cannot achieve success unless you are from a developed nation like Japan, US, UK, etc. If you think about venturing into something like the music industry, then you are considered a very stupid person because this is M'sia mah, where can cari makan with music? People like Shawn, Amber Chia, Nicol David, Lee Chong Wei, Jimmy Choo, Daniel Lee & others are just lucky only that's all! No such thing as hardwork & perseverance! It's all bout luck oni wan! Correct hor M'sians? We M'sians with the "this is M'sia mah!" mentality are born as losers & will die as losers.
Sports, music, performing arts & entertainment. These are the professions which M'sians can be very sceptical of. Shawn & I could have just chosen the typical path of a 'cinapek'. Get a decent education, do something 'common' like business, medicine, engineering, etc. Eventually get married, bore a few kids. Then after that work your ass off to earn enough for your retirement & kid's future education. In the end you're buried 6 feet under & your kid's will repeat the same thing as well as your children's children going through the same life cycle. Is this the kind of life we want to live? There is just so much more life has to offer than that! No wonder why are there so many people, especially youths are taking up smoking nowadays. They just don't know what is their purpose in life. They think that worldly pleasures such as ungodly relationships, drugs, clubbing, alcohol, black metal, rebellion in society & even more smoking can fulfill the hole in their hearts but...
I mention before in "The Typical Parents, Destroyer of Nation Building" about how autocratic parents are hindering the next generation from reaching their fullest potential. Again I'm not saying that kids should be given total democracy when it comes to decision making in life but only to an extent on what they want to be when they grow up without anyone dictating that choice. I don't mind if my parents doesn't want to give me my allowance. I don't mind if my parents say that I cannot have a girlfriend. I don't even mind if my parents doesn't want me to have an education but what I do mind is when my parents banning me from playing sports because sports is my life's passion. Sports is like my bread & oxygen. Sports is what I hold dearly & in many occasions I have put my foot firm on the ground, telling my parents that is what I enjoy doing & this what I want to do when I grow up. Sports is not a want, but a need for me because God has already planted a desire in me to play sports in order to glorify His name & fulfill His will for me. Of course you may have to experience rejection in order to get what you want.
For example when my aunt came to my house during one time just to help my mom to persuade me from giving up my dreams. In most family institutions, it doesn't matter how good you can debate on a certain topic but in the end, who is in control (eldest) of the family. Despite giving alot of good points that the sports industry in M'sia has a bright future, my aunt still ignored my plea & finally snapped, saying that if I ever treat her as my aunt then don't ever question her authority & bring up this issue up ever again. Of course I stood up my ground & insist that sports is my calling & ultimately my future is my own decision to make, not hers. I do not know about Shawn's situation but for my case, I have to go through a series of persecution to protect my dreams.
However, not many people can be as resolute as me (not trying to be arrogant though). I'm glad that after a long civilized discussion with my parents, they have agreed to let me pursue my dreams in sports without any interference. On the contrary, some people would just give in to the demands of their parents & pursue something else according to their wishes. From here, you can already picture what the scenario would be like. The child does something he/she dislikes. After many years of enduring frustration, the child finally regretted & realized it is too late to pursue their dreams & ambitions anymore probably due to their age barrier. They end up throwing tantrums at their parents, cursing them with names that would pierce anyone's heart. Eventually the child schemed a conspiracy to send their parents to an old folks home as a form of revenge but with an excuse saying that he/she is too busy to look after them. The parents would then cry out, "Where have we gone wrong?"
This is why whenever I pass by a retirement home, there won't be any slight feeling of sympathy in my heart whatsoever, seeing all those old folks just sitting & waiting, wondering when their children will ever be coming to pay them a visit besides the Grim Reaper. I would just smirk while mocking at them in my mind, "This is your reward for disallowing the freedom of your children to decide their own future in the first place. Now you know how it feels when they decide for you."
Anyway keep it up Shawn, if only there are more M'sians like you.
On Sunday 7th June, Vincent Cheng was the most happiest guy on earth when he's finally married to Lim Li Hsia. The dinner event was held at Equatorial Hotel, KL. I must say, I'm quite impressed with services of the hotel. Every staff I've met, especially the ballroom waiter was quite courteous & friendly. Even as a guest, the experience that night was just awesome, simply amazing. After this I'm looking forward to attend even more weddings ;)
Pictures taken in courtesy of Gladys. Here imitating a scene from 'The Godfather'
What happens after drinking too much wine?
Everyone say 'keju'Raja Petra Kamarudin
NOAH and THE ARK
In the year 2020, the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in Malaysia, and said: Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I see the end of all flash before me. Build another Ark and save two of every living things along with a few good humans.
He gave Noah the blueprints, saying: You have six months to build the Ark before I start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights.
Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard, but no Ark.
Noah! He roared. I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?
Forgive me, Lord, begged Noah, but things have changed.
First, I need to have a BUMIPUTRA PARTNER who is linked to UMNO. Then I needed a building permit from DBKL and also have to pay under-counter money to get the permit.
Then I've been arguing with the BOMBA inspector about the need for a sprinkler system.
My neighbours complained to The Malay Mail about the height of the Ark I was going to build and the next day it was in the headlines claiming that I've violated the neighbourhood building by-laws because my Ark is going to exceed the height limitations. I appealed to the magistrate and it was approved.
The Opposition then took advantage of the situation and said I was a government crony and they did nasty things with my face in the Internet. I don’t know how they managed to superimpose my face on a naked body with naked MP’s and portrayed it on the YouTube. Oh Lord you are the All Knowing and you know I did not take the photos of the MP.
Then there was another stop-work order even before I could start work. After that the Badan Cegah Rasuah arrested me for pornography.
I talked to a lawyer who looks like Ambitah Bachan -- talks like him, acts like him, but is not him. He said he knows the Chief Justice and the Prime Minister -- the Apa Nama -- and can clear my name but I have to buy them tickets to Australia.
After clearing my name I had to again go to the DBKL Appeal Board for a decision to allow me to build the Ark.
Then the government, after approving the plans, said I must use only SIRIM approved goods and that I must buy from their list of CLASS F Bumiputera contractors and their prices are 15 times more expensive than the Chinaman hardware shop.
Then TNB and JPJ demanded that I post a bond for the future costs of moving power-lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the Ark 's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us but they would hear nothing of it.
Getting the timber for the Ark was another problem. SUKHAM and the JABATAN HUTAN NEGARA said that there's a ban on the cutting local trees in order to save the Orang Utan.
I tried to convince SUKHAM and JABATAN HUTAN NEGARA that I needed the wood to save the Orang Hutan but they said no go.
When I started gathering the animals, JAKIM and an animal rights group sued me. JAKIM said I cannot put the chickens and the pigs next to each other as it WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED HALAL and the animal rights group insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued that the accommodations were too restrictive and that it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.
Then JABATAN KERJA RAYA and JABATAN KAJIAN DAN GALIAN ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an Environmental Impact Study on your proposed flood.
I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Human Rights Commission on how many Bumiputera contractors I'm supposed to hire for my building crew.
JABATAN IMMIGRASI and RELA are checking the status of most of the people who want to work.
The trade unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only union workers with Ark-building experience.
As I started to clear the area to build the Ark, six gangsters came and demanded protection money. They said they will control the area for the selling of drugs and the supply of prostitutes to my workers.
When I complained to the POLIS, the next day the IGP sent an ASP who came in full uniform. Unfortunately he also happens to be one of the six gangsters who were demanding protection money and so he doubled my protection fee.
Then there was a by-election and I was forced to become an UMNO member to get my permits approved and was made to pay a donation by the Barisan Nasional candidate in the so-called spirit of MUHIBBAH. Otherwise they will make life difficult for me.
Every department I turned to is asking what they call “Kopi Wang”.
I calculated that if I paid all the so-called “Kopi Wang” and also give them the donation they ask, the cost to build the Ark will be 20 times higher. But I refused to give them the “Kopi Wang” as I am faithful to you Oh Lord.
Then some top-level politicians became very disappointed with me for not giving them the donations and they started calling me a Murtad. I told them my name is Noah and not Murtad and they got very angry and said they have connections.
Suddenly I became a suspect in the murder of a Mongolian lady because the place where she was murdered happens to be on the land where I am going to build the Ark and I was then arrested.
To make matters worse, the Jabatan HASIL seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. I have just been released from ISA.
So, forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark.
Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.
Noah looked up in wonder and asked, you mean you're not going to destroy the world?
No, said the Lord, the Malaysian Government beat me to it!
So farny lah this country ~
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