You're Lucky Enough If You Meet One Of Them

The best part of living on a string of randomness is, you're never going to know who you're going to meet. Somewhere around the world, there are strangers who are waiting to know you. Somewhere at this very moment, there are strangers who are yet to be friends of yours. Billions of people will encounter you, some of them will know you, a few of them will be close to you, but only a very small number of them will define you. And it's very hard to say which one of them is the real definition of being somebody. But I can tell you this; you're lucky enough if you meet one of these people, at the very least.

1. Those who listen.

Believe me, you may not want to hear anything from anybody. You may not want to get any attention from those around you. But you will definitely want someone to listen to you, and make every word you say worth every minute.

2. Those who tell.

When you're in need, they appear and give what is best for you. They should not tell what you should or shouldn't do, but they should tell what you're supposed to do when you want to. A piece of neutral advice, or thousands of suggestions, they are the ones who provide them.

3. Those who comfort.

It's not necessarily portrayed in a form of physical contact or abstract words. Sometimes it is merely enough to know that they are there for you. When you know they exist somewhere, even though you don't see them, you're already comforted. That's them.

4. Those who walk with.

Be it into the brightest day of your life or the darkest shadow of your fright, life will never be so threatening when you have someone who always walks right beside you. If happiness and sadness don't have any effect on them, what makes you think it will have any on you?

5. Those who stop.

The greatest friend is not the one who always says yes to everything you say. Instead, the greatest is the one who dares to say no to you when you want to jump into something you're not supposed to. A friend who always praises will kill you, and a friend who mocks will make you remain awake.

6. Those who love.

Everyday you wish to love and to be loved. But have you ever thought about a day when you meet people and you never know that one day you're going to fall for them. It's the easiest type of people to meet. You will encounter them sooner or later, and you will feel so great. But remember, the easiest and the greatest don't promise you the best. Nevertheless, they complete you perfectly.

7. Those who inspire.

It is the hardest one to catch. Hear my words carefully. There will be people whose words and wisdom never cease to amaze you. There will be people whose talks and writings never fail to bless you. There will be people who sing songs and poems to you, and not even one bit of regret penetrates you. The only questions are, do you even realize that they are around? And if you do, what are you up to?

That's why I said you're so damn lucky if you're able to meet one of them, and you're luckiest if you have all of them beside you. So, have you met one today?

Edisi Khas Bahasa Melayu 1: Peta Minda Sang Penulis

Maka dimulakan inti pati karangan enam perenggan berunsurkan intonasi serba mengarut khas untuk Bahasa Melayu tercinta. Mengapa? Khas untuk Bahasa Melayu tercinta. Mengapa? Sekali sekala mengarut dalam bahasa ibunda seronok juga. Maklumlah, pengaruh rakan sebaya.

Hatta tersebutlah sebuah hikayat sang penulis yang hobinya sudah tentulah menulis, pencinta keindahan bahasa dan kata-kata ditegur oleh rakan-rakannya. Mengapa? Sebab dia sangat suka memikirkan sesuatu yang bukan-bukan. Hendak dijadikan cerita, suatu hari dia bercadang untuk menghasilkan sebuah karangan yang dalamnya bukan sekadar kata-kata tumpul sebaliknya...alahai, istilahnya tidak dapat dijumpai.

Andai kata seorang manusia itu malas bernafas, maka ratusan tahun dahulu kaum Mayan pastinya tidak sempat menghasilkan kalendar tepat lalu para saintis dan cendekiawan sekarang juga tidak terbayangkan ramalan tragedi 2012. Andai kata seekor katak itu tidak pandai melompat, sudah tentu penggubah lagu kanak-kanak terpaksa memerah otak menggantikan lagu 'Lompat Si Katak'. Pendek cerita, perubahan sesuatu norma akan mengubah keperibadian seluruh alam.

Ribuan tahun terdahulu pelbagai legenda kecantikan sang puteri dipropagandakan sehingga kecantikan wanita hari ini dibanding-bandingkan dengan mereka. Tetapi jika dua wanita cantik ingin dipertandingkan kecantikannya, haruslah kedua-duanya diletak bersebelahan supaya perbandingan tepat dapat dilaksanakan. Dalam erti kata lain, sang puteri yang hidup pada zaman dahulu patut dibawa ke sini dan ayuh nilaikan keindahannya. Dalam erti kata lain juga, kalau sang puteri yang disebut-sebut itu masih hidup pada zaman sekarang untuk dibandingkan, tentunya dia sudah menjadi wanita tua kerepot dan tidak lagi jelita seperti dahulu. Terang-terang si gadis sekarang akan menang. Tidak begitu? Jadi mengapa harus dibandingkan lagi?

Sang penulis wajib membaca demi memperkayakan ilmu dan bahasa di dada. Namun berapa ramaikah yang sudi meluangkan masa mengeja setiap perkataan dan seterusnya mengeja semula perkataan yang lebih susah? Seperti belasungkawa, fata morgana dan logamaya? Malah si penulis ini sendiri tidaklah sehebat mana. Dia baca kesemuanya, kecuali perkara yang tidak ingin dibacanya. Mengapa? Tepuk dada tanyalah selera.

Dalam halaman ilmu pengetahuan wujud sebuah gerbang yang terbuka luas. Tapi bukan semua mampu menjumpainya. Seperti seorang guru yang pernah menghasilkan peribahasa aneh berbunyi, 'Bagai meletakkan telur goreng di mulut orang mati', jawapan sebenar tidak mungkin diketahui semua. Oleh itu, fikir sebelum berfikir.

KTMB: A Love Story

So it was a very bright morning that day. I could see clearly everyone's face, the way they moved and adjusted their shoes. The sky was like a shining crystal that allowed me to walk with my eyes closed. The lights were dazzling my sight but I could smell the niceness of their perfumes from so far, indeed. Thank God, because if I couldn't see a thing but suddenly smelled something so fragrant, well, it would scare me to death. And I realized that eyes and the ability to smell don't really relate. But who cares?

Then suddenly there was an announcement.

"Attention to all passengers. Not for your own safety, do stand in front of the yellow line. Because the train will be arriving at platform number two. Very soon. Do get in first before the passengers inside the train get out. Do not hesitate. If some you died, then the place would be less crowded. Thank you."

Nobody listened to the announcement. Nobody followed the order. A minute later, they announced another.

"Attention to all passengers. Due to some technical difficulties, the train from Rawang to Seremban will be delayed for 40 minutes from schedule. I am very sorry that I joked around about your death just now. I do hope for all of you to live. I want y'all to survive and arrive late at respective workplace. I want you to get fired. I want you to suffer, alive. Thank you."

Everyone panicked. The horror of being late was unbearable. But there came in another voice at the station.

"Attention to all passengers. The train has departed from Rawang station. It will be arriving in 25 minutes time. I apologise again for wanting y'all to get fired. I did not mean to mention about it just now. It was too soon. I'll save it for later. Thank you."

Everyone stopped looking at each other. Honestly I had no idea why they looked at other people every time they heard something weird. For that did not matter, a final announcement was made.

"Attention to all passengers. The train from Rawang will be arriving at platform number two. For your own safety, please stand behind the yellow line. Please wait for the passenger inside the train to get out first. Thank you."

Now we know why they were always late and why they always announced something so nicely. Love story? Well, I witnessed that couples didn't really care about the train being late. They were in a different world.

When Will You Unleash Your Worst Feeling?

Allow me to go straight to the point this time. When will you unleash your worst feeling? A simple question and I believe a lot of us can produce more than one answer or situation that leads to our damnedest emotions. Well, I can suggest some predicaments. Let us see if any of these hits a bullseye.

Predicament One - Losing Your Best Effort

Imagine you're working on something. Be it an assignment or some other work, you do it with your best concentration and determination. Then you finish it, and save it in your computer. The next day when you're about to print and submit it, you realize that the data has been corrupted, or accidentally deleted. Tell me how you feel.

Predicament Two - You Don't Score

Examination is just around the corner and you have been studying and preparing yourself to ensure that you will come up with the best possible result. When the time comes, you enter the hall, refresh your mind, and suddenly you realize that it is blank. You panic, and you don't do well. When the paper ends, you go out and curse yourself, while all of your friends are laughing and telling each other how easy the paper was. Tell me how you feel.

Predicament Three - You Kill Your Pet

You always spend your time playing with your favourite pet. You never miss a day. Then one day your family plan for a seven-day trip and you excitedly join them. Well, you can't bring your pet together, which means you have to leave it. After seven days of thrills, you come home just to see your pet lying in the cage, not moving. You forgot to leave some food and drinks. You even forgot to set it free. Tell me how you feel.

Predicament Four - Someone Dies

This is the regular basis of everyone's emotions. Everyday you love someone, a family or friend or partner, and life is never complete without any of them. But one day you have to face the reality, that people will die and leave you waiting for your turn. When someone you care leaves the world and never comes back, I can imagine how you feel.

Predicament Five - Being Unwanted

Personally, I believe this is the worst. The worst feeling in the world comes out when you see the one you love, is loving someone else. You watch and meet them, you sit right next to them, but you know you can't have them. They talk about other people. They miss other people. And the best part is, you're not good enough to try and win them, and you're not even bad enough to sabotage and turn things around. How would you feel?

Love Love Hate Hate

Purity of mind is a state that influences humans to act or react in the lives of a society. And yes, it also affects the way one deals with personal emotions. When the mind is crystal clear and fresh, everything goes well and what is not can be made right. But when the mind darkens, not a single thing can define glory and happiness.

Love is one factor that alters this state. When we love doing a thing, then every moment spent on it is never a waste. When we love someone, then all the lights around us turn brighter and put a smile on our face. When we are loved, then there is not a word that scares and makes us feel unsafe.

However, hate is another factor that changes our purity of mind. When we hate a job, then every second feels slower than normal. When we hate a person, then the darkest heart seems to grow. When we are hated, then there will not even be an ounce of joy hiding behind our soul.

But no matter how much we love to love and to be loved, no matter how much we hate to hate and to be hated, we can't choose to only have one of them. We need both. Because despite everything that contradicts our wish, we must first feel them in order to understand them, and finally learn from them.

Love and hate can never be separated. Love and hate can never be terminated. We have got to know the right way to make them work with us. We have got to do the right thing.

Love is the feeling we should love, and hate is the feeling we should hate. And that is why, ladies and gentlemen, we need both of them.

Aliens Are Afraid Of Us

On the 3rd of December 2009, five aliens landed on our beloved Earth. They had been observing our world for years and they believed that was the right time to come down and infiltrate the planet. They thought that we had been very ignorant and forgetting about the definition of being prepared.

They entered a museum, they gave a look at all those pictures and stuff, and they talked. Now, what you are about to read is the translated version of their conversations. It is way above classified.

Alien One:

"You know, one day I saw a couple of humans watching a movie together in their house. In order to learn about their culture and everything, I secretly joined them. I watched the movie with them. Seriously, the movie was damn good! I was emotionally touched! The title was 'The Notebook'. Now I feel like crying, man."

Alien Two:

"Stupid! That kind of movies only makes you become weaker! They give you emotions, they make you cry, they make you become sensitive! We don't need those things! Look at me, last month I stole a DVD titled 'The Dark Knight', and I have been very brave since. It was about a superhero who fights bad people who steal, murder and whatever. And there was The Joker, the craziest super villain you can ever see!"

Alien Three:

"I watched 'The Time Traveler's Wife' the other day, and I just wept. Oh my God, you have no idea how tragic the movie was. Can you imagine, what will you do if you have an ability to time travel, but you can't control it and you keep disappearing like, everyday? And your wife has to wait for you, bear the pain of having another time traveler in her stomach. Honestly dude, it was effing good! And the moment when he knew the day he...he...uuhuhuhuhuu! (burst into tears)"

Alien Four:

"Okay, stop it already! Let me tell you a funny movie that I watched last month, 'Night At The Museum: Battle Of The Smithsonian'. It was so stupid, yet it made me laugh, mate! Can you believe it? All the statues, pictures and other exhibits in the museum came to life at night! Whoa! Now look around us. Imagine if these things suddenly start moving and talking and attacking us. What's the time, now? Yeah, another 20 minutes. Haha!"

Alien Five (The Captain):

"Okay, let's move out! The mission is canceled!"

Alien One, Two, Three, Four:

"Why???"

Alien Five:

"Are you guys stupid? Have you not listened to what you said just now? They can make you cry, they have a superhero who fights bad guys, they got a time traveler, and their museum becomes alive at night! They are more dangerous than I thought! We need to come up with a better plan! I also heard there will be movies about the most intelligent detective called Sherlock Holmes, and about two great warriors titled 'The Storm Warriors'! You want to wait for that? Don't be stupid, and don't you guys ever watch them! Let's move! Damn, these humans are good!"

Alien Two:

"They also got another alien race that is big and able to transform into any sort of technologies. And they fight for humans, too."

Alien Four:

"Hey, maybe we should find the One Ring that can destroy everything, right? Let's go to Mordor! Or maybe we should create a perfume that makes everyone else bow to us!"

Alien Five:

"Shut up."

Earth Is The Biggest Toilet In The World

About ten years ago, a boy went fishing near a friend's house. Long story short, after a few hours spent on waiting for fish to finally take the bait, he needed to pee. So he walked into an orchard in order to...you know. He found a bush, he was ready, and before he could manage to 'unleash' everything he no longer needed, he heard a scream! He looked around, panicked, and saw two adults and two kids, all were female, walking towards him. So the scream was actually a shortened version of "Hey! I can see you...!!!"

That was the boy's first and last attempt to pee at a place not called 'toilet' and he failed disgracefully. He never tried or wanted to do it again since.

Well, this story only happened to this boy, or perhaps to certain people around the world. Which means, not everybody has encountered this kind of humiliating incidents, and even if we all have, not all of us learned or regretted that it happened. This leads to the main point of this entry.

Everyday we witness or hear about people (normally men) taking a leak at a place that is not meant for that activity. Bus stations, buildings' walls, car parks, playgrounds and more! As if those places have a signboard telling, "Do pee here for better results", like what is usually found on facial treatment products (they change the first three words of course).

I was thinking about this the other day. Thank God girls aren't provided with the same 'hose' like boys (even though some of them succeeded in visualizing the 'What a man can, a woman can too' attitude), thank God humans aren't made to pee every 10 minutes (even though I do that sometimes when the temperature is low), and thank God I hate Mathematics (this one has got nothing to do with anything).

What I'm trying to say is, if things were the other way round, then Earth would not last long, let alone to wait for 2012 (I give it two and a half stars out of five). My teacher (an ustaz) once told me that taking a leak in the most sincere thing we can ever do. Because we will never regret doing it and say "Oh no! I just peed! What a waste!". It is extremely true! But if it's done at a wrong place, well that's a whole different story.

Look around you now. Don't get shocked if one morning you wake up and see some yellowish liquid and they don't smell like tea, because someone just relieved himself at your house.

GIRLS MEET BOYS

There was once a girl
who saw an ignorant boy
and she fell for him
but she couldn't reach him

One day she tried to meet him
she wanted to talk to him
and the boy listened
and the girl flew away into the wonderland

There was another boy
who was a stranger
where did he come from?
what was his name?

There was a second girl
who saw the ignorant one
with a jubilant girl
they were holding hands

Then the boy saw that girl
and fell for her
while the girl who was beside him
well, he would want to forget

Then the ignorant met the second
and the jubilant was left unwanted
didn't know what to do
she cried over nights and days

There was once a girl
who fell in love with a boy
but she was never meant to stay
and the stranger came to rescue her day

He didn't do much
but to comfort when she needed one
when her sky was bright he was gone
when the dark clouds surrounded she wouldn't be alone

Perfect For Human Research!

No laboratory needed, less money included, daily access with more than 20 up-to-you locations, this is definitely the best medium for anybody to conduct a research on human patterns, appearances, attitudes and lives. Almost everything is provided and you do not need to prepare yourself with anything except a very powerful observation and a small absorbent material because you will probably sweat, a lot.

Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you, Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB)!

Indeed everyone, KTMB provides you with quite a big number of samples that will help you proceed with the data-gathering process. They are all free and you do not need to worry about the possible 'Can't Do' responses because they will definitely cooperate!

I have just 'done' a study titled 'An Observation On Types Of People Who Step Into The Train That Ranges From Seremban To Rawang Everyday' and come up with several entertaining results. This was done on Friday, 13th November 2009 at 5.30 to 6.30 p.m. I have found five obvious types of people there, which are:

1. 'Fainter'

This type of people is probably the weakest kind of passengers in a train, physically and mentally. Normally they come with a small body and people will hardly realize them. 'Fainters' will drown in the sea of the multicultural train society, like a headless sardine in a can. People will only see them when they are down on the floor. They get seats after that.

2. Actor

They are still new in the industry and getting nervous for their first upcoming advertisement or drama. So they keep practicing and repeating their dialogues, hoping they will be able to memorize them. Their common dialogues are, "Let people out first!!!", "Can't you have patience!!?" and "My leg! My Leg...(pause)...my leg!". With various intonations, of course.

3. Lost Lover

Individuals of this type wait at the train station in pairs. When the train comes, they want to enter together, but the world in never fair, they are stopped and separated by hundreds of immovable figures, that they have to shout to one another, "Wait me at Sungai Buloh's sta....(door closed!)!". Very tragic.

4. Worker

Workers normally possess a temper and are very prone to violence. Since they are so into working and do not have time to socialize, they do not enjoy being with people, feeling the heat and sniffing the odour from the crowd, let alone getting body contact. If one of these happens, their eyes will burn and they will start pushing people away from them. They will also produce a few dialogues to make the drama slightly interesting. "Don't step on my foot!", "Move backwards!", "Move! Move! I wanna go out! I said move!", and "Don't lean on me!!". They are easily worked up.

5. Opposer

Panic or exhaustion might cause this type of people to appear, and they are definitely the most hated people in there. When they are told to wait and let others go out first, they go in. When they are told to move and make way, they stand still. They will normally trigger the Worker to become active, but most of the people would just give up on them. They seem very confident in behaving strangely and doing the opposite.

p/s: This is what you get when the train is overcrowded.

Let's Make It The Other Way Round!

There is a day in which most of the people, if not all, would wait excitedly in every year. They'd make sure that the day would never be forgotten by themselves, and ironically especially, those around them. If this was to be made a test, the result would be exactly the same; everybody said "Birthday"!

Yes, indeed, most of us here would never want to miss this day. It is like a very special and unique event that allows us to remember how we were made to exist. Unfortunately, I don't feel the same way. I mean, I'm not much of a person who cares about his own birthday. I don't know why. I would be deeply touched if people remembered my day of birth, but I wouldn't mind if they didn't. However, I do understand why, for some people, this day is the most awaited day in their lives. But let's not talk about it, shall we?

I was thinking about what would happen if birthday was meant to be different from what we see now. What if on our birthday, we had to give away presents to people who wished us instead of us getting some from them? What if that was the norm of life? Would people feel the same way about celebrating a birthday? Would they be excited? I don't think so.

I have come up with some possible excuses that people might use in order to avoid celebrating a birthday, if the rule was indeed changed. Feel free to read them.

Excuse One:

"I was born on 29th February. That day only appears once in four years. Too bad that I won't be celebrating birthday this year. Maybe next time, okay? When that year comes, I'd tell you when my birthday is."

The next you meet and ask them, they say, "Oh shoot! You just missed it! It was last week."

Excuse Two:

"I used to have a beautiful cat named Dr. Mohd Farhan Bin Jamal and I loved him very much. One day when we were celebrating my birthday, he suddenly died. I promised myself to never celebrate birthday again since."

Excuse Three:

"I'm in a relationship with a girl who is extremely overprotective. Last year, when a girl who was a friend of mine wished me birthday, she beat her to near death. The next half an hour, she did the same to another friend of mine. This time it was a man. You see? I don't want you to experience the same horror. Just forget about my birthday."

Excuse Four:

"I was found by my parents at a bus stop. Nobody knows when my birthday is. No, please don't speak about giving me a new birthday. I don't want it. It's fake!"

Excuse Five:

"Let's be honest here. You want a present, and I don't have money. So let's stop pretending and wasting our time."

This one is not really an excuse, though.

Well, what excuse do you have in mind? Have fun thinking. :)

Do Not Let Them Miss It

I would wake up early in the morning just to make sure I wouldn't be left behind. My grandfather would put me on the bike, that I would only sit in front of him. He took me to a food stall, and there I would have my favourite; bread with coconut jam. Then he would buy me some toys that were wrapped nicely in small packets, with some chocolate candies packed together.

He brought me to his orchard, and I would sit in a hut, playing with my toys. Meanwhile he would take hours to run his precious land of fruits and I didn't mind waiting. In fact, I wasn't really waiting for him to finish since I got toys to spend my time with.

There was once my right foot was stung by a honey bee and I cried so loudly. Grandfather stomped it so angrily and said, "how dare you touched my grandson!". Then he had a look at my already-swollen foot, recited something and assured me everything would end up alright. Every night when he got home from the mosque, I would purposely crawl and pretend that I was still a baby to greet him, calling "Atok! Atok!" and he would take me up on his shoulder and say, "That's my grandson!"

He loved me so much, as much as I did for him. He told me that he would never let me down. He whispered in my ear, "I don't like seeing my grandson cry because he didn't get what he wanted". So he always gave me everything I ever wanted as long as he could afford it. But don't get him wrong. He was very strict. He would cane me so hardly if I did something wrong. I would cry, but I never ran away. Then he would appraise me for being brave.

He died when I was 17, the night before my first SPM paper. It was Additional Mathematics. He suffered from a stroke, and for years he had been paralyzed and couldn't move, or talk properly, or smile, or buy me toys, or take me to places, or even punish me when I wronged. He died in his sleep while I was sleeping at home.

I saw a lot of old people playing chess with one another in a place. That place was meant for them, or that was what their children believed. I no longer want to say anything about them treating their folks such a way, and I hope I'll never do the same thing to mine. But what I care about is the grandchildren. Will they ever get the chance to be held dear by their grandparents like I did? Will they ever taste the joy of being taken up on shoulders, or to orchards and other places? Why can't they have the same thing, if not better, like their parents did when they were kids?

Why.

Related post:
http://youcannotreadthis.blogspot.com/2009/09/true-story-of-dad-and-death.html

Nadea & Her Spiritual Walk: Night Three

Nadea meets a young lady who goes by the name of Marya. She complains about her husband who has been missing for almost five hours. Now that she mentions it, Nadea looks around her and realizes that she is in a gigantic building with boutiques and gift shops and video stores smirking at her dazzlingly.

Few seconds later, a young man approaches with a bundle of bags with foreign names on each of them, and those bags are so abounding that the sight of him can only be realized when he says, "Marya darling, where have you been?".

"That's my line! Where have you been, Jezz?", she claims. Her eyes are glaring at the bag mountain. "I was following you, but you were like, hopping from one boutique to another, and I lost you..", he takes a breath, "..so I decided to do my thing at the meantime." "You mean, do your shopping? Oh my God, can you see, can you see how much you've spent for all of these? They worth a country, Jezz!"

Little does she know that while she is hysterically nagging about the possible worth of her husband's expenses, Nadea is already sitting on another bag mountain not so far from her, and winking her eye at the young man. The young man smiles and says, "I guess what a woman can do, a man can too. You're not doing so bad either, Marya darling."

Nadea wakes up from her bed, and then rushes towards her grandfather excitedly. "Grandpa, can we go shopping today?"

Talking about shopaholic men and women.

Night Three ends.

Hope Is The Only Thing That Keeps Us Alive

We may fail to realize this, we may not, but every single day that we live, we wish for something. Say that we have already got everything that we ever wished for, and say that we still have not got any of them. What would we do? Say thanks? Moan? Curse? Or smile gratefully?

Or perhaps, we would make a wish.

Today when we live, we wish tomorrow we shall live again. Today when we go to sleep, we wish tomorrow we shall wake up and have a better day. Today when we do not have what we want, we wish tomorrow we shall get it. Today when we get what we want, we wish tomorrow we shall still have what is ours now. Today when we are alone, we wish tomorrow shall never be the same. Today when we are not alone, we wish that it shall last forever. Today when we are hungry, we wish tomorrow shall give us food. Today when we are full, we wish tomorrow we shall eat again. Today when we fall in love, we wish tomorrow shall bring us closer to the loved ones. Today when we are already in love, we wish tomorrow shall never come and make today remain still. Finally, today when we lost someone dear, we wish tomorrow shall wake us up from a bad dream.

This is us. We make wishes. We make believe. We hope. This is all of us. We are all the same. Except for the difference between those among us who hope and do something and make themselves hopeful, and those among us who hope and do nothing and make themselves hopeless.

Nadea & Her Spiritual Walk: Night Two

Nadea finds out that her beloved blue-eyed teddy bear is missing. She looks for it for hours, and then spends a few hours more crying. Her grandfather does not know how to make her stop, so he decides that it is best to leave Nadea alone in her room and wait for the clouds to finally disappear and make the sun bright again.

Nadea finally falls asleep. In her dreamland, she travels a thousand miles and meets a girl of her age playing with a blue-eyed teddy bear, just like hers. As a normal young innocent girl, Nadea runs towards the girl and grabs the stuffed animal away from her. The girl cries, and she cries so sadly. Nadea tries to ignore, but she cannot bear the guilt of it, and returns the toy right away. The girl smiles again, but Nadea is no longer there to see it. She immediately walks away into a farm nearby.

At the farm, she meets a farmer who is crying. Nadea approaches him curiously and asks for the reason of the dropping tears. The farmer tells her that his farm will be taken by another farmer sooner because of his undying debts. Nadea comforts him for a moment, and then unhappily leaves the farm.

Later she enters another farm which is bigger than the crying farmer's. This time, she is greeted by the owner of the farm; an old man. He talks about how hard he has been working on the farm with never-ending efforts, and how he fends off another farmer by using his debts to him. He forces him to surrender his farm unwillingly. Nadea hates him, and shouts that he should never do that to others. She cries, "You must never take away someone's dear!". But the farmer replies, "But if I were not to buy that farm, then he will work all day and forget about his daughter. Therefore I must stop him from working so that my granddaughter will stop playing alone with her toy and meet her father again. So for the moment, please allow me."

Nadea feels shocked. But she instantly realizes that the old man is just trying to bring a father back to his daughter. So she leaves the farm and rushes back to the girl who she first met. She slowly takes the toy from the girl's hands and explains to her that her father will be back. Before the girl even manages to react, Nadea disappears with the toy. She then wakes up with her grandfather standing beside her, with her beloved blue-eyed toy in his hands. She smiles at it, but then she cries at him, "I didn't know what to do. I'm not sure if what I did was right."

Talking about the chain of events and how one decision affects another.

Night Two ends.

Nadea & Her Spiritual Walk: Night One

In a secret island far from the mega-cities there lies a small village called Seymonatus, which in it there lives happily a young girl named Nadea. She is only eight years old but she holds a unique magical power that none of the ancients has ever witnessed in a thousand years. When Nadea sleeps, she dreams of events that occur in other places around the world. To her surprise, those events that she dreams of are unbelievably real and happening in the foreign lands. The elders call that mystical phenomenon of hers as a 'spiritual walk'.

One night, Nadea lays her body down to sleep and immediately falls into a deep and peaceful slumber. In her sleep, she sees a big city with hundreds and thousands of machines segregating the lives of humans. There are machines that fly above the skies and take the beating hearts of mothers and fathers far and far away. There are also machines that show pictures and speak words, and make the children forget their meals and books. Then, there are machines that do the work of humans and force them to only sit and watch. Nadea feels disheartened witnessing how those machines separate humans from one another, indulge them with pleasure and stop them from the sense of independence.

She keeps walking and trying to find a way to stop those sickening acts, but only to realize that there is more to them than meets the eye. She then discovers that the same machines bring the hearts of the old ones home, make the smiles out of the kids' faces and save the people more time than they needed. Seeing those heartwarming comebacks, Nadea smiles and wakes up mirthfully from her dream.

Talking about technology and its beauty and ugliness.

Night One ends.

2012, The Sinking Universe?

Speaking of the theory of 2012 where some believe in that year the planet, our beloved Earth, and its inhabitants will experience a positive physical and spiritual transformation and eventually start a new era, or a New Age, while others predict that in the very same year, we all will crumble before the face of the apocalypse; the Doomsday.

Well, there is nothing we can do but to wait until the year comes and see what happens, isn't it? Be it a new and better Age or the final devastation of Earth, sooner or later we will have to face one of them, or both if we're so lucky.

But, interestingly, 2012 will not be the first moment of the new day, or the beginning of the end if we know who and what we are and how to make the right decision earlier.

What decision?

This decision: should we watch and let those dead souls of the horrible series of earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes suffer the worst pain imaginable and blame us who are still breathing, or should we watch and learn from them?

We cannot stand and fight the wrath of Mother Nature, let alone to win against her. But it's a sign that something has been wrong with the world and us. Is the world too old to let us live, or are we too young to live in it?

Everything happens for a reason, and every action leads to its consequence.
We don't need to wait for another three years to realize that we have wronged the planet and let it explode against us, and we definitely don't need to wait in order to make it a better place to live in. Why don't we start now?

Five Types Of People That You Meet During A 'Hari Raya' Celebration

1. Kids whose eyes are shining for money.

You can see how happy they are while playing around together with their friends and cousins. They will smile innocently, and then laugh as hardly as possible, and maybe cry a bit because someone has spoiled their dazzling 'Hari Raya costumes' with 'sambal kacang' and 'rendang', but never mind, they will continue having fun nonetheless. But try to forget about giving them 'Hari Raya' money, and you will see how dark their eyes will be and how fierce they can be. Trust me, this is the type of people you do not want to mess with during 'Hari Raya'. Money means everything.

2. Girls who see every angle of the house as a place to pose.

Diva-like dresses, with detailed make-ups and flame-throwing perfumes, these girls will march from house to house with confidence and extreme self-esteem. They will lovely greet the elders, sensually smile at the others, and not to forget, shake hands with 7.1-megapixel cameras. Just name it; the blank walls, the decorated mini park, the tight corner of a kitchen, the narrow space behind the doors, every single place will be good enough for them to say, "What is my favourite food? Cheeeeese!". Captured.

3. Boys who move their eyes up and down and left and right searching for beauties.

They may be simple, and only focus on going through the day, and don't really care about money and food. But beware, for they will not rest until their eyes have found their nest. Oh believe me, what will a young man do when he is gathered in a place full of people from near and far, with their pubescent daughters cat-walking and smiling and waving at almost everybody? Snipe. Find the mark, take your time, and hit the mark. Bang! Heart shot.

4. Neighbours who reach orgasm by the blinding lights hanging on their rooftop.

They will ask for forgiveness for any wrongdoing that they might have done, and they will compliment whatever you are wearing or having. Shake hands, say a few nice things about you and your family, even your cats. Yes, you can trust them. They really mean it. But wait, wait for the next move. "Do drop by at my house, okay? I just bought a new set of home theatre. Oh by the way, did you see those lights? They are new too!" Splendid. Exactly what you want to hear. No.

5. Cops who hate arguing with people but love doing it anyway.

With people going in and out, traveling from one place to another in big cars with hundreds of people inside, not enough seat belts, or not enough speed, this surely sounds a good fortune for them. Be cautious people, it is during this time that these white horses are suddenly becoming invisible and will only appear when somebody breaks the law, or dies trying. They will say, "I'm sorry, I have to, I hate doing this, I don't have a choice..." while their hand is writing the most beloved ticket, if you're insane.

p/s: These types of people are only the minority of our society. Do not take this seriously. Do not hate your neighbours. Do not throw your kids away. Happy 'Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2009'.

A True Story Of Dad And Death

The question never stops bothering him, "Why didn't you cry when he left you?"

In fact, everyone else had been asking him the same question after that tragedy struck. The boy was 14 years old when he came to the hospital with his brothers at 2 a.m. in the morning, after their mother called sadly one hour earlier, telling them that they should pay him the last visit. He might not make it through the night. His heart was failing.

The father had been there lying unconscious for a month, and exactly the same amount of time earlier, he was celebrating his 50th birthday. He just got out of the operation table about a week earlier, after months staying in the hospital for treatment. On the day of celebration, he told the family to take a picture of the scar on his chest. Never thought that would be the last picture of him they ever took.

Years before his final birthday, he used to take the boy to a video store and buy some movies. They shared quite the same taste. Then they would spend time watching the movies together. Everyday after work, he would reach home at 3 to 4 a.m. in the morning, and the boy would wake up from bed and join him. As usual, they watched movies. In a way, the boy was the closest one to him. In a way, he was the closest one to the boy.

*******************************

The boy can still remember that there was one day when his father woke up from hospital bed, he told the brother to take the boy to a cinema. Because the boy always complained that he had never been to a cinema. The brother did what was told. They watched a Hindi movie, titled 'Kasoor'. It means 'Guilt'. That was what the translation said.

One hour before he was gone, the boy fell asleep, and was only awoken by the tears of his mother. Everyone was crying. But not him. They kept on asking him the next day about why he did not cry. He said, "I don't know". But deep in his heart, he had his own reason. Seeing his father lying on bed again and again for too long, getting worse day by day, he felt that maybe it was right for God to take him away. It was his time. For that, the boy did not cry. For that, he had dreams about his father being alive somewhere too many times.

I’M A PROUD MALAYSIAN, YOU?

I love the way we live
as we never fail to forget and forgive
we may come from a different mile
but we always see the best of a smile

I hate those who forget
the place they grow others won’t get
why do they leave such a pretty land?
It makes me cry, you never understand

I want to throw all of you people
who don’t recognize the place of an angel
let you all slip away pitifully
away from home you will never see

I’m feeling so good as I see myself
walking on a land you’ll never have
Malaysian is the name I am proud to be
a name that I was born with already

Put A Pause

Living is definitely like how everyone perceives where you create some ideas or dreams and then chase them and put them into your thought and visualize every single one of them, where fights and battles take place and blame everything on you when things go wrong, but share the victories together when all have been accomplished, though some might say that the celebrations will not be necessary and yet questions like "Why not?" and "What are we missing?" keep on coming again and again and nobody says a word to argue or to dispute whatever that is being said, and people just keep on doing on everything and act like it is just another matter of their daily routine, and when everything is done, nothing can be undone, they start talking and they start fighting and they start putting the blame on everyone else, and it is meaningless, and the words 'it is never too late' are just too late, and if only you and them put a pause...

Please Everyone, We've Got Choices

Let's play a game, shall we? Now imagine that you're left alone in a deserted island with seven other people. Each of them has their own area of expertise, and every single one of these unique people is able to help you find a way to improve your chances to survive. The only thing that you need to do is; understand what they are saying.

1. A linguist

"When nothingness strikes you, your mind will start wandering. Work with it."

2. A doctor

"Breathing is the most basic thing in human nature. Why rush?"

3. An engineer

"I could create even the most galactic aircraft if I had the tools. How is it now?"

4. A lawyer

"Every act is vital, yet none of us listens to the voice of every juror. What do we lose?"

5. A musician

"When you have the muse, every little sound you hear is a song. Sing along."

6. A chef

"Hungry triggers you to eat, but it is the strength of the heart that gives you the taste you've always wanted. Find that strength."

7. A mathematician

"Circumstances are meant to be dealt with, but they are never meant to be dealt alone. There's got to be more in it."

Yes, of course you can ask for help from every one of them. In fact, that is the most appropriate thing to do. But the question is, who first? The first step is always the hardest.

SOMEONE SHOT ME IN THE HEAD, AND I COULDN’T GET THE BULLET OUT OF MY BRAIN

Breathe slowly
They told me to
Think deeply
They asked me to
I’ve lived life
Red blood
Cold hearts
Scattered mirrors

Wandering mind
I had once
Lamenting eyes
I cried against
I’ve lived life
Death within
Shining blades
Burning souls

Muse

When 'Time Is Running Out', everyone will 'Sing For Absolution', and 'Hysteria' will strike them, with 'Unintended' loneliness. 'Bliss' will no longer exist, and the 'New Born' becomes far from the 'Starlight', until there is none left for them. They will scream 'Apocalypse Please'! The 'Hyper Music' will play in their heads, and blow them away from that 'City Of Delusion'!

'Ruled By Secrecy', the world is just another conspiracy, where humans live in 'Fury', and blood and tears spilled 'Endlessly'.

Nothing can be changed, unless we make a change. Free ourselves from this 'Stockholm Syndrome', it's time for us to become 'Glorious'. We are not a 'Dead Star', we are the heroes in the 'Soldier's Poem'. Don't wait for the 'Exo-politics' to rise and blame us, don't wait for the 'Assassin' to come and kill us. We are 'Butterflies & Hurricanes', nothing will stop us.

'In Your World', you make the 'Citizen Erased'. In our world, we are 'Invincible'. In your life, you make money and a 'Plug In Baby'. In our lives, we make nothing of a 'Crying Shame'. We may 'Take A Bow', but we won't be sucked into your 'Supermassive Black Hole'. Now is the moment to fight, rise up and get out of the 'Cave', and let's hear for an 'Uprising'!

p/s: A tribute to MUSE and their phenomenal songs.

One Step Forward Making Two Steps Back

People were born in this world with purposes. Some were born so that one day they will learn, while some were born so that one day they will teach. Or simply both. We were born that way, and we are now serving the world, that way. But, no matter who we are now, and on which purpose we are serving at the moment, we will never stop from making mistakes.

Just when I thought everything was moving forward, I realized that I had to start over. Oh, I hate a lot of things. I hate doing Mathematics, I hate filling forms, and I definitely hate starting over.

The world is just so cruel that sometimes in order to get better, you have and you must start over. The worst part is, it's like playing a Role Playing Game (RPG) video game. You have been playing for hours and gone quite far, but all of a sudden, the game got stuck before you even had the chance to save it! So you have to play again right from the start. Back to square one.

You have to mend every little piece of your life. You have to see everything through all over again. Can you imagine the pain?

When Tomato-Man Asks, "Where Is Joe Jambul?"

Favourite television programmes; I'm sure we have, at least one each. Whenever we watch a TV programme, we tend to think of whether or not it suits us. If it does, we'll watch it again, and then it becomes our favourite show. If it doesn't, well, obviously it won't become a favourite.

Little do we know, that when we grow up, we become demanding. We judge everything. Including TV shows. Every angle of it we observe, trying to find some sorts of satisfaction; it's either because of its perfection, or its flaws. It's not wrong. It's far from wrong.

My question is, do you still remember the shows that you used to love when you were a lot younger than you are now? If you do, do you still remember the content of those shows, or at least the reason why you loved them?

I used to love a game show called 'Di Mana Joe Jambul?' (Where Is Joe Jambul?). I loved it because it was a detective-like game show and I loved to see those participants failing the missions. Hee.

Then I also loved a cartoon series called 'Tomato-Man and the Knights of the Salad Table'. I enjoyed seeing his (Tomato-Man) determination to do the right things even though he was not so bright, and quite shy.

Well my point is, I didn't think much of their so called pros and cons. I just loved them the way they were. I didn't think much. But now, perhaps it's due to the community's demands or something, I'm not sure, people tend to think too much of a programme or show. This positivity, and that negativity, allow this and ban that, blah blah blah. Just watch it and shut your damn mouth, will you? You wanna have you say? Share it with your friends, discuss it, talk about it, but don't go around and attack people.

p/s: And one more thing, is there any good game show, ORIGINAL and GOOD game show out there in this country? All that I can see are those stupid game shows or those inspired from the foreign ones. Where is originality? Where is creativity? I'm damned bored, so bring me something! Oh, here is the magic word; 'Please'.

Rhymes And Harmonies

An old man sees two children walking down the aisle of an ancient cave. One of them is male, and the other is not. The old man walks behind them who strangely behave. The walls are cold, but the air is hot.

The children sit on a big rock, and look at each other. The old man moves and stands closer, but far enough so they will not see. The boy holds the hands of the girl and to each other they whisper. The old man feels weird, yet he feels the glee.

The children smile and laugh innocently. The old man senses the happiness, and decides to stay. They talk in riddles and run around freely. The old man does not comprehend, and wants to join the play.

The children see him, look at him, and they welcome him. The old man smiles, and hugs them endlessly. They ask, "What is a better meal than an ice cream?". The old man replies, "Why don't you tell me?".

Together they stay and share some secrets. Together they care and listen to the melody of the hot breeze. The children say, "You must have done the same thing when you and friends were midgets!". The old man cries, "Of course, when my friends and I lived in rhymes and harmonies."

Fall In Love

'Love' is universal. Everybody loves 'love'. Whether you're normal or abnormal, a civilian or superhero, a poet or rocker, a teacher or an engineer, you'll seek love. Some might say, "I don't do love". Well then maybe they should put another word at the end of the sentence; "yet".

I have always wondered about how unique 'love' is. Too many ways to describe it. But then one day, long time ago, I read something on someone's page, and her story intrigued me to come up with one good way to show how unique 'love' is.

I commented:

"that is life..
ever wondered why we say 'fall in love'? why not 'sleep in love', or 'rest in love', or 'walk in love'? it's because 'fall' is something that we don't plan..we plan to walk, to sleep or rest..but not fall..that's life..and that's love..:)"

I'm not saying that THAT is the best way to describe 'love', but it actually makes sense. Of course, any of you would have a different way to describe it.

p/s: If you're thinking that I'm in love at the moment and for that I made this entry, you're wrong. I'm not. Except with those beautiful ladies in TV's and posters. Hee. This is just a piece or writing; my 100th entry. ;P

WHEN LIFE SHOULD BE READ BACKWARDS

Just, life made-happily want I
piss of made life a living is who nobody am I
them trouble I, me trouble they
shit of full are lives whose people known have I
care I should Earth on why

How I Commit Suicide

Today somebody told me, "If you get committed too soon, I tell you, you're gonna commit suicide." He was referring to relationships, but I assumed somewhere in the middle of his sentence, he was referring to life as a whole.

That sentence jolted me into thinking. If I were to commit suicide, how would I do it? Take drugs or a poison? Boring. Jump off a building? It will get too messy and trouble other people, especially the cleaning part. You know, blood and a splattered brain. Point a gun in my mouth and then pull the trigger? Where the hell should I get the money to get a gun?

I have been thinking a lot, and I finally managed to come up with three possible conditions that can lead me to death. Of course I have to be in the conditions purposely, or else it wouldn't be called 'suicide'.So, I have come out with:

1. Saving another life

If I were to commit suicide, I'd definitely want to save someone at the same time. Pull a pretty girl out of a shark's mouth and then get killed, then she remembers me and makes a promise to never get married. Or run into a burning house to save a baby, can't get out in time, so have to throw the baby out of a window and get myself barbecued. Something like that. But since it's kind of difficult to get this type of situations nowadays, so I have to plan it myself. I mean, put somebody in danger and later save them and die.

2. Doing Mathematics

If I were to commit suicide easily, I'd sit and do several hundreds of Mathematics questions. Those algebraic expressions and whatever, they are dangerous enough to put an end to my life. Give me some of those Mathematics problems, I'll never solve them, but I'll die instantly.

3. Turning gay

No offense to any gay people, but gay is definitely not my life. It will never be my life. So tell me, how do you expect me to live when I don't have a life? How to live without a woman to spend my life with? That's how 'gayness' kills me.

p/s: Hope nobody will take this seriously. I don't want to commit suicide. Suicides go straight to Hell.

The All-Star Team

I'm having an attack of nostalgia. My mind suddenly starts thinking about TESL years and all the presentations and performances that me and my group had done back then. Well, due to some several class conditions and rules, we had to change groups occasionally. Even so, there is one group that I'll never ever forget. We didn't always score the highest marks, or get the most approving round of applause, but we surely gave the best in everything. It was the best time of all. We, unanimously, named the group 'The All-Star Team'.

Taufiq: The funniest man on Earth. He'll do anything just to make sure our group gets enough marks. If you really know him, you'll realize that you find it hard to understand whatever he's saying, because most of his words hardly make any sense. But, that's what makes him 'The Taufiq'.

Fact about Taufiq: When he was born, he was programmed to respond to only four things; money, food, sports and entertainment. He will self-destruct if you ever mention anything else. :P

Nazmi: We call him 'Kalut'. He's always nervous, he always panics and loses his confidence easily. But, once we have explained to him everything there is to know about our plan, his confidence will be as solid as a mutant mammoth.

Fact about Nazmi: He's a good football player, and his shooting power is awesome. He once killed a goalkeeper in a friendly match. :P

Hizzly: We call him 'Boo', 'Jogo', 'Steven Spielberg' and several other names too. The way he has so many nicknames shows the 'amount of identity' he possesses. Haha, only the group members and those close to him know what that exactly means. He is the most hardworking member in the group, and he always asks questions (other than because of his hardworking attitude, this is due to his 'blur' in thinking that makes him ask the same questions repeatedly). Give him any job, he'll finish it in no time.

Fact about Hizzly: His hands got the ability to 'tremble+shiver+shake' so fast that sometimes they cause an earthquake. :P

Syafiq: The computer man in the group. Movies, soundtracks, Power Point slides, cover pages, or whatever audio-visual aids for the presentation, he's the man to go to. He takes the responsibility as the group leader occasionally, even though it is clearly a fact that he's the one who always comes late during a discussion or whatever. He's also a photographer.

Fact about Syafiq: Like Saiga Tatsumi in 'Speed Grapher' (anime), he can only reach orgasm by taking pictures. Oh no, he's so gonna kill me. :P

Igniz: The accidental leader of the group. They choose him to be the leader out of nothing but the idea that they are too lazy to go here and there to meet the lecturer. That's all. Normally he'll be the one who comes up with the idea or script, before it gets edited by his maniacal team members.

Fact about Igniz: He can hold his breath underwater for more than 37 minutes. The time gets longer when there are girls in the water. :P

p/s: You decide whether the facts are true or false. :P

Perfectionism?

Boy: I want a girlfriend who is as hot as Megan Fox.
Girl: I want a boyfriend who is as attractive as Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson).
Boy: I want a girlfriend who is gorgeous, understanding, loyal, passionate and good in manners.
Girl: I want a boyfriend who is nice, loyal, committed, caring, and good-looking.
Waiter (mamak): Anything, boss?
Me: I want a cheese 'Naan' and watermelon juice plus milk. (After a few seconds) So, you guys want this kind of partners, right? You want them, I know. But do they want you?

Oops! Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to destroy your imaginations and dreams, I'm not saying that you are wrong by thinking and hoping that way, and I'm surely not saying that I never did all those imaginations above. We're all humans. Hope and dream are what make us humans.

What I'm trying to say is, we always think of only the first part of the possibility; which is the 'I want' part. But what about the second part; the 'They want' part? If there is only one side involved, that can't be called a relationship, can it? A relationship should be mutual.

I've heard this kind of conversations a thousand of times, and I certainly have done it many times as well. But how long are we going to stay like this? We always dream and imagine to have this 'perfect' partner. Have we ever asked ourselves, "Am I good enough to be paired with that perfect person?".

The worst part is, some believe that they are so right that they actually influence other people to believe in the same way, before he or she even gets the chance to try. "No, you should not be with him. He's not good. He's this this, and not that that", or "Dude, you can get better than that". Oh yeah, there ARE people like them.

Well, they act and say like that maybe because they care, or maybe they are just a bunch of dumbshits. My point is, whether or not someone is worthy to be with someone else, only that particular 'someone' can tell. They are the ones who are going to get involved with the relationship. Let them decide. The rest don't interfere. Uh huh, "I'm just giving you an advice", they say. My friend, there's a big difference between 'giving advice' and 'influence'. Advice is neutral.

ADUMBRATE

How I live my day with one dream
and I can only evince it in vim
so I am to resonate two forms of happiness
a part with a smile, another with the sun-kissed body of a songstress
in them there live three more wishes
they make me behold the cumulonimbus
afraid not of the four-sided wind
when it blows my bones away from my skin
then comes the five-word-sentence toll
it says “the remains of my sunken soul”
does anybody realize that’s six words?
But hey, don’t want to act like grammar perverts
let’s make it last for seven unfeigned generations
with the betterment within adumbration

If You Are Rich, I'm Single

I was sitting in my bedroom watching a movie. I was wearing a pair of football shorts. Since the day was quite hot, I didn't wear a T-shirt or whatever. Just shorts.

Then suddenly, I heard my 6-year-old nephew shouting from the outside, calling me. I ignored him. Then he came to my bedroom knocking on the door. I was pissed, then I opened the door. I looked at him with a very fierce look. He told me that my friends were waiting for me outside. I asked him if he was sure that those people outside were indeed my friends. He nodded confidently.

So I wondered, if they were my friends, they would have called me before coming. But then I guessed they might be old friends who had lost my number. I also imagined that they might be girls. I forgot to ask my nephew about that. So I grabbed a red T-shirt, purposely picked, just in case the ones who were waiting for me were girls. I looked into the mirror, my hair was messy. So I combed my hair, but not too nicely.

Then I walked out of the room and headed outside. At the same time, my mind was visualizing the possible candidates who were waiting for me outside. "Girls. Girls." I hoped.

But the truth was way too far from my imagination. When I stepped outside, I saw four old men with long beard in jubah. I was shocked, dumbstruck, flabbergasted, stupefied, and whatever. They were shocked, too. They stared at me, who was in shorts, and then read the print on my T-shirt; 'If You Are Rich, I'm Single'. After a moment of silence, they greeted and started talking. They were tabligh (very religious type of people) from Pakistan, and they came to share some knowledge about Islam.

If I knew that they were tabligh, I would have come out with proper attire.

p/s: Haziq, how the heck did you get the idea that they were my friends?? T_T

My Mother (Part Two)

My friends and I; when we were just 12 years old (Standard Six).
Comparison between my mother and my best friend's mother.

1. Leisure talks.

His mother: Do you have a lot of friends at school?
My friend: Yes, mother. I have a lot of friends.

My mother: Do you have a girlfriend at school? When are you going to find one?
Me: (blushing happily)

2. Growth.

His mother: You have grown up, my son.
My friend: I eat a lot.

My mother: Why are you so short?
Me: ....???

p/s: I am way way way taller now!

3. Homework.

My friend: So many homework..and they are so difficult.
His mother: I know you can do it. Don't be lazy. Just keep doing it.
My friend: I'm doing it now.

Me:So many homework..and they are so difficult.
My mother: Can you finish it or not? If you can't, then tomorrow you don't have to go to school.
Me: I'm glad you're my mother, mom.

p/s: I'm crazy like a fool...while my mommy's cool~~~:P

My Mother

Situation One:
We were talking about giving one of my cats a shower since it got so messy. This is the translated version of the conversation.

Me: Instead of doing it in a hard way, why don't we just hand-wash it, 'soak' it into a bucket full of water and bubbles, instead? Just do it exactly like how we wash our clothes. (Joking)

Aunt: Are you crazy? Do you want to kill the cat?

Mom: Can we use the washing machine instead? (Not joking)

Me: ?????

Aunt: Do you want your cat to drown??

Mom: I don't think it will ever drown. Just put it in the machine for a minute or so, with less water. (Still not joking)

Aunt: It WILL drown!

Mom: You sure? Even just for a minute? (Obviously, not joking)

Situation Two:
I was having a hot fever, with flu and a hacking cough, and couldn't get up from my bed. A week before I went to visit a friend of mine who was infected by an unknown virus and admitted into the Intensive Care Unit (I.C.U). A day after I got the flu, my uncle was holding a function at his house. The relatives were there and asking for me. My mom explained to them why, and then told me the next morning. This is the translated version of the conversation.

Mom: They asked you to go to the hospital.

Me: Why so?

Mom: They were afraid that you got that swine flu, because you went to visit your friend who got infected by the same virus last week.

Me: Who told you that my friend got sick because of the swine flu?

Mom: You did.

Me: No, I told you he was infected by an unknown virus, admitted to the I.C.U. But it wasn't the swine flu.

Mom: Oh. (Thinking)

Me: "Oh"? (Wondering)

Mom: I told them that your friend was sick because of the swine flu, and dying.

Me: He's not dying. I never told you that. (When mom? When? When?)

p/s: My mother is the most innocent person in the family. (-_-")

Shit Happens

Friend S: I've watched the movie you told me. Damn cool, man.

Friend D: Cool, ain't it? Told you.

Me: What movie?

Friend S: The part where he sniffed the scent of the girl from far away was damn cool. It was like, damn far!

Friend D: Yeah, like from here to where, KL?

Friend S: Maybe Bangi.

Me: Dude, what movie?

Friend S: If I got the perfume that powerful, I'd make all the rich people give me money. Heh.

Friend D: Then you'd better make the bank managers give you all the money in the vaults.

Friend S: Can't be that way. Then the police will know. But from the rich people, take just a little by each of them, I survive.

Me: Guys, what movie are you talking about?

Friend D: That's a good plan.

Friend S: You know me.

Me: Great, I'm talking to the wall. Love it. Exactly what I want.

Friend D: Are you okay, dude?

p/s: The conversation was 'recorded' around three years ago. They were talking about the movie 'Perfume: The Story of a Murderer'. Cool movie.

Confusing And Unpredictable

Two years ago. The first event happened when I had a conversation with a friend of mine, a girl, at the cafeteria. The second event happened when I was about to enter the lecture hall.

One day:

Girl: Women nowadays are strong. They can live without men. They can and they will survive without men. So, men should never underestimate us. Because what a man can do, a woman will definitely can, too. Don't expect women to be needing help from men all the time. In fact, we are now so independent, that we are doing better without the help from your species.

Me: That sounds a bit extreme, but I feel you. I understand.

The next day:

Girl: Why didn't you hold the door for me? Oh my God, I can't believe you just opened it and let yourself through and didn't wait for me!

Me: Huh?

One good reason why I love girls; they are so confusing and unpredictable! And that's a compliment. Life is so boring when everything is predictable.

p/s: I admit that I have problems holding the door for anybody, because I walk and move fast. Sorry.

Loyalty And Betrayal; I Call Them 'Mistakes'

Tell me guys, isn't it true that every single one of us wants loyalty. We crave for it. We want our family, friends, and partners to be and stay loyal to us, yes? But what is loyalty? How do we define loyalty; the word that we always say, discuss, argue, and think most of the time?

The quality of being faithful, supportive, and the feeling of allegiance. It's funny actually that we can define this word in a lot of ways, but can't realize that the more we do according to the definitions, the more we betray the trust built.

You stick with one person, you are loyal. You do whatever it takes to stay loyal, even though sometimes it hurts your pride, you are loyal, but betraying yourself. You stick to your own belief and way of life, you are loyal. You keep on assuring that you're not dumping your own self, you are loyal, but somewhere in the middle, you betray the people around you. So which part of that can we call 'loyalty'? To be faithful to yourself, or to be trustworthy to those who believe in you?

Don't say both, because trust me, there will be one day when you realize that keeping both is simply not possible, and you've got to choose one out of two. And you realize that by choosing, one side will get hurt. It's either you or them.

To me, loyalty and betrayal are just mistakes that we make every minute of our lives. The definition keeps changing. Today loyalty means to you, tomorrow it can be to others. You can't always be the right person, and so can't they. And we've got to learn. We must learn.

"Somewhere along your way to live, you'll make thousands of mistakes, and you'll know that everything changes. Whatever definitions you have at that moment of mistakes, they'll change, and one day they'll come back. All you got to do is learn."

The World Is Never Fair

Before you read this, please smile. It will help you relax and read this entry with joy. I don't want any of you to take this seriously. Only think. Smile.:)

1. Superheroes never get paid.

I don't understand. Superheroes are professional. They are like doctors, lawyers, engineers and soldiers who have an area of expertise and know what they are doing. In superheroes' case, they save lives. That's their area of expertise. So why can't they get paid? Why do people simply call their names for help, but they never give anything in return? What do they expect? For the superheroes to say, "Owh, just call me whenever you need. I'm happy to save your ass anytime and get nothing"? Superheroes need a life too. They need partners, friends, family, and money! See how Spiderman suffered in 'Spiderman 2'? He almost gave up.

2. A customer is always right.

I don't get this. The ones who give services (waiters/waitresses, salespersons, marketing managers) are trained to give services and make sure everything goes well. They are trained to make things right, in terms of fulfilling others' needs. But what is the point of getting all those training if they are meant to be wrong every time they deal with a customer? What now, customers are trained to be right too? Then maybe they should get paid as well. Anybody looking for a job? Be a customer!

3. Politicians and the traffic privileges.

Have you ever been stuck in heavy traffic for hours, and then suddenly you saw a big car with cops escorting them passing through you and the other cars happily? If you haven't, I say you will someday. If you have, then don't you think it is not fair for them to have that privilege? I mean, what is the point of having cut through all of us if in the end, they are late, as usual? Yeah, those big shots are always late for an event, yes? The event says 9 o' clock, they'll come 9.30, the soonest. Oh, I see why. Their 'time zone' is perhaps different from ours.

4. Men and rape.

If a woman gets raped, makes a report and then files a charge or whatever, we all will feel sorry for her. We'll blame and curse the guy who did her. But if a man gets raped and takes the same procedures, we all will laugh at him, and then congratulate the woman who did him. Now, that is not fair. There are loads of ways for a woman nowadays to rape a man. So why can't people feel sorry for that man? I would feel sorry, even though deep in my heart I say, "How was it?". Damn, I won't say a word if Kate Beckinsale rapes me.:P

5. Adults who read comics.

I am 22 this year, and people say that I'm still a child because I read comics. People say that comics are meant for children, therefore when an adult reads a comic, that means he or she is behaving like a child. Oh really? Then tell me people, who draws all those damned comics anyway? Adults! Who publishes all of them? Companies that are being controlled by experienced and educated people; adults! Duh.

How To Get Anyone To Like You In 30 Seconds Or Less

I read this book by Rebecca Marina a few months ago. I think the book is quite simple yet interesting. It talks about things that are so trivial, that we always fail to realize, but they actually hold the keys to a successful communication. Credit goes to her. I'm just reviewing and sharing it with any of you out there.

1. Smile

Yes, the most popular verb and noun you'll probably hear whenever you ask for communication tips. But how many of you realize that by just smiling, your whole mood and body language can improve so much? The author suggests that you should always smile with your whole being, and you'll see what she means by that.

2. Exude Confidence

Don't go around people and show that you are in need and depending on others. Nobody wants to be with someone who appears needy and 'clingy'. Show your confidence. Maybe now you're feeling less about it, but try practicing it in front of the mirror, and you'll see such a huge difference it makes.

3. Breathe

Some people tend to hold their breath when they meet someone new, or the person that they admire. Well the problem is, when you hold your breath, your body becomes tense. Becomes static. Therefore, the author claims that you should take a few deep breaths before talking to someone. Plus, statistically speaking, it is impossible to panic and breathe slowly at the same time.

4. Look People In The Eye

Eyes are the windows to your soul. So why don't you use them? You look away from the person you're talking to, then it means you're sending a red flag signal to him or her. But if you look into their eyes, not staring, just simply gaze into them, they will definitely understand how you feel. Research shows that eye gazing always relates to falling in love. Eyes produce trust.

5. Open Your Arms

By opening your arms, you expose your heart. It shows that there is nothing in you that can make people feel fear of your presence. It doesn't have to be a grand gesture. Just keep it simple. It makes both you and him or her feel "everything is alright".

6. Point Your Heart At The Person Or Group You're With

You've already opened your arms to expose your heart. Now it's time to point your heart to where it belongs. Show them the message, "I open my heart to you". If you're talking to a large group, turn your body from side to side so that everybody can 'feel' your heart. Everybody loves a person with an open heart!

7. Move Like A Young Person

It doesn't matter if you're young or not, just allow yourself to move like a young person. You'll understand how the way you move makes you feel alive, or the other way round. If you don't like yourself, how can you expect other people to like you?

8. Appreciate Them

Find something about them to appreciate. It can be their voice, attire, or movement. Anything you can find and truthfully appreciate. Then bring that 'thing' into you heart, and allow your energy and body language to reflect it. People will see that you appreciate them, and start to like you instantly!

9. "So, Tell Me About Yourself!"

The irresistible words. Everybody loves talking about themselves, but not all get the chance to do so. Give them the chance, and you'll see how they'll feel about you. Plus, by allowing them to talk about themselves, you're actually helping yourself to determine how close you want the relationship to become.

10. Validate! Validate! Validate!

Nobody in this world wants to lose the feeling of being validated. Everybody craves for validation. Give them. Whatever you want for yourself, be that to others. It will come right back to you.

p/s: I used my 'do Chapter Two of the term paper' time typing this. So you'd better use the tips and make my sacrifice worth every single one of it! Haha.

Practice Makes Perfect

I'm not sure how, but just now these memories came across my mind all of a sudden. Now I remember what I have been doing since I was a very young kid. Please be reminded that, of course, I translated the conversations. Except for the university level, they were all done in Malay language.

1. Kindergarten, 6 years old:

Girl A: I don't want to be your friend. I don't like boys.
Me: I don't like boys either. I like girls.
Girl A: Copycat!

Skill acquired: I learned how to wink an eye.

2. Primary school, 7 years old:

Girl V: You're so naughty, and you're always whistling!
Me: That's how I made you see me.
Girl V: You're too short.

Skill acquired: I learned how to whistle.

3. Secondary school, 14 years old:

Girl Q: Don't come near me. I'm having period pains.
Me: Boys are supposed to comfort girls who are in pain.
Girl Q: I'm a lesbian.

Skill acquired: I learned about the 28-day menstrual cycle.

4. University, 18 years old:

Lady Z: I hope that all of you can stay focused. Especially the boys. Please bear with this old lady.
Me: Don't worry. I think you're cute.
Lady Z: I'll deduct your marks.

Skill acquired: B+ for Language Learning Strategies & Study Skills.

5. University, 18 years old:

Girl F: I don't want to be your girlfriend. Who wants to be with a penguin anyway?
Me: If I'm really a penguin, then you've got a lot more reasons to be my girlfriend. Have you ever seen a penguin with a brain, that can speak and understand human language, that has black hair, two hands with fingers on each, two decent eyes and ears, and a normal mouth with lips? Compared to other penguins, I can say that I'm quite a good looking penguin.
Girl F: Hehe.

Skill acquired: I joined a debate competition.

p/s: The girls didn't mean whatever they were saying. They were just joking. And I wasn't really flirting. Was trying to have some fun with my classmates. Made me grow up anyhow. Hee.

The Best Pick Up Lines (To Fail)

1. "Do you have a boyfriend? I'd like to know you, so if you do have one, then first I'll be asking whether or not you're happy with him. If you are, then I'm gone. But if you aren't feeling happy, then I'd like to replace him. I'd like to try. But if you don't have a boyfriend, then I'd like to give it a shot right away. So, what say you? Am I talking too fast?"

Failure rate: thankfully only 40%.
Reason: Too many words spoil the mood.
Possible candidates to take the bait: National debaters.

2. "Hi. My phone number is missing. Can I borrow yours?"

Failure rate: 50%, the least.
Reason: You are giving her a chance to say 'No' by using the word 'Can'.
Possible candidates to take the bait: Post-SPM students.

3. "Hi. Maybe this is not the first time you hear this, but did anybody tell you that you have the most beautiful eyes?"

Failure rate: around 60%
Reason: It obviously shows that you have been 'observing' other girls as well. Duh.
Possible candidates to take the bait: Lonely widows.

4. "You can fall from a mountain. You can fall from a tree. You can fall from the sky. You can even fall into a drain. But do you know the best way to fall? It's..to fall in love with me!"

Failure rate: 70%, perhaps?
Reason: Too long. The girl might just leave you during the second 'fall'.
Possible candidates to take the bait: Degenerate poets.

5. "Hi. Don't get me wrong okay? Maybe you saw me staring at you just now, but not for the reason you think. I was looking at you because my friend said that you were so beautiful. But when I looked at you, I said, 'which part'?"

Failure rate: probably 80%
Reason: Insensitive!
Possible candidates to take the bait: Mad politicians.

6. "You look tasty. You make me feel like grabbing you..hmmm..licking you, biting you, squeezing you..."

Failure rate: positively 90%
Reason: Too honest! Pervert.
Possible candidates to take the bait: Desperate housewives.

7. "Hi. Hey, did you know that in Algebra, when numbers are added or subtracted, they are called 'terms'. When numbers are multiplied, they are called 'factors'..?"

Failure rate: almost 100%
Reason: Mathematics!
Possible candidates to take the bait: Xenophobic nerds.

p/s: Don't take this seriously. I'm not an expert.:P

How Are You Feeling Today?

(1) Excited (2) Pissed (3) Troubled (4) Crazy (5) Emotionless
(6) Restless (7) Wicked (8) Sad (9) Horny

p/s: I drew this when I was 14, during Mathematics lesson (as usual):P

Sure You Know Yourself Better?

This is the most interesting topic that I ever studied in TESL. ‘The Theory of Multiple Intelligences’ by Dr. Howard Gardner (1983).

Before we proceed, allow me to remind you that you can either be one of them, or be more than one of them, or even all of them. Like you said, you know yourself better.

1. Verbal-linguistic Intelligence (word smart)
People who possess this intelligence are very good in dealing with words and languages. Spoken and written. They are typically good at reading and writing, as well as providing explanations, using persuasive skills and talking. They enjoy debating, discussing, telling stories and memorizing.

They’re most probably writers, lawyers, philosophers, poets, journalists, teachers, or politicians.

2. Logical-mathematical Intelligence (number/reasoning smart)
People with this intelligence enjoy calculating, reasoning, experimenting, recognizing and solving things. They are very good with numbers. This intelligence also correlates strongly with the traditional concept of ‘intelligence’ or ‘I.Q’.

They’re most probably mathematicians, engineers, doctors, and economists.

3. Visual-spatial Intelligence (picture smart)
This intelligence deals with visual and spatial judgment. People with this type of intelligence are normally good in visualizing and memorizing. Other than that, they are also quite skilled in hand-eye coordination, and artistically inclined, which means they can draw and appreciate pictures and images.

They’re most probably artists, architects and engineers.

4. Bodily-kinaesthetic Intelligence (body smart)
This intelligence involves body movement and physical activities. People with this intelligence enjoy sports. They learn by moving around and experiencing the knowledge themselves rather than just reading and hearing about it.

They’re most probably athletes, dancers, builders and soldiers.

5. Musical Intelligence (music smart)
Musical intelligence refers to the ability to display greater sensitivity to sounds, rhythm, music and tones. People who possess this intelligence have a very high level of listening skills. They usually work best with music playing in the background. Please be reminded that good at singing doesn’t make a person musically intelligent, but musically intelligent will normally lead that person to being a good singer.

They’re most probably singers, composers, instrumentalists, and disc-jockeys (DJ).

6. Intrapersonal Intelligence (self smart)
People with this intelligence work best when they are allowed to concentrate on the subject by themselves. They are usually introverts and prefer to walk alone. Despite that, these people are highly self-aware of their own emotions, goals and motivations.

They’re most probably philosophers, psychologists, writers, entrepreneurs and scientists.

7. Interpersonal Intelligence (people smart)
These are the people who understand others’ moods, feelings, and motivations. They also have the ability to cooperate and work as a team. They are extroverts, and normally characterized by their sensitivity to emotions provided by people around them. Communication and empathy are two things that drive them, and factors that make them a good leader respectively.

They’re most probably politicians, managers, teachers, social workers and salespersons.

8. Naturalistic Intelligence (nature smart): added in 1997
This intelligence deals with the ability to involve nature in learning, which leads to understanding one’s natural surroundings. These people are very sensitive to nature, and capable of nurturing and growing things, or interacting with animals with ease. And recognizing and classifying things are their favourites.

They’re most probably scientists, naturalists, gardeners and farmers.

There are also other intelligences explored by Gardner and his colleagues, but these eight are the most occurring intelligences in people. As for me, I'm verbal-linguistic, visual-spatial, intrapersonal and interpersonal. What's yours?