Life's reflections...

Sometimes, I do wonder, whether there is a higher being up there dictating our state of being and the path we take. Looking back, I survived two major life threatening disasters. The road I took has been less travelled by many. This course of direction, was it my unconscious respond to these disasters, or was it my humanistic journey driven by by natural state of being ?

In September 1983, I was supposed to leave Canada's beautiful autumn on Korean Air Lines Flight 007 to come back to Malaysia. My girl friend, who is now my wife, persuaded me to stay back for another week to do some sight seeing in Toronto. I changed my ticket reservation to Singapore Air lines. I was momentarily shocked to learn later that Flight 007 was shot down by the Russian military. All 200 over passengers and crew will killed. I survived because I was not on the flight.

In the evening of July 31 1988, I was supposed to be travelling from Taiping to Penang Island using the ferry terminal. This has been my habitual weekly weekend travel back to Penang Island so that I can start work on the following monday. On that evening, I decided to give a ride to my wife to Ipoh, stay overnight there, and travelled back to Penang in early Monday morning. That out of norm decision has temporary diverted my course. On the evening of July 31st 1988, the ferry bridge collapsed, killing many people and injured thousands. I survived because I was not at the place.

Escaped death two times ? How lucky can a man be ? Whatever it is, the secret law of attractions is on my side. I will continued to be lucky......

In l993, at the peak of my career, I suffered severe work related stress. I quit my job, rested for about a month, and started a hobby business, and subsequently went into IT and Real Estate business. I survive the stress and made my money, because I choose to walk out from it and have the courage to take the road less travelled.

During the previous 15 years in running my own business, I encountered many betrayals and setbacks. But immediately after every crisis, my business improved tremendously. My business survived because, somehow, my natural instincts dictated that I confront the situations and toughened myself to remove parasitic elements from my business ventures.

Looking back, I survived many life threatening situations, and I also encountered many challenges that threatened my livelihood. I am in fact living on borrowed times. But life as it is, is a many splendor things. It treats me well, it grants me with abundances. In a way, I count my blessing for being lucky all the times. The only thing left for me to do is, come what may, make the best of today and move forward.

Whatever it is and whatever it may, my passion to confront challenges will never die inside me as long as I still have my last breath. I will never be a prisoner of pessimism and self destructive mentality, it is my destiny to be the conqueror of challenges and adversity. Throw me any challenge, I know, I shall rise above the challenge, overcome the adversity, and I shall always prevail.

Om Mani Pedme hum...........................

Life after death ?

After life,

there is death.
But,
is there life
after death ?

Imagine.
In the remaining few minutes of your last breath,
what will your mind be preoccupied with ?

Fears the eventuality of death ?
Worries for the loved one you left behind ?
Happy of your successes and accomplishments ?
Contented to know that you left behind a last will ?
In the remaining few minutes,
would you be able to let go ?
And, venture into the final rest of uncertainties ?
What would death be ?
When death become us,
would there be a God,
to guide you to the promised eternal paradise ?

Humans are funny creatures.
We believed in life after death,
but forgotten how to live life.
We indulge in imaginary God,
and the illogical science of religions.
With stronger faiths in religion,
does it make your life better,
living your life
based on false premise of religiosity,
and false hope of eternity
promised by your illusionary God ?

Life is a philosophy in motion.
Have enough for today,
live life as it is,
and, look forward to tomorrow.
Ideally,
when a man died,
he should not
have more than five dollars in his pocket !

Live life as a philosophy,
and live a life of no regret.
I shall live today as if it is my last.
When I do died, my angels shall take care of me !
This, for the time being, shall be my eternal destiny.

Breasts of Mass Destruction !

At times, I do go crazy with the sight of beautiful breasts, but beautiful as it may, some breasts can be also very destructive !

According to a news report in Daily Telegraph, a 31 years old Australian barmaid, Luana De Favani was fined A$1000 for crushing beer cans with her bare breasts, and for hanging spoons from her nipples. She was guilty of breaching the Liquor Control Act. Favani's colleague, Tracey Leslie, was also fined A$500 for helping to hang spoons on Favani's nipples. For failing to stop the pair from performing the macro gravitation act, the hotel manager was fined A$1000. The local police, Supt David Parkinson, said: "It sends a clear message to all licensees in Peel that we will not tolerate this type of behavior in our licensed premises."

Hmmm... I wish they can re-enact the act again. This is probably the 8th wonder of the world. I would definite love to see this act being perform again. Just name the place, I will be there ! Come to think of it, all the humsup men out there, beware and be warned not to plunge you face between a woman's breasts again. If those boobs can crush beer can, I bet your lump of protoplasm wouldn't stand a chance of getting out in good shape. You may end up having your brain squeeze out from your cranial cavity.

Women, women,...... don't under estimate the power of a woman !

Of race and ethnicity......

I chanced upon an old news article dated June 10th 2007 which was published on Sabah's Daily Express. I know not so much about constitutionality of Malaysia or sociological interpretation of race and ethnicity. But I found the definition of “Malay” by the Malacca's Chief Minister, Mohd Ali Rustam, very interesting.

According to the news article ( Please read HERE), Mohd Ali Rustam said :

• “a person who is a Muslim, converses in Malay and follows the Malay traditions is considered a Malay. "It is easy to become a Malay, "
• "Even if that person is Chinese or Indian or Kadazan if they are Muslim or have converted, converse in Malay and follow the Malay tradition, then they are Malays.”
• "The Kadazans if they are a Muslim, we considered them as Malays, and if they have not embraced Islam, they are Bumiputeras. It is easy to become a Malay."

Interesting indeed. Honestly, I am a bit confuse here, if I converted to Christianity, speak English, and regularly eat pork chop, ham, bacon, and sandwich for breakfast, does that qualified me to be an Englishman ? If an Englishman or Italian migrated to Malaysia, converted to Islam, and speak Bahasa Malaysia, does that make him a Malay ?

After 50 years of Independence ( or Merdeka ), why are all these pariahs still resorting to split Malaysians along the line of religions and languages ? Why can't we just call ourselves Malaysians and move forward ?

If a parrot can imitate a dog's bark, at the end of the day, do we call the parrot a dog, a parrot, or a paradox ?

The above does reminds me of the following jokes :

A young couple left the church and arrived at the hotel where they were spending the first night of their honeymoon. They opened the champagne and began undressing. When the bridegroom removed his socks, his new wife asked, "Ewwww---what's wrong with your feet? "Your toes look all mangled and weird. Why are your feet so gross?"
"I had Tolio as a child, " he answered.
"You mean polio?" she asked.
"No, tolio. The disease only affected my toes."
The bride was satisfied with this explanation, and they continued undressing. When the groom took off is pants, his bride once again wrinkled up her nose.
"What's wrong with your knees?" she asked. "They're all lumpy and deformed!"
"As a child, I also had kneasles, "he explained.
"You mean measles?" she asked.
"No, kneasles. It was a strange illness that only affected my knees."
The new bride had to be satisfied with this answer. As the undressing continued, her husband at last removed his underwear.
"Don't tell me," she said. "Let me guess.....Small Cox?"

That's all for today, lunch break is over, back to work........

Of Loan Sharking and social responsibilities.....

“ Having financial difficulty ? Want to take loan but not qualified ?
Don't worry,
we are also not qualified ! Call 011 – 11581169
( Sunshines Credits Co.).
Fast processing of loan application and disbursement.... “

I would not be surprised to see advertisements by loan sharks similar to the above. As it is, my mailboxes are filled with name cards from loan sharks. The entrance of my office are defaced by the loan sharks' photograph size stickers. Occasionally, the loan sharks even placed pamphlets on the windscreen of my car. Over the past few years, there have been a very visible increase of loan sharks in town. I do wonder where did all these loan sharks came from and why are they so flush with money ?

A Loan Shark is a person or body who lends money at exorbitant interest rates, the loan, usually unsecured, is often backed by blackmail or threats. The loan shark usually target the credit facility to those who are not able to obtain loan from mainstream lenders. In Malaysia, the local Chinese nicknamed loan shark as “Tai Yee Loong (大耳窿)”. The local Malay having problem pronouncing “Tai Yee”, so they called the loan shark “Ah Loong (阿窿)”. I don't know what is the terminology in Tamil, could it be R'ler Ombedeh ?

The interest rate for loan secured from a loan shark can be as high as more than 100%. When a borrower failed to repay the loan, the loan sharks are usually very creative in convincing the borrower to pay up. Some of the tactic include splashing red paints or graffiti at the house of borrower, harassing and intimidating family members of borrower, physical violences, etc. So, for your own sake and physical well being, if possible, don't take any loan from any illegal money lenders. If you have some financial difficulties, please pray hard to God, because it is God's responsibility to take care of you. If your God failed to deliver his responsibilities, please convert to other religions. Yep, it is safer to blame your financial difficulties on God than taking the loan and be sorry later.

Well, I guess the loan shark is also doing his part of social responsibilities by offering loans to all those people who are not qualified to obtain loans from our reputable financial institutions. Let us accept the reality that, banks and finance companies are only interested to offer loans to “well off” people. For poor people, at least the loan sharks offer them a fighting chance to breakout from the financial difficulties. So until such times when all the banks and finance companies are willing to offer unsecured loans to poor people, perhaps, in the mean times, our caring government should look into the possibilities of licensing all illegal money lenders and made them legal. By licensing and legalizing the illegal money lenders, more monies will be available to the poor, and a standard code of conducts can be implemented to ensure the borrowers are not abused.

It would be interesting to see all the loan sharks shed their perceived hooligan image, and gang up to put up a public relation campaign to improve their image. May be they should start gotong royong to clean up clogged drains, donating to welfare homes, help the housing estates to fight petty crimes, etc. Or perhaps, a public campaign of “ I Love my Loan Shark$ “ ? And a campaign of “When you run out of money and desperate, where do you go ? LOOOOAN SHAAAAAARRRRRKKKKKKKKS”.

Good NiteZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.....