I’ve put a little trivia section in the ‘about’ page. Once in a while I like to bump up old posts so that they’re not forgotten.

Trivia
These might be of interest:

• His first job
• His first tattoo
• He is a free thinker
• His first strip club visit
• His graduation pictures
• He believes in soulmates
• He was once a chubby kid
• He still has a comfort pillow
• His first time smoking weed

Have a nice weekend folks ^_^

Hello, Malaysia’s national day is around the corner. 31st August to be exact. That was when we kicked British ass and gained independence from their oppressive rule!

Okay, we didn’t actually fight them, nor did we throw crates of tea overboard. We basically went to London and negotiated our independence (probably having a cup of tea in the process).

There is a lot to complain about my country, and there is a lot to love too!

I’ll start with the bad things:

1. Horrible Public Transportation
   1. The Light Rail Transit is overcrowded, dirty and smelly.
   2. Buses arrive late ( if they arrive at all).
   3. Dishonest taxi drivers.
2. Racism
   I will comment on this on a personal level. During year 3 of high school, I was disappointed when I came back to school after the semester break. There was a visible divide among the Malays and non-Malays. Friends that used to be close didn’t really speak to each other and gangs were formed.The tension was so high that a small spark would trigger of a fight.

   I once was personally involved in a fight with this other boy. We made up the next day, but the gangs were trying to make a bigger issue out of it and they wanted to fight.

3. Bad Service Culture
   Every counter staff (at shopping malls or at government offices) seem to be having Pre-Menstrual Stress every hour, every day of the week. If you see one of them smile, you are not in Malaysia.

Enough negativity, here is why I Love Malaysia:

1. Food
   We have the perfect combination of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Western cuisine. There’s even food that you cannot find anywhere else in the world ! Oh how I miss Nasi Lemak, Bak Kut Teh, Char Kuey Teow, Banana Leaf Rice, Nasi Kandar and many more.
2. Corrupt Cops
   When you are stopped over by the police while driving, the standard procedure is to slip a 50 Ringgit note in their notepads when they ask you “Macam mana?” (which translates to “So what do we do now?”). No expensive fines!
3. Pirated Movies
   Say what you want about copyright laws, I love 10 Ringgit DVDs.
4. Natural Beauty
   I miss the trees that line the adjacent street where I live. I also miss the little forest where I used to go for walks and visit the monkeys.
5. Night Life
   Seems that Malaysians have forgotten how to sleep. Even at 4am I can go outside and find some friends or food. Or play computer games.
6. It’s home
   Like they say , home is where the heart is. And my heart is a thousand miles from here.

In conclusion, I love and hate my country. For better or worse, I am still Malaysian and I do hope that it grows in a good direction. Now go hug a Malaysian.

Happy 50th Merdeka Malaysia!

BEAR !!!

I found this from the internets:

http://iiiiiiii.com

(Turn your speakers down a bit, in case it’s too loud)

… or so I thought

One of the reasons I came to study here, a thousand miles from home, was to learn about independence. I imagined that I would take care of myself, wash my own clothes, cook my own meals, study .. etc etc. To that extent I’ve succeeded in being self-sufficient.

But I underestimated the extent of the loneliness.

In the first week I made friends with some people in the campus accommodation. Due to cultural difference and/or age difference (they were 18 mostly) I didn’t quite click with them. If it wasn’t for booze and counterstrike, I wouldn’t have much to say to them!

Perhaps it’s the inflexibility of my personality. You see, it’s easy to make new friends, but it’s not easy to bond with them on a deeper level. It was at this time I missed home and my complicated other, Stephanie. I also miss the long and deep conversations I can have with a few close friends. Not to mention the male bonding session that is a Friday night dota game.

Of course, things took a turn for the better here in Brisbane. For instance, I hung out with my house mates at the casino. In the weekends I would meet up with Nabilla and we would do touristy stuff. Then Leon would bring me around the city, Nicholas brought me to a strip club and I bumped into Michelle near where I buy my groceries. The world is a small place after all.

I have to mention that most of the names above are Malaysians. Here I thought that I chose Brisbane over Melbourne because I wanted to avoid the comfort zone of being together only with Malaysians. It was when I was pissed drunk with Leon, Jason and Kenny that I realize that we are who we are and it feels good to hang out with like-minded people.

At this point, I realize that even if you’re self sufficient, you still need the company of other people to stay relatively sane during your alone times. I guess I’m still learning to be alone without feeling lonely.

I’m also looking forward to this weekend, when I bring my laptop to Leon’s place for a good dota game!