Ramblings

Home at last

2006-07-23T18:19:00.000+01:00

Newton discovered a long time ago that objects tend to maintain their states of rest or motion in the absence of forces acting to the contrary. Likewise, it is not so easy to get an idle blog up and running again. In any case, I have now returned to the green fields and buzzing mosquitoes of the Soga area, Batu Pahat; home is where the heart is, aneurisms and all.

Had a brief sojourn in London at the end of second year - between May and July - to travel a bit and experience the British summer. Among the highlights - almost getting lost and/or killed while trekking alone in heavy rain on a forested isle outside Berlin, sweltering in the London Underground (and above ground, too) during a dry British heatwave, and of course watching England lose on penalties in a packed London pub =P

My flight back on Emirates Airlines went considerably better than expected - as "Official Partner" of the World Cup 2006 they were able to let us catch reruns of the previous day's footballing action, which off-set my serious error in booking my flight for the evening of the World Cup Final. As it was, I managed to catch The Head Butt and other assorted antics aboard the Airbus A330 from Dubai to Malaysia, as well as the 3rd Place Playoff on the considerably more sophisticated Boeing 777 from London to Dubai the evening before.

The odd thing about Emirates is that they sound pretty tough on regulations ("Maximum one item of hand baggage including laptop") ("Check-in at least 3 hours before departure") but they were really quite lepak when I went for the flight. First they let me check in 90 mins before departure time (stuck train at Hatton Cross and long queue at counter ... not my fault anyway), then they cheerfully tagged and waved on both my cabin bag and laptop, which came to about double the official weight limit anyway. What a cool airline. Plus, they're cheaper too (real reason for switching). Though one wonders why they bother publishing such fussy-sounding rules.

Dubai International Airport is a posh-looking duty-free haven, artificial palm trees and all; the good thing is the terminal layout is pretty straightforward so no risk of getting lost. 3 hours' transit was more than enough to get hold of some Dirhams (very P.Ramlee-ish) and grab a pack of Arabian dates stuffed with almonds. Good stuff.

Have now returned to Batu Pahat; good to see family and friends again, and to ride a good old motorcycle once more. Town hasn't changed much except for a proliferation of food courts in the Cheng Siu area; Batu Pahat folk must have quite an appetite to generate that much demand! Inflation has pretty much taken its toll - nasi bariani is now from RM6 plus 5% Government tax so that's a far cry from the days when I stopped my bicycle by the stall on the way home from school and got the stuff at RM3 a pack.

Now for 2 months of rest and relaxation at home. Theoretically like that-lah.

It's just ...

2006-04-09T23:54:00.000+01:00

The following thought-provoking post appeared on my Friendster bulletin board recently:

Month one
Mommy, I am only 8 inches long, but I have all my organs. I love the sound of your voice. Every time I hear it, I wave my arms and legs. The sound of your heart beat is my favorite lullaby.

Month Two
Mommy, today I learned how to suck my thumb. If you could see me, you could definitely tell that I am a baby. I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though. It is so nice and warm in here.

Month Three
You know what Mommy, I'm a boy!! I hope that makes you happy. I always want you to be happy. I don't like it when you cry. You sound so sad. It makes me sad too, and I cry with you even though you can't hear me.

Month Four
Mommy, my hair is starting to grow. It is very short and fine, but I will have a lot of it. I spend a lot of my time exercising. I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes, and stretch my arms and legs. I am becoming quite good at it too.

Month Five
You went to the doctor today. Mommy, he lied to you. He said that I'm not a baby. I am a baby Mommy, your baby. I think and feel. Mommy, what's abortion?

Month Six
I can hear that doctor again. I don't like him. He seems cold and heartless. Something is intruding my home. The doctor called it a needle. Mommy what is it? It burns! Please make him stop! I can't get away from it! Mommy! HELP me!

Month Seven
Mommy, I am okay. I am in Jesus's arms. He is holding me. He told me about abortion. Why didn't you want me Mommy?

Every Abortion Is Just . . .
One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak

Useful Market Terminology

2006-02-04T22:47:00.000Z

So here it is - it's currently the frantic late-winter season for penultimate-year lawyer-wannabes to go around the City attending interviews for 2006 'summer placements' (read: well-paid office boy/girlship). Having been to one or two such "commercially-oriented" interviews and having heard of others who have endured the same ordeal, perhaps it would be a good idea to consider some of the more complex terminology (read: utter jargon) that one might fairly expect to encounter on such 'friendly' conversations:

Diversification : When Ah Seng has been repairing bicycles for 20 years and decides to start repairing motorcycles as well

Flotation : Something you do when your ferry sinks and you happen to find some loose plank in the water. Also - something Leonardo DiCaprio failed to do in Titanic

Initial Public Offer (IPO) : When Ah Lian receives a fresh batch of veggies first thing in the morning and calls out "satu kilo dua ringgitttttt !!"

Stock Options : When Kedai Runcit Linggam runs out of tomato ketchup and has to decide whether to order Kimball or order Maggi

Money Laundering : What happens when you accidentally leave some cash in the trousers you stuff into the washing machine

Recapitalisation : When you drive all the way to downtown KL only to find that the government department you want has moved to Putrajaya

Market Recapitalisation : When Pasar Awam Batu Pahat moves from Jalan Mohd.Akil to Jalan Shahbandar

Securitisation : When Minah hires Mr.Singh to guard her jewellery shop

Due Diligence : When your SPM exam is coming up and you memorise everything in your Pelangi reference book as well as your friend's Sasbadi reference book

Market Research : When you survey 6 veggie stalls before concluding that Ah Lian has the cheapest garlic on offer

Partnership : What you get when you tell a girl "I love you" and she says "I love you too"

Limited Liability : When the fish fillet you fry turns out lousy and you blame it on "cheap Tesco food"

Franchise : When you want a business rival to "disappear" and you hire some illegal Indons to do it for you

Fragmentation : What happens when you accidentally drop your favourite glass

Asset stripping : What muggers routinely do at Underground platforms

Freezing order : When it is a cold rainy day and Cikgu Zamri goes "you haven't done your homework, go stand outside!!"

In receivership : The position of children and unmarried bachelors during Chinese New Year when angpows start going around

Just some idle thoughts of mine while on the way home =P

Wilson

Encounter of the 'other' kind

2006-01-20T22:21:00.000Z

Recently, I opened this very interesting bulletin on www.friendster.com. Just look at this:

Message: Message: do not stop reading this or something bad will happen.

One day, Sarah was walking home from school when her boyfriend drove by and honked at her to get in. She got in his car and he drove her to the lake. Her boyfriend said he was going to tell her something very important. Sarah could have sworn he was going to propose. However, he flicked her off, pushed her in the lake and yeled (sic), "I am braking (sic) up with you, you awful ........!! I hate you and I think that maybe you should just end your .............. life! DUMB ....................!!!"

He laughed and drove off. It was a very cold day. Sarah climbed out of the lake, freezing cold, and feeling the worst she had in her entire life. She got home went in a hot bath, and slit her wrists and died in the bathtub. Her parents yelled and screamed at her to get out until they finally broke the door down. They saw no body, but the entire bathroom was dripping with her blood. Her mom went insane and killed herself three days later, her dad is in prison, accused of murder. Later that week, Sarah's exboyfriend was taking a shower when she came from the drain, rotting and bloody, with a razor in her hand and said "Goodbye Jason."

She cut his throat before he could scream.

If you do not repost this with the title "1 scary way to break up", you are a heartless ..............and Sarah come to you in the shower from the drain, and will kill you the same way she killed her boyfriend.

You have 13 minutes

I did not, of course, stop reading from the beginning but something bad happened anyway, which was that I reached the end of the post and the threat therein. Darn those fellas who write such stuff. I'm not really heartless (serious!) but then again these days, my work routine is eating up too much of my life (including the heart) so I decided that I would NOT, in fact, repost the bulletin with the words "1 scary way to break up", as per instructions. Furthermore it was almost 3am. I blame the Property II written assignment.

Anyway, I shut the browser and went to the bathroom. I had barely taken out my Tesco toothpaste when I caught sight of this long-haired, somewhat unkempt figure in the corner of my eye. Could have been rotting, too, I dunno. My bathroom smells of rot all the time anyway, ever since the window sill ... urm, rotted.

At first I thought it was my housemate, perhaps woken up by me opening the door. "Oh, hi," I said. "Having a bad hair day today, eh?"

Suddenly the figure let out a deep moan and I realized that it was not, in fact, either of my housemates from rooms A or C. In fact, it was a rotting, bloody woman with a razor in her hand (though not bigger than the razor I used to be forced to keep for security in Halls of Residence).

"Yikes!"

After a moment's pause. "Oh, hello," I said. Better start with being friendly these days, especially in an inner-city housing area of London ... you never know. Especially to somebody with a razor in hand. There's just too many muggers on the streets these days.

"This is flat 16. You need help?"

Then the woman yelled at me. "You! Why do you talk so much? I was supposed to kill you the same way I killed my ex! 'Before he could scream' or say a word!!!"

"Well," I said, beginning to get a tad annoyed, "you can't really blame me you know. After all, I'm training to be a lawyer. As Lord Denning said, 'words are a lawyer's tools of trade.'"

She just stamped her feet on the ground and glared at me. Merajuk la tu. Then she turned to leave. "Eh, wait" I said. "I know ... you're the spirit from the Friendster bulletin!"

"It's taken you some time," she said, most icily.

"Well yeah, sorry lah ... my brain a bit tired from work ma". Eh, that means you're a real spirit! Way cool!"

"Not cool also," came the same icy voice.

"But no ... you see, since you're really coming back and communicating with us from the spirit world, you could tell us a lot of things we don't know!" I said.

"Like what."

This was beginning to sound like a typical MSN chat, but there you are. "For starters, you could tell us ... does everyone who die become a wandering spirit like you?"

"Hm. I dunno la. Maybe hor. I passed a lot of people whom I recognized as dead during my lifetime. For example Mao Zedong, Adolf Hitler, Stalin, Guevara, Botak Chin ... But maybe only those who had or did very unhappy things have to stay on like this. After all, I was ..."

"Yes I know your story," I put in quickly. "But your reply raises certain questions of logic. Firstly, if everyone who dies becomes like yourself, wouldn't your world be like waaay overcrowded with all the people who had died over the centuries, including for example Rameses III and his legions of followers, Caesar and his armies, Hitler and the German 6th Army, and 2,000,000 people who died during the Cultural Revolution? Do the dimensions of space and time apply to your world like they do in this?"

"And if only those who did 'very unhappy things' stay on, who gets to decide what counts as a 'very unhappy thing'? I missed the closing of an eBay auction by 2 minutes this evening, does that count as a 'very unhappy thing'? Is there an impartial adjudicator whose decisions affecting the public are open to review and appeal?"

"You ask too many questions-lah."

May be continued

The Consequences of Forgetfulness

2006-01-10T20:52:00.000Z

I forgot to press the button
To cook the rice one afternoon.

For want of rice,
The meal was late
For want of a meal,
The seminar was lost
For want of the seminar,
The examination question was lost
For want of the question,
The vital marks were lost.

For want of the vital marks,
The examination was lost
For want of the examination,
The degree was lost
For want of the degree,
The career was lost
For want of the career,
The future was lost.

And all because
I forgot
To press the button
To cook the rice one afternoon.

London Life

2005-11-16T23:22:00.000Z

It's been some time since the last entry so I figured it's about time I put up something to suggest that I'm not dead (yet) and neither is this site. The (re)settling-in process went fairly smoothly, thanks in no small part to my friends here in London who have been wonderful (largely) and also the second-year Law course at UCL which has kept me busy like never before. Doesn't help that they've added on an extra module to make it 5 in the second year now, so I am doing all of the following subjects this year:

Jurisprudence & Legal Theory
Contract and Tort II
Public Law II
Property II (Equity + Land Law + Trusts)
Criminal Law

The reading list's phenomenal so clearly there's not much chance of getting bored anytime this year.

Was without stable Internet access for more than a month due to problems with the ISP, Bulldog. Lesson: if a broadband package sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Room only got wired up last week when the "free" router arrived after about 30 days' delay while the company scrambled to find stock to meet the number of enthusiastic students who signed up for "first month free" broadband. Little did we realize that "first month free" was not merely fees-free but also Internet-free.

That aside, the place I am now staying at is kewl ... a very green, homely suburb with a large population of elderly retirees, Scandinavians descended from ancient trading links in the Docklands and other relatively harmless folk. It's close by Canada Water Underground station and a 24-hour Tesco superstore at Surrey Quays Shopping Centre, so I get access to a great deal (in both senses) of groceries at Tesco Value rates. At least it kinda makes up for the utility bills I have to pay and the Season Bus Pass that I now need to get for the 40-minute ride to college everyday.

So now I'm commuting around London on the red double-deckers. Tube travel is too expensive, so I've restricted that to genuine emergencies such as when I oversleep on the morning of a 9am lecture. It's fairly interesting to commute by bus in London these days. Only the other week there was a mini-bomb scare when a dodgy-looking guy stepped off the Bendy Bus leaving his bag on the seat.

This looks like a fairly interesting year ahead.

Return to London

2005-09-22T20:27:00.000+01:00

Dear friends,

I will be returning to London this Saturday, 24 September on the 9am flight from KLIA, scheduled to arrive 3.10pm London time at Heathrow.

I came home to Malaysia on the 25th of May, and it has been a great 4 months in Batu Pahat and the various other locations I have been in during this summer. This is due mainly to my family, which whom I have had an absolutely wonderful time, and also to my erstwhile hometown friends who have unceasingly organised various awesome activities such as futsal, "la teh" and simple chat sessions.

I particularly thank Ben for very kindly hosting Selva, Sze Yong and myself during our trip to Sydney in June, which turned out very well indeed. I hope the spirit of friendship will continue to hold us, the Batu Pahat High School batch of 2001, together although we have now spread our wings to various parts of the world.

I shall be returning to London with mixed feelings ... glad to resume a life of purposeful (I hope) work and complete independence (until I get a gf) once more, but also a tinge of sadness at leaving behind much that is familiar to me and dear to my heart at home. However, the call of duty cannot be refused and having pledged myself to do my best on this course, it is now necessary to keep my side of the bargain.

When I reach London I shall be aiming to settle down as soon as possible into the following new address:

At this time of heightened security, this address has been removed. Kindly drop me a line on MSN if you need it for any reason.

I have also changed my phone number to an 02 pay-as-you-go one, and the new number will shortly be made available to those on my MSN contact list, among others. Therefore please do not try to reach me on my old Orange line until further notice, which will come after I ascertain whether or not the old line is still operational in the first place.

May I here record my deepest appreciation of two friends and colleagues who have helped me tremendously in my pre-flight preparations; my senior Wyn Nee, who helped me contact the Landale House warden who initially proved quite inaccessible by phone from Malaysia, and Alvin Yap, who helped me obtain the 02 simcard on his previous trip to the UK, thereby enabling me to request redelivery of my goods-in-storage one week earlier than previously thought possible. Thank you, Wynnee and Alvin. I will not forget the help you provided me.

I also appreciate those from college who have kept in touch throughout the holidays -Kenny, Iris, Imran @ Black, Jia Yi, Payatt, Grace, Azmir, the MSoc committee, Linda, Sin Yi and many more who have held out the gift of friendship. May our friendship continue to remain strong during the years to come.

As for the ordinary and extraordinary risks of daily life in a city as bustling as London I would only say, firstly, that life and death are in the hands of the Creator and it is neither healthy nor practical to be concerned with matters over which I have absolutely no control. Secondly I only hope that the increased security over the London transport network will not be of too much hassle to daily commuters such as myself, especially when I have to move loads of luggage on the Underground! =)

That will be all for now. As it is unlikely that I will be able to have a fixed Internet connection in the first one month or so, I will probably not update this site for a while. May I request that attempts to reach me be done through my e-mail, w.tay@ucl.ac.uk or kingulnar2000@hotmail.com for the time being.

Thank you for reading, and best of luck to you all.

Blogging Break

2005-09-10T17:16:00.000+01:00

I am temporarily on leave due to a viral infection that has been bugging me for a while. This blog will therefore not be updated until some time, probably closer to the 24th.

Thank you =)

The Balance of Love

2005-08-17T06:44:00.000+01:00

The story below was sent to me recently by an old friend, Jim. I find it particularly interesting and so am reposting it below. Let us remember (in particular the more youthful ones among us) that "love" does is not limited to boy-girl love but also encompasses love for our parents, family, friends and fellow humans in general.

A woman dies after living a long, dignified life. When she meets God, she asks him something that has long bothered her: “If Man is created in God’s image, and if all men are created equal, why do people treat each other so badly?”

God replies that each person who enters our life has a unique lesson to teach us. And it is only through these lessons that we learn about life, people, relationships and God.

This confuses the woman, so God begins to explain:

When someone lies to you, it teaches you that things are not always as they seem. The truth is often far beneath the surface. Look beyond the masks people wear if you want to know their heart. And remove your own masks to let people know yours.

When someone steals from you, it teaches you that nothing is forever. Always appreciate what you have, for you never know when you might lose it. And never, ever take your friends and family for granted because today is the only guarantee you have.

When someone inflicts an injury upon you, it teaches you that the human state is fragile. Protect and take care of your body as best you can because it’s the only thing you are sure to have forever.

When someone mocks you, it teaches you that no two people are alike. When you encounter people who are different from you, don’t judge them by how they look or act. Instead base your opinion on the contents of their heart.

When someone breaks your heart, it teaches you that loving someone does not always mean that the person will love you back. But don’t turn your back on love because when you find the right person, the joy that one person brings will make up for all the past hurts put together.

When someone holds a grudge against you, it teaches you that everyone makes mistakes. When you are wronged, the most virtuous thing you can do is to forgive the offender without pretence. Forgiving those who have hurt us is the most difficult, the most courageous, and the noblest thing man can do.

When a loved one is unfaithful to you, it teaches you that resisting temptation is man’s greatest challenge. Be vigilant in your resistance against all temptation. By doing so, you will be rewarded with an enduring sense of satisfaction far greater than the temporary pleasure by which you were tempted.

When someone cheats you, it teaches you that greed is the root of all evil.

Aspire to make your dreams come true, no matter how lofty they may be. Do not feel guilty about your success, but never let an obsession with achieving your goals lead you to engage in malevolent activities.

When someone ridicules you, it teaches you that nobody is perfect. Accept people for their merits and be tolerant of their flaws. Do not ever reject someone for imperfections over which they have no control.

Upon hearing the Maker’s wisdom, the old woman becomes concerned that there were no lessons to be learned from man’s good deeds. God tells her that man’s capacity to love is the greatest gift he has. At the root of all kindness is love, and each act of love also teaches us a lesson.

As the woman’s curiosity deepens, God once again explains:

When someone loves us, it teaches us that love, kindness, charity, honesty, humility, forgiveness and acceptance can counteract all the evil in the world. For every good deed, there is one less evil deed. Man alone has the power to control the balance between good and evil, but because the lessons of love are not taught often enough, the power is too often abused.

When you enter someone’s life, whether by choice or chance, what will your lesson be. Will you teach love or harsh reality? Each one of us has power over the balance of love. Use that power wisely.

The White Rabbit and I

2005-08-15T08:00:00.000+01:00

This is the first time I'm trying to upload a pic into a proper blog entry (on dial-up!) so here goes. Fluffy the white rabbit =P Eats shoots and leaves. My brother bought Fluffy some time in March, while I was still in the UK but now that I'm home, I've temporarily taken over the job of caring for this new member of the family. This is what I have been doing for some time this summer.

Theory of the Last Day

2005-08-14T10:36:00.000+01:00

Have you heard or read a particular series of questions that goes like this? "If today would be the last day of your life, what would you do/say to the people around you? If so, what are you waiting for?"

The implication of these questions are that life is short and unpredictable; we ought to say and do the things we really feel or hope to achieve; and that if we delay for reasons of shyness or procrastination we may end up not being able to do it at all.

This seems to be an appealing argument. Since neither you nor I know for sure whether we will be alive in 24 hours, let alone 6 years (the length of a JPA bond) or a decade, why not take time to tell loved ones that we appreciate them, take time out to do the stuff we like to do and well, enjoy life in general? After all, once our time is up and "bang!" it's Game Over in the Game of Life, words may end up unsaid and deeds undone.

Trouble is, the fallacy of this argument is in assuming that the projects we intend to complete can be done with in the time frame of a day. It doesn't make allowance for plans which return yields in a period exceeding 1 day, otherwise by definition it would require reliance on our continued existence for more than 1 day and thereby turn into a self-defeating argument.

To illustrate: Suppose a girl I have only recently known has caught my eye and I have fallen madly in love. But she is particularly shy and likely to be scared off by any abrupt pronunciation of love on my part. Therefore if I were serious in going after her, I would logically have to build the friendship and win her trust (chic term "get to know each other") before "making the move", so to speak. Now assume I followed the argument above. Not knowing whether today is my last day of existence, I decide that I have to tell the people I love that I love them. I declare my love and she says gee that is nice but sorry I'm not ready for a commitment with you, so tough. Well, in that case I'd have lost both ways. If really turns out to be my last day, I haven't got her either. And if it isn't, I'd have merely played my hand too early and ruined the prospect of anything "happening" in the near future.

Now say that it's Pay Day and I've just received a nice wage packet for the work I did last month. Applying the argument above, I wouldn't know whether I would be alive tomorrow, so I decide that I must let the people around me know that I appreciate them. So I spend my money on calling my girlfriend, accompany friends to play street soccer at the rate of RM10 per hour per head, and buy nice Aston Villa scarves for my family members in anticipation of a big season-opener win over Bolton Wanderers, which incidentally doesn't happen anyway. Fine, if I really ended my days at least those people would have benefited. But if I did not, I'd be reduced to living on charity and regret my foolishness. The money which was to have sustained me for the rest of the month would have been wastefully spent on very short-term projects, because according to that theory I would be precluded from relying on anything that returns its yields in a period longer than the remaining hours left in the day.

The point is, uncertainty is an inescapable fact of life. We all have to deal with a massive load of uncertainty in planning our lives and resources, there's no getting away from that. Sh*t happens and screws up even the best-laid of plans sometimes. We just have to factor in this element of uncertainty as best as we can, and the law can help us by providing facilities such as wills, contracts etc. But corny pseudo-theories of behaviour that pretend to offer a way of handling this element of uncertainty should be identified and shunned rigorously.

Crap Emails

2005-08-12T15:04:00.000+01:00

Today I opened yet another Friendster bulletin that ended like this:

Repost this bulletin in 10 minute and you will get Happiness. If you not repost this bulletin you will get bad luck...
******GooD LuCKY!!!!*******
You've opened it!!!! Good Luck! Tonight at midnight your true love will realize they love you. Something good will happen to you at 1:00-4:00 pm tommorow, it could be anywere. Get ready for he biggest shock in your life. If you break this chain you will be cursed with relationship problems for the next 10 years. Post this within 15 minutes
******i MiSS You!!!***** [[i miss you!!]] If you are missing someone right now and can't get them out of your head then re-post this within 1 minute and whoever you are missing will surprise you tomorrow.

Normally, this kind of stuff just amuses me a bit. But recently I've opened one too many of such chain letters, so the joke's begun to wear off and bemusement has set in.

And I would like to state empathically that I do NOT repost, forward or recirculate such emails or bulletins, because I don't think people on the receiving end would be happy to get such junk crowding out their Inbox either, or duping them into opening Friendster bulletins with nice-sounding titles.

And I would state that to date, all those bulletins that have promised me that special phone call "from the one you love", wonderful luck, pleasant surprises etc have been patently stupid. Not that they were even remotely promising in the first place. Would she call just because at such-and-such time I opened some dumb bulletin saying she would? Would she hell.

And having not reposted any of those, I wouldn't consider myself as being particularly accursed or having any noticeable spell of bad luck of late. True I still haven't got "the love of my life" (if such even exists) but I haven't been run down by stray elephants either, and no bloodthirsty ghoul has shown up beside my bed at 3am with a knife she would like to bury in my neck.

Sheesh. I wish people would stop dreaming up such rubbish!!!

Fuh. Now getting that off my chest was nice ...

Haze Alert

2005-08-11T14:57:00.000+01:00

A state of emergency has been declared in two Selangor districts (Port Klang and Kuala Selangor) following air pollution index readings consistently exceeding 500 in those areas.

In Batu Pahat heavy rain that has fallen in the past two days has kept skies relatively clear.

Henceforth a state of emergency will be declared by the relevant authorities in any area with an API reading of 500 or higher.

It is now common knowledge that the this round of bad haze originates from, again, uncontrolled forest fires and peat fires currently raging in Sumatra and blown over by seasonal monsoon winds.

Despite being repeatedly the cause of haze that damages not only the health of Malaysians but also the tourism and transport sectors of our economy, Indonesia has again failed to take effective measures to prevent and/or control slash-and-burn fires on their island of Sumatra. This is quite unseemly of them and hardly reflects the so-called "ASEAN spirit of neighbourliness".

I will be heading to the Klang Valley tomorrow (too late to cancel travel plans) so I am pretty annoyed at the prospect of travelling into what is now virtually a disaster area.

An Exercise In Futility

2005-08-01T16:51:00.000+01:00

One of the little changes that happened when I was in the UK, was that a zebra crossing was set up in front of The Summit Batu Pahat. Which is not to say that our striped horselike friends have suddenly decided to partake of the annual MegaSale carnival, but rather that the authorities took the step of creating a "safer" means for people to cross from the Public Bank side of things to the main mall in town.

Last Sunday (parking charges for the weekend being increased to RM2), my family and I parked outside Kolej Aman and proceeded to cross Jalan Bakau Condong to The Summit, via the zebra crossing.

We stepped up to the crossing just as a shiny blue car was approaching. Whoosh. The car just sped up and crossed the striped area like nobody's business. The driver in the car behind lagila pandai. He slowed down as though to let us pass. Then when my brother took one tentative step onto the crossing he changed his mind and decided to speed across instead, narrowly avoiding the pedestrians who had already begun what proved to be a rather precarious crossing indeed. Eventually we managed to cross when the road was clear in both directions.

I mean like, hello? If we are supposed to wait till both sides of the road are clear then what's the use of the paint and the effort creating the zebra crossing in the first place? Isn't that what ordinarily happens along any road, anyway? What a mockery Malaysian drivers are making of basic traffic rules.

Journey Down Under: Sydney '05

2005-07-19T20:27:00.000+01:00

Just over a month into my summer break, I was packing my bags again for a 7-hour flight to Sydney, Australia. Another case of being bitten by the travel bug ... on 4 July I travelled to Oz with ex-classmates Selva and Sze Yong to visit Ben, who's now happily into his third year of Medicine at UNSW Sydney.

So, how was Sydney? Uhrm, well ... considering that it was supposed to be mid-winter when we arrived (hence the promotional MAS tickets), I wasn't expecting great weather but that was exactly what the city greeted us with! We couldn't have asked for clearer/sunnier skies most of the time, and the fact that we actually managed to hold a picnic beside the Opera House on a midwinter's day says quite a lot in itself.

Apart from an overenthusiastic taximan who kept me awake throughout the whole morning journey to KLIA, the trip to Sydney was largely uneventful. I was quite happy to be booked a window seat, until I realized that most of the "view" they'd given me was of the 777's wing and engines only. Doh. Anyway, Ben was on hand to meet us at Sydney airport, and together we adjourned to his patch in the suburb of Kingsford.

Ben has a very comfy student-sized flat in which we stayed for about 5 days (I left on the 8th). It's reasonably near to UNSW and quite close to bustling grocery stores, Chinese eateries and a 24-hour McDs (wow!), so I imagine there is no difficulty obtaining supplies in that place. Also, it is near several bus routes leading directly into the City, which makes its location very good indeed.

Over the five days, thanks to a very comprehensive itenerary carefully prepared by Ben, we darted all over Sydney taking in the landmarks, tourist spots and almost everything (I think) that was interesting to see in town. The highlights:

Sydney Harbour: Opera House and Harbour Bridge, of course. The Harbour offers some truly breathtaking sights. There are also parts of the Harbour where you can stand on and see both famous landmarks of Sydney in the same panorama, or even one in front of the other. Picnicking in the Botanical Gardens beside the Opera House was really fantastic! Lots of seagulls and some long-beaked native Australian birds called the ibis strutted around the picnic site looking for crumbs, so it was quite an experience.
Taronga Zoo: A zoo with a dedicated ferry service. Despite it being a weekday, the ferry was fairly crowded so you get an idea of how many people were flocking to the zoo. Was quite fun to see a koala up close, pet a sheep and observe the feeding habits of the platypus. Oh yes, and the kangaroos. Kinda reminds you of the nearly-endless diversity of Australian wildlife!
Sydney Tower: Their version of KL Tower and, urm, Dublin Guinness Storehouse? =P Got to see the sprawling city of Sydney and snap some awesome "aerial" photos of city landmarks.
Sydney Aquarium: Fantastic display of Australian marine diversity. The entrance is above ground but it's kinda built into the Harbour so you descend beneath the water level to walk through attractions such as the undersea tunnel. The tunnel is really long and there's quite a range of sharks, rays and other similarly large undersea creatures to keep you company along the walk. Also managed to glimpse real penguins for the first time. They've also got a large crocodile at the Aquarium, the kind you used to be able to spot drifting down Sungai Batu Pahat or Sungai Segamat on a good day.
Olympic Village: We took a train to where Sydney hosted the Olympics in 2000. The infrastructure there such as the Telstra Stadium still appear very new and futuristic. Managed to see the real Olympic torch they used and a videoclip of the pyrotechnics during the Games' opening, which they seem intent on playing over and over again until either eternity or until that machine gives out, whichever is sooner.
Bondi Beach/Coogee Beach: Well, it's true that these beaches would be a lot more interesting if we came during summer. But still, they were fantastic when we visited. Think wide expanses of fine sand and lapping surf. Think a cool, refreshing breeze with only the slightest hint that winter is in the air.
Watson's Bay: We came to the point where the semi-enclosed waters of Sydney Harbour meet the Tasman Sea. Standing on the sheer cliffs to the south of the harbour passage, we could look across the watery expanse to the cliffs on the other side, and also inland to the sprawling city. Beneath us the big waves pounded the rocks as they had for hundreds of years.
Sydney Naval Base: The USS Kitty Hawk and its accompanying complement of destroyers was in Sydney during the week, so my uncle in Sydney took me to have a look. There were also a number of Australian ships in port, including HMAS Tobruk and HMAS Canberra, which were probably there to help cover the prized carrier. Viewed from shore the ships were massive, especially the carrier of course. The sailors and airmen sure provided good business for tourist spots and red-light districts in Sydney that week.
Sydney Swans' Training: We followed Ben to a training session of the "Sydney Swans", his favourite local club that plays in the national league. Now (despite Ben's efforts) I can't for the life of me remember whether it's Rugby League, Rugby Union or Aussie Rules football that they play, or any combination of the above. Nevertheless it was quite a special experience. I merely read The Telegraph until training ended and the autograph session began (I suspect that was what everyone was really waiting for anyway), whereupon we all helped Ben accumulate autographs and pictures of his local heroes. In the process I had great fun taking photos at the rate of more than 1 picture per minute.
Paddy's Market: Where traders in Aussie souvenirs, collectibles and memorabilia meet! A tourist haven as there's so much one can get at pretty competitive prices. Soft toys, T-shirts and Aussie-looking designs turned into everything from magnets to slippers were on sale. Managed to grab some souvenirs for family and friends here, including the little clip-on koalas that every visitor to Australia invariably comes back with. But I got a slightly different version. My koalas grip little boomerangs. Nyehehe.

The last evening we spent on ferry rides that took us right underneath Harbour Bridge, alongside Luna Park themepark and upriver to Balmain. It's just fantastic to stand at the windswept bow of a ferry speeding across a darkened Sydney Harbour, enjoying the moment with friends and taking in the sights.

During the trip I also managed to catch up with my uncle in Sydney and his family, whom I had not seen for many years. It is always good to meet kinsfolk from across the oceans and mengeratkan silaturrahim a bit after all these years apart. There was time for a short home visit and the sending of regards before I returned to Kingsford.

It was also while I was in Sydney that the sad news of the terrorist attacks in central London broke. Those were truly the work of the devil; it emphasizes that the war on terror is still very far from being won. The civilised world was swift in its condemnation and I am sure all Londoners will not allow this to cause any lasting disruption to their lives and commerce.

On the whole, the trip to Sydney went superbly well. I think credit for this has to go to Ben, who planned everything and ensured that we saw most if not all of what was to be seen. For myself, being an avid traveller, it was a great opportunity to see a very diverse and interesting part of the world. I enjoyed every moment of it and the memories of this trip will be with me for a very long time indeed.

Eksplorasi Batu Pahat: Journey to the South

2005-06-25T17:39:00.000+01:00

One of the things I really enjoy is travelling. Especially travelling by motorcycle. Because when you are on a motorcycle, you not only get to see the sights but you really blend into the surroundings to a greater degree. The sounds, the smells and the feel of places that you pass are a few things you don't get as much of when you whizz past in a sealed, air-conditioned automobile cabin. So I like to go around the place on a motorbike. Granted that this is not exactly a very safe activity (esp on Malaysian roads nowadays) but then there are just some risks in life that you've got to accept and accommodate. Makes life worth living.

Last Monday I visited Senggarang, an outlying pekan (little town) between Batu Pahat and Pontian. The plan was originally to reach Rengit, in the southern corner of Batu Pahat district, but as it was getting dark by the time I pulled into Senggarang, it was quite obvious that that was about as far as I was going to cover that day.

The 22km road south to Senggarang is dotted with numerous villages, oil palm estates and new housing projects. Traffic was fairly light on the characteristic single-lane Federal trunk road, which allowed for cruising at moderate speed. Villagers were just starting the hustle and bustle of preparing dinner, sometimes over wood-fire kitchens. Schoolchildren were coming home at the end of the afternoon session, shouting and playing with each other as they walked or cycled at the side of the road. A light evening breeze stirred the fronds of coconut and oil palm trees that lined the road as the sun set to the west. It was quite a rustic rural panorama indeed.

Senggarang is a small dusty town clustered around the main road from Batu Pahat to Kukup via Pontian. Route 7, if I'm not mistaken. During the Second World War this was the site of a skirmish as the British forces, retreating from Batu Pahat, tried to hold up the Japanese advance along a defensive line centred on Kluang and stretching to the west coast here. Partly to give the motorcycle a break before the ride home, I called a halt and entered a crumbling old coffee shop for some famous "Senggarang kopi".

From the veranda of the coffee shop, I was also able to observe the comings and goings taking place around me. At the next table, a group of elderly men chattered away loudly and relaxedly in Hokkien. Typical coffeeshop banter. Across the street, a group of youths were clustered around some public phones - some giggling, some playing simple games, others simply chatting to each other. In a nearby bus stop, some bedraggled townsfolk were languidly awaiting the Coastal Omnibus to take them up the road to Batu Pahat, presumably for some shopping and nightlife. Calmness and serenity were in the air.

Lights and lamp posts flickered into life as night drew its cloak around the little town. Finishing my drink, I left the coffeeshop and took a walk down the main street in town, returning to my bike along the other side. There was a store with plenty of knick-knacks at the edge of the town, and there I got myself a neat little straw hat for RM2 (29p).

The journey home was largely uneventful, mainly making sure I did not end up under some speeding bus or lorry in the failing light. There is a particularly winding 5km stretch of the road between Banang Jaya and the village of Koris, and I had a rather enjoyable challenge navigating that at just over 90km/h. I reached home safely at 7.40pm to a warm dinner.

Besides seeing more of the wonderful world we find ourselves in, travel gives a unique, pleasurable sense of perspective. Knowing that in many ways life keeps going on and on everywhere, just as it has to and has done since time immemorial, helps to overcome sadness, heal unseen wounds and surmount the many challenges life throws in our way each day.

A Man, A Kancil and A Waja.

2005-06-23T17:03:00.000+01:00

Sometimes life is like this:

A man has been driving a Perodua Kancil* for many years. After some time, he manages to gather enough money to get himself a Proton Waja. He goes to the showroom and requests a test drive. Enthralled by the way the car handles, he decides to place an order. But the salesman he places the order with turns out to be a fraudster. Our friend loses his money and is reduced to driving the Kancil yet again. He has to take some time to get over his loss.

*Proton and Perodua are trademarks of their respective companies.

First 3 weeks of holiday

2005-06-14T19:42:00.000+01:00

Almost hard to believe that 3 weeks have flown by since the day of my trip back to Malaysia. Many friends are beginning to come home as well, or have already arrived back.

Let's see ... since I got back I've mainly been staying at home, revisiting the nooks and crannies of Batu Pahat my hometown. Also been meeting up with the guys for futsal and mamak sessions, and also spent a week in KL visiting relatives and friends.

Had a trip down memory lane last week with two events. One was meeting up with Payatt at MidValley. Was great to catch up on the old times and to see that he's doing well in UiTM now. The other event was a trip back to college! Managed to meet almost all former teachers and current seniors (our juniors), besides collecting the very nice new A-Level certificate that has silver braids on them.

Also been playing a historical wargame, The Operational Art of War (Volume II). This is a comparatively old (1998) game that covers real and simulated conflicts during the period 1956-2000 (Volume I, which I used to play, covers 1939-1956 and as may be expected includes mostly World War 2 scenarios). The idea behind this game is to marshal operational resources like infantry, armor and aircraft to achieve objectives that are set according to the scenario. Terrain conditions and political restrictions also need to be considered in planning strategy. Among the real conflicts that can be played in Volume II are the Suez Crisis 1956, the Six Day War, Yom Kippur War, Tet Offensive and the first Gulf War (Coalition forces v Iraq). Some very interesting simulated-conflict scenarios are an American invasion of Cuba, 1962; Soviet invasion of northern China, the Third World War in Europe and an Indian invasion of Pakistan, 2000.

The graphics for this game are not exactly great and this is not a first-person game, which means you deploy units over a set map to achieve a goal, not take out your enemy in person, CS-style. But what I like about the game is its sense of realism, in that a player has to develop a coordinated strategy, maximising the potential of available air, land and sea units to achieve the set objectives. There are also political imperatives that correspond to the actual situation; for example if the Israeli player attempts to take Damascus in the 1973 scenario (which they well could in the actual war) there will be intervention by Soviet airborne units that tip the balance towards the Arab side. An interesting possibility occurs in the simulated India-Pakistan scenario which is all-out nuclear exchange resulting in a total defeat for both sides. This occurs if forces from either side capture the regional capitals of the adversary.

The game attempts to recreate, based on a variety of military sources, the balance of forces as it actually existed at the time. The attention to detail is also meticulous, with corresponding advantages for correct manipulation of the terrain. Consequently it gives the player an idea of the military and strategic difficulties that were actually faced by the commanders at the time.

Recommended for students of the Modern History course (1945-1991) who are interested in the many complex conflicts of the Cold War period, and have some time to kill (since the average scenario takes about 6 hours of gameplay to resolve). =)

Cinta seorang pengembara

2005-06-04T17:57:00.000+01:00

Dedicated to you, my friends, and for the one who likes stories

Many years ago, in a small rustic village near Labis, lived Ah Chye*. Ah Chye's family was poor and lowly-educated. The household eked out a hand-to-mouth existance by rearing poultry and growing vegetables.

Nevertheless, Ah Chye was a highly diligent young man. He studied hard at night by the light of a kerosene lamp, besides helping out his parents during the daytime. He thus sharpened his natural intelligence through hard work and did well in his MCE (Malaysian Certificate of Education, forerunner of the SPM) examinations.

Chye was accepted into teacher training college at Johor Bahru on the basis of his commendable MCE results. Those were the days when the teaching profession still commanded much respect. Chye's parents shed tears of joy. At last their son would be able to achieve professional qualification and break the chains of poverty that had shackled the family for so long.

Chye's sharpness of mind and hardworking nature were more than sufficient to see him through his Maktab years, and he qualified as a Mathematics teacher. He went on to teach in a secondary school at Mersing, drawing a respectable salary from which he duly apportioned a share to be sent back to his parents every month. Chye always spent his money frugally, remembering his humble beginnings and his ageing parents in the village. Soon he had also saved enough for the downpayment of a small Japanese motor-car.

Every school holiday, Chye would return to his family in Labis. His return was always big news in the little village. He was one of the first sons of that village to venture out into the professional world and the village folk were justly proud of him. Lagipun no one in the village had previously owned a motor-car. Chye never forgot his roots or became carried away with pride. He always treated everyone with much respect, especially the older folk in the village.

Then one day, Chye met Julie, who was newly assigned to teach at the same school. For Chye, it was love at first sight. He found Julie to be a very sweet, intelligent and caring young lady. Lagipun gayanya agak comel dan menawan. But because Chye was shy by nature, he kept his feelings secret for many months, whilst remaining good friends with Julie. Then one day, Chye felt able to muster enough courage to confess to Julie.

But Julie did not like him back. At least, not in that way. "His country looks are not as handsome as some other gentlemen I have met," thought Julie. Besides, Chye was too stingy, she thought. Julie did not know that this was because of Chye's difficult upbringing and his many responsibilities back home. Rasanye tak cukup hensem-lah. So Julie turned him down. "Sorry, I am not ready for commitment. I think we should be just friends," she said.

Poor Chye was devastated by this rejection. He really believed that Julie was the right one for him and had looked forward to a happy life together with her. Chye fell into deep depression. Bak kata pepatah, tido tak lena, makan tak lalu, mandi tak basah. His close friend, Boon, told him to get over it but this was much easier said than done.

Chye found it difficult to get Julie out of his mind. During the school holidays, whenever his mind was free it would find itself occupied by thoughts of her. He could not imagine what his future would be without her. One day, Chye could take it no longer. He went into his room and slashed his wrists.

However, Boon happened to come up to Chye's room in the nick of time and hurriedly called an ambulance. Chye was in critical condition for three days and the doctors despaired of his life. His parents came up to the hospital to visit him. They were overcome with grief at this tragic turn of events. It was difficult to believe that the son on whom they had pinned their hopes could come to this.

After many days, owing to Boon's timely intervention, Chye survived and returned to a stable condition. He left behind not only the clutches of Death but also his great love for Julie. He was deeply remorseful for having caused his parents and true friends so much worry and heartache. Both he and Julie transferred to different districts shortly after the incident.

Epilogue

Today, many years down the road, Chye has found himself a loving, charming and tender wife from Penang, with whom he has had three children. Well into their fifties, they are inseperable nowadays. As for Julie, she married a man who later turned out to be abusive and alcoholic towards her and their two children. Her husband now drifts in and out of work, and Julie is now slightly psychotic from the burden of having to fend for the entire household and also put up with her husband's vulgar behaviour.

Komen Tok Dalang

Although names have been changed, this is based on a true story that happened to people I know personally, dan ini bukanlah cerita rekaan semata-mata. Having read this story it would be nice if we could reflect on what would have happened had Chye succeeded in taking his life. Wouldn't it have been such a waste of young talent and a devastating blow to the people around him? If so, how often do we allow "love" and "feelings of love" to interfere with our pursuit of other things that matter in life? What are the things that really matter in life, and how high should love rank among them? How does the Epilogue affect your answer?

Fikirkanlah sejenak. Please feel free to leave your comments and feedback where appropriate, and should you prefer to respond in confidence please also feel free to do so by emailing me/tegur kat MSN at kingulnar2000@hotmail.com. To those who have bothered, thank you for reading.

*Names of people and places have been changed to protect privacy. This is an original work and all rights are reserved.

Back at home

2005-05-29T19:20:00.000+01:00

Just to inform that I have safely reached home on Friday, 27 May. Haha. More updates to follow.

On penalty shootouts to end soccer matches

2005-05-29T19:15:00.000+01:00

It's always controversial when teams deliberately play for a penalty shootout (as Arsenal did against Man U) but then again, tactically they have got to accept the risk of the other side finding the net in regulation time.

In a case like the FA Cup final* I find it quite hard to accept the assertions "Man U were superior" or "Man U controlled the game" when they wasted the large number of chances that came their way. After all, it could equally well be said that Arsenal successfully prevented Man U from scoring during regulation time. If Man U really "controlled the game" surely we would be seeing a scoreline closer to that of Arsenal v Everton rather than 0-0 after 120 minutes.

So, who's the better team? Clearly it's pointless to continue playing beyond 120 minutes, since fatigue would impinge on the impact of skill to an intolerable degree. Having a replay (or replays) would probably be the most fair option but what about the fans' disappointment and the logistics difficulties of congregating the fans together again in, say, a week's time?

The motorway crawls outside Cardiff everytime there's a Cup final are pretty notorious already, and in something like the European Cup final surely the logistics difficulties would be almost insuperable. Not to mention the possibility of upsetting the sporting calendar and clashing with other big dates such as internationals, etc. and thereby complicating planning.

So we go back to the basics. To end the game on the stipulated day, there has to be a winner (more about the "double winner" option later). Since it's not much fun to grind both teams down to a sheer test of brute force by playing unlimited time, there has to be a different option. Personally I think penalties provides an acceptable solution. Each side produces 5 players it thinks can best hit its penalties and they face off against the other side's lineup. If they produce total howlers, well that's tough. Surely being able to strike penalties decently isn't too much to ask of a multimillion-dollar-grossing professional footballer.

It's also about teamwork, not individualism as the outcome doesn't depend on any one penalty taker in particular but on the overall performance of The Chosen Five. Sure it appears at times to hinge on the fourth or fifth taker but have we forgotten the ones who hit/missed the earlier penalties to produce that situation in the first place?

So on the overall I would conclude that if you want to end a game on the day itself, avoiding the massive problems associated with a replay or rescheduling, penalties is about the nearest you can get to a fair outcome.

Ben's "two winners" theory would certainly be revolutionary, since we are pretty much used to the concept of an ultimate winner and loser in a final. It's a kewl idea and could very well work, if there is an attitude shift in football amenable to the concept of two winners coming out of a final.

However, it might also eliminate the incentive of finalists to attack and try to win. After all, why take the risk of attacking when both teams can sit back, play passive football and both get crowned "winners"? Are there sufficient incentives to induce a team to even try to be "single winners" rather than "joint winners"?

Also, if we have this concept for finals, what about semi- and quarter-finals? Applying this concept at these stages could then necessitate an overhaul of the entire progression system itself. It could be done, I suppose, but in all likelihood with much complexity.

Besides dramatically increasing** the risk of heart attacks and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), penalties is a rather cruel way of ending a team's competition hopes, I agree. But that is not the same as saying it is unfair or unnecessary. Teams entering a knockout-stage match must bear in mind the possibility of the match going to penalties. They should plan their tactics and prepare their players accordingly. It is perhaps time to control the very Mourinho-ish tendency of blaming the system when faced with defeat and disappointment***.

*Being an Aston Villa supporter, I am neutral and the following examples are for illustration purposes only. No offense is intended against anyone, any team or any American businessman.

** Source: Urban legend and conventional wisdom

*** A general statement intending no offence to anyone in particular except Jose Mourinho.

Leaving the UK

2005-05-25T00:40:00.000+01:00

Hi everyone,

Greetings, hope you are fine and doing well wherever you are.

My first year at UCL is now drawing to an end. With that, I will be leaving the UK later today (Wednesday, 25 May 2005) on the 7pm flight from London Heathrow. I am really glad to be returning home after almost a year abroad. Most of you too, I am sure, will be experiencing the same feeling in the month or so to come, as the day of your own return flight draws near.

Looking back, it has been a very happy 9 months before this for me in the company of such great friends as yourselves. I will not forget your friendship, support and presence during both good and difficult times. I hope that if anything, our bond of friendship will be further strengthened over the years to come.

Thank you especially to those with whom I have shared such unforgettable moments over the past year ... whether kipping out together in Dublin, Edinburgh, Warwick or Cambridge; dinners together in London; riding the London Eye; picnic in Russell Square; Skyping at odd hours, whatever. I had a great time and I hope you did too!

I will be having a rather long summer vacation in Malaysia and am scheduled to come back to London on the 24th of September. It would be great if we could meet up in Malaysia sometime ... and if you happen to come by this part of the world known as Batu Pahat do drop me a line and I can go meet you! Plus possibly take you around the place a bit ;-) it's much easier to do that than to take ppl around London, to be sure.

To everyone having exams I wish you the very best of luck in them, and hope they go well for you! And all the best to everyone for when your results come out! =)

That will be all for now, I guess. Look forward to seeing you again sometime. Till then goodbye, take care and may God bless you all.

Regards and best wishes,
Wilson Tay
London, UK

Around London on the red double-deckers

2005-05-20T01:10:00.000+01:00

Since my exam ended on the 12th, I decided go see the world (London, to be exact) a bit.

I really like to travel on the London city bus. More specifically, at the front seat of the upper deck of those red double-deckers that chug around the city. That's because from such a vantage point, you get to see all the scenery as you pass by. Beats travelling on the crowded, dusty Tube any day. So I got hold of a 7-day Bus Pass. It's 11 quid but I reckon it's worth it cos that's like 7 days of "Mana-Mana" tickets anywhere within London and even slightly beyond (see below).

It's brilliant, the things you get to see beyond Zone 1. On Monday I travelled to Brent Cross, which is a large complex in Hendon, north London. My route took me through Archway, a bustling hillside suburb with an old train station, dusty shops and ancient-looking buildings. It was drizzling that day and breath came out as thick puffs of vapour. The atmosphere reminded me of Tanah Rata in Cameron Highlands. Next on the route was Highgate Village, a sleepy suburb at the top of a hill. Then we passed the green fields and housing estates of Finchley and Barnet before reaching Brent Cross near the North Circular. The journey was spectacular, much more so than the mall itself, which turned out to be mainly designer clothes and shoe-shops, although there's also a large WH Smiths there. In Victorian times Barnet used to be a small town on the north approach to London but nowadays it's part of the metropolis. There are lots of fascinating small shops along the main road leading into central London, though there's also the rolling green fields and cricket pitches off the highway.

I returned via Kilburn and Oxford Circus, a different and shorter route. As you can probably gather, I found the journey so much more fascinating than the actual destination itself.

Then on Wednesday I decided to be a bit more adventurous and ride the double-decker out of London, which can happen if you go by bus to Bluewater Shopping Complex, reputedly the largest new shopping centre in Europe. A tag like that made the place sound very much worth a visit, so I had been thinking of going there for some time. Now Bluewater is outside the M25 ring road which marks the perimeter of London itself, "beyond the fringes" as Transport for London calls it. It would have been much more direct and faster if I went by train from King's Cross, but since I had a Bus Pass in hand I thought I would give it a try by bus.

The TfL Journey Planner website (www.tfl.gov.uk) suggested a few routes, all of which involved at least 3 changes and minimum 150 minutes' journey time one way. Oh well, since my exam was over, might as well give it a try, I thought.

And what a rewarding journey it turned out to be! Launching from Elephant and Castle, I took the No.53 heading southeast, passing the bustling suburbs of New Cross Gate and Lewisham. It was a rush hour, 4.45pm. People were knocking off from work and children were coming back from school, which meant the streets and the bus stops and the railway stations were full of people chatting, hurrying or otherwise hanging around. We passed the main streets of these suburban towns, past some very picturesque old shops and buildings, to the countryside at Blackheath. The urban setting gave way to wide green fields, sparkling ponds and old-style cottages, a most remarkable find within the M25.

I changed bus at Woolwich, the old military town in Zone 4 noted for its Woolwich Arsenal and barracks. Woolwich is a delightful old place, with a park and fountain at the town centre, a thriving street market in a cobbled square and an old railway station. It's also home to The Woolwich building society, which in Woolwich itself occupies an imposing fortress-like building near the town centre. From Woolwich I took the No.96 towards Bluewater, heading out to Zone 5 and beyond. We passed Plumstead, Bexleyheath, Crayford and Dartford, the setting becoming progressively more country-like with green hills, beautiful gardens and little cottages. It was absolutely marvelous to observe scenery such as this, to witness the beauty of God's creation in a foreign land and to think that at each moment of our lives, in each of these places and everywhere throughout the world people are living parallel lives to ours. Absolutely brilliant.

Crayford is in Zone 6. As we approached Dartford we passed beyond the M25 and into the county of Kent, where Bluewater is. The London Bus service, No.96 route, runs slightly out of the city to Bluewater. Of course, my Bus Pass continued to work there, otherwise I would have been stranded like, waaay far from home. =P

As for Bluewater itself, it was really big, occupying the site of a former stone quarry. It's quite a holistic experience, since there's an artificial lake, a fountain and gardens to walk in besides doing shopping in the main mall itself. And besides the main outlets like M&S, John Lewis etc. there's also lots of shops that sell all kinds of curios (though generally expensive). I quite liked their concept of concentrating most of the food outlets like McDs, KFC, Pizza Hut etc. around a food court so different members of the family could go for different things without having to quarrel and/or drag unwilling siblings to one particular outlet. Well, too bad my family's not actually here to do that, but it's something to think about from my observation of those local families who actually were there. Midvalley's larger on overall shop floor space, I'd maintain, but this is certainly the best mall I've seen since I came to this place.

I returned by a different route (again), changing at Bexleyheath, Lewisham and Elephant before getting home way past midnight. Journey time was about 3 hours in total one way. It was quite an experience indeed to be waiting at a cold windswept bus stop in Bexleyheath (Zone 5) after dark at 10.45pm, with groups of feral youths wandering around nearby shouting and screaming away. Anyway I got home safely to steaming cocoa and a bowl of hot noodles in the early hours of the morning.

Travelling around London by bus is great. It's certainly well worth the 11 pounds I paid and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone keen on a bit of sightseeing. =)

End of exams

2005-05-14T00:38:00.000+01:00

After 8 months of study here in the city of London, my exam week finally passed. Between the 4th and 12th of May, there was the same old adrenalin rush of frantic thinking and writing within an impossible time limit ... glad that it's over and done with now.

Managed to finish Contract and Tort as well as Public Law on time, which means I wrote all I think I could usefully have written (which sometimes isn't very much at all). For World Legal Orders I actually wished there was more time, and Property wins the Worst exam of them all award since I not only ran out of things to say on the last question but proceeded to misquote the leading case for constructive trusts. Bollocks to that.

Kinda interesting how they conduct their exams far away from college, in those community halls ... had to commute to Royal Oak near Bayswater for the Property paper on the morning of the 10th. The Porchester Hall venue there was decked out like some banqueting venue, with lavish curtains, grand stairways and, well, correspondingly poor lighting (ugh). Bishopsgate near Liverpool Street was the best, I thought ... very well lit and airy, just like a third-class hospital ward with all the beds cleared out and replaced by individual desks for the exam.

So, now to wait (not exactly with bated breath, I must admit) for results day on the 20th of June, and then to nervously ring up the Faculty of Laws to find out my fate.

On a brighter note, getting the exams out of the way means the next big thing on the agenda is the flight home! Yeay! I'll be flying back on Wednesday, 25th of May at 7.05pm. Will be a long break at home since I'm only coming back on the 24th of September, unless I managed to fail my exams and doom myself to returning early for a re-sit.

Between now and then I hope to be touring London a little, looking up friends, hunting for second-year accommodation and so on. Have bought a 7-day Bus Pass in anticipation (11 quid ... what a ripoff). Been wanting to see places like the Imperial War Museum, Bluewater, St James' Park (not the one in Newcastle), Maritime Greenwich and Canary Wharf for some time. If you live within the M25 and feel bored at times during this week just give me a call and I'll be glad to pop round your place for a chat. Cheerios.

Blair returned with reduced majority

2005-05-07T00:13:00.000+01:00

With all but two seats declared, Tony Blair's Labour Party was yesterday returned to power with 355 of the 646 seats at stake in the House of Commons. This represented a gain of 47 seats to the Opposition, reaped mainly by the Conservatives who gained 33 seats and the Lib Dems who boosted their overall total by 11 seats. The Government's previously massive working majority in the House has been considerably reduced from 160-odd seats to less than half that figure.

In Northern Ireland the much-talked-about marginalisation of middle ground parties has manifested itself, with the moderate Social Democratic Labour Party and the Ulster Unionist Party losing ground to the radical parties. These are, of course, Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionists and Gerry Adams' Sinn Fein. The latter has seemed to escape the political toll of recent IRA-linked criminal activity in Ulster, including the infamous Northern Bank robbery not too long ago. This radicalisation may yet have ominious implications for the ongoing peace process in Northern Ireland.

Nationwide voters gave Labour the much-awaited political backlash, mainly over the Prime Minister's perceived dishonesty regarding Iraq. Indeed the scale of the swing against Labour was considerably worse than expected, leaving them with an aggregate 37% of the vote, one of the smallest figures ever for a government in power.

Michael Howard has indeed done a good job moulding together the Tories into a coherent fighting force once again, after the devastation of 1997. In the wake of this outcome however, Mr. Howard has announced his intention to step down soon to make way for younger blood to lead the party. The Conservatives in fact managed to unseat several Labour ministers including Stephen Twigg, the Schools Minister who had no doubt attracted much negative publicity in the media over declining standards and discipline in British schools.

In Erewash the maverick Robert Kilroy Silk, founder of the Veritas party failed to make an impact, but I was highly disappointed to note that in Bethnal Green and Bow George Galloway managed to unseat the Labour incumbent Oona King after one of the most intense and violence-marred campaigns in this election. Campaigning largely on public antipathy towards the Iraq saga, Mr.Galloway's Respect was always very much a single-issue party. Indeed the Times noted that Mr.Galloway himself was not present to answer questions regarding Respect's own economic manifesto at its launch shortly after the start of campaigning.

In my local constituency of Holborn and St.Pancras, Frank Dobson of Labour was returned with a slightly reduced majority of 13.9%, fending off a strong challenge from the Liberal Democrats. As this is a safe Labour seat the result could never have been in serious doubt anyway. I was slightly intrigued by the constituency description, which noted (correctly) that this is "the academic centre of London, covering the University College and SOAS campuses, the British Museum and the British Library." Heh. Sounds a pretty scholarly/nerdy place indeed.

Tony Blair has said that this will be his last term in office, so it will be interesting to see whether his premiership turns into something of a lame-duck one. Waiting in the wings is Gordon Brown, the Chancellor of the Exchequer whom Mr.Blair has effectively anointed as his successor. One will remember that it was Mr.Brown's dramatic intervention in defence of the premier and his contribution to the Brown-Blair "united front" that turned the tide in favour of Labour and enabled them to hold off the Tory/LibDem challenge. Mr.Brown will not want to wait too long for his reward.

The challenge of Tony Blair's third term has only just begun. With economists forecasting an imminent burst of Britain's economic bubble, and difficult decisions to be made on constitutional reform, anti-terrorism legislation and sources of renewable energy, the incoming Cabinet will have its work cut out for it right from day one.

The "season of promises" has ended. It is our hope as always that the elected ones will now take it upon themselves to deliver the goods they have so enthusiastically pledged in return for our support.

Britain forwards not backwards - but forwards to where?

2005-04-23T02:27:00.000+01:00

When Tony Blair called the British parliamentary election for May 5, I occasionally wondered how I would vote if I were to be a citizen of the UK. Must be quite an experience, I thought. So it was a pleasant surprise for me that last Monday, a voter card in my name arrived in the morning post at Frances Gardner House. Upon further inquiry on Westlaw, it was revealed that under the Representation of the People Act 2000 (Section 1), citizens of Commonwealth countries and the Republic of Ireland residing in the UK are also eligible to vote. Since I was previously unaware of this, someone had evidently put my name on the electoral roll for Holborn and St.Pancras, the central London constituency around this Hall of Residence.

Notwithstanding the fact that Labour is defending an 11,000-vote majority in Holborn and St Pancras which means it is a rather safe seat for Messrs.Blair & Co., I would certainly like to visit the polling station and put my vote in the box come the 5th of May. It would be quite memorable to cast my first-ever general election vote to help elect a Parliament other than that of my homeland, anomalous as it may sound. Frankly if the people of Iraq and Afghanistan are willing to risk death and serious injury in order to make their voices heard, there is pretty much no excuse not to take that walk/drive down to the nearest polling station in peaceful states such as Malaysia and the UK.

Which brings me to the other question - 'whom (not who) do I want to lead this country?' The three main parties are Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat. If you believe The Daily Telegraph, Conservative stands a pretty good chance of at least breaking Mr.Blair's hegemony and achieving a "hung Parliament." If you believe practically everyone else, the Blair-Brown machine is going to steamroll its way to another 5 year-term with a comfortable majority to spare.

Essentially, the situation is that while many people are irked by the Blair Government on Iraq, spiralling crime and antisocial behaviour, MRSA-infected hospitals and a seemingly uncontrolled influx of immigration, we are not exactly convinced that the Tories or Lib Dems would do a better job.

Opposition Leader Michael Howard's tough line on crime and immigration won his party a brief surge in the opinion polls about a fortnight ago. That has since stalled as the Tories began to run out of ideas to fuel the envisioned turn in the tide. Furthermore, Labour pulled out its own big guns in the form of the highly publicised Blair-Brown rapprochement and also focused on Tory plans to cut spending on public services ("Warning: The Tories will cut 35 billion pounds from public services" billboards began appearing at strategic locations).

The Lib Dems have a somewhat different agenda. Opposed from the beginning to the war in Iraq, they would like to take Britain into the eurozone and work for greater European integration, which means effectively handing over more power to Brussels.

Personally, I would like to see the main parties direct closer attention to how they are going to address the issue of rising crime and hooliganism on British streets. All three parties have claimed they want to increase the number of policemen, but is the problem strictly one of quantity? Will having more policemen change anything if they are increasingly burdened by administrative regulations, cumbersome law enforcement procedures and a ridiculous obsession with political correctness? The Met Police proposed recently to change the italicised font of its slogan, "Working together for a safer London", at considerable cost so that those with visual impairments will not be discriminated against in perceiving their slogan. Well, being visually impaired myself, I am sure I would derive more comfort from knowing the Met Police are directing their budget towards deterring the yobs that once attacked my hostel room, rather than changing their signboards so that I can see their slogan better, inspiring as it is.

Mr.Howard and Oliver Letwin, the Shadow Chancellor, want to improve the quality of Britain's public services. But at the same time they propose cuts in funding for such services, which makes sense since they are the Conservative party after all and are supposed to want a lean public sector and all that monetarist hoo-ha. They protest that the 35 bil figure is a Labour misrepresentation. Well, that may be but the fact remains that they are going to take money out of the public sector. And I don't think you can improve an overburdened set of services by taking funding out of it. True, you can improve efficiency but with regard to human nature and bureaucratic inertia that is much easier said than done. Best attempted without the accompanying complication of reduced funding.

Besides Mr.Howard has a disturbingly authoritarian streak as a leader. When the courts ruled against him in ex parte Fire Brigades Union (he was Home Secretary in the John Major government) he simply bulldozed legislation through Parliament at the next opportunity to get his version of pension schemes on the statute books. Recently, when Conservative MP Howard Flight suggested flaws in the leadership's economic proposals, he was swiftly stripped of his candidacy and cast into the political wilderness. Not a very good record on taking criticism as a leader, Mr. Howard.

Not that I am some wooly, utopian, Guardian-reading liberal who opposes all things "authoritarian". I think Mr.Blair's policy on Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) and ID cards perfectly justifiable. After all, I've carried an ID card for almost 10 years now and far from it being some sinister device by which my government tracks all my private info, my ID card has proved really useful in situations such as opening bank accounts, joining societies and even minor road accidents. I think the liberals have really gone too far with their criticism on this one. Besides, I would back the government's steps to control the terror threat, such as house arrest, electronic tagging and so on. First David Blunkett and now Charles Clarke, besides the police chiefs, have warned of the significant terror threat to the UK and London in particular as justifying such measures. A Government cannot wait for a terror attack to happen before taking steps to protect its people. The liberals have got to understand that. As for the suspected militants, well, if you associate yourself with dangerous organisations you can hardly blame others for treating you a tad suspiciously.

Clearly I do not agree with most of the Lib Dems' rallying points, namely their stubborn opposition to ID cards, their stand on Iraq and their Europhilic tendencies. On balance, I don't think Mr.Howard and the Tories would be able to deliver on their promises of reduced tax, smaller state sector and yet free and improved public services such as healthcare. Something will have to give. Thus although I absolutely detest the worsening yob culture, supercasinos, dirty hospitals and the craze about political correctness; although I think of myself as conservative with a small 'c'; if I were to vote on May 5 I would hold my nose and vote Labour.

Activity Wind-down

2005-04-20T02:37:00.000+01:00

Just to inform that activity on this site is likely to decrease in the next month or so, as my first-year final exams fall between May 4-12 (less than one month from now) and I need to allocate resources for that in the time being.

For those who are interested, I've had a fine month before this ... had a nice little birthday celebration with some London friends on March 25 to begin with. Thank you very much to all who called, SMSed, visited or otherwise wished me a happy birthday ... indeed I had one =)

Just returned from a trip to Ireland by bus and ferry ... a sorta journey off the beaten track. The trip was absolutely fantastic. Just describing the journey alone would probably take up this whole post (and bore you to tears) so suffice to say I toured the interesting bits of Dublin (Guinness Storehouse, Dundrum Town Centre, Dublin Castle, 1916 Uprising sites, Trinity College, etc. etc.). Also went out into the countryside at Glendalough and County Wicklow on a day tour, which was really amazing in terms of the scenery.

Also finished off a 3000-word mini dissertation that will count for 25% of my exam marks for Public Law in May ... quite a nice topic on the recent House of Lords ruling on the Belmarsh detainees, though it left me very tired out and sleepy after 3 days of slogging.

So you see, when you consider all the other very interesting stuff I'd like to mention but am too sleepy to at the moment, I've had a pretty eventful month before this ... now to settle down for the last month of the LLB Intermediate year and try to salvage some presentable grades. Need to reassure the sponsors that they aren't wasting precious foreign exchange on me, you see. =)

I like to think a bit before I blog so coming up with an entry usually takes a long time (with the exception of this one). I'm not likely to have that kind of time between now and the end of exams. So, further updates likely after May 12. In the meantime do add me to your MSN if you haven't done so already, at kingulnar2000@hotmail.com. Bulky emails should be sent to wilson.batupahat@gmail.com, otherwise you risk them bouncing back on you cos my other mailboxes have nowhere near as much storage space as that GMail one.

Hope my exam goes well, okay? See ya and have a great month ahead, wherever you are.

21st Birthday Anniversary Theme

2005-03-21T21:19:00.000Z

As has been customary for me over the past few years, a week before yet another birthday anniversary I took a moment of reflection to consider the year that has passed and the challenges that are yet to come.

The past year has been coloured by unprecedented trials, from the journey of 16,000 km to come and study in the United Kingdom to the task of having to set up and maintain a life overseas, in circumstances unlike any previously seen. Many of the difficulties that were faced at this point last year have now receded into the wisps of time. Some, like the hurdle of A-Levels and admission to university, have by the grace of God turned out very well. Others have been less so, but on the whole 2004/2005 has been a year to cherish for the rest of my life.

Friends and family have left indelible marks upon the course of my life, mostly pleasant ones as you continually surprised and touched me with your comradeship, support and solidarity - inspiring me to do the same for the people around me.

This is not to say that I have not experienced the betrayal of false friends, the grief of losses and the bitter fruits of defeat. These have all had their place in the year gone by, and although I don't agree with the cliche that "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger", I have resigned myself to accepting these as part and parcel of life.

Around this time I also look with trepidation to the future and the challenges it holds. In the year ahead there will be very stiff tests to overcome in the personal and social spheres. Past friendships will face the renewed tests of time and distance, promising to wear down all but the strongest and most sincere of relationships. The opening of new vistas of education will bring with it the challenge of examinations, in a relatively new style and format. The task of sustaining and enriching my experience here in the UK is also expected to grow more ardous (albeit interesting) with the shift into private accommodation and the onset of elements such as vacation placements and course dissertations.

In view of the challenges ahead, the theme for this year's 21st birthday anniversary is "Strength through hope, courage through tenacity." It is recognised that strength and courage can not be acquired merely through individual resolve and theoretical understanding, but by venturing out and living the life; savouring the joys and enduring the failures, desertions and setbacks.

The Story of Budin

2005-03-07T19:39:00.000Z

Budin* is your typical Malaysian 20-year old. He goes to college, hangs out at mamak stalls and spends a considerable amount of time lepakking. But there is one difference. Budin will not go anywhere near an Internet-connected computer, certainly not in the near future.

You see, Budin made a terrible mistake when he was last connected to the Internet. Offered an innocent-looking file over MSN Messenger 6.2, supposedly from his trusty buddy Mamat, Budin accepted the file. He failed to notice that the file was of a fishy type, for instance .pif or .@$$, probably because the file had some groovy sounding-name such as "Hahaha" and "Laughalot", or whatever. Besides, whoever wrote that file had also learnt to present encouraging statements such as "you'll love this!" and "very funny! LOL" alongside the file on offer.

As it turned out, the file was a dastardly new version of computer virus that soon replicated and sent itself to everyone on Budin's MSN contact list. It also caused permanent damage to the host computers by preventing operating systems such as Windows from starting up on the PC. Forever.

Budin's circle of friends - Ah Beng, Muthu, Singam and even the innocent Ah Lian, thought that the file had genuinely come from their kaki gayut/kaki lepak Budin. They also accepted the file transfer. As a result, their PCs were also doomed forever.

Budin was lucky. His computer was covered by the Endsleigh TM ComputaCover insurance scheme. So he received some compensation. But his friends were not so lucky. Being also typical Malaysian college students dependent on sometimes erratic PTPTN study loans, they could not afford to replace their stricken PCs. As a result, they were deprived (at least for the near future) of a valuable educational resource of vital importance in their studies and coursework.

Budin now blames himself for his carelessness. As a result, he will no longer go anywhere near an Internet-connected computer or cybercafe in the near future. At least, as long as his friends continue to be deprived. This is a lesson to be wary of files that claim to have been sent by friends on your Contact List.

Be wise when you surf. Guilt haunts ...

*This story is fictional, although partly based on fact. Any connection with any person/s, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Weekend Away: Warwick '05

2005-02-25T00:17:00.000Z

Weekend Away: Warwick 2005 was held on 18-20 February, 2005. Actually, that's just the name I gave to my short excursion to attend Malaysia Night 2005 at the University of Warwick. It was a good opportunity to continue the ongoing effort to meet up with old friends and see the other universities in the UK. I put up with Azmir a.k.a. dx-antagonist a.k.a. tukang karut dikir Warwick, for the duration of the weekend.

The University of Warwick is a 20 minutes' bus ride from the town of Coventry, which in turn is accessible by bus or train from London. Kinda like how KMYS is separated from Tanjong Malim. The similarity is all the more heightened by the University's pristine, countryside setting - a far cry from the hustle and bustle of London. There is certainly no major town or city of Warwick in the vicinity; buses serving the University pass from Coventry to Leamington Spa, with the campus located in the middle of the route.

The modern facilities and peaceful surroundings of the university was very impressive indeed. Using my University of London card I managed to gain access to their well-stocked library, which even has an array of daily newspapers from the UK and continental Europe (which does make me a bit jealous, having to fork out 20p each day for my own copy here cos we don't have anything like that). The campus is well-signposted, such that even when I was exploring alone there was never any serious difficulty in finding the way. The whole thing is like the feel you get in Malaysian IPTAs like UM, USM and UPM, a nice neat campus atmosphere. Azmir's room, like the others in the aptly-named Lakeside Residence, is very well-furnished - with en-suite bath and shower and a kitchen overlooking rolling expanses of grassland just like what you get in Enid Blyton storybooks.

There are no problems of supply (jargon for difficulty in getting affordable basic groceries) at all, since there is a well-stocked Costcutters' within the central campus and a shopping complex at Cannon Park within easy walking distance. Housing a giant Tesco besides Iceland, Boots, the DIY store Wilkinson's and even a bargain fruit shop among others, Cannon Park leaves practically nothing to be desired by the average student shopper. Tesco shopping carts in fact appear at certain curious places on campus. One was spotted lying at the bottom of a shallow river and another was wheeled by unseen (backstage) hands onto the stage of the Malaysia Night play. =P

The Malaysia Night itself was a great performance and the Malaysian students of Warwick have certainly succeeded in portraying the richness and diversity of Malaysian culture at its best. The event kicked off with a series of Malay, Chinese and Indian dances followed by the main play, titled "Which One Are You?" After that was an array of solo and not-so-solo renditions of songs and acrobatic stunts. The stirring finale of the night was a dikir barat performance by about 60-odd students. One could really see the spirit and enthusiasm brimming in the participants as they rendered the traditional Wau Bulan and Dikir Puteri. It was absolutely magnificent.

At this point I will say a little about the play, "Which One Are You". Fair warning was given over the PA system that this was meant to make us "think a little", and indeed what ensued was an intriguing piece of realist, reflective drama. I am not very certain that this level of dramatic depth is most suitable for an event such as Malaysia Night, but then again I am sure the directors and organisers had considered this at length before deciding to proceed. My reading of the play's message is this: like it or not, in life we are constantly being expected to fulfil certain roles in a way similar to how actors are expected to fulfil their roles in the script. If we come to "realize" this, there is a real risk that we will soon tire of the futility of it all. Yet if we don't, we just continue performing the same role day after day, and over time the roles of people in society become classifiable along the lines of certain stereotypes - hence the title "Which one are you?" That of course is strictly my own perception of the play (which invokes memories of the days I was reading Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead for my A-Levels in Literature, when the message was rather similar), and I am sure many members of the audience formed different views of the whole thing.

On the overall it was a great Weekend Away, indeed I could not have asked for better hosts or better company over the weekend. I even managed to get my hands on "The Return of Sherlock Holmes", which I had been in search of for some time, at the university bookshop so there you are.

It was an icy Sunday on which I travelled back to London, via Birmingham, and on the long journey my mind went back to the time of UCAS applications. Although Warwick was the first university to send me their prospectus, I never seriously considered them - partly because I was quite set on coming to the University of London. As it turned out Warwick is a very nice place after all, I thought. =)

Dominant Intelligence - DI?

2005-02-24T02:48:00.000Z

Your Dominant Intelligence is Linguistic Intelligence

You are excellent with words and language. You explain yourself well. An elegant speaker, you can converse well with anyone on the fly. You are also good at remembering information and convicing someone of your point of view. A master of creative phrasing and unique words, you enjoy expanding your vocabulary. You would make a fantastic poet, journalist, writer, teacher, lawyer, politician, or translator.

What Kind of Intelligence Do You Have?

Came across this while surfin' through friends' pages and thought it might be nice to try out for fun. Oh well. I'm already doing a Law course ... though not that I'm fantastic at it - certainly my current grades aren't =P

Makan @ Mawar

2005-02-16T01:18:00.000Z

On 19 February 2005, some 45 ex-KMYS/KYUEMians descended on Mawar Restaurant, Edgware Road for a night of reunion, frolicking and good ol' Malaysian food.

Organised by the Alumni Kolej Yayasan UEM (AKYUEM), this event managed to bring together a significant number of former KMYS/KYUEM students who are now pursuing further vistas of excellence in universities across the UK.

Although the overwhelming majority of those present are currently based in the London universities of LSE, King's, Imperial College and UCL, a contingent from Southampton was also spotted at the event. Also present was Nizatul Laili, who endured an eight-hour bus ride from the University of Glasgow to attend the event ... well done!

The dinner provided an excellent opportunity to meet up once more and catch up on each other's developments since moving on to study in the United Kingdom. The steaming nasi campur and authentic Malaysian curry was also a welcome relief from the somewhat bland local cuisine and the perfect escapade from the chill of the British winter. In no time at all, we the guests at the dinner were moving around chatting up friends and seniors. There were even "couples' tables" where some familiar pairs were blissfully seated to enjoy the night. A great many photo sessions were also held, with the usual dose of humour from Iedil, Shahmeen and Co. It was a whiff of the old days once more.

Two college alumni, Azlan (Abn) and Zaid Waqiyuddin (Waq) celebrated their birthdays in conjunction with the dinner. Nik Nazmi (Budu), the AKYUEM president, also informally addressed the gathering about the planned Konvoi back to Lembah Beringin for KYUEM Alumni Nite 2005 this summer. It is hoped that an even more encouraging turnout will be recorded for that rendezvous this year.

In retrospect, Makan @ Mawar (as it was called) provided a great opportunity for the alumni of KMYS/KYUEM to gather and enjoy the company of old friends once more. The turnout was overwhelmingly from the batch of 2002-2004, though our immediate seniors managed a contingent of about 10. Perhaps with a greater "diversity of batches", such gatherings could be made even better still in future. But all the same, it remains a night to remember for all who were there.

Chinese New Year Open Room

2005-02-06T01:26:00.000Z

Dear friends,

The Chinese New Year begins on Feb 9 this year, which is this first day in the Year of the Rooster. On the evening of Feb 8, many Chinese families around the world will be having the traditional reunion dinner, held to symbolise the coming together of the family at the close of yet another year.

This Chinese New Year, you are very welcome to visit me at Frances Gardner House, London. I will be around during the customary Chinese New Year celebration period of 15 days, except for the weekend of 18-20 Feb. Do feel free to drop by and spread the cheer.

Lessons will go on during the period, however, so the best times to drop by are after 4pm each day, except weekends when I'm usually free after midday.

Juz give a call to confirm the time you're coming. No mandarin oranges required. No ang pows given, either. =D

"Xin jia ju yi"

Happy Chinese New Year 2005

Angry and disappointed (reposted again)

2005-02-04T13:40:00.000Z

Let me make this clear. Posting my view on what I felt to be an unjustified interpretation of the recent tsunami tragedy (below) was not an invitation for the attaching of links to pages making all sorts of wild allegations about who is sponsoring which terrorist organisation.

It has very recently come to my attention that following the post, a reader has placed a link in the Comments section. I have read the page to which it connects. It contains a variety of serious, false and unsubstantiated allegations about so-called "links" between Malaysia and the international terrorist network. There are indeed many such websites floating in the anonymity of cyberspace nowadays.

I strongly disapprove of this page and the allegations it contains. I will not accept the making and dissemination of false information maligning the reputation of Malaysia. As Malaysians abroad, I believe that it is our duty to maintain and justify the good name of the country in words as well as deeds.

For these reasons, although I have no control over what one may choose to tack on as "comments" to my posts, I have blocked that particular "comment" and disallowed any further commentary on that post. If one wishes to gain access to such baseless and inflammatory vitriol it will not be through my site.

One only needs to look at the breakdown of social and moral ethics, rising intolerance among youngsters and institutionalised prejudice (to name a few) that exist in the West to realize that Western culture and values are far from being a bed of roses. Before climbing on their self-proclaimed pedestal to preach to countries like Malaysia, Western critics would do well to take a good hard look at the flaws of their own society first.

The Month That Was

2005-02-01T23:34:00.000Z

Finally got my flight ticket home ... after a period of uncertainty, I settled on a Malaysia Airlines deal including an extra leg to Sydney, Australia. The package set me back (or rather, is going to set me back since I've not already paid) some 560 pounds, inclusive of all taxes and visa costs.

So 25 May is the date to look forward to then ... not bad timing since I will be exactly 21 years and 2 months old on that date =) Will be off for a short holiday to visit Ben in Sydney in early July, before returning to the UK on 24 Sept. Exactly 4 months of summer break, which is nice considering that UCL gives us so much to do in the first two terms and relatively shorter breaks in between.

Booking of the flight was THE event of the last week-and-a-half for me, a week which was otherwise dominated by work, work and guess what? more work.

What a month it has been. The relatively successful elections in Iraq, which saw millions of Iraqis defy the extremists by turning out to play a part in determining that country's future, was a most welcome development. Indeed, although the individual winners of the election may not be known yet, the election has clearly produced a victory for the people of Iraq, who now have another reason to believe the worst days are over. No doubt there will be many more extremist attacks in the days to come, but the failure of the terrorists to induce a postponement or even cancellation of the election has meant a giant step on the road to the ultimate withdrawal of allied forces and restoration of sovereignty to a democratic Iraq.

It was also refreshing to read about our Deputy Prime Minister reiterating the Malaysian viewpoint on global terrorism at the World Economic Forum in Davos. He spoke of "the factors that do not justify terrorism but are driving it.”(The Star, 30 January). In saying this, he was urging the West to neutralise "the issues that are being exploited by the al-Qaeda, the al-Qaeda network and the al-Qaeda inspired terrorists to gain sympathy and support." I agree with his statement. There is a need for a serious effort by the world powers to resolve issues such as poverty and the Palestinian Question that are turning many young minds to the warped teachings of extremists. In the long run that is going to be the way to ensure the security of the West itself, and their leaders recognise this. But it is also right to identify organisations like al-Qaeda as terrorists, and to clearly demarcate between support for the resolution of those socio-economic problems and support for the terrorists themselves. Al-Qaeda is rightly termed a terrorist organisation. In its world view no pluralist, democratic form of government is safe, and the Malaysian Government rightly recognises this.

Speaking of the resolution of Third World socio-economic issues, it was also interesting to hear the Bush-Condoleeza Rice team talk about bringing democracy to a whole new list of countries, including Burma, Zimbabwe, Venezuela etc. You'd have thought that getting bogged down in one military quagmire (Iraq) would be enough even for a country like the United States. Apparently not for a guy like George W.Bush.

My view is that US action against any of these "regimes" at all is not going to happen, which is why the list was rightly not afforded much publicity in the press. Because the Administration's biggest foreign policy problem in the new term (besides Iraq) is going to be Iran. It will be credit enough for Bush if he can achieve any sort of resolution in that affair, let alone try to get involved anywhere near Rangoon in the short term.

Why? Because Iran is building The Bomb. The Iranians are restricting international monitoring and announcing a resumption of their "peaceful" nuclear programme. The US is mighty afraid of that. Not afraid that a bomb is going to be officially launched by the Iranian government against what they call the "Great Satan", since by way of retaliation the US has enough nukes of its own to blow the world to bits. The real fear is that an Iranian bomb will find its way, with or without official complicity, into the hands of organisations like al-Qaeda. When a dirty bomb goes off in LA, Washington or London the consequences are going to be many times worse than September 11, even too macabre to contemplate.

Therein lies the problem. Iran is not another Iraq; it has a stronger military, vastly bigger population and rougher terrain especially in the north. Having so underestimated the task in Iraq, it would be disastrous for Bush and his clique to make the same mistake in Iran. So it has a big dilemma here. Short of military intervention, it could try and mount covert operations (note however the disastrous failure of US Special Forces to rescue American hostages in Iran during the 1979-1981 crisis). It could let the Israelis do the dirty work, as it did over Osirak in 1982. But the global and regional response to this might be very different from what the US anticipates. So to conclude, the security dilemma posed by Iran is going to be the biggest challenge to the Bush, Cheney, Rice and Co. over the second term. How they respond to this is for time to tell.

Tsunami: Interpretations too clever by half

2005-01-21T14:21:00.000Z

Apparently for some people, the tsunami tragedy that claimed over 150,000 lives across more than 10 countries doesn't really have much to do with geology and shifting tectonic plates at all. Just read what I came across on the Friendster bulletin board a few days ago.

Bala Tsunami pada 26 Disember 2004 yang telah menimpa Aceh, Utara Malaysia, Phuket, India, Sri Lanka dan Tanzania turut menenggelamkan Pulau Diego Garcia milik Amerika Syarikat yang terletak di lautan Hindi.

Berita ini walaupun dilaporkan oleh Harian Metro pada keluaran seminggu yang lepas, tetapi media antarabangsa tidak memperbesarkannya kerana pulau tersebut adalah merupakan sebuah pulau yang menempatkan pengkalan tentera udara Amerika yang terbesar.

Malapetaka yang menimpa Amerika Syarikat ini telah menyebabkan presiden negara tersebut gundah gulana selama dua hari selepas tragedi 26 Disember tanpa membuat sebarang kenyataan media. Pembaca boleh menyelak semula akhbar lama dan akan mendapati bahawa George Bush baru bersedia untuk membuat kenyataan media terutamanya berhubung dengan malapetaka tersebut pada hari ketiga selepas kejadian.

Difahamkan apa yang menyedihkan Bush ialah kerana Amerika baru sahaja dalam tempoh sebulan dua ini berjaya menyiapkan satu kekuatan baru di pulau tersebut dengan persiapan senjata- senjata canggih terkini, tentera dan yang paling penting adalah perisik-perisik Amerika yang bertugas di pulau tersebut. Bala Tsunami telah melenyapkan terus pulau itu bersama-sama dengan 5,000 orang tentera, perisik dan senjata.

Mengikut satu sumber, persiapan terkini Amerika di pulau tersebut adalah bertujuan untuk melancarkan serangan terhadap Republik Islam Iran dalam satu tempoh masa yang terdekat kerana Amerika gagal berkompromi dengan Iran melalui tuntutan supaya Iran mengiktiraf negara haram Israel.

Perancangan jahat Amerika dan sekutunya regim haram Israel ke atas Iran sebagai sebuah negara yang mendaulatkan sistem Islam telah digagalkan oleh perancangan Allah yang lebih sempurna.

So trains were derailed, resorts flattened and whole villages swept away, even in predominantly Muslim countries, just in order that a remote US Indian Ocean base could be wiped out? Very nice theory, eh. I wonder where, in the author's twisted mind, are the 150,000 (rough estimate) civilians who lost their lives. Collateral damage??

It is this kind of propaganda that makes one totally disgusted. Far from helping or even expressing any form of sympathy in light of the humanitarian disaster, some quarters choose to make up "theories" such as this. This is rabid anti-Americanism taken to its illogical extreme. Not that the people who make these nonsense up are even helping their cause. Quite the contrary, in fact. I can assure you that this kind of sentiment, wherever it is picked up, immediately provides more fodder to xenophobes in the West such as the British National Party (BNP) to advance their own radical theories of racial superiority and clash of cultures. Thus more hatred is stoked and proper dialogue/understanding between West and East gets further impeded. Who loses? The people who honestly want to live in peace on this earth.

Just for the record, Diego Garcia has NOT EVEN been destroyed by the tsunami. This was in fact made clear by the US and British (to whom the island actually belongs) the moment satellite information was available. For further proof and information, as well as satellite imagery from the island itself see http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/facility/diego-garcia-imagery-3.htm.

Tertiary Studies - Midway Point Passed

2005-01-16T23:10:00.000Z

In July 2002, my proper tertiary studies began with enrolment at Kolej Matrikulasi Yayasan Saad (as it then was). The idea was to complete 5 years of study - 2 years of A-Levels and 3-years of undergraduate study in the field of law.

On 15 January 2005, I commemorated the symbolic passing of the halfway mark in this effort - looking back on the completion of 2-and-a-half years of study and also ahead, to another 2 years and 6 months at University College London where I now find myself.

Milestones such as this provide opportunities to reflect and to consider what we have made of the opportunities in our path, as well as how we will best address the rigours of the years to come. It symbolises achievement, and it also poses a considerable challenge. Moments like this serve as a reminder that time has passed quickly away, but also that the road ahead is long and fraught with difficulty.

In the years gone by I am glad and thankful for the opportunities that have come my way, as well as the blessings of God, and the support of my family, teachers, friends and loved ones all this while. I thank God that I can honestly say I did my best; no more, no less. I am grateful for whatever achievements I managed during this time, especially in the field of history which I am personally passionate about. Yet life must not be built around material achievements, for these are fragile, momentary and passing; a drop in the ocean, a grain of sand on the beach compared to what people have achieved before, what continues to be achieved and what will inevitably be achieved in future. Rather I would measure my success by any happiness and friendship that I may have brought to the lives of others, and by the extent to which I lived my life in the way my Creator has called upon me to.

In the time to come I hope I will be able to adjust my priorities to changing circumstances. The challenges present in this situation are many indeed. Nevertheless although priorities can be adjusted, principles will not.

Days In The Highlands: Scotland '05

2005-01-11T23:47:00.000Z

So it came to pass that, having heard of the existance of some New Year Day street party called Hogmanay in Edinburgh, I and a group of friends (Amber, Siew Ching, Saravanan, Soha, Linda) planned a trip to see the action first-hand. Sin Yi joined our group later so it turned out to be a mini-gathering, along with Kai Lin and Phey Ming the Edinburgh hosts and Wei Ting, who was staying with Phey Ming at the time. So here is a brief account of what happened.

First, you need to be mentally prepared if you try to take advantage of low-price bus fares to Scotland. This is because the 9-hour journey to Glasgow and then 1 hour-plus transit to Edinburgh by Megabus can really kill you. Especially if you had little sleep due to party and/or chatting with friends the night before. Especially if you are on Megabus, whose seats cannot be reclined. Especially if your Megabus happens to be stuffy upstairs all the way. We did it. I think my blood pressure took quite a beating, but I survived. Kewl eh.

Second, Scotland is such a beautiful place that it's really worth visiting at least once if you're in England, Wales or Ireland. The rolling highlands north of Yorkshire are very panoramic and you can see real British farms and countryside like those in postcards, storybooks etc. Edinburgh itself is tremendous, you've got to see the Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile ascending up to the Castle and the numerous tourist spots in the Scottish capital that make a trip there very worthwhile.

One notable feature of the Scottish people is their strong sense of identity, whether it is by demonstrating elements of their Highland culture (kilts, bagpipes etc) or by holding to a separate form of identification such as St Andrew's Saltire the blue-and-white flag of Scotland and the anthem "Flower of Scotland". The people of Scotland are clearly less than contented to be identified as simply part of Britain, much less to be in any secondary position to the English (leaving aside performance in football). Somehow, I recalled a depiction in The Guardian of posters handed out by the Black Watch Regiment, a Scottish unit forming part of the UK's Iraq contingent, to the people of Iraq. The friendly soldier handing a flower to a child sported a Scottish flag, not the Union Jack, which did strike me as quite surprising since we frequently refer to "British troops in Iraq". How much of the target population might recognise it as a Scottish emblem, as distinct from a British one, is of course another matter.

Anyway, Hogmanay turned out to be quite a nice street party, with performances of Highland culture, a bagpipe band rendition of "Scotland the Brave" (which by the way is a very historic and inspiring tune) and, of course, a midnight countdown to the new year. There was more than a tinge of sadness present due to the tsunami disaster engulfing South Asia at the moment, which was duly marked with a minute of silence an hour before the countdown. Unfortunately, moments after the countdown the crowd turned rather unruly, with people pressing hard for the exits in a relentless stampede. In the melee, yours truly was struck from behind on the head by some unknown yob (I presume drunken), though no serious damage resulted. In the event, I neither 'turned the other cheek' nor struck back, though I would strongly have preferred the latter course of action. Unfortunately, the identity of the bugger who committed the most dishonourable act of striking from behind in the crowd remains unknown.

Anyway, the mild disruption was set aside soon enough in the pursuits of the following days, which included a visit to our college senior Min Hui and his girlfriend on New Year's Day. On the same day it was my good fortune to see natural snowfall for the first time ever, the sheets of rain turning into flakes of ice in the cold winds of Edinburgh. The next day we climbed Arthur's Seat, a craggy hill outside the Old City whose peak offers a tremendous 360-degrees view of Edinburgh and its surrounds. Towards the top of the hill we encountered small snowdrifts and frozen terrain, so it was really a unique and memorable hiking experience. The evening we spent visiting the Castle and Princes Street, the central commercial avenue in the city, before adjourning to a theatre for "Phantom of the Opera", for which our hosts very kindly managed to secure us Edinburgh-rate tickets at a fraction of the normal London rate. Our party returned to London the next day, spending the day travelling.

There was a little more stuff that sounded interesting but that we didn't have time for, such as a day trip further north into the Highlands, to the Scottish lakes and the North Sea islands. But I guess that is stuff for another day, another journey since we had not factored it in our travel plans, those being primarily to see the Hogmanay festival and to visit friends (both of which we accomplished to much satisfaction).

On the whole it was a most refreshing and eye-opening journey to experience a different land, a different culture. I am most indebted to Kai Lin, who very kindly put up our entire, rather large party in her flat for the duration of our stay, and also took us around to the many places we visited. Many thanks also to Phey Ming, who accompanied us to several places in Edinburgh as well. It is very rare indeed that friends like them come along, and without their contribution the venture would most certainly have not run as smoothly as it did. Kudos also to everyone in the group for being such great company over the hols and on the trip.

Year-End Holidays: What Happened Next

2005-01-11T22:56:00.000Z

Ok, so the Christmas gatherings were fantastic. The day after was Boxing Day, which I was informed is a pretty major shopping occasion in this country, so at an "early" time for me, i.e. 11am, I got hold of a Bus Pass and nipped down to Oxford Street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the crowd.

Okay, well 11.30am isn't exactly early, but that didn't mean the crowds had dispersed by then. Quite the contrary. It was the first time I've seen red London buses (those heading in the direction of Oxford Street) actually not stopping by bus stands, since they were full to the brim with passengers. This of course left lots of indignant people at the bus stops, with hands stuck out and the buses just zooming by. It was only after a short trudge down the bus route to Holborn Station that I managed to clamber aboard a bus with a little space available.

I think the crowds that day were just phenomenal, there was so little room to move along Oxford Street at midday. Seeing the festive mood and the onrush of people was quite fascinating for awhile. Then I realized that despite the shops being plastered with "Sale" posters and there being indeed some substantial reductions in the price of designer labels and shoes, I could ultimately get the stuff I need (such as cheap sports shoes) at Petticoat Lane for even cheaper still. So, under the budgetary Rule of Minimum Expenditure, I ended up buying nothing much at all except for 3 books under Waterstones' "Get 3 for 2" scheme. That also because "The Da Vinci Code" had been highly recommended to me by my friends Black and Grace, and the award-winning nonfiction "Gulag" was also among the books on offer. The third book was John Grisham's "The Last Juror".

After Boxing Day came the visit of Black to my place on the 27th-29th, the 2nd ex-KMYSian to stay over at my place after Ikmal's planned stayover on the 23rd was called off due to his missing the bus at Sheffield. =) Ikmal "YDP", Mas and Abn did turn up on the next day, though, it was nice of them to drop by for a Christmas visit, sit around and have some mince pies in the real "open house" fashion.

Anyway, as he says on his blog, Black became the latest in a long list of persons to be impressed with the heating in my room =P oh well, it cost me 12 pounds 50 after all. Took Black around the usual "circuit" I bring visitors to - UCL, Oxford Street, Chinatown/Leicester Square - and the British Museum, which is about 15 minutes' walk from my place. Black left for Apu's place on the 29th.

On the night of the 29th was an absolutely fantastic gathering of old boys from High School at Holbein residence, Imperial College - many thanks to Alvin, the host, who organised the get-together and put up most of the participants overnight. Truly fortuitous to have all the HSBP Batch of '97-'01 guys in UK/Ireland - Alvin, Eddy, Selva, Sze Yong, Teow Wee, Thurston and myself present in London at once, and I must say the dinner we had together went on very well indeed. The fellowship was excellent and there was also a bottle of wine courtesy of Eddy, which may or may not have accounted for some, er, uncharacteristic (most of us, at least) behaviour that night. =D

What a way to see out the year ... in the company of erstwhile friends. No doubt an experience to cherish for years and years to come.

Christmas @ London

2005-01-05T01:36:00.000Z

This year's Christmas has been truly beyond all expectations ... I probably had even more fun here than I normally do back in Malaysia =)

Had a visit from Amber and Siew Ching on the 23rd, the latest ppl to try the mi goreng Cina ("probably the best mee in the world") and nasi goreng telur at 26-5-05 Frances Gardner House =) For Christmas Eve, met up with Eugene, Siew Ching and Huey Chin at Holborn for more Chinese food (never get tired of the stuff) before going on a walk to see the massive Christmas trees and decorations at Covent Garden and Trafalgar Square.

Attended midnight service and communion at St George's Church Holborn with the rest ... such a brilliant commemoration here in the home of Anglicanism.

Christmas Day itself - there was a big gathering at my place, 26-5-05 Frances Gardner House. Linda, Siew Ching, Huey Chin and Eugene (new friend from LSE). They made "tong yuen", a Chinese delicacy made of tiny flour balls in ginger soup. Not exactly Christmassy, but more to commemorate the recent Winter Solstice Day, which is a festival in the Chinese calendar. I prepared noodles and Mexican chili, and the "guests" also brought some potato and snacks of their own, so it turned out to be one great potluck. It did help that none of my other flatmates (locals and Europeans) were in, so we more or less had the whole flat to ourselves.

Never thought that Christmas here would be so memorable and interesting. Many thanks to the friends who came, and to those who wished me well from afar. Truly, friendship is one of the best gifts we can give to another, the others being love and charity.

Happy New Year 2005

Christmas Day Message

2004-12-24T02:39:00.000Z

Warm greetings and holiday regards to all.

On this day, 2005 years ago (yes, 2005 not 2004), Christ the Saviour was born in a manger at Bethlehem, in what is now the West Bank, Palestine. This is the true significance of Christmas; our annual commemoration of the birth of Emmanuel, "God with us."

This is the tradition, the legacy that is at risk of being bypassed or worse, forgotten in the avalanche of commercialization every time Christmas is around the corner. The signs that the true meaning of Christmas is at risk are all around us. You see it when the image of Santa Claus, a wholly manmade fiction, becomes more associated with Christmas than that of Christ Himself. We see it in the "celebrity portrayal" of the Nativity scene at Madame Tussauds and Channel 4 roadside billboards reworking the depiction of the Last Supper, both of which were shocking and calculated to be offensive.

This season, we can rise above such distasteful marketing by remembering and applying the spirit of Christmas in our lives. When "the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us", as John 1:14 tells us, it epitomised the supreme sacrifice of love - Jesus coming to endure the pain and the suffering so that we may be freed from the burden of our sins. We can seek to emulate his love in the way we relate to the people around us, in the way we "do unto others what we would want others to do to us."

This Christmas is a very significant one for many people including myself, as it is the first time we are experiencing Christmas in a foreign land and in the actual cold of winter. In this context, we are constantly facing new situations, new dilemmas, new challenges. Let us manifest our care and concern for the people around us by being there for each other in times of need, by keeping in touch and by spreading whatever joy we can to the downtrodden, the poor and the lonely. Verily we are called upon to "be kind, for everyone we encounter is facing a hard battle" whether or not it shows, appearance-wise.

Christmas does not have to be celebrated on a grand scale to cherish its meaning and significance. It is indeed a wonderful holiday occasion and a nice opportunity for merriment in the cold months of winter, but of greater importance is our recollection of what Christmas stands for ... and what we can do to not just put Christ back into 'Christ'mas, but also into our lives as a whole.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Message of Appreciation

2004-12-23T02:24:00.000Z

Here I would like to express my gratitude to my friend Teow Wee who has most kindly assisted with the reconfiguration of 'html code' on this page, thus considerably enhancing the appearance of the site as a whole.

Thank you also to Imran Yusuff @ Pakcik, with whose help the effects of some faulty script on the page were removed.

Many thanks for the fine assistance you have volunteered.

Christmas Open Room

2004-12-18T01:30:00.000Z

This is an invitation to all friends to come for a Christmas visit and "open room" at my place:

Room 26-5-05, Frances Gardner House, c/o Langton Close, Wren Street, London WC1X 0HD

The way this is done is like this. Everyone has different plans for the holidays so I am finding it difficult to have one single gathering here. You are therefore invited to come at any reasonable time on 18, 22, 23, 24 or 25 December, at your own time and leisure. The only thing you have to do is call me beforehand at 078 9183 7421 to confirm your time of arrival. You can come between the 25th and 30th as well but there may not be as many snacks as before.

If you use some online search such as streetmap.co.uk, or if you have a reasonably good map of London you should be able to find the address above. If you are coming by Tube, we can arrange to meet at the nearest station, Russell Square. Please call to arrange for me to meet you if necessary. Buses 45, 46 and 17 serve this area, running via King's Cross, Blackfriar's Bridge, Elephant and Castle etc. I can meet you at a designated spot along the bus route; again, call for details.

For more info, email me at wilson_tay@softhome.net or call the number above. Hope to see you here. Spread the Christmas joy! =)

Merry Christmas and happy holidays.

A Most Desperate Undertaking

2004-12-16T23:58:00.000Z

Last Saturday it was my good fortune to visit the National Army Museum in Chelsea (near the Royal Chelsea Hospital, nearest Tube: Sloane Square). This was because they happened to be running two special exhibitions that weekend, both of much interest to me. One was on the Christmas Truce of 1914 and the other on the Crimean War in the 1850s.

For the Christmas Truce exhibition, they had British army officers in World War 1-era British and German uniforms recreating the atmosphere of the Truce, which happened on the first Christmas of the Great War. They brilliantly built model trenches and field guns on a patch outside the Museum, with "combatants" from both sides actually kicking a rugged football in a "match" at the designated time of 12.05pm.

Other activities included a screening of Michael Foreman's animation film War Game. This was about an English village football team that signs up en masse in a gaudy Army recruitment drive, witnesses the Christmas Truce and relives their beloved sport against a very different kind of opponent. The attention to detail in the film was excellent, including the depiction of the German barber giving a British "Tommy" a haircut while telling him that he (the German) worked in England for some time before the war.

World War 1, as a matter of historical fact, was a different kind of war. In 1914 men on both sides willingly rushed to enlist for service, believing that "it will all be over by Christmas". As it happened, it took more than four years and the entry of a transatlantic power to settle the affair, most of which was a sordid trench-warfare struggle over territory like Arras, Ypres and the Somme. The enthusiasm was well over in the combatant states by the time the war dragged on through 1915.

The film finely captures the hopelessness of it all, through its lines and screenplay, and I would quite recommend it. The watercolour animation is also very neatly done. It builds up to a very tragic end though.

The other exhibition was about the Crimean War. That war occupies, to this day, a special place in the hearts of many Britons, not least due to the Charge of the Light Brigade that Tennyson wrote so immortally on, but also due to the shocking deprivation endured by the soldiers who fought. The Crimean War was a campaign fought by an alliance of Britain, France, Sardinia and Ottoman Turkey against Russia to prevent Russia from exploiting the imminent collapse of Turkey and making dangerous land advances in the eastern Med. It involved a large British and French force being sent thousands of miles to neutralise the Crimea, which is a peninsula in the Black Sea. On the campaign, more soldiers actually died of sickness, exposure and non-combat causes than in actual battle. The war is noted for valiant acts of courage such as the Charge and the work of Florence Nightingale, the British nurse who defied social inhibition to provide sterling relief and comfort to the stricken soldiers in the war.

What struck me while witnessing the two exhibitions was a sense of the fruitlessness of both campaigns, the Crimean War and World War 1. After tremendous loss of life, Britain and her allies won the Crimean War, obtaining their goal of the military neutralisation of the Crimea. But less than 50 years later, Russia remilitarised the Crimea, taking advantage of the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War when the allies were divided. Ottoman Turkey was briefly spared collapse, but lost its Balkan territories one by one anyway over the following decades leading up to its final collapse in 1918. World War 1 was intended to curb the aggressive, expansionary power of Imperial Germany and her ally Austria-Hungary. It did result in German capitulation and the final demise of the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires, but the peace after that was so tenuous and the price exacted by the Allies so high that, slightly over 20 years later, Europe was back in the clutches of an even more devastating war, the Second World War.

"A Most Desperate Undertaking" is the theme of the Royal Army Museum's exhibition on the Crimean War which, I am informed, runs till February next year at least. Admission is free.

Do you agree with the writer's observations? Comments here or emailed to wilson_tay@softhome.net are most welcome, especially regarding historical points and observations.

"The supreme purpose of learning history is to avoid repeating past mistakes"- George Santayana

Ride on London Eye

2004-12-15T22:16:00.001Z

Yay ... today I made it on the "British Airways London Eye" at Waterloo, one of the must-sees of London, I would say. Heard of it for some time but always been wanting to wait for friend/s before going together. And in hindsight not a bad decision, considering the very special friend with whom I eventually went today ;-) but that, as they say, is another story.

For those who are not already aware, the London Eye is a huge and rather sophisticated version of the high merry-go-rounds that always set up shop in Malaysian towns during the "funfairs" seasons. Instead of the steel cage with benches that you get into with the latter version, however, this has got futuristic-looking oval "capsules" with neat glass panels, for seeing London in all its splendour from on high. The ride operator is British Airways itself, and I found their attempts to make everything on the ride similar to a "flight" (from printing "flight times" and "boarding dates" on tickets) a bit funny, but anyway. It's near Waterloo on the South Bank of the Thames, the surrounding area being turned into something like a carnival zone with ice cream sellers and even stuntmen plying their trade.

The ride itself was excellent, particularly because of the timing which my dear friend insisted on (sundown, 4.15pm). London was just lighting up for the night and the sea of lights, stretching as far as the eye could see, was quite unlike anything I had ever experienced. The capsule was very helpfully marked with compass points, so anyone with a rudimentary understanding of the layout f London landmarks would know where to look. It was particularly enthralling for me because the lights beneath seemed to stretch to no end whereas I had been attuned, in my dear hometown, to an urban panorama bounded by rolling green fields and hills. Here it was different. Each bright row of buildings seemed to lead on to another and another "ad infinitum" (to reluctantly bring in an LLB phrase). It was truly something new for me, truly something I had come to metropolitan London to see.

Waterloo International Station at sundown, from an aerial perspective, is truly a wonder to behold. Rail lines from all directions, often with some train sliding along them, seemed to converge at one great hub. The effect of the lighting was superb.

It would be quite hard to get a better panorama of Parliament Square and Big Ben across the river from the ride. To the east was the dome of St Paul's Cathedral and beyond that, the brightly-lit commercial district of Canary Wharf. Across the river on the north, the Christmas Lights of Oxford Street and Regent Street were just beginning to light up, bathing the night sky with the glow of neons and "dancing" spotlights.

The ride lasted about 30 minutes (the standard average time) and all too soon, it was time to say goodbye. In fact, I quite missed the moment when the capsule we were in (10 to a capsule) was at the very summit of the ride, which was quite regrettable. I only noticed when we were beginning the descent, which set the pace for a most memorable finale.

A ride on the London Eye is what I would recommend if you happen to be in London. It's quite expensive, at a price of 9 pounds (appx. RM65 at current rates) so it's probably not necessary to ever ride more than once =P It's one of the experiences of a lifetime. Considering the timing and the company I was in, both of which were magnificent, this was truly an outing to remember.

Rational Choice

2004-12-02T23:43:00.000Z

Here is what I thought of today on another cold, quiet walk back from university.

In life there's no absolute right or wrong, only a matter of degrees. No action, event or occurrance can be termed completely right or wrong, true or false. What is true? What is false? What is right and what is wrong? All these things are relative and subjective depending on individuals, circumstances and surroundings.

Is it definitely true to say the sun rises from the east and sets in the west? To my mind that's not expressing a truth, that's expressing a truism. You set the position of the sun in a geographic system of north, south, east and west and then say, with reference to your model, that the sun rises in the east. Do away with this mapping system and it would mean nothing to say "the sun rises in the east."

This example quite illustrates how we set up a system of relativity and measure events according to the parameters we have defined. But individuals can have different, sometimes vastly different, ways of looking at and measuring the "goodness" of events. So, what is right? And by extension, what is truth?

My opinion is that there is no standard of absolute right or wrong. Therefore what we can do when faced with the difficulty of making decisions in life is to look at prevailing circumstances and accessible resources, then make the rational choice based on the information available at the time. There is no need for the often crippling worry that the "wrong" choice might be made. Knowing that everything is only "right" or "wrong" to a matter of degree gives emancipation from the false dichotomy that you will either make the gloriously "right" choice or the damning "wrong" one. In reality neither exists.

The reason I thought of this is partly the experience of meeting people who are tormented by past actions or decisions, especially on the question of "did I do the right thing"? Another part of it is my own self-reflection of difficult (some, extremely difficult) decisions I have struggled with in the past and my own tendency to ask, "did I choose the wrong path"? I believe if we see that concepts of "right" and "wrong" are matters of circumstance and individual perception rather than absolute truths, and that there is no 100% right or wrong decision to be found anywhere, we would be liberated from much of this emotional baggage that we needlessly carry in our lives.

Perhaps one may find it surprising that a student of law should be suggesting this. Might I just say that the law does not necessarily exist to give the "rightness" or "justice" to society as is often (mis)perceived. The law (as I stated in my PS, incidentally) is simply an essential set of rules that govern the operation of society and tells you, in each unique legal problem, how the particular society expects the problem to be settled. Which is why you get very different legal systems in different parts of the world. Study of the law is the study of such rules, not some fantastic training to become protectors of justice or any similar rubbish. It is in fact quite a myth to say that the law ensures justice for all, but that is a subject for another day, perhaps.

I hope that at points when "two roads diverge in a yellow wood" in the days to come, we may draw reassurance from the fact that neither is going to drop away into a bottomless chasm or prove a secret teleportation device into some heavenly world on the first step. Because there is no absolute right or wrong, we aren't doomed by the decisions we make ... it's how we carry them out and stick to our principles that will matter in the end.

And that's my two-sen's worth. =)

To launch or not to launch

2004-07-26T06:33:00.000+01:00

Finally updated profile. Now should I start blogging ? Hehe ...