squeak. speak. roar!

It’s time again for my ’round up and review the year’ post. For those unfamiliar with the polytikus way, I judge my year by the following categories - things done, not done, undone, well done and to-be done complete with timeline. lol.

Done
Stayed employed
Healed those scars
Get my own domain
Generally being a happier person :)

Not done
Get fitter and healthier
Figuring out my future
Travelled more

Undone
Friendships with back-biters and hypocrites
Binging
Old Wordpress blog

Well done
Being in love :)
Phasing out the meaninglessness

To-be done
Pave future roads
More travelling
Make time for friends!

Notable events of 2007 …
This round I’m skipping the time line because I haven’t the time but what really stood out was Nat’s arrest, Muse concert, Machap and Ijok by-elections, Siem Reap, Altantuya, Lina Joy, unmasking myself, Yogyakarta, the vigils and protests, Koula, complaint to RapidKL, performing etc :)

And Nat. Nat Nat Nat :)

Have a wonderful new year everybody! May it be better than the last :)

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

Two nights ago I dreamt a journalist friend and two prominent lawyers that I know were killed when a bomb exploded. The gist of the dream was that they were bombed, I happened to know them and before they died, they told me the government was behind the bombings.

It was really disturbing when I woke up.

And I am even more disturbed to read this morning that former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto was killed in a suicide attack at an election rally. According to Beebs, a gunman shot her in the neck and set off a bomb. At least 20 other people died in the attack and several more were injured.

It’s weird but I’ve previously said that Malaysia is spiralling to becoming another Pakistan. And in the wake of this (plus my dream which I am still paranoid over), will we see this in the future for our country?

I shudder at the thought. What were the odds that I have dreamt of bombings and deaths and reading about it on the frontpage of the local papers? It’s creepy.

Sincerest condolences to Bhutto’s family, friends and supporters.

I *heart* Jas for all the little things she does :) She got me this awesomely cute mug from Tangs in Singapore. What’s the significance?

This is why.

I love Nizlopi and I love JCB!! :)

And work is so stressful …. 150 pages of judgment to digest and I’m still in a holiday mood!!! :(

Just some random shots I took recently. I’m feeling like a royal sloth right now. More pictures. Less talk :)

Stollens made by Nat’s mom for Xmas.

I took this during the first sedition charge in Klang. Guess we won’t be seeing them for awhile :(

All day breakfast at CBTL. It was not bad and expectedly exorbitant. Scrambled eggs with salmon on a bagel.

Egg muffin and salmon.

What Nat and I have been killing internet-less time with. As you can see, we are about to lose. lol. Damn burning tile.

I’ll be back at work tomorrow. Grrr. lol.

Sorry for the drastic slow-down on blogging. lol. It’s the holiday season and really, I just want to spend time with loves ones and deal with everything else another day.

I’ve been so busy that I haven’t even bought Nat’s Christmas present yet. lol. But we have an arrangement and we’ll see how it goes from there :)

Baubles to you, recruit. lol.

This is just a quick post to say I’m alive and to wish everybody a wonderful Christmas and a fantastic New Year! I should be back and blogging after a few days.

Cyaaaaa :)

I won 2 tickets to see them in concert in London at the O2 Arena on Jan 8, 2008!

lol.

But what good is it if its not inclusive of flight tickets and accommodation? Haiseh. I’m putting them up for sale. Anybody interested? I would sell it to Brits but the tickets are apparently, not with EMI Malaysia yet. And judging by courier and postal services during the holiday season, it will not reach UK in time even if I manage to sell it.

Don’t mean to sound ungrateful but to quote Meesh, “Who did this stupid contest?!?!?”

lol. Really, who came up with this ‘brilliant’ contest idea? I’d rather have the CD please or I *could* use the tickets as …. bookmarks?

:P

To all Muslim friends ….

Pic from BlueHyppo (and Nat!)

Errr, try not to sembelih the cows and goats in front of my our Hindu and vegetarian friends please? :)

I’m glad some of you had a good laugh at my expense in my previous post. lol. I believe in karma, y’know. But I’m better now :)

Inspired by this interview with an academic, let’s instead hear from the rakyat. I reproduce the questions below, please feel free to answer one or two or all of them - however long or short - via the comments system. I am not government-owned so feel-good answers are not compulsory.

Thanks :)

What have been this year’s highlights, for the nation and for you personally?

What were the low points of the year for you?

What is it about Malaysia that you can’t find anywhere else?

What do you love about Malaysia?

We still have problems getting along though, and some of our differences seem to be getting more marked. Are we losing the beliefs that forged us together, this spirit of 1957?

What values do you want to pass to your children?

What are your fears for Malaysia?

Who are the Malaysians who are your heroes, who inspire you?

What’s your wish for Malaysia for 2008?

What do you think is a quintessential Malaysian experience?

NB: Updated post with my answers :)

What have been this year’s highlights, for the nation and for you personally?
That we have constantly been in the international headlines for all the wrong reasons. Personally? I think the people should be proud that the government is in fact shitting bricks.

What were the low points of the year for you?
The mainstream media, having already lost its balls and spine, is now beyond redemption.

What is it about Malaysia that you can’t find anywhere else?
Extremely predictable statements made by the PM.

What do you love about Malaysia?
Everything that is against the grain.

We still have problems getting along though, and some of our differences seem to be getting more marked. Are we losing the beliefs that forged us together, this spirit of 1957?
Sad to say, yes. But all is not lost. I think faith and hope is still there.

What values do you want to pass to your children?
The value of freedoms and how it needs to be fought for.

What are your fears for Malaysia?
That the government continues to wield its strength through education, media and the EC.

Who are the Malaysians who are your heroes, who inspire you?
Everybody who went for a protest in believing what’s right. I salute you all.

What’s your wish for Malaysia for 2008?
For once, the police should just grant us a damn permit and shut us up. Oh and for the mainstream media to grow a spine.

What do you think is a quintessential Malaysian experience?
This year, it’s all about experiencing tear gas and water cannons, walking to shelter with fellow Malaysians, having a good laugh about it over teh tarik, swapping number and forging friendships.

Damn allergies. I freakin’ look like freakin’ Donald Duck.

Quack quack.

lol. So right now I can’t quite speak right. I’ve taken anti-histamines and steroids to quell the swelling. Guess I’ll get some writing and reading done while I have a bit of time on my hands. And my mom can’t stop laughing at how I look. lol. Oh well, all in good fun :)

But the million-dollar question is - what the hell am I allergic to?!

I put a lot of heart in what I do. Sure, it’s important to be intelligent and resourceful because these are skills that have some capital value. Nobody pays for passion. Nobody pays for empathy. Nobody pays for heart.

I know, I’m unprofessional enough to not really separate work with my emotions but seriously, what good is it to be doing something, if you’re doing it without heart?

The fact is, feelings have little to no value in life. Well I think differently. I think we need to start redefining the value of values.

Passion, empathy, hope, faith (blind or otherwise), strength, patience and sheer will are basis of what ALL our skills are based on. Let’s stop underestimating how important it is to fight on even if we lose our jobs. Bread and butter issues can all be solved if such values are present.

So what if we have no house, no car, no jobs? These values are free, they come from inside and they are most of all, they are not for the government to decide for us. The government cannot beat our spirits or dampen our hope - no matter how hard they try.

Some half-baked ‘journalist’ once accused me for working with a useless news organisation and said I did not study my degree properly after a debate over defamation laws. Under normal circumstances I would’ve taken it seriously but these days, I’d like to think I have more spine than to react and have immense load of heart to forgive others for their shortcomings. When somebody pisses you off just think before you react - what values do you think you have compared to your proponent? Pick the good ones and you are on your way to victory or have peace with yourself, at least :)

The saying - ‘it’s nice to be important but it’s more important to be nice’ - has never resonated so loudly in me before.

Sometime the opposition loses because we are all caught up with what can they do, how big an angpow they can give, what actual powers they might have. We forget to see what values they stand for and what principles they have.

Same can be said with the government for course … what values do they have and what principles do they stand for?

It’s like respecting the retired judge awarded with all possible titles and has a cushy chairperson job in a major corporation; and forgetting it is more important to respect a castaway Lord President who spends his days away from the limelight, work on his farm and spend time playing with his grand children.

We’re screwing our priorities up. Time to put back value into values and not on materials. When we die, we will not be remembered for what we owned but for what we did. And it’s not just what we do for ourselves but for what we do for others.

The year is close to an end. How would you like to be remembered for this year?

Or better, how would you like to be remembered for NEXT year and what will you do to achieve it?