You know, there's something I don't get. You know how sometimes you start chatting with an old friend after being out of touch for years? And when you chat, you would ask each other things like "Where are you staying now?" "What are you doing?" "Where are you working?" (or studying, previously)
Now here is what happens when I ask people these questions. Any one of them (questions, I mean). They will give me a really short reply, often consisting of a single word. (or name of a place, depending on what my question was) I mean, they know that we haven't been in contact in ages, and I have no way of knowing what they have been doing all this while. Would it hurt to elaborate a bit? If it were me initiating the conversation, I'd understand...they just don't want to talk to me, I'd conclude. And then I'd leave them alone. But what about when they are the ones who started asking me stuff in the first place?
When people ask me what I'm doing these days, etc...if I don't remember telling them about my current activities, I will tell them whatever I feel they might not know. After all, why answer "I'm in Penang", then have them ask "Doing what?", then saying "Working", then have them ask "Where?", then reply "Bayan Lepas", then have them ask "What company?" or "What field?", etc, etc? WHY?!?!???
I don't get it. But that's exactly what I have to do (the asking) when I'm chatting with an old friend. It gets to a point where I get weary of asking questions (it's like I'm forcing them to tell me their secrets, ya know?)
I get the feeling that they do not want to give me any information about their lives, but seem extraordinarily keen to find out more about mine. Why? Are they trying to come across as caring? Caring about me?? Excuse me, but if you cared, you wouldn't brush aside my questions, would you?
So that's it. I always seem to be giving out information and not getting any back. So now sometimes I will answer one question, then refuse to answer any more until some of my questions are answered in return. Sorry guys, you made me so petty.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Sunday, June 02, 2013
Bad lessons from TV
Wow, it's definitely been a long time since I've written here. I drafted this about 2 weeks ago...right after reading a newspaper article about some guys beating up a thief they had caught. It's a little formal, because I initially thought I would send it in to the said newspaper. But after that...I don't think my rambling is very coherent, so I'll just post it here instead.
Recently there have been cases of citizens taking the law into their own hands. For example, catching "foreigners" who tried to vote during the last elections, and beating up thieves who were caught.
These actions are clearly wrong. But what I would like to discuss is not so much these actions, but how they are endorsed, indirectly, by TV series.
In a law-enforcement series, an agent kills a man, sniper-style. This is because the man killed the agent's family. The agent's team find out the truth, that their friend is the killer. But they cover it up. In another case, the team finds out that the same agent's mother-in-law killed a man. Instead of bringing her to justice, the agent hires a lawyer to protect her interests.
We could say that this is how things happen in the real world. People are not always fully honest. But it sends a wrong message to the viewers. The young viewers, maybe I should say. These agents are their heroes, their idols. They would believe that this is the right thing to do.
In another TV series, the title character shoots and kills a man in plain view of a number of witnesses. He is arrested and goes on trial. His defense is that the man he killed was a murderer who had killed many people, including his family. (the same excuse again, did you notice?) He is found "not guilty", presumably because the jury believes that he did the right thing.
How can he be not guilty? Even if the man killed his family, he does not have the right to execute any criminal. Maybe they could have given him a lighter sentence, but letting his walk free, as a "not guilty" man...isn't that stretching it?
In yet another series, also about a law enforcement agency, two agents defy their boss on two separate occasions. Each time, they are found to have made the right decision (by disobeying orders) and in the end are commended for their actions instead of facing disciplinary action.
I believe that they are trying to send the message that disobedience shows character. It might be true, but disobedience in this field can also prove disastrous. Especially if it's a hot-headed young recruit trying to act smart. And isn't that what might happen to some young and impressionable viewers?
Recently there have been cases of citizens taking the law into their own hands. For example, catching "foreigners" who tried to vote during the last elections, and beating up thieves who were caught.
These actions are clearly wrong. But what I would like to discuss is not so much these actions, but how they are endorsed, indirectly, by TV series.
In a law-enforcement series, an agent kills a man, sniper-style. This is because the man killed the agent's family. The agent's team find out the truth, that their friend is the killer. But they cover it up. In another case, the team finds out that the same agent's mother-in-law killed a man. Instead of bringing her to justice, the agent hires a lawyer to protect her interests.
We could say that this is how things happen in the real world. People are not always fully honest. But it sends a wrong message to the viewers. The young viewers, maybe I should say. These agents are their heroes, their idols. They would believe that this is the right thing to do.
In another TV series, the title character shoots and kills a man in plain view of a number of witnesses. He is arrested and goes on trial. His defense is that the man he killed was a murderer who had killed many people, including his family. (the same excuse again, did you notice?) He is found "not guilty", presumably because the jury believes that he did the right thing.
How can he be not guilty? Even if the man killed his family, he does not have the right to execute any criminal. Maybe they could have given him a lighter sentence, but letting his walk free, as a "not guilty" man...isn't that stretching it?
In yet another series, also about a law enforcement agency, two agents defy their boss on two separate occasions. Each time, they are found to have made the right decision (by disobeying orders) and in the end are commended for their actions instead of facing disciplinary action.
I believe that they are trying to send the message that disobedience shows character. It might be true, but disobedience in this field can also prove disastrous. Especially if it's a hot-headed young recruit trying to act smart. And isn't that what might happen to some young and impressionable viewers?
Saturday, December 22, 2012
The end of the roll
I found this on Facebook. It is so good that I decided I should post it here...with a translation for the definitions which do not really require French for understanding.
To be at the end of the roll: A very uncomfortable situation, especially when one is in the toilet.
Facebook: The only place where you talk to a wall without being ridiculous.
GPS: The only woman men listen to to find their way on the road.
Bus: A vehicle that moves twice as fast when you are chasing it than when you are sitting inside.
Key-chain: A very practical invention that allows you to lose all your keys at once instead of one by one.
State: The best mafia system ever organised.
Tie: An accessory used to indicate where a man's brain is.
Carla Bruni: Modern Snow White who prefers one of the seven dwarfs: Grumpy.
White House: At the moment, black barrack.
Car: An ingenious invention, making it possible to have 110 horses in the motor and a donkey at the wheel.
Parents: Two people who teach you to walk and talk to later tell you to sit down and shut your mouth.
Toe: An appendix used to detect door corners.
Equality of the sexes: A new concept created by men to no longer pay in a restaurant.
Any favourites? I especially like the ones about the toilet, the keys and the toes. :P
To be at the end of the roll: A very uncomfortable situation, especially when one is in the toilet.
Facebook: The only place where you talk to a wall without being ridiculous.
GPS: The only woman men listen to to find their way on the road.
Bus: A vehicle that moves twice as fast when you are chasing it than when you are sitting inside.
Key-chain: A very practical invention that allows you to lose all your keys at once instead of one by one.
State: The best mafia system ever organised.
Tie: An accessory used to indicate where a man's brain is.
Carla Bruni: Modern Snow White who prefers one of the seven dwarfs: Grumpy.
White House: At the moment, black barrack.
Car: An ingenious invention, making it possible to have 110 horses in the motor and a donkey at the wheel.
Parents: Two people who teach you to walk and talk to later tell you to sit down and shut your mouth.
Toe: An appendix used to detect door corners.
Equality of the sexes: A new concept created by men to no longer pay in a restaurant.
Any favourites? I especially like the ones about the toilet, the keys and the toes. :P
Sunday, December 09, 2012
My (temporary) pet
I know, I know, I've been lazy. So let's talk about my pet.
Remember this post I wrote at the beginning of the year? (oh wow, seems that this is a year-long project) It seems that I have lots of case-making clothes moths in my apartment. But I had never seen the actual moth before...only the larvae and the cocoons. (or maybe I had seen them...and did not recognise them)
So I decided that I would "raise" one of those babies in captivity...and see the moth it would grow into.
I caught one at the end of May or beginning of June. I saw it moving around on the floor...and scooped it into a plastic container. I happened to have one that had a broken cover, so it suited me just fine...air could go through and yet the crack was too small for the insect to get out.
I fed it with hair...I picked up stray hair from the floor and put it into the container. (and yes, the hair disappears after a while)
Sometimes it would move around so much, I would wonder whether it was already a moth and was trying to get out. (though, in the end. I didn't see the "getting-out" process)
Then for some time I couldn't see any progress...sometimes I wouldn't see it come out of its cocoon for so many days that I would wonder whether it wasn't dead (whether I didn't feed it enough). But it still came out once in a while. The last time I saw its head outside its cocoon was on the 15th of June. It looked pretty much the same as it did previously.
In the end, I still don't think I've ever seen this moth around. But at least I know what it looks like now.
And that's it for your latest nature lesson. :P
Remember this post I wrote at the beginning of the year? (oh wow, seems that this is a year-long project) It seems that I have lots of case-making clothes moths in my apartment. But I had never seen the actual moth before...only the larvae and the cocoons. (or maybe I had seen them...and did not recognise them)
So I decided that I would "raise" one of those babies in captivity...and see the moth it would grow into.
I caught one at the end of May or beginning of June. I saw it moving around on the floor...and scooped it into a plastic container. I happened to have one that had a broken cover, so it suited me just fine...air could go through and yet the crack was too small for the insect to get out.
 |
| 1st June - It's already hanging from the top of the container. |
I fed it with hair...I picked up stray hair from the floor and put it into the container. (and yes, the hair disappears after a while)
 |
| 5th June - It had moved in the container. |
 |
| 6th June - It was moving around rather actively. |
Sometimes it would move around so much, I would wonder whether it was already a moth and was trying to get out. (though, in the end. I didn't see the "getting-out" process)
 |
| 8th June - On the "wall". We can see its legs! (okay, it's not such a big deal :P ) |
 |
| 9th June - Feeding time! (It doesn't mean that I gave it food and it came to eat it, just that I happened to see it eating.) And I think you can see its "waste" lying around its home. |
Then for some time I couldn't see any progress...sometimes I wouldn't see it come out of its cocoon for so many days that I would wonder whether it wasn't dead (whether I didn't feed it enough). But it still came out once in a while. The last time I saw its head outside its cocoon was on the 15th of June. It looked pretty much the same as it did previously.
 |
| 1st July - Transformation! It's finally a moth! See the bottom end of the cocoon from which it came out? |
 |
| 3rd July - And there you can see it properly. |
In the end, I still don't think I've ever seen this moth around. But at least I know what it looks like now.
And that's it for your latest nature lesson. :P
Thursday, November 15, 2012
A walk to remember?
The Penang Starwalk was held on the 17th of September this year. So I guess it's time I wrote about it!
The week before the walk, we had to go and collect our goodies at Penang Times Square. (we paid RM10 to participate) Here's what we received:
While walking we came across some wire art (I call it wire art but it's more like steel bars)
We received wristbands (which were actually hairbands) at the starting point and at another checkpoint.
We could participate in the lucky draw only if we had both bands at the end of the walk. (but they ran out of hairbands so some people only had one. So I guess everyone got to participate in the lucky draw. Not that it mattered much to me, I'm never lucky in these circumstances :P )
We also passed by one of the famous wall paintings. There were too many people posing with it, we didn't even bother.
Then I saw this cute little Doraemon bag :P
And then...the finish line.
That wraps up the news on Starwalk; there'll be more photos of the wire art and wall paintings...but that'll have to wait a bit. :P
The week before the walk, we had to go and collect our goodies at Penang Times Square. (we paid RM10 to participate) Here's what we received:
 |
| t-shirt |
 |
| food |
 |
sunblock, shampoo, and medical aid (in case we get injured from too much walking? lol) |
 |
| coupons |
 |
| and a walker's guide |
While walking we came across some wire art (I call it wire art but it's more like steel bars)
 |
| See how high up this one was |
 |
| tok-tok mee seller |
We received wristbands (which were actually hairbands) at the starting point and at another checkpoint.
We could participate in the lucky draw only if we had both bands at the end of the walk. (but they ran out of hairbands so some people only had one. So I guess everyone got to participate in the lucky draw. Not that it mattered much to me, I'm never lucky in these circumstances :P )
We also passed by one of the famous wall paintings. There were too many people posing with it, we didn't even bother.
 |
| I was lucky enough to get this photo without anyone there. |
Then I saw this cute little Doraemon bag :P
And then...the finish line.
 |
| After 6km and 2 hours. |
That wraps up the news on Starwalk; there'll be more photos of the wire art and wall paintings...but that'll have to wait a bit. :P
Sunday, November 04, 2012
Snake fruit
Do you know this fruit?
A friend gave it to me, saying that it was from Sarawak. (though I later found out that it can be found in Peninsula Malaysia as well) When I first saw it, I exclaimed, "It's like a snake!" And no kidding, it really is called snake fruit. (buah salak in Malay)
This is what it looked like, being peeled:
There were three lobes inside, this being the largest (there were two big and one small):
I didn't like the taste at all...I'm not sure whether it was because it wasn't ripe enough (how do you know whether it's ripe enough?) Anyway it was a bit sour, a bit...strange (haha, not really sure how to describe it), and it left a rather dry aftertaste in my mouth (the kind you get after eating pisang tali, which is why I don't eat that particular variety of banana)
So, I guess I won't be buying this. :P
A friend gave it to me, saying that it was from Sarawak. (though I later found out that it can be found in Peninsula Malaysia as well) When I first saw it, I exclaimed, "It's like a snake!" And no kidding, it really is called snake fruit. (buah salak in Malay)
This is what it looked like, being peeled:
There were three lobes inside, this being the largest (there were two big and one small):
I didn't like the taste at all...I'm not sure whether it was because it wasn't ripe enough (how do you know whether it's ripe enough?) Anyway it was a bit sour, a bit...strange (haha, not really sure how to describe it), and it left a rather dry aftertaste in my mouth (the kind you get after eating pisang tali, which is why I don't eat that particular variety of banana)
So, I guess I won't be buying this. :P
Company annual dinner
I've been a little lazy lately, which is why there have been no updates here.
Last night was our company's annual dinner, so here's just a photo of my table (without me)
This was in Vistana Hotel's ballroom.
Photos of me will have to wait till I get them from other people. (or maybe I won't post them :P )
Another post coming right up!
Last night was our company's annual dinner, so here's just a photo of my table (without me)
This was in Vistana Hotel's ballroom.
Photos of me will have to wait till I get them from other people. (or maybe I won't post them :P )
Another post coming right up!
Monday, October 15, 2012
Queen of hearts
It rained really heavily last night and this morning...and there was a massive traffic jam on the way to work. So for the first time, I was still in my car listening to the radio after 9am. Turns out that Lite.fm plays old Billboard chart songs at that time. I heard this song by Juice Newton this morning, really catchy, upbeat tune: Queen of Hearts.
Hope you like it... I love it! :D
Hope you like it... I love it! :D
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Of not thinking an ad through
There's a new ad on breast cancer (by Wacoal) on the radio. It starts by saying, "There are some things that are meant to be in pairs. To lose one of them would be devastating." (or some word like that, I can't remember exactly) And it goes on to name those "things": "your parents, your other half, your breasts".
I feel that they really did not proofread this ad properly. Firstly: To lose one of them would be devastating? So to lose both would be okay? That's what the ad implies... And secondly: Your other half? That is not meant to be in pairs, it's only one person. *sigh* Some people would say that I am being nitpicky again...but really, when you write something that is going to be broadcast nationwide, you should at least make an effort to check it properly...
But then, maybe 90% of the target audience wouldn't be listening properly, anyway... :P
I feel that they really did not proofread this ad properly. Firstly: To lose one of them would be devastating? So to lose both would be okay? That's what the ad implies... And secondly: Your other half? That is not meant to be in pairs, it's only one person. *sigh* Some people would say that I am being nitpicky again...but really, when you write something that is going to be broadcast nationwide, you should at least make an effort to check it properly...
But then, maybe 90% of the target audience wouldn't be listening properly, anyway... :P
Saturday, October 13, 2012
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