Berlin to Brickedonbury

I am a football player by myself, and the passion runs in me as my medium of satisfaction in life. Harsh tackles and invisible yet tight man-marking are the way the football is, they could be tolerated as I could channelled it through my course of improvement on the field. Harsh words towards my family? Put glory and nation aside, family is the backbone in my life. Patience has its limit enveloped by the ideal circumstances, and an eye is for an eye. We have Dignity and Self Respect, do I need to repeat the words?

Always put yourself in other people's shoes, in time of analysing issues.

Vis-a-vis the RM 490 m sports complex proposal in Brickedonbury. I shall present Tan Sri Dr. B.C. Sekhars food for thoughts in clearing the fog of arguments -

"MANY conflicting and erroneous statements have appeared in the Press. Let me clearly state the situation of the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC) in Brickendonbury, in relation to ownership of the land, restrictions clearly laid down in the Memorandum and Articles of the Association under which TARRC operates, the control of the Malaysian Rubber Board (MRB) on the research and development programme and perhaps state categorically the research value of this unit in the United Kingdom for Malaysia.

As I have been associated with this outfit since 1949, I am clearly aware of the history and geography of the entire Malaysian association.

• The Memorandum and Articles of the Association registered in 1938 clearly confines the objectives to research and development related to natural rubber and related materials. They have for 68 years enjoyed tax-free status.

• Consequent to the name changes from BRPRA to NRPRA, then MRPRA and in 1977 to Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre, amendments made were consequential to name changes with restricted objectives of research and development clearly maintained including ownership of assets.

• The land at Brickedonbury was bought with the reserves the association had accumulated by 1971. The annual research and development activities budgeted for were funded by the MRRDB (now MRB).

• The association (TARRC) owns the land, not the MRB. The MRB obviously has full control on the research and development programme of TARRC and related activities.

• The existence of some recreational facilities for the staff in TARRC is perhaps more modest than what we have in research and development institutions in Malaysia.

• The question of spending millions on the sports academy is irrelevant to the issue of TARRC’s research activity. The research operations and expertise have been built over 68 years.
The laboratory is a unique window to Western science and expertise which Malaysia can tap at will and the reputation the laboratory has established in elastomer science and fundamental science across the globe is not only outstanding but one of a kind. Many of the researchers can be found as professors in Ivy League universities in the United States and United Kingdom.

The laboratory developed fundamental information in oxidation chemistry, sulphur vulcanisation mechanisms, rubber crystallisation, and many other fields. The laboratory spearheaded the developments of earthquake isolation devices, bridge bearings and vibration buildings and heavy machinery. The laboratory is recognised by the University of London.

They have always operated at the cutting edge and continue to enjoy close relationship with researchers and research companies all around Europe, the United States and Canada. They are certainly equipped to meet the challenges posed by the development of biotechnology relevant to Malaysia.

I do not wish to pursue this issue any more in public. Obviously I will be happy to clarify any or all the statements made in this letter. I stand with all I have said in this letter” - July 18, 2006

Oh ya Nik, Sven-Goran Erikkson is not in the list of my personal top coaches in the world. He could be visualised as the winner of The Most Successful Coach in Cheating the English FA, having made the latter to pay him high wages at the benefit of winning the World Cup 2006 in Deutschland.

Thus, whatever plan that our government has, the essentials are the right people and the systematic execution.

First class mentality eh?

Cheers cheers.

Pak Lah vs Maha vs Anwar

I am in the midst of clarifying the upheat political scene in Malaysia.

I am trying my best to read the writings from the former Prime Minister who is in an anger disposition at the moment, the opinions from the brilliant Oxford-based ex Deputy Prime Minister, and our current Prime Minister's Empowerment: The Role of Citizens.

To support my absence from our country political agenda is such an irrelevant excuse, as if we do not care about it who else is going to do so?

The jinx of this case study: Make the right decision based on the truth vs false, regardless which parties or prominent figures who involved in our analysis of mind.

I love my country, Malaysia. Do you?

All that we need is - Common Sense. Do I need to repeat the words?

http://www.malaysia-today.net/guest-columnists/index.htm

Back to primary school

I miss this song - Really
I used to sing this song when I was in primary school - Really
Yes. Really, those days.

Angin bayu membawa diriku,
Sepintas lalu ku terkenangkanmu,
Memori silam meresap malam,
Kenangan bersama tersimpan selamanya,
Walaupun kau pergi jauh dari diri ini,
Cintaku masih bersemadi di hati,
Keyakinan kita kan kembali,
Menghidupkan semula janji bara cinta,
Kita bersama mengejar mimpi,
Terpisah sementara ku pasti,
Suatu hari nanti,
Cinta kita bersemi,
Kembali menerangi mekar di taman hati,
Walaupun jauh pandangan mata,
Ku yakin kau kan tetap setia,
Begitulah ku jua,
Keikhlasan di jiwa,
Dan cinta ku hanyalah untukmu,
Saban hari diriku menunggu,
Khabar berita darimu di sana,
Gerimis senja kembali reda,
Kerinduan di jiwa kan jadi penawar,
Rindu pada mu tak dapat terkata,
Tiap saat waktu bagai terlalu lama,
Bila kita kembali bersama,
Hiduplah semula,
Janji bara cinta Ohhh

*reminiscing joyfully*

Headboy + Best Student + Sportsman of the Year,
Sekolah Kebangsaan Jalan Pasar (2) - 1992 till 1997

Thank you teachers, KRU, and Feminin ;))

Women and Work

Being in a relationship is an uncertain phase in one's life. A couple cannot promise a happy ending yet they can smooth the phase along the way with the elements of understanding and honesty. However, to understand your partner is such a mounting task. To know a person in the earlier stage is just the tip of the iceberg and one has to play along the time to get his or her true picture of personality. A sweet beginning in one's relationship is not a cornerstone for the future happiness. In light of this issue, I found an interesting article written by Jim Sulski, a Chicago-based freelance writer. Read, you may -

WHY HE'S NOT THE MARRYING TYPE

Brendan and Sharon had been dating since the late 1980s, when they met in college. Every holiday, every birthday, every major event, Sharon was on pins and needles. Would Brendan finally pop the question, produce a ring and ask her to marry him? And every holiday, every birthday, every major event, he didn’t.

Friends began to scoff at her and her family reminded her that her biological clock was clicking away.

On a cold winter morning, Sharon came to a harsh but honest realization. Brendan just wasn’t the marrying kind. She got the courage to ask him why. “It turns out he still had deep emotional scars from his parents’ divorce when he was a child,” she says. “He felt that marriage was too risky, too painful—so why bother?”

Sharon suggested counseling and even a trial period of living together, but Brendan wouldn’t budge. After more than a decade of dating, Sharon broke it off with Brendan. “I realized he truly wasn’t the marrying type and that wasn't going to change,” she says. “I just wish I’d known sooner.”

In addition to coming from divorced parents, there are others reasons why some guys aren’t cut out for marriage. Consider these other signs that a man is a confirmed bachelor… and if you’re dating a fella whose description follows, you might want to pack up your tent the way Sharon finally did:

He needs his space - Some men aren’t comfortable sharing their space and possessions with a woman, let alone the sticky, smelly children that may come along. Here are a few signs that he prefers to be isolated: He’s a perfectionist, he’s extremely well-organized and his place is cleaner and better decorated than yours is. He needs lots of time to read. He doesn’t want to be disturbed at all when watching the History Channel or the playoffs. You get the picture.

He’s married to his work - Some guys live to work, not work to live. If his job is ever present, whether it’s frequent business trips or constant shop talk, chances are the job will take priority over a marriage. “Bill made it clear that if we even talked about marrying, the relationship would be built around his work,” says Barb, an accountant. “That was ironic, in that I made more money than he did.” For some men, though, the relationship has to wrap itself around the job. They cancel dinner plans with another couple when work beckons and just can’t make it out of town on Labor Day because they need to catch up on paperwork. If that’s how he approaches his life, do you really want to buy into that?

He’s been married before and got burned - Some guys refuse to look at their failed marriage as a “starter marriage” and instead are reluctant to saddle up again. A trial period together may help, but he’ll need a lot of pampering and therapy to get over his shell shock. And some men embody the “once burned, twice shy” saying. If he’s always referring to his ex with a variety of put-downs and expletives, you are probably with a guy who’s too angry to move forward. Also, a guy who’s paying alimony may be feeling as if he never again wants to be financially vulnerable in that way. “I once got serious with a guy who was previously married and his big fear was being driven into bankruptcy again,” recalls Marcia. “That’s what kept him away from the altar.”

He has gray hair, but he’s still a 22-year-old emotionally - Some guys never get past the incredible feeling of independence that comes with being able to stay up as late as they would like to, eat whatever they want, drop their dirty laundry wherever they want and not get yelled at. That’s a hard pattern to break. If his “boys” call the shots on the weekend, if being hung-over many mornings is fine with him, and if paying his taxes is something you have to orchestrate for him, well, your bachelor may be destined to stay that way.

Hmm, as my friend Ibrahim quoted when we discussed about love and women in Subang few days ago; The chase is always better than the catch - Metallica. I shall say it depends on one's priority in the argument between career building and love. Do not let love blinded us, we shall keep the initial sweet lasts long.

Furthermore, my friend Azhar gave his opinion; in a relationship we shall not follow the upward sloping curve which when it reaches its maximum point it will move downwards. It is better to have a perfectly horizontal demand curve which ensures the stability rather than former curve. A good woman is for a good man. An understanding woman is for an understanding man.

Yes.