Nenekku

Tahun Baru Cina yang sudah berlalu menandakan bermulanya Tahun Anjing oleh masyarakat Cina di Malaysia, harapan yang meninggi dipendamkan seperti tahun yang lepas. Cuti panjang selama beberapa hari dimanfaatkan oleh keluargaku untuk pulang ke kampung di Melaka. Sepanjang perjalanan, fenomena yang tidak asing lagi di Malaysia telah dijangka. Bermula di persimpangan keluar ke Seremban daripada lebuhraya utara-selatan, bibit bibit kebosanan di dalam kereta telah mula tergambar di benak fikiran apabila aku melihat deretan kereta seperti sekawan tebuan berterbangan yang tiada penghujungnya. Tiadalah gunanya untuk dikesalkan oleh kerana ini ialah suatu fenomena yang tidak asing lagi semasa musim perayaan. Akhirnya, empat jam masa diambil untuk aku dan keluargaku untuk tiba di bandar Melaka, disambut oleh senyuman nenek kesayangan yang telah lama menanti. Setibanya aku di rumah nenek, masa pantas berlalu apabila aku terus menjamu selera masakan asam pedas nenekku. Kegembiraannya tidak terhingga sehingga aku sengaja makan dengan banyaknya semata-mata untuk mengukir senyuman di wajah tuanya yang bercahaya. Setelah menjamu selera, aku menjamu panorama indah di luar rumah yang dihiasi oleh pohon pohon orkid yang menawan bak taman di kayangan.

Aku berkata kepada nenekku, "Nenek, cantiknya pokok pokok orkid ini."

Nenekku menjawab, "Cantik memang cantik jad. Tapi, setiap minggu nenek kena pergi pasar beli satu plastik berisi kerang sebab pokok pokok ni."

Aku yang tidak dapat faham cuba mendapatkan kepastian, "Kenapa nenek beli kerang untuk pokok pokok ni?"

"Nenek letak kerang hidup kat pokok orkid ni. Ganti sebagai baja."

"Ye ke, nek? Lar, ijad tak tau pulak yang kerang hidup boleh diguna sebagai baja," jawabku yang dalam kekeliruan.

"Ye jad, kerang hidup lagi bagus daripada baja yang dibeli di kedai," nenekku menjelaskan.

"Mm, ijad belajar benda baru ni. Kerang hidup sebagai baja. Nanti ijad nak cuba la kat rumah nanti," jelasku dengan bersemangat.

Aku belajar pengetahuan baru semasa cuti hari itu.
Terima kasih nenek.



Haha, it is kind of weird writing in Bahasa Melayu. But hey, I am a Malay and a Malaysian. Proud of that. Do not ever forget your root =)

French Connection United Kingdom

I was tickled by the words on my brother's FCUK shirt that says:

"Commit the oldest sins, the newest kind of ways" by William Shakespeare.

Anyone has any points of evaluation?

It is great for FCUK to apply the knowledge in literature in their marketing and branding plan.

Good job.

The Sky and an Aeroplane

My mother is in London right now. I accompanied my father sending her to KLIA on Wednesday night. Honestly, I have this feeling of happiness when I look up to the sky at night, seeing an aeroplane flying across the horizon, among the twinkling stars. The most beautiful view in my life is the view from up on the aeroplane above when you look to the world underneath u, how it makes me think how big the world is and how amazing the creations of the land, sea, and mountains by the ultimate God. How I wished I could live somewhere up above, thus I could see the marvellous view every day when I say, "Hello Mr. Sun".

And meditating about the reasons behind all the creations. The creations are my encouragement in my life.

As Voltaire said, "Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well"


Just now when I was online, Tengku Zharif who is a friend of mine from Imperial College London nudged me and he said, "I met your mother at Malaysia Hall". Ohhh, how I wished I was in his shoes.

Siberian Dance

I spend most of my time during the holiday at home watching Australian Open, the Grand Slam of the Pacific as they called it. Unbeatable and the best sportswoman during the tournament I would say it is Maria Sharapova. Honestly, I salute all sportswomen but my degree of salutation narrows down to the path of tennis as it is the game besides football that I enjoy watching it, how the players apply the law of gravity to hit, aim, and place the ball on the most unreachable spot beyond the reach of their opponents. The average period of 2 hours per match amazed me how high is the players' fitness and how serious they are in preparing their fitness to display the best swings and dances in the court prior to the game. Semifinals are just around the corner, and I bid the best to Maria Sharapova, Roger Federer, and Martina Hingis. To my knowledge, most players who managed to proceed to quarter-finals were the unseeded ones like Nicolas Kiefer and Marcos Baghdatis, and congratulations I say. To Lleyton Hewitt, Andy Roddick, and Anastasia Myskina, thank you for the show.

I researched a few facts regarding Maria. Below are the facts that I managed to find:

1. Date of Birth: April 19, 1987
2. Birthplace: Nyagan, Russia (Siberian Region)
3. Residence: Bradenton, Florida, USA
4. Nationality: Russian
5. Height: 6'2
6. Weight: 130 lbs. (59 kg)
7. Plays: Right-handed
8. Clothing: Nike
9. Racquet: Prince
10. Endorsements: Speedminton, Motorola, Parlux Fragrances, Canon, TAG Heuer, Honda Japan & Colgate-Palmolive

11. Personal Life: + Coached by her father Yuri Sharapov and Robert Lansdorp + Mother's name is Yelena + Started hitting tennis balls at age four; at six, participated in exhibition in Moscow that featured Martina Navratilova + Began training at Nick Bollettieri’s Tennis Academy in Bradenton, Florida, USA, at age nine (which required a two-year separation from mother due to visa restrictions and finances) + Off-court interests include fashion, singing, dancing and movies (favorites are Mona Lisa Smile, Something's Gotta Give and Love Actually) + Second year of high school and studies via an Internet school + Enjoys reading books in the Sherlock Holmes and Pippi Longstocking series + Prefers Russian and Thai cuisine + Favorite dessert is French crepes with Nutella + Favorite drinks are orangina and virgin strawberry daiquiris + Signed with IMG Models in November 2003

12. Career Titles: + SINGLES 2003: Tokyo & Quebec City 2004: Birmingham, Wimbledon, Seoul, Tokyo & WTA Championships 2005: Tokyo, Doha & Birmingham + DOUBLES 2003: Tokyo, Luxembourg 2004: Birmingham + HIGHEST RANKINGS: Singles: 1 (22/8/2005)Doubles: 41 (14/6/2004) + BEST GRAND SLAM PERFORMANCES Australian Open: Semis Roland Garros: Quarters Wimbledon: Champion US Open: Semis

Keep on dancing Maria =)

"Your energy is as boundless as your ambition, total commitment may be a way of life you should seriously consider" - Dr. Joyce Brothers

Semester 2, come I say

The holiday has started and semester 2 will start next month. Trying to make my holiday a productive and a fun one, my train of thoughts has listed the main things that should be done to occupy my free time. Definitely, frequent solitary visits to TGV KLCC, futsal every weekend, reading somewhere in the lines of the books, plucking the strings of the guitar and indulging into its harmony, watching EPL, and having supper with my childhood friends once in the blue moon during the holiday =)

I am enjoying my solitary single life right now. My indulgement in love will surface once I have my own career, my ultimate dream in life.

Albert Einstein once said, "Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labour in freedom"

As I turned to 21 years old

As I turned to 21 years old, my heart tells me to ponder into a new reflection of life, understands the real definition of it:

"Yesterday when I was young,
The taste of love was sweet as rain upon my tongue,
I teased at life as if it were a foolish game,
The way the evening breeze may tease a candle flame.
The thousand dreams I dreamed, the splendid things I planned,
I always built to last on weak and shifting sand,
I lived by night and shunned the naked light of day,
And only now I see how the years ran away.
Yesterday when I was young,
So many happy songs were waiting to be sung,
So many wayward pleasures lay in store for me,
And so much pain my dazzled eyes refused to see.
I ran so fast that time and youth, at last, ran out,
I never stopped to think what life was all about,
And every conversation I can now recall,
Concerned itself with me, and nothing else at all.
Yesterday the moon was blue,
And every crazy day brought something new to do,
I used my magic age as if it were a wand,
And never saw the waste and emptiness beyond.
The game of love I played with arrogance and pride,
And every flame I lit too quickly, quickly died,
The friends I made all seemed somehow to drift away,
And only I am left on stage to end the play.
There are so many songs in me that won't be sung,
I feel the bitter taste of tears upon my tongue,
The time has come for me to pay for yesterday,
When I was young"

This is an old song by Roy Clark, the first country music artist to guest host Johnny Carson's Tonight Show. Give it a try to listen to it =)

As Bob Hope said, "Roy Clark is the consummate entertainer!"
www.royclarklimited.com

Turkiye 2005/06

"Istanbul, like a great work of art, is a city where fascination grows with familiarity. The city's setting of hills and water, enhanced by its silhouette, its pomp, and the historical circumstances that warrant that pomp and romance only begin to outline the elements of its enduring spell" Anna G. Edmonds/Turkey 1993

My flight to Istanbul with Malaysia Airlines was on the 25th of December which took about 11 hours and upon arrival at Ataturk International Airport my family and I met Omar, our tour guide graduated in International Relations from Cambridge University (the letter O has double dots on it, and the right pronounciation is eeo) and the driver, Lokman. He speaks good English but Mr.Lokman only speak Turkish.We headed to Bolu (towards the east side of Turkey) and Mr.Omar said the journey is going to take 3 hours. It was freezing cold at the moment. During the journey through the highway, we passed by the Black Sea and according to Mr.Omar the sea contains less salt but he has no idea of why the people called it the Black Sea because the sea is not black in colour at all! Then, I could see Istanbul World Trade Centre and as far as my eyes could see, everything including cars, houses, and land were white as it was snowing heavily at that time. Mr.Omar continued to explain the general information about Turkey and he told that 3% of Turkey is in Europe and the rest is in Asia. As the minivan cut across the important bridge that brought us from the Europe side of Turkey to Asia, which was built by Turkish and Japanese company upon collaboration in 1988 with the height of 65m from the sea level (Bosphorus river) I could see a lot of beautiful mosques that resemble the miniature and marvellous architecture during the Ottoman Empire that once a great Islamic empire in the world that lasts for 400 years in Istanbul. Then, in the highway I could see a number of big trucks been stopped by the police (polis) by the road side and Mr.Omar explained that in Turkey, trucks are not allowed to be driven in the highway after 4pm for safety concern. I could also see the buildings of Carrefour, Ikea, Toyota, Renault, and Hyundai along the highway, which amazed me how powerful their branding is until it could penetrate the world market including Turkey. I also observed the Turkish government used Renault Meagan as the taxi car (taksi). We passed by the town of Izmit which was destructed by an earthquake few years ago but now everything has been reconstructed and the people continue their normal, daily life as usual. Then, there was a town called Hereke few minutes later and Mr.Omar said eventhough it is a small town it is an important town in the Ottoman history as the people of the town used to make special handmade carpets only for the Sultan and they used double knots in thread (instead of single knot in the making of other carpets in other countries) that make a very fine, smooth carpet that is incomparable. The people of the town consists of Armenian and Turkish origin and now, the production of the Hereke carpets has been commercialised and it gains the ultimate recognition of the best carpet in the world. Going back to the story of the Black Sea, Mr.Omar told us an interesting fact that after 1000 metres down the sea, there is no oxygen and the scientists and archaeologists now claimed that Noah's ship must be in the Black Sea and they are now starting the scientific and technical work in finding the ship. They said that as there is no oxygen after 1000 metres in the Black Sea, the ship must be still in good condition and because there is no oxygen and without the appropriate technology, no one can go further the level to discover the mystery behind it. Mr.Omar said the Turkish people did not say anything about the claim and they allowed the discovery work to be done in their country, eventhough most people know that the most relevant claim of Noah's ship is in the border of Turkey and Iran. After about an hour, we stopped for a short break at the rest area and without hesitation I bought peanuts that I never seen before, coated with honey with sesame seeds and once I ate one, I could not resist myself from eating the whole packet during the journey surrounded by the silence of snow, swirling out of the sky like feathers.

26 December 2005, Day 2: I woke up at 5.45 am (it was 11.45 am in Malaysia), had a sleep wearing 3 layers of clothes and 2 pairs of socks at Koru Hotel in Bolu. My breakfast was a wonderful one as it was served with a variety of cheese (tongue cheese was one of them), goat's milk, various types of wheat, bee made honey, and others. At 7.35 am, we began our day with the journey to Ankara. During the journey, Mr.Omar entertained us with some history of the country in which he said the Ottoman Turks began the Uthmaniyyah Empire in 1299. At the end of the 20th century, it was the turning point for the great imperialism. During that period, most Arab countries (except Saudi Arabia which the Ottoman did not rule due to the respect for the holy land) were fighting against the empire for independence. As a result, during World War 1 they supported the Allied Countries (Great Britain, France, United States, and Italy) as a medium for them to fight against the Ottoman, and for the sake of protecting themselves the empire had to join the war joining German and Japan on the Axis side. The history of the world tells us that the latter side lost, and it was a sad history for the Ottoman empire. They lost the war, and the empire was divided into different parts as England conquered part of it, France the other part, United States the other, and Italy ruled the south-east of the empire. Realising that their country has been taken away and there was nothing left even a single dust for the Turkish people, General Mustapha Kemal Pasha started the war to fight even for a small amount of their country's soil. Thus, Mr.Omar told us that what you see of Turkey in the world atlas is just 10% of what the original empire was prior to the war.

He made a point of frustration with the Arab countries for joining the Allied Countries to fight against their own religion empire that gives protection and generates prosperity for them with fairness in terms of economy and respect for the country's personal matter for 400 years in the name of Islam, just for the sake of getting independence that just spark the racial hatred of 'assabiyah' among themselves and blinded by ego and lack of unity. He stressed again, that if this war did not happen, there would be no issue of the invisible Israel and Palestine as they were under the Ottoman empire before.

While he was telling us this important history, I could see the tears glowing in his eyes and he ended with, "Nothing in this life is certain. When you are up, there will be a time when you will go down"

Beyond is Greece

I'm taking this short opportunity to update my blog from a faraway land from Malaysia for the time being as I am now in Kusadasi in the town of Aydin, a city near Ephesus (in here they called it Efes) and by the sea of Aegen that separates Turkey and Greece (a short, quick research on Ephesus will be a valuable information). It is windy but not as bad as the past few days when I was in Bolu, Ankara, and Cappadocia when the temperature was - 5 degrees Celcius, and I am now having the difficulties to type the keyboard in a mini restaurant that provides an Internet service as I just discovered that there are certain words (obviously I can't point out which letters by using this Turkish keyboard, wait until I go back to Malaysia) do not exist in the normal English alphabetical letters. So far, my journey in Turkey has reached about 1300 km since my short 10 minutes stay in Istanbul on my first day and we will spend more time again in Istanbul (there is 1 more main city as we are heading towards north west from west of Turkey tomorrow) during our last few days later. I have been writing down notes on my valuable experience touring few major cities in Turkey and I will write in the blog soon. It is 9.30 pm now, and I have to go back to my hotel now which takes about 2 minutes walk from this Turk restaurant that attracts most Deuscthland tourists based on my observation at the moment. And it is dark outside in this foreign country with its nufus or population is 97% are Muslims. A new word that I learned : Gule Gule = Goodbye ps: and my beloved brother is waiting for me right now..Hehe..Pity him.

Saturday
I am going to KLCC today to buy a winter jacket or coat perhaps, while my parents have gone back to Malacca to pay a visit to my uncle's house as we cannot make it for his recital ceremony tomorrow upon his leaving to Mecca for Hajj. Oh yes, I have to collect my mother's laundry on my way to KLCC today, I must not forget that.

I hope it is going to be another good Saturday =)

FREUD
To those who appreciate the reading on philosophy, I would like to recommend a book entitled 'Sophie's World' by Jostein Gaarder. Check it out.

Oh yes, I have a question and answer relating to philosophy. I experienced a lull moment, interpreting this:

Question: HOW MANY FREUDIAN ANALYSTS DOES IT TAKE TO CHANGE A LIGHT BULB?

Answer: TWO, ONE TO CHANGE THE LIGHT BULB, AND ONE TO HOLD THE VAGINA. I MEAN, LADDER.

=P

Baroque?
My interest in music is justified by how meaningful a song is, which I believe a meaningful song portrays the true artistic of a music connoisseur, as I found in the song Foolish Games by Jewel. Interpret it yourself:

Excerpts: These foolish games are tearing me apart,And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart.You're breaking my heart.You're always brilliant in the morning,Smoking your cigarettes and talking over coffee.Your philosophies on art, Baroque moved you.You loved Mozart and you'd speak of your loved onesAs I clumsily strummed my guitar.You'd teach me of honest things,Things that were daring, things that were clean.Things that knew what an honest dollar did mean.I hid my soiled hands behind my back.Somewhere along the line, I must've gone Off track with you.

Mmmm, a research on Baroque might be interesting. I have to start googling. Hehe

Minutes after researching, I found this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baroque

=)

Je vais a l'istanbul le dimanche
I felt so tired the whole day. I had my French class with Madame Wenny Kermovant in Bangsar at 1pm and we learned about chez le boucher, le boucher, un roti de veau, la boulangerie, la charcuterie, l'epicerie, et le bureau de tabac! Hmmm. During the lesson, we had few interlude chats and she told me about her 'obstacles' in buying the cinema tickets for King Kong, in which she had to queue for about 30 minutes last week but it was a disappointment as she had been told by the ticketing person that the ticket could only be bought in advance a day before the show. Next, she went to the GSC Mid Valley yesterday at 9 am and there was already a long queue, waited for another 30 minutes and finally got the tickets for 3 (she, her son, and her son's friend).

She also told me about her desire to go back to France in the next summer and spend about 2 weeks there, somewhere in the north of France but definitely not more than fortnight. Why? She would be dying in boredom to stay more than fortnight, as she said. Oh yes, I learned a new pronounciation today: PARIS ( pronounce as PA RI) Hmmm.

Then, we talked about the bitterness of winter in Europe, how cold is cold during the winter as one has to wear thick clothes to warm the body plus gloves, caps, scarves, and other weird gear that do not exist in Malaysia's diary of clothing. We discussed about the pros and cons in using heater and the old-style chimney, which in my point of view I prefer the latter because not only it is a more effective way to heat up the house but it also can be part of the decoration in the house, which gives an attractive view resembling luxurious, old English aristocrat's mood in the living room. All of a sudden, I recalled a poem that I used to study before 'The Chimney's Sweeper' by William Blake which portrays how the English people in the old days (the Dark Age as I defined it) make used of the homeless children to clean up their chimneys without any payment be made and as a result, there was a special act and legislation proposed by some 'enlightening' English people in fighting against the discrimination on the children (William Blake was one of them, I think so). Then, Wenny gave me a nod, yes she agreed that to clean up the chimney is a total mess, lots of dust and it takes a long time resulting her refusal to do the work if she had to.

Mmm, I have to do my revision soon. My flight to Istanbul is in 3 days time, and sooner or later I have to fill my luggage with thick clothes lest the cold in Turkey at this point of time, worsened by the Bosphorus' breeze. Oh gosh.

Bonne nuit. A plustard.

FOOTBALL
My passion in football continues as the next World Cup is scheduled to be held in Germany with first match between the host nation and Costa Rica. The ballot has been drawn and the matches have been scheduled as Heidi Klum became the host during the prestigious ceremony witnessed by distinguished football players, coaches, press, and others alike. The dream for yet again the crown of English Premier League 2005/06 is on the right direction with the hard work shown by the Blues' players in the last match against Arsenic Arsenal (as I called it hehe) which claimed an undeniable victory of 2 nil. The ego shown by Arsene Wenger as he straightaway walked into the tunnel without shaking the hands of our great Jose Mourinho after the show was a reflection of his refusal to admit Chelsea's great football displays at the moment. Football is not just a game, for some players like Ronaldinho and Pele it is a medium to satisfy themselves and to express their hopes for their beloved country, Brazil amidst the economic and political turmoil that have shrouded the country over the years. Even for some other people, football brings unity in a country like Togo and Angola despite the big problem of income distribution in which the poor is the poorest and the rich is the richest. Yes, in every game a win is the objective but one must not forget that it is not the ultimate objective. A lose with a good style of game, spirit, and unity among different nationalities of players is the perfect definition of win in my diary of football.

As Richard Clayderman's masterpiece entertains me tonight, I would like all of us to ponder on the quote by Pele, "Enthusiasm is everything. It must be taut and vibrating like a guitar string".

Congratulations to Frank Lampard, Ronaldinho, and Samuel E'too as they were the finalists for the FIFA's World Player Gala 2005 with 'The Gaucho' became the winner followed by 'The Lamp' and 'The Panther'.

Hybrid
In conjunction with the 11th Asean Summit that was held in Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre from 12 to 14th December 2005, a business exhibition called the 'East Asia Business Exhibition 2005' took place from 10 to 14th December 2005 at the same venue. With the aim to boost business integration between Malaysia and her respective Asia countries like China, Japan, New Zealand, and others alike, the slogan 'Forging East Asian Business Synergies' is none other the best verbal message to deliver the similar intention. It was also a platform in venturing new knowledge on new business that takes place in the respective countries, such as my new knowledge on hybrid technology created by Toyota in its automobile industry. Hybrid technology basically applies the use of gasoline plus electric in the car, which ensures the smooth transmission when the car starts, accelerates, and decelerates. From the showcase of Toyota from Japan, I learned that a "strong hybrid" system like Hybrid Synergy Drive can use its gasoline engine and electric motor in any combination and even run on just its stored electricity. Toyota Motor Corporation has also created other kinds of hybrids to help lighten the environmental load every way they can.

In addition, I also learned that Beryl's and Lewre are our homegrown brands!

I went back at around 2 pm, exhausted as the day passed by but the satisfaction in gaining new knowledge about the vast kinds of our homegrown industries and the useful sources for my Malaysian Society and Economy's project paper outweighed the tiredness of all.

Semester 1
The last few hectic days in completing my project papers explained my short hiatus in this blog. Nevertheless, sem 1 missions have been accomplished. I can continue to write articles again.Hooray!!!

HSBC
Emir, Husni, and I entered a young entrepreneurship award 2005/06 organised by HSBC which involves participants from Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Philippines and on 7th December 2005, we qualified for Round 2 in which if we manage to impress the organiser on our business plan and idea and its sustainability in the market, we will proceed to Round 3 that will be held in Hong Kong. As representatives from University of Nottingham M'sia Campus we would be more than happy to welcome any ideas or suggestions regarding this regional competition. In Malaysia, there are only 23 teams (compared to 40 or more teams from Hong Kong) managed to go through Round 1 and being Malaysians we will continue to market our proposal with hope it brings the benefits to the society in the future. For more details, log on to www.asiayea.com. As Semester 1 comes to an end, we pray for our success on and off the education field. Amen.

"All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy"

Kyoto Protocol
I've read an article in News Straits Times today on Copenhagen Consensus 2004, in which the plan to combat HIV/AIDS be at the top of the world's priority list (as recommended from the Copenhagen Consensus 2004 expert panel of world-leading economists.) They forecasted about 28 million cases could be prevented by 2010 with the estimated cost of $27 billion with benefits almost forty times as high, a very favourable indication of a plan indicated by the cost-benefit analysis. Besides, the experts have used their knowledge and insight in a very positive and constructive way to prioritize a list of solutions to the world's great challenges. However, the debate on important global warming vis-a-vis Kyoto Protocol (a policy in dealing with climate change by reducing emissions of carbon which expires in 2012) will continue as ten thousand representatives from 189 countries will meet in Montreal in the week of December this year at COP11, which is the 11th meeting of the UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties.

Regardless how complicated it is to achieve an agreement from different understandings from different countries on global warming issues under Kyoto Protocol, the end result lies upon the basic awareness of the importance to love the world and its environment, as this is the only soil, the only place for us to live until our last breath. Come on world leaders, politicians, and citizens of all countries, portray to the world the simple sensibility of COMMON SENSE.

The Bushes and some senseless Americans, do open your eyes and your mind! Your opposition against the protocol fails to enlighten any relevant reasons for the benefit of the world.

Emilia
Time: 2.39 am, Monday

I’m in my room in the university, it’s raining cats and dogs and I could hardly sleep as I find this is a peaceful moment for meditation, with the song of Emilia by KRU adds to the ambience. I was standing by the window few seconds ago, my eyes were searching wildly for the most perfect spot in the starless sky, but to no avail as the dark clouds covered the shy, yellow moon. My room now is silhouetted only by the orange light from the table lamp which I brought from home, while the sound of the spinning fan indicates how solitary and quiet my room is tonight. Out of the blue, I could see the flashing light of a thunder followed by yet another screaming from the sky above. From my room, I could see a stretching road across, the newly tar covered en route to Broga with the unlit streetlight along it. It has been nearly a month since I studied here but I’m still wondering when will the street lights lit the darkness along the road, only being lit by the cars passing by in a ratio of 1 in 15 minutes, based on my zero intention observation when I draw the curtains at the window every single day. My train of thoughts is telling me right now; this is a problem of a public good; in this real case application it is the street lights. Now I know how the characteristics of a public good which are non excludability and non rivalry in consumption leads to the ongoing problem of free rider and as a result, the dilemma of waiting for someone who is aware of the responsibility to allocate the electricity for the street lights for the benefit of the society. Who is responsible? The developer of this area, the state government of Selangor, or the administration of University of Nottingham M’sia Campus? In life, people used to say it is best to ‘give and take’ but at times in life there are things that need to be ‘given’ even though there is nothing to be ‘taken’ for our own benefit, but for the benefit of the society. Besides, the theory of profit maximisation when marginal cost of producing something equals to marginal revenue from producing it only relevant to certain industries but definitely it is irrelevant in this case. What is the most important thing is our contribution to the society, in terms of the safety of the motorists who use this unlit road as their sole canal to the city as well as to prevent crime from happening on this road by those who close their mind and eyes in order to distinguish simple choices; what is good and what is bad.

Let us be a starter, don’t wait for the sun to rise nor for the day to come.

As my bed beckons me, I bid goodnight with the hope for some ray of lights to light the darkness as tomorrow night comes.

Bureaucracy
As a university student, it has come to my intention to share this experience with the rest, the dilemma of bureaucracy in an organisation based on my experience that is happening in any place in this temporary world.
Dear friends, below are the irresponsible attitudes of some people who abuse the power that they have for their own self benefit that has been puzzling me since day one in this university:

1. How could this 'someone' who is a member of the tournament's organising committee be a referee during his own team's match? A university student should be sensible enough to understand the definition of 'fairness' in any aspect of life.
2. How could this 'someone' who claims to be the manager of this particular team but his name was not in the team's list and this 'someone' even played for the match and at the same time been the referee for other matches?

However, as the English saying goes 'Life is not a bed of roses'. I learned a lot from this, eventhough it is a small issue but I hope this kind of attitude will not happen again in the future in any tournament or organisation in my beloved country, Malaysia. If this attitude goes on, our sports status will stay the same and to lift it on par with Japan or Korea would just remain an unreachable imagination that will only remain a dream.

Forget about the slogan 'Play fair, enjoy the game, and may football unite us all' and start reminding ourselves of 'Being fair yields a fair game, there goes the unity in sport that we have been dreaming of'

As Frederick Bailes once said ,'Man’s power of choice enables him to think like an angel or a devil, a king or a slave. Whatever he chooses, mind will create and manifest'

Goodluck to the teams who are going to the semis.

Warwick to Manchester

A former collegemate from Kolej Yayasan UEM (A-Level preparation) who is now doing his degree in Economics at Warwick University, sent me an email with pictures (in the pictures: Atfy and Wani from Warwick University, Suraya and Dodo from University of Manchester) on the day after the death of George Best at Old Trafford has made me feel in a state of cloud nine with a mixed feeling of sadness.

However, thank you Atfy for making the journey with all the pictures-Football lover,Chelsea fan