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Showing posts with label PatrickJB. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PatrickJB. Show all posts
Saturday, May 05, 2012
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Story of Appreciation
One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.
He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."
The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.
The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first.
He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.
P.S. Dear folks: You would have forwarded many mails to many and many of them would have back mailed you too...but try and forward this story to as many as possible...this may change somebody's fate...
Stay blessed and have a nice day…!!!
Source of the article: Edwin Limban
He passed the first interview, the director did the last interview, made the last decision.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth's academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.
The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarships in school?" the youth answered "none".
The director asked, " Was it your father who paid for your school fees?" The youth answered, "My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.
The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" The youth answered, "My mother worked as clothes cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hands. The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.
The director asked, " Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, "Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.
The director said, "I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother's hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.*
The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands. His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the kid.
The youth cleaned his mother's hands slowly. His tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother's hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.
This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother's hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.
After finishing the cleaning of his mother hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.
That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.
Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.
The Director noticed the tears in the youth's eyes, asked: " Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"
The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'
The Director asked, " please tell me your feelings."
The youth said, Number 1, I know now what is appreciation. Without my mother, there would not the successful me today. Number 2, by working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done. Number 3, I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationship.
The director said, " This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.
Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company's performance improved tremendously.
A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop "entitlement mentality" and would always put himself first.
He would be ignorant of his parent's efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of people, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the kid instead?*
You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your kid learns how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learns the ability to work with others to get things done.
P.S. Dear folks: You would have forwarded many mails to many and many of them would have back mailed you too...but try and forward this story to as many as possible...this may change somebody's fate...
Stay blessed and have a nice day…!!!
Source of the article: Edwin Limban
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
A teaching that one may need in life!
Some words of wisdom to ponder for the New Year. It starts with ' Stop ......
When you stop chasing the wrong things you give the right things a chance to catch you.
“Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending.” Nothing could be closer to the truth.
Stop spending time with the wrong people. – Life is too short to spend time with people who suck the happiness out of you. If someone wants you in their life, they’ll make room for you. You shouldn’t have to fight for a spot. Never, ever insist yourself to someone who continuously overlooks your worth. And remember, it’s not the people that stand by your side when you’re at your best, but the ones who stand beside you when you’re at your worst that are your true friends.
Stop running from your problems. – Face them head on. No, it won’t be easy. There is no person in the world capable of flawlessly handling every punch thrown at them. We aren’t supposed to be able to instantly solve problems. That’s not how we’re made. In fact, we’re made to get upset, sad, hurt, stumble and fall. Because that’s the whole purpose of living – to face problems, learn, adapt, and solve them over the course of time. This is what ultimately molds us into the person we become.
Stop lying to yourself. – You can lie to anyone else in the world, but you can’t lie to yourself. Our lives improve only when we take chances, and the first and most difficult chance we can take is to be honest with ourselves.
Stop putting your own needs on the back burner. – The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too. Yes, help others; but help yourself too. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now.
Stop trying to be someone you’re not. – One of the greatest challenges in life is being yourself in a world that’s trying to make you like everyone else. Someone will always be prettier, someone will always be smarter, someone will always be younger, but they will never be you. Don’t change so people will like you. Be yourself and the right people will love the real you.
Stop trying to hold onto the past. – You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one.
Stop being scared to make a mistake. – Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You end up regretting the things you did NOT do far more than the things you did.
Stop berating yourself for old mistakes. – We may love the wrong person and cry about the wrong things, but no matter how things go wrong, one thing is for sure, mistakes help us find the person and things that are right for us. We all make mistakes, have struggles, and even regret things in our past. But you are not your mistakes, you are not your struggles, and you are here NOW with the power to shape your day and your future. Every single thing that has ever happened in your life is preparing you for a moment that is yet to come.
Stop trying to buy happiness. – Many of the things we desire are expensive. But the truth is, the things that really satisfy us are totally free – love, laughter and working on our passions.
Stop exclusively looking to others for happiness. – If you’re not happy with who you are on the inside, you won’t be happy in a long-term relationship with anyone else either. You have to create stability in your own life first before you can share it with someone else.
Stop being idle. – Don’t think too much or you’ll create a problem that wasn’t even there in the first place. Evaluate situations and take decisive action. You cannot change what you refuse to confront. Making progress involves risk. Period! You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
Stop thinking you’re not ready. – Nobody ever feels 100% ready when an opportunity arises. Because most great opportunities in life force us to grow beyond our comfort zones, which means we won’t feel totally comfortable at first.
Stop getting involved in relationships for the wrong reasons. – Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. Fall in love when you’re ready, not when you’re lonely.
Stop rejecting new relationships just because old ones didn’t work. – In life you’ll realize that there is a purpose for everyone you meet. Some will test you, some will use you and some will teach you. But most importantly, some will bring out the best in you.
Stop trying to compete against everyone else. – Don’t worry about what others are doing better than you. Concentrate on beating your own records every day. Success is a battle between YOU and YOURSELF only.
Stop being jealous of others. – Jealousy is the art of counting someone else’s blessings instead of your own. Ask yourself this: “What’s something I have that everyone wants?”
Stop complaining and feeling sorry for yourself. – Life’s curve balls are thrown for a reason – to shift your path in a direction that is meant for you. You may not see or understand everything the moment it happens, and it may be tough. But reflect back on those negative curve balls thrown at you in the past. You’ll often see that eventually they led you to a better place, person, state of mind, or situation. So smile! Let everyone know that today you are a lot stronger than you were yesterday, and you will be.
Stop holding grudges. – Don’t live your life with hate in your heart. You will end up hurting yourself more than the people you hate. Forgiveness is not saying, “What you did to me is okay.” It is saying, “I’m not going to let what you did to me ruin my happiness forever.” Forgiveness is the answer… let go, find peace, liberate yourself! And remember, forgiveness is not just for other people, it’s for you too. If you must, forgive yourself, move on and try to do better next time.
Stop letting others bring you down to their level. – Refuse to lower your standards to accommodate those who refuse to raise theirs.
Stop wasting time explaining yourself to others. – Your friends don’t need it and your enemies won’t believe it anyway. Just do what you know in your heart is right.
Stop doing the same things over and over without taking a break. – The time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it. If you keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll keep getting what you’re getting. Sometimes you need to distance yourself to see things clearly.
Stop overlooking the beauty of small moments. – Enjoy the little things, because one day you may look back and discover they were the big things. The best portion of your life will be the small, nameless moments you spend smiling with someone who matters to you.
Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists; it rewards people who get things done.
Stop following the path of least resistance. – Life is not easy, especially when you plan on achieving something worthwhile. Don’t take the easy way out. Do something extraordinary.
Stop acting like everything is fine if it isn’t. – It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
Stop blaming others for your troubles. – The extent to which you can achieve your dreams depends on the extent to which you take responsibility for your life. When you blame others for what you’re going through, you deny responsibility – you give others power over that part of your life.
Stop trying to be everything to everyone. – Doing so is impossible, and trying will only burns you out. But making one person smile CAN change the world. Maybe not the whole world, but their world. So narrow your focus.
Stop worrying so much. – Worry will not strip tomorrow of its burdens, it will strip today of its joy. One way to check if something is worth mulling over is to ask yourself this question: “Will this matter in one year’s time? Three years? Five years?” If not, then it’s not worth worrying about.
Stop focusing on what you don’t want to happen. – Focus on what you do want to happen. Positive thinking is at the forefront of every great success story. If you awake every morning with the thought that something wonderful will happen in your life today, and you pay close attention, you’ll often find that you’re right.
Stop being ungrateful. – No matter how good or bad you have it, wake up each day thankful for your life. Someone somewhere else is desperately fighting for theirs. Instead of thinking about what you’re missing, try thinking about what you has that everyone else is missing.
P.S. The above article was sent to my email from a friend. It is a good one and I want to share it with all of you guys. However, I do not quite agree with the followings: “Stop trying to make things perfect. – The real world doesn’t reward perfectionists; it rewards people who get things done.” I am a perfectionist.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
The below is the unedited article that was sent to my email by a friend Lampa Lu Kong. I felt the need to share it with others.
The article below was written by Patrick Teoh in his blog "Niamah!!".
Dedicated To All those Born in 1940's, 50's , 60's
First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked /cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.
They took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles/ motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a private taxi was a special treat.
We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.
We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect us.
We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.
With mere 5 pebbles (stones) would be a endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours.
We caught guppies in drains / canals and when it rained, we swam there.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually worried about being unhygienic.
We ate salty, very sweet & oily food, candies, bread and real butter and drank very sweet soft sweet coffee/ tea, ice kacang, but we weren't overweight because.......
WE WERE OFTEN OUT PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till street lights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.WE DID NOT HAVE HANDPHONE TO BUG US. And we were O.K. AND WE WERE SAFE.
We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did no t have Playstations, X-boxes, Nintendo's, multiple channels on cable TV, DVD movies, no surround sound, no phones, no personal computers, no Internet. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts.
We never had birthdays parties till we were 21
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and just yelled for them!
We don't know what is "Bumiputra"......
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law ! Nobody knew about child psychology !
Yet this generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 40 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned ......!!
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government 'regulated' our lives for good !!
And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
P/S: -The big font used is because of Long-sightedness or hyperopia at our age.
P.S. During those days we seldom heard of people making loves; they made babies.
The article below was written by Patrick Teoh in his blog "Niamah!!".
Dedicated To All those Born in 1940's, 50's , 60's
First, we survived with mothers who had no maids. They cooked /cleaned while taking care of us at the same time.
They took aspirin, candy floss, fizzy drinks, shaved ice with syrups and diabetes were rare. Salt added to Pepsi or Coke was remedy for fever.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets.
As children, we would ride with our parents on bicycles/ motorcycles for 2 or 3. Richer ones in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
Riding in the back of a private taxi was a special treat.
We drank water from the tap and NOT from a bottle.
We would spend hours on the fields under bright sunlight flying our kites, without worrying about the UV ray which never seem to affect us.
We went to the jungle to catch spiders without worries of Aedes mosquitoes.
With mere 5 pebbles (stones) would be a endless game. With a ball (tennis ball best) we boys would run like crazy for hours.
We caught guppies in drains / canals and when it rained, we swam there.
We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually worried about being unhygienic.
We ate salty, very sweet & oily food, candies, bread and real butter and drank very sweet soft sweet coffee/ tea, ice kacang, but we weren't overweight because.......
WE WERE OFTEN OUT PLAYING!!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day, till street lights came on.
No one was able to reach us all day.WE DID NOT HAVE HANDPHONE TO BUG US. And we were O.K. AND WE WERE SAFE.
We would spend hours repairing our old bicycles and wooden scooters out of scraps and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem .
We did no t have Playstations, X-boxes, Nintendo's, multiple channels on cable TV, DVD movies, no surround sound, no phones, no personal computers, no Internet. WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and we still continued the stunts.
We never had birthdays parties till we were 21
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and just yelled for them!
We don't know what is "Bumiputra"......
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law ! Nobody knew about child psychology !
Yet this generation has produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever!
The past 40 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned ......!!
HOW TO DEAL WITH IT ALL!
And YOU are one of them!
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the government 'regulated' our lives for good !!
And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.
P/S: -The big font used is because of Long-sightedness or hyperopia at our age.
P.S. During those days we seldom heard of people making loves; they made babies.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed
Sunday February 26, 2012: Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed. By WONG PEK MEI pekmei@thestar.com.my
KUALA LUMPUR: The Government cannot say for sure if Hang Tuah ever existed, said Information, Com-munications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.
He said it would not be upset if people concluded that Hang Tuah and his friends were not mentioned by history writers as he (Hang Tuah) may not have been portrayed as a warrior “based on the dates and records that the public understand today”.
“However, we are unable to say conclusively that Hang Tuah did not exist or ever existed. This is because we do not have sufficient records and evidence.
“That is why he has been regarded as a legendary hero or a myth which can also be considered a cultural heritage similar to Robin Hood, Maid Marrianne, Hang Li Po and others,” he said in his speech before launching the History of Malaysia Collo-quium at Universiti Malaya yesterday.
The debate over whether Hang Tuah actually existed came about after Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim said there was no written record of Hang Li Po, Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat, adding that the stories that had made it into the history books were just myths.
Dr Rais said in history, there were legendary figures, like King Arthur and Hang Tuah, that should not be put aside just because there were no empirical facts about them.
“This group, although not supported by facts, remains part of culture which is classified as cultural heritage or intangible heritage,” he said.
Source: The Staronline Sunday February 26, 2012: Rais: Govt unsure if Hang Tuah existed. By WONG PEK MEI pekmei@thestar.com.my
P.S. I had visited the "grave" of Hang Jebat in Malacca. If really what Prof Emeritus Tan Sri Dr Khoo Kay Kim said is true then to prove a point dig up the remains and carry out DNA test on them. It is that simple!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
“Sarawak teachers' union says no need for English teachers from US."
The Staronline: Saturday February 4, 2012 MYT 12:24:00 PM
“Sarawak teachers' union says no need for English teachers from US
KUCHING: The Sarawak Teachers Union (STU) is not in favour of importing English voluntary teachers from the United States, under the English Teaching Assistants (ETA) programme to beef up the English standard among the students in the state.
STU deputy president Jisin Nyud said this was because the state had enough qualified local English teachers who could handle the task.
"Of course, we welcome the move should the Education Ministry say it is good for the students.
"However, these American English teachers may not understand the local cultures like our local English teachers do.
"We prefer to have the local teachers who possess qualified degrees like Teaching English as Second Language (TESL) to do the task since we have enough manpower," he told reporters at the STU Chinese New Year Open House at its premises here Saturday.
The ETA is a programme which has been engaged by several states in Peninsular Malaysia such as Johor, Pahang and Terengganu, where native English speakers from the United States would assist local teachers to teach the language, in a move to beef up the English standard among students.”
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/2/4/nation/20120204123801&sec=nation
P.S. This is another typical mindset of the Dayak (Sarawak).
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Three cheers for the Hostile Games!!!
The Star Online, Wednesday November 16, 2011
Three cheers for the Hostile Games
THE STAR SAYS:
THE SEA Games are supposed to be all about regional solidarity and friendship, nurturing goodwill through sports.
But those worthy principles were for, and from, another era - an era when there was greater trust among nations and men, a greater sense of honour and integrity.
All that has changed; with progress has come distrust and deceit, hypocrisy and bigotry.
Sportsmanship and fair play have no chance when politicians, governments, sports bodies and officials speak not what they mean. Case in point: the 26th SEA Games in Indonesia.
The jingoism that has dominated the proceedings has made the event one of the most distasteful of the series, a nasty deviation from the ideals of the SEAP Games to foster closer ties and understanding among neighbours.
When Thailand hosted the first SEAP Games in December 1959, it truly was a Goodwill Games, one that saw athletes from Burma (now Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Malaya, Thailand and Vietnam engaging in honest competition without spite or acrimony.
The Games grew in size and stature with the addition of Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, Brunei and later Timor Leste.
In 1977, the SEAP Games evolved into the SEA Games. The competition became more keen but remained largely true to the tenets of sports - of fair play and honesty.
But then, as these mostly newly-independent nations grew, so did their misguided sense of nationalism and pride.
These then became the overriding essence of the Games - one-upmanship, brinkmanship, bragging rights and humbling thy neighbour.
National pride began to overshadow and erode the sporting values of the Games. It is now all about who can win the most medals, never mind if it means cheating or shifting the goal post to steal an advantage.
These Games have bloated to 43 sports, most of them favouring Indonesia, offering a massive 542 gold medals. That's fine if the competition was fair and true. But what we have seen here, in Jakarta especially, is proof that the Games have grown out of control, driven by political, rather than sporting, agendas.
It's about winning at all costs so that politicians and officials can gloat and ride the popular wave of triumphalism.
It's about size and numbers, upstaging others rather than honest success.
We can understand patriotism but not insane ultranationalism and aggressive demonstration of parochialism.
How else can one explain the naked hatred Indonesian fans have for Malaysian athletes in particular? Their disregard for their foreign guests is disconcerting.
Malaysia and Indonesia have a long history of antagonism which has seen some major boil-overs, especially in Jakarta, in previous encounters like the Thomas Cup badminton finals and the Suzuki Cup football tournament.
The fans have jeered every single Malaysian athlete and the boos get louder if it's an Indonesian on the opposing end. That is to be expected, but there is a distinctly vicious edge to the jeers directed at the Malaysians.
Being patriotic is noble, but being disrespectful to other countries is simply appalling.
Little wonder that they are calling these the Hostile Games.
P.S. You (the writer) had seen it/heard it in just a spur of the moment... that is only during the SEA Games. Stay a little longer in Indonesia and you'll feel the real heat. I bear the heat for 9 long years now, and I had gotten heartburnt!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
National Service with a smile
The Star Online, Tuesday November 15, 2011
National Service with a smile
By ONG HAN SEAN - hansean@thestar.com.my
KUANTAN: National Service training camp staff have been asked to greet visitors with a smile.
They have been told to make smiling a culture in an effort to improve public perception of the programme.
“Studies have shown National Service is beneficial but we still have to prove it to the public.
“Smiling is one of our ways of doing that,” said its director-general Datuk Abdul Hadi Awang Kechil after launching the Delighting the Customer Campaign at Kem Cahaya Gemilang in Cherating here yesterday.
He said greeting people with a smile was important particularly for the frontline staff who have to deal with customers at the 81 camps nationwide.
“More importantly, the trainees are encouraged to smile as well through this campaign. They will face the community in their jobs in the future,” said Abdul Hadi.
He added that smiling could also reduce pressure, foster unity and friendship between the trainees.
“However, trainees still have to be serious during shooting and march-past training,” he said.
Among the activities to be held in conjunction with the campaign is the most charming smile contest, a campaign slogan writing competition as well as producing an etiquette guideline on operating the telephone and customer service.
Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/11/15/nation/9901041&sec=nation
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Penang airport soaking wet!
The Star Online: Wednesday November 9, 2011
Penang airport soaking wet
GEORGE TOWN: A leak was detected on the second floor of the Penang International Airport, about 50m from the automated glass doors.
A boutique assistant, who did not want to be named, said the ceiling would leak every time it rained heavily.
“The leaking started after renovation work began several months ago.
“I had to move some of my items a few feet away to avoid the dripping water,” she said at the airport in Bayan Lepas yesterday.
Slippery: Rainwater dripping onto the floor at the Penang International Airport after a heavy downpour.
Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd project manager Fazil Ahmad said the leak was due to the ongoing renovation work.
“We have already installed a flat roof, and are in the process of installing waterproofing sheets and another roof to cover the whole building.
“But the frequent rain is slowing the progress,” he said.
He also said workers often had to be deployed to mitigate the leak during heavy rains.
“Depending on the weather, the roof should be completed by the end of the month,” he added.
The RM250mil expansion and renovation work at the airport is scheduled to be completed by June next year.
This was the second leak at a key public structure this month.
On Nov 1, the state legislative assembly sitting was briefly disrupted when the ceiling of the building started leaking during a downpour.
P.S. To me Penang Airport (design/structure) is child play... architecture. A third world class design!
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