A wonderful apéritif and a wonderful soirée !

No pictures for the moment, unless we can get some over Facebook – then and only then, I’ll put them up here.

Yesterday’s French-Speakers’ reunion dinner took place in Modesto’s, Sri Hartamas. It was a wonderful place, to begin with – only that the venue was changed at the eleventh hour – but thankfully, all of us (I think) were able to find it.

By the time I came, I saw our professeur, Melati and Aizat waiting inside. So just to begin the apéritif, we talked over our (yummy !) fruit punch, exchanged thoughts, and because all of us were going to sing that night, we talked about our songs too. Over time, more people came in, and we had our apéritif until about 8:00. The new friends I made there – Zai, Patrick, Paul, Chris, Kak Suraya, Larry, Rafidah, Elaine, Ali…… they were all a warm and friendly lot. I talked a lot with Zai, Patrick, Kak Suraya and Larry – about lots of things, even the National Service. And I also met an old friend – Abang Zainal.

After Paul sang the first song, we all helped ourselves to the dinner. It was a buffet dinner, and a nice one too. ^_^ Whilst eating and having fun, we watched the rest of the people performing in front, and being “interviewed” by our dear old Abang Zainal (“I’m not Malaysian, ya. I’m French !”), and it was really good comic relief – all of us couldn’t help laughing. Yep, the best comedy ever was right in front of our eyes, and could never be found on the TV screen.

Some notable performances I remember :

Melati sang the French version of a theme song from the film “Once”.
Rafidah and Elaine sang “Une femme amoureuse” – which we English-speakers would know as “A Woman in Love” by Barbara Strysand.
Faizal (I think that’s what his name was, sorry if I got it wrong, hehe ^_^) sang “Les Rois du Monde”, and that really got me up – with its catchy chorus !
Our professeur and Leslie sang “La Vie en Rose” and there I was, cheering the two on…
Patrick, Zai, Larry and Kak Suraya did a group performance – I’m not sure what the title was, but I just adored them as they sang and as Larry accompanied them.

I was (yet again !) number XIII, and the song I chose was Moi Lolita. Yes, the very first song by Alizée. I was scared, to say the least. I picked the number 13 because I wanted to dispel the myth that 13 is an unlucky number. After all, what’s in a number ? Anyhow… Prior to my performance I asked my newfound friends a favour : I told them, “Somewhere in the middle of the song, there’ll be a part where you’ll have to say in time : LO… LI… TA. Eight times. I’d like you to join me in that part.” They all said yes.

Abang Zainal called out for my name. I came, walking very slowly. Kak Suraya knew I was afraid. I just held the mike when he gave it to me, and before I knew it, the song played. Despite the cold, despite the cough and sore throat, I decided to give it my all. Then the LO… LI… TA part came in. I tried my hardest to stick to Alizée En Concert as much as possible. And everyone screamed their lungs out : LO ! LI ! TA ! It was wonderful, because everyone joined in. And the merrymakers Paul, Chris and Patrick were moving to the music the whole time.

Then came the last chorus. Our professeur wanted to tone down the music already but I raised my hand to say no – because Moi Lolita has a definite ending, unlike other songs which fade out. So at the end of the last chorus, I hit the high notes – and ça y est ! I could get out of the stage !

With all my heart, I enjoyed cheering on everyone who performed that night, despite the pitching issues, or whatever issues there might’ve been. It was great to see them move out of their shells and into the spotlight. Most of all, I enjoyed getting to know others, being close with some even – and truly, it was an unforgettable night.

P.S. I shared my passion for music with the floor that night, and I even expressed my desire to hit the big stage to a few others. That night was a night of experience for me. And I truly thank the Lord for it. ^_^

Ahem.

Adoravelle and I are pretty much excited about turning 18. It's the age where we can legally do most things, anyway !

Well, I did tell her most of my celebrations are gonna be toned down this year.

But what if.....

...one year, I hold a Kingdom Hearts-themed party ?

Well let's see. I have a Re:Chain-based game which I created, Chain of Misfortune. That one's gonna take a bit of work because I've gotta create cards.

I managed to find a recipe for Sea-Salt ice-cream, the ice-cream made famous in Kingdom Hearts Re:Chain and Kingdom Hearts II, thanks to Kingdom Hearts Wiki. And yes, rest assured that if I do have a KH-themed party, I will get my hands dirty and work on the ice-cream.

I have half the Kingdom Hearts soundtrack with me (including remixes of Sanctuary and Simple & Clean by Utada Hikaru).

Whatever print publications I do (invitation cards etc.) have to be relevant to the game itself. Any single main character from the series can be used.

Anymore ideas ?

I conceived this idea only yesterday

I found a way to raise funds for the poor next Christmas.

Forget about packing old clothes, that's just too overrated.

Forget about giving cash in hand, because many people would only give the loose change they have.

I'm thinking of gathering my USJ friends (especially those who are musically inclined), head over to a recording studio, record a good (and I mean good) Christmas album, sell it at market price, and 100% of the proceeds will go to the less fortunate. This won't just be a moment of discovery for me - I'll also get to use my talent to touch others !

I conceived this idea while in church yesterday. When I told dad, I knew he was skeptical of this idea. What's there to be ? If he knows we're a bunch of musically talented people, then he needn't worry - we're using our talents for a good cause.

Well, if Father Patrick Massang did it, we can ! And we're youth, anyway ! Among my friends (the ones I have e-mailed), I'm the eldest of them - I'm now 17. The youngest of them is now 13. Sure, if there're more interested people who're willing to join us, then the age range will change... :)

Two possibilities can arise from this situation :
+ If the demand is low, then the proceeds will go to a charity of our choice.
+ If the demand and sales are high, then we can help as many people as we can !

Now, time to enlist people. Also, I have to figure out a way to promote it - apart from putting the progress on troisnyx* officiel.

I've e-mailed four people in my circle of friends, and it looks like I'll have to revive my Windows Live account just for projects and discussion. But I told them, all e-mails go to my Yahoo ! account.

E-mails hidden for confidentiality.

Those of you who are interested, and are living in Selangor or Kuala Lumpur, kindly leave a comment on this post. If you're already in my contacts, you may very well e-mail me or IM me about it.

Almost like any other day

While I was sharing the joy of Christmas with my Sunset Band friends, I noticed dad sulking away in a corner. In fact, he was almost silent.

Okay, maybe I understand, the mourning just isn't over.

But here's a thought :

Christmas is about Christ's coming into my heart. Into our hearts, to be more precise. And because Christ Jesus is in my heart there's this joy in me. My grief may be heightened a little by the fact that mom's not around with us anymore. But then, she'll know better : she knows that Christmas is about His coming into our hearts ; she would've wanted us to be happy. And so I'm trying. It's an uphill task, and I've been holding back the tears ten times already, but I'm not giving up. So I think it'd be a stupid question if anyone were to ask me "Why the f* are you so happy when you should be mourning ?"

After all, didn't Jesus himself say in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are those who mourn, for one day, they shall laugh." I'm trying my very best to remain joyful with hopes that the night will soon pass by and that the nyx* component in troisnyx* will be a part of history.

(Oh, perhaps, he hasn't got Christ in his heart. Tant pis.)

Aujourd’hui est le 24 décembre…

It's Christmas Eve. Time flies, doesn't it ?

Now, I did mention to a few people that I'll be putting this post up today.
It's for all of us - those who celebrate Christmas, those who don't ; those who are struggling to find the real meaning of Christmas, those who are caught up in commercialism.

If I mention the word "Christmas" to some people, the first thing they'd think of is Santa Claus. Oh, and perhaps all that merrymaking. To be honest, I feel that there's nothing wrong with the merrymaking, but lest we forget what Christmas is all about...

For the true meaning of Christmas is much deeper, and I hope it may hold the same depth for you as it does for me.

A long time ago, in a city called Nazareth...

...there was this teenaged girl, a virgin, called Mary. One day, the angel Gabriel came to her and proclaimed, "Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you !" Mary was shocked. She wondered, what could this mean ? The angel went on to tell her that she had won God's favour, and that she would give birth to a son, and call him Jesus, and that he will be great, every knee would bow at the mention of His name - for he is the Son of God. So Mary, being a virgin, asked, how is this possible ? The angel Gabriel gave her assurance that with God, everything is possible : her cousin Elizabeth, who was old, was already six months pregnant.

And so Mary said, "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you said be done unto me." The angel left her.

Mary was betrothed to Joseph, a man of the House of David. Now, the time came for Mary to have her child. Mary and Joseph travelled far - to a city called Bethlehem. At that time there was a census going on - it was issued by the Emperor of Rome, and each person had to be registered in his own birthplace. Joseph, being of the House of David, went to Bethlehem.

They found an inn, but they were turned out by the innkeeper, who said there was no room left for them.

Distraught and in pain, where could they go ?

They found a stable - a really lowly place. There were donkeys and sheep, fodder and... foul-smelling food in that stable. Mary and Joseph spent the night there.

That night, Mary gave birth to a son, just as the angel Gabriel told her. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger - a feedbox for all those animals. But the baby, the Son of God, slept soundly in heavenly peace and didn't cry. There was a throng of the heavenly host, singing aloud in praise, "Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all men who enjoy His favour." There were shepherds outside the stable, and when they heard the angelic choirs they came into the stable, saw the child lying in the manger, and paid homage to him.

That same night, there was this huge star in the sky which moved eastward. Three wise men saw that star and pursued it. After a long journey, they saw that the star rested above the stable where the child was born.

The three wise men met Mary and Joseph and the child. They bowed down in adoration and presented the child with three gifts :

gold, because he is a king.
frankincense, because he is God.
myrrh, because he was to die for us.

*pause a moment*






The prophet Isaiah mentioned that the child would be given many names : Wonder-Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isn't it happening today ?

The Christmas story is this, the Word of God made flesh. The Christmas story is the birth of a child, the birth of a king. The Christmas story is the birth of Christ, God made man.

Writing this post made me enthralled, once again. No doubt, I'm excluding myself from all that merrymaking because we're still grieving over mom's death. But as I type these words, I am reminded of the fact that in Christ, I am made whole. True, I miss mom and I love her, and there's sorrow all around for me. But then, as the book of Acts says, "In Him we live and breathe and exist." I pray for Him to come into my heart this Christmas.

And, when I think of the Christmas story, another thing which comes to mind is the Christmas carol "Little Drummer Boy."

Imagine : a boy, poor in spirit, unable to give the Lord anything except what lies in his heart, willingly gives the Lord his rhythms. And he is in favour with the Lord. The child Jesus smiles at him. I hope to be in the same position someday. My heart pounds away. I can feel it. And sometimes, I try to imitate it, but I can't. No matter what I play, or how I play, I know He hears me as I beat my drums. It'd be an honour... if I can be His drummer girl someday.

I can't believe it's already the fourth Sunday in Advent

Father Simon Lebrooy and his wackiness on the pulpit... I tell you !

See, it so happened that we were in church this morning and not everyone was spiritually prepared for the coming of Christ at Christmas. And so during the homily, Father Simon said :

"While I was at the seminary, we used to celebrate our festivities with so much joy and... you know lah. And the bishop told us, 'There's a vast difference between a holiday and a holy day ! When it's a holiday you can go anywhere you want and get away with it. When it's a holy day you have to be spiritually prepared, even if you aren't going anywhere !'"

Which reminds me, everytime when I see promotions for the Christmas season everyone uses "holiday promotions". To all of us, do we know the true meaning of Christmas - the commemoration of the birth of Christ Jesus ? Are we taking it as a holy day ? Or just another public holiday ?

As bleak as this year's Christmas may be, I want it to be a holy day.

Come into my heart, O Lord.

Where are you Christmas... ?

Today the Business class students parted ways with Dr Chantheney for the holidays.

Everything's been toned down - class hours, even the content - because Christmas is drawing near. I noticed a few people, including Nancy, who were asked whether or not they did their Christmas shopping. The feeling of Christmas is in the air for everyone else. But not me. I have this premature notion that Christmas is just gonna come and go like any other day.

Because of the deed of one certain whoreson and his wife, I don't have any Christmas celebrations.

Mom's not here anymore, and Christmas doesn't feel like Christmas anymore. The joy we all used to have while preparing for the festivities, while preparing to welcome Jesus into our hearts, is long gone. Even the Christmas tree looks so sombre, it can't cheer me up.

I looked around me in class today, and I saw smiles on the faces of most people. Only some were exasperated because of class. Otherwise, everyone was just happy. Lucky you guys. You have every reason to celebrate this Christmas. Cherish it.
As for me, I have nothing.

I don't see how I can bear a year without celebrations. I have the feeling that all this will wear me down to the core. But I guess I have to.

Today is Narin's 20th birthday, and chances are that she may not have celebrated it. I don't know for sure. Tomorrow is DK's birthday. I hope I can give him a good present : good C1 results.

On another note, I give and I don't get anything in return.

P.S. I pray that 2009 won't be as f*ed up as 2008. Honestly.

Time passes too fast for my liking

Tomorrow's the first Sunday in Advent. In Advent we prepare for the celebration of Christmas, and we await the coming of Christ in our hearts. The season of Advent also reminds us of Christ's second coming at the end of time, and reminds us to get ready.

I can't believe it, but Ordinary Time is over. Advent is nigh. This year's Christmas just doesn't feel like Christmas. And I bet many of you do know why.

I know full well that this Christmas there aren't gonna be many people for us to celebrate with. We're still mourning. I know that this Christmas, I won't be getting the usual smell of cookies and a sweet-smelling kitchen, unlike in the past. Mom's no longer there. I know that this Christmas, home and college are gonna be rather silent. Except of course, for people who are planning to have lavish celebrations for Christmas. I know that this Christmas is gonna be a bleak one.

Despite all this, I do know that this Christmas, I want Christ to come into my heart.

I pray God that I may very well await for the coming of Christ, this season of Advent.

P.S. I have seen on some blogs that some people - Muslims in particular - aren't allowed to celebrate Christmas. Wherefore ? Just because our beliefs are different ? And because of not taking part in the celebrations they aren't allowed to take part in the merry-making. Oh puhleeze, if that's the reason you can't partake in the celebrations, then whoever said this must be really backwater. Because I'm convinced that your beliefs won't change so easily. Like the case on yoga, for instance.

As a Catholic Christian, let me debunk that perception once and for all - burn me on the stake if you will, but I tell you, you can very well join us in the festivities. After all, it's meant to be a time of "peace on earth, goodwill to men" - and how more to show goodwill than to be part of a celebration, even if it's different from your own beliefs ? Truth be told, we get many well-wishers in church during midnight mass - from all faiths, and I mean all faiths - and we don't see any harm in that. We celebrate the birth of Christ, and it's not like we're hitting out at anybody. At the end of the day, it's a question of respect. If you're still stubborn enough to say that you can't celebrate Christmas with us and can't take part in our festivities, then don't tell me that there should be a ruling for us to stay away from Eid open houses too ?!

Another Deepavali commercial........

This one is by Yasmin Ahmad. Yes, the filmmaker behind Sepet, Gubra, Mukhsin, Muallaf and Wasurenagusa. View the full article at

http://yasminthestoryteller.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-malaysians-will-see.html

I remember Narin was pestering me to go to Yasmin's Blogspot page and take a good look. I did. And I almost wept.

I can relate myself to the boy who became a pilot.

When mom was alive, and when I was still small, she gave me my very first heartbeats - biologically and musically. She sparked in me this passion for rhythm when I was three - I was with mom, I was silently knocking on the drum ; she took it from me, smiled, and beat her rhythms. I was enthralled. I only spilled my passion for rhythm to her when I was fifteen. Today, I have a constant yearning to excel musically and be who I wanna be.

But, unlike the pilot, whose father didn't know about his passion for flying, mom knew about my passion for the drums and she even did me a big favour a few months before she died - she accompanied me to Yamaha Beatspot Mid Valley and I got my drum kit - on the second week of April, as a birthday present. Unlike the pilot, whose father may have died naturally or during a freak accident during work, my mom was snatched away from me. And it wasn't God's doing. Maybe now, she's up there. I can't say for sure. It's been two months since she died and to this very day, I wish she'd come to me in a dream, and tell me if she's proud of me.

And then, I notice that the star drummer for the worship team's missing today, the backup drummers have taken his place just for today's mass. I'm not one of them, and it's no surprise. I'd really love to have a chance to elevate myself to be who I want to be, but at the mention of my name, everyone disregards me (except for a select few - those people who've heard and seen me playing the drums). Today, after mass, when we were on the way back home, dad asked me, "Who played the drums today ? There was no oomph !" I didn't want to mention names of those who played - because deep down I felt that they could do much better someday; so I just told him, "That's what happens if Uncle Cyril isn't around." And he said in reply, "Yeah, he's good. He's goooooooooooood." I said, "I can only yearn to play as well as he does."

To that, I had no response. Well. I doubt he ever heard me. And I doubt he'll ever hear me. For a second there, I guess it's no wonder that I heave loud sighs these days... I'm in need of someone to listen to my heartbeats, someone whom I can share them with. And dad is so not that person. Mom was that person... at least while she was around. I want them...

I want them to hear the heartbeats mom gave me. I don't want them to be just confined to the room, like they've been all this while.

Yasmin, if you do come across this post...... I don't know if you'll ever say anything. I'm one of those people who seek for a place for their names to be etched, and at the rate things are going, I doubt I'll ever find a place to carve my name. There're many hearts out there who aren't willing to be opened, and the hearts who are really touched by these musings, if not my songs, are few and far between.

Hey ho for today.

I didn't give two hoots about Hallowe'en yesterday.
I had no jack-o-lanterns.
I didn't play in Hallowe'en Town for Kingdom Hearts I and II.
I didn't come across any trick-or-treating - in fact, I didn't even have a bit of candy yesterday.
All I did was wish someone a happy birthday.

Today is All Saints' Day.
Not only will I be asking the saints to intercede for us.
Not only will I be praying for forgiveness and protection and for mom's, Anselina's and Anton's souls to rest in peace.
Not only will I be spending the weekend in church - tomorrow is All Souls' Day.
I'll be spending long hours in church. :D

And I just hope the sound system doesn't fail on me again. Or else everyone will give cold hard stares at us - even Father Philip Muthu himself will.

(Damn it, October just came and went so fast.
Oh, good Lord, help me. There're twenty-nine days to Prom Night and I need to get my voice trained and see how many people are coming along with me.

OMG, tomorrow is the French-speakers' reunion. I just hope I won't start getting angry at DK again. I just might. Honestly, I'd rather be a thinking, feeling, emotionally-dependent romantic rather than a hot-blooded realist !)

The best written Deepavali ad ever.

Out of all the Deepavali ads I read in the papers, the one by Maxis was the best. Not only did it have cultural significance, it was very well linked to communication - Maxis being a communication service provider. And it really moved me. This was the most meaningful of all the ads (unlike the rest of them, which featured mostly pictures and stuff, and definitely unlike Skol Beer's mishap - they replaced the lamp in the middle of the kolam with a bottle of Skol Beer and this caused furore among the Indian community !).

For those who didn't read it (or have no clue of what this ad was), I'm providing the text (after all, it's mostly text) - credit goes to Maxis :

"How do you unravel a murukku ?" I asked my mother.

Her eyes rolled heavenwards as a soft, tender sigh escaped her clenched lips : "Kirukku payale."

I was relieved when she laid the ladle down before turning to me.

"Have some oomapodhi," she said.
It just gets better, I thought.

"Is it tasty ? Now, take just one. Not one handful ! Katrika ! (troisnyx* : I LOL-ed at that one - that interjection is usually used on people who are greedy/obese) Just take one little one, a strand."

And I did, being suitably well-trained.

"How does it taste ?"
"Can't taste a thing," I replied.
"Because, alone, it is insignificant. But, put it together with more strands, and what do you get ?"
"Oomapodhi," I said.

"And why do you think we serve this on Deepavali when guests visit ?"

A tiny light shone in my head. "Erm, because celebrations are something to be shared - as in the more the merrier ?" I asked.

"Clever boy."
"So, how do you---"
"Everything is intertwined and interconnected. Go water the garden."

That was years ago. I finally put away childish things and became a man. And I no longer wonder how to unravel murukku. I know better.

Oh, and by the way, Happy Deepavali.

Thank you Jesus for 17 great years.

Today, I snuff out 17 candles, as well as the last few pieces of my sweet 16.

Yes, I am now 17. That means driving lessons, M-rated games, and an increased "maturity", so to speak.

Unbelievable. I am now 17 ! I actually remember the time when I was 7. Ten years ago, at this time, I was having my birthday on Easter Sunday. Celebrating His resurrection, and my birthday. Now, it is way past Lent - it is Good Shepherd Sunday and I will be having Malaysian Studies exams, Chinese class, and Sunset mass - where people will soon find me singing the responsorial psalm and the gospel acclamation. This is a voice debut, dude !

Florence turns 16 today.

She got confirmed with me last year on the 2nd of June and...... well, hope everything is fine. She has another two more years to go before everything is done.

As for what happened yesterday, everyone was giving me early wishes. And I did a "talk-to-the-hand" thing : N.Y. - Not Yet ! I wrote the letters N.Y. just like Fatal Bazooka would do - and showed it to everyone who gave me early wishes. Well, I would not want to spoil the fun on the big day, i.e. today !

I hope and pray that this be a good year for all of us. Mom remembers the very moment when I was born. Time flies. Honestly.

I am waiting for dad to return from Singapore. Right now he is stuck in Seremban, with a problematic bus. He promised to take us out for dinner at midnight. Knowing him, he would probably arrive at about 1:30 or later ! Which shop would be open at 1:30 ? I am sleepy...... and starving.

Oh well, at least I can anticipate a great Good Shepherd Sunday, as well as a chocolate cake, some tokens and a drum kit...... (*smiles*)

We're saints in the making ?

We're saints in the making ?
Yeah right. I'd probably be having my head bowed down in guilt by now.

It's All Saints Day again and that "saints-in-the-making" thing somehow gives me a negative allusion to someone whom I know.

Behind the grand ol' red, blue, yellow and white

August is nigh, and so it’s high time people heard these two cents.

31st of August comes and goes every year. Flags, national symbols, articles about the country’s history, patriotic songs, etc. are among the many things that distinguish the Independence season from every other time of the year. The red, white, blue and yellow paraphernalia return just for the month-long celebration which begins on the 16th of August and ends on the 16th of September (Malaysia Day). In schools, competitions are held to see whose sajak (poem) is the best, whose class is the best decorated, the like. Not to say that these things are bad; they should go on, but from what I have seen, many seem to be on an emotional high thinking that they may do just about anything to show love for the country. Last year, on the occasion of our 50th Independence Day, there was a geezer who went hungry for several weeks for the sake of patriotism. Honestly, I wonder if that actually took a toll on his health.

Friends, is all this necessary?

There are just about many reasons for us not to show external signs of loving the country. Take the flag for example: I remember writing on YouthMalaysia.com (the old site, of course) when one user criticised the youth for not sticking the Jalur Gemilang on their vehicles, alleging that they thought the flag stuck on the car looks “uncool”. What he said was plain bull. Probably an acceptable reason would be that these flags and other paraphernalia easily get damaged and dirty, and the hard effort to actually put them up would be wasted. I, for one, have not put up the flag on the car throughout this season; for fear that it would get blown away! Tsk, tsk, tsk. And then again, I broke several flag stands over the years, came across wrongly-printed flags, defective flags… and the list goes on. Ah, that doesn’t matter.

Rather, this is my reason for not showing external signs:

I don’t depend on external signs to actually show that I love the country. To know the country is to love the country, and to love the country is to help the people of this land to live better lives, to help the nation and its youth achieve positive goals. Loving the country involves heart and soul, and not lip service. Think about it: such love for the country is permanent, and it definitely lasts longer than those external signs. So, it doesn’t mean that people who do not put the flag on their cars do not know the true meaning of Merdeka.

As writer Lydia Teh says in her bestseller Honk if You’re Malaysian, “Though I don’t wear patriotism on my sleeve or my car, it doesn’t mean I love my country less.”

No one should ever assume that our youth do not know the meaning of our country’s independence, because we actually do, and we take delight in it, despite the pressure and the cynical looks we get from everyone around us. We have been taught, we have been instilled with the spirit of Merdeka, and when we grow up, it’ll be our turn to spread it to the rest of the people and share it with them. We may have been innocent enough to get caught up in the atmosphere of colouring or making flags way back when we were in school; but just because we don’t show these “signs of love to our country” today doesn’t mean we are indifferent to the Merdeka spirit. There’s more to our Independence Day than those external signs.

Think about this: a simple act of charity like helping the poor can help the nation go a long way in eradicating poverty. A simple act of support like visiting Malaysian destinations can help the country thrive economically and as a tourist destination. A simple act of submission, as in abiding by the rules and doing our little part to develop this land, can make Malaysia achieve her Vision 2020 goals. A simple act of mixing with friends from many different ethnics at school, instead of being cooped up in one’s single-race clique can help achieve Malaysia’s ultimate goal - the unity of all races in the country, and among nations. A simple gesture of stopping the use of the racial card altogether can bring Malaysians together – that, too, at no cost.

While everyone is so gung-ho about Merdeka day every year while forgetting to do their little bit, it comes to nothing, in the end. If everyone just aims for an emotional high, singing the patriotic songs without actually cherishing and understanding them, buying flags just for the sake of buying them, attending the National Day parade without actually wanting to go, everything would just go to waste. True patriotism lies in a heart that is true to the country. True independence comes into existence when the people of our motherland are freed from their woes, and when the people of this land work together to help Malaysia make all her visions reality.

We seem to be calm with more than fifty years of independence, but deep down, there are so many problems waiting to be solved. These shackles need to be broken for true independence to prevail. I get turned off everytime I peruse the papers and read about corruption, poverty, oppression, defamation, cases of investors fleeing the country, lack of values…… and sometimes, I want to cry out, “Lord, save us from ourselves !!!” when at the end of the day, it boils down to whether we can do something, as patriotic people.

So, everytime the Independence season (16th August – 16th September) approaches, let us keep the country in mind. Former United States president Abraham Lincoln once said, “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” What can we do for our people, if we really love the country?

After all, we are the faces; we are the souls of independence. And today, we continue to taste independence. Let us keep the spirit of Merdeka lingering on. Let true independence prevail in our nation. We should not limit the spirit of Merdeka to the Independence season alone, but let it linger on throughout the year and in the years to come.

Meanwhile, don’t hesitate to raise the flag. Oh, and perhaps, if everyone heeds this piece of advice, we might soon be able to proclaim to the whole world over, “The Jalur Gemilang is the #1 flag today.”

Happy Merdeka.

Christmas 2006, a mixture of happy and sad

Christmas 2006 was alright... I guess. Yeah, I can say I was happy... but at the same time, I was sad too. I could list down the factors... and see whether I was really happy or sad. Make it more sad than happy... all I ever wanted on Christmas was a friend.

The Plus Factors
- I managed to see my cousin Jasvin beforehand to help her with the remixes.
- We came safely to Penang.
- The carollers from the Cheshire Home were at our place on the 23rd.
- We managed to see Nicol David in person - yes, the squash queen - the priest was congratulating her on behalf of all of us during the Midnight Mass ! Fine, I'm distantly related to Nicol but I did not realise it earlier until someone told me ; and even Nicol doesn't realise it yet...
- I had the most unexpected - and really nice gifts. Thanks everyone !!
- I managed to see my second cousin drumming for the midnight service and I was like, whoa. He was awesome. That one REALLY aggravated my passion for the drums !!
- And yeah, my parents and relatives finally gave in to my passion... =)

The Minus Factors
- The remix was incomplete and Jasvin could not make any more...
- My other cousins Ashley and Dvya were not there in Penang - they are mourning their maternal grandfather's death.
- We couldn't stay longer in Penang - my mother's aunt passed away on the 26th. We were so close to her - I wanted to see her for the last time but she went...
- I felt rather lonely and kept on sleeping more frequently. And I also spent more time thumping on the pillows 'cause otherwise I would have nothing to do.
- ZERO INTERNET ! Going to a cybercafe was no use 'cause it was too noisy.
- Unable to open Hotmail/YourSpins from my mobile phone.
- Earthquake slowed down my mobile internet ! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrgh !!!!!!
- Less photos and less to talk about because it was the loneliest Christmas ever and it ended on a sad note.

So, everyone... what can I say in addition ?

(Take note that every year, on Christmas Day, we're in Penang. You'll soon find out why I didn't put pictures of the celebration here.)