Money Making Idea

Okay...i confess. I'm at work and rather distracted from what i should be doing. Anyway, i was having lunch just a while ago and this song was playing in the cafeteria.


A hundred days had made me older since the last time
that I saw your pretty face
A thousand lights had made me colder and
I don’t think I can look at this the same
But all the miles had separate
They disappeared now when I’m dreaming of your face

I’m here without you baby but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight it’s only you and me

The miles just keep rolling as the people either way to say hello
I hear this life is overrated but I hope it gets better as we go

*Chorus

Everything I know, and anywhere I go
it gets hard but it won’t take away my love
And when the last one falls, when it’s all said and done
it get hard but it won’t take away my love

*Chorus


I was observing a girl at the next table. She was mouthing the lyrics of the song, and it appeared to be a rather unconscious act. This got me thinking...

If someone were to put all our biology, chemistry, history, sociology and math into lyrics, and compose songs out of them, exam results would be much better. Just think about it...how many songs do you know by heart? Amazing isn't it...all we need is a catchy tune, a bit of determination and our radio stations to play it once in a while and there should be no problem with everyone remembering their stuff.

So, here's my money making idea: If you are a a talented composer, put your formula's, geography and periodical table into songs. Then, produce a cd and somehow get it distributed...with a small cover charge of course. I think people would really buy into it...especially students. Anyway, once your mini business is successful, remember me and give me 10% of your profits...hehe. But for real...it is an idea worth thinking about.

I'm gonna be leaving work soon, so i gotta get back to finishing up a few last things. Later!

Weapons of Mass Destructon

If you've got nothing to do, check this out. It's rather amusing.

1. Go to www.google.com
2. Type in the search box "weapons of mass destruction".
3. Click the 'I'm feeling lucky' icon.
4. Read the results.

Have a nice day!!!

Today in History

1399 - Henry IV is proclaimed King of England.
1452 - First printed book, the Johann Gutenberg Bible.
1470 - Henry VI of England returns to the throne after Earl of Warwick defeats Yorkists in battle.
1831 - In Southampton County, Virginia, escaped slave Nat Turner is captured and arrested for leading the bloodiest slave revolt in United States history.
1864 - Helena, Montana is founded after four prospectors discover gold at "Last Chance Gulch."
1867 - United States takes control of Midway Island.
1882 - The world's first hydroelectric power plant (later known as Appleton Edison Light Company) began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.
1888 - Jack the Ripper kills his third and fourth victims, Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes.
1895 - Madagascar becomes a French protectorate.
1905 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia grants Russia's first constitution, creating a legislative assembly.
1925 - John Logie Baird creates Great Britain's first television transmitter.
1935 - "The Adventures of Dick Tracy" first heard on the Mutual Radio Network.
1938 - Orson Welles broadcasts his radio play of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds, causing a nationwide panic.
1941 - World War II: Franklin Delano Roosevelt approves US$1 billion in Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union.
1947 - World Series, featuring New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, is televised for the first time.
1949 - Berlin Airlift ends.
1953 - Cold War: US President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally approves the top secret document National Security Council Paper No. 162/2, which states that the United States' arsenal of nuclear weapons must be maintained and expanded to counter the communist threat.
1954 - The submarine USS Nautilus is commissioned as the first nuclear reactor powered vessel.
1960 - The last episode of "The Howdy Doody Show" airs on NBC.
1961 - Mayor Snyder of Oregon writes a check for $1.96 to cover the cost of the tea lost in the Boston Tea Party.
1961 - Nuclear testing: The Soviet Union detonates a 58 megaton yield hydrogen bomb over Novaya Zemlya (this is still the largest nuclear device to ever be detonated).
1962 - James Meredith enters the University of Mississippi, defying segregation.
1965 - Riots break out in Indonesia, resulting in the deaths of local communists and ethnic Chinese.
1965 - Vietnam War: Just miles from Da Nang, United States Marines repel an intense attack by wave after wave of Viet Cong forces, killing 56 guerrillas.
1966 - Botswana declares its independence.
1967 - Launch of BBC Radio 1; other national BBC radio stations also adopt numeric names.
1968 - The film The Lion in Winter, starring Katharine Hepburn, debuts.
1970 - In Vietnam, the worst monsoon to hit the area in six years causes large floods, kills 293, leaves 200,000 homeless and virtually halts the Vietnam War.
1972 - US President Richard Nixon approves legislation to increase Social Security spending by US$5.3 billion.
1974 - "The Rumble in The Jungle": Muhammad Ali knocks out George Foreman in Kinshasa, Zaire to regain the World Heavyweight Boxing championship.
1975 - Prince Juan Carlos becomes King of Spain after dictator Francisco Franco concedes that he is too ill to govern.
1980 - El Salvador and Honduras sign a peace treaty to put the border dispute fought over in 1969's Football War before the International Court of Justice.
1980 - Ethernet specifications published by Xerox working with Intel and Digital Equipment Corporation.
1982 - Cyanide-laced Tylenol kills six people in the Chicago, Illinois area. Seven were killed in all. The incident is known as the Tylenol scare.
1982 - The popular TV sitcom Cheers premieres.
1983 - The first democratic elections in Argentina after seven years of military rule are held.
1987 - In Japan, NEC releases the first 16-bit home entertainment system, the PC-Engine.
1988 - Philip Morris buys Kraft Foods for US$13.1 billion.
1989 - Foreign Minister of Germany Hans-Dietrich Genscher's speech from the balcony of the German embassy in Prague
1991 - President Jean-Bertrand Aristide of Haiti is forced from office.
1995 - Quebec separatists narrowly lose a referendum for a mandate to negotiate independence from Canada (vote was 50.6 % to 49.4 %).
1999 - Japan's worst nuclear accident at a uranium reprocessing facility in Tokaimura, northeast of Tokyo, Japan. Workers overload a container with uranium, exposing workers and local residents to very high radiation levels.
2001 - Michael Jordan returns to the National Basketball Association with the Washington Wizards after 3 1/2 years (the Wizards lose 93-91 to the New York Knicks).
2004 - Daenielle writes another blog.

Red Tomato, White Mozzarella Cheese and Green Basil

I was at lunch today with a couple friends and somehow we ended up talking about the origins of pizza. I’ve always known that it came from Italy, but i never really questioned where it came from prior to that. So, i did some reading on this favorite food of mine, and now i can tell you a bit about its origin.

Firstly, the word pizza may be a derivative of the Latin word picea, a word which the Romans used to describe the blackening of bread in an oven. The word pizza, as it is currently spelled, also emerged some time in the Middle Ages. It was used to describe both sweet and salty pies that were becoming increasingly popular among Italian aristocracy.

The common belief is that Italians invented the pizza; however the origins go back to the ancient times. Pizza has undergone a very slow process of evolution over the centuries and although the precise origin of it is rather blurry, quite certainly the cultures of the Mediterranean deserve credit for creating it. Historical records suggest that people in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome were eating flat, un-leavened bread that had been cooked in mud ovens, some even topped with olive oil and native spices. The bread was much like a pita, which is still common in Greece and the Middle East today. Also, ancient Egyptians had a custom of celebrating the Pharaoh's birthday with flat bread seasoned with herbs, and Herodotus, a Greek historian described Babylonian recipes that are very similar to contemporary pizza crust.

The lower class of the Naples, Italy is believed to have created pizza in a more familiar fashion. In 1889, an Italian baker named Raffaele Esposito was believed to have created a dish for visiting royalty. According to the story, the Italian monarch King Umberto I and his consort, Queen Margherita di Savoia were touring Naples on holiday. They called to their palace the most popular of the pizzaioli (pizza chef), Raffaele Esposito, to taste his specialties.

In order to impress them and to show his patriotic fervor Raffaele dicided to top flat bread with food that would best represent the colors of Italy: red tomato, white mozzarella cheese and green basil. The queen was so impressed that she sent to the pizzaioli a letter to thank him saying, "I assure you that the pizza you have prepared was very delicious." Raffaele Esposito dedicated his specialty to the Queen and called it... yeap, as you guessed… "Pizza Margherita."

Word quickly reached the masses and the end result was that the dish was well received, so much so that others began to copy it. This pizza set the standard by which today's pizza evolved and Naples has been firmly established as the pizza capitol of the world. The first known pizza shop, Port 'Alba in Naples was opened in 1830 ,and is still open today. Unfortunately, when i was there i didn't know this, otherwise you would have known where to find me every meal.

Some random pizza facts:

• Americans eat over 100 acres of pizza per day, and an average of 23 pounds of pizza each, per year...yikes!
• Pizza Hut, which is American, is the largest pizza company in the world.
• The world's largest pizza order came from the VF Corporation in North Carolina who ordered 13,386 pizzas for its 40,160 employees nationwide.
• October is National Pizza Month. It was first so designated in 1987.
• Pizza is a £30 billion per year industry, and over 5 billion pizzas are sold worldwide annually.
• There are approximately 10,000 pizzerias in the UK and 61,269 in the United States.
• Mozzarella cheese was originally made from the milk of water buffalo!

Darkness=Evil? Light=Good?

Darkness is the absence of Light.

Can we say that Evil is the absence of Good?

Long and Tight Skirts

Malaysia Airlines (MAS) was given the award for the best cabin crew a while back. I was on the way to Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) today and along the way, i was thinking about our the uniform of our MAS stewardess'. They all look so gorgeous in their fitting "baju kebaya's", complete with a long, batik-print, shape-outlining skirts.

Now, what i was thinking about was the fact that their 'uniforms' don't seem to really be suitable in the case of an emergency. It's not easy to walk with those long, rather tight skirts; so how can this be efficient. Imagine a sudden water landing...chaos? I mean the people who are supposed to be helping the passengers will end up worrying about moving around.

Well, i know that they are dressed for 98% of the time when emergencies don't happen, but what about the 2%? Is this anything that we should be worried about? Well, i suppose we shouldn't be overly concerned, because then our cabin crew would be wearing safety suits...kind of like firemen. I suppose we would feel rather intimidated and frightened every time we fly, instead of feeling secure and well taken care of by people in pleasant uniforms.

Anyway, this is just another one of those random things that i was thinking about today. Wouldn't long pants make more sense? Not as feminine, i suppose... So, looks like we're stuck with long kebaya's.

Extrodinary Yet Ordinary

If i ever had to choose one staple food to live on, i would choose potatoes. There are so many ways to prepare them, all of which are so delicious. My favorite two types of potatoes are mashed potatoes and baked potatoes.

Not all mashed potatoes are good though. Many times, the mashed potatoes served in restaurants are the processed and packaged types. This means that it is not fresh but instead prepackaged in a powdery form, and then mixed before it is served. More often than not, it tastes of cardboard. There is a rather distinct taste to it. I find this rather disappointing as something so yummy is spoiled. Mashed potatoes should always be made fresh from scratch.

I slowly unwrap the foil covering the steaming baked potato. The aroma fills the room as i cut it in half and cover it with melting butter. Ahhh! Yes, this is how i like my baked potatoes: just with lots of butter. Other toppings for baked potatoes are sour cream, salt, yoghurt, even different types of brown sauces, but my favorite is baked potatoes with butter.

Just a note: My source of motivation to write this was the fact that i had mashed potatoes for dinner today.


Just a random thought:
We know that every individual on earth is unique and special in their very own way, and that there are no two identical individuals. So, since everyone is inimitable…i mean everyone is EXTRODINARY, that would make us all ordinary right?

What makes someone special? The fact that he/she is one of a kind, unique or exceptional. Hence, if everyone is special; then no one is special anymore right? We’re all just different and diverse. Bummer! I wanted to be special.

When It Can't Get Any Worse

I'm at work, gazing out the window, watching the gray rain clouds move through the dark sky. Rain is pouring down from the heavens, as if trying to wash the earth clean of all it's dirt and grime.

Sometimes you feel like the whole world is caving in, crashing down on you, and that is when you need to look for those small things in life...small things that can lighten up your day, small things like the smile on someone's face, a glittery pink lamp, the Mars bar on your desk, your best friend waiting for you to call, the fragrance of freshly cut grass, people reading your blog, friends praying for you, a pink flower, and even the sound of the pouring rain.

It's amazing how we often take for granted all these small blessings in life and instead focus on the negative things that take place. Well, just a piece of advice: although it might not be all that easy at times, look for those small blessings in life to cheer you up. Look for the silver lining and remember that although it looks like the rain might never stop, it will because above those black clouds, the sun is shining.

Thus, when it can't get any worse, it can only get better. Oh by the way, the rain outside has stopped and the sun is starting to peek through the clouds.

From Downtown Rome to the Via Appia Antica (Part 2)

The drapes in my room were drawn shut, so it was quite dark when i woke up at 9 am. I went over to the window and pulled back the curtains, allowing the sunlight to stream into my room and bring back it's color. Peering out the window, i saw the outside world being warmed up by the sun’s rays.

After breakfast, Datuk Lily drove us to the Tiber River and we parked alongside there. Today, we would be walking around downtown Rome. On the way to the Tiber River, we saw the remains of the aqueducts along the highway, some of which were still standing quite well. Datuk Lily pointed out to us the Palace of Justice, which is over 1000 years old and then the Malaysian embassy, which used to be Mussolini’s mistress’ place. On the opposite side of the road is what used to be Mussolini’s palace. Datuk Lily informed us that there are underground tunnels connecting all these places, all of which were built many years ago. A few minutes later, we saw Caesar’s palace, which is situated opposite the field where the chariot race from Ben-Hur was filmed.

Anyway, after parking by the Tiber River, we walked around the city for about 4 hours, and although it was exhausting, it was certainly worth it. We went to some old churches, most of which are still being used. Then, we walked to this big square area, where there was an old, huge, slightly off white building with statues of horses. Datuk Lily mentioned that this was the place where the Unknown Soldier is buried and there is an eternal flame burning there. We went up into this building, and from there we could see Rome. The view was simply breathtaking and in the distance, i managed to spot the Colosseum.

After leaving this building, we walked along so many streets and piazzas. Some of the streets appeared to be more like alley’s because they are so narrow, and the shops come right up to the road. I have to say though, that i was fascinated with the shops here, as they manage to arrange all their products in such an attractive way. From there, we went to the Trevi Fountain, which is a wishing fountain – one of those places where you drop a coin in and make a wish. I will leave my wish for you to guess. Anyway, the architecture of the fountain was simply gorgeous. We then made our way over to the Spanish Steps. Yes, the Spanish Steps are in Italy. We climbed all the way up to the top, and from here we were once again able to feast our eyes on the beauty of Rome. The street right below these steps is known to be the most expensive street – where all the branded goods at their highest prices are sold.

Hunger overcame us, and we decided to stop at this nice roadside restaurant (there are a lot of these in Italy) for lunch. I ordered lasagna…and oh, it was so delicious. The cheese was melting off the top. Really, i don’t want to attempt putting it into words, because that’s simply not possible. A while later, we started our journey back to where we had parked the car, and then we drove over to the Colosseum. Our visit to the Colosseum was rather brief. Dad and i walked up to the 90 feet structure looming over our heads, and then a historical moment in history took place. I touched the Colosseum. A few pictures later, we left and started back towards where Datuk Lily was waiting for us. On the way out, i stopped to pick up some souvenirs – pebbles from Rome. (Just like me to do something like that!) But really, think about it long enough. What can be more of a souvenir than pebbles from Roman soil? Surely you’re not considering those trinkets they make you pay for!

We left the town and drove back ‘home’ along the Via Appia Antica (Appian Way). This is the main road that leads into Rome-the same road that Roman soldiers marched on hundreds of years ago. Part of this 8 km long road is open to traffic but the rest of it is just used as a walking path. We dropped some stuff off at ‘home’ and then we decided to go for a walk along the Appia Antica…and walk we did. For a whole 2 hours too! Along this road, you begin to see stretches of ancient paving stones, and the smart villas lining the road give way to fields. Ruins dot the verges, some well-preserved and others just piles of stone. As we were walking along, we passed a shepherd with his flock of sheep and that just added so well to the whole atmosphere of ancient Rome.

Such a beautiful day, complete with a spectacular view and a refreshing breeze. On the way ‘home’ after our long, refreshing walk; i stopped to pick some daisies from outside Franco Zeffirelli’s house (movie producer). He is one of Datuk Lily’s neighbors, but apparently barely ever at home, as he’s always off filming some movie or another. By the time we reached ‘home’ it was almost dark outside. I slept like a log that night.

Note: If you are interested in seeing the pictures from my trip, ask me for the pictures and I’ll show you them sometime. Oh, and to those interested in knowing, Part 3 is on the way.

The Spark of Light

Welcome to Malaysia! It is now the rainy season, so we've been having frequent rainstorms...almost daily...nothing too unusual here. You know, at any given time during the day, over 2,000 thunderstorms are occurring on the Earth. Thunderstorms are the atmosphere's way of discharging excess electrical energy by means of dissipating that energy into heat, light, and sound energy.

I have always been captivated by lightning, and i am one of those individuals who would actually like to be outdoors during a rainstorm, just to watch the lightning (which is of course not at all advisable as this is very dangerous). Anyway, just the other day, i was watching lightning flash through the sky above me, when i realized that the frequency of lightning in my area is quite high compared to other areas i have been in. This got me thinking. Are there any reasons why lightning would be stronger is certain places than others? Sure there are.

The reason i found most interesting is that ground rich with minerals, especially metals such as iron, may attract lightning with greater frequency than areas with less mineral content in the ground.

As we know, all objects seek to be in a neutral electrically charged state. Due to the differences in electrical charges, there is a buildup of electrical potential energy between the ground and clouds. Once the energy gets to a certain point, there is a discharge. Thunder and lightning are the result. Therefore thunderclouds are seeking the best conductor of electricity to discharge their electricity. Conductors in the form of metals in the ground attract lightning to discharge this electricity. (I’ve cut this rather elaborate process short. But if you want to know more about it, you can check it out on Google.) Anyway, the interesting point here is that if you are living in an area where the ground is rich with minerals, especially metals; you are more likely to face a worse case scenario of lightning. Be prepared!

Now, while i was looking up this stuff, i stumbled across some other rather interesting information. We are always told to get out of the water or rain during thunderstorms because water conducts electricity. So, what about fish and underwater creatures? Do fish get zapped by lightning?

Well, this is what i found. Fish in creeks are in very shallow water and would be zapped by lightning if it was to hit the water. But these fish don’t get hit much as there are usually trees or something higher up that would attract lightning in that area. A fish in the open ocean waters however, faces a different situation. Salt water conducts electricity especially well (this has to do with the minerals and ions in the water). But when lightning hits the ocean’s surface, the charge dissipates very quickly at the water’s surface and isn’t a big threat to fish. In addition to that, anything floating on the ocean or standing in it – like drilling platforms or ships – would attract lightning more than the surface of the ocean would. So, fish in the sea are quite safe. Isn’t nature interesting?

To my readers: Do you have any lightning stories? Do share them with the rest of us. Oh, and if you’re one of those people who like to admire the beauty of lightning, do tell me, i would really like to know that. Please do keep in mind though that although the spark of light is striking and simply magnificent, it is dangerous and can be fatal.

One of the Many Blessings From Heaven

I went out to lunch with some friends today and ended up ordering spaghetti aglio olio simply because the name caught my eye and it looked yummy! Sure enough, i have found a new comfort food...something to cheer me up when i'm not feeling so good. It's another one of those amazingly delicious Italian meals. They just get better and better! Well, for those who are interested in cooking it yourself, try this recipe. Oh, and if you need help eating it, give me a call.

Ingredients:
spaghetti
10 Table spoons olive oil-just enough to coat the pasta
6 cloves garlic chopped
diced mushrooms
freshly grated black pepper
grated cheese
handful of freshly chopped parsley
salt (if necessary)
chopped up red chilli (optional)

Cook spaghetti. Heat oil and fry garlic. Add mushrooms and lightly stir fry. Next, add the spaghetti, fry for one minute. Toss the spaghetti with the parsley, ground pepper, grated cheese and the chopped red chilli. Add salt if necessary. Serve hot!


It is simply mouth-watering and really quite simple to prepare, but if you're too lazy to experiment in the kitchen, you could drop by Swensens. (I am not advertising for them.) Anyway, please do tell me if you know of any other places where i can get good spaghetti aglio olio.

Divertiti!

1.06 am

Hey,
I was thinking today, and wondering what my readers want to hear. Of course this is my blog, so technically it doesn't really matter...hehe. I'm not advertising anything, so i don't have to tailor the contents of my blog to suit my audience.

But i was wondering if there is anything in particular that you want me to write about. This does not guarantee that i will do so because there are some topics that i would prefer not to touch here, but nonetheless, i would like to know what you have to say. Feel free to express yourself...

Wherever You Will Go

So lately, been wondering
Who will be there to take my place
When I'm gone you'll need love
To light the shadows on your face
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Then between the sand and stone
Could you make it on your own

*If I could, then I would
I'll go wherever you will go
Way up high or down low
I'll go wherever you will go

And maybe, I'll find out
A way to make it back someday
To watch you, to guide you
Through the darkest of your days
If a great wave shall fall and fall upon us all
Then I hope there's someone out there
Who can bring me back to you

*Chorus

Run away with my heart
Run away with my hope
Run away with my love

I know now, just quite how
My life and love might still go on
In your heart, in your mind
I'll stay with you for all of time

*Chorus

If I could turn back time
I'll go wherever you will go
If I could make you mine
I'll go wherever you will go

Animal Farm by George Orwell

If you ever see this book lying around, don’t hesitate to grab it because it’s definitely worth a read. Now, i’m not gonna summarize the book for you because i really think you should read it yourself. It's quite an old book, published in 1945, and by 1973, over 2 million copies had been sold.

“All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others.”

I think that this statement captures the gist of the whole book. Hidden in this story is the whole structure of socialism and it comes to show that there can never be a totally equal society, simply because there will always be some who are more equal than the rest. Thus, the notion of socialism can never truly exist. Anyway, just read the book and it'll give you something to think about.

Later~

Bloody Moon - La Lune Rouge

"I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and blillows of smoke. The sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." Acts 2:19-21 (NIV)


A few days ago, i observed that the moon was not it's usual pearly-white color, but was instead an orangy red. I wanted to know why. Well, after talking to a close friend and doing some reading, i think i may have found the answer to my question.

Okay, certain astronomical conditions will cause the moon to appear red or copperish red, so red moons are usually visible at the time of total lunar eclipse. This is one reason why the moon would appear red, but there was no lunar eclipse when i saw the 'red' moon, so that wasn't the answer to my question.

I went on searching...

The moon exhibits a bloody color due to sunlight refracting or bending through the earth's atmosphere. Wildfires or volcano eruptions could be the cause of the change in color that happens to the moon. Basically, what happens is there is a high content of ash or oily-smoke containing a lot of 1-micron particles. These ash and dust clouds thrown into the atmosphere by fires and volcanic eruptions usually contain a mixture of particles with a wide range of sizes. Most are smaller than 1 micron, and they tend to scatter blue light. This kind of cloud makes the moon turn red. So, dust particles in the earth's atmosphere removes much of the bluer colors in the sunlight so only the redder colors make it to the moon. Thus, la lune est rouge.

Sure enough, in the newspaper the next day, there was a report of a volcano eruption in Indonesia.

Knowledge Society Essay

Before you start reading this, i would like to put up a 'WARNING' sign to all those dear people who say that i write to long. Unless you are for some reason interested in reading about the K-society, i strongly advise that you skip this article because it is extremely long. I wasn't planning on posting this here, but a few friends have asked me to, so i have acted upon their requests. Anyway, procede only if you have the patience to read...i really hope you do. Anyway, this piece of literature was the result of a joint effort between a friend and i, as she did the research and i composed the essay. Well, to those of you who have the patience to read this, thanks and i hope it gives you something to think about.

Championing the K-Society: The Path to Vision 2020

“…technology is but one important tool in the knowledge age. It is not, in itself, the knowledge that will become the commodity of the next century. A fisherman needs a fishing pole in order to eat. That fisherman can’t however, eat the pole when the fish become too expensive to catch.” Wendy Rickard made this statement in her article entitled, “The Knowledge Roadblock.”

A knowledge society is a group of informed people who share the same values and vision. In order to make Malaysia a K-Society, there must be an equally smart or knowledge based citizenry; which would require their ethical utilization of the knowledge that has been gained through learning and experience. Hence, we must first address these fundamental pre-conditions - quality of life, education, culture and attitude of the citizens, intellectual capital, stability of politics, and growth of economy - to reach this level of excellence where we can truly call ourselves a K-Society.

Quality of Life
The unemployment rate in Malaysia last year was 3.5% while the incidence of poverty was 7.5%. We can see that the poverty rate in our country is still quite high for a resourceful country. K-Society requires us to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor simply because a K-Society cares for their poor. In addition, poverty will bring about an increase in social ills and we will see the trickle-down effect of our country as a whole. As smart citizens, it is vital that we reach the peak of Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy and this can only happen when minority groups are attended to and the gap between the haves and the have-nots is closed. A self-actualized society will prosper their neighbor, not just themselves.

Currently, the New Economic Policy and the National Development Policy seem to be working well. Through both of these policies and Vision 2020, the poverty rates have decreased over the years. The Shanghai Poverty Conference showcases that the progress in economic growth and poverty reduction is uneven. Thus, it is important that we do not solely aim at reducing poverty, but also strive for an equitable economic growth.

The solution to this whole issue of poverty and unemployment is simply to bridge the gap between the bourgeoisie and the proletariats. A sufficient and elaborate welfare system with basic infrastructure should be provided for people who are in need of it. To address the issue of unemployment, more jobs need to be created to resolve the issue of social unrest. It is also important that the determination to move out of poverty is instilled in the marginalized groups because otherwise, they will just become a burden to the country.

The aboriginals are another group of people that have been treated unfairly. Their literacy rate is very low and a significant part of this is due to the lack of infrastructure, which makes the aboriginals unable to connect with the outside world. Many end up dropping out of school because they feel rejected.

To deal with this issue, we need to take a more effective affirmative action. Certain non-profit organizations, such as the Demonstrator Application Grant Scheme (DAGS), have been very successful in giving aid to the remote and rural communities of our country, and the Kelabits in Bario, Sarawak welcomed the Internet with open arms. DAGS has demonstrated that it is possible to put forward the most rural communities to the world through the Internet. Thus, more organizations should follow the footsteps of DAGS in helping the aboriginals improve their lifestyles.

The engine of a K-Society is Information and Communications Technology (ICT). According to last year’s statistics, there are 2,987,000 Internet subscribers out of Malaysia’s population of 10.2 million. The amount of computers in homes is still insufficient, as only about 3% of this nation has fixed Internet access. The “One Home, One Computer” campaign is working, but very gradually and this outreach needs to be expanded.

Education
Daily, we constantly deal with data. When it is meaningful, we call it information. It is vital that we learn to absorb all this information and apply it as knowledge. Knowledge is information used to solve problems or create other new value. The education system plays a major role in this process of learning, unlearning and relearning. Somehow, the young generation doesn’t recognize the importance of attaining knowledge from books, other than schoolbooks. Therefore, they should realize the importance of learning, and move towards attempting to acquire more knowledge. These ripples will soon bring about tidal waves.

Owing to the fact that the education system provides the foundation to everything else, it plays one of the most important roles in championing the K-Society. Many students go through their whole schooling life without questioning what they are taught and what they ‘learn’. In fact, students are frequently discouraged from asking questions and encouraged to fully accept what they are being taught, instead of being encouraged to think critically. Students should be taught to question so that a critical mindset is nurtured from a young age. Through their ability to question, individuals will be able to step back from the immediate situation and take a broader perspective on world issues.

Moreover, there are only a handful of teachers in secondary schools who are fluent in English. This is a critical issue that must be addressed, as many of them are science and mathematics teachers. The standard for qualified teachers should be raised so that they can actually become good role models for the students.

The quality of the tertiary education system affects the quality of our future leaders. Nonetheless, local graduates many times cannot compare with the foreign graduates simply because many are computer illiterate, not fluent in English and do not have good communication skills.

To curb these issues, I would suggest that the class sizes be reduced and that class participation be encouraged. Also, classes on creative thinking, philosophy, communication skills and computer should be compulsory for all students.

We are fortunate to grow up in a multilingual society where most of us learn at least two languages - Bahasa Malaysia as the national language and English as the spoken lingua franca in daily urban use. If we are not able to speak English fluently, there is no way that we will be able to compete with any other first world nations. The younger generation is constantly being exposed to ‘Manglish’ through sitcoms, such as Phua Chu Kang, and many children grow up attempting to imitate that type of ‘English’ because they believe it is cool. What is happening to the media, which plays such a critical role in our lives?

The decision to teach mathematics and science in English is wise because although Bahasa Malaysia is our national language, it cannot function internationally and basic scientific terms are lost. Nonetheless, although we focus on improving our English we cannot forsake our own national language, as that is what makes us unique as Malaysians.

Culture and Attitude
The issue of Bumiputeras must also be taken into account. Now, we face the cradle to the grave syndrome, where many Malaysians are overly dependent on the government. An article entitled, “Cultivate Value Culture, Malays Told” from The Star newspaper, reports how Tun Dr. Mahathir says that the Malays need to develop a value culture to resist “immediate satisfaction” and not throw away the many opportunities given to them by the government. Thus, the Bumiputeras should be encouraged to pick-up their own fishing pole and become more independent. It is important though, that they improve themselves without changing their culture and losing their very own unique identity.

Once we have the knowledge that allows us to become a K-Society, we need to be aware how this knowledge is utilized. This is where smart citizenship plays a salient role. It is possible for us to misuse the knowledge that we have gained and create things that are better left alone, such as nuclear artillery. To prevent such violation, it is important that the society be educated not only on how to apply knowledge, but also on how to apply it ethically.

Intellectual Capital
Somehow, our country is facing the issue of brain drain, where our local professionals are leaving the country and refusing to come back to Malaysia. It is important that their achievements are duly recognized and that they are given sufficient benefits to make them enjoy working here as Nunn, in his article, describes a K-economy as “a new utopia, with collaborative knowledge workers enjoying intrinsically satisfying work…” A new government program has provided a good profit for researchers whose ideas are commercially viable. Otherwise, with all our professionals leaving, how can we ever move forward?

At this point in time, Malaysia is still a developing nation and in order to expand the supply of highly skilled and knowledgeable human capital to aid in development, we do require foreign professional help to better ourselves. An article from The Star newspaper talks about how medical professionals from India want to work with their Malaysian counterparts because we have the basic facilities and India has the required knowledge. Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Kuala Lumpur City Centre are just some of the many examples of what we have achieved with foreign help.

Politics
A knowledge society needs K-leaders and role models. Our leaders must have dignity and show this level of responsibility by keeping promises that they make. For instance, MPs running for elections make all sorts of promises, but when it comes down to fulfilling them, many fail. Our leaders-to-be should portray a positive image as they are in role model positions.
We should observe the ‘Look East’ policy by Tun Dr. Mahathir as it gives us a goal to aim for.

Also, national welfare should be given priority, and the appropriate budget should be allocated for each sector. Efforts made to formulate policies and strategies towards K-Society, should be acknowledge such as that of the Strategic Intervention Group Malaysia (SiGMA). Malaysia generally has good diplomatic relationships with other countries and this will help with establishing ourselves as a K-Society.

Economy and R&D
According to YB Dato’ Seri Rafidah Aziz, our GDP has grown by 8% in the second quarter (Q2) of this year. Malaysia is the 18th largest exporter in the world and these exports have doubled our GDP.

R&D is an area that is developing very slowly as only 0.49% of our GDP is spent on R&D. Thus, it should be expanded as new sectors are taken up. For instance, the Taninet project under DAGS is helping farmers sell their crops over the Internet. A bigger portion of the national budget should be provided for R&D. Besides that, commercial banks should provide loans for this field. Our country is short of professionals in the R&D area, so by improving our education system, curbing the brain drain problem and providing an increased budget for R&D, this field should soar high, bringing us towards excellence.

E-commerce is still a new idea in Malaysia. Nonetheless, it should be promoted to enable us to compete more effectively in the global market. We have already made our first move by introducing e-banking through Maybank. With this increase in the usage of technology, our country can compete at a global level and we can promote our goods at an international level.

Conclusion
In conclusion, all of these six major issues play an enormous role in Malaysia becoming a K-Society through smart citizenship. Each of these areas is not divorced from each other and plays a salient role in this attempt. Nunn states that a K-Society will produce “individuals capable of thinking past yesterday’s problems and creating innovative and imaginative solutions, fiercely protective of individual freedom and crucially aware of the importance for social stability of some measure of egalitarianism”. Thus, only when we are at our very best in every single area can we consider ourselves a K-Society.

I was just wondering...is there a maximum length for stuff posted on blogs? Maybe i'll try to figure that out some other time. For now, i know that you can post articles this long...and this is quite long.

The One on English

I was with a few friends the other day, and we were discussing how important English is. It wasn’t just the basic communication part that we were talking about, but we were actually discussing how being able to speak English fluently creates a different sort of mindset (at least we can see the difference in this country).

I don’t know what it is about this language that makes this difference. Perhaps it is the fact that this language is one of the most widely spoken languages in the world, or perhaps somehow it influences us to think differently. I don’t know for sure, but there is a difference, an improvement, and I think it would help if we were all aware of it.

The issue of English has been around for quite some time now as our government is trying to increase the fluency level here. It is no wonder that they are doing this as English is one of the second most widely spoken languages in the world, after Mandarin. One out of six people in the world speak English and it is the first language for about 375 million people around the world. Thus, it is an important means of communication around the world.

Anyway, i would just like to remind everyone of the significance of English in our lives. Oh, if you are looking for ways to improve your vocabulary, well try reading…and check out my blog on reading…hehe. Kill two birds with one stone.

A Moment of Silence...

Hey friends,
Let us pause for a moment of silence, as the we recall the horror of the September 11 terrorist attacks three years ago that claimed nearly 3,000 lives. As we take a few moments to remember all the victims of September 11 and their families, let us not distinguish them in terms of race, ethnicity, religion or background, as they all suffered a painful loss. At the same time, let us be thankful for every day that passes us, and be joyful that we are so blessed.

Soccer Commercials

This is specially dedicated to all those soccer fans out there who happen to like watching commercials. Also for any unique individuals who just enjoy watching commercials for whatever weird reason. Check out this site: www.soccercommercials.com

There are quite a few nice commercials...some really good freestyle moves and awesome stunts, mostly by well known soccer players. Anyway, when you're free, do check it out.

From Fiumicino to The Vatican (Part 1)

This is a recollection of my trip to Italy earlier this year. As one of my passions, i have decided to record the details of my trip, although it was in the past. I will be taking it out of my journal, so it might sound slightly different. Well, here goes…

I’m in Rome, Italy! Who would ever have guessed that i would be here when i’m supposed to be in college…i mean it’s not even the holidays, and i’m off in Europe. It’s 6.30 am and dad and i just reached the Fiumicino airport in Rome after a long flight. The Malaysian Ambassador for Italy, Datuk Lily, was there to pick us up when we arrived (she’s a family friend of ours) and then her driver drove us back to her place. Being the representative for our country in Italy, she has hosted many VIP’s there, such as both our present and previous Prime Minister’s. Her house is the sort of European cottage type house that i’m sure you’ve seen before…kind of like in fairytales-it’s one of those stone houses with flowers and vines all over. Anyway, dad and i were shown to our rooms, and then after a warm refreshing shower, we had a quick breakfast. It was about 2˚ outside, so the warmth of the hot milo was very soothing.

Before i start unfolding all the details of how my first day in Rome passed by, let me just make some ‘culture shock’ observations. The roads here in Rome are extremely narrow-even compared to Malaysian ones…a lot of them are like our alleys-just wide enough for a car to fit through. Many of these roads are one way, so if you accidentally turn in the wrong road, sorry no u-turn’s! You gotta go all the way to the end and then turn around. If the roads are two way, there are most likely only 2 lanes, but somehow, the Italians seem to manage 4 lanes. This brings me to their highly commendable driving and parking skills. Italians drive, in a way, much like Malaysians, except they are more polite…at least that’s what i observed. Now, one of the highlights of my whole trip, however weird this may be, was observing their parking. Rome does not have enough parking spaces, thus alongside the road usually does it. I saw a car that was sandwiched between 2 other cars. Seriously, bumper to bumper, both front and back. I was wondering, how do they get out? Answer: They go forward and backward, slowly nudging the cars behind and in front until they can get out. Hilarious! That’s why so many cars have scratches all over their bumpers. Another thing…because they need to fit in small parking places, they’ve got absolutely miniature cars-the SMART car.

Well, back to my story. Around 9 am, Hendy, who is from the embassy came and picked us up from Datuk Lily’s place and took dad and i to the city area – downtown Rome where Saint Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican are. It was around 10am when we reached the area, and the sight was truly amazing. All the old statues, columns, sculptures, etc. definitely gave it such a cherished old and antique feeling. Outside St. Peter’s Basilica is this big, vast, empty area, with a fountain and a pillar in the middle. Dad and i lined up, went through the security check, and then we were in the old church. The inside of this building is really too exquisite to describe in words. It’s one of those places where you have to visit to fully appreciate it. I felt quite overwhelmed standing there, admiring the walls and ceiling that were just covered with paintings…all so breathtaking. On our way out, we stopped at the souvenir shop, and then moved on towards the Vatican.

The Vatican is a country of its own and that’s where the Pope stays. We got into the line outside this walled up area and after paying 12 euros, we were allowed in. Now this part is rather hard to explain in detail, because dad and i went through quite fast, and there was so much to see that i can’t really recall every detail. But basically, we went into rooms, down hallways and saw paintings on the ceilings and walls. There were also some walls covered with huge rugs with all sorts of designs on them. The place was quite crowded and i was actually surprised at the number of young people there…there were so many groups of teenagers. One of the final rooms that we went in to was the Cappelle Sistina, the eminent Sistine Chapel. This is where Michelangelo’s renowned paintings are. As i was observing the paintings that depict the story of time through the Bible, i was dumbfounded just thinking of how difficult it must have been for Michelangelo to be lying flat on his back, painting the ceiling with all sorts of characters, complete with facial expressions and rippling muscles. Our final stop was the room with the life size painting of The Final Judgment.

We left the antique buildings, walked out into the sun and decided to go for lunch-our first real Italian meal. Guess what i had…yeap! Pizza margherita, which is basically a thin crust pizza covered with tomato puree and cheese. From that moment, well, let’s just say that this is a meal i simply adore. It’s nothing at all like Pizza Hut, which is American pizza. This is the real stuff. We ate at this café alongside the road, and it was really pleasant. After filling our stomachs, dad and i went back to the Basilica, which is where the Pope appears on Sundays, just to enjoy the warm sun and cool air. This whole area was packed with tourists, but we managed to find a place to sit down on the stairs. So we just sat down there, in the sun, and relaxed…like we had no cares in the world.

A few hours later, dad called Hendy and he came from work to pick us up. While we were waiting for him, i got to enjoy myself sitting on a bench by the roadside, watching the ‘car parade’ pass by…so many colorful cars…Fiat’s, Merc’s, BMW’s, Jaguars and ever so many Alfa Romeo’s. Almost too soon, Hendy was there to pick us up and we were on our way back to Datuk Lily’s place. I crashed the moment i tucked myself into bed. I was exhausted but i had had a brilliant day…by far one of the best in my life. Little did i know that there were many more of these magnificent days to come.

All About Reading

“A Malaysia of Excellence: Championing the K-Society through Smart Citizenship” This is the topic of the essay that i have been working on these past few days and it has been extremely time consuming. This would explain the lack of blogs on my site. Anyway, i am now done with the 2000 word essay for ASLI’s writing competition.

I just completed it and sent it off yesterday, after working the whole afternoon to cut it down from 3000 words to the 2000 word limit……that was not easy. But, i’m finally done with it and can go back to working on my university stuff. Joy! Oh, by the way, i have managed to narrow my list of universities down to 5, so to all those out there who have serious doubts about whether i will ever truly leave this country, just know that i am getting somewhere.

While i was working on writing the essay, i addressed the issue of our reading culture in Malaysia…or lack of it for that matter. For a while i have been observing people’s behavior (that’s one of the many things sociologists do), and i realize that there are many small things that we can do to improve our reading habits.

Observe people on the LRT or even those waiting in lines at the post office. Generally, you will see them doing nothing…well, okay, i suppose you will find a decent amount of people entertaining themselves with their hand phones or perhaps even reading newspapers…but the rest of these people, most of the time, can be found staring into space, or just looking around. Now, i would like to compare this setting to that in another country, say, America. It’s totally different! There are so many more people with books.

The issue i would like to bring up here is our pathetic reading culture as a whole. Why is it that so many Malaysian’s don’t read? Getting material can’t really be an excuse because Kinokuniya and Times bookstore do have a reasonable selection…maybe not the best, but sufficient. The only people who are in a position to complain about the variety of books in these places, are those who read. Now then, you say that books are too expensive? Well, there are always libraries and friends…it’s really not an excuse. I believe that the actual problem is deeper. For some reason, we don’t seem to ‘like’ reading. Whether we don’t ‘like’ it, like we don’t ‘like’ spinach or we don’t like it because we are too lazy is a separate question. Perhaps many individuals do not realize the significance of reading…they don’t know what an asset it is.

But then i think, “This is really weird!” Why don’t they know how valuable reading is? I would like to suggest that our education system does not encourage this hunger for books. In fact, how many of us actually had teachers who encouraged us to read additional material?

Anyway, i’ve been pondering on this for a while. If only everyone realized that they can do something so much more useful with those free moments that they have during the day. Well, who’s to tell them? The government has been trying for a while, but some how, they don’t seem to be too successful. I wonder, will our people ever learn? When will the day come where i see people carrying books around with them, standing in lines while attaining knowledge? It happens in other countries…..why not here?

For starters, work with reading material that you enjoy…even if it’s only magazines; then slowly move towards a variety of books, both fiction and non-fiction. Reading isn’t all that bad and it definitely isn’t only for nerds. Well, fellow bloggers and all those who read my blog, do pick up a book and take it along with you…especially when you know that you will be waiting in line, and are likely to be staring into space. Just try reading more. There is so much that can be learned from it and those few moments of time won’t go to waste. This is something that you won’t regret!

Fast Food Nation

I haven’t managed to get hold of this book by Eric Schlosser yet, but i do intend to read it. I’ve heard that it’s a very thought provoking book, which i believe might be useful for some of us who are used to following societies norms without questioning what we are doing...or in this case…what we are eating. Well, from what i gather, this book basically tells us all about fast food-where it comes from, how it developed, what’s in it, etc.

Well, hope you all can get some mental food from this book, whether you value or loathe it. Bon appetite!

Graffiti vs. Wall Art

What is the difference between graffiti and wall art?

This question crossed my mind today when i was in class so i decided to put it up here, and whoever has any thoughts about it can respond. Another thing to think about is, who defines what both of these are? Maybe to the 'artist', it is art, but society might consider it graffiti, so who is right? How do we differentiate both of these? Is it possible?

Your thoughts please...

The Art of 'Answering' Questions

The other day i was at this talk, listening to a politician speak on world economic issues and i learned something very interesting. I’ve always heard that politicians cannot be trusted, but i was amazed that day, when i got a first class example of how politicians can be such wily people.

After the 2 hour speech, there was a Q and A session where members of the floor were asked to bring forth any enquiries that were in their mind. This is the part that i found most interesting. About 5 people presented their queries regarding what she had spoken about. Although all the questions were addressed, none were truly answered. As she ‘answered’ the questions, i realized that she wasn’t really answering them at all. What she was doing was twisting the question to her penchant and coming up with some sort of response. I found it interesting how she would take certain key words from the original question and just work with those words, ignoring the question as a whole. The result of this was probably just as she had hoped for…the original question was forgotten.

On an average, i would say that it took her about 5 minutes to attend to each question. Any peripheral route processor would be easily convinced that this politician had answered the questions. Of course, she successfully sprinkled in some humor here and there to create a good rapport with the audience and gain their liking. Between the good jokes and lengthy answers, i believe that more than half of the audience thought that she had answered the questions excellently.

One would have to be critically listening to and questioning what she was saying to understand that all she had done was beaten around the bush…in style, but had failed miserably at answering the questions that had been put forward. I was extremely fascinated at how she managed to do this so inconspicuously. Thus, i conclude that this method of ‘answering’ questions requires a certain amount of skill as it is an art of its own. Of course, how ethical this act is, is a totally different question all together.