Monday, September 27, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Eating party
We, Malaysians, are not foreign to the open house concept.
We do it every time, for practically every occasion we can find.
We try and adapt the open house according to the various festivals we celebrate with a little touch of Malaysian-ness.
So, how do we explain or describe the Malaysian version of an open house to a non-Malaysian?
Simple. Call it an eating session and it'll be all understood.
Why? Simply because eating takes the center stage for every Malaysian open house.
No matter the occasion, we like eating! =]
We do it every time, for practically every occasion we can find.
We try and adapt the open house according to the various festivals we celebrate with a little touch of Malaysian-ness.
So, how do we explain or describe the Malaysian version of an open house to a non-Malaysian?
Simple. Call it an eating session and it'll be all understood.
Why? Simply because eating takes the center stage for every Malaysian open house.
No matter the occasion, we like eating! =]
*Inspired by Kin's FB wall message to Janine.
Monday, September 20, 2010
My Red String of Fate
The Chinese and Japanese believe that each of us will find our true love through a red string called 'the red string of fate' or 'the red string of destiny'. The myth goes something like this: the god ties an invisible red string around the ankle (or pinkie, if you're Japanese) of men and women who are destined to be together. This god is the matchmaker god who is also *surprise surprise* the god of marriage. I don't think he's the god of marriage like how Juno or Hera is the goddess of marriage. The Greek/Roman versions of goddess of marriage is that they protect the purity of marriage and they provide for the marriage. This Chinese/Japanese marriage god is just like your typical 'ka po' aunties who keep asking you if you have a boyfriend/girlfriend and when are you going to get married kind. I think he's the type that just ties two clueless people up and spends his lifetime laughing at them trying to find "The One". The legend goes on saying that the people who are connected through the similar red thread, are destined to be lovers regardless of time, place or circumstances. This 'magical' thread will only stretch but never break.
Based on this legend or myth, I would have a red thread tied to my pinkie (the Japanese version sounds cooler) at one end and my destined lover is tied on the other. Through this 'magical' thread, we are supposed to be able to find each other, get married and live happily ever after. Despite time, distance and conditions.. i would be able to find my soulmate, the One that i'm destined to be with forever and after. So, what seems to be the problem, you say? Just follow the string (or your heart, which ever you prefer) and i'll find the One. pfft.. Really?? You really believe that?? Ok, let me present to you my problems.
1) If everyone is tied to a thread that stretches and never breaks, won't all the red strings be tangled up with each other? With estimated 6 billion people on Earth, there would at least be 3 billion red strings around. It's bound to get tangled somewhere.
2) If there's a massive ball of tangled red strings somewhere, how do i know that the red string i've been following all these years, are the string leading to my destined lover? I could have bump into the tangled mass of strings, tried my best to figure out which string is mine (must have tried really hard too, at 3 million STRINGS) and keep on going with the string i found, hoping that it'll lead me to the right way.
3) What happens if i found presumably my "The One", settle down, have loads of kids and then one fine day, someone shows up with her/his end of the string tied to my husband (I'm very much like to start my family with a guy, thank you very much)? What do i do then? Do i embark on another journey to search for my "Other The One"?
3) What happens if my destined lover decided that he has had enough with this stringy mess and he just snips/cuts/nicks/clips his end off? What if it was me who decided enough is enough and takes my end off my pinkie? Will he die a lonely man? Or will he end up with another person he found through the chaotic red strings muddle?
I guess in the end, i'll slip my end off my pinkie, write a little note and tie it to the string and let it drift. When the dude (again, i'd like to think that my destined lover is a man. hunky too =P) finally finds the other end, he would at least have a note telling him this:
Based on this legend or myth, I would have a red thread tied to my pinkie (the Japanese version sounds cooler) at one end and my destined lover is tied on the other. Through this 'magical' thread, we are supposed to be able to find each other, get married and live happily ever after. Despite time, distance and conditions.. i would be able to find my soulmate, the One that i'm destined to be with forever and after. So, what seems to be the problem, you say? Just follow the string (or your heart, which ever you prefer) and i'll find the One. pfft.. Really?? You really believe that?? Ok, let me present to you my problems.
1) If everyone is tied to a thread that stretches and never breaks, won't all the red strings be tangled up with each other? With estimated 6 billion people on Earth, there would at least be 3 billion red strings around. It's bound to get tangled somewhere.
2) If there's a massive ball of tangled red strings somewhere, how do i know that the red string i've been following all these years, are the string leading to my destined lover? I could have bump into the tangled mass of strings, tried my best to figure out which string is mine (must have tried really hard too, at 3 million STRINGS) and keep on going with the string i found, hoping that it'll lead me to the right way.
3) What happens if i found presumably my "The One", settle down, have loads of kids and then one fine day, someone shows up with her/his end of the string tied to my husband (I'm very much like to start my family with a guy, thank you very much)? What do i do then? Do i embark on another journey to search for my "Other The One"?
3) What happens if my destined lover decided that he has had enough with this stringy mess and he just snips/cuts/nicks/clips his end off? What if it was me who decided enough is enough and takes my end off my pinkie? Will he die a lonely man? Or will he end up with another person he found through the chaotic red strings muddle?
I guess in the end, i'll slip my end off my pinkie, write a little note and tie it to the string and let it drift. When the dude (again, i'd like to think that my destined lover is a man. hunky too =P) finally finds the other end, he would at least have a note telling him this:
Congratulations! You have found The One. Unfortunately, I'm unable to attend to you right now because I'm busy living my life that's not about finding the other end of the red string.
It's great that you endured and persevered at this challenge in your life.
I guess I'd have to say that this isn't our fate.
To me, love isn't a destiny called by the gods or written in the stars.
To me, love is a choice and a commitment.
I want to FALL in love.
I want to have the ability to choose and be committed to it till the end of my days.
It's great that you endured and persevered at this challenge in your life.
I guess I'd have to say that this isn't our fate.
To me, love isn't a destiny called by the gods or written in the stars.
To me, love is a choice and a commitment.
I want to FALL in love.
I want to have the ability to choose and be committed to it till the end of my days.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Why oh Why
Is the education system today really just producing standardized and stereotypical people?
Isn't it really sad to compare high-school and college graduates to Big Macs and Whopper Burgers?
What makes each of us special, different than the person right next to us?
If you were a owner or CEO of a corporation, who would you hire?
The standard, regular Happy Meal or the individualized, special homemade chicken soup?
Who would you rather spend your lifetime with?
The stereotypical Apple Mac or the unique acoustic guitar?
Who do you want your children to look up to?
The robotic C-3PO or the animated Oprah Winfrey?
Is it worth being with superficial, expressionless luxuries your whole life than spending a moment with lively, exceptional necessities that makes each of us humans?
Isn't it really sad to compare high-school and college graduates to Big Macs and Whopper Burgers?
What makes each of us special, different than the person right next to us?
If you were a owner or CEO of a corporation, who would you hire?
The standard, regular Happy Meal or the individualized, special homemade chicken soup?
Who would you rather spend your lifetime with?
The stereotypical Apple Mac or the unique acoustic guitar?
Who do you want your children to look up to?
The robotic C-3PO or the animated Oprah Winfrey?
Is it worth being with superficial, expressionless luxuries your whole life than spending a moment with lively, exceptional necessities that makes each of us humans?
Friday, September 3, 2010
Just another awesome but tiring day..
Just got back from school and i'm feeling extremely happy. My junior science class was very co-operative although they were kinda quiet in the initial parts of the lesson. Who could blame them? It was the first period. Had them run around the class and boy, did they wake up.
Off to senior science class next where i observe another friend. His class was simply adorable. He taught the students a game where they have to act the reserve actions of the instructions. He got them to sit (stand) and stand (sit).
Next my own Year 12 ESOL students. Being expose to the requirements of writing a movie review, i bet they are so sick of it already. So, instead of comparing and looking back at the features and the structure of a movie review (again), i've decide that we'll just look for vocabulary, facts or qoutations that they can use for their own writing. Only 6 of them were in the class but hey, it was much more easier to control that way. The best reward of the day today was when i read each of their introduction and first paragraph. Not only did they write better, but they "borrowed" some interesting vocabulary and qoutation like i said. And, that makes me happy!!
ps: thanks to those who helped during the lesson as well as for the feedback. will try to improve
Off to senior science class next where i observe another friend. His class was simply adorable. He taught the students a game where they have to act the reserve actions of the instructions. He got them to sit (stand) and stand (sit).
Next my own Year 12 ESOL students. Being expose to the requirements of writing a movie review, i bet they are so sick of it already. So, instead of comparing and looking back at the features and the structure of a movie review (again), i've decide that we'll just look for vocabulary, facts or qoutations that they can use for their own writing. Only 6 of them were in the class but hey, it was much more easier to control that way. The best reward of the day today was when i read each of their introduction and first paragraph. Not only did they write better, but they "borrowed" some interesting vocabulary and qoutation like i said. And, that makes me happy!!
ps: thanks to those who helped during the lesson as well as for the feedback. will try to improve
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