Plant Your Own Soul

I want to talk about the food revolution we experienced after watching those documentaries and cooking shows, but I just haven't quite had time to formulate my thoughts yet. I can say, though, that said "revolution" invoked a desire to grow our family own food (or, more accurately, our stupidly high grocery bills have done the invoking), and we have now started our very first backyard garden. We don't really know what we're doing and so we're crossing our fingers we don't kill everything we've planted, but so far it's been a really fun thing to do together and we are so excited to eat food that we grow from babies and feel more of a connection to. We've really, really enjoyed some of the trips we've made so far which includes IKEA, Jusco, some other plant stalls by the road side. Everyone is so helpful and the plants are actually cheaper than those in KL area.  I am falling more and more in love with plants and gardening and all things pure and given to us by the earth. We all really need to rekindle our connection with our planet, and I think for us, my family, it's starting with reconnecting to the food we eat. So far it's been a nice journey and experience for me and my family. Not that being part of a trend is ever a good reason to start or learn something new, but if it helps us to move forward by being part of the “in” crowd, then we really need to plant our own edible garden this year. Besides, thinking ahead in the future, I can actually teach my children or grandchildren where their food actually comes from and that it doesn’t come from the supermarket but from the soil, the earth that we all depend on.

The Candy Crush

I had a crush on a girl who was like the most perfect life partner I could ever have in my life. It was so sweet to think of her all the time with infatuations on our possible future courtship and all the romantic moments that we would have.  The crushing feelings were energetic and reviving that I was unable to sleep or dreamed of her even when I was in slumber.

Only when I think deeply, I find myself falling for her with a lot of selfish intentions. I always observed and perceived to whether she is the right person for me. I evaluated on her strengths and weaknesses and see how can her satisfy me as my girlfriend. The main purpose of starting a relationship was never a bridge towards marriage. It was more like a dream dating game which is often portrayed through Korean dramas and many others around me. I felt so ‘syok’ to chat and spend time with her, thus I kept messaging her without considering would it disturb her.

What should a courtship really be? It struck me to think of the true purpose of a boy-girl relationship. Marriage should be the goal of a courtship as it rounds up the true purpose of it. Thinking of it, it is about commitment. I should think of whether I can commit before approaching the girl that I like. Can I really love her with all my heart? Am I a suitable guy for her? Will I build her up or bring her down?

It is painful to think of how unstable I am now without a well-established faith and income. When I cannot even take good care of myself surely, how am I going to take care of her? I cry knowing that I have to let her go at the present time for her best. She needs not a boyfriend now, but friends who can encourage her in life, studies and faith. Thus, although it is heart-breaking, I have to stop the clock and crush the candy of romance and take up the candy of a friend.

Crushing my heart temporarily is better than crushing her heart for a long term. Love makes me learn to wait patiently and care more for the sweetness of someone’s future. Through this, I learn that it is always sweeter to give out the candy rather than putting them into my own mouth. 

Immigration

It is no doubt that the government is dealing with problems like this. Illegal immigrants have always been a problem in the government’s desk. It really made me angry a little bit when they call them “illegal” immigrants. You know, to me there is nothing illegal. Let’s look into a better perspective, they are just undocumented workers. That’s it. It’s nothing like criminal. Nowadays people would perceive and group them together that the “illegal” immigrants would do some criminal act in our country. I mean there are a few cases but it’s not the most of them right? I mean really, if somebody broke into my house… and vacuumed… I mean I might be a little bit confused, but I am not calling the cops…

            However, some people are just so arrogant, so hard on the undocumented workers, getting so hard on the people who weren’t born here. Most of the people are coming here to have a better life, or even start fresh…. You know, let’s give them a fair shake. And plus, there are many Malaysians I would love to trade out for a couple of undocumented workers.

            Look at those people who work in the Indian or Malay restaurants or even the Mamak stalls. I would say that most of them are undocumented workers. They have brought us some positive impact in our country in terms of the variety of food. Plus without those people working there in Mamak stalls or restaurants, would you want to replace them? Would you want to work in those restaurants and earn an income that is estimated to be below RM1700 a month? Most of you would agree with me that you would not want to work in those places since we are living in a sophisticated society. To them, the income is to be considered a lot and there are plenty of job opportunities here compared to theirs’. Without those people, you can kiss your love for Roti Canai or Mamak food goodbye. I mean there will still be a few in the society whom are legal, but I’m sure it will be packed with people and then you would stuck in the traffic, lining up to eat instead of feeling the freedom to enjoy and  just sit wherever you want in wherever you seek for a Mamak stall.

            I am just not satisfied of how the government would choose such word like “illegal” to label those undocumented workers, and the arrogant people who would took this matter seriously and making life so difficult for both parties. 

Colors Of The Wind

Even as society slowly opens up to past taboos such as gay marriage and religious freedom, there is yet another stigma that hasn’t been overcome. I find it ironic, that even in this era of globalization, it seems that racism continues to a prevalent problem even as geographic barriers cease to be a relevant factor in today’s world.

I will not discuss about what racism is, as I’m sure that most of you are more than familiar with the subject. Instead, I plan on pinpointing a few traits of racism and identify ways to stem our problems from there.

Sure, racism is a deeply rooted problem that existed since forever. Our forefathers had it just as their fathers before them, and we damn sure have it now too. But really, I don’t think that we’d have to deal with such a wide scale of racism if our elders or seniors didn’t spew and mutter racist remarks all the time. Racism is not something that a fresh mind would conjure, especially now that most stereotypes are largely irrelevant. Truly, racism is an evil that is passed down, not thought up.

Racism is also almost always emotionally-tied. It is used as a poor excuse by ignoring many factors and bringing up perhaps the most irrelevant factor: skin colour. For example, when an Australian local gets outsourced, he blames it on the Asian immigrant who ‘stole’ his job from him. He conveniently blames it all on every single nationality from South-East Asia while ignoring the fact that his replacement might be more skilled and qualified than he is. Anyone with a sound mind would do otherwise, and he might be immature or just plain ignorant. But sadly, these kinds of people exist, and in droves too.

The Internet played a big role in influencing people. With shared articles and easy-to-read pictures and messages, messages can be cajoled to readers such in a way it’s now a ‘cool’ thing to be a proponent of freedom of speech. In the same way, if only the Internet were willing to play a role in condemning racism, or rather, make it a ‘cool’ thing to not be racist. For one, poking fun via racist jokes, although we know full well that jokes are still jokes, it can be misinterpreted as hate speech.

I believe that the best way to curb racism is to be well-educated.

We live in a globalized world, and as I also said before, most racial stereotypes aren’t even relevant anymore, if they even were. Mixed marriages are very much the norm now. It shows that progress has been made, but we still have a long way more to go.

A Detachable Vagina

This time, I wanna write something different. I was talking to one of my lady friends and she told me about their stress and pressure as a women and it kinda gave me an idea to write about it and share my opinion with you girls.

            There’s so much pressure in women. Man may not understand how women feel at times. So as a friend with lots of lady friends, I would like to share something about women. And with that, I would also like to share a silly imagination I had about woman, looking at a better perspective. Not sexual intercourse, but something unique. I’m not going to talk about vagina as most of the people already know what it is.  Women are taught to treasure those little things in life including their vagina ever since they were little, even if you would complain about the pain of having weekly period. And that’s a lot of pressure to the most of the women.

            To all my ladies out there... this is what I was thinking… Let’s imagine. Wouldn’t it be easier if your vagina were detachable? Wouldn’t it be easier for women to just leave their vagina at home? Think of the freedom that you’ll have. For example, when you get back home from work late at night and you are feeling stressful, and you want to go out and jog outside to release the tension. It could be dark and dangerous outside, you could just leave it at home and go out jogging! It could be pitch black outside and you could still continue jogging, enjoying yourself. Suddenly if a man jumps out from the bushes trying to rape you and you could be like: “Sorry… I left it at home.” It can save you from getting rape by a pervert. There is nothing “valuable” on you because you left it at home. LOL

            There is so much freedom. You could probably do anything in the world. You could even visit a professional basketball player in a hotel room at 2 o’clock in the morning. “Sex? Oh no, no way. My vagina is not even in the building. I’m just here to talk about your jump shot…” Besides that, you can even know who are your true girlfriends, or having some sisterhood bonding time. For example, you could call your girlfriend in the middle of the night while you are having fun on a date and ask her if she could help you to grab your vagina located in a shoe box on the top shelf, in order for you to enjoy you-know-what. Moreover, when your period strikes, you could just leave it at home without feeling the pain. How awesome is that for you huh?

            Of course, everything has its’ pros and cons. Man can have their perks too, but not in a good way for ladies. For example, you want to go out with the girls to have some dinner. Your boyfriend wants to watch your vagina for you until you come back, helping you to take care of it. Well, you can’t really trust the most them. When you get back home, your vagina may be bent out of shape. Probably next time you may wanna put a lock or a password to lock it. Your boyfriend would probably say: “Err… erm… some of the fellas came by and…”

DFTBA,

Dann’

            

The Battle of Love & Hate

I have a question that bothers me about why is hate easier than love?

            Seriously, if one thrives on hatred, should they set their mind to it, one could live perhaps the most content life of all. There is so much hate nowadays, and it is so available that one could just reach out, as if into thin air, and breathe it. There is a lot of love as well, sure, but most of the time, it’s not so easy to just reach out and grab it and for that reason people tend to lean towards hate. They tend not to stretch their tired arms so far, afraid of taking risks and tend to just stay at their comfortable zone, not even to think twice about it. They just settle for hate. To get to love, one must pass hate. Most people, in their weak and numb state, just stop at hate. Hence, hate grows and love shrinks.

            The world is getting worse as the hateful people breed hateful people, but loving people breed loving people AND hateful people. Love grows within the lover but shrinks within the world as hate grows within the hater and grows within the world. Modern man is controlled by the masses and then modern man is comforted by large groups who think the same as him. Love is more powerful than hate. But love is outnumbered by hate. When the masses hate, the masses grow. Love is born in the universe and grows into the man while hate is born in the man and grows out into the universe.

            However, hate doesn’t stand a chance because haters are more passive than active. Lovers are more active than passive. Love is worth dying for but hate is not. The small armies of love will march longer and further than the massive armies of hate. The world’s lovers are aware of the world’s haters.  Lovers spread love. Haters spread hate. But, lovers spread actively while haters spread passively. Love is right. Hate is wrong. Basic principles in this world are upheld by physics. Yes, the dusk of hate is dark and long, but the dawn of love is brighter and longer. A hater’s hate is no match for a lover’s love.  For even in death a lover’s love lives on when the hater’s hate becomes nothing but ash.

            I wouldn’t dare voice an opinion on something that wasn’t entirely subjective. Love knows no rules, has no authorities, protectors or enforcers. Therefore I am free to write and speak all I wish about Love and no one can really say that I am wrong about it. You can however say I am wrong about hate, but chances are that you are an optimist. However, if I were to say, I would say that both consume energy. Both can change your thought patterns, not just about one person, but about everyone. Both can make you do things that you might not do otherwise. The reason that the two have many similarities is because love and hate are not opposites, the opposite of both love and hate is apathy, the complete lack of any care of whatsoever. When you don't care about someone, you are using no energy on them and your feelings are not influencing your thoughts or actions.

DFTBA,
Dann'

Dory

Dory from Finding Nemo isn’t a goldfish but they both have a common similarity which is memory issues. They forget things easily and quickly

Humans actually have okay-ish memory, not on par with elephants which an elephant never forgets, and we certainly do not possess a goldfish’s 3-second memory span. We can remember facts well, but we remember emotions even better. Like how a student forgets the maths formulas the night before but remembers his first heartbreak a few years back.

There is a distinct difference between something not actually happening, or something you thought did not happen simply because you forgot it did. But if someone did not remind you, then to you, it did not happen. An act of clumsiness for most of us, but some people try to forget things on purpose to try to cope with the pain they have inside. 

If I handed in this blog entry, but you forgot that I did, then what now?

DFTBA,

Dann'