Kenneth Chai life on trees

I saw it first

From time to time, when I sit down with my friends, girls especially, they'll tell me how much they're being imitated. Like the yellow handbag she found at the mall, after 50 trips to different stores, or the dress she's been saving 10 weeks but sold and bought by her rival girlfriend.

Well, it doesn't only happen to girls, its just that, guys are not too generous on issues like this.

I always offer my clichéd consolation. 'Imitation the best Admiration'. Yes, its flattering in fact. It shows how much influential you are. Intentionally or on purpose, Directly or otherwise, someone is trying to catch up with you. Especially those who criticized your choice and taste, but unconsciously influenced by your trend recently.

So next time you see some bitches doing what you planned to do, or did last summer, smile and tell them how great is.

Like.. 'Ah, finally you are willing to listen to me! I told you they look nice on you!'

Santa Came Early

(Still Smiling Excessively) - Had the best day in whole 2009.

Aiting was right. This holiday season, becareful of what you wished for! You might just get it right away.

My bulky wife, just got bigger!

Kuching

You dont find many forums on the internet with so many users uploading photos and discussing the current developments of a small place like Kuching. I wonder why myself, and many friends are so eager to see Kuching develop into a bigger, and higher class city.

Maybe its the notorious misapprehension many people had for east malaysians that flamed the jingoistic in us. You tell me.

While I was mass chatting with my ex classmates overseas who couldn't wait any longer to come home for Christmas, they asked me how is Kuching like now. (Since they haven't been home for maybe a year or two)

Being a mommy's boy (I study 1.5 hours away from home only) who comes home every 2 or 3 months, I plainly told them 'Nothing new to me.'

I saw cranes, but I don't know what's going on. Hills' opening next week, OldTown Kopitiam is trying to devour all the cafes and mushrooming across the city in the last 2 months.. that's about it I guess. I told them.

It was then, they told me what they read about in the forums like skyscrapper city and catscity. It was then, I know what are all those ugly looking cranes and bulldozers doing in the city.

Nobody told me they are constructing

this.

this.

this.

this.

this.

and this!

When I asked whether Tun M was the one who proposed the bridge, they told me to go see this.

I didn't even know its completed! Reminds me of my campus!

Sorry, I have enough of 'construction' and 'buildings' and 'shopping malls'. I am home to play computer games and watch Astro.

Macau, HongKong, Here I Come!

Finally took the initiative to lay out and plan my New Year's trip to Macau/HongKong next month. The last new year was spent at KL, the previous 2 in Singapore, which need no planning. I think the last time I'd ever planned for a trip was Cambodia. And failed Bangkok trip doesn't count.

Bought my tickets too early, and too expensive, but its still within budget at the moment. (To my sponsors, tq tq) And since suddenly, everyone is going HongKong/Macau next year, I thought of hijacking someone's planner until I realize I'm the first one to go.  So I have no choice but to start doing what I hate most when travelling.

Plan.

I have almost a week to burn in Macau and Hong Kong. And I'm going with my rabbit, and rabbit mom rabbit dad.

Forget backpacking.

So here's what I plan to do.

1. Walk

The heritage trails of Macau. Ruins, Cathedrals and Cemetries.Yummy.

Macau is the first European colony in Asia (If I am not mistaken) and the oldest until 1999 when big daddy China took her back from the Portugese. The Portugese colonized for gold, glory and gospel, so Catholic/Portugese heritage is all over the place. On the contrary, Hong Kong like Malaysia was a British Colony, so in case Macau got boring, I have Hong Kong to look forward to.

2. Gamble.

I'm not a gambling person, not an addicted one I mean. So I'm gonna visit and play a few chips at all the major Casinos, what happens in Macau is contingent to the next days in Hong Kong. I think there are more Casinos in Macau than Mosques in KL. Its infested.

3. Eat

Pastries in Macao, Dim Sum in Hong Kong. Shit.

4. Shoot

I still need some xmas miracles so I can get myself a 10mm before the trip. Many 'Ruins of St Paul' images on the internet are not comprehensive. Its either they stood too far and get a telephoto shot or too near its all cropped out.

One reason: NOT wide enough! My 16-80 & 18-70 will be useless. Santa, I want 10!

And 8.00pm @ Victoria Peak in Hong Kong. Shits.

TNB – TiuNiahBu

read it here

Information, Communications, Culture and Arts Ministry’s secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Siaraf as saying the ministry has launched an investigation into the matter.

He said the ministry would only decide on the next course of action once the investigation was completed.

He emphasised that TNB itself could take action against Wee if the utility company feels that the film had seriously affected the company’s image.

-theStar

The last time I checked, my country is a country that honor the freedom of speech no?

As long as Name Wee was stating facts and expressing his opinions based on solid grounds, I dont see any problems. He wasn't discussing the constitution, position of the rulers, Islam or status of the Malays.

He was revealing to the public how lazy the workers are. I have just returned from POS Malaysia, I wonder how long do they actually work a day given that they eat breakfast, lunch and high tea... smoke a packet of cigarettes and pray on the intervals.

TNB is founded on the TaxPayers' money, therefore is open for public scrutiny.

Paradox of Plenty

Had a constructive conversation with a Vietnamese friend last night. She asked me what are the reasons (in my opinion) that led better developments in the western nations, because she thinks the caucasians and americans travels more often as compared to asians.

This is what I would like to share.

In my personal perspective, I do not deny the possibility that Asians travel less than our western counterparts, thus having less cultural exposure. But what was overlooked here is that the traveling industry is a very new and recent industry. Before the first commercial jets in 1950s, air travel is a privilege  to the rich and famous.

To talk about Christopher Columbus and other european explorers, the Asians were much more advance in their time. Admiral Zheng He, or Cheng Ho from China sailed the world in a much more formidable fleet decades before Columbus' father learnt how to swim.

Many of my peers, be it foreign or Malaysian has a misconception of Asians. Impressions of inferiority often sounds synonymous with Asians. However, what we perceive today are only a mere history or development in the past 20 years.

I have friends who want their Chinese names to be pronounced English-ly, and got annoyed when I pronounce it the way it is in Mandarin, but correct others when Louis Vuiton and Yves Saint Laurent is  mispronounced in French. Is there so little pride left being a Chinese?

My Vietnamese friend says I shouldn't compare the divorce issues in Malaysia with Singapore and Hong Kong because its majority of population are of Chinese ethnicity, however, I shouldn't also compare my country with United States and EU because they are western developed nations.

What I would like to share in this entry, is when it comes to development, its not about who you are, but practically where you are from. Skin color does not contribute to development of nation, neither to Culture or Faith, because All these comes after Environment. It is the environment that shaped the racial and cultural polarity we see today, thousands of years ago.

Resource Curse, I told my friend, is the main culprit.

Generally, have anyone ever wondered why countries further away from the equator are less dense(population), and enjoy better economic, civil development? Have anyone ever wondered many countries, despite having abundance of oil and minerals, are yet underdeveloped?

The reason is the paradox of plenty, more commonly known as the resource curse. Its not a weakness, but more of a human nature. Civilizations tend to gather and develop quicker near a location with more natural resource. However, with the abundance of resource, the people get lazier, and do not see the necessity of working harder.

Exceptions to equatorial countries like Singapore and HongKong, where natural resource are scarce, not to mention land. We are talking about earlier history of civilizations that shaped the culture of modern civilizations today. So United States are also exempted, they are British before 4th July 1776, like Canada, Australians and New Zelanders before independence.

The Japanese ran out of land, the Europeans ran out of food. Let's see what happens when Brunei, Saudi Arabia and Qatar ran out of oil.

My country has oil and timber and enough population per capita to be an industrialized, first world country long ago. But because of the abundance of resources, and the short sighted Policies like NEP that favors spoon-feeding the major population for 50 years, 60-70% of the Malaysians are lazy, unproductive, uncompetitive and lack of ambitions. That explains why the minorities are better off.

Its not because of the race or faith, but the environment, that shaped a cultural habit of working hard, courage to change and motivation that led to national success in terms of development and technology we see in United States, and many European nations today.

To see the light at the end of the tunnel, we need to be in the dark tunnel first. Malaysians, need to endure a period of darkness before we can ever think of seeing light.

Serenity

Kerteh, Terengganu

I was here to spend a long weekend with her since its her birthday, and I certainly need a break before I start burying my head back into the books. Well, like I ever really did.

People tell me stories about Kerteh. A boring place, some even said nasty, and some said without pork.

The first treatment I got wasn't very welcoming too. The airport's got shot by lightning, and my flight was rerouted and retimed to fly to Kuantan 3 hours later. To add more salt, the journey from Kuantan to Kerteh wasn't a very smooth one too. Rain poured heavily even until this morning.

Then I had the chance to be alone today. Took a slow drive down town and a sip of coffee at Starbucks.

I realised its not that bad afterall. The starbucks is a little different here which I can't really explained. They've got a huge tall table at corner and they play nice songs too. Maybe its the upcoming christmas theme, I dont know. But it sure is a serene place I can live for a while here.

After the coffee, I started to feel how quiet and friendly this little town is.

Christmas' few weeks away! Can't wait =)

Anything but Coffee?

See I am stuck here at Subang Sky Park (Nice name, typical Malaysian way of naming things and places I know). So why not a cup of coffee and throw in a 'Starbucks' book as well. What's better to do in starbucks but a toffee and a book? Yeah, Internet.

The book says opposite. Starbucks should not have WIFI.

See I took the courage to approach a middle aged man beside me by the couch. Started with a rant about our retimed flights. His driver sent him too early and mine's retimed to 3 hours later to another place.

Slowly the conversation evolved into a more constructive one, we talked about work and all.

People say I talk alot. Yes I do, in fact, that's the only thing I enjoy out of so many 'human interactions'.

Ideas spark when humans talk. All of a sudden you get inspiration and motivation to do things you never thought you would.

People come to starbucks not to talk anymore, like how it used to be. Everyone here including myself has a laptop on their table (most tables are singly seated) and earphones snugged into their ears they wont even notice if a plane crashed next to them.

I think people should talk more. =)

Today, I have accidentally made friend with a Senior Manager from a company I may have to work for next year. We never know, if we choose to keep quiet all the time.

Too Little Too Late

I think it's in my family.

When I was just 5, and my sister Karen was 8, she came back with an assignment. She needed to draw a Shark as far as I could remember.

We weren't very affordable at that time, dad was still working very hard to keep us together. Mom had to bake over midnights and I share many memories with my sister, the fights, the hugs and all.

Back to the shark. Mom sat there patiently and taught sis how to start drawing the edges and finally fill in the lighter colour first before the dark ones. Well, I sat there admiring how mom could drew so well. Looking and thinking back, mom must have been very tired baking so many cakes with one oven since she woke up.

Besides baking, mom could sew beautiful blankets, cross stitches and many wonders of handcrafts.

So there I was, observing the shark from a piece of blank paper. So I took a piece of drawing paper and started my own shark.

I haven't stop drawing since then. I entered drawing competitions, won a few small little humble awards and started design business when I was 15 or so.

Lately, I have given up much of my desire to 'draw' and imagine....all for my studies. I am soon to be an engineer, a career where silly codes and guidelines sets boundaries and limits. It caged my mind.

I begin to understand. Why was sis so unhappy when she was working as an engineer, even on weekends but she is happy now working 7 days a week baking and making cookies.

There, whenever my friends says good things about me finally able to be an engineer, I doubt my own smile of return.

I want to draw sharks. Not sharks in cages.