Hey Adriene

2010-06-09T08:00:00.003-04:00

I am only one,
But still I am one.
I cannot do everything,
But still I can do something;
And because I cannot do everything,
I will not refuse to do the something that I can do.

- Edward Everett Hale

Terence & Adriene's wedding [HQ]

2010-06-03T02:48:00.002-04:00

Introducing my wonderful host Oklahoma State House Representative Joe Dorman

2010-04-17T10:57:00.006-04:00

Joe's Office, Room 325 at the Oklahoma State Capitol

Joe Dorman plays a very important role as host to my fellow Legislative Fellows and I here in Oklahoma. He is an ACYPL alum himself, and thus is familiar with ACYPL and well aware of the objectives of our Fellowship which is to learn about America's government, politics and legislative processes.

At Oklahoma electricity coop dinner.

Joe and his legislative assistant, the wonderful Pam King, together with their network of associates at the State Capitol, family and friends have done a fantastic job in providing the best possible learning, working, living and cultural opportunities for us here at their State Capitol (their state legislature) and in the entire Oklahoma.

I really appreciate the professionalism, and most of all the love, openness and kindness shown to us by everyone we have had met with so far, from those who are directly involved in politics and governance, to the regular Oklahomans who we happen to meet at a school benefit or a gas station for instance.

You may follow Joe's Facebook and Joe's Twitter.

About Joe Dorman
(extracted from his web site)

... Joe began his career as an employee of the Oklahoma House of Representatives as a mail clerk and runner in 1994. Joe advanced up the ladder quickly on the House Staff, becoming the Assistant to the Research Director, then the Assistant to the Executive Director of Staff, George Moser. George provided Joe with many opportunities to learn the Legislative Process, and Joe in turn was able to turn these lessons back into an educational component for the high school pages that rotate each week through the Capitol. The Pageville program was co-founded by Joe and continues as one of the most popular aspects of the Page Program for high school students.

Joe then moved on to Washington, D.C. in 1999 where he became the Research Director for the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, a campaign committee affiliated with the National Democratic Party. Joe was able to travel the nation analyzing bills passed by various State Legislatures ranging from South Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Missouri. Joe was transferred back to Oklahoma for the 2000 election cycle and left the DLCC after November to return to employment with the Oklahoma State House once again.

Joe most recently served as the Special Projects Coordinator for the House of Representatives Staff. In this position, he served as the lead staff member for the Legislator Back to School Week Program, International Student Awareness Day, the Pageville Mock Legislature and provided a daily bill summary for the Representatives regarding their legislation. Joe resigned from the House of Representatives in 2002 to seek the State Representative position in House District 65 following the retirement of long-term State Representative Jim Glover.

Joe is involved with several organizations including the Rush Springs' Lions Club, the Bricktown Rotary, the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, the Oklahoma 4-H Foundation, the National Rifle Association, American Farmers and Ranchers, Farm Bureau, the American Institute of Parliamentarians, the Capitol City Society, the Central Oklahoma Parrothead Association, the OSU Alumni Association and the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, a non-partisan collegiate organization designed to teach students the State Legislative Process. While in college, Joe was the only person in the history of this organization founded by George Nigh to serve as Governor, Lt. Governor, Speaker of the House and President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Joe also dedicates his free time to volunteering for 4-H and the Future Business Leaders of America as a Legislative Process instructor, emphasizing lessons in Robert's Rules of Order.

Besides his legislative duties, Joe works as an independent researcher and consultant for various organizations in the governmental and political fields, , where he analyzes legislation and voting records for candidates around the country. This has been limited due to increased workload requirements from his legislative duties and constituent work.

Joe is a member of the Rules Committee, the Appropriations and Budget Committee, the Administrative Rule Review Committee and the Common Education Committee. Joe also serves as the House vice-chair for the Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus, an affiliate of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus.

Joe enjoys golfing, hunting, attending college athletic events, especially college basketball games and spending time with friends.

Photos of my Legislative Fellowship in Oklahoma City as I take them

2010-04-12T17:32:00.003-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=414271&id=554990170&l=e67019ded4

I also tweet at http://twitter.com/adriene

Representative Tibbs is proposing bill to allow domestic abuse victims to monitor GPS location of their domestic abuse perp

2010-04-07T17:07:00.004-04:00

Eg, if victim goes to Walmart, they can see on their computer/smartphone if their perp was within 1 mile/2 mile proximity.

The bill passed by committee.

Follow me on Twitter @adriene

2010-04-07T11:36:00.003-04:00

Hi there. Much as I would like to, I am finding it quite challenging to find time and opportunity to blog due to our tight schedules and unreliable access to internet at our home. In short, I am well in Oklahoma and happily working at the Oklahoma State Capitol and experiencing American culture in the process.

In lieu of blogging, I have found it easier to tweet of my experiences at my Twitter account @adriene . I welcome all who are interested to follow me there.

You may also like to follow our experiences and observations through the blog of Edward Ling - and his tweets - who is a fellow Malaysian on this same Legislative Fellows Program with me.

Happy Easter from Oklahoma City

2010-04-04T08:16:00.000-04:00

Hi there! Today marks one week in USA. It's been a packed but well-scheduled week.

Am now in Oklahoma City (OKC). We arrived from DC on Friday evening, were met our Oklahoma host State House Representative Joe Dorman at the airport. He has been a wonderful as our host and guide, giving us a tour of the city and surroundings and discussing politics with us.

It is Easter Sunday morning now. We will be attending Easter Sunday service at Joe's hometown church with him and meet his family and see his hometown. It will take about an hour's drive to get from OKC to there. Am looking forward to seeing more of the state of Oklahoma.

Got to go get ready now. Will write more later. Happy Easter and God bless!

Updated photos of LFP programme here:

2010-04-01T05:38:00.000-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=408075&id=554990170&l=bd20dd3b7f

Legislative Fellows Program is in full swing

2010-04-01T04:42:00.007-04:00

The past two days have been very productive for my fellow delegates and I. Our Legislative Fellows Program is in full swing now.

Yesterday morning (Tuesday the 30th of March) , the first thing we did was visit the Museum of American History where we took a guided tour which showed us the highlights of their museum and snippets of the most significant points in American history.

Then, we all had a meeting with Michael Toner, who is a constitutional lawyer specialising in election law. He briefed us on the Supreme Court in the US, the role of judiciary. He is also an ACYPL alum.

Next, we met with J Cobb Mixter who is Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, from the Office of Legislative Affairs of the US Dept of Treasury who briefed us on how the executive works with the Capitol Hill in the passing of bills.

Then, my two Malaysian fellows and I had a meeting with Jamluddin Jarjis, the Malaysian Ambassador to the States where our intended topic was US-Malaysia Relations.

We then had the evening off. I scooted off to Georgetown area for some sightseeing and had dinner at an Italian restaurant called Pablo's. Highly recommended!

Today, we visited the US Department of State where my Malaysian fellows and I met with Joseph Giblin, Economic / Commercial Officer from the Office of Bilateral Trade Affairs from the Bureau of Economics, Energy and Business where he briefed us on his bureau's observation of Malaysia's current political and economic situation.

After that, we met with Jason Vorderstrasse who is Global Affairs Officer in the Office of Regional and Security Policy Affairs, also a department within the US Dept of State where we discussed several human rights topics in Malaysia namely human trafficking, deaths while in detention (in relation to police powers).

Following that, we went to Capitol Hill where we met with Patrick Lyden, Chief of Staff of Congresswoman Mary Fallin, 5th District of Oklahoma who shared with us what work goes on in the US House of Representatives and how he and his office operates to support Mary Fallin.

After that, we had lunch with ACYPL alumni at Famous Luigi's. More pasta! :D One of our waiters is an Indonesian student who generously offered to take us out and show us around tonight.

Our last meeting for today was with Jackie Bray, Deputy Field Director, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). She briefed us on the anatomy of an election campaign and political fundraising.

All our meetings so far have been interactive dialogues, not one-way lectures. All the fellows and I asked many questions at every meeting to clarify, find out more information, learn more. Fast moving and never dull.

Everyone whom we had meetings with, save one, understood the purpose of our meetings, stayed focused on the intended topic, came well prepared to discuss the role of their office and what they do with us, were obviously very knowledgeable in their field, shared their knowledge and experiences freely in a non-partisan manner and behaved with the utmost professionalism and dignity.

I think that this is a level of professionalism, competence and dignity that civil service, legislators, people who work in politics in Malaysia should aspire to, ESPECIALLY our diplomats.

I highly commend them all for that and express my gratitude to ACYPL, especially Program Officer Kristin, who has been fantastic in planning a fantastic learning experience for us.

My time here has been very worthwhile so far, and it's only Day 3 with 5 more weeks to go. I think one of the challenge for me with all this information, knowledge and experience is in figuring out what, where, why, when, with whom, how I can convert what I gain here into action points for Malaysia. I'm glad that there are two other Malaysian Fellows with whom I can discuss and work on this with.

There is also the challenge of retaining all the info, knowledge if what I have leant, seen, experienced so that I can share it with others back home. We Fellows are provided with a lot of information quickly and it takes some close paying attention, notes, photos, finding time for reflection to absorb and retain it all. It's very important to me that what I learn here can be passed on, and that the effects of my participation in this program does not stop with me with my return flight at the end. It must be sustainable or all this work by everyone involved in this Fellowship would have been for nought.

Photos of Legislative Fellows Program so far

2010-03-30T03:27:00.000-04:00

Have uploaded photos here: http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=408075&id=554990170&l=bd20dd3b7f

Briefing notes on US politics and system of governance

2010-03-29T06:54:00.001-04:00

Transit at Beijing Capital International Airport

2010-03-28T23:45:00.000-04:00

Woke up early for Kuala Lumpur International Airport

2010-03-27T20:43:00.000-04:00

Oklahoma state song

2010-03-27T00:24:00.008-04:00

Perhaps the most cheerful state song in the world :)

Info below extracted from http://www.netstate.com/states/symb/song/ok_ok.htm

Adoption of State Song and Theme

The song, "Oklahoma", with words by Oscar Hammerstein II (1895-1960) and music by Richard Rodgers (1902-1979), was adopted by the Oklahoma Legislature as the official state song of Oklahoma on May 11, 1953. The song was adopted as both an official song and anthem.

Oklahoma Statutes

The following information is excerpted from the Oklahoma Statutes. Within Title 25 of the code, there are three sections related to the state song and anthem. The first declares that the words and music of "Oklahoma" are the official song and anthem of Oklahoma. A provision is also made for the custody of the the official state song: the State Librarian at the State Library. Thirdly, the words to the song are codified in the Oklahoma Statutes.

TITLE 25.

§25-94.1. Official state song. The official song and anthem of the State of Oklahoma is hereby declared to be the words and music of the song "Oklahoma," composed and written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein.

    Laws 1953, p. 101, § 2. Laws 1953, p. 101, § 2.

§25-94.2. Official depository of state song. The State Library shall be the official depository of the official State song, and the State Librarian shall cause a copy thereof to be kept in the State Library.

    Laws 1953, p. 101, § 3.

§25-94.3. Words of state song.

    Brand new state, Brand new state, gonna treat you great!
    Gonna give you barley, carrots and pertaters,
    Pasture fer the cattle, Spinach and Termayters!
    Flowers on the prairie where the June bugs zoom,
    Plen'y of air and plen'y of room,
    Plen'y of room to swing a rope!
    Plen'y of heart and plen'y of hope!

    Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain,
    And the wavin' wheat can sure smell sweet
    When the wind comes right behind the rain.
    Oklahoma, ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
    Sit alone and talk and watch a hawk makin' lazy circles in the sky.

    We know we belong to the land
    And the land we belong to is grand!
    And when we say - Yeeow] A-yip-i-o-ee ay!
    We're only sayin' You're doin' fine, Oklahoma! Oklahoma - O.K.

    Laws 1953, p. 101, § 4. Laws 1953, p. 101, § 4

Finding common experiences between Oklahoma and Selangor

2010-03-26T06:08:00.008-04:00

Surfed onto this Oklahoma City promotional video which is a good primer for what to expect of Oklahoma City. It looks like a beautiful city with plenty of trees.

From this video, I learnt that Oklahoma and Selangor have some common ground in the economic stimulus projects which both Oklahoma and Selangor have chosen to undertake.

Apparently, in the early 2000s, Oklahoma had:

A US$5 billion urban revitalization project which led to many new development projects funded by the introduction of a new sales tax
Transformation of their water bodies:

Revitalisation of the mile-long canal which has revitalized the Bricktown area
Revitalisation of Oklahoma River, a 7-mile waterway which now has 15 miles of trails, 19 pedestrian bridges and parks

As for the case of Selangor, the Selangor State Government is currently undertaking the Selangor Economic Stimulus Package (first announced by our Menteri Besar or Chief Minister in March 2009) to boost the economy of Selangor. This package comprises 6 projects; 2 of which are the:

Urban renewal in the cities and townships of Petaling Jaya, Klang, Kajang and Ampang Jaya
Klang River rehabilitation and development project to clean up the river, develop its banks and increase land value

I hope I may be able to meet with Oklahoma's urban planners and economic planners to learn from the Oklahoman experience.

As a sidebar, I am pleasantly surprised to learn that Oklahoma City has an Asian District. Being a 4th generation ethnic Chinese in Malaysia, I am curious to learn of how other migrants have fared in making a new land their home and how they have integrated with existing communities (or not). That and I wouldn't mind having some dim sum for breakfast one Sunday.

Revive (and also a blog by email test)

2010-03-25T14:02:00.029-04:00

Hi there. It's been a good 14 months since I've touched this blog. A lot has happened over the past few years when I wasn't blogging. Mainly good stuff. Perhaps I'll update you on it later.

For now, I'm happy to simply announce that I will be reviving this old blog of mine. The reason is that I'm about to embark on a new "adventure" and have been encouraged by the adventure-organiser to blog about it. I myself would like to document my thoughts and experiences of this adventure for my own sake, to help me reflect upon it and to share for the benefit of others who I hope may learn from whatever my achievements and my failures may be.

The adventure I'm about to begin is the 6-week Legislative Fellows Program run by the American Council for Young Political Leaders with funding from the US Department of State. I am one of 3 Malaysians who have been successful in our applications and been invited to take part in this programme from late March to mid May 2010. I believe that this experience will be life-changing.

To quote from the documentation provided:

ACYPL's Legislative Fellows Program will provide international participants with an in-depth, hands-on exploration of the vital role that a diverse civil society plays at all levels of our country's political processes and how this involvement informs and enhances American democracy. In doing so, foreign participants will strengthen their understanding of American governance, politics, and the legislative process.

The American program participants will gain knowledge and insight into the government and political dynamics of the country in which their hosted fellow lives and works. By traveling overseas, they will gain personal insight into the challenges and opportunities of local political and government systems and share professional perspectives, strategic advice, best practices and shared aspirations.

These exchanges will serve as a foundation on which to establish sustainable two-way partnerships between the young professionals from East Asia and the Pacific Rim and their American counterparts, with the goal of promoting and strengthening civil society, transparent politics, good governance, and mutual understanding and trust.

This program will place the three of us in the state of Oklahoma for most of April where we will be hosted by Oklahoma State Representative Joe Dorman. We will have meetings with the Oklahoma Senate, Oklahoma House of Representatives, Oklahoma State Government, Oklahoma Republican Party, Oklahoma Democratic Party, civil society organisations, lobby groups and corporations.

I've also expressed to the organiser my interest and desire to meet with and learn from relevant stakeholders in the areas of:

investment, trade, industry and technology transfer promotion - because these are most relevant to my work portfolio
tax - because Barisan Nasional is proposing to implement a new tax, the Goods & Services Tax from mid-2011 onwards which will have serious repercussions on all segments of Malaysian society
native American civil society organisations - because I am deeply concerned about the marginalisation of indigenous people in Malaysia. I call it an insidious form of genocide by the federal government
political fundraising - there're so little resources for so much work that needs to be done
academics and their universities - because I enjoy learning and I miss being a grad student

I feel that this Legislative Fellows Program by ACYPL is a great honour and privilege. I regard this program as "work", albeit work that I want to do. Opportunities like this are hard to come by and I feel a sense of duty to my fellow countrymen make good this opportunity to learn about US policies and systems and bring their best practices to be implemented in the context of Malaysia where applicable, as well as to learn what malpractices to avoid.

I hope that the people and organisations I meet may find our meetings and talks beneficial for them too. May we forge genuine and lasting friendship. Wish me luck and say a prayer for me.

Lastly, I want to say thank you to my boss, my colleagues, my fiance, my family and so many friends for being so supportive and encouraging of me in this pursuit. Without whom, all this would not have been possible. As the saying goes, "If I have seen further, it is because I stood on the shoulders of giants."

Oh yeah, if there are any people, organisations, topics or issues that you think I should look into while in Oklahoma, DC or NYC, do let me know.

AND ON THE THIRD DAY...

2009-01-22T22:40:00.002-05:00

Hello World!

Just toying with this again. It's been a long time.

Wishing you and yours a very happy chinese new year.

Gong Xi Fa Cai. Wan Shi Ru Yi.

God bless.

TWO YEARS

2007-03-25T12:39:00.000-04:00

Today marks two years together. Every girl should be so lucky.

GONG XI FA CAI!

2007-02-16T09:37:00.000-05:00

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE II

2007-02-01T03:20:00.000-05:00

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE

2007-01-15T11:03:00.000-05:00

IPOHMALI BY POINTBLANC

2007-01-14T09:58:00.000-05:00

An old friend back from Ipoh days has just released his new single, an autobiographical piece called "Ipohmali". It's pretty cool. Listen to it online at Voyeur Records.

For those who don't know, "Ipohmali" is a Malaysian colloquialism which means "from Ipoh".

MISSING MALAYSIAN FOOD STILL

2006-12-07T10:22:00.000-05:00

Curry puffs, nyonya kueh, wan tan mee, assam fish head curry, tom yam fish head curry, that special long yoke sandwich from section 17 morning market, kai see yoke, corn on the cob, goreng pisang, goreng sweet potato, roti canai, roti prata, roti planta, capati, look yoke, sing chow mai, nasi goreng USA, wong keong kai, stir-fried carrot cake, grilled carrot cake, $1.50 mee jawa, laksa lemak, ayam masak lemak, chicken satay, beef satay, ikan panggang, stingray panggang, siew mai, har kow and char siew pau.

With Ipoh pak kopi o.

Kaw.

CURRENTLY DIGESTING...

2006-11-27T10:05:00.000-05:00

the meaning of life. A collection of thoughts about god or God and religion by theologians, anthropologists, scientists, physicists and other intellectuals. Insightful stuff, whatever your personal leanings may be.

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI

2006-10-23T01:15:00.000-04:00

Wishing you a peaceful Eid-al-fitr, wherever you may be.

HAPPY DEEPAVALI

2006-10-23T00:25:00.001-04:00

Here's a Deepavali TV commercial from a few years ago. Created by an ex-colleague of mine for Petronas, Malaysia's oil company.

Wishing all my Hindu friends and their families a very happy festival of lights. Wish I could be in Malaysia to hang out with all of you.

This year's Deepavali and Eir-al-fitr Petronas tv commercials here.

MY EMAIL TO THE MALAYSIAN PRIME MINISTER

2006-10-17T23:04:00.000-04:00

Following Henry's lead (login required), I just sent an email to Pak Lah to request (nicely) for the disclosure of the Economic Planning Unit's methodology in calculating Bumiputera equity in Malaysia.

Here it is:

Date: Tue, 18 Oct 2006 17:00:02
From: adriene @ heyadriene.com
Subject: Request disclosure of EPU Methodology
To: ppm @ pmo.gov.my

Dear YAB Perdana Menteri,

I am writing to request for the complete details of the methodology used by the Economic PlanningUnit (EPU) in arriving at the 18.9% holding of equityby bumiputera.

Your swift response will be highly appreciated in the spirit of integrity and transparency promoted by your administration.

Thank you and regards,
Adriene Leong

For context, here are the relevant links via Google News and an analysis of the EPU's methodologies by an anonymous accountant published in Lim Kit Siang's blog.

EVERY TIME YOU SMILE

2006-10-15T03:39:00.000-04:00

A little girl at Kampung Morten, Melaka, June 2004

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”

– Mother Teresa

INTRODUCING "SAYANG" BY MIA PALENCIA

2006-10-15T02:24:00.000-04:00

Would like to introduce you to the latest single by a singer with an incredible voice that belies her youth. Her name is Mia Palencia. The song is titled "Sayang" and you can listen to the song in full on her web site http://www.miapalencia.com

And sayang, this one's for you.

YOUNG MALAYSIAN'S FORUM: "How To Set Pak Lah Free?"

2006-10-07T11:56:00.000-04:00

If I were in Malaysia, I'd be here:

YOUNG MALAYSIAN'S FORUM: "How To Set Pak Lah Free?"

Pak Lah started his premiership with promises of openness in society,
anti-corruption, integrity in governance, public service efficiency and
other such positive measures. However, everything seems to be "faltering" at
this point of time, with many getting disillusioned with Pak Lah's
leadership.

Key pledges such as the IPCMC appear to have been sidelined indefinitely.
The initial euphoria over arrests of several prominent personalities for
corruption ended abruptly with the apparent lack of political will to charge
other more senior figures.

There is therefore an apparent disjoint between his rhetoric, and possibly
even intent, with his actions (or more accurately, inaction). The question
we would like to ask is whether Pak Lah is shackled by his own indecisive
nature or are his hands tied by unseen forces so powerful that it is
weighing him down, making him a weak and ineffectual leader?

The DAP has invited several young Malaysian bloggers to be panelists for
this forum to represent the views of Malaysian youth on this matter.

Details of Forum:

YOUNG MALAYSIAN'S FORUM: HOW TO SET PAK LAH FREE?
Date: October 11, 2006 (Wednesday)
Time: 7.30 pm
Venue: Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall (1, Jalan Maharajalela, Kuala Lumpur)

Panel speakers:

1. Jeff Ooi (www.jeffooi.com)
2. Nik Nazmi (www.niknazmi.com)
3. Tony Pua (www.educationmalaysia.blogspot.com)
4. Sharizal Shaarani (www.sharizal.net)
5. Fong Po Kuan (http://pokuan.blogsome.com)

Special Guests are Parliamentary Opposition Leader Lim Kit Siang and
political analyst Khoo Kay Peng.
Columnist Oon Yeoh will be moderating the forum.

For more information, please contact:
DAP HQ (03-79578022/8127)
Ng Wei Aik (019-2459305)
Lau Weng San (016-3231563)

SPEAK UP FOR THE PEOPLE OF SUDAN

2006-10-07T03:15:00.000-04:00

After every war, every massacre, every ethnic genocide, the international community promises to themselves, "Never again."

And yet, it is happening again. This time in Darfur , Sudan. And for the most part, the world is silent, or unaware, or don't care to know.

If you care, do what you can, however small, to urge the the Sudanese government to let the UN peacekeeping force come in. Every little bit counts.

6th October 2006
Amnesty International Malaysia
Crisis Action
Sudan: Civilians crying out for safety

The people of Darfur are crying out for security. Thousands of civilians
have been killed, tortured and raped, and hundreds of thousands have
been forcibly displaced since 2003. Even as the government of Sudan
resists the deployment of international peacekeepers in Darfur, it has
launched a new military offensive in the region. Civilians are being
killed in aerial bombardments and ground attacks by government forces
and Janjawid militia.

Civilians throughout Darfur now face the threat of new attacks. Those
most at risk are mainly in North Darfur, but government and Janjawid
attacks are also reported in West and South Darfur. In the areas where
fighting is taking place, familiar patterns of the Darfur conflict are
being seen again: civilians being killed or injured in targeted attacks,
and the fear of attack triggering new displacements.

Darfur stands at the brink of chaos. To avert disaster, the government
of Sudan must allow UN peacekeepers into Darfur and the African Union
peacekeeping force (African Union Mission in Sudan, AMIS) must be
bolstered until a handover to the UN is possible. Regular and irregular
forces under Sudanese government control must stop indiscriminate
attacks, as well as deliberate attacks, on civilians - both are crimes
under international law.

WHAT YOU CAN DO
Please put your name at the end of the letters below & E-mail it back to
us ( ua@aimalaysia.org) and we will fax it
for you. Please forward to appeal to your own mailing list if possible.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------

Ambassador of the Republic of Sudan
Abdel Rahman Hamza Elrayah Hamza
Embassy of the Republic of Sudan
1, Persiaran Ampang
Off Jalan Ru, 55000 Kuala Lumpur

6th October 2006

Your Excellency,

Concern about civilians in Darfur

I am concerned that thousands of civilians throughout Darfur now face
the threat of new attacks. Civilians are being killed in aerial
bombardments and ground attacks by government forces and Janjawid
militia.

I urge the Sudanese government to consent to the deployment of UN
peacekeepers in Darfur in accordance with Security Council Resolution
1706. I also urge the government to allow the African Union Mission in
Sudan (AMIS) to continue operating in Darfur until the UN peacekeepers
are deployed.

Lastly, I call on the government to halt all violations of international
human rights and humanitarian law in the current military offensive.

Yours sincerely,
(Name/Location)

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------------------------

Please forward this appeal to your mailing list

To become a member of AI please contact :
------------------------------------------------
Amnesty International Malaysia
E6, 3rd Floor, Bangunan Khas,
Jalan 8/1E, 46050 Petaling Jaya,
Selangor, Malaysia
Tel : 03-79552680
Fax: 03-79552682
Email : aimalaysia@aimalaysia.org
Website : http://www.aimalaysia.org
- Defending human rights worldwide -

SAVE SHIMOKITAZAWA

2006-10-02T08:03:00.000-04:00

I read with dismay the news that my favourite hangout in Tokyo - Shimokitazawa - may be sliced apart by an 81-foot-wide road.

Splitting up a Hip Neighborhood, in More Ways than One
The New York Times, 2 Oct 2006

"... a shadow has fallen straight across the heart of this pulsing neighborhood. In four years, city officials plan to start building an 81-foot-wide thoroughfare that will slice Shimokitazawa in two.
The road has set off a rare battle for preservation in a country where big construction projects have long been welcomed as progress and used to grease the wheels of politics.
The fight pits boutique and bar owners, among them the first bearers of hippie culture to the neighborhood three decades ago, against city hall and older residents who resent the relative newcomers.
In cities from New York to Bucharest, the practice of plowing large roads through urban communities has been widely discredited. But Tokyo is only just beginning to consider the social costs, after decades of covering its medieval moats and rivers with highways, and replacing tile-roofed dwellings with featureless concrete buildings.
“Until now, nobody cared if we destroyed the culture and environment of Tokyo,” said Mikiko Ishikawa, a professor at Keio University here who specializes in urban planning. “People are gradually coming to understand that these things matter, too.”

IN SUPPORT OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

2006-09-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

Think eco-tourism? Think Endemic Guides!

Going the green mile

http://www.todayonline.com/articles/139559.asp

There may not be many eco-tours in M'sia but the focus is on quality – at least for this operator

Thursday • August 31, 2006

Oon Yeoh

THE next time you want to take a vacation in Malaysia, consider an eco-tourism package.

For a country that has so much flora and fauna, it's surprising there aren't more of such tours. Only a handful of tour operators bother with eco-tourism, which is more expensive than the mass-market packaged tours most people go for.

It's all a matter of economics. But for Mr Lee Kok Chung, 30, founder of Endemic Guides (www.endemicguides.com), money has never been the motivating factor for getting into the tourism business.

The nature-lover gave up a stable career in information technology to create a small start-up that allowed him to share his passion for the great outdoors.

He developed his two-year-old company along the principles of sustainability. Mr Lee's tours promise to be environment-friendly, which means that all the tour destinations retain their natural character.

For example, the birdwatching tour takes tourists to places such as Fraser's Hill, where a local guide conducts the tour. Instead of cutting new trails through the forest, the guide seeks out existing trails and observation is only done from afar, so as to not disturb the birds.

The traditional form of tourism, which Mr Lee refers to as "mass tourism", would usually involve a minimum of about 40 people to achieve economies of scale.

"The birds will be scared and fly away, maybe never to come back," he said.

His own tours do not involve more than 15 people at a time.

The nature-lover also wants to make sure his business is carried out ethically and in a way that will contribute to the welfare of the local communities. So, he employs local staff, uses local suppliers and assists in the development of sustainable local businesses.

His eco-tours also maintain a strict focus on quality, not quantity.

"We prefer to see parts of the destination well, rather than most of it poorly," Mr Lee said. "So, we concentrate on a few areas for each itinerary, exploring in depth, rather than just sightseeing."

Of course, he cannot run all the tours himself. But as a nature enthusiast, he knows who the good eco-tourism operators in the country are and has forged links with them so he can offer their tour packages too, to complement his offerings.

"There are a lot of tours out there; we are familiar with them and we can evaluate which is most suited to you, your travel style, and your budget," he said. "In other words, we will save your time searching to get the deal that best suits you."

No doubt, eco-tourism caters to a niche market. Not many people in Malaysia look for it, Mr Lee said, adding that most of his customers are from overseas, especially Australia, the United States and Britain. Tours involving wild animals such as turtles and orang-utans are popular with these tourists.

Singaporean visitors, he said, like to take photographs, so they are usually taken to destinations where they can shoot pictures of lizards, birds and butterflies.

According to Mr Lee, Malaysians tend to prefer adventure over animals — so caves and waterfalls are often on their itineraries.

A tour to the latter places costs as little as RM35 ($15) per person for a day tour. Tours involving animals cost more but are not prohibitively expensive.

A visit to the elephant sanctuary in Pahang costs RM185 per person including lunch, transportation and an English-speaking guide.

I'VE BEEN TAGGED

2006-08-21T09:23:00.000-04:00

I've been tagged for the first time in my life, hurrah! By the wonderful I'mPerfect Mom, no less.

So here goes:

Five things in my freezer
Bacon
Ice-cream
Popsicles
Chicken
Corn

Five things in my closet
Clothes
Malaysian flag
First aid kit
Japanese omiage (souvenir dessert packages)
Laundry bag

Five things in my car
Can't afford a car in Tokyo. The parking rates are exhorbitant!

Five things in my purse
Never did carry purses, so I'll write about my wallet.
Picture of sayang
Japanese yen
My alien card (every gaijin resident in Japan has to carry one)
University card
Visa card

Five people I tag, simply because I enjoy reading their blogs. Write if you wish!
Muffins
Wandernut
The Box
Grace
Celestine

KANGKUNG IN KICHIJOJI

2006-08-08T11:06:00.000-04:00

Doesn't take a lot to make me happy!

And it was at this Lao restaurant. Highly recommended!

VIDEO OF DAILY COMMUTE TO SOPHIA

2006-08-03T04:41:00.000-04:00

Surfed on to YouTube video created by Jeff, who until recently was studying at Sophia University, which is the university that I go to. I don't know him personally but I guess that he is one of the many exchange students from America.

His last day at Sophia was on 19th July 2006 and he made a video showing his commute from his home to Sophia, which is in the middle of Tokyo. He lives on the Odakyu line, like me, so we have the same commute.

So here's a video of what I go through to get to uni every day. Leave home and walk/cycle/bus to home train station on the Odakyu line. Take a train to Shinjuku, Tokyo's busiest train station. Change train to Chuo line and get off at Yotsuya station. Walk across the street to Sophia University. Takes about an hour door-to-door.

Jeff, if you are reading this, thanks for sharing the video, and hope you don't mind my link to it!

PM SAYS STOP DEVELOPMENT ON SIPADAN

2006-07-27T11:09:00.001-04:00

At last! Pak Lah has spoken up strongly about an issue.

In today's Star paper:

LAY OFF SIPADAN

By ELIZABETH LOOI

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi lashed out at Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman for going ahead with the RM4.5mil clubhouse project at Pulau Sipadan despite his objection.

“I was very angry with Musa. I told him not to build it. I said so many corals are dying and he promised that he would look into the project,” said Abdullah, who openly expressed his disappointment and frustration with Musa.

Datuk Musa, you heard the man. Stop building that rich man's retreat on Pulau Sipadan. The tourists go there for the best diving and snorkelling in the world. If you build it, you'll destroy the coral reefs and marine life, the tourists will stay away and so will Sabah's precious tourism dollars.

The late Jacque Cousteau said, "I have seen other places like Sipadan, 45 years ago, but now no more. Now we have found again an untouched piece of art... a jewel."

And you want to trade that for a clubhouse?

And Pak Lah, let's see more fire in your belly.

MALAYSIAN FOOD

2006-07-01T04:20:00.000-04:00

Char kway teow, assam laksa, curry laksa, nasi lemak, Ramly burger, roti planta, chicken chop, fusili carbonara, even KFC fried chicken, chilly crab, cheesy crab, deep-fried mantou, deep-fried mushrooms, nasi goreng, lala fried beehoon, kangkung belacan, fried brinjals, curry fish head, siew mai, Hong Kong chee cheong fun, mushroom sauce chee cheong fun, kai see hor fun, ngar choy kai, big fat juicy tai luk meen, wa tan hor, rojak, kong foo yin yong, oh-chien, teet pan tau foo, ais kacang and ham yu fa lam poh.

I am so going to pig out when I get back to Malaysia.

HAPPY WEDDING ANNIVERSARY!

2006-06-11T11:33:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to ST and SM! :D

Recap SM's message one year ago, "Believe in love".

Please visit Tokyo again soon.

THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF WORLD OUT THERE

2006-06-11T10:50:00.000-04:00

Visited 9 countries (4%). Create your own visited countries map.

MISSING MALAYSIAN FOOD

2006-05-27T14:18:00.000-04:00

Not a good idea to visit food blogs when you're 10,000 miles from the nearest char kway teow. Sniff...

NEVER FORGET

2006-05-21T10:51:00.000-04:00

Today is International AIDS Memorial Day. Let us remember the thousands of Malaysians who have died of AIDS, and the thousands more left without their mothers, fathers, daughters and sons.

VERY USEFUL WEB SITE FOR TOKYO

2006-05-21T00:34:00.000-04:00

Every foreigner new to Tokyo will love this website called Hyperdia (http://www.hyperdia.com/)

With over 3o different train lines and hundreds of stations in Greater Tokyo, it is easy to get lost and waste time at the train station. This is where Hyperdia comes in. It helps you identify the fastest and cheapest train route to get to wherever you want to go to.

Just enter the name of the eki (station) where you are boarding the train/subway/shinkansen, and where you want to get off. Press enter and it'll tell you the fives best possible routes, stating where to change trains (if necessary), how long it'll take and how much the train fare will be.

2006-05-16T06:58:00.000-04:00

Thanks Lena for emailing this to me. It appeared in the Daily Express, one of the Sabah dailies, on 2 April 2006. Part of a feature on Raleigh International expeditions.

SPRING IS HERE!

2006-04-24T02:34:00.000-04:00

Flowers are blooming.

Perfect 20 C weather.

Bliss.

BLOGGING IN TOKYO

2006-04-11T02:28:00.000-04:00

Thank you for checking on me. All is well, hooray!

DISCONTINUING MY DiGi LINE

2006-04-02T23:46:00.000-04:00

Please take note, that I will be discontinuing my DiGi line effective immediately. Do not ring my 016 number any more. Thanks.

STUDYING MY MASTER'S IN SOPHIA UNIVERSITY

2006-03-22T12:32:00.000-05:00

Some really good news to share. I've recently been awarded the Japanese Government Scholarship. And so, I'll be studying my Masters in Global Studies at Sophia University, Tokyo from this April 2006 - March 2008.

This is a great blessing, an honour and a privilege. I have much to be grateful for.

2006-03-20T22:43:00.000-05:00

A poet looks at the world as a man looks at a woman.

- Wallace Stevens, poet (1879-1955)

Thus, Poet = Lecher to the World

2006-03-20T22:16:00.000-05:00

I want to stay as close to the edge as I can without going over. Out on the edge you see all kinds of things you can't see from the center.

- Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., writer (1922- )

APPLY NOW FOR THE MONBUKAGAKUSHO SCHOLARSHIP

2006-03-16T23:54:00.000-05:00

The Monbukagakusho scholarship (commonly referred to as the Monbusho or MEXT or Japanese Government Scholarship) is now open for application. Details and the application form can be downloaded from the Embassy of Japan web site. Hurry! Application closes 31 March 2006.

Kian Ming of Education Malaysia has written an interesting piece about the advantages of studying in Japan.

2006-03-13T01:22:00.001-05:00

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.

-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, theologian and writer (1906-1945)

2006-03-08T01:51:00.000-05:00

Take long walks in stormy weather or through deep snows in the fields and woods, if you would keep your spirits up. Deal with brute nature. Be cold and hungry and weary.

- Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

2006-03-07T03:02:00.000-05:00

You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do.

- Anne Lamott, writer (1954- )

2006-03-02T22:49:00.000-05:00

I am malicious because I am miserable. ... If any being felt emotions of benevolence towards me, I should return them a hundred and a hundred fold (words of Frankenstein monster).

- Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, author (1797-1851)

~~~~

Bit of lit trivia for you. Did you know that Mary Shelley is the wife of Percy Bysshe Shelley? Fancy a horror writer falling in love with a romantic English poet!

INSPIRING QUOTE

2006-02-28T13:50:00.000-05:00

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

~ Marianne Williamson,
A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of "A Course in Miracles," 1992
(commonly misattributed to Nelson Mandela, 1994 inauguration speech)

2006-02-21T03:45:00.000-05:00

A man needs a little madness, or else he never dares cut the rope and be free.

- Nikos Kazantzakis, writer (1883-1957)

HAPPY VALENTINE'S!

2006-02-18T11:32:00.000-05:00

Perhaps it's time we reframed Valentine's Day as Love Day.

For all. No exceptions.

Nyuff!

2006-02-16T04:02:00.000-05:00

People do not wish to appear foolish; to avoid the appearance of foolishness, they are willing to remain actually fools.

- Alice Walker, writer (1944- )

FREE STREAMING MUSIC

2006-01-24T12:26:00.003-05:00

I just discovered a fantastic site that provides free music streaming called Pandora.com. The special thing about Pandora is that you can key in an artiste's name and the player automatically searches for music by that artiste and similar artists. For instance, I keyed in Ella Fitzgerald and it served me Ella, Billie Holiday, Sara Vaughn, Dinah Washington and Rosemary Clooney (who coincidentally is George Clooney's aunt). Ahh... bliss.

What's more, there's no software, plugins to install. It all happens right there on your web page.

There's an advertising-supported version which is free. If you want to skip the commercials, it'll cost ya $36 for a year's unlimited use.

Link found on littlenomad.com

later

Apparently, I like music that "features a leisurely tempo, romantic lyrics, light drumming, acoustic piano accompaniment and orchestral arrangement." Someone catch me while I swooon!

DONATE YOUR DELL COUPON CODES HERE!

2006-01-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

Would you be so kind as to...

if it's not too much trouble...

if you're not using it...

may I have your Dell coupon code please?

PLS COMMENT ON THIS LAPTOP SYSTEM

2006-01-22T07:59:00.000-05:00

I'm in the market for a laptop and I'm going to use it for wordprocessing, all the MS Office applications, internet, WIFI. Not for gaming or serious graphics work at all. Here's what I've customised on Dell but I've yet to press that "Confirm Order" button.

Any feedback would be welcome. If you see any areas that I could trim for a cheaper laptop, that'd be great too. Donations of Dell coupon codes also gratefully accepted :) Thanks!

N520110 - Dell Inspiron(TM) 630M Intel(R) Pentium(R)M 740/750/760 Notebook

$ 4,365.00

Base System Inspiron(TM) 630M Intel(R) Pentium(R) M Processor at 740 1
1.73 GHz, 2MB Cache, 533 MHz FSB
Operating System Genuine Windows(R) XP Home Edition (English) 1
Dell Services: Hardware Maintenance * 3 Yrs Complete Cover Support (Asia Pacific Regional Coverage Only)
Intel(R) Media Accelerator 900 Graphics Up to 128MB shared system memory 1
Integrated Stereo Sound 1
Integrated 10/100 Fast Ethernet 1
Intel(R) 915GM Chipset 1
Displays 14.1" Wide Screen XGA TFT Display with TrueLife(TM) ( 1280 X 800 res) 1
DIMM Memory 512MB (2 X 256MB) DDR2 SDRAM 1
Keyboards Internal Dell(TM) 87 Keys Keyboard (English) 1
Mouse Dell(TM) Optical USB Mouse 1
EIDE Hard Drives 80GB Ultra ATA Hard Drive 1
Internal Optical Drive Internal 8X DVD+/-RW Combination Drive with dual layer write capabilities 1
Wireless Solution Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2915 Dual Band 802.11a/b/g 54Mbps MiniPCI
Modems Internal 56K Modem 1
Memory Key 512MB USB Memory Key 1
Primary Battery 6-cell 53Whr Lithium Ion Primary Battery 1
Carry Case Deluxe Nylon Case 1

ACCOUNTING FOR YOUR TAX MONEY

2006-01-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

The Sun has a great weekend cover story on how our local authorities must justify how they spend our tax money. As members of the public, I believe we have a right to know, a right to question, and certainly a right to lodge official complaints when such information is not forthcoming.

CONTRIBUTED A POST TO TIN KOSONG

2006-01-19T12:17:00.000-05:00

Wrote a post on Raleigh International expeditions for Tin Kosong. Tin Kosong is a blog, founded by 3 university students, with the goal to collect and distribute information about education and youth development opportunities available to young Malaysians.

I salute the founders for their initiative in setting up and maintaining the blog, as well as the many young people who have written in to share information about the scholarships they hold and the youth development programmes they have been on.

From my personal experience, I have met many teenagers and young adults who are looking for ways to better themselves and yet they don't know how. I used to be one of them. For instance, I may give the impression that I am Raleigh International's #1 advocate now but I didn't actually know about the local support group until I chanced up a brief news article in the New Straits Times. If I hadn't seen that little article, I wouldn't have gone for a Raleigh expedition and I wouldn't have come to know many other youth development opportunities.

Blogs like Tin Kosong, Tony Pua's Education Malaysia and ReCom go a long way in creating awareness and encouraging young people to seize the opportunities available to them. Keep it up!

SEE YOUR MP IN ACTION

2006-01-15T23:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday's Star paper reported that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz said that he would propose that live proceedings of the parliament be broadcast to public.

See The Star: Nazri seeks to put Parliament live on TV

And yet I clearly recall that in 2004, this same Nazri was quoted as saying, "I will recommend to the prime minister not to agree to this proposal (to broadcast live telecast of parliament proceedings). There are more negative consequences rather than positive outcomes," he said.

See Bernama: Tun Zahir Likely To Be Reappointed Speaker, Says Nazri

Singing a different tune now it seems.

Note that this is the same Nazri who was name-calling "racist, racist" some 28 times in parliament last year. Dewan Rakyat hansard available here.

~~~

I am of course fully in favour of live broadcast of the parliament proceedings. It's about time we saw what really happens at parliament. Do our elected MPs sufficiently represent their constituents? Are they awake and participating actively? Are they debating the motions thoroughly before passing/denying them?

I look forward to the day when all Malaysians can be represented with MPs with integrity, with the people's interests at heart. Perhaps then unjust laws like the Family Bill will not be passed blindly; thanks for that too Nazri .

REVIEW OF PAST GOALS

2006-01-15T12:22:00.000-05:00

Back in 1999, when I was in my final year of college, I penned my bio. The bio was actually an assignment given to me by Victor Ng, then Creative Director of Union 45 and formerly Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather, when I approached him to be my advertising mentor.

Looking back, I think Victor asked me to do that assignment, not to test my writing skills, but to make me think about myself. I now realise how important it is for me to know where I came from and where I want to head to. Reason is, if I don't know where I'm going, how am I going to find my way there?

In my bio, I listed out my then goals. Five years have passed so it's high time I did a review.

I want to meet a boy and fall in love.

Met a boy. Fell in love. Love left me. The experience taught me how important it is to love myself for me first before loving another. Also taught me that abuse is not acceptable in any circumstance. Learnt that pain does pass if I only accept it and let it move past me. Some may not agree with me, but now I think that having your heart broken once can be a valuable experience in life. Met another boy. We're walking our journey together.

I want to understand people better.

I've learnt that intelligence and knowledge alone are not enough to succeed in life. It is vitally important to have emotional intelligence (EQ). Simply defined, EQ means the art of getting along with people. This is something I am still working on. I think it begins with having a genuine love for people and seeing disagreements as an opportunity to learn, rather than to fight. I have also learnt that there are those who will choose not to offer the same to me. That's life. Love them anyway, if only for my own sake.

I want to travel the world and learn from other cultures.

I'm really lucky. I was selected for the Ship for Southeast Asian Youths Programme and made many friends from all over SE Asia. I now call them my family. Have visited most SE Asian countries and Japan and had homestays with locals, living everyday life as they do. Studied in Australia for a year. Still got that wanderlust in me and am always planning that Great Backpacking Trip®.

I want to be able to give something back to my parents.

Financial support is one thing, but love and understanding is another. Perhaps the greatest gift I can give them is to be more open to them about my life.

I want to work for a worthy cause. Like the environment (I'm big on being green).

In 2002, I came across a fantastic youth development organisation called Raleigh International Kuala Lumpur and have been actively involved with them since. Spent three months on a Raleigh expedition in rural Sabah doing community and environmental work. Various other Raleigh projects.

I want to be a better person. More self-disciplined. More kind. More selfless. And be rid of my weaker points. Every day, it's a struggle to overcome them.

I would like to think that I have become a better person. One thing's for sure, I love myself for me a whole lot more now, compared to when I was a gawky teen. I think that kind of awareness comes with having life experience, going through a lot of pain and constant self-reflection. Or maybe I'm just getting old! ;) There are still many areas which still need improvement (personal management, task prioritisation, tidiness, oh the list is long) and I am eager to work on them.

So overall, I think I have accomplished the goals I set out to achieve in 1999. It's now 2006. The big question now is, what's the next step? (to be continued... )

2006-01-12T23:32:00.000-05:00

Which of us is not forever a stranger and alone?

- Thomas Wolfe, novelist (1900-1938)

TROUBLESHOOTING BLOGGER

2006-01-10T08:42:00.000-05:00

Been having some trouble publishing my blog for the past 2 months. Getting error messages like "broken pipe" and "connection timed out". And the template mysteriously went slightly awry.

Am troubleshooting the problem, so my apologies if certain sections may go offline or changed while I figure out what went wrong.

Many thanks.

later

Still can't get it to republish the entire blog properly. It republishes to 30% and stalls everytime. Any advice on how to fix it would be much appreciated.

still later

Have decided to drop the Haloscan comments, and just use's Blogger's built in comment facility instead to avoid any possible integration problems.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2005 AND PLANS FOR 2006

2006-01-10T07:35:00.000-05:00

2 0 0 5.

It just flew past. So much has happened. As is my tradition, I'll do a quick recap of the last 12 months and share with you my hopes for the next.

~~~ HIGHLIGHTS OF 2005 ~~~

- Backpacking across Thailand, Laos, Cambodia
- Beach-cleaning at Rantau Abang with MNS
- My birthday/thanksgiving party at The Ascott
- Road trip to the East Coast and Pulau Perhentian
- Weekend in Melaka and Putrajaya
- Tea with Bruce Cleghorn, British High Commissioner
- Completing my term as Raleigh KL President
- WOMAD in Singapore
- SSEAYP reunion onboard Nippon Maru
- Japanese language classes
- Entertaining many guests from abroad, thanks for visiting!
- Another hectic year at Ogilvy & Mather
- Making some wonderful new friends
- Double Take concert at Stadium Negara
- Best Christmas and New Year's EVER

I've been much more solitary this year. Partly because I was so beat from running Raleigh KL in 2004/2005 that I needed time out; partly because I had to chain myself to a desk for work. I hope my friends understand. I promise, it won't be like that forever because I'm really looking forward to fixing it in 2006.

~~~ PLANS FOR 2006 ~~~

- Spend more quality time with friends and loved oftens more often, because people matter most
- Apply for the 2-year UK working holiday visa, as soon as they reinstate it
- More backpacking, to Indo-China again or Manila to see my SSEAYP family
- Time I revisited the Orang Sungai of Batu Puteh, Kinabatangan
- Get back into my outdoor activities, see more sunsets
- Keep applying for postgrad scholarships
- Experiment with more pasta recipes, slurp!
- Deepen my Catholic faith
- Find a better balance on my work and personal life, my perpetual quest!

Most of all, I would really like to see more peace on earth, less pain. 2005 has seen too much war, turmoil and injustice. No more. No more.

No more lives torn apart
That wars would never start
And time would heal all hearts
And everyone would have a friend

- Lyrics to "My Grown Up Christmas List"

I sincerely hope 2006 brings you much love, happiness and hope. It is still a beautiful world. Happy new year to you and yours.

2006-01-08T22:28:00.000-05:00

Nature's law affirm instead of prohibit. If you violate her laws, you are
your own prosecuting attorney, judge, jury, and hangman.

- Luther Burbank, horticulturist (1849-1926)

WELCOME BACK, MALCOLM!

2006-01-06T05:19:00.000-05:00

Working and living with the Orang Sungai community in Kampung Batu Puteh, Lower Kinabatangan. Malcolm, in the blue shirt on the left. Me, in the sarong in front.

In an hour's time, I'll go pick up my old friend Malcolm from KL Sentral. He's flying in from Scotland. Spending two weeks in Malaysia before flying off to Taiwan for further studies in a monastery.

Malcolm and I spent three months together in Sabah on a Raleigh expedition way back in 2002. He was only 18 then! It's been three years since I last saw him but I remember him well. Intelligent, warm and friendly. Plus we've been staying in touch using the wonder that is email. Really looking forward to catching up with him!

2006-01-03T23:39:00.000-05:00

We are not the same persons this year as last; nor are those we love. It is a happy chance if we, changing, continue to love a changed person.

- William Somerset Maugham, writer (1874-1965)

2006-01-03T04:23:00.000-05:00

I'll tell you how the sun rose--
A ribbon at a time.

-Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886)

WELCOME 2006!

2006-01-02T11:19:00.000-05:00

Remember to start writing 2006 on your cheques!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2006-01-01T12:29:00.000-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2005-12-24T14:44:00.000-05:00

NO MINING IN MALIAU BASIN

2005-12-22T03:20:00.000-05:00

My comment: A major win for the environmental cause. You go Datuk Musa!

NO MINING IN MALIAU BASIN
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2005/12/22/nation/12930653&sec=nation

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah’s pristine Maliau Basin will not be opened up for coal mining, Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman said.

He gave an assurance that the Government was committed towards protecting the fauna- and flora-rich 588sq km Maliau Basin in perpetuity.

As such, the state was pushing for Maliau to be designated a World Heritage site, he told reporters after opening a seminar yesterday.

2005-12-16T11:34:00.000-05:00

God has given. God has taken. Praise be to God.

2005-12-14T02:00:00.000-05:00

Earth is here so kind, that just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.

- Douglas William Jerrold, playwright and humorist (1803-1857)

2005-12-12T23:15:00.000-05:00

Words are the soul's ambassadors, who go / Abroad upon her errands to and
fro.

-James Howell, writer (c. 1594-1666)

I'M A WORD NERD, HOW ABOUT YOU? :D

2005-12-12T00:11:00.000-05:00

Dictionary: The universe in alphabetical order.

-Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924)

~~~~

I use

If that's not enough, visit One Look's comprehensive dictionary list.

TAKE PART IN AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL LETTER-WRITING MARATHON

2005-12-11T13:56:00.000-05:00

Should have blogged about this sooner, but better late than never. Amnesty International Malaysia had their 24-hour global letter-writing marathon yesterday. If you don't know, the letters are appeals to the powers that be to right a human injustice. For example,

2005-12-11T04:35:00.000-05:00

As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to live it more and more.

- Jules Renard, writer (1864-1910)

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!

2005-12-10T13:20:00.002-05:00

One of my oldest friends, by her own choice, receives the sacrament of baptism today. She's been through a lot to get to today so I'm really happy for her and the peace that she has found. The journey continues for her, and for me, but isn't it nice to have friends along the way :)

POIGNANT ARTICLE ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH

2005-12-10T10:18:00.000-05:00

My friend Oon Yeoh shares his personal experience of dealing with death in a piece titled "Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully." He cited the teachings of a Buddhist monk named Ajahn Brahm on how to cope with death.

In one of his talks, Ajahn used the end of a magnificent concert as an analogy for the passing of a loved one. Something to be celebrated and remembered, not to be saddened by. He cited his own father's passing as an example:

" "Dad, that was a wonderful performance. That was a tremendous concert that you played in front of your son. I will never forget those fugues and cadenzas and the deep feeling that you gave to your symphony. You were a maestro of life. How lucky I was to have been at your concert".

I was inspired, not sad. I felt deep gratitude not grief. I felt I had witnessed one of the great lives of my era.

That is how one can die joyfully, and joyfully look at the death of a dear one. In one's centre one knows that: "Dear loved one, dearest friend, the door of my heart will forever be open to you, no matter what you ever do, even if you die". Even in death, you let them go. Such selfless love is freeing. Liberating the one who must leave you, and freeing one's self from all sadness."

I fully agree with what Ajahn said. I believe it's only when we embrace the pain, acknowledge that it exists that we are able to work with it and move through it. There's no use in holding on to unforgiveness (or grief in this case) because it only prolongs the pain.

Personally, I've yet to experience the death of a loved one, but I know that eventually I will. It confronts me every time I meet my parents and I realise, "Boy, they've aged!" and I kick myself for not seeing them more often.

I hope that when God takes them back, I will be able to accept it, rejoice for having been blessed with them in the first place and be able to carry on. Better make sure I'll have no regrets while I still can because when it happens, it'll be too late.

SIMPLE PLEASURES MAKE MY DAY

2005-12-09T09:21:00.000-05:00

Traffic was smooth this morning. Sweet.
Found an empty parking spot. In the forever congested PBD. Sweet.
The spot is right at my building doorstep. Sweet.
The spot is legit. Super sweet.
The spot is a legit and FOC. Wooohooo!

Now, where's the nearest Magnum 4D?

2005-12-08T04:48:00.000-05:00

"Even if most of the junk you come up with during ideation is truly crap, look at it as fertilizer. It may not be the end product, but it helps other things grow."

- Tom Monahan (some advertising dude)

2005-12-07T02:14:00.000-05:00

Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do
only a little.

-Edmund Burke, statesman and writer (1729-1797)

SOMETHING FOR THE AD FOLKS

2005-12-06T10:56:00.000-05:00

Ahhh.... the joys of tv commercial production.

2005-12-05T09:14:00.000-05:00

How strange that nature does not knock, and yet does not intrude!

-Emily Dickinson, poet (1830-1886)

FORGIVENESS FOR CRIMINALS?

2005-12-04T07:04:00.000-05:00

In today's Star paper:

Snatch thief begs victim to let him go, 4 December 2005

IPOH: A snatch thief pleaded with a housewife to set him free after customers at a nearby coffeeshop rushed to her aid and beat him up.

The man had earlier punched Lim Ah Ying, 56, on her mouth when she refused to let go her handbag at around 11.30am yesterday.

Lim screamed and held on to her bag long enough for those at a coffeeshop nearby to corner the thief. The incident occurred at Jalan Chung Ah Ming in Pasir Puteh here.

Several people then beat the man up.

Following this, the thief clasped both hands together to beg Lim to let him off.

However, his pleas fell on deaf ears and he was handed over to the police.

While I do not condone the snatch theft and believe that the law has to do its course, I do feel sorry for him. We do not know what dire circumstances pushed him into a life of petty crime. If we had to face the difficulties he has to, perhaps we would have done the same.

It is easy to condemn our criminals for their wrongdoings and put them away in jail. It is far harder to get to the bottom of their problems, which are rightly our society's problems, and find real solutions to help them get out of the situation they are in.

I would like to think that given a choice, no one would want to resort to such petty crime. The thing is, how do you discern between the victims of circumstance and those who are simply hardened criminals? Is there a difference?

~~~~

The snatch thief incident above reminds me of the book Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. Les Miserables is the story of how a single act of forgiveness became a turning point in a thief's life.

The story is set in pre-French revolution times. Jean Valjean, an ex-con and social outcast was given refuge for the night in a bishop's home. During the night, Valjean stole the bishop's silverware and ran away.

The next day, he was arrested by the French police who found the silverware on him and brought him to back to face the bishop.

Instead of pressing charges against Valjean, the bishop assured the police that there had been no theft. The silverware was a gift to Valjean. Valjean was released on the spot by the police, much to his bewilderment.

An excerpt from the book:

The Bishop drew near to him, and said in a low voice:--

"Do not forget, never forget, that you have promised to use this money in becoming an honest man."

Jean Valjean, who had no recollection of ever having promised anything, remained speechless. The Bishop had emphasized the words when he uttered them. He resumed with solemnity:--

"Jean Valjean, my brother, you no longer belong to evil, but to good. It is your soul that I buy from you; I withdraw it from black thoughts and the spirit of perdition, and I give it to God."

From then onwards, Valjean repented and became an upstanding man, although his past continued to haunt him...

For the rest of the story, download the entire Les Miserables for free from Project Gutenberg.

SUPPORT AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

2005-12-04T05:42:00.000-05:00

Just renewed my Amnesty International Malaysia membership. They now have an online payment facility. If you'd like to support their work, do sign up for a membership or make a donation or volunteer your time. Every little bit helps!

Here's a compelling TV commercial for Amnesty done by TBWA Paris.

SHAMEFUL ACT

2005-12-04T05:04:00.000-05:00

“No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”

- Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 5

I have been following the news of the ear squat video incident with sadness and anger all rolled up in one. The video, which was being circulated via MMS, shows a woman being made to do ear squats in the nude inside a police cell under the orders of a female police woman. This has drawn outrage from many Malaysians, and gratefully, also from our elected leaders.

News of this has made headlines around the world. Some have likened this to the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse involving American soldiers and their Iraqi prisoners. I don't think this is a fair comparison because the American soldiers' acts were more cruel and degrading by far.

Nevertheless, the damage to Malaysia's image and that of our police force has been done. I feel ashamed to think of what the international community thinks of Malaysia now. I'd like to tell them that the majority of the Malaysians that I know personally do not condone this humiliating act.

Some people have pointed out that the police woman is probably Malay because she is wearing a tudung (Muslim head cover), and that the woman in the buff is probably Chinese. Whatever. That's irrelevant. This is not a racism issue, but one of human rights.

I am hopeful that the independent commission set up to investigate the matter will be able to get to the heart of the matter and make appropriate recommendations.

~~~

By the way, did you know that Malaysia has yet to ratify The Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT)? This is largely due to our government's insistence to retain the detention without trial allowed for in the Internal Security Act, even though its original purpose to suppress communist insurgency has long since become unnecessary.

LET GO IF ONLY FOR YOUR OWN SAKE

2005-12-04T02:30:00.000-05:00

There's a saying, an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind. And yet, every day, much of the world persists in retaliating to each other's past tresspasses, perceived or otherwise. People think that justice will be served when the enemy is made to suffer as they did. Or that when the enemy is made to suffer, only then will they feel better for it.

In doing so, they unwittingly create a vicious cycle of hate, anger and venom. Sometimes, the conflict lasts for generations. The Israel - Palestinian conflict is a classic example of this situation. I feel sad for them, but after so many years of conflict, I am beginning to grow immune to the reports of fighting and deaths, regardless of how complex the issue is. I've begun to wonder whether the people there even know what they are fighting for after so many years. Is it really worth it?

Personally, I firmly believe in the concept of forgiveness. The idea of accepting the pain and letting go of it unreservedly. I believe it's only when we embrace the pain, acknowledge that it exists that we are able to work with it and move through it.

There's no use in holding on to unforgiveness because it only prolongs the pain. That especially includes forgiving myself, and not beating myself up over things I cannot change. That's a tough lesson that has taken me years to learn, but it's a valuable one because it's helped me heal, get over many tough spots quickly, even surprisingly quickly at times, and freed me to move on to new, better things. And there's always new, better things to come.

If that's not good enough a reason to forgive, here's another one that's more selfish. Unforgiveness is a voracious energy-sucker. While you're working yourself up with anger and vile thoughts, whoever it is you're hating could very well be living happily, and couldn't care less about how you're tormenting yourself. Is it really worth it then? So let go already!

THE FORGIVENESS PROJECT

2005-12-04T01:42:00.000-05:00

I was really excited when I stumbled upon The Forgiveness Project. It's an amazing new NGO whose mission is to promote conflict resolution and restorative practices as an alternative to the endless cycle of conflict, violence and crime.

They do this by collecting personal stories of people who have been victims or perpetrators of hurt. They include child soldiers, former prisoners of wars, rape survivors, street gang victims, victims of child abuse, former terrorists and dissidents, murderers, wrongly-imprisoned men, etc. Some of the stories are about how the victims chose to forgive their perps. Some of them told of how the perps themselves sought forgiveness from their victims.

Some quotes from the stories:

“We cannot live with broken hearts. In time we have to accept these things have happened to us. To stay with the past will only bring you into turmoil”

“If you focus only on retribution you extinguish the very spirit and memory of your child (who was killed)”

“I chose forgiveness because I did not want to be destroyed by bitterness. What happened was out of my control, but how I respond is within my control.”

"If you can find it in yourself to forgive then you are no longer chained to the perpetrator. You can move on, and you can even help the perpetrator to become a better person too."

"I’ve come to an understanding of where our captors, and where her violator, were coming from. Not many people in this world do stuff out of pure maliciousness."

I think personal stories can be very powerful catalysts for change. What a wonderful, peaceful, non-violent way of compelling people to rethink and change! Read these stories here.

SSEAYP REUNION ONBOARD NIPPON MARU

2005-11-27T23:47:00.000-05:00

So the Ship for South East Asian Youth came steaming back to Malaysia recently and we had our ex-participants reunion onboard. MS Nippon Maru's catering is still amazingly delicious, with plenty of choice.

Above is a picture of the members of my Malaysian contingent, including Danny, former youth ambassador from Singapore, Masa former national leader for Japan. A special mention for the handsome ship captain in his white always impeccable uniform in the back right. He still recognised us after all these years!

MEMORIES OF PIANO LESSONS

2005-11-27T06:08:00.000-05:00

Came across a forum thread which asked "Piano exams necessary?" It brought to surface long-forgotten memories of my own piano-playing days.

I took ABRSM piano lessons from age 7 to 16. It's been a decade since I stopped. Since then, I've hardly touched the piano. Partly because I moved away from home and didn't have a piano around, but mainly due to my personal lack of interest.

You see, the lessons were more my parents' will instead of my own. They believed that music is a useful skill to have. They spoke of how I could become a piano teacher as a backup career, what a easy job that is, how much money I could make. Perhaps they wanted to give me the opportunities that they didn't have themselves.

I think it was also said that music skills would look good on my CV when applying for college/uni/jobs. Ha, now I know no employer cares at all, unless if you're applying for a job with the Philharmonic.

I recall that I was never very good at the piano. I didn't enjoy the piano lessons and did not practise half enough. I think I gave my teachers many headaches. I was especially bad at sight reading. The only bit I was good at was viva voce and was specifically recommended for vocal lessons, but that was beyond our means considering the already hefty piano fees and exam fees.

I was all too conscious of how my parents made personal sacrifices to pay for my piano fees and the exam fees. Music lessons ain't cheap! I felt pressured to make good the "investment" in me. Perhaps my teachers were under pressure themselves because they spent most of the year drilling me in the exam pieces to give me a head start. Very exam-oriented.

And the practical exams, how I dreaded them. It was scary walking into the examination room and having to perform before the UK examiner. Somehow, I always managed to scrape through the exams.

When I wanted to quit after Grade 6, my parents reminded me of how there are many other kids who want to learn but don't have the chance, so what a lucky girl am I. And after having come so far, what a shame to stop. So I trudged on with the lessons until Grade 8.

Now that I am older and hopefully more mature, I can see the past more clearly. I now realise that despite all the time and money spent, I didn't gain as much from my music lessons as I could have and should have, mainly through my own fault. It is a bit of a shame but that's in the past. I can't change it anymore but I have some thoughts about how the future can be better for my children and perhaps others.

Much as I would love for my children to be musically talented, I'm not willing to force it upon them. I believe that the most important thing is to encourage the child to have a genuine love for music, rather than drill them to pass exams. This applies to all fields of study. In my opinion, service learning is another great way to learn. Childhood is too precious to be spent mugging for exams only to have a cold, dispassionate adult at the end of the day.

PUTTING MONEY WHERE IT MATTERS

2005-11-27T01:31:00.000-05:00

One of my favourite singers, Sarah McLachlan drives home the point of how much we take for granted and how little it takes to make a difference in her music video for her chart-topping hit "World of Fire."

From the Media that Matters Film Fest web site,

"(Producer) Muller captured a stark, simple performance by McLachlan that is interspersed with scenes displaying the standard cost for video production (inclusive of camera crews, electricians, and location fees, etc.) comparing those costs with the price of food, medical supplies and education for over one million people. Muller skillfully edits images provided by charities and other sources from locations including Afghanistan, India, Nairobi, South Africa, Southeast Asia and others illustrating the existence of those who live without everyday necessities. Those expenses that are customary for a video production were sent to a list of 11 charities with total funds equaling $150,000. The only production expense was $15, the cost of a Sony miniDV tape."

Now that's inspiring media. See the video for yourself here.

ONE OF THOSE EMAIL FORWARDS

2005-11-23T07:04:00.000-05:00

Writing Guidelines

1. Verbs has to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
7. Be more or less specific.
8. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary.
9. Also too, never, ever use repetitive redundancies.
10. No sentence fragments.
11. Contractions aren't necessary and shouldn't be used.
12. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant; do not use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
14. One should NEVER generalize.
15. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
16. Don't use no double negatives.
17. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
18. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
19. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
20. The passive voice is to be ignored.
21. Eliminate commas, that are, not necessary. Parenthetical words however should be enclosed in commas.
22. Never use a big word when a diminutive one would suffice.
23. DO NOT use exclamation points and all caps to emphasize!!!
24. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
25. Understatement is always the absolute best way to put forth earth shaking ideas.
26. Use the apostrophe in it's proper place and omit it when its not needed.
27. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know." 28. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.
29. Puns are for children, not groan readers.
30. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
31. Even IF a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
32. Who needs rhetorical questions?
33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
34. The passive voice should never be used.
36. Do not put statements in the negative form.
37. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
38. A writer must not shift your point of view.
39. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences of 10 or more words, to their antecedents.
40. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
41. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
42. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
43. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
44. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
45. Always pick on the correct idiom.
46. The adverb always follows the verb.
47. Be careful to use the rite homonym.

And Finally...

47. Proofread carefully to see if you any words out.

WRDS

2005-11-21T22:46:00.000-05:00

Words are things; and a small drop of ink
Falling like dew upon a thought, produces
That which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.

- Lord Byron, poet (1788-1824)