Old vs New

I woke up this morning...dazed as usual....went downstairs to grab hold of the newspapers (as I do every morning). And wham! Man....it was a different paper entirely.

No.....what I mean is it was the New Straits Times....just an older version......LOL. It was 50 years old. I shit you not. A very retro looking newspaper!

Puzzled? Well, the date on the paper read Sunday, August 25, 1957.....No, I didn't go back in time.....it's just that the NST has started publishing its newspapers as it was before independence (along with the its daily copies), for the next one week in lieu of the 50 years independence celebrations.

Gosh, newspapers in those days were horrifying....the fonts were so small you'd have to use a magnifying glass. And the entire paper is black....like it has been photocopied! My mum was all smiles while browsing through the old copy. She kept saying "It's beautiful! It's beautiful!" What can I say...Veterans!

Well, quite honestly, the old NST has character....and well....NEWS! So much you could spend the entire day dwelling into it.

So, grab a copy...and get a blast from the past!

Malaysia Boleh! "Foolosophy"

You know, there's one thing that Malaysians can never give up.....understanding the virtue of patience.

Just yesterday I was at the Bukit Bintang monorail station waiting my turn during rush hour traffic. There were hoardes of people waiting. Every train that pulled up was full to the brim and the moment the doors opened,......well.....need I say more? It was like "Shop Till You drop" and "Every man for himself!!"

The line lost its order and everyone was ramming their way into the entrance and I was thrown all around like a rag doll. The next thing I knew, I was shit out of luck and right behind the line. I mean....go figure?

Gosh! What has happened to civic mindedness? Have we lost it all? I mean, there were tourists and I can bet you that when they saw the crowd storming the trains, it must have been like a refugee camp in disarray!!

Now I know why my students complain when they have to commute using the rail links. It's like a war zone out there!

To Sir with Love?

One of the most satisfying aspects of lecturing at the college or university level may be found in the mentoring relationship that academics can develop with their students. A good mentoring relationship can be what is sometimes called a "peak experience" for both lecturer and student -- a sharing of something unique that no one else may experience in quite the same way. The student experiences an acceptance of ideas and contributions that may be unequalled in previous life experience.

The lecturer may experience, through the student, the closest one may feel to a professional immortality -- a feeling that the baton is being passed to someone worthy and that one's work will live on, not only on the yellowing pages of a journal somewhere in the stacks of a library, but in the mind and work of someone younger, more energetic, and equally committed to the task to which one's professional life has been so fully devoted.

A unique aspect of the mentoring relationship among professional relationships is that the student is, at the same time, a student and, well.... a friend. In a healthy mentoring relationship, the student is encouraged and expected to be candid in responding to the lecturer's ideas, methods, or words. Part of a mentor's role is to acquaint the student, not only with the specialized field that is shared, but also with the other leaders in the field and with the ways of professional and academic life. And yet, despite this closeness and sharing, the lecturer does remain a lecturer and the student, a student. The lecturer maintains certain evaluative responsibilities and the student continues to be dependent on the mentor's guidance and approval.

I have met many students during my stint as a lecturer...and I would like to say a very big THANK YOU to all of you .......Leonard, Luc, Izabelle, Jonathan, Keith, Lynnete, Sarah Liyana, Sarah Yung, Kit Mun, Nana, Sam, Ridzuan, Karen.... AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON (Do not be offended if you are not on the list...you are in my heart). You guys and gals have redefined the student-lecturer relationship in many ways possible and best of all, you have made this job of mine truly meaningful.

Spaghetti Saturday!

One of my wife's specialties is ....well....making Spaghetti. And, yes.....it was another satisfying Meatball Spaghetti Saturday!

She can really cook up a sumptuous spaghetti dinner for the whole family....and the best part is, we can have different levels of "spicyness". Just ask....hot....very hot....or even...."Peri-Peri"......LOL!!

It all started on a trial and error basis...and now, she's good at it.....real good!

Well, I'm blessed am I not. :)

P.S. If you are wondering what the green bits are.....They are beans. :)

Comics - Fantasy or Reality?

There was an article a couple of months' back in the New Sunday Times where a columnist wrote on Spider-man and “What a wondrous web he weaves”. This columnist also went on further to talk about the issue of reading comics.

And so, the question arises. Are comics good or bad? Let's start with specific questions. Is there violence in comics? Definitely, yes! Is there any sexuality in comics? Well, this would be based on your definition of sexuality, but yes.

I believe it is best to understand that COMICS are NOT FOR KIDS ONLY! In terms of American superhero comics, things are no longer the same. Probably being influenced by the manga (Japanese comics) and for the market selling, most superheroes are not perfect like Superman. These new heroes have emotions, like everyone of us. They make mistakes, they regret and they probably do something bad. Even Superman does. And the beauty of it is, we can actually learn from such issues.

Take for instance the ever popular quote from Spiderman “With great power comes great responsibility”. Oh, how true it is. You do not need to be a superhero to realize this. It’s a quote that applies to almost all of us.

I believe the most important thing is to reflect good values from these heroes. Since the heroes are more human than ever and more like you and me, it's a good method to emulate them as idols who in many ways, are human and, make mistakes.


I personally have adored Batman since my teenage years. He is not simply called “The World’s Greatest Detective” for the fun of it but simply because unlike other superheroes, he makes use of intellect, detective skills, science and technology, wealth, physical prowess and intimidation in his war on crime. He comes to prove that violence is not the only resolution for crime.

Over the years, I am indeed glad to have come across great talents like Frank Miller, Stan Lee, Alex Ross, Chris Claremont, Joe Quesada and Alan Moore. Titles like V for Vendetta, Watchmen, The Sandman, Batman: The Killing Joke are truly thought provoking and have certainly left a mark on me. I actually use the movie V for Vendetta in teaching the subject Introduction to Human Communication.

To sum it all up, there are many lessons and ideas that one can get from comics and one of the most valuable lessons I have learnt is that the most upstanding of citizens is capable of going mad or tarnishing his or her image after having "just one bad day or event". How true this can be. Think about it.

Marriage quandries

What does marraige really mean? A contract? An encounter? Beats me....I am still looking for answers.

One thing's for sure....Marriage is about discovery.

I guess the first thing is that I discovered as a husband is I am inherently a selfish person. We can probably all say that about ourselves but the mere fact that I'm a lecturer with a full-time job defines the extent of my affliction. In the first years of my married life, I never saw myself as selfish. Not that I thought I was unselfish, mind you . . . I just never really thought about it at all.

I've learned that being a selfish person can really harm a relationship--especially because I never thought about it.

I've found, to my utter astonishment, that we are not all alike. You know what I mean? Ever hear anyone say, "Hey, we're all human." Well, at one level, that's certainly correct. But to make that statement apply everywhere is just flat-out dangerous.

Being a husband is the simplest job in the world. It is also the most empowering. Most rewarding. Most satisfying. Most stabilizing. Most . . . . . . frightening in some ways.

And trust me......marriage is a learning game. To become a master of it takes time and lots of self reflection.

Sunday Round-up

Well, well......another weekend and its gone.

I didn't really do much this Sunday. Spent most of the time bumming around. In the afternoon however, I accompanied my wife to the Berita Harian 50th anniversay bash at the NST head office.

Well, it was certainly loud with kids running around and trying their luck at the various game stalls. There was loads of food too....from mouth watering Satay sticks to thosais. Even A & W didn't miss out on the opportunity to set up a booth there.

Next stop was the KLCC park. The both of us decided to Kill Time at the park by enjoying a little peace and quiet. That all came to an abrupt end with the change of the weather in the evening.

Let's see if next weekend is a little more promising.