People with hearts of gold.

There are people with hearts of gold in our midst. A clear cut example of such people are two ladies I have the fortune to know and befriend. Well, let me tell you what they did recently.

There are two lovely dogs which live up the hill at Taman Semarak. They were lovely creatures, constantly meeting the trekkers with their wagging tails. Even the Muslims who trek up that hill found them not a problem. Of course, now and then when others are not in sight, a few could have thrown stones at them for they seem to understand that Muslims do not like them to go near and run off whenever the Muslims approach them.

Well, nature took its course and soon those beautiful female dogs had a male visitor. The male seem to know when the females were on heat and would come at the right time to impregnate those females. Each time it happened, we got a lot of puppies at the top of the hill. They were such adorable puppies that it was not difficult to have people interested in taking them home as pets. Sometimes, however, some of the puppies died. Certainly, those who have showered their love on those puppies by patting them, playing with them, remove ticks from their bodies and fed them felt sad that those young puppies should have to suffer death so early in life.

These two ladies thought about the fate of future puppies. Those who came to the hill and wanted puppies as pets were few. How long could we find people to adopt them? How many dogs could those wonderful people feed? And if one day the population of dogs were to increase, would someone ask the dog-catchers to come and trap them or shoot them?

With the present two dogs patrolling the hill slopes, the place is so safe from so many things. Snakes for one thing would not slither out into the paths where the dogs could see them. The dogs' presence can deter strangers who are not used to their existence on that hill. And the chances of people using the hill for undesirable purposes could be less with those dogs patrolling it.

To ensure that the situation remains as it is, the two ladies told the others of their plan to sterilise the dogs. For that we gave donations so that there would be sufficient money to pay for sterilisation of the two females by a veterinarian. Sufficient kind folks were in agreement with the project. Thus it was that on the 3rd of April, a Saturday morning, the two ladies came in a car to take the dogs to a veterinarian at Sungai Dua in Penang Island. Then, on the 13th of April, with the dogs safe and recovered from the sterilisation process, I went with one of the ladies to pick up those dogs. It cost the good people six hundred and sixty ringgit but all of them were so happy to see the dogs still healthy and strong back at the hill.

The lady who drove her car to fetch the dogs must love them a lot for she did not complain at all despite one of the dogs defecating onto her back seat. Instead, she was so happy to see them that she hugged and patted them, uttering words of endearment.

We are happy for the dogs to be safely back at the hill, meeting their many human friends who bring them food and water each day. It's wonderful that there are still such loving people in our world. Thank God for that and the beautiful world we live in.

Be aware and never expose your beautiful/rugged self.

This morning I read in the staronline about a youth who so innocently masturbated in front of a webcam in order to teach someone he had just got to know in the internet how it was done. Either his kindness, ego or his naivety got the better of him. Whatever it was, that act put him into trouble as the other man threatened to place his masturbation demonstration on the internet unless he agreed to have sex with the other man. Sodomy was probably what the other man had in mind. When he did not agree to the man's request, he was told the alternative was 'a gift' of money. When will such gifts end? Never! That was just the beginning and the end would take a life-time. Extortion is the word for that. And do not be naive to think that women are not capable of extortion.

So, no matter how good you can be at sex, possess sexual parts such as breasts, penis, vagina, buttocks or a fantastic body that can possibly amaze anyone, admire such goodies with a mirror. You can 'ooh' and 'aah' your pleasure with your 'loved ones' or whoever but make very, very sure there are no cameras of any kind around. And nowadays with cameras in handphones, it is so easy for someone to pretend to phone another person when actually that someone could be taking photographs of you in the nude without your being aware of it. So, be really, really careful even with someone whom you think loves you. Well, I need not convince you with my stories as you have certainly read of politicians, artistes and people who find embarrassing nude pictures of themselves on the internet and their 'loved ones' making a disappearing act. And of course, we have to realise, hidden cameras are getting smaller by the day and,perhaps, our room is the only safe place to romp in the nude.

Nowadays, with the computer and the internet, mistakes made cannot be removed as easily as those good old days when photographs and their negatives can be torn and destroyed forever, never to arise to haunt you again. That is the reason I would never allow even my wrinkled old buttocks to be photographed, not even for charity, no, thank you. Who knows what they would use them for.

Well, to be aware of all these possibilities is important even if we believe such things can never happen to us. After all, such things only happen to other people, right? Sorry, I cannot agree to that. Anything is possible, be it good or bad and therefore awareness of everything in and about our surrounding is essential to our good health and happiness. After reading this, you ought not to be as naive as that young man at the beginning of this posting. So, keep your goodies covered from prying cameras. I take a camera along most of the time so who knows when you may see yourself in all your naked glory in this blog. Don't blame me. You have been forewarned.

Actually, it's easy to be a Malaysian.

I remember my childhood and schooldays. Though I was then fairly weak physically, I enjoyed my life playing the games all children play. In Wellesley Primary School, Hutchings School, then Penang Free School, we played and mingled with anyone who wishes to join in our fun. When playing with marbles in the primary schools, we play to win without any thought on our friend’s race. Darker skin, lighter skin or whatever shade or colour, all those do not make any difference to us. As we played ‘Police and thief’, chasing each other, we only thought of catching friends for our team to win so that we could exchange roles in the game. Later, in the secondary school, we play rugby, football and other games as sports house members. No matter how rough we could be, we just played among students of the same school without a single thought of anyone’s race.

During those days, like any other children anywhere in the world, we sometimes disagree, get angry and fight. Sometimes we come back together as friends. There was never any worry about the other child’s race. It was just, “I don’t like him because he dirtied my shoes.” or something like that. The reason has nothing whatsoever about race. And when we support or cheer someone in a quarrel or fight, it was always ‘That’s my friend.’ who could be of another race.

Well, it is so easy to be a Malaysian. That was and is because when a child is born, he/she enters straight into this country as a Malaysian. He/She knows no other place he or she can call home. Malaysia is his/her home. It is only when divisive policies created by power-crazy politicians hammer into our heads that our ancestors come from another country and therefore we are less equal, less privileged and less advantaged in this land that we realise, people think we cannot call the land we are born in 'home' which is so wrong. After all, except for the Orang Asli or the original people of this land, every citizen's ancestors in my Mother Land comes from elsewhere. And anyone with just a little intelligence will have to agree with this truth. The truth is also that people like me who are born here knows of only this Mother Land and no other. This is home. If i am just a visitor, I could pack my bags to return home but because this is home, I write this so that my children and others can understand where home is for me.

In all things we did those days up to the time of the implementation of the National Economic Policy, we were just friends, acquaintances or enemies but there was nothing racial in it. How is that so? Well, for one thing, there was nothing in society, our education institutions or our lives where somebody was made more special, more privileged or more advantaged. Physically, mentally or emotionally; yes, there are people who are more special or more advantaged. Those people were born that way, not made to be like that by a government that divided its people into races with the excuse that a certain race is less capable of achieving what the others have achieved. I say excuse because if we sincerely wish to help our less capable or poorer people, all we need implement is a system by which all those who are less capable or poorer would be helped. With that, if most of the people from a particular state or race need such help, then certainly the people helped would mostly be from that state or race. So, there is no need to divide the country into states or races. In such an instance, the capable and rich will not have any reason to disagree and the problem of race would never exist.

It is because a race has been made special, more privileged and more advantaged, that our country finds it so difficult to have its people united. And this race problem is not easy to overcome, even though the government is moving towards helping every Malaysian according to merit. Why? How many are matured, truly educated (those who can really think clearly and correctly) and understanding enough to understand that the National Economic Policy was to help the poor and not everyone, even the very rich, in a particular race? Tell these less matured, less educated and less understanding people that places in the universities, contracts and job opportunities will not be specially reserved for them because they belong to a particular race and although they have riches beyond most Malaysians, they would protest and demand that they must be treated more equal than other Malaysians. And it is happening even as I put these thoughts to paper. No pampered son, even though he no longer needs any further help, would ever agreed to have other siblings be treated just as fair.

Thus, it is not easy to do away a bad practice. Pampered children grow up expecting to be treated better than the other siblings. He believes being pampered is his right. That, despite some of them going through a tertiary education (not educated, only literate), and having acquired much wealth. Oh God, what can be done with such pampered children.

Always be careful with inflammable things.

The email below with a photograph of the uncle's badly burnt face and arm came to a friend. As it is a revelation to us about possible danger, I believe there is no harm in spreading the message. Even people in the food business may benefit from knowing what can possibly happen in such circumstances and do something about it to prevent such an occurance. Well, to be forewarned is be forearmed.
I have changed names of places and people so as not to embarrass anybody as that is never my intention. Of course, I have not posted the photograph as I do not know whether the person concerned would like that.
So please read and realise such a danger.
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Be careful when you eat steamed fish at the restaurants


Dear friends,

Just want to share a little bit of the sad story of my uncle in Kuantan that happened in the Siamese Restaurant, next to a Hotel in Kuantan, last Monday night at 8pm .

My uncle was having dinner with two of his friends, they ordered the steamed fish and the waiter put some liquid gel (not candles) underneath the fish to continue keeping it hot. This thing suddenly exploded and caused my uncle to be injured in his ear, face, arm, and thank God that he was wearing glasses (or else he would have been blinded). The restaurant manager was not responsible enough even to visit my uncle since this accident happened. We'll have to try to find ways to help my Uncle to claim some compensation as he might not be able to work for at least 6 months.

I'm not trying to condemn the restaurant but just want you all to be extra careful next time when ordering - steamed food - safer that they take away the "fire" below.

Regards,
Cathy

Give attention to self control.

This morning, as I was getting out of my car, just before I switched off the radio, Light FM host was talking about curbing one's spending and one of the ways I heard was to lower the limit of one's credit card. If only things were that simple.

You know that banks do limit our expenditure through the use of the credit? Of course, their worry is not how much you spend each month but whether you would be in the position to repay them what had been used. They certainly do not wish anyone to go bankrupt as they are, in a smaller way, the loser too in such cases. For sure, they have one card-holder less. And they certainly do not want a possible bankrupt case on their hands. That was the reason a bank where a pensioner like me did not have an account was told that I was not eligible for a credit card after one of its officers had persuaded me to apply for one.

However, that does not prevent people with a salary from applying for one credit card from so many different banks. Even a clerk can get three credit cards with a seven thousand ringgit credit for each card which gives him twenty-one thousand ringgit to spend in a month. If he has no savings, how, I wonder, is the guy going to repay that money. Of course, he could owe the bank but that would incur interest which would burden him further. I know the government had tried to lessen the number of credit cards possessed by its citizens with a fifty ringgit charge per year on each credit card but for people who cannot control the need to splurge on unnecessary things, would that stop their addition?

People would never run into financial problems who they can control their expenditure or change their life-style to suit their salary. Extravagance is a habit for some. What these people need is self control.

Self control comes as a result of understanding the consequences of whatever deeds performed by us. In the news media each day we read of loss of self control resulting in rage on the road, at home and at the place of work. We read of the loss of self control over money in casinos or gambling dens. We read of loss of emotional self -control leading to deeds that break up marriages and homes. Loss of self control has taken many an unwary person to addition of drugs and speed on the road. Loss of self control has wreak lives and futures with children being influence into undesirable activities distracting them away from school and the right path.

As it can be seen, self control is so important every second of our lives. Without it, all kinds of tragedy become a possibility. Therefore, children attention towards self control and the understanding of the possible consequences that can befall us through losing it must be impressed on the children in our care as parents or teachers and adults.

With self control, we most probably would not be tempted to challenge the many more dangerous, deeper or bottomless pits in life. Our children will be safer and happier. Self control makes the difference.

Stress in life.

Once I went to an orchid farm in Sungai Dua, Mainland Penang to get orchid plants for my garden. My wife and I got to know the then young owner, Michael, who told us his orchids is his hobby. He would spend time taking us around the place, talking about the beautiful blooms and the various varieties of orchids at his farm.

He was very successful with his farm. To think of it, there was this man who got lots of money just working at his hobby. What an ideal job cause anyone who spends time at his interest could never consider the effort put in as work. There would be no unhealthy stress and happiness is a certainty when the objects of interest produce attractive flowers to be appreciated by other orchid lovers who look forward to possessing the plants.

That is also the reason I choose to do the work I love to enjoy. I have no boss to please and my time is my very own to use as I wish. Do you know that at one time I did not even have a hand-phone so that I do not hear any call for my assistance unless I am ready for it? Life for me is now so much more relaxing and enjoyable.

Unfortunately, there are still people who struggle to achieve certain degrees to please their parents to find that the work their degrees lead them to were not of much interest to them except as a way of earning a salary. It would still be alright if their job was not so stressful as to lead to depression.

This did happen to the daughter of one family. So far, cases of depression which I have heard of happened to the females. Are the ladies more susceptible to depression? Well, perhaps researchers ought to look into this and find the truth of the matter and hopefully discover a solution for it.

Back to this poor young lady who was struck down with depression just a year after being employed. Her nervous breakdown started with her hair turning white and a loss of appetite. By the end of just one year, she was a pathetic sight, unable to face her workload. Since then, she had not been able to work. Unless she finds someone to help her understand her situation and accept it while doing meditation or yoga to remove her stress, this kind of situation is difficult to overcome. However, it does not mean there is no way out. There is always a way out if the person is ready to have it.

I believe this is what happens to people who have no interest whatsoever in their work. It was drudgery, difficult to overcome as those people had to face what they dread each day, every week, month after month, from one year to another with only a slight reprieve during weekends and holidays.

Of course there are people who are made of sterner stuff, never buckling under despite the pressure of boring work day in day out. These are the people who, when they no longer enjoy the work, watch the clock, looking forward to the end of the day when they can just pack up and leave everything behind so that they can find means to release the stress in some creative manner. For such people, they have found a way out of the predicament of being in an uninterested job. Here, the family can help the breadwinner(s) to unwind and save themselves from the problem of stress and depression. For those whithout a family to fall back on, there are friends. And for those introverts who find difficulty with company, you still have a good thirty minutes of jogging or a trek up some hill where you can sweat off the stress, stretch your muscles, then relax them with a warm bath or massage and a cool drink under the stars or while listening to music or watching a show; whatever is your enjoyment.

Knowing this parents ought to allow their children to choose to study their field of inclination. Parents would get happier children with a brighter future, not just in terms of finance, but in all aspects of life. They may never become millionaires but they will be rich in every aspect. Do we really need to be millionaires to be truly happy?

Greed can blind.

I have a friend who told me how she got her present car. At one time she was driving a smaller car but exchanged it with the present car to help out a friend who was having financial problems. The friend just could not go on with the payment of more than a thousand ringgit a month.

According to this friend, her friend's financial situation came about as a result of some kind of get-rich-quick scheme in which she was told of an investment opportunity where the investors can get gain a lot of money. She was introduced to a group of well dressed people who told them of being in a position to obtain products at the source for a very low price when they are bought in bulk. That was truly logical. Those people knew the market where those products could be sold at a huge profit enabling them to distribute gains of between twenty and forty percent. Since the products were to be bought in bulk, those people needed a huge capital to purchase those goods. That was where the investors came in. Each investor was to contribute forty thousand ringgit (Malaysian currency) to enter the programme.

Thoughts of the amount of money which could be derived from such a venture was sufficient to stimulate most of those people at that seminar to be a part of the good fortune. Thus it was that her friend put in her money and eventually found she had been cheated of it when those people finally disappeared from the scene.

Apparently, the friend had never learned from her mistakes. Again and again, she was attracted to such schemes, each time ending as a loser. It was just a matter of time when the bank account went dry. And the sad part of it is not just the loss of money for that could be earned and replenished from hers and her husband's jobs. The sad part was the fact that her capability and intelligence did not help her to avoid such incidences, not once but many times.

This lady in fact was no simpleton who had no view of the world outside her coconut shell. She went overseas for further education, spent a number of years overseas in England and America where her qualifications enabled her to find work as a professional. So she certainly had contact with people not just in her own country and her intelligence cannot be considered low as she could compete for work in other countries. Definitely, there is a weakness despite her strengths. What is it?

From the above account, we realise it is greed, the way to easy money. Greed has been the downfall of many people great and small. As long as people do not know how to overcome the apparently natural greed in them, there are always potholes for them to crumble into. The greed for power, for wealth, for food, for even the smallest of matter can lead one to all kinds of temptations.

However, greed can be controlled, it can be taught through happenings in our everyday life, especially when our children are young. To overcome greed, teach them generosity. teach them to share. Teach them the true value of material things. Teach them what we really need in life. If we can just do this small part, we have done a lot to ensure ourselves of our children's happiness.