AFTER HAITI, CHILE... THEN?

A new year which supposed to be welcomed with joy and glad tidings fall out to be disastrous, guess that's what it takes to be in The Year of Tiger. In January 12, 2010 alone a magnitude of 7.0 Richter Scale earthquake stroke the town of Leogane, some 25km from Port-au-Prince, Haiti's capital with an approximately 230,000 people dead, 300,000 injured and 1,000,000 homeless.

Before long after that, the world was again in awe as Nature took its toll when on February 27, 2010 (yesterday) the capital of Chile, Santiago was pounded by a magnitude of 8.8 Richter Scale earthquake - one of the world's most powerful one in a century - killing more than 300 people (to date), toppled buildings and triggered Tsunamis that rolled menacingly across the Pacific. For news click 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Such devastation caused by the quake was immeasurable, unfit for words to describe. Maybe, for once I believe that pictures are indeed worth thousand words.







The aftermath of such magnitude has called for a state of alarm and constant avoidance to stay away from beaches for those who are near to coastal area as there are likely to occur rough sea conditions and sea level rising starting from 12pm-6pm today (sunday). A report released by The US Meteorological Department said that the aftermath of the tremor may trigger severe unstable sea condition, as expected Tsunamis to countries as far as Indonesia, Philippines and Japan in the Pacific - which means Malaysia is literally included. So, beware of the sea people, I know the temptations of Percy Jackson being the son of Poseidon (God of the sea) is irresistible, but get on with it, for now.

I don't know whether I should say this or not but I think everyone is feeling the same way too, at least I guess. Lately, world weather seems unstable. You may feel like boiling on your bed though you are in the heart of the tropical equator. Even, some of my friends studying in Europe said that they've gone weary of the numb feeling of coldness reaching below freezing point. Conclusion? You bet!

p/s - Sometimes we are bedazzled by peculiarity... you know, while other countries were struck by tremor naturally, here in Sarawak heritage such as 'rumah panjang' are being 'trembled' artificially. To what end? Strange.

Till the next postings.

YEAR OF INNOVATION & CREATIVITY: ARE YOU READY?

The Malaysian government has named 2010 as 'The Year of Innovation & Creativity' (YOIC) of which the emphasize is to promote, inspire and empower youths to the verge of their inner instincts by tapping and maximizing unsung talents lies within. That said, are we ready as in unison ready?


But before we are to jump into conclusion, here are some day-to-day basics that we need to realize firsthand (some pundits may call them trivial but unless these are subdued, more likely to me, YOIC is but another utopia)

1. Anyone is born creative! Believe it or not? Believe it. During my first lecture in an engineering course, one of my professors used to say that he gave us 100% marks for his subject in the first class, meaning, it is our responsibility, choices and actions that'll ensure what we'll get by the end of the semester. Taking that into account, I want to think that in life, being creative and innovative also imply the same way. Anybody, anywhere was given the same opportunity to be creative, it's a matter of whether one used it fully or nearly a scant 2 pounds. Creativity must not be limited to mere arts, musics, science and talents. There's much more rooms for it to expand - if we allow it to be. I'd rather say, trying something new and off-trend is creative & innovative in nature i.e. restraining yourself in using plastic bags while shopping is creative - you helped reduce amounting of non-biodegradable substance! Also, shutting down your PC while it's not operating is innovative - you shoot 2 birdies with a bullet! (you helped to conserve the depleting energy + somehow, you literally pro-long your lappy's lifespan. What's more creative than that?

2. Failure is also a result & yet, you ignore it? Most people look for perfection that failure is not an option anymore. I recalled, my supervisor always mentioned that; failure is also a result! That it should not be ignored because the fruits of innovation are the labors and the hard work you planted before old. Remember Thomas A. Edison? Ludwig V. Beethoven? Erwin Schrodinger? How many roads of failure they walked before gazing upon the interstate of successes? It's hard to swallow, but the truth is... sometimes, creativity & innovation came as a result of incessant failures. Should you fail next time, don't hesitate to admit it folks, who doesn't anyway?

3. The next time you see the door slide, it's not due to hungry ghosts whatsoever, it's the wind blowing. This is something bounded by cultures and traditions. Likewise, we are fond with taboos, do's and don'ts since childhood living in a culture that is special in it's own way. I'm not saying that one should abundant cultures & traditions to be creative & innovative. No. But, once in a while, why not get on with it? I mean i.e. why must relate a cracking sound under your bed with some petty ghosts playing Big 2 cards waiting for you to scare? It can be also due to rutting woods generated from your squirming movements and deformation of material due to temperature different (being exposed during day so, it's time to stretch back at night! You see, even nature needs a break)

4. You felt that you've done your thinking, think again! Sometimes, people can be ignorant. Hellishly ignorant. Just because you won some competitions back in school, doesn't mean that you have an IQ level the same of Einstein's. Let say, your parents are doctors, it doesn't means that you'll automatically be a doctor just like them. The word is AUTOMATIC! Should you wanna be like them, you'll NEED TO be a doctor NOT AUTOMATICALLY popped out & voila, doctor you are. Nope. It's like going to church doesn't make you a Christian, anymore than standing in a garage makes you car! That's our greatest lousiness of all: the intuition to think! And just for the record, thinking is the only job in the world that may sparks you millions (should your ideas are peachy) but cost you nothing instead free of charge. But why wouldn't we take thinking seriously? Because we're taught that everything can be made instantaneously. That's what we're lacking of - thanks to 'instant' mania. You know, instant noodles, instant drinks, instant deliveries, instant prescriptions... instant death!

To wrap up, wise man once said;"innovation & creativity at best are often momentary in nature". I'm gonna have to agree with that - Maybe yesterday, they were in The North Pole, but today they maybe in China and who knows, tomorrow they maybe just under your nose waiting for you to tap! Everyone has the equal rights to be creative & innovative and as always it begins with YOU. Yes, you.

Till the next postings.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Celebrating 1 year anniversary of As I See It. My utmost gratitude to all readers alike. My wish is that those pieces written here may become catalysts of change and beacons of truth over crooked misleading scribes.

Because I'd rather be in silence vice than cowering
in ostentatious virtues - DMBL.

LET ME SHOW YOU REAL SARCASM

As much as the hot weather is concerned, the atmosphere becomes worse as it is heated by the uncalled, condescending remarks by both Hani Tarmizi and Mohd. Samad who blatantly dissed Sarawakians by their words in Facebook.

Now, this is not the first time ever did I heard these kinds of wild remarks. I remembered when I first came to further study here in Peninsular, one of my friends asked me "How did you came here? By boat?"

Thinking that maybe everyone is still adjusting to the brand new university life as undergraduates, I let it passed. Then, surprisingly again during orientation week when we was having group discussion, he said "You are lucky to be here, if not, you wouldn't make it should you still live on trees in the jungle."

Again, thinking that it was a prank (you know, orientation) I simply ignored him. You see how considerate I am, after all, 1Malaysia kan? It is not until one day he blurted out that matter again that I can't stand it anymore - hot weather coupled with hot issue, behold the hot temper!

I poured it all out in front of him saying how 'uncivilized' he was until his face turned red. You know, it's somehow really irritating and appealingly unpleasant to be called 'kampung' by someone who's actually knows nothing about what he said and yet behaved like he's living hundreds of years ahead of time.

Yes, I am from a kampung, living all my life in a longhouse isolated deep inside a jungle, so what? The way I see it, it is this kampung boy who came from a longhouse as he said, is the one who clearly understand the concept of 1Malaysia as proposed by the PM, that is to stay united and UNDERSTAND each other by living in harmony, and he, being so-called civilized living in cosmopolitans, exposed to various type of hedonistic cultures don't? Who's the real 'kampung'?

Regarding the question of me coming here by boat, I think any sane person who IQ is competent enough to logically think, wouldn't ask this type of question at the first place. It really makes you fall short of the average human intelligence. Anybody who's ever travel outside would abruptly know that Sarawak is the home to the second biggest airport in Malaysia after KLIA. Yet, you said I came by boat. Clearly you never once took an airplane, I guess. Latin Americans still live in places like Grand Canyon and in Northern America, there are people settling in Alaska, does it means that United States of America uncivilized? Babo!

Back to these 2 fellas, here are their nasty remarks.




To an opportunist, these remarks are yet another tool to create the already taken place tension among the various ethnicity in Malaysia unless of course we make things right. To me, as the one of whom these words are directed, it's inevitably uncalled for and worthy of condemnation. Worse comes to worse, you posted them on a social network such as Facebook that connects millions of people in the globe, though it maybe said to be unintentional, isn't it done on purpose when it comes to social rights?

Now, I'm not labeling all Peninsular people are ignorant. Never. In fact, most of my friends are from peninsular and we make good buddies. I am by comparison only referring to these 2 and those who said "Oh, you're Malaysian, where are you from? Sarawak, is it part of Brunei?" whenever I told them I'm from Sarawak.

It makes me wonder and ponder in deep perusal, WHY did some of the Peninsular people (not all) keeps on calling that we are uncivilized, living in the jungle, hunting wildboars and still have weird cultures like The Na'Vi in the movie Avatar?

My Conclusion: People's perception!

1. Firstly is through education. I recalled the last time when I was in primary school learning Kajian Tempatan and Geography made me almost puke. Not because of the subject but due to the loop-sided information in it. Whenever, there's an information about Sarawak, the only things that been mentioned about were pictures of rumah panjang, headhunting activities, weird rituals etc. Never did I saw any striking building like The A Famosa, KL Tower etc. being printed in the textbook - leaving people to believe that there is none of such in Sarawak. So, every single primary school kids who read Malaysian Primary School Textbooks are made to believe in their mind that Sarawak is nothing but a bunch of rumah panjang, headhunters and eccentric ethnics' dwellers. I know the intention of the ministry is to promote diverse rich cultures in Sarawak (2 thumbs up) but once in a while why not pictures of modernization i.e. the capital city, places of interests and tourist spots? Why must all the time portraying the past?

2. Secondly is entertainment and commercial influences. Almost every time when there's an advert regarding Sarawak, the contents are most likely typical - that same advert always shows Dayaks in loincloth using Digi, pictures of Orang Utans & hornbills, people living in rumah panjang and Jessica Alba playing the role of a maiden in Sleeping Dictionary - But, that's not all. Where's the picture of UNIMAS, Sarawak Cultural Village which host the annual World Rainforest Festival (attracting more than 100,000 visitors), Waterfront, Highland of Bario (home to the infamous Bario Rice), Mulu National Park (melting pot of natural biodiversity & dubbed as the biggest cave in the world which can accommodate 40 Boeing 747 aircrafts), Kuching International Airport etc.? Why must every time these adverts keep on showing the dull side of the beautiful land? Instead of jungles why not once a while show something more realistic? Not that we don't have one!

3. Politics. I'm not going to talk about this here because politics is not my forte. I just want to ask this question: Where did the politicians (Sarawak indigenous leaders) - the one who is elected by the people to make their voices heard - cowering during this time when their support is much needed?

I'm not suggesting that the commercials industries to stop promoting Sarawak. No. I'm making myself clear that sometimes why not let people see it the other way round. Enough with jungles, isn't it time for something more realistic and aesthetical? And to those 2 ignorant scums, do plan a visit to Sarawak the next time before you comment because you know what, the state you are now makes you looks silly.

God's willing, maybe by that your perspectives towards us may thrive to greater heights. Because to be called savages when you are not, hurts.

Till the next postings.