Accidentally Patriotic
Back in 9 July 2011 as Malaysia had one of the biggest rallies in the nation’s history, I was more than 4,000 miles away rallying for the same cause. I stood at Federation Square, Melbourne, Australia with hundreds of other Malaysians and well-meaning supporters. This marks the first time I was ever involved in anything politically motivated.
My friends asked me to be there. With little to do, I decided to go just to see what it was all about and joined the hype. Being in Melbourne mostly for holiday and to visit my sister, rallying is unexpected on my itinerary. None the less, I woke up earlier than usual, crossed the Yarra River, and walked up to a crowd of yellow holding up banners – one reads “This is a stupid yellow sign”. Indeed.
At first I was less than motivated, standing at the edge of the crowd and wanting to leave. But I stayed because one of my friends was really into it. One after another, people of some importance that I did not know gave their thoughts through a megaphone. “Great”, I mumbled sarcastically. But for reasons unknown to me then, I was drawn closer and closer to the front and before I knew it, I was mere feet away from the speaker.
Something in me flared up and I do not know what. I did not agree with most of the things they said nor can I hear them speak clearly but I stayed. There is a rush of emotion in me which I can only explain that is a mixture of proudness, pride, sense of self worth, love of country, duty and patriotism. What was it I am feeling that welled up my heart?
For the most of my life, I was many things but patriotic is not one of them. At a very young age I wanted to migrate to where I thought I would belong. I thought that Malaysia would only be a temporary location before I take a plane and book it out of here. And to be honest, I haven’t changed my mind at all. But what I learned is that no matter where I decided to live my life, I can’t choose where my life started.
We can’t choose what we were born into; just like how I can’t choose to be born unbelievably stunning good looking with the intelligence of Einstein. But what we can do is to be proud of who we are. And I am, with all honesty and pride, proud to be a Malaysian. Despite all the unfortunate and bad things that happened to my country, I know that many feel the same way too. There was this Malaysian student beside me who got so worked up and just went up and gave an impromptu speech. So I know I was not alone to feel that way.
I made the right decision to be at the rally and it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. I was happy that I am a part of something that is much bigger than me. Young and old, members of different race and religion, we all stood among each other for a common cause. Before this, I never identified myself so much as a Malaysian before.
However, let’s not be naive. Just because thousands went to the street, things won’t change overnight. Do we really think that this is enough? Our voices are heard but will they listen? We made a stand but will they bend?
The people that went out on the 9 July were merely a manifestation of what we are unhappy about. And if we are truly unhappy of how things are, should we not continuously try to improve our current situation? No, I am not asking you to go out and rally again. Insanity is, after all, doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. What I believe we should work on is to let our unhappiness to manifest into different forms that will aid in the continuous desire for change.
I did not read a single news piece and watch a video of what happened in order to not pollute myself before writing this. I would like this to be my personal account unbiased of judgements and unaffected by opinions. The reason for this is because I don’t want myself to be fired up nor be cynical by other people.
Let this not be a one day thing. Don’t cling onto it just because it was a hot topic and there is nothing to talk about. Be consistent with your outrage and be consistent with your desires. And it is this consistency that I believe that would make or break it.
At the end of the rally, we sang the national anthem. Never really wanted to sing it during my school assemblies, this is the first time in my life that I was so proud to sing Negaraku. So are my friends with me then, and so are the guys to my left and to my right. I can see it in their eyes, as they can see it in mine.
That Saturday is not about going outside and showed you care. That Saturday is about an idea. The idea does not exist on its own but lives in the minds of many. The idea is not about yellow, red or black. The idea transcends race, religion and age. The idea was here before and will surpass us after we are long gone. The idea can be suppress and banned but never dies.
Post with 1 note
O maiden, thy maiden
Below is inspired by Juliet’s monologue, in Romeo and Juliet, “O Romeo, Romeo”.
O maiden, thy maiden, wherefore art thou thy fairest maiden,
Deny thy travels and refuse thy school,
Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,
And thine happiness is eternal.
‘Tis but thy future that is my uncertainty,
Never mind the unavoidable, for thou needs to go,
By any distance would thy love be undying,
And for thy love, all thou owes,
A single kiss on a darling night.
For you my darling.
Five Fun Activities in Taylor’s Lakeside Campus
The lakeside campus is huge! A trip from the academic block to the commercial area is good enough to make you sweat. There are plenty of eateries to choose from and even a few bistros where you could enjoy a cold beer under the afternoon sun. But alas, too much of the same thing gets boring after awhile – not to mention you will probably be stuck in the campus for most of the day.
You can be at the student life centre watching other students hog over the foosball, pool and table tennis table. Or you can play some board games which you and your friends would probably not end up finishing and cursing at each other the entire time. Worry not however, below is some unconventional activities you never thought you could do in campus.
Driving Range
This lakeside campus is really an architecture marvel. Not only being able to accommodate thousands of people, the campus is littered with lush greeneries. It is a real pity to see all those perfect lawn go to waste. So grab your Iron 7, a bag of golf balls, head to the patches of grass facing the lake which act as a driving range and start practicing your swing. There is really no satisfaction like hitting the ball perfectly into the water hazard.
Hypothermic Experience
The library is a great place to study for the finals and experience near hypothermia. Many people drive all the way up to Genting just to enjoy the chilly air but little did they know the same experience can be felt in our own lakeside library! The trick is to forgo the jacket, head to the highest floor and sit under the ventilation. Within minutes you can barely feel your fingers and start losing consciousness.
Rain Dodging
It might come as a surprise to you that there aren’t any proper roofing system to shelter you when it is raining cats and dogs. Figuring that a lot of money has went into building the campus, you wonder if it is done deliberately. But this is actually a great opportunity to play rain dodging. Not only do you have to look out for the rain above, you need to watch your step as almost the entire floor is flooded. When it pours, you can see a lot of people are participating in this game! Everyone is trying to squeeze through a narrow path or some nooks and crannies just to avoid the rain. However, it almost requires the swiftness of a ninja to stay completely dry.
The Lakeside Drive
Parking in lakeside received a lot of bad rep. But to be honest, with a positive attitude it can be hell of a fun. The idea is to not look for a parking but take the scenic route around lakeside; circle around the campus, visiting each of the parking zones as you go by. It is not the destination but the journey that matters; stop and smell the roses! As you are driving around, look out the window and enjoy the scenery! My personal record for circling the campus is 56 times; I was 3 hours late for class.
Petting Zoo
With the hustle and bustle of campus life, it is easy to lose touch with nature. Luckily for us, there are herds of cows and packs of dogs, which make for an impromptu petting zoo. Since when was the last time you went to the zoo? Stay in touch with your nature side by visiting the passing cows and dogs. Come early in the morning to campus to have the smell of the cattle faeces smack straight up your nostril.
Note: Obviously, this is meant to be a satire and is not meant to be followed. Please do not play golf and pet the cows and dogs, it is really dangerous.
I’m so lazy I avoid putting task down on my to do list just so I get the illusion I don’t have anything to do.
How to Piss in Public
A how-to video on pissing in public. From pissing into a cup to pissing while walking. And a solution to urinary arrogance.
Video with 1 note
Full video of LCD Soundsystem’s last show in Madison Square Garden on 2nd April. It is three hours and 43 minutes long. I had been enjoying their music for awhile now, especially ‘New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down’. It was a shock to hear that they won’t be playing again anymore.
Set 1:
2:10 Dance Yrself Clean (with “I’m Not In Love” by 10cc intro)
12:40 Drunk Girls
17:09 I Can Change
23:45 Time To Get Away
28:16 Get Innocuous!
35:18 Daft Punk Is Playing At My House
41:45 Too Much Love
46:53 All My Friends
55:30 Tired (with “Heart of the Sunrise” by Yes snippet)
—
Set 2:
45:33 Part One
45:33 Part Two (w/ Reggie Watts)
Sound of Silver
45:33 Part Four
45:33 Part Five (w/ Shit Robot)
45:33 Part Six
Freak Out/Starry Eyes
—
Set 3:
1:54:39 Us v Them
2:04:00 North American Scum (with Arcade Fire)
2:11:45 Bye Bye Bayou (Alan Vega cover)
2:16:30 You Wanted A Hit
2:24:07 Tribulations
2:29:15 Movement
2:33:48 Yeah (Crass Version)
—
Set 4:
2:45:30 Someone Great
2:53:06 Losing My Edge (With “Da Funk” by Daft Punk snippet)
3:03:36 Home
—
Set 5:
3:15:53 All I Want
3:22:18 Jump Into the Fire (Harry Nilsson Cover)
3:30:30 New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down (with “Twin Peaks Theme” by Angelo Badalamenti intro)
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