Get A Backbone!! Aren't We Vertebrates?!!

I just had the unfortunate luck to accidentally watch a few minutes of local drama on the tv this evening. There was this scene when a freshman was viciously bullied by a couple of senior students. No body contact, just a lot of abusive and degrading word exchange. The bullied boy just cringed and made pitiful faces at his tormentors.

I just had to shout this aloud (in front of my mom, who loves that muck of a programme) "SPINELESS FOOL!!!"

I remembered my first year in the university. We also had a tough orientation, but as a surprisingly 'different-minded' individual, those senior buffoons just gave me a wide berth. Nope, I wasn't so highly brilliant they were afraid to mock, I was just, oh you can say, very hard to intimidate.

Once in a late evening, the seniors called all freshmen to attend a meeting in the common room. It ended up being a waste of sleeping time, the bloody fools just wanted an audience for them to talk and ramble about non-specific things. And I had my fill, stood up and just left the place, returned back to my room and sleep. My idiot peers stayed and endured the torture until 4.00 in the morning.

The next day, a few seniors confronted me in the cafeteria, asking why I left so early. I just look at their faces and then made sweeping glances to their feet and back to the faces. Thrice. I said I was not that stupid to receive advice from average students. I am my own man. I do not need your help.

One of them tried to lunge at me. I just smiled and told him that I am aware that the campus had no fighting cases reported for a very very long time. He would do well to remember that, and I added a proverb in Malay (translated); "Before kicking a dog, look out for its master". (Meaning, before harming someone, you must be aware of his parents / guardians).  

I was left well alone after that. Infamous. Some of my friends said I was a fool to shun help from the seniors as they can provide notes of coming lectures and exams. I had help from the seniors all right, without them knowing. I befriended the Chinese students instead (they never bully each other) and got tonnes of notes from my new best friends. Que sera sera.

My university years were indeed colourful. Next time I might tell you people how I got kicked out of campus and almost made national news! :)  

Of Communism and Hans Christian Andersen

I was reading the newspaper this morning (Ok ok, I am STILL avoiding tv news) - "Govt Will Not Allow Chin Peng To Return." He is the former Communist Party of Malaya leader, and was considered a great threat to the country during the Emergency 1948 - 1981. Mr ex-Communist was deported out of Malaysia several years ago and now some idiot of a politician is trying to bring him back because "he no longer posed a threat and as such the government should consider allowing him to return on humanitarian grounds".

I call that a tasteless sort of joke. This man and his minions had killed so many people during their insurgence, terrorized the country and that successfully put himself into the darkest annals of Malaysian history. Why suddenly you want to come back after the long exile? Feeling old and suddenly missing the Motherland? Go and bite the dust Chin Peng!

Personally, communism IS NOT really a bad idea from what I have read (before and now). 

"Communism in the Marxian (1848) sense refers to a classless, stateless and oppression-free society where decisions on what to produce and what policies to pursue are made democratically, allowing every member of society to participate in the decision-making process in both the political and economic spheres of life." - Wikipedia   [See what I mean?]

UNFORTUNATELY, people drifted from this pure ideology of communism, and only a select few dictates the fate of the majority, which is very very bad decision. Hurm, I will not pursue this topic further or some might get the idea that I am supporting communism in this fair country.

Anyway, I finished reading a fairy tales book by Christian Anderson (the unabridged edition). Long ago I read about the Brothers Grimm, they collected folk tales from the German people and compiled them in a book. Most of the stories are not suitable for younger children - all about blood, death, deceit and evil plots. My fav author also mentioned in one of his books that fairy tales were indeed about 'blood (violence) and sex'. This is VERY true. So please slap yourself in the face and read the original fairy tales, not the short and revised versions for children under 5.

When a hero fell in love with a beautiful girl he met somewhere in the woods - Isn't that about lust-at-first-sight @ sex? How can a mermaid have sex with a young and handsome prince? So the slut had her fishtail exchanged with a pair of legs (sounds like a very bad joke). The SCANDAL! All because of so called-love (not)!

We have read the many abuse Cinderella ('Ashputtel' in original German) endured because she was meek and timid - violence. How about Jack who felled the beanstalk, the bloody thief who just added murder (of the poor giant) and environment destruction (the beanstalk) to his credo? Jack is a TERRORIST, people!!

Don't tell me you enjoyed reading about his adventures (in the land above the clouds, via magic beanstalk) and actually thought of his theft of the golden harp and the hen that laid golden eggs as righteous!! PLEASE feel sorry for the big and ugly giant who fell to his death because of this evil and VIOLENT kid. Big and ugly does not mean you are evil. *snif*

I hope this short entry can open up your mind to the truths about fairytales.    

p.s.

- I pity Sauron from 'Lord of the Rings', he had waited hundreds of years for his ring, which was stolen-by-force from him. Tch tch tch. And you wonder why I want the Shire to burn? :) Oh and I hope I am not offending anyone with this post. Just trying a new spectrum of writing here.

                                                          The horny little bi**h of the sea.

The Real X-Files (Because Inky Asked Me To Tell)

I never met a real ghost, evil spirits or any type of friendly poltergeist (or not). But I had experienced two unexplained phenomena when I was like 9 or 10 years old, in my primary school compound, a long long time ago. But those memories will never fade, because they are authentic paranormal activities. 

1. The Brownish Flying Thing

My mom was a library teacher in the same school I attended. So she would spend extra long time in the library after school to do stock checking or whatever librarians did at closing time. I would be left alone amusing myself around school, and I must stress this - ALONE. Nobody in the right mind would loiter around when school is out, right? But I had to, because my mom drove me home.

So one very hot afternoon, I was walking around the deserted classroom block and found a broomstick lying against the wall by a corner. I gave the broom a kick and walked around the corner to get to the library. As I was walking and feeling so sorry about myself (because I was so damn bored) something flew from behind, went past me and zoomed at incredible angle at the far corner of the building - out of sight.

Immediately I gave chase because, even at a very young age, I was a rabid monster and loved to catch and torture birds. I went around the building twice, and - zoom! There it was again, flying so fast from behind and turned at the other corner of the building. I was angry because this huge long and brown bird seemed like to mock me, by flying so close - it almost touched me. I kept on running to catch that damn animal.

I was sweating and panting when I gave up chasing the accursed flying creature. Then I realized that I was standing at the same spot I kicked the broomstick off the wall. The broomstick wasn't there anymore...  And it occured to me that the flying thing I was chasing was too long and too big to be a mere bird. I told my mother about it and she said I was storytelling. Erm...  

2.  The Red Beyond The Fence

The second incidence happened at the school field, very late in the afternoon, at the end of our Sports Day. I was cute, with Damien-like haircut and was dreadfully bored at the edge of the field because I HATED sport (and still am). My friends and teachers were having a good time shouting and screaming at a football match which I never bother which team vs which team.

So I walked to the wire fence at the end of the school's field and peered into the gloom. At that time, there were still huge rubber trees with dense bushes underneath growing beyond the fence. In the dim light, I saw crude tombstones underneath and among the bushes. I had to look carefully, and there were a lot of them. Nope, I was not afraid of graves if you wonder.

Then something dropped from above and fell in front of me, beyond the fence. A drop of dark red fluid. I wasn't alarmed because I thought maybe some bird was shitting up there. Then, the red liquid began to drop like crazy on the leaves of the bushes in front of me - very convincing, and if I know much better, the special effect was an honour to Grade-A horror movies. (At that age, I never watched any scary movies yet).

This specific rain of red stuff got me frowning and I peered up in to the trees. Nothing. There was nothing in the gloom to be the source. I was thinking that maybe the gardener had pitched some leftover red paint in the bushes... but heck, I know what red paint looked like. And these drops looked like blood... I wasn't screaming or doing sissy things actors do in a scary movie, ok!

A friend shouted my name, asking me to walk back with him. I left the fence, walked to my mom's car and as usual, not telling her about it.

But the next day I asked an older Chinese male teacher who had a shine on me (ultimate teacher's pet, remember?) about the tombstones in the bushes, beyond the fence. He said that the graves belonged to British and Japanese soldiers who fought a battle at the very site, way before Independence. Grave sharing - gosh!

Now the tombstones are no more, and two flats for teachers are now in place.

So folks, there you have it, two real paranormal events I experienced myself. Please do not insult your own intelligence by asking; hey, wasn't ghosts supposed to go out at night? A real occultist will tell you that spirits are more prone to roam during extreme hours of the day, like twilight, dusk and 12 o'clock in the afternoon. Midnight is actually quite safe!

Now Inky, tell me what you have seen that is out of this world.

p.s. - some of you might not believe me. But seriously, I was fearless as a child. The only things I was scared of were shiny sharp objects and my father.

'Sissy' Teachers and Stupid Students.

I was in school this morning, after 3 days absence, attending that STUPID camping program I told you guys about. There are two things I wish to share with you, about the two incidences today, which some might say rather petty, but are really close to my heart.

1st Incidence.

I am usually punctual, arriving on time to the Science lab. I make it a habit to let my students see me walking purposely to the lab, so they know I am waiting and would be rather nasty if they are late (I like to give warnings first, remember?).

As I was walking by the classroom block, I saw a practical teacher entered my students' class, 2E. I continued to the laboratory and after a few minutes of waiting, only a few students arrived.

"Where are the rest of you?"

"They are still in the class sir."

???  "You did see me walking past your class, didn't you?"

"Yes we did. But the other boys and girls said they wanted to be with the relief teacher. They say you are absent today."

[Shadowthorne the Dragon emerged]

"WHAT?!!! Go tell them if they are not here in two minutes, I'll rip them in half," pointing to a student. "And send my regards to that teacher." (in a calmer tone)

 

The rest of the students trooped in. I berated them for 15 minutes, cursing their lack of insight and their tendency to play around, which would lead to a very very bleak future.

But personally; I kind of like it - they fear me.

2nd Incidence.

I was teaching in another class (2C) at 1.20 pm when the Head Department of Language entered and asked my permission to talk to my class. She said one particular male practical teacher was having a bad time teaching the class. She said the teacher reported that the class was always rowdy and difficult to teach. The next time the teacher enters, she would expect cooperation from the students and would call the names of the stubborn ones during assembly.

And then she left.

I was thinking.... WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE NEW TEACHERS?! What you expect from students today? To sit calmly and demurely while you teach? Even I, one of the most brutal teachers in the school, got a few things to straightened up before beginning a lesson.

I remembered when I was a practical teacher in 2003, teaching in a lab, next to a basketball court. Imagine the noise and the distraction me and my students had to endure whenever some classes having PE. When my professor monitored me one day (during the same noise-storm from the basket-ball court, complete with the balls banging on the lab's windows!) he mentioned at the end of the class that he had never seen such an iron-fist grip a teacher had over his students in a very difficult situation. I was able to make the students giving their fullest attention to me admist the chaos just outside the lab. I was proud of myself...

So back to the original story. This particular practical teacher is rather cute (it's never wrong to admit another guy is cute, ok?) and he's an Army Cadet instructor! But to be a snitch was the last thing I expect from him. If you cannot face the music (or the students) just wail and go back to your mother!

We need more strong and dedicated teachers - not crybabies!  

Among Dead Kings and Mythic Legends.

I was whisked away by two older relatives to visit their brethren somewhere in Permatang Pasir, Selangor. The journey took us 2 hours from my home, and fortunately I didn't have to drive along unfamiliar roads. I slept (or feign sleep) the whole trip.

This is the view of the lush jungle right in front of the house whose family we visited. This is one of the prettiest vegetations group I ever seen (and I have seen a lot, since posted in Borneo).

This is an inside view of Sultan Abdul Samad Mousoleum near Jugra. I was actually impressed to know that our host was actually a descendant of the royal family (she pointed to her grand dad's tomb, great uncles etc.)

 Ah, and guess what is it about the rock above? It's ANOTHER footprint of the legendary Hang Tuah there in Selangor. (Others are in Melaka and Penang). The print was huge, embedded on the rock. There was even a small temple next to it (with people burning incense and paper money).

And this is Istana Bandar, a mini palace built around 1903. I don't know which Sultans lived here and I don't care. But its rather pretty and I was told that it got gallows and a 'batu hampar' (beheading stone). How cool! And it is now currently under restoration.

This trip is indeed an education. Old Malay Sultanates Rules! (Or rather RULED!)