Tumbling down

Economics has never been my strong point. Sure, I did my MBA way back in 1995, and one of the subjects was economics. But to be frank, the subject is too subjective for someone who is used to handling chemicals, test tubes and the Bunsen burner in laboratories. Give me organic chemistry anytime.

Anyway, this past few weeks, our media has been running a lot of stories on Malaysia's impressive economic showing. There were people who are happy with these indicators. This is because Jack and Jill were both going up the hill. Nonetheless, there are detractors here and there in the blogosphere mainly who refute these claims as not painting the full picture. Sure, Jack and Jill went up the hill, but is there water on the hill that they can actually fetch?

However, I am no expert in economics. So, I take the figures as they are - simply, figures. For the figures to matter to the man on the street like me, they have to be translated into something that I can derive direct benefit from. For instance, my buying power, my income, my expenses, etc. So far, I have yet to "derive" any direct benefit from the figures that has been released periodically saying that the economy is good.

And of course, when the Chinese stock market tumbled as reported everywhere today, the regional economies feel its impact. Malaysian stock market also came tumbling down. Just asJack fell down, Jill also came tumbling after. It could have been worse if not for the institutional buying at the eleventh hour. While many people see this as worrisome, I for one am at least grateful that I wasn't affected directly because I am not an investor per se. But I do worry if this is a sign of worse things to come.

Things have been pretty much fluid and unpredictable these days. I hope that the powers-that-be know what they're doing because if the economy is run by Jack and Jill who only know Economics 101, then we're in trouble as things would surely come tumbling down.

But then again, who am I to comment. Like I said, I'm no economic expert.

Dilbert... the blog

One of my personal favourite comic strips is Dilbert. Its take on office politics and the corporate world is spot on. One can't help but giggle at the humour and sarcasm.

I chanced upon Scott Adams' blog the other day, and find it equally entertaining and thought-provoking. Scott Adams is Dilbert's creator. And if you like Dilbert, you'll enjoy Dilbert's blog.

10 years ago today...

...Dolly was born.

Dolly who? No, not Dolly Parton, though Dolly the cloned sheep was named after Dolly Parton (just in case no one knows).

Anyway, today marks the tenth anniversary of the birth of Dolly the cloned sheep. Read this article for further enlightenment on how this landmark in science brought out many a thorny ethical dilemmas and issues.

The very thought of cloning humans just give me the chills.

Back from the wild

I know... I know. I have been gone for almost 10 days without updating this blog. For those not in the know, I was away at a jungle camp with about 100 Japan-bound Malaysian students somewhere at the foot of Gunung Pulai in Johor. It was refreshing for me as the 3-day programme allowed me to get away for a while from civilisation and get up close with what nature has to offer. We left on Saturday morning and came back last Monday evening. It was tiring but fun and satisfying, to say the least.

Too bad no one remembered to bring the camera. Talk about getting away from it all. *Sigh*

Surreal day

Yesterday was surreal. When out of the blue, people from your past visit your present, it certainly brings about a difficult-to-picture feeling.

It all began yesterday afternoon when a former housemate who is now working in Kerteh dropped by to say hi. It was nice to see Azizi again after all these years. The last time I met him was in Kerteh many many years ago when I had a programme there.

Then hours later, things even got weirder. A reunion of sorts was planned at KLCC. My wife, my son and I went to KLCC to meet up with friends from days past. To be more precise, our school buddies, some of whom we haven't seen since 1991.

It felt as if suddenly our time from school suddenly collided with our lives today. It was an odd, but wonderful, feeling. Too bad it was only for a short while. At least, in that brief period of time, we managed to catch up, and of course, do the obligatory namecard exchange routine.

Time sure flies. I'm not sure how long it'd be before I bump into them again.

Musical interlude

Music is part and parcel of our lives. It livens our day. It colours our mood. It reflects our emotions. We can tell what someone is feeling from the music he or she plays frequently. Such is the power of music.

I find it hard to find songs that I like. For me a good song has to have a powerful melody and a meaningful lyric. I am sure that you'll agree if I say that there are not many good songs out there.

Back during my teenage years and student days, I used to like to listen to songs that somehow I could relate to. These songs somehow manage to pull my heart strings. But this was years ago.

Of late, I begin to listen to music again. I notice that good music would spark my creative juice (for writing). Like I said earlier, a good song has to have a powerful melody and a meaningful lyric. Currently Adibah Noor's "Terlalu Istimewa" and Samsons' "Kenangan Terindah" top my favourites list.

I am also trying to rekindle memories of yesteryear by trying to recall the songs I used to listen to when I was a student in the UK.

What are your favourites?

Update: Zetty suggested Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" and Muse's "Starlight". I had a listen to "You Raise Me Up" and realised it is one of my favourites from my past, only being sung by a new singer. Anyhow, I got this at YouTube.com and hope you all will enjoy this rendition.

It's out

I just received a call from my editor informing me that "Ombak Senja" - the novel I wrote - has been published and will be in the market very soon. Keep your eyes peeled for it.

Sedated view

Still down with the fever, cold and cough - but by no means am I out.

I just realised that for the past couple of weeks or so, I haven't been following much of the news. Sure, I read the newspapers, both the print and the online versions. Sure, I watch the news on tv whenever I'm at home at that time. But that's just about it. If I read the news, it's more like browsing and glancing, rather than actually reading, thinking and analysing. If I watch the news, it's more like waiting for the advertisements to come in, rather than focusing on what's going on in the world. This explains why my blog entries of late have not touched too much on current issues.

Indifference? Apathy? I don't know.

I feel that I am tired of the "same old, same old" stuff on tv. Watching or reading the news these days feels like following an elaborated Latin American soap opera which is scripted and predictable. For example, on the local front, you could guess what the authorities response would be when faced with criticisms. On the international front meanwhile, you could guess what Dubya would say about Iraq or Iran.

Of course, some would say that we now have the new media. For the uninitiated, this refers to the news carried by bloggers. I must admit I do follow some of these blogs, though not religiously. The difficulty I have with blogs are trying to differentiate between factual postings and emotional postings. Another problem I have with blogs is not the blog postings or the bloggers, but the comments from visitors who can be quite immature, emotional and irrational. But then people would argue, that's what free speech is all about. I would beg to differ a little however. While I am all for freedom of speech, I am also a believer in wisdom of speech. The freedom should be coupled with wisdom so that we would not be immersed in emotions and rhetorics.

Oh, well. Enough ramblings for today. Apologies for the rather different flavour in my musings today. As I am a bit sedated at the moment, I'll blame today's entry on my medication.

Bugged

Can't recall the last time I wasn't well. For the past few days, I have fever, cough and cold - which is really bugging me. It's difficult to stay focused because of the effects of medication.

Having said that, I can't afford to slow down. A lot of things need to be settled by the weekend. I have several meetings and discussions to attend, a talk to give on Friday, a course to coordinate on Sunday, and as blogged yesterday, a big decision to be made.

Funny thing is, when faced with a barrage of things to do, even this concoction of fever, cough and cold isn't slowing me down.

Diverging paths

Funny sometimes when you think about life. The unexpected twists and turns that you have to go through will usually leave you unprepared for what's coming next. No matter how much you plan your future, you'll find that you have to deal with the unexpected.

I am now standing at a diverging path. Should I continue the path I am on now? Or should I take the road less travelled?

I did not seek to be at this juncture. It literally just appeared. And what happens next will entirely depend on my decision.

Seven years ago today

It was 7 years ago today that I tied the knot with my lovely wife, Norhana. We have been blessed with a happy marriage and our lives have been made that much more interesting with the birth of our son in 2005. For this, I am very grateful, and I look forward to the years ahead.

Lavender wedding

Last Saturday, my wife and I attended a wedding reception. We received the invitation from En. Ibrahim Apandi (my student advisor in UK). His son was tying the knot, and the reception was held Dewan Perdana Felda.

Naturally, as En. Ibrahim is a manager in Petronas, I would bump into my friends from my Glasgow days. It was nice to see these familiar faces again. Hakimi and his wife Dr Eytaa, Hakim and his wife Dem, the ever-eloquent Taufik a.k.a. Boonz, Dr. Reezal and his wife Nira, and Dr. Aida Harlina. These were all my contemporaries in Glasgow. Some, like Dr. Reezal and Nira, I haven't seen since their wedding many years ago.

It struck me that these days it's getting more difficult to meet people from this particular era of my life. When I chatted with Taufik who was seated next to me, it dawned on me that I've basically lost track of many of my friends who were with me in Glasgow. I do occassionally bump into them from time to time, either at KLCC or functions such as weddings. Truth be told though, these days weddings are getting few and far between.

It was fun catching up with these friends of mine, albeit the time spent was brief. While enjoying the food, we took the opportunity reminiscing and laughing at the past.

All in all, I had a good time at the wedding. The theme was lavender. The atmosphere was grand. All these, in the company of old friends.

To the newlyweds, Switzwan and Marzuin, congratulations.

And to my old friends, don't be a stranger.