Doing The Right Thing

Everyone of us would want to believe that we are doing the right thing.

As the saying goes, “All roads that lead to hell is paved with gold”.

Even when we see someone doing the wrong thing, that individual actually believes that the right thing is being done.

How about when we know what is the right thing to do but do not have the strength to do it?

The right thing to do is never easy.

It is usually the most difficult thing that we have to do.

All around us, the right thing, the right decision, is usually ignored and is not done.

How many times that we have bitched or complained that someone did not do the right thing?

It could be work or it could be personal.

At work it is easier to just follow orders than to stand up to management when a wrong decision is made.

It is easier to just keep a low profile than to voice out against any injustice, for fear of being blacklisted.

Is that how we want to live our lives?

Is that how we want to be remembered?

How about our personal lives?

Do we look away coldly when someone is in trouble?

Do we offer a hand of assistance to those in need?

Do we laugh at other’s misfortune?

The usual reason given is that we are not strong enough.

If everyone believes that they are not strong enough the world will be in chaos. (Not that its any better right now.)

Go on…. Do it! Just do it!

Take a stand. Do what is right.

Its never going to be easy, but trust me….. you will feel better about yourself.

Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow…. but 1 day, you will look back and smile to yourself, knowing that you did what needs to be done.

I Miss You

I miss you.

It has been more days that I can count since I last saw both of you.

It’s a torture for me not to be able to see you grow up.

Not there to share your life.

I miss your boundless energy.

I miss your unrelenting questions.

I miss your stubbornness.

I miss your mischief, your naughtiness, your nose kiss but most of all…..

I miss you in my arms.

Friends

Friends. *sigh*

If only you know how much I cherish you.

I have been brought up with a strong principle of loyalty.

Loyalty to your leaders and to your friends.

A strong sense of brotherhood and strong bonds that should never be broken.

I have never been officially inducted into a gang, but I am unofficially there because of my sense of justice and my willingness to get physical when situations warranted it.

I got into my first fight when I was 12 and my first gang fight when I was 14. Word got around and the next thing I know, seniors were bringing me with them whenever there was trouble involved.

I was never really a gang member because the two predominant gangs in my school was either Chinese or Malay. I am not Malay and neither am I truly a Chinese (in the eyes of other Chinese who doesn’t understand me)

I guess I compensated by joining lots of clubs and associations.

My first true and dearest friend is Ahmad Rashide.

He is the one that makes me understand the true meaning of friendship.

He is the kind of friend that you can talk to without having to say any words.

Our bond is so strong that no words need to be exchanged when we communicate.

Fate has it that he left for studies abroad. We lost contact after a few months of letter writing. (No emails were available then.)

Even now, I search for him on the internet.

There were lots of friends that came and left.

I would say they are mostly close acquaintances rather than friends.

Associates or acquaintances. People who are together because they are forced to be together. School mates, work mates, club mates, college mates…. all lost touch after I left.

“Friends” who betray you are not really friends.

We might think of them as friends but they do not see you in the same light.

“Friends” betray you because they wanted to become the drum major.

“Friends” betray you because they are interested in your girl friend.

“Friends” betray you because they believe in rumors instead of you.

“Friends” betray you because they are intimidated by you.

Been there, done that. That’s why I truly cherish real friends.

Friends who are there no matter where you are.

Friends who tell you off for not doing the right thing but still support you when doing the wrong thing.

I once was in charge of a group of young men and women.

We fought for what is right, we stood together to make sure that our department is not bullied.

We faced management as one when demanding our rights.

I thought they were my friends, but they turned their back on me when I was transferred to another department.

And to think that I shed a tear, when I was told that I had to leave the department.

I used to love them.

Its their loss.

Out of that horrible experience, true friends emerge.

Though we are no longer in the same organization, we always make sure we do things and go on holidays together.

Our friendship has been tested by betrayal, time and space.

My friends….

Dinesh

Haiza

Qamarul

Diane

Ghani

True deeds. True faith. True friends.

Alone

I grew up in a family that doesn’t show affection.

I know that my parents love me and I know that my brothers love me.

Just that we never say it or openly show it.

We don’t hug, kiss and come to think about it, there is no physical contact.

Strange, but that’s how we are.

Maybe that’s why I am awkward in social circles.

I don’t know how to act or behave.

I have always been a loner and have learned to love my own company.

Going out with friends, in a crowd full of people, dancing in a packed dance floor (yes, I used to dance a lot) I still feel alone.

It is not easy for me to connect. I try….. but usually I get bored then after.

The strange thing is that I am very popular in school and college.

I join a whole lot of clubs and associations.

I had a string of girlfriends. (yes, I fooled around when I was in college)

But I always long to be alone.

Alone in my thoughts, watching the world, just doing my own thing.

I love watching people, the way they behave, their interaction with each other…..

I now have a wonderful soul mate and a group of mates that I will die for.

But, there are still times, when I reminisce about the good old days when I was alone.

Someone told me that noone can be an island.

I beg to differ. *wink*

Ten Simple Rules for Dating My Daughter

Rule One:
If you pull into my driveway and honk, you'd better be delivering a package, because you're sure not picking anything up.

Rule Two:
You do not touch my daughter in front of me. You may glance at her, so long as you do not peer at anything below her neck. If you cannot keep your eyes or hands off of my daughter's body, I will remove them.

Rule Three:
I am aware that it is considered fashionable for boys of your age to wear their trousers so loosely that they appear to be falling off their hips. Please don't take this as an insult, but you and all of your friends are complete idiots. Still, I want to be fair and open minded about this issue, so I propose this compromise: You may come to the door with your underwear showing and your pants ten sizes too big, and I will not object. However, in order to ensure that your clothes do not, in fact, come off during the course of your date with my daughter, I will take my electric nail gun and fasten your trousers securely in place to your waist.

Rule Four:
I'm sure you've been told that in today's world, sex without utilizing a "barrier method" of some kind can kill you. Let me elaborate, when it comes to sex, I am the barrier, and I will kill you.

Rule Five:
It is usually understood that in order for us to get to know each other, we should talk about sports, politics, and other issues of the day. Please do not do this. The only information I require from you is an indication of when you expect to have my daughter safely back at my house, and the only word I need from you on this subject is "early."

Rule Six:
I have no doubt you are a popular fellow, with many opportunities to date other girls. This is fine with me as long as it is okay with my daughter. Otherwise, once you have gone out with my little girl, you will continue to date no one but her until she is finished with you. If you make her cry, I will make you cry.

Rule Seven:
As you stand in my front hallway, waiting for my daughter to appear, and more than an hour goes by, do not sigh and fidget. If you want to be on time for the movie, you should not be dating. My daughter is putting on her makeup, a process that can take longer than painting the Golden Gate Bridge. Instead of just standing there, why don't you do something useful, like changing the oil in my car?

Rule Eight:
The following places are not appropriate for a date with my daughter: Places where there are beds, sofas, or anything softer than a wooden stool. Places where there are no parents, policemen, or nuns within eyesight. Places where there is darkness. Places where there are dancing, holding hands, or happiness. Places where the ambient temperature is warm enough to induce my daughter to wear shorts, tank tops, midriff T-shirts, or anything other than overalls, a sweater, and a goose down parka - zipped up to her throat. Movies with a strong romantic or sexual theme are to be avoided; movies that features chain saws are okay. Hockey games are okay. Old folks homes are better.

Rule Nine:
Do not lie to me. I may appear to be a potbellied, balding, middle-aged, dimwitted has-been. But on issues relating to my daughter, I am the all-knowing, merciless god of your universe. If I ask you where you are going and with whom, you have one chance to tell me the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have a shotgun, a shovel, and five acres behind the house. Do not trifle with me.

Rule Ten:
Be afraid. Be very afraid. It takes very little for me to mistake the sound of your car in the driveway for a chopper coming in over a rice paddy near Hanoi. When my Agent Orange starts acting up, the voices in my head frequently tell me to clean the guns as I wait for you to bring my daughter home. As soon as you pull into the driveway you should exit your car with both hands in plain sight. Speak the perimeter password, announce in a clear voice that you have brought my daughter home safely and early, then return to your car - there is no need for you to come inside. The camouflaged face at the window is mine.

Think Before You Speak

Ever spoken and wished that you could immediately take the words back or that you could crawl into a hole? Here are the Testimonials of a few people who did.

FIRST TESTIMONY:
I walked into a hair salon with my husband and three kids in tow and asked loudly, "How much do you charge for a shampoo and a blow job?"
Hearing myself, I turned right around and walked back out and never went back. My husband didn't say a word ... he knew better.

SECOND TESTIMONY:
I was at the golf store comparing different kinds of golf balls. I was unhappy with the women's type that I had been using. After browsing for several minutes, I was approached by one of the good-looking gentlemen who work at the store. He asked if he could help me. Without thinking, I looked at him and said, "I think I like playing with men's balls."

THIRD TESTIMONY:
My sister and I were at the mall and passed by a store that sold a variety of candy and nuts. As we were looking at the display case, the boy behind the counter asked if we needed any help. I replied, "No, I'm just looking at your nuts." My sister started to laugh hysterically. The boy grinned, and turned beet-red and walked away. To this day, my sister has never let me forget.

FOURTH TESTIMONY:
While in line at the bank one afternoon, my toddler decided to release some pent-up energy and run amok. I was finally able to grab hold of her after receiving looks of disgust and annoyance from other patrons. I told her that if she did not start behaving "right now" she would be punished. To my horror, she looked me in the eye and said loudly in a voice just as threatening, "If you don't let me go right now, I will tell Grandma that I saw you kissing Daddy's pee-pee last night!" The silence was deafening after this enlightening exchange. Even the tellers stopped what they were doing. I mustered up the last of my dignity and walked out of the bank with my daughter in tow. The last thing I heard when the door closed behind me, were screams of laughter.

FIFTH TESTIMONY:
Have you ever asked your child a question too many times? My 3-year-old son had a lot of problems with potty training and I was on him constantly. One day we stopped at Taco Bell for a quick lunch in between errands. It was very busy, with a full dining room. While enjoying my taco, I smelled something funny, so of course I checked my 7-month-old daughter, and she was clean. Then I realized that Danny had not asked to go potty in a while, so I asked him if he needed to go, and he said "No". I kept thinking "Oh Lord, that child has had an accident, and I don't have any clothes with me." Then I said, "Danny, are you SURE you didn't have an accident?" "No," he replied. I just KNEW that he must have had an accident, because the smell was getting worse. So, I asked one more time, "Danny, did you have an accident?" This time he jumped up, yanked down his pants, bent over and spread his cheeks and yelled "SEE MOM, IT'S JUST FARTS!!"
While 30 people nearly choked to death on their tacos laughing, he calmly pulled up his pants and sat down. An old couple made me feels better by thanking me for the best laugh they'd ever had!

LAST TESTIMONY:
This had most of the state of Michigan laughing for 2 days and a very embarrassed female news anchor who will, in the future, likely think before she speaks. What happens when you predict snow but don't get any...? Here's a true story:
We had a female news anchor that, the day after it was supposed to have snowed and didn't, turned to the weatherman and asked "So Bob, where's that 8 inches you promised me last night?"
Not only did HE have to leave the set, but half the crew did, too – they were laughing so hard!

Changes

Some people fear change.

Some people want change.

Me? I am indifferent.

When I was in my early 20’s, I was already carving my name on the F&B scene. I had a nice little career in an international chain of restaurants. (Not a fast food chain)

Then my mum gave me some advice, if I want to try anything new, do it while I am young. It will be difficult once I get older.

I took her advice to heart and entered the field of sales and marketing. It was something that I dislike, but I wanted to master the art of selling. Change.

Career wise, I am always looking to change. I cannot sit still at a job for too long. I need challenges and I get bored easily. I need change.

Personality wise, I hate changes.

I know that there are times when one needs to change to be better but a lot of people change because they have to and not because they want to.

Once you get married, change.

Once you have kids, change.

That is why there is a high rate of divorce out there. People are changing because it is expected but not warranted. Changes that effects the behavioral instead of the mind. Some will cope while others will resent. Resentment built up over the years will cause the marriage to fail. By all means change, but don’t force the changes.

I have seen a lot of people change to appease their loved ones because they want to make their other half happy, but if your loved one does not accept you for who you are, he/she doesn’t deserve you. Go find someone who will love you for who you are.

How does a husband act? How is a father supposed to act?

Is there a guideline on how to be a husband or father?

Is it written in stone?

What is improper?

What is not right?

Why must husbands or fathers conform to the norms of society so that it is acceptable?

I have accessories on my fingers, ears and neck. Who says that it is not acceptable for a husband or father?

This is who I am.

No intention to change.

You get what you see.

I act and speak the same, whether I am at work or at play.

I am the same, whether I am a son, brother, husband, father or friend.

Take it or leave it! No changes for me!

Me, Myself and I

Some colorful names that I have been called….

Bastard. Asshole. Jerk. Sarcastic. Perverted. DumbAss. Moron. Crazy. Sadistic.

On the other spectrum, I am also called….

Nice. Soft Spoken. Kind Hearted. Sweet. Manja. Romantic.

Who am I? Am I a psychopath with dual personalities?

I have given RM5.00 to a stranger because he was down on his luck. Nothing to shout about, except for the fact that I had only RM10.00 to my name and have no idea when or where my next income is going to come from.

I have seriously caused bodily harm to another person just for the fun of it.

Do I need to categorize myself? Is it important that I have a label on what kind of person am I?

I am UNIQUE.

I am DIFFERENT.

I am who I am and I will NOT CONFORM!

My First Foray Into The Unknown.

My first blog.

My first entry.

My first time entering the arena of soul baring.

This is not easy, as I have mastered the art of never showing my emotions, never letting my feelings known, never letting anyone near enough…..

Even my loved ones gets to only peek at my inner turmoils.

Years of betrayal, back stabbing and hurting, it is time for the doors to my soul be opened.

I am scared because I don’t know what is going to be unleashed.