'Tis the season!

"Cheer up, cheer up!
Put on d highest gear.
Gotta catch up
with Santa's deer."

-My Baby, 2006

K for K, 2006.

Consistent is the main...

"Consistent I remain,
Content must be maintain,
Intend to retain
Send everyone home in pain."

-My Boo, tribute to my Magic: The Gathering hobby, 2006.

By request from cRyLe, Happy Feet review:
Happy Feet, Happy Feet... as the name of the movie implies, it will surely make you happy and have you tapping your feet to the beat which is no small feat (Hey hey, rhymes!). From the incredibly realistic animation to the adorable cutie pie baby penguins to the 5 Amigos to the edge of your seat slide-and-chase scenes, Happy Feet has got it all. Like a heartsong, this movie will not only make you laugh; it will tug at your heartstrings too. There are great morals to be learnt from this movie too. So to find out what will make you laugh, learn and leave teary-eyed, well, then you've gotta go catch this movie now!

Teaser pic:

K for Kwan, 2006

Jump and move and jump and move and...

Happy Feet out TOMORROW!!!!!



H for Happy
F for Feet




K for Kwan, 2006

Teaser tapper

Little over 1 week more to go!




K for Kwan, 2006

Welsh Corgi pup

So very very very cute and adorable.
P.S. Pomeranians are equally as cute and adorable.




K for Kwan, 2006

Think tank

"Sometimes I don't think,
Sometimes I can't control what I think,
The thing is the think,
Makes me think about everything."

-My Boo, 2006

K for Kwan, 2006

Reflections in our eyes

"Clear blue sky reflected in my eyes,
Not a cloud I see,
Miserable we will never be,
Only regret.. I woke up late,
Wish I have more time on a day like this."

-My Boo, 2006

*Btw, Happy Feet is releasing on Novemburrr 16th over here in Malaysia (17th is the US release). So mark your calendars, the time to jump 'n move is soon!*

The following is a stressed out friend's poem contribution:
"Sun shining right in my eyes,
And neither is there a cloud in sight,
Cold and dry as it'll always be,
So am I as stressed as stress can ever be."

-cRyLe, 2006

K for Kwan, 2006

Quiet Saturday

Zits by Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

Leiser Samstag
"The air is loud with silence,
Today's Zits comic my feelings my thoughts,
My actions regarded as insolence,
My mistakes neither forgiven nor forgot.

High expectations you've set,
You don't expect much less,
Am I just a safety net?
All I could do was guess,

Looking into your eyes,
Hearing your voice,
Makes me smile, no more sighs,
The natural reaction of choice.

I think of you constantly,
Be on my best behaviour,
Want you right here next to me,
I want to be your savior."

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

A buzz of activity on my blog today (more than the usual 1 post a month :p). The old tagboard decided to die out, so added a new one courtesy of ZY and Cbox. Check out the new Happy Feet section. Can't wait for the movie to come out, 33 days and counting. ^_^
That's it for now, I've gotta finish off my fruits. (Eating oranges is a 2-handed routine for me)
Remember, remember the 17th of Novemburrr...


K for Kwan, 2006.

Mid-Autumn Festival 2006: Mooncakes, lanterns & haze...

"Boo is on the way to play lantern,
Under the big round moon,
Just like small children,
And finish all the mooncake very soon."

-My Boo, 2006

Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

The Star Online: Citizen's Blog (5th Batch)

These are the 5th batch of posts I submitted to The Star Online's Citizen's Blog. Returned to blogging there. Grab a look, have a nice day!

Title: More than just 2 cents: A lesson to be learnt. (Published)
Content:
The news is there, the news is here, news is really everywhere. Instead of bickering over the internet with one another or merely critisizing domestic and global happenings at the local watering hole, why don't we take a moment to consider what we can learn from all these events. Better yet figure out a way to solve, prevent or eliminate whatever that ails our home, Earth, totally.
Everyday we read about or watch about pollution, wars, hunger, domestic and international strife, etc, the list goes on. However, do you not realize that these are the same problems that have plagued us for decades?
Granted some problems can't plausibly be solved by a single individual, but with enough people collectively putting our hearts, minds and effort into a task, anything is possible! Simple solutions have been suggested over the years, to certain problems, that can be executed by us on the individual level. Take for example the problem of pollution. A solution many times heard, carpooling. When we carpool, not only do we reduce the number of smog-emitting vehicles on the road, the use of fossil fuels reduces as well. That's killing 2 birds with 1 stone.
Another is holding monthly neighbourhood clean-ups, or also known as gotong-royong in our local community. Not only will this ensure a cleaner, safer and healthier environment to live in, it will also foster better family and neighbourhood ties as everyone joins together in this relationship bonding activity.
Furthermore, a big pat on the back for the organization of family runs, charity runs, marathons and so on. These events double-up as family togetherness time as well as encourage the society to be more active and exercise.
Those that were just suggested are merely actions that we can take and make happen. Add them to others, like donating blood, neighbourhood watch, and partake in charity for example, there are many things that we can do to make the world that we live in a better place than before.
A little goes a long way towards learning the lessons to be learnt.


Title: Treasures of the sea turned dinner dish. (Published)
Content:
It is totally disheartening to read in the papers about the sale of turtles by traders, be it baby turtles or the eggs. How cold-hearted can a person be to even consider cooking turtles as a dish at the dinner table. Those tiny helpless creatures already have to contend with the natural predators for survival in the wild. But when now humankind start dining on them, the turtle species are being pushed to extinction!
Aren't turtles supposed to be a protected species? Even though it is reported that traders supposedly now only sell imported eggs, imported ones are still turtles eggs by any other name. Turtles belong in the wild and there they should be, not in a frying pan. Eating turtles makes it no different from devouring other wild animals, like the Civet cat which supposedly resulted in the 2003 SARS outbreak.
That should be a sign that some things are just not meant to be eaten. The turtle, a national symbol that will soon only be seen on commemorative coins and stamps. So think of the innocent lives within each turtle egg the next time you consider buying and eating them.
Like the saying: When the buying stops, the killing can too.


Title: Big Brother is watching... for a good cause. (Published)
Content:
Upon reading about the go-ahead for the Automated Enforcement System (AES), it is a commendable move by the Transport Ministry and the Cabinet. The potential benefits posed by the implementation of such a system truly outweighs any bad points it might have. The death toll from road accidents is frighteningly alarming. Therefore such a move to curb and stem the fatality rate from further increasing is absolutely most welcome by the public.
The AES should complement nicely with the community service reminders over the media regarding road safety. In our stressful daily grind, we must not forget our own safety as well as others we put at risk by speeding and performing reckless road maneuvers. Remember the saying: Slow and steady wins the race.
Based on the successful implementation of the AES in other countries, the statistics showed very encouraging results. A 30% to 40% decrease of accident and fatality rates is nothing to be laughed about. Based on the last year's total road deaths, such a decrease could amount to between 1,800 to 2,500 lives saved!
Big Brother is watching, but this time for a good cause. As usual when a new electronically based system is put in place, there are bound to be glitches. However here's to hoping that this system works out as expected, for safer and accident-free motoring in the future.


Title: Good cop/Bad cop. (Published)
Content:
In light of the recent uproar over the meager pay of our law enforcement officers, this article found when browsing through the papers really showcases the severity of the situation: "Cop moonlights as thief".
As the article mentioned, moonlighting is not uncommon. To cope with the live-by-the-paycheck way, taking a part-time job is a method to better support the family at home by finding more sources of income. However when a policeman turns into a thief, society must stop and seriously look into this matter. The low pay received by the men in uniform has pushed them to the extent of breaking the law they swore to uphold!
The particular policeman have been at this for the past year, committing more than 40 snatch cases. Shocking as it is, the consequences are real. It is only human nature to push back when backed into a corner. Do we want this to be a norm of society? Who are we to trust if by day a good cop, then by night a bad criminal?
This really is a scary thought. Something must be done to curb such a situation from occuring in the future. So help alleviate our police forces' standard of living, remove the need to moonlight. Setting up legal avenues of attaining side-income would be a welcome solution to such a situation.
Furthermore, providing special education scholarship to their children is a way to lift some weight off their shoulders. Giving them peace of mind would in turn allow the cops to better focus on keeping our neighbourhoods safe, sound and secure.


Title: Cooperate to breathe easy.
Content:
Year in and year out we are dogged by the haze problem. The biggest contributor to the air pollution in this region are the forest fires in Indonesia. As caring neighbour countries, other members of ASEAN should pitch in help to curb this yearly event. Even airplane flights have been cancelled in the state of Kuching where visibility level in the state capital dropped to 500m!
Vantage points of help can be from monetary, technology and/or manpower. Whatever donations can be given to facilitate this fight against fire. With the added monetary strength, the latest technology in dousing the fires can be obtained. The improved technological advantage would reduce the need more massive amounts of manpower that currently needed.
As right now, sending firemen to help put out the fires are the easiest, hence most common, form of help being sent. As usual, there's always a danger when it comes to disasters like this. Countries are putting their fellow firemen at risk. Well-experience personnel should be given priority to be sent.
Besides those, an awareness campaign can be help to educate the farmers that there are other more environmental-friendly methods to renourish the land and clear crops.
An age-old problem that can be reasonably overcome. Think of the future generation. Some examples of air pollution-related effects on humans: allergies, chronic coughing, red watery eyes, shortness of breath, fatigue, headache, disorientation, worsening of asthma, the list goes on. Would we want our children and their children to be plagued by health complications all arising from the worsening air conditions?
Here's hoping that we are greeted to clear-blue skies in the near future.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

What a mouthful indeed

Caution! Spoilers ahead!

A tribute to Johann Gambolputty de von Ausfern- schplenden-schiltter-crasscrenbon-fried-digger- dingle-dangle-dongle-dungle-burstein-von-knacker- thrasher-apple-banger-horowitz-ticolensic-grander- knotty-spelltinkle-grandlich-grumblemeyer- spelterwasser-kurstlich-himbleeisen-bahnwagen- gutenabend-bitte-ein-nurnburger-bratwustle-gerspurten- mitz-weimache-luber-hundsfut-gumeraber-shönendanker- kalbsfleisch-mittler-aucher von Hautkopft of Ulm.

Raining big fat cats and dogs!

"Blister blister on the wall,
which is the biggest of them all."

-My Boo, 2006

Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

Here's a little something something...

To My Boo
"Light sneaks through the skyline,
Grey clouds don't put a damper,
Thankful you are mine,
To love, care and pamper.

On the way to college
I catch a wave of creation,
You are my inspiration."

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

The Kwan, 2006

Ich vermisse du

"Rainy day! Rain for a purpose,
Spin my day into trouble,
Not a good day I suppose,
Later dinner I can eat double."

-My Boo, 2006

DJ KWaN, 2006

Recollections of morning, day & night

"The rain washed the Earth this morning,
So when the sun shines,
people only admire the beauty of their reflection."

-My Boo, 2006

"Travel companion is what you are,
Library, bank and transport nonetheless,
Borrow books when your not around,
Borrow me money when money is the safest bet,
And drive me and my motivation around."

-My Boo, 2006

"Light's on under sunlight,
Think me not right,
Talk to you not i might,
Hammy's sleepy wanna say good night."

-My Boo, 2006

Obi-Kwan, 2006

Ich höre du, du?

"Tempers start to flare,
In the heat of the weather,
Brain cells fry, thinking impaired,
Can't piece things together.

Body begins to be lethargic,
Eyes begin to droop,
Sleep now to be energetic,
Dream in a nap-long loop.

I always hear your words,
If you give me the chance,
My attention won't wonder off like birds,
Let there be no barrier fence."

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

"Trees

I don't wanna go through this life
Without you by my side
And I got it all worked out
In my head here's how it's got to be

It'll be you and me
Up in the trees
And the forest will give us the answer
It'll be you and I
Up in the sky
It's a combination for disaster

We, we make believe
In a world we rule together
We can build our dreams
With a knot tied tight to last forever

It'll be you and me
Up in the trees
And the forest will give us the answer
It'll be you and I
Up in the sky
It's a combination for disaster

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
We got one shot
So let's use our imaginations
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah yeah, yeah
You're all that I got
So where do we go from here

It'll be you and me
Up in the trees
And the forest will give us the answer
It'll be you and I
Up in the sky
It's a combination for disaster

I know there's more for us in this life
If we hold on, if we hold strong
I know there's more for us in this life
Can we hold on, can we hold on"
-Marty Casey


The 2006 FIFA World Cup is coming to a close, the contenders are: Italy vs France.
Who will it be? Let's find out in the wee hours of Monday, 10th July morning.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Meiner meinung nach, du bist das beste

"Savin' Me

Prison gates won’t open up for me
On these hands and knees I’m crawlin’
Oh, I reach for you
Well I’m terrified of these four walls
These iron bars can’t hold my soul in
All I need is you
Come please I’m callin’
And oh I scream for you
Hurry I’m fallin’

Show me what it’s like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I’ll show you what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I’ll leave this life behind me
Say it if it’s worth saving me

Heaven’s gates won’t open up for me
With these broken wings I’m fallin’
And all I see is you
These city walls ain’t got no love for me
I’m on the ledge of the eighteenth story
And oh I scream for you
Come please I’m callin’
And all I need from you
Hurry I’m fallin’

Show me what it’s like
To be the last one standing
And teach me wrong from right
And I’ll show you what I can be
Say it for me
Say it to me
And I’ll leave this life behind me
Say it if it’s worth saving me

Hurry I’m fallin’ "
-Nickelback

The video to this song is to the right under Featured Video(s).

World Cup! WORLD CUP! World Cup!

In view of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, i've embedded a football bloopers video also in the Featured Video(s) section.

Enjoy! :)

Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

The Star Online: Citizen's Blog (4th Batch)

These are the 4th batch of posts I submitted to The Star Online's Citizen's Blog. Haven't been actively writing in the Citizen's Blog page lately. Anyhow take time to look through them and check out the new "Featured Video(s)" embedded to the right as well as the previous blog post below, have a nice day!

Title: Sports, experience vs youth, and new blood
Content:
This past weekend showed that Malaysian sport, namely badminton, has got what it takes but is not quite enough. The performances of all the Thomas Cup teams gives a mixed bag of signals, such as the Peter Gade vs Chong Wei match: experience won out while the Lin Dan vs Peter Gade: youth won out.
With that in mind, the Malaysian team stands to learn a thing or two about improving for the next Thomas Cup in 2 years time. As a good friend of mine pointed out: the doubles pairs aren't getting any younger. So it's time to pass on that knowledge and experience to their future successors while they are still sharp in their game.
New blood has to be brought into the sport. Veteran players showing the new players a thing or two would not only be beneficial to the young'uns, veterans can gain new insight into their game. Much like how a group study session works. It will bring assurance to the future prospect of the team and new challenges for players to excel.
Anyhow, congrats to the Malaysian Thomas Cuppers on getting the bronze medal, good effort especially to the doubles pairs and nice try to Beng Hong for being a clutch player.


Title: Connecting back to childhood
Content:
Gone are the simplistic days of waking up and watching our favorite cartoons before getting ready for school. Now for those who are approaching adulthood, these simple pleasures are placed among the lowest of priorities in daily life. Assignments, obligations, classes, lectures, work, errands occupy time, leaving not much else for destressing.
How ironic it is that when we were kids, we wanted to grow up as quickly as possible but when we're adults we want to go back to our childhood days. That is why we should always think young to stay young. Do not be afraid to indulge in simple pleasures that other people might deem childish, such as watching cartoons on weekend mornings.
If simple and easily achieveable methods of relieving stress like this can be done, well why not? Even playing games, be it traditional games like congkak or guli (marbles), or boardgames like Cluedo or Checkers, can bring out the inner child in you, then go on ahead.
It is all a state of the mind, so think young, act young and feel young. Have you connected with your inner child lately?


Title: A poem for the world, country & community
Content:
Pollution is rife,
It's health that we strive,
Trying to buy time for ourselves,
Bottles of supplements on our shelves.

Prices rocket higher,
Than value of gold now dearer,
Retrenchments now commonplace,
Oh how, MAS has lost face.

Not to worry Malaysia will bounce back,
Which we always have a knack,
Monsters who kidnap and kill for money,
Should not be granted an attorney.

In such a high stress world,
Such news make you hurl,
Scandals, crime and bearish markets,
Are the leaders in straitjackets?

Let us now stand back and look,
Though life is not that like a book,
Appreciate those around us,
For their guidance, love and trust.

The time is now, the action is yours, the effect is theirs, the future is ours.


Title: What has the world become?
Content:
Though it is nothing new, but it still sickens to see the tragic news that fill up the papers day-in day-out. Right after the nation is hit by the tragedy of the boy murdered, bagged and floated, there's the case of the missing girl now found dead. What kinda sick world we live in. Not only do we have to worry about wars, viruses, price hikes, we are not even safe from our own relatives!
These monsters play on our trust, manipulate us like puppets on a string. It's these people who should be executed. Efforts and focus should be given towards capturing such banes to society instead of worrying about wearing bow ties, constructing a scenic causeway or even worse, gossiping about "Datuk K".
Does knowing celebrities are dating who make ur life safer? Does it provide security for the family? Will it protect you from the next pandemic? I think not! Also, rather than cry foul over a literary work that is deemed "Fiction", why not hold seminars and talks to bulk up on morals than debunk "Fiction".
This is not a complicated code, you don't need a art genius to figure out that resources are misused on low priority matters.
And frankly speaking, if efforts were made to make us citizens more secure both physically and economically, politicians wouldn't need to scratch their heads over why seats were lost in the last election.
Nature's signals to us are strong, so do you want a catastrophic world-ending signal to finally jolt us into taking responsibility of our actions and righting what is wrong?
Do the right thing, put a stop to these heinous crimes so that our future generations can live to see the light of day without any fear, whatsoever.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Days are brighter

"New day is more precious than amber,

Early morn staying in bed I feel pampered,
Until I heard the sounds of hammer,
I can't control my temper."

-Rabbit Boo, 2006

"A parrot, a poet, you are which?

A man or a pet, du bist gleich"

-Rabbit Boo, 2006

"Study.. study..
Eating bread
Steady.. steady..
But don't eat when you read"

-Rabbit Boo, 2006

"Run It!

[Juelz Santana]
[Rap]
Okay
Check it, Check it, Check it out
It's Santana again
Steppin, Steppin, Steppin out
One of them Brand new big boy toys
I do big boy things
I make big boy noise cuz...
I know what girls want...
I know what they like
They wanna stay up , and party all night
so bring a friend

[Chris Brown]
[Verse 1]
Let me talk to you
Tell you how it is
I was thinkin when I saw that body gotta get shawty
Tell her what the young boy gon do
Damn them chicks wit chu gotta be okay
Babe pretty thick wit the kick that's sick that need to be hit
So tell me what ya'll gon do

[Hook]
I got friends, and you got friends
They hop out, and you hop in
I look fly, and they jockin
The way you drop, drop makes me wanna pop [2x]

[Chorus]
Is ya man on the flo?
If he ain't...
Let me know
Let me see if you can run it, run it
girl indeed I can run it, run it [2x]

[Verse 2]
You'll see
Girl I can set you off
Don't believe my age is gonna slow us down
I can definitly show you things
that's gon have you sayin I can't be 16
Once I get in you won't wanna go
(and I...)
I'll have yo girls wishin they were you
(and I...)
I know your heard about me, but guess what's goin down if we leave

[Hook 2x]

[Chorus 2x]

[Breakdown]
Girl you feel right
(Feel right)
Make me feel like...
(feel like...)
I wanna do a little somethin
(do a little somethin)
Ain't no thing let you do it fo sho
Girl the way that your wearin them jeans is turnin me on
I'm the hottest thing thats in these streets so baby won't you rock me...

[Rap]
Make it drop honey...
Make it pop honey...
Whip, whop..
Tick, tock to da clock fo me
don't stop doin that
and shawty know I mean what I say so she won't stop doin dat
Plus I heard if you can dance you can bump
Well dance, time is up, let's go, let's go (yup)
we can get it in...
we can gets some friends
do it like the ying yang twins and start
[Whisperin']
wait til' you see my....
wait til' you see my...
let me fall back
You ain't ready for all dat
have you sleep late
real late
yeah takin a long nap
you tell your friends...
to get wit my friends
we can be friends
switch and meet friends (switch)
we can do it all night long, and...
til' da clock hit mornin ya dig

[Chorus 2x]

[Outro]
oooh, oooh, oooh, ooh

[Music til' fade out...]"

-Chris Brown ft. Juelz Santana

Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Shining sun on an otherwise gloomy day

"Goodbye My Lover

Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
Shared your dreams and shared your bed.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.

[x2]
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I am a dreamer and when i wake,
You can't break my spirit - it's my dreams you take.
And as you move on, remember me,
Remember us and all we used to be
I've seen you cry, I've seen you smile.
I've watched you sleeping for a while.
I'd be the father of your child.
I'd spend a lifetime with you.
I know your fears and you know mine.
We've had our doubts but now we're fine,
And I love you, I swear that's true.
I cannot live without you.

[x2]
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

And I still hold your hand in mine.
In mine when I'm asleep.
And I will bare my soul in time,
When I'm kneeling at your feet.
Goodbye my lover.
Goodbye my friend.
You have been the one.
You have been the one for me.

I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow.
I'm so hollow, baby, I'm so hollow.
I'm so, I'm so, I'm so hollow."
-James Blunt


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

The Star Online: Citizen's Blog (3rd Batch)

These are the 3rd batch of posts I submitted to The Star Online's Citizen's Blog. Some were published in the hardcopy paper. Take time to look through, have a nice day!

Title: Resort manager's atrocious treatment of tourists
Content:
This past weekend I went on a college trip to the beautiful Pulau Redang. It was a great holiday, save for one very ugly incident that was utterly appalling and totally unnecessary. The whole group of my college trip members decided to go to the neighbouring chalet resort's, Redang Kalong, disco facility to relax.
When we all got there, the disco activities had not started, one of the managers cited that if any residents of their resort wanted it begun for the night then only will they begin the music spinning. So fair enough, the whole group waited around and chit chatted to while the time away.
Then the incident happened. One of the co-managers wasn't happy with our presence there and decided to pick a fight with us just to chase us away. Seeing the opportunity of some of the trip members smoking, he proceeded to shout at them to not dirty the floor mat with cigarette ash. All of us apologized to him and those who were smoking put out their cigarettes.
Seeing that that tactic didn't work, he proceeded to hustle us somemore, with a worker joining in when a righteous member said that they should not treat us this way as we are patrons to their premises.
One thing lead to another and he decided to bring more people to back him up, with workers appearing, with chairs in hand, ready to physically assault us. The main instigator even threatened us by saying: "You all don't want leave the island safely is it?!" All this while we have been apologizing and have not done anything to disrupt their resort's business, is this how they handle customers??
Throughout this whole episode, there were many of the resorts' residents looking on from the adjacent restaurant area. It left everyone wondering why the manager couldn't have told us to leave in a more civilized way if he didn't welcome us there at the facility.
This left a very bad image and marred an otherwise great vacation. Even worse was that most of my college trip entourage were international students from all parts of the world. Is this the way we want to portray our hospitality and to promote tourism through brutality?
Here's to hoping that such an incident does not happen again and most certainly we will not be going to Redang Kalong Resort again.


Title: Support our local-born artists
Content:
When it comes to education and the workforce there's brain drain and for a long while now, there is also talent drain. It comes as a disappointment when our very own talented Michael Wong (a.k.a. Guang Liang) has to resort to placing a condition in order to have a concert on home soil.
This should serve as a wake-up call that we should boost our support to local talent. To name a few would be Michael Wong (currently Taiwan-based), Fish Leong (also Taiwan-based), and Datuk Michelle Yeoh (US-based, made it big in Hong Kong), if that is not a drain of home-grown talent, i'm not sure what is.
There is no point in having more talent-themed reality contests if the local entertainment scene cannot sustain the amount of untapped potential that we have in our beloved country. Because of this, all of them had to move overseas to 'make it big'.
So why have more talent search gimicks when support is not given to the already established international artists? Anyhow, a big round of applause for Guang Liang's success on his latest album. Keep it up!


Title: Of giant rabbits, long-tailed toad and a one-eyed kitten (Published, Best of the Day)
Content:
Is this the preview of the future? Is this the next step in evolution? Of late we have been seeing news of unusual animals, animals that some people would call "freaks of nature". Be it Cy, the one-eyed kitten, Robert, the giant rabbit from Germany, or the long-tailed toad, found on our very own home-soil. However, think for a second, they could very be the by-products of our negligence!
Long have there been talk of the effects of industrialization on the environment. Of how our dumping of toxic waste or even normal trash has affected the very structural integrity of the eco-system. But now these stories of bizarre-looking animals could well be the evidence we need. Do we need a 2-headed dog with 2 tails or a 6-armed orang utan to be the wake-up call?
A step towards cleaning up our act and keeping the environment toxin-free would be to support the recycling culture and promote it as a nation-wide effort. One example that we should take notes from and follow would be the city of Taipei, Taiwan. Over there the recycling culture is strong where every person knows their responsibility.
There are recycling bins right next to the normal trash ones, and the amazing thing is nary will u find the wrong materials in the wrong bin. Not only that, the citizens ensure that their usual household rubbish is separated accordingly and collected several times a week.
That level of discipline is highly commendable and us Malaysians should emulate it. We must all do our part now to stop the deterioration of Earth. Let us bergotong-royong and strive to save Mother Nature!


Title: Tak Nak on the go is the way to go
Content:
It is encouraging to see steps being taken to educate the public on the ill-effects of smoking. Thumbs up to the government for drafting the Tabacco Control Bill, with a clause whereby effectively making each cigarette packet come printed with graphic reminders of what smoking does to the smoker.
Finally something is being done to revamp the Tak Nak campaign that has not been effective in deterring individuals from stopping their tabacco addiction. It was a good step forward when the tariff on tabacco was raised last year, making the packs of cigarettes heavier on smokers' wallets.
However since then, even with the higher price tag on smokes, there seems to be no significant difference on making them stop this activity that's detrimental not only to themselves but to their loved ones as well. That is why tariffs on tabacco products should be raised even more in the near future, if not immediately. It should make them rethink about lighting up again and rethink their priorities in life.
In the current world situation, hitting the economic aspect of the cigarettes is more effective in deterring than graphic images. This is because the public has more or less grown numb from all the blood, gore and violence featured over the years in media. Even so, it is a good first step in the right direction by the Health Ministry in placing effort on this issue.
As the saying goes, every journey has to begin with a first step.


Title: Better coverage for sports enthusiasts
Content:
In view of the upcoming FIFA Football World Cup 2006 in Germany, enthusiasts would be tuning in the world over to witness the biggest tournament for the most beautiful game broadcast live.
For a tournament of such scale, one can be reminded of the recent XVIIIth Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, Australia and the Torino XXth Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy.
The coverage provided for the events mentioned was done superbly on satellite TV. Certain channels were dedicated specially for uninterrupted viewing pleasure, some up to 3 channels even.
Special commendation has to be given for the excellent coverage of the Olympic Winter Games this time round. It provided good knowledgeable exposure to sports that would otherwise be unknown to this part of the world, such as Curling, Luge, Nordic Combined and Skeleton.
Unfortunately satellite TV viewers got the better deal of the coverage, as there was minimal if any at all on public transmission. But do not despair, here's hoping that the FIFA World Cup 2006 will be given the same treatment of good extensive coverage, be it on satellite TV or public TV.
I'm sure footie enthusiasts would be on their edges of their seats in anticipation of which country's team would hoist the coveted World Cup of Football this time around.
Hmmm, may I suggest that a possible relief to employers' woes might just be the introduction of something like TiVo maybe?


Title: Playing games with the mind
Content:
When I saw the ad for the Malaysia Mental Literacy Games 2006, it reminded me of the multitude of other mind games in the world. There's chess, scrabble, sudoku, crossword puzzles, and many many more. In essence any game can be a mind game as long as it is able to challenge the person to use their brains actively and continuously.
The current craze is Sudoku, and thanks to The Star, the public is introduced to and provided a daily supply of puzzles to work on. There's books upon books sold now, rivalling crosswords. Even Tetris is getting a run for its money since electronic Sudoku entered the market. The simplicity of the game is the beauty of it, young and old can pick it up right away.
Even International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Rafidah Aziz has caught the Sudoku bug. For a good reason as all mind games have: to keep the brain fit and active. Like the body, the brain needs stimulus to keep it running and in tip top shape.
That is why mind games are able to keep forms of senile dementia, like Alzheimer's disease, at bay. Senior citizens should be encouraged to learn to participate in these mind game activities. It doesn't have to be puzzles or memory tests, even games like mahjong and card games are just as effective.
Some might think that card games are nothing more than outlets for gambling, but it is as challenging if not more than your daily sudoku puzzle. Be it playing card games like poker, bridge, gin rummy, to trading card games like Magic: The Gathering or VS Systems, each game is different from the next. The unpredictability adds to the depth of the game. Not only that, there is the social benefit in which you can interact with your opponents, a human factor.
There has been claims as bold as some games bring a mind sport. Rightfully so too, if I may add. 30 minutes, 3 times a week to go with your exercise routine would truly be a total body workout. So the next time you and your family are feeling bored, dust off that boardgame stashed away in the storeroom. From grandparents to grandchildren, age is no barrier towards achieving top mental well-being.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Tick Tock, goes the rain and clock

Time is of the essence,
You are that essence,
There are many things on my mind,
Bursting to be said, to be told,
But when they reach my mouth,
They seem stuck in a bind, on hold.
Argh!

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

The Star Online: Citizen's Blog (2nd Batch)

These are the 2nd batch of posts I submitted to The Star Online's Citizen's Blog. Some were published in the hardcopy paper. Take time to look through, have a nice day!

Title: Ensure a safer neighbourhood
Content:
For a busy commercial area such as SS15, Subang Jaya, it is quite frightening to hear the number of snatch thefts and mugging cases. Although these cases are not new but they continue to arise with increasing frequency and boldness. Even worse is when some were committed in broad day-light!
The criminals seem to prefer targetting students as SS15 is an education hub, multiple colleges located in close proximity. Many have fallen victim and 3 such cases happened to my friends.
One was when my friend's handphone was snatched as he was taking lunch. A man all of a sudden blatantly walked up, took the phone (which was right next to my friend as he ate) and walked away. Not many days after, his brother fell victim to a similar tactic. Both happened in broad day-light and plain sight!
The third case i mentioned was when another friend of mine was threatened with a machete (parang) on the way home to her house in the SS15 housing area. She was forced to toss over her handbag containing many valuable belongings.
Thankfully none of them were hurt. However, we will never know what will happen when the next crime strikes. As such, something has to be done to deter these vile criminals from perpetrating such heinous felonies. A neighbourhood watch could be formed in conjunction with the police force on constant patrol rounds throughout the day, everyday.
Act before we regret.


Title: Good ol' Malaysian Time
Content:
Malaysia is famous for many things, but none as infamous as our very own Malaysian time! Appointments and events have to be set at least 1 hour before the actual scheduled starting or meeting time as there are bound to be people who arrive late. Some blaming their alarm clocks or most citing traffic jam as the most common excuse.
But it is now indeniable that Malaysian time has become very much part and parcel of living here in Malaysia. It is not to say that punctuality is not practiced, but those who fail to stick to the appointed time tarnishes the image of those who do, just as the Malay-language proverb goes, Nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga.
When we come to think about it, it really seems like Malaysian time is actually adhering to the original time zone of Peninsular Malaysia before it was synchronized with East Malaysia's time zone. So I guess our biological clocks still did not adjust to that change.
Let us designate a day where all of us synchronizes our watches and practice punctuality throughout the day. Not an easy feat, but hey, we have the spirit of Malaysia Boleh!


Title: Going too far (Published)
Content:
After reading the article regarding the April Fool's joke, involving the mechanic, businessman and his thugs, that went too far, one would think the extent to which such a prank should be carried out. The persons who carry out such tricks should have thought of the consequences to which their actions would result in.
Not only did that person not forewarn the friend early enough, it caused such a chain reaction that was detrimental to all who were involved. Ties and relationships can instantly turn sour, even worse would be when physical harm is brought onto the victims.
As such, humour should be done in good nature, good intentions and good faith. While some might think of it as a good joke to pull, but 'One man's meat is another man's poison'.
This 'joke gone wrong' should serve as a lesson to be learnt the next time you are feeling mischievous and looking to have a laugh at other's expense. Think before you act.


Title: Lecturers should encourage early submission
Content:
This story was related to me personally, a lecturer turned down an early submission for a lab report and my friend was told to hand the report in on the deadline itself (a couple days later). Unbelievable, but it actually happened. Which leaves me wondering why the lecturer would not want to accept assignments handed in early.
Lecturers should in fact encourage students to submit completed reports, assignments, project write-ups, etc. before the deadline. The mentality displayed by the lecturer mentioned above leaves much to be desired and in fact tarnishes the image of lecturers.
It also gives the impression to the students that the lecturer is not interested in their work and would in turn reduce the motivation and morale when completing the work. Not only that, by not accepting early submissions, it encourages students to leave it to the last minute as anyhow the lecturer would not collect early completed materials.
So rather than be overwhelmed by a deluge of reports on the given deadline, the lecturer can proceed to mark the early submissions first. This will not only definitely reduce the amount of work to be done later, but as well as help the lecturer manage time better.
Encourage diligency to be one of the best policies.


Title: Encouraging foreign personal investment the way to go
Content:
It is entirely encouraging to know that the Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme was launched and response is growing. This programme is a good way to invite investment from abroad which will spur the local economy. Not only does it help stimulate the economy, it helps to bring global recognition to Malaysia as not merely a business, travel and sports hub but also a wonderful place to plant and grow family roots here.
Right now with the new rules, it would better entice foreigners to invest in Malaysian property. MM2H is shaping up to be a commendable move by the government. As with more personal investment from foreigners, this could in turn attract more multi-national companies to set up shop here and further boost foreign investment.
However there should be a minimum investment level applicable to all states for the MM2H programme, as currently it can be quite deceiving with the range fluctuating from RM150,000 for most states and RM250,000 to RM350,000 for a few.
With that aside, with more exposure to the programme will induce more interest towards it. So, kudos to the MM2H programme and kudos to it's implementation. Here's towards making Malaysia the melting pot of a truly global culture. Cheers!


Title: Hype and it's role
Content:
Hype is now an all integral part of our everyday lives now. Like it or not, the media has a great influence on us all. To achieve that influence, the most effective tool is building hype to everything. That is the reason we have billboards, commercials, teaser movie trailers, banners, flyers, etc, it's all part and parcel of building hype to draw the public.
Hype basically can make or break anything, be it new or old. That is what advertising campaigns are for. All that publicity and exposure created in the media can bring success and international recognition even to the worst of the worst. So it goes as no wonder that more and more publicity stunts are done as the days roll on.
The best example industry to show hype doing what it does best would be to look at the movies. Cast an award-winning element into the production mix, remake a classic movie or make a movie adaptation of a best-selling book and hype will instantly grow. Even worse are by having the actors have bad publicity which in turn creates hype and finally ticket sales, lots and lots of it. Befuddling but that method works everytime, the effectiveness of reverse psychology.
Media creates the publicity, publicity leads to public interest, public interest leads to anticipation, anticipation leads to hype and hype is what drives sales and reaping the profits of another effective advertising campaign.
So welcome to the world where we eat, hear and watch hype. Welcome to the world of media.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

The Star Online: Citizen's Blog (1st Batch)

These are the posts I submitted to The Star Online's Citizen's Blog. Some were published in the hardcopy paper. Take time to look through, have a nice day!

Title: State of commercials: More monotony than creativity (Published)
Content:
Switch on the television and it's hard to miss the constant disruptions to your favourite scheduled programme. As usual this signals a bathroom break, time to snag a snack from the kitchen or back to gossiping about the latest happenings in the neighbourhood. That pretty much sums up the fate of TV commercials in Malaysia. Which raises a question, where is the creativity that's clearly lacking in our TV ads?
Supposedly large portions of companies' budgets are dedicated to marketing, millions upon millions, but all that's left to show are segments that belittle the intelligence of us viewers. Makes us wonder too if advertising companies have been sleeping on the job.
We must not lose sight that TV ads are no mere marketing vehicles, as they can in actuality be an art-form. If done right, commercials can captivate viewers much better than movies will, such as Yasmin Ahmad's Petronas ads, not to mention more efficiently too.
The void of creativity extends beyond the frames of TV media, so don't get me started on the, now totally overused, "daily conversation"-style radio ads. So much has been left to be desired.


Title: Student Council or 'White Elephant' Council: You decide.
Content:
Being in a college that is truly multi-national with students spanning from all over the world, be it local Malaysians, Indonesians, Mainland Chinese, Thai, Namibians, etc. It is truly a place where different cultures mix and students get a taste of the international scene, thus it is only fitting that the Student Council help support the well-being of us students.
However, this is where it all breaks down. What saddens us, and all students of my college would agree, is that the Council is a mere 'white elephant'. Since the day I stepped into college, all the Student Council had done did nothing to help the student community, let alone did anything at all.
Being supposedly a student body that represents all students of the college, the Council has no official code of student rights! Their attitude of late has become more and more laissez-faire. The only activities organized thus far has been to benefit the Council's committee. These added up together makes us wonder why the Student Council was formed in the first place when the general student populous are not top on their agenda.
This is not a bashing but a voicing out of concern as the deterioration of ethics in the Student Council is reaching an alarming level. Is this the kind of view of Malaysia we would want international students to bring back home?


Title: Encourage Innovation for the next Generation (Published)
Content:
Idol this, Akademi that... everyone wants to be a singing 'sensation'. Oh how clichéd has that concept become. Though viewed as prime-time entertainment, they are only mildly entertaining and not very educational. We should encourage and support programmes that challenge the intellect of the viewer, which thus educates the TV-watching masses.
Since the current trend is to create a local version of international TV programmes, why not have a local version of "The New Inventors"? It is an Australian programme (currently running on Astro's TVIQ channel) that features inventions, home-made or otherwise, that tackle a variety of problems faced in daily life.
One simply cannot fathom the ingenious contraptions that are really well thought of, and sometimes think: "I really need one of those", "Why didn't I think of that?" or "Hey, that's really cool, I would certainly buy it".
So instead of tickling our voiceboxes, we could very well be making inventions that could help the nearby 'pisang goreng' stall automate their business, ease the job of the rubbish collector or even deal with every pet owner's bane, pet excrement. Hey, maybe your friends or even you can even come up with a substitute for petroleum!
The possibilities are endless if only given the best opportunity there is.


Title: Teacher shortages: Rubbing salt into the wound (Published)
Content:
First it was the issue of packed schedules, then came packed schoolbags, and now it comes as no surprise that another woe has befell the students who attend Chinese primary school.
This latest calamity is that Chinese primary school classes are being forced to merge in order to cope with the shortage of teachers. Why subject the students to more suffering and now even the teachers are feeling the heat in having to now handle more students than the room can fit!
Even with the overwhelming popularity of recent years to send kids to Chinese school, there is an undersupply of Chinese language teachers whilest other subjects there is an overabundance. Now this problem is not restricted to only one area, it is fast becoming a national crisis if nothing is done. In view of this, a much needed push should be given to put more focus on training Chinese language teachers, not to mention English language teachers too.
Had there been a more stream-lined and organized view of handling these kinds of problems, maybe there wouldn't have been that many overworked teachers in the first place. One can only ponder.
All in all, pro-active action should be taken immediately to rectify the shortage of Chinese language teachers in the local education system now.


Title: Think of the community of pedestrians!
Content:
We've heard this mentioned over and over, the petrol price hike. So I'm sure more people have taken up walking, even more so than before. While there are various modes of transportation, pedestrians have their fair share of the traffic demographic.
Thus it is such a shame that proper walkways are not available. Proper five-foot ways are a rarity here and nary do we find one not strewned with obstacles such as man-holes with covers, rubbish, water vending machines, etc.
The building of good walkways would first and foremost help individuals with disabilities, senior citizens as well as children. Next, it would smoothen our journey towards our destinations, be it running errands, heading to the local mamak restaurant for lunch or even heading to the nearby convenience store to buy the daily Star.
Pedestrians right now have to resort to walking along the road shoulder, either of dirt or patchy grass, or when one isn't present, right next to the speeding traffic! This daily routine of dodging death by avoiding getting hit by passing vehicles is common, but it doesn't mean that something can't be done to overcome this problem.
Hence, think how much trouble it would save the masses of pedestrians by just constructing and maintaining pedestrian walkways. Towards development with community needs in mind, it would be very welcome.


Title: You'll be very surprised by the results (Published)
Content:
The next time you're having a conversation with any number of your friends, give this a try. Ask them this question: What is the capital of Africa?. But before attempting it on anyone else, give that question a thought or two...
Ready for the answer? It is a trick question, Africa is a continent!
For those who caught it, good on you. For the rest, you are not alone as there are many who didn't know how to respond to this trivial test.
This started as a fun test by my group of college buddies and myself. Afterwards we posed this question as a litmus test to other collegemates, What is the capital of Africa?, and soon we found out something quite shocking indeed. Only about 2 out of 10 got it right! (With answers ranging from "I don't know", "Capetown" to "South Africa")
The statistics simply flabbergasted us about the lack of exposure of the general Malaysian populace! Although some might say that geography hadn't been taught since completing the subject, Kajian Tempatan, way back in primary Standard 6, but that shouldn't be an excuse for not knowing general knowledge.
With the amount of education being learned and taught, what with extra classes, after-school tuition, seminars and so on, it is rather dismaying to find out that ignorance is at such a high level regarding what is on the world stage.
The year is already 2006, heading well into the home stretch of trying to achieve Malaysia's Vision 2020, being a fully developed nation. Thus we must rid this lack of exposure and awareness before it is too late, or Vision 2020 becomes Vision 2030, 2040, 20-who-knows-when.
In order to chart Malaysia in the eyes of the world, let us all know the rest of the world first. With understanding, comes appreciation. So give this simple litmus test to your friends a try and see for yourself, you'll be very surprised by the results.


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

V for Vendetta

"Remember, Remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot;
I know of no reason why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot"

-V for Vendetta, graphic novel & movie

The world is bollocks up but I can always find solace in you.

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Be back soon...

Sorry for the long wait since the last post... but I gotta put my blogging time on ice and storage for a moment. When I continue blogging and posting stuff up again, I promise to make your time worthwhile. Till then, take care and have a nice day, month, & year!

"Holy crap! I talk nonsense, I talk too much."

- Random quote by Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

P.S.: Thanx for the anonymous comments, very mind-opening. I welcome more comments (anonymous or not), with the constructive views I can truly improve.

P.S.2: Check out the video on the right-hand side, really good vid for a really good song :)


Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006

Onward to 2K6...

Brand spanking new year, 2K6! But hey, it feels just like any other day in 2005...
Goodness, how those days just fly by faster than a F-22 Raptor!
Soon enough, the 2006 World Cup would bend into view, Da Vinci Code spreads the controversy onto the screens, 7th and (supposedly) last of the Harry Potter series closes the book on us, and tap ur feet to tap dancing penguins from the Antartic, just to name a few events worth noting (and marking on your calendar) over the horizon of 2006!
To kick off and commemorate 2K6, enjoy more poetic creations by yours truly:

Very much...
Would like to say
I love you,
Want you to believe in my sincerity;
Want really to say
I love you,
Wouldn't want you to feel guilty.

-Kwan Wen Ching, 2006

Obi-Kwan Kenobi, 2006