Crap Threshold

I used to think that my ability to accept nonsense behaviour, a.k.a crap, from people was pretty high. I would get annoyed but would keep it to myself and not disclose it to anyone else. However, when I have to face the same crap day after day, I've found that my crap threshold (for repeated crap) is actually very low. And I instantly feel like complaining to someone.

I just don't get it why it's so hard to make a simple unimportant decision - like where to eat? It's not a life or death decision. Go figure. I hope I myself won't turn into one of these in the future.

Funneh! Foolish Comments Wall War

This morning I read an MSN news article about TV3 pulling out their Raya 2010 advertisement because of an outcry from the public. I searched for the video and finally found it on YouTube. You can view it here and read all the nasty comments below the video.

Admittedly, the advert doesn't seem to emanate the Ramadan feel that good Raya ads are supposed to do. It was like a case of confused/mixed up cultural identity with a silly storyline. Perhaps the creator(s) were aiming to portray an assimilation of our many cultures into one advert and I don't blame them for trying, after so much press on the 1Malaysia concept and the idea of bringing Malaysians together again. However it was foolish of them not to realise that there would be a backlash from the viewing public. Never meddle too much with race and religion issues - most people are just not matured enough to accept differing opinions about their personal beliefs, and this is when things start getting nasty and personal attacks abound.

Reading the comments below the YouTube video, I was at first amused at how these people were in a war of words with each other and everyone else. I didn't manage to read all 800+ comments but the later ones were mostly personal attacks and not related to the video at all. There were many other comments which showed that there is still a bunch of racists and religion-supremacists in Malaysia. Sad case, but I guess these kinds of people will never become an extinct species. (I would trade one of these humans for the restoration of life of an extinct dodo bird in a heart beat! God forgive me for thinking such thoughts)

I really don't get it why people can't embrace the differences in our cultures. It is this which makes Malaysia unique and interesting - a home to many cultures. I mean, we're actually using that fact to 'market' our country as an ideal tourist destination to the world! So why don't we practice what we preach?

Every culture is important and should not be sidelined just because it belongs to a minority group. And when it comes to religion, I understand that everyone thinks their respective religious beliefs is the best and that it would be a better world if only everyone else would just embrace that religion (this is admirable as their zealousness probably shows the level of faith they have). However, if you really intend to propagate your religious beliefs, wouldn't it be better to win their hearts first, and then win their minds. Let others witness with their own eyes how your beliefs has made you a better person. Let every aspect of your life - your thoughts, your words, your actions - be a testimony of how great your god is. After all, what good is a religion if it doesn't change your heart, and subsequently your life?

I am in no way implying that I am what I've just described above, but I meant it more as an advice to those people who think they have a right to publicly condemn other races and religions and say things like "my religion is the ultimate truth and those who are not of the same faith will never be able to fathom this truth until they die and meet the creator". Honestly, if I was still seeking a faith to believe in, words like those would put me off in an instance. I would not want to believe in a god whose followers speak with arrogance and show no mercy. Although technically, it is not right to blame god for the follies of man, but whether we like it or not, each of us are ambassadors of the god we believe in. The moment we identify ourselves with our faith, our every actions are being meticulously assessed, constantly (be it consciously or unconsciously), by unbelievers (those of other faiths or atheists). Therefore a seemingly harmless move (to you) could stumble someone's walk in faith.

If only people could get it into their thick skulls that the way to win a person over is through their hearts and not by a battle of intellect or forcing them into believing something they have not 'experienced' themselves, then we would have so much more peace in the world! 

Reading the Word

I don't know if it is coincidence or not, but I find that sometimes when I read the Bible for different reasons (such as for WBS lesson, during service/celebration or when using Bible reading guide), the topics seem to overlap (unplanned). For example, when I've had a bad experience with someone, verses of forgiveness seem to jump out at me from the Bible study materials or the reference verses quoted, and all these are from totally unrelated sources! Is this how God is speaking to me?

Moving to another topic, yesterday I found an interesting part of the Bible - a talking donkey! In Numbers 22:28-30, Yahweh enabled Balaam's donkey to speak. God was angry when Balaam followed Balak's princes back and He put an angel with a drawn sword to block Balaam's path. The donkey was able to see the angel, but not Balaam. So she (donkey) turned away from the path and Balaam beat her. The second time she saw the angel in a narrow path, she pressed close to the wall, crushing Balaam's foot, and he beat her again. The third time the angel appeared, she could not turn anywhere so she lay down under Balaam, and he beat her the third time. Then God gave her speech and she chastised her owner for beating her three times. After that, God opened Balaam's eyes and he saw the angel standing in the road with his sword drawn. Balaam bowed and fell face forward.

Now, on to another topic altogether, I remember one of the prayer items at the Saturday celebration 2 weeks ago (2/10) was to pray for the wellbeing and rescue of the 33 Chilean miners who had been trapped more than 600m underground for 8 weeks (then). The church prayed corporately during the Saturday evening and Sunday morning celebrations. Last Wednesday (6/10), I read on BBC.co.uk that there was a breakthrough in the miners' rescue and the rescue could start by the weekend! Well, the miners rescue did not actually start on the recent weekend but now, I'm watching live on CNN the second miner being winched up in a capsule! I just saw the rescue of the first miner a few minutes ago! Praise the Lord! =)

Why 'W' is called 'Double U'

I was caught in the web of words that Dictionary.com has strung up for us, i.e. clicking from link to link, and I discovered this little piece of info (which is new to me, but maybe not for you).

 W 

In Old English, 'wynn' (ƿ) was a character that represented the sound 'w', that we know today as double-u. This was because 'wynn' was replaced by 'uu' which eventually developed into the modern letter 'w'. You can read more here.

Word(s) of the Day

Are You a Hypocoristic Nincompoop?

A coos to B: Honey bunny, sugar sunshine... I can't live a minute without you!

Observer C answers: Oh shut up, you hypocoristic nincompoop!

The above dialogue is an example for the use of the word 'hypocorism' - today's word of the day (thank you Dictionary.com for providing the 'did you know' links, which are making me search for more unique words). The following definition of 'hypocorism' is taken from dictionary.com

hypocorism
[hahy-pok-uh-riz-uhm, hi-]

–noun
1. a pet name.

2. the practice of using a pet name.
3. the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk, esp. by an adult.


When Beauty Doesn't Sound Like Beauty

When you hear the word 'pulchitudinous', what comes to your mind? For me, the image of something revolting and pungent with a hint of pettiness conjures up in my head (don't ask me why I see this, I just do).  So would you be surprised that the word actually means physical beauty? (not counting those who've already heard of this word prior)

pulchritudinous
[puhl-kri-tood-n-uhs, -tyood-]

–adjective
physically beautiful; comely.

So if your suitor says "I think you are the epitome of a pulchritudinous being", don't go ballistic on him! Instead, smile sheepishly and run off to look it up in a dictionary... and then you will find that it is a compliment like no other!


Step Aside, Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!

Looks like Mary Poppins famous song is not the longest word after all! This 34-letter-long English word roughly translates to 'atoning for educability through delicate beauty' where the breakdown (according to Wikipedia) is as follows:

super - "above"

cali - "beauty"

fragilistic - "delicate"

expiali - "to atone"

docious - "educable"

Well, move over "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", its time for the longest word in the dictionary to take its limelight - "pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis"! However, the meaning of this word isn't so noble like the former.

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
[noo-muh-noh-uhl-truh-mahy-kruh-skop-ik-sil-i-koh-vol-key-noh-koh-nee-oh-sis, nyoo-]

–noun
an obscure term ostensibly referring to a lung disease caused by silica dust, sometimes cited as one of the longest words in the English language.

I Should Use What I've Learned

Since I live in this country and I've been educated in the national language (for two thirds of my formal education), maybe I should try writing a post in BM... After all, isn't the national language supposed to be a means of bringing the peoples of different colour and creed together? Funny how all this while I've been a pro-English language person (as in I support 100% the teaching of maths and science in English, just because I used to feel that it was a better language as a whole), I still am, but with the recent sensitive issues being raised from time to time and my re-education of the importance of BM by certain Christian friends and especially during 'celebration', I've come to realise that although I may not speak it at home daily, a large chunk of my fellow Malaysian brothers and sisters (especially in East Malaysia) use BM as their main and sometimes, only language for communication.

So, yeah, I don't think I should let my grasp of the language deteriorate (although my verbal ability has lessened significantly). I mean, I'm a Chinese (or well, technically - half Chinese) and I used to get As for my BM essays and I've never once memorised example essays from reference books (like most Chinese vernacular schools teach their students in order to score in their BM papers). So I think if I set my mind to it, I can re-learn to love this language again.

Saya percaya saya dapat menghayati semula keindahan Bahasa Melayu! (Penggunaan perkataan 'saya' adalah sebagai tanda hormat kepada para pembaca, yang pertama kali dapat menatap ayat Bahasa Melayu di blog ini)

Don't laugh, I'm trying very hard to rekindle the spark! :ϸ

Karma?

I know it is sadistic to laugh when someone gets hurt, but when I read this on Bernama, I couldn't help it!

This guy was riding his bicycle in Jakarta, carrying a home-made bomb when it suddenly exploded in front of a traffic policeman. The policeman said he saw the guy sprawled on the road with nails scattered about him. He got up and tried to run away but was apprehended by the police. He sustained head wounds and a fractured right leg and arm, and was hospitalised. The policeman was unhurt, although he was only one metre away from the explosion.

The home-made bomb consisted of nails, sulphur powder, a plastic string and a lighter. There were two letters written with "warnings to the infidels associated with satan for killing the Mujahideen".

Somehow I keep picturing it in my mind like a comic strip.

1. Guy sets out with evil intent on his bicycle
2. Kaboom!
3. Guy sprawled on road (Splat!) with bomb components around him
4. Guy tries to run away but gets caught by police

Is this karma? hahaha
(If I could draw better, I would've added a visual to this)