When creativity invades

Sing with me

So pump up that speaker and drift along.

What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house
That don’t bother me
I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out
I’m not afraid to cry every once in a while
Even though going on with you gone still upsets me
There are days every now and again I pretend I’m ok
But that’s not what gets me

What hurts the most
Was being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was tryin’ to do

It’s hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go
But I’m doin’ It
It’s hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I’m alone
Still Harder
Getting up, getting dressed, livin’ with this regret
But I know if I could do it over
I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart
That I left unspoken

What hurts the most
Is being so close
And having so much to say
And watching you walk away
And never knowing
What could have been
And not seeing that loving you
Is what I was trying to do

Not seeing that loving you
That’s what I was trying to do

31 August 1957

History has a purpose.
We learn from its mistakes so that we may not repeat them.
We learn from its achivements so that we may emulate them.

For a nation that is now celebrating 50 years of Independence it pays to look back even as we move forward. If only to learn from the best. It was one thing to win independence. It was another to preserve it.

Tunku once said: "We are first and foremost, Malaysians. Everything else comes second."

If he had enriched anybody, it was us - the people of Malaysia. To us he gave the most precious thing of all. Freedom.

In the last public function that Tunku attended, he addressed the rakyat in the midst of a heavy downpour. A man who had dedicated his life to his country could have asked for so many things in return. For his memories to be set in stone.For his deeds to be written in songs. For his statue to be erected. But he asked for nothing of the sort.

What he did ask for was as selfless and as meaningful as his life. On that fateful day in Sarawak, Days before he died, in poor health but in great spirit, with tears coursing down his cheeks, he asked that we stand as one and be loyal to the country. He spoke from his wheelchair. But his vision was unimpaired. His spirit undefeated. His sincerity unmatched.

Here was Malaysia's first Prime Minister. Father of Independence. Prince of men. King of hearts. Asking nothing for himself. And everything for the people.

What a patriot. What a man. What a sacrifice. A sacrifice made together with those he unreservedly called his brothers and sisters for the country. For us.

After 50 years, it's time for us to look into the mirror and ask one simple but important question: are we worth it?

Of all the things I lost, I miss my mind most

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.

Dream.

Discover.

Testimonial II by Syafa Rawaida, Auckland University

When I was asked to write a testimonial for her, I thought I did not deserve the honour. A part of me wanted to give the very best I could but the evil side of me weakened me with my inadequacies.

She really is not the type of girl that you look at and get mesmerized. Definitely not one of the kinds you find on magazine covers, yet she would never fail to impress you. I am not wrong if I say she was the one who taught me a lesson on judging a book by its cover. Small and petite, who is this girl who used to play the piano for the school assembly I thought, walking around putting a blank expression on her face every time she was seen. What surprises me more was the multiple posts she held in school. (Yes, for some reasons, she was the apple of everyone’s eye, mine excluded).

It happened that one day the school was organizing a drama competition and we were required to present the drama. She was the class monitor of 5 Science II and liked it or not she had to produce a drama, taking all responsibility and blames (if there ever was) into her hands. Competitions naturally make individuals competitive and so were the fifth formers. 5 Science II emerged the champion leaving 5 Science 1, grew green with envy. Many pulled out childish feuds about who should be winning the competition and everyone did their part in fuelling up the fire. She was calm despite the burning feud and as teachers were dragged into the matter, she played her part.

It was then that I realized that being the best does not guarantee the highest position in community and oddly, I was taught by the least suspected person. She enlightened me with all due respect that it was never right to put labels on people and practice superiority.

Now, when I think back, AKYH, who is also a diploma holder in music at only 16, puts a blank face not because she is inattentive, but because she disengages herself from sources that would diminish her personality. Her imperfections could never attempt to flaw her, as she is humbled by them. The diploma that she has received is the best example of her intense commitment towards a task. With a remarkable wit and intelligence, she has the ability to make one ponder with speechlessness.

Yea…I suppose she is the apple of my eye, with exclusion for bad hair days when she normally would go crappy over simple stuff. Period?? Yes, I get that too. We all do :)

P/S: Was whipped down FLAT by reading your writings...nonetheless thank you. I take all that in as compliments.

Testimonial I by Amy Keoh, University of South Australia

One of the reasons I consented to writing this testimonial for the malaysian reject is because I strongly believe that she is the ideal candidate which would fit the requirement that you specified for.

As a person who has known her for quite long, I have come to conclude that she has a level of perseverance to rival just about any person I have ever known. Believe me, as a student studying pharmacy, perseverance is probably the only thing one needs in order to move forward.

Throughout the years of knowing her, I have come to realized that she does not openly reveal the various difficulties that she faces. Hence, do not be fooled by her nonchalant looks or her small stature. She is highly talented, balancing her science-orientated studies with her piano lessons. I am very proud to say that she is also extremely resourceful. Throughout Form Six, she has managed to put her musical talents to good use by working for a ballet school. She plays the piano for seven hours as a means to be self-dependent. This is another reason why you should consider her as a favourable candidate to receive the scholarship. It proves that she is a person with goals and will work not only hard but smart towards that goal.

Besides that, she is a walking example of a person who manages her time well. During our years in high school, she was basically a person who wore many hats. She was our ever-dependable class monitor for several years, not to mention playing the role of Tutor of the school Chess Club. I was really impressed with her skills in chess as she really took the time to study the various strategies from books and newspaper articles. Whenever she faced difficulties in studies, she will always ask for help and clarification from other classmates. There you have it, a candidate who improves herself by doing self-study.

Moreover, she has amazing skills in articulating ideas and highly-mature thoughts. For someone so small in stature, her views and opinions are highly-regarded by all alike.

Just like any other person, this reject might have several flaws. However, you can have the peace of mind knowing that it will not affect her performance or her motivation in achieving her goals.

P/S: Thank you again Amy, for such wonderful white lies (Yeah, they sounded real).

Things you don't have to know

Realized with horror that semester resumes next Monday and I have not finish reading a single book even. So I took ‘The prince and the Pauper’ by Mark Twain and settled down in my study area. I thought perhaps the studious atmosphere might help but I can’t say it made much difference. I still can’t remember who lived in Offal Court not far from London Bridge and who lived in the Royal Court by the family name of Tudor.

Winter break helped me discover a new channel on television. It is called Channel Nine and it is for minorities, like intellectuals and people who belong to Sudoku clubs. At last I have found a spiritual viewing home. I think Channel Nine will transform Malaysian society. All the morons in the country will start watching it and get a taste of real patriotism and a new cultural experience. Yes, the country is in for a new Renaissance! However I think it still needs better marketing strategies to advertise its existence because though it is okay now, it still lacks a certain je ne sais quoi (French for something or other).

The neighborhood dog made a terrible faux pas today. It went berserk again and ripped up my stack of newspaper near the gate. I have been looking forward to sell them to the newspaper collector in return for some cash so I was heartbroken to see them defiled. Newspapers are always respected literature in the past. To be a dog living in the neighborhood for centuries and not knowing that is such a disgrace. I have always thought it as an individualist, but now it can only be treated like other dogs. I felt like kicking it around the flat but I let it off lightly by chucking it down the stairs. I think it will have to go the vet’s. Just in case it has got a brain malfunction.

A lady called to ask what I was doing for the coming Independence Day. I told her the usual seasonal stuffs, get up late, have loads of sweeten carbohydrates and a bottle of insulin before going to bed. The television commentator usually says it is a massive celebration so I normally pretend to watch the procession and dramatic sequence of flowery warship vehicles with awe. She was disgusted by my attempts to be a true Malaysian and hung up on me.

This was supposed to be a post on my mother. I had wanted to write about how mothers can be so blinded sometimes, they are capable of breaking me with their verbal adjectives and fundamental grammars. While others have mothers who often encourage them and believe in their children, mine is the total opposite. Who can blame me if I turn out to be a mentally deranged adult? I am currently in breakdown mode. Nobody knows about it other than you. I am still thinking if mother’s judgment on me was dead right.

Sometimes I wonder if I was left outside the door in a box during midnight and mother just happen to be compassionate enough to let me cohabitate with her 21 years ago.