Smile

I was feeling a little down today, but I noticed nature has different plans for us.

While I was driving, the sky was painted in different hues of blue. As the sun sets, the clouds turn grayish and the sky has tints of pink and red. This picture does not do justice to the real scenary.
A smile appeared on my face as I appreciate the beauty of it. :)

Sexual offender

What prompts my outrage on sexual offenders in my previous entry? I saw this image in Ms. Gan’s blog. :P (Kidnapped from her multiply page without her permission.. yet.) It shows a hand over a women's breast.

It reminded me of an incident which clearly shows men disrespect for women’s body.

I was in my lower secondary school. I was waiting for my parents to pick me up after Pn. Asiah’s tuition (which was in her house in a housing area). I think most of the other students have left so I lingered around waiting outside her house next to the road.

A young boy came cycling around the area and on pretense asked me for some directions. Naïve me, I looked around to see where he wanted to go when that happened. He molested me like that image and then he cycled of. Sigh.

Looking back, I wondered how I could have prevented that? Should I have stayed inside my tuition house? Should I blame my parents for being late in fetching me? Or was it that everyone went back on time? Whatever it was, it was in the past but serves as a reminder to myself to be careful and more cautious in the future.

I suspect this young boy was being mischievous and daringly tried something when no one was around. Therefore, when you think you are alone, take a good look around your surrounding and listen to your instincts. There could be a crazy inconsiderate person lurking around to cause you harm since “no one is looking”.

I wonder is that the beginning of a sexual offender?

Competitiveness

I mentioned previously in another blog entry, I’m playing an online game called Legend of the Golden Plume(LGP) with my fellow friends in Singapore (AC and CP).

It started out as a bait to lure CP to play it instead of Mousehunt(MH). When he saw me playing and proceeding to higher level than him, he started focusing on this game to catch up with me.

After a week, it worked, AC and I laughed at how we got CP to be hooked to LGP. But he is still playing MH at the same time. See how cute the "monsters" we are supposed to kill look like!
Second week came; I played after work (since it required installation of a programme). Then I knew I was hooked when in the middle of the 3rd week, my internet connection was out. I was frustrated at not being able to go online. I even played the few minutes in between whenever the connection was available. My character died whenever my line got disconnected!

I guess competitiveness does lure the person into doing something.

Now those two guys are laughing at me since they claim they have advanced to level 45-50; leaving me behind at level 38. Arghh.. should I try to catch up or go cold turkey? Stop playing altogether… hmmm….

8 Sept 2008
My friends quit playing LPG. So did I.. I only managed to play for 3 weeks and they got bored. Oh well, now I'm back to RL (real life)... haha

Lost Cash

I believe Earl will say something like, “It’s Karma. It will all come back to you.” (From the series: My Name Is Earl)

My colleague shared a dilemma he was in. He found a wallet with few hundred Ringgit. There were also some name cards, a driving license and ATM receipts. He told me that he was going to use the money to make some purchases like perfume or a new sofa. I was shocked. I told him, “No… return it. If it were your money, you would want someone to return it.”

He asked, “Who on earth would return money they found nowadays? If you lose few hundred Ringgit, do you think you will ever see it again?”

I answered, “Well, why not? You could be the first to do so. Just return it since there is an address and name card with the contact number.”

He said, “But I saw his ATM receipt which states he has a balance of 7000 plus Ringgit.”

I replied “That is not the issue. (I think he assume he has a few thousand; so losing a few hundred does not matter) He might have withdrawn this money to say buy milk for his child or do some payment.”

He answered, “Why you all say the same thing? The other colleague told me if I buy the perfume and use it, my skin will stink.”

I could only chuckled at my other colleague’s tactic quietly.

I ended our conversation with this final words, “Whatever you decide, at least mail back the driving license to the owner. I hope you’ll return the money. Quickly decide. If not, the temptation from the devil is there to use it.”

I silently pray he will return the money to the owner. If not, what more can I do?

Have you ever lose something? Have you ever wish it was return to you? What if the situation is reversed? Would you return the ten dollar bill you found? Would you return the extra change the cashier gave you? Would you worry about it?

I myself have carelessly misplaced stuff which makes me worry. These days, I’m amazed how things turn up when you don’t think too much about it.

My experience

Once, I was the treasurer to keep the money for the students of our batch for that year. It was money for some general purchases or small events we could hold. Somehow, I didn’t want to carry the money along with me, so I left it underneath the seat of my car. Imagine that, I forgot about it totally that day.
Few days later, I happily sent my car to be washed and vacuumed inside. On that particular day, I collected my car and went back. Suddenly I recalled about the money and I frantically ran to my car to check if it was there. Lo and behold, the coin purse with all the cash was still there. It could only mean two things to me. One, my guardian angel is looking out for me or two, the guys who cleaned my car didn’t really clean it properly. ;)

Anyway, I thanked God. (I was worried because it was not entirely my money!!)

p.s. He is returning the money to the owner this Thursday! Praise the Lord! :)

Women Equality.. not!

Despite living in a modern world and women have achieved equality, IMHO I think we are not there yet. The society itself vibrates the energy whereby women are still weaker and an object of their fancy. (When I say the society here, I’m referring to the leaders of the countries with power to do something that majority consists of men) They still do not punish severely the crimes against women.

Multiple Rape
For example, take a look at today’s papers. A man is sentenced a second time for raping for another 12 years and the defense ask for leniency since he is already serving another sentence for another rape.

This is what the defense counsel said, "Furthermore, he has been serving an 11-year jail term since December 2003 for a previous rape conviction in Teluk Intan, so I hope the court will consider giving him a lesser sentence.”

WHATT?? It means if you kill one person and serve time for it, when you kill a second person, you can get a discount for the sentence? Ridiculous!
Just because the overall statistics are slightly lower, the authorities can proudly imply that crime is better since less violent ones. There are still 3117 over young girls’ lives affected by horrible, perverted, sex-crazy men out there! Sad to say, many by their own family members who are suppose to protect you.

Blackmail Rape
If it happened to you or your loved one, would you say that? Take a look at this other case; a young girl befriended a man through SMS. Then he molested her and took nude pictures of her to blackmail her into having sex with him. Now she is pregnant.

First, the society will blame the parents for not keeping an eye on her.

Second, they will blame the girl for being “gatal” or dressing sexily or asking for trouble.

Third, the extremist group will start banning sms or even start imposing women on a strict a curfew or perhaps force women to cover up like a mummy.Hello? Why can’t the system do something severe to punish men themselves? Should it be that extreme till we inject drugs to subdue these men's sexual desires as suggested by a reader in the newspaper? Why must you blame the female or perhaps you really think we are the weaker sex? Why must we the society be so condemning to the victim and not supportive of her?

If the society was more supportive to victims, we could have stopped that incident at the nude pictures. After all, the victim will only feel embarrass over a few nude pictures and who knows, she might get famous with that just like what happened to many other “famous artist”. Now it’s even worse, she got rape and an unwanted pregnancy. What kind of a future will she get? What about that poor life in her womb despite his/her monstrous “father”?

David and Bathsheba
History shows the weakness of men from the early ages. Even King David himself was succumbed by his own desires when he saw Bathsheba bathing. When he saw that, he started plotting a way to get her even though she was married. He plotted to get her husband killed. The eye is the root of evil for men. The painting below is called "David and Bathsheba" painted by Lucas Cranach in the year 1526.Pornography
That is why, young children, parents don’t allow you to watch pornography. It really is for your own good and the people around you. You’ll start fantasizing and getting ideas about girls, women and men! One day, when you can’t control yourself, you’ll act out your fantasies.

Robbery and Rape
In fact, our society is getting creepier by the minute. I have heard of many robberies being done in daylight near the shops around my office area. Even though there are CCTVs, they boldly walk in to rob your shop with all your workers around.
They are so desperate that they do go for men to rape them since no “weaker sex” is around. Just because statistics doesn’t show it is reported, it does not mean there is no such case. Men normally don’t report such cases.

My friend told me her guy friend got robbed in his shop and then raped by men who did awful things to him which she didn’t want to mention to me. She only said they bit him…. Let your own imagination do the talking.

What rights do we have as women when the men of this world condone such indecent behaviours with reasonable punishment and cover-up? We are still not an equal. Women still walk in fear by themselves in daylight or even the basement carpark. (Remember the Canny Ong's case?)

Final note
Since our society loves statistics and big numbers, we only come together as one to collect funds for disaster like tsunami or earthquakes, etc. What about the other statistics which are not compiled together through daily deaths from starvation, murder, rape, torture and so forth? These lives (and not numbers) are being ignored daily. The world is being attack by such evil crimes every second. Not just a sudden major natural disaster.

With my one voice, I plead one person at a time. Every life counts, women or men, child or unwanted child. Our body is just a physical vessel. Do not succumb to the devil temptations to satisfy your bodily desires. It’s just temporal and makes you want more. It does not truly satisfy your true needs. Attempts to enlighten the society are being done by ERA Consumer Malaysia through a book entitled ‘Rapist & Rape – Who & Why’,

Indeed, you will ruin the lives of many other people here on earth and on judgment day, I pray God will have mercy on you when you finally face the wrath of God.

Below is the painting "Last Judgement" by Michelangelo.

Doubtful

I was driving home from work today when I noticed two dark-skinned men fumbling with some electrical cabling of the lamp post by the road side. I wouldn't have noticed if it there was no traffic jam. Therefore, I just observe and wonder. ..

First, I noticed a man at the first lamp post. I thought it could be an electrician worker but he was wearing a collared-t-shirt which didn't seem like a uniform. Then I noticed a second man at the next lamp post, who wore a green collared-t-shirt which was different than the first guy. That definitely rules out workers from Tenaga National Berhad (TNB) since they weren't in their typical gray-coloured shirt and dark blue pants.

Second, as it was rush hour at about 7pm, who would still be working at such an hour?

Third, I managed to snap two pictures of their handiwork when the traffic jam slowed to a halt. I couldn't take a picture of the men in action because I was driving as the traffic was still moving slowly.
Take a look at the opened chamber with the wires sticking out. I didn't manage to take the lamp post with the cover thrown messily on the ground. No time to zoom and adjust! Does this look like qualified workers? Or as my hunches tell me, looks more like people stealing electrical wiring?

No one would have bothered about them as everyone was rushing home and getting frustrated at being caught in the daily traffic jam.

I have to check if the lights are on at night to confirm my suspicion.

Anyway, with the increase of living cost, petrol and everything, the desperate are resorting to find additional cash from stealing manhole covers to electrical wiring. While the bold and "ugly" decided to be robbers of shops, banks, jewellery shops and homeowners!Be careful when you walk on a pedestrian walkway, you might drop and hurt yourself in the exposed manhole!!

Update on 14/8/2008.
Guess what? When I drove by these few lamp posts, I noticed the covers were put back into their original place and most of the lights are working. And something else! They put two strips of metal bar to keep the cover at place. As if, that will deter thieves! I will take a picture of it tomorrow and post it here.

Online Games

Oh no, first it was Facebook.
Then, Mousehunt in Facebook.

Now the ultimate addiction is here for me. I have started playing online games!! Argghh!!

Well, this is my second night playing it. What has gotten my attention?

"Legend of Golden Plume is a cartoon-style real time fantasy MMORPG where you will find a wonderland - all of your friends, NPC, monsters are very cute! You can change your appearance easily; even disguise yourself to a pet, jumping here and there in the street to attract a lot of attentions!" Pets like the bobi is shown below.
My bf set up the account for me with a typical image for a simple character (the swordsman) and a silly name. If it were me, I would have chose a cute little female mage. But I'm not going to create another character. Below is my character and my pet.

Swordsman cannot throw fireball from afar!! He has to go hand-in-hand battle which increases his injuries and making him slow in battling. My team members just throw fireballs at the monsters!! The "monsters" are cute adorable creatures which you can catch and make it into your allied pets to battle with you.
Sigh.. well, more updates as I progress in the game. Last night I managed to reach Level 19. Tonight, I only managed to reach Level 20 but I met two new team members!


In the meantime, AC (male) you recommended this game and yet I have not seen you online to teach me how to play!! Thankfully I met some new "friends" just now who I could go battling together.... :) Till then, signing off...

Secured Security.... NOT!

I am very disappointed and unhappy when I read this article in the Star paper recently.
How can the security guards in the airport be so indifferent and irresponsible?
We are forced to removed all our precious documents and belongings when we enter the airport to scan through our body for dangerous items. During these few seconds and unfortunately minutes if the scanner beeps, your personal items are left vulnerable on the conveyor belt after being scanned through.
How can that "family" take an extra hand bag and laptop bag along with all their hand luggage? First of, how can the security guards there not bothered at all? It is their job to make sure our luggage do not contain harmful items but it is also their responsibility to keep an eye on it when we are being scanned! Do they assumed our valuables are part of the tax or for other greedy people's taking?
I never realised how sad our society is getting when you are no longer secured under the eyes of security guards in the security check-point of a supposedly-secured-airport. You haven't got me started on the retrieval of check-in-luggage on arrival yet... Sighh... read the article yourself and comment.

Thursday July 31, 2008

Bags go missing at KLIA departure hall

ON July 26, I sent my daughter to KLIA to catch the 4.35pm Jetstar plane to Singapore. It was about 3.30pm when I saw her going through the Immigration counter and waving goodbye.

Later, I was to learn of her horrifying experience. As she went through the metal detector and x-ray machines before going into the departure hall, she put her handbag, laptop and document bag through the machines.

The bell sounded as she wore a metallic belt. There were security people around and she was given a body check. Once done, she turned to get her things and they were gone!

Yes, her handbag and laptop bag had gone missing. She panicked and asked the security people. Nobody seemed to know where her things were or who took them.

Mind you, her wallet, mobile phone and personal items were in her bag and her precious documents and laptop in the other.

The poor girl was so horrified and yet those security people could not help. Her presence of mind told her that the family before her could have taken her things.

She quickly went searching for the family with a security officer in tow. And lo and behold, she found the family and yes, they had her things.

A quick check and her things were still safe in her bags, the family said sorry and that was it. The security officer just stood by and did not say a word.

I should have thought the proper thing would be to haul the family up and detain them for questioning. Did they mistakenly take my daughter’s bags or did they steal them from under the noses of security?

KLIA should review the CCTV recording and make sure that when our things go through the x-ray machines or metal detector, they are safe and returned to the owners.

When we are stopped and given a body check, we have to turn our backs and leave our things out of sight for a few minutes. If the security people cannot safeguard our things for those few minutes what is the point of putting so many people there.

At least five to six officers were on duty there. I wonder if this has happened to others. I am sure this is not the first case, neither will it be the last by the look of things.

Please investigate how it could have happened because I shudder to think what could have happened to my daughter had she lost all her precious belongings.

Many of my friends and relatives were appalled at this lack of security when I told them our story. The ‘tak tahu’ attitude has to change. Even if I wanted to give teh family the benefit of doubt, my sixth sense tells me how can anyone take two bags which do not belong to them by mistake!

LUCIA QUEK,
Seri Kembangan.

Sudden warmth...

Remember watching those horror movies and having the chills? Whereby you get goosebumps and the hair on your arms and neck stand straight up? Like this little kitty below here...
Or remember the scene in Sixth Sense, where Haley Joel Osment breathe can be seen whenever it gets cold because a spirit/ghost is near?
Well, my experience is totally opposite of that.

I started swimming again today. The water was cold and it forces you to move on to keep yourself warm. There were a few kids swimming around too.
Here I was, swimming through the cold water when suddenly, I felt the water became warm and then later cold. Sighhh.. the kids peed in the pool. There you go, I felt the sudden warmth of their natural body temperature through their pee.
Actually, is it safe for us to swim in pee? Shouldn't there be a separate pool just for kids and their pee? Then again, have you peed in the pool as a child? Or don't tell me you do it even as an adult now?? :p

I shall avoid the children's end and swim at the adult side in future. But will that make any difference? Hmmm...

Guardian Angel

Today, my Senior Pastor mentioned about angels. He mentioned that everyone of us have at least a guardian angel. He has two guardian angels which he and a few others have seen.

I truly believe there is a guardian angel looking after all of us. Not too sure to the extend of a "24 hours bodyguard" role but "he/she" is there.

I believe so because if not, how could I survive so many "accidents" when you accidentally, close your eyes a little too long while you drive and could nearly rammed into other car in the other lane. Or perhaps when you clumsily crossed the road without noticing an incoming car? Or some other accidents which could equate to the horrifying sudden deaths of the movie, Final Destination.

Perhaps, you'll say, that's the doing of the other person's guardian angel. :P

Whatever it is, I believe God sent me a guardian angel to protect me from harm. :)
It makes me feel safer and at peace; knowing my guardian angel is there watching me but that doesn't mean you should test "him/her"!

However, it makes me more at rest knowing God loves me and cares about me that much.
Somehow, when I see little figurines or dolls of angels, I tend to smile and be reminded of that feeling of protection. I bought one little angel recently as seen here. Expensive but too adorable to resist!
Remember City of Angels? Sad story but notice how they portray the angels in the movie?

Anyway, despite all this, remember the main thing, that God loves you as you are His cherish children of His kingdom. Now, He's telling me to go to sleep, since I have to work tomorrow. :p