Tuesday, December 16, 2008

SOURCE OF THE PROBLEM -- YOU!

KCW and CKL, my two Chinese bosses in a company I worked in in the 90s said to me one day, "When a problem happens, ask yourself how you contributed to the problem". Probably not original an advice, but funny how you tend to learn faster when confronted with the most dire of situations. In this case for me, I was not up to scratch in dealing with a client.

Using your resources to address any problem from the inside-out is less taxing, not to mention the value it brings to one's basic attitude.

BRIBERY IS NEVER OKAY, EVER

Heard in one of the sermons by a cool, black Muslim in the U.S.:

"It is better to admit that you are weak and therefore you have to subscribe to and use bribery in your dealings than to making excuses, like, `everyone's doing it, I'm forced to do it as well', `its how the game is played', `if I don't do it, I won't get the contract'...and so forth and so on".

Bribery, usury are hideous and should be avoided. Period. God willing. God help us all.

HALAL TUBE & COOL PREACHERS

I stumbled upon Halal Tube some months back and have been following some of the speakers quite regularly. It is actually quite intriguing to listen to these Muslim reverts and many a times, I feel so very embarrassed at myself, that I was born a Muslim but am getting `taught' about my religion from people who have embraced Islam only as adults.

Whilst I find that there had been much compromises in delivering the true teachings of Islam by most scholars in this country (unfortunately, due to political reasons), the champions of Islam in the Western countries like the United States do not cut corners, are very cut and dry albeit not in a condescending way and are so cool.

I suspect if I wanted my teenage children to start getting deeper into the religion (as they should, sigh!), they will find these Western speakers highly inspirational. After all, everything Western is so cool to them.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

No. 3, Block F, Jalan Fryers, Perumahan Keretapi Tanah Melayu, Ipoh, Perak.

I wonder if any of the active Hindraf members is my friend, ... from yesteryears? 7 out of 10 of us kids growing up in the Railway Quarters in the 60s/70s are Indians, therefore, basically I had more Indian friends than I did Malay ones.

My dad sent me to Tarcisian Convent where Indians and Chinese made up 90% of each class. I wonder if any of the Chinese who are insisting on vernacular education these days is one of my friends then?!

For the longest time I felt really felt bad that my race, the Malays are purportedly discriminating my friends who are the Chinese and Indians. Now, I'm not sure anymore. Could it be that these friends of mine are doing injustice to themselves?!!

Orang Melayu Kedah kata, "Tak dak penyakit, nak cari penyakit". I say, "Janganlah penyakit di cari ambik".

WaAllahu'alam.

NOT VERY GOOD AT THIS I AM!

My last posting was on June 4th...sigh...then I resolve to actually make time to update my blog, for the sake of my children. No excuses, just plain don't know how to grab this bull by the horns on this one.

All the same, funny the husband is starting to complain about my being too glued to the computer, albeit reading other blogs - some of them are so good. I like The Scribe, Che Det, of course, The Malay Male when he's not his crass self, Penarik Beca when he is his rude self, Zubli's, Husin Lempoyang...

I will be well and truly a blogger once I've decided that I am not doing it other than to seek satisfaction for me, myself, I and God. Hope that will not be long coming, God willing.