Mile high aisle

The two recently acquainted people, sitting directly across the aisle from me, started off courteous, friendly and then chatty. Now I’m still as silent as I was during takeoff. So are they. And the visibly silent handjob.

True story.

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*Written airborne two and half days ago, from my aisle seat. Auckland enroute Kuala Lumpur.

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Social acknowledge part 1

If something awkward, or not awkward happens, don’t pretend it didn’t. Address it, acknowledge it. I have a problem with people who don’t. I have a problem with people who do otherwise.

When somebody walks towards you from the opposite direction, and there’s eye contact (even if it’s accidental), acknowledge the other person’s presence. Don’t pretend you didn’t see the person there. You know it. He or she knows it. Say hello, give a smile, raise a brow. Is it that difficult? Is your nose far up airborne that you can’t level your ego to a stranger for a brief moment.

You have the intelligence to read this text, possibly even have a decent education that you are somewhat proud of, take pride in, and tell people about from time to time at some point in your life, but you can’t afford basic social intelligence?

Given, that the other person is/might be doing the same thing.

But change will not happen on negative assumptions or passive approaches. Before you save the world, eradicate hardcore poverty, preach for greener pastures or change the government, go for something immediate and frequent. Baby steps.

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Ancient indian yogic text

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It is better to live your own destiny imperfectly than to live an imitation of somebody else’s life with perfection.

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- Bhagavad Gita

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Wheel basketball life

It happened years ago. It has stuck with me since, and I find it awfully relevant to me today in relation to where I am, as well as in observing my friends, peers and contemporaries.

I overheard something said from one notable player to another, in the middle of the court, between passes, during a casual pickup game of basketball in campus. Both of them represented the varsity and state team. Both had the same name. Except one was modest chap, and the other, otherwise. That said, I think what was said encapsulates all sorts of characters and facades.

Kita ni hidup macam roda. Ada masa kita dekat atas, ada masa kita dekat bawah.

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(This life is like a wheel. There are times when we are up there, there are times when we are down there.)

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A 42 in klue’s 20 under 40 list

Every year, KLue magazine does a 20 under 40 feature. Zain HD, RA’s frontman who happens to be 24 (although he looks 42), is one of the 20 KLue magazine selected. Others are such as Kokokaina, Hardesh Singh, Tan Hong Ming & Umi Qazrina, Nurul Izzah Anwar & Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

yo congrats on the 20 under 40.
- Ro Hashim

We were not planning to talk about this here, but to our surprise, the above what how the Homepage of KLue magazine’s website looked like. Naturally that poor unbefriending look of his, got some folk around town talking and setting up a charity so we can sponsor a facelift.

*It’s not a super special feature on him. It’s just a blog post feed that will eventually roll down as KLue’s blog gets updated.

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Every year, KLue magazine does a 20 under 40 feature. I’ll use their explanation to better illustrate to you what it is,

wei. quite the famous right you.
- Jules Tang

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*Observe how these quotes change from complimentary, to…something else.

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Zain HD, RA’s ‘frontman‘ who happens to be 24 (although he looks 42), is one of the 20 KLue magazine selected. Others are such as Kokokaina, Hardesh Singh, Tan Hong Ming & Umi Qazrina, Nurul Izzah Anwar & Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor.

Thank you all for supporting RA. And to KLue mag, loads. Namely Sarah Chan @ DJ Salah , Shermen Mukhtar & others responsible at this fascinating publishing house.

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nurul izzah, khabir bhatia, ZAIN HD?! maju lah bukit bintang!
- Al Alif

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muka stoner bro.
- Rashdan Harith

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damn man, were you auditioning for a new zombie kampung pisang movie?
- Xul Fariq

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Being a face

Malaysia is a multicultural country. It is united nations. It unites all nations. Right? Right Zain? *a classmate interrupts*You’re a dumbass. Your ass is dumb. You’re a retard. Your face is retarded.

I have been teaching tuition to PMR & SPM students part-time for almost five years. It’s a job laden with patience and perks. I sometimes stray off topic by sharing my views on a few things, namely the egalitarian perspective, in hope to ‘enlighten’ theirs. Sometimes they say things just to gauge a response from me.

Here is one recent example of something funny that happened between two students in math class of four boys. It started by one of them saying something to me, which I refused to answer to, to a discussion of views that ended in laughter.

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Malaysia is a multicultural country. It is united nations. It unites all nations. Right? Right Zain?

*a classmate interrupts*

You’re a dumbass.

Your ass is dumb.

You’re a retard.

Your face is retarded.

You were born retarded.

The people who conceived you were retarded.

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Eh that’s my line ok!

Whatever. I don’t care. I say fiiiiirst.

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The Strive of The Indigenous Peoples

PERJUANGAN ORANG ASAL

Exhibition, Performance, Memorandum
11am Wednesday 10 September till
7pm Sunday 14 September
The Annexe Gallery, Central Market
Jalan Hang Kasturi, Kuala Lumpur
0320701137 colin.coac@gmail.com

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The Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) is hosting a series of events on indigenous peoples and rights in Malaysia to celebrate the first year anniversary of the United Nations Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP).

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*Its invitation page on Facebook. All text here courtesy of the organisers. Scroll down for map to the venue.

PUBLIC EXHIBITION

A public exhibition on indigenous peoples of Malaysia, their contributions as well as current challenges. The exhibition includes photographs by orang asal as well as activists like Colin Nicholas, and also an installation of a typical blokade used by the orang asal to prevent developers’ vehicles from entering their territories.

CULTURAL NIGHT

A cultural night of exchange with performances by members of the orang asal communities. Guaranteed more authentic than Citrawarna. Sat 13 Sep, 7pm, an all night revelry!

MEMORANDUM HANDOVER

There is a private workshop from 10-12 Sep to discuss the final draft of a memorandum on indigenous peoples rights. While this workshop is NOT open to the public, supporters are welcome to join them in the handover of the memorandumto DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agung on Sat 13 Sep, 9am. Come earlier and meet at The Annexe Gallery if you like to join.

BACKGROUND INFO

Since June 2008, representatives from different indigenous peoples organisations across Malaysia have been reviewing national and state laws in the areas of adat and customary law, land and resources and development policies and assessing them against the Declaration for the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DRIP).

Adopted on 13 September 2007 by the United Nations General Assembly, the DRIP presents a set of minimum standards for how governments should treat indigenous peoples and is intended to help address the social and economic marginalization faced by indigenous communities.

The Declaration describes the rights of indigenous peoples, and their rights to identity, language, education and their traditional lands. It also emphasizes their rights to be involved in all decisions and matters that affect them as well as their right to pursue their own vision of economic and social development.

Malaysia has been a strong supporter of the DRIP, backing it as early as 2006 when it was adopted by the UN Human Rights Council and then voting twice in favor of the Declaration’s adoption by the General Assembly. The adoption of this instrument is the clearest indication yet that Malaysia and the international community are committed to the protection of the individual and collective rights of indigenous peoples.

Representatives from different Orang Asli, Kadazandusun, Murut, Dayak and Orang Ulu groups will be deliberating on the final draft of the memorandum from 10-12 September 2008. This is a private event, not for the public. However, JOAS will present a memorandum based on the review to DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agung at the Royal Palace on 13 September 2008 on behalf of the indigenous peoples of Malaysia, and indigenous peoples as well as supporters are invited to join the group on the walk to the Royal Palace.

Highlight of my day

The first said, the highlight of my day is, when I was walking out of a hotel elevator and bumped into a woman’s bosom…and it was…soft.

There was a short hilarious one-off section called ‘The Highlight of My Day’ on BBC Radio.

The host would say ‘the highlight of my day’ and a guest would continue the sentence. The first said, the highlight of my day is, when I was walking out of a hotel elevator and bumped into a woman’s bosom…and it was…soft.

The second went,

the highlight of my day is, when I was walking out of a hotel elevator, and bumped into a woman’s bosom, and said, if your heart is as soft as your bosom, you would forgive me.

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And she said, if your willy is as hard as your elbow, I’m in room 260.

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