THE REAL-ity OF FOOTBALL

Do you think it is easy to be a part of the world ' s most famous football team ? If you really think that playing professional football for clubs like Barcelona , Real Madrid , and Manchester United is an easy feat , I want you to think again . Chances are you did not provide yourself a deep insight into the real situation faced by their star players .

Just imagine if you are Lionel Messi , Cristiano Ronaldo or Robin van Persie . What do you think will happen if you did not score any goal in a match ? If your team wins , that is fine . But if your team loses , I bet the next few days will be a nightmare for you . Just imagine , getting the highest weekly paycheck , getting a lot of assists from fellow teammates but unable to score the goal . 

The situation can get even stickier if you are Tito Vilanova , Jose Mourinho or Sir Alex Ferguson . Just imagine , you fielded a team worthy of the nickname " DREAM TEAM " , played in the home stadium , but still could not win the match . One thing for sure , mass media and millions of loyal supporters around the world will be talking about it for some time . This drama could be ended with you getting sacked from the club .

But , on the contrary , if you proved to be the goal scoring machine , scoring at least a goal in every match , the whole world will cheer on you . Just imagine , supporters will be chanting your name in the stadium , guys started to dress like you , girls willing to die just to be your girlfriend . This situation might look favourable to you in the next few days . But , after some time , this " instant fame " can get on your nerves . You will be like an animal game for the paparazzi " hunters " . Your private life will be on the cover articles of football and gossip magazines . Even your girlfriend and families will not be spared . They will " enjoy " the " spillover effect " from your fame and fortune .

Alright now , are you ready for the climax of this " soap opera " ? Let say , when you reaches the peak of your performance , you suddenly decided to leave the club to find " greener pasture " . If you had really decided to do so , what kind of  " public feedback " would you expect ? My prediction , Barcelona will be submerged in a tsunami of angry Catalan supporters , Madrid will crumble under the intense pressure of " REAL " earthquake and Manchester will be the next " Nagasaki " , destroyed by the next " nuclear bomb " from  English gentlemen .

So , from here , can you feel how hard it is to be a professional footballer like Lionel Messi , Robin van Persie or Cristiano Ronaldo ? They had to carry a hefty burden of responsibilities on their shoulders . They are expected to deliver the best performance in return for their high payroll , best hospitality and the most conducive environment in which talents like them can be nurtured . Nevertheless , if you want to replace their " royal seat " at the expense of your relaxing lifestyle , then go ahead . I will not stop you .

SAY SMILE :-)

I had recently produced a quote in which I would like to share with you . The quote started like this , ehem.....

if a guy beat you up , smile to him
if teacher scolded you like hell , smile back to her
If your brother steals your ball , smile back to him
If you fail your Maths , smile back to the Maths paper
If your girl dumped you , smile back to her
Even if the world hates you alone , smile back to the world
Because a smile is the only difference between divinity and humanity

After I finished writing this quote , I asked myself this question , " Had I smiled enough to all people around me ? Had I even smiled back to them even when they did not smile to me ? " Then my spirit replied ," No , you did not smile enough . You did not even smile to them even when they are smiling to you . " Which brings me back to square one question , is it really hard for us to smile ?

First of all , how many of us smiled back when a stranger helped to pick your handbag or wallet when  you accidentally dropped them ? Did they think of a reward from us when he or she picked that thing up ? No , of course . He or she did not think of anything . Instead , he is willing to help us in the spirit of civic - mindedness in hope of getting a " Thank you " reply or just for that elusive smile . If you smiles back then I would like to congratulate you . You had give the greatest gift from God to that person ; smile . 

So , from here , can you see what people expected from you when they helped you with something ? They just want that smiley face expression back , which makes them feel better for a moment even when they are in a hurry . Smile is neither expensive nor cheap ; it is priceless . Nobody can actually figured out the monetary value of a smile because it is abstract . It is an abstract expression or how should I say , a sign of gratitude from bottom of our heart  . There is a wise man saying , " You cannot buy a smile with a Master Card or Visa . "


 So now , will you smile after reading this post ? I hope you do because I always believe that to be mad is human , but to smile even when you are mad , it is divine . Good night . Remember , sleep with a smile . 

NOTE : AUTHOR ALWAYS BELIEVE IN SMILING BACK TO PEOPLE WHO SMILED TO HIM . BUT HE REALLY NEEDS SOME MEDICATION IF HE IS SMILING ALONE FOR NO REASON
 

 

EMBRACING THE THAI IDENTITY IN SOUTHERN THAILAND

I always believe that when two sides are clashing and fighting each other over issues such as autonomy and so on , I am of the opinion that the conflict must be settled in peace . I always believe that such conflicts are unneccessary and does not bring any good to the well being of its people and the nation , as whole . Today , I want to talk about the insurgency and militants who destroyed the tranquility and religious tolerance of the multicultural region of Southern Thailand .

Now , for your information , the militant movement which were initiated by Islamic militant movements of Southern Thailand  in 2004 had cause great sufferings not only to Thai Buddhists and Thai Christians , it had also negatively impacted the Thai Muslim community which formed the majority in three provinces of Yala , Narathiwat and Patani . Many casualties had been inflicted on both sides , not only on the military personnels but also the Thai citizens , be it Buddhists , Muslims or Christians .  The conflicts in Southern Thai region had further eroded the image and reputation of Islam in this nation of 63 million peoples .

The militants and insurgents claimed that the conflict that they are waging against the central authority of Bangkok is a " holy war " against the unbelievers of Islam . They claimed that the province of Patani , Yala and Narathiwat belonged only to the Muslims . However , the history books proved otherwise . There had been a sizeable minority of Buddhist population , coexisting with their Islamic counterparts in the same region for as long as time can remember  . Shall I add on ? Buddhism and Hindusm traditons had existed long before the Kingdom of Patani embraced Islam somewhere between 11th to 13th century AD .

As for the central authority in Bangkok , I think it is the time for you to engage these " parasites " once and for all . Disinfect these " parasites " as I believe they had caused a great deal of sufferings not only to the Thai Buddhist and Christians populations , but also to the Thai Muslim community itself . If the Thai authorities could not handle this problem alone , I think that they should not be shy to form partnership with countries like Malaysia and Great Britain which had proved their battle worthiness in the war against communist guerillas back in the 1950s . Maybe Thailand can also engage several UN peacekeeping teams in Southern Thailand to restore back the much needed peace in that turbulent region .

As for the militant insurgents and the Thai Muslims population , I think this is the perfect time to throw away your firearms and bury the hatchet . Accept the fact that you are now living in Thailand and that you are subjected to Thai central government . Embrace the Thai identity as being a Thai does not make you less Muslim . If both sides are willing to strike a win-win situation deal , this will be beautiful . Just remember that Thai is a race , not a religion . Being a Thai shall never be the excuse for the Muslims to be less Muslims , just like being a Malaysian does not make me less Buddhist and Thai . 

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS
PEACE NO WAR

MY FAIR LADY SENORITA

If you are the guy who had never been in a relationship throughout your high school years , never had that first kiss with your girlfriend or the worst thing of all , never ask a girl out on a prom night at the end of your high school years , then I can conclude that you had a miserable teenage life . However , do not be worry . You are just a nano fraction of thousands of teenage boys across Malaysia who had never change their status of relationship from being " single " to " in a relationship " .

A classic case of a guy who never changed his " single " status on Facebook is me , myself .  Throughout my schooling years in primary , secondary and pre university level , I had been an awkward guy . Awkward not because I am sporting an awkward hairdo or looking like a Frankenstein monster , but I am one of the few guys in school who had never experienced the beauty of having a girlfriend . In the other word , I am just a high school "loser " who never had the " life " .

To say that I do not have the look that will put girls under my charm , is partially false . In fact , I was aware of some attempt by some girls who tried to make the first move on me . Some of them even send me love letters and flowers to my desk . If these girls are reading this , I would like to thank you for your kind act but sincerely saying , please put your name on the card so that I can send back the reply . Some of my male friends even joked that if I entered Bollywood as an actor , Salman Khan will be out of business .

However , over the years , after I reached 20 years of age , I had figured out several reasons why I do not have a girlfriend and why I do not need one for this moment . Firstly , I am still dependent on my parents for a living . I do not own a house , car , steady job and deep pockets in which I can offer to share with my girlfriend . I always believe that my parent's hard earned cash shall not go into my girlfriend 's " maintenance " fees . Instead . I will secure all of those four criterion above before I will call it a time for matchmaking session , on my own feet .

Secondly , I am a huge failure when it comes to making the " first move " on a girl . I do not have the talent to start a conversation with my love crush . Instead , I will somehow bring a " repaired " end to the relationship when the flowers of love have yet to bloom . Although I had planned the best dialogues , words , poems that will even make Shakespeare envious of my wordgasms, the planned conversation will not go as planned . Everything will be messed up and the day will be ended with a " red hand " mark on my face , as the girl walked away from me .

Thirdly , I have yet to find a girlfriend who passed all the " assessment test " of becoming a girlfriend of mine . My " dream girl " should be gorgeous looking young lady , loves kids , good at cooking and mending the house chores and should have at least a high school , SPM certificates . If she is a degree or diploma holder , that would be better . However , on top of that , she must possessed the following virtues in which I believe every girl should possessed . She must be loyal and truthful to the boyfriend , willing to share the sweetness and bitterness of a relationship , must be respectful to her and my parents , family members and relatives . I also expected her to uphold the Eastern values and lifestyle which had been deeply ingrained in myself . In return , I will be the best boyfriend she ever had .

In conclusion , I do not mind being a single young man for as long as I can remember  . In fact , I am proud of the fact that I had not been even in a single meaningless relationship with a girl who are trying to play the fool with me . However  I sincerely hoped that God will be my LOVE GURU who will try to match me with a young lady . Last but not least , I want the relationship to be " ended " with a love knot in a wedding function .

Now , shall I leave this Youtube music video clip for yours to savour ?
GENTLEMEN , GOOD NIGHT
LADIES , GOOD MORNING

WHEN MONEY IS THE NEW GOD

Have any of you ever wondered who is the new God of 21st century ? Can anybody make an accurate guess ? Alright , I will tell you the answer . The answer is MONEY . Yes , the paper notes and metal coins that everyone of us are using on a daily basis . The only reason why I elevate the status of money from being a legal form of currency to the divine Godliness status is because all of us are worshipping it . Muslims , Christians , Buddhists , Hindus , you name it , we are slowly becoming a servant of the " GOD " . We let this man made creation to take over the place of the real God we had been worshipping for generations .

Now , here is where the story started . In the past , people are much more contented with what they have . The global population were less numerous and certain places are sparsely inhabited . Back then , barter trading were the only way to get basic human supplies such as food , shelter , water and land . However , after the Industrial Revolution to the 21st century , barter trading had to give way to commercial economy which is fuelled by money capital . Under this new system , the more money you have , the better your life . As a result of this new " madness " , everyone is rushing to find more money through legal and non-legal way . The end justifies the mean . This is the part where we lost our sense of humanity . Some of us are willing to be criminals , prostitutes , even killers for the sake of money . Money is never enough , they said . What they do not say , money will not follow you forever .

Well , I believe that the above statement is inadequate . Shall I give you another example ? Firstly , do you think that everyone who frequently crowded the mosques , churches and temples are good people ? Secondly , do you think that the priests , monks or whatever they call it are truly the servant of God ? I had my own answer to both questions . My answer is there are more bad than good people in these places . In fact , some of these people came here to steal holy relics and any valuable possessions belonging to the instituition . This includes antique holy books , statues , jewellery etcera in hope of selling it to interested parties for a high price .

Secondly , some priests , monks are charging exorbitant fees to their fellow devotees for a "spirit cleansing " treatment when the methods of conducting the treatment are questionable . Secondly , some of them are also " forcing " their followers to donate certain amount of money to the temple in order to get amulets which are supposed to make them invincible . The amulets then turned out to be a fake . I have to agree that these people are smart in making quick bucks from their effortless effort but they had made a lot of bad sins and karmas which are only punishable by God .

So , from here , can you see of how money had become our new God . For those people who had " slaved " themselves to the new " God " , I think you should repent and take this word for a thought , " Almost everything needs money , but money is not everything .

WHERE TO STUDY ?

Students always asked themselves where should they further their studies after graduating from primary or secondary school ? If they graduated from primary school , they might be divided between studying at full boarding school , premier non boarding school or just the national school . As for the secondary school graduates , they will be in a deep state of dilemma as they have to make an even tougher choice . This situation can become stickier especially if you are offered a place in polytechnic , matriculation college , university or even a scholarship to foreign university .

Did you ever get into that kind of confusing circumstances ? If you are , do not worry . Sometimes in life , everyone of us had to make difficult decisions . The degree of hardness will increase as you grew older . Still remember when you get your UPSR or PMR result slip and an offer letter from a boarding school was sent to your doorstep ? Do you need to reply to it ? If you are the type of person who are still dependent on your parent and siblings in managing your own life , then I suggest you do not go  to boarding school . I think it is better for you to go to premier non boarding or conventional school where you can still travel back and forth from your home .

Now , choosing the right place to study can be a tricky affair especially when you are the " lalang " type of person . What I am trying to say is that you are easily influenced by the external factors eg parents , friends and relatives who claimed this college and courses as such and such etcera . Now , the solution for this problem is simple . What I wanted you to do is to close your eye and ask what your heart wanted you to be ? If you are talented in singing , playing musical instruments , then why do not you sign up for music college such as ICOM , Berkeley etcera . You do not have to be shy to pursue musical courses which are deemed by certain parties as worthless and irrelevant to the job market . Just follow your heartbeat and everything will be just fine .

One of my friends once told me that if you pursue something which is not your cup of tea , it will eat you up from inside . Honestly , he is absolutely correct . If you are inclined toward liberal art courses like me , but choosing engineering courses as your subject just for the prestige and respect by your loved ones , then you are just digging your own grave . I can bet you that you will fail at the end of the semester , crying yourself in the bed ," why is this happening to me ? I should have done liberal arts . If that moment arrived , you have reached a point of no return .

In conclusion , you should know your inclination and talents . The world is your studying place . You do not have to limit your choices . Be clear minded and have a firm stand . Then , I can guarantee you that you will pursuit the beauty of happiness .

NOTE : THE AUTHOR WISHES THE VERY BEST OF LUCK TO FRIENDS , RELATIVES AND ALL MALAYSIANS WHO ARE GOING TO PURSUE THEIR DREAM IN LOCAL PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES THIS EARLY SEPTEMBER

STEREOTYPE INCORPORATED

Have you ever encountered a situation where you are being labelled as such and such by your friends , the whole neighbourhood only because you are different from them ? The kind of difference that I am talking about is your skin colour , race , creed , belief , place of origins , etcera.. ? If you had been through this sticky situation , then I would like to welcome you to STEREOTYPE INC, a company which had been founded by me .

Now , I might surprise or provoke big bussinessmen if I say that if all of the companies including Apple , Microsoft , and so on were combined into a gargantuan consortium , their effort will come to waste . Why ? Because my company is more powerful , more stable and employed 7 billions people on this planet . Some might asked , " Is it true ? " Nah , I am just joking . I do not own any companies . I had just created the term stated above as an analogy to describe how stereotype had been a nasty cancer in among human race . By the way , if you search it on Forbes 500 , you can only find nothing . You have been fooled , HAHA !

By the way , stereotype is a common problem in this multicultural , multireligious country like Malaysia . Everyone of us are so prejudice of each other that we had blinded ourselves of the beauty in diversity and differences in among us , Malaysians . We are often ignorant of the fact that a people 's act does not represent the whole community .

Let me give you an example . Let say I saw a Malay couple kissing in the park . Does it sounds right if I say that all Malay couples like to display public affection ? Of course no . It is only the couple 's act , not the Malay act . They deserve the punishment , not the race . The second example , if I see a Chinese girl wearing an extra tight miniskirt and tight sleeveless shirt, looking  like a whore , sitting next to me in a bus . Is it fair for the Chinese if I say that all Chinese girl are sluts ?Of course no . Not all Chinese girls are like that .

I can talk about many other cases involving stereotypes which I had previously experienced . Now for the second part of this drama . I want to expose something even more heartbreaking , and you might want to punch my face . Be prepared for the truth . The truth is STEREOTYPE INC did exist . It had firmly consolidated in our minds and souls that only death can do us part from that impression .

When I was small , I had frequently heard that if I act naughty , some Indian guys will come and catch me . I grew up with that statement and I had to say that it was a complete myth as I mixed with them . I think they are just like me and I always think that if a guy wants to kidnap you , the guy does not have to be Indian . He can be anyone .I also heard that many Indians are drunkers . Well , this statement is not true either . I have seen many Indians who had not touch any liquors and beers even when being offered by friends and colleagues .

The second case , some people said that all Chinese are rich , greedy and liars . They also said that all Chinese can do business and are excellent in Maths . Now , let me correct the above statement . Not all Chinese are rich . Many of them are just like us , average income earners . As for the greedy part , I know of many Chinese businessmen who donated their properties to charities and like to share their fortune with the people . I also know of many Chinese who are honest and does not take anything that is not theirs . As for the Maths and bussiness part , I always believe that anyone can be a Maths prodigy if you worked hard by revision and full class attention . Let me remind you , not all Chinese do bussiness . Many of them are civil and private servants and they had no interest or skills in doing the business transactions .

As for the Malays , they said that Malays are lazy and like to depend on the Government on almost anything . Let me correct this , I personally know a lot of hardworking , workaholic Malays and they can afford to sent their childrens to colleges , buy expensive houses and cars without any special discount or assistance from the Government . Some parties said that Malay students are unable to converse well in English and are not doing well in Science and Maths . Well , this is not true . There are many Malay students who can spoke English fluently , which can be compared to foreign Western expatriates who lives in Malaysia . These students are also smart and they are able to score well in Physics , Maths and so on .

As for the non - Malay bumiputeras living in Peninsular Malaysia , Sabah and Sarawak , some people thinked that these people are still living in the forest , animisme believers and are illiterate . If you had  a friend who had this type of stigma , I suggest you smack him in the head and take him for a tour . Let him witness the truth . Orang Asli , Dayak , Kadazandusun , Murut and so on are now enjoying a high standard of living and many of them are successful professionals and businessmens . Many of them are devout Christians and they can write , read and speak better English and Malay than us . By the way , they do not live in the jungle . Many of them had moved out and lived in cities . Some of them also builded huge , rambling house for their families in the kampung .

As for me , many Malaysians thought that all Siamese came from Thailand . This is also a huge lie . For your information , there are around 70,000 Siamese people in Malaysia and many of them are concentrated in Kedah , Perlis , Kelantan and Hulu Perak . There is also a sizeable minority of Siamese community in Penang . Like all Malaysians , we are granted full citizenship and are considered as bumiputeras under the Federal Constituition . Now , I think I had made the point .

In coclusion , do not judge a book by its covers . Just remeber that we shall not treat other people the way we do not want to be treated . Eliminate all the prejudice and stigmas , and I am sure that STEREOTYPE INC will be out of business . 

SATU HATI SATU JIWA SATU BANGSA
SATU MALAYSIA
PEACE NO WAR