This Is It...

+ Dun Laoghaire town, Dublin - I used to label it ghost-town except for this weekend when it's bustling with people congregating for the World Culture Festival

The title of my entry is very similar to supposedly MJ's final concert in London - that is very intentional. Anyway, today marks another significant turning point in my life. :) I am all happy and ready for it. InshAllah. Oh before I forget, Salam Ramadhan to all, may you have a blessed Ramadhan and followed by joyous Idulfitri with loved ones!

x, ZuL.

D-Day & The Ugly Truth

Ahhh that day again. That very day again. I got up to what appeared to me a normal day, sun was shining, bird was chirping, fresh breeze was softly blowing... (ahh cut the craps... hehe). By 9.00 AM, all the texts, emails, calls, hugs and Facebook messages started coming in - all the well wishes. Yes, that day of the year again. I do not really make such a big deal out of it. In my mind - I kept on thinking about the the work I have to complete by end of the week. How sad you may have asked? But that is the blatant truth.

+ Lockz, thanks a mill. So much pressure to finish 4-5 books now!

I just had a fantastic day (work too had been nothing but productive). Lockz and I decided to stuff our face with Italian food after work, her treat. We took off from work wee bit early at 6.00pm and headed to Italian 'Oliver' restaurant that is a new add to the town. Oh before that, earlier the day, Lockz got me a present - a book Thanks For The Memories by Cecilia Ahern (the same author that penned PS I Love You). Right after dinner, we went to watch The Ugly Truth (Katherine Heigl & Gerard Butler). That was good fun. We laughed a lot, almost to the point that people might have thought that we were pissing drunk on the street. Haha.

Amidst all the messages, calls and the excitement of being bombarded by well-wishers (incl that very card from Brussels) - I did not receive that one very call. At that very moment I realized something that had woken me up - I have been way too generous with people (whom through deception have misled me to believe they do matter to me), until to the extent I have been taken advantage of. Really. You know how it is, when you wait endlessly for that one call that you may have thought that would come from someone who matters to you - be it family, or friend or whomever - and it just did not come to make your day; it made you realize you need to redefine the way you see things (and/or a person) and the way you treat things (and/or a person) from that point onwards! I guess I can't impose my values on people, but I make it my business to change my treatment to certain ungrateful quarters. It has gone beyond me, and I am no more a doormat. I guess it is my prerogative and I am free to exercise it. It is true when people say that - "Zul, you have just been taken advantage of". I resort to think, as much as I hate it - yes that is The Ugly Truth!

I feel liberated after penning that one last paragraph. I do mean it. And I really mean it. Good night.

Back to Kain Batik Politics

When I got up this morning, I checked out one of the daily online newspapers before my coffee and my cereal. It ticked me off. You can tell which one that is by looking at the picture above. Well, I was thinking to myself - have we advanced so far as claimed when we can be this low to gain press mileage to gain support?

This picture reminds me the norm when Malaysia is nearing an election - the "kain batik politics" to fool orang kampong and at the same time to fish votes. That was so 1979 (like Bruno once said "Borat is so 2006!"). And now, fast-forward 30 years later, we have not really moved on.

+ Kain batik

What a shame! I think, time is better off spent if they channel their effort to "wake the lazy Malays", or helping "the backwards Malays", or reform the "bohsias and mat rempits who are largely Malays"...

The Over-rated Equality

Every morning as I step into the train station at Sandycove Glasthule, I would be given two FREE newspapers – Herald AM and Metro. It has occurred to me a few times while reading the newspapers – do we have to stoop so low in promoting some kind of news that don’t matter too much, using women in skimpy clothes! Below are examples from today’s newspaper of Metro.


Case Study 1 – Two mouth-watering models promoting free 20,000 vouchers by Bank of Ireland offered to new third level students. The girls are equipped with briefcases (presumably full of vouchers, or were they full of other skimpy outfits). I don’t get this. What message am I supposed to take away from this? These 2 cannot be the potential students, for they are far too old and they don’t look like they have the capacity to become students anyway! Or should I assume that Bank of Ireland banking officers or assistants are this gorgeous – which I doubt it right down to the bones of me! They are not, believe me. So here is an example of marketing catastrophe. But then again, I resort to thinking that this is used simply to attract eye balls, which is fine - we do that everyday. But I still think it is wrong unless there is a drive by Irish rail to promote the campaign for men – To all men! Use our train, pick up the free papers & wake yourself up on the train by having a boner while looking at these half-naked women promoting things we are not too sure of! What a good way to wake up before hitting the office!


Case Study 2 – This is a lot sadder! The model is on (supposedly promoting) roadsweeper! How lame, and how moronic can you get to place a model, who’s close to showing her panty to the public. We are so absolutely sure, none of the drivers of the roadsweepers will be this drop dead gorgeous. What is the bloody point really? Because, chances are – the person operating this would be some men with flabby arse! No pun intended, I just don’t get it.

OK now, crux of the matter is – where are the women who are so gung-ho about equality. Women have moved on so much ahead, women have been a part of revolutions etc. But having seen all the 2 case studies above, they have done nothing but to take a giant step back from what they have fought for. This is one thing I am not sure – what is that women are fighting for when it comes to equality. Ok fine, there’d be room granted for equality – equality at work, salaries, responsibilities, representation etc... but at the same time, this kind of demeaning act takes place, and allowed to take place in the society. Where are the women to scream back and say “Stop this! Don’t use us as sex tool, it is demeaning! Unacceptable!” No, there won’t be any. I wish there were adamant strong voices against this. This is what I would call situational or circumstantial convenience i.e. where one feels that one can take advantage of the situation, one will max it out.

It is not about equality after all. My case in point is - if women are serious about equality and not to be treated this low, they should stick to their gun. I rest my case.