Bringing life to God's presence

Life is like a long winding road with crossroads at every corner. I used to think that life is easy that you should just buckle up your seat belt and drive. But life doesn’t really work that way. You need some good song to clear the awkward silence and sometimes a good companion that can make you laugh along the road.

Okay, let say we have some good collection of Cds to switch each and everytime we finish listening to one, and yes we have good companions that can entertain us at the same time. But what if we missed the junction which we supposed to take to go the the right destination? Yes, we can take the U-turn and come back to the point before the junction. But life is way tricky than that. Even when you make a U-turn, you end up heading to a different direction. So what can we do?

We always assumed there will be solutions to every crisis. We think we know what we are doing and where we are going. But how if, we are lost, and tired, and thirsty and alone, all at the same time? How do you feel when anxiety took all your confidence away? How can we go on? Get a map? (You are allowed to laugh)

Yes, go back to the basic, to where you come from and start all over again. This time you know which turning you should take and which you shouldn’t.

On the other hand, if you know where you are going, because you got a GPS system installed in your car. You got nothing to worry about because you know where you’re heading to and you will get to your destination on time. Okay, that’s the good part of it. But do you know you are missing something despite saving all your energy and time?

The map, because we don’t need it. When you have a GPS system in your car, why the fuss of having a map? (SNORT!!) You don’t need a map.

But one thing we didn’t know about the map. The map is God Himself manifesting his teaching in a bible. When we are lost, we used the map to direct us to the right point. Likewise, when you are spiritually lost, we can refer to the bible and learn God’s way.

GPS system is the modernization of the world today. You can see dependable high technologes everywhere and human energy is now pretty much not needed. Even at home, with the technology at hand, we can save more time and energy.

I have my bible with me, but it was kept neatly beside my bed covered with dust. That’s enough to explain how lost I am, not on the road but in my life as a whole because im relying so much on technology at hand without realizing the map is simply the only thing I need when nothing else is reliable anymore.

I know I am lost. I realize I am longing for God’s presence in my life.

Free Music

We are "Malaysians"!!

I was going through the malay news when I saw the article about Namewee, the guy who insulted the national anthem by calling it "negarakuku". I told my housemate about it and she found him in youtube. As a music lover, the music he made was quite impressive – his voice and the rappings. But after reading the translation in english, I was like “this guy is really calling for trouble”. Obviously, it was very provoking although the rhythm is quite entertaining but that is the National Anthem for God sake, he used his talent in a wrong way.

I am not against him or even the malays or any other races. Honestly speaking, I do have some dissatisfactions about the malays, the chinese, the indians, and even my own race. I don’t think it’s the races that make all of us like what some think we are – it is the PEOPLE!!!! And totally not their RACES!!!!

I do have malay, indian and chinese friends who are really hardwoking and who are not! I don’t see any differences between all of us because all races are equally the same. The only different thing is that “how they were brought up since young. If this Namewee guy has the guts to make a public statement in that song, don’t you think it must have been triggered when he was growing up? We start learning about life from our parents. We imitate the way they view life as a whole. Most of my friends who did well in their life came from a very decent family, a family who knows what respect means, who knows and understand differences and who knows what’s good and bad.

We often heard people say “Orang melayu pemalas, penjenayah!!“Orang cina kedekut, kasar, penipu besar, dan suka merendah-rendahkan orang lain!”, “Orang India kejam, pemabuk, berbadan busuk, dan mulut manis!”

But come to think of it, how will these contribute to the unity of all races for the continuation of peace and harmony in our country?



Yes, I know the government can be unfair and ridiculous sometimes, and some people are as what they said they are, but why make ourselves the victim? Why do we trigger the sensitive issues about races? Other countries are killing each other because of the difference in religions and races, I don’t think any of us would want to see the chaos.

Let's think about our next generation. Let's build them not by differences but knowledge, acceptance and respect.


If there are 100 people like this guy, I don’t know how long our ‘peace and harmony’ will last. I don't know if i can even go to "Masjid India", "Brickfields", "Shah Alam", "Petaling Street", "Cheras", and come out alive.

For an instance, look at the people and the culture in Sabah, no matter how different you are, ‘aramai tii’ is still “aramai tii”.

weirdo?

I was with my sister yesterday, helping her carrying all the bags filled with all the things she just bought. I feel like a porter following her around with all the bags in my two small hands. I was really exhausted and my head thumping mercilessly. There was no time to rest that day but still I have no idea why I am willing to be bounced like a ball and go wherever I was asked to. Maybe I thought that was better than getting hurt by her sharp words.

One time, my sister went to the SK II booth to buy the beauty products she needs and as she was complaining about her dry skin to that promoter, that girl just made my day when she responded to my sis “Is it hot in your country?” I feel like, “Yea, malaysia is hot!” but I know that she must have thought we are not from malaysia. So my sister was playing along until she gave up and says, “We are from Sabah.”

We get that almost everytime we go shopping or going places. People thought we are not local, maybe because we can’t speak the malay slang in peninsular that we prefer to communicate in english and my sister always speak as though she is from Australia or something. Me and Jim always look at each other with a sneer when she do that. But yea, it feels weird having people stare at you trying to figure out where you come from. It happened a lot of times that it feels like we are being alienated.

Some thought we are from the Phillipines or Indonesia. Some figured we are Pan Asian, and some even thought we are Japanese????!!!!!!!!!!! I know it’s ridiculous but we do get that and it’s tiring! My sister told me once that my dad’s grandmother or maybe his mother has mix-blood but there’s no proof of that since my dad became an orphan when he was 5 years old, and grew up with his only sister till she died when he was 11.

There was also one time when I was flying back to KL, I gave a prank to a lady sitting next to me. I told her my grandmother is an australian, and her answer was just as expected, she said “yea, I can see that.” It was damn hilarious.

I guess, I might as well play along next time and see the look on their face. It’s funny and I know I will enjoy every minute of it.