A Superficial World Indeed

Today I read that apparently humans like to be praised even if we know that the praise is insincere or even smell a tad of sarcasm. The research revealed that though outwardly we may not show the appropriate reaction to praises that are deceitful, indirectly, without us realising, we are psychologically inclined to it. Doesn't this show we are pathetic? 

Then I read another article. A research conducted by Harvard University revealed that when men look at beautiful faces, they feel the same as taking in cocaine. Could that be a euphoric sensation? Now, there's a solution to drug addicts!Thumbs up beautiful women! But, what happens to average looking women? 

Though both of these articles are based on research findings, I come to a sad conclusion: We live in a superficial world. 

Artificial Field and Imports

So the Malaysian football team lost to Singapore just now. Yet, I don't really feel bad. Of course, we've played better games prior to this, but yet a 5-3 lost is not something I'd feel devastated for several reasons.

Firstly, our team consist of pure, original, born-and-bred-Malaysian. Singapore's players on the other hand just look...foreign. Well, they, like many other "Singaporean athletes", are imports or shall I say foreigners with Singaporean citizenship. Which makes our team, a better team than theirs.

Secondly, I feel it was acceptable to lose since our players were not used to play in an artificial field, where the ball speed is faster and slippery. After all, our Malaysian team is used to play in real grass field. So, to the Malaysian football team, let's show what real football is when the Singaporean team play on our real grass field this coming Thursday.

Malaysia Boleh!

Dear Obama, Osama's Down...What's Next?

The world's Most Wanted has fallen. Al Qaeda leader killed. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first read it. I read it again and again. Thumbs up USA! Then I watched the speech by Obama. A speech though brief, yet will go down as one of the most important speeches in history. Of course, not to forget, a speech that could change Obama's fate this coming election.

Finally, the man has fallen. The irony is why does it take a great nation, the United States of America nearly ten years after the September 11 attacks to finally put a closure? Shouldn't Uncle Sam with all her renowned technological advancement have gotten hold of this 50-plus-old man with ragged top and lives on mountainous terrains a long time ago? 

So, what's next for the USA? What will happen to the Uniting and Providing America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (PATRIOT Act)? After all, one of the reason this act was established was due to the September 11 attacks. Will the act which will expire end of this May be renewed, amended or abolished?

Obama cleverly mentioned in his speech that America is not fighting with Islam. So, with Obama saying that Osama's down, and the world a better place, can Muslims now feel safe in the USA? Will there not be any form of human rights violation intrude upon the Muslims after this? Will there not be anymore so-called "random security checks" on Ali, Ahmad and Muhammad surnames? 

Obama has indeed done an excellent job. Definitely better than his oaf predecessor Bush. The Muslim world have not forgotten his speech in Cairo back in 2009. However, he has a long way to go to show that he is indeed a man of his words. Especially to the Muslims, and in particular the American Muslims.

How Much of Media Censorship is Appropriate?

To censor..or not to censor? It's a gray area and a tricky decision. What is viewed as inappropriate to one, may be subtle or not a big deal to another, especially in a heterogeneous society. Asian media have tighter guidelines on censorship as compared to Western media. However, censorship varies even within the Asian media itself, as some countries are lenient while others strict. 

Media censorship does not take away society's right to freedom of information, instead it helps to draw the line between what's morally right and what's immoral. It helps to influence the morality of a society. I believe that media censorship is also necessary in accordance to the society's conformity. I also believe that the person who has the accountability to censor what is viewed or heard by the whole nation must be well versed in the job. They cannot merely handle the task based on ethical guidelines given on a piece of paper. Instead, they have to be able to analyse critically what their job entails before making the cut.

Sadly, I see discrepancies in our media censorship. For instance, some parts of Beyonce's If I Were a Boy was censored simply because the lyrics said "Drink beer with the guys" (The word beer was censored). Same goes for the song Hey Soul Sister by Train where the word virgin was cut. My question is, what's wrong with the word beer and virgin? Virginity is a taboo topic in many Asian cultures, but what is taboo within a society does not necessarily be vulgar, does it? If words such as beer and virgin is inappropriate, how come the famous Smack That song by Akon is not? After all, if one were to analyse the lyrics, one would find a lot of vulgarities well described. The song of course got through simply because there was no taboo words in it. Or perhaps because the Smart Aleck does not understand the song at all!

This brings me to a new incident - movies. Just a few weeks back I went to watch Black Swan at the cinema, not knowing what it was all about prior to watching it. Today, I went to watch The King's Speech. Now both these movies are world's apart, but what connects them is that both contained scenes which are deemed inappropriate (to the Asian perspective). However, if they were to censor these scenes, audience wouldn't understand the story. Thus, I assume that's why these scenes were maintained. Good job! 

My next question is, if scenes of a person touching herself (in Black Swan) and another about a king swearing every vulgar word you can think of can be released without censoring, why does a scene of an innocent kiss in the classic movie Sound of Music censored? 

There are many more of similar incidents in our media. It is annoying when censorship is done without rationality. Where exactly do we draw the line between what's appropriate and what's not?

My Top 5 Favourite Countries

1. Egypt
Type of travel: Tour
Name of tour company: POTO Travels (Malaysia) and MISR Asia Travels (Egypt)
My fav place: Cairo.

I can write endlessly about this bustling city with its friendly and warm people, ancient architecture, and of course their mad driving! Refer to my previous post entitled Marvelous Egypt.

2. New Zealand:

Type of travel: Backpacking
My fav place: WellingtonWellington is beautiful and extremely windy, thus being ranked as one of the windiest city in the world. I remember being pushed by the strong wind while walking near Jervois Quay one windy morning. I also like Wellington Zoo, spent half a day there as the zoo is large with many interesting and some peculiar animals. The local bus from the city centre to the zoo is NZD3 one way (if my memory serves me right!) and entrance fee:to the zoo is NZD14. There are also places to visit from LOTR's scene, but be prepared to pay a few hundred NZ dollars. I only managed to visit the WETA Cave, a mini studio where I got to see some props, displays, BTS footages of LOTR and even met one person who were part of thousands of LOTR crew members.

Rotorua Lake, New Zealand

My fav place: Rotorua

Do not be put off by the pungent smell of rotten egg while you walk around this peaceful town. The smell is actually sulphur, a common element around volcanic area such as Rotorua. This tiny, serene city is very relaxing. Sometimes while walking around the area, you get to see puffs of white steam protruding from the ground - interesting sight indeed. Also, due to  its unique geographical area many hostels offer free saunas. Make a trip to Wai O Tapu, and The Mud Lake and watch the famous Lady Knox Geiser. These places are at the outskirts of Rotorua town, so it's better to book a tour from your backpackers hostel which gives you discounted rates. After all that go-sees, the Rotorua lake is a perfect place to relax and have fish and chips. Though it cost NZD 12,  it was the best fish and chips I've ever tasted. Fresh and juicy fish and mussels!

3. United Kingdom
Type of travel: Backpacking
My fav place: Scotland and Lake District

Interesting places to visit in Scotland: Inverness, Falkirk, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Stirling. Inverness is the highest town towards the north peak of the UK. It's cold but beautiful especially by the riverside with daffodils and tulips blooming during the spring. I also enjoyed walking around Stirling Castle and admiring the greens from atop. This place is a must for those who admires William of Wallace's fight for freedom or those who have seen the movie Braveheart. Edinburgh is also an interesting city which has its own unique features. I've enjoyed all my three visits (once in an extremely late autumn and twice in spring) to Edinburgh and would like to revisit it someday.

My fav place: Lake District
It borders England and Scotland. Beautiful lakes surrounding the area. I stayed at  a B&B in Lake Windermere and it was awesome. My two friends and I also took the local bus to see more of the country side and it was worth the trip. The only thing was we had to wait for an hour for the bus, as there was only one bus in the country side. Keswick, a town nearby is also interesting.

4. Switzerland
Type of travel: Backpacking

Old city of Geneva, Switzerland

My fav place: Geneva city.
There are many things to see and visit.  I visited Switzerland 3 times, twice in Geneva because I like the city very much. The city is like many other metropolitan cities, but not as busy and congested as London and Paris. There's a guided tour within the UN building for CHF10 (or more, I've forgotten). Behind the UN, there is a beautiful botanical garden (about 5 minutes walk from the UN).

Also, there are many other UN affiliates around the area. Lastly, visit the historical old city of Geneva and enjoy a cup of tea outside of the shops within the area. For souveniers, some items are cheaper if you buy at COOP City, a supermarket at the town centre rather than at the popular touristy areas.

Besides Geneva, I also recommend visiting Lake Como which borders with Italy. It's a beautiful town but only go for a brief visit...unless you have loads of cash because this town is extremely expensive! When I went there, I could see many luxurious cars parked along the streets. Not a place for me for sure!

5. Italy
Type of travel: Tour
Name of tour company: Cosmos Tourama (UK)

I think Italy is an expensive place to visit as compared to Germany, France or several other European countries I've been. There are many beautiful sceneries in Italy not to forget many good looking and beautiful people on the streets too! 

My fav place: Florence
Florence is known for its leather. There are many leather factories around the city with tours available. You can also buy leather goods in these factories. However, there are also cheaper leather goods available by the roadside where you can bargain. Also, take a break and observe passersby at Piazza della Signoria while having delicious gelato for EUR3 per cone.

My fav place: Venice.
Venice is classic, lovely and unique. When in Venice, don't miss taking the gondola ride and enjoy live songs serenaded by Venetian boatmen don in their classic striped T-shirt. You'll ride under arches of bridges and get to see the ruining and sinking of old Venetian buildings. I've forgotten how much it cost, but through all its ruins, Venice is simply - romantic! Visit Venice before it sinks!

Should Respect be Mutual or Privilege?

Relatives...can't live with them, can't live without them. Some are fun to be with, some can be a real nightmare. Having a good bond with relatives is a requirement within the Eastern culture. Unlike Westerners who focus on individualism, we Easterners emphasize on getting accepted and acknowledged by the group we live in and most importantly by our relatives.

One of the ways to achieve this is through respect. This is of course again different from the Western culture where one must work to earn respect. In the Eastern culture, respect is a right. You are  granted respect automatically if you are older than another person. Thus, we Easterners are required to be respectful to our parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, elder cousins, our elder neighbours, the old man across the street and a tiresome list of just about anyone else who are elder than us. When we were in school, we were taught to never question their moves what more to correct their mistakes. If we have to correct them, we have to put our words wisely so that they would not feel offended.

I am not against this norm. Being an Asian myself, I am fully accustomed with this. I believe we have better values than the West when it comes to respecting elders but at the same time, I'm not criticizing the Western way. They have their plus points too. 

However, what bothers me is that some people take this right for granted. Just because they are older, does that give them the right to speak and act bluntly without any care to the feelings of the younger ones? Is it right for our older relatives to expect  to be respected simply because of their position in the family? Simply because they are our aunts, or uncles or elder cousins?  This got me thinking, in addition to this cultural norm, shouldn't respect be a mutual process? After all, religion simply teaches us to have respect for others. Period.

Politicians say the darnest thing

Here are some of the darnest things said by politicians:

George W. Bush-Ex President of the USA

To those of you who received honours, awards and distinctions, I say well done. And to the C students, I say you too may one day be President of the United States.

and

You teach a child to read, and he or her will be able to pass a literacy test.

Not bad coming from someone who thought that Wales is a country of its own somewhere in Europe.

Silvio Berlusconi-Italian Prime Minister

President Hosni Mubarak, who is in the West, above all in the US, is considered the wisest of men, and a precise reference point.

Of course coming from a leader who happens to be one of Italy's richest man, dominates more than 60 percent of the media industry and has quite a number of criminal allegations from corruption, bribery to several sexual allegations.

Joe Biden-current Vice President of the USA

Asked if Mubarak is a dictator-Mubarak has been an ally of ours in a number of things. And he's been very responsible on, relative to geopolitical interest in the region, the Middle East peace efforts; the actions Egypt has taken relative to normalizing relationship with - with Israel. ... I would not refer to him as a dictator. 

Is it me, or did he sound stupid? 

Hosni Mubarak-Egypt's outgoing President

I am fed up but if I leave now, there'll be chaos

Yeah, you are definitely right. Egypt is going just fine now. Protests are part of Egyptians' hobby.