Guess not...

on Sunday 24 August 2003
Guess I'm not altogether dropping this. I'll post when I have something to gripe about. I wanted to rant about the 'craze' that's been sweeping through a lot of our politicians, the one about how the act of raising one's national flag can instill patriotism (and yet still littering or proposing to change the national anthem); but I didn't. Figured it was kinda redundant and pointless. It's not like us saying something's going to change things.

And guess I'm not done with the religion issue either (mentioned before, it's just a month or 2 back). It seems that it is true that the more you attempt to convert someone to your religion and way of thinking, the more you'll succeed in antagonising and alienating them from it. At least, it's true for me. It's kinda like requiring me to change my lifestyle, my principles, and my way of thought simply for the sake of abstract concepts and rather idealistic goals. To change for the sake of changing is not an easy thing. Things are going downhill. I wonder how it'll turn out... hoping (praying? yeah right, like He'd listen, considering that I'm denying Him) for the best. Sigh.

Blog

on Wednesday 20 August 2003
I knew it. I'm losing steam for this blogging thing. Guess I'm not ready yet. Maybe I'll put in a word once in a while... Got too many things to take up my time still (mostly leisure!).

Time Management

on Friday 15 August 2003
Hmmm.... been quite a while hasn't it? Well, at least, in terms of those regular bloggers who put in something once every 2 or 3 days on average. I've been kinda busy... well, not busy with my working life (which, by the way, is pretty smooth and relaxed hee*2); but more like busy with my personal life. I'm learning how to juggle my work (preparing lectures, tutorials, labs, consultations, etc.), my part-time research (downloading stuffs, testing, writing reports), my interests (games, RPGs, TV shows, movies) and spending time with my girlfriend (just talking, cuddling, going out, shopping, etc. [but not into THAT yet :P not that I'm not interested ;) ]). Actually, it's more like trying very hard, not learning. Trying very hard not to put my priorities in the wrong areas!

Negaraku

on Monday 4 August 2003
Anyone else who read the news article "National anthem to be rearranged" published by the Star on July 31 felt as disgusted as I was? (Pelita Negara's opinion) There I was shaking my head and wondering what in the world those people are doing. Don't they have anything else to do? Don't they realise that all those songs that are being played over national television are horrible? None of the new songs could even come close to match the beauty and now classic 'Setia' (Loyalty). And here they are, trying to change our national anthem for the second time. Anyone heard of another country who changes (read: downgrade) their national anthems once every 10 years or so? Why not change the flag, our Rukun Negara, and our state names since we're at it.

A national anthem is not simply a song - it is the song that unites us all as a people, a nation. It should be a solemn and serious affair, not some marching song (currently), or a modern upbeat rhyme (probable new version). I remember back in primary days and early secondary, during assemblies, people would stand still and sing when the national anthem is played. I still remember feeling proud and patriotic singing it, especially when it was broacast at the end of transmission at around 12 mn or 1 am or so each day. I remember being impressed at the majestic song, and awe at its deep strength. When the change was effected, it was no longer deep and soulful, just another melody to be sung during assemblies, and pretty soon, only the headmaster and the prefects were singing it, and trying to cow the rest of us into joining in.

I really hope someone in authority would really stand up to this and force a change back to when it was first sung publicly during our independence. Then, and only then, would it be a national anthem that I will be truly proud to call our own.