August 30, 2006 

Melvyn's Project for a Happy Malaysia!

Rakan-rakan sekalian,

Selamat Hari Merdeka!


This is my hastily written contribution for Vincent's Project Happy Malaysia. I had originally planned to write something by Monday, but due to exams until Wednesday, it was just too hectic to complete.

Well, this article is mainly about one of my rare experiences with a cab driver. It had happened many, many moons ago when I was still going for tuition during PMR.

You see, normally while I was at that age, my main mode of transportation(aside from getting my Dad to pick me up at night) was public transportion....it being just the bus. I was admittedly quite miserly at that time, and as a rule, never took the taxi whenever I could take the bus.

So what happened one fine day was that my parents were outstation, and I had a replacement tuition class that was scheduled to end at about 9pm. Murphy's Law struck, and I was left outside the tuition centre at 10.45pm.

Now me, being the ever optimistic guy, was so smart that I only brought enough money for a bus and NOT a taxi. Shit, and walking back is not going to be fun at all, as it started drizzling.

OK. So I really have to take a taxi this time. No one to call coz, well handphones weren't that common those days and I didn't have the luxury of owning one. And the public phones...hmm...I guess 'cordless' is the right word.

Never mind, I know what I'll do. I'll take a taxi back home, then borrow money from one of my neighbours to pay the cabbie. Lo and behold, with that thought I flagged down a cab. This one was a little different from the rest I guess because the cab driver happened to have his 8 and a half month pregnant wife sitting in front.

Reached back home. I had kept my eye on the meter as to have a rough idea on how much to ask from my next door neighbour. CRAP! Remember guys, if it CAN happen, it WILL happen. Not one, or two, or even three, but all four of my neighbours were out, empty garage spaces just gaping at me.

For a minute, I was just standing there, stunned by my rather unfortunate turn of events. The fare was around RM8 something, I think it was RM8.60. And I had about RM3-something with me.

And just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, it didn't. The cab driver just gave me a sympathetic look and told me to go ahead, "Tak perlu bayar-lah, kali ini tak apa, tetapi jangan buat macam ini lagi ok?"- or something to that effect.(Can't really remember, it was too bloody long ago)

No shit! A KL cab driver letting me of just like that. Maybe its because his wife was in the car, or maybe he was expecting a kid on the way, I don't know. At that time all I could think off was not to look at a gift horse in the mouth, savvy?

Nowadays, there have been many reports in the media about cabbies ripping off customers and the like. Call me naive but hey, you hardly read reports on the good deeds that cabbies do.It only takes a few rotten apples to make the whole barrel go bad eh?

Anyway, thats the only story I can think about currently that I can contribute for this years bloggers Merdeka Celebration.

Selamat Hari Merdeka semua!


August 28, 2006 

Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young...(Filler)

Ever since it was published in 1997 in the Chicago Tribune, everytime I read this essay it never fails to remind me about what is TRULY important in life. Many of you have probably read this countless times, but hey, is another time gonna hurt that much?


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Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’97... wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be IT.

The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience.

I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.

You are NOT as fat as you imagine.

Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone.

Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s. Enjoy your body, use it every way you can. Don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.

Dance. Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings; they are your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.

Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.



Mary Schmich , 1997