Footprints in the sands of time

I've just found an interesting article from the Poetry Foundation through a link from Neil Gaiman's blog.

It's about that ubiquitous and ever-recited poem of a man who has a dream that he and God are walking along the beach. When the man asks why sometimes there is one set of footprints and other times there are two, God says he has been carrying him through his struggles.

Apparently there are three people that think they wrote it.

Well, I think it's interesting: [Link]

Soulmate? No thanks. I've already got 5.

I suppose something someone said a couple of days ago got me thinking. I've been friends with my friends for a long time. 11 years, to be exact. That's right. That long. This has had quite a few effects on my life. For one, it's really hard for me to consider other people a close friend, simply because I have a very high standard for what qualifies as "a close friend". I don't feel the need to actually make too many new friends, because I'm so comfortable with my own little group. I don't understand that people don't understand me because I hang out so much with people who do.

Most importantly, I think, is that I'm comfortable in knowing that if I ever need someone, I've got 5 people to turn to. I have 5 people who love me unconditionally and will stay with me as long as they know that I need them. I actually feel a twinge of sympathy sometimes for those who don't have close friends, but try to just have as many friends as possible.

As the writers of Sex and the City had Carrie saying:

It's always hard to find someone who will love you unconditionally. I'm lucky enough to have found 3.

Or something along those lines.

News items that will affect you

NST: Law for 100pc smoke-free zones soon:

Malaysia, which ratified the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control in 2005, is required to implement Article 8 by 2010.

Munshi presented Malaysia's action plan, which has yet to be approved by the Health Ministry, yesterday. He said the government would begin legislating towards making public places 100 per cent smoke free by next year. He said the priorities would be eating places -- restaurants, coffee shops, bars and pubs and entertainment outlets -- as well as government and private workplaces.

See. I put up things that affect other people too. Also,

From Rocky's Bru: 9/12 walk on?

Lawyers to walk despite Bar's decision. I was with some lawyers last night. They weren't happy with the Bar Council's decision to cancel the People's Freedom Walk. Lawyers have walked for the last two years to mark the World Human Rights Day (celebrated on Dec 10 every year) so they don't see why the Bar should cancel the walk just because the Information Minister said so.

These lawyers said they and others will walk on December 9. "It is important, more now than ever, that we walk this Sunday."

If the lawyers walk, I'll walk. Wait for the details, bros and sis.

I'll be there. I hope.

In the news today

NST: Women warned of rape gang on the prowl:

SHAH ALAM: Women have been advised to be extra careful when travelling alone as police believe there is a gang preying on them.

This follows two recent incidents where the victims were abducted, gang-raped and robbed before they were released.

The victims were abducted early in the morning while travelling alone.

Be aware.

The Star: One number for distressed folk to call for help:

PUTRAJAYA: 15999 – this is the number to call if you are a victim of domestic violence, child abuse or a natural disaster.

This hotline, called Talian Nur, will be the lifeline providing early intervention for these victims.

This is actually a really good idea. Right up there with one emergency number (999). I cannot stress how stupid the previous system of different numbers was.

Apparently they've had TeleDera and Healthline for a while on separate numbers, and they've just consolidated them. And we all know who Talian Nur is named after.

The Star: Cinemas allowed 'with conditions':

KOTA BARU: After the last cinema was closed down in 1995, the state government is now willing to consider allowing them or cineplexes.

However, only movies with strong moral values could be screened.

And they're wondering why people are leaving the country. Pfft. Oh get this (from the same article):

State Education Committee chairman Mohd Amar Nik Abdullah said that the state had not banned cinemas or cineplexes but that they died a “natural death” due to the advent of VCDs, DVDs and the Internet.

Not banned. Riiiiiiight.

The Star: PAS and UMNO offer to help woman:

KOTA BARU: The conviction of a 24-year-old woman in China has drawn the concern of both PAS and Umno, which said that they were ready to pay for the expenses for her parents to go to Guangzhou to see her.

PAS said it would also foot the legal expenses and engage a defence lawyer in China for Umi Azlim Mohamad Lazim (pic), who has been sentenced to death by a High Court there for trafficking in 2,983gm of heroin.

Malaysia's very own Schapelle Corby. Except this time, she's not allowed to leave the jail to go shopping.

Again, with the news

From The Star:

BALI: Malaysians must brace themselves for a worsening haze situation in the
years to come as the world climate heats up.

No shit. Really? Would never have guessed.

From The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: The Human Rights Day march is off.

The Bar Council reached the decision yesterday after discussing the controversy surrounding the walk, scheduled for Dec 9, from Sogo to Central Market here, in conjunction with World Human Rights Day.

She also said that one of the reasons the walk was called off was the need to get a police permit.

“The police asked the council to apply for a permit for the walk, and, apart from the circumstances that we have taken into account, we believe this is an unlawful fetter on our constitutional right to assemble peacefully,” she said.

The walk was to have demonstrated complete racial harmony and that people could walk peaceably in unity for human rights.

“It would have been an opportunity for the authorities to show to the world that we subscribe to these values. It is a missed opportunity.”

Loves it. I actually wanted to go, too.

From The Star:

KUALA LUMPUR: If you download material illegally from the Internet, be prepared to fork out a minimum fine of RM250,000.

This is the warning from the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry to Malaysians who continue to illegally download songs, videos and the like.

Veerasingam said that the maximum fine for downloading material illegally from the Internet was a whopping RM500,000.

Crap. Just when I'm sorting out my internet situation, too.

One for the ladies

From Jennifer Love Hewitt's blog:

This is the last time I will address this subject.

I've sat by in silence for a long time now about the way women's bodies are constantly scrutinized. To set the record straight, I'm not upset for me, but for all of the girls out there that are struggling with their body image.

A size 2 is not fat! Nor will it ever be. And being a size 0 doesn't make you beautiful.

What I should be doing is celebrating some of the best days of my life and my engagement to the man of my dreams, instead of having to deal with photographers taking invasive pictures from bad angles. I know what I look like, and so do my friends and family. And like all women out there should, I love my body.

To all girls with butts, boobs, hips and a waist, put on a bikini -- put it on and stay
strong.

Xoxo

JLH

That's right, bitch.

Pai, Thailand

From Wikipedia: Pai, Thailand:

Pai (Thai: ปาย) is a small town in northern Thailand near the Myanmar border, north of Chiang Mai on the northern route to Mae Hong Son. It lies along the Pai River. The town has thesaban tambon status and covers parts of the tambon Wiang Tai of Pai district. As of 2006 it has a population of 2,284.[1]

Traffic

Pai is located on the Thai highway 1095, which connects Mae Hong Son with Chiang Mai. The Pai Airport had been refurbished recently, after being decommissioned for 20 years. It is currently served by Siam General Aviation with a daily flight from Chiang Mai International Airport.

Tourism

Pai was once a quiet market village primarily inhabited by Shan people, whose culture originated in Burma. As it lies at the foot of the mountains, it's a good base for trekking and visiting hill tribes like Karen, Hmong and Lisu.

Well-known among backpackers for its relaxed atmosphere, the town is full of cheap guesthouses, souvenir shops and restaurants. In the proximity of the town are spas and elephant camps. Outside of town, there are several waterfalls and a number of natural hot springs varying in temperature from 80 to 200 degrees Celsius. Some bungalow style resorts can tap the hot springs to feed the hot water into private bungalow and public pools. Another notable attraction is the town's excellent Wednesday Market which brings large and colorful crowds of local villagers and tribal people, from all around the Pai Valley.

Recently Pai has appeared on the Thailand tourist map and has received major infrastructure upgrades including an airport with daily flights, two 7/11's, several small to medium-size luxury resorts (adding to the more than 118 guesthouses and restaurants which existed as of June 2007), a couple of live music clubs, beer bars and two sets of traffic lights. This has done little to dampen the small and peaceful spirit of the town out of season. However, it has led to a recent influx of business investment and land speculation by both farang (non-Asian foreigners) and big city Thais. While some hail these sweeping changes as a new age of prosperity for Pai, others point to the loss of Pai's traditional customs and culture. In the tourist high season of November through March there are large numbers of farangs and even greater numbers of Thais who now come to Pai after it featured in a popular Thai-made romantic movie in 2006. Pai has music festivals regularly as well as staging an International Moto-Cross Championship.

Pai suffered a huge mudslide and severe flooding in 2005, resulting in major structural damage to homes, resorts, storefronts, and bridges. It rapidly recovered however.

You see, my previous entries about Pai were being kicked off the page. So I had to put another one up. This is also for you. If you'll check your email about the Air Asia air fares I sent you, this means that a trip to Pai for NYE next year will be well within our means.

A few things should pop out at you, namely cheap guesthouses, natural hot springs, music festivals, and an International Moto-Cross Championship. And non-Asian foreigners.

I want to be in pai,
where I can sit with people from all over the world and laugh at international politics,
where it's just far enough away from home for absence to make the heart grow fonder,
where music isn't about electronics or being as nude as a girl can be without being considered nude,
where all the principles of the Sixties' hold true,
where I can be happy with the products that I have and not feel like I need an overpriced handbag,
where I can let the tensions free ...

Scared of the truth?

From BBC: Malaysia charges ethnic Indians:

Malaysia has charged 26 ethnic Indians with attempted murder in connection with an anti-discrimination rally last month, the defendants' lawyer has said.

The ostensible aim of the rally in Kuala Lumpur was to call on the British government to pay $4 trillion (£2 trillion) in compensation to the two million ethnic Indians in Malaysia whose ancestors were taken to the country as indentured labourers in the 19th century.

But the real goal of the demonstrators was to highlight the alleged discrimination of minority Indians in Malaysia, the BBC's Robin Brant in Kuala Lumpur says.

Ethnic Indians - mainly Hindus - form one of Malaysia's largest minority groups. Activists say that many Hindus live in poverty, partly because of policies granting jobs and economic advantages to the ethnic Malay Muslim majority.

It's so transparent that even a conservative news group reports it as fact.

Strength

I have pure admiration and respect for someone who is this strong.

Highlights of my new department

1. I have a computer in the corner of the last row against the wall, where the 2 other people that sit here are away. Awesome. No one can look over my shoulder.
2. My colleagues go out for drinks. I now have something in common with the people that I work with, other than a name.
3. Other people here seem to be more well off than I am so I no longer have to try to hide it.
4. People no longer say "where?" when I tell them which department I'm assigned to.
5. I was actually told to use the men's bathroom. According to the co-head of the department, it's "kind of unisex".
6. I actually have work to do.

BBC: UK teacher jailed over teddy row

This was what happened in Sudan while I was gone:

A British teacher has been found guilty in Sudan of insulting religion after she allowed her primary school class to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, has been sentenced to 15 days in prison and will
then be deported.

She escaped conviction for inciting hatred and showing contempt for religious beliefs, and will now appeal.

(Source: BBC, 30 December 2007)

That's right. This was in Sudan, by the way. Quite thankfully, though:

A British teacher who was jailed in Sudan for letting her class name a teddy bear Muhammad has begun her journey home after being freed.

(Source: BBC, 3 December 2007)

Like... seriously?

A slice of pai

Did you really think that I was going to leave it at that? Hah. You should be so lucky.

I love pai. Also, pai souveniors are dope. Yes, I've started saying dope. Just try and get me to stop.

In line with this, I've spent a ton on souveniors for everyone, just so everyone can have a slice of the pai that I love.

I'm serious. pai has made it to the top 2 in my list of favourite places in the world. I'm not even sure which is on top now, pai or Mauritius. How sick are you guys gonna be listening to me go on about pai? Hah!

Heaven in a wildflower

I have found heaven in Thailand.

Yes, Thailand was fabulosity incarnate. Are you surprised? Because I am. I mean, who would've thought that sticking me in a car with my parents and my older sister would've been a good idea? But it was!

The trip was awesome. I, who previously never actually felt any kind of affinity to Thailand, having only ever visited Bangkok and Phuket, have decided that I want to live in Thailand. More specifically, in a town called Pai.

How do I describe Pai? It's a little town set upon a mountain a little bit north of Chieng Mai. It's just the right mix of undeveloped and commercialised to keep me happy with clean toilets and internationally recognised symbols (i.e. 7-Eleven) while still feeling like I'm not a sellout. It has coffee galore, great food, excellent musicians and a personality that made me fall in love. That's right. I'm in love. The only things stopping me from being there right now are my contract, my lack of understanding of the Thai language, and the lack of a nice, long, straight road in what appears to be all of Thailand.

Other than that, some of the souveniors on sale in Pai were designed by Pai-ans and made by Pai-ans, which means that unlike Cambodia and Vietnam, I won't find the exact same thing in three different countries.

Also, I've added more achievements for 2007:

1. I drove a motorcycle for the first time in my life. I was shaky, the cute little blue number fell over when I stopped for the first time, and I couldn't turn. But I did it.
2. I visited Myanmar. Sure, it was unofficial because the immigration officers at the Thai border made it so... sure, we only spent about 15 minutes on Burmese soil in total... But I did it.

That's right.