Lunar New Year - LIKES and FEARS

I, myself, am surprised that it is another new year in the lunar calendar! I STILL have my grudge over last year's short CNY holidays (I was studying in S'pore) and now, this celebration repeats itself already! I know I put Lunar New Year in the title instead of CNY because it sounds cooler but CNY is so much more convenient to type, so I'll stick to CNY. Bear with me please.


No doubt that this is the happiest time of the year for me. Still, there are the likes and fears during the celebration. So now, I'll stop beating around the bush and get straight to the point. Here's my top 3 LIKES and FEARS.


LIKES


1) Ang Pow

CNY is not CNY without these little red packets. And don't underestimate the word 'little', they give me the extra cash that I need every year, though most of it end up in the bank. Yes, I am a thrifty person if that's what you are thinking right now. Anyway, the ang pows are not only for enveloping money, they make great decorations and collection as well. They can be turned into an elaborate lantern using excessive glue and stapler bullets or folded into surprisingly attractive cranes. Plus, the designs on some of them are so terrific that I think should be sold as collectibles rather than free gifts.



2) Mah-Jong

This is another ICON of CNY. CNY will be quiet without the rustling sound of mah-jong tiles being shuffled. I am not gambling, just playing it for pure fun. I have absolutely no luck in this game and lose in almost every round. Still, I love this game because of the suspense in the atmosphere that is built up gradually with each tile discarded. The only sad thing is that I still don't know how to count the points when one wins.



3) Food

I am addicted to all the new year cookies that only appear once annually, so don't trust your new year cookies with me. They will be gone as soon as you turn your back. Not only those murderously delicious snacks, don't forget the steamboat, tangerines, gallons of soft drink and occasional alcohol. Eating is the daily routine during this period of time. I eat when I watch TV; I eat when I surf the internet (I placate myself by thinking that 'surfing' will burn off some calories); I eat when I am in the car; I eat when food is within my reach. The list goes on.



FEARS



1)Abnormally High Glucose and Fat Level

Sugar is a deathly desire. When my sugar-cravings start, I seem to not able to stop myself. So, every CNY is the time when my blood glucose level shoot up faster than a bazooka. And along with that sugar's best friend, fat, will gleefully join him too. Both accomplishing their missions to disrupt my metabolism and clog up my blood vessels without any failure. Well well, I need the rest of the year to clear and clean up my system.



2) Homework

Nobody likes that right? Homework during the holidays. And I think everyone knows the reason. I'll just skip that. This year, I will force myself to finish as much homework as I can before the celebration starts. Hopefully all. (This is a VERY ambitious aim, with all the distractions around...)



3) Steamboat

I eat steamboat for at least 9 meals consecutively every year. The first is great, the second is good and the third is okay. The paradox here is that the stock becomes more and more delicious from meal to meal. My utility for every meal consumed will, ironically, diminish and by the eighth and ninth. I feel nauseous when I look at it and the thought of it makes me want to throw up. However, this is an annual delicacy that I shall regret if I missed it. I hope that I will continue to love it when I am reaching the last few meals this year.



To some, Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. In my opinion (and undeniably my culture), CNY is the most wonderful time of the year!!! This is almost what I literally live for. In short, I want to wish everyone a very HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS CHINESE NEW YEAR! Cheers!!!

My straight view on Homo sapiens

Whenever I hear poeple talking about their disgust over homosexuals, I cannot help myself but to chuckle; not because of the issue is funny or something, but I laugh at their often too-shallow view about the topic. More than often, to their consternation, those who promulgate their rejection towards the homosexuals cannot even answer the simple question of "What is wrong of being gay/lesbian?" which they stated for the umpteenth time in their everyday life that they are, indeed, wrong (hands up those who can give me a good and convincing answer). This is such a controversial issue in today's world, therefore this week, I just have the urge to write down my piece of mind.

Over the centuries, homosexuality has been a gargantuan and ever controversial social issue around the globe. Almost all religions are against it (except Buddhism which is much more tolerant or rather vague in this issue) claiming that it is against the 'law of nature'. Those who grow up saturated with religious teachings have tried to convince everyone that it is bad and unholy by stating that God created the oppoite sex for a reason. Yet somehow this so-called unorthodox behaviour is being seen in animals, such as the Emperor penguins, African elepahnts and even house flies. Are they not creations of God as well? If they are meant to be that way, why are we making such a big fuss over the same thing with human beings? The reality is that this behaviour is so common that it begs an explanation for it. If this is not what they are meant to be, Darwin's theory of Natural Selection would have eradicated it eons ago.

In fact, the very gene that causes man to be homosexual is found in human beings. And this raised the worrying and ironic question: how could a trait so at odds with reproduction survive the Natural Selection? and what is its significance? If this is genetic, do we have the right to condemn the behaviour? We had, for centuries, been fighting for human rights and the very condemnation had violated the first article in UN's declaration of human rights which stated : All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. These are the questions people have to ponder before lambasting the homosexuals with caustic remarks.

Then there are the people who said that their opposition towards homosexuality is not a form of discrimination because those people choose to be gay. From the point of view of a homosexual, the same argument could be used: the others simply choose to be heterosexual. To me, being a homoexual or not, it is just the simple matter of choice-just like a person prefers green while the other have an inexplicable soft spot for red. Its all the complicated and complex yet natural neurological and psychological wonders of nature. If one day the world were to declare that red-loving people are freaks, isn't it bizzare and baffling? The same applies to homosexuality. What I am saying is that being a homosexual is not a mental illness and will never be.

On the other hand, the too stereotyped realms of masculinity and femininity should be revised and probably reformed. The prejudiced minority of homosexuals is subjected to stereotyping in which gays are effiminate and too often sensitive while lesbians are tomboys and radical. However, sensitive men are prized assests in the world hitherto, and women needs a tinge of masculinity to climb the rung of the career ladder. Therefore another question pops up: are all male social workers gay and career-obsessed dragon ladies lesbians? For most of the cases, they are not and in fact being respected by the community around them. And more than often gays act as manly as the world wants a man to be.

Zeus, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Julius Caesar had had romantic or sexual relationships with the same sex. Somehow we managed to overlook this 'behavioral idiosyncracy' because of their historical contributions. Why can't we do the same with the homosexuals today? Look at them as a whole and not just focus on their sexual preferences then making a great deal about it. Rethink and explore more of the questions in the gray area and can you now asnwer the very first question: what is wrong of being gay/lesbian?

I met my Blog for the first time in my life...

Oh well, I have to create a blog for EAP this year, and so, here I am, posting my first composition. I never imagined myself creating a blog, because to me, a blog is only for those who have too much free time. It is a new thing for me and I want to befriend 'blogging'. I hope that this blog will still continue even after this course is finished. Therefore, first off, "Hi my Blog! Nice to meet you!"

First things first, where do I read and study? I prefer a quiet place with no distraction of any kind because I am a very sound sensitive person who will get distracted easily when people talks, or even mumble or murmur. I used to study in my room back in my hometown, but now that I am in Kuala Lumpur, I do most of my studies in the library. However, studying in the library is not optimum as the best time for me to study is between 2000hrs and 2200hrs, in which the library is closed. hence, I am now kind of tossing around my study time, partly during the night and partly during the day.

I have to say that my concentration span is quite long, so I can study around 2 hours straight without a break. And the breaks are normally for answering nature's call, or because I can no longer feel my legs. When it comes to doing my assignments, however, I have to admit that I cannot multitask, or I will produce a lousy work, which irritates and frustrates me. Therefore, to me, the best reward is a high mark for my tests or assignments. I do enjoy some luxury like good food or a night's out, burden-free, though.

Now, lets talk (or type) about my first week for a new semester. The first day, which is the so-called orientation day, was a total waste of time. I do not know why, but the school authority won't let us off even though we heard all the talks before. After hours of soporific talks, the day finally ended and I gave a sigh of relief. On the second day, I had my first test already! I do not know how it went but I think the idea of my answers are scrambled. Then, I had Physics and Applicable Mathematics lectures. Both were quite interesting actually, as the two lecturers teach with totally different styles, with the former's clear and gripping while the latter's smooth as silk.

On the third day, I had Chemistry and Economics. To sum up the first lecture on Chemistry, I have to say that it is a combination of Geography, English, Mathematics and Economics among other things. The only chemistry I see is between the lecturer and the whiteboard. As for Economics, albeit it failed to charm me last semester, I think I am going to love it this year as the lecturer is not boring at all (at least for the first lecture). I had English the next day, which immediately mentally prepared the whole class for a plethora of assignments, and they are only for this semester. Well, that's basically the first lectures of each subject I had this week. Nothing very interesting happened.

PS: for the 'appalling' figurative speech, I think it would be: Dreams are like soap bubbles. When you look at it afar, it is beautiful; when you look at it too closely, it pops and leaves your eyes stinging.