Perfect world...

One of my favourite quotes from Spiderman: One More Day…

“You know why guys like me get into games like that?

Because there’s something missing. We look around at a world where there used to be a chance of being a hero, of being important… And it’s just not there the way it used to be.

You can’t just pick up a gun and become a gunfighter, or go off and explore for a new world, or pull a sword out of a stone, or rescue a damsel in distress, or - -

So we play GAMES and we read BOOKS because the world we got isn’t the world we thought we were SUPPOSED to get, the world we thought we’d been PROMISED by SOMEBODY.

Because things didn’t turn out the way they were SUPPOSED to. So we go someplace else.”

“But those places don’t really exist.”

“Yeah, well, nothing’s perfect, right?”

I fight to kill...

I am learning and doing martial art. There are lots to learn and to understand. While doing the art, most people also learn and build their beliefs. One of the questions that touch this belief is…

For what sake do you learn the art?

It is a question I had pondered even before I took up the art. It is a question that the answer will either lead you to do the art destructively or peacefully. A question that will shows who you really are inside in your heart. A question I encourage every person who do any martial art to ask everyday, every time…

For what sake do you learn the art?

Is it to preserve the art? Is it to uphold the culture? Is it to protect? Is it for your own health and well being? Or is it to hurt others?

I had encounter these people, those who learn the art to show how good they are in hurting others. Those who learn the art to show they are invincible. Those who learn the art to instil fear in other hearts to gain their respect. Those who learn the art just so that they can show they are stronger…

As I walk further down the path of perfecting the art, one of the answer I had obtained to answer that question is quite simple really. I learn the art to draw the line between a fight of an animal and a human.

Everybody can use their fist is they are angered. Barbaric behaviour is usually the easiest form of solution to many people, especially the young and hot blooded. It is the same for animals. How different does that make us from them?

Thus, to end a conflict without any fist raised, is a sign of high level human behaviour.

Here, I end my first answer for the question. I have few answers for the same question but I do think that answer is appropriate to be the first, for from there it guides me well into the path of better person and a better martial artist.

Hey... Good Quiz...

Once in a while, I will do some interesting quizzes…

Usually I do not go around finding and doing them, those quizzes generally introduced to me by my friends and relatives. Some are just for fun but I do get to do some quizzes that really are close in showing who I am really are…

This is one of them…

Your view on yourself:
Other people find you very interesting, but you are really hiding your true self. Your friends love you because you are a good listener. They'll probably still love you if you learn to be yourself with them.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:
You are not looking merely for a girl/boyfriend - you are looking for your life partner. Perhaps you should be more open-minded about who you spend time with. The person you are looking for might hide their charm under their exterior.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:
You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:
You like to flirt and behave seductively. The opposite sex finds this very attractive, and that's why you'll always have admirers hanging off your arms. But how serious are you about choosing someone to be in a relationship with?

Your views on education:
Education is less important than the real world out there, away from the classroom. Deep inside you want to start working, earning money and living on your own.

The right job for you:
You have plenty of dream jobs but have little chance of doing any of them if you don't focus on something in particular. You need to choose something and go for it to be happy and achieve success.

How do you view success:
You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:
You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:
You are mature, reasonable, honest and give good advice. People ask for your comments on all sorts of different issues. Sometimes you might find yourself in a dilemma when trapped with a problem, which your heart rather than your head needs to solve.

I can say the quizzes get most of the answers correct except this question, “what are you most afraid of”. I had never really care about my looks and what I am really afraid of is always close to me…

Still, the answers to most of the questions are nearly 100% correct and that is pretty impressive. How do we actually generate questions to really know a person well? It is very interesting to be able to do that…

Just so that you can try it out, just click here.

Coffin 152...

Keranda 152

Anak Melayu
Panas dadamu membakar baju
Kita arak keranda 152
Ke tanah perkuburannya Parlimen

Sepuluh tanah nafas ini terhenti
Hari ini jangan lagi menyanyi

Sebentar lagi malam akan tiba
Tiap pintu dan jendela sudah dijaga
Bayang-bayang tidak bisa lewat jalan raya

Anak Melayu
Namamu telah diseru
Jawablah
Sebelum lidahmu jadi bisu

-Usman Awang 1967-

This poem was written by one of my favourite Malay writer.

He somehow had foreseen the downfall of Malay language shared by a large number of other Malay writers. This poem is about the longevity of the language issue and what the people should do about it. What he said in the poem is true, if it is not us who care and keep the language alive, who will? When nobody cares for the language, it will be gone with the last person who speaks that language…

Thank you to Abang Khairie for reminding me this poem…

More info on Keranda 152 and its meaning, click here.

Mixed Language...

Language…

I find it very very very very very annoying when people mix their language when they talk or write. That includes me, but there are times when you really have to mix your language. Usually when you talk and when you are not really capable in using your language well…

I mean, even I, myself does not have a good grasp of my own language. There are times that you know one word in this language but forget the word in that language. Because you are talking, you will just grab the first word that came into your mind. Thus, it will happen…

Still, I find those who write and mix their language are harder to forgive because they have the time to rectify the mistakes in their writing. In this post, I paste one example I copied from one of my local society newsletter…

Assalamualaikum...

Promosi kepada semua WARGA BARU PPMT dan TXTX, undergrad dan postgrad, UTXTX, QUTXTX dan TXTXU...

jika berminat, sangat2 encourage untuk join tour ASA gabungan universiti-universi ti di TXTX pada hari ahad bersamaan 8 Mac 2009. Rekemen ahad supaya boleh join welcoming BBQ PPMT dan TSCoA pada hari sabtu (7/3/2009)..

InshAllah dedua event boleh join, antara tempat2 menarik yang akan di bawa, area-area Universiti masing-masing, masjid-masjid berdekatan, halal butcher berdekatan, mungkin Mt. TXTX sekali dan sebagainya..

Jika berminat boleh contact:
Brother Death:
Email 1: death@utxtx.edu.txtx
Email 2: death_ridge_ view@yahoo. com
Mobile: 4242 564

atau Saya, Erebus:
Email: erebus@ hotmail.com
Mobile: 4242 4242

Mari meriahkan weekend ni dengan BBQ PPMT dan TSCoA dan Orientation tour ASAUTXTX

Salam

Erebus

When I read that, I felt repulsive and filled with disgust. The whole thing sound so horrible. Forgive me, but to me, even though I do not have 100% Malay blood in my body, if you respect, love and care for languages, you will try not to mix it around much so that it will be presentable.

I know that some people from where I come from said that, the language should evolve. So that the younger generation will accept it better. So that the younger generation will be encourage to read more. So the language will be modern and up to date.

So here is the new version of the same newsletter after I change it back to the main language:

Assalamualaikum...

Promosi kepada semua warga baru PPMT dan TXTX, siswa dan pasca siswa UTXTX, TXTXUT dan TXTXU…

Jika berminat, sangat sangat dialukan untuk menyertai rombongan lawatan ASA gabungan universiti universiti di TXTX pada hari Ahad 8 Mac 2009. Disyorkan Ahad supaya boleh menyertai Welcoming BBQ PPMT dan TSCoA pada hari Sabtu 7 Mac 2009.

Insyaallah kedua dua acara boleh disertai. Antara tempat tempat yang menarik yang akan dibawa, kawasan kawasan universiti masing masing, masjid masjid berdekatan, kedai daging halal berdekatan, mungkin Mt. TXTX dan sebagainya…

Jika berminat boleh menghubungi:

Death di death@utxtx.edu.txtx
death_ridge_view@yahoo.com
atau di tel bimbit: 4242 564

atau

Saya sendiri, Erebus di erebus@hotmail.com
Atau di tel. bimbit: 4242 4242

Mari meriahkan hujung minggu ini dengan BBQ PPMT dan TSCoA serta majlis suai kenal dan lawatan ASA.

Salam

Erebus

Sound better for it is in one language now. Younger generation from my country will find it weird for they are so used to the low standard informal language used widely nowadays even in local medias. You will notice some words still left in English.

In my opinion, name should not be changed. Easiest example will be French. In my language, it will be Perancis. The sound had change because of the spelling has been translated. Change of sound in name mean the meaning will be different. In Arabic, Latin, Japanese, Chinese and lots of other languages, if you pronounce it differently, it will mean different things. So if a word comes from other language, I will try my best to use it original form even when I use it in other language.

There are few words borrowed from other language, so you will are allowed to use it but I will always try to abstain myself from using borrowed language so as not to pollute a language much.

Here is a better and polish version of the same newsletter:

Assalamualaikum...

Makluman buat WARGA BARU Persatuan Pembunuh Muda TXTX dan TXTX, siswa dan pascasiswa UTXTX, QUTXTX dan TXTXU…

Jika berminat, sangat sangat dialukan untuk menyertai rombongan lawatan Assassination Students Association gabungan universiti universiti di TXTX pada hari Ahad 8 Mac 2009. Disyorkan pada hari Ahad supaya boleh turut menyertai Welcoming BBQ Persatuan Pembunuh Muda TXTX dan TXTX Student Council of Assassination pada hari Sabtu 7 Mac 2009.

Insyaallah kedua dua acara dapat disertai. Antara tempat tempat yang menarik akan dilawati adalah seperti, pekarangan universiti masing masing, masjid masjid berdekatan, kedai daging halal berdekatan, mungkin juga Mt. TXTX dan banyak lagi…

Jika berminat boleh menghubungi:

Death di deathl@utxtx.edu.txtx
death_ridge_view@yahoo.com
atau di tel bimbit: 4242 564

atau

Saya sendiri, Erebus di erebus@hotmail.com
Atau di tel. bimbit: 4242 4242

Mari meriahkan hujung minggu ini dengan Welcoming BBQ PPMT dan TSCoA serta rombongan lawatan ASA.

Salam

Erebus

I tweak the sentences a bit, making changes here and there so as to make it sound better. Base on the original text, you can see that the guy is translating English into Malay thus the awkward sentence constructions. I also find it is weird that he uses ‘Ahad bersamaan 7 Mac 2009’ for ‘bersamaan’ in this context usually refer to another date in another calendar. Usually we straightaway tell the date after the day. That sentence will not sound so strange if he also uses it later for another date in the text.

I also replace ‘kawasan kawasan’ with ‘pekarangan’ to shorten the word. It sounds better too. I used ‘banyak lagi’ instead of ‘sebagainya’. Cannot really explain why but ‘sebagainya’ just does not sound right. Tried to check the online Dewan Bahasa Pustaka for that word and nothing came out. So it may not be a proper word even. I will look more into it later. ‘Tempat menarik yang akan dibawa’ sound so strange too and I think ‘Ahli rombongan akan dibawa melawat tempat tempat menarik seperti’ will be better but the sentence I wrote in the text is shorter and have more or less the same meaning.

That is just the rough observation from my limited knowledge of my own language. I might be wrong too with my own sentences but I do not use mix language.

I know of few friends of mine who complained that they cannot write in proper language because they do not want their idea evaporate while writing it down. True, I would not want to block the creative juice but do write it down as first draft, not the final draft. Once your whole idea is written down on the paper, do take time to check spelling and the word usage. Try your best to make it into one language. We have internet to help us so use it to the max.

Take it this way; a product made from one country, made with resources from its local country is special and unique. A product composite of from different materials from other countries may be better but lose its identity. It is not perfect because of its own resources.

The same goes for language; it loses respect and uniqueness with mixing around. Soon it will lose its own identity…