BIZARRE LOVE TRIANGLE

Every time I think of you
I feel shot right through with a bolt of blue
It's no problem of mine but it's a problem I find
Living a life that I can't leave behind
There's no sense in telling me
The wisdom of a fool won't set you free
But that's the way that it goes
And it's what nobody knows
While every day my confusion grows
Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say

I feel fine and I feel good
I'm feeling like I never should
Whenever I get this way
I just don't know what to say
Why can't we be ourselves like we were yesterday
I'm not sure what this could mean
I don't think you're what you seem
I do admit to myself
That if I hurt someone else
Then I'll never see just what we're meant to be
Every time I see you falling
I get down on my knees and pray
I'm waiting for that final moment
You'll say the words that I can't say

MAWLID AN-NABI

Today is the day Muslims throughout the world observe the day Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. was born. There have been many opinions regarding this observance. Some say that it should be seen in an optimistic and positive light and therefore, should be continued while there are others who think that such celebration is improper. So much has happened in the Muslim world either locally or globally and a lot has changed since our Prophet's passing. Like any other society or community in this world, I believe Muslims need to find a common ground on which they can work towards reaching greater heights instead of finding faults due to dissimilar interests or opinions. More than 1430 years have passed since Prophet Muhammad made his migration from Mecca to Medina and since then, there have been countless disagreements (and bloodshed) about this and that. It's time we put aside our differences. Granted, we can never see eye to eye on every single issue that comes up but we should never let false pride, arrogance and ego take precedence over our unity and harmony. Our beloved Prophet risked everything when he tried to bring the people together and he did succeed. The foundation has already been laid so it is our responsibility to build over the foundation and make it stronger instead of breaking it down into pieces. May this day and this day onwards bring us together as it should be.

HAPPY WOMEN'S DAY

To all women, especially those who have made my life a wonderful journey, Happy International Women's Day. Different people might have different opinions regarding this occasion but I prefer to see it as a day to celebrate all the women in our lives and salute them for who they are. Still, there are a lot of women out there who are not appreciated or properly recognised for their contributions. To me, it is much more important to highlight their contributions (no matter how small they are) rather than singing praises for their achievements. It has become a norm in our our society and for the mass media nowadays to highlight only the achievers and forget the others. Gone are the days when the ordinary women such as the industrial workers, working mothers, farmers and even the full-time housewives could feel special. Now, it is always about the women who have successfully climbed the corporate ladder, excelled in academics or become icons to the others. I'm not saying it is wrong to do this but if appreciation and awards are given only to those who have managed to be at the top, what about the others? Don't they deserve to be appreciated too?

He's home again from another day
She smiles at him as he walks through the door
She wonders if it will be okay
It's hard for her when he doesn't respond

He says babe you look a mess
You look dowdy in that dress
It's just not like it used to be
Then she says...

I may not be a lady
But I'm All Woman
From Monday to Sunday I work harder than you know
I'm no classy lady
But I'm All Woman
And this woman needs a little love to make her strong
You're not the only one

She stands there and lets the tears flow
Tears that she's been holding back so long
She wonders where did all the loving go
The love they used to share when they were strong

She says yes I look a mess
But I don't love you any less
I thought you always thought enough of me
To always be impressed

I may not be a lady
But I'm All Woman
From Monday to Sunday I work my fingers to the bone
I'm no classy lady
But I'm All Woman
This woman needs a little love to make her strong
You're not the only one

He holds her and hangs his head in shame
He doesn't see her like he used to do
He's too wrapped up in working for his pay
He hasn't seen the pain he's put her through

Attention that he paid
Just vanished in the haze
He remembers how it used to be
When he used to say

You'll always be a lady
Cause You're All Woman
From Monday to Sunday I love you much more than you know
You're a classy lady
Cause You're All Woman
This woman needs a loving man to keep her warm

You're the only one
You're a classy lady
Cause You're All Woman

So sweet the love that used to be
So sweet the love that used to be
We can be sweet again

SHARING IS NO LONGER A VIRTUE

Is it wrong to share something when the item you want to share with is no longer available anywhere else? I'm referring to the music videos on youtube which have been removed due to copyright claims by certain parties. I agree certain music videos should not be posted if they can still be purchased and are available in the market but what about those which can no longer be found commercially? I'm not sure if this act of selfishness will prove to be beneficial to the companies or artists in the long run. It seems that the companies and the artists are trying to milk out every single cent from the public in anyway possible when they know some of the music videos were painstakingly recorded from television shows before they were converted into digital format. Shame on them! I guess they are afraid that these music videos will be downloaded and sold commercially in the market thus forfeiting the profits due them. This is utter stupidity when everybody and their mothers know that the quality of materials downloaded will never match that of the original. And what about those who want to see something which came out long before they were born (or even conceived)? From the legal point of view, I know youtube viewers will never win the case against the copyright owners but hey, haven't they made enough money yet? To a lot of people, it seems like it is no longer about principles but more about being selfish.

MY NEW NETBOOK

I finally got my new Netbook more than a month ago. Some of my friends asked why I needed to have another computer. Well, there are a few reasons why I got one but the main reason is because it carries light. It is light enough for me to take from one place to another and the fact that it is small enough for me to put in my bag really appeals to me. I didn't buy it without consulting my friends, of course. It's not meant to be a machine to replace your ordinary PC or notebook so don't expect it to run like one. Some features definitely have to be sacrificed such as the DVD drive, certain hardware specifications, the screen size and the keyboard size. The Netbook is the just the right machine for you if you are an Internet surfer from hell. I have even tried going into the loo with it and it sat nicely on my lap while I was doing my business. It definitely beats reading the newspapers! Just make sure you put your Netbook in a bag before you go into the loo so you can easily slip it into the bag once you are done. After all, you don't want people to see you going into the loo with the Netbook and looking all agitated (when in fact you are actually having the most excruciating stomachache at that moment) . It might arouse their suspicion if you are seen rushing into the loo with your Netbook and you stay in it for quite a while. I will not go into details here but I know you know what I mean. But one word of caution : don't try this if your commode is the squatting type. But I know some of you will not heed my advice...

UN-BREAK MY HEART

Doing nothing at home, suddenly I had the urge to listen to this song which came out in late 1996 (how time really flies). 'Un-Break My Heart' by Toni Braxton. Yes, the title sounds so stupid now but it is still one of my favourite songs (I definitely have a penchant for these kinds of songs). Toni Braxton was at the height of her fame at that moment and she surely ruled the pop and dance charts. Too bad, nothing lasts forever. After that, she tried to resurrect her waning singing career ('Beauty And The Beast' musical, Las Vegas and Dance With The Stars) but without much success. A friend of mine once confessed to me that she could not bear to listen to this song since it brought back so many painful memories. I understand that the human emotion can be a very fragile thing and a 'jiwang' song like this (some might even call it too melodramatic) can sometimes break down all defences. I have often wondered how songwriters and lyricists think and feel. It seems as if they have lived a million lives when they come up with songs that hit you right where it hurts most (and I don't mean the place below your tummy!). To my dear friend, I hope time has healed all wounds. The scars (whether they are visible or not) will always be there but as some people say, it's better to love than never to love at all. My prayers will always be with you.

Don't leave me in all this pain
Don't leave me out in the rain
Come back and bring back my smile
Come and take these tears away
I need your arms to hold me now
The night are so unkind
Bring back those nights when I held you beside me

Un-break my heart
Say you'll me again
Undo this hurt you caused
When you walked out the door
And walked out of my life
Un-cry these tears
I cried so many nights
Un-break my heart
My heart

Take back that sad word good-bye
Bring back the joy to my life
Don't leave me here with these tears
Come and kiss that pain away
I can't forget the day you left
Time is so unkind
And life is so cruel without you here beside me

Un-break my heart
Say you'll love me again
Undo this hurt you caused
When you walked out the door
And walked out of my life
Un-cry these tears
I cried so many nights
Un-break my heart
My heart

Don't leave me in all this pain
Don't leave me out in the rain
Bring back the nights when I held you beside me

Un-break my heart
Say you'll love me again
Undo this hurt you caused
When you walked out the door
And walked out of my life
Un-cry that tears
I cried so many, many nights
Un-break my

Un-break my heart
Come back and say you love me
Un-break my heart
Sweet darlin'
Without you I just can't go on
Can't go on....

WHY DOES IT HURT SO BAD?

Why does it hurt so bad?
Why do I feel so sad?
I thought I was over you
But I keep crying when I don't love you
So why does it hurt so bad?
I thought I had let you go
So why does it hurt me so?
I've got to get you out of my head
It hurts so bad

My life's been better since the day I left you boy
I must admit life's been kind to me
I went and did the things I said I would do boy
I found someone who loves me for me

Haven't had much drama since the day that we split boy
My heart's never been more at ease
And when I think of the things you put me through
Leaving you has been the best thing for me

So why does it hurt so bad?
Why do I feel so sad?
I thought I was over you
But I keep crying when I don't love you
So why does it hurt so bad?
Maybe I thought I had let you go
So why does it hurt me so?
I've got to get you out of my head
It hurts so bad

Never again
That's what I said to myself
Never want to feel your kind of pain again
Just when I think it's over
Just when I think it's through
I find myself right back in love with you

So why does it hurt so bad?
Why do I feel so sad?
I thought I was over you
But I keep crying when I don't love you
So why does it hurt so bad?
I thought I had let you go
So why does it hurt me so?
I've got to get you out of my head
It hurts so bad

YOU BLOOD-SUCKING LEECH!

I am not referring to anyone in particular but to the real leeches of course. If you feel that I'm talking about you, then there must be a reason why you feel that way. Anyway, leeches are from the family of blood-suckers (I'm not being scientific here as you can see) and can usually be found in damp, wet and dark areas (hmmm...). Actually, all leeches feed on blood but most of them survive on small invertebrates. Still, their favourite food I guess is blood. A friend of mine who kept a few leeches let one stay on my foot the other day and that blood-sucker stayed for hours enjoying my blood. It refused to budge even when I tried to push it away with my finger. I was afraid to pull it off my foot so there it stayed until it had had its fill. That greedy bastard stayed for more than two hours on my foot. Can you believe that? People stay that leeches only suck dirty blood and it will come off in about thirty minutes. Still, I don't understand why it did not want to come off my skin. Maybe it was having a difficult time trying to extract the blood from my veins. Well, I prefer to think that I don't have dirty blood. I have often wondered what would happen if a person is smothered with lots and lots of hungry leeches. I guess my question will never be answered unless someone is willing to be the guinea pig for my blood-thirsty experiment. Any takers?

WHITNEY HOUSTON ON THE COMEBACK TRAIL

Yes, it's true. She can be seen almost everywhere nowadays and I am glad. Really, really glad. I listened to her songs throughout my college years and I'm not ashamed to admit, I even danced to them! She has been coming out more often in the public eye lately and she no longer looks or acts like she did a few years back; shabbily dressed, anorexic-looking and as high as the clouds most of the time. I'm not sure whether she has been able to kick all her bad habits that she has acquired all these years but she sure looks good nowadays. The weight gain, the radiant smile, the chic clothes and most importantly, her public appearance signify that she is back. There is no certainty that her comeback is going to be a success but I like the spunk and the spirit that she shows. A few years ago, she was truly in the dumps and to me, it takes a lot of courage and determination to try and rebuild your life. She has lost a lot in all sense of the word and gone through enough humiliation that can make others want to hide forever in a hole somewhere. It takes a lot to face the world and not ask to be forgiven but to be given a chance to prove that you are only human and capable of correcting whatever that is wrong. Condemnation and skepticism definitely are not welcomed at the moment. I don't expect to see or hear her as the singer that she was during her prime years. Everybody knows that when you abuse your body, you cannot expect it to perform like you think it should. I hope there is going to be a happy ending to this roller-coaster life of hers. Human experiences have shown that we are capable of finding our own internal strength if and when we want to. And I believe she has.

CAMERON HIGHLANDS' CAMPING TRIP

Here are a few pictures taken during a camping trip that I participated in a few weeks back. My colleagues and I went to Cameron Highlands and some stayed at the camping site provided by the Forest Department. We had to set up our own tents and cook our own food during our stay there. I am no longer the outdoorsy type but it was quite fun to be able to just sit back and enjoy nature. I guess the comforts of life can make us quite reluctant to do things that we normally don't do. It can be quite difficult to leave our home and do things the rustic way such as cooking over an open fire or doing our washings in the flowing stream.