Sunday, 31 August 2008
August Babies Birthday Pictures
August Babies Birthday Pictures [except Calvin]
----------------------------------------------
Yong Xin
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y!!!
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Walkway
In the quietness of dawn, I perceived footsteps treading on the stiff cold Walkway, gradually building to forte. There was the rushing of people, of excitement, of anticipation, and the seats were swiftly filled. Surrealistic. Sounds coming from nowhere yet cannot be dismissed by the ear. I struggled down through the Walkway. It was not an easy journey to endure, to be able to walk to the podium, standing beside Swettenham and the Yang-Dipertuan Negeri Sembilan.
It all started with the fall of the Empire, with the invading flotilla of Albuquerque. August twenty-fourth was the starting day of Western colonialism and the day where our history was almost carbonized in that conflagration. And perpetually for almost half a millennium, the Land was tossed like a wave in the Straits, deprived and decoyed as new Landlords come and go. Starting with those who initiated the Age of Discovery, then the Land of the Windmill, those who take orders from the Queen, the People of the Rising Sun and back again to the Great United Kingdom. The path to freedom was painted by the blood of martyrs. Dato' Maharaja Lela, Tok Janggut, Rentap, Mat Salleh, Dato Bahaman and many others. It was the gallantry of the past heroes which sparked the passion for freedom. Together, they share a common vision, a common passion, in unity. And unity is what allowed me to travel to London and met with Lord Lennox Boyd, to get the signature of a pen stroke which signify the quietus of colonialism.
The warm welcome upon the announcement of the greatest news was still fresh in mind as I struggled down this Walkway. The whole nation was there, a phalanx crowd eagerly anticipating for the declaration. Standing in front of the multitude, finally, a compelling cry broke through the stadium. FREEDOM I shouted seven times, loud and clear, conveyed the completeness, true F-R-E-E-D-O-M, not because of the seven letters of the word but full freedom from the hands of the West! Coming down was the pride of Union Jack, rising upwards was the Stripes of Glory. Everyone just stood in awe and admiration. It was the halcyon experience never to be forgotten by the nation and its people.
We cannot just stand in one place and stay there motionless forever. We need to walk forward. I need to walk forward. Going down the Walkway was not easy, but going up the Walkway was harder still. I struggled when our dear brother confronted us, accusing us the fighters for freedom as neo-colonists. He shared the same root as us, speaking the same language yet why must they reject and even attacked us. Why? Manila broke the close diplomatic ties formed so many years at the sound of declaring ourselves as a new nation. Isn't Cobbold's report clearly states that the ethnics standing below the shadow of the great Mount Kinabalu had agreed to join us? The wonderful island in the south became an excruciating pain when it slowly turned its back on us, piercing our very heart with its thorn, tearing the Tebrau Straits apart. Why can't they acknowledge the rights of the natives?
The perplexities of 'why's were ever present and at times seemed impossible to resolve. However, endurance proved itself. I have learned that we cannot walk away but walk a way. That is the essence of the Walkway. Up on the Walkway, I see the Twins standing from afar, holding hands, bridging communities. Up in the sky was an airplane soaring high in stratosphere, proudly displaying the name of our nation to the eyes of the world. Somewhere, I heard people of different colours, different cultures, and different languages, gathered together in a mamak stall, enjoying the conversation, sharing the unity. Faintly, I heard the sound of children playing around, together with the twitter of nature and flow of pellucid brooks, composed an orchestra of wonderful music parallel to those of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.
I looked forward of the Walkway, it was full of opportunities waiting to be explored, the day was shining with full lustre, as if pathways of gold awaits us. In my deep heart core, I still can hear the echoing of people's esprit de corps to protect, to preserve and to build the freedom we so harshly went through to get. Can you hear it too?
Just in case you are INTOXICATED WITH THE EXUBERANCE OF MY VERBOSITY...lol
[This story is written from Tunku Abdul Rahman’s perspective. Tunku after the many years of the declaration of independence, went back to the Independence Stadium to recall the memories the nation treasured. He was walking down the walkway to the podium where he once stood and went up the walkway again. While he was walking, he likened the walkway to the journey of his life. The Walkway as it is always capitalized, refers to the journey of our nation as well. In the end, he calls for the generation now who reads his essay to take up his call to preserve the nation’s independence.]
The Indian
Then, I had to go to KLIA when you message that I must be there by 6.30 pm and my watch read 4 pm... how? That ever slow Rapid KL bus came finally... and by the time I reached KL Sentral it was already 4.45 pm and that asinine KTM announcer said the train to Nilai was delayed for 50 minutes. Why trains to Seremban are always delayed!!! And you know how good a friend I am? I went to the KLIA ExpressLink and paid that awesome amount of RM 35 and within 22 minutes I reached KLIA. And you were registering your overweight luggage and I waited patiently smiling....
Your dad very proud of you...
Yalah, you always like castles... now that college of yours in like Hogwarts rite?
Wow, your mum smiling so gladly coz no need jaga this spoiled brat edi...
Adui, emo sangat la... sunset sumore...huhu
MISS YOU LOADS...
remember come back INDIAN!!!
Friday, 29 August 2008
KiloCal is still EXISTING after 18 years!!!
Not trying understand why people define 18 years old as the "MATURE" age, but I sure know why I existed till now - because there is a loving God caring and protecting all the way. And indeed must thank Him for bestowing such height for such a lowly creature as me... and he uses my height to reach even greater heights in other people's life. Just couldn't thank Him more!
While enjoying the fresher air unpolluted from excessive carbon dioxide owing to the 189 centimetres, He really gave me a heart to see others from the top, not looking down on them. (figuratively correct but physically-wise cannot be changed unless you stand on higher ground and I in the longkang). I just want to thank everyone who "humbled" themselves to communicate with a towering stick just like Jack's beanstalk. And I hope I have bring encouragement and joy to you being a friend and so sorry-lah that something just slipped off my clumsy tongue.
Anyway, some of you might be wondering what's KiloCal... Well, it's a nickname from my IELTS teacher Mr Kok which actually describes the opposite of me... Probably it's time stop growing upwards but sidewards by eating more kilocalories! However, as you know the body is not really obeying the mind, so don't expect too much!
Calligraphy Masterpiece from Sifu Chan
They bought Durian Cheese Cake from Secret Recipe! Oh how I miss durian and thanks guys for making this not a year without durians for Kilocal.
Crazy KBU students with water balloons and FLOUR!!!
Make cake for KiloCal also need not like that
Nicholas wearing the bucket cap
(oh no more descriptions, nanti kena belasah kau kau)
Indescribable
Old Nick and Song
(Chan and I really look so similar meh? till a few NOT ONE hawkers misindentified us and STOP calling us Twin Towers of KBU)
BU area can be so boring and quiet that no one cares if you sleep on the road...
Typical Chan and Nicholas preparing for the big car accident
KBU students kena langgar by kereta in front of their student houses!
(Ish, why I can't even act dead)
Thank you so much every one who planned this totally SURPRISING birthday party and all the gifts and all the SMS-es, CBox comments, Friendster comments, Facebook comments and blog posts!