January 24, 2009 at 0516 will go down in my memory as "my subprime" - an unforgettable one.
I wanted to beat the traffic jam, by asking my family to wake up early at 0430 and packed with breakfast, I started for the Tuas Checkpoint. I checked the traffic on the phone and was informed of a massive traffic jam. So, what should be my decision? I wanted to get back on time for lunch, which I estimated to be about five hours on a leisure drive. It turned out to be an eight hour drive; with three of them crawling from Tuas Avenue 8 till the Singapore immigration. Yes, we reached the immigration officer at about 0800 on just a couple of kilometers. This jam was expected, but what was not so expected was the number of hours!
However at the Malaysian immigration, it was a breeze to go through, taking us just less than thirty minutes! Yes, Malaysia "boleh" (meaning Malaysia "can") definitely works! I am proud of this nation, despite its many imperfections and so called inefficiency, which certainly was not at the immigration at the 2nd Link.
Casting this unforgettable moment aside, the Chinese New Year time was well spent with my mother (89 years old); mother-in-law (79 years old) and my family and relatives. Such time, though brief as it may be, certainly brings the spirit of love back to its fundamentals, that is respect for the elders and my peers.
For the young, this may be mumbo-jumbo for now, as they are more interested in counting the amount of money they collected from the "ang pow" (red packet) from the married people, as traditionally, only married people are permitted to give out these blessings to the young and singles.
For me, to travel back to Bentong, and to 14th milestone to Raub, is bringing me back to nature feeling the jungle and the greeneries. Of course, some development has marred the continuity of the flowing green of the trees, shrubs and plants.
After a few days, I am back to Singapore, and ready to start work again, facing the issue of "bread and butter" (no more jam) as the economic recession continues to be talked about, and more retrenchment coming after the year ends on Feb 09, where the "chap goh meh" (15th day of the lunar new year) will start. What awaits us in the year of the earth ox (one of the 12 mythical animals of the lunar calendar) will eventually unfold.
Whatever that event may be, what is important is for the people to accept it calmly and look for solutions. It will not be easy for many of us, mere mortals, but the earth will continue to spin, ignoring all the man-made events of the previous years of excesses. It is time for "repayment" of that debt of unsustainable consumption.
If we keep to the basic butter and jam; we will traverse this path paved with man-made destruction and find a new meaning to living in harmonizing with the earth. Newton's 3rd law remains as valid as it was from the beginning. If we push the earth too far, the earth will push back, and unfortunately, the law fails to mention that the push back will be many folds worse!
Hence, live the moment, in simplicity and preserve the earth's produce with love and care, so that many more generations will be able to enjoy its gift. Traffic jam should be the least of my issue, if my mindset would focus on greater things in life!
Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
I wanted to beat the traffic jam, by asking my family to wake up early at 0430 and packed with breakfast, I started for the Tuas Checkpoint. I checked the traffic on the phone and was informed of a massive traffic jam. So, what should be my decision? I wanted to get back on time for lunch, which I estimated to be about five hours on a leisure drive. It turned out to be an eight hour drive; with three of them crawling from Tuas Avenue 8 till the Singapore immigration. Yes, we reached the immigration officer at about 0800 on just a couple of kilometers. This jam was expected, but what was not so expected was the number of hours!
However at the Malaysian immigration, it was a breeze to go through, taking us just less than thirty minutes! Yes, Malaysia "boleh" (meaning Malaysia "can") definitely works! I am proud of this nation, despite its many imperfections and so called inefficiency, which certainly was not at the immigration at the 2nd Link.
Casting this unforgettable moment aside, the Chinese New Year time was well spent with my mother (89 years old); mother-in-law (79 years old) and my family and relatives. Such time, though brief as it may be, certainly brings the spirit of love back to its fundamentals, that is respect for the elders and my peers.
For the young, this may be mumbo-jumbo for now, as they are more interested in counting the amount of money they collected from the "ang pow" (red packet) from the married people, as traditionally, only married people are permitted to give out these blessings to the young and singles.
For me, to travel back to Bentong, and to 14th milestone to Raub, is bringing me back to nature feeling the jungle and the greeneries. Of course, some development has marred the continuity of the flowing green of the trees, shrubs and plants.
After a few days, I am back to Singapore, and ready to start work again, facing the issue of "bread and butter" (no more jam) as the economic recession continues to be talked about, and more retrenchment coming after the year ends on Feb 09, where the "chap goh meh" (15th day of the lunar new year) will start. What awaits us in the year of the earth ox (one of the 12 mythical animals of the lunar calendar) will eventually unfold.
Whatever that event may be, what is important is for the people to accept it calmly and look for solutions. It will not be easy for many of us, mere mortals, but the earth will continue to spin, ignoring all the man-made events of the previous years of excesses. It is time for "repayment" of that debt of unsustainable consumption.
If we keep to the basic butter and jam; we will traverse this path paved with man-made destruction and find a new meaning to living in harmonizing with the earth. Newton's 3rd law remains as valid as it was from the beginning. If we push the earth too far, the earth will push back, and unfortunately, the law fails to mention that the push back will be many folds worse!
Hence, live the moment, in simplicity and preserve the earth's produce with love and care, so that many more generations will be able to enjoy its gift. Traffic jam should be the least of my issue, if my mindset would focus on greater things in life!
Happy Chinese New Year to all of you!
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