Sunday, December 30, 2007

as the clock ticks....

As the clock ticks, it seems as though it is ticking ever so slowly. I was told that there is joy in waiting. Because the best is still yet to come. Because what lies ahead is far better than what is. Because there is also joy and excitement to be discovered in this period of anticipation. Above all, because the subject of all my anticipation is definitely worth anticipating!

Of course, this is easier said than done, as in most cases. Seeing others having found and was found sure makes me wonder when will it be my turn, or will it ever....

Then other questions keep pouring in. What if I stumble upon one? What will I do? Wait a minute... how do I know the right one in the first place? Because I, for one, do not believe in casualness. It's all or nothing!

Yet, there is a part of me hidden deep within that secretly longs for momentary satisfaction. Even just a spark of the moment will be sufficient.

Then I turn around and condemn myself for the folly of being overcome by a passion of the moment.

I guess the time will come... someday. As the clock continues to tick, there is nothing much to be done, since there is no way to make it tick faster. I can sure adjust the clock by screwing the back of it, but then, that would be cheating. Worse still, I would have been cheating myself! How totally absurd that will be...

So, I guess, this is the time of patient anticipation, of fervent and wise prayers and of much needed growth.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

What the ads are telling us....

Every single one of the mainstream media is bombarding us with advertisements of all sorts, promoting all kinds of products and services, while at the same time promoting certain values. I can't help but to notice some very interesting advertisements that really caught my attention.

On radio: Guy coughing. "Why are you coughing so badly?" says a friend. "Yea, I've had some late nights entertaining clients in pubs. Can't help it. It's for my business," was the reply. Then the friend said, "You know, smoking and drinking is not good for your health, especially your liver. You should take Thompson Liverin. It's good for your liver."

And the message, my friends, is this: It is OK to smoke and drink. It is part of the world today. Just remember to take Thompson Liverin. I was wondering, if it is really so good, why are so many still dying of liver cancer?

On TV: Guy 'captures' the beauty of his wife with his hand and places it to his heart. He repeats this gesture in a number of scenarios. The secret of her beauty is Fair and Lovely, a facial care product. Then one day, the couple argues and the wife hides in the bedroom and starts crying. She pushes the facial cream away. Husband walks in, sees her beautiful face in the mirror, and once again gestures to capture her beauty. Wife smiles, holds the facial cream in her hands, and the couple reconciles.

And this advertisement, my friends, is saying that, a relationship is built mainly on outward appearance. It is important to look nice, because this will help you solve your marital problems. Of course, I wonder why are there so many wrecked marriages. Maybe she didn't use Fair and Lovely. Oh, but what happens when she turns fifty? Maybe they'll file a divorce then.

On TV: Some kids are drawing and playing tic-tac-toe on the wall. Mother smiles at a distance and says that it is alright. Why? Because she uses a paint the surface of which can be easily cleaned. So after the kids left, she walks over and gently wipes away the crayon marks.

So, it's okay to pick up a pen to scribble and draw and write on anywhere you like, so long as the surface is painted with that paint. Unfortunately, kids cannot differentiate such surfaces, and they thought that they can paint on wherever and whatever they like. As they grow older, they pick up cans of spray paints and spray graffiti all over the place, on walls along the streets, on private properties and on public amenities.

On TV: Girl who uses Head n Shoulder snuggles up close to a boy who sits next to her in the bus. Boy turns over, sees her head almost on his shoulder but does not mind. Because she uses Head n Shoulder. So, her scalp is dandruff-free.

Boys and girls, it's okay to flirt with a person of the opposite gender who is not even known to you. Well, just remember to use Head n Shoulder to make sure your scalp is dandruff-free, or the guy/ girl will flee from you. It is no wonder why there are so many pre-marital pregnancies nowadays!

I would like to go on, but I'm just afraid that this post will be a never-ending one. There are just so many advertisements today promoting 'values' that are not coherent to our culture and our values. Too many, in fact, are preaching the message that it is alright to do this and that it is okay to do that as long as you have our products, without even considering the effects these messages are having on the youngsters of today and the impact they have on our society as a whole. And our censorship board is busy fretting over movies like The Passion of Christ and Amazing Grace because they are 'too religious'. Well, thanks to what the media is propagating, our society has become what it is today!

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Eventful December

If I were to attempt to blog about every single thing that has happened this December in this post, my post will most probably be as long as the Great Wall of China. Hence, I shall not attempt so. However, I definitely can't wait to share all that has happened in this short and amazing month. I may probably do so in a number of posts... or not.

Let's begin with a checklist of all that has taken place in December 2007:

College... check
Homework... check
LIFE Game Camp... check
Ipoh... check
Hospital... check
Funeral service... check
Memorial service... check
Christmas party... check
Christmas countdown... check
New friends... check
Admission offers... check
Laughter... check
Tears... check
Frustration... check
Dates.... unchecked

Okay, fourteen out of fifteen ain't bad!!