"Lately I feel like somebody made a big mess and I've got my mop and I'm mopping the floor and the folks who made the mess are there (saying) 'you're not mopping fast enough. You're not mopping the right way. It's a socialist mop."
B. Obama
Reuters Oct 26, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Atrocious literature
Lately, I've picked up my habit of reading again. From literary to romantic fiction, I've been consuming books left, right and center. It all started on the Wednesday afternoon I walked into our central public Library in Tin Hau. When I came back out, it was already 8pm - the library had stealthly stolen my daylight hours!! But oh, what a pleasurable few hours it was. :)
Whilst perusing the philosophy section, I managed to stumble upon a rack of shelves completely dedicated to witchcraft and the like. Ever curious (as usual), I skimmed over a few titles only to come across a particular book titled Dewitched. What truly struck my fancy about this book was the little text attached underneath the title as a sort of subtitle: What you need to know about the dangers of wicca & witchcraft. Does that perk your interest? It certainly did mine. It practically sang to me from its quaint little perch wedged between two larger sized books. The sad thing was, I realized albeit a little belatedly, that this book was written by a Christian looking to evangelize the world starting with the average ignorant teenager who is still in the midst of forming their own personality and character, never mind religious or moral beliefs. And in doing so, the author Baker has chosen to propaganda aforementioned earthy matriarchical religion of witchcraft side by side with what is seen to be evil cults such as Satanism.
First of all, let me clarify that Satanism is no more evil than your next door neighbor's three year old child. Perception can be a funny thing sometimes. As human beings, we are all malleable and easily influenced by what our friends, family, teachers, etc. all say to us. In today's society, it is extraordinarily easy to be a sheep when it comes to beliefs and acceptability. However, as the Buddha teaches...
That aside, Google Satanism and the first 5-10 hits will all be pro-Christian sites trying to evangelise the world with their notion of what is right. The perfect example lies within Dewitched. After reading the first few pages (approximately 4 pages past the preface - which, by the way is complete bollocks), I was appalled to the point of disbelief. Disbelief in the sense of: who on earth would publish such rubbish which batardizes the English language like so.* It was the prime example of an utterly disguisting use of literature - both grammatically and topically. Nevertheless, I managed to soldier on and read all the way up to page 25. Frankly, I am thoroughly proud of myself for being able to keep at it for so long especially when I had to plow through contemptible phrases such as "scads" and "downing you." Will someone please teach this author the appropriate use of the English language?!?!
That aside, after reading a portion of the book, I am able to recognize that the beauty of this book lies in the fact that it tries to disguise its bias and evangelical ideas with half-truths. A wonderful way to convince the uncertain of their path to Christian enlightenment. Oh, and by the way, in the preface, Baker blatantly states that if one is not an evangelical Christian, it is likely that one will find oneself "frustrated" but have no fear, as he is not "downing us" for being speculative of our religious morals, he is, without a doubt "praying for us" as we "read this book with another person." For of course, one should note that the knowledge in this book is considered extremely "dangerous" and we are forewarned that "No one is immune to attack" in this "spiritual warfare" once you start reading this book. Ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not. These quotes have been taken directly from the preface of Dewitched straight out of the authors own mouth (or hand, in this case). Oh, and did I mention that Baker claims a number of physical manifestations during his research into the dark beliefs specially for this book? Someone, please, I beg you kind souls, bring this man a doctor!
NB - Dewitched: What you need to know about the dangers of wicca & witchcraft is the work of Christian author Tim Baker
NBII - the quote from Buddha was taken from Think Exist
NBIII - * as per D. Richards
Whilst perusing the philosophy section, I managed to stumble upon a rack of shelves completely dedicated to witchcraft and the like. Ever curious (as usual), I skimmed over a few titles only to come across a particular book titled Dewitched. What truly struck my fancy about this book was the little text attached underneath the title as a sort of subtitle: What you need to know about the dangers of wicca & witchcraft. Does that perk your interest? It certainly did mine. It practically sang to me from its quaint little perch wedged between two larger sized books. The sad thing was, I realized albeit a little belatedly, that this book was written by a Christian looking to evangelize the world starting with the average ignorant teenager who is still in the midst of forming their own personality and character, never mind religious or moral beliefs. And in doing so, the author Baker has chosen to propaganda aforementioned earthy matriarchical religion of witchcraft side by side with what is seen to be evil cults such as Satanism.
First of all, let me clarify that Satanism is no more evil than your next door neighbor's three year old child. Perception can be a funny thing sometimes. As human beings, we are all malleable and easily influenced by what our friends, family, teachers, etc. all say to us. In today's society, it is extraordinarily easy to be a sheep when it comes to beliefs and acceptability. However, as the Buddha teaches...
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it
Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many
Do not believe in anything simply because it is found written in your religious books
Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders
Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations
But after observation and analysis, when you find that anything agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it."
(Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism 563-483 BC)That aside, Google Satanism and the first 5-10 hits will all be pro-Christian sites trying to evangelise the world with their notion of what is right. The perfect example lies within Dewitched. After reading the first few pages (approximately 4 pages past the preface - which, by the way is complete bollocks), I was appalled to the point of disbelief. Disbelief in the sense of: who on earth would publish such rubbish which batardizes the English language like so.* It was the prime example of an utterly disguisting use of literature - both grammatically and topically. Nevertheless, I managed to soldier on and read all the way up to page 25. Frankly, I am thoroughly proud of myself for being able to keep at it for so long especially when I had to plow through contemptible phrases such as "scads" and "downing you." Will someone please teach this author the appropriate use of the English language?!?!
That aside, after reading a portion of the book, I am able to recognize that the beauty of this book lies in the fact that it tries to disguise its bias and evangelical ideas with half-truths. A wonderful way to convince the uncertain of their path to Christian enlightenment. Oh, and by the way, in the preface, Baker blatantly states that if one is not an evangelical Christian, it is likely that one will find oneself "frustrated" but have no fear, as he is not "downing us" for being speculative of our religious morals, he is, without a doubt "praying for us" as we "read this book with another person." For of course, one should note that the knowledge in this book is considered extremely "dangerous" and we are forewarned that "No one is immune to attack" in this "spiritual warfare" once you start reading this book. Ladies and gentlemen, I kid you not. These quotes have been taken directly from the preface of Dewitched straight out of the authors own mouth (or hand, in this case). Oh, and did I mention that Baker claims a number of physical manifestations during his research into the dark beliefs specially for this book? Someone, please, I beg you kind souls, bring this man a doctor!
NB - Dewitched: What you need to know about the dangers of wicca & witchcraft is the work of Christian author Tim Baker
NBII - the quote from Buddha was taken from Think Exist
NBIII - * as per D. Richards
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Learning how to dream again
Two years ago, I started a new chapter in life - I got a job. Strange how four little words could change your whole world. What is more disconcerting is how these four little words could narrow one's perspective so much. At the beginning, everything was just dandy: I was learning new things and gaining new experiences with one of the most well-known companies in the world. It was a very exciting time in my life. What more could a graduate ask for?
Somewhere after that, repetition began to sink in while motivation melted slowly away as the seasons turned. Before I knew it, I became just like everyone else - waking up every morning only to join the grind with the rest of the world. Little pleasures became insufficient to ease the sorry little routine I had boxed myself into. Worst of all, I lost my muse. All in all, I was stuck in a rut, losing touch of my dreams and falling down an unseen abyss of despair I never knew was there in the first place. Why despair, one may ask but what else would you call it when you start to lose sight of the bigger picture in life?
Days melded together and eventually, I lived only for the weekends. For the fifty-two days of a year where I could truly live to be myself; but even those were often hindered by familial obligation and duty. Tiredness became my constant companion followed closely by its friend sleep deprivation. Soon, I found that I drank too much coffee, ate too much junk food and drank too much alcohol. I started partying not just every Friday and Saturday night but also on weekday nights too just to make up for the Mondays to Fridays I spent murdering my social life.
Eventually, something in me broke down. Living life one day at a time wasn't good enough for me anymore. Not to mention, the liver was starting its unhappy journey to ultimate death. Touching base with my previous depression frightened me into perspective. When you have sunk that low, you never want to go back to that feeling again. That heartfelt feeling of sheer emptiness, like there is nothing to look forward to, nothing to live for. When the thought of happiness was nothing but a mere wisp of hope readily blown away by the next gust of wind.
Coming to terms with my decision to resign from such a stable environment was no less difficult. Immediately the fears of reality sprang to mind: what if I couldn't find another job? What if I couldn't find a good school to take me in? The last unbidden thought saved me from the rest: what if I died tomorrow knowing that I never tried?
The feeling of freedom once I'd handed in my letter was inspiring. One month. Just more one month of life-sucking, debilitating captivity and I could be anything and everything I wanted to be. The gentle breeze upon my face as I stepped out into the sunlight had never been sweeter or more welcoming. Even with all those killjoy doubts of reality settling in that dark corner of my mind, I knew I'd made the right choice.
I don't regret selling two years of my life out like that. In the end, the experience was worth more than my weight in gold. I learned many lessons during those two years. Not necessarily the lesson taught nor the lessons of original intent but definitely significant lessons to have for future reference. The most important one being that I will never, ever sell my soul out like that again. I hate to quote the clichéd but life's really just too short...
Somewhere after that, repetition began to sink in while motivation melted slowly away as the seasons turned. Before I knew it, I became just like everyone else - waking up every morning only to join the grind with the rest of the world. Little pleasures became insufficient to ease the sorry little routine I had boxed myself into. Worst of all, I lost my muse. All in all, I was stuck in a rut, losing touch of my dreams and falling down an unseen abyss of despair I never knew was there in the first place. Why despair, one may ask but what else would you call it when you start to lose sight of the bigger picture in life?
Days melded together and eventually, I lived only for the weekends. For the fifty-two days of a year where I could truly live to be myself; but even those were often hindered by familial obligation and duty. Tiredness became my constant companion followed closely by its friend sleep deprivation. Soon, I found that I drank too much coffee, ate too much junk food and drank too much alcohol. I started partying not just every Friday and Saturday night but also on weekday nights too just to make up for the Mondays to Fridays I spent murdering my social life.
Eventually, something in me broke down. Living life one day at a time wasn't good enough for me anymore. Not to mention, the liver was starting its unhappy journey to ultimate death. Touching base with my previous depression frightened me into perspective. When you have sunk that low, you never want to go back to that feeling again. That heartfelt feeling of sheer emptiness, like there is nothing to look forward to, nothing to live for. When the thought of happiness was nothing but a mere wisp of hope readily blown away by the next gust of wind.
Coming to terms with my decision to resign from such a stable environment was no less difficult. Immediately the fears of reality sprang to mind: what if I couldn't find another job? What if I couldn't find a good school to take me in? The last unbidden thought saved me from the rest: what if I died tomorrow knowing that I never tried?
The feeling of freedom once I'd handed in my letter was inspiring. One month. Just more one month of life-sucking, debilitating captivity and I could be anything and everything I wanted to be. The gentle breeze upon my face as I stepped out into the sunlight had never been sweeter or more welcoming. Even with all those killjoy doubts of reality settling in that dark corner of my mind, I knew I'd made the right choice.
I don't regret selling two years of my life out like that. In the end, the experience was worth more than my weight in gold. I learned many lessons during those two years. Not necessarily the lesson taught nor the lessons of original intent but definitely significant lessons to have for future reference. The most important one being that I will never, ever sell my soul out like that again. I hate to quote the clichéd but life's really just too short...
Friday, March 27, 2009
Oh what we should have paid attention to in school...
Do you remember what it was like to be forced to study certain subjects in school which you swore you absolutely detested? Dragged from class to after school tutorials just in case you couldn't pass those end of year exams? There isn't much I truly regret in life but this might be the one exception - I really wish I had spent more effort in preserving my language skills. All those years of running away from the one language I now wish I had the common sense to study properly - Mandarin - only to insist upon pursuing French of which, I might add, my current vocab consists of about 10 words max. Yes... that includes even the most mundanely clichéd "Bonjour" and "Merci!"
Sad isn't it? *sigh* How ironic that the one subject I passionately denounced now happens to be the one language I wish I had skills in. Children are funny like that sometimes. Peer pressure influences make certain subjects in school seem "cool" so in effect, those which may end up being necessary for your future careers end up taking a backseat whilst growing up. Having realized my mistake now after having experienced rejection in job hunting most certainly does not make me feel any less of a fool. If at all, I think I might be worse off knowing that I made an irreversible wrong choice at a such young age. The most painful aspect of it all? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the part where my parents say that mortifying four word sentence that nobody likes to hear: "I told you so!"
Sad isn't it? *sigh* How ironic that the one subject I passionately denounced now happens to be the one language I wish I had skills in. Children are funny like that sometimes. Peer pressure influences make certain subjects in school seem "cool" so in effect, those which may end up being necessary for your future careers end up taking a backseat whilst growing up. Having realized my mistake now after having experienced rejection in job hunting most certainly does not make me feel any less of a fool. If at all, I think I might be worse off knowing that I made an irreversible wrong choice at a such young age. The most painful aspect of it all? This, ladies and gentlemen, is the part where my parents say that mortifying four word sentence that nobody likes to hear: "I told you so!"
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)