a BETTER of anything.

Often times, when it is the new year, someone's birthday, a person who had just changed job, when you are in a mess, there is one thing we always hope for.

A BETTER __________________________________. 

We desired for a better life, better nation, better working environment, sometimes better friends, better family, better boyfriend/girlfriend, or dare I even say it? A better spouse.

'Better' here is described as a verb. To improve - amend - mend - reform.

To be a better, there's a price to pay. It's not merely just uttering it out with words. The words need to be put into actions. To be a better athlete, there's a need to train. To be a person who watches the language, there's a need to be conscious and to train to hold your tongue when you are about to curse. To be a better boyfriend/girlfriend/spouse, there's a need to learn to be sensitive to the feelings of your closed ones. There's a need to learn to be sensible.

When I was in my University years, I wanted to be a person who have a stronger stamina - a better person at playing sports. I first realized I have a need to do so, when I was playing futsal with my churchmates, only to realize I couldn't keep up with the other players. So, I trained. I woke up earlier, before class, to run few rounds in the court. After class, I ran again in the stadium. Honestly, the first few attempts, I just want to give up and move on with life that I am no good at sports anymore. But, that desire to be better, pushed me to continue my routine. After few weeks, it was not so hard anymore. After a couple of weeks more, I eventually could keep up with the other players when we played futsal. It was a great achievement.

Let's switch our mind to our nation now. We want a BETTER nation. A BETTER MALAYSIA, where peace and harmony roams. But, most of us are being bench warmers. We wait to see a BETTER nation. Friends  it doesn't work that way. If it does, our nation should have already be BETTER. It takes courageous men and women, who would stand and speak for the voiceless. It takes men and women, who are willing to lay aside their pride, ego and self goals. It takes you and me, who are willing to step up and say this is our nation, we are placed here for such a time like this. Wake up, Malaysia need you! (although how cliché it may seems).

My friends stood up for a young girl who were tormented by a group of teenage boys. They were surrounding the poor girl. My friends were in the car, and it was difficult to go down to stop the boys, as there was 15 of them. So, they start making a commotion by pressing the horn of the car. Eventually, the teenage boys left. They walked away laughing and feeling proud (their actions speaks). But, that day, my friends stood up for the girl, though they were strangers. That day, my friends chose to be the helping hand towards a stranger.

If you called yourself a Malaysian, better wake up and live like a malaysian. A true Malaysian is one that do not see colors, hospitable heart and willing to lend a helping hand anywhere. That's a Malaysian. 

Every blocks represents you and I.
Though we are diverse in cultures and languages, we must embrace the diversity to find unity among ourselves.
You and I are different.
It's in this diversity, we find unity!

My National Anthem

Negaraku

I remembered when I was younger I will always wake up early on MERDEKA day and wait for our beloved National Anthem. But, as the year go by, this also seems to fade away slowly. I no longer wake up early to do this. Even singing Negaraku had been a distant thing. I don't sing Negaraku on Monday morning during assembly time. No more singing Negaraku during convocation for seniors in university. My last sung Negaraku with a proud congregation was during a talk about election in the month of March/April. I know singing our National Anthem don't show our patriotism for this country. 

The meaning of Negaraku brings up so many underlying meanings. 

(Versi BM)

Negaraku
Tanah tumpahnya darahku
Rakyat hidup bersatu dan maju
Rahmat Bahagia Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita selamat bertakhta
Rahmat Bahagia Tuhan kurniakan
Raja kita selamat bertakhta

(Literal English translation)
My country
The land where my blood has spilt
The people living united and progressive
May God bestow blessing and happiness
May our King have a successful reign
May God bestow blessing and happiness
May our King have a successful reign

I never understood why we need to sing this song every assembly time in school. I never grasps the meaning of the song. But, now being a lady I began to understand the meaning behind the song. It speaks of what we called this country as Malaysia. Blood, sweat and tears shed in this land to fight for the rights. THE PEOPLE living UNITED and progressively. Are we united? Not YET. The day will come when we will not JUDGE each other by our skin colours, but take the extra efforts to know the person as individual! We asked for God's blessings on this country, but to what extend do we mean it? To what extend do we believe God will bless this land? Our King have a successful reign? I do pray that our King will have that once more. A King who stands for his people's rights and show that he is present. I am amazed when I read what Sultan Kedah had did during his reign. It amazed me that we had a King who cared for this country. Now, Sultan Kedah is taking the throne the second time. I do pray He will have a successful reign.

I definitely didn't mean so when I was younger. Have our teachers failed to teach us the meaning of the song itself? I definitely did not learned this from my teachers during my schooling years. Maybe I was too notorious when I was younger - living the way I see fit. But, as I enter university, I began to see the importance of words and understanding the meaning behind it. My perspectives towards my National Anthem changed to a positive one. 

Now, I stand and sing proudly for this is my country. This is what I stand and believe in. 

Brownish black and wet

I started off my month of Nov doing the lowliest social work of all – cleaning place full of shit. No one would think in their right mind that this is their dream job. I remembered this show on National Geographic that talks about the dirtiest jobs. It showed jobs from cleaning sewage to cleaning the rubbish and etc. I remembered few responses I heard about the show: what if my kids grow up and want to do something like that? What if? It seems like the most horrible job that your child might be doing in the future in the eyes of a parent. I had the opportunity first hand doing the WORST job as the world views it.

No one wants to be NEAR shit!

No one wants to TOUCH shit!

No one wants a job that TOUCH shit!

No one wants to be DIRTY!

When my hands and feet dipped in shit, I remembered telling myself that I need to just CLEAN this. Don’t think about where it came from. Don’t think of what it really comprises of. I just need to DO this and CLEAN this. So, I did. I actually could stand the smell of it. One reason is not fresh! The other is I was exposed to shit before this! – bat poop, cat poop, dog poop, fish poop, baby poop. Now, adding to the list is human ranges from child to adult’s poop. Even when I told my parents about my experience, I remembered their first response was like ‘What? Again?’ They agreed it’s a disgusting job but someone needs to DO it.

Because of this, we found out Indah Water had not been servicing the area for quite some time because they said it’s not their responsibility to clean the sewage system this area. MPK also had their hands off this case. Nobody wants to be involved. They are pushing the responsibility away from themselves. Imagine how many years of poop not being flushed out. Because of  this, one of the resident brought it up to Putrajaya and fought for this. The result, finally Indah Water came and pump the years of poop out!

All this poop experiences also got me thinking of how it relate to our society today. There’s so many unsatisfying issues happening in our country till the extent sometimes I feel helpless. The system is corrupted. There’s injustice in our country. When I look at the political state, it’s just heartbreaking. Nobody wants to be involved. Nobody wants to get their hands dirty. Nobody wants to stand for what is right. So, like the poop experiences. If all of us are just going to take the backseats and not advocate or be a voice, we are all like the poop that’s underground that no one will hear or care about. Underground unforeseen materials cannot be contain for a long time. One day, everything will blow out! Then, people will start pushing their responsibility away. Some people would be the ones that have to clean it up.

If we all recognizes our rights as a Malaysian citizen and make this country our own, then we will be willingly put our hands in shit, dirt, undesirable situation to stand for the people of this nation!