Evening News

I asked my mom a question over dinner just now about the scenario of the world when she was a teenager. I asked her if there was any news about war and people in despair on the news every single day when she watched the evening news with her father last time. She told me that there was hardly any news about war and stuff like that.

The reason I asked her that was because the evening news was on the TV and at every interval of 5 minutes, there would definitely be news about countries declaring amnesty because of the some unstable politic environment (not that I want to go that way), a dominant white country attacking a defenceless country or news about the death of hundreds of people because of the lack of nutrition.

The truth is; it is not an anomaly to hear about all these news nowadays. In fact, it will be strange if you don’t hear any news about people getting killed by some mass weapon of destruction on the evening news. The so-called ‘bad news’ had blend in with the every day content of the evening news. It is sort of like mandatory to have all these news over the evening news.

It really breaks my heart that this kind of thing would happen in the world that we live in today. I mean our ancestors build what that there is on this world today. And here we are doing the very opposite; we destruct what that there is. We destruct bonds, racial integrations and the democracy that we have today. The bottom line is that we destroy the peace that those before us had tried so hard to build.

As a teenager, I am sure there is a little part that we can do to make a change for the better. I mean we are the voices of tomorrow, aren’t we? What’s the use of being given that title if we don’t comprehend it’s meaning? Being the voices of tomorrow means that some of us will be the one who will be in a powerful position one day. Being the voices of tomorrow mean that we are the one who will shape our own future.

We should start by realising. We should realise that just because we live in a peaceful country, that doesn’t mean that other countries out there aren’t in an unstable condition. We should start realising that while we are sitting comfortably in our room while surfing the Internet, there are other teenagers out there who are scouting for food for their mother and younger siblings.

Gratitude should be in us. I don’t think that ‘should’ would be as strong a word, gratitude must be instilled among ourselves. Sometimes we forgot that we are extremely lucky to be able to live. In fact, we sometimes whine because we can’t have the latest model of cell phone. We whine because we can’t have the so-called “bare necessities”. Little do we know that someone in some other part of the world is fighting to get to the front of the line to get food and shelter.

We should raise awareness among our peers. Start at school. Write an article for the school magazine or discuss with the teachers to hold a campaign. Start something up. It’s like what that my Form 3 English teacher would like to say, ‘Do something good for your soul’.

Bare in mind that we haven’t live in a world where there is absolutely no war and poverty. Do your part as a teenager, no matter how small it is. Do what that there is in our power to put a stop to war and poverty and all those negativity that plagued the world today. Something is always so much better than nothing. It doesn’t matter what you do and it doesn’t matter what you say; just do something good for your soul and the rest of the world today.

A Movie Outing at OU

I went to catch the last instalment of the X-Men trilogy, X-Men 3: The Last Stand, at One Utama yesterday. I watch the movie with K.W.S, C.S.J., L.L.K, G.W.L. and my bro.

There was a slight technical glitch when we didn’t manage to get ourselves any ticket at both GSC and TGV. Things were made complicated as L.L.K. had to go back around 5 p.m.. We first tried out at TGV, but the ticket was selling fast. So, we went to GSC and we caught up with one of our schoolmates, W.J. there. The line at the ticket booths were so darn freakin’ long. So we asked W.J. to buy the tickets for us but unfortunately the tickets for X3 were selling fast too.

Decided not to watch the movie after that. But, K.W.S. was sulking and complained that we should have booked the tickets first. Well, there were people who said they don’t want to go at first but then changed their mind. Therefore, nothing could be done about the booking thing. He was sulking all the way to The Oval. We saw C.L.M.K. (one of my classmates) together with two other schoolmates playing a game of futsal.

We decided to have our lunch at KFC which was at the old wing. Before we got there, we stopped at TGV for a while. Guess what? There is a show at 3.30 p.m. for X3. Luck was by our side! My bro bought the tickets. All of us watched X3 except L.L.K. and G.W.L., who watched ‘Over The Hedge’.

After the movies, my bro and I part from the pack and we head our seperate ways. I bought the VCD of ‘Bewitched’. Lolz…can’t help it. I’ve gotta buy something. Meet up with my parents after that. That was basically all my day yesterday.

Thankful: Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan

I was asked by my PJ teacher last year at the school’s Award’s Day (Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan) on the number of awards I received. I smiled back and said none. Well, his reply wasn’t of pure symphathy…it was more of an encouragement. This was what that he told me:

"Nevermine. Next year huh? Next year get for PMR’

I replied back, "Yeah, sure. I’ll try to get some awards next year"

The Hari Anugerah Kecemerlangan was held today at my school. I was awarded with three awards which was the Matapelajaran Terbaik: Bahasa Melayu, Anugerah Kecemerlangan PMR and Pemimpin Terbaik: Kelab Badminton.

I just want to say that I am thankful. What that my ex-PJ teacher told me really helps a lot. I thank God for teachers like him. It wasn’t really expected, this whole award thing. I just knew that I will get for the PMR thing. Therefore, I was surprised when I was told that I got the BM award too.

It’s really ironic you know. Me of all people, get the BM award. I am usually associated with the English language. Lolz.

My deepest gratitude to my Form 3 BM teacher and everyone who’s helped me through the life of Form 3.

Un-planning My Plans

It’s really funny that I planned all this stuff that I am going to do after the Mid-Year exam but never really got anything done in the end. The first thing that I get into after the exams was watching the TV, which was not really what that I had planned to do. Not the slightest bit to what that I had planned at all.

OK, my first plan had been to read a good novel by the stairase or maybe get into the car during a rainy day and read ‘Man and Boy’ while the raindrops hit hard on the car. But that never happened. You know what, I think I should put the blame on the weather since it didn’t rain on that day. And about the staircase thing…uhm, let’s just put the blame on the poor lighting of the staircase shall we?

I had also planned to take a jog around the neighbourhood, which eventually never happened at all. Let’s see, there was also writing an article on teenage life for the Prefect’s English Board, updating my MP3, re-writing an essay that I have written for the English paper, chilling out at the newly opened ‘Secret Recipe’ in my area, watching X-Men 3 and many more stuff. Oh yeah, there was also the plan to read 5 novels after the exam.

What I’m trying to say is that I planned a lot of stuff to do regardless of how foolish they may sound. But I think I’ll just put my mind to ease that the two hectic weeks of exam is over and kick back and relax. What better way to unwind after the exams than not doing anything at all, right?

True Colours (That’s Why I Hate You)

Today I learned something about one of my peers. After all this while, this someone finally revealed her true colours. And those true colours are the very thing that made me understood every single dilemma that everyone had with her.

Today was a completely BAD day for me. Early in the morning, I had to deal with this freakin’ feller (KW) during my duty-call as a prefect. He wouldn’t get back to his line and I was like so damn patient with him. "Please get get back to your line," I said to him. I mean I used the word ‘PLEASE’. And then he replied back curtly, "I don’t want". By this time, I was cursing him silently.Here I was being polite to him and he is acting like a complete jerk. I went to one of my colleagues and asked him to drag that guy out since they know each other.

Fast forward to my BM period, the class monitor and one of the exes have a bone to pick with me. What is completely wrong with you guys? HATERS!!!!!!

Just gotta let all this fume out from me. OK…back to studying Physics now.

And I see your true colours

That’s why I hate you

Don’t be ashamed

to show your true colours

Not that you are afraid

to show your true colours

Your ugly…anyway

P.S. Don’t perasan pulak those who ‘terasa pedas’ after they biten my chilli.

Photograph: High School Life

The photographs will be taken next week for my school’s magazine. It is during this time that the students will start having insecurities and think about how they should smile or whether they should get a haircut or not. Most students will probably freak out and wonder whether they will look good when the school magazine finally comes out. The photography sessions are one of the crucial times in a high school student’s year. They will do their best to impress themselves and also that certain someone whom they have a crush on. It is during these photography sessions that we realized who we are.

It is during this time that we know whether we are active or what kind of person we are in school. For those popular kids, their faces will probably appear in every single society that they joined. For those not-so-popular kids, their faces will only appear in a single photo-the class photo. The photography session for the school magazine reflects who we are in school. Through these pictures, a story about everyone is told.

We (Malaysian students) have our own stereotypes in high school. Ranging from the popular kids, dorks, geeks, nerds, literary lovers, science freak, maths genius, bookaholics, wannabes, athletes and gangsters. All of these stereotypes will be seen in the photographs. Try as we might to shove this silly American pop culture, we will always be branded in high school. This is part of the high school life. All of this can be seen in the photographs inside the school magazine.

Posts are held by students who are able to express their views without being bothered by any scrutiny from people in societies such as the Red Crescent Society, Scouts and school’s Teenagers’ Cadet. Leadership is fostered in students through these societies in school. Unfortunately, audacity is also being learnt at the same time.

Our brawns are put to test in sport’s societies such as the school’s Football Society and Basketball Society. Athletes harness their skills here. For those who showed spectacular prowess, they will represent the school. And if they lead the school to victory, extra attention will be given to these certain student and thus they will climb up the so-called ‘High School Social Hierarchy’.

Those geniuses reign high in academic societies such as the Bahasa Melayu Society, Geography Society and Science and Mathematics Society. They will master their element in these societies. But these are the people who will sit on the highest place tomorrow not today…not during high school.

Looking at these photographs might bring bitter memories to some. There might be someone who will still feel dejected for not making it to the front seat of the photograph or to see the absence of their picture in the school magazine’s editorial board. Some might see the faces of their ex-boyfriend/ ex-girlfriend. Some might see their arch-enemies or girls who love to b*tch around.

The photographs will also highlight the glorious moments in school. There will be numerous pictures of the school’s Canteen Day, Sport’s Day, a student holding a gold medal, a prefect standing on a podium or a Datuk officiating the school’s library. What that won’t be in those photographs will be the school’s bleakest moment-a disaster during Sport’s Day, a student showing off his middle finger, a girl with a growing stomach or a guy smoking. Those are the pictures that will definitely be absent from those photographs. The truth is, Malaysia’s high school had been contaminated with all the negative influences from the Western countries. Well of course the fact that some students smoke in school or show off their middle finger at this point is “tolerable” but some schools had been plagued by pre-marital sex. Now, is that really “tolerable” in our demure Asian culture?

The photographs in the school magazine paint the picture of the high school life. It tells us unknown secrets and brings back unwanted memories behind all those stiff smile and stillness. The photographs tell us the life and times of a teenager. And when we eventually leave school and live our life, looking back at those photographs remind us of who we were.

Eternally Yours, Eternally Lost

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

I stood watching as a solitude

in a house that breathe solemnity,

Lords and ladies of magnitude

stormed in with their own entity,

With the hope of remembering a friend

or condemning an enemy.

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

Children laughed and ran about,

Oblivious to the existence of a man

who now lies on his bed of eternity,

Torn from love and hate,

Torn from happiness and grieve,

Gone from a world of make-believe.

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

Today’s the end of a story,

The very end of a man’s glory,

As time slowly crept by and the sky cried,

Memories of the past seemed gory

to those who remembered the prologue

and epilogue of a man’s history.

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

The pandemonium began to ease

as the mourners left with peace,

Their expression painted with feign,

The man still lying on his eternal bed,

Mother Earth is coming nearer,

Soon everything might be clearer

for the man who sleeps forever.

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

A woman entered the room,

Her face as melancholic as the winter’s moon,

She sat by the man who had fallen from grace,

She sat by the man who had ended his race,

A drop of tear rolled down her face,

A tear of long lost memories and better days.

Tick-tock, tick-tock,

Today I witnessed the passing of a life,

I saw the despair of a wife,

Today I felt with my wooden heart

the uncertain mortality of a man,

He will be succumed in the end

to the inevitable void of death.