The Piano Man

They finally found out the real identity of the piano man. I feel sad for this guy. I feel even sad that subtle discrimination still occurs. Against sexuality.

When 'The Piano Man' was found on the beach with his 3 piece, people wondered if he was a Czech concert pianist, Norwegian student, etc etc. They thought his ability to play the piano was remarkable, although he was mute and seem a little mentality unsound.

So, this is the scenario:

Previously:
Men found on beach-taken to hospital-only played piano-amazingly well-did not speak for 19 weeks-international search
Media’s attitude: AMAZED

Now:
After 19 weeks:

Nurse: So, are you ready to talk?
Piano man: Yeah, I guess so (Surprise! Surprise!)

Turns out,
Piano man is a GAY German national who actually attempted suicide.

Media’s attitude: Appalled, as told by news:
“Hoax/Fraud: Piano man is GAY, and attempted suicide. …Hospital reports that piano man did NOT really play beautiful music, he just sat by the piano tapping the keys”

Excuse me, but is this not RIDICULOUS? First, you applaud his amazing talent, later you say that he was just ‘tapping’ on the piano. Seriously, I do not think this guy wanted all that attention, you know. You (media) created propaganda, now just made him look like a fool.

My guess is: Utter DISCRIMINATION.

My other guess: That this guy will try to kill himself again.

Good news is: Piano man finally spoke, is on his way to Germany and is safe (for now)-Thank God he is not Malaysian.

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Stronger

You used to be my angel
My one and only sentinel
Just with you I could cuddle
My precious last living model

But things have changed now
I wonder why I wonder how
Why do you bow?
To the torture that he sow?!

Time passes by,
I feel so distant, oh my!
Am I now a different boy
Oh I wish it was as your ploy

Never thought it will be this way,
I guess sometimes people do sway
What they believed they knew, they say
But what comes, is not till that day.

It seems like it was all a fib,
The soul lived behind the broken rib
It waited for time to make a trip
To what is now all a sunken ship

When I think of you, I cry
Through this pride I want to pry
As much as I can I will try
To grow and live like a rye

Till then forgive your seed
For he knows not his deeds
He will learn indeed
And make it all succeed……..

The ONE

It's Friday. I have noting to say, other than it's a pretty good day.It's something like when you're at a bay.

The week passed so fast, nothing I can recall that which comes to past. The doubts that I cast, may never come revealed, at last, it did, and now it is all a blast!

The haze came and it is now gone, nothing can beat the sun that shone, I tell myself I am not going to be alone.

Come forth and besiege me, the one that I always wanted to see, it will all be like it used to be, just me, and my life -loving spree.

Gone are the days when wrath and idle, ruled and took me deep-untitled, but, they say the road of life constantly comes upon a puddle?

As for now I need to make a swerve, hoping it will be what I deserve, because there is one I need to serve, and it's not me, not this universe,

and,

I would not mention in this verse.

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Better days

Oh boy , oh boy , oh boy, I got up this morning and I saw the sky! The sun!! Woo hoo! It felt great. God has been sooooo kind to me..like I was saying in my previous post, this haze brought fear unto me, and I was just asking God to give me a glimpse of sunshine , and that'll make me feel just fine, and my dear LORD did just that.It may be trivial to some people, but to me, this is something I appreciate and take pleasure in. As for the reason on why haze brought me nothing but fear, I still do not know. Now, there's no question why I am , actually, a monstrous little boy, huh?

On other issues...

The weeks that passed saw it being plagued with many APs....Funny, ain't it?

First, it was the Approved Permit issue, then came Ayah Pin with Sky Kingdom, now now its the awful haze with its high APIs (Air Pollution Index).

I was busy complaining that Indonesia should be doing something about this whole slash and burn activity or at least try to do something in ensuring the fire doesn't spread that much. But, now, I am not as angry at them, but ashamed that the culprit behind the slash and burn activity back there was done by two MALAYSIAN companies. Yes, MALAYSIAN palm plantation companies. I hope the Indonesian goverment will hand over the case to Malaysia so that they will be tried under the Malaysian law. As for Indonesia, I do not understand why they are refusing to attain help from Malaysian forces i.e Malaysian firemen although they have a shortage of workmen. I mean, come on, putting of a forest fire using BUCKETS of water? Get real, people!

7 people died, and the cause could possibly be due to the haze. So, we get this haze year in and year out, is the INDONESIAN GOVERMENT going to do anything to curb this problem from re-occuring? Are the ASEAN members going to push for Indonesia to sign that treaty soon? I don't know. But this issue has to be taken seriously. It's about time we wake up and not let corruption and ill-standing laws 'haze' away the future. It all has to start somewhere.

Sunshine

As I open my eyes this morning to the sombre mood of the atmosphere outside, I sigh in distress in thought of the day that I have no choice but to face. The haze has won its battle over me. I give up. There is no use fighting it no longer. I will try my best to live with it for the next month.

So my day starts with guilt as I missed PBL and the formative assessment.....I put on my surgical mask to take the toughest terrain, beating the foggy surrounding with its particles of lethal molecules embedded and confined deep within it ready to victimize every single fresh pulmonary unit....To the Sri Petaling POST OFFICE. I bet my luck on the contest this time around, hoping I'll get something in return..God willing.

Later.....

Still with the sombre mood the haze set on me, I walk out of the PBL room after a good enriching session of Bible Study of the Catholic Students' Society discussing about our priorities. Clearly, my priorities are all over the place, and it's about time I set it straight and leave it all up to my Lord, my saviour.

As I took my huge steps out, I spot a ray of sunshine shining right down to the atrium...Could it be true? Is it really it? I ran to the roof top to set my curiosity free...and there it was, at the expense of my sensitive sclera and retina, the SUN beaming its beautiful rays on me, telling me it will all be alright. My days of depressed mood and the unwavering fear the haze instilled upon me just vanished right before the light, the very thing I was anticipating eversince this clan of hovering evil entrapped me in my very own world, my place, my home. It brought me great joy. I have never been so happy to see the sun in my whole life. The haze is still around, but today, the sun is visible. The building can still be seen. Maybe about 5km visibility. I feel safe. Thank you Lord.

It may be weird, but the haze brought more than just respiratory distress unto me. For no given reason, I was afraid. Don't ask me why , but I was. After all, it was only haze, but why did I fear? Why do I seek to get back home and just be with my family? I am puzzled. I am learning things about myself I never knew or came across before. I am 21, and already suppose to figure myself out, or is there still time for self discovery? I am unsure. For all I know now is that this haze has to go. My bones, muscles and joints need all the attention it can get right now. This assessment has to be scored well by me, before I live to a retreat with the Catholic students in Peacehaven.

So, musculoskeletal, here I come!!

Adeline, you're old.

A happy wish...

Although she is thin,

She can make you spin,

A joy to talk to- may be a sin

Being with her, its always a 'win',

But on her I know I can always lean,

Almost like a next-of-kin,this is my precious friend,

Adeline.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

Burning

The mucociliary escalator 'device' in my throat is getting tired. My alveoli are probably coated with dust and the Type 1 alveolar cells must be working pretty hard right now, not to forget that my erythrocytes must b e carrying more Carbon monoxide that oxygen, since it has a higher affinity for the former. My nasal septum is inflamed. I feel tired, the air around me stinks and I just cannot push myself to study cos' it's damn bloody foggy even in the library.
I guess the haze is at its worst today (I am hoping it would not get worst than this!), and I just feel suffocated. I ran from outside to IMU, then to the library , then dashed to the PBL rooms, now in the MMS. It is the same everywhere (like duh!). I wanna go away!!! Arggh this shows how pampered we all are (or I am,) cos I cannot even handle a haze. It is just so disruptive! I cannot do anything...I feel depressed!!! God, please send us down some rain....As it is, the haze is bad, and, they say that the dam is running out of water in Klang Valley, I do not want to endure another water -rationing episode like it happened in 1998!!! Send us some rain!! =(

Nevermind the fact that Indonesia is not trying its best to curb this problem, i hope Malaysia's 'proactive' plans will work.......

Oh, and I am literally blind because my specs broke this morning. The new one. I broke my specs around this time last year too. Arrgghh

And the Animal that represents me is...

As I stated in my previous post, I sometimes (actually, all the time) relate people with specific animals because of the resemblance, or sometimes just coincidental that the fact that they look like that specified animal. The thing to remember here is I only feel that you represent that animal, so, please take NO offence, if you think I am saying that you LOOK like an animal. To me all animals are cute and special in their own way.So, here, on Elena's request is a number of animals that I feel represent some of my friends (here in uni). Please, again. take no offence. If you have any opinions or if you feel that you represent a different animal, leave a comment!! =)

In no particular order:

Zosimo Ken: Marmoset
Jo En: Tortoise
Jenny: Cat
Sarah IK: Dwarf Lemur (they are sooo cute!!)
Yvonne: Sea Urchin
Sheena: Eagle
CK: Tomato frog ( they live in Madagascar)
Adeline Gong: An Eaglet
Elena: Hamster
Richard: Guinea pig
Jeremy:Koala Bear

Phang: Polar Bear

Kenneth: Squirrel

Siva: Salamander

Kasemsuk:Chameleon

Jan Hoong: Giraffe..

Lalitha: Pygmy Elephant

Sook yee: Nightingale

Gabriel: Farm Owl

Ernie: Weasel

Audrey: Peacock

Ken Lin: Cheetah

Cannot rememberthe rest...will add on if I do..

Latest Addition (thx to my memory!)

Raj : Grizzly bear

Michelle: Butterfly

Yee Pei: Red Panda (unique, cute animals!!)

Peter : Church mouse

The Pink Amazonian River Dolphins

Ever since I heard about the Amazonian Pink River Dolphins (I can't remember when), I was amazed that such unique creatures are still alive and living in our planet earth. Dolphins amuse me. They always have. I, on the other hand, also have a habit of categorizing or labeling people that I meet as certain specified animals, apart from my psychoanalytical behaviour. As for me, I always thought I am a Pink Amazonian River Dolphin. Here is a short info on this wonderful amazing creature. Have fun reading. Click on link above for more info.

Of the five freshwater species of dolphins in the world, the pink Amazon River dolphin, Inia geoffrensis, or "bufeo colorado" as they are known in Peru and "botos" as they known in in Brazil, are considered to be the most intelligent.

These friendly, sensitive, mammals with a brain capacity 40% larger than that of humans, who have lived in harmony with the people of the Amazon and its tributaries for centuries, now face extinction in some tributaries. What was considered to be one of the least threatened species of dolphins 20 years ago, has now become one of the most endangered species due to the accelerated and commercialized rape of the Amazon basin and the destruction of the South American tropical rainforest.

No one knows the actual number of Inia geoffrensis that live n the Amazon basin, but according to the reseach and studies that Roxanne Kremer has conducted in the Upper Basin of the Peruvian Rainforest, 150 kilometers upstream of Iquitos, Peru, the number of pink dolphins from 18 years ago has risen from eight pink dolphins on the Yarapa River to 35 to 45. Ms. Kremer counted the dolphins in July 1998. ISPTR believes that her work with the Peruvian Forest Police to protection both species of river dolphins, and empowering the local peoples of their rights and use of the law, there has been less illegal commercial fishing and logging in the area, thus saving the natural habitat of the land and aquatic life.

The struggle to save these treasured beings as an important link in an ecosystem -- currently being encroached upon by industrialized forces -- is being spear-headed by the non-profit International Society for the Preservation of the Tropical Rainforest (ISPTR), whose first globally known project PARD, the Preservation of the Amazonian River Dolphin.

Pink Dolphin Physical Description

Size: 2.5 to 3 meters (8.25 ft to 9.75 ft) and 90 kilograms (200 lbs.). Males are generally larger.

Habitat and Distribution: Tributaries and main rivers of the Orinoco River systems of South America. They tend to gather at confluences of rivers.

Diet: Crustaceans, catfish and small fresh water fish. A unique characteristic of Inia geoffrensis is the unfused vertebrae in its neck, which allows for the 180-degree head turn, giving them greater flexibility in floodplain forests, grassland, tributaries and shallow waters. They have a hump on their back instead of a dorsal fin.

Coloration: The reasons for the unique coloration of Inia geoffrensis are poorly understood, but the presence of capillaries near the surface of the skin probably accounts for much of its characteristic pink flush. Other factors may include age of the animal, chemical disposition of the water (especially iron content), and the temperature of the water

Intelligence: The intelligence of Amazon River dolphins has not been extensively tested. Their encephalization quotient (the ratio of brain mass to body weight) compares favorably with that of the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops). The gray dolphins tend to be more "cautious" than the pink dolphins, perhaps because of their small size and very delicate skin. On the other hand, Inia is known for its highly developed sense of curiousity and it rapidly associates with man in a variety of serious and playful ways.

Dolphins and People: Given that these animals are threatened with extinction in certain tributaries, we do not actively seek or encourage overtly "friendly" contact with the Amazon River dolphins. Their chances of survival are greatly enhanced if they remain suspicious of human beings and maintain a certain distance.

Contrary to popular opinion, all dolphins are capable of behaving agressively toward human beings at certain times and under certain conditions. There are a number of reports of pink dolphins pushing people to the shore after their canoes had capsized. The dolphins figure prominently in the local mythology and their reputation varies from one tributary to another. In some locations, the pink dolphins are considered as unpredictable brujos (wizards), and, in other locations, they are benign and helpful semi-divine beings.

A mother dolphin with baby

So, Ken, Jo En, Sheena, Sarah , Yvonne and the rest..... I hope I enlightened you with my little epistle here =)

When reality sets in,it hurts.

As I wake to the slowly- dying sound of my alarm clock, indicating that it needs a battery change and the awfully loud voice of my housemate shouting from outside my curtainless room wondering if I am going for the briefing this morning made me realise that reality has just set in: Semester 5 has begun.

Getting to lecture late and having a Prof tell me about Sem5 and how I have to look at a patient as a whole and not a disease, with utterly lame jokes in between is not quite a way to begin the morning. If that was not bad enough, we had a briefing on what we are up for the next few (5, to be exact) weeks. The briefing (and my colleagues studying in the library) has made me realize that I have to start TODAY. Start studying and get my priority all set TODAY. It is sad, but I am looking forward for many productive weeks actually, i.e. I want to do well, and I HAVE to, and to do so I have to STUDY. Maybe MS (musculoskeletal) and NS (Nervous System) isn’t all that bad (yeah, I’m kidding myself!). With help from GOD and a little bit of determination and hard work I should be able to do fine.

With 4 lectures a day on some days and the hundreds of muscle I will later have to remember (with the bones and joints) plus revising my previous systems all at the same time, I wonder how I am ever gonna survive. Esp. after a 2 month (sort of) break. I’ll think positively. Let’s hope it works.
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Pathetic stories aside, it was wonderful to finally see some of my friends and catch up after quite a while. It’s good to know that my dear friend Jer had a great time back home at Sabah with his family and friends. It’s also great to know that K spend his time shopping and Moggy spent her time relaxing and making herself look good after a horrendous ordeal back here in IMU. Chatting up with everyone just feels fantastic. The catch up session that I had with Jer in the library couch (in front of the TV that is mute) turned in to a conference with TortoiseJ enticing everyone to join her for the Wild Zebra show, Sh and Ken with Y all together talking about just everything. We went a little far as I think we were laughing out a little too loud in the library…before long we had the librarian coming up to me saying:
“Give me your tag”
“Huh?”
“Give me your tag!”
“Why?” (While S slowly takes her tag off)
“Because you were all talking”
“Oh...I thought this was the discussion area” (Lame, but hey, I had to have a comeback!)
“The discussion room is downstairs. Give me your tag!”
S: “That’s ok we will go down now. Sorry.”
Librarian walks away as the 6 of us embarrassingly walk towards the e-lab.

What the??!!
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So it starts. Hello Semester 5, bye-bye Semester four. More like, Hello hell, bye bye heaven. So much for confession.