The White House

When I was small, maybe around 4 or 5 years old, my dad used to work in Kota Bharu for a brief period. I don't have much memories about that place, only pieces here and there of the good old days.

I remembered the stairs beside dad's office that leading up to second or third floor to our hostel; I remembered my metal frame bed where I always secretly throw grape seeds into a hole on that frame, hoping for a vine bed;

I remembered the flood and some weird Malay-grammar-hokkien;

I remembered the Malay girl that always come to play with me. I spoke zero Malay or English then, and she spoke zero English or Chinese. However, we did have great time playing masak-masak and many other games that I couldn't recall now;

I remembered the banana leaf curry house. Back then, eating with bare hand, taking food from the banana leaf was a special experience for me;

And among these, the one that I had the most vivid memory is "White House". Some how, I always remembered the red-brick columns, the chairs, and the perfect half-boiled-eggs. As a 4 years old (or 5), I think my mum fed me only the half-boiled eggs and bread from this shop while they had those awesome nasi dagang.

So every time I visit Kota Bharu, I have to make sure that "White House" is in my itinerary. For nostalgic reason, and for the great childhood food.

I respect the person who did the DOE and perfected the half-boiled-eggs. Today, they are still using this traditional method of metal cup and boiled water, and yet, the half-boiled-eggs are better than those that I cook with the Tupperware half-boiled eggs cooker.

All of us ordered a set of famous half-boiled eggs + roti bakar with kaya and butter + coffee. Of course, we also sampled all the types of rice being sold there. My personal favorite is the nasi dagang. THE BEST!

Nasi Topeng

Nasi Lemak

Nasi Dagang Ikan

Nasi Dagang Ayam

We were so impressed, that we stopped here for the kaya and coffee before we traveled back to Penang. However, by the time we reached, the shop was already half-closed. We plead to the shop owner and finally they agreed to sell us a dozen bottles of kaya, and a few loaves of bread. No chance for coffee though as the kitchen was already closed.


Address: 1329-L, Jalan Sultanah Zainab, 15050, Kota Bharu, Kelantan, 15050
Phone:09-748 4119

从摹画开始

对我而言，人生，说穿了，就是一连串无止尽的自我挑战、学习、成长。

小时候对美术节的抗拒和恐惧，我决定一一面对、克服。我去年挑战了数字油画、克服了对女红的束手无策，这一次我想把我对旅游的热爱，融合于艺术当中。今年要学习素描和色铅笔手绘，希望可以在心情沉淀下来时，画一些心情、一些小趣味……

所以，在我那一堆淘宝网购当中，有这么几本朴素无华的素描本、基础教程本，和一个帆布笔帘，静静地呆在一旁，等我有机会静下心来……

今天早上，睡醒后我心血来潮，终于到弟弟房间翻箱倒柜地把我们姐弟仨用剩的铅笔、颜色笔一一找出（后来发觉颜色笔都没了，去取眼镜时还顺便买了一小盒）。然后很庄重地一支支插入笔帘中。今天，也就从摹画开始……

早上没有颜色笔，所以先学铅笔素描，看了一些基础技巧，然后对着教程一步步学画了一幅《从墙角探出的花朵》。虽然成果不怎么满意，但人生第一幅，还是要拍照记录下来公告天下的。:)

记得早先少年时

我孤陋寡闻，没听过木心。看了这一季中国好歌曲，被这首歌的意境折服，google了一下才知道有这么一个高人。是时候积极把他的诗集、画册找一找了。

《从前慢》 ～木心～

 记得早先少年时
大家诚诚恳恳
说一句 是一句
　　
清早上火车站
长街黑暗无行人
卖豆浆的小店冒着热气
　　
从前的日色变得慢
车，马，邮件都慢
一生只够爱一个人
　　
从前的锁也好看
钥匙精美有样子
你锁了 人家就懂了 

这是写得不能再白的新诗，竟然比大多数电影的画面感更深刻真切，揪心度更简洁有力。

活过那段纯真岁月的人会深深陷入那个回不去的情绪、未经历那纯真年代的人只能羡慕却不能体会，简单的，慢慢的，认真的，生活。

那种在午后树荫下藤椅上茶色渐淡的生活。那种在雨夜屋檐下布床上笺纸成书的生活。

 
记得早先少年时……

而刘胡轶，诗已经叫人心折，曲又让人更满心温软。旋律淡雅如诗。

而那歌声，那是只属于安静角落的温暖，风轻云淡地，叫人记得早先少年时……

刘胡轶的其他作品：刘胡轶的豆瓣小站

面对恐惧

我还以为自己真的勇者无惧，这一次倒是真正面对恐惧了。

话说放工后我们一行人到吉打州西岭吃晚餐。晚饭后我决定不原路返回，而是随朋友走山路上高速公路。

由于我知道我们一行人路线不同，于是我在看见第一个高速公路的牌子后便决定离队直往。小妹妹打电话来问我怎么这么快离队，应该继续尾随她们前进。我见两旁完全没有转向的空间，开了Waze又说我在正确的道路上，于是我决定继续前进。

那是雨后的夜晚，没有路灯，马路两旁是一望无际的黑暗，偶尔风吹过，浓浓的雾便柔柔地把前路给覆盖了。我想起其中一位小妹妹曾经说过那么“一条大白天我也不敢走的公路”，这样的荒山野岭，想来必然对了，硬着头皮勇往直前。我翻山越岭地在森林里孤独地穿梭，在能见度不到50米的山路上开始自我怀疑，直到Waze叫我转左……

我的车子转入一条从油棕园穿过的小路。由于是黑漆漆的夜晚，车子开高灯能见度也低于50米，我只看见路上积水的坑坑洞洞。我停顿了很久。我开始想象车轮跌进泥坑进退两难的窘境、想象突然有强盗出现、想象我横尸荒山野岭、想象亲朋戚友的哀伤、想着那些未完成的事……两膝开始酸软……

过了几分钟吧，我恢复理智，掉头走回头路吧！恐惧的基础是无明，回头路是“已知”，心里必定比较踏实。

在回头路上为了自我安慰，我开始想着自己的人寿保险可以如何让父母安享晚年、想着弟妹应该可以坚强面对、想着一切存在着的事物的不生不灭、不增不减……

恐惧的基础是无明，面对了，就释然了。

百花齐放

当时年纪小，喜欢整整齐齐的。最爱看人家院子有一大片青绿平坦的地毯草。
现在年纪大了，反而喜欢自由奔放的。最爱我自家院子那些参差不齐、百花齐放！

杂草们、野花们有一种挡不住的生命力，烈日下风雨中自顾自个儿地茁壮成长，帅气极了！

Thank you, Robin William

Thank you, Robin William. You made me laugh, and you made me cry.

When I'm at the transition stage from preteen to teenage, I asked a lot of questions about life. I'm still asking today, but it was Death Poets Society that made that transition smooth and less painful.

O Captain my Captain.

May the 4th be with You

 

我深信，正义必定会获得最后的胜利！

友情颂

孟子曰：「天將降大任於斯人也，必先苦其心志，勞其筋骨，餓其體膚，空乏其身，行拂亂其所為，所以動心忍性，增益其所不能。」 所以，我们一生中注定了要面对各种大大小小的挫折及考验。

在重重难关当前，你会看见大难当头各自飞的情景，却也有感情更加根深蒂固的团队。
在种种磨练之后，你可以看清谁是小人，谁是君子；谁是泛泛之交，谁是真正的朋友。

我虽为结识了小人而不忿，却因身边仍然有一群真正的朋友而感到欣慰。于顺境中交朋友是举手之劳；在困厄时寻找友谊却难如登天。每每想起在这困难的关头，身边还有并肩作战的朋友、还有不离不弃的朋友，我总会热泪满眶。

任天大困难苦我心志、劳我筋骨，只要身边仍然有互相信任的、互相支持的朋友，心中自有信念、自有暖暖热爱。我们总有能量继续往前走。

真的，谢谢几经风暴仍然不退半步的你们！！

在此很老土的送上一首很out却又很贴近我心的歌：

朋友

繁星流动 和你同路
从不相识 开始心接近
默默以真挚待人

人生如梦 朋友如雾
难得知心 几经风暴
为着我不退半步 正是你

遥遥晚空 点点星光 息息相关
你我哪怕荆棘铺满路
替我解开心中的孤单 是谁明白我
情同两手 一起开心 一起悲伤
彼此分担 总不分我或你
你为了我 我为了你
共赴患难 绝望里紧握你手
朋友

弃船而逃的船长

一年一个月又十七天前，我提起一些小人的故事。今天，我又有另一个故事要说……

话说，两年前，有一位中年人，无意中拿到了一张开往印度洋上一个岛群的航海图。他不想孤零零独行，于是想起以前同游欧洲的伙伴们，想要重温那段美好时光。他把岛群形容得美轮美奂，又说一路上风光明媚，最终成功游说自己的童年玩伴借出一崭新游艇。

船主说，“好吧，我也随你去玩玩，你做船长就是了”。一班好玩、想要出去闯一闯的年轻人听了，也嚷着要做船员同行。由于游艇还有空位，船长、船主、船员们也各自找了一些亲朋戚友一起展开快乐旅途。

起航差不多一年后，船长拿着航海图左看右看，对它的真实性开始将信将疑，于是带着自己亲信，用游艇上仅存的几个救生艇弃船而逃。

船主与船员们为了不想引起不必要的恐慌，也没有向乘客们宣布船长弃船潜逃的事情。只是比平时更打醒十二分精神，研究航海图、细察海面气候转变、和别艘船保留密切联系等。船主与船员们的共同目标，就是可以领整船人安全到岸，如期享受美好假期。
 
就在这时，有一架航空母舰乖离自己的航海线，狠狠地把这游艇给撞了一下。船主和几位船员同心协力安排、策划、想尽各种途径，誓必要把这艘游艇上的每一个人安全地送到目的地。

另一边厢。船长和亲信成功安全上岸后，唯恐天下不乱，开始打电话给一些自己相熟的乘客造谣。说船主已经改行、说船主一定不顾大家死活、说船主借出自己的崭新游艇必有阴谋、说你们大家必定要陪他葬身大海……反正就是做一些损人不利己的事情。

有一些乘客开始信心动摇，也不怪无故乖离航线撞向游艇的航空母舰、也不怪弃船而逃现在站在安全陆地冷眼旁观并煽风点火的船长，却怪船主和船员们当初不应该约他们一起同游，要求船主与船员们对他们的遭遇负责。

船主与几位船员撑起了救船的重责，不要求别人明白，不要求别人秉持同舟共济的精神，只求救船行动不受阻挠。船一天没沉，一切言之过早。即使不能如期到岸，到岸仍然是唯一目标。

如果你是和船主与船员们在同一艘船上的乘客，你会：
1）相信弃船而逃的船长的煽动而向正积极救船的船主和水手们兴师问罪？
2）给予船主与水手们适当的支持但袖手旁观？
3）积极地参与救船工作而且会事后支持船主向航空母舰讨回公道？

没有不可能

从小到大，励志书籍总是告诉我们这世界上没有不可能的事。我不知道相信的究竟有几位，我倒是深信的。

这里，和大家分享一个发生在我们办公室里的真实小故事。

话说，农历新年前我在巴刹买了好几束鲜花，让同事们插在花瓶里，点缀办公桌，好让办公室增添一点生气。

农历新年假期回来，大家的花儿都枯萎了，除了这一束……

大家只是说：“这束怎么这么耐呀？”，却也没特别注意这角落。我们还开玩笑说是主人磁场好呢。

几个星期过去了， 她还是一副绿叶油油的模样，大家开始觉得‘神’了，于是走近细看。只见枝干底部开始长根！大伙儿大呼不可思议！

今天，一个月过去了。我走近细瞧，根长多了，还发了两叶新叶芽呢！她生命力之强真叫人感动！

所以，你说，这世上哪有什么不可能的事？一切，还不是凭着“撑下去”的决心！

偶尔也下厨

周日晚餐

我有些朋友渴望吃得健康，却懒得下厨。我因为每天下班后回家就有热腾腾的饭等着我，所以没有什么资格高谈阔论煮一餐饭有多简单。 （我虽然一直自认有一点儿天分，但我下厨的几率应该比你碰上蓝月亮的几率还要低。原因是，我妈妈是个天才，每一餐她总要竭尽所能煮出合乎每个人口味的食物，所以我基本上英雄无用武之地。）

然而，偶尔，我也下厨。当妈妈不在家的时候……

昨天，闲来无事决定给自己煮一顿晚餐，清清淡淡的。不过，那毕竟是周末的杰作。今天，原本想要约朋友长谈的，不成行，也就回家煮饭呗！

以下是我的三十分钟食谱，绝对适合天下懒人。

基于冰箱内还有许多新年吃剩的食物，我就只在这堆食材中动动脑筋。搜索了一轮，决定派上用场的有：豆腐、鸿喜菇、鱼漂、紫菜、包菜、烟熏鸭肉、猪肉薄片、小辣椒。还有我刚买的味噌料。

我的个人口味非常极端，要么就重口味如sambal、perut ikan、asam pedas等，要么我就喜欢清清淡淡的食物天然味道。 今天走清淡路线。

1）香辣猪肉炒鸿喜菇和包菜

材料：

两片吃火锅用的薄片猪肉片，切成小条状
包菜几叶、切条状（随个人喜好）
鸿喜菇（也随个人喜好）
蒜头切成蒜米
我的秘密武器：小辣椒切成和蒜米一样大小（为什么四川人嗜辣？因为辣椒去湿。马来西亚闷热潮湿，在任何一碟食物里偷偷加上一点儿小辣椒正好“吊味道”）

1。鸿喜菇在滚烫的开水里烫一烫。放一旁。 （水别扔了）
2。锅里头油热了就把蒜米和‘小辣椒米’丢下去爆香。蒜米边金黄色后把猪肉条沾一沾酱油后加进去炒好让它吸取小辣椒的味道。
3。猪肉一转熟就把鸿喜菇和包菜放下锅快炒。

我没另加任何调味料，只靠猪肉那一定点酱油和小辣椒‘吊味道’。 包菜必须处于半生熟之间才会有爽口的香脆口感。吃不惯太清淡的朋友可以自加盐。


2）猪肉裹豆腐夹烟熏鸭肉 

材料：

两片吃火锅用的薄片猪肉片
两片切成薄片的烟熏鸭肉片
豆腐

 

1。把猪肉薄片放在刚才烫鸿喜菇的锅里稍微烫一烫让猪肉处于半熟状态。
2。豆腐打横从中间剖半（如上图）
3。在金属碟里铺上一片猪肉薄片
4。把下半部分的豆腐放在猪肉薄片上
5。把烟熏鸭肉片铺在豆腐上。
6。把上半部分的豆腐党在烟熏鸭肉片上。
7。再把最后一片猪肉片盖上。淋一点儿酱油，加一点点鱼露（真的只是一点点哦！只要 hint of 鱼露而已哦）
8。把碟子放到锅里蒸一蒸，直到最上面一片猪肉熟透即可取出。撒上柴鱼片和蒜米油即可食用。（我计算错误，下次得把豆腐再切半才能让猪肉片扮演‘包裹’的角色）

看见那汁吗？那是猪肉里流出的油汁遇上酱油和鱼露

3）紫菜鱼漂豆腐味噌汤
把鱼漂在刚才的热水里烫一烫。取出。
在碗里倒入味噌汤料、紫菜和鱼漂。用刚才烫鸿喜菇、猪肉、鱼漂的汤汁倒入碗里即可。

4）烟熏鸭胸蒸白饭
我的烟熏鸭肉不小心多切了两块，就放到白饭上蒸吧！

两菜一汤包你三十分钟内搞定！

成功

昨天，一行人出席了年长一届学兄学姐们的二十周年回校晚宴。
除了话当年叙旧，大家也免不了谈起某某近况如何、谁干了什么大事业。

我觉得每个人对成功的定义固然有不同的诠释，但当晚有一个典范是我的答案。

当司仪宣布杨旺成校长到达现场时，未等司仪宣告仪式，大家早已自动自发地、由衷地起立热烈鼓掌欢迎校长，直到他走到席位上坐下来为止。过后有人问：＂咿，我们怎么都站了起来？＂我笑。是的，我们都未经思考衡量，激动地以行动向校长致万二分的谢意。

在社会打滚了二十年，大家都明了要把一所学校管理好是一件多么艰难的事，更何况这是一所大型国民型中学。我们都明白校长对华教的贡献，我们都理解严格背后的爱。敬重，是必然的。

校长桃李满天下，对社会的贡献功若丘山，受到几代人的尊重。这，就是成功的典范！

当年严肃的校长现在可以和我们一起玩自拍了

Birth Month Concluded

OK, I'm crazy. I admit. But I think I am"experienced" enough to have the privilege to celebrate birth-month instead of birth-day.

First of all, Wei Wei and En En came back on the first weekend of November. So we had a very nice dinner at Miraku.

The next day, we had a very simple afternoon tea in the garden. Second aunt and my cousins were here too. It was a rainy day. We enjoyed the cool breeze, had great chat and great fun and great nap in the garden.

Wei and I went to Haagan Dazs to collect my free scoop of ice-cream. We met a sort-of-OCD worker there. We ordered "ice-cream-on-brownie". He said "ON brownie? Not at the side?" We said yes, on brownie. The photo on the right shows how it was served. Brownie on one side, the scoop of ice-cream at the other side, and all the cream / peanuts are separated too. I guessed he must have hate people mixing everything together :) 

Anyway, after the short break, I bought home 3 pints of Haagen-Dazs so that we can share with everyone. Mum always loves the fruity flavor and dad always loves Belgium Chocolate. 

The day before my birthday, I received a extremely thoughtful gift from a lovely friend. I was so touched! Really can't thank her enough. This gift also started to make me think of getting a craft class in year 2014. I haven't learn a new skill for too long already!

The night before my birthday, I had a very simple dinner at Patio with a group of energetic youth. I'm charged :)

When I reached my office on my birthday, there's a lovely note on my table. I love this small little surprise. The even more surprise fact: that ribbon is an origami! Hand made! By that little girl herself!
I love it :)

Though everyone was super busy, we managed to have a very simple and sweet birthday celebration at one of our favorite lunch spot. I enjoyed that to the max.
Too bad that we have to leave BH eating alone as all of us have to rushed back to factory before the gate is closed. 

The night of my birthday, I be the best daughter in town, having the simplest meal with my dad and mum at home :) After the dinner, I sat in front of my computer writing thank you notes to everyone that sent their wishes.







The next morning, another lovely gift on my desk. That Gerbera really made my day! It has this vibrant orange that says "cheer up and be happy"

The week after that, we had our usual "selves-birthday-celebration" but this round the guys have more important things to do so two of us had a ladies night out at Abbey Road instead. Lots of catch up to do.

The next night, meet up with another 2 girl friends for catch up too. Most of our friends are already married with kids, so it is always easier to make the appointment happened if it is only 3 of us...... Sign of getting older....

En came back again for bridge run. I forced him to buy me dinner again. Haha! Though the credit card bill will be settled by me later but it is really fun to let your brother start practicing to buy you dinner.

After we sent En to airport, finally I can have mother-daughter date. Mum is an expert shopper. We shopped for hours until even her cannot stand anymore so she called home, asked papa to settle his own dinner, while we had some simple food at Canton-i. So, finally the real 母难日celebration.

Of course, Christmas is just one month away. How can I not set up the Christmas Tree in the office? (Why is this my birth month celebration too you may ask? Well, THIS is something that never fail to make me happy too)

Then, on the last week of my birth-month (ei, my birthday falls on 7th of November so of course 1st of December is still the last week!), I suddenly decided to give myself some challenges. I picked 30 Day Beach Body Challenge because it is more challenging than anything else (at least for me la~). I have been a lazy bum for years and it is sure hard to break the inertia (My physic teacher said 动者恒动、静着恒静）. I'm glad that I have progress well so far :)

To conclude my birth-month, I decided to buy myself a birthday present.

I have a lot of excuses to ease my guilt in buying this: it is my birthday present, this thing is much cheaper than it used to be, this is a delayed gratification, i don't want to get sick in a backpack trip so i need to properly keep warm but all my current winter jackets are too bulky......









So, this is how I concluded my birth-month celebration. I'd like to thank everyone of you, everyone in my life, for giving me such a wonderful, blissful, meaningful life.

A Little Bit of Curiosity Never Killed Me

I'm currently reading "In the Plex", and I couldn't help but amazed by Google.

(Well, I am always a fan. It's not a secret. I always love to tell the younger generations how painful it was to search for information online during the "pre-Google-era". The "physically finding information in library" way of research is almost unspeakable.)

When I read about the stories behind AdSense, I decided to add an AdSense to my blog too. Not for making money, since I never plan to draw any audience to this half-diary, but more for better understanding. I'm not those genius geeks so I don't really plan to understand the algorithm behind. However, I'd love to test it out, to randomly check what are the advertisements showed. I haven't really completed the appropriate setting so Google crawler now unable to access my page to determine its contest and display relevant ads. I shall monitor for at least a month before I allow the crawler to access. 



So excited to see the results :)

Work Happily

I've said this a million times, and I still want to repeat this: I'm a Disney baby. I grew up believing you can just whistle while you work; you can get all the animals sing along "we can do it, we can do it"; you can think of the happiest things and it's the same as having wings......

"In every job that must be done there is an element of fun" is what my pseudo-nanny, Mary Poppins taught me.

So, in my work area, I focus in cultivate a team that laugh in the face of challenges and difficulties. We do great in physiology. Sometimes, just like the rest, we do feel down, but we always try hard to uplift each others' spirit. We passionately discuss about works, about life, about dreams and about everything else.

So if you choose to stress yourselves at work, if you envious of our happiness, I am sorry for you. If my happiness affect your moral and make you depressed, I am sorry for you. I am sorry that you can't understand how this team works. I am sorry that we have different perspective of "professionalism".

All of us spend more than 1/3 of our daily life at work. Please learn to be happy. Please learn to enjoy. Please learn to find all the fun elements at work. Even if you are not depressed but only emotionless, that is still sad.

I am sorry. I just can't go to the dark side......

A Secret Introvert

那天在朋友的FB post看见这“23 Signs You Are Secretly An Introvert", 我发出了会心的一笑。我至少中了四分之三（却也偷偷庆幸自己没有全中。小学时候老师爱谈中庸，我觉得那是人性中近乎不可能的事，却也相信这是我穷这一生人必须学习修炼的事。四分之三，过之。）

我小时候对于人生的意义、对于世间一切真真假假想得很多，小学时候还曾经差点儿走火入魔了，特别怪胎。不过，我一生人总是幸运。我没有对任何成人谈起，却在仍然无知的时候选择了对的管道，在书堆中找到了依靠。过后又因为音乐、因为文学、因为前人的一些伟大宗旨，我把钻牛角尖的精力放在砥砺琢磨，这就无惊无险走过青春期了。

我并没有停止追问人生的意义，我并没有停止追逐真理。只是，我学会了平衡，平衡寻觅的步伐及矛盾的挣扎。

我想告诉所有正在迷茫中的青少年，别害怕，你一定会找到笃定的方法。

Legally a Cat now

The kitten is finally officially and legally a cat! The "overly awesome" cat!!

OK, OK, I know, I know! I have blogged about him turning into a cat officially 3 years ago. But this is different. This time, he is officially and legally a cat!! He can vote in next GE, he can now go into Genting Casino, and he can now get married without parental consent (Just saying, not like he really plan to do so :p)

I couldn't accept the fact that he IS an adult now. I'm sure Wei has the same feeling too. We always wish that our little brother will never grow up, we wish he can stay cute forever, we wish he can be our 'remote control' forever, we wish he can be our 'technician' forever, I wish he can be my automobile carer forever.....And suddenly, with the blink of an eye, our little brother is all grown up!

Happy Birthday, Ah En!!

What Do You Care What Other People Think?

As I mentioned a few months back, I always have a soft spot for Physicists. For years, after collecting a few copies of Einstein's and Hawking's, I have been looking for Feynman's books in Malaysia but always failed.

A few years ago, I finally bought "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman! (Adventures of a Curious Character)", but then, somehow, I totally forgot about that book! (Ya, crazy huh? I still couldn't believe this!) Anyway, years later, I accidentally found it in my bookshelf recently, and I couldn't put down the book. I finished it in 2 nights.

So, during our "Half" Peninsular Malaysia road trip, when I visited Kinokuniya at KLCC, I couldn't resist but to buy a few Feynman's books (and of course, other titles too, spent over RM300 there in less than 1 hour). The first title that I finished reading was “What Do You Care What Other People Think”.

The first part of the book is about the love stories between Feynman and his father, his mother, his first love, and his family. The title "What Do You Care What Other People Think" came from his first wife's comment to him, when she tricked him in doing some embarrassing acts. He did them anyway, I think partly because he loved her, partly because she was dying, and partly because he knew that's true.

The second part of the book mainly revolves around the true stories of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. (FYI, The Rogers Commission Report was created by a Presidential Commission charged with investigating the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster during its 10th mission, STS-51-L. The report, released and submitted to President Ronald Reagan on 9 June 1986, both determined the cause of the disaster that took place 73 seconds after lift-off, and urged NASA to improve and install new safety features on the shuttles and in its organizational handling of future missions.)

Reading these stories had further strengthen my values that instilled long time ago. I believe manufacturers are responsible to produce products with quality that exceed customers' implied expectations with conscience.

I used to dream of working in NASA when I was in primary school (I gave up this dream after I found out their minimum height requirements :p). Reading these behind the scene stories from Richard Feynman made me realize that even NASA has no difference.

1.  The communication between management and the floor is always the key weakness / strength of an organization.
2. Criteria are always being changed when the reality cannot catch up with the original expectations. 
3. People tend to be unrealistic in making contracts, and in estimating the costs / difficulties of each project. 
4. Departments that spend a lot of money and resources in the important but not urgent activities (making sure that no problems happen) always being victimized. It is always seen as "wasting money on preventing things that never give us problems".
5.  When being assigned to carry out an investigation, most people focus on preparing a perfect report than actually spending resources in finding the root cause

My intention of listing the above is not to tell you how bad the manufacturing world is, but to remind you the reality.
I would like to remind you that while we still have our conscience intact, it is our responsibility to provide correct and sufficient information to the decision makers, and to remind the decision makers on what is right when necessary.
You don't have to care what other people think :)

“For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for Nature cannot be fooled.” ~ Richard Feynman

关于醒觉二三事

我成长于一个普通马来西亚华裔大家庭，大家庭里有几位积极于六十年代学运，所以我明白前辈们一路走来的辛酸。

我对于“一党独大就失去民主的意义”有一定的坚持，而你看看我们这五十多年来的大选成绩，除了1969年后，就只有这一届执政党选票少于一半的。（如果你问我1969年后为什么执政党恢复六十巴仙支持率，我会很懒惰和你对话）。别忘了，这一次我们有超过八十巴仙的投票率！如果这还不算醒觉，如果这还不叫胜利，如果这还不可称另一个良好的开始，那我觉得你对所有在抛头颅洒热血的战士们太过苛刻。
当你失望沮丧，你可曾反求诸己？你，为马来西亚的更美好的将来做了什么？
当你痛苦悲伤，你有否想一想，反对党领袖们有奉献了大半生的、有进了冤狱的。他们仍然坚持，我们凭什么放弃？

而在这醒觉的过程中，我也发现了一个危机：人类其实是很容易被操纵的。人类在兴奋的状况下并不能冷静思考，只选择自己愿意相信的“事实”。Facebook上谣言满天飞，看得我心惊胆跳，这年头已经没有人秉持“没有调查就没有发言权”的原则了吧？当年德国对犹太人大屠杀、当年中国文化大革命，历史上那些干下抹杀人性的事儿的人，当时不也在轰轰烈烈的大时代里相信自己干的是一件光明磊落的划时代重要大事吗？我希望大家在充满热忱想要为更美好的明天尽一份绵力的时候，不要忘了思考，不要迷信“权威”，不要协助散播谣言，不要鼓催负面情绪，不要刻意抹黑任何人与事。请你分析后再说话，请你包容不同政见，请你秉持善念。

我们还有很长的路要走，这是个美好的开始呢！

履行公民义务

今天又回到母校了，虽然没有特别为母校做了些什么，可是我这些年来，守紀律、尊師重道、勤奋、又忠誠，而且从来不忘履行公民义务，既对得起所有曾经为马来西亚华教出力的先人，总也算是报答了母校的栽培之恩吧？

我笃信，今天，大家都是勇敢的。无论结局如何，普罗大众的政治觉醒已经令我们往真正的民主再迈进一步。