I just received a call from a good friend of mine from overseas. I must say that it felt really good after that, knowing that this person called just to ask how I was doing.
I really don't know what my point is in raising this issue, I guess it is the thought of friendship and what it means. Whether there is a certain limit attached to it. Friendship may be sacred to some and for some it could be just something that comes and goes. I think it depends on how one views life in general and what his/her mere existence means to that person?
Showing posts with label theissue. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theissue. Show all posts
Thursday, 10 March 2011
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
Depression
It is 1.20 am now. Still finding it difficult to sleep. This cycle has been continuing for months now. Lots of things in my mind, as always. Strange, because I never planned it this way. Through self analysis, I discovered that I have always been anxious throughout my life.
When I first realised this, in my early childhood days, I could not make anything out of it. I continued with my life and with anxiety also came depression. I thought I was different, strange, felt like I did not belong in this world. I kept this notion of mine to myself as I did not want people to perceive me as a weirdo. This eventually began to take a toll on me. Without going into the details, I finally ended up suffering from insomnia. There were days when I could not sleep for five continuous days. I sought treatment and am now gradually recovering from it.
The reason why I am mentioning this is because, yesterday I read somewhere on the internet blogging column, where a person said that he/she found it difficult to be understood by people. This person was disappointed with life and was contemplating of ending it once and for all. This person obviously was not aware that he/she was experiencing depression and did not know how to deal with it.
As far as I understand, depression unlike any other illness, does not leave any medical mark in the body and hence sometimes goes unnoticed. Therefore, the public needs to be educated about depression and its early signs, and how to handle it. Fortunately, New Zealand and most of the western world has now taken this approach.
People tend to take the view that the process of recovery is the same for everyone who is suffering from depression. I believe that this may not necessarily be correct. However, in my opinion, one constant element in the process of recovery is for the person to realise that those who are important in the person's life truly understands him/her and will standby the person throughout the process and does not regard the person as a burden. Unfortunately, this very much depends on those surrounding the person suffering from depression. Hence, what I am trying to say is that if you know of anyone suffering from depression, try your best to understand what the person is going through inside, before you take any standard approach.
And, for those who are suffering from depression, do know that you are not abnormal at all and not alone. Just take your time to understand yourself and open up yourself, eventually everything will turn out just fine.
When I first realised this, in my early childhood days, I could not make anything out of it. I continued with my life and with anxiety also came depression. I thought I was different, strange, felt like I did not belong in this world. I kept this notion of mine to myself as I did not want people to perceive me as a weirdo. This eventually began to take a toll on me. Without going into the details, I finally ended up suffering from insomnia. There were days when I could not sleep for five continuous days. I sought treatment and am now gradually recovering from it.
The reason why I am mentioning this is because, yesterday I read somewhere on the internet blogging column, where a person said that he/she found it difficult to be understood by people. This person was disappointed with life and was contemplating of ending it once and for all. This person obviously was not aware that he/she was experiencing depression and did not know how to deal with it.
As far as I understand, depression unlike any other illness, does not leave any medical mark in the body and hence sometimes goes unnoticed. Therefore, the public needs to be educated about depression and its early signs, and how to handle it. Fortunately, New Zealand and most of the western world has now taken this approach.
People tend to take the view that the process of recovery is the same for everyone who is suffering from depression. I believe that this may not necessarily be correct. However, in my opinion, one constant element in the process of recovery is for the person to realise that those who are important in the person's life truly understands him/her and will standby the person throughout the process and does not regard the person as a burden. Unfortunately, this very much depends on those surrounding the person suffering from depression. Hence, what I am trying to say is that if you know of anyone suffering from depression, try your best to understand what the person is going through inside, before you take any standard approach.
And, for those who are suffering from depression, do know that you are not abnormal at all and not alone. Just take your time to understand yourself and open up yourself, eventually everything will turn out just fine.
Tuesday, 8 March 2011
The appointment of new Governor General of New Zealand.
The role of the Governor General is one that is not to be taken lightly. The Governor General is the Queen's vice-regal representative in New Zealand and is often viewed as the de facto head of state.
The current Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand ( sworned in on 23 August 2006), replacing Dame Silvia Cartwright is due to be succeeded by Lieutenant General Jeremiah Mateparae on 23 August 2011, having been appointed by the Queen of New Zealand on 7 March 2011, on the advice of the Prime Minister.
You see, Lieutenant General Mateparae is a descendant of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. While, Sir Anand Satyanand is New Zealand born but is of Indian descent. This would not have occurred in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the very top government posts are held by the Malays who make up the majority of the population. Now, I am not going to dwell into Malaysian politics, but I want to impress upon the readers the social and political climate in New Zealand which I believe is, if not the, one of the most admirable in the world.
Perhaps, this is the main reason why New Zealand is attracting many migrants from all over the world, to live with a very peaceful, tolerant, understanding, helpful, friendly, non-judgmental, non bias and non-racist society.
The current Governor-General, Sir Anand Satyanand ( sworned in on 23 August 2006), replacing Dame Silvia Cartwright is due to be succeeded by Lieutenant General Jeremiah Mateparae on 23 August 2011, having been appointed by the Queen of New Zealand on 7 March 2011, on the advice of the Prime Minister.
You see, Lieutenant General Mateparae is a descendant of the Ngāti Tūwharetoa and Ngāti Kahungunu tribes. While, Sir Anand Satyanand is New Zealand born but is of Indian descent. This would not have occurred in Malaysia. In Malaysia, the very top government posts are held by the Malays who make up the majority of the population. Now, I am not going to dwell into Malaysian politics, but I want to impress upon the readers the social and political climate in New Zealand which I believe is, if not the, one of the most admirable in the world.
Perhaps, this is the main reason why New Zealand is attracting many migrants from all over the world, to live with a very peaceful, tolerant, understanding, helpful, friendly, non-judgmental, non bias and non-racist society.
Monday, 7 March 2011
Benji Marshall charged with assault.
Last Friday, Wests Tigers rugby league star Benji Marshall entered the rugby pitch with vigor and passion, played to win for his rugby league club, Wests Tigers. Little did he knew that that evening a new event was awaiting him. Eventually, the event took place and he is now charged with assault for throwing punch/s at the victim/s.
Can we plan for what is ahead? Definitely not. Can we plan not to get involved in any fight which may possibly come our way, yes we can. But can provocation be an excuse and should it ? What if the provocation was in the form of racial abuse ? My opinion is, if you can evade any sort of problems, do so even if you were racially abused . The exception, self defense or for the protection of another's life/bodily injury.
There has been too many problems in this world caused by racial issues. We need to see ourselves beyond our identity, we need to see ourselves just as a human being, not as a person of a certain race, tribe, religion, cast or whatever. It is not easy, I believe this has to be cultivated since childhood. Early childhood education is vital. It is the responsibility of parents and schools to educate children to see themselves beyond the veil of race and religion. If we could see our neighbour just as a person like us, we could overcome any racial slurs cast at us.
It is time that parents and schools educate children to ignore the racial difference that may seem apparent to the eye.
Can we plan for what is ahead? Definitely not. Can we plan not to get involved in any fight which may possibly come our way, yes we can. But can provocation be an excuse and should it ? What if the provocation was in the form of racial abuse ? My opinion is, if you can evade any sort of problems, do so even if you were racially abused . The exception, self defense or for the protection of another's life/bodily injury.
There has been too many problems in this world caused by racial issues. We need to see ourselves beyond our identity, we need to see ourselves just as a human being, not as a person of a certain race, tribe, religion, cast or whatever. It is not easy, I believe this has to be cultivated since childhood. Early childhood education is vital. It is the responsibility of parents and schools to educate children to see themselves beyond the veil of race and religion. If we could see our neighbour just as a person like us, we could overcome any racial slurs cast at us.
It is time that parents and schools educate children to ignore the racial difference that may seem apparent to the eye.
The Obidient Wife
I just received this joke from a friend via the email. You may have read this before, but nevertheless, I thought I would share it with you.
The Obedient Wife
There was a man, who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, & was a real miser when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me."
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died.
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
"Wait just a moment!"
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said, "Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your
husband."
The loyal wife replied, "Listen, I'm a Christian;
I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?"
"I sure did," said the wife.
"I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a Cheque.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it."
The Obedient Wife
There was a man, who had worked all his life, had saved all of his money, & was a real miser when it came to his money.
Just before he died, he said to his wife, “When I die, I want you to take all my money and put it in the casket with me. I want to take my money to the afterlife with me."
And so he got his wife to promise him, with all of her heart, that when he died, she would put all of the money into the casket with him.
Well, he died.
He was stretched out in the casket, his wife was sitting there - dressed in black, and her friend was sitting next to her.. When they finished the ceremony, and just before the undertakers got ready to close the casket, the wife said,
"Wait just a moment!"
She had a small metal box with her; she came over with the box and put it in the casket. Then the undertakers locked the casket down and they rolled it away.
So her friend said, "Girl, I know you were not foolish enough to put all that money in there with your
husband."
The loyal wife replied, "Listen, I'm a Christian;
I cannot go back on my word. I promised him that I was going to put that money into the casket with him."
"You mean to tell me you put that money in the casket with him!?!?!?"
"I sure did," said the wife.
"I got it all together, put it into my account, and wrote him a Cheque.... If he can cash it, then he can spend it."
Sunday, 6 March 2011
My favorite website
I was randomly browsing the internet and stumbled upon this site - http://www.donatenz.com/.
This is an excellent site, meant for do-gooders and those in need. Do visit this site. It is a site where you could donate stuffs, offer your services for free, or if you are in need of something but cannot afford it, you can log in and search for what it is that you desperately need.
A typical Kiwi spirited site indeed !!!
This is an excellent site, meant for do-gooders and those in need. Do visit this site. It is a site where you could donate stuffs, offer your services for free, or if you are in need of something but cannot afford it, you can log in and search for what it is that you desperately need.
A typical Kiwi spirited site indeed !!!
The Hotchin saga - Are NZ courts not viewing white collar crimes seriously?
More than 16,000 investors lost over $500 million through the failed finance company, Hanover Finance which was co-founded by Mark Hotchins. The latest news is that a house on a 51ha of land, in Karaka which Mark Hotchins "manages" is on the market. According to the Sunday Herald, Mark Hotchins told that "the Karaka property was not frozen by the courts like much of his other assets, but he vowed he would not benefit from any sale as he did not own it" .
According to the NZ Herald report dated 16 February 2011, the High Court reserved its decision on whether Mark Hotchin's assets, which are worth millions, should remain frozen.
In a similar incident, John Hotchin, the younger brother of Mark Hotchin has avoided a jail sentence for breaching the Securities Act as director of Nathan Finance. According to the NZ Herald report dated 4 March 2011, John Hotchin pleaded guilty to three charges laid by the Securities Commission and was sentenced to 11 months home detention, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $200,000 in reparation.
Does this mean that if you steal thousands of peoples hard earned money and as a result cause breakdown in marriages, health problems which could or could not be fatal, repossession of homes and cars, and etc, is not somehow as serious as theft? According to S.223 the Crimes Act 1961, the punishment of theft is as follows
(a) in the case of any offence against section 220 (theft by person in special relationship), to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(b) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(c) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $500 but does not exceed $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year; or
(d) if the value of the property stolen does not exceed $500, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.
Now, I am only an ordinary Kiwi, not a legal expert, but looking at the above, and the gravity of the damage done to people's lives, in my humble opinion, the sentencing for white-collar crimes should be hardened.
Do you think it is time now that the NZ courts view white-collar crimes seriously?
According to the NZ Herald report dated 16 February 2011, the High Court reserved its decision on whether Mark Hotchin's assets, which are worth millions, should remain frozen.
In a similar incident, John Hotchin, the younger brother of Mark Hotchin has avoided a jail sentence for breaching the Securities Act as director of Nathan Finance. According to the NZ Herald report dated 4 March 2011, John Hotchin pleaded guilty to three charges laid by the Securities Commission and was sentenced to 11 months home detention, 200 hours of community service and ordered to pay $200,000 in reparation.
Does this mean that if you steal thousands of peoples hard earned money and as a result cause breakdown in marriages, health problems which could or could not be fatal, repossession of homes and cars, and etc, is not somehow as serious as theft? According to S.223 the Crimes Act 1961, the punishment of theft is as follows
(a) in the case of any offence against section 220 (theft by person in special relationship), to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(b) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years; or
(c) if the value of the property stolen exceeds $500 but does not exceed $1,000, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 1 year; or
(d) if the value of the property stolen does not exceed $500, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months.
Now, I am only an ordinary Kiwi, not a legal expert, but looking at the above, and the gravity of the damage done to people's lives, in my humble opinion, the sentencing for white-collar crimes should be hardened.
Do you think it is time now that the NZ courts view white-collar crimes seriously?
Kiwi ingenuity
I was browsing for Kiwi inventions and was amazed with boat maker Sealegs. It was developed to take all the hassle out of the boat launching and retrieval process.
The Sealegs system consists of motorised, retractable and steerable wheels which are fitted to specially designed boats to give users a fully integrated, turn-key package. The company has now expanded to Europe and have orders from all over the world. Check them out at http://www.sealegs.com/
If you know of any other Kiwi ingenuity do share.
The Sealegs system consists of motorised, retractable and steerable wheels which are fitted to specially designed boats to give users a fully integrated, turn-key package. The company has now expanded to Europe and have orders from all over the world. Check them out at http://www.sealegs.com/
If you know of any other Kiwi ingenuity do share.
Saturday, 5 March 2011
Dating, Love...
I was thinking.. is dating something common within a certain age group? Is it easy to date once you are say 38/40 and above ? I tend to think so. Because, once you are above a certain age, your chances of dating a nice young girl dips real low. You are then open to choices of dating divorcees with kids whose priorities are somewhat different to a single girl with no baggage. Then the relationship becomes somehow more of a compromise. A compromise based on each others marketability, whether you could bear waking up with the same person for the next 10 years or more or even worse..whether you could bear waking up with the same person for the next one year. Of course, this is based on a single male's perspective who has no baggage. I am pretty sure it is the same for a single woman of a similar age with no baggage? Or is it just shallowness ? Has luck or fate has got anything to do with this ?
The many avenues of searching for a partner then comes to play like the internet dating sites, singles clubs, social clubs and etc...and for some frequenting the church or other religious gathering places..lol !!
But I tend to think that the internet dating sites are interesting !! There are just so varied people looking for partners for so many different reasons and some of them in my view seem very bewildering !!!
But, out of the thousands of dating sites, which is the best? Is it NZ Dating, Adult Friend Finder, Friend finder, Adult Dating and the list goes on..
Is there a better way of going about this?
The many avenues of searching for a partner then comes to play like the internet dating sites, singles clubs, social clubs and etc...and for some frequenting the church or other religious gathering places..lol !!
But I tend to think that the internet dating sites are interesting !! There are just so varied people looking for partners for so many different reasons and some of them in my view seem very bewildering !!!
But, out of the thousands of dating sites, which is the best? Is it NZ Dating, Adult Friend Finder, Friend finder, Adult Dating and the list goes on..
Is there a better way of going about this?
Woohoo...Crusaders crushed the Waratahs at Nelson's Trafalgar Park last night !!
You know what..this is the spirit of the Kiwis, that's the way you go Cantabrians !!
Despite all the grief and heartache caused by the recent earthquake, the Crusaders crushed the NSW Waratahs last night with a 33-18 win. Crusaders deserve a standing ovation!
Can't wait for the Rugby World Cup 2011 !!!.
Despite all the grief and heartache caused by the recent earthquake, the Crusaders crushed the NSW Waratahs last night with a 33-18 win. Crusaders deserve a standing ovation!
Can't wait for the Rugby World Cup 2011 !!!.
Friday, 4 March 2011
Whats up Auckland ?
I was just thinking, wouldn't it be nice to have more excitement in Auckland CBD? The down slide in the economy is so evident as you walk down Queen Street. Cruise ships dock frequently at Princes Wharf and Queens Wharf, Central Auckland. You see tourists wandering down Queen Street looking for some excitement. In the inner city you’ll find cafes, bars and restaurants around Karangahape Road, Princes Wharf, Viaduct Basin (of America’s Cup fame), Lorne Street and High Street but there isn't much life and excitement.
Corruption in New Zealand politics ?
Pansy Wong and her husband using tax payer's money to fund their personal travels ! The Labour party calls for John Key to refer the case to the A-G but John Key refuses despite the fact that new information revealed that Hugh McPhail's investigation as ordered by the speaker was not thorough.
John Campbell Live revealed that Pansy Wong's husband, Sammy, conned his business partner in Supreme Hovercraft into transferring its manufacturing plant to China and subsequently depriving him of his shares of profits. Sammy concluded the business agreement with his business partner at Pansy Wong's Botany electoral office. Pansy Wong certainly miss-used her ministerial position to influence the business partner to conclude the agreement with Sammy.
Wong and Key visited Beijing University in 2009 and a newspaper article reports her promoting New Zealand universities while there. Pansy Wong and her husband Sammy were both directors in Sampan Enterprise Ltd, which acted as an agent, giving Chinese student referrals, for Massey, AUT and Lincoln universities.
What happened to ministerial responsibility ?
Are the party MPs covering up for each other, is this like "whatever happens within the party stays in the party"? Is John Key straight up as we think he is? Should we close an eye and allow money crazy individuals to run for parliamentary seats on the pretext of serving the public, and abuse their powers to make deals on the side?
Lastly, why is our judiciary very lenient in punishing/taking action against politicians who abuse powers for their own interest, and those who commit white-collar crimes and getaway with millions of dollars?
John Campbell Live revealed that Pansy Wong's husband, Sammy, conned his business partner in Supreme Hovercraft into transferring its manufacturing plant to China and subsequently depriving him of his shares of profits. Sammy concluded the business agreement with his business partner at Pansy Wong's Botany electoral office. Pansy Wong certainly miss-used her ministerial position to influence the business partner to conclude the agreement with Sammy.
Wong and Key visited Beijing University in 2009 and a newspaper article reports her promoting New Zealand universities while there. Pansy Wong and her husband Sammy were both directors in Sampan Enterprise Ltd, which acted as an agent, giving Chinese student referrals, for Massey, AUT and Lincoln universities.
What happened to ministerial responsibility ?
Are the party MPs covering up for each other, is this like "whatever happens within the party stays in the party"? Is John Key straight up as we think he is? Should we close an eye and allow money crazy individuals to run for parliamentary seats on the pretext of serving the public, and abuse their powers to make deals on the side?
Lastly, why is our judiciary very lenient in punishing/taking action against politicians who abuse powers for their own interest, and those who commit white-collar crimes and getaway with millions of dollars?
Thursday, 3 March 2011
Kudos to Bob Parker !
The Mayor of Christchurch, Bob Parker has gained the admiration of the Kiwis again. He has proved that he is the best man elected by the people for the people. It is amazing how tirelessly and earnestly he works to bring Christchurch back on its foot. I hope Cantabrians share the same view. If they do, Bob Parker definitely deserves some formal recognition.
Christchurch Looters
It amazes me why some people would commit crimes against their fellow men especially in times of strive, more so at times of natural disaster like the Canterbury earthquake. Whatever the reason is, they should be punished adequately so that it is not repeated. But, is our judiciary doing a good job at that?
On the positive note
Again about Canterbury and Kiwis.
It is really uplifting to see that Kiwis are doing all they can to support the earth quake victims in Canterbury. Donations are pouring in, people are offering their homes to those who are homeless, adopting families, groups organising fund raising activities and more.
I am actually from Malaysia. I came to New Zealand in 2002 and since then New Zealand has and will always be my home. This event that had just taken place in Canterbury has made me realise how special and different Kiwis are, and how lucky I am to be here. The best thing I have ever done in my life was migrating to New Zealand.
I now feel so much a Kiwi than a Malaysian. I only wish that people around the world can see how special New Zealanders are.
It is really uplifting to see that Kiwis are doing all they can to support the earth quake victims in Canterbury. Donations are pouring in, people are offering their homes to those who are homeless, adopting families, groups organising fund raising activities and more.
I am actually from Malaysia. I came to New Zealand in 2002 and since then New Zealand has and will always be my home. This event that had just taken place in Canterbury has made me realise how special and different Kiwis are, and how lucky I am to be here. The best thing I have ever done in my life was migrating to New Zealand.
I now feel so much a Kiwi than a Malaysian. I only wish that people around the world can see how special New Zealanders are.
Canterbury at the beginning of the year
I would love to start my blogging in a more positive note than this but I just can't. The Cantabrians have endured enough lately. Mother-nature shook the ground violently beneath them twice and the second time was so violent that many lives were lost.
On the morning of 22 February 2010, I was attending an auction in Auckland. Then just after 11.30pm, the auctioneer announced that there had been an earthquake in Christchurch and the iconic cathedral had been badly damaged. I must say that at that moment, none of us showed any signs of shock or grief and we continued with the auction. None of us knew the gravity of the quake.
It was when I returned home that afternoon and switched on the TV that I realised what had happened to Christchurch and its people. All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed by shock, fright and grief. Watching the news day long became a daily ritual for me, for the next one week. The lives of the quake victims became the topic of discussion with friends.
There have been moments when I used to feel like crying, but as a man, you always try to portray strength. Eventually a few days later, my heart just gave in and I wept for 30 minutes. I was not sure why I was weeping, was it due to my current emotional, financial and family circumstances, or was it the troubled beautiful faces of my fellow Kiwis, my fellow species that I see on the TV? I don't know.
As New Zealanders, we are very friendly and empathetic. But most of all we are a family. We are there for each other in times of need. That is what we Kiwis saw in ourselves in the wake of the quake. We are one small country but one very strongly bonded population.
I am now prouder to be a New Zealander than I have ever been before !
On the morning of 22 February 2010, I was attending an auction in Auckland. Then just after 11.30pm, the auctioneer announced that there had been an earthquake in Christchurch and the iconic cathedral had been badly damaged. I must say that at that moment, none of us showed any signs of shock or grief and we continued with the auction. None of us knew the gravity of the quake.
It was when I returned home that afternoon and switched on the TV that I realised what had happened to Christchurch and its people. All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed by shock, fright and grief. Watching the news day long became a daily ritual for me, for the next one week. The lives of the quake victims became the topic of discussion with friends.
There have been moments when I used to feel like crying, but as a man, you always try to portray strength. Eventually a few days later, my heart just gave in and I wept for 30 minutes. I was not sure why I was weeping, was it due to my current emotional, financial and family circumstances, or was it the troubled beautiful faces of my fellow Kiwis, my fellow species that I see on the TV? I don't know.
As New Zealanders, we are very friendly and empathetic. But most of all we are a family. We are there for each other in times of need. That is what we Kiwis saw in ourselves in the wake of the quake. We are one small country but one very strongly bonded population.
I am now prouder to be a New Zealander than I have ever been before !
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