I have been spending a bit of the weekend covering my CIMA exams at home.
The weather outside looks great and I am itching to get out. Someone reminded me of Sonar Festival for 2011 in Barcelona. mhhh looks good! Although my idea is just to fly off somewhere really far away!!!

As it is the period of Lent.

Fæder ure þu þe eart on heofonum; Si þin nama gehalgod to becume þin rice gewurþe ðin willa on eorðan swa swa on heofonum. urne gedæghwamlican hlaf syle us todæg and forgyf us ure gyltas swa swa we forgyfað urum gyltendum and ne gelæd þu us on costnunge ac alys us of yfele soþlice.

"The commerce of the world, especially as it is now carried on, is an unbounded ocean of business; trackless and unknown, like the sea it is managed upon; the Merchant is no more to be follow'd in his adventures, than a maze of Labyrinth is to be trac'd without clue." --- Daniel Defoe.

We live in such a machiavellian plotting period with politicians & major Financial institutions seemingly caught in an unforgiven manipulation of a system that somehow was designed to benefit the everyday man. Somehow with the latest figures of the IMF and the current woes in Europe living in conflict driven oil industry & exploited resources from South America to Africa I often wonder what the world would look like in 5 to 10 years. I have to say that I do admire what some smart academics have to say in TV interviews or debates, but I often end up been rather skeptical. I don't completely advocate for crimethlnc way of living, although I appreciate the broadminded strong sense of community that it bears...... in fact I don't know its 2.00am I ought to be a sleep.

浩钟伟仁

Johor Baru Re-visited

Well as much as I would love to visit my place of childhood & teenage memories I did not actually recently visit Malaysia but I was thinking about some of the scenes that I had came across. As I was just going back to Singapore to my parents safe haven in Balestier road, I was little disturbed when I decided to go a little off track to some of the neighborhoods from Johor Baru City near the cause crossing, a bridge that borders a first world developed country. There were more scenes of poverty that I would have liked to snapped but I felt a little uncomfortable that curious eyes were peering at any given opportunity at this Ang Moh chap. I don't think my "London Black Up Hardcore Punk Kickboxing dance style" would have protected me.

I sometimes wonder how a city so close to such a city as Singapore have much pockets of poverty. Any given text book basic economic theory would probably highlight that a city should be reeking economic benefits to such a rich city such as S'pore. Singaporean business's opening up in Johor developing property, opening factories etc surely creates industry creation, tax benefits to the local state would be re-distributed correctly back to people? Actually back to the Bumiputeras.

Being half Singaporean myself, I am not having a M'sia bashing moment. I do love Malaysia, just that there are things that seem to bother me about, and I somehow point the finger at the Malaysian Government.

Having said that, Can't say parts of London are that amazing. Capitalism has failed all of us.

There is this Nigerian security guard who works late in the hours in my office. As the financial year end drew to the 31st of March right through this week one can imagine the ungodly hours that a lot of people have had to go through. Yeah we are all slaves to deadlines & Emails. As I have been finishing work late I often strike a conversation with this Nigerian security guard who is actually studying to become a professional Psychologist. Working as a security guard is merely cash to cover his cost and a good way to catch up with some reading. We often discuss certain topics as to why society is the way it is with the high amount of depressed people often taking to medication. I am sometimes shocked at the amount of over prescription that are given to patients who really need more attention then just popping a few pills. Although I am told that medication is needed sometimes to suppress certain bad emotions where Doctors can then have a conversation however in most cases it may seem unnecessary. Oddly enough in places like Africa what people appear happy but are deeply concern over life related matters such as the lack of Clean water, food, education and shelter. These are some of the fundamental needs that everyone should be the chance however it appears from my observation that depression in developed countries are somewhat of a different nature. Usually related to deep emotional areas such as the feeling of underachievement. Sadly in our society what does not help is the high amount of drugs & alcohol that is consumed. Drugs may make you feel confident for a short period of time where Alcohol may give you that sense of losing one self but really these are short term affects that alter your state of mind. In a continuous usage of drugs and drinking what then becomes your state of mind. Furthermore if society accepted this form of behavior what hope do we have then?

Back to my Nigerian Friend. Well he did say that he felt that perhaps society had a lack in faith for a higher cause, which possible may mean a lack of faith in oneself. OK he did not sound like one of these bible bashing man from the Bible belt of America but he somehow had a point there. I guess having faith whether it be in the form of Hinduism , Buddhism, Christian, Jewish, Alien or you just believe in the high grand architect that is over looking us. Ok it dangerous sometimes to mention religion especially in Politics and that's because spirituality should on a personal level. I think with the bad press that religious orders have been getting in the media, along side with the lack of hope because of terrible wars, rioting and near economic meltdown, people in general over the years have stopped believing or either entered into this extreme of religious zealots. But yes as my Nigerian friend put nicely, people have stopped believing, somehow not knowing where to turn has caused depression. An interesting point. one that I am not really qualified to remark but he did make some very interesting points for me to ponder. Still I will continue to have further discussions with my new friend.