SEX EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN
It’s about time the Education Ministry gave a nod to sex education in schools. I am all for it. This issue has been quite controversial for so long and there are many voices that either for it or against it completely. There are pros and cons I’m sure but I believe that by inhibiting the issue will make matters worse because you can’t hide things that are being experienced by every living thing on the face of the earth. Sooner or later, these kids will learn about sex, but it is how they acquire the knowledge is what matters. While parents are still in denial and the government is still busy sweeping the issue under the carpet, kids out there are already practicing their sex education via unsolicited items and friends. Sex education is not to teach the kids how to have sex. It teaches one to understand the profound changes on his or her body. And there will be aspects of how to respect your own body and sensitive towards any kinds of unlawful touches by some irresponsible scum out there, be it by a total stranger or by someone they know. I don’t exactly know the contents of what will be taught but I hope that it is comprehensive enough to teach the young kids about the ugly consequences of sexual habits that can lead to STD's, HIV/AIDS, unwanted pregnancies, or any other profanities. The access to pornographic materials are becoming so much easier and as much as we would like to deny, a large percentage of viewers are school going children to young adults. This is one way how they learn about the bizarre world of sex and its just as a matter of time and place and consenting individual that they start to imitate and practice some of the scenes without ever knowing the negative consequences of it. Sex is not something that we can deny and some can start to feel its coming at a tender age of 9 so it is high time that we start teaching the children before they start teaching themselves.
Check out these links:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sex-education/HQ00547
www.advocatesforyouth.org/sexeducation.htm
www.avert.org/sexedu.htm
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Thursday, December 21, 2006
MALAYSIAN STUDENTS OVERSEAS
In 1997, I continued my studies in the UK. It was the most liberating experience in my life because not only I get to own an oversea university degree, but also I get to mingle around with people outside my own community. Not to mention the hands-on experience to brush up my language skills. The funniest thing that I realized during my whole experience as a foreign Malaysian student in UK is how other Malaysian students did not like to mingle with the locals there. Language inferiority I later found out. I mean what is the point of going to study overseas and not be like the locals? It was like we’ve created our own small community out there, communicating in our own language, and cooking our own food. It’s a shame really because back home, we complain that it’s hard to master English language because the people around does not converse in English. So when you finally given the opportunity to converse in the English community itself, we shunned. I remember how my professor used to tell me how shy we Malaysians are. There are times she had to intervene when it come to these students choosing their own groupmates for a project. There is one other matter that seems pretty odd to me. There are some students that took advantage of being away not only to study, but to get hitched in matrimony, mostly with other Malaysian student lah. I'm not sure if the parents knew about it back home but its becoming a phenomenon.
Apart from the academic learning, I also get to learn that getting hitched in a foreign country is far much easier and all they need is your passport, made you swear that both individuals are single and that's it. As for the Muslims, the local imam can solemnise the marriage with only one or two witnesses. I guess being away from your parents made it easier to do a lot of things, be it good or bad. I'm not saying getting married is wrong and it is within their rights to do it as long as it is done in a legit manner but I'm intrigued to know why there and why then. Some priveleged students are sponsored by the government or large corporations to obtain a degree, not to get hitched. And to have some seniors and fellow friends to participate in the whole marriage thing is very very disappointing.
What I’m trying to insinuate is that, studying overseas do not mean study, study, study and hope you’ll get a degree. No, it’s the experience that matters. We need to learn to socialize outside our coop, master the language along its local connotation and sample their food (as long as its halal, for the Muslims). I was privately funded by my father who worked tirelessly to send me to a foreign university and for that I studied harder because I know, on top of supporting his other six children, sending me there means forking out a fortune especially when back then it was 1997, the year where we see the ringgit devalues so much against the pounds. I gathered as much experience as possible in my whole two years there and I even picked up some British accent. I also get to know some few Malaysians who had successfully secured a job there and helping other fellow Malaysians by teaching some English dialects so that mixing around will be so much easier. I hope that for all the aspiring students who are preparing to study overseas, please, no inhibitions and explore the country, the language, people and culture and create a study group with the locals or other international students and don't worry about being called sombong (snob) by your fellow Malaysians because they're just saying that because they're jealous. The experience to study overseas is a chance of a lifetime, make the best of it and of course, be sure to come home with an Honours Degree and treat your parents to your newly acquired skill of foreign cooking.
In 1997, I continued my studies in the UK. It was the most liberating experience in my life because not only I get to own an oversea university degree, but also I get to mingle around with people outside my own community. Not to mention the hands-on experience to brush up my language skills. The funniest thing that I realized during my whole experience as a foreign Malaysian student in UK is how other Malaysian students did not like to mingle with the locals there. Language inferiority I later found out. I mean what is the point of going to study overseas and not be like the locals? It was like we’ve created our own small community out there, communicating in our own language, and cooking our own food. It’s a shame really because back home, we complain that it’s hard to master English language because the people around does not converse in English. So when you finally given the opportunity to converse in the English community itself, we shunned. I remember how my professor used to tell me how shy we Malaysians are. There are times she had to intervene when it come to these students choosing their own groupmates for a project. There is one other matter that seems pretty odd to me. There are some students that took advantage of being away not only to study, but to get hitched in matrimony, mostly with other Malaysian student lah. I'm not sure if the parents knew about it back home but its becoming a phenomenon.
Apart from the academic learning, I also get to learn that getting hitched in a foreign country is far much easier and all they need is your passport, made you swear that both individuals are single and that's it. As for the Muslims, the local imam can solemnise the marriage with only one or two witnesses. I guess being away from your parents made it easier to do a lot of things, be it good or bad. I'm not saying getting married is wrong and it is within their rights to do it as long as it is done in a legit manner but I'm intrigued to know why there and why then. Some priveleged students are sponsored by the government or large corporations to obtain a degree, not to get hitched. And to have some seniors and fellow friends to participate in the whole marriage thing is very very disappointing.
What I’m trying to insinuate is that, studying overseas do not mean study, study, study and hope you’ll get a degree. No, it’s the experience that matters. We need to learn to socialize outside our coop, master the language along its local connotation and sample their food (as long as its halal, for the Muslims). I was privately funded by my father who worked tirelessly to send me to a foreign university and for that I studied harder because I know, on top of supporting his other six children, sending me there means forking out a fortune especially when back then it was 1997, the year where we see the ringgit devalues so much against the pounds. I gathered as much experience as possible in my whole two years there and I even picked up some British accent. I also get to know some few Malaysians who had successfully secured a job there and helping other fellow Malaysians by teaching some English dialects so that mixing around will be so much easier. I hope that for all the aspiring students who are preparing to study overseas, please, no inhibitions and explore the country, the language, people and culture and create a study group with the locals or other international students and don't worry about being called sombong (snob) by your fellow Malaysians because they're just saying that because they're jealous. The experience to study overseas is a chance of a lifetime, make the best of it and of course, be sure to come home with an Honours Degree and treat your parents to your newly acquired skill of foreign cooking.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Local Children Books Sad Affair
My business main stream is education. My company publishes children's educational materials. On top of other writer's materials, I also publish my own piece from the conventional workbook to references to complement the textbooks learning. We understand that the contents for any academic workbook or references MUST comply to the curricular standards but the Layout? I mean look at all the imported learning publications and you can't help but to be drawn into how the layouts, illustrations and concept are so appealing not only to the children but parents too. Never mind the more expensive tag on it but the local books are sooooo BORING! Inside and out! Have I not mention the grammar and occasional spelling mistakes?
The logic is, learning supposed to be fun and interactive and contents are developed FOR the children, not for some people in the department who thinks that this font and that font is not allowed and that there are standard typesetting that we publishers have to oblige to. Come on la... don't trust me, go and browse through our local children books and you probably just want to tear the pages and make paper aeroplanes, maybe the akak nasi lemak would want to use it to wrap the local delicacy with. Tsk..tsk..
My business main stream is education. My company publishes children's educational materials. On top of other writer's materials, I also publish my own piece from the conventional workbook to references to complement the textbooks learning. We understand that the contents for any academic workbook or references MUST comply to the curricular standards but the Layout? I mean look at all the imported learning publications and you can't help but to be drawn into how the layouts, illustrations and concept are so appealing not only to the children but parents too. Never mind the more expensive tag on it but the local books are sooooo BORING! Inside and out! Have I not mention the grammar and occasional spelling mistakes?
The logic is, learning supposed to be fun and interactive and contents are developed FOR the children, not for some people in the department who thinks that this font and that font is not allowed and that there are standard typesetting that we publishers have to oblige to. Come on la... don't trust me, go and browse through our local children books and you probably just want to tear the pages and make paper aeroplanes, maybe the akak nasi lemak would want to use it to wrap the local delicacy with. Tsk..tsk..
"RUNNERS" - FRIEND OR FOE?
A friend of mine joined me for a drink and he just came back from a business meeting in Kuantan. His regional staff had fixed up a meeting with someone who can lead him to securing a so-called lucrative project. And so he drove all the way from KL to Kuantan, eager to find out what the whole deal is all about. It so happens that the staff introduced him to a third party (best described by Malaysians as "runners") who claims that they can "secure" the deal with a click of his finger just because he has good connections in the department who happens to be his brother or uncle or aunt or what not. Later, this runner was not there to discuss about the "job" but more like demanding a lot of things. We're talking about opening up a branch and appointing him as the manager lah, as the middlemen lah... all sorts of things. My friend was flabbergasted because he had just met this guy and he was asking for the world! Tsk..tsk..tsk..
Well the moral of the story, please be careful when dealing with these people. Maybe there are ones who has managed to bring fortune to both parties in a fair and win win situation, but there are ones (most likely the majority of it) are there for their own fortune and prey on gullible business owners who are desperate at getting a project but failed to take into account the numbers and risks involved. As for my friend, he put up with listening to the runner's blah blahs for hours, just to be polite. After that, his staff had to put up listening to his boss's blah blahs for wasting his time and money for a faux business talks.
A friend of mine joined me for a drink and he just came back from a business meeting in Kuantan. His regional staff had fixed up a meeting with someone who can lead him to securing a so-called lucrative project. And so he drove all the way from KL to Kuantan, eager to find out what the whole deal is all about. It so happens that the staff introduced him to a third party (best described by Malaysians as "runners") who claims that they can "secure" the deal with a click of his finger just because he has good connections in the department who happens to be his brother or uncle or aunt or what not. Later, this runner was not there to discuss about the "job" but more like demanding a lot of things. We're talking about opening up a branch and appointing him as the manager lah, as the middlemen lah... all sorts of things. My friend was flabbergasted because he had just met this guy and he was asking for the world! Tsk..tsk..tsk..
Well the moral of the story, please be careful when dealing with these people. Maybe there are ones who has managed to bring fortune to both parties in a fair and win win situation, but there are ones (most likely the majority of it) are there for their own fortune and prey on gullible business owners who are desperate at getting a project but failed to take into account the numbers and risks involved. As for my friend, he put up with listening to the runner's blah blahs for hours, just to be polite. After that, his staff had to put up listening to his boss's blah blahs for wasting his time and money for a faux business talks.
Monday, December 18, 2006
It's not easy being a local in Malaysia. Everything seems to be so expensive. With all the fuel prices soaring with no limits and the draconic tolls, its a wonder to see my fellow Malaysians still on a spending spree like there's no tomorrow. At one time, the government will announce another unpopular hikes and then you get to hear all sorts of complaints, from the local dailies to their favourite mamak stalls condemning the news. Then by the weekend, we all go out in droves to the hippest and most happening malls dishing on all kinds of thrifts. I hate to admit it but I happen to be one of them. Savings are good but spending it are cooler and so much fun. Even during those days when I was stripped to loose change, I can be planning so many purchases. The local magazines are the devil actually, prompting me to plan, plan, plan and when the money's in...BOOM! It's BUY, BUY, BUY! This is one good reason that I started blogging coz it takes me off Guardian/ Watson's, MPH, Isetan, Evita Peroni...just to name a few. But I still need Starbucks somehow coz one, I need my tall hot green tea and two, to log in without having to go to the office.
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