Hereby is the compulsory second part of the end year reflection on the year gone by and what is hoped for in 2009. Let's come back some 12 months later and see how much things have changed or not at all and have a good laugh at this resolution malarkey.
We all have aspirations for the nation to achieve in the next year and years after but in short term I would like to see some improvements on the bread-and-butter stuff, such as
1. Increased efficiency of the public transport
The reason why people drive their cars and create more jams when it is already jammed beyond jammed jammed is because the public transport can't be relied on to bring them where they want to go. Many reasons for that being that either they are not on time, are of too low of capacity to serve rush hour traffic as well as not going anywhere people want to go.
The first reason is simple enough as it is well known of over here and even in developed nations like Britain as well - I frequent RAWK, a predominantly British site of people there complaining about the bus system there that is sh****. I suppose sh*** is better than over here since as Malaysians we have that prenatural instinct to laud anything overseas, but it's just about similar just somewhat better. There's an old joke about London busses - you wait for ages and suddenly three comes by. Why not drive the car where I can dictate when I leave and arrive?
The second reason is because nobody likes to get up close and personal with a stranger unless they're physically attractive and don't smell like camels after a day's work. Why not drive the car where I have a big space for myself in the airconditioner?
The final reason is more of a planning problem as you can't expect people to drive kilometres just to take the bus or the train to work, it's ridiculous. Furthermore with the jam in between transit to the station, you have to fight for parking space as well. Why not drive the car straight to where I want to go?
And all three reasons of why we don't just drive the car brings about that endless cycle of jam - unsatisfactory public transport system --> people drive car --> create jams --> impacts unsatisfactory public transport system --> more people drive car --> create more jams ... repeat ad nauseum.
To be more specific - a transport system that arrives would be a good start - if it arrives 5 minutes late is still somewhat acceptable, just not when it doesn't arrive at all.
Otherwise higher frequency would be a good idea as well so that we don't have to squeeze in with everybody else as well as reduce the number of people jostling to get into the train because they don't come frequently enough.
In short, it can be better - if the price of petrol skyrockets again there won't be a sudden shock to the public transport system that it struggles to cope like it did in the past five months as most people are already taking the bus, train, monorail etc.
2. Less politicking, more work done
There's this thing about getting elected to Parliament that appeals to certain people that it affords a high profile exposure to the nation either via the press or media or from making ridiculous statements without first engaging the grey matter.
The problem with being a national figure is that whatever you say and do end up on the papers, especially on national policies or comments on whatever is happening in the nation. Nowhere is a debate more important than at the august that is our Dewan Rakyat where the elected representatives debate on national issues and enact laws & ordinances.
Now that is how it is supposed to and yet with the world watching via the live telecasts of the parliamentary sittings, the MPs from either side are content on indulging in the practice of name calling, be it bigfoot, monyet, kayu or bodoh. Over and over.
If this is how it is like in the highest lawmaking house of the nation you have to wonder why the younger generation simply don't care about politics anymore - much grief to the Speaker of the house for trying the calm a bunch of schoolchildren. No doubt the issues are important (or appear to be important) but certain MPs seemed to feel that just appearing and picking a fight (or four) whilst doing nothing substantial to the sitting is all they were elected to do.
"Hey, I'm the ruling party you listen to what I say or I'd do your head in."
"Who cares, I'm the opposition and my job is to oppose what you say even if it makes sense".
If you have the time and the Internet connection, try searching around for C-Span telecasts online - the US channel that broadcasts national lawmaking and executive events such as Congressional or Senatorial debates - those monyet in Dewan Rakyat pales in comparison to these well researched and substantiated debates. Rebuttals, if any are made with equally well made arguments. And the Republican senator might vote for a bill that is presented by a Democrat as well as the other way round if it is good.
Try the British Parliament as well - in their exquisite accents, the MPs make good use of flair in their speeches about debates on national issues. If there were counter-arguments that border on sensitive matters (read: racial) they're made properly and with reason without resorting to cheap shots and scoring political points.
We're not far away from that level of debate actually, it's just whether they want to do it or not. The increase in Opposition numbers in Parliament did help somewhat as most of them are made up of professionals who know their stuff, so the ruling party will have to debate at the same level or end up looking to be stuck in the old era of debating something they don't know about.
3. Stop the sale of cars with broken signal lights.
It's quite funny to know considering that the Mercedes, Camry, Alfa Rome, Accord as well as our (own Proton & Perodua) imported into the country are fitted with substandard signal lights that works sometimes but nowhere are they more apparent in those popular but more expensive versions. I'm sure the drivers who flick on their signal lights aren't aware that the high premium they pay for their cars does not seem to guarantee working signal lights. It seems like the expensive and high-tech parts that make up the car are engineered to work well in all road conditions, with the exception of the signal light.
It's not a certain occurence as in they stop working every single time but regularly enough to warrant a comment. The more interesting part is that a lot of these cars are from the more expensive variety of the imported vehicles as mentioned above including those Peugeot, VW etc. Why do they skim on signal lights? Does the material burn out after the 10th flick of the switch? I'm sure the on/off mechanism used to control it is not that difficult to do - I remember we're taught how to wire a few LEDs to a circuit and make it blink with a switch.
Perhaps in Europe or Japan they're way advanced when it comes to mental capacity that they have developed telepathy or ESP to tell the other guy on the road that they want to make a right turn, they just slow down and make the proper adjustments hence eliminating the need for signal lights?
Soon maybe even the headlight will no longer needed in the future as we can all 'sense' the presence of another car from which direction and at what speed in the darkness of night.
Until all that happens, I ask for the government to disallow sale of cars with subpar signal lights to the people.
There's a part on people and how they should realise that the world is bigger than their backyard and different people think differently and there is no black or white in life but I'll write that as part of a story itself.
31 December 2008
28 December 2008
Hopes For 2009: Personal
Hereby is the compulsory first part of the end year reflection on the year gone by and what is hoped for in 2009. Let's come back some 12 months later and see how much things have changed or not at all and have a good laugh at this resolution malarkey.
Yeah, it's that time of the year again. Everybody stands proud, looking at the dawn of a new year and make resolutions of what to achieve and what is hoped for.
1. Change the car.
The idea is already there since September last year as my curent 'old' Saga, the last of its kind released before the people at Proton decided to unleash another that is fundamentally better looking and well-improved to the masses. To be honest my first feeling when I saw the new slick saga was that of betrayal - why didn't they release this in so much earlier?
Still, back then the feeling for a change was due to the dramatic increase in oil prices worldwide, driving petrol prices up, making smaller compact cars the one en vogue. Now that even petrol going down even further than the pre-price-spike era, I still think it would be worth it to be able to save even more.
I take the train to work nowadays but would still have to drive to site if there's work to be done at client's side but that does not happen on a daily basis. So why change the car you ask?
First, I got tired of switching gears. Yes, this coming from one guy who makes fun of cars with automatic transmission. After driving my brother's Picanto and the company's Myvi (all automatic), I felt the need to delegate the shifting duties to the torque converter and really enjoy the driving.
Secondly, this current car is at the end of the line which means that parts and sorts will get reduced bit by bit as Proton increases support for the newer models. It still worked fine of course, but I got tired of getting the starter changed (second one in one year) when it does not respond after the first turn of the key. Then the internal light gave up on me as well as the damage to the bumper that I still haven't fixed after almost five years because it works fine. I predict expensive problems in the future and I plan not to become part of that future.
So which car do I have in mind now? As of today, I'm still set on the Myvi as the car seems to have the least amount of complaints (if any) compared to our friends from Proton and is also fuel economic - lower fuel prices doesn't mean it's time to splurge; I'm like my dad, save everything you can, trouble can rear its head at any time. Also, I'm not rich, mind you so don't bother telling me about the Honda's, the Toyota's and the Suzuki's.
2. Call home at least once a month.
I admit I have been quite the naughty son when it comes to calling home to talk. I'm pretty sure Mother must've muttered in her breath once in a while about me not calling home to tell everybody how I was doing over here etc.
The thing is that I am of the 'no news is good news' camp in which I don't find the reason to talk to people about something unless its significantly important but yet Brother made a good point about just calling home to re-establish that tie.
Earlier this month I just topped up the SIM card, finding some RM37.90 left, meaning that I haven't actually made many calls since the last reload. Now I have RM 97.90 for whatever calls and probably more when I go back for CNY later.
Makes sense? Yes.
3. Visit a(nother) foreign country
Strange enough but from this 29-years of life I have only been overseas twice and both occassions were adjacent countries. The first was to Brunei Darussalam during the times when I were still a wee lad when visiting Brunei was as easy as driving for two hours down the Miri-Brunei road. Otherwise it were the prefectorial camp or for whatever reason that the family wanted to. The other happened just this August when I went with my supervisor to Singapore for a study visit.
To be honest the biggest problem with me is the expectation of going for such trips. I'd like the 6-hours trip down the highway to actually be worth something than just visiting shopping malls and looking at babes from another country. I'm not one to visit some place just to check out the buildings or food as I find all of that available in my own country as well.
"Noooo, it's different!", I hear the choruses of protest from you.
To me, time is 'short' in the sense that it passes by quickly when I'm on leisure and within those hours I'd like to have something memorable enough for me to talk about once I get back. My previous excursion was some two years ago to Langkawi with my ex-colleagues and we had a great time because there were so much to do during the whole trip and came back with plenty of mementos.
So if a trip to Phuket is all about sitting at the beach doing nothing, fine with me but don't tell me it's just to taste the seafood.
The other problem of course is financial - I happen to use cash all the time for everything I can so naturally I don't have any credit cards. I'm one of those people who believe in spending only what I have in oppose to what I will have as I am pretty reluctant to hedge the future seeing that all sorts of unpredictability can just happen on the spot. Liquid cash is what I like and as my friends normally tease - real money is the real marker of one's wealth.
Still, with the car to come, I don't think it's gonna be lavish.
4. Get (only) one credit card
Huh?
In opposition to what I have mentioned above, yes I do need a card and for a few proper reasons as well, the most important one being to pay for things I need without using cash. One such instance are the yearly Chinese New Year airplane ticket frenzy at Air Asia's ticket website. Would be proper to be able to book it myself and have the control in my own hands than to rely on someone else who might be asleep (it gets snapped up at midnight) or busy. Sometimes in the period of waiting I knew I could've done so by myself, quicker and with less hassle. After that there's the thing about paying back.
Other possible reasons include petrol in which paying with the card can be a good idea seeing that I can get reward points for every cent I spend. Accumulate and I might just get something good for free.
I would also want to get a National Geographic subscription for the year of which the easiest way to do so is online without the hassle of postal order etc.
The important part though, is to be disciplined in my spending - pay them back as soon as you spend - which is easier said than done. I have many friends who got burnt and swore off credit cards because they thought they could to control themselves.
I also have this interest of getting a Core2 processor, the iPod Touch (and iPhone 3G if they ever bring it in to Malaysia), Nvidia etc etc ...
Can I? We'll see.
-
Four to start with is fine - I don't oversell my abilities.
For some interesting hopes, have a look at the non-specific ones below either for a laugh or to lend a hand...
Non-specific #1 : The first of which I cannot predict, depending on the scenario is to improve my knowledge further in the realm of networking and Linux operations. I found that in the last two months or so of my dalliance with the Open Sourced operating system that many things that is done on Linux is a lot simpler to do on it than on Windows. Furthermore, the customisability of the system is at such great variety that Windows actually looked outdated. Whilst in the process of learning all this I also garnered some information on how to work on the machine using the Unix terminal. The similarity between this and that of the networking appliances I work with at the office seems to (as the operation manager likes to say) 'jive' along well - you learn one part, it seems to correspond in some way if not whole to the other.
Non-specific #2: Have my status changed from 'available' to 'unavailable'.
Whoa, the single and desperate guy.
No I'm not - if I were I'd settle for just about anybody out there just so that I have someone.
I'd probably do this on a more indirect manner in which make more female friends and change ratio of 'success' from 0.00012 to 0.003 for example. One to not expect anything to happen unless it should, expect me to become clueless for just about most of the time but probably get the 'sign' right once somehow.
Friends would be the my favourite group of people to choose from - friends know one another's good, bad and ugly and friends accept one another's good, bad and ugly. In short, they don't pretend with one another. If you like each other regardless of the good, bad and ugly, then chances are your love is honest and very likely to stay with one another regardless of the good, bad and ugly.
Ask your friends and see how many of those previously unseen good, bad and ugly seem to appear or disappear when the chase is done ie. they turn into completely different people. I put that at the same bracket as 'cheating' by selling something you are not.
Hence I dislike making moves on that cutie I hardly know - Adibah Amin's immortal words ring true 'tak kenal maka tak cinta'.
A few friends told to 'just go out and do it'. I know it's thateasy but not many understood that I look for a meaningful companionship rather than just having somebody. If it were so that I can tell everyone (including my folks) that I have a girlfriend, then I might as well be single - fine with me; I get all the free time I want and whatever I want to myself - hardly a loser am I? If anything I have strong resistance to loneliness and peer pressure. I'd rather have 10 more female friends than 1 special person.
So far nobody seem to interest me that much to actually cause some of that 'ache' to develop in the heart yet but who knows 2009 might be the year but don't count on it. It's not the same as going to the market to buy cabbage - pick and choose the one you like, pay and go. This 'cabbage' can and will choose who the buyer is too.
Either way, I'm not waiting for 'Miss Right' - she does not exist.
Yeah, it's that time of the year again. Everybody stands proud, looking at the dawn of a new year and make resolutions of what to achieve and what is hoped for.
1. Change the car.
The idea is already there since September last year as my curent 'old' Saga, the last of its kind released before the people at Proton decided to unleash another that is fundamentally better looking and well-improved to the masses. To be honest my first feeling when I saw the new slick saga was that of betrayal - why didn't they release this in so much earlier?
Still, back then the feeling for a change was due to the dramatic increase in oil prices worldwide, driving petrol prices up, making smaller compact cars the one en vogue. Now that even petrol going down even further than the pre-price-spike era, I still think it would be worth it to be able to save even more.
I take the train to work nowadays but would still have to drive to site if there's work to be done at client's side but that does not happen on a daily basis. So why change the car you ask?
First, I got tired of switching gears. Yes, this coming from one guy who makes fun of cars with automatic transmission. After driving my brother's Picanto and the company's Myvi (all automatic), I felt the need to delegate the shifting duties to the torque converter and really enjoy the driving.
Secondly, this current car is at the end of the line which means that parts and sorts will get reduced bit by bit as Proton increases support for the newer models. It still worked fine of course, but I got tired of getting the starter changed (second one in one year) when it does not respond after the first turn of the key. Then the internal light gave up on me as well as the damage to the bumper that I still haven't fixed after almost five years because it works fine. I predict expensive problems in the future and I plan not to become part of that future.
So which car do I have in mind now? As of today, I'm still set on the Myvi as the car seems to have the least amount of complaints (if any) compared to our friends from Proton and is also fuel economic - lower fuel prices doesn't mean it's time to splurge; I'm like my dad, save everything you can, trouble can rear its head at any time. Also, I'm not rich, mind you so don't bother telling me about the Honda's, the Toyota's and the Suzuki's.
2. Call home at least once a month.
I admit I have been quite the naughty son when it comes to calling home to talk. I'm pretty sure Mother must've muttered in her breath once in a while about me not calling home to tell everybody how I was doing over here etc.
The thing is that I am of the 'no news is good news' camp in which I don't find the reason to talk to people about something unless its significantly important but yet Brother made a good point about just calling home to re-establish that tie.
Earlier this month I just topped up the SIM card, finding some RM37.90 left, meaning that I haven't actually made many calls since the last reload. Now I have RM 97.90 for whatever calls and probably more when I go back for CNY later.
Makes sense? Yes.
3. Visit a(nother) foreign country
Strange enough but from this 29-years of life I have only been overseas twice and both occassions were adjacent countries. The first was to Brunei Darussalam during the times when I were still a wee lad when visiting Brunei was as easy as driving for two hours down the Miri-Brunei road. Otherwise it were the prefectorial camp or for whatever reason that the family wanted to. The other happened just this August when I went with my supervisor to Singapore for a study visit.
To be honest the biggest problem with me is the expectation of going for such trips. I'd like the 6-hours trip down the highway to actually be worth something than just visiting shopping malls and looking at babes from another country. I'm not one to visit some place just to check out the buildings or food as I find all of that available in my own country as well.
"Noooo, it's different!", I hear the choruses of protest from you.
To me, time is 'short' in the sense that it passes by quickly when I'm on leisure and within those hours I'd like to have something memorable enough for me to talk about once I get back. My previous excursion was some two years ago to Langkawi with my ex-colleagues and we had a great time because there were so much to do during the whole trip and came back with plenty of mementos.
So if a trip to Phuket is all about sitting at the beach doing nothing, fine with me but don't tell me it's just to taste the seafood.
The other problem of course is financial - I happen to use cash all the time for everything I can so naturally I don't have any credit cards. I'm one of those people who believe in spending only what I have in oppose to what I will have as I am pretty reluctant to hedge the future seeing that all sorts of unpredictability can just happen on the spot. Liquid cash is what I like and as my friends normally tease - real money is the real marker of one's wealth.
Still, with the car to come, I don't think it's gonna be lavish.
4. Get (only) one credit card
Huh?
In opposition to what I have mentioned above, yes I do need a card and for a few proper reasons as well, the most important one being to pay for things I need without using cash. One such instance are the yearly Chinese New Year airplane ticket frenzy at Air Asia's ticket website. Would be proper to be able to book it myself and have the control in my own hands than to rely on someone else who might be asleep (it gets snapped up at midnight) or busy. Sometimes in the period of waiting I knew I could've done so by myself, quicker and with less hassle. After that there's the thing about paying back.
Other possible reasons include petrol in which paying with the card can be a good idea seeing that I can get reward points for every cent I spend. Accumulate and I might just get something good for free.
I would also want to get a National Geographic subscription for the year of which the easiest way to do so is online without the hassle of postal order etc.
The important part though, is to be disciplined in my spending - pay them back as soon as you spend - which is easier said than done. I have many friends who got burnt and swore off credit cards because they thought they could to control themselves.
I also have this interest of getting a Core2 processor, the iPod Touch (and iPhone 3G if they ever bring it in to Malaysia), Nvidia etc etc ...
Can I? We'll see.
-
Four to start with is fine - I don't oversell my abilities.
For some interesting hopes, have a look at the non-specific ones below either for a laugh or to lend a hand...
Non-specific #1 : The first of which I cannot predict, depending on the scenario is to improve my knowledge further in the realm of networking and Linux operations. I found that in the last two months or so of my dalliance with the Open Sourced operating system that many things that is done on Linux is a lot simpler to do on it than on Windows. Furthermore, the customisability of the system is at such great variety that Windows actually looked outdated. Whilst in the process of learning all this I also garnered some information on how to work on the machine using the Unix terminal. The similarity between this and that of the networking appliances I work with at the office seems to (as the operation manager likes to say) 'jive' along well - you learn one part, it seems to correspond in some way if not whole to the other.
Non-specific #2: Have my status changed from 'available' to 'unavailable'.
Whoa, the single and desperate guy.
No I'm not - if I were I'd settle for just about anybody out there just so that I have someone.
I'd probably do this on a more indirect manner in which make more female friends and change ratio of 'success' from 0.00012 to 0.003 for example. One to not expect anything to happen unless it should, expect me to become clueless for just about most of the time but probably get the 'sign' right once somehow.
Friends would be the my favourite group of people to choose from - friends know one another's good, bad and ugly and friends accept one another's good, bad and ugly. In short, they don't pretend with one another. If you like each other regardless of the good, bad and ugly, then chances are your love is honest and very likely to stay with one another regardless of the good, bad and ugly.
Ask your friends and see how many of those previously unseen good, bad and ugly seem to appear or disappear when the chase is done ie. they turn into completely different people. I put that at the same bracket as 'cheating' by selling something you are not.
Hence I dislike making moves on that cutie I hardly know - Adibah Amin's immortal words ring true 'tak kenal maka tak cinta'.
A few friends told to 'just go out and do it'. I know it's that
So far nobody seem to interest me that much to actually cause some of that 'ache' to develop in the heart yet but who knows 2009 might be the year but don't count on it. It's not the same as going to the market to buy cabbage - pick and choose the one you like, pay and go. This 'cabbage' can and will choose who the buyer is too.
Either way, I'm not waiting for 'Miss Right' - she does not exist.
16 December 2008
Kindness To Strangers Part II
A fellow RAWKite posted about turning in a wallet belonging to a Polish man to the police yesterday and I took some interest in it for just the reason of finding out what the bunch of (good hearted) jokers on the forum's could comments be. Knowing them they won't wish anything will on another but would take the mickey on the situation by putting in hillarious answers.
Those that I do mind reading though are the ones who seriously believe in profiting from another's misfortune and believe me, there are. At times I do feel like giving these people a slap in the head and steal their wallet to see how they would feel, but sometimes you have to wonder if the reason for such a mentality would have anything to do with environmental influence.
It's a commonly agreed idea that poverty is the root of all crimes - games such as the famous Sim City series attribute crime waves in the city to poverty. When one is under financial pressure to survive, people resort to doing things that are illegal by law of the land but legal by the law of the jungle - what good is turning in a wallet if you're hungry?
True, in the extent that one's will to survive will override all when one has to choose.
Yet, pretty often it has rarely gone to that point (if ever). Most people who do commit these petty crimes are often those who are motivated by greed - the desire to have more than they have now without lifting an additional finger.
I have met many people who are less well to do than me - that speaks a lot seeing that I'm nowhere near rich - who are simply the kindest people I know. They range from farmers who toil their farms from 6am in the morning, who are more likely to give you things than to accept them from you.
To me, kindness is something I would like to get from others. Note that I said 'would like to' instead of 'expected to'. This signifies that I accept my fair shair of misfortune, sometimes due to my own carelessness or simply because it's out of my control.
In such a large and impersonal city like this, being kind would often be viewed by suspicion as everybody is expected to just go about their business and be very jealous with all that they have. In the process, nobody would remember you and even if they do, you won't get anything as they're just as selfish.
True, it is hard to disagree.
But then again, I try to be kind to others not to ask for favours or to expect anything in return. What I do hope is for that person to remember the next time somebody else was in his or her shoes, to lend a hand to the other guy who is in need. It's like the concept of 'pay it forward' from the eponymous movie starring Haley Joel Osment.
Even if one out of ten remembers and are moved to do the same, I would've been satisfied - eventhough the number should ideally be all ten. You can't repay kindness with kindness; it's not arithmetics as in 1 = 1. In a cynical world, sometimes one thing out of the ordinary that can even just stir a little part of the heart is sometimes all that differentiates whether the person chooses to tell the person waiting for the train that his car's headlight is left on or just walk by thinking that it's their own fault.
I'm a strong believer in action as the proof of faith - if I were to call myself a Christian, I must try my best to live like one. It's not about getting into God's good books by being good to others, it's about doing what you preach. Think about it in the analogy of a lightbulb - turn it on and not only does it glow with light; the entire room will be lit as well, regardless of how dim it is.
That's the key phrase - 'regardless of how dim it is'.
Am I stupid?
Maybe, but as long as it doesn't endanger my being and is absolutely free - why not. Give the seat to the elderly lady on the train - why not. Let a pregnant woman stand ahead in the queue at the post office - why not. Give the 20 cents in the pocket to a guy who is having problems getting small money out to pay for his stuff - why not.
Most importantly, if I know I can help and I am in the area to help - I will try to. If misfortune claims a life because I didn't lend my hand when I could have helped to prevent it, then I would just be as responsible for ignoring it.
I won't try to be Superman - no. My limits as a human are real. If I tried and it didn't help, then at least I tried. Sometimes failure is out of your hands.
But simple kindnes? Why not.
Those that I do mind reading though are the ones who seriously believe in profiting from another's misfortune and believe me, there are. At times I do feel like giving these people a slap in the head and steal their wallet to see how they would feel, but sometimes you have to wonder if the reason for such a mentality would have anything to do with environmental influence.
It's a commonly agreed idea that poverty is the root of all crimes - games such as the famous Sim City series attribute crime waves in the city to poverty. When one is under financial pressure to survive, people resort to doing things that are illegal by law of the land but legal by the law of the jungle - what good is turning in a wallet if you're hungry?
True, in the extent that one's will to survive will override all when one has to choose.
Yet, pretty often it has rarely gone to that point (if ever). Most people who do commit these petty crimes are often those who are motivated by greed - the desire to have more than they have now without lifting an additional finger.
I have met many people who are less well to do than me - that speaks a lot seeing that I'm nowhere near rich - who are simply the kindest people I know. They range from farmers who toil their farms from 6am in the morning, who are more likely to give you things than to accept them from you.
To me, kindness is something I would like to get from others. Note that I said 'would like to' instead of 'expected to'. This signifies that I accept my fair shair of misfortune, sometimes due to my own carelessness or simply because it's out of my control.
In such a large and impersonal city like this, being kind would often be viewed by suspicion as everybody is expected to just go about their business and be very jealous with all that they have. In the process, nobody would remember you and even if they do, you won't get anything as they're just as selfish.
True, it is hard to disagree.
But then again, I try to be kind to others not to ask for favours or to expect anything in return. What I do hope is for that person to remember the next time somebody else was in his or her shoes, to lend a hand to the other guy who is in need. It's like the concept of 'pay it forward' from the eponymous movie starring Haley Joel Osment.
Even if one out of ten remembers and are moved to do the same, I would've been satisfied - eventhough the number should ideally be all ten. You can't repay kindness with kindness; it's not arithmetics as in 1 = 1. In a cynical world, sometimes one thing out of the ordinary that can even just stir a little part of the heart is sometimes all that differentiates whether the person chooses to tell the person waiting for the train that his car's headlight is left on or just walk by thinking that it's their own fault.
I'm a strong believer in action as the proof of faith - if I were to call myself a Christian, I must try my best to live like one. It's not about getting into God's good books by being good to others, it's about doing what you preach. Think about it in the analogy of a lightbulb - turn it on and not only does it glow with light; the entire room will be lit as well, regardless of how dim it is.
That's the key phrase - 'regardless of how dim it is'.
Am I stupid?
Maybe, but as long as it doesn't endanger my being and is absolutely free - why not. Give the seat to the elderly lady on the train - why not. Let a pregnant woman stand ahead in the queue at the post office - why not. Give the 20 cents in the pocket to a guy who is having problems getting small money out to pay for his stuff - why not.
Most importantly, if I know I can help and I am in the area to help - I will try to. If misfortune claims a life because I didn't lend my hand when I could have helped to prevent it, then I would just be as responsible for ignoring it.
I won't try to be Superman - no. My limits as a human are real. If I tried and it didn't help, then at least I tried. Sometimes failure is out of your hands.
But simple kindnes? Why not.
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