An Experience

What are we looking for ?

A flash of excitement, a peak of passion and raw nerves, a nervous climax; I think it's true when I say that everyone wants to experience life as much as they can. We may all not agree on a universal definition of life; some choose a life of servitude and commitment, whilst others prefer a life of wild passion and endless possibilities, however the premise of doing anything is more or less the same, we're all looking for something that can define our lives, making it stand out to everyone else.

During this winter break, I decided to kick back from my diet of escapades, bus hopping and random photo ops in an attempt to be a "potato" for once and grow roots inside the house. So far, 3 days of winter break has gone by and the results are coming along just dandy.

Travelling takes its toll on you; it leaves you with more questions than answers, each one more difficult than the last; it leaves a stain imprinted on the back of your head always reminding you of the past and at the same time, pertinently asking you questions about present and future.

So in an attempt to engross myself in a world other than summations and object oriented programming, I decided to make use of my 1 month free subscription on Netflix and finish up Freaks and Geeks. I don't exactly remember why I started watching the show, probably because of the title and perhaps a few flashbacks from high school convinced me that it'd be a good watch. In hindsight, it was probably one of the best decisions I made as a 20 year old.

See anyone you know ? 

The series centers around the life of Lindsay Weir and her circle of family and friends. To put it aptly, Freaks and Geeks is Lizzie McGuire: Mature Edition. Not to imply that it's too hormonally charged or gossip girlish in nature but it treads the line very well between drama and realism. The show perfectly captures the essence of teen hood and the emotions that run through naive and idealistic teenagers in a critical period of their lives.The epitome of it all is Lindsay Weir herself.

Imperfection and Perfection Personified

There's just something I like about Lindsay Weir and her character. She's as smart as they come; a Mathlete and one of the brightest students in McKinley High. She's blessed with an innate nature for wit and articulation.Very much those girls that you wouldn't be surprised had they ended up becoming lawyers or economists that graduated 4.0 from an Ivy League University. Confident, but not too confident; A Machiavelli that loves her family and friends to bits;  She questions everyone and everything in her way. Highly experimental and isn't afraid to get her head deep into anything.


Lindsay is a breath of fresh air compared to most of the female TV/ Movie characters today (other than Juno MacGuff). She displays mannerisms and tendencies more realistic to most girls today. The series was such a hit because it portrayed the normal yet realistic story of a girl trying to find her place in a society of robots tailor made by societal expectations and ideals ("Not everyone has a smothering vampire boyfriend you know").In the end of the day, pretty much any boy or girl just wants to find a place where they "fit" in. For some "fitting in" requires a bit more time than others; in Lindsay's case she lost some joy in hers and decided to experiment by getting to know people outside of her own little world. In some aspects, I could relate to that during my high school years. I really couldn't find someone who I could genuinely stand up and say " we're two peas in a pod" (pardon the fakakte, couldn't think of any other phrase), hence my repeated (and somewhat failed) attempts at trying to find a circle to join in. Little to my surprise, I only burned a hole in my wallet and pretty much ended the same place  where I started. But I guess in the end the effort was worth the money, it gave me a basic idea of who or what type of people who I like to be around with and the most important lesson of all, "You don't have to be anyone else other than yourself". Eventually, if you do it long enough people will come to you.

Another thing that makes her character so real is her unpredictability. You'd think for a girl as smart as her, she wouldn't mingle with the wrong crowd and do the wrong things. But the show does a good job of portraying the exact opposite (very typical) with a very real and honest view of it all (very atypical). It's clear that she knows she's doing something blatantly wrong but in the end, if any of us were as confused,apathetic and naive as Lindsay, what's the point of being of being so worried. Honestly, why shouldn't you do that ? Are we afraid of the repercussions or are we afraid that we  hold to believe is not exactly true ? Lindsay is an experience junkie out of curiosity than out of anything else. To her, everything is just an opportunity to feel differently, to see things in a different light. Hopefully from the experiences, she might attain some sort of clarity that will help her in defining who she is. I was expecting that by the end of the season, Lindsay discovers who she really is in the face of stereotyping and societal expectations but by the end, the audience is left with more questions than answers which I thought succinctly sums up teen hood, the idea that even though reaching adulthood requires you to grow past teen hood, you will never quite attain that adulthood for what you thought it was.

The take home message of it all : We're all on a journey and there's no exact path to get there, only an idea of where we all wanna be at the end of it.


Have a good break everyone !

Btw, if anyone is interested in watching the series, they have all 18 episodes on Youtube. Just search em





        


  

Coming of Age

         Last month was a special period of my life. I was one month away from my impending exit from teen hood to adulthood. And like all insecure and vulnerable teenagers, I felt like something was missing. Through out my teenage life, there was a label of dissatisfaction and unaccomplishment written all over it.I was never that good in sports nor would I ever be likely to disprove Einstein's Theory of Relativitiy anytime soon. I felt as if my prime had passed with a whimper. There I was, vertically challenged, and on the wrong side of 10. With no more than a month before I enter a new period in my life, I was determined to do something that not many people at my age in life would consider doing. By the time 1st year University was over, everyone around me left in the droves back to the comforts of home and into the hands of  safety and regularity. It took only one January night to change that. My friend and I were talking about where to travel and visit in the US and Canada; Michigan, Pennsylvania, NYC,Boston, Montreal,Ottawa, Toronto. Then, both of us just thought, "Why not just go in one big circle ?". With 500 US Dollars sent on Paypal for housing and transport fees (which was enough for half the trip requiring another 300++ for tickets in Canada as well) , an adventure of a lifetime had awaited. I was going to visit a place that most people saw only from TV shows and movies. I was finally given the opportunity to see with my own eyes and not from the eyes of a camera how a nation lives and breathes. How a nation thinks and speak. How a nation sees and feels. The United States of America was ripe for my taking.

        A month has passed and the only way that I could describe the trip was insightful and refreshing. I had gone through 14 states (US and Canada included), visited more than 15 Universities in the US and Canada, talked to dozens upon dozens of people. To summarize, here are some of the insights that I've found along the trip.

The Trip !

1. Backpacking requires a lot of preparation.

The early perception that I had of backpacking was shallow in truth. I thought it would be as simple as picking up a bag and tying your shoe laces for a long marathon with breaks in between. Little did I know that backpacking, like any other travel activity required a lot of detailed planning.And most importantly of all, a MAP of where you were going. Walking around aimlessly in the French city of Montreal sounds fantastic on paper but once your in the thick of it, with no shower for a whole day and not enough money to eat, it can get really frustrating. Thankfully, my partner in crime and I were smart enough to use our smartphones Global Positioning Satellite to find ourselves around.

In addition to that, backpacking also takes a toll on your psychological health as well. Like all great travel experiences, there will be times of immense euphoria (Chelsea winning the Champions League !) coupled with moments of despair and worry (friend goes missing and bus leaves in half an hour ).But for what its worth, the experiences all add up balancing each other out and making you a much wiser person. It makes you appreciate whatever good things you've had before and take heart from other less pleasant experiences.

Pure Elation at Times Square !

2. The beauty of humans lies inside

Let me just say that it's not a secret that human beings are individualistic and serve their own interests. Everyone is, except for those certain few who go above human nature and learn to become selfless and caring individuals. Through out my trip, I've met many types of people. Good, bad, inspirational, all kinds really.  In Pittsburgh, I met a pizza shop owner who on first sight of meeting you, gives you a free slice of pizza.This man had a simple business policy
"No money, no problem , you can have the pizza now and you can pay for it later "

Meet Joe. Pizza.Owner.Pittsburgh hospitality

Conventional businessman or entrepreneurs would have their knickers in a twist. This was never written in any " How to be a successful entrepreneur for Dummies " book nor why should it be. The man cared more for his customers well being rather than his own business. He might not sound like a millionaire businessman, but he does sound like an amazingly caring and thoughtful human being !

During one stop of our trip in Philadelphia, we stayed with a young woman. Okay technically speaking, she was an septuagenarian but from her vibrancy and life, she could give all the supermoms in the world a run for their money ! We met her just shortly after 1 am on a warm, dark Philadelphia night. We were flat-out tired after our bus trip and the first thing we did with her was go on a night tour of Philadelphia. As I sat on the backseat of her Honda  trying to make meaning out of the places and words she was saying, I was just in awe of her youthful cheer and enthusiasm. There I was, a young so called `energetic` boy losing the battle of staying awake to a lady 3.5 times older than myself. It was funny then and it still is funny now thinking about it. But then again, she traveled the world twice.YES ! SHE TRAVELED THE WORLD TWICE !
While staying at her home in the Philie suburbs, we got a chance to listen to her stories of travelling the world and looking at some amazing travel souvenirs. She had everything from old figurines to the most eloquent of fabrics such as our own Kain Batik because she visited Malaysia in the 70`s before. What I gained the most from meeting her was that, you can`t be static.There is no end in life until the old ticker stops ticking.Keep going, keep travelling, keep meeting new people. Somehow, even the most irrelevant things you learn might serve you well in the future. Learn to forgive past mistakes and accept yourself, your never too old to forgive nor too old to learn. There is always time. And for that, Thank you Judy Becker !

What else do you do on a Friday night ?
Good Company.Good Food.Good Conversation
That sounds just about right

Along my travels, I had also met a Muslim man.He was tall, strong and had a menacing figure of a bouncer. He wore a traditional African male green long dress which resembles a jubah. What was special about this man was that, from his complexion you could be sure that he was African American, yet from his genetic code he told us he was also Chinese ancestrally speaking. My friend and I were gobsmacked with that finding and inquired further. More than half an hour passed by and we discussed issues from the Obama administration to what color the Prophet peace be upon him was. He shared us his theories about the great caliphates being black and the story of how the African man was forced to change his identity,religion and language for the sake of a white man needing someone to wash his clothes and dishes. His presence has taught me one thing, don't judge a man for what he wears or looks like, because underneath the external features, you could find a treasure trove of insight and wonder.

Mr Rasyid and the amazing Cheesesteak !
(Travel partner wiping some awesomeness from his chin as well)

The next man I met by far takes the cake. His name was John and he would be hosting us in Maine.It was originally my friend who found him online on a website called Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is essentially a new way of travelling, it encourages users to experience a new place from the perspective of a commoner and not merely as a tourist.What you have to do is just create an account on the website and write letters to people if they would be willing to host you in the place your visiting. Once its all said and done, you would then have free accommodation and a new friend in a new place. How great a deal is that ?!

We met John at the Portland Bus Terminal. He looked around 60, but from the firmness of his handshake he could have been around our age. Upon meeting him, we learned of his background of working in Korea as an officer and had the privilege of looking at some of his treasured war medals. John is not an average American to say the least, he loves to travel and is very knowledgeable on a wide range of issues regarding religion and life. Before meeting us, he also went on a backpacking trip of his own and traveled Morocco and the southern part of Spain. Interestingly enough, the reason why he wanted to visit Morocco was to go to this one mosque called the Hassan II Mosque which is the largest in Morocco. One of John's most amazing experience that he shared with us was when he was lost in Alaska for 2 weeks. 10 days of which, he had no food. When it came to Alaskan adventure stories, I thought about Christopher McCandless and his unfortunate journey into the wild. Yet, once I heard his story, suddenly that thought left my mind and now I actually had a guy that I could literally ask how was it like to be lost in the Alaskan wilderness. Mind you, it was not a walk in the park.To survive, he relied on some of his military skills for example, pick a point at the horizon, move there, pick another point, rinse and repeat. After surviving his ordeal, he was praised by the survival experts on his plan of action. He inculcated in me the rope a dope tactic, normally used in boxing. In layman terms, the tactic is to wear your opponent down and finish him once he's tired and frail. Muhammad Ali used this tactic to great effect against George Foreman to knock him out in the 8th round in Rumble in the Jungle. Youtube it if you don't believe me. John taught me a lot of interesting things. We conversed a lot about truth and life. He is a man of great experience and full of wisdom. Not to mention, he also gave me an insightful introduction into the NBA world and influenced me to start supporting the Boston Celtics in this season's NBA playoff. Go Rondo !

John Cloran and le friend

Note: Sadly Boston Celtics did lose to Miami Heat during the playoffs a few weeks ago, but whenever I think about basketball. The first thought will be of Rondo dribbling past 2 players and working a blind pass for his team mate to dunk it in. Class

3. Travelling is not merely just taking pictures

When travelling I think people make the mistake of taking way too many pictures. Since the Camera was invented, people had a way of sealing once in a lifetime memories. Im sure that many of you will probably find some black and white photos of your parent's wedding or great grandmother lying around the house. Photos are a great way of sealing those once in a lifetime moments. And let me emphasize on moment.These days, with air travel being more accessible to people than ever before, it is very easy to say "I want to go to Morroco" and be there in 3 months time. With that in mind, I think the emphasis of taking pictures during travels should be shifted to something more everlasting.

But ?
What is more everlasting than a photo ?
The experience and people

Ever since the camera, we tend to devalue our experiences and relationships we have with the place that we are travelling. That is where people mostly lose out. What I have observed while travelling the cities is that every place has a different feel to it. New York feels like a big stage with its big props and tonnes of extras walking all day.Ann Arbor feels more like suburbia with its many housing communities and small eateries. New Haven is exactly like what the name suggests; lots of greenery infused with rich American culture; museums, learning institutions and the first burger stall ever made. People must embrace the feeling of each city to truly feel what's it like to be a part of the community. As they say " When in Rome, do as the Romans do". With that in mind, my partner and I made no mistake as we literally ate our way across America savoring the tastes of what each city had to offer. We've had everything from Chicago's wonderful deep dish pizza to Boston's steamed Lobster. Generally, we didn't really eat that much throughout the trip but when we did, it was heavenly.

Deep Dish Heaven !

Lobster and I

Now that I am 20, this article means something to me. Its a reminder, hopefully not just for me but for anyone who reads this. Don't waste time; figure yourself out, find your passion and love your close ones like you never loved before. It took me 3 weeks and 43 thousand kilometers to realize that, and dare I say, it was one of the most exhilarating moments of my life.





    

Status Update 2

It's been a while since I've been blogging. Let's just say that I've been busy keeping up with the joneses in regards to academics and other trivial aspects of university life

I've made a few big changes in my life. In regards to people and how i conduct myself. I can say that it definitely was not easy.The pain of disconnect between heart and mind is a reality and if that alone was not difficult enough, imagine doing so while preparing for what i think was the most packed 7 days of my life here, with midterms and assignments due 24 hours apart.

Im relieved that I managed to scrape through that part of my life and now, life seems simple again. No more complicated emotions, just

My pen, My thoughts, My aspirations

And that my friends, is wisdom

Status update

1st term grades are up
and im pretty pleased with my efforts :)

Initially, just a 3.0 because people keep saying how difficult it is here
Now, lets see how far I can go next term :)

The Inconvenient Truth

New Years Morning in Malaysia
1)Waking Up and getting ready for the day
2)Head to mamak with family
3)Enjoy a nice ghee thosai with milo ais on the side

New Years Morning in Canada
1)Wake up and get ready
2) All Coffee Shops are closed on New Years Morning
Tim's Y U NO OPEN !
3)Retreat back to home base and enjoy dates and a kitkat bar with seniors

I'm really starting to miss the Malaysian mamak scene ! Endless Food ! Anytime ! Anyplace !
Be thankful guys !

So far, its been a pretty uneventful New Years Morning. To be fair, its only 10 am though XD

I've been looking through some of my friends wall posts this morning and I came across a very interesting video of what the kids back home are up to. For New Years Eve, they planned a reenactment of one of the scenes from V for Vendetta. If 2011 was the uprising of the protester, could 2012 be the year of glory for the oppressed ?

Anyway, this kind of got me thinking. I'll be 20 this year, and the following year, I'll be of the legal age to vote.Im starting to understand why people say that 'Ignorance is bliss'. Previously before, i could care less about politics in my country and whats going on because i play no part in it. But now, its dawned on me that I can't be ignorant. I can't anymore ! Soon I'll be given the power to change my nation and as a result the accountability of how i used my power to change my nation for better or worse.

Can you imagine that what you vote now will change how your children will live in 10,20,30 years !

Its a frightening prospect really, how do you pick whats best for you and best for your children ? Which is better and which is best ?
I have to start considering these things from now

My 2012 will be marked with the loss of ignorance and innocence