Memories of a Traveler

Salaam and Greetings Ladies & Gentlemen,   This is an article that was shared by a friend via his Facebook. I am biased. My training and experience in the Malaysian Army, probably made me understood what he was talking about. What I went through in the Army to be trained as an Infantry officer, pales in comparison what he went through as Navy SEALS, or any Special Forces entity of any nation, including Malaysia. I have much respect for them. What I went through was probably on-tenth or worse one-one hundredth of what they went through.   But the lessons, as mentioned by Admiral McRaven, still rings true and the same for any professional soldier, in any uniform in any country.   Better yet, lessons you can learn without having to be smothered in mud sweat and tears.   I have heard many “old soldiers” tried to share their experiences and lessons. Very very few managed to do it very well, and Admiral McRaven does it excellently well.   If you are not into readi...

Salaam and Greetings All,   It is a beautiful Monday. Traffic seems kind today. Hope the week has started well so far for you.   I am quite curious to this idea. It is about writing a “letter” to your younger self. Assuming we can warp time and bend it slightly so that you can send this letter to yourself, say, when you were 18 years old, just before you embark to the world of University, or just before you left home to venture on your own. Many years has passed since that day. Now that you are older, more experienced, hopefully wiser, what would you actually tell yourself? What advice, or cautions would you share, or would you say nothing, and let history repeat itself?   I have given this some thought. And I have no definitive answer. Sounds like I am indecisive. I guess I am more ambivalent than indecisive.   There are days, I would tell him to learn from my mistakes and not be like me. I want him to lead a life, where he can be better than me. Avoid all the misst...

Salaam and Greetings,   Between 1976 till 1982, there was a TV documentary series called “In Search Of…”. It was hosted by Leonard Nimoy. It was devoted primarily to the search of the mysterious phenomena like Loch Ness, Yeti and the like. I love that show. It allows me to delve into the mysteries of the world.   I find many similarities between the TV series and searching for a leader. They seemed to be out there. People have seen them. There are witness accounts. But somehow we can’t seem to gather scientific proof and evidence of its existence. Just like Loch Ness, Yeti, Big Foot, and the Abominable Snowman. Theories are abound, though.   The difference between those mysterious animals, is that, there exist some good leaders. Some of them, extremely exemplary. We have seen them. Touched them. And even recorded them. Despite the many good ones, we seem to have a lack of them in almost all organizations, large or small. For decades, one challenge remained constant for CE...

Salaam and Greetings All,   It looks like a great day for Monday morning. It rained for a couple of days. That got the haze away, albeit probably temporarily. And hopefully the water catchment areas are doing better.   Last week I wrote about reading. A former colleague commented, the writing was laborious. She didn’t used that word, but, I knew where she was coming from. In my defense, it was about reading, not writing.   Now, we shall write about writing.   What is KISS the ABCs?   KISS ·          Keep It Simple Stupid. ·          This is not to say the reader is stupid. The idea is to keep things simple, avoid jargons. ·          The main objective of writing, is to express, not impress. ·          Zig Ziglar recommends 8 th grade English. I guess in Malaysia’s ...

Salaam and Greetings All,   When I graduated with English Literature some 28 years ago and coming back to Malaysia from US, I had lots of mixed feelings. When people asked me what I studied in US, and I told them that, I can see from the look of their faces, they don’t know what to make of me.   Now, I have fun telling people because, they have this awe on their faces. Like I am special. Maybe because we (those that studied Literature), are an endangered species.   So, what is so special about studying English Literature?   <! 1.     You get to read books about people and places and things you can’t even possibly imagine, let alone do. Go 20,000 leagues under the sea with Captain Nemo. The frustration of a determined woman at the turned off the 20 th Century New York, oppressed by the family in the Bread Giver. You get to read what Self – Reliance is from Ralph Waldo Emerson. <! 2.     You get to learn from them. Smart people lear...

Salaam and Greetings All,   There are no words, and no easy way to say them, if you find the words.   For more than 24 hours, we have been bombarded with messages and news on the fate of MH370. The more we get them, the more difficult it gets, to sift through what is worth keeping and what needs to be deleted.   For me, maybe it is easier to “read and delete”. I am a distant onlooker. For me, the names are names without faces. Yes, there are a few, who are friends’ friends, or somebody, somebody knows.   But, that doesn’t mean, I cannot be sympathetic. I cannot imagine and fathom their pains, losses and sufferings. One moment they are hurt, and the next angry.   What can we do?   Stop the rumour mongering. Stop the speculating. Don’t just forward or share “news”, just because somebody sends them to you.   Mourning is not about spreading rumours. Mourning is about keeping vigil. Saying a prayer or two.   As much as we sympathize with the families o...

Salaam and Greetings All,   The haze is nauseating. The heat is unbearable. Thank God for the rain past couple of days, though it made me stuck in traffic for almost two hours on Monday. The good news is that, as of today, it seems that there is a change in wind patterns that could change the weather for the better.   I am a strong believer in getting the foundation right. In getting the concepts right before moving on to more advance or complex matters. The downpour on Monday was a great example of understanding the basics. The downpour was caused by cloud seeding. Basically (the pun is intended), clouds are water vapour. Basically (again..) rain occurs when clouds become saturated with water, and when the clouds can't hold the water anymore (critical mass - also used in nuclear fusion and fission), it rains. So, seeding the rain, is merely to induce or speed up the process of saturation and precipitation.   Cloud seeding is a complex process, no...