random merdeka thoughts
Feeling rather down at the moment, but I’ve decided to spare you guys the deep dark gutters of my miserable grievances in my miserable existence. I’m humanitarian, me.
Merdeka Day is fast approaching, I’m waiting for Vincent’s initiative on what we are doing this year. Last year we had a fun time blogging in BM. My entry was Siapa Lebih Miang? which was rather well-received… ahem.
Speaking of Merdeka, I read an interesting article by Zainul Arifin titled When patriotism isn’t first instinct. He asks if displaying the flag is the only patriotic action we could muster these days. Seems that the younger generation do not relate to Independence Day, especially those who look upon it as only a holiday, aka time to rest at home, watch some tv, go to the various shopping malls, sleep till the following day…
At least that is what Merdeka Day means to me. I have not the least inclination to join the masses at the padang to re-enact Tunku Abdul Rahman’s joyous shouting decades ago. Don’t get me wrong, I love this country but I love me more. And I am of the belief that patriotism, like love is not a spoken thing, but more of a felt thing. Of course when the circumstances arise, I will like many of my fellow citizens rise to the occasion to defend this country… Someone slagged us off? Bla bla bla long argument, bla bla bla fu. But am I willing to die for this country? Hmmm… I’ll have to get back to you on that. Does that make me less patriotic? I don’t know. Would you do that? Would you die for your country?
I suppose the older generation would. For the past couple of years, I’ve hassled my grandmother often enough to get her account of life during the WW2 and the chaotic time before Merdeka. Tough did not even begin to describe it, she hinted more than once. She was upstairs in her father’s shophouse when the Jap soldiers killed her father downstairs. She was married off early to avoid being taken by them. My grandfather was ‘abducted’ and tortured by some overzealous people, no one knew where he was taken to, money was spent for information on his whereabouts and my great-grandmother brought two chickens to bail him out.
Things are definitely better. Just looking at opportunities for women; my grandmother is a housewife. During my mother’s time, you either become a housewife, a teacher or a nurse. Today, Malaysian women can CEO of whatevercompanyyoulike for all you want. I don’t know if it’s due to Merdeka or worldwide female liberation movement but I am happy that we changed with time, seeing that I can’t cook, I can’t teach and I can’t take care of myself, let alone taking care of other people.
Have goods will shine, no matter what your goods.
But come 31 August, I’ll still sleep in lah. It doesn’t necessarily make me less patriotic, because I know in my heart that we have a lot to love, to be thankful for and to celebrate. Just that I get sunstroke sometimes, you know…
Fuck la, my chair just broke. No mood liao.
Minor update:
Sms action with mom:
Me: evidence that I am too fat — my chair broke
Mom: HAHAHAHAHA.. poor chair.
Sigh with moms like these, who needs enemies? 
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Merdeka for me means time to go raid the hypermart for cheap Transformer toys and model kits!
WOoo oHOoooo !!!!
heya suanie, thanks for the help earlier, my site is finally looking and behaving the way i want it to
anyhow, just wanted to ask if i could link you in my blog? i’m a regular reader, and it would make things easier. i’ll only go ahead if you don’t mind, so i hope to hear from you soon!
1980, the TV play the song of “jimatkan air”(save waters). And not forgot the dangers of aedes, drugs, etc,etc.
2006, same theme.
Something is very wrong. So better go sleep during merdeka day.
come national day i’ll be frolicking in the murky waters of PD with my colleagues. merdeka!
no, you’re not fat.
Your mum said: “Poor chair”???
Oh man – major ouch.
(Anyway, just so you know – you’re not fat. It’s CLEARLY the chairs fault)
Poor Suanie. You should go burn a flag or something, make you feel better.
Shadowfox: I guess you are looking forward to the Transformer movie then? Heh
Michelle: great to hear it’s working out. Sure you can go ahead and link me.
moo_t: but the dikir barat-s are so cool
deriku: ewwww?
eyeris: that’s not what you insinuated over at bumi tengah….. grrrr
J: hahaha thanks for the consolation… but i know i need to shed some kilos.. okay, a lot. the chair was about time anyway
mad: sure, as long as it’s not a malaysian flag, cos that’s kinda illegal in my country… heh
Your mum is damn funny. But I think it’s quite true though. I had a friend (male) who’s too fat that he at least broke 3 plastic chairs at mamak and another 4 at his friends’ house, including one of mine. Sigh…
Now, he has develop his own technique of sitting to make sure the chair’s leg doesn’t fly off to ppl’s face while eating roti canai at mamak. Maybe some “qing gong” or something. Nonetheless, he’s gone for a major effort to cut some fat.
Malaysian’s Merdeka is the most boring one. I could still rmbr watching Singapore’s Independents Day Parade on TV is more enjoyable than anything. On Malaysian tv, you can only see a lot of “Selamat Pagi Malaysia” type of programme throughout the merdeka day. Boring…
And I do agree with you, being patriotic is not a spoken thing. If and only if I’m famous in overseas one day, I wouldn’t hesitate to say, me homeland is Ma-lai-sia. Most of all, it’s Batu Pahat, the Land of Frozen-Oil (Minyak Beku).
I have just launched it…
Let’s get happy
Frankly..at this point in my life, all i care about is that it’s a HOLIDAY on that day,,and i can take FRIDAY off and make a getaway from KL for the whole freaking weekend. Won’t be fooled into marching under the hot sun ever again just so we can tabik to some freaking royalty.
Displaying the flag on cars are no way showing how patriotic you are. No way. You are just soiling the flag.
Get down to basic. To me, celebrating merdeka is to be able to walk down the street naked to the mamak, drink as many teh tarik or milo i want, puke on roti canai and stagger back home, still buck naked and all other people would say is:
“woi! lu gila ka!?”