The Traipsing Gypsy: Life is good and the boys are stupid.

I am finally free for a month and a half. To be honest, it's the first time in the span of two years that I ACTUALLY feel like I am on holiday. It feels fantastic.

It is also quite frightening in the sense that come September until December, I will be done with this. University. Assignments. Exams.

I refuse to add in 'Learning' as well because as we all know it, learning is an everyday process. You NEVER stop once you're out of the four walls of the place of education.

It will be bittersweet once it all ends. I will grow taller in more ways than one. I will miss my friends who have stuck with me for the last 3 or 4 years; sharing the grouses and pains and loves and jokes that happened all throughout those years.

Am I ready for what's up straight ahead?
Am I ready for the working world?
Am I ready for a new beginning?

I don't know but I'm optimistic ~~to a fault~~.

*****

Okay, back from Port of Pointless Nostalgia.

One of the things that has been nagging me is the whole PPSMI issue.

Reverting it back to Malay makes no logic, sense or cents. You have to look at it in the long run.

Yes, I understand that this aims to help the kids in the rural areas, but just think about it.

When you go to university, they are NOT going to teach you in Malay. Majority of them don't, I think. If you ever plan on working overseas, you need to have a basic grasp of the language.

HECK, THE SYLLABUS OVERSEAS LOOKS FAR INTERESTING THAN OURS, OKAY.

6 years of implementation cannot yield significant result, hello. What do you people think this is? IF NOT, WHY THE HECK IS NATIONAL SERVICE STILL IMPLEMENTED?!

I think Dr.M's blog makes more sense than most people do.

I was fortunate enough to have my dad instill the importance of learning English way early as a child. He reasoned that since we were all going to learn Malay in ALMOST EVERY SUBJECT in school, we might as well learn English. A lot of people thought we (my brother and I) were being snobby because we spoke English.

I had teachers (school and tuition) who often used English and Malay to teach me Maths, Science, Chemistry and Physics. So, that was an added advantage for me.

Come to think of it, I have plenty to thank my dad and certain teachers for. I would have really wanted to learn the two subjects in English (no, I am not crazy). It would have further helped me in university.

You will NOT lose your identity if you speak English. Who gave you that logic? We only choose to forget it because we want to. When people start blaming other things for a loss of identity, it really annoys me to no end. You should have faith as strong as the faith that you have in religion (or whatever you choose to firmly believe in) that YOU WILL NOT LOSE YOURSELF in learning something that is good for you.

HOW IN THE WORLD ARE WE TO BE GLOCAL MALAYSIANS IF WE GO BACKWARDS?

You can agree or disagree with me, but this is what I have to say about it. Please respect it.

*****

Speaking of things I hate about Malaysians, this time it is about food.

*Sid the sloth makes a cameo appearance and sings*
FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD!

Thank you, Sid.

Yesterday, I went to the temple with my dad for the yearly memorial services for my late aunts.

I liked going there to celebrate the departed. It makes me thankful for all that I have and remember them for all that they have done for me before they passed away.

Yesterday, the prayer hall was a little crowded because there was a family who was there to celebrate someone's 60th birthday.

The priest was amusing because he was being adorable and said some things that made me giggle because "OMG THAT IS SO REAL LIFE!". I glanced at my dad a couple of times and he kind of gave me a knowing look. "COME HERE AND TALK TO BUDDHA EVERY WEEK!" haha.

Then, before the final prayers, we're supposed to serve the priest food for lunch. So, I really wanted to serve them something (I don't know, vegetables or rice or curry) to earn some brownie points for being a decent human being.

BUT OMG. You should have seen the other family (the one celebrating the birthday) RUSHING AND PUSHING to serve the food.

It was madness of epic proportions. I kid you not.

I gave up and sat with my nieces and nephews. To hell with brownie points.
~~Okay. I made up the lost brownie points by giving the priest an offering in the form of money.~~

Then, once the prayers were over, we all got to eat.

NOT BEFORE THIS OTHER FAMILY DECIDED TO OFFER SOME SOUVENIRS/OFFERINGS IN THE FORM OF COLGATE, HANSAPLAST, CHINESE LAXATIVES TO THE PRIEST.

BEST PART? IT WAS ALL VIDEOTAPED AND PHOTOGRAPHED.

I'll be honest with you. I absolutely find it tacky and distasteful if you donate something for a good cause while posing for a video. It makes me think you're an insincere person.

I don't know, I always get this feeling when people do that. That makes me crazy, I know.

So, it was finally time to eat.

I saw yoghurt that was being offered to the priests being taken back and put into pouches.

WTF. If you offer something to the priest, it's not really meant to be taken back for your consumption.

What's worse was that they were picking at food like a swarm of vultures picking at a carcass. No, really. They were cutting queues and pushing people who were looking for food.

I swear to God if my dad hadn't taken a packet of nasi lemak for me, I wouldn't have eaten at all. ~~I would've eaten some grapes because no one was looking at that.~~

It was insane. It is inappropriate (but somewhat okay) had this been some open house function. BUT THIS WAS FOR A PRAYER SERVICE HELD IN A PLACE OF WORSHIP CALLED A TEMPLE.

Where do you people keep your common sense?!

I saw this rainbow-coloured jelly AND some KFC chicken and being a little shameless, I was looking for it. BUT I FOUND NONE. It was all for the family who celebrated this lady's 60th birthday.

I know I shouldn't complain, but we shared our food we brought for the temple with everyone, why couldn't they share their food with us?

I was so annoyed. I wanted to slap someone.

Hopefully, the next prayer service will NOT be held with another family because I know the same shit will happen on a different day.

*****

Have a pretty kitty on me.