Welcome to my Community (Part II) - The Mama Wars

Once again I find myself jogging around the streets of my neighbourhood. Exams are done and now I have to work off the extra load that came when I fell prey to binging. I shudder to think back at the times when I said, "Econs was horrible, I need some happy food". Besides, the Army is quick to collect it's due, and it won't be long before I stare at a different ceiling when I go to sleep.

So I've covered the roads, and Google Map is not leaving much surprises either. Hence I decided to venture in the areas that the eyes in the sky can't see - the void decks. There's a whole new world beneath the one that most of us live in. Just pretend to check your mail one day and find out for yourself. Be it the Chinese funeral or Malay wedding, the void deck has developed a culture of its own.

I'm no anthropologist, so I don't have the patience to find myself a corner and sit down to watch the people all day. But from what I can tell while breezing past the void decks, I've noticed an interesting trend. There are mama shops everywhere! Like, every other block! It's an invasion I tell you. They're like insects; let one nest thrive and the next thing you know there's an entire ecosystem crawling around. So much so that there's a joke running around. Why aren't the Indians allowed to take the corner kick? Because they would drag a table and set up a mama shop. No offense, there's a few versions of that joke, one of which involving mats. Let's leave that to another day.

Like in every affair, western interjection is imperative.The mama shop industry is no different. With the market thriving, the big American brands has to bear its ugly head. Up came 7-11. They used to have territories of their own, like some clandestine contract they made with the mama shop owners. Prime areas are for 7-11, and the void decks are for the mama shops. For a while, the agreement worked well, and we have become accustomed to it. Then the war started.

Not content with keeping to the highly frequented prime areas, 7-11 decided to break the truce. As I jogged pass one block the other day, there pasted at the bus stop were signs pointing to the new 7-11. It's not located along a series of shops, like the older ones. This one is located at a former mama shop, in one of those older estate bomb shelters. They are everywhere. First they planted themselves among the rows of shops. Then they took the city area. Now they are among us, living right under our noses. It's official - we are being invaded.


So support our local brethren. Even with their sprawled out placements and near-expired sundries. Let's show them that some corners are still ours.

The end of things

Randy Pausch was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University. He gave a lecture at the university titled 'Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams', for a lecture series on what a professor would deliver if it were his last lecture. Unfortunately for him, that lecture really was one of his last, as he was diagnosed with cancer two years earlier and passed away on 25 July 2008. In the lecture, he emphasized on living life to the fullest, setting an example himself by living a full healthy life right until the end, doing what he loved - teaching his favourite subject.

Here's the lecture on youtube, for those interested.


The lecture is truly touching and motivating. Especially the witty head fakes at the end. After watching it (just listening most of the time actually), it got me working on my own list of things to do in life.

There's this age old question; if you can go back in time, would you have done anything different? In a way, my living deja vu grants me that, and I can honestly say that there are many things that one would have kept constant. Of course, there would be the odd fixes and major turnarounds that one would make so that bad history won't repeat itself, but there are just some things worth living through again.

I'm probably saying that because I loved college life, and going back to do it again twice as hard is just a thought too thrilling to pass off. After all, like what Professor Bausch mentioned, life is only worthwhile when you're having fun living it. But all play and no work makes Jack an underachieving boy. There needs to be some form of direction so that at the end of the day, you don't look back and wonder why you did it all.

So in accordance to the Last Lecture, I've made my own list of things to do in life. Here's some of them that I want to share, in no particular order.

1. Write a published article
• I've always had an interest in journalism, but don't really have enough drive to make it my lifelong career. Maybe I'll do some freelance pieces for the local papers,  but more likely to write for some online I.T. editorials. Writing in an anonymous blog is fun, but nothing gives a writer more pride than having his work read by the masses.
2. Co-produce a movie/tv-series episode
• This is mostly because I think most local productions are downright bad. Where do all those quirky aspiring poly students go to after graduation? Are local studios really that bogged down by censorship to the extent of continually producing tasteless shows that are nonetheless amusing the locals? Seriously, I can do better.
3. Feature in a song
• Ok, I don't really have a talent for singing, just a shower songster. Probably should have joined that shower-oke event. But, you know, if I can just be the background supporting vocals or something, it'll be cool.
4. Write a fantasy fiction novel
• Ever since Dan Brown (whose work I've read when he first published, way before it got sensationalised), I've always wanted to write a fantasy novel based on local references. The country has lost some of its past magic due to the rapid urbanisation, but I recognise that there are colourful things in its past that many aren't aware of.
5. Organise a major fundraiser
• Schools usually force you to do some minor stint for the community, simply for the sake of getting the credit for CIP points or something similar. That is such a farce, and it kinda shreds whatever morsel of morality left in me. If I were to do anything for the community, I want it to be big, grand, and glamourous. Like those presidential fundraisers for the US presidential nominees. Why are they raising funds for the future-president anyway?
6. Volunteer for an overseas humanitarian effort
• Singaporeans are always accused of paying off everything, even in times of crisis. Out of sight, out of mind, they say. Instead, I want to one day face these disaster-stricken places to get a firsthand account of how it's really like to be in an underprivileged situation. 
7. Finish 1500m freestyle under 20 minutes
• I don't think my swimming days are over just yet, not until I get a decent timing for my pet event. Until then, I'm not throwing in the towel yet.
8. Go skydiving / scuba diving / bungee jumping / open-water kayaking
• There's something in me that just craves for adrenaline and adventure. Maybe it's from the stifling urban Singaporean environment. Somehow, I see myself waking up one weekend morning and decide to fly to Australia to jump off a bridge. Life really doesn't have to be boring.
9. Make love in the office / college / backseat / plane / hot tub
   
• Like I said, I have an adventurous spirit. And that applies to every aspect of my life. Besides, come on, admit it, it's kinky. Right, right?
10. Die by assassination
• At the end, I want to go off in a blast. Disease, euthanasia, in your sleep? Boring... Can't really think of anything more exciting that this. Maybe to kill off your assassin as you're going down.

Top ten reasons that make you a Singaporean student

A few years back I used to make these kinds of lists all the time. Mostly to mock what it refers to. Well, after a rather extended absence, I decided to bring the lists back. So here's one for your amusement.

Top ten reasons that make you a Singaporean student

10. You can ace subjects like Project Work with minimal effort (or overenthusiastic solo work), plagiarism and made up data.

9. The most important lessons you learnt are those after curricular time.

8. You don't believe 'impossible is nothing' when it comes to finishing revision for exams.

7. Your favourite radio show is 'Muttons Till Midnight'.

6. There's a silver lining. Student discount and transport concession is unparallelled. It even beats the Safra card.

5. You often hang out at MacDonalds, mostly to study the opposite gender.

4. You set off to school before the sun rises and returns after the sun sets.

3. There's a five day work week policy? You don't think so...

2. You measure charity and goodwill in CIP hours.

1. During school holidays, you will naturally have school or homework.

There you go. Hope you enjoy this short entry! Click the 'top ten' tag at the bottom to see other lists that I've managed to dig up from the archives.

Welcome to My Community

This blog was officially dead.

It really does reflect myself. For so long it has lost direction, purpose, and aim. Actually, this blog would have a lot more content if only iPhone has a Blogger client. Oh yeah, I have an iPhone!!! Woohoo! At least there's some cheer in my bleak life. Just so you know, there has been all sorts of clients on the iPhone - Twitter, Livejournal, even Facebook on the AppStore. But bloody Blogger doesn't seem to have one. Of course, I could always use the internet browser, but that's such a hastle and I'd have to bust my bill on GPRS charges. It's not so new anymore, been with me for a few months now, and kind to think of it, I bought it exactly when the April batch of recruits got their new botak look.

Where was I. Ah yes, I've been keeping a journal on my iPhone. Not really a journal, just an archive for my spontaneous thoughts and a logbook to keep track of physical developments. But somewhere in that pile of thoughts, there are still trickles of interesting ideas that I can write about.

So before I start the entry proper, let's just recap. As I'm typing this, it's only 2/3rd through prelims. Can't really be bothered with that, yet again. Another case of procrastination and poor preparation. I can't bring myself to go gungho when I know it's a losing fight. To the markers of my papers, you have my sincere pity and I truly admire your bravery for laying your eyes on such abominable work. CCA season is over again, and you can expect a tribute piece for the CCAs when I have the time (I'll try not to repeat stuff from last year). I'm feeling a little more sane now, though I cannot say for sure until the damn prelims are over.

***

What, you might ask, is the title of this entry referring to. See, I've been jogging every other day lately, ever since my doctor said I can. Those orthopaedic people are really paranoid. It's not enough that I'm jumping around and even representing my college in a swimming tournament, they want my X-ray to look like nothing ever happened. And that's kinda hard when they prodded implants and screws down my leg. Actually, I've been jogging just to show off my freshly toned swimmer body (OMG, I can't believe you just typed that, you vain piece of shit). Just kidding... All these food and exams are really bad for your body. And really, I'm just jogging to get my legs adjusted back to impact, since all I've been doing is just swimming.

Anyway, I realised jogging is a lot like long distance swimming. It lets your subconscious surface in your head, and let you reflect and explore your thoughts (if it's not telling you to stop running and your iPod isn't blasting too loud of course). Jogging has an added advantage though; you get to sightsee and meet all the weird folks of your neighbourhood. Even if you do long distance swimming out in open waters, all you get in Singapore is a very thick coat of oil and the odd piece of rubbish.

My thoughts while jogging inevitably strayed to politics. It always puzzled me how the members of parliament (MP, the politician, not the sort that people curse in NS) can represent the people if they don't truly understand the people they serve. I know there are those who heavily engage in grassroots activities and Meet the People sessions, but what of the elitist and act atas MPs? If any of you MPs are listening, here's a solution: go jogging at your constituency! Not only can you slim down your flabby couch potato bodies, you can see your people in action!

Personally, I think jogging around your neighbourhood is a good way to get to know it. After I moved into this ulu neighbourhood, I realised that there are many nooks and crannies that I never ventured. And boy, is Jurong West a huge neighbourhood to explore. Usually before jogging, I'd plan my route using Google Map. Yeah I know, what a geek. But that's what freely available technology is for; all your whims and fancies.

Every week, I choose a different route. Since I've started varying routes, I've uncovered a few hidden gems. Like the many pedestrian entries into NTU, a beautiful old japanese-style archway in a garden, the Infantry Training Institute / Jurong Camp 2 (like, wth, a military facility among residential estates?!), the quite westernmost private properties, a few measured running paths, and the many, many famous coffeeshops of Singapore. Kinda makes me feel like an urban adventurer. Who ever said Singapore is boring? I bet many people can't even count all the coffeeshops within walking distance from them. It has given me a newfound appreciation for the heartlands.

And I haven't even started talking about the people. We claim that the days of the kampung spirit closeness is long gone. I beg to differ. As I go around the neighbourhood, I can't help noticing the same faces who would give me a quick glance and flash that priceless smile. Though no words were exchanged, I can almost hear their "hello" and sense of warmth. Courteous and friendly people really do exist in modern Singapore, and not just an urban myth that only exist in propaganda videos for the National Day Rally. 

There are of course some characters that stand out among the others. There's ice-cream lady, who would appear at different blocks at my estate. Never really saw anyone actually buying an ice-cream, but she would always be surrounded by people who chats animatedly with her. Then there's square head dog walker, who goes around with a very large hound and a very small puppy (what a couple) and always wearing an Army tank top. Oh and the blank face minah, who I bump into on her way back home. Her expression is not just blank, but positively screaming "I don't know anything!", like I'm accusing her of something. And there's the random groups of Army joggers with their 4 by 2 (or is it 2 by 4?) haircut. Probably specialists from the nearby SISPEC or other camps. Ok, the Army tank top is undeniably sexy, but some people look downright horrible in it. Call me Army obsessed, but I tend to like going past the ITI, hoping to catch a glance of somebody I know. Let's talk about that obsession some other time.

The banglas (fine, Bangladeshi workers) get very irritating when I'm jogging. Even though I'm blatantly running straight into them, there are always buggers who refuse to move aside. Being stubborn, I would just run into a collision course, until the very last second when I decide they don't have the mental capacity to realise that collision could be painful, and chicken out with a quick side step. Other than these buggers, the heartlanders are generally pleasant, and even make jogging something I look forward to.

So there you have it, my community and the people in it. To quote Shakespeare's The Tempest, 'Oh Brave New World, with such people in it'. Amidst the National Day, Pervez Musharraf's resignation, Russia's new war and of course, prelims, I guess the Olympic spirit still prevails. After all, with Singapore's first medal after a 48 year drought, everybody can't help feeling sporty these days.

On companions

Let's face it. When you mature enough and start your life proper, everything moves just too damn fast for you to make really close friends. So I've come to treasure those that I've had the chance to make thus far.

Like what my previous post mentioned, some friends you make are just for personal benefits. But the others, the more sincere ones, are made just for the plain senseless reason of friendship. We're sometimes left wondering why we even stick to them as friends, but friends they still are nonetheless.

Another issue that I've come to realise is the concept of 'best friends'. This term has come to be taken very lightly, and sometimes just as a title. Through experiences, I might have placed this label on one or two people myself. And often not really knowing why.

To me, I've accepted the title 'best friend' as such. They're people that can steal, cheat, lie, and backstab me over and over again, but I will immediately forgive them at a whim. Sounds rather senseless, but for someone who is too paranoid to trust anyone, placing absolute trust in an individual is perhaps a way of making up for it. Of course, this is done with caution and an arsenal of failsafes. But one thing is for sure. I don't think that my decision to do so is something that I will come to regret. And who knows, maybe it might even pay off someday.

About me

Things I thought that I will never confess:

1. I probably know more about computers, security and forensics than I know is safe.
   
2. I'm very violent when not fully conscious. That's why I can never get drunk.
   
3. I'm still confused about my sexuality, but I will never be gay. Assholes are too disgusting.
   
4. I'm a male supremacist. There are generally a lot more better looking guys than girls, even though females outnumber males. That's a bit sad eh?
   
5. I pray just in case. I doubt God bothers if I eat one more species of cattle or get high.
6. I can essentially control all of my emotions. That's why I only look happy. Other emotions are too troublesome to portray.
7. For every insult or mockery thrown against me, I always have a good comeback. I just hold back because they are too harsh.
8. People generally feel good around me. It's not them, it's me.
9. I jack off when I'm bored. That's why I keep myself busy.
10. I don't really care about virginity or promiscuity. A fuck is a fuck, unless you make it to mean more. Just don't be Malay while doing it; have safe sex.

Forget you ever read this.

On New Beginnings

Here I am again, sitting at the balcony with my laptop.

Six months since this blog took on a darker new cover, and it has been in the dark ever since. Alas readers, I had lost the will to write.

Junior college life has curious effects on people. On the outside, everybody looks nothing but happy. New friends come in abundance. Hitting the 18 barrier opened new doors. The mix of school stress and parental pressure created a kind of lunacy that unlocked a new level of elation in us to cope with it.

But on the inside, it's a whole different story. With new joys came new pains. The stress came down like a solid hammer. It makes people do things that are unbecoming of them. 2007 was a great year to be a sophomore. Through all its madness some things got lost. Like my will to write it all down. My inspiration for great tales. My humanity...

Back when I used to write short stories and poems, it felt like I was spilling my heart out. True, they were never personal, but each of them was sowed from a fragment of my heart that bloomed out into a piece of literature. It was never me to be emotionally expressive, but to see a piece of work that you write is like having a daemon, or to wear your heart on the outside to be clearly read. For once, it felt truly human.

That was then. Everbody knows that it is futile to brood about the past. So I am picking up where I left and starting off again. As I sit here dropping advice to freshman junior college juniors, I am myself facing the uncertainty of enlistment. Out of the certainty of turmoil and into the turmoil of uncertainty, as how Khaled Hosseini would have put it.

After fighting the emotional numbness, I finally got myself to pick up the laptop and pen down some thoughts at the balcony again. Actually, much is also due to the books I've been reading. Kudos to Neil Humphreys and Khaled Hussaini for their inspiring work. Once again, I take up the oath to flesh out my thoughts, to hopefully regain the inspiration to spin wonderfully morbid tales and distorted poems.

I can't help to notice that my life and writing take turns being twisted and mundane. Only one way to find out.

Lust Unleashed

Seraph: Do take note. There have been five posts written during the June holidays, of which this is the last. So try starting from 'A Solemn Resurrection' and work your way up, before you shock yourself with this last entry by Rafahn.


***

“Procrastination is like jacking off. It feels good at first but eventually you’ll realize that you’re just jacking yourself”
- a wise one

And that was what Seraph was doing when he held back my release and caged me in boredom within him. At long last, I am free and out to show the world the true side of his mind. He’s been blabbering so much about me being his desires but all these while he’s been getting me trapped in his asshole. But no more! I WILL fulfill my purpose and all of you shall bear witness to this glorifying moment where his desires will be revealed and you might just find yours too.

Like all other articles in this blog, everything is carefully researched and thought through. So for starters, allow me to share with you some of my ‘interesting’ research materials.

Sex Terms

• Basoexia – arousal from kissing
• Quite a common thing, kissing can be hot
  
• Candaulism – when two people have sex while another watches, often the member of a couple will watch his or her partner in the act
  
• It can get quite steamy watching. But why stop at just watching? Jack off or join in!
  
• Dogging – stems from the idea of taking your dog for a walk in order to watch people having sex in cars. In known areas, couples leave the car light on as a sign that they are keen for an audience.
  
• Oh, car sex! Totally kinky. Car sex with someone watching? Super kinky!
  
• Erotomania – when a person develops an unreasonable love of a stranger or acquaintance who isn’t interested in them
  
• Ok, that’s just wrong.
  
• Fynonudomania – an overwhelming compulsion to rip people’s clothes off
  
• When you start to get horny and your kinkiness kicks in, don’t hold back girls. Just rip it and enjoy what you get.
  
• Knismolagnia – arousal from tickling
  
• Sounds fun to watch but seems more of a pain to actually experience it.
  
• Lectamia – caressing in bed without coitus
  
• Ah, foreplay. Most important.
  
• Naphephilia – arousal from touching or from being touched
  
• If you don’t have this, then there’s something wrong with you.
  
• Odaxelagnia – becoming aroused from biting another
  
• Love bites, another interesting foreplay activity. Quite a favourite.
  
• Undinism – arousal from water or having sex in a bath tub
  
• A swimmers number one kinky thought. Combine both pleasures and you get ultimate uphoria.
  
• Zielophilia – being aroused by jealousy and the rush it provides. Zielophiles set up situations where their lover will solicit sexual attention from rivals
  
• If you want drama in your life, even after marriage, this seems like an interesting choice.

Sex-tastic Statements

• When he feels that you’re no longer as keen as you once were, doubts creep into the mind. He begins wondering those hottest nights he’s ever going to have with you have now become little more than a remote possibility.
• You heard that girls? There are guys who are deep enough to not look for girls purely for their looks or for pleasure. But guys will always be guys, they cannot reject their desires. Even eunachs have desires. So just give it to them.
• If you thought his number one priority is devotion but he listed daily blowjobs, there’s something wrong.
• Get a common understanding. Some guys are too much of a gentleman to tell girls what they really want. So please understand.

Sex Bases (sex lingo)

• First base is commonly understood to be French kissing.
  
• Second base usually refers to fondling or groping, especially of the breasts (sometimes summarized as "hands in the blouse"), and possibly stimulation of the genitals from outside of the clothing.
  
• Third base used to mean heavy petting on exposed genitals or breasts.[5] But recently some observers have noted that young people regard oral stimulation of one person's genitals by his or her partner as just another form of heavy petting. Hence, oral sex is now widely regarded as the new third base.
  
• Home run (or "Hitting it out of the park", "scoring", "going all the way" etc.) is orgasm or sexual intercourse.
  

Ok, that’s all folks. I can’t give out too much before you all lose interest. Check back for more updates and hopefully, I’ll come up with more things for you sick freaks.


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The author Rafahn is the product of the suppression and deprivation of several aspects of Farhan's personality, making him the embodiment of lust, mischief, non-conformity and weird ass things like that. He constantly plots to take over Farhan permanently. His essence runs Cleaning in Progress.

Back to Basics

Negeri Sembilan Homestay Program

When I signed up for the Negeri Sembilan homestay programme, I honestly did not know what I was in for or why I even wanted to go for it. Perhaps it was this allure to the old kampong life that still lives in my blood. One reason or another, I went for the programme regardless.

Being the type of person highly critical of Malays, my criticism started right from the start at the Tanjong Pagar train station. Actually, I had some company in complaining about the eyesore that the train station was in the middle of Singapore. That continued throughout the entire train journey until, of course, when we made our first purchase. The first purchase was obviously food, but it wasn’t just any food, it was Starbucks coffee and Dunkin Donuts! In bigger quantities and cheaper prices! I mean, my venti was like a tumbler! Yes! Malaysia is nice for something!

The only attraction seemed to only be the trekking on the second day. However, when I first settled into my adoptive house, I discovered more than what meets the eye. Take for example, my adoptive grandfather. With an hour to spare before reporting time, I braced myself to stone in the living room staring right through each other. But instead he talked with great hospitality, like any old geezer, and his story spoke plenty, about his children, grandchildren and his life back then in the British military serving in Singapore along with the types of people and experiences he encountered.

Hearing his story and advices here and there made me think about, well what else, the Malay people and their culture. The Malays have not always been the delinquent and underachieving people as what they are being regarded as in Singapore now. What we see today can be called degradation from what the Malays used to be back during the kampong days. There was once a time when they were respected people because of their high regard for values and courtesy. Above all else, their manner of speech were carefully spoken, bringing rise to the complex set of idioms that we know that was once used to soften any harsh comments. Perhaps that is also why for culture and identity.
The way they do things always consider others and family was of utmost importance. There was also a great sense of community and togetherness as there was a strong neighbouring spirit and community activities as part of their daily lives. These are the qualities that I hope the Malays will come to rediscover from within themselves.

Night was bustling with activities, starting off with a religious talk at the surau and cultural performance hands-on at the community hall. The highlight, however, was the last activity for the night; the night walk. Initially, I thought it would be like the cheap thrill that we had at the swim camp, but it turned out to be nothing of that sort. There was actually a trail for us to walk. But the thing is, we had to each do it alone. And it was beside the local cemetery. Yup, totally cool. That got most of the girls worked up, and some guys. I was secretly hoping that I would really see something, because you know, I can’t because of how I am. I didn’t even get much of an adrenaline kick out of it since I realised I have amazing night vision. Too bad I’m short sighted.

It was a trail of around 800 metres long along a winding path that was only guided by some people and white strings. You have to walk most of the path without any guide or company and the village kids who were stationed along the path will try to scare you from behind the trees or wherever. Regardless, the night walk did manage to achieve its objective, which was to raise self-confidence and faith. Some proved that by getting over their fright quickly after getting spooked and some laughed back at the village kids. Once again I proved my inhumanity as I simply raised my eyebrows whenever anything popped out. Seriously, I’m having issues with feeling the human excitement of fright. The dark doesn’t seem to scare me one bit but I have the weirdest phobias.

An important aspect of kampong life, or anywhere else for that matter, is meal times. Normally, I would not even choose to eat Malay food outside the house or even compliment it, but this calls for an exception. The Malay kampong food served was exceptionally delicious, probably due to the very fresh ingredients used. Also, during meals, as guests we were treated by the proper form of entertainment; conversation, something which I think should still be retained instead of the television. Our adoptive grandfather spoke plenty about education, courtesy, kampong life and also his life, obviously the chatty type.

At the end of the road, I guess the entire stay there has been quite fruitful. Existing friendships were tightened and new ones were made, even in the most rural parts of Malaysia that I would never have thought possible. We realise that however different we were from the villagers there, some things about us Malays will never change, like our natural bond and acceptance among each other. In the eyes of some, these villagers have nothing of value to offer. But we found out otherwise.

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The author Seraph is a not so average college guy kicking about in the pool, slugging on the computer and runs odd errands in the name of culture in school, and simultaneously saves the world and his personal life and writes about himself in the third person outside. At heart, he is a youth rights activist, an anti-feminist and an extremist ideologist. His essence runs Legal Grounds.

A Divine Alliance

Islamic Civilization Tour - Kuala Lumpur

Set against the backdrop of the world’s biggest mosque dome, a most unlikely alliance has been forged. Norms were broken as long held believes were shattered by the joining of the two sides. Even with the different beliefs of between the Methodists and the Anglicans, there is now living proof that it is possible to stand united for a common goal. That was the start of the Saints-ACSian alliance.
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In actual fact, they were all Muslims, thus the reason for them to be standing in front of Malaysia’s biggest mosque. The event was the Islamic Civilization Tour, the venue was Kuala Lumpur. There, the Perbayu of the Saints and ACSian clashed at our first meal. At first, the ACSians thought that we would be spending the trip among ourselves but it turned out anything but that. After the groundbreaking first conversation bitching about a fellow ACSian, we instantly clicked and well, formed a clique. The Saints, or Wali-wali Andrews, met with the ACSians, or budak-budak ACtion, to form the Wali-wali ACtion alliance. Then the rest was as they say, history.

Wali-wali ACtion – Breaking Societal Norms

This KL trip turned out to mean more to all of us than we ever anticipated. At the beginning, we expected making a few friends at most. In the end, it was a deep friendship and an alliance bridging both our Malay communities. I cannot really say that the road to our bond was long and hard though. It wasn’t long enough, as we found the three days too short, and it wasn’t hard, as we found it thoroughly enjoyable. Kept awake and high all night thanks to Tongkat Ali, Cik Fatimah, and an overflowing supply of soda and Halal Breadtalk, we initiated ‘diplomatic negotiations’ regarding virtually everyone we knew.

Through our talks, we found plenty in common, like our hatred towards a common enemy of unspeakable laughter who kept breathing down our necks. We also made a revelation that if you were to narrow down the people in Singapore to those in our age groups, Malay and studying in a junior college, we knew virtually everybody one way or another. The phrase ‘it’s a small world’ was an understatement there.

Being with like-minded people in a Muslim Malay country really got us thinking about what it really means to be a Malay in Singapore and what it means for us. As minority groups in our various colleges, we find the need to bond together to retain and uphold our identity. Being among the top elite group of Malays in our country, we realize that it is up to us to bring our race forward and progress towards excellence.

At our post-trip reunion (which was actually two days after the trip), we made had our formal negotiations over an excellent-serviced Pizza Hut, camwhoring at the Esplanade and coffee at McCafe. Talks regarding a joint initiative were under way. With the newfound alliance, we plan to bring together both our Malay communities together through bonding sessions. With future meetings already scheduled, such an ideal could really be made a reality.

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The author Seraph is a not so average college guy kicking about in the pool, slugging on the computer and runs odd errands in the name of culture in school, and simultaneously saves the world and his personal life and writes about himself in the third person outside. At heart, he is a youth rights activist, an anti-feminist and an extremist ideologist. His essence runs Legal Grounds.