The Best Novels That I've Read

After previously speaking about The reading Habit, I have decided to compile a list of the best novels I've read all these years. After having a look at it, feel free to share your favourite novels by leaving a comment below.

Cryptid Hunters

Read this novel when I was 14. The story centres on a brother and sister who are twins, and they are in for one heck of an adventure when they fall off their plane into the dense jungle of Congo. Creatures of all sorts roam the jungle, and they have to fight for survival. With am immersing storyline, the author, Roland Smith, captivated my imagination. I have read some of his other works too, and he is one of my favourite authors.

Special Operations: Dogfight

Set during the harsh times of the WWII in Norway, this story is based on the Resistance movement, which is led by the Allied forces against the German forces. The main figure in this novel is Finn Gunnerson, a zealous teenager who would give his every bit for his country. Before long, he is drafted in as a replacement for an injured secret agent and the story is full-blown from there on. Currently reading its sequel – Special Operations: Eagle Eye.

Inspector Singh Investigates

This is the first book that I have come across in which a Sikh man plays the leading figure in a story. Inspector Singh is a Singaporean who is working his last years in the police force when a high-profile murder case involving a Singaporean citizen blows over in neighbouring Malaysia, prompting him to be a part of the investigation of the case. His uncanny wits keep him one step ahead of his Malaysian counterparts, whom he doesn’t quite like.

Library of the Dead

Written by Glenn Cooper, this is arguably my favourite novel of the lot. ‘Library of the Dead’ follows the life of Will Piper, a FBI Special Agent. He is tasked to solve a case, in which victims mysteriously get ‘murdered’ all round New York City. The murderer on the loose is dubbed the ‘Doomsday Killer’. However, all is not as it seems – there are no murders. It is all a tinge of fate and destiny, with someone already knowing the dates of death of people beforehand and using it to his advantage.

The Book of Souls

This is a sequel to ‘Library of the Dead’, and it centres on finding the truth behind ‘the library’. Will Piper is sent to England to find out clues regarding the history of ‘the library’, and with every new discovery, they are able to put two and two together. Additionally, historical figures such as William Shakespeare, Nostradamus and Jen Cauvin play fictional characters in the plot of the novel, and this only makes things more interesting.

The Reading Habit

Reading is a part of everyone’s lives, or rather a part of almost everybody’s lives. I would say that it is a part of my life too. We read stuff ranging from newspapers to online materials to novels. Whatever it is, reading is a good habit – no doubt about that – as reading opens up our mind to a whole lot of stuff.

If we read, we would be articulate on historical and contemporary happenings, and as such, our general knowledge would be of a commendable nature. That aside, reading improves our command of the language. Say if we read English materials often, then it can be assumed that our usage of the language would be good.

The best part about reading though is none of the above – it is the satisfaction and joy that you get out of it. This sense of satisfaction isn’t gained through reading newspapers or magazines, for usually people, me included, get pleasure and joy by reading novels and story books because they are interesting; be them thrillers, fantasy, romance or mystery.

I have been reading since a very young age and this has helped me tremendously in life. It has made me a more knowledgeable person, and has given me a broader perspective on a myriad of topics in addition to making me a tad more imaginative, giving me creative ideas on how to go about doing things.

Though I like to read novels, but I’d have to say that I rarely read them now. I used to read tens of novels each year when I was younger, but now I read a novel something like once every six months. However, I do read loads of other stuff – most notably newspapers and materials from online resources.

Having said that, I find that my newspaper reading has been on the decline lately, mostly due to the fact that there’s barely any worthy news to be read these days. I'd rather read magazines, of which my favourites are the Time Magazine and the National Geographic Journal.

Still, even if it is infrequent, whenever I get my hands on a novel, I can never wait to finish it. Better still, if the story isn’t finished, my mind will continue to throw up possible scenarios for its ending. Sometimes, I’d take a long time to finish a novel because for every other sentence that I read, I’d pause for a moment and picture the scene in my mind, and will then read the sentence once again.

I have the knack to read novels that are thrillers or mysteries in nature, and therefore, I’m not much a fan of fantasy or romance novels among others. Some of my favourite novels include Cryptid Hunters and Library of the Dead, with my favourite authors being Roland Smith and Glenn Cooper.

Everybody has their own reading taste. Hence, some people like reading magazines more than novels, while others would choose a comic book over a newspaper. Whatever it is, the benefits of reading are glaringly apparent. If you are the non-reading kind a type of person, I reckon you buck the trend and start reading this very instant.

Do you like reading? Do you feel that reading is an essential part of our lives? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Laughter, The Best Malaysian

‘Laughter, the Best Malaysian’ is a compilation of jokes put together by David Tong, an avid joker and laugher himself. Spanning over two hundred pages, it contains hundreds of jokes, all of which are classified in their respective genres.

I saw this book recently while I was at a Popular bookstore, and decided to buy it – the cover looked attractive enough and after having a quick glance through the book, I found it rather interesting.

The jokes in this book have a distinctive Malaysian feel to it. Not surprising since the writer is a Malaysian himself. He didn’t write or come up with most of the jokes – the jokes were already there and all he did was compile them. As he said, it had been a long-time desire of his to come up with something like this.

After having read this book, I would reckon you guys should go get it. To begin with, the jokes are short, so it makes for a good read after a long and tiresome day – to unwind and relax. Besides, the jokes aren’t discriminative in any which way. There aren’t any racially, sexually or politically motivated jokes.

I must concede however, that at times, I couldn’t get the hang of the jokes. They were just above my understanding I guess. Then, of course, there were some jokes that were simply lame – lame to the maximum that is! But still, on the overall, it is a well put-together book with refreshing jokes.

Now, just to share a light moment with you guys, I have chosen a few of the jokes from the book. Read ’em, have a laugh (or cry!) and tell me how are they. If you are impressed, then the best would be to go and purchase the book and read the whole thing for yourself! 

Take two

Mui Mui: Ah Loke says I am pretty. Ah Toh says I am ugly. What do you think?

Ah Meng: A bit of both. I think you are pretty ugly!

Herd of Cows

“Look at that bunch of cows.”

“Not bunch-lah! Herd of cows.”

“Heard what?”

“Herd of cows.”

“Sure I’ve heard of cows.”

“No! A cow herd.”

“Why should I care what a cow heard? I’ve got no secrets from cows.”

Three-ring Circus

They say marriage is a three-ring circus:

1) Engagement Ring

2) Wedding Ring

3) Suffering

Lameness

Boss: Why are you late for work?

Office assistant: I’m sorry boss. I tripped into a longkang and sprained my knee.

Boss: That’s a lame excuse!

Marketing Skills

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, “I am very rich. Will you marry me?”

That’s Direct Marketing.

You are at a party with a group of friends and see a gorgeous girl. One of your friends goes up to her and pointing at you says, “He’s very rich. Marry him!”

That’s Advertising.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You approach her and get her telephone number. The next day, you call and say, “Hi, I’m very rich. Marry me!”

That’s Telemarketing.

You are at a party and see a gorgeous girl. You get up and straighten your tie. You walk up to her and pour her a drink. You open the door for her, pick up her bag after she drops it, offer her a lift home and then say, “I’m very rich. Will you marry me?”

That’s Public Relations.

You are at a party and see a gorgeous girl. She walks up to you and says, “You’re very handsome and rich.”

That’s Brand Recognition.

You see a gorgeous girl at a party. You go up to her and say, “I’m very rich. Marry me!” She gives you a nice hard slap on the face.

That’s Customer Feedback.

David Tong

Alice in Wonderland Movie Review

Having gotten rave reviews in the mainstream media, and based on my friends recommendations, I decided to watch Alice in Wonderland. However, I must say that my general impression after having watched the movie, which is directed by Tim Burton, falls some way off my expectations.

To begin with, I would say that there is nothing wrong with the movie. There are no flaws to the storyline, there are pretty decent cinematography and film effects, and also they’ve got the right people to bring alive the characters in the movie. But that’s just about where it stops. Nothing great; nothing particularly special about the movie.

This feature film, which is adapted from Lewis Caroll’s similarly titled novel, aroused much fanfare due to its release in 3-D trim. Believe it or not, I hadn’t watched any movie in 3-D before, so I was looking to make this the first movie that I watched in 3-D.

Speaking of the 3-D experience, there is nothing much to shout about. The glasses for one made me feel very uncomfortable since I already have a pair of spectacles. Therefore, I literally had six eyes for the duration of the movie!

The story begins with Alice having to meet with a perspective candidate for marriage, and he proposes her. Alice isn’t quite open to this idea though. Then, Alice sees a rabbit that is intent on leading her somewhere. Curious, she follows the rabbit and so, down they go a rabbit hole and end up in Wonderland, which is inhabitated by all sorts of peculiar creatures.

The main characters in the film, besides Alice (Mia Wasikowska) of course, are The Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The performance of Alice is palpable on screen, while The Mad Hatter and Red Queen are standouts from my point of view. I am a little disappointed with the White Queen though.

Although Depp’s portrayal of The Mad Hatter seems clichéd as some of his actions are reminiscent of his trademark acting in the Pirates films, especially the way he walks, but they still make for great entertainment. The Red Queen on the other hand is very much glum, like the way she shouts her head off, and this spices things up!

What’s the climax of the movie, you must be wondering? It’s the battle between the Red Queen (supposedly bad) and the White Queen (supposedly good) for control over Wonderland. I’d not give too much away, but I am sure you can already picture the ending.

The easy going and light-hearted nature of this movie makes it  for a good family outing. I’m sure watching the movie in normal mode would be more than enough, but if you fancy something different, then 3-D it is. As I had said earlier, there’s nothing bad about this movie, and nothing great either. But it's worthwhile enough to spend two hours of your free time though.

The Verdict

6/10

Penang BRATs Camp 2010

Interviewing people, writing articles, sorting out pictures and compiling videos – that’s just the tip of the iceberg of what we BRATs – short for Bright, Roving, Annoying Teens – had been up to during the four-day BRATs Camp that was held from the 13th to the 16th of March at Penang.

Specifically targeted for those in their late teens, I wanted to attend this camp to primarily broaden my perspective on journalism. And I guess I have got more than I’ve bargained for. By attending this camp, I now know that there is more to journalism than what meets the eye. It’s not all about writing. Journalism encompasses photography and videography among others as well.

We BRATs experienced journalism first-hand, and we had to work the hard way by sweating it out all day long. First, we had to walk the streets of Penang to collect data on its heritage and background, take pictures of buildings and structures of note, and also interview laymen, tourists and hawkers alike.

Then, we had group discussions to brainstorm on what we were going to do. Some of us handled the articles, some the photographs, and others the video presentations. Fatigue took its toll on us before long, but having awesome teammates really helped, especially in staying awake till 1-2a.m. to complete our assignments.

As much as getting practical workouts, we also had theory lessons from Ivy Soon, the overall program coordinator. Being an experienced hand, she gave us pointers on how to write concise articles, and showed us the difference between school essays and news and feature stories.

Besides that, Niki Cheong, another one of the coordinators and a prominent writer himself, highlighted the paradigm shift that the newspaper industry is undergoing at the moment. He said, “24 out of the 25 top newspapers are experiencing record drop in their daily circulation.”

This means that people are no longer waiting to read the news in the newspapers – they want the news as it happens. As he explained, “Last time, you had to find news. But now, news finds you.” He was speaking of social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook, which, believe it or not, have loads of potential to influence the way in which news is disseminated these days.

Of course, we weren’t sharpening our so-called journalism skills all the while. We had other fun activities, such as the 'Algorithm Dance' and also group presentations. There were three groups, and all the presentations had elements of music. Seriously, the presentations were good – funny, wacky and creative. As one of the coordinators pointed out, “This is the best we’ve seen in recent years.”

There’s no forgetting the food too. Going to Penang isn’t complete till one eats the world-famous Penang Char Kuey Teow, which was yummy-licious. The hotel we stayed at also provided scrumptious food, buffet style. All of us savored the food very much. There was sushi, spaghetti and loads of other tasty foodstuff, along with tempting desserts such as cakes, puddings and ice-creams.

Just like from other BRATs camps that had been held before, there have been participants who have go on to make it real big in life – bloggers, writers, doctors, artists, you name it. What I hope is that by having attended this camp, it would have a positive impact on my life too. And I know it would!

Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Rays From the Heavens

I took this photo on my way to Penang on the 13th of March at the KLIA Airport. I never post photos on my blog but I just had to post this. There is something serene and pristine about the sun rays reaching down to Earth from the heavens above. I must have been extreamely lucky to be able to catch this photo.

The photo taken portraitly

Another photo

Not the best in terms of picture quality but hope you guys like them. And hope you see something that isn't often seen in life.

A Fan of a Peculiar Club

Which English Premier League club do you support? It would most probably be one of either Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal or Liverpool – for they are the so-called big four clubs in the EPL. Otherwise, it could be a more than average team like Tottenham, Aston Villa or Manchester City. But ask me this same question... and my answer would be something you would never imagine – FULHAM!

Yes, you heard it right. I support Fulham. I have been doing so for the past six years, since the year 2004 that is. The question of “Why Fulham?” must surely be bothering you, isn’t it?

Actually, the first club that I had supported in the EPL was Manchester United circa 2002, but that was when I was oblivious to the happenings in the EPL. I supported Manchester just because my friends were supporting them, and also because they were the most popular club.

However, when I started to pick up the papers to read the EPL news and started watching EPL matches a bit here and there, I realised that I didn’t actually like Manchester. And for reasons unknown to even myself, I somehow chose Fulham as the team to support. Maybe because the name sounded unique.

And so, the story of my love affair with Fulham began. From then on, I have been ridiculed a quadrillion times over by friends, family members... you name it. Every time someone spoke of the EPL, and when they asked me which team I supported, I would enthusiastically say Fulham. But then, nobody would believe me, not the first time at least.

Fulham are a relatively new club to Premier League football. They gained promotion into the top flight of British football in 2001. Astonishingly, this was their third promotion up the British league tier in five seasons. This amazing feat was mostly due to the backing of Mohamed al-Fayed, a multi-millionaire who spent a lot of money to bring quality coaches and players into the club.

When I started supporting them in 2004, Fulham were a mediocre team. They usually would be fighting for places in the lower half of the EPL table. They were never threatened of relegation, but nothing to shout about too at the same time. Back then, they had good players such as Edwin van der Sar, Louis Saha and Luis Bao Morte.

In 2008 though, Fulham were on the brink of Premier League oblivion. With just 15 minutes left to play in the final game of the season against Portsmouth, they were mathematically relegated. But a goal in the 77th minute of the game earned Fulham another season in the EPL. Had they been relegated that day, I quite possibly wouldn’t have a team to support now in the EPL.

Now, they are consistently giving the bigger teams a run for their money, featuring prominently in the top 10 of the EPL. The present team, led by Clint Dempsey, Danny Murphy, Brede Hangeland and Mark Schwarzer, have the potential to take this Fulham side far.

Their campaign in the inaugural Europa League has been a sensation – they successfully navigated past the group stages and have an outside chance of making it to the quarter-finals after losing to Juventus in the first leg of the last-16 stage. Not only that, but Fulham are in the semi-finals of the FA Cup too, their first appearance in that stage in many seasons.

Silverware or no silverware come the end of the season, the present 2009-2010 campaign has been the best in the entire history of Fulham. Very soon, we could be in the running for the EPL crown perhaps. I shall then have the last laugh at the many people who have poked fun at me for supporting Fulham. Till then, glory to Fulham!

Which EPL team do you support? Feel free to share by dropping a comment below.

'The Hurt Locker' Rocks

Eat humble pie – that’s exactly what I have got to do. Ask me why? Well, that’s because of my angry tirade against the results of the Oscar awards... for choosing The Hurt Locker as the best motion picture ahead of Avatar. It was an unwarranted outburst to say the least, as I hadn't watched the movie yet. But now that I have watched The Hurt Locker, I must say that it has earned its stripes in an admirable fashion.

Set in the war-ravaged homeland of the Iraqis, this movie has all the ingredients of a multiple Oscar award-winning film. It also has loads of action and drama befitting a war film, besides being based on real-life happenings. It has good sound effects too. And the best of it all, it leaves the mind of the viewer to wonder what is going to happen next as the suspense is unbelievably high in this film!

You must be wondering why I used the term ‘unbelievingly high’ to describe the suspense of the movie. The reason behind that is because every time the three-man US Army Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team, on which the movie is centred on, is called into action, you never know when there is an insurgent lurking in the background, ready to detonate a bomb.

When you think something is going to happen, nothing happens, and when you think all is calm and secure, BOOM!

The movie starts at an intense pace. The EOD team is called in to secure an area. After the US Army clears everyone out of the danger zone, they get down to work. Ironically, just when the situation seems to be under control, disaster strikes. Of all things, a hand phone triggers a heavy bomb blast, by accident that is.

The movie offers a peak into what life is in a war-torn country like Iraq. The people there are forced to evacuate whenever there is a bomb scare, and as a result of that, they can barely go on with their daily lives. Furthermore, when the EOD team is at work, people would watch what they do with intent. Not surprising since they have got nothing better to do.

In addition to that, viewers get to have a glimpse into the lives of US Army personnel. There are the customary profanities slammed at one another every now and then, and the occasional ungodly hand gestures. Then, there is the professionalism of the US Army in carrying out these tasks, plus how they work together as a unit, though intermittent frictions are all but inevitable.

Nobody would believe that this movie cost a mere $11 million to make. I still don’t believe it, even after watching the movie as the film effects and cast among others are of the highest quality. The director, Kathryn Bigelow, who coincidently happens to be the ex-wife of James Cameron, has done a good job shooting this movie in Jordan and working on a shoestring budget.

What baffles me though to no end is the fact that The Hurt Locker didn’t get a substantial amount of publicity prior to and also after its release. I guess not many people even heard of it until it appeared in the running to win the Oscars. And now, people like me scramble madly to watch this movie.

Having said that, I cannot comment on whether The Hurt Locker fully deserves its Oscar win or not, for to compare The Hurt Locker with Avatar is tantamount to comparing Michael Schumacher with Lance Armstrong. Both movies are based on completely different storylines and have their respective plus-points.

But what I can say for sure is that The Hurt Locker belongs in the legion of the best movies ever. So, go watch it, and as I would put it, go see what’s the fuss all about.

The Verdict:

8/10

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug."

When an Underdog Trumped a Blockbuster

March 7 2010 will go down in the history books of avid moviegoers... not for the right reasons, but for the wrong ones. It will be remembered as the day when Avatar played second fiddle to The Hurt Locker in the two most prestigious categories of the Academy Awards (Oscars), that are the ‘Best Motion Picture’ and ‘Best Director’ categories.

Although I have to concede that I haven’t watched The Hurt Locker as of yet, but the general rule of thumb in the entertainment industry is that the more a movie grosses from its box-office shows, the better it is in the eyes of the public. Therefore, the greater its chances of winning the Oscars.

However, The Hurt Locker has till now garnered a puny 25 million or so US Dollars, which makes it the lowest grossing film in modern history to nick the prestigious best movie award.

Avatar, on the other hand, is in a class of its own, with profits that have spiralled above the $2 billion benchmark. It is the highest grossing film of all time too, and this loss has raised a lot of eyebrows regarding the award system that is implemented at the Oscars.

As the Time Magazine had pointed out in the run-up to the Oscars, at the very least, a split decision was to be expected. This meant that if Avatar won the best picture accolade, then The Hurt Locker would register the best director award, and vice versa. There is a logic there, as it seems so unfair for Avatar just walk away empty handed.

In an analysis done by Reuters, it noted that The Hurt Locket played on 535 screens worldwide at its peak, whilst Avatar has played at probably ten thousand cinemas at every nook and corner of the world, and that too for more than three months running. Not only that, but The Hurt Locker cost a paltry $11 million to make, whilst Avatar’s budget was some 20 times higher – at $230 million.

Interestingly, The Hurt Locker’s reputation was enhanced by the fact that it won many smaller awards that preceded the Oscars. It won numerous honours in the BAFTA, Producers Guild and the National Society of Film Critics awards among others. Sounds familiar? Well, this was the same case for Slumdog Millionaire, if you can recall.

Slumdog Millionaire was an unknown quantity to the world before it suddenly shot to fame after winning numerous awards that culminated with the Oscars. However, back then, Slumdog Millionaire wasn’t up against a heavyweight. Definitely not against a heavyweight like Avatar, which is the case here for The Hurt Locker.

The greatness of Avatar cannot be justified by merely picking up awards for the best Art Direction, Cinematography and Visual Effects, but the sure thing here is that for a movie to top Avatar in such a devastating fashion, then that movie has got to be good. And I mean really good! Hence, I shall go watch The Hurt Locker sometime soon, and see for myself what this fuss is all about.

Who do you reckon deserved the top honours? Is there a flaw in choosing the winners of the Oscar Awards? Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment.

The Gaga Phenomenon

Eccentric... weird... bizarre... wacky... funky... and you can go on and on digging up similar words but it can never be enough to describe the lady in full. The lady that I am talking about here is the visionary of a modern fusion of pop, electronic and dance music that seems to be to the liking of every other person. The lady makes the world go gaga, literally. And of course, the lady is none other than Lady Gaga.

If there ever was a person who has made extensive use of modern means to rise to super stardom, then it must be her for she has successfully used the digital media to her advantage, making it a launchpad to her globalised fame.

How? Well, she has one of the highest viewed videos of all time on YouTube, that is her hit single, or must I say in this case her super duper hit single, Bad Romance. It has impressively notched 138 million viewers!

Besides Bad Romance, another one of her singles, Just Dance, is on the threshold of a hundred million views. And she has a long list of other singles such as Love Game, Eh Eh (nothing else I can say) and Paparazzi that have navigated past the 10 million mark.

Although her music videos are highly unusual in a weird sense, but generally, it is that uncanny nature of her that moulds her to be a fan favourite, and what makes her Lady Gaga. The music video for 'Bad Romance' for instance, is very peculiar in terms of the costumes as well as the scenes.

Personally speaking, Lady Gaga’s music isn’t entirely to my taste, as I find that the lyrics of her songs aren't really meaningful and resounding but due to her phenomenal star power, I somehow have started to like her songs. Probably because I hear them time and time again everywhere I go, and that the chorus of her songs are at the very least always pleasant to hear and cheery in nature.

In truth, the singer that I prefer for this electronic/dance genre is Cascada. However, in terms of worldwide fame, Cascada is lagging way behind Lady Gaga. But that doesn't seem to be right as Lady Gaga is relatively new to the music industry, whilst Cascada has been a prominent player for quite some years.

The one and only reason that comes to my mind as to why this is the case is because of the way in which Lady Gaga portrays herself, that is in a way no one else can. What I mean is the fashion that she sports.

Seriously, to me, and I guess to everyone out there, whatever she wears is most of the time considered anything but fashion. Outrageous outfits and mind-boggling attires are the order of the day for Lady Gaga. Many women out there wouldn’t have the confidence to wear such ‘clothes’, for fear that they would be consigned to be the laughing stocks of society.

However, as my cousin sister had pointed out to me, it takes not only a whole lot of guts, but also self-confidence, to be able to dress like that. And I agree with her point of view, fully.

That is because to wear clothes ranging from bubbles-inspired themes to zombie-like gowns and having hair-do’s mimicking a hat isn’t quite civilised. But I guess that this is all done in the name of being original, and in this case, it pays off rather handsomely for Lady Gaga.

She may be born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, but no one cares about that. As a matter of fact, no one even knows that is her real name. All everybody cares about is Lady Gaga and the music she associates herself with.

How do you find Lady Gaga? Do you like her brand of music? Feel free to share your thoughts by dropping a comment.

An Exemplary Act of Kindness

Meet Joanne Lee, a young and ebullient economics student studying in the RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia.

What is so special about this youthful woman? Well, she donated her internship pay that she got to the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia (CWS). Just ask yourselves, would you do the same if you were in her shoes?

Actually, when Joanne started her internship, she wasn’t expecting a pay or a salary, for all she wanted was experience. But when she got to know that she would indeed be getting a pay, she decided to put it to good use instead of keeping it for herself.

Joanne explains that she first got to know of CWS and its struggle after volunteering for the ‘We Ate for Charity Durian Festival’ organised by CWS in 2008. She was supposed to go out with her friends, but instead, in the end, she convinced her friends to follow her for the charity event. She recalls, “I must say I had great fun and I did not regret helping!”

So, why did she donate her internship pay to CWS, and not any other charitable organisation? Joanne explains that she chose CWS because she was touched by the story behind the foundation of CWS, who have put back a smile onto the faces of numerous terminally ill children.

Although she realises that the sum she donated would at most be enough to cover one child’s wish, but she presses home the point, “If we all work together, we could bring back many many many many uncountable smiles that money cannot buy.”

Joanne had the value of helping those in need inculcated into her since she was a young girl. As a result of that, she has a soft heart for those in need. She says, “If there is something you can help the others without losing anything, why not?”

Therefore, I believe that we should all follow the example that has been set by this amazing woman. If help isn’t possible by financial means, then we should channel our strength and energy to help them. Joanne’s rhetoric is, “You never know however small the amount of money you donated, can play a BIG role in the life of the others.”

*Learn how you can donate too.

*This piece of writing was published in Niexter dated 4th March 2010.

Rediscovering Lost Smiles

SMILE. This simple yet immaculate five-letter word is the driving force behind the cause that the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia (CWS) is championing. The society is built on the foundation of granting the wishes of children suffering from terminal and life-threatening illnesses, all in the hope that it will put a smile back on the faces of these youngsters.

The founding principle, as Ms. Lim Ai Mee, the society’s treasurer explains, is to “… bring a spark of light back into their otherwise painful journey.” CWS grants the wishes of children that are brought to their attention without taking into account their creed, colour and social status. The wishes of these children are most of the time very simple, such as wanting a PSP or a portable DVD player.

If you need an incentive to know why you should lend them a hand, just ponder on the prospect of knowing that you were part of the reason that put back a radiant smile on the faces of these special children who would otherwise be imbued in pain due to their illnesses.

Do you know that you can join CWS and be a part of their vision and at the same time make a difference in the lives of children in need.

You can do so by:

 Donating online via Ruumz Causes

 Organising a donation drive in your school or college

How to donate via Ruumz Causes?

 Set up your free personal account @ Ruumz

 After activating your account, activate your Ruumz e-wallet @ Ruumz Blings!

 You can purchase credits via credit card or your bank savings account

 Then, go to the CWS Cause page

 You can donate as little as Rm1 and up to RM100

 Spread the word to your friends on social networking sites

How to donate via school/college?

 Get a group of friends to join you and be a part of your mission

 Have a group discussion and think of ways you can go about collecting funds

 Submit your plan to your school or college administration

 After getting the green light, you are good to go

Where do I send the money to?

 Bank the money into the CWS account in Al Rajhi Bank: A/c 12800-1080610552

 Make a cheque out to the Children’s Wish Society of Malaysia and bank it into the Al Rajhi Bank A/c 12800-1080610552.

Why should I be a part of this?

In the words of Ms. Lim: “Should we sit by the sidelines and watch others fade away or would we rather bring their smile back?”

I hope now that you are aware of this movement and its initiatives, you would take a proactive step by coming forward and playing your part, and at the same time, getting others to join you. Remember, EACH of us have the potential to make a DIFFERENCE!

*In collaboration with the Niexter issue dated 4th of March 2010

2010 Formula One Season Preview

At long last, the 2010 Formula One season dawns upon us. After a long winter break, it’s time for the circus to head to this season’s curtain raiser, the Bahrain Grand Prix. Although with pre-season done with, teams only have a vague picture of where they stand in the pack as testing times are very hard to be read due to a host of manipulative factors.

This season, we see a major shakeup in the team’s driver’s line-up, the most notable of which is the much hyped return of the king of Formula One, Michael Schumacher. Inevitably, this sets the stage for an explosive grid line-up, with Schumacher coming up head to head with Lewis Hamilton for the first time.

Add Fernando Alonso, Sebastien Vettel, Felipe Massa and Jenson Button to the fray and you have the perfect recipe for edge-of-the-seat racing. Too bad though that Kimi Raikkonen won’t be there to throw his hat into the ring after taking an indefinite sabbatical from Formula One.

Still, perhaps the most radical change for this season is the inclusion of a host of new teams. Mercedes make a return as a works team after buying over last seasons champions Brawn GP, whilst Virgin and Lotus make their maiden foray onto the grandest motorsporting arena.

Interestingly though, with so little time left till the five red lights go off at Bahrain, we still do not have a clear idea as to which team will be the 12th and 13th entry respectively. Initially, it was supposed to be Campos and USF1, but both seem not ready for the challenge ahead. Now, there is another team, Stefan GP, who supposedly claim that they have their car ready for action.

Teams and drivers aside, the most glaring rule change is the ban of in-race refuelling. Therefore, teams would now have to take their cars through the whole race distance without refuelling. This decision was made in view of cutting costs and making the sport more environmentally friendly.

The next obvious change in rules is the distribution of points. Last time round, points were offered for the top eight finishers, but to accommodate the larger grid size, points would be on offer to those who finish in the top ten, with the winner raking in a whooping 25 points.

Speaking of the race tracks that would feature on this year’s calendar, the only new track that is on the list is the South Korean GP slated for the 24th of October. All in all, a total of 19 races would be held, eclipsing the previous record of 18 races held in a single season. The Canadian GP also sees a return after sitting out for a year.

In addition to that, the sport sees a change in the administrative section. Max Mosley, a highly influential figure in Formula One in recent years, has stepped down, paving the way for Jean Todt to assume the role as the President of the FIA, the governing body of Formula One. The teams hope that this would herald a new era for the sport as their relationship with Mosley was anything but desirable.

Imperative of what happens, this would definitely be one of the most-followed Formula One seasons ever. People would flock to the racetracks and turn on their television screens in anticipation of Schumacher, wanting to see if whether does he still possess the hunger and drive to succeed like his old self.

And they would want to see which one of the many plausible candidates come up trump at the end of the season. One thing for sure here is that whosoever is crowned World Champion come October would arguably be the greatest Formula One World Champion of all time.

Which team and driver do you reckon stand a good chance to become World Champions at the end of the season. Feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.