Early New Year's Resolution

I have just one new year resolution. In fact, I'm starting now - why wait?

My dentists have been telling me that I need to get my wisdom tooth pulled. I'm dreading the procedure and all it entails. But I'm making a resolution right now. I'm going to get that tooth pulled, and then I'm going to walk out of the clinic in pain, but happy.

Why happy? Because I'm going to walk out without paying the bill and trust in my lucky stars that some good samaritan will pick up the bill without telling me. My hero? Our own home-grown talent, Datuk Mirza. After all, what's a measly tooth extraction compared to more than RM 13 k spent on tooth implants?

Hotel Review: Four Seasons, Sydney

Ever since Sashank spent a few months in the Four Seasons in Cairo, I've been curious about this chain of hotels. Most consultants would choose to stay in one of the Starwoods hotels or other points-earning chains, but Sashank stayed in the Four Seasons. When I asked him why he didn't consider switching hotels, he said "But it's the Four Seasons!" as if it was self-explanatory. I've always wanted to see just what the big deal is about, so I was very excited when I recently had the opportunity to stay in one when I was in Sydney for a project.

The Four Seasons brand of hotels is synonymous with luxury and the establishment in Sydney is no different. Located on the edge of Circular Quay, the hotel enjoys stunning views of the iconic Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. It is also conveniently located steps from the historic Rocks area, as well as the major attractions in the Sydney Central Business District (CBD). Unfortunately for me, all I did while staying there was walk between the hotel and my office. No sight seeing on that trip! At least the hotel was only a five-minute walk away from my office.

The front doors open to reveal a marbled foyer, where friendly staff offered cheerful greetings and efficient service. A piano tinkled in the background as I checked in, and I was pleasantly surprised when I was informed that the hotel was offering AUD 100 vouchers to every guest, which could be used to cover bar tabs, internet charges or any other incidentals.

At 531 rooms, the hotel is large, but my room was a short walk from the elevators, and nothing like the long trek I had to make at the Sheraton on the Park. My room, while small, was very well appointed, and offered a gorgeous view of the harbour. The king-sized bed dominated the room and was so invitingly comfortable that I was tempted to laze in bed all day, especially with the large, flat-screen TV so conveniently located just across the bed. The bathroom was finished in marble, and had a separate bathtub and shower stall. Best of all, the hotel offered a full range of L’Occitane en Provence toiletries, which were a joy to use. Unlike the inferior offerings at other hotels, the toiletries at the Four Seasons definitely found its way into my bag at the end of my stay! My only gripe was that the room was not equipped with slippers, which meant that I had to tiptoe my way into the marble-floored bathroom in the mornings as it was a bit too chilly for my taste.

As I was on a project, I didn’t have much time to enjoy the amenities of the hotel, but I did manage to make it to the bar to take full advantage of my AUD 100 voucher. The unimaginatively-named Bar is located on the ground floor, and is perfectly placed for guests to relax to the quiet sounds of the piano. You’ll find many businessmen in suits lounging there on weekend nights, so I didn't look out of place at all.

Having stayed in the Four Seasons, I now understand where Sash is coming from. However, I still think I would go for a Starwoods or Hyatt hotel, just for the points!

Hotel Review: Sheraton on the Park, Sydney, Australia

Being a consultant has its perks, chief among them being staying in fancy hotels. Of course, what most people don't realize is that we're only there long enough to shower and sleep before heading back to the client site again.

I had the opportunity, recently, to stay at the Sheraton in Sydney. Consistently rated among the best hotels in Sydney, the Sheraton On the Park is one of the city’s premier hotels, and a favorite of stars like Michael Jackson, John Travolta, and Orlando Bloom. A member of the Starwoods group, the hotel is located in a prime spot directly opposite Hyde Park in Sydney’s Central Business District.

Walk through the double doors opened by liveried bell boys and you will be greeted with a marbled entrance hall, complete with a grand, sweeping staircase. Checking in is fast and painless at one of the desks to your right. Take the discreetly hidden elevators to your room, fling open the curtains, and enjoy the view if you’ve gotten a room overlooking the park. There is nothing better than relaxing by the window with a mug of hot chocolate after a long, hard day’s work or play.

Read the rest of the review here.

Shoestring Guide to New York City

The bright lights of New York City beckon visitors from all four corners of the globe, but with its reputation as one of the most expensive cities in the world, is it possible to visit the Big Apple on a modest budget? The answer is a resounding yes. With lots of cheap and even free attractions in town, you don’t have to take out a second mortgage on your house to enjoy all the city has to offer.

Free sights

While there’s no such thing as a free lunch in New York, you can enjoy many of her sights without opening your wallet.

1. Statue of Liberty

A trip to NYC isn’t complete without visiting Lady Liberty but the $12 ferry fee to Ellis Island can quickly add up if you’ve got a large family. If you’re content to view the statue from afar, take a free ride on the Staten Island ferry instead. Dating back to the 1700s, the ferry service runs frequently and will give you great views of both Lady Liberty and the Manhattan skyline.

2. Central Park

At 843 acres, Central Park is easily Manhattan’s largest park, and provides city slickers with a much-appreciated respite from the hustle and bustle. Entrance is free and visitors can spend time exploring the Belvedere Castle, or the Beatles memorial at Strawberry Fields. In the summers, the Delacorte Theater offers free Shakespeare performances while the Great Lawn is host to the New York Philharmonic’s free open-air concert and the Metropolitan Opera’s two operas.

To read the rest of the article, click here.

I saw a really interesting article in The Star today about dry mushing. Can't seem to find it on their site, but basically, mushing is when dogs pull a sled over snow, and dry mushing is when dogs pull tricycles and carts and really anything with wheels over dry land, be it a tarred road or grass.

Apparently a mutt or mongrel is the ideal dry mushing dog, but somehow I can't see Kinte pulling me along on anything. Sure, he would pull, but I would also probably end up in a drain somewhere. Also, dogs overheat very easily, so the article cautions that people should only do this when it's under 20C. Wonder why The Star decided to feature this sport then, given that the mercury has been soaring this past week. 

The principle of the sport sounds great - your dog gets some exercise, you get to see some nice scenery and spend quality time with your dog - but I think if I could get Kinte to pull anything, it would be one of those manual lawn mowers. Why not get more benefit out of it if you're going to harness your dog to some wheeled contraption anyway? :P

Travel bug

1. Sydney, Australia

• Create your own travel map or travel blog


• Travel Info at TripAdvisor

I'm torn between travelling the world and going back to the safe, the familiar, the warm waiting arms. 

It's a dog's life

First there were doggie day care centers. Then, there were doggie hotels. Now, and I can't believe I'm saying this, now there are doggie flights. In the midst of all this economic uncertainty, when millions are losing their jobs around the world and there are stories of families of five cramming into one bedroom motels because they have been kicked out of their homes, now, of all times, Dan Wiesel and Alysa Binder are planning to launch "Pet Airways", flying cats and dogs from five US cities.

Don't get me wrong - I love my dog - but honestly, isn't this the absolute height of decadence at the worst time possible?

My last week in Bangkok didn't start off so well. When booking my flight, I wasn't very happy to find that my usual 8a.m. MAS flight to Bangkok was cancelled and that the next flight out was an Air Asia one at 8.30a.m. Nevertheless, I crossed my fingers and bought the Air Asia ticket anyway.

I knew my reservations weren't misguided when at 2a.m., 6 hours before my flight was due to leave, I received a text saying that the flight had been delayed to 10.30a.m. But of course, I only saw that message when I woke up at 6a.m. to go to the airport. A 10.30 flight simply would not do as that would mean I'd get to the office just in time for lunch. But of course, being such an ungodly hour, no service counters were open. In fact, the Air Asia counter would only be open at 8a.m. 

There was nothing left to do but go to KLIA and get a seat on the 9a.m. MAS flight, something I probably should have done in the first place. I just managed to buy my ticket and check in on time, after which I went through immigrations (love those autogates!) and headed to Harrods for breakfast. A few minutes later, I'm sharing a table with a perfect stranger and disturbing the poor girl's breakfast by arguing with the unhelpful guy at the Air Asia service counter who insisted that I was a no show, even though I had no way to cancel my flight between receiving the SMS and the close of the Air Asia check in counter. Twenty minutes later, all I could get out of him was a flight credit, only for the KL-Bangkok leg, to be used within a week. Useless. 

At this point, my flight is called for boarding, so I get up to pay, only to see a happy family of ants and cockroaches having a party on the Harrod's food preparation counter. Joy. Is it just me or is it impossible to find a good breakfast at KLIA? Luckily, my hardy Malaysian stomach and I suffered no ill effects from that insect-infested meal, but rest assured that I will never be eating there again. Be warned!

As for Air Asia, I've learned my lesson - never travel via budget airlines if your trip is remotely time-sensitive!

The dizzying world of Malaysian politics

I saw an excellent article in the New York Times today on Malaysian politics. There was another one in the Wall Street Journal too. All eyes are turning to Malaysia for UMNO's general assembly this week. Malaysian experts have not been kind, arguing that Malaysian democracy has "not fully matured, in the sense that those who lost the elections are unwilling to accept the results." They also warn that we will be a "failed state within a decade" if things continue in this fashion. Of course these expert opinions never appear in the local papers. Freedom of speech, like freedom of religion for the majority of the population, is rather doubtful. Is there hope for my country?

The New York Times article is reproduced below:

March 24, 2009

Scandals Cloud Succession in Newly Unsure Malaysia

By THOMAS FULLER

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A slew of political scandals gripping Malaysia and a transfer of power fraught with uncertainty have shaken the elite here, with exquisitely poor timing.

As a major trading nation, Malaysia has been slammed by the global downturn. Its exports have collapsed by nearly one-third, and current projections show that its economy will shrink by as much as 5 percent this year.

Yet the main preoccupation of the government and opposition parties appears to be what analysts say is an increasingly dysfunctional political system. The man in line to become prime minister has been linked to the murder of a Mongolian woman whose body was obliterated with military-grade explosives.

The leader of the main opposition party awaits trial on sodomy charges, in a highly politicized case. The government is using draconian laws to prosecute other opposition figures, and last week it suspended a member of Parliament for one year after he called the prime-minister-in-waiting a murderer. And a state legislature has been paralyzed for six weeks by a dispute over who should govern.

“At the rate things are going, we’re going to be a failed state within a decade,” said Salehuddin Hashim, secretary general of the People’s Justice Party, the largest opposition party.

For Malaysia, an oil-rich country with a large, well-educated middle class, the pessimism may seem hyperbolic. But analysts say the current political woes strike at the heart of the functioning of government, damaging institutions like the royalty, the judiciary and the police.

“I see a rough ride ahead for the country,” said Zaid Ibrahim, the founder of Malaysia’s largest law firm, who resigned as law minister in September over the government’s practice of detaining its critics without trial. “The institutions of government have become so one-sided it will take years to restore professionalism and integrity.”

Much of the anxiety is focused on the rise of Najib Razak, a veteran politician in line to become prime minister sometime after the governing party’s annual general assembly, which starts Tuesday. No date for his ascension has been set, and some Malaysians speculate that the incumbent, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, will hold on to power, though he has said he will step down.

Mr. Najib’s supporters say he will reverse the sagging fortunes of the governing party, the United Malays National Organization, and offer decisive leadership, a contrast to the languid style of Mr. Abdullah. But Mr. Najib lacks popular support, and many expect further crackdowns on his opponents if he becomes prime minister. The government already seems to be taking a harder line, shutting two opposition newspapers on Monday while the police used tear gas to break up a rally by opposition leaders in the northern state of Kedah.

In a speech on Wednesday, Mr. Zaid called on the king, Mizan Zainal Abidin, to reject Mr. Najib if the party puts him forward as prime minister, and to appoint someone who would “bring us back from the brink.”

Mr. Najib declined to comment for this article.

The highest-profile scandal to tarnish his reputation is the murder of the Mongolian, Altantuya Shaariibuu, the mistress of Mr. Najib’s foreign policy adviser.

Prosecutors say Ms. Shaariibuu was killed in October 2006 by government commandos who also serve as bodyguards to the country’s top leaders.

Mr. Najib has not been charged with any crime, and he denies having known Ms. Shaariibuu or ever having met her.

According to news accounts, Ms. Shaariibuu had been seeking her share of a commission — the opposition calls it a bribe — worth about $155 million, paid by a French company as part of a deal reached by the government to buy submarines. Mr. Najib, who is defense minister as well as deputy prime minister, handled the submarine purchase.

The huge size of the commission — about 10 percent of the total cost of the submarines — is not being investigated, despite an official acknowledgment by the Malaysian government that it was made to a company linked to Mr. Najib’s aide, who was acquitted in connection with Ms. Shaariibuu’s murder.

Lawyers say the handling of the case has been irregular, and they criticize the prosecution for failing to call Mr. Najib to testify at his aide’s trial.

Perhaps more worrying for the country is the standoff in Perak, a state where since early February the police have barred lawmakers who oppose the governing party from entering government buildings.

Mr. Najib spearheaded an effort to install a new chief minister in Perak by claiming that he had enough defectors from the opposition coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat, which last year took control of the State Assembly for the first time since the country won independence from Britain in 1957.

Both sides remain at an impasse, and the sultan of Perak has rejected a plea by the speaker of the Assembly for a new election, which polls indicate would probably restore the opposition coalition to power.

Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Center, an independent polling agency, said that as the governing party’s popularity wanes, Malaysia is failing a key test of any democracy: the peaceful transfer of power.

“Malaysian democracy hasn’t fully matured, in the sense that those who lost the elections are unwilling to accept the results,” he said. The United Malays National Organization has governed the country since independence but nearly lost power in elections last March, a watershed that put into question Malaysia’s ethnic-based party system.

Mr. Zaid, the former law minister, traces Malaysia’s current troubles to the privileges given to the country’s dominant ethnic group, the Malays. Governments led by the United Malays National Organization have provided contracts, discounts and special quotas to Malays through a far-reaching program of preferences. “We have sacrificed democracy for the supremacy of one race,” said Mr. Zaid, who himself is Malay. “It’s a political hegemony.”

The other two major ethnic groups, Chinese and Indian, have withdrawn support for the governing party in recent years and now largely back the opposition.

Declining support for the governing party has heightened the personal rivalry between Mr. Najib and Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition leader facing sodomy charges. In a measure of the political nature of the case, Mr. Anwar’s accuser met with Mr. Najib before going to the police.

“Our position vis-à-vis Najib is clear,” Mr. Anwar said in an interview. “He has become so repressive and crude in his methods.”

Mr. Anwar added, “There’s no way we will have any dealing or respect for him.”

Six weeks in

I'm six weeks into my new job and loving it so far. Some parts are better - like having awesome teammates and getting foot massages in Bangkok - and some parts are worse - like working all weekend in Bangkok when I had a friend in town and wanted to go exploring - but on the whole, it's challenging, exciting, and above all, worthwhile because I can see the difference we are making to the client.

I've spent four weeks in Bangkok now and really haven't had the time to see much except the road between the office and the hotel. It's quite ironic really, since we've been with this client on multiple projects and they're typially known as a more relaxed, decent working hours kind of client. Still, not too many complaints so far, as long as I get to catch up on sleep during the weekends.

A sign I spotted on the way to Pratunam on the 2-hour shopping spree I managed to fit in on Sunday morning:

Alien marriages - signed, sealed and delivered in 20 minutes

Some impressions of Thailand:

1. The service is great, if you're grading on eagerness to help. If you're looking at effectiveness, though, it's a different story. One of my teammates left the key to our office in an envelope at the reception because he was going on leave. It took the staff 15 minutes to find it again. They even tried offering my job manager an empty envelope from the business center, at which point he very nearly lost his cool. They were running up and down like headless chickens and the whole time, the envelope was right there on the desk in front of them. The same thing happened when I tried to leave my room key for my friend who was visiting. I ended up having to go back to the hotel to open the door for her. If you're trying to leave anything other than an envelope, however, your chances are much higher - a USB stick was handed over with no fuss at all.

Moral of the story: Don't leave anything in an envelope at the reception. Stick it in a stuffed toy if you have to, just don't use envelopes!

2. I'm always hungry in Bangkok. Well, now I've learned my lesson, but the first week I was there, I was eating Malaysian-sized portions and I was hungry all the time. I think it's because of the spicy and sour food. The spiciness makes my tummy feel fuller than it actually is while the sourness aids digestion so within about two hours of a meal, I'm hungry again. Now I just make sure to eat more rice and eat more than I normally would at home. Oh and I also try to eat whenever possible, because meal times are rather haphazard on this project. I skipped a McDonalds "snack" at 6pm but that ended up being dinner for the team so I only got to eat at 1am when I got back to the hotel.

3. The weather is very much like Malaysian weather - hot and humid. The forecast always says it's going to rain but so far, I've only seen it rain once.

4. The traffic jams in Bangkok are horrendous. It took me half an hour just to get to the end of my street once. And since I was on the way to the airport, I was not happy. But ever since I've learned I only need to get to the airport 40 minutes before my flight leaves, I'm a much happier camper.

5. I think I'm allergic to tom yum. Or it could be the prawns. Whatever it is, my lower lip swells like a balloon every time I've had the dish. I'm devastated. Tom yum goong is one of my favourite foods :(

Protectionist tendancies

I've been getting a lot of conflicting messages from the world at large recently. On the one hand, everyone has been saying how bad protectionism is, except maybe for Paul Krugman, who argues (just to be intellectually honest, he claims) that there is an economic case for it, although even he doesn't recommend that route, given the current political economy. Everyone was up in arms when the American stimulus bill included a "Buy American" policy, forcing the Senate to water down their stance to state that those provisions should be "applied in a manner consistent with United States obligations under international agreements."

It seems like everyone agrees that in theory, no one should engage in beggar thy neighbour policies or engage in a race to the bottom. In practice, however, it's a different story. Sarkozy was caught out when he criticized French automakers for outsourcing production to the Czech Republic. Europe is now taxing American biodisel, and right here in Malaysia, we have the PM and MCA, among others, urging us to Buy Malaysian. Seems like it's alright to protest protectionism when others are threatening to implement it, and when it affects you and your exports directly, but it's ok to protect your own lot. The ironic thing is, Asean countries recently reaffirmed their commitment to anti-protectionism at the last Summit.

All these conflicting messages are giving me a headache. All I can say is, treat others like you would like to be treated yourself. It's the golden rule for a reason.

On another related note, Malaysian companies were told to retrench foreign workers first in an effort to protect Malaysian jobs. But what of Malaysians working overseas? Won't the same policies implemented overseas affect us? That kind of major job reshuffling isn't going to help anyone. It's not exactly protectionism, but the same principles apply, don't you think?

Muslim or not?

The score stands at:

Muslims: 990
Others: 1

Congratulations to Mr. Gilbert Freeman, who, on Friday, managed to change his religion from Islam to Christian. In a country that professes to have freedom of religion, there sure isn't a lot of it if you happen to be born into the wrong one. Interestingly enough, the reason the Shariah court gave for approving the change:

The Shariah court ruled that he is not a Muslim. He is not practicing Islam, and he hasn't applied to be a Muslim.

I'm not sure whether being born and brought up in a religion constitutes applying to be in that religion, but I, for one, am definitely happy that neither my parents, nor my government is forcing me to be in any religion.

From the IHT:

Malaysian wins court battle to become Christian

The Associated Press

Published: March 6, 2000

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: An Islamic court in Malaysia ruled Friday that a man given an Islamic name at birth was a Christian, a rare victory for religious minorities in this Muslim-majority nation.

The man — whose original identity card listed his name as "Mohammad Shah alias Gilbert Freeman" — brought his case to the Shariah court in southern Negeri Sembilan state after the National Registration Department refused to accept he was a Christian and allow him to drop his Islamic name when he applied for a new identity card.

Lawyer Hanif Hassan said his client, who is 61, was raised as a Christian by his mother, and his Islamic name came from his Muslim father, who left the family when he was only 2-months-old. Freeman is married according to Christian rites and has three children who are Christians.

"The Shariah court ruled that he is not a Muslim. He is not practicing Islam, and he hasn't applied to be a Muslim," Hanif told The Associated Press.

He said his client was happy with the Shariah court's decision.

"This is a rare case but it shows that the Shariah courts are not rigid and are able to help resolve inter-religious disputes," he said.

Malaysia has a dual court system. Muslims are governed by the Islamic Shariah courts while civil courts have jurisdiction over non-Muslims. But inter-religious disputes usually end up in Shariah courts, and end in favor of Muslims.

Religious issues are extremely sensitive in Malaysia, where about 60 percent of the 27 million people are Muslims. Buddhist, Christian and Hindu minorities have accepted Islam's dominance but in recent years voiced fears that courts are unfairly asserting the supremacy of Islam, which is Malaysia's official religion.

Freeman sought the court's help because he said he was getting old and he didn't want any confusion over whether he should receive a Christian burial after, Hanif said.

There have been several cases of Islamic authorities claiming the bodies of people they say converted secretly to Islam.

Barcelona

Dawn broke sometime during my flight from Amsterdam to Barcelona. It was a welcome sight because it meant my 15-hour flight was drawing to a close. I landed in Barcelona at 9am, bleary eyed even though I had the luxury of stretching out across two seats on the 12-hour flight from KL to Amsterdam. A few quick questions later, I found myself waiting in line for the bus to the city. The bus was comfortable enough, even though the driver short changed me by €2, something I didn't notice until several hours later.

The bus dropped me off at Plaza Catalunya, a huge plaza in the center of the city. From there, it was a 2-minute walk to my hotel. I'd booked a room in Hotel Lloret, right on La Rambla, the main tourist street in Barcelona. At €40, it was more expensive than a backpackers, but with my business clothes and laptop in tow, I didn't want to risk it. In any case, I was very happy with my room, which was clean, had an en suite bathroom and a comfortable bed, and came with breakfast and wifi too - what more could a traveller ask for?

After a quick breakfast, I set off to explore La Rambla and as much of Barcelona as I could before the jet lag kicked in. La Rambla is a hip and happening pedestrian thoroughfare flanked by two roads for cars. The nice thing about this system is that if you're walking in the middle, you don't have to stop at every junction for the cars to pass. It's filled with stalls on either side of the wide thoroughfare selling everything from iguanas to flowers and paintings. Those human statues also seem to be really popular there. It's not a very long street - it took me maybe 20 minutes tops to reach the end of the street, where it joins the coast.

My first stop of the day was La Boqueria, a market filled with local produce and eateries. I love going to grocery stores in new cities, so I had a really pleasant time strolling through the market. I came across some really bizarre sights like a goat head and something full of holes hanging from the ceiling of one of the shops. Any idea what that is?

I'd just had breakfast so I wasn't very hungry, but I did come back here the next day to El Quim, a tiny restaurant where you can only eat at the bar. Apparently the tapas here is really good, but I was distracted by the plate of octopus the couple next to me had ordered, so I got that too.

The Galician style octopus turned out to be fantastic - octopus sauteed in olive oil on top of two soft fried eggs and served with a basket of bread. Heart attack on a plate! :D

Further down La Rambla, I came across this shop
Seems like I can't get away from KL even after a 15 hour flight!

After that, map in hand, I started wandering down the streets and alleyways of Barcelona. I love how tiny alleyways open up into a large, gorgeous plazas.

I came across this restaurant in one of the plazas. Eating until you're stuffed takes on a whole new meaning at this place.

I also found this little shop that was selling "Happy Pills." Care for some, anyone?

The next day was Gaudi day. My first stop was Casa Battlo, which was only a short walk from my hotel. Also known as the House of Bones, the building was awe inspiring. All the details were so thoughtfully planned and the best part was that there were no straight lines. Everything was fluid and flowing. Gaudi used an undersea theme which meant blue tiles and blue stained glass in the windows. The effect was beautiful.

I passed by the other famous Gaudi building, La Pedrera on my way to the Sagrada Familia but decided not to go in. The Sagrada, however, is a must see. They've been working on this building for more than 200 years now and it's still not complete but it's easy to see why when you're there. It's definitely not just another cathedral. Here, again, Gaudi was inspired by nature, creating spiral staircases like those seen on a sea shell and using columns that look like trees to support the vaulted roof. One of my favourite things about the cathedral is how the light dances on the walls as it shines through the stained galss windows. If you take the lift up one of the towers, you get an amazing view of the city. Here's a tip: There are two lifts, one in front with an incredibly long line, an another, lesser known one, at the back. There's also a museum at the back, explaining Gaudi's methods and inspirations. You could probably skip that part, but I thought it made the visit more meaningful.
That night, I made my way to the Plaza Espana to see the famed magic fountains, only to discover that they were closed for maintenance. Big disappointment. I did, however, come across this little chocolate shop/patisserie that had this yummilicious flower pot on display. I thought it would make an excellent Valentines day gift.
I had tapas for dinner again that night. In fact, I had nothing but tapas my whole time in Barcelona. To be honest, I didn't find the food particularly fantastic, except for the octopus. One thing I really enjoyed, though, was the churros. One can't leave Spain without trying the churros or Spanish doughnuts.


All in all, I had a great time in Barcelona, although I wish I had someone there to share it with me. It's no fun travelling alone :(

Flying high

Yet another flight-related accident/injury in the news today, this time with about 30 people injured, 10 of them seriously, in a Northwest flight from the Philippines to Japan. Officials are blaming it on turbulence, but that’s little consolation. Last week there were two accidents, with the Continental flight from Newark to Buffalo crashing into a house and killing all on board, and the British Airways plane crash landing at the City Airport and injuring two. Earlier in February, there was a crash in Brazil after the plane flew into heavy rain. Twenty four people died. And of course, who could forget the January incident when a US Airways flight ditched into the Hudson River after flying into a flock of birds. Luckily only one person was seriously injured.

Five major accidents this year alone, and we’re only in mid/end February! All this at a time when I’m about to begin regular flying again. If I were a nervous flyer, I’d be shaking in my boots by now. Except I’m not a nervous flyer and I’d be crazy to wear boots in this weather. But still, none of this is very confidence-inducing.

Perhaps the only silver lining for me is that the majority of these planes are run by US airlines and I’m not about to go there anytime soon. But then again, so many of my friends are in the States. Sigh. I wonder if any of this is tied to cost-cutting measures? Because if it is, these airlines need to think seriously about what constitutes appropriate and feasible cost-cutting. General rule of thumb: Don’t skimp on anything that could threaten lives!

In transit again

Last weekend, I found myself sitting in airports for about eight hours as I waited for flights in Palma, Madrid and Amsterdam. Yes, my transit lifestyle has begun again. February may mean a different things to different people - Valentines, Chinese New Year, start of the Spring term... This year, February heralds my return to the working world after a seven month hiatus.

My new office is small compared to my old office in New York. Currently there are two of us in the office, my country head and me. Luckily we share the office with another company, or to be more precise, we're squatting in their office. Luckily, this means that there are other people around, enough that we can get a lively conversation going at the lunch table, like today's one about one-handed keg stands and the workings of a beer barrel. Yes, it's good to be working with people of my age :)

This week I've been given a reprieve from travelling, allowing me time to settle down in my new office and get to know the other people. Next week, however, the airport runs start again, this time with a project in Bangkok. I'm looking forward to it, to be honest. Staying close to the office means I don't have to battle through the ridiculous traffic jams on the way to work. Luckily traffic isn't that bad on my way home. I'm not looking forward to the early morning wake up calls or the idle time waiting for planes, but I'm definitely excited about discovering a new city, getting to know new colleagues, and yes, the hotels. Oh and the food! Gotta love Thai food :D

Yes, being in transit again definitely has its plus points, best of which is... I GET PAID!

Rrrribbit

It's only 3pm but I'm exhausted. It's taken me only four hours to explore everything South of Plaza de Catalunya in Barcelona. Maybe I walk too fast, but I think it's lots more likely that I've simply missed lots of interesting stuff. And there is a lot to miss, every winding alleyway a host to dozens of delightful, hidden secrets. But I'm simply too tired and jetlagged and so I've beaten a retreat to my hotel, that's thankfully right on La Rambla, the main tourist street. More on Barcelona later. Right now, I'm more interested in things happening at home.

The country was in an uproar less than a year ago when the opposition managed to steal several states from under the nose of the incumbents. But now, the term "frog" isn't reserved only for the French. After three assemblymen resigned from the Pakatan team to become Independents but friendly to BN, the incumbents seem to have the majority again and have now seized the opportunity to take over the Perak government. I suppose it was the opposition's fault to start with, after all the talk back in September that they would steal enough people from BN that they would have the majority in Parliament. But no matter who started it first, this isn't the way politics should be conducted.

In Malaysia, people vote for the party just as much, if not more than we vote for the person who's running for the post. So if a politician should suddenly decide to jump ship, no matter which party (s)he's jumping to, the people should have a right to decide if they still want the person to be their representative. In short, a by-election should be called. To make things simple, perhaps the constitution should be ammended to state that anyone who decides to switch parties while holding a post in the government should give up that post and start again in his/her new party. That would get rid of the incentive to jump ship and cut down on all the bribing that's going on.

In any case, it's high time Perak, and Malaysia in general, leaves all this childishness behind and concentrate on the task at hand - leading the country out of the current economic mess. It's mind-boggling how the PM is still in denial about Malaysia being in a recession. Sure, we may not be in a technical recession, but look how long the US denied their problem and look how well that turned out.

One of the suggestions to combat this recession that we're not in is to buy Malaysian products, but I saw the most amusing article in the New Straits Times the other day about how vague the term "Made in Malaysia" actually is:

What constitutes Malaysian-made goods include pre-packed goods with the name and address of a manufacturer in Malaysia on it; products that are made, assembled and modified locally; goods that go through the final process in Malaysia; and foreign goods manufactured under licence in Malaysia.

Apparently this ranges from anything that is completely sourced from and made in Malaysia to something that is merely assembled or modified locally. In other words, that Starbucks latte in your hand is Made in Malaysia because the barrista assembled it here and so is that McDonalds burger. Oh and those Peugeot cars sold by Naza are also Made in Malaysia. Suddenly the boycott American goods campagin during the recent Gaza war just got so much harder because guess what - everything is Made in Malaysia!

Gong xi fa cai

It's been a busy week spent catching up with friends from near and far, conducting alumni interviews, attending a wedding and working on my jigsaw puzzle among other things. And now the Chinese New Year is upon us!

Happy New year, everyone. Be well, be safe, eat lots, and have fun!

Sweatshops: A violation of human rights or the way out of poverty?

I saw a thought-provoking article by New York Times columnist, Nicholas D. Kristof that was reproduced in today's Star's business section. His main point:

The central challenge in the poorest countries is not that sweatshops exploit too many people, but that they don’t exploit enough.

I remember coming across this idea back in my class on Developmental Economics. It was shocking then, and after a few years, it's still shocking now. Shocking because it makes so much sense. We have been brainwashed to think that sweatshops are the axis of evil and that we should boycott all goods made in such conditions. But what are the alternatives?

Kristof gives an example of families in Phnom Penh that live on 'a mountain of festering refuse, a half-hour hike across, emitting clouds of smoke from subterranean fires.' These families, including little kids, dig through the rubbish for recycleable products that they sell for pennies. They have to cope with garbage trucks that may run them over, leaving them dead or dismembered, in addition to the hellish conditions on the dump. To them, a sweatshop is paradise - at least they are working under sheltered conditions. And yet we are denying them this "priviledge" by boycotting sweatshop goods?

True, none of us would choose to work in a sweatshop, but then again, we've never experienced worse conditions. If a sweatshop was actually a step up from your current living conditions, woulnd't you want to work there too? But surely there's a middle ground, some kind of compromise. The low wages in poorer countries are always the big draw for these companies, but they could also provide better, more humanitarian working conditions. Something that would appease the human rights activists, and yet still make it worthwhile for the companies to have these "sweatshops" that are actually ladders out of poverty. 

Am I being too romantic? Maybe Nike comissioned Kristof to write that article...

Third world politics in a first world country?

Paul Krugman wrote a blistering article in yesterday's New York Times about the blatant abuse of power that was the Bush administration. Here's the article in full:

Last Sunday President-elect Barack Obama was asked whether he would seek an investigation of possible crimes by the Bush administration. “I don’t believe that anybody is above the law,” he responded, but “we need to look forward as opposed to looking backwards.”

I’m sorry, but if we don’t have an inquest into what happened during the Bush years — and nearly everyone has taken Mr. Obama’s remarks to mean that we won’t — this means that those who hold power are indeed above the law because they don’t face any consequences if they abuse their power.

Let’s be clear what we’re talking about here. It’s not just torture and illegal wiretapping, whose perpetrators claim, however implausibly, that they were patriots acting to defend the nation’s security. The fact is that the Bush administration’s abuses extended from environmental policy to voting rights. And most of the abuses involved using the power of government to reward political friends and punish political enemies.

At the Justice Department, for example, political appointees illegally reserved nonpolitical positions for “right-thinking Americans” — their term, not mine — and there’s strong evidence that officials used their positions both to undermine the protection of minority voting rights and to persecute Democratic politicians.

The hiring process at Justice echoed the hiring process during the occupation of Iraq — an occupation whose success was supposedly essential to national security — in which applicants were judged by their politics, their personal loyalty to President Bush and, according to some reports, by their views on Roe v. Wade, rather than by their ability to do the job.

Speaking of Iraq, let’s also not forget that country’s failed reconstruction: the Bush administration handed billions of dollars in no-bid contracts to politically connected companies, companies that then failed to deliver. And why should they have bothered to do their jobs? Any government official who tried to enforce accountability on, say, Halliburton quickly found his or her career derailed.

There’s much, much more. By my count, at least six important government agencies experienced major scandals over the past eight years — in most cases, scandals that were never properly investigated. And then there was the biggest scandal of all: Does anyone seriously doubt that the Bush administration deliberately misled the nation into invading Iraq?

Why, then, shouldn’t we have an official inquiry into abuses during the Bush years?

One answer you hear is that pursuing the truth would be divisive, that it would exacerbate partisanship. But if partisanship is so terrible, shouldn’t there be some penalty for the Bush administration’s politicization of every aspect of government?

Alternatively, we’re told that we don’t have to dwell on past abuses, because we won’t repeat them. But no important figure in the Bush administration, or among that administration’s political allies, has expressed remorse for breaking the law. What makes anyone think that they or their political heirs won’t do it all over again, given the chance?

In fact, we’ve already seen this movie. During the Reagan years, the Iran-contra conspirators violated the Constitution in the name of national security. But the first President Bush pardoned the major malefactors, and when the White House finally changed hands the political and media establishment gave Bill Clinton the same advice it’s giving Mr. Obama: let sleeping scandals lie. Sure enough, the second Bush administration picked up right where the Iran-contra conspirators left off — which isn’t too surprising when you bear in mind that Mr. Bush actually hired some of those conspirators.

Now, it’s true that a serious investigation of Bush-era abuses would make Washington an uncomfortable place, both for those who abused power and those who acted as their enablers or apologists. And these people have a lot of friends. But the price of protecting their comfort would be high: If we whitewash the abuses of the past eight years, we’ll guarantee that they will happen again.

Meanwhile, about Mr. Obama: while it’s probably in his short-term political interests to forgive and forget, next week he’s going to swear to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.” That’s not a conditional oath to be honored only when it’s convenient.

And to protect and defend the Constitution, a president must do more than obey the Constitution himself; he must hold those who violate the Constitution accountable. So Mr. Obama should reconsider his apparent decision to let the previous administration get away with crime. Consequences aside, that’s not a decision he has the right to make.

Sounds like exactly what's going on here in Malaysia, except on a much larger scale, and with much more serious and far-reaching consequences. I was shocked when America reelected the guy, shocked that even some of my closest friends who are much more well educated than the average American could be brainwashed by Bush and the Republicans' political machinery. Of course there are arguments for and against, and Krugman is probably just as guilty of sensationalising some of these stories as the average Republican is guilty of either downplaying these faults or hypeing up the good deeds of this outgoing administration. The truth lies somewhere in between, but if even half of what Krugman accuses Bush's administration of is true, then America isn't as morally upstanding and capable of leading the world as they like to think they are. 

Of course I've long suspected that, but I wonder when the Americans are going to get the point? Don't get me wrong, there are many wonderful things about America and Americans but sometime in the last eight years, methinks they've lost the right to tell everyone else what to do. The question is, what sort of new balance will be achieved when the dust settles?

New Year at Snow

A white Christmas was tantalizingly close last year. The snow was coming down thick and fast on the way back and I was sure that I would wake up to a magically transformed landscape. I bounded out of bed that morning and went straight to the window. Hopes dashed. But I did have that one gorgeously sunny day with clear blue skies instead, so I'm not complaining.

Instead, I got a gorgeous white New Year up at Kars, which means snow in Turkish. It's right on the Turkish border with Armenia and Georgia, and it's also, quite aptly, the setting of Orhan Pamuk's Snow, the 2006 Nobel Prize winning novel. Now I regret not reading it before I went.

Merve's family and I flew up to Kars on New Year's Eve. That night, the hotel we were staying at had planned a massive New Year's Eve party, complete with shiny paper hats and glittery masks.

The staff even put on their local costumes and performed these awesome dances that was sorta like the Turkish version of Irish fire dancing. Lots of fancy and fast footwork, with some spinning and whirling thrown in. At one point, one of the guys was playing with these lighted torches that turned out to be knives, which he then threw at one of his colleagues who was covered with a wooden board. They wanted to repeat the trick with a member of the audience, and guess who they picked? Merve's parents almost had a heart attack.

It was a really cool night though, filled with lots of laughter, dancing, and a massive bonfire. It's weird standing in front of a bonfire in -15C weather. One side feels like it's roasting gently while the other side is freezing.


After that, we spent 3 wonderful days skiing. I managed to pick it up after a morning of lessons. That feeling of freedom and exhiliration when you're flying down the slopes is breathtakingly awesome. Of course, it would have been nice if it were slightly warmer on the mountain. We were facing -15C temperatures, which probably dropped to -25C with wind chill on the last day. I was freezing even with four layers on. But don't worry, I still have all my toes. I counted. And no, I didn't break a leg :P I wish I had pictures of the snow, though. My camera broke just before we flew there. Sigh.

To B or not to B?

I attended an Insead marketing event last night. The goal was to find out more about the school, and since I went in there with pretty much no knowledge except that it was located in France (and I was only half right about that), it was pretty easy to sucessfully achieve that goal. 

Condensed version of what I found out:

1. Two campuses: Fontainebleau, France (about an hour outside of Paris), and Singapore

2. Fees: €50k 

3. Program duration: 1 year

4. Enrollment: Just above 900 per year spread over 2 intakes in January and September.

5. What makes it stand out: Students come from more than 70 different countries, making it arguably the most diverse business school in the top 10. Feels like UWC all over again.

I found the Q&A session to be particularly interesting, more because it illuminated the type of Malaysian who bothered to attend information sessions like these rather than because I got to find out more about the school. There were the usual questions on minimum GMAT score and such, but the most amusing question of the night was this - Does Malay count as a language?

One of the four major criteria of Insead's selection process is a person's international background - they want to know if you'll be a good fit in such an internationally-focussed school, so if you have a background working/living/studying in different countries, it's a definite plus. Part of that criteria is knowing at least two languages when you enter the program and three when you leave, so the person's question on Bahasa Malaysia's status as a language was, I suppose, a relevant one. 

While reading the furious and frequently verbose but often inane arguments for and against the teaching of Science and Mathematics in English in the papers, I've often wished that the powers that be will just hurry up and decide one way or another. Instead we were told just last week that they are still taking their sweet time to make the decision. In my view, there are so many advantages to teaching the two subjects in English, foremost of which is that it will strengthen Malaysian's grasp of the language, because let's face it, English is the language of the world. 

We have already lost one generation, possibly two, to the government's decision to lower the standard of teaching in the language. Sentences are sometimes so poorly constructed, and the language is so badly mangled that I can't help but wince. Even the English dailies cannot be praised for having flawless English. When I tell foreigners that I'm from Malaysia, they are often surprised at my level of competency in the language. I shudder to think what specimens they have come in contact with to be that shocked by my grasp of the language. 

And for what purpose have we made this sacrifice? Only to ask, at the end of the day, does Malay count as a language?

But I digress. Back to B school. Insead definitely sounds like a good program for me. The international aspect of it appeals to my UWCian soul. Of course to get in is another question entirely. The admit rate isn't published, but I'm sure it will be even more competitive than Princeton was, and that still seems like a fluke to me. Apparently some guy spent a whole year working on his admissions essays. A bit much, don't you think?

The blame game

Somehow, I always expect the world to stop when I'm on holidays. I want to tell people "Hey you. Stop what you're doing now so that I can pick up exactly where I left off when I come back." I think it's to do with feeling disconnected from the world. When the internet, and thus the world, isn't readily at my finger tips, everything better stay the same until I can be well informed again. Do you feel the same?

In a few short weeks, a war has started (although I guess technically it never ended), $50 billion has been lost to a Ponzi scheme, and another $50 billion has been stolen from American taxpayers for the Iraqi reconstruction. As a taxpayer too, I am outraged. Whatever happened to no taxation without representation? Why do I have to pay taxes there when I have no say in who gets to spend my tax dollars? I'd better get a huge refund this year.

But the article that grabbed my attention the most was one linking Chinese savings to the current economic crisis.

The problem, he said, was not that Americans spend too much, but that foreigners save too much.

And who is this "he"? Ben S. Bernanke, no less. The article also goes on to state that

In hindsight, many economists say, the United States should have recognized that borrowing from abroad for consumption and deficit spending at home was not a formula for economic success.

Duh. You think?

The suggested remedy was to push Beijing to revalue their currency, thus cutting the source of this drug of cheap manufactured goods. But of course it is never the average American's fault. The regulators weren't doing their job. It's those greedy people on Wall Street. It's those bloody Chinese who don't have enough confidence to spend and so they invest their savings abroad. It's not my fault even though I faked my income and got a loan I couldn't possibly afford. If the banks were willing to give me the loan, it can't be my fault, can it?

Everyone lost their heads in the enthusiasm of the recent gold rush. Except it's now the next day and we have woken up to find that all the gold has turned to lead. Yes, there are people at fault, but don't kid yourself - the multiple "people" includes ourselves and our own greed.

Istanbul

Happy new year, everyone! I just got back from a two and a half week trip to Turkey, where it was mostly cold, snowy/drizzly and grey, so coming back to Malaysian warmth and sunshine feels great. Despite the weather, I had a fantastic time in Turkey, all thanks to my host and bff, Merve :)

Merve was back in Istanbul for her winter break. She's currently based in New York, where this smart cookie is scoring straight A's in her MFA at Parson's. Throughout our time at Istanbul, we stayed at her family's summer house out in the suburbs. The house is a 15 minute drive on a winding forest road away from the city, but it gets so pastoral out there that sheep and cows graze outside the house sometimes, which I was really excited about.

Istanbul is the only city in the world that spans two continents. The European side, where I spent most of my time, is separated from the Asian side (a.k.a. Anatolia) by the Bosphorus Strait, which links the Black Sea and the Marmara sea. On a bright sunny day (a rare commodity indeed, on my trip), the Bosphorus is an amazing turquoise colour. Merve and I wanted to take a ferry to the Princess Islands but the weather and the timing never worked in our favour :(


Some impressions of Istanbul:
1. It is a city of minarets. Everywhere you go, there are mosques. Some large and impressive like the Aga Sofia and the Blue Mosque (which we later found out was also known as the Sultan Ahmet mosque), and some tiny neighbourhood ones that are no less charming. There are dozens of mosques on the historical peninsula alone, but you can tell them apart by the number of minarets they have.
2. The traffic is terrible, especially when crossing the Bosphorus. We dropped Merve's friend off at her place on the Asian side of the Bosphorus once and the round trip took us about four and a half hours. Here's a tip: never cross the bridge unless you've emptied your bladder first.

I didn't think to take a picture, but here's one I found of the traffic queuing up to cross one of the Bosphorus bridges.

3. The food is amazing. There is, of course, the kebabs in all their various wonderful forms. And then there are the sweet treats, with baklava as the king. And then there are giant baked potatoes, known as kumpir, that they whip with butter and cheese in the skins before adding a vast variety of toppings, including corn, sausages, olives, walnut paste, pickles etc before topping it all off with ketchup and mayo. Fantastically delicious stuff. I'm surprised I didn't gain 10 pounds there.
4. Merve and her family assure me that the winter is not as cold, grey, drizzling and dreary as it was on my trip, and I really want to believe them. However, everyone still recommends going at any time other than the winter. Believe me, you wouldn't think it, but it DOES snow in Istanbul.

5. The Turks are awesome hosts. From Merve's wonderful family, who treated me like one of their own, to the shop owners at the Grand Bazaar, to the little cheese shop in the mountains that we visited, the Turkish hospitality was warm, genuine, and amazing.


6. Stray dogs and cats are a big problem. Some of them had diseases. One of them had scratched himself raw. Most appeared healthy and well-fed, though. The Turks may not be doing anything to keep them off the streets, but at least they feed them. Interestingly enough, the Turkish muslims don't seem to have a problem with touching dogs. Maybe that's another Malaysian taboo thing?


7. The Grand Bazaar is a must see. It's called "grand" for a reason - it's very possible to get lost in the maze of shop-lined streets there. Think of a huge building that contains 58 streets and 6,000 shops, all on one level. It's a great place for shopping. You can find anything there, from scarves and cushion covers to tea pots and glasses to antiques, and of course, carpets. If you get dehydrated wandering around in here, not to worry, because you can always duck into any shop and you will be offered some tea. Try the apple, it's delicious. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the place because my battery died, but here's a photo I found on istanbulside.net.

Here's a sample of what you can get at the Grand Bazaar - I actually took this picture in one of the shops on Istiklal, the main street in Taksim, but the wares are similar.

8. I liked the Spice Bazaar more, though, simply because of the sheer variety of edible goodies that was for sale. There were all sorts of dried fruits, nuts, teas, cheeses, olives, and of course, spices. They even had stuff like soaps and henna for sale. Size-wise, it can't compare to the Grand Bazaar because it only comprises two covered lanes and one outdoors, but it felt more intimate and friendly to me.

9. The Aga Sofia (or Hagia Sophia) is another must see. Originally a church, the Aga Sofia, meaning Holy Wisdom, was constructed during the Byzantine empire around 1500 years ago. However, in 1453, Istanbul, or Constantinople at the time, was conquered by the Ottoman Turks, who converted the majestic building into a mosque as their ultimate symbol of victory. The building is now a church, and visitors can walk freely in the building, provided they put little plastic booties over their shoes.

This is the "Weeping Hole" in one of the pillars. Legend has it that if you stick your thumb in there and turn it 360 degrees while making a wish, your wish will come true if your thumb comes out wet.

10. The Turks have a love affair with water. It's very important in the Islam religion, with devotees having to wash themselves as a symbol of purification before they pray. Consequently, one can find these huge buildings, often made of marble, dotted throughout the city, usually next to a mosque. The only function of these buildings, as far as I can tell, is to provide water. The concept as a whole is great, but the thing I can't understand is - if you're going to build such a giant edifice, the sole purpose of which is to provide water, why not provide more spigots?

The building in the foreground is one of those giant tap buildings. The only spigot I saw was in the middle archway on the right. The building in the background is the local mosque. Merve's mom said they were traditionally used as meeting points so women would gossip as they lined up for their turn at the tap. It still doesn't make sense to me.