That really hurt…

Dear WordPress,

I never anywhere in this blog of mine mentioned that I’m :

i. showing off my writing skills;
ii. bragging to people that I can write a bit in English; and
iii. that I am mentally superior to others.

OUCH : EPI’s Assessment Results!

I write just because I want to practice writing in English and so that my grey matter is used once in awhile and keeping it nimble (you really want to this if you’re stuck in this oxymoronic place). In fact, as I have mentioned here and there, EPI is essentially a collection of my personal thoughts and life experiences for my own consumption. It’s an online mirror of my pastt self like your car’s rear mirror; to see if you hit something or did something wrong or you missed a turn etc.

Wake Up Guys and ‘Smell’ the Trouble Coming!

Dear WordPress,

I really don’t want to hype more that I should about issues surrounding the Malays lest people will say I’m just talk and talk as it’s easier to say than actually do something about it. I’m sure most of us are already aware of the Malay crisis in Malaysia (if you aren’t then you have a problem!) and more or less have a hand in to advert a total disaster in our own small way. And before you all think that I’m going all racist, just read on first and judge later.

Payless Books Warehaus Sale

Dear WordPress,

There’re a few books out there I would love to get my hands on. However, due to personal unforeseen expenses last year, I have to make it up these 2-3 months by saving more and hence absolutely no buying of books unless it’s selling at a discounted price. Talk about cheapskate hehehe. Of course finding some time to actually read the tonnes of books I bought over the years is another issue separately. I don’t really speed read books; I slowly go over it and try as much to enjoy it.

DO – YOU – SPEAKA – ENGLISHHHH: English Books on Sale in China

Something less for something infinite

Dear WordPress,

As my fingers begin to tingle again (more like semut-semut than your normal spider’s sense) for something to type on this faithful laptop of mine, I searched again for some inspiration. The usual suspect is loading Google on chrome and randomly type anything I can think of in the short span of 2 seconds and begin to search. Today’s urge to write was largely fired up by a humble forwarded email (which happened to land into Yahoo!’s junk mail filter of all the places) from a long time friend.

Stuff

Dear WordPress,

As I am taking a break from work (and go to nearby pasar malam), I just remembered about my blog. Huhuhu hopefully EPI hasn’t sulked yet. This entry is as useless as cotton candy (sweet, fluffy, light but contains absolutely no nourishments) since my head has been throbbing for the past 2 weeks. So I will just lay down some random thoughts which are neither thought provoking, profoundly informative (or just bearing a faint stench of it) nor heavily posing as having any philosophical foundation.

It’s just a collection or summary of what I can think in these 10 minutes or so. (Ahah! I’ll call it the Official EPI Blabbing of the Month or EBOM; a tell tale sign that I am either brain frozen or just plain tired to stimulate any grey matter activity). About the New year, I think new year smooch year or whatever, bah humbug! Nothing good, nothing new, nothing, zilch, zero, nada. Next…

Life? Umm… my Richter Emotion Scale almost registered something like I was being dumped by someone… aiyah really ah? It has been that long I think… next, next, next… Work… please lah… something MORE illogical and idiotic to write here! NEXT!!! Umm… motorbike? Ahhh… I won a new modenas GT 128 courtesy of Bank Muamalat Malaysia Bhd, Alhamdulillahi rabbil alamin… I used their e-debit service and my name came up as the grand price winner. Cool…

I think that’s about it I want to ramble. Maghrib time guys! Until the next EBOM guys… next… next… next…

Debunking Faiths in Malaysia (Read Myths) #2

Dear WordPress,

Tomorrow will be a public holiday for all to enjoy regardless of creed, religion or occupation (but of course this doesn’t apply to all unfortunately), because tomorrow is Awwal Muharram or the beginning of the Islamic New Year. I bet you can already guess from the topic chosen above what will I write here. Yes, it is about the Malaysian Muslims ‘fondness’ to recite the End Year / New Year Du’a.

Before I go on, I like to make it clear that I am neither an expert in Hadiths or Shariah matters nor do I have a solid Islamic foundation to comment on such issues. Nor it is my intention to stir up frivolous matters or nitpick on things that are best be left alone. It is just EPI’s community service to bring forth some insights that should provide a better understanding to such long standing ‘faiths’ amongst fellow Muslims in Malaysia. After that, whether one chose to accept, rebut or denounce is entirely up to himself or herself.

Mufti of Perak’s Advice on Malay Unity

It has been long since I posted any article on the Malays. Whether it is drummed by politicians, academicians and religious experts, nothing seem to waken them up. Sigh!

Bimbang perpaduan Melayu

Oleh SITI MARIAM MD. ZAIN
pengarang@utusan.com.my

IPOH 13 Dis. - Perpaduan di kalangan orang Melayu berada pada tahap membimbangkan dan mereka perlu kembali kepada ajaran Islam sebenar jika mahu mengukuhkannya, kata Mufti Perak, Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria. Menurut tokoh agama itu, Islam tidak mengajar umatnya berkelahi sesama sendiri hanya disebabkan oleh perbezaan fahaman politik dan ideologi.

New Commodity Called Friends – Final

Tuan WordPress,

Seperti mana yang telah saya paparkan sedikit ulasan dan pengalaman saya berhadapan dengan senario masyarakat Melayu Islam Malaysia dan kegilaan mereka terhadap wang mudah (easy money), saya akan menutup isu ini once and for all. Namun sebelum itu, molek juga saya huraikan kenapa saya begitu bersikap hyper sceptical dan anti terhadap golongan ini.

Pertamanya, hendaklah kita semua sedar akan kedudukan kita di dunia ini (khalifatullah) dan matlamat hidup ini (menuju kejayaan dunia dan akhirat). Bukanlah saya ingin uar-uarkan bahawa penulis merupakan golongan yang confirmed an-naajihiin wal faaizin (orang-orang berjaya). Kerana pengakhiran hidup ini tiadalah siapa yang tahu melainkan Dia yang Maha Esa. Moga-moga kita semua tergolong dalam orang-orang yang menemui husnul khaatimah (kesudahan yang baik).

New Commodity Called Friends – Part II

Dear WordPress,

Fate has written that I will be back here typing out another piece regarding the this amazing commodity called friends. Indeed, as soon as I finished publishing the article, somebody buzzed me through Yahoo Messenger! It was someone I just gotten to know online just 3 days ago. Pure coincidence or could be that my article has incurred the wrath of Mr. Ponzi and thus he summoned one of his many legion of scheming followers to verbally ‘abuse’ me with offers of untold riches beyond your wildest dreams. Just read the following extract from YM and marvel at the level of indignity that my fellow Malay people would stoop to get limitless wealth.

Read on believers…

New Commodity Called Friends

Dear WordPress,

Of late I have been receiving countless emails / sms / invites through social networking sites from friends and strangers offering me to join some kind of  he multi-level marketing / pyramid / get-rich-quick / 5 figures schemes. Well, first of all, thank you very much for thinking about me first. Friends share the good stuff (in this case is highly unlikely to be so) I’ll say. Secondly, no thank you in return. Don’t take it personally but please shove such thoughts (yes, it doesn’t even come to the offer stage yet) to someone else you may not want to consider as friends.

CHARLES PONZI : Modern Day Schemers Unwittingly “Pay” Tribute to this Fellow (Picture courtesy of Wikipedia)