A loyal friend...

Ee Leen told me about Hachiko a couple of weeks ago and I finally got around to watch it yesterday. It is an American adaptation of a true Japanese story about a dog named Hachiko from the 1920s who couldn't be more loyal to his owner.

Hachiko is of a pure Japanese breed known as Akita. It is a GORGEOUS dog. Akitas are known for their loyalty and intelligence. According to the movie, apparently they don't do things just to please you if there is no significant reason. For example, Hachiko never fetched a ball even when his owner taught him how to do it because he didn't see the point of doing it.

But one day, before his owner went to work, Hachiko refused to go with him. This was very unlikely of him because he loved walking his owner to the train station everyday. And he would be there again waiting at the exact same spot everyday at the same time, waiting for his owner to get off work. Even the people around the train station got used to him. Hachiko knew something was wrong. He didn't want to let his owner go.

His owner left for work anyway without him. A few minutes later, Hachiko decided to go after his owner, with a ball in his mouth. The owner saw him and was thrilled because he finally fetched a ball. Hachiko saw him off with a sad look on his face.

At 5pm, there he was as usual, waiting at his spot. But one by one, the people came off the train but his owner was no where to be seen. He had died of a heart attack at the university (he was a professor, by the way). Hachiko knew something like this was going to happen, but he continued to wait, long into the night.

After the professor died, his family gave Hachiko away. But he would escape from his home everyday. Somehow, he found his way to the train station and continued to wait for his master's return at the exact same spot. The people around were touched by his loyalty.

And guess what? He came back to his spot every single day at the same time for the next NINE YEARS, waiting to see his master's face again, to welcome him home, to play with him, to see him smile again. For us, that means waiting for someone for almost 70 years! He waited there until he died of old age at his spot. That is why the people of Tokyo had build a bronze statue commemorating Hachiko at the Shibuya railway station.

Can you imagine that? To show that kind of loyalty to someone practically your whole life. How many of us can really promise that? I know, it is ridiculous to compare our lives to that of a dog's because they don't have to attend to school, college, work, family, social lives, and whatnot. No one expects us to be at someone's feet 24/7. But loyalty isn't just about that.

We talked about friends at IMPACT during our first CG lesson this year. Most of us are ashamed to admit that we can't even show the slightest amount of loyalty by not talking behind someone's back. We don't know how to be honest with someone because we are afraid to hurt their feelings. Or sometimes, we might be too honest that we hurt someone without even realising it. We don't admit our mistakes at times. We are afraid to make friends with someone because apparently they're 'not cool'. We show our temper. We show a sour face when people forget your birthday. There are just so many things that we tend to do that we can't call ourselves a good friend, a loyal friend. And yet, we still have a bunch of great friends around us.

Ever wonder how it would feel like to have someone like Hachiko? Waiting on you without worrying about other things, be it emotionally or physically? The only person I can think of is Jesus. He doesn't do things without a significant reason just to make us happy. God is not Bruce Almighty. He doesn't just click 'yes' to every single prayer just to please us. But when he does, His grace and mercy are proven. He is patient and he waits for us even when we forget Him at times. He died on the Cross to save us from the enemy. All we need to do is come to Him, welcoming Him into our lives every single day, every single moment. Not turning our backs on Him. Not choosing Facebook over your devotion. Not choosing your birthday party over church. Not choosing sleep over Sunday service.

So, let's change things right now and be a good friend to everyone. Your parents, siblings, church friends, school friends, aunts, uncles, cousins, colleagues. Make it up to someone if you're in the midst of a conflict. Confront someone if you have a problem with them and all you have been doing is talking behind their backs. Buy someone a drink. Surprise someone outside their college or school and give them a ride home. Who knows, one day your story may touch someone's life like Hachiko did.

P/S Took me a while to write this. Haven't been blogging like this for a looong time. Sorry if some things don't make sense!

What Makes A Malaysian A Malaysian

My aunt sent me this email. So, does this define us as Malaysians? lol

"You can name all the players from the the English Premier
League, but ask you to name one football player from Malaysia ,
one name also cannot come out.

When StreamyX come, you complain StreamyX too slow.
When Maxis Broadband come, you complain Maxis
Broadband always disconnects. When WiMax come, you
complain Wimax too expensive. In the end, you say
StreamyX still the best lah.

When toll price increase, you complain. When petrol price increase,
you complain. When you go Starbucks buy RM10 coffee, NO
COMPLAINTS.

When you cannot find parking in a shopping mall and have
to walk very far, you complain. When you go inside the
shopping mall and there's SALE , run from one end of 1
Utama to the other also NO COMPLAINTS.

You are always late. And the excuse you give when you're late is
always either: (a) traffic jam (b) no transport or (c) cannot find
parking.

You have a parent who force you to take science stream in
high school, study engineering in Uni, then when you
graduate, they ask you to forget everything you learnt in
Uni and do commerce.

You know someone who can specially develop an angmoh accent
when speaking to a American / British / Australian. -> YES

You complain against the government in kopitiam, you talk
loud loud. Leave anonymous comments on blogs, you also
talk loud loud. Attend ceremah by DAP, you shout loud loud.
Then when Opposition organise a protest and ask you to go,
you dun wan. Scared later kena tangkap by ISA.

Every year on the 30th April, you are one of the people below
queueing up last minute to submit your tax return at the IRB.

When you pay RM10 for something that costs RM1, you blame
the Chinese.

When a government service is too slow, you blame the Malays.

When a building is not good and collapsed, you blame the
Indonesians!

When a Chinese student won a scholarship, you say 'Wah! Very clever
hor?' When a Malay student won a scholarship, you say 'Aiya! Of course
lah! He Malay mah!'

When an angmoh stranger kiss you on the cheek to say hello,
you very happy. When a Malaysian guy kiss you on the cheek
to say hello, you slap him - so hamsap wan!"

It's getting to me.

I think I know why I'm starting to get lazy to blog. Writing thousands of words every semester has made me dread writing even more.

Sometimes I just want to rant, but my fingers and brain are too tired to do it. And I'm not exactly someone who pens down my feelings for the world to see. I can't even open up to people sometimes.

Maybe I should just close this blog...

Or not?

LOL. We'll see.

I realised I haven't blogged since Uni started again. I'll make this simple by updating about the good, the bad and the evil worst.

GOOD. FGA USJ's new Sanctuary is finally opening tomorrow on Easter! After months of fund-raising, prayers and anticipating, it's finally here! Although our trademark 7.30am Sunday service will temporarily held back for a couple of months, we hope to get back to our normal routine as the church grows in Jesus' name! Stopped by the church today after our first tuition class with the children from the Tamil Ministry. Speaking of that, the tuition class wasn't as scary as I thought it would be. I had fun learning from the aunties and helping out with my fellow IMPACTers. Back to our new Sanctuary, if you are free at 5pm tomorrow (April 4, 2010), do join our Thanksgiving Service. I can't wait!

Next, I'm done with the first wave of assignments! This semester's Assignment 1s are a lot tougher than previous semesters. But of course, this is suppose to happen in the final year. I am so proud of our class because 90% of us finished an assignment 3 days before the due date yesterday! It was a news layout design assignment. Everyone was rushing to complete it and print out our work yesterday, acting as though it was the due date. I certainly felt like it was. But after we finished it, everyone was so proud of ourselves because this is RARE. Procrastination is like our best friend in Degree. So finishing an assignment more than A DAY earlier is considered a miracle. Let's hope this will happen in our upcoming assignments!

Speaking of that, here comes the BAD. MORE assignments, of course. The next assignment for PR2 requires us to come up with a campaign proposal. And guess what, our proposals will be sent for a compulsory competition, the 2010 Global Academic Challenge. This year's theme is 'Giving Young People a Helping Hand'. We have to crack our heads and come up with an idea FAST! Apparently one of our seniors have won this global competition before back in 2008. So it isn't impossible for us. And one of our team members is already planning our trip to Washington DC when IF we win! LOL More late/sleepless nights to come! I can't go on without an afternoon nap these days even after only a two-hour lecture. I'm still not used to 8am classes everyday. :S

Which brings us to the WORST. I don't know if this is a good or bad thing. But for now, let's make it the worst.

Moving to the Lakeside Campus. Yay or nay? NAY. Especially if I'm driving every single day to a place where parking is not guaranteed at all. Now even with barely 70% of the campus filled, people are already complaining. Have you seen the Facebook group? At first, I considered taking the shuttle bus from our current campus at LCS because they promised us free parking opposite LCS as long as we have a sticker. Looks like this plan was terminated two days ago and they no longer provide free parking. What's the point?

Apparently they are already building new lots along with the retail outlets, but God knows when it'll be ready. I'm not surprised if us final year students won't get a chance to use them before we graduate. I don't know what else to do, but this.

Lord, please grant us favour. It would be a miracle to find a space early in the morning every single day starting next month. And only You can make that happen. I lift up Taylor's Lakeside Campus' parking lot issue unto Your hands. Amen. :)

That's all for now. God bless!