Space talk

Trial exam is finally over. Most of the papers are given back already. I must say that my result this time is better off than the last one. Two A2's though, so it was a bit flawed. Gotta do better. Oh, and my essay got really high marks. Maybe I should type it out. Why? Well 1. because I can, and 2. because I'm vain enough to show off. Yeah, whatever. XP

What happened lately in my life? Nothing much. Come to think of it, time flies just like that. People come and go in your life. My classmates are busy writing autographs and compiling pieces of colourful papers to be made into a diary (or autograph. or memo. or whatever.) I don't want to make those. It drives home the point and confirms as if you'll never see each other again. Pfft. After form 5, there'll still be chances and friends could always reunite. Hypothetically. It's not like you won't get to see each other again, right? The Internet is the one single most useful thing ever invented. So, yeah, whether you're in Barbados or Timbuktoo, you're literally just minutes away from catching up with each other. So why all the tedious tasks of compiling a book that only serves to remind all the good times, yet leaving an empty gaping hole in your heart? Might as well NOT do it and have this mindset that friends are always gonna see each other again. Heh. Again, hypothetically, that might work. But who knows?

Speaking of which, on October 10th, Malaysia saw her first astronaut lifted into space. Cosmonaut, if you like it. Astronaut for the US, cosmonaut for the Russians, taikonaut for the Chinese (pun intended) and what do we have? Can-or-not. (pun intended very heavily) I understand the criticisms all around for this space mission. I support the Government's good intentions of starting a wave of revolution in science and innovation by sparking the students' interest in technology, like what the US did in the 1960's during the Cold War space race. Yet, we have to put this into our Malaysian context. The US succeeded in sparking a massive revolution in the way their people think and now they're the world's most powerful country. I'm not so sure about Malaysians. Personally, I think it'd be another hot hot chicken shit (BM proverb) project and after 5 years, people would forget all about it. Judging from the way the, err, MALAYsian government runs things, I wouldn't be surprised if after 5 years, nothing, absolutely nothing has come off the supposed 'innovation' and 'spark' in our science field.

Why? We do not have the political will to do so. The Americans succeed because they walk the talk. Singaporeans still survive until now because they're uber-kiasu, which worked. But our ever relaxed government does not have the iron will to use anything possible to knock some sense into the, erm, bumiputera races to stand up and work hard. They expect everything from the country, then start accusing other races of robbing them off wealth that's supposed to belong to them. There are two types of Malay - the proto-Malay and the... whatever you call them Malay. The proto-Malay are the new generation group that lives in cities and urban places and work hard to face the reality that nothing comes free in this life. I respect those kind, and luckily most of the nation's government-linked companies have these type of Malays running them. St Theresa and St Joseph have lots of these type. The other type? Those super-hypocrite, downright lazy and ultra conservative group. These are the ones that stoke racial sentiments by saying unjust things and spread lies. Kelantan is ruled by these people and just see where that got them. 30% of Malaysia's hardcore poor live in that state. Hah! Rub salt in your wounds.

Anyway, just as a sidenote, I'm not racist. I say things as they are. I love my country and so I weep when I see the way it's run. People call for greater harmony and truthfully, nothing is done to ensure racial harmony.

Okay, back to the rocket launch. I watched it live. It was fantastic. I had tuition before the launch so I got back just in time to watch it. It was like, turn on TV and " T-minus one minute " with the screen showing a big bad rocket waiting to spew out few hundred tonnes of force. And then, the moment came. I read the newspaper article and the whole nation came to a standstill as everyone, EVERYONE ran to the nearest TV in coffee shops, the traffic stopped and people stopped walking when the rocket started. The bottom part flamed up, dust was everywhere and with a great firestorm, it inched slowly upwards. Then it sped. Then up. Up, up, up, up, UP, UP and UPPPPP it goes. It cruised SMOOTHLY and flawlessly upwards, and watching it live was.. awesome. Whole nation clapped. I cheered.

The rocket in all its glory

With all due respect, I'm still a Malaysian in essence. So this is a special entry with respect to the first cosmonaut of the country, Dr. Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor. May God bless him have a safe trip home.