How should we judge a government?

In Malaysia, if you don't watch television or read newspapers, you are uninformed; but if you do, you are misinformed!

"If you're not careful, the newspapers will have you hating the people who are being oppressed, and loving the people who are doing the oppressing." - Malcolm X

Never argue with stupid people, they will drag you down to their level and then beat you with experience - Mark Twain

Why we should be against censorship in a court of law: Publicity is the very soul of justice … it keeps the judge himself, while trying, under trial. - Jeremy Bentham

"Our government is like a baby's alimentary canal, with a happy appetite at one end and no
responsibility at the other. " - Ronald Reagan

Government fed by the people

Government fed by the people

Career options

Career options
I suggest government... because nobody has ever been caught.

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?

Corruption so prevalent it affects English language?
Corruption is so prevalent it affects English language?

When there's too much dirt...

When there's too much dirt...
We need better tools... to cover up mega corruptions.

Prevent bullying now!

Prevent bullying now!
If you're not going to speak up, how is the world supposed to know you exist? “Orang boleh pandai setinggi langit, tapi selama ia tidak menulis, ia akan hilang di dalam masyarakat dan dari sejarah.” - Ananta Prameodya Toer (Your intellect may soar to the sky but if you do not write, you will be lost from society and to history.)

Wednesday, February 06, 2008

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Once, I overheard an older Chinese man commenting about the surname ‘Ng’ which sounds ‘negative’ and one has to be careful when choosing names. For example, ‘Fatt Choi’ (prosperous) preceded by “Ng’ becomes ‘not prosperous’!

With this in mind, I have to be careful as my blog’s name is Kosong (acronym of my first name and surname). Would people feel offended if Kosong Café wishes ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’? Does it sound like an empty greeting?

But I can think of many examples, which are meaningful with the word ‘kosong’, like when in my regular phone shop, one of the girls will ask a customer who wishes to re-load his phone, “Kosong apa?” as in 012, 013, 014, 016 or 017.

Then, there are those ‘Jawatan Kosong’ (Job vacancies) advertisements on shop windows, and ‘Tapak kosong’ (vacant site), which sounds like belonging to me!

Anyway, I wish all my relatives, friends and visitors who are celebrating the Chinese New Year, ‘Gong Xi Fa Cai’.

My thanks to BH for his interesting greeting which I managed to open but still unable to reply using my usual email (due to settings and my poor knowledge of IT). Believe me, I am working with a lot of constraints and which require lots of patience. Bear with me till Cheng upgrades her notebook and I use hers, provided it is still working then! Welcome to the new meaning of ‘hand-me-down’!

1 comment:

bayi said...

No probs, Kosong.

Happy New Year. Hopefully, things will return to normal after the erec....elections! :)