Letters from the Equator

I don’t know what to say.
article: link
Malaysia outlaws unsuitable namesBy Jonathan Kent
Malaysian authorities have published a list of undesirable titles to prevent parents giving their children names such as Hitler, smelly dog or 007.
Some restrictions spelled out in the article:
- “Ah Chwar”, snake in Hokkien- “Khiow Khoo”, hunchback in Hokkien- “Chow Tow”, smelly head [...]

Du Viet vietnamese restaurant in Damansara Jaya does not serve water. My sister was told that “it was not on the menu”, but they would “make an exception”. Later on, she found on her receipt that she was charged RM0.80 for some food she did not order, which was actually the charge for the glass [...]

Badawi is making sense here. And I don’t say this because I scuba dive. But my question is whether this project has been caved or whether it has been allowed to continue. Does Musa have veto power? Looks like I’d better take a trip to Sipadan before they build more resorts.
article: linkLay off SipadanBy ELIZABETH [...]

Asian people hardly speak up in a crowd. They only make noise when they want something they desperately want, or when they are specifically asked a question.
I do a bit of teaching and tutoring now and then. One sure way to get little response is to open a general question to the crowd. Questions like [...]

On the news today: link
Article 11 forums to discuss inter-faith issues must stop immediately because they are deemed to cause tension in our multi-religious society, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said.
I used to have more respect for the prime minister, but I don’t know now. I’m not against the fact that tension can occur, as [...]

I’m finally moving out of Cyberjaya.
The first thing that comes to mind is the journey. I really hate travelling to Cyberjaya. No doubt the traffic is worse the opposite direction, but I still hate the fact that I have to get past two tolls and cross 55km of road every day. Good riddance to that.
The [...]

Ho-hey, the apartment is supposed to be ready by this month, and pending approval from the authorities (let’s pray no bribery or other unscrupulous acts will take place), we should be moving in by October. At least this year, I hope!
It’s been a tiring long wait and I can’t seem to convince myself that I [...]

Malaysia scraps WiMax license:
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/060718/3/2nakr.html
“The tender has to be recalled because the specifications are not according to ministry policies,” Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik told reporters at an industry conference.
Lim said he was disappointed with industry regulator the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), adding that the conditions for the tender did not take into [...]

There has been a lapse of at least two weeks since the last time I realized I thought I was moving forward. Now I’m not so sure.
After returning back from the U.K., my work has revolved around meetings, meetings and more meetings. Brainstorming sessions account for half of those, and I am led to [...]

I wrote the God-fun article not too long ago, and a good friend of mine posted a comment, which was relatively lengthy and thought provoking. Here’s what he said: link
So, because I believe in proper research rather than blind faith.. and also because I respect my friends for who they are and they have been [...]