Losers in the Long Run

The champions of Bahasa Malaysia who took to the streets are doing a disservice to the Malays. Looks like they want their race to be a failure.

Wanting English to be taught for Science and Maths does not make us lesser Malay. Do we have soul if we Malays are lacking behind universally or fail to be employed ?

I love my race. I love my language. But it does not put food on the table. It does not enable my children to compete globally.

Let's take a reality check. 60% of the Malay graduates are unemployed. They do not perform well in job interviews because of the English handicap.

So the multi-national firms tend to employ the non-Malays. The non-Malays who go to the same school can be good in Bahasa Malaysia, English and their mother tongue.

Malays will continue to be the losers if the language in schools is just Bahasa Malaysia. I think the so-called proponents of Bahasa Malaysia should instead do something to address why the Malays are not fluent in English and some even fail their Bahasa Malaysia in exams.

Scan the newspaper now and we see many international companies, foreign embassies and foreign universities offer scholarships. But who got them > Who got the coveted Asean scholarships ?

It is not because the Malays are not intelligent. But not being fluent in English has made them less confident to sell themselves well. Do we have to rely only on JPA and Mara to further our studies overseas ?

When i got back to my hometown in Pahang, i am happy to know manay relatives' kids got straight As. But these kids are shy to speak English for fear of being teased and rebuked. I have come across remarks like "oh eksyennya, cakap Mat Salleh" (such a show off, speaking in English !)

Another sad thing is the standard of English is deterioting in our foreign service.

A newspaper report said out young diplomats are no longer able to write communiques. That is why the government still retained many ambassadors on contracts although they are well past retirement age.

When are we going to have world class diplomats like the late Tan Sri Zain Azraai or Tan Sri Razali Ismail, who were tutelaged by Tun Ghazali Shafie ?

And where are our artistes on the internation stage ? They are on par with others in terms of English, they are contented to be jaguh kampung - with a few exceptions. It is such a shame when even Indonesian leasers are now well-conversant in English.

I know rather well one or two of the proponents of the Bahasa Malaysia.

We always converse in English and they are fluent at that. Why do they want to deprive our future generations to be as good as them in English ?


ISZAN ISMAIL,
Petaling Jaya.

**Taken from STAR Newspapar Malaysia dated 19 Match 2009

I am REBECCA

No. My name is NOT Rebecca. I took a personality quiz this afternoon and it appears that if i were in the ABC Primetime TV Show i'd be Rebecca. I don't do this sort of thing often but it's been a boring day and while surfing the net this afternoon looking for a new wallpaper, i came across this quiz and i thought, well, why not.

Anyways, below are the questions asked >
1. You just met the person your significant other was cheating on you with. How do you react ?
a. Berate them in public for ruining your marriage
b. Try to understand what your husband or wife sees in them
C. Avoid them at all cost
d. Confront the person in private

2. You need to get home. Which route do you take ?
A. The shortest one
b. The scenic one
c. Any route as long as it's different than last time
d. I check traffic reports for the quickest one

3. You meet an attractive person at the gym. What do you do ?
A. Introduce yourself
b. Let them make the first move
c. Avoid them nervously
d. Give the person your contact info and tell them you'll be expecting their call

4. How would you find out that your significant other was cheating on you ?
a. I'd notice a few odd hotel bills
B. I'd see if they'd been looking at me -- and another person -- differently
c. I'd notice if they were always working late on the same day
d. I'd notice if their illegitimate child showed up at my front door

5. Do you have to have the last word ?
a. Every time
B. Not if i'm wrong
c. Most of the time
d. Having the last word never matters to me

6. You family company is hemorrhaging money. You don't want to, but you really should lay off employees to make ends meet. Do you ?
a. Yes. It's the only way to stay in the black
B. Yes. A few. But i take a pay cut to keep as many as i can
c. No. I take out a big loan and keep everyone
d. Yes. I liquidate and sell the company to make a profit

7. It's your birthday. What kind of party will you have ?
a. A small family gathering
b. Rent out a restaurant to celebrate in style
c. It will be in the tabloids the next day
D. None at all -- Birthdays aren't a big deal

8. You just bought your favorite new shirt. Why is it your favorite ?
a. Because it feels comfortable
b. Because the colors look great on you
C. Because it makes you feel confident
d. Because it's new

9. How long does it take you to order dinner when you go out ?
a. Less than a minute. I know what i like
b. An embarrassingly long time ... I like to peruse all my options
c. Long enough to look at all the specials
D. A while. I like to mix it up

10. You whole family is fighting. Which would you rather be ?
a. Right
B. Fair
c. Undisputed winner
d. Everyone's favorite in the end

11. How do you know when you've had too much wine ?
a. When you fall asleep on the couch
B. When you feel a little light-headed
c. When you say more than you mean to
d. When you get kicked out of a restaurant for making a scene

12. How daughter is very sick. How do you make her feel better ?
a. Take her back to your house, give her a hug and make her a bowl of soup
B. Take her to the doctor
c. Take her to the emergency room
d. Give her some medicine and tell her to rest

13. You're planning to move across the country to a new city. What is your first plan of action ?
A. Finding out which neighborhood would be best
b. Getting a job
c. Organizing your place for the move
d. Planning your housewarming party

My character and verdict :
YOU ARE REBECCA ! You are very good at rationalizing and strategizing -- You know how to get things done. Taking care of business isn't just a motto or just a song, it's your way of life. You get your way in most situations and still manage to do it while staying under the radar ... at least, until you get caught. You should play poker because you obviously know to read people.


Above is the girl playing "Rebecca" in ABC primetime series "Brothers and Sisters". Her name is Emily Vancamp. She previously starred on the cancelled CW series "Everwood" which lasted for four years.

Actual Footage of FedEx Crash at Tokyo Narita This Morning

A cargo plane has crash-landed in a fireball near Tokyo, killing both crew members, officials say.

The accident happened as the Federal Express plane arrived in windy weather at Narita international airport from Guangzhou in China.

Japan's public broadcaster NHK showed dramatic footage of the plane bouncing as it landed and then bursting into flames on Monday morning local time.

It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the fire under control.

The accident happened at about 0650 local time on this morning (0550 Malaysian time).

The two crew were taken to hospital but both were confirmed dead.

Officials said the the pilot was 54 years old and the co-pilot was 49, and reports suggest they were both American, but this has not been officially confirmed.

Footage of the crash shows the plane landing hard, tipping on to its left wing and bursting into flame as it then rolled over.

The plane landed in strong winds, and Japan's meteorological agency had issued a gale warning for the area around Narita.

The jet was a McDonnell Douglas MD-11, according to Japan's Kyodo News.

One runway at Narita - Japan's largest airport - was closed after the accident, and a number of flights had to be diverted to other airports.

Premium Voyageur

Air France is launching a new Premium Economy Class called "Premium Voyageur" on its long-haul flights. Premium Voyageur will be available starting in October 2009, with ticket sales starting as early as April 1st. Previously only the British carriers, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic Airways are offering Premium Economy Class seating on all of their long-haul flights in Europe.

The first available destinations will be New York (John F. Kennedy Airport -JFK), Tokyo (Narita) and Osaka (Kansai). Air France says fares will be highly competitive and suited to small- and medium-sized businesses.


Premium Voyageur description :
- 23% wider seat pitch compared to regular Voyageur (Economy) seat - Wider seat width at 48cm and wide leather arm rests at 10cm to enable passengers to rest their elbows without bothering their neighbours.

- 10.4 inch (26cm) wide individual video screen enabling passengers to enjoy 500 hours of viewing on demand which Air France offers on all its flights

- Amenities from the Affaires cabin such as the "Clarins" travel kit, a bottle of Evian mineral water, Bose noise-reducing headphone, a feather pillow and a pure new wool blanket

- A completely new seat specially designed for Air France and equipped with a fixed shell which guarantees passengers ' space and privacy

- With 123°seat back recline, without being intrusive to the passenger seating behind, thanks to the fixed shell






Air France is also rebranding its other classes, beginning this April.
L'Espace Première (First Class) -> La Première

L'Espace Affaires (Business Class) -> Affaires

Alizé (Premium Economy) -> Premium Voyageur/Alizé

Tempo (Economy) -> Voyageur


**All Photos are courtesy of Air France, a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group

Shower Facility on Emirates Airbus A380-800 Aircraft

Ok, this news is a bit outdated. Since the shower facility in Emirates First Class cabin was unveiled back in July last year. But i decided to post it anyway, along with some other facilities onboard such as the bar, the enclosed First Class suite, the new fully flat Emirates Business Class seat and so on. Be prepared to be impressed with just what money can do these days !

FIRST CLASS

FIRST CLASS BATHROOM

BUSINESS CLASS

As you can see, all seat has aisle access. No more "excuse me" whenever you need to get out of your seat to go to lavatory or just to have a walk, stretching your leg after sitting for so long. Each seat also comes with their own dedicated small personal bar on the side.

FIRST & BUSINESS CLASS BAR AREA

ECONOMY CLASS

A return ticket from Kuala Lumpur to London in Business Class on Emirates is RM19254 nett/per person in July. It is very expensive but still a bit cheaper than Malaysia Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Malaysia Airlines is charging RM23011 nett/per person while Singapore Airlines RM25661 nett/per person. Cathay Pacific Airways is much cheaper at RM18247 nett/per person with a short transit in Hong Kong. Lufthansa German Airlines and Thai Airways International are the cheapest at RM15830 nett/per person and RM15783 nett/per person respectively.

I'll list it down here so it will be easier for you to compare :
1. Singapore Airlines (transit in Singapore Changi Airport)
- RM25661 nett/pax

2. Malaysia Airlines (nonstop all the way to Heathrow)
- RM23011 nett/pax

3. Emirates (transit in Dubai)
- RM19254 nett/pax
**May choose to land in Heathrow or Gatwick

4. Cathay Pacific Airways (transit in Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok Airport)
- RM18247 nett/pax

5. Lufthansa (transit in Bangkok and Frankfurt/Munich)
- RM15830 nett/pax
**Can choose to fly into London City Airport which is much nearer to the city centre and new financial district > Canary Wharf than Heathrow, Gatwick or even Stansted Airport.

6. Thai Airways (transit in Bangkok)
- RM15783 nett/pax

I only list down the air fare in Business Class because ... Okay, i'm not telling you anything. Hahaha


**Credits to Sam Chui, Norbert Genci, Simon Reichert, Ken Lwelumo, Konstantin Von Wedelstaedt, Ben Wang, Gerhard Vysocan, Tim Bowrey and Blake Riley for all the amazing photos ! Thank you so much !

Lufthansa Near Miss Video

So here's the Lufthansa German Airlines that nearly crash on landing caught on tape by some of the spotters in the Hamburg airport vicinity on 1 March 2008. The plane landed safely on the second attempt. Must be a horror for those onboard.

Funny Memo From Human Resources Department

(Effective January 2009)

- Dress code
1. It is strongly advised that you come to work dressed according to your salary. If we see you wearing Prada shoes and carrying a Gucci bag, we assume you are doing well financially and therefore do not need a pay raise.

2. If you dress poorly, you need to learn to manage your money better, so that you may buy nicer clothes, and therefore you do not need a pay raise.

3. If you dress just right, you are right where you need to be and therefore you do not need a pay raise.


- Sick Days
We will no longer accept a doctor's certificate as proof of sickness. If you are able to go to the doctor, you are able to come to work.


- Holidays
Each employee will receive 104 personal days a year. They are called Saturday & Sunday.


- Compassionate Leave
This is no excuse for missing work. There is nothing you can do for dead friends, relatives or co-workers. Every effort should be made to have non-employees attend to the arrangements.

In rare cases where employee involvement is necessary, the funeral should be scheduled in the late afternoon. We will be glad to allow you to work through your lunch hour and subsequently leave one hour early.


- Toilet Use
1. Entirely too much time is being spent in the toilet. There is now a strict three-minute time limit in the cubicles.

2. At the end of three minutes, an alarm will sound, the toilet paper roll will retract, the cubicle door will open, and your picture will be taken.

3. After your second offense, your picture will be posted on the company notice board under the "Chronic Offenders" category.

4. Anyone caught smiling in the picture will be sanctioned under the company's mental health policy.


- Lunch Break
1. Skinny people get 30 minutes for lunch, as they need to eat more so that they can look healthy.

2. Normal size people get 15 minutes for lunch to get a balanced meal to maintain their average figure.

3. Chubby people get 5 minutes for lunch, because that's all the time needed to drink a Slim-Fast.

Thank you for your loyalty to our company. Remember we are an employer of choice and we are here to provide a positive employment experience.

Therefore, all questions, comments, concerns, complaints, frustrations, irritations, aggravations, insinuations, allegations, accusations, contemplations, consternation and input should be directed elsewhere.


Management
Have a nice day :)

It's Easier To Lie

People lie because they are in denial.
People lie because they couldn't face the consequences of what they have done.
People lie out of protectiveness.
People lie because it seemed to be the right thing to do at the time.
People lie to make other people happy.
People lie because they are selfish.

There are many more reasons that make people to tell lies. Some are goods ones and some are not. Anyways, there is a music video i'd like to share with you all. The video clip is from ABC's prime time tv series "Brothers And Sisters" season 1. Music is "It's Easier To Lie" by Aqualung.

"Brothers And Sisters", as the title suggests, is about a family. A family of five siblings and one half brother, a wife, a deceased husband/father and two mistresses (of the deceased husband/father). While i cannot relate to this family at all since i'm the only child and all, i find this drama very interesting. It's good to see just how close they are, how they have each others' back. They fight like the entire time but they always stick together. Something that is slowly diminishing, even in Asian families.