Riding a Bike

I've been asked if I've gotten lazy -- more pictures than words on my blog. Not lazy, but writing does take time. Look at how long J K Rowling takes to write one Harry Potter book? Magnificent pieces of art take time.

And time is a precious commodity, sometimes non-existent entity, in my life. Kangaroo Joey has been back from Canada since July, and I've spoken to her like 3 times and saw her once. Pathetic! Everytime I speak to her -- and that's once in a blue moon -- she keeps reminding me, "Since we're both in the same country ..." haha I hear you Joe. We'll meet up and chat a lot more before you leave Singers ;)

I had put my hand up to organise a gathering for ex-colleagues from StandFirst in March this year, and that never happened. So they took it upon themselves to organise a dinner get-together last Friday. Thank goodness for people who take charge. It was so fun hanging out with them :)

And among them was my ex-GM, who's a very stern lady, but a kind, kind soul. She volunteered to go to Beirut with me. She was highly sceptical -- so she wanted to check the man out. The second Malaysian to put her hand up haha These Malaysians are in a class of their own. They are nice. Told her that a friend's going with me, which made her more comfortable with my decision.

Am very blessed to have a band of friends and very supportive ones at that. Of course, throughout these past few months, I also find out who really are my friends -- and who's a lot more focused on their lives. Takes all kinds to make the world :)

Have been wanting to write for a long time on Alma the Unflappable aka Pusang Itim, my friend from the Philippines, who has taught me what it means to be patient and to accept what life throws at you and deal with it. She's the embodiment of Resilience. Guess it's a Filipino trait -- given volcanos, earthquakes, landslides, typhoons, bombings, bad leaders etc etc -- they've learnt to be Grace Under Fire. These people keep on smiling and singing!

In one of our long conversations, Pusang Itim the Poet had these words of wisdom: you do not know your true strength until your soul is forged in a crucible.

WOW! That really hit me. We become strong mostly because we've had to deal with adversity in life.

Although she had a disclaimer: I wish life wasn't so excruciating.

I also say, I also wish.

Sometimes, don't you wish you can escape from life? Just leave all the crap behind. (I don't mean suicide because suicide is an extremely selfish act -- remember the people who have been left behind.) I mean, become a hermit. However, life's just not a neat little box of chocolates (Forrest Gump's mother was wrong ;) and we live with whatever circumstances that are given to us. Just like the deeply resilient and deeply spiritual Filipinos.

A few months ago, I went for a breakfast talk given by Dr Shashi Tharoor, the United Nations Undersecretary General for Information, and one of the candidates for the top job of UN Secretary General. Dr Shashi such an eloquent man -- his entire speech on Globalisation and Terrorism -- sounded more like an epic poem, rather than prose. For that, I love him. These Indians sure do have a wonderful grasp of the English language. Read Rushdie. He was born to write English, a master of the English word. Too overwrought for me, but my gawd, the man had talent. Just like Joseph Conrad who wrote the seminal "Heart of Darkness." English was Conrad's third language, he was Polish. Sickening how wonderful his English was despite it being his THIRD language. Some people are just born with it.

Anyways, my point with Dr Shashi Tharoor, who got his PhD at the Fletcher School of Law and International Diplomacy in Tufts University (one of the best universities in the world for Political Science) at 26 .... I was hoping he would be the next Kofi Annan. Sadly the author of The Great Indian Novel (on the independence of India) was not to be the next Kofi-man. Ban Ki-Moon, the Foreign Minister for South Korea, has been chosen quite unanimously to be the next Secretary General. Well, Mr Ban, you're flying the flag for the whole of Asia -- so best do a good job. The whole continent -- and the Middle East, which sadly has been parked under Asia -- expects nothing less than an excellent showing.

Of course, Dog and I would love it if our ex-PM were to take the UN top dog job. But I would never expect any Singaporean to want to take up such a challenge -- it's probably the world's toughest job: to get concensus among 194 nations; to obtain a consensus among the Big 5 veto powers, especially the United States which today seems quite intent on unilateralism and going it alone; to deal with international problems and issues such as Darfur, Bosnia, Rwanda, Lebanon, Palestine, North Korea. And these are just the tip of the iceberg. No Singaporean would want the job because, in my humble opinion, we're not want to live with so much discomfort. We live in an airconditioned nation, according to Cherian George. Ask a Filipino and the answer would be different.

I love the United Nations. I believe in the organisation and its ideals, it's so sad that the success of the organisation is so dependent on the political will of its member nations, especially the Big Five. But people don't see that. People just think the UN is a failure -- and they don't see how many nations use it as a whipping boy to protect their own national interest.

It was a miracle that Kofi Annan could hammer a consensus to call for a ceasefire after the horrific quick-to-escalate war in Lebanon in July this year.

My thesis was on the Bosnian conflict and the role of the United Nations. And it was a really sad case of how the world community could not come together to help a bombarded nation. When I was doing research on the topic, I read so much on it because it was fascinating reading, but all very tragic. A very dark story which grew darker with the day. But you keep on reading because it was fascinating. At the end of the day, the UN was decried a failure -- UN peacekeepers couldn't stop the massacre of 8,000 men and boys in Srebenica in Bosnia, and these people were actually close to UN peacekeeping site -- but no one sees that there was no political will in the international community to help resolve the issue. Well, why should any one country bother? What was in it for them, how did it help their national interest?

In this global world, where the effects of one event affects the rest of the world, world leaders cannot afford to think in term of limited national interests. But it'll take a while longer for the mindset to change.

So Ban Ki-Moon has a more difficult task at hand. Darfur is already a huge disaster. And North Korea and its nuclear ambitions is a scary thought. Coz you wouldn't want nukes to be in the hands of not so rational people.

Well, the reason I could write a little today was coz I have a bit of time to relax. I was not feeling well so on medical leave. Spent most of the day sleeping. Did some work in the middle of the day, but boy! was I a sloth.

Soon we'll be into the last 10 days of Ramadan, the month of fasting. How quickly time is flying. In some ways, these past few months have really flown by and in some ways, it's gone by so so slowly. Especially slow when you're waiting.

Will be headed to Beirut after Eid. A friend is coming along with me, good for second opinions :) At the rate she shops, she's surely there to support the Lebanese economy. She's also good for getting discounted rates from the airline and they've even upgraded us to business class :D I am indebted to her in more ways than one -- I am blessed.

I am not expecting anything. In some ways, there's been a lot of progress in our feelings, but in many ways, we're starting out from Ground Zero since we know very little of each other. At the airport, must do a round of formal introductions I reckon ;-)

I didn't want to wait for Godot. So the Thursday before fasting month started, I told myself, I would book a trip to Nepal the next day. I have been wanting to go to Nepal -- where my friend said the mountains looked so incredible that it was like seeing the face of God -- forever, so now's a good time to go. That very evening, the man Called. Everytime I want to move on, I am unceremoniously pulled back :P

First thing he said, I really miss you. (Tell me something new, buddy :P)

Call got cut off. I called back after work -- and couldn't hear half the things he said. Even the telco networks are against us haha. Found out the man's surname - finally. (Googled him -nothing incriminating there :)

Some progress. So I decided I would go there and find out who is the phantom. If anything, it'll be nice to see him again. Here was the chance for closure. The man told us to get a visa to Syria -- yippppeee! I get to see wonderful Syria again. I want to go to Castle Restaurant on the hill overlooking Krak des Chevalliers, run by Hatem and Umran, with the best mezzes and barbecued chicken ever yumms. And of course, Damascus, the world's oldest inhabited city in the world -- and get the Syrian sweetmeats, fresh orange juice and the yummiest shawerma :D

This is a reconnaissance trip. Getting to know you, getting to know all about you. Was telling Benjie, am so out of it, will I be saying and doing the right things? She says, it's like riding a bike, you will never forget how to do it. Haha.

My dear friend Celestian Monk asked me, why after so many years of tranquility, is your life like a Korean drama? Hahaha. This boy doesn't cease to make me laugh. How does one answer that question?

Taking one day at a time.