PRESSED FOR TIME

Ladies....take your pick

2013-12-04T18:16:00.000+08:00

I received a press release via email today on the world's top billionaire bachelors. A table of the top 10 was included. Here it is....

Fancy a cocopple? pinecoco? pinaco?

2012-12-05T15:47:00.002+08:00

Strange story of the day...'chew' on this...

PINEAPPLE THAT TASTES LIKE COCONUT CREATED
MELBOURNE, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- The Queensland Department of Agriculture has created a new variety of pineapple that tastes like coconut, said senior horticulturalist, Garth Senewski.
Senewski said the AusFestival pineapple has been 10 years in the making and was now in the final stages of production.
"Taste tests tell us that AusFestival is a winner -- it has this lovely coconut flavour, which you won't find in any other pineapple in Australia.
"It's sweet, low acid, very juicy," he told the ABC.
He said researchers did not intentionally create the coconut flavour.
"We're looking for a nice flavoured pineapple and a variety that is sweet, low acid and aromatic," he said.
The new pineapple was likely to be commercially available in two years, he said. -- BERNAMA

Is Malaysia an Islamic or secular state?

2012-11-16T15:31:00.000+08:00

Former history lecturer at UM and Muar MP Datuk Malik Munip has an interesting opinion piece in the NST today. The full version is only available on the NST website. Read it HERE.

No, you cannot change the Facebook background colour

2012-11-16T15:21:00.002+08:00

Received an interesting email today from Sophos regarding a new Facebook scam, and thought I’d share it so you don’t get caught.

The scam claims Facebook users can change their profile pages to have a black background instead of the trademark blue.

“This scam is being spread by images on newsfeeds and by event invitations that appear to be sent by users’ friends,” the email says.

IT security and data protection firm Sophos says if users click on these links, they will be helping the scammers to earn money and spread the scam further.

According to the email, Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, investigated the link from a test account, and was bounced through a few website redirects before ultimately landing on a page entitled “Change your Facebook Color”.

This page automatically ticks the box saying that the user accepts the page’s terms and conditions, and tells them that they need to take part in an online survey before they can turn their Facebook profile black.

The scammers earn money for the number of respondents they can entice to complete these surveys.

Cluly said the scam resembles earlier ones like the ‘Remove Your Facebook Timeline’ scam.

“Unfortunately, many Facebook users will be too excited about the prospect of perhaps changing the look and feel of Facebook that they will not spot suspicious clues.”

“If users have mistakenly clicked on links or accepted invitations as part of this scam, they should remove all offending messages, photos and ‘likes’ from their account, check that they’ve not authorised a rogue app to access their account – from where it could steal information or post without asking permission – revoke any rogue app’s publishing rights, and report it as spam to Facebook.”

Sophos is headquartered in Boston, US and Oxford, UK. More information is available at www.sophos.com.

SKYFALL IS COMING

2012-10-04T02:49:00.001+08:00

Watch "Adele - Skyfall (Preview) | James Bond 007 Theme" on YouTube

FAST TIMES IN MECCA

2012-08-11T19:08:00.001+08:00

Peace be upon you,  dear reader. I'm updating the blog today from the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia. 
Arrived yesterday from Kuala Lumpur via Dubai. We're here to cover prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak who will be attending the OIC extraordinary meeting next week. 
The journey was okay, although it's been a while since I last travelled during the fasting month. Missed out on refreshments during the three hour flight from Dubai to Jeddah,  but more importantly,  couldn't take the two aspirins I usually take before flights to reduce the pain from my sinuses. 
Arrived at King's Abdul Aziz airport safely, but my luggage didn't make it. Nevertheless most of us were already in ihram, so we proceeded to Mecca to locate our hotels and thereafter performance the umrah. 
It was Friday, and we were arriving in time to join in Friday prayers with millions of Muslims who have travelled from around the globe to spend the last ten days of Ramadan in the holy city.  
There was no more space in the mosque's three levels, so we prayed outside.
After prayers we decided to proceed with our umrah, figuring that the crowd would not be that big when the temperature was this hot (Ave temp was 41)
There was still a big crowd. And it was hot. Since is was fasting month, one could not drink to quench the thirst.
People in the congregation overcame this with spray bottles, spraying water on their faces and those of other people to help overcome the heat. Others simply poured the contents of mineral water bottles over their heads, somewhat like a 'quick shower'.
The only downside to this was that the marble floors around the Kaabah would occasionally get wet and could be slippery.

SALAM RAMADAN

2012-07-22T05:41:00.001+08:00

It's the start of day two of the fasting month and still not too late to wish all Muslims a good Ramadan.
May all our good deeds be accepted and our sins forgiven during this holy month.
A friendly reminder though, don't forget to be careful with your diet and take it slow when breaking fast. Too much of anything is usually not good.

SPORTS VIDEOS

2012-07-15T00:44:00.001+08:00

We're currently testing some sports videos from Omnisport on the nst website. You can view the small player on the right column mainsite and specialised bigger players on the soccer, cricket, and racing subpages.
They are all automatically updated with latest news from the sports world.
Would you like to have them as a regular feature on the site? How many videos would you watch on the player?
Appreciate any feedback during this testing period. :)

HOW TO KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING WHEN HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE ARE TALKING ALL AT ONCE

2012-06-14T00:42:00.003+08:00

On June 12 2012, New Straits Times had an NSTLive session with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak from noon to 1pm. As expected, the response was encouraging with over 1,500 live viewers, and a growing number of viewers who are still watching the replay, even now.

Among them, I am certain, included some viewers who had never been to an NSTLive session before and/or were unfamiliar with how the process works.

For the record, more than 800 comments/questions were sent in during that one-hour session. Without any moderation at all, readers have to sift through those 800-plus questions/comments and their responses. For that matter, good luck trying to figure out which answers are for which questions.

So yes…questions are moderated. In fact, there are two levels of moderation. The session moderator scans through the hundreds of questions as they come in and selects those that will be put on hold for the 'guest' to respond to (more on how the questions are selected will be addressed below) and the 'guest' themselves can also choose which questions to answer (based on their own criteria/reasons).

Lets take a moment to recall what 'chat' really means, i.e. to converse in a familiar or informal manner. In the context of digital technology, an online chat is text-based communication in real time between two or more users over a network or the Internet. Realistically, in a one-hour chat session, a guest can comfortably respond to at least 30 or so questions (more if they read and type fast). That's roughly 2 minutes to read the question and type out their response.

Viewers should keep that in mind when they're posting their comments/questions on a live chat. If the question is too long, that takes up time for the guest to read, come up with an answer, and type it out. And if it's a particularly complicated issue, you can imagine how much time it will take to cover the subject to everyone's satisfaction.

In the case of this particular NSTLive session, there was certainly not enough time to cover all the questions posed. Some of those questions selected which were waiting in the queue involved the following:

    •    when will final decision be made on the Lynas project and its impact on business sentiment
    •    can the government and opposition work together on common causes that benefit the country
    •    restructuring tax on imported cars
    •    suggestions for PM to debate with Anwar Ibrahim
    •    retirement age for private sector extended to 60 years; converting Socso contributions to a pension scheme
    •    criteria for choosing next Cabinet line up and heads of state
    •    assistance for the middle class
    •    electoral reforms before the GE13

Perhaps the media can pick up from some of these issues and continue to pursue them with the Prime Minister or other ministers at their next press conferences.

Now, lets look at some of the types of comments/questions that came in during the session and were not approved/shortlisted. After going through all 800-plus of them, I've grouped them under several major categories:

1. SALUTATIONS
We avoided them in order to speed things up. Examples:
•    Assalamualaikum w.b.t.
    •    First! keke
    •    Nice to have a chatting session with you, and thanks to spend your time with us…

2. MALICE/SLANDER
These were intended to inflict damage, well aware that no satisfactory reply can be made during the chat session. When you're anonymous, it's easy to make allegations without having to show any proof. Sorry, I'm not going to give examples here.

3. REPETITION
If a similar question or issue was already raised and responded to, then the others will not be repeated. For instance, there were many questions on the status of Lynas and the date for the GE13.

4. RUDE
Some questions were rude in content (choice of words or wrongly spelled name) or style (for the uninitiated, in chat lingo…text typed in all caps is considered SHOUTING! Imagine an entire question/comment in all caps…)

5. LANGUAGE
Yes, we allowed some questions in BM, especially when their content was interesting, but as more and more comments come in, naturally questions in English took priority since we are an English paper.

6. PERSONALISED
Many questions were also too specific and/or of a personal nature (to the person asking). Given the time constraint and nature of the guest, it was unrealistic to address them at this time. I have simplified and list most of them here, in hopes that the relevant authorities can assist where possible…

    •    A 23-year-old from a Community College says his certificate and exam results were not good enough to continue his studies. Seeks PM's assistance and wants to know what his options are
    •    A single mother wants to know if KWSP can block her payments at 55 to settle outstanding debts
    •    Why pharmacy board requires 3.8 CGPA for diploma students to pursue BPharm but 3.5 CGPA for MBBS
    •    A civil servant seeks housing assistance in Kota Marudu district, Sabah
    •    Can a special scheme be set up to help those self-employed to purchase homes
    •    Rumah Hana in Julau Sarawak in need of basic necessities like electricity and water
    •    SK Machang Bubok Bukit Mertajam seeks to reclaim nearby land for a school field
    •    Gerakan Kebangkitan Anak Muda Kuala Terengganu would like to meet and discuss plans to ensure BN victory in KT
    •    Kampung Bukit Dagang, Sungai Tiram, Ulu Tiram Johor still lacking basic facilities
    •    An anonymous viewer says no action has been taken on his/her police report on SMS harassment and prank calls because it is a civil report
    •    Independent lorry operators are at the mercy of agents and suggest a bureau be set up to help them
    •    The daughter of a Felda settler wants to know if there's any way to get back land that was auctioned off by a bank when her mother defaulted on a loan
    •    A resident of Ulu Merurun Pakan Sarekei Sarawak says the area needs more development and basic facilities
    •    A schoolteacher in Limbang, Sarawak of three years, currently on maternity leave, asks to be transferred closer to her husband and family
    •    A law student from UM says his graduation is being held back by unnecessarily high requirements in the Malaysian University English Test
    •    An SPM-leaver with 10A1B seeks scholarship to further studies in Egypt
    •    A viewer re-posted an official letter applying for a taxi permit in Johor Baru
    •    SMK Kanibongan asks to speed up construction of its permanent premises in Pitas district, Sabah
    •    An employee asks to speed up implementation of minimum wage and what action will be taken against those who don't comply
    •    A PTPTN borrower asks for some relaxation in blacklist so that they can use passport for work-related travel
    •    SK Siol Kanan, Kuching, Sarawak invites the PM to visit the school
    •    The longhouse at Rumah Richard Nujong Nanga Beguang Song in Kapit Division invites PM to visit
    •    A teacher in Sarawak claims she was the victim of a conspiracy by others at the school
    •    PLKN trainers want their posts to be fixed/permanent
    •    Another teacher in Negeri Sembilan asks to be transferred closer to her husband in Terengganu
    •    The mother of an autistic child is concerned how autistic kids will survive without parental aid, and hopes the government can provide long-term assistance to such children

These are all valid concerns, but perhaps the session that day was not the right time or place to find an effective solution.

With the benefit of hindsight, maybe future sessions with popular guests should either be of a longer duration (at least 2 hours?) to cover more questions on a broad range of topics, or the topic restricted so that only questions related to the subject matter (whether general or specific) are addressed.

Introducing RED and EXTRAS

2012-05-21T21:45:00.000+08:00

In our ongoing effort to make the NST website more vibrant and offer more content, we recently added new features/sections that visitors should really check out.

First is RED, which stands for Real Estate and Decor, the new pullout in the NST that covers the property sector and more. It is run by an entirely new team from the previous Property Times (who have since ventured on their own).

Scroll down on the NST page and you'll see the section, or go direct here and bookmark it!

Here's a screenshot of the RED homepage.

The RED section is updated every Friday, which is also when the pullout is published in NST.

There's lots to read during the week, including trends in the property market, upcoming projects, profiles of companies and personalities, etc.

As an added bonus, selected articles from RED are also featured in the NST tablet edition every Friday (which is available for download as early as 9pm on Thursdays...so you actually have a head start to read some of the material even before the paper is printed!)

Earlier, we also introduced an EXTRAS tab under NATION, which is where special pullouts (not supplements) are also featured online. Here's a screenshot of the current content under EXTRAS, ie articles from the Postgraduate pullouts.

Comment and responsibility

2012-04-23T11:13:00.000+08:00

Ok, I'm not sure what button i accidentally pressed or clicked on...but the original post I put up under this title has disappeared. Deleted. My bad.
That's what you get for trying to update a blog from an iPad for the first time...with clumsy thumbs.
So if you read the original post before this....good for you. If not, here's the abridged version:

NST Online website has seen more reader comments since relaunch of entire product offerings on Nov 11 2011 (ie print, mobile, online and tablet)
All comments are moderated because we get lots of spam
We try to approve all genuine comments that relate directly to the article or keep discussion going
We value reader feedback and opinions and open all articles on the website to comments
Anonymous comments are also approved, provided they do not contain profanity, make unwarranted accusations about a person or group, or appear racist, vulgar or rude

If I remember correctly, that pretty much covers the main points. Once again, sorry for the screw up :)

Happy Anniversary, NST iPad!!

2012-04-19T22:09:00.000+08:00

On Wednesday, April 18 2012, we had a small celebration in the office to commemorate the first anniversary of the NST iPad app. We've gone through several changes in the last 12 months, especially to coincide with the relaunch of the NST on November 11 2011. (The relaunch also included a new look for our mobile edition. Check it out at m.nst.com.my from your smartphone)

Here's a sample of how we've changed so far in one year:

The cover...

The header page for sports section

The NST iPad app today is more user friendly, has the best navigation among all local news apps on the iPad, and, I believe, more stories than the others. Our current news sections (ie News, Business and Sports) for example, all carry an additional page of briefs (at least three) in addition to the main stories (four to five daily).

With the latest iPad going on sale in Malaysia beginning tomorrow (April 20), I strongly encourage you to try out the NST iPad app and see for yourself what we have to offer. Who's planning to line up???

Poor Scott Mantz

2012-02-24T20:56:00.000+08:00

Who's Scott Mantz, you ask?

"Nominated three years in a row (in 2008, 2009 and 2010) by the ICG Publicists Guild for a Press Award honouring outstanding entertainment journalism, Scott "Movie" Mantz is the resident Film Critic and Film Segment Producer for "Access Hollywood." Read the rest of his profile HERE.

This is Scott Mantz

Now...unbeknownst to Mr Mantz, his quote is very popular among that secret, underground, black market fraternity known locally as "the DVD pirates".

If you don't believe me...pay a visit to your neighbourhood pirated DVD seller (come on...I know you go there...even if you won't admit it!) and pay close attention to the DVD cover.

I bet you'll see his famous quote somewhere on the front or back, in all caps: "A HILARIOUS MUST-SEE!" - Scott Mantz, Access Hollywood.

What's the problem with that, you ask?

Unfortunately for Mr Mantz, our DVD pirates (or their appointed cover printers) have taken the liberty to use his quote on almost EVERY SINGLE movie!

That's right...it doesn't matter what movie it is...to the buyer it seems that one Scott Mantz of Access Hollywood finds EVERY movie amusing. Now that's funny.

For instance:

30 Minutes Or Less - "A hilarious must-see" - hmm..Ok
Hugo (One of the most legendary directors of our time takes you on an extraordinary adventure) - "A hilarious must-see" - Really??
The Iron Lady - "A hilarious must-see" - *snigger*
The Ides of March (Ambition Seduces. Power Corrupts) - "A hilarious must-see" - *giggle*
Paranormal Activity 3 - "A hilarious must-see" - HahahaHAHA

See what I mean?

So if you're at the mall and feeling blue...flip through a DVD pirate's selection of movies, and have yourself a good laugh :))

Rafidah Aziz interview

2012-02-12T13:17:00.000+08:00

The New Sunday Times today (Feb 12) carries an interview with former International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz.
I remember covering her when I was with Business Times, both locally and overseas. She was one of the favourite ministers to cover. She knew her subject well and gave good quotes.
And, like Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, she wouldn't tolerate fools. You had to be on your game if wanted to go up against her.
Here are video excerpts from the interview:

IOS 5 coming?

2011-09-26T13:44:00.001+08:00

Are you, like me, anxiously waiting for the IOS 5 update to finally be available in iTunes for the iPhone, iPad and iPod? Apple has always said the latest feature-rich update will be available in the Fall, so I'm hoping October will bring some pleasant surprises. In case you haven't heard about what's to be expected in this upcoming update...here's a recap:

http://www.apple.com/ios/ios5/features.html

Which feature are you most looking forward to??

The power of visuals

2011-08-21T02:01:00.000+08:00

Somebody emailed me a link to this video (Thanks, David!) recently, and I really enjoyed it because of its creativity in using visuals (in this case, cartoons) to present a point of view about the rather serious subject of capitalism.

I wanted to share it with you here as well. Hope you like it!

Malaysia vs Liverpool highlights

2011-07-18T23:21:00.000+08:00

Thanks to our friends at Harian Metro Online :)

NST Live coverage of July 9 2011

2011-07-13T11:23:00.000+08:00

<a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php/option=com_mobile/task=viewaltcast/altcast_code=2437e60645" >July 9 crackdown</a>

I've got time....NOT

2011-05-28T20:47:00.000+08:00

OMG...It's been a while since my last posting hasn't it? That can only mean one thing (No, I wasn't hospitalised, or imprisoned, or forgot my password) That's right, things have really gotten busy at the office (really, I swear!)

So while I have a few minutes to spare on a Saturday, here's a quick update of what's been happening.

1. I got an iPad2 after all. My wife supported the move, partly because it meant the iPad that was only a month or so old would be handed down to her. We lined up for close to 4 hours on the first day the iPad2 was on sale. We chose to go to Machines at Sunway Pyramid. Met some nice people in that 4 hours. :) Verdict? I'm enjoying the iPad2 so far. Best parts? With an adapter it can connect to HDTV and projector, and Garageband app. I'll post one of my compositions soon (promise!)

2. NST launched its iPad app (see? Told you I was busy) on April 18. We reached No1 free app, then dropped (how to beat all the cool game apps, come on) to 30 something. Then moved up again into top 10, now we're somewhere in the teens. There're alot of questions out there about the app (I can tell...) like why doesn't it have all the content, how are articles chosen, why download time differs, how do I get back to library, etc) Drop me a message in the comment box and I'll try to help you out with them. :)

3. As part of a wider group effort, the NST website will be undergoing a revamp soon (which means I'll be even busier!) and we've taken into consideration alot of the comments readers have been giving in various forums (focus groups, facebook, email, etc). It involves switching to a new CMS (content management system) that gives us more flexibility with design and content. So look out for that!

Ok. That's all I can say now. Will update more news in the next posting. Till then, stay happy.

To iPad2 or not to iPad2......

2011-03-16T23:27:00.000+08:00

Okay, I confess. I was slow to get on the iPad bandwagon. So slow, in fact, that I finally decided to get one a few weeks before the big show by Steve Jobs to introduce the iPad 2. That's right, I'm one of those guys who paid a few hundred bucks more for the iPad before Apple decided to slash prices after the iPad 2 was launched.

The old iPad....my iPad

But that's all good. It's actually a little deja-vu because the same thing happened when I got an iPhone 3GS (soon before the iPhone 4 arrived...I was a lot earlier with the original iPhone, snapping up one of the unlocked, jailbroken models at a local telco shop before they officially arrived on Malaysian shores)

Does anyone remember the iPhone 3G? How many people actually have one now? I would guess not as many as the iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4. That model is like a little hiccup in the evolution of the iPhone, when you think about it. Almost like it was rushed to meet expectations of Apple-lovers yet not having all the cool features that Jobs' tech team developed in the lab.

I feel the same way about the iPad 2. Sure, it's thinner, lighter and has a camera. But I can't get rid of this feeling that something's missing. I think others feel the same way, like this review below by Macworld (the guy seems more excited about the smartcover than the iPad 2 itself!)

One feature I do find attractive though is the iPad 2's ability to, via bluetooth, share the data connection of your phone (which acts as a wifi hotspot). The catch is, it only works with an iPhone 4. (To iPhone 4 or not to iPhone 4....that's another topic but you can guess what I think about that)

Call it sour grapes if you want, but I'm going to stick with my iPad for a while.....

In the meantime, here's another review of the iPad 2. I should warn you though...it's not what you expect :-)

What is it about birds.....

2011-03-02T10:05:00.000+08:00

Tiny Wings Screenshot

Do you have an iPhone, iPod, or iPad? If you do, then chances are you've also downloaded and played Angry Birds, which for quite some time reigned as the Number 1 ranked paid app on the US iTunes store, and perhaps in other countries as well.

The game became so popular and addictive that it has become part of popular culture, appearing in contemporary programmes like Glee, and spawning numerous spoofs and comedy skits which are also popular on YouTube.

A few days ago, however, Angry Birds was toppled off the top spot by...well...another bird.

Tiny Wings is about a bird that can't fly because of the small size of its wings. We help it gain flight by folding the wings as it slides down hillslopes of colourful striped islands, letting it gain speed and take off on the upslope....all the while accompanied by cute music and cuter bird sounds.

The game costs 99 cents on iTunes.

Read CNET UK's review of the game HERE.

I've downloaded it and yes, it's addictive and fun. Give it a try :))

Pressure to meet changing needs

2011-02-19T20:39:00.001+08:00

Steven Covey

AT a motivational talk earlier this week based on the thoughts of leadership guru Stephen Covey, the speaker traced the four major shifts in human civilisation, from being a hunter/gatherer to an agrarian society, followed by the industrial era and now the knowledge economy.

As a result of these shifts, it is no longer enough to tell someone to do something "because I am your boss and I told you so".

To unleash someone's full potential today, a manager or leader needs to fulfill their needs in terms of body, heart, mind and spirit. Whether they realise it or not, human beings don't just need to live (body). They also need to love (heart), to learn (mind), and to leave a legacy (spirit).

This principle applies not only to a corporation or organisation, but is also relevant on a personal and social level.

The ongoing unrest spreading through parts of Africa the Middle East, I believe, can be traced to a deficiency in one or more of these basic needs.

Rising unemployment and low wages impact people's livelihood directly: "How do I put food on the table to feed myself and my family?"

Authoritarian governments and restriction of liberties can push people into a corner when they feel they cannot express an opinion or participate in civil discussion of things that affect them.

They feel no connection to their leaders' vision, and as a result will not contribute towards society, or worse, rise up against everything their leaders stand for. As we've seen on the streets of Cairo, Bahrain and Libya, these uprisings can turn tragically violent.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) warned earlier this month that social unrest could get worse as global inequalities worsen. Global unemployment remains high, and 400 million youths are expected to join the workforce over the next decade.

"We could see rising social and political instability within nations - even a war," IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn said in one report.

By forcing a change in government, protesters hope that the next person in charge will take steps to fulfill their needs - create jobs, pay them higher wages, give them more freedom, which will help them better contribute to their societies.

This will be a top priority for whoever takes over from the leaders brought down by these street demonstrations, especially if they don't want to suffer a similar fate.

But as events in Egypt have shown, people can also be impatient, and with advances in technology and greater connectivity through the Internet and social networking, organised resistance is easier and faster to establish than ever before.

Change can happen, but it will be a race against time.

The Spit Heard Around The World

2011-02-15T22:44:00.002+08:00

Did you hear about the Tiger that spat on the green?

It's disgusting enough to do it in public, but to do it in front of millions of people and in a sport that's supposed to put a premium on gentlemen conduct...tsk tsk tsk.

If you haven't, the story is here, and you can watch the video of it over and over again below. You can listen to what the commentator had to say about it too.

Selamat Menyambut Maulud Nabi

2011-02-15T01:30:00.000+08:00

O Allah, bless our Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;

As you have blessed Abraham and the people of Abraham.

Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

O Allah, be gracious unto Muhammad and the people of Muhammad;

As you were gracious unto Abraham and the people of Abraham.

Surely you are the Praiseworthy, the Glorious.

Understanding a teenager's mind (a.k.a. the most difficult puzzle in the universe)

2011-02-12T11:49:00.000+08:00

If you're expecting this post to give you an answer to that question, I'm sorry to disappoint you. Actually, I just want to add to the confounding dilemma faced by parents with teenage children. And I'm curious to know if my experiences are shared by others in my age group. Here goes:

Case#1

Why is it they wait until that exact moment when you are half-awake, walking out to the car to drive them to school at 7.20am with 5 minutes to spare before prefects waiting at the gates start taking down names, to hit you with one of these gems: "By the way, dad....I need an extra 10 bucks for a buku kerja sejarah (tahap satu prestasi cemerlang pasti berjaya series...or something like that)." And the big brother adds "Yeah, me too."

And then, when you in your groggy state-of-mind hand them that extra 10 bucks from your wallet and get back to the urgent mission of sending them to school before they get a demerit, the younger one adds "Actually the teacher said can pay next week....but I nak bayar cepat."

Do you get the irony? On they one hand, they appear to have kept in mind the teacher's instructions, deadline for payment and such details stored somewhere in their mental filing cabinet, PLUS have the foresight to plan to pay ahead of the deadline....BUT somehow decide to hit you with this surprise sucker punch when you are in a state of mind that you need to check that you don't start the car with the key to the front door grill. Couldn't they tell me the night before? Last week? What if I didn't have the 20 bucks to spare? (yes, it's happened before!)

Either the teenage mind slips between states of organisation and chaos in a matter of seconds, or the surprise attack was actually planned from the very beginning. Both are equally troubling.

Case#2

This happened just today (Saturday).

I wake them up at 6.45am. "Get up, boys...you have to go to school today right? (they didn't tell me about it, by the way....their mom did...it's for the school's Prophet Muhammad's (pbuh) birthday celebration)

The younger one replies: "Yeah...we have to be there 8.30am...the teacher gave us a letter"

Me: "Ok then, get up and get ready. Call me when you guys are ready to go"

At 8.10am, the younger one walks into the room and says "We're ready" and I notice he's wearing his white shirt, green pants school uniform. I walk downstairs and his older brother also has his school uniform on.

Me: "Kena pakai school uniform ke? How come not baju melayu?"

Younger one: "Adam said last year they wore school uniforms"

Adam makes no verbal response to that statement, so I take that as his support that it's true.

Me: "Ok then, let's go"

As we enter the car, I hear the younger one mutter under his breath "Kalau kena pakai baju melayu nanti macamana?" to his brother. I didn't hear any reply. I should've been paying more attention.....

True enough, we approach the gates of the school and ALL we see are boys in baju melayu. No one is wearing school uniforms, as far as we can tell.

Me: "See? They're all wearing baju melayu!"

The younger one: "Ohhhhhhhhh"

So we turn around, speed back home for them to change, with me nagging along the way "How come you guys can't remember these details? You don't pay attention, that's why....Show me the teacher's letter when we get back"

Of course, they can't find the teacher's letter anywhere...and we don't have time to look for it because once they change it's time to rush back to the school.

One remembers that there's a note from the teacher, but not where he put it, or much of the important details (like what to wear). The other (who probably got a note from his teacher as well) had no information to share other than LAST YEAR they wore school uniforms. I really should've been more alert to the signs....

That's all I can say for now. I have to get ready to pick them up at 12.30pm....according to the younger one, of course......

So I better give myself a half-hour window either way...he could call any second now......