Yingks and Associate

Congratulations!!!

2009-08-28T03:36:00.000+08:00

Congratulations to my splendid and unendingly brilliant Darling for wrapping up her 2nd-year Law in wonderful colours!!

(I clearly don't mean blue and red colours, in case you're wondering... -.-)

Shapes

2007-10-05T08:28:00.001+08:00

If this proposition inside the circle is true, then it is false. If it is false, then it is true.

If the proposition inside the box is true, then it is false. If it is false, then it is true.

If the proposition inside the box is true, then it is false. If it is false, then it is false.

Lesson: the truth depends not on what others claim is the truth, but on whether we adjust our minds to the shape of the truth.

Independence?

2007-09-03T18:55:00.000+08:00

It is interesting to note how the word 'independence' is defined. For instance, www.dictionary.com defines the word as "freedom from the control, influence, support, aid, or the like, of others".

However, to my mind, the notion of independence does not merely convey the idea of being 'finally free to stand on one's two feet'. It unjustifiably ignores the key question "Free from what?" There is a common ground of understanding that when we use the word 'independence', we in fact mean one is being freed from something negative. To put it in another way, there must have been some sort of improvement, at least from the point of view of he who uses the word to convey his message.

For example, school kids from where I come from are often heard to scream the word 'independence!!!' (albeit in their native language) in ecstasy at the end of the examination period. To their mind, their freedom from the perceived 'negativity' of the examinations has improved their lives. Another example would be a lame man who finally, after grueling months of medical treatment, is able to walk without his walking aid. He would perhaps, at the end of his ordeal, be heard to say that "It was worth the wait; I can finally walk independently". Or perhaps picture a young man who for all his life was a rebel. When he finally reaches the age of majority and leaves his family, he might be heard to say "Oh, what joy it is to be living an independent life!"

It is, of course, an oddity - indeed, nonsensical - to speak of being 'free' or of 'gaining independence' from a priorly positive or better situation. Take for instance the situation in Iraq. A reasonable person free from bias might have his reservations if you put it to him that Iraq gained its independence when the foreign forces invaded the country. Think also about the notion of 'independence' and its suitability to describe a man deserted alone in an uninhabited island. We would indeed describe its usage as pure nonsense.

There are two possible sources of the nonsensical usage of the word 'independence'. The first is the poor command of one's language, where the utterer is ignorant of what the word means and uses it in the wrong context. That, of course, is rectifiable. One only needs to secure his command of English to make sense. The second of the possible sources is the more worrying of the two. It is where the utterer is himself deluded - that is, where, by some mysterious dysfunctioning of his mind, sees the degradation from the priorly positive state as the opposite: that is, he sees it as a progressive improvement from a priorly negative state. This is worrying because, more often than not, this delusion is made possible by his conscious choice and not by merely being negligent as to the circumstances involved. In other words, he is often 'brainwashed' into so thinking and consequently misusing that word.

Now, to be fair, one needs to stand in a pair of unbiased shoes to be able to determine if another is being 'nonsensical' or not. Assuming you are one of those unbiased ones, can you think of some situations where others have used the word 'independence' nonsensically?

Mere puff

2007-08-01T16:50:00.001+08:00

Dear readers,

1. I have given my blog a very mild makeover. You are most welcome to play 'spot the difference'. (thanks Debbie for taking that display pic of me:) )

2. Lately I have been having an itch to author a book. This itch is, surprisingly, getting severe. Now, before you write me off as a wannabe or a 'mere puff'¹, allow me to explain that this has much to do with my interest in becoming an academic ("What, not a lawyer?!" you may ask. Let's leave that for another day.), which is quite synonymous with lecturing, teaching and, well, writing books. This brings me to my third point:

3. If you could author a book, what topic would you choose? (hopefully we'll see some comments!)

¹ [legal] Mere advertising nonsense; no legal value.

'May or may not'

2007-07-23T23:58:00.000+08:00

Dictionary-of-useless-phrases.com Unabridged - Cite This Source
may or may not¹
Pronunciation Key

–present singular 1st person may or may not, 2nd may or may not or (Archaic) mayest or mayest not, 3rd may or may not; present plural may or may not; past might or might not.

(used to express the possibility): It may or may not rain.
(used to express opportunity or permission): You may or may not enter.
(used to express contingency, esp. in clauses indicating condition, concession, purpose, result, etc.): I may or may not be wrong but I think you would be wise to go. Times may or may not change but human nature stays the same.
(used to express wish or prayer):May you or may you not live to an old age.

Also see: I DON'T KNOW¹.

[ Etymology: 'may' - Old English mæg; akin to Old High German mag. 'or may not' - Modern English I actually don't bloody well know.]

Semicolons and dashes

2007-07-17T23:51:00.000+08:00

This terrible absence of mine from the blogging is terribly inexcusable. I must apologise - you have been ever so patient in checking back often for something new. So here it is, an update...finally!

Just to fill you in with happenings since my last meaningful post in March (and hopefully this kick-starts my blogging roll again): I sat for my Year 2 finals in May, returned to Malaysia for summer in June, helped Debbie move to KL in July, and obtained my exam results which were very encouraging - a grand total of two marks short of getting a first in all four subjects! 'So near yet so far'; but it is still better to be somewhat 'near' than not at all.

I have also been holding a weekly Contract Law class; and boy, trust me, if you've never taught before, you don't know how difficult it is to. Preparation takes hours; and the actual teaching experience is physically damaging. Full respect to all teachers; I admire your throats.

It must also have been during this terrible hiatus of mine that I developed the habit of using countless semicolons ( ; ) and dashes ( - ) in my writing. Debbie says that I use them wrongly. I reply by emphasising that they bring out the colour - indeed, the very essence, soul and spirit - of what I wish to convey through my writing. Of course, I'm just kidding. But hey, if you have actually read this post (and do comment if you do - one does need some encouragement to return to frequent blogging!), you'll be looking out for more semicolons and dashes to come - fingers crossed!

Hello

2007-05-22T00:18:00.000+08:00

For those of you who actually still visit this blog...I admire your persistence!

Updates soon...

History lesson...

2007-03-21T11:34:00.000+08:00

Yingks: ...so was Marx from East Germany?

Debbie: Hello...Marx was born in Germany before it was called Germany. He was Prussian.

Yingks: Ok...so the Nazi fella, Hitler was it? He took Marx's idea and rule East Germany?

Debbie: Nooo...The Russians took it! They were the communists. Hitler is Nazi.

Yingks: Huh???

Debbie: Look. The Russians were the Socialists; Italians - Fascists; Japan - Imperialists; Germans - Nazis. All different doctrines.

Yingks: Oh I see...

Debbie: And Hitler was a BIG enemy of communism! He was a dictator.

Yingks: Ok! I know already....so the Berlin Wall fell and the Nazis lost...

(Anyone would have hit me on the head! My girlfriend is the best teacher:) )

Own goal

2007-03-10T06:26:00.000+08:00

There are certain awkward moments in life, like watching a player score an own goal in an important match or witnessing an opera singer singing a line blatantly out of tune in a concert. Of course, it depends on which team you support, and whether or not you listen to opera in the first place; nonetheless, an awkward moment it is.

I experienced my first such legally awkward moment when I read the case of Hilldown Holdings plc v Pensions Ombudsman [1997]. Knox J ruled that the defendant held a particular fund subject to a constructive trust in favour of the plaintiff, and then considered the alternative arguments of the plaintiff. He said:

"If my conclusion on constructive trusteeship is wrong, there remain the alternative formulations of unjust enrichment, mistake and a tracing claim."

The problems with these are:
Mistake is a 'subset' of unjust enrichment;
Unjust enrichment is a remedy;
Constructive trusteeship is merely a description of a circumstance;
Tracing is not a claim but an evidential preliminary to a claim;
and thus they are all not alternatives.

For the benefit of readers who don't have a clue what all that was about, here is what Knox J said, in easy-to-understand illustrations:

"If my conclusion that the defendant is dead is wrong, there remain the alternative formulations of medical treatment, surgery, and an x-ray scan."

Three ways to know that one has been studying law...intensely.

2007-03-07T00:56:00.000+08:00

1. The last blog post he posted was more than a month ago.

2. When he reads the following poem, he thinks: Ah, if everyone felt that way, there would be no need for the Protection from Harassment Act 1997, nor would there be cases like the one where a worker was bullied by his lady manager because he was gay.OR, if he is really sick of law, he'd probably think: Ah yes, if the men 'in clean white coats' took all the workers away, that would still achieve the same effect...

3. When he sits in a bus and sees the following:
...something uneasy stirs in him, because he (thinks he) knows for certain that the Trustees Act was passed in the year 2000, not in 1966...

P/s: Ah, yes. I checked and it really is 2000...

The safest route

2007-02-03T01:40:00.000+08:00

Today we learnt about a case concerning this thing in trusts law called 'backward tracing'. I do not propose to load you with the mundane complexities of its workings or to express my views on the ongoing arguments over it. But I would like to point out a particular skill, deducible from the judgment, that can be of vital use in life. Firstly though, some basics for those unfamiliar with the workings of law.

Legal proceedings take place in courts. Courts (at least in England and Wales) are hierarchical. Those higher up the order hear appeals from the lower courts where necessary. This case (Bishopsgate v Homan) took place in the Court of Appeal, which is the penultimate court in England and Wales. A normal Court of Appeal hearing takes place before a panel of three judges. This (and mathematically familiar readers would have guessed) is to enable a majority judgment, which decides the fate of the case. Efficient hierarchical system; numerically sound formula: justice can now be done. Right?

The pressing question prior to (and even today, as we will see) the judgment of this case was: is 'backward tracing' part of English trusts law? No one was sure. There was no Act of Parliament on it; there was no judgment expressly confirming or rejecting it. Then came the Homan case. The actual decision was decided easily, with all three judges finding for the defendants. But all three judges also found it necessary to express their opinion on the issue of 'backward tracing'.

Dillon L.J., who gave the first judgment, thought that 'backward tracing' was good law.

Unfortunately, Leggatt L.J. expressed his opinion that the concept was "fallacious", since it was wrong in principle.

The score being tied at 1-1, the whole of English jurisprudence held their breath at what Henry L.J. would say in his third and final judgment. Who would he side? Trust lawyers all over the country eagerly waited (their clients' success would hinge on this important point). Trust law book writers were getting impatient (they had to meet deadlines set by the publishers, but they still had a few blank pages under the topic 'backward tracing'). Trusts lectures were cancelled for the day (the professors needed to know what to say on the topic). Of course, trust students were therefore happy; but they too held their breaths at this terribly important final judgment.

And Henry L.J. spoke, and simply said five words:

"I agree with both judgments."

Everyone held their heads in disbelief. And we learn one important skill in life. When you are caught in the middle, just say "I agree with both!"

Stay safe.

Letting-ins

2007-01-20T05:29:00.000+08:00

Looking in from the outside can be fun for those who think innocence in bliss, but depth is only gained when one is let inside to explore what goes behind the scenes. For most people who look in, law is boring and all about lying; being 'inside' I am in the privileged position to refute that proposition. Nonetheless, although reading judgments and textbooks, speaking to distinguished professors and attending lectures defines my law-student life, I feel I am still a 'looker-in' in many areas. This past week however has been a most interesting week of 'letting-ins' for me.

On Monday, King's had Lord Rodger speak about the recent case of Barker v Corus. In that case, his Lordship delivered a dissenting judgment. That much was clear for those who read the case off the law reports, but what his Lordship revealed was deeper than that found in the judgments. For instance, the way in which insurance companies apportioned compensation among themselves for the disease of asbestosis was significantly different compared to that of mesothelioma, and that explained why that case was viewed with such importance. Parliament's passing of the Compensation Act 2006, in which Section 3 reversed the court's decision, was also more significant than it seemed, in that it applied retroactively to Mrs. Barker. These were facts certainly not to be found in the judgment itself.

On Tuesday, my European Law tutor who had a rough Christmas break, spent the whole hour of class telling us about the Viking Line case, in which he acted as advisor for the defendants. His Christmas became rough when the 2004 European Community Directive on services was adopted on 12th of December last year, and was only published on the 27th of December. That adoption of the Directive would change the course of his client's submissions (which he had prepared in May), and the case was due for hearing before the European Court of Justice on 10th January. Throughout that period he had to communicate with the QC who was on holiday in Cayman Islands, and who was understandably not very keen in modifying the pleadings. I am eagerly waiting for the ECJ's judgment to be delivered.

On Wednesday, I had the privilege of attending a guided tour of the Royal Courts of Justice. Being a law enthusiast, law is magic to me. But the magic has always been intangible. Now having seen where the magic happens will certainly add a new dimension to my reading of law. At the entrace to the RCJ stands a large signboard which reads 'no taking of photographs' - in three different languages as well. Oh well, what could I do, justice had to be served!

The good, the bad, and the New Year

2007-01-13T15:35:00.000+08:00

There are few things worse than falling sick with cold and flu during winter with a massive jet lag in a foreign country. There are also (academically speaking) few things better than getting an 80% plus a compliment for an assignment marked by a renown professor who, besides being a text book writer, wrote an article which was approved by the House of Lords recently.

After an unbelievably unforgettable Christmas break, it's time to churn up the engines again. Happy (belated) New Year, let's get rolling!

Merry Christmas

2006-12-27T22:18:00.000+08:00

Mom teaches English tuition. She can tell whether a student is brilliant or otherwise. Take for example, a Christmas card she received which said:

"Marry Christmas Eve and Silent Night!"

And that was not done on purpose.

Truth or facts?

2006-12-04T04:48:00.000+08:00

"The truth is more important than the facts." - Frank Lloyd Wright

Ever since Debbie quoted that phrase to me, I've been pondering about it in the context of law. What do judges really do? They look at the facts and try to determine the truth as per the law. What do most lawyers do? They twist the law, fit the facts into its compartments, and portray it as the truth. How do people react? They determine the 'truth' based on their own convictions and then judge the facts. In actual fact, I have not decided what the true interrelationship between truth and fact is. But there have so far been two thoughts which I found interesting in relation to this train of thought. Let me share them with you.

"The manufacture of a five-pronged implement for manual digging results in a fork even if the manufacturer, unfamiliar with the English language, insists that he intended to make and has made a spade." - Per Lord Templeman in Street v Mountford [1985]

"It does not rain simply because the weatherman said it would". - per YingKs

Spectacles

2006-11-28T06:18:00.000+08:00

If you know me well enough to be so unfortunate to hear about my legal journey, you'll probably know of my admiration for Lord Denning, one of the greatest judges ever in English law. Debbie calls me his 'unsworn apprentice'; indeed if I were to have half his lordship's wisdom in my lifetime I should have had a more than excellent legal career.

Well this post has nothing much to do with Lord Denning nor my legal career, but more of what his lordship said in the course of his judgment of a 1954 case:

"It is so easy to be wise after the event and to condemn as negligence that which was only a misadventure. We ought always to be on our guard against it...We must not look at the [earlier] accident with [later] spectacles."

'If only I had known' is a phrase so oft used that it returns 96500 results on Google. Its context however is not best seen in relation to a search engine, but to life - more specifically time. Some people blame things on the fact of delayed revelation itself. Most condemn themselves after a delayed revelation. The Bible (to which Lord Denning certainly referred to) however confronts us with a logically sequential phrase, 'in due time'. Indeed "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven".

Dad used to say: ' 早知就是神仙' - if you had indeed known, you'd be a fairy. I'd say: fairies don't wear spectacles.

Know

2006-11-14T07:40:00.000+08:00

I recently gave thought to what I would say if I ever were to be quoted for saying something useful to society, and I came up with this:

"If you don't know something, know it."

It is of a two-stage application: First, to know the fact that you don't know something (I bet you know where this came from!); and secondly, to learn that which you don't know.

What do you think?

Dilemmas

2006-11-04T05:52:00.000+08:00

Some say life is full of dilemmas. I'm personally not too sure of the 'fullness' of it, but I've certainly had my fair share of dilemmas. Even this blog in its recent memory has had its share of posts on dilemmas - one by Debbie and one by me.

The most recent major dilemma is the toughest I have encountered. It is the ultimate challenge to my body, soul and mind. It threatens remove a value so deeply ingrained in my life. My decision is of such crucial importance because it will not only affect me, but also the wellbeing of others. The pros and cons are so well matched that the difference between them is extremely minute. But a decision has to be made.

The dilemma (at 2°C) is: to bathe or not to bathe.

A first

2006-10-24T06:14:00.000+08:00

I have, for the first time since I arrived, heard the sound of thunder. Sounds like a butterflies-filled stomach grumbling.

At the same time, my stomach is butterflies-filled, being thrown into a foreign land all alone for the first time. What initially felt like a long holiday is in reality a (too) long period away from home. Missing my family and Debbie this much is a first.

At the same time, this long period away from home is when I have to strive for my First in law. Alas, each is only allocated one future. A first, and the last one.

Keeping it simple

2006-10-18T06:39:00.001+08:00

On Monday I attended a very interesting talk by Sir Edward Caldwell, a draftsman who was involved in the drafting of the European Communities Act 1972 and the Human Rights Act 1998. He gave his delighted audience a very interesting insight into the drafting work behind Acts of Parliament. Personally, reading a statute will never be the same again, having known how much effort the draftsmen put in to churn the final results.

One thing that struck me was (the irony of) how difficult it is to make a statute simple. Draftsmen are given certain aims they need to achieve; with that they have to draft the words of the statute in the most precise and concise manner possible. It is certainly not uncommon for a 20-page draft to appear as a mere three liner in its final form. And the process is extremely tedious.

Looking at the bigger picture of life, I realise that the tendency to complicate things is not a mere characteristic incident to a person; it is often a mistake we make in our attitude towards life itself. Its manifestation is in the things we do. Of course, we know that it pays off to keep life simple. But do we make the effort to? That's a tough one.

Why does the rain cause drowsiness?

2006-10-04T04:27:00.000+08:00

Yes... the bizarre sedating effect rainy days have on people...My version of My Fair Lady's Rain in Spain.

Debbie Doolittle: The rain in Penang makes me fall asleep again!

Prof. Barry Schniggins: And again why does it rain?

Debbie Doolittle: Go ask Jane! Go ask Jane!

Prof. Barry Schniggins: And where's that blasted Jane?!

Debbie Doolittle: In Spain! In Spain!

Debbie Doolittle: The rain in Penang makes me fall asleep again!!!!

(pitter patter drizzle drazzle....yawnnnn.... zzzzzzzzz *snoreee*)

:) :) :)

Deliberating decisions and crappy choices

2006-09-26T04:09:00.000+08:00

Grocery shopping is fun because I can choose what I want to eat. But that's as far as the fun goes. For every item I need, I stand for at least three minutes at the racks, trying to decide which to buy. There are so many factors: price (times seven if you may), expiry date, taste, nutrition, storage, etc. It is almost impossible to just grab something off the rack.

Even with such carefully deliberated decisions, I have wasted a grand total of 3 pounds (times seven if you may!) at least, on a bottle of bad instant coffee and two boxes of half-rotten strawberries.

Ah, if only I knew. Perhaps I would already have tasted some authentic English fish n' chips by now...

Seven

2006-09-19T20:55:00.000+08:00

SEVEN is not the easiest denominator for multiplication. The horror of looking at the Pound, multiplying it by seven (with great difficulty) and then being shocked to the bones with the real amount I'm spending gives me a headache.

Why then, you may ask, do I still multiply, considering the fact that I'm on scholarship? The answer is simple - there's no place like home. Home is where the currency of the heart is.

How do you see it?

2006-09-06T10:10:00.000+08:00

When I was a little kid, I had a habit. I was told that the moment I was able to talk, I just loved asking questions beginning with 'why'. It isn't very much different today, except that I learnt that 'why' isn't the only way to start a question. Inquisitive or irritating? I'm not sure, but the best construction is always favourable.

Through studying law, I learnt that many questions can be asked, but most of them can never be satisfactorily answered. For instance, that day when I was in the LRT, I noticed that the emergency button was accompanied by the following words: 'Use only in emergency to notify driver'. If one misused it, one would be fined a small fortune. I was rather interested in the word 'emergency'. By whose standards is an emergency defined by? If two young men started shouting at each other, is that an emergency? What if it were two old men? How about the scenario where a man brings in two bags full of durians? Is that an emergency? I am certain that the word 'emergency' is clearly defined somewhere, but I am inquisitive - or irritating for that matter. Observant or petty? The best construction is always favourable.

Ever since I received the scholarship award, time has always been against me. I have so much to prepare, and above all, to reset my mindset, within the limited time given. Every minutest detail that used to be a norm in life is now cherished dearly. I eat, knowing that I will soon be deprived of Chinese food. I sit in my room, knowing that it will soon be vacated. I look at the clock, knowing that soon every glance at my watch will be automatically accompanied by adding seven or eight hours to it. I use my handphone, knowing that my Digi line will soon be hibernating. I cherish every article my Associate posts, knowing that it takes so much more effort to do so, now that we will be further apart. Sentimental or trivial? Again, the best construction, please.

Book crazy or book lazy

2006-08-30T11:52:00.000+08:00

Funny how one can be so torn in life's dilemmas. No. Nothing funny about that at all. Everyone has dilemmas. Mine is just abounding. :) For instance, my friend in college has the dilemma of two opposite ends in a spectrum: Go to University of London (in London) to do law and live happily OR to stay here with her dad and study in IPG. It's really a worrying dilemma. Safe to say, hers is definitely proportionately larger than mine. I am faced with two dilemmas; one impending and another, I happen to be going through now. The impending dilemma shall be discussed much later.

I walk into MPH and go crazy literally on how many books I can't own and how many books I want to read. I walk into my room and I want to pick up Oscar Wilde's children's writing or something on British wit but guilt stops me afoot. Instead, my gaze is shifted to the mound of stuff i have to cover before the third week of September. My focus, that is of dire importance, is eluding me.

I have conscripted unwilling 'soldiers' to help me in my battle of studying. As Napoleon once said, "The life of a citizen is the property of the country." So I say, "The life of my friends is the property of my studying campaign." :) :) Poor poor people who let me frighten them into studying. So far I found two victims to sit and listen to my ramblings. One is scheduled on Wednesday and the other on Fridays. Thank you two for not letting my brain rot and die.

In conclusion, HOWEVER (which my sifu has told me is one of my worst faults in writing a law bomb), I have indeed chosen my love and am loving what I chose. Do not despise what God has put in you; your interests, passions and what-nots. As for the dilemmas in life, do not despise them too. :) :) This is because:-

Dilemmas (short-run)=debilitating disturbances

Dilemmas (long-run)= determination + divine intervention + destiny

Sticking through with the dilemmas with God = love + joy + peace, patience + kindness + goodness + faithfulness + gentleness + self-control!

Of England and More...

2006-08-23T18:54:00.000+08:00

Set in this stormy Northern Sea,
Queen of these restless fields of tide,
England! What shall men say of thee,
Before whose feet the worlds divide?
-Oscar Wilde

London town is beckoning,
All British people sing!
And aliens who wish to be neutralized,
Do not be despised!

Cotswolds- The heart of England lie,
In nature's beauty flowers grow;
With you, through all I'd like to fly,
In you, the best of life is told.

Through London streets of gold, I wish-
To one day walk you, down the years,
Your hand in mine, and all that bliss;
In you, I'd walk through every sphere.
-Yingks

London awaits one who knows,
The beauty of which the heart of it holds,
Lying in the hands of one who will never fold,
Will the joy, the love and wonders grow.
-Deb

Scholarship

2006-08-16T00:48:00.000+08:00

On Monday I received the most shell-shocking news - that I have been awarded the 2006 Malaysian Law Scholarship by the London External program. It is an annual award to the best Year One result in Malaysia. It means that for the next two years I'll be completing my degree in King's College London.

I must confess that the reality of the situation has not yet sunk in. Everything has happened way too quickly. Within a month I'll be in London. Being so mentally unprepared (honestly thinking that I didn't do well in my exams to even present myself a sniff at the award), I am bombarded by whirlwinds of emotions. Home has never meant so much before. Love has never been so tested before.

My Associate and I are trying to come to terms with this joyous yet all-too-sudden news as well. It is understandably difficult to be an associate to someone like me with so many sudden twists and turns in life. Heck, most of the time it just happens. But it does happen for a reason. A divine plan.

Feast of the Senses

2006-08-13T20:22:00.000+08:00

My trip to KL during the past week can be most suitably described as a delightful delicatessen of different satisfactions one could ever wish for. It was enjoyable meets long-suffering, boisterous meets demure, serious meets down-to-earth, principles meets arguments, brilliance meet comedy and all sorts of opposing elements experienced and savoured in one exciting dollop – what I proudly term, the My trip to KL during the past week would be most suitably described as a delightful delicatessen of different satisfactions one could ever wish for. It was enjoyable meets long-suffering, boisterous meets demure, serious meets down-to-earth, principles meets arguments, brilliance meet comedy and all sorts of opposing elements experienced and savoured in one exciting dollop – what I proudly term, the Feast of the Senses.

1. Sight
KL is indeed a fascinating place to be in. The concrete jungle meshed with nice landscapes and unique shapes and figures plastered all over the modern yet homey city really made it a wonderful place to visit. I was privileged enough to skip the horrific jams everyone roars about; instead, I got to experience a grand event - the Sultan Azlan Shah Law Lecture. The Textile Exhibition at KLCC, the resplendent pool of water fountains outside, a great display of musical talents at the Mont Kiara Sunrise Jazz Fest, the beautifully renovated home of my Associate and a dainty morning market amidst a lovely neighbourhood were among others that spiced up the sights of KL.
A different sort of ‘sight’ occurred when my Associate was spotted and invited to an audition for a potato chips advert right next to me! I turned over, looking up at him and I realised how stunningly gorgeous he looked. When he gazed back at me, I saw a smart, warm and loving person. Through these eyes, the sense of sight was illuminated by wonderful moments of sheer bliss. I do thank God I can see!

2. Taste
The food in KL is not BAD, really! :) In fact, I found my own favourites such as Hakka Mee, KL and Hong Kong Chee Cheong Fun, KL Wantan Mee and most of all, KL home-cooked food. New tastes were acquired, such as sea coconut tong-sui and Gandum - a famous food in Penang which I never got a chance to sample. Pizza Hut and US Pizza has always been the two pizza parlours in my book. Now, there's California Pizza House to add to it! :) Thumbs up to Mamaks too, especially the thosai at Mirasa-wonderful white gravy! Although Penang is frequently hailed as the haven of good food, I would give KL a thumbs-up. I guess it depends on knowing the right people, or more so the right mouths to point the direction to spanky dishes….. besides paying that little extra. ;)

3. Hearing
I have no qualms on disagreeing with the complaints most people make over the hubbub of KL. In fact, I quite like it. :) The law lecture was very impressive. Unfortunately, my memory does not serve me well but Weng Tchung posted a real good commentary of it on his blog. Great advice also graced the exciting audible experiences. Besides that, I got to hear the nice, mechanical sound of the LRTs, some awesome jazz riffs by Farid Ali, spectacular percussioning by Mr Austin, the next rising Vanessa Mae-Joanna, and even some raw beat-boxing talent by my Associate's brother which won him an Island Getaway Package.

4. Touch
I got to set my hands on a quaint classical violin and make some scratchy sounds. Stroking hamsters, plush soft toys and inserting numerous LRT cards, coins and dollars into various slots kept me bouncy and happy. :)

5. Smell
One thing I strongly dislike - cigarette smoke, but apparently it was so fun at the Jazz Fest that I did not realize the thick clouds of smoke being puffed out by surrounding bystanders. GREAT! At least an unconscious second-hand smoker irks lesser than a conscious one. :) :) The FOOD in KL and freshly painted rooms smell great too. :) Certain colognes though, compel sneezes.

At long last, the week ended and I returned to Penang leaving the many joys with special memories recorded by my trusty senses. Is that good enough? Yes, it is for those who are contented. :)

Renovation

2006-08-07T12:33:00.000+08:00

Time and space has it that growing up is not a choice but a rule of nature. The existence of the "empty nest syndrome" itself is due to the effect of time. 'Time passes too quickly' - yet this statement in itself is redundant: the speed at which time passes by is measured within the concept of time itself, thus making it a circular argument and hence rendering it pointless, save as an expression to show that one misses something badly.

Mom has a motto in life: "I might be alone but I'm not lonely." That approach would certainly avoid the empty nest syndrome; however the house is undoubtedly quieter since my brother went to Melaka to further his studies in MMU. The 'syndrome' might not be there, but the nest surely feels emptier.

My house has just been successfully renovated. Mom wanted to enlarge the hall and the kitchen to fit her daughter-in-laws and grandchildren when they visit. Weird reason, no? But that's how life is - time moves in a straight line; always 'moving on'. Soon the house will be too big for mom and dad; yet again too small during reunions. Ah, that's time too. There's always too much yet too little of it.

The 'ungraceful' Associate speaks...

2006-08-02T23:05:00.000+08:00

Me: Associate?? Wa……
Yingks: Can you post an entry by the end of this week? (*thinks to himself : Please, please Deb, don't procrastinate …..:p )
Me: *blinks innocently* Whattt….. I never put off what I can do the day after. :) :)

:) I would like to start by addressing the loyal and intelligent readers of this sacred blog belonging to the self-professed lawyer-ish, ingenious nut I happen to know :). My name is Debbie. :) Hello. *waves*

I am so so sorry for the sudden distortion of the flow of Mr. Ying's impeccable style in blogging. Today you will not be seeing his esoteric ramblings, witty repartee or words of wisdom as he has decided to invite an invader to bring some anarchy into his orderly blog-life :) So be forewarned :) What you are about to read is the ramblings of another nut, nuttier than the nutty-nut whose blog this belongs to. I am no peanut. I am a Bie-nut. Oh dear.. a 'crippled' statement in my first entry as a guest in this distinguished blog. I was supposed to ' gracefully pop by'. I am so sorry. :)

One thing you must know, :) whenever I blog out of the blue, I tend to be terribly incoherent. I usually procrastinate until something jumps up at me compelling a ' word vomit' to occur. But, since Mr. Ying has a pattern of blogging once in a week and he was so kind to mention my upcoming 'intrusion' in his past entry, I shall have to appear. Maybe I should say a little about the way I write so it doesn't come as a sour surprise when my occasional entry pops up. (or has it already? :) ) I do tend to write like a children's book author. I get that all the time. :) I also have frequent moments where finding symbols in everything that I see becomes a queer fascination. You really shouldn't. It makes LIFE quite impossible. I also suffer from a massive, incurable Adjective-Addiction as you might have already realised. Oh, and I love smiles. :)

Besides that weird load, I pretty much write normal. :) But don't take my word for it… :) read for yourself and after you do…. Do, do leave comments. As a graceful conclusion to my first in-attempt-to-be-graceful entry, I will leave you with one of my random, graceful thoughts.

I saw a bumper sticker today with the words 'Live One Day at a Time' emblazoned on it. People say that the best way to live is to live one day at a time because if you try to live seven days at a time, the week will be over before you know it. True. But the question is, what if the week is boring? :)

Yingks and Associate

2006-07-30T22:22:00.000+08:00

With the busyness of life tightening its noose around my neck, my ambitious aspiration to post once in every seven days sometimes makes the noose even tighter. As you can see, it is a Catch 22 situation. However, not to worry! This is not an excuse to post less often than I already do, nor is this a notice of termination of my blog.

You may have already noticed from the heading of my blog; what used to be called “YingKs” has now officially become “Yingks and Associate”. I am very pleased to announce that, after much pleading and persuasion, I have finally been able to call on board my lovely associate, Debbie, to grace my blog with her occasional obiter dicta. This associate of mine loves to ramble according to her whimsical whims and loves to ponder. She will gracefully (I hope!) drop by whenever she is inspired. I look forward as much as (I hope!) you do too!

Welcome to my abode, Debbie! Make yourself feel at home ;)

Lessons of life

2006-07-23T16:42:00.000+08:00

As I approach my final week of the attachment program, it appears to me that it is of utmost importance that one chooses a career which one really takes interest and passion in. I say this due to two observations.

The first is the fact that I have had a very realistic taste of what working in the legal profession is like. One tends to harbour preconceived ideas in the absence of any real experience. Mom always tells me: what you normally see is a person's success; you don't see the hard work that brought him to where he is today. And as I have said in previous posts, the legal profession is definitely not a bed of roses. My mental and physical strengths have been put to the most vigorous tests through this program - and it is but a unrefined reflection of the life of a lawyer. In the stress and the very frequent bouts of frustration that one gets in the profession, it is the passion for law that will steer one through.

"Are you stressed?
YES.
Are you tired?
YES.
Heck, you've got a firm running -you're the boss! Just sit back and relax - you'll still get your cash!
NO WAY! I LOVE THE LAW!"
- my dream conversation

The second is the many conversations I had with the lawyers at the firm. Their love for the law even radiates from their faces when they speak. It not only drives them to perfectionism and professionalism; it even spurs them to pass on their passion to anyone who is willing to learn. On the occasion that two lawyers discuss the law amongst themselves, it is a display of enthusiasm - of wanting to learn and wanting to share. Of even greater encouragement is the way they have treated us attachment students, whom they owe nothing to. We are merely 'young virgins' (as Mr. Lecturer would have it) who have everything to learn and little to contribute. Yet they are ever willing to pass on their love for the law to us. The recruiting partner treated us to lunch last week, and over lunch he made a very sincere statement: "I've done attachments before and I know how valuable it is, and so I hope you make the best out of your time here." If ever the comment comes my way that generalises lawyers as 'a bunch of crooks', I'd have a strong word or two against it.

It is surely by the Grace of God that I have chosen a path which I have a genuine interest in. Yet it is important to know that in every aspect of life, getting to do something one loves is Grace; getting oneself to love what one does is a choice.

A little, important discussion over tea

2006-07-16T14:28:00.000+08:00

Working (doing an attachment, to be precise) in the legal profession is anything but a breeze. Just ask Weng Tchung if you don't take it from me that it is a most exhausting experience. 'Tired' might not be the most accurate word since we really don't move around a lot; 'mental exhaustion' describes it better. Or perhaps, in a language not known to lawyers, the phrase is 'going bonkers'. Weekends have never been so desperately sought after, and have never passed by so quickly before.

We have a new attachment student for company who joined us last Friday. He is an A-level student and has not studied law before. He posed some interesting questions regarding morality and the legal profession which prompted a very exciting discussion over tea. I thought I'd let you in on my opinion on the issue.

The topic of the discussion can aptly be condensed into the question: "Is it right for a lawyer to defend a guilty person?" Opinions vary widely on this issue, but my take is this: everyone has a unique measurement of what is right and what is wrong. If that unique measurement in all of us were to be the standard that we all live by, our society would be at best chaotic and at worst barbaric. Hence in our imperfection we need a common standard as the sole measurement of rightness and wrongness - that common denominator is the law. The law is a living organism; however that is not to say that it is perfect. Through its imperfection we live in an orderly society. A lawyer's job, put simply, is this: he presents his client's case. The judge is the one who measures it against the law and gives judgment. Who is the lawyer to judge his client's guilt? He may present his case with as much tact and wit as he may, but it is the judge who decides guilt and who lays out the penalties.

If the law is imperfect (as it surely is), it is the duty of Parliament or the courts to remedy it. As for being a lawyer, I'd like to be viewed as a 'representor' or a means by which the evidence and arguments are set out. I do not want to be seen as judging anyone by the law - I do not wish to usurp the duty of the judge. The harsh reality, however, is that judges are humans; they are as imperfect as the law is. By one's unique standards, a decided case may be a 'wrong' decision, yet we have to accept it for the sake of order. True perfection is only in God.

Attachment week one

2006-07-09T18:50:00.000+08:00

One week of the attachment program has been completed; it has been a most interesting one. I have heard stories from friends who did their attachment at other firms - they had to make coffee and do filing work during their stint; and so I count myself blessed that it has not been the case for me - I have been given the liberty to ask lawyers in the firm for any type of work I like to maximise my exposure.

To say that any such program is an eye-opener is really an understatement; to enjoy it however is a blessing. My mind travels back to the time when I did a similar program in an engineering company. It was an eye-opener alright - a divine revelation that engineering wasn't made for me! In contrast, this attachment program is yet another confirmation that I am on the right course. I am absolutely thrilled at the prospects of being in the profession soon!

Tomorrow I start my second week, and I will be joined by my 'sifu' Weng Tchung and his significant other who are also doing the attachment program. It will certainly be an interesting week!

***

On another (brief) note - did you know that "chow mein" is actually an existing English phrase? I am utterly amused!

Attachment day one

2006-07-03T21:23:00.000+08:00

Today was my first day of my month-long attachment program with Sivananthan Advocate and Solicitors. My first 'real' taste of the legal profession was quite an experience; I thought I'd jot a few words down. But first: what is an attachment? To my mind, it is a priceless experience for a law student who wants an insight as to the workings of the legal profession. I searched for a definition online and guess what I found - an attachment is "an employment relationship in which either the employer or the employee may terminate the employment at any time for any reason"! That wasn't really encouraging per se, but anyway...

I was accepted without an interview; consequently I wasn't briefed about anything, except that I started the attachment today. I arrived at 9am, only to be given a set of questions on which I was to research and reply by Thursday. It related to the Law of Evidence, something I have not touched before. I was sent to the library (a beautiful one as well!) to research, which I did for nearly two hours. Then I found out that I was to share a room with a chambering student. He was of utmost help, filling me in with almost everything I needed to know and did not know.

As it turned out, I finished my assignment before the day was over. I have yet to find out what the boss thinks of it, but from what I observed, the legal profession is fun yet stressful - I once read an article that lawyers have the worst shots at love because they are a stressed-out bunch! I'm not sure about the veracity of that, but my first impression could hardly be better. Perhaps the general friendliness of the people, the enticing atmosphere and my passion for law contributed to forming this impression - one which I hope is not misleading!

Well, an exhausted yours truly is heading to bed and towards day two. It is indeed but the beginning - hopefully of something exciting!

Suspense...bother!

2006-06-30T21:30:00.000+08:00

I was just saying that day that I dislike suspense. I don't watch many movies because I don't like the suspense - I have to find out the ending before watching one (so much for spoilers!). I don't like TV series because I can't stand the anticipation. Waiting for exam results strangle me by the neck. I don't play many computer games because the suspense kills me. The last time I had a go at playing Counter Strike, my shots were so bad because my hand was crumbling under suspense!

However, I'm not chickening out of watching penalty shootouts this World Cup! I just hope that my heart doesn't fail me.

Holidays

2006-06-24T12:31:00.000+08:00

I finished my year one examinations on the 1st of June. The post-exams holidays have been very good so far! I spent almost two weeks in Penang visiting Debbie. It was a really good time to relax and unwind. Apart from the usual meals and hang-outs as well as the anything-but-mundane chats related to law, theology, life and everything else, I learnt to appreciate comics and dogs, both of which I have long detested. I brought back a stack of Archie comics almost by accident, and they have been keeping me amused. Debbie's dog Harvey is very cute - and you'll almost never hear me say that a dog is cute!

I guess it really matters to study hard during the academic year. Since day one, when I made my resolution last September, I managed to maintain my fired-up pace all the way until the year was over. People used to (and still do) ask how I handle my time, since I decided to study 'privately'. In my opinion, it isn't difficult at all because I love what I'm doing. Some ask me whether I set a timetabled studying scheme to regulate the bulk of my self-studying time. I don't. In fact, I schedule my non-studying activities around my studying time. You can't call me a nerd - I can't help enjoying law!

Apart from (trying to achieve) academic excellence, I realise that that in itself will not get me far at all. Thankfully I have been accepted to undergo an attachment programme with a law firm, Sivananthan Advocates and Solicitors for the duration of the month of July. This seems like it will be a fruitful three months of holidays!

Change

2006-06-19T21:26:00.000+08:00

After spending nearly two weeks of holidays in Penang, I came home to find that renovation work had begun. The idea (of renovating the house) had been lying around for almost a year now; but it had to start when I was away. Didn't get the chance to do my little quiet reminiscing over the house-as-it-used-to-be-for-twenty-years which I would have appreciated.

Change is almost always fun, but I usually like to savour the last moment before change happens; to get into the contemplative, melancholic mood - telling myself that this moment will never return ever again, and reflect on that fact. However, it really is the future that we can yet improve on; the past is merely a static story from which the wise learn from.

I shall try to be wise.

Murphy's Law

2006-06-12T11:14:00.000+08:00

Lately I seem to have been talking a great deal about Murphy's Law, especially after having browsed a book, 'Why the Bread Always Lands Butter Side Down', with Debbie in Borders. (I must say that Borders tops the list of things I am grateful for in KL!) Murphy's Law is the law that says anything that can go wrong will go wrong.

I need a parking space and I am dead tired. I circle the block four times to no avail. I decide to park some distance away because I am tired of being tired of looking for a lot in close proximity. After parking and as I drag my weary legs towards where I want to go to, I see one empty lot along the way. Then I see another. And yet another. And just as I arrive, there is this one darned parking lot right outside where I want to go to. That, surely, is Murphy's fault.

What then should I say about those times when the perfect lot was right where I wanted it to be? Or those times that the car park was so empty that I was spoilt for choice? Murphy must have gone to sleep then.

It is funny that Murphy is to blame when things do go wrong; and yet when things don't go wrong Murphy gets no credit for not rearing his head. Debbie and I nonsensically concluded that whether or not things go wrong, Murphy is always there - either he interferes or he doesn't. That, of course, is utter nonsense.

I personally don't wager on football matches, but since Murphy's Law is the topic today, let me give you an idiot's guide on predicting football scores.

The better team will win - most of the time.
If the better team doesn't win, both teams will draw - most of the time.
If none of the above occurs, then the better team in the match is the team that wins - blame yourself!

Of Murphy and the World Cup...

If you analyse the teams well, free of bias, before placing a bet, you will win - sometimes.
If you place a bet with a bias, you won't win - sometimes.
If you lose on a bet, blame Murphy.
If you win on a bet, thank Murphy.
If you don't bet, thank God!

Enjoy your month of football! :)

Done...finally!

2006-06-05T00:02:00.000+08:00

Exams are finally over! In hindsight, I didn't feel like I did too well. Having slogged for nine months, I think I could have done much better. One thing I appreciated, however, was the understanding of principles that I had, thanks to Mr. Lecturer. There are endless ways that one may set out an argument, a variety of views from different academicians and thousands upon thousands of cases that can be quoted; yet they count for so little when one's understanding of fundamental principles is lacking.

This reminds me of a conversation I had with Debbie. We were talking about people who 'try too hard' when they write. Good grammar, or at least an acceptable level of it, is fundamental in writing. Some fall below that standard, which makes reading quite an irritable experience. Those that try too hard, however, irk the most. Their writings flow freely with bad basic grammatical errors; then out of a sudden a gigantic mammoth of a word jumps right out and slaps you in the face. Of course it is a good thing to try to impress the reader, but it shares the same gross-ness as forcing rotten oysters down one’s throat. Trying to run before learning to crawl will definitely result in a painful tush.

***

So, the holidays are finally here! Thanks to Miss Darling who's keeping me a very good company, I am a blog-slog:) I shall enjoy my holidays well before the new term brings four brand new sets of principles that lie waiting to be discovered. I do hope to grasp them well so as not to shove stupendously silly scripts down the examiners' throats next year!

One to go

2006-05-29T07:33:00.000+08:00

I've got three papers down; one more to go. It wasn't too pleasant an experience sitting for those papers. I felt like I didn't nail the questions well at all, but Mr. Lecturer thinks otherwise. He said that it is merely the 'anti-climax' effect - studying nine months for just those few minutes of writing. Doesn't do justice, really. It feels like you've studied so much, yet you've not done enough.

Let's hope the last one turns out better.

Payment day

2006-05-22T10:23:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow is just a day away. I started my course; I made resolutions. During classes, there were moments of sadistic madness; at other times, ringing hand phones and the lack of basic courtesy. Law was never boring - there were new ways of looking at judgments, cool arguments on sex discrimination; topped off sweetly with Mr. Lecturer's 'pills'. Even my humble virtual abode underwent cosmetic changes, reflecting my joy in studying law.

My room is strewn with papers and stacks of heavy-duty books. A bundle of used-up pens lie in the corner, exhausted while practicing law answers. Nine months of studying (or lack of it?) is now put to the test. Everything was done...for tomorrow.

Yesterday Mr. Lecturer called me a 'pure pessimist', and told me to post it that Dr. Lecturer has diagnosed me with 'worryingitis'. I owe four good results to him. And to mom and dad for giving me that chance. And to Ah Jie for her tips and care. And to Weng Tchung for 'filling in the gaps'. And to Miss Darling for being a sweetie. And to God whose laws are the best.

Tomorrow is payment day.

Too bad

2006-05-19T14:34:00.000+08:00

I have so far miraculously survived the onslaught of claustrophobia and exam stress. If a precedent is anything to go by, there is a one-in-two chance of walking out of the examination hall wishing I had quoted Professor Wade, Professor Dworkin or that something-jotted-on-the-piece-of-paper-clipped-in-my-stack-of-notes .

Moral of the story? Professor Wade, Professor Dworkin and that something-jotted-on-the-piece-of-paper-clipped-in-my-stack-of-notes must be well memorised before Tuesday's first paper.

But then again, there is a one-in-two chance of forgetting to quote Lord Brown-Wilkinson on the mens rea of recklessness, Professor Dicey on the British Constitution, Laws LJ on the hierarchy of statutes, Lord Steyn's article on Pepper v Hart, Sir William Dale on precedent, or of writing 'tow the official line' when all I need is a kick in the toe.

I think the revised moral of the story should be this: there is a one-in-one chance of feeling dissatisfied after every paper. Too bad.

Share to learn

2006-05-12T20:33:00.000+08:00

In almost any class of students put together without any form of streaming, there would inevitably be a variety of different levels of performance. If my memory serves me right, the distribution of the variety of levels should form a bell curve. According to Mr. Lecturer however, our class seems to be of two rather distinct groups - perhaps due to the fact that half the class are of the working class and the rest are full time students.

Regardless of the distribution, Mr. Lecturer does a tremendous job in meeting our needs. Although he seems to 'spoon-feed' us (for the sake of the working class), I personally find that my extra reading work is made a breeze because of the way his basic approach draws out the compartments into which any information fits snugly within.

Throughout my course of studies I have often been bugged by the urge to share and discuss extra information that comes by while doing my reading, which does not materialise since we do not have discussions in class. Today however, after a week long of bugging him, Mr. Lecturer decided to organise an informal discussion group. For four hours the six of us that turned up had fun debating and arguing about concepts and ideas, and in the process honing our grip on the various topics studied. My long-suppressed need to share and debate certain concepts finally materialised.

This reminds me of what Mr. Lecturer told me two months before I embarked on the degree course. He said that the more one shares information, the better oneself gets. The accuracy of that statement has today been put beyond reasonable doubt. Share to learn.

Half done, almost there

2006-05-05T10:52:00.000+08:00

Mr. Lecturer marks our law answers as upon 20, where eight is a pass and 14 is an A. He is a self-confessed stingy examiner, which is a good thing. When hopes are not unnecessarily raised, one never falls into the 'comfort zone', and thus tries to push harder to attain a higher grade.

Of late, Mr. Lecturer has taken on a fancy of giving 1/2 marks, such as 10 1/2 over 20. My disorder for incompleteness surfaces every time it happens. I whine and complain and bug him; but he simply explains his 1/2 mark as, "You're almost there, but not yet!"

This "half-done syndrome" is quite horribly torturing. It feels like you've peddled so hard to get to the water surface; but just as your nose is about to break to the surface, someone pushes your head down, and you have to hold your breath for even longer. Well, yes, 'almost there', but you probably can't hold your breath for longer than nine minutes!

* * *

I started off the year with a post that said, "I turn 20 this year. Twenty seems like a big number. I will soon no longer be a teenager." Well, I'm almost there, but not yet. A day shy to be exact. Time for celebrations? Well...... almost, but not yet =)

I don't know

2006-04-28T00:55:00.000+08:00

Maybe I'm a sucker for perfection but no matter how you label it, I never feel that what I do is ever enough. Law is where 'the sky is the limit'; and being given only 45 minutes to answer each question leaves room for only the best points. The truth of the matter is this: there is NEVER a 'best' point. Any point that needs to be made will sooner or later pale in the glory of another point that is better phrased. And so I find myself chasing after puddles that turn out to be mirages - never satisfying my thirst.

Coupled with the fact that I am a positive pessimist, these last twenty odd days to the exams are destined to be stressful and worrisome. When one runs but never finds the finish line, one can't help but feel exhausted.

I was trying to persuade Mr. Lecturer into giving me more information for some topics. However what I got was the most hilarious answer. He told me (as Socrates did), "Don't you realise that the more you study the more you realise you don't know?" I nodded. And so he continued, "The fact that you feel you don't know enough is good enough!"

So I don't know; and yet because I don't know, I know. Maybe I should start knowing less, then I'll know more! But really...I don't know.

Golden rule

2006-04-24T13:38:00.000+08:00

Regardless of whether reading law is the cause or effect of it, I love twisting words. This habit inevitably creeps up whenever I'm in the course of a casual conversation, either advertently or inadvertently.

Since I happen to read law, people invariably snap back with their favourite phrase, "You bloody lawyer!" - said with a disgusted look.

Conversely however, when I speak to people who to me are distinguished law figures (such as Weng Tchung or Mr. Lecturer), my brain automatically shelves the twisting element. This, surely, is necessary. Never tell grandma how to suck an egg.

I was speaking to Debbie when I inadvertently twisted something she said and had a good laugh myself. It was however a mistake because I forgot that she reads law too. She gave me the best response I've ever heard. She said: "Hey lawyer. Use the golden rule!"

Question Time

2006-04-18T16:26:00.000+08:00

It is difficult to have a rare interest, because very few people share that common passion. Oftentimes when I am studying, I come up with new ideas or new dimensions to an issue which makes me automatically (and literally) spring up from my seat - there is an urge to share it with someone who would understand. Unfortunately more often than not I can only suppress that bubbling excitement (with great difficulty) until the next class to share it with Mr. Lecturer - of which by then the bubbles have rather subsided.

Anyway, for those who might have a minute or two to waste, I have found myself a new past-time in watching the Prime Minister's Question Time from the Parliament of UK. It streams pretty well from 10 Downing Street's website, and has archived videos since 2000. It is the time (Wednesdays) when the PM gets shot with questions for half and hour and he has to answer them on the spot. For Parliamentary action at its best with wit and jokes all over the place, topped off with the beautiful British accent, this is a must-watch. (In fact, I'm polish up my cynical twisting skills!)

Watch the action here. Only if you're into politics. Or you're really, really bored.

Bursting with the joy of life

2006-04-14T19:05:00.000+08:00

Most people erroneously perceive law studies as comprising wholly of memorising. Personally this mistaken belief made me put off consideration of the law field until secondary school was over. I am indeed blessed that this blinkers were finally pulled off my eyes when it came to deciding my tertiary education course.

Having said that, any field of study inevitably involves the activity of memorising which varies in degree depending on the field in question. As for me, I dislike memorising. My brain repulses anything that I seek to memorise. I count myself blessed to have at least a partial photographic memory; but sadly my brain has formed a habit of rejecting the film, which is a major headache.

Sometimes, however, some phrases or cases or stories actually stick to memory without the need of photographic memory film. These are committed to the long-term memory, and are usually caused by either it being highly interesting or because it was said in a memorable situation.

Now before this lawyer-wanna-be seeks to con you, beloved readers, into believing that he is now a shrink, let me share with you one particular story that has found its way into this long-term memory shelf.

A 72-year old man was drink-driving. When the police stopped him, he started singing at the top of his voice. When they asked him to get out of his car, he did, but could hardly stand up straight. He was examined by the police and was found unfit to drive; but (in typical fashion) the man's own doctor examined him and gave evidence that he was quite fit to drive. The man gave evidence that he was bursting with the joy of life and wanted to sing something from Gilbert and Sullivan!

Apart from the reason of it being outrageous in fact, this case was immediately confined to my memory because of the phrase 'bursting with the joy of life'. I ventured to imagine how amazing life would be if we had the joy of life bursting through us at every moment. Unfortunately situations in life tend to shroud out the very essence of life itself, and joy is sometimes lost in the muddle of worries and expectations. Yet some can still burst with the joy of life even though people around them seek to destroy it through grouchiness and depression. These people (the joyful ones, not the grouchy ones!) I truly admire.

I made a search and realised that I had used the word 'joy' in over 40 posts! If you're wondering why I keep speaking about it - well, it's because I find joy in speaking about joy! I hope it rubs off you too!

[38 days to exams...and joy:) ]

Essays

2006-04-08T01:20:00.000+08:00

In primary school, essay topics were short and curt. Topics like 'My Uncle', 'My Hero' and 'My Best Friend' became mundane after a while. Worse still, the number of words that were allowed for each essay was grossly depriving. Writing was no joy.

In secondary school, I remember avoiding descriptive essays because they yielded pretty low marks - perhaps as a result of my manifestly inadequate vocabulary tank. I tended towards factual essays - those that discussed drug-related problems, natural disasters, traffic-overloading, the preservation of trees and so on. The problem was that I became jaded in no time as well. The contents of every essay were almost similar. I mean...is there any other way to curb those problems other than holding campaigns, promoting awareness, reforming and enforcing the law and meting out severe punishment to those who do not comply?

Now in university, I am faced with law essay questions. Things like the 'Supremacy of Parliament', 'intention and recklessness' and 'consideration and estoppel' have to be discussed; each reflecting on what I have been doing for the past nine months. Needless to say, these are my favourite essay questions, simply because I love law.

Essay questions differ at every phase of life. One's approach to them changes at every epoch too. But there is one that would certainly remain, which is to the primary school essay topic, 'My Father'. Everything about my respect and love and admiration for dad that I would have written then remains as real and as true as it is today; only subject to a greater degree than before.

As the essay traditionally ends, and as I would still hold true today: I have the best father in the world!

Happy birthday to my dad!:)

Incoherent study-stress expressions

2006-04-02T14:15:00.000+08:00

I don't know if this is a common characteristic amongst law students (or students of any discipline for that matter), but I seem to be a rather biased person when I study law. I have a tendency to, after briefly acquainting myself with a topic, choose a one of two sides to the argument (invariably the decision of agreeing or not agreeing with the current situation or view), and stick religiously to it. Any views that come my way are forced (often uncomfortably) to fit within my pre-conceived notions, and they seldom make me change my mind.

Biased or not, in the exams I have only three hours to answer four questions for each of the four subjects. My first year results will be judged purely on the total of those 12 hours. The maximum that I can write within 45 minutes (per question) is 5 pages. It's funny when I think of it: I spend 9 months on the course; reading real thick books that drive me crazy; making so many sheets of notes; answering so many past year questions... all for writing 20 pages per subject. In law the sky is the limit; yet however much I know about one subject, I'm only confined to expressing them in those 20 pages. It seems grossly disproportionate.

Nonetheless, for all the painstaking (and enjoyable too!) hours I spend labouring, I hope to be able to channel one entire year of studies into that limited examination time.

"We should never be bound by the inadequacy of language but rather be freed in knowing that our capacity of comprehension far surpasses what mere language can account for."

[50 days to exams]

Positive pessimism

2006-03-27T10:59:00.000+08:00

I was trying to compile a list of characteristics inherent in my personality. I started off with 'passionate', 'extremist', 'chauvinist' and so on, until I came to 'positive pessimist'. Debbie asked, rather bewilderedly, if I was a walking contradiction!

According my personal definition, a positive pessimist is one who envisages the worse possible situation and plans how to avoid it. He anticipates a gloomy tomorrow, and thus does what he can today to make tomorrow a bright and lovely day.

A positive pessimist is inevitably a heavy planner. He needs to know things well ahead of time so as to exercise his pessimism and then to exercise his positive outtake of it. In so doing, it is not unusual that people label him off as 'nervy' and 'over worried' because he thinks two steps ahead and quite often irritates those who don't. Many, in fact, don't - they live for the moment.

Sometimes a positive pessimist can be quite complicated and unpredictable (not unstable though, mind you!). The fact that the two terms 'positive' and 'pessimism' appear to be at opposite ends of a spectrum testifies to it. When his level of positivity drops a notch or two (the only constant in life, really, is change!), he tends to be more...well...a pessimist. And when his level of positivity rises, he is...well...more positive. At his best, he is always a little more positive than he is a pessimist. The balance is constantly sought but not always achieved.

I'm a positive pessimist. Are you?

Fun in stress

2006-03-21T11:56:00.000+08:00

There is a weird way stress takes its toll on me. I am physically affected by it (headaches, immense sweating, fatigue - the normal stuff). Emotionally I am quite a wreck (mood swings and pessimism - which is really unbecoming of me!). Mentally I feel like I'm on the verge of a breakdown. The more I study the more I realise my inadequacy, which is frightening in itself!

The crux of stress for me lies in the activity of memorising (which in my humble opinion is quite an insult to one's intelligence!). I always feel that the law is to be understood not memorised. Cases can be found in case books, statutes can be found in statute books; but it is the understanding and the concept of the law that should be grasped by a law student.

Having said all that, I love stress. I work well under stress. I can't envisage living without stress - life would be quite mundane. Stress gives me that sort of boost that coffee does. It makes me think. It brings concentration. It generates motivation. Stress is in fact pretty fun!

I don't watch musicals myself, but Debbie does. There is this tune from Mary Poppins which she can't stop singing! It has much truth in it.

In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun! You find the fun, and *snap!* the job's a game! And every task you undertake becomes a piece of cake. A lark! A spree! It's very clear to me...that a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down...in a most delightful way!

Labour of love

2006-03-15T13:08:00.000+08:00

There are only less than 10 weeks left to my final examinations. Surely this must seem like an eternity to many who study the 'normal' way - that is, with a few semesters each year. However, due to the nature of the course, I am assessed by one single examination every year. All I get is three hours per subject to prove my worth.

The bite of the buzzing tension spares no one. Everyone in law class has different hopes and unique measures of 'success' for the upcoming examination (all lying above the passing mark though!). The part-timers (the working ones) hope to pass in order to progress and to avoid wasting precious time and money. The full-timers want to do well because...well, because they are full-time students.

Yesterday during class someone asked Mr. Lecturer how he used to study for his law examinations. He told us that when it was near the examination period, he would go into his room, draw the curtains and study in the dark since it did not matter "if it was night or day". At that juncture I thought to myself: What admirable determination! Perhaps I should do so too. I told Debbie about my new study plan. She, however, quietly and helpfully steered me back on track - on the way I have been approaching my law studies. She said: "Studying law must be a joy, not a jail!"

Personally, I hope to score well so that (inter alia) I do not disappoint my parents' and Mr. Lecturer's faith in me, to avoid dousing my ever-burning passion for law, and to repay Debbie's constant loving support for me. Studying what I love, loving my labour and labouring in joy will surely make all the difference.

Photograph

2006-03-09T16:38:00.000+08:00

I am not a photographer myself, nor do I have enough knowledge of a camera to pass off as one. The only camera I know how to operate - and that too with a very limited knowledge - is a Canon PowerShot A80. It is a wonderful camera simply because it takes lovely shots (surely only by my own standards!) in the absence of a comprehensive knowledge of its functions.

The only photoblog in my links (which is the only one I visit) is Zhi Xin's Odds-and-Ends. Recently he took to posting one new photo everyday, which makes every visit a new and completely different experience. The fact that he is in England makes his photographs very interesting, because I love England.

On many occasions I have lost myself into the world of a photograph on his blog. It makes me wonder: what does it take to snap a good photograph? A good camera? A good photographer? A good angle? A lovely scenery? Another thing. Photographers always hide behind their photographs. They must be shy people. (Just kidding!)

My favourite photo. Thanks, Odds-and-Ends!

Excerpt

2006-03-03T18:38:00.000+08:00

...Oh it would be so liberating! Walking in the lush, green meadows, hair strewn by the wind beckoning us to fall asleep in nature; lying beneath the evening sun. Trotting along, cuddling on the damp streets gleaming with the soft and iridescent reflections of the light. The streaming rays of the sun peeks from behind the clouds which blow lovely drizzles that exude unexplainable pleasure as it touches the skin. I am home! I am home! Life indeed has just begun...

-excerpt from a book not yet written-

Sour milk

2006-02-27T10:34:00.000+08:00

At the beginning of the year I posted an entry that said 'older people are always older'. Yet it is indubitable that one's age might not reflect a compatible mental maturity, at least in areas where one is expected to display it.

A man of more than half a century old was talking to a younger man. In the course of their small talk, the younger man noted that he was saving money for marriage. To that, the older man replied rather haughtily, "If you can buy milk; why do you want to buy a cow?"

I was very upset when I overheard that. In fact, more often than not he boasts about his 'life on the fast lane'. He has a way of manipulating words in that he clearly conveys the message, although not in explicit terms, that he pays no heed whatsoever to morality - and he takes pride in it. I don't even have to start preaching about religion and conscience - this man is legally and currently married with six children of his own. I cannot help but feel for his family.

Perhaps he views women as merely sexual objects (or animals - cows for instance?) and his children as nothing but burdens. With due respect, that is an utter shame. Perhaps he believes that morality is dead, and that there exists no standards of norm insofar as he does not believe them to exist. With due respect, that is self-deception. The existence of truth is not dependant on whether one believes it to be or otherwise; one's non-belief does not render a truth to be void.

My mind was still seething at that tasteless analogy and the implied message it contained while I related the incident to Debbie. She however calmly and wisely replied, "That milk is sour milk." A spark of brilliance to sum up everything that was on my mind!

Happy birthday, Debbie dear!

2006-02-22T00:00:00.000+08:00

For Debbie, the epitome of joy transcending.

The imprecision of words and my linguistic inadequacy leaves no room for the accurate expression of my sincere heartfelts, save for the select few that lie herein:

Like the beautiful skies, you light my day,
Like a soulful song, you bring joy my way;
Like a snug glove, you warm my heart always,
Like breath itself, your life is the best gift.

Happy birthday! Thank you for being all that you are.

A lesson learnt

2006-02-17T12:23:00.000+08:00

In all madness and a slip of the mind, I went for a brief shopping session alone on Valentine's Day. On the way there I was greeted with scenes of schoolgirls holding flowers, gaily strolling down the streets. At the shopping centre, pink and red filled almost every corner. There were flowers at 'discounted' rates (which were exorbitant anyway). Of course, there were couples everywhere, gleaming with such pride as love permits. There were also many couples wearing matching tees; one or two in pink which irked me so!

I never really bothered about Valentine's Day, because I do not believe in unjustly rewarding florists with gains that are exorbitantly disproportionate to the products and services rendered. Since young I have resolved to celebrate Valentine's Day with my future significant other only a day or two after the 14th of February. In fact, it is in my opinion that it should be quite unnecessary to celebrate Valentine's Day, because everyday should equally be filled with love and affection. One does not and should not need to wait for a specific day in a year to show that one loves.

In all of my practicality, yet I failed to avoid feeling a tad glum while shopping. With 'love' in the air, I couldn't help but think of what I'm missing in life. Surely, a lesson well learnt for me: stay at home on Valentine's Day.

Judge wisely

2006-02-13T00:02:00.000+08:00

Those who study law (like you =] ) must have come across people who express their disgust at the study of law, conclusively assuming it as 'the most boring subject on planet earth'. They wish to distant themselves, as far as they can, from anything law-related. Yet many a times these same people act as 'judges', adjudicating from the court of their own mind.

In my view, inter alia and ignoring the numerous possibilities of different nomenclatures, a 'judgment' passed (in the non-legal sense) relating to a fellow human being can be classified under three categories; namely: a judgment of the future, a judgment of the present, and a judgment of the past.

The first, a judgment of one's future, can be said to be merely speculative. It is not conclusive and therefore only time can reveal the accuracy of such judgments. The second, a judgment of one's present moment, is rather tricky because time is not stagnant. Every 'present' moment becomes a past; and every next moment never lasts. As such, it is submitted that judgments of this category is at most uncertain; and this has almost everything to do with the nature of time.

The third, a judgment relating to one's past, in my humble opinion, speaks more about the 'judge' than the one being judged. I say this simply because what is in the past is a matter of fact, and it is the prerogative of the 'judge' to deliver a fair 'judgment' on the matter. Even judges in the courts of law have stringent guidelines to ensure a fair judgment is delivered; nothing less should be expected of self-assumed 'judges'. At the very least, the rules of natural justice must be adhered to - namely audi alteram partem (all sides must be heard) and nemo judex in causa sua potest (the rule against bias). Unfortunately and more often than not, people are excessively biased in passing 'judgments' on one's past; and of a graver concern is that they conclusively write off one's past as what they are in the present and what they will be in the future.

If I may respectfully quote from Lord Atkin's judgment in the case of United Australia Ltd v Barclays Bank Ltd [1941], "When [the] ghosts of the past stand in the path of justice, clanking their medieval chains, the proper course for the judge is to pass through them undeterred." This, in my opinion, is a seminal advice for one who loves to pass judgments on others.

Judge wisely, act fairly. Unless, of course, you think you're smarter than Lord Atkin. (If you really think you are, you are mad =] )

Love life

2006-02-08T20:36:00.000+08:00

Everyone knows that we should never take things for granted. But blame it on the way life takes its toll - everyone at one point or other slips into ingratitude. Some learn it the hard way; some learn from others' mistakes. Some never learn, and they should be horribly pitied.

Some come from the school of thought that life is a plague and that it is a torture to be kept alive. Yet one must realise that life itself is a gift. One's breath - the amazing breath that you now breathe even without your conscious realisation - is itself a wonder. Situations and circumstances can either add to or subtract from one's joy in life; it is one's approach which is determinative. Gratitude and appreciativeness seem to be the best way to live.

I say what I say, not to lecture my dear beloved readers (how could I ever!); but because through His Grace was I reminded to be thankful for life - not that I had not been, but a reminder is always a good thing. I very nearly lost a loved one, yet in Grace did she escape unscathed. In Grace did she live on to live life's journey; to be grateful for Grace itself. And in Grace did my joy abound - that she is well and good today. When one escapes from the jaws of death, one can't help but be reflective. And so I hope to do you a favour and so remind you in return.

Life is a gift. Love life.

Beautiful day

2006-02-07T09:50:00.000+08:00

I returned from Penang yesterday after a nine-day break, spending the day recuperating from lack of sleep and attempting to tune back into 'normal' mode - both to no avail. Only rest can counter the lack of sleep; and one can never be 'normal' again after every experience. In this context, 'experience' refers to the numerous happenings during my stay in Penang - many unplanned for, yet each bearing a significant twist to the meaning of life; each adding to my bowl of joy.

Joy is not happiness; joy is present even when sadness or disappointment abounds. Joy produces a heart of gratitude - a heart of thanksgiving even when our finite eyes can't see the beauty in things. Joy quietly assures that His plan works together for good. And it's always a beautiful day when joy is here to stay.

I hope your every day is as (if not more) beautiful as mine!

Time Will Tell

2006-01-31T21:13:00.000+08:00

I recently composed and recorded a new instrumental track on my Korg Trinity. (For those of you who don’t know, I previously self-produced a mini-album which can be found at www.musiccanteen.com under the artiste name “Ying Khai”.) This new track was written for a dear friend’s birthday. And since this is (supposed to be) a blog of joy, I’ve decided to share this track with you. But first, allow me to let you in on a little description of this song.

Clocking in at just under 6 minutes, this is the longest track ever attempted so far. In an unprecedented and extraordinary manner, it was written as it was recorded. When I started off, I had absolutely no clue that it would end up like this – complete with twists of progressive rock elements, contemporary soothing moments, and even a tinge of old-school jazz and a flute solo! This method of writing while recording is significant as the title suggests. One can merely plan, but as time goes by a lovely picture unfolds. I guess time does unveil a beautiful tale with lovely twists; we only have to be patient and trust that He will unfurl it in due time.

Alright, enough of my ramblings! I hereby present to you, from Ying’s Music Factory, ‘Time Will Tell’.

p/s: A sincere comment or two would be very much appreciated!

(Click the play button when it's loaded - it's playing at 24kpbs due to space constrains. Alternatively, you can download the clip by right-clicking HERE, then 'Save Target As' - this is at 112kpbs. A further alternative would be to personally request one of optimum quality which would be delivered to you via whichever forum is most convenient. Turn up your speakers and enjoy!=P )

Love transcends

2006-01-25T13:23:00.000+08:00

There is this piece of 'advice' I've heard more than a few times from persons who are 'experts' at marriage issues. These people - naturally older for obvious reasons (see: older people are always older) - try to give 'advice' to people inferior to them. They tell the younger generation that "After marriage, reality strikes the first morning when you wake up. You see your partner with [fill in with something quite disgusting, for instance: bad breath, messy hair, etc] and you'll ask yourself: Was this whom I wanted to marry?"

In my humble opinion this piece of 'advice' is completely misleading. Firstly, I do not feel that such an advice - in the true sense of the word - is of any constructive use. If the younger generation is to be truly advised, they do not need to be fed with negative thoughts of their future spouses. Secondly, the very essence of that statement provides a most shallow basis of marriage - mere outward appearance. The temporal nature of one's appearance should be subordinate to the eternal value of love (for God is love).

Perhaps my words are less creditable because I have not experienced that 'first morning' myself. Perhaps when that day comes, thoughts of writing this post would haunt me. But I believe in planning - in setting one's mind on the right course, lest experience teaches a hard lesson.

Mr. Lecturer, in the course of a casual conversation, once mentioned that he champions the abolishment of the concept of marriage. His idea is based on the fact that, accordingly, more than 60% of marriages end up in divorces. He recommends that the requirement of responsibility towards the welfare of one's children, whether born within out without wedlock, should replace the concept of marriage.

Although I sympathise with his view, I cannot help but strongly disagree. The fact that most people have bad marriages does not provide a license to be irresponsible, what more to call for the abolishment of marriage itself. Picture this: a smartly-dressed doctor walks into a mental ward. All twenty of the mental patients, dressed in rags, burst out laughing at the doctor's coat and tie, which they find 'inappropriate'. Will the doctor now start doubting the propriety of his dressing, simply because the patients are laughing at him -simply because he is in the minority?

Love transcends; love stands the test of time. Marriage, in my opinion, should be based on true love. Only then will it last forever; only then will morning breath not matter.

If that piece of 'advice of the first morning' was said from experience, I truly sympathise with the one who uttered it.

Blue skies and Justitia

2006-01-21T00:27:00.000+08:00

If you've been a regular reader of my blog (and, as I always say, I am truly grateful!), you would have noticed the minor changes in the decorations that adorn my humble site. The joyous blue skies greet you with the words '...'Tis a beautiful day, when joy is here to stay...'; while Justitia watches you silently but surely at the bottom of the page as you patiently labour through my ramblings.

Most people refer to clear skies and sunny days as 'beautiful, cheerful days'. And when the sky turns grey and it starts to rain, the day is said to be 'gloomy', 'sad' and even 'depressing'. The weather is unpredictable - if you once had faith in the Malaysian Meteorological Service's weather forecasts, you should have lost that faith by now. It seems that some people enjoy having their moods as unpredictable as the weather. In my humble opinion, we are fundamentally made to be eternal minded and not of a temporal one. The weather may change, yet one has the choice whether or not to be affected by it. When one is consciously full of joy (as opposed to mere happiness), every moment in itself is reason enough to fill one with gratitude and thanksgiving, regardless of the weather.

I once mentioned that Fishtail, while giving lectures, used to remark, "Every day is a good day! Why? Because everyday is a day of promise!" I hope that the vibe of that remark gets to you in the form of the blue skies.

May I also add, pertaining to Justitia, that I personally do not subscribe to the belief in the 'goddess of Justice'. I believe in a God whose laws are perfect and just - human laws are merely subordinate to that law. Having said that, I am not for the revival of trial by ordeal!

Tall?

2006-01-15T00:02:00.000+08:00

My height is always a subject of public scrutiny. The relativity of the subject matter leads one to a certain degree of confusion. It does confuse me, personally, because I don't realise I am tall. My feet do not seem any tinier, nor does the air feel any thinner around my nose.

If you think that 'looking down' at people while talking, standing a 'head above others' and getting constant attention is fun, think again. My head, feet and waist bones constantly suffer from collisions with items that aren't meant for people my height. It happens so often that I am quite numb to that sort of pain already. Worst still, a select few even have their cheek bones knocked into by my shoulders while crossing the street! Even tables and chairs aren't made for my sort of height. I have to elevate my study table in an attempt to ease the back ache that swells if I don't.

I was once exposed to the philosophical (and pretty useless, I must say) notion that a collision happens when two things want to be at the same place at the same time. Living in a society where I'm not supposed to be this height (hence the public scrutiny), collisions are inevitable.

So, the next time you tell me, "Gosh, you're tall!"; and by that you tacitly mean, "Gosh, I'm so short!", remember, being tall is a little short of good!

Sacrifice

2006-01-10T00:46:00.000+08:00

Some things are more important than others. What seemed to be at the pinnacle of importance occasionally, through time, loses its flavour when other more important things demand undivided attention to them.

It seems right to say that one's principles affect one's hierarchy of priorities in life; and in the same way, how one prioritises things reflects on one's principles in life. Some things should never be compromised, while others must be traded in for the better.

Having just said what I just did, you'll probably cringe at the impending 'lecture' I seem to be leading on to. Well, it won't be one. It's not even meant to be a justification for what I am about to say. They were just thoughts that flowed while coming to this decision - of quitting the band Edge of Fire.

If you've been a long-term reader of my blog (I am greatly humbled by your undying patronage!), you would have read of the various experiences I gained while with the band such as the 'trip down South', travelling to Indonesia, gigs, studio recording and doing a commercial (which you barely see me on TV anyway!). These endeavours were great eye-openers, and surely played their part in building on my character and approach to life. Yet at the start of this New Year, it seems time to forfeit these things. Only when one vacates the pinnacle can another higher one take its place.

The reason I gave for quitting was that I needed the time to study. That was the initial motivation for me to quit. No, that does not mean I am a nerd, but my love for law does surpass the grave distractions of the band - grave as it is to my concentration. Along with that train of thought came the realisation that it would do me more potential harm than good - I found nothing of real substance; only things in the temporal realm. Thus it would be much better to devote my time to more constructive things.

Yet, do not worry: this does not signal the death of music in my life; it is merely the beginning. A life of me without music is a life beyond comprehension; such a notion is seriously flawed and preposterous. I do promise you updates from my music life whenever there are any. When there are none, you can be sure I am indulging in my collection of over 3000 songs in my laptop.

A 'sacrifice' for better things is not a sacrifice in its true sense - the real sacrifice is that if the decision was not made.

20

2006-01-04T20:42:00.000+08:00

It's funny how older people always are older. Redundant? Let me explain. At 17, one tells a 15 year old that PMR is a piece of cake; SPM is what really matters. When the former turns 19, he tells the latter that SPM means zilch; A-Levels is what determines one's future. At 21, he labels the younger one as a 'kid' and tells him to 'grow up' - surely so, since he is in fact an adult and the other isn't.

Even if you can't count, you know that there is absolutely no way to close an age gap. True, the older one is, 'the more salt one has eaten'. But having eaten more salt does not guarantee one's maturity or experience. Grey hair does not determine the contents which lie under it.

I turn 20 this year. Twenty seems like a big number. I will soon no longer be a teenager. The word 'teenager' helps teens to get away with many mistakes - 'Oh he's just going through that stage'. It is, however, through conviction and not public perception that I feel that it's time to start growing up a tad faster and plan for the future. Sure, older folks say, 'Chill boy, you have a loooooong way to go.' That is true - a long way to catch up with the older folks. But I never will succeed; I'll always be younger. So I guess I'll have to trust my instincts. Besides, planning is never detrimental; the omission of planning is.

And yes I saw that coming: all ye narrow minded people, this post is not meant to justify nor indicate an intent to start searching for a life partner! Get over it, old folks! :)

Time & eternity; poems and a Happy New Year!

2005-12-30T15:55:00.000+08:00

So the end of the year is come. Many people reflect on the past year and make resolutions, often in secret. A few 'philosophers' twist and turn and end up chucking Gregory into the corner, since they believe that 'tomorrow is just another day' and 'New Year - so what.' These they often do in public, and instead of attracting gaping mouths they attract weirdly raised eyebrows. Instead of the intended wit, some may consider them dimwits.

As for my last post of the year, allow me to pen down some thoughts about time and eternity.

C.S. Lewis once said, "The Present is the point at which time touches Eternity." When one doesn't want 'this' moment to end, Eternity meets the Present. The joy one gets in such a moment is a wonderful glimpse of what Eternity would be like. And when one misses and wishes to revive such a moment, one is really hoping for Eternity - when time is no more relevant, so as to 'relive' that moment.

Regardless of whether you understood or misunderstood the above, I thank you for being a patient reader of my blog! From 2005 to 2006 and beyond, I humbly hope that you'll often grace my blog, and not let this site be lost in your fanciful memory!

I leave you with two poems. See you next year!

Now
When memory fades away,
The 'now' is on a roll;
When the past was 'today',
Time takes its toll.

I'd like to freeze the 'now',
To live today forever;
But there's no way how-
It's always 'now or never'.

Old Photograph (thanks, Deb!)

The colourless waves upon the sand,
The colourless sun on the land,
The sweet sound stops;
But yet echoes in sweet refrains -

For every moment that passes,
Something beautiful remains.

Christmas cheer!

2005-12-25T21:48:00.000+08:00

Merry Christmas! Tis the season to be jolly, and when some people become lazy. Is it a tough chore writing 'Christmas' and thus having to condense it to 'Xmas'? People tend to forget that Christ is the reason for the season. To axe ('X') out Christ is like celebrating someone's birthday while the birthday boy is not invited. Utter nonsense, if I may say.

Christmas shopping, as I once posted, is a delectable activity of paradoxical anomaly. My Christmas shopping list usually happens to be (quite unintentionally) short and plump - small in number yet (hopefully) great in meaning. Receiving presents, on the other hand, is certainly delightful; but sometimes it makes my stomach twitch. When someone not on the list (an accident, I assure you!) gives me a present, I feel uneasy. I am, however, convinced that this is merely a biological effect; logic says that they give without expecting anything in return. No one knows yet - I'll find out next Christmas.

I really love presents with sentiments. I guess it is sentiment enough to be included in one’s shopping list; and when the present speaks more than it does prima facie (on the surface of it), it warms its way down memory lane.

Christmas marks the seven-day countdown to the New Year, and all ye sentimental freaks and businessmen, tis the season to reflect upon the past year and whether or not you made the most bucks out it. As you embark on so doing, I shall make the most out of the ‘now’. History teaches you lessons, but it doesn’t sow your seeds today. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a non-depressing Happy New Year!

A certifiably insane flabby butt

2005-12-22T17:31:00.000+08:00

I must let you in on a certain incident that happened while I was at the beach in Penang.

I was in Penang for six days, and within that period I made three trips to the beach. The view, the weather and the wind was perfect. The only downside was that the water was murky. But I didn't touch the water so that was fine.

I need, however, to qualify my statement that 'the view...was perfect'. There was a devil of an idiot who completely spoilt it. He was a balding man, perhaps in his 30s. Bespectacled and flabby, he certainly made a spectacle of himself. On all three trips to the beach he was to be found standing at a strategic location (in viewing range of most women on the beach), and there he started to undress. He so did, until he was clad in nothing but a g-string underwear. There he stood, displaying his flabby buttocks and smiling stupidly at the women. Surely, it was only out of courtesy that they didn't puke at such a degrading sight. He sure felt silly, but silliness itself couldn't make him sensible to it. Just picture a middle-aged nerd trying to woo girls with his depleted butt. Thank goodness I didn't have to send any of my female companions to the hospital soon after.

People of such explicit lack of savoir-faire should be publicly mocked. The phrase 'certifiably insane' does take on a real and immediate meaning now.

Silence is golden

2005-12-18T00:39:00.000+08:00

As I type this, I am back in Penang again. Perhaps it sounds awkward that I said, and always say 'back' when referring to Penang, given the fact that I was born and bred in KL. Maybe I stole the phrase from mom and dad who were from Penang. Nonetheless it feels good to be 'back'!

This time after much persuasion, dad allowed me his car to roam the streets of Penang. For once I had the liberty to go places apart from the bus routes and living at the mercy of kind friends. Going to the beach and Penang Hill for a start was well beyond what I expected. The weather was perfect for both days - medium cloudy for beach-day and cold, wet and clear for the trip up Penang Hill. It is a wonderful feeling being able to be where Mother Nature has it best and not bother much about time nor studies. (Yes! I said studies. But I still miss my books.)

I think 'silence is golden' when one Mother Nature speaks. Or when you live next door to a screaming neighbour.

Do it for the kids

2005-12-14T13:17:00.000+08:00

My neighbour of 10 months is an annoying plague. She screams at her little kids like a broken recorder. 98% of the time she tells them to 'GO AWAY!' in mandarin; each time using the same words, the same tone and the same amplified volume. The fact that she cooks in her back garden does not help a single bit. My room is at the back too, and her voice has a magical way of traveling upstairs, right to my ears. The kitchen is below my room, and poor mom has to bear twice the intensity of her insanity shrieks.

I have no idea why she finds her children so irritating. Children below 10 years of age are doli incapax - they are (legally) incapable of committing any crime. I cannot accept the fact that she conclusively presumes that her kids do intend to irritate her. The fact that they even care to come into the vicinity of their mother (surely courage which I greatly admire, having a mother of such a mould) should be enough to create in any sane mother a bubbling joy from within. Being inquisitive can do no harm except spurring the unacceptable conclusion that they intend to be irritating. Which kid of a sound mind sets out to irritate his mother?

The other fact that I have never heard her kids retort, scream or even speak loudly towards her, further ignites my fury. How could any sane mother constantly conclude that the presence of her kids, in itself, is irritating? If one cannot appreciate one's own flesh and blood, there seems nothing left that may be satisfying.

In my last post, I wrote, "...be careful who you marry! You might just end up being certifiably insane if you don't take heed." In my humble opinion, that statement needs a further qualification. Marry a sane spouse; and if you're adamant on doing otherwise, at least consider the young ones. Make the right decision; do it for your kids.

Madness and marriage

2005-12-11T00:02:00.000+08:00

Did you know that madness is transmittable? This realisation came as a ticklish surprise when we were studying Crime.

In the case of Windle (1952), a man was unhappily married to a woman who was 18 yrs his senior. She was certifiably insane; she was always talking about committing suicide. This made the man suffer from a form of communicated insanity known as folie à deux - a madness contracted when one is in constant attendance of another who is of an unsound mind. The man became obsessed and decided that (in the words of Lord Goddard C.J. who delivered the judgment) "she was better out of the world than in it." And so he administered 100 aspirins to his wife and she died.

The moral of the story, in my opinion, is of utmost importance: be careful who you marry! You might just end up being certifiably insane if you don't take heed.

Say "no" to prostitutes

2005-12-07T15:40:00.000+08:00

Yesterday I was rudely exposed to the fact that students are able to obtain actual British-based exam question papers for a price. No, it wasn't offered to me; it was just one of those everyday obiter (things said 'by the way') statements. It was personally a crude shock that such a dishonest practice was carried out openly (for the poor innocent life of me I never knew that such audacious practices existed - at least for British examinations).

On a whim of spontaneity I imagined what it would be like if I obtained next May's exams papers a month beforehand, and I instantly felt queasy. It would be unbearable to start a race, knowing that the finish line is the target; only to find, upon approaching the line, that it was a mirage. The shame of holding a result that isn't mine would be too much to bear. Conscience would suffocate me.

Mr. Lecturer wisely mentioned that one is a 'prostitute' who deals with such dishonest activites. It isn't too hard to see the connection - to sell one's integrity for illegal gains. I am entirely grateful that I gain - in the knowledge sense - from Mr. Lecturer without having to indulge in prostituting activities.

Say "NO" to prostitutes.

Christmas presents

2005-12-03T01:09:00.000+08:00

Christmas shopping has started rather early this year, since our two-week Christmas/New Year break might have to be postponed. Poor Mr. Lecturer had a knee injury in October where his knee cap broke into three parts - now the wire which holds the parts together is playing 'catch me if you can', and so he will need a corrective surgery. Postponing the two-week break will give him the necessary time to recover.

Shopping for presents, in my opinion, is a very peculiar activity. It is taxing, yet it brings joy - that is, by bringing others joy. One spends money on others, yet feels satisfied after so doing.

It is with delight that I embark on this activity of paradoxical anomaly, for along with this annual experience comes annual lessons of life. On day one of shopping, some of these lessons have already dawned upon me. May I be forgiven for sharing a select few with you.

1. It is indecorous to give something, expecting something else in return. Harbouring such an attitude steals the pleasure out of giving. Giving joy to others while expecting joy in return is a preposterous notion. It is better to give than to receive.

2. Human beings are selfish. Well...okay, maybe it's just me. But it seems like most things in life has to do with one's self. One constantly wants to improve one's standard, conduct and living. In my opinion, that is perfectly alright, but when one starts to see and think for others around, life takes on a new meaning. Christmas shopping is a good place to start!

3. It is risky to be overly concerned with trivial matters. One often neglects the full picture when the morass of details becomes disproportionately important. The analogy would be: it is a regrettable situation if one is excessively concerned with the 'whos' and 'whats' of buying Christmas presents until one forgets the true meaning of Christmas - the Source of the joy Himself who is the reason why we celebrate.

In conclusion (oh, a law-essay cliché!), I hope to make the most out of this season, and I hope you do to. If you're broke, I am too! But it's okay, the joy is priceless.

Also, if I may add, do buy a present for a kid if you can. This is the first time I'm so doing, and it is a most wonderful experience! You'll probably find yourself putting in triple effort (willingly, too!), and it is triple joy you get!

A little tune

2005-11-29T12:10:00.000+08:00

Do you remember the time when you received your first lump of 'dough' ever? Well I do. It was a spanking red (duh!) RM10 note I received when I was 6. I think mom and dad gave it to me because I won a drawing competition.

Notwithstanding the accounting gizmos of the inflation of money, Net Present Value and the fact that my ball pen costs more now than back then, it seemed like a whole lot of money. I remember I kept it in my 'secret' drawer, checking on it from time to time because the drawer could be 'unlocked' by a pair of scissors (and back then I thought thieves were smart). When I received a wallet for Christmas, it lay snugly tucked within the safe walls of the wallet, following me everywhere I went, without the faintest notion of spending it. As far as my innocent mind was concerned, I was rich.

That little tune from down memory lane blared in my ears when I met Joy again on Sunday. I was pleasantly surprised that she came for the clown show in Sunday School (as pursuant to the VBE), because her mom wasn't too keen at first. She passed me a little note stuck onto an 'ang pau', with her writing on it ('I hope you like this card...'). I suppose that's enough to elate any humane person's heart! I proceeded, under intuition, to open the red packet expecting to find the 'card'; but when my eyes caught sight of the RM10 note it contained, my heart totally melted. I felt so undeserving to be at the receiving end of an eight-year-old's innocent yet compelling thoughtfulness. The friendship we developed throughout VBE was joy (literally) enough for me; yet her expression on her part rendered it priceless.

That little tune from down memory lane now has a new edge to it. No way will I spend Joy's little note on anything...not even in destitute.

VBE, pt 2

2005-11-27T14:13:00.000+08:00

As I noted in the 'part 1' of this two-part VBE post series, I took almost 600 photographs with my trusty digicam throughout the five days of VBE. Going through each one of them to select a minute few is an arduous, time-consuming task, but a necessary one to let you in on the various happenings during the week. (For more, you can grace these Multiply sites: [site1], [site2], [site3] and [site4])

Derrick, the four-year-old mentioned in the last post

Joy came again this year! Indeed the epitome of joy, she totally brought joy to my week... and you'd probably notice from the Multiply sites (links given above) that I took lots of photos of her!

On Monday Joy made my 'face' out of play-doh during craft time. Here it is, with the hand that made it!

Part of the numerous props

Cousin Juin answering questions and earning points for his group

Louis is worried because cousin Juin knows every single answer!

Made myself a nametag, which I exchanged with Joy on the last day.

Derrick the cameraman

Role-playing

The guys loved to be photographed, while most girls were reluctant

Joy is sweet! She told me that I treat her like my daughter... amazing observation from an eight-year-old!

Samuel actually cried when it was all over...

This is 12-year-old June, who is Joy's sister. We took this photo on Thursday (L) , and on Friday she surprised me with this card which she drew (R), depicting the photograph! The details are very appealing. Surely the epitome of all sweetness.

Joy 2004 (L); Joy 2005 (R). Some things have changed, but the joy remains =)

VBE, pt 1

2005-11-26T08:59:00.000+08:00

A year has passed, with such speed, since the last VBE [what is VBE?]. After last year's experience [read this, this and this], I wouldn't have missed this year's for anything.

The least that can be said is that it was a totally impeccable experience with the kids. Having to wake up at the unearthly hours before dawn and having to face its ramification of not having enough time or energy to study throughout the week was a well-invested sacrifice.

But before I let you in on a minute selection of the 600 photographs I took throughout the week, allow me to express certain things I learnt throughout this week with kids. If VBE was only about pinching chubby cheeks and fake smiles, it would have been a farcical week. Delving into something one likes without learning anything from it is a complete waste of time.

Mom used to warn me when I was young that the way I project myself to people outside will reflect on mom and dad. I took it as a heavy yet noble responsibility, but never knew how the two issues were related. Throughout this week, I realised the truth of mom's words. When it came to the unpleasant kids, I couldn't help thinking: what kind of parents do they have? And for the pleasant ones: I'd like to meet their parents!

Mom used to be a Sunday School teacher, and her approach to kids was greatly venerated by fellow parents. Being her son, I had the most graceful honour of hearing the 'behind the scenes' talk. As such, I was able to apply them and they did work. The general trick is simple. Never discourage children. It is of little use to keep telling them, "Keep Quiet!" - if kids don't talk, they're either dumb or have psychological disorders. Telling them "Don't do this!" when they do something you dislike does not solve the issue - children don't like adults to keep redefining their boundaries. Being playful is not being naughty. Shouting at them does not solve anything. These are the 'negative' advances; and certainly, some teachers in the VBE made things worse with such an attitude. The more preferable approach, in my opinion, would be the 'positive' approach. When the kids get noisy, make them sing a song, play a game or show them 'magic' tricks. When they do something wrong, tell them what they can do as an alternative to that which they shouldn't. When children get garrulous, it shows that they like you; it is inept to turn a deaf ear to them or, indeed, to shout at them. The best way is to connect with them - to know them as their friend and not as their superior.

Kids are not stupid! It was a pleasant surprise that many of them could hold interesting conversations, and indeed make some well witted jokes themselves! One four-year-old boy even had the cheek to smile and respond with a sweet 'Thank you' when I told him that he was very cute! Never underestimate kids.

Allow me to end this 'part 1' with a poem that I learnt during Form 4. 'Part 2' will include the pictures and little sweet happenings during the week.

Where Children Live, by Naomi Shihab Nye

Homes where children live exude a pleasant rumpledness,
like a bed made by a child, or a yard littered with balloons.

To be a child again one would need to shed details
till the heart found itself dressed in the coat with a hood.
Now the heart has taken on gloves and mufflers,
the heart never goes outside to find something to "do".
And the house takes on a new face, dignified.
No lost shoes blooming under bushes.
No chipped trucks in the drive.
Grown-ups like swings, leafy plants, slow-motion back and forth.
While the yard of a child is strewn with the corpses
of bottle-rockers and whistles,
anything whizzing and spectacular, brilliantly short-lived.

Trees in children's yards speak in clearer tongues.
Ants have more hope. Squirrels dance as well as hide.
The fence has a reason to be there, so children can go in and out.
Even when the children are at school, the yards glow
With the leftovers of their affection,
The roots of the tiniest grasses curl toward one another
Like secret smiles.

Just a blank sheet of paper?

2005-11-20T13:51:00.000+08:00

I recently included in a post the renowned, 'philosophically'-tinged view of seeing the cup half-empty or half-full. It unexpectedly popped up in the cloud of my brains during Law class when Mr. Lecturer mentioned about answering law questions.

My course is a 100% examination style one, whereby I sit for a single three-hour paper at the end of each year for each subject I do. These year-end papers are the determining factor on which the degree hinges dearly onto. Answering law questions thus become the sole sacrosanct activity - the repository of the degree.

The simplistic view of answering law questions is that one merely has to pen down the right things within the given time and 'get it done with'. Such a view, it is submitted, makes studying dull.

The more challenging approach, in my opinion, would be to ask oneself, "Do I see the paper empty or full?" Every student sitting for the examination is given the same amount of time, coupled with the same set of questions and, most essentially, the same empty sheets of writing papers. Just as an artist can transform a white art block into depicting the beautiful grey skies of London, so can the examinee fill his empty sheets with delightfully dazzling words that charm any reader. Just as a musician can turn silence into an expression of joy, anger, fear or suspense, so can the examinee surprise the weary examiner with dashes of comprehensive and well-thought out reasoning; that he might think to himself, 'Oh boy, I never saw it this way!'

What then, is the method of executing this magical process of turning nothing into something - and something worthwhile? May I be so honest as to say that there is no one such method of so doing. Lord Denning once famously said, ' The English language is not an instrument of mathematical precision.' No single directive can be of any substantial aid. If there were one, the poor examiner would be bored out of his life! As such, the fun is immense - indeed, for the intrepid explorer.

How do you approach your blank sheet of paper? Therein lies your approach to law (or whatever you're studying).

Conversely,

How do you approach Law (or whatever you're studying)? Therein lies your approach to that indecorous piece of blank paper staring in your face.

Keep it simple!

2005-11-16T02:43:00.000+08:00

Studying Crime is like driving Italian-made cars (I might be wrong - about the cars I mean, not Crime!). To go a short distance requires a whole lot of energy.

One characteristic of the English criminal law is that the bulk of it has not been endorsed by Parliament as written laws of the land. As such, most of it developed as a result of Common Law - a product of judges' decisions through time. As if this was not confusing enough, the author comes along with a doubly whammy. He comprehensively - not to mention drastically, for my purposes - discussed almost every detail there is pertaining to Crime. Along with one general rule comes countless exceptions, commentaries and more exceptions to the antecedent exceptions. In the end I am left puzzled: what then is the general rule?

All these problems creep up when I do my forward reading.

Mr. Lecturer, however, has such a succulent manner of turning all that into easy peasy, brief yet tasty notes.

After Crime class yesterday, I yet again gratefully expressed my admiration at his delectable skill of turning a puddle of mud into a sandcastle, so to speak. He told me that although many would seek to complicate the already complicated text book, that was not his style. His method was to 'keep it simple'.

Simplicity really is the best policy. While it seems like a struggle down under, Mr. Lecturer puts things straight with his hawk-eyed view. After every class I am left with a disgusting yet contented feeling of 'Darn! Why didn't I see it this way earlier?'

Mr. Lecturer is like a pill - when my Law life get's a fever, he sends in the antibiotics; indeed, simply by keeping things simple!

Mediocre Child.

2005-11-11T06:48:00.000+08:00

Here's a mediocre poem from a mediocre mind.

Mediocre Child
(Ephesians 2 : 1-10)

He was dull - you would conceive,
Mediocre to say the least;
But he had a staunch Belief -
That all he had wasn't his.

Thus with love and due respect -
(From a modest spirit you'd expect);
He set his heart on what he had,
And sulked not over what he lacked.

Filled with tacit savoir-faire,
Confidence strode in his air;
Yet meekness above all prevailed,
Through which his deepest love unveiled.

In earnest hope and constant prayer,
All he did was just and fair;
Humbled by His Saving Grace,
He stood firm and ran the race.

Into 10,000 and beyond

2005-11-07T15:56:00.000+08:00

This blog has surpassed another major milestone - charting 10,000 readers and beyond, thanks to YOU!

Of course I must admit that a great portion of those came from my self-inflicted clicks on the 'refresh' button of my browser; but then again, it was all due to the anticipation of seeing a new comment or a new tag on the 'messageboard', nothing else!

It seems just like yesterday when I was getting hyped up about reaching reader number 2000. I also remember how Fishtail and I used to device methods of increasing readership when we first started blogging...but now he's a stone's throw away from reaching 20,000 already!

I reckon my blog as a sacrosanct part of my life. The positive 'pressure' of blogging at least once in 7 days has done me a world of good. Also indubitable is the fact that it brings joy when one compliments my blog, though admittedly wholly undeserved.

Lord Reid once said, 'We do not believe in fairy tales any more'. Quite rightly so - this isn't a fairy tale; we're officially into 10,000 and beyond! Thank YOU for being a reader of my blog, no matter how preposterous you may deem it to be.

Change

2005-11-02T21:47:00.000+08:00

I was chatting with Deb again, doing my follow-up on the roping-in. This time the issue turned on whether old (and by 'old' I mean archaic) law reference books are of any use.

Besides being labeled 'ardent' by her, the conversation reminded me of the time last year when I first studied English Legal System (ELS) for A-Levels. I remember reading Zhi Xin's fantastic law answers (that is, before he dropped law) before even meeting him in person. In one of his answers, he said, "As time changes, things change. Thus, archaic rules and laws have to be jettisoned in favour of new ones." It stuck the moment I read it.

One interesting theme that seems to recur while reading law is the tussle between certainty and flexibility. These two elements seem ironic. Sometimes judges can be so adamant on following 'hard and fast' rules that they sacrifice administering justice in a particular case. I wince everytime I read them.

Tempora mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis. That's Latin for "the times change and we change with them." How true. The only constant thing in life is change. Either we conform, or change will break us.

As you have probably already guessed, I was labeled 'adamant' because of my staunch stand that archaic reference books are of little, if no use!

Life

2005-10-28T20:16:00.000+08:00

I visited someone in the hospital today with mom. I realised it has been ages since I've been in a hospital. It isn't the most pleasant of activities.

Somehow when we engage in activities that concern life in its naked self (like visiting a sick person or attending a funeral) we tend to think more - heck, we even become philosophical about life as the whim takes us!

In law, there is almost always two sides to an argument; similarly, when it comes to matters pertaining to the law of nature, we can look at it from either end of the tunnel. On the one hand, we can waste our life away, since it'll all end six feet under eventually. On the other, in consideration of the short yet precious time we have, we can make the most of it - making a difference while we can.

Do you see the cup half empty or half full? Therein lies your approach to life.

Penang

2005-10-24T17:51:00.000+08:00

As I type this I am sitting at Starbucks near Tesco in Penang Island. I am facing the sea, and further ahead is mainland Malaysia, Butterworth to be exact.

The wind is blowing so strongly that it's almost ripping my laptop screen off. I've been craving for natural wind (not the bodily one, please!) ever since I got tired of the fan in my room. The sea water coupled with greeneries is a welcoming sight. The air is much fresher than in KL. Food is cheaper and tastier.

Life is good here.

No, not really. Not when my books are back home; not when Mr. Lecturer lives in PJ; not when I don't get my daily dose of Law.

Hence diminishes the faint notion of the word 'migrate'.

No one gets the best of both worlds. I am a 'Lawian' and my world's the best of the two. I come from Planet Law.

(Just as I am to post this, I see a rainbow - The Promise! Amen.)

Joy

2005-10-21T22:17:00.000+08:00

There is rarely another occasion of greater joy than when my parents are proud of something I've done, or when a lecturer says "I'm glad to have a student like you", free from sarcasm.

Somewhat a glimpse of what it'll be like to hear Him say "Well done, good and faithful servant" at the apocalypse.

Poison or meat?

2005-10-17T01:46:00.000+08:00

Chatting with Deb brought back nostalgic memories about the time I decided to do Law at the beginning of last year. It still seems a horrible joke that I was almost set on pursuing engineering, having sent in my applications and having made the relevant arrangements. Oh how I would have regretted!

Law would surely seem like a terrible bore to many. But for me, it had a strange effect in that it clawed on me, making me coming back for more. It still does.

It was an extremely pleasant surprise to find someone on whom Law would take the same effects as it did to me. Goosebump-ish effects, that is. The ironical thing is that Deb has started on an Accounting course and she's in a dilemma. Just like how I was.

I once said that buying clothes is like falling in love. You've got to see the right one and feel the right thing - and you're certain to buy it. It surely does apply to the choice of what one pursues. One has to find that particular field of interest, and 'the rest is history' when the sparks go a-flying, as they say.

Sure, most people think I'm a boring old rat, and my poor 'Oh-so lawyer-ish' blog has to bear most of the blame. But studying law has made law part of my life. It is my life. And what joy (to me as well as my blog) when Deb said that my blog's inspiring. 'One man's meat, another man's poison.' Just don't bite what's poison to you and you won't know how tasty the meat is. :)

Well, I shall do as much as I can to rope in a potential lawyerish-to-be, just as I had my fair share of being roped in before (and being very grateful for that too!). Shall I succeed? The answer lies along the thin line separating poison and meat.

Contract problem

2005-10-15T01:36:00.000+08:00

Dear readers, I have a problem understanding something in Contract law, and I'd like to hear your views if you have any. You don't need to be a law student - pure logic might just do (which is what I lack, hence this problem).

Here is a brief background of the issue. In 1602 there was a case called 'Pinnel's Case'. The court in that case held that, generally, a repayment of a lesser sum is no satisfaction for a larger debt. That means, if I owe you RM100 and on the due date I repay you with only RM50 (for whatever reason) and you accept it, you can still sue me later and recover the other RM50 nonetheless.

The courts also cited 3 exceptions to this general rule - this rule is excepted when there is a repayment:
(i) Earlier,
(ii) At a different place, or
(iii) In kind (repayment in means apart from using money)

Exceptions (i) and (ii) seem pretty logical. The lender might need the money at an earlier date, or for use at a difference place (a casino for instance?), and so it seems logical that the borrower can repay with a lesser sum in place for original debt, where the lender might need that money.

It is the exception (iii) that confuses me. According to this rule (and with reference to the example above) I may come to you with a box of chocolates (or books or sweets or anything in kind) worth RM50 on the due date, asking you to accept it in place of the sum of RM100 I owe you. If you do accept it, you cannot sue me later for the other RM50. However, accordingly, if I come to you with RM50 in cash, you can in fact sue me later for the other RM50. The question is: why the difference?

It's not too confusing I hope; thanks in advance for trying to help me see the light. =)

Happy Birthday

2005-10-14T01:23:00.000+08:00

Dear Mrs. Thatcher,

Happy birthday to you! Pardon my innocence but the first (and only) thing that comes to mind is Clive Ponting and the General Belgrano.

I think I shall have to be more widely read in the future. Such naivety is sinful and I apologize.

Sex discrimination

2005-10-11T09:50:00.000+08:00

In the UK, there is a law prohibiting sex discrimination in the workplace. In a nutshell, this statute rules against less favourable treatment based on one's sex. Therefore, if 2 store managers of different sex are on the same rank, they should get the same pay. The same goes when a woman takes a job vacancy left by a male employee - she should be entitled to the same pay as the former.

Timesonline wittily explored the possibility of an extension argument which I found to be of great interest. The argument goes:

If a woman loses a promotion to another woman with whom her male boss has had an affair, she cannot bring a sex discrimination claim because the difference in treatment is not because she is a woman. On the other hand, a male colleague unable to sleep his way to the top might be able to bring such a claim on the basis that the boss would not have an affair with a man.

The article ended with a food for thought: what if an employer is a bisexual and thus open to offers from both sex?

Cool argument yea:)

Class peeve

2005-10-07T00:35:00.000+08:00

Sometimes law class can get a little annoying - certain instances peeve me. One concerns the handphone. It certainly is basic courtesy to switch one's phone to silent mode when in class - one needs only to think reasonably to realise this. Surely one can be forgiven for forgetting to do so occasionally - everyone makes mistakes. But there seems to be no justification for letting one's phone ring three separate times in a space of 10 minutes. If anything can explain such a conduct, it must be gross negligence (in its literal sense). Doesn't take 3 seconds to switch it to silent mode after the first ring.

Another annoying matter is the matter of 'diversion'. Today in Contract class, 15 minutes were needlessly dedicated to the unrelated issue of banking, to fulfill one student's persistent (and rather staunch) assertation regarding the issue of loan. Considering the fact that we only get one and a half hours of class per week per subject, 15 minutes works out to be alot of time. It is a pity that a student may think it fit to so embark on a non-related matter during class time.

Apart from these 'class peeves' (and a few others which need has not arisen to mention them), law classes have been excellent. In a Socrates-like manner, I'd say that the more I learn the more I realise my inadequacy - and this in turn drives me on to seek more knowledge. This cycle of life is truly exciting.

Don't be fooled

2005-10-03T11:57:00.000+08:00

One very interesting way to look at judgments, according to Mr. Lecturer, is to imagine that the judge(s) decide(s) the outcome of a case prior to composing their judgments, which they wittily word around their decision. I'm not sure if Mr. Lecturer is kidding, but this does shape a very unique edge in studying law.

Before hitting the whole long-winded and terribly fragmented judgment of a case, it seems a good practice to first ask, based on the facts, what decision would be regarded as a 'just' one. Oftentimes this helps understand judgments, especially those that tweak the current law, seeking a loophole to champion their decision.

Much like humans in general, don't you think? When one wants to achieve something, one cleverly words what he says with that purpose in mind.

Moral of the story? Don't be fooled.

Sadistic pleasure

2005-09-28T14:37:00.000+08:00

Law classes have been really fun so far. It might seem a paradox since almost everyone thinks law is boring, and that all lawyers go to hell. Both notions have to be refuted profusely - the latter because there is no such evidence or authority; the former because my lecturer makes it terrifically interesting!

Out of the four subjects I'm doing this year - namely Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Law of Contract and English Legal System - I have somehow taken a liking for Consti. There is ample room for the argument from different angles, which gives me a sadistic sort of pleasure.

Ok fine, I was just kidding about the 'sadistic pleasure'. But there seems to be such an element in the air during classes. On Tuesdays we have Consti Law and Criminal Law, each for an hour and a half, with an intermission in between. During Consti, everyone quietly listens to the lecture. However during Criminal, the class springs to life.

Let me give an example. During class yesterday, we learnt about a New Zealand case, Kaitamaki v The Queen [1984]. The facts were these: The Defendant commenced sexual intercourse with the Victim, honestly believing that she consented. Later during intercourse when the Defendant realised that this believe was erred, he did not desist from intercourse. It was held that D was guilty of rape.

Suddenly out of nowhere someone started telling the class about a 'rape' case, where the woman asked a man for intercourse, and when he rejected, the woman 'ripped his jewels off his socket' with her hands.

OUCH!!! But who says law is boring? :)

The-Reasonable-And-Prudent-Man

2005-09-23T19:40:00.000+08:00

May I be forgiven for dedicating this post to my current melancholic stupor.

I lost myself, for a moment, wondering what it would feel like if I were flying off to UK (land of milk and honey) tonight, just like Deepak, Charmaine or Dania.

Oh, if it were true.

Maybe a fairy would strike at midnight and make it all materialise, just like how kids talk about 'happily ever after's. But then it would still be a fiction - perhaps another volume to the already extensive collection of 'fairy godmother' stories. At this juncture, The-Reasonable-and-Prudent-Man says 'stop dreaming, buddy'.

That's right. The-Reasonable-and-Prudent-Man always wins. Somehow. He sits quietly in a little corner of the Clapham omnibus, much ignored by everyone he comes across. Yet, he governs their fate, their future, their destiny.

Dock it!

2005-09-19T19:27:00.000+08:00

Two classes into Constitutional Law and I can already sense that the Malaysian legal system has a long way to go if it really is aiming to adjudicate justice and fairness. Not that no one already knew that, because we all do. By looking at the English legal system this reality jumps in your face and smacks you real hard.

Three things I have noted so far:

(1.) In the UK when a minister's capability or conduct is reasonably questioned, he usually resigns to avoid any further furore.

(2.) The British fight vigorously to preserve the independence of the judiciary and the idea of separation of powers - politics is kept out of the courts at all costs.

(3.) The criminal courts have docks.

In Malaysia, the absence of (1.) is caused by ego, and (2.) by corruption. Intense effort is being carried out to do away with (3.) which is a pity since point (2.) screams for attention and yet is largely ignored.

When the Parliament, the judiciary and the executive have their priorities messed up, we know we do have a long way to go.

Catch 22

2005-09-14T22:45:00.000+08:00

Having done my Law reading, I can't sleep because my overly-worked brain keeps talking to me (like the caffeine effect). Thanks to the lack of sleep my brains can't function when I want to study.

A real an immediate prototype of a Catch 22 situation where studying and sleeping try to catch each other's tail. Familiar, ain't it?

Resolution I:

2005-09-09T09:07:00.000+08:00

Some people don't try but get things their way. Some people get things the hard way. Some try hard but don't get things.

At the dawn of my undergrad course I have drafted a unique resolution, at least for the first year. I resolve to use all legal means possible to achieve my self-set target; and such effort laboured must be sufficient to ensure that if I don't achieve that target I will not be ashamed to lament over it, knowing full well that I have done what humanly means may allow.

LLB

2005-09-05T22:42:00.000+08:00

I have just successfully completed almost three months of holidays without feeling bored for a minute! Most of that time I kept myself busy doing a few things - catching up with friends, using the net, reading and making music. It was most fun spending hours and hours (roughly 200 in total!) making music, and I ended up home-producing a 6-track EP (mini-album) as a result!

Well, classes start this week and the excitement is burning as bright as ever. Many people ask where I'll be studying, and (since I'm pretty honest in answering!) it isn't something I can explain in a sentence, without raising one or two eyebrows at the same time. So, to avoid having to repeat myself too many times (and it does sound mechanical after a while...), here's what I'll be doing to (try to) get my degree:
I'll be taking the University of London External Programme, Law of course. Won't be attached to any institution though - I'm doing it 'privately' under an experienced lecturer who will teach (a class of students) all four subjects each year. Bulk of it seems like a self-studying scheme.

Yes yes, you'd probably think, 'Oh silly, there goes your social life, your campus life, your future, your chance to get a girlfriend.' Yeap, heard all that already. 'So', you demand, 'Why are you still gonna do it??' Hmmm... I start tomorrow, I'll tell you why soon. :=)

Humble pie

2005-09-03T12:34:00.000+08:00

My band played 5 gigs in the past 2 weeks. The worst one was in Shah Alam for some kind of EXPO (which for the life of me, I don't know what they were exhibiting!). An event that is supposed to usher in 1 million visitors over 14 days, we had less than 10 people watching - 2 soundmen, a few stall-keepers and a rubbish collector and his friends.

There really is a vast difference between doing something with a purpose and doing it without one. Playing the same set list over 5 times never felt as awful as it did then!