merdeka

Happy Merdeka Day, Malaysia!

Those who knew me know that I am very critical of my own country. Sometimes way too critical. Talking about the current situation in my country is one of the many things that would get me work up. When I was younger, I could not differentiate between the country and the government. Thus I was quite anti-MY during my years in SG. Then I realized that I was pissed at the government and the ruling party, not the country. Much like religion, it is often the humans who messed up.

 
As I get older, I recognized that there's no place as unique as MY. Most fellow countrymen (and countrywomen) are friendly, helpful and tolerant. We do live together in harmony. It is the government and the ruling parties that are creating rifts and hostility between races and various groups. They are the ones bankrupting the country. They are the ones instigating racial tension and distrust. They are the ones treating the country's coffer as their ATM and playground. They are the ones inflaming the 'us' versus 'them'  discord. Rampant corruption, due to their insatiable greed and inferiority complex-induced megalomania, has been the No. 1 ailment crippling the country.

Many times I did wish that things in MY are different. Now, I just wish for one: a change of central government. Of course, this might not be a cure-all for all the problems the country is facing, but at least it is a first step in the right direction of making this country great again.

Happy Birthday, Malaysia! Live Long and Prosper! Except for the government and the ruling parties..

academia meme

Three's a charm, so I shall continue to share the memes that I've created today.. Following my post on Wednesday, I've decided to create 2 more research-related meme (or sort of related), expressing what I've felt and experienced these past two years..

Am I being overly 'dramatic' or sensitive? Maybe. But that doesn't trivialize nor negate what I felt. The outward camaraderie that everybody see of us, the PhD students, is just that, a facade. I'm not saying that there are no collaboration among the students, but most of the time, it is only between students under the same professor. The 'Us' versus 'Them' mentality is too deep-rooted for them to really help one another. Cliques and protectionism is very prevalent as many faculties behave like feudal lords, fighting over limited resources like research funds and potential students. And this lead to my next meme..

Many may not agree with me, but I do think that the academic world has a lot in common with Westeros and Essos.. That being said, my enthusiasm of joining TW academia is decreasing by the month.. As much as I like this country, I really don't want waste my time playing these non-productive 'political games'..

tw meme

Following the 2 memes that I've created yesterday, I am moving on to TW.. TW is a very unique country, with lots of history baggage and limited international presence.. All because of CN.. Due to the rise (and pressure) of CN, many countries in the world have switched recognition from R.O.C. to P.R.C. and less than 25 countries in the world recognize TW.

Even so, the national pride and patriotism of the TW people is something that should not be trivialized. And I for one is biased towards TW (that's why I choose to come here to do my PhD and not over there). Thus my first meme.. :)

TW is a democratic country. All its citizens are very well-aware of their rights and are not afraid to take to the streets to demand them.. Their civic-mindedness and sense of justice is very strong. Yet, many times I do not understand their source of contention, especially with regards to the issue of food safety. They pride themselves on being different from CN and like to 'condemn' CN for all the toxic/fake food in CN. Yet, they were not outraged enough to stage any protests/sit-ins when so many toxic ingredients are found in their own backyard. I wrote about this a few weeks ago. Thus my second meme..

For those who don't read Chinese, here's a translation of the panels:
Top left : Respect Human Rights; Protest.
Top middle : Anti-corruption; No Dirty Money
Top right : End to Discrimination; Fairness
Bottom left: Misuse of Privilege; No Nepotism
Bottom middle: Taiwan is not China; Love Taiwan
Bottom right: Food products are totally safe; Relax! Let's continue to eat!

Again, the views expressed above are mine and most probably are biased. I'm just telling it like as I see it.. In future, there will be more of such memes on TW, SG, JP and MY.... so stay tuned.. :)

phd meme

People often have incorrect notions of what PhD students/candidates do. Lots of untrue assumptions and unreal expectations. And those "what ... think I do" memes that were a rage a while back did a good job dispelling these misconceptions. Many of these memes were shared and reposted over and over again through social media.. And here are two on PhD students that I found to be quite true, at least for me..

Seeing how well they convey multitudes of perspectives in a single image, I decided to create 2 of my own.. :)

What do you think?? I will be sharing more of such memes in my future posts. :)

well-being... eat

People say, "You are what you eat" and I couldn't agree more..

I eat everything. Almost. I eat whatever is available. I am one who eat to live, not live to eat. If there is a choice, I prefer noodles/pasta over rice. I also like bread, pastry, pies and cakes. Don’t really like salad, but I will eat them when it is part of a set menu. I prefer fruit salad over vegetable salad. Vegetable, for me, has to be stir-fried, even if it’s just with oil and garlic. I like ‘slimy’ vegetables like okra and eggplants. I also like bitter gourds, onions and corns. They are either full of antioxidants, anti-inflammation and/or antiviral. :) 

fresh produces is a must.. 

I prefer my food cooked, except for Japanese food like sashimi and sushi. I also like spicy food, not Szechuan-style but SEA-style spiciness. I want to taste and savor the spices rather than have my lips and tongue numbed. I have a pretty strong stomach and I can stand eating fairly hot food, though I try not to put my stomach through extreme spiciness. 

Also, I know that I can never be a vegetarian. Maybe not every meal, but I can’t imagine not eating meat at all. No special preference of meat, but depending on how they are cooked. For curry and rendang, I prefer beef and mutton. For Chinese dishes, I like pork. For deep-frying, it’s prawn and squid; for pan-frying, I prefer fishes; for roasting, it's chicken. So you can see I am equal opportunity meat eater.. :) I am also an egg-lover, but I try to keep my egg consumption to about one per day.

When I go grocery shopping, I will normally look at stuff that is on sale and get whatever I feel like eating. So in a way, I am not brand loyal as I’m willing to give all brands their fair chance. I will usually compare their nutritional content and choose those with low sodium and fat content. Of course, I will indulge once in a while with some potato chips and chocolates. As for fast food, I rarely have them when I'm in TW. 

try to have pizza only once a month.. unless it's home-made

My fridge doesn’t have a decent freezer compartment, so I can’t have frozen food like store-bought pizza or ice-cream, which is a good thing as it forces me to buy (and cook with) fresh produces. I will always buy seasonal vegetables and fruits, as they tend to have lesser pesticides and much fresher. I do keep some cereals, oats and muesli bars to satisfy my occasional hunger bangs at night or for breakfast. I am trying to follow the saying: "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper", although my dinner is still pretty substantial. 

All in all my take on eating: Don’t eat from the same restaurant/shop for a long period of time. Don’t eat the same food over and over again, just because it is (supposed to be) good for you. Spread your risk around by buying from different sources so you won’t be ‘poisoned’ by the same manufacturer or food producer. Limit your intake of deep-fried, high sugar and high sodium food.

Finally, have you watched Jamie Oliver's TED speech? Find time to watch it.. It's scary to think that the younger generation might not survive their parents, and the main culprit is the food we eat. Obesity is the No. 1 cause of all lifestyle related illnesses like high-blood pressure, diabetes and heart diseases, just to name a few.. Thus, we all have to be mindful of what we eat, where it came from and how it is cooked.

In short, eat more fresh produces and less processed food. Moderation and variation is my food mantra.