Insight into ZhaoMing

TALKING about interpretations, I am reminded of the interesting case of the housewife in Chukai, Terengganu, who told police she went to bed about 5am on Oct 11 after making preparations for Hari Raya Aidilfitri. Her husband had gone to work.

About an hour after she went to bed, she felt the warmth of a man beside her and they made love. Later, when her husband walked in and asked her about the man who had walked out of their room, she said it was a case of mistaken identity. She lodged a report that she had been raped and police picked up a colleague of the husband who had been staying with them.

She had thought the man who had shared the bed with her was her husband. She had, it seems, interpretated it wrongly.

The police are working on their own interpretation of the events that transpired.

Then there is the case of the 14-year-old from Mersing who spent the night at her boyfriend's house on Oct 10.

After returning from a stroll with a girlfriend, they went to her boyfriend's house at 11 pm. The boyfriend's family allowed the girls to sleep in the hall.

When everyone had gone to sleep, the boyfriend invited her into his room. The girl, it appears, misinterpreted his intentions and went in. The next morning, she lodged a rape report against him.

Another classic case of interpretation is when leaders cry. Now, in Malaysia, it has become the fashion, especially for men, to cry in public.

When a leader of a country cries while delivering a speech, some see it as a sign of weakness but others see it as an indication that beneath that tough exterior there is a soft heart.

A policeman being offered a RM50 note by a driver whom he had stopped on the road may feel he should not insult the driver by refusing this kind gesture. The ACA will have a different interpretation, of course.

Words and intentions can often be misinterpretated. For instance, if I were to see someone floating on cloud nine, I could say : "Look, he's gay". But within the space of a second, people will send various interpretations of the word "gay" into orbit.

I could call someone who behaves like a child "childish" or "childlike". One is an insult, the other can be a term of endearment. Again, interpretation. Which is why, I guess, we should be careful about what we say and do.

It's both rather amazing and annoying that such few words of mine can cause what an extreme turmoil and havoc in people's mind. Yeah, you have succeeded. My emotion is totally stirred at the moment, but not for long. Should I feel proud that people really do take account of every word which I had written or spoken of? Or should misery overcome me? My apology to all (if there is any) who feel they were insulted or rather victimised by what I had written here. Well, I can't please everyone, can I? If I can't win a game, I won't participate in it. The same applies here... If I can't make every single man happy, I will not be bothered to do so.

Ultimately, we are responsible for the way we interpret people's words and intentions and events.

Fritjof Capra (1982)

"Our progress, then, has been largely a rational and intellectual affair, and this one-sided evolution has now rached a highly alaraming stage, a situation so paradoxical that it borders insanity. We can control the soft landings of space craft on distant planets, but we are unable to control the polluting fumes emanating from our cars and factories. We propose Utopian communities in gigantic space colonies, results of overemphasizing our 'yang', or masculine side - rational knowledge, analysis, expansion - and neglecting our 'ying' or feminine side - intuitive, wisdom, synthesis and ecological awareness."

It is usual that I blog when I am hardworking. And, yes, today I am pretty hardworking.

Despite waking up at 11 o' clock in the morning and sleeping from 12.30pm to 3pm, I am hardwoking. I actually took the trouble to open my Malaysian University English Test (MUET) module to complete my long-pending essay assignments. I actually checked my mail inbox for chemistry notes from Puan Zuraida. I actually set up a what-to-do list for my holidays. (There are more than 10 items though... Now, I feel that I am rather ambitious.)

Next week, I will have my MUET speaking test, chemistry 6A lab practical and ethics test. Guess what am I doing now? You are right.... Sitting on the sofa with my faithful laptop, blogging on some meretricious issues after an arduous DOTA session. Will this sum up to something? Ahha, you are right again! I am going to endure a terrible migraine when I crawl out from my bed tomorrow.

"I am halfway through my holidays, yet not much have been done. Well, I am not going to live in this kind of emptiness anymore. Tomorrow will certainly be a better day!"
I have had this monologue going on in me since the first day of holiday. Feel very glad that at long last, I have the opportunity to shout this real loud in my blog. To all my friends out there... don't freak out as I am really very busy. Yeah, busy with my food and laptop.

Really, I am serious... (Trying very hard to make a frowning expression, but to no avail), I will rise and complete my mountain of assignments. So, stop pressuring me ya o' Ming Zhao.


"The river is long, the river is wide;
as the days go by, I have wasted my life."
-ZhaoMing-