'Freedom' - at a cost

Some freedom you can actually afford -- just pay for it. Freedom to talk on your mobile while driving-- just buy a hands free, or pay for the fine. So as the freedom to speed along the highways, just pay the fine...

Solitude at the Edge of City...

Away from the hustle and bustle of the city a quiet place really allows you to listen to your inner self. It has been waiting to tell many things, but you seem to have no time for it at all. Its voice is faint in comparison to the blaring sound outside...

Nakamora found that out last weekend. In the solitude of a small surau in a residential complex he realized the value of tranquility and serenity. There are still some noise outside, but not as loud as further out into the city. Kids playing in the nearby playground, occasional motor bike revving its engine, but the ambiance of the place helps him filter most of it. The place, to him, at that moment, is peaceful, and quiet...

He listened to his inner self... that he is small, that life has many dimensions...

It's not the machine

It's not the machine, but the driver... Yes, Nakamora could not agree more with that, or else every model would move at the same speed.

He has one of the average car. It has a steering wheel, 5 tires including a spare, an engine, means to move forward, reverse, accelerate, and stop. Often he travels on the right most lane, passing others, some of the same model as his. Equally often he travels on the left most lane - the slow lane. This lane normally is clear and deserted. The fast lane cannot live up to its name. Many drivers perceive that by virtue of being in the fast lane they would be moving fast, or that they simply think that they are faster than everyone else and hugs the 'fast lane'.

Vaporizes

... Nakamora has always wanted to be a writer. There are a lot in his mind that he thought could be put to immortality on paper so that others after him can read, learn, benefit from, if any..

He thought that he is procrastinating. He thought again, and he is not. Time and again he abandons the initial urge to write. As soon as pen and paper are ready, or his fingers at the computer keyboard, the ideas that flow so smoothly and abundantly in his head vaporize, abandoning him. Alas...

At this moment his book is yet to be written. There are plenty of titles in his mind...

Waiting...

Waiting is one of the things we do everyday, whether we like it or not.. We wait at the post office, at the banks, at the clinics and hospitals, in traffic jams, at the commuter station, even in some restaurants... Waiting is also the time when time moves the slowest, if we are looking forward to something; and the fastest, for something that we wish never come.

Individually we can estimate the %tage time we spend on waitings, for whatever... Actually, everyone of us have the choice of reducing time spent on waiting. But, perhaps due to principles or strong ideology, we opt not to do so, instead wait it out, no matter how long it takes...

We can go to the private clinics, use the internet to pay the monthly bills, or just cook at home... but of course, everyone has personal preferences...

Freedom, independence

There are many dimensions of freedom, independence. At times we tend to look at it only geo-politically. The very meaning of independence, I believe, is not to depend on anyone or any factor beyond our control to fulfill our needs and wants; and able to adequately control or manage factors that could badly influence or negatively affect our well-being.

Beyond the usually known meaning, we must extend it to also include independence of drug, mat rempit, bad culture, etc. We may not be able to totally eliminate these but as long as they do not sap away significant amount of energy and resources, they should be tolerable and taken as the unavoidable in life...

Times A Changing

Yes, to some degree kids are a reflection of ourselves when we were that age. We can see that, feel that, relate to that. But perhaps that similarity does not extend to other things; and in some cases it is exactly the opposite.

• It is shameful to tell your parents that the teacher scolded you, what more, lay his/her hands on you in school. It is okay now.

• We go our way to contribute to the efforts of making ends meet for the family.. have to postpone studying in deference to earn salary -- making ends meet even just for themselves they need the assistance of parents now. Parents today do not expect any contribution from their kids, said a friend while on a post coffee appreciation session...