Lent Musings

Well this has nothing to do with Lent just that something transpired over whatsapp few days back and a friend (let’s call her L) posed the below theological question:

According to the Bible, the wife need to be submissive to the husband. What are your views on this, if women should follow the husband or there should be equality?

It was something that Ive been struggling with in my faith and took me awhile to finally craft my response. Copy pasted below verbatim from our chat:

Before I deep-dive to that, would just like to share my thoughts when in comes to quoting and interpreting the bible. Amongst the reasons Im against bible believing Christians - literally those who ingest the word verbatim. Father Christopher from SFX church mentioned this in his sermon and I still recall vividly hitherto; paraphrasing "The bible is not like an ala carte meal, you dont pick and choose (and unconsciously taking it out of context). It is like a buffet that you indulge holistically. And the bible in its holistic view is the greatest love story ever told" When it comes to studying the bible, bear in mind the sentences that we are digesting, have gone through years of transliterations. The original wordings are probably in aramaic? And the different literatures over human civilization that spans over 2 milleniums. A good example my praise and worship leader made was in the current literature, the term 'rain cats and dogs' are synonym to a heavy downpour. But if this was used in a world where this literature doesnt exist, those who interpret it in its literal sense might just forecast the end of times whereby mammals are falling from the heavens!

Now allow me to dissect your argument (Ephesians 5:22-33). The word 'submit' according to Cambridge-English dictionary connotes "allowing oneself to be controlled by another". Some might even misconstrue this as being manipulated by someone or even a domineering presence by another. As english is not a 'dead' language i.e. it is still evolving, we should always go into the semantics of the words. Meaning the root of the english word 'submissive'. Im too lazy to research this but you may pick up this homework. I can roughly guess that it is a less domineering term. Another powerful analogy of this can be found in Genesis 1:28, when humankind was told to 'subdue' and assert 'dominions' over the earth, a layman will interpret this as 'total enslavement' to humankind. This context was the basis for Lynn Townsend White Junior to pen his thesis colloquially known as "Lynn White Thesis" or more specifically “The Historical Roots of Our Ecologic Crisis”. You may read on for your knowledge but in summary he blames Christianity as the source of our current deteriorating ecological crisis. The keyword here is 'Stewardship'. A very powerful Christian word if I may say so. A just governance with the highest considerations of ones actions and consequences.

Coming back to your point, I believe the context of the bible in that regards is mutual sacrifice to one another hence equality in its finest. Father Simon Yong mentioned this also in his sermon "If loving you is wrong, then I don't want to be right. Ready to vomit yet? If the love that you give, does not consummerate with the love you receive, in a way to say that, what you give is not the same as what you get, you are in the territory of Christ. For the Christian love is a sacrificial one." I have my own spiritual conflict in regards to the patriarchal system of Catholicism i.e. only males can play the leading role in the church (for e.g. a priest, a cardinal, a pope, etc.). I learnt the reason behind this in Theology of the Body (TOB) and the explanation astounded me. It's because the Church is known as the bride of Christ in the bible. I always took this metaphorically due to my logical reasoning above however in this context, it is literally as such i.e. the holy matrimony can only take place in a union of a man (Jesus) and a woman (Church). Hence, if the head of the church is a lady, then it is seen as a marriage of a woman and a woman which is against the order of nature. I might have skipped a whole bunch of fundamental theological reasoning to support the Catholic view of such hence please do not take my word for it and research responsibility further on your own. I did some online reading and this particular article strikes a chord (http://www.femcatholic.com/women-authority-and-the-church/). It speaks about the role of women in Catholicism and the author struggles with the concept of being a women and a cradle Catholic in parallel. She elaborated in much detail and seemed to have found the answer which liberates her but Im still not too convinced probably I speed-read it and didnt really read thoroughly enough. Or maybe because as a man Im not too bothered. Lol. I'll leave it to your better judgment :)

Happy Lent all!

To vote, or not to vote ... is that even a *bleep* question?

A facebook note post I wrote back in 6-May-18 but forgotten to immortalize them over here so copy pasting it below. Cheers!

https://www.facebook.com/notes/amos-aw/to-vote-or-not-to-vote-is-that-even-a-bleep-question/10155219575991046/
--

Ever since the Parliament was dissolved on the 7th of April 2018 (like finally! Sureeeeee took them long enough!) and the Election Committee (EC) announced on the 10th April 2018 that the official Ge14 polling date will fall on the 9th May 2018 (yes! 4 days from now!), it’s hard NOT to be dragged into a political conversation within one’s social circle. Unless you’ve been living under a rock ... heck, even if you ARE living under a rock, it’s almost impossible not to notice these 4 distinct characters: G-E-1-4. Noticed unlike EC I dont even need to spell out what GE14 stands for? That’s how pervasive it has been in the last month. It is omnipresent. It is a phenomenon that permeates through every fabric of our life. Like a silent but violent fart that goes off in a cramped elevator *urgh* it’s impossibruuuu not to take note of it! “Eh Amos, is this gonna one of your long, boring ramblings?” You dont like you can FO! #burn

Two particular hashtags that warms the heart: #pulangmengundi and #carpoolge14 whereby fellow Malaysians are willing to subsidize/share the cost of travelling back to their respective hometowns to cast their ballots. For those who’ve yet to arrange their transportations, do check them out as I know of friends who are benefitting from them so it’s kinda legit. The full article over here for your leisure reading. Also, a particular marble company (Marble Emporium Sdn Bhd) sets an exemplary measure by not only giving 3 days off, an all-expense paid return flight tickets, but also (wait for it) RM300 allowances! Full article over here. Kudos, come limpeh clap for you *kimjongunclap.jpg*, hats off, pat on the back(side for the ladies) to celebrate the muhibah-ness of Malaysia! Heart warming aint it? If that doesnt warms your heart maybe the warmth of my hands on your chest will do the trick (services rendered only to the ladies) *wink*

Having said that, and it’s hard for me to digest, there exist are a bunch of eligible homosapiens, who have the means to, but (wait for it, trust me this one’s worth the wait) decided NOT to vote!? Are you as mindfug-ed as I am? *jackiechanmindblown.jpg* Like how freaking ignorant can one get? “Sorry but Im apolitical.” Sorry A what? Apolitical? An arsehole that’s what you are! Seriously, having gone through 2 years of kindy, 6 years of primary, 5 years of secondary, 2 years of pre-U (sorry other than STPM-ers, I dont acknowledge other pre-Us :P) and minimum 3 years of Uni, that’s a whopping 18 years of formal education and ... you decided NOT.TO.VOTE? These are the kinda kids where I agree that their parents should have gave birth to char siews instead. For the uninitiated, ever wondered why the chinese always mentioned char siew? Because it’s DAMN FREAKING GOOD! *drool*

*removed offensive char siew post*

Argh I was distracted. Damn it. Power of the char siew! Ok so I was saying, Apolitical my foot! How can someone claimed to be apolitical when you ARE being governed? Unless you’re living on a stranded island, singing kumbaya (my lord kumbaya), making love to goats (you know what? leave them goats alone. Please dont contribute to the world’s gene pool), then by all means go and shout at the top of the mountain with the sun setting at the background “I.AM.APOLITICAL!” I dont give 2 hoots! But if you aint, and if this is not clear enough, you my friend, ARE BEING GOVERNED! Like it or not.

I understand your dilemma of not wanting to vote. I mean, if area P118 Setiawangsa where I am to vote is between BN and PAS, one who is corrupt as hell making Lucifer looks like a cupid and another which envisions to bring us to the dark ages of ancient rituals (I did not say who is who), why should I vote? That’s a legit question really. But think big. THINK BIG! Just because you vote for the lesser of the 2 evil, does not mean you’re submitting yourself to their power. It’s a matter of tipping the balance in a country that practices democracy. Too much power for far too long, and one will end up complacent and corrupted. It’s human folly - giving in to the deadly sins. “The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Matthew 26:41). It’s not rocket science guys! I recalled when I was in primary and the election fever was upon us, I unashamedly say yes to BN! Probably because I love the colour blue. Which I still do! But that aside, my point is, you always need a maverick, a resistor to challenge the status quo for progress. Isnt this is how we have progressed by leaps and bounds? If the ancient greek fathers had not theoretically challenge the norm that the earth is flat, all of human population wouldve been concentrated in the centre of the map to avoid falling off the edges of the earth!

Im sure you wouldve heard of this story. Or variants of it: The Fish and Shark Story. Im just gonna summarized it but you can read the whole story here. The japs have always liked their fish fresh (who doesnt?) and to feed the population, fishing boats got bigger and they went farther away resulting in longer lead time from the moment of capture to the unloading on shore which affects the fish freshness. They tried all means to keep them fresh by freezing it, putting it in a tank, etc. but it did not work. The solution? The introduction of a small shark in the tanks the fishes are in. In the presence of a predator, survival instincts kicks in and the preys are more alert. They are challenged and are constantly on the move. Keeping them alive and fresh! In ecology, the term is “non lethal effects of predation.” One real life experiment involves damsel bugs (predator) and aphids (prey) whereby the interaction of a disturbance-only predators (i.e. surgically manipulated predators that were unable to consume prey, but were still able to forage and interact with prey) still have a massive impact on the reproduction of its prey. You may read the journal article over here.

If you’re a Christian, Matthew 25: 14-30 will definitely strike a chord. The parable of the talents (Awesome Amos Version) : A master before leaving his house to travel entrusted his property to his servants. According to their abilities: one servant received 5 talents, the second 2 talents and the 3rd, one talent. Upon returning home, the master asked of his 3 servants an account of the talents he entrusted them with. The first two, each doubled their talents and were commended “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:23). The last servant however buried his talent in the ground and justified “Sir, I knew that you were a hard man, harvesting where you did not sow, and gathering where you did not scatter seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.” (Matthew 25:24-25) only to be reprimanded “Evil and lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I didn’t sow and gather where I didn’t scatter? Then you should have deposited my money with the bankers, and on my return I would have received my money back with interest! Therefore take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten. For the one who has will be given more, and he will have more than enough. But the one who does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless slave into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 25: 26-30).

When I read this during my cathechism days, I never quite understood what went wrong. I meant, he played it safe didnt he? His nett was 0. Which means he neither makes nor loses, which is not a good nor a bad thing, so why was he punished so badly as such? Back then I concurred that this master was a chinaman whose interest was only to make money. Lol. But as I grew in wisdom, I understood. Each of us has our gifts and we are supposed to use that. If I witness an accident/crime and there lies Superman, enjoying his cup of morning coffee with his pinky sticking out, nibbling on his freshly baked bagel without batting an eyelid to the scene, I would personally walked up to him and give him a wedgie! Like dude, are you *bleep* kidding me? He wouldve vaporised me on the spot but that’s not the point. Im sure you get my drift.

"Democracy is nothing more than mob rule, where 51% of the people may take away the rights of the other 49%" [Thomas Jefferson]. This is very true. I was part of the student council and although we loss by 1 seat, the whole cabinet was formed by the opposition by virtue of being the majority each time a post was tabled. It struck me then that democracy is a farce! But what other forms of government that allows each and every of our voices to be heard? Anarchy? Junta? Communism? More from wikipedia over here. At least in democracy, I can say “Ive made my voice heard.” I dont care if your voice is pro/anti government but let’s make it heard, let’s make it count. In the spirit of Voltaire ‘’I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.” Let’s agree to disagree. When Trump ran for the US presidential election in 2016, I personally felt he never stood a chance. How can a foul-mouthed, ass-grabbing, misogynist pig with a manifesto like building a wall at the america-mexico border and demanding mexicans paid for it can possibly win? The key to his victory? Are you ready for this? *drum rolls* The key lies in the non-voters! Yes you read that right, 4.3 million democrats did not vote (article: why did Trump win? because democrats stayed at home). The mentality of “Im cocksure that Trump would NEVER win and Clinton wouldve EASILY won by a landslide victory so my 1 vote wouldnt have any bearing in the overall scheme of things. Let’s a have beer and chill” More food for thoughts Why did Trump win? In part because voter turnout plunged and The Non-Voters Who Decided The Election: Trump Won Because Of Lower Democratic Turnout. Let that digest.

Im done. Ive no further argument. I rest my case. If you want to argue about your free will to not vote, I want to remind you as well of you responsibility, your duty as a citizen of Malaysia. I think we should enforce a rule to audit citizens whom do not vote and slap them (in the face first) with a heavy penalty. Like how it works with our taxes. Everyone although unwilling, will by obligation, never fail to file their taxes every year. Inaccuracy (see cheating) of details aside, the point is to partake in nation building. Heed this: if you dont make your voice counts when it matters most, then you do not have a say (and I dont want to hear your banter on facebook) when the government makes some ludicrous policies/statements down the road like increased in taxes, “lu tak suka lu balik tongsan”, quota system, crony projects, ringgit value goes down the drain, etc. Dont be a tin kosong that makes hell a lot of noise but without substance. By not voting, you literally threw your rights out of the window. After all this and you still decide not to vote, please pack your bags, go find an island (really, please leave them goats alone. They deserved better) and good riddance! You’re a waste of resources. I can definitely use an extra serving of char siews. Hmm, char siew ...

#GE14 #Malaysia #UndiJanganTakUndi #SepakKang

Vote la pundek!!! Sepak kang

The Passion of Amos - A little airport hospitality goes a long way. Learn some brownie points Exshitdia!

Having vented about my previous melodramatic experience with #Expedia during take-off, what better way to conclude my memorable Europe trip with a tinge of drama on the way back as well? #dramaking #dramabae So I might have told a private circle of friends about my agonizing 12 hours trip back from Europe to home so here’s the full version (Im calling this “The Passion of Amos”, and rightfully so once you’ve read my experience below)

I have always enjoyed long haul plane journeys, I meant, who doesnt? Great time to catch up on movies, finally paying off your sleeping debt, gorging down in-flight meals and their beverages (hot air stewardess are a myth btw, only Asian airlines sexploited this perverted worldview) *I see what you did there african american meme.jpg* And it kinda gives you that bang for buck knowing you’re fully relishing the thousands of ringgit spent for every hour the plane takes off with you in it #asianmentality. So Ive 4 connecting flights i.e. from Barcelona to Porto, Porto to Zurich, Zurich to Mumbai and alas, Mumbai to KL. Landed in Porto perfectly, 1 down 3 more to go and I took it in stride like a proud lion roaring its mane off. I mean, nothing can go wrong right? #againfugyoumurphy

However reality dealt a cruel twist of fate when I was infected with food poisoning at Porto airport whilst transiting to Zurich! That 3 hours-ish flight to Zurich was kinda ok, knocked out for the remainder of the flight due to fatigue. Landed in Zurich and lo and behold, I just felt nauseatic, that uneasiness welling up inside, your tummy twirling and slushing and you have the urge to purge your system. Was feeling restless and a migraine just shot up my head like a little monkey climbing up a tree in a hurry. It’s an 8 hours journey and thought I couldve just slept it out but boy was I wrong! Having food poisoning on an 8 hour journey, at the zenith of its effect was the worst possible scenario and I wouldnt wish this on any of my nemesis (maybe to that dude she’s currently dating. Haha!) Like seriously, I rather step on legos repeatedly than having to endure this again and I was seated at the window seat to boot! When meals arrived I thought if I can down something probably it’ll help but of all the variety of cuisines, they had to serve me Indian food! Probably because it was transiting to Mumbai but it was Swiss airline though! No offense to Indian food but when Im suffering from digestive problem, the last thing I want is dhal and curry well because if reminds me of ... . I tend to force myself to down a little nourishment in this kinda circumstances as I believe a little nourishment goes a long way, and it’s a freaking 8 hours journey! #famish Only cleared up like a quarter of the portion and I couldnt continue due to lost of appetite. Tried to sleep it off but I had this nagging super cold sensation and peeking out the window, I swore we flew over himalaya or some sort as the terrain below is heavily covered with white puffy snows! Im serious it cant be the clouds but anyway, as Im freezing my @$$ off, shivering violently and occasionally tussling with my colon hoping to tie an internal dead knot but to no avail. It’s true you know the story about the rectum being the king of organs, if it decides to shut down (or open up in my case), you’re pretty much fug up!

The long, cold (literally!) journey to the lavatory was a constant nightmare (even thinking of it now sends shivers down my spine!) having to cover what looked like a football field of a distance, gingerly without taking big leaps for you know why #thoushallnotunleashthekraken, shivering violently from head to toe and with each journey, my migraine grew inversely proportional to the number of girls I dated and my body weakened severely due to the loss of liquids and electrolytes I swore if someone sneezed at my direction I wouldve flew back few steps (no kidding!). The ordeal was such a nightmare that I SOS-ed the cabin crew for diarrhoea tablets and I was initially given 2 of them before yielding and taking 1 more before my flight ended. On my final pilgrimage to the sacred ruins, I hurled and puked twice. Emerging from the throne like a whittled flower, wobbly like the aftermath of an inmate who was told he dropped his bar of soap in the shower room and regretted he picked it up, I again hailed the cabin crew for medical assistance and they were quick on their feet to get a doctor on site and you wont believe this, a wheelchair! Lmao moment I tell you. I was wheelchaired out of the plane all the way to the gates with concerned eyes from all the cabin crews and pilots lined up ceremoniously on both sides of the path greeting me well wishers and a speedy recovery. Momentarily, I felt like I was Stephen Hawking about to be ushered for a noble price on a ground-breaking theory of quantum physics. Having took my blood pressure and body temperature, the doctor scribbled down his diagnosis (picture attached in the comments) and I was administered antibiotics, anti-nausea and electrolytes replenishing powder and was buggy-ed #likeaboss all the way to the gates with utmost urgency as they tried to sort out my next transit from Mumbai to KL in a short span of less than 2 hours from take off. A shout out here to the #SwissAirline cabin crew of Carrier/Flight No. LX0154 on 01 JUL and #MumbaiInternationalAirport ground crew for all the helps rendered in assisting a poor chap like myself. Wouldve been better if there was a hot crew member in your team but nonetheless kudos once again for going beyond your regulated call of duty *pat on the backside**piap**piap*

Having boarded my final flight back to KL (which felt like ages!), I requested for a seat where I can lie flat down (which means unfolding the divider for 3 seats) throughout the whole 4 more excruciating hours and was promptly reallocated to the back most row which the cabin crew themselves have reserved for their own R&R. Along the way, requested for an extra blanket and an off-the-menu hot milo to calm my hunger pangs and tummy crams which the cabin crew duly obliged. Again, a shout out to #MalaysiaAirline cabin crew of flight MH0195 on 01 JUL for your utmost care and service!

To wrap it up, I guess one shouldnt shy off from requesting for help and suffer in silence as cabin crews are not there just to demonstrate the safety regulations nor serving meals or for budget airlines, trying to shove down airline merchandises down your throat (like seriously, who really buy those kinda thing? knock it off already!), they are really pretty much your care giver in the sky. Sometimes Im amazed how they were able to serve at such high altitude with the most pleasant of personalities and utmost professionalism in carrying out their obligations dutifully. This whole experience totally opened my eyes to the life of those who served in the sky. A new found respect to a job I thought was menial and mundane.

To cabin crew of #LX0154 AND #MH0195 as well as ground crew of #MumbaiInternationalAirport, I leave you with these words of wisdom which truly reflect my utmost gratitude:

“ I can no other answer make but thanks, and thanks, and ever thanks” [William Shakespeare]

Drama mama with Expedia-lah. Thanks for the experience ... NOT!

You see, I rarely travel so when presented with the opportunity I did countless comparisons for the best deal in town #kiamsap and #Expedia was at the top of my list, woot! No harm, I thought. #Expedia, global brand, I meant, everyone have heard of this word with your cheeky advertisements and rave reviews. That little yellow airplane that flies around a blue globe. Meh, no harm trying. So let's go with it.

And man was I in for a horrid experience! Imagine a roller coaster ride with everything that can possibly go wrong #fugyoumurphy Ill-equiped harness that threatens to catapult you to Mars, getting free lunch from the puke of a boy who ate a rotten cheeseburger when he’s directly above you in a crazy loop, seated next to a dude with such girth you swore his size is πr2, etc. you get my drift. Not to go off tangent, so bought my flight tix like a month in advance and a day prior to my scheduled departure, I wanted to do a web check-in and went through my itinerary via #Expedia only to found the remarks "There has been changes to your flight schedule. You will be notified via email or a call soon." Sensing something amiss as it is 1 day before and Ive yet to receive any notifications, I called #Expedia and *jeng jeng jeng* was told that my first connecting flight was cancelled by SIA and further elaborated in this unfortunate situation, they will refund me in full. Oh wow so reassuring! So I'll get back what's rightfully mine, to hell to all those countless nights of plannings on logistics, leave plans, travel itineraries, etc. and let's have a huge hug, bro fist, make up and call it even eh? ARE YOU SERIOUSLY KIDDING ME? To a flyer, the last thing I want is being refunded in full as all the planning that goes in from logistics to leave plans to travel itinerary wouldve been to nothing! The very least you could do is to offer an alternative which we further discussed afterwards. That really sets the tone for the rest of the call and even after all the reassurances given, I was still skeptical of your ability to deliver. Before putting off the call which lasted slightly more than an hour (FYI I rarely have such long calls, not even with a chick #fml #foreveralone actually there was one, during phone interviews. Hahaha ... haha ... ha ... not funny!) the agent said they'll call Swiss airline first thing in the morning (7am) when #Expedia resumed operation. I pushed for a follow up and was told to call them at 7.30am if Ive yet to get a call by then. I waited till almost 8 before finally calling up again only to be rerouted to a new agent who has no idea of my report and Ive to go through the whole rigmarole again which really ticked me off! So the whole reassurance the day before was for nought? This agent finally followed it through with Swiss airline and I was finally rebooked to KLM and reached my destination safely. Like ... FINALLY!

On my return, as I wasnt feeling well (diagnosed and treated by airport doctor, more on this in my next note) and decided to try to have my return flight rescheduled (no harm trying because I was really feeling like crap) however the transit airport crew was not able to do anything as when they spoke to MAS, word by them was to reach out to my agent instead. Again, painfully, very painfully, did I said painfully? called expedia and was serviced by an agent however due to the time difference, the team that handles my ticket was off and their suggestion was I had to stay over at the airport until they contacted the team when they begin operations at 7am the next day. Sooooo convenient! If the agent is so important when flight bookings are concerned, shouldnt there be at least 1 of your guy to standby to attend to such matters knowing the fragility of situations and how it can really impact a flyer? (See trauma) Or bequeathed that power to the agent who handles my call? What's the point of him answering my call when he cant act for nuts? Just to look good at the surface? *Kim Jong-un slow clap.gif* At least put a chick then! #justsaying

All in all, it was such a bad experience and lesson learnt, despite getting slightly cheaper prices via agents, it is just not worth the whole drama of feeling helpless when one's in need of support at such critical times. Better getting directly from the airline. Goodbye and good riddance #Expedia, will never try your service again #annoyedaf #likereallyannoyedaf

cc Expedia

Bad experience at 7-11 Avenue K

Had a crazy bad experience at 7-11 Avenue K and if you happened to chance upon this worker by the name of Tampang, this' my advice ... scram! Posted below is my complain to their fb page:

Dear 7-11,

Despite cutting cost by hiring foreigners you guy shouldve maintained at least some good service. This' my experience at 7-11 Avenue K today:

I wanted to top up RM100 for my touch n go and this guy by the name of Tampang or whatever went and top up RM50 instead. When I told him RM100 he did it a second time around and produced 2 receipts to me. Knowing that Im being charged 50 cents per transaction I then asked him whether Im being charged twice as it was his mistake in the first place and he mentioned no, he doesnt charge. Upon inspecting the receipts I noticed both of them were printed RM50+ so I told him to check my card balance. After fiddling with the machine few times he said he couldnt check my balance and I told him to press 2 instead of 3 which explicitly states 'card balance'. To my horror they show RM50 and I asked him what about the RM100 which I paid to him. After much gesturing he finally did the transaction one more time and finally I got the amount I wanted and here's the best part, he only gave me the extra receipt until I asked him, where's my card before he finally recalled taking it from me. As for the service charge, I was being charged RM1 for his stupidity and was almost conned RM50 had I not insisted he checked for the balance. Really 7-11? You cant even hire someone who could speak proper english to communicate and no one to supervise/train him? Really really poor service!

Beware of double charges by TM's autopay system

To all who applied for TM's autopay system, take note!

I initially registered for their autopay system as I thought it was convenient + the RM2 rebate (who doesnt like free rebates?). However as of late, I noticed that they started to double charge my account not once but twice! When I noticed it in May, we let it slipped by as it may be due to human/system error - notified them and the transaction was reversed thereafter.

It irks me when it occurred the second time (September) and mum went to TM point Setapak to seek for clarification on 23 September, 2014 appx. 10AM and a customer service by the name of Hakim attended to her. These were their responses:

1. It was double charged as the payment made from Maybank was late and have the nerve to tell us to rush our bank to make the payment in a more orderly manner. Like seriously? So instead of trying to be proactive and sort the issue on their side they lay the blame to the customers instead? Well, we did our due diligence and guess what? Maybank made the payment on the dot! Like ... in your face dude! Boo yah mofo!
2. Mum's request to meet with his manager/supervisor was turned down ... as usual
3. And this' definitely the last straw, mum complaint further that autopay was meant to make things more convenient not more troublesome and check out his reply (you really gotta read this to believe): "Kalau susah sangat cancel la. Ambik form kat sana." Of which we duly comply you big bum hole!

Advise to those who enrolled for their autopay system:

1. Double and triple check your monthly statement
2. Else take the easy way out and ... take the form and cancel it out as per their professional advise.

Kindly find attached my bill statements.

Cheers TM well done *clap**clap*

Chinese New Year's Catholic mass controversy: The Rite of the Veneration of Ancestors

This particular issue seems to be not at an all time high today as what transpired in late January up till late February earlier this year. The delay/procrastination in externalising my thoughts on this topic boils down mainly in gathering up sufficient information regarding the key issues at hand and also due to my earthly errands that needed to be attended to ASAP. Here am I writing after the storm had subsided not with the malicious intent to stir things up again but having the necessary evidences, I see the need to highlight the responses laid out by our Catholic leaders to enlighten and illuminate those who are only interested in attacking but not putting much effort to be seekers of truth. Hence, Im spoon-feeding you =)

The brouhaha that arose amongst netizens commenced when a picture of an Indian priest (cant remember what his exact name is) in the Church of the Holy Family, Kajang, holding up joss sticks complemented with the veneration tablets and other paraphernalia laid down on a table created anunnessary ruckus amongst non-Catholic believers; mostly our brethrens from other denominations.

The original post I believe comes from this link (https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150540342219650&set=a.10150540339939650.391874.610844649&type=1&ref=nf) and most of the comments revolved around the theological debate amongst Protestants and Catholics.

I had my fair share of dialogues with fellow Protestants and the link to our lengthy discussion can be found here (https://www.facebook.com/awmax96/posts/172271912875563).

The Herald - the best piece of newspaper around the world in my opinion - came up with not one, two but three editions of it in three different weeks!

1. http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/To-bow-or-not-to-bow-10801-2-1.html
2. http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/To-bow-or-not-to-bow-10893-2-1.html
3. http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/Veneration-of-the-ancestral-tablet-10921-11-1.html and http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/Rite-of-the-Veneration-of-Ancestors-10920-28-1.html 

Despite the apparent Protestant vs. Catholic dispute, it is good to note that there are Protestants who agreed with the practices on one hand and Catholics who disagreed on the other hand. This goes to show that it's not an unbridgeable clash amongst Christians but merely the different perspectives and interpretations of it.From what Ive gained in the series of these episodes were:

1. To dialogue whenever an uncertainty arose rather than going on the offensive as being the emotional human beings that we are, we tend to fight fire with fire. If in the old days we settle our disagreements by means of war, it is imperative that in this modern era we solved it by means of dialogue. It's "Dialogue or Die" nowadays. A two way monologue is not a dialogue. Dialogue with the good intention and conscious to clarify matters, not to belittle or stamp your authority on others. It will never work. Inculturation is the key to success here.
2. To be truth seekers/researchers rather than gossip-mongerers/hypocrites if any grey areas arose. Ignorance is not always a bliss. With the advent of internet, infomation are in abundance and it is up to anyone to make use of search engines to delve into the subject matter. Really, I dont see any reason not to do so unless ones intention is to ridicule others and nothing more.
3. To practise caution in questioning sensitive matters. Race and/or religion are never easy topics to discuss in the open. People go to war due to differences in ideology/religion etc. With this etched in mind, we should be mindful if we are to probe into others' religion and if we are to go ahead with the probing, be sensitive in constructing your words. A sincere enquiry will beget a sincere answer and vice versa. At the end of the day, what you want is clarification after all, so why the unnecessary infringements?
4. To be open to logic/reasoning/rationalizing. The problem with religious people is that they are pig-headed about it that they wont accept anything that clashes with their school of thought. No any domain of knowledge is in its complete form. The ultimate form of knowledge can only be found in the fusion of different bodies of knowledge. Hence, why the need to be so defensive of one owns religion whilst aggresively dismissing others? Are they even harming anyone to begin with? Why the need to uphold your religion so stubbornly that you make enemies of the world? Gather the wheat and burn the chaff. Take the best of the world whilst neglect the worst in them. Simple.

I can foresee others that might disagree with me and this post will drag yet another lengthy discussion but Ive made my point and I'll rest my case. Ive done what's needed to be done. It's your call to heed or not =)

In the hope of enlightening,

Amos Aw Teik Onn