This is pretty strange. I was updating yesterday's blog at the same time as today. What is this? Some kind of coincidence? Or everything happens has some meaning? EErriiiee....

I got nothing to do at work again. It's not really I got nothing to do but I just need to proofread something and I'm just not in the mood to do it because I have been transcribing speeches for the past few weeks until my English merosot [downgraded]. If my standard of English has gone down the slope, how am I going to proofread? Makes sense right? Moreover, I'm sure you guys could detect some grammar mistakes somewhere in the entries... bwahahah

I decided to take a break from my work - undeclared. I was lucky to get hold of the Clash of Civilizationarticle written by Samuel P. Huntington online. It was firstly published in Foreign Affairs Journal in 1993 but it is only accessible by subscribers. I read a little of his article when I was still a student but I found it too profound for me to understand so I abandoned it. But I now got no choice to read because there will be a seminar with this title. And I need to know what the heck is Clash of Civilization.

In this article, Huntington hypothesizes that wars will no longer based on political ideologies indifferences but cultural because cultural civilization is the only difference humans shared. Therefore, political conflicts will occur between nations and political parties of different civilizations.

Clash of civilizations occurs because of 6 reasons:

a) Each civilization is different from each other in the form of history, languages, culture, tradition, etc even though there might be some overlapping. Each person in the civilizations has different views on the relation to God, politics, governance, etc. These differences don't mean that they will bring conflicts and violence. Insofar as, these differences happened to be the case. [I won't give any examples here because I want to be neutral]

b)The world has become a smaller place. People now can communicate with people from all kinds of corner of the world. This intensifies the awareness of culture differences between civlizations and commonalities within civilizations.

c) The modernization of economics and social changes are invoking people to loose the grip of their own identity. Nation states are losing their own unique identity.

d) The dual role of the Western is enhancing the growth civilization-consciouness. A de-westernization and indigenization is occuring in non-Western countries.

e) Cultural characteristic and differences are not really mutable therefore, they are not so easy to be compromise and resolved. Problems related to politics and economics are easier to resolve than cultural based-problems.

f) There is an increased of economic regionalism. Civilization-consciousness will be reinforced by the success of economic regionalism. And a successful economic regionalism is based in a common rooted civilization.

Clash civilization happens at 2 levels: micro and macro level. On the micro level, people from different civilizations fight for territory and over each. On the macro level, states from different civilization fight for economic, political power bla bla and championing their political and religious values.

What does renaye see?

I agree. If I flick through today's newspaper or every now and then, I'm bound to come across articles about people fighting with each other either for territory to establish a place of their own identity or political power. This is sad. I don't have to read that in the World news section.... I can also detect Huntington's message in the local news section. This is more sad. I have things to comment related to this but being a nobody, I want to keep my status quo. All I can say is my beloved country, Malaysia, is doing her best, inter alia, to maintain the peace and harmony our ancestors have fought for the coming generations. For this, I'm very thankful....

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The most excruciating tragedy I could ever possibly imagine at the moment has finally bombed one of my life territories: the internet server for my office is now currently in the upgrading service for a week, presumably. To be frank, I am now very agitated, fidgeted, frustrated and whatever –ed you could think of when I heard there won’t be any internet access for a week. For a wacko researcher receiving that news, it was like receiving a death sentence. The metaphor I used to describe the feeling I’m having now might be too exaggerated but trust me you would feel the same thing as I do when your internet is dead. I didn’t feel much pain linger in me when I heard my grandmother passed away last week – stoically compared to the absence of internet now.

In fact, I was the first one to moan in the office over this sad news. The clock in my office is just telling me that 10 hours has just passed since the temporary demise of the internet. And I realized I am now pulling my hair and shaking my legs over this matter. Not only that, I have also realized that I have began to become a helpless fool in my chair just because I couldn’t go online to chat with my friends via MSN Messenger; update my blog; check my e-mails; update myself with the new released of manga scanlation; download anime or manga; reply threads in manga/anime forum and so on other than researching information for office work. In short, I was left with abundance of free time which I don’t know how to fill out in the office at the moment.

12 hours passed …

I started to retrospect my life when internet is strictly utilized for corresponding e-mails and obtaining information for homework. And I discovered that I too had a lot of free time and I would employ them to read books, watch documentaries, hang out with friends, chant, sleep, etc. I enjoyed those activities so much that I remembered burrowing my nose into books written by my favourite author, Lisa Jane Smith, into the wee hours of morning with the feeling of satisfaction. Alternatively, I would retire early to revitalize my youth. Panda eyes or rather known as dark eye rings do not even exist in my dictionary. Those were the days I have almost forgotten …

The arrival of the laptop on my study desk changed my life drastically. My eyes will start to glue to the small screen once I pressed the button for it to be alive until I don’t remember to sleep. So what do I do when I go online? I socialize with my fellow anime/manga friends, communicate with lecturers via email, chat with friends via MSN Messenger, watch anime, read manga, etc. With so much things to do online with so little time, I subconsciously abandoned those activities that I once loved. I started to become a recluse by hiding myself in my room other than attending classes. Friend’s invitations to parties were often declined or be gone in 5 minutes. Anime characters and personalities fought to convert my mind. Dark eye rings started to develop under my doe eyes and I became a seasonal insomniac.

So what exactly is happening to my life? I never really realized until now that my life has been controlled by the internet 99%. No internet means no life. But is that the case? If we really think about the whole world regarding about internet, you and I know what it means.

But the main question I need to reflect on is do I really want to place internet as the centre of my life? It is very common to hear people saying that ‘”yea I go online everyday without fail” but have we ever really denied that we are the internet humble slaves? Of course our ego won’t admit it. Who will? More radically is I have given in to the internet to be the core of my life?

14 hours passed …

The meeting room was roared with laughter, contributed by the Muhibbah (hmm… multiracial?) staff of my company. We were exchanging kuih-muih (Malay snacks), gossiping and filling in each other about health issues and what I like the most about our lunch persidangan (meeting in this sense) is we always discuss about the good places to eat…

Then a surprise blips in. The internet is back.

I smiled at the news at the meeting table and continued to engross in our nosy-parker gossips because it is something I should do to prove that I’m taking over my life even though I won’t be able to escape 100% from the grasp of the internet crawler. The most important thing is I realized I have missed out many things while solely romancing with my laptop during lunch break. If I rushed back to the screen upon hearing the news, I won’t know Uncle has gone to the UK during his military service; it’s unhygienic to eat Satay Kajang because the hawkers recycle them; there’s a kuih-muih stall behind my office; my Malay is much better than L. I’m just at the beginning to understand my workmates ….

I have won.

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I actually have a lot of things to dump at the blog but you know what? I'm such in a mercurial mood that I can't decide what to write. It's not like I had great days since I last blog.

So I decided to put my thoughts about something I read last night. I was reading Naruto manga chapter 326 to 330. I usually don't read this manga this frequent because I tend to "AHHHHHH.... it is so exiciting!!! AHHHHHH.... I can't wait for the next chapter!!!! or AHHHHH.... Thank god Kakashi is still alive!! or AHHHH...." I can't remember my last reaction and then I will be afloat on cloud nine. That's dangerous man.

But oh well, I was actually quite satisfied and not satisfied with the chapters I read. I was satisfied that Asuma Sarutobi died in a battle with Hidan. It's just that you can't always expect good people like heros to be an immortal other than Orochimaru and he's a bad bad nasty guy. So there's a balance in the manga *thumbs up* If not, the plot will just get so predictable. Not only that, you will just lose interests in the readers. But I have to agree that Asuma died pathetically in this battle and it's a battle that I too was appalled. I mean what kind of power or abilities that enable Hidan to kill in the name of God? And he can't be killed... that's the worst thing. Asuma cut his head off and the head is still blabbering? This is something new. In fact, it's horrifying. But I like this idea because this shows that Kishimoto has not run out of ideas. *yet* So far is as ... sweet as.

The death of Asuma has become a rude awakening to the Konoha ninja members about the differences in strength and abilities. Why I said that? Bwahahaha.. This is something laughable man. Asuma is one the 12 guardians of Konoha or something like that. So when you are the 'chosen' one, doesn't that mean that your ability is something something? But why is Asuma isn't it? And his head is worth a lot if you sell to the head hunters? This is ridiculous. Such person can't even fight Hidan? Tak logik, right? [Not logical, right?] Not only that, he can only cut off the head with Shikamaru's analysis. Do you see what I see?

And that chapter before Asuma died arouse curiosity in me. He was at this Third Hokage and said to the tomb that he was the best dad he ever had. Ok fine, so what is Konohamaru?

Ok next is ... this is again ridiculous. One of the ninja rules is you have to push away all of your emotions, which is what Sakura cannot accept. And then this Kurenai falling onto her knees when Shikamaru broke the sad news to her. Eh? She's a jounin man. I'm not saying that she can't be sad but it's done quite ... exaggerated. Oh come on Kishimoto, give her some girl powerla. Don't make women so weak in your manga. Wait till I criticize Sakura should I see the appropriate opportunity. Kurenai could just be sad without almost fainting. And oh yea, I wonder how long have Kurenai and Asuma been lovers.

Lastly, I was laughing at chapter 330. Atkatsuki members are feared by countless of ninjas due to their abilities and fighting skills. I mean if I were one of them, I'd rather not know them. The reason I was laughing is Atkatsuki members went through all the trouble to gather all the Bijuu/Tailed Demons/Monsters? just to create a Mercenary Club? Oh come on Atkatsuki, have you not read books that teach you to have your own business without having a lot of capital? I was attending this Jerome Tan's preview, in which he said he started with don't-know-how-much and he's now a millionnaire. You should just need to learn to pakai more otak [hmm.. use more brainpower?] other than developing some weird but practical skills. You may be a genius what is the point of being a genius if you think you need a lot of capital to operate your own business? Learn from Jerome Tan, Donald Trump or Robert T. Kiyosaki la.

But the most lame thing I have ever read in Naruto manga is "We will conquer the world." What la .. Come one Kishimoto, don't tell me you have no other ideas on why Atkatsuki is formed? That's lame man. I said that because there are so many manga and anime have used that excuse. So Kishimoto, try cracking your brain for more fresher idea. The reason I read your manga is not because I love ninja or I'm so into Kakashi but your creativeness and storyline.

Despite all those ruckus I just made, I will still read on and on and on. Do enjoy those Naruto theme songs on your left.

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This is ridiculous. I swept and mopped the floor this morning and my feet are showing they are black. What on earth is going on? Is the floor trying to kena me? [does the floor want to punish me?] where can one????!!!! I swept and mopped the floor bloody clean and why its black????? Arghh ... tak faham .... [it doesn't make sense] Or maybe I did them too fast.

Oh man, my mum and sister will be back from China tonight. I'm so not looking forward because the haven of being alone in the house will disappear the minute they step into the house. Want to cry man.... But it's good they come back because I have not been eating well for the past few weeks since they are away. It's not that I'm lazy to cook something good but I just don't have the ingredients. Imagine the nearest supermarket is like 10 minutes away and that's by car. For I don't have a driving license, I just cook whatever there is in the refrigerator. I could go to the supermarket that is next to my working place but the human traffic after work at the LRT station just discourage me. Imagine... every morning.... the LRT staff will tell the passengers to line up and give way ... What are some Malaysian made of? Cow? Cat? I think even cows can understand their owner's instructions... Sometimes, the LRT staff will use a loud speaker...

This is so boring but it is very incredible today. This is because I woke up 4 something in the morning just to finish download whatever I'm downloading because I'm using my sis's laptop to do so.. Bwahahahaha... then I will erase all evidence of me downloading anime using her laptop ... Bwahahaha.. I'm such a genius. By doing so, I managed to finish download Ergo Proxy... hitherto downloading other anime as well as to stock up my external drive. Hang on.. why am I such a desperado in downloading stuff?? Must be my boredom.

Back to my lunch.

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I wanted to update the blog about the WWF Treasure Hunt but I received a shocking news on the way to home. Someone I know was involved and I feel sad. Because of that, I don't think I can write very well. I need to go back and chant for this person with absolute trust.

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Be it extremely emotional, controversial, messed up, or whatever, this entry has been password protected.

If you know it, enter it; or, ask me for it.

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