My Longkang

I don’t know what is happening. Recently there have been some changes in my family. The reason is that Benghui has taken a deep interest in wushu. For the uninitiated, wushu is a form of Chinese martial arts. He wants very much to take part in a competition and he dreams of wushu every day. He practices wushu whenever he can. He learns wushu every Saturday morning and almost every night. There are some volunteers who teach wushu for a nominal sum.

The problem is that he feels exhausted after wushu practice ( 2 hours daily if it doesn’t rain ) He then returns home, takes a bath and then completes his homework and goes to sleep at about 10.30p.m. He then wakes up at 5.30 in the morning to prepare for school. After school, he tries to do some school work and falls asleep for at least three hours. He keeps telling me he has to sleep. Once he fell asleep with his head on his reading table.

We have had to stop his piano lessons and limit his computer lessons. He insists on going for Sunday school. He insists on praying whenever the mood moves him especially in an hour of need. That I leave it to him. That is his own decision. I won’t interfere with that. His twice weekly Chinese tuition is still on.

On one hand, I want him to be good at one thing so that he can find an identity for himself, build up his self assurance. He is like crazy over wushu and gets upset when i tell him he is going overboard in this case.

Jet Li - Benghui’s hero

I am in a dilemma. Should I or shouldn’t I curtail his wushu activities? I can see him getting tougher by the day and no longer as fragile as before and he now has a very healthy appetite. I admire his ambition and his dedication but I am not sure if I am doing the right thing. He is now learning how to handle the sword. It is too heavy for him I think but he insists it is not. He tells me not to worry as it is not a real sword but a ‘toy’ sword. I use the word toy for lack of a better word.

His studies are bound to suffer. It is now very difficult to wake him up in the mornings. It is by sheer will power he gets up. Even while brushing his teeth, his eyes are still half closed. Already he has told me he will not watch tv if I let him continue with his wushu. He is not that talented in wushu I believe. He just has a keen interest and the instructor encourages him. I am deeply grateful to the instructor. I am not ungrateful. It is just that I worry if Benghui will be able to cope.

It is academic results that matter ultimately, isn’t it? I worry he will break down if he is not selected and he will be bitterly disappointed if he competes and doesn’t win. Sigh*** I know I am being over-protective but isn’t that a father’s job?

This video was taken in December last year. He has improved since then. I think.

I am just writing to share with you how I spent my day. I had a great time at the gym pushing my muscles to go all the way. I did the horizontal and inclined bench press with weights of up to 110 lbs.

Maybe I am just being egoistic and want to look good without a huge pot-belly but the truth of the matter is i like to feel the adrenaline flowing. It removes the stress that is in me.

Anyway I spent my evening with a reticient English man, a New Zealander and an Iraqi. It really opened my eyes. I read about the global impact of high fuel and food prices but it is different to hear it face to face. Apparently these guys think we are leading a good life. I am beginning to feel they are right.

For most of us, we can survive albeit with some difficulties but talking to the Iraqi really opened my eyes.

Iraqi man ( late 40s ) : It is the international media. They give a distorted version of the reality in my country. My people are suffering but the Amercians are being hailed as some kind of international policemen and international saviour. Do you know how much a lecturer in my country earns? It is all about vested interest. Do not trust them so much.

We have been suffering for so many years. No end seems in sight. Our civilization dates back thousands of years and our people are well educated and not some terrorism prone fringe group. They made my country what it is.

Look at Sibu. I see the people are well fed and prosperous. The country is stable and although there is some kind of media hype overseas about the political situation, there is peace. There are ample job opportunities if one is not too choosy.

English man : I leave politics to the politicians. All this cussing about the fairness of this regime and that is meaningless. As an ordinary citizen, there is little the average citizen can do. A nation must be responsible for its own destiny. Oil is a powerful financial factor for foreign interference. I am just here for a holiday. If you have issues, make your voice heard.

New Zealander : The high price of fuel and food has affected my country’s economy. It is not just a Malaysian problem. When I convert my currency to Malaysian currency, everything is so cheap! I have only one comment. The Malaysian safety net is not extensive enough. I saw an almost naked man sleep on card board sheets on the street just now. People just walked by without even noticing him.

There should be more of a welfare state for the benefit of its citizens. But the food here is great and I love the weather. One more thing, I don’t understand why the Sibu people must work so hard. The people I meet work from morning to night. There is only the weekend left and normally they spend their time with their community based activities. Where is the time for the family and recreation?Children should not be stressed with their school work. Let them develop as individuals

One more thing, the road from the airport to town was terrible. ( I don’t agree. I think the road from the airport to town is good enough. )

Btw a friend of mine has started blogging. Please do drop by and visit him at http://www.victor-kiu.blogspot.com. i am using an upgraded version at my blog and I still haven’t learned how to link

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I found this slow song from Foong at http://foongpc.blogspot.com/. It is called Song of a Secret Garden . I hope you like it.

I sometimes wonder what most of us see when we look in the mirror. Do we see ourselves as others see us? That thought has been going through my mind after I had a chat with a very tall lady in her forties. She was fantastically fit and definitely didn’t look her age.

She said, “ I cannot stop the passage of time. You can see my elbows, my neck, area around my eyes. There are signs of aging. There is nothing I can do to slow the passage of time. I am developing long-sightedness and the dentist suggested I extract some of my teeth and replace them with dentures. “What’s the point of saving them?”, he asked me. It is only a matter of time as they have decayed beyond help.

I realized something was wrong when my daughters started to borrow my clothes. Obviously I am dressing too young for my age.

As she said this she twirled her head and her straightened and dyed hair swirled around her like a scene from a commercial. She is obviously still very beautiful. But she has a point. We can take cosmetic measures, dress young, maintain a young image, talk young etc but time is passing us by.

I commented.”Let us age gracefully.” She looked at me in a put-on wide-eyed expression of horror.

I learned this concept tonight and just wish to share with the readers. Often we go through life accumulating burdens which require our time, labor and thoughts. They become our prison without walls. That hobby, that new club, the NGO, that extra commitment at the office, blogging, that new gym etc.

They become our prison without walls. They limit our freedom and some of them do not bring us any fulfilment or joy. People may even judge our achievements in these new commitments and when we have overextended ourselves, our performance is bound to suffer. There is a song Born Free and indeed we are born free but we gather all these new burdens and put them into a sack and carry them over our shoulders until our backs are bent.

Learn to let go. As long as we obey the laws of the land and our God nobody has a right to find fault with us. We can’t please every body. Do what we can within reasonable boundaries and nobody should expect more.

Thanks to every body for giving feedback on my blog. For the time being, I have just regained control of my blog. We will have to see how the situation goes. In the meantime, thanks for all the assistance and encouragement my dear friends and for the IT assistance. I will always remember your kind gesture and humbly I say I am deeply appreciative.

I read on quachee’s blog on a contest for bloggers - the theme is love for the country. I would like to share that many of the younger generation take it for granted that our country is an independent nation. Appreciate it or not – our country is free of the yoke of colonization.

Many have forgotten our country was once ruled by among others the British and the Japanese. We have to love our country for it is all we have. Try bringing your passport to other countries and start applying for PR and you will find it is a next to impossible task for most Malaysians.

Today I have recycled a long ago story to share with you a story about how it was during the Japanese occupation for one individual, Ah San. He loved the country. His best friends were literally Singh, Omar and Bakar. They were the young generation during the independence struggle era. He never failed to exercise his right to vote until his health and old age failed him..

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The World’s Like a Flower

The world’s like a flower
Either fallen or grown
The leaves cover secrets
And the pedals are shown
We’re like a flower

The world’s like a rose
Every rose has its thorns
If we make a mistake
The skin gets torn
We’re like a flower

The world’s like a daisy
Pretty and bright
We all have our colors
But in a way we’re just right
We’re like a flower

The world’s like a flower
All the thorns will pass through
The world’s like a flower
Just waiting to bloom

Source.

Thanks for visiting. I may not be able to reply or approve comments so soon though. A virus related thingy on my computer. Have a great week ahead.

Sibu was flooded with a sea of maroon blue today. The reason being the 40 days of purpose program organized by the Sibu Wesley Methodist Church. Even normally stoic Mrs BB wondered aloud, “What on earth am I here for?” when she saw the sea of blue on the streets especially in the church vicinity. I would like to pass the question back to you ,” what on earth are you here for?”

On the way to town today, I told Benghui to buckle up the seat belt. He was surprised because he was sitting in the back seat. He asked me why he should do so. He said he was in no danger. I explained to him it was the law. I then explained to him the law was the government. He was confused. He asked me shouldn’t the law be The Lord? Inadequate spiritual knowledge confuses a young impressionable mind. Never mind he has all the time in the world to learn. He is still young.

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I have been following the developments on a new book soon to be out on the market. July 31st. 50+1 Malaysia is written by quachee The book is I believe targeted for tourists who need pictorial information on Malaysia but I found it enjoyable just the same.

Quachee

The pics are beautiful and do provide a window to the people , culture and land Of Malaysia. Basically the theme is about how the various ethnic groups in the country coexist in this land we call Malaysia.

The focus is on the Malay, Chinese and Indians in our community. I find it a creditable read and I love the pictures. I wish I could take such beautiful pictures myself.

Basically, The Book has succeeded in capturing the essence of what makes Malaysia unique & good enough to be truly Asia. This book will probably make an excellent coffee table book and find itself in libraries all over the world as an avenue of reference for what Malaysia is like in pictures.

No one book can do all this book aspires to do but it is a good effort by a local writer and photographer. Watch out for the book at your local bookstores. His first book is Batik Inspirations

This week’s theme is what is that

What is that? Can’t believe your eyes? Bengbeng had an opportunity to take pics of beautiful women? I plucked my courage to ask these beauty queens who were in town last year for Miss Tourism World if it was ok to take pics of them. They were pleased to oblige and pose for mylongkang.com

What is that? Pics of crabs on the beach.

What is that? This kind woman posing with a big prawn. I wonder if the correct word is prawn? It is a big one, don’t you think so?

What is that? Pics of more sea food sold at the market place.

Original conversation in Hockkien

Pic from archives

Have you eaten? You have a good woman. She looks healthy and strong.

I was born in 1913. I came from China as a young girl. The Second World War was a difficult time, After the war, I worked as a house servant for a family. When the wife died I took her place. None of the children are mine. We had a dinner, took photographs and then we were husband and wife. Things were simple. The family wasn’t rich.

This area used to be a good area. Now with clogged drains and frequent flooding, it has become a slum. You can see many people of other races from the rural areas renting rooms here now. The original families have moved out..

I used to be mobile. After falling three times, I can no longer move around. I wait for my grandchildren to prop me up against the chair every morning. I look out the window and see my neighours. I have not been upstairs for almost ten years.

My grandson is a good man. I wait for him to marry and then I am ready to die. I tell you every body is afraid to die. Whoever tells you he is not afraid to die is a liar. But I am tired. Very tired. My mind is alert. I know everything that is happening around me. But I can’t make my hands and legs move as I want them to. Nowadays my hearing and eye-sight are no longer as good as it once was.

I sometimes fall asleep at my chair. My husband and some of my children are already gone. I will join them soon. I will be in My Father’s home soon. I am tired. I will be ready. Every body has to go some time. I don’t know how many more Chinese new year i can still celebrate with my family. Only God knows. I think all my friends are no more.

Be a good man. Do no bad things and always save money for your old age.