To Resolute or not to Resolute….there lies the question…

Many famous speeches are today remembered not in its entire text, but merely the few words uttered by the orator. Mark Anthony began his famous speech with ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears....; Martin Luther King began his speech with ‘I have a Dream……’; while Abraham Lincoln began his Gettysburg speech with ‘Four Scores and Seven Years Ago’.

Though all were proclaimed in words, it all began with a pen/quill and paper. All were scribes, and as in most of the case, unlike today, the presenter was also the author. A two-in-one package. No personal assistants to take short hand notes or young officers wanting to impress the boss with bombastic words or with triple degrees in language or linguistics. A simple scribe, with a tool sharper then a sword.

This, my friends, will be my simple epistle. One of reflection, recollection, and to some extent, amusement. However, unlike the great scribes of yester years, this scribbling of mine will be much more modest in style and prose and compose of a limited vocabulary accumulated from all these years of reading Calvin and Hobbes and Asterix and Obelix.

However, kindly allow me to point out from the very onset that the ultimate objective of penning this short ‘sermon’ is to wish all a Blessed Christmas and a Joyous Year Ahead, though in the meandering style of how I write, it will take some time before we reach the final destination. So, please bear with me. Have a glass of Sirius with some ‘kuaci’ (east meets west), and once the alcohol hits the right nerve, this message would seem a lot more humorous, and may even sound intelligent!

Friends, despite how much we try to argue, God has decided that 365/6 days is more than enough for us to do what we should, can and want to do before calling it a full year. No additional hours, no extra minute and no under counter gifts to bribe the All Mighty for that one more second or much needed hour. The year 2011, has and is finally coming to an end. The final curtain on Drama Minggu Ini for 2011 has come down. The characters (as epitomized by Shakespeare in ‘All the World’s a Stage’ monologue in the play ‘As You Like It’) are finally taking that much needed rest and the protagonist can rest her shoulders on her handsome hero’s strong broad shoulder.

To some, it has been an eventful year. To some; a dreaded year, to some, a year to remember and to some; a year to be inked out of one’s memory. However, whether we want to paint the past year in the colors of life, darkness or joy falls squarely on us. Undeniably, there might have been some intersections along the 2011 road, where we could have or wished to have stayed a little longer, there might also have been stops which we would have rather by-passed. But, (now to sound a tad bit philosophical), if we were to look back at the days gone by, every incident, every person we met and every experience we went through, would have taught us something, whether big or small was irrelevant.

Resolutions and directions have to be set and calibrated once again. The North Star on our life compass has to be tuned with our wants and needs for 2012. But, what exactly do we desire? Should life replicate the movement of a perfectly wound up German cookoo clock,? Or should life be like the highs and lows of MAS’s shares? Why all this fuss about resolutions? Heck, the resolutions written down 5 years ago are still waiting for its boxes to be ticked!

Therein, lays the difference with my message. Mine is one whereby there is the intention for a resolution, but then again, these resolutions need not be etched in stone (from a legal point of view…..the presence of mens rea minus the actus rea). It is there, because I THINK it will be good for me, not because I desperately need it. It may sound philosophically absurd, and the immediate need for consultations with Dr. Freud’s students, but why do we need to succumb to the demands of what the Schmidts do, if it does not satisfy what we want ?…….ok,,ok,,,I hope my children do not use this same line with me in later years!! (In fact, for my own good, I don’t think I‘ll let them read this article!!).

Have I had any resolutions? Of course YES! I had one 13 years ago. I accomplished it and decided to limit my resolutions to lesser then three, but more than one.

However, today, many a time under undue peer and tabloid pressure, we succumb to and insist that a resolution should be made, written and hung around our necks……oh yes, that 7 letter words we so often gloat and make fun off, but secretly go back and scribble in a newly bought diary what we want to do.

Learning a new craft; going for a holiday in the Maldives (speak to Sam Appadurai), learning to cook ‘chicken vareval’ or kicking a habit which has stayed with us for far too long, whatever the case maybe, achieving something can range across a wide spectrum of activities. There will however, inadvertently, I belive, be this still small voice which will bug each and everyone one of us to do something different, something un-common, something extra ordinary; or just repeating what was done the previous year, but done better, for is not theexistence of humanity the struggle to improve?A ritual. A custom. A tradition, call it what one may want.

A resolution however, need not be something bombastic, extraordinary or mind boggling. No need to shut oneself up in the cellar and meditate before scribbling down the top 10 things to do in 2012. Usually, when so much of effort is put into it, it just does not materialize.

However, to prepare for the future, one has to look at the past (I am assuming Sun Tzu said something like this, as its sounds sooo philosophical!). In my case, I hope to speak German as good as Azlan Murad, ok…let’s up the standard a bit, like Mrs. President, learn to play old man’s hockey (aka golf) and …….well, have not really thought up of a list yet. Whatever, it maybe, I probably might add on as the months go by.

So, to all of you eagerly waiting to list down your ‘to do’ lists for 2012, all the best. And to all of you without a list ……go down your cellar and start meditating. You may be inspired’ or you can just come over and have a chat on why Resolutions are made to be broken, over some sirap!

Whatever your resolutions are, here's wishing you the very best in achieving all those!!!!!

All in all, to all reading this, on behalf of Karen and the rest of my delegation at home,  have a Blessed Christmas and A fun filled 2012 Year! (with or without a Resolution)

God Bless

John Samuel

Congratulations to the winners of the

Gala Photo Competition 2011

1. Rolan Mährle / Chinese heritage, Georgetown
2. Julia Rais-Morres / Perhentian Island
3. Sonja Sharman / Sepang Gold Coast No.2