The life and mind of Adeline Ong

We have now been officially released to terrorize the Theater World. Be afraid!!! Be very AFRAID!!!

Pictures taken during alumni night dinner.

You know we rock and kick ass!!

Whazzat?

Blocking apa ni?

Attack of the killer ducklings!!!

Safely behind the cam!!!

Saw a very interesting video on Tash’s site.

So I decided to share. I know I am so going to be bashed by my mates in the USA. But this is just too interesting. Plus I am putting it up to question, the importance of quality education.

Before we go further, Oprah once’s did an episode regarding how the American public school system has failed the American public. In the clip, questions were posted to American school going kids as well as kids from all over the world. Surprisingly, the non American kids knew more about the good ole USA compared to their American counterparts.

I do not think Americans are stupid but just somehow blissfully ignorant of what is happening in the world. Something that I can claim many others all around the world have in common. With personal daily problems, who has time for the world right?

Alright, alright. I am talking about the ‘normal’ folks, which do not include NGO activists, the ruling class, politicians, so-called educated ***tards (Who preach non-stop on something that is irrelevant), people who are generally concern of the way the world is run and orang-orang yang sewaktu dengannya.

I do believe at some point education has indeed failed the American school going child. My personal experience was when I was in the USA, 2 years ago. Someone from college asked me where Malaysia was. I am already used to the fact that a lot of people out of Asia are not sure where Malaysia is located on the world map. So I was not too annoyed. Anyway, V told her that it was in South East Asia. The girl, who still could not grasp the exact location of S.E.A., gave us a blank look. Trying to make things clearer for her, V offered the simplest explaination I could think of.

“It is the region between China and Australia!” V said.

Guess what was the reply…

“Umm, where is China?”

I was taken aback. (If I wanted to be more dramatic, I would term it as FAINTED)

With so many Chinese made products stocking Target and Wal-marts all across the USA, one would at least think that a college going individual would at least know where the clothes, jewelry and etc is coming from.

But what I mention was just my experience. Watch the video clip below and be entertained (or not)

If you cannot view it here. Please checkout this link instead, People Believe Americans Are Stupid

Anyway, I am somewhat blessed with the standard of education that I have received in Malaysia. Yes, I would agree that it is not the best in the world and no doubt there is a lot of improvement to be made. However, I have studied most of my life in Malaysia and have quite a level head when it comes to a lot of things.

Yay, Malaysia will be celebrating it’s 50th Independence Day in 2007. But somehow or rather, I wonder if we are living a lie or just simply more accepting of what God gives us. Sadly, our views are not shared by many. I was given this article to read sometime after Christmas.

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006

MALAYSIA’S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races
— the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It’s an argument that’s been running for 40 years. That wealth
and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it’s time Malaysia grew up.

It’s a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about
how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the
Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other
races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9
per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a
local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose.
The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is
Chinese.

“Malaysia boleh!” is Malaysia’s national catch cry. It translates to “Malaysia can!” and Malaysia certainly
can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the
national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds
up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia’s grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are
world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia’s tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a
map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce
that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn’t pronounce the city’s name and so
made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is
inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for
a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia’s problem. The
very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest
buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. It certainly wasn’t that there was an
office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn’t.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The
money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean
companies. They don’t even run the shopping centre that’s beneath them. That’s handled by Australia’s
Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space.
And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and
Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There’s
no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there’s even a chance that they will
consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There
are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are “boleh”.
The trouble is, they’re not. It’s not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near
the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and “get used to cold weather”. But
the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex’s real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to
London to check on the centre’s construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a
clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all.
It’s been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia’s oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil
importer in 2011 — that’s just five years away.

So it’s in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome
burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space
when Malaysia’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth
distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That’s not Malaysia “boleh”, that’s Malaysia “bodoh” (stupid).

Below is the website link to Michael’s website.
Michael Backman

V has been insisting that I am a Goth chick.
I am not too sure of that.

My entry today is based on my shallow knowledge of the Goths. So do correct me if I am wrong.

Well what is a Goth anyway? Personally I am not sure of that. A lot of people have this fixed image of Goths being people who wears black, have their face painted white, wears black lipsticks, spiked collars etc.

Actually, there is no proper traits of a Goth.

With the risk of sounding cliche, Goth is actually a state of mind. Ask any real Goths.

However, I cannot really see my state of mind as being Goth. V says I just need to listen to more Goth music.

I have read Voltaire’s book entitled “What is Goth?” and have come up with the ‘perfect’ Goth type that actually suits my crazy personality.

Using what is written in that masterpiece as a guide to describing my Goth side. I will be a cross between an Ethergoth and a Perkygoth. Yes, I know some will not really consider me as perky but most of you have not seen me really buzzed on coffee and away from the stress of the ‘normal’ societal roles as a person.

Goths are not suicidal and they are not depressed, they are humans after all and are subject to human emotions. Furthermore, a lot of people get depressed. Does that mean that everyone with a shrink is a Goth? Plus there is already a sub-culture called Perkygoth. Goths who are, well…, PERKY. One of the reason of me fitting into this group is because I do not necessarily have tons of black in my wardrobe. I love colours. Goths are allowed to have colours in their wardrobe and do not have to wear black constantly. Though many consider black, white and red to be the ‘official’ colours of the Gothic Culture.

I was told that Goths are not Satan Worshippers. But I do believe that this stereotype is here to stay. After, with all those school shootings happening in the West, the media needs some figure to blame. Sadly, Marilyn Manson is the one who gets most of the flack, just because he is famous.

Sigh… We will one day see the future where Goths will be accepted by all…

Signing off… Your not so Goth writer

These are vids that V made for his production class.

I will refrain from commenting on these because I always have comments on every aspect that will tear people to shreds. Then again, I do not like people ripping my work to shreds. Anyhow, there is still a lot to improve but just watch how USM students do filming…

Enjoy