What it is like to work in Malaysia

Sometime ago, I decided to walk around the residential area -- which is still under construction -- and after few hundred meters of walking, I came across this fellow citizen with all his body soaked in sweat, hiding his head under huge bamboo-made hat in the construction site. The moment he told the plight of him and his fellow co-workers who are respectively from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Nepal and Vietnam, my vision and outlook towards Malaysia have been changed tremendously.

I know, it sure would be injustice to Malaysia being such a wonderful country at the one hand but on the other hand, the so-called employers where many such workers are in is likely to condemn the way they treat human being.

I was just stunned when I saw their accommodation facility that is poorly managed and there's no such thing like hygienic. They were given a container in which five of them have to stay in it and sometimes population reach up to 15/16 to adjust in just the one container.This is something pathetic I've ever seen in my whole life.

I wouldn't have known it unless I see it by myself. Any human being would feel sorry for how they're living to earn few pennies. Still the delightful thing is they've learnt to live their life regardless of what it gives to them. All they want is peace and a moment of happiness to their family and so for themselves.

Though this fellow hesitates to tell me how he felt deeply in heart his eyes explained everything to me. I can see he is not satisfied with the way of his present life. However, he's accepted that life has to go on and living in a hope is the best course of action for now. A kind of hope which PROBABLY would never change for them at least until they remain in Malaysia.

Nepalese here are living life in fear of falling out of line. Basically every humans does but the magnitude of fear in while in Malaysia... well, who's going to advocate them...

Here are few photos I wanted to show you. Check it out!

Nandu Oli, heading to field work: think how safe THIS ride is.

Nandu Oli soaked in sweat. [inset] closer view of Oli

for more photos click here and scroll

You can visit my site from here too. MYWEB

Blackout and the presence of moon!

I took these pictures yesterday [09/08/2006] at 8:05 MST. It was technically blackout to our whole residential area for several hours but mother nature was there to make sure that our way is well lit.

New premises!

Yet to sort out the things

New office

New office waiting for renovation

face of the office building

Side view of the office building

New godown

A final glance at OLD office building

Ready to dispatch

Anu and aunt Habibah can be seen in this pic

Anu concentrating on final settlements

Mr. Azaman's cupboard

Mr. Azaman's room

Various tools... farnell components

Glimpse of R&D section

View outside office building

Dismanteled Asst. Manager's room

Mr. Azaman's room

Anu's department

Mess

CASH logo can be seen

Crown Forklift

godown

close view of forklift

Forklift

Godown section

Nothing replace family

Families are very important. It is the main contributing factor to love and happiness. I can say this because over the years it had taught me what it is like to be far away from family. One can only imagine a boundless love and security when it concerns families.

Otherwise, once you stepped into the wild world out side, there you are, the chances are, things might go pretty vulnerable to you and your sole survival. They try to harm you and make you be in deprivation, they just pull your leg down till you drop. These all are what I’ve accounted within 12 years isolation of my life, which is, still continue. Besides, you will encounter truly funny peoples, who play a god in front of you and stab your back as an evil. The most convenient route they took is in the form of friends and we simply sway along with them until we realize we are making a wrong move and sometime it would be too late to recover.

I really hate telling this tale of my sole being because people just think that I am over reacting. The only reason why I keep telling this is to educate people from all walks of life. This is not age specific. Every one equally needs to understand this.

Musing of my Loneliness

I've many times, even till recently, jotted my views about what difference does a friend can make in ones life. They're just like a capsule or devine medicine to keep us buoy all the time in order to reach to our goal and it's very much true.

At the same time, I wonder whether the ideological paradigm has shifted to different set of belief now. Otherwise, why this musing keep nudging me every now and then?

I've friends that I could count on but sometime I think, I, myself made them took me for granted and that's why I'm not hearing from them. Or, do I not know where lies the fault - in my part or in theirs'?

However, I am not disappointed because all reliance on person is useless. No one is yours, and you belong to no one. So this counting on others, where does it come? Do we not see that, when times are good, there will be many around us and when bad times approaches, all and sundry will abandon us!

So why not count on the real true friend, God, who will be with you in all circumstances, good or bad.

I didn't ask for it but m changed

There are notable changes in my behaviour over the past few years. Particularly since I came to Malaysia. I forgot to laugh, joke, make a fun and caricature and I forgot to be the way I was before. I remember my friends calling me "bunny' because my upper front teeth resembles to bunny.

While back home some five years ago, I'm the most chit-chat and chatter box one. I made people laugh and cry and make them be in awe. Never fought with anyone, never once raised my voice to my parents, teachers, and superiors but not always can we be the same old dude. It is very much true that time really make one change and transform into never-been-before being. Every time I wanted to say something "nice and hilarious", peoples would take me otherwise or so I think.

Language barrier is one vital factor contribuiting to this. Another reason, fueling to my transformation is, of course, my loneliness. I stopped saying it because people get irritated to hear same thing over and over again and when I realised it, many have gone far from touch. If only I could bring them back, I'll explain them in detail the real reason of my isolation. But that's not important now!

In fact,among them many have known it but these people didn't try to look at the situation from my point of view.They could have realised too as how scary is it to be ALONE in life if they only could have brought themselves to walk in my shoes. I used to cry over my lonliness before but not now. When you'd left alone in the wild world you'd learn it by youself as how to survive and in no time be used to it.Whether you choose it yourself or forced by other or whatever the reason be.

Coming to the point, feeling irritation over small matters, not being able to make an eye contact with peoples ... and so on were the recent changes in my behaviour, which obviously is not a good sign. Also, I used to be very much outdoor going guy but now I find myself locked inside my flat watching tv sitting on the worn out sofa at all the time. I was happy when I was in Nepal... then I remember the hardships I've gone through. Perhaps this is a learning process I am going through. By being bad I'm learning how to be good.

It's not always good to be listened... believe me!

Have you ever had the experience of someone paying close, respectful atttention as you spoke - hanging onto your every word? Did it not make you feel special and valued, as if your opinion mattered?

People want to feel that way, whether they are in position of authority or not. So they appreciate those who truly listen to them. I am among them.

Few years ago, I met a guy named S who always gave appealing look every time he passes through my shop at Bhotahity Galli. Me and my friend M noticed this and matter of factly, we jumped to the conclusion that this guy must be a gay or else must be a carzy jerk. Otherwise in lieu of looking and admiring an opposite gender, he's more into looking at the same gender.

This continued until one day when he came to my shop, asking the price of shoes - a lame excuse, of course! to come near me - I knew...

Although I and M had slightest idea about his sexual status, the way he speak made me feel more accurate on our earlier assumption. He spoke to me in a manner that is very girlish and no body could have simply avoided. He started coming daily and notably my neighbours next door would always stare at us. At some point I thought they must have been thinking me as THAT way too. It can be seen into their eyes that they're very supicious over me.

Well... relation kept growing and till that point nothing had happened and I took him for granted and I felt his presence left no further visible effect on peoples around us. Everyone returned back to their own respective occupied businesses.

He would then talk to me like if we're meant to be a very best friends or more than that. I trusted him and appreciated like no others when I realised that he's listening to every words that's coming out of my mouth. His open-ended and occassional close-ended questions were the proofs to that that he valued me more than anything else and he would suggest me like if he's always ready to give me his shoulder to lean when situation go thin for me.

This continued for few more weeks. M, however was not satisfied with the ship I boarded in and he would always suggest me to come out of it. At some point he thought he'd magic spelled on me.

One morning S came and asked me for dinner together that night. My suspicion towards S then revived again and I just closed my shop hours earlier than the usual time that day and headed to an apartment at Kwabahal, Thamel.

To my surprise, S was standing right before the door when I rush opened the door hearing someone's knock from outside. I'm just shocked and my mouth remained wide open. M and I were about to have our dinner when this guy arrived but he didn't listen to me, he insisted me untill I agreed and took me along with him to Yin Yang restaurant where we'd a date with Martin [who's a owner of Yin Yang].

I had my bike with me so that we can drive to anywhere we wanted to. We had a nice chat with Martin, who's a citizen of switzerland, I learnt it later. Actually S had a nice chat with Martin and I was just nodding and ocassionally shaking my head when asked about something because then I didn't have adequate knowledge in practical english. The chatting began to be more interesting with each sip of red wine and highly nutrient dishes. A big red lobster soup is one among them, to be precise.

Time advanced to midnight and one.. two and I wanted to return to my apartment just nearby but since he's all alone and no vehicle to return, and also because of his too much insistence I drove off to Balaju where his apartment was situated. Along the way he started showing his true colors.

In fact, he started showing his true colors when he asked me what I felt about homosexuals or gays in the restaurant. For which, I just replied, "they are humans like us, they too have purpose in life like us. So, being a human being I do not have any disrespect for other human being." With my this reply, he was darn happy, I could see the smile wrinkles across his face.

Then what crossed my mind was the thought possibly could have been running through his mind. He might have thought that after all, all the energies that he'd spent over me was just worth it.

On the other hand ... its me who's just scared of the thought of whether I'm going to be raped by my own gender. To my shock, it didn't took long time from turning my fear into reality.

I was fully intoxicated like him, he just kept insisting me to slide down my pant. When I didn't, he did it himself and ate me. That was the worst experience of my life.

Some time later again I met him on my way to shop and he told me that he's attending to a meditation programme of which I was less bothered about but then didn't made any delay on saying it that was the very sane decision you've made ever and we are seperated and he's never seen again.

After that incident, it's rather very easy for me to identify the gays walking down the streets of Kathmandu valley but there always come this question in my mind that why gays always make it to sex. Why couldn't there be something other than sex.

Gay fellows, I am sorry to say this but this way you are isolating yourself from normal society. The future is bleak for gays, at least in our Nepali society because it's just a taboo.

Anyways, it just left me with a guilt and a fear in coming days - fear that raised lots of questions - questions about my gender [ppl might have thought even I was gay], my social position and so many things. I was very much frustrated and couldn't help telling it to selective good friends inorder to get consultation and I was just convinced that I was framed in a way where no body could have escaped befrending a guy/gay like S.

Coming to the point, it is good to be listened and it is also good for your knowldege if you can listen but don't always listen to every one and don't let them listen to you always, too because it is just not worth it sometime.The best course of action could be, learn to be a good listener. This is the basic but also try being a pragmatic rather than following one specific idea.

I hope I am not opening Pandora's box here by narrating this.