Confession of the Old Tree

Time Flies really fast and I am going to turn 21 soon.
To be continued !

What so special about 'Sanuk' ?

Hi, we’re Sanük. We’ve been around since July, 1997 when Jeff Kelley started making sandals out of inner tubes and indoor-outdoor carpet. 1998 marked our first full year of operations. While we’ve progressed into semi-proper footwear company (uh-oh), Jeff’s spirit of innovation still serves as the backbone of our little brand. Today, we strive to make products that are as much about funk as they are about function. We’ve found our sandals are happiest when they tread the road less traveled – so we design ‘em accordingly.
Because “Sanük” is the Thai word for FUN, our name is also our mantra.
Our goal is to provide creatively inspired yet thoughtfully designed products for the global outdoor community…mostly because we’re part of it.
Headquartered in Southern California, we are an eclectic little family hailing from Santa Cruz, Seattle, Cardiff by the Sea, the Philippines, Colombia, Hong Kong, and even Papua New Guinea. With your support, we continue to grow and now have distribution across the United States and in over 50 countries throughout Europe, Asia, South America and Australia

Another Day 39 The Discern between Good and Evil

I might be young, but from what I've observed towards a world that fills with Good and Evil has reminded me something. Something that lives inside of us, a good role and a bad role. We were taught to trust in faith but somehow the media often portraits something that are skeptical, giving us the false information. Besides that, We are not sure when comes to making decision especially the tough ones. It seems like Something trying to restrict and the other actually trying to approve us to do things we wanted to do. It happens sometimes, whisperers from both sides telling you what are the consequences/ benefits and the price to play. So how do you differentiate whether it's right or wrong? Often, only through the right guidance and the heart of believing will lead you to the right path. Only God knows!

Another Day 38 Nothing Lasts Forever

6,667,871,675 people in this world, all struggling to survive in this battle called life. How different are we in the eyes of others ? Or rather, how similar are they in our eyes. We're all different in terms of what we are and what we do hence judgments arise from these differences which in turn develop into disputes. We all notice people, like how we are attracted to a certain someone, because they are different, special in other words or like how we wrinkle our noses at people who we label as queer and abnormal. Eventually, one will come to a point in life where he realizes the similitude of truth - that beyond the simple facades, we are the same and that deep down inside, we all break the same way.

Another Day 37 [CHANGE!]

If a glass of wine a day can help me in solving problems, I would bring in cartons of wine but it doesn't help at all, and it brings me more shits in the next morning. Not saying drinking wine is a bad habit or it might lead to something bad, What I was trying to clarify is people have often tried to runaway from reality for the sake of affraid to face the consequences. People are scared of something new or 'Changes' because they are fine with their own 'comfort zone'. They are not willing to change because something might just dissolve away. People have been practising something since the first day and they get used to it. Some people are smart, why so? Living in the fast-paced world, if we didn't accept changes for the past few decades and I can tell there will be no I-phone, Ferrari, Sony, plastic surgery(Girls generation So pretty!!), and etc.. Look at that, wasn't it nice if we accept the changes? And I call it, Technology. YAMAN!! Of course, Technoloy can't beat human because 'WE FREAKING MADE THEM'. Technology can be considered in perfect catergory but human 'NOT'. Not because of the skin colors, not the language we spoke, not the way we wore clothes, and No No No. It's Selfish. We often create a foreskin in order to protect ourselves from others, not sure whether it was a direct spear thrown attack or a backstab, ya... Just purely attack... Many people might look good from the outside but it doesn't mean deep inside of them are fine, their body condition might as bad as a rotten apple. Those who smoke cigarettes, please don't get offended. In the midst of searching the right things to do, or a good direction to start, we often find ourselves asking why are we slowly losing our personalities without reason, commitment goes astray, or even treating the important people in our life badly? To relate back what I said, Human changing overtime. It might sound a bit off or contradicting but try to think about it or picture it. If you can change the way you lived your life today, please be good...

Another Day 36( Stereotype against Africans in Malaysia)

I recall when I was told of a story, it relates to prejudice or a assimilated conception with image invested with special meaning and held in common by members of a group which is called stereotypes. Stereotypes have been existed on this earth thousands years ago and it takes the same amount of time to reflect stereotypes and an ancient mummy. It happens when People reflect their ideas towards someone or groups of people who are different from them. A stereotype can be something to incorporate single word/ phrase or a combinination of words and images. Normally the image is easily understood by others who have the same opinion. Stereotypes can be positive and negative but mostly it tends to make us feel special when someone is being stereotyped.

Malaysia expanded its education sector to students from foreign countries in the early 2000's. The main target was the African students. The universities and colleges targeted the middle income families in African countries and the response for recruiting students was good. The universities and colleges even came out with many campaigns to attract foreign students. As a result of the campaigns, there are more than 4000 students applied the courses that being introduced by the universities and colleges in Malaysia and the numbers still increasing up until today. The main factors that pulled so many foreign students to study in Malaysia because of cheaper tuition fees, living expenses, friendly citizens and many choices of food and beverages.

Due to this, it has become an issue that people who live in Malaysia started paying attention concerning about increased of crime rate. Citizen in Malaysia often addressed the African students as an uncivilized human being, a fierce, brutal, or cruel person with amazing strength and not caring about right and wrong. In the age of modern media technology, Stereotyping through media has reached an apex. The media gives people the negative views of their lifestyle. Besides that, the media plays an important role on telling the truth to every corner in this world, examples like the reporter, movie maker, game maker, internet, and etc. Many of reporters sacrificed themselves to travel to somewhere far in order to get the truth so that the people get the revealed truth. But one of the reporter was killed in Nigeria during a riot and it leaves people a bad impression towards this country, many of the countries in Africa was ruled by the military and the main reason because they are black skin, they cannot control themselves; they rape and kill like what movies have shown. The movie maker made a lot of war movies like tears of sun and etc. The movie described how awful the people who live in Africa are due to economy crisis, high unemployment rate and poor management within the country. They raped/killed their people for no reason in order to conquer the area which does not belong to them. Games like Grand Thief Auto, The Godfather are the favorite games in United States of America, and it was banned in Malaysia for selling it because it contains of many unhealthy activities and it might affect the youngsters in Malaysia. The games often pictured the black people as the main character and the only thing that he does is rob, gangster, drug smuggling, rape and they earn dirty money. Through this, People have made their conclusion indirectly in their mind that they are harmful although they never been through it before. It has threatened the safety of citizen in Malaysia especially those who live in cities because the African brothers might jump out of nowhere and rape or kill them. All of this has happened before and I strongly believe this is the factor that caused citizen living in afraid. Cases like Nigerian Men Wanted for Murder of Two Women and caused Children Traumatized, Nigerian students found dead in Malaysia due to drug overdose, Nigerians are scammers, Three-year-old child raped, abused and sodomized, and Nigerian student become drug smuggler and etc.

People only believe the truths that they have seen or they have experienced it. But people will also jump direct to conclusion without further analyzing, example, when a Chinese/Malay/Indian kills someone, the people ask, “Why did he do it?” But when a black man kills someone they never ask why. Cause they already know: because he is black.

People see things on television but never experience it, if they willing to be on ground to see things themselves or to adapt the environment and it would be a whole new experience. The best thing is to approach them, learn their culture but it does not mean people have to behave like one of them just for the sake of gaining recognition among them. Communication is the best tool to use for building a relationship; many of the citizens in Malaysia could not speak fluent English same goes with the Africans and it creates a big gap between them. If they could break the gap and try to speak to one and another, I believe the scenario will not be as worse as before. Cultural mandate is the powerful thing for every one of us for reaching out different people from different countries and cultures. Humans are gifted the talent to think whereas the animals cannot, this is the fact that we can understand, analyze and judge something consciously. If the stereotype against the Africans in Malaysia still going on and on, then Malaysia should not have opened up the tourism for foreigners but to keep it themselves.

In conclusion, without knowing it, anyone is possible to be one's own enemy. Therefore, the interactions with each other play an important role in order to understand both verbally or literally. Today, every speech that we made may seem harmless, yet it affects the way we approach others as well as to the society in which we exist. There are many choices and the choice is up for us. Through this, everyone can go further without borders and the perception towards someone can be changed.

Another Day 35[Contradiction]

That was then, this is now. As an Asian, I'm proud with my people not because they look alike but there are something we should feel 'Big' sometimes. We often seen conservative,short,coward,arrogant,NO speak English, and etc. We are madly offended by those who makes these Prophecies, Yet how do we differentiate if the only way is through categorization? Look at us, The two largest populations in this beautiful polluted land, the Indian and Chinese who contributes Nasi , Tenaga, pengetahuan, tarian, tatasusila, etika,and so much more for the past few decades. I have no doubt that one day, one of these populations are going to takeover everything because they are coming up like freaking fast. Btw, I'm on the neutral side, I like steak, beacon, sausages and western countries, They seem to be stronger than any other countries. They even have bigger brother than the Asian ): Indeed and it was true enough to say yes, the most powerful thing they are good in is imitate culture. Don't trust me? Try to see U.S, what can you find on their books of history, Nothing. Besides that, their children are raised to be independent and sometimes they won't call their parent 'Mum' and 'Dad' but this, HEY MICHAEL! F*ck off and get out of my room! Maybe you don't often see this in movies but it does happen there. Back to Asian and how they are being raised, They are taught to respect their parents especially father for being the head of the family and this apply to generation after generation.