A LONG VACATION

Once in the stream of life, we ground to paste as it were by the pressures of work coupled with anxiety, apprehension and doubt. So the senses are benumbed and we become a cog in the big wheel. That is the price we pay for modernity. Ask any office and factory worker, he will have a story to tell. The same dull routine for five days a week. Very often he has no time to talk to his parents, to look after his children. To take the edge out of it, there must be periodical vacation.

But the vacation to be of any meaning must be long enough. Ideally speaking it is not to idle away one must seek a vacation. It must be an occasion when something useful could be done. Of course it may not be out of compulsion or pressure from outside but one chooses the vacation so that a good thing may be achieved.

What I have in mind is something like this. When someone chooses a long vacation he must have a plan for spending it. One must go on a long pilgrimage visiting places of historic or religious interest or for the Muslims to go on Haj pilgrimage. While others may want to spend their time with their children, married children and grand-children who are now staying in a foreign country. There it is best that they travel in a leisurely way. Seeing places and perhaps getting into the spirit of it, unlike a modern tourist. A vacation spent on tour must be different.

Again, some vacations are utilised for some useful study. It may be specialising in any branch of the discipline in which one is interested. For instance, if one is interested in archaelogy one may visit the places of interest. This may take him to the libraries, familiarise himself with the thoughts on the subject. Those who prepare a dissertation do that way.

May be the vacation is taken for some constructive work. One may go to the village and look to the repairs of the ancient family house.

While the vacation may be worthwhile it must be free from constraints or restraints otherwise it loses the spirit of vacation. It is the mental attitude which is very important. When one returns after the vacation one must look fresh and full of life and not jaded like a storm mariner returning home.

After what all has been said and done the outcome must be a happy one.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A FARMER

Ahmad is a farmer by profession and feels proud of being one. Although his holdings are small but he feels they are enough for him.

He owns a few acres of good land, two pairs of bullock and a small cottage. His fields are fed with water from a stream. As a modern farmer he has a pumpset for pumping water so that his fields do not go thirsty. He grows mainly paddy, in a small patch of land he has the vegetable garden. He has a milch cow.

He gets up in the early morning when he starts his pump and waters his fields. He goes round to see that the water does not overflow. He removes the weeds from the plants and later goes into the vegetable garden to see if there is any pick of he day. He trims the hedges, digs the plots or dresses them up for the next planting. He is fond of his flower pots of which he has a few. He takes pride in them.

After these morning rounds he takes his breakfast. He meets others and takes part in the village gossips. Even though he cannot read, he learns about the morning news. As is common nowadays, he discusses with his friend about the day's politics. Sometimes, the commission agent will come and our friend will talk to him about the market prospects.

In the afternoon after the wash and a lunch, he stretches himself for a mid-day siesta. He gets up and after a cup of tea, goes to the fields and sees everything in in order. Then he takes a stroll in the bazaar and makes some purchases for the house. That is also the time for him to meet friends and exchange views.

He returns home and has an early dinner. He plans for the next day. Sometimes, it may be taking the grains to the market, it may be transplanting and other times it may be taking the bullocks to the blacksmith to be shod. Thus he leads a simple life of which he is contented.

MALAYSIAN DILEMMA

Malaysian Dilemma -

- Get Vietnamese workers, dogs and cats missing,

- Get Bangladesh workers, Malay girls missing,

- Get Indonesian workers, money missing,

- Get Indian workers , jewelleries missing,

- Get Chinese workers, husbands missing,

- Get Malay Advisor, Mongolian missing.



The Prime Minister is getting endless headaches

SLEEP STOPPERS?

I have this bad habit of getting up in the middle of the night, not because that I wanted to. My wife often asked me "must you always get up in the midst of my sleep? You know what, once I am awake, it would take me a long while before I could fall asleep again?" Sleep seemed to elude me ever since I changed my medication for my Hypertension. Before the change of medication, I could sleep quite often than not until morning without much interruption. When I asked the doctor whether I was suffering from insomnia, he reaffirmed that certain medication could compromise sleep but not serious enough to keep a person awake throughout the night. He further asked me whether I had done some light exercises and kept my mind free from problems before going to bed. With that note, I accepted his opinions. I scanned my brain by recalling what I had done and should not do before sleep. I discarded the habits of drinking too much water, turn off the bright lights, stop watching my favourite TV programmes and meditate before sleep. During those moments of sacrifices, I had less urge to rush to the toilet so often as before. I could sleep without much interruption, most probably, due to physcological changes.

Among the other reasons, we may observe the followings:-

Lower the thermostat. A warm office will make you sleepier. Keep the temperature in your bedroom consistent. Variations in your environment can interfere with sleep.

Steer clear of the onion rings. When your body is busy digesting a fat-laden meal, the stomach is full, nutrients are absorbed, and hormones are released. Result of all this activity: zonkiness. Eat healthfully, and you will be alert as well as lean. You would also do well to avoid foods and drinks high in salt (water retention can disturb sleep).

Catnap. Even a 15- to 20-minute daytime nap can increase alertness, revive memory, and reduce the symptoms of fatigue. Limit your sleep to less than an hour, or you'll awake groggy and compromise your nighttime sleep. If possible, you should schedule your snooze for sometime between 2 PM and 4 Pm, when your circadian rhythms are most condusive to slumber.

Difficulty falling asleep. Stress is the most likely culprit. In the 1998 Women and Sleep Poll ( WSP) 34% of women said that stress affected their sleep. Caffeine or nicotine close to bedtime may also be to blame.

Wake up repeatedly. Avoid alcohol close to bedtime. Liquor-induced sleep is not as restful as natural sleep, and when the alcohol wears off, you are likely to waken suddenly.

LIFE IN A HIGH RISE FLAT

In an industrial area, space becomes scarce as more and more families pour in as they cannot find space for houses. Not only the space but also the cost becomes prohibitive. So the average workers cannot have the luxury of owning houses. Still they want some shelters to lay their heads down when they returned from their office and factory. The answer has been the high rise flats of several floors. They are either built by the Building Society or by the Housing Boards of Government.

These flats are provided with basic facilities like water, lights, good drainage, airy rooms and the like. Flats which are above five storeys are provided with lifts to take people up and down otherwise they will have to use the walk-up stairs. Undoubtedly, those who live in the flats may be independent. .

There are more disadvantages in living in a high flat. The movements will be restricted and conditioned according to the circumstances. It is a pitiful sight for those people, living in the walk-up flats where there are no lifts provided for. Some of these people have to struggle, with the loads of their monthly requirements, their way up the stairs of these flats. It is an unimaginative and a pathetic sight to see those elderly, sick and crippled tenants inching their way up to reach their units and vice versa. One may have to live with all kinds of people, the homogenity which was the rule rather than the exception will be wanting. One does not know who his neighbour is, so though living in the midst of many, one may be lonely. Since all the facilities are artificially controlled, any breakdown would paralyse those living there . A good example is the supply of water, if there is any defect in the plumbing, life will be upset. For want of space, one must plan carefully what one must own. Whereas in the older days, people had enough space to entertain guests and realtives but a modern flat dweller shuns at them. It is the children who would suffer most for there is not enough space for them to play and run about. Unless one has the facility to take them out, they will develop complexes of closed space. Since they cannot easily mingle with other children, there may be blind spots in their character as they grow up. Living in such artificial surroundings may be even tell on their health and growth. They will feel like caged birds. This may be true of even grown ups.

In the event of any fire breakout or the spread of epidermics, the high rise flats will suffer most. From aesthetic point of view, the flats do not add to the beauty of the city.

In short, one may conclude that life in a high rise flat is a necessary evil in the life of a big city.

CHRISTMAS TIME IS NEAR

Christmas day is such an unforgettable and eventful time for the youngs. As I remember quite vividly, my brothers and sisters were all excited yearning for the Christmas day to come. All of us had to help in the spring-cleaning of the house which was given a spruce appearance. The drawing room was made attractive with buntings, Chinese paper lanterns and fig trees. We went about sending greeting cards. There would be a lively discussion as to which picture could be selected. Then we sat to draw up the list of invitations. The major part of the season was taken up in getting our new clothings ready. Since the season was busy there was the trouble with the tailor who never kept up his promise which meant knocking at his door.

Then we planned how to celebrate. We started with carol singing. On the eve, we set up the X'mas tree and illuminated it. X'mas gifts were hung. Though we got good stuff like cakes from the best bakery in town, some delicacies were prepared at home.

We never failed to go to the Church in our best clothings and took part in singing. At home it was all singing and dancing for hours. Aunty once in a way, played on the old paino though she was out of tune because she has been out of touch. We pretended to enjoy it for fear of displeasing her. The best of the day was the dinner. Cakes and pastries, jams and marmalades and other nice things were freely gone around. We had visits throughout the day and we returned the visit. Older people talked of the good old days. Children were happily counting the gifts they had received. They heard good stories related by the older people.

Of course the X'mas ended up with the New Year. The New Year service in the Church was a solemn affair and we all prayed for the prosperity of the world. Then there was stock taking. Our parents found time to go leisurely through the greetings sent and we replied to them where we had not already sent.

I feel that such celebrations have become a part of institution namely the family and these celebrations cement the love and affection and make everyone feel belonging to the family.

THINK POSITIVELY

'Jimmy, why are you looking so down, it's not the end of world, yet,' asked his Grandpa. Jimmy replied,"I know, Grandpa, but the trouble is that I have lost all my directions. I could not get a proper job for almost a year now.' 'C'mon, young man, look at things POSITIVELY. Set yourself a goal and work towards it. Never just give up so easily,'said Grandpa.

Very often, failure is only the red signal pointing to the culprit, 'negative thinking.' 'It is a psychological fact that we tend to travel in the direction we are looking. Whether you are a success or failure in life depends to a large extent upon which way the eyes of your mind are focussed. If you keep them continually focussed upon failure and obstacles and negatives, you have the tendency to travel in that direction.' One cannot think of fear and act courageously or be bent on failure and achieve success. A lot of trouble and suffering for ourselves and others could be avoided if our thoughts were a bit more on the positive side. Petty grievances, pessimism, hatred and such other feelings are good only as far as one's destruction is concerned.

If you want victory over fear, anxiety, worry and depression, develop control of your thoughts so as to gain that poise which conquers these tendencies.

The need to think positively is to fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise.'

Look for the positive in every person, work and situation.