Malaysian Police Pt. 1 - First Brush With The Law

My first brush with the law was late one night at about 11pm. I was driving the Tiara together with one guy and about 4 other girls sitting in the back. Of course that is not comparatively late as nowadays there are more vices to fill my nights and early mornings. But anyway, we were on the way to mamak for supper - a truly Malaysian activity.




We stopped at some traffic lights and I think the patrol car was to the right behind us. I saw blue flashes and stoned for awhile. Only as the lights came closer did I realize we had to pull over, so we did. Handing over my Identity Card and driving license, the cop got us to pile out of the car, so we did.




He proceeded to berate me for my recklessness for allowing too many passengers in my car. The legal limit is 2 in the front and 3 at the back. So we had 1 too many behind. He continued with how, if we got into an accident, the insurance company would not be liable as we exceeded the passenger limit, etc. I apologized (first time kena pulled over la) and he asked to see all of the passenger's I.C.'s.

Sigh, one of you has got to go. =(

IIRC, I think none of the girls brought theirs LOL. See, girls put their I.C.'s in their wallets but they don't put wallets in their pockets. Cos it would make them look unshapely and ugly (Sara Chan, June 2007).

Yucks.

So they put their wallets in their handbags. But handbags = snatch thieves, so it being late at night and it being just a casual mamak session, they decided to just bring some cash. The police persisted, even at one point pulling us guys to one side and muttering in low tones, something to the effect of - so macam mana sekarang? Macam mana boleh tolong? (Translation: How would you like us to "help" you, hint hint.)

At your service.

We gave them the usual, I'm a student now so I can't afford much, I don't believe in bribing, etc. Stymied, they threatened us with bawa ke balai. (Translation: Bring yo ass downtown.)

It was then that the girls started doing something pretty ridiculously effective. Because we had just left a house in Damansara Utama and we were only next to the TTDI market when we got stopped. So they started calling their parents/whoever was at home at the moment to come out a short way and pass them their I.C.'s.

The cops made a hasty retreat after that. Probably either convinced that we were indeed a bunch of broke teenagers, or did not feel like messing with a hoard of irate parents at such a late hour.

The Struggle - Lord Don't Move That Mountain

How many of yall been through a change of degree eh? I'm sure my boy Euj can relate. There's nothing like a setback in life to put things in perspective.




A literal setback where a couple of years difference means you're behind your peers. They've gotten jobs, you're not graduated. They're gettin paychecks, you're still pushing pens.. living life in the red.

How many of yall been in long distance relationships? Bet my girl Sara can tell you all about it. There's something about phrases like "Distance makes the heart grow fonder" which makes sense at first, but is revealed to be so much more complex once you're neck deep in things.




But then again, I'm sure, that given the chance for us to relive our lives again, we'd still choose to go through those struggles. In hindsight, we all know that it's through those difficulties that we emerged stronger, more confident.

Like my girl Manda put it so succinctly:

"Today, I have realized that its okay to have something amiss in my life. Its okay that theres a problem, that theres an obstacle. I think I have just realized that life cannot be any other way."




I'm glad, you've grown up so much.. don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

There's a song by Doris Akers and Mahalia Jackson written in the 60s which has some inspiring things to say of this subject.




The song: Lord Don't Move That Mountain, talks about not avoiding obstacles, not turning back when the going gets hard, as you will see from the lyrics.

Lord don't move the mountain,
But give me strength to climb it
Please don't move that stumbling block,
But lead me Lord around it

The way may not be easy,
You didn't say that it would be
For when our tribulations get too light,
We tend to stray from Thee.

Lord don't move the mountain,
But give me strength to climb it
Please don't move that stumbling block,
But lead me Lord around it

Now when my enemies would slay me,
And these things they will try to do
Lord, don't touch him but within his heart,
Make him give his Heart to you.
I'm praying to you,
Lord don't move the mountain,
But give me strength to climb it
Please don't move that stumbling block,
But lead me Lord around it

This song, like most gospels, has been sung by many different singers and church choirs. Here's a video clip of the film The Pursuit of Happyness, where the Glide church choir is featured.




And on the subject, Jon Foreman has a few words to say too. The man's been fasting lately (call it a hunger strike if you will) for the people affected by the war in Darfur. He chronicled his thoughts in his blog.




Interesting excerpt from it:

I overheard a conversation a few years back. I was buying a greeting card in a bookstore downtown when I heard an old Morgan Freeman looking character talking to a pretty you blond girl. He had a low musical timbre from deep in his chest and his voice was clear, "Ask a weightlifter how he got so strong, he will tell you, 'I suffered.' Ask a runner how he got so fast, he will tell you 'I suffered.' Ask my people how they got so strong, they will tell you 'we have suffered.' "

At this point I am staring blankly ahead at the greeting card, trying to take in every word without looking like I'm eavesdropping. The older gentleman continued talking, "Suffering is vital to growth. For the best fruit you must cut branches off of a tree. To build muscles you must break them down. Sure, this is painful but needed. And yet we fear pain, we run from it. Do not run from suffering," he said, "Do not run from pain. Every great civilization that runs from suffering has begun it's demise. Look as far back as you want: Babylon, Greece, Rome, or the British Empire, you'll find that the reason for every great civilizations demise is rooted in it's attempt to cheat pain."

"And now," he said, "If we're not careful we will follow quickly down in our self-absorbed disregard towards suffering. We ignore the suffering on the street when we're in line for an over priced coffee. We ignore the suffering overseas for a cheap pair of sneakers. We try to cheat suffering with technology, with medicine, with economic bandages. But greatness does not come from ignorance of pain. Greatness comes from wrestling with pain, wresting with the injustices of the world. You cannot cheat death. Suffering will find you. Pain will find you. Death will find you. Do not run from suffering, how else could character form?"

"Yes, suffering forms character, suffering forms patience, suffering forms perseverance, joy, grace- all these beautiful parts of a human soul that cannot come into being any other way in this life. No, no- you see suffering is not the enemy. Sure it hurts. It hurts a lot sometimes. But so does giving birth. So does playing football. So does growing up. In this life, my friend, do not run from suffering. You'll be running from yourself."