Merdeka Special?

Before the month of August end, just thought of updating a bit of what have I experienced for the past one month.

First I started my first work ever. Being a tour guide, a job that I would never imagine I will end up doing since I’m always a speaking freak. But I’ve seen how this period have trained me to be courageous in expressing myself with words and being able to meet new people every day, getting to know more of the diversified cultures in the world out there. 

I’ve done many seriously foolish things as well, which were way too embarrassed to state. However, I am grateful for this short journey where I am exposed to working life, how the corporate world function and get to meet great colleagues. Of course, not all is smooth sailing though. I get to see the dark side of society too and realised the world is not as naive and simple as I would have thought. Things may get a little unfair at times and the fact that you can’t do anything about it but to sigh. It’s indeed a competitive and challenging world out there.

One thing I learned is that, never take anything for granted. I began to realise how hard is it to earn a living. I never earned a single cent for myself before this and I have fixed allowance monthly. I always spend it  as though I deserve to be pampered after the daily tedious lectures I have to endure. But no, I was so wrong, people had relied on their own income even while they are still an undergraduate, some even from high school times. They are all standing by their own without relying on parents anymore. How ridiculous of me to have thought I’m the top 3% in the world to be ranked in the World’s Most Thrifty People List.(yes I always thought I was)

Now that I started earning, working from 8 to 5, is not an easy task at all. But I enjoyed the time spent getting to know my colleagues since sharing lame and pointless jokes are my pluspoints (wink!) And now my confidence to talk with strangers is a little boosted up.  And I felt the sense of accomplishment everytime I got back home after work. And I guess after this sem break, I would then appreciate my current status as a student more and complain less, maybe?

Also, on this Merdeka Day I got a chance to pay another visit to the Orang Asli. Unlike the previous trip, there were only a few attended the meeting today, which was quite shockingly disappointing. But I thank God that in this short trip I realised how blessed I am.

One, I met this blind old lady for the first time. I was saddened to know that she had exactly the same tragedy as the famous Christian song composer, Fanny Crosby. Once, she was able to see when she was an infant with slightly problematic eyes. But due to lack of appropriate medical knowledge and superstitious beliefs, the treatment given was to pour chalk into her eyes directly and there goes her colourful world till now at her old age. But what pricked me hard was that throughout the few hours spending time with the villagers, I noticed that she never once close her lips, she always carries a smile with her. Despite her heartbreaking story, she happily clapped while we sing throughout the whole worship session. She not only accepted her fate but choose to look at the bright side and praise God with what she now has.

Second, the bondage among the villagers here is just so different from the one in the city. There was this accident that happened where the kids were playing with the lighter where they found in a shoe cupboard, the house then caught fire. The kids kept quiet throughout after realised they did something wrong. The only adult around in the house was deep asleep. The entire house was filled with heavy smoke and curtains were flaming wild.

Fortunately, there was this passer-by who noticed smoke coming out from the house and quickly shouted for help. They managed to save all the people inside there with minor damage.  If the fire were to spread even further, even to call for fire fighters from town to come to the rescue which would take for at least half an hour would have been in vain. I can’t imagine if there was no passer-by walking past at that time. As compared to city, we are all so well-equipped with all the necessities in life but due to some of our greed and wanting more, we sometimes just can’t be contented of what we already have. My mentality to have thought 'I deserve more than this and that' really changed by now, and I thanked God He had made me grown this way. I really look forward to more experiences in the future that I will slowly see the world and excited to see what God has in stored for me J

In conjunction with Merdeka Day, I just want to thank God for given this privilege to spend with these villagers and to see how much we as Malaysians, of different races can interact under the same roof having the same hope to see Malaysia moving forward towards excellence. Despite of the vast difference of living in kampong and in city, God still loves us all the same and that’s the beauty of this God we believe in.