The perfect burger

I miss the US a lot these days. I guess it's understandable since I've lived there for almost half of my life. Besides good cheese, one food I miss the most about the US is the burger. What's the big deal you say? Here in Malaysia we have burger Ramly, and not to add, Mickey D's, Burger King and other burger franchises.

You see, a well-made burger is a class of its own. Ground beef made from scratch using choice meat parts, not scraps; charred and broiled to a juicy medium-rare perfection; and topped with soft and warm buns, melted cheddar, icy cold lettuce, home-made mayo, fresh sliced tomatoes, ketchup, onions, and pickles. Couple that with fresh thin-cut fries and thick pure ice cream shakes and you'll get yourself a wholesome all-American meal in all its artery-clogging splendor.

I wonder where in KL can I get this kind of burger. I guess the only way to have it is to make it myself. But the ingredients are so goddamn expensive. The last time I tried to make lasagna for the whole family it cost me almost 100 ringgit to buy the ingredients from Cold Storage. It reminds me how cheap the food in the supermarket are in the US. I just realize how spoiled I was all this time!

The crashing trains

A Metro train crashed into the back of another Metro train in Washington, DC yesterday. This is the worst train crash in the city's history. To think that I used to take this very same train every day - the Red Line that runs between Shady Grove and Glenmont - when I was living there sends shiver down my spine. The crash site, which is near the Fort Totten station, is only one stop away from my station, Brookland-CUA. It never crossed my mind at the time that train crashes would ever happen in DC or anywhere else in the US. I know I'm now far removed from the accident but I can't help but to imagine sitting there at the back of the train while the other came barreling down the track at breakneck speed. The front and the back cars are usually the least crowded during rush hours and that was where I usually sat or stood in. Since I usually napped on my train-ride home I wouldn't have realized what was going on until it was too late. Plus, the Metro trains in DC is known to run quiet, meaning the trains all have rubberized wheels, so the passengers can barely hear the rumbles of the incoming train. Anyway, my condolence for people who are affected by this tragedy.

People-friendly downtown

The City of New York turns the famous Times Square into a car-free zone, spanning from the Theater District down to the Madison Square (about 10 city blocks). I think it's an awesome idea. Anyone who has been to 42nd and Broadway knows well the vicious elbowing and jostling contest as one battles to get through the teeming hordes of tourists and locals. And to step out into the street unwarily means inviting certain gruesome death as the unruly yellow cabs speed by menacingly. But now it feels liberated to be able to walk the streets in mid-town Manhattan without the fear of untimely demise. It's about time that NYC follows other major cities around the world by reducing car traffic into the city and reclaiming sections of the urban center for pedestrians and cyclists.

It got me thinking if the same thing can be done in my beloved KL. First question is which parts of KL can be made into a car-free zone? Bintang Walk first comes to mind, I guess. If I'm the Datuk Bandar of KL I'd close off the whole Bukit Bintang area from The Pavillion down to Jalan Pudu and from Jalan Imbi to Jalan Raja Chulan. Let's organize street carnivals, ethnic food fest, bazaars and souks, etc. The possibilities are limitless. Another part of KL that can be closed off is the Masjid India area. A small L-shaped section around Wisma Yakin has already been closed off to cars but I think the whole area needs to be car-free. Extend the current pedestrian-only section in-front of Wisma Yakin all the way to Semua House and ban all vehicles from entering the side streets between Jalan Masjid India and Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman.

I'm old enough to remember when the small plaza beside Central Market used to be a bustling street filled with buses and trucks carrying sacks of rice and spices. Now people can hang out peacefully in the plaza, ogling the young and the beautiful while enjoying the shrill voice of the many buskers. But I guess I'm also old enough to remember when Times Square used to be a seedy place filled with porn shops, strip joints and 25-cent peep-shows before it got sterilized into Main Street America. Ahh, the good old days! Damn you, Giuliani!

The missing link

Okay, first I have to announce that this is my 200th post! Yippee!! It comes out to about one post a week for the past 4.5 years. I used to be very diligent in updating my blog but I guess the writing muse hasn't been very nice to me lately. I promise that I'll dive right back into my writing groove in no time. There are just simply too many political affairs out there to be commented on.

But for now let's talk about missing, or rindu in Malay/Indo. It sucks ass to miss somebody or something, and I hate that feeling. Having lived and been to many places around the world I do miss quite a few things in my life. People I've met, things I've experienced, places I've explored. For now I just want to list things and people I miss in the US, where I've spent a good chunk of my life.

1. Decent cheese: I do consider myself a transplanted Wisconsinite and cheese is to Wisconsin is like what tempe is to Indonesia or durian is to Malaysia. I terribly miss the locally-made Wisconsin sharp cheddar and fresh cheese curds from the factory. And they are impossible to find here in Malaysia.

2. Independent coffeeshops: People who know me knows how much I love coffee and how I detest the mainstream coffeeshops like Starbucks but I have no other option but to patronize them here in Malaysia. I miss my favorite coffee joints like Rochambo, Fuel Cafe and Brewed Awakenings in Milwaukee and Espresso Royale, Indie Coffee, Steep and Brew, Fair Trade Coffee and Ancorra in Madison. Here's the review I wrote a while ago about various coffeeshops in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

3. Neighborhood bars: Let me say that life in Wisconsin revolves around alcohol, especially beer. It's steeped in German tradition and bars constitute as a place for the community to gather, socialize and discuss various issues of the day. I miss local neighborhood bars where everybody knows everybody and people can chill and relax shooting pool, playing darts, foosball and airhockey. In some places there are open-mic nights, slam poetry, etc. Even after I quit drinking a few years ago I still go to my local bars regularly just to hang out with friends.

4.Bike-friendly cities: I miss riding my mountain bike in places where riders are respected on the road. Madison is a very bike-friendly city with extensive network of bike paths and trails. People can also put their bikes on the bus or in DC, you can bring bikes on the Metro (subway) during non-rush hours. I used to ride my bike everywhere and all year round even deep in the winter season and it's something I really, really miss right now.

5. Hiking: I miss hiking in parts of the Appalachian trails in the East Coast of the US, the Kettle Moraine trails in Wisconsin, the Glacier National Park in Montana, the Blue Ridge Mountain in Virginia, the Petrified Forest in Arizona or simply trails in the urban forest reserve like the Rock Creek Park in Washington, DC or the Central Park in New York City. I do wish that I had the opportunity to hike in some of the National Parks in Alaska. Hopefully someday I'll get the chance.

6. Music scene: I don't just miss all the big concerts in the US but also smaller gigs in some cramped, smoke-filled clubs. The first big concert I went to in the US was Oasis but they were still not that big at the time (it was right after the release of their "Live Forever" album) and it was held at Milwaukee's Eagles Ballroom. Many countless rock concerts to follow after that including Metallica (twice), Green Day (twice), Pearl Jam (twice), Red Hot Chili Pepper, Rage Against The Machine, Soundgarden, Alice in Chain, Beastie Boys, The Offsprings (four times!), Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistol, Foo Fighters, Pennywise (twice), NOFX, Nine Inch Nail, Smashing Pumpkins, The Cranberries, Social Distortion, Sonic Youth, System of A Down, Pantera, Anthrax, Def Tones, Bob Dylan and many, many more. What I regret the most is not having the opportunity to see Nirvana live in concert. I'm a hardcore Nirvana fan and damn you Kurt Cobain for killing yourself before I get to see you on stage!!

7. Freedom: I know the word "freedom" here is very broad but I feel so stifled living here in Malaysia. I really hate it when people tell me what I can do or say. I cannot express myself fully in Malaysia without ruffling a few feathers in the process. For example, I almost lost a few friends in Malaysia just by having heated discussions about Malaysian politics. Yep, I've been called by some of my supposed friends pengkhianat bangsa, Melayu tak sedar diri, munafik and other unsavory epithets just for speaking my mind about the political situation in Malaysia. This NEVER happens to me in the US. I have a few conservative, right-wing friends in the US and we engage in civilized political discussions all time and ultimately agreeing to disagree. The same goes with some of my Jewish friends who are hardcore Zionists. Heated, yes. Respectful, yes. Childish name-calling, NO!

8. Cheap stuff: Yes, most things are cheap in the US, and I really mean it. I remember always going to the supermarket and filling my cart to the brim, which later amounted to only 50-60 dollars. That's like a month worth of grocery for me! In Malaysia, a cart full of groceries can easily set one back a cool 300-400 Ringgit. That's just plain crazy! Another example: a pair of Levi's 501 jeans costs around 20-25 dollars in the US but in Malaysia it goes for over 200 Ringgit a pair! Now that's highway robbery if you ask me. Seeing the price tags of some of the stuff in Malaysia almost makes me want to fly back to the US!

9. People I miss: Being away from my real family in Malaysia has allowed me the chance to make new ones in the US. In Milwaukee I miss Diane Conrad, my mentor and the toughest woman I know (the first woman in her army unit to drive the Abrams M-1A tank); Mario and his racially-diverse family for always having me in all their Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners; Julie Enslow of Peace Action Wisconsin for showing me the principled life of a peace activist and to always fight against injustices; Brad Montgomery, my comrade-in-arm and the calmest person I know; and Tony Perez, my old Puerto Rican boss, who is one of the smartest and most eloquent guy I know despite the heavy Spanish accent. In Washington DC I miss my brothers Craig and Spooner, with whom I spent a lot of time in the backyard barbecuing, smoking pot and listening to Bob Marley's Roots Rock Reggae played in infinite loop. In Madison I miss the people at my old office, the UW's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, especially Mary Jo, Dr. Mike, Sinae, and Pak Andy (my gamelan teacher); Cisco and Jessica for being true and dependable friends whenever I need them; Indonesian PhD students like Amelia, who makes a kick-ass ayam rica-rica from her native Manado; and Pak Dustin, who teaches Arabic but also speaks fluent Indonesian, for his warm hospitality and friendliness.

10. The New York Times crosswords puzzles: Okay, I'm a crosswords junkie and I've been solving them for the past ten years or so. I admit that I can still do the world-famous NY Times crosswords online but the feeling is not the same as actually solving it in the newspaper itself. One secret: I used to tear out the NY Times crosswords from the coffeehouse's newspaper and do them later at home. Yes, it's bad but what can I say? I'm a crosswords addict!

Of course this is just a partial list of what I miss in the US. But it's enough to make me think about going back there again... to visit, at least!

Team of Rivals or Opportunist Politics?

Like most global citizens, I was overwhelmed with pride and joy when Obama was sworn in as the 44th President of the United States. My eyes were almost welled with tears - maybe there were a sniffling or two - as I witnessed a black man ascended to the highest office in land after over two hundred years of history marred with racial injustices and inhuman subjugation. Despite this truly defining moment in American history, one has to be cautious, or perhaps hold a healthy skepticism, of what the Obama administration will be in the coming years. The fact remains that while he is indeed the fresh air needed to cleanse the toxic swampy atmosphere of Beltway politics, he has managed to pick a cabinet team solely consists of old Washington hands, particularly Clintonistas. How well this rather unfortunate cabinet selection bode for the administration's future policy-making endeavors shall remain to be seen but as I presently look into the political crystal glass, the forecasts seem to be a bit cloudy with scattering rains.

Domestically, I think, is where Obama administration will make its biggest and long-lasting impact. The Democrats are pretty unified on this front and my impression is that virtually every Democrat is clamoring for FDR-like New Deal solutions to the host of domestic problems the US is gravely facing right now. Massive investment in public infrastructure such as highways, national and state parks, energy utilities and such to boost domestic employment and GDP can be expected from the administration. There will also be a vigorous push for self-sacrifice and community involvement through AmeriCorps and other voluntary-type programs. Huge injection of spending is also to be expected in the education sector especially early-childhood and free lunch programs, an increase Pell grants for tertiary education and an expansion of job retraining program to combat un- and under-employment. As far as domestic policies go, depending on the degree of hostility he faces from the Congressional Republicans, I think Obama has the chance to be an FDR reincarnate. Just make sure that the money goes to people who deserve it and not the Wall Street fat cats who feed at the public trough.

Internationally is where Obama will be facing his greatest challenge and I honestly think his achievements in this arena will be mediocre at best - unless if he's willing to make a sharp radical break from the Clinton paradigm, which now looks highly unlikely. Three major international issues will sure to occupy most, if not all, of the administration's time: global warming, war on terror (Iraq and Afghanistan), and the Arab-Israeli conflict.

The first issue, global warming, is highly doable: Kyoto treaty will be re-ratified by the US and the administration will play an active role in combating global warming and other environmental problems - domestically and internationally. But the possibility for success in the latter two issues - war on terror and Arab-Israeli conflict - seems pretty bleak.

Obama has changed his Iraq policy numerous times that it's hard to pinpoint what he will do now that he actually has the power to make the change. If I'm not mistaken, he last advocated for a gradual withdrawal from Iraq within a 16-month time frame and redirect two divisions to Afghanistan. This is obviously a far cry from his earlier call for an immediate withdrawal. When the grinding reality of Beltway politics of compromising and wheeling-dealing finally sets in, the 16-month turns to 24 and full withdrawal turns to partial. The Uniter becomes The (seriously compromised) Compromiser!

The Arab-Israeli conflict will be the biggest disappointment of all for the Obama administration if he does not deviate from the current track laid before him by former Clinton aides. This is already evident in Obama's mostly muted and occasionally inane response to the Gaza massacre by the Israeli Defense Force (IDF). For as long as the US refuses to negotiate on equal terms with the Palestinians, particularly Hamas, and sever its "special relationship" with Israel, no meaningful and sustainable peace can be attained in the region. Hamas, along with other "terrorist-designate" groups like Iran, must be diplomatically engaged and be brought to the negotiating table to engender trust and cooperation. The years of reckless display of brute military strength and half-hearted diplomacy have failed miserably and it's about time to try a novel approach.

It's very unlikely that US approach to the Middle East, especially the Arab-Israeli conflict, is going to be radically changed. A cursory look at the coterie of Obama aides reveals a tight-knit group of hardcore pro-Zionist hacks like Rahm Emmanuel, Dennis Ross, etc; essentially people the Israeli embassy in the US and the all-powerful America-Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) have direct access to. If the best Obama can offer the Palestinian is the bantustan-like, highly deformed and deeply unfair two-state solution similar to the Clinton's 2000 Camp David summit, then his approach will be a total failure.

I don't pretend to know the solution to the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict but there are several first steps the new administration can adopt toward presenting itself as an honest broker, namely severely cutting the annual military and foreign aid to Israel to the tune of 30 billion dollars, which reinstatement contingent on Israel completely dismantling all illegal settlements beyond the Green Line and returning dispossessed land back to the Palestinians. Threats have been used to this effect but as usual it's more hot-air rhetoric than anything else. Also get Hamas to the negotiating table despite the vehement refusal of Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Hamas won power through democratic means - unlike its Fatah counterpart in West Bank - and should not be placed in the same league as Al-Qaeda or the Taliban, and it deserves a seat among other players in the region. Ultimately, the US has to look beyond the two-state solution and push for untried radical idea such as the one-state solution. I read somewhere that before Obama ran for the presidency, in Chicago, he befriended Ali Abunimah, the founder of Electronic Intifada and the vocal proponent of the one-state solution. Maybe it will do his administration good if he reads Abunimah's book on finding a solution to the conflict. Better yet, get him into the administration in an advisory capacity as a countervailing force to the dominant Zionist perspective. I've listened to Ali Abunimah's lectures several times and he's such an erudite and level-headed speaker who makes a highly compelling case for the one-state solution, of which I wholeheartedly agree with.

I believe that the only way that Obama administration can be successful in the foreign policy arena is to first be successful domestically. Only when he has solved many of the current domestic crises he then will be gifted with a deep political cachet and high approval rating to be in turn used to solve some of the seemingly intractable global conflicts. This is especially important to have in his arsenal as the opposition from the establishment and other vested interests will be relentless and ferocious. Failure or sub-par results in dealing with domestic crises will not bode well for his foreign policies as his opponents can use the former to clobber him on the latter. I'm still keeping the fire of faith alive though the candle is flickering rather erratically right now. But boy, it will a one fantastically tumultuous ride for the next eight years - okay, I'm being a bit presumptious here!

Food for thought...

I'll be leaving US in about two weeks to go back to Malaysia, and maybe for good. This afternoon, as I sat in my favorite Mexican restaurant, La Hacienda, here in Madison it suddenly struck me that I'll never get Mexican food of this quality again in Malaysia. A sudden chill raced down my spine as I shuddered at that thought. What else am I going to miss beside tostadas, enchiladas, burritos and chimichangas? I knew I'm going to miss a few food items as I had experienced this before when I was living in Indonesia for the past year. Here's a short list of food I'm going to miss when I move back to Malaysia. Some of the items on this list can be found in Malaysia but at an exorbitant price. I'm, by no means, stating my preference for one type of food over another; I'm just a food lover, a gourmand - pure and simple. I've eaten food from all over the world and I can say unequivocally that I enjoy most of them very much; some like Burmese and Filipino food, in my opinion, are a matter of acquired taste (read: I don't like them very much). I'm sure there are many other food items I'll miss that are not on this list, but here are most of them:

FOOD:

1. Mexican food, especially enchiladas, burritos, and well-made salsa.
2. Wisconsin sharp cheddar cheese and fresh cheese curds.
3. Juicy tavern-style half-pound burgers with toasted sesame seed bun.
4. Jamaican chicken with jerk sauce.
5. Variety of fresh bread and pastries.
6. Good Italian food especially penne pasta, calzone, etc.
7. Authentic Philly cheese steak in West Philadelphia.
8. Original crab cakes in Maryland.
9. Cheap junk food like chocolates, cookies, chips, ice cream, and candy bars.
10.Greek and Mediterranean food like gyros, moussaka, dolmathes, baklava, etc.
11.M'hamera dip at King of Falafel here in Madison.
12.Roast duck curry at Sabay Thong (University Ave) and Vientiane Palace (Gorham St).
13.Pho soup at Saigon Noodle on west side of Madison.
14.Squash curry at Lao Laan Xang on Willy St, Madison.
15.Chicago-style deep dish pizza.
16.Fresh lobsters in Newport, Massachusetts.
17.Louisiana gumbo and crawfish.
18.BBQ beef ribs at Speed Queen BBQ joint in Milwaukee.
19.Tuna Melt sandwich at Sunroom Cafe on State St.
20.Greasy breakfast like hash brown & pancakes at Mickie's Dairy Bar on Monroe St.

DRINKS:

1. Independent coffee shops - I'd rather not go to Starbucks, Coffee Beans, etc.
2. Diner-style thick milkshake made with real ice cream.
3. Michael's Frozen Custard Place on Monroe St.
4. Babcock ice cream on the UW campus.
5. Sprecher Root Beer.

Consumer of Death

It sickens me that people are willing to forgo any semblance of civilized manner for the sake of material pursuit. Okay, I'm talking about Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, when the best deals of the year can be found. One Walmart worker died in Long Island, NY from being trampled at the entrance by the stampede of unruly deal-seekers. There were many cases of people elbowing each other and getting into fights over flat screen TVs or Blue Ray players. There was even news of somebody who got shot at a Toys R' Us store in California. The whole Black Friday ritual is disgusting.

Fine, there were deals to be had, but was it worth the effort to brave the cold weather and negotiate the throng of impatient masses? More importantly, this annual ritual brings out at the very least the shallow materialistic nature of people in general and their unhealthy attachment to inanimate objects. At the most, it turns people into feral beings capable of acting outside of human norms. Sometimes I think even animals have a more genuine sense of empathy and decorum than some of these barbaric, individualistic shoppers!

This post is not an all-out diatribe against crass consumerism and unbridled individualism. I, too, am guilty of being a participant in this feverish consumption of goods, though not to the extent of braving the frigid cold weather to seek a few measly deals. In the recent months I have bought things I shouldn't have bought in the first place--impulse buying, I'd say--especially in light of my currently (un)employed and broke status. I had bought a $400 leather motorcycle jacket even though I don't presently own a motorcycle. I also got a $400 80-gig Sony Playstation 3 complete with eight games (so far), which I don't play very much, though some of friends do put my PS3 to a good workout. In my defense, I do use my PS3 to watch videos I download off the internet and listen to my MP3's since it's connected to a pair of big speakers. And oh, by the way, I did get an iPhone 3G, which I've been salivating for since iPhone first came out July last year. The iPhone purchase I can justify since I've been using my old battered phone for more than five years and it's about time I get a new one. I admit that I do have an irrational attachment to certain inanimate objects, particularly Apple Macintosh's products--I've been a Mac user for the past 16 years, which means I'm not jumping on the bandwagon, so to speak!--and books. I can go to any bookstore and without fail come out with a book or ten! People who know well can attest to this fact.

But my most regretful purchase was yesterday when I somehow got compelled into buying a bunch of female beauty products worth about $90! How did that happen, you might ask? Well, I was literally pulled by this petite saleswoman at the mall who was peddling beauty products made from the Dead Sea salts. She wasted no time in giving me a demonstration by rubbing some of that creamy stuff on my arms. I had to admit that it felt good--the cream and also her caressing my arms. The demo took about 10 minutes, and by then I felt kind of bad if I didn't buy anything. See, I have a weak spot for people who make efforts even if they don't mount to much (that's why my students love me!) and I almost felt unfair and such a jerk if I'd just walk away empty-handed. Hence the purchase. I've been trying in vain afterward to justify my obviously weak-kneed decision and decided that these beauty products will be the gifts for sister's birthday and my parents' wedding anniversary coming up in December. They weren't what I had in mind when I was hunting for gifts but then it's done now.

Okay, the only thing I need right now is a pair of casual shoes, and this will be a highly justified purchase. I've been wearing the same pair of shoes for the past three years and it has served well and loyally but it has now past its expiration date and must be put out to pasture. I'm trying to keep the price of my new pair of shoes to less than $50 and I have been scouring the internet for deals. Tentatively, here's what I like so far. By God, I promise that this will be my last major materialistic acquisition--at least until I'm settled down with a steady-paying job, that is.

Thanksgiving 2008: Post-Mortem

I haven't cooked a full Thanksgiving dinner in years. I think the last time I made such attempt was in 2002 when I was living in Washington, DC. So this year I'd figure to give it another shot, for old time's sake. Here in Madison we decided to host two dinner parties, one at the apartment I'm currently staying at and the other was at Pisang's apartment, also in the same building. We ended up combining the parties due to low turnout--most Malaysian students were already gone on their Black Friday shopping excursions.

Both Pisang and I cooked one 20-pound turkey each, and those birds were HUGE! The menu went as follow: Pisang made roasted turkey, gravy, stuffing, mashed potato, spaghetti and meatballs, and a plethora of desserts made by his girlfriend Wani. I, on the other hand, made rosemary roasted turkey, gravy, stuffing, taffy apple salad, apple crumble with ice cream, coleslaw, and devil eggs (made by my two assistants, Ganu and Ilham). Yes, it was a Malaysian Thanksgiving with a decidedly American flavor.

The turkey went through an overnight "brining process" (soaking the turkey in saltwater, lime and other herbs for at least 12 hours). Brining helps the turkey meat to retain moisture and makes it tender and succulent. Another secret ingredient is butter and lots of it, in lieu of the more healthy olive oil. Butter, when mixed with herbs (in my case rosemary, basil, black pepper, and Italian seasoning) and spread liberally underneath the skin and all over the turkey, results in juicier and more tender meat. At least this was my impression from what I gleaned off the internet but it did work!

For stuffing, I used dried bread (diced), onions, celery, carrots, chicken stock, parsley, and black pepper) and I decided to baked it separately since my oven was too small (and the turkey was too big) to accommodate another dish besides the turkey. The stuffing was later shoved into the turkey's cavity via its gaping asshole (the word choice here is intentional so as to provoke certain unsavory image in readers' minds) and served accordingly.

The gravy I made using pan drippings from the turkey, corn starch, chicken stock, water, and condensed milk. It was a bit lumpy and how I wished I had a mixer so I could smooth it out. It was a bit too rich and thick at first but nothing a cup of water couldn't solve.

Taffy apple salad holds a certain sweet memory for me. The mother of my friend Mario in Milwaukee makes an out-of-this world, totally kick-ass taffy apple salad for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She gave me the recipe once but I forgot where I put it. So I just resorted to the internet and found a quick and simple recipe. Taffy apple salad, for those who are not familiar with it, is essentially a fruit salad mixed with sweet creamy dressing and served chilled. I used diced Granny Smith apples, oranges, pineapple chunks, crushed walnuts and cashews. For the dressing I used sugar, pineapple juice, apple cider, egg yolk, corn starch, and whipped cream.

Apple crumble was the easiest to make. I just used the ready-made the crumb mix out of the box, liberal doses of butter sticks, and apples, peeled and diced. I then stuck it in the oven for about an hour or so until it turned crusty brown and apple softened. I then rounded it off with chocolate and vanilla ice cream.

Based on the responses I think the dinner went well and I got a lot of compliments for the food, especially the turkey. I was told the meat was so tender and moist--I have to thank my trusty old butter and the overnight brining for that! The dinner was well worth the effort. I started cooking around 1:30pm and didn't finish until 7pm. It was exhausting and thank heavens that it only comes once a year. Anyway, I'm proud of my achievement today and I think this can be turned into an annual tradition when I ultimately move back to Malaysia. Too bad that some of my own family members don't appreciate the American/Western food I made (case in point: the lasagna I baked recently). But then I'm sure there will be many others who will enjoy my cooking, and those are the people I look forward to serve. Bon appetit!

President-elect, Barack Hussein Obama. YEAH!!!

I'm just beyond words right now. Simply speechless. It feels so surreal and almost unbelievable. I'm afraid that when I wake up in the morning and this all turns out to be just a sweet dream. But it isn't. This is for real and it is going to be here. To be in the US right now in one of its most momentous day in its history is plain indescribable and it will be a memory forever etched in my mind to be told and retold to the generations to come. Yes, I was there and I was a small though not insignificant part of the American history. To even think that the Blacks having to endure the segregated and repressive past when they weren't even allowed to vote to finally come to this day when the nation elected its first Black President is breathtakingly astounding--all this within the past 40 years or so! Most people I have talked to, especially Black people who lived through the racist era, never thought this day would come in their lifetime, the day when the Americans elect their Black President. The day of hope and the promise of a shining future has come and it will stand witness to the much needed seismic change in the society only seen once in a generation. Franklin Roosevelt had his New Deal, Lyndon Johnson had his Great Society and Obama will soon make his far-reaching mark in the years to come. This is only the beginning and a great leap forward across the dark abyss this country has been mired in for the past 8 years.

I still feel like I'm walking on the air right now defying gravity. I still have goosebumps and chills running down my spine every time I think about this day, and I don't think I can sleep tonight. It feels so awesome and privileged to be a part of this amazing history! It has been a long and torturous (pun intended!) 8 years but it has been well worth the wait. Yes, we can! Si, Se Puede! Barack n Roll!!

p/s: In my state, State of Wisconsin, Obama prevails over McCain 56% to 43% (13-point margin!). Wisconsin has never voted a Republican President since 1988 and is not about to do it this time around. Wisconsinites know better! When I look at the state's electoral map broken down by counties, I have never seen so much "blue" (color of the Democrats) all over the state. Wisconsin has 72 counties and only 14 went "red" (Republican) and most of them by the slimmest of margin. Simply spectacular!!

SNL Obama-Clinton Debate Parody

Okay, chalk up another thing that I miss while living here in Indonesia: The Saturday Night Live. Well, I guess I also miss the Daily Show with John Stewart and The Colbert Report, so make it three things then. Election year always provide a good fodder for comedy writers, and this SNL skit is just one of many. Now that the writers are back from the recent strike, there should be more good stuff down the pipeline leading up to the election day. I just wish that the internet connection here is fast enough so I can watch all these videos. Well, there's only so much one can ask for...

Election Fever...

It's the voting season right now, and I don't mean choosing Jackass 1 over Jerkoff 2 in American Idol or Malaysia's Akademi Fantasia, though Jackass/Jerkoff dichotomy is still applicable to politics. This is the double-whammy year for me since both Malaysia and the US will hold their national elections soon: March 8 for Malaysia and November 4 for the US. I, for one, will not vote in Malaysia, though I do follow the elections very closely. My reasons: I'm not registered to vote in Malaysia (a conscious decision on my part) but more importantly, I believe the election is highly unfair to the Opposition and heavily favors the government. But I will vote in the US, even if my preferred candidate, Barack Obama, improbably lose the Democratic party nomination to Hillary Clinton.

Yes, I'm well aware of the criticism: if we don't vote the change into government, then how can we introduce change to system? This is assuming that change can only be made from inside the system. Well, even if the Opposition candidates manage to overcome the long odds and various undemocratic measures employed by the government, there is still the overwhelming dominance of the government faction to contend with in the Parliament. Assuming that if the Opposition manage to pass some kind of watered-down electoral reform law, the government faction can still challenge it in the courts, and with the pathetic state of affairs of the subservient Malaysian judiciary right now, the law will almost guaranteed to be struck down as unconstitutional. Yes, I'm a cynic and I do blame my social science background for making me one.. haha.

Below is the excerpt from an interview of the current chief of the Malaysian Election Commissions (EC), Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, done by MalaysiaKini, 24 Sept 2003. The vignettes of the interview go to show that the EC is simply a tool of the government to further entrench and sustain its dominance and to foil the challenges from the Opposition. Look at the inane comment about the role of EC as an "independent body." Does everything has to be laid out word-for-word in the Federal Constitution in order for it to be perfectly understood? An analogy can be made to a judge in the Lina Joy's apostasy case when he said that if Muslims have the right to revert to other religions, then the Constitution would have explicitly mentioned it. Yeah, it's as though the Article 3 of the Constitution, which protects freedom of religion, has no meaning whatsoever. Fuckin' dumbass! And by the way, EC's job is not just to set up the polling booth. If that's the case, then the government can just hire the building contractor. This guy has no fuckin' clue whatsoever about the functions and the responsibility of EC and what does free and fair election mean. In the Malaysian case, certainly the right man for the job! Anyway, here are parts of the interview:

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But isn’t the EC meant to be an independent body?

No, never ever. You look at the constitution, what does it say? That there shall be a commission that enjoys the public confidence. It does not say ‘an independent commission’.

But to enjoy public confidence, you need to be independent.

Not necessarily so. It means that we have to do our job but the basic guidelines are that we must conduct a free and fair election. (This does) not necessarily mean you are independent. How could you be independent? There is no one EC in this world that is truly independent.

You can never escape from the government of the day from being involved in elections. Whether the EC is seen to be independent - fair and free - depends on one important fact: how tolerant is the ruling party? In most Western countries, the party in power is tolerant. They take criticism openly. Here, we have not come to that level.

He (Opposition leader, Lim Kit Siang) raised these kind of issues like money politics. I asked him: ‘What money politics? You expect me to have eyes and ears to be everywhere (and monitor) who take or give money? That’s not my duty. I just put the polling booth and then you vote. Whether you vote for money, I do not know. But if you know, you take them to court.’ He said he does not believe in judiciary, they are unfair. (But) then you (can’t) blame me.

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The current electoral system in Malaysia is heavily stacked against the Opposition and the electoral arena, I think, is the least effective way to affect radical changes in the presently corrupt system. The best example is the 1999 General Elections, when the Opposition failed to inflict major damage to the government's hegemony though the prevailing socio-economic conditions was positively in its favor. The only real meaningful change has to come from outside i.e. the civil society. The civil society David almost succeeded in 1998-99 in toppling the BN Goliath, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. It was one stone short from knocking down the juggernaut. The Bersih and Hindraf campaigns are good signs that the civil society is again gearing up for a more prominent role in the Malaysian socio-political system. This, coupled with possible major inroads made by the Opposition parties in this upcoming elections, will hopefully bear real pressure on the BN-led government to reform itself. To hope for an Opposition-led government following this election is wishful thinking. The target is to weaken BN's 90 percent near-absolute majority in the Parliament to just 50 percent simple majority.

As much as I wish for radical changes in Malaysia a la Indonesia's Reformasi, I know that it is not realistic. In the Indonesian case, the 1997-98 economic crisis (Krismon aka Krisis Moneter in local parlance) was just the final nail in Suharto's coffin, which had been preceded by various political crises at least since the late 1980s. Still, change is change, and I take whatever change I can get for now and keep my hopes up for more in the future. And I also hope to prove wrong the old French adage: Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose (The more things change, the more they stay the same)--in case if the Opposition does come to power someday.

Another reason to vote for Obama

People always ask me, "Why Mac? Sure, it looks cool and all but practical? Hell no!" As a life-long Apple Macintosh user I'm immuned to these kinds of doubt-castings especially during the pre-iPod, Intel-chip days, when Apple computers were only seen as the niche for anti-establishment, fool-hardy users. Following the release of iPod for PC users, Apple has finally managed to penetrate into the consciousness of the mainstream computer users and force people to do a double-take on its products. Now I'm happy that iPod has reached a name recognition that makes it synonymous with the product, like Xerox for copy machine or Aqua for bottled water (only applicable in Indonesia).

So obviously I'm thrilled that finally somebody is making a parallel between Mac-PC rivalry and Obama-Clinton nomination race . As an Obama backer and a Mac user I heartily agree with the article's analogy. And I do hope that Mac, or should I say Obama, prevails come November.

Way to go Packs!

Okay, the Packers didn't make it to the Superbowl this year, but heck, it was one hell of a season. If there are things in the US I miss right now it would be sharing in the Packers' magical season--and cheese curds. By the way, the game temperature was at minus 1F with the windchill factor of minus 23F. Now, this is one aspect of Wisconsin I don't miss at all. I take my monsoon anytime over a blizzard.

The next President of the US...

Make no mistake, this is the man who will lead America for the next eight years. I was virtually walking on the air when I heard about his stunning victory in the Iowa caucus by trouncing Hillary Clinton and John Edwards (and not counting other minor Democratic candidates) by such a huge margin. For a non-white Presidential candidate to win convincingly in a lily-white state such as Iowa (95% white) says something about his character and how the issue of race has been a non-factor (so far) in the 2008 Presidential campaign. A win in the New Hampshire primary (another lily-white state, albeit with a markedly different socio-economic makeup) on Tuesday, January 8 will turn Obama into the undisputed Democratic Presidential nominee as the Obama-mania snowballs across various other state primaries. Nobody wants to back a loser, right? Come August at the Democratic Convention in Denver, he will have a lock on the nomination. With the public support for the Republican party in the gutters right now, the Democratic Presidential nominee is all but guaranteed for a seat in the Oval Office. President Obama does have a nice ring to it! To all the Beltway pundits who have discounted Obama's candidacy and have for all intents and purposes anointed Hillary as the de facto Democratic nominee, take your bitter pill and shove it up your collective know-nothing asses. Let's Barack n' Roll!

Come out and play!

Alright, people! Let's go outside and kick some... football or soccer or whatever. I'm really itching to go out and play. The snow has virtually melted away, the weather's been gorgeous (knock on wood!) and the grass is sprouting up. So, what are you waiting for? It's not like I mind playing indoor soccer; far from it. I love soccer so much that I play the game in any shape and form.

What I have been doing consistently nowadays when I'm a bit stressed or hit upon the proverbial concrete wall while writing papers is kicking the plush toy ball around my apartment, from the living room to the kitchen, and back. I use the front door and the kitchen table as the goal posts on both ends, respectively. One can be mildly surprised at how much creativity is involved in this seemingly childish play. I arrange chairs, and sometimes even move the sofa, to serve as a wall as I try to bend it like Becks and target the upper left or right corner of the goal. Or, I would arrange a row of plastic mugs on top of the kitchen table and try to knock them down through freekicks from the other end of the room. Sometimes, I even put my bike up as a wall and try to kick the ball through the frame of the bike into the goal. Yes, I know what you're saying. This guy is so damn pathetic! He needs to get a life! I have no life, damnit! It's part of the Faustian deal one makes when entering graduate school. Academic and soccer ARE my life!

So, to any Madisonian Malaysian guys who happen to read my blog--by sheer boredom or simply dumb luck--let's go to Far West field this Friday for some fun-filled soccer evening. By the way, the UW Malaysian soccer team has lost quite a few key players these past couple of semesters: Meon (right-back), Nicky (centre-back), and our very own supersub nonpareil/attacking-mid, Badul aka Vikash Dhorasoo. After Malaysian Midwest Games in Northwestern University this May the player loss will become more chronic as many of them will be graduating. With hardly any freshman player to supplant the outgoing seniors, we are certainly witnessing the gradual decay of Wisconsin Malaysian soccer tradition. One can only hope that there will be one or two soccer players in the next incoming freshman batch.

RIP Molly Ivins

In times of mass hysteria and widespread paranoia, Molly was one of the few brave souls who dared to say that the emperor has no cloth. Her razor-sharp wit and biting political satire, laced with downhome Texan aphorisms, never failed to coax a chuckle or two from even the most jaded and bleakest liberal in the post-911 era. We shall miss you immensely. Rest in peace, Molly.

Get a stomp on it...

I'm sure that everybody, at one time or the other, been through the same kind of annoying experience. Yes, I'm talking about noisy neighbors. I thought I could have escaped pesky neighbors when I moved away from campus, but not quite. It seems like I traded one hyperactive "kid" for another. At my old apartment, it was my upstair neighbor, Steve, a 20-year old "kid" who never sits still, loves to wear heavy construction boots in the house and is "a bit hard on hearing," which requires him to turn his stereo volume to the max. Imagine having to live with double barrage of virtual stomping on my head: one from the heavy boots and the other from the stereo's bass. See, Steve never sleeps--he's one of those goth kids who is constantly depressed and emo--and plays his stereo at all times and have his equally melancholic goth friends come over at ungodly hours. Being a goth kid means that he's not the type who gets aggressive when confronted, but on the other hand, his skull is so thick even a mule would listen and heed to my plea before he does. I cannot remember how many times have I marched up the stairs, knocked on his door, and told him to take noise down a few notches. And he complied EVERY time--for only that particular moment, and back to his old routine the next day. Even a mule knows when to work if you pull the rein often and hard enough (or whatever you call the thing that goes through its nose). Thank God that Steve is now out of my life, but alas, I spoke too soon...

I now live about three miles away off campus, which requires me to ride the bus to campus every day--or a 25-minute bike ride. For the most part I do enjoy being away from all the hubbubs on campus and I now have my own fortress of solitude within the REAL world nonetheless. What I mean by real world is that life on campus does not at all resemble what it is like outside of it: my campus neighborhoods are overwhelmingly white, young undergraduates who for the most part love to party and get wasted from Thursday night through Sunday night. Yeah, this is the #1 party school (whatever that means) but some things are just a bit too much, you know. It gets even more ridiculous during football season when in every home game the party starts at 8am and doesn't end until well past midnight, and the party scatters out within a mile-radius from the stadium. It's pandemonium, I tell you. Well, I don't need to tell you if you already live here, especially those folks at the Regent apartment.

So, what is so REAL about my new living arrangement? For one, there's the diversity. My front neighbor is a black woman, my side neighbor is a Hmong family and my upstair neighbor is a Hispanic family. Speaking of the upstair Hispanic family, this is who I'm currently having a bit of an issue with, and this cannot be easily solved, at least the way I see it. First I have to say that they are a really nice bunch. Hardly speaks any English but we exchanged smiles and waving gestures a few times. At the risk of sounding selfish, the problem is that they have three small kids and this is a one-bedroom apartment. One is still a baby but the other two are at an age where they cannot sit still for even five seconds. They run around and jump up and down all the time, especially now when it's already cold and they can't really go out to play anymore. Seriously, it is driving me bonkers, with all the stress for trying to get work done.

How to tactfully deal with this problem? With Steve, I can just tell it straight to his face. But how do you try to explain to somebody who doesn't really speak English. "No (run) en casa. Mi estudiar!" My Spanish is virtually none-existent! I thought about maybe getting Ibrain (Suri's husband) to write a note in Spanish for me, so I can tell them nicely what's bothering me. The bigger problem is how NOT to look like a jerk when I tell them to keep their rambunctious children on a leash. I'm sure they have enough problems in life as it is without me complaining. Also, most parents hate it when people tell them how to raise their own kids. But then, they are really nice folks. The kids are really friendly when I see them playing in front of the building. Compare to Steve, who can sometimes come off as a jerk, which makes him so much easier to confront, what kind of negotiating techniques you'd use to deal with a loving immigrant family who is simply trying to eke out a living in a foreign land? It is a Catch-22 situation.

Maybe my problem all along is not with my upstair neighbors per se, but with the stupid-ass prefabricated American building design that is not sound-proof at all. Why can't they make buildings like in Malaysia using solid concrete and bricks, instead of this cheapo drywall you can punch through.

Throw The Bums Out Already!!!

CHECK UP-TO-DATE RESULTS

2006 SENATE election results

2006 HOUSE election results

Wisconsin election results

I haven't been this excited about an election, a midterm election at that, since I volunteered for the Nader's presidential campaign in 2000. Twelve years of Republican domination of the government is long enough; it's time to throw those fear-mongering, war-loving, people-hating, gun-toting bums out of office. There is a certain giddiness in the air among the Democratic circle of the prospect to regain control of Congress, not unlike the tectonic shift in 1994 that swept in the Gingrich "revolutionaries" and ended the Democrats' forty-year stranglehold on Congress.

While the Republicans back in 1994 put forth their so-called "Contract With America" manifesto--essentially a reiteration of their agenda in a much simplified, bullet-point format--there is no equivalent of far-reaching, ideologically-significant, much less unified, political tract on the Democratic side currently. Why is this the case, and will its absence bear any impact on the voters' perception of the Democrats and the Democratic party?

As a "Big Tent" party that has to juggle wildly diverse, frequently contradicting, interests of its components, for the Democratic party to come up with a coherent, universally-agreed manifesto is simply next to impossible. Here's an overview of the groups currently seeking political shelter under the Democratic umbrella: the centrist New Democrats; the conservative blue-dog Democrats, mostly the southern "Dixiecrats"; the Old Left pro-labor but socially-conservative Democrats (mostly from the decaying Industrial Belt of the Midwest); the New Left liberals who formed the radical wing of the party; and others. This is not including further division within these groups, especially among the New Left liberals, ranging from the moderately liberal members who are content with gradual, incremental changes in government to the more ideologically-driven members who are seeking wider systemic and cultural changes. The diversity of the party is also reflected in its demographic; blacks, hispanics, women, gays and lesbians help to dictate the direction, and not to add, the fate, of the Democratic party. This simply illustrates the sheer impossibility of reconciling these divergent interests and maintaining party discipline.

Compare this to the 1994 Republican political machine. The Republican party (GOP) is effectively divided into two camps: the socially-conservative faction and the economically-conservative faction. While there are many differences--culturally and ideologically--between these two conservative groups, they do share several intersecting interests and both are willing to cast aside differences for the sake of greater political expediency, manifested in the institutional success of the GOP. There are much, much less points of contention within the GOP, which allow for greater party discipline and the dissemination of coherent, unified political messages. It's much easier to whip its members into submission and exclude a few fringe dissenting components, namely the pathetic Log Cabin Republicans (the so-called gays and lesbians faction of the GOP). It also helps that an overwhelming majority of the GOP are racially mono-dimensional. Different racial groups face different sets of issues, and not having to deal with other races' issues, at least substantively, is certainly a huge asset for the GOP. This also explains why the GOP was successful in proposing "Contract With America" while the present Democrats could not even agree on what strategies to employ to take advantage of Bush's immense unpopularity, much less coming up with a universally-agreed, far-reaching and politically-shattering platform for public consumption.

Will the lack of high-minded ideals hamper the Democrats' success in the election today? Or will Bush's rock-bottom approval rating, the Iraqi quagmire, and the Republican party's corruption (and sexual) scandals be enough to motivate erstwhile conservatives and the cantankerous independents to vote Democratic? If it's moral and political outrage that fuels voters, then the Democratic party holds a bright chance of making an enormous gain in this election since voters would vote not for the party per se, but simply for the sake of change in leadership. Since this is a two-party system, the only pragmatic choice left on the ballot is the Democratic party. If voters still place a higher value on ideology and concrete party platform over their anti-incumbent indignation, then there is less of a chance for the Democratic party to win convincingly in this election.

Here's my lazy prediction on today's election, especially in the battleground states, and I'll not comment on the Wisconsin's election since the Democratic victory here is a foregone conclusion. Mark Green? Dave Magnum? John Gard? Give me a break!

Ohio: Democratic sweep - both gubernatorial and senatorial races. The fact that the Republican National Committee pulled out funding for Ohio Republican candidates a few weeks before the election is a tell-tale sign that it has all but given up on winning these races.

Pennsylvania: Another Democratic sweep - As long as Senator Rick "Man-on-Animal" Santorum is kicked out of office, I don't care how the rest of elections go. Bob Casey Jr. will kick Santorum's ass in the Senate race and Ed Rendell will retain his governorship. Let this be a lesson to Lynn Swann that popularity on the football field does not translate into a viable political vehicle.

Missouri: Claire McCaskill will eke out a victory over Republican Jim Talent in the Senate race.

Montana: Republican Conrad Burns is facing a stiff challenge from Jon Tester, and Tester will come out ahead in the final count (this is my upset prediction).

Michigan: Democratic senator, Debbie Stabenow, will retain her seat.

Virginia: It'll be close and as much as I'd love to see the racist Republican George Allen voted out of the office, I think he'll still manage to squeeze in a victory, thanks to the ever-growing conservative exurban (between suburban and rural) population and the tepid challenge from the Democratic opponent, Jim Webb.

Note: I don't comment on any House races because they are too numerous, but my overall sense is that the Democrats will make major inroads in traditionally-conservative districts and win a lot of them.

It then begs the final question: Will there be any significant changes, and most importantly, reversal of Bush's destructive policies AND a robust check on the executive branch, if the Democrats manage to take over Congress? I doubt it, but that's the reality of a two-party system--choosing the lesser of two evils.

Bob Dylan who?

Bob Dylan live in concert sucks! I know it's virtually blasphemous for me to say this--a grave sin to his die-hard fans, at least--but it's just the plain truth. Well, it depends on what one's perception of an awesome concert should be. Coming home from the concert, I immediately did a little Googling to gauge people's experiences of seeing Dylan live. Not surprisingly, the answers mainly lay in two camps: either they detest the self-absorbed performer that he is or they argue that his stage performance is irrelevant and the genius of his music is the only thing that matters. For the latter camp, it's basically telling people to forget about Dylan the Performer and listen to Dylan the Poet. My only answer to that is if I want to LISTEN to Dylan the Poet, I'd rather not pay $67 to see him hunched over a keyboard for two hours when I could listen to his songs AT HOME sitting on the couch in my underwear (I'm kiddin' about the sitting on the couch part).

People go to a concert and willing to pay top bucks for it because they want to augment their listening experience and establish a deeper and more personal connection with the performer(s). If it's pure listening, why even bother go to concerts? Just download the songs and listen to them to your heart's content. By the way, here's a forum thread I found discussing Dylan's lack of showmanship and rapport with the audience. It's good to know that there are others who feel the same way too and having a legendary status does not absolve an artist from being a weak live performer. It seems to me that his live performance is best suited to intimate, danky, smoky bars, where he's surrounded by his coterie of aging fans.

It then gets me to the next point: Why, oh why did the concert promoters have Foo Fighters to open for Bob Dylan? Foo Fighters (especially Dave Grohl) was simply mesmerizing and more importantly, an exercise in contrast to Dylan's performance. Dave Grohl was highly engaging and extremely hilarious and he exploited every inch of the stage, even though it was an acoustic set throughout. Not that I expect Dylan to run around on the stage and crash into the drums; it'd be simply hideous and not to add, life-threatening for a 65-year old guy. The least he could do was to interact with the crowd and pivot around to face the bulk of the audience. Yes, I did say pivot around because for the whole time it was his bony ass that kept staring me in the face--and performed, for that matter. He was standing behind his keyboard with his back facing my side of the stage. I cannot feel more insulted, or to his hardcore fans in my section, more blessed! Anyway, the concert-goers were essentially divided into two generations: the young 'uns who went to see Foo Fighters and the aging Baby Boomers who went to pay homage to the Legend. What would be awesome if Dylan (or the concert promoters) used this opportunity to bridge the generational gap and get more young people to be interested in Bob Dylan and his poetries. How many young people were actually there to see Bob Dylan? I doubt they were that many. Before going to the concert I had this image of Dylan performing with Dave on stage, just like Trent Reznor and Johnny Cash or Neil Young and Eddie Vedder. Boy, was I setting myself up for a huge disappointment! It was a big missed opportunity for Bob Dylan. While I'm certain that his songs will endure well into the next few decades but personally, his live performance has definitely changed my perception of him--for the worse.

By the way, here's The Isthmus post-mortem article of the concert. A quote from the article:

"This is the new, reinvigorated Dylan. Whether he was leaning into his modest electric keyboard for a cantankerous reworking of "Maggie's Farm" or rocking out, legs splayed, to Muddy Waters' "Rollin' and Tumblin'" as his band mixed muscular, sweet-home-Chicago-style grooving with high-decibel rock 'n' roll, he was plainly having a damn good time.

Reinvigorated? Having a damn good time? I don't know what concert you went to, bub! It certainly ain't the one I was at. He looks more like a cadaver on keyboard to me...

Of bike and man

Wow, it just struck me that I haven't blogged in over a month! What's even stranger is that I accessed my OWN blog through somebody else's blog, Badul's blog to be exact. It goes to show how often I actually visit my own blog. Practically none in the past month or so.

I went to Badul's blog to look for the link to the news about the Malaysian student in Minneapolis who died from bicycle accident recently. Yes, I did go to his blog for my news source, and trust me, the world is not coming to an end. But I digress. The tragedy, on the other hand, brings to light several important issues, namely: How safe is it to ride in an urban setting? Would wearing a helmet makes a difference between life or death? What kind of preparations a rider needs to have in order to better overcome adversities on the road?

I'm not claiming to be the Mother Theresa of urban cyclists, nor am I one of those wayward riders deluded with a sense of false invincibility. I've committed more than my fair share of traffic violations on my bike and I do have a battle scar or two to boast of my gladitorial feats on the unforgiving streets. But I like to believe that I am a relatively conscientious rider with an acute sense of my surrounding.

Back to my previously stated questions. How safe is it to be an urban rider? In the city of Madison, WI, where I'm currently at, it is fairly safe. Madison is a bike-friendly city with an extensive network of bike lanes/paths. As long as riders stay on these bike lanes, safety is almost assured unless if other vehicles on the road trespass onto these lanes, in which case, there's nothing much that a rider can do for prevention other than to wield a cat-like reflex. Most accidents, though, happen around intersections where riders approach from the motorists' blindside and get hit when the motorists make a turn. Never assume that motorists see you in their rearview or side-mirrors--they usually do not.

I guess the key survival tip of urban riding is to always be vigilant and conscious of one's surrounding. The good thing about riding a bike is that one is blessed with an almost peripheral vision. While it is always important to keep one's eyes on the road ahead, it is also equally important to cast the occasional glance to the sides and back. Always predict possible disasters to the best of one's ability and always be cynical of other road users. Yes, I am a very cynical rider and I don't trust other road users. I think some people are just too stupid and selfish to drive and definitely do not deserve to have a driver's license. Always keep a lookout for swinging car doors as a lot of people don't have enough sense to check their side-mirrors for incoming riders before they open the door. There are a lot of tips for navigating the urban streets on bike but my only advice is to ride often and get familiarize with the environment. All talk and no real-world practice is useless. Just keep your eyes wide open and leave yourself enough time to react.

As for the issue of helmet-wearing, this is where I am guilty as charged. I don't like wearing helmets, and what's worse is that I don't like it simply on the ground of it being uncool. I do respect and even envy people who wear helmets, but I am personally disinclined to put one over my thick skull--pun intended. Like urban skateboarders who don't wear pads, as an urban rider, I do see not wearing a helmet as the epitome of cool. I do own a helmet that I got for free when I purchased a bike headlight but it is of now collecting dust in my room. Maybe someday I'll get some sense knocked into my head--no pun intended, God forbid!--and I'll start wearing a helmet. Maybe ten or twenty years down the road when I will be slapped with the harsh reality that it is no longer cool to act like a teenage rebel and that it is time to be matured and act my age. Until that time arrives, I'll continue to be the unrepentant and thick-headed rebel that I am.

As to Badul, keep riding your bike with no hands and keep wishing that nothing bad will happen. Nanti kalau kau jatuh tergolek aku gelak dulu, pas tu baru tolong. Hahahaha!!!