Journal Entry Five

Journal Entry No. 1 (Bugis)

Everybody pretends. Tell me your own story of pretentiousness. Be honest to yourself.

Pretentiousness is a characteristic that everyone has, including myself. For me, pretends means a phase when we are acting to be somebody that we did not like or different, in order to impress other person. That is my vision towards pretentiousness. This is a story about my pretentiousness.

It started in first day of 2010, 1st January of 2010. Back there, I was 18 years old. I started my first part time job at Guardian Pharmacy at Tesco Peringgit, Melaka. At the young age, I've started to search my own money, serving my family. At work, I've been taught to be nice, always smile and kind. I can be nice and kind, but not always smile. For me, always smile is a naked fake or pretentiousness of someone. Nobody cannot always smile, believe me. Sometimes, you have to not to smile. For example, if you really really mad and stress, are you going to smile? A little crazy, isn't it? We are ordinary people that could not pretend everything is okay. In the words of smile and work, I have to do it. I smiled on anyone when I am working. Sometimes the customer mad at me, and I just smile. What a fake man I am? Deep inside I was burning, cursing and stuff. In order to fulfill my job, I have to entertain customer, greet them, say hello and others. I feel like I have became another person that I did not like. I don't be myself. And I hate it. But, the outcome was great. The payment was good, beating my supervisor salary. 

Then, my pretentiousness continues until now. As my friend know, I play skateboards, making me entitled skaters. Everyone has a good impression on me and respect me. I like it. But, the truth is I am not that good skaters. I only play for fun. So few tricks I can do like ollie, fakie ollie, frontside 180, kickflip, pop-shove it and others. But, not all the tricks I can land. There is a picture of me playing skateboard. A picture that I've done 360 flip, but it did not land actually. It just on air. It did not land. That's make me fake and people does not know it. Plus, people like it. But, who cares? I did not care if I pretended or not, as my friends still with me, I'm okay with that.

Journal Entry Four

Journal Entry No. 4 (Movie-The Road Home)


What is the importance of culture and tradition in a society?

Culture and tradition is a most sensitive and important value that has existed for a long time in this world. Nothing could change the existence of culture and tradition value in today's life. This journal will explain a bit about importance of culture and tradition in a society.

As the world going to the modernization phase, natural or culture and tradition value must not be forgotten. This is because culture and tradition reflects the image of a society. For example, a funeral tradition on a snowy mountain region at China. The deceased body must be carried along the way from the hospital to the village. This is because the journey of the tradition could make the body remember the way back home. This tradition practice has build an image of that particular society. The culture and traditional value can save a society from being swept away and forgotten in the future. If all young generation of a society did not believe and practicing the value in life, it is sure that their society will be vanished real soon.

Culture and tradition can avoid a society from demoralized phase. With the certain amount of values is being practice among the society, it is sure that the society still has ensure and tighten up the moral value within the society. For example, respect value. A society would and can be understandable by others with just respecting each other. This will be a great benefit for all individuals within the society. The culture and traditional value is critically important  in today's society in order to get a good image, savior and be highly moralized. 

Journal Entry Three

Journal Entry No. 10 (General)

Based on the short story book, which short story brings the most impact to you and why.

Based on the book ‘The Merlion and The Hibiscus, Contemporary Short Stories from Singapore and Malaysia’, a short story that entitled ‘AWOL’ by Umej Bhatia brings the most impact to me. The story has a strong storyline that managed to catch reader’s attention. From the title, I’ve guess that this story will be about someone who leaving works or duty behind for something that’s really matter. It is shown in the short story when Agamemnon Raja Tan leave his duty as RSM Lance Corporal behind just to be together with his girlfriend, Ranita Ismail. The symbolization of chocolate at the beginning of the story makes me wonder why it was put in the first place. Actually, the chocolate symbolize Agamemnon’s memory with his mother. He only remembers that his mother buys him a chocolate when he was little. The usage of war and military branch at page 214 really attracts my attention. It tells about the spirit and brave visualization of Agamemnon with his career. But in real life, Agamemnon was not exactly brave like he would visualize. The settings that took place at this short story were also making me eager to read this story. The usage of Yishun New Town at Singapore where most of the story took place there and Kuala Lumpur where Agamemnon’s uncle spot for gambling really tells about the relation of this two country. The usage of Greek lords also attracts the people who love and know about world history, like me. The name of Agamemnon and his brother, Menelaus were significant points for both in the past and present. Basically, ‘AWOL’ a good short story for those who really love romantic and military stories.