why and why not

many i talk to either don't really care, can't be bothered or think that they can't and won't make a difference in our country. in fact, more sadly, most don't even want to care because they think that either they'll leave someday or that it just plain doesn't matter.

why does it not matter???

yes, as flawed as our country is, it is STILL O U R country! i'm not here to cram patriotic messages down one's throat but really, it's like not caring about your own. whether we like it or not, we were born here, and the country belongs to us and likewise. we can't say we don't care because that'd be like saying; I'm Grace Lai but i don't care about the 'Lai' family, my own family.

yeah, the country looks like it's going nowhere. it's always a case of the futile efforts of a small group of people against the majority group of stubborn-corrupted-old-fashioned-power-crazy-selfish people. i see that too but the question is not what they are doing but what are you doing?

do we really not care if the country goes to hell? do we really not care whether the country will still stand 100 years from now? do we really not care that our children have Malaysia in the future?

you know, i've had the opportunity to travel a lot and i've been all over but i've never found a place as unique as Malaysia. as beautiful as the UK and Europe are, as enchanting as Australia is and as addictive as Hong Kong and the Far East are, they will never have what Malaysia has.

we have a nation where there are 3 major races
we grow up speaking at least 3 languages fluently; yakking, yelling, screaming in weird tongue-twisting languages is not new to us. in fact, i think the dialects of the malay, chinese and indian alone total at least 50 different tongues - at least.
we live in an integrated culture, a multi-racial community; we get to understand different traditions. we grow up practising and celebrating them together
we taste and learn about all sorts of traditional food from young. we cook together.
pasar malams are a part of our lives
eating 24/7 is our diet
shopping till 1am? we don't bat an eyelash
at times of emergencies, we DO bond and come together

pirated dvds, 'mat rempits', ipoh white coffee, penang briyani, melaka 'chicken ball rice', cendol, pahang durians, johore laksa, kedah and kelantanese rice, redang, sabah borneo, sipadan islands, 'layang layang', 'congkaks', 'batu serembans', crazy politicans, petaling street 'tai kors', temples in the middle of megamalls (think mid valley), insane bus drivers, crazy-rude motorists, indian mamaks, malay ramadhan stalls, gawking strangers, 'kepoh chinese 'aunties' and 'uncles', 'pak ciks' and 'mak ciks', ridiculous-crazy stalls, tacky arts and deco. our awesome mosques, buildings, temples, beautiful people, language, art, music and culture. sun 365 days of the year. mind-boggling road signs, hilarious tv ads. clueless waiters and employees.... - where else but Malaysia?

so why do you tell me it doesn't matter?