100% Amirul

Once again, thanks for all the comments. Might i say, most of em are flattering. These comments are what spurring me on to type more, so, keep them coming! Hahahaha

We’ve all done it. One way or another.
Spreading our own thoughts, our ideas, intentions and desire and thrusting it upon others to accept it and see things your way.
Yes, ladies and gentlemen, im talking about influence. The simple thing, that you do everyday that we all have taken for granted.

Just how powerful this ability is ? Just enough to handle your everyday lives ? Just enough to ease things a little bit ? Just enough to topple or cause a war, to start a protest, to make important decisions ?
Heck, i have to say, Influence plays a major part in everything. And so, answers the question, It Is Very Very Powerful, given that its been made to use properly with the right hands.

I have read this book, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell. It tells us all about the split-second decisions and actions taken by us, speech drawn out of us, thoughts expressed out by us. But, what makes them, them ? What actually drives us to do things, to speak of certain things, to think differently? Yes, its influence.

And apparently, influence comes from our surroundings. Our family, Friends, aquaintances, neighbours, whatever. Even the media, the songs we listen to, the content on tv, the movies that we watch, whatever still. Everything around us.
Without them, you would’nt be who you are today. And most probably, you wont even be reading my blog now eh ?

Just today, I took the lrt to wangsa maju, to play futsal with some of my friends.
( well, what else Can you do for now ? broke, bored and jobless. )
And while i was on the train, i see this group of Malays. Ah, sad…
I am proud to say that im a malay, and not just any malay, but Me. And i was always proud of my friends, my circle of friends, however small it may be, but they’re the best of the best. Natural selection? I do not know. Maybe someday i’ll look into that.

Back to the boys i ran into.. A group of around 5. Everybody was wearing similar clothes and the same hair-do. I believe its called the Mohawk hairstyle. One of the fella, was a small kid. I think, its a form 1 boy. Dressing up just the same, with the punk-rock t-shirt, 3/4 pants and bright white shoes. I somehow, dont find the attraction of it, i wonder what do these people see in those type of clothing and hairstyles. Anywhos, the little boy. Was talking just like them, acted just like them, dressed, behaved and thought just like them.

I was wondering, how was i when i was a weee lad, that form 1 boy, heavily gelled hair and combed to the sides, ah Yes, i remember. My studies used to be damn good, average of high 90s. And what became of me now? Hah! I dont know what went wrong. So, why was the little me, different from the little boy that i saw there ?

It was the influence from his peers and situation of course. The people that boy Have To hang out with and see everyday. The school that they go to, the neighbourhood. Its saddening, im seeing the Malays becoming this way, the typical ones.
Rempits, Punks, Goths, whatever it is the so-called trend and "culture" nowadays.
Luckily i was brought up good with loving parents and all my needs and *some* of my wants fulfilled. But yet again, they too have the same background and upbringing. Loving parents, fulfilled needs and wants.
It was one of Newton’s Law. A will always be A, B will always be B.
However, i object to this law. Science can be, and Has been proven wrong at times. I believe with the right person, situation, place, time and influence, a person can always be changed.

Now, in what forms influence can be, when we’re using them ?
I seem to notice afew. Charisma and Charm. One of my friends that have actually used influence to his advantage and use is Adam. I know him very well for doing so intentionally. And, results have shown from time to time, it has worked greatly, from big things like getting sponsors to fund his activities , to the small ones like getting free extra chocolate topping for the Mcdonalds Sundae.

By simply talking, complimenting, asking and negotiating, in that order, or any order infact, we can actually achieve more than what we paid for. And it is like a blade, or a knife. The more you use it and sharpen it, the better it gets. But, as you leave it alone, it gets blunt over time.
Maybe, some people are just born to talk and having good PR skills. Salesmen make use of their skills of influencing everyday. Trying to get the person to buy his or her product, to make the person join his or her sales group and even sell the product to others out of the person’s own will.
You can see dozens more if you actually looked closely. Blergh, crapping myself now, talking about all these things. Maybe the passion is not there, the mood is not there or something.

Currently, ive HAD IT with my current handphone. The spare phone, apparently. A simple, Nokia 8310, or the ‘butterfly’ phone. Ive been using spare phones since February, where my precious 6230i was unrightfully stolen during the Rugby MSSKL. Now, i have made my choice, a SonyEricsson W850i (walkman phone).
It costs about 1.8k , but, after a year of fasting and pau-ing friends, saving up money, i think its time already.

Well, i cant say that im from a rich family, so, 1.8k is a lotta money, especially to be spent on a mobile phone. So, how am i going to pull it off? I only managed to save up to roughly 1k. The other 1k, must come from my parents, or mum.
Ahh!! How? How am i going to pull this off?
Well, i have hinted the idea of a new phone numerous times, and Yes! She got it. And she was asking what was it that i wanted. After showing the phone, Ah, yes yes, good good good.. then, What?! 1.8k ?! You must be joking, and its not even a PDA or whatever.
Discouraged, i went to my room, thought of the blog post and, just, slept, forgetting to type it. And now, here i am, typing this *backup* post.

Little that i know, at the workplace, at the hospital, a different situation was happening around my mum. Her phone rang, when she was in the middle of a briefing session with her MOs (Medical Officers). *Ring* *Ring* , she takes out her Nokia 6600, or better known as the ’sabun’ phone.. Everybody giggled.
After the phonecall, my mum asked everybody, Whats so funny ?
‘No lah, doctor, ur phone la, aisey, outdated laa, we all using Dopod and PDAs now. . .’ said one of the MOs.
My mum then, laughed, along with the other MOs, while secretly thinking
‘These no good MOs! Under me, but using a better phone, now showing off eh.. Dont worry, Ini hari, hari engkau.’

And later on, today, after my "step 2" of the process of getting a new phone, by nagging and constantly complaining about my current spare-phone not working and malfunctioning and all. . .  She suddenly said
You know what, this weekend, im gonna buy phones for everybody.
So, i thought, Mannn Im Goood…… :P  But i asked her why, and she told me the story, and said
‘ Oh, siap la nanti, the MOs. Abang, you call me in the morning next monday, and i’ll hear the new ringtone, and wont answer, then say "Oh, i forgot, its my new ringtone, on my New PDA phone."  ‘

Woah, when she said that, i totally realised, im Exactly like my mum.
Planning ahead, and, already started picturing the actual scene and moment in the future, and the dialog. What others are going to ask, and what will i answer.
And, having that subtle laughter and sinister look, right before snapping back to reality.

And, hey, settled. Case closed. SonyEricsson W850i, just wait for me!

And, another perfect example of the power of influence. Little as you know, the jokes that you come up with, the things that you say, affects the next person as it is. No matter how small, big, short or long the thing is, the joke is, the line or the saying is.
And now, thanks to the power of influence, and particularly the MOs of Hospital Selayang, specifically under the Obstetric and Gynaecology field and Under My Mum, im getting a new phone! Hallelujah! Yes, its the Hallelujah effect, from what ive picked up on Gustave’s Blog.

Yeap. That would be all for now i guess. Influence is a topic that is too big and subjective for me to talk about or summarize in 1 short ( or considerably long ) blog post. Many forms, shapes and sizes. From many sources of people, places and expressions.

I believe that Influence is Power, and have utilized it myself. How about you?

I am still disappointed by the way i wrote my previous post.
Somehow, it just, didnt come out right.
But nevertheless, some of the comments Are quite flattering
Anywhos.. moving on..

Friends. What pops up first in your head when you hear this word?
Im sure there are lots of different answers to it. However, they are all just the same, just that in different forms or words.

They make you feel good, they lift you up when you’re down, they encourage you on your goals and aspirations, they help you in every way that they could.
Friends are also, shoulders for us to cry on, an extra mate to share the joy with, a helping hand when the need is there.

I myself, am addicted to my friends. I dont know what i’ll do without them. My character, is like a lump of clay. My friends are like the hands and fingers that helped mold me to who i am today.
Without them, i’ll most probably just be a couch potato, a computer nerd, an online-game addict, and the like. Not forgetting, being so depressed, down-under and luck-less.

I remember a time, not so long ago, i was struck with depression.
It was that time of the month where the TPs (Temporary Prefects) were announced and chosen. Well, obviously i didnt get it.
I might say that a certain someone, whoever it is, tampered with the decisions made and whatnot. I might say that my place was unrightfully taken by someone who doesnt even deserve the title. And, i might say that the teachers were bribed, and the limited places were taken by those who had money.

Nevertheless, the concept was, May The Best Men Win. And, i was not one of them. Oh well, life goes on, the days keep on coming by. The failure of securing a spot in there, never really buggered me at all. Honestly. Okay, Yes, i was quite disappointed, but still, it wasnt that bad to cause any emotional stress or depression.

As far as i can see it, 97% of my closest friends and best friends basically, got in.
Every morning at school, i would cheerfully come to class, to just sit down and chill with my best pals, which was actually the main reason of me coming to school. And yet again, all of them went for TP meetings, training sessions and whatnot, and i never saw them throughout the whole morning and afternoon.
I’d like to quote afew lines from Don McLean’s song, American Pie.

Drove my chevy to the levee but the levee was dry.
And them good ol’ boys were drinking whiskey and rye
Singing, this’ll be the day that i die..
This’ll be the day that i die…

Somehow, the lines meant alot to me.
I still go to school, and yet, my pals are not there. It felt so empty and dry.
And there are always those boys who either just, minding their own business and oblivious to their surroundings, and those who are depressed on what has happened the past few days.
I know, bad interpretation of the lyrics. I just Cant get the words expressed out accurately Yet. With time, i hope im able to do so.
But hey, to me they mean alot. If you could read between the lines of the lyrics that is.

Everyday, right when school ends, I would go to *My* Spot, which is under the Big Tree right at the entrance of the school. If you actually went to Victora Inst. before this, im very sure u would have never missed it.
Ah, the roots of the tree, they make nice sitting spots, i have to say.
I’d enjoy sitting there, nicely with the gentle breeze of air, cooling down the atmosphere as I watch the people go by.

But, still, it was like the Carlsberg advert in the movies.
"Life is Best Shared".

Nothing beats having my pals around there, sitting down with me,  and hey, talk about basically crap and ANYthing. Even if its as short as 2 minutes or as long as an hour, its bloody worth it. Topics ranging from current affairs, school affairs, gossip, the future, girls that we know, our preference of whatever it is. Basically everything.

And personally , having the moment back then with my best pals over there, in *my* spot under the big tree, fuels me up for the whole day. No matter how exhausting the classes were, or whatever it is. I guess thats where i got my energy, my passion for life, my inspirations and all-round cheerfulness.
Those 2 minutes. Its amazing what these people that i’d like to call my friends can do, and its an astounding fact that they are able to affect my life greatly.

However, since almost all of my best pals,
( note: read previous post on the high level of friendship )
have been chosen as TPs, are busy with their training sessions, meetings and whatnot. *My* spot was never the same again.
Right after school ends, i would almost run to my favourite spot of the day. And to my frustration, the spot was empty. Literally.
Where have they gone? I asked myself.
They must be late or something. Ah, yes! Must be that good-fer-nothing teacher of theirs thats keeping them in class or something.
After waiting, and waiting, it was all for nothing. None of them showed up.
Just then, i realised, Oh yeah, they had TP training.

And so, i was dumbfounded. I didnt know what to do. So, i just sat there, and stared into blank space, as time passes on by, without a care in the world.
I felt like i was programmed. And somehow, along the process, there was a missing file, or something, and i was stuck there. Well, in this case, it was my pals at *my* spot. And so, re-routing my circuits, my brain processes, i would normally take a walk around school. Usually accompanied with whistling, humming or singing a tune to a nice, soothing song.

And surprisingly enough, these walks could consume 1 hour or 2! But somehow, i didnt realise that. In a way, i felt like a kid again. Waiting at the gates for the nextdoor neighbour to come out and play. Just that, the circumstances and situation now, is different.
As it was getting late, i still havent caught sight of any of my friends, so, disappointed and confused, i went home. A little bit of depression slowly sinks in.

As the days went on by, it was deja vu. The same thing happened over and over again. I understand totally that they have their very own right to not be here at *my* spot with me. I understood their position. I acknowledged the fact that they are busy and dont have the time. And i KNOW that they wanted to come and sit down, have a nice chat and banter, but its just that they cant.
It gave me a sort of ‘helpless’ feeling. That the feeling is slowly eating me down, slowly breaking me to pieces inside, and yet, i Cant do anything about it.

As the Malay saying goes, alah bisa tegal biasa, after a while (a few weeks?),
i got used to it, and with support from them,
depression was ousted out from my body, mind and soul.

Honestly, i dont even know How, and Why i felt that. A way to put it, is like,
Have a chain smoker, a heavy smoker, and, just take away his cigarettes for 1 whole day. And he’ll most probably sink in just like i did.

Addiction. Addiction is an illness.
To cure an illness, you need to acknowledge it first.
And, therefore, i have. I have concluded that i am addicted to my friends.

Its amazing actually, how big the part your friends play in your life. In your way of thinking, your actions, speech and emotions. I have always thought i have built a strong glass-wall all around me to protect myself from depression and anxiety and still not being oblivious to the world, seeing it from many points of view. I guess, those walls are strengthened by my friends, and without them, i fall.

And thankfully, God-willing, i have made it through that short, yet long phase in my life. I guess Hollywood does Not make everything overly dramatic after all.
With abit of luck and faith, just when all hope seems to fade away, and just when you’re about to fall into complete darkness, a shriek of light shines your way through.
A miracle? A blessing? Or was it an end to another of God’s test of our faith, patience and strength inside? You decide.

A friend of mine was actually shocked when i told her this story when it was actually happening back then. She was shocked that i was depressed, as it seemed impossible beforehand.
Well, there you go. I am only human, and yet again, i look at things positively, the glass half full. Not exactly a Herculean feat, but, the effects of it on your point of view on life, is.

So, yeah, there you go. Your Friends, cherish them, for all the times you have together.
The tidbits, even the slightest moments, every minute, every joke, every line.
As our lives are very short.. They are to should be enjoyed with great company.

The sudden absence of My best pals that time had a great impact on me.
How about you?

Now that, this being my second official post.. I shall get on with it.
This thing has been on my mind for quite a long time.

Being a teenager in Malaysia, i cant help but notice whats going on all around me.
For now, i’d like to concentrate on whats happening in KL. It is happening right infront of our eyes, ladies and gentlemen. And by far, only a few of us actually notice it.

Currently, the social trend of our community, our teenagers here, are revolving around the idea of a "Boyfriend-Girlfriend" relationship. Almost every male friend i know, is apparently fishing for girls. Being in a boy-only-school, Victoria Inst….
I guess i’d understand.. but still, what happened ? How did it become like this?

Not only to the boys of VI, but , to the rest of KL, and, basically, its infecting other areas as well, like a growing epidemic. Kampung? Bandar? Hey, its just the same! Its plaguing us all. Being one that is currently not infected by this bug, i condemn this trend that is pretty much, destroying the natural course of getting friends.

What happened to the old days? The time where, everybody is seen as a potential friend and not a potential girlfriend/boyfriend .
Then : "Hey, thats a cute girl, maybe she’s even a better friend."
Now  : "Hey, she’s cute..hmm.. girlfriend material?"

Being a normal human being, trying to experience life to the fullest, i have come to a point with my best friends in vi, to a stage where, when its just between us,
we can do literally ANYthing.
we can talk about literally ANYthing.
we can think about basically ANYthing.
and,
best of all, these ANYthings, are usually limited by our minds, but,
when im with them, its like, playing a  video game.
After you play more and more of it, you unlock new features, options and whatnot.
The same principle applies. The closer you get with your friends, somehow, the more stuff you could talk about, the more stuff you could do together, the more stuff that somehow just pops up in our minds, that somehow didnt before this.
Its like a bonus, a benefit, or a reward, or any term you would like to call it.

~Its what i’d like to call the high stage of friendship. And the most amazing thing about it is, that , with different people, you experience different types and kinds of bonuses and benefits.

And because of that, i am trying my best to attain this level of friendship with everyone that i know, and slowly progressing with new people.
Yes, the progress is Really Slow, but, hey, at least im progressing.
The process of turning an aquaintance to a close-friend is mind-numbingly slow.
But to reap the benefits of it, the outcomes and the sheer joy of experiencing it all the way, is worth it.

As i do more and more of it to people, somehow, i find it not surprising when i just got to know this person today, and a day or two later, we’re having 5 hour phonecalls in the middle of the night or whatever. And, presto, from an aquaintance, you’ve got yourself a higher level of friendship with the person and indirectly, the ice thawed away instantly.

Many people have actually mistaken me to actually moving in to this girl or that girl with the intention of starting a relationship. And that saddens me. I am trying to attain the high stages of friendship with as many people as possible. If you actually think about it, Woah… The possibilities are endless.
Strings could be pulled, New links could be attached, and the Impossible becomes Possible.

The bf/gf relationship, its like a cycle. And most of us are trapped in it. Its everywhere!! And is it inevitable?
Im not saying that it is wrong, but, just LOOK at the people around. The aim of making friends, is no longer making friends.
A relationship is something that requires maturity, patience, trust and love.
And from what i’ve seen, i dont think either of them are instilled inside the majority of the teenage ‘couples’ all around.

Sometimes, when i think about it, What is the purpose of it in the first place?
Yes, to attain more happiness, love and care, and to develop a bond that is so special, that it cant be explained with words accurate enough to describe it.
But then again, it backfires. I see jealousy all around as a result of the lack of trust. I see breakups, disappointment, frustration and depression. Only a small percentage of the teenage couples so far made it through, some even for 2 years already.

But hey, its not that i condemn relationships.
Its the idea of friendship REVOLVING AROUND the idea of a bf/gf relationship.
It takes a lot of effort to change the mindset of people. I just hope that enough is made to actually change the social pattern of the modern day Malaysian teenagers.

So tell me if im wrong. But let me ask you this,
Do you have a friend that is obsessed about trying to get in a relationship?
A friend that tries and tries to get a bf/gf and fails? And if the fella succeeds, somehow, it’ll break off, and the fella will start over in the cycle, and look for another one ?
Well then. I rest my case. Its impossible not to know such a person, since the plague has been infecting more and more teenagers nowadays.

However, fortunately this plague has NOT infected ALL of us.
There are always those immune to this social-disease that is ruining the natural course of friendship.
And thankfully, i am one of them. Are you?

-post deleted-

since it pissed off my source of inspiration to start blogging.