Semalam, someone from the HQ kelam kabut texted me to ask if everything's alright.
"How's Sudan? Selamat ke?" she asked. And I replied: "Err... okay je. I'm watching TV."
"Oh?" she seemed surprised. And so I asked what was the fuss all about. And she said, "Kan ada terrorist threat semua...?"
And I had to explain that the terrorist threat was directed at US Consulates and Embassies especially located at the Middle East region. So no, it just doesn't affect the US Consulate in Khartoum.(Apparently, the US has decided to close down 22 of its Consulates and Embassies in this region today (Sunday) because of some threat that they had received.)
In a way, yes.. Sudan (or rather, Khartoum) must be on alert.. because the US Embassy in Sudan is one of those that are affected by the closure. But to press the panic button to KL because of this?
Yang orang KL ni pun satu. Don't they read the news? I mean, news about the closure of the Consulates and the Embassies were posted on the Internet since Friday, or Thursday (I can't remember). And baru semalam kecoh pasal ni?
Which made me wonder... do people actually read the news anymore?
Tapi kan, the sad truth is, people are so consumed with Facebook and Instagram these days that they hardly read. I'm guilty of that too. Cuma I think I'm lucky that I have journo friends that still post interesting news on Facebook. So in a way, I am still very much in touch with the issues back home.
But really.. reading Facebook postings online and checking out the pictures on Instagram had made me a lazy book reader. The last book I read was the one I bought while holidaying in Amsterdam. Of course, I have been reading the book I downloaded on my phone, but that is a different story lah. It's not the same as holding a book.. like physically holding a book..turning the pages, one by one.
I'm definitely digressing.. but back to the news bit.Yes, I think bosses should spend more time reading world news. I mean, if you are the boss of a multinational company, with operations all over the world, shouldn't you spend more time understanding what's happening to the world?
You need to understand geopolitical issues.. even the wars and conflicts in countries surrounding the country where you operate.
You have a driver who drives you around. You should be reading when you're in the car.
I know for a fact that Tun Dr Mahathir reads in the morning. Dulu, when I used to cover his morning assignments.. by the time he had his Press conference at 10am, he already could comment on all the news that came out in the papers that day. That means, the moment he woke up, he would have read all the important news already.
Now that is what I call the habits of an intellectual man.
But then again, he is a different kind of man la.
Sigh. I just wish I have 10 per cent of his brain. Just 10 per cent of his intelligence and his perseverance in seeking knowledge.
Sigh. Which reminds me.. there's just so many things to read up and understand..
I so want to know more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Apa yang controversial sangat pasal Agreement tu? Why are only selected countries involved in it? (And our country is involved pulak tu..) How will the outcome of the TPPA affect us, and our economy?
I am also very interested in the Shia-Sunni relationship. I might want to get a book on that when I get to London nanti. Must go look for a bookshop and read more on it. Saja je. I've always wanted to know more about why Shias and Sunnis are so different from each other.. cuma I think now it's time to read it because there are more Shias in Malaysia.
So yes, I am planning to shop for books in London. Must cultivate that reading habit again. Sorry, I mean must cultivate the BOOK reading habit again.
I am far from intelligent. There're just sooooo many things that I don't know. Browsing through New York Times and Sudan Vision in the morning is not enough. I need to remind myself to stop surfing through Facebook or Instagram so much.
I need to stop watching too much TV and start reading.
And this is where I wanna go to when I'm in London next week...
Ok. Gotta run. Ada meeting... Ciao..... xoxo
"How's Sudan? Selamat ke?" she asked. And I replied: "Err... okay je. I'm watching TV."
"Oh?" she seemed surprised. And so I asked what was the fuss all about. And she said, "Kan ada terrorist threat semua...?"
And I had to explain that the terrorist threat was directed at US Consulates and Embassies especially located at the Middle East region. So no, it just doesn't affect the US Consulate in Khartoum.(Apparently, the US has decided to close down 22 of its Consulates and Embassies in this region today (Sunday) because of some threat that they had received.)
In a way, yes.. Sudan (or rather, Khartoum) must be on alert.. because the US Embassy in Sudan is one of those that are affected by the closure. But to press the panic button to KL because of this?
Yang orang KL ni pun satu. Don't they read the news? I mean, news about the closure of the Consulates and the Embassies were posted on the Internet since Friday, or Thursday (I can't remember). And baru semalam kecoh pasal ni?
Which made me wonder... do people actually read the news anymore?
Tapi kan, the sad truth is, people are so consumed with Facebook and Instagram these days that they hardly read. I'm guilty of that too. Cuma I think I'm lucky that I have journo friends that still post interesting news on Facebook. So in a way, I am still very much in touch with the issues back home.
But really.. reading Facebook postings online and checking out the pictures on Instagram had made me a lazy book reader. The last book I read was the one I bought while holidaying in Amsterdam. Of course, I have been reading the book I downloaded on my phone, but that is a different story lah. It's not the same as holding a book.. like physically holding a book..turning the pages, one by one.
I'm definitely digressing.. but back to the news bit.Yes, I think bosses should spend more time reading world news. I mean, if you are the boss of a multinational company, with operations all over the world, shouldn't you spend more time understanding what's happening to the world?
You need to understand geopolitical issues.. even the wars and conflicts in countries surrounding the country where you operate.
You have a driver who drives you around. You should be reading when you're in the car.
I know for a fact that Tun Dr Mahathir reads in the morning. Dulu, when I used to cover his morning assignments.. by the time he had his Press conference at 10am, he already could comment on all the news that came out in the papers that day. That means, the moment he woke up, he would have read all the important news already.
Now that is what I call the habits of an intellectual man.
But then again, he is a different kind of man la.
Sigh. I just wish I have 10 per cent of his brain. Just 10 per cent of his intelligence and his perseverance in seeking knowledge.
Sigh. Which reminds me.. there's just so many things to read up and understand..
I so want to know more about the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). Apa yang controversial sangat pasal Agreement tu? Why are only selected countries involved in it? (And our country is involved pulak tu..) How will the outcome of the TPPA affect us, and our economy?
I am also very interested in the Shia-Sunni relationship. I might want to get a book on that when I get to London nanti. Must go look for a bookshop and read more on it. Saja je. I've always wanted to know more about why Shias and Sunnis are so different from each other.. cuma I think now it's time to read it because there are more Shias in Malaysia.
So yes, I am planning to shop for books in London. Must cultivate that reading habit again. Sorry, I mean must cultivate the BOOK reading habit again.
I am far from intelligent. There're just sooooo many things that I don't know. Browsing through New York Times and Sudan Vision in the morning is not enough. I need to remind myself to stop surfing through Facebook or Instagram so much.
I need to stop watching too much TV and start reading.
And this is where I wanna go to when I'm in London next week...
 |
| The bookstore at Leicester Square |
Ok. Gotta run. Ada meeting... Ciao..... xoxo
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