So what is your favorite song?

We had makan-makan yesterday.. and it was fun. I mean, the group was fun.. all merry and happy.. so it's actually a pleasure feeding these hungry, hardworking men (and woman). :)

Anyway, I had a good conversation during dinner too. We actually reminisced about our favorite songs.. Which made me think.. If I could list down 10 of my favorite English songs and 10 of my favorite Malay / Indonesian songs, what will it be?

Here's my list (for now):
English songs:
1. You're All I Need - White Lion
2. Patience - Guns N' Roses
3. Alone - Heart
4. How Could An Angel Break My Heart - Toni Braxton
5. Doin' Just Fine - Boyz II Men
6. How Could You - Jodeci
7. Run To You - Whitney Houston
8. Heaven - Bryan Adams
9. Until The End of Time - Innuendo
10.Buy Me Love (Money Can't) - Blackstreet

Malay / Indonesian songs:
1. Belaian Jiwa - Innuendo
2. Tiada Lagi - Amy Search
3. Tercipta Untukku - Ungu
4. Menghitung Hari - Kris Dayanti
5. Demi Cinta - Kerispatih
6. Debunga Cinta - Misha Omar
7. Sedetik Lebih - Anuar Zain
8. Taman Rashidah Utama - Wings
9. Tiada Lagi Kidungmu - Lefthanded
10. Tinggal Kenangan - Saleem

So there.. my Top 20.. if I could have these songs in my iPhone right now, I'd be a happy child.. :)

Anyway, newspaper reports have indicated that there will be no oil disruption in Sudan / South Sudan. And this is such good news! This means that I have won the bet.. and hence, will be getting the iPad mini 2 (with retina screen, if possible) when it is launched.

Bila nak launch ni?

Tapi iPad mini aside, this bet was more about pride. I made this bet with a friend in Malaysia. He has no access to the people here. He was at a disadvantage. He has no friends at the Ministry of Petroleum. No Sudanese contacts at all. All he had was an adviser - a friend, who once worked in Sudan.

So yeah.. I'm glad I won this bet. This has been a very intense bet, for me. This is about pride. I actually took some time, before I made my prediction on the outcome of the oil drama. If I were to lose this bet, it clearly meant that I did not understand the people and the country just yet.

True, someone told me that it's quite hard to predict the outcome of this oil drama. But by talking to people, you could somehow gauge the sentiments. This was supposed to be my advantage. As I am in the country and have access to the Sudanese.

I am glad I didn't give in. He gave me an option - to call it a truce - when the Government decided to extend the grace period of 60 days. I said "no". I suggested that we just follow the extension because what matters is the outcome at the end of the 60-days grace period. There's no two-ways about this bet, I argued. It will not be a truce. The oil will either flow. Or not.

I think many weren't confident that the oil will continue to flow. Even after South Sudan expelled all its Cabinet Ministers. They predicted that there will be continued instability and chaos and Sudan will decide to just drop the whole deal. Settle your own problems and then talk to us, kinda thing.

But I saw it differently. I saw it as the South doing its best to appease the North. You probably don't like my current Government.. so okay, I will change it. That was how I saw it. But now there's a new risk involved. What if the North doesn't like the South's new Cabinet lineup?

Doesn't matter now. I have won the bet. Woohoo. Kinda like this kind of analysis game pulak. And if I do teach someday (in shaa Allah), this will definitely be a case study that I will share with my students.

Oh. And while Sudan is on a happy mode (habis lah.. USD akan turun lah lepas ni.. so baik tukar SDG cepat-cepat), US is deciding if they should attack Syria or not. I've been watching CNN since yesterday. The debate at Capitol Hill was kinda interesting. Also interesting to note that more than 50% of Americans themselves say that the Government should not interfere. No need to send troops to Syria. Let them resolve their own issues.

In a way, I kinda agree with that. I mean, look at Iraq. Even with US 'invasion' (sebab kononnya nak selamatkan Iraqis from Saddam), what was the outcome of that? Is Iraq a better country now? What did America (or Americans) achieve from the 'invasion'?

So yes, for this one, I'm also telling US to just stay out. This is Syria's issue. Plus, they are surrounded by their Muslim brothers. Why aren't the Muslim brothers sending their troops over? I saw some of the horror videos of Syria on YouTube. Sedih lah. Especially since now they have resorted to using chemical weapon. But I can't say much lah. I'm only slowly reading the Palestine-Israel book.. slowly trying to understand the war in Palestine/Israel.

Still struggling to get through this book

I don't even know how the Syria crisis started. (Hmm.. will have to google it soon.)

Cuma, I just feel that US should just stay out. Who appointed them to be Captain America and save the world, anyway? Kan?

Okay. Enough rambling. Too many geopolitical things are running through my head at the moment. Feeling kinda stupid jugak sebab I realize I don't know world issues anymore.. :(

Nak sambung baca my New York Times and then continue with my work. So many petty things to settle.. heheh..

Ciao... xoxo

UPDATE: I just read the NYT. President Obama won. The Senate had agreed to attack Syria. Sigh. Happy bombing and killing, folks. :(