The Malaysian Insider

FEB 25 — Two years ago today, The Malaysian Insider went “live” and well... you know the rest. I reckon fewer than 50 people read us that first day but those of us in the pioneering team were, like all new parents, incredibly proud anyway.

To be honest, that first version of The Malaysian Insider looked kind of amateurish. Nothing was segmented and all the stories were in one big section. Heck, we didn’t even have that many stories back then.

FEB 14 — Our conversation at Chinese New Year reunion dinner this year centred around happiness. Or to be more specific, how we can train our brains to be more open to happiness!

I thought it a wonderfully appropriate topic for the festive season. A standard greeting during the Chinese New Year is “Gong Xi Fa Cai” which loosely translates into “Wishing you prosperity!”

Yes, I guess you could say money/wealth/prosperity figures prominently around Chinese New Year.

FEB 7 — Just when you thought it was safe to go into a restaurant again, Chinese New Year (and its accompanying excesses) is upon us once more. Following on the heels of Christmas and New Year’s, one feels almost a little ashamed to be “celebrating”. Again.

I don’t know about you but I am already suffering from... how shall I put it? Celebration fatigue. Yes, Chinese New Year falls on Feb 14 this year but already I have had yee sang three times already.

So is it me or we are just overdoing this celebrating thing? I remember a time when I looked forward to Chinese New Year. It meant new clothes, angpows and mandarin oranges.

JAN 24 – Somebody wished me “Happy New Year” a couple of days ago. Technically a valid greeting since we are still in January but I returned her chirpy greeting with – I must confess – a rather Grinch-like one. I told her the year already feels tattered and worn out to me.

Thinking about it now, I feel a little ashamed for raining on her parade. She had wished me in all sincerity because she had not seen me since Christmas and there I was all grumpy and Scrooge-y.

The thing is, it’s been a terrible January. All this fighting, finger-pointing and attacks on places of worship.

It’s just all been a little too much. I keep hoping that someone (but who?) will call a time out and that people will come to their senses.

JAN 17 — Are you one of those people who spends hours at the computer, trawling the Net for all sorts of information? Participating in forums?

Sharing your point of view and even getting into arguments with other people?

You are? Well, I guess you like your news here and now. And more importantly, you want people to know what you think.