If I were your mind, I would be worried about you. Now because you are reckless, but because the world is a dangerous place. It always has been.

If I were your mind, I would carry the experience of a thousand generations who have come and gone. They learned many hard lessons about survival. I would use that wisdom to push you toward safety, even though you might not understand my motives.

If I were your mind, I would be at your side every moment of your life, taking copious, indelible notes each time your body or soul was injured. I wouldn’t let you forget about those things.

If I were your mind, I would do everything in my power to protect you. I would insist that you heed my warnings.

But if I were you, I wouldn’t always listen to my mind.

– Part 1 Introduction, The User’s Guide to the Human Mind, Shawn T.Smith, PsyD –

well 1stly kta kena redha bahawa masa itu tidak akan menunggu sesiapa (demi masa manusia sentiasa dalam kerugian kecuali mereka yg…) 2ndly kita juga kena redha bahawasanya semua org diberikan masa yg sama, tidak lebih tidal kurang
once we are clear about this we then look at time itself
if time doesn’t wait for me; therefore, how can i actually manage time since I have no control over it. I can only manage something i can control right?

therefore, the first conclusion is: i can’t manage time. It is not time that I manage, it is the task that I manage. 1st context work. I don’t manage time, i manage task
manage self with time or through time?
of course through time
so the fact that u say u kurang masa means you live in the context of I manage time
which to me is a ‘false’ context since i can’t manage time
therefore there is no such thing as kurang masa. it is just me yg tai pandai uruskan my actions

that comes to the 2nd context of time which is we are all given the same time. since it is an equal commodity, it is really up to me to utilize it. It is not about looking for more time because there is none to look for more. Therefore if there is no more extra time to look for to fill my so called “kurang masa” where can I have “more time”? By being effective with the time given to me. Therefore, more time is not an outside endeavor but an inside one i.e. my attitude about my time.

I just returned from my annual overseas holiday trip with my sons. This time around we choose Siem Reap, Cambodia as our destination.

Cambodia’s official name is the Kingdom of Cambodia. The word Kingdom bring with it an context. Upon hearing it, our imagination drifts to a nation full of heritage, old and cultural. This context is true for this beautiful country. It is an old kingdom; in fact the oldest in South East Asia.

An ancient kingdom that can be proud of its role and heritage as being the centre of civilization in Asia. Their oldest temple dates back to even before the 1st century. As my guide says, Cambodia is an old country but a new democracy. Experiencing Angkor Wat will leave you in awe of its greatness. It borders to being miraculous how an ancient people have the vision and industry to build such a magnificent wonder; with each element well thought off not only technologically but culturally. Everything has its meaning; why the stone is laid this way and not that way, the orientation of the building, the number of corners etc.

This young country wants to stand on their own. Economically it is a viable country; natural resources aplenty. Foreign currency flows like water into this country via its tourism. Angkor Wat itself brings in 2 million visitors. If one visitor spend US$100, that is already US$200 million just from Angkor Wat alone!

However, I stand but to wonder will this young nation truly be able to claim their own economic sovereignty if it continues to be ashamed of the very basic/fundamentals of all financial instrument; their own currency; the Riel?

Everywhere I go in Siem Reap the standard initial quote is in US$; the menu, the hotel rate, their salary even to the tit bits sold at the cultural centre is quoted in US$.

Yes some might say there is no big deal in this. Money is money. However, if you ask around why they quote in US$ you will find that the prevailing answer is that US$ is more stable! This answer is a revelation of how they see their own currency thus their own economy. If their level of confidence is such about the stability of their own currency, what is the hope for their confidence in their own economy?

This has nothing to do with the US$. It all has to do with the mentality i.e. belief the Cambodian people have about their Riel.

Words the we choose describes more about us than it describes the subject we are talking about. The words we use is the direct result of our belief system which is a product of our historical discourse. The words we use also shapes not only our reality but also of those around us.

I can’t help but to wonder if the key to Cambodia’s economic transformation isn’t in the development of their economy but in the very simple fact of using Riel in their daily activity instead of US$.