Chivalry dead?

Chivalry is dead. Gone are the days when men were gentlemanly and strong. Gone were the days of heroics and valour. Now we just see selfishness and greed.

What happened to the men? Have they become so weak that to give up a seat for a needy person is unbearable for them? A few minutes of standing would kill them? Where have all the men with respect and politeness gone to? What happened to the men who would open doors for you, and carry your stuff and politely giving way if a woman crosses his path? It's like unless they're paid to do so, then people can just forget about being treated that way.

Remember the ad of the man in the lrt that refuses to stand up and give his seat to needier people who didn't manage to get a seat? Notice that the selfish one was a guy and the needy people were all women? Is it coincidental or a just a potrayal of what our men has evolved into?Nowadays I see women who would stand up to give a senior citizen a seat on the lrt. A teenage girl would stand up and give a pregnant lady a seat and I also see a men pointedly ignoring a lady with a child desperately trying to keep balance on the moving train while at the same time ensuring that her child is safe. What is happening to the men nowadays?

I'm a feminist but I don't go round saying that woman are better than men. I believe in equity and I believe that god has created men and women in the world with unique responsibilities befitting their gender. Nor do I go round saying that women should be treated like a fragile being which would shatter at just the meerest jolt. What I'm trying to say here is that women nowadays understand that they too need to be strong. We can stand in the lrt if need be and we dont need a man to offer his seat to us just because we're a woman but my focus is about respect and selflessness. The act of chivalry goes a long way with people and leaves a far lasting impression than anything else. Up to this very day I still remember the guy who gave up his seat for me just because I decided to give up my seat to a blind man. Although I would never meet him again he has my lifelong respect.

Chivalry is dead. Or at the very least dying. I apologise to those who have this admirable trait in them but I feel that once these men are gone from this world their trait would die with them.

Although, just this one time I want to be proven wrong.

New York ,USA 80%
Zurich, Switzerland 77%
Toronto, Canada 70%
Berlin , Germany 68%
São Paulo , Brazil 68%
Zagreb , Croatia 68%
Auckland, New Zealand 67%
Warsaw , Poland 67%
Mexico City ,Mexico 65%
Stockholm ,Sweden 63%
Budapest , Hungary 60%
Madrid , Spain 60%
Prague , Czech Republic 60%
Vienna , Austria 60%
Buenos Aires , Argentina 57%
Johannesburg, South Africa 57%
Lisbon, Portugal 57%
London, United Kingdom 57%
Paris , France 57%
Amsterdam , Netherlands 52%
Helsinki ,Finland 48%
Manila , Philippines 48%
Milan , Italy 47%
Sydney ,Australia 47%
Bangkok , Thailand 45%
Hong Kong , 45%
Ljubljana ,Slovenia 45%
Jakarta , Indonesia 43%
Taipei , Taiwan 43%
Moscow , Russia 42%
Singapore 42%
Seoul , South Korea 40%
Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia 37%
Bucharest ,Romania 35%
Mumbai , India 32%

For those who ar wondering what the heck that list is, it's the ranking for the most polite countries in the world and YES!! MALAYSIA IS THE THIRD RUDEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!

Yes people... time to deal with it. It's so true! If foreigners and tourist can say that Malaysians are rude to them, what say us the citizens of Malaysia. We're treated like crap!! I have been in numerous situations where my own race treats me like I'm shit based on my dressing. Come on... sure 1st impression counts but if you want business treat people with respect! A friend of mine was advised to leave a Levi's outlet just because he wasn't wearing shoes. He was wearing one of those stylish flip flops but apparently the salesperson wasn't impressed. Well... he must have regretted what he said when the guy bought two pairs of jeans and told the manager about his manners.

Malaysians don't teach manners to their kids anymore. We see parents bringing little kids to important functions and letting them run wild and disturbing whatever is going on. Cinema, weddings, restaurants... you name it there's always kids that are let loose while their parents ignore the fact that they're causing a racket.

Irony is that our government is promoting this "Budi Bahasa Budaya Kita" (courtesy is our culture) shit while the rudest of the lot are government officials. The last time I dealt with government officials was when I had to certify my grandma's death certificate. I went there and there was nobody at the counter. So I sat down and calmly waited. Soon a lady officer came and what do you know the person who came after me rushed to the counter and immediately got served. Me being the polit girl that I am waited because in my mind I'm thinking he's an old man who doesn't know about manners. After that it was my turn. All was fine when suddenly this man out of nowhere came right next to me and started asking about his problems and that lady (I'm guessing he was a friend of hers coc they were all smiley) immediately went on to take care of his affair. And I was aaarrrggghhh!! Hello! I'm right here in front of your counter!!

There's been many cases of that in hospitals, in post offices and in any administrative offices. So tell me where the hell is this "Budi Bahasa Budaya Kita" that we're so proud of. Government clerks can just stop in between duties and chat while we're there waiting for them to settle whatever it is we need settling. If we even open our mouths to tell them to get a move on they'll probably sabotage us. My mum was scolded at once during a tax review recently. What's the purpose of putting enquiry officers at a enquiry desk if you dont want people to ask you questions. How dumb can that be?

I know that most government servants are Malays and it may seem like I'm dissing my own race but hell no! I'm dissing all Malaysians. Chinese have a habit of spitting everywhere and I have come within an inch of getting hit with a spitball. Indians tend to be impatient and sometimes look down on people they think aren't educated. I've seen the astonished looks people gave me when I speak fluent English after I tried communicating in Malay. What's wrong with conversing in my mother tongue?

A lot of difference can be made with just a smile and a simple Thank You but no... it's simply too much of a hassle to say 2 simple words and stretch you mouth muscles.

This issue bout 'MAWI'

Today is the American Independance Day and looks like Mawi gained independance too. From his Fiance. This "Mawi Craze" is never gonna die down is it. Granted that he'll probably be one of the nation's top artists but you would think that after a while his "WORLD" aura would simmer down just a little but NO... he rises like a phoenix from the ashes.

*sigh* Kinda getting sick of all this Hoo-Haa bout this kampung-boy gone big. Seriously, he's not even that cute. Just blessed with a whole lot of charisma I guess. But unlike the time when he first made his appearance, this time there's mixed reactions. Anger, suprise, sympathy, disgust. Kinda makes this whole "putus-tunang" debacle fun to watch. On one side there his ardent followers supporting his every move and claiming that 'It wasn't Mawi's fault! Diana blabbed to the world bout the engagement' while on the other side is these people saying that 'Mawi lupa daratan! (ungrateful)'. Hehe! Dilemma isn't it? I wonder how Mawi gonna get through this. You could check out Astro's channel 15&16 and there's this bunch of people who has no better things to do with their time and money cussing at each other about the Mawi and Diana issue. And all this while Mawi is oblivious to what's going on coz he's too busy making money from these people.

Kinda reminds me bout the whole Sharifah Aini incident. The issue of her hate campaign against Siti and her mock attack incident. Artists will do just about anything to keep their names in the papers. It's just so embarassing at times. However are you gonna show your face in public again? I mean the next time she shows up for a show people will just whisper behind her back about how she tried to bring Siti down. Sharifah Aini can never again be seen at any function where Siti is present.

One thing I noticed with the gossip columns in Malaysian magazines or papers is that fans here are really, really nosy and MEAN. And the artists themselves are crude, extremely superficial and somewhat stupid. Somehow I dont get that impression when I read anything about Hollywood stars. Sure they have stupid incidents too but somehow they show more class. Or maybe the reporters have more class. Hmm...

Back to the Mawi issue... I'm waiting for the moment that it'll all die down again coz my mum is going on and on and on bout him and I'm getting sick (Yes, she's Mawi's die hard fan.) I guess the only time when people will lose interest is after he gets married but before that happens his marriage will probably be the wedding of the century. If that happens and he gets divorced like Erra and Yusry, man... that's another embarassment he has to live down. Artists... when will they learn?