Lain padang; lain belalang

Actually, it is the same belalang/grasshopper, but at a different playing field. I was walking with my dogs, Roo, Dumdum and Max this morning and recalling what I read in one of the famous bloggers blog. He said that he was doing what many Malaysian (at his status level) would not do. Given the situation that he was in, in the US, he had to do what he had to do. No doubt in my mind that he was doing it under protest either consciously or unconsciously. The stereotyping that we "educated malaysian" had been mentally hammered on "No manual, lowly paying job" is for us. We have education, we spent so much time and energy to get those scrolls or papers, those lowly jobs are for those poor, uneducated lot. However in reality is, there is no demeaning jobs as long as it is halal. Rezeki comes in many ways.
Some people would not be seen dead walking about a block away, carrying bags from the grocery store. Or be seen shopping at a pasar tani or at a discount store for fear of being seen mingling with the 'common' people. That kind of mentality is rampant with status conscious people. Some of these people would spend a lot of money to be able to have branded goods to their name although their credit card says, 'please not again'. I used to buy silk from China (in China and Hong Kong) for my baju kebaya and kurung and shopped in London, Berne and Madrid for my shoes and handbags for what reason I was not very clear at that time. Now when I looked back, my reasons being, I could afford them then, I was not trying to impress people or to show off. However, I did not necessarily need them . I just wonder if the intention was to impress people with our acquired taste, do they really care? I think not, perhaps to sneer at our backs.
Back to lain/different padang. When the padang/field was the student days era, buying goods at Oxfarm was okay, shop at carboot sales was okay too. However once one has reach at a certain level, one would not like to be seen there as well. So, my famous blogger friend has had such a wide experience in being in many different fields including the 'corn field'. I salute him for doing what he had done to survive in the US playing field. I think, when he returns to malaysia, there will be no job or work that is too low to take up.

Having fun in the boonies

Well, when your chores on the farm is done, it is time to relax and enjoy some horse ride.

Fire, fire everywhere, not a breath of fresh air

I have not updated my blog for a very long time due to having some problems with my wrist. It is however is mending now. I had a few falls during the icy and snowy time at the beginning of winter. When i fell, I used my right hand to break my fall and thus sprained my right wrist. I wore braces and arm sling, and took pain killers, but they did not seem to work. My tendon are bruised and raw, therefore I had to change my medicine and treatment.
I could not use my right hand and thus my long absence from blogging. I could still hang out at YM and some tags with my left hand. And proudly can say that i am quite good with my left hand.
Now the story of the fire.
This is the driest and warmest winter since the dustbowl. We have not had precipitation of any significance since November, 2005. More than 400,000 acres were burnt including houses. In Seminole, (my county) alone, a whole housing estate burnt to the ground. In the fire yesterday a whole town was evacuated due to uncontrollable wild fires. Many livestocks were killed. farmers are worried because their pastures and hay are burnt. The situation remains the same until we have some kind of precipitation. I have never seen such disaster in my whole life before, eventhough we had had wild fires around my area a couple of years ago and in 2004. The wind which have been blowing at 40-50 mph helped to spread the fire real fast.