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Archive for December, 2008

The Tunnels of Cu Chi

Posted by Kai on December 28th, 2008

We don't see any Vietcong, but the Vietcong forces are everywhere! - a troubled American soldier

The Vietnam War was one of the bloodiest battles in recent times. When I went there to see what was left behind of the war, I was absolutely blown away. The Vietcong's patriotism was more than anybody would have imagined, succesfully fighting off the mighty American forces, albeit fighting without modern weaponry.

- Me, lurking around the tunnels
Most of all, the symbol of guerilla warfare introduced by the Vietcong was the Cu Chi tunnels.
The vast network of underground tunnels was a sight to behold, though you couldn't actually see the entire structure. You can imagine, like an entire city hidden beneath the surface, the Vietcong communist forces lurk around a huge American base above, ready to strike at anytime, anywhere.
-Booby traps within the tunnels
The network of claustrophobic tunnel complex span at least 25 kilometers long. They're filled with homes, hospitals, kitchens, armouries, shooting bunkers, command centres, meeting rooms, as well as deadly booby traps. When I went there, I was officially speechless.
- The original hole for the Vietcong forces to *disappear*, my dad having trouble getting out of it.
Sadly for the Vietcong, the Americans managed to pump deadly toxic gases into the tunnels to eliminate the threat they failed to overcome. And in the end, in the tunnels alone, more than 10,000 Vietcong patriots died.
A Warning: the long trail that the guide would offer you to go is not for the claustrophobic.

Serpent Encounter

Posted by Kai on December 25th, 2008

There I was, about a week ago, in Ho Chi Minh City, Southern Vietnam.

Vietnam, being a superb tourist destination spot, obviously thrilled me very much. The trip was unexpectedly fun. A country whose status is lower than the country you live in always try their very best to satisfy you. That was a fact when visiting India, Cambodia, and now Vietnam. It makes you enjoy. They provide top-class food, excellent service and a whole lot of privacy.
Going to a third world country makes you feel patriotic.
But the experience was not the main topic. I had experienced it already in several third world nations. It was the first time I held a snake that was interesting...
There I was, in the Mekong River Delta, on an island called Coconut Island. Our guide led us to a small little hut in the middle of a thick rainforest. There was the snake - a huge, beautifully patterned python, at least 2 meters long. Our guide picked it up with his bare hands, and asked who will like to, try it out.
My mom ran berserkedly away, covering her eyes. My dad tried to avoid seeing the gruesome snake. Only I didn't run, I stepped up to let the snake drape on my back. It was damn heavy! And so, the snake seemed to stare at me, tongue sltihering out often. Another tourist, it might have thought.
So i touched its slender body. The body felt cold, as it was a cold blooded animal. I could feel the insides of the huge python gurgling and writhing, trying to slip away. And then it was over. Our guide placed the snake back into the cage.
So I had to say bye to the beautiful snake. The experience was worth it. Words cannot describe it. You have it to try it out yourself.

A Quiet X’mas

Posted by Kai on December 15th, 2008

I could remember the past years of school holidays. The air was filled with christmas mood. Every single mall we went to, christmas songs were chiming away with joy, people sang along. Even some malls invited Santa Claus costume men to help light up the wonderful festival.

This year's pre-christmas was, unsurprisingly, quiet.
The global financial crisis has taken its toll. Usually during christmas, people at malls would spend freely, buying christmas presents for their loved ones. Now that the world's economy was bad, the festive mood isn't there anymore. The magic has evaporated.
Even the non-stop christmas songs played in shopping malls fail to cheer up the people. The people, right now, try to save as much as possible, bracing for worse economic meltdowns. It is bad. Really bad.
Not only christmas was quiet, even Deepavali was not much celebrated of. Deepavali unfortunately fell on the period of time when the stock market tumbled. But still, Malaysia is fortunate enough to resist the terrible financial crisis which hit USA, Germany and Japan hard.
It is indeed, very difficult to build the festive mood we once had before.
Oh come on, this happens. I hope the crisis will not dampen the New Year mood, as well as Chinese New Year.
Ermm... merry christmas.

Pirates…

Posted by Kai on December 9th, 2008

Seriously, in reality, there are plenty of pirates. Not the fictional wacky versions of Pirates of the Carribean or the cheesy Captain Hook. These are real-life pirates.

Currently there are two types of them:
1. Somali pirates who seize ships to demand a ransom
2. Malaysian pirates who illegally reproduce media without copyrights
The Somali pirates are dangerous pirates, like the ones we see on television. However, they have gone modern. Instead of swords and old-fashioned guns, they now have modern weapons like AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenades.
And, the Somali government cannot do anything about them. What's most likely happening, is the fact that the pirates are so rich after obtaining profit by capturing passing ships. They could bribe the government forces so much so they won't seize them, instead, provide them with arms.
In the news, we hear plenty of reports of trading vessels held in captivity by these pirates. Still, not much action is taken by the Somali government. However, other nations like the USA and France prepare to retake the vessels they once owned. It is as if the pirates are like the Mafia in Italy, controlling the entire country's economy.
And back in Malaysia, I was strolling in a mall in OUG. A mall named Citrus Park. Once I entered the ground floor, I saw a vendor clearly renting a shop, displaying hundreds of DVDs. With that, dozens of people surrounding the shop. Apparently, right here in Malaysia, the people love the pirates.
And I went on and I saw a kiosk, selling a lot of PC games. It was there I bought Red Alert 3. After purchasing my stuff, I was smiling and telling myself, I'll be coming back here. Clearly, I love these pirates too!
So, a message to Polis Diraja Malaysia: Stop busting these pirates. They are the heart and soul of media in this country.

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