The Caste System

Okay so I admit I sort of stole the title off one of the SATC episodes, but the inspiration that came brought about this post is non-SATC related. (Yes, I know....I'm indugling in too much SAT - can't help it though...love it to bits).

Anyway moving on:

A thought struck me the other day. Why is it that we Malaysians have a tendency to just overlook and 'see through' incidences that happen right in front of us, be it good or bad, and even when we are frowning severely upon something that we completely disapprove of, or are appalled by.

Most of the time.....if we see someone flagging cars frantically by the side of the road, we sail right by them with the notion that hitch-hikers are possibly muggers in disguise.

Or if we watch someone being mugged openly in the streets and launches into a screaming or chasing spree, the nicest citizen around will assist no more than take several steps back to clear the path for the victim so he/she can run after the thief.

Are we all so jaded that nobody actually takes anything seriously anymore? Have we all become so cynical and suspicious of everything and everyone around us that we have lost all the principles that we have stood so strongly by our whole lives?

I, for one, as guilty am charged. And it bugs me greatly.

A couple of days ago, in the midst of making notes for my presentation, a loud, disturbing scene outside the room distracted me momentarily and my eyes were drawn to the scene, after a which an expression of pure disgust and horror was etched on my face for a very long time.

Since when did social stratification exist amongst students? Since when did any of us practise the caste system that assigned individuals to their 'destined' places in social hierarchy just because of their heritage / culture / background? Were we in the 21st century or Middle Aged India?

I have never been a person to believe in demeaning or looking down our noses at others, who are, in fact, no different from ourselves in terms of social status or cultural heritage. We are ALL medical students for crying out loud. There is a need to swallow our pride at every milestone in our career. How will an ego trip benefit you now, when working with consultants in the future will hurt your seemingly gigantic ego even further, being at the bottom of the medical food chain?

True, I am not the nicest person in this world. I do not flash bright smiles and dish out free hugs willingly to people whom I dislike. I am not pretentious in any way. But I am not irrational either. There are obvious limits to my decisions and the actions I decide to take, simply because I know that everything I do, be it to others or myself, defines me as a person, and shapes my image accordingly.

I may have a thing for bad boys, but no way in hell am I a bad girl. Or an unclassy one, to be precise. I have my principles and my stands and I know the difference between right and wrong.

I have deviated horribly from my main point.

The fact that I was horrified by the treatment that a certain group of people were dishing out on to a few poor freshmen souls were enough to ensure that my humanity and passion was still intact.

But the fact that I continued to sit there and do nothing about it, was horrifying.

In all retrospect, I should have stood up, gone out, and spoken to them politely but firmly, that there wasn't a soul in this place that had bestowed this 'power' upon them to act like Kings of the social caste.

Clean up your act, guys. Discrimination based on YOUR self-created 'caste' is getting old.

And for that matter, the next time I see something like that again, I promise myself that I am putting my foot down and INTO the circle.

Just for the sake of updating this blog...

Contrary to my mum's belief, I am not 'studying too hard' or 'stressing out unnecessarily'. Instead, I am doing quite the opposite.

So I have really no idea why the hell I am still unable to sleep at night.

I'm supposed to be mugging hard right about now but I detoured to Net-a-Porter instead and spent my time sifting through De La Renta and McQueen and Mint Jodi Arnold and keeping the images in my head so that the next time I visit High Street stores, I can look out for similar styles without forking out 5000 US Dollars for a cocktail dress. I draw the line at Marc by Marc Jacobs and BCBG. Or rather, my Credit Card does. Haha.























I have a newfound love for Mint Jodi Arnold, and the purple silk of that dress just adds icing to the cake. I have yet to own a purple outfit/dress that is highly outstanding. Purple itself makes statements on its own, and it takes a great deal of poise and style to pull off wearing something in that colour without looking distastefully tacky or loud. And at USD$500, it isn't half as bad as the thousand dollar red Preen Power Bandage dress. I guess. If I can even find a Mint Jodi Arnold store around that is NOT in the US. Sigh.

There are certain styles that you tend to associate with a person when you see an outfit, and I do the same with myself. My sense of style has evolved slowly throughout the years though, possibly with age, possibly with experience.....who knows. I've gone from funky to hiphop Adidas Originals streetwear, to a zillion other things, and now I think I am just simply in for anything Classic yet trendy.

OK enough about fashion. My sense of style has been deteriorating slowly but surely as of late, and I can't even be bothered to accessorise anymore, when at one point in the past, that was the one thing I really prided myself on. And oh, I have the loveliest dark circles under my eyes to match.


This weekend is going to be filled with more and more monotonous studying (I hope). Last weekend was really fun, and even though I spent most of the weekend talking to people until 4 am, I had not laughed so much either since this year began. Unfortunately, that is short-lived for the moment. Or so it seems.

Back to more Peripheral Nervous System crap.

He's Just Not That Into You

I first picked up this phrase frm SATC, where Miranda was introduced to this concept by Carrie's Man of the Moment.

Ever since, I've been reciting it in my head. I particularly like enunciating it where necessary. Read as shown:

He's just not that into you.

Unfortunately, I haven't had the guts like Miranda to actually spread the gospel to others yet, well who am I to dish out advice like this when I, like Carrie and the rest of the girls, have spent a fair bit of my life deciphering mixed messages.

Maybe it's all like what Berger said:

"With men, there are no mixed messages. If we like you, we're coming upstairs."

And I really, REALLY believe that it's true. Well, save for certain extenuating circumstances. But isn't life so much simpler without the constant pain of reading in between the lines and constantly pondering why this or that happened, amidst juggling hot-cold tendencies and trying to turn them into a more favourable answer?

I guess there probably are no love-hate relationships in this world. You either mean what you say or say what you mean.

So the next time something like this happens, I'm embracing the gospel with open arms and an open heart.
There are no mixed messages.

He's just not that into you.

PS: I'm so watching the movie soon.