Bersih 2.0!

9th July 2011.... marked 2 very significant events in my life, the first of which I watched as history unfolded before the whole world, right from my very doorstep.

Downtown Kuala Lumpur was unrecognisable as thousands of opposition leaders and supporters filled the streets in a chant for a free and fair election and transparent votes. As it is an amicable plight to highlight this coalition's objectives, the whole city was in a shutdown as preemptive measures to manage this so-called "illegal rally". From midnight onwards, the police had already begun their road closures at major road entrances into KL City. This caused a massive inconvenience to hundreds more thousands of commuters and road users who asks merely for a comfortable alternative. Afterall, it is a weekend! Families have family functions, weddings, prayers for the coming of age, school-going children's extracurricular tuition classes, ballet, piano and swimming lessons, etc. I was on the road to Ipoh at 745am that fateful Saturday morning, to attend a public health presentation. Fortunate to miss the entire drama, watching it from the window of my Iphone as pictures and videos are posted on facebook is just appalling! Masjid Jamek, Puduraya, Chinatown, Pasar Seni-- all too familiar roads were filled with armed forces, shooting tear gas and water canons at protesters and supporters. Unbelievable!

In light of a call to CHANGE, the Bersih 2.0 campaign had clear objectives. Execution can be improved but nonetheless, objectives of awareness met. Bersih (Clean) 2.0 http://bersih.org/ is not meant to antagonise or demonize...but to create a united voice with peace and a stern professionalism for Malaysians to speak up together. I sincerely hope and pray for the future of our generations as our decisions today will impact their's.

Bersih, in the Malay language, means clean (noun), to clean (verb). With this regard, something closer to home brewed a cleansing! I was literally cleaning out my home in efforts towards a huge move from an apartment into a townhouse. All happened over last weekend, after returning from a work do in Ipoh. Oh what a feat! This was my own version of Bersih 2.0 as this is the 2nd time I'm moving in the past 8 years. Phew! It was my final night at 6C, Fern Lodge Apartments, Taman Tan Yew Lai, KL. So much has happened indeed-- smiles, laughs, tears, frustrations. Hot and Cold!

In a moment of packing paralysis, a tsunami of nostalgia crossed in a blink and a flash of neurons as I stumbled upon a stack of old photos from high school and college days- oh how youthful personalities they were in those prints! Truly, we only have 1 life! One life to do and experience everything! Cherish the loved ones like family and dear friends. Seize all opportunities to better ourselves. Learn to live life as it comes and make the best of it. Open our mind's eye to make positive changes consciously and detox as much negativity.

Come what may: Embrace Bersih!