Too Much of....

I rant. I rant.

We cry for freedom. Everyday we cry for freedom. We cry for it since the ages past, and in times to come we will still cry fot it. We want freedom over many things; how we live our lives, what we choose for ourselves, what we want to believe in. We want it adamantly so, that we are threathened by anything that might impose on us in ways we do not like.

Over time, we grow resentful on these impositions, we rebel against it. Yes, we are rebels. We think of ourselves different. We think ourselves better, at least in regards of our personal interests. We want to be free, we want to be independent so we rebel against it. Against what?

Against it. The tradional, the common, the norm, the usual, the accepted wisdom, the System, the way things are. We should act, observe, analyze differently than the rest. We should think differently. We should alter our perceptions of things. We should think outside the box, we have to remove the typical governing mind frame and... perceive in our own manner.

Freedom after all is the ideal, isn't it? We want freedom so much. We want freedom, without restraint. We want it, it is our right. You do not agree? You are backward. You are close minded. You are imposing restrictions... which is bad. Nothing good will ever come out of that accepted wisdom you so fearfully cling on to. You are not thinking clear enough.

You are angry, my thinking insults your beliefs? You are being over sensitive. It is my right and freedom to believe what I want and to invoke that believe as I please. You, old school conservatives with your backward ways are living in the past, are too restrictive and close minded. Fancy getting touchy over such trivial things like your faiths and beliefs.

My ways are about being open minded and accepting other people's own choices in things. Oh yes, I am open minded, which is why I enjoy ridiculing your backward thinking. We all must be open minded, like me, my way of thinking is how the future should be. Let's be open to all things, to be more accepting of other people and their...quirky nuances. Let's be welcoming to gays, satanists, and all other bat-shit alignments. And while we are on that, let's work for a way to welcome thievery as acceptable. It's not like stealing hurts anyone after all, the supposed victims are after all at fault for leaving themselves vulnerable.

Throw away the shackles of the old. Tradition? Religion? Those conservatives are mired in the old days. Of course, we should have tradition, religion... but those things should be evolved to a point of accomodating our new found freedom of beliefs.

It is freedom after all. We should strive for it. Oh yes... We should strive for too much freedom.

The Triumvirate of the Black Bird

There were 3 people.

Last Saturday turned my thoughts on this triumvirate, made me harken back to days of old.

There was an add-on to the 'staff' from differing sides and circles but at the heart of it was the three persons. I am at a disadvantage when in regards to these three compared to many other people in this circle for having known them closely only for a year. The Final Year at that.

I have faint recollection as to why and what made it such an irresistable choice, merely that it was a graphic novel inspired movie, but for all intents and purposes, we know them simply, as... the Crows.

Whilst I never considered myself truly a part of what that name symbolizes back then but merely acquainted with those people, it would be a gross understatement to say they had little impact on my course and present condition.

Whilst I have always had an interest in art and drawing, it wasn't until these three introduced me to comic books that I had a more definite focus in that field of interest. What I recall most is the usual trips on Fridays, just prior to the Friday prayers, to Central Market (Pasar Seni) where we would purchase comic books, myself just starting to buy Spider-Man comics then. Being the kids that we were, the issue of reading said recently-purchased-source-of-interest was used to conveniently replace the khutbah at Friday Prayers. Couple with the fact that we read those comics then in plain sight amongst all the other attendees of the prayer session, and that the mosque in question was Masjid Negara (The National Mosque), I dare say we were quite.... bold.

As far as my 12 year old self goes, they were the biggest catalyst that propels me to my current field of interest.

Ah, but how far have we come since those innocent days as primary school kids.

Johan was back then the most dominating of the three. He was the biggest after all. Strange how the opposite can be said of today. I may perhaps err but he exhibited an air of confidence back then that was at times assuring, making one always likened for his approval in things (comic book art being chief among them) but also at times making him quite intimidating and somewhat less approachable. Today, after meeting him recently, I dare say the confidence is there but not the intimidation. He is involved in... selling insurance if I am not mistaken. He will be wed in about 3 months time or so from the time of writing, or so I've been told.

Afizal was the smallest then, at least that is how I recall. He has the distinction of forever being labeled in my mind as 'tok guru' (master) because he helped and provided a lot of inspiration for me in developing my own interest in drawing. The guy was a genius in drawing, second only to a few other people I knew back then. I tried going through tonnes of dust, old memoribilia and junk, but I can't find that one, somewhat silly, little work we had done in collaboration back then. It was some weird idea... ah of course, 'Lemon Guy' the title of it was. The guy was also the biggest joker of the three and it would be rare indeed for the guy to lose his humor. Presently he had the distinction, if my (less than) keen sense of sight is accurate, of being the tallest of the three, yet another contradiction of the old balance. He is now... and I'm questioning if I am getting this right.... in weather forecast? He is now an expecting to be a parent.

Hakim, congratulations to him on his recent wedding last Saturday, is the more malleable of the three. If memory serves, he was the one that made me have ties with the Crows back then in the first place, the one that had me initially hooked on to the whole business of comics. Less funny than one, not as intimidating as the other, I think he was the best to be the more diplomatic of the three, but of course I make no claims on the discourse of their dealings with others, I am after all telling something as I remember it. Without his influence, the rest would be irrelevant as I would see it. The one thing I remember about him back in the day was that the guy had 'iron hair'. He would really use quite a bit of hair gel which resulted in his hair being of set shape and condition, like it was a solid brick or a piece of iron. Recently wed, the guy currently works and lives in Russia. Correct me if I am wrong but 'shipbuilding' or something akin to it is his trade. Our 'komrade' returned in time for his wedding and is due back there soon. He has his roots still strong back home I suppose, I would have find myself a hot Russian chi... oh, right... never mind, this isn't about me.

I am amused that none followed the art path, as I did. But then I suppose that is how things are. Sometimes we follow what is obvious. And sometimes, we only indulge enough so as to help others find their path. At the very least they seem to be in relative good positions in their respective trade. Whatever happens from now on, I suppose we will just have to see.