The Digital Awakening is running on Wordpress now. Reallybites did all the hard work. She uploaded the files to my webhost and configured it. All I needed to do was import the entries from Movable Type. She is one cool dudette. And yes, she is still single and available. Thank you Reallybites!!!

Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to observe two contrasting examples of the human nature. Wuan and I were at Mid Valley Megamall and as usual, the highlights of our trips there were looking for a toilet for PWDs to enable me to perform intermittent catheterization. In the vast complex, it is sometimes difficult to find one’s bearings, especially when it is packed with weekend shoppers. My bladder was already full and I needed to drain it immediately. I breathed a sigh of relief when we saw the sign pointing to lavatories.

When we reached the toilet for PWDs, a non-disabled couple had already opened the door and was about to enter when they saw me. The wife, who was pregnant was obviously in distress, her face cringed in discomfort as she held on to her bulging abdomen. They stopped in their tracks for a moment, wondering whether to go in or not. The husband gestured for me to use the toilet first but I indicated that they could use it. I guess they chose that particular toilet because the husband could help the wife in there. After all, if he did not need to help his wife, they could have used the normal toilet within the same premises.

Not wanting to wait for my turn, we scampered all over the mall looking for another toilet until Wuan suggested that we use the toilet in Cititel’s lobby again. I am always attracted to clean toilets like bees to honey. Unfortunately, that toilet was locked from inside. We thought someone could be using it and waited outside for a while. Along came a middle-aged woman who evidently was not using a wheelchair and did not walk with a limp. She turned the doorknob a few times, ignoring the fact that I was in the queue waiting to use it. When she failed to open it, walked three steps and disappeared into the normal toilet. I glared at her when she came out but she acted nonchalant.

Some people have the mind to comprehend that toilets for PWDs were built for a purpose. The pregnant lady had to use the toilet but she recognised the fact that it was built for people like me. They graciously accorded us that priority even though the needed to use it in haste. Some are simply inconsiderate and abuse such amenities for their own convenience. Time and again, I have stressed that amenities for PWDs is not a privilege but a necessity. We need these to be able to integrate into society. PWDs have every right to go out and enjoy a barrier-free environment as anybody else. Please do not make it more difficult for us than it already is. Think before abusing such facilities and depriving the people who really need to use it from using it.

That is right! Although I am of that fraternity, I hate all of them so much that I have decided to vote one to be sent off into space. That is one less blogger for me to hate. That is one less blogger for you to hate. That is also one less blogger to waste our precious oxygen on. If you share my sentiments, please head over to Afundi Angkasawan and vote for Sashi so that we can be rid of him for once and for all, the sooner the better. He was asking for it anyway, literally.

There were two mini bloggers meet at Mid Valley yesterday evening. Wuan and I were there for both. The first was with MataKecik and Suanie. We had lunch at Chopstick Noodles House. Wuan and I would like to thank MataKecik for the treat there. At the same time, I was very tempted to strangle Jaime and Suanie, if only I could, for having so much fun at my expense. And you two, I do not want to hear either of you humming the Ghostbusters theme song ever again in my presence, if you know what is good for your own safety.

The other meet was scheduled for 6.30pm. Mack and I were the early birds because we wanted to spend some time getting to know each other better. Mack noted that we are both an antithesis of each other. In many ways, we are at the opposite end of the scale in matters such as beliefs, ethnicity, coming from rival schools in Penang and the things we blogged about. Still, we discovered we could agree on many matters and work together on many issues. This is the wonder called Malaysia.

Photo by Wuan.

At the appointed time, we met Claire and lingered around Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf to wait for the rest of the bloggers to arrive. It was a surprise when a stranger came up to me and introduced himself. He was my neighbour from Penang, in KL for the weekend with his wife. We had been chatting through Yahoo Messenger for a few weeks now and that was the first time we met face to face even though we were just a hop away from each other. It was also at that time that I learnt how popular Claire is. Before I could actually introduce her, my neighbour already knew who she is.

When all the attendees arrived, we proceeded for the BBQ Buffet at the Cititel Coffee House. There was Paul Tan with his forever blur look. I took a good look at him this time and realized that he has got pretty eyes. Suanie, she was very quiet during the first half of the meeting, quietly chowing down her food, her face flushed, a total opposite from the time we met for lunch.

Photo by Wuan.

Anybody who has read Lainie’s blog will think that she is a riot in real life too. That was not to be the case. She was very well-mannered, soft-spoken and polite. The next time we meet, I am going to ask for a hug from her. She looked so cute and cuddly. Claire sat beside me and this woman can eat! I cannot even remember how many slices of salmon she had. And boy, can she talk too. I guess that is where all the extra calories went to. Likewise, Mack is a glutton but he has honed the art of buffet eating into a fine art. He should write a book on that. He could actually fill up all the unutilized gaps in his stomach with more food. Scary!

Photo by Wuan.

As usual, I would need to use the toilet every three hours. Cititel Mid Valley has one of the nicer toilets for PWDs. It was well-lit with dry floor and clean. The door was extra wide. Although it was fitted with a door knob I could actually turn it easily to get out. And as usual, I would get inconsiderate people who attempted to use the toilet even though I was inside and they were not disabled. I was very tempted to run wheel myself out with my pants down to confront the culprit when he repeatedly turned the knob even though I had politely informed him from behind the door that the toilet was occupied.

Nevertheless, I had a nice time sharing views with my fellow bloggers. Reading their blogs were fun. To be able to interact with them in real life was even more interesting. I always look forward to such meets and I certainly am looking forward to the Mid Valley Bloggers Meet II next week.

In today’s New Straits Times, page 16:

Two lodge reports against ‘good man’

KUALA LUMPUR, Sat.
Two bloggers lodged police reports today against an anonymous writer who posted seditious messages on their blogs.

Peter Tan, 39, and Ameer Zulkifli, 34, made the report at the Brickfields police station against the sender, nicknamed “good man”.

Ameer, a management consultant from Subang Jaya, said he lodged the report because the messages were malicious.

“It has come to the point where the postings are too blatant. Action must be taken against such people,” he said when met at the Brickfields police headquarters.

“Good man” first posted abusive messages containing racial slurs on Tan’s website log petertan.com/blog last Sunday.

Tan, from Penang, said the messages were posted early this month and he deleted most of them but kept one for the police report.

Ameer, who goes by the nickname “Mack”, received a seditious message from “good man” yesterday in a commentary forum column on his blog brandmalaysia.com.

He said his blog management software prompted him to approve the message but after reading it, he decided not to publish it on the weblog commentary post as it was seditious and explicit.

Ameer advised responsible bloggers to notify the police of seditious messages posted in their blogs.

The online version is here.