Key to Happiness: Strong Family Ties and Absence of Materialism

Island life can be scary or happy. The scary ones are full of tourist trappings, idle beach boys and special massages. Take this as an example, today's news, a group fight broke out simply because a boy "bumped" a girl in a club in Pulau Redang. The Malaysian (theStar I mean) definition of bumping is dancing too closely until the hips meet, uninvitingly of course. Not the other more intimate meaning of bumping.

A simple bump is enough to set-off a cowboy bar scene melee - what kind of idyllic island mentality is this? I think life must be pretty tough for both holiday goers and island residents, it must be for anyone to take a bumping incident so seriously and to such violent conclusion.

"10 policemen were rushed to the island on a speedboat to handle the situation." - even the police didn't expect this: a free outing to the holiday island!!


Now contrast this with the island people of Vanuatu. Their island country has been voted the happiest place in the world. Their recipe for happiness: strong family ties and absence of gangsta rap and bumping action materialism. This is not exactly a capitalist's idea of happiness, and furthermore I do not think the Malaysian and Singaporean governments would be too happy if their kids start adopting such simpleton thinking.

We have been told that our idea of happiness/success (interchangeable) should be about fighting for our people and becoming world beaters in economic terms.

Sien already.

I say it is about using coconut oil as fuel and catching fruit bats for dinner... life is happier and more peaceful that way! And when the kids demand for a 50-inch LCD, I say construct a bamboo frame, take it to the beach, stick it into the sand and get the kids to look right through it.

Lastly, stay together. Marriage means life. Just like murder without parole in UK.