Celebrations.....the good ol' days.

In the next few days, our beloved nation would be celebrating her 51st anniversary of independence. Walking down memory lane, I remembered that mom & dad would wake us up early and made sure everyone stayed glued on the b&w tv [ later on , it went color. - Yah! after a few slams and thumping on! Came to know later that the color tube was having some problems! ] watching the National Day Parade. It was the thing at that time - the passion & joy for the country. Nowadays, it's just another event. What a shame!
I remembered too that I had plenty of friends from the different races and we really got along fine. Mom & Dad used to remind us , the children, that we are to be nice to our friends from different races, to greet their parents and even to humble ourselves to whoever who were older than us. That's the values I grew up with. Still treasure them very much in my heart.

Then, there would be celebrations such as Hari Raya, Deepavali, Chinese New Year and Christmas ~ you can be sure that my bunch of friends would be there to celebrate the celebrations together. Friends like Amran, Ghani, Ghana, Chua SS, Ong, Peter, Philip Thomas and many others made my childhood days to be sweeter than ever.

I had the best memories of all celebrating Christmas with Philip's family. Though they were quite a large family and life was difficult for them, I remembered Uncle Thomas, the gardener/nightwatchman and Auntie Mary hands of love upon my life. The meals I had and the gifts I had showed me the real meaning of Christ's love. This family were staying at the quarters prepared by a school beside a huge graveyard land. Honestly, I used to be afraid whenever I was at their home until one day,Uncle Thomas told me this which stuck in my head like forever, he said, " Now, now, my boy. Don't be afraid of the dead. They can do nothing to you. It's the living that you have to be afraid of. Anyway, God is with us. Don't be afraid of anything, ok?"

I've learnt a lot about lessons on life in my growing up years and I have plenty of people to thank for. Though some had gone for higher services up there, there are still plenty of good people around. No matter what, the friendship fabric is not woven over a day but over a long period of time and it takes a lot of understanding, experience and lessons to make it strong and binding. The heart and the mind must be right. That's what friendship is all about. Tolerance, respect and care ~ That's what Mom & Dad taught me! It is embedded in my heart and mind all ways & always!

Happy Merdeka, Malaysia! Gotta do my patriotic duty-mah!

Some business maths.....doink!

I was watching the prime time news yesterday with the family when I came across one segment of the news on business opportunity in the agriculture section. There was this great visual on the sweet corn species known as Taiwan 388. It was told that according to the report, one could sell the sweet corn at RM 1.00 in its raw state while it would normally be sold at RM 2.00 when cooked & ready for sale. Then came the picture of the smiling entrepreneur at his best and he was surrounded by a bunch of so-called local agricultural department staffs who seemed to look more interested in getting free samples than anything else! [ Sigh! Malaysian culture ! ]
Then came the part which I thought was the "doinkest" part of the segment. This big shot appeared together with the so-called agricultural department staffs and proudly informed that entrepreneurs could sell their Taiwan 388 produce to the agricultural department who would buy it from them at 60 sen for Grade A, 50 sen for Grade B and 30sen for Grade C!

Sigh! What is wrong with this people?!! The entrepreneur might as well sell the items himself by promoting it at the local supermarket or even sell it at pasar malam ,man! Well, it doesn't take a genius to understand that marketing your produce would not be difficult if you have an efficient marketing team in your company. My God ! How doink can some people get! This is the worst business proposition I've ever seen or heard and my goodness, you are talking about helping the farmers! No wonder the poor farmers are having a hard time at the field and at home thinking of their repayment plan and getting themselves out from the NPL statistics!! Some genius,huh?

Sound of Music... Special !

I must say that when I write this , I'll probably be categorised as "old man" again but never mind-lar, because I really enjoyed the movie "Sound of Music" in the heydays. I must say that when my good friend, Abby sent me the pictures and so on, it is so ........ nostalgic, man. ( Sorry, no tears trickling down the face but delighted.... very much delighted )
I guess, my mom and dad ( God bless his soul! ) would have been happy and delighted just as I am because we really enjoyed this movie as a family. Even though mom's favourite singer was Cliff Richard; dad was more into Elvis Presley and Liverpool football team. Anyway, they both enjoyed this movie a lot because of the songs in the movie were nice and soothing to them. I felt the same way too though I really like the song " Edelweiss " - a fitting ending , actually.

I guess, my children's generation would not have known this or learnt to appreciate the songs in the movie because they are into music which is so loud that my eardrums are going to burst and I can't even make out the lyrics,man! That's the gap! Anyway, I'll always try to understand their music but at this time and at this hour, I am reminiscing the younger days of my life. So, anyone out there who enjoys this? Well, good for you! Thanks, Abby for bringing back the good ol'days memories!

Light-hearted ....Sunday sermon!

Last Sunday, Pst.George Ong gave a powerful message laced with plenty of humorous jokes, anecdotes and quick quips. I've heard this itinerant pastor preached before in our church and I know that his message would be powerful and "powderful with humour"! True enough, it was not a session of "feel good" time but getting the impactful message behind all the laughter. Though I know that some of his jokes had been circulating in the joke industry for quite some time but you've gotta give credit to this man for presenting it in a new breath i.e. through his preaching.

BTW, laughter brings a lot of cheer to the heart. So for those who are still on prune juice diet, learn to laugh, ok? Anyway, the cost of his collection of humour books [ 12 volumes ] have increased tremendously. [ 25% increase!! - This is faster than the coming down of the petrol price! ] Anyway, I have bought them back then [ shared with my good friend, Errol - he took the first six volumes while I kept the second set of six volumes! ] and so, I decided to let it slide by. As usual, there was a crowd at the stand. Seriously, I really don't know if anyone is actually buying them or just browsing through. No matter what, it's one way to live by faith for an itinerant pastor & his family.

Prior to this, a couple [ Khoo & Sharma ] have decided to answer the calling of God to take up full time ministry and the congregation prayed for them. They have enrolled in BCM and would start their lessons & training soon. What a step of faith, man! What a big decision to make, right? I guess, when the calling of God is strong, there's nothing you can do except to obey and to fulfil that call. So, at any time if you are able to extend a helping hand to these men and women of God, please do so and be sure that you'll be blessed indeed ! ~

Sharing lessons....

Today, I had the opportunity to share on one of the fruits of the spirit - Gentleness. When I received an invitation to share on this topic last week, I haven't got the slightest cue on what to say; let alone share the lesson sharing in our cell group. As I trudged on with work and my personal time, I managed to get some sniplets of information here & there in regards to the topic but mostly, I prayed to the Lord for His direction.
If you know me, gentleness is not one of my good virtues but I decided to learn on the real power of gentleness. I am not ashamed to say that I struggled a bit when I prepare this sharing but I find it rather interesting to note that I've learnt a whole lot more than when I first started on this subject. Truly, being gentle is a powerful tool in all aspects of our lives. Being gentle doesn't mean that you are weak but it gives you a credibility in your personality, outlook, words, expectation and reaction. I learnt that being gentle is the true power of your characther in the crazy & wicked world we lived in today. In our mad, mad, mad world where when you speak louder and bluntly than the rest, your views will be taken into consideration. However, I found that usually the ones who are gentle in answering are the ones with the correct answer. Interesting, isn't it? Gentleness bring good cheer to the heart and to the mind!~

Missionary friends.....

Recently, I had the opportunity to meet up with my missionary friends who are presently serving in the cool, breezy place of Cameron Highlands. It was such an honour to be able to meet up with Timothy and Evelyn together with their daughters, Ellysha and Elizabeth, who were back for the school holidays to visit Evelyn's parents. Over a cup of nicely brewed coffee, we spoke at length over their works, their aspirations, their concerns, their joys and their hardship. I am constantly in awe of people like them who would go to the ends of the world to serve our Heavenly father's commisison. No matter what they went through and throughout our conversation, I could only have great admiration for the both of them. Never mind the hardships, but the fact that there is joy in their lives makes it all worthwhile. I would be a fool if I were to think they did not go through trials and tribulations but the way they handled it made them far more respectable than anyone else. I see their faith and their conviction in the carrying out the Great Commission.
So, here's to the both of you~ God bless your hearts and be blessed always !~

Car trouble....aiyooh!

Yesterday,I came off from work at my usual time as I wanted to catch up on some service in a nearby church when my "old faithful" started to give trouble. While arriving at a certain stretch of the road, it suddenly started to lose power and I pressed on the accelerator to ensure I have a steady stream of power. I was hoping I could reach home safely but about the next bend to my home, the car power went off and I was left stranded by the side of the road. Luckilly, I had veered the car to the side of the road before it went"kaput"!
I tell you, a string of "not-so-nice"phrases from the Hokkien and Hainanese dialect dictionary spew out from my mouth!~ I had just changed my car battery [ new one - 1 day old ! ] and I was thinking, " what's next?". Anyway, I tried my best to do what I could that was to leave it alone at the road side and headed for home and get the "headache" cured the next day.

Today, my mechanic picked the car up. After giving it a jolt of "jump-start" and when it "konked"off after firing up, he shook his head and I knew I was in trouble,man! True enough, a lot of repairs had to be carried out! It's the alternator, the wirings, then to the drive shaft, engine mountings, brake pump, bearings and the list goes on. Heck! Might as well get an engine oil change and gear oil change! So, all in all, it came out quite a bomb! Almost fainted out but I'll manage. Afterall, I have put aside some savings for this car. Knew it would need repairs soonest, actually!

Well, at least, it's all fixed up. Hopefully, no more other thing would surface in the next few months or else I'll "pengsan", man!!~

Baptism.. a great day

Last Sunday, my daughter together with some great friends went through baptism in the church pool. The entire baptism ceremony was done in the full presence of a church congregation. It started off with praise & worship session and it was followed by testimonies from the baptismal candidates and later, the ceremony itself. For the benefit of others who doesn't know what baptism means to the Christian community, it is actually immersing one self in water to symbolizes the "death" of our old self and rise up after the immersion to become a new creation in the eyes of the Lord. It is like having a new beginning in life. It is also a physical demonstration to the world that we are now a child of God and to be a disciple of our Lord Jesus Christ. I am so proud of my daughter's commitment. I pray that the good Lord would protect her and the rest of the baptismal candidates in their walk of new life. I pray too that they would continue to honor the Lord in every possible as they chart their life and future. God bless them all !~

Gen-2 heartache...

One of my colleague was mulling over the pain he had to endure with his brand new 1 month 13 days Proton Gen -2 m/car the other day [ 13/8/2008 ]. Imagine cruising along the trunk road to Tampin when suddenly the m/car lose power, went almost dead in the middle of the road and thick white smoke billowing from your front bonnet! He narrated to me that he was utterly disgusted and shocked by what had happened. Gosh! It was only 1month and 13 days old m/car,man. It wasn't so much for the sudden stalling of the m/car but to see white smoke from the front bonnet is a trauma itself. Not only that, by the sudden stop in the middle of the road, any back moving m/vehicle would have had a field day ramming into the back section of his m/car and caused more humanly damage than anything else.

Anyway, that wasn't the end of his horrific experience. Upon opening the bonnet, more white smoke escapes while the entire engine section was cover with gear transmission oil. Further checks revealed that the gear transmission oil hose had popped out and the hose clip was missing! How could a thing like that occur? The joke part is some great joker in the authorised workshop informed my colleague that probably 1 in 10 cars would have such a problem. Hey! This is not only moronic but statistically, it would come to 10%. So, if the production line produces 100,000 cars a month then 10,000 cars would have this problem! Not a very smart workshop Supervisor actually! It is not only damaging but dangerous indeed! It only goes to show that carelessness and the irresponsible people who had assembled the m/car in the first place. Mind you, we also don't need the smartass workshop supervisors too! I don't blame the salesman or even the distributors for this but I would put the blame on the manufacturing , assembly line and QC line! Hey, wake up, man! People can die on the road because of errors like this happening. There is an urgent need to buck up and to erase the "tidak apa" attitude here! Wait till it happens to your sister or brother or your family members or friends and then, tell me, if "1 out of 10 cars is like that" is okay with you! This is crap,man!

Buck up, man! At least, I am thankful that my colleague is okay. Can you imagine how his family would have felt if he had been involved in an accident because of this shortcoming?

Please, let not any of your family members or friends be part of the road accident statistics of our country today. Buck up car producers! Buck up QC's !~

Be truthful..

I am so puzzled that it is so difficult to be truthful. Many a times, we hide behind the many "mask" we wear each day and we call it "survival". But have you stop wearing mask and just be who you really are? Many a times , we are so bound by our "face value" and pride that we are afraid to show people the very truth of how we feel. So, we pretend to be who we are not and let others see the "good" side of us. Well, I've got news for you and I have one message today~ throw away your masks and be who you really are! Lest, you get less inhibited by others and you are able to flex the real you ~ Yes, they may not like what they see but that's you - different & non-conforming. It's just..................................YOU!

In all honestly, I am so frustrated to my bones that I've been told not to be who I am. It saddens me to the very core that I am unable to express myself truthfully. I have no intention at all to belittle anyone lest poke fun at anyone ~ I just want the chance to be able to express myself truthfully! What's wrong with that? I think that not being able to be who I really am kills me internally each day. Those who really knows me would not have to second guess who I really am! It's those who don't know you that second guesses!

Every day of our lives, masks comes on naturally to suit every person, situation or crappy day we have. At the end of the day, we become miserable and then try to feel good at relieving our pains by writing what we feel in the blog site we created. Why can't we be just honest and truthful and write what we really feel ? So what if there are many potential harmful people out there but if we continue to fear these people, aren't we just back to square one to where we are now ~ fearful & keep quiet & be a goody? So, be truthful and be who you really are inside. No point in living in fear or living up to others expectation. It's your own expectation that really matters!~It's your own personality & character that counts!~ Cheers to HONESTY!

Financial freedom...at last!

Yunno, you can never truly say that you would have financial freedom until you have settled the very last of your credit card bill, cut it into zillion of pieces and finally dumped the plastic misery in the waste basket. Many times, people used to say that I would never be able to get through my "debts" from credit card. In a world where plastic money abounds, I have become part of that statistics for years. The interest payments , the tight financial situations and sometimes, unavoidable expenditure made us become dependent on credit cards for years. Though I have started tightening my belt and virtually have sparse spending [ seriously, unavoidable ones - like petrol and groceries bills ] for about 2 years, I was still at where I am due to my minimum repayments and high interest rates impounded on my bills. Most of the time, only a small amount was knocked off from the main balance of debt. It really frustrates the hell of out me! There have been times when I would go so crazily mad about it! You wouldn't want to see me at those times, really!~ Then , I decided to take stock of the situation.
That's when I decided that I am going to do a conscientious effort to get rid of credit card - once and for all. So, about a year back, I decided that I would not charge anything on my credit card but make repayments and do my purchases in cash. Sure, there are hard times and I felt very deprived of a lot of wants but not needs ( that's the trick that kills all of us in this plastic world! ) but with great support & help from friends and slowly getting used to pay things with the actual cash I have in hand, I managed it quite well. I don't get things that is beyond me and I spend within my limit, learning to save along the way and make an effort to see the whole scenario in a bigger picture. Get the cheapest available items [ only the needs NOT the "wants" ] in the market without compromising the quality. In all this, I truly give thanks to the Lord for sustaining me!

That's why , early this year 2008, I am more than determined to close this credit card thing as fast as I could. I just needed to get planned purchases using cash systematically and not rely on credit cards. I started to trim a lot of the expenditures while devising budgets. I must say that with discipline spending [ and great help from great friends [ you know who you are ] , I made it. I really made it at long last! It's a real sigh of relief! It's like a big load of burden being lifted off my shoulders! This has been my torn in the flesh for many years and to see a breakthrough in this - I am truly speechless and tears filled my eyes as it's such a relief!

Today, 1.45pm on Monday, 11/8/2008, I now have the financial freedom that I have always wanted and it FEELS GOOD!!! Really, really feel GOOD to be free from credit card debts! I am no more part of the statistics of this country who are burdened by credit card payments. If there is any lesson to be learnt, it would be ~ Always honour our awesome God, have great & encouraging friends and be true to solve this debt systematically! It can be done because I have done it!~ So can you !~ Freedom..........at last!

Golf duty...hole-in-one

Today, I was out on work at a nearby golf course with a colleague. The job - snap photograph of the golfer and the golf ball, get details of golfer and take down in writing the technical stuff on any golfer who could hit a hole-in-one at Hole Course No.4 in a golf tournament. I guess, I've been doing such work at the golf course ever since I started work at my present employment. I must say I have my share of nice occasions, good golfers, good organisers, good meals and sometimes, crappy golfers and lousy organisers.
Most of times, I know that it is a thankless job. Honestly, who in the right frame of mind would sacrifice their Sundays just for this kind of job? BTW, just to clear the air and to clear all misunderstandings, we are not paid for the work we do on Sundays like this. It is the company we worked for that is getting paid on the services rendered by poor souls like us. I am not seeking sympathy or seeking any empathy from anyone. Just treat us like human beings. Gosh! We stand out at the course from as early as 7.00am to about 2.00pm- 4.00pm [ depending on the no. of participants ] and not a single drinks nor food were offered to us. Surely, there should be some decency in treating a person right, right? Thank God, it was windy, breezy and cool today. I remembered that there have been days when it was raining heavily, wet, chilled and even drenched to the underwear, man! There were also days when it was blistering hot, humid and no place for shade! Thank God today, we had chairs and a rather shady place to sit.

All in all, I was just glad being able to go through this with a colleague of mine. Like I said, it isn't easy to sacrifice your Sundays for things like this. It is not often though but most people would not grit their teeth on working on Sundays like this for the fear of losing their job in such difficult times like this. Yeah, jobs are hard to come by these days, so, make do with what you have right now, ok? ~ God bless all you working people out there!~ You are the true champion !

Beijing Olympics 2008.... Wow!

I couldn't help but marvelled at the Opening Ceremony of the 29th Olympics in Beijing , China. Wow! The apt, beautifully coordinated and marvelous performances from the starting to the end will be the talking point at coffee shops, cafe and restaurants for a long-long time. It just goes to show that the solidarity and great unity of a nation can bring wondrous results in a world fanfare like this. The stage was set, the world was glued and it was down to the performances & the people of the China who were involved in the historic opening ceremony. They lived up to the expectation of a grand opening ceremony and boy! They gave us a real show of stunt works [ the Chinese scroll thing and the lighting up of the Olympic torch were absolutely stunning! ), acrobatics, great computer graphics, brilliant lighting, extravaganza of fireworks and most important of all living up to the spirit of the Olympics.
Yup! I actually finished watching the whole thing at about 12.30midnight and I was truly & thoroughly entertained. Anyway, at one point of the ceremony, I saw the performers lighting up their costumes with small lights all around their body. That was when I said, " Ooh, I hope they don't get short-circuited, man!" Sigh! No offence meant but there has been so many times when products from China especially their lighting apparatus DO fail miserably in terms of safety standards and so on. As I propped myself up from my bed, I must say, I am proud to be a Chinese, man! I meant, those pretty young women lining up & cheering on the teams during the walking in ceremony! Boy! Approximately, 1 billion population ~ so many choices, man !! Think about it, man !
Coming back to reality, I am amazed by the number of nations in this Olympics. BTW, I have never heard of the country of Eritrea, Tuvalu, Sao Tome & Principe, Nauru, Comoros, Djibouti, Cape Verde, Palau, St.Lucia, St Vincent & Grenadines, Marshall Island , just to name a few! [ There are many more, actually! ] Well, it sure would be interesting to see how these nations fare during the Games.

So, let the Games begin!~

Work Hazard...

Yunno, whenever I am on my work, I would usually be extra careful so as not cause any unneccessary "tension" or anxiety to the family. Today was a little bit different. Firstly, my work today started with a 65 ft climb up the unfinished RC stairs to a humongus water tank located on a hill top of a project site. The view was really nice but the early morning breeze and wind conditions were "not so nice" for me. I tell you, as I climbed up the staircase I had to be extra careful so as not to slip and fall right down,man. Being " thin" as I am, I was huffing and puffing as I climbed up to the pinnacle of the water tank area. Honestly, my legs were kinda wobbly as I climbed another set of metal staircase to the top of the water tank but I put on a "kiasu" front as I lift the top water tank hatch. From here, I climbed into the the water tank via the hatch and photographed what I needed to photograph. By this time, I was drenched with sweat due to the heat & stuffiness inside the tank. After a few shots, it was time to wrap up my work and get out of the tank. As usual, I was extremely careful so as not to slip as I get out from the tank. Imagine my great relief when I was out and took the staircase down. All the while I was thinking, " Come on! There must be an easier way to earn a living, man! "as I was catching my breath as I got down the stairs. I almost kiss the ground when I arrived at the bottom!~ Anyway, I am sorta thankful for the job I have. Well, at least, it helps to put food on the table. That's the important part!~ Hey, somebody gotta do the "dirty" job too, right?
On my way back along Pedas-Ayer Keroh highway, I saw a horrific accident which had occured on the left side of the road. Hope everyone is okay or else weeping & streams of sadness will be heard in some household today. So, drive safely and think of your loved ones! ~

Second Chance at life.....

I was watching "Jamie's Kitchen - Australia" which premiered on AFC channel and I couldn't believe what I saw and heard. This program is about Jamie Oliver [celebrity chef] opening a restaurant named "Fifteen" in Melbourne , Australia for the delinquent youths of Melbourne to work in that kitchen. He assembled cooking staff in Australia and this team is supposed to pick out twenty youths to have a chance to work in his restaurant. This was all done in the name of giving a second chance at life for these wayward youths. What an impact indeed! In fact, if I am not mistaken, Jamie Oliver actually started this type of program for youths as early as 2002 in London and who would forget the ruckus when he tried re-vamping the food served at British primary schools. I know some people will say he has tons of money and so on to splash but the simple fact that he is helping these youth is an eye opener. I was really taken aback when during the interview time you could actually hear these youths telling of their involvement in drugs as early as 15 years old. That's sad. The other sad part was that these youths age range from 15 - 24 have records of drug abuse, broken homes, getting in trouble with the law enforcement and some of the women are single parents. Gosh! You are talking about Melbourne, Australia, mate! How could it be that way, right? Well, like I said , this is indeed an eye-opener.

The fact that Jamie is trying to provide a new lease of life for these youths are really applaudable and noble indeed. I guess, it just goes to show that when you have a heart to feel what others feel, you would understand fully what you need to do. I guess, many will say that Jamie has an uphill task in this matter but the fact that he tries to do a change is itself an achievement. I would say that no one would give a ghost of a chance to these wayward youths unless you yourself have travelled that road before! I did and I fully understand !~

State of health....startling!

This morning when a colleague of mine informed me that he underwent an angiogram last Saturday, I was shocked and taken aback. Though he looked healthy, smiling and bubbly as ever, I never suspected that he had any health issues. In fact, even after being given a clean bill of health by the attending specialist, I still couldn't believe what he has to go through. He's 47, a father of a cute 8 year old daughter, devoted husband and a good colleague. [ one of the few that you could depend on when you are in trouble! ]

I couldn't believe my ears when he told me that earlier in the morning, he went to a specialist in one of the private hospital in town and was told that he had serious heart problems. Undeterred by this, in the afternoon, he sought a second opinion at another private hospital. This time , he underwent stress test, host of tests and an angiogram to really determine the cause of his prickling chest pains. But this time, he was told that he was okay and probably the pains could have been stress related! Imagine the two contrasting diagnosis on the poor fella! Luckily, he sought a second opinion. It would have been cruel if he had given in to the first medical opinion!

To me, I am just glad that he's okay but I wouldn't know how I would handle the situation if I am in his shoes! Certainly, I would have done what my colleague did and probably, I would give a big chunk of my mind to the first attending specialist for lacking of respect for one's life and for the anxiety caused!

Come on, be responsible and save life !~

Muffin delight.....

The previous week , I was informed by Sherry [ church cafetaria committee member ] that someone had paid and blessed the Royal Rangers ministry with some great muffin. BTW, I told her that I would much prefer banana muffins! Of course, I was curious at first and what made it even more intriguing was that it was a real surprise. So, on Sunday [ being the first RR meeting for the month ], I was looking forward to having a battle of the wits with Sherry on who the anonymous donor was! Upon arrival in the morning for service, I was given some clues namely grey hair & curly. Then it was followed by smartly dressed and all the obvious clues! Then, I knew, it couldn't be and just stop right there! Not a ghost of chance of it happening !
I know, it sounds crude to think that way but hey, fat chance of it happening, REALLY! [ and I really MEAN IT! ] Unless, there is some miracle happening or even worst, probably signalling the end of the world thing, then it could have happened. But right now, I don't see it happening,man. There are a few facts that I could easily rule out this person from ever being that giving.

Anyway, this type of giving can only come from one family namely Vive & Sathy! This is their traditional trademark ~ being a blessing to others and have the little extra spark for others! Thanks for the muffins - it was delicious!

Hey, btw, when is the roast suckling pig coming now that we have had our muffins? [ mouth watering prospect!~ ]