The Mystery of The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Not many fellow Charles Dickens fans I’ve met know of his last unfinished novel; The Mystery of Edwin Drood. Yes, it is a mystery novel. The fact it was never finished takes the mystery element to a whole different level. To understand what the novel is all about, you need to know that there are two parallel story lines that converge into one following the disappearance of the titular characters.

Story 1:

An opium addict named John Jasper is a choirmaster in Cloisterham Victorian times. He is close to his late sister's son, Edwin Drood. Edwin is engaged to one of Jasper's students, Rosa Bud. This worsens Jasper's opium addiction since he is actually in love with his orphaned nephew's fiance and stalks her. Rosa cannot stand Jasper’s advances any longer and she ends her engagement to Edwin out of fear that by marrying him, she cannot escape Jasper's torments forever.

Story 2:

Neville and Helena Landless, twins from Ceylon arrive at Cloisterham to be educated by the minor cannon Rev. Crisparkle and his mother. Crisparkle works at the same cathedral as Jasper and they are both colleagues. The Landless twins were ill-treated by their stepfather and this has made Neville a very short tempered young man.

Merging of the two stories:

Helena is enrolled into the same school as Rosa, where they quickly become good friends. Neville is smitten by Rosa Budd and feels Edwin does not value her. This creates a bit of rivalry between the two young man. However, following a reconciliation dinner on Christmas Eve, the two attempt to become friends.

One day before Drood’s disappearance:

One evening, Edwin borrows Jasper’s coat and goes for a walk with Neville. He bumps into Princess Puffer who goes to the same opium den as Jasper. She asks him what his name is and he introduces himself as Edwin Drood. She then tells him he is lucky his name is not Ned because she has overheard someone intending on killing someone with that name. Edwin is confident it is not him since only his Uncle Jasper calls him Ned and his uncle would never kill him. Edwin and Neville head for the river. The next morning, Edwin is nowhere to be found.

After Edwin’s disappearance:

Jasper is grief-stricken when informed that Edwin and Rosa had ended their engagement. Note that he reacts more strongly to this news than to the prospect that Edwin might be missing. Rev. Crisparkle goes to the river and finds Edwin's watch, chain and his shirt pin. This is enough for Jasper to spread rumours that the foreigner Neville had killed his nephew. Rosa calls for her lawyer to help out in the case of her missing former fiance. The lawyer reveals that there is not enough evidence to implicate Neville in Edwin’s disappearance and volunteers to have the Ceylonese stay at his house in London until a court proceeding is arranged. Half a year later, Jasper still continues to pursue Rosa, even threatening to implicate her best friend’s twin brother further more in Edwin’s disappearance. Unable to bear Jasper any longer, she and Helena flee to Edwin’s home in London.

The most mysterious character:

This character is not Edwin Drood. Instead, it is someone named Dick Datchery who appears some time after Edwin's disappearance and secretly spies on Jasper. There are hints that he is someone in disguise, but we never find out who he really is.

Who could have been responsible for Edwin’s disappearance?

After reading a simplified version of Dicken’s original novel, I found that almost all the characters had some kind of motive to get rid of Edwin, which makes the mystery even more intriguing. It is important that we remember that Edwin was wearing Jasper’s coat before he disappeared. So there is a strong possibility that whoever killed him might have wanted Jasper dead instead. Let’s check out the motives:

a) John Jasper

• Was mad about Rosa Bud, and his violent opium addiction might have influenced him to kill Drood.
• Only he refers to Edwin as ‘Ned’, and Princess Puff had clearly indicated someone with that name was in serious danger.
• When he was told Rosa called off the engagement, he collapses; probably because he realizes the murder was unnecessary.
• Half a year following Edwin's disappearance, he confesses that his obsession for Rosa is so strong that he is willing to get rid of anyone who stands in his way, even his own nephew.
• On the morning of Edwin’s disappearance, he was cheerful and full of energy while conducting the choir.

b) Neville Landless

• A proud and hot tempered young man.
• Never saw eye to eye with Edwin.
• Liked Rosa Bud and might have wanted her to himself.
• Probably the last person to be seen with Edwin by the river.
• Edwin’s possessions were found by the riverside which was where both young men had been.

c) Rosa Bud

• Intended to kill Jasper to escape his advances, but killed Edwin by accident since he was wearing his uncle's coat.

d) Helena Landless

• Murdered Edwin before Neville could so her hot tempered brother would not be in trouble.
• Probably wanted to kill Jasper for stalking her friend, Rosa but killed Edwin, who was wearing Jasper's coat that night, by accident.

e) Rev. Crisparkle

• Killed Edwin mistakenly instead of the immoral Jasper who was pursuing a girl who was already engaged to someone else.

f) Princess Puffer

• The only person who was aware of the murder plot. 
• Accidentally killed Edwin instead of Jasper to protect Rosa from the latter’s advances.

Historical reports

As seen from this list of clues and motives, Jasper is most probably the killer, or he could have simply been the scapegoat to serve as a distraction until the actual culprit is revealed at the end. Or perhaps, maybe Edwin is not dead at all and simply left town heartbroken after Rosa ended their engagement. However, three people related to Dickens; have supported the theory of Jasper being the killer.

1. John Forster had the plot described to him by Dickens: "The story...was to be that of the murder of a nephew by his uncle." 
2. Luke Fildes, who illustrated the story, said that Dickens had told him, when they were discussing an illustration, "I must have the double necktie! It is necessary, for Jasper strangles Edwin Drood with it."
3. Dickens' son, Charles Jr. stated that his father had told him indirectly that Jasper was the murderer. 

Source: Wikipedia

The perfect ending

It would be wrong to just assume the ending based on the conventions of mystery novels we are familiar with. Bear in mind this novel precedes most famous mystery works like ‘The Woman in White’, Agatha Christie novels, the Sherlock Homes stories and many more. It is best to speculate the novel’s solutions by studying classic Victorian and Dickensian themes. 

a) Marital mismatch

A common theme in many of Dickens’ novels, like David and Dora in ‘David Copperfield’ where the solution is usually death. This theme might just support the theory that Rosa killed Edwin.

b) Secret identities

Another common theme for Dickens, the character Dick Datchery might just be another main character in disguise. Perhaps it is Edwin Drood himself in disguise to find out the true nature of those close to him in his absence, especially his shady uncle.

c) The Others

A common theme in many Victorian novels. Dickens might have wanted to play around with people's anxiety about foreign races, particularly those living in British colonies like Ceylon for instance. It is not stated in the novel to what extend Neville is Ceylonese, but it is very likely he is part Ceylonese or maybe even purely Ceylonese. As his family name suggests, he represents a landless people whose land is taken by the British, symbolized by his British stepfather. He fits the profile of what a Victorian might view as a savage; foreign, hot tempered and borderline violent.

d) Feminism

Another common Victorian theme. Rosa's lawyer tells her that she has a substantial inheritance from her father and she would be forced to forfeit all of it to the state if she does not marry Edwin. It is the law during Victorian times for a woman’s property to fall under her husband’s name. This might have caused her to be unhappy as she has no control over her own inheritance simply because of being a woman.

The latest BBC TV film adaptation of the novel provided one of the best, if not the greatest ending to an unfinished novel by a famous Victorian writer. Spoiler alert! In this version, the plot twists are so unexpected that it would put legends like Hitchcock and M. Night Shyamalan to shame.

Plot twist!

It is revealed that Edwin Drood's father had fathered several illegitimate children during his business trips around the world. These include the Landless twins, who had actually come to England to meet their only surviving relative, Edwin. And if that is not shocking enough, another illegitimate Drood child is no other than John Jasper! He was born even before Drood Sr. married Edwin's late mother. Like the wives of most Victorian gentlemen at that time, Edwin's mother took her husband's illegitimate son in. Since he would have been too old at that time, it would be impossible to pretend that he was one of her own children. So, she pretended that he was her younger brother to hide her husband's promiscuity. After all, it is quite common for wealthy Victorian gentlemen to take have mistresses during their business trips in colonial outposts.

Okay, so who is the killer? Well, turns out it was Jasper all along. No twist there you say? Well, get this. The murder victim was never Edwin at all. He had left for Egypt to continue his father's business there and was too heartbroken after his break-up to even tell anyone. But know this; someone did die the night of Edwin's disappearance. It was Edwin Drood Senior, the biological father of Edwin Drood Junior, John Jasper and the Landless twins! He had been alive all along and had come to meet his only legitimate child, Edwin. Angry at his father for not loving him all these years, Jasper strangled his own father to death.

With such an amazing premise like this, it is a wonder that BBC never released it as a full-length feature film in cinemas instead.

Worst copycat posters of Indian movie history!

As if copying scripts and music from the West is not enough, Indian film makers are now also copying movie posters as well. Don't get me wrong. I love most Indian movies. But all these blunt plagiarism in the name of inspiration just has to go. And before some of you haters start with all your abusing, scroll down as see for yourselves our beloved Indian cinema's originality.

Perhaps the director was planning to make it appear as if Ra.One is at the same standards as Nolan's Batman movies. But you all know how Ra.One ended up being, and not to mention SRK actually rejected Endhiran for this! But that's a different story. The only difference is Katie Holmes' body is facing one direction while Bebbo is facing another. Apart from that, the fact that both heroines' hands are hanging loose to the destructive background, it is a clear copy.

This could easily be a coincidence, right? But how do you explain the couples' annoyed looks, the smiling middle guy in a suit, and of course, those white sheets?

Okay, fine. So the girl is carrying the guy and she is obviously the alpha in the relationship. But the Desi dude just had to looked afraid, didn't he?

Vijay fans are going to have a field day on this. Apart from his continuous masala flicks, he is definitely a good actor if not a great one. But I mean, seriously.The pose, the background, the suit; is it just me or is it a coincidence?

So the bride and groom are in their wedding dresses. Yes... And the bride is staring at the camera while smiling. Right... And the groom is leaning towards her while smiling. Oh... And did anyone notice the crowd behind the bride. What the..! Then there are wedding sprinklers falling onto the crowd. Okay, fine! I see it!

Words cannot express how, apart from the direction in which the guy and girl are laying, everything else about this poster screams copycat. The girl's hands over the guy's face, her right hand on her tummy, the guy's costume and not to mention his coat on the ground, everything seems... what's the word... 'inspired.'

Yup, as iconic as Titanic is, they didn't spare her poster too. Both leads are in a waltz with the girl looking at down while the guy looks at her. And not to mention the girl's Vintage hairdo as well. Oh, and did I mention the ship below as well?

The creepy big black tree roots with hands coming out is an easy target. So, let's leave that alone. Check out the leads. In Bollywood, it might be a little too explicit to have a nude guy on the girl while they are at it. So instead, let's have them topless nice and close not just to each other, but to the frame so we can Photoshop the guy's bulging muscles and the girl's skinny physique. Yeah, that should work.

And in case you don't know the director Mahest Bhatt, well he is someone who can never run away from being unoriginal. Here is another poster of the same movie. Once again, for the sake of escaping the censors' scissors, they had the heroine's bottom slightly covered.

Right, in this one we have three male leads. Let's give them some stuff to hold. Now let's have the guy with the best body to go shirtless. Maybe he should lick his lips just like the original guy too. Oh, but wait. He is not the main lead, it is the director's brother. But never mind, we'll put the shirtless one in the middle nevertheless since he is the biggest star anyway. We'll let the director's brother wear the sleeveless top instead. Alright, perfect! Let's shoot!

I really don't think the red cloth played any significance in Hisss. But, hey. The Arthur poster looked cool, and that's all we want basically, right? To have a cool poster.

Dear lord. At this point, I just have no idea what to say. The film makers could have at least had the decency to give the hero a different type of shirt, or at least had a different pose, or maybe... I don't know... a different freaking wall decoration!

This is really hard to expect from a Shankar film, one of India's top directors. But nevertheless, the cast and crew are keeping mum about the entire project. So the hype surrounding this Hush Hush novel-inspired movie poster is definitely allowing fans to anticipate and predict what the movie 'I' is going to be all about!

Once again, Ilayathalapathy fans will have a field day over this. But if anyone has any common sense, they would see the clear copycat work going on here. So maybe we'll just leave it smart people to judge.

Twp topless guys, both lacking in desirable physique, unshaven around the cleavage, arms folded. Oh, just stop!

Pictures courtesy of Glamzzle.com. =)

Changing Names of our Streets

We love changing the names of the various places in our country, from streets to hills and even whole cities. In Kuala Lumpur itself, names of various streets have been changed from time to time. During the early seventies, most streets had very colonial names like Gurney Road, Mountbatten Road, Perry Street, and many more.

It has been claimed that these British names made it appear as if we were still worshiping our colonial masters. We justify this name changing because we want to rid ourselves of this alleged colonial conspiracy. But modern, post independence buildings in the country seem to have English names such as the famous 'Time Square' is not bad invaders? We are also more familiar with the Putra World Trade Center (PWTC) than the Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra. And why is it we use the term KLCC, which is an acronym for Kuala Lumpur City Center rather than Pusat Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur?

There have been times when street names have been changed for the most obscure of reasons. Lorong Haji Taib, for instance, was changed because the name was deemed to be not in accordance with the street's infamous reputation of housing several unhealthy activities, including prostitution and drug addicts. Shouldn't cleaning the area of its sins be a better step rather than a name change?

Also, the famous Jalan Alor in the center of shopping hub of KL has been changed into the Jalan Kejora. The Kuala Lumpur City Hall has not released any statement justifying the name change and it created quite a stir back then. After all, Jalan Alor is a famous street where visitors and locals alike come for the variety of hawker's food, making it a hugely popular tourist spot.

Besides, 'Alor' is not even an English word, nor is it Dutch, Portuguese or even Japanese. It is a Malay word. So on what basis has the City Hall decided to change Jalan Alor to Jalan Kejora? Many would agree that the original name should be retained because it is known among tourists. 'Alor' itself loosely translates into 'morning star' which is such a beautiful name.

Other town councils and city halls should take Penang for example, which has mostly retained most of its colonial names. Even when small changes have been made to the name of some streets due to the National Language Act 1967, the original English names are provided alongside the directly translated Malay new names in multilingual street signs.

It is admirable how much the people of Penang value their rich colonial history. So much so that even in some rare cases where a few streets have been given completely new names like Jalan Masjid Negeri, which used to be called Green Lane, Penangites largely continue to use the streets' old names during informal situations. It is interesting to note that even with these small changes, Penangites have been so unhappy that they deface the new street signs, forcing the local government to place replacements as high up as on lampposts to avoid future vandalism.

I by Shankar: What is it all about?

Tamil moviegoers are going abuzz this pass few days with the confirmation of ace director S. Shankar next flick, simply titled ‘I’. It is like 'Endhiran' all over again. The recent release of a couple of its promotional posters have definitely heightened fans' expectations worldwide. 

There has been not much news on what the central storyline will be about, but it has been confirmed that Vikram Kennedy, Amy Jackson, Suresh Gopi and Santhanam will be starring in this romantic thriller. Academy award winner AR Rahman and India’s top cinematographer PC Sriram will be working on the movie as well. For the first time, Shankar has also roped in SuBha, the writer duo famous for their Tamil detective novels. With this little information we have for now, one can speculate what the movie might be about. 

"The Tamil character 'I' has several meanings like ‘beauty’, ‘king’, ‘vulnerability’, ‘music’, ‘teacher’ and ‘fear’. We cannot be sure if the movie will be dealing with one of these themes, or two, or maybe more than two of them. 

Politics and Corruption

A favourite theme of the director indeed. The project was previously titled ‘Therdhal’ which is Tamil for ‘election’. The movie could be set in the backdrop of the Tamil Nadu state elections and we can expect a politically thriller - drama on the lines of ‘Mudhalvan’ which deals with corruption, leadership and morality even. But I would doubt this would be the case because then they would have roped in an Indian actress for the female lead. It does not appear patriotic to have a foreigner as the male lead’s love interest now would it? 

Anti-hero 

Vikram has always been known for taking the daring step in playing roles that Tamil film actors usually shy away from, like an autistic father in ‘Deiva Thirumagal’ and a mentally disabled patient in ‘Pithamagan.’ So it would be completely logical to speculate that, based on the movie’s first promotional poster that Vikram might be playing the role of an anti-hero, probably a sociopath, a contract killer or anyone obsessed in bringing harm on Amy Jackson’s character.

The poster does show a muscular topless Vikram with his oiled haired sleeked back carrying a seemingly unconscious or even unwilling Amy over his shoulders in a rather threatening nature. 

Fantasy thriller 

The term romantic thriller, plus the poster which looks almost similar to the American fantasy novel ‘Hush Hush’, and not to mention the generous use of red to suggest blood does seem to hint at a rather Twilight-like film. And I am not talking about a film that ploy on adolescent girls’ hormonal development, but rather a film with a fantasy edge.

This could be a possibility since ‘Men In Black’ costume designer Mary Vogt is in charge of the wardrobe and Rising Sun Pictures, the Australian company behind the camera tricks of the Harry Potter saga is handling the special effects. Yes, we can expect some pretty breathtaking graphics here. The question is: could Vikram be playing the role of a love-bitten vampire who literally and metaphorically sweeps Amy’s character off her feet, or perhaps a fallen angel like in ‘Hush Hush?’ Or could it be, based on this latest promotional poster which some have claimed to be fake, Amy plays the role of the evil vamp?

Mystery

Probably it will not be an all out mystery crime film. But it might have elements of it, since the popular detective story writing duo is co-writing the script. Or perhaps at least a twist end like what 'Ko' had, which was also written by Subha. Mystery is such an intriguing genre and it is sad that it is not well explored in Indian cinema. Hopefully Shankar might make the genre the new it-thing in Tamil cinema, just like how it made sci-fi and sex comedies possible through 'Endhiran' and 'Boys' respectively.

Whatever the story will be about, there is no doubt Shankar will be giving us a treat. He is the perfect combination of two differing schools of thought - one half Mani Ratnam and one half Ravikumar. His movies are both educational and entertaining, both world class and local flavored. 

What our history books never told us!

How many of us know the true story of how the Dutch managed to conquer Malacca? This is the based on what really happened after the fall of the Portuguese in Southeast Asia which we would not have learned from out school history text books.

The Johor Sultanate was seeking to get rid of the Portuguese to regain control over Malacca. But the admiral of Johor, Tun Abdul Jamil knew that would be difficult since the Portuguese were far more advanced than his army in terms of weaponry. The only way that was possible if Johor joined forces with the Dutch.

Johor with its European ally assaulted and wrested Malacca from the Portuguese in January 1641. This combined Dutch-Johor effort effectively destroyed the last bastion of Portuguese power, removing their influence in the Malay archipelago.

Tun Abdul Jamil was thankful to the Dutch for their help and asked if they wanted anything in return. The Dutch simply asked for a piece of land in Malacca which was as wide as a piece of dried up cow's skin. Thinking that is nothing much, the Johor admiral permitted the Dutch to take any part of Malacca that they wanted. In his mind, Jamil thought the Dutch were complete idiots for asking something like that.

But once an agreement was signed between Tun Abdul Jamil and a representative from the Dutch East India Company, the Dutch traders started cutting the piece of cow's skin and turned into a long rope. The rope was then tied from one end of the Malacca port right up to the other end of it. The great Malacca port now belonged to the Dutch.

With the port now no longer within their property, Tun Abdul Jamil felt there was no longer any need to own Malacca and thus gave the whole kingdom to the Dutch. That is how Malacca fell from one foreign power to the hands of another foreign power.

Which one is better: the macho alpha male, or the chocolate boy-next-door type?

Not too long ago, I was watching another episode of the famous talk show from Chennai, Neeya Naana, where they invite members of society from different walks of lives and split them up into two groups representing two different points of views. This episode was about which kind of boy makes a good friend and/or partner – either the Chocolate boy, or the alpha male.

One thing that took me by surprise is my stereotyping that traditional and country girls are the ones who are into alpha males, while their modern and urban counterparts are into Chocolate boys was wrong.  Both sides – the pro-Chocolate boys and pro-alpha males had both city girls and village bells amongst them.

Firstly, host Gopinath started off by asking the pro-Chocolates on what characteristics determine whether a guy is a Chocolate boy, and these were their response:
- Low waist jeans
- Neat hair style
- Shoes according to attire – with socks
- Accessories that almost look feminine
- Shades
- Friendly - wants to friends with girls
- Smart and intelligent
- Expressive, or not too reserved
- Approachable – they don’t look scary
- Thick hairstyles
- Mostly silent
- Cute smile
- Decent-looking - nice to look at
- Well groomed
- Charm surrounds their aura – the way they carry themselves
- Clean shaven or light stubbles – absolutely no thick moustache or beards
- Sense of style: BRANDED CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES (!)

Next, he asked the girls from the pro-Alpha males’ side what it takes for a boy to be labelled an Alpha Male. This is what most of them said:
- Probably lots of piercings and maybe a tattoo
- Muscular physique and is not shy to show if off by wearing tight shirts
- Loves speeding on the road
- Big metal bangle
- Military haircut,
- First button of shirt always open
- Rowdy-like
- Always looks angry – looks fearsome
- Beard, even a little goatee
- Unshaved  (one girl said it’s sexy if he has a thick moustache and twists and curls it constantly) =P
- Scary-looking, but this still makes them seductive
- Stubborn - these girls find this sexy (!)
- Looks like an authentic Tamil guy! (This means I’m not Tamil...)
- Appears to be unclean
- Good physique – makes the girls feel safe
- Overprotective
- Nice height and huge guns
- No make-up or products on face and hair

These are also some of the names these girls give to Chocolate boys:
- Cutie pie
- Honey boy
- Chemete pasenge
- Ice cream boy
- Choco larva
- Amul baby
- Puppy boy
- Gulab jabbu
- Teddy bear

And these are what the pro-Alphas call Alpha Males. Do try to resist from laughing:
- Chilli curry (huh?!)
- Macha (!)
- Dum (Tamil for ‘cigarette’)
- Morutu pasenga (Tamil for ‘angry boys’)
- Uruga (Tamil for ‘pickle’ - I know right?!)
- Chellam poriki (Tamil for ‘beloved pervert’ – now you know how weird this is all becoming)
- Virumandi (an iconic Tamil movie character who is a country brute)

The host then went on to ask the pro-Chocolates what it is about Alpha Males that make them undesirable. Since I personally often find myself to be within a circle of Beta Males, I could easily relate to this group of girls. One girl was outspoken enough to admit that the very sight of an Alpha Male makes her want to slap them, and give them some advice on how to treat girls properly. That might have been a little too aggressive. But the next girl revealed that from her experience with Alpha Males was that they are often intimidated by strong and independent women. She personally has been called names like Queen Elizabeth for speaking English fluently by some Alpha Males. Another girl confessed that Alpha Males roughness and their piercing and tattooing make them appear like scary gangsters, immediately making them unsuitable candidates to be taken home to meet one’s parents. One girls even claimed Alpha Males used their overprotective nature as a reason to be dominating and often possessive and jealous, which make them control freaks.

When it was the pro-Alphas’ turn to speak up on why Chocolate boys are undesirable, they spared no time in pointing out that Chocolate boys are mostly hypocrites as they are often society-conscious and have to hide who they really are. I am not sure if I fit the bill to have what it takes to be called a Chocolate boy, but I know I am surely not an Alpha Male. I will never admit to being a hypocrite, but yes, I suppose I am rather society-conscious. But I have a good reason for it. Always being in my best behaviour keeps me grounded and guards my family and society’s good name. So far, I have never given anyone the reason to misjudge my parents or how they have brought me up. But does that make me a hypocrite? I am not sure.

One thing that the pro-Alphas said about Chocolates that I simply cannot accept is that they claimed that Chocolates are not protective and will run away the minute a problem arises. This is why they feel they cannot do anything with a Chocolate boy. He is nothing more than a teddy bear. A rough guy however would be daring enough to at least scare off, if not fight off whoever who is disturbing the girls they care about. Sure, a civilised and well cultured young man would not intend to be involved in something as brutal as a physical fight, but I am sure he will do anything to protect his girl. Maybe just grab her hand and run for it. Well, that is something I will do... and HAVE done in the past. Hehe...

Another pro-Alpha said that the fact that Chocolate boys are approachable is unfavourable to a girl because it gives them the tendency to be flirtatious, or even players since other girls will want to hang out with them. At this point, I almost yelled at my computer screen, “Girl! There is a difference between being flirtatious and being friendly!” But that was not all. She went on by saying that because of their urbanity, Chocolate boys suffer from superiority complex because they feel inferior when compared to Westerners who they try so hard to imitate.  And I was like, “I beg your pardon!!!” She said Tamil guys must be rough and rustic. Instead, these Chocolate boys are copying Westerners too much to the extent that their lifestyle which includes going to clubs and fornicating is damaging our tradition and religion. Ahem, hello. I have lived in England for a couple of years now and I can say I have never stepped into a club, nor have I fornicated ever. Thank you.

If you think that is all they had to say, then you are wrong. The last girl from the pro-Alphas to speak said that the reason the girls from the other side loved Chocolate boys is simply because they want a manservant rather than a friend or spouse. Chocolate boys are so soft that there is nothing manly about him. So much so that girls can easily dominate them and make these boys do whatever they want. In other words, Chocolate boys are potentially Pak Turut-type. Wow!

After a commercial break, the host asked the pro-Alphas what is it about rough boys that actually make them sought-after, despite the setbacks as pointed out by the pro-Chocolates. The first girl finds Alpha Males’ bad boy attitude sexy. The fact that they are arrogant and pull it off so well at pretending to be uninterested with girls simply makes them much more attractive to her. These girls also love Alpha Males’ courage. They are not society conscious and are brave enough to hit on girls anywhere at any time.  If their ego demands them to question something they don’t like, then they will. Also, these girls find Alpha Males to be more committed in a relationship when compared to their softer counterparts. Well, that is simply because nobody wants them, maybe! Hehe...

But some of the pro-Alpha girls exposed some parts of their upbringing and mentality that one should avoid from revealing on national TV. One of them said opposites attract. Fair enough. It seems girls are supposed to be soft and boys must be rough. It is only natural. It will be difficult for a soft girl to be with a boy as soft as a Chocolate.  Stereotyping much? As if that is not enough, she went on to say that boys must be dominating, girls must be compromising! The heck! Another girl added on that unlike Alpha Males, Chocolate boys want independent girls, who are very individualistic. This often leads to divorce and other marital problems. I was like, “Girl! Stop!” When questioned by the host, these girls admitted that their inspiration includes their own old school fathers and even punch-dialogue-talking Tamil movie heroes. No surprise there.

Tamil mass heroes who speak punch dialogues and are always ready to be involved in a fight like Simbu (pic) and Vijay are what the pro-Alphas deem the perfect Tamil boy.

Then it was the pro-Chocolates’ turn to explain why they are more interested in Chocolate boys. The girls immediately admitted that they liked boys who looked well-groomed and posh as it showed their status in society and level of education. The host was quick in pointing out that this made them appear to be rather materialistic in the sense they wanted to show off their posh friend or spouse. But the girls gained momentum by stating that this was not merely for status but for their own future and security as well. A Chocolate boy always dressed immaculately, if not stylishly and this reflected his background and profession - making him a suitable candidate to be introduced to one’s parents and take along to social functions.

Another girl claimed that all her guy friends, brothers and male cousins are the Chocolate boy-type.  Since she has grown up surrounded by Chocolate boys, she wants a Chocolate boy as her future husband too. The host then asked her, rather cynically, if her father too is a Chocolate boy, to which the poor girl fell silent.  Well of course he is no chocolate boy in today’s sense. Similarly, an Alpha Male of today would be a Chocolate boy if taken back a few decades back. Time has changed everything. If I was that embarrassed little girl, I would rebut by saying my dad is definitely a Chocolate boy based on the standards of his time, provided her dad was a Chocolate boy back then of course.

Just like the girls from the pro-Alphas, the pro-Chocolate girls are equally influenced by movies. But unlike the pro-Alphas who are affected by these mass hero Tamil masala films, the pro-Chocolates draw their inspiration from Mani Ratnam movies and Bollywood chick flicks like Alaipayuthey and Jaane Tu Ya Jaanne Naa.  I WAS WAITING FOR THIS! The Imran Khan character from the latter film is simply the epitome of the Chocolate boy character.

Imraan Khan's role as a soft spoken and patient young man from the Hindi film Jaane Tu Ya Jaanne Naa really inspired the pro-Chocolates to find friends and spouses like him. 

After another commercial break, the host invited two guest speakers on stage. Both were popular Tamil TV soap opera actresses. Each one has been married to a self proclaimed Alpha Male and Chocolate boy respectively. The one married to the Alpha Male admitted that men should be commanding as that is what makes them men. Huh? Though I might not agree to most things she said, I respect this young woman for bravely admitting on TV that rowdy-like men with one ear piercings and a simple dressing sense turns her on. That was surely a stepping stone for Indian women in terms of admitting what arouses them sexually in public. She also admitted to liking her husband for talking roughly with her, like when she addresses with vaadi and poodi, which might sound disrespectful when used on women you are not close to. To her, this simply showed there is fondness in his roughness, unlike Chocolate boys who are too reserved and often put up a fake face when with girls just to appear cool. Also, her husband’s overprotective nature proves that he will keep her alive in any situation no matter what fate shoves her way.

Then it was the next celebrity guest’s turn to put out her opinions. Having married a Chocolate boy herself, she appreciates his decency and softness even when they are both alone. She simply cannot imagine being married, or even being friends with an Alpha Male who treats everyone roughly with her under the pretext of being loving or friendly. She admits that the fact that macho men always appear unclean and often smell of sweat makes her nauseous. To this, the pro-Alphas yelled out that this very I-don’t-care-what-people-think-of-me attitude is what makes Alpha Male pleasing. Finally, the celebrity guest stated that her husband’s Chocolate boy looks reflected his upbringing and background, and he too will take care of her in hardship and in happiness because that is the very value with which he was brought up in.

Once the celebrity guests had left the stage, the host called on Dr. Shalini, a local psychologist and a regular guest on the show to explain why there are so many differing thoughts on the two different types of boys. Dr. Shalini revealed that it is in girls’ nature that during ovulation, she will be aroused and thus desire a rugged, manly boy with all the exaggerated male characteristics. However, when they are not ovulating, girls desire boys who are loving and caring, or in other words a potential father. Whatever it is, women in Asian societies still expect men to protect them and this was definitely reflected in the episode’s discussion.

Why I Will Forever Stay Malaysian

Because I have a responsibility to my nation and people. And yes, I've been told a couple of times that I sound like a moralist when I say that. So what the heck. I have moral values and I try my best to stick to them. And if that is not what a moralist is by definition, well it seems to apply for me.

So yes, I am an Indian and a Hindu, which makes me a minority in this country. And I am not denying that people of my ethnicity might not have been treated equally by other sections of society. Even our government has been humble enough to admit that during recent times. So no arguing there.

But I feel like I have been blessed that despite a rather mediocre SPM result of 7As, I was presented with not only a full scholarship to pursue an English language teaching degree in England, but also a five year contract to serve under the government. Not only was I given the golden opportunity to study abroad and gain a British university degree, but I will also have secured myself a stable job as a teacher once I graduate and return home.

I hope it's now clear why I feel like I have a moral responsibility to my nations and people. My scholarship money is not something I simply inherited from a dead rich Australian uncle, nor did I will any genetic lottery that allowed me to be born with a silver spoon in my mouth. The money comes from the taxpayers from Malaysia, including my parents and relatives. That is why, as much as I feel like a nerd for saying this, I feel like I have a duty to be fulfilled. I am indebted to these people, and forever will be.

It breaks my heart to see some youngsters who feed on the scholarship they are given, only to later stay abroad and find a job there. In most cases, like mine, they are contract bounded and have to return to serve under their beneficiary for a certain amount of time. But no! Some of these people just stay overseas to find a high paying job and it's their guardians who have to pay back their scholarship money. It amazes me how these people even sleep at night.  

And then there is the age old argument -  that we minorities are treated like scum in this country and we deserve to migrate somewhere where we will be treated as we deserve. Well, if you are the child of millionaires who funded your education overseas and you owe the Malaysian taxpayer nothing, then by all means there might be no reason for you to see yourself ever being in debt to the people. But if you are, like me, bounded by a contract, and is funded by money from the people, than your conscience should tell you otherwise.

Am I a fan of all of our government's policies? Not necessarily. Am I a big fan of our opposition? Irrelevant. Am I politically inclined? Absolutely not. So why do I care so much about this brain drain issue? The reason is I cannot speak for everyone. But if you see a brighter future for yourself abroad, then nobody should stop you from pursuing your materialistic dreams. But there are contracts that are not bound on paper. Things like moral duty and responsibility are some of them. Anyone with a clear mind will know how to make the right decision.