Foul!

Voice of the Valley by Pearl Lee, as published in Malay Mail today. HE sat quietly in the corner of the room, eyes fixed on the small screen of his mother’s smartphone. There was hardly any interaction with others. He was fixated watching Barney and Friends while swiping the screen, from one app to another. He even knew how to skip the advertisement which appeared before his YouTube video loaded. Benny turned two recently but he uses the smartphone like a pro. His parents have no qualms allowing their son to fiddle with such a gadget. It’s called the “hand pacifier”. “It’s easy for you to say. When you have a child, you’ll end up doing the same,” the mother remarked sarcastically as she passed the phone to her son right after answering a phone call. Other parents claimed they bought phones especially for their toddlers. Afraid their more expensive devices would break once in the hands of their curious young ones, they prefer buying cheaper alternatives which will...

Haresh Says, as published in the Malay Mail today. IT is 2044. A family walks along a row of shops in Desa Petaling and stops by the roadside. The father points at three parking bays and tells his child: “This is where my kindergarten held its Sports Day 30 years ago.” I imagine that would be the conversation some of the 50-odd children will have when they grow up. Last weekend was supposed to be a memorable outing for parents and children of a particular kindergarten in Kuala Lumpur. Armed with cameras and plenty of enthusiasm, parents were eager to see their children in action, hoping to win a trophy or two during the kindy’s Sports Day. Instead, it turned out to be a rude shock. There were no tents, no field and no tracks — nothing to suggest it was a sports day. There were only several balloons as teachers sought refuge from the sun along the corridor of several shop lots. Shop lots? Yes, you read that right. The annual event was...

1. You learn how to communicate and work with others 2. Winning and losing - part of the game 3. You will get hounded by your coach or teammate but you will enjoy a cold glass of beer or hot glass of teh tarik after the match. There is no such thing as sulking or pulling a long face 4. You will realise that everyone - from the guy who brings you water to the girl who bandages your wounds - is important 5. The players need the coach and manager as much as the coach and manager need the players 6. You don't know the meaning of ego for you are treated the same 7. You embrace the spirit of fairplay, respecting your opponent at all times 8. There is always room for improvement, no matter how good you are 9. You are not indispensible, for there will always be another talent eager to take over. There is no place for a diva 10. You inject fun while completing your task For when the child grows up, he or she will inject the same values in his or her life. HD says: Guess n...