From heroes to zeroes... from zeroes to "errmmmm"????

Another great article from my favorite blog...

By MOHSIN ABDULLAH, MySinchew
Coming home from work one evening, a man called his wife and children to gather for a family meeting. The objective: to draw up plans and course of action to be taken by all of them in view of the current high fuel prices. And everything else that has sky rocketed.

It’s time to adjust and change he told his family. Turning to his wife he told her to spend “wisely” at the market. “Cook enough for all of us and do not waste food,” he said sternly.

Turning to his children , he asked them to cut down on watching TV and playing computer, to save on electricity bills.

“Also if we are having dinner at the dining hall , switch off all the lights in other areas of the house.

“We have to take our meals at home. We can’t be eating out. No more high tea and buffet dinners at restaurants and hotels. Also we can’t go for holidays during the school breaks.”

He went on to say that they will have to use a smaller car. Also car pooling.
“I’m sorry, we have to tighten up our budget. We simply can’t afford lots of things.” His and wife and kids just nodded their heads in silent.

Then one of his children, (his youngest daughter) looked up and said: “But dad, that’s what’s we been doing all this while. Mum goes to the market and buy the cheapest goods possible. We eat low grade rice. We don’t watch TV or play computer much. Our house don’t have air con. We don’t use electricity much. We seldom eat out and it’s been years since we go for holidays. We have never been overseas. And we drive a Kancil. Isn’t that small enough already? So what’s there to change?" she asked.

The man stared at his daughter. He turned and looked at his wife and other children. Slowly he broke his silence: “I know. But that’s what I’ve been reading in the papers and hearing on TV and radio. Everyday they tell us to change our life style. I’m just repeating what they say.”

This story is just a figment of my imagination. But for all you know, it could very well be true. I let a friend of mine tread this piece before sending it to the editors at Sin Chew Daily. And he told me, if this article was meant as a joke, then it was not funny.

My reply to him was, it was not supposed to be funny. After all these are depressing times we’re in now. And that’s no joke.

Mohsin Abdullah is the Editor in Chief for News and Current Affairs of Ntv7 and 8TV