Two pieces of news in Japan got me thinking about the Malaysian sailor who was conferred a datukship for sailing around the world, 'solo'.
'Horie completes solo circumnavigation' and 'Nonstop circumnavigator, 71, sails into record books'
The first piece talks about Kenichi Horie, who at age 66, completed an eight-month nonstop solo voyage around the world.
And the second piece focuses on Minoru Saito, age 71, ending a 7 1/2-month, nonstop, unassisted solo circumnavigation around the globe.
In Malaysia, most people of this age will be queuing up to 'keluar baris'.
Yet, what struck me most were the energy and the humbleness that seems to radiate from their salt-worn physique.
Horie appeared especially down-to-earth in the interview.
Saito howled like he was in paradise when he took his first bite of tuna sashimi to celebrate his feat.
On the Malaysian sailor...
I don't know much about this guy, actually.
Except that he is a fellow Kedahan...
And that the Malaysian Navy assisted him with his broken mast and furnished him with microwave-oven ready-to-eat 'nasi kunyit'...
Perhaps he should sail again to make Malaysians really proud?
This time, absolutely solo, without the help of the Navy...
Who knows, those fellows 'up there' might be so impressed so as to dish him a Tan Sri...
Gardening, photography, food, fishing, traveling, scuba diving, life in Japan, plus of course, news and views of being away from home...
lrong dude, m sure he will make another feet, this time with a state of the art, computer "assisted" and materials good-for-the-moon yatch, sponsored by the youth and sports ministry, all in the name of vision 2020. i wonder the medic kid who swam across the english channel got a certificate of achievement?? heheh! ....neh, get on with life.
ReplyDeletekeatix
Yeah..that is difference between Malaysian and Japanese.. you can see the same thing in sports also.. Japanese athlete with Olympic Gold Medal and if the same thing with Malaysian with Gold Medal..
ReplyDeleteLrong, when are you getting your "Tan Sri" .........:):):)
ReplyDeleteI think with the qualifying scale they are using, pretty much all overseas non-bumi Malaysians deserve one.........don't you think....we went on 'solo' into the world to try and make it and lots of us did with no 'Navy' picking us up along the way to feed us and give us $$$ for rent, tuition, food, etc.......:):):)
If you get one, I may have a chance ....:):):):)...well, maybe not....
I am sure if the Navy did not help him along the way surely he would have given up.With the state of the art equipment no wonder it was so easy for him.
ReplyDeletewell nothing new right ? i doubt if he is chinese, perhaps there will just be a publication in the chinese newspaper and as for datukship... wish la. you knowla malays are very proud of themselves with their accomplishment. they have many trumphet networks !
ReplyDeletekeatix... certificate of achievement? Hahahaahaaaa... sure got me rolling on the carpet... crying buaya tears... ooh ooohhh ooohhhhh...
ReplyDeletemmulibra... come to think of it, the Japanese soccer team is the first team to qualify for the world cup finals next year... quite amazed that they could rise up so fast in just over 10 years, while Malaysian soccer continues to nose-dive...
ak... me, a Tan Sri? Heeheh heeeeheeheee... once, a close friend in Malaysia said the biggest satisfaction he could ever get from his job was to be conferred a datuk by the sultan... no offence to the royalty, but my ear drums popped and my eyes bulged out of their sockets... and he was not even in the civil service... of my lord buddha, I thought, different aspirations lah... anyway ak, I support you if you apply for the tan sri title...
thquah... seems like he is keeping quite a low profile now... perhaps he also feels shy lah... didn't do anything terror, but still got all the accolades forced down on his throat... I presume his so-called feat was not even recognized by the books of any reputable institution... same goes for the terror datuk-ized conquerer of the english channel...
Patrick... yeap, if so, it will most probably be a different ball game complete with a mini, moving goal post and a referee who is unashamedly senggek with his whistle...perhaps that is why Malaysia cannot shine in international sports... like in soccer, whether the players come from communist North Korea, or from money-making Japan, or from a hopelessly dichotomized society like Malaysia where favored princes and princesses ride on festooned horse carts while pagans walk bare footed, the same rules apply...
You have to apply???...gosh ...too much work for 'nothing'....forget it.....:):):)
ReplyDeleteak... like eating crabs... too much work and too little meat... somemore the shell get stuck in between the teeth... aaaarrrggghh..
ReplyDelete