That incorrigible, bearded scribe used this word in a piece today (MGG Pillai in a MKini article). I remember looking up the meaning some years ago and thence, used it repeatedly for a bit. Then it all stopped, just as quickly as it started. What a man, this fellow. How does one store a word like that – hardly if ever used word – in some corner of his head and retrieve it for use so appropriately? When I read Pillai’s sentence, I kept saying, “Sh*t, I know that word. WHAT does it mean?”. The context very quickly restored my lost vocabulary and boy was I impressed. With MGG, not with me. For his language skills in this case. He da man!

“So, I commend the enjoyment of life.” (From the Bible – really. Eccl 8:15)

My employers have a reputation in the market for being aggresive. They promise clients the sky. They go in where polite Malaysians are hesitant to thread. Associates are told to “bang tables” to make sure the firm is heard and is ahead. Aggression isnt wrong, they are told. In off site training events, night drinks are peppered with singing, where songs like the Hokkien number “Ai Piah Chia Eh Yah” (Need to fight hard to win) becomes a theme, together with war cries directed at competitors. Aggression isnt wrong, they are told. Aggresion is good. So is greed, isnt it? There must be a reason why the protagonist who uttered that famous line on the silver screen was called Gekko. The mantra is better placed for slimy reptiles, IMHO…

“So, I commend the enjoyment of life.” (From the Bible – really. Eccl 8:15)