Tiarnan's morning toast.

Tiarnan, three, is one of those children whose youthful energy invariably makes anyone older than six feel geriatric. This superabundance of life-force is particularly evident first thing in the morning, when he is brighter and perkier than even a small star could be.

This morning, his face shone with his early morning intensity. He looked up at his mother on sighting her and said, cheerily: "Here's to another episode of Tiarnan!"

What a wonderful expression...and how interesting is the viewpoint that had to give rise to it. He has likened his world to a television series, with each day, an episode. I suppose he is not far wrong, since he has begun a new life, in a new country and each day has its new adventures, here. Then again, I wonder at what he means when he compares his life to TV...after all, his most recent TV experience has been the remake of The Prisoner, with Ian McKellen (as Number Two) and Jim Caviezel (as Number Six). One wonders if he is likening his own life, therefore, to the bizarre world of The Prisoner, where all are supposedly free, but none are, in actuality. He has watched no other TV series in the past couple of weeks, so if he has a particular series in mind, it is most likely to be that one.

Whatever he means, I can only agree to his toast: "Here's to another episode of Tiarnan!", indeed.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)

The cause of piracy in Malaysia.

There are pirates in Malaysia...lots of them. However, these pirates are not seafaring lads, with unaccountable eye patches - they are backroom boys with computer and video equipment turning out copies of software of all kinds, be it films, or computer games.

Before I went to Malaysia, I had puzzled at its reputation for pirated goods. Now, however, that I have lived in Malaysia for a while, it has become obvious to me why there is such a high rate of copyright infringement.

Last week, I went into a video store in KL and took a look at their DVDs. I was rather stunned at what I saw. The DVDs were typically priced at 149.99 RM each. To put this into perspective, the Sony DVD player that we had just bought, cost just 179 RM. So, a DVD in Malaysia is almost the price a good, branded DVD player. That struck me as appalling. I quietly left the DVD store without making any purchases.

Yesterday, I was in a computer store. I took a look for a game I had been contemplating for a while: Fallout 3. Again, I was struck by a sense of shock at the price: 189.99 RM. Again, this is much more expensive than expected and, indeed, is much more expensive than the game was, when it first came out in Singapore (where it has since become cheaper).

It is quite clear that the strongest motivation for people to buy pirated goods in Malaysia is that the genuine article is, typically, vastly overpriced. A pirated DVD costs around 8 RM (compared to 150 RM!!!). I hear that a pirated game costs about 15 RM, compared to close to 200 RM for the real thing.

Thus, it is clear that the reason piracy is common in Malaysia is that the manufacturers and distributors of software - film/games - are being too greedy. They are overpricing their goods compared to local standards, and, therefore, have made themselves entirely unaffordable to the common man. The common man therefore, seeks cheaper alternatives and, given a choice between not being able to buy something AT ALL (the original costs far too much), and buying a lower quality copy...they will ALWAYS go for the copy.

The answer to copyright infringement in Malaysia is strikingly obvious: the costs of original goods must be brought into line with the economic situation in Malaysia and must reflect what people are actually able to afford. That, to my mind, means dividing the price of DVDs and games by at least a factor of 3. Were manufacturers to do this, they wouldn't lose money, they would gain market share, as the common man started to buy original goods and prefer doing so, based on their quality (now that he could afford them).

Right now, however, original goods will sit unsold, and copies will sell quickly...because simple economics says that people in Malaysia have no other choice, realistically speaking. Almost no-one in Malaysia can afford these goods at the manufacturer's asking price.

So, if film-makers and computer games designers really want to make money in Malaysia (and other South-East Asian countries), they MUST cut the price of goods. Otherwise, they can just forget about making significant sales here.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)

A child friendly country.

Malaysia is a child friendly country - or at least, it makes an effort to be so. Indeed, it makes efforts I have not noticed in neighbouring Singapore.

A week ago, I was in IKEA, the iconic furniture store. What most impressed me about the store was not the size (absolutely immense...it had storage facilities that could swallow Singapore's flagship IKEA store, whole.) No. What impressed me was one little detail that others may overlook. Next to the full sized shopping trolleys, in this store, there was a little row of "toy sized" ones. More precisely, they were miniature shopping trolleys, clearly designed so that three, four and five year olds could push a little trolley around the store, like mummy. How sweet!

There are other details, too, I have noticed. Today, for instance, at Bandar Utama, the shopping centre, I noted something I have not seen in any other country. In the men's toilet, one of the cubicles was larger than the others. In it there were two toilet bowls: a full sized one for Daddy - and a smaller one, beside it, for his son: how thoughtful.

Everywhere there seem to be special areas set aside for children: play areas in which the children can be placed, whilst the adults shop. This is not unique to Malaysia, of course - but it is very common here. The play areas are also rather elaborate. The one in Bandar Utama today, was four stories high, an indoor play area of intricate passages, things to climb up, roll down and generally have fun within.

The other thing, however, is perhaps more important than all of this. It is something that may not be noted, but which is more telling than anything else. It is called a smile. So often, I see the serving staff in shops and restaurants, the people about the city, passing by and, indeed, many of the people we encounter at random, SMILING down at our children. They do not seem irked by their endless energy, by their rapid, random motion, by their jubilant cries as they play out their childhood games...no, they are engaged by them, amused by them and SMILE.

In some countries, my three boys at play would attract scowls, not smiles.

So, I must say I am pleased at the attitudes towards children I have seen, so far, here in Malaysia. I am pleased at the efforts companies put in to make children welcome. I am pleased with the designers of shopping centres, who ensure that there is always plenty for children to do.

What remains to discover, of course, is how the schools are towards children: on that issue, I am presently blind. We will see. In the meantime, I shall continue to enjoy a refreshing welcome for children that I see, here, all around me.

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)

A case of mistaken identity

Yesterday, I was in a news agent in Singapore. I was buying a few envelopes and a newspaper. The total was quite small and involved two one dollar notes, among other denominations.



I took the money from my wallet, identifying them by their colours, from above and placed them before the shop assistant at the till.



He took up one of the notes, but, oddly, left the other two on the table before him. He looked up at me then, expectantly, saying nothing with his voice, but everything with his eyes. His message was clear: "This is not right."



After about 30 seconds of him staring at me, in silence and I becoming gradually aware of his gaze, I looked down at the notes to see why he had left them there.



Both were 50 RM notes, not 1 RM notes. I had nearly overpaid by 98 RM!



"Thank you for your honesty.", I said, thankful indeed, because he could easily have taken the money and I wouldn't have noticed.



Now, you may be thinking me foolish to make such a mistake with money, but perhaps I should explain how easily this can occur in Malaysia, to a newcomer. You see a 1 RM (Ringgit) note is blue in colour - so it may seem easy to pick it out, in a wallet. However, the problem is a 50 RM note is ALSO blue in colour. This is really confusing, since they look rather similar. There are ways to distinguish them, but these can easily be overlooked: the 1 RM note is somewhat smaller than the 50 RM note (though this is not obvious to someone new to the money) and, of course, 1 and 50 are written on the notes, though not in a manner which stands out, at all. Basically, without close examination, they can easily be confused and used, for each other.

It is just a little suggestion, by an outsider to Malaysia - but would it not be better if ALL Malaysia's banknotes were of different colours, designs and sizes? Or at the very least, they should be coloured differently. Were this so, my mistake of yesterday would be unlikely to occur. As it is, I have to wonder how many visitors to Malaysia are, unknowingly, being very generous with their tips!

(If you would like to learn more of Ainan Celeste Cawley, a scientific child prodigy, aged eight years and seven months, or his gifted brothers, Fintan, five years exactly, and Tiarnan, twenty-eight months, please go to:http://scientific-child-prodigy.blogspot.com/2006/10/scientific-child-prodigy-guide.html I also write of gifted education, IQ, intelligence, the Irish, the Malays, Singapore, College, University, Chemistry, Science, genetics, left-handedness, precocity, child prodigy, child genius, baby genius, adult genius, savant, wunderkind, wonderkind, genio, гений ребенок prodigy, genie, μεγαλοφυία θαύμα παιδιών, bambino, kind.

We are the founders of Genghis Can, a copywriting, editing and proofreading agency, that handles all kinds of work, including technical and scientific material. If you need such services, or know someone who does, please go to: http://www.genghiscan.com/ Thanks.

IMDB is the Internet Movie Database for film and tv professionals. If you would like to look at my IMDb listing for which another fifteen credits are to be uploaded, (which will probably take several months before they are accepted) please go to: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3438598/ As I write, the listing is new and brief - however, by the time you read this it might have a dozen or a score of credits...so please do take a look. My son, Ainan Celeste Cawley, also has an IMDb listing. His is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3305973/ My wife, Syahidah Osman Cawley, has a listing as well. Hers is found at: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3463926/

This blog is copyright Valentine Cawley. Unauthorized duplication prohibited. Use Only with Permission. Thank you.)