On Vincent
Some people wonder about the groups of people I hang out with, and occasionally they would classify me as a Class-A nerd who calls herself elitist because she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. That's just an excuse she gave herself because she can't find chums online. In other words, a loser and a freak in one. Of course, it's a suit-yourself-situation and I can accept your opinion of me… there's nothing much I can do to change your mind of course, and not that I'm intending to do so. I need to, however, remind myself again that I've been working very hard to separate myself so that I can be as aloof as possible from the persona that is minishorts.net, and so really, all these right-and-mis-conceptions ought to be welcome as they are.
Yet that isn't to say that I do not appreciate the people I've come to know and call my trusted friends over all these years of being active in the blogospheric society. Like Vincent, for instance, someone whom I really met off the Net, and have grown pretty close to in recent months. Of course I'm intrigued by the nut he is, and all these years of reading his blog I've imagined Vince to be swaggeringly handsome, with a husky voice to match, as he has so oftly put it, 'I'm only 21, you know.'
When when I finally met him in real life, my reaction was, 'Are you sure you're only 21?' Because he doesn't look it at all, and well, because when I first met him in the flesh he was almost bald and very fair, I was severely disappointed. Heh.
At least he’s darker now, but really Vince, all those pimples, gah!
So yeah, when you read his blog, it's a pretty amazing fact (that he’s 21) to match to his diction. Not to say that they're error-free and completely sensible, no blog is almost that, not even Jeff's or Mack's, but at least it’s not the average ‘Today I went out and drove over a cat and this is the photo of the cat’ kind of crap you get all over. His blog provokes you intellectually, and Vincent doesn’t have to leech on another person’s rubbish to come up with intellectual observations, he makes up his own crap and others leech on him.
I can tell you though, that when I read Vincent's blog and everytime he keeps saying, 'Hey I'm awesome I'm only 21.' I keep laughing because it's the hilarity of it, because that single line is the one flaw that reminds us again that even with all that perceived maturity, Vincent is, a kid, after all. And just like the rest of us, he makes mistakes, and he's telling you, 'Look, if you think I sound bloody holier than thou, come on there, I'm only 21, who do you expect me to be, Gandhi?'
Even Gandhi had his flaws.
So yesterday I was talking to Vince about the current situation and his new job, and I pointed out to him, of course, that it was insane, and defeated sense, and his response was understandably, 21-year-old-ish, 'Aiyah, don't care lah…. just whack only, for fun mah…' Right then I was reminded of Sunday at church where the pastor gave some examples of incredible intelligence demonstrated by 5 year old kids. To the question, 'What is love?'
This boy said, 'Love is when the girl puts on perfume, the guy puts on cologne, and then they go out and smell each other.'
Another girl said, 'Love is when grandpa bends over to tie grandma's shoe laces.'
An adult wouldn't speak of love with such mature eloquence. Heh. Although I'll bet that we're more likely than not to be adults who would say, ‘Who are you to talk so much when you’re only 21?’, when we meet someone whose opinions, self-appraising no doubt, actually sound sensible in their own way and sometimes credible enough to challenge our own I-ate-more-salt-than-you-breathe-air convictions.
I don't understand why we practise double standards, really. See on one hand, many of us look up to our office superiors and frown, 'Work so long so old already also come up with that kind of shit. These old people, think they own the world,' and yet on the other, we look at school/college-going youngsters and say, 'Haiyah kids these days ah, so not like in my time, in my time we were bla bla bla…'
That's the problem, isn’t it? We're always too quick to judge, too ready to give excuses for other people's shortcomings, too prompt to provide a smack on the other's cheek just so that we would look great. Such a sad situation, but it's occuring, all the time.
We all live our lives in our own ways, make judgements based on our own perceptions, and there's no way to define whether another person is right or wrong. Just because he feels differently from you about certain conditions does not mean he’s stupid or idiotic, you know? Not when that opinion is written in sensible phrases, not insulting personal-attack stances that depreciate to levels of name-callings and rude labellings.
Our definitions of good and bad differ simply because of our upbringing and environment. And take it from me, you have no idea how different Vincent is from most of us. The life he’s led has allowed him many experiences with values which most of us will never have the privilege to encounter. On Saturday, I was at his house with my camera crew and some colleagues to film a documentary about his life. Meeting his mum, and his brother reminded me again that even after 2 years of knowing the dude, there are just so many things I've yet to find out about him. So many things to learn from this kid, who, btw, is not a kid anymore. Past 21-mah.
But Vince is definitely someone I'll trust as a friend for many, many years to come. Online insanity aside.
March 8th, 2006 at 9:56 am
Kids like Vincent love ad-hominem attacks
It gives him a chance to battle with people who aren’t ‘just 21′. That seems to be his excuse for all his bad behaviour by the way. Not very mature after all.
What people are like in real life is pretty irrelevant too, if you only know them online. Plus it’s no excuse, as Vincent himself wrote, what you are online is really what you are, that means if he’s nice in real life, he’s a pussy hypocrite, just like those he wrote about, without the balls to express himself in reality.
Things just get better and better.
March 8th, 2006 at 10:03 am
well in my opinion it’s funnier to see people bragging about their achievements in ad-hominem attacks. sure it’s not pussy-hypocritical, but not like it’s something to shout about either.
March 8th, 2006 at 10:08 am
Both are evils, which is the lesser, perhaps that is the question. But I think Vincent is guilty of both
March 8th, 2006 at 10:41 am
That calvin pic he uses is actually misleading. The thought that crossed my mind when I met him the first time was: You? 21? Are you sure ah?
March 8th, 2006 at 11:06 am
If vincent is both mature and sensible in his words, then i’ll be Takeshi Kaneshiro
March 8th, 2006 at 11:42 am
minishorts: exactamento
March 8th, 2006 at 11:55 am
good job! your post just confirmed everyone’s suspicion that vincent is a pimply, pale, nerdy, balding pussy.
March 8th, 2006 at 3:09 pm
Aww man! I imagined vincent to have nice spiked up hair with glasses and all. With that cute lil geeky look along with the mysterious look on his face. Aiyah!
You know, Naz said to me before, “You don’t act like you’re 20 (when I was 20 then)” and I said to him, “How’s a 20 year old girl supposed to be like? Go clubbing and do all those immature stuffs I see them doing?”
The thing is, some of us probably experienced certain things that made us act and think beyond our age. So to call someone immature just because he’s young is unfair.
All I know is, I can relate very well to his post and I like it.
March 8th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
Clubbing is immature? That’s an interesting perspective.
I guess those datuks with 1 digit number plates I see in some KL clubs are immature aswell..zzz
Having fun in general must be immature I guess.
We all need lessons in maturity from you S-Kay, because I for one don’t get it.
March 8th, 2006 at 3:25 pm
ugh.
March 8th, 2006 at 4:20 pm
actually … off topic. i personally think it IS pretty immature to spent thousands of ringgit on a 1-digit number plate.
March 8th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
“it IS pretty immature to spent thousands of ringgit on a 1-digit number plate.”
that is called social status or EGO if you prefer.
Lastly, it is NOT immature. In economic terms, the single-digit no plate owner is telling you “I MADE IT!”.
March 8th, 2006 at 4:42 pm
‘Today I went out and drove over a cat and this is the photo of the cat’
How ironic. Today, a group of cats in a car ran me over, then got out, took photo’s of me lying by the side of the road half dead, and when I got home, I found they’d blogged about me!
March 8th, 2006 at 4:46 pm
Actually you are showing your ignorance, you can’t buy a 1 digit plate, only royalty or those with royal connections can get it AFAIK.
You can buy 2 digit plates for a huge sum of money though
And well it’s not really immature either, it’s like Uncle Ed says, Asia mah, show face mah, rub it in your face mah, his number plate costs more than your car 
March 8th, 2006 at 4:54 pm
ST: issit? ok I didn’t know that
WOW… ok i sometimes feel that my uncle is a lil bit immature also, he has a single digit number plate you know, and we always thought he paid a bomb for it.
hahahhaha I HAVE ROYAL CONNECTIONS!!!
March 8th, 2006 at 5:10 pm
ST : Erm…I didn’t say clubbing was immature, did I? I said, ““How’s a 20 year old girl supposed to be like? Go clubbing and do all those immature stuffs I see them doing?”
March 8th, 2006 at 7:40 pm
wenJun says:
If vincent is both mature and sensible in his words, then i’ll be Takeshi Kaneshiro
OMG CHOOKI! Takeshi Kaneshiro reads your blog!
March 8th, 2006 at 10:15 pm
vincent you blind punk i didn’t say you’re mature nor did i say you’re sensible.
i said you’re more mature in areas, and sometimes sensible but all the same you’re still a kid.
alas you’re fallen to the levels of the minions. sniff. so sad.
then again if takeshi kaneshiro does read my blog i don’t mind saying you’re mature and sensible.
wait a minute i don’t even like takeshi kaneshiro.
March 8th, 2006 at 11:10 pm
Vincent was bitchslapped not for his age, but because of the way he started throwing the first insults on others in an issue where everyone can reach a common moral ground on.
His age wasn’t the primary factor he got humiliated.
You on the other hand, think you’re the blog police.
You didn’t side with reason, you sided with a friend. You accuse others of name calling but you ignored the fact that he started hurling insults at the public first.
We’re not stupid. We have eyes and we can see for ourselves.
March 8th, 2006 at 11:23 pm
observer: so? do two wrongs make a right?
i’m not accusing anyone of anything. i’m just telling people why i like vincent, despite his faults. there’s nothing wrong in that. same way i see that there’s nothing wrong in you telling me that i’m a blog police. i don’t have a license for that and never intended to be called so. but if you think so and you think that telling me that is going to make me go ouch.
ok.
‘ouch. that hurt.’
now back to my life. and trying to tell Vincent not to do it again. the next time you read something, read it properly. now THAT, is an accusation.
March 8th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
but… but… he’s a MAN UTD FAN! That’s UNFORGIVABLE!
March 8th, 2006 at 11:55 pm
“Just because he feels differently from you about certain conditions does not mean he’s stupid or idiotic, you know? Not when that opinion is written in sensible phrases, not insulting personal-attack stances that depreciate to levels of name-callings and rude labellings.”
from your good friend’s blog:
“How about you guys just shut the fuck up already?
It’s already been two fucking days since they raised the prices. Why the hell are you still babbling like kids in school bitching over some pissy teacher who gave you extra homework? We all know that the government is not going to lower the price just because you bitch more than a housewife with rabies. And we all know that despite all that price hike, you idiots are still going to go about your daily life. Just bite the dust dammit.”
”
Update : I’ve read in a few places that people are opposed to the hike because of ‘bad timing’. Pray tell me, any one of you fucking morons, when would it be ‘GOOD TIMING’ to raise the price and ask people for more money? Quite simply put, there will NEVER be a good time. However, things like this just MUST be done. So, shut your gap already. It is 1.57pm. I hope, by some divine intervention, the skies will open up within the next few minutes and start pouring over the jamooks standing outside KLCC.
”
I could point you to more examples starting from the comment box and new article onwards, but i want everyone to get the picture why the public were ready to pounce on your good friend before his attempt to educate the masses.
YOU minishorts, should be the one doing the reading properly.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:15 am
“This boy said, ‘Love is when the girl puts on perfume, the guy puts on cologne, and then they go out and smell each other.”
but in your friend’s case it’s probably….
Infinite stupidity is when every species in this universe think differently from me. Assimilation is imminent. Resistance is futile.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:26 am
slowmo says:,
bantha poodoo…if vincent lau is luke skywalker…n minishorts is leia…darth vader would roll over in his grave…observer just have to show this blog on my PC!!!…wtf…total disgrace…i have to wash my eyes now…
hey…wake up and smell the roses mates…vincent can’t imagine enough to save his own ass now…much less debate with his lesser brain…so minishorts…i think you are both short and mini defending such a looossseeerrr…he Pwned you too??
haha…the spotlight is on you…you bitchy you…dig a hole deep enough for both of yer…@
March 9th, 2006 at 1:04 am
at least they bothered to blog about it, no?
March 9th, 2006 at 9:59 am
this post is filed under Personal and usually when i do that, i hardly tell the whole truth and what exactly happened. but nvm that. i don’t think i need to answer for my actions.
but observer: now i remember you. the last time i had a misunderstanding with you it was in kimberlycun’s blog, and i think i was young and arrogant enough to say to him, ‘Observers don’t comment. They observe.’
today i think i’ll say thank you for your kind gesture and valid opinions. i’ll take them into consideration the next time i want to say something to someone.
March 9th, 2006 at 12:57 pm
Wrong Observer. I just simply picked up this nick and I don’t know your history with the other Observer.
March 9th, 2006 at 2:20 pm
“On Saturday, I was at his house with my camera crew and some colleagues to film a documentary about his life.”
HHmm…
I’m just curious about just how long or how much content this documentary would contain…
March 9th, 2006 at 3:37 pm
I was 21 not very long ago. 21 is certainly not the age when you can get away with being immature.
In the blogosphere, that would be 6.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:43 pm
Interesting…