Asia Mind Dynamics - Creating change that lasts

« Immigration and customs at airports | Main | KL Monorail on Courtesy Drive »

February 06, 2005

My first kiss

I won't tell you the story of my first "real" kiss, but I was pretty young - around 15 or so - and was plenty of times in love with girls even before that event. Girls were all over my mind, and finally, there was this one great kiss.

It was fun, great and I dreamt of it for months and months (the friendship didn't work out, so).

Researchers now discovered that there is a Kiss-1 gene, a gene that switches on puberty. Hey - that is how it starts, so to speak, the changes in bodies, the famous puberty.

"KiSS-1 genes that reside in nerve cells found in the brain's hypothalamus. The kisspeptin proteins produced by these cells go on to bind to the surfaces of other neurons in the brain, causing those cells to produce gonadotropin-releasing hormone.

That hormone in turn stimulates the pituitary gland to release its own hormonal messengers, which ultimately kick sex hormone production into high gear."

I don't care if this is what happened to my body after my first kiss. The memories were great. It happened on a fun fair, and many, many people were around me.

According to plans now tabled in Indonesia, I would have spent 10 years in prison - and would have only get out jail when I turned 25. Newpapers write that "Indonesia's government is considering a law banning unwed couples from pecking in public - and harshly penalizing those who do."

My thinking is that these kind of proposals really show a very disturbing perception of how guys and girls can learn respect and tolerance from and together with each other.

Segregation of gender only reinforces prejudices. If "authorities" believe that segregation enforces moral behaviour, than they have to do more. For example, destroy computers, movie theaters, close down radio stations, forbid books and overall, basically close their country down. Why not extraditing all the women and only bring those back to men that are going to marry?

The experience to mingle with girls taught me respect for them, and helped me to see the world from their eyes. It helped me to understand the different languages of women and girls, even helped me to see that a building's architecture is very often male. You laugh? Just look around at the buildings and see, how phallus-like many buildings look.

Or look at the structures inside of buildings - women would never plan dark corners and aisles that are so common in parking lots here. There would be light and colour, to enlighten the athmosphere.

I believe, honestly, that restrictions on the free move and mingling of girls and boys, women and men, contribute a lot to the increase of rape and molestation in some countries in Asia. Or to the "youths that spend idle hours in places like Uptown Damansara (go on a weekend and see how many Malay youths appear like zombies, being a pest to traffic and sitting for endless hours, whistling at girls and being a Romeo Pokai), as Mack writes.

I am not saying that I support pre-marital sex - I just don't care - and mingling with each other doesn't necessarily mean that there is sex. If there is sex (and there is a lot of sex possible before the "famous intercourse"), there needs to be respect and tolerance. As simple as that. Respect for each other's body and feeling.

This respect is developed from childhood onwards and comes from the values that parents and the other social surrounding instill in children.

Better, the behaviour that parents live in front of their children. Do they walk the talk? Do they respect each other? Are they fighting with each other, and how is conflict resolved? Do they spend time together - quality time? Together with their children? Talking or just in front of the TV?

Even - the way they drive their car - do they show respect for regulations or that they don't care for others, for traffic lights and so on? If all live this respect and tolerance, the value system in a society would also improve. Honestly, it starts with simple things like thank you, please and a smile on the lips.

Seriously, I wouldn't like to miss the many experiences that girls and women were able to teach me. And I believe that those who experience those experience late are really missing out something.

Look around you, when you next visit a place (in its widest sense). Where are the women and where are the men? If they mingle, you see a household where respect and tolerance is alive. May be than you see a household with towering personalities - which could be a Malay, Indian or a Chinese household.

Than, you would be able to see "well-rounded people who have developed high intellect, a high-value system, a successful career, a good economic standing and a well-respected culture and religion, so much so that they would be marvelled at by others."

Posted by Andreas at February 6, 2005 01:05 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.alwayswow.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/74

Listed below are links to weblogs that reference My first kiss:

» Blogging About Sensitive Issues .. Brought to you by the letter 'B' from Brand New Malaysian
Rajan writes an entertaining piece here. Beyond what is said, and the often entertaining two minds go about crossing swords, one must admit the wit of this blog scathing, should you be the 'point' of discussion. Agree with me, or... [Read More]

Tracked on February 12, 2005 11:25 AM

Comments

Posted by: Andreas at February 7, 2005 06:14 PM

Posted by: H4RRY at February 6, 2005 03:31 PM

Posted by: Mack Zulkifli at February 6, 2005 02:04 PM

Posted by: Acat at February 6, 2005 01:21 PM

Post a comment