Posted: 15/5/2006

"The Talking Skull: A Lesson in Silence"

There was a hunter out hunting deep in the African bush when he stumbled upon a human skull—bleached white, with empty sockets staring out into the void.

"And what brought you here?!" yelped the hunter, leaping backward in fright.

"Talking brought me here," answered the skull.

"And what brought you here?" asked the hunter again.

"Talking brought me here," repeated the skull.

On and on it went, the hunter questioning, the skull replying.

"WOW!" The hunter ran all the way back to the kraal where his people lived, and headed straight to the main compound of the number one chief—who, it was said, had 52 strong and healthy wives. The hunter breathlessly told the chief about the talking skull.

Though a busy man, what with running the community and lacking sleep from nightly duties, the chief eventually gave in to the hunter’s pleas and followed him into the forest to witness the miracle.

At long last, they arrived at the spot. There sat the skull, still and silent, staring with its lifeless black eyes.

"What brought you here?! What brought you here!? Please, what brought you here?" begged the hunter.

No answer.

In desperation, the hunter rolled on the ground, groveling before the skull. He picked it up, tossed it into the air, and nearly used it as a soccer ball—until a deadly glare from the Great Chief froze him in his tracks.

The Moral?
Where there was once a skull, now there are two.
Know when to speak, and when not to—lest you lose your head.

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Of Art and Identity: Reflections in Penang

Later that day, I visited the Amro-USM Gallery where the HUMIND Solo Exhibition was still on. I walked over to the Penang Gallery at Dewan Sri Pinang and found many impressive works in the main hall.

The sad truth? Ninety percent of the pieces were by Chinese artists from in and around Penang.

At the risk of sounding prejudiced, I must say—Penang’s art scene is dominated by Chinese artists and well-funded art clubs. Their patrons seem far more attuned to the importance of art, and its role in preserving culture and spirit.

Traditionally, the artist has always been the spiritual and cultural historian of a society. Like the shaman or storyteller, he stands on the fringe—an observer lost in his own world, making sense of life through his creations.

The artist takes the next step into the unknown, documenting what lies beyond the limits of his community or consciousness. He becomes the Quest Master, the Vision Hunter, dancing on mountaintops or mesas, naked to the stars, echoing the coyote’s howl.

When sacrifice is needed, it is often the artist who becomes the lamb—for in times of crisis, he is seen as the most expendable.

An artist, in truth, is not so different from a prostitute—peddling their self-worth for survival in a world ruled by hard men and hard money. And yet, the Creator, in Hu’s infinite compassion, made him an artist—a bearer of the gift to see, live, and document life.

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Dreams Fulfilled in Unexpected Ways

As a child, I always dreamed of becoming a pilot—soaring in the sky. Though I never got to fly my own plane, my son now flies for an airline in the U.S. My dream, it seems, was fulfilled through him.

I was also fascinated by engineering. The sound of machinery, the buzz of activity in a factory or machine shop—it stirred something in me. I remember walking into the facility of H&H Ships and Environmental Services at 220 China Basin, San Francisco. There, I became the Yard Boss.

At one point, I was tasked with designing the entire yard layout to meet California State Legislation for hazardous waste management. Through this, I gained a deep respect for engineering—not necessarily in what one can do, but in what it takes to make it happen.

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Living the Dream—Construction Life in Malaysia

I used to wonder what it would be like to work on a construction site, sweating under the tropical sun, feeling the pulse of heavy machinery and scaffolding steel.

Then, I got to live it.

I became a Health and Safety Manager for three major construction companies in Malaysia:

• Ibai Bina Sdn. Bhd. in Kerteh

• Van Seumerren Romstar in Kerteh and Gebeng

• Autoblast in Kerteh

These projects were located at the Petronas refinery complexes—some of the most technically advanced construction sites in the country. I worked with a global workforce: Vietnamese, Bangladeshis, Indians from India, Ibans from Sarawak, and Malays, Chinese, and Indians from across Malaysia.

My bosses were Korean, American, British—and the overseeing management was Petronas itself.

Our motto?
"Safety First."
"We Make It Happen."

For two and a half years, I earned the highest salary of my life—and more importantly, I fulfilled a lifelong wish: to understand what it truly meant to work on a construction site.

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Be Careful What You Wish For

As they say, be careful what you wish for. The mind is a far greater planner than we realize.

Take it from someone who’s spent a lifetime documenting the inner and outer landscapes of his journey—it’s only a matter of time before a deeply held wish manifests into reality. Whether or not we notice it, every thought offered to the HUMIND becomes a seed planted.

So maybe, just maybe, we should wish for better things: joy, healing, peace—not just for ourselves, but for those we love and for the world.

So hey! Let’s join hands. Let’s embark on a Vision Quest to discover our one true wish:

Everlasting Peace.