Check this out! "Melelakikan Lelaki"..

I almost laughed my head off when I first heard this phrase at one of the meetings I attended. To think that the people up there see this as a need... for today's boys. LOL! In English I think the word is probably masculinization. Only thing is here, we're talking about giving male characteristics to males... double dose.... LOL!

Jokes aside... a couple of days later, in a conversation with colleagues, there was a general consensus that the boys today are not that 'lelaki'. There is this lack of responsibility that seems to be so apparent in many of them. Lack of role models, maybe? Changing lifestyle??? .... Could be due to a combination of reasons..

My thots on this subject...
Emotionally... guys are supposed steady when it comes to this. It's the gals who tend to get a little over the board. Guys usually are in control of their emotions. Less of those emo outbursts... but guess what's happening. Guys are more emo now... their emotional outbursts very often borders no control. Girls cried lots, still do... this is definitely not a guy thing. But these days, guys seem to do a lot of that too. 21st century guy thing??? Beats me!

Sense of adventure... guys used to take pride in things such as competitiveness, honor, self improvement... don't know whether this is still the in thing. A sense of adventure... I think the hectic schedule that they lead has all but killed that. These days it is normal to see a guy cringe at the sight of a roach or even anything remotely dirty. Outdoor activities do not appeal to many now. What appeals?? The 'sense of adventure' from the safety and comforts of the chair... the all invasive computer... it has stolen their boyhood which is necessary for manhood!

Success... it used to be that the guys usually end up the more successful ones in a class and later in life. These days, girls have overtaken them. Even in engineering, faculties are starting to be made up of more girls than guys. Girls are more likely to have a degree these days. More guys drop out of school, lured by the easy money. The percentage of guys in some higher institutions have dipped below 50%. Very susah for girls to find life partners of the same calibre these days because of that... and girls are also getting wiser in choosing... But some girls end up with 'lesser' men out of fear of being left on the shelf. As a result, many lead very subservient lives... Pantang dicabar, the stronger sex!

What they wear... used to be very clear. Girls have their clothes and guys theirs. Clothes, hair, accessories... take a walk along City Plaza vicinity in Alor Star and sometimes you have difficulty telling whether he is a she. Used to be those labelled as 'weird' who would don all those girlie stuff. These days... the guys take pride of their earrings, long hair... even go for their manicure and pedicure. Metro Man.. I think it's just a new term they've coined for these men to give them an excuse to 'touch-up' like the gals, to have legit reason for the soft gentle look and give it a sophistication. Guys go to the perm parlour for a hairdo these days. A cut at the Indian barber would have sufficed in those days. There seems to an identity confusion and I do not know whether it's because of the lack of that masculine figure as role model or hormones in their lives.... or maybe it's just cool to look like gals. Topsy turvy world we're turning into...

Physical appearance... guys used to take great pride in their brawn. Most guys would spend lots of time building muscles in their teenage years. Physical abilities were important. These days, that doesn't seem to be so. Many guys are quite happy looking soft. In the old days, guys would play physical games with their friends, do the guy things. This gen of guys prefer to sit in front of MSN or other chat programmes and do what girls do best.... chat. They're doing that more than going out to play... Play is now sitting on a chair and only the fingers get the physical exercise.

Their roles... guys were the sole breadwinner in many families. But in many families, that responsibility is now shared. It's kinda easier on them, in a way. You hardly hear of the gal being the sole breadwinner in those days. These days.. we have terms such as house husbands. The ladies wear the pants in quite many families. How is that affecting the families?...

Getting hitched... used to be gals wanted to get hitched before they hit a certain age. 30 was considered old. Not for the men...being a bachelor into the 30s was acceptable. These days, the guys can't wait to start a relationship. Emotionally they are not ready but they jump right in. You hear of quite a bit of the disaster they invite as a result. And the gals have gone the opposite direction... they are taking their time. In countries like Japan and Korea, singlehood for the ladies has become a choice.

Intellectualism.... dumb bimbos, girls were considered not so in-the-know, guys were the intellectuals. They seemed to know more... Not so any more. That edge has been lost. Education and the internet has created level playing ground for both genders. Guys are also too lost in the world of digital games, trying to adjust in a maladjusted environment... there seems to less time to be curious, less experimenting with nature. Computer games has seen to that. Tuitions kill off whatever curiousity, I supposed...

So... how's that? Do we need to 'melelakikan the lelaki(s)' in these areas??? I am quite certain that some areas need some rethinking... anyway, the orang atasan seem to think that there is a need to melelakikan lelaki...