RIP. Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)

I know who Sir Edmund Hillary is, he's one of the guys who reached the Mt Everest summit for the first time. I didn't realize he's a kiwi until I read the news that he'd passed away. Shame on me! He apparently is considered as true great NZ hero, he really is. He's no ordinary mountaineer, and the Nepalese probably won't remember that he conquered their highest mountain for the first time. They will remember him as a guy who respected them and provided them health and education with his Himalayan Trust. What a guy...

Who's my hero then? I've been thinking really hard and couldn't find any face or name who's really touched my life. Back in my school years, we were taught of numerous Indonesian heroes and yet none of them really deserved to be called hero. It might be because we were introduced to so many 'heroes' (I reckon it's more than 100 names to be memorized), that there was not sufficient time to really know what they did in their whole life, except that they'd been involved in one or two wars before they finally died. I'll blame it on education system :-)

"Well, it doesn't have to be national hero", some says. How about international hero? Well, they didn't teach me at school, and I'm just too lazy to read biography, so the answer is none. I have soft spot for Nelson Mandela though (and George 'hey where's me brain' Bush killed him already, bugger) as I believe he is the role model for reconciliation.

Celebrities? Nah, they seem insincere to me.

Perhaps I do set my standard to high?