THE ISRAEL REGIME

In the wake of Israel's recent bold and provocative attack against the flotilla of aid ships bound for Gaza, the world reacts with anger and disbelief at the audacity of Israel. No one is surprised that Israel uses the same lame blame game "They attacked first". Of course, only Israel commandos expect people to stand still with their head down while being attacked without provocation. It is a lesson learnt from the cruel Holocaust days - it's a ghetto thing.

Let us not kid ourselves anymore about the Middle East conflict. There is no such thing - it is a clever camouflage and ruse to mislead the world from the real truth - the lawlessness of the Israel regime, which has its hand in the cookie jar of 'License to plunder bon-bons', 'Midnight Invasion Surprise' and 'Turkish Delight Disaster'. Many express frustration through all channels, one of which can be located on Facebook.

However, the outpouring grief and at times emotional rantings without understanding how Israel has managed to keep the world at ransom will not achieve the change and justice we desire. We have to understand the history and chain of significant events, see here, here and here - in order to make significant and intelligent efforts to break away from this political impasse.

Israel was established as an independent state in 1948. Let us examine how this came about after 3000 years of exile of the Jews.

Amidst persecution and oppresion by the Pharaoh, Moses and his Jew followers were driven out from Egypt. Circa 135 AD, the Romans exiled the Jews from Jerusalem and renamed it Palaestina or Philistine Syria. About five centuries later, in 638 AD, Khalifah Umar conquered Jerusalem and the Jews and Christians - the people of the book - were allowed to practice their religions subject to certain conditions including having to pay taxes. They were neither exiled, nor forced to change their religion, and they were mostly free in their choice of lifelihood. They were even allowed to intermarry with Muslims. This was in keeping with the Prophet Muhammad's SAW actions when he returned to Mecca. This went on until the 1900s Jerusalem became holy to Muslims as it is believed that Nabi Muhammad S A W ascended to heaven after a miraculous overnight ride from Mecca on his horse Al-Buraq. The al-Aqsa mosque was built on the site.

Steadily, worldwide, the reputation of the Jews suffered over the centuries. In the 17th century for example, Shakespeare painted a lasting and vivid picture of a greedy revengeful Jew in Shylock form his play The Merchant Of Venice. In comparison, there was a fascination with the Arabs in particular Egypt. Arabs were well respected as thinkers, poets and scientists.

The Jews continued to emigrate far and wide across the globe. Palestine was under the Ottoman Empire rule. A brief history of this period can be found here and here. After almost two millennia of being homeless, the modern Zionist movement was born in the late 19th century as a response to the growing world-wide anti-semitism. Zionism grew rapidly and became the dominant force among Jewish political movements. Journalist Theodor Herzl in the late 19th century published the book Der Judenstaat which spurred Zionism further.

The movement mainly sought to encourage Jewish migration to Palestine - this is fundamental - their belief is that Palestine is a Jew's given right of citizenry, and not by birth in actual Palestine. Major aspects of the Zionist idea are represented in the Israeli Declaration of Independence.

To understand how unreasonable this is, imagine if all Muslims in the world believed that Mecca and Arab Saudi was their birthright and claimed citizenship. Or all Catholics believe that it is their birthright to be citizens of the Vatican City.

The end of World War I was a time of negotiations for the spoils of war. Britain was entrusted with Palestine in view of establishing a Jewish state. However, Britain stopped short of taking decisive action when the Arabs made a strong appeal. During World War II however, Hitler, after what seemed to be clear victory following his conquest of most of Europe including France, retaliated in anger when he was faced with the ingenuity and sheer will power of Winston Churchill who did not give in to the German assault and air raids. In retaliation, Hitler began an ethnic cleansing campaign against the Jews by first establishing the ghettos - a closed wall community suffocated by famine and shame and ultimately the ghetto survivors faced death in the gas chambers, the Holocaust. In the aftermath of WWII and inparticular the Holocaust, the Zionist were eventually successful their campaign to pressure the world, especially Britain and finally established Israel on 14th May 1948.

As a result, some some 700,000 Arab refugees were displaced due to the 1948 Palestinian exodus and subsequently, Israel began to claim more and more territories from the original borders. Numerous border clashes between Israel and its Arab neighbours created uprising tension in the region.

The Six-Day War of June 5–10, 1967 was a war between Israel and the neighboring states of Egypt, Jordan and Syria. Israel claimed Egypt started the attack. The Arab countries denied planning to attack Israel, and asserted that Israel's strike was not preemptive but an unwarranted and illegal act of aggression. At the war's end, Israel had gained control of the Sinai Peninsula, the Gaza Strip, the West bank, East Jerusalem and the Golan Heights. The fate of Palestine was sealed after this decisive victory. The Arabs never recovered from this defeat despite having been thriumphant in many of the earlier campaigns until Israel actually requested a ceasefire.

Today it is estimated that there are 13 million Jews worldwide, out of which 5.6 million live in the United Stateds and 5.3 million live in Israel. Therefore the Jews are about 0.2% of the world population. Remember, there is an estimated 1.57 billion Muslims in the world which makes up about 23% of the world population. (Refer here) Sufferance are in many forms and the Muslims have their own share of plights. But the blame game is not the way of a Muslim. We take responsibility for our actions as this is the basis of our relationship with our Maker. We will be punished for our wrong-doings and rewarded for our good deeds.

Not so with the Zionist. They cry out like little children - YOU OWE US! For all their sufferings and shame throughout the centuries at the hands of by mad men like Hitler - and the children of Palestine and the like are made to pay.

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12th October 2012

I would like to add the thoughts of a Rabbi I just knew to this post so that anyone reading this can have a balanced viewpoint. I do not agree with Rabbi Avi in everything, I still believe with all my heart that what is happening in Gaza is atrocious, which the Rabbi acknowledges - but I know that this is a matter people of different religions have different viewpoints and historical claims. In the end we are all humans - and want the same things for our children - peace and choice.

___________________________________________________

By Avi Balser

The article is well written, but I would like to point out a few small errors in its logic.

It compares the concept of Jews feeling a "right" to Palestine as being crazy, since to apply that to Muslim all wanting to live in Makka or Saudi Arabia is crazy, or the Catholics all living in Vatican City is crazy.
However therein lies a major difference.

Islam and Christianity are religions which did enormous evangelizing, getting people from all over the world to convert to their two religions. For instance, the people of Indonesia or Malaysia are 100% Muslim, but have no "inherited" ties to Makkah or Saudi Arabia.

However, Judaism is NOT an evangelizing religion, and does not "recruit" new members. Sure, we accept the few who choose to join us, but the VAST MAJORITY of Jews around the world ARE direct decendents of the original Jews who were driven off their land which became known as Palestine, and other names, and disbursed around the world, where they reproduced, etc. But the Jews today, whether from Germany, US, Poland, Russia, England, Italy, Belgium, or Iran, all came from that original stock... and DO have "inherited" rights to that land...

So, the logic of the comparison to Islam or Christianity falls.

Yes, Muslims suffered also, not only Jews, that is a very legitimate statement. But is does not speak to the situation at hand. The Jews never persecuted the Muslims back in history... (other than the wrongs being done now with the Palestinians, which is truly sad and wrong)

Most of the trouble the Muslims went though over the past 14 centuries were from the Christians.... not the Jews.

Now, There is a very strong argument not made here too well, that the land did not really belong to England or the UN to "give" to the Jews to form the "State of Israel" ... and the Muslims living there for generations certainly should have been granted equality and full citizenship, and not have had property stolen from them, etc. I agree with that entirely, and 100% .. What the UK and the UN did was wrong, dead wrong. 

But try to also see it from the eyes of the Jewish refugees back in 1947 and 1948. There were told by the world, "This land is yours to build a Jewish state." The United Nations told this to them. They had just recently left as the leftovers who were not killed by the Nazis, and they clung to this promise from the UN... Their own land, their own country... finally no country can start a new holocaust and kill all Jews because they finally had a country, a tiny country, but a country of their own.

Now, yes, some of the Zionist politicians at the onset were not "nice people" ...but the refugees themselves were innocents. They thought this was truly their land. They believed the UN. 
Then, soon after the State was formerly declared, they were attacked from all sides by all their neighbors. They fought for survival, and barely won... after heavy loss of life, etc.
Yes, this war resulted in many Palestinian from Jordan now misplaced inside the new State of Israel... and Jordan did not let them go home to Jordan. So, Israel was "stuck" with them.... but they did not seem to be supportive of the new state, and understandably were felt to be hostile.
This really tough war had the Israelis shuddering in fear of the next war, and of having people inside their country on the side of the enemy.
Then, they sat down to establish their "democracy" and they realized that with all these new Palestinians who were stranded there by Jordan, if they all were given the right to vote, they just may form a voting block large enough to vote the Israeli Jews out of power.... and convert this new State of Israel to an Islamic State.
This was totally unacceptable to them... after sacrificing that many lives to protect that tiny country, the final "safe place" for them, there was no way they would allow themselves to go back to being Dhimmis in any form....
So, keeping them in separated sections, not citizens of the actual state, was a defensive move... self survival.

Now, I will say I do object strongly to how the Israelis treat the Palestinians. No matter what the fear, to turn around and mistreat the good Palestinian people was and is wrong. Horrible, in my book.
But we must also understand that there is another side.
The Israelis there now, have gone through 60+ years of conflicts and wars, including MANY terrorist attacks and suicide bombers attacking their civilians, women, children, elderly, anybody... like blowing up tour busses, inter city busses, pizza shops full of young people, and rockets fired on town from Gaza. They live in Fear every day and every night... just as the Palestinians do. There have been some bad-behaving people from both sides, who have kept the conflicts going on and on.

But, no matter how wrongly the origin of the State was, how wrong the UN was, the land was given to these people grandparents 60+ years ago.

To expect them to all disappear and go away, is just as silly and wrong.

We need to find a solution where Jew and Muslim live side-by-side again, with neither one controlling. I secular state, recognizing both religions' rights, and giving no preference to either. All the people, Jew or Muslim need to have full rights of citizenship, with ALL the rights which normally come with full citizenship... and some amount of significant reparation needs to be arranged to compensate people for land and homes that was stolen from their grandparents back in 1948, etc.

Jew and Muslim need to find a way to coexist, with mutual respect.

But none of this will happen while BOTH sides keep acting like mean bastards towards each other.

We all want a bilateral cease fire.

But maybe the first cease fire needs to be a cease fire from nasty rhetoric. Calling each other crazy, nasty names, and spreading hatred and fear is not productive, and is clearly the goal of Shaytan.
Every time we speak a mean word towards a Mulim or a Jew, we are following Shaytan, not Allah's will .... that's how I see it.

As far as I am concerned, if you believe in and are the servant of the One God, the ONLY God, I don't care if you are Sunni, Jew, or Shia, you are my brother and I love you.

Rindu Tan Sri P Ramlee

Thirty seven years ago on May 29 1973, the whole of Malaysia wept for the loss of the country’s brightest, funniest, multitalented and charismatic son. P. Ramlee… he was all this, and much, much more.

As a young girl in primary school, I remember sobbing endlessly when P Ramlee passed away. I was afraid there would be no more Friday night movies.Almost every Friday, we would drive back from Kuantan to Chenor to my grandfather's place and the highlight was the P Ramlee movie on the black and white telly. The neighbours would come by to watch and the kids would be playing in the garden. Innocent times. Black and white times. Cherished times.

P. Ramlee was born in Penang, Teuku Zakaria Teuku Nyak Puteh on March 22, 1929. As the young Teuku Zakaria entered school, his father registered him as Ramlee Puteh. It was in 1947, at a talentime competition at the City Light Hall in Penang, when he first used the stage name P Ramlee.

359 songs, 62 films and 4 theatre productions later, P Ramlee, the legend, was destined to remain forever in the hearts of all Malaysians from all walks of life, from the comedians to the royalty, the politicians to the men on the street, the young and the old, the romantics and the realists.

Today, children born long after he has gone sing his songs and laugh at the classic jokes in his ever classic comedies like Bujang Lapok, DO RE MI and LABU LABI: The subtle message in Ibu Mertuaku and Antara Dua Darjat continue to confront those who live in a materialistic society. History and folklore became visibly alive and real in the movies Hang Tuah, Sultan Mahmood Mangkat Di Julang and Nujum Pak Belalang. My personal favourite? Sumpah Semerah Padi.

Recognition of P Ramlee's work was in the region was testimony to his genius. The film Madu Tiga won the award for the Best Comedy Film at the Asian Film Festival in Hong Kong. And P Ramlee’s potrayal of both father and son in Anak-Ku Sazali in 1956 won him due recognition as the Best actor in Asia.

In 1990, His Majesty the Yang diPertuan Agong IX Sultan Azlan Shah posthumously awarded the title Panglima Setia Mahkota which carries the title Tan Sri in acknowledgement of P Ramlee’s achievements, contributions and dedication in his work throughout his lifetime.

His legacy is a national treasure that brings people of all stature and background together in reflection… in tears and in laughter. Timeless… unforgettable…irreplaceable…

In words of Sasterawan Negara, Datuk A Samad Said….

Ketiadaannya dirasakan kehadirannya
Kehadirannya dirasakan kehilangannya
Kehilangannya dirasakan kerugiannya

Kita terlalu terhutang kepadanya…

YOU TUBE INSPIRATION

Very often, the girls and I go ga-ga over some inspiring act on you tube. One of the very first to mesmerise all of us was young Connie Talbot, seen here singing Somewhere Over The Rainbow.


Then we fell in love with George Sampson and admired his grit and determination at the BGT.

Here is his performance that won him the BGT.


This year the voice of an angel enchanted us. Jean Baptiste Maunier not only beguiled us with his beautiful voice, he was a superb actor in Les Choristes.Here he is the soprano in Caresse Sur L'Ocean.


And here, as Morhange, Jean Baptiste captivates all as he sings La Nuit.


Our all time favourite is still Michel Jackson. No matter what the rest of the world says, he has given us so many beautiful songs and MTV spectacular performances. A fan tribute captures the best of Michael Jackson.


My hope is that Iman, Inas, Irani, Ilena and Ikesha continue to appreciate true beauty and talent forever.

Mouron in Kuala Lumpur - an enchanting evening

Last night, Rudi and I took Irani and Ilena to see Mouron in concert - the French Diva de Chanson. The concert was held at the Panggung Bandaraya at the corner of Jalan Raja and Jalan Tun Perak, just across the river from the Sessions Court at the Padang. Reconstructed after a massive fire a few years ago, the Panggung was in pristine condition, albeit a bit old fashioned - here is Irani at the Panggung's lobby and the girls at the Medan Selera di Tebing.

We arrived early to confirm our seating for the show - by the way it was a free concert organised by A'lliance Francaise and the French Embassy for the French Arts & Film Festival 2010 - so we walked over to Medan Selera di Tebing - the inconspicuous space you see at the junction of Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Tun Perak. There was a fountain which the girls loved and KL looked beautiful from where we sat. The kway teow was lovely and the pau was great. It would be nice if the trees were lighted but as the sunset faded and the evening fell upon us, we got this fantastic view of the moon over KL from where we sat.

The best was yet to come. We walked back to the theatre and the girls decided it would be fun to sit at the VIP balcony seats. So we walked upstairs. By the way, just like all old buildings, the ladies room was huge and right next to the aisle - great when you have kids. The ceiling was decorated with a huge kite design - I couldn't decide whether it was hideous or just plain. It was very cold. A baby grand piano looked lonely on stage.

Mouron appeared at 8.45pm - garbed in a non-descript gray suit. She gave an introduction to her first song about a man who would sing and sing... come what may.

Then she sang.

Mouron c'est VOIX. Mouron is emotion packed into a song. Each word was crystal clear and inundated with feeling and a story.Each song had an introduction and I loved this particular intro.

"When we have had enough of Paris, we would go to Marseilles.

In Marseilles, there are blue skies. There is calm. Above all, in Marseilles, there is the sea.

Give me waves Terry. Give me the sound of the waves.

And here is one of the most well known French love song."

As her voice faded into darkness, we knew her next song would be La Mer...

Mouron was theatric, funny and full of life. Her interpretation of Edith Piaf's La Vie En Rose was heart wrenching, her Un dessert au Desert was fun - she sang non-stop for an hour. Irani danced on the staircase, so moved she was by the music and familiar songs.

It was an enchanted evening - in more ways than we expected.

A fitting end to our celebration of the FAFF2010!

Family Friday

9.30am Irani at Perangsang Templar Golf Club

Went to Perangsang Templar Golf Club to check out Irani's swimming lessons. She was so happy to see both Rudi and I at the swimming pool. She is today the only sister who can swim properly and looked so carefree in the water!

Here she is with best friend Intan!

10.30am Ilena and Ikesha at Wet Water World

The annual Wet Water Day with the Bomba is always a real treat for kids and parents alike. Ikesha just loved it! Ilena the veteran was in posing mode.

9.30pm French Immersion with Iman and Inas

Inas's comment said it all,"Inspiring..."

Yes the movie had all the ingredients that a good real life drama should - economical in language, great period costumes, strong characters, tragic romance. Audrey Tautou was enchanting.

I remember the first French movie I took Iman & Inas to several years ago which featured the debut of Audrey Tautou.

True Inspiration despite broken dreams

Elaboration to come...

The light at the end of the tunnel

It is strange that Malaysians all around seemed to immediately pick up on the good feeling factor about the economy on the very same day - one day ahead of the newspaper announcements.

From boardroom meetings, to the hair-salon and pasar malam - idle conversations centered on how lucky the Mat Sallehs feel to be in Malaysia, looking ahead to a possible meltdown in Europe, on how many more ladies , men and teenagers are coming back to the hair salon to style up their coiffures. At the pasar malam, lazy chairs, carpets and other home decor items add to the normal staple groceries available.

Yes, Malaysians are smiling once again, it seems the good times are just around the corner.

Nevertheless, in some way or the other, the bleak uncertainties facing Europe and the US must keep us on our toes for no economy is insulated. This time around, let us make sure we keep the stringent measures in place, continue to reduce subsidies and keep the MACC pressure on.

More On Public Relations

Obama On The Oil Spill: "I think the American people are now aware, certainly the folks down in the Gulf are aware, that we're dealing with a massive and potentially unprecedented environmental disaster. The oil that is still leaking from the well could seriously damage the economy and the environment of our Gulf states, and it could extend for a long time. It could jeopardize the livelihoods of thousands of Americans who call this place home." He added, "BP is responsible for this leak; BP will be paying the bill. But as President of the United States, I'm going to spare no effort to respond to this crisis for as long as it continues. And we will spare no resource to clean up whatever damage is caused."

Well said.

Obama On Times Square failed car bomb attempt: "I want to commend the work of the NYPD, the New York Fire Department, and the FBI, which responded swiftly and aggressively to a dangerous situation. And I also want to commend the vigilant citizens who noticed this suspicious activity and reported it to the authorities... We're going to do what's necessary to protect the American people, to determine who is behind this potentially deadly act, and to see that justice is done. And I'm going to continue to monitor the situation closely and do what it takes at home and abroad to safeguard the security of the American people."

The echo is deafening. Sounds like hollow PR to me.

Mishaps, misbehaviour - misflying?

The news constantly provide food for chatter no matter how old or how young you are. However, it was startling to see the general news today attracting seasoned adults and youngsters alike. On Facebook today, I saw some comments from young teens on the news.

From the tragedy of a teenager's untimely death for being at the wrong place at the wrong time to 747 Boeings hovering just above the highest point of the KL Twin Towers, many had a lot to say. And ala the New York population some time ago who got jittery when Air Force One was seen fying too low above the cosmopolitan, KLites were up in arms.


Now here is a PR exercise turned quite wrong. While it was a wonderful idea to bring cheer and joy to the 300 passengers of underprivileged and terminally-ill children, the panic it created showed a lack of concern for the very public MAS derives its income from.


Or is memory so short - that last year's news in the US failed to warn the MAS PR department that maybe it would be a good idea to inform the public of their good intentions - this could have been turned into a pre-event press release which would also boost the CSR stunt (yes, stunt it was)! Of course hind-sight is 20/20 but foresight in this instance would have showed a great deal of professionalism. As it is now, MAS had to backtrack and state all the reasons (which the public had no knowledge of) why the flight was safe, all safety conditions were met and the pilots chosen were the best for the job. What an end to a PR exercise with a whole dose of good intention.


And I would really like to know what was the role of a DCA air traffic controller on board ? Was he to be the escape clause if something went wrong?


Well, at least, this joy flight above the KL skyline showed me that young Malaysians care enough to read the news and debate on it. And that is a good thing, I am sure.

Not quite a fairy tale ending

This week is like a movie filled with broken dreams.

Tiger Woods was welcomed with no holds-barred-cheering from the gallery of ardent fans eager to see him triumph over this major 'life changing chapter' in his life. It was all love and great vibes on the first day of the Augusta National Masters. Tiger was smiling, the icy demeanour was gone etc etc etc. He came to Augusta to win, one way or the other.

By the end of it all, the press, and fans, were eager to turn on him and label Tiger Woods as the Bad Boy of golf as opposed to human story Good Boy Mickelson. I think it's great that Mickelson finally achieved what he set out to do at Augusta, perhaps benefitting from the intense scrutiny Woods never enjoyed while on the golf course pre or post scandal. Great that in their moment of intense pain, the Mickelsons could savour a momentous moment. But let's not cheapen his victory and joy with Amy by spinning off a Bad Boy Good Boy pow wow.

The fairy tale ending did not happen. Don't deny we all secretly hoped for it so that this terrible black spot on one of golf's greatest will finally go away. Quit with the labels, the over simplication of people's lives.

I am glad the guy is reevaluating the whole scenario [I really wanted to say circus]

Another broken dream. I was looking forward to seeing Rooney as the toast of the season - with a Man-U victory. Now, even Ferguson was the first to admit its unlikelihood.

Ahhh, Berbatov. All you had to do was to take the lead, rise and shine.

I am still looking forward to the World Cup but the EPL ended for me two days ago.

THE LURE OF MALAYA

In the last scene of Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland, a map of Malacca leaps to attention. Map on the table, Alice rambles on about going on to China etc etc etc but I couldn't think of anything else except that map and all that it represented.

The lure of 19th century Malaya once called upon the world and held it spellbound. Among many others, Rudyard Kipling, Somerset Maugham and Anthony Burgess relied on Malaya for landscape and imaging of a forgotten era, the enchanted, and sometimes bizarre land in their best-sellers ...and French writer Henri Fauconnier's Prix Goncourt award winning book was a tribute to our country simply titled Malaisie. Chapter One begins;

Jikalau tidak karna bintang
masakaan bulan terbit tinggi
Jikalau tidak karna abang
masakan datang adek kemari

The French in particular, were fascinated by our pantun, with none other than Victor Hugo and his band of followers adopting pantoum for high fashion pastime. Francois Rene Daillie wrote in his book Alam Pantun Melayu with a tinge of patronising tone, "the pantun has never obtained the fame it deserves, in spite of its introduction into XIXth century poetry."

I, for one, long for the moment pantun is celebrated alongside Shakespere's sonnets and Japanese haiku for its ingenuity, form and sheer beauty. The pantun of old can be witty, passionate to the point of being downright erotic and hilariously funny. And always with a lesson to impart.

Well, the pantun evolves with the times. An sms competition is on-going at the moment up to the end of the month. The theme - 1Malaysia. I hope the beauty and wit does not suffer. At the very least, pantun is given a chance to return to the mainstream.

And I rejoice in that.

Note: I recommend this lovely book by Mak Ungku Azah Aziz for all Malaysian households.

FROM NADIA COMANECI TO WAYNE ROONEY

In 1976, life in Chenor Temerloh Pahang was idyllic. TV was not allowed except for the daily evening news, Friday night P Ramlee treat and bi-weekly Peyton Place soap opera. Grandmother, who was one of the most feared teachers at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bt Bota by its 184 students, did not believe in co-curricular activities, platonic friendship between boys and girl and lady drivers. So she was shocked and I was flabbergasted when one evening, my very religious and strict Grandfather asked me to stop my study session to watch Nadia Comaneci on the news.

Nadia Comaneci was my first ever sports idol. Until that fateful broadcast news, I had no idea what gymnastics was all about. For the next six years, gymnastics became a way of life, a discipline, an aspiration to be all that Nadia was. When she scored 10s, I was inspired, when she tumbled from the uneven bars in 1978 WC, my world crashed. School, even at the inspiring Seri Puteri, was something I went through in between gymnastic training gymnastic competitions and gymnastic performances at school shows, exhibition shows and at the palace during the King's birthday - I was the only drummer turning up for band practice straight from gymnastics in leotard and tracksuit. Sundays meant training at Stadium Negara with the SAGA team, school holidays were a blur of mini-bus rides to Pusat Sukan Kampung Pandan with team-mate Uyun. Every night I did splits and chest rolls on my dormitory bed, training my compliant and flexible body to bend to my will. Excursions were with the Selangor team-mates - Haryati, Shireen, Poh Chin, Bee Wan, Uyun, Shazlin, Wing Kong, Kok Keong, Michael Ng and more.And my tower of strength - my teacher, mentor, coach - Mrs Khaw Choon Ean. We went to Penang and trained under the sun at the Botannical Gardens with monkeys as our audience. We met Mok - the fearless power packed gymnast from Thailand who tumbled and twirled in the air effortlessly. It is hardly surprising that a few years later, I took the Greycoach all alone to francophone city Montreal to watch the World Gymnastics Championships. Ekaterina Szabo was all the rage and I was in gymnastic heavan.

A deep passion for gymnastics taught me the rigours, sacrifice and inner satisfaction that can only be derived from sports and the code of ethics of sportsmanship. I began to follow sports news and was a huge admirer of Mohamad Ali, Misbun Sidek and Carl Lewis. In later years, Torvill and Dean, Katarina Witt and Brian Olsen were exciting to watch on ice. Wayne Gretzky, the Canadian ice-hockey star was a national icon.

On the Malaysian front, Mokhtar Dahari, Santokh Singh and Soh Chin Aun were our own national treasures. Rabuan Pit was Asia's fastest man. Marina Chin, Mumtaz Jaafar and Shalin carried the mantle. Nurul Huda was unbeatable. Razif and Jailani made front-page news when they won the All-England in 1980. Triumphs at the Thomas Cup would result in genuine tears of happiness.

One of the epic moments in modern-day sports was the live telecast of 17 year old Michael Chang battling the almost clinical efficiency of Ivan Lendl for 4 hours at the 1989 French Open - it was one of the most memorable moments for me and my late father to watch Chang struggle from two matches down, cramps and all to finally triumph over Lendl.

When life threw a curve-ball and took a temporary set-back, I turned to sports to recover from the modern day plague - divorce. I ran at the Lake Gardens, played badminton and volleyball everyday for six months and lost 10 kgs. I fell in love with an avid footballer and naturally, interest in all things football blossomed. So much so, I became a World Cup addict, an EPL expert and MU fan. Then, at the EURO CUP 2004, Wayne Rooney thrilled everyone from tennis superstars to premiers and sheiks in the Middle East.

He had a bumpy ride, and Christiano Ronaldo's superstar status did well to let Rooney mature as a player. It would seem that he is expected to stake his claim at the World Cup together with Messi and Ronaldo - but I am sure millions are waiting to see if he can help England end its streak of unfulfilled World Cup dreams.

Just as millions are waiting to see Tiger Woods rise like a phoenix after falling from grace at the Augusta national Masters this weekend.

Today, Malaysia has a field of giant slayers like trail blazer Azizulhasni Awang and our own giants in the footsteps of Nicol Davids, Chong Wei and more. More importantly, we need to realise that sports is an integral part of producing a society of meritocracy. The drive for excellence is inherent in sports, no wonder the ancient Olympics was given so much prominence by the Greeks.

Embrace sports - and live a life guided by the codes of sportsmanship.

A French Liaison

When I was a not-so-little girl, among my favorite reads, Agatha Christie remained supreme. This was long before I discovered Dune and just a couple of years before I was introduced to Wuthering Heights. My larger than life hero then was Hercule Poirot. The famous Belgian extraordinaire was extremely clever and devious. Most of all, his little explosive French when the ordinary English fails to deliver was a delightful discovery for me. I would faithfully copy all the French words I could find and list them alphabetically. There was of course no internet in those early days and I did not have a French dictionary - so I spent many marvellous hours trying to figure out the meaning of the mysterious phrases.

Ottawa, Canada was the perfect place for me to pick up this long forgotten interest. Quirky and lovable French Professor Vincent Basseville's classes at Carleton U were hilarious and most of all - it was a miniature global village - there were Malaysians, Singaporeans, Spanish, Vietnamese, German, Trinidans and of course Canadian students in the class. Yes we were introduced to all the seven X three different tenses, genders and accents this way and that. That was excrutiating.

But it certainly added value to my visits to the exhilarating Montreal and beautiful Quebec City later on.
In 1990, I stumbled upon L'alliance Francaise Kuala Lumpur and met another wonderful French teacher Michele Tu. Not only did I continue my french classes, I performed a variety of cultural performances at af that year. The rambling bungalow in the midst of a natural garden on lorong gurney was a charming hideaway...

After 20 years, I make my way back to af. Iman and Inas, my spritely intelligent daughters are taking lessons as well as hubby, Rudi. The little French cafe is a delight and has introduced me to Azizah who makes the most delightful French toast and salads. There is a comprehensive library today and a TV tucked in the corner screening TV MUNDO. Here, we all meet and chat and have lunch every Saturday afternoon before the girls head for their music lessons. An idyllic petit les vacances.

We are planning for the ultimate holiday in France - It might take us another five years or so to save for this. Meanwhile, we sing songs like Caresse Sur L'ocean - Ilena does the soprano so well, Ikesha sings Dans pays espagne and dance to Loin de froid des decembre and Irani sings Alouette to YouTube and we all fall in love with 'Pierre Morhange'.

It's a beautiful dream...and an even more beautiful life.

The freedom to read, write and think

THIS MERDEKA I REFLECT UPON THE BOOKS WHICH HAVE SHAPED ME


To say I have always loved reading is a little bit of an understatement. Memories of me hiding in a corner with a book huddled closely to my chest was synonymous with my childhood. Mother and later grandmother often remarked upon this – especially when they could not find me. This was my first inkling that perhaps, I was a bit of a bookworm.

A love for other activities that came with reading and storytelling flourished. Writing, especially poetry, choral recitation, foreign languages, acting, publishing – from school magazines to newsletters to books, watching theatre and movies and later blogging and creating mini videos, came naturally to me. Every other hobby, like interior decorating, gardening, management, world folklore and Malay studies also resulted in voracious reading of the subjects.

There are many books that have marked the milestones of my life listed here hopefully as a suggestion for books to read. It records a careful study of the journey I have made according to timeline. While today, some authors are clearly favoured over the other - at different points in my life, a particular author simply enthralled me and I would read no other. The books and authors mentioned here are all favourites at one point or the other for me and my five girls.

Earliest books
Sandy Bay Street, Hobart, Tasmania. I was taken care of by Mum’s and Dad’s fellow students in between university lectures and odd jobs and a sweet old lady, Mrs Ruth Bowling. My earliest recollection was that of the Peter and Jane stories by Ladybird. Obviously, I could not really read very well yet so television was still the major source of entertainment. Rolf Harris shows were the best. So were the children shows, Skippy, the Bush Kangaroo and Lassie.
Five years later, we came home to Malaysia. The first day at St Clare Kindergarten in PJ is particularly clear in my mind. I remember obstinately told the teacher I could write my own name. The first real book I remember reading back then was Enid Blyton’s classic Bimbo and Topsy and The Three Golliwogs. I was particularly fond of my own golliwog. And Noddy’s adventure when his little car got a cold. Noddy treated it to a mixture of hot tea and lemon.

Kampung Life
I was sent to stay with my grandmother in our kampong Chenor, Pahang to study the Al-Quran when I was about ten years old and my mother brought me storybooks to read when she came to visit. We had an Encyclopedia set and lots of other Enid Blyton’s books especially The Naughtiest Girl in School and most of all, Nancy Drew books. At this time, my brother on the other hand read Tin Tin Comics which I loved as well and later in Canada, had the opportunity to read in French.
Grandfather was the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Bt Bota and grandmother was a teacher at the same school. Life then was idyllic. There were books abound, from the floor to the ceiling. It was paradise. I read Puteri Hijau, Puteri Gunung Ledang and cerita-cerita Hang Tuah. Hikayat Awang Sulong Merah Muda, Panji Semirang and Malim Deman were constant reading, even though I could not quite understand the flow and nuances yet. And I loved the Cerita Cerita Jenaka, Pak Kadok, Pak Pandir and Lebai Malang. I also read Shakespeare and the One Thousand Arabian Nights over and over again. One of my favorite stories in primary school was Urashimataro and The Turtle.

In guilty secret and constant fear, I read my auntie’s Barbara Cartland collection – I was whisked away to the lad of Gypsy Kings , Russian autocrats and damsels in distress - and my uncle’s secretly stowed away Harold Robbins books – I am sure mother would be horrified to read this – I was eleven! The Carpetbeggars made the biggest impression. No wonder grandmother could never find me for long periods of time. In the end, she just left me in peace until I was ready to emerge. I read behind curtains, up the rambutan tree, in the generator shed, under the house, in the toilet – much to the chagrin of my grandfather. I was forbidden to read in the toilet and I have obeyed this rule ever since - unless I find one there already.
Grandmother and I loved to watch Peyton Place every Tuesday and Thursday nights. I know now that Peyton Place was written by Grace Metalious and was considered to be outrageous in its time. What a strange mixture of influences for so young a girl. The truth is – I read everything I could get my hands on.
Poetry came naturally to me – literarily out of the blue and unstoppable. My first ever poem was about Florence Nightingale. It was about 20 lines long (5 stanzas). I also wrote short poems on Madame Curie and Helen Keller. I remember being very proud of my work and I showed it to my uncle Ghafar [not the owner of the Harold Robbin books – I have more than 10 uncles] – announcing that I wanted to be writer. It was not my first ambition though. When I was nine, I remember wanting to be an astronaut.

A One-Of-A-Kind Education
Boarding school life brought me to Sekolah Menengah Perempuan Jalan Kolam Air, renamed Sekolah Seri Puteri later. The school name was changed because we were constantly teased as the ‘Katak bawah tempurung’ who lived near the water pond by students of other residential schools. It was here that I met my English teacher and later, gymnastic coach, Mrs Khaw Choon Ean. She turned our English classes into a world of discovery. We learnt about the Bermuda Triangle, Nostradamus, time travel and many other mysteries. Reading books selected by her and books from our library boxes resulted in literary debates and exciting English classes. We were driven to do well in English. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and The Hounds of Baskerville by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle made the biggest impression on me. The latter spurred a continued love for Sherlock Holmes stories and Agatha Christie’s mysteries. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde epitomed the study of insidious evil and Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott was utterly romantic. We read Mill On The Floss and Silas Marner by George Elliot and The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins. Mrs Khaw’s love for mysteries and science fiction led to us having to read The War Of The Worlds, The First Men On The Moon and The Invisible Man by H G Wells. Jules Verne’s Journey to The Centre of The Earth, Around The World In Eighty Days and Twenty Thousand Leagues were memorable. We also read, and loved books by Daphne Du Maurier, Victoria Holt and Phyllis Whitney. And SHE by H Rider Haggard. I remember Du Maurier’s Frenchman’s Creek and Jamaica Inn so well and a discussion on the Flight Of The Falcon. But the best of the lot was Rebecca. Another book that caused much debate in class was George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Til today, I still cherish my copy of Touch Not The Cat by Mary Stewart given to me by Mrs Khaw for coming in third place in a writing competition she organised.

Mrs Khaw also led a team of us to publish a monthly English Bulletin, The Grapevine. While we published articles and stories by all the students, I generally became the resident poet, so to speak. We would often discuss and dissect my poetry. Mrs Khaw taught me how to self critic, edit and analyse my writing. I had quite a few followers who would tell me how my poems affected them. Some poems that I remember being published were A Stranger, Revenge, Lily Of The Valley and The Band Life – In The Sun. When we were in Form Five, one of my dearest friends Shazlin included in her speech a poem I wrote about Nadia Comaneci.
This amazing English teacher also treated us to the movies – special class projects –Sealed with a Loving Kiss starring Mark Lester among others. We studied the lyrics and sang the songs Melody Fair and First Of May in class. We also saw Butterflies Are Free starring Goldie Hawn. The song Starry Starry Night, another class project, introduced the genius Vincent Van Gogh to us.
During our SPM exams, our beloved head warden treated all the fifth formers to the hotly debated movie The Blue Lagoon. And our history teacher encouraged us to watch Superman and Endless Love – the latter of which was earlier banned in Malaysia! I have excluded their names for fear of getting them into trouble. Another teacher, Cikgu Fawziah Ali made geography classes the most important subject when she was around. Suffice to say, we had one-of-a-kind teachers at Seri Puteri.
I would like to mention a temporary teacher who came to teach Bahasa. She introduced Shahnon Ahmad’s Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan which was the only book to ever make me cry when I finished reading it. It has remained my all-time favorite book in Bahasa. This teacher, whose face and mannerism I can recall so clearly remains a mystery to me today. I do recall that her father’s name is Ahmad Isahak. I was inspired to write a short story entitled Moyang in her class.

Sekolah Seri Puteri was like a fertile land, and we grew into adolescence to emerge like young saplings trees which strengthened with time. The roots of our foundation were deeply entrenched.

Oh! Canada
The very day I landed in Toronto, Canada, I bought two books at the airport, Clan Of The Cave Bear and Valley of The Horses by Jean M Auel. I am afraid my first few days in Canada were confined to staying in the hotel room and my new room in the basement of 18, Dianne Drive in St Catherines. I sat still, devouring every word Auel had written in these mammoth books. I also started my Agatha Christie’s collection with Death On The Nile. I remember buying a book every time I had to take a bus ride to Guelph or Toronto when visiting friends. Very soon after, I subscribed to Double Day Book Club and received a monthly featured book. This book collection, and those I bought and second hand shops and other bookstores was the treasure I horded home.
University life brought me to Ottawa. A Persian lady who lived directly below our apartment on Merivale Avenue, had a cat called Ming and one summer, she asked us to babysit Ming regularly. The perks – she had a great book collection. And she was the biggest fan of Tanith Lee. I was hooked. She gave me some of her extra copies of her Tanith Lee collection and I went on to start my own. My favourite is still The Birthgrave.

In the second year, I chanced upon Dune by Frank Herbert. I remember how I was sucked into a vortex leading to this new world of Arrakis. I lived and breathed the book. Dune The Messiah and Children of Dune were no less riveting. And on and on until I funished reading Chapterhouse Dune. We watched the much awaited movie by David Lynch. Until today. the Dune series have remained the most thought provoking books I have read. Here, I experienced true escapism into another world. Every phrase Frank Herbert wrote was a revelation. The Litany of Fear became my favourite quote. Paul Muad’dib was my dream hero.

One summer, I was browsing a second hand store and found The Lord Of The Rings. Again I was hooked from the first page and later on got The Hobbit and The Silmarrion as well. I am afraid by this time I was consumed by science fiction. Two other series I could not put down were the Dragon Lance Series by Margaret Weis and later, the Death Gate Cycle by the same author. Works by Ursula Le Guin like The Tombs of Atuan and C J Cherryh’s haunting Rusalka were past-time reading.
A chilling and memorable summer read was The Summer Of Katya by Trevanian. Cheah Chee Kong, a good friend introduced The Bourne Series by Robert Ludlum to me.
Ottawa was of course the capital of Canada and across the Rideau River, was Hull, Quebec. French was widely spoken. I took up French and for starters, read Archie and Tin Tin comics in French. Then I found Le Petit Prince by Antoine St Exupery which I must say is one of the most poignant and delightful reading I have ever known. Italian came next and one book project was The Marriage of Figaro - a comedy which we acted out in class..

Thirty Something Years
Back in Malaysia during the tail end of the economic crisis of 1988, I took a part-time job as a waitress at Pizza Hut. A portion of my meagre salary faithfully went to books and this has remained a practice with me until today. My library collection grew and Anne Rice especially her The Servant Of The Bones was a favourite during this time. Raymond E Feist’s and Janny Wurts’s Daughter of The Empire was a book I could not put down. Later my sister Farah introduced to me Faerie Tale by Feist. I continued to enjoy her selection particularly, An Instance of The Finger Posts by Iain Pears and Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood, the latter of which being the one and only book I have never been able to reread as I found the subject matter of a humanity and world too horrifying simply too disturbing.

Return to the Nursery
By the time Iman, my first daughter, was born I began collecting books for children. I bought all the fairy tales, and enjoyed Andrew Lang’s renditions and classics like Beatrix Potter’s Peter Rabbit Tales. A A Milne’s Winnie The Pooh and Enid Blyton’s The Wishing Chair and The
Faraway Tree Collection came back into my life. I read The Borrowers by Mary Norton, The Wind In The Willows by Kenneth Grahame and poems of the Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker in adult life. Later the Harry Potter Series by J K Rowling, Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer and Mr Benedict’s Society by Trenton Lee Stewart were satisfying reads. We devoured Cornelia Funck’s Inkheart, Jeanne Du Prau’s City Of Ember and Kate DiCamillo’s Desperaux with just as much passion. Inas loved Madonna’s beautifully illustrated books especially The English Rose. All of them are exquisite books in beautiful hardcover and jackets.

Picture books School Bus by Donald Crews, Room on The Broom by Julia Donaldson [I used to conduct story-telling sessions in October reading this family favourite Halloween story], The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle became bedtime favourites.

A Hat for Ivan by Max Lucado and The Gingerbread Baby contained the most beautiful illustrations. The Adventures of Harold and The Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson became a shared family treasure.

Our monthly outing was to MPH or Kinokuniya, Borders and The Times. During holidays, visits to bookstores and the museum was a must.

Harry Potter books and earlier DVDs for the younger ones are shared.

Of course I did not keep to children’s books. New writers and , and some old continued to enrich my life. Of note, Orhan Pamuk’s My Name Is Red, Shalimar The Clown by Salman Rushdie and The Reader by Bernhard Schlink.

My work at the Royal Lake Club saw me in charge of the Adult and Children’s libraries among other duties and I enjoyed this tremendously. I organised storytelling sessions and Member Authors luncheons. Under the advice of the Library Sub-Committee, we purchased books and held Book Sales.

Movies also introduced new books to read. Earlier movies like The Name Of The Rose by Umberto Eco and Cyrano De Bergerac by ____ compelled me to buy the same titled books. Later, The English Patient and Memory Of The Geisha are some examples. As for the girls, the movie Charlie and The Chocolate Factory introduced them, and me to Roadhl Dahl. The animated production of James and The Giant Peach was another classic which led us to the book.

Today

In my favorite corner at home, I have created a special shelf for books by Malaysian authors and enjoy Tash Aw’s latest, Prema Sinnadurai’s Evening is The Whole day and Malaysian born Chiew-Siah Tei’s Little Hut Of Leaping Fishes. Placed in prominence are my handsomely bound Sejarah Melayu, 101 Puteri Melayu, Merong Mahawangsa and many more Hikayat. Books by Professor Ding Choo Ming become my guide to Malay literature. I enjoy all Karim Raslan’s Ceritalah series and delight in the crisp manner Tunku Halim presented A Children’s History of Malaysia. The work of Faisal Tehrani especially 1515 is simply amazing. Autographed copies of Glimpses by Adibah Amin, An Old Man Remembers by Tan Sri Coco Majid and Dato Zaid Ibrahim’s In Good Faith share space on a common shelf. Just below, lies my prized signed copies of Gavin Menzies’s books 14 21 and 1434.

I have penned a few reviews, of particular interest, on Francois-Rene Daillie’s Alam Pantun Melayu, Prema debut album mentioned earlier and Henri Fauconnier’s Malaisie, winner of the Prix Goncourt, France’s highest literary award.

Today I enjoyed works by Murakami, Agatha Christie and revisit Salman Rushdie.

Tunku says...

Today, on the way home, roads chocker-blocked with cars and drivers eager to get home for buka puasa or away for the Merdeka weekend, I heard a radio DJ recollecting that exactly 52 years ago, The Tunku announced his cabinet ministers, among others - Dato Abdul Razak, Colonel H S Lee, En Tan Siew Sin, En Sambanthan and En Khir Johari were called upon to serve. For one, I was amused to see all the Enciks seating on the highest seats of our young nation. Perhaps this kept them in touch with what the common people needed. Secondly, it is quite enlightening that Tunku drew upon such a diverse group to help him in his vision and cause for the nation.

A personal collection of my favourite quotes from The Tunku and what they mean to me:

It is the duty of each and everyone of us living in this country, to ensure peace for all time

What does this mean for the man on the street? For you? For me? As a mother, I try to instil this quest for peace in my children , even when at times you have to speak out and speak up. To stand for what you believe in while appreciating your friends' beliefs - or religion. And yet to understand that not all are willing to hold out a friendly hand -to face bullies with courage and acceptance that some people will have to determine their own path. To have empathy for the weak and poor.

In my career, I try to embrace my colleagues. And it is amazing that the same rules which apply at my daughters' school, resurface here. However, at work I am driven towards excellence, sometimes that does not make peaceful collaborations possible. We can only do so much.

As a writer, I try to bridge the past and present. The young and the old. The sentimental romantic and the practical perfectionist.

Now, if that is not peace-keeping, what is?

Every man thinks of his race as superior, but if we continue with this line of thinking, we only invite trouble

Here, The Tunku sheds light on his uncanny insight to the nature of man. Coupled with his wit, he used his extraordinary gift of bridging differences and making true men follow his leadership.

Above all, we must give this nation our absolute loyalty, and may it continue to give us shelter and protection for all time - God be praised

This country is a secular state.

The Tunku once again displays his complete mastery over the written word.

He does not say our country is a Muslim state. It is a country where one and all can enjoy the freedom of religion.

I thank God for my mother's continued wisdom, for my family, for placing friends and mentors in my life who have given me so much - my daughters, my husband, my sisters and brother, my grandmother who told me the Hikayat of old and watched Peyton Place with me, my grandfather who was the strict and religious headmaster yet kindly Tok who loved Nana Moskouri and insisted I watched Nadia in 1976, the extravagant and worldly grandfather and gracious grandmother who was a great cook who introduced me to her lovely garden, Mak Ungku and her wonderful stories, Puan Sri Nik Daud and her guidance, En Jon [another Encik who understands what needs to be done], my SSP friends, teacher and gymnastic coach, Mrs Khaw, Datin Vasanthi, Trevor Padasian, Datuk Feisol, Mr Nyam and daughter, Michelle Nyam, the late Mrs Ruth Bowling, Prof K T Joseph, Prof Vincent Basseville, my friends Lai, Simon, Cheah, Mac, Kahar, Nasran, Rahman, Lynn, Kak Julie Sudiro, the late Auntie Yah, and most of all my late father who taught me the importance of saying Thank you and being true to yourself - even when you are incapable of remembering yourself.

Questions Questions Questions

The newspapers and Internet try to answer the questions of the hungry public. It seems to me that we all react to questions that surround our lives.

Is there a conspiracy to make sure everyone is vaccinated by December 2009 - thus reviving a sluggish pharmaceutical industry? And in the process kill tourism? Kill the economy? Kill spontaniety?

Can Barack Obama really deliver when it comes to the issues that affect the whole population - like health care?

IS THE WORLD GOING TO SURVIVE GLOBAL WARMING?

Was that really Michael Jackson who died?

Are our public buildings and highways safe?

What happened to Tiger Woods? Way to go, Yang!

Does it really matter? My take ?

What really matters to me is how can I convince my kids they can do something about H1N1. They can protect themselves by wearing a mask, sanitizing as often as possible and staying away from crowds for the time being.

I would like my daughters understand enough of history to know that what Obama achieved was unthinkable just around the time I was born.

I would rejoice if the girls are empowered enough to think they can make a difference by cleaning up the community park, bringing a grocery bag when shopping and opening the tap only when it is time to gargle after they have brushed their teeth.

Can they see the good in Michael and appreciate the songs he created so that we - a generation apart -can share his music? And realise that there are very few who can survive the glare of limelight for four decades - and survive - while still being able to thrill generations of people with a flick of a hand, a beguiling innocent smile and the stillness of presence...

I want them to read the news to know that the public needs to be informed and we need check and balance to ensure those in charge are responsible and accountable. And sometimes expose is necessary so that we can begin to weed out the bad apples.

If Tiger Woods can be caught by surprise, so can the rest of us. No matter who you are - the Lee Chong Weis, the Hamiltons and the Nadals of this world. Winning - and losing is part of the game. Part of the thrill. Part of the heart-renching disappointment.

The weekend

The weekday features a world facing the H1N1 pandemic, the economy is bumpy and it seems as if everyone has an axe to grind.

Then the weekend arrives and the girls have their tarian practice, there's bicycle rides in the evenings and badminton reserved for classic comic video moments too. Piano lessons and impromptu dancing. Ikesha is beginning to find her rhythm.

The girls get to sleep with us and there's storytelling before bedtime. Or Nanny Mc Phee. Or Langkasuka. Or Sound of Music which still makes me teary. Breakfast at Medan where the girls attract the attentions of the boys and Rudi gets the stares from the young ladies. Taekwondo for Irani. Groceries for everyone. Hair cut and shampoo for everybody once a month. maybe a picnic at Templars park or a movie.

Dinner together and hugs and preparation for school again. Daddy clips the little girls nails.

And whispered gossip, reminders and kiss kiss kiss for 5 girls before they go to bed.

What would we do without weekends?

Langkasuka The Movie

Rudi asked me to watch a Thai movie last night , The Queens of Langkasuka - the story of Raja Haejoo, Raja Beeroo and Raja Agnhu.

Of course I recognised them for our own Ratu Hijau, Ratu Biru and Ratu Ungu of Patani in the late 1600s(ref:101 Puteri Melayu by Museum Negara)

The movie had me spellbound, the set, the costumes, the historical background. The royal palaces were vividly detailed, the costumes of Malay royalty and nobility rich and the ships resembling the lancang kuning, magnificent.

It was action packed, creative and more. History, myth and storytelling morphed into a timeless classic. Though it was a Thai production, my appreciation soared - I look forward to more productions of this nature.

Thank you Rudi for knowing me so well.

60 Earth Hour

Here we are at home Iman Inas Irani Ilena Ikesha Megat Alysha Azreen Aqib Tiara And Bik celebrating Earth Hour.

We are having a picnic in the garden and Inas Iman & Megat have put up candles all around.

Irani wants to be a star

Inas wants to be a dancer on planet Mars

Iman wants to be a super student

Alysha dreams of being kindergarten teacher, photographer and fashion designer
and to travel the world

Ilena says she is the Island girl

Megat thinks he is going to be a hero

Aqib wants to get married buy a house and become a cartoonist

Azreen wants to be a super girl

Tiara wants to be a cat girl

Bik wants to go back to Indonesia for Hari Raya

I have all I want with Rudi by my side but would love Hikayat to be published this year

Ikesha wants to blow out all the candles

Global Warming Mythbusters : Slide 1

Global Warming Mythbusters : Slide 1