Kittens : From porch to pot

Exactly a week ago, Ilena and I were on our own at home. Rudy was in Kelantan with Ikesha, Inas and Irani, at Grandma's and Iman at college. I was making Ilena her favorite dessert, bubur jagung when she came over and whispered, "Don't look Mak. Sasha is having her baby."

"Where is she?" I asked, slightly panicky. "In her basket,"said Ilena, quite coolly.

Now Sasha had refused for weeks to get into that basket I prepared for her pending kittens. I took a peek and there she was, spreadeagled in the basket, looking bewildered. She was a first time Mom and obviously did not know what to expect.

Half way through the first kitten, she ran out of the house, hid under the misai kucing bush and proceeded to the porch. I was so afraid she would run out the gate. I called out to her and she hesitated. She stopped by the car. I went closer and held her (gingerly...her kitten was dangling out, I was terrified), finally she agreed to lie down. Soon kitten no 1 was born.

I stood up to get her basket. and she stood up too. I could see she did not want me to move so I stayed with her. Sat on the floor for an hour. Stroked her neck and generally calmed her down again. Her eyes glazed then, kitten no 2 popped out. This time Sasha knew exactly what to do, stayed still and relaxed.

I could see she was more at ease so I quickly went inside to get the basket and some clean rags. After a while I transferred Sasha and the two kittens into the basket and put them all under my writing desk.



Ilena was so happy. She said, "Today is the happiest day of my life Mak. Just the two of us and Sasha gave birth. It is so special!" It was a special day. Ilena and I actually had mandi serum that morning. Followed by me making spaghetti and bubur jagung just for her. She was really content.

I was worried about Sasha, she was too young to be a mother. I was afraid she would abandon the kittens so I took care not to touch any of them. She was exemplary. The whole night she did not leave the basket and in the morning, when I woke up, she looked terribly thin and parched. I gave her water and her cat food. She went back directly to her babies. Lo and behold, by morning, there were four of them!

The next day, I switched on the fan. The minute the light breeze hit the kittens, they started meowing away. I immediately switched off the fan. Sasha gave me a stare and picked up one kitten, surveying the room. Finally she went into this flower pot. I sighed, removed my beautiful plant and there the kittens have been for the last six days. I hope she doesn't move them anymore.

Oh, they are adorable. A good thing Ikesha was away the first three days. Now every morning, it is difficult to tear her away from the pot to get ready for kindergarten!

___________________________________________

No, Crookshanks has not been allowed in the house for long periods. Poor Crookshanks, he is really the gentlest of cats but we are too scared to take the chance. Sasha and Crookshanks will be spayed soon so this should be a one time experience.

A most beautiful experience, i must say.

Alhamdulillah.

Guest Writer : Stafford Ray

I would like to introduce my special guest writer and good friend, Stafford Ray from Sydney, Australia. With his permission, I have reproduced his excellent article, In The Loop which subject matter is, to me, of great interest to all of us.

When I was a little girl living in Tasmania, my Mum's landlord and foster mother, Mrs Ruth Bowling often took care of me. Her logic was crystal clear. And her wit, simply marvelous.

How wonderful now that I have met Stafford on-line. Stafford reminds me of my Mrs Bowling. An amazing writer, Stafford puts thoughts into delicious chunks of concepts that all of us can understand. He cuts into the subject matter with clarity. I wish politicians would stop their rhetoric and read what Stafford has to say.

And borrow his amazing wit at times!

Stafford blogs here.

____________________________________________________

In the Loop

I am worried about Jim.

Jim is in an outer loop of the economy, a very precarious place to be. But first let me explain ‘loops’.

Primary Producers are at the centre where all loops begin. They grow and raise food so they are not working in an expendable industry. My maternal grandfather was a farmer who used horses for everything from hauling logs to powering the sulky that took him and Grandma to town. But that all changed when he bought a tractor. Tractors do not eat grass and do not self propagate, so his purchase started a second line of loops that include tractor manufacturers, whose demand for materials created the next level of loops of miners, oil drillers, refiners, service mechanics, you get the picture.

More tractor manufacturers joined in so dealerships sprang up and new loops were formed that managed sales for manufacturing, a services not directly producing food or an object we can see and feel. But soon the dealer no longer had time to sweep out his showroom so he hired a cleaner and yet another loop was created.

Then the cleaner became so busy he hired Jim’s Pooch Grooming Service and now, every Thursday morning, Deefer gets a wash and a brush, her claws trimmed and anal glands expressed and yet another class of loops was added. We need these loops to create employment as productivity increases and industry continues to automate but we now have more people in outer loops than inner loops and it is these outer loops that are first to go when money gets tight.

Outer Loop jobs depend on our discretionary dollar. They include restaurant staff, tour operators and Jim’s Mowing, the specialist BBQ cleaner and I must not leave out the busty blonde who bursts into the blue-collar work place in her van offering espresso coffee and hot pies to blokes who gather around to admire her legs and torso while spending twenty times the cost of a cut lunch and thermos of coffee.

When the Great Depression peaked in the late 30’s, over half the population here worked on the land so when sons and daughters lost their town jobs they came home where there was a cow to milk, some chooks for eggs, a few fruit trees and a veggie patch so they did not starve and were hale and healthy when the economy recovered.

Now, Agriculture here in Oz employs less than one in forty so where do our sons and daughters go if unemployment hits 30% or worse?

We are facing fundamental and worldwide shifts in energy, environment, population and wealth distribution. We need a survival plan and leaders to explain it and guide us through it.

It seems they are here, but their voices are being drowned out by populists of the Right, who insist the Market (that gave us the 2007 GFC) will fix it and the Left which seems more interested in same sex marriage. Both are aided and abetted by media continuing to direct our attention to which celeb is cheating on whom, obscuring the fact we are in crisis and desperately in need of a global plan and a social contract to deliver it.

That mix of undermined respect for leaders, voyeurism, platitudes, scandal and lies leaves us confused. Confusion leads to anger and so we get Greece. What happened when the Greek Government tried to bite the bullet and balance its budget? Opposition voices condemned the austerity measures so people became confused then angry and then rioted.

Political opportunists are popping up everywhere as they do whenever we are in crisis and some of them are talking war. Should we be surprised? Of course not.

War will drag our attention away from their appalling economic management and the diminishing habitat of the brown breasted miniature whistling duck! To fight each other is in our genes so war it will be and our last chance to address the issues of environment, energy and population will be abandoned.

Are we really that stupid?

......................

Note: No disrespect is intended towards the many good people who work in service industries, including Jim's franchises. I am really concerned for their futures, as I am for Humanity as a whole.

________________________

More loops from Stafford here http://staffordray.blogspot.com/2012/02/more-loops.html.

My Langkawi

Je me suis réveillé aux baisers et la vue sur la mer.

Je savais que ça allait être une journée spéciale.

. woke up to kisses and the view of the sea. I knew it was going to be a special day.

Où est le petit poisson?

Rudy, Girish and Sam together with his wife, Kristie were to join TJ's luncheon on a yacht. But I am not really fond of the sea so I decided to take a walk in Pekan Kuah by myself. And explore. This lovely little divider caught my eye. Little fishes were swimming lazily under the kiambang of my childhood.

I smiled to the sun.

Then I spied a little restaurant with a bookshelf full of German and English books. Intrigued, I entered and discovered an unexpected delight - and a treasure of stories.

This is Azizah, she helps the owner Dee run Domino and is a professional dancer.

While I had a lovely breakfast of pancake and maple syrup, Azizah sat with me and told me the story of Mountain Raya, Mountain Mat Cincang and Gunung Mat Sawar.

And the story of how Telaga Air Hangat, Pekan Kuah and Belanga Pecah got their names.

This is Paul, Dee and me, new found friends of mine in Langkawi.

Dee has worked at Domino for 20 years. When the owner, a German expat, Wolf, passed away,

he left Dee a small inheritance and Dee took over the restaurant. He updated the place and for the last one and a half years, Domino has become a renewed novelty in Langkawi.

Try out this lovely lovely eatery, the lamb chop was excellent and the hospitality was charming, warm and genuine.

And if you happen to drop by Domino, have a look at a

new book on the shelf called

Srikandi by ninotaziz

Hang Tuah's Sorrow

What is my quest for one remains clear
I shall not waver in my cause
If my loyalty is worthy of its master
Even when all is lost, all is not lost

What am I, if not for my Sultan
Who is my Sultan without one so loyal
What is my people without our Sultan
Who is our Sultan without our people

For we are bound by the solemn oath
That of Demang Lebar Daun and Seri Teri Buana
Their fates and ours ever resolved
The new lands to respect the pact forever...’
__________________________

Hang Tuah is our legendary hero
a warrior who lived during the Sultanate of Melaka.

During his lifetime, he travelled to China, Mecca and Rome. A skillful diplomat, Hang Tuah knew 12 languages,

and was a master of the silat, having trained under Guru Aria Putra of Melaka
and Sang Persanta Nata of Majapahit.

Today, 500 years later, the debate goes on whether Hang Tuah was a real person.

And yet, his purpose and personality was so strong,
until today he touches the lives of Malaysian like no other.

Copyright © 2012 ninotaziz. All rights reserved.

Taking it slow...

Ikesha thinks my impromptu flower arrangement
from odds and ends in our garden is a great piece of art!

It is time to smell the flowers.

Life has been a mad rush, especially since we had to do without Bik since August 2011.

Work, writing and adjustments to new living arrangements have kept me on my toes. Inas and Irani, both in important exam years have moved to Tok Wan's place in search of better tutors, plus space and mind to study. Iman is studying furiously as her stint at matriculation comes to an end this April - her 4 flat average attest to her focus and determination.

From a household of eight, we have dwindled down to four! How time flies. Hence, it is time to smell the flowers. Flower arrangement, gardening, even cycling with Rudy and the girls in the evening was a lovely get away.

Iman and Inas were home during the Chinese New Year holidays and it was time to have one of our B-B-Qs for the teenagers again - out in the garden. Small crowd, laughter, subtle goodbyes to life as they knew it - as they move on to France, Russia and other near and faraway places to carry on chasing their dreams. Grow up.

As for me, I ponder about life as my babies become young ladies, women of their own mind etc etc etc. Time flies. Fuzana, my lovely editor from Utusan just showed me the final layout for Hikayat before it goes to print. I work on Dragon Lores at a relaxed pace.

I sigh in contentment.

Alhamdulillah.

Happy Chinese New Year fr ninotaziz

Tokoyo

One wintery night
Tokoyo dived into the sea
To challenge Yofune-Nushi

Dagger between her teeth

The monster swam in deep blue
Gleaming in the dark waters
Tokoyo struck the beast true

At its heart, exposed by soft belly

In its death throes, the sea serpent
Rose to the surface
with Tokoyo on its back

Triumphant, she stood

In one stroke, Tokoyo
Saved the island, the emperor
And most certainly her father

The wronged Samurai, Oribe Shima

Released from his imprisonment
The noble one regained his life
- he knew, his daughter’s love freed him

Man's injustice undone by a girl's courage

___________________________________

Tokoyo was certainly no sushi
For the magpietales

Copyright © 2012 ninotaziz. All rights reserved.

An Epic Legend : Lady White Snake

The haunting story of Lady White Snake has always been a personal favorite of mine (aahhhh, now everyone will be able to take an educated guess how old I am! Well, within a twelve year margin) While this song is beautifully done, the movie itself fell short of my expectations. Still it was lovely. During this Chinese New Year season, my girls enjoy the video tremendously and prefer it over Cars or Spongebob which is a tall order!

Here is my rendition of the story.

A stone crushed by the river
Gives life to the plant
A plant gives life to the animal
An animal gives life to human
A human may become more
More than human

Sometimes, one is surprised by nature

and the order of life becomes obscure

***

In an ancient cave, a great big white python

meditated for another a thousand years.
Then it stood up high on its tail, and disappeared
A beautiful girl was seen leaving the mountain
In a flowing white robe and beautiful sandals

adorned with glittering gems.

In the city Hangzhou, there was a beautiful lake.
Many came to take lovely walks to enjoy the fresh air
To enjoy the day in its wake
To take boat rides to the island, to listen to larks

And one day, there was a beautiful lady
Who came to enjoy the simple human pastime

- taking a walk in the park.

She met a handsome youth whose name was Xiu Xian.

She told him her name – Lady White of the Mountains.

It began to rain. And by the time, the boat reached the main land

Xiu Xian was in love with the mysterious maiden

Before long, Xiu Xian was standing next to Lady White
Lovely in her bridal gown.

They bowed to Heaven and Earth, to their ancestors, and to each other.

They were now husband and wife.

* * *

The newly-weds, together with Lily their household lady in waiting

and their three other servants moved to another city

To open their own sensei shop - excellent with herbs and medicines

They knew exactly what to prescribe as a cure for all ailments.

Their life was blissful.

Soon, Lady White informed Xiu Xian she was with child
Their baby would be born in the spring. In her condition,
Lady White often rested in the afternoon.
Xiu Xian did not want her to put her health in jeopardy.

One such evening, a Buddhist monk entered their shop and said.
“Master Xiu Xian, I must introduce myself. I am Fa Dhai
and I am the head of the Mountain Temple,
where your wife and her father used to reside.”

Xiu Xian smiled and immediately said,
“Ahhh, you are family then. Let me call my wife!”

Strangely, the monk restrained him,”No, I have come to warn

you. Be steady. Your wife is a thousand year old snake

She hides her true nature for now but she can only do you great harm.

Sooner or later, her true nature will strike!”

“You do not know my wife!” said Xiu Xian. “It is best you leave!”

Fa Dhai continued, “I knew you would say that. Ahh, well.

Make sure she drinks realgar wine for the Dragon Boat Festival.

She will transform back to her true self

and then you will look for me!”

Soon it was time for the Dragon Boat Festival

Everyone drank wine mixed with foul-smelling realgar

to drive away serpents and snakes.

Lady White begged to be excused and stayed in bed

Xiu Xian laughingly called out to her and said,

“We must share at least one cup of realgar wine!”

Xiu Xian then suddenly remembered the monk’s strange visit

and mentioned it to his wife absent-mindedly.

Lady White almost choked on her nightly cup of warm milk.

She knew then she was in terrible danger.

She stood up, and said, “I am feeling much better, husband.

Let us have some wine!”

Calling on all her powers to withstand the realgar
she drank one cup - so mild
Immediately she ran to her room, retching away.

Xu Xian hurried to get her medicine
- when he came back with the potion,

He found a large white python on the bed.
The young husband in shock, collapsed.

Lily came running,“My Lady,” she called,

“Your husband has fainted from shock!”
Lady White knelt by her husband and wept.

“I will make the strongest potion to heal him," she declared

* * *

He recovered - Xiu Xian did. But he now avoided Lady White.

They were restrained with each other - she often sighed

He often took long walks - and on the bank of the Yangtze River

Fa Dhai was waiting for him. Terrified and confused, Xu Xian asked, “What shall I do?”
“Come live at the temple,” said Fa Dhai. “There you will find truth.”

Torn between the love and fear of his wife,

At last he joined the monk's stride

Up the Mountain Temple - Xiu Xian was not allowed to leave.

This was the intention of the monk, to lure Lady White to him.

Meanwhile, Lady White waited anxiously
For her husband to return.

Deep inside she knew her husband was with
The monks of the Mountain Temple

Her nemesis and enemies for centuries

Fa Dhai was waiting for her at the temple gate.
“Abomination!” cried Fa Dhai. “Destruction is your fate!”

“I have helped many with my knowledge of herbs, medicine and venom,”

“Surely the one who separates a man and his wife
And soon to be born child is the cruel one!”

Fa Dhai was not in the mood to talk any longer.

He had devoted his life to destroy the mystical serpents such as her.

He called upon an army of heavenly warriors.

From the Yangze, Lady White gathered an army of serpents and water animals.

The two armies battled ferociously, led by Lady White herself

But when she felt a pull in her womb, fear for her baby’s safety made her retreat.

Lady White and Lily returned home

The lady was taken ill from all the fighting
Her own growing body heaving.
She was heart-broken, crying over and over
“He did not honour me, he did not trust me.”
Just then, Xiu Xian arrived. He heard the battle
And from within the temple prison,
Determined to stand by her,
He escaped, and returned

“I was kept prisoner— I love you and couldn’t bear
The thought of losing you!”
“My dear husband,” said Lady White angrily,
You forgot to honour me and trust me.
Hear me now.”

She told him the truth and all that had happened.
“And now,” she said, “you must decide.”

Xiu Xian replied softly, “I will honour, trust and love you.

"Always.”

* * *

Soon Fa Dhai came back and the battle was worst than ever

Endangering their son and Xiu Xian

Finally, Fa Dhai captured Lady White within his powerful alms bowl

There was no way to escape its magic
Lady White finally said goodbye to her husband and new born baby.

Then she told Fa Dhai, “Though you take me away, see! You cannot destroy our love.”

Fa Dhai was angry to hear this truth and ordered the warriors
To imprison her under the pagoda by the lake where they fell in love
“You can remember your everlasting love there!” he cursed her,
“Not until the lake dries up or the pagoda falls

Will you see the light of day again!”

* * *

Time passed on. Xiu Xian and Fa Dhai passed away
Then the son too at a ripe old age.

But Lily did not forget

On the mountain where she came from
She transformed back into a young python
She meditated and trained her might
Her powers to their greatest height

For one last time

She became human once again
Gathered an army of mountain animals
Marched on to the Pagoda On The Lake
All for Lady White's sake

The pagoda’s guardian spirit
Met her with his own army,
But they were defeated and forced to flee
The might of Lily

Then her army set fire to the pagoda
Which quickly crumbled.

“My Lady, come out!” called Lily
And there from the ruins rose Lady White — at last, free!
But still heart-broken - deeply.

* * *

So Lady White retuned to the mountains with Lily and both swore
Never to associate with humans forever more.
That is why until today,
Snakes slither away

When humans approach and become
Fiercely angry when confronted by one.

They vowed never to love humans again.

Ever.

Copyright © 2011 ninotaziz. All rights reserved.

------------------------------------

An ancient legend from China

For the Magpie Tales

Happy New Year!

Every year past Decembers

Cold and windy months

I created moment by moment

revelries for others

While all the while

After the euphoria of countdown settles

I was dreaming to be

with loved ones

This year I do not want the fanfare

I long for the quiet moment

Of deep content and giddy happiness

bubbling inside

________________________________

For the magpie tales

Happy New Year, friends and fellow travelers of the blogosphere !

I shall no longer be like the candle in the wind, creating glamour and radiance for others but not for those closest to my heart.

SITI DEWI PART II

Siti Dewi bak bidadari
Disanjung oleh Maharisi Kala Api
Hari silih berganti hari
Sinarnya bagai mentari pagi

Ular yang diam, duduk berdiri
Helang yang terbang, akan terhenti
Melihat bayangan Siti Dewi
Mekar indah di taman sendiri

Maharisi terus bersuara
Sudah sampai masa dan ketika
Siti Dewi hidup bahagia
Bersuami raja segala raja

Dengan itu, surat jemputan
Dihantar segera pada raja sekelian
Jika Siti Dewi menjadi idaman
Sila hadir di laman pertandingan

Kala Jengking sebesar gah
Mesti dibunuh dengan anak panah
Semua raja mencuba sudah
Anak panah semuanya punah

Termasuklah Maharaja Wana
Dendam geram bercampur duka
Ingin menang senantiasa
Buruk amalan, gelap niat dan jiwa

Di Wat Tujuh Kedi Bermas
Keadaan bertambah cemas
Tiba Seri Rama, segak dan kemas
Bayangan umpama silauan mas

Anak raja Sirat Maharaja
Tiba bersama adiknya, Laksmana
Akhirnya kala jengking kalah jua
Seri Rama sudah berjaya

Geram Maharaja Wana walaupun beristeri
Termasuk sudah Mandudaki
Tapi Wana mahukan Siti Dewi
Diangkat menjadi Maharani

Timbul niat mencuri puteri
Tidak akan niat ini terhenti
Walau matahari terbit tinggi
Di atas kepala jemala diri

Maharaja Wana memulakan langkah...

Copyright © 2011 ninotaziz
All rights

KLPAC : A Homecoming

After the actors are long gone, the chairs carry on the conversation

under the trees on the grounds of KLPac

When Iman and Inas were very young, they took part in various Actor's Studio's Theatre Camps. The classes were held at Plaza Putra. They were very fortunate to have Faridah Merican, Edwin Sumun and Jerrica Lai teaching them at the time. They took part in the Barbie Rapunzel show at MidValley and earned their very first pay cheques. I myself took lessons there for gamelan. Iman and I went on to play gamelan on the equally beautiful grounds of Rimbun Dahan, courtesy of Angela Kasturi.

KLPac Academy Motto : Be Extraordinary

Today Irani, Ilena and Ikesha continue the tradition.
Inas went back this year as well to attend the MTV Hip Hop
classes with Irani.

Here, Ilena and Ikesha pose under the KLPac Christmas Tree. Two weeks of acting and dancing classes were like a mini family vacation in KL.

After their graduation performance today, with certificates distributed by Datuk Faridah Merican herself, we treated ourselves to chocolates and fondue at home!

Thank you Deda Abdullah, Teacher Kimmy Kiew, Mark Beau De Silva, Lex Lakshman,
and many more of the
KLPAC : KUALA LUMPUR PERFORMING ARTS CENTRE

----------------------------------------------------------------
. Plaza Putra 2002

IGNORE THE TITLE : A Discourse on Facebook

A friend gave me shout out about a week ago on Facebook with this rather long question. Before I go further,I would like to stress that my answer is based on my research and my beliefs. I only mean to share, not to impose.


IGNORE THE TITLE. I am setting aside the political aspects of his speech. Can anyone share on the authenticity of the historical aspects mentioned here? Panjang sangat video ni (ada 6 parts), tapi banyak 'fakta' tentang sejarah orang Melayu dan Malaysia yang kelihatan lain dari apa yang kita baca masa di sekolah. Zalina Abdul Aziz, you may know some Malay history?

CHEGU BARD PENJELASAN ISU CINCIN ROSMAH 30OCT2011 TEMIN PAHANG SIRI 1


Here are excerpts of my reply:

I am not sure which part you are referring to. I tried to listen to the different parts. However,from your question, I think you are asking about ALfonso de Alburquerque's invasion of Malacca. Alburqurque had personal hatred to Islam and fought against the Mamluks and the Ottomans. He once threatened to steal the remains of Nabi Muhammad. Whether this was a Perang Salib agenda, I would not know. Check Commentarios do Grande Affonso d'Alboquerque. Certainly, as Tome Pires mentioned, at the time, Melaka was the richest city of the orient. Alfonso wanted the true identity of the Spice Islands and found out after conquering Melaka.

As for history of Semenanjung, I have always maintained that we have a history of thousand of years, not just 500 to 600 years. Ptolemy maps, our old Hikayat, Chinese texts and even Gajah Mada's Sumpah Palapa (14th century) verify this. The Kedah Sultanate is the oldest. But remember, many preachers and traders alike passed through our lands, and did not stay. Their influence may have remained but they did not stay to run the country. Raja Chola attacked Kadram(Kedah) in the11th century. Why bother if there was no civilisation there. There was. The Kedah Sultanate.

***

As I said earlier, Alfonso had a personal hatred for Muslims. Against this backdrop, it was also the time Europe was at war with the Ottomans. This was late 1300s to 1500s. Portugal however was actually at war with the Egyptian Mamluk - and the war was control of the spice trade.

Question:

As what was written in world history....by?

My answer: The secret is to read between the lines and from multiple sources. I won't deny that there was the constant war between Muslims and Christians in that period. But remember, it was more a time of greed of the lords. At times Portugal was angry A...lfonso de Alburquerque put his hatred for the Muslims above the profitable trade. He was only vilidated and pardoned after his death by the King of Portugal. But still, Alfonso hated Muslims and this was his prime motivation to conquer Malacca - to kill the Arabs hold on the Spice Trade.

***

One point. This speaker wants to state that UMNO leaders are afraid to acknowledge the Hindu beginnings of this land. This may be so, however,consider the following factors.
1. The Hindus in the early Millenia in this region are different from the Indians here in Malaysia now. The first wave did... not stay.They introduced the religion, way of life, traded and went back to India. The Indians today generally came to Malaya during British admin, stayed and are truly Malaysians. These are two separate entities.
2. The Hindus during Melaka's fall, in particular Nina Chattu actually betrayed the Sultan (well, he was not a very good Sultan but he was the leader of Melaka) and helped Alfonso's entry and victory. Incidentally this was the same case with Sang Ranjuna Tapa in Tumasek/Singapura betraying the king to let in the Majapahit forces. Again, this has nothing to do with the Indians in Malaysia today.

But the speaker should not lump all facts into ONE fact.

***

The truth is , many politicians use history to confuse the people. We owe it to ourselves to read history if we are intrerested and find it out for ourselves. Everyone can read. This is the best form of getting information, not listening to speakers/politicians who skew it to their own political agenda.

Query :

Thanx ninot, informative. Kalau nak baca more nak dapat di mana? This guy kata he had to get it from the National University of Singapore? Any history on the other Hangs after the death of Hang Jebat then Hang Tuah? Were they Chinese? Did they ever exist?

My answer : According to text, Hang Tuah is son of Hang Mahmud and he was born in Sg Duyong. Yes, I was a little bit hasty in saying Sultan Mahmud was a bad leader. But he did allow division in Melaka. To be fair, he repented and wanted to realign his rule but it was too late. I read as many of the Hikayats and work hard at putting some sense into it [by reading up on history]. Professor Ding Choo Ming at Akademi Tamadun Melayu UKM helps me tremendously by discussing, teaching and giving me books to read. And I research on-line plus read as many books on world history in relation to the Peninsular.

***

You see, Melayu baru are so eager to say our heroes are China, our ancestors are Indians. I am proud to have friends of all races since I was a child, but I am very certain who I am. As a people. The old Malay manuscripts were very open.... The man from Goa is the man fr Goa. Cincu Wangkang is the trader fr China. Now a whole book was dedicated to Hikayat Hang Tuah and his exploits. If this was a book about a viking or a greek king, this would have been taken as gospel truth in essence. Not us, we seek to destroy all evidence of pride in ourselves. Who's doing?

***

I have done a bit more research on the above, this time looking to what Singaporeans themselves say about the matter. Some light reading took me to peruse and finally dig deep into The Singapore Dilemma - The Political and Educational Marginality of the Malay Community by Lily Zubaidah Rahim. Interesting, to say the least.

Firstly, it reveals that Section 152, Singapore Constitution reads 'It shall be a deliberate and conscious policy of the Government of Singapore (GOS) at all times to recognise the special position of the Malays who are the indigenous people of ...the island and who are IN MOST NEED OF ASSISTANCE and accordingly it shall be the resposibility of the GOS to protect, support, foster and promote their political educational, religious, economic, social and cultural interests, and the Malay language. - Whether this is practised - you will have to use your own judgement and reading the book helps...

Secondly, the author confirms and is of the same viewpoint as my own research in saying confidently that the Malays have been here for more than 1000 years, '...it was only in the fifteenth century that the conversion of Malays to Islam occ...ured in large numbers. Thus, for a period of nearly 1000 years prior to the spread of Islam in the 'Nusantara', Malay rulers and their subjects were predominantly Hindus. In historical terms, most Malays in the 'Nusantara' have thus been Hindus much longer than they have been Muslims. - This is supported by 'The Malay Annals, Sejarah Melayu.

Thirdly, the author says, 'During the tumultuous merger period, Lee Kuan Yew (ST, 5 May 1965) challenged the special constitutional position and privileges of Malays in Malaysia by alleging that Malays were no more indigenous than the Chine...se, Indians and other immigrant communities. ...Lee referred to Malaysian Malays of Indonesian descent as immigrants who should be on the same footing as the other immigrant communities. Similar inferences which cast doubt to the indigeneity of Malays continue to be made by non-malay Sinaporeans and some non-Malay politicians in Malaysia.'

Lastly, the author points out the the Gov of Singapore has largely promoted a strong self fulfilling 'belief promoted by the PAP government that the poor (Malays) are essentially responsible for their individual failings or CULTURAL DEFICIENCIES.' I pray and hope that we will never be placed in this position.

Hey, thanks! Enhanced what was said in the video huh? Anyways, when LKY said abt the CULTURAL DEFICIENCIES, was he referring to the Malays in general, or its leaders? (!!chuckle!!!)

No, this does not enhance what was said in the video. It actually refutes it. It says that the Malay rulers and subjects (orang Melayulah tu) have been here for more than 1500 years. The video implies the Indian Hindus have been here longer. LKY was referring to the poor Malays in general.

Thanks for sharing, very good info and discussion...thank you, thank you.

Doodles

Ikesha's idea of a princess playing in her garden

Ikesha's mermaid

Yesterday, she drew a tugboat with a net that only had one fish in it. However, there were three fishermen on board. I asked Ikesha, there is not enough fish for everyone. She answered,

'Ikan dah mati. Air dia kotor sangat.'

(The fish died. The water is too dirty.)

Anak Raja Gondang

Di suatu zaman dahulu
Segak berdiri Duli Tuanku
Putera yang ditunggu
Bakal lahir menanti waktu

Aduhai Tuanku

Alangkah hiba dan malu
Seluruh istana rawan dan pilu
Permaisuri diam dan kelu
Melahirkan gondang yang satu

Kejam hukuman singkat

Raja murka yang teramat
Permaisuri di halau di laknat
Terseksa jiwa terasa berat
Lemah nyawa hilang semangat

Hari silih berganti

Gondang dibawa lari
Kehidupan baru dicari
Sehingga masa berlalu pergi
Istana tiada diingat lagi

Tapi hidup dirundung malang

Satu hari, terbelah gondang
Timbul putera terbilang
Menghibur hati ibu tersayang
Hingga tiba waktu balasan

Putera mencari restu

Tinggallah ibu sementara waktu
Putera ingin mengadap Tuanku
Membela nasib derita ibu
Tiada gunanya hidup begitu

Jauh perjalanan yang sayu

Saban hari ibu menunggu
Pulangnya putera yang satu
Di cari warta di awan biru
Di lautan dalam, di tasik bayu

Anak Raja Gondang...

The Conch Shell Prince

In ancient times
Standing proud,His Majesty
Lost his heir, the prince
When anger and distrust

Made him drive away his queen

5-car-crash on the NKVE

Now I know what it means when one says it was like it was happening to someone else.

It was surreal.

I was thinking about the payments I was going to make to my writers and translators and cheques I had to prepare when I suddenly realised the car in front me had stopped suddenly. Screeching tyres alarmed me.

I pressed on the brakes suddenly and thought to myself, "Would I stop in time?" Right then, everything moved so slowly. Then, BANG. The car stopped.

Just when I was about to feel relieved, another bang. And another.

Followed by silence.

Again my thoughts concentrated on the most important things, I guess. I felt myself all over. Felt okay. "Wow, alhamdulillah. The seat-belts really work." I opened the door, got off and counted the cars.

Five altogether.

A Merc, a BMW, my car, a WAJA and a MYVi right at the back. Stuck together like Ikesha's toy choo choo train.

Oops, I did not switch off the car. The engine was running. I switched it off.

Everyone looked pretty intense. What do I do? I called Rudy. After his warning about not taking any offers for tow trucks, he told me to stay put. He's coming. Where would I go? We were in the third lane on the NKVE at 10.00am in the morning on a working day. I assured him I will be right here waiting, just before the jejantas Sg Buloh. "Now, try not to be extra friendly. And only give your details to the car owner in front of you," he concluded his Car Accident tutorial 101.

I put down the phone. Well, you know what I mean. Then I walked over to the WAJA owner.

"Hello, saya Zalina." "Nasri."

"Hi, I am Zalina," I said to the BMW owner. "Hi, Michelle."

"Hello, saya Zalina. Auntie, Uncle ok?" "Ok..." "Nama Uncle?" "Saya Chang." "Oh, Mr Chang."

"Hi... Zalina." "Saya, Wong." said the MyVi owner.

To be continued.

____________________________________

Not much to say except Rudy came to take care of things, took me to the police station and settled the workshop stuff. After that he sent me to my Mum's to rest.

However, there is one thing I would like to state. I was so lucky. For three things.

That Allah took care of my state of mind and did not let me panic, swerve to the left or right, or let go of the steering - it was my first major accident.

That Allah kept my body safe, intact and my spirits levelled. Calm at the time.

That Allah enlightened me to extend my hand to those involved in the accident. We ended up being very nice to each other, there were no arguments, just relieved that we were all okay. At the police station, there were no conflicts in our statements - this was amazing to the police.

This Maal Hijrah I start my year full of gratitude for the life I have.

Malaysian Tigers, then and tonight

Malaysian Tigers, Tasmania AUSTRALIA 1967

I dedicate Malaysia's historic win in the SEA games finals against Indonesia tonight to my Dad, the late Abdul Aziz bin Salehuddin (back row, fifth from left) who was an ardent football fan, a loving father and a gentleman who always, always said thank you.

Al-Fatihah.

---------------------------------------------------
Coach Ong Kim Swee teaches his Tigers and all of us what it means to be Malaysian. Respect for ourselves, our flag, our King and parents.

Thank you, Coach.

UBIQUITOUS

What is it about this word that everyone suddenly wants to use it?

I have seen it three times today.

u·biq·ui·tous 
adjective
existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent: ubiquitous fog; ubiquitous little ants.

"We (the indivisible divinity that works in us) have dreamed the world. We have dreamed it resistant, mysterious, visible, ubiquitous in space and firm in time, but we have allowed slight, and eternal, bits of the irrational to form part of its architecture so as to know that it is false. "

Jorge Luis Borges (1899–1986), Argentinian author. "Avatars of the Tortoise" ["Avatares de la tortuga"], Discussion [Discusión] (1932).

Now what does that quote mean? Sounds like it came straight from Matrix. Anyone?

Well, I certainly would not want to use it. Ubiquitous. Unnecessarily, I mean.

OLD NUSANTARA

An old friend , Sadie Sulaiman, asked me what is OLD NUSANTARA. This was my impromptu answer.

I would appreciate your thoughts on this.

OLD NUSANTARA is a world slowly being eroded in our own country, the playground of Nusantara for a thousand years if not more. The Peninsular was the bridge connecting all people from the Philippines archipelago to the Indonesia far end islands. Champa, Siam throughout Indo-China. While the language spoken all over the Nusantara were varied with Tagalog, Javanese, Bugis and Thai up north, we were the keepers of the Malay language - the lingua franca of the Nusantara.

The kingdoms of Gangga Nagara, Majapahit, Srivijaya, Sailendra, Mataram, Langkasuka, Ayuthaya, Melaka and Patani represent some of the lost worlds. Some have monuments preserved from ancient times like the Borobodur Temple despite being buried for centuries under volcanic ash, others retain their classical manuscript as a reminder of a grandeur past like Nekaragatama, Sejarah Melayu, Hikayat Patani , Misa Melayu and more.

Others, like Singapore wants to now present their Makyung, Angklung and Gamelan to the world (imported from Rantau Panjang and Terengganu expertise), the Balinese of course is strong on their culture while Thailand has captured the world of food and craftsmanship. Which is well and good as we can only survive if a large body of nations acknowledge the lure and beauty of the Nusantara.

But we must make a stand and stake our own claim and expertise.

So I do my bit to promote the Malay Hikayat, which God willing, no one will take away from us - if we are careful and diligent. I publish Malay Hikayat under Utusan Publishers and just as diligently continue to write. I try to provide a good dose of research that can be translated into worthy projects, hopefully movies and others for coming generations.

What is your take?

Rememberance

Pakcik from Almanar wrote about Rememberance Day here . His blog somehow often sparks nuggets of inspiration for me to leave him a poem in his comment box even though he says that my poetry, while beautiful, escapes him! Anyway, Pakcik kindly featured my little poem on rememberance on his blog.

By Ninotaziz
----------------
It is the way of the world
Time and tide, await no man

Except in the heart
Where memories reside

And yet there are those
Who belittle our hold to the past

I say to them...

Learning and teachings
Would be meaningless lessons

Why, civilisation was built
upon the memories of man!