MANDALAY

What Do Our Kids Read?

2012-01-09T23:42:00.001+08:00

I recall writing about how I got hooked on reading seriously with the help of Enid Blyton Mystery Series - The Five Find-Outers and Dog. It is a series of children's mystery books first published between 1943 and 1961.

The stories were set in the fictitious village of Peterswood (Bourne End), close to Marlow, Buckinghamshire. The children encountered a mystery almost every school holiday, always solving the puzzle before Mr Goon, the unpleasant village policeman, much to his annoyance.

There were 15 books in the series and I had read them all. I remember the suspense made me read and read oftentimes finishing the book in one day. They were books from the class library. You see, back then each class had a collection for its own little library displayed at a corner of the class. I believe the books must have been distributed to all the classes according to age group material. The proper school library was for the secondary students only.

Occasionally, I would pick up my dad's novel after he and mum had read them. I would know if it was interesting from the discussion they would engage in earlier. That was how I came to enjoy biographies such as those of Churchill, Hitler, Rommel and Soekarno, and the Lobsang Rampa series by the time I was 11 or 12. When I was 13, while many of my classmates were into Mills and Boons stuff, Barbara Cartland, Georgette Heyer, Denise Robins and the likes, I preferred Leon Uris. His Exodus was ultra moving.........and I used to ask "Why?"

When our two kids were little we tried Enid Blyton with them but they ended up collecting the Belgian Georges Remi's The Adventures of Tintin series and French René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo's The Adventures of Asterix Series.

Both had something in common - they were comic strip series. I tried reading some of them but believe me, there was quite a load of reading involved!

Tintin is engaging, well-researched plots straddle a variety of genres: swashbuckling adventures with elements of fantasy, mysteries, political thrillers, and science fiction. The stories within the Tintin series always feature slapstick humour, offset in later albums by dashes of sophisticated satire and political/cultural commentary.

The Asterix series is one of the most popular Franco-Belgian comics in the world, with the series being translated into over 100 languages, and it is popular in most European countries.
The protagonist, the titular character Asterix, along with his friend Obelix have various adventures. The main setting for the series is an unnamed coastal village in Armorica, a province of Gaul (modern France), in the year 50 BC. Julius Caesar has conquered nearly all of Gaul for the Roman Empire. The little Armorican village, however, has held out because the villagers can gain temporary superhuman strength by drinking a magic potion brewed by the local village druid, Getafix.

Asterix, who, because of his shrewdness, is usually entrusted with the most important affairs of the village. He is aided in his adventures by his rather fat and unintelligent friend, Obelix, who, because he fell into the druid's cauldron of the potion as a baby, has permanent superhuman strength. Obelix is usually accompanied by Dogmatix, his little dog. (Except for Asterix and Obelix, the names of the characters change with the language. For example, Obelix's dog's name is "Dogmatix" in English, but "Idéfix" in the original French edition.)

Asterix and Obelix (and sometimes other members of the village) go on various adventures both within the village and in far away lands. Places visited in the series include parts of Gaul (Lutetia, Corsica etc.), neighbouring nations (Belgium, Spain, Britain, Germany etc.), and far away lands (North America, Middle East, India etc.).

The series employs science-fiction and fantasy elements in the more recent books; for instance, the use of extraterrestrials in Asterix and the Falling Sky and the city of Atlantis in Asterix and Obelix All at Sea.

The distinctive nature of the stories is the humour often centering on puns, caricatures, and tongue-in-cheek stereotypes of contemporary European nations and French regions. There are 34 books in the series.

My first grandchild, Anyssa is now turning 8 on 11/1/2012 and has announced that she wants a book for her birthday....not just any book, definitely not Enid Blyton (I tried!)but the Italian Geronimo Stilton's Series. She insisted she had read the first 7 books and would now wish for No.11 instead. Curiosity drove me to further research Geronimo.

The books are intended for readers in the 8–16 year old age range. The prints prove it so, quite unlike Enid Blyton's Five Find-Outers which is in the same sized font throughout. "Boring" she said of Enid Blyton. Oh my, I thought that was quite blasphemous!

The title character is a talking mouse who lives in New Mouse City on Mouse Island. A best-selling author, Geronimo Stilton works as a journalist and editor for the fictional newspaper, The Rodent's Gazette. No wonder Anyssa was talking about publishers the other day. I had wondered how come she knew the word!

Geronimo has a younger sister named Thea Stilton, a cousin named Trap Stilton and a favorite little nephew, nine-year-old Benjamin Stilton. Geronimo is a nervous, mild-mannered mouse who would like nothing better than to live a quiet life, but he keeps getting involved in far-away adventures with Thea, Trap, and Benjamin. The books are written as though they are autobiographical adventure stories.

There are 50 books in the series. I reckon she would probably move on to other genre before she completes the series.

As for today No. 11 is ready to be wrapped up.....Happy Birthday Anyssa!!

Oh, December!

2012-01-07T12:44:00.002+08:00

December is always a crazy month. It is the school term holidays and many people would be on the move clogging shopping malls, holiday resorts and places of attraction. Somehow the Malays make it even more crazy by having engagements and weddings during the same month. It is logical perhaps so that relatives from all corners of the country would be able to attend. I remember those days when I would be stuck with the year-end closing and that alone took us off the road so to speak.

In retirement, December becomes more challenging. What excuse do I now have if I were to send my regrets for not making it to the invitations? Events and invitations can be overlapping and at this age we find it a little tiring to attend more than one or two events in a day. As a matter of fact, a few invitatuions have gone completely off my radar due to mixed up dates! I had more than once gotten ready to leave for the event only to realise later that it was over a day or a week earlier!

This year, we made plans to attend a relative's wedding reception in Seremban and then to "balik kampung" (the Malay popular term for "returning to the village")to attend a niece's engagement the next day. We sent our regrets to another group of relatives for not being able to join them in the usual annual outing in Port Dickson and another cousin for not being able to be present at his house warming "doa" and prayer session. I also informed my daughter and son-in-law of our plans. We left the keys with the neighbour so that the cats may be fed. My son, Najib drove. Anticipating the madness on the North-South Highway, he smartly chose the new alternate Lekas Highway. A good name indeed as "Lekas" means, quick. True enough we made it to Seremban in good time.

Weddings are usually a fantastic time for the relatives to meet and catch up with one another. You must believe me the womenfolks would usually have a mile long issues to recoup....and I mean a mile long!

The wedding dias was so lovely. They had decorated the whole stage looking like a personal boudoir. The wedding dias represents the throne for the new weds to sit and be blessed as a "king and queen for a day". Lunch was a sumptuous affair with the traditional choice of white and briyani rice and a host of chicken, beef and vegetable dishes, deserts, drinks and the traditional wedding eggs symbolising fertility. I had always thought traditionally, the eggs would have been the most versatile thing you could get to decorate and present as gifts and almost every household would have had a chicken coup in the backyard. Well, I think they still are the best door gift today. We wish the couple a most blessed journey henceforth.

December is a freaky month. There is no telling when the rain and storm would appear. Dark clouds are never too far off. In the old days, weddings were usually held outdoors. Many would sought the services of the rain shifters. These are people who are said to be able to shift rain to another place hence saving the ceremony from being rain washed!. There used to be other myths and traditional practices associated with rain prevention like throwing an old shirt on to the roof of the house or placing a lighted oil lamp under the kitchen rafter. I remember well the wedding day of an aunt when I had been put in charge of the oil lamp. But I guess the almighty wasn't listening as it still rained cats and dogs. Then the whispers came saying that the "shifter" must have taken a leak! These days many would hold such events in halls in schools, hotels and community centers. It is usual for the popular venues to have a year long waiting list!

My daughter was also there with her husband and three young kids. Our family was complete. She said that she would be following us back to "balik kampung" instead of joining the other party at Port Dickson. I thought it was a wonderful decision. That would be the two year old's first trip to grandpa's village.

A trip to the "kampung" is always a much anticipated event.It is especially so when our whole family is joining in and making the ride back to Segamat, Johore where gradpa Din was born.

We stopped over at Tampin, Negeri Sembilan and settled down for teatime at a Kopitiam Restaurant ....6 adults and 3 kids. It is a rather new shop and we found it during our previous trip. The garlic bread and mushroom soup were lovely, much to our delight. While sipping our drinks we noticed a market nearby and thought it quite convenient to get something for dinner later on. It is always a good idea to bring something for the pot so that dinner may be served without much problem. My daughter was very thoughtful to also buy some packets of 3 in 1 Nescafe from a nearby grocery shop before we continued our journey. Everyone knows that I do not take white tea that is popular amongst the Segamat folks.

We arrived at Segamat around 8.30pm and soon enough dinner was prepared through the cooperation of all the 5 ladies present. We took some time to drop by at my sister-in-law's place to check on the program for the engagement day. White tea is almost always served in Segamat. Our two years old grandson insisted on having some tea in his bottle which we relented in the end. He relished it but soon enough he gestured a tummy discomfort.......Even on the next morning he was still feeling the discomfort. Poor dear ! I am sure he had learned a valuable lesson there.

The engagement was over the next day with both families in mutual agreement to whatever terms discussed. Here are the happy parents with their daughter soon after the ceremony. Lunch or actually "tunch" was really a Johore affair _Briyani Gam- what else!

When it was time for family get together, the durian feast begun. Segamat is well known for it's durian. It was a delight to watch my 7 years old grand daughter, Anyssa and her second cousins relishing the durian and then rambutans plucked right from the tree nearby. A true Malaysian indeed! However, her younger brother, Amyr would only come near with his two fingers up his nostrils and then disappeared. Bro-in-law "Burn" did the honour of splitting open the durians.

After the durian feast I sent the Charlie Angels to have their faces and hands washed and be sure to take a drink of plain water which they dutifully did. The drink was to prevent any onset of coughing usually associated with the eating of too much durian and rambutans.

When it was time to leave and return to Shah Alam, Anyssa and her cousins bid goodbye to one another. So did the others and I was sure Anyssa enjoyed the short sojourn in the kampung and I hope it would remain in her thoughts for some time.

Koranic Law Does not Impose the Headscarf

2011-11-09T22:44:00.000+08:00

by Khaled Fouad Allam (appearing in January 22nd 2004 edition of 'La Repubblica' in Italy)

Historically speaking, the “hijab” (or Islamic headscarf) has never represented any form of Islamic dogma, legal obligation or religious symbol, even if today the impression is such.

Jurists during the classical period of Islam – who when Muslim law was first formulated for the four great legal schools of Islam – never presented any theories on the headscarf. The celebrated jurist and founder of the Theological University of Fez in Morocco, Qayrawin (died in 996), spoke about the headscarf only in reference to prayer rituals, when women enter mosques to pray on Fridays. And the word he used was “khimar”, a veil covering women from head to toe. He never used the term “hijab”. It is the same with other authors of the period.

There is indeed an explanation for all this. Classical Islam jurists warned of the need to formulate legal theory concerning the headscarf or veil, simply because a woman’s medieval world was that of a cloister, where she didn’t leave home, leading her life within the borders of private property. And when she did venture out, which was rare, she had to do so with the authorization of a male figure – whether it be her father, husband or brother –and only under exceptional circumstances, as for some formal ceremony or pilgrimage.

The hijab is an invention of the 14th century, and it has no real basis in the Koran. In the Koran, “hijab” comes from the root “hjb”, which refers not to an object, but an action: wearing a headscarf, pulling down a curtain or screen or reducing light so as to prevent others from prying or looking in.

The change to the word “hijab”, from signifying an action to meaning an object, comes in the 14th century. The jurist, Ibn Taymiyya, was the first to use the word “hijab” to mean “headscarf”. It was a headscarf that distinguished Muslim from non-Muslim women. It came to distinguish a woman’s identity and religious association.

Ibn Taymiyya stated that a free woman has the obligation to cover herself with a headscarf, while a slave is not obliged as such. He justified this based on a maximalist interpretation (cf. Koran, verse 31, sura 24), transforming the words of a generic statement into a principle, by giving it a binding or legal sense. Yet all this – and we do well to point it out – was still an interpretation, an interpretation which gave rise to a rule.

This change in language and social interpretation is a sign of crisis within the 14th century Muslim world: the end of the great Islamic empires and the invasion of Baghdad by a foreign power – the Mongols of Genghis Khan. The “ummah” (the community of believers) had to therefore face and struggle with what nowadays we call the principle of “otherness”. This posed the same problem then as it does nowadays: today’s Muslims now must cope with how to be themselves in a society dominated by non-Muslims. The headscarf is a sign of the Muslim community’s defensive reactions and focuses on legal norms not to create leeway for freedom of expression, but rather to establish a form of control – on Islam itself.

Therefore it is no coincidence that Ibn Taymiyya (died 1328) is a daily point of reference in neo-fundamentalist language.

However the decisive change for the “hijab” in terms of meaning and law occurs in the 20th century, especially in its last fifty years. In Muslim countries, following the period of decolonization, the processes of modernization created great difficulties for traditional societal structures and institutions. Two unprecedented phenomena occured: literacy of the masses and women going to school, work and out from their homes. The outside world was added to their main world of reference.

In the face of such social changes, many exegetes in Islam have reacted in neo-conservative ways, creating a legal system legitimizing and prescribing the use of the hijab. The headscarf thus becomes a distinct symbol of Islamic identity and separation between sexes. The headscarf’s introduction and use into public areas indeed favors the creation of a gender barrier, which today is not limited to the headscarf itself, but in some other countries has given rise to an actual division of space, even in public transport vehicles (e.g. some neo-fundamentalist-minded architects have drawn up ideas for separate elevators for men and women). Thus public space, instead of sanctioning a principle of equality, focuses on sexual discrimination.

However, all these changes in the headscarf’s use and practice is joined to that which is a constant in the customs and norms of Muslim society: the dichotomy between the pure and impure, and prohibition as a basis for Islamic law.

The frequent emphasis in sacred texts – that women mustn’t do anything to look at other men and draw attention to themselves, hence covering up their figures – has indeed led the collective Muslim unconscious to associate femininity with lust. In this way women have become synonymous with the chaos and disorder attributed to vice. Hence with women there is always the imminent risk of committing acts of impurity. Due to their reproductive role, women are invested with a certain sacred nature. Therefore, breaking the rule – that is to say, showing themselves off – means contaminating their original purity.

This taboo spells for a puritan society and articulates a legal system of control. Muslim societies are obsessed by issues of impurity; and the headscarf tends to symbolically preserve the bounds between the pure and impure.

Today the headscarf takes on the meaning of an identity crisis. In addition to expressing the widespread malaise found in Islamic society, the headscarf conceals its changes and exacerbates people’s fears. Whoever wears it, especially in the West, does so because they are coerced or conditioned to do so or are claiming their rights and asserting free choices. There are many opinions, but they all defer to a series of unsolved conflicts: between Islam and the West, with Islam itself and between law and culture.

A Strange Brush With Life

2011-11-07T13:14:00.004+08:00

I felt a calling to write these little episodes while watching a nature programme taken in the hinterland of the state of Kelantan in the Nenggiri area.

It was in the 1950s, more so around 1956-58 when the family was staying in Kota Bahru, Kelantan. One weekend, we made a trip to Gua Musang deep down south. It seemed to me to be in the middle of nowhere. The road was quite desolate. The greenery, lush. They were renting a place in the heart of a kampong.

Folklore abound regarding Gua Musang (Civet Cave)....like the hunter and the six companions who disappeared. From the more recent pictures Gua Musang has grown to much importance over the years. It is now a gateway to the Taman Negara/National Park, one of the oldest rainforest in the world. There is now a highway - a far cry from what it was back then.

My parents had such family ties that apparently, they had received an "SOS" call from my mum's cousin, auntie Azizah living there. Her husband, uncle Othman, was a Detective Sargent with the Police Department (called "Mata Gelap" by the Malays or locals meaning "dark eyes") there and had suddenly taken "ill" in a strange way. That was as far as I knew then. There being no other family in Kelantan, it was only natural that they contacted my parents it times of need. Amongst other things auntie Azizah, mum's cousin, said that uncle would sometimes not return home when he should. Today, looking in retrospect, I must say I might understand why a man does not return home.......

Through dad's help, uncle Othman did get a transfer to Kota Bahru. I am not sure if the transfer did solve the problem with uncle Othman. In 1958, we were putting up the night at the old black painted KB Rest House on a transfer to Ipoh. In the early morning, we were awaken by a call from my second cousin Amir, saying his dad had not returned since the day before. Dad went out with young Amir to make a report and assist in any way possible. Later, when dad returned, we were told that Uncle Othman had been found by the Kelantan river not far from home.

Those days Kelantan was often behold as a place steep in mysticism and black magic. Those from other states were expected to go and work there "prepared" least they be "tested". If they fail, they'd surely fail miserably.

According to mum, uncle Othman was never the same since then but the family trudged along. We met them again when they moved to Kuala Kangsar where we had another memorable incident in their kitchen. There was a blackout and we girls were about to fry some preserved fish /ikan pekasam. Little did we realise that we were "frying" them in water instead of oil! No wonder, there was no sound of crakling oil! The lesson learned was never place water and oil near each other! Strange things can happen in the dark!

I had another strange brush with the supernatural when my parents were living in Sabah.............Ah, that is something I had always wanted to forget. Perhaps I shall find the courage to write it someday......

Muslim Women In Sport - A Minority Within A Minority

2011-08-18T00:15:00.001+08:00

Introduction
Surveys have shown that Muslim women have lower rates of participation in sport than other groups. Why are they under-represented? What challenges do they face? What does their religion say about participation? These questions have been at the forefront of attempts to understand and increase participation in sport by Muslim women.

Islam, Muslim Women and Sport
There are a number of misconceptions regarding Muslim women participating in sport. In fact, Islam promotes good health and fitness for both men and women. However, there are guidelines in relation to personal conduct and modesty within which sports can be practised. For example, modesty is an important principle in Islam, which has implications for the notion of what types of activities and what sort of dress is appropriate for Muslim women participating in sport. But it is important to recognise that the perceptions of what is modest and appropriate for women to engage in varies between groups of Muslim women and men, as well as between individuals.

In effect, this means that while some Muslim women might engage in mixed sport events, others will not see this as appropriate. Some Muslim women will observe dress codes that consist of covering the hair and wearing modest clothing which covers the arms and legs, but others will not. The important issue is to ensure that all groups and individuals are catered for as far as possible and that they are consulted and respected in their choices.

Islam encourages building up an integrated personality. Islam stresses sports such as swimming, archery and horse-riding, encouraging both men and women to engage in physical activity in order to maintain healthy lifestyles.

In the UK, different national, cultural and ethnic traditions create considerable variety in the way Islam is practiced and interpreted. Due to religious misunderstanding and/or a lack of awareness in our society of how to cater for this varied group, many Muslim women have been prevented from participating in sport.

These issues contribute to the comparatively low participation rate of Muslim women. Other factors that contribute to this are the lack of single-sex provision, which can put women off sport and physical activity. This may also include early negative experiences of PE at school. The negative perceptions about physical activity can last into adulthood, making it more difficult for these women to engage in sport. Thus, environmental and cultural boundaries seem to be a determining factor in the attitude of young Muslim women towards sport in this society.

Participation and Health
There are no statistics that show physical activity participation by different religious groups, for instance Muslim men and women. With respect to Muslim participation rates, participation by ethnicity is the closest monitor that exists, as over 90% of people from Pakistan and Bangladesh are Muslims.

However, this data has to be interpreted with caution as many people from other ethnic groups also follow Islam, and cultural traditions influence participation in sport.

Among ethnic minority communities, participation is below the national average. Only those within the ‘Mixed Race’ category take part more frequently than the ‘White’ group. The ‘Asian’ group has the lowest participation rates.

Ethnic minorities’ low levels of participation have negative health implications. Participation rates fall to as low as 18% for the Pakistani and Bangladeshi communities. Pakistani and Bangladeshi men and women reported worse general health than the general population.This group was more than five times as likely as the general population to have diabetes.

Muslim males and females in Great Britain have the highest rates of reported ill health. 13% of Muslim males and 16% of Muslim females were in states of ‘not good’ health.

Muslim Women’s Attitudes Towards Sport and Physical Activity
Research into Muslim women’s attitudes towards sport and physical education in Muslim countries has provided some interesting findings. A study in Jordan found that young Muslim female students hold positive attitudes towards participation in PE. Furthermore, they considered PE as having great significance and value in increasing leadership proficiency.

However, with regard to parental influence, it appeared that parents were less encouraging of their children taking up the option of PE in further education, with girls getting fewer opportunities due to social constraints.

This is interesting when compared to the views of young Muslim women in the UK, who seem to have negative views regarding PE in schools. Duvall, Sampson and Boote indicated that for young Muslim girls, PE in school evoked negative feelings about physical activity and led to a decrease in participation at post-school age. Thus, environmental and cultural boundaries seem to be a determining factor in young Muslim women’s attitudes towards sport and physical activity.

Barriers Facing Muslim Women’s Participation in Sport
Asian women who participated in research carried out by the Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation (WSFF) said:

“If I did get the chance to go to the gym, I wouldn’t take that chance. I would rather use that free time to spend with my kids.” Bangladeshi, younger than 25.

“When you’ve done a swimming session you come out and you’re tired but it’s a nice tired. But with the kids at the end of the day you’re just so tired you don’t want to move – it’s completely different.” Bangladeshi, older than 25.

Culture – Many Muslim women are constrained by their ethnic backgrounds from participating in sport. For example, research conducted by the WSFF on Bangladeshi women found that they led sedentary lives with little priority given to exercise and physical activity, as it conflicted with their role as a mother and homemaker. Asian Cultural ideologies do not always promote exercise and physical activity for women, although many of the women in the research understood its significance for health.

A study in Norway showed that Muslim women who identified themselves in terms of their ethnicity were not interested in participating in sport as it challenged the boundaries of femininity and cultural identity. Those who regarded religion as a source of identification, viewed physical activity positively as it was in line with Islam’s stance on health.

Religion – Islam is often cited as the reason why women cannot participate in sport. This is primarily due to a lack of understanding and awareness of the religion. In fact, ensuring good health and fitness for men and women is given paramount importance in Islam. Islam strongly
promotes sport and physical activity within certain guidelines, as these are essential tools for sustaining healthy lives.

Mixed groups – This poses major problems for many Muslim women as gyms, swimming pools and sport facilities are not segregated by gender. For some Muslim women this is a violation of modesty; mixed venues, in effect, bar them from participating.

Dress code – The question of dress code has been an issue, as some schools have not catered for this essential need.In order to participate, Muslims might need to follow certain requirements in terms of attire.

Lack of positive role models – The low participation rates among Muslim women are influencing the lack of Muslim female role models. The lack of aspiration and guidance makes it difficult for young Muslim women to engage in sport.

Providing for Muslim Women
Some young Muslim women have had negative experiences of PE in schools and this has deterred them from any form of exercise altogether. These situations may occur when schools are reluctant to respond positively to the dress requirements and other faith obligations for Muslim girls. Thus, it is important that schools and other sporting facilities are aware of the needs of this group of women and offer appropriate arrangements so they can practice their faith and participate in sport, without having to compromise on either.

It is important to ensure good practice in gyms and sports facilities, as negative experiences may lead to Muslim girls becoming disengaged from physical activity in the long run. If they repeatedly experience situations where physical activity is incompatible with their religious values, they may come to believe that such activity is inaccessible to them. This will then have significant implications for the women of this community.

A key and simple solution is allowing Muslim women to wear clothes that they feel comfortable in. For example, for swimming, they may wish to cover more than a conventional swimming costume would.

This does not need to compromise safety guidelines, as many producers of swimwear cater for Muslim women. In addition, sports facilities need to ensure that single-sex facilities are made available. This is crucial for Muslim women, as it is a requirement of their faith to not
participate in mixed sports or events. It is important that Muslim women can participate in sport without concerns about male participants or coaches attending.

This is not an issue solely for Muslim women, as research shows that many non-Muslim women prefer to engage in sport and physical activity when these are conducted in female-only classes. To enable Muslim women to increase participation in sport and physical activity, it is vital to
ensure that single-sex classes, women instructors and flexible dress requirements are in practice.

Resources for Identifying Good Practice
Sisters Games – This initiative aims to make adequate provisions for Muslim women who want to participate in sport and physical activity but have found it difficult to do so. Sisters Games were launched in Birmingham in June 2006 to cater specifically for Muslim women. The website, www.sistersgames.com, has been set up to help organise and advertise sporting and social events for Muslim women in and around Birmingham. Particular attention is given to events that meet the needs of Muslim women, especially with respect to single-sex provision and other Islamic values.

Female Participation: Minority Ethnic Communities – A study by sportscotland examines social inclusion in sport for minority ethnic groups in Scotland and provides a list of key indicators of good practice and future research considerations.

Loughborough University – The University offers coaching courses exclusively for Muslim women. The programme is designed to develop skills as sport coaches and leaders and ensure a representative sample of women in coaching positions. This is an excellent opportunity for
Muslim women to act as role models and encourage Muslim women to take up sport by highlighting the mental, physical and personal benefits that they can achieve.

By :Women’s Sport and Fitness Foundation

Winter of Discontentment

2011-08-17T13:01:00.003+08:00

The winter of discontentment seems to descend upon the human race again. While the winter of 78/79 saw strikes brought about by the British government's pay freeze policy to curtail inflation, the very, very cold winter brought misery to many. Looking back now, a 5% pay raise was also very normal where I worked back then. Why couldn't the orang putih get by with that too? Looking back too workers have been used to such inflationary pay rises up to 18% to 25% and even 40%, I would have been very rich then by that standard! Were we in the former colony, managing our economy better?

Austerity measures purportedly took their toll again recently flaring up in anti-establishment demonstrations, riots, lootings, arsons and even murders. Death of a 29 year old while in the custody of the police was duped as the straw that broke the camel's back. Deprivation and prospects of further deprivations seems to drive people into conflagrations. Senseless as it may seem, that seems to be a popular reasoning by many. But then many of those involved were youths not likely to have been so affected by the rule of the day. Could the economic link then be simply spurious?

According to work on US race riots by the economist Ed Glaeser, for example, ethnic heterogeneity in a neighbourhood increases the probability of unrest. So does unemployment. Poverty, on the other hand, seems to play a smaller role. All in all social unrests have many divergent causes some of which can be deeply rooted feelings bottled up since time in memorial.

Could it also be the miscarriage of a basic tenant of democracy itself?

"Everyone has the right to assemble and to protest government actions. However, citizens have an obligation to exercise these rights peacefully, with respect for the law and for the rights of others."

My question is does the assembly and protest have to be on the streets? If I need to go down that street why should I be devoid of that right just because some people have jammed up the place recording their protest?

I recall the day before Manchester United came to the borough to play Leyton Orient FC. in 1974. Yes, MU did play second division football back then! Here is an image of the Brisbane Road stadium in Leyton.

Dropping by at my local Asian butcher I noticed the guy getting ready to man his "fort". He gave me an idea of what could be expected. I just shrugged it off but at the back of my mind I was much aware of the reputation of MU fans. As the evening fell more MU fans arrived and they layed their sleeping bags on the pavement.

As I passed the street next morning to watch the game, I saw dustbins and their contents in disarray. One shoe shop had been looted and there were shoes on the pavement. Heck, I thought! Well, I did get tickets but they were for standing room only. My friends and I watched the game for a while.....

My point is, bad behaviour in society has always been there. Call it herd or mob mentality that drives people in a group to behave in similar manner. Herd mentality implies a fear-based reaction to peer pressure which makes individuals act in order to avoid feeling “left behind” from the group. Most of all they believe they may hide behind the numbers and remain anonymous.

What sparked the recent unrest was the shooting of a 29-year-old man, Mark Duggan, in Tottenham by the Metropolitan Police's Operation Trident team. The police's handling of the aftermath of that incident looks to have been poor. Mr Duggan's family apparently had to wait 36 hours to see his body. And when members of the community staged a vigil outside Tottenham police station to demand answers about the circumstances of the shooting, officers seem to have failed to communicate with them. There appears to be a context of mistrust of the authority (police) here.
People can be easily worked up by such stuff and the mob may be instantly reborn. Shops of high end products were understandably the main targets. Still, I cannot help thinking there were simply thugs just waiting for the clarion call.

Oh Saturday

2011-07-10T13:06:00.006+08:00

Saturdays usually start rather languidly for the family. On Saturday 9th July, 2011, I cooked up a simple breakfast of fried egg, toast and nescafe and plonked myself in front of the TV to catch anything interesting.

After bypassing channels with ads on, I landed at NTV7. Three to five minutes on I still couldn't understand what in the world the commentator was rambling about. I could only get the gist that he was talking about a resort and some animals around somewhere (?) He seemed to blitz through his script with no proper pauses that his commentary was punctuated only with breathlessness. This was not the first time I had a concern over the channel's own productions. At other times, I was baffled at how certain words could have missed the censorship, if ever there was one. So, goodbye NTV7.......My hubby told me that this channel is meant for youngsters. That made my case even stronger!

(BTW, I have sent NTV7 a little note this morning. Let's see how they respond)

Turning on to CNN next it was rather calming to listen to the interview. Though the conversation was quite swift, it was comprehensible as the punctuations, phrasings and accents were all in the right places.

Ah, soon after I had to accompany the hubby to the office to clear some urgent work before 3.00 p.m. when some maintenance work on the electrical system of the building would start. We completed our work by 2.00 p. m and took a drive to Klang for lunch. Somehow, both of us did not have such a good appitite and soon after a quick lunch , we settled for ais kacang and cendol dessert next door.

On our return home, Najib and his friend greeted us. They were busy following the goings on in KL over the internet. I know some people would have been glued to the media or PC since morning to follow the progress of the Bersih Rally in downtown KL. The Rally was to bring to the fore of a demand for a clean election which was supposed to culminate in the handing of a Memoramdum to the King. In the end, I gather there was no Memo.........! Make your own conclussion then.

I do not normally bother about street processions or demos as I find them a waste of time and resources and at the same time they are open to possible abuses evoking confusions, tensions and disorders. Parties must be able to sit at a round table to discuss matters. My, even Genghiz Khan had better sense. Any kind of street display is a reflection of the process of democracy gone awry, an act of dire hopelessness. I was greatly relieved that it ended without much destruction or loss of lives. Only those who had to close their business premises and those caught in the traffic could tell you how it had affected them. Perhaps they too could voice out that demos be done outside KL, next time round.

What better thing is there than to have my Saturday culminating with homemade fried mee for dinner.....quite a real treat, really.

Have a good weekend!

Walking The Thin Line

2011-05-08T19:05:00.003+08:00

A friend whom I came to know in Facebook is fighting for his life in ICU. Reading another friend's post on Facebook gave me this idea to put in writing my own experience of walking the thin line.

You know, life can be everything and anything our imagination may care to dwell upon. It may seem a chore or a burden if we think it a retribution for some trespasses of our forbears. It may also be a golden opportunity, no matter how fleeting the timeline is, and hence to be used in the best possible ways. Life may be orderly in the way Almighty created pairs of it - one to complement the other - nature's way to balance out the inequalities and hence ensuring equilibrium. That may be the formula to a life worth living. Yet, life may also seem strange in the way the past haunts and history repeats itself. Whilst the old renews, old ways are still resistant. Inertia seeps.

Life is a process of continuous decision making, dichotomous at least. It is that skill which seems illusive in many if not most. To some this task becomes gender centric. Some generations take the easy and obvious road. Some falter, some are unsure of their wants and needs such as in the choice of career, relationship, life style and so on. I have been fortunate to be able to make my own decisions even when they seem to be questionable or not completely sound to others especially my parents. Not that they had not tried to exert some influence but persistency wins the day. Hear me, once a decision is made you live with it

What is basic to my needs has always been to be myself in whatever circumstances. When you always endeavour to do your utmost, there is no need to impress. I need to be accepted for what I am, lock, stock and barrel.

I was so happy when our daughter's conception was confirmed such that only those who have been through the experience might understand. I swear that the waiting was more than what I had bargained for! Immediately my 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. was never the same. I would be laying on the doctor's couch in the Medical Dept. Queuing up for my banking or withdrawing my dad's monthly pension at the Post Office became more of a concern. Once the Post Master had to attend to me at my car. As for the bank patrons, they were good enough to let me sit until it was my turn. There was no number system then! Marketing was another concern. The smell of fresh coffee and fish sent my head into a spin before the cold sweat seeped out . Indeed the olfactory was working overtime such that even the sleeping arrangement had to be reviewed! Looking back I recall when I was carrying my son, I couldn't even bear the smell of boiling rice! No wonder folks romance with pride over motherhood. At this stage it wasn't even half the story yet!

Then I saw Mr Yeoh (Elaine Yeoh's hubby)as my gynae (he wasn't even my real gynae!)getting ready for a c-section on the big day. Suddenly, I saw people walking into the room with a wooden crate. "Gosh, it was my .........God, is this it", I thought. "No, no, I am not ready yet. My family needs me. My baby needs me. Please, I beg of you dear God". I talked and prayed so hard ......Was that a premonition?

Soon after, I took note that my brother who had gone to Penang for some work on the proposed Penang Bridge, had made a dash back upon news of the delivery of my daughter. "How odd", I thought. It wasn't like I was gravely ill... It was many years later that my mum broke her silence on the premonition that my brother had. I now understand why they both had taken special concern over me. My parents who were then staying in JB returned to stay in the PJ house and were on hand till we moved to our own house in Subang Jaya three years later.

On this Mother's Day, to both my children, know this that you are both loved, precious and are everything to me. Mama would implore the Almighty all over again. Love and take care of your children as I have mine. Allahu akbar...

ORCHID CARE

2011-03-20T12:29:00.000+08:00

CATTLEYA IN BLOOM

2011-03-20T12:10:00.000+08:00

It is that time when Cattleyas are in bloom............All week my purple Cattleya has been it it's glorious perch. Not that I knew it was coming. I was about to leave for work last Monday when I noticed the three lovely blooms in full glory.

I had bought three different Cattleya pseudobulbs at an International Orchid Show in Shah Alam some years back. These days they organise them in Putra Jaya. The three I bought were of yellow, purple and white Cattleya and each pseudobulb cost a mere RM10 back then. In buying a whole pot the number of pseodobublbs would be counted and costed accordingly!

The yellow and purple ones have given me many happy moments. Unfortunately, the white Cattleya never made it............

Cattleya gets it's name from William Cattley. It is known for it's large showy blooms which are sometimes fragrant. As I have a perpetual sinus, I have never ever been able to detact the fragrance though. When in bloom, water needs to be reduced to avoid rotting the flowers. Because of their ease of growth and sheer beauty, cattleyas are the most hybridized of all orchids. There are thousands upon thousands of registered hybrids. So, if they are not tagged when you get them be extremely careful in giving them an ID.

VOTE FOR MAZNI EZURA

2011-02-11T00:12:00.002+08:00

Ever heard of FAREEDA? It is one of two well known manufacturer of the “tudung” or scarf for Muslim women in Malaysia. It is currently running a cover model search via the Facebook.

My friend Mazni Ezura, is in the running to qualify for the grand final. As what friends are all about, I am doing my bit to spread the news and garner support for her pursuit. I must say she makes a lovely picture!

So here is how we can assist her…..

Step 1 : Go to this link :http://www.facebook.com/pages/FAREEDANyata-Jelita/279846494413

Step 2 : Click “Like” on FAREEDA ..Nyata Jelita ‘s wall

Step 3 : Go to this link :http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150138458069414&set...=a.10150138457124......414.328376.279846494413

Step 4 : Scroll down a little and click “like” to register your vote.

Please vote by 7th March, 2011. She really need all your kind support.

Thank you so very much……………..

RUBBER REPLANTING PROJECT

2011-01-29T11:23:00.001+08:00

We embarked on a replanting project a few years ago to make good some parcels of land belonging to the family. When grandma was alive much of it was left unattended because of her failing health. Hence, the first responsibility was to find the boundary markers or the border stones. It was a rather daunting task as the land had become overgrown, much like a secondary jungle!

Here is our man Lukman, with one of the markers at Pondoi, near Tampin.

A small river cuts through the further end of this lot and it provides a rather picturesque scene. Here are Din with my SIL Halijah, enjoying a breather.

As part of the deal with RISDA that provides assistance to small holders of rubber land, we had to clear and till the land before any aid could be disbursed. As the land was an ex-rubber land, there was lesser concern over the state of the soil.

Here are my brother and my SIL trudging over the cleared land.

A second lot was also cleared and we brought in a tractor to till the land and to get rid of any old trunks or roots. That was quite an undertaking and it cost quite a pile! Apparently this was the evidence RISDA needed to see if smallholders were serious!

The Augur was used to dig the holes for the seedlings. Here is a demo for Lukman. He found it very useful.....it made the job much easier.

Din couldn't resist from getting his hands to it too!

It made a nice clean hole , alright!

We made a few trips back to check on the progress. It has been like 5 years now and the trees are lovingly manage by our man, Lukman. He takes on the job of clearing the land, fertilizing the plants and ensuring the security of the place from unwelcome livestock such as stray cows and goats from the neighbourhood. We have had a bad experience at another place where even people used the land as a short cut and destroyed the fencing. As for stray livestock ...they were simply about....

All for one and one for all!

First Days

2011-01-28T22:49:00.002+08:00

Amongst the many first days we step into in the course of our lives, one that must invoke many memories later on is our first day in school. 3rd January, 2011 was indeed an important day for many Malaysian kids especially for my grand-daughter, Anyssa Farhana and her younger brother, Amyr Faiq. Spirits have been on a high note since November, 2010 with each collection of new school uniforms, white canvas shoes, bags and other items pupils need, were put together.

When the big day came their parents were most busy. Fortunately the kids are attending different sessions, Amyr attends the morning session at a nearby kindergarten while Anyssa, the afternoon session at a primary school. I understand they settled down very well in no time. Anyssa even met a friend from her former kindergarten and they both knocked off very well. Soon she was going round the class, chatting! Make no mistake...she had been known as a chatterbox in the kindergarten! I'd like to take it as we always encourage he to speak up!

Amyr seemed enthusiastic about being in school. Here he is doing his first homework! Finally he was learning something new even if it was the letter "A".

Here is Anyssa on her first day to kingerten two years ago and now in primary school. How time flies!

I reminise over my own time with my own children on their first day of school and indeed all their school lives. I remember my daughter, Azreen, would now and then turn her head to the kinderten class window to check if I was still around. When she was 6 years old, the family accompanied Papa Din, to the USA for his training in Menlo Park, California. We stayed in Mountain View and Azreen attended the Monta Loma Junior School. Yes, US kids start junior school at the age of 6. There was no school uniform and security of the kids were tight. The teacher sent the kids to their school buses while I waited for Azreen at her stop point near our apartment. One day, she fell asleep in the bus and forgot to pick up her new double-sided jacket before getting down. I only realised it on the next day!

I do not remember much about my own first day in school though. There was no kindergarten those days. When my elder brother went to school, dad thought it would be a good idea to put me in school too. So I was indeed put to "sit in" Standard 1 at the age of 5 years under the eyes of a relative, Cikgu Zaharah, who was also the class teacher. I understand, the idea caught on with her when she too had her son "sit in" in her class later after I had left.

I don't recall much of the Alor Gajah Malay Sshool but I did find out much, much later that I did have a report book that reflected that I did not do too badly, considering!I recall sitting for an exam or test with a tummy ache. A senior student, a relative, took care of me while in school and attended to my needs in the tuckshop and washroom. BTW, the tuckshop was really a simple stall built of wood and attap while the lone washroom was an enclosed well area.

There would be a number of first days as I went to different schools later on. Dad was a government servant who got transferred to various towns quite often. I had been in schools in Malacca, Kota Bahru, Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Seremban. It was nice to know and have friends in various parts of the country!

Reading Prof S H Alatas' The Myth of the Lazy Native : A Study of the Image of the Malays, Filipinos and Javanese from the 16th to the 20th Century and Its Function in the Ideology of Colonial Capitalism

2010-12-15T15:43:00.001+08:00

A Bit About The Author

The late Syed Hussein Bin Ali Bin Abdullah Bin Muhsin Alatas was born in Bogor, Indonesia and grew up i Sukabumi and Johor Bahru, Malaysia, wrote this book while he was a Professor of Malay Studies, Narional University of Singapore. It was first published in 1977 by the Frank Cass & Co. Ltd. in London and the USA. This book (hardcover) has been in our family collection since 1998. We also have the second Malay edition published by the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur in 2009, the first being in 1989 was translated by Zainab Kassim. Worthy of note is that there is an Indonesian edition published in 1987 which was translated by Ahmad Rofie.

S H Alatas studied in University of Amsterdam for 10 years and obtained a doctorate in Political and Social Science. He had an illustrious career in the academia and was once the VC of University of Malaya. He passed away in January , 2007.

The Read

In between another read I picked up this book. While it it is not the easiest of read, I found it very compelling. There were many pauses to reflect and at times to reread a rendering . A lengthy introduction and an even more lengthy conclusion epitomise the care taken by the author in getting across his much scholastic approach to an important phenomenon arising from an epoch in the history of the Malay Archipelago. In retrospect, I thought I should have started this note from the start of the reading and build on it as I progressed.........

While there were some differences in the history of the people of the Archipelago, there are also many similarities especially during the days of colonialism. While the foreigners came and observed and formulated their opinion about the natives, the natives too had their opinion about themselves except that they were not directly expressed. Hence, ideas about the natives much of which survive till today were greatly based or influenced by what the foreigners said.

The book describes the various effects of conquest by the Portuguese, Dutch, English as well as the Spaniards in the case of the Phillippines with a little more elaboration on the Malays....after all studies on the Filipinos have already been made by Rizal way back. While the the colonials were successful in making slaves of the Filipinos and Javanese in their own countries, the Malays had succeeded in providing a wall of silent protest. Hence, indentured labours or slaves if you will, were brought in from China and India to work in the plantations and mines.

The issue of national character and concept of industry and indolence are extensively researched and carefully espoused. In comparison with earlier publications that touched on similar issues viz. Revolusi Mental (Mental Revolution 1968) and The Malay Dilemma (1970), they were both motivated by politics. The former is a product of 14 authors and the title was taken from a bock and term coined by the late Sukarno of Indonesia. The author opined that the latter is a little more intellectual it it's analysis though both are devoid of proper research. The former has many inaccuracies and devoid of intellectual depth which results in ridiculous conclusions, to say the least. In effect they were congruous with the impressions and opinions of the west and embraced western economic ideas en bloc.

I was much astonished by the discourse on the disappearance of the indigenous trading class 200 years after the coming of the Portuguese and Dutch. By the time the British came, none was around. What can you say about a people who for say, five or six generations have not seen open trade? During pre-colonial days, many of the rulers were tyrannical but they did not monopolize trade in the way the colonials did.......

I would strongly recomment this book.

Garden Plants : Lilies

2010-10-08T14:02:00.005+08:00

Over the years I have nurtured various plants in my garden for added exercise and recharge of the essence. I usually select plants that are easy to grow and manage. In this series, I would like to share some of my experience with them and the images I have saved up in my archive.

Liliaceae is a family of lilies. There are so many varieties of species and hybrids that many of them may have been reclassified. I am putting them here together for convenience. They are rather easy to grow....especially the Asiatics or Orientals. There are very few pests that challenge them apart from the odd slug .......in fact some may even be poisonous and are no good around cats. Lily flowers may be (a)tubular (trumpet- shaped), (b)bowl-shaped or (c) turban-shaped (Turk's cap). There are usually about 3 - 4 flowers on a stem holding themselves upright, facing upwards, downwards or nodding. Some may even be fragrant. Leaves are mostly linear growing from bulbs. Propagation is generally by division of the bulbs.

The colour white is often associated with lilies. Legends and folklore abound about this symbol of innocence and hence you may find white lilies placed on graves/tombs of those committed of crimes they didn't do and in bridal bouquets. They may also appear as the symbol of mourning, glorification of the dead. Of course lilies come in different colours

I inherited the above white , bowl-shaped lily from my late mum. No one else wanted them after she passed away. I didn't think it was a lily initially, until I had a closer look at the blooms.

I bought the red Amaryllis above from the Jaya Superparket in PJ some years back. It is of Dutch origin. It is usually identified by it's two-ranked leaves. To encourage the flower stem to grow upright, I would recommend to grow it in the sun. Being of dutch origin, I made a mistake of growing it in a shaded area ....it never produce any more flower. So, one day I tried putting it in the sun and true enough it began to bloom. The flower stem and leaves are cut back at just above the bulb once the blooms have dried up.

Starting from a single plant, I now have several pots of them from bulb divisions every now and then. I prefer to plant them in containers for easy management. The bulbs make wonderful gifts to friends and relatives.

The above variety is the Allium.....same genus as onions, chives and garlic. Indeed they are often called blooming onions. It has 4-6 base leaves and requires full sun. The bulb may grow to quite a size and do remember to give it ample space during re potting. The flowers are rose pink florets forming a pompom-like flower-head. It is often described as a firework frozen in mid-explosion.

Flowers may come in different colours too ranging from white, green, yellow, blue and purple. Some bulbs may not be so big while some are, like the gigantum varieties. Again , once the bloom is completed, the whole stem is to be cut back.

Some of the florets are not open yet

All florets are opened

GOODREADS MALAYSIA FIRST EVER GATHERING

2010-09-28T01:29:00.004+08:00

It was 26th September, 2010. The awaited event was finally here. Expectantly my hubby and I was trudging down the path of Taman Jaya in PJ when we saw Khairul waving at us.

As the number of members was getting bigger, we then moved to a gazebo overlooking the lake and TNB Building on one side and the AmCorp Mall on the other. All together ten members attended, some with their families. It was really a picnic....we talked, we ate and we drank. As it was still the month of Syawal, some members have brought their Eid cookies.

We dispersed at 11 am. Sorry guys, Thamrong and I could not join you all at AmCorp Mall as we had to rush to our daughter's place. We are definitely looking forward to the next gathering.

Taman Jaya, PJ
( TNB Building in the background)

The Lake at Taman Jaya, PJ
(AmCorp Mall in the background)

Ummu Ainu's Pic

Bunnybaby and Cikyah

Hamizao(me), Ulya, Fariza and Haryati

Fariza, Haryati, Saniah and Spouse (standing),
Ummu Auni (with Mudin's son)

Thamrong, Ulya, Fariza, Haryati and Ummu Auni
(Khairul's Pics)

Khairul, Najmuddin, Thamrong and Saniah's Spouse

Front Row : Ulya, Bunnybaby, Faizah and children
Standing: Hamizao, Saniah, Ummu Auni, Cikyah, Haryati
and Fariza (Khairul's pics)

MY CATASETUM IS IN BLOOM AGAIN!

2010-09-07T15:00:00.003+08:00

@ 07-09-10

I had bought my only Catasetum at an orchid show some years ago. A small variety no doubt but it was what I could afford! It has given me many blooms and in time I have managed to have four pots through splitting of the fleshy pseudobulbs (recommended at the start of a new growth) and patiently tending them At times they did not survive!

Repotting

Three of the pots have produced spikes since a couple of weeks ago and I reckon I would be having an interesting Hari Raya this year observing and admiring them develop.

Catasetums With Spikes

When I first had the Catasetum, I just hung it under my orchid stand where it received quite an amount

of light. It had been producing female flowers that look bulbous much like the bishop's hat! (See pic #5). My first spike produced only two or three blooms of green and brown hue. I have never seen such flowers and I thought they were rather strange looking.

Catasetum - Female Flowers

Catasetum is the most interesting of the deciduous orchid genus. There are over 100 species which are native of Mexico to Argentine and Peru. It is a sympodial, epiphytic plant. I grow mine in pots with broken bricks and charcoal as medium. I do not know it's species but it does have a strong semblance of the Catasetum expansum. The interesting thing about Catasetum is it produces separate spikes of male and female flowers. It is seldom hermaphrodite or produce perfect flowers. The male flowers can eject pollina up to 8 ft.

Catasetum Spike

The fleshy pseudobulbs are deciduous inferring to a need for care in watering and it's dormancy requirement. It will lose it's foliage, usually about 6-8 leaves, after completing the flowering cycle. New pseudobulb will grow from the base. Regular watering and weekly fertilising with 20-20-20, N-P-K content is recommended. Note that different medium may require different type of fertilizer. For example, if a tree bark is used it is recommended to use 30-10-10 fertilizer. While brighter light produces more vigorous growth and better blooms, it tends to produce female flowers. A shadier environment would produce male flowers.

When the spike is about 4" - 6" it may be staked to avoid breakage and encourage good flower arrangement and it is recommended that it face the same side during the inflorescence development.

In this article are images of my Catasetum spike at various stages of development. Enjoy them.

Note : I have had confirmation that the above orchid is actually Catasetum pileatum.

IT'S 31ST AUGUST AGAIN, FOLKS!

2010-08-30T11:55:00.004+08:00

Malaya's First PM

Watching the Malayan Emergency on the History Channel last Sunday made me reminisce over a couple of things, some of which people take for granted these days.

My youth was smacked during the emergency.I would watch in anticipation each time we came to a Police Checkpoint along the road. They were manned by the Police and SCs (Special Constables). They were created during the emergency to beef up and assist the regular police. They were usually put on base defence, rapid response and escort duties, I used to wonder what would have happened if we had essentials like rice and sugar in the boot of the car. To the uninitiated perhaps War Of The Running Dogs : Malaya 1948 - 1960 by Noel Barbar would make a interesting read. I was given a copy by a late uncle on my departure for the UK many, many years ago, back in the 70s. Running Dogs is the contemptuous term used by the communist guerrillas for those who remained loyal to the British. It was one of the successful counter-insurgency activity of the time. To some it was a war of " hearts and minds".

The family made a trip back to our kampung from Kota Bahru for the Merdeka (Independence ) Day. Wherever we went, my brothers would cry out "Merdeka" to the cyclists, trishaw paddlers, pedestrians, motorists and what have you, from the car windows. Cars were not air-conditioned then, so the windows would always be winded down. All of them enthusiastically replied "Merdeka" and waved back at my brothers. A cyclist even wobbled along the roadside but replied he did! Such was the spirit then. Anyway the non-Malays had already been given citizenship not many years earlier. So, I guess the euphoria of independence must still be bubbling.

The Communists smirked at the so called independence when the British were still at the helm of the Civil Service. I often heard dad's conversation to the effect that this didn't matter. In time local people were able to replace them and the rule of law would still prevail even after the British had left completely. Not many countries were able to do that at that time. India and Pakistan wallowed in a blood bath, Indonesia fought a war for her independence, to name a few closer to home. I have heard stories of how kampung folks and family members had come together to offer whatever monetary contributions to send kampung kids to University Malaya (then in Singapore) or overseas Universities. I also know that in return, they have done their part in improving the lot of other kampung folks.

It would appear that the age old colonial educational policy had come full circle. Sons of fishermen and peasants no longer find it desirable to just become better fishermen or peasants than their fathers. Nevertheless, many of them were indeed plodded by new qualified local elites and Malay intelligentsia (?) in their aspiration to bridge the social and ethnic inequality, a colonial legacy. It felt like only yesterday when "basket-making" was a virtual symbol of Malay Education Policy that denied desirability of intellectual pursuit.....a system that taught the "dignity of labour" and avoided the potential "trouble" of being "over-educated" .....a system that had become an agent of social control. For example, Malay kids had to attend vernacular schooling for four years before they could be admitted to English Schools while no such restriction was put on other kids. Hence socioeconomic mobility of the Malays was restricted. The colonials were all too happy to retain the Malays as agrarian. For all intents and purposes, Mr Winstedt would not find much love here, today.

I remembered an ex-teacher of my dad, a Scotsman, who had remained in Malaysia as a senior Education Officer till the time of PM, Tun Abdul Razak before he retired and returned to Scotland. I had the pleasure of visiting him at his home in Newton Stewart. He thought well of the progress made in education ....a vast difference in policies then when girls, especially Malay girls, were just educated so that they might make good wives of civil servants. No wonder, when we made a strong request for Pure Science to be offered at our College back then, our Principal, an Eurasian lady, was more bewildered and wondered why we girls wanted it!

There were flags draping out from every shop and decorated arches to herald in the historical day and that seemed to be the main feature of Merdeka Day anniversary for many years to come.

On the morning of 31st August, 1957, dad left very early for Kuala Lumpur to witness the merdeka celebration in Merdeka Stadium with a friend. The rest of us followed the proceeding over the radio - Radio Malaya- amidst it's crackling reception!

Malaysia has weathered many a day. There will always be issues to settle, diversities to bridge. We all have our own legacy to deal with but I remember the words of the late Tan Sri Ghazali Shafie during his appearance at Malaysia Hall, "The shortest distance between two hearts is not necessarily a straight line".

WHAT IS A RIGHT

2010-08-10T16:20:00.001+08:00

A right is the sovereignty to act without the permission of others. The concept of a right carries with it an implicit, unstated footnote: you may exercise your rights as long as you do not violate the same rights of another—within this context, rights are an absolute.

A right is universal—meaning: it applies to all men, not just to a few. There is no such thing as a "right" for one man, or a group of men, that is not possessed by all. This means there are no special "rights" unique to women or men, blacks or white, the elderly or the young, homosexuals or heterosexuals, the rich or the poor, doctors or patients or any other group.

A right must be exercised through your own initiative and action. It is not a claim on others. A right is not actualized and implemented by the actions of others. This means you do not have the right to the time in another person’s life. You do not have a right to other people’s money. You do not have the right to another person’s property. If you wish to acquire some money from another person, you must earn it—then you have a right to it. If you wish to gain some benefit from the time of another person’s life, you must gain it through the voluntary cooperation of that individual—not through coercion. If you wish to possess some item of property of another individual, you must buy it on terms acceptable to the owner—not gain it through theft.

Alone in a wilderness, the concept of a right would never occur to you, even though in such isolation you have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In this solitude, you would be free to take the actions needed to sustain your life: hunt for food, grow crops, build a shelter and so on. If a hundred new settlers suddenly arrive in your area and establish a community, you do not gain any additional rights by living in such a society nor do you lose any; you simply retain the same rights you possessed when you were alone.

A right defines what you may do without the permission of those other men and it erects a moral and legal barrier across which they may not cross. It is your protection against those who attempt to forcibly take some of your life’s time, your money or property.

Animals do not have rights. Rights only apply to beings capable of thought, capable of defining rights and creating an organized means—government—of protecting such rights. Thus, a fly or mosquito does not possess rights of any kind, including the right to life. You may swat a fly or mosquito, killing them both. You do not have the right to do the same to another human being, except in self-defense. You may own and raise cows, keep them in captivity and milk them for all they are worth. You do not have the right to do the same to other men, although that is what statists effectively do to you.

There is only one, fundamental right, the right to life—which is: the sovereignty to follow your own judgment, without anyone’s permission, about the actions in your life. All other rights are applications of this right to specific contexts, such as property and freedom of speech.

The right to property is the right to take the action needed to create and/or earn the material means needed for living. Once you have earned it, then that particular property is yours—which means: you have the right to control the use and disposal of that property. It may not be taken from you or used by others without your permission.

Freedom of speech is the right to say anything you wish, using any medium of communication you can afford. It is not the responsibility of others to pay for some means of expression or to provide you with a platform on which to speak. If a newspaper or television station refuses to allow you to express your views utilizing their property, your right to freedom of speech has not been violated and this is not censorship. Censorship is a concept that only applies to government action, the action of forcibly forbidding and/or punishing the expression of certain ideas.

Statists have corrupted the actual meaning of a right and have converted it, in the minds of most, into its opposite: into a claim on the life of another. With the growth of statism, over the past few decades, we have seen an explosion of these "rights"—which, in fact, have gradually eroded your actual right to your life, money and property.

Statists declare you have a "right" to housing, to a job, to health care, to an education, to a minimum wage, to preferential treatment if you are a minority and so on. These "rights" are all a claim, a lien, on your life and the lives of others. These "rights" impose a form of involuntary servitude on you and others. These "rights" force you to pay for someone’s housing, their health care, their education, for training for a job—and, it forces others to provide special treatment for certain groups and to pay higher-than-necessary wages.

Under statism, "rights" are a means of enslavement: it places a mortgage on your life—and statists are the mortgage holders, on the receiving end of unearned payments forcibly extracted from your life and your earnings. You do not have a right to your life, others do. Others do not have a right to their lives, either, but you have a "right" to theirs. Such a concept of "rights" forcibly hog-ties everyone to everyone else, making everyone a slave to everyone else—except for those masters, statist politicians, who pull the strings and crack the whips.

Actual rights—those actions to which you are entitled by your nature as man—give you clear title to your life. A right is your declaration of independence. A statist "right" is their declaration of your dependence on others and other's dependence on you. Until these bogus "rights" are repudiated, your freedom to live your life as you see fit will continue to slowly disappear.

(http://www.freerepublic.com)

The above write may have omitted certain important facts about "right" but it is still an interesting article. Below is another interesting article on the subject by Andrew P Napolitano.

In the continually harsh public discourse over the President’s proposals for federally-managed healthcare, the Big Government progressives in both the Democratic and the Republican parties have been trying to trick us. These folks, who really want the government to care for us from cradle to grave, have been promoting the idea that health care is a right. In promoting that false premise, they have succeeded in moving the debate from WHETHER the feds should micro-manage health care to HOW the feds should micro-manage health care. This is a false premise, and we should reject it. Health care is not a right; it is a good, like food, like shelter, and like clothing.

What is a right? A right is a gift from God that extends from our humanity. Thinkers from St. Thomas Aquinas, to Thomas Jefferson, to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., to Pope John Paul II have all argued that our rights are a natural part of our humanity. We own our bodies, thus we own the gifts that emanate from our bodies. So, our right to life, our right to develop our personalities, our right to think as we wish, to say what we think, to publish what we say, our right to worship or not worship, our right to travel, to defend ourselves, to use our own property as we see fit, our right to due process – fairness – from the government, and our right to be left alone, are all rights that stem from our humanity. These are natural rights that we are born with. The government doesn’t give them to us and the government doesn’t pay for them and the government can’t take them away, unless a jury finds that we have violated someone else’s rights.

What is a good? A good is something we want or need. In a sense, it is the opposite of a right. We have our rights from birth, but we need our parents when we are children and we need ourselves as adults to purchase the goods we require for existence. So, food is a good, shelter is a good, clothing is a good, education is a good, a car is a good, legal representation is a good, working out at a gym is a good, and access to health care is a good. Does the government give us goods? Well, sometimes it takes money from some of us and gives that money to others. You can call that taxation or you can call it theft; but you cannot call it a right.

A right stems from our humanity. A good is something you buy or someone else buys for you.

Now, when you look at health care for what it is, when you look at the US Constitution, when you look at the history of human freedom, when you accept the American value of the primacy of the individual over the fleeting wishes of the government, it becomes apparent that those who claim that healthcare is a right simply want to extend a form of government welfare.

When I make this argument to my Big Government friends, they come back at me with…well, if people don’t have health insurance, they will just go to hospitals and we will end up paying for them anyway. Why should that be? We don’t let people steal food from a supermarket or an apartment from a landlord or clothing from a local shop. Why do we let them take healthcare from a hospital without paying for it? Well, my Big Government friends contend, that’s charity.

They are wrong again. It is impossible to be charitable with someone else’s money. Charity comes from your own heart, not from the government spending your money. When we pay our taxes to the government and it gives that money away, that’s not charity, that’s welfare. When the government takes more from us than it needs to secure our freedoms, so it can have money to give away, that’s not charity, that’s theft. And when the government forces hospitals to provide free health care to those who can’t or won’t care for themselves, that’s not charity, that’s slavery. That’s why we now have constitutional chaos, because the government steals and enslaves, and we outlawed that a long time ago.

December 19, 2009

Andrew P. Napolitano , a former judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, is the senior judicial analyst at the Fox News Channel. His next book is Lies the Government Told You: Myth, Power, and Deception in American History, (Nelson, 2010).

http://www.lewrockwell.com

REMEMBERING KHALIDAH ADIBAH AMIN, DAUGHTER OF IBU ZAIN

2010-08-06T16:32:00.006+08:00

I stumbled across an article on Adibah Amin while mooching through a friend's blog. No, it wasn't his article but that of his friend. Ah, how small this world is now! Thanks to Dato Ti and his friend Nuraina A Samad whose article has made this experience possible!

Adibah Amin
From her Facebook Profile

I did a little search here and there and found her Facebook profile with the following message:

Assalamualaikum, Adibah Amin suffered a stroke in August 2007, and currently not able to write anything. She can walk with assistance, but there are many things that she cannot do now. Your messages will be forwarded to her, InsyaAllah. Thank you.

It hit me like a gush of water at the bottom of the waterfall! Please son, don't ask me if I had been there! You see, my son has this knack of questioning every thing his parents say. Ask me instead Adibah Amin, who, and I'll tell you my story about her.

It was in the 50s when Adibah Amin became a regular on Radio Malaya dramas. Those days, the radio meant everything! It rested near my head when I was in bed. It was my constant companion......well at least before I went to College in Damansara, KL in the 60s. There we were not allowed many things in bed! It was much to our surprise when one day Cikgu Khalidah stepped into our History and Geography classes. Her voice was so familiar, so crystal clear. You see over Radio Malaya, she was always known as Adibah Amin. Now, lessons with her took a completely different approach. Knowing her interest in drama she often made us act out scenes from the various historical eras all of which aided us in remembering them. You bet history class was never boring. The girls still reminisce over it. By the way, the Wiki has the date of her joining the College all wrong.

As for Geography, we learned that she was not much of an artist alright, but was never lacking in illustrations...I mean...India was a big triangle, China was a huge pot belly, and Malaya of course a diamond. Who else would have made us imagine like that?

We knew of her early attempt at writing. How we dreamed of doing the same.

She did not reside in the College though. We understand she was married to one Raja Iskandar who occasionally did come on the air of Radio Malaya too. I know nothing more beyond that. She was very pally with another residential teacher, Cik Siti Maria, our English Language teacher, another teacher we admired equally. Siti Mariah wore her hair in an iconic bun like a true Malay lady. I wonder how she is now?

I recall that Cikgu Khalidah did not follow us when the College moved to Seremban. However we followed her through her columns in the newspapers. When she appeared as Cikgu Bedah in the 1980 movie, Adik Manja in her Baju Kurung and rubber shoes, that reminded us ex-Collegians (by then) how we were at times! We could only leave College either in Baju Kurung or the school uniform. Either way, the rubber shoes were a must! I do wonder if that portrayal had anything to do with her own experience with us? Cikgu Bedah won her the Best Supporting Actress Award in the 1st Malay Film Festival, 1980. How timely! Well, I understand she did do two more films, Hati Bukan Kristal (1989) and Mat Som (1990).

Personally I think her best accomplishment was in the literary world where she had won many accolades as Sri Delima.

I thank Cikgu Khalidah for all the inspiration and hope and pray for her recovery. May Allah bless you.

(Updated: August 7, 2010)

CLEOPATRA - BEYOND THE MYTH

2010-08-06T01:54:00.003+08:00

By Michel Chauveau and translated by David Lorton

I have always enjoyed reading about strong women and where else would you find one ? I found this little book at Kinokuniya for a mere RM7.00. Do not mistake it's size. It took me a while to venture beyond the Introduction and Chapter 1 purely because I found myself suddenly immersed in the Hellenistic era, an era I had shelved a long time back except for a brief period when I did the comparison of Alexander the Great during the reading of Iskandar Zulkarnain. In the end, I had to keep another reference open to check on the personalities mentioned in the book as I progressed. Yes, the book expects readers some background knowledge of Hellenistic Egypt. At times I read 2 pages forward and then 3 pages backwords! It's a small book with only 104 pages and I reckon that was why not much background information is provided on many of the personalities. You just have to research it yourself. By the way, I just found out that E-book is available on the internet.

Thanks to the author's warning that there is really very little or no ancient account of Cleopatra VII's reign - not even a simple biographic summary of it - thus had allowed romantic legends to flourish. What actually existed consists of little of the Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stuff! History recorded that Cleopatra was the last queen of ancient Egypt whose defeat had given birth to Rome's imperial regime. Wouldn't that make it difficult for the author ?

While I had wanted to just write a simple review, I thought I might as well do more than that to justify my effort. I am sure a little more history would not hurt.

After the death of Alexander The Great in 323 BCE, Ptolemy, a commander in the Macedonian army and son of Lagos, one of Alexander's bodyguard, established the Lagides Dynasty in Egypt with Alexandria as it's capital. My other reference states that with that, his rivals for power viz. Cassander of Macedonia, and Seleucus of Syria, countered by declaring themselves kings of their respective dominions. Thus came into existence the three great monarchies that were to dominate the Hellenistic world until, one by one, they were absorbed into the Roman Empire, ending the ancient Egypt Ptolemaic period.

The Greeks practised incestuous marriages. While the crown had devised a system of exploitation, dynastic struggles, fratricidal conflicts were very prevalent. To cut the story short, Cleopatra VII represented a line of determined women who did not hesitate to exercise effective power in the place of inept and discredited husbands or sons. History of the period was written by the Romans like Plutarch. Details of earlier queens were lacking believed to be more due to lack of partners or adversaries of the stature of Julius Caesar or Mark Anthony who were of course renown Romans. Furthermore, the Lagides was simply a dismal kingdom and in most part a murky affair. Only when the Romans were ravaging Asia Minor did the intellectuals flock to seek refuge in Alexandria.

Cleopatra is said to be an illegitimate daughter of Ptolemy XII and co-reigned Egypt with her brother-husband (?) Ptolemy XIII., then a child king himself after sending their father into exile to Rome. In Rome he survived on the hospitality of, who else but Julius Caesar. The book labours to seek proofs of Cleopatra's co-regency, subsequent sequence of events including possible royal tutelage, fleeing to Syria , Roman civil war .....of Caesar against Pompey culminating in the death of Pompey at the hands of Ptolemy XIII's men. That proved to be a turning point for Ptolomy, Caesar and Cleopatra who had been waiting to claim her throne of Egypt.

While Pompey had been Caesar's rival, they were once colleagues. Cleopatra's entrance before Caesar rolled in a carpet (a means to circumvent the blockade on her by Ptolomy) evoked quite different reactions from him as when Ptolomy presented Pompey's head when mistrust instead of gratitude was evoked. "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts" came to mind. In Cleopatra, Caesar found not just a worthy ally........

Not all was well in the royal court of Egypt. Egyptian administrator like Pothinos, commandant Achillas and tutor Theodotos had other plans and managed to avert reconciliation with the Romans.. Caesar triumphed in the ensuing Alexandrian War with a little help from Antipater (father of future King Herod) and his Jewish contingents. He then installed the younger brother Ptolomy XIV and Cleopatra VII as the new royal couple. With Caesar's favour, there is little doubt on who would have been the more effective of the two. Egypt thus became a protectorate of Rome. Ptolomy XIII was presumed drowned in his attempt to escape in an overladen boat. His body was never found save his cuirass. Thus was Cleopatra's ascension to the throne of Egypt.

As duty called, affairs in Asia Minor beckoned attention, one wonders whether Caesar actually had time to take the legendary cruise up the Nile with the Queen of Egypt and his legions to Memphis. However, it was fairly clear what Egypt was to Caesar.

Cleopatra and his young king did get invited to Rome for Caesar's celebration in the year 46 BCE. It was rather unusual in fact as usually foreign monarchs would only attend as captives. However, it underlined the kind of relationship she had with Caesar and she did not escape the gossips, rumors of possible official decree to allow polygamy which among others, provided the republicans with concern. Caesar also adopted the Egyptian solar calendar renamed the "Julian" calendar, imitated the placement of libraries in Rome to the Egyptian model.

Some writers find Caesar's liaison with Cleopatra but a brief affair. He of all people he ought to know Roman law did not allow a citizen to bequest a foreigner. So after the Ides of March, Octavian, his grand-nephew and later his adopted son became beneficiary. His wife was childless. While Caesar did make a provision for guardianship of his unborn child, Cleopatra was not mentioned in his statement. Cleopatra's life in Rome seemed more of an uncertainty. Almost full term she decided to escape before any untoward incident developed and while on a stopover in Greece, her child, Caesarion was born. Unfortunately, in spite of Mark Antony's argument in the senate, Roman law prevailed - child born of a foreign woman could not be legitimate and Caesar's clause in his statement regarding his future child was insufficient to give recognition to the newborn Caesar. Thus was the fate of Cleopatra.

Being the woman that she was, upon her return to Alexandria, she got rid of the 15 year old co-regent and became sole sovereign to avoid the recurrence of her earlier situation with Ptolomy XIII.. Even with a young child she did not need a husband as most queens did in those days. Caesar had left behind 3 legions and another one of unknown origin to keep order in Egypt. Together she went on to restore the Legide Kingdom.

It was not an easy time in the region. Natural disaster in Egypt, conspiracy involving Caesar's assassins, the republicans, the Parthians' support of anti-Caesarians in Asia Minor, treasons, franticides, power struggle ....all make history an interesting read. As for Cleopatra, she acted only for the interest of Egypt. She got rid of her sister Arsinoe and the false Ptolomy XIII. Really? Remember, his body was never found when he was presumed drowned. As history would repeat itself, Mark Anthony too met his Aphrodite in Cleopatra. While many thought that Cleopatra's influence would weaken him, in reality it was quite the opposite. When his wife, Fulvia died, Anthony married Octavian's sister, Octavia. While he was taken busy in Rome, Cleopatra bored his twins - a boy and a girl. She was left to fend for herself again for 3.5 years during which she succeeded in resurrecting a large part of what was the Legide Empire of her forebears. Nevertheless, it is said that this was made possible by the previlege relation she had with a leader of the only power of the world of that time. Nevertheless, no matter how much she would have liked Judea, it was returned to Herod after the Parthians were pushed back.

Antony, on the other hand, went on to balance on a tight rope where Cleopatra and Octavia were concern. In fact Plutarch may have even be an accessory to the propaganda against Cleopatra while Antony was again almost resident in Alexandria. Cleopatra recognised Anthony's brilliance and would no doubt see to it's advantage.At a ceremony in Alexandria, Cleopatra was proclaimed Queen of Kings. Caesarion, aged six, was officially recognised as Caesar's son and proclaimed as King of Kings and betrothed to be son-in-law of the King of Medes and granted sovereignty over Armenia and all the lands formerly held by the Parthians. Antony's son, Ptolomy Philadelphos, aged two, was made king of Syria, Phoenicia and the greater part of Asia Minor up to the Hellespont (the Dardenelles). His Daughter, Cleopatre Cyrenaica, was given to rule Cyrenaica and Part of Crete. Only Greece, Mecedonia and Asia which was under Antony's control remained under direct Roman control. This added fodder to the propaganda against Antony and Cleopatra back home in Rome....."treason" of Antony subjugated by Cleopatra. In actual fact the declaration did little in the way of a political organisation of the regions. The kids were young and it was a concept of sorts for an eastern government ruled by Kings/Queens of mixed origin in the hope of peace. But in spite of Octavian's triumph over Pompey's son, Sextus, in Sicily, the rivalry between Octavian and Antony would boil over. While the Romans were pointing fingers at Antony's relationship with Cleopatra, Antony's list of Octavian's mistresses caused more assault on one another.

Antony made grave tactical errors in an ensuing war, Battle of Actium, not only in making Greece as the theater of operation. When Cleopatra fled with her ships, Antony dumbfounded abandoned his ship to join her. Antony had also been affected by defections of his men and allies. He committed suicide upon hearing the false news of the death of Cleopatra but died in her arms instead. While Octavian wanted to take Cleopatra alive, she too was said to have committed suicide. The method remains a mystery. Two versions abound - by poison and the other entailing serpents. The latter seems to prevail for a good reason. There was a procession in Rome afterwards depicting Isis holding a serpent. Hence legend has it that that was Cleopatra. It is difficult to believe that she would have chosen such an uncomfortable way to die.

One wonders that Cleopatra would have chosen death on her golden bed and gracefully in her royal ornaments rather than the prospect of being paraded in Rome in chains. In the end, Octavian gave her a royal funeral and her remains placed beside those of Antony. A Greek papyrus dated 35 gave what I think an accurate epithet , "she who loves her country".

Caesarion, who had fled to Sudan was later put to death. The Cleopatra Selena married a Numidian Prince Juba and became Queen of Mauritania. Her son became the last of the Ptolomies when he was assassinated by his own cousin, Caligula., the 3rd Roman Emperor. As for the two sons by Antony, they were entrusted to Octavia for their education. Nothing much is known of them afterwards. He had already killed Anthony's other son by his other wife. I doubt that Octavian would have allowed them to mature and create problems for him. Other source mentions that they could have died of illness.......

As you very well know, Octavian went on to start the Dynastic Roman Emperor with the name Augustus.

The book goes on to tabulate various ancient texts regarding the charm and aura that was Cleopatra's. as penned by various scribes like Plutach, Horace and Flavius no matter how one sided some of them may be.

THE KINTA WEED : WHICH IS IT??

2010-07-26T18:48:00.008+08:00

My Dad was posted to Ipoh in 1958, We stayed in 3 different houses there. The first one was in a housing trust at Jalan Kampar, the second being a quarters at Kg Simee Road and the third also a quarters at Jalan Abd. Jalil, Greentown. Ipoh Town is situated in the renown Kinta Valley much famous for its tin mining . Once on a car trip dad pulled over to the roadside to show us the Kinta Weed, a wild orchid that grow terrestrially in utter abandunce even by the roadside. I believe mum did take a plant or two to cultivate in her garden. I understand today they are no longer seen in such abundance from the highway.

Today, reading the various write-ups I realise some people are claiming either the Arundina graminifolia or the Papilionathe hookeriana and even Vanda hookeriana as the Kinta Weed. We are talking about the Kinta Weed and not a Kinta Weed!

Arundina graminifolia

by courtesy of Martin Lee

Arundina Clump

from rareflora.com

I have always held the Arundina graminifolia (grass-leafed) as the Kinta Weed. That was the one my dad had shown to me before. It is also commonly known as the Tapah Weed, Bamboo Orchid or Okid Buluh in Malay. It is so called because of its plaited linear leaf structure. It's new species name is however bambusaefolia (bamboo-leafed) .It is a terrestrial, perennial and has reedy stem often growing in clumps hence, I thought, giving it the weedy outlook. The flower, normally about 9 cm, reminds me of the Cattleya. However, it does have a poor flowering capacity.

Papilionanthe hookeriana

from forum.theorchidsource.com

On the other hand, Papilionanthe hookeriana, a monopodial has tereted (rounded) leaves and according to some writers, thrives in water and some claim it to be semi aquatic. This comes as a surprise to me but yes, some orchids do thrive in marshlands and it's secret lies in it's ability to adapt. In my search for truth I found that some find that it hates to get it's "feet" wet. It actually perch on other aquatic plants to stay above water. This is confusing stuff!

Apparently, confusion over what is Kinta Orchid, Kinta Weed, Tapah Weed even ruled the parliamentary debate of June 1961 in the search of Malaysian national flower.I thought it was aptly expressed by the member from Larut Selatan, Dr Lim Swee Aim:

"In fact, those of us in Perak who know orchids the rest of Malaysia apparently do not know what orchids are in Perak know that that Anggerek Kinta is Tapah Weed or to give it's proper name Arundina bambusifolia. So, there is always confusion as to what is Tapah Weed and what is Kinta Weed and which is Anggerik Tapah and which is Anggerik Kinta. Only connoisseurs of orchids will be able to tell the difference."

Vanda Miss Joaquim

from amassia.com.au

Unfortunately , he did not make it any less confusing by declaring that Kinta Orchid is Vanda hookeriana which in fact is a hybrid of Vanda teres x Papilionanthe hookeriana of which Vanda Miss Joaquin is a byproduct. Vanda Miss Joaquin later became the national flower of Singapore in 1981. It is named such as it was first discovered in Agnes Joaquin's garden in Singapore in 1893.

So the confusion seems to live on......

My Own hookeriana

Are Whole Eggs or Egg Whites Better for You?

2010-07-24T19:25:00.001+08:00

by Mike Geary, Certified Nutrition Specialist, Certified Personal Trainer

I was on a weekend trip with some friends recently and one of my friends was cooking breakfast for the whole group. I went over to see what he was cooking and saw he was getting ready to make a big batch of eggs.

Well, to my shock and horror, I noticed that he was cracking the eggs open and screening the egg whites into a bowl and throwing out the egg yolks. I asked him why the heck he was throwing out the egg yolks, and he replied something like this...

"because I thought the egg yolks were terrible for you...that's where all the nasty fat and cholesterol is".

And I replied, "you mean that's where all of the nutrition is!"

This is a perfect example of how confused most people are about nutrition. In a world full of misinformation about nutrition, somehow most people now mistakenly think that the egg yolk is the worst part of the egg, when in fact, the YOLK IS THE HEALTHIEST PART OF THE EGG!

By throwing out the yolk and only eating egg whites, you're essentially throwing out the most nutrient dense, antioxidant-rich, vitamin and mineral loaded portion of the egg. The yolks contain so many B-vitamins, trace minerals, vitamin A, folate, choline, lutein, and other powerful nutrients... it's not even worth trying to list them all.

In fact, the egg whites are almost devoid of nutrition compared to the yolks.

Even the protein in egg whites isn't as powerful without the yolks to balance out the amino acid profile and make the protein more bio-available. Not to even mention that the egg yolks from free range chickens are loaded with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Yolks contain more than 90% of the calcium, iron, phosphorus, zinc, thiamin, B6, folate, and B12, and panthothenic acid of the egg. In addition, the yolks contain ALL of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in the egg, as well as ALL of the essential fatty acids (EFAs).

And now the common objection I get all the time when I say that the yolks are the most nutritious part of the egg...

"But I heard that whole eggs will skyrocket my cholesterol through the roof"

No, this is FALSE!

First of all, when you eat a food that contains a high amount of dietary cholesterol such as eggs, your body down-regulates it's internal production of cholesterol to balance things out.

On the other hand, if you don't eat enough cholesterol, your body simply produces more since cholesterol has dozens of important vital functions in the body.

And here's where it gets even more interesting.

There have been plenty of studies lately that indicate that eating whole eggs actually raises your good HDL cholesterol to a higher degree than LDL cholesterol, thereby improving your overall cholesterol ratio and blood chemistry.

And 3rd... high cholesterol is NOT a disease! Heart disease is a disease...but high cholesterol is NOT. Cholesterol is actually a VERY important substance in your body and has vitally important functions... it is DEAD WRONG to try to "lower your cholesterol" just because of pharmaceutical companies propaganda that everyone on the planet should be on statin drugs.

If you're interested in this topic of cholesterol specifically, I have another article listed at the bottom of this page about why trying to attack cholesterol is a mistake, and what the REAL deadly risk factors actually are.

In addition, the yolks contain the antioxidant lutein as well as other antioxidants which can help protect you from inflammation within your body (the REAL culprit in heart disease, not dietary cholesterol!), giving yet another reason why the yolks are actually GOOD for you, and not detrimental.

To help bring even more proof that whole eggs are better for you than egg whites, I recently read a University of Connecticut study that showed that a group of men in the study that ate 3 eggs per day for 12 weeks while on a reduced carb, higher fat diet increased their HDL good cholesterol by 20%, while their LDL bad cholesterol stayed the same during the study. However, the group that ate egg substitutes (egg whites) saw no change in either and did not see the improvement in good cholesterol (remember that higher HDL levels are associated with lower risk of heart disease) that the whole egg eaters did.

So I hope we've established that whole eggs are not some evil food that will wreck your body... instead whole eggs are FAR superior to egg whites.

But what about the extra calories in the yolks?

This is actually a non-issue and here's why... even though egg yolks contain more calories than just eating the egg whites, the yolks have such a high micro-nutrient density in those calories, that it increases your overall nutrient density per calorie you consume. Essentially, what this does is help to regulate your appetite for the remainder of the day, so you end up eating less calories overall. In addition, the healthy fats in the egg yolks help to maintain a good level of fat-burning hormones in your body.

Overall, this means that the extra fats (healthy fats) and calories from the yolk are so nutrient-dense that they actually HELP you to burn off body fat!

Also, your normal supermarket eggs coming from mass factory farming just don't compare nutritionally with organic free range eggs from healthy chickens that are allowed to roam freely and eat a more natural diet. Your typical cheap grocery store eggs will have lower nutrient levels and a higher omega-6 level and lower omega-3 level. On the other hand, the cage-free organic eggs from healthier chickens allowed to eat more natural feed and roam freely will have much higher vitamin and mineral levels and a more balanced healthier omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio.

I recently compared eggs I bought at the grocery store with a batch of eggs I got at a farm stand where the chickens were free roaming and healthy.Most people don't realize that there's a major difference because they've never bought real eggs from healthy chickens... The eggs from the grocery store had pale yellow yolks and thin weak shells. On the other hand, the healthier free range eggs from the local farm had strong thick shells and deep orange colored yolks indicating much higher nutrition levels and carotenoids... and just a healthier egg in general.

This is due to the fact that a free-roaming hen allowed to roam on plenty of land will eat a variety of greens, insects, worms, etc transferring MUCH higher levels of nutrients to the eggs compared to an unhealthy hen that is trapped inside a dark factory farm hen house in horrible conditions and fed nothing but piles of corn and soy. It's a DRASTIC difference in the nutrition that you get from the egg.

So next time a health or fitness professional tells you that egg whites are superior (because of their "fat-phobic" mentality towards dietary fats), you can quietly ignore their advice knowing that you now understand the REAL deal about egg yolks.And can we all please STOP with this sillyness about eating an omelete with 4-5 egg whites and only 1 egg yolk... If you want real taste and real health benefits, we'd all be better off eating ALL of our eggs with the yolks.After all, do you REALLY think that our ancestors thousands of years ago threw out the yolks and only ate the egg whites? NOT A CHANCE! They intuitively knew that all of the nutrition was found in the yolks. But our modern society has been brainwashed with misinformation about fats and cholesterol.

Another interesting study about eggs...

I read a study recently that compared groups of people that ate egg breakfasts vs groups of people that ate cereal or bagel-based breakfasts. The results of the study showed that the egg eaters lost or maintained a healthier bodyweight, while the cereal/bagel eaters gained weight.

It was hypothesized that the egg eaters actually ate less calories during the remainder of the day because their appetite was more satisfied compared to the cereal/bagel eaters who would have been more prone to wild blood sugar swings and food cravings.

Oh, one last thing I almost forgot... I personally eat 4 whole eggs almost every day with breakfast, and I maintain single-digit bodyfat most of the year.

Enjoy your eggs and get a leaner body!

OF BOOKS AND READING

2010-07-19T15:36:00.196+08:00

I have just received my PPAS Certificate of Participation in what was the Largest Outdoor Reading Event in Malaysia held at the Lake Gardens, Shah Alam on 26th June, 2010. It was community program organised by the Selangor State Government and the Selangor Public Library Corporation (PPAS) with the Sultan in attendance and endorsed by the Malaysian Book of Records. Attendance was so overwhelming. While 10,000 was expected, more than 15,000 attended!

I was informed of the event by my Goodreads Malaysia friends who had made it possible for my hubby and I to attend. So there we were with the mat, brolly, sun hat, books, water and my granddaughter in tow! The greatest part was to be able to meet other Goodreads Malaysia members who were able to make it to the event in spite of the late announcement. We even decided that we ought to meet again.

If anything at all my hubby and I share this love of reading. Those who know us would probably vouch that it may be the only thing we have in common. Apart from that we are two very diverse persons! He is even much more of an avid reader than I am. I recall his buying spree of a dead teacher's collection. I could not believe my eyes that his collection actually lined up all the walls of his home in Petaling Jaya. Nevertheless, his son, the beneficiary did not share his passion. I recall some time later when we were moving home my hubby had to send some books back to his mum's house in Segamat, Johore, for the benefit of his other siblings. His mum had to sacrifice a clothes cupboard to store the books in. I am not sure whether the books actually served their purpose. I certainly hope it did as my hubby had used his hard earned money to get them. Today, I see the cupboard being used for the clothes it was originally intended for. So, I wonder what had happened to the books!!

During a Singapore trip some months ago my hubby saved a whole set (24 volumes) of Encyclopedia Britannica from the dump. The lady owner was all too happy to let him have it for a few Sing Dollars. I suppose, a book lover will simply be broken hearted to see good books being thrown away like that.

Some years back while clearing my grandma's house in Alor Gajah, Malacca, we decided that we would be taking the books, well most of them. To mention a few, we simply fell in love with the Grolier Classics (10 volumes) in its glorious cover, and Grolier's Lands And People (7 volumes).

However, the most priceless to me is the 7 volume Islamic Surveys covering the following titles:

Islamic Philosophy and Theology by W Montgomery Watt;
A History of Islamic Law by N.J. Coulson;
Counsels in Contemporary Islam by K. Craigg,;
A History of Islamic Spain byW Montgomery Watt ;
Islamic Dynasties by C.E. Bosworth;
Islamic Political Thought by W Montgomery Watt; and
An Intellectual History of Islam in India by Aziz Ahmad.

The series was meant to comprise at least 15 volumes to be published at a rate of 3 per year.

I had grown up in that old house gaping at them not really daring to open their covers as I was not old enough to digest the knowledge within. However, I have never mistaken the blue and white covers. My favourites are #1,2 , 5 and 6. The series were written with such scholarship.

I suppose the rest of the series was not collected by whosoever had begun it . It must have taken a few more years to complete it and God knows what happened back then.. Recently I found History of Islamic Sicily by Aziz Ahmad at Amazon.com with the following review:

"Excellent book published by the Edinburgh University Press, such a pity it seems to have fallen out of print. A well structured study beginning with the conquest of Sicily by the Muslims, through their settlement, to their eventual conquest and conversion/expulsion from the island. Also covered in the book is a study of the influence of Islam on Sicilian culture long after Muslims had been expelled from the Island.

An excellent book, short but covers all aspects of Islamic Sicily well."

The used copies have a price tag ranging from $130.96 - $255.25 depending on the condition of the book. Gosh, it is valuable indeed. There are also the following books but in paperbacks and are therefore much cheaper:

The Influence of Islam on Medieval Europe by W. Montgomery Watt;
An Introduction to the Hadith by John Burton;
Islamic Names: An Introduction by Annemarie Schimmel ;
Islamic Science and Engineering by Donald Routledge Hill; and
Muslims in Western Europe by Jørgen S. Nielsen.

I suppose they must now be in my wish list.

My love of reading started in the primary school when each class had it's own little library. I was made librarian whose duty was to put the books out on the table every morning and take note of books borrowed by classmates. Personally, I managed to complete the whole Enid Blyton series of the Five Find-outers And Dog whose titles would be of the format "Mystery Of ........." I would finish a book a day.

Soon I began to rummage through my dad's books. It was brought on by this discussions my parents would have after they had read a novel , one of them I remember being Lady Chatterley's Lover by D H Lawrence.. So I read it when I was still in primary school.

However, I had found Lobsang Rampa's books more interesting and compelling then. The Third Eye was the first. I remember completing the whole series available at that time. Later, I had also found more of it in the Leyton Library in London. I remember before going to secondary school I have already familiarised myself with, to name a few, Asimov and Leon Uris whose Exodus touched me deeply. Of course I had no notion of the political struggle of the world then and I ended up with having many questions. You may recall that Exodus was also the name of the ship that had tried to bring Jewish settlers to the Middle East. The British had turned it away. Upon it's return to Germany, all the passengers were killed.

When in the secondary school I began to pick up an interest in the classics. That was when among others, I got to know Rebecca - a favourite of mine till today. Hollywood made a movie of it with director Alfred Hitchcock and I had seen it many times over.

I guess we all have our little story of how we got hooked on reading. I figure it was still quite easy for us in those days when there was very little distraction in terms of TV and the internet. Even the cinema was at most a once a month splurge. So, unless we prefer to die of boredom, we had better pick up a hobby. I picked up two - stamp collecting and reading.

Updated : 23 rd July, 2010

Orchids : A Housewife's Hobby

2010-07-13T13:24:00.005+08:00

I cultivated my interest in orchids by watching my mum tending her modest collection . It was something she, her sisters and mother shared. She started going into it seriously when we were staying in Ipoh in the late 50s where the quarters we were staying in Jalan Abd Jalil, Greentown had a very large compound. I remember, while dad had his vegetable patch, mum had her cactus and orchid collections. Both of them would labour on ends to tend to their hobbies. When dad got transferred to Malacca later, mum had her orchids transported by train!

With about 25,000 recognised species, it is about the largest family (Orchidacea) of flowering plants. It is also the most diverse with about 100,000 hybrids being created in the last 150 years. W.Malaysia has more than 150 genuses and 800 wild species. Sabah and Sarawak has about 2000 wild species.

Amongst the popular orchids in Malaysia from the genus Aranda, Dendrobium, Mokara and Oncidium. If you buy your orchid plants from the nurseries, they are very likely to come with labels - Genus and Species of the orchid. Otherwise, you may just be contented to know their genus.

There are two broad categories of orchids according to their physical look:

1. Simpodial - consisting of pseudobulbs which flowers when mature. Once the bloom dries up the bulbs would soon follow suit and die. New bulb would grow from it's base. Repotting may be required every 2 years or once it has outgrown the pot. At this time you may split up the bulbs for propagation.

2. Monopodial - plant consist of a single stem with leaves on opposite sides growing upright . There are two types of leaf - strap and terete (rounded) . With new hybrids semi-terete and quarter-terete are also available.

Propagation is by making cuttings.

Orchids are also classified according to their growing habits.

1.Terrestrial - They have underground tubers and grow in the ground.

2. Epiphytic - They live on trees as air plants, not parasitic. They use trees for height to get light. They are most common in warm climate where their roots are not in danger of freezing.

3. Lithophytic - They live on rocks

Epiphytes and lithophytes are usually treated in the same manner in home gardening.They are grown in pots using broken bricks and charcoal as the growth medium.

Here are some of the orchids which have been in my collection and have graced our little garden with their blooms at one time or other.

Simpodials:

Catasetums : Epiphytic.

A most interesting genus of all. Unlike others which are hermaphroditic, it bears only male or female flowers. By varying the amount of light, I was able to produce either male or female flowers. Male flowers are produced when there is less light. The male and female flowers are distinct The male flowers are so gorgeous while the female flowers are identifiable by their bishop hat-like shape.

Catasetum. - Male Flowers

Catasetum - Female Flowers

Cattleyas: Epiphytic. 25% - 50% shelter.

Most beautiful and flamboyant genus. Very popular and has numerous hybrids. Though South American in origin, the name is taken from the man who first succeeded in cultivating it in England. Hybrid blooms are usually in bunches of 4 or 5 flowers.

Yellow Cattleya

Cattleya loddigesii

Purple Cattleya

Oncidiums: Epiphytic, lithophytic or terrestrial. 60% light.

Coelogynes : Epiphytic.

Coelogyne Kochusseni

Dendrobiums : Mostly epiphytic.

Monopodials:

Arandas : Aracnis X Vanda

Ascocendas : Ascocentrum X Aerides

Mokaras :
Arachnis X Ascocentrum X Vanda, or
Arachnis X Ascocenda, or
Aranda X Ascocentrum, or
Aranda X Ascocenda .

Vandas : Epiphytic or lithophytic.

Phalaenopsis : Epiphytic or lithophytic

A lovely genus and is often referred as moon orchid, moth orchid and butterfly orchid.. Flowers can last a month!

The most sensitive part of the orchid plant is the root. As such much care is required to ensure roots are not too damp all the time least they would rot. So this is where the growth medium becomes important. There are also other considerations necessary for good plant growth like light, shelter, watering, fertilising and pests.

Fertilisers are usually composed of nitrogen (N) for growth, phosphorus (P) for rooting and flowering and calium (K) for flowering, and magnesium (M) for general health. So a general understanding of the contents of the particular type of fertiliser being used will help to maximise it's use. For example, for matured plants you need a well balanced fertiliser. Check the package for the ratio of contents. For young plants you would require a higher content of N. There are various types of fertilisers in the market : chemical, organic and commercial.

As I grow my orchids outdoors, the most daunting for me has been the pests especially ants, yellow beetle and to some extent, fungus. Yes, they are sap sucking and can even eat up the whole bud or flower. Not wanting to use too much poison, I have resigned to using the water based insecticide aerosol which is most handy. Do note that orchids may also be affected by virus and bacteria. Occasionally I give the plants a good bath in a solution of Captan, Maneb or Thiram.

Benarkah Iskandar Bukan Zulqarnain /Is Alexander Not Zulqarnain

2010-07-11T22:31:00.001+08:00

by Afareez Abdul Razak Al-Hafiz

It takes 100 pages before it gets to the real subject matter. A very long and laborious introduction no doubt, mainly going over fleeting mythical stories surrounding Nimrod / Namrud and the prophets of his era, Solomon / Suleiman AS and related prophets, and Nebuchadnezzar / Bukhtanasar and his era.

I find the analysis of Alexander/Iskandar a strange one. How does a author make value judgment when he fails to delve into the minds and values of the people of the period? I thought the value system of empires have something in common. I admit though it depends on who wrote history...

Apparently this issue of Zulqarnain ( meaning two-horned) surfaced when the Jews wanted to test whether Mohammad AS was a true prophet by, amongst other tests, he was asked to explain who Zulqarnain was. The Quran mentions 4 characteristics which are discussed in the ensuing pages. They do not seem to be corroborated by current historical knowledge of Alexander. Nor is Alexander mentioned in any of the Jewish Books. However Jewish books do mention another king, Cyrus/ Kurush. Hence, the book goes on to discuss the most likely characters. His legacy is the great wall built to protect the people of the Caucasus from the Gogs of Magog. Gog, by the way was a great-grandson of Noah. His descendants were identified as the Scythians

I learned that the tradition of kissing the hand of kings and kneeling before kings as a sign of respect for those in power were pretty much a Persian thing. Alexander adopted this and verily considered himself as godly. Now this rings a bell about those readings I have come across of some sultans' ancestors being Iskandar Zulqarnain, a direct link to the almighty then subsequently changed to Mohammad A S. I wonder. Reading on I found out that Hamka also espoused the very same opinion........you know about the Bukit Siguntang stuff and the beginning of the first Malay Sultan.

THE PRINCE

2010-07-11T15:12:00.015+08:00

by Hushang Golshiri, James Buchan (Translator)

Read the translated version by James Buchan. The story is set in the crumbling house of the Qajar Dynasty which would later be disposed by the Pahlavi Dynasty.

In most instances I was most disturbed by the lifestyle of the House of Qajars......as a so called Islamic ruler or even as a human being. Even if Prince Khosrow Ehtejab is fictional, and never rose to be as callous and whimsical as his forbares, his character still bring out the squirm in me. I cannot understand how his relationship with his wife, Fakronissa (a paternal cousin) and the maid, Fakhri can exist. Was it because it was the royal household? Was it because Fakronissa was sick (with consumption), and the Prince was unproductive? Or was it simply what a slave-master relationship can also mean in this country? I wonder.

The style of the author is also confusing. The narrator keeps on changing between the Prince, the maid and the wife. Many times this reminded me of My Name Is Red. The author seems to be so preoccupied with women's napes, bossoms and skin to the point of what I call it as, "jelak", you know, you just have it up to your throat! I suppose, Golshiri finds such things titillating.

The historical backdrop was great. I learned that Reza Shah was a Cossack Soldier. If I could think it as a window to what could have happened in the royal court but still to note that the grandfather, The King, had hundreds of wives (temporary marriage agreement was common) and a virgin every night makes a mockery of the the institution of marriage.

MEETING OF FRIENDS

2010-07-10T19:35:00.023+08:00

You know how it is when old acquaintences meet. Meeting between friends is always an opportunity for frank exchange. In my case, it always turned up more like a meeting of siblings - perhaps even more. Recently, I have had a couple of get together/meeting with acquaintences, old and new which in a way made me feel so connected still in spite of how time have rolled by.

Ojai, Mai, Rose, Kak Mah, Jet, Sham and Nidar

At Sham's @ 20/3/10. Yours Truly Was The Photographer.

Meeting with the Class of '65 have always been spurred on when Mai is in town. Ever since Sham had set up home in Shah Alam, we have been gathering there. Topics of discussion abound depending on the "sponsor". For example, Rose with her political views and her never ending scholastic persuit, Mai with her public concern over cancer, Jet's interlude with the IT design thing when her bird flew backwards instead of forward, Kak Mah's inter-cultural matters and course updating each other on our score of grand children.. Needless to say some of them are still to get over their children! The best topic is always our experience in College especially of Ms Larech, the matron with her "coconut tree" remark of Sham. We had taken it in jest. Sometimes, I did wonder if it was not just her lackadaisical attitude towards us, not really caring who we really were then.

Lately, Yan called for a get together at the Lake Club and we managed to gather more than a dozen of us with Mai coming all the way from Kuantan and Tim from Seremban. The rest are living in various places within the Klang Valley. Yan is still in active public service where the retirement age happens to be much, much older...at 65, I believe.

Reminiscence of the "High Table"

Yan seemed to have a hell of a time reminising over each and every dorm mate of hers in Yellow House plus a few others. Now that's what I call an elephant's memory. So the roll call continued like this...has anyone met Sariah? How's Atek? Anyone in contact with Animah? Oh, Ailin couldn't make it ....father's birthday. Sham had to make a last minute ditch to Nilai. Rose too....prior engagement. Ceni has passed on some time back, al-Fatihah. How about Che Endah, Rehan, Chon, Norsiah, Fred, Faridah Sheik Ahmad .....and the list went on and on.

FR : Me, Nordi, Yan, Min, and Ani ,
BR : Tim,Ojai, Azam, Amnah, Jam, Nidar, Mai and Manja
@ 9/7/10

I was glad though that Amnah could make it. Jam had kindly given her the lift from home. It saved me from having to explain her failing eyes and pass on her long message to Yan. Anyway, Yan just couldn't take no for an answer and she made sure transport was of no issue.

Children, education and public services seemed to dominate the discussions at my end of the table. I don't think we stopped talking at all. Fortunately, being a Friday, there was not too many patrons at the Orchid Room.

We sure look forward to another meeting next year as promised by Yan. Insyaallah.

RAGGING

2010-07-09T10:59:00.010+08:00

What? After all these years it is still happening and to top that a young student had died at the hands of raggers in a residential college in Kuala Lumpur. The last time I read they were still investigating..........

This should not have happened. Who gave the right to those students to lay their hands (or legs) on other peoples' kids? I think perpetrators should be taken to task according to the law.....and fast. If you could drag someone out for drinking beer, how about murder?

Orientation....yes. Ragging ....no, no. It is high time residential schools monitor their students' activities. I hear this College is no longer what it used to be even academically. Where were the wardens? What did the College administration do to inform kids of ragging and their rights? When parents leave their kids there, they put them under your wings. Now, if parents cannot depend on you on the safety of their children, what else can we expect of you? Safety of the nation? This is a clarion call. Wake up !

I think it has been said again and again but there seem to be something missing in the way residential schools are being managed. Even religious schools are not spared. Being Malays and Muslim do not necessarily make them good people .....so it seems. Such schools are supposed to be select schools, so...how come? Why are senior students allowed to terrorize the younger ones? Some of them continue to do so well into the term. I feel for the parents.

Raggers are a socio-legal problem and behave and operate on a psychological basis that satiate their own perverse sadistic pleasures. It also is a means to authority, retaliation, fashion statement and appease peer pressure. I know it is unlawful here, and college authority must take full responsibility to ensure conformity. I only know two other countries where this may still be happening.

What originated as horseplay in the west, has now become a human rights violation. Students must be informed on this. College authority must take full responsibility. I know colleges would soon be receiving new intakes and I hope there would be no waste of public money under the guise of an orientation week.

Yes, I am disgusted ...... Some things you can wait till end of time for the perpetrators to receive God's retribution. Without law and order on earth, live will be chaotic to say the least.

REMEMBERING WO AND THE SON HE LOST

2010-07-06T12:21:00.007+08:00

Wo, pronounced as ‘war‘, was my paternal grandfather who lived in Sungai Baru, a village near the town of Mesjid Tanah, Malacca. I understand that a grandaunt from Alor Gajah who had married a gentleman from Sungai Baru had been instrumental in the marriage of my parents. It appeared that the grandaunt had married my dad’s older brother. The marriage of my mother was, amongst other considerations, also a security need as it was then during the Japanese occupation. I understand that for the pre-wedding consultations by the male side, travel was done on bullock carts. However, for the wedding, the groom’s boss, a Japanese, had lent him his motorcar for use.

I understand that many locals were made to serve under the new government in those days. My father, being fair in complexion, might have easily be mistaken for a Chinese. As such he was not allowed to loiter around after work.

With that marriage, mum’s schooling ended decisively. She must have been about 14 or 15 years old at that time. She used to be rather nostalgic about it. She had always felt that if it had not been for the war, she would have been able to complete her schooling and wondered what difference that would have made. After all, she reckoned that she was quite a smart person.

The grandaunt’s fate had taken a turn earlier. Her husband, my uncle Abu Bakar whom I had never met, died during the early part of the war in Singapore while serving in the army. I understand that he and his fellow soldiers were executed and buried in a mass grave there. This news was brought back by an escapee who feigned death before the firing round got to him. He managed to crawl out into the forest after that and walked all the way back to Mesjid Tanah to tell his story. It appeared that Wo was never the same after the loss of his eldest son. The change in Wo's demeanor was related to me by my dad’s former teacher, Mr. Muir, a Scotsman whom I had the pleasure of visiting during my sojourn in the UK in the mid-70's. According to Mr Muir, Wo would on occasion visit him in High School, Malacca to just look at him. You see Mr Muir and my uncle Abu Bakar were such close friends. I reckon, Wo had taken a long time to deal with the loss of his eldest son. Al-Fatihah and may his soul find peace.

Uncle had left behind a widow, Mak Ngah Tijah and three children. The eldest went on to become a lebai (religious man) leading the congregation at a nearby surau. I remember Abang Mat as a religious person and very respectful of my parents. He was semi-blind but he was an expert in the dark provided you do not shine the torch light in his face. He could find his way even across the padi field at night. I remember having him as a guide many times to take us across the padi field in the late evenings to visit an aunt across the Sungai Baru riverlet. His other two siblings became teachers. I remember my parents relationship with the grandaunt-cum-aunt was one of most respect. Whenever we visited Sungai Baru dad never failed to visit this dear lady. In fact dad would visit all his sisters in Sungai Baru whenever he was there. He only had a brother in Sungai Baru. We visited him too until he built a new house up another hill, further up. The route to his new house would take you on foot across meandering footpath through the rubber plantation that he tended. When it rained, the path became impassable. The visit there then became lesser as there was no way to take the car to his house. Now there is already a road and there are many houses around there too.

Another uncle, Abdul Rahman, had married a lady from Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan and therefore, as is customary with the Minangkabaus of the place, settled there where his wife had a house. I remember dad taking us there once. As his family had grown up in Kuala Pilah we were not so familiar with them. After his wife’s demise he became much of a traveler of sorts, usually on his bicycle, they said. One fine day, he ended up in Sabah where he lived for a while and expired. I am told that he might have a wife there as he had once told his son not to claim his EPF monies after his demise.

I met his eldest son, my cousin, Bujang, which is really his nickname, for the first time when he came to visit us in Johore Bahru. It was after his Form 5, Senior Cambridge Examination. His frequent visits to Sungai Baru later on had succeeded in cementing better relationship with relatives there. I never know of his other siblings. I believe he had an elder uterine sister. Uncle took me to her house once when I was in College in Seremban.

All I remember of Wo is he had white beard and moustache and put on a red fez with a black tassel that cascaded down on one side, like an Ottoman, whenever he went out. Some people said that the way the fez was worn, whether sideways, over the forehead or on the back of the head, could indicate wealth or morals. Well, this may be so in the Ottoman Empire, but here I guess one just put it on in any way comfortable. He must have been a Tok Sidang, a minor official of the village once as he was often referred to as Sidang Omar. He and grandma Enchom lived in a typical wooden Malacca Malay house atop a little hill about a hundred meters away from the main road. It has a long verandah (anjung) in front and a bench in front of the wooden steps. To get to the house dad had to park the car on the roadside and walked pass the compound of a cousin’s house, then up a simple gradiented foot-path.

Whenever we went visiting in the evening, my brothers and I loved to play with the kerosene oil lamps used to illuminate kampong homes at night. I would take along the lamp everywhere. Hurricane lamps were also much in use. Both grandparents were already aged, so I would think lighting up the hurricane lamps would have been quite a challenge. But then their neighbors were all family members. They would drop by so often to check on them.

Whenever we visited them, the other relatives would come and gather around. That was why dad would often stop by at the market first to buy fish and vegetables for cooking. My aunt would come over to help with the cooking. Once a while my mum would also help out though not often enough, perhaps to be in the good book of my uncle, so it seemed. This my mum told me was the reason why there had been an uneasy air between the two of them. Both grandparents however were supportive of her by insisting that they had not been in need of a cook when they married off dad.

I liked to help out in the kitchen especially with maintaining the fire. I would blow through a hollow bamboo stick to aid the firing of the wood on the para. It is a kind of “stove” in the form of a four-legged table with an earth-filled top. On it were sets of stone - three to a set to perch cooking pots, woks or kettle . Later they were replaced with metal tripod stands. For fire wood, chopped old rubber tree trunks or coconut shell were used depending on the nature of the cooking.

I would look forward to bath time. It meant that I had to put on a sarong and with a towel in hand make a beeline down the foot-path for the well was at the edge of a paddy field right across the main road. After bath I would fill up a pail with water to wash my feet later before entering the house. Needless to say that I must make sure that the pail had no leak to withstand the trek back.

The Betel Plant(Creeper)

Grandma ate sireh (betel leaves). A quid of sireh consist of the betel leaf, betel nut (pinang), gambir and lime (kapur) either all wrapped up in the leaf or for those lacking in masticating abilities, have it pounded in a gobek. . I was ever ready to pound it in her gobek to make it softer to chew. The gobek was a six inches long copper sheath with along enough pounder with a knife edge at one end, much like a screw driver. A stick was used to push the content out. Sometimes we helped ourselves with a small portion of it but minus the rest of the condiments. This way we would not get the bloody juice and bitter taste in the mouth, the cause of red teeth amongst old ladies those days.

The Gobek

When we were once living in Kota Bharu, Kelantan, dad had bought Wo a plane ticket for him to accompany my elder brother, Kha to Kota Bahru during his schoolbreak. It was his first plane ride and from his beaming face we knew that he was mighty pleased and proud of it. He was not much of a talker but we just simply knew. We were told that there was such a farewell party sending him off at the Malacca Airport. Well , those days we only had the foker which made such a loud sound especially when the air hostess opened the door to the cockpit The trick was to continuously suck sweets to assist with the equilibrium in the ears. I was told the captain had invited my brother into the cockpit. It was rather customary then when a young passenger was on board. I don't think they'd do it now.

Wo passed away when dad was serving in Ipoh. For some strange reason uncle had not sanctioned to wait for dad to arrive. Dad was very disappointed to arrive just minutes after the last lumps of earth over Wo‘s grave was placed. He cried as I had never seen him did before.

As for grandma, she was a petite old lady of very few words. I have no recollection of her passing on.

AN INVITATION LIKE NO OTHER

2010-07-02T17:13:00.015+08:00

I love invitations. Don't you? They are a constant reminder that I am still a member of the community, some family and most of all that I still have thoughtful friends.

Orchid Display, Singapore Airport

One day in November 2009, I received an email from Din, my spouse requesting me to make reservations for two couples for travel to Dubai to attend Arjun's wedding dinner. Gee, I haven't even seen the invitation yet. Aren't we being presumptuous to just go ahead and make the reservation? Since we were anticipating Mr Kutty's formal invitation anytime, I thought it is still best to wait for it just in case especially to ensure that the dates were correct. It was to be 10 days later before I received another update from Din. An final e-invitation had been sent and that all travel and hotel arrangement had been made by the Dubai people. With that out of the way I was only down to thinking of personal effects, especially what to wear. I have never been to a full blown Hindi wedding. My impression of it was what I had seen in Bollywood. movies. The last one I'd seen at our family club years ago had the groom arriving on a horseback! Immediately I recalled Tipusultan. This one would be a wedding between a Hindu and a Muslim. The surprise would surely the pool wear attire where guests may be expected to join in the dip. Now this would be way, way too extraordinarily interesting I would imagine!! I wondered if the new couple would really traded their wedding attire for ..er, something more comfortable.

Orchid Display, Singapore Airport

The flight had been arranged for 2nd Dec 2009, Kuala Lumpur - Singapore and Singapore - Dubai by Singapore Airlines. As expected, Singapore Airport was surely having a variant display of their national flower, the Orchid. It transformed the place into a glorious indoor garden.

Savoy Suites Hotel, Bur Dubai

We arrived at Dubai on the morning of 3rd Dec 2009. We were transferred directly to the Savoy Suites Hotel, Bur Dubai. which was situated in an apartment dwelling area The four star accommodation was a reasonably comfortable suite fitted with 2 LCD TV - one in the bedroom the other in the lounge area - a kitchenette with a microwave oven and freezer, minibar and of course, free Internet access.

Our Accommodation

I hope none are offended at the posting of the bathroom . I always love hotel bathrooms anyway.

With An Ex-College Mate

Well, thousands of miles away across the ocean, I bumped into an old College mate at breakfast. She was in Dubai with her husband's group and they were having a Trade Expo of sort for Malaysian halal products. A Malaysian minister was also attending the opening ceremony. I have not met her since we left College 49 years ago and she still recognised my voice. Wow , that was really something! While we may have added a couple of lines and kilos here and there, we were still recognisable.

Dubai Skyline

After breakfast we went to the Dubai Office HQ for a short visit. Not many staff were around and the parking lots were not fully packed. It was the UAE National Day. Surprisingly I did not see flags and such hoisted on buildings and masts to indicate the occasion . Dubai is a bustling city with many sky scrapers. As it was a holiday, not many workers seemed to be at work giving the impression that the bursting bubble might have indeed set in.

In Front Of Arjun's House

We were soon on our way to Mr Kutty's house in the Emirates Hills. Both he and his only son had bought adjacent properties there. The wall in between had been removed for easier access both ways. Their backyards border The Montgomerie 18-hole Championship Golf Course. Workers were still doing the decorations to Arjun's house. They had flown in thousands of orange marigold blooms from Mother India to adorn the balconies, doors, swimming pool, garden and pathways.......every where.

The Swimming Pool......

The Garden And Pathways......

The Edge Of The Golf Course

Which Would Be Transformed By Evening

In the meantime others were preparing for the Mehndi Ceremony. True to tradition it was also accompanied with musicians and women singing. Although Muthamah had nudged that we try out the mehndi (henna) application, the queue was quite long that we gave up any aspiration to get some on.

The New Couple, Sumaiyah and Arjun

I was told that the couple had gotten their marriage solemnised in India recently. In case you are wondering , India allows marriage between a Hindu and Muslim couple. In Malaysia, the Hindu would have to convert to Islam before the marriage can legally take place.

Mr Kutty and Ravi

The Musicians

The garden party that followed. was in a very informal and warm atmosphere. Sofas, colourful cushions beanbags and nice people added to the mood. Dress code was summer casual and pool wear. Many family members and senior staff from India had also been flown in for the occasion. I did my best to get to know as many of them.

The Garden Party

The food was excellent and plentiful. I just cannot begin to describe what they were. We just needed to know that it was all halal. We enjoyed it thoroughly. I remember one fried chicken dish where the chicken was first marinated overnight and then half cooked in the marinate before being dipped in batter and deep fried. No wonder it was so tasty.

Chefs At Work

I was surprised to note that the ice shaver was also part of the Mother Indian food preparation tools. No doubt it is famous amongst the Indian cendol vendors of Malaysia. I was told that this manual old fashioned paraphernalia originated in China. So, the Indians must have found it useful and later had it manufactured in India as well. Today, in spite of electrical machines being abound, I am still fascinated each time I see the old fashioned ones at work. I reminisce over the ice ball (flavoured with syrup) I used to get for 5cents after school and the ice kachang that withstood the test of time. There was this ice kachang stall in downtown Seremban where we used to crowd-in after our hockey games. Even with 10 different varieties of order, the Chinese lady in attendant would always get our orders amazingly right! You may also top it with your favourite ice cream. These days ice kachang is great for family togetherness - one order and 4 spoons - each member would try to scoop the goodies at the bottom of the pile of ice! In fact we do this with almost anything we can share.

Ice Shaver

Later, the groom and a couple of friends did have a dip in the swimming pool as part of the merriment. Most of us were all too happy to remain on dry ground.

Muthamah, Din and Ravi

After taking our leave from the party, we adjourned to the Mall Of The Emirates to glimpse at Ski Dubai, an indoor ski slope. Yes they may ski in this desert city! Unfortunately, as we were not skiers, we were not allowed on the slope. So we only managed to take some pictures through the windows. I thought it turned out like something from the pages of Lewis Carroll. The Mall is a modern shopping complex, one of the largest in the world.

The Slopes Of Ski Dubai

With Ravi And Muthamah
The Mall Of The Emirates

Ravi had made the itinerary for 4th Dec. We had a whole day before the Sangeet. It has been decided that we visit Palm Jumeirah. It is a huge artificial island complex made from land reclamation. It's shape is that of a palm tree consisting of a trunk and 16 fronds sticking out into the Arabian Gulf. Rumour had it that David and Victoria Beckham were given their villa on Palm Jumeirah, as part of a marketing campaign by the developers. Michael Jackson was also said to have an interest there. There were many rumours emanating on the status of the celebs' holding there. The developers were also blaming that international media was out to destroy Dubai’s economy.

Actually there were several artificial island projects. Palm Jumeirah is the smallest of three Palm projects. There was also a mega project, The World which had the artificial islands arranged like the map of the world.

Along The Trunk of Palm Jumeirah

Our first stop was Atlantis, the Palm which was situated at the outermost tip of the Palm. Beyond is the Persian Gulf and out in the horizon is Persia. Atlantis, the Palm prides itself with an Aquarium and an Aquaventure theme park. It was a 17 hectare water-based theme park with more than 2 kilometres of river rides, the Ziggurat (a 30 metre high Mesopotamian temple with water slide that takes riders through a shark-filled lagoon), a 700m private beach, and dedicated children’s play area. We visited the Aquarium which was the easier to cover. However, photography was difficult there.

Din With Atlantis, the Palm In The Background

Persia Is Somewhere Out There

Aquaventure Theme Park, Atlantis Hotel, Dubai

The Aquarium

Once we were done, we decided to take the Palm Jumeirah Monorail to Gateway at the lower trunk of the Palm and gawk at the villas that lined the Palm. Surprisingly, there were not many passengers. The Emirateans were probably having their siesta, I thought....... but I kind of have the impression that such means of transport was probably for tourists.

The Monorail Route

Wishing That Our KL Monorail
Would Be More Like This...

From Gateway, we took a taxi to Souk Madinat Jumeirah from where we may have a good view of the iconic 60 floored Burj Al Arab, claimed to be a 7-star hotel and the second tallest in the world. (Burj is pride in Arabic). After all not just anyone may walk into the Burj Al Arab. It's shape mimics the sail of the dhow, a traditional Arab boat. Souk Madinat Jumeirah was built complete with winding canals, glorious outside eateries, boutique shops and hotels . It is a boon for both tourists and residents. We took our stroll through it and a must boat ride along the canals. It is Dubai's Venice.

Souk Madinat Jumeirah

Majestic Residences

Certainly Up Market

Din Enjoying The Boat Ride

Burj Al Arab In The Background

Pinnacle of Tackiness ?

The canals seemed very well maintained. The water was emerald green. Gawking at the homes and hotels around made me think of what money could buy!

Another Grand Entrance

After that we hopped on to Dubai Mall, the world's largest shopping mall in terms of total area, (Note: KL's Berjaya Times Square is 3rd largest) from the where we may have a vantage view of the iconic Burj Dubai , the tallest building in the world (all categories) at 828m, before it changed it's name to B urj Khalifa after the name of the President of UAE. The project had been rescued. The triple-lobed footprint of the building was said to be inspired by the flower Hymenocallis which we know locally as the spider lily. I am still trying to figure that out that inspiration. At the time it was still not quite completed yet. It was only opened on 4th. Jan, 2010. Do note that Petronas Twin Tower is still the tallest in the twin tower category.

Burj Dubai In The Background

Two Of The Triple-Lobe Base

I guess here there seemed to be this preoccupation of wanting to be the tallest. the largest and the best. To think that Dubai was once a modest town by a creek established by Al Abu Falasa, lineage of Banu Yas clan, has now become a modern global city and business hub, the second largest of the 7 Emirates that had come together to form the UAE after the British left.. Another lineage of Banu Yas clan, Al Abu Falah had also established Abu Dhabi which explains the closeness of the two Emirates. Two other Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar, chose to remain independent. Thanks to oil and there I was just happy to soak it all in......before it runs out in 20 years time (?)

Very soon we had to make our way back to the hotel to rest and then prepare for Sangeet, which doubled up as the wedding reception in the evening. Dress code- traditional. wedding reception. Rest we did especially our tired legs.

Taking The Vow

The reception programme included a cocktail hour, dinner , dance and a vow taking ceremony by the newly weds on a specially prepared dais. It looked much like a "pelamin". Little did we know that Arjun's swimming pool had been covered to provide more space. I was glad that it was strong and safe! It was also very thoughtful of the planners to carpet the sandy area.

Ring Exchange

The vow taking seemed a rather modern affair but lovely. He said his piece and she said hers like any new couple would love to do. We hope they'd live with God's grace and happily ever after.

The Happy Family

The back gardens were transformed into gardens of lights. Chandeliers hung from the trees, candles and oil lamps lined the perimeter that all in all made my photography very challenging. To make matters worst, Din had forgotten to download the earlier photos we had taken and very soon we ran out of space. Thanks to Mr. Prasaanth for sharing his photos.

The Guests During Cocktail

Dinner Table

The Perimeter

With The Gracious Host, Mr Kutty

As is the case with women, we simply had to take some photos in the house.....so we gave ourselves a grand tour of the abode. Thanks to Arjun's former nanny who was on hand. She had been with the family for many years. I could tell it was a very happy day for her too.

Beautifully Saried Ladies

What tour would it have been if we didn't visit the museum? Come 4th Dec we put on our walking shoes again in preparation for more leg work. Entrance fee was Dhs 3 each. That was about Rm 3 only.

Cannon To The Left....

Dubai Museum is a beautifully restored Al Fahidi Fort, which was erected around 1787 to defend the city against invasions. It has since been used for various purposes such as a jail, an ammunition store, emir residence and the seat of government. It is believed to be the oldest building in Dubai. It was renovated in 1971. Exhibits depicting early traditional lives of settlers and pearl diving was very reminiscent of the Dubai I had known from my school days. There was this exhibition on an excavation they've made where they discovered artifacts dating 5000 ago. Gosh, that would be the time of Mesopotamia, wouldn't it?

Din In Front Of A Well And

A Typical Arab Home Of Old

The rest of the morning was spent along the Dubai Creek that had various rides plying the waters of the creek. We decided to take a simple Abra boat ride across the creek. The Abra used to be a common means of getting across the Dubai Creek. It is now considered a heritage. Across was a commercial district . We found our way to the Gold Souk. Somewhere around there we stumbled upon an Indian community area which definitely caught Mr and Mrs Ravi's interest. Again I was surprised at the cleanliness of the whole place including the waterways. I didn't see a scrap of litter. Either the foreign workers must have done a very good job or it was a testimony of the local habits. Perhaps it was both.

Din Taking In The Scene

The Dhows

Resting At An Outdoor Restaurant

Traditional Arab Slippers

Back on the southern bank of the creek we trudged on foot to what we thought was the reachable Heritage Village. Actually it was still some distant away. Anyway, along the bank were several traditional homes of the ruling family which have been converted into museums, suffice to titillate our curiosity. At last a typical traditional home of an Arab Sheik given to the Government..

At The Door Of A Sheik's Former Home

With lunchtime having passed a long while earlier, we took a taxi to Al Karama, to a neighbourhood known as Little India. There we settled down at an Indian restaurant for a hearty Indian vegetarian meal. We walked part of the way back to the hotel stopping by to visit supermarkets and buy fruits and drinks.

That night we returned to the Dubai Airport for home bound. Many thanks to Muthamah and Ravi for the wonderful company and those Dubai staff who had made our visit such a memorable one. Last but not least, thanks and "Namaste" to our gracious host and family.

Lunch At Last In Little India

Forum : Measure Of Success

2010-06-20T22:50:00.008+08:00

Me : "Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it." If this saying be true, if you are naturally brilliant and success comes easy, would it not be much of a success then? Is success then relative to where everyone else is?

A : Wow....this is a very interesting. I'm really sleepy but this really has opened up my eyes.

I answer, yes. It's really a yes.

Naturally brilliant is always called by the name, genius, and naturally not brilliant is always known as, drop out.

I've been thinking so much about this.When I was a child, I always wanted to be a genius, but when I got older, I started to look like a drop out. Hence I

started to appreciate the life of a drop out.

When I see a naturally genius, and naturally drop out, I see the "NATURALLY" as not fair. So I started to think what is the measure of success that is most fair.

Now, I know who is a real genius. A real genius is, when he/she encounters difficulties, he/she tries his/her best....no matter if he/she is a natural genius or a natural drop out....and result is not important.

Hamizao, am I fair enough?

B : "If this saying be true, if you are naturally brilliant and success comes easy, would it not be much of a success then? Is success then relative to where everyone else is?"

I don't agree. This is of the no pain, no gain mentality. You see, we equate struggle with deservingness, with success.

I might even go as far as saying only effortless success is meaningful.

C : For me, it's not about YOU....It is about people around you who benefits from what you give up.

D : "So if you are naturally brilliant and success comes easy, is that not much of a success? Or is it relative to where everyone else is? "

You would probably want to look at the matter on hand this way Hami- if a gal is naturally brilliant then her success is measured by the quantity of awards she has etc if we are taking the word success as literally as possible. I am of the opinion that a person's success would be best measured by the degree of importance of the field she is venturing into her research etc etc and the impact - the degree of the impact of her success to the ummah (community). Coz we live to contribute , right?

Then the question arising would be whether the impact of the success is basically - relative - to everyone else? So, if that person is brilliant she would have acquire a success of the highest degree within the class of her own, same level of playing field, right Hami? This is also fair as the difficulty or the challenges would be equating to the brain capacity, right?

Say - a gal with an IQ of 156 does not have to give up anything , it lies in the way she goes about things, the way she adopts in tackling the challenges, the perception etc etc ..... So I go for the impact , not how much she needs to lose to achieve it.

Then again Hami, heheheh your statement could be plausible in certain situation ....or else there can't be such a saying : work smart not hard , right?

E : Success is a state of mind and it is very subjective. To me success is when one is happy with what he has and has no complaint about it ..

Me : "A real genius is, when he/she encounters difficulties, he/she tries his/her best....no matter if he/she is a natural genius or a natural drop out. The result is not important."

Generally, I believe the measure of success ought to be the actual achieved against expectation with a degree of "difficulty" thrown in - hence you may have big success or small success. It can be relative too. To a genius, he may consider his success as small while to the normal , it is pretty big.

F : Any task completed is a success, self judgemental.

Me : ...and a task is naturally work, challenge overcame.

D : Hmm? How's that so Hami ?

B : It's not about whether you're brilliant or not.

It's how effortless can you succeed. Effort comes from ego. Look how I suffer, therefore I'm worthy, I'm noble. Get rid of that. This is my story. Look how I suffer. I am the hero. It's their fault. etc...

With effort, you strengthen ego. So, by succeeding effortlessly, you transcend ego, you go beyond them, you break them.

D : So Hami ...success can be perceptively (subjectively) measured and objectively measured. But then with all the argument laid out now, why does one's piousness ( piety) also being taken as the yardstick? By God, right? i wonder actually....

Me : Hmm... Well, people perceive that a pious person must also be this and that......a mere preconception I must say which may not be accurate all the time.

D : That's why .. when the society (which society and from which groups?, is it) dictates what a pious person or perempaun Melayu terakhir (last Malay woman) should be like, that's when trouble starts .....after all we do not know how a person's success is best measured what yardstick and the rationales behind it.

Me : Objectively , I like to use the analogy to;

work = force x displacement x cos theta

force = effort

displacement = change
theta = synchronization betwixt effort and change.

As for the preconception, it does effect judgement. I am usually careful about such things as there are many factors in play.

D : Luv you when you talk physics.

THIS HOUSE RECOGNIZES.....

2010-06-20T12:57:00.004+08:00

I must say our family life, it's values and the role of members have changed a great deal.

I recall Tun Dr Mahathir's account of the impact of the sound of his father clearing his throat - an announcement of his arrival home - would suffice to send him and his siblings scurrying to their books. My late mum used to tell me how quiet her siblings had to be at dinner table and that goes to the cutlery too ....not a clicking sound. As such most prefer not to sit with their dad during mealtime!

While I was growing up, my brother and I had our moments too. No talking while eating. Chew the food well and do not simply push it down with the drink. However, absenting ourselves from mealtime was a no-no unless we were ill. Dad would go looking for us and if necessary drag us back to the table. We all ate our meals together including the maid. With the quorum complete, all too often it would also become the house court session.

When I was bringing up my own children, I focused a lot on their table manners. Among others, I advocated sitting down when eating and using at least the serving plate and a fork when eating. It backfired one day when my son, then attending kindergarten, refused to eat his friend's birthday cake which was shared out in class. Apparently, the cake was served on a piece of serviette in the kitchen unit. Obviously my son was not able to handle that. My son was also a stickler to the rules as far as food is concerned. He would insist on the soup to be served first each time we have our meals in the restaurant. There were times when we had to order the soup just for him so that he would start his meal.

Today, I see our six year old grand daughter making decision on where and what to eat when we eat out. Gone were the days when the father's words were pure commandments and girls were only seen and not heard. Wives are are putting their feet down more often. Many are even on the driver's seat Are men turning out to be weaker fathers or husbands?

A quick check amongst some young Muslims at a forum I attended recently revealed that they want more communication between partners/spouses. The idea of a single leader of the family is an outmoded idea. Personally, I feel it should remain in the Classical and Medieval times. All opinion should be based on knowledge. Days when girls were not given an education have long gone by. In this country, the girls seem to be doing better academically. Growing up in an environment where they need to juggle between housework and schoolwork have also made them multitasking .........

These days, decisions especially those affecting the family are made through consultations. We did not replace our last maid on the recommendation of the children. As such they had to learn to stick to their agreement on how to handle and conduct themselves. Usually, the younger the voice, the greater is the chance for it to be heard.....and hear we better do as we have learned!!

Is Reboiled Water Harmful?

2010-06-18T01:55:00.004+08:00

A recent email from a friend reminded me of the frequent exchange of comments I have had with my hubby over reboiling of water for his cuppa. My reasoning is the boiled water can better serve by being chilled in the fridge for use as drinking water or refilling the ice trays. It may also be kept in a container should anyone prefer drinking water at room temperature. If you need hot water for making coffee or tea, boil a fresh kettle.

We have been filtering the tap water and then boiling it for our drinking water. The balance of water from the boil is often saved and cooled before refilling the ice trays and water bottles in the fridge. Reboiling boiled water to attain the right temperature for making a drink is in my opinion simply a matter of attitude.

The email purported that a report in a Chinese newspaper said that a TOP harmful chemical named (Toxic Nitrate) was produced in water when keep boiling it!! This harmful substance had been proved will increase the chances of intestines cancer and stomach cancer.

The article cited the use of 'WATER DISPENSER with WARM / HOT WATER Functions' or 'Electric AUTO keep warm Thermos' which in effect repeatedly boils the water.

I am a bit baffled as I know water is water no matter how many times you boil it unless the water is already contaminated. Nitrate from fertilizers for example, may be contained in ground water. So boiling and reboiling water already contaminated with nitrate is something we want to avoid. As our water supply comes from the tap, I take it, it is safe.......

EARLY DAYS

2010-06-10T11:29:00.002+08:00

The earliest memory of my early childhood days is about the house in the little town of Tampin in the State of Negri Sembilan where my maternal grandparents once lived. My grandfather was datuk (grandfather) to all my three siblings, the only grandchildren he had during his lifetime. He hailed from another small town of Alor Gajah in the State of Malacca, not very far from Tampin. Since he worked with the Land Office in Tampin, staying in Tampin was therefore most logical.

He had a house on a piece of land next to the Tengku Besar of Tampin’s residence, a district dignatory. I remember the house quite well as I used to go there when I was a bit older to help pick fruits. There were many fruit trees around the house. I remember the durian, rambutan, mangosteen and chempedak trees. The chempedak, a close relative of the jackfruit, was of a special variety. It had very thick flesh which I rarely see elsewhere. There must have been other fruit trees as well but these were the ones I remember well.

Chempedak fruit needs to be taken care of right from the start. To avoid pilforation by pests, the young fruits are usually covered with old newspaper, cloth or sarong tied up at both ends. Some even get dressed up in old shirts. When ripe they are either eaten raw or fried in batter made from rice and corn flour and a pinch of salt. A little tumeric powder may be added for colouring. If it was well fried I would even eat the seed inside as well. Otherwise we would save them to add in green fish curry or masak lemak as it is locally known. The only setback was we could end up with a lot of wind after that!

As for the hairy rambutans, also known as hairy lychee, there were a couple of varieties in datuk’s compound simply distinguished from the skin colours namely, red and yellow. Whatever variety, would be considered desirable only if the flesh could easily come off the seed when you bite it off. That's considered lengkang then. Plucking rambutans means the branches have to be cut about a foot from the fruit bunches so that they could be easily tied up in bundles. Those days we would use a long bamboo pole or galah with either a split at the end or a metal hook attached at the end. The idea is to lodge the rambutan branch into the split or hook and turn the pole to twist the branch until it breaks off. These days, a cutter designed for the job is fixed to the end of the pole. A rope is tied to the mobile part of the cutter so that when the rope is tugged the cutter would do its work. Ants can be a problem even to these days. They tend to be transported together with the fruits to start a new colony else where. The skin of the fruit may be peeled in two ways. One is by using the fingernail - usually the thumb’s- by lodging it into the skin and then splitting the skin apart. Some skin may be a bit tougher than others and with them you may end up with a sore thumb and dirty fingernail. The second way is to simply use a knife. These days, I prefer to cool peeled rambutans in the fridge for a while before eating them. A quick wash is usually beneficial to avoid developing a cough. It is normal to have a cough epidemic during fruit seasons. As such we usually drink warm water after a fruit eating session.

Mangosteens may be plucked either by using a bamboo pole with one end split up with several cuts to form a basket-like trough for holding the fruit. Usually, someone would climb up the tree with a basket. Only the sweet, white fleshy pulp inside is edible. The bitter, purple rind is discarded. Beware about smudging your clothes with it's purple stain. It could be a mother's washing nightmare!

Today, it is duped the queen of fruits. It is noted that as early as 600 AD, scribes in Southeast Asia recorded the use of the mangosteen as a general remedy and healing agent. In fact, the whole mangosteen fruit—especially the xanthone-packed rind—has been utilized to treat a variety of health conditions. The mangosteen rind was sliced and dried, then grounded to a powder and administered as a herbal preparation. The mangosteen rind was steeped in water overnight and taken as a tea. The mangosteen rind was made into an ointment and applied externally as a lotion. It was through these popular uses that the benefits of mangosteen were passed down through history and several scientists and explorers took note. Today there are many brands of mangosteen juice and herbal supplements made from the rind and seed.

Last but not least was the king of fruits, the mighty durian. You just have to wait for them to fall from the trees, then go and look for them in the bushes. It was very common for durian plantations to have huts built for the “waiting party”. "Duri" means thorn. Opening up the fruit can be quite challenging to some people. Usually a rag and a parang or a big knife are required. The rag is to protect the hand holding the fruit from the thorny skin. The parang is of course for splitting open the fruit along the cutting line. Any other ‘line’ would be difficult if not disastrous.

They say the durian smells like hell but tastes like heaven. It is to Malaysians as what cheese is to the Dutch! I do have European friends who have been initiated to this fruit and to my surprise, they simply love it. It is banned in aeroplanes and hotels though. When dad brought back durians in the car boot, you could still smell the fruits from inside the car. The the smell would linger on for days if the boot wasn’t aired properly. These days we would throw in a large piece of charcoal to absorb the smell.

Entering the compound from the main road you would be greeted by a stone arch which, as a matter of fact, was the last remaining structure I remembered many years later. Datuk’s house had cement steps leading to the front door entrance. The house was a wooden structure on brick stilts much like an officer’s quarters during the British days. It was painted white and had a separate building without stilts for the kitchen and store room. It was joined to the main house by a covered passageway at one side of the courtyard. Asimple dining table was also placed there where we had most of our meals. At the edge of the covered passageway nearer the main house, as was commonplace, there was a kolah, a small cement trough for collecting water. There was a tap by it but as it was in an open area of the courtyard rain water would also collect in it when it rained. The water may then be used for general washing and washing the feet before entering the house. It was however, my nemesis.

I was told that I was a rather fretful kid. During one of those fretful moments, datuk had exhausted his patience by dunking me in that pool. I had come to understand later that this was a common practice in those days so that crying would instantly cease. But then, I could not have been much more than two years old at that time. I still wonder what I had done to deserve such a punitive treatment. I still have that picture in my mind of the rest of the family, mum, grandma and aunties in the doorway watching the spectacle. I remember feeling disappointed that none came forward to help me. When my own children were two years old, I didn’t have any problem in pacifying or quieting them down when they cried. I came to understand that datuk was much revered by the family members that none would dare to interfere with his judgement. I guess that was datuk, the disciplinarian.

TUAH JEBAT

2010-06-07T19:01:00.018+08:00

That's a lot to think about.....

My thoughts, Tuah's character is a true satria of the time...complete submission and loyalty to his lord and master. Perhaps this was the "extra" tutelage he had gotten during his sojourn with his guru. Remember, amongst the 5, he was supposed to have received something extra? Elsewhere in the story, I couldn't figure out any other difference. If Tuah would never be slayed even by Tuah, how on earth was Tuah supposed tohave been killed on the order of the Sultan. Pretty confusing stuff. On the other hand Jebat was supposed to be slayable only with the Kris Taming Sari. I think believing in this borders to something unIslamic. As such I feel the whole episode on the tutelage is very likely part of the Malaynization of the legend. While he did have some character flaw he could still make a good soldier of today.

Jebat, on the other hand was more of a revolutionary. Loyal he was to his buddy. He saw the injustice and was torn asunder. I do believe T.S. Lanang may have wanted to put forward an ideology ahead of it's time then.

Nevertheless, both have their appeal to different mindsets. Mind you, a charismatic person need not be a good person.

OF NINE-ELEVENS "N" THE LITTLE BOOK

2010-06-04T23:57:00.009+08:00

I reckon we all have our very own nine-eleven.....from whatever perspective it may be. I started reflecting and penning mine since 09-11-2007. I had received a call from my dear cousin Bidi regarding his mum's impending admission to hospital. All at once there seemed to be an unstoppable mental replay of all the good deeds she had done for me. When my parents were in East Malaysia, she had taken me in over the school holidays or semester break. I would assist in simple chores like bathing the little cousins,yes, Bidi included, and dressing them up. I realised then how fragile life could be.

As Bidi was already in Malacca, we waited till his wife was able to make the journey back to Malacca later in the day. My hubby took the wheel. By the time we arrived, my aunt was already asleep, to rest for the operation scheduled on the next morning.

I could tell that uncle was worried from the way he rattled on about how careful auntie had been with her medication. Well, she is my mother's sister after all and I was not the least surprised. My mum too had been a very good "patient" when it came to her daily medication for her diabetes and whatever had she. Well, the least I could do was to listen to uncle. Oh boy, Bidi's wife was having something like a "100 years" cough! That was pretty worrying.

All next of kin were summoned to the doctor next morning at 8.00 a.m. and the operation was scheduled at 9.00. Well, amongst others, they were informed that there were three blockages and veins from both thighs were to be used. It was a 5 hour operations and we were thankful that it went well with very little bleeding. We feel blessed with the good news and were very glad that we could spend the time to be with the family and to provide whatever comfort and assistance possible.

We have had several more nine-elevens since then with the aging members of the "clan". We thank God for our well being and pray for those who had to undergo more trying moments. A maternal uncle, Pak Ngah expired within days of what appeared to have been a successful operation and my maternal uncle's wife, Mak Long lost out after a month's battle in hospital. At this day, a paternal cousin is still recuperating in hospital after an operation that had gone bust. A subsequent one had been done to adjust what went wrong. The list goes on......

During trying times I am always reminded of forgiveness and forgiving. I always have this little book where I note down important stuff like beautiful passages or phrases, information or just thoughts and feelings. However, the most difficult but meaningful item I had penned down was about forgiving. People say " to err is human, to forgive is divine". What in the world is "forgiving"? I know and you know that it does NOT say that it is all right to hurt others. Please do not think that I am inferring that those I mentioned above have wronged me. Far from it.....

Smedes says that forgiving makes up for what God could not give us when he made us i.e. the power to change the past; he could not invent the deletion button for bad things that happens to us. All he could give us is the power to remember them. Once wounded and wronged, the gift of memory becomes an inability to forget, hence our inability to be glad about life.

Yes, forgiveness therefore does not change the past, but it does change the future. Would you rather lead a life of resentment of the wrong done unto you? Let the hate stew in us and thereby giving them more power to hurt us? To get over this resentment is to forgive the people who did the wrong. The way to do that is through UNDERSTANDING. You heal once you are able to release the person from his actions. It is a slow process It is indeed the most difficult in the whole bag of personal relationship. It is after all not for those who offended or wronged you, but for your own self.

OF BIRTHDAYS "N" BIRTH NUMBERS

2010-06-02T12:39:00.018+08:00

When I was young I used to scrounge for the NST every Wednesday to read the horoscope or stars column. It was just the thing we loved to read and take note of. That was all. However some of my friends were very much into them!

I am said to be born under the astrological star sign of Libra by virtue of being born between 23rd September - 22nd October. General attributes are:

Element : Air
Quality : Cardinal
Symbol : Scale
Nature : Masculine
Day : Friday
Metal : Copper
Gem : Jasper
Colour : Green
Occupation: Law
Governs : The loins, kidneys and back
Key word : Affection
Positive influences : Charming, refined and affectionate
Negative influences : Cutting, harsh and arrogant
Ruler : Venus, Goddess of Love

Ancient people had devised all sorts of methods to give insight to people's personalities and their motivation in life thus to enable them to live in harmony with nature. Based on the work of Pythagoras who said that numbers created order and beauty, numerologists have devised various significance in numbers such as the birth number, name number and numerical influence.e.g

Date of birth 01/01/1910 gives a birth number of 0+1+0+1+1+9+1+0=1+3=4, which happens to be my birth number too.

The name number is obtained by assigning a digit of 1 - 9 to all the alphabets A - Z and then adding up the numbers. Therefore, my name AZIMAH would produce a name number of 1+8+9+4+1+8=2+3=5. However, you may choose whatever name to work with i.e. first name or full name and so on. As such, the name number may vary. Note that birth number will never change. So, I guess that would be a more reliable reference(?)

The numerical influences are said to be the following:

One : Leadership, popularity, decisiveness, construction;
Two : Diplomacy, tactfulness, secrets, unions and partnerships;
Three: Caring, compassionate, tender, friends and celebrations;
Four : Dependable, ambitious, property, stability and security;
Five : Keys, opportunities, religion, engineering;
Six : Relationships, choices, loving, loyal;
Seven: Wisdom, control, transport;
Eight: Stubbornness, strength, persistence;
Nine : Completion, results, reunions, pregnancy

I don't think I really am what the sign says. I may be a little tomboyish when I was small but what would you expect when I grew up with two brothers? Of course I climbed trees, played with marbles and cigarettes boxes. While I treat the subjetc as something interesting to note and understand, I have heard of some people actually checking out what the numbers say before they meet with someone for the first time!

I usually consider birthdays as a very private and personal moments, usually just a simple thoughtful evening spent with family members at home or at a restaurant. Yes, we do have the candles more for the grandchildren to practise their huffing, puffing and blowing skills. They get very excited at the thought that their papa is giving a present to mama. Although that is always supposed to be a surprise, it never was kept as such. Kids make poor keepers of secrets. It was the same with my children too when they were little, Now they are experiencing the same with their own.

MATHS N SCIENCE WILL NO LONGER BE IN ENGLISH

2010-06-01T11:33:00.007+08:00

This is my lastest entry at Goodreads discussion group "Goodreads Malaysia" which I thought is worth noting and sharing here.

"My, this thread is hot....There many pros and cons no doubt but what surprises me is the blacklisting of GR by Malaysian "Schoolnet". This is a typical stance of people who find themselves in a position unable to raise a rational discourse to the defence of their actions. They have a tendency to either shut other people up or out.......For this reason Indonesia, has overtaken Malaysia in it's students and scholars being more articulate. Talk to their taxi drivers, you'd know what I mean."

"I think many had missed an important point. Maths and Science are technical subjects. They are best dealt with in a language that is concise, precise and well used in the international arena. There are a few languages that fit this and BI is the most apt for Malaysia. BTW, in this matter India has now left Malayasia way behind in this area, internationally speaking. What better way is there than to begin teaching the subjects as early as possible?"

"I do not think it difficult for kids to learn a second or even a third language. You cannot underestimate them.You need to get the right method. Why do urban kids fair better in BI? How can one ensure better use of BI in rural areas? How did India deal with this?"

"Firstly there has been this realization that English has genuinely become a language of great prestige in the Indian society. English has acquired a prominent place in the hearts of millions of Indians who seek better jobs. They too realised how poor the BI was in their rural areas. In fact they had more challenges like the caste system and prejudice to overcome."

"Decisions regarding the medium of instruction and other official language policies depend on the interpretation of this concept. More often than not, mother tongue becomes more a political idea than a linguistic construct or concept. Mother tongue becomes a rallying point for groups of people to unite and express their solidarity more as a political entity. Whilst India has acknowledged like 16 languages as it's official language in various states, they have included BI along with a couple more as the medium of education."

"Here we are not able to handle and deal with BM and BI. Shame on us!

THE FLOOD OF '57

2010-05-25T13:20:00.010+08:00

Being brought up in Malacca and having lived in Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Padang Besar where my dad had been posted,I had never seen a flood. This was about to change. There were many firsts during my two years sojourn in Kota Bahru, Kelantan where my dad was posted to.

For some reason my elder brother did not follow in the move.I always thought that it could be due to his Standard 6 exam but then it was not to be in a few years time. So there we were, just my parents, younger brother and I making the move. We traveled to Kota Bahru by train, the Malayan Railway. The journey was not without it's tense moments as we were actually traversing communist infested jungle areas. Once the train actually stopped somewhere to await another train to pass and I noticed the urgency of the guards checking all the doors. Some of you may even recall that the last carriage usually carried guards and soldiers. All being well then, we were met at the Kota Bahru Railway Station by a staff who then took us across the Kelantan River by ferry and then by a Land Rover to our quarters. You see the town was across the river from the railway station. My elder brother would come to visit us during the school holidays.

In the East Coast the monsoon would hit long and hard. I had never seen anything like it before. The rain would last a week or so. Then a short pause and it would start again, never really stopping. Makeshift clothes lines were made indoors for the washings. After a week the grass would turn yellow due to lack of sunshine. Rivers would start swelling up and all low lying areas would soon become underwater. We were fortunate that the quarters area was on high ground. Our neighbours were not so lucky. By then, however, they must have been so used to the annual weather change the monsoon brings. They even had a boat handy for transport to the front gate and hence the main road. I once took a boat ride to inspect the area behind their house. It was then that I knew there was a river back there. No wonder it was always flooding there!

We were told that Kelantanese enjoy the floods. They, especially the young maidens would come out in nice clothes to play in the flood waters. It was said that that would be a very good opportunity for girls and boys to meet or see one another and foster some hope of matrimony. As "outsiders" we found this rather amusing, dangerous and err...a health hazzard!

The above picture shows my dad, younger brother (shirtless) and myself accompanying my dad's friend, Uncle Ibrahim (with shoes in hand) out from his abode. He had become stuck at home due to the flood. I am further behind with some stuff in my hand.

Now I know why Kelantanese traditional houses have very high stilts.

A LOVELY STORY

2010-05-21T00:10:00.004+08:00

A friend sent me this story. I thought that it is so lovely that I ought to save and share it. Enjoy it:

BURNT BISCUIT

Mom liked to make breakfast food for dinner every now and then. And I remember one night in particular when she had made breakfast after a long, hard day at work. That evening, mom placed a plate of eggs, sausage and extremely burned biscuits in front of dad. I remember waiting to see if anyone noticed.

All dad did was reach for his biscuit, smiled at mom and asked me how my day was at school. I don't remember what I told him that night, but I do remember watching him smear butter and jelly on that biscuit and ate every bite.

When I got up from the table, I remember hearing mom apologize to dad for burning the biscuits. And I'll never forget what he said:

"Honey, I love burned biscuits."

Later that night, I went to kiss Daddy good night and asked him if he really liked his biscuits burned. He wrapped me in his arms and said,"Your Momma put in a hard day at work today and she's real tired. And besides - a little burnt biscuit never hurt anyone!"

"You know, life is full of imperfect things.....and imperfect people. I'm not the best at hardly anything, and I forget birthdays and anniversaries just like everyone else."

"What I've learned over the years is that learning to accept each others'faults - and choosing to celebrate each others differences - is one of the most important keys to creating a healthy, growing, and lasting relationship. Because in the end, you are the master of your own life, to be happy or unhappy, to be positive or negative."

We could extend this to any relationship. In fact, understanding is the base of any relationship , be it a husband-wife or parent-child or friendship.

Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket - keep it in your own.

So please pass me a biscuit, and yes, the burnt one will do just fine ...

TINY FLOWERS

2010-05-19T18:04:00.045+08:00

It would appear that if you are small, people tend not to notice you so much. I have these pictures of the little, tiny flowers that bloom away relentlessly and yet virtually unnoticed in my garden and elsewhere, kept away in my picture archives for years. Today I am dedicating this write to them, those that have stood up like sentinels both sides of the pathways, the lawns as well as every nook and cranny....

The first one is a wild orchid which I had saved from a huge tree in front of the house. So, it is not truely wild now. I believe it is an Acriopsis. It has real tiny white petals with purple tips. The flowers may last for about a month which is good by any standard. Indeed, some orchid blooms are known to last that long.

The red and yellow flowers next are actually not so small but still very few people would have cared for them. The pictures were taken while on a trip back to my late mum's dusun (fruit plot) in Kelemak, Malacca. I think they are gorgeous. I would be happy if anyone could identify this red flower. Upon maturity, the center part would open up to reveal and scatter the seeds within.

The Malays call the yellow flowers Simpoh Air scientifically it is known as Dillenia suffruiticosa. I have never found out what "simpoh" means. As such I suspect it may be a local dialect to mean "simbah" (pour) and pour water does make sense anyway. This attractive shrub can grow up to 7 metres tall. The large robust leaves were commonly used before the days of plastic and styrofoam as disposable platters and wrappers to wrap 'tempeh'(soya cake) and 'rojak'(local salad). Apparently the plant can live to 50-100 years!I think I may need to check on this further!!

Next, the lovely pink flowers are from my starfruit tree. I notice there is always a bunch of blooms up the tree. My brother gave me the grafting many years ago. His tree had long gone but mine still thrives without much ado, really. It sure is a hardy tree! No wonder the locals call it Belimbing Besi (Iron Starfruit).

The small white flowers with a tinge of purple are Cordia cylindristachya, commonly known as String Bush. The plant grows everywhere in my garden so much so that I simply refer them as weeds. They grow back after every weeding. You can't really win with them. So, I now take a different stance on it - a motivation for exercise and gardening. They are actually quite beautiful plants growing up to half meter tall forming a cushy carpet if allowed to thrive.

The plant of the tiny while flowers at the axils is a herb known as Andrographis paniculata. The Malays call it Hempedu Bumi (Bile of the Earth)/Pokok Cerita (Plant of Tales) while other locals call it the antibiotic plant. It is indeed the king of bitters. The leaves are used to make tea and is reported to possess astringent, anodyne, tonic and alexipharmic properties and is helpful in dysentery, cholera, diabetes, influenza, bronchitis, piles, gonorrhoea, hepatomegaly, skin disorders, fever and worm infestation , to name a few. Now you know why my Chinese friends call it the antibiotic plant!The plant grows in every nook and cranny in my garden.

Mimosa pudica or locally known as Semalu ("malu" means shy) is also known as touch-me-not. When the leaves are touched they will just retract and fold up. The plant is prickly and a nuisance in the garden. My hubby usually uses the pliers to pull them out of the ground A native of tropical America, I understand (Gosh, how did it get here, I wonder?) It has pink or almost purple flowers looking very fluffy.

The next few flowers are more of grass and weeds often found in my garden. It would probably take me some time to identify them so I am posting them here to give an idea of how many types there are out there in any garden if one care to look around. The shots were taken as best as I could with just an old, ordinary digital camera - Sony Cyber-shot, our very first one, then.

The thistle-like flowers come in white and purple in colour on every plant.

Next is the Kemuncut which I would love to call forget-me not though it really is not. It grows in every open ground. We use to pull the plant out every time we see one in the ground least we would trample on them. The spike would stick to our clothes and time and again we would have to pick them out individually.

BOOK REVIEW : THE THIEVES OF RIYADH

2010-05-17T12:57:00.009+08:00

The Thieves Of Riyadh edited by Haroon M Jadhakhan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Even if half the revelation is to be taken as true, it is still most disturbing.......

It is a collection of articles from the Muslim Chronicle whose address is in London. I am old enough though to have read some of the older issues in the daily papers during my London days.

The heart of the book is in the revelation of the conspiracy against Islam the biggest agent being a group of people within the Muslim community itself. They are described as wealthy, so wealthy that you and I may not be able to imagine, powerful, bloodthirsty, moronic,degenerate etc...etc...Issues cover a broad spectrum from money extorted from Hajj pilgrimage, child jockeys (a practice which had been banned in the UAE since 2002. Thank God) child "brides" who were actually slaves of a kind, BCCI incident, excesses of the rich and powerful.......while millions of Muslims in Africa and Asia are in gross situation. To cap it all, the book explains why there will be no solidarity in the subcontinent unless...........

View all my reviews >>

CASE OF THE STAR ANISE

2010-04-23T12:53:00.003+08:00

We are often held in awe to note what modest stuff may really do for mankind. I always keep a bottle of star anise on my spice rack. What Malaysian housewife won't, anyway. I use it for fish curry and briyani rice that's all.I guess that speaks of my culinary prowess. It would appear that the Chinese, Vietnamese and Indians do find a multitude of use for it in their food preparation.

Recently, it came to my knowledge that apart from it's culinary uses, the Chinese and the Indians have long been using it for medicinal purposes. For example, I now recall the anise seeds served in Indian restaurants after meal to aid digestion. In Traditional Chinese medicine, star anise is used as a warm and moving herb that assists in relieving cold-stagnation in the middle jiao.

In 2005, there was a temporary shortage of star anise due to its use in making Tamiflu. The 2009 swine flu outbreak led to another series of shortages as stocks of Tamiflu were built up around the world, sending prices soaring. Wo.......that is news to me! Tamiflu is a trade name for Oseltamivir, an antiviral drug that slows the spread of the flu virus in the body. Unfortunately, as of April 2010, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 268 out of over 15,000 samples of the prevalent 2009 pandemic H1N1 (swine) flu tested worldwide have shown resistance to oseltamivir. Noted as well are the political figures who served on the board of the producing company.

Back home, people are brewing the star anise ...........

My Tipping Point

2010-04-01T10:49:00.008+08:00

After several calls to the supplier and the courier regarding my long awaited consignment, it finally arrived on the evening of March 31, 2010. They were two lovely white bottles of 1 quart (approx. 944 ml) each.

Eagerly I poured out the first 2ml and took a little sip. Hmm...not bad at all. Then I passed the glass on to my hubby and then to my son to take a sip as well. I finished up the rest. About two hours later while watching TV, I felt a tingling sensation in my body much like something is "clearing up" and it felt..... relieving.

Next morning, for the first time in months, I felt no pain when taking my first step after waking up in the morning! There was a little left over sensation though, but there was no real pain of note! I know it is still early days but I am sure to keep on observing.

You see, some months ago after becoming a full time housewife, my left heel had started aching. It is specially bad after raising up in the morning in taking that first step. Hence walking and navigating the staircase became quite challenging. The doctor said it is Plantar Fasciitis, an inflammation of the band of tissue (the plantar fascia) that extends from the heel to the toes. In this condition, the fascia first becomes irritated and then inflamed, resulting in heel pain. I was given an ointment for rubbing and an oral medication,ibuprofen, also an anti-inflammatory. That suffice to keep matters under check then during my short trip to Singapore on the occasion of my nephew's wedding.

There are several symptoms of Plantar Fasciitis:

* Pain on the bottom of the heel

* Pain that is usually worse upon arising

* Pain that increases over a period of months

People with Plantar Fasciitis often describe the pain as worse when they get up in the morning or after they’ve been sitting for long periods of time. After a few minutes of walking the pain decreases, because walking stretches the fascia. For some people the pain subsides but returns after spending long periods of time on their feet.

Recommendations to patients include:

* Stretching exercises. Exercises that stretch out the calf muscles help ease pain and assist with recovery.

* Avoid going barefoot. When you walk without shoes, you put undue strain and stress on your plantar fascia.

* Ice. Putting an ice pack on your heel for 20 minutes several times a day helps reduce inflammation. Place a thin towel between the ice and your heel; do not apply ice directly to the skin.

* Limit activities. Cut down on extended physical activities to give your heel a rest.

* Shoe modifications. Wearing supportive shoes that have good arch support and a slightly raised heel reduces stress on the plantar fascia.

My right foot has also been telling me whenever my uric acid is elevated. Uric acid is a waste product normally present in the blood as a result of the breakdown of purines. Excessive amounts of uric acid can cause crystals to form in the joints and cause gout. Sometime I do get careless with my diet. I had bought some jackfruit three days earlier. Suddenly my right foot was also in pain for the two days I had been consuming the jackfruit. Upon realising it, I passed on the balance of the fruit to my son to finish off, which he did gladly. Ow...imagine both feet acting up on you!!

Imagine also a day without any pain ...

DIOXIN CONTAMINATION

2010-03-22T07:48:00.007+08:00

A couple of days ago I received a forwarded email on a cancer update from John Hopkins University. Some people admitted that it was a hoax and that the University had never circulated such an email:

1. No plastic containers in micro.
2. No water bottles in freezer.
3. No plastic wrap in microwave.

A dioxin! Chemical causes cancer, especially breast cancer.

Dioxins are highly poisonous to the cells of our bodies. Don’t freeze your plastic bottles with water in them as this releases dioxins from the plastic. Recently, Dr. Edward Fujimoto (Wellness Program Manager at Castle Hospital) was on a TV program to explain this health hazard.

He talked about dioxins and how bad they are for us. He said that we should not be heating our food in the microwave using plastic containers. This especially applies to foods that contain fat.

He said that the combination of fat, high heat, and plastics releases dioxin into the food and ultimately into the cells of the body.

Instead, he recommends using glass, such as Corningware, Pyrex or ceramic containers for heating food.

You get the same results, only without the dioxin. So things such as TV dinners, instant Ramen and soups, etc., should be removed from the container and heated in something else. Paper isn’t bad but you don’t know what is in the paper. It’s just safer to use tempered glass, Corning Ware, etc. He reminded us that a while ago some of the fast food restaurants moved away from the foam containers to paper. The dioxin problem is one of the reasons.

Also he pointed out that plastic wrap, such as Saran, is just as dangerous when placed over foods to be cooked in the microwave. As the food is nuked, the high heat causes poisonous toxins to actually melt out of the plastic wrap and drip into the food. Cover food with a paper towel instead.

This prompted me to find out more about this substance, dioxin, and I shall attempt to record in as simple terms about what we need to know in order to keep our family safe.

Dioxin, is a class of super-toxic chemicals which are bi-products of the manufacture , moulding or burning of organic chemicals and plastics containing chlorine. It is the nastiest and most toxic of man-made contamination, second only to that of radioactive contamination!

In some countries, exposure to it is now at a serious level promising serious health effects. Exposure to it are mostly in the form of use of and contact with chemicals and plastics.

1. Chemicals such as insecticides and herbicides.
2. Plastics, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) such as in bottles, handbags, seat covers, wallpaper, plumbing pipes, coffee filters where most products are chlorine bleached.

How To Avoid Dioxin

1. Some dairy feed may be contaminated through the use of chemical insecticides. As such avoid beef.

2. Avoid bleaching products that have "chloro" as part of their name i.e. sodium hypochloride as in chlorine bleach. It looks like I would have to discontinue my Kao bleach whose active ingredient is sodium hypochloride. Use oxygen bleach instead. They release oxygen for cleaning. There are three (3) types of oxygen bleach:
- hydrogen peroxide (liquid form)
- sodium percarbonate (powder form)
- sodium perbotate (powder form)
It may cost more though and take a little more time to work.

3. Use unbleached paper products such as brown coffee filters.

4. Avoid "cling" plastic wraps unless identified as polyethlene.(So, my Giant cling wraps is alright then. However it still has a warning against use with fatty food and food with high sugar content).

5. Avoid toys made or packed in PVC labeled V or #3 plastic.

6. Wash fruits and vegetables carefully to avoid chlorophenol pesticide residue. Avoid grapes and rasins unless labled as "organic".

7. Avoid products with cottonseed oil as an ingredient e.g. potato chips as cotton is sprayed with chlorophenol insecticide.

8. Avoid soap with tallow (most soap) as it is from animal fat and deodorant with "triclosan" as it is a chlorophenol