OF BOOKS AND READING

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I love invitations. Don't you? They are constant reminders 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. Gee, I haven't even seen the invitation yet. Wouldn't we be a little  presumptuous to just go ahead and make the reservation? As we were anticipating Mr Kutty's formal invitation anytime, I thought it was 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.  A final e-invitation had been received and that all travel and hotel arrangement have been made by the Dubai people.

With travel arrangement 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 local 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 poolwear 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 trade-in 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, a minibar and  of course, free Internet access. It was very tastefully done up in earth tones.

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 TKCian 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 could still recognise 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 even full. It was the UAE National Day! Surprisingly I did not see  flags and buntings  hoisted on buildings and masts to indicate the occasion.  It was probably a sign of hard time ahead (?) 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 With  Ravi and Muthamah

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.... and what a sight to behold!

The Swimming Pool......

The Garden And Pathways......

 The Edge Of The Golf Course 

Which Would Be Transformed Later By Evening

 In the meantime, others were preparing for the Mehndi Ceremony. True to tradition it was also accompanied by 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 of getting some on.

 The New Couple, Sumaiyah and Arjun

I was told that the couple had gotten their marriage solemnised in India recently on the bride's side.. 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 Mr 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 from 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 5 cents 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 attendance 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.

The Ever Present 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....for obvious reason I reckon.

Muthamah, Din and Ravi Enjoying the Frolic in the Sun

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 at
 The Mall Of The Emirates

Ravi had made the itinerary for 4th Dec. We had a whole day before the Sangeet and we had decided to 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 celebrities' holdings 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 being the smallest then. The mega project, The World, 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 is 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 had the impression that such means of transport was probably for tourists.

The Monorail Route

Wishing That Our KL Monorail 
Would Be More Comfy 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 another iconic building, Burj Dubai , the tallest building  in the world (all categories) at 828m, before it changed it's name to Burj 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  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, the 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 a large garden 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

At The Dinner Table

The Perimeter

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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

Me

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 books during  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 Along Dubai Creek

The Dhows

Resting At An Outdoor Restaurant

Traditional Arab Slippers On Sale

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 to buy some  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