Selamat Jalan, Sayang

Dear I,
I'm taking a day off today, in memory of Sayang, N's teen cat who was put to sleep at about 1:20am after the xrays showed that she was paralysed due to a spinal cord injury.
I had a pleasant day yesterday and day before - ferry cruise to Liberty and Ellis islands, caught up with Mak P at Macy's on 34th St, slept over her place, then shopped for grocery and cooked dinner for N since she was fasting.
After dessert, she decided to show me Sayang, who spent most of her time in N's bedroom; naturally, she was afraid of me and hid under the dining table, jumped on the other two window ledges before she jumped on the ledge of the opened window, out into the airwell and three storeys down to the landing in the basement.
We went down and found her dragging her hind legs and unable to stand, took her to the emergency vet at downtown Brooklyn and cried our eyes out while waiting for the xray results and told of the options - a surgery that would cost USD5-6k but will not guarantee recovery or put her down and end her misery.
I know this is the umpteenth time I witnessed a kitty pass away - from Brownie to Elsa to Whitey to Patch but this is the first time I saw a cat being 'put down' and finally understood the meaning.
One minute she was responding to N's touch - narrowing her eyes, turning her cheeks and raising her chin - and the next minute her head was down, her soul had flown, her body stiff, wrapped in her favourite red blanket and taken away by the nurse to be cremated and buried.
N found her as a stray when she was about two months old in June 2008 - an exotic French breed with velvety dark grey coat and yellow eyes.
She hardly mewed or whimpered, even after the tragic fall, throughout the bumpy 15 minutes taxi ride downtown and the heartbreaking final moments - such a loyal and stoic character, such a short and cloistered life.
Salam, Sayang, hope you are happier now than you were before!

Whole Foods & More!

Dear I,
Yesterday, Y and I started our day at mid-day, so we didn't get to cover much of NYC's attractions.
Plus, I'm trying to apply for a job here so I spent some time surfing for vacancies.
I'm getting used to the subway rides and crowds - both the underbelly of the boroughs as well as the well-heeled Madison and Park Avs people.
We walked along Madison, Fifth and Park Avs to the Trump Tower, the Apple Center and Columbus Circle in the evening. Trump Tower was strangely deserted, unlike the Apple Center where you can see people of every age group and skin colour congregate. The focal points at Columbus Circle are the fountain and Whole Foods - you know how crazy I am about advocating organic food and stuff! Finally, I got to taste the no-bacon clam chowder and the in-season cherries are really yummy and succulent. You will surely fall in love with the store too, I bet.
InsyaAllah, later today I'll take advantage of the free entrance at MOMA from 4-8PM and catch a free concert at Central Park.
Sorry about the pixs - will post latest this weekend, salam.
Update: Joined the Friday eve crowd at the Target-sponsored free entry into MOMA and scrutinised Ensor's work, then off to Times Sq with Y, S, M & A to have dinner at a Tex-Mex restaurant and watched Kathrine Heigel in The Ugly Truth.

A Bite of Big Apple

Dear I,
Today I followed Y to her office in midtown Manhattan - E 56th St on Lex Av to be precise. The subway ride from Brooklyn to the city was worse than the LRT or komuter in the Klang Valley - most Malaysians would have complained about the dirt and stench long ago. In any case, I was able to appreciate and absorb the sights and sounds far better this time around than the last time when I had to either push you in your stroller or hug Y close to my heart in her carry-on.
In fact, I managed to get acquainted with most of the main buildings, shops and cafes from 56th to 59th St along Lex Ave within several hours, inspite of the intermittent summer showers and thunder storms. Citibank around the corner, Chrysler Building in the distance, Bloomingdale's like a siren luring compulsive shoppers via it window displays straight to its revolving doors; Gap, Banana Republic, Victoria's Secret, Oxford Cafe, Fusia - you'll find yourself drowned in a sea of consumer bliss.
In the evening, we went to Webster's Hall to watch V, or her glam stage name Zee Avi, perform the opening act with numbers from her new CD. I must admit that I felt very proud that this diminutive Sarawakian gal could wow the giant New Yorkers with her sensous guitar moves and lilting voice.
I hope to go to Bryant or Central Park tomorrow if it doesn't rain. There's something about being here NYC that made me blog again. Sure, I had planned on doing so many things - like learning indigo dying and other traditional crafts - when I arrived in Nizwa late January but only managed to get to know the locals in my neighborhood and the places that I visited such as Sohar and Sur.
Will post pixs soon, til then u take care!

Are you going to San Francisco? (Be sure to wear some flowers in your hair)

M, Y
Assalamualaikum...I miss you guys so much. At the same time M, Y...I'm glad you're over there, far away from the craziness I go thru here. Y, had no idea Central Park was so big...
Anyways, I really hope to go there soonest, needless to say. It's been a pretty strange week here. All the good people are leaving...I'm quite distraught. Yasmin Ahmad passed away on Saturday night. I really really need to see you soon. I played an MTV concert thing and an hour later, she passed at Damansara Specialist. She passed because of stroke after she fainted on Thursday and was hospitalised. Allah Maha menyayangi and life moves so fast...
You don't know how happy I am to know that your days are long in NYC and you're with each other and God knows more people around you there who are different from the ones here. Believe me it's the one reason among very few others that give me hope, the fact that you guys are there together now and probably happy as can be...
The other day, I saw an auntie get robbed by rempits in broad daylight, right behind me...at the traffic light right in front of our house! I reached for my steering lock, but I hesitated for three seconds and that was enough for them to get away. Poor lady...she was fine though. Everything seems to remind me of my family, and just how short life is. I find myself caring about good people more...so much I can't take it...and hating bad people even more.
I immediately called R too, just to make sure she was ok and to check on her and tell her to be extra careful. And I talked to the dobi ladies...they've kena too. This is ridiculous...everyone here walks around in paranoia and hatred. It seems too much...and we can see it in MJ and Yasmin, good people are just being allowed to leave...
Don't worry though guys, my job isn't a problem at all. Everything material is secure. I'm just in awe of how screwed up the world can be.
The day after the car mugging, I saw a couple trying to commit suicide, holding hands on the roof of a five-story building near Jaya One. In their work clothes...crazy.... There was a crowd...I had a friend working there who was watching and called me. This was after work on my way back home as well. The bomba sprayed water and they fell backwards, and the police caught them from behind. They got sued for that. It was because work was too much or something. Laillahailallah we thought...man...
I'm really sorry to bum you guys out but this is just what has been happening around here in this country...it really doesn't even feel like mine anymore, and as each day goes by I'm being called somewhere else.
The cats are getting naughtier, but they keep me grounded. The band is really busy and it's the perfect distraction and weapon against all the madness so that is nice as well. Most everything is paid for and in check. The house is clean. My health is getting better, I'm losing my belly rolls =) and my eczema is under control with a few treatments at Assunta (kesian all those sick people) and um, I've had to pull my milk tooth out. Friends are friends...love life is a non-priority but that only makes sense cos of all the madness that goes on.
So I'm just so happy and thank God and my lucky stars that my family is far away, somewhere, anywhere, away from here on behalf of me. Like my dreams are being lived through you guys...really! M please make the best of your time there and please have the time of your life! I will eventually go...where I belong. Eventually... =>
Take care guys and update your Facebooks please...email me back and write me often.
Love, salam
i
27.7.2009
Dear I,
Wish u were here.
I'm still getting over from the jet lag and Y and I are recovering from the ravages of San Francisco. The weather there was COLD and MISTY after about 4pm. Different parts of the city have their own personality - Union Square, Buena Park, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman's Wharf - and the valleys beyond the Golden Gate Bridge are all sunshine and vineyards. It's nice to be rich but awful to be poor, homeless and cracked-up here in the USA. The Union brims over with homeless and cracked-up characters - broke and broken by the system and society. Buena Park is an enclave of sanity and hope with a watery shrine for Martin Luther King Jr. Golden Gate Park is a cool and verdant sanctuary for arts and culture and scientific discoveries - the upper crust celebrates Ethiopian native healers and King Tut's exhibits at de Young museum and the environmentalists dedicate themselves to the projects at the Academy of Sciences. You can also find conservationists at the Acquarium by the Bay among the throngs of tourists gawking at the sea lions hanging out at Pier 39. Wanted to sample SF clam chowder but it was served with bacon. Had chilli instead but didn't taste half as good as at Wendy's in Jaya One and the nachos were thick, hard and soggy!
The first night we went on the cable car ride with Putri was a pleasant encounter with Salvador Dali's work at the galleries at Pier One. The next day, we went to MOMA and learned to distinguish between the Modernists, Expressionists and the Fauvists. Y, S and Putri risked Tut's wrath while I had an organic meal at De Young's cafe. Castro and Haight-Ashbury are overrated - we witnessed a middle-aged 'orang gumbira' at Castro desperate on hitting, figuratively and literally, on younger targets that he knocked into their car bumper and got taken away in a police van by not one or two but SIX police officers from the SFPD - kesian. Haight-Ashbury seems more like a graveyard for countercultural revolution with new age stores and psychedelic murals miserably trying to relive the hippier days of the 1960s. The presence of Morrocan eateries and Chinese salons didn't help at all.
Anyways, cheer up and hope I have lifted your spirits somewhat.
Take care n love u loads!
(NYC - 22.7.2009 to 20.8.2009)

Hire Malaysians First!

Here's a note to kickstart the week from a good friend who calls herself "the official complainer".
I managed to catch up with her at KLCC recently and we both shared our grievances about the state of the service industry in Malaysia.
Here's her view which was published in theSun:
Value all honest work
THE government must consider steps to rectify excessive disparity of wages and educate all workers on the necessity, respectability and value of each job and position.
This is becoming particularly important as the economic crisis shows no signs of relenting and an increasing number of workers are laid off. The government will not be able to go on paying benefits and subsidies, and so the best solution is to find new employment for retrenched workers as soon as possible. When all honest jobs are valued, respected, and appropriately rewarded, it becomes almost impossible for anyone to be out of work.
On a recent visit to KLCC, I could not help noticing that many workers in restaurants, shops, and outlets are foreigners. These workers do not look Malaysian, do not speak the local language, are untidy and lack grooming.
I wonder how shop owners at the premier shopping centre expect to see their business booming when they employ staff who are unqualified, untrained, and unwelcoming to potential customers.
Why aren’t locals doing this kind of work? What is wrong with being a waiter, a sales assistant, a cashier, or even a toilet cleaner? All these jobs need to be done and they make our life better, cleaner, healthier and more enjoyable. Why then look down upon them and pay them so little?
If KLCC and other leading shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur are meant for tourists, then wouldn’t tourists appreciate a window to the local people, the local language, the local culture, and the local service? How is Malaysia to preserve her identity if foreign workers are employed in positions that have the most direct contact with the public?
The government must adopt policies that make all kinds of honest work attractive, appreciated and properly rewarded. No type of honest work should be deemed as too lowly. After all, every worker who does his or her job in a way that meets the highest possible standard is a professional.
Marisa Demori
Ipoh

Salam 1430, Hello 2009

english.aljazeera.net
Nothing like a new year, that literally arrived with a 'bang', to jolt me into write a new post and to make a timely 'make-over'.
To welcome 1430H and to mark the continuing bombardment of Gaza, I took the liberty of lifting a piece of art by Gaza artists that "reflect on 60 years of human rights" from www.menassat.com to replace the image of "the wall" for 2008.
Any one of us with a shred of conscience and who cherish our inalienable rights as citizens of a sovereign nation would be able to empathize with the plight of the Palestinians who are denied of "human rights in living, personal safety, work, health, education, decision making, not to mention freedom of speech, of opinion, of travel, the right to dignity, citizenship, nationality and control over one's own fate."
I pray that these continued attacks on innocent civilians will cease and that this humanitarian catastrophe will finally rally the Arab and Muslim nations to fight for the Palestinians' rights to sovereignty, dignity, stability and self-sufficiency, if not prosperity yet.
On the home front, high on my new year's wish list is to see less foreign workers who can't even communicate in English, let alone the national language, to serve as security guards, cashiers at gas stations and servers at other "altars" of American cultural, economic and political imperialism such as McDonald's, Bubba Gump, and what-have-you.
I heard over BERNAMA Radio 93.9FM that the Ministry of Human Resource was 'considering' to reduce the work permits given to foreign workers, correct me if I'm wrong, but I think now is not the time for 'considering' any more but for enforcing a national policy of 'Hire Malaysians First' in light of growing unemployment and global economic recession, among other calamities.
Lastly, here's an article by Deena Guzder, retrieved from http://www.muzzlewatch.com/2008/12/31/gaza-and-the-us-corporate-media/, that repudiates the myth of American Jewish support as monolithic.
Published on Tuesday, December 30, 2008 by CommonDreams.org
Lights Out in Gaza, News Blackout in US
by Deena Guzder
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have decried Israel’s continued aerial bombing campaign as unlawful and denounced the killing of more than 300 Palestinians since 27 December, including scores of unarmed civilians not taking part in the hostilities. Israel’s attacks on the densely populated Gaza Strip also elicited condemnation from numerous world politicians and sparked protests in global cities.
Despite international outcry over escalating violence, the U.S. mainstream media continues to privilege a prepackaged narrative in which Israel’s actions are never disproportionate, never counterproductive and certainly never gratuitous. According to the mainstream media, the U.S. must continue uncompromisingly supporting Israel because the allegedly beleaguered democracy is held hostage by monomaniacal Islamofascists who are inherently evil. Promoting a paradigm in which Israel is always David up against Goliath, the U.S. media presents suffering Palestinians as expendable for the greater cause of Israel winning its epic struggle. To justify U.S.’s carte blanche to Israel, the mainstream media restricts American readers to an echo chamber in which the following claims are repeated ad nausem until they are mistaken for fact:
1. Israel has a legal and moral right to bomb Gaza out of defense Security concerns are not and never have been a tolerable justification for pre-emptive attacks. Israel’s decision to bomb Gaza represents a major assault on the international rule of law. The law of occupation is one of the oldest and most developed branches of international humanitarian law. An occupying power is obliged to follow the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects the civilian population. The United Nations Security Council held in 1979 that the Fourth Convention did apply in the territories seized by Israel in 1967. Article 48 of the additional protocol is clear that Israel, as an occupying power, has obligations: “The Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objective.” The latest Israeli attacks come on top of a brutal siege of the Gaza Strip which has created a humanitarian catastrophe of dire proportions for Gaza’s beleaguered Palestinian residents by restricting the provision of food, fuel, medicine, electricity, and other necessities of life. “International law is not observed with respect to Israeli policies towards the Gaza Strip, Israel continues to reinforce an occupation whose every element violates international humanitarian law, and particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention,” notes Jeff Halper, an Israeli-American Anthropologist, author, lecturer, political activist, and co-founder and Coordinator of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions.
2. Israeli citizens live in constant fear of Hamas rockets Since 2005 Hamas has fired some 6,300 rockets from Gaza at Israel, killing 10 people.[1] In just the last four days, Israel has reduced the Gaza Strip to rubble and killed over 300 Palestinians. During the ongoing four-decade-long brutal occupation of historic Palestine and the recent grotesquely inhumane blockade of Gaza, Palestinian deaths have far outnumbered Israeli deaths. Since September 29, 2000, approximately 123 Israeli children have been killed by Palestinians whereas 1,050 Palestinian children have been killed by Israelis. Since September 29, 2000, a total of 1,062 Israelis and no fewer than 4,876 Palestinians were killed in the conflict.[2]
3. Hamas refuses to recognize the right of Israel to exist and has never made any concessions As Seth Ackerman of Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) notes, there is no need to euphemize Hamas’ history of brutal tactics or its bellicose ideology, but Hamas has signaled its potential willingness to accept a two-state settlement and make other concessions to broker peace.[3] Hamas has also made tentative offers of a long-term “hudna,” or truce, albeit with less gusto than Israel demands.
4. Israel is only targeting Hamas headquarters Gaza, one of the most densely populated tracts of land in the world, is home to about 1.3m Palestinians, about 33% of whom live in United Nations-funded refugee camps.[4] Avoiding civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip during aerial raids is comparable to trying to avoid such casualties in Washington DC, New York City or Los Angeles. “Because Gaza is so densely populated, there is no such thing as precision strike - you have glass, brick, shrapnel flying into people’s homes,” notes Ewa Jasiewicz, a volunteer with the Free Gaza Movement.[5]
5. Attacking Hamas will help Israel achieve security There is no doubt that the recent attacks will only embolden and multiply Israel’s detractors. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei issued a religious decree to Muslims around the world on Sunday, ordering them to defend Palestinians against Israel’s attacks on Gaza. For a second day in Jordan, several thousand protesters gathered in Amman and burned Israeli and American flags.[6] There were similar rallies in Egypt, Syria, Libya and Iraq with many calling for a firm response from their leaders. Hamas’ military is barely dented by the Israeli attacks and, according to a poll by Israel’s Channel 10 television station, only 6% of Israelis believe its governments aerial bombings will end Hamas’ rocket attacks. [7]
6. The Bush administration has the implicit support of the international community in blaming Hamas “thugs” and applauding Israel’s show of defense With the exception of the U.S. and her staunchest allies, the international community has largely condemned Israel’s attacks. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov called on Israel to “urgently halt” its military campaign. Japan’s Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone said, “Japan calls on Israel to exercise its utmost self-restraint.” China’s Vice-Premier Li Kequiang joined the voices urging a halt to violence and said, “The Chinese side is shocked and seriously concerned over the current military operations in Gaza that have caused a large number of death and injuries.”[8] Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi similarly stated, “Malaysia deplores the disproportionate use of military power by Israel against the people of Gaza.” French President Nicolas Sarkozy, whose country holds the European Union presidency, told the Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas of his serious concerns about the escalating violence. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon added his voice to the 15-member Security Council’s call for an immediate end to hostilities and urged Israel to allow humanitarian aid into the poverty-stricken territory.[9] Humanitarian organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reiterate their call for an end to reckless and unlawful Israeli attacks against densely populated residential areas.
7. The attacks on Gaza are supported by the entire Jewish community Jewish Voice for Peace joins millions around the world, including the 1,000 Israelis who protested in the streets of Tel Aviv this weekend, in condemning ongoing Israeli attacks on Gaza. The organization calls for an immediate end to attacks on all civilians, whether Palestinian or Israeli. In the face of mounting deaths, several Israeli and American Jewish peace groups are protesting the recent air raids by demonstrating in the streets, petitioning their elected officials and directly reaching out to Palestinian civilians. Groups that are encouraging peace between Palestinians and Israelis include Rabbis for Human Rights, B’Tselem, Bat Shalom, Ta’ayush, Yesh-Gvul, Peace Gush Shalom Tikkun, and many others. While there is no consensus in the Jewish community on the recent Gaza air raids, the underreported efforts of the Jewish “left” is far from negligible; Jewish Voices of Peace claims more than 10,000 members and has been instrumental in drawing attention to the lopsided media coverage through their “Lights out in Gaza, News Blackout in U.S.” campaign. Many of these Jewish peace activists are deeply religious and draw on the Torah to support their stand against Israel’s attack on Gaza. The media has extensively covered the Israeli settlers who cheer on Israel’s more hawkish actions, but little has been written on dissident Israeli Jews and their American Jewish sympathizers who are advocating a more peaceful, non-violent course.
The mainstream media is culpable for American’s ongoing ignorance and knee-jerk loyalty to Israel. Instead of elucidating motives and contextualizing actions, reporters’ biased diction obscures facts and editors’ cursory commentary muddles logic. By de-historicizing the conflict, the media reduces Palestinians to stock-characters who reject generous olive branches offered by Israel in favor of advocating for the dissolution of the Jewish state. A column by Israeli Gideon Levy in Haaretz, entitled “The neighborhood bully strikes again,” could never appear in a paper in the U.S nor could a single paragraph be uttered by any American politician, in either party, of any national prominence without damning consequences.[10]
While visiting Israel in July, President-elect Barack Obama said, “If somebody was sending rockets into my house where my two daughters sleep at night, I would do everything to stop that, and would expect Israel to do the same thing.” The question remains, what would Obama do if his daughters were deprived of food, electricity, medical care, and human dignity? What would Obama do if his daughters were humiliated when they traveled, maimed when they walked away from bomb shelters and robbed of their childhoods? If Obama fails to answer these questions with humanity, we can expect 4 to 8 more years of President Bush’s failed Middle East strategy.
Notes:
[1] Wall Street Journal (Asia Edition), Editorial, December 30, 2008 (http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123051140769338457.html)
[2] If Americans Only Knew http://www.ifamericansonlyknew.org/
[3] Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=2974
[4] BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/middle_east/03/v3_israel_palestinians/maps/html/population_settlements.stm
[5] Evening Standard (London) http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23608798-details/Defiant+Palestinians+fire+rockets+deep+into+Israel/article.do
[6] BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7803569.stm
[7] TIME Magazine http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1868929,00.html
[8] AFP News, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iWdYoZ5ATqNC6YY2jiHKiBQ0D5FA
[9] AFP News, http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iWdYoZ5ATqNC6YY2jiHKiBQ0D5FA
[10] Salon.com http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/12/28/peretz/
Guzder works for TIME Asia magazine in Hong Kong and is a dual-degree graduate of Columbia University’s School of Journalism and School of International and Public Affairs. Please feel free to email her at dg2190@columbia.edu

No, we can't!

Obama's response to questions about Ahmedinejad's congratulatory letter on Awani Global really put a damper on my euphoric state over his victory.
Israeli's relevance to the US? Hmm ...
Obama: A nuclear-armed Iran would be 'unacceptable'
Nov. 7, 2008
JPost.com Staff, THE JERUSALEM POST
In his first press conference since securing the United States presidency on Tuesday, Sen. Barack Obama said Friday that a nuclear-armed Iran would be "unacceptable."
Asked whether he responded to the letter of congratulation from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad - the first instance of an Iranian leader congratulating an American president-elect since the Islamic Revolution which brought the ayatollahs to power in 1979 - Obama said "I am aware that the letter was sent," adding that so soon after the election there had been no time to "review the letter and respond as appropriate."
Obama also said that Iran's support of terror groups "must cease," and that the US must mount "an international effort to keep [Iran's acquiring nuclear weapons] from happening."
His opening speech at the conference implied that the global economic crisis would be one of the first matters to be tackled after his inauguration on January 20, 2009.
Regarding both the Iranian issue and the economy, Obama reminded reporters that the US "can only have one president at a time," and that US President George W. Bush's administration was still the US government until his inauguration.
Regarding Iran, Obama said "I want to be very careful that we are sending the right signals to the world as a whole that I am not the president and I won't be until January 20th," and avoided outlining a policy whilst Bush remains in power.
Asked what would be his current response to the Bush administration's handling of the economy, Obama said "the critical tone that has to be struck by all of us right now is the American people need help, the economy needs help, and now is a good time to set politics aside for a while and think practically what would actually work to help."
He said the middle class would be the demographic most in need of help, saying 95 percent of Americans would benefit from his economic agenda.
Obama said he and his wife Michelle were "graciously" invited by Bush and his wife Laura to visit the White House.
Asked about consulting with former US presidents, Obama said he met with all former presidents "who are living," including Republican George Bush, father of the current president and the man who presided over Operation Desert Storm in Iraq in the early 1990s.
Obama said he also read the biographies of former presidents and cited former US president Abraham Linclon as "an extraordinary inspiration."
Finally, a reporter asked what breed of dog the Obamas will bring to the White House, a question that seems to be high on the mind of Americans, according to Obama. He said the family considered taking a dog from a shelter, but eventually decided against taking a dog that would be "a mutt like me," referring to his mixed Caucasian and African lineage.

Yes, we can!

Finally, I'm compelled to write about a historic occasion after a two month hiatus.
(Never mind the Hari Raya prayers at the Shah Alam mosque, the Sultan's and MB's open houses; they are now a distant memory. But wait ... I can still recall the irate "taxpayer" (I presume) at the Istana who objected to the rakyat entering through the side gate, and not the main gate, and the attractive young woman in her tube dress that just about covered her 'endowments'. I certainly hope that Khalid Ibrahim is still pursuing his vision of a zero-poverty state based on the Caliphate Economic Model that he shared with me two Hari Rayas ago at Anwar Ibrahim's house in Bukit Damansara. And I pray that he values ALL his supporters, including the single mother of two endearing boys, a 12 year old and an infant, who was willing to pay RM80 for cab fare to and from Taman Tun Razak to attend his 'rumah terbuka').
Well, I guess I'm just another sucker for emotional appeals in political campaign speeches but I had to wipe tears from the corner of my eyes upon hearing both McCain's concession and Obama's victory speeches.
(With the amount of campaign money raised and media coverage on the Republican and Democratic candidates, I have completely forgotten that I had rooted for Ralph Nader, the real McCoy and the genuine article, in 2004. Tell me all about 'agenda setting function' of the media.)
Although I had my share of flak for politicians, I do admire their magnanimity and grace in the face of defeat as well as their astuteness in encapsulating their thoughts while endearing themselves to their constituencies at very such notice.
I had managed to sneak away to follow the US presidential election results at the Renaissance earlier today. It was indeed a poignant moment - not just for the African Americans, but for all US, and perhaps global, citizens.
Throughout his speech, I pictured a son of a white American woman from the counter-cultural generation who had an eclectic background. Never would anyone imagine that he will be the 44th commander-in-chief of the US of A.
What remain etched in my mind, though, was his call for American patriotism to forge unity and reconciliation. Let's hope he'll able to live up to his campaign promises before the various lobbyists, neo-cons or neo-libs close in on him.
Congratulations, Mr Prez-elect!

Selamat jalan, semoga impianmu menjadi kenyataan

I wonder if any mother could hold back her tears when parting with her daughters, or sons, for that matter.
NIA finally left for the Big Apple (NY, NY) at 8:50AM on flight MH090. Tears welled up as I said goodbye and wished her all the best for her life ahead.
It seems like only yesterday when she was a rambunctious kid; today, she's a dewy eyed young adult chasing her dreams.
(Updated on 27/08/08)
NIA called at 10:38AM to say that she arrived at Newark late due to flight delay. She had to share the shuttle to Sheraton Meadowland, NJ, with two 'cold' and 'cliquish' fraulines. However, she's getting along swell with roommates from Brazil (the girls from Ipanema are sure hot, eh?). The city tour was 'awesome' and she'll be in Manhattan or Long Island by Thursday afternoon (Eastern time). I could hardly wait to revisit NYC and Boston.
http://www.motherdaughterdance.com/grouchy.jpg

The 11th Hour

And so the saga continues in Malaysian political telenovela/soap opera. Last night, Malaysians celebrated the "opening up" of the public sphere or democratic space by the historic televised debate between Anwar Ibrahim and Shabery Cheek. This afternoon, they were shocked by the dramatic arrest of the former DPM, now the Parti KeADILan Rakyat's advisor, by Special Squad police personnel with balaclavas.
Talk about deja vu or is it a repeat of a highly rated episode?
In any case, I would like to alert those who have not watched the 11th Hour to do so, join the movement and reduce our addiction on consumer capitalism in general and dependency on fossil fuel in particular.
http://11thhouraction.com

Sepi the movie

Another product from Kabir Bhatia but with a slightly different 'take' on life, love and loneliness.
Although not as riveting as Cinta, Sepi's plot has its own twists and turns that made the audience sit up and made sense of some of its scenes.
In a nutshell, it is a narrative of three people's lives that intersected at one fateful moment and unravelled from then on.
Adam, a chef, realised that he should marry the woman he loves rather than settle for the one who loves him; Sufi, a shoe maker, ran from the memories that haunted him to a destiny denied; and Imaan, a playwright, woke from a coma to bid farewell to her past and greet her future.
Syed Hussein as Ean was convincing as the persistent suitor to Baizura Kahar's feisty Imaan while Pierre Andre's Khalif was a self-effacing 'phantom' who was jealous of her new relationship yet not bold enough to stake his claim.
Muhammad Riefqie's Ashraff was credible as a grieving yet discerning child.
http://www.sepithemovie.com/

The morning after ...

I must confess that I did join the hordes of motorists who waited in the long queus for last minute fill ups at petrol kiosks last night.
Not so much to take advantage of the pre-revised price*, but simply because my tank was almost empty.
It pained me though to observe the dependency of local motorists on their vehicles, or other 'wonders' of technology for that matter, for their sense of identity or social status.
Perhaps the exorbitant price increase will force us to change and adopt a more eco-friendly life style after all.
Perhaps, from here on, some of my colleagues will stop feeling sorry for me when they see me walking from home to office and back.
Correct me if I'm wrong but economists such as Amartya Sen and Inayatullah have long advocated austere or frugal development policies so as to be kind to our wallets, souls, and Mother Nature.
*For those who don't have to pay for their own petrol consumption, the price of unleaded petrol went up by 41% or 78 sen per litre effective June 5 2008.
=========================================================================================Here's a short excerpt from an article "The freedom to be frugal" by Molly Scott Cato, a lecturer at the University of Wales Institute in Cardiff. She is economics spokesperson for the Green Party in England and Wales and was one of the party's candidates for Wales in the 2004 elections to the European Parliament.
"An unexpected consequence of the relative definition of poverty and the growth dynamic that underlies it is the loss of another freedom: the freedom to be poor. In response to the realisation that the level of consumption of most citizens in the developed world is a threat to the survival of our species, some environmentalists have adopted a frugal lifestyle, yet this can result in disapproval from their neighbours. In an article called 'Poor not Different', the German economist Wolfgang Sachs tells of a visit he made to Mexico City shortly after the 1985 Earthquake. He was impressed by the restoration that had been carried out:
We had expected ruins and resignation, decay and squalor, but our visit had made us think again: there was a proud neighbourly spirit, vigorous activity with small building co-operatives everywhere; we saw a flourishing shadow economy. But at the end of the day, indulging in a bit of stock-taking, the remark finally slipped out: 'It's all very well, but, when it comes down to it, these people are still terribly poor.' Promptly, one of our companions stiffened: 'No somos pobres, somos Tepitanos' ('We are not poor people, we are Tepitans') ... I had to admit to myself in embarrassment that, quite involuntarily, the clichés of development philosophy had triggered my reaction. (Sachs, 1992: 161)
The insult was created by Sachs's assumption that he could impose an objective judgement of poverty, that he could decide from the outside the acceptable standard of living, that he could deprive the Tepitans of their right to be poor. As Sachs concludes, "The stereotyped talk of 'poverty' fails to distinguish, for example, between frugality, destitution and scarcity ... Frugality is the mark of cultures free from the frenzy of accumulation." His conclusion about the Mexican village where he was working was that 'Poverty here is a way of life maintained by a culture which recognizes and cultivates a state of sufficiency; sufficiency only turns into demeaning poverty when pressurized by an accumulating society.' (Sachs, 1992: 161)
Readers can access the full article at http://www.feasta.org/documents/review2/cato.htm

Start Your Day with P.O.P and Change the World!

The International Museum of Women (I.M.O.W), a non-profit and non-partisan organization, is spearheading an important online campaign to inspire women around the world to connect with other women and spark a global dialogue around the issue of why women's political power matters.
The Power of Politics Campaign (P.O.P) in conjunction with I.M.O.W.'s new global online exhibition Women, Power and Politics is asking women around the world to take part in the exhibition and educate themselves about why women's political participation makes a difference in every woman's life.
The exhibition will showcase historical and contemporary political stories about women in provocative ways just as the spotlight intensifies on groundbreaking campaigns, elections, and leadership of women from Argentina to the United States. The exhibition runs from March 8 - December 31, 2008 in four languages: Arabic, French, English, and Spanish at www.imow.org
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Did You Know?
The United States ranks 67th globally in including women in high-ranking political representation? That means that only 16% of the U.S. Congress is comprised of women.*
Out of 200 countries in the world, less than 40 have ever had a woman as a prime minister or president.*
By understanding the historical role of women in politics and learning how women today can influence politics to transform the futures of women and girls, facts such as these will hopefully become obsolete as women ascend to more powerful positions in various political arenas around the world.
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The P.O.P campaign has 5 really easy steps that women can take TODAY to help increase their political knowledge, inspire each other to become active in the political process and support women who are interested in running for both informal and formal political positions worldwide:
Step 1: Connect with the Women, Power and Politics global online community of people who are talking to each other 24 hours, 7 days a week about the role of women in politics and how they can use their individual power to help other women.
Step 2: Share with us how politics has shaped your life by submitting stories, poetry, art, photography, political cartoons and/or music to our Women, Power and Politics exhibition at www.imow.org. Your submission may be chosen to be included in the worldwide exhibition!
Step 3: Take Action in your own community or help a woman in another country by connecting with one of our community partners at www.imow.org. Here you can connect with various organizations and learn how to run for political office, tap into political networks and register to vote among other life-changing activities.
Step 4: Spread the word to your family, friends and colleagues and promote the P.O.P campaign on blogs, your MySpace and Facebook pages and any other online network to which you belong. You can also create links to www.imow.org.
Step 5: Donate to the International Museum of Women and help us to continue our work to inspire and connect women around the world at www.imow.org.
Take one step or all five and help women globally learn about the importance of the Power of Politics in her life today! Thank you for your support.
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Note:
* Statistics provided by (1) The Interparlimentary Union Report, 2006 based on U.S. House of Representatives and (2) International Museum of Women Independent Research from the Women, Power and Politics Exhibition 2008.

An Interview With An 80-year-old Woman

The local news station was interviewing an 80-year-old lady because she had just gotten married -- for the fourth time.
The interviewer asked her questions about her life, about what it felt like to be marrying again at 80, and then about her new husband's occupation.
"He's a funeral director," she answered.
"Interesting," the newsman thought. He then asked her if she wouldn't mind telling him a little about her first three husbands and what they did for a living.
She paused for a few moments, needing time to reflect on all those years. After a short time, a smile came to her face and she answered proudly, explaining that she'd first married a banker when she was in her early 20s, then a circus ringmaster when in her 40s, later on a preacher when in her 60s, and now in her 80s, a funeral director.
The interviewer looked at her, quite astonished, and asked why she had married four men with such diverse careers.
She smiled and explained, "I married one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go."
Just hope this joke doesn't offend anyone's sensibility!

Interlude: Happy Mother's Day

(Dedicated to all mothers, biological or otherwise)
Airmata Ibu
Artist: Siti Nurhaliza
Lirik Lagu
Apakah sebenarnya
Terbuku dikalbumu
Apakah erti linang airmata di pipimu
Ucapkanlah padaku
Tak bisa kurungkainya
Rahsia yang kau pendam itu
Aku hanya menduga
Tidak mampu merasa
Sebenar-benar perasaanmu
Pengorbanan yang kau lakukan
Untuk dewasakan ku
Pengorbanan yang kau lakukan
Untuk dewasakanku
Hanya bisa ditanggung oleh hati ibu
Namun kupercaya
Takkan terlerai kasih
Ikatan ini takkan putus
Telah kau telan lara
Dan terima segala
Dugaan dan badai yang melanda...
Duhai ibu
It's been four years since Mak left us and I hope she will find perpetual peace in His Garden, fragrant with her favourite jasmine (melur). Just like Yat who breathed her last when I was taking a break outside the room of the krankenhaus in Bonn 14 years ago, Mak passed away in UH when I went home to refresh myself. I read somewhere that most people don't want the person they love most to see them die.
I hope that's how special I was to Mak and Yat coz I remembered how the nurses (both in KL, and Bonn) would tell me that how Mak, and Yat, would look forward to my extended visits and care-giving. One of them said that Mak would refuse to open her eyes until I arrived at her ward. Mak, forgive me for being so stubborn, for making the wrong life choices, for buckling under pressure while we were under the same roof and for just about anything that caused you to shed a tear.
AL-MU'MIN Surah No. 40 Verse No. 39
"Wahai kaumku! Sesungguhnya kehidupan dunia ini hanyalah kesenangan (untuk sementara waktu sahaja), dan sesungguhnya hari akhirat itulah sahaja negeri yang kekal."
Translations by Abdullah Yusuf Ali
"O my people! This life of the present is nothing but (temporary) convenience: It is the Hereafter that is the Home that will last."
Amin.

Waiting For Godot* (Part 1)

Picking up the thread from my former colleague ("Everyone's a fan" blogger Sheih, http://kickdefella.wordpress.com/2008/04/28/sheih-on-sheih-persona-non-grata-years-the-beginning-of-the-end), I too felt like indulging in some stream of consciousness ramblings.
For one, I need to clear my head after checking the nth exam script that spewed back what I had delivered in my lectures.
And for another, I'm looking forward to 'find my inner success nature' from this Masters of Success session that I'll be attending tomorrow (refer to flyer).
So, here goes ...
It was one of those evenings when TF was in the mood for 'readings'. She shuffled and laid the tarot cards on the table, turned them and looked straight into her eyes: "There's a king on a horse and ... a 'hang' man". A 'hang' man or a 'hung' man, as in a 'hung' jury? "A hang man - his hands and feet are tied, he's hung upside down from a tree, unable to move."
That was must have been more than five years ago. And yet, rewind to ten, 15, 20 years ..... "the-beginning-of-the-end", the liberation, the rennaissance, the renewal, a 'new dawn'?
It felt so great to be free from the sham and the shackle that for the next years that she was away, she relished the freedom and the solitude, even on winter mornings when the void and the loneliness just gnawed deep at her gut. Then she would just put on her coat, get out and let the cold wind brush against her cheeks. Tears were so rare - like rain in the desert - they hardly ever flowed.
It was flattering to have admirers (at a safe distant, not too close, and certainly not intimate). "Ah! They're attached anyway". Even after they had 'unattached' themselves, she hardly ever thaw. "It's just too complicated, with me at grad school, the kids at grade school, the cultural differences, yadda, yadda ..."
And so began the pull between desire and resistance, the need for companionship and the fear of intimacy, the risk of being hurt and betrayed, the never ending circumnavigating but never stopping, never braking, no making of decision, no taking of action. Just looking from a distance, from outside looking in at other people's lives, at the attempts, the gestures ... immobilised, paralysed, in a limbo, a perpetual liminal state.
Four years, and it was time to say goodbye. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, to have caused so much pain, even if it was from a distance." She was sad, and glad, to leave. She wished she had accepted all the help, the favors, the protection, the love offered to her. How different her life story, her narrative, her script, would be. Yet, she was glad she hadn't, or "could you imagine how difficult it would be to leave, or to stay for that matter"?
Would she still be who she is if she had been the subservient assistant, the docile companion, the disempowered damsel in distress?
She was proud that she made it on her own all those years, and yet her pride and stubbornness had ruined her chances at success. Never mind the sabotages (and self-sabotage). She crinched at the thought of failure; she had wished that the earth would just open up and swallowed her and she never had to face the whispers, the talks behind her back, the snide remarks.
Back home, and it was like walking back into the prison that she had tried to escape by taking the plunge, when she knew she shouldn't ("But he had begged me, and said he couldn't live without me; how could I ever leave someone who is so needy of me?"). Everyday, she was reminded: "What will people think? What will people say? Pray, earn your living (the honest way), take care of your kids, your siblings' kids, so people won't talk." Forget my own needs, put others' needs before mine, be the 'Madonna' on the rock, be the Rock!
And so the years went by, and she told herself (at the slightest sign of complication) that it was simpler and more efficient to be alone - she could read that book, she could attend that conference, she could write that manuscript.
And watching some of her friends and family members getting hitched again, and 'unhitched' again (with more responsibilities in tow), made her glad that she made the decision, or in her case, NOT make ANY decision to change her status. "Well, if they want me bad enough, they can woo, propose, get-down-on-their-knees". But time or circumstances have changed since AI wooed her, and the few attempts she made at taking initiatives at forging relationships were awkward and embarassing. So, it's better safe than sorry!
"Why give my heart and feelings away, be vulnerable, risk rejection and expose myself to possible manipulation, humiliation and even exploitation?"
But having your life suspended, hanging (albeit metaphorically) from a tree with your hands and feet bound for such a long time can cause severe paralysis!
So, will she be able to cut the invisible ropes that wound around her and set herself free from this self-imposed 'isolation' that had held her back and kept her from taking positive action all these years?

Go Blue N Green

Trying to assuage your guilt at leaving carbon footprints and accumulating carbon credit by posting a "cut and paste(d)" piece, eh?
Well, I am also trying hard at separating the garbage, recycling, taking my shopping bag and declining the plastics whenever I can.
Things I'd like to do next would be to start a compost heap, an herbal garden and an organic farm (Don't pray, pray; I will get to that soon enough!)
So here's somethin' from StopGlobalWarming.org:
This Earth Day brings much welcomed coverage by the mainstream press of the environment with cover stories in TIME (see below).

The cover story, written by Bryan Walsh, is a call-to-arms, making the case that the U.S. can no longer afford to sit out the fight against global warming. The piece outlines a number of important steps in the battle against global warming, including establishing an effective cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions, tougher energy-efficiency mandates and significant new investment in green technologies.
Click here to read the full story
StopGlobalWarming.org

Blue is the new green

Want to stop global warming? Wear BLUE for Earth Day 2008! Join millions of people around the world who will be wearing BLUE to signify their vote for NO COAL. Events will be happening April 19th through April 22nd, so...
If you’re attending the Earth Day event on the National Mall in Washington, DC on April 20th, wear BLUE.
If you’re attending another major Earth Day event, wear BLUE.
When you dress in the morning on Earth Day, wear BLUE.
No matter what you’re doing for Earth Day 2008, wear BLUE.
A BLUE shirt, top, sweater or jacket... whatever. Just wear BLUE.
Then, on April 22, make your voice heard. Pick up the phone: Call Congress (or your MP) and ask for an immediate ‘Moratorium on Coal’ - a halt to the construction of any new conventional coal-fired power plants. Through this Call for Climate event, Earth Day hopes to generate over a million phone calls to Congress!
Your BLUE vote will count. Fifty-nine conventional coal plants were canceled in 2007. That’s over a third of the 151 planned. That happened before millions of people joined together to say No Coal.
BYOBlue for Earth Day 2008. Be the vote that tips the balance.

When the future comes knockin’ (at your door)

Many described the aftermath of the 12th GE as a political tsunami; while some others compared it to a new dawn. Still many others are reeling from the shock and trying to take stock of the new reality. As someone who had been waiting for a new beginning for more than a decade, I thank God that the voice of the subalterns are being heard and pray that the people’s choice will pave the way for a bright and shining future!
The times they are a-changin'
By Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside
And it is ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'

Gong Xi Fa Cai

http://www.care2.com/send/card
Well, I have yet to read and review my 'free' novel but managed to take a break from early semester schedule since most people around are on a holiday mood anyway.
Happy Lunar New Year to all friends and (acquired) family members who celebrate the cultural festival.
The Year of the Golden Rat has a special meaning for me since my late mother was born in the year of the Rat. Although she was no Rat (perhaps a Ratatouille), she had the misfortune of having to deal with many who were not even born in that year. Speaking of Real Life Rats (RLRs - of animal and human forms), I wonder if a person close to me should seek help (and if so, where?) for her phobia as a result of having encountered too many 'human rodents' in her past. It will certainly make her take incremental steps to change her solitary life to one that is more fulfilling.
In any case, here's a description of people born in this 'auspicious' year:
Rats are imaginative, honest, charming and generous - although they do have a tendency to be aggressive. They are expressive and talkative, yet keep their problems to themselves. The Rat is sensual and loving. They are very loyal and devoted to their families. They are quick-witted and get things done fast. They are confident and usually have good instincts. Stubborn as they are, they prefer to live by their own rules rather than others. They are very organized and talented. The Rat makes a good business person, politician, writer, critic or publicist.
Famous people born in the Year of the Rat:
Ursula Andress, Marlon Brando, Englebert Humperdinck, Burt Reynolds