Senandung Hidup Berbudi

Ombak lautan berombak

Mengapa mengubah pasir di pantai

Bayu bertiuplah bayu

Mengapa menjadi ribut dan badai

Begitu kita merancangkan

Belum pasti hadirnya kebahagiaan

Fahamlah apa itu takdir

Akan berseri hidup yang ditadbir

Hidup menggadai harta

Agar diri berharga

Janganlah kau salah mengerti

Kelak kau kan menggadai diri

Mencari penghormatan

Janganlah sampai terkorban

Yang mulia pasti kita hormati

Yang rendah jangan di hinakan

Tenang di air yang tenang

Jangan disangka boleh direnang

Kail panjanglah sejengkal

Janganlah lautan hendak diduga

Itulah pesan orang lama

Menjadi bekal pada yang berusaha

Ingatlah pepatah ini

Menjadi panduan hidup berbudi

See video : http://youtu.be/NLgGWSCPwqo

Spring

The last week has seen some beautiful sunny weather and my garden and neighbourhood is a riot of colours.......

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

An author I admire, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, the famous Colombian writer and a Nobel Prize winner for Literature, whose books 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' and 'Life in the Time of Cholera' I enjoyed immensely, has retired from public life for reasons of health. He has a form of cancer, which is terminal. He has sent a farewell letter to his friends.

It is recommended reading because it is moving to see how one of the best and most brilliant of writers of our time expresses himself and deals with sorrow. (Even if we wonder if this would have sounded twice as good in Spanish, let us enjoy the English version nonetheless. After all in an interview with Playboy Magazine in 1984 he categorically stated that his ' One Hundred Years of Solitude' was better in the English translation than in the original Spanish)

He writes:

If God, for a second, forgot what I have become and granted me a little bit more of life, I would use it to the best of my ability.

I wouldn't, possibly, say everything that is in my mind, but I would be more thoughtful of all I say.

I would give merit to things not for what they are worth, but for what they mean to express.

I would sleep little, I would dream more, because I know that for every minute that we close our eyes, we waste 60 seconds of light.

I would walk while others stop; I would awake while others sleep.

If God would give me a little bit more of life, I would dress in a simple manner, I would place myself in front of the sun, leaving not only my body, but my soul naked at its mercy.

To all men, I would say how mistaken they are when they think that they stop falling in love when they grow old, without knowing that they grow old when they stop falling in love.

I would give wings to children, but I would leave it to them to learn how to fly by themselves.

To old people I would say that death doesn't arrive when they grow old, but with forgetfulness.

I have learned so much with you all, I have learned that everybody wants to live on top of the mountain, without knowing that true happiness is obtained in the journey taken & the form used to reach the top of the hill.

I have learned that when a newborn baby holds, with its little hand,his father's finger, it has trapped him for the rest of his life.

I have learned that a man has the right and obligation to look down at another man, only when that man needs help to get up from the ground.

Say always what you feel, not what you think.

If I knew that today is the last time that that I am going to see you asleep, I would hug you with all my strength and I would pray to the Lord to let me be the guardian angel of your soul.

If I knew that these are the last moments to see you, I would say 'I love you'.There is always tomorrow, and life gives us another opportunity to do things right, but in case I am wrong, and today is all that is left to me, I would love to tell you how much I love you & that I will never forget you.

Tomorrow is never guaranteed to anyone, young or old.

Today could be the last time to see your loved ones, which is why you mustn't wait; do it today, in case tomorrow never arrives.

I am sure you will be sorry you wasted the opportunity today to give a smile, a hug, a kiss, and that you were too busy to grant them their last wish.

Keep your loved ones near you; tell them in their ears and to their faces how much you need them and love them.

Love them and treat them well; take your time to tell them 'I am sorry';' forgive me',' please' , 'thank you', and all those loving words you know.

Nobody will know you for your secret thought. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to express them.

Show your friends and loved ones how important they are to you.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Easter in London

My six-day Easter break in London was very pleasant. The early colours of spring were a beautiful sight. The apartment we stayed in directly faced Hyde Park and was about 100 meters from Kensington Palace. I truly enjoyed both Hyde Park and nearby Holland Park in all their spring glory.

A tour of Kensington Palace was made memorable as two days earlier I went to see the film “The Young Victoria’ about the Queen's early accession to the throne at 18. It made my tour more interesting as I could relate the events I saw in the film with the real setting. Also on display in the Palace were several of Princess Diana's dresses she wore to special functions. There was also an elaborate exhibition on 'debutantes'.

My two boys and my charge enjoyed discovering London on their own. We enjoyed ‘The Lion King’, though I thought the New York production was a lot better. My charge complained that 'Joseph and the Magic Technicolour Dream’ was done in modern costumes and was rather raunchy but he enjoyed it all the same.

We went on a day trip to Oxford where I pointed him Wadham College to which I belonged as a student and my hostel, Queen Elizabeth House on St. Giles Street. Alas only the main building remained (I had a room under the gable in that building during my first few months there until it got so cold I demanded a room in the hostel block), the lovely garden and hostel block have made way for bigger buildings. It rained all the time while we were in Oxford but our visit bought back may happy memories of my days there.

I had thought that the economic recession would see less people in London, but it was jammed packed all the some with visitors. The only people obviously missing were the Americans!

On Saturday, some 100,000 Tamils took to London’s busiest centre to demonstrate their cause, creating a lot of inconveniences with traffic standstill and jammed underground! Well I have my views about that!

It was also good to catch up with Heather, Amanda, Erin, Evert and Bill. The boys whipped up two dinners at the apartment and they were well-appreciated by them. Evert even took home the rest of the beef rendang!

I don't know when I will ever be in London again....

Springtime Sunday in an English Park

Have you ever spend a leisurely Sunday in an English park in early Spring? Well, below is what's it was like for me last weekend in Hyde Park Kensington, London. Nothing so wonderful as an English park!

Mercy Ships

Last night I was invited to a charity dinner for MERCY SHIPS by my friend Stephane, owner of the beautiful Payerne Golf Club. It was a very pleasant gathering of some 130 members of the Golf Club with good food, flamenco dances, and interesting music provided by one talented man using all sorts of non-musical instruments. Incredible!Dear Stephane (who really looks like a young George Hamilton) has been very active with Mercy Ships and he was donating all proceeds from yesterday to the organization. My Canadian colleagues Robert and Marilyn were also there and Marilyn told me how she spent six days in the ship last month during one of its call at an African port. That had inspired her to organise another charity event on 6 June at her residence to raise funds for a newly-bought ship which was now being furbished for operations in two years time to ply Asia. How noble.

Stephane had also invited me to put up a Malaysian Evening at his club and this will take place on 18 April, together with an all-day friendly golf tournament for which I have agreed to sponsor symbolic prizes for the best 15 players. Malaysia Airlines has sponsored 2 return tickets Frankfurt-KL, and YTL a two-night stay at their Tanjong Jara Resort for the lucky draw winners at the evening. The response to the golf and dinner has been extremely wonderful. Stephane and I look forward to a successful occasion.

Meanwhile here are some information about Mercy Ships below.

Imagine a ship crewed by doctors, nurses, water engineers and agriculturalists visiting some of the world’s poorest countries. Now imagine their life-changing services offered free of charge…
Right now dedicated volunteers from around the world are bringing hope and healing to thousands of people who could never have believed it possible. Welcome to Mercy Ships, a compassionate response to a world where many have lost hope.

Mercy Ships is a global charity that has operated hospital ships in developing nations since 1978. Mercy Ships brings hope and healing to the forgotten poor by mobilizing people and resources worldwide, and serving all people without regard for race, gender, or religion. Our Crew of both professional medical and non-medical volunteers have chosen a very powerful way to share their blessings.Mercy Ships has chosen to follow the 2,000 year-old model of Jesus: the blind see, the lame walk, the mute speak, and the Good News (the nature and character of a loving God) is proclaimed and demonstrated among the poor.Mercy Ships welcomes individuals that seek to engage in our mission of hope either by volunteering with our Crew or in the sharing of personal relationships and resources. Not everyone can give of themselves as volunteers, but your support for our cause can make a difference in the lives of the forgotten poor. Short-term volunteers can participate from two weeks to a year with Mercy Ships, while others may choose to serve in a longer capacity. The ability to utilize professional volunteers as Crew allows Mercy Ships to maximize our donor support and serve those who need help the most.
http://www.mercyships.org/get-to-know-us

The Boy from Brazil

I had the privilege to live in South America for over three years from 1999 to 2002. I found the experience very interesting, rewarding and enjoyable though I was and am always sad and disturbed by the history of Latin America. Just watch the movie “The Mission’ or read about what the colonials did to the lnca civilisation and you will understand what I mean. I once had a rather emotional argument with my Mexican friend Armando over the colonization of Latin America!

I have a lot of empathy with the Peruvians, the people of my host country. The country is so rich with both human and natural resources and so diverse in its geography; it should be a very rich and developed nation (it had been referred to as 'a poor man sitting on a pot of gold'). But there is such a large gap between the majority poor and the minority rich, and there is hardly any middle class.

I will write about Peru another time.

During the three years, I managed to visit several Latin American countries – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Columbia and Mexico. I really wanted to visit Cuba but by the time I planned it I had health problems and soon enough had to return to Malaysia. Today South America seem so far away and I am hesitant to make such a long flight there. But if I have just one more chance to visit one destination in that continent I will choose Brazil In May 2002, I went on a week’s holiday to Brazil, five days in Rio de Janeiro and two days in Sao Paulo . It was a thoroughly enjoyable and memorable experience. I had originally arranged to go during the carnival period in February. The tour agent had warned me that prices could increase without notice due to the heavy demand. Well, after the unreasonable 3rd increase I cancelled the trip. Anyway, much was said about how inconvenient and troublesome it was to be in Rio during the carnival.

So I went in May instead. I was alone and joined a couple of tours but for the rest went about on my own. I was pleasantly surprised to find how safe it was, how easy the pace of things, how relaxed, friendly and accomodating the people were, and what lovely food, especially seafood I could avail myself to. I guess the plus side was also that I was always assumed to be a Latino. And with my smattering of Spanish I got around well enough.

Rio was exciting and alive, especially along the Copacabana beach, even at 2 am in the morning. There were always people there – enjoying the outdoor atmosphere, exercising and just showing off their bodies – both the men and women. Body-beautiful is religion in Rio !

Sao Paulo seemed intimidating from reports and photos but I found it pleasant, bustling and exciting as well. I had absolutely no problem going around on my own, even in taxis.

The people of Brazil had to be some of the most beautiful and of interesting genetic combination you will come across. You see people of dark skin and curly hair with blue eyes (the photos are of a young boy who was in my boat cruise around Rio). And you see some dazzling blonds as well. Beauty too is religion in that country, so the peoplee are also a feast for the eyes.

I did see a mock up of the carnival in a theatrical presentation and it was as kitsch as can be. So just as well I gave the real thing a miss. Years ago I saw the film 'Orfeu Negro' set against the carnival in Rio and from which the famous song 'Manha de Carnival' originated. The film was made in 1959 and I am pretty sure half a century later today, Rio's carnival has not lost its intensity.