The Original 1Malaysia

Johore Bahru 1966 - Hoong Po (still in JB), Roem (all over the world, now finally back in KL), Willie (Canberra, Australia since 1969), Ranthir (UK, now Melbourne) - still best friends today and forever. Nothing new about 1Malaysia!

Shanghai sojourn

I recently spent six days in Shanghai, flying there on the 2nd day of Raya. I visited the Malaysian Pavilion at the World Expo (I won't comment about it except that everything else asides, we do get lots and lots of visitors, and perpetual long queues just to get inside the pavilion).It rained the first three days I was there and getting to and from the Expo was quite a hassle that I was just not bothered to visit many pavilions. Was glad I had a privileged tour of the Chinese Pavilion though. That was something else!

A day's outing to the heritage town of Zhouzhang with its ancient canals was most pleasant. Then onwards to Suzhou with its many lovely gardens.Shanghai was very impressive - clean and orderly despite the overwhelming crowd (17 millions inhabitants) but the haze of polluted air crowning the city and miles to the next cities around it was just too much. And upon my return home I finally succumbed to the exposure to the millions of people at the Expo and am now down with flu and cold! What misery!

Of Merdeka celebration, 1957 Hati Malaya and Shumi/Ami

Early this morning I attended the Merdeka celebration (celebrating the 53rd anniversary of Malaysia's independence from Britain) at Stadium Putra. Wow, what a lavish and colourful (and very loud) display of national pride. I couldn't help but get choked a little during the pledging led by a robust young Malaysian man, accompanied by representatives from various sectors of the population. Then on I had no problem waving the Malaysian flag which was supplied to us.
Yes indeed, Malaysians have a lot to be grateful for and proud of. And this coming from a very critical but steadfastly loyal Malaysian who had spent over a third of his life abroad, having seen and lived in many and visited countless countries around the world. Malaysia has its weaknesses and setbacks, but the positives really outweigh them all. I have been back in Malaysia only seven months and though the first few were difficult period of adjustments, I am now very settled into life in my own country again and WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY WE LIVE IN! We have built a peaceful and prosperous nation in merely 53 years when others take ages to achieve perhaps half what we have today. So, wake up Malaysians and be grateful you are born in a Malaysian and live in this country, the envy of many (otherwise why do we have 3 million foreign workers and millions of tourists annually!). I once asked a European who had lived here over 25 years what made her want to stay on here and she said that it was so easy to live here, we have everything and you can always easily get things done, one way or another. And the food, the food, the food lah! There you have it (Malaysia boleh ma!) On Sunday night, I finally got to watch the movie 1957 HATI MALAYA on TV2, advertisements and all! It was a moderate expose' of how we got our independence, and the story of our two national heroes, Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman. Let's face it, we are no Hollywood, and for what little budget they had, the movie was good, one of Shuhaimi Baba's best! Congratulations Ami, and for the awards and accolades too.

Shuhaimi Baba and I were classmates in Dr Vijaya Samarawickrama's 'Theatre Practice' course at the English Department of University Malaya way back in the 70s. We also took part in some drama productions under the baton of Joy Zinoman and Othman Hafsham. Those were really fun days, yeah! The media and others refer to her as Shumi but she's still Ami to me. Upon graduation we both joined RTM as assistant producers, me briefly and she for a longer period. I remember one day being yelled at by Ami (to please bloody make up my mind) from across her table when I announced I was not sure if working for RTM was something I wanted!

Well, I went to pursue another career (no regrets whatsoever!) and Ami went on to become a famous and respected movie director. I did bump into her from time to time.

A few weeks ago I attended a meeting in my new capacity, and she was also present, sitting opposite me on the other side of the table. I had not seen her in years and she looked good and with a youthful radiance. We exchanged news across the table (no yelling this time, haha!). I look forward to her next movie.

Meanwhile, MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

Thank God for being a Malaysian!

Salam Ramadhan

Assalammulaikum! Already five days into Ramadhan and I finally get to spend my weekend at home for a change after two consecutive weekends travelling. Quite blissful actually to just be home and not do much except reading and sleeping in between pottering in the garden and empytying and hanging up the washing - how deliciously mundane.

The first two days of fasting I could not find any Ramadhan bazaars (which is really absurd) coming back from work and ended up the first day buying cold lunch food from the traditional Indian-Muslim restaurant and on the second, pies and cakes from Secret Recipe! Quite pathetic really in terms of berbuka fare but how much could I eat anyway! The fourth night an abundance of food at my dear brother-in-law Long's house and last night even more food at brother Wes's house. He had a full house with his four children and their children and this lone uncle and it was such a merry, boisterous feel-good occasion plus the congregational Maghrib (where he recited a most beautiful and touching doa at the end of the prayer), Isyak and later terawikh prayers. What a truly happy and united family, bless them.

And bless everyone too, happy Ramadhan! May His multiple blessings be upon us.
See video : http://youtu.be/iQ3cqvlauLQ

Of stress, black tie, Fini and Penang!

What a day! I thought I was really work stressed-out. But at six pm my young charge called and said he was so stressed-out with his work he wished he could run to me for assurance! See how when you think you have it so bad, someone else have it worse!

A long, slow traffic crawl to the Swiss residence for their National Day reception and I stayed like 20 minutes and I left after gulping down some raw salads and apple juice. Sorry Urs, I prefer a quieter dinner with you some time!

At home, I spent some time searching for my black bow ties for tomorrow night's black tie dinner (why can't we just wear batik lah!). Called up Din and he agreed to loan me his, thank God for that. Now I can rest my mind with a a bit of blogging.

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My Swiss friend from Zurich, Marion, with daughter Fini who are here for their annual visit for summer vacation came to my office and we had lunch at the cafe. They wanted everything on the buffet table and loved everything. Fini didn't like the tapai ubi though! She had blossomed into one amazing beauty and would I am sure sweep the crown at any beauty pageant and give a very tough competition with Scarlett Johannson. Her father is Balinese and with Marion's chiseled features, gave her a distinct exotic beauty.

They brought me six bars of my favourite Swiss chocolates - yummy!

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Over the weekend I had a very pleasant one day stay in Penang. Haven't been there like in ten years and upon entering my hotel room in Batu Ferringhi with the stunning view I realised just how long it had been since I saw the sea. Must have been last in Eastbourne, England on new year's day this year.

Despite its rapid development, Penang still had plenty of charm. I love the shady drive along the majestic tree-lined roads passing many magnificent old mansions and buildings. The older town centre were charmingly quaint and I found some beautiful traditional block-printed batiks and walked away with five shirts!!

The next day a short visit to Sungai Pattani where I had lunch in an old-fashioned colonial club. Lovely fish curry! Then onwards to Alor Star where I checked into a rather non-descript Holiday Villa. Did not have much chance to see the town and by six pm I was on the road again to Kangar for an official function. It was a very loud affair (why does everything have to be so deafening load in Malaysia?) that gave my heart palpitations despite stuffing my ears with tissue papers. I left after two hours and made my way back to Alor Star to catch the early morning flight back to KL.

It was my very first vist to Alor Star and Kangar and may probably be my last too.

Coming weekend to Kuching. Alas not my favourite town either!

Family Day, and no more weekends

I joined my staff for a family day at a water park. It was a shady morning and they were enjoying themselves when I finally left after 2 and half hours. It was just too humid for me! Hardly two months into my new job I got to meet family members of my staff. I used to have 13 staff in Switzerland, and now it's 149! So far they have been very responsive and welcoming. I had warned them that my working style would be something they might not be used to, so it would be a question of adjustment and accommodation from both sides. Let's see how it works, so far so good.

I don't seem to have any more weekend to myself these days, always occupied with work engagement or otherwise. Last Saturday along trip to a village in Pahang to launch a restoration project of an ancient surau (small mosque) followed by one of the best lunch I've had in a long time, of simple kampung food (with patin fish fresh from the river no less, sambal tumis ikan bilis and petai from the jungle and the best durian I have had though I am really no fan of durian).

Then a short trip to an elephant reserve where I was appalled to see that all visitors including busloads of foreign visitors made to take off their shoes just to get passes to enter the sanctuary at the ticket/information centre. What on earth for, imposing such inconvenience, we were not entering a house for heaven's sake. I found it totally stupid and unnecessary to impose such a rule!

After that a long drive back to Putrajaya for "Floria" the annual flower show where our outfit had a stand too. It was to run for ten days, and I wondered how the flowers were going to last!

The next day I attended my good friend's first granddaughter 'cukur jambul' ceremony (when a baby's hair/head is completely shaved - God knows why, I can never understand it!) followed by lunch. My dear friend HP who was visiting me from JB joined us and it was sweet and in a way touching to see a Chinese sitting on the floor among the rest of us while we were performing the marhaban and tahlil (spiritual recitations and prayers), but he said he was least uncomfortable about it. Late afternoon I had to launch an exhibition in a gallery in Ampang. On the way home a stop at the pasar malam to get my week's supply of fresh fruits, and my Sunday was gone!

Yesterday four events in a day, a wedding luncheon reception near my house, a birthday lunch at Cafe Lui in Ulu Langat, a cultural launch at Batu Caves (I asked my deputy to attend, no way I could squeeze that in) and an award dinner ceremony at a hotel in KL, you see some really glamourous, dolled-up people there! I left before dessert! I must be getting old as I found it all so tedious!

Home at last now and I have a good rest of the afternoon and evening to myself! Thank God.

A house with a view, the old and the new