The end of August

The holy month is almost over and I've yet to publish any posts. Well, what's new?

Today is the country's 53rd year celebrating independence. So again, I attempted to educate the children with some stories of the past; stories I heard from my father and also from my history teachers. I think the children find it rather difficult to imagine what it meant to be colonized by others. Thus I had to emphasize (and exaggerate) how difficult life was back then. Food was scarce and everything was restricted.

We sang patriotic songs and I googled images of all our Prime Ministers, as well as pictures of Malaysia in the past. Malaysia has indeed progressed and transformed into a developing country, Alhamdulillah... From the black and white photos, we could see that Kuala Lumpur didn't use to have majestic sky-scrapers like today. The ever-famous moment of Tunku Abdul Rahman declaring the nation's independence at the National Stadium perhaps assisted them to understand a little bit more about independence.  In fact,the video was repeated numerous times after I told them to look out for their grandfather who was at the stadium at that time!





31st of August often evokes memories of the past.  Ironically, this year it coincides with Ramadhan, which is also a month I often find myself very sentimental.  It'll soon be three years but my heart is still sore.  I have learnt a lot for the past three years and the children have grown so much within this short period of time.  They have changed physically, mentally and spiritually.  And I sure hope it is all for the better.

Yes, there will be many more mountains to climb and many more rivers to cross.  As the years pass by, marked by various occasions, I will still march on whilst holding on tight to my children's hands.

Celebrations for all?

I have been pondering on the issue of celebration. To be more precise, what else could it be if not the celebration of the country's independence. 50 years of independence this year for Malaysia , and I am quite sure, CORRECTION - VERY sure, that it will be a rather grand one. So the question now is, is celebrating essential?

Approximately 6 weeks ago, a Malaysian who has resided here for more than a decade informed the Malaysian community (which comprises of 90% students) that the local council has agreed to let the Malaysians have their merdeka celebration at their premise. They have even been generous enough to support the event by allocating some budget.

However, the enthusiasm has been given a cold shoulder by the Malaysian community. These are among the reasons:

1. Most of the undergraduates have gone home for the summer holidays and they are the ones who can help with such a celebration. Ergo, not enough man power.
2. The remaining ones are mainly slightly more than a dozen postgraduates, of whom 90% are in their final stages of their thesis write-up: analysing data, writing up, preparation for viva, the works. These people cannot commit themselves to such tedious preparation when their main worry and priority at the moment is their doctorate thesis.
3. The well-intentioned organiser (I am sure), somehow came up with an extensive list of agenda, complete with the names of people in charge without consulting those panic-stricken individuals (me excluded - I don't panic! LOL!) and put them up on the group mail. Among the proposed activities were: fashion show of each state's traditional clothes (er, where would one GET such an attire?), kompang show, choir performance and traditional tasters (to be prepared pot-luck). One fourth year doctorate student was given the task to order boxes of those mini flags with candy in the tube, though the budget for this is not clearly defined.

In response to the suggestions and duty allocations, one student became rather outrageous. He questioned the need for such celebration - for whom is the celebration intended for? Is it for the Brits, who care not about the other ex-British colonies? To whom are all the hard-work and long hours of practice aimed for? Who benefits?

Perhaps the activities should have been designed more appropriately - not too straining and demanding on the lives of the post-graduate students. Instead of more than a dozen attires to model for the fashion show (aah, there's not only the question of clothing, but also the MODELS themselves), maybe young children could be made to model just whatever traditional clothings they have? Most importantly, the allocation of tasks for each individual should have been done more tactfully - personally approached, rather than listing them all and only informing via the group mail.

It is a shame because the result of something with good intentions have been shattered. I would think that celebrating a country's independence is mainly for the nations of the country, and not so much for others. Just imagine, the children who come here to follow their parents spend 3-4 years away from home, and some others who have resided here, have been away from the land called home for most of their young lives. Do they know what the history of Malaysia is? What it means to be a British colony? Though not entirely important, do they know the national anthem or hum to the tunes of the late Sudirman's 31 Ogos or Dr Sam's Saya anak Malaysia? Something mostly taken for granted back home, I would think.

I have always considered myself a rather patriotic person. Yes, those activities in my school days and also when I was a teacher must have did some good. I have no objections against celebrations of the country's independence because I believe that it does in some way allow individuals of all ages to at least reflect on the past and present, and hopefully try to make things better for the future. Well, at least it creates some sense of belonging to the country for the younger generation.

However, having said this, celebrations should always be moderate - no need to spend hundreds, or thousands, whatmore millions, for skirtings, flags, banners, balloons, fireworks, parades, etc. It's the message that's important, not the glitters.

Although the true sense of being independent is more than the physical outlook, many actually forget this. Beauty isn't skin deep, as they say...

For now, my kids are happily singing those Merdeka tunes - an activity during the summer school holidays. They have hung the big Malaysian flag in their room (I managed to chuck in my luggage when we came over when Mr D wasn't looking). Might make a Merdeka cake for the fun of it as I bake a cake almost every other day! Ooh, a fellow-blogger will be coming over on Merdeka day, so we can perhaps have a mini-celebration then... with reflections, of course!

the Malaysian dream

I wrote this entry months ago but never got around publishing it (have so many other drafts in my folder, waiting for the right moment to be published!). Reading an entry by a wise man reminded me of this entry that I decided it was time to give it a little touch-up and publish it.

************************

Do Malaysians dream to drive shiny luxury cars, own big bungalows (and several other condominiums) and be the owners of a successful company or two? Or are they often contended with their secure lives: with a guaranteed job, a family and a life free from debts(hopefully!). Well, maybe a small portion of the luxury car and bungalow?

A recent conversation with a young man who has inspiring dreams has made me think of Malaysia today and the generations to come.

Since the early days, the government began sending many of their promising nationales abroad to learn from the west. Engineers, architects, scientists, doctors and even teachers, to name a few, were sent across the oceans to be trained. These were all part of the Malaysian dream: to become a well-developed nation with professionals in all areas.

Yet, upon evaluation, not all good intentions bear fruitful results. Some come home bringing revolution and ideas. Others come home lost in their own dreams. In terms of lifestyle, the West brought negative influence. It wasn't easy combining the western values with eastern values. What more with contrasting religions, it was a struggle for the young souls. They were often described as being succumbed to 'culture shock'.

Decades later, we get what we see today. Malaysia proudly presents.... the new breed. The era of globalisation and modernisation. With sky-scrapers and million-ringgit projects. It's the race towards ultimate development. Yet, what sort of development does one aim for? Material wealth and physical structure? What about the development of the mindset and moral behaviour? Can they all be achieved in a decade or two, via moral studies and patrotism
in school? It's the general mentality that needs to be independent and developed, if you asked me.

Now, my point initially was: what's the Malaysian dream? How different is it from the American dream which goes back to centuries ago. How long ago did the Malaysian dream start?

Look around you and what do you see? Green fields and prosperity?

This year, Malaysia will be celebrating its 50 years' independence. Spend some time to pause and reflect. How much independent are we?

Malaysia's new Agong (King)

Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku! Daulat Tuanku!

In Malaysia, these are the exclaims one gives to the king which literally means "Long live the king!"

Every five years, Malaysia rotates the post of King amongst 9 sultanates. I never forget the date of the official installation because it falls on the 26th April - my birthday (beaming away).

This year, the Royal Highness is the 13th King (Agong) of Malaysia. Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin is a young man of 45, who epitomises today's Malay generation. Other than being partly educated in Australia, his curriculum vitae would include being a 7th Dan Black Belt Taekwando fighter, equestrian and diver. It was also reported that he is rather outspoken, compared to some other sultans or Kings. Perhaps one appealing factor this young King has is the fact that his position on the throne will be shared with Queen Nur Zahirah - who covers her head like Muslims should.

I am optimistic. I am hopeful that the new King will have a significant role in Malaysia.

something's wrong here...

Is there an earthquake somewhere? Was there a tsunami wave last night? Did it snow while I was asleep? Did I only dream i wrote an entry on Art last night? I know I wrote something and hit the PUBLISH button once I had finished. And I remember seeing the screen displaying something about my entry being published.....

Tsk! Tsk! Tsk! Never mind, let bygones be bygones. Ha! Ha! Ha! This reminds me of a story someone related to me FIRST hand. It's about the saying LET BYGONES BE BYGONES. Let me try to relate to you what it was(names are changed to protect the identity of the idividuals).

Setting: a lazy afternoon in the office. Siti was reading an English novel.

Siti: Eh, Lan, "let bygones be bygones" tu amende yek?
Lan: Oooooh, tu! Alah, bygone! Spray nyamuk tu... Ha, spray bygone tu guna kasi hilang semua la.. kasi mati semua
Siti: Oh, ye ke? Ler..

******
Did the blind lead the blind? I must however say that in context, the explanation was not too misleading. It had a hint of things vanishing or going away. Perhaps, Siti should have just went on reading without seeking advice from the blind!

Another scenario with so-called language experts.
Setting: In the car, on the motorway to London. A sign says: Cat's eyes ahead.

Che Mi: Cat's eye tu apa, ya?
Mat Terer: Oh, tu ada kucing kat depan. Nanti boleh nampak mata kucing je bila lalu kat sana.
Che Mi: Ye ke? (surprised) Macamana boleh ada kucing kat kawasan ni?
Mat Terer: Sini memang kawasan banyak kucing la. Itu sebab dia letak warning kat situ. Takut kita langgar kucing tu.

What the ......????

My conclusion for the day is, if you don't know, never be shy to admit it. Just say, "I'm sorry, I have no idea. Perhaps it means ......". Then, even if it were wrong, it won't be too bad. You were brave enough to admit that you didn't know what it means. Hey, even the other person didn't know!!! On the other hand, if your guess is correct or close to the correct answer, you've proven that you are quite a wise chap after all.

Which also reminds me of a story forwaded in one of my mailboxes some time ago regarding the issue of farting in different societies.

The British say "Pardon Me".
The Americans say "Excuse Me".
The Malay say "Not me, not me".

True? Pause and reflect. There has been a few incidents among close ones proving the truth of the story.

the teddy

Yup, it's the Children In Need day - where the whole nation tries to raise money to help the children in difficulty - abused, disabled, ill, unfortunate in any way. Schools take part by organising all sorts of events. Some have raffles, some have shows, while some others have activities like face-painting. It's a good idea, really. The whole nation is at least at one for a goal: to earn as much as possible for charity. The money is really for the younger generation. For example, the money can be contributed to help a local community dance centre run dancing classes simply to keep the children off the streets.

On a slightly different note, I must comment on the service offered to the British community. There's a library run by the City Council just across the road (well, okay - a bit down the road after crossing at the traffic lights). Physically - it isn't huge. But the facilities are of quality! There are about 20 computers with Internet connection, selection of fiction and non-fiction books (for adults and children), videos, DVDs, CDs, books with audio, printing facilities (black and white printer, coloured printer, photocopying) and other reading materials. What amazed me was that about 40% of the materials were in another language, Urdhu/Tamil or anything similar to that. This was simply because the library is set in an Asian area, thus they try their best to help serve the community there! Within the hour I usually spend there, I'd see young and old people using the facility. People come in to read the newspaper, to check their e-mails, surf the net, return books and of course, getting other books to bury themselves in.

It amazes me how much they are concerned about their community. I've seen a young boy of 9 or 10 coming in and downloading songs from the internet into his MP3. This is what we call world-class facilities and real literacy. The books are of a variety and recent! Not to mention, very colourful, interesting and simple. Why can't it work in good ol' Malaysia? I've worked with children, teenagers, young adults and just found it very difficult to get them involved in reading. When I was teaching in a secondary school, I tried several things. Reading for pleasure, Joke Corner, A story a day (mind you, short stories they were!), Read and Recite, storytelling, story dramatising, etc..etc.. It worked to an extent but I didn't see them reading the way I was hoping they would. There was a Reading programme before where a basket was left in the school canteen for the children to pick whilst doing nothing. Result? Didn't work. Why? The books were NOT interesting!

pause to reflect for the day:

• are we giving as much as we can/should?
• why can't we do it as well as others?
• move towards positivism - we can, we will and we have!!!

My son once asked me after a month in Britain:

Mom, we can't eat non-halal food because it'll be in our blood and affect our
daily acts, right? Then, does it mean that all the non-muslims do are
bad? How come there are some who are actually not naughty or bad?

I explained that not all who are non-muslims are bad. They sometimes are much nicer than muslims and portray angelic acts. However, they're faith(iman) isn't there that everything good they do won't mean anything. No pahala, no point. It all boils down to the niat and the faith.

So, moving back to the points to ponder I've listed above, we take a little and we throw a little.

Wallahu'alam