Malam Gema Merdeka 2007

It all started when Jenny called late one night. This is what I remember of the conversation:

J: Eh, you nowadays free hor?
C: Extremely. Why?
J: I need some help with choreographing a Chinese fan dance. Later I send you the music, you listen.
C: Fan dance ar? How many people? I so far never try to choreograph for adults before leh. Kids then I can la.
J: Never mind. Can one. Okay ar?
C: Okay la.

That was the beginning of three fast-paced weeks. From zero, we had to come up with a full dance for Malam Gema Merdeka. From being an inactive MSA member, I got to know committee members, volunteers and regulars of MSA, MSO, MASA and SUAMS. Very eye-opening as well because I was introduced to many groups of Malaysians (mainly Malay and Chinese) who do not seem to fit into the stereotype I grew up having. The many things I learnt just from getting to know them, having brief conversations with them and observing them was a humbling experience. I now feel that it is such a shame that I did not have even one childhood friend who is Malay.

At first, we were provided the song entitled Mahaguru sang by KRU. But Jenny felt that we needed something more Chinese-sounding. And hey, it needed a grand ending because it was going to be the opening act for the night. We were required to finish the dance with a banner that says "MALAM GEMA MERDEKA". In the end, Jenny found this instrumental song called Glory by the all-girl band from China called 12 Girls Band. I'm sure many of you have heard of this group.

We decided to not only use fans, but also ribbons as those could be loaned from Tourism Malaysia. I was more or less in charge of the choreegraphy for the fan. Of course, Jenny was a big help as well. Angeline, whom I got to know through the dance, also contributed a fair amount of ideas. It was also amazing to watch Mei Fang and Mei Juin strut their stuff. The choreography for the ribbon that they came up with in such a short time was breathtaking. To you girls, as well as the cute Ru Jih, sweet Wan Mit and ever helpful Michelle, group hug! We did a great job!



Everytime I watch this, I feel a sense of achievement (and a tad of embaressment)

Backstage: One shot before the show

On stage: Quickly, before the audience take their seats!

Reception: After the show, with Elaine

Reception: Michelle and I, after the show, with 'Datin' Diane and 'Dato' Bernard (they acted in the Merdeka sketch as Datin Vivien and Dato Bernard respectively)

What say you if we do that again next year? =P

Last year, first time

As most of you know, this is my fourth year in Sydney. It also means that I would have attended four MFests, which I have. But this year, it was different. I was not only there at Tumbalong Park as a spectator - I was there not only to watch other people perform on stage, to eat the delicious Malaysian food or to pour words of encouragement and gratitude to the student committee members. This year, I was there as a volunteer myself. Yes, after four years (and not to mention after graduating from uni), I have decided to re-live the feelings of being part of a group of enthusiastic youngsters who have just started the 2nd decade of their lives.

What to do? Siapa panggil I kenal committee member semua? I know so many of them even though I'm not part of the committee! Actually, I know more people outside of my own uni's comittee. Jenny and Miow were the presidents of MASA and SUAMS respectively. Nic was the sports direcotor of SUAMS. And from them, I got to know Joy, June, Jolyn, Julian, Diane, Yamud, Salina, Sunny, Michelle and Bernard. Superb (and hyper crazy) lovelies, they are...

As a volunteer of MFest, I chose to be part of the marketing crew. My job: to walk from Darling Harbour up Liverpool Street to Hyde Park and proceed to Market City. We were extremely lucky that day as we had terrific weather after an entire week of rain and wind. We had the sun, the blue sky. It was perfect and it was the first time in several years that MFest was blessed with such fine weather.

I thought we looked real snazzy in our bright orange T-shirts. They made us stand out in the crowd. Sara and Yona, my coursemates also made it there.


Sara brought containers and a big bag to bring some food home to eat for her next few dinners and lunches. So smart! Unfortunately, Vim couldn't make it this year. I was rather disappointed as we meet only once a year at MFest. I guess the next time I'd meet him would be at his engagement party or maybe his wedding. Hehehehehe.... But, I did manage to meet up with juniors from primary and high school: Jack Phin


and Wei Sheong:


Our history dates back to when they were in primary 1 and I, in primary 5. I used to be the prefect in charge of their class... goodness...

And surprise of all surprises, someone who knows me from primary school 'found' me! Kok Kit, who found me familiar struck a conversation with me during a break from rehearsing his Chinese fan dance. Both of us got so excited when we found out that we studied in SKTD! He was in the same class as my second cousin, Stephanie Hiew Ting Ting, Petra's sister, Elizabeth and also knew Weng Onn. So cool!! Amazing that he could still recognise me. Thank you yea, Kok Kit... feels nice to have another Desarian nearby...

At the end of the day, I pulled Jona backstage to help me take a group photo with the dancers.


These blokes are really friendly, especially Edison. He even asked me for my number and e-mail! Wah.....

Although I was dead tired after that, I went with Angeline to Jenny's place to continue thinking of steps for our Chinese fan and ribbon dance. So 'kan lek' hor? Sigh, what to do? They gave us only 3 weeks to come up with a dance from scratch leh. No music, costumes, nothing. This experience I will share in my next post. =)

Adelaide Winter Adventure (Episode 3)

Day 3 started slightly earlier than the day before. At least we didn't wait until after midday to begin our journey. We were, however, lost en route Whispering Dam. It's great how travelling in a small (and overheated) Holden with three young men can be so exciting! The Holden is just classic - it can't move on flat roads but driving across small bumpy and hilly roads at 100kmph was no sweat! Along the way we passed flocks of 'meh-meh's, 'baa-baa's and 'moo-moo's. I just had to ask them to stop to let me take pictures of the sun atop a crisp green hill:

And then it was time to cam-whore!

Josh: Oh, so take picture with me you stand far far away la??
Me: =P

Josh: Wah, then you take picture with them you stand with them la?
Me: =P

The boys, or rather Josh, decided to bring me to Whispering Dam on this day. The name derived from the echoes that could be heard from the opposite side of the dam. You'd have to turn your speakers up REALLY LOUD if you want to hear the voices of Yu Sheng and moi. We were on the other side of the dam from Josh and Lucas.



The dam was a sight to behold although it was somewhat small-sized. Cannot imagine what Bakun would look like. I was so terrified with the volume of water the wall was holding. Just looking at the water made me feel sick...

Unfortunately, the grapevines were barren. I still took pictures! I mean, how can you come all the way to the Wine Central of Australia and not take pictures?

And, look at what I found!:

We headed back to the city to have dinner. We had to collect Jenny from uni before heading over to Lucas' old apartment. If I recall correctly, it was a Belgian restaurant that they took me to. Apparently, this place is famous for mussels. Boy, did we eat plenty of 'em - all three big pot-loads of' em!

They came with complimentary fries, which were presented in a fashionable manner:

Of course, how would the night be complete without dessert? Around the block was Adelaide's version of Max Brenner, Cocolat:

I seriously have no idea how our dessert session became a ghost story sharing session... I covered my ears the whole time.

My last night in Adelaide was spent playing Monopoly with the boys! First time since I was 10!

I was tricked so many times by Josh and Lucas (anyone who ever plans to play Monopoly with them, please remember where they were BEFORE they roll the dice so that you'd know if they were trying to cheat!). Those two ar, I tell you, bullied me like don't know what!

Oh, and I had to take a picture of Yu Sheng's food collection for keepsakes:

All in all, it was a good albeit short breather from Sydney life (and life in that Epping apartment that houses strongly-opinionated individuals). Many thanks to the three gentleman and the smart young lady who were generous enough to bring me around and introduce Adelaide to me. =)

Adelaide Winter Adventure (Episode 2)

My second day in Adelaide started really late in the morning. Why? Because dear old Josh didn't finish work until half-past one in the morning. I didn't get my usual hours of sleep! We ended up in Hahndorf in the arvo, in time for lunch. This time, Lucas and his girlfriend, Kiki, joined us. It was so hilarious to watch Lucas drive his small little Holden! And oh, in my opinion, Lucas is such a gentleman... =)

Now, for some pictures....

Loved the architecture of the place. I was very impressed with how well-preserved the buildings were. The German bricks, the grapevines, the structure of the roofs. Definitely deserving of the 'Tidiest Middle-Sized Town' award they'd won a few years back.

Oh, and Hahndorf is where the famous Beerenberg jam is produced:

One last pic of Hahndorf - German sausages!!! Just look at that pretzel!

After Hahndorf, Lucas and Kiki went home while Josh, Yu Sheng, Jenny and I continued to Glenelg. Hm, nothing much really at Glenelg. Resembles Manly a little. Oh, but they have this really cool building which houses an arcade and water slides! So tempting but it was winter and freezing cold.

We then headed to Uncle Shiang Foo's house. It was great to catch up with Aunty Gaik and him. It was also great to see Darryl again. Had the most amusing conversation with them at the dinner table. Coincidentally, it was Uncle Shiang Foo's birthday so we were treated to yummy ice-cream. Took pictures with the cousins and Anton showed off his skills on Darryl's guitar playing a short bit he had just learnt.

And then it was off to Casa de la Yu Sheng for some mahjong!!!

Adelaide Winter Adventure (Episode 1)

I can see so many heads nodding and thinking, "Finally, this Chrys decided to updated her blog!"

Sorry la, I have been busy with work and other things, such as my graduation, my PR application, a new housemate and touring parts of this rock of an island. So, shall we embark on a travel back into time?

I am going to post mainly photos of my first day in Adelaide in this post because I more or less summarised the day in one of my previous posts. Don't worry, I will introduce the more peculiar-looking pictures...

That's Josh's room and yup, that's his 'whiteboard'. Creative sial...

Rundle Mall is like Pitt Street Mall in Sydney, just WAY shorter. Seriously, if you compare, Sydney allows you to shop non-stop while Adelaide, um, you can finish 10 times quicker. And of course I had to take a picture of this shiny twin globe structure in front of David Jones. According to Yu Sheng, I was lucky to be there AFTER they had cleaned and polished the thing!

My next stop was the University of Adelaide. Just one word - impressive!

First thought that went through my head when I was shown this plaque: SIA is freaking rich!

Spot the similarities... haha... we Malaysians sure bring our gastronomical habits with us to every corner of the world, don't we? Oh, apparently Adelaide and Penang share a very strong connection - both were founded by Francis Light.

Yu Sheng, Josh and Jenny then brought me to other parts of the city to enjoy the sights and sounds. Yu Sheng exclaimed, "There, Adelaide in 45 minutes. Not bad!" Try doing Sydney in the same amount of time. I think you'd only cover one place - the Sydney Opera House. But then again, I shouldn't be comparing. Totally different community in these two cities. One is fast-paced, one is slow, literally. Heck, I don't even have to walk as fast in Adelaide as I do in Sydney! I find South Australians friendlier, though. More angmohs, less Asians. Less humans for that matter.

Later that night, Yu Sheng introduced their friend to me. Well, we had to get acquainted because we were riding in his car to North Adelaide to have something called the AB for dinner. I don't know his name but he's called Ah Boon. So Hokkien, eh? Well, he's Bruneian, if that explains anything. Ex-national swimmer for the rich country. And he knows Wu Chun! Yes, Wu Chun as in the latest craze of warm-blooded teenage girls across Asia. Ah Boon said that everybody knows everyone because the Chinese community in Brunei is very small hence they are close-knit. Makes it really hard to do something naughty as well - news travels extremely fast. He sounded like he was speaking from experience. Hahaha....

Monstrous, just monstrous. I meant the dish, not his friend. After that, we headed to a dessert place called Elephant Walk. Cool set-up. Like the decor and atmosphere. The food, totally heaven!

Chocolate banana pudding - the best I've ever had!

Strawberry pancake - they can give Pancake on the Rocks a run for their money!

Take a close look at the piece of paper deco placed under the spoon... look familiar? We collected the other pieces and placed them together and look at the revelation:

Looks exactly like the kind of paper the Chinese use during All Soul's Day, doesn't it???

As Josh had to work, I waited for him to finish at Yu Sheng's place. Ah Boon and he graciously taught me how to play mahjong. See, I had to travel all the way to Adelaide to learn this art. Sigh...

How fares the cabbie?

Pet, I know I've told you this before but I have to stress this again: This is your best piece of writing so far. So proud of you.

How fares the cabbie?
by Petra Gimbad

I saw the lanterns today. Lit from within, they provided a breath of fresh air and light-heartedness to an otherwise stuffy shopping mall, filled with teeming customers. Then I realised: I look for hope everywhere.

It amazes me still to discover how misplaced our judgment can be. One of my closest friends blames it on my starry-eyed optimism and adamant refusal to have anything but faith in humankind.

In this case, I was surprised at the venom with which acquaintances responded to the recent request from cab drivers to raise their base fee of RM2. "They’re all cheats, they’re rude, they all are greedy," I heard again and again.

When my mother informed me that cab drivers were going on strike for two days around the Merdeka weekend, I asked every driver I met the week following that: "How did the strike go?"

The first said he did not go on strike and that the rest who did were crazy. He needed the income. But just in case, he drove only around his kampung, lest he incur the wrath of his fellow colleagues. He did not know what might happen to him otherwise.

The second talked about how the prices of goods have gone up, that cab fares in Kuala Lumpur are cheap compared to say, Penang.

I agreed. I pay RM10 for very short distances in Kota Kinabalu. Forget about the meter.

Another told me his meter was broken and I could pay whatever I liked. This was after I saw a few customers refuse to enter his taxi. Since it was the Merdeka weekend, he could not find anyone to fix it. He was not looking forward to paying a couple of hundred dollars on Monday.

"Is it not your taxi company’s responsibility?"

He laughed and sighed.

The most memorable chap started yelling about how ludicrous it is that Malaysia produces its own oil, yet we pay above minimum prices for gas. "Tak masuk akal! You tengok Singapore-ah, mereka tak ada gas sendiri pun masih boleh beli minimum price!"

The friend whom I narrated this incident to, grinned and remarked, "You can’t argue with that."

Which brings me back to hope and misplaced judgments. I use cabs on a daily basis, and rarely encounter drivers who lack courtesy. In fact, they gauge my facial expressions before opening up – with advice on how to live a good life, chats about the economy, politics, race and religion and asking what really causes rape when they discover I work for a feminist organisation.

Some of them quake when I say it is up to them which route to take, A or B. "Customer marah oh," they tell me. "Bagus kalau you bagi tahu saya mana mau pergi, nanti you tak happy, I pun tak happy. Nanti you cakap saya tipu dan tak mau bayar."

Smelling their fear, I suspect that Malaysian consumers of cabs are not exactly the paragons of graceful speech.

Once, I responded: "Saya ingat mungkin uncle prefer guna jalan itu kerana ada lampu. Saya dengar ramai driver kena attack lately."

He laughed, then sobered and told me it was true. A few days before, someone he knew picked up a young slight girl of my age. Upon reaching their destination, he was attacked and robbed by her friends. It happened in my area.

A couple of these cab drivers finally asked, "What’s your opinion on the fee raise?"

I responded honestly: Malaysians complain too much, their claims of virtue smacks of hypocrisy and their solutions are utterly misplaced.

If, for recreational purposes, Malaysians must fill the malls to the brim with the aid of a cab, then as far as I am concerned, a cab ride is a luxury. We do pay a lot less for cabs by the meter in this part of the country.

Malaysians complain that cab drivers show no respect. However, what about our respect for them as human beings? Too many instances of customers yelling rudely at waitresses instead of making a gentle request come to mind.

Most pressing: if what we want is efficient and affordable transport, we are barking up the wrong tree. We should be coming up with new ways to pressure the state to provide good bus and train services.

(A good friend, incensed with KTM, is now on first name basis with the main office after writing a flurry of letters to the press. A quick phone call from her complaining that the train is late gets an announcement two minutes later that the train will be arriving soon.)

The last I asked, there has been no response as of yet as to what has been decided on the issue.

This cab driver sighed. "Aiya, expected la."

Petra likes feminism and social justice. She is a media officer at the All Women’s Action Society. Comments: feedback@thesundaily.com

What a wonderful world...

Yes, it truly is...

I hate it!

I hate how I need to be in touch
With friends far and near
For I miss them oh so much
For reasons crystal clear

I hate how I don't seem to mind
Initiating, maintaining
For it's relationships that are on the line
Memories and futures worth keeping

I hate the price I have to pay
For the efforts I have placed
For at the end of the day
I am not the one with the last say

But what I hate most of all
Is the fact that I do not hate
Being the person making the calls
The person who gives and not take

Just one thing though
It is people like me
Who provides telecommunication companies their dough
Paying exorbitant fees

GAH!!! I SO HATE IT!
Someone confiscate my mobile from me, please!!!!!

Break The Shackles Of “Tribal Think”!

Pet emailed this article to me this morning. Like freaking early la.

Authored & submitted by Jayanath Appudurai

For a long time, I have agonised over writing this piece to challenge my fellow Malaysians. Finally I said to myself – "what the heck? If I don't do it now, I may not live long enough to see if they really care about the future of this beloved land".

What better time to challenge my fellow citizens if not the approaching 50th year of nationhood. So here goes.

For too long, we have allowed to our own detriment a "cartel" of self-serving politicians and their coterie of entrepreneur buddies to set the agenda for this nation. They have moulded our thinking and controlled our thoughts, behaviour, responses and actions using the time-tested symbols of manipulation – race and religion!

We readily succumb to their clarion call to defend the race and religion and have fallen victims to our own comfort zone of categorising and stereotyping our fellow Malaysians along these lines. We, without a thought, consciously and sublimely succumb to grand generalisations and condemn our fellow beings based on these categories.

"All Malays are stupid, lazy and dependent on government handouts!"

"All Chinese are greedy, uncouth and are prone to using any means to accumulate wealth!"

"All Indians are dirty, untrustworthy and are prone to alcoholism and criminal activities!"

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your worldview very little is heard by way of generalisations on Kadazans, Ibans, Dayaks, Melanaus and other minority Malaysians because we ,especially in Peninsular Malaysia, have rarely taken the trouble to know about, let alone understand our East Malaysian brethren.

God forbid, if and when we do so, I am sure some equally ridiculous generalisations will spew forth from our warped minds! And we will spew it with relative impunity with nary a thought!

Just for a moment reflect on these generalisations…..better still say it out aloud!

Can you honestly with a clear conscience say that you have no family member, relation, friend or associate of your so called "racial-religious tribe" that is not stupid, lazy, greedy, uncouth, dirty or untrustworthy? If you can I would really like to meet you and your pure tribe! You really must be specially selected by the Creator.

Have you not ever come across Malays that are intelligent and industrious and self-reliant; Chinese that are generous, civilised and not wealthy; or Indians that are clean, trustworthy and "teetotallers"?

What about the Malay cardiac surgeon who did a triple by-pass on your father and saved his life? What about the Chinese hawker who donated his day's entire earnings for the tsunami disaster victims? What about the Indian who donated his kidney to save your cousin?

Have you not ever come across, heard of, or befriended a fellow citizen of the "other" tribe who was kind, considerate, generous, moderate, rational and objective etc.

Surely you have but you would in all probability have rationalised it as he or she is "different" because….. You would have subconsciously enumerated a host of reasons not to "upset" your comfortable worldview.

So why do you do it? Because it is so easy when you stereotype and rationalise your way through life using tribal categories. You don't have to think and waste your precious brain cells. It makes you feel secure. It gives you a warm feeling of oneness, ownership and identity with the ilk of your tribe.

You reinforce your ignorance with equally ignoramus tribe members and everything is honky-dory! The bonding feels good! You feel great wallowing in your misplaced tribal pride.

And of course the cartel has ensured that you continue to muddle along this way because they will always benefit from this tribal mindset. Ah! But have you for a moment reflected on what the cartel does to control and reinforce your thoughts and actions.

Consider these "symbols" of thought control and manipulation so creatively used by the cartel:-

"Bangsa Malaysia versus Ketuanan Melayu"

"Perpaduan Negara versus Perpaduan Ummah"

"Malaysian Malaysia versus NEP"

"Secular State versus Islamic State"

"Bahasa Malaysia versus Bahasa Melayu"

"Bumiputra versus Non-Bumiputra"

"Constitutional Liberties versus Social Contract"

Think! How many times have you fallen for these Machiavellian machinations?

Worse still how many times have you used them to achieve your own ends?

Did you really feel good about yourself?

Did not an "inner voice" say something to prick you?

Of course it did, but you rationalised it anyway!

So my fellow citizens the buck stops with you!

You and only you, can do something about breaking the shackles of tribal group think!

And this 50th Merdeka will be truly meaningful if you take the first step to liberate your mind from the insidious control of the cartel and your respective tribes.

I challenge you not to meekly accept your tribe's group think and let the cartel's agenda hijack your mind! Pledge that from this day on – to rephrase Martin Luther King – "I will not judge my fellow Malaysians by the colour of their skin or their religious affiliation but by the strength of their character and the courage of their conviction".

This Merdeka Day commit to beginning the process to really take charge of your thought processes. Once you have sorted out the obvious "inequities" in your mind, move out of your comfort zone and go forth to "liberate" your family, relatives, friends and tribal members.

And Oh Yes! – don't forget your fellow Malaysians. They are waiting to bond with you and discover the true meaning of nationhood!

Selamat Merdeka!

24 July 2007

Greetings from SA!

We were ahead of schedule. I was welcomed with fine weather into Adelaide. Josh was late in coming to pick me up from the airport but I'm in no position to complain.

Adelaide reminds me a lot of Melbourne, actually. The roads, the designs, almost everything. Feels very much like Melbourne. I've taken heaps of pics already. Some of you may have already guessed that most of them would not contain much of me in them. Unfortunately, I am only able to give a simple recount of what I've done or seen. Pics would have to wait till I return to Sydney.

Josh lives very near the airport. He shares a 2-bedroom place with an Indonesian bloke. Nice fella. Not that far from the city either. Had lunch at Sushi Train, where a friend of his works (the friend who lent the car to him to pick me from the airport). She was nice enough to give us a generous discount on our lunch and ahem, sushi here is yum, I tell you. We met up with Yu Sheng and Jenny (his bubbly girlfriend) at Central Market. Nothing like the wet markets in Malaysia. Well-maintained and well-designed.

Quickly, I'd just recap my day. I visited Rundle Mall, ate some glorious chocolate, visited the University of Adelaide (that has the most spectacular library I've ever been in) and had dinner at North Adelaide. Oh, met some really cool people here, too - Rudy, Josh's housemate; Disha, the girl who provides the car; Boon, the Bruneian swimmer; Jenny, Yu Sheng's girlfriend and their housemate (whose name has slipped my mind at the moment); as well as Wendy, a CPUian.

Oh, and it's amazing how waiting for your friend to finish work can let you learn the art of playing simple mahjong.

Tomorrow, we plan to head for apparently superb yumcha at this place called City Zen. Then it's off to some place that is famous for Beerenberg jams. Then I think I'll be paying Darryl a visit. Hm, time permits, Ben would be in for a surprise, too.

MERDEKA!

Yes, I AM FINALLY DONE!!!

Today, as of 1600 hours, I am no longer an undergraduate student. Provided that I'd pass my exams (which I know I will and with almost flying colours), I am now able to call myself a graduate. Muahahaha.... after four years of staying up late, listening to iLectures, printing notes, completing assignments, rushing for the bus and watching television dramas illegally.

But, is it a case of really merdeka-ing or not? (That question sounds grammatically wrong =/). Or is it just the beginning of the journey? I think life has just begun for me. I have been told numerous times how lucky I am to be 'still a student'. While my other classmates have begun their working lives, I am just venturing into it. But hey, who says learning halts?

Knowledge is the result of lifelong learning. The knowledge I've gained through my experiences (not only from studying but everything else) in uni I will use as a stepping stone for my future endeavours. I've always believed that it is not WHAT we learn and achieve that is important. Instead, it is HOW we use what we've learnt and the lessons we've GAINED from achievement that are vital in self growth and development.

What will I be doing after this now that I'm done? Plan the itenerary and recollect enough strength and equipment for my next expedition, of course!

Found something!

Hey fellas!

As some of you know, I religiously read The Star Online every day. One day, there was an article relating to a 'modern Buddhist teacher' in KL. Caught my attention straightaway. Thankfully, the article also had a website link for me to check out. The link is now in my sidebar under His Eminence's name. It's pretty cool, really. There are links to forums, to Kechara House, to activities and even MP3s and videos of His teachings! Heck, if you YouTube His name, you'd get around 6 pages of videos! Love watching his videos - super funny but enlightening at the same time. Now I realise that my knowledge of my own religion is like THAT little. =(

Okay, okay. I admit I've not talked much about Buddhism to many of you (other than Rick whom I argued with back in college regarding the matter). Heck, I still remember how some classmates in Form 5 were shocked to realise that I was NOT Christian. And you guys call yourselves my classmates... classmates for 11 years even! Okay, classmates may not know everything about me but my cousin?!?! She thought I was Christian, too! Bah!

Not that I mind. To me, it is like we do not follow one particular religion. I mean, we live in a modern world, or so we think. We have access to information from around the world and thus learning about other religions is no difficult task. We listen to people talk about, debate and share their experiences of their religions and beliefs. I think it is only natural that we absorb and reflect on our own beliefs. Who is to say that whatever we do and believe in now is the result of only ONE religion? For me, I think it's a mixture but we focus on one as our main light of guidance.

Have a think and see if your thoughts flow along the same line as mine. Maybe yes, maybe not but it doesn't really matter. Meanwhile, I will be checking out some books by Karen Armstrong. So glad that I finally have the time (and motivation - yes, yes, I can see some heads shaking...) to actually read up more on not only Buddhism but also other religions.

NOVA Cruise

Pretty straightforward. It was a cruise. We had dinner on the cruise. There was a freeflow of beer and carbonated drinks. There was a DJ. Lots of loud music and not to mention people. The food was... erm... not worth the money but I guess that's how it works. So what was so interesting about that night?

Well, it was an excuse to just lepak with friends. Since we've not seen both Nic and Miow's new girlfriends, we decided to kepoh. You want to know what I think about them? Haha.. not telling you anything. My opinions I'll keep to myself. As long as those two fellas are happy, I'm fine. Even if they aren't happy, it's not like I can do anything. It's ultimately their life.

Also, it's my final year in Sydney as a student. Well, for now, that is. Not sure if I'll be returning to do postgrad or not yet so let's just say this is my last year in Sydney. That means it's my last year of cheapER fares. So after 4 years, I've decided to finally show face at this event organised by the Malaysian student bodies from all 4 Sydney universities. When Taufoo and Jona found out, they were shocked.

"How can you not support the activities? So anti-social ar? Why like that? Cannot like that! Mix around ma..."

Hello, but, I am perfectly fine NOT mixing with fellow Malaysians whom I have seen for the past few years of my life. If I want to mix, I wouldn't be paying so much money to mix and catch up. I'd rather go somewhere where I could actually hear what you're saying and eat proper food that would fill my stomach. Anti-social? Coming all the way from Malaysia to mix around with Malaysians again? A bit pointless, don't you think?

Sigh, is it just me or what? Why can't people just accept that not everyone enjoy the same things? Or have I grown old? Too old to mix around with the 'happening' generation.

I enjoyed myself but not to the max. It was surface enjoyment. Very erm... not sure how to put it. Doesn't come from within I guess. It was definitely tiring. I don't know how the other girls could dance on heels that are way higher than mine. They must have very strong legs. Oh, and the seasickness.........

Oh well, now I guess I'd have to think twice before attending the Annual Dinner and Dance. I would be seeing, well, the same people all over again anyway.

I like!

The message this ad spreads is just... inspiring....

Congrats!

This post is especially dedicated to a beloved member of our household here in suburban Epping.

She is a person who is way different from me. She is intelligent, has plenty of discipline and determination.

She has a fiesty persona and has a very contagious cute laugh.

She is hardworking in every aspect: studies, exercise, watching One Tree Hill and making fun of her cousins....

And gosh, her eyelashes can sweep dust off your face if you let her come close enough!

I would say that she's tough on the outside but tender on the inside. A little like her bro.

Okay, main point of this post is to congratulate her on receiving the International Merit Scholarship from the University of Sydney, which is worth AUD5,000! Woohoo!!! All the hard work paid off!

Oh, so looking forward to the buffet, whenever that will be!


Erin, we're so proud of you!!! Love ya!!!

Wa!

A little observation of my own:

What's the diff between the following?

1) Walaueh!
2) Wasai!
3) Wakao!
4) Wabiang!

Haha... actually, they all mean the same thing, right? All expressions of surprise, astonishment or disbelief. The diff is in the people who would use the terms.

If you use walaueh, you'd be either Malaysian or Singaporean.
If you use wasai, you'd be Taiwanese.
If you use wakao, you'd be Chinese from Mainland China.
If you use wabiang, erm, actually, I'm still finding out more about this one. I know of only one person who would use this and she's a Hainanese young lady from Kelantan currently working in Singapore. A bit the complicated.

(I can see some people with their brows arched wondering what the hell I do here in Sydney....) Haha!!

The weekend

Another weekend passed. Another 6 more weekends before I end this semester in uni, my very last as an undergrad. How time flies.

Another weekend, another trip to the city. It's funny how time makes you change your perception of people and places. A place once thought to be polluted, busy and a waste of money is now 'Grand Central'. Meetings with old faces and new acquaintances, posh restaurants and inviting cafes.

It's not that I used to hate the place. It's just that there was no reason to go to the city. Maybe now I have less time in Sydney, I feel that I would take any chance I have to be there. Having dinner with Melvin also made me realise that you can find a friend in the most unlikely of people. Take him for example. He's an ex-swimmer I got to know from Josh and we hardly spoke. He's always not available and he enjoys travelling alone. But we meet more than the swimmers. How funny is that? Perhaps it's his company that I enjoy, his calm demeanour and seemed level-headedness that belies his years. He listens intently and his words are precious. Maybe sometimes we need to take time-out from the people we normally hang out with.

Another weekend, another movie. If you have not watched Spiderman 3 and you have already seen the first two, please go watch it. It will not be a waste of your money, in RM or in AUD. Really. It was my first experience in a double-storey cinema and the screen looked huge! I thought the sound system was great but Shaun felt that GSC has better ones. Oh well.

Spidey thinks that "with great power comes great responsibilities" and I agree. I guess it can be taken as both a good thing and a bad thing. Good as in you have the power to make change in the world. And bad, well, not everyone knows how to handle power, you know. It can sometimes overtake you instead.

Another weekend, another book-buying spree. I bought three books at Big W, as there was a sale. All three for less than AUD50. Not bad, don't you think? I didn't buy novels this time. I bought hardcover coffee table books. Haha.. if you get what I mean by that. Humanity: The Complete M.I.L.K. Collection is a collection of photographs from around the world of people. Of children. The other two books; The Words and Inspiration of Desmond Tutu; and Mahatma Gandhi. I think I will enjoy reading those.

Weekends are good. They make me stop and ponder on the week that was. They make me think of the week that will be. They make life stop for a while, allowing me to smell the crispness of the air, to feel the wind that caresses my face and to smile at the antiques of two rainbow birds lovingly stroking each other on my balcony.

Weekends make me think about life. And life is good. As William Blake says - life DELIGHTS in life.

Happy Wesak Day

Happy
Wesak
Day


My
warm
wishes and
thoughts go out to
everyone

Our passion

This is my refuge.
This is where my heart lies.
This is where I feel happiest.
This is my passion, the reason for living (other than eating, that is).


Tadika & Taska Kembangsari
More commonly known as Honey Bee
Mum's sweat and blood

Sniff, sniff...
I wanna go home!