The Malaysiana Digests

Woman

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Silent Night

T'was the night before Christmas... and no, it wasn't quiet. It really wasn't. It had the atmosphere of a Hen's Night. The cackling of a particular SV could have woken the dead.

I was stuffed with turkey with cranberry sauce, pasta, and the best potato salad I have tasted in a long long while.

I'm not going to go into details. But I have obscene pictures to prove that I was there. Turkey drumsticks the size of a lethal weapon. Something Pinoise would definitely drool over.

The turkey made me sleepy. So sleepy I am. Happy Christmas my friends, sleep well tonight.

I Can't Stand It

I won't say what. I just can't stand it.

*folding my arms and pouting.*

Gripe: Hail Mary Jane

I am NOT in a good mood. It has been months since the pig-skin incident and I still haven't found those black Mary Janes.

I dropped by the Kenneth Cole counter in Parkson over the weekend to check out the sale. The shoes-in-question (SIQ) was still there, all shiny and taunting me! Penny asked the salesgirl (again) on whether she was sure that it wasn't pig-skin lining since the warning label did not apply to the shelf of the SIQ. We did a comparison between what is known to be pig-skin lining and the lining on the SIQ. Again, the panel of judges were stumped.

To top it all off, the 30-40% discount didn't apply either. I was told that the SIQ was 'new arrival' - hmmmph! The nerve! Those shoes have been there since at least September!

My friends have tried to console me by leading me to other shops - Pedder Red on Sunday and Cole Haan today over lunch. The verdict - the SIQ is still the purrrtiest and best value for money.

Have I ever been this obsessed over shoes? No, not really. It's quite worrying. I think I've been working in this building for way too long.

Issues for today:
Those darned migraines!
Malaysian marketing practices and the disgusting way our sales work
Raw chicken cuttlage in Dome
Bad milk in hot chocolates
Crosslines on company-to-company phone calls
Zakat and taxes
Passing off bad popia as Vietnamese spring rolls
Why I can't read the paper anymore
Lack of follow-up
The drudgery of working when everyone else you need to talk to is on leave
Neck aches
Congested internet links

Yes, yuppie life is dreary =P but I'm thankful for:
The BEST view in the WHOLE OF KL!
Pepperidge Farm cookies
Vicious friends
Candy Canes
A cluttered desk
All natural water (muahahaha!!!)
Lizzie's Balloon by 45dip (off the Hotel Costes - la suite compilation)

Dreaming

When your waking state gets all confused, you know you can rely on your subconscious to sort things out for you.

I have always been a firm believer of dreams, although I don't resort to dream translations. Dreams tell you what's really in your heart or what your rational mind can't seem to piece together into words.

There is a tribe in Borneo called the Senoi that teaches their young to be in control of their dreams as a means of gaining power. The mind is truly powerful, there were times when I was having nightmares and after I was aware of the fact that I was dreaming, I managed to dream up escape pods and 'superpowers' to escape my tormentors.

Then there are also those dreams where you can almost see your life unfold in short sketches, simplified views of the paths you should take.

The way I see it, we were given dreams for a reason. While it wasn't meant as a way to foretell the future, research points to dreams as a way for us to see (and most important of all, feel) what is really going on inside our heads, when the noises from our waking world gets too loud for us to think clearly.

Evolving Past Spiritual Capitalism

There are many theories out there about what's plaguing the Muslim world today. Dr Chandra Muzaffar has his theories about how our track record in treatment of women has something to do with the mentality of a defeated civilisation. Many also note the fact that we are too preoccupied with pointing out the differences in the way we express our faith while having to defend our right to practice in light of 2 major influences - one that's pulling towards a more secular practice and one that's pushing towards a stricter method of embracing the religion.

I've blogged earlier about how we Muslims tend to focus on reward and punishment in our approach to this life. Hishamuddin Rais expressed this point very eloquently in his article in Malaysiakini. I came across this article that came out a couple of months ago in this website, which has stimulated a very interesting debate about how Muslims today approach Morality.

The article's author received one of those forwarded emails on what I would call the Muslim "Rewards and Redemptions" scheme. What she noted was true - calculating based on what's written in the email, some of us may not have to do many things anymore to prove our faith to God.

The discussions that followed was eloquent and insightful. Of course, there were two stands to the issue - one that finds the carrot-stick approach to religion acceptable and necessary, and one that prefers having 'the law imprinted in our hearts'. It's also interesting that as one reader noted, this debate between "intention to please God vs moral good will" is not new - theological schools of Islam 1,000 years ago were caught in the same discussion.

Perhaps the essence of the faith is not in the literal meanings of verses, but the verses and implied principles. A reader noted the following:

"Of course, if one wants to do something just to please Allah and does not want to specifically tie the reward/punishment to that action they have the beautiful example of the Messenger of Allaah (sallAllaahu alayhe wa sallaam) who, when asked by 'Aisha why he would pray for hours on end in the night when Allaah (swt) had already informed him that he was forgiven for anything he (saw) might have done, responded, 'Should I not be a grateful slave?' "

True, we are not prophet-material, nonetheless, there is something to be said about aspiring to achieve excellence - including in the area of how we approach ethics and morality.

As one commentor pointed out in the said article:

Erik Erikson, psychologist, defined three levels of ethical evolution: the person who does what he or she wants regardless of consequences to self or others; the person who does right out of fear of consequence or hope of reward and the most evolved--the person who does right for the sole reason that it is right.

Faith is different things to different people. Some of us need the promise of reward before we get off our cushy sofas and do something. We need the threat of Hellfire to avoid doing bad things. Then, there are others who have evolved past 'spiritual capitalism' and are capable of doing things with a clear motivation - one that is 'imprinted in their hearts'.

To each their own, I say. It all depends on how we look at things, and to a certain extent, our ability to explore and reason. But it's pointless to argue on the merits of the methodology, because faith is, after all, a personal matter. Take what we can relate to and make it work. Instead of focusing our energy on disproving another (especially in this matter), we should let go of our egos and honestly recognise where we are, and then sincerely strive to be better.

Quick Links:
1. The Moral Maturity of Two-Year-Olds: The Reward and Punishment Mentality Among Muslims by Pamela Taylor
2. Between Hope and Fear by Mr Bin Gregory.

Loving the Voice

In passing, I heard a wailing Arab sounding voice in an album I copied into Molly recently. I realised after listening closely that this wailing Arab woman wasn't wailing Arab at all, but Hebrew - one of the few words I recognised from synagogue scenes you see in movies was in her song.

The song was entitled "What Will Be", by Zehava Ben, an Israeli singer of Moroccan descent. Perhaps I have this thing for beautiful yet painful tunes, but this song moved me to find more. And what I found was interesting, to say the least...

"In the complex tangle of Sephardi-Ashkenazi relationships, Zehava Ben comes off as something of a unique figure.

Ben is arguably the most popular female vocalist in the Mizrahi genre, one of the main practitioners of the "Turkish" style of singing which has come to dominate Oriental music in the '90s. At the same time, she has begun to win over substantial audiences among Ashkenazi music lovers, a phenomenon which one might trace back to the last elections when Ben and Dana Berger performed for Meretz campaign spots.

The Mizrahi sound comes out most clearly with Ben's singing style. Her voice is, to put it mildly, a bit of an acquired taste. New listeners may initially be put off by her trilling and ululating. Her vocals, however, are quite soulful and add a new dimension to these tunes."

Despite her identity (she is an Israeli Jew), she has performed in Palestinian cities and in some Arab countries, including those that do not have peace treaties with Israel. Interesting.

1. About Zehava Ben.
2. Samples here.
3. News of her appearance on Al-Jazeera here.

On the Art of 'Winging It'

I had a big presentation recently and I was quite apprehensive about it. I've probably done a lot of presentations during the course of my career, and more if you count the ones I conducted as a student politician in my university days, but each presentation never fails to give me the jitters.

It's even more difficult when the material you're presenting is not exactly yours...

This apprehension was quite evident to my circle of buddies and they were kind enough to offer tips. I can't say what worked because you never truly know how successful you are at achieving the goals of the presentation until much later, but listed below are some tips from friends and my personal observations:

1. If faced with a tense situation, don't flinch. The audience can smell fear, and it'll just lead to a feeding frenzy.

2. Assess the audience vs the material and predict the kind of questions they'll ask or issues that may surface because of the material.

3. Have a backup plan. Most presentations are done by a team, even if there is only one presenter. Kau tim with your team mates and your superior so that you can do a tag-team on the Q&A.

4. Know your material. This is stating the obvious, but some presenters take the gift of the gab for granted and end up lacking the in-depth knowledge to say things with conviction, let alone back it up with points that are not on the screen.

5. Do not read the text on the slides. In some cases, it's possible to keep the slides to concise and brief points. This keeps the audience's attention on the presenter. However, in some cases, it may be necessary to be a bit more verbose. In this sense, an assessment of the type of audience will tell you which method is better. But of course, if the presenter has a short attention span, reading the text off the slides may be the only option... ;-)

6. Take some time to indulge in witty banter with your audience. Getting to know them allows you to calm yourself down, and the presentation becomes a mere extension of your conversation.

That's the gist of it. As you can see, it's not exactly 'winging it' - there is considerable effort required in doing a presentation (something YOU TECHIES always belittle.. =P).

Feel free to dispute, comment or suggest other tips.

The Faces We Put On

"We are not our blogs..." - So says someone in a foray over something recently.

We all put on different faces every day. We play different roles in our lives and assume the corresponding personalities. Some of us go as far as being different people to different people to get what we want. But underneath the various facets of our being, there should be some consistent themes that describes us as a person.

In our daily lives, our various personalities are dictated by the external influences - how we deal with crisis, how we are in the good times as well in times of strife, all mould the personalities apparent to the outside world.

Blogging in itself allows for a free hand in creating one of these facades. We are able to project an image that is almost free from the effects of human interaction. Our blogs are our own private soapbox - we and we alone dictate how much interaction we wish to have with our audience, how much we want to share and what elements of ourselves we wish to expose.

It's not surprising that after bloggers meet each other in meatspace that comments like "he's not at all like his blog" starts to come out. True, that one or two encounters does not make a best friend, but the inconsistencies can become quite apparent.

This brings me to wonder about the intentions (subconscious or intended) of bloggers when they choose to publish the "Daily Me". For some, blogging is a way for them to explore themselves and track their personal growth. For others, it's a form of escapism, a way to perhaps be someone you want to be, and not quite the person that you are.

Either way, both methods, whether or not you blog as yourself or as someone you wished you were, expose the true person that you are inside. The more we explore the facets of a person, the better our understanding is of what makes that person tick.

Perhaps we shouldn't judge a blog by it's cover?

Information Required

Saw a sad piece of news on Hafiz Ismail's website. His friend was a victim of a hit-and-run accident, and the reckless driver is still at large.

The accident happened yesterday (11th December) around 4-5pm near the Mobil station on the LDP highway, close to the large furniture shop. Since the accident happened during peak traffic, someone somewhere must have caught a glimpse of the accident.

The driver was reported to have been in a Storm 4WD. If you have any information, please forward it to this website.

Perihal Perempuan

It is not often that we get the courage to truly take charge of our lives. Most of the time, we hover over various options, considering all the possible destinations, and yet continue to float along with the currents and flow of the world.

As Asians, we first consider our societal responsibilities. We choose first to consider the norms and whether conforming would be a more acceptable option. We consider our first tier values, those we cannot compromise on because of our faith and beliefs. And then only do we consider our own needs and wants as an individual. If all factors are aligned, only then do we move.

For me, faith and belief is uncompromisable. Perhaps this is because despite the fact that it was threatened so many times in my life, it has come back stronger than ever. Perhaps it is because my faith has opened my eyes to my world and my self. It has been my most loyal companion, eventhough I have not protected it as well as I should.

It is unfortunate that in Malaysia, we choose to mix matters of faith with matters of culture. We so easily apply tags that are judgmental and declare it so in the name of religion. It is even worse when issues of gender perceptions and patriarchal values are thrown into the equation.

A good friend and I chatted about how people view us as women. Those who know us would assume that we are total opposites, mainly because most people choose to judge people by their outward appearances. Maybe because we're women, we feel the pressure. We feel the burden of assumption and the pain of prejudice.

Her take on things: Screw people.

I would tend to agree with that attitude. There have been times when a woman's worse enemy is society. I have seen too many women suffer in silence, accepting what the world dishes out to them rather than empowering themselves to take what they deserve. I find it sad that some women define themselves in terms of the success of the men in their lives rather than their own. I am at times disturbed at the lengths some women go through for social acceptance.

You forget too much
That every creature, female as the male,
Stands single in responsible act and thought
As also in birth and death.
- Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Aurora Leigh (bk. II, l. 472)

We have our principles and we have our values. We have our hopes, we have our dreams and we serve those who need us most. Once in a while, when we reach those crossroads between mediocrity and greatness, between duty and desire - it is important to remember that a woman is as much in control of her life as anyone.

Happy First Birthday MD!

Today marks the first birthday of my blog. Check out my first entry here.

I'm not making a big enough deal of it, but there's still time considering that I'll be out tonight with a bunch of old university buddies. Maybe we'll share a piece of cake or something.

Too many things have happened this year. I've grown further away from some, closer to others and perhaps, understood myself more. 2003 was a humbling experience, one that I would not want to relive.

What doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

"post tenebris lux" - after shadows comes light (thanks Vix!)

Sentences that people smirk at when uttered.

If I had to learn one thing from this year, it'll be that we all need to love ourselves a lot more. We tend to think too much about what other people that at times, we forget to look after ourselves. No matter how much someone loves you, you should love yourself more, because when it comes to the crunch, when you travel on this voyage called Life, and when it's time to meet your Maker, you are on your own.

Anyway, sad news. The pier you saw in this photo burned down. Perhaps something beautiful can come out of this too?

What Heart Attacks are Made Of

A curious thing, the burger. The ones that look good often disappoints, yet once in a while, you run into gems like this one.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is one burger. The buns are arranged in a solid cluster of 6, with the mini-burgers and its accompaniments (the very juicy tomato slices and rocket salad) served in separate pieces within the buns in near exact dimensions. No fuss, no hassles, just cut along the dotted lines and off you go - 6 perfect mini-burgers.

The Westin Burger is an understated burger - no fancy garnishings, no onion rings to distract you from the succulent beef patties, no condiments to dull the taste buds or sog the freshly baked buns. It's a burger at its simplest. Of course, you can still choose to slab on some dijon mustard or tomato sauce, but the beauty of this arrangement is: it's all up to you...

I'm Getting Organised!

Over the weekend, I added a new gadget to my list. I sold off my Clie NR70 to a good friend, and have been patiently waiting on a good deal (and thinking whether I could live without a PDA).

Technically, I can live without one, but I often wondered whether the 45 minute ride on the LRT would have been more bearable if I had one. I missed being up to date on news available through AvantGo. I missed being able to reach for something and scribble down a thought or to-do.

The Clie served its purpose, but I made the mistake of forsaking a rule in engineering - minimise on moving parts. It may have been the accident (the very rare times I actually dropped the Clie), but the swivel screen design, while novel at the time of purchase, became an eyesore as I began to notice the way the two 'wings' didn't exactly align when opened. Either way, I came to the conclusion that the Clie was too functional for a user like me - it had a camera and an MP3 player I no longer used.

So I let it go for a STEAL (yes Ifwan, I consider the price I gave you a steal) and I'm happy to know that it has found an owner who knows how to appreciate it.

The deliberation for a new PDA began as soon as the deal with Ifwan was struck and I was torn between the HP iPAQ 1940, a simpler Clie or a Tungsten. Nevermind the last two, as soon as I touched the 1940, I realised that this was it. Its sleek design reminded me so much of my first PDA, the Palm Vx. Plus I've always been a Pocket PC person - my only gripe with the Compaq iPAQ 3650 was that it had a horrendously short battery life.

So I'm back to Pocket PC, I have a light-weight HP iPAQ 1940 and have configured it to work with my Sony Ericsson T610 (via bluetooth) and my Acer Travelmate 800 (that BEEEG notebook you guys saw here).

Enough gadgets for now. My handbag is luckily big enough for the phone, the PDA and the camera on loan. Plus my wallet and all the other stuff girls have to lug around. My only complaint is all those cables that I have all over my desk. Maybe it's about time I look out for a wireless mouse, headphones, USB sync and power cable... ;-)

[Low Yatt here I come!]

Addendum: Another girl with a gadget obsession (turn on your trackback woman!!!)

Of P Ramlee and the Malay Mindset - Comment

Suresh posted something interesting on Johan Jaafar's take on P. Ramlee films.

Here's my take on the post:

"We should really look at P Ramlee movies from its historical context. It was a time where women very much had a traditional role, and it was portrayed as such. What needs to be analysed is not how women were portrayed then in the context of society today, rather in the context of his time.

Women had a predominant role in his stories. Check out 'Musang Berjanggut' - where P Ramlee as a prince set out far and wide to search for an appropriate and worthy wife, and settles on a brilliant and cunning woman, who was able to subdue a testosterone-driven cabinet. Even the negative roles such as the mother in 'Ibu Mertuaku' was a strong character - a matriarch who was rich, able to command authority within her family, albeit in a negative way.

I would say that Johan Jaafar has not done his homework. Artists like P Ramlee created his art as a reflection of society then, interspersed with his own take on where the society should go. Given the focus of society then, perhaps the aspirations of Malays then were not material wealth, rather a harmonious society. Who are we to say that this intention did not 'contribute much towards building a strong race which had self-confidence and integrity'?"

Addendum:
It is interesting to note that all his movies had strong anti-colonialist sentiments. Note that the rich and powerful then were often portrayed as British-accented locals who dressed and lived in that manner. There was a strong message to be proud of how you are, in the dialogues and the songs that celebrated diversity of local culture.

Targets

We all have targets that we want to achieve - some material, some spiritual, all personal. I decided that I would never lose sight of a target a year ago, when a friend 'incited' me to blog.

"Blog more, it is a panacea for troubled minds."

That was probably the best advice I had in a long time. Blogging has enabled me to put placeholders on the moments of my life. Every thought, every emotion, every event is recorded in some form or other in this database, although it may not be too apparent from a third party perspective.

I chose to write in code, and at times, I chose to write in the most literal way possible. Sometimes I would write to someone else, communicating words I could never utter in real life. Sometimes I would write to everyone, sending questions out into the cosmos, and getting wonderful answers back. Sometimes I would just write to myself, penning a reminder for the future that's 'Google-able'.

All in all, it has been one very fruitful year. I've met wonderful friends through this blog. I've gotten in touch with old ones. I've probably indicated too much about myself to people I would never ever meet in real life. But this blog has given me something special - it's has been the repository for all the significant markers of my life in the past year, and because of it, I am able to see myself grow in some ways, and digress in others.

Leaders make decisions based on information, that's why people who can aggregate information make a lot of money. My blog has, in essence, been my MIS. At the end of the year, it's about time to summarise and restrategise for the future.

AOK

"One night, I dreamt I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Scenes from my life flashed across the sky.

The Lord replied, "The times when you have seen only one set of footprints, my child, is when I carried you."

[Thanks Kuza. This summarised exactly how I felt last night...]

I think my last post freaked out a lot of people. Honestly, it freaked me out as well. But thank God that my eyes were open enough to see what I have, rather than what I have not.

In my despair, I continued with my day, because that was all I knew I could do. As I sat down to do my work in a cafe yesterday evening, I bumped into Arzu (of the Arzu scarf shop in KLCC). She recently opened a new shop in Berjaya Mall. We chatted a bit and she went on to have her coffee and I went on to do my work. Ten minutes later, I was delivered a free mug of latte, compliments of a very nice entreneurial woman.

Half an hour later, I was greeted by a colleague, who made me remember that I have expertise that people value. That I am more than the sum of my emotions, that I am a professional.

Later in the evening, I was shown what kindness was by a cab driver. An old Chinese 'uncle' dispensed advice to myself and another lady on personal safety and went out of his way to get us home.

Like Meesh said, nothing anyone here can say will do, but the sum of those words reminded me that there was a tomorrow to look forward to. Perhaps it was the words, perhaps it was prayer, perhaps it was all the friends I have who showed me how much they loved me - I know I'll be okay...

Thank you to all my friends (far, near, flesh and virtual) who came out to be there for me. Your words and effort, no matter how 'small', really made my day.

(What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger eh?)

Managing Feelings

There are many things that tick off a person like me. But most of the time, my anger is in short bursts which quickly subsides as time passes by. Time in this case isn't years or months or even days. I usually calm down within minutes. Unfortunately, things have not been so easy lately.

I believe that my life of late has been a test of my faith, my patience and my worthiness as a human being. I have felt extremes in emotions I've never felt before in my 28 years of my life. Both ends of extremes are unfortunately too private and too painful to talk about, even in the offline world.

I have never felt anger that blinded me, literally. I have never felt disappointment that goes way down to the pit of my stomach, as if collapsing every square inch of my skin into my heart. I have never felt disgust that made my skin scrawl in such a way that only physical pain would placate.

I know now that there are limits to my capabilities. There are boundaries that when crossed, takes me to a point of no return. Yes, patience forms half of the 'iman' of a Muslim, and now I know why. Perhaps this was my test - my own failings and the failings of others are my punishment in this life.

Today, I'm blogging with my heart and self torn open for the world to see. I am allowing this one break in the facade that is my life because I am truly, horribly, and decidedly, heartbroken.

Cuddle Me Cat

I've gotten to know Pinoise quite a bit in the past few weeks. She's a simple cat, she doesn't excessively crave attention, and she's quite the empathic creature. Having her around made me think, why do people have pets anyway?

Technically, the idea of imprisoning creatures that are considered less sentient than us for our amusement and pleasure could be considered as a form of modern-day slavery. Honestly, how many of us get pets for pure and altruistic reasons anyway?

When I look at Pinoise, I see an obviously regal composure. Her ancestors were probably once proud lionesses who roamed the Saharan deserts and struck fear in the hearts of men. From her apparent awareness of her surroundings, and her swift adjustments from one home (the breeder) to another, she must be from a line of exceptionally regal lions (or tigers, I don't really know where cats come from...).

[She's purring and gliding underneath my arm and onto the keyboard, while scratching Molly and trying to nuzzle me as I type this post. Funny how she gets all excited whenever she hears the 'door closing' sound in Yahoo! Messenger.]

She's affectionate without being too clingy, but at times, I can feel how lonely she is. She is taunted daily by the thought that a neighbouring cat is just on the other side of the door and the wonderful scent of rain and jasmine flowers just outside the window.

Some people get pets to fulfill a need. But once that need has been fulfilled have we ever considered the feelings of our pets? Once we have filled that gap that necessitated the pet procurement, do we leave our pets to live their lives in a stony existence, devoid of nature and contact with other living creatures?

Having pets is a huge responsibility. Taking one home also means being responsible for their happiness and well-being, almost like taking care of a child. It's sad that after millenia of domestication, cats, dogs, hamsters and goldfish have devolved to the point that there is possibly no natural setting in which they can survive. It's interesting to note that Pinoise' ancestors were once probably the most resilient creatures in the jungle and yet today, she needs a human to teach her how to scratch for her Friskies.

  "The domestication of animals probably began about 12,000 years ago and involves more than simply taming. Certain animals had the temperament to remain close to humans, receiving benefits such as protection or a more secure food supply. Humans probably enclosed and more strongly influenced the animal's behavior to ensure a more secure food supply. Other factors such as companionship (the dog was the first domestic animal), religious reasons and use as beasts of burden made the links more secure. Animals are domesticated when they are kept for clear purposes, their breeding is controlled, survival depends on humans, and they have acquired traits not found in the wild."

- extracted from this site.

Modern day slavery continues, because the slave cannot live without the master.

Other reads:
Evolution, consequences and Future of Plant and Animal Domestication

The Secret to Success

Aristotle once said that excellence is a habit. He must have watched my friends.

It was pouring cats and dogs in KL last night, which made the choice of where to have a quick dinner an easy one due to the lack of viable (and dry) options. So Amir and I landed at Lobsterman in SS2.

The restaurant serves possibly the cheapest lobsters in KL. For RM98, we had the set course for two, which consisted of baked mussels (mussels soaked in mash potatoes and melted cheese), garlic bread and minestrone soup, a 500g lobster cooked the 'Lobsterman way' (5 different options, we took the crispy garlic option), baked seafood and spaghetti with either a tomato-based or cheese-based sauce, a fruit cocktail and coffee for dessert. For an additional RM20, those greedy eaters can opt for an additional 200g of lobster.

The delightful thing about dinner wasn't just the deal we got. The food itself was delicious. It was quite obvious that the chef took some pride in the dishes as there were no shortcuts to its taste. The seafood was fresh and all the dishes came piping hot to the table, with impeccable customer service, I might add.

The ambience was conducive to quiet conversations. It was so good that Amir commented on how perfect the setting would be for that special someone. Of course, his original comment wasn't as diplomatic as I had put it. =P

More on my dinner companion.

Amir and I used to work together a couple of years back. He was the personification of 'kalut' but his charms would be in his relentless pursuit for self-improvement. There were times when we had our philosophical differences, but friends being friends, we each understood that we all had our own paths to choose.

Amir went on to set up his own company. While it's still small, it's a development outfit consisting of 7 staff which was recently awarded MSC status. Funny enough, the company started more as a hobby. To quote Amir, it has now become an expensive hobby - something that requires considerable time, commitment and sacrifices to keep alive.

Over dinner, these two old friends talked about everything. Distance sometimes make things clearer and it was clear to me how much my dear friend has grown in the last couple of months since I last saw him. Would I say that he is successful? One could say that we'll have to wait and see, but I say that he is. He's got a hobby that provides for his sustenance. He's got something he can be passionate about. He allows enough room for doubt to seek the advice of others, yet has enough self-confidence to stand up for what he believes is true. And all in all, throughout the last couple of years of running his business, he's managed to become a more humble and wise person.

Amir would choke when he reads it, mainly because he's convinced that I have nothing good to say about him (mainly due to his incessant 'Amirisms'). The thing about me is that when I'm proud of my friends, I tell them.

Side Note:

The Lobsterman is located at No. 53, Jalan SS2/30, 47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia. Call 03 - 7877 6772 for more information.

Viva La Revolucion

I received this in the email today. Monica has a way of waking me up with her emails, and today, I'm going to be lazy and rip off the whole email verbatim:

"Forthwith, link to article written by cousins for Nepali youth magazine which I think is really good though I admit to being very biased.

All my male younger cousins are strangely obssessed with Che Guevara but I guess he is better than say Mao Tse Tung. I have also attached a link to another article in the same magazine not written by cousins as proof that I can appreciate works of journalism not produced by people related to me."



Article written by Mon's cousins:
Resurrecting Rebellion by Alok and Tiku

Article written by some other guy:
A Study in Micro Financial Economic Development (or MiFED)

Excerpts from "Resurrecting Rebellion":

"The face once had a real history of stirring romance, because of what it stood for and who it stood against. It was a history of unyielding struggle against enemies, real and powerful. His life was inspiring because his cause was large and beautiful. His death was tragic because it was done in the name of democratic virtue and the freedom of mankind. His resurrection is a farce because it used to peddle the wares of all that he stood against, from bottled drinks to branded underwear.

***

... His life and his vision have a permanent appeal because that is the stuff of adolescent daydreams. Occasionally the adolescent fantasy becomes real and another revolutionary is born. But more often than not, the dreams of justice and equality for all dissipate and are replaced by the icon who lived and died for it. The icon becomes the revolution and the shell becomes the substance.

There was a time when Che inspired a politics. Today it inspires a fashion. What peculiar and perverted twist of history has made the most potent symbol of rebellion against capitalism and imperialism into the very symbols of capitalism and imperialism.

***

... The legend of Che lives in its most empty form because the legacy of Che has been squandered. The peasant in the mountains, the worker in the factory, the dying hoards of the impoverished mean nothing anymore. The market has deemed them irrelevant because there is no money to be made from them. Fighting on their behalf is passé because it is no longer in fashion. You are more in sync with the times by listening to Rage Against The Machine, and wearing the profile with the beret in the comfort of familiar haunts. Besides, it is a lot easier to do than standing up for someone else’s rights."

{Go read the article. It's beautiful. So beautiful, I think I copy pasted half of it!}

Good News

I have good news. But I can't talk about it. It's not about me, but it's good news nonetheless. Great news in fact. I know some of you know. But we all know why we can't talk about it yet.

Why laaa... why laaa...

Anyway, message for the good news recipient. We're so proud of you! So very proud! Congratulations! You'll do great!

The other good news I can't talk about in specifics. One of my friends proposed to his girlfriend. She said yes to a big fat diamond ring that he painstakingly designed himself. Have picture of ring. Cannot publish without owner permission. Owner maybe in different time zone. But anyway, congratulations to them both!

We All Wanna Be Somewhere

The last few weeks has been good for reflection. Hunger, restraint, moderation (with the exception of my little buffet excursions, of course) has significantly heightened my senses to the world around me, and where I want to be in this life.

I can honestly say that this year would be the first year I truly and sincerely miss Ramadhan. I miss the quietness of the month, when things hush down to a hum that still moves the world, minus all the unnecessary heartaches. I miss the clarity of thought that only comes when you set boundaries for yourself and focus for one straight month to fight the battles within. I miss that fleeting feeling of total submission when you realise that everything you've done on that day was for Him. I probably didn't do as much as I should have this Ramadhan, but this was the first time in a long time that I have been so at peace.

Yes, at the end of the day, this is what everyday should be like. But Ramadhan is special in that it forces you to address the issues that plague your heart by restraining your thoughts, actions, and desires. I greeted Syawal with apprehension, the little world that I had growned accustomed to last month is gone. As Malaysia celebrates Eid with high death tolls and shameless excesses, I just hope that the spirit of Ramadhan lingers around just a little bit longer...

Recommended Readings: The Prime Minister, Imam and Me by Shanon Shah