Family holiday

Shine!  Shine!  Shine in thy glorious shapes!  Display yourselves proudly dearest love handles!  And they did just that.  Flabby tummy, spare tyres, love handles, shapelessness – whatever you call them – all of mine had the glorious opportunity to flaunt themselves last weekend!  Yes, that was crazy me getting all excited for my holiday at a lovely private beach resort with my family.  I was happy to strut around in my bikini at this private holiday villa.

It was exactly the type of holiday I had wanted for my family and I.  A holiday where we dictated the time to have breakfast, not according to the hotel’s schedule.  We ate when we wanted to, when we are hungry after a hard day of play at the beach – all at the luxurious indoor catering of this private villa.

We woke up when our body tells us to, go to sleep when we can no longer keep our eyes open, make all the noise we wanted to without the fear of being told off by the management that we are too noisy – and yes, we were sooo noisy from the excitement from “Monopoly” game! 

The beach was wonderfully private with fine white sand.  Surrounded by natural tall proud trees, glorious salty windy air, fish swimming around us in clear lagoon, an infinity pool that looks out into the horizon where the sea blends with the sky, villa totally to ourselves and most importantly with loved ones – what more could I ask for. 

It was good bonding time for the children with their grandparents, uncle, aunt and of course their parents!

RED vs BLUE

Three women sat together at a table having lunch.  These friends were enjoying themselves though very different in personalities.  One was a picture of serenity whilst another very down to earth with the silent strength in her listening to the boisterous one with her arms waving all over the place relating her experience in standing up for her rights.  Then came the omnipresent telephone messages gate crashing the get-together.

That’s life isn’t it.  We can be so different but yet we can just sit around with friends to have a great afternoon together.  What we cannot get away from however is the technology that had so enveloped our lives, or rather we have let it taken a hold of our lives. 

The conversation went on to the news and twits they had read online about a recent historic event of Malaysia on 9th July 2011 which also made international news.  Technology is again involved and it is also with technology that the government of the day had been caught spinning excuses after excuses to defend their actions against the very people that they are supposed to protect but were instead treated and ambushed like animals.

The pillar of strength related an article she had written and was published on her blog and her facebook.  A well articulated article of her views of the historic event which had awaken her from her blissful slumber and had changed her outlook in life.  A comment to her blog – “Thank you for taking the red pill.”

What on earth is the red pill? 

I know of birth control pills, morning-after pills but RED PILL?  

A search on google revealed that it is a pop culture term relating red and blue pill to state of minds.

The term red pill and its opposite, blue pill, are terms that have a common symbol for the choice between the blissful ignorance of illusion (blue) and embracing the sometimes painful truth of reality (red).

 

It was such a simple comment – “Thank you for taking the red pill.”  If only our government of the day is willing to take the red pill, we would be at a much better place. 

“TAKE THE BLOODY RED PILL!”

Who will speak for me?

It did not happen to me.  They’re not anyone I know.  They’re not family, so what happen to them won’t affect me.  -  Have we not uttered these statements some time or other in our lives?  Honestly, I have.  What if it does affect you?  What if it’s you or your loved ones?

Last night I took my elder teenager for her first ‘exposure’ in standing up for one’s rights, in supporting our fellow Malaysians who had been arrested under the Emergency Ordinance 1969 (EO) and to see for herself how other fellow Malaysians stand up for one another.

The candlelight vigil was for six of our fellow Malaysians currently under detention without trial under the EO  namely Dr Jeyakumar, N Saraswathy, Choo Chon Kai, M Sukumaran, A Letchumanan and Sarat Babu. 

Honestly I don’t know any of them personally.  However I’ve heard and read of Dr Jeyakumar’s works and his  tireless efforts towards the marginalized and poor but nevertheless fellow Malaysians. Dr Jeyakumar has been quoted as saying that, “it is not enough just to tell people what is the right thing to do but to stand with them when they do it.”  If any of six above had indeed committed a crime that calls for a jail sentence, then bring them to court to be charged accordingly – not to continue detain them without trial at this time and age.

We’ve been to Lake Club many times for my teenager’s swimming lessons when she was younger.  We’ve also walked and ran around Lake Gardens many times.  However it was her first time seeing the police headquarters in Jalan Tanglin at Lake Gardens.  She never knew it existed for there was no reason for her to go there.  For her to see it up close was an eye-opener for her.  It made me realize there and then, perhaps I should have exposed her to all these events earlier in her life?  But then it is never too late…

As usual when the rain came, the traffic jam reared its ugly head. Getting to Jalan Tanglin from Petaling Jaya was a bitch.  The traffic was horrendous but we managed to get there shortly after the candlelight vigil had begun.  Despite the rain, there were a good number of fellow Malaysians at the entrance of the police station.  Malaysians stood shoulder to shoulder in the rain, lit their candles and stood in solidarity against EO.

He came to state his stand

Noel Dass, Bersih in support

Shoulder to shoulder in the rain

Ee Chia in white T (Malaysiakini) with friends

First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew

Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me

(Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemolier, a German anti-Nazi theologian & Lutheran pastor)

Getting into Harry Potter's characters

“Stop zapping everyone, mum!”  “Mum, please stop!”

Those were some of the comments my teenagers directed at me for being totally immersed in the character of Bellatrix.  I was going crazy zapping everyone in sight and cackling up with laughter.  I was enjoying myself too much to stop! 

To the uninitiated, Bellatrix Lestrange is a death-eater and is Lord Voldemort's (I mentioned his name! duh? so what?!) most loyal supporter.  See, saying Voldemort’s name (I did it again!) is a big NO NO to the Harry Potter’s legions of fans, of which I am not.

Back to the topic of getting into character.  My elder teenager is an ardent Harry Potter fan.  To her the finale, Harry Potter - Deathly Hallow Part 2 is a death knell to her childhood bedtime story.  She wanted to make this movie outing a memorable event.  So we all agreed to get into characters that she assigned for us. 

Thou shall be Bellatrix Lestrange!  And so I was, a pure-blood witch!  I’ve always love taking part in dramas especially if the part I am playing is a dramatic part.  I had no idea whatsoever who or what Bellatrix was.  With less than 24 hours notice, I had to read up about Bellatrix and try to get something that resembled as close as possible to my character.  To know that she actually cackled – boy!  was I ecstatic to find out this piece of information.  I can cackle and cackled I did, and zapping everyone at sight from the carpark to the cinema and back to the carpark!

Then there was my precious little Dobby, the House Elf.  He was just as excited as me getting into character.  He practised taking out the trash though at one point, this naughty elf retaliated only to be reprimanded by the vivacious in-house Dementor who was also putting her powers into play.

The Dementor took her part seriously and met her match in little Dobby.  The screaming matches they had were certainly no music to the ears.  There was also a soft side to this vivacious Dementor.  She made sure Dobby had his outfit and personally made Dobby's outfit staining it to perfection.

 

The main character, Harry Potter was assigned to the man of the house.  He had to dig out his old spectacles and allow us to draw the lightning bolt on his forehead.  He was such a sport!  He allowed the Dementor to play director with him.  Dementor took pleasure directing him what to do whilst Bellatrix sprung into action to attack him with Dobby coming to his rescue.

The ardent fan took the most important part, in my opinion.  She was the Hogwarts Express – yes a ‘choo-choo train’.  But this is no ordinary train.  It was a magical train that carries students non-stop from Platform 9¾ at King's Cross station in London to Hogsmeade Station, near Hogwarts.  

We needed the train to get to the cinema, right?  The Dementor and Bellatrix were so tempted to get Hogwarts Express dry ice to put on top of her head – this idea and the image we conjured up in our heads, had the Dementor and Bellatrix cracking up so much that we laughed till out stomach ached with tears of laughter streaming down our faces. 

It was such a fun-filled night.  Getting into a character is so liberating.  We even had fans!  People came up to us and ask to take photos with us!  It was also a whole new experience for my “Dobby, the little House Elf” which he enjoyed tremendously.

The character that endeared to me the most in the movie was Severus Snape whose lifelong love for Harry's mother, Lily Evans, was really something.  Harry Potter on Snape's lifelong love for his mother :

"Snape's Patronus was a doe, the same as my mother's.  Because he loved her for nearly all of his life."

For my Hogwarts Express, it was a night of mixed feelings.  She was super excited but also sad to know that her all time favourite childhood story has come to an end, finally….  I'll end with our favourite quote where Dumbledore and Snape discussed Snape's continued love for Lily Evans

Dumbledore : "After all this time?"

Snape : "Always."

Bersih - my final thoughts (by Art Harun)

I'd like to share with you :  Bersih - my final thoughts by Art Harun. 
It is beautifully written with candour.  An easy read but for those of you who are uptight with swearing, well all I can say is that this piece swears beautifully  ;)   I hope you'll give this piece a few minutes - you won't regret it.  :)

"Wise men profit more from fools than fools from wise men; for the wise men shun the mistakes of fools, but fools do not imitate the successes of the wise.” — Cato the Elder (234 BC – 149 BC) from Plutarch, Lives.

In my opinion, the biggest mistake that the government had made in the Bersih issue was to isolate a large section of the society from itself, anger them and convert them into a Bersih sympathiser and/or supporter.

At some point of time before the Bersih rally — in my opinion it was about the time Pak Samad said was hauled to the police station — the Bersih movement had transcended its electoral reform objective into a full-scale platform for the people to vent their frustrations, disappointments, angst and anger to the government.

To put it crassly, from that point of time Bersih became a platform for many people to show their middle finger to the government, for whatever personal reason(s) they may have.

All the government had to do in the early days of Bersih 2.0 was to deal with Bersih and its demands. The demands were not about the escalating inflation and price of household items; not about Teoh Beng Hock or Sarbaini; not about corruption; not about the electricity rate hike; not about the Astro price hike; not about the police, MACC or whichever agency.

The demands were just about fair and just elections or what was perceived by Bersih as such. That was it. It was politically related but not politically motivated. (For the uninitiated, there is a difference between the two.) The fact that some opposition political parties were in solidarity with Bersih did not demote Bersih into a political party with the inevitable and attendant political baggage.

The premise of Bersih was an idea, a thought. The idea was our election process is not fair. The resulting conclusion from that idea was that our electoral process needs reform or at least a change. That was all.

Being an idea, or a thought, Bersih operates and infects the masses insidiously. It is in their head that the idea is planted. It is not in their behaviour. A Bersih sympathiser or supporter with the said planted idea would not act in a way an Al-Qaeda member would. He or she was not going to strap C4 around his or her body, go to the mall on a Sunday, and buy the proverbial ticket to heaven by blowing himself or herself up.

Planted with that idea, a Bersih sympathiser or supporter would try to convince others that that idea was correct. That idea will infest and continue to infest.

The wearing of yellow T-shirts with the word Bersih was just a way or means employed by carrier of such idea to make known that he or she subscribed to that idea to the open world.  

Read rest of article HERE

We'll meet again, Baby Michelle

In the still of tonight, I still can’t sleep with this thought on my mind – how does a mother say goodbye to her baby?  

I cannot claim to be able to truly feel what a mother would go through unless one has gone through it personally.  And for a mother to do that with such grace, inner strength and peace…..

Yesterday morning, we said goodbye to baby Michelle who was just seven months old.  From the detection of her liver failure to her taking her last breath it was a total of twelve long agonizing days for her parents and family. 

Her mother gave an account of what transpired during that twelve days and nights at her eulogy. What truly amazed and deeply touched me and everyone in that room was her grace, inner peace, her acceptance and the emotional strength that she displayed.  Though Michelle’s family were given the wrong information and advice by a private hospital only for them to have to rush Michelle to Selayang General Hospital much later, this family took it as a God’s direction and plan in baby Michelle’s life.

Michelle’s family made such an profound impact on everyone.  My teenagers were deeply touched especially during the moments when Michelle’s mother spoken of God’s love, directions and plans for baby Michelle.  Though it may be just seven months, baby Michelle had been such a blessing to her family and all whom had met her.

My teenagers saw a woman, in baby Michelle’s mother, who not only professed to believe in God and the Bible that she reads every day.  They and everyone in that room saw for themselves, this is a woman who walks and lives by what and whom she believes in.  Such grace and inner peace she displayed....

 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neighter let it be afraid. ~ John 14:27 ~

'Mothers hold their children's hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.' ~ Anonymous

Malaysia on 9th July 2011

This is specially dedicated to the late Baharuddin Ahmad, 

my guardian angels and fellow Malaysians who came out on Saturday, 9^th July 2011

FRU & their RED trucks

On Saturday, 9^th July 2011

I cried when I first saw Malaysian FRU going up against Malaysian rakyat,

My fellow Malaysian rakyat were being tear-gassed by our very own Malaysian FRU (Federal Reserve Unit),

I was also filled with pride as fellow Malaysians from ethnic diversity united under one common cause

My fellow Malaysians did not need slogans – we were all united albeit many of us met for the first time

Military helicopter ahead

I walked the lonely walk from KLCC to Jalan Tun Perak.  There were absolutely no Malaysian around save for a few expatriates walking the opposite direction of me.  As I was reaching Museum Telekom, I heard helicopters overhead, then I saw the red trucks and the FRU.  It was like I was going into a war zone.  When I reached Museum Telekom, suddenly a group of Malaysians appeared out of nowhere.  It was like they were God sent and they were to be my guardian angels for that day.  They took me under their wings without questions asked, and just like that we formed a strong common bond.  We did not take notice of the differences in our ethnic backgrounds, in fact that question did not even arise – we are just Malaysians. 

My guardian angels and I were tear gassed twice, the second time much worse than the first.  

Teargas cannister shot -made by Federal Laboratories- principal USA supplier of teargas to Israeli Army!

Photo by Timothy Lim

The first time it was on the grounds of Maybank and I was forced to run away from the gas.  I fell and a pair of unknown arms picked me up, a voice from behind me reassured me and asked me to walk calmly – these were the angles around me that fateful day.  The effects of the tear-gas were a sharp stinging to my eyes, burning sensation to my exposed skin on my neck and arms.  Then came the nausea, retching and difficulty in breathing.  I was given rock salt to suck on to diminish the effects of tear-gas, wet wipes to take away the sting to my eyes as much as possible.

Customer fled with food untouched

The second time we got hit by tear-gas was when we were walking towards Lai Foong coffeeshop and then suddenly canisters of tear gas began flying through the air. That was when all hell broke loose.  People in the coffee shop who had ordered food fled due to effects of the gas, food were left untouched, monies left on the tables.   

Recovering from tear-gas

This time we were caught right in the middle of it including the coffee shop operators.  I was gagging, throwing up, gasping for breath.  In spite of these, all of us in the coffee shop were helping one another – handing out salt, toothpaste to be applied under our eyes, water and rubbing the backs of those retching their guts out.

Sitting crowd face off with FRU

On 9^th July 2011 it was very clear that the rakyat are more willing than ever to stand up and voice their rights in a peaceful manner when faced with adversity and to some extent intimidation.  The rakyat walked peacefully and there were some groups who just sat there peacefully chanted "Bersih! Bersih! Hidup Bersih!".  

At the same time in stark contrast, the police was heavy-handed with tear-gas fired onto fellow Malaysians who were just sitting there, and also reportedly fired into a private hospital, raining blows onto their very own fellow Malaysians.

Photo by Timothy Lim

Photo by Timothy Lim

Photo by Timothy Lim

Photo by Timothy Lim

On Saturday, 9^th July 2011, it was an amazing multi-racial diverse crowd united with one common cause.  Malaysians from all walks of life from the tudung women of substance to the trendy motorbikers with bandanas to lawyers, to the ordinary men and women on the street, all walked peacefully hand in hand!  

Is this "only 6,000"? Look here

He's proud to be Malaysian

He came to walk!

She came alone but determined!

Lawyers walking their talk  :)

Proudly displaying THE T-Shirt

M'sian in green & friends staying put

Fellow M'sians from different states

Awakening of young Malaysians

Her wheelchair did not stop her!

Malaysians came together to walk

Malaysians united

Walk on fellow Malaysians!  So proud of each and every one of you who came out on Saturday, 9th July 2011.

Toilet hogging

One hour and forty minutes - that was the record that had been set in my home for hogging the toilet!

I simply cannot understand how one could spend so much time in the toilet.  Fine, some may taking longer for bowel movements and then to be followed by shower - but more than an hour is ludicrous!


In my family, this seems to run in the paternal blood line.  It drives me up the wall to a point where many a time I scream like a mad woman trying to get these earth dwellers to be more reasonable.  I had been labelled as being unreasonable, not understanding or that my bowels movements are so super fast that I simply don't understand them!


Today I read an article in the local daily where a friend stabbed to death his best friend just because his best friend hogged the toilet!
I can't be that bad after all.  No matter how unreasonable I am in demanding for less time spent in the toilet at least I don't stab anyone in the family for taking too long in the toilet!


"You do live longer with bran, but you spend the last fifteen years on the toilet."  Alan King