Stopover in Dubai

The pool at Ismail's villa at Palm Island looked like this

This is a belated entry.No time, weh.Too many meetings, social functions to attend. I had only a couple of hours doing poetry with Jacob Sam-la Rose, the East London poet brought to KL by British Council. But managed to see him perform at Zouk's Slam Poetry (phooii.., young people were drinking and smoking like they had never heard of cancer, kidney failure)

My Fulbright certificate giving (and dinner) was just hours before that.What a busy evening but Gayah and I had nice time talking about our teenagers and supporting each other as worn out parents! :)

But yes Dubai.Apa yang seronok sangat Dubai ni beats me. I didn't like the airport.I think it's over-rated (I found a scarf I bought in Muscat, sold 3 times more at the airport).People were rude at the counters. There were no proper and friendly resting lounges for passers by (hotels were always full).My Rawa relative waited but didn't wait any longer (went to sleep sebab besoknya kerja) when my plane was delayed.Bagus punya Rawa! :))

But Nik's Arab friend, Ismail, made a difference to my first impression of Dubai (although I had been passing through the airport on numerous occasions). Ismail is a young millionaire (unattached at 30, religious, smart and kind hearted). Can you imagine him picking us up at the airport at 10 something in the evening and was with us till 4 am? His brand new BMW was impressive.He showed us Dubai..the new and old Dubais. We had dinner at the Global Village which looked and sounded very global.I didn't like it except for the restaurant we were at (good service, good food, good philosophical conversations).

Then Ismail took us to his Palm Island weekend villa (worth millions of dirham) after showing us some of Dubai's 7 star hotels..woohooo..cantik.The Creek pun bagus.People didn't sleep even at 3 am.

But ke manakah Dubai ingin membawa kemajuan yang tiada nokhtah ini? Dan siapa yang untung?

Yang pasti, I am glad to see a glimpse of hope.Ismail masih berjubah walaupun dia seorang jutawan, trained in the West.

More images of Oman

Thank you Oman.God bless.

at the Airport VIP lounge, so impressed by Omani hospitality

we also fed the mountain goat

We ate from the tray

till we found a picnic spot almost at the peak

and more mountains

there was nothing but mountains

so we continued our journey up the mountain

pre-Islamic rock walls

pre-Islamic rock homes

but not before seeing a wadi on the way

convoying up the treacherous Jabal Shams

A guy with a heart of gold

The castle guide and our Omani alumni

watching out for enemies

Jabreen Castle

The Alumni Prez giving a speech

at our IIUM Omani Alumni Chapter Launch (our mc for the day)

building tourism

Omani kids at a fishing village

Dr. Nagat and me at the palace

There are more pics and wonderful memories of Omani people and places but it takes so much time to download.These are just a handful few.Please see the pics from bottom up.

Greetings from Muscat, Oman

Omani hospitality (serving the halwa)

at the harbour

night shopping at the bazaar in Mattrah

night life at mattrah

Muscat is a very accessible, slow paced city.But its nights are alive.

We were in the Jabal Shams area yesterday (up the mountain on four wheels drive). A dangerous journey indeed.It was hot (but I was told it'd get worse in months to come) but the mountains were mysterious and yet, beautiful.I wondered about the Quranic verse in which God had entrusted the Quran to the mountains but they rejected.I could relate to why it was the mountains...they looked real solid and strong.Like they could protect you from just about everything.

We had a picnic up the peak (almost).You'd think it would be so hot up there given the deserty and dry (almost Martian landscape) look but it was very, very pleasant and cool and we shared our foods with the mountain goats.Some pics later.

Then there's the fallaj (something like the zam-zam well in which water does not dry up even in bad summer and this has been since ancient times).

We also went to visit Jabreen Castle.Simply well-built and well-thought (the architecture's simply amazing...Quranic verse and doas were part of the the overall interior so that as the kids/adults climb up the staircases to go to their bedrooms, they'd read the doas).

The Omanis are very friendly people.Most people speak English here.

We also went to Old Muscat (Muscat and Oman were two separate governments till they merged as Oman not too long ago). The Old Muscat has a nice fishing village.I'd put some pics later.

Halwa Maskat is from here.They taste real good here.Prof Ibrahim Zein told us a story about how an Iranian student of his gave him some Iranian halwa.Prof Ibrahim said, "This is from Muscat not Iran". The boy said no, no..it's Iran's.So he asked what Iranians call their halwa.The boy said, "Maskati" (read Muscati). :))

So every time your mom serves you your halwa maskat..please remember its place of origin. Ha ha.

Salam from Jakarta

Me, at the hotel

Habiburrahman El-Shirazy, author of Ayat-ayat Cinta (rep. 31 times, the movie, a blockbuster -- watched by the Prez and paupers alike)

Eka (of Flinders days) and me.Eka's husband will soon be posted to Mexico City

Barbecued gold fish I ate with Yuli at Taman Ismail Marzuki (T.I.M)

-- I hope it was not somebody's pet

I think this is the tugu of liberty (taken from my hotel window)

The biggest mosque in Southeast Asia (6 floors)

With Jas' mom at our hotel

Malaysian delegates (and CEOs of SEA Language Centres) at the Southeast Asian Language and Literature meeting

Salam,

I'm writing from Jakarta.Today is my 3rd day here.Jakarta is not cheap.Or was I brought to expensive places? Even the street bazaars were not cheap (perhaps I was too dressed up like wanita kaya?) No wonder Janet said she was a Carrefour gal whenever in Jakarta.She just could not be bothered to haggle with prices with the retailers.You just can't win with them.Too polished.

This is the hotel I'm at http://www.hotelborobudur.com/default1.asp
The garden is so beautiful (reminds me of Hilton in Istanbul) Even the strict security checks remind me of Hilton in Istanbul (so many Americans here..there's a group of American military men..doing some cooperation with Indonesian militer)

I met the writer of Ayat2 Cinta at breakfast (his book was reprinted 31 times) And I saw his blockbuster movie on day one (didn't waste any time!) Cried throughout the movie.This movie can beat Fitna at any time.The movie is authentically Islamic and well-researched. :)


The seminar I'm at will be attended by 300 Deans from universities all over Indonesia.3 Ministers from Msia, Indonesia and Brunei are also here.I have many butterflies in my tummy now. :)

More later.

Remembering Tam...

She was my 4th (of 8) sister.She had a masculine name but we called her Tam cos' her skin was darker than other siblings in the family. She was always the odd one out. While my other siblings chose to go to English schools, she chose to go to Sekolah Melayu (in those days). Her friends called her Bob cos' she was a bit tom boyish.

When she was 19, my mom wanted her to marry a long lost relative.Like a good daughter she was, she obliged (but not without some initial resistance).But she was pampered so much by her husband and travelled to a couple of countries which included the UK and Egypt.I think she was happily married and so blessed by Allah. She was going in and out the istana and mingled with very important people. She loved beautiful things and like a true Rawa, she loved gold.

Tam was a generous being.She bought me a nice gold necklace and my young infant a gold chain with her name. Zafirah was 9 months when Tam died in a car crash.At the age of 34.I remember the day well.

And today, after almost 16 years, I thought of her on my way to work (I think of her everyday but today the pain was as fresh as the day she died).I thought of her in this painful manner because the radio was playing her favourite song about a boy saying farewell to a dead friend.

Tam has 3 children who looked after themselves after her death.Her husband refused to remarry and is almost blind for all the memory of her and too much crying. Baraqah (who was 2 when the car crashed) has just gotten her SPM results and is looking for a uni. placement.I hope she will find some place somewhere and get to do what she wants to do (Accountancy). Baraqah was the family finance controller and it is no wonder she is so good at Accounting and Mathematics.She had been playing with numbers and balancing sheets since she was in Standard 1.

Her eldest brother missed out on college cos' he was looking after the younger sisters. I hope when the gals have finally settled down, he would have his own space for himself.

I think we have much to share. Whatever wealth, comfort we may have, it is not ours.There are others who need it more than us.

To Tam, al fatihah - in memory. Thank you for preparing my picnic meal when I was 15.Thank you for doing the cukur when Zafirah was a month old (no one dared cos' she was too tiny).Thank you for telling me I was actually going through labour pain and advising me to go to the hospital the night I cringed with 'stomach ache' (9 months pregnant). Thank you for the last buffet you got the family together just hours before you died. I still remember you waving goodbye with a happy smile on your face because everyone was home for the buffet you prepared. It was your way of saying goodbye to us.As though you knew.Hours later, I received a phone call from Daud saying that you were involved in a car crash.I was hopeful you would survive but seconds later, another call saying you had left us.

Thank you for being such a loving and supportive sister, daughter, aunty to so many who still think of and love you.Even in your absence.

Linguistic human rights

all stressed up on this Jakarta-bound paper but I may have found something to fight for in the next few months to come. Will brief once the paper's done and presented but Malaysian government may have violated international law on some of the stuffs it has in its language policy esp. in imposing the use of English in Science and Mathematics.Watch this space.

After the dust has settled...

...well, not quite, actually.I'm talking about Msian local politics and my new job at ACSD.If comparisons were to be made, I think we are both trying hard to adjust.It's not easy but our ying and yang have been altered so there would be so many positionings and re-positionings to be made.Some you do willingly..others you do reluctantly but adjust you must.

Given the choice, I'd want my old life back but since this is just temporary..I have to persevere and learn to accept my own shortcomings and limitations.As well as of others who I have come in contact with.At the end of the day, I am certain I would have learnt much and become a stronger person.

Rasa nak muntah lagi.Gosh.

Happy Voting

It does not matter if the candidate you want to represent you loses out to the one you do not want to rep. you.What is more important is we exercise our right to vote.Not going out to vote is similar to allowing yourself to lose the battle before you even begin. :))

Keep cool and happy voting! (I like the togetherness that I feel as a fellow Malaysian.It's like everyone is united for a common goal and that is to create a STRONG OPPOSITION so that Malaysia will grow better and in style).

But after tomorrow, we should continue to work harder for this country we so love..in good or bad times.We are the ones who choose to stay when there are choices to leave.

We need to take care of our love.Parties come and go.This country stays.

Guess who came to dinner?

Luis, Ana with Nik and Z

Luis and Ana!(Costa Ricans) They have just moved to China from Thailand.Luis stopped over in KL cos' he wanted to show Ana KL which he loves so much after his encounter with it during our Asia-Pac Indigenous Plays Festival at IIUM many years ago (4? 5?)

We took them out to dinner at Seri Melayu (which had lost its seri I thought).But we still enjoyed talking to one another.

First day at work yesterday as the new Director of ACSD.I muntah in the car on my way home.Freudian slip or what? But the staff at ACSD seemed OK and hard working lot.My brain is busy thinking how to make money.Tough job but if it's just for the year, I guess I will survive.

A tribute to Aris Rizal Fernando Abdullah (Christopher Fernando)

I don't know him personally but those who followed the trials of Anwar Ibrahim in the late 90s would remember his courage and determination.

This is how Az, one of his nieces (a close friend of mine) remembers him:

"He was very generous.He was kind to everyone in the family"

Az said there were 3 hovering helicopters on the day of his funeral.I hope they were from the media.Who else would be interested in a dead body?

Anyway, for a man who worked so hard to bring order in this country (he was a Criminal Law Lawyer), I say my fatihah and yassin.May Allah letakkan rohnya di kalangan mereka yang diredhoi.

Meeting old friends

masih cuba muda

So I met up with Jag after almost 3 decades (she insisted it was 2 decades...ha ha...just like Kim who thought we are all STILL a year younger this year...everyone has problem remembering..already!).Andrew joined us.Liz was having a flu upstairs the Petronas Tower and felt too sick to come down and pass us her virus.We were at the DOME.

After lunch and catching up with each other's news, Jag and I went to the Petronas Art Gallery.Most impressive esp this chap's digital work as he remembers the history of the nation.Can't remember his name, though.

H and I are still working on the conference proposal.I hope she will submit soon and that no one will plagiarise our ideas/concept paper.A few people have said yes they'd join us in Oct if it works accordingly.

Anyway..a pic I took with Jag and Andrew at KLCC today.Jag leaves for Melbourne next week.Andrew soon (to wild life and surfing).I am tired just thinking about the need to re-programme the self every time you move to a new country/migrate (to new climate, new culture, new driving system, etc).I'll stick to my annual vacation abroad.It's more short term. :))

Birthday talk

To all: thanks for texts and emails on my birthday and any forthcoming well wishes.We celebrated early this year since yesterday was a public holiday (New Year for the Islamic calendar) so we went to One Bangsar..wahlau...so many choices (see http://www.onebangsar.com/home.html) but we opted to go mediterranean this year, at Saffron ( http://www.saffron.com.my/).You guys should check out this restaurant.It's not as elaborately decorated as the Japanese, French, Italian, Vietnamese, Thai and other restaurants of the same row (Jalan Ara, Bangsar where bungalows are converted to hype restaurants) but the foods/fruit juices/desserts..subhanallah...so nice! The tapas range is particularly delightful and price is reasonable (about RM100 per head for so many dishes, fruit drinks and dessert..OK lah tu.If you go to hotels..RM100 per dish per head).

For the first time, we didn't know what we were eating...we kept asking each other..what is this? how do you eat it? etc etc...For an aging (old) woman..that's quite kinky.Ha ha.

At the end of the evening, my lips and tongue were "lebam" (bruise colour) I don't know which entry caused it.There were too many colours (natural colours from vegetables/herbs, etc) I told Nik, "Maybe we should go to the Emergency...maybe I'm having a heart attack...something wrong with my heart/blood flow.."

Yup, I was my age alright!(health whines)

May you have a good one yourself as we plod along.

p/s unfortunately I forgot to re-charge the batteries so no pics this year.I only managed to take Nik's pic.Will that do? (at least you get to see some of the Saffron dishes...)

Chua Soi Lek:Framed and Fell

A lot has been said of Chua Soi Lek, former Minister of Health but I think he did the right thing by resigning from ALL positions of power. http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-1298973,00.html?f=rss

We wish him well.

We made it!

2008 is here! Alhamdullilah..another year to work on perfecting ourselves (and improve our relationship with other people, the environment and God)

I'll just laze around today. Then perhaps feed the ducks.

Al Fatihah (a tribute to Benazir Bhutto)

too much love for the homeland

(touch down in Pakistan after 8 years in exile)

Western-educated but very much a believer (Benazir, reading the Quran)

The Audrey Hepburn in her

Gentle but firm

"If we have to die protecting our homeland...so be it"

She could have been a beauty queen but chose to die a martyr.If she were caught in the games men played, was she a victim or was she just being brave? Can rule of law be applied to a country in which illiteracy still runs high? Is 'democracy' a word used to accommodate violence?And more violence?By all parties...in D.C., Rawalpindi, Karachi...

If you want to give peace to a troubled nation, give it schools and universities.Not guns and ballot boxes.



But Sister Benazir, we will remember you NOT as a courageous woman but a courageous leader who did not turn away from her people.Trying.Hoping.That humanity can be restored.



Al Fatihah.

Qurban

My niece (Dr.) Ummi taking care of drinks

at her nenek's kenduri

The room at Cyberview Lodge

Fish, Nik caught without bait

Z, trying her hand at tennis

It was a long break for us.We drove back to Raub after work.Arrived at about 9 pm.The following day was Eidul Adha.Didn't feel like going out or visiting relatives so I stayed home, entertained relatives who came and waited for Angah to collect the qurban meat from his wife's kampong.We didn't even go to watch the slaughtering but I am happy to know the qurban meat was distributed to the poor.

On day 3, my mom held a huge feast.She said this Raya was going to be her last.So we played along and helped cook.Mizi and his mom prepared the Arab rice as well as korma mutton (and a traditional dish which was a delight to everyone who came).My sisters and I did the rest: salad and spicy fried chicken. Truly tiring but I think the whole thing went pretty well (some 100 people turned up and they did Raya takbir and aqiqah for Eishah's kids as well).

I rushed home the following day to unwind at Cyberview Lodge. First thing we did was get a Balinese body massage at the Sembunyi Spa...then sauna, steamy room and warm jacuzzi.Nice...truly nice.

There was a garden wedding in the evening.We went to have a look and lie on a hammock by the pool, under the moonlight. Ruzy asked if this was our second honeymoon.Ha ha. I sms-ed back, "Saja nak habiskan annual leave as well as nak mengabehkan boraih."

The following day we went fishing (at a man made fishpond).It was truly frustrating.The fish ate our bait but escaped being caught.Cyberjaya fish are more intelligent than us!

But just before we left, Z caught one (but returned it back to the water).Then Nik caught another (without bait!) We thought that was really funnyyyyyyyy.....

Z wanted to play some tennis before we left for her friend's bday treat at One Utama so we did.

It's a nice place to unwind and it's so close to KL/PJ.You don't have to travel far for a holiday you so deserve. I'd rate it 5 outa 5.

Poetry workshop

I arrived late at the British Council poetry workshop (facilitated by British Poet Coach, London DJ, music producer Charlie Dark http://www.ontheflip.com/features/feat_charliedark.html. I was late cos' I had to chair a panel of 3 who spoke on World Peace: The Contributions of Islam and Hinduism. It was enlightening.Bro. Anuar (born in Tamil Nadu but now a Malaysian citizen) spoke on Hinduism as a revealed religion and pointed out how Prophet Adam landed in Ceylon when Ceylon was still part of India.There was a river which widened into a sea at the time of Noah's flood and he said in India, there are graves of Habil and Qabil (Cain and Abel) and how in one of India's old texts, there's a story about how a crow taught a man how to bury the brother he killed (the story is also in the Quran.Bro Anuar said this Indian text is older than the Quran).He pointed out that Allah sent many prophets (to every race since Adam) and that He only taught one Deen (belief) but syariats are many.The Deen is La Illahaillallah (there is only one God). He said reincarnation was never taught in the original Hinduism.No mention of it in the Vedas.That came only in the Upanishad.

Interesting.Interesting.To think that Prophet Adam could be an Indian.I have heard claims that he was African.

Then I had to rush for the poetry workshop.It was my 3rd workshop with the British Council. BC sends good ones to train us. Wave, thanks! Charlie Dark is a wonderful being but a slave driver.Wough..he made us perform twice on stage.I hated that but saw his point: if you want to be taken seriously, you have to get out of your comfort zone.You have to be brave.

Aye!

Goodbye 2007

It's already December.My life is still on the fast lane (busy, no proper rest).Was at the film premier hosted by the NZ High Commissioner. Met new friends during cocktails held after the show. We planned for some 'get together' event soon. Best juga.Z came with me.Anthony Hopkins in The World's Fastest Indian gave his most excellent performance. Kita terhibur.

I hope 2007 will go gently.We are expecting another major earthquake just before Xmas.I hope there will be no more tsunami coming our way. :(

Mabuhay Manila!

The choir which sang folk songs from Asian countries

From left: Eugen (Germany), Baibonn (Philippines), me (Malaysia), Chan (Vietnam) and Harry (Australia)

I just got home from a symposium in Manila.Second visit to this land of beautiful and hospitable people (although a friend told me they were also constantly at each other's throat over petty things).I met up with some wonderful people I met 5 years ago.Krip, Jimmy, Danton and George (G and his tunang came to my hotel) And oh! Chan was there too and we met Eugen at Starbucks, Megamall.Finally! Pics as above.

I got lucky with Dr Mariam's choice (Baibonn took me around.What a nice, crazy woman she is! We shed tears together at Hossein's as we ate our lamb bryani.She told me about her mother, butchered mercilessly in the 1970s and how she escaped marriage at 9 or 10) She showed me how Manila had progressed.I love their malls which are shopper-friendly (Trinoma has beautiful, spacious gardens.Baibonn says there are more but we don't have time to visit them all.Prices are cheaper in Manila than in KL, folks).

The symposium itself was nicely organised.I also found out who my real friends were and what made genuine scholars genuine. If they are reading this, wave!

BERSIH vs REMPIT

Banyak yang berlaku selepas Deepavali (open house Datuk FOMCA kat Maharaj Restaurant bagusssssssss...I know nama kuih2 Deepavali which I ate when young during Deepavalis: kalu rendek, niyi rendek and paito rendek.Syok sangat makan sampai tak sempat ambik gambar from Penthouse Restaurant tu). Sebelum tu hadir GHEF 2007 at Nikko.I malas balik, I took a room (Man bagi discount).Best juga bertekak pasal Higher Education worldwide.Sekarang semua negara maju nak mai Asia sebab kita pasaran besar untuk education industry ni (untungnya billions beb!) Europe nak buat block dia gayanya...Amerika dah mula kontrol Gulf countries (kata Aslam, sapa2 nak buat MoU dgn unis mereka kena ada accreditation dari this American body.Binggung betul! Lebih percaya org asing dari sedara seIslam)

Yang I benggang semua nak berlagak mcm good samaritans bila bercakap pasal giving access and equity tapi masih selective (mesti beri pada yang berduit, ber-internet, ber-electricity) Someone asked hok kat war zones tu sapa bagi access to higher education? Palestine? Iraq? Afghanistan (kebetulan I spoke at AIKOL to an NGO from Kabul yang kata 70% of their population tak pergi sekolah sebab sekolah takda). I rasa tak salah kalau kata terang2 we are in this biz cos' it's the best money making industry.Tak payah la nak bermuka2 kata we are helping the marginalised by having Open Unis or e-universiti (kalau baik sangat bagi la free education!). People of the old school would be concerned with quality and academic excellence.Yang hamprak sibuk dgn market forces. I came out from the session on Access and Equity truly disillusioned. Nasib one VC from South Africa (dia orang Muslim tapi hebat!) bentang paper which gave me hope.

Yang nyata orang2 negara maju sukakan competition.Orang Asia disuruh go for collaboration oleh VC USM (who spoke very well tapi ada juga suggestion dia yang merbahaya like open the door to all..no minimum requirement.Wei...kalau areas yang menyabitkan nyawa, how? Like Medicine or Engineering? La ni byk komplen engineering students tak leh baca manual books in English..bila buat jambatan, jambatan runtuh, etc.Apatah lagi those yang buat Medic).

News hebat is the successful gathering by BERSIH on Saturday.I was at Nik's friend's Open House (so sure gathering tu tak jadi cos' the rakyat were intimidated by Msian fear culture).I sat next to this guy yang dapat reports/pics of the gathering (so I helped text the world about dev in the city.Dah lama nak jadi pemberita!). I could not believe they got the Agong.Pandai elak polis! But how do you control a population whose IQs are higher than their leaders'?

As long as they are peaceful marches, why fear? Buat tak tau je.Besoknya semua balik makan nasi 4 pinggan balik.

Mat rempit pi mana on Saturday? Depa pun pakai baju kuning kot? :))

Gambar-gambar di sini: http://www.harakahdaily.net/bm/index.php/utama/koleksi-gambar-perhimpunan-rakyat-save-malaysia-restore-our-rights.html