My grand-aunt passed away on Tuesday morning. She was my paternal grandfather's younger sister, mother of two, widow from quite young but happy in her own way. I haven't seen her for many, many months, and I suppose I shan't ever see her again. I remember from my childhood a small, often sweet-faced woman, who with time, became delicate and fragile that you'd be afraid of crushing her slender bones with a hug, but sparkling with a quick mind and even quicker tongue when you did something she didn't approve of.
Her wake was held yesterday, in her house just behind my grandfather's. I can just imagine it, even though I was not there to say the final goodbye. The coffin was one of those with a glass panel at one end - I can picture the calm scene, perhaps just a simple, very ordinary wake of an old woman you could see lying there - could she still be sleeping?- over the bed of dry ice preserving her like magic against the sultry Malaysian heat she'd known all her life. Face and body clean after a long but unnoticed fight against liver cancer, her soft parchment skin and snowy hair blending into the cream or white or just plain beige of the pillow under her head. Bright dark eyes that sharpened in discontent as often as they flashed with laughter now forever unseeing under the closed, papery lids.
My memories hold scenes of a woman struggling to fill the blue echoes and shadows of a house too big and long empty of children and family. The faded red of kua chee seeds concealing a sliver of white crunchy flesh, the tantalising red of hong pau promising an addition to the piggy bank. I can hardly ever say I knew her, and her passing costs me no emotion; well, perhaps a little relief that she suffers no more, as they always say, and there is closure to her final months of just existing. For myself, I'll take a while to remember her from my days of innocence, back from where the spicy tang of family politics had yet to be discovered, when a kiss and hug for a slightly-smiling, delicate-featured woman were easy gifts in exchange for a cold juicy kam and the treasured envelope of red.
Thursday, March 23, 2006
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Update
Whiling away twenty minutes before Spanish class. Hmm... last week seems worth blogging about.
Monday was a bit annoying with all three seminars in a row. Had to scramble the day before to get all the work done (last minute, as usual hehe). Spanish was quite good - with only four of us bothering to turn up, the session was more intensive and satisfying than normal. I really have to buck up with memorising my vocab if I want to get anywhere with only 10 1.5 hour Spanish lessons under my belt.
Tuesday evening Yew Hoong and I went to the meet-and-greet session at Midlands Hotel. The guest of honour? PubSec for the Singaporean Minister of Defence. The event? Launching of the Singaporean Overseas Community for students. Quite amusing that the PS came and shook my hand, and started to make conversation. He was actually trying to seem interested in me and what I do, but the moment I told him I was Malaysian he said, "Oh!" and then somehow wandered away. Cheh. And there I was telling YH we're part of the "honourary delegates from across the causeway" while the S'porean PubSec himself didn't seem too eager to foster a dynamic relationship with us Malaysians hahaha... Anywayz, felt obliged to mingle and "network" a bit just to show I wasn't a freeloader who only turned up for the food (unlike some other M'sians who arrived totally overdressed and then headed straight for the food and hardly talk to anyone but themselves - no names! heehee). =D And speaking about food.. mmmmm not bad, not bad. Though I did expect something better from a 4-star hotel. Highlights were the white wine and chocolate dessert.. ohh man!! Really nice time talking to some of my S'porean friends and catching up with Yew Hoong over some good food.
Quite interesting comparing this event with any Malaysian parallels. When Nazri, member of Badawi's cabinet visited late last year, the gathering was held at Jati - venue was "Malaysian" but the space was way too small to accommodate the number of people who turned up. Indeed, it was mostly Malays present and the event was hardly publicised to us students. In fact, my group only turned up because we heard there was free food, not because we were aware some politician was here to visit. Nazri's speech itself was rambling, unfocused and very, very long. I have nothing against it being in Malay - after all it's our national language and the event was for Malaysians. What rubbed me the wrong was was that there was hardly any purpose to this courtesy call, hence no focus at all in his speech covering the hot news back then which was of course, Squatgate. The S'porean PS's speech was very articulate, precise, rightly patriotic and with just the right touch of informality. He stirred in me something quite close to a longing to be Singaporean... comparisons demonstrating how time and again, we Malaysians and our government always seem to miss the mark; Singapore seems a utopic paragon of how to do things efficiently, diplomatically, and just spot on. A gal just wants to be proud of her country for the right reasons, ya know? Sighhh...
Wednesday went to this Thai restaurant, Koi Samui with "The People" (Shyan - they're formerly known as as "The Party Animals" lah). Truckloads to eat, quite good, rich food but somehow not spicy enough. Damn the gwailoh palate!! Heard from QiLian & Kuan Ching that MAS is discontinuing the KL-MAN direct flights from May... damn damn damn!
Friday had a great time with Lizi at RNCM's Symphony Orchestra concert. Stravinsky's Fireworks got the programme off on an explosive start. Lulu Yang's applaudable rendition of Saint-Saens's 2nd Piano Concerto was both strident and delicate. Amazing how that small-sized girl can pull off that intensely physical piece with such virtuosic panache. Rachmaninov's highly Romantic 2nd Symphony was a wonderful counterpart to the earlier shorter pieces. Sublime music-making from the musicians and conductor Paul Daniel, though I didn't quite like his style of conducting. After that, St. Patrick's Day drinking with RNCM and Mgt chums! And, I even bothered to put on a green halterneck top, no less.
Remember, remember, the twenty-second of December... Haha just my own birthday take on V for Vendetta's cheesy but strangely haunting opening (it's actually meant to be the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Day). Saturday late afternoon met up with Ainun, Shyan and Enn Yong. Finally saw that gal after so long! I swear she's spending more time in Liverpool than Manchester. The movie was not bad at all, pretty interesting in its own way, and admittedly a lot better that the Wachowski brothers last writing attempt - Matrix 2 & 3. I enjoyed the "look" of the film more than the ideas which weren't exactly revolutionary. That Britain's a totalitarian state was amusing, but the Chancellor's rather Hitler-esque figure and takeover was a bit disconcerting, if not insulting. V's ultimate reason for wanting to destroy the architectural symbol of a government was not quite clear in the end - did he do it because the goverment was stifling its people, or because he wanted to avenge what they did to the actress in the next cell? Natalie Portman, the so-called thinking man's sex symbol gave a very solid if not exactly Oscar-worthy performance; Hugo Weaving - ah, what can one say of the actor versatile enough to handle both Agent Smith and Lord Elrond with such incredible skill? Oh my, his projection of physicality and sheer persona from behind an all-enveloping costume of mask, coolass black outfit complete with cap and hat was simply stunning. Ya had to be there.
After the movie we headed to Pearl City - Enn Yong can really order food heeheeee... Had something similar to kangkung belacan, a claypot seafood dish, n pretty damn nice lamb with bamboo shoots and foo juk in a large claypot over our very own stove! The lamb came with a lovely sauce of fermented beancurd and rice wine (so they guys tell me) with fresh chopped chilli. Exciting stuff.
Sunday early afternoon met up with Shyan at Cornerhouse. We wanted to watch the very noirish Spanish/Cuban Homigas en la boca (Ants in the Mouth). Tickets were sold out so we went for Habana Blues instead, a Cuban take on the "musical film", relationships and opportunities. Interesting, seeing the slightly grittier side of life. S'been quite a while since I last got teary-eyed in the cinema; this time was when Ruy and band sang his farewell song - Arenas de Soledad - to his ex-wife before she and their two children illegally cross over to the USA in a "raft". Music was wonderful, very different fare from my usual Chopin et co - listen to three tracks including Arenas de Soledad under "Musica" on the website.
Monday was a bit annoying with all three seminars in a row. Had to scramble the day before to get all the work done (last minute, as usual hehe). Spanish was quite good - with only four of us bothering to turn up, the session was more intensive and satisfying than normal. I really have to buck up with memorising my vocab if I want to get anywhere with only 10 1.5 hour Spanish lessons under my belt.
Tuesday evening Yew Hoong and I went to the meet-and-greet session at Midlands Hotel. The guest of honour? PubSec for the Singaporean Minister of Defence. The event? Launching of the Singaporean Overseas Community for students. Quite amusing that the PS came and shook my hand, and started to make conversation. He was actually trying to seem interested in me and what I do, but the moment I told him I was Malaysian he said, "Oh!" and then somehow wandered away. Cheh. And there I was telling YH we're part of the "honourary delegates from across the causeway" while the S'porean PubSec himself didn't seem too eager to foster a dynamic relationship with us Malaysians hahaha... Anywayz, felt obliged to mingle and "network" a bit just to show I wasn't a freeloader who only turned up for the food (unlike some other M'sians who arrived totally overdressed and then headed straight for the food and hardly talk to anyone but themselves - no names! heehee). =D And speaking about food.. mmmmm not bad, not bad. Though I did expect something better from a 4-star hotel. Highlights were the white wine and chocolate dessert.. ohh man!! Really nice time talking to some of my S'porean friends and catching up with Yew Hoong over some good food.
Quite interesting comparing this event with any Malaysian parallels. When Nazri, member of Badawi's cabinet visited late last year, the gathering was held at Jati - venue was "Malaysian" but the space was way too small to accommodate the number of people who turned up. Indeed, it was mostly Malays present and the event was hardly publicised to us students. In fact, my group only turned up because we heard there was free food, not because we were aware some politician was here to visit. Nazri's speech itself was rambling, unfocused and very, very long. I have nothing against it being in Malay - after all it's our national language and the event was for Malaysians. What rubbed me the wrong was was that there was hardly any purpose to this courtesy call, hence no focus at all in his speech covering the hot news back then which was of course, Squatgate. The S'porean PS's speech was very articulate, precise, rightly patriotic and with just the right touch of informality. He stirred in me something quite close to a longing to be Singaporean... comparisons demonstrating how time and again, we Malaysians and our government always seem to miss the mark; Singapore seems a utopic paragon of how to do things efficiently, diplomatically, and just spot on. A gal just wants to be proud of her country for the right reasons, ya know? Sighhh...
Wednesday went to this Thai restaurant, Koi Samui with "The People" (Shyan - they're formerly known as as "The Party Animals" lah). Truckloads to eat, quite good, rich food but somehow not spicy enough. Damn the gwailoh palate!! Heard from QiLian & Kuan Ching that MAS is discontinuing the KL-MAN direct flights from May... damn damn damn!
Friday had a great time with Lizi at RNCM's Symphony Orchestra concert. Stravinsky's Fireworks got the programme off on an explosive start. Lulu Yang's applaudable rendition of Saint-Saens's 2nd Piano Concerto was both strident and delicate. Amazing how that small-sized girl can pull off that intensely physical piece with such virtuosic panache. Rachmaninov's highly Romantic 2nd Symphony was a wonderful counterpart to the earlier shorter pieces. Sublime music-making from the musicians and conductor Paul Daniel, though I didn't quite like his style of conducting. After that, St. Patrick's Day drinking with RNCM and Mgt chums! And, I even bothered to put on a green halterneck top, no less.
Remember, remember, the twenty-second of December... Haha just my own birthday take on V for Vendetta's cheesy but strangely haunting opening (it's actually meant to be the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Day). Saturday late afternoon met up with Ainun, Shyan and Enn Yong. Finally saw that gal after so long! I swear she's spending more time in Liverpool than Manchester. The movie was not bad at all, pretty interesting in its own way, and admittedly a lot better that the Wachowski brothers last writing attempt - Matrix 2 & 3. I enjoyed the "look" of the film more than the ideas which weren't exactly revolutionary. That Britain's a totalitarian state was amusing, but the Chancellor's rather Hitler-esque figure and takeover was a bit disconcerting, if not insulting. V's ultimate reason for wanting to destroy the architectural symbol of a government was not quite clear in the end - did he do it because the goverment was stifling its people, or because he wanted to avenge what they did to the actress in the next cell? Natalie Portman, the so-called thinking man's sex symbol gave a very solid if not exactly Oscar-worthy performance; Hugo Weaving - ah, what can one say of the actor versatile enough to handle both Agent Smith and Lord Elrond with such incredible skill? Oh my, his projection of physicality and sheer persona from behind an all-enveloping costume of mask, coolass black outfit complete with cap and hat was simply stunning. Ya had to be there.
After the movie we headed to Pearl City - Enn Yong can really order food heeheeee... Had something similar to kangkung belacan, a claypot seafood dish, n pretty damn nice lamb with bamboo shoots and foo juk in a large claypot over our very own stove! The lamb came with a lovely sauce of fermented beancurd and rice wine (so they guys tell me) with fresh chopped chilli. Exciting stuff.
Sunday early afternoon met up with Shyan at Cornerhouse. We wanted to watch the very noirish Spanish/Cuban Homigas en la boca (Ants in the Mouth). Tickets were sold out so we went for Habana Blues instead, a Cuban take on the "musical film", relationships and opportunities. Interesting, seeing the slightly grittier side of life. S'been quite a while since I last got teary-eyed in the cinema; this time was when Ruy and band sang his farewell song - Arenas de Soledad - to his ex-wife before she and their two children illegally cross over to the USA in a "raft". Music was wonderful, very different fare from my usual Chopin et co - listen to three tracks including Arenas de Soledad under "Musica" on the website.
Saturday, March 18, 2006
Laws of the Universe
Another classic forwarded email from my Dad. Personal messages come via txts, postcards or snail mail heehee...
Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to urinate.
Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.
Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (Works every time!)
Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Theatre Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich of landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.
Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly.
Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
Law of Reality: Murphy was an optimist.
Law of Mechanical Repair: After your hands become coated with grease your nose will begin to itch or you'll have to urinate.
Law of the Workshop: Any tool, when dropped, will roll to the least accessible corner.
Law of Probability: The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of your act.
Law of the Telephone: When you dial a wrong number, you never get a busy signal.
Law of the Alibi: If you tell the boss you were late for work because you had a flat tire, the very next morning you will have a flat tire.
Variation Law: If you change lines (or traffic lanes), the one you were in will start to move faster than the one you are in now. (Works every time!)
Bath Theorem: When the body is fully immersed in water, the telephone rings.
Law of Close Encounters: The probability of meeting someone you know increases when you are with someone you don't want to be seen with.
Law of the Result: When you try to prove to someone that a machine won't work, it will.
Law of Biomechanics: The severity of the itch is inversely proportional to the reach.
Theatre Rule: At any event, the people whose seats are furthest from the aisle arrive last.
Law of Coffee: As soon as you sit down to a cup of hot coffee, your boss will ask you to do something which will last until the coffee is cold.
Murphy's Law of Lockers: If there are only two people in a locker room, they will have adjacent lockers.
Law of Dirty Rugs/Carpets: The chances of an open-faced jelly sandwich of landing face down on a floor covering are directly correlated to the newness and cost of the carpet/rug.
Law of Location: No matter where you go, there you are.
Law of Logical Argument: Anything is possible if you don't know what you are talking about.
Brown's Law: If the shoe fits, it's ugly.
Oliver's Law: A closed mouth gathers no feet.
Wilson's Law: As soon as you find a product that you really like, they will stop making it.
Law of Reality: Murphy was an optimist.
Wednesday, March 15, 2006
Joie
Haven't blogged in ages, but while chatting to Eleanor it struck me that today is Tuesday, March 14. Well, a month has flown since Tuesday, February 14 - if time flies when you're having fun, I guess I did find the strength to have fun. =) Le bonheur de vivre, n'est pas? All in all, I would like to say a big thank you for those who have helped me through this month in some way - you know who you are, love you lots.
Anyway, change of tune. Decided to give the blog a bit more purpose, a slightly more intellectual flavour apart from my usually incoherent ramblings, a better reflection of my life and passions.
Matisse's "epic" painting was completed between 1905 and 1906, the explosive start of the French movement now known as Fauvism. The work is not only a celebration of idyllic life and happiness, but also an ode to the artist's love of sheer colour and the lyricism that continued throughout his long career. Intense oranges, verdant greens, bloody reds and vibrant yellows result in a canvas that pulses with a tangible outpouring of exuberance and emotion. Very much like Edvard Munch's infamous The Scream (1893), it is in fact the background and colour that transmits the title - here, the intense happiness of life; in Munch's work it is the bloody-hued sky and tortured landscape that screams. Munch's iconic figure is soundless; Matisse's sensuous pairs are very calm, sweetly passive even, slowly writhing with a pleasure that is entirely separate from our world.
The scene opens into an Arcadian landscape of gentle woods and a paranomic ocean in the distance. What a furor the painting must have caused in its debut in the face of Parisian critics and public as a whole who, still recovering from the innovation of the Impressionists, almost keeled over in salons and galleries from the shock impact of Fauvist brilliance.
Simply gorgeous, isn't it? Makes you wanna just rip off your clothes and run to Alexandria Park, lift your face to the sun and sing your heart out. Well, that's how I feel anyway - could go on for ever raving about the painting, but ya won't catch me dead streaking along Oxford Road! Hehe... cheers to one of my favourite works ever.
Anyway, change of tune. Decided to give the blog a bit more purpose, a slightly more intellectual flavour apart from my usually incoherent ramblings, a better reflection of my life and passions.
Matisse's "epic" painting was completed between 1905 and 1906, the explosive start of the French movement now known as Fauvism. The work is not only a celebration of idyllic life and happiness, but also an ode to the artist's love of sheer colour and the lyricism that continued throughout his long career. Intense oranges, verdant greens, bloody reds and vibrant yellows result in a canvas that pulses with a tangible outpouring of exuberance and emotion. Very much like Edvard Munch's infamous The Scream (1893), it is in fact the background and colour that transmits the title - here, the intense happiness of life; in Munch's work it is the bloody-hued sky and tortured landscape that screams. Munch's iconic figure is soundless; Matisse's sensuous pairs are very calm, sweetly passive even, slowly writhing with a pleasure that is entirely separate from our world.The scene opens into an Arcadian landscape of gentle woods and a paranomic ocean in the distance. What a furor the painting must have caused in its debut in the face of Parisian critics and public as a whole who, still recovering from the innovation of the Impressionists, almost keeled over in salons and galleries from the shock impact of Fauvist brilliance.
Simply gorgeous, isn't it? Makes you wanna just rip off your clothes and run to Alexandria Park, lift your face to the sun and sing your heart out. Well, that's how I feel anyway - could go on for ever raving about the painting, but ya won't catch me dead streaking along Oxford Road! Hehe... cheers to one of my favourite works ever.
Thursday, March 09, 2006
Coffee break
Whew one heck of an early post for me, huh? Havin a break now with the always wonderful Ipoh White Coffee, and a rather extended break I might add. Zis is me trying to be hardworking - submitting my portfolio on The Impact of National Culture on ExxonMobil (using Geert Hofstede's theorectical framework of cultural dimensions. Hmm that bugger relli got lots of time on his hands huh, analysing data from hundreds of IBM employees in 70 countries over 7 years, just to prove that Americans really are the most selfish people on earth. (See Individualism, of which USA scores the highest among the most relevant 50 countries in the world.)
Anyway, the portfolio's only meant to be 250-300 words (worth 10% of my total marks for Modern Corporation) but then I kinda panicked a bit - what I've written over the last week or so just doesn't seem to make sense!
Anyway, the portfolio's only meant to be 250-300 words (worth 10% of my total marks for Modern Corporation) but then I kinda panicked a bit - what I've written over the last week or so just doesn't seem to make sense!
Monday, March 06, 2006
Poem of the Week
Haha check this poem out, sent to me by none other than... my Daddy! (yar I know I hardly check my mail.)
Bloody Men
Bloody men are like bloody buses
You wait for about a year
And as soon as one approaches your stop
Two or three others appear.
You look at them flashing their indicators,
Offering you a ride.
You're trying to read the destinations,
You haven't much time to decide.
If you make a mistake, there is no turning back.
Jump off, and you'll stand there and gaze
While the cars and the taxis and lorries go by
And the minutes, the hours, the days.
Really random but so true horr... Dad gets these stuff off weekly internal ExxonMobil emails or somethin like that complete with Poem of the Week, Jokes of the Week etc. LOL. He's off to Brisbane until Friday, and I'm missing him already. Awww... At least Mum gets the TV all to herself haha, but I bet she'll kinda miss not havin anyone to fight over the remote with =P Knowing him, he'll prolly get her some totally unwanted stuff like beef jerky n Auzzie chocolates... perfect for the waistline huh?
Bloody Men
Bloody men are like bloody buses
You wait for about a year
And as soon as one approaches your stop
Two or three others appear.
You look at them flashing their indicators,
Offering you a ride.
You're trying to read the destinations,
You haven't much time to decide.
If you make a mistake, there is no turning back.
Jump off, and you'll stand there and gaze
While the cars and the taxis and lorries go by
And the minutes, the hours, the days.
Really random but so true horr... Dad gets these stuff off weekly internal ExxonMobil emails or somethin like that complete with Poem of the Week, Jokes of the Week etc. LOL. He's off to Brisbane until Friday, and I'm missing him already. Awww... At least Mum gets the TV all to herself haha, but I bet she'll kinda miss not havin anyone to fight over the remote with =P Knowing him, he'll prolly get her some totally unwanted stuff like beef jerky n Auzzie chocolates... perfect for the waistline huh?
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