THE THINGS YOU TAUGHT ME

He left us five years ago and yet, his presence is still felt around the house. The lazy chair where he used to sit is still there and oftentimes, my mind can still see him sitting there in quiet solitude after breakfast. His clothes are still neatly folded in the drawers and his bougainvillea plants around the house are still flowering. There are so many things that I can tell about him but my words fail me. What will I write? Where do I start? I know no stories told will ever justify the memories that I have of him. For Abah, this poem is dedicated to you and what you have taught me.

The things you taught me I will always know.
How could I not? The roots have sunk so deep:
All lessons of the heart that I will keep
No matter who I am or where I go.
Kids learn from what their parents are, and so
You are my book of life, the thoughts I reap;
Only in your arms I quiet sleep;
Under my words your voice sings soft and slow.
From you I learned the rules of right and wrong
Against which I at times had to rebel,
Though with regret I carry with me still.
How lucky I am to have been loved so well,
Even as I pushed against your will,
Relying on a father fair and strong.

GOOGLE DOODLES

In conjunction with Hans Christian Andersen's 250th birthday celebration yesterday, Google came up with a new banner depicting scenes from Thumbelina replacing its company logo. Google has always managed to come up with interesting images and ways to depict special occasions, festivals and individuals. The Olympics and Sesame Street (I blogged about this last year) banners really caught my eye and I'm sure they are going to come up with more interesting ones in the future. What makes the Hans Christian Andersen banner interesting is the way it is presented. There are only five pictures but all of them are presented as if you are reading a book. Simply brilliant!

AM I A NERD?

I had always thought that I was quite sophisticated, worldly and street-wise until one of my friends told me recently that I could pass for a nerd. What! His statement really shocked me and I could not believe my ears. He pointed out my lack of interest in sports and outdoor activities to support his opinion. He also told me that I had no sense of fashion and my wardrobe was totally blah. I have a one-track mind and can be quite obsessed with certain things that interest me. Hmmm, he has a point (a few actually) there but does that mean that I qualify as one? I have to admit that I am not a jock and I prefer to stay indoors rather than sweat myself out doing physical activities. I also have to admit that I am no longer the social type and I prefer to indulge myself in solitary activities. But does that make me a nerd? Well, I don't really look like a nerd and I don't really go for anything that is considered intellectual or academic in nature. Yes, I love to argue with my friends but most of the time, my ideas and opinions are baseless and do not carry any merits. So how can I be considered a nerd? I am quite adept socially (when I choose to) and I am not really that weird-looking. I am not into the latest fashion and style since I don't want to be a fashion victim (I was when I was younger and I no longer want to go down that street). I simply choose to be alone at times since I can't stand noise and crowds anymore (age factor, I guess). I don't like to participate in so-called 'popular' activities since they are simply more of a fad than anything. I like to focus on one thing at a time because I want to prioritise. But does that make me a nerd? To a certain extent, maybe I am but nerds always think that they are cool and never realise that they are nerds...

p/s I found this on the Net (I think it's just brilliant) and it definitely makes me feel better!

GETTING TO HAPPY

Getting To Happy? What the hell is that? Well, it's another book from Terry Mcmillan, the author of 'Waiting To Exhale', 'How Stella Got Her Groove Back' and a few others. It will only be released in September this year and I can hardly wait for September to be here (though I can be sure that it's going to be a while before it reaches here). I have always loved Terry McMillan's stories and I'm sure I'm going to love this one too. I have never heard of Terry McMillan until I watched 'Waiting To Exhale' (another movie in which Whitney Houston has a starring role). After watching that movie, I decided that I wanted to read the book. I finally found the book in a secondhand bookstore and I can safely say that it is one of my favourite reads. Since then I've bought a few other books by this amazing author and I have found them equally interesting. True, I had nothing in common (I still don't) with any of the main characters in her books (they are mostly African-American women by the way) yet I felt that I could relate to some of the situations and issues. I believe any story about people and relationships, hopes and disappointments, successes and failures, joy and sorrow are universal in nature. Such stories usually warm the heart and rejuvenate the soul. The characters and backgrounds are only platforms and means for the stories to be told. I like the way Terry usually writes since it reflects the African-American community which makes the stories much more realistic and believable. 'Getting To Happy' is going to continue where 'Waiting To Exhale' left. I truly hope a movie sequel is going to be in the works once the book is published. Well, I am happy now but I definitely don't mind Getting To Happier!

EARTH HOUR 2010

I wrote about it last year and now, it's back. Yes, Malaysia will be observing Earth Hour 2010 starting at 8.30 tomorrow night. What can I write which has not been written about the importance of preserving whatever resources that we still have? Not much I would say. So this year, I'm going to do what I did last year : stay at home and try not to use as much electricity as I usually do. It won't be much and I doubt anyone will see any difference but at least, I'll be doing my part for the world.

By the way, this is the same picture that I used during Earth hour 2009 last year.

A BITCH WITH AN ITCH OR SIMPLY AN EVIL WITCH?

I don't understand why some people can be so bitchy and nasty. It seems as if they are unhappy with certain aspects of their lives and they have to take it on others by giving what they consider as smart remarks and comments. Recently, I received a text message from a certain somebody who took it upon himself (yes, it's a HE not a SHE) to comment on an issue that clearly had nothing to do with him but definitely had a lot to do with me. The comment came at a very inappropriate time and of course, I was deeply offended. It was also uncalled for and tasteless. Maybe he felt that he had to give his two cents regarding the issue but why gave it to me? He definitely couldn't be suffering from pre/while/post menstrual syndrome since he is biologically male. Some people may wonder if a man can be a bitch and I am here to testify that many men can be bigger bitches than women. To me, he is not even an asshole. He is simply a bitch. B.I.T.C.H. (all letters in capital, please). He knew my stand regarding the issue and by doing that, he was actually showing disrespect towards me and my stand. Couldn't he just respect my stand and let it be? We can be friends and still not agree on every matter but clever conversations don't necessarily start that way. After all, there are millions of other casual conversational topics under the sun which can be discussed without aggravating anybody. Well, it takes two to bitch and I can be a bigger bitch if I want to and when I want to (I'm a closet bitch by the way). Usually, I would keep quiet and act like a good schoolboy but not this time (this is not the first time I have received such comments and remarks from him). I won't even try to give my two cents to him since I don't think he can fathom any intelligent notions at all and I don't want to keep repeating them (I guess that will also make him a dumb bitch). This time, I'm going to act like a total bitch by giving it to him like the uneducated , unsophisticated and tactless person that he is. So this entry is for him and the award below is just right for a bitch like him.

At the rate he is going, I'm certain he will be eligible for the title below too!

And he can drink from the mug (comes free with the certificate) that will nourish him with more dumb bitchiness!

If that is still not enough, he can join the club below and I will willingly pay the membership fee (provided he wears the club's t-shirt every time he hangs out with friends)


And before long, he'll be just like the picture below, an ugly Bitch Witch.

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

The weather was unbearably hot (it almost made me want to strip off all my clothing and head straight to the nearest river to cool myself) and suddenly without any warning, the rain fell hard. Out of nowhere, this beautiful rainbow appeared. It had been a while since I last saw a rainbow and like a small child, I was extremely excited. Too bad I didn't have a better camera (I still don't) to capture the amazing sight with. I called a few friends so they could share this fleeting moment with me. We were at the opposite sides of town but it made me really excited that we were looking at the same rainbow but from different angles. We were telling each other excitedly what we could see from where we were and I was not aware it was a double rainbow until one of my friends told me so. 'The twin' was not really visible from where I was standing in front of my house. Only after I took the pictures could I see its faint colours on the camera screen (does that man I am slightly colour blind?). Once, it was considered a taboo among the older generation Malays to point a finger at a rainbow. When I was a child, I was told that you could lose a finger (usually the forefinger) if you pointed at a rainbow (I'm glad I followed that advice and I am proud to say that I am the owner of ten beautifully self-manicured fingers). There have also been many folk tales and stories regarding rainbows. I especially like the ones about a pot of gold buried at the end of every rainbow and a prince coming down to earth to find his golden pail. Well, the rain that fell down this evening did not bring much respite from the scorching heat but the rainbow certainly did bring me a lot of joy and happiness. It makes me remember the beginning of a John Keat's poem, Endymion (don't ask me about the rest of the poem since I don't remember) and I have to say that years from now, each time I see a rainbow I will remember one Friday afternoon which coincidentally was Prophet Muhammad's birthday when the sky was suddenly graced by a rainbow's beauty.

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness; but still will keep
A bower quiet for us, and a sleep
Full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.

UNDER ATTACK : DO YOU FEEL GOOD IF YOU MAKE ME FEEL BAD?

One of my favourite singers of all time, Whitney Houston, is under the media attack at the moment. The media has been slamming her performances as not being up to standard. Concert goers have also been reported leaving her Brisbane performance before it even ended. Some of the comments made by the media and concert-goers are quite personal, mean and degrading. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Her voice is not what it used to be but it is totally absurd to expect to hear the same voice that we hear on her CDs from twenty five or even ten years ago. We age and we age differently. I'm sure nobody expects Richard Gere to look the way he did in 'American Gigolo'. Even Arnold Schwarzenegger has gone flabby and old. The same thing happens when it comes to a singer's vocal quality and endurance. In Whitney's case, her past lifestyle has definitely put a toll on her voice. True, she made some mistakes but give her a chance to mend her ways. If we find it so hard to show her the love and support that she needs, the least that we can do is to let her be. I guess it makes a lot of people feel good when they make others feel bad. We are only humans and we can only go so far if we are constantly criticised, ridiculed and never given any support. Ever noticed and wondered why many drug addicts and alcoholics relapse? Well, it doesn't take a genius to answer that. Some people attend live performances expecting songs to be delivered exactly as they are heard on CDs. Live performances are all about the energy and the connection that a performer has with his or her audience. Many songs can be interpreted differently when they are performed live. Attending a live performance means one has to absorb and feel the whole experience and not just the singing itself. There are many performers who opt to lip-sync throughout their precisely-choreographed performances and I don't see anything wrong with that since that is their choice and their way of reaching and entertaining their audience. So what if Whitney Houston cannot sing the way she used to? She has entertained millions and that's a fact. Right now, stop this hating and let's show some loving.

WE ARE THE WORLD (TOO) PART DEUX

True to my prediction, 'We Are The World 2010' is simply not good (that is to put it mildly). I couldn't feel the song at all and the video is simply unbearable. The only parts I like are MJ's original and Pink's. The rest of the production is mostly crap (just like the rap) and most importantly, some of the artistes definitely did not get into the song (they were more into themselves and each other I think). There's too much wailing which detracts the song from its main purpose and subject matter. The unnecessary and excessive use of Autotune also works wonders to disguise the artistes' inability to feel and embrace the song (which consequently turns me off). The artistes only provided their voices but they obviously did not lend their souls. I would be happy to buy a new remastered copy of the original 'We Are The World' but I wouldn't do the same for this new version.

GONG XI FA CAI!