My Fair Lady

“Hey I got two free ticks to watch My Fair Lady, wan ar?”

(WTF) “Erm, why don’t you watch it with mum?”

“Cannot, only can watch tomorrow (Friday), mum’s in Penang”

“Orh, ok lorh”

It’s kinda weird to go to watch a musical with your dad, considering that my dad NEVER enjoys such things (he’s more into sciene), and that he has a short concentration span aka no matter how interesting the thing is, he will fall asleep eventually.

Anyway, who could resist a free ticket worth 350 bucks!? Some more it was held in the prestigous Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, a venue which I will rarely visit!

Ooh chantek-nyer….

Anyway, we left Subang at 6.30 ish and only reached KLCC at 8! Fucking jam! Never travel to and from KL at this time of the hour.

The show was amazing! Even though I haven’t watched the film before, I thought the musical was wonderful! Their voices were so powerful and so alive!

The music was catchy and the sets were so simple yet elegant and user-friendly! The actors were the ones moving the furniture, and instead of darkening the stage, the just dimmed it while they change the sets, and we can see the actors enjoying themselves, dancing to the music being played! Say when they changed the settings to the streets, the bartender just took out the ‘pub’ sign and place it outside a door that is there all the time! How innovative!

It took me awhile to understand what they were saying because of the British accent (quite hard for the Cina-pek in me), but after that I was laughing my ass off!

The night was so elegant and expat-ish. Everyone came in their best dress, and I bumped into Nadine’s family as well!

Anyway, no pics were taken that night, go watch it if you can!

Toleransi ku pun dah bocor dah!

Have you read the papers? 

I bet you have.

“Mana ada bocor? Batu Gajah pun bocor tiap-tiap bulan” (Where got leak? The Batu Gajah also leak every month)

If you have NO IDEA what I’m talking about (shame on you!) it’s about the recent sexist remark made and supported by the Jasin (Malacca) and Kinabatangan (Sabah) MPs when a member of opposition reported of the leak at the front entrance at the media center to the parliament office. 

And if you have no idea why that statement is sexist (another shame on you!), leak refers to the menstrual of a feminine, and Batu Gajah refers to the MP of that constituency aka Ms Fong of the opposition.

Personally, I would take it light-heartedly. But knowing the alpha alter-ego male chauvinistic Member of Parliament who grew up being pampered by the mother and expects woman to live under the well or is perceived that women have a smaller number brain cells, their tone when responding must be pretty harsh and ‘tajam’ on her. Sadly, the other women MPs in the cabinet were either absent at that time, or weren’t probably paying attention.

This shows that Malaysian MPs do not really know how to SHUT THEIR MOUTH when they should, THINK before they say, and most importantly, be SENSITIVE.

“It’s not about government against opposition.”

I so agree. It’s Alpha-Men against women (read ALPHA not all men). If they cannot be mature about things and understand women better, they should just step down the next elections. I hope the Jasin and Kinabatangan Women know who they SHOULD vote in the next elections, now they know that their MPs can be such a chauvinist pig (oops can I use pig here non-halal leh). If Barisan is smart enough they should remove these candidates off the list. Or rather, I think they should read Men’s Health. AMen to that!  

Another thing which I am utterly disappointed with our cabinet is the way they reacted to it. Some claimed that the media exacerbated the matter, and some insisted that an apology wasn’t required since they weren’t targeting the Ms Fong but women in general.

Here’s another ‘Think before you say something’ example: So Ms Fong IS NOT a WOMAN right now? And what’s wrong with the media reporting what really happened in the parliament? I really don’t understand how the media has made a huge issue, they just darn reported it for heaven’s sake. I know I know the media’s suppose to give more positive outlook of the government but if the media didn’t highlight the issues of the parliament, no one will be informed about it and no one will bring the matter up. It’s things like this, if you look at a bigger picture, where corruption and mismanagement comes in. Although I do admit that the media can influence the public’s thinking and mentality sometimes towards the leftist side, but if no one reports it, and you have a government that is inefficient and always act like they’re above the law, how can the Rakyat not be bothered about it?

All I can say is, an affirmative action should be given to those two, because an apology now, no matter how sincere they claim they are, would be deemed insincere to us already. Malaysia, once again you have disappointed me.

 

 

Tangan berink

I read about this website and thought shoud share it with you, especially those who love writing but can’t get into journalism or whatever heh.

www.inkyhands.net

It’s an online litmag for Malaysians by Malaysians. They allow submission by youths of all walks of life (preferably Malaysian). I feel that this is a good avenue for youths of Malaysia to express themselves in literature. We all know that our expression and passion for language and literature have been surpressed by the education system that we have gone through right? With the current education reformation as initiated by our Education Minister, let’s hope everything’s going in the right direction

Lord I’m Coming Home to You

Hey all Subang peeps! Don’t know whether you heard of this band ‘Ben’s Bitches’ or not. My seniors back in secondary school, came out with this sweet loving song about the place they call home enjoy!

Sweet Home Subang Jaya (Tune of Sweet Home Alabama)

Getting tired of the city
Not a place where dreams come true
So when I’m fucked, I’m feeling dizzy
There’s only one thing left to do

(Chorus)
Sweet Home Subang Jaya
Where the sky are so blue
Sweet Home Subang Jaya
Lord I’m coming home to you

Now pack you bags coz we are leaving
To a land of broken hearted fools
So start the Daihatsu and get it rolling
We’re going to where the Middle Class rule

Sweet Home Subang Jaya
Say hello to your mama
Sweet Home Subang Jaya
I’ll kick the ass of your papa

Ok it ain’t that sweet loving. And actually, there’s a prelude to the lyrics, an audio montage of ‘what is subang jaya?’. People give answers like ‘Roti Canai mamak bagus’ etc… LOL.

Malaysian artist do love to sing about their hometowns huh (think Ipoh Mali)

Kelapa Ikut Singa

Oh and another similarity between Singapore and Penang

This is in Singapore.

Sini pun ada.

The Pariahs Gathering

Sent the Grandmother to the Emergency Room at 4 am today… Maid woke up to find her shivering.

Oh sorry for not informing, she has been discharged from the Penang General Hospital, same day when one thyroid patient jumped off the building. Should probably buy 4D or something.

The ER, I can say, is rather efficient, and calm. Dry Season i guess only one ‘drive thru’ that night, but also brought to the ‘non-critical’ ER ward.

The grandmother is now back home resting while I sip a cuppa coffee along Gurney’s Starbucks, sorry Jon for not calling you today. I just needed time alone.

This group of hooligans (probably illegal VCD sellers) came to the ER, three Chinese and two Indians. All cursing and shouting ‘I could’ve kick him/I could’ve punched him here there’ in hokkien (yes the indians too). Well guess what, YOU DIDN’T! That’s why you’re at the ER! And it’s a god damn hospital, there are patients trying to get some sleep in the eerie hospital. The least you can do is tone down your voice. They just kept going ‘Cibai itu orang mali aku pukul dia’ that sort of language. 4 BLODDY AM in a HOSPITAL.

What now haven’t seen a Camera phone is it? (The message on the wall reads ‘do not sit on that-thing-they’re-sitting-on-which-I-don’t-know-what-it’s-called-in-english’)

Apa macha, nak gaduh ka?

Oh and I probably shouldn’t write this but what the heck. I saw a cockroach roaming around the void area near the ER. And the cleaner just CONVENIENTLY mopped around it! I was so frustrated I shoo-ed the cockroach away from the ER entrance just in case it contaminates the hospital.

One of my best work so far

Yeah I was playing cat-and-mouse at the ER entrance, and the hooligans were watching me chase the cockroach. The cockroach instead ran towards the ER ward which freaked me out and I decided to sacrifice my SGD50 flip-flops by kicking it to the garden. Oh well, let’s just say it’s my contribution back to sociey.

Oh, my aunt gave me a very interesting theory about why Government hospitals get bad reputation:

1. Patient goes to Private Hospital for ‘perceived better healthcare’

2. Patient’s health worsens

3. Patient’s bill rises as days go by in the private hospital

4. Patient opts out of Private hospital because of outstanding expenses and transfers to government hospital

5. Government hospital accepts patient ‘willingly and fairly’

6. Patient health worsens because of ‘natural causes’

7. Patient dies in Government hospital

8. Government Hospital gets bad reputation

See, so if you go to a government hospital the first time round, maybe it ain’t so bad LOL

Next Stop…

Penang is one of the best retreat when I come home from Singapore – great food, cheap food, easily accessible good food.

Wait… that’s all there is… food. 

I tend to see Penang as Malaysia’s Singapore, probably because the island is predominantly Chinese, there are relics of British Indian architecture, names of roads are still the same since pre-independence, just that now it’s ‘Jalan’, but locals still like to use ‘Roads’ and ‘Streets’ like Jalan Penang is Penang Street, Jalan Beach is our Beach Road, and Lebuh Chulia is our Chulia Street etc.; almost everyone live on high-rise apartments, and everything is so near but because of the way the roads were built it seemed far, and… oh it’s an island! 

But Penang is so far from being Singapore. Traffic congestions, crime rates, economic development etc. Someone once told me Penang is Singapore 20 years ago. Perhaps it’s true but who knows I was born then!

The Penang government recently decided it’s about time that they have their own train system in the island. Two monorail lines will be built covering most parts of the island from the Penang International Airport to the Tanjung Tokong tourist spot.

While I’m glad that the government has FINALLY realized that public transportation is the way in Penang, rather than building more and more roads to curb the traffic congestion (so long Gurney Drive because Penang Outer Ring Road is coming!), there’s this problem about aesthetic which has been bothering me for quite sometime. I know that a monorail system is the fastest, cheapest way of building a train system, but look at the KL Monorail and how the tracks have actually ‘uglified’ the aesthetics of the city. Some say it brings life to the area, but I feel that it doesn’t complement the pre-war architecture in KL, and of course in Penang. There’s also news about building a monorail in Malacca, imagine having a train passing by the Christ Church built by the Netherlands, how to take a good picture of the building!??!  

Maybe the monorail system can be built underground in Georgetown, and in the outskirts of the city, be built above ground. It is definitely going to cost a lot more, but tourist wants beautiful sceneries, and wants to take pictures of it. If the tracks are going to ruin it, we can forget about them. 

 

 

 

 

Ooh Lala

Artistic impression of PJLAC

The boring newly awarded city status of Petaling Jaya will get a new facelift soon!

Introducing the Petaling Jaya Live Arts Centre, a smaller, but supposed livelier atmosphere version of the Kuala Lumpur Performing Arts Centre (KLPAC)

Now we don’t have to travel 45 minutes to KL or 30 mins to Bangsar just to be arty farty anymore!

Gone to Penang by the time you read this.

The worst thing that could ever happen has come true – my dreams

 

Well, almost, or rather, may.

 

My grandmother has been hospitalized after suffering from a near-stroke attack.

 

“No one was at home at the moment except for the maid. Luckily, the neighbor was around” claimed The Mother.

 

I feel irresponsible for leaving her at home. I feel that I should have been the one whom the maid called, instead of the neighbor. I feel that I’m not the best grandson my grandmother could have.

 

I’m scared, people. I’m scared that I cannot see her for the last time. I’m scared that this would be one of the last days she could have in this world.

 

Thankfully, I’m home in Malaysia. I will be going to Penang straight after my dental appointment tomorrow.

 

I went to Church today with my brother and his fiancé to find out the procedures of getting baptized in a Lutheran Church (a requirement from the sister-in-law’s side).

 

My feelings right now – “I think I need the bible”

Buang Saja

The star reported yesterday that Arab tourists are turned off by the dirty beaches Malaysia has to offer especially in places like Kota Kinabalu and Penang Island.

“I feel quite ashamed when people told me that they had picked up rubbish on the beach to throw it away – only to find more and more garbage on the beach”

Although I do not blame our most-probably-sick-and-tired-tourism-minister-in-promoting-the-country Tengku Adnan for being ashamed and appalled by such incidents, I do blame the general Malaysians who do take our environment for granted.

After a night out of drinking with my friends back in Malaysia, I was heading back to the car to go home when my friend just threw whatever rubbish that was in his car onto the roadside.

“Oi, WTF are you doing?” He just kept quiet.

I didn’t want to be a bitch at that time, but I really felt like slapping him. Malaysians, be it from the city or from the kampung, don’t take ownership of their litter. It became so often that when people threw their litter on the floor, it wasn’t disturbing for me! Not until after I studied in Singapore.

National Service did help me be aware of taking care of the environment as well. During the ‘Community Service’ week of National Service, they brought up to the Klang River. It was HORRIBLE. You could see the rubbish on the surface of the river, tree branches etc. they have even found dead bodies before! So decomposed that it was beyond recognizable! The area stunk as well, I really felt like throwing up while we were there for the whole hour. Besides that, we were also tasked to clear up places like the market, the roadside, or even the beaches!

But that was a long time ago, and the passive me don’t like to educate others the importance of throwing your litter to the right place, just as long as I do so. So slap me.

“When I get back, I will forward these complaints to the relevant agencies and ministries so that the appropriate action can be taken”

I hope the appropriate agencies and ministries would include the Ministry of Health, the Police department, the Ministry of Community Development, the Ministry of Education and erm, the Religious department? Other than hiring more effective waste managers (i.e. rubbish sweepers) to clear up the mess, the long term factor of educating our Rakyat comes in again. If you clean up, and people still litter, what’s the point? They have to learn how to take ownership of their litter, and realized that taking care of our surroundings, our biodiversity, our environment, is a shared responsibility. It sounds very easy and logical when I put it in words, but PEOPLE ARE JUST NOT DOING IT FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! They also need strict law enforcement, what you’ll only be fined 500 bucks when you litter? That is if catching someone littering is more important than catching someone being promiscuous in a hotel room.

“You throw your sweet wrapper around in Singapore also what” that’s what Brown is most probably going to say to me.

“I just want the rubbish sweepers to have something to do”. Sure, slap my hypocrite-ness.