With a matching black heart

The three black ducks of Danu Bratan, Bali. Birds of a feather do flock together!

Today I woke up late and arrived late for work, because yesterday my flat had no water and I had to wait for the water tanker to arrive at 1 in the morning. I felt so bad :(

Haven't you heard? Rumour has it that the next election is just around the corner. The propaganda of a certain political party flying around is that the party running a particular state fails to provide enough water to the people, and voila, last night I came home only to find out that our whole block of houses (which to my knowledge is very rarely struck by the misfortune of water shortage) has no water! An unlucky coincident, you might say. But wait, while the bunch of us grumbling citizens - with buckets and whatnot - were waiting out in the street for the water tanker to come to our rescue, two friendly figures in T-shirts bearing the logo of the accusing party showed up just in time when the water tankers arrived. I smell a rat...

We Malays have a saying: rambut sama hitam, hati lain-lain (we may have the same black hair, but our hearts are never the same). We can never be 100% certain of what the person next to us is thinking about, or what his/her political leanings may be. To the political parties concerned, I urge you guys be as transparent as you can be (could be quite difficult in politics, I guess), as I truly hate liars and pretenders. Or else you might just be another black haired person with a matching black heart (who may or may not get my vote).

And oh, happy 55th birthday, Malaysia. You'll always be a part of me wherever I may be!

Unconditional love, unyielding friendship

The fasting month of Ramadan is here yet again and whoever calls him/herself a Muslim should feel truly blessed at this very moment because Ramadan doesn't just brings with it God's command for us not to eat and drink during daylight for a month (which to no surprise is a brilliantly cheap and effective way to lose weight), but also the discipline of abstaining ourselves from doing blatantly bad things and doing more good thing instead. Yes, the no eating, no drinking part is quite a challenge, I admit, but it takes practice from young - if my cute 6 year-old nephew can do it, why can't I, right?

On another note, whoever has watched Malaysian television for the past decade or so would notice that this month also ushers in a handful of TV commercials-cum-festive-greetings for the upcoming Hari Raya (Eid), among others things. Unlike other commercial ads, I always look forward to watching them, as they are usually the best local TV commercials, conjuring a myriad of emotions from the viewers and reminding them of the good values in life - festive joy, melancholy, local humour, selflessness, humility, interracial respect and appreciation, et cetera.

Heart warming festive commercials have been a relatively unique trend to Malaysia thanks to the late Yasmin Ahmad, a great film director whose magical touch had given birth to a series of well-loved TV ads for Eid and Independence Day celebrations over the years. Since her 'untimely' death a few years back, I don't really expect anything superb to come along anytime soon.

But hey presto, this ad by the national rice authority BERNAS has swept me off my feet and touched the hearts of many this year; I'd find it very odd if it didn't touch yours too. And to you people who clicked the 'dislike' button: exactly, why?

"Two special children build a beautiful relationship based on genuine care and understanding. On the eve of Hari Raya, these orphans, Ahmad and Fizi embark on a journey and encounter many challenges along the way. Through their perseverance and determination, they overcome all odds to fulfil their obligation of unconditional love."

Before I forget, I would like to take this opportunity to wish all Muslims out there Eid Mubarak (or Selamat Hari Raya as we say it in Malaysia)!

The art of bullshitting

Hill-climbing bulls in Timor-Leste. Don't worry, I'm not referring to your droppings, it's just figurative speech :)

"We are well taught in the art of bullshitting," said my friend who had gone through med school with me one fine day. It was during a morning coffee break I wasn't supposed to have (I told my colleague I was going to the loo, but really, it was time for my caffeine fix) and it was an accidental meeting with her at the open-air cafe. She was asking me how my first few weeks in Radiology was and I replied that the Ultrasound posting I was in was not well received by my stomach, dreading that I won't do well in the upcoming exam next year. Obviously some level of bullshitting is needed in any exam according to her, and I concur ;)

Well taught bullshitters - really? Well, maybe not me, not at med school at least. In med school we were repeatedly taught to be well versed in the art of showmanship - to act like we know about things when we actually don't know much about them :)

Bullshitting came later during my housemanship, the first year of being a proper medical officer. A senior colleague tutored me on how to lie to the radiologists to get their approval for an urgent CT or MRI scan. But then again I usually get their approval just by telling the truth most of the time.

I once got acquainted with a conman (actually he got himself acquainted with me to get to my money, of course) when I was window-shopping in a market. Being a rather professional conman, he bluffed his way to the wallets of too-many-to-mention army personnel by telling them he's a doctor in the army - he even had an army officer's uniform with a name tag bearing his name to make everyone believe him!
Even worse, he's gay and not only he got his way to their wallets but into their beds as well. Wow, now that requires another special set of skills!

Luckily I figured out his true form in time (thank God I'm not his 'taste', haha) because of his shady qualifications and apparently dismal command of the English language. But before disclosing that fact to him I managed to tease out from him the ways by which he makes people believe his every word and persuasion. Yes people, I learnt from the best (sorry Whitney, no pun intended).

It was quite a long time ago and I don't intend to bump into another conman anytime soon, or ever. So guys, don't trust a stranger straightaway, have your suspicions checked, and don't be oblivious to potential danger before it is too late - just like the old Malay saying sudah terhantuk baru terngadah (literal translation: you look up only after your head has hit something). Trust me, or would you trust a conman instead?

Giving in to the tiger

Apparently the oh-too-common Tiger Cowrie has done it - I have been tempted to buy it, finally. It was probably one of those urges when I was holidaying in a beautiful place like Bali and everything I saw in the shops looked nice. Well, I bought that, a clamshell, and a sea urchin shell ;)

Bali has also tempted me to buy a woven basket-like bag, which may have fueled my recent liking for all things basketry. It must have really made an impression (which I hope is a good one) since it turned heads in the airport; a Chinese lady who doesn't speak English even asked her grandson to inquire about the price, hehe!

A tiger cowrie, a sea urchin shell, a clamshell, and all things basketry. I like!

Evidently the last few weeks have seen money flowing out of my wallet like water, thanks to my friend's wedding reception in Bali (not complaining though), moving to the capital, and the current nationwide Megasale. Just when I thought I should save some money, something always comes along and ruins it! Typical me...

Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?

Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities... or a not-so-gifted adult looking for a special book?

Brilliantly written by Trenton Lee Stewart and graced with adorable artwork by Carson Ellis (in fact, it was the illustration on the front cover that initially caught my attention), The Mysterious Benedict Society is the first children's book that I have ever read in my adult life.

The writing on the back of the book reads:
"Are you a gifted child looking for special opportunities?" When this peculiar ad appears in the newspaper, dozens of children enroll to take a series of mysterious, mind-bending tests. (And you, dear reader, can test your wits right alongside them.) But in the end just four very special children will succeed. Their challenge: to go on a secret mission that only the most intelligent and resourceful children could complete. With their new-found friendship at stake, will they be able to pass the most important test of all? Welcome to the Mysterious Benedict Society.

A rip-roaring tale of adventure from the get-go, four children of seemingly different backgrounds were brought together by a series of tests conjured by an enigmatic and an equally gifted Mr Benedict, only later to find themselves hanging on to each other in an unexpected mission to save the world!

For a child, the book is a reminder of the virtues of loyalty, true friendship, trust, self belief, and selflessness, among others. And for everyone else, it also delves into the deeper issues of racial tolerance, gender equality and respect for other people.

I enjoyed it so much so that I already bought the other sequels except the new one, The Extraordinary Education of Nicholas Benedict (I'm waiting for the paperback to come out, hehe) for future reading. A good read indeed!

Perfectly legal brainpower boosters

Blueberry cheesecake. Eat me - you'll be smart and fat!

Come June and it's high time for me to put my thinking cap on again 'coz I'll be furthering my studies. At this age, it's perfectly alright to worry about one's probably dwindling cognitive abilities to absorb and retain tons of new information - I'm not sweet 17 anymore and so is my brain, you know ;)

Lucky for me, I did a bit of a research on how to boost my brainpower to prepare myself for times like these. As the Malay saying goes: sediakan payung sebelum hujan (literally translated as get yourself an umbrella before it rains, a.k.a. always be prepared). Love the elegant way our Malay language has of putting things into words :)

After an exhaustive study of research papers, here are some things that may actually help boost your brainpower (please consult your physician before trying them especially if you have any medical condition):

1. Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) - i.e. the stuff they're putting in formula milk for babies nowadays, or just take loads of fish oil ;)
2. Ginkgo biloba - not for people on aspirin or other blood-thinning medications!
3. Phosphatidylserine - only extensively tested on old people with dementia, and it's quite expensive :(
4. Ginseng - may take months to years to produce significant improvement if it really does work
5. Vitamins A, C, and E - may take several years to produce significant improvement
6. Certain types of vitamin B (e.g. choline, vitamins B1 and B6)
7. Grapes and berries (especially blueberries)

My mom used to give me a spoonful of fish oil everyday when I was small even when all these research papers didn't exist yet, and I probably owe my academically successful life to her. Thank you, mom!

Malays and their English (language)

Schoolchildren in Dili, Timor-Leste - cannot speak a word of English but I like the fancy footwear :)

11 years of studying English and cannot speak the language. That's my comment on the level of most Malaysians' grasp on the English language. And that does not include the ones who graduated from universities and still cannot speak the language confidently. OMG, so embarrassing...

It saddens me to think of my own people who wasted spent so much time studying something and gets nothing out of it. So whose fault is it? Inevitably, the big fat finger will point to the students and/or the teachers. Students for being lazy of course, and the teachers for teaching for teaching's sake. Once when I was in Form 5 at secondary school, our beloved English teacher was baffled when she found out no one in our class knew when to use an apostrophe after an s (our class was made up of students with the best marks in English, and our school was one of the top in the country). At that moment I realised that my grammar really sucked, and I had a sneaking suspicion that apostrophes were not part of our English syllabus (not sure if it's true, though). My teacher dutifully taught us about it there and then, and I remember it until now :)

I still believe a lot of the nooks and crannies of the language need to be explored by English teachers and taught to their ignorant students. Raising the standard in English doesn't necessarily means extending teaching hours and setting up more difficult exam questions, which the government is doing. It's about bettering the quality of the teaching - better syllabi, better teaching methods to make the students understand easier, et cetera. Of course I am no teacher myself, but I tutored my younger brother for his SPM (equivalent to the British O-Levels) many years ago using my unconventional technique and his English improved by 3 grades in under 2 months!

I'm not saying my English is perfect, because I don't speak it on an everyday basis or even at home. Plus, I personally know several Malaysians whose English is notably superior to mine ;) But I guess if you're a university graduate, conversing in English shouldn't be an agonizing torture you would rather avoid. Not to mention the 14 year-old relative of a Chinese patient in Penang who cannot speak Malay in spite of all the schooling... Well, that's another (sad) story.