SELAMAT HARI MERDEKA

Selamat hari kemerdekaan yang ke 52.

Last night I saw a programme on Discovery about a lion dance competition world level. Malaysian team made it AGAIN as the champion. Watching the happiness of the team members as they hugged one another ... it was pure joy.

I thought it was held in China or Taiwan or Hong Kong or Singapore. But turned out it was held in Genting Highland. Sadly, not even one Malaysian flag was shown in the show. And what struck me most was the absence of Malaysianess in the show. I kind of expect in an event at world level, at least Minister of Tourism would be there to present the championship cup.

Sad.

I remember once as I was undergoing physiotherapy at a hospital, a lady alleged that the chinese in Singapore are LESS chinese than the chinese in Malaysia. This winning kind of accentuate that allegation. They are even better than the mainland chinese in lion dance.

What do you know. They are Malaysian Chinese.

In America, the citizens are identified as African American or Korean American to denote they are American citizens of African or Korean decendant.

So why Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian?

I do not believe it is a linguistic error. We got our independence from the British. Should there be any linguistic error in the official term used for such reference, I am sure it would not go uncorrected.

So what do Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indian denote? That they are Chinese and Indian CITIZENS of Malaysian descendant?

I am also of the opinion that is the purpose of vernacular schools. To prepare their children for the time they go back home to their mainland. Hence the term of reference fits all purpose and intent.

But no! As time goes by, this land of plenty beyond the tropical sea offers more opportunities. As the saying goes, "Seperti Belanda minta tanah" and "Beri betis hendak paha" they wouldn't be happy until they get everything. Look at Singapore!

What a sad affair.

All Americans, Britons, Australians etc speak one language and have one culture but here in Malaysia, the Malaysian Chinese and Malaysian Indians are more chinese and more indian than the people of the mainland themselves. Instead of they becoming Malaysians, they want Malaysia to be little China and little India with their own court and emperor and maharaja.

The winner of the World Lion Dance competition was Malaysian Chinese!

Malaysia oh tanah airku. Tanah tempat tumpah darahku.

My Final Curtain?

It's Sunday and usually I would sleep in on Sunday. However I have been trying to finish my raya curtain and it's not even half way done. So I got up 'early' [weekend early that is] and went straight to the sewing machine. Darn! No electricity! But I antipated that and had bought a new belting so I can operate the machine by foot pedal.

It was almost twelve when I finally managed to fix the new belting. It has been so long ago since I last operate the machine on foot paddle and my coordination of necessary limbs seemed out of sync. And the electricy came back on just then. Sheezzzz!!! I wasted almost 5 hours making a hole in the belt and securing the pin [lost a lot of sweat,half my mind, ALL my patience and almost losing a finger hehehe!].

A few rounds and the sewing came to a halt! Turned out to be a loose screw. My back started aching and I was struggling to get going when all of a sudden I realized this might be the last curtain I sew. It hit me so profoundly that I burst out in tears uncontrolably.

The last curtain I sew was 5 years ago and I never really finished it but I hung it nevertheless. I could have easily sent it to a tailor but there is some kind of satisfaction in doing my own sewing. I have always taken pride in my needlework.

A long time ago when the children were small I took to tailoring for friends and neighbours to supplement my income when their father was intent on carving his own niche, leaving me to take care of the children on a Rm60 per month of what was left on my payslip. The rest of it was deducted to pay for loans I made for him [not much but it was all I had].

Ayong and Epit have been pestering me for raya curtain since few years back. My excuse was the old curtain was still good. Ayong finished her study and started working last year. In March this year she was transferred to Kuantan and last June she insisted on getting new curtains for the house. We went shopping for curtain material at Ala Moda. Ayong's excitement rubbed on me and I felt well enough to tackle the sewing. Nothing fancy just loads of straight stitching.

So there I was, struggling with meters upon meters of curtain materials and I was hit by a strong emotion. My eyesight is failing. I have to take off my glasses and peered as close as I could get to the needle to get it threaded. I doubt if I could thread the needle in the next 6 years [I'll be 55 then if I am still alive]. That's when it hit me. For all intent and purpose this might be my final curtain [hehehe! feel the hair standing yet?].

There's no word to explain the feeling. The past years of my life flowed by leaving me drained. At about 2.00 PM, Ayong called to tell me she was visiting her father and would not be coming home for the weekend [she had to go to KL on Saturday, her father is staying in Nilai and Monday is Independence Day holiday]. I wasn't expecting her for the weekend [she already told me she won't be coming back] but knowing she was visiting her father made me feel so lonely and very sad.

At about 11.00 pm she called to tell me she was on the way and might reach home at 2.00 AM! I got worried sick thinking she would be driving on Karak highway alone at midnight. She arrived at 1.30AM, raveneous. Unlucky for her because I had mushroom omellete for breaking of fast. No left over! She chose to have instant roti canai with condensed milk because Maggie mee takes longer to cook.

He! he! I am happy again! My daughter is home. Safely.

1 Ramadhan 1430 Hijriah

My son and my daughter came home yesterday to celebrate the coming of Ramadhan 1430 Hijriah. It has been many months since I did any cooking. So I spent the evening cooking dinner for the three of us. Simple menu consisting of fragrant white rice, red spinach with squid soup and fried fish with hot fish sauce. My children missed my cooking and thoroughly enjoyed the simple fares.

We planned to have the customary Ramadhan early morning meal [sahur] at my mother's place which is 10km away. Just before going to bed after midnight, I fried some beef in oyster sauce in preparation for the 'sahur'. The three of us were already wondering if we would be able to get up in the wee hour for the 'sahur'.

My son knocked on my door at 5.00 am. Fasting would start at 5.44 am. My daughter called her grandma to tell her we won't be able to make it. The old lady said she was waiting for us to have the meal together. So we got into the car and rushed the 10km with my son behind the wheel.

We made it just in time. I even managed to have a dessert of fresh rambutan. All in good time. Praise be to Allah!

This afternoon, my daughter took her granny for raya shopping. Her brother took the grandpa to the optometrist in the morning. He wanted to make a new pair of glasses. I bought two pieces of Pagoda brand tshirt for my father.

It was so very long ago that the grandparents took her and her brother shopping for raya.

It was a longer long ago that I took them shopping for raya.

It will not be too distant in the future that they will be doing the shopping for me.

*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*

A Flu

For the past two weeks, students in the hostel were sent back home for flu. Hundreds of them. The health officer came to school on Monday last week to alert us of the raging pandemic. We were told not to go to the hospital in case of flu ... just stay home and isolate ourselves [social distancing and self-imprisonment are the correct terms]. We were also told to get ourselves the surgical mask and to practise good personal hygine ie. to cover our nose and mouth when we cough or sneeze.

At 3.00 pm Monday afternoon this week , as our resource centre was being assessed for a national level competition, a doctor announced the closure of the school. Two students were confirmed with H1N1. Though I sort of expected 'that' to happen since last week with hundreds of students getting the flu daily, still it gave me the sinking feeling. The thought that the 'leave' will have to be replaced on Saturdays leaves me pretty cheesed off.

By the look of things, we are facing a national health emergency. Health Minister is reported to be bandying with 'health curfew'. THe World Health Organization has declared that eight millions of us stand to be infected [wonder how they look at us under the social microscope].

With Ramadhan just around the corner and sugar is on the shortage again [always it's during the fasting month sugar goes short and come Chinese New Year, sugar is not only in abundance but at a lower price. Same goes for chicken and other kitchen essentials like onion and coconut. Weird coincidence!], I am wondering if there will be the usual 'Bazaar Ramadhan'. I sure hope the people have enough sense in them. Even without the threat of a pandemic, it is hard to keep the hygiene at a bazaar with food being displayed publicly and hundreds of people keep comng and going.

Yesterday, Health director-general, on NSTLive session said this disease is going to be around for a long time at least six months to a year.

Gosh!!! The surgical mask is out of stock now. From a mere 30 sen per piece, it sky rocketed to almost rm6 per piece here in my place in the heart of jungle.

Hmm ... perhaps my friend Tabib could recommend me where I can get a hazard mask [like the ones they wear in WW1?]. At least I don't have to change the mask everyday. Surgical mask is to be worn ONCE only, isn't it Tabib?

In the mean time, I will have to practise social distancing ... six months to one year?