In addition to that, some of others hold free tuition classes for students who are taking national exams like UPSR, PMR, & SPM. Usually, these exam takers have their own prep rooms, separated from the rest so that they can focus better on their studies. We’re talking about 50 boys running around during prep time and I personally think separating those ” in need” is a good idea! =)

My experience as a “kakak” (translated: sister) to the kids is really amazing in the sense that it grows and matures me as a person. Conversations with them have been enlightening. After each prep session (where they have to finish their homework), I try to sit down with the kids and just discuss about anything and everything under the sun. I want to share with them what I’ve seen, and tell them stories about possibilities that may be obscured for some reasons. Through these conversations too, they enable me to relive my childhood memories with their perspectives, and how I treasure this gift!

The Native Americans got it right – ” We do not inherit this World from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” I saw this clearly through my time in RI, and wish for you guys to see it too.

Rumah Ilham welcomes volunteers, abangs, kakaks, visionaries, and is a cool place to hangout. For more info, please email me.

View image

I like this one best.

What look look?

One of the painters was still working on it when I came over to take some pics.. Quite cool right?

I feel that this is very relevant to us. Let’s have a story or two in the book!

Call for Submissions – Urban Odysseys: KL Stories
MPH Bookstores Sdn Bhd

DEADLINE: Fri 30 Nov 2007
mphpublishing@mph.com.my
MPH Group Publishing are calling out for submissions of short fiction and creative non-fiction for an anthology tentatively entitled “Urban Odysseys: KL Stories”. The aim is to publish the anthology in 2008, depending on the number of submissions received.

The theme of the anthology will focus on life in the city, specifically Kuala Lumpur, with writings that show images of the new juxtaposed against the old, urban living with contrasting bright lights and shadowy realities and other short fiction or creative non-fiction which best encapsulate the spirit of the national capital. This is not a travel book but an anthology of literary writings about the city.

Stories must be original, between 3,000 and 5,000 words, and must not have been previously published. They invite submissions from both emerging and established writers.

Stories for children are not eligible for this compilation.

Manuscripts must be edited, typed double-spaced with 12pt font and e-mailed to mphpublishing@mph.com.my. Please include your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. You may submit as many pieces as you wish.

Faxed or handwritten submissions will not be entertained and manuscripts will not be returned. They will contact you only if your piece has been selected for inclusion in the compilation. Writers whose submissions are selected will be expected to work with the editors to fine tune their stories.

Deadline: Fri 30 Nov 2007
Payment: A small flat fee and two copies of the anthology

Anyways, I thought I could share with you my experience attending Tarawikh (pronounced: ta-ra-weh)prayers during this Ramadhan month. I always try to explain the best I can when non-Muslim friends asked me what Tarawikh prayers mean. I say, it’s just a communal prayer that Muslims do during Ramadhan nights.

It starts the night before the first day of fasting, and ends on the night of the second last day of the fasting month. This is because the day starts after dusk, according to Muslim calendar. Maybe someone could verify this calendar bit for me as I have only heard of it (vs. reading about it in a reliable source).

Attending Tarawikh in KL is a bit different for me in a sense that I don’t know anybody in the masjids that I go to. Back in Ipoh where my family stays, I find the environment warmer as I practically know at least 30% of the ladies attending the prayers. In between prayers, we socialize minimally; asking about health, and work, and for me, the most overheard question would be on when am I getting married! =) Sometimes, socializing just means acknowledging each other’s presence through a polite nod, or a wave across the room.

We have a choice of doing 8 prayers or 20 prayers for Tarawikh. Most of the time, at the end of the 8th, you’ll see all the youngsters leaving the masjid; leaving the golden ladies with weak knees to continue until the 20th. This is also the time when we get to further eat – at an occasion fondly called “Moreh”. At Morehs, we get to eat our supper. Perhaps tea with cakes or sweet corn porridge. There’s also “better Morehs”, serving laksa or mi udang, as scheduled on the Moreh sponsorship list prepared by the masjid committee. This sponsorship list extends to the fast breaking session as well. Basically the week before fasting month, the community around a masjid will register their commitment to sponsor food for either the breaking of fast sessions, or the Morehs for the masjid. If you want to get on this list, you better do it in the flashest of flashes as it gets filled up rather quickly!

Even though as a “perantau”, I feel quite lonely to pray Tarawikh around KL, I found a new fun way of doing it – what I’d like to call “masjid-crawl”. Basically it has similar concept with bar-crawl, only that the duration extends to a month as opposed to a night. I would, with friends of similar fate, pray at different masjids and will try to cover as many areas as possible in the Ramadhan month. As a bunch of adults who live far from our family, this provides a consolation of some sort because when we go around different masjids, we will find something that reminds us of home. Perhaps the tap of the wudhuk place, the carpet colour, the curtain that separates the men’s section from the ladies’, the voice of the imam, the way the prayers are said, the fan, the heat – anything.

People in different masjids behave differently too. In a smaller masjid, such as those located deep in an old township, we find considerable socializing happening because people know each other. And it will be pretty obvious that we’re outsiders hence we often get “the look” that stamps “outsiders” on our foreheads. It’s not hostility or anything, but more of us getting extra attention. Sometimes they asked, “Which street do you live in? I have never seen you before”, or “Whose daughter are you?” Obviously they find it hard to fathom that we’re not connected to anyone there, live considerably far from that place, and that we happen to “pass by” and decide to “drop by”.

For big, magnificent masjids like the Masjid Wilayah, people from various parts of KL go there. So it’s like a big melting pot – like Mekah or something. The place is absolutely breathtaking and big, hence we got lost many times trying to find where the ladies’ section is – crisscrossing shyly across the men’s section, men’s toilet, garden, up the stairs, down the stairs before actually finding it. Sometimes you can see the ladies’ section from where you stand but have no idea of how to get there!

Between prayers, instead of socializing, people tend to sit silently and admire the architecture of the masjid, or the artwork of the prayer robe of that lady sitting right under the full-blowing air-conditioner. “Must be from Indonesia..” we always concluded.

So there you go. My masjid-crawl is an adventure I love to do all over again every time Ramadhan is here. Happy Ramadhan to all that celebrate it, and to all that enjoy the food fest it brings!

When you reading this….you must be the one who did all this stuffs in those days….refresh ur memories..

We grew up watching Transformers, Thundercats, Woody Woodpecker, Chipmunks, Mickey Mouse, Jem, Mask, Ninja Turtles, Voltron, Baja Hitam, Ultraman n not forgettin POWER RANGERS n BUGS BUNNY!!!and anderra yippa mice? :), McGyver ?

We had to brush our teeths during recess at primary school? had to hold plastic cups, line up with your classmates side by side and start brushing our teeths at some open area… or maybe near some drain??

Do you still remember that we had ‘dentist’ rooms where we had to have our teeths check? Not to forget our ‘program minum susu’ in primary school.. everybody is suppose to buy like cartons of milk that costed 30 cents.. and you would see everyone drinking it everyday…its d UHT milk…

The teachers who would want to punish us must use yellow rulers to hit us on our palms?? 1 metre length..

That a bowl of mihun soup or some soup only costed 50 cents at the school canteen…

Went to some sundry shop near the school or to the ‘roti’ man waiting outside our schools so that we can buy junk food like chickedees, mamee, ding dang with some toys in it, ‘Ti Kam’, ice-cream and we would play games like monopoly, uno, old maid, and all other card games like that…

Another fun time would be during Pendidikan Jasmani. the boys would play football while the girls would play netball… and it would be like we were playing in the world cup…

But of course… the best would be main guli, batu seremban, bottlecaps, ice-cream sticks, ‘Pepsi Cola one-two-three’, Cops and Robbers, main kejar-kejar duduk,getah… and for the not so active, those kind of ‘book games’ where we would use buku latihan to draw and ask our friends to play…

Do you remember the ice-cream tubes which are actually ice and colouring that are sold for 10 to 20 cents.. the colourful ones.. where you usually bite off the top to glup it down.orange tastes d best..(pop-ice)

What about days when we felt like doing naughty things such as folding papers so small to make ‘lastik’ amd shoot each other… how about throwing chalks??

Back then, micheal jackson was just turning white.. and still had albums coming out.. compared to CD’s, we were listening to tapes that sold for RM9.90…

in computer class, we were still using black and white computer monitors.. played ‘Atari’… maybe SEGA or NINTENDO..

Well, are we all getting older or what?

Best 6 will get to go to a writing camp in Bali, best 16 stories will be picked and turned into a visual art for an exhibition!

I’d like to share with you my first 16-word story:

Sitting in cubicles. Eye meets eye.
The sun invites me to party.
The day is gone.

The purpose of the conference was to recap the legacy of Tun Abdul Razak’s (TAR) policies and strategies for state development. He was Malaysia’s second Prime Minister, who was in office from 1970 to 1976. He took over from Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al Haj at the point of crisis – Malaysia’s black day, May 13, 1969. It was indeed a trying time for Malaysian leaders; they need positively develop the country and to bring about change in people’s mindset from the colonial period to being citizens of an independent country.

Among the issues brought to attention during the seminar include TAR’s commitment to develop Malaysia through innovations in economic planning and education. He put emphasis in both, and the fruits of his conviction can be seen in Malaysian society today.

The conference presented valuable information and inside stories during TAR’s tenure of the Premiership in early 1970s. He was seen as a leader whom repeatedly used consultative approach before making a decision. TAR’s peers confirmed that he used to call weekly meetings, which he would invite fellow citizens like teachers and head of villages in order to hear what they have to say to him; their aspiration, ambition, challenges, and ideas were taken into serious account and TAR formed his policies according to this information.

Overall, it was a good conference. We hope to see more gatherings like this that talks about other leaders of Malaysia, not necessarily the premiers only but also those behind the scenes.

For more information, please visit: http://www.ptr.com.my/index.html

The small dots represents car lights – traffic scene on Jalan Raja Chulan

This is Pavilion lux apartment + shopping complex in the making, around Star Hill area.

To talk about the talent that these musicians have, I mean, really, they are amazing. Fantastic voice and very good command of the respective instruments they play (Shanon-piano, Reza & Isaac – guitar). My favourites are Reza & Shanon. They’re equally good in my opinion. Shanon is a bit playful and has excellent showmanship. He “engaged” with the audience well, said a friend. Satiric and funny. On the other hand, Reza’s a bit shy. His comments are minimal, but relevant. That works too, I guess.

Isaac has is flair of a street musician that sings really well. He is a bit reserved, but goes deep in terms of his songwriting. But because he just sings and not “engaging”, the audience was a bit tired listening after a while. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that he does have a noticeable talent in singing.

I dont particularly like Azmyl’s performance. He is with a band, the Sigarrettes. But I am envious of his passion for what he does. That is exactly what most of us are looking for- passion for something that we’re good at.

There’s more good stuff to listen to, and I look forward to doing that, especially to this.