Books To Give Away

The five books featured here are for the taking. I have an extra copy of each, reason being, I forgot I already had one at home when I bought the other.

The titles: The Broker, The Innocent Man (both by John Grisham), The Darkest Evening of The Year (Dean Koontz), Fragile Things (Neil Gaiman) and Friendly Fire (Alaa Al Aswaany).

I have this sneaky feeling there are a couple more duplicates lurking up the shelves there somewhere (too lazy to go 'selongkar-ing' right now). When I finally do, you'll definitely know about it.

If you want any or all of the five above, you can e-mail me pronto at kamabakar@yahoo.com. I'm not selling (prefer to give them away); it's gratis and if you are near enough, we can meet so I can hand them over to you.

UPDATE: Grisham's gone. Travelling to Skudai, Johor, soon. Two down three to go....

SECOND UPDATE: Going, going, gone! The remaining three have found a new owner, in Kota Baru, Kelantan... 

Tuesday Twinkle

Internet in the Stone Age .....

Crass Promo

A couple of weeks back we received our January-February issue of the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) newsletter, Exclusive.

Nestled between the pages was fete, a culinary quarterly jointly published for KLGCC and its sister outfit Sime Darby Convention Centre, located a few metres down the road from the club in Bukit Kiara.

fete highlights the latest happenings at the various restaurants and eateries that can be found in both establishments - new menus and offerings, festive specials, promotions and such.   

Unlike the Royal Lake Club's vibrant publication which is always full of down-to-earth, newsy bits covering the entire spectrum of club activities, KLGCC's Exclusive  is decidedly golf-skewed.

Although the club boasts of a complete range of the usual facilities (it underwent massive upgrading in the past two years to the tune of tens of million of ringgit), one would be hard put to find family-oriented write-ups in this bi-monthly issue. It seems to exist only for golf; everything else is secondary.

From my vantage point observations over the years, the only constant in Exclusive apart from golf news is menu promotional updates from the club's various food outlets. In other words, it's strictly M&M (Main & Makan).

I have no desire to cross swords with those folks up in Bukit Kiara with regards Exclusive's editorial content although, speaking as a former scribe and current wordsmith, I can see the endless possibilities of turning it into a better read.

Truth be told, I have been ignoring the newsletter for yonks because it offers non-golfing members like me nothing to be excited about. KLGCC is Pak Abu's golf 'home'. I hardly frequent the place; I find it highly impersonal and lacking in warmth (story here).

This blog entry, however, is not about the club or its newsletter. My attention was actually drawn to a piece entitled "A Rare Delicacy" on page 10 of fete (pix above). Let me be upfront by saying I find it highly distasteful. I am transcribing it here, verbatim, for your reading pleasure.

"From 5 to 31 March, China Treasures* invites you to an exquisite taste of one of China's delicacies - the shark fin's soup. Once savoured only by the emperor due to its rarity and elaborate preparation, the dish holds great significance at important banquets or events as it symbolises wealth, power, prestige and honour.

"At China Treasures, Chef xxx has combined the fine taste of shark's fin with crab meat, presenting diners an opportunity to sample this delectable cuisine with enhanced flavours."

How establishments presumeably posh and prestigious as these two can be so vulgar and crass as to promote the consumption of shark's fin when the whole world has long awakened to the brutality of shark's fin harvest (here), I cannot even begin to comprehend.

Some people may think nothing of it. I could almost hear their derisive  "It's only shark's fin soup, for pete's sake!" Personally, however, I see it as a poor reflection of the conglomerate itself.

Even among the local Chinese community, the growing awareness of cruel finning practice has resulted in many people consciously dropping shark's fin from their menu.

A case in point; when our fellow Royal Lake Club members Datuk Tan and wife Datin Emily held a wedding banquet for their son Jenn-Hui two years ago, shark's fin was noticeably absent (story here).

In Malaysia, five years ago the government took the admirable step of banning shark's fin soup from official functions in a commitment to the Malaysian Nature Society to conserve the shark species (see report here). 

We can't stop people from eating shark's fin soup if they want to. What disgusts me is the fact that these people are not unaware of the inhumane way fins are harvested. They just choose to conveniently ignore it.

Giving mileage via a grand promotion like this is as tasteless as the fin itself, truly a no-class act. (Shark's fin in its raw form is glutenous and bland; it only comes to 'life' with the addition of many other ingredients and condiments).

Lest one forget, there is more to life than wealth, power and prestige. You don't need to show off your status in life by having shark's fin on your banquet table. It is much more honourable to give up the delicacy altogether, because indulging in it means condoning the cruelty involved in harvesting it.

The choice is yours.  

PS: China Treasures is the Chinese restaurant that operates in both Sime Darby Convention Centre and KLGCC. 

Creative Cobbler

I will heel you.

I will save your sole.

I will even dye for you.

'Hesus Shoe Repair'

Nice play with words.
Should hire him to teach English to our students.

Amanat Yang Mengkhianati

Minggu lepas, seorang rakan blogger senegeri dengan saya, yang memakai nom de plume Dinturtle, telah menyingkap kembali sejarah silam berhubung 'Amanat Haji Hadi' (sila baca nukilan Din di sini dan sini).

Saya jangka Din bukan orang Umno; dia tidak pernah selindungi bagaimana dia tidak 'ngam' dengan DS Najib. Atas pengakuannya sendiri, dia juga bukan penyokong Pas. Bersandar kepada DAP dan PKR jauh sekalilah.

By the same token, saya juga tidak pernah menjadi ahli Umno. Cuma saya tidak anti-establishment, menghargai jasa-jasa kerajaan selama ini dan bersyukur bernaung di bumi Malaysia yang amat saya sayangi.  

Pada hemat saya, Dinturtle seorang agen bebas yang semangat nasionalismenya begitu kental, dengan aspirasi hendak menubuhkan Parti Melayu. Way to go, Din! Saya sokong sokmo!

Berbalik kepada the now-infamous 'Amanat', saya mengambil cue daripada tulisan Din untuk merakamkan pengalaman keluarga saya di Dungun, di tengah-tengah kemelut yang dibawa oleh Haji Hadi ini.

Sedikit sebanyak persepsi saya terhadap Pas diwarnai oleh 'Amanat Haji Hadi'. Don't tell me it's history because I lived that history. Banyak yang tersimpan di hati saya dan perasaan saya berkecamuk - marah, geram, sedih, hampa - bila mengenangkannya kembali.

Di tahun-tahun '60an hingga '80an, Dungun, seperti Marang dan beberapa pekan lain di Trengganu, adalah kubu Pas. Saya tidak tahu dan tidak mampu mengulas tentang penyokong dan cadre Pas di tempat lain, tetapi kalau di Trengganu, they were one of a kind.

They wore their 'holier than thou' hat at all times. Humble they were not. Jauh sekali. They thumbed their noses up at those who didn't support their party. Dengan angkuh mereka berkata 'orang Umno kafir'; itu yang diulang-ulang sebagai mantra.  

Semasa 'Amanat Haji Hadi' dibuat, saya baru berpindah ke Kuala Lumpur dari Kuantan, di mana saya dan keluarga tinggal buat beberapa tahun selepas pulang daripada berkhidmat di luar negara.

Tok Ayah pula di Dungun; beliau baru kematian isteri (Opah saya) dan sedang dalam ura-ura kembali ke Kota Bahru tempat kelahirannya, untuk menghabiskan sisa-sisa hidupnya di bawah penjagaan dua anaknya iaitu ibu saudara dan bapa saudara saya, yang tinggal di sana.

Beliau seorang yang pendiam; sentiasa bertemankan sejadah, ke mesjid dan beribadat, dan zikir tidak lekang dari bibirnya. Tetapi berikutan 'Amanat Haji Hadi', beliau tidak lagi ke mesjid.

Apabila ditanya, beliau menjawab beliau tidak sanggup melihat orang sembahyang dua imam. Orang Pas tidak mahu diimamkan oleh orang Umno; maklumlah orang Umno kafir.

Disebabkan arwah isterinya orang kuat Umno cawangan, beliau yang apolitical juga terkena tempiasnya. Tok Ayah tidak suka politik dan bukan ahli mana-mana parti politik, tidak seperti Opah yang aktif dalam Kaum Ibu (sekarang dipanggil Wanita Umno).

Ekoran 'Amanat Haji Hadi', kenduri kendara dan urusan jenazah pun mengikut kepartian. Bukan setakat itu, sembelihan orang Umno diharamkan; perkahwinan yang dinikahkan oleh kadi orang Umno dianggap tidak sah; dan paling teruk, ada rumah tangga yang hancur berkecai akibat ideologi yang berbeza.

Penyudahnya, dalam satu masyarakat yang overwhelmingly Malay and Muslim, Tok Ayah hidup menyendiri. Beliau pulang ke Kota Bahru di tengah-tengah kancah perpecahan orang Melayu di Trengganu berikutan dasar parti yang melaungkan diri mereka pejuang Islam.

Masih saya terkenang linangan airmatanya ketika bercerita bagaimana arwah Opah diherdik, diludahi dan dihalau oleh seorang muslimat Pas semasa arwah berkempen dari rumah ke rumah di Dungun menjelang pilihanraya umum sebelum 'Amanat Haji Hadi' dikeluarkan.

Bagi saya, 'Amanat Haji Hadi' adalah satu pengkhianatan yang tidak terkata besarnya kepada orang Islam, khususnya saya dan keluarga saya, dan amnya mereka yang tidak mendokong perjuangan Pas. Apa yang mereka perjuangkan sebenarnya?  

"Haji Hadi Awang, semoga Allah swt mengampuni segala dosa mu terhadap Tok Ayah dan Opah ku, Haji Jaafar dan Hajjah Puteri Habibah, yang keislaman mereka dengan sewenang-wenangnya engkau pertikaikan demi parti. Allahu Akbar!"

Gardenia - The Bread Story

Bonjour, Passione Italiana and Somerset Cottage

A bagful of delish wholesomeness..

A couple of days ago whilst lunching at my friend Ezzah's house in Kelang, this makcik found herself in receipt of a carrier bag containing three loaves of Gardenia bread in unfamiliar but eye-catching packaging.

The bread was presented by Yasmin, one of Ezzah's guests, to the few present, to introduce Gardenia's new flavours. I find it commendable that she is doing her bit, on her own time, to promote her company's products.

Gardenia has been my bread of choice for the longest time, in fact, from the time the brand entered the market in the mid 1980s. I Came, I Saw, I Ate; and I have been consuming it ever since. That's brand loyalty for you.

I don't give a hoot who owns Gardenia, then and now. It could very well be a hairy alien from a far-flung asteroid in the Milky Way for all I care; as long as the brand gives me a good, nutritious loaf at a decent price each time, I'm happy. 

The simple truth is that Gardenia white bread makes superb sandwiches, and the Abus are passionate about their tuna/ chicken/ beef salami/ turkey ham/ cucumber & tomato/ egg mayo/ sardine/ peanut butter sandwiches.

We have the freedom to choose what brand we want. We don't have to justify why. Neither do we need to oblige anyone by changing our mind if we are happy enough with what we have.

Personally, Gardenia has been on our family table for decades and that's the way it will stay, unless something truly drastic or unthinkable happens (losing its 'halal' certification, for example..)

When I was a child growing up in Bukit Besi, Trengganu in the late 1950s and early 1960s, we got our bread from the turbaned Punjabi fellow we called Benggali Roti.

His loaves were placed in a wicker basket which he carried on his shoulder, and Benggali Roti covered the entire mining town on foot each day, going from house to house until the sun disappeared. 

Benggali Roti is today an extinct specie. He has been replaced  by the ubiquitous Indian breadman on motorcycle, whose hand-held airhorn's shrill 'pon! pon!' was music to any child's ear.

But I, as usual, digressed.

Realising that my newly-acquired loaves needed sharing, I contemplated dispensing them to neighbours. Then my daughter Awwa and sister Izah dropped by unannounced the day after(macam tau-tau aja ekk). Suffice to say each went home a loaf richer. 

Last I heard, Gardenia ratings went up a couple of notches in both households. In mine, Bonjour - le classique is fast becoming Adieu, with le kenyang ruling the roost. You did right, Gardenia. Well done! 

Bonjour has a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds (we ate it with garlic butter), Passione Italiana is packed with sun-dried tomatoes and olives (best eaten with olive oil) while dark Somerset Cottage is multi-grained (wonder of wonders, my sister's fat and fluffy Holland rabbits love multi-grained breads!)

Well, that's my Bread Story. Now you go get yours (the bread, I mean), come back and 'story' me. you won't regret buying them; memang sedap... :-))

Rock-a-bye Kitty..

Special Edition for Cat Lovers...

These are 25 of the most awkward cat sleeping positions. Do not attempt any of them unless you have professional experience with (a) sleeping and (b) being some kind of a cat.

1. The Full Situp: To achieve the full situp, you must begin with the genuine intention of exercising your abs and promptly fall asleep midway through the task. This position is extremely advanced and not recommended for amateur sleepers.

2. The Awkward Spoon: The goal here is not so much intimacy as it is the socially uncomfortable sharing of a physical space with someone. Bonus points if your arm falls asleep but you're too embarrassed to move it.

3. The Semicircle: Tuck your tail between your legs and imagine that you are an omelette.

4. The Sunbather: The trick is to look like someone who is acting comfortable whilst also appearing extremely uncomfortable. Let's take this excellent opportunity to coin the term "meta-comfortable."

5. The Double Bed: You will need a partner for this one. The goal is not so much comfort as an expression of sheer, unadulterated greed.

6. The Half-Box: Any old box will do, but two of your feet - preferably on opposite sides of your body - must remain outside the container at all times.

7. The Backstroker: Do not even attempt unless you have tiny, tiny, precious little legs.

8. The Sleeping Baby: Find a baby. Imitate the baby.

9. The Fur Pile: For this, you will need at least three friends who are not averse to your sleeping on them.

10. The Full-Box: Just get your whole darn body in there no matter what it takes. Be the box.

11. The Drunken Radiator: Just because you are obviously some kind of gin-addled hobo doesn't mean you can't be nice and warm.

 

12. The Sleeping Dog: Find a dog. Imitate the dog.

13. The Librarian: Bury your furry little head in your paws and try to look as contemplative and bookish as possible before drifting off.

 

14. The Ruler: Measure the floor with every inch of your tiny body.

15. The Window Sill: The whole world is your hammock.

16. The Clothes Dryer: Imagine that you are a wet T-shirt, fresh from the washing machine. Drape yourself accordingly.

17. The Pot Luck: Think of yourself as a last-minute fruit salad that everyone will be very polite about but probably not enjoy all that much.

18. The Head-Rush: Head to the ground, paws in the air - let gravity do the rest.

 

19. The Odd One Out: For this one you will need first to find two willing conformists.

 

20. The Mid-Sentence: Only recommended for individuals with extreme forms of narcolepsy.

21. The Bag Of Limbs (Box Edition): Have a friend or loved one take you apart and put you back together haphazardly inside a box.

22. The Bag Of Limbs (Couch Edition): Same as above, except (obviously) without the box.

23. The Dog Bed: Not a bed for dogs, but a bed that is made of dogs. i.e., the most comfortable bed you will ever sleep on that also smells kind of funky.

24. The Office Worker: Fall asleep on the job.

25. The Married Couple: Don't be afraid to snore.

PS: Thank you JA for sharing these cute pixs with me.

Islamophobia - KFC Down Under

Looks like a planned provocation to me; you go into a HALAL outlet selling CHICKEN and you ask for BACON.

Sweet Surrender

[This was published in the "Malay Mail" yesterday and I am transcribing it, verbatim, for mutual benefit]

"The Consumer Association of Penang calls upon the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism to immediately stop subsidising the price of sugar.

Sugar should be sold at its market price because it is not a basic necessity and its consumption only harms one's health.

Sugar has been linked to over 60 ailments from cancer, diabetes, obesity, heart problems, osteoporosis and kidney problems to asthma and allergies.

Malaysians already consume an average of 26 teaspoons of sugar per day. Continuous consumption of high-sugar drinks causes obesity, one of the major factors causing diabetes.

According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, a study of more than 90,000 women suggests that the increased consumption of sodas and sugary drinks may significantly increase the chance of getting adult onset diabetes.

The prevalence of diabetes in Malaysia has jumped from one to two per cent in 1960, 6.3 per cent in 1985, 8.3 per cent in 1996 and 14.9 per cent in 2006.

At the current population of 28 million and at the prevalence rate of 15 per cent, it is estimated that there are 4.2 million diabetics in Malaysia.

By selling sugar at market price, the government will actually end up saving more than RM567 million (the subsidy spent on keeping the price of sugar at the artificial price of RM2.30).

This is because the government can save millions in healthcare costs when it does not have to treat sugar-related diseases.

Furthermore, it does not make sense for the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperative and Consumerism to go all out to make the price of sugar affordable while the Ministry of Health carries out campaigns to reduce the intake of sugar.

We would like to reiterate that the government should not be subsidising the very substance that is detrimental to our health when the money can be better spent somewhere."

@ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ @

Twenty-six teaspoonfuls; that's one whole bowl of sugar daily!

I'm all for abolishing the sugar subsidy. Never mind the potential in government saving. If by having gula mahal it will teach Malaysians to go slow on sugar and live healthily, so be it.

I'm sure there are a lot of healthier alternatives to sugar. It calls for a change in lifestyle, and for some this is tough to do because they are used to having their sugar-laden food (read sodas & teh tarik, kuih muih, cakes & pastries etc).

The 'sugar kings' have been making a sweet pile at our expense for decades. It's time we stop enriching these folks further.

Say NO to sugar (but YES to Sugar Sugar by The Archies)!

Chammak Challo...

Way to go, Akon!

Shahrukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor

Jinn Bahasa Inggeris

daun sirih

Tergelak besar saya apabila membaca satu laporan dalam akhbar-akhbar harian dua hari lepas tentang perlakuan segelintir pelajar di sebuah institusi pengajian tinggi (IPT) di Lembah Kelang.

Apa tidaknya, meletakkan kepercayaan kepada jinn yang handal berbahasa Inggeris untuk mendampingi mereka semasa periksa agar jinn tersebut boleh membantu untuk lulus peperiksaan bahasa Inggeris?

Dilaporkan pelajar-pelajar desperado tahap gaban ini sanggup membayar RM350 kepada seorang bomoh yang menawarkan khidmat membekal 'sirih azimat' yang kononnya membolehkan jinn take over badan mereka untuk menjawab soalan-soalan peperiksaan.

Apa dah jadi dengan korang ni hah? Mak bapak hantar belajar sampai ke menara gading, alih-alih korang mintak nyawa dengan menyeru jinn melalui daun sirih untuk berjaya dalam  pelajaran. Dari hidey hole manalah korang ni merangkak keluar! 

Bomoh tu jauh lebih cerdik dari korang semua. Besar kemungkinan dia tak pernah masuk IPT pun. Berniaga jinn aja, bergulung duit masuk. Habis korang diperbodoh dan dijualnya.

Daripada korang sedekahkan kat dia RM350, lebih baik pergi beli daun sirih kat pasar tani,  gobek dengan gambir, pinang dan kapur, kunyah dan sentil kat pipi, kemudian 'puit' air sirih tu macam Tok Nek dan Tok Wan buat dulu-dulu. 

Ada jugak hasilnya. Paling koman pun, gigi korang jadi kuat dan bersinar. [Tapi kalau kunyah daun sirih sepokok macam kambing sekalipun, bahasa Inggeris korang tetap no-go lah. Yang tu ubatnya kena rajin membaca, belajar dan berinteraksi dalam bahasa Inggeris, baru ada jalan].

Ditakdirkan korang lulus dengan cemerlang hasil pertolongan jinn, korang tetap bengap dalam bahasa Inggeris sebab kepandaian yang korang capai melalui jalan mudah ini hanyalah sementara. Bila mengadap job interviewers masa cari kerja esok, menggelabahlah korang, terpinga-pinga tak faham. 

Bekas Naib Cancelor Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Tan Sri Prof Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah, dalam mengulas laporan akhbar tersebut (Harian Metro 8 Februari 2012) berkata:

"Pelajar institusi pengajian tinggi yang mempunyai pelajaran sepatutnya tidak percaya dengan perkara seperti itu kerana setiap kejayaan memerlukan usaha serta diiringi doa dan bukan dengan mengambil benda mengarut seperti ini.

"Sebelum ini ada juga kes kononnya dengan meminum air rebusan buku mampu membuatkan pelajar yang lemah dalam subjek menguasai mata pelajaran berkenaan. Itu semua tak betul. Sepanjang saya menjadi pendidik, belum pernah lagi ada pelajar yang mencapai kejayaan tanpa usaha.

"Pelajar berkenaan juga harus tahu yang perbuatan mereka ini jauh menyimpang dan perkara itu jelas khurafat serta menyalahi hukum agama. Mereka harus tahu kepentingan bahasa Inggeris kerana kita bukan hanya menggunakannya di dalam peperiksaan, tetapi akan dipraktikkan apabila memasuki alam pekerjaan."

Budak-budak sekarang ni suka sangat mencari jalan pintas, hinggakan pelajaran pun nak di'shortcut'kan. Sanggup rebus buku, beb! Apa punya bodoh piang. Kalau inilah pewaris bangsa kita, God help us all. 

Membaca malas, bertutur dalam bahasa Inggeris jauh sekali; sampai bila nak pandai? There is no substitute to hard work, kids, believe me.... 

PS: Jinn tu ajar Queen's English ker American English? Kalau dia perturun ilmu 'American spelling', korang patut mintak diskaun, sebab tak original.

Bits & Pieces, Here & There

It has become a tradition for the Abus to invite a couple of close friends to partake yee sang with the family every Chinese New Year. More often than not, they are friends/colleagues of the children.

We had a jolly good time at the Royal Lake Club last night, with yee sang followed by dinner. That's my adopted son Jason (in white) who's been part of the family since he was a boy in shorts.

Also this year we had a new addition at the yee sang table. Here's Nawwar with Zul, her hubby of five months. Looking pretty tembam, both of them. La dolce vita, eh...

That's the mother of all phones you're using, Cheron! Fuyoh, very retro and pink kaler summore! Apparently, one just have to hook the humongous receiver to one's standard phone and voila! 1954 is here!

Last Saturday Pak Abu and I took a drive to Jeram, Kuala Selangor, to attend the wedding of a friend's brother. Nice laidback place, Jeram. Could feel the kampung atmosphere. Close to the coast, too. Found out that land is still reasonably cheap in this corner of Selangor. A decent-sized bungalow plot by the sea at RM25-40k, we were told.

To Emy Dzafrul and Nor Fazela: "Selamat Pengantin Baru, semoga hidup aman bahagia dan dikurniakan zuriat yang soleh dan solehah, dan semoga ikatan perkahwinan kekal hingga ke akhir hayat."    

That's our host, Nor Hafidzah a.k.a Melur (the groom's sister) in orange tudung. Melur's an HR supremo somewhere in the city. Heard through the grapevines you're about to become 'orang Dungun' (by proxy).. betul ker? Kalau betul, tahniah la. The lady in pink is my karaoke 'partner-in-crime' Rahayu (a.k.a. Kitty).

Nothing like a cup of frothy cappuchino and lightly buttered scone with cranberry jam to perk up one's morning. [So do nasi lemak sotong, roti canai garing-garing, and teh tarik, by the same token].

Here's Awang caught napping on Ann's bed (when she was away holidaying with friends in Kuantan) over the weekend. Check out Awang's kaki.. bersilang simpuh sakan.

Of course this one, Lillie, will never stray far away from Mommy. She'll plonk herself wherever my laptop is. And before you know it, one leg will be resting on the computer....

My 'Cina Dungun' Story..

Almost half a century ago (45 years to be exact, in 1967), I acquired non-Malay friends for the first time in my life, upon entering secondary school in Dungun, Terengganu.

Born and raised in the one-time mining enclave of Bukit Besi some 22 miles to the interior of Dungun, my childhood had previously revolved around just Malay kids.

It wasn't by design, far from it; the opportunity just wasn't there. Bukit Besi's population was overwhelmingly Malay and almost all kids from the community, myself included, went to the national-type school i.e. sekolah melayu.  

Of non-Malay families there were only a handful, probably no more than 20 households, and their children attended the English primary school adjoining ours.

As for me, an elder brother and a younger sister also attended the aforesaid sekolah melayu; we later joined Remove Class for one full year of English studies before entering Form One.

My subsequent three siblings, however, had a headstart in the English language since they were enrolled in sekolah omputih from the very beginning.

Having non-Malay friends opened my eyes to new, interesting possibilities. Suddenly I was surrounded by pimply boys and giggly girls who taught me to swear colourful words in dialects alien to my Melayu tongue.

I got to celebrate festivals other than the Muslim Raya. I learned to light up firecrackers, appreciate dragon dance, develop a taste for yee sang, throw oranges at Chap Goh Meh and, best of all, collect angpows from friends' parents during Chinese New Year.

I was living the life of a small-town girl surrounded by Chinese and Indian friends with nothing more than friendship in their heart, to complement the Malay kids who formed my coterie of kawan.

It's true what they say about life back then; we were less concerned about the colour of our skin and the language we spoke at our dining table. We embraced friendship like it was the most natural thing in the world.  

It was from those Chinese girls that I discovered the mellifluous voice of Taiwanese songstress, Teresa Teng. Thus began my love story with Chinese music, one that has endured to this day.

Teresa Teng was THE voice of the era. Almost every song she sang climbed the charts and I would be the beneficiary of sheaf upon sheaf of lyrics, written in Pinyin of course, courtesy of those Chinese classmates of mine.

They knew how much I loved to sing and how handicapped I felt for not knowing Mandarin. So they made time for me, transcribing the lyrics and coaching me to properly pronounce them.

\

I can still recall the very first Chinese song that I was taught, a melancholic number called Nan Wang De Chu Lian Qing Ren (Unforgettable First Love).

Today there are some 30 Chinese songs old and new (mostly Mandarin and Cantonese, with a few Hokkien) in my repertoire, and I have not stopped learning.

I don't need to understand Mandarin to love Chinese melodies and appreciate Chinese culture, one of the most ancient in the world.

Neither do I need to understand Mandarin to rest my freezing derriere on the stone slabs of the awesome Great Wall of China in the depths of winter, just so I could appreciate with my own eyes the incomparable beauty of this land.

Reading of today's politics already divided along racial lines, I feel sad and defeated. How I yearn for yesterday, when life was filled less with hatred and more with understanding and compassion...

French Latino - Historia de un Amor

Ya no estás más a mi lado, corazón

En el alma sólo tengo soledad

Y si ya no puedo verte

Porque Dios me hizo quererte

Para hacerme sufrir más

Siempre fuiste la razón de mi existir

Adorarte para mí fue religión

Y en tus besos yo encontraba

El calor que me brindaba

El amor, y la pasión

Es la historia de un amor como no hay otro igual

Que me hizo comprender todo el bien, todo el mal

Que le dio luz a mi vida

Apagándola después

Ay qué vida tan oscura

Sin tu amor no viviré

Siempre fuiste la razón de mi existir

Adorarte para mí fue religión

Y en tus besos yo encontraba

El calor que me brindaba

El amor, y la pasión