DA VINCE CODE - THE MOVIE

I am still hazy, confused and pretty much lonely since the last posting. Took leave yesterday to allow myself some space to think things over, I guess. But, after a last minute push in the queue to get the last 27 tickets plus sitting in the third row in A-Q13, let me just share my experience watching the most anticipated movie in May- Da Vinci Code at GSC Midvalley, yesterday.

I read Da Vinci Code in 2004, right after it shot to the top spot in almost all bestseller fiction’s list. Numerous dialogues and debates ensued as a response to the book within the Christian and Historian fraternity during that year. An online gimmick plus various websites that tried to rebut the book helps the sale of the books a lot, too. Well, as a reader with very basic knowledge of Christian (the most vivid moment would be when I helped Sis As, a Master student in Theology translated her questions to English during her interview with a priest from the Brickfield and PJ churches), I could not validify the assertions made in the book although a notion that suggests the superiority of feminity in leading a religion, in this case, Christianity is very appealing and quite…delicious.

But, ada apa dengan Da Vinci Code- the movie? Is it as controversial as the book or has Ron Howard tame the plot a bit just to make it accessible? As far as I am concern, the film, albeit slight modification here and there, followed the plotline founded in the novel faithfully. So, if that is the case, the movie should be as fast-paced and action-packed as the book, right? Well, wrong. The adaptation, in fact fares worse than a B-Grade documentary as it tries to mimic the elaborateness of the book- explaining the history of Holy Grail, Kinghts Templar etc. I feel Tom Hanks `s character is damn bounded by the wordy explanation that he must undertake that his acting falls flat many a times. Alhtough, Ian MacKellen, (an all time favorite actor of mine) at least, shine in his role as Leigh Teabing despite some of the longer academic dialogues he had to endure. Audrey Tautou as Sophie Neveu, is the most disappointing of all. She lacks the charisma of a smart cryptologist with such a shocking background (allegedly the last living descendent of Jesus) and the absence of on screen chemistry between her and Hanks makes thing worse. I mean dude, the way she reacted when she knew of her ties with jesus `s sang real could be best described as monotonous. In fact, her lame joke about turning water to wine and walking on water seemed a bit off and as though suggesting that knowing that you are a close relative of Jesus is an everyday discovery.

Ron Howard`s take on cinematography saves the movie apparently and he should write his thank you notes to the Louvre Museum, Templars Church in London and also all the other nice buildings he included in the movie. Touted as the second largest worldwide release after Star Wars III, I guess the hype surrounding the movie either creates a higher level of expectation on the quality of movie or the movie itself, is plainly a disastrous adaptation of Dan Brown’s bestseller. After watching it, I feel the controversial surrounding the movie is much more enticing, exciting and worthy of attention compared to the film itself. Perhaps, I could built up my case on the notion of Sacred Feminity by watching Desperate Housewives or watching Earl`s wife on My Name is Earl airing on NTV7 nowadays. Fortunately, my sudden irritated ness with the movie coupled with few yawns here and there, brought back my natural bouncy, ready to insult character in like 10 minutes, hence watered down my sense of mandom-ness. Sorry, Ron, but the movie was disastrous to me, big time! So, help me god, let us just focus on the line of argument put forth by the book and movie rather than judging the substance of the story from the quality of the movie! There `s more promises in that, trust me!

I AM LONELY

I am absolutely sure my colleague who read this particular posting today will say, " Apehal posting ko melankolik aje, dua tige menjak ni ?"

Oh well, melancholic or not, let`s just say I am one hell of a lonely person nowadays. Either at home, alone or in a middle of a crowd, I felt a great invisible wall automatically isolates me from the noise and visuals around me.

It makes me misreable but like some distorted sado-masochism theory (re: the more you are tourtured in the height of passion the more umph you will get) , the more lonelier I am, the more comfortable I am with myself. The more lonelier I am, the more I want to leave my mundane life and go off somewhere and give myself to any cause I believe in. Feel like leaving this wretched moment, book a flight to Bahamas (or Budapest) and immediately severe all ties with my family, friends and just everyone.

Don't you think this is fucking pathetic? Almost. Until I find this.

This is the shortest posting ever in my entire unpaid career as a blogger. But the most significant of all I guess. I AM LONELY, that`s all.

D.I.V.O.R.C.E

I came across this article this morning. Very relevant to urban young married couples in Malaysia, however to what extent?

Scenario 1
A: G, kenapa talak tu tak diberi kepada perempuan?
Me: (yawn) haa...kenapa?
A: sebab kalau bagi kat perempuan, habislah tiap-tiap hari jatuh talak!
Me: Tau pun korang useless sampe agama pun kene bagi chance kat korang!

Scenario 2
My mom, right after my ijab kabul nikah. Whispering to my ear- " Lead your life with your heart and wit. I wish you a happy marriage but never afraid to walk out when its no longer right".

Divorce is like a taboo word in our society but I think its worse during the 80s. My mom, in 1986 made her decision to leave my father over irreconcilable differences and got lambasted by our family and relatives from every corner. The fact that she has a stable career, liberal and made the decision to walk out from a collapsing marriage led to our neighbor viewing her as "a woman meant for temporary fling". But that was then. Nowadays, peeps are more relaxed with the notion of divorce I guess. Except for some quarters who still believe divorce is a threat to the sanctity of marriage.

Oh yes, divorce is makruh according to Islam. This means it is a rule which Allah permits but which is best hindered. But why then Allah allows couples to dissolve marriage? Clearly, such safeguard is permitted within the boundaries of the sacred vow of marriage because human beings cannot be so sure that marriage works all the time. It can't. To those who have happy marriage what can I say, congrats! but to those who cannot solve their irreconcilable differences, who can no longer endure the wrath of their marriage in the form of abuses, marital rapes etc, isn't divorce a crucial last resort to help couples correct their mistakes, start a new life or secure justice?

Rather irritatingly, the article stated that in the rural area, divorce rate is low as the close-knit family are still able to offer advice and iron out the couple`s marital conflicts. Even if the finding is correct, why should the couple let their family meddle with their marital affairs in the first place? Since the couple decide to get married, why can't they sort out their issues together as adults and get professional help? My rather bitter experience with this kind of perspective is when my own relative choose to stay on in a marriage that not only does not work but also the mental abuse she has to bear everyday from her husband. "Dia panggil aku beruk, gee kadang-kadang betina bodoh...tiap-tiap hari kene tengking" She said in tears. When asked what her parents think of this, she said they asked her to be patient with her husband, he is after all a hot tempered guy and thus, the wife should tried her best to cool him down from time to time. My only advice, " Leave him," Her greatest worry, " How will I faced our family as a divorcee? What will they think of me? Her hyper-guilt machine wheeled on furiously as she cited her worries one by one. None of her worry has to do with not getting food to eat, or job to support her. More on public and family reception, boycotts or isolation because her husband are well-received by her family. He should win the Oscar for his potrayal of a caring loving husband. Actually my cousin should. For Special Effects Award. Because she covered her bruises and swollen cheeks excellently everytime she came down to Ipoh for a visit.

So, tell me, is the increase of divorce a good or bad thing? is it a sign that people lost faith in the institution (which I think is slowly increasing for the past years) or that people realized they can do something about their marriage if it is not working? Or is it a sign that betrayal, kecurangan, pihak ketiga (or keempat) is rampant nowadays?

Scenario 4
K: Don't you feel lonelier after marriage?
J: Yeah, sometimes. Much lonelier than before I am married.
K: Why get married then?
J: You tell me....! (Scratching his head)

ME - A BELLY DANCER?

[Picture taken from http://www.thebellydancer.net]

I like to dance a lot. Perhaps this is because my mom used to teach training nurses traditional dances when she taught them in Ipoh and I like to come to those sessions and followed her classes. As I grew up, went to college and now, married, I never forget the excitement of dancing. Even as I work in my office right now, I could transform wahtever space left (which is pretty small, actually) into a ballroom where I dance to the tunes I am listening. So, when a friend suggested that I take up belly dancing lesson, I was all smiles and said to myself, "Hey, why not!"

Belly dancing or its politically correct name- Oriental dance is not as easy as we think it is. We look at Beyonce or Shakira and we say "Ala...kacangnyer those moves..." Wait till u try it. My waist and abdomen hurts a lot after my first session that I felt one class is enough. But the next day, I felt better about myself, the hurts vanished and I waited impatiently for the next class.

My instructor, a hot woman in her early fifties, likes to ask us to loosen up, relax and enjoy the rythmic movement oozing from our hips and abdomen. It was kinda liberating seeing a classroom full of woman of all ages and sizes enjoying the fluid movements of belly dancing and at the same time, appreciating every inch of their flesh with smooth confidence and subtle sensuality. Well, until our instructor said, "Gee, do the shimmy again, you`re getting it wrong.."...I was back on the ground, smilling at the idea of me, performing in bras and colorful tassles in front of 1000 of Johny Depps look alikes. Oh Well...

Belly dancing apparently is getting a lot of responses from the main stream. Regarded as a stripping dancing, a form of seduction or more scandalous, a dance performed in harems for Sultans to select his wives, belly dancing is actually none of the above. In the Oriental culture ( we are looking at North Africa and Middle East), belly dancing originated as a means of helping women prepare their abnominal muscles for labor. So, it has a lot to do with birth and new life rather than some cheap porn connotations. Interestingly, mothers will teach their daughters the art of belly dancing and in the Oriental culture, belly dancing is as normal as us wearing our pelikats and kain batiks. Some interesting facts about belly dancing can be found here.

The friend that asked me to join belly dancing lesson asked me one week back about my classes. "How was it?"
"Ooo-kay. Thanks for the suggestion, girl. I really love the classes."
"Have they taught u how to balance a sword on your head?"
"WTF? There`s no such thing!"
"Maybe later, when you get into the advanced classes. What about those funky clothes, so u wear those for your classes?"
"Err...I put on my flowy skirt and my gym tops, no cholis ...dude,"
"Maybe they are trying to tame it...you know this is Malaysia, after all.."
I stood in silence, smilling and too stunned to utter a single word. She walked off, there is confidence in her steps, maybe because she beat me on my facts there and then.
On second thought, maybe I should get her enrol for the belly dancing class. I chuckled devilishly as I concoct an evil plan for her.

AN AD 4 A SERIAL DATER

ATTENTION !

A friend of mine, MALE, 27, KL-based is seeking for awek cuns in Klang Valley. He offers great diners together (candlelights are not guaranteed), walk by the beach in a very classic mode style (my guess it has to be Morib) and lotsa fun going to concerts and brit-pop gigs. Do not fear if you are not Joss Stone or Kathleen McPhee look-alike, as long as you are cun and endowed with...err...great personality. A Scorpio (or scorpion), he is into music, healthy lifestyle and beers. I cannot guarantee a long lasting relationship but as fas as I am concern, you are in for some good time with mind boggling no-nonsense frank retorts that you have to be ready for. He is not a person to praise you on your first date together but rest assured, it is better for him to be silent than start saying something about your dress. He thinks he is developing some abs, but you girls tell me what you think about this. I might add on this note, he might be suffering from mild cases of delusion. Coming from the almost extinct species of stubborn independent Malay man, he doesn't take gifts nor favours, so in that sense he is suitable for those looking for a budget boyfriend. A self-acclaimed spokeperson for Arsenal, he wants to convert any organism that pass his way into Gunners supporters. He is a great listener because he has big ears and a huge fan (if not the model) of protein shake.

Anyone interested, do e-mail me, leave your comments or call me (my close single desperate friends lar).

P/S- I am thinking of setting up a matchmaking agency if this ad works fine :)

MY AMIGOS- THE BEER DRINKERS

Apparently, a lot of things took place while I was away from Kuala Lumpur. I heard bomohs around the country are getting the limelight in our media yesterday. But once in a while, during the weekend, I will go online (unfortunately via GPRS, I can't find any Wifi spot in Janda Baik!) and read the stuffs blogged by other friends. One posting that stuck out like a sore thumb ( and this one need medical attention real quick!) took my attention straight away. I will not reproduced the name of the blog here but if you google diligently enough, you might come across this blog (But tak payah pun takpe, coz tak berbaloi all the sweats and keyboard punching). The only obstacle between me and replying impromptu is the expensive cost I have to bear if I do it there and then and of course, the waterfall. But the posting stuck to my head like an UHU. "You are calling yourself Muslim and you are not saying anything about your beer drinking atheist friends that practice hedonism worse than Westerners! Shame on you!" He’s not directing that call for repentance to yours truly but of course I felt "pedas" because 70% of my friends are beer drinking hedonist atheists although I am not. That, however doesn't make me a better person. That only makes us different. And they never bother to convert me, in fact they respect my choice of attire and way of life. Oh well, there are some isolated cheeky instances where they say, " Ala...gee minum beer ni best, try lar.." But they don't shove the whole Heineken bottle into my mouth (Warning: When I say never, doesn't mean you have to put this to test,ok?) And I am not saying until they shove the whole bottle into my mouth, will I start complaining about them, I am just saying on human level, I respect them as autonomous units with the right to think and make choices and earn their respect for that matter.

Friends of mine who volunteer for an Iraqi relief agency are beer drinking hedonist atheists who fought mental depression and boredom to help total strangers who pray 5 times a day and wear burqas. A friend who is now in Korea, expanding his horizon on democracy and human rights, is a beer drinker- a hedonist, I am not sure. A new friend found, (who coined a melodramatic title for his blog that outdo any Samarinda series), sees the world in a more insightful and sensitive way, more alert than some non beer drinker straight thinking minds. A dear friend disappeared from a South Asian country last year for his strong opinion about dictatorship in his country, is the most intelligent and bravest man I ever met. He had problems in accepting non-empirical evidences of Creationism and still seeking, but he is ever incisive on ideals of justice and freedom. Now, do we still think we are damn superior than beer drinkers?

Perhaps, we the beer-free, jilbab wearing, religiously obedient pathetic lot should do some (actually a lot) reflections about ourselves. Has our clear alcoholic-free brains make its stand wherever and whenever injustice prevails? Did we question norms that promote stupidity and apathy in our society or we join in the club and SMS-ed diligently for new ringtones and logos? Even, way too ridiculous when we preached like there is no tomorrow to youngsters or middle class lot about drinking beer and western lifestyle but shut our eyes immediately to similar issues committed by politicians, upper class big shots or powers that be. Like our Proton, double standard apparently is a value that is easily adapted by Malaysians.

For that respect, let me stop here and think about it, all "alone".

(P/S-Apparently, we see religion as black and white, we try our best to erase the emergence of any greyish areas. Problem is, grey areas cannot be erased coz its called reality. For discussion on these grey areas, why don't u visit an interesting blog/web. The editor, Mujtaba Hamdi, who is in Malaysia right now as a recipient of SEAPA Fellowship likes to understand grey areas better!)

THE GO! TEAM

I am posting 2 of Go! Team `s songs for those hipsters and retro fans out there. Check it out:

The Wrath of Mikey - The Go! Team
Did U feel It too - The Go! Team

ITS ALL ABOUT WOMAN.

Hmm...woman, the object of desire. Manipulated and oppressed? Second class citizen? Lotsa literary stuffs were written about women `s plight to be accepted as a men `s equal. The fact that I can't comprehend a lot of my hubby`s behaviour ( "eh you pun sama lar..." he rebutted) has stir the feminist in me, so, today, I want to share some of the stuffs with you guys lar.

Gloria Steinem, (check the link, she`s one hot chick) American feminist and spokeperson for woman `s rights came up with this funny witty piece;

IF MEN COULD MENSTRUATE (c.1965)

So what would happen if suddenly, magically men could menstruate and women could not?
Clearly, menstruation would become an enviable, boast-worthy, masculine event:
Men would brag about how long and how much.
Young boys would talk about it as the envied beginning of manhood.
Gifts, religious ceremonies, family dinners and stag parties would mark the day.
To prevent monthly work loss among the powerful, Congress would fund a National Institute of Dysmenorrhea. Doctors would research little about heart attacks, from which men were hormonally protected, but everything about cramps.
Sanitary supplies would be federally funded and free. Of course, some men would still pay for the prestige of such commercial brands such as Paul Newman Tampons, Muhammad ali `s Rope-a-Dope Pads, John Wayne Maxi Pads, and Joe Namath Jock Shields- "For Those Light Bachelor Days".

Fiona Pitt Kethley, a British writer-poet, wrote a poem; her view on blowjobs

BLOW JOBS
You`d get more protein from the average egg;
the taste`s a tepid, watery nothingness-
skimmed milk? weak coffee? pureed cucumber?

Fellation`s not a woman`s idea of fun.
Just doing it as foreplay is OK.
You kiss me, I`ll kiss you`s a quid pro quo-
but carrying on untill the buggers come-
suck, suck, suck, suck for half a bloody hour!
(I haven`t timed it but it feels that way.)

There`s nothing in the act for us. Our mouths
are better stimulated by a kiss.
The sucked lie back (with beatific smiles),
forget our bodies in the private dreams,
while we grow cold, detached, unloved, untouched,
our heads like 3-D sporrans on their groins,
bored out of mind, with aching jaws and cheeks,
like kids that Santa gave a plastic flute,
still trying to get a tune on Boxing Day,

"Toothless George" sucked all comers to the rocks
in a secluded Jersye cove each June.
(He`d come from Blackpool for his yearly treat)
Men love that act, sucking and being sucked.
Most women wish they`d keep it to themselves.

INTERESTING...(hahaha)

"When I`m good, I`m very, very good, but when I`m bad, I`m better" - Mae West.

LAAAAGI PASAL MINYAK...

Hari ini, aku nak tulis dalam bahasa Melayu lar. jeles aku tengok respon yang org. kasi kat semusim di neraka. Tapi, rojak lar nooo, sebab aku sebenarnyer selesa dalam bahasa Inggeris (walaupun grammar tunggang langgang!). IKLAN SEKEJAP-Bagi peminat cerita kambing betina malang di Bachok atau penyelidik misteri keinginan manusia, NSTP online ada cerita susulan di sini. Kalau korang ahli kultus UFO/Big Foot/Bunian, UFO ada melawat Penang minggu lepas.

Tapi salah seorang rakan maya aku telah berkongsi berita mengenai kes pemandu teksi di Pulau Pinang (lagi). Aku turunkan berita keseluruhannya di sini.

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News Straits Time
May 9 2006

High fuel costs driving Penang cabbies to Ah Longs

By BERNARD SEE

PENANG: As many as 1,200 taxi drivers in the state are going to Ah Longs to make ends meet because of rising fuel costs.

The number represents 80% of the 1,500-odd members of the Federation of Penang Taxi Drivers Associations.

Abdul Malek Darus, a committee member of the federation, which represents 11 taxi drivers associations in Penang, said their daily takings had dropped drastically since the fuel price increase.

“Previously, we used to get RM50 to RM60 a day – and even up to RM80 on a good day – compared with RM30 to RM40 now,” he said.

“We are now forced to work at least 12 hours each day to earn enough to cover the daily rental of RM30 to RM35.

“The bulk of our members resort to borrowing from loan sharks when their taxis break down or to renew their insurance,” he said when contacted yesterday.

Abdul Malek said if they had a choice, none of them would want to have anything to do with Ah Longs.

“Those who borrowed RM1,000 will have to pay the loan sharks RM20 daily for 62 consecutive days. The interest charged is an exorbitant 12% a month.

“There had been a few incidents of our members being roughed up by loan shark runners for failing to settle their loans,” he said.

Abdul Malek said with only 30% of locals using taxis, their livelihood depended largely on tourists.

State police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Christopher Wan said loan sharks flourished in the state because people kept borrowing from them despite the high interest rates.

“The public must be willing to make a police report and become witnesses so that action can be taken against the loan sharks,” he said.

DCP Wan said the police were aware of the high-handed tactics, which included beatings and torture, carried out by loan sharks to recover loans.

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Banyak sebenarnya isu yang timbul daripada berita ni. Pertama, isu harga minyak, pernah aku huraikan di dalam blog bulan lepas. Kedua, salahkah tindakan pemandu teksi meminjam daripada ah long ni? Kalau tak pinjam, macamana nak menampung bajet kehidupan yang makin tinggi? Salah ke ah long sebab menawarkan "bantuan" atau dalam ayat yang lebih sadis, memanipulasi keadaan demi kepentingan poket mereka? ( Klausa kekecualian: Aku tidak pernah menyokong mahupun meminjam daripada mana-mana ah long selama aku bernafas, okay?)

Rakan maya aku tuh banyak menyerang golongan pemandu teksi lar. Aku tak nafikan jugak. Kalau diaorg beri serbis terbaik kepada penumpang, tak banyak songeh dan tidak memilih masa mengambil penumpang, mungkin ini secara tidak langsung akan membantu meningkatkan pendapatan mereka. Mungkin diaorg takkan menyalahkan kenaikan harga minyak semata-mata tetapi melihat diri di dalam cermin dan bertanya "Apa yang aku buat untuk ubah nasib aku".

Semalam aku keluar berlibur dengan rakan wanita aku. Kami menaiki teksi dari Taman Jaya ke LRT Universiti. Saja taknak naik lrt, nak membantu golongan pemnadu teksi. Aku bertanyakan hal ini kepada pemandu teksi. Pemandu teksi India, berusia setengah abad itu sekadar mendengus dan berkata, "Itu saya tidak mahu campur, saya nak cari makan juga,". Simplistik tapi realiti sebenar situasi ini. Dia terus menyambung, "I tau u nak marah ini teksi drivers saja, tapi u tau ka, itu union ka, itu persatuan ka, itu company ka, takda jaga ini org (re: the taxi drivers) punya welfare. Itu teksi driver sana punya, bukan saya la ( ceh, sempat membela diri),sudah give up, teksi kena maintain sendiri, minyak isi sendiri, abis la dey.."

"Cari lar kerja lain," Rakan aku, Mar, yang agak (?) snobbish menyampuk. Pemandu teksi ketawa. "Saya sudah puluh kali pegi interview, itu anak saya juga ambil engineering, takde kerja dey...itu kerajaan panggil org Filipina, Indonesia, Thailand kirja sebab bole bayar murah, mana mau cari makan ini org sendiri?"

Mar, peguam yang lantang di mahkamah terdiam. Mungkin memikirkan betapa bertuahnya teman lelaki beliau, seorang akauntan dari Arab Saudi, bekerja di sini. Pikir, Mar, pikir.

So, apa opsyen yang mereka ada? Tukar kerja? berdemonstrasi? Ubah cara bekerja biar "gemilang dan terbilang"? Adakah dengan mengubah cara bekerja mereka sahaja, maka seluruh sistem perteksian (istilah baru yang tidak di-endorse DBP) akan berubah. Sepertimana ekosistem, cacing dimakan ikan kecil dan lemah, kemudian dibaham pula oleh ikan besar, begitu jugalah masalah ini. Syarikat teksi yang meraih keuntungan perlu juga dipertanggungjawabkan- ada syarikat jaga kebajikan pemandu? buat appraisal untuk pastikan pemandu berkualiti? telus dalam membahagi keuntungan? Pihak yang bagi permit teksi, adakah telus dalam pemberian permit? Ada tak berlaku rundingan bawah meja? Si pemandu-pemandu yang mengeluh kesah, cukupkah sekadar mengeluh dan berserah nasib pada keadaan ATAU cara korang bekerja dan berkhidmat tu kena adjust seada-adanya.

Macam kata rakan maya aku tu, government screws the taxi companies, taxi companies screw the cabbies, cabbies screw us and we screw each other! Sebuah strategi penindasan yang sistematik setua usia dunia!

WHO DID MY EWE?

-

I found a very interesting piece of news ( a shocker to some of my friends) in the NST, dated May 8. Check out the news.

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BACHOK: Police are looking for a boy who is alleged to have committed bestiality with a ewe in Kampung Pengkalan Chengal on Saturday.
District police chief Deputy Superintendent Nazley Mohd Said said in the 6.30pm incident, the animal’s owner, a 36-year-old housewife, was cleaning her house when she heard the frantic bleating of her ewe.

The sound came from beneath the lower portion of her house, which is built on stilts, where she kept her livestock. On checking, the woman found the youngster naked with one of her ewes."When she screamed, the youth jumped up and fled. She lodged a police report," Nazley said.
Police are looking for the 15-year-old, who also lives in the village.

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I am interested to know how the (religious) authorities and public react to the news. Apparently a friend ( who is a sucker for Mustika and owns the whole Tamar Jalis paperbacks collection) informed me that this wasn't the first time. Similar case was found to take place in Bachok sometime last year. Are the ewes in Bachok hot and sexy? Like another buddy said, "Ewes are leggy and hairy," What kinda reactions can we expect? Some brainstorms on this -

1- Some would directly indulge into religious arguments on this matter. Bestiality is condemned by God etc. Is it really true? At the back, my colleague is hitting me on the back with a "Ko giler ke nak buat dgn binatang?"

2-Some would viewed the boy as having a physcological problem committing an anti-social act.

3-Some would admit the strong attraction that an ewe can generate from a weak man, so they should cover their hairs and body ( re: the rape case rationale will be rampantly used here.)

4- Some would smiled gleefully and said " It happened in Bachok? Lar...tak lah warak sangat Kelantan...hehehe!"

5-Some would say " save the ewes...call PETA!"

I wiki-ed and found this.

Interestingly, this was mentioned in Wikipedia;

Not all zoophiles are able to keep animals, or at least not those animals that they feel attracted to, and because of this some resort to trespassing on property to have sexual contact with animals. This practice, known as 'fence hopping,' is often condemned by both zoophiles and non-zoophiles alike, however.

(Re: So, get your own ewe!)

Zoophillia similarly like lesbianism and sodomy are very much a taboo in our country (duh). But, talking about it openly I guess will help us to share our own discomfort and understanding about the topic. So start "baaa baaaa" now !

Iran & Chapter 7

The urge from U.S and its Western allies for Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment program continue with U.S backed by old buddies, Britain and France drafting a new resolution for the U.N Security Council despite mounting protests. China and Russia, reject the idea to push the resolution under Chapter 7 of the U.N Charter. Chapter 7 apparently allows U.N to force any states into compliance using punitive measures, war or sanction among others. China, understandably has engage Iran in important oil contracts (what with the Iran`s oil bourse scheduled for opening in another 2 months, with Euro denominated market price) and perhaps, apart from hating the idea of another invasion, has crucial interest at stake in Iran at the moment. Russia, on the other hand, is a long time buddy with the Middle East countries prior to Soviet Era. Business is good for Russia in the Middle East, hence, the worry that sanctioning Iran will be bad for their business and economic interest in the Middle East is very much understandable. By the way, Iran is Russia `s most important client where arms and military equipments are concerned.

Imagine 2 business man and 3 global warlocks discussing the faith of a regime. Hmmm...not a very nice picture.

Things of course gets more dramatic, when Iran threatened to cut off oil supply should they are sanctioned. Try disrupting us and you have your oil tanks drowned in the Harmuz.

A second Cold War in the making? If it is, no wonder U.S is damn afraid now. Rather then surviving in the world today alone and very much, unilaterally, an emerging dissent from another part of the world is something they have to stop immediately.

Iran `s back ups are obviously defending Iran for the sake of their interest. Do they sincerely want peace wihout any tangible motives. Kerat jari, I don't believe them.

As for U.S, the world is pretty much fed up with your fancy for power and oil. Don't simply hide behind the banner of U.N and cowardly calls Iran a nuclear threat. Don't any of the world leaders remember world `s most important precedents to date: United States of America vs. Afghanistan and United States of America vs. Iraq?

The need to vomit is very much forceful now.

YOUTH ALERT!!!

My internet darling, ( hehehe...you know who I am talking about, baby) shared his childhood story getting (mis) educated in Gombak. Now, all Gombak residents including The Switters, The Union Guy, Indie King etc, don't ambik hati. Our discussion did not amount to breach of Minang security nor, had it explicitly slander any of you in whatsoever way. He was telling me about how the school in that area does not create any kind of hope in the students to become better people. How the teachers had (or still have) preconceived notions, judgemental and not very supportive of the kids. "Apa nak jadi dengan korang" is the official hymm for these teachers and a display of mischief is a S.O.S for moral and discipline. Frankly, the whole education system is in a mess, not only Gombak. Thank god some of us escape the mess by becoming deviants, "kultus" leaders/followers, started rock bands, myspaces etc...( could be messier but happier, yes?) What will happen to our new generation in this country... *sigh*

(Sound of Wawasan 2020 anthem fading replaced by Fugazi `s KYEO )..Ceh...

Its not that bad, actually. Look at the end of the tunnel at Karak Highway and you will see a tiny flickering light. A collective of young and not-so-young people had in 2004 started a youth program in Gombak called "Youth Alert!". Due to boredom, unemployment and lack of sanity, this group sat down to brainstorm at one of the warung mamak and decided that " Hei, maybe we can kill time by screwing the kids `s head...They look like some boring hip hop wannabes (whereas we look untypically like some ruined secret society)". So, everyone agree to that idea and start...err...ordering teh tarek. It took some time for them to take off coz some of them have to bagi anak makan, dating, buat course work and organize peace rallies.

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NEWS FLASH

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BBC strong man, Shahrir resigned from Parliament due to an incident where he didn't get support for Kit Siang `s motion (of which he supported) on a suspected foul play in a timbre consignment case in N. Sembilan. Read about it, here. So, to you guys who are out of job, there is vacancy apparently in the Parliament, a very ad-hoc-on-second-thought kinda position actually. Your job essentially is to make noise in the Parliamnet. But better check your connections to see if you can make it. The "maverick" will be sorely missed but oh, well, life goes on for us common people...

Back to the main report..

When they promo the program, a lot of teenagers warmed up to the idea and agreed to join. The idea of doing something over the weekend which has nothing to do with homework, aweks and parents seemed fresh to them. The collective ( will be known as ISREC, hereinafter) conduct the "floating school" ( a term student activists in some European countries used for informal classes) for 2 1/2 months with the great help from other youth groups doing similar stuff in other area. They have The Art Guy ( a guy with self-learned art skill), The Theater Maniac ( another guy who writes and produce theaters endowed with heavy social critique ) and some other arty people. The core group on the other hand are like 5 people with 5 different taste for food, ideology and sexual orientation. ( I made up the last bit), so when it comes to the BIG question : what are we going to do with these kids, anyway? All agreed to 2 simple reasons - to make the kids feel good about themselves and to create a safe and creative outlet for them to vent their anger, frustration whatsoever. The ideology-PEACE & JUSTICE.

The first few weeks are focused on discussions and activities which help the kids develop their own opinion about themselves, their peers and community. This was done through simple photography exercise, comic drawing sessions, role plays and abit of right-based activities. The next part was to expose them to various artistic skills to sort of offer them alternatives to explain themselves (if they want to explain themselves) or to channel their creativity- stencilling, t-shirt making, storyboard etc. According to the collective, the kids really enjoy the classes and cases of drop out or absents are pretty rare.

But how do u know they are comfortable with themselves or if they think the classes are their safe space?

One of them explained an incident. When the first class started, there is this boy who actually wears ear ring but he took off the ear ring so as not to let the trainers saw him wearing it. After the third class, he came to the next class with the ear ring on confidently. " We want them to be comfortable with who they are or choose to be, free from any sort of fear.To build that confidence, the trainers avoid judgemental attitudes. We treat them as friends and respect their choice of appearances or orientation of life, so we earned their respect through respect". Another admitted that "yeah, we can get this on our own in K.L etc, but nothing beats having it here, these cool classes in our own backyard!"

Other young people from other community was brought in to discuss youth issues together. Rather than looking like some boring suffocating classroom ordeal, the floating classes seemed to be lively, fun and cool. Not the kind of classes we get in schools nowadays.

So there is hope after all. (Bob Dylan `s The Times They are a-changing heard at the back). I heard they are coming up soon with another one this year with a music band in the plan. Here`s hoping for more rebels with a cause in our country!

Youth Alert will be putting up a blog in the near future. So, be alert !

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Built To Spill released their latest album with some (if not all) fresh line up. Called "You In Reverse", the band seeks to explore new grounds in terms of not-so-pristine sound compared to Ancient Melodies of 2001. Listen to the full album streamed here, at Radio Indie Pop. But you have to register first ( for free). " Conventional Wisdom" is my favorite in this new album. Haven't read the reviews or whatever, damn the reviewers, Pitchfork Review or Stylus I think is so gonna kenakan this album. Kindly correct me (secara bersopan santun) if I`m wrong.

The Clockwork Orange ( Burgess), Junk (Burrough), The Day I Swapped My Dad with 2 Goldfish (a graphic work by Gaiman) and Rumo & His Miraculous Adventure ( Moers ) : a weird tale for peeps who also likes Pratchett are on sale at Borders for 15%. Who wants to treat me to any of these book, sangatlah dialu-alukan!

"Brand me, sayang...if u dare!"

I have always been reluctant to write about my work. When my former course mates ask me about the programs I organize or people I met when I am doing my job, my defense radar automatically yells “EVADE THE QUESTION”. I am not some reserved demure woman who keeps her mouth shut. I have my other half to guarantee that, I tell ya. Its just that talking about my work is painful. It cruelly evokes unwanted issues, which could be reliable entry points for me to quarrel with my friends, mostly corporate (pronounced keparat) lawyers nowadays. When I first entered S*****, the fact that I am a law graduate warranted enough curiosity for people to bombard me with endless questions.

There is nothing special with my work. U can call me a first class busy body. Ever poking my penyek nose into stuffs that don’t concern me at all.The work is damn strenuous and enduringly slow if you want to see the tangible results. But hey, I love it!

“ Mana dia gaya lawyer awak?” A senior colleague asked with raised eyebrow ala Ziana Zain.
“Huh?” (Read: WTF) I was damn confused. As far as I remember, there was no specific lesson on specific styles for lawyers during my LLB years. In case you wonder where do all the lawyers learned their snob looks and haughty pouts, there was no class on that either, THAT, my friends, comes naturally to them.

“Gaya lawyer tu apa kak?” I asked back, appealing for a straight answer.
“Banyak cakap, cakap pun speaking mat salleh jer, suka argue tak habis-habis…..”
Me and my big mouth. Apparently she owns a Dummies Guide To Lawyer`s Personality.

As u can see, labeling has always been easy. Understanding the point of labeling is the complicated part. I was glad I failed the lawyer-profiling test that my senior colleague put me through. Looking or acting the part of some brand or labels that people throw at you is pretty boring. Worse still, it violates the right to be original. The right to deny peoples the pleasure of stereotyping you. The right not to conform. You see, I could be wearing a tudung/scarf/turban, but at the same time, don't give me the slack look because I think Salman Rushdie is making a point.

During one of my flight trips, a sexy Malay girl in pink tube and floral skirt who was sitting next to me received a “Good Morning and may I help you” from the Stewardass.. I on the other hand, get the “Selamat Pagi” and “boleh saya bantu cik”. Bahasa Kebangsaan campaigners may pat my back for having such aura to persuade peeps speaking in malay with me. I will give 2 ½ stars for that assumption. My guess is... my scarf, had some unknown supernatural power that prohibited the Stewardass from speaking in English with me. So, wearing the jilbab is a signal that I might have trouble speaking in English? If only I could tell the stewardass how I love Anthony Burgess and William S.Burrough `s stuffs ! But then again, I might need to explain who those two are before I tell him how much I loved their work.

Like it or not, we get labels everyday. If you read Amanat Haji Hadi, you get the you-are-a-PAS-sympathizer look. If you say “Way to go, Chavez!”, then you are a lefty, If you wear black t-shirts, you are some deviant black metal fan ( I like black t-shirts by the way, they make me look 6 kilos less). Try to be a smartass and explain yourself, then you are a dissenting social outcast coz you don’t act like the scheme and uphold "the way of the majority", you can’t be compartmentalized under any labels, therefore you are “The Other”. I call it a meaningless attempt at social efficiency. Social Efficiency, my foot. We are imperfect potential sinners since Adam and Eve not some robots programmed to follow dogmatic manuals.

Even worse, labels evolve into socially construct prisons. Seeking for willing prisoners. There are people who loved the attention or limelight these labels offer. Sadly, there are people persecuted or tortured because of the labels.

Branding people or in other words, social conditioning is rampant in the course of my work. We brand minorities as sad case, so we offer welfare instead of justice. We brand dependency as empowerment so we lead on and never let go, we define politics as partisan and ignore masses collective power, we brand opposition as disloyalty, dissent as chaos. In the end, labels rule. In the end, we succumbed to the empty meanings of these brands and make fatal positions. When I first had to go to a rural Semai village in Perak, the members of the community thought I wanted to convert them coz I am wearing the scarf. I didn’t blame them. Conversion is a painful experience to some of them and my Muslim image brought back some of these memories. Didn’t blame them at all.

I almost fall into the trap of social brands. Correction…. already had. I used to view getting myself branded or “berteduh” under some labels offered me a significant association to life. Wrong enough, I don’t need others’ confirmation to run my short life. I will run it, with my scars, acne…imperfect and all. Coz I hate the fact that I have to choose between two roads, two brands-Tweedledum and Tweedledee . I want more roads to travel, unnoticed and without any fucking brands!

Labeling, branding, social conditioning...samalah tu!

Glossary –

S****** : A place where I am stuck in.
WTF : The formal polite abbreviation for “What The Fuck”
Tweedledum and Tweedledee: Duh…don’t you read Alice in The Wonderland at all?

An Akward & Painful Orbituary

PRAMOEDYA ANANTA TOER
(1925-2006)

A lot of us say goodbye easily- to enemies, treacherous lovers, mean bosses, stupid nannies (?) but goodbyes are harsh, difficult and akward when it is said to a loyal comrade, long lasting secret crush, persistence groupies (hehehe).

My akward opening is due to the fact that I and of course other fans of Pramoedya Ananta Toer are still taken aback (very) by his death at the ripe age of 81. A true advocate of the rights of the people and selflessly fight for a free and just Indonesia, Pramoedya earned a lot of arch enemies as well as thousand of admirers and supporters. Steadfastly, he overcome 14 years of imprisonment and censorship to produce masterpieces which are music to the common people but deadly poison to the powers that be. He died of age and deteriorating health but his passion for democracy lives on. Multiple Nobel candidancy and worldwide recognition for his works are not his major aim in life. He is designed for better recognition- love of the people, blessings from his readers and wrath of the regime. May God placed him among the blessed and powerful for the selfless important writings he contribute to us, he makes "words are mightier than sword" such a major understatement of the year. Amen.

Of May, Mawi and Gie...

Come May, I noticed how cruel I am to leave my blog unattended. Work and more work drained most of my energy (and time, of course) to write down my mind/s. So many things, ideas or feelings raced to the finishing line in my brain but none get the trophy because none gets the attention it should. I lived the life of a selfish pretentious thinker. Seen something worth reflecting on, but wasted no time to turn my back and made a mental note to revisit it when I have the time. Only to turn my back and saw that there was nothing left for me to taste or experience. Only to turn my back again...relieved?

Come May, we have Labor Day. The traditional celebrators opted for a rally or quite new to me- "Perjalanan". The new face of MTUC (and yet, not so new in the field) is in the process of transferring the title (if not entering a caveat) of Dataran Merdeka to MTUC Homeground for May 1st Celebration. This year, Ali Mamak was not in the picture (thank god...or else we will be amused again by his attempt to promote his new album), instead we have a rock n' roll band- Bonfires. I guess they want to attract more young people to be "terpesona" with the worker ` s plight. Maybe next time, they could invite Mawi..if they want a larger crowd, of course.

Speaking of Mawi, Mawi misplaced his aura during this year `s AIM. He gained no awards while another reality show winner, Jac Victor grinned victoriously ( pun intended) grabbing 4 awards gracefully. Shannon Shah, surprisingly won the best male voice in album, beating Jamal Abdillah. I am more amused with his dedication of the win to human rights activists. I was immediately transported to another world..where I met him in 2004, before his overnight fame and success, where he sounded so understanding and convincingly emphatize with the human rights movement in the country. Perhaps, he was more of a supporter, a sympathizer. So, I guess its O.K for him to include that in his winning speech. After all, how many times do u hear human rights being mentioned amidst a glamorous music award. At least now, u can count ONE.

I conclude Labor Day holiday with a personal screening of GIE, starring Nicholas Saputra. Directed by Riri Reza, GIE is a movie lush with personal insights and stories of a student activist named Soe Hok Gie during the dangerous times of 1960s in Indonesia. A young man who wants to escape the two blocks of opposing power, he was critical of Soekarno `s Old Order and sceptical and cautious of Soeharto `s emerging regime.GIE projects the boiling blood of fine UI motley crew, gearing for a just Indonesia that is free from corruption and "politik taik kucing". Gie played a pivotal role in helping the students develop a strong opinion against the corrupted government and to take action thereon.

A stubborn boy since childhood who earnestly read books by renowned figures, he found solace in his childhood friend, Tan who was later reunited with Gie and founded to be a PKI cadre. Tan, not surprisingly found his fate in Bali, masacred along with other 79,999 suspected or true PKI suporters during the "Red Hunt" in October. However, GIE do not deal with the tragedy in depth. A bit sad actually. Secondly, Gie died from an accident in Bukit Simeru at the young age of 26++. Thats also a bit anti-climaxish. Gie, an intellectual radical must had pictured his death among other Indonesian freedom fighters, among the grassroot. Instead, he passed away at the top of Mount Semiru among his close friends. Good movie, nice cinematography with Nicholas Saputra thrown in. For once, enjoy the fruit of labor of one of Indonesian finest young director, which, in a timely coincidence, is about a young fighter for justice and human rights. Again, Selamat Hari Pekerja!