Country Cottage Arts

This year the Hindu holy day of Thaipusam falls on 30 January which also happens to be my other half's birthday .   Thaipusam is actually a holy festival which is uniquely celebrated by the Hindus in Malaysia   It is celebrated on a grand scale  at Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Port Klang in Selangor  and in Penang


Many would have seen devotees carrying wooden or metal 'kavadis' with spears in varying sizes pierced to their back.   Some of the more awe inspiring ones pull chariots with their hooks also pierced to their back.. It's simply an out-of-this-world experience, just watching them go through the requirements and rituals which culminates and ends on Thaipusam Day. 

By way of a brief explanation - those devotees who carry the various 'kavadis' are in actual fact doing their penance for the fulfilment of their vow by Lord Muruga, the presiding deity for Thaipusam. The   vows taken could range  anything from solving difficult problems, a childless couple wanting a child, overcoming  a serious deathbed illness, praying for continued good health and prosperity or just starting a new venture or beginning.  The devotee who undertakes the vow has to stick to a vegetarian diet for a minimum of 1 month.  It doesn't mean license to eat  24 hours a day !.  After their early morning sunrise bath and prayers, breakfast is a  glass of milk, lunch is glass of milk and dinner at sunset is  minimal  and simple vegetarian meal of fruits and cooked dhall/lentils. Spiritual hymns and songs are sung to honour  Lord Muruga.  On the last day, which is Thaipusam itself, the devotee would go early in the morning to the temple, have a ritual cleansing , offer prayers and have their body pierced.  This only applies to the males.  Female devotees only carry simple pots of milk or charred pots of  smoldering coal embers.  All this is done at a fair distance from the main temple, after which the gruelling bare-foot walk in the hot sun begins.  The uniqueness of  the Batu Caves temple is that not only  have they to walk bare foot for a distance of 3 - 5 kilometres with the weight of the heavy metal kavadis and spears, but also walk up the steep 272 steps to reach the temple. 

I don't know how they accomplish this mind-boggling feat but the beauty is, they don't feel the pain, nor the heavy weight of the chariot and kavadis that they pull with their back, nor a single drop of blood drips despite the sharp hooks used to pierce the flesh.  And the hands holding the pot of  burning coal embers doesn't get scorched! It also goes without saying that whatever they had asked for is fulfilled .  Thus the penance.  This is, in fact, akin  to the Muslims ' sembayang hajat' prayers. 

Numerous westerners, from  the Swedes, Germans, Americans, British, Chinese and others have taken part in the prayers to have their wishes fulfilled  and if you go to Batu Caves on Saturday, you'd be sure to see them. 

This painting was also done sometime ago but have simply forgotten to update it .  I painted it for Ms Zaleha of  D'Amor Cottage .  I don't know whether it has been sold

Everyone of my customers preferences are for roses, roses and more roses.  Don't get me wrong, I too love roses for they are indeed incomparable to any other .  Even the great English bard  Shakespeare had his say and I quote -

                    "   What's in a name? That which we call a rose
                       By any other name would smell as sweet. "

But sometimes I do wonder the fate of other members of the floral family.  They do not seem to shine as much as the rose seems to do.   I suppose no other flower evokes so much passion, awe and wonderment as the rose does.  Hmmm  ....  come to think of it, any decorative artist worth his/her brushes must be able to paint a rose, for otherwise they are just not considered to be one !!  

Over here in Malaysia, it is de rigueur  to be able to paint a rose if  you want to be called a decorative artist. It's the benchmark really.  Unfortunately, it really take a good measure of  time and patience to be able to paint something  even resembling it.  Admittedly, it is one of the most difficult accomplishment  and despite it , beauty still lies in the eyes of  the beholder !  There's  simply no pleasing everyone .......

And every beginner to decorative art wants to be able to paint this beauty by the 2nd lesson.... ha  ha  ha

The recent decision by the authorities to pay alimony to embattled wives and mothers in the throes of divorce and custody battles is really a godsend.    When relationships turn sour , everyone involved suffers but the worst ones affected are the innocent children who become pawns in the hurtful game of who gets what. It has become an endemic problem  all over the world and sad to say, most of us have become quite blase about it, (sigh)

It starts off with the husband blaming the wife,  then the wife blaming the husband and when they cannot get even with each other, they drag in the children to qualify and quantify their attacks to get the maximum mileage .  And so it goes until it is brought to the attention of the authorities  via the Courts to solve their personal problems.  And let the whole world know of their inability and stupidity in the process - and they call themselves grown-ups!

That's only the tip of the iceberg.  The real heartaches come when mothers are left to fend for their children without any support from the ex-husbands.  More often than not, they would have had resigned from their earlier careers to take care of their homes and kids, thus foregoing their financial independence and when divorce looms in the picture, they are left far behind with little emotional and monetary support.  This is an established general trend all over, not just in our backyard.  Of course, there are the exceptions, where women have been emboldened  enough to fight back and make a difference to their lives but these are far between. 

To my  knowledge,  however limited you think it is,  this happens to  women in all strata of  societies, in all cultures and background, irrespective of  their  religious faith .  So it makes me wonder why  in Malaysia, the country I call home, alimony is to be paid to only Muslim women and not to all women across the board in multi-racial  Malaysia.  Why are the authorities confining and addressing this problem to a particular community and not to all Malaysians who are/would be   equally affected ?.What is their rationale ?  That only our Muslim sisters suffer and the others do not?  That only our Muslim sisters are legitimate  wives and mothers and  others are not?   Are the  non-muslim sisters any less a citizen than them?  I have a  whole lot of other questions to ask but that would only make the authorities look even more stupid than they already are....  Manglish ' stupider' sounds better I think..

It really doesn't and shouldn't matter who is affected.  A decent human mind and by that extension, the authorities concerned should extend  help to all those in need , not practice selective preferential treatment .    Choosing whom you are going to help is not called  help, its called injustice, discrimination, partisanship nepotism, favouritism and a whole host of other unsavoury words.   Its simply unbelievable that the authorities, in one fell swoop, have divided women in Malaysia along religious lines - muslims and non-muslims .  Are we not all God's children.  Imagine the scene - a Chinese, an Indian and a Malay mother applies to the Court for alimony.  The learned judge explains to the mothers that only the Muslim mother's  request can be  fulfilled and the other 2  denied because they are not muslim   What would the Muslim mother say to the non-muslim mother ? .  Would not the Muslim mother feel the pain of the non-muslim mother  too?  Are not all mothers tied to motherhood by the same bond ?. Simply put, would it be  fair?

The way the authorities  make knee jerk policies without an indepth study is truly mind boggling.  It would do well to remember what Old Abe   said - "  it is better to remain  silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt  ".  Obviously, the relevant Ministry officials  have not  passed  their History in school to know  about Abraham Lincoln ,  nor understood it  and have no  inkling of what they have done;  but they have opened their mouth and proved beyond doubt........

Stupid is as stupid does.  And I haven't even written about the other angles involved ...... 

Wither 1 Malaysia?   1 motherhood?

I painted this basket some time ago.  The rich red colour of the roses against a stark white background sets it apart from the usual soft and pastel colours I normally use.

The harvest festival of Ponggal is already over and I'm still behind times.   I really want this to be short for I have so many other thoughts to write but I really can't promise as you would know by now, ( sigh  )

By way of a brief explanation, this is the day dedicated to young unmarried girls in the family.  As many may be aware, the old Hindu custom  ( which is also practised by some segments of Hindus today, really ) pertains to marriage arrangements.  Arranged marriages have long been a strictly adhered custom and in those days, the parents did all the work and  the  poor bride and bridegroom didn't even know how the other looked like, can you believe it?  Oh  boy!,  aren't I glad I was not born in those days! The gods must have had really  favoured me........and with my mixed religious marriage background....  .. I don't even want to think about it!   Anyway, the marrying couple  only get to meet each other after the wedding  ceremony is over, so there's no escape and no plan B la. The maxim, marriages are made in heaven or hell, depending on whom you got married to, holds true. If you are a follower of the tv series, ' Merlin'  at Starworld and saw  how King Uther married the troll, you'd know what I mean........ uurrgghhhh

I digress.  So, it is on this 3rd day, the young eligible girls  are noticed  ( checked out, more likely I think )  by the elders at the temple celebrations or festival grounds and duly noted of their  worthiness.  Mind you, this is only the first round. The next and most important procedure is to check out the astrological birthcharts of the prospective couples and only if the stars tally, do they proceed further to the next step.  If  their astrological  horoscopes become horrorscopes, the deal is off . Period.  Now you know  how  Devdass/Annarkilli and Laila Majnun stories came about.! (For those who have no inkling of whom I have referred, their stories are akin to Romeo & Juliet) Die la!

So there you have it, the 3 days of Ponggal and the significance of  the celebrations. 

I'm now just reading back what I had written  and a momentary thought of what could have happened to me passes my mind.  My husband and I are of completely different religious faith, of different cultural background, different upbringing and totally diferent in our likes and dislikes- I'm into outdoors, he's indoors, I'm happy with veggies all year round, he must have meat everyday.....I faint at the sight of blood, he stitches the gaping wounds of patients....   I need to see the sky and he draws all the curtains in the house.... in short, we are like the sun and the moon....... and  yet ........and yet  ..........., we stood our grounds  and told our shocked parents that we'd rather remain single if we couldn't  get married to each other !  In retrospect, we must have had great  guts to have done that. Imagine that.....   and we have stuck together against all odds for 22 years......phew....

Hi handsome husband,  dinner's ready anytime you want...............!!

15 January was the 2nd  day of  the Ponggal celebrations and it is held to honour the humble bovines.  The farmer or cowherds will give the animals a good scrubbing down, feed them with lots of special grass/ hay and let them have a well deserved  rest  for the whole day.  A day off .


Think about it, which animal sacrifices itself  like no other?  It toils and tills the land for cultivation of crops, infants survive on the milk it gives, ( I remember my Form 5 MSE Science question - why is milk considered as a whole food by itself ) its meat is consumed by many, its hide is used in the tannery, its dung is used as a fertilizer., etc, etc, and for all that it gives us, its only food is the simple green  grass.   A self-sacrificing animal which Hindus view as a symbol of motherhood and, who, like the nature of  the cow,  sacrifices herself  for her children   This is also part of  the rationale why Hindus don't eat beef, out of respect for its sacrificing nature to mankind. It is akin to  mother nature herself  and  thus we  can't kill the hand that rocks the cradle now, can we? 

By the way , just  a point of interest, have you come across shopping complexes which display intricate patterns using  coloured rice as part of  their decorative theme during  Deepavali ?. These patterns and designs are usually displayed at the entrance and often times the elaborate  designs depict the  colourful peacock or  other flower motifs.

The motive behind the designs   ('kollam' as it is called in Tamil ) is rather simple. The obvious and superficial reason is that it is just a cultural  exercise in designing and competitions are held to see who creates the best designs. The altruistic meaning  behind it is that, the remnants and leftover  broken grains of rice ,  after harvesting and  milling is done, is used as fodder for the  lowly and tiny ants, without whose help biodegrading becomes  impossible. Thus the 'kollams' are drawn on the front ground of the house, as ants graze on the ground . Hindus are taught to respect all creations of God, from the highest to the lowest, thus the role of  the tiny ants too are not forgotten.  They too have a place under the sun and humans are to respect their functions in the great cycle of life.

One of my customers gave me a picture of a painted picnic  basket that she had taken from her friend's blog  and requested me to do one exactly like that.  I  painted  two of them  but with small alterations and different colours.  I hope the  original  artist doesn't think that I copied her work and passed it off as my own.

As usual,  my photography  sucks, so excuse me ya.

Yesterday, 14 January, was the start of the 3 day Hindu Ponggal festival.  It it basically a thanksgiving prayer cum celebration for  a good harvest .   The first day is dedicated in appreciation of the farmer  and  good harvest bestowed ,  the 2nd day is dedicated in appreciation of  the cow ( will write about it later ) and the 3rd day is for young girls ( later write-up ) Since India  was and is still a largely agrarian society , a good harvest is  imperative for their continued livelihood.  So when the harvest has been done, there is great joy and rejoicing throughout.  A portion of the first harvested rice  is set aside for making a kind of  sweet rice pudding, sweetness being a symbolic meaning for sweet tidings all round . Fresh milk is boiled in a new earthenware pot( must be new, never old) and the rice is added in,  until it is cooked. Then,  sugar, ghee or clarified butter, raisins and cashew nuts are added.  Thats it!  The pudding is then offered as a blessing  and when  prayers are over, it is given to all the worshippers.   It really tastes yummy and because it is rich and sweet , I usually go overboard... quite a bit...... .

Did I forget to mention that there's a specific time and direction to cook this rice pudding- it must be at the exact time of sunrise and the stove must face eastward  Why?  Haiyoo, the sun rises in the east la. The time - 6.45am yesterday! It goes without saying that prayers are offered to the Sun God, Surya,  for a continued good harvest, before the cooking starts.  This is then followed by cooking plain rice in another new pot and also making a dhall/lentil curry with 9 kinds of vegetables as its accompaniment.

There are 2 ways to doing this.. The first option, which most families follow strictly, is to  conduct the prayer in their  house and start the cooking process, after which they will go the temple to receive blessings  ( for those who don't have their house stoves facing east in their kitchen, they will do it in the front open courtyard facing the rising sun and that means they have to improvise the stove from scratch - red bricks, charcoal/wood etc) Phew! The 2nd ( and invariably  convenient ) option is to go straight  to the temple and partake in the prayers and cooking rituals.

You don't have to guess very far at which option I took......... Hold on a minute there, I've a perfectly foolproof  excuse - my son went to school,  daughter  to college , my husband is a Catholic and so he's out of  the picture  and   I'm all alone !.  Even better, if I did cook, I'll end up eating a major portion of  it because my kids don't  gobble it like I do.  My last defence being, I can't take too much of  it but will be 'forced ' to eat it  since mothers have a built in 'garbage system  ' of waste not and want not , and  lastly, erhmm,   my trump card of an excuse -   reason, I'm a diabetic and cannot trust myself to cook sweetmeats !.  At this rate, I'd make a good 'loyar buruk' # , no ?   I know, I know, I'm a bad example  and lazy to boot.  Hey, I'm in Malaysia, land of short cuts,  not in India  ( I would probably have been chased out from the village )   And  why would I want to go to all that trouble to cook just 1 cup of rice ? I  can't get earthenware pots in Shah Alam, have to go to Klang town's Little India to get it and  all the other stuff , going to Klang is a terrible and horrible drivers' nightmare and Klang town itself would be in a complete chaotic state with shoppers jamming all the shops........ So you see, I have valid reasons, ya ? So there! , no one can find fault with me !!!!!

And so I cheated.  I went to temple for prayers, which was late by itself - not the prayers, silly ,  my timing! I couldn't get  there at 6.45am because - another perfect excuse  reason, -  I had to drive the children to school /and bus station at 7.00am  and ........God Almighty! ....I overslept.  Unforgivable, isn't it ? Worse is yet  to come.....most of the congregation had left  when I entered  the temple. The priest  looked up and smiled at me from his conversation with another devotee.  I gave him a sheepish smile and went about my prayers.  Now there were only 2 devotees  left , including me.  I finished my prayers and  went to take some of the sweet offerings.  The pot had quite a substantial amount  left. And that's when I had my ' AHA ' moment, Oprah style.    I'll take some home  but will modify it according to my taste and my children won't be any the wiser!! I  did just that- reached home, switched on the stove and sort of  ' re-cooked ' it with extra   fresh milk , extra brown sugar and  extra extra nuts. Very diabolical indeed, I must say....

It did taste better than before , I did end up eating a major portion of it and my children still think that I cooked it myself. So  you see, I was able to fulfil  my obligations after all.

Please God forgive me, for I have sinned..........

# loyar buruk- a Malay language colloquialism for an unqualified lawyer
                      who talks more than he can think

I read this beautiful  poem written by the  great writer, philosopher and poet, Sri Rabindranath Tagore ( hello, for those who don't know who he is, please check  this Nobel Peace Prize winner at  Wikipedia ). It's only part of the poem but the meaning is profound. I thought it too beautiful to ignore it and so I reproduce some of the lines here:


         "       Go not to the temple to put flowers upon the feet of God
                 First fill your own house with the fragrance of Love


                 Go not to the temple to light candles before the altar of God
                 First remove the darkness of sin from your heart


                 Go not to the temple to bow down your head in prayer
                 First learn to bow in humility before your fellowmen


                 Go not to the temple to pray on bended knees
                 First bend down to lift someone who is down trodden


                 Go not to the temple to ask for forgiveness from your sins
                 First forgive from your heart those who have sinned against
                 you  "




What more is there to say?

The horrendous headlines of last week's media onslaught is fading and with it the memory of mistakes made intentionally and unintentionally.  In the process,  segments of  Malaysians are discovering that  despite the  fear and ignorance  of some, the sun doth shine brightly on the majority.  It was thus, heart-warming to read  Marina Mahathir's take on the issue and I was especially touched by the pictures of  Muslim ladies handing out flowers at Bukit Bintang, followed by calls from our Muslim brothers and sisters to live and let live peacefully.  This,  I think, is the real  meaning of 1 MALAYSIA.

I read this interesting epithet by a writer named Red Skelton. I've no idea who he is  but this is what he wrote:


      " I  personally believe that each of us was put here for a purpose - to build,
        not destroy.  If I can make people smile, then, I have served my purpose
        for God."

Oh, how true  his words.  I  wish  every human on this planet memorises this by heart.  I have done already, have you?

I simply have to comment on the recent happenings in our country  which I normally wouldn't think of writing in this column. I simply have to get it off my chest or else I'll go bonkers....


What in the world is happening in Malaysia? I can't believe the news that I heard in Aljazeera about the arson attacks in churches right here at our doorsteps.   These kinds of violent incidences only happens in other 3rd world countries, certainly not in our Malaysia.  Or so I thought.   Or,  is it that I am too naive and living in a make believe world?  Why do politicians mix religion and politics and create such terrible havoc in their way. 

First, it was the Hindu temple destructions and cowhead incident in Shah Alam, my resident town  of 19 years.  I was very well ensconced in my surroundings and was very very happy with the landscaped greenery , the numerous parks throughout and its gentle inhabitants.  I would proudly tell my other family members what a beautiful place Shah Alam was  and how  warm , welcoming and friendly my Muslim brethens were. Till the cow-head incident. That gave me a huge jolt.  Did it really happen like it did?  You tube doesn't lie and it happened just around the corner to my house.  It was really frightening but ever the optimist,  I thought it was the work of a few misguided souls who had no idea what true faith and religion is all about. My thoughts were - one robin doesn't make a spring and a despicable act by a few doesn't warrant tarnishing the entire society concerned.

Now it's the arson attacks on churches. Over a name of God, no less.  I simply don't understand what the big fuss is all about.  Why can't we call God in any name we feel easy to communicate with  Him.  Did God tell man that he must only call Him with a particular name and that too defined to a particular group ,otherwise He will be offended? Duhh?? So the Christians want to call God ' Allah ', so do the Muslims. Would that make them both become confused idiots?  Not if   you know whom you are referring to. Only if they have graduated from the School of  Imbeciles. Period.

Lets say that the Joneses and  the Alis' have each a son called Adam and they are trying to call out to them in a park.  When Mrs Jones calls for  Adam, she would naturally mean it to be her son, Adam . And how do we know that? By the inflection in her voice and  the  pronunciation , of course. Adam would be as in A for apple. Now, if Mrs Ali calls for her son, Adam would sound like Ahhdam, the A sounding like ' Ahh 'as in 'u' in 'umbrella'. Most importantly, their intention would be for calling their own son, not  someone's  else. Why would they anyway?

I'm a neutral party, being a Hindu and I know how the word 'Allah' is pronounced by the non-Muslims and Muslims.  Non-Muslims pronounce it as it sounds - a flat Allah.  On the other hand, all Muslims pronounce the word with a lilt in the l with a definite Arabic twang (like in a triple lll)  and it sounds completely different. The issue in focus is  that some bigot Muslims think that their lot will wither away at the slightest sniff of  the sound of the same word' Allah'   What makes them think that the Christians are trying to sabotage the  Muslims by calling God as Allah and thus cause confusion?  What confusion are we talking about? Unless they  are confused by their  own religion or lack of it.  It's simply a case of  making a mountain out of a molehill and the ugliness of it all makes me sick to the core.  This issue  has been  further manipulated  by a bloody bunch of  banana  politicians  and the wounds are all exposed for the entire world to see.  And laugh. And jeer.

I'm frightened of the future and where we stand. Are were regressing into the Dark Ages of  fear and bigotry?.  Would I have to look over my shoulder everytime?  Would I have to take precautions when I go out with my family in a predominantly muslim neighbourhood?  It's really sad that this is happening and allowed to happen.  Situations such as these are recurring more often than it should . For the 2nd time this year, friends have advised me to be careful when I go out to town. 'Don't take any chances' they e-mailed. I'm feeling a bit lost and unsure now.   This country is my home too for I have no other country to lay claim. I'd join the army if  warranted to defend this country I call home despite being reminded in the mainstream  media by obscene politicians  that we are 'immigrants' and can always go back to our country..  Which country should I go to when I was born here in Malaysia ?

When I went to Australia, I was proud to tell the Aussies that I was a Malaysian.  When I went to India, I was even prouder to tell them that I was Malaysian. When I went to Singapore, I was so proud to tell them I was  a  Malaysian when they mistook me   for an  Indian lady from India.

Not any more............

This is one of my recent works  for  a customer.   This design has been done countless times, I suppose but I  find the design of  this teapot  preferable to any other.  The original picture has many additions but I trimmed it down to fit the size of  the cutlery box.   I had painted the  bottom sides of the box with  a lovely lace design but unfortunately, my photography is not as good as my painting!

I've just returned from a short holiday in Singapore. I think pre Christmas and post Christmas time is the best time to visit Singapore.  The whole country is decked in lights, lights, lights and it was simply a  beautiful sight to behold.  Our stay at the  Royal Plaza on the Scotts , right in the middle of Orchard Road made it possible for us to walk from one shopping mall to another.  It was walk, walk, walk all the way everywhere.  Of course, we went on the usual touristy  river cruise, the Singapore Flyer, Sentosa island, and other places of interest.

The most unforgettable happening was when my kids went in the bungy like extreme entrapment in which they were fastened with safety belt and the lever hoisted  them up of more than 20 meters from the ground. Then, bang! they come wooshing down, catapulted again in mid air  with shrieks and screams that knocked down the parents dead!  Gosh, it was the most frightening thing that I've ever encountered.  Not being enough, they also clambered on another similar ridiculous crap called bungy para glide or something stupid like that ,  which  reeled them even higher up in the air than the previous one and when the lever was pressed, they just swung straight down.  Petrified and dumbstruck, I started  praying to all the Gods of heaven in all denominations.  My children's reaction?  The two  idiots  just laughed it off and told me to 'chillex' , would you believe it?

The downside of this stupidity of a sport, if I may call it that, is that it certainly is not for the faint hearted nor for normal parents who are too afraid for their children. .  The upside is it teaches kids/participants  to be bold and fearless when put to the test, sort of...... Anyway, I was secretly glad that they went ahead and did it despite my  initial misgivings and doubts. They've overcome  fear and for that, I'm very very happy.

2009 ended with lots of feasting with  glasses of champagne and wine at every meal.  There was ample merrymaking and good cheer and I even managed to eat some slices of  turkey with chestnut stuffing for the first time in my life, without throwing it up.  Now,  t h a t  was a great ending .!

Anyway, here's wishing everyone a fabulous start to the  New Year 2010.  Cheers

Christmas came a bit too sudden for me this year and I was caught unprepared and somewhat stuck in mid-air.  A week before Christmas, my husband had the misfortune of being involved in a car accident and having had to undergo surgery to fix his fractured ankle, he was stuck in Assunta  Hospital for a good part of the week..  The daily driving in traffic jammed roads and the constant worry  did not do much for a festive Christmas this year.

On a brighter note, however, I did manage to bake my traditional gingerbread man cookies to give to some of my students  and made sure my kids wrote their letter to Santa.  No, it is not posted to the North Pole but put into the Christmas stockings on Christmas Eve before we leave for church for Midnight Mass.  Since my husband was confined to his chair with strict instructions to minimise movement ,  the running around for everything and everywhere  was left to me. Shopping was a nightmare at Isetan, KLCC, not because of  lack of choice but rather my daughter took the longest time to choose the minimum clothes! To tell the truth,  I'm not much of a shopping person and the horrendous amount of time waiting for my daughter to try on the clothes freaked me out, so much so that my son and I made a solemn decision to not go shopping for clothes  again  with his sister/my daughter !

Lunch was a quiet affair with only the family and immediate members involved. Since I had little time for preparations this year, I only managed to bake a bread pudding with custard sauce for Christmas tea, while lunch was, as usual,  prepared by my sisters- in-law.  It was indeed a far cry from last year's celebrations, but still, the spirit of Christmas  was evident in our family, aided very much by the daily viewing of  the feel good and heart warming  Christmas movies in STAR channel.  Didn't miss even one,  from Fred Claus to the Gringe and all the re-runs in between ...... !

And you know what, the best gift this year came from my baker friend,Yati , who pleasantly  surprised me by baking for us the best ever  chocolate cake, complete with Christmas decorations of Santa on his  sleigh with Rudolf, his  Red Nosed Reindeer.

Magnifique

Today,  I took a single parent and her daughter to the Giant store and bought  the little 7 yr kiddo her school uniforms and stuff.    The little kid was so excited and chatty throughout the shopping.   Her mum works as a cleaner in a firm and had asked for assistance for the child's school expenses and uniforms.  Come to think of it, the beginning of school is always a hard time for normal parents themselves,what with  the ever increasing PTA fees, school fees, magazine fees,miscellaneous fees,  sports clothes, new shoes and socks, uniforms, stationeries  and what not. Under the circumstances, it must be doubly hard for  single mums  to manage the new school year.  This doesn't even  include the school bus fee/transport expenses,etc  and the 101 things which will always find its way for added expenses.  Hmmmm,  if only I had a magic wand........

I was truly glad that I could be of some help to the little girl  and her happy face said it all.  It was raining when we left the store and after driving them home , I said a prayer of thanks to GOD , for in the process, I realised how blessed and lucky I was.

This is one of the recent ones I did for Rosemary.  A picnic basket with bows and lace.  A similar one was also done but with a lime green background for another customer who preferred bold and strong colours.

The past 2 weeks or so had me running up and down trying to accommodate classes  and staying late nights to finish up my projects. I think I look like a panda, with the trademark black eyes from lack of sleep .  Just the other day, I went to bed at 5 am.  Was painting like mad to meet the dateline and got to watch the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan movie on HBO at 3am ( can't remember the name but with a soppy happily ever after ending which I sooooo  like)  and  without being interrupted . Very late but getting a chance to see a complete  movie without any " Mummy, where is my ........., Is dinner ready ...... or  ESPN  has started so........... is such a rare occurrence for me. 

I have made new friends too.  Jackie and her mum Ivy, are two such special ladies whom I had the privilege to know and they are now my good good friends.  Such charming  mother and daughter team who run a quilt making outfit in Taman Andalas, Klang. . They also do  smocking, the old fashioned  children's  clothes hallmark, beautifully and meticulously done.  You'd wish you had a little girl of your own to try them on....  Their studio is housed in an annexe to their home surrounded by a really really beautiful English rose garden  that would take your breath away.

Back to my paintings... Of late, I have taken on extra painting projects from friends.  Remember the  school project I did as part of my community  obligation?  Well, I  did mention to the Headmistress that , if  there was any student who was in dire need of  assistance, I would like to offer whatever help I could..  I have now come to know of a  11 year old motherless  student whose guardian uncle  is unable to afford the child's upkeep. ' An intelligent but lonely child who could do with some attention, affection and a gift of proper  clothes. ' was the Headmistress's remark.    Having made my commitment to support the child without proper planning and  thinking , I was  caught in a somewhat 'difficult' situation. And then, BINGO, I received painting projects from new customers and friends!. Well, ' tis the season to be jolly, isn't it  and  God works in mysterious ways.... so now I'm keeping aside the income derived from my painting and will soon be paying a surprise visit to her and take her out for the day. 

It's sweet irony, isn't it?   Instead of  I  simply dreaming of Santa Claus , I get a small chance to be one for a little girl...   Thank you, GOD ALMIGHTY,  for this blessing.

After weeks of cajolling, days of coaxing and hours of threatening, I've finally managed to put up my Christmas tree, lit it... and decorated it..  in that order.  It looks beautiful, with tinsels and baubles, tinkling bells , of angels and fairies, snowflakes, shiny red and gold  ribbons and bows cascading down,  berries and crystals,...  hundreds of lights shimmering through, ... oops!  I'm getting carried away.... it's always been like that with me.  Somehow, the sight of the Christmas tree brings out a sense of warmth and cosiness, of family and crackers, of a warm fireplace with Brer Rabbit ( read too many Beatrix Potter) of angels and fairies dancing in the garden ( too many Enid Blytons and Grimms Fairy Tales )  aiyo....there I go again....I can't seem to stop...Blimey, I used to and still do tell my son to keep a glass of milk and cookies under the Christmas tree before we leave for Church , honest.  Last year, I actually heard the sound of tinkling bells after the midnight church service, only to find out in the morning that the it was the neighbour's new door bell ringing tone.   Haaiyoooo, I was soooooo angry !!! Still, I haven't given up, still waiting one day......for Santa Claus and his Red Nosed Reindeer.  Life is about hope,isn't it ? and I have truckloads of it.........

And I am not even a Christian!

To those readers who are wondering why I celebrate Deepavali and Christmas, let me explain...

I am a Hindu and my husband is a Catholic.  The way I reckon,  the God Almighty must have had a very good reason why I was born a Hindu and  not Catholic and since I know for sure that  He knows everything and I know that He knows best , who am I to change my faith that He has chosen for me ?I have implicit faith in the One God so I am not about to change or convert to another for the sake of marriage, or  parental or community pressure.  Now, t h a t  would be a real sin, wouldn't it ?  I think what happens between me and God is my own business and no one,absolutely no one, has the right to ask or force me to  pray  against my wishes.  That would be morally and spirtitually wrong.   My husband, also a devout Catholic himself, has never requested nor asked me to do likewise.  He knew how devout a Hindu I was when I first met him.  And yes, I still thank the One God Almighty, whichever faith He is, for His Grace and Love shown through my husband's understanding . I think that is the highest blessing  itself., don't you?


 For those readers wondering what is Hinduism all about, let me give you the gist of it without boring you to death, hopefully.

Hindus believe in one GOD  although on the contrary ,   you might see and think that we pray to many deities.  We believe that they are all the various manifestations of  The One True  God.. God shows Himself  in different ways to different people, the same way, a nugget of gold can be turned into various ornaments with a variety of names.  Gold earrings, gold bangles, gold rings, gold chains, gold  necklaces, etc. etc., but still it is the same gold.  One God but various names...get it ?

  We believe in the Holy Trinity (, the same as the Catholics - The Holy Father, Son and Holy Spirit -  only problem is most of us don't realise it - different names perhaps ?) In Hinduism, it is  Lord Brahma, the Creator, Lord Vishnu, the Preserver and Lord Siva, the Destroyer.  It's actually a very pragmatic and practical approach to the cycle of life(  primary science class )- beginning with birth ( Creator) living the life given ( Preserver) and death ( Destroyer)  "Elementary Science really, my dear Watson" as Sherlock Holmes would say. .

As humans we are attached to the physical, emotional and material aspects of the world and thus are not ready  to realise the One  God Almighty nor have we attained the purity and spirituality of mind    needed to see Him. That would take many evolutions of birth and death for as  mere mortals, we are tied to the daily grind of the physical, emotional and material world. We have to go through our karma of past and existing  deeds,- in short , payback time for whatever good and bad deeds we have done . " You reap what you sow" is the best maxim I can think of.  Have you ever wondered why our grannies to parents to the elders keep telling us to do good-  it's because we will be  rewarded accordingly, the good with the good and the bad with the bad. Until such a time that we have no more  physical,  emotional and material attachments of any kind., and we have negated all our karma, will be able to see the  One  True God.  Till then, we will see Him differently from our coloured lens.  Some see through green coloured lens, some in red, some in yellow, according to our communal  beliefs, yet,  GOD is still the same from time immemorial.  Anyone heard of an official change? No. I rest my case. We cannot see him in our impure state  because that would be like exposing our  naked human eye to a zillion volt bulb. It would be too much too soon, and would  blind us,  for we are not ready . Unless we become sprititualy pure with no baggage of any kind   only then can we attain the kingdom of God and see Him as One.


Thus,in Hinduism, to be born as a human is already a blessing for we are the highest in the hierachy of all GOD's creation.   Animals have 5 senses - sense of  sight, touch, taste, smell and hearing.  Only humans have 6 senses -the extra sense being the  the power to reason between right and wrong, so that we may correct our mistakes and atone for whatever misdeeds done. ( To the Dumb and Dumbers, animals can think but can't differenciate between good and bad!)

 We humans are such a bunch of convoluted marbles that even the Alliens would have difficulty understanding us.  We  share the same red blood the world over  and yet some think they have blue,   we breath the same air  and yet we have kosher and unclean edibles, we believe in God the All Merciful and yet we kill each other in HIS name, We do the mistakes and yet we blame HIM for our actions...

Enough said..  It's way pass by bedtime and Santa might come in my dreams today.....

I recently undertook to teach a bunch of 30 school kids who had just finished their Standard 6 exams, on the intricacies of baking cookies. As the exams were over and there were no specific lessons being conducted, I had volunteered myself to conduct the baking class at a small and quaint Tamil school in Batu Tiga (SRJK Ladang Ebor)I also roped in my son, Arvind, to entertain the Standard 1 and 2 children with his violin.. I thought he should start somewhere too....

My first impression of the school,( actually my first visit to a Tamil school, unbelievable, but true)was its size! SMALL , very small by mainstream national schools standards, but very very clean and very well maintained. Lots of potted plants everywhere, a small but well manicured field, a water fountain courtesy of some generous parents' contribution and an equally small canteen of Lilliputan size. The classrooms, were of course, you guessed it, small ... The distinct feeling of being in a 60's time zone was evident.Worn out wooden desks and chairs, mismatched stools donated by caring individuals, shoes neatly arranged outside the library ( imagine that!)and the icing on the cake, no screams and shrieks from students and teachers alike. In fact, the clean surroundings, the crisp cool air and the quietness of the surrounding took me by surprise! Ha, this is not the case in my kid's national school environment... everytime I leave my son at his school, I can hear the high pitch shrieks of the principal/ teachers admonishing the students , over the loudspeaker/PA system, no less, all the way to the main road !.
Curiosity got the better of me and upon further enquiries from the HM about the school's size ( naturally!), it was made known that as the school was not situated on government land,only the administrative salaries came under the Education Ministry's purview while funding for the school was left entirely to the PTA and private donors, hence the corresponding size.... Sad, isn't it? Despite our 50 years of independence as a multi-national nation, we're still under such archaic and lopsided rules in education for our country's best asset, the young children.

Obviously, I volunteered to buy all the baking stuff of flour, sugar, butter, rolled oats, nuts, raisins, eggs and peanut butter for my baking do. Brought along my baking trays, whisk, bowls and my portable oven too. I then proceeded to divide the kids in two groups and gave each group the measured ingredients to mix it themselves. I wanted a 'hands on' approach by the students instead of a lone ranger demo . Some of the boys had the ' I'm the man and I don't do kitchen work' attitude ( sigh, typical male 'mental' syndrome, ) Had great fun bringing them down a peg or two, how? I made them clean up the mess . Served them right, I say! Everyone was given a chance to mix and shape the dough and from their squeals, chatter and laughter, I knew they had fun . Baking was a bit slow as I only had one oven running but the smell of the baking cookies was wafting in the air as some of the teachers found their way to my class to 'help'.

I managed to finish the class by noon and having distributed the cookies to the students and giving them the recipe to try it at home, I packed up all my stuff, dumped them into my car in the ensuing rain and headed straight home to cook lunch for my dear husband and kids..

Despite being caught in the heavy rain and feeling cold with water dripping over our heads, my heart was lighter and an indescribable feeling of happiness enveloped me. I dare say, it was for my son too.

For some time now, I have been trying to reach out to various segments of our society and introduce to them the beautiful world of painting. To this end, I have given demos in schools, single parent associations, ladies clubs, retirees associations, and to school children.

Today, as part of my community service outreach programmes, I conducted a simple workshop cum art class for a group of primary students. The boys ( presumably brought in by near exhausted parents needing a break from them !) just painted whatever they felt like it .. with splotches and blobs everywhere , punctuated by laughter and funny faces, which I thought was a good thing... Ah, the girls, they were the complete antithesis of the boys... seated in their seats and diligently trying to follow my instructions, with a few giggles in between. How sweet and predictable they were. The timid ones got bolder after the first hour or so and the boys, despite their short lived interest ( that was predictable too..!) did make some effort to paint something that looked like a daisy, was like a daisy but was not a daisy!!

I got this interesting choice of words from one of the craft magazines and thought it was most apt for my home,instead of the usual ' Welcome ' signage. This is part of my Trash 2 Treasure features and as before, I painted this in similar fashion as my previous one, on an old window frame. The old frame was lying idly in my house for sometime and as the prospective customer showed no interest in confirming her requirements, I took it upon myself to paint it. Only the flower alignment differs. Also this was done in an 'arty' and carefree manner, with slip slap strokes for both flowers and foliage. I didn't want to make it prim and proper and perfect....

Me thinks it look pretty good, don't you?

Sometime ago I wrote about my hillarious trip to Raub in Pahang with Puan Sri Sabrina and friends. The 5 intergrated and beautifully maintained farmstead, named after her 5 children, Tanah Aina Farrah Soraya, Tanah Aina Farhana, Tanah Aina Fareena, Tanah Aina Farouq and Tanah Aina Azareena are now open for bookings or reservations for day and weekend trips. All five farmsteads are beautifully landscaped within the parameters of environmental friendly conditions and each of them is nestled among the natural charms of the forest and river. You have to see to believe it. To add to the charms are orchards of durians, mangosteens, langsat, rambutans, etc. For example,at Tanah Aina Azareena, the dining and lounge area on the ground floor opens to a crystal clear stream... A personal chef and staff member is part of the package and you can even specify your own personal menu specifications. It's a beautiful retreat for a family, for sure!

I have been to all 5 so you can take my word for it. It is an experience you won't forget, at least I didn't! And no, I'm not getting anything of monetary value for writing this article going goo-goo gaga over the farms, lest you think I am! I just want to share with my readers my personal experience. For anyone interested, there's a special promotion going on from now till 31st December 2009. Please call Ms Mary Heng at 012-6713823 for further details.

I recently had the privilege of attending a birthday dinner at a private and exclusive establishment in Shah Alam.

Located in Section 7, Shah Alam, the private residence turned fine-dining establishment oozes understated elegance and and ambience . The owners have indeed taken great pains and put in much thought and effort in designing and decorating the villa. The entire decor reflects the personality of the owner, whom I was told was a prominent Puan Sri . She has presumably used her vast collection of collectibles from her many travels all over the world to create a beautiful and elegant ambience of European taste. No walk-ins please. Patrons have to make prior reservation for lunch, tea or dinner . The Chef only cooks for the exact number of reservations made, so everything is done on a 'made to order' and personal basis. Because of the select nature and exclusiveness, the main entrance gates are locked when the last patron enters. Well dressed waiters hover discreetly for personalised service and bow out when finished. Huh, am I dreaming or what ?! Exquisite designer cutlery and crockery are put in service and the elaborate but refined table arrangements lends an air of olde world charm of days yonder. For our dinner, the decor colour theme was of soft turquoise, silver and aqua . Beautiful crystal butterflies with tiny light bulbs flickered on the elaborately set up dining table. It was like being in a fairy tale. My feet didn't seem to touch the ground, I think I was sort of ,floating in the air(?) throughout the dinner. We were the only patrons that night, all 6 of us, and we had the entire beautiful dining room to ourselves. Would you believe if I told you that the elaborate table set up was just for us and us alone? Talk about exclusivity!

Ah hah, now for the dinner. The first course was a delicious light Caesar Salad, followed by a super-duper delicious full bodied Wild Mushroom Soup with thin slices and I mean, dainty thin slices of buttered crusty baguette ( which kept melting in my mouth and they kept replenishing). It was the best mushroom soup I have had so far and it certainly didn't taste like a remix of Campbells!) My main course was Roast Leg of Chicken with a very nice mushroom sauce , mashed potato, vegetables and a dainty Cheese and Onion Quiche on the side(I think it's a safety precaution in case diners were still hungry !) The last serving was, of course, dainty portions of dessert consisting of fruit, pudding, pastries and local cakes, all served in tiny individual plates placed beautifully on a large plate, which in turn was placed on another platter. We finished off with coffee, of course. Now,that's what I call fine dining with a capital S for service! What an experience, what a feeling...

Goodness gracious!! I forgot to mention the birthday girl whose birthday brought about my invitation in the first place! Aiyo,got carried away as usual la.. That honour belonged to Mary Heng. Celebrating her 60th birthday, the super slim and petite lady who can put all of us to shame with her vigour and zest, defies logic and buzzes about like a busy bee on a sunny day. Dedicated, trustworthy and committed to her vocation as a PA, this sprighty lady is indeed a worthy and invaluable asset to her boss, who in turn, showed her appreciation by lavishing such a fine dining experience for Mary Heng and her friends, which thankfully included yours truly... ! Now, I can't wait to see who else in my circle of friends will be turning 60, hello, anyone I forgot ? .......!

Ps:
Photographs will be put up after requesting permission from the Birthday Gal and her Boss.

Started the day at dawn and found myself making tosai after tosai, vadai, chicken curry, ... generally slaving over the stove. The soft approach of waking up the kids with sweet whispers didn't seem to work ( the late night Klang town effect, I guess),so started screaming into their ears and they work up like a jack-in-the-box. The traditional oil bath over, (for those not in the know, smearing gingelly oil, which is made from pure sesame seeds,on their heads and body is a symbolic way of cleansing the body and mind for the start of the auspicious day) a herbal powder called 'shikakai' which is akin to the qualities of the shampoo (it lathers into a soapy foam and leaves just the right amount of moisture in the hair )is used to wash off the oil. Donning on their new clothes -it's a case of out with the old and in with the new - we went to our Section 11 temple for prayers.

Guests started trickling in at around 11am. Since this was a 1 woman show ( okay la, my kids did help) I had to downsize my guest list to only a few close friends and family members and even that was exhausting. The constant rush between the serving, replenishing, washing, entertaining and greetings made we realise thatI was no spring chicken after all... a case of the mind is willing but the flesh is weak . It was exhilarating and joyous to have guests of other faiths joining the Deepavali celebrations but thank God it's only a once in a year affair!

I was spared cooking the evening dinner as one of my sister-in-law's birthday happened to fall on Deepavali too, so we all had dinner at the Zen Korean Restaurant in Bangsar. Being a vegetarian for the day and being quite exhausted, I had a small variety of pickles and kimchi with miso soup whilst the others had barbequed lamb,chicken, prawns, squids....the whole works.

It was sweet revenge when all of them groaned and moaned about a bloated stomach after stuffing themselves whilst I felt quite fine and dandy with just a little.

Deepavali eve was spent baking cakes after cakes. The problem with me is that once I start something, I can't seem to stop until I am doggone tired. And so it was on baking day - I baked a Cinnamon and Coffee Bundt Cake which turned out pretty impressive,3 Almond Butter cakes, a moist carrot cake ( would you believe if the cake was actually called 'To die for carrot cake'?)a batch of blueberry muffins,a sugee cake, mango pudding abd sago with coconut milk and black sugar syrup (gula melaka). I did prepare a sweet pastry for the apple pie but I had put it the 'fridge to chill and completely forgot about it.

Afternoon was spent cleaning,cleaning and cleaning. Period.

The best part was towards the late evening. Our annual trips to Klang Town's 'Little India' was something we looked forward to. Driving and parking was,of course,a nightmare but it's on these rare occasions I'm pretty grateful for my Kancil.

Now, imagine this scene - streets filled with a sea of people, milling and jostling about, each trying to do last minute purchases with hardly any space for breathing, the heady scent of jasmine and rose permeating the air, stall holders and pedlars selling a plethora of costumes,accessories, flower garlands, a cornucopia of traditional sweetmeats, cakes and cookies fighting for space among huge bags of murruku, shopkeepers screaming into their microphones trying to auction off their stocks amidst loud music blarring from the speakers, drowning all conversations, makeshift booths providing henna hand decorating service,florist trying to dispose off their flowers in bundles ...the list is not exhaustive ..and this frenzied atmosphere was all part and parcel of the exuberance of Deepavali. To the uninitiated, it might look like a town gone mad but to the celebrants, it was a once a year 'feel good' time.

The highlight and real reason for our jaunt was to see the spectacular display of fireworks at the stroke of midnight, ushering in the Festival of Lights with a big bang right up to the heavens. The whole street and sky was a riot of breathtaking and vibrant display of fireworks with a myriad of colours and shapes. It was like the stars were raining down on you. 'Oh my God, oh my God' was all I could keep saying while straining to see all of them from all angles, so much so that I had a bad neck pain. What a sight to behold and how thoroughly appropriate to start Deepavali, the Festival of Lights indeed.. By now, I was fully invigorated with the Deepavali mood but with two tired kids in tow and having a full day ahead,we finally trudged back to our car.

Driving into Shah Alam was a breeze. The town was as quiet as a churchmouse and as dead as a doornail.

I had recently re-arranged my living hall and decided to include an armchair. It was part of the new look for Deepavali... Not wanting to buy an expensive one ( it costs about $400 and above and they don't sell in singles) I scouted around for a second-hand one. My friend, Coral, whom I had the good fortune to know through my art lessons, was kind enough to drive me around Puchong. Several zig-zags later, we managed to get a single armchair with green upholstery to match my green sofa. Perfect. From a price of $260 I managed to bring it down to $160 with a little guidance from Coral. I thought it was a good bargain and Coral thought so too. Although the chair frame had a few scratches and the colour was an awful red, I could see its potential.

Back home, I stripped and sanded and sealed the frame, covered the upholster and primed it with several basecoats. The tedious part over, the fun part began. After attempting several test colours and using my cinnammon red wall and my existing furnishing as my colour guide, I then repainted it .

I think it looks great now, sort of blends with my surroundings and I'm very happy that I can now do it my own way, without costing and arm and a leg!

If you're reading this, Coral, my sincere appreciation and thanks for showing me Puchong town and that's the first time I had been to that part of town!!

I had so much to write but simply couldn't find the time these past weeks. Before I could even say bye to the Hari Raya feastings, it was time to clean up my home for Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. Let me see....

I sewed a new set of cream coloured curtains with matching cushion covers, re-upholstered my sofa ( yes,you heard right),repainted my dining hall and added a feature wall of biscuit yellow and cinnamon red ala sponging method. That not being enough, I got carried away, as usual, by painting my stairs too. That was the hardest part, a very laborious job indeed and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The walls looked clean and the sponged wall looked like it was wall-pappered. That's what my guests said... ha ha.. I must have done an excellent job, no? Anyway, it did look very nice. Oh, for the accent, I sewed a few small cushion covers in velvet red. Added an armchair ( arm chair story later ) for good measure and voila, I was mighty pleased with the result.

A feeling of comfort, cosiness and warmth permeates my heart when I sit in my sofa with my kids and have a tumble with them. It's actually a simple double-storey terrace house, but through my passion for painting, I have covered my entire home with my personal touch and that makes it extra special for me and my family.

I simply love my home

It's close to Deepavali and I've been busy painting away on everything I lay my hands on. I have just painted my old and unusable chinese wok with a lovely tea-pot, cup and saucer motive. Having a cup of tea from a beautiful teapot is just, well, a simple but beautiful act by itself and since I am a great fan of the 4 o'clock tea syndrome, I thought I should honour my tea-time with a painting. It took me a full day to turn the rusty wok to what you see now. A good part of my time was taken to cleaning off the rust and coating it with a primer A few coats of basecoat ( since it was oxidised metal, it took a longer time )gave it a good coverage. The painting of the tea-pot, cup and saucer and cakes was relatively easy. The words were from Rudyard Kipling " Teach us delight in simple things ". How appropriate.....

For some time now, I have been vigorously focussing my attention into transforming
trash from garage sales and flea markets to treasures. It gives me immense pleasure when I see the transformation, both on the trash and on the face of my trash collector!

Some of my neighbours and friends are now busy poking their heads into their attics and storeroom, looking for the odd table or chair, the aluminium rice pot and the old fashioned metal pail that they don't use anymore( the ones with the tiny holes which can't be used anymore but, oh, so 'sayang' to throw it kind!), old sturdy boxes , wooden chest used by our grandparents...

It's more fun and challenging when re-painting and decorating used items like these. The results are simply amazing and I can't seem to contain the ideas flowing out of my head when I think of ways to re-use the discarded and unwanted stuff.

The one shown here is an old oblong mooncake box with a magnetic strip. A good basecoat with blue stripes for ribbons and a free style painting of roses changed it into a beautiful gift box with my personal touch. Instead of buying fancy wrappings for my Deepavali and Christmas gifts, I'm going to put my stuff in these beautiful boxes and give them away. Neat.. huh!. I'm not only saving money, which, of course is great, but more importantly, doing my tiny bit to the environment friendly cause. Less paper to use and help save more trees. Every bit counts

This year's Eid Mubarak must have been a very very low key affair, I think. Staying in Shah Alam, it would have been expected to be a gala celebration in every nook and cranny of the town, as it had been for the past years. Not surprisingly, this year's celebration was abnormaly quiet. The trees along the roads in the town proper were not lit up with hundreds of decorative lights as it used to be, there was no feeling of gaiety in the air and the festive crowd andd mood was sorely lacking. There were hardly any 'open house' invitations from my Muslim friends, the exception being Tan Sri Syed Yusof and his lovely wife, Puan Sri Sabrina. Come rain or shine, they never fail to celebrate the festival in true open-house tradition on the first day. Replete with sumptious food and sinful desserts, the stunning couple welcomed all their friends from the 'Who's who' list ( since I was in their guest list, I have taken it upon myself to be qualified ..ha ha! that's a good one,isn't it!Deprived of other invitations (real strange that )I sat in my favourite spot, the table next to the dessert counter and gorged myself silly with cookies and cream with the occassional addition of strawberries and marshmallows dunked in the chocolate fountain..... heavenly... the sombre air surrounding the town was blisfully forgotten .....

I just celebrated my 21st wedding anniversary recently. Every year is a milestone and an accomplishment of patience, patience and more patience!. Over the years, my outlook has changed considerably, for the better, I guess! " I've no time to cry over the past and don't have enough time to plan for the future. I live for the present " a quote by Omar Shariff of Dr Zhivago fame, and that about sums up my outlook too. Why worry over the future when I don't know what's going to happen? My kids will grow up and will build lives of their own ( can't interfere too much these days, not good for my stress level!) and life has to go on for everyone, no matter pleasant or unpleasant...... so all the better reason to live our lives fully now.....

On the home front, Arvind's ( that's my son) saxophone was stolen from our home in the wee hours of the morning a week ago. The idiot/s used the mop stick drying at the side of the house to extricate the sax from the sofa near the window. The window had a grille..... Upon making the report at the local police station, they had the stupidity to ask me, get this, " Kenapa saya membuat laporan ........" Duhhh, why I made a report? I looked at them incredulously and my eyes almost popped out when I heard that..kenapa..!!! sigh.... no hope of ever setting eyes on the sax again...

Here's wishing all my Muslim artists, friends and bloggers a Happy Festival of Eid Mubarakh.....celebration

Another delighted customer was Sharifah from Batu Tiga for whom I had painted a wrought iron garden table top with a matching set of 4 chairs. The roses were done in a soft white background with light pink roses in a semi circular arrangement. The finished piece looked extremely well that Sharifah couldn't wait to collect it even though it was almost close to 11 o'clock at night when she reached my house. The look on her face said it all . It was a very happy gal who went to bed that day

This is the lime green distressed window panel frame that I wrote about. Would appreciate comments from readers........

The 'mad cow' disease has taken Shah Alam by storm and we are in the grip of madness in more ways than one, depending on whom you talk to, I guess. Some recoil in horror and some are resigned to it. From the New York Post to the Washington Times, Shah Alam has become the topic of print and conversation for all the wrong reasons . I don't want to go into the details lest this becomes a topic of contention. Suffice to say that in the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, I wish all my Muslim friends 'Selamat Berbuka Puasa' and hopefully, they won't forget to call me for their celebration of Hari Raya Puasa. I simply cannot resist the mouth-watering rendang and ketupat, together with all their 'kuih muih'...

Todate, I have painted a beautiful window frame panel, which incidently, is from a salvaged wood of a'kampung' house. The first one was done in a lime green distressed background with large roses. Upon completion, I was rather pleased with the compliments I received from the happy customer, Cikgu Zaleha. I then decided to paint one for myself but with an off-white distressed background . I must say that I am mighty pleased with myself as I did it without referring to anyone or any book .

The school holidays have started. Yesterday my kids and I saw a movie''UP' at the Bukit Raja Shopping Centre. It was a heartwarming and a very funny kinda movie, literally- about two kids who become friends, get married and grow old together, the wife 'goes' first and the old man is now all alone- reminiscing about their unfinished trip to Paradise Falls. ( The scene showing them growing old together was very simple but, oh so touching and heartwarming that you'd wish that it was you and your husband who'ld be like that when you're old. I cried when she died and my daughter made fun of me when we came out of the theatre !) Along comes a brownie points kid who throws himself at the old man's doorstep and together they forge a reluctant friendship which is the start of their journey on a new adventure. A memorable line I still remember is when the little kid tells the old man that its the boring things he did with his dad that he remembers and comforts him most. And it does strike a chord in us, I think. It's the boring and mundane things we'd done during our childhood days that brings back fond memories of our time with our parents. So go right ahead and faithfully do some boring stuff with your children - hopefully their memories will be happy too!

I would certainly recommend this movie to everyone- a feel good movie for the whole family. If you can't go to the theatre, get the DVD ......

August started barely a week ago (for me, that is) and before I know it, it's already towards its tail end. Everything is whizzing pass fast and furious. Along its path, I've met some interesting people and some whom I care not to meet again.... I've read the terrible news headlines which sometimes borders on the ludicrous... and come across jokes which makes me speechless in the wrong sort of way...the list goes on...

On the brighter side, I've seen and am still watching re-runs of 'The Nanny" and can still laugh every time Miss Fine speaks in her nasal twang. Hmm, how I wish I was in her place...(having a butler certainly helps, don't you think ?) I thoroughly enjoy the sitcom - the nanny in her unbelievable designer togs, although I can't fathom how any nanny can afford those, Mr Sheffield, the perfect gentleman,a wisecracking but loyal butler and of course, the adorable and wholesome kids. Miss Babcock just adds to the laughter.. ha..ha..That's about the only program I can watch on TV without my husband flipping the TV remote to ESPN..and all the sports channel together with it.. I've literally stopped watching TV programmes for the same reason. There was a time when I used to watch a good movie or two after my household chores were done for the day..but along comes my better half(?) who will switch the channel for Manchester United vs Arsenal or PGA Golf series or singles/doubles badminton matches or NBA basketball or whatever .... Being the dutiful wifey that I am, I just hand over the remote and start on my painting... no arguement and fights. How cool is that! My painting hobby has actually helped my marriage, phew! Another perfect reason why all married ladies shoud pick up this skill.

I am just recovering from an avalanche of dust ,grime ,cement, bricks and mortar and worst of all the shrill bone shaking noise from the industrial drill. All this punishment for just redoing my bathroom. Oh, did I mention it was upstairs in the master bedroom? If it had gone any longer, I would have had a nervous breakdown and admitted myself in one of the premier ICU wards, really! Kindly imagine 2 adults and 2 kids crammed into 1 bedroom and sharing
1 bathroom for a whole month !. I think you can get the picture, no ?

With no maid to help and my husband and son feighning ignorance, seemingly oblivious to the mental breakdown I was going through, it was left to my poor daughther and I to cope with the shmuck. Why is it that women always end up doing the dirty work? Washing, mopping and cleaning the entire house from top to bottom, which included all the cooking utensils, cutlery, pictures frames, curtains, upholstery, walls, fans, eletrical equipment and gadget,4 wardrobes and their entire contents... etc, etc, etc,...was... heck, there's no word in the Englsh Language to describe it! And this was not a one time affair, it had to be done over and over for several days.... All I could say in the local lingo was "Aiyo!! it was just toooo much lah...."

It's been 2 weeks now from the horror and guess what? I can't use the bathroom because the idiots fixed in a too small water outlet that even a small tub of water down the outlet will flood it. Calls to the morons to rectify the blunder has, as usual,not been answered, since I was stupid enough to pay them (as I thought that was the only way to get them to finish the work faster and leave )Always the expert on hindsight, I guess. Now, we can't use the bathroom and I dread another messy job in the offing. Contractors are such imbeciles you know!!- especially the ones from a neighbouring country.

This is my personal experience and I mean no offence to anyone. By the way,does anyone share a similar experience or is it peculiar to me only ?

Is it only me or do all the over 50's feel that time is flying faster than it should? Turning 50 has made me,sort of, strange and weird.I can't seem to put a finger on it but it has certainly enlarged my vision, physically, mentally and emotionally... sad movies makes me cry even more than it normally would, to the point that even my kids make fun of me; news of someone's death, whether a friend or foe,makes me dumbstruck, reminding me of my own mortality; listening to someone's sob story makes me doubly appreciate my own family with all its warts and all and living in denial of my diabetes has finally caught up with me-now, even a tiny morsel of sweetness is like ambrosia...urgh... how terrible...

On the other hand, I'm happier now than I was before, my sense of humour has heightened so much that I don't laugh anymore, I guffaw uncontrollably, even for the silliest of jokes!; my dancing shoes are seeing the light of day more often with the 60's and 70's beat and best of all, I don't have to make attempts to solve problems anymore, I just let the problems solve itself, courtesy of the ' no fuss and no mess' policy .

Goodnight and sweet dreams....

50 years have I spent on this earth and now I'm in the 'contemplating' stage and while doing just that, Michael Jackson died, aged 50 too, how about that? Life has a whole new meaning to me now. One moment happy and living life and the next minute, gone permanently; leaving only our name and whatever infinitesimal contribution we have made in our lifetime. Michael Jackson has left his name to speak for himself. The average Joe or Jane? Something to really think about, isn't it......

The days pass slowly when we are young but literally fly by as we age, at least, that's my perception and my husband, for once, seems to concur. Things seem different for me now. It's no longer just black or white, like MJ's hit, but shades of greys and neutrals have crept in larger swathes of my outlook. I've learnt to let go of a lot of emotional and physical attachments and this has left me remarkably relaxed and stress free. I mean, there's no point in working myself up in a frenzy over some mistakes or problems. They won't disappear, for sure, (however much we rant and rave) but will somehow work itself out with the passage of time, with the right mode and method presenting itself. A case of 'que sera sera, whatever will be, will be' by Doris Day. How sooo true!

On a lighter note, I took my kids to watch 'Angels and Demon' and 'Transformers' at the local cineplex, which is Klang, by the way. Both were gripping and exciting movies and I thoroughly enjoyed myself, my eyes were totally glued to the screen and my hands were literally gripping the handrest of the seat throughout. I'm beginning to enjoy going to the movies nowadays and the movies, with their non-stop action packed scenes and special sound effects, make me feel all wide-eyed and tingling with excitement! My only grouse is, there's not one theatre or any family entertainment centre in the great City of Shah Alam itself.

But being the relaxed and stress free person that I am now, it doesn't really matter! Just book the tickets online, pack the kids into the car and zoom off in my buggy... and hey presto! problem solved. No need to gripe and groan and fill up the complaint column in the papers. See, I'm practising what I preach. And,...I just thanked my daughter for cleaning up the house. Now, I'm really really relaxed to the point of insanity... what's the name of the next movie ..... and where's my bed....? Goodnight