Keeping up with the Family

Selamat Hari Raya from B, me, M, A & SB

This is our first Hari Raya (and Ramadhan) without our beloved mother Mak. Being at the family home in Pulau Pinang this time of the year feels ... different. The first person we would usually 'minta ampun, minta maaf' from would be Mak, but now we have to accept the fact that she is no longer with us. We also know that Mak (and our father Ba) would want us siblings to be forever a close-knit family, although we now live in six different states.

Hari Raya is the best occasion to keep up with family. Balik kampung is synonymous with getting together with family members; we sure hope it is something that we can adhere to each year. And we know that everyone will try their darnest to come together on this joyous occasion. Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 1434.

On the first day of Eid, we met up with my older siblings SP and MN (CY is away in England), and two younger siblings AW and AE. The rest we met up with later, except for three who could not make it back to PP.

Sis SP and her daughter SR

Bro MN and M

Bro AW and family

Bro AE and family

Nephew MR and family

Amati Y & Ami Z whom we visited on 2nd Eid (SBSN 2013)

08.08.2013 

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri 1434

Eid Mubarak - its 'balik kampung' time (CNB 2013)

May you rejoice on this happy occasion in the warm embrace of family and friends.

Sabah Art Gallery

Balai Seni Lukis Sabah (CNB 2013)

The Balai Seni Lukis Sabah is now in a beautiful new octagonal building shaped like a traditional Kadazandusun  bahuyun (basket). It is Sabah's first environmentally friendly four-storey art gallery costing RM15 million. Designed by architect Lee Hon Liong, much of the building is powered by the sun, with rain water collected to flush toilets and water the lawns. Windows are kept to the minimum and the building is designed in such a way to shed much of the inside from sun rays (which reduces the amount of harmful ultra-violet rays that could destroy paintings on display). Enough natural light and fresh air is let in through an open circular roof. This Visual Arts Conservation Centre is located at Jalan Penampang, about 3km from Kota Kinabalu City Centre.

While in Sabah recently, Penel took me to visit this very new art gallery and we were thoroughly impressed, with both the building and the art works within.

Penel signs the visitor's book (CNB 2013)

The Exhibitions are held on two spacious levels, reached by a circular/curving staircase. Pameran Bakat-bakat Baharu 2013 was on then. It showcased the artworks - paintings, collages, sculptures - by the various new local artistic talents of Sabah.

Pameran Bakat-bakat Baharu 2013 (CNB 2013)

A bird sculpture and paintings (CNB 2013)

Tun Fuad Stephens in Warhol style (CNB 2013)

Another exhibition was the Pameran Datuk Yaman dan Rakan-rakan. Datuk Yaman Ahmad Mus (1938-2012) was a great artist and the Director of the Sabah Art Gallery at the time of his demise. But he never got to visit the new gallery building due to his frail health then. This exhibition was to honour him and display his artworks. I liked his Ilusi dimensi series in acrylic. Among his rakan-rakan/friends whose works were displayed were Tina Rimmer, Datuk Hj Murshidi Nambi, Datuk Simon C. Yew, and Benedict Chong.

Exhibit of Datuk Yaman's Ilusi Dimensi series (CNB 2013)

Kinabalu by Datuk Simon C. Yew

Tina Rimmer's Tobacco sellers Tamparuli Tamu  

Datuk Hj Murshidi Nambi's Penghidupan di sawah padi

24 March 2013 Ref: insightsabah.gov.my

I'm Glad You Are My Sister

Have I ever told you
how glad I am 
that you're my sister?
I'm telling you now
because I want you to know
how very important 
        you are to me
and just how much love
        there is for you 
             deep within my heart.
                    - Deanne Laura Gilbert

This poem is part of a longer one from the book, 'I'm Glad You Are My Sister; a Blue Mountain Arts Collection (2000), that A gave to her sister B.  Ex Libris CNB 1427.

Blooming Tabebuia

Tabebuia at the Tasek Bestari (CNB 2013)

July sees the blooming of flowers on many of our roadside trees and also trees in the parks. Among the most beautiful and colourful are the Tabebuia or 'trumpet' trees. We were passing by the Bestari Lake in Shah Alam and noticed that some of the Tabebuia trees had pretty blossoms of yellow, pink, purple or white and the area looked like a natural wonderland. Unfortunately the Tabebuia blossoms do not last long and after only 2-3 days, the flowers are all gone. C'est la vie!

Plant facts: Family Bignoniceae, Origin: American tropics and subtropics from Mexico and Caribbean to Argentina. In 1992 Gentry listed 99 species + 1 hybrid, but in 2007 were revised into 3 separate genera: Tabebuia (67 species), Primavera & Roseodendron.

(Pic: Tabebuia in USM)
(In progress)

Books I Love: By Judy Blume

Judy Blume is one of the most honoured yet most censored authors of books for children and young adults. We had started reading Judy Blume at about the same time that we did Roald Dahl (in the late 80s). Like Dahl, she is known for her children's books rather than her adult novels, and between B, A, and I, we have read and reread most, if not all of them.

Our collection of Judy Blume books (CNB)

The One in the Middle is a Green Kangaroo, Blume's first published book, is about Freddy, a middle child between an older brother and a younger sister, out to prove he is special despite feeling like "the peanut butter part of a sandwich". The Pain and the Great One,  is another picture book about sibling rivalry between an eight-year-old girl and her six-year-old brother. A story book for very young readers is Freckle Juice, about the small-boy adventure of Andrew.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is about Peter Hatcher and his terrible problem - a little brother called Fudge! (This is a first in a five book series "The Fudge Books", of which we only have, and read four). Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great is about Peter's nemesis, the capable Sheila who also has her secret fears. Superfudge has 11-year old Peter who has to deal with his little brother Fudge going to kindergarten in his same school. Fudge-a-mania, sees Peter spending a Summer stuck with his five year old 'human hurricane' of a brother Fudge and Sheila 'the Cootie Queen'. Double Fudge, which we do not have and have yet to read, sees the sibling rivalry between Peter and Fudge continue into a new school year.

Blume has written nine books for the Middle Grade, and I think these are her best stories. 1. Iggie's House is set in the late 60s and Winnie welcomes the first black family at her all-white neighbourhood of Grove Street. 2. Blubber is about under-twelve social dynamics in school; about bullies in 5th grade. 3. Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself is about a 5th grader in Miami Beach, 1947. 4. It's not the end of the World is about Karen trying to reconcile her fighting and 'talking about divorce' parents. 5. Are You There God? It's Me Margaret seems to be a favourite of most adolescent girls. 6th grader Margaret talks to God often, about her adolescence and boys. 6. Then Again, Maybe I Won't is about the life of twelve-year old Tony and his newly rich family and their move to an affluent Long Island neighbourhood. 7. Deenie deals with scoliosis and the protagonist Deenie's handle on the brace that she has to wear and her adjustments dealing with friends, including boys. 8. Just as Long as We are Together is the companion book to Here's to You, Rachel Robinson. It is about the two best friends Rachel and Stephanie and a new girl who has moved in. 9. Here's to You, Rachel Robinson is about 7th grade Rachel and her friends Stephanie and Alison. Rachel who strives for perfection in everything she does, needs their help to lighten up.

For what is now categorised as YA or Young Adult books, Blume wrote Forever (1975), a story dealing with first love and teenage sexuality. Despite being the target of censorship, this book won the 1966 ALA Margaret A. Edwards Award for Outstanding Literature for Young Adults. While many of Dahl's books were translated into films, Blume's were mostly failed projects until only recently, when her only other young adult book, Tiger Eyes was made into a movie by her own son. Tiger Eyes is about Davey, who's father was killed, and her friendship with a young man in New Mexico who helps her find the strength to move on.

We have all three of Blume's books for adult readers, which B brought back from the US of A some time ago. I must admit that I have only read one, Wifey. The other two that I have not yet read are Smart Women, (the story of two divorced friends and their two teenaged daughters, and the complex triangle when one falls in love with the other's ex) and Summer Sisters, a novel covering nearly twenty summers in the lives of two friends. I will put them on my list of books to read 2014, because my 2013 list is already full!

Colours of My Life: Red

I was checking out Life in Color; National Geographic Photographs, and was inspired to do my own series of photographs I have taken, based on colours too, beginning with RED.

"Red, the colour of human blood, symbolises passion, fire, love, and anger. In Eastern cultures, it also connotes luck and prosperity. Red occurs throughout nature, from dying stars to dying leaves, and humans have evoked its powers for everything from politics to sports".

Roses are red, my love ... so also are chilies, strawberries, barberries, little fish, Chinese lanterns, Ferraris, etc., etc.

1. I spotted these red cili padi (bird's chili, bird's eye chili) at the Kinarut Tamu (market) in Sabah. But you would be able to find cili padi in most open/wet markets and supermarkets. They are really spicy fiery hot!

2. Delicious red strawberries on my birthday cake baked by Sarah. Most delicious, thank you! We happened to be in Kota Kinabalu on my birthday recently. Penel & family had graciously invited us to dinner (and this surprise birthday treat) at their home.

3. In Persian cuisine, these berries (Berberis/Barberry) called zereshk in Farsi, are used to make zereshk polo (rice pilaf with barberry), also to garnish plain rice. You can buy the juice in a bottle, but the photo below shows a bowlful of the dried berries that have been soaked in hot water. Sugar is added to drink this concoction, said to be rich in vitamin C. Cheers!      Note: Zereshk is also the name of a village in Qazvin, Iran

4. Our ubiquitous drink of the sweet red syrup (air sirap/serbat) is enjoyed at most wedding kenduris, and other festivities. Here the red syrup with biji selasih is served at a Ramadhan buffet at the Concorde Shah Alam.

5. This little red fish in a bowl is our Ghahraman (Champion), shown here in a Haftsin setting on our coffee table during Nowruz of 2010. A red fish is one of the lucky symbols representing life.

6. The Chinese revere the colour red. Especially during the Lunar New Year, red is found every where. Angpow packets are red, lanterns are red, cheongsams too are usually red. This huge lantern was part of the NY decorations at Suria KLCC.

7. "Ferrari masuk kampung".  Like the proverbial 'Rusa masuk kampung' this car looked pretty out of place in the tranquil setting of padi fields in a kampung/village in Kedah. I took this photo when A was shooting in a drama 'Kerana Dia' which required her to ride in a red Ferrari.

8. Red attracts attention, as the coke tin below did when we were out walking on the beach at Nexus Karambunai, Sabah. The almost pristine beach was littered with this solitary and outstanding 'rubbish'.

9. This sculpture of a 'red man', I found at the entrance to a hotel in a shopping mall here (Empire Gallery). There are many sculptures of 'red people' by China's artists. I also saw some in an art gallery in Singapore (see my 18 November 2011 posting).

10. Evoking the power of red in commerce and industry, we have CIMB Bank, Air Asia 'Now everyone can fly', even Coca Cola, to name a few. But here a restaurant outlet in a mall has a red wall and a grandma on wheels to entice you in. Would you dine here?

All photos by CNB.  Ref: National Geographic's 'Life in Color'.