Another "Golden Girls" Get Together

Recently eighteen 'girls' of the 64-70 batch of TKC enjoyed a scrumptious lunch hosted by the one and only (astrophysicist extraordinaire) Mazlan Othman. Venue: Royal Lake Club.

13th May 2015

The Line was Clear at Nasi Kandar Line Clear

There are quite a few food blogs that have written about the nasi kandar here at Line Clear, so I will just say that when we went to have lunch there recently during our island getaway, the crowds were not yet there. So we got our table and our food in very good time. I must say that the place has been spruced up after some of the bad press it got.

Thank you See Toh for the treat! We all enjoyed our meal there, yum yum!

A Librarians' Reunion

Thirteen former Librarians of Universiti Sains Malaysia had a reunion in Petaling Jaya recently. It was great to be able to catch up with ex-colleagues to find out what they were up to now and to especially reminisce about 'the good old days' working in the Library of USM.

Siti Kulthum is all the way from Greece, Penelope from Sabah, Noor Ida from Johor, Rashidah and Ramli from Pulau Pinang. Sook Jean, Siw Lai, Mary, Sakinah, Nurin, Habsah, Pang and I now reside in Selangor. Of course we all agreed to start a whatsapp group immediately to enhance our camaraderie. We look forward to more joining the group, and to more reunions of course.

The Roti Man

The Roti man or the roti seller on a motorbike, serves a most useful purpose, bringing bread and other like goodies to our neighbourhoods. He is a most eagerly waited person when he does his rounds of the housing estates, especially by children.

Person of the Year? Yes, NST columnist Johan Jaaffar voted the roti seller 'Person of the Year 2013'. Why? Because he was the only one who was compassionate enough to stop and help an accident victim while others were just busily snapping pictures!

I don't know the name of the Roti seller Person of the Year 2013 but the above is a snapshot of another roti seller, Encik Baharudeen, who obligingly posed for my camera. Tqvm.

Congratulations Ebak & Nurulatiqah

Friends and family joined newly weds Ebak & Nurulatiqah to celebrate at their wedding reception in the Putrajaya Lake Club (8th Precinct) today. The setting was indeed beautiful by the Putrajaya Lake, nearby the pink Masjid Putra and the backdrop of the Seri Perdana Bridge and Perdana Putra (office complex of the Prime Minister). Congratulations on a new life together!

Note: We had attended Ebak's twin Farouk's wedding reception in January this year.

Nasi Kerabu at Taman Dagang

My plate of Nasi Kerabu @ Mek Siti, Taman Dagang

Do you like nasi kerabu? I do because it seems a healthy dish with all the herbs in it. My best memories of this delectable food was the nasi kerabu/ulam that my mother used to make at our railway quarters home in Alor Star, Kedah during Ramadhan in the 1950s. My siblings and I used to look forward to this dish being prepared because we would snigger about one 'rude' herb that was involved - daun sekentut!

Somehow in KL/Selangor, nasi kerabu Kedah /Utara is not as ubiquitous as the nasi kerabu Kelantan / Trengganu /Pantai Timur. Yesterday my sister and I got to enjoy the latter when a TKC friend Narim invited us to the opening of (her brother & partners') eatery in Taman Dagang - the Mek Siti Nasi Kerabu Ayam/Daging Bakar. Thank you very much, Narim and Zain. The food was good and it was nice to be able to meet your family and friends too at the venue.

With Narim, family and friends (2014)

We'll be sure to recommend this eatery to our family and friends.

Fooling Around at the Red Carpet i-City

Although it first opened a year ago in August 2013, we only decided to see what the Red Carpet at i-City Wax Museum, Shah Alam was all about when it reopened after the arson in February this year.

There is nothing to stop anyone 'cam whoring' and making fools talents of themselves at this interactive wax museum, B and yours truly included recently. There are 100 life like figures of "famous people from history and contemporary personalities of today". There you go, you can 'camwhore' 100 times over! But we will spare you and put up only 20. Enjoy!



1. Gnarl and show your fangs teeth like the cute, blonde Monkey King. (Donnie Yen played the titular protagonist in the recent 3D movie based on an episode of the Chinese literary classic, 'Journey to the West'. I had read this during my uni days doing Chinese Studies.)

2. Proclaim 'Merdeka' with Malaysia's first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman.

3. Demand for world peace on the same podium with Putin and Obama.
B: Putin and Obama, you both demand world peace. I have to go shopping right now, heheh!

4. Get close to Queen Elizabeth and put your arm around her like you are two old friends.
Queen Lizzy: Simply N, I command that you tell me why you are dressed so casually and have your ugliest shoes on for this photo shoot? 
Simply N: Err... but they are most comfy, Your Majesty. Okay, I shall come in my best outfit and Louboutins next time around. I promise.  Btw, I like your hair!

5. Sit next to Mandela, lean and hang your arm casually on his armchair and try to carry on a decent conversation about apartheid and world politics. (The patterns on Mandela's shirt and the armchair look rather similar, it's like he is in camouflage. Is it intentional, you think? Why?)

6. Get close to Yasser Arafat and remember his important role in the politics and nationalism of Palestine. Oh, and his iconic black-and-white checkered keffiyeh or shemagh makes him, contrary to what people say, not so bad-looking after all. This trademark scarf is now military chic according to Wikipedia, and also was a fashion accessory in the US and Tokyo.

7. Have a tete a tete with LKY. (I think they have made his head a tad too small for his body here, what do you think?)

8. Pose with the controversial Mao Zedong (prev. Tse-tung) like he is your long lost uncle (or brother in my case). This Chairman of the Communist Party of China ruled from 1949-1976 and was either a revered cult figure or hated dictator.

9. Dance with Steve Jobs (1955-2011). He said "If today were the last day of your life, would you want to do what you are about to do today?" 
B: No, I think I shall dance!

10. Think and ponder like Einstein (1879-1955) who said "If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough". Me? I don't want to explain anything. I can only smile at the camera behind his back! No, the camera is not behind his back, I am behind his back. Understand? Enough explanation already! Note: I think Einstein probably has more bad hair days than I do.

11. Make your wushu move with Li Lianjie aka Jet Li. We understand that Bruce Lee got burnt (in the recent fire), so for now you can't make any martial arts move with him just yet.

12. Smirk like Michelle Yeoh, if you must. After all she is a local lass Ipoh mali who has made it in Hollywood and global filmdom.

13. Sidle up to Bond, James Bond. And put your finger on his lips. Just be careful he doesn't bite! Ouch! (B thinks Daniel Craig is the handsomest Bond, but I think the title goes to Sean Connery. What do you think?)

14. Drive off in Mr Bean's mini when his beady eyes are not looking at you.

15. Sit down and have 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' with Holly Golightly, I mean Audrey Hepburn. Although she is a little overdressed here in her black gown and gloves, and a tiara to boot! But wait, who took away her elegant cigarette holder? What? No smoking in here?

16. Put on your most hoity-toity look when hanging out with David Beckham and Posh Victoria.

17. Measure up to Michael Jordan's height of 6 ft 6 in.

18. Of course with Psy, you do your best 'Gangnam style'. B, good move, but why the tongue?

19. Graciously receive your encores with Luciano Pavarotti (d.2007), full arms extended. 'Thank you, thank you very much, thank you.'

20. Take a we-fie with Arnold Schwarzenegger. For us it was a foursome, together with his weapon of destruction (whatever it is).
B: Ma, he is older than you but he still looks good!
Ma: Huh???

P.S. Other personalities featured include Napoleon Bonarparte, Deng Xiaoping, King Hussein of Jordan, the Pope, Kofi Annan, Eleven Xi Jinping, Bill Gates, John Travolta, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, Shakira, Fan Bing Bing, Robert De Niro, Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie, 'Captain Jack Sparrow'/Johnny Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jackie Chan, Elton John, Lionel Messi, Lee Chong Wei, Lee Young Ae, Yong Yun Hai, Nancy Ajram, Guinness World Record holders, etc.

P.P.S. We think that several of the wax figures do not look like who they are intended to be/represent. Among these - Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe, William and Kate, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, etc.

My First Football Game: TSSC 2014

Who would have thought that finally, I did get to see my very first live football game last night. And in the giant's eye of the Shah Alam Stadium at that. So its another item ticked off my bucket list. Yay!

My first view inside the Shah Alam stadium (CNB 2014)

It was the 13th edition of the Sultan of Selangor's Cup 2014 between Selangor and Singapore. The stadium was filled to the brim with home football fans of the Red Giants, in the colours of Selangor - red and yellow. The 'chanting', the 'waves', the drum beats (?) all seemed to contribute to the excitement of the spectacle of men running around after a small ball. I do not really know the rules of the game but I do know a goal when it happens-lah!

The Veteran line-up (CNB 2014)

Start of the main match (CNB 2014)

The first game (curtain raiser) was between the Selangor Veterans (including among others Dollah Salleh, Soh Chin Aun, Santokh Singh and Rajagobal) and the Singapore Veterans (including Fandi Ahmad) which ended in a 1-1 draw. [The Selangor Selection versus Singapore Selection game ended in a 2-1 win for the former, its eighth in the series.]

The official launch of TSSC 2014 was by HRH Sultan of Selangor, and there were quite mesmerising cheer-leading performances by several schools plus the amazing pyrotechnics - loud bursts of glowing firework sparklers and their smoke entrails.

The cheer-leading (CNB 2014)

The pyrotechnics (CNB 2014) 

It was serendipitous that Penel was in town and like me, it was her first live football game as well. We were lucky the invitations enabled us to park below the stadium and leaving early also meant we did not have to contend with the inevitable traffic jam after the event. Thank you Penel, Husin, Sarah and Azlan. I had a great evening, and hope you all did too.

Post-Scriptum.  I am game for TSSC 2015 next year. If we get invitations again...
P.P.S. Sorry B in Kedah & A in Sabah; you both had to miss the game this time.

I Love Book Launches

I have been to many, many book launches and I would never tire of attending even more. The most recent was one held last Saturday 14 June 2014, at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club (KLGCC) in Bukit Kiara. My long-time friend Penelope (or Penel, Penny) extended us the invitation to attend the book launch of her good friend (Puan Sri) Professor Jamilah Ariffin (JA). The book entitled 'My Personal Journey in Observing the Dynamic Iskandar Malaysia and its Forgotten Sea Gypsies; Economic Development Contradictions and Cultural Change' is the author's 15th.

In her speech explaining her book, the author made a plea to the authorities concerned to enable the Orang Asli Seletar (the sea gypsies) to continue their unique way of life although surrounded by the rapid development of Iskandar Malaysia. The Minister of Women, Family & Community Development Dato' Seri Rohani Abdul Karim officiated the book launch. She lauded JA's effort and the book which would serve as a reminder for society to ensure that indigenous peoples do not disappear altogether because of progress and economic development.

Other than the Orkes Yayasan Warisan Johor (?) and the talented blind singer Fadzli, JA also brought along the Orang Asli Seletar to perform their unique music and dances at her book launch event. I was mesmerised. (I will blog about these unique people from information gleaned from JA's book later.)

It was good to be able to meet up with Penel and her two children (KK & Sarah), also the author JA (and her very supportive husband, ex-MB of Johor, Tan Sri Abdul Ghani Othman). Penel's acquaintance with them go all the way back to their University of Queensland days.

I had attended the book launch with A, but she had to leave early for another appointment. Still, there was time enough for her to pose with Penel, KK & Sarah. We also got to meet with some KL librarians and Rohana, JA's sister whom we knew from our USM days. Book launches are a good opportunity to keep up with new books, and people from the book/publishing world.

I Remember (Some of) My Teachers

It was Teacher's Day on the 16th May, so inevitably we recall the times we were being educated by our many teachers, some great and some not so. Mostly though, I cannot recall exact names but some incidences remain etched in my memory. I don't remember my kindergarten teachers in Alor Star at all but thank you anyway for starting me off on the long journey into the education system. I enjoyed kindy really, or so I gathered from my parents.

The start of primary school was interesting at the Sultanah Asma, Alor Star. There was Mr Rodishes Tan (should it have been Rodriguez? But he was definitely not Latin!) the art teacher who even came to our house to give us extra art tuition. Only my sister CY became the artist - of architectural drawings. Till today I appreciate art and still very, very occasionally dabble in paintings but never come up with any worthy of exhibit. Mr Lim Say Aun taught us Arithmetic and the reason I remember his full name is because I have this b&w photograph (below) that he gave us, duly signed at the back. I wonder if teachers still wear bow ties to class?

Mr Lim Say Aun, one of my primary school teachers

At the Tuanku Abdul Rahman School in Gemas there was Cikgu Md Zain who gave us tuition on almost every subject at his home. My sisters and I remember the many quizzes he gave us to beef up our general knowledge. We knew the capitals of countries, even their flags, among other facts. When his sister got married in Kuala Pilah we were invited to his kampung, for our first adat pepatih occasion. Then there was Miss Arumalar Kandiah who was my class teacher (I think). I still have a photo of her and I remember her most for the very neatly pressed clothes she wore.

My secondary school teachers were the most memorable. Among them Miss Sobita Sinha with her very expressive ways during English Literature classes. There was never a dull moment and till today I love books and literature. Puan Hasnah Ali taught us Biology but I remember that the subject of reproduction was dealt with in just a few sentences. We had to supplement our knowledge about the birds and the bees from other sources as well. When it came to dissecting a frog she never found out that I could not do it at all and left it entirely to my partner in class to do it. So that put paid to any hopes of  medical aspirations, not that I had any! There were the expatriate (Peace Corps, VSO) teachers Miss Black, Miss Vaughan, Miss Bergan and Miss Ellis. And their enthusiasms certainly made school very interesting. Also quite memorable was Mr Chee Peng Lim with his "master piece of distortion" remarks on our Economics essays.
(In progress)

My NZ: Catching up with Annette & Eddie

I'd met Annette in 1995 in England when we both attended the British Council Seminar. Since then we'd kept in touch intermittently (through snail mail/e-mail/facebook). She and her husband Eddie visited us once in Pulau Pinang, when I was still working there. Then during our recent visit to New Zealand we met up in Auckland where they live. It was great to see them again after so long.

With B, Eddie and Annette in Auckland

Annette and Eddie showed us around Auckland, starting with the Viaduct Harbour with its waterside restaurants and cafes, and ferries and yachts. There is the whimsical 'cloud building' which I thought looked more like a white worm, and they also pointed out the railway station and Britomart along the main street (Queen St.) They later treated us to coffee, chocolate and ice cream at Valentino's in the beautiful Ferry Building.

Whimsical cloud or white worm building (CNB 2014)

The Ferry Building (CNB 2014)

On another day, we were driven along Tamaki Drive, the coastal road. From Te Pane O Horoiwi or Achilles (lookout) Point, the sunset was truly beautiful.

With Annette at the lookout point (BB 2014)

Beautiful sunset and the Auckland skyline (CNB 2014)

For dinner Annette and Eddie took us to savour some really good food at the Kahve Cafe, Restaurant and Bar just a stroll from St Heliers Bay beach and local shops. To round up the day, they took us to their home nearby for tea. It was truly a great end to our get together in Auckland. We look forward to seeing them again when they come to Malaysia in the future, or if we revisit NZ (we hope).

Tea at Annette & Eddie's (CNB 2014)