So that I don't forget...

Yesterday, I went on a not-so-impulsive purchase. My two self-elected "personal shoppers" were there to entice and "poison" me. As I already had plans to make such purchase in not-so-near future, I don't blame them. Entirely.

As usual, after the payment was completed, the guilt started to creep in. The elated feeling last but only a little while...

And this morning, in the train, I was humbled. I couldn't stop myself from shedding few tears of humility and remorse. I thought about how much God has given me and yet I lamented and complained. There and then I felt small and insignificant. And I thanked Him for all that He's bestowed upon me. And it was all because a boy and his brother. I put the note here to remind me again in the future whenever I stray and start to forget.

I was about to sit down after the previous person who occupied the seat got off the train. That was when I saw a little boy about four or five years old started to sit crossed-leg on the LRT floor near the door. I signaled to his elder brother who was standing behind him to take the seat. The little boy was a bit frightened and refused to sit down. Only when the brother sat down, did he do the same. Both of them were wearing worn-out clothing, and forgive me God, but they emit a certain musky scent. That was when I started to feel this indescribable feeling and my eyes started to water. Here are two under-privileged boys, and it kept flowing back to me how the night before I just spent a huge sum of money that would mean a lot more to them. I couldn't get passed the feeling. I talked to the brother, to ease the feeling that started to consume me. How selfish I was. They are on their way to Jelatek to send the little brother to school. He finished school already although I didn't ask which level he completed. He look fairly young. He said now he's working. Preparing frozen food. The little boy had two pieces of 20 sen and a piece of 10 sen in his palm. He was playing with the coins and dropped one of the 20 sen piece. I told him to keep it in his pocket. He slowly took out his metal pencil box from his small school bag and arrange the coins nicely in it. I thought to myself, can 50 sen be enough for duit belanja these days? It was enough for me back then in the 80s. But now? I told him to study well and got off the train feeling I could do more than just living my life. Maybe one day, when I've achieved that, I'll share it with you. So help me Lord, for I want to do this.

Thank you God for saying "Hello" to me today.

Well, well. For a change this morning during the train ride. Another youngish couple. This time, both of them are standing. And, non stop PDA (Public Display of Affection). The guy was continuously stealing pecking moments, for lack of better word/phrase. He was whispering at her ear, she laughed, he kissed her fingers. Everything nice, eh? They were still at it when I got off the train.

People still look and steal on and off glances. But most of them had this "enough-already" expression on their faces. Ha ha ha... Anyway, loving gestures are nice and all. But, there's always a but eh? I shall stop here. Nothing is always what it seems.

Ah-nee-ways... why should there be a need for different races for their own masjeeds? Chinese Muslims in Ipoh are requesting permission to build their own masjeed because they cannot understand sermons in Malay. Hmm... While it is not wrong to have another masjeed, but separation because of race is not something I agree.

I blame the Malays for this. You know why? Because Malays are so consumed with themselves that they want other people to adapt and understand them better instead of them doing their part in bringing people closer together. There, I've said it.

It's sad you know. Who are Malays anyway? We are a mixture of different cultures and races too. So, why are we so big headed and think we are better than anyone else? Haih... these statements are purely emotional. Forgive me for digressing.

Coming back to the race based masjeed. I understand sermons need to be understood. And to be clearer, it's just natural for sermons to be delivered in the native tounge of the people. I understand that. But, couldn't there be a middle ground for everyone to sit down together and understand together? What is wrong with having bi-lingual sermons? Or multi-lingual even? Have two or three people sitting together at the front delivering the sermon together, and whichever part that someone cannot understand, it could be translated or explained there and then. Isn't that a chance to learn new language even?

Imams and Bilals could be from other races as well. They do not need to be exclusively Malays. So, what's wrong with having these educated people sitting together delivering the word of God together? If we are serious about learning the religion, we should also be serious in learning together, getting pass the skin colour and heritage. Islam is universal. So, what part of the word "universal" that we don't get?

We already have a lot of inter-racial marriage. Let's not divide the people in the masjeeds where we are communicating directly with the creator. Let's have P.D.A. amongst the brothers and amongst the sisters regardless which race they come from.

Teater Musikal: Topeng Topeng

Semalam Capal Perak bawak Jade pegi tengok teater. Masa dia ajak, Jade agak konfius sebab dia bukanlah peminat seni-seni macam nih. Tak caya, tanya dia, sebab nanti dia kata dia adalah seorang yang shallow. Ha ha ha... So, Jade pun rasa terharu sebab dia terfikir nak bawak Jade pegi. So, happy la kan.

Anyway, Topeng Topeng is a production by Stefani - Sanggar Teater Fauziah Nawi. Ia sedang dipentaskan di Stor Teater DBP. Tiket berharga RM10, RM20 dan RM30. Setiap hari pada 8:30 malam sehinggalah 30 April ini. Jadi, pergilah tengok dan support industri seni kita, okay! (Ini adalah free publicity from LooneyPuff)

For more information, please visit Topeng Topeng @ akulahrawana.blogspot.com.

Note to Capal Perak: Thank you. I had a lovely night. :-p

I wonder, what's going on...?

This morning on the train, I stood in front of a young couple. Well, they would be around my age, or younger. Since I'm quite old already eh? Anyway, the man was nicely build, strong arms, tall, the working out type. The lady was petite, tastefully dressed, not bad looking at all. Both were working professional I suppose. The man looked tough and unfriendly, while the lady seemed timid, sitting very close to the man, plastered to his side. She whispers slowly, lovingly(?) to the man while he asked her to repeat a couple of times and nodded away. She said "I love you" just before he got up, he just said, "Ok" and walked out the train.

One thing that bothered me though, still bothers me. The lady has bruises on her upper arm. Finger and thumb marks.

The bruises could easily be there after you know, a rough you-know-what, in the heat of passion. He he he... But, can't seem to shake away the uneasiness. An elder lady sitting beside her kept on looking at her arm, and the girl standing beside be also could not help but looked on and looked away several times.

I guess it bothered us, it will always bother us seeing bruises on another woman, but we could never get the nerve to ask or say something.

I don't know people. I feel a bit grim about the while situation, but what can we do eh? IF she was in an abusive relationship, she needs to get help, she needs to find the courage to get out of it. No woman, no one for that matter, deserve to be treated badly.

If it was just mark from urmmm... a loving coupling on the rough side (he he he), well, I don't know what to say. Don't mark me where people might see? :-p

I hope my speculations are wrong. I really hope so.

SOCIAL SERVICE: STOP ABUSE ON WOMEN. STOP ABUSE ON CHILDREN. STOP ABUSE ON ANIMALS. STOP ABUSE ON MEN(?).

Is he your boyfriend?

Me: You don't have a boyfriend, you have an affair.
Anon: Really? What's the difference? Blog about it.

Don't get Anon wrong. She's just in a complicated relationship that span 10 years of on contact and off contact. The so called boyfriend was her boyfriend until something "tragically confusing" happened. Anyway, here they are after 10 over years.

So, when is it an affair and when is it a relationship you ask? I'm going to make it short and simple. Because it doesn't deserve a long explanation. You're just stubborn, Anon. :-p

He is an affair when you have specific timing to call or meet. He is an affair when he cannot get away when you need him the most. He is an affair when the reason he could not be there is because his commitment to his other half. He is an affair, when clearly nothing short of tears could result from your contact with him. He is an affair because officially he belongs to someone else!

He is a boyfriend (okay, pardon me if I go overboard with this... hehehe) when his is the last voice that you hear before you go to bed and most probably the first that you hear when you wake up. He is there whenever you need him and however you need him. He is your shoulder to cry on and the reason your day gets better. He is the voice of reason that makes you face reality and the dream you float with on your cloud nine (hah! Amik ko! hahaha). He is a boyfriend because officially he belongs to you!

How do you end the affair then? No calls. No contacts. No SMS. No IMs. No MMS. Delete without reading anything from him and nothing from you to him. Nil. Zit. Fin! Tears are allowed once a while within the first month. Go out with other people. And DO NOT COMPARE! Take time to smell the rose (and other manly cologne besides his!). Bottom line, you have to take the first step to severe the tie. Do not prolong the pain and misery. If a guy is the reason you cry your unhappiness, he is a guy that is not worth your time to waste on. Trust me on this.