Of Emak & Michael Jackson's passing

The recent death of Michael Jackson reminds me of Emak's passing. Both were sudden and unexpected.

"Verily, with ALLAH alone is the knowledge of the Hour. And HE sends down the rain, and HE knows what is in the wombs. And no soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Surely, ALLAH is All-Knowing, All-Aware." Quran 31:34

As we mourn and pray for the souls of our beloved, let's remind ourselves to live life to the fullest, to do good deeds and be kind to one another. After all, this world is but a transient stop. As per Michael Jackson's Heal the World, "If you cared enough for the living, make a little space to make a better place..."

Michael, may the truth be revealed.
Emak, I miss you terribly...

Seribu Tahun (A thousand years)

"Relaku menunggumu seribu tahun lama lagi
Tapi benarkah hidup aku akan selama ini
Biar berputar ke arah selatan ku tak putus harapan
Sedia setia

Relaku mengejarmu seribu batu jauh lagi
Tapi benarkah kaki ku-kan tahan sepanjang jalan ini
Biar membisu burung bersiulan terlelah gelombang lautan
Ku masih setia"

*1000 years of waiting patiently? Not to the disillusioned and jaded...

Les Francais!

Rachid, Zineb et Djawida sont la!

S'pore Historic Buildings 101: Gedung Kuning

venue: Visitors' Briefing Room, Level 1, National Library
date/time: Sat 16 May 2009, 2 pm

Very little is known of Gedung Kuning or the Yellow Mansion at No. 73 Sultan Gate. Once a stately residence for a Bendahara or Prime Minister, Gedung Kuning was home to the family of Haji Yusoff ‘Tali Pinggang’ or Haji Yusoff the Belt Merchant.
Haji Yusoff, patriarch of Gedung Kuning was a respected merchant who toiled at his business and was recognised as one of the great pioneers of the Malay community. Gedung Kuning has witnessed the seasons of Haji Yusoff’s family through four generations, and its gate welcomed the poor who came to ask for alms. Even to the very last day when the family moved out, Gedung Kuning stood proud befitting its royal colour and stature.
Hidayah Amin, one of Haji Yusoff’s great-granddaughters revisits her childhood home, taking you beyond the gate guarded by stone eagles, through rooms with big mirrors and marble floors and shares interesting anecdotes growing up in Gedung Kuning, the legacy of a Malay family in Singapore.

Potong Andam the Film

Hidayah Amin's first short film! www.potong-andam-the-film.com
Watch out for the screening!

*Potong Andam is an old Malay ritual which brides undergo to determine their virginity. The film gives a glimpse of the forgotten ritual and the life of Nur, a modern woman who struggles with her personal beliefs and that of her elders.

4 generations of women across cultures

I was a speaker at a panel presentation of five women from different communities in Singapore talking about four generations of women in their families.

Date: 29 April 2009 (Wed)
Time: 7.30 pm
Venue: American Club, Claymore Hill

The other panelists:
Kel Yap: English teacher
Ivy Singh Lim: Founder of Bollywood Farms
Pina Marziliano: Professor at NTU
Caitlin Fry: President of the American Women's Association (AWA)

The panel was organised by Marjorie Wheatley (a fourth generation New Orleanean). It was the fourth in a series of panels on four generations of women across cultures. The first was at Cornell University in the early 1990s by a panel of five women; the second and third were done at MIT a decade later, one panel from the female perspective and then the following year, one from the male perspective.

That Princeton Junction train

Remember Daniel Harray, NY actor and my travelling partner in the Nov 2007 blog entry "The Journey of the Rice Cooker'? Well, he recently invited me to Druids in Hell's Kitchen, NY for his birthday celebration. Alas, since I'm still in Singapore (and not leaving for medical school in the USA anytime soon), I emailed him my regrets.
Dan's reply: "I hope that you will not be discouraged, and will continue to realize your dream of becoming a doctor. And I'll be on the lookout for the Princeton Junction train -- not to mention, Krispy Kreme donuts!"

I remembered writing about the trip on that Princeton Junction train: "...you have to go through arduous journey (be brave to take alternative routes, be patient, maintain that sense of humour, don't give up, encourage fellow passengers along the way) before you can reach the ivy-covered tower. Just ask the rice cooker who endured the hardship and is now in Fadzilah's Princeton..."

So will Redfleece patiently brave the long arduous journey of becoming a surgeon?

18 March 2009

2 significant things happened on this date...

Sang Serigala dan Sang Helang berbicara seketika (The Wolf and the Eagle shared a special moment).

The much-dreaded letter arrived:
"With sincere regret, I must report that the Committee on Admissions has completed its selection of the class entering in August 2009 and has not been able to offer you a place.
We are grateful to have received applications from so many students like you with excellent intellectual and personal qualities. This year, well over 5000 students applied for 165 places in the first year class at Harvard Medical School. With so many more talented and highly qualified candidates than we could admit, the Committee on Admissions faced a very difficult task."

Sometimes, the wait ends tragically. Sometimes, the wait is worth the while.