Berjalan dalam gelap

Mereka berjalan antara lampu malap dan gelap taman.
Mereka berkeluh dan merintihkan dunia.

Dua pengimpi tenang.
Dua hati yang sesak kerana pahit dunia.

"Bagaimana?" tanya seorang, "Mengapa?" jawab temannya.
Soalan masing-masing hanya disahut jangkaan yang bawa kekeliruan.
Semak-samun dan kegelapan sembunyikan tanda-tanda panduan ke arah penyelesaian.


Begitulah keduanya cuba melepasi malam gelap itu.
Sudah penuh luka dan nanah.
Sudah mula lelah dan kalah.
Tetapi kekal berharap dan berdoa selamat bertemu fajar kembali.

Sayang mereka berpisah.
Berbeza hala di persimpangan.
Dua hati pengimpi tenang kini merentasi taman sendiri, tetapi yakin terintip cahaya pagi.

KR Asamtv video

There's a lot more from where that came from, believe me. Some of the things he said in the interview gave me ideas for a longer piece, maybe a documentary, on budaya dan warisan. Things like cultural hybridisation, the Australian non-culture, Western interest and indigeneous indifference towards heritage, etc. etc. Of course, ideas jelah.

Anyway, I still think whatever's left in this stuff is still good. Pretty solid stuff for AsamTV, even if I do say so myself!

Dear friend

I really tak puas hati when people tell you to contact them but they never follow up. It's one thing to send unsolicited messages, but when you actually tell someone to contact you, please be aware there is the expectation of a reply.

When none comes it puts you in a difficult position. Do you ignore the blatant act of pretending you do not exist? Or do you put pressure on the person to respond? I think no one should have to put up with rude behaviour, and it is perfectly acceptable to point out to the other person of their faux pas. My friends disagree and call me psycho, and say that I should go kick a ball outside.

I suggest a compromise.

If it is too aggresive (and 'psycho') to tell off someone in person, then maybe a written letter would be more palatable. We get bad news in yellow envelopes all the time, and we never get too upset at the sender because we know they took the time to write, stick a stamp and mail the letter to us.

So, to my friend, this is what I would write:

Dear friend,

I appreciate how you’re a busy person pressed for time so I’ll keep this brief and direct. We are acquaintances and we have communicated previously, so we aren’t strangers. Though I should qualify that statement and say that we know each other in a professional context and I dare say we make a good team.

Though without a doubt our recent success is a cause worth celebrating, it is something more personal that I wish to discuss. You see, there is the issue of my dispatches that you have failed to respond to. I would understand if they were of an unsavoury nature but I am of the opinion that they were not. I believe, many outside neutral parties support me on this, that they were innocuous and frankly quite amiable. I am therefore baffled why you could totally ignore my communication, (which, might I remind, was at your request) that it becomes very difficult for me to not think of your inaction as rude and uncourteous behaviour.

Perhaps I came across as being too forward (which I highly doubt), in which case I apologise, but it does not excuse the snub.

As some speculated that you may have been unnecessarily fearful that I may be an immigrant seeking a permanent residency status, I can only say that such fears are baseless and wholly unfounded. I am a committed citizen of my country and am entirely satisfied to be a TR which, as you know, does not require the assistance of current citizens. I am fairly confident I can achieve this on my own.

I hope I have been able to clear any misconceptions and uncertainties that may have been present around this issue. I continue to sincerely extend my hand in friendship to you and all Australian citizens with the hope that we can come to a better mutual understanding of each other. Having said that, do not feel obliged to respond to this email if you do not feel like it. After all, it is only common human decency to reply another’s letter.

Sincerely,
MLH

The Month Without Sun

My calendar says that it's 11 days to Raya (or 10, give or take).
Which I find strange because I don't remember going through so many days.
Then I remember that I've only been up for so few of them so not being able to account for that many daylight hours should really come as no surprise.

So calendar is correct, crisis averted.

We may all look forward to a joyous end to the fasting month now.

If I may be allowed to be more serious, one does question the need to spend so many hours of one's day in perpetual slumber.

The denial of food can be blamed for the increased lethargy but surely, it cannot be to the point that one simply stops operating whilst one is forbidden to munch.

I would not go so far as to suggest that the whole endeavour of fasting becomes a waste because of this, I believe that is an issue that is beyond our reckoning, but it certainly does disappoint.

Alas.

(Image copyright © 2009 Shifted Reality Desktop Wallpaper)

On money

I get asked sometimes what studying in Oz is like.

Well frankly, it has its ups and downs.

You get good quality education, a change in scenery. A chance to practice English?

But then you're still a student, and money is always a top concern, so it's not all jetsetting and globetrotting all the time.

It's like this.

Everything seems fine and cosy when your bank balance has a comfortable number of digits in them. That camera looks affordable, and new. That jacket looks reasonable, and new. That barbeque pit looks practical, and new.

Alas, all good things must come to an end, and the lean days of baked beans and cheap store brand flavourless plain milk soon arrive, and very certainly sooner.

You protest, I see, and shout, 'but mlh, such is the plight of students everywhere!
Thus is a fallacy for you to claim that what you have described as being a purely Australian experience'

Ah, I might be inclined to agree but for the fact that should your bodily self remain within the borders of the land that you share with your parents, it becomes less of an issue.

For what parent would let a child starve?

You see, a different country involves
a different currency that may be double or triple the value of your home currency.

Imagine the costs your benefactors incur. That is a sobering thought. Even you would understand their position despite your situation, and why they seem unwilling to send even more money to you, despite your willingness to receive.

Within reason of course. one can only live for so long on canned beans.

As you can see in this regard, studying domestically trumps studying overseas .

Unless you're poor.

Then you're pretty much screwed no matter where you are.

Should anyone ask, students exist in a totally distinct category from migrant workers.

Australia only allows us in because we are students.

We should honour that classification.