For me, the distinguishing traits about Kowloon are the constantly dripping water from the aircon overhanging us in the crowded streets, the flashing neon lights that completely covered the street lamps, and the large, looming hills that no one really talks about. And the amazing number of buildings they've built on those slopes.
We stayed at what I think is quite a happening part of Kowloon, a road known as Hart Ave in Tsim Sha Tsui. Surrounded by a strange mix of mom-and-pop shops, nightclubs and 7-Elevens, the area was fantastically warm and welcoming.
We had planned to see a lot of things in HK, but managed to see most and leave out some because our son had to have his afternoon nap ;) Poor guy, didn't know what hit him, from the plane ride to until the ride back. But I think he thought it was all worth it when he took a photo with dad-sized Mickey at Disneyland.
My wife's conclusion was similar to mine, at the end of the four days - we're going back there again, insha Allah, some time in the future. It's too lively to stay away from.
Physical activity (which is broader than "exercise") is proven to give powerful and effective health benefits. Read all about it here. It's a bit wordy, but the gist is that regular physical activity will make you stronger, more mentally active, protect you from chronic illnesses and make you feel good.
Now we come to the older women in my community. In the Indian Muslim community, a lot of ladies don't do regular physical activity. It's a non-starter. So after years of inactivity, they give a whole new meaning to the term "late bloomers" - they become obese, and develop knee aches and don't move about, complaining that they have knee aches. (Curiously, they (some, not all) are able to move with lightning swiftness when it comes to briyani collection at mosques after religious talks.)
This is not good - unhealthy womenfolk means setting bad examples to their children and family. Generations of sedentary Indian Muslim ladies and gentlemen fed on a diet of weekly briyani, coconut milk-laden chicken curry, murtabak, mee goreng and rojak (not from Geylang). So a group of us decided to change this sedentary thinking.
It began as a simple chat over some fattening coffee and cakes at Coffeebean, near Bencoolen Street on a Saturday evening. The plan was to combine some physical activity and a religious talk to make it a worthwhile event for older Indian Muslim ladies to attend and gain something. They could bring their kids and husbands for moral support. They would get to listen to a Ustaz say a few words about the duty of humans to take care of their bodies in this world. At the end of the day, they might even get some healthy snack or drink to take home.
So a pilot briskwalking project is in the pipeline - to get sedentary housewives to learn about the fantastic results of even a little bit of physical activity, and to do it with their loved ones and to do it with the knowledge that it's encouraged by religious beliefs. Let's hope it works out well, insha Allah...
The bathroom sink was decomposing (if it can happen). The room was stuffy, stinky/musty and had 2 or 3 mosquitoes thrown in which were irritating Yashila. In all, the whole place looked dead.
This is the Pulai Desaru Beach Resort (a very snazzy-looking website), where the website looks better than the real thing. It's allegedly a four-star hotel. It seems like they froze in time since when it was first built. Absolutely horrendous maintenance. And they don't provide toothpaste or toothbrushes!
The beach was very nice, this I will say. But nothing more than 2 days and 1 night to get away from it all.
We had a good meeting today - setting the stage for future meetings. I look forward to a fabulous term.
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I took a cab to Malabar Mosque to hear Habib Umar bin Hafiz give the Friday sermon (khutbah). Habib Umar is a prominent Islamic scholar who hails from Yemen. In such khaatib (plural of khutbah), many things are mentioned and I won't pretend that I absorb everything. From today's sermon, I learnt that certainty in Allah is a blessing given to the most fortunate of believers. I also learnt that to hurt another Muslim (by words or deeds) is worse than dismantling the Ka'bah brick by brick. A million meanings conveyed in such one-liners.
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Looking forward to Desaru with my wife. As always, Zayed will be missed, but some time away would do us good. I love you always.
Some torture techniques I would like to share with you. These had been sanctioned for use by the CIA on terrorism suspects under the Bush administration, but outlawed now under President Obama.
Waterboarding: Aimed at simulating sensation of drowning. Used on alleged 9/11 planner Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Insect: Harmless insect to be placed with suspect in 'confinement box', suspect to be told the insect would sting. Approved for terrorist suspect Abu Zubaydah, but not used
Walling: Detainee slammed repeatedly into false wall to create sound and shock
Sleep deprivation: Detainee shackled stading up. Used often, once for 180 hours
I really don't know how someone can be deprived of sleep for a week and still survive. Moving on - torture is an act that destroys every iota of humanity in both the person being tortured, and the person doing the torturing, and anyone who sanctioned the torture. Even animals don't torture each other.
Yesterday, we went to the lawyer's office to get some papers signed. We wish to sell off my late dad's house and land in India, so there was some documentation involved to prove that his remaining kin all agreed to sell it off. So all four of us had to sign the papers yesterday in front of the lawyer and get it signed, before posting them to India.
One year later and the paperwork hasn't finished. There's still more to go...
Afterward, we had lunch at Taj Restaurant, next to Jamae Chulia mosque at South Bridge Road. It's run by Burmese Muslims, and the briyani there has a special flavour to it.
It's amazing how easy it is to do nothing. You don't feel like doing anything, and you think it makes you feel good, so you continue doing nothing. The cycle continues, like a moron. There is no external pressure or force to do anything otherwise. You are too happy to stay the course and not rock the boat. It becomes too risky.
It takes considerable time, a lot of effort and willpower to stay "I can't stand this any longer!" and do something about it, without external forces acting or forcing you to do so. And after you do something about it, you wonder whether you rocked the boat or not.
Gran Torino the movie is a metaphor for Gran Torino the car – each part created with love and care, put together with heart and soul, and destined to live on as a legend for years to come.
Clint Eastwood’s slightly rajnikanth-ish portrayal of a Korean War veteran living in an ethnic Vietnamese neighborhood and hating it, is solid. He wants you to think that it’s going to be a good ol’ shoot ‘em up, with Clinty coming out winner. He does come out the winner, but in his own way.
The rest of the cast is uninspiring, except for 16-year-old Ahney Her. She’s cute and funny.
The movie tackles a lot of issues close to my heart – inter-generational bonding and communication, intercultural communication, ageing issues, and racism. It’s not a pop-filled, wham-bam technicolour musical – it’s a story that highlights human relationships, both the good and the horrible.
Imagine getting caught in the world's first atomic bombing.
Then surviving it.
Just to get caught in the world's second atomic bombing.
Then surviving it.
But Tsutomu Yamaguchi, aged 93 today and living to tell the story in Japan, won't get twice the compensation afforded to survivors of the bombs. The good part is that the officials now know about his tough luck.
Yamaguchi was in Hiroshima on 6 Aug 45 when the bomb was dropped, and suffered serious burns. He stayed on for treatment before returning to Nagasaki on (what was to become our National Day) on 9 Aug 45. They had to drop the bomb there again. More here.
