Yesterday was another makan-makan session back at my kampung. It was good to get together once in a while among fellow Malaysians though it has been less colourful atmosphere since past few years, especially to compare with during my student days at this City of Dreaming Spires. Then, it was party all the time. Maybe coz we were quite a large group.
Sadly, even the Msian Students Association has long vanished. An association once I served, and its website I created and maintained. Malaysian Night was then the main binding event to many Malaysians (& Bruneians) and indeed it was breaking leg period of chaos. Those days…. when we were regulars at the Student Union bar on Saturday Nite till 2 a.m. for ronggeng sessions.
And now, since early last week… the talk is all about the newly arrived feared-by-some fellow countryman who is taking an abode at St. Anthony’s College, a pleasantly leafy neighbourhood at the north of the city. No one has met him yet, though one at least saw him talking to his friend in the city centre the other day. Well, he arrived last Monday morning but went to Switzerland for a few days last week, so I was informed.
So contagious this man is to some that fellow Msian students have been issued warnings of not to attend any occasion whatsoever with his presence; formal, informal or even social. I guess, even a ‘salam’ if one happen to bump into this man at Cornmarket Street , Covered Market or Westgate would be taken as ‘haram’ and would deserve the person to be issued a one-way MAS ticket home. I was told it did happen when he was in the States; to a few unlucky students, wow. It sounds like Child Detection Agency (CDA) in Monsters Inc., hahaha….
Nevertheless, fellow countrymen, don’t be surprised if you suddenly see unfamiliar faces suddenly taking short residency in this city, attending some kind of short course somewhere. Just cakap siang pandang-pandang, cakap malam bisik-bisik….
Belgrave Square has been very nervous since the news broke out about this man’s intention to come here many months ago. The Establishment is very concerned of the possibility of this man having any tie with the Saudi-Kuwait-Malaysian funded Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, considering his status among many Muslims in the world especially at this well known centre. A possibility assured not to happen (at least publicly of course) by the centre. Fuhhh,lega to some. I guess he shall not visit the new still-under-construction Centre near the house I used to live along Marston Road, where the auditorium will be finished with Malaysian wood carvings, by the protege of the late Kelantanese master carver Nik Rashidin Nik Hussein. Aptly, it will be named ‘The Malaysia Theatre/Auditorium’. I’m gonna pop-in there one day though, at least on my office’s ticket as one of the consultants in this project.
To the man: Selamat Datang to the City of Dreaming Spires, may your stay be beneficial to all.
p/s: to beta-blogger, sorry, i'm not trying to make this a political blog; simply not capable of writing one lah. on top of that, i've not read anything on msian politics at jalan-jalan, maybe it's simply too banal. hehe
On Saturday 22nd, the first show commenced at Liverpool Empire Theatre. It started with a matinee at 2:30pm and evening show at 7:30pm. We caught up with Kakak at the Stage Door as she was taking a break before the 2nd show and snapped these pics (the 2 smaller on the right).
Too bad that we couldn't take photo of Kakak in her lovely costume.
We later sat on their evening show and enjoyed the brilliant play. Kakak was great on stage, well done! As the youngest princess, she had to carry around a small doll and once in a while suck her thumb.
Adik enjoyed the show very much as well and clapped at the end of every scene. She was so exhausted about three-quarter way and retired on my lap. The final thunderous claps woke her up though. We met up again after the show (the bigger pic) and congratulayed them all as they came out via the Stage Door. My goodness, it was so cold.... coming from down south which is yet to see snow this winter, we were shivering. It brought back memories when I used to frequently visit Glasgow and Edinburgh years ago.
As I'm typing this entry, Kakak is on stage, performing for the Press... all the best!
She's coming back tomorrow afternoon; the rest of the show in Liverpool will be performed by the local kids. Then, they'll move to Manchester of which the other touring kids group ('Bangkok') will do. Next one for Kakak is Eastbourne.
As usual, raya bug still couldn't be defeated on this blighty island. I guess, we've somehow resigned to the fact that it wouldn't be eradicated for quite sometime, or maybe forever.
Hence, some celebrate their raya today and some will do so tomorrow; even within the same neighbourhood.
Selamat Hari Raya Korban post posting:
just spoken to the young erudite Msian scholar of Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies, Sheikh Afifi al-akiti, who explained to me in great length why we SHOULD NOT follow the Saudi wukuf rulling but the right rukyah rulling. if anyone want to read a good explaination in Malay written by the Mufti of Johore, please click here.
Earlier today, Kakak departed with her touring theatre group to Liverpool for their first show and press night from Euston Train Station, London. Later in the early evening, her chaperone texted mummny:
We have arrived safe and sound. Hotel is fine and we are having tea! Chat soon. King and I 'n' co.
Mummy called her via the chaperone; she was happy and enjoying the whole thing (of being independent, I guess).
Yesterday, mummy bought a new luggage for her. We thought of giving her a mobile phone but changed our mind in a view that she might lose it. As I blogged before, this is the first time Kakak is away from us since birth, apart from one or two odd nights now and then when she arranged her sleep-over at friend's.
buat kawan atok, chef shawal of holiday villa dan isteri:
selamat berangkat ke tanah suci untuk menunaikan ibadat
doakan kesejahteraan kawan-kawan sama'.
words passed my ears since a few months ago that The Man of Permatang Pauh is coming to the City of Dreaming Spires again later this month. the passing winds muttered something like... he'll be staying in this blighty island for two or three months this time. subsequently, meeting with malaysian students is one of his many agendas, and this has somehow set off red flashing lights in belgrave square.
Today Kakak starts her two-week rehearsal for The King & I UK Tour in Central London.
She came back with script and songs and told me of new friends she made and what scenes they did today. She is the youngest royal princess in the play.
Senja hitam ditengah ladang
Dihujung permatang engkau berdiri
Putih diantara ribuan kembang
Langit diatas rambutmu
Merah tembaga
Engkau memandangku
Bergetar bibirmu memanggilku
Basah dipipimu air mata
Kerinduan, kedamaian oh
Batu hitam diatas tanah merah
Disini akan kutumpahkan rindu
Kugenggam lalu kutaburkan kembang
Berlutut dan berdoa
Syurgalah ditanganmu, Tuhanlah disisimu
Kematian adalah tidur panjang
Maka mimpi indahlah engkau
Camellia, Camellia oh
Pagi, engkau berangkat hati mulai membatu
Malam, kupetik gitar dan terdengar
Senandung ombak dilautan
Menambah rindu dan gelisah
Adakah angin gunung, adakah angin padang
Mendengar keluhanku, mendengar jeritanku
Dan membebaskan nasibku
Dari belenggu sepi
La la la la la .............
Kakak's 2009 Diary:
>The King & I @ Royal Albert Hall
>The King & I Presscall
>The King & I recall audition II
>BBC Bo The Spirit World audition II
>The King & I recall audition I
>BBC Bo The Spirit World audition
>The King & I audition
>LCB Masterclass Kakak's 2008 Diary:
>LCB Final Audition
>LCB audition
>Lion King Cub School audition
>Scientific Toys photoshoot
>Bicester Village advert casting
>BBC All About Animals photoshoot
>Stagecoach end-of-term show
>Ballet Medal Test '08
>BBC All About Animals casting
>Knorr advert casting
>Zoey 101 magazine photoshoot
>IKEA Commercial casting
>Key Stage 2 SAT Exam
>Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Grade 4 Exam
>Street Dancing 2008
>Nintendo DS casting
>Clarks International photoshoot Kakak's 2007 Diary:
>BBC Girl Talk photoshoots
>Mawi's London Debut
>Hippie-hippie Shake filming
>OMEC Merdeka Ball
>Merdeka Carnival
>LAMDA Exam
>High School Musical Summer Workshop
>'Walking Bus' Campaign photoshoot
>The Golden Compass re-shoot
>Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Grade 3 Exam
>BBC's Girls Talk audition
>Honda F1 car launching
>Northern Lights/Golden Compass filming Kakak's 2006 Diary:
>Northern Lights/Golden Compass filming
>Run, Fat Boy, Run filming
>Young Performers 2006
>Philips: The Simplicity Event 2006
>British Airways advert casting
>Ballet Medal Test/Award 2006
>Aladdin pantomine audition
>Zena Holloway underwater photo shoot
>Royal Ballet audition
>CFC-free inhaler promo photo shoot
>Clarks Shoes International photo shoot
>David Beckham Football Academy casting
>Royal Academy of Dance Ballet Exam Kakak's 2005 Diary:
>The King & I UK Tour
>Fashion Photo Shoot - Covent Garden
>Ballet Medal Test/Award 2005
>Cinderella audition
>GMTV recordings
>Nutcracker 2005
>Cinderalla 2005
Previously employed by
Ridge & Partners LLP, Oxfordshire
Syarikat Pembinaan Anggerik, London site office [contract] for the New MSD/Msia Hall project
