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From the monthly archives:

December 2008

The sky is clear! I could hear birds chirping happily. It must sense the freshness in the air. Beautiful, joy and peaceful surroundings. The garden has bloomed with much happy results! Since it is also the beginningΒ  of winter, the Red Maple tree in particular, blossomed with red and yellow leaves. I am hopeful that the beauty would linger on as season’s change.

*Kiran snaps out from a momentarily disjointed vision*

It is still winter… But?

Now, now.. wait a second? I rushed out of the house and I scanned around for confirmation. The sky isn’t clear, it’s as gloomy as yesterday! The construction is clearly not over, so what’s up with beautiful, joy and peaceful? Where are “they“?

Endless, mindless construction

Endless, mindless construction

Unfortunately, the sights did not last long. Neither did the Red Maple tree. I feel like a train wreck as I examine my beautiful, now bald, Maple Tree (the before and after pictures as shown) *sobs*! Even my green pastures are no longer green, sigh!

(

Before and after πŸ™

But there is always HOPE.

Weather is gloomy. Sun is playing hide-and-seek between clouds for a few days now. But as I took my casual stroll equipped with a camera, I watched and gulped as I realized everything around me gave a sudden sense of easement and security. I started appreciating even the minute details. Suddenly, I sense a change. The sun rays shooting out from the sky and through the trees. And I know this is where I have found beauty. Duck’s are swimming happily in and around the pond. And I know this is where I found joy. The sounds of birds chirping, almost swallows the construction noises. And I know this is where I found peace. We some times get caught up at moments in life where we stop appreciating even the smallest blessings. Recalling memories in which Ma used to threaten if I did not finish eating my meals. She would talk about the poor and unfortunates that could barely go by a day with 1 meal. I do feel guilty till date. And here I am sitting and complaining about my surroundings. Well, I guess I am learning how to find and see beautiful, joy and peace in matters that bothers me. Cribbing is genetic, so I guess even if I try, I won’t be able to rid it πŸ˜‰

Beautiful. Joy, Peace and HOPE

Beautiful. Joy, Peace and HOPE

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Selamat Datang…

I am a Malaysian. A proud Malaysian. My family background is quite unique. My great-grandparents, both from dad and mom are migrants from India. They traveled to Malaysia during the British invasion. And from there on, our family tree grew and our identity stamped forever, as a Malaysian. But does my family and I consider ourselves Indian in any way? You would soon find out. Let’s keep some unfold mystery’s for later shall we? πŸ™‚

Growing up, I’ve faced difficulties in identifying myself only as an Indian. The atmosphere and society we were brought up in was and is still uniquely diversified. Thankfully, we were very ethically and culturally drilled since birth. Mom has taught us all about being Indian, by virtue and mannerisms in respecting elders, recognizing the importance of prayers, festivals, maintaining close-knit relationships with our loved ones etc. I guess I can relate my being Indian from my mom and her virtues instilled in me πŸ™‚ Oh… looks like the mystery(s) promised earlier, is no longer a mystery πŸ˜€ I know, I know.. My poor attempt at joke ! Well, you can’t blame me for not trying πŸ˜‰

Anyways, back to the topic of my post. Anshul once suggested me to write more post on Malaysia. I shall begin with a little Malaysian history and background.

)

Malaysia, Truly Asia πŸ™‚

Malaysia has come a long way since the British colonization and Japanese invasion from late 18th century. Since gaining independence on August 31st 1957, population currently stands at 25 million. Malaysia is separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular and Borneo. It is divided into 13 states and 3 federal territories. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, which is known as “Wilayah Persekutuan” in Malay language (as in, our national mother-tongue). Our neighboring countries are Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei and Philippines. Putrajaya is the city that seats the government who constitutes the federal constituency, elective monarchy and parliamentary democracy – quite a mouthful of constituencies πŸ˜‰Β  The head of state is our ruler, the King. Whereas, the government is headed by a Prime Minister.

Enough of politics, let’s shift the gear into economics & tourism. Malaysia is the largest producer of rubber, palm oil and tin. Apart from controlling the Straits of Malacca port for international trade, manufacturing industry has always been one of the major influences in the economical growth of Malaysia for many years now. However, the GDP growth % have been steadily declining since 2005, which I believe is not surprising at all with the current world economical turmoil. Let’s talk about tourism. There are many incredibly beautiful and breath-taking locations to visit in Malaysia. For example:

Serene and breath-taking!

Serene and breath-taking!

Blissful

Blissful

…and many other attractions namely Genting Highlands, Redang Island, beautiful rain forest preserves and religious landmarks namely, Batu Caves. I could go on and on, but let’s not utilize the image uploading capacity just for this 1 post! πŸ˜‰ What the heck, I can’t resist! Let’s go absurdly gaga for more pictures πŸ˜€

Rainforest adventure!

Rainforest adventure!

)

Peace and devotion πŸ™‚

The architecture achievements are profound. Whether modern of traditional, each architecture is maintained and preserved with Malaysian flair and history added to it. Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) and KL Tower is one of many beautiful, modern and prestige architectural display in the heart of our city center. Standing majestic and tall, proudly symbolizing the utmost achievements of Malaysians, and a promise for more to come. Malacca is a historical state that once housed the majority of British colonization. There are still vivid memories lingering in the air that constantly reminds us of our histories.

Stardust...

Stardust...

Historical State of Malacca

Historical State of Malacca

Malaysia’s culture is rich in many facets. I am so lucky that I have many friends from different ethnicity and diverse background. We are all blessed by observing each others ways of life, upbringing and indulging in many religious happy celebrations. Oh, how I miss all those public holiday’s πŸ™‚ Malaysian’s consist of major ethnicity’s such as Malays, Chinese, Sikh, and Tamil. Some of us grew up together, went to school, played, laughed, smiled, cried and work – yes, together!

I believe the motto that truly reflects our bond as one proud nation and it’s people is: ME and U equals WE, whether as a Malaysian or an Indian. I am proud.

Malaysia is also a shopper and food fanatic haven. Spicy, sweet, savory, tart, salty, sour – apart from local delicacies, one happily indulges in variety of food influences from Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore etc. What’s my favorite food? Let’s keep you folks guessing and the answer might be revealed in another post. To all foodie’s out there, here are some pictures to drool on πŸ˜‰ Please do not make a mess. I repeat, no mess please !

Yummylicious!

Yummylicious!

If you are done drooling over the pictures, I shall continue.. ahem..

Industries that offers array’s of household, electronics and personal items at reasonable prices are mushrooming from time to time due to steady demand by tourist. Though I must say, the best of IT bargains can still be found in US! Sigh! That reminds me, I might need a new gadget soon *day-dreaming*.. Oopps! I am going out of topic. Rewind, rewind … Now then, you must be wondering about the climate. The peak of monsoon season usually begins from October to February, and it’s tropical throughout the rest of the months. Plan your visit’s accordingly please. Do not worry, I am not getting paid by enthusiastically encouraging the tourism industry here. However, I shall not refuse one if you insist to contribute πŸ˜€

This is me, myself and Malaysia.

Terima Kasih, Jumpa Lagi

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Yikes! I have decided to get a blog on WordPress. Boy, I am truly happy with my decision πŸ˜€ Thanks to Reema and Anshul for suggesting my switch from Blogg** to WordPress. Hubby would definitely keep his Blogger updated from time-to-time. Our 1st blog has leaned towards serious topics, which I am sure does not do justice to my chatter box character. I have decided to make eScribble dot WordPress dot com a platform where I can literally spew my thoughts, coupled with hints of fun and a dash of quirkyness. What do you think of my move here?

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I can’t stress enough the importance for each and every one of us to voice our opinions and thoughts, ethically. I am sure not only me, but there are others that would love to make a difference in life, just the methods are often incorrect or unavailable. I find that Facebook is a great platform as it gives us opportunities to reunite, without any prejudices, to speak our thoughts and hopefully changing it into action. We have set up a vigil/candle lighting event at our readers’ disposal. To participate, you just need a Facebook account and join us by clicking on the vigil event that can be found here. It is important to honor our fallen heroes, safely of course.

Let’s join hands in tackling and combating terrorism and numerous humanity issues through healthy debates. I want to see change. I want to reach out to those that can really help us raise our voices towards action. There is so much we can do, and debate is only the first step. This time, let’s get our words out – loud and clear. UNITED WE STAND, DIVIDED WE FALL. Every one wants to make a change or a difference, so why not start here? You can also be involved in collating news, information and research using various online resources. Of course you would also be contributing your valuable ideas as well. We sincerely hope every one of you would contribute civilly and let’s not turn this forum into a religion or communal issue. Encourage healthy debates by not engaging in religious and personal attacks. Gain respect by respecting each other. If interested, please drop us a comment or two, either here or at our Facebook group. We are happy to hear from you. God bless us all during this tough and trying times.

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