The Memoir of a Geisha. It was a good movie but I felt something was missing. The movie went too fast a pace. There was gap here and there. What attracted me to the movie was the presence of Malaysian actress in the form of Michelle Yeoh. Well, not many Malaysian made it to Hollywood. The ending was a bit artificial. So to satisfy my curiosity I have to read the novel itself.
The story was about a poor girl Chiyo who later became one of the well known geisha in Japan., Traditionally the Japanese looked at geisha as a very respectable profession. That is until after 2nd world war when the Americans, during their occupation of Japan, gave a different definition of geisha. The respectable entertainer now has become nothing more than a social escort or just an expensive call girl.
Chiyo was sold to an akio or a geisha house where she was groomed to become a geisha. The hardship she went trough make us appreciate why they surrendered themselves to become a geisha. They believed that they had an important role to play in the Japanese society at that time. As they grew older, they felt that it was their duty to train others to take their places. Chiyo was groomed by Mameha a well known geisha before the war and took the name Sayuri when she became a geisha.
Some peculiar practices by the geisha make the geisha world very unique. ‘Mizuage’ is a practice where an apprentice geisha surrendered her virginity to the highest bidder before she can become a full fledge geisha. Taking a ‘danna’ is where a geisha become a preferred mistress to a particular patron. A geisha will dress differently if she is no longer a virgin. A geisha is not supposed to fall in love, even if they do, they must hide their true feeling.
Sayuri did fall in love and toward the end find the true happiness
It was a good movie no doubt but the book was even better.

THEN..ooh!
NOW.... wow!

SUZIE QUATRO UNZIPPED.
Suzie who? I bet not many Malaysian know her. When I first learn from WWW that she had written a book about herself, I went all over town searching for it. The guys at MPH, Popular and Border never heard of her. Well I am not surprised . I fell in love with Suzie ( I mean her song) way back in 1975. That long huh! Yeah! I was sporting my shoulder length hair then and did many things that I don’t even dare to write here. In case my children may think that their dad had gone crazy. That was in Sydney, Australia.. He he he ..So many big and little secret safely tucked away down under. Fortunately I have a brother who is a pilot with our national airlines. So he bought me the book on his subsequent trip to London.

THE REVIEW.

Wait! Not so fast. I don’t expect Suzie to write after all she left school at 14 to pursue her singing career. She dropped out from school. She formed an all female band and it was quite popular in the 60s. In this book she tell all, bare all, I guess that is what she meant by ‘unzipped’. Despite owning LPs and CDs and fancying her music I never knew the kind of life she had gone through. Like her eldest sister was born out of wedlock, no big deal but her parent were from strict Italian Catholic upbringing. That was something. She was on the dope. I always thought she was cool like Marie Osmond. She admitted losing her virginity at 18. Even that was revealed in details (ha ha you want to read the book now)…since you can’t get the book here let me tease you… “we undressed, fell on to the bed and made love. It was like floating in the sea of pleasure. I wasn’t a virgin anymore……he touched my mind, my heart, possessed my soul.. and I never gave myself so completely to anyone ever again". Of course you are virgin only once, Suzy and what you do with it, is none of my concern.

The music scene was in UK at that time when the Beatles started making their mark. So off to London she went. It took her another two years before she had her first hit. That too when she almost gave up and was about to return to US, broke. That is what I called perseverance and it pays in the end.

She started her world tour. She was very popular in Australia and Japan. She is the only lady rock singer who played the bass guitar at the same time. She wrote most of her song based on what she had gone through in her life. She got married and started raising her family as a rocking mother. Even when she is on tour she took her family along. That is something that I didn’t know. How difficult that was and her marriage started to suffer. She decided to separate from the husband and raised the kid by herself. She remarried much later.

What can be learned from her is that you will succeed in life if you tried very hard. Nothing come easy in life. She is a grandmother now and still rocking away. When asked when she will put her guitar down. She replied the day when I wriggle my bum to the audience and I only hear silence. That is a long way to go man as she still looked very sexy in her leather jacket. Anyway that is coming from one her ardent fan..me.

It is a book that all Suzie Quatro fan must have, not because of sophisticated language it was written but because how simply it was written from the heart.

Tun Dr. Mahathir officiating RYLA2008
Some of the 100 participants of RYLA 2008, this is the KANCIL Team.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Awards (RYLA) is being conducted annually by Rotary District 3300. It is a leadership seminar to prepare youth to be the future leaders. This year RYLA is being hosted by Rotary Club of Melawati and take place at Nur Eco Resort located at Pangsun in Hulu Langat District.

In the space of four days these youth in the age group between 18-25 are exposed to leadership training, discussions, inspirational addresses and social activities designed to enhance personal development, leadership skill and good citizenship.

RYLA started in Australia when the state Queensland was preparing to receive Princess Alexandra for state visit in 1959. A group of youth were trained to participate in some of the activities. As the program had produced a group of outstanding youth, the Rotary movement there decided to make it an annual affairs. Since 1971 the activity had been adopted by all Rotary district world wide as a district activity.

RYLA 2008 was launch by TDM on 3rd April 08. TDM gave a talk on 'Visionary Leader'. Nothing political of course as Rotary activity always put aside politic, religion and race issues. The participants were very lucky indeed to hear personal experience of the former Prime Minister. On the final day which is Sunday 6th Apr 08 they will have another opportunity to hear from the first Malaysian Angkasawan.

Note: My daughter was one of the participant.

AG William, President Amin, Rtn Azalea, Rtn Helmy and DG Joe.

DG Joe delivering his speech.

DISTRICT GOVERNOR VISIT.

The highest post in any Rotary District is The District Governor post. One of the job that is expected of Distinct Governor is to visit each club in his district at least once during his tenure ship. That is quite an incredible task considering an average district has more than 70 clubs. So it was indeed an auspicious occasion for members of Rotary Club of Kampong Baharu when District Governor Dr.Joseph Rejendran (Joe) visited them on the 12Th of March 2008.
DG Joe arrived early for the function accompanied by Assistant Governor Group 5, Dr.William Lau. The venue for the meeting was moved to Maju Restaurant, Maju Junction in order to accommodate the bigger crowd expected. DG Joe gave a rousing speech how to keep Rotary movement relevant to the society. The Rotarymission to eradicate polio on this earth received a boost by US100M contribution from Bill Gates of Microsoft. He challenged all Rotarian to raise another US100M to match his contribution. A challenge that was gladly accepted by Rotarian and will receive major focus in the next few years. In conjunction with the visit RCKB inducted another new Rotarian, Puan Azalea Abdul Wahab, who become RCKB 15th member.

Steel bucket for tin dredging.

The younger generation may think these two bucket could be part of transformer monster that had fallen off after a fierce battle some where in the galactic. I do not blame them as the museum authority do not make any effort to identify these items to the visitors.
At one time these manganese steel bucket played an important role in Malaysian economy when tin provide major income to the country. Weighing more than five tonne each, 155 of these bucket connected by chain, formed part of tin dredge that dug out tin ore from the ground. The bucket chain can go as deep as 40 metres into the ground.
The tin dredge itself could weigh as much as 4500 tonne and cost about 5 millions ringgit in 1920. As many as 40 of these monsters can be seen at one time in Perak state alone during the time when Malaysia was producing about 55% of world tin.
To day one of the three tin dredge left in the country can be seen at Tanjung Tualang Ipoh which has remain as part of our heritage.

Standard Five pupil of Sultan Idris Primary School Kuala Kangsar 1964.

I was doing spring cleaning and stumble across this old photo taken in 1964. It bring back my childhood memories. I was only eleven years old then. I wonder how many of may classmates still alive. What happened to them? Where are they now. Do I still remember their names?

Rtn.Ruzman and Rtn Azlan at MAS Hangar 05 KLIA.
Rtn Azlan on the Right hand seat.
Smile you are on candid camera!

Friends came visiting.
It was indeed a pleasant surprise when two of my friend from Rotary Club Kampong Baharu called to inform that they happened to be in the vicinity. Actually they had an appointment to see some guy in the in flight services department which is located on the same floor as my office. I took them to the maintenance hangar since they had not been there before. They had a good look at the Boeing 777-200 aircraft, shich was undergoing a maintenance check.

ROTARY CLUB OF KAMPUNG BAHARU INDUCTING NEW ROTARIAN.

In a simple but meaningful ceremony on 27 feb 08 President Amin of Rotary Club of Kampung Baharu (RCKB) inducted Major(R) Mohd Zainudin Al-Helmy to the club. In his inaugural speech Rotarian Helmy mentioned that he had been observing Rotary movement for quite sometime. After careful study he realised that Rotary is the right platform for him to contribute to mankind. This has encouraged him to get to know the Club. Well Rotarian Major Helmy, you have indeed made the right decision. We at the club will fully support your aspiration and looking forward to help you in meeting your commitments. Thank you to RCKB Charter President Tn Hj Razali for introducing him to the club.

Similar induction ceremony being repeated thousand times worldwide. That is how Rotary club around the world have more than 1.2 millions Rotarian. The club was started in 1905 by Paul P. Harris in Chicago USA. The main objective of Rotary is service ie in the community, workplace and throughout the world. Rotary volunteers build goodwill and peace, provide humanitarian service and encourage high ethical standards in all vocation. The Rotary motto is ' Service above Self'

KUALA LUMPUR MONORAIL.

It looked like a double edge bullet train but as they say look can be deceiving. If you happened to be in certain part of Kuala Lumpur you will be able to see it crawling slowly on its dedicated track. The monorail service was introduced in 2003 as part of city master plan in providing mass transit system to the Kuala Lumpur population. It joined the other four light rail transit system namely STAR, PUTRA, Kommuter and ERL. Monorail operates daily between 0700 am to 1000 pm. The monorail track extend for about 8.8 km on gigantic pillar. Eleven ultra modern stations intersperse the track to service its passengers daily.

Out of curiosity I went on the monorail ride few weeks ago. What an exhilarating feeling it was especially when you have stand inside one of the coach. Despite the monorail slow speed compared to other mode of transportation it has the advantage of moving above the congested traffic below it and that was itself a blessing on any given day in Kuala Lumpur.

At the moment the operator is still struggling to get a return on its investment even with 45000 commuters daily. So whether it is the answer to Kuala Lumpur traffic woes or not remained to be seen. In the mean time its service do provide additional attraction to foreign tourists.

Fuel Conservation.

The airlines industry is very sensitive to fuel prices as it make up between 30 to 40 percent of the operating cost. For an airlines with RM13B annual revenue, an increase of crude oil price of 1USD per barrel could easily impacted the bottom line by as much as RM50M annually. To mitigate fluctuation in fuel prices financial mechanism like fuel surcharge and fuel hedging has been put in place recently.
Various step being taken to reduce wastage of fuel, for example usage of jet engine on the ground is being kept to the very minimum. To power the aircraft on the ground alternative power source like ground power unit is being used. Operation in the air being optimised by flying at the ideal altitude and cruising at the right speed. The implementation of such measure require cooperation from various quarters including the pilot and the maintenance crew.

In the 60s crude oil price was 3usd per barrel, now it is costing 116usd per barrel.

(Up date 3rd July 2008)

Cost of fuel continues to soar. To day it went above 144usd per barrel. The list of airlines joining bankruptcy list is getting longer. In the last six months, 24 Airlines had either stopped operating or had gone bankrupt. The surviving one is talking of cutting services this coming winter pattern. Mean while cost cutting measure being implemented more rigorously. Except for areas involving safety and security the rest not being spared including passenger comfort and convenient.

Recent fuel hike by government too is complicating the issue as airlines have to fork out more to run their support services.

(Update 18.10.08)

Fuel price had gone down to 70-80 USD per barrel. Airlines can breath a little bit easier now. How ever with recession looming the market is shrinking.

Taiping Railway Station.

The oldest station in Malaysia. It was opened in the year 1887. The first track linked Port Weld and Taiping, mainly to transport tin ore from the district to the rest of the world. Port Weld had been renamed as Kuala Sepetang recently. I used the station during my secondary school days when returning to my home for term break. My house was located at Kota West on the outskirt of Taiping town. It was considered one of the bigger railway station in Perak at that time since the train transit there for longer period.
Somebody mentioned to me there is a train museum nearby but so far I could not locate it. On my last trip there, I saw a notice board informing visitors that a new railway station will be constructed to replace the current one. So one more of my nostalgic landmark will be eliminated from the face of the earth.

Anime and Comic Fair. 23-24Feb 08.
The venue was sparsely decorated except for few bunting and a backdrop. The floor was covered by tattered carpet which has seen its prime time. The makeshift stage was naked exposing all its sexy legs. No VIP officiating the function. It was indeed a very low cost affair. Well may be I should call it low cost affair event (LCA ) just like Tony calling his airlines AirAsia low cost carrier (LCC). Despite the LCA tag from my observation the event was a thundering success. It managed to create the atmosphere with its loud funky anime music. Judging from the throng of visitors who paid rm5 entrance fees the organizer probably even made a handsome profit at the end of the day.
I learned quite a lot of new thing from the two days event. It seemed the ‘anime’ characters and comics have quite a strong followers with our present youngsters. No wonder I have seen many comic and toyshop sprouting all over the place. Kids willing to spend thirty ringgits for Manga comics nowdays.
It was my kids first time experience in hawking their merchandise. I believed they gained valuable experience from the two days exposure. In the end it was not the P&L that matters but the invaluable experience gained that count.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS.

Abundance opportunities for today's kids to try their hand at almost anythings including becoming a weekend businessman. Green Concept Studio provide this avenue by organizing Anime and Comic Fair at Berjaya Times Square this week end 23-24 Feb 2008. http://www.animecomicfair.com/
Using their own initiatives my daughters and her friends contacted the organiser and secured a table where they could conduct their business. They have been busy the last few days collecting and making products they want to sell on that day. I am amazed by the various items they have been making which include hand drawn comic and fridge door magnetic button. Apparently they learned the trade during 'Kemahiran Hidup' classes. Alas the present education system do make a small inroad here in preparing our kids for their future.
When I tried to help, I learned that my role have been reduced to providing transport or as a chaperon for the day. Well who knows one day they might become CEO on their own right. So much from their dad who have been a fix salary earner for the last 3 decades. I wish them all the best, have fun and get the experience.

PERSONAL SAFETY SEMINAR.
It was a humid and hot night. I decided to take a night stroll and asked my two daughters to accompany me. We were just two blocks away from our rented chalet when suddenly I saw three shadows loomed in front of us. It was too late to turn back. The shadows materialized into three hooded men. Instinctively I pulled my daughters into an open space, remembering what Master Saiful had told me earlier, as open space provide more room to maneuver. I was already taking a defensive stand when the first attacker set on me. As he plunged toward me I moved sideway at the same time took a left hand, right hand jab followed by well placed kick on his right knee. The attacker fell on the ground. At the corner of my eye I saw the other two attackers were struggling to hold my two daughters. They were kicking and elbowing the attackers. Taken by the sudden action the attackers let them loose. That all was need I shouted to them at the top of my voice to run at the same time hoping the attackers did not pursued us.Well if that was a real scene we would not have got away so easily but fortunately it was only simulated attack during Safety seminar organized by Rotary Club of Kampung Baharu with the cooperation of KickStart Academy. The safety seminar was attended by six Rotarians, guest and family members numbering to fifty participants. It was held at Dusun Eco Resort near Bentong from 8-10 February 2008. As the crime rate in Malaysia is on the rise, the members of Rotary Club of Kampung Baharu feel that there is a need to increase public awareness on personal safety to ensure that they have a better chance of survival incase they become the unfortunate victim. During the seminar the participants and their family members were given valuable insight into various techniques to analyze, avoid and react to potentially dangerous situations. Simulated scenarios like above were created to enable the participants to experience almost lifelike situation. The value of the seminar was further enhanced by CP Haji Razali Dato’ Rahmat, as a guest speaker, by delivering a talk titled ‘You and the Law’. In his closing speech President Amin congratulated KickStart Academy for partnering with RCKB in mounting such an excellent Seminar which is much needed in Malaysia.Note: Rotarian Master Saiful Hamiruzzaman is Chief Instructor for KickStart Academy and Malaysia Martial Art Association (MMAAA). Further details at http://www.thegreenhornet.com.my/; http://www.kickstart-my.com/ Tel:(603) 2300 2287 / 1434

FAMILY PHOTO.

This photo was taken in the year 2000 to commemorate the new mellinium. The twin was already 21 years old then. They were getting bigger but I am still very fond of them.

Black Pepper Chicken

Looked delicious isn't it. This is my favourite meal whenever I go to Ampang Park shopping complex in Kuala Lumpur. I go to this vintage shopping complex at least twice a month.

I am holding Intan and mum holding Ame.

Tribute to mother's day. (To my twin Intan and Ame)

I know you always try your best to show how much your mother mean to you by celebrating Mother's Day with her. How can I forget when I am the one who have to put up with the bill all the time. It is not possible for you to give her a hug or a kiss to tell her how much you love her everyday. She might think something is wrong if you do that. 'Buang tebiat' the malay call it. I am going to tell you why your mother should be so special to you so that your mother's day celebration this year will give entirely a new meaning.

When I first I met your mother, this must be in the seventies, we like to frequent Morib beach. I always like to be by the sea, to enjoy the open ocean view and breathe the fresh air. I still remember she whispered something to my ear during our intimate moment together. "Darling I love you so much, I am going to give you a twin, that is if we ever get married." Call it premonition, telepathy or motherly instinct, whatever, she knew then, even before we were married that both of you were coming.

To cut the story short, we got married. One day she was not feeling well so I took her to Clinic Soo at SS14. The doctor couln't find anything wrong but with any newly married couple the doctor of course suspected pregnancy could be the culprit. So the doctor took urine sample and asked us to come back couple of days later to get the pregnancy test result. True enough the doctor confirmed your mother was pregnant but she was astounded by the stomach rapid growth. She said it was not normal for the baby to grow so fast unless they are twin. She asked us to go to UH to do proper scanning to eliminate other causes. I couldn't describe how happy I was. Off we went to UH and Dr.Adlan confirmed that she was carrying a twin. He said, "Mother..this is not going to be an easy pregnancy for you because you are small built. You have to rest a lot and I am going to make sure you get all the medical leave you need".

So for the next couple of month your mother continue to go to work. Her stomach was getting bigger and bigger. At night she used to put my hand on her stomach to feel both of you kicking each other.

Those days we do not have hand phone, so it was not easy for me to communicate with your mother when she was warded at UH on Dr. Adlan advice. It was still fresh in my mind the day you were delivered to this world. I cooked fried mee that evening hoping to surprised her with my special recipe. Before I left the house UH called me to inform that they had to perform caesarean on your mother because her water bag was broken.

I rushed to the UH just in time to see her being wheeled out from the operating theatre. I was really worried because she looked blue and her lip was black and dried. I learned later that it was quite normal for a person to appear as such due to losing a lot of blood. She was still semi conscious and appeared in a daze. She still manage to put up a brave face and whisper to me , "Bang.. anak kita ada kaki dan tangan ke.. mata hidung ok ke?". Of course I told her all ok even though I have not seen both of you yet. All I cared in the world at that time was for her to get well after such an ordeal because she had sacrificed so much to bring you to this world.

You see girls, every time a mother giving birth, she is fighting for her life. To create a new life, she must be prepared to gamble her own life. This is the extend of mother sacrifice for her own children to survive. Despite the risk involved all the mother can think of is the well being of her children right from the moment they entered this world. So come mother's day please remember to tell how grateful you are for all she had done for you.

Testing... posting photo in my blog.

This photo was taken in Toulouse, France when I was attending Training Seminar at Airbus Industrie in the early 90s...