Boats, chickens, goats and antique car?

The pictures below were taken in the vacinity of the front entrance of Brother Tai Keat's house in Kota Bahru. Not your everyday scene from your everyday life? I can't really put my finger on it, but there is something about this odd combination that strike a cord in me. I know the chickens reminded me of my childhood days.

Welcoming the bride

The solomnization of nephew Freddy's marriage or the Akad Nikah was held about 2 months ago, followed by a reception in the bride's house. Last weekend a reception to welcome the bride and her family was held in Freddy's family home in Kota Bahru.

Tents set up the night before

The groom waiting anxiously for the arrival of the bride

The equally anxious mother (in dark pink scarf)

Nizreen arrived at last, accompanied by her family members and friends

In the bridal chambers

The reception



After the guests went home

The 4th generation, my Father's great grandchildren, brother Tai Keat's grandchildren stole the show at the celebration

A portion of your soul has been entwined with mine. A gentle kind of togetherness, while separate we stand. As two trees deeply rooted in separate plots of ground, while their topmost branches come together, forming a miracle of lace against the heavens.
~Janet Miles

Filiel piety

WHO deserves my love and care most in the world? A man asked the Prophet Muhammad, upon him blessings and peace. "Your mother," the Prophet replied on the spot. "And who else?" "Your mother," the Prophet repeated. "And then who?" insisted the man. "Your mother," the Prophet said a third time. "And then?" "Then your father." Al-Bukhari and Muslim narrated it.

The Quran in several places commands filial piety but its focus is on the mother: "We have enjoined goodness upon man concerning his parents. His mother bears him in weakness upon weakness ..." (Surah Luqman, verse 14), "We have commended unto man kindness toward parents. His mother bears him with reluctance ..." (Surah al-Ahqaf, 46). The Quranic archetype of the pious son has no father but only a most distinguished mother the Prophet 'Isa (Jesus), upon him peace, who describes himself as "dutiful toward her who bore me and not arrogant, unblessed" (Surah Maryam, verse 32).

Quoted from http://www.livingislam.org/k/mth_e.html

A carpenter in my previous life?

While following the DIY instructions to assemble my new TV cabinet, I was stuck for more than an hour as I could not figure out how to install the runners (is that what we call them?) for the drawers. I tried positioning them again and again, turning them in all ways possible. Finally I realized that all the 4 runners were for the right side. I went back to the store (an international chain). The counter girl strongly suggested I should try again as "we do not make such mistakes". I requested for the superviser or a technician. After waiting a while 2 men appeared. The older man growled "apa?", meaning "what? or what's the matter?" After close examination and on-site attempt to install on a dummy cupboard, they concurred with me and replaced the items. The man who growled then instructed the other man to open up all the remaining boxes of this model on the shelf to ensure there are no more mistakes. The counter girl declared, "so now you have 2 right and 2 left sides", but she did not apologize. Mmm...maybe I was an artisan or carpenter in my previous life? he..he..

Child soldiers: victims or assailants?

The United Nations for the first time named the military forces and rebel groups that are the most persistent violators of children in armed conflicts, identifying groups in Asia, Africa and Latin America which continue to recruit child soldiers and use them to wage wars.

The persistent violators include Abu Sayyaf, the New People’s Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), three insurgent groups that are active in the Philippines; Myanmar’s national army, known as Tatmadaw Kyi, and the rebel Karenni Army and Karen National Liberation Army; The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN); in Congo, the national army (known as the FARDC) and the rebel Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Nationalist and Integrationalist Front (FNI), the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and various militias that are known as the Mai-Mai; in Sudan, pro-Government militias in Darfur and the southern-based Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA); in Somalia, the Transitional Federal Government (TFG); the Afghan National Police; the rebel Convention of Patriots for Justice and Peace in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Somalia’s Hizbul Islam militia.

Please read full article : http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1005/S00397.htm: UN identifies most persistent users of child soldiers in armed conflicts

Child Soldiers - Victims or Assailants?

The answer is both. Their childhood is snatched away, separated from the love of their families, away from school, away from friends, turned into a killing machine. Brainwashed, at times drugs are freely distributed, under the influence alcohol, the mind confused reality distorted, threatened with loss of life, loss of his family unless he or she performs as ordered. Life becomes living hell and the child begins to not only fight in combat, but kill in ways that were unimaginable a few months earlier. Child Soldiers - are both Victim and Assailant.

Quoted from http://kabiza.com/Childsoldiers.htm

Images credit to digitaljournal.com

Enjoy the little things!

Just some simple things that caught my attention in my brisk walking path this morning.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back
and realize they were the big things.
- Robert Brault

The world's most tatooed senior woman!

I came across this accidently. The world's most tatooed senior woman, Isobel Varley. Apparently she had been radically modifying her body since 1986!

Credit to http://weirdnews.about.com/od/artisticendeavors/tp/Senior_Moments.htm

Abused, tortured 4-year-old's death is beyond horrific

4-year-old boy , Ethan Stacy, died May 9 following four days of abuse by his stepfather and mother. He had recently arrived in Utah to spend the summer with his mother as part of a child custody agreement.

The abuse started May 5, when 31-year-old Nathan Sloop dealt a brutal beating to the boy's head and face, according to police documents. Ethan's 27-year-old mother Stephanie Sloop did nothing to stop the beating, and might have had a substantial hand in the abuse, prosecutors said Friday. The couple married one day after the beating, locking the injured boy in a bedroom and going to the Davis County Memorial Courthouse.

Ethan got no medical attention and suffered further abuse, including burns to his feet and legs, before his death, police said. After he died, the couple allegedly disfigured his face and buried him near Powder Mountain ski resort. They reported him missing Monday, but their story unraveled about 12 hours later.

Both are now being held in the Davis County jail without bail. If prosecutors file anticipated aggravated murder charges against them later this month, they could both face the death penalty

Read full article: http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_15094513

May the little soul be protected by God forever.

Brutal torture of 14 year old by employers

In Ca Mau, Vietnam, on April 29, Nguyen Hoang Anh, a 14-year-old employee was hospitalized with multiple injuries. Apparently he was tortured by a couple for over a year without being detected. Anh has told police that he was subjected to regular beatings and brutal torture including having hot water poured on him, cleansing chemicals flung on his injuries, and his teeth pulled out with pincers.

Head of the Ngoc Chanh police department, criticized neighbors and locals who knew about the torture being inflicted by Huynh Thanh Giang and his wife, Ma Ngoc Thom, but did not inform the police.

Giang, 33, and two of his employees, 17-year-old Tran Van Khanh and 18-year-old Lam Van Quynh, have been placed under arrest.

The details of torture have shocked and angered the public and raised questions about the governance of authorities under whom the abuse happened undetected for such a long time.

Please read the full article: http://english.vietnamnet.vn/social/201005/Officials-under-scrutiny-in-Ca-Mau-child-abuse-case-908794/

How young you look!

When your friends begin to flatter you on how young you look, it's a sure sign you're getting old.

-Mark Twain

I keep my friends as misers keep their treasures

Spent a day with 2 of my long - time friends, Norhayati and Helen, who I knew since we were children in 1961! Had a great time trying out clothes in Norhayati's boutique, The Silk Closet in One Utama and catching up over teh tarik.

The 3 of us, L-R: Norhayati, Helen and me

Norhayati showing us how to tie the batik skirt.

"I keep my friends as misers do their treasure, because, of all the things granted us by wisdom, none is greater or better than friendship."
-- Pietro Aretino (1537)

If the old only could!

One day after the gardening.

If the young only knew; if the old only could.
- French saying

5 hours of my dedicated time

My small front yard 5 hours before

My front yard 5 hours later

and...the gardener 5 hours later!

218 million children involved in child labour world wide!

Photo credit to newshopper.sulekha.com

Photo credit to stolenchildhood.com

Photo credit to National Geographic

Pohoto credit to National Geographic

Globally, 1 in 6 children work
218 million children aged 5 - 17 are involved in child labor world wide
126 million children work in hazardous conditions
The highest numbers of child laborers are in the Asia/Pacific region, where there are 122 million working children
The highest proportion of child laborers is in Sub Saharan Africa, where 26% of children (49 million) are involved in work.