A Noble Field Trip

The RCIA batch of 2008-2009, Church of Divine Mercy, Shah Alam organized a trip to the Welcome Community Home in Batu Arang, Rawang. It was a home for HIV/AIDS patients who have been taken into care by some noble human beings after these patients were being isolated, discriminated and chasen away by society.

We, the Cathecuments were thrilled as well as nervous because being normal human beings, we were worried about getting infected by this incurable disease. Although we were all adults and have been briefed about the true way of contaminating this virus, we were stil chickens inside. I know i was!! However, we braved ourselves and then only thing that kept us going was our true sincerity of reaching out to them, gettin more information and awareness of this disease and empathising what these patients have gone and going through now in their lives.

Group 5+6, the infamous group of the class, known for our 'perfect' attendance, decided to car pool in none other than Cristopher the Tattoo Guy. The ladies, me, Shew and Praba were seated comfortably behind. Charleston, Shew's bf was co-pilot..eh i mean co-driver.

We had to drag ourselves out of bed as early as 6am on a Saturday morning. I need to confess proudly that i had 2 of my handphones and my alarm clock set. However, i only managed to get up after hearing my Mom tearing apart my room down. I was sure that the whole neighborhood got up too!!

We were all told to meet in the church and journey on as convoys. We, as in my group were dying of hunger. So, since we're the 'cool' youngsters, we de-toured to McD for breakfast. We took a slow drive to Rawang as we had a very professional navigator in hand, Charleston. We managed to find the place but all i can say is, we made a Grand Entrance....we ladies got down like Divas in our cooling shades, the guys...errr....bouncers? No la not so bad, bodyguard la!! hehehe....

The others gave us numerous looks, but being 'celebrities' we had thick skin :D

Without much ado, we were taken a tour of the 'White House'. This place is a hospice centre and shelter home for the patients. Being run by the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, the home is able to provide help, care and guidance for the need. Caring for this people reminded me of Jesus during his ministries when he helped the sick. I'm sure those of you who are Christians out there, have read the Bible and know what i'm saying.

This really made us all appreciate life better and made us look at life in a different perspective. Here we are complaining and comtemplating on our never-ending dissatisfaction of life but never have we had 1 single minute in our lifetime thinking about the less fortunate. Majority were males in this home, mostly got into contact with this virus through needle sharing and unsafe sexual acts. I was touched and in tears not only because i felt sad for them but admired their determination in living on the rests of their lives in peace and serenity in this home. They know their fate yet they belive life is just too beautiful for them to end it themselves. They believe the care that they get from this place is like God loving them extra and being close to Him. Many of them still have contacts with their families yet nothing like being here.

I also realised that when it comes to fate and death, it doesn't care about your race, colour, status quo and whatsoever. Humans are humans, flesh and blood. When there is birth, there is death. This home is a living exmaple of how different races live together. The patients are ashamed of their past mistakes but they want the public to know and be aware of this deadly virus which is slowly becoming a global epidemic because of its incurable-ness. There is yet any medicine to cure HIV/AIDS. And please bear in mind that although this patients were infected by this disease due to their ignorance, they're not punished by GOD!!

We were also given a very good and entertaining lecture on this virus. So much we learned about it and many of the myths of its contageousness were proven. I was freaking out but then felt proud of myself for being here. Not only did i shook hands with them but i learned alot about life through their pains and sufferings. And of course the gift of knowledge given to us.

A few of the patients happen to be a theatrical act group known as Fallen Leaves. They did a small performance for us which consisted on how they were infected byt this virus and the consequences of it. It was really a moving performance.

Besides this home, nearby in the village was another wooden house which sheltered the Burmese patients. I just cant say more about this place except that God will surely love them more than anything.

Our journey had to come to an end. Although we were sad and awed by the experience, we were definitely honoured for having it in our lifetime. Going back home was a freedom because we were no more under any orders. As usual, the 'celebrities' had to go for a tea-break and we ended up at the Rawang R&R. Luxurious break it was, A&W!! Then nature did its wonders by showering us abundantly with rain. I'm sure this was the tears of joy from God to us for havin the noble heart to visit the patients.

Please say a prayer if you can for not only this patients but for all those infeced with HIV/AIDS all over the world. Do your part as citizens of Earth to spread the awareness of this disease which is killing mankind. TQ, God Bless.

p/s: I decided not to label the pics as they say, a picture says a thousand words....in other words, go figure it out yourself k!! :P

Slap me if you want to........OUCH!!

Here i go again...MIA!! Dunno if i'm fit to apologize cos the only truthful reason i can give for not updating my blog is...i've been juz damn LAZY!! So..get de idea of my post title? ;P

So, to begin wit chronological order....some centuries ago before i ended my 'Intensive' tuiton classes for my dearest Cupcake Queen (u know who u r!), we were flipping through her magazine or shall i say her vice, 17.

Being a youth myself, ahem, i took some challenging quizzes in it. It was really amusing to find out that you can actully tell the horoscope of a person through the type of undies that they wear!! HAHAHAHAHHA!!! Won't tell you what's mine but wouldn't mind sharing with you the pics!! Don't get any ideas of presenting me with the undies shown for my upcoming b'day k!!

After that 'intimate' session, i had to undergo the Test of my Lifetime!! Check it out!

Basically it was testin my personality and what's my 'real' age in me. I was totally pist with the results though!! Cos it's not true!!

Old School!! Me?!! And the celebrity comparison was Jami Lynn Spears!! I'm like WTF?! Sorry, but damn pist about it!

Cupcake Queen, i know u enjoyed it!! Grrrrr........!

REUNION

I had a great Diwali Eve this year as i reunited wit a long lost friend of 8 years!! The last i saw her was 6 years back!! I fetched her from the airport, screamed in excitement in the car as we rejoiced our reunion. Then we headed straight to Mid Valley for lunch and she too had another appointment there.

We went to Tony Roma's and got really excited with the food. We had 2 different starters; she had Sweet Corn Soup, mine was Baked Potato Soup. It was really a START!! Then we were spoilt for choices in ordering the main entree. Sigh!!

Finally i decided on the Rosemary & Garlic Chicken, she opted for Seafood Pasta.Then did we realise that we forgot to order drinks!! Talk about Major Jakuns!!

However, instead of ordering 'normal' drinks to quench out thirst, cocktails were our choice at 1pm!! All other patrons were staring at our table. I mean alcohol during daytime?! But we were given VIP treatment by the staffs due to our choice of drinks!! We had Mojito and Long Island Lemon Tea.

Our food arrived and we were taken back by the big portions!! Just check out the pictures below.

All in all, we had a great time together although it was just a couple of hours. We may be far apart, hardly call and keep in touch but the true friendship always remains till the end of time. I feel blessed and lucky having met all this wonderful people in my life. Thank you.

Thank you too, Steph!! Can't wait for our next meet! ;P

My lovely crazy (like me) galfren, Steph.

Giant glass of H2O to wash down the tipsyness :P

The starters, Baked Potato Creaned Soup

& Sweet Corn Cream Soup

Rosemary & Garlic Sauce Chicken Topped with Cheese, accompanied by Rice and Brocolli

Seafood Pasta with generous amount of Prawns!!

The reason to our fame, Mojito and Long Island

FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS...DIWALI

27 October 2008 marks the day of Lights worldwide. All Hindus on planet Earth celebrate the auspicious day of Good vs Evil. Worshipping the Lords, traditional oil bath, new wardrobe and of course the main celebration of feasting!! Hahahaha....

Diwali in history

The history of Diwali is replete with legends and these legends are moored to the stories of Hindu religious scriptures, mostly the Puranas. Though the central theme of all legends point out to the classic truth of the victory of the good over the evils, the mode of their presentation and the characters differ. Diwali, being the festival of lights, lighting the lamp of knowledge within us means to understand and reflect upon the significant purpose of each of the five days of festivities and to bring those thoughts in to the day to day lives.

Diwali Meaning & Significance

Deepavali is a festival where people from all age groups participate. They give expression to their happiness by lighting earthen 'diyas' (lamps), decorating the houses, bursting firecrackers and inviting near and dear ones to their households for partaking in a sumptuous feast. The lighting of lamps is a way of paying obeisance to god for attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace, valor and fame.

It is one time in the whole year that children volunteer to leave their beds long before the day begins. In fact, the traditional oil bath at 3 a.m, is the only chore that stands between them and the pre-dawn adventures. They emerge, scrubbed clean to get into their festive attire, and light up little oil lamps, candles and scented sticks(agarbathis), the wherewithal for setting alight crackers and sparklers.

On Diwali night, little clay lamps are lit in Hindus homes, but now a days colored electric lamps are also used. What is the significance of lighting a lamp? There is a logical answer to this question. It is through the light that the beauty of this world is revealed or experienced. Most civilizations of the world recognize the importance of light as a gift of God. It has always been a symbol of whatever is positive in our world of experience.

To Hindus, darkness represents ignorance, and light is a metaphor for knowledge. Therefore, lighting a lamp symbolizes the destruction, through knowledge, of all negative forces- wickedness, violence, lust, anger, envy, greed, bigotry, fear, injustice, oppression and suffering, etc. Competition is stiff, and even the little girl in silk frocks and their finery are watching out for the best sparklers and flowerpots, the rockets and Vishnuchakras, which light-up the night sky like a thousand stars. Grown-ups are the soul of generosity. Festive bonhomie abounds.

The Tradition of Fireworks

The Hindu festival of lights explodes into life with a riot of color and noise. A variety show and a fireworks display kicked off the Diwali celebrations. The festivals like Diwali remind us of the brilliant display of colorful fireworks which explode in the dark nights. The cities are famous for these. Nowadays, as a step to curb pollution from firecrackers and save the expenses, common community display of fireworks are becoming increasingly popular. Here, we will see how these fireworks originated. Fireworks and crackers are used the world over, only the occasion differs in different countries.

This festival of fun, frolic and fireworks brings excitement and joy to the hearts of people even before it arrives on the new moon day (Amavasya) of the Kartik month of the Hindu calendar. Diwali is also the festival of Laxmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth and prosperity. Traditionally people use 'earthen lamps' with cotton wicks and oil to light up the dark night. As man progresses, tradition gives way to modernity. Similarly, earthen lamps have been replaced by the candles of various colors and forms. Electric lights of different shapes and sizes illuminate the dark, often cold nights of Diwali.

Diwali is incomplete without fireworks. Old and young alike love the splendor and sparkle of fireworks. The earthen lamps that we light on Diwali night are generally placed on balcony and window ledges. So ensure that these are not near any flammable material like wood, cloth or paper. Do not leave lamps and candles burning all through the night long after the festivities are over. This can create a dangerous situation. Hence it is advisable that all lamps and candles are put off when nobody is likely to be around. Twinkling anaars, rockets whizzing past, dazzling fireworks exploding in the skies above... it's sheer dynamite!

The Tradition of Rangoli

Rangoli is a Hindu folk art, generally created on a floor on special festive occasions. The origin of this art can be traced to the Puranas (works on hindu mythology). Simply put, Rangoli means a row of colors. The tradition of Rangoli originated in Maharastra and slowly disseminated to other parts of India.

Origin

Rangoli, also known as Kolam in South India, Chowkpurana in Northern India, Madana in Rajasthan, Aripana in Bihar, Alpana in Bengal is the ancient Hindu religious floor art. According to a legend recorded in Chitra Lakshana, the earliest treatise on Indian painting, a king and his kingdom were steeped in sorrow at the death of the high priest's son. Everybody prayed to Lord Brahma, who moved by the prayers, asked the king to paint a portrait of the boy on the floor so that he could breathe life into it. And with that the art of floor painting came to life. And that is how rice, flour and flowers were transformed into picturesque offerings to God in the form of floor painting.

Creative Expression

'Rangoli' is a sanskrit word which means a creative expression of art through the use of color. In ancient India, rangolis were used to decorate the entrances of homes, a floor-painting which provided a warm and colorful welcome to visitors. In Indian cultures, all guests and visitors occupy a very special place, and a rangoli is an expression of this warm hospitality. In particular, the Diwali festival is widely celebrated with rangolis, since at this time, people visit each other's homes to exchange greetings and sweets. In a rangoli, powdered colors are sprinkled on cleaned and dusted floors to form decorations. Rangolis can be vivid, three-dimensional art complete with shadings or they can be the traditional plain, yet as beautiful as, two-dimensional designs. The colored powder is usually applied 'freehand' by letting it run from the gap formed by pinching the thumb and the forefinger. In ancient times, rangolis were actually decorations made on the entrances and walls of houses to brighten up and add color to occasions being celebrated, like weddings, births and significant religious days. They also signified a warm welcome for visitors. In fact in Maharashtra, India, housewives make them each morning. The designs would be simple and geometrical but could invoke symbolic forms. Oil lamps (diyas) would be placed in the rangoli to give it yet another dimension. Thus, reflecting regional beliefs and aesthetics based on a common spiritual plane the art of floor painting is one which has survived all influences and retained and transmitted the spirit of Indian life.

GONE ARE THE DAYS....

Gone are the days filled with lazy afternoons naps, watching cookery shows, travel programmes and even day dreaming!!

My hours are cramped with work, be it my career or domestic chores. Sleep and rest have become a very estranged family relation.

Age doesn't seem to be much of a help either. As it increases, so does the rest of the body. Sooner or later i might be considered an ancient piece of History!!!

WHO IS HE?

There she was lying lifeless on the bathroom floor. Her face soaked in tears, as well as her hair. She gave out a faint cry trying to regain her consciousness. She struggled to open her eyelids and was stung by the glaring bathroom light. As she slowly lifted up her head, she felt a hard throbbing pain. She immediately brought both hands to clench her head but there was a worse pain on her left wrist.

"Aaah!" she shrieked a the top of her lungs. The sight of her slit wrist with endless blood flow made her tremble in fear.

At that very second, her hand phone rang. It was right beside her and she grabbed it. "BABY" was flashing on the screen. She answered.

"Dear? Where are you?" a voice on the other end. "I'm at your door now!"

Abigail was unable to reply but cried her heart out.

"What's happening? Come and open now!"

Abigail crawled her way out and reached the main door. She unlocked it and stared at the figure standing in front of her. It was Brian, her fiance. She smiled. Within seconds, her head spun and she collapsed.

Sweet smell of spring and the sound of water woke Abigail. She found herself lying on a cloud-like blanket and noticed that she was in a small hut, furnished with just a round wooden table, 2 stools, a jug of water, a loaf of bread, a bottle of red wine, a bowl of fruits and a bottle of olive oil. There were 2 quaint-looking windows by each side of the entrance.

Abigail felt like she was in the house of the 7 dwarfs. Ironically, she was clad in a beautiful white cloud. However, she felt warm and calm being in that strange place. She walked out of the hut and the rays of the sun felt like a welcome hug. The scenery outside was picture perfect. A beautiful rose garden, a pond with ducks and ducklings paddling, an ancient well....precise fairy tale!!

She was startled by a strange sound. Abigail turned towards it and saw so many lambs surrounding a man. He was clad in a robe and had a long cane in his hand. He was playing with the flock of sheep around him. Abigail was intrigued by this person and took her steps towards him.

He stood up and faced her when she reached. His eyes were piercing blue, wavy shoulder length hair and a bright light of glory behind him. Abigail's eyes welled up with tears and she felt her limbs going numb.

Who is he?

A Tribute To My Idol.....PART 1

It's been like...a month since i started bloggin, rite? Or is it more than that? Man, i'm losing track of time!!

I've been dying to blog about my idol but the thing about me is, i always get side-tracked or overwhelmed which in the end makes me tired and lazy. There'll be millions and zillions of ideas in my head but i'll be so tired by the time i decide on which to start first!!

OK, enough of my self-blabbering!! This post is dedicated to my one & only beloved idol in my life......AISHWARYA RAI, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMAN! And also not forgetting her better half, whom happens to be my Knight in Shining Armour, ABISHEK BACHAN.

For those of you wondering; "who on Earth are this people?"....HELLO!! If not for Abhi(shek), Ash is known WORLDWIDE!! What are the other power couples compared to this 2?!! 'Vic-Becks', 'Brad-Gelina,' 'Tom-Kat'? Please!!!







Ash was crowned Ms World in 1994, she made History come alive again by putting India prominent on the World map. Ms World stands for? The most beautiful woman in the world!! From there her career sky-rocketed straight to planet Pluto!! She did what most Indian celebrities would do, enter the celluloid genre. As usual there were flops in the initial stages, mainly in Bollywood/Hindi films. Then she ventured into the South/Tamil movies and 'BOOM'! She reigned again as the Queen of India! She ranked tops amongst other actresses of her era and the best accomplishment was being put on the same pedestal as those senior veteran actresses, namely, Hema Malini, Sri Devi, Vyjanthimala...etc. She broke the record of being the Best Actress in cinema who doesn't hail from any cinematic background royalties. She became the Dream Girl of everyone, role model for every female population be it young and old.





After conquering India, she soon set her sights on the West. Instead of giving her cold shoulders and feeling intimidated, the Westerners were throwing theirs arms wide open, hailing this new Queen!! She gave us movies like Bride & Prejudice, Mistress of Spices, Provoked, The Last Legion and lately Pink Panther 2. She's also one of the regular judges in the famous Cannes Movie Festival. Soon she was on prime magazine covers, Time, Asia Today, talk shows, interviews, Oprah, CNN, BBC....you name it!! She became a brand ambassador for many products, Coca Cola, L'oreal, Lux, Longiness.....phew! I'm out of breath already!! FYI, Will Smith is still pursuing her, or shall i say 'stalking' her to be his heroine in his Hitch 2 flick.







However, Her Royal Highness never forgets her true Indian roots. She is also juggling her career in her homeland. Offers are pouring endlessly, even till this day. South India's Super Star actor, Rajnikanth waited patiently for her the past 4 years, till she had her acting dates available to act along his side. Now, at this very moment, they are both busy shooting the upcoming Tamil movie, 'Robot' in Brazil.

Ash has played numerous roles in movies, be it Glamour Queen, Girl-Next-Door, Sexy Siren or even cameo appearances in dance numbers, no other actresses in the current cinema has able to potray with a Midas touch in epic or historical characters. Devdass set the whole world in tears as she played the unlucky lover, Parvati. Umrao Jaan, as a contraversial courtesan, Joda Akhbar, which made tongues wagging among the royalties of Jaidhpur.

To be continued..........

SELAMAT HARI RAYA.....MAMMA MIA!!

I know this post is late but i still made it in time....before month end!! hehe....

As usual it was the festive mood all around. Surprisingly, mom cooked chicken rendang, there was ketupat and lemang in my house too!!! Talk about being Malaysian!!

I didn't go any visiting but i treated myself on the first day of Raya by going to my 2nd home...Mid Valley, and watched Mamma Mia!! Aaaaaa!!!! If only i could scream for joy in the cinema!!! Really enjoyed the movie!!! All the ABBA classics, the simple storyline, the humor, the GIRL POWER, Pierce Brosnan!!! OHHH!!! Need i say more??!!

Then my photography instincts hit me and soon i was snapping with my handphone all the raya deco. This year the deco was very homely, kampung-ish, 50s era. Of course i'm gonna attached my artwork here, ok.