a fleeting stay ...

This video is from Dr Koh Soo Ling, my friend in Ireland. Enjoy!

I love this artwork (acrylic on canvas) by Jayashree Ramasamy @Jay, who has captured the mood of the traditional Malaysian Indian kitchen. Jay recalls her grandmother preparing meals for the family in a room which was equipped with ancestral cooking utensils and that was the inspiration for this painting. For more of Jay's creations head for the National Art Gallery where 'The Story Telling' exhibition is now being held (April 14 to May 15, 2011).  'The Story Telling' is a group exhibition showcasing the creations of four emerging artists including Jay from the Symbols Art Club . The other three artists are Kathiravan Subramaniam, Rohini Indran and Mohana Kumara Velu @ Mona Kv. Each work of art is a story that the artist tells about his or her personal experiences and observations of daily life. The launch this afternoon was in conjunction with the Tamil New Year today. 'Food is Served' by Kathiravan Subramaniam. The rationale: 'We may have diff...

Juana Jaafar Enough is enough: An appeal to Malaysians By Juana Jaafar I write this as a truly distressed young Malaysian. The state of the country’s political sphere has reached the pinnacle of filth. Sadly, politics in Malaysia today envelopes almost every aspect of our daily lives -- which means there is no way any informed person could run away from the smut that oils this country’s politics. For a long time I thought I had grown immune to political sex scandals after years of "exposés" being shoved down my throat by the media. Well, I’ve been proven wrong. As a teenager flipping through newspapers for school assignments I learnt a lot about homosexual sex and pedophilia. I was exposed to information far more than what my parents would want me to know at that age, and certainly nothing they would otherwise like to discuss with me. But newspapers were, at least then, still regarded as a source of knowledge and my parents could not stop me from ...

One step at a time. Photo courtesy of NST Image Bank. For years Ana was haunted by fear and self-doubt. "I am a mediocre writer," was a familiar refrain. She was also constantly afraid: of the dark, offending people and making mistakes. Ana and I were colleagues and we often shared our anxieties. At the end of each session we would feel better about ourselves until the next round of attack. The bonding meetings stopped when Ana left Malaysia for Canada where she found her niche in publishing. Actually, Ana is the complete opposite of the negative profile described above. She is a talented writer and is continually exploring opportunities to improve herself. Sometimes I wonder if her self-deprecating demeanour is a mask she puts on to avoid appearing too confident. Maybe it is her attempt at humility. We never got to discussing that aspect of her character. My thoughts turn to Ana whenever self-doubt creeps up on me and the words of encouragement we say to each o...