Melayu by Usman Awang
Translated by Audra Roslani

Melayu are a perspicacious lot
Mischief embroidered jokes
Excessive benevolence
Rudeness still respectful
Even lies are still polite
Smartly they ingratiate with courteous gestures of the hand

Melayu is courageous even when wrong
Shrinking in fear for the truth
Promises kept in stomach
Always broken at the lips
Traditions, they may let demise
As long as their children give rise

Melayu in the Peninsula has wide implications:
The Javanese are Melayu, the Buginese are Melayu,
The Banjarese also called Melayu,
The Minangkabau definitely Melayu,
The Achehnese descendents are Melayu,
The Jakun and Sakai, aboriginal Melayu,
Arab and Pakistani, all Melayu,
The Mamak and Malbari absorbed as Melayu,
Even the converts are defined as Melayu
(After circumcision of the whatchamacallum)

In the past
Melayu were great seafarers
Paving the way for their yesteryears
Across the vast regional borders
Shame today, it is lost on the youngsters

Melayu are rich in philosophy
A heritage of proverb and analogy
Roots of kindness laced with ability
Repository of wisdom, sea of colloquy

Unfortunate, that the Melayu cheers loudly
Exorbitantly enthusiastic with festivities
Whilst villages are being pawned
Strips of paddy fields left the size of a span
Pieces of land sold easily

Despite possessing wells
Their hands still clutching the rope
While others reach for the pail
Thrice over, the banana tree bears fruits
Yet the Melayu still dreams

Universities, they have attended
Yet they engage in trade from home still
Fighting the Melayu way
Dueling in pantun
Defiance in smiles
Anger in silence
Belittle, never kowtowing
Boasting, never patronising

The Melayu character rejects disputes
Their loyalty and patience know no boundaries
But when infuriated, concealed
Enemies sought to the ends of the earth
If not held by the horns, pulled by the ears
Dignity and religion never to be insulted
The greatness of their amok spares no foe


To make peace the Melayu way is most divine
For their kinships are pure
An apology expressed, always answered
A hand extended always received
Wounds acquired, no longer scarred

The kindness of Melayu has no comparison
Everything they own they would offer
Thus the birth of an allegory;
The trader walks past and rice is boiled
The husband returns hungry but is not served
The monkey in the jungle is breastfed
The child on the lap dies, deprived.

How does the 21st century Melayu
Still stoop bashfully?
Never be afraid to break taboos
If taboos obstruct progress;
Never withdraw from prohibition
If confident of the truth;
Never shy away from expressing confidence
If there is conviction in justice

Emerge as a wise society
Holding the rope, holding the pail
Owning economies, creating cultures
Becoming masters of an Independent land

The Louis Vuitton Audra bag

SO thanks Syat for pointing out the existence of an LV Audra Bag - seriously I don't know my designer bags, alasss a fashion outtkaasssttt! *gasssp* can't say i'm a big fan of the design, triangular bags don't quite do it for me, but hell i might just eat my words one day. and the coloured monogram design kinda killed it for me once Petaling St started churning out replicas like hotcakes and a gazillion aunty-types started hanging them at their elbow-arms while doing the mall-shuffle. pft. the one thing i did like was the quote that came from the article though, "You’ve made it in this world if you have a Louis Vuitton bag named after you." yeah, thanks Ma! ooooooooooh who am i kiddin, this bag would make a sweet present, so hey don't say i never ask for anything ;)

how the mighty have fallen!

there's a saying. a woman's strength is in her silence.

well, I'd like to add on.

a man's big mouth is his biggest vice.

just got news in from KL last night. O, how the mighty have fallen! i used to think the world about you. you were larger than life. how funny it is that when you're in like/love/lust with someone you see everything through rose-tinted glasses.

but now. now, it just looks like you're all up in yourself. submerged in your own glory. don't want to keep in touch for fear of giving ME hope?? nigga pleasee..does it LOOK like I'm having a tough time?? dude where do you get off by giving yourself so much credit. you must think you're gods gift to women right? well maybe for the brainless half-bred twats you seem to like so much. yeah the ones who can't think for themselves you know the type - all tits and no brains. the one's that NEED to idolise and grovel on the path you walk on. Moi? je suis désolé. I prefer to be hero-worshipped myself..so this? this isn't going to work.

goodnight and goodluck Zero.

Sophie's 21st Birthday Bash, KL Summer 2006
just got these pictures from Sophie's facebook..yeahh! Sophie's birthday dining at Bukit Damansara over the summer.

figuring out our seating arrangements

with Mr-I-dropped-out-of-biz-school-in-London-to-be-a-full-time-model.

Kevin, Audra, Joey and Uncle Kamaruddin's phat photography skills

cheesy grins everrybodeh

innocently walking to the pool

lazing by the hot tub

..and IN she goes!

Christina Aguilera Back to Basics Tour @ Wembley Arena, London (29 November 2006)

turns out, Alex's cousin Monique has been Christina's dancer for eight years now (you would've seen her in some of the videos) and as luck would have it, she had two tickets for the show on Wednesday and Alex was kind enough to take me as his guest!

so we get there, and we were supposed to collect the tickets at the Guest Box Office. as I ripped open the envelope with Alex Trejo written on it, I gasp and squeal as I see two VIP tags in there.. could it be? would I actually meet Christina Aguilera?

we queue up to get some merchandise - I buy a SkinnyT and poster for myself, and an engraved pocket mirror for Hana, just in case I DO see Mrs Bratman, I would have something for her to sign on. I stuff my coat into the plastic bag with the SkinnyT at the bottom and leave it at the coat room for 2 quid and a 1 pound tip.

we went backstage with Monique for awhile and she introduced us to a couple of the other dancers. we were told we could go anywhere with the passes but Alex and I were hungry so we headed for the restaurant upstairs and by the time we were finished the show had started.

the opening act was some unheard of local band with one guy on a double bass and the other on percussion.

Oh Mother

Christina's show was really good! She kicked things off with Ain't No Other Man all dressed in a white suit and her dancers and musicians all in white as well. I say its good because there were plenty of props, wardrobe changes (all by Cavalli mind you) and she mostly sang material from her new album (which I LOVE by the way!) and even the remixes of Come On Over and What A Girl Wants were so nice! SO nice! and I love the themes she used, the whole circus act, boudoir babe..I like the way you think Aguilera ;) click here for more pictures

ladies and gentlemen welcome to the greatest show

aguilera the star performer!

dirrrty..i love the carousel!

Hurt

Lady Marmalade

after the show, we went backstage again but were told to wait in the 'VIP' room which basically just had lots of beverages, booze, and snacks. we hung out with the wife of the guitarist and another dancer who was just reuniting with his long lost cousin..what a sweet story! Monique came later but it looked like they were all going out so we didn't get to meet Christina..boo..


to make things worst.. by the time we left backstage, the arena was empty and the coat room was locked. we went to the lost and found and the funny thing is when the lady passed the bag to me, she said, " this is all I have," which I thought was rather fishy. sure enough, when we checked the bag.. my skinnyT was gone! GONE! muthafucks. I was on the verge of throwing a fit when Alex said to just get a new one. I wasn't gonna blow another 22 quid on the shirt but he kindly got it for me. Thanks Alex, you've been too too kind!

so we headed back after. overall it was a good night. it was deffo a good show, pure entertainment value and even if I had to pay for it I think it woulda been money well spent. deffo better than the BEP and PCD concerts that I've been to this year! Christina Aguilera is one helluva performer and kudos to her for being smart enough to wear underwear..viva la Christina!