In the post-celebration of Eid Mubarak, Muslims all over Malaysia celebrated their effort of a whole month of fasting in the Ramadhan.  The Malay community, the largest Muslim community in Malaysia swarms the mosque to perform the Eid Mubarak morning prayer, and soon after visiting the homes of their families and friends, reconnecting and rebonding, forgiving and forgetting part grudges, amending broken bonds. Clad in their signature Baju Kurung, they welcome families, relatives and friends from all races and religion, truly in the spirit of unity in diversity. 

Somewhere amidst the celebration and festive ambiance, an identity fell between the cracks of time. Old tales no longer pass through broken lips and music of the new age replaces the colourful tales our fathers and forefathers grew up with. They Malays, very proud of their heritage abide the flows of time. The uniqueness of Baju Melayu enters mainstream fashion and evolved into what it is today - a lapsed identity.

The History

Unraveling the history of Baju Kurung proves to be a daunting task because there has been very little written documentation to support what has been claimed. Various sources debate that the traditional costume was introduced by Sultan Muhammad Syah, the third sultan of the Malacca Empayar between 1424 to 1444. Other sources claims that Baju Kurung has been around in the Sultanate State of Johore during the ruling of Sultan Abu Bakar in Telok Belanga, Singapore - which gives the name Baju Kurung Telok Belanga. The idea was hatched by the sultan himself in year 1866 to commemorate the nostalgia of Telok Belanga as the ruling capital back then.

Traditional Variation

In Malaysia, Baju Kurung refers to the female costume while it's male counterpart is referred to as Baju Melayu. However, traditionally both are called Baju Kurung, as it's purpose is to confine it's wearer (from dirt, filth, weather, touch etc.) (Kurung literally means to lock up or confine). The style therefore, comes after : Baju Kurung Cekak Musang, Baju Kurung Telok Belanga etc. However, it is generally more accepted to say Baju Melayu Cekak Musang or Baju Melayu Telok Belanga when referring to the male version of the costume, and Baju Kurung to refer to the female version. With the female versions however, there are even more styles I hope to cover from time to time.

Baju Kurung Cekak Musang

Cekak Musang

Literally translated to fox's noose (musang = fox, cekak = noose), this costume is distinguishable by the raised collar and 5 buttons on the placket. In itself, it is a 2 piece costume - the shirt or baju, and the pants or seluar. The hem line of the baju will run to the middle of the wearer's lap, with the placket running a third of it's whole length. 

Whether or not the buttons are traditionally sewn into the plackets is not known for certain, however the common practice is that 5 buttonholes are provided in which dress studs (similar to cuff-links) called kancing are inserted. It is further claimed that 5 buttons represent the 5 pillars of Islam, the religion that the majority of Malaysian Malay follows. Morever, traditionally the placket overlaps right over left, signifying the Muslim's prayer ritual where the right hand is placed over the left hand while standing. Normally, three pockets complete the baju, one on the left side breast and two along the waist a few inches above the hem. 

Baju Kurung Telok Belanga

Telok Belanga

This version of Baju Melayu is also comprised of a 2 piece suit. More famous in the state of Johore, the absence of cekak musang or raised collar and buttoned placket became the distinguishing feature of this variation of Baju Kurung. In place, an opening hemmed with stiff stitching called tulang belut (lit. eel's spine/bone) ending with a small loop to one side to fit a singular kancing. Symbolically, this represents the Muslim's believe of Allah as the one and only god worthy to be worshipped. The breast pocket is sometimes missing in this version of Baju Melayu. 

Accessories

To complete the Baju Kurung Cekak Musang and Baju Kurung Telok Belanga, various accessories are added. From head to toe, they are : 

Tanjak - Worn on the head

Keris

Bengkung - Worn around the waist over sampin Sampin - worn around the waist

The Lapsed Identity

It was said that the Baju Kurung not only survived, but thrived - from being first introduced to Islamization, followed by the colonisation of the British empire to the Japanese colonisation and finally modernisation after independence and formation of the Malaysian Federation. However, what Baju Kurung is today is different from what it was hundreds of years ago. Back then, the wearer is identified by the folds and position of his tanjak, by ways whether the baju is worn under or over the sampin, by the folds of his sampin - the length of which tells whether the wearer is single, married, a widower or an elderly. Even the position of the keris carries a connotation of the wearer's intention whether coming in peace or with malice.

The basic two-piece Baju Kurung - both the baju and the seluar was never that long. The sleeves of the baju was once only an inch or two past the elbow for Malays with ranks in the society, while commoners and farmers would wear it sleeveless. This is due to the nature of their job - having long sleeves means they will be more prone to getting dirty. As most Malays are also Muslims, having sleeves up to the elbow means they can easily perform the ablution before prayer without having to roll up their sleeve.

The same is said for the seluar. The lengthening of the seluar from just below the knees (around halfway through the calf) to the hem reaching the ankle came together with the British colonisation. The crotch area were traditionally made baggy to facilitate movement - especially in playing sepak takraw and silat. Again with the Muslim reference, the length of the seluar reaches only past the knee as the male aurat (parts of the body considered to be intimate in Islam) for men is between the belly-button to the knee. Having a shorter length also helps to reduce possibilities of the seluar from catching dirt off the road or ground.

Each accessories also carries a traditional identity along with folks tale surrounding the history of each accessories. The keris, for instance, is usually inherited within a Malay family. Generally regarded as a weapon for self-defence, little is known that the hilt of the keris made from various materials i.e. wood, antlers and coral stone which is further regarded to give certain mystical effect to the keris. 

Rings also forms a part of the traditional Malay costume, it's own connotation on the ring or pinky finger on either hands of the wearer. Similar to the hilt of the keris, the batu cincin or stone of the ring can be made out of various materials from wood to rocks to benefit the wearer medicinally, offensively or defensively, or even believed to have love-potion-like effect to the wearer.

Revival of the Lapsed Identity

There has been a slow and steady attempt to revive the tradition of Baju Kurung. Hazriansyah and Mustaqim, founder of Kotak Hitam Art Studio has a passion in conserving and reviving the Malay heritage and traditional wear. Instead of a cap or a stylish fedora that most guys wear, Hazriansyah and Mustaqim (fondly known as Tok Pek and Mus, respectively) wear the tanjak with their T-shirts and jeans.What makes them even more special is that they not only wear tanjak but they also make their own.

Loque, a 35-year-old songwriter and founder of Butterfingers and MonoloQue, has been wearing the tengkolok with shirts and jeans as his newfound identity since two years ago, saying he feels proud to wear tengkolok because it is part of the Malay culture and it reflects his true identity. According to him,

“Tengkolok is ours, not something that we borrow from the West like caps or fedoras. It’s a pity if a man wears tengkolok only on his wedding day. Tengkolok has character and is a unique heritage that we should be proud of.” 

For purists, the attempt to revive and merge tanjak and tengkolok with shirts and jeans or any other wears than Baju Kurung is considered brazen, but to both Tok Pek and Mus,

"It’s not anti-establishment or anti-convention. It’s just our way to revive traditional wear to make it fashionable and more appealing to our peers and the younger generation. It’s also our way to re-introduce tanjak as a daily wear just like it was in those days. Rather than glorifying caps, hats or  bandanas, why not wear a tanjak instead?” 

Efforts to preserve and revive traditional Malay costume not only as the hundred-years-old legacy our forefathers left us but also as one of the main attractions to what makes Malaysia unique should be strengthened lest it disappear into the cracks of time. As the old Malay saying goes :

"Biar mati anak, jangan mati adat."

- lit. Let die the son, not the tradition.  

Every now and then my English takes a turn from being good to garbled.. Mispronunciation here and there, stuttering, slurring my words.. Yeah we all have had that. I stumbled upon something that made me tell myself - Hey it's ok if I don't speak good English. It's a difficult language afterall! Don't believe me? Survive this poem by Gerard Nolst Trenité - The Chaos (1922).

Dearest creature in creation

Studying English pronunciation,

   I will teach you in my verse

   Sounds like corpse, corps, horse and worse.

I will keep you, Suzy, busy,

Make your head with heat grow dizzy;

   Tear in eye, your dress you'll tear;

   Queer, fair, seer, hear my prayer.

Pray, console your loving poet,

Make my coat look new, dear, sew it!

   Just compare heart, hear and heard,

   Dies and diet, lord and word.

Sword and sward, retain and Britain

(Mind the latter how it's written).

   Made has not the sound of bade,

   Say-said, pay-paid, laid but plaid.

Now I surely will not plague you

With such words as vague and ague,

   But be careful how you speak,

   Say: gush, bush, steak, streak, break, bleak ,

Previous, precious, fuchsia, via

Recipe, pipe, studding-sail, choir;

   Woven, oven, how and low,

   Script, receipt, shoe, poem, toe.

Say, expecting fraud and trickery:

Daughter, laughter and Terpsichore,

   Branch, ranch, measles, topsails, aisles,

   Missiles, similes, reviles.

Wholly, holly, signal, signing,

Same, examining, but mining,

   Scholar, vicar, and cigar,

   Solar, mica, war and far.

From "desire": desirable-admirable from "admire",

Lumber, plumber, bier, but brier,

   Topsham, brougham, renown, but known,

   Knowledge, done, lone, gone, none, tone,

One, anemone, Balmoral,

Kitchen, lichen, laundry, laurel.

   Gertrude, German, wind and wind,

   Beau, kind, kindred, queue, mankind,

Tortoise, turquoise, chamois-leather,

Reading, Reading, heathen, heather.

   This phonetic labyrinth

   Gives moss, gross, brook, brooch, ninth, plinth.

Have you ever yet endeavoured

To pronounce revered and severed,

   Demon, lemon, ghoul, foul, soul,

   Peter, petrol and patrol?

Billet does not end like ballet;

Bouquet, wallet, mallet, chalet.

   Blood and flood are not like food,

   Nor is mould like should and would.

Banquet is not nearly parquet,

Which exactly rhymes with khaki.

   Discount, viscount, load and broad,

   Toward, to forward, to reward,

Ricocheted and crocheting, croquet?

Right! Your pronunciation's OK.

   Rounded, wounded, grieve and sieve,

   Friend and fiend, alive and live.

Is your r correct in higher?

Keats asserts it rhymes Thalia.

   Hugh, but hug, and hood, but hoot,

   Buoyant, minute, but minute.

Say abscission with precision,

Now: position and transition;

   Would it tally with my rhyme

   If I mentioned paradigm?

Twopence, threepence, tease are easy,

But cease, crease, grease and greasy?

   Cornice, nice, valise, revise,

   Rabies, but lullabies.

Of such puzzling words as nauseous,

Rhyming well with cautious, tortious,

   You'll envelop lists, I hope,

   In a linen envelope.

Would you like some more? You'll have it!

Affidavit, David, davit.

   To abjure, to perjure. Sheik

   Does not sound like Czech but ache.

Liberty, library, heave and heaven,

Rachel, loch, moustache, eleven.

   We say hallowed, but allowed,

   People, leopard, towed but vowed.

Mark the difference, moreover,

Between mover, plover, Dover.

   Leeches, breeches, wise, precise,

   Chalice, but police and lice,

Camel, constable, unstable,

Principle, disciple, label.

   Petal, penal, and canal,

   Wait, surmise, plait, promise, pal,

Suit, suite, ruin. Circuit, conduit

Rhyme with "shirk it" and "beyond it",

   But it is not hard to tell

   Why it's pall, mall, but Pall Mall.

Muscle, muscular, gaol, iron,

Timber, climber, bullion, lion,

   Worm and storm, chaise, chaos, chair,

   Senator, spectator, mayor,

Ivy, privy, famous; clamour

Has the a of drachm and hammer.

   Pussy, hussy and possess,

   Desert, but desert, address.

Golf, wolf, countenance, lieutenants

Hoist in lieu of flags left pennants.

   Courier, courtier, tomb, bomb, comb,

   Cow, but Cowper, some and home.

"Solder, soldier! Blood is thicker",

Quoth he, "than liqueur or liquor",

   Making, it is sad but true,

   In bravado, much ado.

Stranger does not rhyme with anger,

Neither does devour with clangour.

   Pilot, pivot, gaunt, but aunt,

   Font, front, wont, want, grand and grant.

Arsenic, specific, scenic,

Relic, rhetoric, hygienic.

   Gooseberry, goose, and close, but close,

   Paradise, rise, rose, and dose.

Say inveigh, neigh, but inveigle,

Make the latter rhyme with eagle.

   Mind! Meandering but mean,

   Valentine and magazine.

And I bet you, dear, a penny,

You say mani-(fold) like many,

   Which is wrong. Say rapier, pier,

   Tier (one who ties), but tier.

Arch, archangel; pray, does erring

Rhyme with herring or with stirring?

   Prison, bison, treasure trove,

   Treason, hover, cover, cove,

Perseverance, severance. Ribald

Rhymes (but piebald doesn't) with nibbled.

   Phaeton, paean, gnat, ghat, gnaw,

   Lien, psychic, shone, bone, pshaw.

Don't be down, my own, but rough it,

And distinguish buffet, buffet;

   Brood, stood, roof, rook, school, wool, boon,

   Worcester, Boleyn, to impugn.

Say in sounds correct and sterling

Hearse, hear, hearken, year and yearling.

   Evil, devil, mezzotint,

   Mind the z! (A gentle hint.)

Now you need not pay attention

To such sounds as I don't mention,

   Sounds like pores, pause, pours and paws,

   Rhyming with the pronoun yours;

Nor are proper names included,

Though I often heard, as you did,

   Funny rhymes to unicorn,

   Yes, you know them, Vaughan and Strachan.

No, my maiden, coy and comely,

I don't want to speak of Cholmondeley.

   No. Yet Froude compared with proud

   Is no better than McLeod.

But mind trivial and vial,

Tripod, menial, denial,

   Troll and trolley, realm and ream,

   Schedule, mischief, schism, and scheme.

Argil, gill, Argyll, gill. Surely

May be made to rhyme with Raleigh,

   But you're not supposed to say

   Piquet rhymes with sobriquet.

Had this invalid invalid

Worthless documents? How pallid,

   How uncouth he, couchant, looked,

   When for Portsmouth I had booked!

Zeus, Thebes, Thales, Aphrodite,

Paramour, enamoured, flighty,

   Episodes, antipodes,

   Acquiesce, and obsequies.

Please don't monkey with the geyser,

Don't peel 'taters with my razor,

   Rather say in accents pure:

   Nature, stature and mature.

Pious, impious, limb, climb, glumly,

Worsted, worsted, crumbly, dumbly,

   Conquer, conquest, vase, phase, fan,

   Wan, sedan and artisan.

The th will surely trouble you

More than r, ch or w.

   Say then these phonetic gems:

   Thomas, thyme, Theresa, Thames.

Thompson, Chatham, Waltham, Streatham,

There are more but I forget 'em-

   Wait! I've got it: Anthony,

   Lighten your anxiety.

The archaic word albeit

Does not rhyme with eight-you see it;

   With and forthwith, one has voice,

   One has not, you make your choice.

Shoes, goes, does *. Now first say: finger;

Then say: singer, ginger, linger.

   Real, zeal, mauve, gauze and gauge,

   Marriage, foliage, mirage, age,

Hero, heron, query, very,

Parry, tarry fury, bury,

   Dost, lost, post, and doth, cloth, loth,

   Job, Job, blossom, bosom, oath.

Faugh, oppugnant, keen oppugners,

Bowing, bowing, banjo-tuners

   Holm you know, but noes, canoes,

   Puisne, truism, use, to use?

Though the difference seems little,

We say actual, but victual,

   Seat, sweat, chaste, caste, Leigh, eight, height,

   Put, nut, granite, and unite.

Reefer does not rhyme with deafer,

Feoffer does, and zephyr, heifer.

   Dull, bull, Geoffrey, George, ate, late,

   Hint, pint, senate, but sedate.

Gaelic, Arabic, pacific,

Science, conscience, scientific;

   Tour, but our, dour, succour, four,

   Gas, alas, and Arkansas.

Say manoeuvre, yacht and vomit,

Next omit, which differs from it

   Bona fide, alibi

   Gyrate, dowry and awry.

Sea, idea, guinea, area,

Psalm, Maria, but malaria.

   Youth, south, southern, cleanse and clean,

   Doctrine, turpentine, marine.

Compare alien with Italian,

Dandelion with battalion,

   Rally with ally; yea, ye,

   Eye, I, ay, aye, whey, key, quay!

Say aver, but ever, fever,

Neither, leisure, skein, receiver.

   Never guess-it is not safe,

   We say calves, valves, half, but Ralf.

Starry, granary, canary,

Crevice, but device, and eyrie,

   Face, but preface, then grimace,

   Phlegm, phlegmatic, ass, glass, bass.

Bass, large, target, gin, give, verging,

Ought, oust, joust, and scour, but scourging;

   Ear, but earn; and ere and tear

   Do not rhyme with here but heir.

Mind the o of off and often

Which may be pronounced as orphan,

   With the sound of saw and sauce;

   Also soft, lost, cloth and cross.

Pudding, puddle, putting. Putting?

Yes: at golf it rhymes with shutting.

   Respite, spite, consent, resent.

   Liable, but Parliament.

Seven is right, but so is even,

Hyphen, roughen, nephew, Stephen,

   Monkey, donkey, clerk and jerk,

   Asp, grasp, wasp, demesne, cork, work.

A of valour, vapid vapour,

S of news (compare newspaper),

   G of gibbet, gibbon, gist,

   I of antichrist and grist,

Differ like diverse and divers,

Rivers, strivers, shivers, fivers.

   Once, but nonce, toll, doll, but roll,

   Polish, Polish, poll and poll.

Pronunciation-think of Psyche!-

Is a paling, stout and spiky.

   Won't it make you lose your wits

   Writing groats and saying "grits"?

It's a dark abyss or tunnel

Strewn with stones like rowlock, gunwale,

   Islington, and Isle of Wight,

   Housewife, verdict and indict.

Don't you think so, reader, rather,

Saying lather, bather, father?

   Finally, which rhymes with enough,

   Though, through, bough, cough, hough, sough, tough??

Hiccough has the sound of sup...

My advice is: GIVE IT UP!


So, how far along the poem til you gave up? Me? Up until where there's no more bold or italic or both. And apparently I've been pronouncing "bade" and "chamois" wrong for my entire life so far. >.<

And if you've managed to go through each and every verse, in your head or aloud, have a listen to this video and see if you got it all right? There are differences here and there as the video is an adaptation of the poem.

The new app shorcut icon

I swear if I get a dollar everytime I get excited over something I'd be a billionaire by now! I get excited over the smallest things! This time, the new YouTube app on my phone (and yes, on yours too! check it out!). 

I first noticed the app shortcut new design on one of my home screens a couple of days ago and promised myself to check it out once I have some free time on my hand (well if my free time happens to be at work so be it -.-") and wow am I excited to see the new features on it! 

I always b@tch about how I cant do anything else other than probably read the comment and video info but really, who reads ALL of them anyways? This, of course, is referring to music and lyrics videos. Sometimes I wanna search another video while the current one is playing, right? Well guess what, the AWESOME development team added the

multitasking capability IN the app itself. Technical mumbo-jumbo aside, this means that you and I can now search for other videos while the current one is playing! You can browse through your history and playlists, you can look at your channels and subscriptions! Owh this feature is awesome!

Another thing I used to b@tch about is I can't play playlists on the app. Yeah we all have our collections of MP3s and music on our phones but sometimes I want to listen to what other people have on their playlist! I wont b@tch anymore because the new update brings playlists to the app along with the multitasking! PSYCHED!!! Now I can stream my friend's playlists in the car!

The new design isn't significant but I did notice the Google Now Cards-like layout. The swiping gesture to minimize and dismiss currently playing video is anticipated as all smartphones recognize swipe gestures but I am still excited nonetheless. What's missing now is to have the video keep playing when YouTube app is in background so I can text and listen to music videos at the same time - but not while driving of course! 

Driving around Kuching is an experience by itself, and I find it (mostly) calming (minus traffic jam, accidents and pot holes on certain roads). On more than a few occations driving along Jalan Sherip Masahor heading towards the Third Mile roundabout, a banner would catch my eye : Chef at Home. I never did got the chance to try dining there, mainly because I don't have any company to try it out. 

They used to operate in a (what looked from the main road) big house with big compound, much like Swanky Sarah (this, however is located off Greenroad and is non-halal) but have since moved to a new location in the cluster of shophouses across Saberkas (nearby landmark would be the Astro office, Unimas Holdings / Klinik Sebayor, and SK St. Paul). Featuring Western Menus and local (as well as imported) coffee and tea (quite rare will you find eating pasta accompanied with nescafe or Milo) as well as signature desserts (which I forgot to try because I was too full!)

Going with a friend always adds more fun to trying out new things and places to eat. I went with a good friend sporting Baju Melayu in the spirit of Hari Raya Aidilfitri - albeit having Western dishes for dinner! 

Although the new Chef at Home is located on the ground floor of a shoplot, they managed to create a somewhat homey ambiance : well spaced tables, seats for four (and less), seats for 6 and two family size tables with probably 8 or 10 seats. Me and my friend sat on one end of this table while a family of three sat on the other end with plenty of spaces between us. There is also an indoor section if you prefer it. One of the drawback was that since it is a shoplot, parking space literally meets the outdoor seatings, so when the drivers park into or exit out of the parking, you get the gas smell from their exhaust for those few moments as the car engine runs. 

That aside, me and my friend agreed on a main course each and share a bowl of soup. Because it was my first time, I let my friend select the soup (plus I wasn't really that interested in soup - until it arrived, that is!). I didn't pay attention when he placed the order : Mushroom Soup served in a Bread Bowl. I figured since we're sharing then together with the soup was a bowl of bread - again not putting any more thought into how wrong that actually was! When it arrived, the 5-year-old in me popped out in awe, because the soup was literally served in a bowl made out of bread!

Mushroom Soup served in a Bread Bowl

Next to come was my main course : Cheesy Linguine in Carbonara Sauce. I love pasta, and between the common Bolognaise and Carbonara, I prefer the later because of the creamy taste that fills me up with delight! >.<!  A few minutes later came my friend's main dish : Beef Steak cooked medium. On the side was some carrots, broccoli and potato stewed in aluminium foil. 

Cheesy Linguine in Carbonara Sauce -->

<-- Beef Steak cooked to medium

I have to say I rather enjoyed myself dining at Chef at Home. On a yummy scale of 0 to 5 where 0 is blueeekkkk! yucksss!! and 5 is THAT WAS SCRUMPTIOUSLY DELIGHTFUL CAN I HAVE SECONDS AND THIRDS PLEASE??!!! I would say the soup was a 4.5, linguine carbonara a 4 and the steak a 4.5 (because I wish there was a proper salad instead of just a couple of cut carrots and broccoli). I also wished they'd be a little more creative with putting up the sign for the new location (because it is at a shoplot) to add something like Away from home! or something since they no longer operate literally from a house. Then again, my two cents on this matter does not in any way hamper quality of food and services at Chef at Home. Definitely coming back here!

Ever since it opened, I've always planted an intention to sit and try the food at Boardriders Cafe @ Sunset Avenue Plaza Merdeka, Kuching. I have to say, I was not disappointed. The other day for Iftar me and a couple of friends was able to try out one of the promotion, which as a main course, a soup and bottomless iced tea for RM 19.90 ++ (I'm sure the ++ was for any extra drinks or desserts and what not).

The list of main courses was not too overwhelming, among them was :

• Pineapple Chicken Curry with Butter Rice
• Clack Pepper Chicken Chop with Butter Rice
• Tuna Spaghetti Carbonara
• Turkey Ham and Cheese Sandwich
• Beef Pepperoni

My two good friends decided to try the Black Pepper Chicken Chop with Butter Rice. I had a bite, and boy the black pepper sauce was delicious. Not too strong, just nice. The colour and plating was nicely done, with plenty of fresh salad and tomatoes. Fortunately for me, my dear friends has a low liking towards vege so I had extra salad (which I was unable to finish in the end being too full after my own meal). 

I ordered the Tuna Spaghetti Carbonara because I am a fan of carbonara sauce. Mixed feeling here, because as much as I do enjoy it, the sauce was too thick and the tuna was too chunky to my liking. An extra spoon or two might help the dish too, I suppose. But the overall taste and presentation was delightful enough I cleaned my plate anyways (then again, a lot of people would say I clean my plate in spite of whatever). 

The three of us stayed and talked for a couple of hours over iced tea. The waiters were attentive enough to offer to refill our cups, our seat was cozy right by the window overlooking Padang Merdeka. I like how the cafe was setup to reflect the ambiance of an indoor surf joint, complete with surfboards! And for those who wants a quiet time to themselves, they even have a bar along with headphones so you can still retreat into your own world even if you forgot your earphones.

I managed to snap (and enhance here and there) a few photos. If you've never tried Boardriders Cafe before, do give it a go. I'm sure you'll fall in love instantly!

In spite of how horrible After Earth was to me, I could still recall a single line that Will Smith said to his son - "Danger is real, fear is a choice". I didn't feel I had much choice except to feel fear or scared or terrified out of my pants when watching The Conjuring! I should've backed off knowing that even my friends who are huge fans of horror movies said that it was too much for them to handle. 

Curious enough, I went with it anyways with my a couple of friends (u guys owe me a new pair of jeans!!), and for the record it wasn't on my own choice to watch it - not that I regret (too much) after watching. 

The Conjuring tells the story of the Perron Family who moved into a huge farmhouse and soon after began experiencing paranormal activities. The story was told in the perspective of Ed and Lorraine Warren, a well-known American paranormal investigator, demonologist, author and lecturer associated with prominent cases of hauntings. Lorraine, Ed's wife, was gifted with the power of clairvoyance and assisted her husband in many of the cases they investigated. 

As noted in the beginning of the movie (in crude yellow font, if I may add) the pair had investigated many paranormal cases, but none so baffling as that of the Perrons experienced. Without revealing too much of the plot, The Conjuring  took place in the year 1971, when Carolyn and Roger Perron, along with their 5 daughters, moved into a (did I say) huge old farmhouse (that was waaaayyyy too remote to my liking). The moving had no notable scene except when the dog refused to enter the house (there.. I felt I said too much already). Following the discovery of an underground cellar by one of their daughters while playing clap and hide (I'm not sure if it's clap and hide or hide and clap - if you know please clarify in comments), every other scene reveals the paranormal activities that finally lead to a possession and exorcism. 

I suppose like many of the audience in the theatre around me, the small caption based on a true story catches our attention. Regardless whether or not The Conjuring was based on a real-life event in whole or partly, as a horror movie I can safely say it probably scarred me for life (and I have a pair of ripped jeans to prove it!) The cinematography, the makeup, the sound effects, the featured songs! I remember telling my friend that I wanted the songs from the movie, now I'm not so sure anymore. 

Typical in many horror movies, based on a true event or purely fictional, every little details is exaggerated to add the element of suspense. Every creak of wood, every droplet of water, every swinging door, bark of a dog, flapping of a bird's wing, that dramatic pause, the clap of a pair of hands, plays the audience's emotion. Questions after questions after questions popped into my mind - why didn't the dog enter the house? why was the cellar boarded up? that box of match on the stairs, what was it's significance? (demmit, I'm actually getting goosebumps remembering the scenes!!!)

Avid movie goers who happens to enjoy a good scare out of a movie every once in a while would probably jump to the fact that this movie was rated R (Restricted) by the MPAA (Motion Pictures Association of America). What it basically means is that children under 17 (wth? that was in their website - under 17's are children?) must be accompanied by parent or adult. (I thought I saw a couple of parents bringing their children probably under 10).

Producer Walter Hamada revealed that the given rating was not because of the usual blood and gore, offensive language, sex scenes or other usual offenders, but rather :

"When we sent it [to MPAA], they gave us the R-rating. When we asked them why, they basically said, ‘It’s just so scary. [There are] no specific scenes or tone you could take out to get it PG-13."

Director James Wan (as pointed out by Anonymous in the comments, is Kuching born) who also happens to bring about the success of Saw and Insidious added that the rating

“[Is] a testament to the studio for not f*cking with the film. It works and they are sticking to it and I’m very thankful for that.“

Surprisingly, the ending almost brought tears to my eyes as the exorcism began to fail. The director managed to capture an emotional essence of the Perrons experience not only the horrible ones but also the aspiring as well. Yet again, without revealing too much, I'm gonna leave you with some of the scenes to be anticipated in The Conjuring (not necessarily in order of appearance) - Locket, Matchbox, Wardrobe, Clapping, Dog, Birds, Clothline and linens, cellar. 

Ps : I'm almost certain my jeans ripped more and more at each and every scene - talk about being scared out of your pants! 

"Make new friends but keep the old, 

for these are silver and those are gold."

I'm not sure who came up with that quote, but it is one that I stood by. 10 years passed since I left secondary school. Some of my friends I haven't met since. Some kept in touch, and some are still best friends even.. no, especially after all these years. We're grown up men and women now, and lots of us are married and having kids. Blink after blink, lo and behold we're all uncles and aunties now. 

Along with the Ramadhan comes the annual gathering of friends. This year was no exception. It's as if a preliminary gathering in the breaking of fast, when come Aidilfitri a much bigger gathering is bound to happen. Even those who could not make it was mentioned and kept close to heart in best wishes. I find myself reminiscing on my bullies whom have grown into gentlemens with their wife and kids. Hatchets are buried, water under the bridge. Now we laugh at our silliness, not only in primary and secondary school, but also in the recent years when gatherings would occur and stories were exchanged. Truly, friendship, like gold, grows in value over time. 

Well - I'm gonna go on a limb here and post in my native language. 

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Malam tadik dapat jwak melepas rindu melepak ngan geng-geng skolah dolok. Ngembak sungkei, bukak posa.. lepak kejap, kak ya kt pulang, kata dirik nya tek... cek cek kol 10 jwak baruk angkat. Nak molah cerita kali nak? hahaha! 

Tok lah tempat bersejarah tahun tok. Makanan nang superb. Location cun (kat Greenroad, sebelah Cotton Button, Lock Ann.. sik jauh dari Celcom Center lamak). Urang pun sik rami - ka nang khas direserve k kita bekuku-kakah? hahaha! Aku sik ingat bila last ku tetak serenggak nyawa kedak malam tadik. 

Banyak di-order kmk org k makan. Badan yang datang 7 orang (plus a little girl and a baby yang sangat-sangat comel) tapi order bagei makan 10 orang. Ney gik dengan jagung susu ngan ABD gik. Tapi, nyaman senyaman-nyamannya. Aku yang alergik ngan seafood, boleh makan sampei 7 8 ekor udang (undang bak kata member sorang. Hahaha!) Besar-besar gik ya! Dalam banyak-banyak ya tek, center dishes adalah :

Daging Celebrity	Butter Prawn
Tom Yam

Geng-geng seperti biasa sangat kuku-kakah. Oleh kerana aku pun lamak dah sik melepak ngan geng-geng tok, banyak cerita yang miss. Tp sidak seperti biasa sangat sporting beguro-bersenda macam dolok marek. nang rioh la. Best jwak bila ada nembiak k ngalih cerita. Dapat tauk ada yang nak kawen dah ujong tahun tok. So next year, ada harapan la bilangan berganda-ganda.. Aku doa semoga dipermudahkan urusan ktk orang semua, amin.. 

Tok baruk preliminary round kata orang.. Tunggu raya kelak, in sya Allah, kita berkumpol rami-rami gik. ok?

if I could teach you how to fly

or bake an elderly pie

if I could turn sidewalks into stars

or play new song on an old guitar

or if I knew the way to heaven

the names of night, the taste of seven

and owned them all to keep or lend - 

would you come and be my friend?

You cannot teach me how to fly

I love the berries, not the pie

the sidewalks are for walking on

and an old guitar has just one song

the names of night cannot be known

the way to heaven cannot be shown

you cannot keep, you cannot lend

but I still want you for a friend

~ Dennis Lee ~

Around the corner I have a friend

in this great city that has no end

yet days go by and weeks rush on

before I know it a year is gone

And I never saw my old friend's face

for life is a swift and terrible race

He knows I like him just as well

as in the days I rang his bell

And he rang mine, but we were younger then

now we're busy, tired men

Tired of playing foolish games

Tired of trying to make a name

"Tomorrow," I said, "I'll call on Jim!"

"Just to let him know I was thinking of him,"

yet tomorrow came and tomorrow goes

the distance between us grows and grows

Around the corner, yet miles away

"Here's a telegram, sir. Jim died today."

And that's what we get and deserve in the end

Around the corner, a vanished friend

~ Charles Hanson Towne ~