Winking at Life

Flaming Waste!

Daoist (Taoist) symbols carved in stone: yin-yang and animals of the Chinese zodiac. Qingyanggong temple, Chengdu, Sichuan, China. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The northern tip of Borneo at Tanjung Simpang Mengayau. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Waste! Waste! Waste! Really puts chilli in my mouth. Temperature rises and I definitely see red. Chinese New Year is just a week or so away. There’ll be more waste again. It was an article in the newspapers this morning that set me off. Continue reading “Flaming Waste!”

Talking Back – Listen, listen, listen!

English: Wee Meng Chee (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

After my last post about the changing images of youth, I apologize for entertaining rather middle-aged thoughts about them, but am quite happy that they, in their exuberance, proved me completely wrong. Thanks, to my favorite niece, who opened the window on youth thinking, wide for me to have a good look outside. Continue reading “Talking Back – Listen, listen, listen!”

Batang Kali – Exhuming a Buried Massacre

High Court of Justice - Londres - Inglaterra — High Court of Justice – Londres – Inglaterra (Photo credit: Dubes)

The taxi from the Penang Sungai Nibong Express Coach Terminus arrived at my Mum’s gate at 10.30pm yesterday. This was a return from one of my trips to Kuala Lumpur, for this year. It was a talk at the Bar Council in KL that drew me to make this trip, especially to listen to two British human rights lawyers who are now acting for the living relatives of 24 victims of a massacre by British Scots Guards in Batang Kali, Selangor, during the 1948 Malayan Emergency. Continue reading “Batang Kali – Exhuming a Buried Massacre”

Sorry for the Silence

Dear Readers,

I realized that I’ve kept you waiting too long over the Holiday Season and am very sorry. Some of you may have waited eagerly and were disappointed with my lack of response. Continue reading “Sorry for the Silence”

About Jasmine Tea

About Jasmine Tea.

Changing Images – Youthful Protests

Image representing iPad as depicted in CrunchBase — Image via CrunchBase

Image representing iPhone as depicted in Crunc... — Image via CrunchBase

American Idol (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Discussing the mysteries of youth today with friends, most of whom are middle-aged or on that threshold, it dawned on us that the images of youth, inherited from our childhoods in the 1950’s and 60’s have undergone a vast change.

Continue reading “Changing Images – Youthful Protests”

“And the Band Played On…”

Cover of "Gone with the Wind" — Cover of Gone with the Wind

I was watching a 2011 episode of “Project Accessories”, and this week there were two designers eliminated from the race. One of the eliminated designers, when asked what her gut reaction was, shrugged with these parting words, “Life goes on …the show must go on…” she would continue to create and express herself through her accessory designs. Continue reading ““And the Band Played On…””

Spare Them a Thought, It’s Christmas!

Warrington, Cheshire, England, two weeks before Christmas 1993. It is the usual awful buying frenzy that dogs every Christmas. Crowds of shoppers rushing around in the town square, dashing into Boots, Marks & Spencers, Littlewoods, C&A, WH Smith etc. Jon and I are caught up in this commercial frenzy and even have to fight off other shoppers grabbing stuff on the shelves in the middle-end high street shops. Imagine this is Christmas! Continue reading “Spare Them a Thought, It’s Christmas!”

TV Frustrations

When it comes to television programs on mainstream TV channels in Malaysia, it can only be described as a job put in the hands of non-professionals with nil in the commonsense department. For starters, prime time television around 6pm to about 10pm (give or take) is filled with talk shows, game shows, food shows and repeats of old serials from the 1990s, interspersed with news bulletins (in 4 languages). Continue reading “TV Frustrations”

Round Peg in a Square Hole

Some times, when I feel a bit off colour, many things go through my mind. Still, I guess it is natural for one to feel the pressure, especially on a low, not a high. I’m quite a solitary animal and tend to move independently, and as I wish. Yet, the pressure comes from the feeling that there are expectations to meet. All of us are certainly aware of expectations we have to live up to daily. As my readers, you probably have your own expectations of this blog too. Continue reading “Round Peg in a Square Hole”