Bahasa Melayu or Bahasa Malaysia?

Utaya Sankar was pretty upset when “Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP)” didn’t allow him to use the word “Bahasa Malaysia”. I think I know the DBP’s reason and personally, I don’t agree to change the word Bahasa Melayu (Malay Language) to Bahasa Malaysia (Malaysian Language). I think it is wrong to change the name because that is the proper name of the Language. Just like we wouldn’t think of changing the word English to any other names such as American, Australian, or New Zealander, although English is also spoken in those 3 countries. However, people accept the terms American English, Australian English, etc. I think it’s acceptable if we call it Malaysian Malay, as oppose to Indonesian Malay etc. The Malay Language has been used by the Malays as their main language to communicate long before the arrival of the Indian and Chinese Malaysians. Why do we have to change the term Malay Language just because it is now spoken by races other than Malay people?

New Look, Old Joint

Very Attractive Decorative Batik

It is a great welcome to our café which opened yesterday after staying dormant for a few months. I have been working for more than a decade at this College but this is the first time I see our café being decently decorated. The new operator has put in a lot of effort to make the place look attractive and inviting. I was pleasantly surprised to see that he even put up big mirrors above the sink areas. That was never in existence before! So now we don’t have to worry about walking around with morsels of rice at the corner of our mouth or having a tiny piece of red chili pepper stuck in between our teeth! Usually I would go off campus to have my breakfast but for the past 2 days in a row I found myself voluntarily walking to the café. I just hope that the operator will continue his enthusiasm throughout his contract. Only time will tell.

Nice skirting for the tables. Just hope that customers will not use 'em to wipe their hands

Even the columns are decorated!

The staff lounge

Check out that big mirror! I hope these sinks will not get clogged.

The look of a very satisfied customer...:)

Very practical, students don't have to stand in line waiting for someone to make their drink. All is readily available

Even the burger stalls look cheerful!

Writing Travel Pieces Workshop

I would love to be a writer someday. When I saw an advertisement in the NST about the workshop called Writing Travel Pieces, I signed up to attend. The workshop was conducted for 2 days, on July 4 and 5. There were 39 aspiring writers who attended the session. We were lucky to have a very knowledgeable and experienced facilitator named Padma. The guess speaker was Putri Zanina. There was an article written on the workshop in the Monday NST.

An NST article written about the workshop (Monday July 6)

The first day we covered the following topics:

• What it takes to be a travel writer,
• Writing travel stories
• Tips on effective travel writing,
• Travel photography,
• Getting published, and
• What editors look for in articles

A field trip to China Town was scheduled for the second day and we got to choose one of the three subjects to write on: the Central Market (CM), shop houses near or around Central Market, or the Sze Ya Temple. We were paired together to work on the assignment and my partner was Maimun, a lady from Johore.

We took lots of pictures, observed the activities in and around CM, and interviewed a few shop owners. I took the opportunity to visit the Temple although I was not writing about it. It was a really nice experience because that was the first time I entered a Buddhist temple.
The field trip lasted for 3 hours. When we got back to the “class room” we had to produce our story based on what we have learned. The stress level was high. It felt like I was taking an exam! We were given a certificate of attendance before we took a group photo.

We gained a lot of knowledge and useful tips on writing travel pieces but my most favorite tips are “leave your temper at home and take your sense of humor with you” when we go traveling. We were also told to “fire on our five senses – sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound” in order to be a great writer. As usual it was hard to say goodbyes to all my newly acquainted writers wannabes. We exchanged phone numbers and email addresses. I have contacted a few of them, some responded and others kept silent. Oh well, I guess they are busy with other things, or they were out of credits.

Pictures of my newly met friends

Hmm... This is no ordinary friend

Below are some of the friendliest and very helpful NST personnel

Mini Reunion at Treehouse Restaurant

My friends and I at the Treehouse Restaurant

My friend's children

Every once in a while I get the opportunity to go to KL. When I do, I would try to get together with my old high school friends or my former roommates at university. Last Friday (3 July) I took a 6.30pm bus to KL to attend a writing workshop at the New Straits Times Training Center. I arrived in KL around 10.30pm and my friend Zid and her husband came to get me at PUDU bus station and took me to their home in Wangsa Maju. The next morning my friend gave me a ride to the LRT station near her house and I took the train to the workshop. My friend also had a seminar to attend to so we would only see each other again in the late evening. That night (4 July) we went to the Treehouse Restaurant in Damansara Uptown. On the way to the restaurant, we stopped at another restaurant at Taman Titiwangsa to meet with my friend Zid’s husband’s relatives who are having some kind of celebration. Zid told me the Treehouse Restaurant is owned by our high school junior, Zadil. Eight of us got together that night and we stayed up until 2 am! I was too sleepy to do my writing assignment by the time I arrived at my other friend’s home in PJ. It was really great meeting my friends again – some of them anyway.

“Ramah Mesra” with Dato Seri Idris Jusuh

My friends Has, Aniz, and Kamal

Dato' Seri and I

En Halim Muda, Dato' Seri Idris Jusuh and .. (a person I don't know)

Wow, I got an invitation to have dinner at M.S. Garden Hotel last night! The occasion? To meet with Dato’ Seri Idris Jusuh, MARA Chairman. Six other staff from my college were also invited. The ceremony was supposed to start at 8pm. Luckily the College provided a transportation, otherwise, I would have a tough time being punctual because Magrib prayer is late these days. Anyway we all got there on time and we had a nice dinner. After the ceremony was over, everyone followed the guest of honor to the entrance of the Hotel to bid him good bye. As I stood there trying to take Dato Seri’s photo, he offered me to stand next to him and take our photo together! He asked a man who was standing nearby to snap the picture. What a night!