Seri Langkat Kuala Tungkal, amboi Seri Langkat Kuala Tungkal, oh my Padi pulut enak rasanya, sayang Glutinous rice it’s so delicious, my love Kalaulah kail, kalaulah kail panjang sejengkal If one’s fishing line, if one’s fishing line can only go so long Janganlah laut hendak diduga Don’t even think of challenging… [Read more…]
December 24, 2009
This video features the song Joget Tari Lenggang (Swaying Dance Joget), also known as Joget Pahang, named after the state in Peninsula Malaysia famous for huge swathes of the oldest rainforest in the world (yes, we Malaysians and our never-ending quest for Guinness book glory). Joget is a popular dance tracing its roots back to… [Read more…]
December 19, 2009
In the second part of what I hope will be a continuing series featuring traditional Malay tunes, I’ve picked another ghazal song by the King of Gambus the late Fadzil Ahmad. Dia Datang, which literally translates into She Comes or She Arrives, is commonly played at Malay wedding receptions just as the bride and groom… [Read more…]
December 19, 2009
I’ve always been fascinated by Malay folksongs, and the ghazal, a love-poem, is arguably one of the most spirited and uplifting of the various genres of Malay musical traditions. Borrowing from Middle Eastern and Persian influences, the ghazal is an auditory reminder of the strong cultural links between the Malay world and the Middle East… [Read more…]
December 16, 2009
I would be the least likely person to support Barack Obama. Well, that’s an outright lie. I could think of several other persons less likely to support him – Republican fat cats nervous about paying more tax, Confederates of the Deep South still bearing (or inflicting) the scars of Segregation, the extremists living along the… [Read more…]
December 12, 2009
My previous diatribe on France (written with love, of course) where I segued into discussing the French national motto and its relevance on contemporary French society got me thinking about the Malaysian equivalent (I would’ve also pondered on the Australian motto but as far as I know Australia hasn’t got one). Truth be told I’ve… [Read more…]
December 10, 2009
Visiting Paris as a teenager many blurry years ago, my first impression of the French was hardly positive. Arriving at the Gare du Nord from London’s St Pancras train station, we carried our luggage and tried our luck as one after another taxi driver shook their head, with lips pouted down, as they refused to… [Read more…]
December 1, 2009
It is ironic – even bemusing, were it not so tragic – that the ‘direct democracy’ Swiss voters employed to ban the construction of new minarets has now brought the country closer in line with autocratic regimes such as China, Saudi Arabia and Sudan, in their persistence in restricting religious and cultural freedoms of their… [Read more…]
December 27, 2009
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