Today's Post is special -- it's supposed to occupy Desi's Sunday rumination, but a writer always makes exceptions to acomoodate changing circumstance and news breaks, so treat the following as a week-day (IF DDC were used, it would read weak-dae, but I refrain) bonus. This is slight compensation from this generous host (if DDC: hoRst:) for employess who only got a month-bonus when they were expecting sexy six, last Christmas from their hardcore-socialist-turned-capitalist bosses.
As starters, mGf Sdr capitalist ChooNC who inspired -- or is it instigated? -- my initiation into the Pu-erh Tea Ceremony, hence the TOP BANNER AD, which another mGf maverick -- from wolfish koala lumpuh,that's why! -- discerningly asked: Is this Adverising or Desi's product? To both,my answer is "Nyet!". And trust me,this Blogsite remains non-profit making, unless you count sipping down hundred-ringit pue-rh a session as payment. For this I don't apologise for in 2008, as I wish of all myGOoDfriends like Mave (who flags off in Comment he's getting olde --he speaketh in tongue-in-cheek sometimes, meaning the contrary, Desi can read his mined, oh mine! -- Howsy (MIA Anak Merdeka) and Helen; Sabrina, TwistedHeels aka Cystal (the aforeeaaid duo I term as Da Twins from the Oriental Pearl), Kyels, Primsrose, Imran, Johnleemk, Nat Tan and Polytikus and Mob1900, olde hands et al -- newer hands like MosesFoo, ChrisNg, "V" et cetera, please feel free to add onto the list. (If I left out any nama, don't feel offended as inclusion would surely have its risks, like being trailed by a SpecialBrunch when you adjourn to mazey, hazey Furong for Hi-Tea with a funny-looking but lacking the IQ Einstein-double by Lingam's!
ByTheWay (BTW), which means in passing, the Design and Layout for bluechippuerhtea.com is by mGf Blogger hosting @mei0305.blogspot.com who is working hard on the Chinese version. Thanks, Mei, a million sips. Sdr Choo adds another million! The English contents were worked in by Desi-YLChong, in his capacity as f'eelanz writer.
Okay, rumination proper starts here, with a strange story-taeler's email received just only:
____________________ Act 1 ___________________
An elder Cherokee Native American was teaching his grandchildren about life. He said to them, “A fight is going on inside me...It is a terrible fight, and it is between two wolves. One wolf represents fear, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, pride and superiority. The other wolf stands for joy, peace, love, hope, sharing, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, friendship, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. This same fight is going on inside of you and every other person too.”
They thought about it for a minute and then one child asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?” The old Cherokee simply replied… “The one I feed.”
****************** Act 2 *********************
Recently the Catholic community, especially fellow Blogger Bernrad Khoo @zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com, were quite worked up when a certain nincompoop of a deputy minister, acting bee-sy like his sleepy-eyed CEO, sent a letter informing that the permit for their official newsletter "The Herald" might not be renewed for 2008 because it had a Bahasa Malaysia section, and that they had been using the word "ALLAH" for reference to "God". The rationale is that the term "Allah" is for exclusive use by the Muslims only.
Then confusing signals were reported -- some media reported the permit was happily renewed with nonew conditions in place. It was a sigh of relief for most people, UNTIL A FEW DAYS LATER THE PRIME MINSTER DID STATE OFFICIALLY THE BAN ON THE USE OF THE TERM "ALLAH" WAS INDEED STILL IN FORCE, AS WAS AGREED TO BY HIS CABINET FOR SOME TIME NOW. Malaysians have gotten used to the habit of being confused. After the Dr Chua SL's incident/expose/exposure, I was inclined to sue the term "cuntfused", by mGf Mave says this term is for the exclsuive use of young adults like him, Dsi and Howsy when visiting Malacca and Furong where the residents are ore civilised and well behaved. We do not sned out Mad Skodeng squads or make China dolls squat for a living.
The MCAA has in fact taken over from te UMNO gons the task of moral policing and the first victim was from their own flock, former Hell Minister -- oops, Health Minister! -- Dr Chua SoiLek. But it's okay with UMNO strongmen gallivanting at Port DICKson with their own D*** inserted in a hole not in Joehole. NS is a forgifting state of affairs.If Desi's speaking-in-tongue does not get you, please reference the host of allofhelen.blogspot.com -- she's from Perak, who is another civilised state -- for adVICE!
Back from digression, here's stealing from the NST, two snippets for superimposing, the texts okay, not the writers!
Page 12:
Khairy:
Stop
saying
'Indon'
Page 23:
(from columnist KOH LAY CHIN)
Thankfully for the rest of us, we can
still start and end our years hoping to
inspire a reaction that won't be:
"Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn."
****************** Act 3 Last (if DDC, Lust) ******************
Dear EsteemedReaders, please come back after long lunch, okay, for now Desi adjourns to Lingam's for nice curries. Brothers Moses, Mave and "V", Art thou kambing4?'Man shalt not live on air, water and sunshine alone.' I heard that line before, so I follow as an obedient childe.
PS: I don't get paid for that BANNER AD (see TOP OF PAGE!), neither for promoting Lingam's, maybe the boss' wife puts larger portions of the goat and chick into my plate-lah!:)
RESUMED: 2.47pm:
Warning1: This last scene may be a Movie spoiler for those who have yet to see "ATONEMENT" -- my first film outing for 2008, and if you are into young love, frienship, betrayal and repentance and punishment, go spend RM10 at the cinetheque nearest thee -- at least it inspired desi to reflect on a serious subject which I seldom blog about, but today I make an exception.
Warning2: I am no expert on the subject of Religion, so if I make any mistake, it's due to my limited knowledge, not any intention to mislead anyone, or to hold a position of "Holier than thou", or even trying to poke my nose into my neighbour's salvation. This rumination is to put into writing my innermost thoughts invooked by watching a movie worth every sen(SE) of its investment at Mid-Valley GSC Yesterday, -- Yes, when all my troubles seemed so far away:) -- Taking care of my own salvation is more than a challenging task and ongoing life-endeavour, so I shan't take on any brother's/sister's added burden or quest for Truth or Salvation. If Salvation is among your Life's desiderata.truth, all Desi can say is "It's between only you and thy Maker." May GOD the Almighty or Allah The Benvolent guide us all in His wisdom. Amen/Amin.
ATONEMENT
Okay, the movie first:
Joe Wright, the BAFTA Award-winning director of Pride & Prejudice, has reunited with his filmmaking team and his Academy Award-nominated actress, Keira Knightley, for another classic British romance,
Based on a romance novel, “Atonement”, by Ian McEwans, with screenplay written by Christopher Hampton (Academy Award winner for Dangerous Liaisons) , and it was an idyllic setting at the posh residentce of the Tallis', and if humans behaved themselves, life would have been heavenly and serenely happy for every player. But humans do have failings -- like you and Desi.
It was a warm summer night where the housekeeper's son,Robbie Turner (actd superbly by James McAvoy)who was hitting it off with the rich Tallis' elder daughter Cecilia (acted by Kiera Knightly) had their world torn upside down because Cecilia's younger sister Briony (acted ***initially by Saoirse Ronan, precociously imaginative writer (a little like Des in his schooldays!:) was also head-over-heels-quietly-in-love with hgh IQ-ed aspiring doctor Robbie.
An yet-to-bloom Briony saw sister Cecilia fully-bloomed "making out" (hey, don't expect Desi to spell out the steamy action, go see the movie, okay!) with Robbie in the library, and she was more than heart-broken. Later that evening, while the many guests went to look for two restless young brothers who "went missing", Briony stumbled upon another "couple" making out in the dark bushes, and on her approach, the man ran off. The pretty young gal, another yet-to-bloom, confided to Briony that it was "Robbie" who had spoiled her forcefully. With her earlier sighting of Robbie "attacking" her sister, Briony-at-13 testified to her parents and police that she indeed saw "Robbie" doing it with the young gal (the sister to the "missing" boys.)
Thanks to Briony's testimony, Robbie was taken away by the police, despite his heroic return with the two "missing" boys. "stead of a wrm welcome back, the residents at Tallis' greeted him with cold, stabbling stares. Only Cecilia declared undying faith in her young lover, Robbie, that he was an innocent victim of lies told by young minds, and willing accomplices.
*** As the film's story spans several decades, starting in 1935, when Briony was just 13 years old, the part was variously acted by other actresses Desi could not identify. In gist, Briony continues to seek forgiveness for her childhood misdeed. Through a terrible and courageous act of imagination, she finds the path to her uncertain atonement, and to an understanding of the power of enduring love.
DESIDERATA: I now venture into territory I seldom step into, and it's just one man's (DesiderataYL Chong's) viewpoint, please you can beg to disagree along Voltaire's spirit, but remember at the end of the day, there's no absolute right or wrong in matters of the spirit. There's right or wrong -- hence guilt and innocence - in matters of the heart. Both the issues of two distinct Realms are at the heart of ATONEMENT.
******* Epilogue: My Personal Spiritual Journey *******
Writen with trepidation but inspired by my constant counsellor, Mr Coww, to whom I owe an immense debt, and I continue to regard as my Mentor.
As mentioned a few times in my almost three years old blog, I was brought up in a Christian environment and tradition from aged 10. My little understanding about being a follower of the Christian faith, t's Aceptance of Jesus Christ as my Savour based on the belief that all men/women are born Sinners. And that Christ died on the cross as the Ultimate Act of Atonement for Man's sins.
I have had struggles with the Two Wolves depicted in the olde Cherokee's story for his grandchildren. Do you?To this day, I still do.
And if my children or nieces or nephews ask me “Which wolf will win?”, I would borrow from the old Cherokee's simple and forward repl -- “The one I feed.”
Plunged into the real world of working as a journalist for some 25 years, I must admit I grew up a pretty "liberal" Christian (Definition of 'liberalism' is left to my Esteemed Readers' imagination, it's just that I'm not a flaming promoter of that credo: Believe in Christ as your Saviour, or you will burn in the lake of fire-and-brimstone-type Hell for non-believers! In fact, I am liberal to the extent that I would tell my ER: If thou avow tjou art a Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Christian, just be a GOoD Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or Christian respectively.
And the Good Earth will remain a GOoD place for all Homo sapiens members,born with ineherent good and bad traits. I'd like to believe my bddies interacting with me are GOD-fearing humans with a touch of humanity towards his/her fellow kind. May God/Allah Bless All God-fearing Malaysians. Amen/Amin.
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UPDATEd on Thursday, 10 Jan 2008 @5.49pm, for RUMINATION:
Today being Awal Muharram holiday marking the beginning of a new year 1429 in the Muslim calendar,
Desi wishes all my Muslim readers "Happy and Progressive New Year!"
I surfed to Raja Petra's blog and sighted an article which is suitable for reflection on this auspicious occasion.
The article is by his Guest columnist Farish Noor, and I suggest my ER visit malaysia-today.net for the full account. Here are the two closing paragraphs of:
The A, B and C of God
With such a rich and complex history that points to an obvious understanding that the word 'Allah' is merely a symbol or sign and not the thing itself, why is it that the Muslims of Malaysia still demonstrate an understanding of normative Islam that is not only shallow, but also parochial and exclusive? To suggest that the word 'Allah' can only be used by Muslims as some of Malaysia's leaders have done would suggest that God requires a copyright, and that God would not be understood if you cannot get its name right.
Yet Islam, if it is to be the universal religion that it is, does not need an official language or uniform. Nor does it need to claim copyright to universal signifiers that are, after all, part of the common currency of public language. Once again, despite claims to being a 'moderate' Islamic state, the Malaysian government (or rather some of its leaders) have demonstrated a third-rate understanding of the subjects they are wont to prattle about. That this doesn’t say much about their understanding of Islam, linguistics and philosophy is bad enough; but worse still is how this reflects on Malaysia's vainglorious ambition to present itself as a model Muslim state for others to follow. Perhaps the leaders of the country should get back to the basics, and focus more on the A, B, Cs of Islam once again…
Dr. Farish A. Noor is a Malaysian political scientist and historian based at the Zentrum Moderner Orient, Berlin; and one of the founders of the www.othermalaysia.org research site.
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