Chartering a weak week.
It’s a funny feeling that you have when you realise that you have spent one whole week without any result or changes in your life, no added experience but just routine. A sort of a day to day routine. This happens to me this week.
Coming back to Kuantan from Kuala Lumpur (KL) on Thursday last week, and then having to do routine work on Friday followed by going back to the kampong on Saturday for my wife’s male cousion wedding; more of a homecoming ceremony really as he had already been married in KL last weekend. Actually about 3 months ago his sister got married and now its his turn, same family same house similar occasion except of course a different couple. That is why sometime I wonder about the economics of a Malay wedding. But again if the family is rich why not, just spend when you have a lot of money to spend. Have a big party.
In reality a Malay wedding in a kampong does not cost so much money, as most work are done by the kampong folks on a voluntary basis, so of you scratch my back and I scratch yours. You only have to be good to them, respect them, have proper meetings with them, use the kampong headman as the leader, give them things to eat when they come for meetings, provide them meals when they work, and you volunteer when others have weddings for their children (or even themselves), then you are all set to have a big feast for least cost.
Where do you hire the equipment such as tents, tables and chairs? And cooking utensils, spoons and forks?. In most kampong they have the mosque committee (it’s a common kampong assets really) who have these equipment for hire. So you hire from them, and they do everything for you. The kampong folks not just the mosque committee.
On that Thursday on the way back to Kuantan, watching them working to erect tents for the feast, I observe that most of the folks who came were old men, mostly above 50 years old. Where have all the young men gone? Don’t the young men in the village help? And on the Saturday evening when they were cooking for the feast I observed that there were a lot of women, not young women really, most are middle aged. Again where have all the young girls gone? I mean don’t they all want to learn how to manage a wedding feast in the kampong when all the old folks have died? I suppose when the old folks die then the next generation will just say, “Lets take catering for all our weddings and gatherings feasts”. It will be very costly really really; I understand that in KL its costs about RM 15.00 per head (USD 1.00 = RM 3.80) to cater for a wedding feast. Of course the caterer will provide food, tents and all. Imagine if you are expecting 1500 guest you will be paying about RM22,500.00 whereas by the old kampong folks volunteer method you will probably just have to spend about RM 10,000.00 for all the gatherings food etc etc. I suppose the young may consider the expensive cost as money well spent, people just come to eat and go away. In reality this is not to my mind the best way, people get together from the beginning of the preparation to the cooking, eating and washing and the dismantling of equipment make people get more close together. A kampong comradeship. I don’t suppose the young will agree with me, the worlds has become so commercialised now and people are distancing themselves from each other and everybody wants everything ‘instant’.
And the beauty about such a gathering is that all the relatives far and near get invited and they all came. A sort of family get together as well. And when they have the same ceremony and feast later at their places then all the relatives and friends get invited again, renewing relationships and friendships.
It so happens that during this time there is the fruit season in the kampong so we had a lot of durians, rambutans and mangosteen being served, or just go to the orchard and you can have your fill. And children also enjoyed themselves by climbing these fruit trees, picking up fruits and also fishing (under supervision) in the fish ponds nearby. A happy occasion really. In the end everybody was exhausted, but it was worth it.
In that kampong even though we had had a good time at the wedding feast but unfortunately 2 of the neighbouring houses have very sick people in them. One had had a heart bypass surgery about 2 year ago but is now suffering in addition from kidney failure ailment. So he is on a dialysis machine. Another is suffering from advance cancer of the stomach,. He underwent a surgery about 1 year ago, but have failed to follow up his regular chemo sessions. Now I think the cancer is quite advanced. I felt a bit awkward really when there we were making merry at the wedding but 2 neighbouring houses have very sick old people in them. But I suppose life has to go on.
The one thing about the kampong, its weather had been quite pleasant when we were having the feast. Its cool and misty in the morning, felt the chill sometime. There are a lot of trees in the kampong unlike in KL where there are fewer trees and more concrete buildings, and where the temperature is always about the 90s (F that is) in the morning and may reach 100 in the day time. In the kampong the temperature may go as low as the 70s in the morning and where in the afternoon it may be as high as 90s. And the temperature in Kuantan (where I am now) at this time of the year is between low 70s in the morning and low 90s in the afternoon. Not bad really, but bear in mind that Kuantan is a coastal town.
The week of 1st July 2005 also brings in something new. Effectively, Malaysian Government servants start to work on a 5 day week. The working hours is from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm. (It was earlier reported in a local press as 7.30 am to 4.30 pm). I suppose many Government servants will be late for office, traffic jam, sending children to school (spouses to other offices) and whatever excuse they have. But who cares, the public will not be seeing them until about 9.00 am at the earliest. In reality the Government servants will spend more time in the office on a working day but least time for real effective work. But Government servants being Government servants, who cares. But doesn’t the Government care?
I must say that this week also bring its excitement. Before the week, an MP (in the Malaysian Parliament) brought into the debate the case of kas-kas or poppy seed used in Indian curry. Some says its addictive, while others say its not. But for me now I know why I find Indian curry very tasty, they must have used a lot of kas-kas or poppy seeds in them. So be aware. What is kas-kas? Its scientific name is papaver somniferum.
The other subject that makes the news is AP or Approved Permits. These are permits issued by the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade for people to import cars assembled overseas for sales in Malaysia. Who do the Government give these APs to? Not many people really know who, and the Minister herself won’t speak. She only mention about Tabib M son getting an AP to import a very expensive car. And as for the rest, we Malaysian still do not know. We have an idea though (Malaysians are not stupid, though some people think that we are stupid and still keep us all in the dark over things like this AP business). Why is AP so much in demand? Its because you can make a lot of money!. You can make as much as a 600% profit by selling a foreign assembled car in this country. People might argue about the profit margin though but according to some reliable(?) some sources you can never make less than 100 % profit, deducting all expenses. So if you get some APs you can be rest assured that you will be living a very comfortable life until you leave this earth. Probably continue on to your children and your grand children.
And Malaysia moral value is another area if interest, and spoke about quite often. Many Muslims are caught being in close proximity (in houses, rooms or even unlighted public areas – day or night - ) with their lovers, or the opposite sex who may not even be lovers, probably casual friends. The Muslim Religious Department goes all out to maintain the moral of Muslim Malaysians. But the funny part is that they maintain good sexual moral on close proximity but many Muslims still gamble at Magnum shops and 4D shops. What is 4D? Well its just a forecast of some numbers that comes periodically after a horse race or something. I do not know much really for I do not play the Magnum or the 4D.
I suppose this dull week (or a weak week) or similar will go on and on until I do not know when. Sometime the period can be exciting, especially when you have to face some unexpected challenges in life, for example when people pay you late for your services and you have to juggle you cash flow.
Only God knows of the future.
Coming back to Kuantan from Kuala Lumpur (KL) on Thursday last week, and then having to do routine work on Friday followed by going back to the kampong on Saturday for my wife’s male cousion wedding; more of a homecoming ceremony really as he had already been married in KL last weekend. Actually about 3 months ago his sister got married and now its his turn, same family same house similar occasion except of course a different couple. That is why sometime I wonder about the economics of a Malay wedding. But again if the family is rich why not, just spend when you have a lot of money to spend. Have a big party.
In reality a Malay wedding in a kampong does not cost so much money, as most work are done by the kampong folks on a voluntary basis, so of you scratch my back and I scratch yours. You only have to be good to them, respect them, have proper meetings with them, use the kampong headman as the leader, give them things to eat when they come for meetings, provide them meals when they work, and you volunteer when others have weddings for their children (or even themselves), then you are all set to have a big feast for least cost.
Where do you hire the equipment such as tents, tables and chairs? And cooking utensils, spoons and forks?. In most kampong they have the mosque committee (it’s a common kampong assets really) who have these equipment for hire. So you hire from them, and they do everything for you. The kampong folks not just the mosque committee.
On that Thursday on the way back to Kuantan, watching them working to erect tents for the feast, I observe that most of the folks who came were old men, mostly above 50 years old. Where have all the young men gone? Don’t the young men in the village help? And on the Saturday evening when they were cooking for the feast I observed that there were a lot of women, not young women really, most are middle aged. Again where have all the young girls gone? I mean don’t they all want to learn how to manage a wedding feast in the kampong when all the old folks have died? I suppose when the old folks die then the next generation will just say, “Lets take catering for all our weddings and gatherings feasts”. It will be very costly really really; I understand that in KL its costs about RM 15.00 per head (USD 1.00 = RM 3.80) to cater for a wedding feast. Of course the caterer will provide food, tents and all. Imagine if you are expecting 1500 guest you will be paying about RM22,500.00 whereas by the old kampong folks volunteer method you will probably just have to spend about RM 10,000.00 for all the gatherings food etc etc. I suppose the young may consider the expensive cost as money well spent, people just come to eat and go away. In reality this is not to my mind the best way, people get together from the beginning of the preparation to the cooking, eating and washing and the dismantling of equipment make people get more close together. A kampong comradeship. I don’t suppose the young will agree with me, the worlds has become so commercialised now and people are distancing themselves from each other and everybody wants everything ‘instant’.
And the beauty about such a gathering is that all the relatives far and near get invited and they all came. A sort of family get together as well. And when they have the same ceremony and feast later at their places then all the relatives and friends get invited again, renewing relationships and friendships.
It so happens that during this time there is the fruit season in the kampong so we had a lot of durians, rambutans and mangosteen being served, or just go to the orchard and you can have your fill. And children also enjoyed themselves by climbing these fruit trees, picking up fruits and also fishing (under supervision) in the fish ponds nearby. A happy occasion really. In the end everybody was exhausted, but it was worth it.
In that kampong even though we had had a good time at the wedding feast but unfortunately 2 of the neighbouring houses have very sick people in them. One had had a heart bypass surgery about 2 year ago but is now suffering in addition from kidney failure ailment. So he is on a dialysis machine. Another is suffering from advance cancer of the stomach,. He underwent a surgery about 1 year ago, but have failed to follow up his regular chemo sessions. Now I think the cancer is quite advanced. I felt a bit awkward really when there we were making merry at the wedding but 2 neighbouring houses have very sick old people in them. But I suppose life has to go on.
The one thing about the kampong, its weather had been quite pleasant when we were having the feast. Its cool and misty in the morning, felt the chill sometime. There are a lot of trees in the kampong unlike in KL where there are fewer trees and more concrete buildings, and where the temperature is always about the 90s (F that is) in the morning and may reach 100 in the day time. In the kampong the temperature may go as low as the 70s in the morning and where in the afternoon it may be as high as 90s. And the temperature in Kuantan (where I am now) at this time of the year is between low 70s in the morning and low 90s in the afternoon. Not bad really, but bear in mind that Kuantan is a coastal town.
The week of 1st July 2005 also brings in something new. Effectively, Malaysian Government servants start to work on a 5 day week. The working hours is from 8.00 am to 4.30 pm. (It was earlier reported in a local press as 7.30 am to 4.30 pm). I suppose many Government servants will be late for office, traffic jam, sending children to school (spouses to other offices) and whatever excuse they have. But who cares, the public will not be seeing them until about 9.00 am at the earliest. In reality the Government servants will spend more time in the office on a working day but least time for real effective work. But Government servants being Government servants, who cares. But doesn’t the Government care?
I must say that this week also bring its excitement. Before the week, an MP (in the Malaysian Parliament) brought into the debate the case of kas-kas or poppy seed used in Indian curry. Some says its addictive, while others say its not. But for me now I know why I find Indian curry very tasty, they must have used a lot of kas-kas or poppy seeds in them. So be aware. What is kas-kas? Its scientific name is papaver somniferum.
The other subject that makes the news is AP or Approved Permits. These are permits issued by the Malaysian Ministry of International Trade for people to import cars assembled overseas for sales in Malaysia. Who do the Government give these APs to? Not many people really know who, and the Minister herself won’t speak. She only mention about Tabib M son getting an AP to import a very expensive car. And as for the rest, we Malaysian still do not know. We have an idea though (Malaysians are not stupid, though some people think that we are stupid and still keep us all in the dark over things like this AP business). Why is AP so much in demand? Its because you can make a lot of money!. You can make as much as a 600% profit by selling a foreign assembled car in this country. People might argue about the profit margin though but according to some reliable(?) some sources you can never make less than 100 % profit, deducting all expenses. So if you get some APs you can be rest assured that you will be living a very comfortable life until you leave this earth. Probably continue on to your children and your grand children.
And Malaysia moral value is another area if interest, and spoke about quite often. Many Muslims are caught being in close proximity (in houses, rooms or even unlighted public areas – day or night - ) with their lovers, or the opposite sex who may not even be lovers, probably casual friends. The Muslim Religious Department goes all out to maintain the moral of Muslim Malaysians. But the funny part is that they maintain good sexual moral on close proximity but many Muslims still gamble at Magnum shops and 4D shops. What is 4D? Well its just a forecast of some numbers that comes periodically after a horse race or something. I do not know much really for I do not play the Magnum or the 4D.
I suppose this dull week (or a weak week) or similar will go on and on until I do not know when. Sometime the period can be exciting, especially when you have to face some unexpected challenges in life, for example when people pay you late for your services and you have to juggle you cash flow.
Only God knows of the future.
To Shout Back
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