Tag Archives: Malaysia

I am Yours

I Am Yours
I can go anywhere
and I can be lost
somewhere
but all I ever wanna be
is where you are
and be lost in your arms
for can I see
rainbows
and bursts of sunshine
and butterflies
all through your eyes
and it doesn’t
matter where you are
for I am yours
and you
are mine

 

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This is a photo taken by my lovely daughter Allana, sunset along the highway of Perak. We called it “gloomy sunset”, contrary to the usual bold yellow, or bold red sunsets. Even the sunset is looking sad and gloomy, considering all of what’s happening lately. And even the sunset is missing the world that it used to be; vibrant, happy, jolly, and just full of energy and love.

It is in the same way when we miss somebody. Missing someone is the worst and best feeling one could ever have.  It is the worst feeling because you know you cannot do anything about it, but wait with butterflies in your stomach for the moment you will be together again. It is the best feeling because missing a person is a guarantee that you truly love and are in love with the person.  And as you miss your beloved you know that you too are being missed and remembered.

Amidst the COVID 19 crisis, when everyone else seems to panic and worry, let us all just pause for a while and be reminded of the many good things we have. And for as long as we keep in mind and practice all the necessary precautionary measures given and directed by our local health providers, we will be fine.

And as this crisis escalates we just need to feel our love for all of our loved ones who cannot be with us because of travel bans and travel restrictions.

Let us feel their love and our love in return in every single moment we remember and we miss them.

We pray and we believe and that in time, the world will again be a better place to live.

Keep the love burning. Keep missing your love ones  ❤❤❤

Keep the faith and believe that miracles do happen 😊😊😊

Murugan Statue

The mountains will sing

To the church as the house of God

Where faith is revered

 

Posted for kate’s Friday fun -statue https://aroused.blog/2019/09/14/friday-fun-statues/

 

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Standing at 42.7 m (140 ft) high, the world’s tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity, is located outside Batu Caves. The statue, which cost approximately 24 million rupees, is made of 1550 cubic meters of concrete, 250 tonnes of steel bars and 300 liters of gold paint brought in from neighboring Thailand.

Batu caves are located at Selangor, Malaysia

We may have different religious beliefs and practices but one thing is important we all believe in the power of a “higher being”.  In this place people gather together as one community, one nation thanking that higher being for all that we have and all that we are.

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Stars (teaser 2)

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“The best things in life happen unexpectedly, and come from where and when you least expect it. The storm that’s raging now could clear at any minute and reveal a million-star sky.”

                                                                                                                  – Michelle–

 

 

P.S.

A project in support of Perak Women for Women Society, in celebration of their “One Million Star to End Violence – Malaysia” is coming out soon. Together we can make a difference, together we can help end abuse and violence and together we can change someone’s life.

My Saga Continuous Part 2

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The afternoon train ride reminds me of the young boys and girls who are victims of abuse and violence. Once again, my heart bleeds and my words came pouring down.

 

Mama, I Remember

 

I was young and innocent
didn’t know what’s goin’ on
but I heard him call you a whore
for wearing a nice dress at a party
I kept my silence
but, mama I remember

I was playful and mischievous
and always gets me in trouble
but I heard him blame you for that
you were useless, he said
I kept my silence
but, mama I remember

I came home from school one day
you were knocked out crying on the floor
and I heard him say that’s what you get
for being arrogant and trying to fight back
I kept my silence
but, mama I remember

I never understood why
why you never run away let alone
fight back and speak up
but I heard him challenged you to leave
I kept my silence
but, mama I remember

I witnessed you being beaten up to death
you tried to run away for the first time
it angered him even more
then I saw him with a gun
I kept my silence
but, mama I remember

It was I, who pulled the trigger
and shoot him to death
bang!….
one loud gunshot ended everything
mama, I remembered
It was I, not you

Don’t keep your silence mama
because I remember
My saga on creating awareness to end violence continuous as I explore stories of Abused  Children who killed their Abusive Fathers.

Children are the silent victims of abuse and violence.
In January 2016, kate of Calmkate posted ” Love Kills” (read more of her post in this link https://aroused.blog/2016/06/01/love-that-kills/), in this post she explores domestic violence that leads to killing and made a passionate plea to end it.

Two compelling stories of abused children who killed their abusive fathers have caught my attention as I was writing this post. The story of Bresha from Ohio and that of the Khachaturyan sisters from Russia.
In the early morning of July 28, 2016, Jonathan Meadows was shot in the head while he was sleeping on the couch. Police arrested Bresha, then 14, and transported her to a juvenile detention center in Warren, Ohio.
According to Bresha’s mother Meadows, 41, was an abusive husband, for the better part of two decades, he beat and controlled her. Bresha and her two older siblings, Brianna and Jonathan Jr., bore witness to the violence.

One evening Mikhail Khachaturyan, a father and war veteran realized that his living room wasn’t tidy and clean enough, so he blamed his three daughters for this, and summoned them one by one and doused each with pepper spray.
According to court records, such violence and abuse were not unusual in the Khachaturyan household.
Maria, Angelina, and Krestina Khachaturyan decided they couldn’t take it anymore. They waited for their father to fell asleep and attacked him with a kitchen knife and a hammer. He tried to fight back for a while but died within minutes.

Bresha, Maria, Angelina, and Krestina are just four of the many  Abused Children who killed their Abusive fathers.

Please don’t let this be your child’s story, and know that more than anyone else it is these little ones who will be compromised.  Give them the chance of a better life, provide them with a happy and healthy home environment, and don’t make them lose their sense of awe and innocence. Help them develop their love and compassion for humanity. These will all happen if you start taking the stand and speak up.
If you are experiencing abuse and violence at home,  speak up, and seek help.

If you are a victim and are afraid to speak up feel free to tell your story in the comment box below. I guarantee that  will privacy will be highly protected

LET’S TALK;  It may HELP you!

Posted in support of Perak Women for Women Society
The PWW Centre
15 Market Street
30000 Ipoh
Tel : 05-2469715

https://www.facebook.com/PerakWomenforWomen/

https://www.facebook.com/1MillionStars/

Source:
Melissa Jeltsen, HuffPost. Date Retrieved
July 17, 2019 https://www.google.com/amp/s/m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5a794b8be4b00f94fe945e10/amp

NATALIYA VASILYEVA, Associated Press. Date Retrieved July 17, 2019 https://www.google.com/amp/s/abcnews.go.com/amp/International/wireStory/outrage-russia-abused-teen-sisters-charged-murder-64144147

Concubine Lane-Ipoh

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Splendid, beautiful and warm
That’s what you are, full of charm

But history was unkind
To the truth, some were blind

Your story was interestingly told
By many as they stroll, young and old

Telltales has it, you were gifted
By a wealthy man indeed

Some whispered you were the haven
Of love untold and forbidden

You’re a silent witness
Of the truth there is that says

“I am but a memory
Of glorious past of history”.

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Inspired by my recent visit to The Concubine Lane, in Old Town Ipoh, Perak.

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The Concubine Lane has a history that goes all the way back to 1892 when parts of Old Town Ipoh were rebuilt after a fire. The Concubine Lanes were part of the rebuilt which was owned by a mining tycoon who has said to give these lanes to his three wives. Thus the locals call it, the wife’s lane, concubine lane, and the second concubine lane. Another version of the story is said to be that these are the lanes to which the rich men hid their second wives.

Regardless of the validity of the story, the Concubine Lane is a beautiful reminder that no matter what happens, we continue to persevere and live the life we love. We will be UPROOTED sometimes, we will be CHALLENGED, and we will be BROKEN; know that these are nothing but part of a greater plan, for us to become the better if not the best version of ourselves.

After the fire that hit the Old Town Ipoh in 1892, its people have been resilient and dedicated in their pursuit of bringing back the glory that the place used to have.

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Today, Old Town Ipoh stands majestically as one of the places to visit in Ipoh. The crumbled walls and broken architecture are reminders of its past: the once broken, the once burned down, the once forgotten has risen again.

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The Concubine Lane is one of the distinct and remarkable areas in Old Town Ipoh, which at the same has a story many will not be happy about. Having said that, Concubine Lane has inspired people to learn to understand the diverse culture of Malaysia through its vibrant colors, its cafes, its novelty shops, and its walls. Most importantly it teaches us a very important lesson in life; a lesson that says,  no matter what people think or say about you, you stand by your beliefs, your values, and your idealism. You rise up above criticisms and continue to inspire others to be good. Every wall and every corner of Concubine Lane is a manifestation that one can learn to better themselves amidst all the crises and tribulations.

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Concubine Lane is a testament of love. And as we walk along with its corners, know that it will be a silent witness to a lover’s sweet whispers, a child’s biggest dream, a mother’s plea, a husband’s triumph and of dreams do come true.

Posted for calmkate’s Friday-fun- Uprooted https://aroused.blog/2019/07/06/friday-fun-uprooted/

My Dreams

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(Photo courtesy of Pat, my second daughter)

 

If my dreams have powers,
I would dream of a majestic house;
a house with a luxurious living room…
a grandiose staircase…
a magnificent dining area…
an elegant chandelier….
a towering balcony….

But my dreams don’t have powers,
So, I didn’t get a majestic house;
but a wonderful home,
With joyful kids welcoming in our living room….
with cheerful girls running back and forth our stairs…
with visitors admiringly looking at our chandelier…
With friends enjoying the afternoon view in our balcony…

If my dreams have powers,
I would dream of a perfect world;
where true friends are by your side in moments of sadness…
where neighbors are stronger and wiser….
where love is an act of surrendering to another person…

But my dreams don’t have powers,
So I have friends who are by my side in happy times
because their joy is to see me delighted….
I have neighbors who are vulnerable because they have confidence in
themselves, and at some point, they know we all stumble…
and we love it because we have faith in another person…

If my dreams have powers,
I would dream to believe that inner beauty matters most
than outer beauty….
I would believe that friends maintain an open door…
I would believe that people are disciplined and organized…

But my dreams don’t have powers,
so I believe that outer beauty is inner beauty seen by the naked eye…
I believe that friends should only be interested in opening one door,
the door to my heart……
and I believe discipline is necessary but we have to be spontaneous
and enthusiastic, it makes us live life perfectly…

 

 

Turi Beach – Batam, Indonesia

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Our out of the country annual summer vacation is nearing its end; and what better way to culminate it than spending the weekend in an exclusive resort in Indonesia – Turi Beach Resort. I listed down below five reasons why I should be back or say, why you should visit yourself.

1. NATURE IN ITS GLORIOUS FORM

trees swaying, how do you do?

birds chirping, come and enjoy,

monkeys waving, hello to you,

flowers smiling, welcome too.

a wonderful place to reconnect with nature. …a five-story building underneath the mountain overlooking a seamless view of the ocean-facing Malaysia (if my geography is correct).

2. FOOD IS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPIALIGOCIOUS

telur tersembunyi is great,

mei goreng is a real treat,

nasi goreng is delectable,

sotong goreng is impeccable.

Indonesian cuisine at its best. You will be greeted by a delicious icy cold ginger juice as a complimentary welcome drink…breakfast is good enough to fill your stomach to cover up even until lunch….dinner might bring your blood pressure high ( the price is quite outrageous..)but you will eventually get over it as you dine and listen to the live performance of the band, with a vocalist whose vocal prowess is really good. The food? it’s worth the price.

3. THE AFTERNOON WALK

water may not be my friend,

but its inviting, you wanna spend

some time alone on the beach,

or even in the pool around your reach.

You will enjoy a relaxing morning or afternoon walk smelling the breath of fresh air…hearing the splashing of the water slowly creeping through the shore…resting your eyes on the view; the sparkling blue water, crystal clear sky, healthy green garden, not to forget the smiles in each guest’s face – a manifestation of a beautiful day that was.

4. SATURDAY BARBECUE BUFFET DINNER

nothing beats chicken satay for dinner,

nor the mouthwatering ikan bakar,

or better yet a table filled with desserts,

you’ll forget you on a diet so feast.

Saturday night dinner is indeed worth the price… there’s just so much food to choose from..and to double the treat, they actually got to pick guests who will win certain prizes from the resort. Some got a one hour spa, dinner for two, an hour recreational activity, one hour KTV, and I can’t forget the scream when one of the guests won an overnight stay in the hotel for two, for free… I didn’t win though, but I almost win after all… I enjoyed the night…

5. LIVE BAND – BATIK BAND

what is dinner without music?

its a live band so don’t panic,

when the price makes you turn back,

just go ahead and be tact.

The vocalist sings refreshingly good. It makes you forget the bill your about to get; and to my surprise, she sings English popular songs (i suppose she’s Indonesian)- so it makes her even more likeable and easy to sing and dance along with, giving you a reason to shed off the initial calories you’ve had so you can have another round of sumptuous meal.. its buffet dinner so basically .. eat all you can…

for some spending, the weekend here may cost them a fortune..but well..if you have..of course a fortune why not spend it here… it’s an exclusive resort, making it less crowded and less busy. It gives you time to really relax and enjoy your stay. It’s free from the noise in the city….no fancy coffee shops… no shopping… no towering buildings crowding your mind. it’s just you, your loved ones, nature, the few people…..having a quite wonderful moment altogether. oh, by the way, I love the little nipa hut … it’s a beautiful place to create wonderful memories with your loved ones. I just did…

P.S. I’ve been to different resorts, and hotels for that matter…(i have traveled a lot over the years) …but this one will surely be on my “be back” list…

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