Here are some more sites to check out!
This flash site does some fun things with famous names.
Speaking of famous names… (other than you… ) find out who else shares your birthday here.
Now this is snow sculpture!
O.K…. you folks across the pond… what the heck is this? You should find these places and take pics out front!
Perhaps I’ll write more later today.
… wondering where the time has gone. The past few days have been busy. Not busy with those “mportant”things… but busy with just keeping “it” all together.
Thats what its all about, isn’t it? Keeping it all together. Sometimes I wonder what exactly it is we are trying to keep together. An ideal? A plan? A vision? A dream? The practical humdrum of everyday life?
“Lord Jim” the other day… a movie that I had only seen snippets of until a week ago. Based on the Conrad novel the major part of the action is set in the part of the world that a few of us originate from. I enjoyed the movie. It was cool to be able to understand what the “natives” were saying. I remember watching “Swiss Family Robinson” as a kid and being thrilled that I understood what the “pirates” in that movie were saying.
That elation was soon replaced with insult.
“How dare those Mat Salleh film-makers make pirates speak Malay!” Of course, this was the precious mind of an 8 year old who has since discovered that Malay is one of the oldest pirate languages in the world… and that entire cultures of pirates still troll the waters in that region to this very day. I’ve actually come close to an encounter with them… but thats another story… nevermind… anyway.
I do have to admit that I’m a little partial to “guy” movies made in that era… “Bridge on the River Kwai, “Lawrence of Arabia” etc. O.K., truth be told… I love big epics. I actually own quite a few of them on DVD. Biblical epics! Adventure epics. All manner of epics. But thats not why I began this post.
Lets get back to “Lord Jim.” … and the title of “Tuan.” It was used several times in the movie… Tuan Jim – a title of respect.
The Malay word “tuan” has many conotations. Master, Sir, Lord or Gentleman.
Tuan, was the name the neighbors in the old ‘hood’ called my dad. He was “tuan” and my mother was “missy.” These terms were hold-overs from the old colonial days… “titles of respect” primarily used to address the British masters and their wives. My father and mother were locals.
And another thing, we lived in “government quarters” in the Kampung Pandan area. As I recall, these were “class 4″ quarters. My father worked as a “chief clerk” in several government departments over his career… middle management at best. So, the title of “tuan” did not come from a “class” perception.
I concluded some years ago that in the case of my parents, “tuan” and “missy” were respectful terms of endearment that they had earned through action and interaction.
One of my co-workers looked at my blog today.
“Lecram Sinun? Is that a new Star Wars character?” she quizzed.
“ Yeah…“ I smirked. “He’s color blind, dyslexic and has an appendage that doesn’t work..”
“Cool.” came the quick reply. Then she frowned, “So why doesn’t his bandage work?”
I concluded that this was yet one more reason to leave.
St.John’s 
Vertebrate had earlier shared a school-daze memory in a posted comment. It got me digging back into those dusty sections of my mind.
The first thing I remember was looking out the window close to the end of the school day and looking at the Bukit Nanas girls getting out 10 – 15 minutes before us… it may have even been a full half hour! I was convinced that this was some sort of grand conspiracy to keep us boys and girls apart. I was later told that this bell schedule helped ease out the traffic gridlock. I have never believed that explanation.
I also remember that the “hot” place to connect with the girls was the “cendol man” across the street from the main entrance of the school. The “smooth move” was to accidentally pay for her drink. Just in case you didn’t know what “cendol” is… click the word.
The other memory was returning from the World Jamboree in Norway to find out that there was a “farewell party” my classmates held for me 2 days after had I left the country. This news was broken to me the weekend after the “welcome back” party … that I wasn’t invited to.
This is Janya… my main bitch. Peeking over the fence for a little lovin.
One of my bitches – my main bitch – Janya
I was in a bit of a panic today. I thought that I had lost my entire blog. So, I fiddled around a bit and republished my template and like magic it all came back! Phew!
… the kids testing is so damn uninspiring. Half of them have already given up and are staring blankly at the whiteboard. One has his head pressed hard to the desk, mouth agape with the infant stages of a drool pool forming on the desk. Another is staring hard at the back of the chair infront of her… as if willing it to shatter and cause the person sitting in it to fall flat on their butt.
For the last 2 days we all had an early release to look forward to. Today we go back to the regular schedule once testing is over.
Oh… does anyone need to E-mail the Pope?
… I could really get use to this.
Sitting at Javawava plonking out this post. Sipping on iced coffee (French Vanilla-just for you, Kien.)
So, this whole blogging phenomenon is catching on like a virus in heat. Lelly, a long lost Cuz in the UK blames me for getting her hooked. Kien, a long time bud, is responding to several sites. Vertebrate, another long time bud… has also been pulled in by this undertow. Dyerama, a local bud, is experiencing squirrel anxiety. Blog on, dudes!
I really began this blog to get my writing engine going again. Haven’t written a lick (creatively) in 5 years and I was champing at the bit. (Was reminded not too long ago that “champing” is the correct word for the phrase and not “chomping”.) Trouble is after a 5 year haitus… one needs to chip off the rust and get greased up again. So, here I am blogging.
A lot of the process is in the actual physical act of writing. Whacking on a keyboard with the hope that the brain is still connected to the hand. Sort of like a musician composing on an instrument. Its important to “forget” technique while one is creating.
I am really looking forward to this Summer when I can once again “zone in” without the constraints of having to be somewhere at some certain time. There is a crazy joy that comes with the act of creating.
My friends claim that when I’m in the “write zone” that I become a half-naked, wild-eyed, giggling maniac. This is true. It may also be true that part of the reason for this antic disposition is that I’m all hopped up on Coca Cola or some other caffine inducer. No matter… when I’m in the “write zone” I am insanely happy. I have missed being “there” for far too long.
The Scary Squirrel Man picture has gotten more comments than anything here yet. Glad you guys are having a good time.
Work as been a wash the last couple of days. With all the testing thats going on there has been no need for lesson planning… which is just fine with me.
I began looking at my plays yesterday. Editing them for posting on my website. I discovered that The Dramatic Exchange is down. Too bad. It was a pretty good resource for original plays. I had about 5 of my plays posted there over the years and got quite a few productions by various companies from around the globe out of those postings. Hopefully my site will do some business for me in the royalty department. Perhaps I’ll open it up for other playwrights as well.
