The life and mind of Adeline Ong

Want to know more about what the future holds for us Penangite when the Turf Club is relocated?

Enrich your mind at the following event!!

There will be a 2nd Forum on PGCC (Turf Club development) organised by several leading NGOs of Penang. The tentative date is Friday, 23rd November 2007 at 8.00 pm at Dewan Sri Pinang Room A, B & C. The forum will focus on the analysis of the traffic and environmental impact of the project and an overview of merits of PGCC in Penang’s priorities and needs.

PGCC Campaign Group:

· The Consumers Association of Penang
· Sahabat Alam Malaysia
· Aliran
· Penang Heritage Trust
· Citizens for Public Transport
· Malaysian Nature Society
· Tanjung Bungah Residents Association
· Suara Rakyat Malaysia
· Badan Warisan Malaysia
· Jesselton Heights Residents Association
· Friends of Botanic Gardens

We have now been officially released to terrorize the Theater World. Be afraid!!! Be very AFRAID!!!

Pictures taken during alumni night dinner.

You know we rock and kick ass!!

Whazzat?

Blocking apa ni?

Attack of the killer ducklings!!!

Safely behind the cam!!!

Kathmandu – Three Tibetan independence activists, including one Tibetan-American, were detained by Chinese authorities today after demonstrating and unfurling a banner reading “One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008” in English, and “Free Tibet” written in Tibetan and Chinese, at Mount Everest’s main base camp in Tibet.

The protest was held on the eve of the International Olympic Committee’s announcement of the final Beijing 2008 Olympic torch relay route and as a Chinese team of climbers prepared a trial ascent of the mountain. If approved, China will take the torch over Mount Everest and through Tibet, a move that Tibetans and their supporters decry as offering international approval to China’s brutal occupation of Tibet.

“The Chinese government hopes to use the 2008 Olympic Games to conceal the brutality of its occupation of Tibet and win the international community’s acceptance as a modern power on the world stage,” said Lhadon Tethong, the Executive Director of Students for a Free Tibet, from Kathmandu. “Mount Everest is not in China, it’s in Tibet, very near where Chinese border guards shot and killed unarmed Tibetan refugees last September. The International Olympic Committee has no business promoting the Chinese government’s political agenda by allowing the torch to be run through Tibet.”

According to an eyewitness report, Chinese authorities detained the three activists, including Tenzin Dorjee, a Tibetan-American, who was wearing a t-shirt that read “No Torch through Tibet.” Prior to his detention, he lit a symbolic torch of Tibetan freedom and sang the Tibetan National Anthem. Tenzin Dorjee is the first known exiled Tibetan to stage a protest inside Tibet. At least one other American has also been detained in conjunction with the protest.

“Tibetans worldwide are looking to the 2008 Beijing Olympics as an unprecedented opportunity to expose the truth about Chinese rule in Tibet,” said Tenzin Choeying, the National Director of Students for a Free Tibet India. “The torch of freedom continues to burn brightly in the hearts and minds of Tibetans everywhere and China can expect more protests of this nature in the months leading up to and during the Games.”

The high altitude demonstration coincided with the eighteenth birthday of the Panchen Lama, Gendhun Choekyi Nyima – Tibetan Buddhism’s most important spiritual leader after the Dalai Lama – and a political prisoner of the Chinese government. He and his family have been held since 1995, when he was only six years old. China has denied all requests by foreign diplomats and United Nations representatives to see him. Tibetans and supporters are staging protests for his release at Chinese embassies and consulates worldwide today.

Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) is a network of young people and activists campaigning for Tibetan independence, with 650 chapters in more than thirty countries worldwide. SFT is based in New York, with offices in Vancouver, London, and Dharamsala, India. SFT is working to shine the Olympic spotlight on China’s occupation of Tibet.

www.studentsforafreetibet.org

Contact:

Lhadon Tethong in Kathmandu, +977 980-341-7525
Tenzin Choeying in Kathmandu, +977 980-341-6982
Kate Woznow in New York, +1 917-418-4133

Calling All Aspiring Directors!

Penang Players will be organising a
Director’s Workshop.

Come discover and learn the fundamentals as well as the finer points in
directing a play.

Alan Smith, who is no stranger to theatre, will facilitate the workshop.
Alan has directed and acted in numerous productions (plays, musicals,
improvised acting, etc.), both locally and abroad. But most of all come join
us for a fun filled day and learn more about theatre. Details are as
follows:

Date : 12 & 13 May 2007 (Saturday & Sunday)
Time : 10am – 4pm for both days
(with 1 hour lunch break in between)
Venue : YMCA Penang, Jalan Macalister, Penang.
Fees : RM60 for both days

Please call Joelle (012 5512616) or email penangplayers@yahoo.co.uk for
further information and also to confirm your attendance (before 8 May 2007).
Hurry, as places are limited!

Please share this infornation
with friends or anyone who might be interested. Thank you.

Dear friends and fans of Aliakbar Campwala,

I am posting up a video made by him with Ray Cheong’s music being played.

Enjoy!!!

The Universiti Sains Malaysia’s Annual Kung Fu Night is just around the corner!!
And YOU ARE INVITED to witness the glory and the beautiful movements of the Chinese Martial Arts!!

What IS Kung Fu Night??

The biggest, most anticipated event of the year in PENANG is getting BIGGER and BETTER!

Organized by the University’s renowned Kung Fu Club, the night that pays tribute to various Chinese martial arts has been held annually since the club’s formation 30 years ago. Old and young alike have been pouring into the Dewan Tunku Syed Putra (DTSP) of USM Penang. year after year for a night of eye-opening kung fu and cultural performances like Chinese Drums, lion dance and not forgetting our Malay counterpart, the art of silat.

In conjunction with the Club’s 30th anniversary and the Lunar New Year, we have something special in store for you! For loyal fans, who have been entertained and awed by our previous Kung Fu Nights, can be assured that, this year’s show is one like no other!

Come support us as we try to achieve greatness by setting a record in the Malaysia Book of Records with a thundering 100-Drum performance!!

A surprise closing ceremony performance is installed. See it come alive at KUNG FU NIGHT!!

For martial art enthusiasts and cultural fans, this is one night not to be missed!!

Mark it down on your calendar!

MALAM KUNG FU
“SPIRIT OF MARTIAL ART”

3rd MARCH 2007 (SATURDAY)

7.30 PM

DEWAN TUNKU SYED PUTRA (DTSP), USM PENANG

TICKETS ARE AT RM 5 A PIECE
IT IS A BARGAIN!!

GET THEM AT OUR ROADSHOWS AROUND PENANG OR CALL:

JIAN: 017-512 1876
LAWRENCE: 017-497 8308

Saw a very interesting video on Tash’s site.

So I decided to share. I know I am so going to be bashed by my mates in the USA. But this is just too interesting. Plus I am putting it up to question, the importance of quality education.

Before we go further, Oprah once’s did an episode regarding how the American public school system has failed the American public. In the clip, questions were posted to American school going kids as well as kids from all over the world. Surprisingly, the non American kids knew more about the good ole USA compared to their American counterparts.

I do not think Americans are stupid but just somehow blissfully ignorant of what is happening in the world. Something that I can claim many others all around the world have in common. With personal daily problems, who has time for the world right?

Alright, alright. I am talking about the ‘normal’ folks, which do not include NGO activists, the ruling class, politicians, so-called educated ***tards (Who preach non-stop on something that is irrelevant), people who are generally concern of the way the world is run and orang-orang yang sewaktu dengannya.

I do believe at some point education has indeed failed the American school going child. My personal experience was when I was in the USA, 2 years ago. Someone from college asked me where Malaysia was. I am already used to the fact that a lot of people out of Asia are not sure where Malaysia is located on the world map. So I was not too annoyed. Anyway, V told her that it was in South East Asia. The girl, who still could not grasp the exact location of S.E.A., gave us a blank look. Trying to make things clearer for her, V offered the simplest explaination I could think of.

“It is the region between China and Australia!” V said.

Guess what was the reply…

“Umm, where is China?”

I was taken aback. (If I wanted to be more dramatic, I would term it as FAINTED)

With so many Chinese made products stocking Target and Wal-marts all across the USA, one would at least think that a college going individual would at least know where the clothes, jewelry and etc is coming from.

But what I mention was just my experience. Watch the video clip below and be entertained (or not)

If you cannot view it here. Please checkout this link instead, People Believe Americans Are Stupid

Anyway, I am somewhat blessed with the standard of education that I have received in Malaysia. Yes, I would agree that it is not the best in the world and no doubt there is a lot of improvement to be made. However, I have studied most of my life in Malaysia and have quite a level head when it comes to a lot of things.

Dear all,

I went to the gallery with my boss this morning and the pictures are extraordinary. Too bad I can’t make the slide show though.

Enjoy the works of Goh Hun Meng, Tan Yeow Wooi, Keane Low and Kiah Kiean.

Below is the invitation sent by e-mail. So please go and enjoy yourself. I know I did

Love Adeline.

Well, we won’t be known as Malaysians if we did not protect our homeland. Well, not exactly. Only those who fought back are well, taking care of their own interests.

Malaysia bites back and industriously trades the insults
by Michael Backman
November 29, 2006

MY LAST column on wasteful government spending in Malaysia (Business, 15/11) generated a furore. I received more than 600 emails from readers, mostly Malaysians (both expatriate and in Malaysia) and nearly all supportive.

The column was the most emailed item on The Age’s website for six days straight and it was replicated in dozens of blogs worldwide.

My personal website received more than 50,000 hits. A Malaysian Government minister criticised the column publicly. And the Malaysian Opposition Leader issued a news release in its support.

The minister, Rafidah Aziz, Malaysia’s Minister for Trade and Industry, declared somewhat imperiously that she didn’t care what I said because I am a foreigner and I probably don’t know much about Malaysia anyway.

Rafidah knows her trade brief like few others. Her knowledge of the complex rules of the international trading system, with its many trade barriers, is remarkable. In meetings with other trade ministers, she rarely needs assistance from minders. Hard working and tenacious, I once thought she might make a reasonable prime minister.

But her technical abilities are marred by her mishandling of other issues, most recently her ministry’s allocation of much coveted car import permits. Most went to a handful of well-connected businessmen, including her own relatives.

The issue exploded in Malaysia late last year and she was lucky to keep her job.

And then there are the corruption allegations. In 1995, in a report to the attorney-general, the public prosecutor said there was a prima facie basis for Rafidah’s arrest and prosecution on five counts of corruption.

An opposition activist later acquired official documents that appeared to confirm this. He was jailed for two years under the Official Secrets Act simply for possessing them. Rafidah, on the other hand, was not even charged.

Rafidah added to her remarks about my column that no Malaysian should say such things. It’s little wonder that she doesn’t welcome scrutiny from her own people. But then the idea that Malaysians cannot comment publicly about how their country is run but a non-Malaysian can, is disgraceful.

Perhaps Rafidah needs to be reminded who pays her salary.

And as if to underscore my points about waste, on the day that my column was published, an assistant minister told the Malaysian Parliament that Malaysia’s first astronaut to be sent into space next year aboard a Russian space mission will be tasked to play batu seremban, a traditional Malay children’s game played with pebbles, will do some batik painting and will make teh tarik, a type of Malaysian milky tea, all to see how these things can be done without gravity.

The day before, the Government announced that a new RM400 million ($A142 million) palace will be built for Malaysia’s king, a position that is almost entirely ceremonial.

And the week before a groundbreaking ceremony was held for a second bridge between Penang and the Malaysian peninsular costing RM3 billion, a bridge that many consider unnecessary.

Where would the money be better spent?

Education is the obvious answer. But not on school buildings, for it matters less in what children are educated than how. And how children are educated in Malaysia is a national disaster.

Learning is largely by rote. In an email to me last week, one Malaysian recalled her schooling as being in a system all about spoon-feeding, memory work and regurgitation.

Students are not encouraged to think for themselves and they become adults who swallow everything they’re told.

Even the existing system fails many. It has just emerged that in Sabah state, only 46 per cent of the students who had sat the UPSR — the exam that students sit before going to secondary school — had passed. One small school actually had a 100 per cent failure rate.

But does the Malaysian Government want creative, critical thinkers? Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said to the ruling party’s recent general assembly Malaysia needed to make students creative. But that means they must be questioning and thus critical; what hope is there of that when one of Abdullah’s own ministers tells Malaysians that they cannot say the things that I can and hundreds of them write to me to complain because they don’t feel that they can complain to their own Government?

Malaysia needs to do something. Its oil will run out soon and it has lost much of its appeal to foreign investors — recent UN figures show that from 2004 to 2005, foreign investment in Malaysia fell by 14 per cent, when the world economy was enjoying one of its longest periods of growth. One might wonder what the Trade and Industry Minister has actually been doing.

But, while politicians from the ruling party preach about Malay nationalism, there are at least some who quietly go about the business of trying to secure the country’s future. Not all of them are Chinese.

Two weeks ago, Malaysia’s MMC Corporation, together with a local partner, won a $US30 billion infrastructure deal in Saudi Arabia. That’s a huge undertaking for any company, let alone a Malaysian one, and just as well too — someone has to pay the bills.

Michael Backman

Yay, Malaysia will be celebrating it’s 50th Independence Day in 2007. But somehow or rather, I wonder if we are living a lie or just simply more accepting of what God gives us. Sadly, our views are not shared by many. I was given this article to read sometime after Christmas.

While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
By Michael Backman
The Age
November 15, 2006

MALAYSIA’S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy each of its two main races
— the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It’s an argument that’s been running for 40 years. That wealth
and race are not synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it’s time Malaysia grew up.

It’s a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a country that prefers to argue about
how to divide wealth rather than get on with the job of creating it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay hands, but the figure that the
Government uses to justify handing over huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other
races is absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so the Government figure (18.9
per cent is the most recent figure) is a gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a
local think-tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices. All hell broke loose.
The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned in protest. Part of the problem is that he is
Chinese.

“Malaysia boleh!” is Malaysia’s national catch cry. It translates to “Malaysia can!” and Malaysia certainly
can. Few countries are as good at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the
national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then collectively spray the proceeds
up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia’s grossly inflated sense of its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their country and that their leaders are
world figures. This is thanks to Malaysia’s tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York could point to Malaysia on a
map much less name its prime minister or capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a newsreader trying to announce
that a tidal wave had hit some place called Kuala Lumpur. He couldn’t pronounce the city’s name and so
made up one, as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala Lumpur is
inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when compared to the disaster that passes for
a national oil company in neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia’s problem. The
very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes the Twin Towers, the tallest
buildings in the world when they were built, which was their point. It certainly wasn’t that there was an
office shortage in Kuala Lumpur — there wasn’t.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had little to do with them. The
money for them came out of the ground and the engineering was contracted out to South Korean
companies. They don’t even run the shopping centre that’s beneath them. That’s handled by Australia’s
Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian rocket — the first Malay in space.
And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3 million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and
Technology Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard a US flight. There’s
no indication of what the Americans will charge for this, assuming there’s even a chance that they will
consider it. But what is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi service? There
are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians will be told once again, that they are “boleh”.
The trouble is, they’re not. It’s not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million on a sports complex near
the London Olympics site so that Malaysian athletes can train there and “get used to cold weather”. But
the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex’s real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by ministers and bureaucrats to
London to check on the centre’s construction and then on the athletes while they train might provide a
clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city — Petronas has paid for them all.
It’s been an orgy of nonsense that Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia’s oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is, Malaysia will become a net oil
importer in 2011 — that’s just five years away.

So it’s in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil. But, like Nero fiddling while Rome
burned, the Malaysian Government is more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space
when Malaysia’s inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing about wealth
distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That’s not Malaysia “boleh”, that’s Malaysia “bodoh” (stupid).

Below is the website link to Michael’s website.
Michael Backman

V has been insisting that I am a Goth chick.
I am not too sure of that.

My entry today is based on my shallow knowledge of the Goths. So do correct me if I am wrong.

Well what is a Goth anyway? Personally I am not sure of that. A lot of people have this fixed image of Goths being people who wears black, have their face painted white, wears black lipsticks, spiked collars etc.

Actually, there is no proper traits of a Goth.

With the risk of sounding cliche, Goth is actually a state of mind. Ask any real Goths.

However, I cannot really see my state of mind as being Goth. V says I just need to listen to more Goth music.

I have read Voltaire’s book entitled “What is Goth?” and have come up with the ‘perfect’ Goth type that actually suits my crazy personality.

Using what is written in that masterpiece as a guide to describing my Goth side. I will be a cross between an Ethergoth and a Perkygoth. Yes, I know some will not really consider me as perky but most of you have not seen me really buzzed on coffee and away from the stress of the ‘normal’ societal roles as a person.

Goths are not suicidal and they are not depressed, they are humans after all and are subject to human emotions. Furthermore, a lot of people get depressed. Does that mean that everyone with a shrink is a Goth? Plus there is already a sub-culture called Perkygoth. Goths who are, well…, PERKY. One of the reason of me fitting into this group is because I do not necessarily have tons of black in my wardrobe. I love colours. Goths are allowed to have colours in their wardrobe and do not have to wear black constantly. Though many consider black, white and red to be the ‘official’ colours of the Gothic Culture.

I was told that Goths are not Satan Worshippers. But I do believe that this stereotype is here to stay. After, with all those school shootings happening in the West, the media needs some figure to blame. Sadly, Marilyn Manson is the one who gets most of the flack, just because he is famous.

Sigh… We will one day see the future where Goths will be accepted by all…

Signing off… Your not so Goth writer

These are vids that V made for his production class.

I will refrain from commenting on these because I always have comments on every aspect that will tear people to shreds. Then again, I do not like people ripping my work to shreds. Anyhow, there is still a lot to improve but just watch how USM students do filming…

Enjoy

Finally… The last installment

What do forum users think of this story?
Sounds rather farfetched and incredible,isn’t it?
In his books, he says he will leave it to readers to make their own
conclusions.Though most of his writings are real-life case studies
of how he helped others with his abilities,he always stresses the
importance of compassion, repentance, personal morality and ethics
in daily life.Usually,he helped others for free,but if people
insisted on paying him,he would ask them to send the money to
certain charities.Many people sought his help,especially those from
Hong Kong and Taiwan,and he would try his best to oblige them.
After reading this account,don’t go rushing to seek out psychics,as
most of them do not have genuine abilities,only offering a placebo
effect to make you feel better, so that you can get on with life.For
me,I have faith only in him and the late Edgar Cayce,Of course,there
may be other true psychics out there whom I don’t know.
He also says that all psychic powers are originally inherent in
each and everyone of us,but have become ‘blocked’ through many
lifetimes because our minds are never truly at peace,full of
random,unsettling thoughts,cravings and desires.According to
Buddhism,the present age(the Dharma-ending age),despite its material
prosperity,is really a demonic, degenerate one as people only live
for selfish sensual pleasures.Natural disasters,like the recent
tsunamis, would also become more commom in this age.

End

Yes, there is more…

Feng Feng’s heavenly teacher and master, Indra (whom it seems, though I’m not sure, is also the Celestial Custodian of The Secrets of The Five Thunderbolts (’Wu Lei Mi Fa’ in Chinese) had responded to his plea by manifesting, not as a deity, but as a giant circular rainbow (something like the sort of rainbow we sometimes see around the Moon or the Sun, only larger) high up in the night sky of Vancouver. Feng Feng’s own protective golden and red lights were small, weak and puny compared to the green light of the creature, which had started to fill the whole house, and overwhelm him. He had no choice but to resort to external help of his teacher, Indra. Compared to the over-arching celestial lights,the greenish light of the creature now appeared small and insignificant,and in danger of being ‘devoured’. It looked like a psychic light battle (like the light sabre fightings in Star War:) between 2 forces of some mysterious, higher planes of existence.

The creature withdrew its light, admitting defeat. Before it turned to leave, it advised Feng Feng again, in a milder tone, to stop helping that feng shui master because in doing so, he was meddling in the workings of the universal Law of Cause and Effect. Mantras should not be employed to go against karmic principles,it said.It also said it was acting legitimately in its capacity as a Dharma Protector of the Buddha’s teachings in meting out retribution to the master,who was behaving unbecomingly and immorally as both a fengshui practitioer and a monk.

Feng Feng at once agreed to wash his hands of the matter,and sent the creature off respectfully back to its ‘home base’ in Jiu Hua (Nine Blosoms) mountain in China. Calm and normality returned to the night. He peered out of his window. There was no sign that a storm had brewed,or of the strange rainbow. He went upstairs to check on his mother, and found her sleeping soundly, as if nothing had happened that night. He looked at his watch, and found that it was a few hours before dawn. Fearing that the creature might return, he decided to stay awake until morning, sitting in meditation. The next morning, her mother was unable to walk, saying that she had inexplicably fallen off her bed in the middle of the night and hurt her ankle. Feng Feng knew at once this was the handiwork of the creature and its very ‘ying’ greenish ‘chi’. Telepathically over long-
distance, he requested the creature in Jiu Hua mountain to stop hurting his mother, who had nothing to do with the matter. The creature promised him that his mother would be able to walk normally again in 7 days.

2 days later. The meteorological service of Vancouver came up with a report in the daily newspaper about the strange streaks of lightnings, thousands of them, criss-crossing the night sky that night. Readers who want to do further research on this psychic phenomenon can try the 1985-1986(I think it’s around this time) weather reports archives of the Vancouver Meteorological Service. (I don’t know if this this the correct name of the weather station)

Also, following morning, Feng Feng called the disciple who had contacted him earlier to warn her that the demon-like creature might go and find her if she continued to chant the mantra of Great Compassion to help her master. He also told her of the bizzare occurrences the night before. However, she did not believe his
story, thinking that it must be just a dream of his, or his subconscious fantasies during his meditation,or he had simply cooked up a cock- and- bull tale to avoid rendering help. She added it was fine if Feng Feng refused to help. She and the other followers would do all they could to save the life of their ‘precious’ guru.She further said she would carry on chanting the mantra of Great Compassion for her master.

A few days later, she called Feng Feng again,and in a trembling voice, told him that while she was chanting,a strange presence had intruded into her house with an angry sound. Thick, red smoke billowed in her kitchen but upon checking, strangely there were no fires. Her unlocked doors could not be opened, scaring her out of her wits. Feng Feng advised her to stop interfering with karma and misusing sacred mantras. Now she believed he was not exaggearating at all.

In the end,the feng shui master died, in a rather horrifying way. On his death bed, Feng Feng wrote in his book that he could still see the dying master instructing his disciples to acquire this and that property. Just imagine!

It seemed that the master had come into contact with the mystical entity when he was touring Jiu Hua mountain, a Buddhist sacred mountain (the Dharma Field of the Earth Store Bodhisattva) in China. His disciple
had told Feng Feng that he was suddenly taken ill upon returning from that mountain. The master himself had said he could vaguely see and feel a fish-like creature (actually, it wasn’t a fish, but a creature with a dragon’s body) intruding into his aura field and sucking away at his ‘chi’. Because he could not see the whole body of the creature, he thought it was a fish-demon(’yu jing’ in Chinese).

Here we go again…

That very night,after cleansing himself physically and ritually, Feng Feng started to chant the mantra in his private room ,in front of his small altar. After just a few minutes into the chanting,something strange happened. A storm seemed to brew outside his home,with high winds howling. Strangely, he started to feel chilly, something that he had never felt before even when the winter temperatures in Vancouver dropped to below zero, due to his reservoir of ‘yang chi’ accumulated over a long period through his celibacy, vegetarian diet, and meditation. The coldness that seemed to creep into his very bones was not ordinary chill, but one tinged with a very sinister ‘ying’feel. He sneezed several times, feeling puzzled but not really fearful. As described in his book (readers of Chinese can get this book, in 3 volumes, in most Buddhist book stores, the Chinese title being ‘Tien Yan,Hui Yan,Fa Yan De Zhui Xun’), a greenish, eerie light began to fill his room, followed by a thunderous roar as if several hundreds voices were bellowing and screaming angrily at the same time. Now he was really frightened, especially by the deep ‘ying’ sensation overpowering him.

A multi-headed (he said it could be a thousand heads, most of them of hideous animals’), mystical entity with a dragon’s scaly torso, started to slide down slowly, head first, from the ceiling,with eyes staring wrathfully at Feng Feng,who recoiled in fear. This entity, or demon-like creature, communicated telepathically to Feng Feng to ’stop interfering in its affairs’ and stop chanting the mantra to save the the fengshui master, or it would destroy him right there and then. Strangely, the creature addressed Feng Feng as ’son’, but was very fierce and aggressive. It said it was a spiritual guardian (half god, half demon) of the Buddha’s true teachings, and was bent on sucking dry the master’s cultivation ‘chi’ to kill him, but did not say why. (That was why his body was bleeding and rotting in the hospital.) Feng Feng tried to reason with the creature, but only made it more furious. It said it knew it could not harm him because of his psychic powers, but it could harm his mother who was at that time sleeping in her room upstairs. This made Feng Feng angry, for he was a very filial son and very protective of his mother. As a psychic duel was about to ensue in the dead of the night, he immediately vizualised protective golden and red lights to envelope himself and his mother completely (a Vajrayana practice). This enraged the creature even more, and it started to strengthen its own eerie, greenish light to harm Feng Feng and his mother.

What followed also sounds rather incredible and weird. Feng Feng,knowing that his mother might come to serious harm, desperately appealed to his heavenly guru (the Hindu god Indra) for help. I don’t know how Indra, who is not known in Buddhism, came to become his guardian angel. But immediately, that night, the entire sky above Vancouver transformed into a gigantic circular rainbow, with multi-coloured lights. It completely dwarfed and covered the light of that creature,which recoiled in surprise and fear.

To be continued….(too long :p)

Jason Xie’s story continues

To come back to the story of that fengshui master.

This story sounds so strange and highly incredible that when I first read it in the trilogy,I refused to believe it,believing that Feng Feng must have exaggerated. However, he is a devout Buddhist who was already a vegetarian in his mother’s womb,a strict celibate,and one who had taken the Buddhist precepts which forbid one to even exaggerate,let alone lie.In all his works,he stresses the practice of loving-kindness and compassion, stict moral self-discipline,filial piety and righteousness more than anything else if one hopes to progress spiritually,although he does relate his experiences with his inborn psychic powers which he only employs to help others in desperate need of assistance.

I believe in him because of an incident in Singapore some years back (1985 or 1986) when 2 Chinese primary 6 schoolboys went missing after school was dismissed. After failing to find them months later,even with the help of McDonald’s restaurants, some Singaporean Buddhists contacted him in Vancouver over the phone to seek his help in finding the boys. Over the phone, he told them it was beyond his power to help. However, about some months later, he revealed in the published trilogy that he had known that the boys no longer existed at the moment when the Singaporeans contacted him, but he did not have the heart to break the news to them. To date, both of them are yet to be found.

Nevertheless, he did successfully used his power to locate some missing persons, some of whom were still alive(one case in Hong Kong),but some already dead.

In this story, one of the female disciples of the master contacted Feng Feng over a trunk call. Now this master was not only an elderly fengshui master in his 70’s, he was also a Buddhist monk of the Vajrayana(Diamond Vehicle, or True Words) sect. I don’t know which school of fengshui he hailed from, but it seemed that he employed Vajrayana mantras and rituals in his fengshui consultations for the rich,perhaps like Master Lin Yun of the Bonpo Black Hat fengshui sect.

This master and monk had a private, exclusive following of disciples, most of whom were very wealthy. Feng Feng himself had met him once. His disciples would boast to Feng Feng how good their master was in fengshui, and how powerful his mantras were, and tried to compare him with Feng Feng. Humbly, Feng Feng said that the master was good. The master became extremely wealthy in his fengshui business, and used his wealth to acquire properties all over the globe. He would then rent them out to earn rentals.Although he was officially a monk, he did not really spread the Buddha’s teachings, being interested only in buying properties and touring the world, each time putting up at expensive 5-star hotels. In short, he had become blinded by greed.

When the disciple contacted Feng Feng to seek his help, he immediately said that he could see the naster lying on his death bed in an expensive private ward in a French hospital, even before the disciple opened her mouth to speak. He further said that most of the master’s internal organs were bleeding profusely and in the process of rotting, and that the whole ward was filled with a foul stench, like that of decomposing rats.The disciple replied that what he said was true in every word, and implored Feng Feng to save her dying master. She said that she and all the rest of the disciples could not understand why the master could end up like that, given his purported powers in fengshui, mantras and rituals. Feng Feng hinted to her that greed was the cause, and wanted her to tell her master to donate all his wealth to genuine charities such as the International Red Cross, or Mother Teresa’s Catholic organisation in Calcutta, or the Tze Ji Hospital. Only through this way could the master be saved.

But the master flatly refused, disbelieving that that could help. Now, it was the master himself who had asked this disciple to seek Feng Feng’s help, wanting him to chant the powerful Vajrayana Mantra of The Great White Parasol(Umbrella) Cover(’Da Bai Shan Gai’in Chinese), and dedicate the merits to him. Not many Buddhists, or even Buddhist monks and nuns, know the true, original version of this mantra, or its exact Sanskrit pronounciation.This master seemed to know that Feng Feng knew how to use this mantra, which is extremely powerful and is rarely used unless the situation is truly desperate. The disciple begged Feng Feng over the phone to use the mantra in the way he knew to save the master’s life,saying that she herself was chanting the Mantra of Great Compassion(’Da Bei Zhou’) hundreds of times each day in an effort to save her master.

Initially, Feng Feng declined, saying that even that mantra might not help at all, given the overwhelming greed of the master. The master said that it was all right if Feng Feng refused to help. However, out of compassion, he finally agreed to help the master by chanting the mantra in his home in Vancouver,and sending its mystic vibrations to the master in France, to help him recover.

What followed, as described in the book, sounds so very strange and weird that I’m afraid in these days and age, noboby will believe what I say, except maybe true fengshui masters, or those who have deep experience in meditation, or those who are well-versed in the occult. It reveals that there are dimensions in life much higher than fengshui, and that the retributive punishment meted out from these planes can be terrifying, especially if fengshui practitioners wittingly or unwittingly breach certain moral or ethical codes of conduct.

To be continued…
Di_Tien_Sui(jason xie)

This is a piece from the Feng Shui forum that I am a member of. Anyway, one member, Jason Xie wrote this. I just had to share it. It shall be broken up into a few parts

In this story,personally related by him in one of the 3 books,he tried in vain to save the life of a Chinese fengshui master (in fact,he was a grand master)with his inborn powers,but was nearly seriously harmed himself by a frightening backlash originating from a source from some higher, subtler dimensions which even he himself could not completely understand.In the end,he was forced to wash his hands of the whole matter and let the fengshui master die a horrifying death at a French hospital.In all his 3 books,this was the only story about fengshui,so I thought I will translate it and share with fellow forum users here.My sole aim is to accentuate a particular truth regarding fengshui which many people may not be well acquainted with.

The general belief,albeit an erroneous one,is that fengshui is omnipotent, and can help one gain whatever one wants in life.In truth, fengshui,originally called ‘kan yu’in Chinese,is just one subtle dimension of life,one that belongs to the ‘chi’ realm of existence. In fengshui,(whether Ying or Yang fengshui)we try to consciously manipulate the subtle ‘chi’ to minimize misfortunes and maximize good fortunes.Since this dimension is ‘higher’(for want of a better word) than the material realm,it is able to affect the latter favourably or adversly,thereby affecting living conditions.However,’chi’ is not the highest dimension of existence.Above it is the realm of ‘li’(Principles),what the Bible calls ‘Word’ in the sentence “In the begining was the Word…..”This
dimension,alluded to in the Bible,is a ‘higher’ one than fengshui’s ‘chi’,and I believe karma and certain universal and absolute moral and ethical principles such as love,compassion,justice and righteousness belong to this dimension.

The ‘chi’ dimensions of life and how they control and affect life conditions at the lower, material plane were first realized by Taoist,and possibly Buddhist adepts skilled in meditation in ancient China. Spiritually elevated poeple of other ancient civilisations ,such as the high priests of the Inca and Aztec empires,could also have known of these higher planes of existence,and employed them in sustaining their empires.The ‘expansion’ and ‘deepening’ of consciousness in certain meditative states open the mind to higher,subtler dimensions,which are inaccessible to the ordinary mind.Thus,the complex interactions of the primordial Ying and Yang,and how they affect earthly conditions of human life, became clear to these meditating ascetics
dwelling in remote mountains,and were further investigated and the results noted.In this way, the arts of fengshui,divination,fortune- telling and drawing of talismanic figures were borned.Initially,these highly esoteric and secretive arts were used to create peace in the country and to avert major,national disaters,not to benefit the individual.They were transmitted orally and secretly, one-to-one, from true masters to worthy disciples in the form of poetic verses(’kou jue’),and writing them down was strictly forbidden.The disciple usually had to take certain vows and must have high moral standards even in their private thoughts!

Today,although we have more and more such literature flooding the book stores,the true meanings of some originasl parts have been lost or deliberately distorted.Only the superficial aspects are found in writings today.One reason is the inexorable moral and spiritual degeneration of mankind through the ages.For example,even the ‘Huang Ji Jing Shi Shi Yi’(loosely translated as ‘Expounding The Imperial Standard Of Governing The World’),a highly accurate ancient text on predictions,incorporating the ‘I Ching’(The Book of Changes) by Shao Zi(Shao Kang Jie), and written in old,classical,traditional Chinese(the one I have)in existence today may not be the original version.I’m still investigating its contents,reading it very slowly, as it is an extremely difficult text to comprehend.Some Chinese characters in the book may not have contemporary meanings.

To be continued…

This news is from last year but a friend of mine sent it to me. It makes you wonder if money is not the actual key to happiness, then what is? They do say more money more problem. Then again, in this story, I believe is the lack of financial education. If a person is not careful with money, no matter if he/she has a billion dollars or only a dime, it will be spent.

October 5th, 2005

By: Mike McIntyre

Gerald Muswagon smiles during a news conference in this 1998 photo in Winnipeg after winning a $10-million Super 7 jackpot. He recently committed suicide.

WINNIPEG — Seven years ago, Gerald Muswagon was all smiles as his troubled life took a fairy-tale turn by winning a $10-million lottery jackpot.

On Sunday, Muswagon hung himself in his parent’s garage.

It was a shocking end for a man who appeared to have the world at his fingertips, yet clearly never could grasp the instant fame and fortune he was handed through his lucky $2 Super 7 ticket.

‘‘People are very upset, and this is all very surprising,’’ said his cousin, Mike Muswagon. ‘‘But he had been very depressed lately, although he kept that part of him well hidden.’’

Muswagon, 42, somehow managed to do what seemed unthinkable and spent nearly every penny of his winnings in only a few years.

The former resident of Norway House in northern Manitoba was forced to take a job this summer doing heavy lifting on a friend’s farm just to make ends meet while supporting his girlfriend and six young children in their modest Winnipeg home.

‘‘I really wanted him to be set up for life, so he never had to work another day,’’ said his cousin. ‘‘He should have been able to do that. But he made some very bad decisions.’’

Muswagon’s spending habits were the stuff of local legend, as rumours began to spread throughout Winnipeg shortly after he won.

Most of them were true — Muswagon bought several new vehicles for himself and friends, purchased a house which turned into a nightly ‘‘party pad’’ and often celebrated his new lifestyle with copious amounts of drugs and alcohol.

In a single day, he bought eight big screen televisions for friends.

‘‘He didn’t have the right people around him at the time, people who could have guided him,’’ recalled his cousin. ‘‘A lot of people asked a lot of him.’’

Freedom Film Festival 2006

Venue:
The Actor’s Studio Greenhall - Penang
Ground Floor, Zhong Zheng School Memorial Centre
32, Lebuh Light

Date and Time:
06 Oct : 10am till 11 pm
07 Oct : 10 am till 11 pm
08 Oct : 10 am till 11 pm
Please call to get your invite!
For invite:
Wee Ching 012-2755438
Or Chon Kai 019-5669518
Or e-mail:
chinweeching@gmail.com

This year’s FFF will feature the premiere screenings of the 4 winning films of the competition highlighting themes about children, social justice, police and governance. The four winners to the competition namely Andrew Sia, Rajan Paramesran, Hariati Azizan and the team of Claudia Theophilus, Foo Fang Juing, Ong Ju Lin and Loh Yin San are amateur and first time film makers. It is indeed rare to find ordinary concerned Malaysians who dare to use their creative talents to explore the film medium to discuss urgent human rights issues.

Other feature films that will be screened include “Singapore Gaga” by Tan Pin Pin, “Road to Guantanamo ” by Michael Winterbottom, “Portait of Amina Wadud” by Elli Safari and “Imelda” by Ramona S. Diaz. Esteemed filmmakers such as Tan Pin Pin from Singapore; Leena Manimekalai from India; and home grown talents like Margaret Bong and Chi Too will also be invited to share their films and give us an opportunity to discuss their works.

Freedom Film Festival 2006 EScreening Schedule

DAY 1 - FRIDAY, 6 October 2006

Theme: FFF winners rescreen
10.00 am
“The Big Durian” by Amir Muhammad (50 mins)
A fiction/documentary hybrid in which 23 Malaysians talk about the chain of events triggered by a single soldier’s actions on October 18, 1987 in Chow Kit, a district in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
Semboyan telah berbunyi! Ikuti kisah seorang perajurit negara yang menimbulkan kekecohan berikutan tindak-tanduknya di Chow Kit pada sepetang Oktober dalam tahun 1987.

Discussion
11.00 am

“Sex Education in Malaysia: Are We Doing Enough?”
by Lydia Lubon, Ahmad Yazid (30 mins)
Through a series of interviews with students, teachers and directors of local NGOs, we discover the truth behind why sex education is lagging in Malaysia.
Menerusi rangkaian wawancara dan temuramah bersama pelajar-pelajar, golongan pendidik dan pengarah- pengarah badan-badan bukan kerajaan, kenalilah kisah di sebalik ketandusan pendidikan seks dan kesihatan di kalangan generasi muda.

“Alice Lives Here” by Reel Powers (40 mins)
An inspirational story and political intervention which tells the scandal of building an incinerator in Broga through the personal story of transformation of a woman.
Renungilah sebuah kisah kemelut politik dan skandal melalui lensa seorang wanita muda berikutan penglibatannya dalam menentang pembinaan sebuah tapak pelupusan sampah di Broga.

Discussion

1.30 pm
Movie Feature 1
“Road to Guantanamo” by Michael Winterbottom (1 hr 45 mins)
This film chronicles the journey of Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Rhuhel Ahmed who decided to pay a visit to Pakistan ahead of the American invasion in 2001. Before long there was an intense conflict and they found themselves in the least serendipitous circumstances imaginable. 2006 Berlin Silver Bear winner.
Berbekalkan niat untuk membantu penduduk setempat di Pakistan sebelum lancaran serangan Amerika Syarikat pada tahun 2001, Shafiq Rasul, Asif Iqbal and Rhuhel Ahmed mendapati diri mereka melancong ke Afghanistan dan terperangkap dalam kegamatan pertempuran. Pemenang Silver Bear Award, Berlin 2006

Discussion

Theme: Dignity and Rights to Live
4.00 pm
“The Art of Community Organizing” by KOMAS, SEAPCP (20 mins)
3 friends sat, shared, discuss and debated on the art of community organizing from their years of various experiences.
Tiga sahabat berkongsi pengalaman mereka dalam bidang kesepaduan komuniti/ “community organising” dan membahaskan kebaikan dan kelemahan kerja-kerja sebegini.

“Break the Shackles” by Leena Manimekalai (48 mins)
Break the Shackles explores the social oppression and marginalization faced by the Dalit community. The Dalits, or ex-untouchables, is a scheduled caste that occupies the lowest rung of the Indian caste system that has been in place for 3000 years.
Mendalami isu penindasan yang dialami masyarakat Dalit, golongan di tempat terbawah sistem kasta tradisional di India yang diamalkan semenjak 3000 tahun lalu.

Discussion

5.30 pm
Opening Ceremony

Theme: Racism
6.30 pm
“Reframe” by Jo Luping (50 mins)
Looks at the Palestinian-Israeli situation through the lens of international law and universal human rights.The film follows Jo’s sister Diane, a human rights lawyer, as she works in the Palestinian territories during 2001 and 2002.
Mempersembahkan konflik Israel-Palestin dari perspektif perundangan antarabangsa dan hak asasi manusia. Memaparkan kisah Diana, kakak kepada pengarah filem tersebut merangkap peguam hak asasi, ketika dia bertugas di wilayah Palestin antara tahun 2001 dan 2002.
Discussion
8.00 pm
“Where is Home” by Shaymal Karmakar (14 mins)
Set in a Hindu-majority part of India, Rekha’s Muslim family has been displaced by the religious riots around. Frustrated, they move to another state where their faith is the majority instead and Rekha is forced to face the harsh reality of how discrimination and persecution transcends religion
Keluarga Rekha’s yang beragama Islam tinggal di tempat yang banyak orang Hindu di India. Mereka pindah ke tempat yang banyak orang Muslim dan mendapati diskriminasi itu bukan saja pada agama.

Bangsa Malaysia 2005 Compilation
“Loud Thoughts” by Raymond Sekhon (5 mins)
Secret thoughts of prejudices are depicted in this film.
Pemikiran prejudis yang jarang terungkap diperdengarkan dalam filem ini.
“Ada Apa Dengan Cina” Chi Too (13 mins)
A story that highlights the perpetual cycle of discrimination in our society.
Mengetengahkan amalan diskriminasi yang kian menebal dalam masyarakat Malaysia.
“Antara Cinta dan Bangsa” by Grace Tan (5 mins)
Watch Angela go through a learning period of labels, social stereotyping and discrimination in love and social relationships.
Angela menerima pengajaran mengenai stereotaip perkauman dan diskriminasi sambil mendalami erti cinta dan perhubungan sosial.
“Darahku Merah” by Hakim (4 mins)
A little girl, through her innocence questions her parents on the media play on race and skin colour.
Seorang kanak-kanak perempuan merenung dan mempersoalkan isu-isu berhubung warna kulit dan kaum yang sering dijadikan bahan mainan pihak media.

Discussion

Theme: Women and Religion
9.00 pm
“Mahtamma” by Leena Manimekalai (16 mins)
This movie delves into the child offering practice of the Arundhati community in Arrakkonam, Chennai. In order to fulfill their prayers, a girl-child is offered to their deity, Mahtamma. After becoming married to this deity, she becomes God’s wife.
Mengisahkan sebuan amalan tradisional masyarakat Arundhati di Arrakkonam, India. Demi memakbulkan doa penduduk, kanak-kanak perempuan dipersembahkan kepada Dewa Mahtamma untuk dijadikan isteri-Nya.
“An Afternoon in Hijjabed” by Nadiah Hamzah, Wan Muhammad (8 mins)
It is a setup interview between five Muslim women. Each of them differs vastly in character, but is bound by one common factor Ethey all wear the tudung.
Sepetang bersama yang berhijab: Lima wanita ditemuramah dan berkongsi pendapat dan fikiran bersama penonton. Yang menyatukan mereka ialah pemakaian tudung, meskipun berasal dari latar belakang yang sangat berbeza.

“Portrait of Amina Wadud” by Elli Safari (29 mins)
Wadud was the subject of much debate and Muslim juristic discourse after leading a mixed gender Isalamic Friday prayer congregation in New York on March 18 2005. Following 1400 years of male exclusivity for the function of imam, her action caused global awareness of the struggle for women’s rights within Islam but also violence and death threats against her.
Amina menimbulkan kekecohan apabila menjadi imam kepada jemaah lelaki dan perempuan pada tahun 2005. Seiring dengan kepekaan terhadap hak-hak wanita Islam, tindakannya itu mempelawa keganasan dan ancaman membunuh terhadap dirinya.

Discussion

DAY 2 - SATURDAY, 7 October 2006

Theme: Gender and Sexuality
10.00 pm
“Dansport” by Carmi Raymundo & Kristine Mariel Icban (14 mins)
A superbly-shot poetic narrative about competitive ballroom dancing and a male dancer on the edge.
Sebuah naratif puitis mengenai tarian “ballroom” kompetitif dan pengalaman seorang penari lelaki yang bergiat aktif dalam bidang ini.
“My Confessions: The Picture Diary” by Mien Lor (10 mins)
My picture diary reveals my inner most thoughts on the politics of space and desires in this context of gender.
Susunan gambar di dalam diari menggambarkan pendapat si pengarah mengenai nilai-nilai politik ruang dan keinginan, dari perspektif gender.
“Aunty Wahid” by Umi Salwana (26 mins)
Follow the life of an unconventional transvestite on his journey as he struggles to find out his true self, overcomes painful obstacles in seeking acceptance, and finding a place to stand in a prejudiced society.
Saksikan suka-dukanya seorang ‘mak nyah’ dalam mengenal makna dan tujuan kewujudannya di bumi nyata, di samping merentasi cabaran untuk menuntut penerimaan masyarakat dan haknya untuk turut bergelar insan yang diterima dan dihormati.

Discussion

Theme: Children
11.30 pm
PLAN Project: Short films under “Recording dreams through the lenses prjeoct” Produced by the children in Tsunami affected area from Ratjaprachanukhroh.
Karya kanak-kanak dari kawasan dilanda tsunami di Ratjaprachanukroh

“A Real Miracle” by PLAN Project (4 mins)
To survive from danger. Sometimes it’s like a miracle. Jane is a girl at Ban Koh Khor Khao. She survived from Tsunami at that day because it was a making merit day. Hasratnya beribadat menbawa berkat. Jane, seorang gadis dari Ban Koh Khor Khao terselamat apabila meluangkan masa untuk menyempurnakan istiadat memanjatkan doa.

“The Desk” by PLAN Project (3 mins)
A small girl named Fah, she has a good memory about old stuffs. Especially, with her old desk in her old school building. They all have so much meaning to her more than we expect.
Si gadis kecil Fah mempunyai ingatan yang sangat kuat, terutama sekali terhadap mejanya di bangunan sekolah lamanya. Malangnya, tidak ramai yang mengerti betapa bermakna barangan sebegini kepadanya.

“Gift’s New Mother” by PLAN Project (3 mins)
Many children in school lost their parents from Tsunami but they have new parents to replace the one they lost. Gift is one of the girls among them. Gift got a new mom after she lost her parentsEBoth of them have been writing to each other regularly.
Bagi ramai kanak-kanak tempatan, kehilangan ibu bapa dalam tsunami membawa kehadiran orang baru untuk dikasihi dan berkongsi bersama. Antara mereka ialah si kecil Gift, yang kini kerap berhubung dengan “ibu” barunya.

“Pendidikan Kanak-kanak Asli” by SPNS (10 mins)
The problems faced by Asli children in Bidor in trying to get an education.
Masalah pendidikan yang dihadapi oleh budak-budak Orang Asal di Bidor.

“Tudtu- The Salt Boy” by Margaret Bong (15 mins)
A story about a young Kelabit boy from Bario. Raised in a salt making family, here he shares his life and his world that still fills with innocence and also his struggle with his own choice towards the Kelabit culture.
Kisah seorang budak Kelabit dari Bario. Berasal daripada sebuah keluarga penghasil garam, dia berkongsi kisah hidupnya dengan keletah keanak-anakan, di samping menggambarkan persepsinya terhadap budaya Kelabit warisannya sendiri.

Discussion

Theme: People and Culture
1.00 pm
“Lost and Found” by Roy Vimalan, Zhang Xiu Wei (8 mins)
Based on a true story of a foreign student who had a frustrating experience while studying in Malaysia. The issue in which seems to be so simplistic, still affected him in many ways.
Berdasarkan pengalaman sebenar yang dialami seorang pelajar asing di Malaysia. Meskipun kecil, pengalaman ini tetap meninggalkan kesan yang pelbagai pada pelajar ini.

“Puppet Theatre: Tax Boycott” by Urban Poor Consortium (9 mins)
This short film traces an activist group as they interact with the urban poor community in Jakarta garnering support for a tax boycott. Using theater as the medium of communication, they condemn the misuse of the local budget, and insincerity of the government officials.
Melalui wadah teater, sebuah kumpulan aktivis di Jakarta berinteraksi bersama warga kota terpinggir yang berhasrat melancarkan sebuah boikot pembayaran cukai.
“Kata Gender” by Kata Gender (3 mins)
A collective of artist and activist roam the streets in their version of street art to bring human rights issues into the usual commercial and nonchalant spaces.
Menggunakan konsep ’street art’, sebuah kolektif artis-aktivis membawa isu-isu hak asasi manusia kepada warga kota yang membanjiri ruang-ruang komersil setempat.
“Positive People Demanding Rights to Dignity” (15 mins)
Post pol-pot regime state is now grappling with a crisis of AIDS.
Dalam zaman pasca rejim Pol Pot, Kemboja berhadapan krisis AIDS yang dashyat.
2.30 pm
“Surviving Asian Megacity” by Urban Poor Consortium (4 mins)
Jakarta ’s urban poor faces the complexities of being in the ‘new’ culture of big cities and fast cars.
Golongan miskin di Jakarta berhadapan dengan “budaya” baru berlambangkan bandaraya besar dan kereta-kereta canggih.

“Singapore Ga Ga” by Tan Pin Pin (55 mins)
A paean to the quirkiness of the Singaporean aural landscape. It reveals Singapore’s past and present with a delight and humour that makes it a necessary film for all Singaporeans. We hear buskers, street vendors, school cheerleaders sing hymns to themselves and to their communities. From these vocabularies (including Arabic, Latin, Hainanese), a sense of what it might mean to be a modern Singaporean emerges.
Mempersembahkan pertemuan tradisi dan kemodenan di Singapura dalam nada yang menghiburkan. Penyanyi jalanan, peniaga warung dan pasukan-pasukan sorak bernyanyi khas kepada diri dan masyarakat mereka. Melalui perbendaharaan kata yang berpelbagai asal-usul (Arab, Latin, Hainan), muncul imbasan erti sebuah Singapura moden.

Discussion

Theme: IP,land and Environment
4.00 pm

People are going to call me nuts that I am telling everyone about this but hey, I do not mind. I know I need the grant too but there are many of us out there struggling to make theater a success here. So if I do not get it, I hope someone worthy does. Good luck people…

Taken from http://www.fiveartscentre.org/?op=sView&sid=14

Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund Application
Story posted on 2006-05-26 17:03:28
The Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund has been created by ASTRO to encourage and support creative work in Malaysia.
Download Application PDF

One of the main objectives of Krishen’s pioneering work was celebrating original Malaysian creativity in as varied and alternative ways as possible in all the areas of the arts. His groundbreaking theatre practice straddled and brought together a wide range of contesting spheres, producing projects that were inter-disciplinary, multi-cultural, multi-lingual and experimental. Negotiating between academia and practice, tradition and contemporary pop culture, Hollywood and Bollywood, the mainstream and the marginalized, Krishen’s work articulated a Malaysian identity that was ever evolving and encouraged practitioners and audiences to reflect on their lives and societies. This is the spirit of the Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund.

The fund will give out grants ranging from RM5,000 to RM20,000 for :

• Training

• Workshops

• Attachments/residencies

• Experimental productions

• Research and documentation

• Writing

• Creating new work in music, dance, theatre, writing, visual/performance art

• Others

Examples include, but are not limited to:

- Artist A might want to study under well known Indonesian theatre director Putu Wijaya. Artist A could apply to be attached to a production directed by Putu Wijaya for a 4-6 week period. This would give artist A insights and learning on methods of this director.

- Artist B might want to do research on a subject for purposes of writing a new script. Artist B could apply to do this research and write the script.

- Artist C could apply to direct and mount an experimental workshop or production.

- Artist D could apply to attend a training workshop within or outside of Malaysia.

- Attachments and internships.

The Krishen Jit ASTRO Fund will try to be inclusive, but work sited in Malaysia will be given preference. All arts practitioners in Malaysia are eligible to apply. The fund will be managed by Five Arts Centre and ASTRO.

The selection panel for awarding the grants shall comprise :

• Ravi Navaratnam – Five Arts Centre

• Mac Chan – Five Arts Centre

• Kathy Rowland – Kakiseni.com

• Norliza Rofli – Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, Malaysia

• Representative from ASTRO

Deadline for applications : 30 September 2006