The Drama Queen

Shaw Feng's in Hanoi for a month or so, starting March 26. And about three days after he's gone, Kayrin sat moping on her bed.
"My heart broke, because I miss daddy so much."

Michael Franti -- One Step Closer to You

This acoustic version is beautiful. Take a listen. Discovered it while going through the Yoga Journal, a terrific site for yoga poses.
I've been down for far too long
Till my faith was nearly gone
I never knew somebody just like you
Could be a friend i could call my own

Till i let go of a broken heart
I let go to an open heart
I let go of my broken dreams
I let go to the mystery
And i believe in the miracles
I believe in the spiritual
I believe in the one above
I believe in the one i love

& take one step closer to you
I just take one step closer to you
Even when i've fallen down
My heart says follow through
I take one step closer to you

I never meant to hurt you, no
And you never meant to hurt me to
But it seems like you always do
And even though i'm scared sometimes
If ever see you fallen down
I will be the one that's there for you

So i let go of a broken heart
I let go to an open heart
[One Step Closer To You lyrics on http://www.metrolyrics.com]

I let go of my broken dreams
I let go to the mystery
And i believe in the miracles
I believe in the spiritual
I believe in the one above
I believe in the one i love
& take one step closer to you

I just take one step closer to you
Even when i've fallen down
My heart says follow through
I take one step closer to you

I just take one step closer to you
I just take one step closer to you

I keep on walking to you, i'm walking
I keep on walking to you, i'm walking
I keep on walking to you, i'm walking
And i'm never going to stop

Even when i've fallen down
My heart says follow through
I'll take one step closer
I'll take two steps closer

Just take one step closer to you
I just take one step closer to you

Penangites Rock!

Penang has terrific food. There's the delicious, juicy "or-chien" (oyster in omelette) from New World Park, ordered as soon as we got off the plane on March 8.
This island also has some old shops that transport you back to the 70's if you just stand there and stare at it.


And of course, there are the wonderful Penang friends. Heng Hou said we should get up there more often. He's right. We'll make time to be there for weekend visits. Making time is what we can do and we'll do that.


But the best has to be Penangites. They turned up at polling stations on March 8 and booted Barisan Nasional out of the island! I take my hat off to you, Penangites.

Go, Malaysians, Go

What an astounding message for the ruling coalition: We don't want your style of rule!
This, I dedicate to you. Go, Malaysians, go.

We want you to know
That we saw through your show
You failed to heed
Our pleas, our needs
So we sent you a message
Your cover we will blow

Gone are the days
When you could take it slow
Treated us as reeds
Ignored protests in the streets
And you sure are no sage
To have been blind to all that's on show.

No corruption, more security please
And our family's safety we don't kid
Our deeds
Will be recorded for all to read.

Indelible Ink Not

We Malaysians are a lucky lot. We can change our minds any time. And so it was with the Elections Commission. Those people there, being Malaysians, backpedaled on a long-thought-out decision to mark our pretty fingers with ink on polling day. All of four days before the big day too, and after spending 2.4 million ringgit on the ink imported from India. If it costs 40,000 ringgit (based on my very-smart spouse's estimate) to build a low-cost home, that's homes for 60 poor families.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

Kayrin was brought by her paternal grandmother to a TCM physician for the first time yesterday, to see if there's a better treatment for her cough apart from taking steroid-laced puffs. Here's the little girl's account of what happened. All related over the phone to me.
"I went to see the Chinese doctor today. He's very old. He didn't give me a jab. He didn't poke my bum-bum (read: no suppository was inserted!). He's really old."
And what did he do?
"He took my hand and put it on a cloth."