Things Are Coming In - Next Week Will Be A Busy Week

Noodle Station - Lights Up

The Greatest Essay Ever Written

An English university creative writing class was asked to write a concise essay containing the following elements: 1) Religion 2) Royalty 3) Sex 4) Mystery The prize-winner wrote: 'My God,' said the Queen, 'I'm pregnant. I wonder who the father is.'

Update On Noodle Station

We are bringing up the sign tomorrow. If everything goes well, tomorrow the sign will be light up for the first time. Noodle Station is officially is in e-Gate. However as the renovation is expected to be completed only on the 8th October 2007, so the opening day will be on Wednesday 10th of October 2007. The shop is already painted.

Anak Mami By Buruhanuden

Anak Mami

The early Indian Muslims spent most of their adulthood days in Malaysia. They sent money monthly to their parents and wives through illegal money transactions carried out by people known to them. Some unfaithful ones played ‘Kayu Tiga’ or ‘Three Sticks', a Malay term used to describe men who take another wife without the knowledge or consent of the first wife. The local Malay women chose their spouses carefully, screening prospective matches for wealth and status, rather than racial origins. This enabled intermarriage between the Indian Muslims and local Malays. The children born to them came to be fondly called, ‘Anak Mami’. Despite their eagerness to adopt Malay culture and be accepted as Malays, the ‘Anak Mami’ maintained a distinct identity which was captured in their clothing, jewellery and cuisine. There was a great impact of Indian tradition and culture in their way of lives. Many of these ‘Three Stick’ performers ignored the wives who paid them dowry and instead kept the ones to whom they paid dowry. Sad to say a lot of these ‘Anak mami’ were lost in an identity crisis. They felt ashamed, angered and annoyed when people referred them to as decedents of Indian Muslims. Many felt comfortable to call themselves decedents of Pakistanis rather than Indian Muslims. The blind belief that Pakistanis are fairer in complexion to Indian Muslims might be the reason for their poor thinking. Lately, I was watching a popular television series where the guest was a prominent radio broadcasting figure. This, ‘donkey in a lion skin’ character confused me when she said her blood was a mixture of Pakistan and Hindustan and not an Indian Muslim. What this ‘frog under a nutshell’ didn’t know was that, the word Hindustan refers to India and Hindustani to Indians. Probably her imagination and definition of Hindustan would have derived from the many Hindi movies she would have seen, imagining herself to be one of them. After all Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan and Saira Banu are Indian Muslims.

SAIRA BANU, SALMAN KHAN, SHAH RUKH KHAN

The ‘Anak Mami’ of yesterday was enterprising and progressive. They accumulated considerable wealth and status and contributed to the economy of the country. They were literate and English-educated, easily qualifying for government jobs. The first Malay language newspaper was financed by them and the first editor was Munsyi Mohamed Said Bin Dada Mohiddin, a South Indian Muslim.

Helping Kids Cope With Stress

Kids get to play and they don't have jobs, but they still have plenty to worry about. Stress from things like school and social situations can feel overwhelming for kids, particularly if they don't have healthy strategies to cope with strong feelings and solve everyday problems.

A recent KidsHealth® KidsPoll showed that kids deal with stress in both healthy and unhealthy ways, and while they may not initiate a conversation about what's bothering them, they do want their parents to reach out and help them cope with their feelings.

But it's not always easy for parents to know how to connect with a child who's feeling stressed.

Here are a few ideas:

Notice out loud. Tell your child when you notice something he or she might be feeling. ("It seems like you're still mad about what happened at the playground"). This shouldn't sound like an accusation (as in, "OK, what happened now? Are you still mad about that?") or put a child on the spot. It's just a casual observation that you're interested in hearing more about your child's concern.

Listen to your child. Ask your child to tell you what's wrong. Listen attentively and calmly — with interest, patience, openness, and caring. Avoid any urge to judge, blame, lecture, or say what you think your child should have done instead. The idea is to let your child's concerns (and feelings) be heard. Try to get the whole story by asking questions like "And then what happened?" Take your time. And let your child take his or her time, too.

Comment briefly on the feelings you think your child was experiencing. For example, you might say "That must have been upsetting," "No wonder you felt mad when they wouldn't let you in the game," or "That must have seemed unfair to you." Doing this shows that you understand what your child felt, why, and that you care. Feeling understood and listened to helps your child feel connected to you, and that is especially important in times of stress.

Put a label on it. Many kids do not yet have words for their feelings. If your child seems angry or frustrated, use those words to help him or her learn to identify the emotions by name. Putting feelings into words helps your child communicate and develop emotional awareness — the ability to recognize his or her own emotional states. A child who can do so is less likely to reach the behavioral boiling point where strong emotions get demonstrated through behaviors rather than communicated with words.

Help your child think of things to do. Suggest activities your child can do to feel better now and to solve the problem at hand. Encourage your child to think of a couple of ideas. You can get the brainstorm started if necessary, but don't do all the work. Your child's active participation will build confidence. Support the good ideas and add to them as needed. Ask, "How do you think this will work?" Sometimes talking and listening and feeling understood is all that's needed to help a child's frustrations begin to melt away. Other times try changing the subject and moving on to something more positive and relaxing. Don't give the problem more attention than it deserves.

Just be there. Sometimes kids don't feel like talking about what's bothering them. Respect that, give your child space, and still make it clear that you'll be there when he or she does feel like talking. Even when kids don't communicate, they usually don't want parents to leave them alone. You can help your child feel better just by being there — keeping him or her company, spending time together. So if you notice that your child seems to be down in the dumps, stressed, or having a bad day — but doesn't feel like talking — initiate something you can do together. Take a walk, watch a movie, shoot some hoops, or bake some cookies. Isn't it nice to know that your presence really counts?

Be patient. As a parent, it hurts to see your child unhappy or worried. But try to resist the urge to fix every problem. Instead, focus on helping your child, slowly but surely, grow into a good problem-solver — a kid who knows how to roll with life's ups and downs, put feelings into words, calm down when needed, and bounce back to try again.

Remember that you can't fix everything, and that you won't be there to solve every problem as your child goes through life. But by teaching healthy coping strategies, you prepare your child to manage whatever stresses come in the future.

Reviewed by: D'Arcy Lyness, PhD Date reviewed: February 2006

Some Things OLD By Nyonya Penang

Some Things OLD

I was flipping through some old photo albums when a small angpow dropped onto the floor. Ooooh…..ang pow, huh? I cannot even remember how the angpow ended up among the pages of the album – opened it and found this :-

A ONE CENT note issued ‘IN THE STRAITS SETTLEMENTS AND MALAY STATES’ dated 1^st JULY 1941… This makes it 66 years old!

And I found this too:-

A ONE RUPEE note issued by the GOVERNMENT OF INDIA dated July 1972....this makes it 35 years old. I remember this note and 2 pieces of unusual-looking plastic 3-D stamps from BHUTAN were given by a friend who was studying in Chandigarh, India at that time.

And I like to show this not-that-old ‘SA-PULOH RINGGIT’ note too. Just about 10 years ago or so, I was back in Penang to clear momma’s cupboard and accidentally found a small stack of 10 pieces of this red-coloured notes neatly wrapped in old and yellowed newspaper and hidden among her beautiful sarongs and exquisite kebayas. RM100 those days, was a lot of money and I guess momma saved and hid the money for emergency-use.

Momma passed on in the early 70s and for many, many years after that, I just could not bring myself to clear her possessions. Each trip I was back in Penang, I would unlock the cupboard, looked at the contents and then locked it back. And when Poppa finally left to join Momma in the mid 90s, I decided to do a thorough clearing of their cupboards….and more than 20 years after she left me, momma still had something for me. I miss Momma and I miss Poppa.

The Tiles In The Kitchen

TODAY THE TILES IS BEING LAID

Penang By Buruhanudeen

Penang

It was a fortnight since I left Chennai and now stranded on this island. Finally, the time of truth came when news broke that we would be free from isolation at the break of light the following day. I happily curled up under my blanket and fell asleep on the quiet chilly night. After going through a week of rain and shine, mosquitoes and leeches, hunger and anger, finally I left the island to ‘Swettenham Pier’. As the vessel neared the shores, for the first time I watched in close view the so-called ‘tongkang’- lighters whose words had rung in my ears countless number of times. Standing beside me, watching the lighter, Uncle Cook proudly pointed to his humble home beneath the goods laden deck. The lighters were totally different from what I had imagined them to be. I thought they would resemble the ‘Shikaras’-houseboats on Dal Lake, Kashmir which I had seen in books. Actually, the lighter looked more like the fishing boats along the coast of the sea close to my village.

My heart leaped with joy as I disembarked and walked through a large crowd which had gathered to welcome their loved ones. I knew among them would be my uncle, aunty and their children waiting eagerly to see me after days of long silence. As I dragged my skeleton body in search of my loved ones, I bumped into one of the villagers whom I knew well. He informed me that an uncle of mine was there to receive me and helped to trace him. A tall, curly haired man was then introduced to me as the younger brother of my mother. He was uncle Kassim, whom I had heard about a lot but seeing for the first time. I gave a parting hug to Uncle Cook for his hospitality. Uncle Kassim too thanked him and quickly whisked me to a waiting trishaw. I sat alone on the trishaw with my luggage while uncle Kassim cycled in front. It was a short journey but full of music to the ears and feast to the eyes. For the first time, I saw the Chinese and the Malays and also heard the ‘strange’ languages they talked.

As the trishaw moved at a slow leisurely pace, I saw a double-decker bus zooming past me. It’s worth knowing about the transport system in Penang in the old golden days. What I am telling is not a fairy tale but Penang had steam trams, horse trams, electric trams and trolleybuses apart from trishaws and buses. It also had reconditioned double-decker buses from London. The trishaws were the most common mode of transport and it is still very much alive today. The early Penang planners were mindful of the fact that efficient transport for people and goods was essential for developing the economy. But today’s planners had forgotten the role transport plays in the development of the state, especially tourism. This is one of the reasons for the deteriorating tourist arrivals to this island and also for the pearl to lose its glitter.

Ceiling Is Up

The Day The Ceiling Goes Up

It is suppose to be today that the ceiling will be fixed. We are busy preparing and ordering the rest of the things. Our workers are being trained in Subang Jaya. If everything goes according to plan the restaurant will be open in early October 2007.

Undergoing Renovation

We are undergoing renovation.