Women women everywhere

Angelina Jolie is seen with Brad Pitt visiting the disaster area at Pakistan. Click here for more news and a video

On a different note, I stumbled upon a Kyto review issue where Rose Ismail discusses about Women and Islam in Malaysia. Worthy read for those new to the issue.

Creativity - my musings

I am reading an interesting article called "The Play Imperative" by DK Holland which is published in the Sept/Oct 2001 issue of Communications Art. The feature interesting play 'institutions', ranging from recycled decrepit buildings to cutting-edge museums.
My favourite is the City Musuem in St Louis, and I like the closing para of the article, an excerpt of which I will quote here "America, the land of the individual, the land where we are all free to pursue our happiness, was built on a dream. And play is the pathway we take to get to dreaming. So it's no exaggeration to say that play is an imperative in our lives: Our happiness - our children's happiness - and the future of America depends on it."

I wish Malaysian and Singaporean parents (and many more developed Asian country parents as a whole) would see the importance of this statement. Just replace "America" with the name of your chosen country. Singapore is trying to make itself a creative entrepot in Asia by introducing many govt funded programmes on creativity. But all these is in vain until the people's mindset undergo a major shift. Why waste money trying to bring back the very natural instinct and aptitude you have worked so hard to get rid of in schools?

I do enjoy my rather idyllic primary school days. Though I didn't learn much by way of academic lessons (having a homeroom teacher for the first five years of my life who was a shirker and not much of a nurturer), I learnt a lot from play, as did my classmates. I didn't like my sixth year in secondary school because I was put in, together with the so-called creme-la-creme of my primary school, into a room where we are put on endless drills (I ended up copying most of my homework, which were as numerous at that of Chinese vernacular primary school students)to make us A students in Languages, Composition and Arithmetic. And also the drilling for an IQ test (I don't see the point of the latter)that we all have to sit for (which is not even a proper IQ test, based on my current understanding of that). We are all made rigid and had to conform to a particular style. Maybe it is little wonder that none of my classmates from there ever broke the mould. The same happened in secondary school. Many aspiring artists and musicians, and even writers, I wonder what happened to them, because I don't see them anywhere doing any of these things, anymore.

I remember some schoolmates during my form four days. I was trying to stage a play. Some classmates promised to be in it. I finished the play, some other artistic classmates finished in designing the costumes and props for the set. And these classmates who promised to be part of the play, pulled out at the eleventh hour, citing schoolwork and exams as an excuse. Most of these very same girls ended up as saleswomen, selling stuff from insurance to scientific equipments.

So, there, creativity for you.

Top public intellectuals of the world

Unfortunately, mostly those from the developed worlds, and the big USA. But then, these days, you need plenty of resources (where you don't have to hunt high and low for a book, or figure out how to afford that book) and a leisured environment to make it that big.
But it is heartening to see public intellectuals nominated from Asia. And the most famous one in the Malay Archipelago is Pramoedya, placed at 95. But then, Indonesia has always been a thriving place for the literary intelligentsia, though they have suffered more privations than us in Malaysia. Compared to them, we are Phillistines.
I see some of my favourite thinkers on the list. (:

Here are the details from Prospect Magazine, published in the UK. The list of public intellectual celebrities are as follows:

Position Name Total votes
1 Noam Chomsky 4827
2 Umberto Eco 2464
3 Richard Dawkins 2188
4 Václav Havel 1990
5 Christopher Hitchens 1844
6 Paul Krugman 1746
7 Jürgen Habermas 1639
8 Amartya Sen 1590
9 Jared Diamond 1499
10 Salman Rushdie 1468
11 Naomi Klein 1378
12 Shirin Ebadi 1309
13 Hernando De Soto 1202
14 Bjørn Lomborg 1141
15 Abdolkarim Soroush 1114
16 Thomas Friedman 1049
17 Pope Benedict XVI 1046
18 Eric Hobsbawm 1037
19 Paul Wolfowitz 1028
20 Camille Paglia 1013
21 Francis Fukuyama 883
22 Jean Baudrillard 858
23 Slavoj Zizek 840
24 Daniel Dennett 832
25 Freeman Dyson 823
26 Steven Pinker 812
27 Jeffrey Sachs 810
28 Samuel Huntington 805
29 Mario Vargas Llosa 771
30 Ali al-Sistani 768
31 EO Wilson 742
32 Richard Posner 740
33 Peter Singer 703
34 Bernard Lewis 660
35 Fareed Zakaria 634
36 Gary Becker 630
37 Michael Ignatieff 610
38 Chinua Achebe 585
39 Anthony Giddens 582
40 Lawrence Lessig 565
41 Richard Rorty 562
42 Jagdish Bhagwati 561
43 Fernando Cardoso 556
44= JM Coetzee 548
44= Niall Ferguson 548
46 Ayaan Hirsi Ali 546
47 Steven Weinberg 507
48 Julia Kristeva 487
49 Germaine Greer 471
50 Antonio Negri 452
51 Rem Koolhaas 429
52 Timothy Garton Ash 428
53 Martha Nussbaum 422
54 Orhan Pamuk 393
55 Clifford Geertz 388
56 Yusuf al-Qaradawi 382
57 Henry Louis Gates Jr. 379
58 Tariq Ramadan 372
59 Amos Oz 358
60 Larry Summers 351
61 Hans Küng 344
62 Robert Kagan 339
63 Paul Kennedy 334
64 Daniel Kahnemann 312
65 Sari Nusseibeh 297
66 Wole Soyinka 296
67 Kemal Dervis 295
68 Michael Walzer 279
69 Gao Xingjian 277
70 Howard Gardner 273
71 James Lovelock 268
72 Robert Hughes 259
73 Ali Mazrui 251
74 Craig Venter 244
75 Martin Rees 242
76 James Q Wilson 229
77 Robert Putnam 221
78 Peter Sloterdijk 217
79 Sergei Karaganov 194
80 Sunita Narain 186
81 Alain Finkielkraut 185
82 Fan Gang 180
83 Florence Wambugu 159
84 Gilles Kepel 156
85 Enrique Krauze 144
86 Ha Jin 129
87 Neil Gershenfeld 120
88 Paul Ekman 118
89 Jaron Lanier 117
90 Gordon Conway 90
91 Pavol Demes 88
92 Elaine Scarry 87
93 Robert Cooper 86
94 Harold Varmus 85
95 Pramoedya Ananta Toer 84
96 Zheng Bijian 76
97 Kenichi Ohmae 68
98= Wang Jisi 59
98= Kishore Mahbubani 59
100 Shintaro Ishihara 57

Taken from http://www.prospect-magazine.co.uk/intellectuals/results

KL Asia Fashion Week 2005

It's late and I have a job to go back to tomorrow. Altogether, it's been a pretty hectic 5 days, rushing either from work on Thurs and Fri for gala runway shows, and on Sat, I had to pick up my sorry ass and rush for the last day show at Avenue K before the gala event at night, featuring 6 most prominent Malaysian designers on the runway. I'll talk more about these in days to come. What I can say about the night events are, most of the celebrities are just like any person, most probably forgettable if not for their haute couture and stylish dressing, and professionally done make-up, and for the models, their very long legs (I actually have friends and relations with long legs, just that they don't tend to flaunt them as much :P). At least to me. They might be memorable to the next person dying to be part of the crowd. I have to say that point and shoot digital cameras are real social equalisers. You see celebrities and fashionistas acting just like anyone else, excitedly taking pictures of themselves and with each other. Lots of smooching and air-kissing. With my 5-minute make-up, and newly bobbed hair, I do feel under-dressed though not particularly disturbed by that.

The shows for the MIFA night were interesting, as they feature up and coming designers though my favourite show was still the one on Sat night. That's because I feel that most of the clothes featured on the MIFA night, with the exception of a few, lack charisma. They are interesting, but not fantasy-evoking. Anyhow, I am a t-shirt and shorts, and pret-a-porter person (I like the eclectic mix and match), so unless absolutely required (or if someone wants to sponsor it), I won't be wearing haute couture, or evening gowns. Besides, these kind of clothes are only tenable if you have a huge chauffeured car that does not require you to step on the muddy and wet roads (especially during this monsoon season in Malaysia), or walking further than the entrance of some posh building.

As with most industries in Malaysia, fashion is pretty incestuous since we only have a small cache of players. Of course, the patrons tend to be the women-who-lunch and their coterie. You see a number of them, though not all (since only those intimately connected are allowed the honour of attending MIFA 2005 due to the limitation of seats), at industry awards, especially that related to something as glamarous as fashion. You will see them, I suppose you can call them the Tatler set, at launches for jewelry, timepieces, wines and all things that speak of fine living. They can afford all the time and money.

I was privileged to attend a workshop aimed at professional designers and I learnt a thing of two on the history and culture of fashion, trends and the business of fashion designing. Will be writing about this later for publication. If you are interested, just pop me a comment here.

P.S. Need I mention about a particular runway show on Saturday where a designer specialising on men's wear had some hot and sexy male models on the runway. You can practically see some of them well-dressed middle-aged women seating in front (them VIPs) salivating. No matter that these men are young enough to be their sons. :D

Masa Depan Bahasa Malaysia (Melayu)

Ini komen saya mengenai kegagalan polisi bahasa kebangsaan yang telah dilaksanakan di Malaysia.

1. Walaupun pada tahun-tahun 80an dan 90an, waktu kebanyakan kita di sini membesar, kerajaan telah menguatkuasa penggunaan BM untuk semua urusan, termasuk pendidkan kebangsaan, ramai juga yang keluar dari sistem pendidikan yang tidak mempunyai sebarang rasa cinta mahupun kebanggaan kepada bahasa malaysia/melayu ini. Tambahan, ramai yang gembira tidak perlu menggunakannya lagi selepas SPM, terutamanya yang tidak berterusan dalam sistem pendidikan negara lebih lanjut lagi. Mereka merasakan bahasa itu sungguh membosankan.

Dari masa saya mula membaca Berita Harian dan Utusan Melayu pada masa remaja, dan apa yang saya lihat dalam kandungan kedua-dua akhbar sekarang, telah lebih memandang ke dalam dan menekan kepada kalangan pembaca yang dikatakan mempunyai bahasa dan budaya yang hampir serupa, iaitu kumpulan pembaca yang bergelar Melayu. Pembaca yang mungkin bukan Melayu diabaikan dalam cara penampilan akhbar-akhbar tersebut. Mungkin juga disebabkan pengaruh UMNO yang kuat. I nak kuatkan lagi penggunaan BM, tapi itu bukan bahasa diri dan jiwa saya lagi. Dan tiada banyak tulisan dalam BM yang saya amat minat baca.



2. Walaupun polisi itu dikuatkuasakan, BM hampir tidak berkembang dan hampir mati-mati katak dalam penggunaan rasmi dan nasional disebabkan ketiadaan imaginasi untuk mengembangkan bahasa itu. Kesusasteraan Melayu yang wujud pada masa akhir 80an dan 90an menepikan langsung kewujudan kaum-kaum negara ini yang juga merupakan sebahagian bangsa. Mereka dipaparkan secara stereotipikal, kalaupun mereka wujud di dalam sastera. Atau mereka telah mengalami satu proses 'pemelayuan'. Sememangnya ada kaum-kaum lain yang sifat sangat Melayu, seperti juga ada orang Melayu yang bersifat kecinaan atau keindiaan. Tetapi kekompleksan ini tidak pernah ditunjukkan. Ketiadaan pendirian atau azam kuat untuk memajukan BM dalam bidang ilmu dan sebagainya telah menjadikannya terlalu 'cacat' untuk menghadapi cabaran zaman. Sekarang, ia mula dipandang rendah, dan ketidakbolehan seseorang bertutur Inggeris dengan baik, akan diperli. Tidakkah antara ramai graduan-graduan yang mengganggur itu ramainya ialah kaum Melayu (dan segelintir kaum-kaum lain) yang dikatakan tidak boleh berbahasa Inggeris?

Summary: Bahasa Melayu tidak mempunyai penghormatan yang sebenarnya di negara yang telah menekan penggunaannya dalam kehidupan sehari. Generasi sekarang telah dituduh tidak dapat menguasai bahasa Inggeris sebaik generasi-generasi sebelum ini dan dilihat sebagai tidak dapat maju ke depan. Kenapa ini berlaku di sini? Pada masa sekarang, masyarakat di Malaysia begitu dihantui dengan pemasalahan pemelajaran bahasa Inggeris.

Hope for your comments. I think this issue is good to write about if someone here would. (:

How Islam works in Malaysia

In the course of my research for my commissioned pieces, I have to visit many websites. Here is one if you are interested to see how Islam works in Malaysia in comparison to other countries. There is an online fatwa repository so you can see all the different directives enacted by the council of ulamaks in different states.

Just go to the sidebar called e-JAKIM of http://www.islam.gov.my/portal/. There is supposedly an English version but even then, you will still get a number of documents that retain the Malay language in the "English" site. Unfortunately for non-readers of Malay, the fatwas are all in Malay as well. So, sorry if you can't read that language.

Education and Self

One of the few idioms which can be used so often in Malaysia that it becomes a cliche is " Empty pot makes the most noise" (I can't remember the exact idiom so this is merely my paraphrase). This applies to the local university, especially the that particular university I have been studying. See this and this

That said, in an indirectly related event, I have to say that many world universities too have taken a dive in quality, because of the corporatisation of higher learnings in countries like UK and the US. But, at least they still have the culture of blowing the whistle and having their voices heard, something which unfortunately is yet to happen in Malaysia.

And in a university like UM (I suppose the same applies to other Malaysian public universities, though from what I heard, many others seem to have slighly more enlightened powers-that-be) the way they treat research agendas and giving of grants is as if a fashion/visual arts magazine is dictating their choices. And the very same authories go on to complain about the lack of expertise in many fields that get little to almost no encouragement, let alone funding. Yet, the authorities have little inkling as to their direction. They merely parrot the politicus who have even less understanding on the way education/learning works. They are trying to parrot the style and workings of other industries without even understanding the mechanics that drive these industries, or their motivation. I am sad to say that I get more education from work and self-learning (and from various mentors) than I did throughout my 7 years in a local university. And never had I been so relief to finally leave.


Why does one need ISO for a university? There are other ways of cleaning up your act, and from that I see, based on the latest mishaps with regard to some problems missing forms and bad follow-up between university departments after the submission of my dissertation that woke me up bleary eyed after having slept late and nearly threw my newly acquired peace out of the window, this is merely whitewashing over a decaying structure. The fundamental issues remain unsolved, and infact, is now complicated. Think of the story of a gigantic statue made of precious metals but with a feet of clay. It is in the Bible.

Also, it is interesting that Malaysian companies and universities are commissioning overseas consultancies to provide recommendations to the problems they are facing,but none of these recommendations are made easily accessible to local researchers. And more comically, if you look at this in a roundabout way, here we are having difficulties getting grants for many basic research, and on the other end, we have to apply to overseas consultancies or research institutions to look into problems, and there is likelihood that among their staff are some able Malaysians who are disillusion with the stifling of their talents in their own country and have seeked employment abroad. Isn't it possible that we are forcing ourselves into a deficit...all the many graduates who cost so much to educate but are either too choosy or too 'useless' to be employed in the current market. Is it because they are completely skill-less and that their knowledge have become obsolete (and having no jobs, they have no money for continuous learning), or is their knowledge so cutting-edge and esoteric that it completely went over the head of most Malaysian employers? While I do not doubt that there is a chance of the latter happening (I know people who are unemployable because employers do not understand their fields or there is no job market for what they want to do locally. After all, we are still living in a country where to be a investment broker, you have to have studied banking, finance, accountancy, and stretching it a bit, economics. Apparently, mathematics and physics don't count for much in this country, though I believe the latter two have real advantage over the former), it is also likely that a majority of the unemployed graduates are too 'dumb', or have been made too dumb, to be employed. I do believe in being choosy and standing firm over your principles, because otherwise, you are merely sitting duck for your employer, especially if you have a bad employer. Unfortunately, a majority do not really understand the meaning of being "fussy" when negotiating an employment, and tend to do it in a 'dumb blond' kind of way (pardon the cliche), which could also be caused by their misguided and inflated egos (that can stagnate their lives and careers, even if they do not yet realise that). Just because you think you have the makings of a broadcast journalist fresh out of school, it does not mean that a possible employer would think of you in this manner, and a good employer who really know his or her work will be able to tell you immediately.


Yet, in my current field in advertising and communication arts, it is not unheard of for big corporations and institutions in developed countries to commission our services, from Malaysia. Go figure.

Ok, this is getting too long-winded. No more postings for the next two days. Cheers! (:

Banning of books

Govts ban book for different reasons. Before I elaborate further, I suggest checking out this and this.

The latter event happened like almost a decade ago. I suppose Malaysia is always a bit lagging behind when it comes to catching up with the latest knowledge. Which is why certain subjects that have been topics of debate since the dawn of the Internet in the developed countries (and even as recently as ten years back, in the last century) only reached the Asian soils, like, in this century? However, one must remember that the motivation, however flimsy or contradictory, is different. Malaysia has always been afraid of 'contentious' religious discourse (this perception is of course subjective, as those opposing the ban will remind us) which they fear will rile the majority of the mostly unthinking followers, or worse, make them start thinking and challenge the authorities of the ecclessiastes/ulamaks.

If you do a google on banned books, you will realise that there are loads of links that show US to be the biggest perpetrator when it comes to banning books. But, if you can find news with justifications as to why the Malaysian govt decides to ban certain books (or even its closest neighbour, Singapore, for that matter), the reasons given are entirely unrelated. But the core of reasoning is this: throughout the history of media, many self-appointed society vanguards have an inner need to shape society according to their personal utopia, however oxymoronic or contradictory their utopias may be.

IF you find any more links to stories like this, especially with regard to SEA, please post them in the comment box. Thanks!

Back from the break

I am back and feeling really good. Not only was the trip a good change of air (even if the air and climate is about the same as Malaysia), attending the forum and meeting world class leaders and experts in their fields had given me an idea as to which direction I want to go, and how to go about doing it. I think part of my depression stemmed from feeling lost and undirected. Realising that,a big part of the black feeling fell away. Plus I have better get busy, because my demotivation in the last two weeks had kinda made me fall behind in various work. I'll talk more about the forum I attended in Singapore in the next post because I really have to put my nose on the grindstone and make up for lost days.

Advertising

As I had once said, I would start talking a little more about the work I am now doing, which is my day job and one that pays the bills, once my dissertation is done with.

I will now. I recently got myself a job in the advertising and brand design industry. This is my third month into the work. I must say that it has been an exhilarating and frustrating experience.

The good thing about this job is that it is training me to be a better writer, to be better at conceptualising ideas and putting them across in the most succint manner. Which is not easy. Any art form, done well, whether for commercial, experimental or epistemological purpose, is never easy. This is especially true when it comes to commercial art. Your audience is no longer a bunch of connoisuers and fans who already have a bit of notion as to what you are doing, even if it was merely a superficial notion. In commercial art, you are reaching out to a new audience that might be blind to the subtleties of your art work or the poetry of your writing. Yet, catching their attention in this crazy age of information saturation is a feat in itself, and if you have done that, perhaps by a catchy or pyschologically engineered headline, enticing them enough to read the copy, you know that you have hit the jackpot. After all, advertising is just another way of dressing marketing in a more seductive manner. Advertising people and marketing people have different creative profiles. Not all marketing people are of the creative type, especially since some forms of marketing merely involve following pre-defined rules that has been set out (maybe memorising instructions from the company's brand manual). Yet, it doesn't mean that good marketing has no need for creative sparks, and such are the sparks that keep the business from stalemating or stagnancy.

For advertising people (and I mean those in the creative department), their creative economy is the main reason why they are hired. As I work in brand design, everyday, I am learning about how visuals can do well to complement writing. I work across different mediums, doing mostly smaller projects, from conceptualising pitches (with the other team members) to regular copywriting.

I realise I have a long road ahead as a copywriter, and I have yet to claim the voice that would allow me, in the long run, to be an excellent copywriter. But I hope to one day claim it. My journey in life has been such that I never thought I would now end up a copywriter, professionally. It has been a long, winding, path, with many heartaches and headaches. And I am still finding my way. I wonder where will I be a year from now.

Fragile race relations

I suppose they all have their Biblical roots. This article in Guardian is not even the penultimate event, and we are only 5 years into this century. So will problematic race relations be the stumbling block for this century? On the other hand, they might actually herald better things to come in the second half of this century, which most of us today might not be alive to see. But the legacy we leave behind will be our gift/curse to the next/yet-to-be-born generation. It is time we remove the blinkers from our eyes and stare at racism straight at its ugly face.
What seems to be the continuous contention is that problems are never dealt with. Instead, the temporary measure of finding a scapegoat to bear the brunt has always been the lazy/easy/irresponsible way out.

Mind control?

This is highly interesting, for certain, because of the many people who believe in the conspiracy theory about the Jews seeking world-dominion. All because some of the wealthiest people in this world have Jewish blood or roots. However, wouldn't it make you question what they have done right?. After all, having been historical scapegoats in many societies tend to make you less risk averse. There are a lot of wealthy people in Asia too, but when you think of it, closely, you will realise that they seldom have the edge that many of these monied 'Jews' have, which is the control over intellectual and creative powers and property of the world.

A power to exert influence and change mindsets (or shape them)
And not all these people are evil, mendacious bastards/bitches. Btw, did you realise that Virago is a name of a Feminist press (which is mentioned in this online document) that has published quite a number of famous feminist treatises and writings? Just do search. One of them was a book I used quite a bit in my dissertation, The Haunting of Sylvia Plath.


Here is the site. Perhaps its tone borders on the hysterical, its more factual statements are worthy of note, like the names people mentioned as the who's who in the media/publishing industry. I realise how easy it is to criticise others when we ourselves are afraid to go where they have gone, whatever their original intentions might be. While a critic is useful as a check and sounding board, one must also remember that it is always easier to tear down the efforts of another, find faults with them than to build something from scratch. When one criticise others, appreciate also the difficulties that they might have to go through. However, if a criticism is sincere rather than merely vituperative/vicious, it itself provides an informative take on the subject it tackles, and even exposes the slovenliness of the work's originator/creator. And good criticism is an accomplished art form. Not very many people are great critics of the world, remembered long after their bylines have ceased or their voices mere echoes.

On a more personal note, after the exhaustion, slump and post-dissertation depression (that set in for a few days last week) which made everything seemed so very bleak, I have finally regained my energy (thanks to yoga) and can now march forward in planning my new purpose in life. (:

A breather

The Eid has just passed. I've finally completed my thesis. That happened on the eve of Eid. Then I went back to my parents' place for a little rest and retreat from as much cares of the world as I could possibly. Read nothing except that which excites my little brain and do not require much thought (I tried reading a biology textbook for fun, as a way of revisiting my past and failed in the effort). Watched nothing except that which can entertain me. I got the thesis photocopied and today, after all the running around, found a place that I could leave for binding. For the time being, meaning, for the rest of the week, I am freed from its looming presence. Yet, I am not freed from having to go to university a few times next week (at least twice) to sort out some stuff. Bureaucracy as usual.

Surprisingly, I am still feeling brain dead, despite not having used it for the last two days. Maybe a little nap will fix it. Better not sleep too much or I might just not sleep tonight.


I'll try to plan my life after this.