The Oriental Odalisque

The Legend of the Fanged King from Kedah

2008-12-31T21:06:00.003+08:00

There was a legend taken from the Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa about the Fanged King ("Raja Bersiong" in Malay) who lived during ancient Kedah kingdom. The king was known as Raja Ong Maha Perita Deria (probably Om Maha Parita Darya, will it make a better Sanskrit?) who craved for human blood. One day, his cook accidentally cut his finger while preparing for the king's meal but later, the king found the dish to be very tasty. He used force upon the cook to find out about the secret to the tasty meal. The cook was not left with a choice but to reveal that the secret ingredient was the drip of blood from his finger that fall into the dish. From thereon, the king sacrificed his subjects in order to get the human blood to be added to his meal. But later he was hunted down for his atrocity.

This story really remind me of Jean-Paul Bokassa, the former dictator of Central African Republic who was a cannibal. Probably the story of the Fanged King was not a work of fiction but was based on a true story. It was a story of a cannibal tyrant ruler. I just read a blog where the blogger was of the opinion that the story was inspired by a Jataka Tale of Sutasoma where there is a character known as Kalmasapasada, a cannibal king.

Probably Ong Maha Perita Deria was merely a tyrant but natives of Kedah then associated him with Kalmasapasada and came out with such a bizzare story.

Who was the Sultan Muzafar Shah of Kedah?

2008-10-07T21:05:00.010+08:00

It is said that the first Kedahan ruler to convert to Islam was Phra Ong Mahawangsa. Phra Ong Chao is actually a title of a lesser class of the Thai princes or princesses. Mahawangsa is taken from the historical poem from the Pali language, Mahavamsa. Mahavamsa is considered to be an important text of the Theravada Buddhism tradition. Mahavamsa is not a religious text but a chronicle of ancient kings of Sri Lanka. Theravada Buddhism until today is the official religion of Thailand. Pali is the official language of Buddhist canonical texts. It is believed to be originated from Maghada, modern-day Bihar in India.

Why he has a Siamese title? Was it fashionable at that time for Kedahan rulers to have a Siamese title like the Malay rulers today who bear the Arabic titles of Sultan? Or was he, Phra Ong Mahawangsa was a ruler originated from Siam.

When he was converted to Islam, he adopted the name Sultan Muzzafar Shah. Shah is Persian for king while Muzzafar is a favourite Indian Muslim name. He must be converted by the Indian Muslims. He could also be converted by the Persians as well. The Muslim invader to northern India was known as Sultan Mahmud Ghaznavi who invaded India a century earlier. He was a Central Asian Turk but it was common for the Muslim Central Asian Turks to adopt Persian names and lifestyle then. But Kedahans or any Muslim Malay in the Malay Archipelago are from the Shafie madhab (school of thought) which convince me that he was converted either by the Southern Indian Muslims or the Yemenites.

Not much is known about the languages used in the Old Kedah kingdom and the Langkasuka kingdom. Did they speak an Indo-Chinese language which is related to modern Thai? Or they spoke a dialect of Malay?

Anyway it is common if we observe the history through times in any place in the world that the ruling class of a nation to come from another ethnicity. For example, the House of Windsor in England was originated from Germany, Catherine the Great of Russia is actually a German and not a Russian, some kings of England were Normans from France and not at all Anglo-Saxons (Medieval English).

Sultan Muzafar Shah, direct descendant of Parameswara?

2008-10-06T23:21:00.002+08:00

It always come across to my mind that Raja Kassim or Sultan Muzafar Shah of Malacca was not the descendant of Parameswara. The history of Malacca was written much later. In fact it was written during the Johor-Riau Sultanate.

The link between Parameswara and Sultan Muzafar Shah was only done to validate Sultan Muzafar Shah as the rightful ruler of the Malacca Sultanate and the Johor-Riau Sultanate, which is the continuation of the former. This is my speculation of course but it is not impossible. There is a great possibility that Sultan Muzafar Shah had no blood connection to the ruling Malacca Sultanate before the usurpation. He must linked himself to Parameswara in order to justify his royal lineage to the Sri Wijaya empire.

Probably he was just an Indian trader who was just managing the Malacca jetty (Pangkalan Melaka, not a port!). Some of the stories of the Malacca Sultanate was taken from Indian/Ceylonese folklore. The story of Puteri Gunung Ledang (The Princess from Mount Ledang) is taken from the myth of Durga or another Hindu goddess. The story of the mousedeer was taken from a Ceylonese folklore. Probably the story of Hang Tuah, Hang Nadim etc. was taken from the adventures of Hindu gods or Hindu epic.

Kacapuri? Or Casa something ... ????

2008-10-06T23:05:00.004+08:00

The picture above is the replica of Kacapuri gate of Fort of Kuala Kedah. The one below is the facade of a church in Goa, India. The Kacapuri gate must have been inspired by the Portuguese architectural buildings in India. The restoration works of the Fort was done in 1780s, much later after the Portuguese left Malacca. Or was it our friend Francis who got the building plan from the East India Company? I heard that the Portuguese was aiding the Sultan of Kedah in building the fort somewhere in the 17th. century to protect Kedah from the Achehnese. Probably the Project Manager of the refurbishment project was trying to restore the gate to its original architectural design?

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2008-10-06T11:17:00.001+08:00

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Mat Isa Cabai Idup

2008-10-05T21:11:00.008+08:00

When I was a child, a relative of my mother will visit us from time to time. I was asked to refer to him as Tok Long Mat Isa. Tok Long derives from the phrase datuk sulung (Malay, lit. eldest grandfather). Yes, he is my great-uncle, a cousin of my grandfather.

Mat Isa in his younger days was trying his luck as a vegetable hawker. He will move around selling vegetables in his bicycle. He will cried, "Kangkung! Kangkung!" (lit. watercress) to attract the attention of his potential customers but the naughty children will reply, "Kangkang!Kangkang!" (lit. spread your legs apart). So the business was not that good.

I do not know when that he decided to travel with his bicycle from one place to another visiting his relatives. Probably if he is still alive now, he can have his own reality tv series. He was based in Kerpan somewhere near Jerlun, Kedah. So he will ride his bicycle to Perlis, Alor Setar, Sungai Petani and so on. If he wanted to go to further cities, he will go by train. He will have some arrangement with the railway station master to place his bicycle in the train coach. Once he arrived in the city, he will ride his bicycle again. His bicycle was his best friend. It was the big old-fashioned bicycle. When I recall of Tok Long Mat Isa, he was a rare specie. Nobody will have such an idea at that time to move from one place to another place in a bicycle.

He was a jovial person. He always joke. His jokes were childish. One of his favourite joke is to borrow my pyjamas. How can an old man borrow a pyjama of a girl? He was so amused with his own joke. Due to his humorous nature, he was nicknamed Mat Isa Cabai Idup. Cabai hidup means fresh chillies in Malay. I heard that when people asked him what does alif, ya and mim (Jawi alphabets, derived from Arabic scripts) stands for. The answer should be 'ayam' (chicken), probably to test his literacy but he will reply 'cabai hidup' (fresh chillies). That was how he got the nickname 'cabai idup'.

But there was also the mystic side of him. I remember my superstitious grandmother asked him to prepare some 'rajah' (a kind of talisman) to chase away evil spirits. So he took a few pieces of copper sheet and wrote some doa (prayer) or Koranic verses on them. My grandmother will place the copper sheets in every corner of our house.

Was he a dervish or faqeer? Was that his soul-searching quest? Was he an ascetic? Only God knows.

He used to come to our house during Ramadan. But later he never visited us again. My mother got some news later that he had passed away. Such a simple man but such an extraordinary life. A character that I will never forget.

Tok Haji Derani

2008-10-04T19:05:00.009+08:00

Haji Abdul Rani bin Haji Hassan is my maternal grandfather. When I was small I have 2 grandfathers, one is my step-grandfather, Hassan and the other one is my maternal grandfather Tok Haji Derani. I have never seen my paternal grandfather. He died in 1950s, long before I was born.

Haji Abdul Rani was born in Jitra, Kedah in the early 20th. century to Haji Hassan bin Md. Arif and Hajah Ramlah binti Abdul Wahab. He died in the year 2000. Haji Abdul Rani was more oriental in appearance rather than Middle Eastern though he claimed to have a direct lineage to a Hadhrami Arab (Yemenite). He was skinny and yellow, easily mistaken for an old Chinese man. His father, Haji Hassan was a Boundary Officer and his mother, Ramlah was a homemaker. His paternal grandfather Md. Arif bin Abdullah was a religious man from Kota Kuala Muda in Kedah. His paternal grandmother whose name my grandfather cannot recall, came from Permatang Janggus off Penaga in Penang State. Nothing is known about Abdullah. He could be an Arab or half Arab but Abdullah's father, Nafa' al-Jazar was a Yemenite. From his name, there is an indication that he was a butcher or came from a family of butchers. I do not know how the Yemenites acquire their second name.

My grandfather married three times. My grandmother was his first wife. My grandmother, Maimunah binti Abdul Hamid, came from Kuala Kedah. His third wife is my step-grandmother, Che Mah binti Awang Kechik was from Bukit Selambau, Kedah. My step-grandmother is a kampung (village) woman who is strong and independent. She became a widow at a very young age. She left her kampung and moved to Sungai Petani in order to look for a better life. Her life was difficult then. Determined to change her destiny, she agreed to marry my grandfather who was much senior than her. The matchmaker told my step-grandmother that my grandfather was a rich man. Much to her disappointment, my grandfather was far from being rich but needed to support himself as a petition writer.

My step-grandmother has a great impact on me. My biological grandmother died when I was 11. My step-grandmother has taught me certain values that I would not be able to learn from my parents. She is very particular about cleanliness and an organised lady. When I was younger she used to make Malay-style 'roti canai'. In the olden days, the preparation of roti canai is not as what you can see in the mamak stalls. They used a big tray to flatten and stretch the dough. Unfortunately it is a dying art. Her roti canai was flaky and crispy. Her fish curry was also unusual.

I rarely see my step-grandmother now. As you grow older, your needs and life philosophy have changed. People who used to be close to you have now become distant. I think now she is busy with her grandchildren and religious activities. I heard from her son-in-law that she is quite weak now not as physically strong as she used to be.

According to my grandfather, my step-grandmother reminded him a lot of his mother, Hajah Ramlah. Both of the women are skinny and hardworking. Time was never wasted. Hajah Ramlah binti Abdul Wahab was born to Abdul Wahab, an Arabian and Hawa, a lady from Pumpong, Kedah. Abdul Wahab came to the Malay Archipelago as a boy with his father from Arabia. I do not know from which part of Arabia that he came from. If I am not mistaken he grew up in Sumatra and moved to Malaya when he was a young adult. First he married a woman from Bukit Mertajam, Penang and then he moved to Alor Setar. He was famous for his Koran recital and zanji (religious hymns). The Sultan of Kedah then heard of his talent and summoned him to Alor Setar. In Alor Setar, he met Hawa, a lady of Indonesian ancestry. I do not know much about her background. But Hajah Ramlah is said to be very good in identifying the plants for medicinal purposes and making frankincence. If she is still alive now, she might fit to become a botanist. I suspect that they might have Javanese background since making jamu is part of every Javanese's life.

Apart from my grandfather, she had several children who died in their infancy except for Zainab, Md. Zain, Hajah Puteh and Shaari. Zainab died when she was a teenager. Shaari is a son begotten from her first marriage.

My grandfather was a talented person but he was born at the wrong time. He could play musical instruments and was a 'qualified' (in traditional term) martial art practitioner. He learnt the art of silat. In fact the late Tan Sri Mubin Sheppard, a Malaysian historian of British birth approached him for some information on the Malay martial art of silat. When he was younger he joined the bangsawan (Malay stage show of the early and mid-20th century) orchestra as a flutist. But his involvement in the bangsawan was short-lived as the idea of him becoming a musician was opposed by his authoritarian father.

None of us inherit his talents either as a martial art practitioner or a musician. He could also speak fluent Hokkien and Arabic. He used to tell me about a period of time where he spent his years in Mecca to accompany his father. In Mecca he befriended a man by the name of Ahmad Badawi who later has a son that become the Prime Minister of Malaysia. He always referred to this friend of his simply as "Bedui". There were many adventures that they shared together in Mecca. Ahmad Badawi came back to Malaya and later became a respectable man. He was involved in politics. According to my grandfather, Bedui was a very handsome man. He got many admirers, among them is a girl of Arab-Turkish parentage who was very pretty. But Bedui was destined to marry the late Datin Kailan binti Haji Hassan, whom I managed to meet by chance a few times. She came to a legal firm I used to work for as a client.

My grandfather died of old age. Probably he was 90 when he died. He always claim to be older than his age. There were a lot of stories I got from my grandfather, mostly stories from the pre- and post-War era. My late grandfather was a man of adventures.

The Lord of the Lords

2008-10-03T10:18:00.003+08:00

I am a descendant of Dato' Seri Maharaja Khan-i-Khanan of Kedah. "Khan-i-Khanan" is a Persian term, meaning the "Lord of the Lords", a title awarded specifically in the Mughal empire to experts in their respective fields. The title must have been adopted by the Kedah kingdom 300 years ago not in the the similar context of the Mughal but specifically for the head of judiciary which will be equivalent to modern day Lord President.

According to my late aunt, our first Indian ancestor was called Ibrahim. In fact I had come across articles about Maula Ibrahim or Ibrahim Shah who had played an active role in Kedah politics in the 18th. century which coincide with the coming of Francis Light, the founder of colonial Penang. It is also believed that Maula Ibrahim or the Khan-i-Khanan was one of the negotiators representing the Sultan of Kedah in the lease of Penang deal with Francis Light.

Maula Ibrahim is said to be the nephew of the then Chief Qadi, Dato' Seri Maharaja Kadhi, Hafez Sab an Indian subject. When the Sultan of Kedah summoned the Kadhi to restore and refurbish the damaged Fort of Kuala Kedah, the Kadhi sought the assistance of his nephew, Maula Ibrahim to recruit labourers from India.

As Ibrahim was building a good rapport with the Kedahan royalty, he was married off to Tunku Jahara, a Malay woman of royal blood. The descendants of Ibrahim was granted by the Sultan of Kedah, a vast piece of land in Kubang Pasu district which presently known as Kampung Pulau Timbul.

According to my late aunt, the Maharaja Kadhi was buried in Tanjung Pauh near Jitra. Now the grave has become a pilgrimage site for certain quarters of the Indian Muslims. According to some sources, the Maharaja Kadhi hailed from Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu, India. Legend has it that the Sultan Muhammad Jiwa of Kedah before becoming the ruler of the state had befriended the Kadhi and had toured India together. It was said that the Sultan was impressed with the irrigation system in India. Thanjavur today is known as the "Rice Bowl of Tamil Nadu". The place that Sultan Muhammad Jiwa visited as a young man in India must have been Thanjavur. Maula Ibrahim being the nephew of the Maharaja Kadhi must have come from Thanjavur as well. Maula Ibrahim was said to be responsible for the legislation of law regulating the mercantile and maritime activities in Kedah back then, before the intervention of British rule in Kedah. Some scholars are of the opinion that the law was inspired by the Mughal law of India.

The ability of Ibrahim being a foreigner to mingle around with the Sultan and the Kedahan royal circle was remarkable. His encounter with Francis Light may suggest that he was a polyglot.

Visit My Xing Profile for Social Networking

2007-10-30T22:33:00.000+08:00

From my Shelfari Blog

2007-10-28T19:29:00.000+08:00

Please visit my Shelfari Blog, http://www.shelfari.com/adrina_omar. The books on my shelf are books that I have read since I was about 17. Not so many I would say because I am a slow reader. They are books that I keep read them over and over again.

My new 'membership'

2007-10-23T23:51:00.000+08:00

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Please visit :- https://www.xing.com/profile/Adrina_Omar and http://www.myspace.com/adrina_omar

Well, let us see what I can do with both sites.

I hope the networking works.

Kisses and 'bises'.

adrina

More Photos of the Palace

2007-09-11T12:01:00.000+08:00

The Palace of the Shah

2007-09-11T11:52:00.000+08:00

I must say that the palace of the Shah though furnished with elegant furnitures from Europe but does not justify the revolution against him. The palace was quite humble for a king, it is more like a mansion to a nobleman.

I was still a child at the time of his exile and was too young to understand what were going on during his reign.

Me in Iran

2007-09-11T11:40:00.000+08:00

This is photo of me at the compound of the palace of the Shah of Iran, the former monarch of Iran. You can see me with a headscarf, which is made compulsory by the present regime.

Yoga

2007-09-10T22:02:00.000+08:00

Yoga first fascinated me when I heard Madonna's interview on television. It seemed that by doing Astanga Yoga, she could lose weight. At that time I was a gym freak. Well, in fact I always have problems with my weight.

So within the same week, I went to the local public library to find a book on Yoga. I found a book on yoga called "Power Yoga" co-written by Beryl Bender Birch and her husband. I was amazed to see her youthful body. But the story on how she discover yoga and India amazed me as well. I memorized the Surya Namaskar poses. I practised yoga for a while. I was more into the asanas (poses) not the philosophy of yoga. I began to discover other books by other authors of yoga. One of my favourite is the one published by Sivananda Centre. I love the photos. Then I bought a yoga manual by B.K.S. Iyengar.

The process of my yoga discovery is very slow. One day I found a small booklet, "Yoga Sutras of Patanjali", a book on yoga philosophy. I could not believe that it was written long before the Common Era. Indian psychology already evolved long before Freud or Jung. Indian discovery of human consciousness amazed me.

The asanas or poses is only a small part of yoga. There are many paths of yoga. There are Jnana Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Hatha Yoga and Raja Yoga.

Jnana Yoga is path to wisdom. In life, we have to continuously seek knowledge and wisdom. The knowledge that we seek for must benefit ourself and mankind as a whole. Bhakti Yoga is the path of devotion to God. We must devoted ourself to God. Each of our breath and thought must be devoted to God. Karma Yoga is the path to good deeds. Our behaviour and thoughts must be guided by good intention. We must be kind to other people. Hatha Yoga, in the modern understanding will be understood as exercise and stress management. Hatha Yoga consists of asanas, pranayama, dharana and dhyana. Asana is the yogic pose. Pranayama is yogic breathing. Dharana is concentration while dhyana is meditation. In another word, Hatha Yoga is a self-reflection programme. Raja Yoga is a path to good ethics. The good ethics are mentioned in the Yoga Sutra and they are universal in its spirits. I also recommend the book, "The Lights on Yoga Sutras" by B.K.S. Iyengar for anyone who wants to have a deeper understanding of yoga philosophy. Since yoga is a tool for journey to self-discovery, I am not gullible enough to force myself to digest the inner message of the Yoga Sutras at once. I will re-read it from time to time. Each time I read it, my understanding will differ. As we grow older, we become wiser and we understand things differently.

Unfortunately I have abandoned yoga asanas for quite some times now. I want to be a yoga enthusiast again.

Since I never have any formal yoga guru as my guide except for the books I have read, so I welcome yoga practitioners to comment or to correct my understanding of yoga.

Be Yourself

2007-09-10T17:51:00.000+08:00

I believe each person has his (her) own concept of God inside him (her). Some people worship a draconian, merciless, patriachal God, some worship a compassionate Mother Goddess, some even pray to pantheon of gods. Some people choose not to pray to God but to worship other beings. I also heard of people who worship the devil.

I guess the concept of deity you have inside you is very important. The attributes that we believe God possesses will be an important determinant of our path in life. If we worship to a power that possesses purity, it will make us seeking for purity in life. You and I may share the same religion but the concept of God that we have inside us will lead us to a different path and results. Putting the wrong attributes to God may make us choose evil. I believe God is not about favouritism. Sometimes our prayers are not answered because we believe in the wrong things. God is about the truth. If you choose some lies, some falsity, truth will be far-reached.

Many people in this modern era thought that religions are old-fashioned and act as skeptics. But rather than seeking for the truth and purity, they believe in pseudo-science. They want quick-fix to things. They want to be powerful, they want more money, they want positions etc. I must say that I am one of the people who read those new age, pseudo-science books; about how to achieve success fast. Reading one of the book is enough to make a good guess of what is the content of the next one. They are all the same. They are written by gullible people who wants to make money fast. Those books are about them, about what they think.

The most important thing in life is to understand yourself. You do not need any mahaguru or a sheikh to tell who you are or how to behave. Only you will know who you are. We read about people who left their small hometown to make it big. How can they be so sure of what they are doing? It's because they know their own innate talent and potential. Each people know what are their strengths and their weaknesses. People who hone their strengths will find peace with themselves and success in life. You do not have to concentrate on your weaknesses and weep about them. You do not have to comply to ideals which are far from your true self or your true nature. People who try so much to comply to these benchmark or ideals do not end up as ideal people but end up as hypocrites.

Our inherent strength is a gift from God. It is the tool that God equipped us with to survive and succeed. Use your strengths for the benefit of mankind as that is your mission in this life.

Tales from the Western Caspian

2007-07-01T14:34:00.002+08:00

I am always fascinated by Baku, Azerbaijan. I don't know the reason why, probably because Azerbaijan will remind you of a lot of things. It is Transcaucasia, it was part of Persian empire, it was part of the Soviet, it is part of Turkish-speaking world and it is part of the Muslim world. I even began to notice nowadays that people begin to refer to Azerbaijan as Europe instead of Asia. Will the fate of Azerbaijan be similar to Turkey? Will Azerbaijan initiate the intention of joining the EU as well? I do hope that this article will be read with a make belief background music of Alihan Samedov, whose rendering of duduk (or balaban) is so mesmerising and touching that could easily bring one to tears.

Early this year (February 2007), I visited Iran. I was watching the graphic movement of the plane on the monitor while on board of the plane. Azerbaijan looks so close to Iran. In fact, Tehran, my intended destination looks so close to the Caspian. I was thinking of taking a bus or train once I arrived in Tehran and cross the lake by a boat. That was a wishful thinking of a simple mind. Once I arrived in Tehran I realised that my plan is not going to be materialised. Most Iranians do not speak English and I don't speak Persian except for a few words just to impress my hosts in Tehran.

While I was in Tehran, I was told that the distance from Tehran to the Caspian is about 400 kilometres. Things look so simple on the map and the information was sufficient enough to make me cancel my plan and to let my dream shattered. I will never give up. But if I learn Russian and Turkish well, my journey one day to Azerbaijan will be more meaningful.

Has anyone read the novel, "Ali and Nino" by Kurban Said? It is a love story with a pre-Soviet backdrop, having an Azeri man and Georgian woman in the leading roles. I must say the storyline will fit without a doubt a Bollywood formula movie but the thoughts of Ali, the hero and of Nino, the heroine was written in a very humourous and refined manner. It is the story of east meets west. There is some controversy of who is the real author of the book. Though majority of people (the literatis, of course) in the West believe that it was written by an Azeri Jewish man by the name of Lev Nussimbaum, with the assistance of an Austrian baroness, Elfriede Ehrenfels. But some claimed that it was written by a true blue Azeri man. If it is written by Lev Nussimbaum, I must say that I am impressed with his knowledge about Islam. In fact Lev Nussimbaum did really convert to Islam and adopt a Turkish name, Essad Bey. I like the name "Kurban Said" especially if it is pronounced in my dialect, the northerner dialect of Malay. It will be "Koor-baan Sa-id", a bit like Arabic but without the guttural sound. But some say the real pronunciation is "Goor-ban Sa-yeed", which has some Persian or Central Asian influence.

Last night I was watching an Azeri video clip, titled 'cay' which means 'tea'. I believe it must be a comical song, judging from the merry environment and the mood that the video exudes. But the song is a far cry from the sophistication of "Ali and Nino". But "Ali and Nino" if I am not mistaken was originally written in German (it must be German, since it is co-written with an Austrian baroness) and translated into English (and other languages too). Too bad, despite having an Azeri backdrop does not contribute much to the Azeri language literature. The 'cay' video although amused me but caused me some disappointments. But my disappointment was short-lived after watching the performance of Aziza Mustafazadeh, an Azeri jazz singer. I am not a big fan of jazz but she reveals a lot of sophistication and her style is truly Azeri. She does not try to sound 'black'.

And does anyone know that Shahbanu Farah Pahlavi (or more popularly known as Farah Diba in the media) was born to an Azeri born father? In fact, Azerbaijan was once upon a time part of the Qajar empire of Persia.

Another famous person who was born in the Azerbaijan is the medieval poet Nizami. Nizami wrote the world acclaimed, "Laila Majnun" (or Leyli Majnun in Persian) in poetry form. He wrote it in Persian and in fact, Nizami is a Kurdish.

Some even alleged that the European Jews are not at all Semitic but in fact are descendants of the Khazar Turks of the Caspian. The Khazar Turks are believed to be the ancestors of the Azeris. Among the most famous proponent of this theory is Sir Arthur Koestler. The Persians in fact are referring to the Caspian Sea as the "Khazar Sea". I will not make any comment on this, only a nationwide DNA test in Israel will justify this claim. If it is true then the European Jews or the Ashkenazims are the long lost cousins of the modern day Azeris.

Parlez-vous francais?

2007-07-01T13:34:00.000+08:00

So far I have attended 3 classes for my French course. Well, I don't have any difficulty in remembering words but I do have difficulty to strike conversation in French. I also foresee that I am going to have problems with categorising words into masculine and feminine and also knowing the right verbs for the respective pronouns. But I think as time goes by, the flow of the language will come naturally.

Every night I will be online searching for French language television channels. Yesterday, I was watching Cannes Film Festival 2007 award ceremony. Not bad for a beginner! And last night, I was looking for a diet website in French. Bad habit dies hard. I sincerely do hope that my acquisition of French will change my world view. I don't learn French simply to consider of migrating to Cananda or France or Belgium or Switzerland. I must say, and I am not exaggerating; I learn the language simply because the adoration I have for the language.

My French Class

2007-06-17T16:12:00.000+08:00

Just enrolled for a French language class. I have bought series of self-learning language kits to speak foreign languages before. I find it difficult without a teacher guiding me, especially I am not in the foreign language environment.

I hope to get something out of this class. Hope can speak French this time. I think to read and understand is easier than to listen and understand.

I also hope after this I can get materials in French from the internet. I can't wait the day I can understand French without any effort. One day I will write some of my thoughts in French. Probably I need to write my more 'existentialistic' ideas in French.

Au revoir!

Words

2006-01-26T13:29:00.000+08:00

The Oriental Odalisque

I spend most of my time drafting letters at my office and reading (this shall include office minutes). I enjoy looking at words. I am not good with grammar. In fact even if I learn a third, fourth or fifth language, I will not have problems in remembering words. My problem is with the grammar.

I have learnt many languages at the intro level. I have made attempts on a few of Indo-European languages. But without a formal environment, I find it is hard for me to acquire those languages. It is a waste.

I do not know what is the short cut. I want to live in a house with many windows. Windows that lead to everywhere.One window that leads to the francophone world, another window to the Arab world, another one to the CIS world through Russian, not to forget Spanish and Portuguese windows that can lead me to the Latin American world.

Words are so important. From group of words, we can have a sentence. From a group of sentences, we can form a language.

I always want to reach out. Can words help me?

Quo Vadis, Adrina?

2006-01-26T13:13:00.000+08:00

The Oriental Odalisque

Yesterday as I was driving on the highway, I was thinking, "Is this all what life has to offer?". I am already 38 and I have not achieved something great yet. Well I am not famous as Mawi or Siti Nurhaliza, who are much younger that me. I am not as adventurous as Paris Hilton. I am no Bollywood queen. In fact, I am too old to venture into the film industry now. Life is sad.

Later that night, my elder sister called. I told her about my frustration. She said to me, why not try writing where it seems I have flair in it. Well, I am not so sure whether she is right. Probably I can write in my scrap books or this blog but to give my self a try on serious writing is something else. But on second thought, why not? Adrina as famous writer.Hmmm... Do I need a pseudonym? Nice to dream. Perhaps I have to start to keep on writing now.

My Tiramisu

2006-01-25T12:32:00.000+08:00

This is my first attempt of Tirami Su. My version is not so sweet. Instead of using vanilin, I use vanilla essence and honey. I also do not use liquer. In the future I can experiment the ingredients will lots of things. Probably a mixture of mascarpone and ricotta cheese. Any type of coffee that you want. All these can brings a bit of a difference. Enjoy!

The Setting for Date and Time

2006-01-25T12:14:00.000+08:00

The Oriental Odalisque

Well, the setting for date and time for some of the collages are a bit off. I don't know why the dates for the photos are indicated much earlier. The marina and the recipe photos are taken between 20th. to 22nd January 2006.

Landmarks of Sungai Petani

2006-01-23T09:57:00.000+08:00

The first and second photos are photos of HSBC Building. I think it is one of the most unique building in Sungai Petani. It has the colonial touch to it. As long as I remember it is already there. I am not sure when it was built.

The photo at the bottom is the clock tower. It is truly a landmark of Sungai Petani. Like the Leaning Tower to Pisa. It is an old building. The clock tower was a gift from a Chinese philantropist to the town.

Weekend Chef

2006-01-23T09:30:00.000+08:00

I proudly present 3 of my creative outputs. I made my own pasta! Yup! from the basic. I made my own pasta dough, shape them and boil them. The first photo shows my spaghetti, the second photo shows my fettuccine and the third photo shows my Panforte di Siena (slightly burnt). In case if we have a second Japanese Occupation (the period of World War 2 in Malaya is also known as Japanese Occupation. That was hard times for South East Asians. We nearly starved. In southern Malaya; there was no rice to eat so people were depending on tapioca as staple food), at least I could survive with my home made spaghetti and fettucine. Just a joke! A mean one. Watch out for next week!

More of Me at Marina

2006-01-23T09:24:00.000+08:00

More marina photos. You can see the view of the Penang ferry at the background too. So in another word, you will know where is the location of the marina.

Adrina at Marina

2006-01-20T16:57:00.000+08:00

This picture shows me at Tanjong City Marina. Tanjong City Marina is a newly opened marina. It is the first inner city marina in Malaysia. Actually I work with the port which operates it; Penang Port. I wish to do some free promotion here for this marina. Whoever interested may berth at our marina moorage.

The 3 King Shah Rukh

2006-01-20T10:00:00.000+08:00

There are 3 Shah Rukhs that made their names into the history books. Of course not in Malaysian history books but history books elsewhere.

The first Shah Rukh is the emperor from the Timurid Dynasty who ruled in 14th and 15th century a vast land which included modern day Uzbekistan, Iran and Afghanistan. He was also known as Shah Rukh Mirza. The Timuris are Tatars who earlier embraced Islam.

The second Shah Rukh, another king, hailed from the Afsharid Dynasty, ruled a kingdom in the 18th. centrury Persia, which is the modern day Iran. The Afsharis are Turks.

The third Shah Rukh a.k.a. the King Khan as he ruled Bollywood is a king in his own right. Shah Rukh Khan is an Indian of Pathan descent. Shah Rukh has brought zest into Bollywood film industry. Before the presence of King Khan, Bollywood has undergone its decline for two decades. Shah Rukh's inherent charm has attracted fans from Morocco to Indonesia, and not to forget all the NRIs abroad. Without his presence to the industry, I doubt there will be a revival of Bollywood splendour .

Photos of the Wives of Shah of Iran

2006-01-19T13:18:00.000+08:00

I am still new with this blog so I do not know how to make collage and so on. Anyhow enjoy the photos.

The Three Wives of Shah of Iran

2006-01-18T15:30:00.000+08:00

Shah of Iran, the late Reza Pahlavi must be one of the most fortunate men. He married 3 beautiful women. The first one is Princess Fawzia of Egypt. She is the sister to the late, King Farouk of Egypt. To me, she is definitely a Hollywood material if she were not a princess. Or we can say she is a truly fairy tale princess. But beautiful women are not blessed with fortunate lives. She was divorced as she could not bear the Shah an heir to the throne. She has a daughter.

The second wife of the Shah is Princess Soraya. She was born to an Iranian father and a German mother. Soraya, not only could not bear him a son but also children, (regardless of their gender). Soraya was divorced too by the Shah. She went to Europe, trying her luck in the film industry. I would not know whether she has made it big but she used to move around within the European royal family social circle.

The most famous of his wives, Farah Diba. In fact many girls in Malaysia are named after her. She must be Princess Diana of the Middle East during her heydays. Farah Diba bore the Shah a son who suppose to be the heir to the throne. But God has other plans. Iran does not even need a king now.

But Shah is not that fortunate as it may seems. He died while in exile. What is the worst thing to happen to a king? A king without a kingdom.

My cat, Ta-mew

2006-01-18T15:00:00.000+08:00

This my cat Ta-mew. He is named after an ancient Egyptian cat. The cat belonged to an ancient Egyptian prince.

Ta-mew is a passionate cat. I have never seen such a passionate cat as he is. I have seen him licking a kitten, something quite rare for a male cat to do.

Ta-mew taught me about love. It's love between human and animal. Like people say love knows no boundary.

2006-01-18T14:40:00.000+08:00

2006-01-18T14:37:00.000+08:00

Hello! Gang

2006-01-18T10:40:00.000+08:00

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