On the last working day of every month, all payment counters in the whole country will only be open for half a day. On normal working days, they will be open until 4.30pm.

My experience: On 30th March 2012, security personnel at the entrance to the Kepayan police headquarters didn’t tell me about this so I went all the way to the counter, only to be told to come back another day.

At this, if one is patience-challenged, one might erupt like a volcano or even pass out, the next memory being having a vision of medication carts in a hospital.

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Southall is a large suburban district of west London, England, part of the London Borough of Ealing, about 17km west of Charing Cross, one of 35 major centres in Greater London, and has one of the largest concentrations of South Asian people outside of the Indian sub-continent.

One of the many lanes there is the following, of postcode district UB2:

[Photo credit: Pascalis Alban Akim Uringgon's photos in Facebook]

A verification that this is indeed real can be found for the lane’s entry in Zoopla, the UK’s property and house prices website that provides information such as sold house prices and current value estimates for all 27 million residential properties in the UK.

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According to the Global Peace Index (GPI) Report 2011, Malaysia is the safest country in Southeast Asia and 19th safest in the world. Perhaps that would mean online insurance quotes are relatively lower in this part of the world.

Referring to the GPI’s wikipedia page:

- Since 2007, Malaysia has been steadily going up the ranks: 37-37-26-22-19
- Malaysia is even safer than Singapore, which is ranked 24th.
- for some reason Brunei is not ranked
- Malaysia is ranked safer than the following more advanced countries: Holland, United Kingdom, Taiwan, Spain, France, Italy, South Korea, USA.
- the country with the biggest economy, USA is ranked 82nd.
- the country with the 2nd biggest economy, China is ranked 80th
- the safest country in the world is Iceland, followed by, in order: NZ, Japan, Denmark, Czech Rep, Austria, Finland, Canada, Norway, Slovenia.
- the least safe country in the world is Somalia, followed by Iraq and Sudan.

In the ensuing discussion, someone suggested that in order to make the streets safer, why not employ vigilantes, or perhaps the people themselves become vigilantes, a popular culture reference being Charles Bronson’s character in the Death Wish films.

But, after the famous 1984 vigilantism case of Bernhard Goetz, Bronson himself recommended that people not imitate his character. In addition, the original Death Wish film (1974) was disliked by many critics due to it advocating vigilantism and unlimited punishment to criminals. Perhaps startlingly, the novel on which the film was based actually denounced vigilantism, while the film went in the opposite direction.

Vigilantism is generally discouraged by official agencies and the law, because it’s so easy for it to give way to criminal behavior on the part of the vigilante. The best that can be done is neighborhood watch programs like Rukun Tetangga and others who use legal means of bringing people to justice.

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Towards late February, my son told me that he has to do a model house, to be sent latest by the end of that week. Then he showed me the school textbook, which shows how to do it. We then did a simple one, but he said it’s not good enough, and that a classmate has made a good one earlier and it’s the reference standard.

So the next day I went to his classroom and saw:

There’s only one person in the house who can match that – so Ethan “collaborated closely” with his Auntie Nana to produce:

Don’t be fooled by the ordinary looking exterior. The roof can be lifted up to reveal:

He was so excited that Friday morning that he was all ready to go to school by 5.45am. And true enough, his creation was deemed the best and he quickly became the most popular student of his class that day.

Thanks Auntie!

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Adeline Wong, who received her Bachelor of Music at the Eastman School of Music in New York and her Master of Music at the Royal College of Music, London, where she received the Cobbett and Hurlstone Composition Prize.

Ng Chong Lim (b.1972), who won a scholarship to study at the Royal College of Music in London, earning a Postgraduate Diploma.

Dr Su Lian Tan (b 1964), Malaysian-born, who holds a Ph.D and M.M. from Princeton University, an M.M from the Juilliard School, and a B.A from Bennington College.

Dr Nicholas Ong, Malaysian-born, who holds a Doctorate in Piano Performance (D.M.A.) at Juilliard, in addition to an M.M from Peabody Conservatory & a Diplome Superieur de Concertiste, Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, France.

All these guys seem to be playing too-serious instruments, anybody went to a top music school playing more “rad” things like the electric guitar or Selmer Saxophones?

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Updated 6 March 2012

If Dr Su Lian Tan is the first Malaysian (or at least Malaysian-born) to graduate from Juilliard, Dr Nicholas Ong should be the second.

He began piano lessons aged six, and holds a Doctorate in Piano Performance (D.M.A.) at Juilliard, in addition to an M.M from Peabody Conservatory & a Diplome Superieur de Concertiste, Ecole Normale de Musique de Paris, France.

Thanks again to devyerlih.

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Updated 5 March 2012

Looks like there’s someone Malaysian-born who graduated from Juilliard even earlier.

Dr Su Lian Tan (born 1964) [or perhaps better known as Tan Su Lian in this part of the world], was born in Malaysia and was a child prodigy too. The flute being her favourite instrument, she turned pro at 14, and is currently professor of music at Middlebury College in Vermont, USA.

She holds a Ph.D and M.M. from Princeton University, an M.M from the Juilliard School, and a B.A from Bennington College.

Thanks to devyerlih.

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2 March 2012

Juilliard is probably the world’s most prestigious performing arts school. Established in 1905, it’s located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City.

It trains a few hundred undergrad & graduate students in dance, drama, and music.

Students can borrow top notch musical instruments, including 4 Guarneri and 2 Stradivari violins. The school has 253 Steinway pianos, the largest collection of any institution in the world for the world’s top piano brand.

Juilliard graduates have won many top awards, including 105 Grammy Awards, 24 Academy Awards (Oscars) and 16 Pulitzer Prizes.

It’s notoriously difficult to gain admission into. Typically less than 10% of applicants would be successful.

Malaysian piano prodigy Tengku Ahmad Irfan Tengku Ahmad Shahrizal, 13 auditioned for Juilliard in February 2011, in front of Dr Yoheved Kaplinsky, Juilliard’s pre-college artistic director and professor of music. She has served as judge at the world’s top music competitions, including the Tchaikovsky Competition and the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

That should make even the best pianists feel slightly nervous.

Yet, his performance was such that she was impressed – even called him a genius, a rate talent, who has shown “sophistication and depth” in his piano playing and composition.

He has since enrolled in September 2011, pursuing a double major in piano and composition as well as an elective in conducting, and has progressed to such an extent that “his compositions are so mature and sophisticated that even his teachers are amazed.”

Tengku Ahmad Irfan performing the 3rd movement of Chopin Piano Concerto No.1 during Konsert Permata Seni 2010. At that time he was only 11 years old

Source
The Star, 3 Mar 2012
New Straits Times, 3 Mar 2012

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RIP Davy Jones (1945 – 29 Feb 2012), was a member of The Monkees, sang lead vocals on Daydream Believer (1967), who many might associate with a KFC “Theme Song”. At their peak, The Monkees rivaled The Beatles in terms of ability to cause mass hysteria. Possibly the most mismatched opening act-main act concert happened in July 1967 when Jimi Hendrix opened for them.

Some people say hearing this song immediately makes them feel hungry – for that alone he deserves a trophy from KFC.

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Free As A Bird was originally composed and recorded in 1977 as a home demo by John Lennon. In 1995 a studio version of the recording, with contributions from Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, was released as a single by The Beatles, the first new Beatles single since they broke up in 1970.

John Lennon – Free As A Bird (Original, 1977)

Read the rest of this entry »

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Dato’ Sudirman Haji Arshad is probably the only Malaysian singer that approaches P Ramlee’s legendary status. He was variously dubbed “Singing Lawyer” and “Elvis of Malaysia.”

At his peak, he was like Employee Pricing Promotions: he got top billing every time, guaranteed: everybody wanted to see him perform.

The diminutive 4′ 9″ local legend passed away exactly 20 years ago, on 22nd February 1992 at the age of 37.

My favourite songs of his:

1978: Jali Jali, Kasih, Kerana Mata, Maya

Regarding Kasih, I remember us modifying the line “ku datang dengan harapan membawa [unprintable]“. Also sung by another legend, Broery Marantika. Songwriter: Ahmad Nawab.

1979: Gerimis di lautan, Mat Disko

1980: Hidup Sederhana (Basikal Tua), Hoore Hoore, Jamilah (Untuk Jururawat), Aku Penganggur, Anak Gembala

1981: Pulang dari kilang, Chow Kit Road Chow Kit Road

1984: Balik Kampung

1986: Apa Khabar Orang Kampung, Kesian Dia, Milik Siapakah Gadis Ini, Merisik khabar

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Delifrance Sandwich World Cup claims to be the premier sandwich-making competition of the world.

In its latest edition on Valentine’s Day 2012 held at the Paris School of Bakery and Pastry in France, the winner is Malaysian chef Darren Chin, 32, a graduate of Le Cordon Blue Paris culinary school.

His entry was a pork sandwich with herbs and spices and decorated with vegetables. It was served in a bamboo box and accompanied by a small julienne salad and tonka vinaigrette.

Among the herbs & spices: kunyit (turmeric). That one ingredient could’ve made all the difference.

Darren defeated 8 others in the finals.

Marks were given by an “international panel of culinary experts” based on:

- flavour association
- speed of preparation
- ease of assembly and consumption
- nutritional and cost price

Source:
The Star, 21 Feb 2012
Cordon Bleu website

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