Hello.

I'm back in Malaysia.

Hehe, I know, I can hear you say: "Again??"

Well, I had 4 weeks of nothing to do in London, what was I supposed to do there?

Neways, had a little bit of money saved for times like this one, so I bought the ticket home.

And also, I was starting to miss Azureen a little more than a bit.

When I saw Azureen at the airport last Thursday, she looked at me appraisingly (at least that was what it felt like) and then extended her arms out to me.

Heck, I'd spend triple the ticket price for that.

Here's her latest photo:

She really is the cutest little girl of her generation. Hehe.

Been lazing and idling around so far, I still have my SSM essay to do. After the ordeal I went through with my 3rd Year SSM, I am determined not to go through the same headache again. So I'm gonna officially (re)start today. I'm telling you this so that I will actually start; it's harder to lie to other people than yourself. At least, in my case.

Went back to SM Puteri yesterday. Mak called from school and said that an O&G consultant was giving a talk to the students. Went there coz I figured she'd be a good person to get career advice from. She gave a lecture on gynaecological problems. It was quite a good one, but the Q&A session had me floored. The students were asking questions about labial piercings and torn hymens and how to (surgically) restore it and masturbation!! What the....!!!!???

Things have DEFINITELY changed since I left school. I don't think anyone in my year ever thought of such things to ask! I'm pretty sure that a number of us at that age were still ignorant of such matters, while the 'enlightened ones' wouldn't dream to raise such issues in front of 200-odd students and 15 teachers.

I'm starting to feel too old (fashioned)....

After leaving the school, I decided to go to Jaya Jusco in Seremban 2. It was opened late last year, thought I'd go and see what it had to offer.

The place is quite all right, although looking at the facade you'd expect more stores inside. But it's okay, we now have TGV and another bowling place and MPH (YAY!!!). Went to MPH, wanted to look for a book highly recommended to me; 'The Sealed Nectar' by Safi-ur-Rahman Al-Mubarakpuri. It's a biography of the Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. and it won first prize at the worldwide competition on the biography of The Prophet in 1979.

Neways, as I was saying, I saw the book, and when I placed the book on the counter, the cashier (who was an Indian lady) took a look at the book and asked me "Ni Quran ke?"

I was a little bit confused at first, and then I caught her meaning. When I said "No" she then proceeded with the transaction (with calligraphy on its jacket, I suppose the book does look similar to the Quran on the outside).

The point I'm trying to make is that I felt quite touched by her sensitivity. We live in a multi-cultural society, but how much do we know about the people who are of a different race and religion from us?

The Malays - well, since we are the majority in this country, chances are people know our taboos, our dos and donts e.g we don't eat pork, only halal meat, and other cultural and religious needs. But how many of us Malays are aware about the needs of other races? I still come across Malays working at eating places who don't know that Indians don't eat beef and kick up a fuss when they are politely told so.

Sensitivity is great, as long as it applies to us.

Does that sound fair to you?

Ah well....that's just me saying. Other people may have other thoughts regarding this matter, this is mine.

That's quite enough I think...