Category Archives: Culture

Love me love my dog ? Part 2

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One day, coming back from swimming, I opened the door to be confronted by a distinct smell. I asked my husband a stern question, “Has CC (name of neighbours’ dog) been in the house?” “Yes! But how do you know that?” Husband apparently didn’t quite understand my question.

I told my husband that the smell of the dog’s presence was overpowering. If my husband had had a woman in the house, I would also have been able to detect the scent of a woman too. Scent is subtle. I can smell it. I don’t like bacon, for example, as its smell is too overpowering. A dog’s smell in a house is overwhelmingly strong if you’re not used to it.

Then we had a row. Continue reading →

Love me love my dog?

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Sorry I haven’t been writing for a while.

I visited my friends the other day. Their dog barked at me, non-stop. I was smiling, speaking to the dog softly, praising him. His master also asked him to be good. “Darling, it’s ok, good boy!” They tried to calm the dog down.

The dog jumped on me, barking even louder. My friend said, “Janet, CC (dog’s name) is actually waiting for you to give him a stroke. Give him a stroke and he’ll be fine.” Continue reading →

Free pen

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Today (Wednesday), the British Red Cross sent me a small packet.

Free

FREE

This packet includes 2 greeting cards with envelopes (free), 1 bookmark (free), and the most amazing of all, a pen (free). Of course, it also comes with a letter asking for donation.

Here is the dilemma: a FREE pen from the Red Cross, sent to me by post. Should I use the pen to sign a cheque or give out my direct debit details? Or, does it make me a very bad person if I use this pen to doodle? Or even worse still, what if I chuck the pen — since the pen is not my kind of pen. I prefer Japanese gel ink pen such as Uniball Signo, or Staedtler Triplus fineliner from Germany.

I tried to discuss my dilemma with my 12-year-old son. “Ben, do you think the British Red Cross should spend/waste their money and send everyone FREE pens and FREE cards? Do you think FREE pens will attract more donations for the Red Cross?” My son replied, “Mum, you asked the same questions last time. Why are you repeating yourself?” Continue reading →

Walking in the wood – Part 2

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I went for a long walk in a country park with some friends yesterday. It was drizzling and we still covered ourselves with thick winter coats. After a refreshing walk, I told my friends how grateful I was to be with them, as it was the most comfortable walk I have had for a long time.

What do I mean by being ‘comfortable’? During our walk, we walked more or less at the same pace, but sometimes the group would split into two, and some walked ahead and we would catch up later, or the other way round. We would stop for a short break, having a chat. It was simply a leisurely walk, with good conversation. We didn’t set a goal as to how many miles we would have to cover in two hours. Later, we even stopped for a hot drink and comfort food and had another long break.

There was no pressure of achieving any goal, apart from spending some time together out in the open. We didn’t stick as a group of five all the time during the walk. We all had total freedom, yet we enjoyed each other’s company. There was no competition of speed or knowledge into little unknown flowers. That was how I felt, being relaxed and comfortable, and I hope my friends have felt the same pleasure towards the trip too.

Image by ovizo0n via Flickr

Image by ovizo0n via Flickr

Comment 1: “You walk far too slow”

Walking with friends has slowly become more and more difficult for me, as there’re many conflicting walking styles. Sometimes our expectations failed to meet each other’s, and without sufficient mutual understanding, the walks couldn’t be enjoyable. Once, my friends commented that we (my son and I) walked too slowly during a country walk with them. We were simply TOO SLOW. They emphasised this a few times and I asked them please stop criticising me. I couldn’t help how I walked. My son and I would sometimes stop and chat, and sometimes he needed to adjust his shoelaces (more than once), and he would complain the journey was too long. I was also worried being lost and kept asking where we actually were. It’s become clear to me that we had became a burden and nuisance in the wild and we certainly had reduced their joy of walking. Continue reading →

Walking in the wood – Part 1

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Before I married my caucasian husband (I don’t mean I have other non-caucasian husbands), I never knew anything about walking. In my previous life living in a hot and humid country, walking was a mere necessity — walking to school, market, to shops. Only poor people walked. People with a bit of money would travel by car. Walkng itself didn’t carry a status of pride or defeat. It was just a fact of life. I never walked for pleasure. There wasn’t even a culture of eulogising walking. When the sun was out, we hid. When we had to walk under the sun, we did the most sensible thing — walking and hiding in the safe haven of an umbrella. However, after living in England for a while, I was surprised to know of a professional group of people called ramblers. I needed to look this word up in a dictionary. I used to ask, what do ramblers do? My husband would reply, “They walk.”

Walking in the wood - image by steric via Flickr

Walking in the wood – image by steric via Flickr

Continue reading →

Some trivial facts in Winchester

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Last week, Jane Austen fans celebrated 200 years of Pride and Prejudice.

Jane Austen was buried in Winchester Cathedral. I visited Winchester regularly. When I visited Winchester again with my son yesterday, I made a point to find a trivial fact about Mr Darcy.

Come dine with Mr Darcy

Come dine with Mr Darcy

Opposite to the library in Jewry Street is a Thai restaurant named Bangkok Brasserie. This restaurant serves a unique dish called Colin Firth’s Thai Mango Chicken for £7.95.

“Yellow curry with added mango; created for actor Colin Firth. 75p to Southampton and Winchester Visitors Group, a charity supporting refugees and asylum seekers.”

On this occasion, we didn’t eat in this restaurant and I only entered the restaurant to pick up the menu, as my 12-year-old-boy found KFC a more superior alternative, and he couldn’t possibly appreciate Colin Firth as passionately as his mother does. However, when I last tried Colin Firth on my birthday — I mean Colin Firth’s Thai Mango Chicken – it was absolutely delicious.

I remembered a waiter in the restaurant told me that Colin Firth’s parents dined there frequently, and Thai Mango Chicken was their favourite. They asked for the permission from the parents to name the dish to honour Colin Firth. Daily Echo has more details.

We headed down the high street, and I saw a remembrance flower bed for horses.

I stopped to take some pictures, to my son’s annoyance. I explained that as there’s been news about horse meat in burger recently in the UK, this picture about horses could be interesting to my readers.

These were not ordinary horses.

These were the horses (hundreds of thousands of them) killed in the South African War from 1899 to 1902.

Horses

Horses

Related articles

Test yourself on the new British Immigration exam

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My ‘sensational’ post Am I British enough? published on Jan 1 this year is the most read post on my blog. I lamented that I needed to pass the Life in the UK immigration test if I were to apply for British citizenship.

Am I British enough?

Click to read my post: Am I British enough?

The Telegraph reported today that Theresa May, the Home Secretary, “has torn up the 2007 edition’s section on New Labour, swept away guides to immigrants’ rights and put a new focus on what it means to be British.” The new test from March will focus on British values, culture and history, as well as the success of Olympic heroes at London 2012.

I know you are fascinated and you can’t wait to do the test. I’ve copied the 10 questions from Can you pass the British immigration exam? from The Telegraph over here, so that you can have a go.

Remember: Applicants for British citizenship will be expected to answer 75% of 24 questions correctly. Do not cheat.

Q.1
Which landmark is a prehistoric monument which still stands in the English county of Wiltshire?
  •  Stonehenge
  •  Hadrian’s Wall
  •  Offa’s Dyke
  •  Fountains Abbey
Q.2
What is the name of the admiral who died in a sea battle in 1805 and has a monument in Trafalgar Square, London?
  •  Cook
  •  Drake
  •  Nelson
  •  Raleigh
Q.3
In 1801, a new version of the official flag of the United Kingdom was created. What is it often called?
  •  The British Standard
  •  The Royal Banner
  •  The St George Cross
  •  The Union Jack
Q.4
Who is the patron saint of Scotland?
  •  St Andrew
  •  St David
  •  St George
  •  St Patrick
Q.5
What flower is traditionally worn by people on Remembrance Day?
  •  Poppy
  •  Lily
  •  Daffodil
  •  Iris
Q.6
Which of these sporting events was hosted in London in 2012?
  •  The Commonwealth Games
  •  The Cricket World Cup
  •  The European Football Championship
  •  The Paralympic Games
Q.7
At her jubilee in 2012, how many years as queen did Queen Elizabeth II celebrate?
  •  25
  •  40
  •  50
  •  60
Q.8
The second largest party in the House of Commons is known by what name?
  •  The senate
  •  The Opposition
  •  The Lords
  •  The other side
Q.9
From what age can you be asked to serve on a jury?
  •  16
  •  18
  •  21
  •  25
Q.10
What is the title given to the person who chairs the debates in the House of Commons?
  •  The chairman
  •  The Speaker
  •  The leader of the House
  •  The prime minister

Quiz Completed. See answers below:

The Power of Introverts: video went viral

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I introduced Susan Cain’s enlightening speech and her new book, Quiet, The Power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking, a few days ago.

It’s a surprise to know that a brilliant artistic video based on this book has been created.  According to TED, the video is created and narrated by Daniel Widfeldt Lomas and animated by Petri Ltajif. The visual production is effective, which communicates Susan Cain’s concepts well. I love the impressive hand-drawn images.

It’s going to be a video series. The artist has completed the first 2 episodes, 6 minutes each.

This first video has gone viral with more than 1 million hits.

The second video

Continue reading →

HAN Suyin, image from The Hindu

Where was HAN Suyin in Malaya in the 1950s?

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What do you think enhance a city? What element would exude fragrance and charm? For me, it’s the presence of art, the spirit of a writer who once lived there.

If you were to visit me in England, I would take you to the nearest city Winchester, England’s historic city, adorned with magnificent architectures. It’s where you’ll find the little house where Jane Austen had lived before she died. We would walk along the water meadows, abundant in wild flowers and butterflies.

Before I came to England, in Johor Bahru, the city where I was born in Malaysia (previously Malaya), a lesser known story was developing. HAN Suyin, the Eurasian writer noted for A Many Splendoured Thing in 1952, lived there for about 10 years. This novel was later made into an award winning film, starring Jennifer Jones and William Holden, in 1955, and HAN Suyin instantly became a household name. The novel was based on her love affair in Hong Kong with the war journalist for The Times in London, an Australian named Ian Morrison, who died later reporting in the Korean war.

A Many-Splendoured Thing, by HAN Suyin 韩素音 （image from Amazon)

A Many-Splendoured Thing, by HAN Suyin 韩素音 （image from Amazon)

HAN Suyin 韩素音 was a medical doctor. She was born Elisabeth Chow Kuanghu (Zhou Guang-Hu 周光瑚) in 1917 in Henan, China, to Zhou Yuan Dong and Marguerite Denis, her Flemish-Belgian mother. When she arrived in Johor Bahru, Malaya, in around 1952 with her second husband, Leon F Comber, she practiced in the General Hospital, where I was born less than 20 years later. Later, She ran her own clinic called Chow Dispensary, which was later relocated to Jalan Ibrahim (meaning Ibrahim Road) above Universal Pharmacy. In the 70s, long after the writer had left, the few shops and houses there were destroyed by fire. Now, the place which carried the memories of her has been turned into a car park.

HAN Suyin, image from The Hindu

HAN Suyin, image from The Hindu

I remembered this road in Johor Bahru well, of course,  Continue reading →

My Malaysian passport states that I'm banned from visiting Israel.

Am I British enough?

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I’ve been slightly troubled lately about a personal issue. After some considerations, I’ve decided to share it with you here.

At the dawn of new year, I’ve begun to seriously wonder if I should become a British citizen, after living in England for nearly 16 years.

Many people who have known me are surprised that I’m still not British. I’m a proud Malaysian and I was born and bred there, until I went abroad to study at the university. I’ve now spent many more years abroad than in Malaysia. To many, to gain a western passport is a glory, an achievement in itself. I’ve never thought that way, however. I stubbornly feel that your passport is the statement of your identity, representing your root, your past, and, your dreams. It’s never crossed my mind that I need to ‘upgrade’ myself to become British.

I’m also a proud resident here in the UK. I have a respectable job as an academic, I pay tax, I drink English tea and I can describe the English rain using different words, such as spitting, drizzle, chucking it down, pelting down, bucketing down, spot of rain, soft rain, hard rain, shower, deluge …….

More than just rain

More than just rain

I’ve tried to be logical in my analysis. Are there any obvious advantages of becoming a British citizen for me? As a Commonwealth citizen, I have the right to vote at the UK general elections. Without being a British citizen, I have already voted a few times in both general and local elections.

In early 2011, I was surprised to be called by Her Majesty to perform the jury service. In spring 2011, I performed my 2-week duty in a distinguished Crown Court as a juror. I remember vividly I spent a whole week gazing adoringly at the young, dashing attorney who spoke posh upper-class English. Even his wig looked cute. And his client won of course. It was a tremendous honour and I would say my jury service was definitely the highlight of my life in this country. I wouldn’t mind being called again.

I was called to be a juror in a Crown Court in 2011

I was called to be a juror in a Crown Court in 2011.

Without being a British citizen, I can vote, become a jury, have equal rights at work. Why change? Continue reading →