Tower bridge log on bank weekend

Day 3 synopsis.

(image)

Yeah, I felt like when I ran over the historical Tower Bridge of London this morning with chariot of fire on the background. Up at 6.30 a.m and it was just freezing. But the good stuff is that there I did not sweat!

2. Borough Market - a 4 pound spanish cheese toast, yogurt + strawberries + peach.

3. Tate - contemporary art area.

4. A nice shop that sells crepes .. it was too early when i stroll past.

5. Visited the queen at buckingham by mistake , and enjoy the birds chirping at her huge park.

6. The guards are still there .. looking bored.

7. Ohhhhhh .. found out where the police horses are kept. It is down the road from the Tourism Malaysia office. Btw, the Tourism Malaysia office is in such a strategic ( and expensive) area that their lousy decoration is a joke.

Verdict on the jog: It is cool to be able to jog without getting humidly tired. There goes the scapegoat. So, I got to buck up.

All this before the afternoon. Think I will catch a nap before my friend comes.

On the politics front, my vote for the bad tempered siao len ( small men) goes to Zamry, the ciplak MB of Perak. He is having another lock in with police and everything else to keep hold of his illegal power grab. This is not a towering figure and a joke to democracy.

First day of work in London

Colleagues who gave me a huge surprise!

It is true.

London is a beehive of activity. The people here walk much faster than i did, and I tot that I was a rather fast walker.

Chiao Yen baked me muffins (chocolate, walnut and apricot which can be spelt differently. Thanks to those who sent me off ( and those who would) - Pastor Heong Cheong, Auntie Wai Li , Kelvin, Chiao, Shi and Cindy.

And Zach's lovely note and chocolate goes to the inbuild fridge.

Anyway, in remembrance of my first day at work in Shell house. The 13 hour journey ended up faster and arrived in Heathrow at 5.05 a.m. And I must congratulate MAS for serving lobster on their menu, it was delicious as the entree and unbelievingly good as the main. The cab ride was a mere 36 minutes and that saves me money. If one is to arrive later, it will cost a limb and leg ( cost me $65 pounds)

Take a look at the apartment. I love the architecture and all the hidden amenities. The view of river Thames and the special factory that came out in the latest Batman movie. Looked familiar?

Islamic conversion methods

Good stuff from Khalid Samad on conversion methods.

In contrast with some discussions on whether forced conversions is Islamic.

"Penggunaan istilah ‘Allah’ oleh mereka akan memudahkan kerja dakwah ini tetapi malangnya ummat Islam lebih memikirkan dakwah Kristian terhadap ummat Islam dan tidak sebaliknya"

One Malaysia, a plagiarism of One Singapore? - Malaysiakini

Sounds also like the Singaporean tagline.

One People, One Nation, One Singapore. (Watch the youtube here)

Apparently, I am not the first to observe the commonality nor do I think that it is an exclusive tagline.

Anyway Najib’s team has mooted the “One Malaysia” concept, a simple yet powerful slogan that sounds more like a stripped-down of Singapore’s “One People, One Nation, One Singapore”. It would be a miracle for a person who vowed to “bathe the keris in Chinese blood” in 1987 to suddenly make a 360-degrees turn and sincere about having “One Malaysia” concept. (Streetvoice)

It is just the irony of things.

Firstly, there is huge hue and cry that the one Malaysia is closely resembling Malaysian Malaysia, which were them lambasted for being an opposition and non Malay ploy to confuse the citizens. This is a common story that anything that is wrong is associated with the Non Malays ( the Jews of Malaysia), or the opposition or the lacklustre Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
It is then a huge contradiction that Najib's PR team conveniently borrowed / 'plagiarizes' a slogan from Singapore while trying to distinct itself from Kuan Yew's Malaysian Malaysia?

Secondly, it creaps back to its ketuanan Melayu ( Supremacy of Malay) clearly justifying the call to not overly optimistic that it will be anything different.
Prime Minister Najib come out with his definition today on what he meant by One Malaysia, staying closely to the definition given by the ultra-right UMNO mouthpiece, Utusan Melayu. It is to take into accounts all the concerns of the different races BUT will not forsake the concerns of the Malays primarily. And it is a rally call that we do everything as a group, dispensing (dirt under carpet) any prejudices or feelings. A noble yet indifferent goal that what we have known. Do admit that the Najib team does have an excellent proof-reader. It is technically the same stand as what we have been window dressed on , hence there is growing doubt that it will give better clarity to the quandry of race & religious scrimishes & the gaping.

I guess when there is an urgent need, Malaysians are able to conjure up any slogans or anthems to temporary impress the audiences.

The song had been very popular on the island of Mahé in the Seychelles. where the Sultan of Perak had formerly been living in exile. He heard it at a public band concert on the island, a song to a popular French melody, originally composed by the lyricist Pierre-Jean de Béranger (1780-1857), who was born and died in Paris. When Sultan Idris Murshidul’adzam Shah who was the Ruler of the State of Perak from 1887 to 1916 represented the Malay Rulers of the Federated Malay States at the installation ceremony of King Eward VII in 1901, his protocol officer was asked what his state anthem was. Realizing that his state did not in fact possess an anthem, he, in order not to appear backward in front of his hosts, proceeded to hum the aforementioned tune. Thus was an anthem born. (Wikipedia )

Unfortunately, it may not be any of the idealism that makes Najib to come out
with the slogan. At the end of the day, one may realise that it could be just for convenience. Since his 'blog' is called 1 Malaysia (http://www.1malaysia.com.my/), why not directing the citizen to his blog by having a national caption that goes after it. Masterstroke of public relations spin and blog awareness program.