Hari Raya Open House

Sunday saw our first experience of a Raya open house.

Hari Raya is an annual Muslim holiday that falls at the end of the holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during the daylight hours for one month. It is traditional for many to open their home's to an array of guests and we were lucky enough to be invited by a work colleague to their festivities in Kenny Hill, Kuala Lumpur.

Kenny Hills is a beautiful residential neighbourhood in bush clad hills, close to central KL and the house was palatial with spectacular panoramic views of the city. When invited to a Malaysians home, one never goes hungry and this day was no exception. A fabulous lunch was provided including a dish called Arisa. Wikipedia has this to say about it:

Arisa - A unique chicken dish that is very rare nowadays, and is normally served to the royalties and social elites of Johor at formal functions and celebrations.

Apparently, between 4 and 5 hours of continuous elbow grease is required in the making of arisa. Unfortunately it is so rare that I could not find any decent pictures online to accompany this entry. It can be served with honey and/or chilli and has a soft, mushy texture. Lina and I both enjoyed it, however, it has a very rich flavour making it difficult to eat too much. However by the time we had arrived at this dish selection, there had been a vast quantity of food gone before it, so perhaps that was the real culprit.

The other noteworthy food event was my attempt at self service of a noodle dish, whose accompaniment should have been the fish sauce......with a dab of chilli if so desired. The fish sauce was unbenoweth to me at this time, and I assumed (never assume, a wise man told me....it makes an ass etc etc) the chilli was the main sauce. You can guess the rest. Given the salubrious setting, I made a valient attempt to eat this firebrand dish without blowing my top. Clearly I needed some fluids to drown the embers in my mouth. Luckily, Grandmother's delicious homemade kopi ice (ice coffee) was at hand. In KL, it is difficult to find this beverage not overly sweetened (to generalise, KLites have a very sweet tooth), but this was just right.

Many thanks to Zain Amri Ayeob and his wife Izreen Abdullah for their generous hospitality.

Terima Kasih.

Book Review - The Miracle - The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth by Michael Schuman

The story of Asia’s economic growth is multi faceted, and could never be fully told in one book. Perhaps that is why I was disappointed with this work by TIME business journalist, Michael Schuman. Schuman’s main focus is the political and economic personalities of the post war era including Park Chung Hee of South Korea, Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and Malaysia’s own Mahithir Mohamad. Doubtless these figures have been hugely influential in the change that has taken place within a generation, and as a biography it fulfils its task adequately. But by focussing on the many personalities, it spreads itself too thin for the 359 pages and does not explore to any satisfying degree (except in the introduction) what the title suggests – evidence for and against the range of theories that explain why this phenomenon has occurred.

For as Schuman points out, economic success has not been fortuitous. Case in point Africa, whose wealth, or lack of it, was comparable to Asia 60 years ago and has since remained stagnant. Or even some Asian economies such as the Philippines, who lag behind their neighbours.

The story of a nation’s economic success or failure cannot be explained by numbers and academic theories alone and I suggest that is why Schuman has followed the human element in his story. However some of the theories do have a fascinating human ingredient. For example, one school of thought argues that there is something special about the Asians themselves. A wonderfully controversial subject, but unfortunately only warrants two paragraphs.

This is a well written introductory work on the rise of the Asian economies, however for those seeking something that offers more then superficial, disappointment awaits.

36 years to get Citizenship of your own country!! - Sort it out Malaysia!!

From 'The Star' newspaper, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


36-year wait for citizenship is over for 64-year-old
By LESTER KONG
PUTRAJAYA: It was a 36-year wait and when the moment finally came, Leong Chwee Chun simply could not contain herself.
Tears flowed freely as Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein stamped the 64-year-old’s citizenship application and handed it over to her.
She showed her gratitude by giving the minister a warm hug.

Citizen Leong: An overjoyed Leong Chwee Chun, 64, hugging Hishammuddin after getting her citizenship yesterday. She had waited 36 years for her papers.

“Manyak terima-kasih, Datuk (Many thanks, Datuk),” she uttered to Hishammuddin, who patted and encouraged her for her patience.
Leong said she had been waiting for her citizenship since she was 28.
“My father burnt and threw away all my documents when the Japanese invaded Malaysia. But he never brought me to register and I had no blue IC,” she said.

Does'nt she look great!!

Lina was photographed by a colleague whilst attending a buka puasa (nightly fast breaking meal during Ramadan) feed at Chillis restaurant in KL.

Love those dimples