Your mader calling….pheeeee phooooo pheeee phooooo
I woke up at 4 am this morning, did a lot of research on Kugan and went back to sleep at 6 am and have to wake up at 6.45 am again. Breakfast was good but knowing your ma, she dare not eat much eventhough she wanted to. Aiyah…no need explicitly blog that I was afraid that I wanna pangsai at the most inappropriate time.
I got to go to the High Court alone. Rain came down so heavily and I couldn’t hail a cab from the hotel. So, I ran with my laptop, heavy tripod and wet jeans and shoes to the nearest Monorail station to catch a taxi. Phew….I am admiring my ownself for my own samsengness and ahlianess.
I believe the power of prayer works. I prayed so hard last night because I am terribly afraid of interviewing Kugan’s mom. I want to do it and shameless asked to be given the assignment. I was afraid that I could only managed a few words from her or I could cried along with her. But praise the Divine, it turned out well. A short clip of the video is here.
Did I tell you my hotel is great? It is located in a red light area but the place is new and the room big. I get a twin bed all to myself, no one to mess up the bathroom and I can snore and no one to copy the sound. Anyway, we have to leave early for assignments and when we come back from our course, it is way too late to do anything. Moreover, your mom is way past the ‘chicken’ stage so I am pretty safe. No Africans nor Bangladeshis want to have a second look. I went to buy toothpaste and no one makes any wolf whistle. Got plenty of ‘chicken’ in the street across my hotel but no chicken clucking here.
I hate to say this but I haven’t have time to even miss you guys. I phoned your little brother but he was too busy to chat with me for long. I got an article to write. I made a draft and the editor said I am being to melodramatic. He shoved it into the bin and asked me to re-write again. Well…he is actually a nice guy and I didn’t do too bad lah. I managed to complete a short video of it, writing an article and I practically one leg kicks all because I even filmed the interview.
Oh ya, don’t remind me the video was shot rather senget. You see, I wanted to capture the tears and expression. So your poor mother had to look at the person talking (usually the lawyer or the aunt), look at the mom, look at the video camera all at the same time. So, I had to quickly rush from mom to lawyer to aunt and round and round again. In the end, yes, I managed to get the ‘feel’ I want. I have to hold hard to my tears and control my choking voice. I noticed a couple of girl reporters swiping their tears away too.
I got scolded actually. You see, got one nasty old fella shouted in front of everyone. “Go to the side lah, we want to take photos lah.” I told him I need to explain to Kugan’s mom first. I put my hand over her shoulder and whispered to her that I may asked some hurtful things and if she needs to cry, please don’t hold back. I told her that we need to move the hearts of all Malaysians to get them to feel for her. I told her that many Malaysians cried along with her. I don’t want to treat her like an object for interviewing but I want her to feel that I am there to share her pain. So, this old man shouted very rudely lah. He said, “Aiyah, she knows what to say already lah, what for want to explain her?” KNN, I was too busy to tiu only. Niamah, or else I take my tripod and whack him baru tau.
And you know what? Back in class, we were coached by Abang Nash, a very famous big gun reporter. I told him I kena marah lah. He said, “You are doing a great job!” Cos he said normally when people cover accident victim surviving families, people terus interview while he would do some small chats first. Yay! Thank God I get affirmation from the best!
Now, I must go take out my contact lens, do my article and fall asleep. Nite nite. Muaks muaks….
Press Statement By Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng In Georgetown On 2.7.2009.
The State Government Will Not Take A Single Cent Of The So-called “Goodwill Payment” From The Developer Unless The Residents Agree To The Compensation.
The Penang state government warns Nusmetro Ventures (P) Sdn Bhd, the developer of the proposed housing project in Kampung Buah Pala, for threatening to send bulldozers in by August 2 to forcibly evict residents and demolish their houses as highly irresponsible and inflammatory. It is highly improper to stoke fear into the villagers’ hearts by reminding them that they will have to move out by Aug 2 when the one-month grace period given by the developer expires and there will be “no more extensions”. The one-month grace period was negotiated by the state government with the developer to find a solution to the problem.
Nusmetro claimed to have offered the highest compensation in the state from RM140,000 to RM260,000 to the temporary occupation of land (TOL) holders as well as their immediate and extended families. And even offered one of the two cattle ranchers there RM330,000 including a five-year rent-free deal for land in Balik Pulau which was rejected.
To say that the developer has the legal right not to pay anything to the residents just because the developer has a Federal Court order, would not assist in resolving this problem. Instead of all the cruel talk about bulldozers, the developer should continue to seek solutions that works towards a win-win situation for all parties. For this reason, the state government will not take a single cent of the “goodwill payment” proposed by the developer to the state government unless the villagers of Kampung Buah Pala agrees to the compensation.
I wish to reiterate that the state government has nothing to do with the eviction, or the Federal court order and the bringing in of bulldozers to demolish the houses. Instead the state government had intervened to prevent the eviction of the residents since last year. Even though this is a court order obtained by the developer, the state government would continue to work aggressively to try to assist the villagers.
Your ma didn’t sleep last night because of the rain. So, she didn’t sleep at all because during the trip, she didn’t want to sleep because you know how paranoid she is about people driving and her sleeping. She doesn’t want to go to Heaven without knowing how she ended up there.
Now, it is 4:18 pm and still not sleepy. Your ma got here at 9 am, after one stop at Tapah. Then, it is all the way to Bangsar at Malaysiakini. Course started since 10 am. Lunch was at Quick Bites, some cafe.
I phoned the tua pui but he refused to sembang much with me. I tried to instal Skype on my laptop but the cilaka software isn’t working.
Class is going till 9 pm. Phew….
At 6 pm, we are going to the editorial meeting and tomorrow, we are going to be sent out to the real, big, bad world. I hope they put me somewhere exciting like a riot, tear gas affair or meet the PM at Parliament. Thursday and Friday are doing field work and then, back to office to write articles.
Saturday is narrative journalism by Janet Steele, someone from US to train us. I hope when I get back, you all won’t say I spoke with fake slang.
Can you believe that I can even get lost in a car park? LOL. Today, I went to Komtar but the underground parkings are full. So, I parked somewhere outside. The space was so crammed, I could park in but have problems getting out. It is one of those woman’s problem I have. Easily I squeezed in but when I want to get out, oops, the lubang become too tight. Anyway, after several turn and twist on my little Viva, I got out.
But suddenly, I cannot remember which direction I entered. It is an open car park, with the huge Komtar looming on top of my head. And yet, I can’t seem to remember where I came in from. I think the parking attendant must be wondering why I drove around the car park like that. Damn malu, I tell you.
And it is 12 midnight. I am supposed to wake up at 4 am and wait for Jimmy and Natasja at Tesco at 5 am. Yet, I haven’t pack my things yet. The cables and wires alone took up a shopping bag already. The cameras, laptop, mike and stuffs another bag. I think I am going to bring clothes enough for two days. Let Mkini’s staffs wonder why I seem to live in the Groundhog Day world where I wear the same shirt, same jeans, same shoe every day.
I can’t sleep because I cannot sleep next to my SIL or any other strangers. I think I will sit here till 4.30 am….
At the last minute, I am installing skype because I need to talk to my baby! I dare not mention about me going KL before he went to sleep. I dare not tell him, “Tomorrow morning when you wake up, mommy won’t be around.” Bawllssss….So, I will instal skype and leave the instructions to him on how to operate skype. I think my six years old will have no problem understanding the basics.
Yerrr…..I never leave my kids for this length of time one, you know? Even my loukong also, since day one we dated. I better keep myself so busy in the next six days or else I sure take the next plane home. I miss my baby already!
Jimmy got a video clip that he finds spooky and he mailed the clip to me. Initially, I was too afraid to listen to it. You see, he was filming the cemetery and there was this one part where the MPPP YDP, PHT manager, I and a few other people were walking down this path. That means, Jimmy was way ahead of us. The video captured some noises. I heard it as ‘waaa…waa….’ of kids’ voices. Jimmy heard it too. Anyway, I don’t want to think too deep into it.
Last Saturday, I bought one rosary from church. I admit that I was always too distracted to finish praying using the rosary (beads) because it usually takes at least 45 minutes to do so. I cannot sit still for 45 minutes. Maybe I will when I am 85 yrs old. Now, I am not even 45 years old, you see. Whatever, I like the colour of the beads. And I am so gonna bring it with me everywhere. What more after the video clip.
You know…like those horror movies, they take the rosary and start chanting ‘Hail Mary full of grace…” over and over again when the ‘thing’ wanna kacau? But then, I guess Jimmy and I went to the place with good intentions and nothing is going to kacau me lah. I told my sons, “Your mom is going to be the Ghost Whisperer” (which is a series on TV lah). And they say what you know? “Good lah, go find some ghosts who have lots of buried treasures or properties without a will and make us rich.”
BTW, here is the second video of the Protestant cemetery and you can see the handsome Mr. Tan. (I didn’t say he is handsome but Goot Chan said it one)
Don’t worry, nothing is going to jump out of your computer screen and cekik you. Just say, “We come in peace…..We want to do the best for you…..Have trust in us….we are bringing the Council Chief to bring some clean-up and make your graves clean and welcoming….We come in peace….”
Anyway, the clip I mentioned with the children’s voices are not going to be put online. It is not funny, ok? For the sake of citizen journalism, I kena endure mosquitoes, Jimmy kena saman by MPPP for not putting enough coins into the parking meter and we had to listen to spooky noises on one trip. But all for the love of justice, fair reporting, bringing news that matters to people…..cincai lah.
I happened to pass by Komtar’s underpass and saw a group of reporters waiting at the escalator near Maybank. I think they are waiting for the arrival of Hindraf’s little girl. I read that she is going to pass an appeal note to CM to save Kampung Buah Pala.
I suppose our CM surely have the grace to meet her? She was the one who wanted to hand over the yellow roses to Pak Lah but Pak Lah didn’t meet her. If I remember correctly, she also went to the palace once to try to deliver something to the King?
Now, this is getting interesting. In the morning, they try to meet CM. I wonder if they are going to burn his effigy later in the afternoon? I wonder how the conversation (if any) will take place.
Hindraf : Burn, babe, burnnnnn
CM : Ooooh….turn on the heat
And everybody breaks into a song and dance…..
And of course, I am not reporting in my capacity as a CJ. And no, this does not represent my real thoughts.
UPDATED :
CM’s special assistant posted a photo on his Facebook. The little girl and Hindraf members are now in Komtar.
6) Put on clothes (rightly, you don’t want to traumatise the world, do you?)
7) Wake up boy (difficult-ly)
8 ) Wake up boy again (patiently)
9) Wake up boy (finally)
10) Check emails, blogs, Restaurant City (robotic-ly)
11) Fetch boy to school
12) Bring tiffin carrier to ‘Sar kark eng’ and remind them to give me only ‘children eat dishes, no chillies’ starting 1st July (btw, the economy rice at this triangle corner, across Chung Ling main door, Jalan Air Itam/Kampong Baru is nice, you know? I cater food for one month at RM250, enuff for 3 person. I want to do it for one week but they only cater for one month)
13) Go buy school uniforms for the girls and pass to Erina (the shelter home just gave me their sizes)
14) Fetch boy home from school, lepak, get some lunch
15) Go ‘Hindraf burn LGE effigy’ demo at Komtar. Woohoo, I love the action! Tks Hindraf for bringing it forward to today or else I would miss the fun of crowds, demo, loud shouts, colourful orange shirts, possible police and FRU and all that jazz. Don’t worry lah, in Penang, we are all peaceful. If not, I can just blend into the crowd as one of the housewives buying vegetables and disappear, unnoticed. The regular SB photographers already recognise me, every time sure take my photo. And the people including Suaram folks thought I am a SB videographer. See? I must remind self not to bring tripod, just a small video cam in a big, loose bermuda pants and a flowery blouse.
16) Pack all my gadgets for the citizen journalism training in KL. So many cables, batteries, chargers, screws and nuts…
17) Fetch my sister-in-law and give her a briefing of what I have in my fridge which she can cook if she doesn’t like the catered foods. She knows baby sitting Matthew is a breeze because he is like the world most angelic boy with polite manners and no demands, except to feed him rice at regular hours. He can eat on his own, poo on his own, bath on his own, play Lego, read books, play WOW, play FB on his own…
18) Instal MSN messenger on my Mac so that I can ’see’ my boy online. BTW, are there any other better webcam softwares? Faster give me the link! Or else, I sure rindu my boy and run away from Msiakini within one day.
19) Make sure my older kids have all the phone numbers for western food from LK, Pizza hut, McD, Domino and the money to go with it.
I better keep myself so busy in the next six days or else I sure take the next plane home. I miss my baby already!
