ON FRIENDSHIP
contributed by Paloma Rahman
Cyberjaya
Words begin with
A, B, C
Numbers begin with
1, 2, 3
Music begins with
Do, Re, Me
But Friendship
Begins with
You and Me!
Wednesday, November 12, 2003
STILL MORE BITS & PIECES
From Ezrah of Kota Kinabalu:
Dah tidur kah duhai kanda yang jauh di mata?
Mata dinda tak mahu lena—
Asyik ingat kanda membawa berita—
Berita cinta kanda dengan si dara.
From Azita Baizura of Kuala Lumpur:
And then, there was silence.
No second guessing,
No reminiscing.
For the curtain has been drawn for the the night.
Sleep beckons in full stride.
So let your spirit take flight!
The insomniac, inspired by the period of waiting
for an sms reply from a dear friend.
I'm so awake, gosh, and everyone else is in slumber,
or approaching it.
From Ezrah of Kota Kinabalu:
Dah tidur kah duhai kanda yang jauh di mata?
Mata dinda tak mahu lena—
Asyik ingat kanda membawa berita—
Berita cinta kanda dengan si dara.
From Azita Baizura of Kuala Lumpur:
And then, there was silence.
No second guessing,
No reminiscing.
For the curtain has been drawn for the the night.
Sleep beckons in full stride.
So let your spirit take flight!
The insomniac, inspired by the period of waiting
for an sms reply from a dear friend.
I'm so awake, gosh, and everyone else is in slumber,
or approaching it.
Tuesday, November 11, 2003
MORE BITS & PIECES
somethings sweet, classic and cusses, too!
From Ezrah of Kota Kinabalu:
Berkat doa restu kanda,
Dinda dah sembuh, seperti sediakala...
Harap kanda pun sihat sejahtera
Hendaknya bersama keluarga!
Jangan cakap setakat bulan puasa,
Nak Raya dengan you pun I rela!
Nanti I terbang ke sana—
From Sya of Shah Alam:
Buah selasih buah bidara,
Masak sebiji diatas para,
Kalau tuan hamba sudah berkata,
Hamba rasa bolehlah juga!
From Azita Baizura of Kuala Lumpur (she writes in a very classic style):
Menganyam ketupat di atas pangkin,
Dianyam dengan jari jemari,
Hendak kuturut manakan mungkin,
Maaf dipohon di bulan nan suci.
by Azlan:
Ahai, budak kecil dan nakal,
Yang tinggal ku sorang tengok wayang,
Ku doa semoga mu menyesal,
Perbuatan mu yang curang!
From Mabelle of Kuching:
1, 2, 3, 4!
Someone's knocking at the door.
I told you so
She's is a fucking whore!
From Tiki of Kelana Jaya (and also previously from Azleena of Johor Baru):
Simple music can make you sing,
Simple hug makes you feel better,
Simple things can make you happy.
Hope this simple 'hi!' will make you...
SMILE!
somethings sweet, classic and cusses, too!
From Ezrah of Kota Kinabalu:
Berkat doa restu kanda,
Dinda dah sembuh, seperti sediakala...
Harap kanda pun sihat sejahtera
Hendaknya bersama keluarga!
Jangan cakap setakat bulan puasa,
Nak Raya dengan you pun I rela!
Nanti I terbang ke sana—
From Sya of Shah Alam:
Buah selasih buah bidara,
Masak sebiji diatas para,
Kalau tuan hamba sudah berkata,
Hamba rasa bolehlah juga!
From Azita Baizura of Kuala Lumpur (she writes in a very classic style):
Menganyam ketupat di atas pangkin,
Dianyam dengan jari jemari,
Hendak kuturut manakan mungkin,
Maaf dipohon di bulan nan suci.
by Azlan:
Ahai, budak kecil dan nakal,
Yang tinggal ku sorang tengok wayang,
Ku doa semoga mu menyesal,
Perbuatan mu yang curang!
From Mabelle of Kuching:
1, 2, 3, 4!
Someone's knocking at the door.
I told you so
She's is a fucking whore!
From Tiki of Kelana Jaya (and also previously from Azleena of Johor Baru):
Simple music can make you sing,
Simple hug makes you feel better,
Simple things can make you happy.
Hope this simple 'hi!' will make you...
SMILE!
RISQUE POEMS
bits and pieces by me
and some contributed by others
(you know who you are)
Yang ku minat ramai,
tapi yang minat I...
Setakat ini, ahai,
semuanya tak sesuai!
Hot lips, hot sweat,
hot naked bodies, hot sex.
You and I
each and every day and night,
forever and ever...
On my bed,
thinking of you.
Everything said,
I still love you!
If you were to climb up the mountains,
you would see me down below,
deep and quite fathomless,
my soul darker than midnight,
and nobody beside...
You feel nice when somebody misses you.
You feel good when somebody loves you.
You feel better when somebody's with you.
But don't you feel the best
when somebody never forgets you?
LOVE is not only made for lovers,
it's also for friends who care for each other
better than lovers sometimes.
Roses, orchids, tulips—
all pretty flowers
but none compare
to the beauty of having
a great friend like you!
In my life
I've learnt
how...
to love
to smile
to be happy
to be strong
to work hard
to be honest
to be faithful
to forgive
But I
couldn't
learn
how...
to stop
missing
you.
bits and pieces by me
and some contributed by others
(you know who you are)
Yang ku minat ramai,
tapi yang minat I...
Setakat ini, ahai,
semuanya tak sesuai!
Hot lips, hot sweat,
hot naked bodies, hot sex.
You and I
each and every day and night,
forever and ever...
On my bed,
thinking of you.
Everything said,
I still love you!
If you were to climb up the mountains,
you would see me down below,
deep and quite fathomless,
my soul darker than midnight,
and nobody beside...
You feel nice when somebody misses you.
You feel good when somebody loves you.
You feel better when somebody's with you.
But don't you feel the best
when somebody never forgets you?
LOVE is not only made for lovers,
it's also for friends who care for each other
better than lovers sometimes.
Roses, orchids, tulips—
all pretty flowers
but none compare
to the beauty of having
a great friend like you!
In my life
I've learnt
how...
to love
to smile
to be happy
to be strong
to work hard
to be honest
to be faithful
to forgive
But I
couldn't
learn
how...
to stop
missing
you.
Monday, November 10, 2003
Hati
contributed by Paloma Rahman
Cyberjaya, Monday, November 10, 2003
Nah, ambil la benda ni.
Apa ni?
Ini adalah hati. Hati aku.
Hati kau? Hmm.. kenapa kau sudi kasi kat aku?
Sebab kau dah jadik sebahagian dari aku.
Kau lebih dari seorang kawan.
Terima kasih.... ianya bererti. Aku terlalu
menghargainya.
Oh ye ke... tapi maaf.
Untuk apa?
Sebab, hati tu aku tak beri sepenuhnya.
Cuma sebahagian saja...
Maksud kau?
Aku pernah beri hati aku kat orang lain juga.
Dan aku tak pernah beri kesemuanya. Aku
takut aku tiada hati untuk diri aku sendiri.
Mungkin aku takut, hati itu tidak akan dijaga
dengan sebaik-baiknya. Ianya bukan seperti
barangan lain seperti duit, permata dan
sebagainya. Hati ini penuh mistik, ada
keajaiban yang tersendiri.
Mistik? Kelakar bunyinya...
Mungkin kelakar. Tapi itu realitinya.
Ia juga berubah mengikut rentak hidup engkau.
Rentak perasaan orang yang aku beri. Jika dia
betul-betul ikhlas, hati ini akan indah dan bersinar.
Tapi, jika dia mempersia-siakannya, hati ini akan
malap. Mungkin akan terus mati untuknya. Ianya
bukan satu benda yang percuma. Hati ini diberi hanya
kepada insan yang terpilih sahaja. Insan yang istimewa.
Dan kau adalah salah seorang daripada mereka, kerana
naluri aku terlalu percayakan kau.
Aku insan terpilih?
Ya, kau yang terpilih. Hati ini sering bertukar-tukar
mengikut perasaan orang yang diberikan. Ianya
terlalu sensitif. Tapi ianya cukup kebal dan kental
pada musuh aku. "Musuh", mungkin terlalu kejam untuk
aku memperkatakan perihal mereka ini. Ianya tak
berubah-berubah seperti yang terjadi jika hati ini diberi
pada orang yang istimewa.
Hati aku hanya tinggal sebahagian sahaja. Ada orang
yang tidak pernah memulangkannya, walaupun aku hanya
pinjamkan sekejap. Ada yang pulangkan dengan penuh
kelukaan. Ada yang sudi berikan sebahagiaan hatinya
pula sebagai ganti. Dan jika kau nak tahu, setiap hati
manusia ada nilai yang tersendiri. Setiapnya terlalu
mistik!
Cuma satu saja yang kau tak mengerti. Sekali hati itu
terluka, kadangkala sukar nak mengubatinya. Ada
kalanya, mengambil masa yang lama untuk itu.
Dan bila tiba sesuatu yang tidak diingini, mungkin
pemilik hati itu akan menyendiri buat seketika...
sehingga hatinya pulih seperti sediakala.
Hati yang diberi ini bukan untuk suka-suka. Ianya
lahir atas satu kepercayaan. Dari situ, wujudlah kasih
sayang. Jika hilang rasa percaya itu, maka sukarlah untuk
hati itu kembali indah.
contributed by Paloma Rahman
Cyberjaya, Monday, November 10, 2003
Nah, ambil la benda ni.
Apa ni?
Ini adalah hati. Hati aku.
Hati kau? Hmm.. kenapa kau sudi kasi kat aku?
Sebab kau dah jadik sebahagian dari aku.
Kau lebih dari seorang kawan.
Terima kasih.... ianya bererti. Aku terlalu
menghargainya.
Oh ye ke... tapi maaf.
Untuk apa?
Sebab, hati tu aku tak beri sepenuhnya.
Cuma sebahagian saja...
Maksud kau?
Aku pernah beri hati aku kat orang lain juga.
Dan aku tak pernah beri kesemuanya. Aku
takut aku tiada hati untuk diri aku sendiri.
Mungkin aku takut, hati itu tidak akan dijaga
dengan sebaik-baiknya. Ianya bukan seperti
barangan lain seperti duit, permata dan
sebagainya. Hati ini penuh mistik, ada
keajaiban yang tersendiri.
Mistik? Kelakar bunyinya...
Mungkin kelakar. Tapi itu realitinya.
Ia juga berubah mengikut rentak hidup engkau.
Rentak perasaan orang yang aku beri. Jika dia
betul-betul ikhlas, hati ini akan indah dan bersinar.
Tapi, jika dia mempersia-siakannya, hati ini akan
malap. Mungkin akan terus mati untuknya. Ianya
bukan satu benda yang percuma. Hati ini diberi hanya
kepada insan yang terpilih sahaja. Insan yang istimewa.
Dan kau adalah salah seorang daripada mereka, kerana
naluri aku terlalu percayakan kau.
Aku insan terpilih?
Ya, kau yang terpilih. Hati ini sering bertukar-tukar
mengikut perasaan orang yang diberikan. Ianya
terlalu sensitif. Tapi ianya cukup kebal dan kental
pada musuh aku. "Musuh", mungkin terlalu kejam untuk
aku memperkatakan perihal mereka ini. Ianya tak
berubah-berubah seperti yang terjadi jika hati ini diberi
pada orang yang istimewa.
Hati aku hanya tinggal sebahagian sahaja. Ada orang
yang tidak pernah memulangkannya, walaupun aku hanya
pinjamkan sekejap. Ada yang pulangkan dengan penuh
kelukaan. Ada yang sudi berikan sebahagiaan hatinya
pula sebagai ganti. Dan jika kau nak tahu, setiap hati
manusia ada nilai yang tersendiri. Setiapnya terlalu
mistik!
Cuma satu saja yang kau tak mengerti. Sekali hati itu
terluka, kadangkala sukar nak mengubatinya. Ada
kalanya, mengambil masa yang lama untuk itu.
Dan bila tiba sesuatu yang tidak diingini, mungkin
pemilik hati itu akan menyendiri buat seketika...
sehingga hatinya pulih seperti sediakala.
Hati yang diberi ini bukan untuk suka-suka. Ianya
lahir atas satu kepercayaan. Dari situ, wujudlah kasih
sayang. Jika hilang rasa percaya itu, maka sukarlah untuk
hati itu kembali indah.
At the Dentist's
At the Dentist's
by Azlan Adnan
A short story inspired by Shahliza Anuar (Baby)
Klinik Zahida, Kampung Tunku
March 19, 2003
8.12 pm In the waiting room. We had both skipped dinner. She was in too much pain to eat anything. I was in sympathy and hadn't eaten either. Sympathetic pain: whole volumes have been written on this phenomenon.
8.45 pm She was sleeping, or, at least, trying to, on the waiting room chair. She had a tiring day at work. Her cell phone rang. It was her office. She still needed to go back to the office to sort out some loose ends. She settled down again, eyes shut. I was unashamedly staring at her... again. She looked so adorable, I felt like holding her tight in my arms. It was obvious, from the frowns on her forehead, that she was in considerable pain. I felt like giving her forehead a massage but I had only just known her a few weeks. I couldn't just touch her. We don't have that kind of relationship; but how I wished we did. I just looked at her, admiring her closed eyes, her exquisitely-formed lips, her finely-chiseled cheeks, the highlights in her hair, her unusual ear lobes, and the stray lock of hair falling over her right eye. Her firm and curvy breasts, taut thighs and sexy bottom in her tight black jeans started me fantasizing...
9.10 pm I was awaken from my reverie. It was her turn on the dental chair. It was a lower molar. Root canal surgery was required. She needed to take antibiotics for the swelling to come down and come back again in a week's time. Nothing could be done tonight due to the swelling and the acute pain. It would take three more visits. She wanted the tooth extracted and be done with it. The dentist explained that she was young (21 last October) and that an early extraction of her molar would cause her jaw to resorb and eventually make her look old prematurely. I hope she listens. She's such a good-looking babe and it would be a pity if her stunning looks were tarnished. But she has a stubborn streak and an independent mind... Funny thing though, I like that in a woman, the independent mind, I mean.
9.30 pm It was raining cats and dogs when we left with two packets of medications. An antibiotic and some heavy-duty painkillers. The dentist hadn't charged for tonight's consultation, nor for the meds. He's a friend of mine. This was a special favour, seeing her without an appointment. We drove in silence for miles. She ran through some red lights. It was obvious her mind was elsewhere. Finally, I broke the silence and told her what the dentist had explained to me: it would cost about $300 altogether for the next three visits. She could pay $50 to begin with and pay the rest in installments, again, as a special favour to a friend of a friend. (I had told him privately that she was in financial difficulties.) She replied she might as well have gone to her company's panel dentist but her company wouldn't pay for root canal surgery. I knew what she was thinking: "Get an extraction and be done with it." I had no response but "Teeth are for life." It seemed lame, considering the pain she had gone through these past few weeks. I could have told her she shouldn't have put it off for so long, that she should have gone to see a dentist earlier, as soon as she had realized something was amiss, but I bit my lips. There was no point in antagonizing her. Or crying over spilt milk.
10.08 pm It was still raining heavily when we reached my lane. I told her she could call me next week if she needed me to accompany her to the dentist again. "Take care and don't forget to take your meds," I blurbed the obvious. Thinking of nothing else to say, I got out of her car, a little reluctantly. She had dropped me off a little distance from my house at the end of the cul de sac, so that she could turn her car round easily. And so, I had to walk the last few yards in the light drizzle. I didn't mind that. I just wished there was more I could do for her.
Isn't it funny how when you're in love, nothing's too much to do for your heart's delight?
~*~
by Azlan Adnan
A short story inspired by Shahliza Anuar (Baby)
Klinik Zahida, Kampung Tunku
March 19, 2003
8.12 pm In the waiting room. We had both skipped dinner. She was in too much pain to eat anything. I was in sympathy and hadn't eaten either. Sympathetic pain: whole volumes have been written on this phenomenon.
8.45 pm She was sleeping, or, at least, trying to, on the waiting room chair. She had a tiring day at work. Her cell phone rang. It was her office. She still needed to go back to the office to sort out some loose ends. She settled down again, eyes shut. I was unashamedly staring at her... again. She looked so adorable, I felt like holding her tight in my arms. It was obvious, from the frowns on her forehead, that she was in considerable pain. I felt like giving her forehead a massage but I had only just known her a few weeks. I couldn't just touch her. We don't have that kind of relationship; but how I wished we did. I just looked at her, admiring her closed eyes, her exquisitely-formed lips, her finely-chiseled cheeks, the highlights in her hair, her unusual ear lobes, and the stray lock of hair falling over her right eye. Her firm and curvy breasts, taut thighs and sexy bottom in her tight black jeans started me fantasizing...
9.10 pm I was awaken from my reverie. It was her turn on the dental chair. It was a lower molar. Root canal surgery was required. She needed to take antibiotics for the swelling to come down and come back again in a week's time. Nothing could be done tonight due to the swelling and the acute pain. It would take three more visits. She wanted the tooth extracted and be done with it. The dentist explained that she was young (21 last October) and that an early extraction of her molar would cause her jaw to resorb and eventually make her look old prematurely. I hope she listens. She's such a good-looking babe and it would be a pity if her stunning looks were tarnished. But she has a stubborn streak and an independent mind... Funny thing though, I like that in a woman, the independent mind, I mean.
9.30 pm It was raining cats and dogs when we left with two packets of medications. An antibiotic and some heavy-duty painkillers. The dentist hadn't charged for tonight's consultation, nor for the meds. He's a friend of mine. This was a special favour, seeing her without an appointment. We drove in silence for miles. She ran through some red lights. It was obvious her mind was elsewhere. Finally, I broke the silence and told her what the dentist had explained to me: it would cost about $300 altogether for the next three visits. She could pay $50 to begin with and pay the rest in installments, again, as a special favour to a friend of a friend. (I had told him privately that she was in financial difficulties.) She replied she might as well have gone to her company's panel dentist but her company wouldn't pay for root canal surgery. I knew what she was thinking: "Get an extraction and be done with it." I had no response but "Teeth are for life." It seemed lame, considering the pain she had gone through these past few weeks. I could have told her she shouldn't have put it off for so long, that she should have gone to see a dentist earlier, as soon as she had realized something was amiss, but I bit my lips. There was no point in antagonizing her. Or crying over spilt milk.
10.08 pm It was still raining heavily when we reached my lane. I told her she could call me next week if she needed me to accompany her to the dentist again. "Take care and don't forget to take your meds," I blurbed the obvious. Thinking of nothing else to say, I got out of her car, a little reluctantly. She had dropped me off a little distance from my house at the end of the cul de sac, so that she could turn her car round easily. And so, I had to walk the last few yards in the light drizzle. I didn't mind that. I just wished there was more I could do for her.
Isn't it funny how when you're in love, nothing's too much to do for your heart's delight?
Dedicated to my hardworking tutee, Shakirah Illias
of the Multimedia University, Cyberjaya
Monday, November 10, 2003
AUTHOR: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)
QUOTATION:
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they while their companions slept
Were toiling upward in the night.
of the Multimedia University, Cyberjaya
Monday, November 10, 2003
AUTHOR: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807–1882)
QUOTATION:
The heights by great men reached and kept
Were not attained by sudden flight,
But they while their companions slept
Were toiling upward in the night.
by e.e. cummings
sydney, australia
monday, november 10, 2003
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
not fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
Saturday, November 08, 2003
MY SOCIAL WISH LIST
Intelligence is sexy to this gentleman who believes chivalry is not dead. If a lady friend I find physically attractive (Body Mass Index <20, top 5% world-class beauty) isn't also bright (IQ >130), articulate and someone I can trust and talk to, I'm not interested. The ladies I'm seeking need to possess, above all, sincerity and candour, and be neither pretentious nor ostentatious. You should be very open with your feelings as the foundation of intimacy is truth.
We need to be able to communicate in English without the use of translation services as I believe communication based on mutual respect and honesty is key to any relationship, be it a platonic friendship. I'm big on mutuality and reciprocity in a relationship. I have a highly-developed aesthetic sense and am strongly drawn to ladies of taste, wit and charm who are young at heart, if not in age. It'd be great if you can sing as well.
They say young babes are bankrupt in every direction except in looks. If you’d like to prove to me that you’re the exception to Pareto’s Rule, you’re most welcome to do so. But make sure you have a list of redeeming features.
If you can meet at least 80% of the above "wish list" criteria, I’d love to hear from you.
I'm open-minded, sensitive, caring, torridly passionate and always willing to learn new fields of knowledge as I have high cognitive needs. I believe knowledge is meant to be shared and passed around. I have a sense of humour, drive for life and live life to the fullest. I'm a pretty good cook, too!
Presently unattached, I'm available and seeking a host of decent, honest and understanding lady friends from around the world for friendship and companionship and to enjoy the art of fine conversation. We can do anything or nothing; its the company that counts. I’m in that period of my life when I’m seeing many women with no particular special girlfriend in mind - just platonic lady friends with whom we can relate at several levels.
Intelligence is sexy to this gentleman who believes chivalry is not dead. If a lady friend I find physically attractive (Body Mass Index <20, top 5% world-class beauty) isn't also bright (IQ >130), articulate and someone I can trust and talk to, I'm not interested. The ladies I'm seeking need to possess, above all, sincerity and candour, and be neither pretentious nor ostentatious. You should be very open with your feelings as the foundation of intimacy is truth.
We need to be able to communicate in English without the use of translation services as I believe communication based on mutual respect and honesty is key to any relationship, be it a platonic friendship. I'm big on mutuality and reciprocity in a relationship. I have a highly-developed aesthetic sense and am strongly drawn to ladies of taste, wit and charm who are young at heart, if not in age. It'd be great if you can sing as well.
They say young babes are bankrupt in every direction except in looks. If you’d like to prove to me that you’re the exception to Pareto’s Rule, you’re most welcome to do so. But make sure you have a list of redeeming features.
If you can meet at least 80% of the above "wish list" criteria, I’d love to hear from you.
I'm open-minded, sensitive, caring, torridly passionate and always willing to learn new fields of knowledge as I have high cognitive needs. I believe knowledge is meant to be shared and passed around. I have a sense of humour, drive for life and live life to the fullest. I'm a pretty good cook, too!
Presently unattached, I'm available and seeking a host of decent, honest and understanding lady friends from around the world for friendship and companionship and to enjoy the art of fine conversation. We can do anything or nothing; its the company that counts. I’m in that period of my life when I’m seeing many women with no particular special girlfriend in mind - just platonic lady friends with whom we can relate at several levels.
by Azlan Adnan
in Sydney, Australia
on November 8, 2003
Though I may speak with the tongue of angels,
And though I may have faith
such that I could move mountains,
If I have not love—
my words would resound with but a tinkle
Love is patient, full of goodness;
Love tolerates all things
Aspires to all things
Love never dies,
While tongues shall be silenced
knowledge shall fade—
I seek faith, knowledge and love—
but the greatest of these…
is love.
For if I have not love…
if I have not your love…
I am nothing.
~ # ~
Friday, November 07, 2003
A TRIBUTE TO PICASSO, born October 25, 1881
Probably the most famous artist of the twentieth century, Pablo Picasso almost single-handedly created modern art. Famous for his pioneering role in Cubism, Picasso continued to develop his art, and it might be said that Picasso lived several artistic lifetimes.
Born in 1881 of an artist, Jose Ruiz, and Maria Picasso, the young Picasso took the rarer name of his mother. At the age of 14, he completed the one-month qualifying examination of the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona in one day. He then studied in Madrid.
From 1901 to 1904, known as his Blue Period because of his blue paintings, Picasso made frequent stays in Paris, studying the masterworks at the Louvre.
During 1905 and 1906, he painted in subtle pinks and greys, in what was known as his Pink Period.
In 1907, Picasso met Georges Braque, the other leading figure of the Cubist movement. Cubism was equally the creation of Picasso and Braque. The 1920's saw Picasso painting in Cubist, Classical and Surreal modes, and sculpting in wrought iron.
In 1937, the northern Basque village of Guernica was pounded with bombs by the Luftwaffe. Sixteen hundred civilians were killed or wounded as they ran from the crumbling buildings.
Picasso was stunned by the stark black and white photographs in the newspapers. Appalled and enraged, he began his great anti-war painting, Guernica.
Representing the horror of the massacre with a jumble of tortured images, Guernica challenges our notions of warfare as heroic and is modern art's most powerful anti-war statement.
During the Second World War, Picasso lived in France where he continued painting tragic themes with distorted figures. In 1945 he received a commission for decorating the interior of the Antibes cultural centre. There, he developed his White Period, painting landscapes, still lifes and mythological subjects.
Picasso died at the ripe age of ninety-two.
~ Azlan Adnan
N.B. This is an abridged version of a much longer article submitted for publication to the New Straits Times.
Probably the most famous artist of the twentieth century, Pablo Picasso almost single-handedly created modern art. Famous for his pioneering role in Cubism, Picasso continued to develop his art, and it might be said that Picasso lived several artistic lifetimes.
Born in 1881 of an artist, Jose Ruiz, and Maria Picasso, the young Picasso took the rarer name of his mother. At the age of 14, he completed the one-month qualifying examination of the Academy of Fine Arts in Barcelona in one day. He then studied in Madrid.
From 1901 to 1904, known as his Blue Period because of his blue paintings, Picasso made frequent stays in Paris, studying the masterworks at the Louvre.
During 1905 and 1906, he painted in subtle pinks and greys, in what was known as his Pink Period.
In 1907, Picasso met Georges Braque, the other leading figure of the Cubist movement. Cubism was equally the creation of Picasso and Braque. The 1920's saw Picasso painting in Cubist, Classical and Surreal modes, and sculpting in wrought iron.
In 1937, the northern Basque village of Guernica was pounded with bombs by the Luftwaffe. Sixteen hundred civilians were killed or wounded as they ran from the crumbling buildings.
Picasso was stunned by the stark black and white photographs in the newspapers. Appalled and enraged, he began his great anti-war painting, Guernica.
Representing the horror of the massacre with a jumble of tortured images, Guernica challenges our notions of warfare as heroic and is modern art's most powerful anti-war statement.
During the Second World War, Picasso lived in France where he continued painting tragic themes with distorted figures. In 1945 he received a commission for decorating the interior of the Antibes cultural centre. There, he developed his White Period, painting landscapes, still lifes and mythological subjects.
Picasso died at the ripe age of ninety-two.
~ Azlan Adnan
N.B. This is an abridged version of a much longer article submitted for publication to the New Straits Times.
THE NEED
Beanie, a new friend sent me this poem for Valentine's Day, when two lovers are sadly separated by distance:
THE NEED
This day, it's much more than desire.
It's something I require.
The longing seethes:
I feel its pressure
deep inside me. Some
impending flood
from out of my heart
to surge its way through me
until it crests -
emptying into
the passage her love
has opened.
But she can't absorb the flow
she nurses out of me,
because of the distance
between us -
or feel the tremors
that only her touch can bring,
or see how her loving determination
brings me past the boundaries
of fulfillment
into nurtured ecstasy.
That need never lets go.
On this stormy day, it comes
with every gale, and
rains onto me in
urgent bursts - as
intense as the pleasure
her love needs to
bring to me.
Instead I have this picture
that shows me
what my palms imagine
they are filled with:
the soft, willing, unflinching
curve just above her thighs
but that doesn't show
what my mouth is tasting,
in its imagination,
as it does my heart's work
for me where she's most
vulnerable to my love.
The need exceeds even the distance
between us. It exceeds the
pain of all my disappointments
and all the lust of all my
past debaucheries.
This time it's a Valentine.
The finest work of Cupid;
his gift to me: That I exist
solely for her pleasure,
to fulfill her, to be part of her,
gripped tightly in the
slick, warm, and throbbing
shelter of her need:
that need of hers
she needs for me
to fill: that common need.
Our need to love.
~ Anonymous
THE NEED
This day, it's much more than desire.
It's something I require.
The longing seethes:
I feel its pressure
deep inside me. Some
impending flood
from out of my heart
to surge its way through me
until it crests -
emptying into
the passage her love
has opened.
But she can't absorb the flow
she nurses out of me,
because of the distance
between us -
or feel the tremors
that only her touch can bring,
or see how her loving determination
brings me past the boundaries
of fulfillment
into nurtured ecstasy.
That need never lets go.
On this stormy day, it comes
with every gale, and
rains onto me in
urgent bursts - as
intense as the pleasure
her love needs to
bring to me.
Instead I have this picture
that shows me
what my palms imagine
they are filled with:
the soft, willing, unflinching
curve just above her thighs
but that doesn't show
what my mouth is tasting,
in its imagination,
as it does my heart's work
for me where she's most
vulnerable to my love.
The need exceeds even the distance
between us. It exceeds the
pain of all my disappointments
and all the lust of all my
past debaucheries.
This time it's a Valentine.
The finest work of Cupid;
his gift to me: That I exist
solely for her pleasure,
to fulfill her, to be part of her,
gripped tightly in the
slick, warm, and throbbing
shelter of her need:
that need of hers
she needs for me
to fill: that common need.
Our need to love.
~ Anonymous
Thursday, November 06, 2003
MALAYSIAN POLITICS - NEW CABINET LINE-UP
It is not surprising that Pak Lah did not use the Post Cabinet Meeting Press Conference yesterday as the occasion to announce his new Cabinet line-up, as such a decision takes some time to derive. Furthermore, some of the longer standing "deadwood" on the cabinet may need a little persuasion to "retire." There are many who would like to see Samy Vellu make way for younger blood, for example, even if Samy himself thinks he's indispensable.
The question on everyone's mind is who will be the new Deputy PM, the new Home Minister and the new Finance Minister. Pak Lah has already stated (in today's The Star newspaper) that his era as PM will see him acting as Foreign Minister, as statesmanship and international relations are key in this post 9/11 era. Of course, he has the option of remaining as Home Minister and Finance Minister, putting strain on his foreign relations duties, even though he may be ably assisted by the current Foreign Minister.
It would therefore make some sense for the current Foreign Minister to take on the (additional?) role as the new Deputy PM. As much sense as this would seem to make, there is at least one minister who would not be happy with this, as he appears to have greater seniority and hence would have greater claim to be the new Deputy. It may appease him to make him the new Foreign Minister, though.
Of one thing is certain: making too many changes may lead to discontinuity and the perception of uncertainty. Certainly, if Pak Lah takes too long to decide on a Deputy, speculation will run rife.
If you have any thoughts on the new Cabinet line-up, please share them here.
It is not surprising that Pak Lah did not use the Post Cabinet Meeting Press Conference yesterday as the occasion to announce his new Cabinet line-up, as such a decision takes some time to derive. Furthermore, some of the longer standing "deadwood" on the cabinet may need a little persuasion to "retire." There are many who would like to see Samy Vellu make way for younger blood, for example, even if Samy himself thinks he's indispensable.
The question on everyone's mind is who will be the new Deputy PM, the new Home Minister and the new Finance Minister. Pak Lah has already stated (in today's The Star newspaper) that his era as PM will see him acting as Foreign Minister, as statesmanship and international relations are key in this post 9/11 era. Of course, he has the option of remaining as Home Minister and Finance Minister, putting strain on his foreign relations duties, even though he may be ably assisted by the current Foreign Minister.
It would therefore make some sense for the current Foreign Minister to take on the (additional?) role as the new Deputy PM. As much sense as this would seem to make, there is at least one minister who would not be happy with this, as he appears to have greater seniority and hence would have greater claim to be the new Deputy. It may appease him to make him the new Foreign Minister, though.
Of one thing is certain: making too many changes may lead to discontinuity and the perception of uncertainty. Certainly, if Pak Lah takes too long to decide on a Deputy, speculation will run rife.
If you have any thoughts on the new Cabinet line-up, please share them here.
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