Last Christmas I Gave You My Heart; Followed by a Serious..

What makes this unusual is that this is KL Malaysia. There are the most beautiful trees, in leaf. surrounding this restaurant.. I tried to count them, over fifty. All healthy, different varieties. Please take this into consideration, I was born in Canada. At this time of year, there might be trees but they have bare branches and there is most probably snow on the ground. The only similarity is the Christmas music. And the Christmas decorations, I shall take a photo the tress and attach it at the conclusion of the blog.

As an aside just to let you know, I have I written about Christmas – the celebration (so to speak) permitted by the Islamic Faith. I shall type Christmas in the search engine of the blog, find the treatise, copy and paste and that way I can have a day off. Hahaha

Back to work on the blog of the day.

I am beginning my continuing reading of Second Chance by responding to Nesh’s breakdown Second Chance, Sufis and Shamir. Do admit to wondering how Shamir got top billing here, do not offhand think he rises to the occasion of the book nor the religion, but I guess I will find out.

Do admit that my fussing about this soon ended when reading this: “That is how second chance works. It pulls you into the world it came from and then reflects your own right back at you. Somehow the book found me and somehow the day found its voice. And I, as usual, found myself laughing, learning, and glowing in unexpected places.”

I congratulated Nesh on his choice of ‘featured picture’ – it caught the color and the vibrancy of Z’s Market that day. The first swipe accurately portrayed the beginning of the day, armed with stickies I did prepare to read Second Chance ‘“like a scholar on a mission.” But then kept running into a word, that I knew had great meaning – the only problem was I didn’t know what it meant. So, of course, I asked Artificial Intelligence. I definitely love Nesh’s description of AI’s definition of bumiputra: “It could be used to brief Parliament. So intellectual, so thorough but the also loved equally the cheekier version: “the original kids of the house who automatically get the biggest bedroom, the best snacks,, and the comfiest chair” explained it all perfectly. Definitely it made me laugh. The third swipe held this truism – “AI transformed a single word into a” theatrical production featuring history, humor, mysticism, and of course Shamir.” Nesh described, in swipe four, what happened next. AI turned to the Quran which teaches righteousness not soil and ancestry. Supplying a Sufi devotional turned it all into a spiritual reflection. Indeed the gravity and complications of bumiputra made me realize the enormity of the accomplishments of Arshad Ayub. My utter amazement at how the book came into my hands is conveyed. Nesh also neatly, and succinctly, described the widow of Arshad Ayub: “a formidable woman with seven children and the warmth of an entire household.” Daughter Azrina located a copy of Second Chance., I was off and running.

Nesh I think was there explaining that it felt like I had walked into “someone else’s family reunion and been immediately adopted.”All my purchases did indeed feel like “souvenirs from fate.” Then Shamir made his inevitable appearance in AI’s s discourse – it is true “Shamir and humour arrive as a pair, and my day is never dull when he appears.” Then it was off to breakfast with Muslim friend Elina. As Nesh reported: Second Chance is a theme that threads itself through everything. The attached photos caught the spirit of Z’s Market.”

My reading has continued. Learning about the legacy and limitations of bumiputra made me realize the significance of You Can Lead a Horse To Water But You Cannot Make Him Drink, a title found on page 43 of Second Chance, The book handles the complexity subtly. I shall not. Subtle has never been my middle name.

When you get something for nothing, you do not value it, take it for granted, and are not motivated to improve upon the ‘gift’ or yourself. That is the problem with the ‘gifts’ bumiputras received, It has tended to make them lazy, unmotivated, taking things for granted. Arshad Ayub was well aware of the problem – but he did not take it lying down (another idiom). He was a man of determination.

Do let us explore the three idioms:

You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink” is an ancient English proverb that has been in use since the 12th century. The phrase refers to the fact that people are single-minded. Even if someone tells another person exactly what it is they need to do or even shows them personally, they will only do whatever it is they want to do. The horse is used as a metaphor for a creature that’s strong, and obstinate, as humans can be, and water as a metaphor for something that’s necessary for survival. This alludes to the fact that people are so stubborn they’ll ignore the best possible advice or instruction if it’s not what they personally want to do.

2) Getting something for nothing “Getting something for nothing” means obtaining something desirable (money, goods, benefits) without effort, payment, or contributing anything in return, often with a connotation of disapproval or that it’s too good to be true,. It implies receiving value without giving corresponding value, contrasting with the idea that you must work or pay for things in life, as captured by the phrase, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch“.

3) He didn’t take it lying down” means he fought back, resisted, or refused to accept unfair treatment, insults, or a bad situation passively, instead responding with opposition or a counter-action, rather than just submitting. It implies a strong, assertive reaction to aggression or injustice.

I shall quote from the book, which tells us what Arshad Ayub did, not taking it lying down.

“Arshad was the first to debunk or reverse this adage. In fact he was obsessed with how the horse took to water. He may not remember all of those who passed through the ITM gateway but they certainly remember him.And they honor him for having made them drink the water! They talk him for his garang (strict and forceful) disposition. They also recognize that his actions were well-intended and well-grounded”

“ To Arshad his building motto was simple – lead them to the water and ensure that they drink it. This he achieved with a certain leadership push that may be viewed with mixed feelings by different critics. Some say it was harsh, some say it was necessary. Some say it was politically incorrect (read undemocratic), some say it was the only way to get results, given the Malay psyche of Tida apa (couldn’t care less) . Whichever way one looks at it, his principle of “making them drink” was done in good faith, just leading them to the water was not sufficient. It could not just stop there. Arshad had to know for sure that they had a purpose and acquired the relevant educational qualifications. “

“In this respect, many recall Arshad admonishing the students with another message: “The world does not owe you a living but you owe your race and your parents who have sacrificed for you to be here, a decent place in the sun.” Nothing irks him more than complacency and ignorance, both of which are in our hands to improve and change for the better. In all the ten years that helmed the Institute, Arshad demonstrated a value added in management principles and was happy to provide a personal and sound example of work ethic and unconditional dedication, that many today find worth of emulating.” (Pgs.43-44)

The photos attached to the blog shall speak to the diversity of Malaysia. Two

Christmas trees, one from Common Man, the other from SCP, (the place where I live) august 2, 2024

The others are photos of durians, sent by Michael of Saigon House. I am quoting from my August 2, 2024 blog.

“Those not familiar with Malaysia, particularly Penang Malaysia will know nothing of the cause for celebration. It is the time for harvesting a delicacy a matchless, unusual uncommon fruit Durian. “Popularly called the king of Malaysian fruits, Durian is a succulent fruit that actually looks like a king in the bandwagon of fruits.” I have been hearing about it for months because this is Durian season. People travel thousands of miles to partake of this delicacy. I, personally, met a family from Union City, California who traveled here during this season to purchase this prized tropical fruit. (It was all rather amazing because I lived for fifty years within thirty miles of Union City).”

I spoke of it then as I had been invited to a Lexis Suites staff party where durian was respectfully served. I ate some, enjoyed it. Photos of my enjoyment were shared with Lexis Suites staff. No such invitations this year, but apparently the season is not over.