Lunar eclipse

I had read that there would be a lunar eclipse visible in my part of the world on Saturday morning with the maximum eclipse occurring at 4.21 a.m. and it would be the longest in the 21st century. Well, even if it was the longest this century, I wouldn't be wanting to disturb my precious sleep by stalking the moon in the middle of the night. But however much I had wanted to ignore this event, there was no escaping it because the moon was still visible from my bedroom window. In fact, I had woken up at about six o'clock because in spite of my drowsiness, I could sense the moon looking down at me! So reluctantly, I stirred to search for my camera and managed to snap this image of the moon. It was still in its eclipse stage but starting to emerge from the earth's shadow.

By comparison, I took another picture of the moon this morning (below). Can see the world of a difference just about 23 or 24 hours later. A full, round moon bathed by the sun. Colours are all original; no digital editing or enhancement of any sort except under-exposing with my camera to accentuate the shadows on the moon and, of course, cropping.

Rainforest World Music Festival 2018

Well, this is it! It has always been my intention to attend the 21st Rainforest World Music Festival in Kuching, Sarawak, at least once in my lifetime and this objective was achieved this year. Rainforest? Yes, rainforest. The music festival is so called because the venue, like the rest of Malaysia, is surrounded by a rain forest.

No point being coy or secretive over my visit to Kuching. I visited Kuching more than a week ago with my wife and several friends and took the chance to enjoy a whole day of music, music and fun with them. And got baked in the process, such was the heat and humidity at the Sarawak Cultural Village at the foothills of Mt Santubong, about an hour's drive north from our hotel in Kuching.

We only got to attend the final day of the three-day festival and immediately, I regretted not having come earlier for the first two days as well. I can't speak for the others in my party, though. I think for them, this one visit is sufficient to last them forever.

Being first-timers at the RWMF, we were unsure of what to do or where to go despite arming ourselves with a copy of the festival guide. Besides, the Sarawak Cultural Village proved to be a distraction by itself as there were so many other non-musical attractions there. But soon enough, we formed a game plan and got into our stride. Not for us those wellness and lifestyle talks, activities and demonstrations. We wanted to experience the real music.

Initially taking shelter from the sweltering sun, we wandered into the air-conditioned Theatre and discovered four people in the midst of their practice. We were there for barely 15 minutes before deciding to have our lunch. Then back we trooped into the Theatre for our first full music programme of the day by Cuatro Minimal. It turned out that this Cuatro Minimal band was the same quartet that we found practicing earlier!

Their music blended roots music and oral traditions from Mexico and Asia with contemporary music, improvisation and deep collaborative experimentation. According to their website, the group was formed in 2011 in the rice fields of Nanto, Japan. Cuatro Minimal are made up of singer and composer Juan Pablo Villa and guitarist Fernando Vigueras, both from the contemporary music scene of Mexico City, the traditional Korean percussion master Chang Jaehyo and one of Japan’s most respected world musicians, Sakaki Mango, who plays African thumb-piano and the gottan, a string instrument from Kagoshima region.

From the Theatre, we moved next to the Amphitheatre which was across the road from the cultural village. We had wanted to see the United States Air Force Band of the Pacific. However, it turned out that this wasn't a full-fledged band; just a five-piece Pacific Brass outfit that played through several traditional jazz pieces from United States history.


Before we moved off back to the main venue of the festival, we stayed to watch some cultural performances by the Sarawak Cultural Village troupe. Now, that was much more entertaining, in my opinion.

Now back to the cultural village, we made our way to the Theatre again and managed to catch the conclusion of Elisouma's performance. The band hails from the Comoros islands and comprises three members. In fact, the band is named after the three of them but you'll have to figure this out by yourself, just like I did. Eliasse Ben Joma is the youngest of the trio and is the guitarist, Athoumane Soubira is the guardian of the Comoran traditional music and plays the old traditional instruments, and Mwegne M’Madi is known for his unique and impressive Dzendze (box zither) playing groove. Unfortunately, I don't have much comment at all about them as I was more thankful to have escaped from the afternoon heat.

We then sauntered over to the main arena of the cultural village. There, a Chingay demonstration by a Penang troupe was holding centre stage but a distance away, there was another small crowd surrounding a group of percussion players were enjoying themselves. We ignored them and decided to sit down and await the main performances of the night on the Tree and Jungle stages.

Right on cue, the show began at 7,30 p.m. with a 10-minute performance by Danai Kuwai, a local Sarawakian band playing Orang Ulu music on traditional instruments like the sampe and sape. Their music has travelled far and wide and has bridged borders, generations and musical styles.

Then SwarAsia Malaysia from Kuala Lumpur took to the stage. It was a stirring performance of fusion eastern and western music by seven talented musicians led by sitar maestro, Samuel J Dass. Dass was the winner of seven gold medals in the World Championship of Performing Arts in Hollywood in 2006 and was acclaimed as the Champion of the World Plaques at the BOH Cameronian Arts Award for best original composition.

Volosi was an energetic five-piece Polish band. The musicians' main inspiration for the music comes from the people living in the Carpathian. Carpathian refers to a mountain range system that forms an arc roughly 1,500 km long across Central and Eastern Europe, making it the second-longest mountain range in Europe. Volosi are not afraid to include many elements borrowed from Balkan, gypsy and oriental music.

And finally, the last act we watched were Balkanopolis from Serbia. The band is fronted by a talented multi-instrumentalist named Slobodan Trkulja. At one point in this show, he was playing with bagpipes but from a distance, we could swear that it looked like he was holding a pig under his arm. Trkulja also possessed an incredible vocal range. Truly memorable performance but unfortunately, we had to leave the cultural village at 9.30 p.m. in order to catch the early shuttle bus back to Kuching, thus missing the last two acts by China's Shanren and Chile's Combo Ginebra. 😞

Around the old school

July 4th, 2018. Went to the old school with some friends to continue with a video-filming project. Having spent the whole day there, I hope we have finished everything that we wanted to do. But it will be up to the video director to decide, not me. First destination was the Prefects' Room and we were quite pleasantly surprised to see that they had framed up a poster that had been prepared three years ago in conjunction with Penang Free School celebrating the 150th anniversary of the Board of Prefects in 2015. Hope that it can be kept in perpetuity. So many things have gone missing through the passage of time. We poured over the poster, looking at all the signatures and well-wishes that had been left by the Old Frees who had attended the dinner function on 30 May 2015. Discovered mine after quite a while of searching all over. It was somewhere off-centre in the poster. Do you see yours?

Some filming took place in the Pinhorn Hall but I was more interested in the school bell that was hanging high in the belfry above the main entrance. It needed someone to tug at a long rope below in order to ring it. So while my friends went off to search for the School Captain to give it a tug, I went upstairs the main building to film it up close. It was a one-off opportunity and I'm glad for it.



In the afternoon, we went around the school to capture its various extra-curricular activities. Football, cricket and hockey practices in the school field, taekwondo practice under the school porch, karate practice in the west quadrangle (Question: has it been called the Quah Seng Chye Quadrangle yet?), wushu practice in the Pinhorn Hall and the School Band practicing in the Band Room, their own secluded corner of the school's cluster of buildings. We went over to watch them practice and we asked them to play the ever-popular School Rally, which they readily obliged.



Talking about the School Rally, I was cornered by the School Captain, Krishan, during lunchtime. He wanted to know more about the song. So I told him about GS Reutens, the teacher who had written it in 1966. Krishan asked why we were only singing the first verse. I told him that I didn't know. Perhaps it was the decision of the Board of Governors. Anyway, I did say that originally, we sang all three verses way back in 1966 during the Sesquicentenary. He looked rather disappointed and said that the second verse was actually very meaningful. I couldn't agree more. The second verse of the School Rally talked about the call of duty and how Free School would respond readily with zeal and pride. Shouldn't these values resonate well with the rest of the Free School boys and the Old Frees too? We should bring the second verse back into regular use. Try imagining it being sung with a lot of gusto:

"When duty calls be it School or State

We to it with God by our side

For the Sons of Free School don't hesitate

Nor let cool their zeal and pride"

PFS student leadership workshop 2018, sessions 3 and 4

Unfortunately, I was absent for this workshop again, the third and fourth days of the leadership workshop for the boys in Forms Four and Five that was held last weekend. Originally, I was meant to assist in these two sessions way back in April but it coincided with the general election's nomination day. The Election Commission had commandeered the Pinhorn Hall at Penang Free School to become one of their operations centres. We were thus left high and dry and forced to postpone our programme to another day. The earliest opportunity decided on was the 14th and 15th of July, but these dates were inconvenient for me as I had already made some other plans. Nevertheless, the workshop went on. We shouldn't be delaying it just because one of the coaches was indisposed. There'll be other workshops planned.

Therefore, what I'm writing here is just a brief third-party report because I was there. I heard the workshops went off very well. Moreover, we uncorked a surprise guest. Ahmad Ibnihajar is an Old Free and he had been invited to share his experiences with the boys at the dinner on Saturday night. But who is he?

According to an undated report from Bloomberg, Ahmad Ibnihajar is a corporate figure having held several posts such as being the Chairman of AMI Insurans Berhad. Independent Non-Executive Chairman of D'Nonce Technology Bhd and since 27 Nov 2015, the Chairman of KUB Malaysia Berhad. He served as a Director of United Traders Securities Sdn Bhd from 1984 to 1991 and Taiping Securities Sdn Bhd in 1995, both of which are in the stock broking business. He is a Member of the British Institute of Management, holds a Bachelor Degree in Economics and Business Administration from University of Malaya in 1975 and is a Fellow of The Chartered Institute of Logistic & Transport, Malaysia.

The next leadership workshop is due to be held at the School on 28th and 29th of this month with participants from the Form Six classes. Now, this time I shall be involved....

Here's why I believe we should continue holding these leadership workshops at Penang Free School.

Ahmad Ibnihajar's sharing session

Japan, Day 5: Mt Fuji

Why had we come all the way to Kawaguchiko, you may ask. Why, it is to see Mount Fuji! I had heard that this town would provide one of the best views of Japan's most famous mountain. An almost perfectly shaped dormant volcanic mountain.

Already from the balcony of the apartment, we could see Mount Fuji but trees were blocking most of our view. A much better sight would be afforded down in the street, so we believed. So we rushed down to the ground floor. Nope, the view was still obliterated by trees. Then we walked out to the road and lo! There before us was the magnificent snow-capped mountain. I haven't seen my son and daughter so excited before on their travels with us.

This was the same picture that i had posted up on facebook last October but here, the mountain looks much more impressive. In the background is the Kawaguchiko train and bus station.

 
The other place that had interested me while deciding on visiting this town was the nearby lake Kawaguchi. It's possible to walk there but the other option is to rent a bicycle. Cycling there was easy. From the town to the lake, it was a very gradual gradient. In no time at all we reached the lake. It was now time to marvel at the sights there. We were lucky that Kawaguchiko was at a higher altitude as compared to Tokyo. It being cooler, autumn had brought about an earlier display of glorious colours. We lingered for a while before cycling back to the bicycle rental shop. And now came the hard part of challenging gravity as we cycled back to the town. Before long, I gave up and resorted to pushing the bike along. Oh well, so much for my fitness. 

All boars and coach rescued

The news that all 12 boys and their coach have been rescued will come as a huge relief to millions in Thailand and around the world who have followed every step of this captivating story.

The boys - aged between 11 and 16 - went into the cave with their 25-year-old football coach on 23 June, after a training session.

They were then trapped by floodwaters after heavy rains, and retreated further into the cave to find safety.

News that they had gone missing sparked a massive search operation involving more than 1,000 people, with several expert cave divers from all around the world flying in to help out.

On 2 July, nine days later, British divers found the hungry and fatigued group huddled on a ledge in a cavern, sparking joyous scenes across Thailand.

Jubilation turned to grave concern after the military warned that the boys could have to wait for up to four months for floodwaters to recede before they could be rescued.

Divers brought food and other supplies, and a Navy doctor was sent in to care for the group.

But on Sunday, Thai authorities decided they had to act, as fears mounted that the flooding would worsen under heavy rains.

And so a remarkable operation began to rescue the team. Four boys were brought out on Sunday, four on Monday, and the remaining four and their coach today.

Interesting Friday

I can't say that I didn't enjoy yesterday, because I did! The day began with a timsum breakfast with friends at the Ben Ran Chinese Restaurant in a new hotel that had opened in nearby Machang Bubok several months ago. Truly interesting tidbits for the morning stomach.

Immediately after breakfast, I rushed out to the island where I ended up at the Gurney Plaza after a brief stopover at the Penang Institute. Was at the shopping mall to spend my RM30 voucher on some household stuff before the expiration date.

And since I was there, I took the opportunity to visit the new Ippudo Japanese ramen restaurant. I thought that there shouldn't be too big a crowd on a weekday but I was mistaken. Found out that there was a queue outside the outlet. However, there was an advantage to turning up solo at the restaurant because the staff was able to squeeze me in to sit at the counter. Nevertheless, I had to endure a wait of almost an hour before the food arrived.

Ever since my visit to Japan last year, I've found happiness in a bowl of Tonkotsu ramen and Ippudo served five or six different types of this soupy dish. At first undecided which one to order, I tried to order the Ippudo Kuro Tamago but was told that it was already sold out. What? Sold out at 12.50 pm? I was skeptical. I think the staff was not exactly telling the truth. If they were not selling this variety of their Tonkotsu ramen,  just say so. Don't give a preposterous excuse that I can't accept. I didn't want to make a scene and so, I ended up instead with the Akamaru Tamago which was basically the Akamaru Shinaji with a salted soft-boiled egg.

After lunch was over, it was a rush down to the Think City office at the UAB Building in China Street Ghaut. Anwar Fazal - a font of information on many things, especially culture, heritage and consumerism - whom I've known for several years already, was launching his latest book called Our Cities, Our Homes. Anwar Fazal is also the president of the Dr Wu Lien-Teh Society of which I'm there as a member of the committee.

Met up with a few friends and acquaintances at the book launch, including Dr Choong Sim Poey whom I've known even longer, and Maimunah Mohd Sharif who is now the executive director of United nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). Prior to her being head-hunted for this top job, she was the president of the Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) and then the president of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP). But I've known her even before that ... during her stint as the first General Manager of the George Town World Heritage Incorporated before she got elevated to the MPSP top job. Anwar Fazal, ever full of surprises, presented her with a certificate of membership to the International Giraffe Appreciation Society.

Japan, Day 4: Kawaguchiko, here we come!

When I was looking through this blog earlier today, it struck me that I hadn't written anything about our Japan holidays since January. That's six months ago! I guess it is time for me to continue with our maiden journey through the Land of the Rising Sun.

If you can remember, we actually flew into a typhoon and had to be diverted to Incheon in South Korea. It was only in the following day that we landed at Haneda Airport in Tokyo. There was hardly any time for us to look around Tokyo - we only spent two days there and one of the days was at Disneysea - before we headed out to Kawaguchiko. Getting there was a bit of fun. From the Ikebukuro station, we had to change trains at Shinjuku for the Chuo main line to take us to Otsuki. At the quaint Otsuki station, the connecting Fujiyama Limited Express would then take us to Kawaguchiko.

An explosion of colours at a vending machine

Basically, the Otsuki railway station proved to be very colourful on its own

We got no-where with the ticket vending machine but eventually one of the station masters came to sort us out.

The entrance to the station's platform to await the arrival of our train

But first, not giving up the opportunity for a quick take-away meal

Even the trains can be very colourful

And this is the first coach of the train. With our tickets, we did not know whether we'd be allowed to sit here. So it was just a look-see before we went back to our own seats. By this time, rain was beginning to come down.

The Mount Fuji station where the train stopped for a short while before continuing to Kawaguchiko.

Here we are at Kawaguchiko

Yes, here we are, finally, at the Kawaguchiko station. It was still drizzling and the local time was 4.45 pm. The problem was that there was no sheltered walkway between the platform and the station building and we had to brave the rain just to get there.

A welcome sight inside the station. More things to buy while waiting for the rain to stop. When the rain did stop, we had to make our way to our apartment in the dark. Local time was 5.30 pm. 

This was our one-room apartment at Kawaguchiko, which looked rather empty when we arrived....

....until we rolled out the mattresses and made ourselves feel like home.

But first, there was dinner to think about. Where on earth could we find anything to eat in this town after dark? This was something we had not planned for. Luckily, we had espied a restaurant - a tempura restaurant - earlier and that's where we retraced our path in the dark.

Your midsummer night's dream

Yesterday, I attended my first Penang Free School play in almost 50 years. Yes, it has been 47 years since I last watched Lady General Hwa Mu Lan which was staged by the school's Music and Drama Society at the SGGS Hall in 1971. Interestingly, I had caught up unexpectedly with the star of LGHML, my fellow schoolmate Lee Peh Lan, at a dinner at The Old Frees' Association just a few hours before the show. Somehow, the lady sitting at the same table as I looked familiar and suddenly it dawned on me that it was her. What a coincidence!

Anyway, I am digressing. After the dinner was over, I sped over to the Pinhorn Hall which was already filled with people. Mostly the schoolboys and schoolgirls themselves. But there was quite a number of Old Frees too. I found my way to the second row of the audience. No way was I going to sit at the back if I was going to enjoy the evening. Soon after eight o'clock, the hall lights darkened and the arrival of an Indian wedding procession marked the start of Your Midsummer Night's Dream.

Your Midsummer Night's Dream? Not....A Midsummer Night's Dream? Yes, the title of the play was Your Midsummer Night's Dream. Purposely retitled to reflect the MAD Society's adaptation and reinterpretation of the original William Shakespeare play that was laced with a huge dose of Malaysian elements and themes. Like, for example, the setting was unmistakably Malaysian. A Malaysian forest, without a doubt. With a Malaysian entertainment thrown into the works comprising an Indian dance and a Malay dance, and after which the appearance of a Chinese lion dance could not surprise me anymore. But all the characters remained Shakespearean to the core: Hermia, Lysander, Helena, Demetrius, Titania, Oberon, Puck and the whole lot of others.

Actually, I attended the play with an open mind, not knowing what to expect but like everybody else in the hall, we were mesmerised by the whole show. The boys and girls had put in such a lot of effort to rehearse and they pulled it off quite successfully. And where they could not fill in the roles themselves, they had lots of help from the Convent Green Lane Primary School and the Greenapple Ballet Academy. Maybe also from one or two other dance schools which escaped my notice. And definitely, the lion dance couldn't have been performed by the boys themselves, or could they?

Myself with Cheng hin. He never taught me in school
but he gets my respect for his utmost dedication to the
Music and Drama Society.

I must also comment that the MAD Society had welcomed back an old teacher Cheng Hin -- he must be in his eighties, surely -- to be their Artistic Director for this play. The play surely must belong to him. Cheng Hin has long been associated with the Free School's Music and Drama Society, and this return to the stage remains the highest recognition and honour given to him. (During the School's Bicentenary in 2016, he had wanted to present a play, the Caucasian Chalk Circle, to mark the occasion but there was simply no opportunity to slot it into the celebration.)

The night ended with a raucous rendition of the School Rally which was performed by the School Band. What moved me was the moment the whole hall stood up to sing without any inhibition. All around me, encircled by present Frees and Old Frees alike, we sung with gusto the old School Rally. Video and pictures appear below.