Testing Tidal

I kept hearing dealers at yesterday's Northern Internal AV Fair making constant reference to Tidal when it came to streaming services. I've been using Spotify for many years but the most they could offer for their premium price was 320kbps sound. Tidal, on the other hand, was offering CD quality sound streamed to their subscribers as .wav or .flac files. My curiosity got the better of me today and I found that an individual subscription to Tidal's streaming services would cost only RM16.90 per month. By comparison, Spotify's rate was RM15.90 per month. It didn't require much thinking on my part to decide on a Tidal subscription. It's now like a new toy in my hands....

Is it music or sound?

Is it music or is it sound? The music enthusiast would tell you that the music is all-important, while the hifi dealers will tell you that it is the sound that matters. To resolve the issue, albeit temporarily, I made it a point to visit the northern international audio-visual exhibition at the Amari Spice in Bayan Baru yesterday. 

It was the second time that such an AV fair was held in Penang. I visited this one on the second day and quite enjoyed myself visiting all the dealers' exhibitions, sat in for some talks (that is, opinions) and listened to some live music along the way. But after having spent something like five hours at the exhibition centre, I was too tired to stay back for the evening's live performances.

The dealers brought in some of their best equipment for the fair. Read that to mean their highest-end models: amplifiers, pre-amps, speakers, streaming boxes, cables, etc. To be expected, the sound quality was superb. All of them. Maybe the discerning listener with a good pair of ears, and perhaps deep pockets, may be able to pick up (or believe to be able to pick up) some delicate nuances and differences in the sound but to my aging ears, I really cannot tell them apart. But what I could differentiate was that the sound emanating from their million-ringgit setup was far, far better than from my old own modest home hi-fi system. To me, all the high, mid and low range sounds came through the speakers flawlessly. 

But was I listening to the (quality of) sound from their systems or should I just enjoy the sheer quality of the music? Before that is answered, I want to say that there were five or six talks arranged for the afternoon. I missed some of them as I had to share my time between attending the talks and walking through the exhibition. But I did catch Randy Messman who talked about affordable hi-fi. My takeaway from his talk was that an enthusiast does not need expensive hifi equipment to listen to music. His own musical journey began with only a walkman cassette player. As cheapaudioman, he runs a channel on YouTube dedicated to this stuff which he knows best. His mantra is to help other people fill their soul with happiness at all budgets with the healing power of music. 

The last speaker of the day, Sujesh Pavithran, brought home the same point, that one doesn't need to spend tens of thousands of ringgit on hifi equipment if one only wants to listen to, and enjoy, music. He could get by with perhaps RM3,000 or RM4,000 of equipment. During his days as a journalist with the Star newspaper, he ran the weekly Audiofile section of the newspaper.

  

Farewell to three old friends

Three old friends passed away within six days - Yeoh Eng Hin, Thomas Khor and Lee Keat Heng - all coming as a shock to me. 

It's no fun living to be 100 when you are frail of mind and body. But it is still an immense achievement and for that, I applaud Yeoh Eng Hin to have lived until this ripe old age. This senior Life Member of The Old Frees' Association passed away on 12 April having attained this centenarian landmark. Frailty of body was a definite given but I do not know whether it had affected him in any other way as I had not met Yeoh in the last few decades of his life. In the 1970s, I used to be a frequent visitor to his record shop, known as Hinson, in Penang Road. I used to spend hours browsing through the interesting records he had stocked up.

Another OFA Life Member that passed away this week, on the 15th, was Thomas Khor, my old class teacher from the Westlands Primary School. Eighty-six years old when he died, I was taught by him exactly 60 years ago in Standard Five. For many years we lost touch but happened to reconnect after 2012 when I was starting work on Let the Aisles Proclaim. He was from Ipoh but at the time during or after the Japanese Occupation, his family made their way to Penang. He was a devout Catholic but instead of enrolling in St Xavier's Institution, he somehow found himself in Penang Free School. With some old school friends, we took him to revisit the old Westlands Primary School which today is a centre for sports excellence. Thomas Khor loved that visit and I could see his old familiar, spritely swagger return to his steps. He walked the length of the main building, climbed the stairs to the upper floor and peeked into the old classrooms. My last time seeing him was in the middle of last year at the New World Park food court. He was there with one of his sons, enjoying a meal when my friends and I spied him. And naturally, I went up to say hello. Old teachers must be appreciated. We grow up to become their friends.

Yesterday too, I learnt of the passing of Lee Keat Heng on the 17th. He was another Life Member of The Old Frees' Association. Understandably shocked by this news as only on Monday he was celebrating his 70th birthday. He was my classmate from Primary schooldays. Both of us had been placed in Standard 1E at Westlands but we parted company come the following year. Although we did not know one another very well as I went into an express class and he did not, the parting of ways could not hide the fact that Lee was one of my oldest school friends. We only began touching base again after the Free School's Bicentenary celebrations.

The container and the content

I've been digging through my old books to search for a particular story from Ajahn Brahmavamso, the Abbot of the Bodhinyana Monastery in Western Australia. He has a big following worldwide due to his wisdom. He's also a regular visitor to our shores and at the end of the year, he is likely to be in Kuala Lumpur and Penang for short visits. Ajahn Brahm is also a prolific author of books in which he give insights into Buddhism in his own humorous way. The book I was trying to locate was this one titled Good? Bad? Who Knows? which was a sequel to his earlier book, Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? 

In the past, I had reproduced a few interesting stories from Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung? in several of my earlier blog posts here but never from Good? Bad? Who Knows? However with this socks incident still impacting the minds of small people everywhere, I shall now reproduce the very first of Ajahn Brahm's stories from this book. Here it is:

The Container And The Content 

A local journalist called and asked me, "What would you do, Ajahn Brahm, if someone took a Buddhist Holy book and flushed it down your toilet?"

Without hesitation I answered, "Sir, if someone took a Buddhist Holy book and flushed it down my toilet, the first thing I would do is to cal1 a plumber!"

When the journalist finished laughing, he confided in me that that was the first sensible answer that he had received.

Then I went further. I explained that someone may blow up many statues of the Buddha, burn down Buddhist temples or kill Buddhist monks and nuns; they may destroy all this but I witl never allow them to destroy Buddhism. You may flush a Holy Book down a toilet, but I will never let you flush forgiveness, peace and compassion down the toilet.

The Book is not the religion, nor is the statue, the building or the priest. These are only the 'containers'.

What does the book teach us? What does the statue represent? What qualities are the priests supposed to embody? This is the 'content'.

When we recognise the difference between the container and the contents, then we will preserve the contents even when the container is being destroyed.

We can print more books, build more temples and statues, and even train more monks and nuns, but when we lose our love and respect for others and ourselves and replace it with violence, then the whole religion has gone down the toilet.

Note: Good? Bad? Who Knows? was published in 2013. A year later, the contents were expanded to include several other new short stories and the revised book was published as Don't Worry, Be Grumpy. This same story, The Container and the Content, was given an expanded introduction:

There were riots in the streets some years ago after a guard at Guantanamo Bay was accused of taking a holy book and flushing it down the toilet. The next day, I took a call from a local journalist who told me he was writing an article about the outrage by asking leaders of all the major religions in Australia the same question he was about to ask me. “What would you do, Ajahn Brahm, if someone took a Buddhist holy book and flushed it down your toilet?”

 

Judge Dee

Judge Dee's Mystery is an unexpected gem on Netflix: an authentic portrayal of ancient China devoid of unnecessary Western storytelling and embellishments. However, the rapid pace of the subtitles was a challenge to me as it demanded quick reading to keep up with the dialogue while following the on-screen action. Many times, I had to rewind a few frames in order to finish rereading the subtitles.

Based on Robert Van Gulik's novels, Judge Dee's Mystery followed the titular magistrate's adventures in the Tang Dynasty court, played with finesse by Zhou Yi Wei. Appointed by Empress Wu Zetian, Judge Dee navigated a treacherous landscape of bandits and disillusioned citizens to uphold justice. While the focus remained on Dee's investigations, deeper exploration of secondary characters enriched the narrative tapestry.

The series succeeded in capturing the essence of Van Gulik's work and offered detailed insights into ancient Chinese society and governance. Zhou's portrayal of Judge Dee was a standout, blending quiet resolve with fiery determination to combat injustice. Despite occasional forays into exaggerated drama and unrealistic CGI, the series was engaging, driven by Dee's unwavering pursuit of truth.

Judge Dee's Mystery stood as a testament to the enduring appeal of historical detective dramas, weaving a captivating narrative across its 32 episodes. The commitment to authenticity was exemplary. Meticulous attention to detail in set design and costuming. A compelling exploration of justice and intrigue in ancient China. A stellar ensemble cast, each bringing depth and authenticity to their respective roles. Wang Li Kun shone as Cao An, embodying infatuation and love amidst the backdrop of Tang Dynasty politics. Zhong Chu Xi's portrayal of Empress Wu exudes power and complexity.

Despite these strengths, Judge Dee's Mystery mildly stumbled in its second half where the narrative lost some of the momentum of the initial episodes. This dip in engagement impacted the overall viewing experience, causing a perceptible shift in the series' dynamics. While the first half excelled in building anticipation and suspense, the latter part struggled to maintain the same level of intrigue. Additionally, several secondary storylines went unresolved. The allure of a well-crafted mystery was not just in its unravelling but also in the satisfaction of a complete resolution. At times, the series fell short in tying up loose ends. There were lingering questions that left viewers yearning for a more conclusive finale.

Nevertheless, these were only minor imperfections. The blend of historical authenticity, gripping storytelling and compelling characters transcended the occasional misstep. The series stood as a testament to the heights that Chinese period dramas could achieve.

As a conclusion, Judge Dee's Mystery triumphed as an historical detective dramas with its commitment to authenticity, innovative narrative structure and standout performances. After having been treated to a visually stunning experience that solidified the series as a standout in its genre, I have to ask: will there be more to come than these 32 episodes?

Tolerance out the window?

Whatever happened to the virtues of tolerance? In the past few weeks, the country has been mired in farce as a politician-wannabe called on people of his race to boycott a certain mini-market chain on the pretext of the chain having insulted his religion by selling merchandise bearing the name of his god. I'm not saying whether the sale was right or wrong, whether it was intentional or inadvertent, or whether enough should be enough, but I found the whole episode so childish when this unrepentant nobody took his boycott call too far without considering the consequences to the economy and people's well-being. What was even more absurd was the emotional fervour he whipped up, making clueless people cause mischief outside other mini-market chains that had no connection with the original mini-market. Not to mention too the violence he brought on in the wake of his boycott call. 

Nowadays, it takes so little for these politicians to take advantage of situations. These people should be locked up and the keys thrown away, but the government won't do that. So we have this perceived insult and that perceived insult, and people seeing demons when there are none. If a little levelheadedness and common sense had prevailed, we would not have wasted so much time attempting to defend mighty gods who don't require any defence at all. I mean, who are we to defend an impregnable god? If one's personal faith is steadfast enough, this incident should be like water off a duck's back.

Brain tumour symptoms

How coincidental it was for me to discover this image on facebook some days ago! 

Although it is part of a series of sponsored information from a leading private hospital in Penang, the message is important enough for me to share around. 

In recent weeks, I've a close friend - we've known one another since our primary school days - who had undergone a risky operation to remove a tumour in his brain. 

Some of his symptoms were identical to those shown: headaches and visual disturbances. He underwent an MRI scan that confirmed the tumour and necessitated an immediate removal. My friend is now in rehabilitation and undergoing therapy.

Berbuka puasa

Together with a few friends from the Nandaka Vihara, we attended a Buka Puasa function in Kampong Pisang here in Cherok Tokun. Also present at the function was the state assemblyman for Machang Bubok, Lee Kkai Loon. Earlier, the Nandaka Vihara had presented some RM5,000 worth of essential food stuff to the villagers. It was interesting to note that the Penghulu had urged the villagers to put the disruptive socks incident behind them and move along.

Unimpressed

What is real and what is fake? Netflix's 3 Body Problem had a brilliant portrayal of the Cultural Revolution which enveloped China for many years from 1966, but beyond that, the eight-episode series felt damp. I forced myself to finish watching the first episode but I doubt that I'll be watching the rest of the series. 

Khoo Tiong Poh's grave

This being the Cheng Beng season, I thought that it is appropriate for me to say something about a solitary grave which sits on a piece of private ground on the island. 

Now, if one is a frequent customer of The Gardens Banana Leaf Restaurant along Free School Road, I would believe that sooner or later one will discover that this restaurant is located next to a grave. A big grave, actually. An old but big grave. Just one grave, but it is big. and old. Dating back to 1892, which makes it 132 years old in 2024. The inscription on the head stone, however, is all in Chinese characters and for a very long time, I was wondering who was buried here. But its immense size could only mean that the occupant must have been someone rich and perhaps influential. And he was indeed rich and influential.

Khoo Tiong Poh (b 1830, d 1892) was a prominent business and social figure in mid- to late-19th century Penang and Singapore, as detailed in this book, Biographical Dictionary of Mercantile Personalities of Penang. He founded Bun Hin & Co (萬興公司), a leading shipping enterprise in the Straits Settlements. His ventures extended to trading, planting, revenue farming and tin mining. In Penang, he made substantial contributions to the two largest Hokkien cemeteries, namely, the Batu Lanchang and Batu Gantong cemeteries. Khoo Tiong Poh had three wives, from whom he had eight sons and four daughters. He passed away in Singapore, with his burial in Penang marking his legacy. His estate, including businesses and properties, underwent liquidation posthumously due to financial challenges and familial disputes, leaving only his grave as a final reminder of his life. No image of Khoo Tiong Poh is available in the public domain.

These pictures of Khoo Tiong Poh's grave were taken in January this year. The main entrance into the site is from the Free School Road roundabout, which one has to navigate slowly in order to notice it. Otherwise, come enjoy a meal of vegetarian banana leaf rice at The Gardens and then take a walk through the restaurant to the grave.