Golf Fun Game - Korea vs The Rest of The World

The coveted Challenge Trophy

This was another fun game organized by KDE ladies to break the monotony of golf competitions. This time, The Rest of The World (ROTW) decided to take on the Koreans! ROTW was represented by golfers from Malaysia, Japan, Holland, Thailand, Indonesia and Taiwan.

Pre-game briefing for ROTW members

Posing with the challenge trophy - in case we did not see it again!

Many likened this challenge to the legendary David vs Goliath battle. Everyone, ourselves included, had a sense of foreboding before the game....the Korean ladies are good...they had to be good for they are at the golf course every day of the week, even when the course is closed for maintenance! They have their own teaching pro and are very serious at their game. They all have the same kind of golf swing, are very methodical and they work very hard at the driving range.

With my flight-mate, Rahimah

Our Korean opponents

To add variety to the fun game, there were certain obstacles at all the par threes. At hole number 2, one had to tee off sitting on a chair; at hole number 4, teeing off was done with one feet in a tyre and at hole number 8, it was done with an oven glove on one hand.

Now, how do I do this?

I hope I don't trip....

What is an oven doing on the golf course?

It was a close fight and to our surprise, The Rest of The World (ROTW) won 159 points to 156, thereby winning the challenge trophy for 2010. The gross winner was Shim (Korea) while the nett winner was Maisarah (ROTW).

The victorious ROTW team!

Gross winner, Shim (Korea)

Nett winner, Maisarah (ROTW)

Everyone had a great time judging from the smiling faces after the game!

Golf Fun Game - Zoo Keeper

KDE ladies organized a fun game this week called the Zoo Keeper. It was a golf competition with a difference. The objective is not to hit your ball into the bunker, water, OB-marked areas and also not to three-putt. Any golfer hitting these shots would be penalized by being given a card with the picture of an animal (turtle for bunker, fish for water, monkey for OB and donkey for 3-putts). The card then changed hands during the game; and the golfer holding the card with the most animals at the last hole will be a candidate for Zoo Keeper. The number of animals will be tallied to determine who has the most animals and that person would be crowned the Zoo Keeper.

Audi was appointed the Captain in charge of organizing the event and yours truly was one of the volunteers. As funds were limited, the ladies got creative and decided to decorate the Club House with pictures of animals. Audi's other half volunteered to draw the outline of the animals and the ladies then got down to coloring the animals, cutting them out and mounting them on styrofoam boards.

Audi, yours truly and Irene busy coloring and cutting...back to kindy!

Friday morning dawned with a slight drizzle but the ladies arrived in high spirits...all forty-four of them. There was alot of bantering as many took the opportunity to reconnect with friends they had not seen for a while. The Korean ladies came out in full force and we had a group from MALGA. One golfer even flew down from Bangkok to participate!

Our collective work of art - decor for the Club House

A good time was had by all. Although it was supposed to be fun, the pressure was unbelievable - especially putting to avoid the 3-putts!! Yours truly did not play well and three-putted the last hole so I got to keep the Donkey card (with 4 donkeys) in my flight - dang!

The next event on the cards will be the Valentine Blind Date game in February 2010....male golfers would pick their lady partners by drawing lots....that should be interesting!

The winner of the Fish Award - for most number of balls in water

Bananas for the winner of the Monkey Award - most number of OBs

...and carrots for the Donkey Award - most number of 3-putts

Karin flew in from Bangkok to participate

(L to R) Yih Ching, Aini, Zahariah and Rosni (seated)

Rabiatul (in blue) led the MALGA team

Anite, Winnie and Roza

Jose and Company

Yours truly and buggy mate, Zahariah

Happy Faces although scores could be better!

Winner of the Best Dressed Award

The Korean ladies came out in full force...three of them pictured here

Judy won the Zoo Keeper Award for 2009!

Uproar About Fake Hymen Kit

In a country noted for honour-killings due to loss of a woman's virginity, the fake hymen kit is god-sent. This product, made in China by a company called Gigimo, is advertised on its website and Egyptian politicians have demanded a ban on the product as it will encourage illicit sex outside the confines of marriage.

However, the product has met with some support. An Egyptian blogger and activist for women’s rights said the Artificial Virginity Hymen "sticks in the face of every male hypocrite" in an Arab culture that condemns women’s sexuality but turns a blind eye to male promiscuity.

The product consists of a pouch that is inserted into the vagina before sex and leaks a blood-like substance when broken during intercourse.

In broken English, the product advertisement goes as follows: “No more worry about losing your virginity. With this product, you can have your first night back anytime... Add in a few moans and groans, you will pass through undetectable”.

A fake hymen with fake moans and groans - perhaps centenarian Wook Kundor's secret is about to be unravelled????

Note:

Wook Kundor, a centenarian aged 107, made headlines in Malaysia when she married, for the 22nd time, a 38-year old bachelor...

In The Still of the Night...

I am watching a rerun of the movies; a reflection of my life...the joys I had known, the emotional and physical pain I had endured and people whose paths I had crossed. A journey fraught with bumps and bruises – lessons learnt the hard way that I will remember forever…in the still of the night!

“I have been a rover
I have walked alone
Turned a hundred highways
Never found a home
Still, in all I’m happy
Reason is, you see…
Once in a while along the way
Love’s been good to me…”

Mum's Sewing Machine

She sits in a corner of the maid’s room – worn, dusty and dull…a relic of the years gone by. Yes, it’s mum’s trusty Singer sewing machine. She was once the prized possession of the house; with a gleaming veneer finish, well-oiled and ready to rumble when there are things to be sewn. The apron that I had made as part of my school project, the curtains I sewed for Hari Raya, even the tent dress that was the rage 40 years ago – these were some of the products proudly turned out by that machine.

I can still conjure images of mum in her younger days, sewing her kain batek or baju Kedah, sometimes late into the night…cluck, cluck, cluck, cluck… the sound of the foot pedal breaking the silence of the night. We would always be anxious to see the finished product.

Then there were the repairs to be done – torn school uniforms (my sisters and I only got a pair each year; to be worn until they were no longer in presentable condition) and out-of-date dresses to be given a refreshing look!

Today, I had a piece of batik that needed to be stitched, to be used for prayers. It was a simple task – just straight sewing – no creativity needed here! I was pleasantly surprised to find the sewing machine still in working condition; albeit a little noisy. As I pedalled away, my thoughts drifted back to the good old days when life was simpler, we would wear what mum sewed for us and the machine would be most busy with the approaching Hari Raya.

Today, it sits quietly in the corner, waiting for that rare occasion when someone would have something to sew….just like in the twilight years of one’s life…waiting for that rare occasion to be useful and appreciated again….sigh!

On MLTR

It was reported that the Youth Wing of PAS had called for cancellation of the concert by the western group Michael Learns To Rock, scheduled in September, as "it is an insult to Muslims to hold such concert during the month of Ramadan."

In working towards 1Malaysia, we need to be inclusive in our actions; it may be Ramadan but there are people of other religious beliefs in this country who must be taken into consideration. This type of behaviour is typical of PAS in order to appeal to the grassroots - anything that is entertainment-oriented is un-Islamic and must be rejected....are we on our way to becoming like Pakistan or Afghanistan?

Is Watching Late Evening TV The Answer to Population Control?

India’s Health Minister has come up with a novel proposal to address a growing population, especially in remote villages…install electricity so that people can watch TV. The logic being that when people watch TV late into the night, they would not have time to procreate. Currently, the Minister contends that without electricity, couples have nothing else to do at night except make babies.

CNN interviewed an 80-something Indian man who claimed to have fathered 24 children and asked him whether watching TV is the answer to control a booming population. He nonchalantly replied that if couples see something stimulating on TV, they’d go ahead and make babies anyway!

I suspect he’s right; with electricity, people will eventually have access to the Internet, and there are so many “stimulating” things to be savoured on the Internet that would drive them to a romp between the sheets afterwards!

Know Your Rights - Muslim Divorce

The following article, prepared by Women's Aid Organization (WAO), contains useful information on the rights of Muslim women seeking divorce. Syariah law is often confusing to the average Muslim and hopefully this article will shed some light on a complicated issue like divorce under syariah law.

Azah fell in love with her husband, Rashid when she was in college. He courted her and after two years, they got married. Azah is Chinese by ethnic origin, and she converted to Islam. After a few years into their marriage, Azah gave birth to a son. Although they were both happy initially, Rashid became more inattentive to the family after some time. He frequently scolded her if the baby was crying and began to come home late after work. Azah also works in the same place as her husband, although they are in different shifts.

One afternoon, she did not feel well and returned home early from work. She heard odd sounds coming from her bedroom. Worried that her son or Rashid might be ill, she rushed upstairs to check. To her shock and disbelief, she caught Rashid in bed with another woman.

She then packed her things and went to her mother's house with her son. When Rashid contacted her, he told her that he wants to marry the woman as a second wife. Azah still loved him. But after considering the idea of polygamy in her marriage with Rashid, Azah decided that she could not accept it as part of her life. She spoke to Rashid about her feelings and tried to convince him not to do so. But Rashid is firm on his decision. He told her that he is resolute in having a second wife whether she agrees to it or not. In that case, she asked him for a divorce, but he refused.

When she spoke to her mother and asked for advice, her mother reminded her about her son, and what would happen to him. Azah is not familiar with matters of divorce and custody under Syariah Law. What are her options?

Under Syariah Law, there are four main types of divorce. If Azah wants a divorce, she can ask Rashid to make an application to pronounce talaq in court. This is the first form of divorce under Syariah law, which is based on mutual agreement between both parties. Rashid is allowed to pronounce talaq for a maximum of three times. After the first and second pronouncement, Azah and Rashid can choose to reconcile. However, this must be within three months, known as the iddah period. After which, they are not allowed to do so. They are also not allowed to reconcile if Rashid pronounces the third talaq.

Also, Azah can apply for khulu' or cerai tebus talaq (divorce by redemption) from her State Syariah Court. This is where she pays him a certain amount of money to redeem him for the dowry that was paid to her when they were married. How much money depends on an amount agreed by both parties, or if no agreement is reached, the Kadi (religious officer) will assess the amount depending on her status and means. However, she can only apply for khulu' if both parties agree to a divorce.

If Rashid is insistent on disagreeing, Azah can still apply for a divorce to the Syariah court. The two types of divorce not based on mutual agreement are are:

1. Cerai Taqliq
If you can prove to the court through witnesses and oath that your husband has broken conditions set in the marriage contract, you can apply for Cerai Taqliq from the Syariah Court. Examples of conditions are providence of maintanence, desertion or domestic violence. If the judge is satisfied that your husband has indeed broken the marriage contract, the court will grant you the divorce.

2. Cerai Fasakh
You can apply for fasakh (dissolution of marriage by order from the Court) from your State Syariah Court if you can prove either one of these conditions:

- Your husband has treated you cruelly (e.g. been violent to you either physically or mentally, associated with prostitutes, forced you into immoral behaviour, obstructed your religious obligations, mistreated your property or according to Syariah law treated you unequally compared to his other wife/wives);

- Your husband has not maintained you for at least three months;

- Your husband has been sent to prison for three years or more;

- Your husband has left home and not been contactable for at least one year;

- Your husband is impotent or has refused sexual intercourse after at least four months of marriage, or for at least one year;

- Your husband has been insane for at least two years;

- Your husband is suffering from leprosy, vitilago or a sexually transmitted disease;

- Your consent to marriage was given by force, mistake or unsound mind; or

- You have since marriage, has a mental disorder which renders you unfit for marriage.

Always check first with your nearest Jabatan Agama Islam, Legal Aid Bureau or any practicing Syariah lawyer for differences in State Muslim Family Law before proceeding. For example, cruelty is not a ground for fasakh in Kelantan, Perak, Kedah and Pahang.

You will first have to file a complaint with the Jabatan Agama Islam (Muslim religious department) and state that because of problems within the marriage, you wish to do have a divorce.

The religious officer will then probably advice you to go for marriage counselling with your husband. You have a right to refuse marital counselling if you believe it will not help. If you think so, be firm about your decision. If you have any evidence to this effect, in example police reports on domestic violence, bring them with you.

However, take note that generally at the Syariah Court, you are asked for a letter from the religious department stating that you have undergone at least one counselling session.

If you wish to go for counselling, you will be given an appointment letter from the department. The religious officer will try to reconcile you and your husband during the appointed counselling sessions. If reconciliation is impossible, the religious officer will issue a letter stating that. The counselling period would take around 2 - 3 months.

Bring the letter with you to the Syariah Court and register your application for divorce. At the same time, you can also apply for any maintenance and custody of the children, although these matters will only be heard after the divorce case is decided. Generally, if the child is younger than seven, custody will be given to the mother. If s/he is older, it will be decided based on the best interest of the child.

In application for divorce, maintenance and custody to the Syariah Court, you are encouraged to appoint a lawyer, as the Syariah judge generally prefers this.

If you need further information or clarification, contact the Legal Aid Bureau, Legal Aid Centre or a women's organisation.

Women's Aid Organisation

Tel. +60 3 7956 3488Fax. +60 3 7956 3237Email:

wao@po.jaring.my

Today, Twenty Years Ago...

Allahyarham Hj Muhandes Bin Hj Mohamed

July 6, 1942 - August 13, 1989

Today, twenty years ago
You left us both forever

No goodbyes, just sorrow

And memories of our times together

Today, twenty years ago

Our world had forever changed

In ways no one could ever know

Nothing prepared us for the pain

Today, twenty years ago

My world crumbled around me

Why did you have to go?

In the most tragic way, and so suddenly?

Today, twenty years ago

I made a promise to be strong

But how was I to know?

The road ahead would be rough and long?

Today, twenty years ago

Tears flowed for someone so dear

In our hearts we feel the glow

Of your love that is always near

Semoga rohmu ditempatkan bersama orang-orang yang beriman. Al-Fatihah

From: Nori & Nash

Till Death Do Us Part....

This is a true love story in the same league as Romeo and Juliet and Laila Majnun. Shi Zhen Wei from Yancheng City and Song Xin Ran from Lianyungang City in China, met on the Internet and fell in love. Then, two years ago, the lady was diagnosed with colon cancer and her beau and his family spent all their savings to pay for her treatment.

In June, doctors told Song that her illness was terminal and that she had another two to three months to live - this was when Shi decided to marry her....he said ‘‘my love is only for you. Let’s get married even if you have only one day to live.’’

In this cyber age where falling in love is as easy as striking your computer keyboard, it is touching to hear of such devotion by a man and sacrifice by an entire family for one person....may they find happiness in each other for whatever time that's left for her!

"I hold it true, whate'er befall;

I feel it, when I sorrow most;

'Tis better to have loved and lost

Than never to have loved at all"

(Alfred Tennyson)