"Jalan Jalan Cari Makan In Kuala Terengganu" - I

(This Hari Raya (Malay New Year which fell on 13 and 14 October), 5 of us decided to take our chances with the traffic to drive to Kuala Terengganu which is approximately 500 Km (300 miles) from Klang. "Jalan Jalan Cari Makan literally translates as Traveling, Looking For Food.")

“What time should we start our journey?”

“4 a.m.”

“Can we do it at 5?”

I was glad we agreed to an hour later. (4 a.m. is when my brain is at deep sleep mode.) I was magnetically bound to the bed but struggled up at 4.30 am and had hardly done the necessary when the car was already at the gate. Punctual. I liked that. Oops. Forgot I had not done the “big business” – that will have to wait. Hope nature won’t come calling when we are traveling above 100km/hour on the highway “without a farm house near”.

Flashback - “What are you doing this Hari Raya?”

“Driving to Kuala Terengganu.”

“You must be crazy! Vying with all those cars on the road. Half the Malaysian population on the go – going home “balik kampung” and you’ve to add one more. Repent or Regret”

Ah. We were not as crazy as he thought. We were not mad dogs that went out on the mid-day sun. Firstly, we did not really choose the dates – the dates chose us. It was not easy to get leaves for the five of us, the public holidays helped. Secondly, we had a formula – see. We are leaving at an ungodly hour when all but the zombies and crazies are at peaceful slumber. We are not going on Thursday – that would be disastrous. We are not leaving on the eve either to avoid the stragglers. We are leaving on the big day itself when all who were supposed to leave had left and we should have the road to ourselves, we hope. Who said the best of plans can go awry? Choy! Touch wood, that won’t happen to us. We have those good luck charms from various temples for good measures. Sure to work or money back guarantee, the man sold me with a wink.


Starting our journey from Klang, we reached the majestic limestone outcrop “Batu Caves” by 5.55 am and reached the Gombak toll at 6.00 am. So far so good, there were few cars on the road and it was smooth sailing. Looked like our aim was straight.


At 6.30 am we stopped at the Petronas Petrol Station to do our “small business” and I had my “first” breakfast – a hot curry puff and cold milo in tetra-pack. We saw some fellow travelers sleeping in the cars under the bright light of the Petronas shop. Not a bad idea. When you are weary and need a rest before you go on, it is much safer in a large petrol station than in one of the rest area. We have already bought enough snacks and drinks to open a sundry shop but we bought some more. When we are not yakking, we will be snacking - creating music, “Yak Concerto in C Major”.


It was still dark when we left the station but light was beginning to impose itself. White mists billowed down intermittently obscuring the road that can only be made out by the dark looming shapes of trees and the limited range of our headlight. “With some imagination, we could be driving in Switzerland.” Everyone took warmly to the idea and we tried transporting ourselves to another realm with different level of success.

6.38 am. Not a good picture – not enough light and the car was vibrating but gave you an idea of how it looked like. Never knew white clouds can looked so threatening in the dark. They swirled and descended on you suddenly blocking your vision. But they were also beautiful.

But when the clouds lifted, you can see what a difference it made. Yes, morning has broken and you can see angels’ wings. Would you believe that the difference between the first and this picture was only 11 minutes apart?

3 minutes later, we were back in Switzerland under mist cover where the scenery was like a painting – mysterious and enchanting. Phua, the driver who traveled this road quite regularly said the heavy mist was abnormal.

How beautiful the highway was without cars. We were “king of the road”. Sitting in front, I easily imagined being an easy rider. “I’m an easy rider, easy and free. The wind behind me, the road in front. I go where the road leads, and leave my love behind. For I must stay - easy and free.” Then I thought of “Wild Hogs” which reminded that easy riding is for the young and crazy, not for the not-so-young and crazy.

Maran and 8.00 am is approaching but the mist lingered on.

As we were going to Kuantan, the state capital of Pahang; we took the exit at Gambang. If you just follow the sign on the highway you will be traveling north of Kuantan and then turned back costing you more petrol and toll money.

As we approached Kuantan, we saw the Malay folks in their best traditional clothing going to the mosque and the cemetery. I really liked this custom of theirs – going to cemetery on their New Year day to remember their dearly departed. There is a sense of poignancy and tenderness remembering the dead on that day of rejoice and celebration. It was difficult for me to capture a decent shot with the car traveling. I would love to show you a picture. Keep reading and next year, I will try to get you a picture. Promise with a wink.

We stopped in this Western sounding Chinese coffee shop “Leo Star” for Kuantan’s famous wantan noodles for my “second” breakfast. It was certainly popular with almost all the tables taken up this early on a public holiday and customers kept streaming in. I did not fell in love with the noodles. I felt it was too oily. The noodles was too thick and the texture too chewy for me. The wantan noodles I liked are thinner, elastic but having a “short” bite (clean cut by the teeth). It was just okay so was a disappointment. I understood that just a block down the same road, is a beef noodles shop that is quit good. I would have loved to try that but since some of my companions are Buddhists, beef is taboo. The coffee and noodles had now filled any remaining corners left in my stomach.

This is the price list of the Kuantan Coffee, Hotel and Restaurant Association which fixes the prices of the various drinks - RM0.90 for a cup of Kopi-O (black coffee) and RM1.00 for a cup of Kopi Susu (coffee with condensed milk). These are not Starbuck prices. After my second breakfast, we hit the road again. We only stopped to eat and shit (if necessary). Otherwise, we were always on the go. We were road warriors. If you are not impressed, wait till you hear about our third breakfast! Bet you couldn't do that - not on a full stomach. But Pantai Teluk Cempedak (Beach) coming up next.

To be continued...

2007 - Jarkata Snippets 2.

On the way back to the airport we were caught in a bad traffic jam and the car was practically at a standstill inching its way forward amid the dust and the heat. It offered me the chances to take a few more photos.




Once the vehicles slowed anywhere in the highways, they came out from the woodworks. They carried their wares hawking them from vehicle to vehicle. Anything from newspapers, magazines, drinks, snacks, daily wares etc. This is a tough life eking out a living amid the heat, dust, fatigue, monotone, disappointment and hazards. Each day is a struggle and if you don't work that day, there is no income.





If you look at their facial features, there are some similarities. It is their steely eyes, their solemn yet determined expression that enables them to bear the hardship. Their options are few. They and their family need to be fed. They have to do whatever necessary to survive. For such men, you can see a common stoic look that stared at hardship with resignation but not defeat. They suffer but they would not break. It is not a pretty sight. We can choose to look away and pretend we do not see. Can we?




Our car passed by this ramshackle hut that is like many common eateries for the poor. The most common food for them besides instant noodles is “Nasi Padang” which is the Indonesian version of economy rice. They are basically pre-cooked vegetables, meat and seafood cooked with lot of spices and curries. Every shop has a very wide range of varieties and they go well with rice. You pay only what you eat. Thank God for spices and curries that can make even the most basic food palatable. They pamper the rich but they sustain the poor.




The front of the eatery was shared with a basic sundry shop selling mainly edibles. Despite its dilapidated state, it even has a bench for its customers. How many Malaysian shops except those in the village provide such a service?




The reason for the jam is that they are laying pipes on this section of the road – how like Malaysia, isn’t it? This picture is of one worker welding the pipe and the other squatting behind him. He is probably on his break waiting his turn. But where can he to go and what can he do with vehicles trundling by both sides and it is too exorbitant to while away his time in a coffee shop? So he squat behind his mate and looked at vehicles passing by seemingly oblivious to the heat, noise and dust. This is their life. And it is a hard one. Count our blessings.

Burma, the world stands with you.

I had written about the situations in Burma and had appealed to my readers to support the Burmese cause especially through the signature campaign organized by Avaaz. All of these articles have been posted in Ghostwise. I have decided to move my continued support to Ghost Walk so that others can be exposed to it and because I think it is more appropriate in this blog.

Please support this cause by signing the petition (if you're not sure what it is all about, please see the details below). Those who have already signed, please exposed it to more of your friends. Please copy this to forward to your friends or asked them to access the links from here. Let us put in a concerted effort to try to raise the signatory to 1 million voices screaming for freedom for Burma. Don't underestimate what we can achieve. It is all right to fail. It is not alright not to try. Be part of the movement that tried to win freedom for Burma. Be part of the history in which you have a small role in.

What Avaaz members have done so far:

789,479 petition signatures, hand-delivered to UK Prime Minister and UN Security Council member Gordon Brown. (Video here.)

$315,000 raised for the Burmese democracy movement.

33,403 emails to EU leaders urging targeted sanctions.

1,952 messages sent to Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo.

100+ protests in cities worldwide against the Burmese regime.

1 global ad campaign, including a full-page ad in the Financial Times pushing China to act.

If they haven't yet, ask friends to
sign the petition!Burma's streets are quiet--no mass demonstrations, no riot police. But the calm is an illusion. Change is coming to Burma, and we are all a part of it.

Here's where we stand: The regime has massacred, tortured, and intimidated its critics at home, and continues its night arrests and brutal interrogations. But while it has momentarily silenced the domestic opposition, its attacks on the revered Buddhist monks ignited an anger amongst the Burmese people that cannot be extinguished. Contacts inside Burma tell us that the demonstrators are steadily regrouping, even in the face of the deadly crackdown.

And around the world, the roar has grown deafening--so powerful that governments are scrambling for ways to bring new pressure to bear on the junta. Government leaders and the media have publicly credited the outcry of global civil society. Look at the statistics in the box on the right to see how, working alongside allies around the world, Avaaz members have begun to make a difference.

Many Burmese members of Avaaz have written in. Here's a note from one of them--Trisa, now living abroad:

I am one of the 8888 uprising generation. Since the September uprising in Burma, I can't get good night sleep. I can't contact my remaining families and friends if they are ok... The voice of the world is very powerful. I have heartfelt thank you for all the supporters. Your voice can change our lives!

And here's a note from an Avaaz member, Lynn in London, who joined a group of Burmese monks to hand-deliver the Avaaz petition--contained in a big red box--to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a permanent member of the UN Security Council, on the steps of 10 Downing Street last week:

When I put my hand on the red box, which held the 753,000 signatures from around the world collected by Avaaz, I imagined the outrage of the many people from every country in the world, every culture, every race, and every religion, contained within this box which was about to be presented to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. I thought about what it might mean for these Burmese monks whose religious brothers far away had been hurt and mistreated by the crackdown, to know that in every country in the world, people were supporting them.

And here's what May Ng, a Burmese writer, editorialized on the news site Mizzima after seeing our petition:

As their voices have been heard and their faces have been seen, Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma will no longer be alone. Avaaz.org, whose mission is to ensure that the views and values of the world's people shape global decisions, will make sure that Burmese people will have a voice over their own fate from now on.

Avaaz will share the struggle of the Burmese people until the struggle is won. Our goals are constant: transition, dialogue, reconciliation, and democracy. We will also continue to take action together on many urgent issues, from climate change to peace in the Middle East to human rights--but we will not turn from the cause of the Burmese people. We believe that every human life has equal value, whether in Berlin, Beijing or Rangoon.

As Aung San Suu Kyi once urged, we will use our freedom to promote theirs.

With hope,

Ben, Ricken, Paul, Galit, Graziela, Iain, Sarah, Pascal, and Milena--the Avaaz team

PS: 52 years ago today, the UN charter enshrined "the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples." Twelve years ago today, Aung San Suu Kyi was imprisoned. And today, in key cities around the world, protesters held a new wave of protests; the first shipment of supplies, paid for by Avaaz members, left for Burma--and the junta agreed to re-admit Ibrahim Gambari, the U.N. envoy who is working to build a dialogue between the regime and the opposition, earlier than previously announced. It's been a long struggle, but the most important ones always are.

PPS: If your friends haven't yet signed the petition, urge them to sign at: http://avaaz.org/en/burma_hope_lives/6.php

PPPS: Some further reading:

Voices from within Burma:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7058610.stm
and
http://www.globalvoicesonline.org/-/world/east-asia/myanmar-burma/
and
http://www.mizzima.com/MizzimaNews/Interview/01-Oct-2007.html

Avaaz's Paul Hilder "People Power can win": http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/paul_hilder/2007/10/people_power_can_win.html

____________________

[-525.866375-]
ABOUT AVAAZ

Avaaz.org is an independent, not-for-profit global campaigning organization that works to ensure that the views and values of the world's people inform global decision-making. (Avaaz means "voice" in many languages.) Avaaz receives no money from governments or corporations, and is staffed by a global team based in London, New York, Paris, Washington DC, Geneva, and Rio de Janeiro.

2007 - Jarkata Snippets 1.

Sometimes when you are traveling in a car in another country and you came across the unfamiliar and do not know what it is and there is no one to ask. Often you were also moving through so fast that you would not even have time for a shot even though you may have your camera ready. Of course I could not have my camera ready on this trip with my boss in the front seat.

However, when the car stopped after the toll to wait for the others to catch and my boss was engrossed in a conversation, I saw a few scenes that I could not help shooting to share with you. They raised more questions than answers really, so make your best guess.

Saw this advertisement for toilet by the highway but it is all fenced up and inaccessible from the road. Perplexing?

Okay. There is a sign further up pointing the direction. That is the way to go, right?

Except it is over a rickety wooden bridge, and then through a hole not higher than 3 feet. You have to bend more than double to squeeze through under a W.C. sign. You can see steps leading up to…? Make your own conclusion.

Further ahead is a T-junction but with all the signs pointing in one direction. A street child was dragging his feet across the road heading towards the signs and against the directions. He is in the middle of a busy of a highway. Wonder where he is going? Somehow this scene evoked in me a deep sympathy.

This is another confusing scene. A tilting large umbrella with an attached plastic table and a bottle of mineral water on top. There is a red plastic chair and a couple of carton at the foot but nobody around. What is it doing there? The umbrella and chair is in a most dangerous corner of the highway. Surely it cannot be selling mineral water to speeding trucks at dangerous corner? Anyone want to try guessing?

On the way back from the ground breaking ceremony, we stopped over to a Chinese restaurant in Cilegon named “Kartika”. It is not decorated like any Chinese restaurant you’ll come across, though there is a “Fu” (prosperity) calendar in the picture below. I really like the wall bricks with hollowed patterns that let in air and sunlight as well as giving it an unusual atmosphere. Note the beautiful ceiling which is reed patterned mat. I loved them but they were spoilt by hanging plastic balloons and airships – an incongruous blend of classic design and modern kitsch.

This table was taken up by the four drivers that drove us from Jakarta. The Chinese food served was watered down and not very authentic or rather had been modified to suit local taste. However, they were quite palatable. One interesting dish I remembered was small round thin beef patties that had been deep fried. It went very well with the sauce.

After the heavy lunch, we parted company and made our own ways back to Jakarta. In our case, it is straight back to the airport. Next year, I will probably be traveling more often there for this project and hopefully more stories.

Jakarta: Flowers For My Boss.

When you are traveling with the boss, you cannot be whipping out your camera at every opportunity and shoot! But whenever I was alone or he was distracted, I tried to capture the moments. Here are some of the images I captured (under duress).

We came down early and it was still half-dark. And flashes are a dead give-away. While waiting for our guest, I snapped this shot of the lovely flowers arrangement in the lobby of Shangri-la Jakarta. Not such a great shot but I was shooting from the hip glancing over my shoulder. I was supposed to behave like a professional not a shutterbug. Those of you who are regular visitors of my Ghostwise blog would know of my love for flowers, many of them you saw there are grown in my garden.

This was the girl who was doing the flowers arrangement. She must have been up very early as she was already finishing before the sun is fully up. If I was alone I would have approached her to ask her about her job. Anyone who is creative with beauty fascinates me. But I was still looking over my shoulder. But let me show you more pictures of beautiful flowers.

See how elegant this arrangement is – simple yet striking, economical yet arresting, you cannot miss it. One of each is placed on the tables of the lounge and really accentuates the place. This is what good interior decoration should be about.

This next series of flowers arrangement are at the entrance of their new night club – "Red" if I remember it correctly which is the reason for the selection of red and pink flowers. They aimed to project a different image – flamboyant, exuberant, passionate, fashionable, classy – like a beautiful woman in a lovely evening gown attending a ball.

However, I prefer the more subdue and elegant arrangement in the main lounge. It is quieter but to me more beautiful. It being deserted this early in the morning presented me an excellent photo opportunity to take pictures without disturbing anyone. My boss was sitting in the guest lounge reading the morning papers and looking out for our guests. I continued shooting quickly.

Love this arrangement. An Indonesian puppet on an empty drawer top. A single inexpensive figurine that managed to convey the culture of a nation and speak volumes by its silent solitary posture.

The beauty of flowers spoke directly to all who have the eyes to see. They are one of the few rare objects that received universal praise and love by all who appreciates beauty.

I will dedicate these flowers to my boss (he doesn’t know the existence of my blog). Very often, the person who receives a gift is the last person to know about it. I believe in – if you really want to do something for someone, the other person does not have to know about it. After all, I would not be able to show you all this if he had not asked me along. Gratitude is one of the greatest but most underrated virtues. And I like giving flowers, if you want to know why, click on this: “The Hand That Gives Flowers”.

So these flowers are for my boss. You can share in the appreciation. By the way, have you given any flowers to your boss lately, ha.

A Ground Breaking Ceremony In Jakarta.

Recently I went for a ground breaking ceremony. This was a new experience for me as I’ve never been to such an event in Indonesia. My boss is the company’s representative and he was kind enough to ask me to accompany him.

Jakarta is now developing very fast with construction round the clock. This is the night view from my hotel. There is skyscraper and huge modern shopping complexes being built next to more modest buildings.

This is what it looked like early next morning. Air pollution is quite bad and the traffic is even more atrocious than KL. Some of the new complexes are really impressive though. Many Malaysians have a rather misleading opinion of the situation there.


Some things are the same though. There is a railway line running parallel to my hotel. I can see many people risking their lives walking along the railway track – not across but along it.

We were up early the next morning as we have to travel about 2 hours to reach the port city of Cilegon which is at the northern tip of Java Island opposite that of Sumatra. It was an excellent highway as good as any in Malaysia. The place where the new factory will be situated is in a relatively new industrial estate.

This is the piece of land on which a new factory will be built. In just one and a half year, a factory will be standing in this empty land and it will be bustling with activities. Notice that forlorn buffalo in the background? It is there for a purpose.


They have erected a reception area and a main tent for invited guests and guests of honor. It was already well occupied by the time we reached there though it will be quite some time before the actual ceremony starts. Most of the guests wear either sarongs and songkoks, or were in army uniforms.

The owner’s representative gave a short speech on the project. Though it was a very hot day, he declined the umbrella offered to shield him. He talked about the aspiration of the new company and its commitment to help both the people and the economy.

Next, the administrative chief for this region took the stand. He is a good speaker and gave in parts a humorous delivery. He is comfortable with his speaking and need no notes to give a smooth delivery that have the audience in stitches at times.

The village representative was up next. He made 3 requests. Firstly, he hoped the company will take care of the environment during the construction and running of the factory. He hoped that they will provide employment for the community in the village. Lastly, he hoped the company will help with the repair and renovation of the local mosque. I thought that was very reasonable.

Then the first foundation stone was laid at what will be the edge of a new building. A right angle ditch has been dug and stone and cement were provided to place the stone and plaster the cement on. The owners and guests of honor took turn to place and cement the stones. I was surprised when I was invited to also lay a stone as well. As I laid my stone, I could not help feeling a little proud as this is the first time I had laid a foundation stone. A year later when I will be back there again, a building will probably be already standing in its place.

When that was over, it was prayer time. The ulama then chant a prayer blessing the project.

I looked at the buffalo in the distance and felt kind of pity for it. It is the sacrifice for the ‘korban’ ceremony, a local tradition which we have to respect. When Indonesian moved to a new house, they would sacrifice a chicken instead and sprayed the chicken blood to cleanse the place.

The man in the picture is digging a hole in which they will bury the buffalo’s head. The villager would probably cook the buffalo and shared it among themselves. I did not stay to watch as I do not have the stomach for such thing. At the same time, I have a lot of respect for local culture and tradition so I’m a bit torn in this case. We left this to the villagers who are better versed in handling this.

As we drove to the airport, I reflected back on the day’s event. How, soon our fate will be tied with the local people since we have chosen to invest in their place and wonder how this will all turn out. There is no guarantee in business. Guess we will just have to put in our best effort and hope for the best.


But for that poor buffalo to be sacrificed for the good of human beings, there is a smack of unfairness in there somewhere...

A Little Note.

If there is any of you who is interested in the famine photos either for your keeping, sharing or your blogs, you can get them from my flickr site -

http://www.flickr.com/photos/11517445@N08/

I’m sorry I did not have the time to tag them. They are however grouped under the “30 Hour Famine” sets and should be easy to find. Most of them are self-explanatory but if you need to clarify any photo, please feel free to write to me. Feel free to use them any way you like. There are more photos there than I put up for my posts so check them out. They are also in better resolution if you want to use them.

I am also in Friendster so those who want to add me can search for me through my email – ijm2002@gmail.com. I sponsored two girls (one from China and the other from Lebanon) from World Vision from a few years back. It is an enriching experience and I hope to visit them someday. But I was really impressed when one of my fellow campers told me that she together with 10 of her friends chipped in to sponsor one child. She is still schooling and the RM5.00 means more to her than my RM100.00 to me. When you have the heart, you will find a way. “Jia You!”

30-Hour Famine: Part IV = Day 2 "We Did It!"

As I am writing this about the last segment of the 30-Hour Famine in West Malaysia, the East Malaysia Famine will be starting soon in Miri Stadium. Here is to my fellow campers of the East – “Jia You!” (Keep It Up!) – You can do it!


A large part of the success of the 30-Hour Famine is due to the great support by the media. In addition to Sin Chew Jit Poh, 988 station and Red FM gave their full-hearted support sending a number of their deejays to support the camp. Deejays, Nick, Jeff, Sam, May and Luke from 988 together with deejays Will, Alvin and Terry were all there to lend support. In fact, deejay Alvin had a 30 hour marathon broadcast from the stadium itself fasting together with the campers.


At 9.00 am, each group was given a large piece of paper with 20 pictures and description on it. Some are ‘wants’ like computer, own bedroom, vacation and other are ‘needs’ like clean water, clean air, education, protection for a happy life. We are asked to eliminate some of the wants and stick with the needs. Out of 20, it was easy to eliminate the first 4. Then, we are asked to imagine a desperate state of deprivation and eliminate another 8 of the balance. It was not as easy as we thought. Is education more important than protection from discrimination? Is nutritious food more important than protection from abuse? Is shelter more important medical treatment? Is clean air, water more important than freedom? And we are asked to eliminate further… for that is the ‘choice’ some children have.


We were given another large piece of paper with blanks square representing breakfast/lunch/dinner/supper of 3 days for our next exercise. We were asked to list down all the delicious food we would like to eat. With hunger now gnawing at our stomach, this was a torture with shouts of noodles, burgers, nasi lemak, curry mee, roti chanai filling the air. Then, we took out small pieces of paper to paste on the squares. More often we drew a blank paper representing nothing to eat or some spoiled food scavenged from the dustbin. This represents a typical day in the life of the some of the children living in poverty.


Then, a brutal documentary was shown of the situation in Ethopia drawing gasps and mourns from the audience. Though, we are all aware how difficult life is in some country, the film still managed to shock us. These last three events all served to hit us when our resistance is lowered and made us more aware of the world’s suffering by comparing our little hunger with the real hunger of the world. It was a humbling experience. At 11.00 am, Professor Wang Zhao again took the stage with more tales of his experience in China. During the free period from 12.00 noon to 1.30 pm, some of us decided to go for the private session with the professor to learn more about his volunteer work in details. The session was very attended with many of those who went, wanted to find way to serve. Professor Wang stressed on the difficulty and dedication needed from a volunteer. He also said there are many ways to serve and sponsoring a child is also a good way.


At 1.30 pm, we went back to the hall for a very special performance. It was a lovely choreographed piece combining dancers on their feet with dancers on wheelchairs from the Shuang Fu Performing Arts Troupe. There was a certain poignancy in the whole scene though all the dancers are celebrating life. What many of us saw are bravery in the face of obstacles and when Madam Shen, the founder of Shuang Fu gave a stirring rendition of the inner struggle that each of them face and try to overcome, there is not a singer camper who did feel a tug at the heart.


Then, someone was being led on stage by the shoulder of his companion. He was blind. I apologized that I neglected my duty for I was distracted when his name was announced. I will appreciate it if any of my readers can correct me. He stood at the center of the stage with dignity and announced he will sing for us. With just the first syllable, the whole stadium erupted in cheers and wild applause. For what a rich, booming, melodious voice he had. The audience was absolutely thrilled and they demanded more. And he complied with English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Hokkien songs – all in that rich inimitable voice that resounded and reverberated through the stadium. He sang away our hunger.


I pitied the group – Couple that came up next. Though they gamely tried, they just could not top the last act which is nothing short of amazing. The time is now 3.00 pm. After the emotions expanded in the last sessions, hunger never far away crept back to visit us. We had another 3 long hours to go. It is best to keep busy to keep the mind off food so everyone joined in to help clean up the hall. At 4.00 pm, it was a time for reflection and sharing of the experiences of the campers. What this 30 hours meant for each of us and how we had been affected by it. Many of the campers declared that they will do it again and going by that, this 30 Hour Famine can only grow bigger.


At 5.30 pm the closing ceremony began. Food and drinks were distributed consisting of a packet of powdered mix, a bottle of soymilk and a piece of cake. The countdown began and – “WE DID IT!’ We have survived the 30 Hour Famine. We are proud we did it. We are proud to have made it. We are proud to have made a little difference – to better someone’s world by our act. 5,400 campers, 600 volunteers, 1.2 million Ringgits collected. We are proud to be part of this event.


For those readers who have not joined one of the camp, we hope to see you there next year.


Epilogue: After we left the stadium, we went looking for food. We started with a big meal before and we ended with a big meal after. No, we have forgotten the lesson of hunger. To love food is natural. We don’t have to apologize for that. To be hungry is unnatural. And we should try to help to eliminate the hunger of others. This is not a guilt trip. It would have failed if taken as such for no guilt trip is sustainable. This is a trip where we get in touch with our compassionate side, to remind ourselves that in the good life we live, let us not forget those less fortunate than us and let us do something about it. “Jia You!”