Conversations with my dog

Me: 'Morning , Rob, hope you had a good night. What did you do last night?

I love to greet Robbie in this manner, to start off our day.

Robbie: Woof! Woof! 'morning!

Me: Rob, was it the musang (civet cat) you smelled last evening? Leave that poor creature alone. It's his night out!

Robbie barked non-stop and very loudly last evening at the musang. We think he does not like the odour of the musang. The neighbours do not know what's up with 'that nuisance dog'. Gosh! they must be cursing US!

Me: My garden!! (in high pitch). Uuugh! It's like a trench. Why, Rob, why? Bad boy!

Robbie: Oh, Oh ! Double trouble for one night. (and he slinks away)

Robbie's big heavy paws are like the back hoe . He moves from patch to patch around the garden. I chase him round the garden in my attempt to 'chastise' him. But by now, I'm quite resigned to uprooted plants and a mucky garden.

Me: Now, why did you have to scoot out of the gate (the thousandth time!!) , AGAIN! I don't do marathons and it's crazy! You'll get us killed in this chase.

Robbie: Hey! a dog needs to exercise!

Robbie is 'rescued' from his 'Freedom Run' out from the house. He huffs and puffs and salivates and rushes to slurp up all the water in his bowl as soon as he gets home in a grand ride back in the passenger seat of the car. Well, what does the naughty boy get? - a smack or two and across the muzzle for having two agitated owners run after him.

Me: Do you remember your mummy? I mean your human mummy? She still loves you and wept buckets of tears when she watched the movie, ' Marley and Me'. She told me so!

Robbie: WOOF! WOOF! I know, she called me her perfect little angel!

When he was 5 months old.

Robbie came to us when he was one year old. Poor mummy had to give him up as she was moving into a condominium. Rules are rules for animals. He came to us as our former Alsatian, Ninja, had passed away. My husband and children fell for Robbie the minute they set eyes on him.

Me: What's this we hear? Has the lady been giving you dhall? Rob, never , never accept food from anyone except us! Dhall will only upset your system.

Robbie: But she loves me too! Woof!


Robbie has been sneaking frequently to the far corner of the garden. Our neighbour 'took pity' on him and left dhall on the garden ledge. Robbie will eat anything, if you allow him. My husband was not pleased, to say the least. 'That will spoil his sheen, his gloss and all. Oh, the dhall will give him the runs!' he exploded. I told the neighbour one day that it was not in our dog's diet and to refrain from feeding him ! That put an end to it.


Me: Your dear vet, Dr Dhillon says they've got it all WRONG ! How on earth can they say you're a Golden Retriever on your birth certificate ! You're a Labrador!

Robbie: WOOF! I'm Rob!

Robbie is just happy in his own skin. He doesn't dispute who he is. NEVER ! Only us around him!! Daily, he gets admirers at our front gate. Total strangers stop and call out his name for he's quite a celebrity now for leading us on many a wild, senseless chase. He rubs his body against the gate and waits to be patted and rubbed.

Me: Watch that left hind leg of yours! Is it giving you trouble? Getting on, eh?'

Robbie: WOOF! Not complaining. Am fit as a fiddle.

Robbie has a genetic hip problem. He had an operation before he came to us. Old? - not a day older than when he came to us! Friends compliment and say ' he's a handsome boy!' Well, come Christmas time , a red ribbon round his neck always makes him look like a 'Romeo'! My husband insists it's the pure canine food , regular visits to the vet and lots of LOVE from him that keeps Rob 'ageless'!!

Robbie: WOOF! WOOF! WOOF! (non -stop)

Robbie is now 10 years old. Yep, he's a SENIOR in our household. He was named Deep Purple and whelped on 23 September, 1999 in Segamat, Johore.

To all animal lovers, Robbie fills our lives with so much of his gentleness . He's big yet gentle. That does not get into his way of doing his' duty'. He's not about to let a total stranger inside our house till he is calmed. Oh yes, we get into a flap when he does not behave, but who's perfect?

When I started singing lessons and used to practice at the piano with my daughter, Robbie actually appreciated my voice. Know what? As I sang, he whipped his tail in the air like he was whipping a souffle , with thumps hitting the floor!

Every day, our four-legged friend teaches us the art of unconditional love. Yes, our world has been turned topsy turvy with him . Yet, he fills our lives with love and wonder.

'They never talk about themselves but LISTEN TO YOU while we talk about ourself and keep up an appearance of being interested in the conversation.'

- Jerome K. Jerome

Me: oops! I've opened my big mouth again!

On the streets where you live

First of all, I have to express my heartfelt thanks to these lovely people (though I've already thanked them in person) for sharing their stories with me. I was a total stranger to them but not for long as I think my smiles won them over!

Surprisingly, they weren't afraid when I told them it was for the internet. That people would get to read about them. Yes, IT (Internet Technology) is here to stay. Though hardly involved in it, they want to be part of the 'action' too. Bless them for their trust in me and I'll try my best to be their friend too.

Vicky the milkman - I bumped into him when I was looking around the Raja Rajeswary temple, Ampang, where I got married. He was delivering milk to the temple and having just a short break. Vicky hails from Delhi and is happy doing his delivery rounds around Ampang and Bangi areas.

It's been two years since he got himself this job and he lives in Semenyih. 'My boss owns 90 -100 cows. I do not milk the cows as I only concentrate on the delivery.' Admitedly, rain or shine, he has to service his clients, so work is hard but it's better than not having a job. True industrious spirit ! The huge milk canister can hold 50 litres of milk. Happily, he showed me a sample of milk packet, ' It costs RM3.00and I keep the milk cool with ice in the canister. ' Vicky takes Monday off and the rest of the week, he zooms around on his motor bike , faithfully calling on homes.

I bade him good bye as he rested under the spready shady trees. Come to think of it, he looked pretty tanned as the sun was beating down.

Sussela, the itinerant vendor - I met Suseela in one of the quieter streets in Brickfields. Her regular clients were already buying fish and vegetables. I too bought some long beans as I had planned to make a curry that evening. Work starts from 7.30 am and her day finishes at about 2.30 pm after she has finished her rounds in Brickfields and Bangsar. 'I have 50 houses to call on.' Housewives look forward to hear her horn as they know she's here with fresh supplies and what a time saver for them as they cannot spare the time to do regular shopping. That's true service - right at one's doorstep!

As for me, I've availed myself of such a service before when the children were young and time factor was an issue. In my opinion, I think we tend to overlook the excellent customer service they have up right up their sleeves. People like Suseela have always been a boon - reliant whatever the weather.

One of the customers was interested to know why I was taking pictures and I told her why. She then asked if I could give English tuition classes to some children. I declined and directed her to some possible places where she might have some success.

Malik, the cendol and rojak seller happily serves his customers near Medan Damansara. Under the shady foliage , he dishes out his cool bowl of wriggly green cendol (strings of green pea), tops it up with layers of ice shavings, lashings of gula melaka and a generous scoop or two of creamy coconut milk to make it yummy and so inviting. When the weather is hot and sunny, business picks up as that's when a bowl of delicious, mouth-watering cendol is a treat!

Encik Abdul is a migrant from Taiping town. We soon got talking as I told him it is my hometown too. He has been operating this business of serving drinks, fresh-cut fruits and nasi lemak to the office workers nearby for the past 5 years. Business is brisk at lunch time as the regulars seek him . He takes care of this side of the business while his wife does some private cooking for clients. They bring the herbs for her to cook for a small fee. 'It's to control their blood pressure problem.' Just as we were talking, a car passed by and a lady dropped some herbs into her hands.

I asked Encik Abdul if permit was difficult to obtain and he replied in the negative. That everything would be in order as long as rules and regulations issued by DBKL ( CityHall) were followed.

Ah Lim, the wirecraft man busies himself at his craft daily within the compound of the National Museum. When I saw him he had a big group of school children admiring his craft. He did not mind talking about himself. Ah Lim picked up this skill of wiring from the Beautiful Gate for the Disabled in Petaling Jaya. He learned it well within two years and now he's self -suficient to stand on his own. He even makes them for his fellow disabled friends to sell in other venues. 'I can make about 30 a day, big and small items.' I was curious to know how long the dragon takes to complete. ' 25 minutes thereabouts, ', and that's because he's adept at it now.

Ah Lim gets his supplies of wire which are specially coated to give the shiny look from a supplier in Setapak. The wire comes from Italy and it is pliable for the twisting . As we talked, Ah Lim adeptly twisted the wire with a small pair of pliers to make another item.

Life became more interesting when he decided to operate in the open market instead of being cooped up in the confines of his abode. I enjoyed talking with Ah Lim. He's such a pleasant man and seems to be the gallant type to take things in his stride, come what may.

Anak, in Gombak, helped me to choose some rambutans which she had in her stall. She told me she sells to earn extra income while her husband does construction work in the vicinity. The bamboo for the lemang comes from the jungle. Anak showed me the fire where she cooks the lemang and how she has to keep a watch on the fire as she turns the bamboo around to prevent burning. She doesn't keep the lemang for more than 2 days.

These vendors continue to etch a living, in good and bad times and they are part and parcel of the hardworking, economic fabric of KL-ites . Admittedly, life is challenging as they face congested roads and relentless traffic as KL grows. The question is how long will they be around plying their trade if they can find an alternative to find another source of living that offers them more attractive returns.

Do join me in saluting this humble workforce of ours .

The Hindu Marriage Ceremony

The Hindu marriage ceremony we witnessed is called a Vinayagar Pooja as all incantations are all directed to Ganesh, the Elephant- headed Deity, the Remover of all obstacles.

Rituals and ceremonies are an integral part in Hindu religious practices and they have different meanings.

The hall was already filled with relatives and friends seated facing the manavarai (bridal dais) where the wedding ceremony was to take place. Making up the atmosphere was the loud music by the musicians with their mridangam, nadeswaram (trumpet) and the tabla.

Two banana trees flanked the arch entrance of the Kala Mandapam, Lorong Scott, Brickfields. The banana tree with fruit symbolises fertility.

This beautifully drawn peacock kolam greeted us before we adjourned to the main hall for the wedding ceremony. A kolam is a sign of auspicious beginning.

The Nirakudam: A coconut, representative of the hard shell of the Ego, with the kudam (brass vessel), sits on a base of rice. It represents the human body in relation to the Cosmic Forces.

The 5 mango leaves are a symbol of new life, the traditional oil lamps denote the triumph of light over darkness, the 5 wicks of the oil lamp represent 5 qualities essential for a woman - patience, love, determination, modesty and wisdom.

Welcoming of Guests: Guests were welcomed with fragrant rose water sprinkled on them. Sandal wood paste and red saffron (kungkuman) were applied to the forehead. Rock sugar was also offered so that all words and relationships may be sweet on this occasion.

Welcoming the bridegroom: The bride's family formally greeted the groom's wedding retinue at the entrance.

Purification Ceremony of the Bridegroom: The priest tied a saffron thread on the right wrist and a ceremonial straw ring around his right ring finger. There was then the invocation to Ganesh.

Significance of breaking Coconuts: It symbolizes the shattering of the ego. To worship well, the ego must be surrendered or it will obstruct true worship .

Bride's entrance: The bride entered, led by her mother and sister, close relatives and friends. She took the place on the right of the bridegroom. The priest tied a yellow string on her wrist to pronounce her pure and ready for marriage.

The Marriage Ceremony (Manggalya Pooja): The bride and the groom sat on the wedding dais whilst the priest sat on the floor in front of them and invoked Vedic mantras (ancient sacred incantations in Sanskrit).

The priest began the age-old ceremony by lighting a small fire , calling upon God to witness the pledge of fidelity by the bride and groom.

The priest then proclaimed the names of the bride and groom and traced their ancestry for 3 generations. He then called upon God and all present to bear witness to this marriage and bless the union.

Blessing of the Thaali: The thaali is a gold locket strung in a gold chain (kodi). It symbolizes the union of the couple. The bride will continue to wear it throughout her married lfe.

During the ceremony, the thaaali was taken around by a married couple to be blessed by all.

Tying of the Thaali: At an auspicious time known to the couple and their families, the groom tied the thaali kodi around the bride's neck.The musicians on the drum and the trumpet played to a crescendo. It was the moment everyone was waiting for. Simultaneously, the guests showered the couple with tumeric coloured rice. This culminated the marriage ceremony and it signified that they are now man and wife.

Exchanging of Garlands and Circumbulating of the Fire: The newly married couple exchanged garlands to express their mutual love and acceptance of each other.They offered each other milk and other fruits to signify a sweet start to a life of togetherness.

They held hands and circled the sacred Fire doing the 7 rounds or Sapta padi. During this ritual, the priest read the 7 vows.

Stepping on the Grinding Stone: The groom placed the bride's right foot on the granite grinding stone imploring her to bear all difficulties with him and to be chaste.

Blessings: The ceremony drew to a close. The priest offered prayers and blessed the couple. The happy couple was duly blessed by their parents, relatives and close friends traditionally done with tumeric rice.

Aalatthi: Two married ladies showed the aalathi to the couple before they left the manavarai. This is to ward off evil.

The guests and relatives were invited to a vegetarian meal to celebrate this auspicious event.

May the couple live a blessed, happy and prosperous life.

How to wear a saree

Ms Thilaga of Madras Store, Masjid India is no stranger to her customers. Year in , year out, over the past 30 years, she has served countless numbers of ladies, including me - advising on the types of sarees to buy to suit the occasions.

Her knowledge of sarees is in-depth. Just touching the fabric and looking at the patterns, she's able to say if it is a Kanchipuram saree (pure silk from Chennai) or a Benares (from Delhi). Moreover, with her keen eyes, she offers advice on what suits the wearer.

Benares silk saree materials

I was interested just in wedding saree materials since I'd be attending one soon. The most auspicious colours for weddings are red and yellow. I asked Ms. Thilaga the prices and they nearly knocked me down flat!! 'That one in the corner is RM 4,000.00.' I took a closer look - the beadwork and the intricate stitching of the gold threads made the saree look like one in a million! Really exquisite!

A richly embroidered paisley motif

'Sarees are easy to look after,' she says. 'Just air them once in a way.There's no need to store them in a camphor chest as in old wives' tales. Only dry clean them , should one feel one has to. Choose reputable dry cleaners, though,' she cautions.

I requested to see a ready-to-wear saree. She picked a polyester saree and and in a jiffy, she was draped in a saree. Honestly, where's the fuss in wearing/tying a saree? The pleats are there at the front and with the velcro at the waist and a quick wrap around and a flip of the remaining saree over the shoulder, you're done!! As for the blouse (choli), it can be sewn within a day. So, if you're ready to step out in a saree, do not despair. There's a quick fix to look elegant.

You can step out in style in a ready-to-wear saree!

The length of a saree is 5 metres (6 yards). The saree comes in a variety of fabrics - handwoven, machine-made. One very traditional saree design is the paisley motif which is timeless and popular.

How to wear/tie a saree :

1. To start, wear the choli which is the tight - fitting saree blouse . Next, wear the long petticoat (pavadai) which is tied tightly at the waist by a drawstring.

2. Take the plain end of the saree and tuck it into the petticoat for one complete turn from right to left. This holds the saree in place. Make sure the lower end of the saree touches the floor and the petticoat does not show.

3. Beginning from the tucked -in end start making pleats in the saree - about 5 inches width. Hold the pleats together so that they fall straight and even.

4. Tuck the pleats into the waist slightly to the left of the navel, making sure the pleats are turned towards the left. The amount you tuck in depends on how tall/short you are or how long you want the saree to fall.

5. Drape the remaining portion of the saree across the torso and over the shoulder. The wearer now has the most decorative part of the saree, the pallu, to show off the beauty of the saree. It is held in place on the shoulder and secured to the blouse by a small safety pin (hidden). Finally when the saree is draped, the look should be neat and nicely fitted to the body.

A novice needs a few trial runs to achieve a neat look in tying a saree. But to the regular wearer, it is easy handling all 5 metres of material.

Ready to step out in a saree? Till the next post, do follow me to a Hindu wedding. That's where I'll be wearing this green silk saree of mine. And there'll be other ladies all dressed to the hilt in their lovely sarees too, especially the bride.

Volunteer weaves hope into lives

Truth be told, Mr Thiruchelvam did not ever dream of any involvement with Salaam Wanita. It was his curiosity when passing by a booth selling Eco-baskets made by Salaam Wanita women that changed things, 6 years ago.

'Uncle, look closely at this basket,' one of the three women gently coaxed Mr Thiru. He obliged. He was more than pleasantly surprised to be holding a lovely craft in his hands. But sadly, the people around weren't paying attention to it at all. It struck the business acumen chord in him. 'These people need help. ' he thought. And he acted upon it.

Today, Mr Thiru does what he knows best - with his good pr skills, marketing experience plus a worthy cause to support, he is unrelenting in his efforts to help the disadvantaged women of the Eco-basket project of Salaam Wanita in marketing these wonderful products.

It's been 4 years now that Mr Thiru is a full-time volunteer attending to Salaam Wanita booths at various exhibitions. He helps to transport Eco-baskets to the venues, man the booths and use his people skills to sell the Eco-baskets. One of his biggest challenges is to sell all the Eco-baskets assigned to him.

Launched in 2002, the Salaam Wanita project , a component of the eHomemakers community network, empowers disadvantaged women - single parents, disabled persons with chronic illnesses or caregivers to disabled dependants to acquire the skill of weaving baskets and earn an income. The income earned helps to lift the financial burdens they face. Since joining Salaam Wanita, these women have discovered their inner strengths.

'My greatest reward is the personal satisfaction that I derive in helping these housebound, disadvantaged women earn a living.' Mr Thiru knows he has to apply his skills to market these crafts in the current competitive business environment.

'Back in 2004, it would have been difficult to imagine that this shy woman would be able to coordinate a group of women to make high quality, creative baskets' - weaver's profile (photo credit: brochure of Salaam Wanita).

After a period of training by a team of 6 skilled weavers, each weaver works from their homes. Most of the weavers live in the Federal Territory and they receive great incentives for products sold .

I caught up with Mr Thiru at a coffee morning among the French women community at the Alliance Francaise, Jalan Gurney. Salaam Wanita was invited to sell their products and Mr Thiru was the only volunteer that morning. Business was brisk as the ladies were charmed by the lovely crafts. There and then, he also got an order for special coasters to be made.

In his soft- spoken manner, Mr. Thiru engaged with the clients. I certainly did not miss noticing his skills of selling. It was an honest -to -goodness approach, extolling the efforts of the disadvantaged women who make the crafts. Though he was alone, he was unflappable, handling each client well.

The excellent sales that morning made me happy. To know that the craft has given the disadvantaged women a skill to empower themselves. That they can be agents of change themselves. I went home with 4 pieces of craft without burning a hole in my pocket for the reasonably priced items.

Gosh! the feedback was instant and most encouraging.' Two good things from this project,' enthused a lady.' We don't throw away recyclable stuff (magazine paper, in this case) and it's about women helping women.'

Mr Thiru is no stranger to volunteer work. While he was in school, he was eveready to help at fund raisers and fun fairs. With Salaam Wanita , he's one of the few male volunteers.

'When people ask me which ones are nice. I say , they all are!' I have to agree with him. Each item - pencil holder, baguette basket, tray, waste paper basket, wine bottle holder etc holds a certain fascination. No two products are ever the same ! The baskets are made from donated specially selected glossy magazine paper of 85/105 grm.

'There's no lack of venues to sell our products. What we badly lack are volunteers,' he laments of the major setback. He would love to train volunteers so that much more can be achieved.

However, Mr Thiru is grateful that corporations are chipping in to buy the Eco - baskets and they are happy customers. A certain corporation ordered 500 boxes from Salaam Wanita, 4 months ago. The good news is that there is interest from retailers in the UK and Australia and it is in the stage of testing samples.

Besides helping out full-time with the busy schedules of Eco- baskets, Mr Thiru is also active as a Chairman of the Malaysian Ceylonese Congress, Sri Petaling. He is dedicated to promoting social activities among the members and to institute Tamil classes for children by recruiting retiree teachers.

Here's a man of boundless energy. He's 57 years old but age does not stop him from giving his uttermost to market this pro-poor project of Salaam Wanita. At times , he has to deliver the raw materials to the weavers and collect the finished products to ease the hardships of the weavers. On top of it all, there's always appointments to keep this business alive and vibrant. He has certainly found his niche to help the disadvantaged women hold their heads high.

Salaam Wanita is all the richer with a great volunteer in Mr Thiru. To think it was ignited by a simple act of pausing and taking time to listen about a product so wonderful.

In his own beautiful way, Mr Thiru weaves hope into lives. Truly inspirational.

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