A little out of the usual

Went down town yesterday to see what I could find at the "Refugee Carnival" that was held in the New World Park on Burma Road, near the Giant Supermarket, And came back with something I never anticipated having ... a henna design on my hand!

Isn't that sweet?

It was done by Aini from Tanjung Tokong. She's been doing this as a part-time occupation for a few years now. This is a new cultural experience for me as I've seen Indian and Malay women decorate their hands and feet with henna design but it didn't occur to me to try, up to now.


Aini and her husband.

There were quite a few kids and parents from the refugee community. The kids entertained the crowd singing popular English songs.

Rohingya refugee kids choir

And participating in a drawing competition.

 

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Busy bee kids

And here are some toddlers, I couldn't resist snapping.

 

I wonder...

 

Can I play too?

Sweet dreams and bliss in Mum's arms.

It was a pretty good day for them and for me. Just a break for them from the everyday grind  of being a refugee, to feel human and normal for these few precious hours.  

How lucky Malaysians are to live in peace and safety, able to go wherever we wish without having to look over our shoulders at every turn and dreading the worst at the back of our minds. Often, we take stability for granted but will appreciate it even more if we know how precarious the existence of a refugee is. Just to survive is a struggle because there is no security and no guarantee of meeting basic human needs of food, shelter, clothing, education or medical treatment. Some food for thought...

Why am I doing this?

I've tried to blog before but was not confident that I could maintain a blog. That's not the only reason. Actually, blogging is a means of communicating with those who may take some interest in whatever I have to say. A way of sharing views informally and straight from the heart. Best, done with friends. Nowadays, many people have no time for others, they're caught up in the tight schedules and routines of their own little worlds. Nothing wrong with that, but taking time out does refresh you. 

So, I think this blog will be like my sitting room where I can just flop down in a comfortable chair or on the floor, and do whatever I fancy doing. "Build castles in the air", daydream and entertain all sorts of strange thoughts. Throw my mask to the winds and be who I am without judging myself. Anyway, so many thoughts have been jamming themselves into my brain lately, that I need to release some of them. So, chip into the conversation if you feel like it or hold your peace. This is a space for friendly conversation, please put all enraged, stressful and pent up frustration aside, as I don't tolerate vulgarity or bad language when talking to anyone. 

My thoughts may run in all kinds of directions from time to time, but I will try to stay coherent and understandable as far as possible. There's so much to talk about, even the weather is not a simple topic of conversation now. Climate change is something we all need to consider seriously. Very often we don't seem to remember how the world is physically changing and the dire need to save as much of it as we can. Human kind seems rather destructive by nature. Almost all we do impacts something else, often negatively. We need to learn how to protect each other and share our blessings. Until we do, this planet is still endangered by the inherent greed of its own inhabitants.