Shattering human dignity

News about battered maids are common in Asia. Here is an example of some of the last week's news on this topic. I let you judge because I have no words to express my disgust and pain reading such confessions.

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"Child maids abused in Indon homes", Reuters, The Star, 21/06/2005
The Indonesian government is ignoring the widespread physical and sexual abuse of hundreds of thousands of young girls working as maids in homes around the country... Human Rights Watch said in a 74-page report that some of the children interviewed had described being denied food and wages, and beaten and raped by their employers...

And this is how Indonesian officials react to such reports:
Indonesia's co-coordinating minister for people's welfare said yesterday he had not seen the report, but that critics failed to understand the tradition of taking in poor children. "From the point of view of Indonesian culture, it is part of helping them... You have to know the culture before you make any judgmental statement."

So, apparently, abusing child maids is part of Indonesian culture. Am I hallucinating?

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Here's for you some Malaysian spice.
"Chicken rice seller gets 12 years for raping maid", Sarban Singh, New Straits Times, 24/06/2005
A chicken rice seller raped his maid three times last year, while his wife abetted the acts... The court was told during the trial that Tan had held the maid's hands while her husband raped her and had also stuffed chilli and carrot into the maid's private part.

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And here's the news that made me sick to my stomach.
"Man jailed 20 years for causing maid's death", New Straits Times, 24/06/2005
A Sessions Court judge was clearly shocked when told that a dead Indonesian maid had 45 injuries... The court was told that the post-mortem on the maid, Sonirih Casnawi, showed that she had 45 injuries, with blows to the stomach causing her death.

"20 years for causing maid's death", Chelsea L.Y.Ng, The Star, 24/06/2005"
The cause of death was a severed pancreas. There was bruising on the abdomen suggesting heavy blows causing the pancreas to be pressed hard on the backbone before it was ripped apart. "This deduction that great force was used on her was further supported by the bruises found on her arms as though someone had held them tightly..."

"Businessman jailed 20 years for killing Indonesian maid", The Sun, 24/06/2005
"Usually, people will say dead men tell no tales, but in this case, the dead person tells pain and sufferings..."

How babies are born

This drawing is made by a 6-year-old boy Ethan. He was trying to explain to me and my single/non-mom colleagues how babies are born. Brilliant, isn't it?

Well, sadly, it reminded me of two huge issues:

1. 27 is old,
2. I haven't drawn anything in ages.

Ok, can't change my age, so I'm off to draw something :)

Déjà vu

Restless souls are never happy with what they have; they look for new experiences and emotions. Yet, dazzled by the novelty of their wondering lives, they tend to forget all the fortune they had before.

This farfetched conclusion came to my mind last night when we went for a dinner in a French restaurant. Or should I say in a Fine French restaurant? There’s no need in me explaining how fine and proper our dinner was – read this article in a Malaysian paper and you’ll get the idea.

To be honest, we had lots of fun discovering that, in a fine restaurant, one will only get a slice of beef with a dash of pea-sized glazed veggies on the side for 58RM (15USD). Our comic encounters started when Vishen looked at the menu and said: “Oh, this place is not too bad – 30RM for a meal,” – “Darling, it is a French restaurant – Entrée means a starter, not the main course.” A fly that fell wandering into my wine, Vishen’s complains about 20% of EU budget going to a handful of lazy French farmers, and painful expressions on the faces of hapless romantics, who brought their dates to a fine place, when they saw the menu – all this was so comic and unbecoming. In short – we had so much fun! Hope Vishen will write about this part of our dinner in more detail on his blog.

My own conclusion of that night was quite sad – I have forgotten what it means to have a meal for the joy of taste and process. I have forgotten that in a French restaurant, one is supposed to have a three-course meal and leave the place without feeling stuffed. Yet, it was so natural to me just two years ago. Since I moved out of Europe, I’ve learned to consider it perfectly natural to share a starter and ask for a “doggy-bag”.

My consolation – I’m going back to Europe, back to politics, back to snobs and feast of life. This déjà vu must have been a reminder of what I’ve lost and forgotten about my previous life.

What about compassion?

Here is another brilliant quote from a Malaysian public figure. Kelantan Mentreri Besar (head of state) Nik Aziz Nik Mat: "If these people (drug addicts) want to continue taking it (drugs), let them take it and die." Bravo Mentri Besar - very straightforward!
The original article, AIDS/HIV: 'No need to give condoms', in New Straits Times, June 18, 2005.

And here is a quote from the Health Ministry parliamentary secretary Lee Kah Choon: "Would 55,000 HIV/AIDS cases out of a population of 25 million amount to an epidemic?" According to Mr. Lee - the number is nothing to worry about. According to World Health Organisation, Malaysia falls under the category of countries with mid-stage HIV epidemic - concentrated epidemic.
The original article, HIV epidemic at mid-stage, in The Sun, June 20, 2005.

Cane them - that's right!

I’m probably going to end up in a psychiatric clinic if I don’t leave my current job urgently. Working for an NGO, protecting human rights of the most marginalized group of people, in a country where even the basic principles of legal justice are routinely tramped upon, is a very unhealthy undertaking, to say the least.

Typically to Malaysian public scene, when one stupidity has been done, another, much bigger idiocy is sure to follow. Public figures in Malaysia are not able to analyse their mistakes and deal with crisis in a civilised way. They usually say something along the lines “how dare you criticise what I do/say/think? I’m right – period.”

In continuation to yesterdays article about caning two Muslim men for drinking alcohol, here are extracts of a follow-up article in today’s papers.
“The caning meted out to two Muslim men found guilty of drinking alcohol can only be implemented after the Pahang government gazettes the Syariah Criminal Enactment.”
Are we talking of retroactive criminal law? In the twenty-first century? In a country, which calls itself a democracy? I must be dreaming!

And here's the typical reaction of a Malaysian policy-maker:
"Meanwhile, Bernama reported in Johor Baru that National Fatwa Council Chairman Datuk Dr Ismail Ibrahim took the media to task for sensationalising the court ruling. He said the media should have just reported the case "as usual" because sensationalising it could blemish the image of Islam."

Want to read the rest of this article? Click here.

Caning for drinking

I’ve always admired people, who could distance themselves from public issues - because I am a social being, and everything that happens in the society has a very profound impact on my well-being. Complacency is not my trait.

First, I was trying to reply every other stupidity I read about in Malaysian newspapers. My comments never got published. Now I know why.
Then, I wrote to MalaysiaKini, which was a more successful undertaking considering that about 100,000 Malaysians got to read my views.
Finally, social nonsense overwhelmed my zeal - I can’t keep up. I am not able to answer even a fraction of all the ridiculous, unjust, blind and right-down stupid decisions and stances taken in this country.

Sometimes, what you read or see is so despicable and perverse, that you don’t know where to start. It seems that someone on the other side is from a different planet, or in a parallel dimension.

I have neither gift nor habit of giving sharp ironical comments to the stupidities I encounter every day. Therefore, I’ve decided to step back and let people judge for themselves.
Here it goes… the first quote from a Malaysian daily. Think what you want. I’ll say no more.

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Caning for boozing
by Shahrum Sayuthi and Aniza Damis
New Straits Times, June 15th 2005

KUANTAN - For possibly the first time, Muslims convicted of drinking alcohol in public have been sentenced to caning.
Brothers Mohd Nizam Ibrahim, 32, and Mohd Nasha, 30, were sentenced to receive the maximum six strokes of the rotan and fined RM5,000 each by the Syariah High Court here.
They were caught drinking stout at a restaurant in Jalan Bukit Ubi here on Aug 19 last year.

Read the article here

Banalities / Да здравствуют фемины!

My girls do not care about blogs, Friendster or Skype. I don't blame them - they have each other. Neither of them will probably see this. But anyway - Girls, I LOVE YOU!!

I'm so excited to be going back to Europe to spend many more week-ends and evenings together. Девочки, я лечу к вам на крыльях счастья.

My girls make me drunk without wine, happy without reason - you may call it insanity, I call it over 20 years of friendship. I do not thank my luck for all the good times we had - I'm looking forward for much more.

Just putting up this post made me so happy. I guess I'll keep it this way for a while. Something nice to look at until I get the originals back. After all, what kind of a nomad am I anyway? Screw the blogs, Friendster and web publishing (not the Skype though) - I'm coming back in person.

My proud release

Like a proper geek, I am proudly presenting my new travel tracker tool [at 2 AM on Friday night]. Well, I might be a settled-down-married programmer-wannabe, but it does not prevent me from traveling.

Anyway, please follow this link to see my new travel tracker. If you have a slow internet connection, you might need about 5 minutes of patience, as the site is stuffed with pictures. But you must trust me – it is worth every minute! And make sure that you check 'more details' and click on the regions in squares.

Love you all, and now, I’m off to sleep…

PS. For those of you who do not remember me being geeky or boring, I’m not. I’ve had too much party last week-end and decided to give up this night’s social events for the joy of finishing this little caprice of mine.

Midagi isiklikku

On hetki, kui ma tunnen et pean kirjutama. Mõtted ja sõnad, kõik jooksevad paberile kiiremini kui ma neid jõuan ohjas hoida. Sellistel hetkedel ma hakkan mõtlema, et võib olla ka minul on salajane anne. Ma ei pea silmas kirjutamisannet. Kirjutamine on tehnika, harjumus, kogemus ja kõik see mida saab elu jooksul õppida. Vähestel on selleks loomulik anne. Ma pean silmas annet tunneteks. Kui soojal suveõhtul tunned naha all külmavärinaid ja rinnas kõik möllab, kui reaalmaailm hakkab haihtuma ja sa vajud vaikselt oma sisemisse maailma, siis avaneb kuues meel mis valgustab ka südame kõige pimedamaid soppe.

Sellisel hetkel tahad pääseda tunnete raskusest ja ainuke tee on looming. Kui käed liiguvad iseenesest ja valgele paberile ilmub kummaline pilt, rahuneb ka torm sinu peas ja tunned ennast jälle vabana.

Need on väga piinlikud hetked sest iga liigutus paljastab sinu hinge, sa tunned ennast nagu seisaks alasti keset lärmakat linnatänavat kus iga pealiskaudne mööduja võib sind riivata ja haavata. See kaitsmatuse tunne piirab meid ja me ei suuda elu lõpuni oma annet avastada.

Maailma kõige helgemate loomeinimeste seas oli palju emotsionaalselt rahutuid, isegi närvihaigeid tüüpe. See julgus mis tuleb tunnete ülekuumenemisest on vajalik enese avastamiseks. Ma usun, et kirjutama hakata on sama raske kui tunnistada maailmale et oled homoseksuaalne, või põed AIDSi – see vajab julgust.

Just need mõted sebivad mul peas praegu. Iga kord, kui ma tunnen eriti teravalt kas halba või head, ma tahan hakata kirjutama või joonistama. Kuid ma ei julge sellest kogu maailmale rääkida, vaid neile vähestele kes saavad minu emakeelest aru. Ja sellekski, ei tea, kas ma olen tõesti valmis?

Ma olen juba piisavalt palju ringi reisinud, kogenud ja näinud, et kohandada oma käitumist ühiskondlikele normidele. Ma olen oma eale iseloomulikult isekas ja küüniline. Kuid juhtub hetki kui ma tunnen, et hakkan libisema ja langema mõttetuse kuristikku. Ma tean, et see päästab valla jubeda jõuga emotsioone mis on iseloomulikud vaid murdeeas noorukitele, kes võivad õnnetu armastuse pärast endalt elu võtta. See on kui teravamaitseline vürts muidu magedale toidule ja ma ei võitle vastu. Ma lähen hullumeelsusega kaasa.

Minu elu üks meeldejäävamaid muljeid oli langevarju hüpe. Sa seisad avatud ukse ees ja vaatad maad mis on nii kaugel ja nii tähtsusetu. Nagu unes, teed ühe sammu tühjusesse ja siis - lendad. Sa tõesti lendad. Sa pisut kardad seda vabalangemist, kuid ei suuda sellest ära öelda. See kestab vaid lühikese hetke, kuid see ahvatlev tunne on nii tugev, et oled nõus kõigiks südamepiinadeks ja surmahirmudeks enne lühikest õnnehetke.

Milleks on mulle antud seda võimet tunda? Tõepoolest, see ei ole veel anne. See on sisemine leek millega on nii raske kedagi põletada. Ma ei usu et suudan sellest värelevast leegist kunagi lähitulevikus päris tuld välja puhuda. Kuid ma hoian seda väga hoolikalt, sest see annab igapäevasele elule värvi.

Eile oli minu esimese, ja kahjuks seniks ka ainukese, vabalangemise aastapäev. Täpselt samal ajal mu rind kees uskumatest muljetest sellest esimesest sammust lennukist välja. Mõned tunded on nii tugevad, et isegi aeg ei suuda neid ära kustutada. Sellepärast otsustasin seda kummalist aastapäeva tähistada lühikese „päeviku-kirjutisega“. Kuid ma ei julge sellest kogu maailmale rääkida, ning selle pärast kirjutasin selle loo oma salakeeles, vaid väga vähestele ja väga lähedastele lugemiseks.

Siit aga võite leida minu aastatagust kirjutist minu esimesest hüpest.