Random Thoughts Of A Driftwood

" Why lah ?" a friend inquired with complete terseness. The curt, simple and direct ' Why lah ' cut like a knife and  denotes a measure of bewilderment in the tone of it. I suppose a simpler 'Why?' would have sufficed, but the ' lah ' suffix adds more melodrama where there isn't any. Besides, the ' lah ' has been a staple of Malaysian language inflection for aeons, it is as immovable as a traffic congestion on the Federal Highway. It's not just a Manglish (or an English language) thing too... " Kenapa lah ?" shock, surprise, even a tinge of disappointment. The Malay language is not spared from the ' lah ' contagion. Often used as a suffix that accentuates the dramatic effect of a phrase, ' lah ' could be used in multiple ways: The classic ' Why lah ?' The added for conviction ' Come on lah !' The added for surprise and shock ' WTF lah! ' For added appeal or even being indignant  ...

In the day of social networks being the in thing, not quite taking over real social interaction, but undoubtedly creating a whole new grammar... there is a rather disconcerting development. The word ' Like ' has been hijacked by the ultimate 800 pound gorilla of social networks, Facebook. ' Like ' in of itself isn't so much of an epilepsy inducing word. It's rather pleasant. I use it all the time(when it fits of course). The matter of contention here however, is that there is nothing other than ' like '. Seriously? what about love? or hate? or even dislike? This 'dumbing down' of the language and social interaction is rather depressing. Just with a snap of the finger, or rather a click of a mouse, the multitude and diversity of expressions in the English language... exterminated by Facebook and it's denizens of  the ' like ' brigade. I wouldn't make such a fuss if there was a scale of how much you like d something or a sort of ...

The word moderation is often thrown about by politicians and the intelligentsia(it is often the politicians though that receive my ire). Malaysia a land of moderates. Moderate politics, moderate Muslims... moderate policies... moderate society. I find it utterly revolting I say. Before I cause you to cringe in confusion, let me first define the word moderation. From dictionary.com: the quality of being moderate; restraint; avoidance of extremes or excesses; temperance. That's all jolly and well. But the word in Malaysia has been twisted into a sick and perverted joke of itself. A vapid excuse for inaction and mediocrity. Let me say that again MEDIOCRITY. Moderation doesn't mean giving way to bullies in for the sake of not 'hurting' their oh so fragile feelings. And it certainly doesn't mean being complacent and satisfied with a placid lifestyle. I've often heard people say way too often and rather glibly that they are a moderate. Which essentially transl...

I couldn't let off the chance of owning a P.G. Wodehouse book when I saw the book in a book store shelf. Yes... I'm quite the impulse purchaser of books. This is by no means a bad purchase though as the writing of PG Wodehouse came highly regarded among the English writing circle. I picked Carry on Jeeves... as the first Wodehouse books to own. Possibly his best known series. And by Jove is it a cracker! The Jeeves series follows the comedic exploit of one Bertie Wooster, a little lacking in the intellectual department and his valet(butler) Jeeves, making up for his master's lack of cranial matter. The book is a collection of Bertie and Jeeves stories, loosely connected with the each preceding one. It reads like a television comedy show, with each 'episode' relatively standalone in nature. There is no doubt that this series of books has had a huge influence on British comedy and comedy in general(we've had quite a few of comedy shows featuring a wise cracking ...

Homage to Catalonia is one of the best(if not the best) wartime accounts from on the the best writer of our times. Serving with the leftist POUM militia(Partido Obrero de Unificación Marxista), Homage to Catalonia captures the optimism and idealism of revolutionary Spain. It then explores the mundaneness of trench warfare, which was more like non warfare. The treachery, living in fear of being outed, street fighting in Barcelona all vividly expressed. Even in the humdrum nature of it all, George Orwell writes a captivating account that manages to share with its readers the horrors and poor conditions of those in the front line and the political backstabbing from those that are far away from the actual fighting. A turbulent history of Spanish history with a huge variety of political entities fighting against fascism and against themselves. Homage to Catalonia ends with the hauntingly prescient paragraph in which Orwell expresses his disdain for his fellow En...

First of all, a warning... do not read this if you plan on watching this movie. I'll try to avoid spoilers but it is unavoidable that I touch on instances in the movie to make a point. So be warned. Watch the movie first, then read this post. The Woman In Black is a movie directed by James Watkins and is based on the Susan Hill novel of the same title. The main protagonist(Arthur Kipps) is played by Daniel Radcliff aka Mr. Harry Potter. It's hard to watch this movie without going "Look ma! It's Harry Potter!". Like all novel to movie adaptations, it exhibits some adaptation syndrom symptoms. Let me explain... Like all movies that are rather limited when it comes to screen time, details are definitely cut out. Make no mistake, I haven't read The Woman In Black, but I noticed the lack of detail and explanations for the plot. That being said, The Woman In Black does not(at least to my knowledge) display any gaping plot holes. That's a good sign. The Wom...

George Orwell(1903-1950) famously known for his work 1984, was a master of the prose. I posit that the words he had written in the opening chapter of Homage to Catalonia stands as a vivid painting of the landscape of a Catalonia swept up by revolutionary fervour. I dare say his description is even more haunting and real than the video documentaries produced on the Spanish Civil War. Here's a short example: "The revolutionary posters were everywhere, flaming from the walls in clean reds and blue that made the few remaining advertisements look like daubs of mud. Down the Ramblas( NOTE : La Rambla is a street in Barcelona ), the wide central artery of town where crowds of people streamed constantly to and fro, the loudspeakers were bellowing revolutionary songs all day and far into the night. And it was the aspect of the crowds that was the queerest thing of all. In outward appearance it was a town in which the wealthy classes had practically ceased to exist." Hom...