SELAMAT BERCUTI. MOHON MAAF DARIPADA SEMUA
Well, Deepavali and the Eid are less than a week away. A lot of people are finalising their travel and holiday plans. A lot more are still spending lots and lots of money in preparation.
Personally, I always feel good about the season. Spiritually I feel somewhat elated and blessed. Emotionally, I look very much forward to reuniting with family and relatives, to catching up with them, to see which cousin is doing what and to meeting new additions to the clan.
Everybody seems to have new stories to tell. Everybody but me, that is. The only thing they would want to know about me is when am I settling down. Yup, that one million-ringgit question. Last year, when a relative asked, “Balik sorang je?” I retorted “Yes, and that’s the answer for next year, the year after and the year after that.” Apart from that, Hari Raya is always a joyful occasion, which is more than worth the long drive home.
Another thing that I look forward to is celebrating the season, kampung-style, where an open house literally means an open house. Your doors remain open to a steady stream of visitors – whether known and not so known to you. My siblings and I would normally draw a schedule for us to go visiting so that at least one person would remain home at all times to receive visitors.
Back in Kuala Lumpur, or in any other big city, the concept of open house takes on a totally different meaning and dimension. Attending one is more like a chore than a pleasure, if you ask me. You have to have an invitation, and some hosts even allot a certain time window for you to come to avoid having too many guests at any one time. A wise move, this, as we all know what would happen when there are too many guests. We have witnessed, heard or read tales of certain corporate and public open house disasters where people behaved in total disregard for basic human courtesy, let alone the spirit of the season.
Which is why I would normally decline open house invitations, unless the host and the guests are fairly known to me, and the events are fairly small scale. I have long made it a point to as much as possible avoid situations where I have to stand in line for food. It would be quite tolerable and not so degrading if the guests were well behaved. But more often than not, they would have no shame and act like they have been starving for months.
Anyway, I would like to wish for a really Happy Deepavali and truly Selamat Hari Raya. I pray that this year's festivities would be the most enjoyable, memorable, wonderful occasions for everyone and his or her loved ones.

REVAMPING THE NATIONAL MUSEUM
A RM20 million facelift for the tired, lack-lustre Muzium Negara is in the pipeline, with the hope of making it more attractive to local and foreign tourists. Apparently, a recent survey among KL folks shows that the museum is definitely not their choice visit destination. About 11 per cent of the respondents in the survey say they only visited the museum once in the past decade.
The revamp, says the Culture, Arts and Heritage Minister, will be in time for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007, and will give the museum a fresh look to excite visitors.
"There will be a new style of exhibition, better presentation, more artifacts and attractive lighting display," he was quoted by a local daily. He also said city folks bypass the museum as they take things for granted. "They assume that if they don't visit the museum, they won't miss anything."
I fall into that 11 per cent category of people, I guess, as the last time I visited the museum was about seven years ago. Not because I take things for granted. I love our history, because it is an integral part of what we are today and where we should be heading as a nation. When I travel to foreign countries, I always make it a point to visit their museums. And I always come out of these museums feeling that I have learnt something.
In all honesty, I cannot say the same about our national museum. The exhibits are poorly displayed or documented. Description of the artifacts is inadequate or non-existent in some cases. At the end of the visit, you feel you learn almost nothing. So is it surprising to see the number of visitors to the museum has dwindled?
I hope the people overseeing the RM20 million revamp will also look at the museum's official website. I visited the website recently and was appalled at the horrendous standard of English used in the homepage. Grammar mistakes, spelling errors, poor sentence construction and choice of words are in every single sentence! No one seems to care! If I were the museum's authorities, I would send the website's writer(s) back to grammar school -- that is if I was in a good mood. Otherwise, I'd just fire their sorry arses. Memalukan!
If you're not convinced, please visit the website (www.museum.gov.my), and you'll know what I mean. You don't have to read every single page, if you don't have the time. Just sample the Director's Message, which I reproduced verbatim below:
A Message from the National Museum Director
Welcome to the National Museum Homepage. Similar to other museums, the establishment of the National Museum is as; " a non profit making, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, and open to public which acquires, consignee, researches, communicates and exhibitions for proposes of study, education and enjoyment, material evidence of people and their enviroment."
Efforts to realize this definition and concept of a museum is a continous effort which has become an upholding priciple for those responsible for maintaining the National Museum. Numerous approaches undergone is a small attempt by the National Museum to communicate with the society regarding the knowledge found In reply the context of the intrinsic values of elements in cultural and historical heritage. There are more approaches and techniques still to be applied by the National Museum in its endeavor to be an institution based on unique brand of general education that can adapt to the changing needs of time. However, all efforts and approaches requiere support and cooperation from everyone as it involves a high level of cost and expertise in an assortment of fields.
We appreciate all constructing reviews from every level of society to together help ensure that the National Museum become a sign of the dignity for all of us."

And this is among the not-so-bad write-ups in the homepage. Sad, isn't it.....?

SNUBBED BY SNAPPY, SNOOTY SNOBS

A few weeks ago, I saw an old friend at a reception. As we had not been in touch for more than four years, I was naturally quite excited to see him.
I went up to his table, which was just next to mine, said my greeting and shook hands with him. He gave me a perfunctory smile and turned back to his companions.
Surprised by this social faux pas, I asked him whether he remembered me. He said yes, and resumed his conversation with his friends at the table.
I felt a bit humiliated, but my face was saved a few minutes later when the reception came to an end and everybody left the room.
On the way home that night, I tried to remember what I might have had said or done four years ago that could have offended him so, but I couldn’t think of any. As far as I know, we were always on good terms. In fact, our last conversation had been over a very, very happy subject. A lady had found his lost wallet and called me (my business card was among the wallet’s contents) to find out how to return it to him.
So I got in touch with him with the good news and asked him to make arrangements to get his wallet back. It certainly was a happy occasion. No sour note, no harsh words, and he was very grateful.
And I had always made it a point not to make any comment about his then receding hairline.
So what was his problem that evening? I don’t normally speculate, but perhaps now that he is some corporate hot shot he has become such a snooty snob that he doesn’t associate with the little people like me.
Disappointed as I was, I did not lose any sleep over it. People change, I suppose, and life does go on.
And I took comfort in the fact that I still have a headful of healthy, shiny black hair while the only thing that shines about him now is his chrome dome.
Note: A longer version of this post appeared elsewhere some time ago.

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