Krishen Jit

Krishen Jit, the doyen of Malaysian theatre passed away yesterday. I have seen him now and then at performances and read his writings but do not know him personally. It is always admirable to have someone so dedicated to his craft and expanding the circle of like minded people.
It was good to hear a few years ago that he married Marion D'Cruz, a well known dancer in theatre circles. At least they were on the same wave length. It would be quite difficult for someone not in tune with Krishen's vision of the dramatic arts in Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia in general to stay abreast with him.
Sadly, our government has not given the right incentive to the performing arts. In the pursuit of developed nation status, those activities presumed not contributing to the national coffers are neglected. There is now and again a call for Malaysians to be more involved in the arts. But that call gets all the support and media attention for a limited period. No continuity. A character flaw of the nation.

Borders opens in Kuala Lumpur

At last Kuala Lumpur has a Borders bookshop and according to the write-up they will open more branches in future. It is quite a good idea to franchise Borders using a business giant who has the experience handling Starbucks.
The bookshop gave a good first impression on me when I went I visited the premises last week. There was ample space and there were stacks of 'bargains' on tables facing the customers before he moves to the bookshelves further back or on the sides. The 'bargains' are bargains to those looking for particular titles. I was tempted to grab a few but held back since I wanted to explore the two floors of book heaven.
I walked slowly and almost scrutinised every shelf. I was looking at certain titles that might grab my attention. The Dan Browns were prominently displayed. That author and his books has not lost its attraction yet. I'm sure all bookstores that stock his books are making big bucks.
I went to the Malay language section and was a bit disheartened since the titles were mostly confined to the romantic novel genre. Nothing wrong in that choice but I was looking for variety and the only ones I could find were shelves of study aids for the major Malaysian school examinations.
My next stop were the non-fiction section and they had almost the same titles as those stocked by Kinukuniya. I wanted more. I expected more. Greedy.

KL Book Fair

The event was disappointing to say the least. I didn't see crowds with bags of books coming out of the exhibition halls. Such a contrast to similar fairs on travel, housing or computers. The atmosphere last year was much more lively. At least there were a few well publicised book launches but the scene seems deadly quiet this time around.
What has happened to the Malaysian Book Council and the other participants in the Book Fair? Have they lost their enthusiasm in attracting more people to buy books and read. The book importers say they could never lower the price of books when the reading public is in such small numbers. There is no justification for them to lower prices based on volume discounts since there is no volume to speak of.
It is an egg and chicken situation. The reading public, at least those who makes an effort to read always argue that they will be able to buy more if the prices were at a more reasonable level compared to what is offered at present. The importers and sellers say they are not charitable institutions and have to make a small profit to continue in their business. They would point to the unfavourable foreign exchange rate and high shipping costs that will affect their bottom line.
Meanwhile, the government does not seem to be fully committed in their efforts to encourage more Malaysians to read. The tax exemption is a miserly RM500 per year. A pathetic amount when you want the public to read more than 2 books per year (the average number of books read by Malaysians compiled in a literacy survey a few years ago).
Students do not read other reading material after finishing the recommended book list for their particular courses. The IT generation prefer the internet. The internet does stimulate the reading habit in some instances but finding the books is such a hassle even in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur.

Grass is greener on the other side

I'll always feel at home whenever I visit Bangkok. This is the case again when I spend three nights there during the weekend. The hospitality and the smiles welcomed me. I still venture into the dark streets and alleys but I feel so secure compared to the bright lights in Kuala Lumpur. There are more beggars and strays along the pavements but they do not pose a threat in comparison with the lurking danger from smart looking executives in my own home turf.

Does this have anything to do with that incident in 2002? Most probably I still carry the emotional and psychological baggage from that night. Did the knock on my head jumbled up my grey matter. Maybe. No one knows for sure. Thankfully the doctor did not find any damage in when he had my head x-rayed. I guess the physical aspect has healed but emotionally I'm still so vulnerable.

In that sense, Bangkok has come to the rescue repeatedly without fail. I managed to see 5 films during this visit. Interestingly three of them had love triangles in different modes. The film directors may have felt that love is ever expansive and encompasses a wider circle of participants rather than the usual duo combination.

Trying to link

This is just a test to see whether I'll be able to read any writings here on another site.

First Try

Here I am. My first try at writing something. I'm not sure whether I'll be diligent enough to update the site frequently. I'll try, that is the least that I can do. No harm trying. What shall I write. Will I name names. I'll try to keep private or put others who know me off the track. It wouldn't be fair to air the dirty linen of those who are involved in my personal affairs. It is my interpretation anyway whether someone is bad or good. Who am I to say for sure. I tend to meander and ramble. I hope those who read this will be patient and able to endure the torture of navigating a circuitous path before reaching the final destination. It is just my way of letting it all hang out.