a fleeting stay ...

Alone but not lonely as this beauty knows People generally say unkind things about single females and males. "Something must be wrong with him/her," is one example. My favourite is: "You're too choosy." My friend Rabiaa Dani says the first thing they utter is "I am sorry" when she tells nosey parkers that she is single. Her standard reply: "Don't be. I am not!" Singles are considered an anomaly, women and men deserving of pity and help. People who think that have yet to realise that "the most profound relationship" that they will ever have is the one with themselves (Shirley MacLaine). Marriage is not for everyone but even those who have found marital bliss will discover that sometimes "they have to stand alone to prove that they can still stand" ( source unknown) . There are times when singles feel very lonely but those who are truly evolved go to sleep secure in the knowledge that they are their own best fri...

This report alleges that Coca-Cola contains alcohol. But Coca-Cola Malaysia's public affairs and communications director Kadri Taib refutes the allegation and says that alcohol is not an ingredient and no fermentation takes place during the manufacture of the drink. Click here for the full report.

Mohamed, my 17-year-old nephew, came home for a few days from National Service camp during the Chinese New Year holidays. He had been at the camp (somewhere in Malaysia) for three weeks then and the boyish enthusiasm bubbling up inside him was apparent. He shared his experiences -- good and bad -- with relatives who were curious to see how he had got on at the camp with other "wira (heroes) and wirawati (heroines), as the participants are called. Mohamed was positive about his time there expect for one thing: he could not understand why the camp commandant -- a Major in the Malaysian army -- is overweight and unfit. Mohamed and his mates had expected to see a military man with the physique of an athlete ala "Will Smith". Instead, they saw a fatty who seemed a likely candidate for The Biggest Loser programme. And the two officers who came together with the commandant were similarly heavy and seriously in need of regular hard workouts. Mohamed and his friends exchanged...

PERTIWI Soup Kitchen volunteers distribute food and drink to the needy regularly. The homeless are everywhere. Sometimes I see them walking the sidewalks of the less glamorous parts of Kuala Lumpur city. I caught two sleeping on a pavement opposite the bus station at Puduraya. I don't think about them all the time but they are on my radar screen. I saw them again recently at the area behind Tune Hotel at Medan Tuanku. I had accompanied a photojournalist friend who wanted to take pictures for a magazine of members of PERTIWI Soup Kitchen serving meals to the homeless and hungry. The NGO does this on a regular basis and visit various locations around Kuala Lumpur distributing food and drink to the needy. He quenched his thirst with a hot drink. A long queue of homeless people built up as soon as PERTIWI volunteers set up tables for the soup kitchen. Women and men quietly waited for their turn to take their food and drink. Those who have received theirs smiled ...

The New Straits Times published an article entitled "Malaysia has a gift for the world" on 16 December 2011. It was written by Distinguished Professor Dato' Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, Founding Director of the Institute of Ethnic Studies (KITA) at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Deputy Chair, National Professors Council of Malaysia (MPN). He has allowed me to reproduce the full text of his paper from which the newspaper article was pruned. Please see below. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shamsul Amri Baharuddin By Shamsul Amri Baharuddin Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak introduced his idea of a “Global Movement of the Moderates” (GMM) in his speech at the UN General Assembly, New York on 27 September 2010. As he put it: “…Across all religions we have inadvertently allowed the ugly voices of the periphery to drown out the many voices of reason and common sense. I therefore u...

Guest blogger Jehan Mohd ponders the old year as the new one approaches. We’ve come to that time of the year where we take stock of our lives and make up lists of resolutions which will inevitably go out the window within the first month or so. Next year being 2012 brings an interesting twist, though. Looking up the significance of the year yields hundreds of thousands of results but one thing that seems to come up in various interpretations is that 2012 is supposed to be a time of great change. Despite its significance, I’m approaching 2012 as any other year as my ‘year of change’ had crept in slowly this year, the year I turned 32 — and I had never anticipated anything big happening in my 33rd year of existence. How does my age come into play? I blame it on my affinity for numbers. I have always believed in the power of numbers — not in the way that makes me good with them or even like the subject of Mathematics (I failed Maths in primary school, spurring my paren...

Merry Christmas everybody!

Click here for Top 10 Protest Songs. Enjoy!

Quote of the week "I wish I could confiscate my patients' phones. I usually encourage them to talk, instead of texting as their fingers need to rest." Dr Yong Chee Khuen, consultant orthopaedic surgeon Click here to read.

Environmentalist Gurmit Singh (pictured above) says the cycling culture has almost disappeared in Malaysia. He cites a lack of dedicated lanes as one of the reasons. Gurmit Singh was Malaysia's first bicycle advocate; he supported its use to combat traffic problems in the city. "If (people) use bicycles for transport, they will know the environmental problems cyclists face" (New Straits Times: June 7, 1988). For more on cycling in Malaysia, click here .

Sadness is everywhere. Death, divorce, destruction and tragedy. These are among the things that make us sad. Some are able to bear their misfortunes bravely. Others, however, are too wrapped in misery to move on. We crave for a perfect spouse, a beautiful home, plenty of money, supportive friends and relatives, lots of good luck and all those things that make us happy. But what happens when sadnesses are more than joys. Take the man who can't seem to manage without his wife who died recently. Or the farmer who lost his vegetables as a result of flood damage. Consider the case of a battered wife whose husband treats her like trash. Can we ever get over our troubles? This question dates back to ancient times. Early humans had to endure the elements, hunger, animals and other humans, among others before things got better. Experience has taught me that life may seem unfair but it has also shown me that hard times will come to an end. Patience is the name of the game. An inciden...

The monsoon rains come in November, December, January and February. They continue for most of the day. The monsoon season in Malaysia didn't mean much to me until I came face-to-face with it recently in Kuala Terengganu, the state and royal capital of Terengganu . I was there on an assignment and soon realised that travelling is much more difficult during this period of heavy rain in the east coast states of Malaysia: Pahang, Terengganu and Kelantan. This year's monsoon rains have flooded many villages in the three states but that is another story. The monsoon blew relentlessly into my face as I dashed to the lobby of Felda Residence , my home for three days, from the vehicle that took me to the hotel from the airport. I dumped my stuff in my room on the sixth floor after checking in and came down to a waiting vehicle which will take my colleague and I to the famous Pasar Payang (Payang Market), the city's main shopping area. Even though it is not far from the ...

Quotable quote "I think happiness is overrated. Sometimes you're happy, sometimes you're not. There's too much pressure to be happy. Being at peace is more of a goal for myself." Brad Pitt Source : New Straits Times , November 15, 2011

The water in this stream, called Sungai Meru near Taman Meru, Ipoh, Perak, looks cool and inviting. These teenagers, who live nearby, often spend the afternoon after school swimming or just splashing around. It is nice to know that in the age of the computer youngsters still enjoy the outdoors.

        In Malaysia, as in India, Diwali   -- which means "rows of lighted lamps" -- is a time for Hindus to rejoice. To prepare for Diwali, which is known as the "festival of lights" , Hindus spring-clean their homes, prepare special meals and adorn dwellings and other buildings with lights. On the day itself (Oct 26, 2011) they wear new clothes, say prayers, exchange gifts  usually sweets ( pictures ) and dried fruits and visit family and friends. Life's Too Short wishes its Hindu readers a Happy Diwali.

By Patrick Follez Patrick Follez, who lives in Antwerpen, Belgium, shot the images (above) of this ornamental apple tree (malus) over 12 months covering the four seasons.I will share his musings on autumn with readers of Life's Too Short . Enjoy! Autumn is here and the tree on the street before the house is showing its yellow and autumn colours. The tree is a malus or ornamental apple tree and it is used to line the streets. Autumn is a reflective period as nature slowly retreats to its dormant state out of human view. The malus tree does it with a burst of colours and red berries inviting the blackbirds for a last feast before the meagre times of winter. I have been watching this tree for nine years from the day I found that I could turn my webcam outside (modified with a 200mm old zoom lens) and brought the tree live as animated wallpaper on my computer. Over the years 12,000 images were stored in a backup copy that came to light when I was cleaning up the ...

Kathy posted the following on her Facebook: "Nice cool morning ... but there was something (or someone) at the far right corner of the cemetery". Several friends responded to the post and wanted to know more. Kathy, who lives in an apartment which overlooks a Muslim burial ground, offered details: "Caught a glimpse of movement when I opened the balcony door just now. Didn't wait to see more. It was just after 5am, I couldn't for the life of me imagine anyone being at the cemetery at such a time." More comments followed. They mainly expressed fear, curiosity and caution. These reactions are consistent with the findings of those who study the phenomenon of fear. Admit it! Evil and horror are fascinating! The continued popularity of the horror genre -- both in literature and the movie industry -- bears testimony to this view. But that will not make former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad happy. He expressed his dismay recently at the proliferat...

Illustration by JEHAN MOHD. I have been spending a lot of time in Ipoh, the capital city of Perak state,  Malaysia lately. My birthplace is Batu Gajah , some 40 minutes' drive away, but I grew up in Ipoh. When I am asked to name my hometown, the enthusiastic answer is Ipoh. Batu Gajah is an afterthought. Ipoh is two and half hours by car from Kuala Lumpur, so it qualifies as a short journey. Each time I cross Hulu Bernam, the border town of Selangor and Perak , the excitement of getting close to "home" becomes stronger and I have to will myself to be patient. Ipoh has that effect on me. It gives me a sense of place, a sense that I belong to a tiny haven of peace and tranquillity. I don't get that feeling when I return to Kuala Lumpur from Ipoh even though I have stayed in the city for a good part of my adult life beginning from the day I entered university. I learned about life's harsh realities in Kuala Lumpur but it is, essentially, my workplace, no...

The Huffington Post remembers Steve Jobs through his 11 best quotes . Here are five. "That's been one of my mantras -- focus and simplicity. Simple can be harder than complex: You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But it's worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains." --  BusinessWeek interview, May 1998 "Picasso had a saying: 'Good artists copy, great artists steal.' We have always been shameless about stealing great ideas...I think part of what made the Macintosh great was that the people working on it were musicians, poets, artists, zoologists and historians who also happened to be the best computer scientists in the world." --  1994 "[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This a...