Sneak Peek: Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh

Title: Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh
Author: Mat Yassin bin Salleh
Year: 2012

Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh is a compliation of poems penned by Mat Yassin bin Salleh, poet, writer and playwright in the Malaysian creative arts industry. This book has been released for sale on February 2, 2012, and is only available in the Malay Language.

Honestly, I have never known Mat Yassin. I only got to know his youngest daughter, Yasleh Hani Wati  when I was pursuing my Master degree at a public university in Malaysia from 2003 to 2006. Only then I came to know that Uncle Mat Yassin is a talented poet, writer and playwright but his name is not the name that is very well known like those of Usman Awang, A Samad Said and Malaysian national laureate Datuk Abdullah Hussain.

My personal opinion of Uncle Mat Yassin is that he is very capable and talented of producing quality literary works worthy of mention and recognition, although I have yet to read any of them. Simfoni Sepi - Himpunan Sajak Siber yassinsalleh in my humble opinion, will be an enduring Malay literature for many years to come... because it was written in an extremely passionate manner, championing the cause to promote local literary publications, especially in the Malay Language.

I recommend this book to anyone who is especially interested and/or appreciative of the beauty of poems in the Malay Language.

And I think the introduction in the book written by Johan Jaafar, a columnist with The New Straits Times newspaper speaks eloquently well about who the real Uncle Mat Yassin is, where not many people knew about and his very deep passion and dedication towards his contribution to the Malaysian creative arts industry, especially where Malay literary works are concerned.

The poet, Mat Yassin bin Salleh (right) with the book designer 

Review: Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee by Chiang Siew Lee

Title: Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee
Author: Chiang Siew Lee
Year: 2011
ISBN: 978-983-99056-0-1

Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee was written by Chiang Siew Lee about her first born child, Eng Seng. It was a series of letters written from Eng Seng's perspective to his aunt Tua Ee Siew Hong (the author's elder sister) who is residing in Brazil with her family. This series of letters was actually a regular feature column in The New Sunday Times newspaper's Style section in 1992.

This series of letters were written soon after Eng Seng was born, as his parents became the first-time parents, facing the ultimate challenges of parenthood. It covered the first two years of Eng Seng's life and these letters were written by the author as a catharsis to cope with the stress of experiencing parenthood for the very first time.

Eng Seng told all of his adventures being the first born in the family and the experience of being the centre of attention where the gathering of relatives and outings were concerned. They were told in a simple but mostly in a baby-talk manner. These letters were amusing to read as they virtually take the readers inside a baby's mind and how it really works, in reaction to the adults' actions in entertaining and trying to get the attention of the baby, in this case was Eng Seng.

Not only that, these letters were also able to give an excellent insight as to how Eng Seng had to cope with his daily life as a baby and toddler of two years being extremely structured by his parents and his paediatrician. And Eng Seng managed to face the experience of baby- and toddler-hood in his stride, and at the same time amuse and frustrate the adults around him, especially his parents.

I find this book very enjoyable read because it reminded me of the time when back then it was featured as a regular column in The New Sunday Times' Style section. These letters constantly kept me spellbound, eager to find out what would be Eng Seng's next adventure every week when the said newspaper was published. Honestly, I'm glad that the letters now are immortalised into a book, where I could read them in one continuous flow, also over and over again if I wish to do so.

I highly recommend this book to readers who especially are facing parenthood for the very first time and even to readers who are already seasoned parents. Not only that, this book also include an epilogue as to where Eng Seng is in the present day, not to mention his younger sister, born two years after him, as well as Tua Ee Siew Hong, whom Eng Seng has "written" to when he was a baby and a toddler of two years.

I give a double thumbs-up for Eng Seng's Dear Tua Ee! 
 

What do you call this? An irony or an oxymoron or both?

Last week I had to attend to some personal matters in a particular government department. I had arrived very early and had to use the ladies' toilet meant for the public, and this is what I found:

The notice behind the door of cubicle no. 2 - Translation: You are prohibited from disposing of sanitary napkins and toilet paper into the toilet bowl.

But there is NO sanitary bin and/or dustbin for the purpose stated on the note found behind  the door!

A few hours of later after I had finished attending to my personal matters and I had to use the toilet before I leave the place. I went to the same toilet but I used a different cubicle this time, and you can guess what I had found:

The same notice behind the door of cubicle no. 1 - Translation: You are prohibited from disposing of sanitary napkins and toilet paper into the toilet bowl.

  

Again, there is NO sanitary bin and/or dustbin for the purpose stated on the note found behind  the door!

So, what would do if you come across this situation? How would you dispose of the used sanitary napkins and/or used toilet paper? For your information, there is ONLY ONE standard-sized pedal dustbin and NO sanitary bins located in the wash basin area. 

Not mention, hundreds of members of the public would come to this particular government department for various reasons every working day during the week, throughout the year. You can imagine what condition this toilet would be at the end of the working day, although the cleaners DO provide reasonable standard of cleaning services at the start of each working day.