Assalamua'laikum.

KHA, THANON RAJ UTHIT..

This is within hours before I leave my shores, heading up North for my temps de vancance. It's North once again. As the magnetic pulls form the North has got me beguiled again and again, it's a neverending free-spirit call to these neverending lands.

The North, greater and beyond, has gone down so much in history. Even as we speak now, happenings in the North has caught rhythmn with life's political stands thus carving another few chapters in people's lives and making it go down deep in history next.

My safety concerns are being quizzed. Before I step out to embark my 14-hour long journey to south Thailand, my family provides the constant reminders about Narathiwat's cases. I have to put them at ease. I have to put myself at an even better ease.

My girl cousin is an avid arts student. She has the skill to express life on paint. She will write with valour. She has this need to break through with the surrounding and the saga that clicks in within her. I will share her opportunities in life with this journey. The immense excitement is tangible, the sun's heat outside is unbearable. I long for my tall glass of Kratingdaeng on ice chips, authentic Thai farang style.

Wassalam.

Assalamua'laikum.

METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING

It's like, while you were idling the afternoon away and you let the world pass you by. Suddenly huge numbers of durians falls down on you. Where does the durians come from, you practically wonder. In Malay metaphor, the saying "dapat durian runtuh" means to strike a winning or a windfall without much effort (in stakes, etc). Durian slides are a nasty bit, though. It's spiky thorns leaves abrasion marks on the skin if somewhat being overcome by that sort of situation. Here again, the old of Malay linguist creators are an imaginative lot.

I felt as if tonnes of durians were being hurled in my path today. The durians that were waiting to be pried open, emitting a sickening pong yet unveiling its creamy golden flesh drawing with the intend to succumb.

I don't favour durians much, either. But the raining durians falling on me is too much to bear. It pokes and it hurts. For whatever it takes then, I pick each durians with patience as in time to come, my sack will be filled with more durians ever. And if I ever feel disgruntled by anything, I'll hurl one or two durian skins at the intended. Makes a good skin scrub.

I bet my ramblings may seem as a part of my hallucinations. Blame my education for it.

Here are some more Malay metaphors which I find both satirical and practical in its contexts.

"Bagai Hantu Makan Dedak". I can tell you any ghosts found eating poultry meal will swear by it's 'finger licking good' sensation. A roaming hungry ghost whom can't find anything wholesome to gorge on might find this metaphor suiting to it's own wit. This proverb literally means to point out an individual ranting about nothing with no direct reason. The next ghost you see coming around the corner might be having some poultry meal chomp-time. Leave it be.

"Ada Bangkai, Adalah Hering". Here in this context, the straight-forward meaning can easily be measured from here. "Hering", a vulture, feasts on carcasses, naturally true. However in this particular proverb serves as a meaning for 'bad women around, comes the bad men'. Which superbly applies to the docudrama of 'Hanyut' shown on a malay channel currently. This saying's not a bad alternative title for a docudrama.

"Air Dalam Karang Menonggok, Setanggi Campur Kemenyan, Gula Tertumpah Pada Kanji". Setanggi bercampur kemenyan harum semerbak, menusuk kalbu sang semangat. The stangi is a certain scent, through the burning of incense thus create an overpowering effect. Stangi and incense are often affliated to spiritual realms and incense is a call for the djinn spirit to flank one's practice in the act of psychic magic. Here, it explains easy. It means a good effort that produces great results. Albeit its deep spiritual materials, this metaphorical sentence is otherwise a lengthy proverb for an everyday use but it sure hypnotises the listener.

I'm sure the old of Malay linguists do have extensive word power and they carry a thick scripture to every of their meetings and debates. One proverb leads to another, metaphors upon metaphors, it's firm enough to make a novice blink in space. Read and grasp, one of the basic fundamentals in life one could never live without.

Wassalam.

As it disengage,
My sail has never furled.
It glides on further,
Opening new dimensions.
Measured in metric,
It grew long but minute.
It's a journey of a thousand mile,
That makes a woman like me smile.