A cursory rhyme

Today, I'm somewhat dismayed at various news reports of extremist racist, political and religious groups fanning the fire of hatred and instigating their communities to protest in huge numbers, even to repeat the riots of May 13, 1969, to oppose our government's consideration for ratification of The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), a UN convention.

At the same time, I'm surprised by news of the King marrying a Russian wife in Moscow. (The report by The New Straits Times, published two days ago, seems to have been taken down for unknown reasons.)

Link: 

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2018/11/434058/agong-marries-miss-moscow-2015-glittering-russian-ceremony

This little rhyme comes to mind:

Hey diddle, diddle.
ICERD is in a muddle.
Protesters threaten the scene.
The whole world laughs at such poor sport,
And the king speaks Russian to the queen.

This is a cursory rhyme adapted from a nursery rhyme.

The art of slowly sayin' nothin'.

(1) KTM: they make you wait, without telling you why.
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Sometime back in mid-September, I was trying to book some train tickets online to go to JB. Due to ongoing double tracking and electrification rail-works, KTM has been limiting the advanced booking window to a month or two ahead. I noticed they have posted an announcement on their web-site that northern sector ETS (Padang Besar - Gemas) was open until end of December.

However, nothing was said about the southern sector Intercity trains (Gemas - JB). I need both ETS as well as Intercity tickets to complete my journey to JB, but when I searched for available trains, Intercity was open only up to 14th November. I kept getting a "Train not available" message for dates after that.

As ETS tickets are fast selling-out, and I need to confirm my Intercity bookings before I can book ETS, I sent KTM a message on their Twitter page asking for help.

KTM did not reply me, even after I sent a second tweet to them.

After waiting for two weeks, I sent KTM yet another message. At last I got a reply on 09Nov18

"Hi. Masih belum dapat maklumat dari pihak yg berkenaan. Jika ada informasi baru, kami akan warwarkan di media sosial dari semasa ke semasa."

(Hi, there's still no information from the relevant parties. If there are any new information, we will publish them on social media from time to time)

Yeah right, that's a very helpful reply indeed . . . not.

Finally, after checking their online ticketing site three times a day after meals for another five days, at last their Intercity trains are open for booking for dates after 15th November. Sadly, the ETS for the northern sector has all but sold out for my required travel dates.

I had to settle for express buses instead.


(2) MyEg: when they can't explain, they just send you a link.
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Two weeks ago, I sent an email to MyEg complaining that my new password (which I had successfully changed without any problem) could not be used during log in.

Like KTM, there was no reply from MyEg for two weeks.

(I'm suspecting that there's some hidden formula used by these corporate people that makes them keep mum for two weeks.)

So, I re-sent my email to them again today. Voila, here's their reply:

"Dear Valued Customer,
Thank you for choosing MyEG Services.
Kindly be informed the activation link to reset password already sent to your registered email . . . .
Kindly check inbox, junk or spam for the notification . . ."

Of course, obediently without question, I proceeded to reset my password and logged in successfully.

However, I still do not know why I got the "Password field must not be blank" error message when I logged in with my new password two weeks ago. There were no warning or error messages during that Change Password process then.

The question remains, "Will this happen again in future?"


(3) Fireflyz: utter lots of mumbo-jumbo, say nothing.
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Today, I came across a news report posted by a Singaporean online newspaper that Fireflyz airline has suspended all flights into and out of SIN w.e.f. 01Dec18, citing in vague terms until the "relevant" authorities have cleared "remaining matters" in relation to the Singapore authorities plan "to move turbo-prop operations from Changi International to Seletar". (The same message appears on their web-site)

"Upon final approval from the authorities, Firefly will then resume its flights into Singapore. In the meantime, arrangements are being made for all affected passengers." it was reported.

That's a lot of words used in saying nothing.

I am one of those affected passengers, and I'm waiting for their "arrangements" to be made, hopefully soon, and not after another two weeks.

What's the point?

MyWriters Poetry Prompt
33rd prompt / 2018


What's the point of poetry prompt
When one's poem isn't prompt?
When poet's thoughts wander around
For want of rhymes yet to be found.

What's the point, What's the point?

What's the point of prompted poetry
When one has neither words nor story.
When scarcely an idea comes to mind
And the poet's turning a corner blind.

What's the point, What's the point?

Yet when one is prompted to write in rhyme,
Based on a prompt, to be finished on time,
The poet brings forth
words both timid and bold,
And weaves them into a poem,
for all to behold.

That's the point.

Submitted on 21-11-2018

Clang!

MyWriters FirstLiner
Week 8/2018 (19 - 25 Nov)

"Clang!", rang the grave digger's pick as it dug into the soil, making the family step back, startled and somewhat alarmed.

Submitted on 20Nov2018

Badly annoyed, somewhat offended

This evening my wife and I had dinner at a popular cafe in a reputable hotel in my town.
At the end of a pleasant and satisfying meal, served by polite and obliging waiters, we were met with a rude and unfriendly cashier when paying the bill. Here is the complaint that I sent to the Hotel after I reached home. Names have been replaced by asterisk to maintain confidentiality.

"I had dinner at ** Cafe earlier this evening and was served by a rude cashier when paying my bill at the Cashier's counter.

When I asked for my bill, she just shoved the bill at me without saying a word, and I had to peruse the bill for the amount to pay.

After I had given her my credit card, she took it and walked away from me, again without saying anything, to the credit machine further down the counter and proceeded to process the card payment.
When it was time for me to key in the PIN, she just placed the credit card reader on the counter just in front of her, while I was still standing some distance away beside the point-of-sale machine. And she walked away without telling me anything.

I had to guess that it was time for me to key in my PIN, so I walked the few steps to the card reader to get it keyed in.

Finally, she printed out the payment slips, put them on the black folder on the counter, put my credit card on top without saying anything. I picked up my card together with the bill and payment slip to conclude with an unpleasant ending to what would otherwise be a comfortable and satisfying dinner.

I am thoroughly annoyed and somewhat offended by this encounter with your discourteous cashier. Please teach her some basic manners.

Her name is G*****A, and my Tax Invoice No. is 11243, printed today at 19:01 pm

Thank you."

This is it

MyWriters FirstLiner
Week 7/2018 (12th-18th Nov)

"This is it, this time it's for real", I said to myself as I put down my luggage, staring at the bare furniture around me."

Submitted on 13Nov18

Yesterday's floods in Kuala Lumpur

Yesterday, Sun 11Nov18, heavy thunderstorms brought flash floods in many parts of Kuala Lumpur city. Roads turned into rivers, Several tunnels got flooded. Vehicles and passengers were stranded and rescue teams were sent out to help them.

I am reminded of a popular Malay song by a female vocalist Rahimah Rahim in 1984 about Kuala Lumpur the beautiful capital city of our country, except that Kuala Lumpur is not so beautiful anymore after decades of over development with little attention to proper drainage systems and their maintenance.

I decided to adapt Rahimah's song to describe the hardship that befell the people of Kuala Lumpur yesterday afternoon:


Verse:
Sungguh susah, banjir kilat merata,
Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur.
Warga kota gelisah dukacita
Di landa arus deras membawa lumpur.

Chorus:

Ramai tersangkut di dalam kenderaan,
Dari kecil hingga yang terbesar
Terpisah daripada ahli keluarga
Ternampak cemas di wajah muka"


Adapted from the song
Kuala Lumpur "Ibukota Permai."
1984, Rahimah Rahim.

The original song can be found here:

 https://youtu.be/VrbFzvemzSo

Let's play fightin'

Let's play fightin'

(My two and a half year old grandson came up with a new game with toy cars)

"Fight!", says the little boy,
As he knocks his toy car into mine.
With a "thwack" the cars in our hands collide,
Yet none the worse for wear,
both toy and human look fine.

"Help! I'm stuck!", my little grandson pretends,
With his car pushed just over the edge of the arm-chair.
He needs rescue, it seems, from his expectant look,
I have to rush the ambulance over there.


"Deeeem!", I make the magic sound,
As the blue ambulance touches his Mustang GT.
Voilá! The Mustang comes back to life,
And he drives it away along the back of the settee.

Scarcely has he driven off when once again he exclaims,
"Fight!", goes the battle-cry as he charges with black Mustang in hand.
I rise to the challenge with my green Dodge Challenger Hellcat,
"Thwack!", our cars clash over no man's land.


Again and again the battle goes on,
With cries of "Fight!", and "Help!" followed by rescue.
With a "Deeem" the black Mustang will revive,
And come back charging with vengeance,
my green Challenger to subdue.

Staring at the swollen river

MYWriters First Liner
Week 6/2018 (05 - 11Nov18)

Staring at the swollen river, Lian couldn't decide whether to let his dog perish or to risk his life swimming across to save it.

Submitted on 05Nov2018

A Long Way Home

(Recalling my visit to Terminal Bersepadu Selatan last Saturday afternoon to take an express bus home)

It was a long weekend for many,
With a public holiday at hand.
An annual religious festival beckons,
Poor workers return to their home land.

Huge crowds converge at the southern bus terminal,
To get tickets for their return.
Long queues have formed at numerous counters,
By weary travellers, each anxious for his turn.

I'm relieved at having got my ticket,
It was purchased the day before.
Now I only have to find my way,
To the gate on the basement floor.

Still I can't help but feel distressed,
At the sea of people spread across the hall.
Wondering if every one will get on a bus home,
Or will any be stranded with no ticket at all.

Meanwhile, a thunderstorm is going on,
Buses are caught in traffic jams outside.
As the long queues continue to inch forward,
The crowd still fills the hall - a throng without respite.

For every one in this terminal today,
The long way home has become longer.
For the journey home has already started,
With a long wait to the ticket counter.