To Eveyone!

Orlando Bloom named goodwill ambassador for kids

This is a good example of good use of stardom. I hope more celebrities will be like him, after all, children are our future. My heart aches whenever I read news of millions of children around the globe died every year, just only because they didn't have enough food or clean drinking water..

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Actor Orlando Bloom, star of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Lord of the Rings" movies, was named a goodwill ambassador for the United Nations children's organization UNICEF on Monday.

The 32-year-old British actor has supported the work of UNICEF since 2007, visiting projects in Nepal, Russia and Sarajevo that bring clean water, education and shelters to children.

He also took part in a local school radio production put on by children in one of the poorest regions of Nepal.

Bloom, regarded as one of the hottest male celebrities in the world, will follow in the footsteps of Audrey Hepburn, soccer player David Beckham, Colombian singer Shakira and actress Mia Farrow.

He said he wanted to be an active ambassador for UNICEF, which works to help children in more than 150 countries.

"I look forward to working with UNICEF as they continue to make the world a better place for children," Bloom said in a statement.

UNICEF executive director, Ann M. Veneman said that the work of goodwill ambassadors "helps build momentum to improve the lives of children around the world."

"We are proud to have Orlando Bloom as one of the strong voices for vulnerable children," Veneman said.

Bloom's first job will be to record a public service announcement for UNICEF on the importance of access to clean drinking water.

US president won 2009 Nobel Peace Prize

Well, I think he deserved it. Here's some excerpts from Yahoo! and Bloomberg about this:

President Barack Obama unexpectedly won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize for “extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples."

The prize, along with other honors for literature, physics, medicine and chemistry, was created by Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel in his will and first awarded in 1901. Finland’s Martti Ahtisaari won the peace prize last year and past laureates include Martin Luther King Jr. and groups such as the International Committee of the Red Cross.

"Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," said Thorbjoern Jagland, chairman of the Nobel Committee.

Until seconds before the award, speculation had focused on a wide variety of candidates besides Obama: Zimbabwe's Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai, a Colombian senator, a Chinese dissident and an Afghan woman's rights activist, among others. The Nobel committee received a record 205 nominations for this year's prize, though it was not immediately apparent who nominated Obama.

Unlike the other Nobel Prizes, which are awarded by Swedish institutions, he said the peace prize should be given out by a five-member committee elected by the Norwegian Parliament. Sweden and Norway were united under the same crown at the time of Nobel's death.

The committee has taken a wide interpretation of Nobel's guidelines, expanding the prize beyond peace mediation to include efforts to combat poverty, disease and climate change.

the Torah

This is the first time I came across a book with in depth and down to earth explanation of the Torah (the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy; believed to be written by Moses) authored by Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson. What surprised me was that I borrowed this book from state library near my house! This book was penned from Judaism point of view, but I think it's a more interesting read compared to general christian books.

The way I see it, rabbi Bradley really made the reading and interpreting of the books come to life, in the sense that it is not rigid as many religious figures claim to be. Just pick up some portions in the book, reflecting the way he and some other great medieval rabbis saw the God and His relationship with His people:

"...the Torah prohibits touching the corpse of an animal that is tamei, yet Jewish law permits it. These are not acts of rebellion, but an asserition that the Torah "is not in Heaven"; it is ours to interpret and align with the moral insights of each age. It is a way of continuing to hear the voice of the living God through its words...

Etz Hayyim Hee (the Torah is a living tree). It is up to each new generation to water and fertilize the tree, to prune it, and to harvest its fruit. The gardener, not the plant, is the ultimate arbiter of what shape that tree will assume.

God cannot be restricted to the space between the covers of a book - any book. The rabbies of each age, not the book, are the ultimate deciders of what the Torah will mean for that generation of Jews..."

"True dignity, the kind that allows people to cherish each other's differences and live with each other as a community, is an unimpeachably biblical value. Great, indeed, is such shleimut."

While talking about the plaque of great darkness in the book of Exodus, he has this to say in the end: "So may we, in an age of darkness, gather the light so that we too may turn to each other and recognize only brothers and sisters when we gaze into the eyes of our fellow human beings. All human beings: our brothers and sisters. Let us rise."

No wonder Jews are such smart and flexible people. Their holy books and religion are actually alive under intelligent interpretations of their rabbis! They truly serve a living God.

Garden party..

Our company will organize garden party later this year. I am part of the committee and sure will be tiring... swt

Publish Post

My Raya Visit to Kelantan

My firsy time wearing full malay customes with samping,
photo taken with my friend, Gio

River front night life in Kota Bharu

Nasi kerabu (did I spell correctly?)

Old palace in Kota Bharu

Taken photo in front of Gua Ular (Snake Cave)

Far view of Air Terjun Stong (Stong Water fall),
one of the highest in Asia

Gio's naughty nephew, posing his favorite peace sign, hehe

Puncak Titiwangsa rest area, serene scenery, cool climate

To be frank, I had a wonderful raya week in Kelantan, mostly in Jeli, an inland district of the state. Besides, I managed to visit KB (Kota Bharu) and various cool water falls around Jeli area, particularly Stong, a beautiful water curtain if you look from far. Besides, the food there was yummy too, mostly cooked by my friend's mom, God bless her :-)

The only setback was the traffic in KB. According to Gio, it had been getting worse as more and more vehicles pouring into the city during festive season. At some stretches, the traffic could stand still for more than 10 minutes! That really tested my patience.

All in all, the people there were friendly. I may go there again next time :-)

Marina Mahathir has just posted a meaningful act on her website. Let's all support this day of formation of Malaysia!

Sign your petition here:
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/peace4msia/