A Pictorial Narrative of Recent Festivities

The past two weeks have been filled with festive revelry, community events, volunteer work in the company of good friends old and new and a spot of crazy weather.



I had given the Maternity Kennel dogs baths and tick treatment on 5th Sept 2010, and the dogs saw it fit to thank me with licks and wet nose nudges.



New volunteer Leonard proved to be of valuable assistance and excellent company. See how loving he is to the Mama Dog here!



Mother Nature unleashed her fury upon our low-lying office on 8th September 2010. This is partly due to the fact that the ongoing renovations had affected drainage and flow in the rain gutters and drain system, and the water level rose rapidly after two hours of continuous rain.



I went out for a Subway lunch with my buddies, Harvinder, Nazim and Marvin, as our office canteen operators were still on festive vacation.



I spent the first day of Raya in the warm and hospitable company of Pak Idrus' family members. Here I am having an animated conversation with Pak Idrus' daughter, Lin. Thank you, Pak Idrus, Makcik and Lin, for actually preparing vegetarian dishes! I had four cupcakes but fortunately burned most of the carbohydrates off cleaning the SPCA animal shelter in the evening.



I spent the morning of the 2nd day of Raya bathing and tickwashing dogs at the SPCA. Terrific Tweens Emma (age 12 - 13) and Euan (age around 10-11) were simply amazing and worked 3 - 4 hours by my side without stopping. Here they are, shampooing one of the dogs. We had bathed and administered tick treatment to 28 dogs from the Pounds and Kennels E & F by noon. I think the youngsters deserve medals!



How good to see you again, my friend! A dear friend, Roli, makes an unexpected visit to the shelter, which sent the dogs into frenzies of delight. Roli is a big-hearted volunteer who is excellent at socialising and training dogs, especially nervous animals and new arrivals.



A shower and a change of clothes later, I turn up, like a bad penny, for a Raya lunch at the home of a friend and colleague, Amalina. Here we are after a lovely meal, demanding the sacrifice of one of the cakes we brought.



11th Sept was also Vinayagar Chaturthi. I went back to the parental home to take the parents to the Sri Veerakathy Vinayagar Temple in town to pay homage to Lord Ganesha and seek blessings. However, it was a very noisy occasion marred by the setting off of fireworks. To me, Vinayagar Chaturthi should be a day of prayer and meditation, not for ostentation and glitz.



Malaysia Day was finally declared a public holiday this year. On Sept 16, we commemorate the establishment of the Federation of Malaysia, comprising Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. Civic-minded individuals and groups got together to organise a Malaysia Day Street Party at Bangkung Row, Bangsar. The Malaysian Nature Society (MNS) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Selangor were invited to set up booths, and I turned up both as a volunteer and a celebrant.



Talented youngsters from Rumah Nur Salam took the stage during the Malaysia Day celebrations and performed a rousing street dance number.



Lanterns forming a stylised version of the words "MALAYSIAKU" (i.e. "My Malaysia") illuminate the street at Bangkung Row. May the celebrations light the way to greater social, environmental and economic justice for all. Happy Malaysia Day, my friends!