Ramadan

Up and down the country now hordes of people throng Ramadan food stalls buying food for breaking fast later at sun down. In Alor Star the most popular Ramadan food market is near the stadium. All kinds of food available here and with an empty stomach, you tend to buy more than you need. I have no particular food to look for, just browsing around first then buy whatever; when you are hungry anything would be good. I'm more thirsty than hungry, usually I'll settle for young coconut at RM2.00 each. There was talk of price increase of foods sold this year. Not sure I've seen anything like it. Kueh still sold at 20-30 sen each. Simple meals such as nasi ayam or nasi tomato still sells for between RM2.50 - RM3.00. Not 5-star quality, but adequate and will get you going and on any other times one cannot get so much choice in one place. At the other end, there probably are a lot of choices at any 5-star hotel's buffet spread for breaking fast. Up to RM99.00 per head I heard in a popular 5-star establishment in KL, why not, if you can afford it and would like to enjoy the fruits of your labour and not feeling guilty afterwards.

Earthquake magnitude 7.4 struck South Asia affecting Pakistan, India and Kashmir. People died, buildings collapsed, devastation really. Just previously we have hurricanes Katrina and Rita, and flooding affecting Central America and China. One after another disaster struck as the earth moves and groans as it naturally would and the consequences are there to see on TV in almost real time. Scary enough to see and the people affected who lost everything surely are suffering physically devastated mentally too and I'm not sure how those people are coping and to try to continue with their lives. Millions of people affected in South Asia I don't think the rescue effort, and aid that they're going to deliver are going to be enough to make most people comfortable. Time is a major factor - they have to endure many days without food, clean water and the cold.

Blogger featured on Al-Jazeera yesterday and quite lengthy discussion was on air regarding its use and impact on the news scene. Blogspace have mushroomed on the Internet and on political front especially, the opposition have taken advantage of this channel to criticise the government where the mainstream media refuse to do. People love to criticise don't they especially when it comes to their governments and services that they feel their entitled to get. Just don't get carried away and go overboard people, the law can get you even if you are anonymous in cyberspace.