Thursday 24 May 2012

A Separation




When I knew Astro First is screening 'A Separation', a highly acclaimed Iranian film this month without hesitation I tuned in to Channel 480  to purchase the movie that had won the Golden Bear Award for Best Film at the  Berlin Film Festival and went on to win the Oscar at the 84th Academy Award for the Best Foreign Film earlier this year.  At the Berlin Film Festival too both the lead actor and actress won the Silver Bear Awards for the Best Actor and Best Actress.

Saya memang suka menonton filem-filem dari Iran ni. Walau pun pace dia a bit slow dan  tanpa background music tetapi terselit nilai-nilai Islam serta memberi gambaran, suasana sekeliling kehidupan seharian masyarakat di sana. 

Written and directed by Asghar Farhadi, it is not so much the story of a husband and wife’s separation as it is the story of what happens, in part, as a result of it — a tragic event in which nobody is truly at fault, yet everybody is quick to point a finger. Peyman Maadi plays Nader, the husband, who is dutifully caring for his elderly father even though he can’t remember his own son (or anything else, for that matter). Nader’s wife Simin (Leila Hatami) seeks a divorce because she wishes to take her daughter out of Iran, somewhere that’s a bit less restrictive in its values. Nader wants to stay —and the judge sides with him. Thus, a separation. (Nader will soon find himself unexpectedly agreeing with his wife’s frustrations, however.) 
 
A third key character is Razieh (Sareh Bayat), who takes a job as housekeeper when Simin moves out. Her duties include taking care of Nader’s father, a task she finds overwhelming for a variety of reasons.  But when Nader hires Razieh (Sareh Bayat), a pregnant, impoverished woman to take care of his father, things turn ugly when he suspects her of negligence regarding the elderly man.  When Nader is involved in Razieh falling down the stairs, he becomes key suspect in her miscarriage.  In his plight to prove his innocence, the family’s life begins to fall apart as everyone’s morals come into question.


Kesian tengok si Nader ni mandikan ayahnya, serba serbi macam jaga budak kecik lagaknya.  Agaknya si Simin tu dah boring dan penat  jaga pak mertua tu yang nak berhijrah ke negara lain.  Semasa pertengkaran di mahkamah Simin ada menyebut yang ayah Nader sudah tidak kenal dan tidak  ingat siapa anaknya lagi tapi dijawab Nader yang dia masih kenal siapa ayahnya.

Termeh yang tersepit ditengah konflik ibubapanya. Early in the film she chose to stay with her father whilst Simin moves out to stay with her parents when her application for divorce was rejected by the family court as the judge considered the case as a weak one and thus the separation.




Reviews on the film which are mostly from western movie critics found this film as riveting, highly engrossing and an eye opening experience that gives a fascinating glimpse into a culture that is alien to their eyes.  As for my review .... the scenes depicted in A Separation is easily recognizable in any Muslim society.  Our religious conscience will always have the upper hand in whatever we do, like the scene where Razieh calling up an ustaz or whoever it was who certainly had more knowledge if it is alright for her to help clean up an elderly man who is clearly not her mahram.   The guilty conscience of Razieh when asked by Nader to swear on the Al Quran that it was him who caused her miscarriage...that is all so familiar here in our Muslim society.   

The last scene of the film left me puzzled... which parent did Termeh chose to stay with?  A highly watchable film that I would say....

Sunday 13 May 2012

The Colossus and Happy Mother's Day!

The Colossus...sounds like something from Greece and the word is of course Greek to me.  'Behemoth, goliath, monster, giant is  the definition of the word in The Free Dictionary.  Well, of course this Colossus is kind of huge in size and I am meaning this Colossus  below...


In simple terms its Crossword and I am addicted to doing crossword since I was young, it gives a certain kind of satisfaction in finding the solution either across or down it.  This colossus crossword is in the AWW..


  Real pricey now when it used to cost $3.00 (not RM and not USD too) in the Seventies.  I never fail to get a copy of it every month even though the newest issue will only be in my possession over a month or two late.  I got a puzzled look from Dini my eldest girl, when I asked her to supply me with this magazine every month from her office's news vendor (her office is in PJ).  She was a bit puzzled because I need that magazine just for this crossword.  Well,  for one it is difficult to find a copy here in KB...you might find a copy or two in one of the major bookstores here and that's all and often I was too late to grab a copy.  Secondly I need to get my fix of this Colossus crossword every month.....huhu.  


Its Mother's Day today and another MHC to add to my collection.  A gift from Dini for Mother's Day...




and this morning Ain skipped into my room singing...'Happy Mother's Day Mama' and handed me the box above...entah apa mimpinya cos dah lama tak terima apa-apa present untuk mother's day.  Al-Fatihah to Arwoh Mok, the greatest Mak ever!  Happy Mother's Day to all Mummy, Mama, Mak, Ummi, Che, Wan everywhere :)


Wednesday 9 May 2012

A Morning at PSK

Early yesterday morning after finishing doing some transactions at the  Tabung Haji branch office opposite Pasar Siti Khadijah (PSK), I walked into the market to buy some  kueh to share with  office mates and could not resist to snap some pictures of  the eatable goodies sold  there.  It is a common scene at this market every morning and by mid-morning most of the kueh will be sold out.


Bundles of fresh green vegetables...


What I came to look for... all kinds of kueh to whet anyone's appetite

Pre-packed nasi lemak, nasi dagang, nasi belauk and lots more of  bubur, tepung pelita in plastic packaging to choose from




I seldom go inside this market or any other wet markets for that matter as its the other half who took up the role of marketing in our household (I'm just plain lazy when it comes to marketing for fresh produce!).

Sunday 6 May 2012

Walk With Me


Ain joined about more or less  25000 others in the Royal Walkathon Carnival Walk With Me 2012 in KB last Thursday.  With HRH Sultan Muhammad V and Tengku Mahkota leading the way they walked 7 kilometers around the town of KB.  





Sempat lagi ambil gambar Yuna di atas itu....

Paluan gendang untuk menaikkan semangat para pejalan kaki ditempatkan di beberapa lokasi sepanjang laluan

Lebih berfaedah buat acara-acara macam ini yang melibatkan generasi tua dan muda.... rakyat ceria negara bahagia.  Lebih berfaedah dari duk demonstrasi tunjuk tidak kepuasan hati serta tingkahlaku pun sudah jadi macam monyet melompat atas kereta dan menjahanam harta benda awam.

Saturday 5 May 2012

Kuah Hijau Kuah Merah

A small feast of Lakso Siam last Friday at the request of my eldest girl who was back from KL for the long weekend (Labour Day).  At last after six long years my eldest girl is expecting and anything that you wish dear daughter... at this moment we will try to fulfill :)




Lakso Kuah Merah dan Kuah Hijau

Both the red and green gravy of this lakso was prepared by Adik Yoh whose family is really like our own family.  Terima kasih adik yoh kerana sudi memasak semua ini untuk kami walaupun sedang mengalami beberapa komplikasi kesihatan.  



It was the more merrier when Teh brings along Kak Norlia, her close friend from Gombak KL, who was in KB for a few days visiting Teh.  Both of them were former Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka's (DBP)  editors.


Kak Nor with Cindy

Kemain lagi si cindy duk atas riba kak nor... tak heran sebab kak nor ni pencinta kuching, di rumah beliau ada 12 ekor anak meow ni.




Daiyan's Giant Caterpillars (Part II)

                                      CEO of RapidKL's tweet inviting Daiyan to visit LRT depot...                          ...