A dinner, a boy and a grandma

While my siblings and my father were throwing a birthday bash for my beloved mother (Happy Birthday, Mak. Will always love you!), I treated myself with a nice dinner at the Thai Banana restaurant with my fellow mates of Ladybarn House. This Thai restaurant is just opposite the road and I was seat next to Bako, a lovely lady from Rwanda and a friendly boy (the son of Bashu, a PhD student from India). Opposite me were a couple from Taiwan.


Unfortunately, none of my flatmates joined the gathering this time. Ana was having dinner with her sister and the family of her sister's fiancee. While Christina was busy with her assignments, John, I guess had a prior arrangement with his Greek friends.

Thank you very much, Benji and her committee for organising this dinner and thank you very much for ensuring that halal food (for me and another two guys from UAE) and vegetarian food Bashu) were made available for us.

I was very surprised to find out that while Bashu is observing a vegetarian diet, her son was helping me to finish the chicken green Thai curry. I even shocked to find out that her husband, which came an hour later, consumed a dish of beef! He tried to convince me that duck meat is tastier than chicken and I should give it a try. I politely said to him that I'm currently comfortable with chicken and beef.

"You really don't know you are really missing!" he said.

Anyhow, their boy proved to be smart and articulate. He guessed my age correctly and engaged me with an interesting conversation through the dinner. And the topics that we discussed were surprisingly broad and diverse.

He asked me so many questions and some of them were very bold.

"Do you believe in God, because I don't!"
"How about global warming? Do you believe that?"
"Why there is racism in this world?"

I was so impressed with this 12 year old boy. While my conversation to Bako and the Taiwanese couple were limited to our studies and life in a foreign country, this boy was testing my analytical skill with those general knowledge questions. Bravo Bashu for raising an awesome boy!


Well, this world is never short of surprises.

Back home, I was amazed to read about the ethusiasm and dedication showed by a 89 year old grandmother, Puan Maimun Yusuf to run for Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat in the General Election 2008. I'm sure most of us are confident that this grandma will never win the contest, but, using her own words, "to get my nomination through and printed on the voting paper is already a dream comes true. I would like to right the wrongs."

She, which is the oldest candidate ever contested in the history of Malaysian General Election, will go against Mohammad Sabu of PAS and Datuk Razali of BN.

Bravo, Puan Maimun. From the bottom of my heart, I salute you!



Note: Pictures of Puan Maimun Yusuf were taken from thestar online.