AT THE SPEED OF NOOR

In Malaysia, there is an initiative called #SIGNON to promote Bahasa Isyarat Malaysia (BIM) or Malaysian Sign Language (MSL) . I've been meaning to join one of their BIM introduction classes  which they have monthly for free, but I could never find the time to go/I was worried to go alone. In an effort to be start learning MSL, I decided to invite some friends (which I was too shy to do before), and a few of ended joined me on the first SIGN ON session for 2020!

Artworks by a few KL Sketch Nation members - namely Hakym , Jerome , and Syah Daud - were being exhibited at LOOP Hotel , so as part of the launch, we had a sketchwalk activity around the vicinity of the hotel. Of course, a road trip was in order, so the KLSN team went to see the sights, sounds, and tastes of Penang!

On day 1 of 2020, some  KL Sketchnation  friends and I decided to have a simple picnic to celebrate the new year. It wasn't anything fancy - we were basically just hanging out at the river - but it was the most fun New Year's I've ever had. (Credit: Anonymous child, using Hakym's phone)

Update: As of Dec 2020, Carthreena has disbanded after releasing their acoustic ep of the album, which is available in their Youtube channel. The Basics Band: Carthreena Album: Breathe For Tomorrow Release: 2018 Country: Malaysia Genre(s): Post-Hardcore/Emo Language(s): English and Malay [Credit: The band's Facebook] Two versions of album covers for Breathe For Tomorrow Breathe For Tomorrow (BFT) is Carthreena's first album. 12-song strong with a range of tunes in both English and Malay, it is packed with energy served with a small side of mellow songs to balance things out. Here's the album playlist: The Songs Here are my thoughts for each song based on my listening experience, before I give my final thoughts on the whole album. Note: I also added in comments based on listening to these performed live, for comparison. We begin with ' Visionary Ghost ', which creeps in like a whispering apparition before picking up in intensity, especially t...

Dang Wangi LRT station has two entrances, but only one of them has a 2-way escalator and an elevator, while the other only has an escalator that goes down, to the underground track. Both entrances have stairs but they're not just steep but also a long way down/up. Every workday, I have to use a bridge with stairs to/from this station, because there's a river between that station and my workplace. I have to use the 2nd entrance because it's closest to me. As I was walking back from work today, an old Malay pakcik was struggling to walk down the stairs for this bridge. When I asked if he needed assistance, he didn't say anything, just looked down. I asked again, but he didn't move, so I held his left upper arm gently and asked again. This time, he looked at me, slightly nodded, and looked at his feet. We walked down the staircase together, slowly. I warned him that there are more stairs when we reach the station, and he nodded. When we reached the other set of stairs,...

I've been listening to ONE OK ROCK for a few years now, and I found out around March 2019 that they would be coming to perform in KL as the opening act for Ed Sheeran. Naturally, it was a no-brainer. Missing their performance is not an option. I had to go. And so I did, with my sister and two of my Japanese-language teachers :)

For the first time in my life today, I saw a hard labor foreign worker wearing glasses. I had to do a double take, because for over 30 years of me being alive, I've never seen a foreign construction worker wearing glasses here. It made me imagine if those among them who needed glasses had worn them... all the work they could've done or could have finished sooner... all the educational opportunities throughout their lives that they could have taken up... all the accidents they could've avoided/prevented. In case you forgot (as I usually do), short/long-sightedness is still a disability. Although these issues can be managed using glasses/contact lenses/lasik surgery, all these require money and a certain level of care that not all of us can afford. I'm so glad that the man I saw has glasses for his eyesight (I hope he has the right prescription!), but I also wish more people could get the help they need for conditions impacting their quality of life. It really is sad that...