Sunday, July 6, 2008

Night of The Stars at Blog House





(Me, Nuraina and Izzah chatting about trees and children.)

She walked up the steps, greeted people on every side and then saw me. For a moment, there was a glimmer of recognition mixed with confusion as if she was unsure what to do. Then good manners took over and she put out her hand to shake mine. And that was how, for the first time ever, Nurul Izzah Anwar and I met. (Most people did not notice our meeting hence nobody got any photos except for Mr Cheah who very kindly sent these.)

The occasion was the AllBlogs 100 Days gathering at Blog House last night. As Rocky said in his report, it was a fun event. It's always nice to get together with fellow bloggers and also blogreaders, just for the sake of putting faces to names you often read. And the atmosphere was convivial and friendly.

So what did Nurul Izzah and I talk about? I told her she was my MP since I live in her constituency. Raja Petra asked me if I voted for her and I said no because I am registered in a different constituency. But still she's in charge of my area's drains and trees among other things. So we talked a bit about how the Bangsar trees were being threatened and how my 9-year old ShaSha is so incensed about the cutting of the trees that she wants to stage a demo. (She's a bit afraid of being teargassed so I had to assure her that they are unlikely to deploy the FRU against the eight little girls she hopes to rally.)

(Skinny Jeff flanked by two 'healthy' ladies trying to look slimmer in black!)

Ronnie Liu, looking very YBish in his orang batik shirt, turned up with some of his yellow t-shirted constituents who had gone with him to support RPK at the police station. Jeff Ooi had lost lots of weight since before the elections which makes him look very good. He said he never thought he would be THIS busy after becoming an MP. I was surprised to find that Loh Gwo Burne speaks very well although he had to fight the typical Malaysian short attention span. He had someone with him who bore such a strong resemblance to him despite being shorter and smaller that I had to ask if they were brothers and it turned out they were. And my brother Mukhriz turned up although he was unsure if he might have to rush off since his wife is expecting their fourth child any minute.

(RPK and Mukhriz trying to convince the other fellow that being bald is in.)

And just to add some glamour, Erra Fazira and her hubby Engku Emran showed up in a Harley-Davidson roar.

(Me giving Erra tips on how to put on weight)

35 comments:

  1. Ah..sounds like a fun night all around. I wanted so bad to be there...but was out on a company trip so missed it.

    Glad you guys enjoyed it.

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  2. Good to see happy faces. The whole nation need something to cheer about. Bring on some good old fashioned "feel good" news/ actions. From tomorrow onwards I will make a conscious effort to make people I meet happy :)

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  3. Ohhhh, sooobbbb.... I had wanted to go, and when i found out the Rm30 fees was waived, it was too late! *wail* Rm30 may not be a huge amount for other people, but it is for me. It's my one wik makan! *sigh* I did nothing but rotted at home....

    I'm pleased with this post, datin. it's so good to hear happy things after all the nonsense that's going on in our country now.

    Your little girl must be something isn't she? She's so concern about the environment that she wanted to stage a rally. Haha, tht's pretty cute, I must say. You must have raise her very well indeed.

    You know datin...I'm categorized as underweight, and people often call me 'lidi', and that got my self -esteem go way, way down. It's very hard to find clothes that fit properly- i even have to buy pants from the children's section, and I wonder why nobody is doing anything for the people who are underweight, because there are so many slimming course/centres for people who wants to slim down. :( it's so unfair you know. For some of us, no matter how we eat and take supplements, we still can't put some meat to our bones, and it's so hard to reach out for help!

    Please congratulate your brother for his fourth baby. It's so good to hear so many good news in one posting. It's been so long!

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  4. Seriously, we hope we could be there to meet more people. Too bad we're stuck with an important meeting in Penang. Anyway, we hope that http://www.bursatradingideas.com would be one of those blogs you like.

    Rgds.

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  5. That part about good manners you mentioned makes me realized that there are still some good in people when all these bad things are happening..
    I salute Nurul Izzah for putting out her hand to you and I salute you too for writing that and sharing it with us.
    Way to go MM..

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  6. Hi Marina,

    Rocky saw me taking the photos and he told me it was momentous or something to that effect. I said I would email them to him as he could definitely add more value if he blogged about the meeting. It is a pleasant surprise that he sent them to you.

    My apologies for the my phone-cam as the photos do not do justice to two no, three (almost forgot Nuraina)lovely ladies.

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  7. Dear MM,

    I just love reading and seeing pictures of the All Blogs 100 days gathering. After reading and sharing thoughts with many of the bloggers almost every day for the past couple of years, it's like seeing pictures of buddies even if none knows me.

    That anecdote of your first mtg with YB NIA is heartwarming.

    Little ShaSha sounds like Mommy's little chip. Way to go, ShaSha! :D

    Please congratulate Mr & Mrs YB Mokh on their new addition.

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  8. Datin,
    You are so gracious. Agree fully to what ibu,mommy,mom said. Izzah's maturity showed immensely. Kudos to the two of you.

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  9. I'm sure that underneath all those smiles, the handshakes, the 'How are you's and the 'keep in touch's ... there was a dagger in your handbag with names on them.

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  10. Well Kak,

    Every time when blogers get together it's always funs, because Blogers normally keep their difference away.

    Adios

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  11. Hi MM,

    Good to see people of all political persuations coming together for a bit Malaysian camaraderie, in a seemingly relaxed atmosphere.

    This is the Malaysia I love.

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  12. There is an old Chinese saying, roughly translated as:

    "Cows may lock horn but is of no concern of the calves"

    Sadly, in our case they are bulls.

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  13. Dang! Wish I could've been there... Unfortunately, there was a family event that I was obligated to attend...

    Incidentally, guess where Walski is this week...

    I'm glad the event turned out well, in any case...

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  14. There is a time to laugh, a time to sing, a time to cry but all this will be faded through time little did we realize age is catching up and away we go.

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  15. Salam DP Marina,

    From the photos in your posting
    could I make a deduction that you
    bloggers plus some Yg Berhormat just
    had a casual chit chat and mainly
    socialising.
    What happened to the dissecting bit?
    Did you all not discuss anything
    heavy like the cash flow of the
    country etc., etc.?
    Or even everybody's cash flow.
    All seemed to look happy and
    complacent.
    Oh yes, now I realised this was the
    meeting of the elite group. I don't
    think those present have any cash
    problem at all.
    To think of it they don't have any
    problem. Period. Except maybe RPK who
    has an SD to deal with if he's found
    a liar.
    Glad to know you enjoyed yourself for
    the RM30 you'd spent.
    Wassalam.
    p.s. Sorry, you mentioned in your
    posting earlier about your dad
    having a heart attack?
    was it true or was it just a
    figure of speech?

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  16. hi,

    ah! wish i could be there..no wonder kak ena was talking on it in office last week and reading through your post, i'm sure it was bubbly fun!

    can't afford to miss it next time...

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  17. Nice to see smiling faces from all parties..anyhow,here's some tips to save petrol!

    lord musan
    http://lordmusan.blogspot.com/2008/07/tips-on-how-to-save-your-petrol.html

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  18. :-) heart warming pictures - especially of you and Izzah!

    chop chop chop...and they are felling trees not just to make chopsticks...i will come out too supporting ur eight yar old ShaSha..

    errmmm, mana ada nampak gemuknya datin...ok jer tu!! serious!!!

    Pakpayne

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  19. wow! So much fun for bloggers! :)

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  20. I like the comments that you made. It is very funny. Especially about Mukhriz and RPK.

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  21. Aiya...I was the "healthy lady" who didn't realise what I was wearing was meant to be "slimming".

    And yup, Jeff has slimmed down a lot don't u think Marina?

    Politics slimmed him...heheh. I think I'll try some less acid-inducing method. cheers.

    There is a cool picture up there of you, nuraina and nurul izzah. The daughters of an ex-PM, renowned journo/ex-ISA detainee and an ex-DPM in one picture having a civilised conversation.

    I'd say that is a priceless picture.



    galadriel

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  22. All the wrong things that adults say to small kids. Telling them to rally as an option. Telling them that protestors may be gazzz because gazzing have been done before. Oh my!

    I hope, at the same time, these small kids are told that the reasons the FRUs released the gazz was because , illegal gatherings, refusal to disperse after advice, the protestors becoming unruly and uncontrollable, dameges done to public and private properties etcetc.
    I hope so so that these kids grow up wise!

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  23. i am ashamed of myself when i saw three lovely ladies talking about things and stuff where the males in their life is actually fighting for things and stuff.
    where does the lines starts and ends..
    ashamed male.

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  24. Sujini, no my Dad didn't have a heart attack (would I be partying with fellow bloggers if he did?). I was just saying that I was the last person to hear the rumour that he had had one.

    Warrior2, I never told my daughter to go out there and do a demo. She thought of it herself but was concerned, having read the papers about other demos, whether she would be teargassed. That's why I assured her that a demo against tree-cutting by a bunch of little girls is perfectly OK and would not attract the attention of the FRU (at least not so far).

    As of right now, Mukhriz's latest baby has still not arrived but on his behalf (and on mine since it will be also my latest niece/nephew), I thank you for the advance congratulations.

    And as for the remark about the daggers in the handbag, where do men keep theirs? I accept in good faith that Izzah had none in her handbag just as I hope she knows that I had none in mine.

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  25. Were Tun M there?

    He is a blogger too is he not? He should be there and give Nurul Izzah some pointers of what it means to be a 'wakil rakyat'.

    Matured or not...politicians in a lot of ways dictate the future that me and my kids will have to endure for better or worse.

    Glad you met Nurul Izzah but as far as my 2 cents analysis goes, shes in politics to fight for/because of Dad.

    Unlike you and Dad. That, I can respect.

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  26. Hi Marina!

    Since you happened to meet Nurul and spoke to her, I pose this question to you. Do you give credence to your dad's accusation of Anwar being a sodomite?
    Being his daughter, have you ever felt a little guilty for the way Dr.Mahathir managed this country and it's people?

    I know it could be something that you might never want to discuss but being an outspoken person who so far stood for the right of ordinary and helpless don't you agree with me for a man of his stature it's a bit unbecoming of him to act the way he acts? What is it that he plans to achieve by having the ego that is larger than him?

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  27. It's great that both of you could shake hands, talk.

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  28. Hi MaM,

    Guess with Facebook, now the world of blogs have become somewhat more old school. Hehehehe. But glad to see you've given the wise advice to Erra there. Hihihi.

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  29. Gee Marina, wish I was there so that I can meet you. You are my favourite blogger. Keep blogging!

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  30. Men keep their daggers ... in their pants most of the time.

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  31. The answer is simple.Men keep their daggers between their legs.

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  32. wow, that was quite an event - you meeting nurul izzah! she did bring herself well i guess :)

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