My name is Omar Mukhtar, #The12YearOldAuthor, and I’m a British-born Malaysian…
Even though I was born and bred in the UK, I am still proud of my parents’ birth country – MALAYSIA! I’ve always felt a strong connection to my roots, and from the very first time I set foot on its soil, I’ve experienced things I never would have experienced anywhere else!
When I was little, I used to think that there was no place better than England, and the mere thought of travelling abroad made me shiver! But my trip to Malaysia proved me wrong, and I’ve never been more proud of my Malaysian background! My first book, ‘My New Pair of Eyes’, documents all of Malaysia’s glory.
‘My New Pair of Eyes’ is not just a book…I wrote #MNPOE as a gift to Malaysia, and to show my appreciation for my roots. Through my humble writing, I wish to convey how proud I am of my heritage! My journey was truly unforgettable, and I just had to share how brilliant the culture, years-old traditions and kind, welcoming people were!
#MNPOE is not just a recount of my time in Malaysia; it’s the story of my unforgettable journey around a beautiful country with the power to change the way a little boy who didn’t even want to go to heaven looked at the world forever! It’s my homage to the amazing culture of the country and the people in it!
I don’t like to think of Malaysia as just one big chunk of land…I think of it more like a combination of different ‘kingdoms’, each one beautifully diverse and unique, with its own ethnicities, dialect, culture, historical background and cuisine! I’ve only explored a tiny part of Malaysia, but I’ll definitely be back for more!
In honour of 62 years of MERDEKA, I pray not only for the prosperity of Malaysia and Malaysians, but for the preservation – and CELEBRATION – of its heritage, because to me, that’s something that all Malaysians should definitely be proud of, and something we should all hold on to before it is lost forever!
“There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.”
This was a quote by William Shakespeare, and it has a very good meaning behind it.
There are 7.6 billion people on this planet, and we have different backgrounds, culture, heritage, religions, skin colour, eyes, hair, fingerprints, but we have one thing in common: we are one race – THE HUMAN RACE.
Have you been in that situation where you’ve seen someone do something you found impolite, rude, or some other negative thing like that? Well, did you acknowledge the fact that their culture could be much different than yours? Almost every day, someone in the world judges another person without respecting their differences. In my eyes, this is quite cruel and careless, for not only are we judging them, but we are also claiming that they should be the same as us! We are all unique; God has made us this way, and this way is PERFECT!
Speaking of differences, here are some strange customs from around the world.
Cutting a potato with your knife in Germany will insult the host of a dinner party
In Saudi Arabia, burping after a meal is considered a compliment to the cook
In Cambodia, Egypt, Jordan and the Philippines, leaving a little bit of food on your plate is polite; giving back an empty plate will be taken as an insult, suggesting that you were not given enough food
To show that you have enjoyed a dish of noodles in Japan or Hong Kong, it is best to slurp loudly whilst eating
The Greeks throw baby teeth on their roofs
Nicaraguan people point with their lips
To ward off evil, people in Greece spit on the bride at a wedding
Sikhs wear a bangle all the time, even in the kitchen. Some Sikhs also carry a ceremonial dagger (not intended to harm others, but a sign that they should stand up for goodness)
Shocked? Me too. But, all this goes to show that we all do things for a reason, however strange or contrasted to our customs they may be. So we should all stop judging people and instead show some kindness to them by respecting their culture, customs, religion and basically who they are as a person. So next time, before you are about to judge somebody, remember that each of us is unique, and keep in mind that ‘there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so‘, because if we do, then TOGETHER WE CAN CHANGE THE WORLD!
p/s: What do YOU think about this? Does your opinion differ? Feel free to drop a comment and share your thoughts!
Because the one week school holiday started, I really wanted to do a fun activity. I was being ambitious and wanted to fit another project into my jam-packed time table. But, I had dozens of things to do. People were visiting, Mrs Mom and Mr Dad had lots of work to do, I had to look after Little Miss Diva and Baby A and I ALSO had a Drama Club rehearsal to attend! WHEW!!! I was definitely worn out after everything!
Although I had a very tight schedule, I still wanted to do something lively. So, Mrs Mom and I searched and searched. That’s when Mrs Mom said “Why don’t we try baking?” And that’s how I came across something called Onde Onde!
Onde Onde is a type of Malaysian dessert or Kuih. They are small, poached dumplings in the shape of balls that are coated with shredded coconut. The pandan, which they are infused with, adds an amazing flavour. The brown palm sugar filling that floods your mouth with scrumptiousness makes them simply irresistible! It’s almost like it bursts in your mouth! They are little bites of satisfaction and deliciousness! YUM!!! 😛
Because I’m so passionate about my wonderful Malaysian heritage, I decided to use Onde Onde as my inspiration and concoct my own creation-with Mrs Mom and Dr Auntie by my side! So, instead of the Kuih Onde Onde, I turned the classic Malaysian favourite into…Onde Onde CAKE! It’s something bigger and bolder! I’m sure lots of people will fall in love with it!
Now I know what most of you are thinking. What is the recipe for the cake! Well, I’m truly sorry but I can’t give it out to other people. It is TOP SECRET TPL business only! However, there is one thing I can share…my first time making it! Let’s get to it!
The first thing that I had to do was chop up a couple of pandan leaves and grind them with a pestle and mortar. It was hard work but I eventually managed to do it! I also needed to add a splash of water whilst I was grinding. This was to get the pandan essence out of the leaves.
Next, I had to strain the leaves and squeeze them so the essence would come out and drip into the cake batter. It gave the cake a light green colour and a fantastic aromatic smell. The remaining crushed leaves were discarded because no one likes something gritty and chewy in their cake, at least I haven’t met anyone who does!
After the batter was mixed thoroughly, it had to be equally divided into individual cake cases. I had to be careful with the amount that I poured in. Too much batter and the cake would be all over the place!
Then, I sprinkled some desiccated coconut onto the tops of the cakes. This was to add some extra crunch in the cakes. It also had a nice, fresh flavour, which goes great with pandan!
I also scattered some Malaysian palm sugar or Gula Melaka over the coconut. It adds sweetness to the cake and it almost has a decadent caramel-like taste. It is also very fragrant.
All I had to do now was wait for it to cook. So, Mrs Mom set the timer and put the tray of cakes into the oven. When Mrs Mom bakes cakes, she has her own special way of checking if they are cooked brilliantly. If she pokes a skewer into one of her cakes and it comes out clean, that means that they are perfecto!
Finally, the cakes had finished baking in the oven! The finishing product didn’t look flawless as it was my first time making it. But, it still tasted delectable! There was a hint of sweetness from the palm sugar, crunchiness from the coconut and a wonderful smell from the pandan! And to top it off, once I have polished my baking skills and tweaked the cake a bit, I can hopefully start selling my cakes to the public! So, maybe you might be able to get your hands on one of them!
To conclude this post, I would like to share the recipe for the original Onde Onde. It’s fun, easy and great to eat! Here is the video:
Sorry guys, I’ve got to go now! It’s the first day of school tomorrow and I need to get my beauty sleep! But, I hope you’ve enjoyed reading this post! Don’t forget to try out the recipe for Onde Onde! See you later!
p/s: Follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @thepawsomelion for regular updates!
*Media Sources: Google Images, YouTube & The Pawsome Lion*
~ Na Yas, for igniting the fire of art back in me & making me realise the importance of culture!
~ Mrs Mom, for your guidance & endless support!
and my fellow Kelantanese…
The History of Wau
Wau (pronounced wow) is a type of traditional Malaysian kite and is seen almost everywhere in Malaysia. The Wau has been flown by the Malays since the 15th Century until today. The common townspeople first started flying it before the news got to the royal family.
A Malay kite is a combination of the best of skilled workmanship, dazzling colours and decoration. It shows the creativity of the Malays and their talented craftsmanship. Some people believe that the word ‘Wau’ came from the Arabic letter ‘Wau’ because one of the Wau’s wings looks like the outline of the particular letter. According to a funnier story, when the first Westerners visited Malaysia and set eyes on the kites in the sky, they shouted “Wow!” and the name had stuck ever since.
Wau can come in many different sizes and is traditionally flown by men. A Wau normally has a stringed bow attached to it and when it is flown, it makes a soft, wailing sound. The average height of a Wau would be at least 3.5 metres, which is as big as a man! Some of the kites are so big that they need two grown up men to handle them! It is definitely not a schoolboy’s toy due to it’s size. The Wau looks fascinating when the sun’s rays touch it for it makes it’s colours shine.
In the past, kite flying was a seasonal event and was held after the harvest of rice. They would usually be flown over the paddy or rice fields. According to a folk story, farmers would fly the Wau at night to lull their children to sleep, making it easier for them to work. Another story says that farmers used the Wau as a scarecrow to prevent birds from eating their crops. Some kite makers also leave a Wau flying and fall asleep to the humming sound that it makes. Rumour has it that if a Wau is flown, it will bring the spirit of wind and sky.
Based on my research, a Wau is usually flown by two people at a time. One person will hold the Wau while the other person called the ‘juru anjung’ or the controller will hold the rope. The juru anjung will pull the strings for a short period of time until the Wau is successfully flown.
Variations of Wau
There is a vast range of Wau in different parts of Malaysia. The most common one is called ‘Wau Bulan’ which means ‘Moon Kite’. The Wau Bulan is originally from Kelantan, one of the states in Malaysia. Some other ones are also called:
WAU PUYUH (QUAIL KITE) KELANTAN
WAU DODO HELANG (EAGLE’S CHEST KITE) TERENGGANU
WAU JALA BUDI (WOMAN KITE) KEDAH
WAU HELANG (EAGLE KITE) PERLIS
WAU MERAK (PEACOCK KITE) JOHOR
WAU KUCING (CAT KITE)
WAU KAPAL (BOAT KITE)
WAU DAUN (LEAF KITE)
And lots more beautiful kites that rule the skies…
Although Wau comes in all shapes and sizes, the motifs and designs are versatile to one another. The Wau creator brings out the variety of patterns and vibrant colours through the use of flora and fauna motifs that would definitely amaze anyone who sees it.
Wau Bulan
Wau Bulan (Moon Kite) is the most popular and favourite type of Wau in the Malay community. It is an intricately designed Wau mainly with floral motifs. If you look at the shape of the Wau Bulan properly, the lower section of the Wau looks like a crescent moon. Therefore, it was called “Wau Bulan”. Given the right colour, when flown, Wau Bulan apparently resembles a rising crescent moon. Another reason why the society referred to it as Wau Bulan is because of its appearance which is like the moon flying high and its size which is definitely larger than any other kite. This makes the decorations painted on the body to be visible when it is flown high in the air. To make it more distinctive, Wau Bulan is normally decorated with large, strong-coloured patterns.
Apart from that, the popularity of Wau Kucing (Cat Kite) is comparable to Wau Bulan. Obviously, it has got its nickname through the resemblance of the kite with a cat. The bow will be mounted on top of the Wau Kucing so that it will release a loud humming sound like a cat when it flies in the air. According to the myth, Wau Kucing is believed to have the power to scare away evil spirits and it could predict the weather forecast too.
WAU KUCING & IT’S MAKER
Do you know the Malaysia Airline System’s logo? Well, if you look carefully at it, you can see that they have featured a Wau in it! The type of Wau was the Wau Kucing. It’s a rather clever way to represent their country, through the country’s airline system’s logo! The Wau itself was shown in a very attractive way. It was a background for the actual name of the airline. It also used the country’s flag’s colours. That must be the reason why Malaysia Airlines is known throughout the world.
Wau Bulan is so popular that there is a folk song dedicated to it which is called Ewau Bule. It is normally sung in Dikir Barat style. (If I were to describe Dikir Barat, I would say that it’s a kind of traditional Malaysian style rap.) The Ewau Bule song depicts Wau as a rich, cultural heritage of the Malay community and together, both Wau and the art of Dikir Barat music are steeped in Malay tradition. They may look like a kite but the creation of Wau is much more complicated and delicate. Complimenting the song, “teraju tiga” or the three joined strings to each edge on the kite are synonymous with the Wau Bulan or moon-shaped kite which magnificently flies through the open sky. There are many versions of this popular song but this particular one which is the most latest, sung by Iwere featuring Noraniza Idris is my favourite.
Wau Bulan is one of Malaysia’s national symbols, some others being the Kris (Traditional Malaysian Dagger) and Hibiscus (Traditional Malaysian Flower). I’m sure that everyone from Malaysia knows this but on the reverse side of the fifty-cent coin of Malaysia (1989 series) features an intricately decorated Wau Bulan with a hummer on top. Not only that, at the back of Malaysian one Ringgit banknote, the Wau Bulan is also depicted in it. It is very clear that this country tries it’s best to send the message of their tradition around the world. They put their most important and most beloved thing that they have in their country and start showing it in airline logos, songs, coins, banknotes, stamps and many other things. Thanks to all their hard work, Malaysia has made the whole world know about their traditional kite which we now all adore.
Wau Bulan and Me
Wau Bulan and me, it was love at first sight! I can still remember the excitement whenever my best buddy Dadajee (my maternal grandpa) came over to visit me every year. With him, he would always bring presents and gifts for me. But I will never forget that particular year when he came with a strange package. It was fairly big and was inside a box that he had made himself. The box was specially made so that the contents inside would not get damaged. The shape of the surprise was a bit quirky and it looked weird to me. I just couldn’t guess what was inside. I was very sure though that it will be something that I would like. Then, Dadajee opened it for me and revealed not one but TWO Wau Bulan! He then said “You see these, Little Pawsome Lion? Well they’re Wau Bulan! There’s one for you and one for your school!” That’s when I met my love at first sight.
The colour of the Wau Bulan that I chose for myself was a very bright red with other vibrant colours and lots of swirly and detailed patterns. And from what I can remember, the other one which I chose for my old school (Moseley) was a blueish colour with lots of patterns too. I purposely chose the other one for my school because the colour was similar to the school logo. It looked like it was specially made for them.
At first, I didn’t know what Wau or Wau Bulan was until Dadajee told me about it. He even gave me one as a present! I would like to thank my Dadajee because he was the one who brought Wau Bulan into my life. The only downside was that it wasn’t real because when my grandpa opened it, I asked him, “Where’s the string, Dadajee? We can’t fly it without that!” So then he said, “Sorry little Pawsome Lion, it’s only a model! The real one is too big to be brought by aeroplane. It’s man-sized so how would I possibly bring it from Kelantan to England!” That news didn’t effect me that much. I was so grateful to my grandpa because it would be anyone’s dream to receive a Wau Bulan as a present and my dream came true! I still have the wau today! If you see mine then you’ll think that it’s just like the real Wau Bulan!
Well, that was many years ago. When I moved to my new school in May, the first project that I had to undergo was to produce a piece of artwork for the Art and Design Day! The best piece of artwork would win a prize and would be displayed on the wall in school. I didn’t know what to make as I haven’t been creative for a while. All I knew was that I wanted to show my new school something which represents me the best. I kept thinking and thinking until Mrs Mom reminded me of the love of my life! That’s it!‘ I thought. I figured out that if I had the right resources – PVA glue, buttons, paper and a traditional Malaysian batik sarong – I could make a collage of a Wau Bulan in a jiffy!
So, Mrs Mom kindly gave me her traditional Malaysian batik sarong and Mr Dad also gave me one of his canvases. I then sketched the outline of the Wau Bulan on the blank canvas. Then, I cut out small pieces of batik sarong to be pasted on the canvas. I also used some buttons from my art box. When I finished, Mrs Mom brought out a bamboo skewer which she normally used to make chicken satay from the kitchen. When I saw that, my idea bulb suddenly turned on! What could be a better way than to finish off my artwork using the bamboo skewer as a hummer for my Wau Bulan? Now, my Wau Bulan collage looked real and outstanding! The best part of all this was when I received the Art Achievement Award for my first Wau Bulan! Until today, my artwork was displayed on the wall in my school alongside some other pieces of artwork, where everyone could see it.
So, that was supposed to be my first and last piece of artwork for 2015 until one sweet day, I met a great artist from Bristol which inspired me to pursue my arty side. Not only that, she also made me realise how important culture is. She is 1/2 Persian and 1/2 Thai. She is called Yasaman Haghighat! She is very kind and supportive. It’s like I’ve known her for years. I call her Na Yas which means Auntie Yas in Thai language. I also found out that she made lots of different types of art that had a cross between Persian things and Thai things through a blog, http://www.sirinyas-thailand.de
She included a lot of detail in her pictures and you could see everything that she did. She didn’t just paint on paper and canvases, she also painted on coffee tables, bowls, fans, coffee coasters and heaven knows what else. Anyway, I found out that she liked to draw and paint mythical creatures and she made a lot of pictures, kinda like Caroline Jariwala.
So I thought, ‘I like to make arty things and I’ve already made a Wau Bulan. And, if I look at Caroline Jariwala, she made 89 individually sculptured owls! So, if I can manage to make what I did last time, and this time multiple times, I can one day be like Caroline Jariwala or Na Yas!’. So, I gathered the resources that I had last time and started making it. Unfortunately, it got a bit messy and there was glue all over the place!
Choc-a-lot! A Tribute to Chocolate…
When I was thinking of the idea for my second piece of artwork, I thought, “What could be better than to keep the Wau Bulan as a symbol to represent my identity?” I also thought that it would be great to stick with the collage technique. Since our theme at school for this term was the Aztecs and I recently wrote an article about chocolate, I believed that it would be a great idea to produce a piece of artwork as a tribute to chocolate!
My second Wau Bulan was made out of…CHOCOLATE WRAPPERS!!!!! (now my pantry is filled with chocolate!) The brands of chocolate that I used were Mars, Twix, Kit Kat, Snickers, Galaxy and Cadbury Dairy Milk Caramel. So, what I did was take the chocolate and then I carefully tore open the wrappers so that it wasn’t ripped. Then, I cut the wrappers in a particular shape so that I could stick it onto the outline of the Wau. After that, when everything was covered, I stuck on the extra bits like the bamboo skewer, which was the hummer, some Kit Kat foil, gold chocolate wrapping as the ruffles on the side and a bunch of other things…
Hard Work Does Pay Off!
What makes hard work pay off? It’s none other than support from other people around you, appreciation and also the recognition from them. Other than that, the ability to motivate other people through your hard work is the most important of all. As usual, when Hazel saw my second piece of artwork, they all gasped and said “Wow!”
I also grabbed the chance to show it to the Senior Leadership Team. I brought it to Miss Prince (Acting Vice Principal), Mr Shephard (Acting Exec Principal), Miss Stringer (Vice Principal) and Miss Quinn (Wellbeing Leader). As soon as Miss Prince saw me with the big A3 size portfolio folder, she knew straight away that there was going to be something exciting. As soon as they saw the Wau Bulan, they were very impressed! What surprised me the most was when Mr Shephard gave me something that I wouldn’t think that I would ever achieve. The Executive Principal’s Award!!!!! And the best part of all is that he said, “This is the first ever Executive Principal’s Award that I have given out!” I felt so honoured and gratified to be rewarded for my hard work. This has surely motivated me to work harder in the future because hard work does pay off!
To The Moon I Fly…
When I first thought of writing an article about Wau Bulan, I had no idea that it would take me this long to do the research. I have to admit, I am struggling to find resources for my article! It is a bit challenging than any other piece of writing that I’ve done before because I have to do a lot of research from scratch as I don’t know much about the topic. But, after all the hurdles, I managed to complete it in just one week. Even though it has taken a lot of my time and lots of sacrifices, I could proudly say that all the research and hard work which I did on Wau Bulan has made me learn a lot more about Malaysia’s heritage. It helps me to connect back to my beloved Kelantanese roots. I wish that this article will raise the awareness of how important it is to preserve our precious heritage! We should all be proud of our own culture and not be ashamed to speak our own language/dialect.
My mission is to inspire more people to explore their beautiful culture through my artwork while my vision is to produce more Wau Bulan artwork in the future so the world can witness the beauty of it! If I can manage to do all this, then together with the Wau Bulan, to the moon I fly…
Last but not least, enjoy a song written by me which is dedicated to my beloved Wau Bulan (special thanks to Mrs Mom for your assistance in helping me with all those difficult Kelate words and also act as my loyal translator)!
The “WOW” Wau (Original: Kelate Version)
I mari doh, I mari doh, Adik kakok sehak ke dok?
I ni budok baru belajar, Kalu saloh tulong ajar.
Duduk nulih dale selimut, Sejuk ketar palo lutut.
Hari hari makey ubi, Teringak sungguh beras wongi.
Tepak beranok hok I saye, Kapung asal koho saye.
Cair kecek ore putih, Bahaso Kelate tetap buleh.
Mari pakat denga belako, Mari lah pakat denga belako.
Now I know what most of you are thinking. What is the recipe for the cake! Well, I’m truly sorry but I can’t give it out to other people. It is TOP SECRET TPL business only! However, there is one thing I can share…my first time making it! Let’s get to it!
The Pawsome Lion 