yoyo ~

Dear Shah,

It has been very cold and wet today, but we still managed to take Molly and Butzi for a walk. Yoyo has found a cozy spot on a chair under the little table where I have put your lamp. We had visitors for dinner on Sunday and the lamp gave a lovely warm ambience to the corner of the room. I love watching the red globs move up and down, break apart and reform -- fascinating.
I have just received some good news, confirmation that a creative piece was accepted for the 4th annual AAWP writing anthology. It will be launched in November. I have just sent off a 25 word biography, really only room for name and institution. A little positive reinforcement feels good. I hope your visa application goes well. We had a circular today that mentions your conference here in November at Adelaide Uni. It will be great if both you and Wokar make it.

Cheers, Christine

keep busy ~

Apa yang menarik, proses ‘perkelanaan’ konseptualisasi ‘moden’ memerlukan percaturan peripentingnya pengekalan sistem dan fahaman ‘patriaki’, sungguhpun ia mampu dan perlu diubah dan disesuaikan mengikut peredaran zaman. Adalah jelas bahawa kegusaran untuk mengubah persepsi bahawa peranan wanita semakin ‘menyetarai’ kelas eksklusif ‘patriaki’ pada zaman moden hari ini, boleh mencipta siri ‘ancaman dan ugutan’ terhadap sistem gender yang berkiblatkan tradisional. Adalah jelas bahawa salah satu elemen yang membentuk pembangunan sosial masyarakat adalah wanita. Namun, apa yang perlu dipersoalkan ialah dominasi dan cabaran ke atas imej wanita. Sebagai contoh, penyerlahan imaginasi yang bercantum dengan budaya kepenggunaan kapitalis bakal memberi impak pasca moden yang melihat wanita menjadi sandaran kepada kepelbagain imej. Peluang untuk kebanyakan wanita di Malaysia khususnya orang Melayu hari ini melibatkan diri dalam sektor industri menyaksikan ‘pengkelasan’ wanita Melayu sebagai objek pemodenan keluarga, dan pada yang sama dilihat sebagai ‘ancaman’ kepada perpecahan keluarga, serta ugutan dominasi ‘patriaki’ dan sistem gender tradisional.

home again

Dear Shah

Arrived home just before midnight last night -- very weary. But we had a wonderful day yesterday, in spite of some rain. We visited the Treasury Museum, Fitzroy Gardens, Melbourne Museum, State Library of Victoria (Dome and Medieval imagination Exhibition -- stunning), Federation Square, South Bank and wonders of wonders The Eureka Tower. We also walked until my legs gave way and my feet were agony with blisters, but I bought first a new pair of boots which were just as bad, and then a pair of cheap flat shoes which were soft and bliss on my burning feet. We caught the last bus to Avalon at 7-40pm.

That, in itself was a wonderful ride. There were only about half-dozen people on this huge double-decker and Sam and I took a seat each, on the top deck, at the front. The night-lights of Melbourne were spectacular, especially from the top of the Westgate Bridge. Flight went out late at 10pm. This morning I got up early for my shift at radio RPH. Now I'm really tired. I'm sorry I did not attend Rosja's presentation. I meant to but we had barely begun at the Treasury Museum and Sam did not want to change his plan and hike back in that direction so soon.

However, I was really impressed with yours and I'm sure Chris and the rest of the supervisors are very happy with your progress and plans for your next step in the research. I also learnt something from the way Rachel structured her report and from Wogar's presentation. The suggestions and feedback from both staff and students must be very useful in clarifying thoughts and directions. You seem to be involved with a supportive and happy working group. Please thank the convenors for allowing me to attend. I must go and get to work on the structure of my proposal, so that I can talk to John MacC.

coherently about what I am trying to do. My abstract was not accepted for the Uni of Melbourne Conference (AntiTHESIS) in July. The convenors suggest they had twice as many applications as they had places for on the day, and mine did not fit into a category with any others. They suggest I might like to make a submission to their journal later in the year, but my whole reason for applying was "performative," rather than an analytical report. Ah, well, I've done enough gadding about for the time being.

Well done again on your presentation. And thank you for the chocolates -- naughty of you to be so extravagent, but Sam and I both appreciate the gift -- we are both chocoholics.

Cheers, Christine

-----------------------------------

Dear Shah,

I hope your visa application goes well. I cannot see how it shouldn't. Thanks for the link to zoo competitions. Sadly I am not eligible --only undergrads. I bought Jeff Lewis' book on cultural studies -- very interesting, especially towards the end on transculturalism. I ordered it through Amazon and it arrived very quickly and much cheaper than I could have bought it here. It is a second hand copy, with a few pages already highlighted, but in very good condition.

It is very windy and rainy here. Dogs may get a walk later, but I have much to do today and must return some books to Flinders. A long way to go for a few books. On Saturday night I went to a beautiful performance in the Space of the Festival Theatre. It is called "Impulse" and combined the Zephyr Quartet (strings, four musicians) with six dancers from the Leigh Warren Dancers. Very innovative exploration of the space and patterns of movement. No narrative except what each spectator brings to the performance, just logical, mathematical, lyrical statements. I was very happy with the experience.

I am about to work out what I would like to attend in the OzAsia Festival in Sept/Oct. Hope you are well.

Cheers, Christine

Letih tapi seronok....hahaha..dah lama betul kan tak tulis apa kat sini...anyway, ia satu perkara biasa...bila dah terlalu sibuk sampai perkara-perkara kecik pun lupa nak buat...minggu betul-betul sibuk...apatah lagi GRC pun dah nak dekat..masa tu laa kena buat preparation betul-betul..tak nak laa buat setakat melepaskan batuk di tangga...bila buat kerja, kena hasilkan dan perform sesuatu yang terbaik...hmmm...next week Christine dan Sam datang....lama betul tak jumpa Christine...last jumpa ketika summer tahun sudah...malangnya christine tak dapat bawa Molly dan Yoyo...kalau tak mesti seronok...

tahun ni kena siapkan beberapa kerja yang tertangguh...terdapat beberapa fakta dan teori yang perlu di kaji sehingga ke akar umbi...dan paling mengejutkan aku terpaksa membaca semula karya-karya agung melayu walaupun rata-ratanya sudah diterjemah ke dalam bahasa orang kulit putih..tak kisah laa tu...last aku membaca karya-karya ini ketika di form six..alamak, teringat pula rakan-rakan ketika menuntut di Maktab Adabi Maharani...walaupun sekolah tu buruk dan kemudahan tak mencukupi, tapi aku terhutang budi betul sebab ia menjadi platform penting untuk aku mencapai cita-cita...aku masih ingat lagi bagaimana kami terpaksa memujuk beberapa kenalan di sekolah kerajaan biasa untuk rujukan soalan-soalan lepas STPM...kelakar betul....

ke mana agaknya mereka semua? Emy gemuk, Adriana yang cantik (malangnya dah ada anak dua), Ajak, Am, Fadzil, Zul Zam Zam, Bob, Zam, Azmi dan ramai lagi...hampir semuanya aku dah lost contact..kalau terjumpa semula di tengah jalan mesti rasa macam tak percaya....seakan baru semalam ia berlaku..walhal sudah lebih 12 tahun....hmmm...mungkin cuti musim panas kali ini aku akan ke muar...mengutip kembali kenangan di tepi Tanjung Emas dan Wetex parade..hahaha...ayat macam sasterawan...entah hapa-hapa...aku sebenarnya masih lagi menunggu jawapan dari Pittsburgh..tak tahu sama ada aku layak atau tidak untuk dapat fund tersebut..harap-harap berjaya....tapi aku tak meletakkan sebarang harapan..terlalu jauh dan berkos tinggi...tak apa lah...yang penting kerja-kerja aku di sini siap dan menepati jadual..tak sabar rasanya nak balik dan membetulkan semula kurikulum di Jabatan...semuanya sudah tersasar dan tidak menepati apa yang aku harapkan...tapi tidak mengapa...ia satu cabaran dan cabaran itu memang menyeronokkan..

christine is coming :P

Dear Shah,

What fun! Sam has a few days off before he starts his new job, so we are coming to Melbourne next Thursday and Friday for a break. He has just booked the flights and accomodation. If I may, I will come to your conference on the Thursday, but I must spend the Friday sightseeing with Sam. Should I register with the organisers for Thursday? I would also like to hear the keynote speaker. I asked Sam to give me plenty of time to get to RMIT by 10-30pm for your presentation, so we are getting the earliest flight.

Cheers, Christine

christine says:

hi shah

just hit the wrong button on the laptop. i'm balancing it on my chest and typing with one finger. and i have the wrong glasses on to see at the correct distance. how's things with you? we had hailstones and buckets of rain last night. you'll be back for the cold weather. 3am i was cleaning up after having friends over for dinner. had alovely time and both alex and sam came to help out and meet friends. i'm thinking of sending an abstract to the uni of melbourne for a conference in july - based around a performance piece i wrote a while ago -- antithesis. i have my paper written for conference in two week's time at newcastle. only problem is presenting in powerpoint. sam is going to help with the transfer since it's my first attempt.

how is your work coming along? have you managed to collect all the data you require? i'm interested to know the outcome of your research. it should be very enlightening about viewing patterns. has your teaching gone well? There is a picture in today's paper of the autumn leaves at mt lofty botanical gardens. mylor, too, is very beautiful. the leaves are deep red and crispy brown this year. very little yellow. a product of the water shortages over summer, i think.

hope you are well. cheers, christine

-------------------------------------------

Dear Shah,

Thank you for the beautiful postcards. I am pleased to hear about your project and never doubt that your network of subjects will prove very interesting. Persist and you will find what you are looking for. Do your best with the teaching and all will be well. You will find that nothing of substance will have slipped your brain when you need it. Yesterday I spent the day in Melbourne. So sorry you were not there, but I caught a 6am flight, the Skybus to Southern Station, walked up Bourke Street and turned left into Swanston Street, had breakfast at the State Library, spent four hours in research on a text in the rare texts reading room, then reversed the travel and was back in Adelaide by 5-15pm. A wonderful day and I learnt heaps. Thank goodness for cheap flights.

I must go. My brother and sister-in-law have a week of their holiday left. I must be sociable.
Cheers, Christine

--------------------------------------

Dear Shah,

I was wondering about the crossed emails, but did not take it too seriously. You are doing well with your research, to have come so far.I like the new statement you have finally nutted out with your supervisor. My research has stalled, for various and complex reasons. At the moment I am concentrating on getting my paper for the Newcastle Conference down to twenty minutes. It "hurts" to cut my beeyooteeful composition (about 5,000 words), cut out my "darlings" and leave nothing but fish-bones (3,000 words). But I must be ruthless.

("Ruthless" that is an inadvertant play on words because my supervisor is called Ruth and we are not doing too well together at the moment.) In effect, I have talked to the Literature Department and I am thinking of transferring there, but I have until the end of May to weigh my decision. I am thinking of sending an abstract for a conference called "Antithesis." I think it's in July at Melbourne Uni. Also will be happy to see you when you come to Adelaide. We have a spare room now, if you need a bed for a few nights. Frisky finally passed away peacefully a few days ago. She hung on with good appetite much longer than expected. A good innings. When the warmer weather comes, we think we will get another puppy for Molly, another kelpie. They are such smart dogs.

Tomorrow I am going to a wedding -- the daughter of very old friends. Sonia was born just before Sam. Alex escorted her to the Year 11 and 12 formals. It is a very grand affair at Ayers House. I spent today looking for something dressy to wear. I hate shopping and I am going to hate even more teetering around in stupid court shoes. But the speeches should be fun and the bride and groom (Jason), no doubt, exquisite. Val is fine, and the boys. Mum is coming for a meal on Sunday because it is Mothers'Day. She has a cataract operation on Tuesday. I go to Newcastle from Thursday to Monday next week. I am looking forward to the workshops and everyone's papers.

Cheers for now,

Christine

christine says:

Hi Shah
Good to hear from you. Off to Malaysia already? Good luck with your plans. Of course you are welcome whenever you come to Adelaide. I've been meaning to contact you, but it is Writers'Week in Adelaide, and I am spending my days in the tents by the Torrens near the Festival Centre listening to authors talk about their work. It has been extremely interesting so far. Last night I heard Peter Carey, Paul Auster, Siri Hustvedt and Ian McEwan at the Town Hall. I did enjoy the occasion.

My work proceeds slowly. However, I know what I am doing (I think) and it is just a matter of hanging in there and doing the work. I have had an abstract accepted for a conference on "Art and the Real: Creative Nonfiction" in Newcastle in May. I must work steadily towards that (with other things) and do the best I can. My brother, his wife and my nephew came last week but have gone again, touring around the coast road and then on to Canberra to my sister. Alan, my nephew, wants to visit Sydney where he has a friend to see. They will be back anon (to use the old Shakespearean word).

Again, all the best for your research.
Cheers,Christine (Val and the rest)

PS It is very hot but maybe we will take Molly for a walk when Val gets back from squash.

--------------------------------------------------------

Hi Shah,

Is your boss-lady still keeping your nose to the grindstone? In other words: How is your research coming along? And your teaching responsibilities? I hope all is going well. March was a wipe out with Writers'Week (great culture) and my family from Scotland being here. They went home to cold and snow and my brother emails that they all have colds. My nephew, Alan, had a good break. He is twenty-three now, in fact three weeks separate him and Sam in age. This was his first holiday in four years, since he started working at Lairhillock, a posh restaurant near Aberdeen. He is a fully qualified chef now and did some reconnaisance in Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney for work as a chef. He's gone home to apply for a two year working visa with a view to immigrating, if he likes it here. Nice lad, with a broad Scots accent, as have my brother and sister-in-law. Look what I escaped!

My mother is getting older. At the moment she is trying to decide whether to stay in Adelaide or move to be near my sister in Canberra. She is going in for a cataract operation in May -- nothing dramatic. I went to see a play last night, at the Dunstan Playhouse -- very funny. By Joanna Murray-Smith, "Female of the Species." I would swear she's been sitting in on my computer and pinched my notes on Lacan and Freud, not to mention Joni Mitchell and turned them into hilarious archetypal characters. I've also had a great time listening to old albums, from "my era" -- the late Sixties and early Seventies. Couldn't afford to buy music then, so I'm catching up now. When are you due back in Melbourne? You'll be just right for winter coming. The weather is fine and cool right now. Just come back from walking Molly on the Mylor Oval. Someone said: "that's a good looking dog you have there." And she is.

Take care. Cheers, Christine

selepas jer melantak McD untuk kali yang ketiga dalam minggu ni aku pun bertapa semula kat dalam office..mula-mula ingat nak siapkan saringan soalan untuk kumpulan fokus tapi rasa malas-malas kucing laa pulak..so aku menghabiskan masa membaca berita semasa dalam dan luar negara..kang tak update rasa macam tak best laa pulak kalau berborak dengan rakan-rakan yang sewaktu dengannya di Malaya nanti..esok pagi aku nak pergi bayar itu tiket flight..aku harap kali ni boleh clear semua bayaran tersebut..kalau tak dapat tarikh yang sesuai terpaksa laa aku beli tiket sehala jer...senang siket keje aku..at least, balik Malaysia nanti bleh dapat discount kat travel agency dalam kampus nanti..kih kih kih...bijak tak aku..

esok apa aku nak buat..? oh aku inga tnak kemaskan meja aku siket..aku rasa meja aku laa yang paling teruk dalam ofis ni penuh dengan barang-barang pameran...nasib baik che temah, kura-kura plastik yang aku beli kat Brunswick tu menjadi penyeri mejaku ini...dan juga che mek molek, replika burung kiwi yang dihadiahkan oleh si Tawakal sewaktu dia pi merayap ke NZ tahun lepas..kalau tak dengan sudu, kotak biskut, kertas note sana sini, menambahkan lagi kehodohan mejaku ini...oh ya, aku nak beli apa ek nak bawak balik ke Malaya? aku ni bab shopping paling lemah sekali...rasa macam nak tido jer bila dengar perkataan shopping..kalau boleh nak shopping online jer..takde laa nak menyusahkan aku nak pergi sana-sini lepas tu kena angkut berat-berat...aku ingat nak beli benda-benda simple jer laa kot..atau aku bawak nota atau artikel ilmiah sebagai buah tangan..baru laa nampak akademik sikit..keh keh keh...

Kalau aku dapat tiket 5 Mac ni aku ingat nak pulang ke Kota Tinggi sekitar 7 Mac..tapi ada tiket bas ke nak balik kampung? jangan sampai aku kena naik Airasia pulak...tak larat laa...harap-harap si Miss boleh dapatkan tiket balik kampung tu..tapi rasanya ada banyak bas tambahan kot..kalau tak dapat tiket maka punahlah impian untuk pi mengundi kat Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandar Easter tu...hehhehe..sebut pasal SKBE ni rasanya dah hampir lapan belas tahun kami tinggalkan sekolah..teringat waktu kami lumba lari setiap kali balik sekolah sekitar tahun 1985 hingga 1990. Dan juga aktiviti yang boleh membuatkan kami terbahak-bahak ketawa sebab memang kelakar giler bila jadik budak Felda ni...sebenarnya ada perbezaan antara kehidupan sebagai anak Felda dengan anak kampung..apa pun aku tetap gembira dan bangga jadik anak Felda...

Isk...berdebar-debar pulak aku nak balik ke kota tinggi ni..mesti ada banyak perubahan kot...tapi perubahan macam mana? mana tahu dah ada LRT ke kat kota tinggi tu..eh mengarutlah..kalau nak ada LRT pon rasanya kena tunggu sepuluh tahun lagi...itu pun kalau ada...tapi bak kata Miss acara yang paling mendebarkan ialah bila bertemu rakan-rakan lama waktu sekolah dulu ketika membuang undi..masa tu laa semua sibuk bertanya khabar (soalan bonus - bila nak kawin - rasa nak cepuk jer sapa-sapa bagi soalan cepu emas ni) dan aktiviti yang dilakukan sekarang ini..ceh, macam betul-betul jer aku ni dok bercerita...walhal bila habis jer mengundi terus jer balik rumah buat taik mata..sama seperti aktivit yang aku sering lakukan kalau balik beraya..kih kih kih...

yer laa nak buat apa lagi kan..semua member dah ada family dan aktiviti khusus yang depa nak buat..so aku pon taik mata laa disamping melakukan kerja-kerja pembaikan yang lain..contohnya, menonton televisyen, membaca komik Dragon Ball, mencari album-album gambar lama (kononnya nak menyingkap memori semalam, lepas tu kena marah dengan mak aku sebab buat sepah kat ruang tamu), membaca surat-surat dari rakan-rakan ketika bersekolah di Muar dahulu, mengira balik berapa banyak pen dan trofi yang aku terima setiap kali majlis penyampaian hadiah berlangsung (riak laa siket, keh keh keh), dan banyak lagi laa...

lepas tu makan sekejap and then tido balik...dan perkara yang sama berulang-ulang sampai laa hari aku nak balik semula ke Malaya...nak buat macam mana kan..nak pergi shopping kat Felda tu mana ada tempat pun..takkan laa aku nak melepak dengan pakcik-pakcik kat warung kopi kat gerai-gerai yang dekat dewan raya sana tu haa...lain laa kalau aku nak masuk politik..boleh laa aku jadik mesra rakyat siket...tapi kan, nak tak nak aku kena jugak jadik mesra rakyat tapi di kalangan wanita ajer laa kot sbb kajian aku lebih berkisar kepada wanita dan media..cis, ni penyelia aku ler punya pasal sibuk suruh aku kaji pasal wanita...tapi yang lawak, president/VC uni tempat aku belajar adalah wanita...boss besar tempat aku keje di Malaya pun wanita...

begitu juga ketua di Jabatan aku kat Malaya pun wanita...school tempat aku study sekarang pun diketuai oleh wanita..begitu juga dengan pengarah penyelidikan dan ketua unit pengajian Asia (yang juga merangkap penyelia aku)..pendek kata start aku belajar waktu first degree dulu sampai laa sekarang semuanya diuruskan oleh wanita...that's why aku selalu confuse memanggil erwan sebagai erwanita....(kih kih kih kutuk siket)..dan sebab itu jugalah tema aku sekarang ini ialah 'wanita sumber ilham selalu'...alamak, lapar pulak laa ...apa aku nak makan? walhal aku baru jer makan banyak benda..teruk betul laaa.....okay laa kita sambung nanti....bye :P

~ hujan turun rintik-rintik

Hari ni hujan turun...dah lama aku menunggu saat ini...musim panas macam ni seronok betul kalau hujan..teringat kat kampung...tapi hujan kat sini takde laa selebat macam kat kampung aku...masa aku perabih zaman kanak-kanak dan remaja kat Kota Tinggi dulu waktu hujan laa paling tak seronok..sebabnya tak boleh keluar bermain...tapi bila dah meningkat dewasa waktu hujan laa paling seronok sebab ada masa untuk berhenti seketika dari berbuat sesuatu..contohnya tengok tempias air hujan kat tingkap...

pagi ni aku bangun awal betul...rasanya dah hampir seminggu aku tidur awal...rasanya kalau kat KL mesti aku orang yang akan bangun paling awal..masakan tidak, kalau ditukar waktu maunya aku bangun pukul 4 pagi...tapi okay laa tu kot..bangun pagi pun seronok apa..mujur bilik aku takde air-condition...kalau tak mesti aku bangun pukul 10 pagi....hai tak sabar betul aku nak balik Malaya...jumaat ni aku ada appmt. dengan Brian..harap-harap laa pakcik tu bagi respon baik sikit...kalau tak terpaksa laa aku delay flight aku lagi....

The summer days are gone too soon...

Dear Shah,

Great to hear from you. Summer seems to have disappeared from Adelaide too. We've used our heater for the last three days; it has been cold. However, not much rain. It pelted on Thursday in the city. The carpark at Target was leaking with sheets of water on the top floor, but it did not rain at Aldgate. More rain would be good. I had been at uni in the morning returning a script to one of my colleagues from creative writing (I saw Katie C and John McConchie in the Plaza). Then I went into the Barr Smith to read a book in their rare book collection because the copy that was a Flinders has gone missing. While it rained I had lunch at Knoodle -- very tasty.

I sympathise with your supervisor problems. At least you are well ahead. I have yet to define my project and present my proposal. I am cross this milestone has not yet eventuated and would feel happier and more secure about what I am doing if only... Still, I am working towards an absract for a Creative NonFiction conference at the Uni of Newcastle in May, and hope it comes to pass -- focused work at least. Two nights ago I went to see the Bangarra Dance Theatre at Her Majesty's Theatre. It was a brilliant experience. The work is based on Indigenous Culture and the dancers seemed to breathe at one with the Land -- recreated with a wonderful set and lighting effects. The performance was at the same time deeply traditional and ultramodern in style and movement. The contemporary music score is superb. The outing put me in the mood for The Fringe and Festival of Arts, and of course Writers'Week here on the Torrens River by the Parade Ground.

I had a great holiday and enjoyed my stay in Canberra with my sister -- civilised kind of city. But I've come back to many admin and working chores -- concentration required. My brother, his wife and my nephew are arriving from Scotland at the end of Feb for a month's stay, mostly to see my mother who is growing frail. Val and Sam are busy clearing the middle room of Sam's stuff so we can make a spare bedroom. So if you do make it to Adelaide for a break, remember you are welcome here. The washing machine is also on its last legs. It is funny to see it hopping about the laundry and whining like a jet engine. The smell of burning wires is appalling. Val has ordered a new front-loader which arrives on Monday.

Molly is pleased I am home; I think the "boys" have not bothered to walk her properly. Frisky is holding her end up well for her age. Yoyo and Merry are cuddlesome and adorable as usual. Alex is moving to a house near the Ashford hospital and sharing with two friends. He will be much closer to his work in the city, have more space and be closer if we need to fetch him for anything (he still does not drive). Gotta get some work done now.

Cheers, Christine

greeting from Amina ~ Scotland

Hello Shah,

thank you for the greeting e-mail. Australia might be so far away, but once you test it and you meet those wonderful friends you can never forget them. Sorry to hear you are not going to UK to study, but I am sure your time Down Under will be more rewarding and enjoyable. So, the very best of luck with your new position. Everything here is going ok, in my free time I travelled to some places in Scotland, there is the megabus, a cheap bus that gets you everywhere. I attached some pictures of Edinburgh. I hope to get some good results for my project, so I would like to present in Australia. How is Deljian doing? Please give her my greetings.

Take care, amina

an e-mail from Peter Kemp ~

Hi there Shah
I like your list and LOVE your pithily cryptic captions...OK, here goes my list:

1) Meet Me in St Louis: for Judy Garland at her heart-tugging best, and because it's about the family I never had.

2) The Night of the Hunter: the age-old battle between utter Evil and benevolent Good, as witnessed by the fairy-tale-like innocence of children.

3) Mary Poppins: the most philosophically profound film ever to emerge from Hollywood: magical. mysterious, joyous, politically subversive, and genuinely sad.

4) Notorious: Hitchcock's glamorously sexy, emotionally complex suspense classic with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman at their peak.

5) La Belle et la Bete / Beauty and the Beast: Versatile Jean Cocteau weaves a visually sensual cinematic spell around a classic 17th Century children's-fable-for-adults...

6) The Awful Truth: the supremely talented Cary Grant once more, matched every step of the way by gifted co-star Irene Dunne in Leo McCarey's witty, giddily romantic, deeply meaningful screwball farce.

7) Rio Bravo: Howard Hawks's almost transcendental 'chamber Western' about the heroic potential of friendship and 'making negatives into positives'.

8) Une Partie de Campagne / A Day in the Country: Jean Renoir's sublime and sensually charged adaptation of a 18th Century Guy de Maupassant short story into what can be justifiably claimed as 'a perfect film': idyllic, benignly good-humoured, pantheistic, unbearably poignant.

9) Happy Together: Wong Kar-Wai's iridescently hued psychodrama addresses many different kinds of love between three different kinds of men, who also, incidentally, symbolize three different kinds of 'China-ness'. An existentially tuned post-modern classic, superbly lensed.

10) Topsy-Turvy: Mike Leigh frames the story of Gilbert and Sullivan staging 'The Mikado' around a richly observed, wonderfully funny, humanly bitter-sweet, musically splendid portrait of life in the theatre, life-as-theatre. theatre-as-life. One of my favourite endings to any film.

Cheers, PETER KEMP

Canberra ~ another postcard from Christine

Hi shah,

Just thought I would show you an aerial shot of Canberra. I'm impressed with the city. Yesterday I swam in the Murrumbridge River at Casurina Sand ~ lovely. Today up early and looked at the City Centre, before walking around Lake BG to the National Museum ~ brilliant building. Bus travel so efficient - if you have a bike, easy.

Cheers, Christine

Canberra - a postcard from Christine

Dear Shah,

Canberra is a beautiful city ~ vey clean and excellent bus service. I've been doing the sighst in the morning and working in the Chiffley Library at the ANU in the afternon. The Australian national Film and Sond Archive was very interesting. I went to Old Parliament House yesterday and the Bushfire Memorial. Today visited the Bus Market.

cheers, Christine

penatnyer

selepas berhempas pulas selama lebih 3 minggu akhirnya aku berjaya juga siapkan struktur kasar ulasan susastera utk tesis...hehehe..sukanya aku..walaupun aku tak jamin tepat atau tidak mengikut keperluan school tapi aku rasa macam okay..keh keh keh..apa laa...tapi not bad laa..at least aku dah tulis sekitar 10k...cuma aku nak menyuntik ayat-ayat menggoreng bagi nampak ayu siket...cuaca hari ni sedang elok..tak panas dan juga tak sejuk...aku ingatkan nak pergi ke Melb. Central beli baju tapi aku melencong ke bookshop...hari ni sheryl takde..selalunya mak cik tu laa yang sibuk tolong aku tempahkan buku....rasanya dia off kot...aku dah tempah empat buah buku...nasib baik dah dapat elaun untuk beli buku..at least berguna jugak buku-buku yang dibeli tu nanti...

laptop aku dah meragam sejak akhir-akhir ni..mungkin dah terlalu banyak virus yang kurang ajar menyerang beliau dari segala sudut..hehehe...takpe..tunggu laa rosak...nanti boleh beli Mac...ceh perasan..macam ada banyak duit nak beli Mac...nak tak nak kena la kumpul duit dari sekarang...aku inagt nak pergi merayap ke rumah Rosya laa esok..tapi tak tahu pulak mak cik tu ada ke tak..kalau ada boleh laa aku ajak si zam pi merayap sekali...bosan betul akhir-akhir ni..rasa macam nak balik kampung ajer..harap-harap Chris balik cepat dari Thailand..aku nak suruh dia baca jugak ulasan susastera yang aku dah buat tu....kalau tak lambat laa nanti..aku nak semuanya selari dengan pelan yang aku dah rancang....

Thanks Christine for cheering my life :)

Dear Shah,

Thank you for your e-mail. Sorry the weather is getting to you and your literature review is a pain. It will get better when you can talk to your supervisor. We are at Falls Creek just now. I can receive e-mails but cannot sned them - so a postcard. We move on to Thredbo on Tuesday. After a forthnight there, Val is goping home and I go on to my sister's in Canberra. I return to Adelaide in early February.

Keep cheerful, Christine

summer's words from Christine

Dear Shah,

Thank you for the short story: I will read it shortly. I have also finally downloaded the attachment you sent about supervisors. I can't do it from my laptop inside but I have done it now in the "study." There are many useful tips there. Hot here also. Fortunately, we are air conditioned because I have been cooking and cleaning today. Some of my old school chums, teachers with me from 1975 to 1983, are coming tomorrow for a small celebration. We meet three or four times a year and all have children about the same age. It is good to relax and chat with friends.

Yesterday, Val, Alex, Sam and I went to see "The Golden Compass." I was disappointed. It is nowhere near as satisfying as the books. The script is pretty awful, although the mise-en-scene is rather lush. None of the characters were well rounded, nor did they grip my heart. Some nice special effects and some terrible repetitious ones. It's a pity Miyazaki Hayao did not get a hold of the rights and animate the story. That would have been stupendous. Phillip Pullman's polyvalent trilogy could be done justice to in anime. However, we did have gourmet woodoven pizzas beforehand in O'Connell Street -- very tasty. We've eaten lots of icecream to counter the heat, not durian, though. My favourite is vanilla.

Cheers, Christine

The Famous Five

Dear Shah,

I probably learnt to read on Enid Blyton. When I was at primary school in Nairobi libraries were non-existent. I remember a "collection" of books contributed by parents and friends from various sources, to keep children busy when set work was done. "Five at Smugglers' Top" was my first chapter book and I smuggled it home and finished it under the bed covers with the aid of a torch. Subsequently I discovered the kids next door (a family with five or six children), had most of the author's books. I begged and pleaded to borrow them, until I had read them all. Both my brother and I adored Enid Blyton.

I also used to devour my brother's "Biggles" books, about the ace World War pilot and his adventures. These days the 'political correctness' of such stuff is suspect, but I didn't care. Appalling maybe, but such fun reading, like the "Harry Potter" books. I read all of Enid Blyton's books to Sam when he was small. Both Sam and Alex also enjoyed Arthur Ransome's "Swallows and Amazons" series, about the adventure involved in messing about with sailing boats. Blyton created two sets of children's adventures. The Famous Five -- Julian, Dick, George, Anne and Timmy the Dog -- and another set of children who went to more exotic places abroad than the Famous Five.

I forget their names, but the books were "The Castle of Adventure," "The Island of Adventure" and so on. Kiki the Parrot is the main non-human character, adding more than a touch of humour. You told me the names of the children have changed for the Malaysian version, and for Uncle Quentin the 'do not disturb I'm busy' mad, bad-tempered scientist. Somewhere I still have Sam's box of Blyton books. He liked collecting them.

Cheers, Christine

summer days gone too soon....

At last, my task in Adelaide is over.

I went to adelaide last week for my delayed graduation ceremony and I have had so much fun for the entire six days with Christine and Tristan. After twelve months since I left Adelaide, everything still remained the same as it was. Yeap, the smell of summer scent and windchime sounds in Adelaide hills. I've seen a lot of awareness growing inside myself about emotional sphere. That dynamic of structure of feeling will lay beneath inside me and it will not gonna be changed forever.

summer greetings

Hi Shah,

The weather is great at the moment, but it will be hot by the end of the week. I'll meet you at 12 noon on Thursday in the Plaza. I'm happy to take you to Raffles House afterwards. I remember the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Not that we ever went there -- too posh. But I think you could see it from an oval near a big swimming pool where we went to watch a tattoo -- once upon a time, a long time ago. Cole has been in touch about the get together on Tuesday, after your graduation.

See you on Thursday, Cheers,Christine