New entry at (please click) rubyahmad.blogspot.com

Please click THE WOMEN'S SUMMIT 2006





Cheers,

Ruby.

Please click Emily of Emerald Hill
















Cheers,

Ruby.

www.kakiseni.com

Madam Chair and HUSBANDS VS WIVES

My dearest gang,

I was quite enthusiastic over the weekend, (not a usual occurence when it comes to blogging), that I actually posted two entries!! Wow! I am utterly surprised with myself indeed...hmm.. Anyway, the latest was 'Madam Chair' and please scroll down for the other entry, 'HUSBANDS VS WIVES'.

(Thank you Fizzy for your lovely suggestion to do a hyperlink here. That's the spirit of growing together).

Enjoy and cheers,

Ruby Ahmad.

HUSBANDS VS WIVES

My dearest gang,

I have posted HUSBANDS VS WIVES on rubyahmad blog. Please click rubyahmad on the right column and please scroll down and click rubyahmad again.

Enjoy and cheers,

Ruby Ahmad.

Gol and Gincu

My dearest gang,

TKC old girl, Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir (DPMM) won an award for the film, 'Gol and Gincu' during the recent 19th Malaysia Film Festival (FFM19) for 'Most Popular Film'. Gol and Gincu also grabbed 'Best Supporting Actress' award in Sazzy Falak. Kudos.

DPMM who is my old TKC friend, is the co-executive producer of Gol and Gincu. I was watching FFM19 that night, 13th of August, and when I saw DPMM receiving the award, I was most excited!! I was clapping and jumping up and down (worse than a child!!)...ha ha ha...and immediately sent my message of happiness to her. Lovely really.

Ok then, so what is Gol and Gincu all about? Well here's a short synopsis from Kakiseni.com for those who have not seen it, (maybe now you should!!):

'From self-centered fashion diva to heroic futsal captain - Gol & Gincu follows the journey of Putri as she discovers what really matters in life. Dumped unceremoniously by her sports-crazy boyfriend, Putri schemes of winning him back by becoming a futsal player herself. Initially she is deemed clueless and rather bimbo-esque and has to take a few hard knocks along the way. Working with her futsal team, she learns the difficulties and prejudices faced by women athletes. Ultimately she comes out victorious, as she becomes a stronger person and discovers the winner in her, both on and off the pitch'.

Still full of excitement, I got in touch with DPMM recently and managed to talk about her recent success. Here's an excerpt in Q and A style for easy reading:

Q:Why Gol and Gincu, my dear?

A:I read the script by Rafidah Abdullah on a flight from Singapore to Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea and just loved it. It made me laugh and cry. I thought that, although not perfect, it was different and reflected the reality of urban young people's lives better than most Malay films. To me, everything starts with the script. So I decided that I would help produce it with my 3R partner Lina Tan.

Q:What was the most difficult part of making GnG?

A:All the bureacractic things you have to do. Getting it past the Censor Board for instance. There wasn't anything to censor really but we thought we'd better make sure so we went to see the Board early and gave them an outline of the story and asked them about the one thing we thought they might be sensitive about which was one of the side stories about incest. Since we didn't actually show anything, they were fine about it. Then there was the whole thing about getting a screening date from FINAS. We needed a certain date because we were planning our premiere but we weren't sure of getting it because there were other films also slated for release around the same time. So I had to call and talk to them and in the end they said OK.

Q:What was the message you wanted to get across to our youths?

A:Basically, just like 3R, it was a movie for young women to show them that they should stand up for themselves, that everything did not depend on the approval of others, especially men. Also we wanted to show women playing a very popular sport, futsal. It was really funny because when we had the premiere, one of the Sports Commissioners came to represent the Minister for Youth and Sports and afterwards he said he didn't realise that futsal was so popular with women. But every year for International Women's Day, 3R organises the 3R All-Women's Futsal Tournament and we get something like 65 all-women's teams from all over the country participating!

Q:Were you successful?

A:It's hard to know if the messages were successful but the feedback from audiences have been good. We did a roadshow to promote the movie and it was really interesting how different audiences in different parts of the country responded to it. Obviously urban audiences responded to it better because they related to it better. I was asked a lot why we made such an urban movie. I said, why not? If you try and make a movie which the entire country relates to, then you're going to get an unrealistic wishy-washy movie. Better to make a good urban movie this time, and a good rural movie next time. In any case, winning the Most Popular Movie award must say something about the appeal of GnG!

Q:What's your next movie?

A:I don't know yet. I'm not in the business fulltime. Lina, my partner, is producing films all the time with her Red Films company and I know there are some interesting ones coming up.If she needs me to help, I will. We are both interested in making good Malaysian movies, in any language.

Q:What message this time DPMM?

A:I believe movies should always have a social message of some kind so I am interested in movies that make people think, that empowers them especially women. Yet 'thinking' movies are what people in power find challenging, they'd rather have the sort that lulls people into complacency or are just idiotic entertainment. Yet so many Malay movies have damaging messages which nobody challenges. I asked the Censor Board why they let go a movie in which the female perpetrator was raped at the end. And they said, "But she liked to talk about people!". I pointed out that rape is a crime in our country and is the movie saying that if you don't like someone, you can break the law by raping them? They had no answer to that!

Thank you my dear. I can't wait for your next movie.

Q:Can I make a cameo appearance in your next movie, sweetie?

A:Ruby, erm, we will see.

Aah...potential stardom at last!!

Thanks and luv ya.

Positioning Malaysia in the World Arena

My dearest gang,

I was invited to attend a discourse on 'Positioning Malaysia in the World Arena' held at Perdana Leadership Foundation in Putrajaya on the 9th of August, the keynote address was delivered by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Please click rubyahmad on the right column for full write up, then scroll down and click rubyahmad again.

Cheers,

Ruby Ahmad.

Wangi Jadi Saksl

My Dearest Gang,

I have posted 'Wangi Jadi Saksi' at www.rubyahmad.blogspot.com. Alternatively click rubyahmad on the right column for full write up, then scroll down and click rubyahmad again.

Cheers,

Ruby Ahmad.

MGC/TKCOGA Inter-Alumni Bowling

My dearest gang,

What a fabulous sight seeing all the participants busying themselves in all the 22 lanes. Yes! All warming up ferociously, for the first MGC/TKCOGA inter- alumni bowling challenge 2006 held at Sunway Pyramid, on Sunday 6th August.

Eleven alumni took part in this challenge and they were (in no particular order) :

1 Sekolah Seri Puteri
2 Sekolah Tun Fatimah
3 SMS Sultan Hj Ahmad Shah
4 SMS Selangor
5 Tunku Kurshiah College
6 Penang Free School
7 Malay College
8 Sekolah Dato’ Abdul razak
9 Sekolah Alam Shah
10 Sultan Abdul Hamid College
11 Victoria Institution


Bowling is certainly one of the few games that can be played irrespective of gender at competition level.

The President, Puan Sri Fauzah Darus (K Fauzah) welcomed everyone with a wonderful ‘KISS’ (keep it short sweetheart) speech. She was heartened by the wonderful response from the respective alumni. She felt this was a good platform for us to interact and network. She expressed the importance of extending the hand of friendship and keeping in touch to enable us to work together towards common goals especially in the areas of improving the standards of our alma mater. As the old malay saying goes, ‘Bersatu kita teguh’ (United we stand).

With the President’s speech the bowling competition was officiated.

Before participants started, it was heard that the emcee (yours truly) gave some word of advice to the already anxious and excited participants:

1 The objective was to hit the pins in front of them as many as possible. It was repeated, IN FRONT and not behind them!

2 For those who persisted in sending the ball down the ‘longkang’ as we call it..ha ha the exit door was shown, should the participant(s) wish to disappear discreetly out in utter shame.

3 The emcee had it on good intelligence that some or rather a particular woman’s team tried to convince Shalin Zulkifli that she belonged to their alumni (illegally that is)..and if Shalin was spotted, that team would be severely dealt with!

4 Participants were philosophically cajoled by the emcee, into believing the old saying that ‘Winning is not everything’ but almost immediately in the same breath, some parties heard the emcee whispered to the TKC teams that ‘Winning is the only thing’!! Ha ha ha!

While I was mingling, Ghazali Abd Rahman from SDARA, in hushed tones, told me he noticed that whenever any of the men’s team were positioned to bowl beside any women’s team, somehow the men’s team did not score very well. We thought hard together and wondered why? We could not somehow get any answer as to why indeed!

Then there was some kerfuffle with individuals who belonged to two alumni that day, and could not decide as to which jersey he should don on. One such person I happened to catch in action of being severely grilled by his team was Nasir Ali (he studied at both Penang Free School and Malay College). Ha ha ha.

The lovely President from Sekolah Seri Puteri, Datin Hamidah, graciously donated special gifts for Presidents of respective alumni as token of friendship.

Also spotted was Stupe (Lim Ee-Van, who came with his lovely wife), who made special effort to attend our function even though his RMCOPA troop could not participate in the challenge. That was sweet of him.



Whenever I felt the strain in my eyes after long hours of peeping at the results on the monitors, anxious as to who was leading, I would look out for any Penang Free School team member (only from the men's team). Don't get me wrong!! I simply needed to gaze at their soothing cool baby blue team-tees that they all donned on for the challenge. They were quite a stunning looking team, that would probably make their President, Dato Abu Huraira, who was present, so proud as Penang Frees men's team (..now you know why I was looking out for them? He he) grabbed the 'Best Dressed Team'. As Mark Twain said, 'Clothes make the man'...Hmm..I will have to re-think about my clothes now!



As the emcee aptly said, when we go to war, the 'proud' drumbeats motivated the soldiers. Similarly in this modern day, it was the 'proud' cheering that pushed the competing bowlers to do their best. It was Sekolah Seri Puteri who cheered the best to win the 'Best Cheering Team'.

All around we saw handshakes of introduction and friendship, exchanges of cards in view of meeting up again, laughter, chuckles, mirth, camaraderie, shouts of excitement exchanging hot gossips, the works.

We certainly left Pyramid Mega Lanes, happy.

Congratulations to the MGC/TKCOGA Inter Alumni Bowling Challenge 2006 sub-committee for a superb job!

Hip hip hooray! 3x

Cheers,

Ruby Ahmad.

p/s Apologies to bowling sub-comm as pix from photographer did not arrive on time, therefore I have to use my own un-professional pix, which is very limited. Once photographer sends to me, I will post the sub-comm pix here.


RESULTS:

Men's Team:

First.....MCOBA-Team 3
Second....SMS Selangor-Strikeforce
Third.....Penang Free School-Team 1-STORM

Women's Team:

First.....SMS Selangor-Pinscrackers
Second....Sekolah Seri Puteri-SSPians
Third.....Penang Free School-OLD FREES 3

Individual Highest Scores:

Men's team.....Yusof-SMS Selangor.....score...669
Women's team...Noraliza-SMS Selangor..score...491

Highest Total of Strikes

Men's team.....Yusof-SMS Selangor
Women's team...Siti Hawa-SMS Selangor

Best Dressed Team.....Penang Free School-Men's Team
Best Cheering Team....Sekolah seri Puteri

Click on pix for larger view
Pix 1: Best Dressed Team (men's team that is)-Penang Free School
Pix 2: Anxious on scores
Pix3: Ruby, Lim Ee-Van (Stupe), Mrs Lim Ee-Van
Pix 4: Puan Sri Fauzah (President, K Fauzah), K Sherry
Pix 5: K Zu, Ahmad Helmy, K Che Nor
PiX 6: Crowd cheering
PIx 7: K Fauzah, Ruby and K Akmar frolicking in between duties
Pix 8: Excitement, anxiety
Pix 9: Ruby, Puan Sri Akmar (V President, K Akmar), K Che Nor

Do Not Try To Win Awards

My dearest gang,



Oh dear me...I think I am suffering from the writer's block today, (not that I am a writer in that sense)! So, what do I do? I do the next best thing, or rather the best thing, is to extract a wonderful thought from 'The world's best-selling book' by Paul Arden, my current best buddy. How wrong can one go? Ha ha ha.

I think of this thought, as quite controversial. Not many people dare think like Paul Arden, here. It is indeed a brave concept. Well...thought-provoking enough? What do you think?



Here goes:

Nearly everybody tries to win awards.

Awards create glamour and glamour creates income.

But beware.

Awards are judged in committee by consensus of what is known.

In other words, what is in fashion.

But originality can’t be fashionable, because it hasn’t as yet had the approval of the committee. Do not try to follow fashion.

Be true to your subject and you will be far more likely to create something that is timeless.

That’s where the true art lies.

'AWARDS ARE MERELY BADGES OF MEDIOCRITY' Charles Ives

Cheers,

Ruby.



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