Museum Volunteers Malaysia

Although I enjoy reading historical pieces and watching History Channel, I don’t really fancy going to museums, which as you all know where historical artefacts are housed. I find static display of historical stuff are, well, just plain boring. Big time. I simply don’t have the stomach to do that. Why I even find looking at the crocs in Ikano ever more liberating! Hmm!

I believe for museums to be more appealing, they should make their presentations interactive. You know through technology or at the very least through human tour guides. Like the The Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta, Georgia. I remembered in one section of the museum there was free-flowing of Cokes and being a true blue Malaysian who thrive on barang percuma I drank Cokes until I was really really sick. Whatever it is, that’s my kind of museum.

Which brings us to Museum Volunteers of Malaysia which since April this year have been conducting guided tours done in English and French at Muzium Negara.

The Museum Volunteers of Malaysia is a non-profit, non-governmental, non-political and non-religious group with the aim to promote public and government awareness of museums while encouraging its appreciation among the visitors.

I have been to Muzium Negara previously and did not particularly enjoy it, but recently the group invited me to tag along for a session. And whaddya know? I liked it. I like the fact there’s someone explaining the significance of various displays. I really don’t know how to describe it but having a guide in a museum tour is much better than walking aimlessly from one display to another. You tend to appreciate it more.

But with the Museum Volunteers of Malaysia, I also feel a bit malu as most of these guides are “expat moms”. The one I met, Marie Christine Tseng is French married to a Taiwanese. And she knows a lot more about history of Malaysia than me. A real alamak!!! moment for me.

Currently, the tours are done at 10 am on Tuesdays and 11am on Thursdays where they take visitors to selected sections of the museum that focuses on discovering and exploring Malaysia.

The free tours start at the front of the main entrance desk, which is the meeting point for those interested. Reservations are needed for groups and school tours while dedicated tours and activities for children and schools will be made available soon.

Marie also told me that they are recruiting more volunteers as to offer the tours during weekends.

The Museum Volunteers of Malaysia is hosted by Muzium Negara, which supports and promotes their projects and activities since their inception.

Interested to be a volunteer, you may contact
Marie Christine Tseng
Tel: 017 230 5199
E-mail: mvmqueries@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.jmm.org.my/

That's Marie (right) explaining things to a group of Vietnamese tourists

I'm no Bill Miller!

My daughters told me the other day that I'm just like Bill Miller, the father character in that American TV sitcom, Still Standing.
While I enjoy the show whenever I managed to watch it, I beg to differ. I am certainly no Bill Miller. I can be more cruel. Ha ha!

The cast of Still Standing

And you call him/her.....?

My daughters call me Bapak. They call Yan, Mak. Simple. Very basic.

Both Yan and I call our fathers and mothers, bapak and mak jugak. When I was younger, I remember that many others - friends and cousins - call their fathers, abah. At one point, my brothers and I pun musykil jugak. Why bapak?

Anyway I just remembered that my Mak Temoh called her father (my Tok Temoh) ayah while almarhum bapak called his father, abah. Macamana boleh jadik bapak ni? And get this, both my parents called their mothers, Encik. Funny, is it not? Well, in the good old days ramai my sedara mara call their mother, Encik. Why? Don't ask me. It's a Perak thing, I guess.

Apapun, there's one time when I was in secondary school and somehow I managed to incur almarhum Bapak's wrath (can't remember why though, must be something about my report card, oh well!). Bapak simply went berserk and boomed at me:

"Kepala bapak kamu!!!!"

And I just stood there trying to restrain myself from bursting out laughing. Gila nak gelak, but I was very kecut then.

Demam oh demam!

I really am bad when I'm down with fever. Even a slight fever will set me off for at least a week, hence the no show in the entry. Whatever it is, I must be thankful that my wife is ever sabar with this old man and the daughters just carried on with their lives as nothing happened despite the fact that there was an old man mengeluh tak sudah-sudah.

On another note, just to inform sedara mara and those who are interested, that blog Asma dah kembali active and Alia has created another blog (though with a friend).

And Mak Temoh will undergo her surgery on 19.9.2007. InsyaAllah.

Finally! Its Deathly Hallows Guys!

Just came back from Carrefour. Got the much awaited Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows at a real bargain price of RM69.90. No wonder MPH and Popular and Times are freaking mad. Anyway, Ali, Asma and Bapak woke up early, very very early this morning. Kalau hari sekolah memang liat nak bangun but not today.

Left home at 6.20am. Drove to Carrefour. All very very excited. Reached Carrefour. Saw two lines already formed. Dropped Alia and Asma at one line. The shorter line. By the side entrance. Good move. Happened to be the correct line. Parked car. Saw people from the other line rushing to the other line. Ha Ha.

Queue up. It's happening. Felt good. There's a loooong line behind Alia and Asma. Only about 30 people in front. But as this is Malaysia, there are several late comers who went up to the people at the front asking them to buy the book for them. Some obliged. Some don't. Like Alia. Told one off one PakCik: "Tak Nak. Not Fair lar, Pak Cik."

7.20am: Finally, the book is ours. Yay

This is ours. In a car.

Alia and the book.

Asma and the book. She's already burying herself in the book. Wait seminit. Bukan Bapak ker yang dapat baca dulu...