~Italian Art & Photo Exhibition~

Holiday is just around the corner. My last paper, which is also the toughest paper that I will be facing will be "justified" this Friday. I have an idea of going to this Italian Art & Photo Exhibition right after my paper, as it will end around 11 a.m.. Anyone interested to accompany me? Just drop me a message and let me know, okay? Here is the detail of the exhibition:

Italian Art & Photo Exhibition On The Occasion of the
Italian Language Week In The World, 8th Edition

Date :	7 to 16 November, 2008
Time :	11.00am to 6.00pm
Venue :	5th Floor Exhibition Hall, Wisma Kebudayaan SGM, click here for map
Admission :	Free
Organisers :	Soka Gakkai Malaysia, Italian Embassy
Enquiry :	03-9075 6876 (Ms. Joanne Foo)

Since 2001, the “Week of the Italian Language in the World”, under the High Patronage of the President of the Republic of Italy, has been the main international event promoting the Italian language worldwide through the network of Embassies, Consulates, Italian Cultural Institutes, University departments of Italian and Italian schools abroad. It has grown ever more successful, with 1500 events in 88 countries for the 2007 edition.


This year, the Embassy of Italy in Malaysia & SGM will showcase an exhibition of 38 etchings by Bruno Starita, one of the most renowned Etching Master in Italy and a very famous representative of the Italian artistic and cultural heritage, along with 9 samples realized by his pupils.


The Malaysian public will enjoy a photo exhibition of the 19th century Italian photographers Fratelli Alinari (Alinari Brothers), who photographed for decades the architecture, artistic heritage, landscapes and towns of Italy. Through the exhibits displayed we will have the opportunity to admire the most famous Italian “piazza” or open public squares such as Piazza Navona in Rome, Piazza del Campo in Siena, Piazza della Signoria in Firenze, just to mention some of them. Information panels will introduce the social and cultural relevance of these Piazzas and its significance the Italian culture and civilization.


In fact since the early days of ancient Rome the “piazza” (or the “forum” as it was named in Latin) has always represented the very heart of all the villages and cities in Italy: not only a marketplace, but also the most important meeting point for people, the main venue for political activity, philosophical controversies, social encounters as well as the preferred setting for musical and theatrical exhibitions. Even nowadays, the ‘piazza’ still maintains its fundamental role as the social, political and economic symbol of the hundreds of cities and 8000 municipalities that make up contemporary Italy.

Source: Soka Gakkai Malaysia

Kingdom of Heaven

Well, yesterday I watched one of the movie that I borrowed from UKM's library - Kingdom of Heaven, starring by Orlando Bloom(Balian, in the movie) who is also a member from SGI. This story is about the fought between Christian and Muslim for Jerusalem. One of the sentence that caught my attention was "What man is a man who does not make the world better?". Indeed, we, as the wisest living being on Earth, if we could not make the world better, we are not the wisest living being at all. The world should go better, not the other way. Think of this yourself.

The story started with Balian's wife committed suicide at the same the Balian's father(who is the lord) visited him. His father is on their way to Jerusalem and asked him to follow him. Balian rejected his offer at first. Then, he changed his mind and murdered the priest(who chopped off his wife head and took her cross, what kind of priest he is? I don't know) and decided to follow his father's path. He wanted to clear off his and his wife's sin in Jerusalem, which they believe that.

Things happened, his father dead and he took over his father's position as the Lord. During the war between Salahuddin(the Muslim key person) and Balian(who is protecting the Jerusalem fort after the death of the King and that silly Guy de Lusignan defeat against Salahuddin), many people died. Salahuddin army is outnumbered compared with Balian's but Balian fought with his wisdom and his heart to protect the people of Jerusalem. After a few days of fighting, Salahuddin come out with few terms to request Balian's surrender which he promised Balian's people can be safely return back to their own place. Balian agreed under these terms. Well, one of the funny sentence came out from the bishop of Jerusalem before their negotiation was "Converge to Islam, repent later". This is an act of a coward.

I believe Balian's fight against the Muslim was not to defend his territory but the people inside the fort. To him, defending the city is not for the stone or the Holy place, but is the people. If everyone could think this way, we can save many innocent lives.

He also mention this, "Be without fear on the face of your enemy, be brave and upright the god may love you, speak the truth even it leads to your death, safeguard the helpless." My eternal mentor - Mr. Daisaku Ikeda also said that youth must have courage to strive, roar like the lion's roar. Strive without fear! We must be upright no matter what we are doing. We must make a change to this world, a positive change which is a must! Poverty is making the society goes haywire, robberies, break-in, or even pick-pockets are all because of poverty. If this is solved, world peace is just around the corner.

Clinique FreeBies For You!

Hey all, doing free advertisement for Clinique, Allergy tested;100% fragrance free product. Haha..
You will get a Free Superdefense SPF 25/PA+++ Age Defense Moisturizer travel size sample.. While stock last though... Be Quick!

Just go to http://www.clinique.com.my/sd1/freebie.html and fill up a very simple form. They will immediately send you an e-coupon for you to redeem your age defense moisturizer. Quick quick!!

Tales of Malaysia (Comic Version) ^^

Well, thanks to Zunar, the artist who creatively drawn all these. Have lots of laughter!