JOM Issue 08

JOURNAL OF MALAYSIANS DOWN UNDER

Mother Nora WOMEN OF THE SCARF

Empowering Women through Care, Love and Education

SHAM MARRIAGES BEER GIRLS VALENTINE’S STORIES MELBOURNE‘S MARKETS LONG DISTANCE RELATIONSHIPS

ISSN 2201 - 3016

9 772201 301002

ISSUE 08 FEB/MAR 2014

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Editor Joyce Ng Editorial Assistants Josh Yu, Zaw Shane Accounts & Marketing Christina Soh Public Relations Clarice Chan Finance & Legal Eddie Lee, Josh Yu Circulation Simon Gan Awesome Helper Sophia Leyz Editorial Contributors Karina Foo, Stephanie Sta Maria, Tzu Ging Yap, McRhys, Andy Ellen, Erick Ng, Lorraine, Michaela Swampillai, Karen Melissa Duncan, Lianne Letitia Zilm, Clarice Chan, Nurul Fairuz, Julian Lee Photographic Contributors Lance Vun, Josh Yu, Joyce Ng, Eric Chiang, Calvin Chua Website Designer Effective Advisory www.effectiveadvisory.com JOM would also love to thank everyone who has helped or supported and given us encouragement over the past year.

Advertise in JOM advertise@jommagazine.com.au General inquiries contact@jommagazine.com.au Work experience/ internships JOM is recruiting and is looking to facilitate work experience or internship programs. Please email Joyce Ng at joyce@jommagazine.com.au for more information.

ON THE COVER Norasiah Hassan Simkin Photographed by Lance Vun

Submissions JOM welcomes article, story, comic, joke and photo submissions. Please email your submissions to editor@jommagazine.com.au or for more information.

JOM Magazine is published by JOM Media in Melbourne Printed by Forest Printing & Trading (www.forestprint.com.au) JOM is a bi-monthly magazine.Views expressed by authors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Copyright is reserved.

Find us online Facebook www.facebook.com/jommagazineaus Twitter Jommagazine Youtube JOMmagTV Channel www.jommagazine.com.au

Editor’s Note

About Women “I am the only guy again!” lamented one of our committee at a meeting. It’s true that most of us in JOM Magazine are females at the moment. That probably doesn’t mean much really. However the fact that most of us are females inspired me in shaping the themes of this edition.

The theme and stories of this edition are shaped by a number of female-oriented events including World Hijab Day on February 1, Valentine’s Day on February 14 and International Women’s Day on March 8. This edition we feature an in-depth story on hijab – and whether it empowers or disempowers women. We are also featuring “Kak Nora”, Kuala Lumpur born Malaysian who has contributed significantly in caring for women, especially of migrant backgrounds, here in the west of Melbourne. The theme of women recurs throughout this edition.

What also makes this edition different from the previous, is that for the first time we are featuring a profile story on two non-Malaysians. Our interview with two young female entrepeneurs in Melbourne explores their journey in creating the novel concept of lychee beer here down under. According to the “beer girls”, they wish to see a new culture of beer drinking among women, which has shaped the philosophy of their invention and their business.

Also in this edition are some “cheesy” stories for Valentine’s Day written by two married women, including Kim Ong, wife of Melborne-based Malaysian Olympian cyclist Josiah Ng, and our new JOM team member Karina Foo on her “shotgun” wedding proposal, which has led her to leave Kuala Lumpur and start a new life in Melbourne. With love stories in mind, we have our love guru Lianne Letitia Zilm and newly engaged Clarice Chan share their thoughts on some love-relationship perspectives, including on long distance relationships which is an experience faced by many newly arrived students here.

I hope that articles collected in this edition will give you some new perspectives and a little food for thought as we welcome Autumn to this wonderfully diverse city of Melbourne.

Yours Sincerely, Joyce Ng Editor

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24

32

CONTENTS

10 Upcoming Events 12 JOM’s Picks 14 Inside Malaysia and Beyond Malaysian News Recap Melbourne Malaysian News

Women of the Scarf 22 Community and Culture Sham Marriages 24 Malaysian Tales Valentine’s Stories Mother Nora 34 Down to Business The Beer Girls Migration Matters

Property - Signing Your Life Away?

42 Styling Life

Top Things to do in Dandenong Ranges Melbourne’s Markets Recipe 50 Talk, Think, Laugh

Knowing your Mr./Mrs Right

Tips to keep flame burning Long Distance Relationships

If you got it, flaunt it Kurang Manis

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56

FEBRUARY 22 - 23 Feb White Night Melbourne 7.00pm – 7.00am, Federation Square whitenightmelbourne.com.au Go on an adventure in the urban jungle, and immerse yourself in light exhibitions, concerts, interactive events, and everything in between. Family-friendly.

28 Feb

1 - 2 Mar

7 - 10 Mar

8 - 9 March

10 |

(Victoria)

Soundwave Festival 11am, Flemington Racecourse http://soundwavefestival.com/ Featuring over 90 bands, the festival will have numerous genres for the hard-core music lovers including rock, metal, hardcore, punk, alternative and death metal.

28 Feb - 16 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival All day, event-based Mar www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au All ye food lovers, rejoice! The Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is back again. Culinary appreciation and indulgence at its finest.

MARCH Dream Come True K-Pop Cover Dance Contest 1 Mar Federation Square https://www.facebook.com/dreamcometruekpop Cover the K-Pop dances or the Gangnam Style, and you stand a chance to win an opportunity to fly and get close with the stars in Korea!

1 Mar

Events to Check Out

‘Most Tossed Pancakes’: Guinness World Record Attempt 11am, Flagstaff Gardens http://www.pancakeparlour.com/shrove-Tuesday/shroveTuesday Currently, England holds the World Record with 890 people tossing a pancake simultaneously for 30 seconds; the Pancake Parlour is looking for 1000 Melburnians to participate and break the record!

Centenary of Military Aviation Air Show 10am – 3.30pm, RAAF Williams, Point Cook http://www.airforce.gov.au/airshows Presented by the Royal Australian Air Force, it is a national event celebrating 100 years of military aviation in Australia, encompassing a spectacular air and ground shows. Point Cook is the birthplace of military aviation in Australia and the oldest continually operating military airfield in the world.

Moomba Festival Various times. Alexandra Gardens/ Birrarung Marr/ Yarra River https://www.facebook.com/moombafestival Moomba is the largest community festival in Australia and is one of Melbourne’s favourite events.

Rosebud Kite Festival Saturday 10am – midday, Sunday 11am – 5pm Rosebud Beach www.rosebudkitefestival.com.au/ See world-renowned kite flyers decorate the sky with super-sized maxi kites, stunt kites and single-line kites by the beach.

Upcoming Events

Good Food and Wine Festival

Moomba Festival Photo by Chris Phutully

Rosebud Kite Festival

13 - 16 March

Australian Grand Prix Various times, Albert Park Grand Prix Circuit grandprix.com.au Fast cars, adrenaline rushes, that “eeeeEEEAAAUUUuuuuu” sound sets racers’ hearts a-racing. Need I say more? Hop onto the webiste now and grab your tickets!

14 Mar - 25 The Australian Ballet 2014 Season: Melbourne Sept Various times, Arts Centre Melbourne Theatre https://www.australianballet.com.au/home The biggest Australian Ballet troop tours around Australia, showcasing the best Australian ballet including Melbourne.

20 - 21 Mar Flavour Exchange 4.30 – 8.30 pm daily, Federation Square www.flavourexchange.com.au The Flavour Exchange offers the best beers, wines and ciders Victoria has to offer. Enjoy the flavours of autumn at the stylish Atrium with a friend or two. Perfect way to kick off the weekend.

Now till 23 Mar

Melbourne Now 10.00 am – 5.00 pm, NGV International ngv.vic.gov.au Celebrating art architecture and design that is uniquely Melbourne, this exhibition shows how creative designers have impacted and influence the city’s cultural identity. An exhibition not to be missed.

26 - 30 Mar Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show 9.00 am – 5.00 pm daily, Carlton Gardens and Royal Exhibition Building melbflowershow.com.au Come on over and see the best floral landscape in all of Victoria. With over 500 exhibitors, the garden show promises to be simply spectacular.

APRIL 26 Mar - 20 Melbourne International Comedy Show Apr Various dates, events times, venues, and locations www.comedyfestival.com.au The annual largest comedy festival in Melbourne – featuring some of the best Australian and international comedians that will make you laugh your ass off!

Now till 27 April

‘Story Land’ Sand Sculptures Weekdays 10.00 am – 4.00 pm Weekends 10.00 am – 6.00 pm Frankston Waterfront http://www.sandstormevents.net/major-events-2/frankstonwaterfront/ Indulge the little kid within you and be wowed by the lifelike sand sculptures dotting the Frankston Waterfront.

Meet Peter Rabbit, Little Miss and Misters, Harry Potter, and many more characters from children’s fiction stories.

Australian Ballet 2014

“Story Land” Sand Sculptures

Welcoming BBQ Party Photo by Eric Chiang

Malaysian Event 8 Mar Welcoming BBQ Party 2pm - 4pm, Treasury Gardens A collaboration between key Malaysian student organisations in VIctoria to welcome the new students.

Upcoming Events

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11

JOM

PICKS

Photo by Eric Chiang

7 Angels Factory Outlet Women clothing store with varied choices and affordable prices Address: 111 Swanston Street, Melbourne 7 Angels is an infinitely varied ladies’ clothing store, making it a great outlet for picking up a wide variety of fashionable yet inexpensive items such as winter coats, jewellery, dresses, jumpers, bags, belts as well as shoes. Many of their items are priced not more than $25. With its’ huge clothing collection, one is able to browse for an hour and still have plenty more to see.

Photo by Aaron Logan

Roman Piazza @ The State Library Wood-fired Pizza and Gelati Where: Library forecourt in Swanston Street When: 28/02/2014 - 28/03/2014 Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm Inspired by the Rome: Piranesi’s vision exhibition, the State Library forecourt is turned into a Roman piazza.

Come enjoy some refreshingly dreamy gelato as well as indulge in excellent wood-fired pizza slices. This free event provides delicious fresh Italian pizzas and artisanal gelato for sale. While you’re at it, you can even play some bocce!

Photo by Stephen Edmonds

Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Celebration of Melbourne’s best food and wine

Puffy Billy –Australia’s favourite Steam train A journey in the past

Where: Queensbridge Square When: 28/02/2014 - 16/03/2014 Check out their programs on their website, http:// www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au/, and start planning.

www.puffingbilly.com.au

This is your chance to wine and dine to the max. This year’s Melbourne’s food and Wine festival consists of over 200 events celebrating all things aquatic, and filling restaurants, laneways, basements and rooftops in Melbourne, as well as regional Victoria. Taste some of the most amazing cuisine by the best chefs, and sample delicious wines by Australia’s top winemakers.

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JOM’s Picks

Puffing Billy is a ‘century-old’ steam train that still runs today on its original mountain track based in the beautiful mountains of Dandenong. This gorgeous location with its tall trees, ferns and fresh air makes a fantastic location for passionate romantics. Puffing Billy with its heated carriages allows diners to enjoy their entrees whilst being treated to the beginnings of a Jazz fiesta before a buffet and beverages are served at the Nobelius Packing shed. And if you weren’t feeling truly spoilt already, tea, coffee and chocolates will be served to you on your return. For more details on bookings, visit their website!

TEN OF:

Malaysian Restaurants We Like

Missing Home, Malaysian Food? No fret, with almost 70 Malaysian restaurants here in Victoria, the state with the most number of Malaysian restaurants in the world, it’s so easy to find Malaysian food in Melbourne.

Some even said Malaysian food here tastes better than back home. No matter what, Malaysian food has definitely gain popularity in recent years and have drawn many nationalities to indulge in its delicacies. Here are 10 Malaysian restaurants in Melbourne that we, JOM peeps, like.

STRAITS OF MALACCA www.straitsofmalacca.com.au/ Craving for authentic char kuey tiaw? We think we found one of the best char kuey tiaw you can find in Melbourne here at the Straits of Malacca (Prahran and Glen Waverley). Other signature dishes are ice cendol topped with durian - yummmm!! And many more quite authentic and fragrantly presented MalaysianMalacca cuisine.

LAKSA KING http://www.laksaking.com.au/ Some people say, if you want the best and authentic curry laksa, go for Laksa King in Flemington. The shop is always full with people, both locals and international.

However don’t bring an expectation that is too high - some people did so and turn out to be slightly disappointed. Anyhow, we do think Laksa King has one of the best Laksa here in Melbourne.

STRAITS CAFE http://straitscafe.com.au/ The shops, one in Doncaster and one in Wantirna, are opened and run by a father and son. Sitting in the one in Doncaster, run by the father, you hear the sound of wok frying right next to you with table and chair settings that remind you the vibe of a hawker place back home. Both cook delicious authentic Chinese Malaysian food.

Try their Hainanese Chicken Rice,

Char Kuey Tiaw, and Wat Tan Hor and more.

MAMAK http://www.mamak.com.au/ Located in the CBD and specialised in roti canai, Mamak has probably the softest, crispiest and thinnest roti canai here in Melbourne.

KOTAJAYA http://kotajaya.com.au/ “SEDAAAAP!!” This is what one of us said after trying their Hainanese Chicken Rice. Located in Bayswater, the Ipoh-Malaysian run restaurant has one of the best authentic Ipoh cuisine in Melbourne.

PAPPARICH www.papparich.net.au PappaRich is the largest franchisebased Malaysian restaurants in Victoria and possibly in Australia with six stores in Melbourne to date. From roti canai, sa hor fun, nasi lemak to satay, PappaRich provides a great variety of authentic and consistent Malaysian food with accordable price.

CHILLI PADI http://www.chillipadi.com.au/ Using a variety of herbs and flavours, and modern techniques and presentation, Chilli Padi gave a twist to Malaysian cuisine here in Melbourne yet respect its

authenticity. Chilli Padi has a few restaurants in Melbourne CBD and its fringe.

GRAND TOFU Flemington and Glen Waverley Located in Flemington and the ever-famous-food-town Glen Waverly, Grand Tofu resembles the typical Ampang Tofu in Kuala Lumpur, where you get to mix and match your own “yong tau fu“ or noodle soup. The ingredients are served fresh. Tofu variety includes stuffed chillis and lady fingers with fish mousse and bean curds, with a choice of three soup bases.

SAMBAL MALAYSIA 74, Victoria St, Carlton Prawn Mee? Bah Kut Teh? Some of us have claimed that Sambal Malaysia have the best of these.

Based on the concept of Kuala Lumpur hawker scene, eaters have returned with comments such as “it’s SO GOOOD“ and “AWESOME PLACE“.

LITTLE IPOH 360 (1st floor) La Trobe St, Melbourne Looking for authentic Malay sambal and taste? Newly opened in the CBD, Little Ipoh has all the main Malay dishes - “Mee Bandung”, “Nasi Goreng”, “Ikan Masak Lemak Cili Api” and more.

Remember to try their rendang dishes!

--

JOM’s Picks

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13

Malaysian News Recap (Dec - Jan) WRITES KARINA FOO

The decision to maintain current toll prices for this year came after increasing criticism and complaints over toll rates as one of the factors contributing to the rising cost of living.

The other factors are fuel, energy, food, transport and housing.

Last year, Works minister Datuk Fadillah Yusof confirmed that toll rates would be raised by between 50 sen and RM2 on January 1st this year but the exact quantum was not finalised.

Putrajaya had raised electricity rates by 15% and petrol prices were also upped by 20 sen per litre.

Gradual growth for Malaysia’s palm oil industry The Malaysian palm oil industry has always flourished, but this year its growth is expected to be gradual as it will depend on the purchasing power of consuming countries, their gross domestic product growth, population increase and new markets.

Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC) deputy chief executive officer, Dr S. Kalyana Sundram said that demand is factored by population growth and consumption is related to a country’s GDP. If GDP is increased, one of the first food commodities consumers will spend on is oil and fats.

The council is collaborating with FGV and Intisari Mulia International Inc, a Filipino company, to raise awareness and promote Malaysian palm oil among Filipinos.

“In 2014, we are looking for a more gradual increase.

Our traditional buyers remain the same but demand is growing especially in the Philippines and Africa.

“All this will add up slowly and surely, and help to maintain Malaysia’s share of the global edible oil market,” said Sundram.

Culture clash A Malaysian couple was remanded in Sweden since December 18 accused of child abuse. Shalwati Norshal allegedly smacked her 12 year old son on the arm in public for refusing to perform his prayers.

Together with them was Shalwati’s husband, Azizul Raheem Awalludin and their other three children.

If convicted, they could face up to 10 years jail, according to an interview with Kristofer Stahre, Shalwati’s lawyer.

Stahrer said that both parents were being held “with restrictions that kept them largely isolated by the outside world.” He added: “These are law-abiding Malaysian citizens who have raised their children according to customs and laws in Malaysia,” and that this is the result of a clash of cultures.

Azizul, a Tourism Malaysia official and Shalwati, a teacher, had their remand order extended three times.

No toll hike this year The ruling party, Barisan Nasional (BN) government decided not to raise toll rates to help curb the rising cost of living in Malaysia.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the government owes over RM400 million in compensation to concessionaires as per agreement with them.

14 |

News Corner

Their children, Aishah, 14, Ammar, 12, Adam, 11 and Arif, seven, came home to Kuala Lumpur from Sweden on Saturday. Their aunty, Shalena and her husband, Badrul Hisham Makhzan were given custody of the children.

1 in 5 Malaysians will be diabetic Malaysia could be facing a nation-wide diabetes epidemic by 2020, according to the country’s health ministry.

Based on the results of the National Health and Morbidity Surveys, diabetes could affect up to 21.6%

of adults by 2020. This will hamper productivity, thus having a negative impact on the country’s socio-economic development and will also delay the progress of achieving developed country status by 2020.

While such collateral damage already sounds disheartening, employers are losing RM2.9 billion a year in overtime payments to workers replacing those on medical leave.

Excess food and a sedentary lifestyles are of the main causes for the worrying disease which can lead to hypertension and heart problem.

Roses are red, prices are blue Malaysians celebrating Valentine’s Day could be affected by the increase in price of imported roses due to the cold weather in China and India. Roses and other flowers grown in these cold extremities could not survive.

While the country is facing an increase in prices for electricity, petrol and food, the next price hike will be for roses that are expected to surge by an astounding 200% to 300% per stalk.

Malaysian food to the world Local restaurateurs are encouraged to open shop overseas to achieve international success and to promote Malaysian food. The Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association (Presma) said that the government should highlight Malaysian owned restaurants around the world as other countries have become more open to Malaysian cuisine.

Some popular local Mamak restaurants already operate their business in Australia, Hong Kong and other countries.

Some favourite local dishes overseas include Roti Canai and Mee Goreng. Recently, the one-star rating

by Michelin Guide, an international benchmark for good food, was given to a Malaysian owned restaurant in New York City.

Exodus for 57 years Over two million talented Malaysians have left the country since Independence in 1957. In a press statement, Democratic Action Party (DAP) SecretaryGeneral, Lim Guan Eng said that over two million highly skilled Malaysians have left the country and have been replaced by more than five million unskilled foreign migrant workers from Indonesia, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Vietnam.

Lim expressed that this is a loss in exchange value in skill gaps and management expertise for the country.

Interestingly, it still does not deter some consumers as flower growers in Cameron Highlands are expecting bumper sales on February 14 (which also coincides with the 15th day of this Lunar New Year).

Meanwhile, Valentine’s Day couples are buying less roses and opting for sunflowers instead in developing countries.

Action against dengue Malaysia’s Health Ministry has implemented a nationwide Op Gempur Aedes mission to target dengue prone areas to eliminate breeding grounds and reduce the rise in those affected by the viral disease.

The Health Ministry said that the ground activity will be carried out on the same date in every state and authorities will also come down hard on offenders with Aedes breeding spots on their premises. They will face a RM500 compound for the first offence and a fine of up to RM10,000 for repeated offences.

The ministry will work closely with various agencies and the community to prevent the spread of dengue and hopefully 2014 will not be the year of the highest number of cases.

In February, the Op Gempur was carried out on the 21st, to be followed by March 11, April 8, May 13, June 10, July 8, August 12, September 9, October 14, November 18 and December 16.

The public should also be aware of their surroundings and clear up breeding grounds.

He said that the foreign migrants sent home RM20 billion in 2012, a figure expected to increase to RM30 billion in 2014.

News Corner

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15

performance and that it’s a good place for PKR towards Putrajaya. For Kajang specifically, he said that it has inadequate infrastructure that should be improved.

The Kajang seat became vacant following the sudden resignation of Kajang assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh on January 27.

Car Free KL About 2,500 people were on their bicycles, roller blades, skateboards and on foot to participate in the KL Car Free campaign.

Kuala Lumpur Mayor, Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib said the event was a success as participants were able to freely move around along closed roads without the obstruction and passing by of vehicles.

The event that was held over the Chinese New Year weekend, was created to raise awareness for city folk to leave their cars and motorised vehicles at home to enjoy travelling in the city by using other means of transport.

Ahmad Phesal hopes to replicate the examples set in other cities such as New York and Jakarta, where they have made their cities safe and convenient for people who want to go car-free.

KLIA2 could face another delay After almost a year of delays, Asia’s largest low-cost air terminal, KLIA2 may be delayed again.

About two thirds of the main terminal building has yet to receive approval from the relevant authorities amid concerns that it is not yet be fit for public use.

It signifies another delay in opening KLIA2 which was scheduled to be on May 2.

The Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd, the Sepang Municipal Council and the Fire and Rescue Department inspected the building in the last week of January and found that 65% of the main terminal did not comply with fire and safety standards.

Their recommendation is mandatory for the issuance of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC).

On February 4, Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd said in a statement that it had failed to receive the CCC for the KLIA2 terminal building from UEMC-Bina Puri.

Anwar to contest in Kajang Malaysia’s 13th general election boiled down to a close in April last year, but things are heating up in the constituency of Kajang as Opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will contest the seat in the by-election.

The election that’s scheduled for March 23, will see the voting results from the constituency which has 39,278 voters comprising 38,055 ordinary voters, 1,197 advance voters and 26 absentee or overseas voters.

Winning a state seat will pave the way for Anwar to join the Selangor Legislative Assembly and succeed the top job.

He said that he was nominated to enhance Selangor’s

16 |

News Corner

This is despite assurances from the main contractor, UEMC-Bina Puri Joint Venture, that it will hand over the terminal building or hand the CCC to the airport operator by January 31. However, the Transport Ministry (MOT) has dismissed the possibility of further delays, by assuring that the CCC for the terminal should be resolved within two to three weeks. The contractor has been asked to rectify the building errors and hopefully it can be completed within two to three weeks,” said Transport Minister Datuk Ab Aziz Kaprawi.

Our News in Roo Roo Land

WRITES JOSH YU & JOYCE NG

First Islamic Museum and Cultural Exchange The first Islamic Museum of Australia is set to open to the public on March 3 this year. As part of a cultural exchange program funded by the Australia-Malaysia Institute, a group of leaders from Malaysia visited the museum pre-opening to learn about Australia’s cultural diversity and Islam in Australia. The museum includes a section about Malaysian Muslim history and has received donations from some organisations in Malaysia including Am Bank.

The Unstoppable Josiah Ng Melbourne-based Malaysian national cyclist and Commonwealth Gold Medallist Josiah Ng suffered severe injuries at the Track World Cup in Mexico last December when he crashed in the Keirin event. The three-time Olympian suffered a concussion, broken ribs, collarbone and punctured lungs in the crash, but despite these extensive injuries, was back to training after only three weeks.

88km, 24 pianos, 12 hours Malaysian-born Dr Yvonne Ho travelled 88 km and played 24 pianos in a day as part of the “Play Me, I’m Yours” event in Melbourne. In the month of November last year, 24 pianos, decorated by community groups, were placed in different locations in Melbourne and surrounding suburbs. Dr. Yvonne Ho said she did it for ‘entertainment’ and described the journey as ‘tiring but full of fun’. The mother of two is the principal of Charteris Music School, which volunteered to play at the opening ceremony of the inaugural Melbourne event.

More Australian Tourists for Malaysia Kicking into gear for Visit Malaysia Year, Tourism Malaysia has launched its promotion campaign in 2014 with a bang at the Chinese New Year celebrations at Crown Entertainment Centre. More than 350,000 visitors experienced a glimpse of the delights on offer in Malaysia over the four day event in February. Tourism Malaysia’s Australian director Roslan Abdullah expects the event, together with increases in the capacity of low cost travel between Melbourne and Malaysia, will result in a significant increase in travel to Malaysia this year.

Bridges Collective After a successful Malaysian tour at the start of the year, the Bridges Collective brought its ‘Encounters 2014’ programme to Melbourne for a delightful performance on in February this year. ‘Encounters’ featured Malaysian and Javanese elements and instruments combined with classical Western styles to create a unique multicultural blend of East and West. According to Artistic Director Brenna Wee, the concert has received overtures to visit Malaysia again, which would happen in 2016. “My desire is for this music to reach a larger audience; the music is reflective of the merging and intermelding of cultures that we see in many people’s lives today,“ said Brenna Wee.

Malaysian Home Minister’s Visit In February this year, Malaysian Home Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi visited Melbourne to meet with Australian Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to discuss immigration and border protection issues.

As part of his visit, the Minister attended a function to meet and greet Malaysians at the Consulate General of Malaysia office. During the function he expressed his view that a two-party system is not ideal in Malaysia and downplayed the recent “Allah” issue in Malaysia by stating that Malaysia is not the only country to prohibit non-Muslims from referring to their God as “Allah”.

-Got stories or news to tell us about?

Drop us an email at editor@jommagazine.com.au.

News Corner

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17

Women of the

Scarf

In conjunction with World Hijab Day and International Women’s Day While still a student at her Catholic high school in Melbourne, Linda Husen ran into a priest known for his gift of the second sight.

She interrogated him on his faith, expecting a sermon in return but instead the priest merely smiled.

“He then held my hands and told me that he saw my future self as an influential Muslim leader,” Linda remembered. “I was shocked.

Wasn’t it a priest’s responsibility to evangelise in the hope of inspiring a conversion?”

Yet that startling prophecy strengthened her belief that Islam was her true religion and today, Linda, 33, is that foretold leader within Victoria’s Muslim community. Four years ago she also decided to commit to wearing the hijab.

“Life’s experiences had left my soul empty,” said the teacher and mother of three. “One day I poured my heart out to Allah and since then I’ve been receiving signs. I’d been putting off wearing

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Inside Malaysia & Beyond

the hijab until a lady in one smiled at me out of the blue and I knew it was time.”

The hijab debuted in ancient Mesopotamia not as a religious symbol but to denote one’s social status in that only highranking women were permitted to wear them. This social marker was further reinforced during the Assyrian civilization and the eventual dawn of Islam saw the hijab accepted as a strong cultural practice.

Through Islam the hijab - which originated from the Arabic word for “curtain” and “barrier” - finally served its true purpose of protecting a woman’s dignity and modesty. Young Muslim girls began wearing them after puberty, taking them off only in the presence of those related to them by blood or marriage.

While there is no religious compulsion to wear the hijab, Muslim women are encouraged to do so in many predominantly

WRITES STEPHANIE STA MARIA RESEARCH SOPHIA LEYZ & TZU GING YAP PHOTOGRAPHS JOYCE NG

Muslim countries, including Malaysia.

It is also within these communities that opinion is split on whether the hijab delivers empowerment or suppression to its wearer.

On one side stand women like Linda who describe the hijab as a purveyor of strength, beauty and freedom. On the other side are those who pan it as oppressive and a step backward for women.

A survey conducted by JOM among 18 Muslim and seven nonMuslim women found that the majority believed the hijab to be empowering if its wearer came to that decision of her own free will.

One respondent pointed out that wearing the hijab out of compulsion or peer pressure simply rendered it a mere uniform that held nothing more than the restriction of freedom.

This was a mistake that wellknown Malaysian author, Dina

Nurun Puteri Abdul Hamid, 19, said her family moved to Melbourne from Singapore when she was nine because of the freedom to wear hijab in Australia. Muslim girls are refrained to wear hijab in Singaporean public schools.

Survey Question: Do you wear the hijab? Why do you wear it?

“I feel safe when I wear my hijab.”

“It gives me confidence, reminds me to be grounded and shames me when I do anything that gives Islam a bad image.”

“The hijab is like a shield. It protects me, gives me confidence and pride in showing that I’m a Muslim. I’m not afraid to stand out or look different.”

“It’s a protection from becoming the person I don’t want to be. A protection against losing my soul.”

“There is a good analogy that describes the hijab wearer as a lollipop with its wrapper still intact. Once you remove the wrapper the flies (worldly evils) will come.”

Do you think the hijab empowers or disempowers women? More freedom or less?

Empowers: 24, Disempowers: 1 “It is empowering because we wear it of our own will.”

“The hijab does not restrict the way fashion and beauty does.

Instead of preoccupying women with superficial matters, it enables them to focus on religion, character and service to others.”

“Honestly, I found it restricting during the first few years.

Over time I realized that it has empowered me to become a far better person.”

“What is empowering about the hijab is that men now treat me with more respect and I don’t get harassed as much compared to before. Even the non-Muslims are more respectful around me.”

“If we do not have problems with women walking around in bikinis or men who are topless, why make the hijab an issue?”

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Zaman, once made and has never forgotten. She experimented with the hijab in the hope of impressing the conservative man she was dating. But her father saw right through it and took her to task for it. Two months later she took it off and hasn’t worn it since.

“God willing I will wear the hijab one day,” Dina, 42, said. “But I am still questioning my intentions so what I practice now is modesty.”

“I think the hijab should be worn when the woman wants and is of mature mind. I have observed the wearing and taking off of the hijab and when I ask why, it’s always due to peer pressure. Wear it when you are at peace with the idea of wearing it.”

But even suggest that the hijab limits a woman’s freedom and Dina will shoot that presumption down. In her research and work on religion, she has penned many articles about the hijab and thus met a variety of women who wear it; some of whom are far from the stereotype of a submissive, traditional Muslim woman.

“Last year I met hijab-wearing pole dancers!” she exclaimed.

“And I was offered pot by one of them. I have never pole-danced or smoked pot in my entire life. So that was a bender!”

Meanwhile another survey respondent mused that there was no direct co-relation between the hijab and freedom, and that the sense of empowerment stemmed from the individual’s understanding of Islam itself.

Interestingly though, many of those who discovered empowerment beneath the hijab pinned it down to being liberated from society’s impossibly high benchmarks of fashion and beauty. Both Linda and Malaysian celebrity, Wardina Saffiyah, attested to this.

“Modern society judges a woman mainly by her beauty,” Linda said.

Photo: Wardina Safiyyah, famous Malaysian actress, model and TV host.

Photo courtey of Sinar Harian.

“We only see what doesn’t last forever. By donning the hijab, I learn about people’s character and get to pick out the sincere from the naïve and ignorant. And I am seen as a whole person based on my intellect and character.”

Wardina, 35, who began wearing the hijab 13 years ago, admitted to initially despising what she saw as an oppressive garment.

But after years of being fawned over and subtly judged by the entertainment industry, she turned to the hijab for respite.

“I had very low self-esteem so I hid behind make up and revealing clothes,” she said. “I was respected for my beauty and nothing else. That scared me.”

“And I was sick of showing off my body and of the continuous competition with other women on beauty alone. After wearing the hijab I can’t imagine life any other way. It’s a symbol and dignity and pride for me.”

It is therefore with great satisfaction that Wardina noted the folly of those who predicted her downfall when she shed her “sex symbol” persona.

“What happened was the complete opposite,” she said.

“People embraced the different values I upheld and the different concept of beauty I propagated.”

But not everyone shares Linda and Wardina’s point of view. One respondent in our survey believed that the hijab robbed Muslim women of their power by unfairly

casting a shroud of suspicion over them.

“I remember watching video footage from the United States of America in which women wearing the hijab were treated as potential terrorists,” she said. “They don’t enjoy the equal rights as women of other faiths do.”

Some of her fellow respondents agreed that such blatant discrimination existed with one adding that the recent rise of Islamophobia has also led to hijabwearing women being refused employment.

The latest controversy over the hijab ignited in Singapore in early February 2014 when the local organiser of World Hijab Day ceased operations there amid allegations of pressure from authorities and threats to its members.

World Hijab Day was founded by a Bangladeshi American, Nazma Khan, last year and is celebrated in 50 countries as counteraction to the controversies over the headscarf.

The returning ambassador and organiser of World Hijab Day in Sydney, Rebecca Kay understands too well the discrimination sparked by the hijab. Not only has she been at the receiving end ever since donning the hijab 16 years

ago but has also had to deal with the assumption that her decision was based on her marriage to a Muslim.

“I’ve been married for 11 years and a Muslim for 10,” she said. “I only began wearing the hijab four years after my conversion which was also my own choice. I don’t understand why people would change their religion because of love.”

But the human rights advocate has found herself having to defend her “veil of faith” in front of those who believe she was coerced into wearing it and who can’t fathom why she would be Muslim when she is Australian.

“Perhaps it’s out of fear or ignorance in that they don’t understand the purpose of the hijab,” Kay, 31, shrugged. “But I get asked the second question a lot. It’s an identity crisis faced

by Muslims in Australia. For some reason Australians think that being Muslim and patriotic cannot co-exist.”

“But I know many Australian converts who don’t wear the hijab or wear the full face version. We’re just normal people going about our daily life. It’s a step we take within our faith and it shouldn’t be something that causes fear in others.”

The Islamic Council of Victoria (ICV) echo her sentiments on its website where local media are asked to refrain from emphasizing the difference between Australian Muslims and other Australians based solely on their choice of dressing. The ICV stated that most Australian Muslims don’t wear traditional clothing and painting such an impression would be inaccurate.

Another person who knows what it’s like to be singled out based on one’s dress sense is Professor Gary Bouma, a professor of Sociology at Monash University and an Anglican priest.

“I sometimes wear a clerical collar and yes, people respond differently to me depending on how I’m dressed,” he said. “But the dress is part of who we are.”

According to Bouma, there has been an increase in religious discrimination but hastened to stress that such incidents are rare and most Muslim women continue to enjoy the freedom of dress.

“A few people make it difficult for others but you can’t focus on them because then it sounds like it’s a regular occurrence which isn’t true,” he said. “Australians are low-key where religion is concerned and any indication of going against that will cause a certain level of discomfort.”

“Yet on the whole there is a very high level of acceptance of religious diversity in Victoria.

And that is what’s normal. What is abnormal are those who are negative about it.”

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Photo: Mother and daughter in a Malay neightbourhood in Ipoh, Malaysia.

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Photo: Marius Kallhardt

Sham Marriages Sham marriages exist, and sometimes, it may be the better bet.

Do not get me wrong. I am completely, 100 % against sham marriages. Not only does it chip away at the institution of marriage, but it waters down the covenants that the bride and groom make to each other. Further, it is a fraudulent act, sanctioned by the state with heavy penalties if caught.

WRITES MCRHYS

Australian immigration officials are on a crackdown, scrutinizing partner visa applications as more continue to pour in everyday. In fact, approximately 1000 partner visas were cancelled between July 2010 and June 30 2013.

I had the opportunity to meet a lady who was party (albeit somewhat unwillingly) to a sham marriage.

Manille initially agreed to enter into a ‘marriage plan’, as she calls it, with a man she had met only twice before, and only because he had agreed to provide her the necessary documentation required to enter the country lawfully. The plan was to last four years, and then they would mutually sign divorce papers, making them free individuals once again.

Seven years down the road, and she has decided to stay on. Even though her ‘husband’ has asked her to sign the papers on numerous occasions, at one point even paying for all her legal expenses, she has refused.

‘It’s simply easier,’ Manille says. ‘We share the same house, do each other’s laundry, and keep the food hot whenever one of us has to come home late from work.’

I asked somewhat guardedly, if it had anything to do with matters of the heart…. And bedroom.

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She smiled, somewhat coyly.

‘He’s a nice guy.’ That was all I could get out of her.

She declined to say more, except ‘when a better man comes along who can take care of me, then I will divorce this one.’

Hey, who are we to judge. To paraphrase the nursery rhyme, ‘…some like it hot, some like it cold; some like it in the pot, nine days old.’

Yet, others enter sham marriages to survive.

a prospective marriage visa, which allowed her to enter Australia at an earlier date.

It was romantic for the first 4 months. Their relationship soured when she realized he was a heavy drug user and chronic gambler. As he had paid the ‘bride-price’ for Alice, he felt he had control of her every move.

Alice has since sought help at a women’s shelter, but she cannot help regretting her over eagerness to want to experience life a foreign land.

Jay and Elizabeth agreed to get hitched because the couple feared Elizabeth would suffer harm and persecution if she returned to her country. Elizabeth reckons she may do the same for other men, after she signs her divorce papers in six months time.

‘It is the quickest way. If I didn’t get out of [my

Thankfully, not all stories end the same way.

country], I would be raped or killed. The women have no rights in my country. We learn from young that we must not speak out or walk alone in public. If not, the officers will catch us,’ the 23-year old said.

for good.

The soft-spoken lady had a hard edge in her eye when I asked about her family.

I suppose that is one way to look at it, even if somewhat skewed.

‘Mother’s disappeared. When my father started bringing prostitutes back home at first, my mother did not say anything. But it got more frequent, and the alcohol also,’ Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth currently lives with Jay. She does not mind the different men that Jay brings home on occasions.

‘Mother got angry at father one day and told him to stop bringing the girls home. He got angry, and yelled and hit her. Then he dragged mother out of the house. She never came home. My brother was at school at that time. But he is a rascal.’ Elizabeth was given a one-way ticket to care for her ailing aunt, and told to fend for herself ‘or die’.

In some instances, the violence does not stop there.

Alice, who turns 23 in a fortnight, looks twice her age, and looks nothing like the show-stopper she was in her teens. Her parents married her off to a man who had been wooing her since she was sixteen. They got married the day after she turned 18. She was granted

Elizabeth met Jay at the aunt’s palliative care centre.

Jay is gay, and lives on his own in a small apartment in the suburbs. When he heard of Elizabeth’s story, he offered her the opportunity to stay in the country

‘I couldn’t leave her to her own, now, and allow her to return home. What if she gets exploited and tortured?’

Sham marriages may be a negative thing, but as I walk away after hearing these stories, I am disgusted, and somewhat repulsed by the level of depravity man and women can stoop to.

I am also reminded that, until we connect with our community, the world will always be seen in boring black and white. The fabric of society is a colorful one. We should aim to understand and appreciate before we judge and condemn.

‘At least I am alive and well. I have good friends here, and work part time at the local café.’ says Elizabeth.

‘I am blessed.’

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VALENTINE’S STORIES (1 oe 2) This issue for Valentine’s, we asked two MALAYSIAN LADIES, who are happily married to a partner RESIDING IN MELBOURNE AND SINCE MIGRATED HERE, to share us their stories.

ENGAGED IN 12 DAYS

BY KARINA FOO

CALL it the ultimate express engagement in Malaysia. Call it anything you want, but that’s how we did it. And there couldn’t have been a better way to seal the deal where our hearts and minds were concerned.

Initially, it did feel a like a business transaction sans signing on the dotted line. But my fiancée, William and I knew on the 12th day of spending time together that we wanted to spend the rest of lives with each other.

A chance meeting We met in January 2013 through a close mutual friend, Lynn. All of us are Malaysians; William and Lynn work in Melbourne and Sydney respectively and I was a former journalist in Kuala Lumpur. William and Lynn were back in KL for a short holiday, so I met up with Lynn for some girl time.

When we greeted each other, she introduced me to William without telling me that she and I won’t be alone.

I was nonchalant towards the guy because I just wanted some downtime with a close friend since I was troubled by a long-term relationship that had gone rocky and my beloved aged dog, Laika, was very sick.

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Series of events William added me on Facebook and we ocassionally kept in touch.

But sadly, I was devastated when Laika passed away in Febuary 2013 and in May, my relationship ended as a shocker.

So, William got to know about this through Lynn and only two days later, he asked for my Whatsapp number. For the next two and a half months, we Whatsapped every day, and every other day, chatted for hours on the phone and Skyped.

But I wanted to make haste slowly and after being scarred from the series of events that happened, I candidly told him: “I don’t want to play games because I’m tired.

I’m not in my 20s anymore and I want something serious in my next relationship that will soon lead to marriage.”

He didn’t run for the hills, because he wanted the same thing, so he continued to pursue me more.

12 Days On July 25th, he came back to KL for a “holiday” to see me. It sounds cliché, but after getting to know each other in cyberspace for over two months, we immediately connected at all levels when we met face to face.

After spending every day with

each other, meeting our parents and going on a trip to Singapore to see my best friend, we were ready to make a commitment.

We went on a one hour ring shopping excursion and I quickly found a simple, but perfect ring which wasn’t too painful for his wallet (you can ask him!)

The next day (the 12th day and his last in KL before returning to Melbourne), he proposed and we got engaged on August 10.

It’s uncanny, but we seem to be male and female versions of each other as we have the same values, an interest in healthy living but also love for food and other quirky habits.

We both inspire and support each other and are learning to love each other as we discover more about ourselves together.

Notwithstanding this I wouldn’t recommend to anyone to get engaged at the speed of lightning.

Our case was different as we’ve been around the block and had enough of it, so we had carefully exercised full discretion of each other, thanks to our former experiences.

Our relationship isn’t perfect (as there’s no such thing), but we’ll always work at it through the good, bad and the ugly.

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“

It’s uncanny, but we seem to be male and female versions of each other.

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VALENTINE’S STORIES (2 of 2) MEANING OF BEING THE WIFE OF AN OLYMPIAN Being the wife of Malaysian Olympian Cyclist Josiah Ng, Kim Ong has to put on many hats including being nutritionist, psychologist, PR manager, business owner, supporter and a housewife who must also constantly maintain her body and fitness so that she can ‘match’ him. Kim Ong shares her love for her husband and the meaning of being an elite athlete’s wife.

“ It was not just about Josiah doing the race; it as also me being part of the race.

“

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JOM: How did you and Josiah meet?

Kim: In a snapshot, I saw Josiah in a Fedex advertisement on the newspaper jacket of The Sun, Googled his name and dropped him a comment on his guestbook. He replied to me via email and we started chatting and communicating often. The rest was history!

closer to reach his goal which is ultimately a gold medal.

As Josiah is based in Melbourne, Australia, I was willing to part with my life in Malaysia to pursue a life with Josiah. My role is not only as a wife; but a supporter of all aspects as a nutritionist and psychologist to Josiah. Don’t get me wrong, Josiah does have a professional nutritionist and a psychologist but I’m the one that spends most time with him. I have to assess myself if I’m feeding the right positive energy to Josiah and also if I’m cooking the right food for him.

I guess the challenge is actually juggling my time as a business woman apart from managing household chores and being Josiah’s manager of all sorts.

What do you do for work?

I run an online business selling heavy duty blenders at www. spectablend.com. Each Spectablend blender can blend, grind, puree, cut, mash, make hot soup and even ice cream thanks to the friction-based motor.

Last year Josiah started ordering a few Spectablend blenders for himself and some friends who wanted a value for money alternative as other similar products on the market retail at around $1000. Quickly the trend spread and we both decided to run this business full-time for me.

With my background in digital marketing / advertising, I knew that my skills would come in handy for this business. We’re growing on a daily basis and the journey has been really exciting!

Is it difficult being the wife of such a well known athlete?

I wouldn’t say it’s difficult as I believe everyone has their own roles to play. My role is to support Josiah in all his endeavors; his career is superior to mine so we will do whatever it takes to get

Is it easy working together?

Josiah and I have very different skill sets, I’m more meticulous and process-driven when it comes to handling work matters; whereas Josiah likes to administer things fast, quick and effective like how he is on the bike. Josiah’s a good salesperson and my skills lie within digital marketing. He’s more “rah-rah” and I’m more calm and collected which is a good balance for our business.

What do you both do in your spare time?

Activity apart from Josiah’s training and also our day job at Spectablend would be to hang out at the cafes here in Melbourne.

The café culture here in Melbourne is huge. People put a lot of love into the artistry of the food.

Coffee is roasted and brewed to perfection with coffee art included. We both like our skinny cappuccino!

Apart from that, Josiah and I like to ride around in our Vespa GTV250 especially during the summer.

The weather in Melbourne is also perfect for picnics and barbeques, which I like to host. We like hanging out with friends.

Sometimes I might surprise Josiah with some tickets to a dance performance and he would surprise me to an orchestra; something he really likes as Josiah can play the violin. Other times, we would be playing with our Bengal cat, Chutney or clean the house together.

Is Josiah fussy about food?

Josiah’s not that fussy about food; in fact I find him quite easy to cook for. There are only a few things that he doesn’t like to eat; for example seafood, especially prawns. Josiah grew up as a Vegetarian and only started eating meat in 2006, so Josiah doesn’t like the taste of seafood very much. I would always ask for feedback after each meal so I know what to cook for him the next time.

As Josiah has a very sweet tooth; I’m glad I do not have an interest in baking and very much prefer cooking savory food. I’m also very glad that I don’t like to eat sweets so I don’t stock them at home.

Can you tell us a little more about Josiah?

Josiah is such an all-rounder.

He’s so talented in all aspects and I have so much respect and admiration towards this spectacular human being. I admire Josiah not only for his sportsmanship but his dedication

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From top left (clock-wise): A healthy meal prepared by KIm for Josiah, Kim and Josiah conquering Mountain Torq, Christmas party last year, and Chutney, the couple’s Bengal cat.

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towards the sport and all aspects of life.

He’s a very good salesperson with the bargaining and negotiation skills he’s acquired over the years from being kicked out of his home at 18. He’s also very eloquent in his thick American speech, which makes him very entertaining and he is very humorous too!

He makes me laugh a lot and also sometimes surprises me romantically with little things like cute dates; breakfast in bed, shopping date, picnic and more.

There are rare occasions when Josiah would blow his top at me but; when I did not do what he told me to do due to me being stubborn, or when I first did not understand the concept of exercising when I first moved to Australia. There is also a specific time of the day and week when Josiah would appear to be extra moody due to a hard training; when he’s usually tired and hungry. Josiah’s extra lovely on weekends when he’s well-rested.

He’s only human. However, Josiah’s quite objective about things and it is quite rare that he becomes unreasonable.

Also when it comes to bigger issues and problems, Josiah is extremely calm and moves on very quickly by focusing on positive

aspects. For example when not being selected to race at the London Olympics 2012 due to the Olympic committee changing their selection process allowing only one competitor per country per event in track cycling, Josiah took it as an opportunity to up his game by deploying more help; nutritionist, psychologist, osteopath and massage therapy and together as a team; I also have to work even harder to help him.

What is your most unforgettable moment since you became Josiah’s wife?

We climbed Mt Kinabalu together in April 2013 and went on the Ferrata tour (via Low’s Peak Circuit – Mountain Torq). It was symbolic to our relationship – how we motivate and support each other. It was not just about Josiah doing the race, it was also me being a part of the race. He definitely wasn’t going to climb Mt Kinabalu in his own time alone.

We conquered the entire climb together! Also, the climb made me realize that I am much stronger than I thought I was.

unfortunate that Josiah couldn’t race in the London Olympics in 2012; we wanted to hold off on our personal plans to have babies because at the moment we think that the country comes first and we want to focus fully on Josiah’s racing. We’re still looking to bring glory to Malaysia in the next Olympics.

How long have you both been in Melbourne and what are your plans later on?

Josiah has been here for 7 years now and I have been here for 5 years. We have plans to stay here for the next few years as I’m running Spectablend online and we’ll see what happens after Josiah’s next Olympics. We are always flexible to moving countries as we like to travel, experience and explore different countries.

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What are Josiah’s plans for the future after cycling?

Josiah will most likely hang up his cycling wheels after the Rio Olympics in 2016. It was really

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Mother Nora

Norasiah Hassan Simkin has devoted much of her life to assisting those in crisis, including victims of domestic violence, asylum seekers, victims of drug trafficking or anyone she can offer support. The recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for her work, Norasiah is one Malaysian person who has made a huge contribution to the lives of others in her home away from home.

WRITES JOYCE NG PHOTOGRAPHS LANCE VUN

Norasiah (right) holding arms with her fellow welfare worker at Migrant Hub, Werribee.

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It was a gloomy winter afternoon when we arrived at Migrant Hub on Synnot Street, Werribee, about 30 minutes west of Melbourne. The cold sent shivers down our spine, but we could smell the aroma of food from the building ahead of us as we walked through the gate to the modest compound. A few people sat around chatting whilst others were packing stalls after lunch. At the door, a lady in her scarf and glasses greeted us with a warm smile.

A Harbour for the Needy “Welcome to Migrant Hub!” Norasiah greeted. She then walked and showed us around the compound.

She is the founder of the non-profit organisation, a migrant resource centre established in 2010, that has become a shelter for homeless, women and children in distress, asylum seekers as well as a centre for social activities for migrants.

cannot get into the mainstream,” Norasiah explained.

She told us that people like Sam can learn some skills here such as cooking, customer service, and eventually some business skills so that they would be able to move on to building their own business.

She explained that they are not able to work due to their visa restrictions, however added, “They are independent, eager to work and don’t want to rely on Centrelink.”

“I like to encourage them a bit more and to help them blossom, and when they have their permanent residency they will be able to run their own small business,” she said. “This is what MiHub (Migrant Hub) is all about.”

She explained that skills they gained here would be useful once they were granted residency status.

She added, however, that things have been more difficult for the refuges at the centre after the Liberal government took Federal power last year and implemented policy making it very difficult for many refugees to seek residency or even arrive in Australia.

On the left side, outside of the main building, were canopies with tables and chairs, and signs with familiar names of Malay classic food. It’s called “MiHub Café”, where members and the community are able to sell their food every day since February this year. On Friday, Norasiah said, the place will turn into a night market.

“It’s pitiful, you know,” she said. “I And on the right side, find that we have to help them.” against the wall of the This is how Migrant Hub came to building, are potted plants I can’t turn my back when be a place for migrants to spend for sale. According to their time on positive things and women and children are in learn skills on a volunteer basis.

Norasiah, these plants were planted by prisoners of such crisis. the Marlborough division Not all was doom and gloom at at the Port Phillip prison in the centre, however. Norasiah’s Laverton, most of whom expression revealed some have mental issues. In this excitement when she talked about garden called “MiGarden” there are also vegetables “recipes”. She said she is quite surprised to see that planted by the prisoners. “These vegetables are for many migrants including asylum seekers can cook the communities and families in need here. Some of exceptionally well. MiHub has become a centre where them have problems feeding themselves, so we have recipes are discovered, shared and discussed among these vegetables to help them,” Norasiah said. all the various cultures.

“ ”

In the building we were led to an IT-computer room where a man was sitting at a computer. “This is where they (migrants) learn IT skills,” she said.

Walking down to the end of the corridor, we entered a spacious kitchen on our left, which was possibly the most important part of the migrant resource centre. Big pots were filled with soups, a few people preparing for a community dinner to be held later.

One of them was Sam (not his real name), a newly arrived asylum seeker, who said that the place had become his shelter, his home.

“It was terrible back home,” he said, whilst stirring the soups with a big ladle. He said that he was blessed with the care he had received from the people at Migrant Hub, including Norasiah.

After our tour, we sat down with Nora at a table in the foreyard of the hub, overlooking the canopies.

“It’s (Migrant Hub) a training centre for people who

“We learn that there’s a recipe about life in [all the cooking activities],” she said. She added that the hub has become popular among the local councils for halal food.

Nora, the Woman Born in Brickfield, Kuala Lumpur, Norasiah says her mother, who has a big heart and is always there to help people and local communities back in Kuala Lumpur, has shaped her character. “Maybe that’s why I am like this now!” Norasiah said with a laugh. She was a teacher in Malaysia and taught in Sandakan and Penang, including a six month allocation at Poh Liong Kok Reform Girls Schools in Penang, dealing with under aged girls involved in complex cases such as drug dealing, prostitution and running away from home. She said that she enjoyed working with the young girls, and it has been a stepping stone for her.

“I learn a lot too, working with police, doctors, lawyers

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and volunteers. What I gained from there [directed me to] what I am doing today.”

turn my back. I always like to help them out,” the mother of three said. She has also adopted as many as 30 children, close ones, from various nationalities.

Qualified as a teacher in Australia, she is also a guardian for a number of international students here in Melbourne.

Norasiah migrated to Australia in 1979 after her marriage to an Australian soldier. One of the first things she was involved in was to help women in domestic violence at the “I am now caring for five children An-Nur Foundation and from New Zealand. I believe Virgin Mary Mosque. She also we are all human and for became heavily involved in a Even if I die, I am in God’s that humanity we should help them few organisations relating to women, refugees and children hands. Whatever I do, I do it out.” including being a committee in pleasure of Allah.

Norasiah’s tireless efforts in member of the Victorian assisting others and saving Immigration Refugee Women’s those in need from falling further Coalition. Known to Centrelink, Red Cross and the Immigration into crisis have earned her a department, she is often sought reputation in the western region of Victoria and numerous awards and recognitions. for assistance from these organisations. She recalled Norasah was a recipient of the Centenary Medal of a recent case where a Malaysian girl was trafficked to Australia in 2003, given by Queen Elizabeth II, for her Australia. “She was trafficked, raped,” she said. “Many effort in helping homeless people and children for things happen in Australia,” she said with a raised eyebrow, and an assuring look. over 20 years. She was one of the first inductees to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women by the Victorian Government in 2001, and in 2007 she was recognised Norasiah has been a carer for placement houses for by the Muslim Women Islamic FACSIA organisation asylum seekers for many years. However, she also for her service to women in crisis by supporting offers Migrant Hub and even her own home to needy and homeless people. them in becoming entrepreneurs themselves with small businesses, as well as establishing the first “Whoever comes to me and seeks for help, I never Muslim catering service in Victoria. Last year she

“ ”

32 | Malaysian Tales

was nominated for Woman of the Year 2013 as part of International Women’s Day, by the Muslim Women Council of Victoria.

Women in Distress and Isolation Despite being more than happy to help anyone in need, Norasiah is particularly passionate about single mothers who have suffered domestic violence.

“Women are vulnerable and can easily become victims of men. I personally haven’t experienced this but I have seen many situations where women in such battles [suffer] not only physical but mental abuse.

I don’t think they deserve such treatment,” Norasiah said.

“I believe God wants us to help them, and I am here for that. There’s no right for men to abuse women…

They have an equal right to be loved.”

“I can’t turn my back when women and children are in such crisis.”

She also pointed out that she saw many Muslim women that are living in isolation. “They don’t feel safe to go out of the house, and let the family do the shopping,” Norasiah explained. Often this was a result of violence the family had faced overseas.

Other times, according to Norasiah, their isolation was caused by their husbands not practising Islam properly.

relationships, however has been faced with opposition as well, particularly from husbands. She has been cursed and blackmailed, but no matter what happens, she is determined to keep working to help the women in need.

“I don’t care. I have to do it.” “[Women’s] bodies are not punching bags. They should stand up for themselves and get help. They have dignity and minds. We must remember, God’s love is for all of us. God created women to be loved and protected. Women have equal rights as men, and they too deserve happiness.”

According to Norasiah, even though she has had to endure troubles and difficulties doing what she is doing now, she has no regrets or complaints.

“My principle in life is [to follow the] path of Allah, in God’s hands. I never feel [I have enemies], even when people curse me. Even if I die, I am in God’s hands.

Whatever I do, I do it in pleasure of Allah.”

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“Some are abusive. Some they don’t let the women to be educated.”

She recounted the case of a Somalian woman who was abused by her ex-husband, but the Somalian community wanted her to remain in the marriage.

When she had a nine-month-old baby, Norasiah went to her house to inspect the problem. “She is breastfeeding her baby, but her fridge is empty,” she observed, adding that there were many luxurious items in the house yet no food for the woman and child.

Her actions in helping women in abusive

Photo above: Norasiah at Melbourne Malaysia Festival 2013.

Photographed by Carl Gibson

Malaysian Tales

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The Beer Girls Is beer just a guys’ drink? Two young Indonesian Melbourne-based ladies don’t think so, and have created just the beverage to prove their point.

Setting out in 2009 with a passion to create a craft-beer unlike any other, Maria and Liana started their company Beaumonde from nothing but an idea and a passion for fine beverages. After many years of experimentation, they created their debut product “Soleil”, blending beer with the fruity fragrance of lychees.

We sat down with the ladies and asked them about their incredible journey to feminise this male-dominated market and prove that ladies, too, can love beer.

INTERVIEW JOSH YU & JOYCE NG PHOTOGRAPHS JOSH YU

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Successful Malaysians 2013

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Maria (left) and Liana (right), one a beer lover and the other not, found a common ground with their invention of Soleil Lychee beer.

JOM: How did the concept of “Soleil” come about?

M & L: We started the journey with a vision to create a product that is set to differentiate the meaning of drinking beer. In the mission to accomplish this, we started questioning “what is missing in the beers currently served in the market”. One question led to another, and by breaking every aspect down from the taste, smell, visual appeal, and many others, we envisioned what products Beaumonde Beer aims to deliver in order to satisfy the elements that are currently lacking.

What made you think of creating a lychee beer?

Lychee is such a lovely luscious fruit that we both grew up with, and one which ties us to our home (culture). Hopefully more people will come to know of its beautiful flavour and appreciate it as much as we do.

It seems that lychee beer is targeting the female market. Can you tell us why you have taken this approach, and what you are trying to do with beer culture and women?

It is the sort of relationship that has not been romantic in the modern era between beer culture and women.

In ancient history the majority of brewers were women. We want to rekindle that. Beer in moderation also has health benefits that many do not realise, including promoting stronger bones, reducing risk of heart attack and risk of developing kidney stones.

Did both of you like beer in the past? What tied both of you to starting this business together?

Liana: Maria loves beer! Whereas I personally prefer cider or other alcoholic drinks. Maria & I first met at Melb Uni, lost contact, and re-met at our local church. So when we started hanging out and traveled together, I found her love for beer ‘bizarre’. We had many discussions around it, and I soon discovered there are actually great-tasting beers out there. We took special interest in why there’s such a small population of female beer drinkers, and that sparked our passion in starting the business.

Maria: I love beer and can drink any beer style. I guess destiny may have come to play to bring us together.

What was the hardest or most challenging part of starting the business?

Finding the right team of people who shared our vision about our product. The beer concept we had in mind was not a common style of beer (there was none in Australia according to our research), and we had a desirable list of specifications of what the product would look like, what it would taste like, how it would smell, and how it would appeal to our target audience. We were working for a ‘breakthrough’ and yet there were so many limitations surrounding it.

Trying to convey the idea of crafting beer for women to men-brewers was a challenge to begin with. Over the time, we had to tweak certain aspects of the beer to work with limitations of brewing process in

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creating Soleil such as packaging, bottle shape, etc, but quality of the product is one aspect which we were not willing to compromise. It took people with brave minds to explore the possibility of creating such a product, with the right skills and the right tools to complement it.

How long did it take to get the right brew? From conception of idea to execution to final product, how long did it take you?

It took about 3 years to hatch the egg. The journey has been one involving lots of research, learning, taste-profiling of beer, changing suppliers, doing many test-brews, failing a few times, doing everything all over again, until we formulated a product that we were confident with. Soleil hit the market shelves late 2012.

How’s the business growing so far?

Every day has been a blessing for us, and with some doors closed, there are others that have opened up.

Now that we have gained more experience in the nuts and bolts of the business, we work smarter, we cant stop showering ideas and continuously looking at new areas or innovative ways to gain more love for Beaumonde Beer.

Do you have any advice for women wanting to be an entrepreneur?

Liana: everything starts from a dream, but it takes a lot of courage to achieve that dream. Nobody promises an easy road, but it’s up to you to walk down that road (even better if you have someone/people to walk with). When things get tough, I reminded myself of that famous quote “if it doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you”.

Maria: It is very early for me to give such advice but I like to read success story to keep me inspired. Those stories are also medicinal for our spirit in times of need.

Do you intend to come out with more Asian inspired beer in future? Or more variations of your beer?

There is a possibility but we want to keep you guessing!

How can we purchase your beer?

Where can we go to get it in Melbourne?

Soleil is available in selective locations.

In Melbourne CBD, we target the corporate and with the concierge service available in these offices (120 Collins street, 525 Collins street and 385 Bourke Street), Soleil can be delivered to your

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desk. Soleil is also available for purchase from our online store ( www.beaumondebeer.com.au for our online shop and a number of restaurant/café locations around Melbourne).

Are you expanding your business to other states in Australia?

We will in fact be in the Taste of Sydney event in March 2014.

We have had enquiries from liquor stores from other states and customers asking if they can find Soleil in states where they live, so that is definitely in our agenda in the not-so-distant future.

What do you like the most about being an entrepreneur?

Liana: the opportunity to realize dream(s). I have learnt more about myself and feel that I have grown in so many other ways. It is also the opportunity to connect with others and be able to help others achieve their dreams.

Maria: The opportunity to be creative and being pushed to many directions. The uncertainty can be a thrill but also can be overwhelming sometimes!

What have you enjoyed the most about creating “Soleil”?

Liana: it would have to be when people purchase the drink and tell me that it tastes awesome. Knowing that Soleil is getting the love from the audience is the best reward ever. That shows that we have accomplished what we set out to do in the first place.

Maria: When we get to experience our firsts, from design, packaging, label, taste, to the beer in our hand.

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Migration Matters

BY ANDY ELLEN, SENIOR IMMIGRATION CONSULTANT AT KABO LAWYERS

Valentine’s Day, February 14th, is a time when millions of people think about the importance of love in their lives, and their ongoing emotional commitment to their partner. It is a good time to talk about the best way to obtain a Partner Visa as part of that commitment. I hope this helps.

You may be eligible for a partner visa if you are in a relationship with an Australian citizen, Permanent Resident, or eligible New Zealand citizen.

exclusion of all others. You and your partner must live together, or at least not live apart on a permanent basis.

You must either be married or have lived together in a de-facto relationship.

The Department of Immigration will look at a number of aspects of your relationship, including: • Cohabitation: Usually evidenced through showing correspondence addressed to both of you at the same address • Financial Interdependence: For example, joint bank accounts, joint ownership of property, joint financial commitment such as leases, mortgages, insurance policies.

• Social aspects of the relationship: Joint travel, joint social activities, joint participation in cultural or sporting activities.

Visa Conditions and Duration Once your initial partner application is granted, you will in most cases be issued with a Temporary partner Visa. This will allow you to stay in Australia with full work and travel rights, as well as access to Medicare.

After the two year period, the Department of Immigration will look to grant you a permanent partner visa. At this stage, you will be asked for current evidence of your relationship.

In some circumstances, a waiver is available for the 2 year period before applying for permanent residence: • if you have been in the relationship with your partner for three years or more at the time of application; or • if you have been in the relationship for two years where there are dependent children of the relationship; or • if your partner was granted a permanent visa under the humanitarian program or was granted a protection visa and was in the relationship with you before the visa was granted and this relationship was declared to DIAC at the time.

In some circumstances, you may be eligible for permanent residence even if the relationship has broken up before the end of the 2 year period. These circumstances include: • If your partner has died during this period; or • If you and your Australian partner have children under 18 years of age; or • If you or your dependents have been subject to domestic violence during this period.

Genuine Relationship You will need to show that you and your partner have a commitment to a shared life together, to the

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Down to Business

It is possible to get a waiver of the 12 month requirement in cases where you are unable to live together due to exceptional circumstances.

If you are married, you do not need to show 12 months of cohabitation, but will need to show that you are currently living together. If you have had your relationship registered in an Australian state or territory, you would be similarly exempted from this requirement.

Ability to Meet Sponsorship Obligations The sponsoring partner must also show that they are able to meet their sponsorship obligations by showing evidence of their income for the last 2 years. If the sponsoring partner’s income is very low, the Department of Immigration may request a Discretionary Assurance of Support. The Assurance of Support, a formal undertaking to provide financial support, would need to be provided by an Australian resident, and evidence of the assurer’s income would need to be provided.

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Visa Criteria In order to be eligible for a partner visa, you must meet the following criteria:

De facto Relationship - 12 Months Cohabitation A de facto relationship will require evidence that you have lived with your partner for the last 12 months.

The Department of Immigration requires documentary evidence that you have lived together (for example, a joint lease or correspondence sent to you at the same address).

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This land for sale in Balwyn North has a single dwelling covenant on the title, which prevents the land from being subdivided. If the purchaser intended to subdivide but did not check the vendor’s statement prior to the auction, it could turn out to be a nasty surprise.

WRITES ERICK NG

Are You Signing Away Your Life, Safely?

TRICKS AND TRAPS OF REAL ESTATE (PART V) “I’m signing my life away!” – so say some purchasers when they sign the contract of sale to purchase their property. It is a light-hearted joke, of course. But in reality, that is exactly what many purchasers might have done – they have signed their life away without even knowing the legal ramifications of their actions.

Erick Ng is a licensed property buyer’s advocate at Capital Exchange International. He exclusively represents homebuyers and investors to master plan, search, evaluate and negotiate the purchase of their properties. Trained in architecture, construction and real estate, Erick’s client base ranges from first home buyers/investors to property developers and government officials. Erick was featured on Channel 9’s prime time show ‘Hot Property’ and 3CW Chinese Radio Station.

He can be contacted via erick.ng@cexi.com.au.

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The most important document a purchaser will sign when buying a property is the contract of sale. The contract will contain all the essential terms of the transaction, and must be accompanied by the Section 32 statement. This statement, which is also called a vendor’s statement, includes an obligation by the seller to provide the purchaser certain information about the property being offered for sale.

A contract of sale and vendor’s statement can be complicated, so there really is no substitute for seeking professional legal advice. Having a good buyer’s advocate, and a good legal consultant on your

property buying team, is worth its weight in gold.

These experts act as your ‘bodyguards’, protecting you from blindly ‘signing your life away’. In Issue 3, I explained the general criteria that I use when choosing a good conveyancer or solicitor. In addition to that, I look for a consultant who has a proven track record of actually putting service first before fee. There are too many rogue conveyancers that I have come across who are qualified on paper, but do not work on their client’s behalf. You need a consultant who can give you sound legal advice in relation to your buying project, rather than someone that just ‘ticks the boxes’ to complete a task. I even recall in one sale contract, where the conveyancer intended the words ‘standard contract’ but mistakenly wrote ‘satan contract’. This is not amusing but rather a totally unacceptable standard of contract preparation.

Peruse Contracts Before Signing Although not compulsory, I will always insist that buyers get the contract and the vendor’s statement perused by a legal consultant before proceeding with a private offer or attending the auction. For some reason, many buyers do not do that. Some buyers may be deterred by the perusing fee that was charged for each property they did not eventually buy. Others may think that they have seen enough contracts to be able to assess the risk themselves. If a purchaser is willing to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to buy a property, legal fees are certainly a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Common Contractual Trap Buyers Fall Into According to some of the solicitors whom I spoke to, one of the most common traps purchasers fall into is signing a letter of offer, or a letter of intent, to purchase a property, without understanding the legal concepts involved in contract formation. Some real estate agents may persuade purchasers to sign such letters, as they do not appear as intimidating or as formal as a document with the word “contract” in its heading.

So purchasers may assume that the signing of such letters has no serious legal consequence. However, by signing such a letter, the purchaser may be treated as having made an offer to the vendor to buy the property and if the vendor accepts the purchaser’s offer by countersigning it, the property may be regarded as sold to the purchaser. The purchaser may then become legally bound. Many first time purchasers have never seen a real estate contract before and therefore, are susceptible to manipulation by real estate agents.

Not Checking the Vendor’s Statement Another mistake buyers frequently make is not checking the title restrictions and the contents of the vendor’s statement. Some of the things to watch out for will include, but are not limited to, issues relating to illegal structures or unauthorised renovations, environmental contamination, planning and building restrictions, covenants or easements. The latter is especially important if purchasers are buying properties for redevelopment purposes.

A few years ago I met a Malaysian property developer who was looking for land to develop in Melbourne. His company had built many large-scale property projects in Malaysia. For his first foray into the Melbourne property scene, he learned a costly lesson when he bought a property in a Heritage Overlay zone. He wanted to knock down the heritage home to build townhouses. Subsequently, the company spent much time attempting to overturn the restriction with the council but to no avail. After many years, the property remained undeveloped. In addition, he had to hold on to the property for a longer period before selling it as his company had overpaid for the purchase. After paying this ‘learning fee’, the developer now values having a team of consultants with local knowledge.

Auction Contracts Hurdles One of the hurdles for purchasers buying an auction property, is the difficulty in negotiating the terms of the contract, especially the special conditions. The vendor’s view is that if any purchasers are not happy with the terms of the contract, they do not have to bid for the property. This may work well in a hot market where vendors can afford to reject any amendment to the contracts, which can be weighted in their favour rather than the purchaser’s. Even though it is more challenging trying to get a contract revised for an auction property, this should not deter purchasers from negotiating the terms in the contract before the auction. It can be done and has been done. In the event that the contract is substantially unfavourable to the purchaser with no room for negotiation, it is better not to pursue the purchase.

Owners Corporation Complexities When buying a property with an owners corporation, extra steps have to be taken to check the owners corporation fees, impending levies as well as details of the meeting minutes. The vendor must give an owners corporation certificate along with other supplementary documents as part of the vendor’s statement. These details will tell you a lot about the owners corporation so do not skip this section.

Conflicts of Interest I get calls from time to time from distressed purchasers being disadvantaged by using a conveyancer or solicitor who represents both the seller and the purchaser. For instance, a purchaser is put in limbo when his conveyancer extends the settlement period for the seller whom he also represents, creating a financial loss for the purchaser. In this scenario, whose interests does the conveyancer best protect? Although under certain circumstances a conveyancer or legal consultant will be allowed to represent both the seller and the purchaser, I would avoid this at all costs.

Always use a conveyancer or legal consultant who represents you, the purchaser, exclusively, and not one recommended by the seller, or the seller’s agent. That way, your interests will be protected.

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Top Things to do in the Dandenong Ranges The Dandenong Ranges has been one of the most popular and one of the most talked about travel destinations in Victoria. Here are top things to do in the Dandenong Ranges recommended by Lorraine, travel writer at Weekend Notes. The plenty great options allow you to decide your trip either a day trip or a vacation.

From the moutains, flowers, autumn sceneries, biking, track walking and good food, the Dandenong Ranges will leave you memories that you would want to come back for more.

WRITES LORRAINE REPUBLISHED FROM WEEKEND NOTES (www.weekendnotes.com/top-things-to-do-dandenong-ranges/)

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1

Mountain Biking, Walks and Views from the top

Mountain biking at Lysterfield Lake with over 20km of designated mountain bike track including the 6.3km state mountain bike track which was made for the 2006 Commonwealth games. There are different trails for all abilities of riders and are clearly marked out with level of difficulty starting with a white circle which stands for the easiest trail right up to the double diamond which represents extremely difficult with an average trail grade of 20%. To find out more about mountain biking at Lysterfield Lake check out parks Victoria info here: http://parkweb.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/315692/Park-noteLysterfield-Lake-mountain-bike-riding.pdf .

See the views from Sky High lookout at Mount Dandenong perfect for a romantic sun rise breakfast or sunset picnic . Entry into the car park is $5

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2 Visit the Gardens With so many to choose from you could spend the entire day just looking around them and admiring the cool climate plants. Make sure you visit all of these gardens at least once in your lifetime.

- George Tindale memorial garden (Parks Victoria) - Pirianda Garden (Parks Victoria)

- RJ Hamer Arboretum (Parks Victoria) - William Ricketts Sanctuary (Parks Victoria) - Blue lotus water garden (private farm, fees apply )

- National Rhododendron garden (Parks Victoria)

- Cloudhill (private garden and nursery with lovely cafe/restaurant, fees apply )

- Alfred Nicholas memorial garden (Parks Victoria)

- Tesselar tulip festival ( private garden, fees apply)

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Best Places to Eat With lots of mountain biking, hiking and sight seeing you’re going to want somewhere good to replace all those burnt calories and here are some of the best places to eat:

3 Little Elixir in Olinda is well known for great coffee and cake.

The General Food Store at Emerald was named ‘Melbourne’s best kept secret’ in one of the big newspapers and scoring 97% from 427 reviews from urbanspoon.

Cafe de Beaumarchais in Sassafrass also comes highly rated at 93% of 385 reviewers.

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Take a look at the lakes and reservoirs

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* Aura Vale lake (Henley’s picnic ground) in Selby where small water craft under 3.3 metres are permitted on the lake.

Emerald Lake is a popular tourist day tripper destination with the Puffing Billy Station located within the park, peddle boats on the lake and plenty of BBQ’s and shelters. Read more on Emerald Lake here.

Silvan Reservoir is a part of Melbourne’s water catchment so you can’t access the water but the picnic ground is lovely and there is a playground for the kids, BBQ’s and plenty of lawn to picnic on.

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5

Tree Adventures!

If you want some adventure in the Dandenongs head to Trees Adventure at Glen Harrow Park in Belgrave next to Puffing Billy where you can climb among the trees, catch the wind on the flying foxes and give yourself a good workout on the challenging ropes courses . Entry fee for Trees Adventure is $39 adults, $25 - $33 children which includes all equipment for a 2 hour session.

Puffing Billy

Puffing Billy needs little introduction as it’s one the tourist attractions that really puts the Dandenongs on the map. You can experience Puffing Billy on one of the regular train rides that run each day or with one of the special trains/ events that include:

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- Day out with Thomas - Steam and Cuisine - Valentines Day train - Rock and Roll - Murder on the Puffing Billy Express - Spooky special - Comedy train

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Balance Mountain Day Spa in Olinda has many treatment options to choose between and if you’re staying nearby they can come to you with their mobile massage service.

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Day Spas After all the activity you may feel the need for some relaxation at one of these day spas:

Nourish at Sassafrass looks divine and at $120 for a 90 minute relaxation massage it seems good value too.

Japanese Mountain Retreat is a hot spring, day spa, restaurant and accommodation all in the one place. I do warn you though it is expensive.

8 Nice Place to Stay If you’re planning on making a weekend of it then you will want a nice place to stay, here are my picks: - The Gallery B & B in Olinda - Lochieal Accommodation - Arnica Views - The Blackwood at Sassafrass - Woolrich Retreat

I hope you have enjoyed reading about the best things to do in the Dandenong Ranges as much as I have enjoyed compiling this list for you. - Lorraine

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Melbourne’s Markets

Melbourne is a city famous for its many markets where one can easily spend a morning perusing the various wares on offer from trinkets for your home to fresh fruit and produce. Here are a few of our favourites to check out!

Camberwell Fresh Food and Rotary Markets 519-523 Riversdale Road, Camberwell

The Camberwell Fresh Food Market is central to the locals’ daily needs. It may be small in size but it’s big on local and imported selection of goods and produce. The Fresh Food Market is renowned for its quality and freshness of its produce, which explains its well-deserved title. Everything fresh at the market is delivered early in the morning, and could potentially be on someone’s dinner table by sunset.

Nick and Sue’s Gourmet Deli located in the centre of the market specialises in homemade jams and preserves, upmarket chocolates and biscuits, a mini bakery selling freshly baked sourdough and other gourmet breads, cheese, and their very own pizza bread. Sit back and relax after shopping in the market’s new and elegant pop-up park area that includes books and magazines to read, dainty white chairs and tables, and pop-up stalls.

Weekends only get better with Camberwell’s Rotary Sunday Market held every Sunday from 7am to 12.30pm. The Sunday Market is an outdoor hub of vintage clothing, home ware items, quirky accessories, second-hand books and DVDs, as well as delicious food and snacks from food stalls. It elicits a cool vibe, mainly due to the characters of the people who buy and sell the market’s goods, and is compared to the type of flea markets found in Europe.

The Sunday Market has been run by the Rotary Club of Balwyn since 1976, and now raises funds for a variety of charities for the community.

What’s on now: Family Market Saturday. For more information head to www.camberwellfreshfoodmarket.com.au

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WRITES MICHAELA SWAMPILLAI

Queen Victoria Market Corner of Elizabeth and Victoria Streets, Melbourne CBD ‘Vic Market’ has been the heartbeat of Melbourne and loved by the locals since 1878. This inner-city market is home to fresh local produce, imported gourmet goods, clothing, accessories, and unique souvenirs.

It features the Queen Victoria Market’s Night Market, also known as the original night market, where the city gathers every Wednesday night to enjoy street food from every continent, vintage fashion and jewellery, and live music. The Night Market runs until March 26th to take advantage of the warmer months during summer.

Guided tours have been a favourite among people looking to experience the colour and excitement of Queen Victoria Market. There are a variety of tours that suit everyone including the Foodies Dream tour, the Market Insider Shopping tour, and even one catered for schools.

What’s on now: Sunday World BBQ till April. www.qvm.com.au

South Melbourne Market Coventry and Cecil streets, South Melbourne As Melbourne’s longest running market since 1867, the South Melbourne Market may not be first on tourists’ list of markets to visit but is certainly loved by the locals. Locals who have experienced the charming market with a blend of old and new refer it to their friends and friends of friends, making South Melbourne market one of the popular markets in Melbourne.

Apart from the wide range of groceries, the market also sells beautifully scented candles, second-hand books, and homemade soaps. The market is also known for its new attraction called ‘SO:ME Space’.

Voted one of Herald Sun’s 25 Best Shopping Secrets, this innovative space is a mix of new and already established brands that boosts the fashion and design industry by supporting new labels soon to be available in major retail stores.

A popular and trendy meeting place at South Melbourne Market is Cecil Street. A gem in the heart of South Melbourne, this culinary street is a unique dining destination serving international cuisine, and is a mecca for food lovers.

What’s on now: Port Phillip Mussel Festival, March 8th & 9th www.southmelbournemarket.com.au

St Kilda Esplanade Market Upper Esplanade St Kilda Every Sunday since 1970, St Kilda has been welcoming locals and visitors to the St Kilda Esplanade Market. It was initially intended for local artists and sculptors to exhibit their work along what was called the ‘Art Bank’ back then. Potters, leatherworkers, craftspeople, and artists all gathered in one place to display their crafts and creations.

Today, the St Kilda Esplanade market focuses on delicate craftwork, elegant jewellery and knickknacks, and handmade artworks made from unique materials such as glass, wood, or recyclables.

With a laidback atmosphere, many visit the Esplanade market to enjoy and be inspired by the artsy and vibrant lifestyle, and stay for St Kilda’s live music, great restaurants and decadent cakes.

What’s on now: Learn the art of ceramic making and be inspired by makers in a Ceramic workshop in St Kilda. www.stkildaesplanademarket.com.au

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Recipe: Creamy Chicken with Broccoli Pasta Part of surviving in Melbourne is to posses some cooking skills. Karen Melissa Duncan from Sarawak shares one of her favorite recipes that is simple, delicious, and a quick dish to prepare.

frying pan, stir and fry them together for 1 minute.

Serves 3 - 4

4) Add Broccoli into the pan.

Ingredients: 500g of penne (or your choice of pasta) 2 chopped chicken breasts 1/2 cup broccoli, chopped without stalks salt and pepper 1 teaspoon of Paprika 150ml thickened cream 1 rasher of chopped bacon (optional) Spring Onions

5) Once broccoli is soft, add thickened cream into the frying pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir the chicken, penne and broccoli until cream reduces.

Method: 1) First, bring a saucepan of water to boil. Once boiling, add penne and let it cook until soft.

*Note (optional): For a more flavourful meal, add chopped bacon before frying chicken in step 2. And cook bacon throughout the rest of the steps.

2) *Brown the chopped chicken breast in a frying pan.

Karen is living in hustle bustle Melbourne, embracing the beautiful culture this city has to offer whilst tasting and experimenting with food with her lovely video editor partner as he captures her cooking moments on camera

3) Next, add your cooked and strained pasta into

48 | Styling Life

6) Once cream is reduced, place pasta meal in two bowls.

7) Dust paprika on the pasta dish and add Spring onion. Serve.

“Delicious! Blended to perfection.”

- Anna Meares, Olympic Champion

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How to know that he or she is the one for you?

Are you one who believes in love at first sight and fairytale endings? I used to be, but a few boyfriends later, I realised that finding prince charming was not exactly the easiest task. Thank goodness for me, I did find “the one” four years ago, and we’re now happily married with our first child. But what made me so sure that he was right for me?

Here are some tell-tale signs that sealed the deal for me.

WRITES LIANNE LETITIA ZILM

Photo: Calvin Chua

You’re a better person when you’re with him/her.

This person helps you find yourself, and you realise that you start making better decisions and have a more definite direction in life. Your friends and family will notice, too.

You have seen each other at your worsts.

A relationship cannot be built on just the good times.

The true nature of a person is brought out in adversity, and you need to know that you will be there for each other no matter what.

You argue, but you also settle your arguments and make up.

It’s natural for couples to argue; if you don’t argue and just pent things up, they’re only going to explode later on. Ideal couples have their disagreements but also make an effort to discuss and compromise. Most importantly, they don’t go to bed angry.

You have chemistry and sparks fly.

A sexual connection is important too – a purely platonic relationship is not ideal, no matter how well you get along. You won’t always be on cloud nine, but you certainly should be attracted to each other physically.

He/she makes an effort to get along with your family.

A lot of people dread having monsters-in-law, and sometimes people have to deal with disagreeable or overprotective relatives. It’s a bonus if they all get along, but if they don’t, he or she should at least be civil to them and tolerate their differences.

Your values and life goals match up You want kids and he doesn’t. Or perhaps, you want to live overseas and she wants to stay put. Even contrasting religious beliefs can be a problem, depending on how important your faith is to you. It’s important that the bigger priorities in life match up; then the little things will fall in place.

He/she respects your differences You’re not going to marry a clone copy of yourself, so it’s important that you don’t expect him or her to be one. The person who’s right for you will not expect you to change for them.

He/she doesn’t just love you but is also your best friend.

He or she shouldn’t just love you, but also like you.

You need to be able to talk about anything and everything, share secrets and just be able to do anything together.

You can see yourself spending the rest of your life with him or her.

Planning a wedding or how many kids you’ll have? It’s only natural to have thoughts of a future, and if you can’t see a future with this person, perhaps it’s just not meant to be.

We asked a few people “What were the tell-tale signs that you had found the one?” and here’s what they said: When you get to know the person and he has all the main qualities you’ve wanted in a partner – he’s the one! For some, it happens right when you meet; for some, it takes a while longer. – Amanda The tell-tale signs weren’t initially there, but we went through a lot and Darren was there for me the entire time. It started as an ordinary new relationship but on the way home from a weekend away, we had a deep and meaningful conversation where I brought a lot of things up about my childhood… and when he understood and comforted me, that was when I knew he was “the one”. – Alicia To me, “the one” is someone I can have conversations with – be it intelligent, nonsensical or just debating over the silliest or most complex thing. In order for such a conversation to be possible, she has to be my intellectual equal, be open to new opinions yet confident enough to defend her own. – Efoong I don’t know if I would label him ‘the one’, but I suppose he fulfilled my ‘criteria checklist’. I see someone I can work well with, keep house together with and we had differing opinions which provided different insights on a particular matter. It’s not that I cannot live without him, rather he’s someone I can see myself living with. – Chan I’m not in a relationship but when I think of ‘the one’, I think about commitment, dedication and concentration. Of course, a sense of style and fitness counts – but above all, I think a girl must have a good character; a cool head, a kind and gentle heart as well as bring responsible and not too dependent on others. – Anonymous When being with ‘The One’, everything just seems so natural. There’s no fear of being your absolute self when you’re with that someone; no need to hide behind your usual persona. Knowing that she would accept and love every tiny or major flaw and quirks that you have, and vice versa. Both partners complement each other, building each other up to become better persons – covering each other’s weaknesses to be a strong team. – Poh -Lianne is living the small-town dream in the leafy suburbs of Adelaide, with her Physics-teaching husband, raspberry-blowing baby and tree-digging dog.

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Tips to keep the fire burning for more I don’t claim to be a love guru, but I am an advocate for romance in a relationship. My husband and I celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary September last year; while we’ve definitely experienced changes in our life circumstances and relationship dynamics, romance is something we aim to keep a constant.

Here are a few tips to put into practice to keep the flame burning: WRITES LIANNE LETITIA ZILM

Photo: Leon Brocard

Understand each other: If there’s any Relationship Counselling book you should read, it’s Gary Chapman’s ‘The Five Love Languages’. He writes that different people perceive love differently; while someone may want to be lavished with exotic gifts, another may simply want you to put your work aside and spend some quality time with them. The key is to understand each other’s love needs and to fulfil them accordingly.

Here are some things that have worked for some couples.

Make an effort every day: Make it a point to show your appreciation to each other every day – don’t assume that your significant other knows how you feel. Say “I love you” and cuddle often; spend time thanking each other for what they do.

Date night works well. My hubby treats me like a princess and so I reciprocate. Like he makes me breakfast and gives me back rubs every second day.

– Sally

Break the monotony: Surprise your partner – why not make a booking at that posh restaurant you’ve been meaning to go to?

Or you could send them flowers at work, or post them a love letter. Make sure you put some thought into what sort of surprise your partner likes, or it may end in disaster!

It’s a two way thing: There’s an unwritten rule that it’s the man’s duty to woo his woman, but ladies need to take initiative too.

Buy each other gifts and take turns to plan dates – it creates diversity and will give you a richer romantic experience.

Talk about it: Now that we have a baby who wakes us up several times a night, sometimes my husband and I find we can’t fall back asleep right away – so we end up talking in bed at 5.00am and watch the sunrise together. Every relationship needs good heart-toheart conversation with no distractions.

Go out of your comfort zone once in a while: It’s been said that opposites attract, hence causing couples to have different interests. Boys, take her out to see that chick flick she loves. Girls, join him in watching his favourite footy team play. I can tell you that you can make your partner’s favourite experiences even more meaningful.

She’s into martial arts, so I joined her in her classes.

And she, who had never been on a motorbike before, bought a helmet and let me take her on rides everywhere. – Daniel

Our romance is planning trips together, whether they be overseas or just local road trips. We love going on adventures together. – Justin We allocate time to spend with each other, no matter how busy we are. Even though we have something urgent to do; if we know we haven’t had the time together lately, we’ll stop whatever we’re doing and just have a meal together. That’s what being married is about. – Jaclyn Romance for us is doing the little things for each other. Remembering to say please or thank you, or doing a chore for them. He’ll fill up my hot water bottle for me and put it in my bed so that it’s warm or surprise me with a Lego set I’ve been wanting to buy.

I’ll do things like put a liner in the bin, put his clothes from the day in the washing basket or make him a yummy dinner. For us, romance doesn’t have to be a big fancy dinner or an expensive holiday. Anything we do for one another is our romance. – Joanne --

Dream your dreams together: Romance is not just about the present, and what are we without dreams? Plan your wedding, or perhaps when you want to have kids or buy a new house.

Dream big dreams, but also small ones that you can realise quickly, like an intimate weekend getaway.

There’s no replacement for intimacy: Yes, the cares of life can infringe on your time but it should not take away from your sex life. Make it a vital part of your schedules, but don’t make it a mundane routine. Be spontaneous and exciting; remind each other what first attracted you to each other.

Lianne is living the small-town dream in the leafy suburbs of Adelaide, with her Physics-teaching husband, raspberry-blowing baby and tree-digging dog.

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L D R

Photo: Calvin Chua

‘LDR is difficult. I have no idea how you do it. “Don’t you just get tired/ bored of being in a relationship with a person you can’t even meet face-to-face?”

Almost everyone gives me the above response, when I tell others that my significant other is currently living on another continent.

WRITES CLARICE CHAN Clarice is a 25-year-old living the LDR life in Melbourne.

Her fiance remains in Malaysia and they are to be wedded soon.

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Talk, Think, Laugh

Long-distance relationships (LDR) seem to be the bane of intimate relationships. The logistical nightmares, finding time in both your weekly schedules (and coping with the time difference), the lack of any physical contact, and defying distance, it all can seem incredibly taxing on a relationship, especially if it is a new one. Generally, LDR is not the best way to start off a relationship.

spend time, even if just for a week.’, the newlyweds said.

Phone calls can be very expensive, depending on location, and ‘just in the neighbourhood, wanna catch a movie?’ nights are out. Spontaneity is rare. (In fact, the most spontaneous thing I’d ever done with my partner was unscheduled Skype sessions about cats and dogs. Literally.)

The internet is awash with tons of how-tos regarding surviving a long-distance relationship, or dos-anddonts of one. While some of them may not necessarily be your cup of tea (I read one where they encouraged LDR partners to masturbate frequently while thinking of the other), there are a few which come with sound advice. Here are the top three on keeping the relationship alive, instead of having it fizz out faster than a Berocca tablet in water:

Add the fact that in every city, there will always be that gorgeous hunk with abs, not just flabs, or that sexy booty you just can’t keep your eyes off. And then your heart beats just a little faster, you realise suddenly you need to flirt with them. It becomes so easy to just break out of that commitment you’ve made to that special someone months ago.

We asked several people what the most challenging aspect of being in a long distance relationship was.

Lee, 26, lamented the geographical distance that currently keeps him and his girlfriendapart. As working adults on different continents, the threehour time difference makes it challenging for both of them to find time to spend together online. Lee also commented that he misses the companionship and general intimacy of doing life together.

Goh, who just ended his relationship of approximately seven years, also bemoaned the lack of physical presence and intimacy.

“It’s not just about being intimate, but also the ability to do things together.” he said. “Sometimes, we might even take the relationship for granted, and not be as committed to spend time together,” he further added.

Not all is doom and gloom though. A study was conducted last year to investigate differences and quality of LDRs and geographically close relationships (GCRs). Results showed that the quality of the relationship did not deteriorate in an LDR, rather, greater distance apart actually predicted more intimacy, communication and satisfaction in the relationship. It is definitely reassuring to know that factors of positive relationships were not gauged by mileage.

One couple who recently tied the knot after a relationship of seven years, told me that they were doing LDR for a good five years of their relationship.

‘It is not easy, but we worked at it. Whenever time and finances allowed, we would fly to each other and

‘It isn’t the length of distance, it is the strength of your love’, one editor commented. To a certain extent, this writer agrees. It is more carpe diem than que sera sera. It is up to you to take charge of your relationship, and decide how committed you want to be.

Communicate. Frequently.

Us human beings are made to interact with one another. Text, email, write letters, Skype, chat online, telephone. We live in a world where technology is at our fingertips. Use it to your advantage. If you cannot be physically present with your significant other, at least be there virtually.

Do things together, apart.

It increases interaction between yourselves, and helps keep your conversations alive, instead of just ‘Hi dear, how was your day?’ ‘Good good, yours?’ ‘Good’ *awkward silence*.

If both of you are fans of a TV series, make it a point to watch and keep up with the episodes together. If it’s a running TV drama with over 300 episodes, you can also watch it together when you meet again. Can you say long running long distance?

If you need to satisfy your, erhm, urges, give your partner a call. Odds are, they will want to, too.

Be frank. Speak your mind.

There are few things more terrible than harbouring a grudge against your partner a gazillion miles away, when s/he cannot do anything about it. One drawback of virtual communication is that the other person cannot read your body language.

If you’re mad at him/ her, say it simply. “[insert name], I am mad. At you. ” If they really care about the relationship, they will want to sort it out immediately.

To all you couples already in a long-running long distance relationship, keep up the good work.

To those who recently embarked on one, all the best.

May cupid keep his arrows of love upon you.

To those who are contemplating one, good luck. You’ll need it.

-Talk, Think, Laugh

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If you got it, flaunt it WRITES NURUL FAIRUZ / SINGAPORE

I started wearing my hijab last Ramadan and by far it has been the most liberating thing I’ve ever done in my life. I have been on both sides of the coin.

As a woman who was born & raised in a “modern” metropolis like Singapore, religion was always a choice. When I’d gotten old enough to think for myself, I pushed myself away from Islam and God so fiercely that I had then completely lost my way.

I had dressed the way most women dressed in this city. I thought I looked awesome before, because of the ideals of fashion and what I foolishly called “freedom”. If you got it, flaunt it; they said. I always fooled myself into thinking that I wasn’t dressing for men, I was dressing for me. Society tricks you like that. It tells you to flaunt that booty, show them legs, push those girls out because that is “freedom” and that shows your strong femininity. After a while, I realized that I really wasn’t dressing for me. Because if I really was dressing for ME, then I’d be making sure that I looked like that ALL THE TIME. Women don’t realize that they are being pressured to look good and show flesh to fit into society just to be taken as “equals”. After a while, I found it sad that women still needed to be sexualized and think that it actually makes them “equal to men” in freedom.

When I took that huge step to wear the hijab, I had returned to the path of Allah SWT for about 6 months.

I felt like by putting it on, I now had a responsibility.

A responsibility to represent Islam the right way. To present Islam as the religion it is and not the religion the world think it is.

56 | Talk, Think, Laugh

When you do something for Allah SWT, Allah will make things so easy for you. I started to notice people speaking to me with a little more respect. No more cat calls or wolf whistles or leering. It was rather empowering…liberating.

But I needed to remember and to constantly remind myself that the hijab should not just be seen as a cloth I put on my head. It is a symbol of modesty, that it is not just about my attire; it extends to my whole demeanor. I don’t and have never thought that a woman’s faith to her one true God was attributed to her dressing, but I realize now the joy and the true freedom the hijab gives me. The hijab protects us more than anything else and I’m much happier wearing it than I was when I wasn’t.

World hijab day is an excellent idea because most women in hijab these days are committed to it. We love it and we do it for Allah SWT. It is a commitment to our faith, to our creator, our cherisher, our Lord, our Rabb. Nobody is oppressing us and the world needs to see that we do not need “rescuing” or “freeing”. That’s why this cause is fantastic and I support it 100% because it will help non-Muslim women see how exactly we feel behind this veil that we choose to wear and Muslim women to realize that this cloth is not merely a cloth; that it means so much more to us and hopefully that will push them towards bettering themselves, in shaa Allah (if God wills).

-The article is republished from worldhijabday.com

Photo: Nono Fara

‘woman’ is derived from the word ‘man’. It has been suggested that ‘woman’ comes from a male stem word – ‘man’ – mirroring the Biblical story of femalekind being derived from Adam’s rib. Indeed, some regard ‘women’ as derived from ‘woe-to-men’ – a reference to Eve’s role in the Garden of Eden. But the evidence to suggest that these are in fact the historical precedents of the word ‘women’ is not certain.

Kurang Manis

BY JULIAN LEE WITH HANNAH MURRAY

Some readers may have encountered an alternative spelling of ‘women’ – ‘womyn’. The first recorded use of ‘womyn’ occurred in a 1975 lesbian publication for the ‘Wolf Creek Womyn’s Festival’, although the word would have been in use earlier among some feminists.

Thilaga, a Malaysian activist and feminist, uses ‘womyn’ instead of ‘women’ to make a point. When spoken to a few weeks ago, she said, “It’s just like ‘mankind’ – it uses men to represent the whole population, forgetting that there are also womyn and trans[gender] people. And other things like using ‘chairperson’ instead of ‘chairman’. And with changing the spelling [of women to womyn] it’s just taking it to another level.”

However, it is not clear whether the word ‘women’ or

But does this make a difference? Should activists abandon ‘womyn’ because it may be a protest against male privilege which is (etymologically) misguided? Thilaga thinks not. “It really doesn’t matter,” she replied. “The thing is that, people make up words every single day. People have no problem when ‘bootylicious’ is added to the Oxford English Dictionary. Why is it that there is so much resistance to feminist language?”

And I see Thilaga’s point. Irrespective of its origins, the word ‘womyn’ will likely stand out to readers who are unfamiliar with it, perhaps causing them to ask themselves, ‘why has it been spelt like that?’ And that question might hopefully open out on to many others worthy of asking.

Julian CH Lee is a lecturer in International Studies at RMIT University. Hannah Murray was an intern with the School of Global, Urban and Social Sciences, RMIT University.

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Where to get JOM We are often asked where hardcopies of JOM cam be found. For your convenience, here is the list of places where you can get a copy of JOM Magazine! (Unless they have run out!)

Melbourne CBD and City Fringe Consulate General of Malaysia, Melbourne (432 St Kilda Road, Melbourne) Malaysia Hall (4K High Street, Windsor VIC 3181) Hometown Grocery (440 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne) Laguna Asian Grocery (QV) Papparich (QV) Blackball (8/206 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000) Petaling Street Restaurant, Little Bourke Sugar Bun/ Nanyang Bak Kut Teh (205 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC 3000) Chilli Padi, Melbourne Central Secret Recipe, Melbourne Central Café Crema (488 Swanston Street, Melbourne VIC 3053) San Churros (QV) Yahweh Asian Grocery (594-600 Swanston Street, Carlton VIC 3053) Norsiah’s Kitchen (604 Swanston Street, Carlton VIC 3053) Chilli Padi, Flemington (295 Racecourse Rd, Kensington, VIC 3031) Chef Lagenda (16 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031) Laksa King (6-12 Pin Oak Crescent, Flemington VIC 3031)

Melbourne Suburbs China Bar Signature, Burwood (380 Burwood Highway, Burwood East) Papparich (Chadstone, Doncaster) Best Asian Grocery (Kingsway, Glen Waverley) Yeoh Enterprise Asian Groceries (1306 High Street Road, Wantirna South VIC 3152) Grand Tofu (5/53 Kingsway, Glen Waverley VIC 3150) Kampung Story (Ste45/300 Point Cook Road, Point Cook VIC 3030) Asian Supermarket (Point Cook VIC 3030) Hong Kong Asian Grocery, Clayton (367 Clayton Road, Clayton VIC 3168) Circle K Asian Groceries (Doncaster) Sydney Papparich Chatswood (1/63A, Archer Street, Chatswood, NSW 2067) Malaysia Silverfish Books (28 Jalan Telawi, Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur) Got suggestions for new spots to place our magazines? Let us know at facebook.com/ jommagazineaus or email at contact@jommagazine. com.au

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JOYS OF MALAYSIANS

Successful Malaysians 2013

JOYS OF MALAYSIANS

1 YEAR OLD Special Edition

50th Malaysia

Day

ISSN 2201 - 3016 ISSN 2201 - 3016 9 772201 301002 9 772201 301002

ISSUE 06 AUG/SEPT 2013

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ISSUE 07 DEC 2013/JAN 2014

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