Readers’ Corner & Covert Operation 018

Readers’ Corner (in support of Kempen Marilah Membaca)
Note:
Do - Recommended readings over the weekend – cannot put down till you’re finished with each of this.
Don’t – Read on weekdays – next day got to go to work la! (Experienced lack of sleep)

1. Chinese Cinderella (True story – an old & thin one)
(Sad to say I can’t remember much about the story line but how I love this book!)
Background: China, pre-WWI then modern day America, the Land where dreams come true (propaganda?) or something like that.

2. Jean P. Sasson, late 1990s (as told by Sultana, a member of the al-Saud royal family). Princess. Bantam paperback. (True story)
Issue:
Backdoor to understanding women in Saudi Arabia (the lucky- or is it un-lucky few?).
“No freedom, no vote, no control over her own life, no value but as a bearer of sons.
A prisoner, her jailers are her father, her husband, and her sons.”
(No driving!! Can you imagine that – being chauffeur-driven everywhere??)

3. Fauziya Kassindja & Layli Miller Bashir, 1999, Do they hear you when you cry, Bantam Press. (True story – very engaging, straight forward plots & simple language)
Issue:
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Togo (vs our local’s female circumcision - kakia in Togo language):
“I’ve heard that during the procedure, four women spread your legs wide apart and hold you down so you can’t move. And then, the eldest woman takes a knife (or razor) that is used to cut hair and scrapes your woman parts off. There are no painkillers, no anesthesia. The knife isn’t sterilized. Afterward, the women wrap your legs from you hips to your knees and you have to stay in bed for forty days so that wound can close. After the forty days, you are ‘reborn’ for your husband (bastard chaps!), and delivered to his house to begin your new life as his wife.”
(I tell you, this is NOT ISLAM at all! Barbaric!! Savagely cruel!!! Pagan even?!)

4. Paullina Simon, 2004. Tatiana and Alexander, HarperCollins.
(A bit higher-level language & plots, thick)
“…everything a romance (don’t think of anything – you pervert!) glutton could wish for…
…the perfect mix of page-turning plot and characters…
…a real three-hanky weepy…
…a historical epic..
…experiences of pain, despair and betrayal are offset by moments of dazzling joy, love and, above all, friendship…”
Background: From Russian’s Red Army vs the German troops– Battle of Leningrad - to America – back to infiltrate the enemy camps – to save her husband who had sacrifice himself to make sure the wife get out of Russia alive and (almost) died in doing so!
“I’m living my own life. I’m living the life I made for myself.” Sasha (Alexander)

Disclaimer:
(Referring 2 & 3) I’m neither a member of Sisters-in-Islam thus the connotation that it brings nor a bra-burning feminist either. Just love a good read – good for the brain & soul!

Next: A personal review of Econometrics textbooks & Softwares (Eeuuwww!!!)
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Covert Operation 018:
Agen rad (level 5-wing B) kpd agen S (level 3-wing A). Maklumat risikan amat dperlukan. Dtails sila rjuk email (mail code: ORANG UTARA –refer IM transcript below btw Agen rad (Central region branch) & SiPengadu, K (Northern region branch)). Operasi adalah rahsia.
Meetg..
Oh-oh..cek je mail later- tk urgent tp hrpn org. Suspen? Jeng3x
_____
Suspen je la u ni..dah la kpla ni berat & sarat dgn meetg td..siap pokcik A dtg tu-agenda:....so u wanna me to spy on ORG UTARA=Senior Pokcik XXM? I dah biasa dgr frm my SIL, dept dia pn sama. Big Pokcik pun politk kuat
Heheh-covert operation, tk ur own sweet tm later, dgn pokcik G ka? Tanya la psl org utara
Klu I rajin p blk (level 5-wing A) dia la.. takkn nk ask thru the phone, kang dia syak pulak..selalu dia yg bukak mulut dulu, me being a good listnr as alwiz.dulu dia QA kat XXXM pun dia cite kat I.Dia tau staf ramai xpuas hati ngan senior pokcik..so ni kira same case la.
Heheheh buat takat yg mampu je..
______
K: salam
K: nak tau..
rad: Wsalam. Ye K - apa tu?
K: pokcik G mai sn utk menilai Quality Assurance branch bersama mokcik R dr XM dll
rad: Oh-oh, so jumpa la? Rasa mcm jmpa dulu2 ke atau dah equal?
K: jumpa...malu la...kita ni tak siap2 lg.
K: tp tk smpt nak smbang panjang pun..depa penilai...kami di dept pulak dinilai
rad: Alah, std la tu - saya kat sini pun malu gak klu hari2 jumpa...pokcik A suka tanya - Ha, tak siap lagi!? Sedih lar...
K: dia ok mcm biasa senyum memanjang
K: dengar2 la apa citer bila dia balik nnt ya....
K: Dept ni skrng mmg bermasalah...kami tertekan dgn Senior Pokcik yang tk pernah care
rad : Hmm.. rasanya part (agen) S tu - saya klu lalu nak jumpa boss pun rasa mcm nak terbang je lalu blk Pokcik G
rad: Huh! Ye ke? Alahai...sian K. Ni Senior Pokcik yg akak kata suruh K siap cpt2 tu ke? Ke yg tu Pokcik Junior?
K: Bil panel ni mai..kami pun apa lagi tunggu peluang nak ngadu hal pasal Senior Pokcik & pentadbiran
K: Senior Pokcik yg sama tu laaaa
rad: Sian K...InsyaAllah, klu saya dpt risik2 dari S - maka akan laporkan
K: Balik dept baru K tau citer sebenar psl dia...tapi tak pe lahhh
rad: Tp rasanya bkn ke you all sume bole buat memo ke, aduan ke bhgn pentadbiran XXM?
K: Cuma kalo2 dengar citer..habaq mai no....
rad: Sure2x, insyaALlah
K: kami tak berani...takut kena cincang...byk colleague da kena
K: okayla....kami main wknd ni. Sedih masuk perarakan tk smpt lg nk pakai jersey sendiri....berangan je laa
rad: Ye ke?? Cincang smpai lumat? Jgn putus asa - mesti ada solution. Koman2 pun, Tuhan amik nyawa dia tp org zalim ni biasanya Allah bg umur pjg spy bole taubat!
K: tu laaa...
rad: Apa ada pada jersey? Pada gelaran? Itu sume tak bawak mati....chewah!! Sakit ati je kan...Anyway, arini kan nisfu syaaban - nak buka amalan baru ni
K: anyway..perjuangan hidup perlu diteruskan
rad: Amacam progress?? Sibuk2 mcm mana pun, jgn hilang tumpuan - like my boss said - even masa masak pun bole pikir apa
K: very2 slow......cuti seminggu brek ni cdg nak pulun...insyalllah
K: k,...jumpa lagi
K: tk care
rad: OK, dont wory too much abt ur Senior Pokcik - let the others wory abt that - you concentrate on ur work eh! Salam utk N...Muah3x!!
K: ok....babai