Victoria and Her Kimono- M. Shanmughalingam

Victoria and Her Kimono written by M.Shanmughalingam is a story about an Indian family’s lifestyle that is really into West culture during World War. Mr Ramanan, who is the main character, really excited to have such a West lifestyle until he willing to change his wife’s name to Victoria. Well, the story is quit complicated to understand due to it is a story during world war. In the story, when the country is conquered by Japanese, Victoria make her move by learning Japanese language and she learns how to wear the Kimono, Japanese tradition clothes. Her attempt had saved his whole family when Japanese army comes to their house, because Victoria speaks in Japanese. In short, we should be able to adapt with other culture in other country so we do not brings problem that everyone will assume us badly.

Mala by K.S Maniam

Mala, written by K.S Maniam is a story that reveals about the hardship of women calls wife in order to help her husband by earn some money with doing job. It is one of good example that should be followed by other women, for those who are able to work and gain extra money to backup the whole family. This is because, nowadays there are many things that cannot being achieve due to the increasing of life and demanding in many sectors. Both husband and wife should realize on how they want to survive it. For men, it is common thing that they should work to support their family life, but for those who are in such average family must have their backup so they would not face their hardship in future. That is why women should play their roles helping their guy so together they can raise their children in best ways. Furthermore, nowadays men and women are in the same level in working area, instead some arena is dominated by women. Other than that, for a single mother who has to support their family by their own also should work in order to not let their children live in such miserable. Women, in short has become one of the important roles in working site as they want to have a backup for their family, not just helping their husband, but for single mother, they need to.

Tragedy of My Third Eye by Suchen Christine Lim

Tragedy of My third Eye by Suchen Christine Lim is a warm story about a young little girl who always being a victim by her mother cruelness. She is the one who always being scold, being angry, and being the place where her mother can express her unsatisfied feeling towards her. She is so pity and keep playing with her own heart with no one knows. She could feel sad, but only she can know. As for me, I quit have a similar experience that same with the pity little girl, but in a different ways. When I used to be a young boy in school(during primary school), I often to being hated by other people, especially by person who not know me well, but keep talking bad and make an absolutely wrong assumption for me. I the one who always being a person who has to isolate myself evens me hate to do that. I hate to feel lonely, but they had made me to feel that way on the way they are looking at me and keep whispering about me, which, I not know anything and does not have any idea on what they are talking about. It is such a bad feeling as I have to bear it with myself. I have to face that experience at the time when I was child and do not know much about life. Although it is hard, I succeed to overcome that and I am what I am now. Even that thing is still exist within me some other ways, I still continue life, as I think that our God will help me in the best way that He could. Heart can feel sad, but our mind should decide how long we want to feel that way. Right?

The Hungry Ghost by Hwee Hwee Tan

The Hungry Ghost is a story created by Singaporean writer, Hwee Hwe Tan, which it is a story about a funeral in Buddhism. Buddhist religion has its own belief as they the one who think and decide whether they will go to heaven or to hell based on their action and behave during life. They also beliefs that they will get tortures like The Exploding Water, for children who are disrespectful and forgetful of their elders and ancestors. This is totally different from Islamic concept of funeral as in Islam, we belief that we will get the reward on what we are doing during life. We will get through our life with smooth as long as we know what is do’s and don’ts in our religion. As a Muslim, we belief that Allah is fair and He will give the best reward for his entire people. Islam is the best religion as it never trouble people, in fact it give the best ways to settle any problems’ occurred.

Mariah by Che Husna Azhari

Mariah is widower who sells her 'Nasi Berlauk' at her stall in order to survive herself and being admired. This Che Husna Azhari artwork is about polygamy issue within Pak Imam, which i can consider him as a big character besides Mariah. Pak Imam already have a wife, Cik Yam, who is a loyal wife and being the icon of other woman with full package in her own. After Pak Imam had discussed with her about his intention to have another marriage with Mariah, Cik Yam felt upset and do not agree on the time. But because she loves his husband so much, he agreed to let Pak Imam to get married. What a loyal wife Cik Yam is. As for Pak Imam, even though he is known as Imam and respected by the whole villagers, but he is still just an ordinary person that cannot being separate by other human being by behave like he is (want to get married with Mariah although he already have Cik Yam as his wife). But, what i respect Pak imam is about his responsibility towards Cik Yam. He do mentioned that although he got married to Mariah, but he will never neglected Cik Yam at all. This is because, both of them already get through both of their life well and share all the hardship occured within them. This should be example for those who have intention to get married more than one, to be loyal and fair when it talk about polygamy because it is a serious issue of life.

Compare and contrast between The Interview by Gopal Baratham and The Empire of The Sun directed by Steven Spielberg

Between a short story entitle The Interview by Gopal Baratham and a movie directed by Steven Spielberg, Empire of The Sun there is a basic similarity, which, it is obviously about a life and how to survive during World war 2 as the both main character being the prisoner of Japanese army. As in the Empire of The Sun, the character inside it, James Graham, known as Jamie a young subtle acts of defiance against authority and show his braveveness through an expeditions that left older men in awe. It is the fact that a little boy could irritate a general so much. Jamie is doing anything in order to survive in that prisoner camp. Meanwhile, inside the story written by Gopal Baratham, The Interview, Brigadier Mason, the main character play quit a similar character with Jamie, but in a different way. If Jamie do any works to gain food and to survive himself, even have to work with Brasie, a little bit older man than Jamie, in order to have a comfort life at the worst place, Mason being a friend with an interragator. Also, on that time, he needs foods and drinks to survive. It is Mason's necessary when he being the prisoner on that time, without think about other so much, unlike Jamie. All he think is about those kind of stuff so he do not dying in starving and hungriness. Both of the main character still show a great act but as i mention before in a different way. As for me, i adore Jamie's character so much as he could survive in his young age. I don't know what will happen if I was the boy on that time. His courage in order to survive should be great example for youth today, and of course, for me as well.

The Interview by Gopal Baratham

The Interview by Gopal Baratham is obviously storying about the experience of Brigadier Mason, when he is become the Japanese prisoner. On the interviewing session, he do mentions about the sentence, that is 'Deprivation is largely an attitude of mind' and it is actually talking about his experience, when he is being the prisoner of Japanese, all of his daily needs is limit including foods, and even worst, is totally taken away from him. He is suffer on his own freedom. On that situation, although Mason do not sure and cannot predict his life at all, he still do not give and keep holding on as could as he can. We also should make use of his experience as our own spirit to continue life as we could not easily give up and always think positive about everything. It is sure, our guts will lead us to the better path.