Grand Delusion: A Road-Map To Nowhere

Thailand apparently has road-maps for everything under the sun. Road-maps for national harmony, road-maps for unity, road-maps for peace in conflict-torn south Thailand, road-maps for digital economy, and road-maps for solidifying power. This “road-map” is of course debatable, something that politicians and right-wing factions widely abuse when they speak to their audience, to the unconvinced […]

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Compassion Is Not An Embracing Virtue

The tudung-clad Malay girls who were seen hugging and kissing members of a K-pop band at a concert in Kuala Lumpur last Saturday have been given a week by the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) to come forward or face arrest, Utusan Malaysia reports. (The Malaysian Insider). Meanwhile the institutions in Malaysia neglect social […]

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Tragedy of the Poor, Living in Societal Apathy

Sunday, hellishly humid and blisteringly hot. Bangkok. I’m in one of those random moods to explore places, away from anything that looks and feels elaborate in structure and decoration. The feet, thighs and lower back set in motion, and I’m off. Bangkok holds much for a traveller, particularly when one is away from the main […]

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Societal Pursuit of Gratification, during Ramadan

We swing, most often with relish, from euphoric intensity, then to the other, to immortality of emotions; self-emptiness, shreds of self.   Ramadan, during the month, Muslims engage in the ritualistic obligation of fasting; the deprivation of cycles, the consumption of limitation, of modest portions and outwardly respectable behaviours. Not an easy task for many, […]

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Rejuvenation in Rural Pathum Thani Province

A rural road, in the depths of a province that I am unfamiliar with. Pathum Thani. Imposing highways, leading to narrow roads, and how I remember the small dusty town, somewhat a taint of resemblance of Phnom Penh, though not quite. The escape, away from Bangkok, was thankfully rejuvenating. The nap, a couple of hours in […]

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My Random Snapshots of Life

Mix-matched, I know, though I see life almost through random events. The longer I travel, the more I see the neglect. Society rushes to fulfill its desires, and yet we sometimes, or often forget to capture the moment.       ZashnainAn avid blogger, twitterer and photojournalist, Zashnain Zainal suffers from an incurable addiction to […]

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A Quick Visit to Malacca

I had the opportunity to visit Melaka during my last visit to Malaysia. When I was there, met a good friend, tasted the local food, managed to finish my reports and unwind, despite spending only two days in the ancient city.   ZashnainAn avid blogger, twitterer and photojournalist, Zashnain Zainal suffers from an incurable addiction […]

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