Absences

We'd planned to have a day spent largely relaxing at home, the only real action being Noi cooking a pile of epok epok for a teachers' charity lunch ahead of tomorrow. Sadly we got news of Karen's dad having passed away last Thursday and went to the wake, with Mei, in the afternoon to pay our respects. It wasn't an entirely sad occasion - the end of a life well-lived life surely never is. There were lots of recent happy pictures of Mr Goh looking in the best of health and spirits. The end, from a fall, came quickly and, in that sense, mercifully.

Similarly - though not so personal - it was sad to read of the death of the Malaysian film director Yasmin Ahmad. When we were in Melaka in June we watched our DVD of one of her recent movies, Mukhsin. This was sort of the completion of a trilogy, tracing the youth of the heroine of the earlier Sepet and Gubra. All three films have a spirit and out-spokenness rare in local cinema. Generally though her work is more familiar through the very classy advertisements she's made promoting messages for Hari Raya and the like. These are often intensely sentimental but beautifully judged little pieces, generally based around economically delivered little narratives - a form of popular art at its best. She was only fifty-one.

So when we got to the new Geylang Market in the late afternoon I found myself in a mildly melancholy frame of mind. I can't say the new version of the market thrilled me - too bright and clean by half, and neither quality can I see lasting too long. The old market had lots more character, and lots more rats, undoubtedly. But change is good, as they say, even when it isn't