‘My most memorable Raya moments was I was young, when we were really excited to go back to our hometowns, and doing the preparations we had to make…’

‘Raya won’t feel like Raya if your mom didn’t shout at you, if your siblings didn’t fight with you on the things you need to do. Sometimes the good memories happens when everybody’s at home, you and your sisters will fight a bit as to who will do this and that – like who will fix the new curtains, who will help mom with the cooking, and if that doesn’t happen, Raya will not be Raya – because that is Raya.

‘Also what I miss the most was my cousins and me who were only one or two years different – we all bought the same clothes together every year. And it was like that until around Standard 4, when we decided to say no more to wearing the same clothes, and that moment I felt a bit sad because we don’t have the same attire to wear. 

‘I also had my grandmother with me, but after she passed away things are a bit different. When my grandmother was still alive, every Raya morning I would make jokes with her, ask her to make some dried rendang… so when she’s already passed away I don’t have that vision anymore, she’s not at my table anymore. Its a bit sad, but of course life goes on, things change. 

‘But I’d say preparation for the ketupat was the best part of any Raya, and if you can’t feel your mom’s nagging at you, and you don’t fight with your brothers and sisters on your duties – Raya just won’t feel the same. 

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on July 5th 2016)

“I’ve been blind for the longest time. Taking the train doesn’t scare pak cik (uncle)…”

“Pak cik just go take the train every single day from home. People help me to get around, its really easy. Pak cik now heading off to sell tissue (paper). How many do I sell in one day? Maybe around around 100 tissue papers, its quite a lot”.

(The uncle was really lost, you really had to point him to the direction he’s heading – the stairs, the train, the exit. And everyone, I mean everyone, was out there looking for him, literally going with him up the stairs, helping him cross the ticket crossings, and telling him when the top of the escalator is so he can prepare his footing. Well done Malaysians!).

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on July 4th 2016)

‘I really miss the moment when I am coming back home to my family…’

‘Its been a long time since I balik kampung (going back to one’s hometown). Its been two years, since I came here to do my degree. I’m buying some handicrafts to bring back to my hometown in Aceh. Some clothes like jubah and scarves for my mother, and ‘Kuala Lumpur key chains’ for the rest. Just wanted to tell everyone that if you’re driving back to your hometown, please drive safely, and not too fast. Vehicle accidents has been rising every single year, so drive safely. Read your prayers and have a safe journey.’

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on July 4th 2016)

‘Let me tell you a story. There was one Indonesian lady who got married to a local Sibu (Sarawak) men through an arranged marriage…’

‘And they came to see me. The whole family came to see me. The husband, the wife, the parents and grandparents are all there because she could not get pregnant. 

‘As the gynecologist, I examined her, and I found out that she had an IUCD in her womb. An IntrauterineContraceptive Device (IUCD) is a device which is inserted into the uterus (womb) to prevent pregnancy. She’s got a contraceptive device inside her womb.

‘When I found that, I asked her to sit down, I just kept quiet, and asked everybody to go out, including the husband, and the whole family. I then asked her – why? 

‘You are coming in to see me because you cannot get pregnant, but it turns out you have an contraceptive inside of you. Tell me why. 

‘She told me that when she got married to him, she did not know who the man was. Her family is poor. She got married because the man sends a certain amount of money to her family. 

‘When she got married, her family over in Indonesia told her to put the IUCD for fear in case if the husband mistreated her, she still has a chance to run away. 

‘So I asked her, ‘are you happy with the marriage?’ 

‘And she said yes, that the family is very nice to her. So I said lie down, and I will remove the IUCD for you, and she said yes, please do. So then I removed it, and then called in the entire family back. 

‘I told them your wife is fine, just work hard on it and you’re going to get pregnant.’

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 30th 2016)

‘I was a deeply unhappy person. And being a teenager, you know lah, ‘the whole world is against me…’

“I had an obsession with pain and I used to cut myself. I had this tattoo to remind myself to remain grounded. I like to travel, and I don’t have that concept of home like most people do, and I almost moved away from Malaysia to Siem Reap. It can be home, or family, and I never had that anchor. My family dynamics were different. Its to remind me that no matter where your heart takes you, keep yourself ‘anchored’. One big reason that made me grounded was service (volunteering). I know that sounds horrible but one of the reasons I did not move to Cambodia was the people I was helping here in Malaysia. The families and the people who are in need that I look after. I can’t abandon the people I am looking after here. Service is a huge part of my life. When I started dating, I could only date someone who also volunteered and understood it. Its not a fad thing its just how it is for me. “

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 16th 2016)

‘I was working at OCBC headquarters at Masjid Jamek. Whilst being there I learnt so many things but they also threw so many responsibilities to me…’

‘During the interview I told them I can design, do finance, have accounting basics, and they hired me straight away, even though the pay was low (RM2,000).

‘I started on Monday, and they threw me so many tasks on the first day itself. I took it as a challenge and I did it, but I kept on moving.

‘After a few months I realised I cannot take this job, because I could not see myself growing there. The environment itself cut me short, and I was not learning any new skills.

‘Then one day, I received a call from my mother saying there was a company closing down due to bankruptcy, and suggested that we take over it. When she called, I was in the middle of doing one of the spreadsheets. 

‘I told her give me two weeks to think, and so I was deliberating the pros and cons.

‘The pros? I would grow and see many more challenges. While the biggest con I could see is that I would put myself physically, mentally and financially out there in a big risk – and fail instantly.

‘But in the end I said ‘Let’s just do it!’. My life is short and even if it doesn’t work, there is always a way to get through life. 

‘So, the next few months, I took out all my savings, started working on business plans and strategies and what I could do with the studio. The thing is, just because it is a dance studio doesn’t mean it is just for dancing – it could be a space for birthday parties, networking, events, and anything that requires a physical space.

‘Six months after I started, I stabilised my income and the studio was getting regular customers. I’ve been doing it for two years now and it’s worth it but it takes a lot of effort.

‘I had people who are 40, 50 years old coming to me saying what I am doing now is what people should be doing after they have worked most of their lives, and that I am starting too early.

‘Maybe it’s true, but you know what makes me go on? Fear. That fear of knowing I might not get much out of life. That fear of not being able to do so much.

‘Even if you are earning a lot, if you see yourself not growing, I think you need to go out.

‘You need to ask yourself, what can I get out of life? Especially while you’re still young!’

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Do like her page at Caterpillar Stretching Imagination!

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 15th 2016)

This is the Captain of the massive, 18 stories tall, 340 metres long cruise ship known as the ‘Ovation Of The Seas’ that was in Port Klang last week

It is also known as the world’s smartest cruise ship for its advanced entertainment technologies.

‘Taking the ‘Ovation of the Seas’ is one of the highlights of my career. I started my life at sea as a Cadet in 1983 when I was 19 years old, with theDenmark Navy. I got my education there, then went into cargo ships, with the Maersk line. In the year 2000 I switched ships and joined cruise ships and so far I have been sailing for 33 years. I am now the Captain of the ‘Ovation Of The Seas’ cruise ship and many people have told me how beautiful and big it is. 

‘So far we’ve cruised from Southampton to Barcelona, Barcelona to Dubai, and then Dubai to Singapore. Now we have a three day trip from Singapore to Malaysia, before heading to Tianjin (China) and that’s where the ship will be christened and named. 

‘There’s no need to be worried about icebergs as the ship is a two compartment ship and we don’t really expect any icebergs but all ships try to avoid icebergs. We have radars that can detect them. 

‘Navigating the Straits of Malacca is manageable, there’s many other ships out there, but there’s also traffic separation schemes which makes it like a highway so it’s quite safe, and fast to travel by sea. Also you have lots of lightning storms but this ship can handle that. We’ve seen dolphins all over the ocean, and if you’re in for activities, entertainment, dining, and good service then going on a cruise ship is a good place to spend your holidays’. 

– Humans of Kuala Lumpur

Photostory by Mushamir Mustafa

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(This post was first published on June 13th 2016)