Dato Yunus Raiss

by Dato Yunus Raiss Dedicated to Dato' Zainul Aziz In the dark of the night with a gentle thud falls the aphrodisiac Durian The Old Man covers his head with a corrugated iron sheet Its intoxicating scent is the old man's increasing heat He looks here, he looks there, for the tantalising seducer by torchlight. The Old Man covers his head with a corrugated iron sheet This Old Man says men are naturally polygamous He looks here, he looks there, for the tantalising seducer by torchlight Women, men know, are very desirable but instinctively monogamous. This Old Man says men are naturally polygamous The Durian easily converted the sagacious Chinese Women, men know, are very desirable but instinctively monogamous Trigger-happy Communists used the Durian to torture the Japanese. The Durian easily converted the sagacious Chinese The well-webbed thorny Durian is not bad or mad or dangerous Trigger-happy Communists used the Durian to torture the ...

Like a thief in the middle of the night You silently came into my unhappy life Your innocent beguiling ways blinded me easily I your caged bird fluttered and twittered merrily Snuff out my miserable little life, snuff it out! Yes, my Hiroshima lover, I gladly said yes to your doubt You gave me life and you subtly took it away too soon Like a Kamikaze pilot’s dive at high noon No, your torrents of tears cannot reach my sepulchre No thanks for your dolefuls of love bittersour No, no thanks for your assistance in my suicide No, I shall not be resurrected for you or your kind. Stop wailing, you disturb my slumber You damned cheating lying murderer! Dato’ Yunus Raiss JP FRSA FCIL MEd BA BSc (Econ) M.Ed, Barrister, Dip TEFL, Dip Edu Research 27.07.2017

I want to say Ziad and Nour had the nous  to have you born within life-giving St Mary’s, birth-place of Princes William and Harry, sons of charming Princess Diana. I want to say you brought your parents joy and sunshine, you’re their eternal treasure beyond compare. You’re the darling of your grandparents, the answer to their prayers in distant historical Syria. I want to say your birth was music to the ears of Hamis; she will teach you the piano with love and tenderness. Four days after you, comes trailing clouds of glory, the baby son of Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan, Archie, Monday Child fair of face.  On the Sunday before Monday to Paresh and Niral, blithe and bonny son Shishu. I want to say you’re our wonderful princess, time and again we shall celebrate your birth joyously. Dato’ Yunus Raiss JP FRSA FCIL MEd BA BSc (Econ) M.Ed, Barrister, Dip TEFL, Dip Edu Research 07.05.2019

SHE’S GONE! it’s surreal, she’s gone, ever so quietly, in blissful sleep at home, Hoshana! No more tea, or the Archers on the radio for loveable Sheila. The Magnolia Tree, in mourning, has shed its blossom, a silken carpet of pure white tears, where she walked, a magical carpet, celebrating the passing of one of a kind, loveable Sheila. An English Rose with a European heart, a lover of London, a Linguist, a Humanist, a friend of the young, the old, the less able, an irrepressible good Samaritan, a tireless universal aunt, a millstone round the neck of Officialdom, loveable Sheila. Now, the flowers, unwatered, will die, pining for loveable Sheila. Bye Bye Sheila, a heavenly Bluebird, Rest in Peace in a bright corner of your Blue Heaven; we shall meet again some sunny day, loveable Sheila. There is now nothing left to rhapsodise over, Che Sara Sara, loveable Sheila…. A Tribute to my best friend for over half a century: by Y...

Two Tulips C & A Seize each day and be happier, brighter, sweeter for yourself, your families and your friends. The gift of life is the same single, married, old or young, Turkish or Malaysian. Only in marriage you think, live and do for two or more, you for him and he for you and both eventually for the baby. The high only a parent can know, the joy of creation. Your every action will revolve around the baby, you will both become experts at baby talk. Heaven lies in smiles, giggles, gurgles and looks. You will reign in two bodies with one soul. Nothing in life comes ready made. Happiness too? You need to make happiness happen, it takes time, effort, love and care. Be wary of the king of thieves, Time; it often catches you napping from behind. To have in life what you dearly love, you must learn to be a sorcerer to turn a sob story into a garden of sweet-smelling roses with Aladdin’s lamp and God’s helping hand. Do ...

Little did I know in 1964 it would take me half a century to meet  the past master of audio-visual Communicative teaching at the City Lit  in 2018 with the computer and methodology at his finger tips with total self-assurance and inimitable precision in his master class evening Italian course. He forestalls the tumbles and falls of protean SEI, LEI, and CHI, convinced that prevention is better than cure, cure always at hand. Roberto Minardi’s leaners joyously intone, “Sono Inglese, di Londra,” like Verdi’s Chorus of the Hebrews, with the serenity of the Mona Lisa, no sweat, no tears, no confusion, all happy smiles. How time shrinks in Merlin Roberto’s hands three hours from 6 to 9 feel like three minutes! The class wanes on la conga of devilishly clever games and realistic role play. Ciao, amici. Will we hear the nightingale again, if not next week, another fine day? Whatever will be, will be – Che sara’, sara’. che sara', sara' Dato’ Yunu...

Stop! Listen to the sweet chimes cascading from room 216 like Mike Oldfield’s Tubular Bells: 1 MA   2 MA   3 MA   4 MA and POR BOR MOR. Bored no more, they sing as happy as a lark WOMEN XUEXI ZHONGWEN Like joyful jingle bells. The left wall covered with visual aids, flash cards diving like kingfishers, smiles and sounds intoxicating the learners, their faces light up like electric bulbs each time Ting “oks” their answer, with the charisma of an orchestra conductor, full of joy and zest for life, a dynamo of energy, she never ever sits down, no time to do so. Drills abandoned in the 70s revitalize realistic functional Chinese with precision, fun and practicality, cumulative revision remedying any confusion. She casts a spell on the class with her signature tune reverberating: FEICHANG HAO! EXCELLENT! a calming tonic for any stress. Her mantra? Preparation. Preparation. Preparation. Rapport. Rapport. Revision. Revision. Enthusi...