The Malaysian government has issued a warning to Malaysian men

The Malaysian government has issued a warning to Malaysian men, implying that their marriages in neighboring Thailand may not be recognized as valid upon their return to their home country.

As reported in the New Straits Times, Malaysian Muslim men have recently taken to journeying into southern Thailand in order to secure second, third or fourth wives. So popular is this practice that one mosque in Songkla province has even gathered a reputation as a destination for quickie marriages.

However, the Malaysian government may not be as quick to condone these unions as Malaysian men are to enter them.

In a statement to the press, Malaysian Deputy Home Minister Lee Chee Leong said that, “If the mother is Thai, then the child will be a Thai national, regardless of whether the husband or the father of the child is a Malaysian.”

According to the Bangkok Post, some children of such unions have not been allowed to register in Malaysian schools, owing to their contested nationality.

(scource: http://www.coconutsbangkok.com/news/a-warning-to-malaysian-men-be-wary-of-thai-marriages/)

giving google+ the preference for posting my pix :-)

If you like to follow my posting of pictures, please do so at https://plus.google.com/photos/118368231017162743201/albums

For me, it's a very convenient way of posting:
1. I edit the pix using picasa;
2. picasa allows me to keep the originals, and save the edited pictures, and
3. it allows me - with only one click - to put the pix online,
4. and all that at no costs, absolutely for free.

If you have better alternatives, do let me know! paulbavo@gmail.com :-)
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who's the world's largest employer?

In today's FT:

"Travel and tourism are now the world's largest employer, accounting for 255m jobs, according to Datamonitor. The industry is expected to generate 73m new jobs by 2022."

That line makes one think. The production of happiness is obviously more important than the production of goods. There might be hope for the human race after all :-)

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dreaming about the death

I have been dreaming about the death lately.

First, it was a dream where my late aunt (is that correct? She was the sister of my father's mother) appeared on one of my travels. She died at the age of 103, and she prayed every day that the good Lord would come and take here out of this life.
In my dream, she looked old, but much younger then I remember her. I was travelling to Bali, and suddenly I spotted her between the other passengers waiting in line. She was vibrant, and told me: it's so necessary to travel while you can. I admired her for still travelling at her old age!
A day later, I dreamt about my late mother. She died in an old-folks-fully-service-residence, in her sleep. It was a nice death.
In my dream, I could not see her. She was totally covered, even her hands and her face. But I could hear her sweet voice, unmistakinly hers, telling me: I'm so glad you visited me, I'm so lonely.

Now what to think of that? Am I approaching the world between the living and the next life? Such sweet dreams :-)