On Co-Existence And Diversity In Opinions

In my opinion, wherever we are on this earth, or even on another planet in the distant future, we are supposed to co-exist with other human beings, with other creatures big and small, with the environment, with the universe. We have to learn to respect and tolerate one another even if our opinions differ.

We should observe and we should think for ourselves and not just swallow whatever that is rammed down our throats by others, be that friends, elders, bosses, families, leaders, politicians and religious clerics. More often that not, a large portion of prejudice, bigotry, slanders and even lies are pushed under our noses among other things, under the pretext of "defending" us against something. I have always taken care of myself, I do not need other people defending me for my race or my religion. I am a mongrel by the way. There is intermingling of Ceylonese blood (second generation) on my mum's side and therefore I am not a true Malay as the immigrant blood is inside me. And I am not a moron that I cannot think for myself.

A few years ago, some officers from AR came to to the training centre where I worked to conduct some talk on will-making. I was very interested in that topic because I was about to make a will myself. After all the preliminary introductions about the programme, one of the officers began to state some verses from the Quran concerning making a will in Islam. After a few minutes, he then asked the question "Kat sini tak de orang tak pakai tudung ye?" I do not wear the headscarf, not then not now. Either he didn't see me or he purposely wanted to embarrass me, the only un-scarfed female of the lot. Everybody was quiet, a lot of my colleagues in the meeting felt a little awkward I think, then he continued with the topic. With all due respect to all my lady friends who wear the hijab, if the value of an individual is so much place on how she dresses alone then that religion is a shallow one. I felt a little humiliated in that programme honestly, like I was such a sinner, but because I really wanted to know about will making I stayed on. May be also because I am the reserved type who doesn't like confrontation unless it is necessary. More because I really wanted to know about the topic actually. However my inner dialogue was like"Get lost you jerk, you are not going to defeat me by your holier than thou attitude". If I should have stood up and asked him, what relevance was my not wearing the head scarf to the programme, then perhaps another awkward situation would have followed and my temper would have flared and I would leave the session. Why not be generous, do not snub people but treat everyone courteously, even if you think that person is less religious than you because she doesn't wear the head scarf? Why not present Islam as something friendly, non-judgemental and an endearing and compelling religion? If we cannot be friendly to a fellow Muslim, how can we expand that to the rest of humanities. Later on, I did my will with Maybank actually. The cost was cheaper than AR and nobody said anything about me, going to the bank in jeans and shirt and not wearing a head scarf. This is just a small example and I like to believe that that particular official did not represent the whole of that organisation. Hopefully.

I am at times baffled by statements made by some of our ministers regarding people from different sect of Islam and I am honestly quite alarmed at the arrogance and brashness of some of the religious authorities in dealing with individuals with different opinions or in handling matters under their prerogatives. Religion is creeping into every aspect of public life when it should be a personal matter.


The following is Rumi's quote on his search for God. I intensely love this quote/poem.

I searched for God among the Christians and on the Cross and therein I found Him not.
I went into the ancient temples of idolatry; no trace of Him was there.
I entered the mountain cave of Hira and then went as far as Qandhar but God I found not.
With set purpose I fared to the summit of Mount Caucasus and found there only 'anqa's habitation.
Then I directed my search to the Kaaba, the resort of old and young; God was not there even.
Turning to philosophy I inquired about him from ibn Sina but found Him not within his range.
I fared then to the scene of the Prophet's experience of a great divine manifestation only a "two bow-lengths' distance from him" but God was not there even in that exalted court.
Finally, I looked into my own heart and there I saw Him; He was nowhere else.

Mawlana Jalaludin Rumi

I find the article below very very refreshing, even if some parts of it  I do not agree. It is copied from one of the popular blogs which I follow. However I do very much hope the "extremists" meant by the writer covers all ethnicities, religious backgounds, all manner of government supporters, opposition supporters or individuals like me who do not support any political party nor aligned ourselves with any individual.

Malays Must Stand Up To The Extremists (and Malaysians too)

by Ahmad Hafidz Baharom | 
June 24, 2014 2:44PM @http://www.malaysiakini.com

First and foremost, I am a third generation constitutional Malaysian Malay Muslim, as far as I can tell from my secondary school history project I did in 1996. That being said, there are those who may have a history of their ancestors and families living in this nation longer than I have.I am partially Chinese, Indian, Indonesian Malay and Malaysian Malay, which we can all say are the four biggest populations in Malaysia currently.

All I can say about this is that my parents must have taken Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s racial genetic co-mingling which he suggested in The Malay Dilemma seriously.As much as I am a Malay, I am not a supporter of UMNO, nor am I a supporter of PAS or any political party. Instead, I align myself to individuals, among them PAS’ Khalid Abdul Samad, and Mujahid Rawa (regardless of his anti-smoking crusade), DAP’s Charles Santiago and Tony Pua, PKR’s Nurul Izzah Anwar, Elizabeth Wong, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, and Rafizi Ramli, and UMNO’s Saifudin Abdullah, Ahmad Husni Hanadziah and Nur Jazlan Mohamed.As a graduate of UiTM, I am thankful for what UMNO has done in the past, but that doesn’t exclude them from criticism. Nor does it exclude UiTM from criticism. As such, I don’t find an insult to UMNO as an insult to myself as a Malay, nor do I see urging UiTM to be opened up to non-bumiputeras as an insult to myself.

Similarly, I do not find it taboo for a non-Muslim to wish me salam, or to use Islamic phrases. This is because I see it as a positive, as them trying to emulate our culture instead of somehow seeing it as a threat against my religion. In other words, I am not a paranoid. In the past year or so, we have somehow seen that any insult to UMNO, Ikaan Muslimin Malaysia (Isma), having Iban language Bibles, urging the reining in of religious authorities, all of this as an insult to Malays.

UMNO is not a representation of all the Malays in Malaysia. The fact that they lost Shah Alam in the last two general elections is solid proof of it. Mind you, we have a more than 90 percent Malay population in this parliamentary district. Isma’s president, contrary to his wife’s belief, is not the representative of all Malays. After all, if he thinks the Chinese are trespassers, then he is equally saying I myself am the product of a trespassing ancestor.

A Penang assemblyperson calling UMNO ‘celaka’ is also not an insult to me, because I have seen students right out of UiTM who just got their first jobs giving out the same expletive remarks when they read news coverage of the Auditor-General’s Report. And by the way, these were former BN Youth Volunteers during the 2013 general election.

I am not a traitor to HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah for thinking that both the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) are in the wrong and have totally lost the plot by seizing Bibles and having fake ex-Christians hold a talk at UiTM, regardless of what Negri Sembilan Perkasa suggests. And if they think they need to behead me for this, I suggest they check in with the His HRH Sultan of Selangor to use his royal courtyard for the guillotine.

I believe the Malays have to now take a stand against all these extreme views, and voice it out as ardently as possible; that we are no longer represented by extremists. Now is the time for the Malays to take a stand and tell those in charge to either stop it, or face the consequences of misrepresenting us to the entire world.

It is time to take legal action against our extremists to gag them from making unwarranted statements that tarnish the image of the Malay race. If not, then the greatest insult to the Malays would be the insult we do to ourselves by letting the voice of the loud few destroy whatever pride we have left in ourselves as a people, as a community, as a majority in this country.

Cat Flu

My little young lady Tam is sneezing every now and then ever since yesterday. Before that she was coughing a little. I am a bit worried, what with all the bad news around. Nine of Nizam and Ain's cats passed away because of the flu recently. Must be hard on them loosing nine furry kids in a short span of time. Today my niece Syikin messaged me that a vet in Ipoh who was keeping data, informed her that in and around Ipoh about 600 cats perished because of the cat flu since early June.

I cancelled my plan to go window-shopping today because I need to observe Tam. Fortunately, other than the sneezing, she is her usual playful self and she is eating normally and there is no fever. But still just in case the sneezing gets worse, I will take her to the vet. Even though both my cats are vaccinated, I am still a little worried as perhaps a virulent strain of some virus might have mutated to conquer the available antibiotics. Even vaccinated cats can still get the flu due the reasons listed at the end of the article I pasted below. So it is good to be vigilant and to closely monitor symptoms on your pets.

Despite the sneezing, Miss Tuxedo is her usual boisterous self. This morning antics is hanging down from the bookshelf batman style.

The following article, in green and blue at the end, is copied and pasted from www.cats.org.uk

Cat Flu VETERINARY GUIDE 16
Cat flu is a common illness that affects the upper respiratory tract of cats. It can be caused by a number of infectious agents, including viruses and bacteria and can be life threatening. Unfortunately, cat flu still persists, despite the availability of vaccines. The cats most severely affected include the very young, very old and those with a damaged immune system – immunosuppressed cats. Immunosuppressed cats include those infected with the feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), those with other serious illnesses and those receiving certain medication eg the drugs used in chemotherapy.

What causes cat flu?
Around 80 per cent of cases of cat flu are caused by one of two viruses, feline herpesvirus (FHV) or feline calicivirus (FCV). The viruses may both be present and once they have damaged the lining of an infected cat’s respiratory tract, the disease may be further complicated by additional bacterial infections. Other causes of cat flu include bacteria such as Chlamydophila felis – previously known as Chlamydia – and Bordetella bronchiseptica – the cause of kennel cough in dogs.

How is it spread?
The flu viruses are spread in a number of ways, including:
• direct contact with an infected cat which is showing signs of flu – the virus is present in an infected cat’s tears, saliva and nasal discharge
• sneezing can project the particles far enough to infect another nearby cat, but this route of infection is less common
• indirect contact with an infected cat’s secretions. The viruses can survive in the environment for up to a week and can be carried on clothing, people’s hands, food bowls, grooming equipment and other objects – known as fomites
• contact with a ‘carrier’ cat. These cats may be infected with and are carrying one or both of the cat flu viruses but are not showing signs of disease. During times of stress these cats may shed the virus and infect other cats.

What are the signs?
There are many signs to look out for, including:
• sneezing
• runny nose and eyes
• dribbling
• quiet and subdued behaviour
• loss of appetite
• high temperature
• a cough or loss of voice
• pneumonia

FHV can cause a severe and potentially life-threatening illness. Ulcers may form on the surface of the eye and the eyelids may become inflamed and swollen, becoming stuck to the surface of the eye. It can also lead to long-term eye complications causing pain and affecting vision and/or long-term infections following damage to the nasal passages and sinuses

FCV usually causes a milder form of cat flu. In kittens, it can cause lameness and a high temperature. In adults, sometimes the only sign of an FCV infection is painful ulcers, found on the tongue, roof of the mouth or the nose. Recently however, a more severe disease caused by FCV has been identified, termed virulent systemic disease (VSD) which is highly infectious and which has a much higher death rate (see later). FCV is also thought to be associated with feline chronic gingivostomatitis in some cats – see  Veterinary Guide: Teeth and oral health.

Chlamydophila can produce a mild form of flu. Discharge and redness of the eyes is a common feature of this infection.

Bordetella causes flu-like signs like those described above but may also progress to the chest, causing a serious infection and a relatively high death rate in kittens. Cats infected with Bordetella may develop a cough.

How is it diagnosed?
A diagnosis of cat flu is mainly based on the signs the cat is displaying. Your vet may take swabs from your cat’s mouth, nose and eyes to be submitted to a laboratory where the virus or bacteria can be grown and identified.

How is it treated and managed?
Your vet may prescribe symptomatic treatment to control the signs of cat flu and good nursing care is required. Some antiviral drugs or drugs to modulate the immune system may also help to control the infection, but are not currently licensed to treat cat flu. Infectious cats are rarely hospitalised because of the risk to other cats, so nursing care is usually done at home. Management of the condition includes:
• keeping your cat quiet, warm and comfortable with easy access to his key resources, such as food, water, litter tray and a bed
• minimising stress – so keep other pets and noisy children away from the patient while he recuperates
• removing discharge from his eyes and nose with a damp piece of cotton wool
• relieving nasal congestion by placing your cat in a steamy bathroom or near to a bowl of hot water – always supervise your cat around hot water
• encouraging eating by warming food or offering a range of foods little and often, particularly smelly and palatable food such as sardines. You may need to hand-feed him. If necessary, your vet may provide a special diet which can be syringe fed
• ensuring that lots of clean, fresh drinking water is provided and your cat is encouraged to drink little and often
• treatment of any secondary bacterial infections with antibiotics
• giving prescribed medication to help loosen and break up the nasal discharge and make breathing easier
• administering eye ointments
• giving antiviral medication which may help to reduce the severity of the symptoms
• treating for an extended period with oral medication is usually required to clear infection with Chlamydophila felis – even after the signs of infection have gone – to prevent recurrence and prevent transmission to others – all cats in direct contact generally require treatment

If hospitalisation is required due to the severity of the flu, treatment may also include intravenous fluids via a drip for dehydrated cats and vitamin injections or drugs to help stimulate appetite. The infected cat may need to have a feeding tube placed if they are still reluctant to eat.

In multi-cat households it is recommended that infected cats are isolated and kept in a different room away from all noninfected cats. They should be provided with separate food bowls and litter trays and these should be disinfected with a suitable disinfectant as recommended by your vet. Healthy cats should be attended to first and separate clothing, footwear or overalls/aprons and gloves should be worn.

What does the future hold?
The majority of cats infected with FHV will recover, but this can take several weeks. Unfortunately, your cat may suffer ongoing problems, including permanent damage and inflammation of the lining of the nasal passages, eye, sinuses and airways due to inflammation and secondary bacterial infections. These infections leading to chronic rhinitis – inflammation of the nasal passages – or recurrent eye problems and may require treatment on a regular basis.

On some occasions, cats may be so severely affected by an infection that they have to have one or both eyes removed. Early treatment is vital in preventing this outcome.

In addition, all cats infected with FHV remain infected for life, shedding the virus intermittently during their lifetime. At these times – usually occurring after a stressful experience and lasting for up to two weeks – your cat will be infectious but will not necessarily show the signs of flu.

In contrast, cats are able to clear FCV after a period of time – most cats will clear the infection and no longer be infectious after a few weeks or months. A small minority may remain infected for several years.

Can I prevent cat flu?
Regular vaccination against FHV and FCV is the most effective way of reducing the risk of developing cat flu. Vaccination can start at eight to nine weeks of age in kittens, with a second dose at 12 weeks. Boosters are required at regular intervals thereafter.

Flu vaccines are not always 100 per cent effective in preventing disease altogether but will usually prevent severe disease. If, in spite of vaccination, your cat does still develop a mild form of flu it will usually be milder and may be because:
• There are many strains of FCV and vaccines may only protect against some of      them
• Your cat’s immune system is overwhelmed if he is infected with a high dose of a very virulent virus
• Your cat may have other disorders affecting his immune system reducing his       immune response to infection
• Your cat could already be an asymptomatic carrier of the flu viruses due to infection before vaccination

Vaccines against Chlamydophila felis and Bordetella bronchiseptica are also available, but are not usually given on a routine basis to all cats. Your vet will decide if these are necessary by evaluating your cat’s lifestyle to assess the risk of infection.

Virulent systemic disease (VSD) 
The more potent disease caused by FCV which has emerged is known as virulent systemic disease (VSD). It has been identified in recent years in both the USA and UK and unfortunately has a high death rate of up to 70 per cent. Normal replication of the virus can lead to development of a virulent strain. Cats which become infected with this strain of FCV may have swelling of the face and paws, a high temperature and severe ulcers on the head, legs and feet. Jaundice – yellow gums, eyes and skin – along with bleeding from the mouth and nose may also be seen as the disease progresses. Unusually adult cats seem to be more commonly affected by this strain than kittens and even vaccinated cats can be afflicted. The VSD virus is readily transferred on people’s clothing and hands, so strict barrier nursing and isolation of affected individuals is extremely important to try and limit the spread of this fatal disease. Each outbreak occurs as a result of mutation of FCV – often due to the mixing of cats carrying different strains of FCV – and this mutation in a single cat can then cause illness in other cats. Each outbreak is a unique event and fortunately seems to naturally burn out quickly, but it can be devastating for those cats and owners affected.

My Bits of Heaven on Earth

Ladies and gentlemen, we felines tend to be meticulous about our cleanliness. Let me show you how I clean my back paw, while laying down, comfortably curled up in the old plastic basin in the backyard. Photos are taken by Wan Nyah who is fascinated by my grooming. Actually she is fascinated by whatever I do or whatever Mickey does ha ha ha. I think Wan Nyah belongs to me and Mickey and not the other way round!

We felines are famous
for our fastidiousness
about cleanliness

First of all, check your heel. Ensure
that it is clean

Then, if you are a tuxedo, like me, check
your socks. The socks are flagship icons
for tuxedos like us.

Clean properly

Don't forget in-between
the toes. You might need
to use your teeth there.

Then examine your back
paw again. Ensure that you it is
really clean

Oops...interruption!
Hi wan nyah

All that cleaning makes
me a little tired

Clean the other paws later. Need a
nap first.

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Missing A Movie At The Cineplex
I watched The Book Thief DVD three times. How did I missed this movie in the theatres? Probably because it wasn't shown at my regular cinema TGV Bukit Raja. Cinemas must have some form of gauge to screen movies that will be watched by the movie-buffs of the particular locality. Or simply, if they think not many people will watch it, then just don't screen it. To be very frank, I am a little fixated on stories about children having to go through a lot of hardships in their formative years, whether in the form of books or movies. Perhaps a certain part of me finds its identity in these stories, perhaps I am a little too sentimental, perhaps both. Further more, the central character in The Book Thief is a young girl who has a natural inclination towards reading and writing, albeit being able to read only at the age of ten, after being coached at home by her foster father.
I loved the movie but I loved the book much more.

About The Author
Markus Zusak is an Australian writer and was born in Sydney in 1975. He is of Austrian-German parentage and his parents migrated to Australia in the late 1950s. Zusak is a very successful writer and has won many literary awards in the young adult literature category, especially with two of his books The Messenger and The Book Thief. The Book Thief is perhaps the most successful of Zusak's writing and was published in 2005. The book has been translated into almost 40 languages and had held the number one position on The New York Times and Amazon.com bestseller list for quite some time. In 2013 The Book Thief was adapted into a movie of the same name starring Geoffrey Rush, Emily Watson and Sophie Nelisse.
I keep surfing the net to find out if somehow there is a link between the author and the story. Perhaps Zusak wrote the story based on the experience of his parents or grandparents. What I found is pasted below in green.

Zusak was born to an Austrian father and a German mother, both of whom experienced World War II firsthand in their native countries. Zusak has stated that The Book Thief was unlike anything he had written before and largely inspired by stories his parents told him as a child about wartime Munich and Vienna. Zusak has specifically singled out two stories his mother told him, one of the bombing of Munich, and one of Jews being marched through Zusak's mother's town on their way to the Dachau concentration camp.

Like The Book Thief's character of Hans Hubermann, Zusak's father was a house painter, and at an early age Zusak wanted to be a house painter as well. Zusak began writing as a teenager, and citedThe Old Man and the Sea and What's Eating Gilbert Grape as inspirations. Zusak's sixth novel, a young adult fiction titled Bridge of Clay, is to be published in November 2009.

The Book Thief
The Book Thief is about a young German girl named Liesel Meminger. In fact the whole book is mainly about Liesel Meminger's  life between 1939 and 1943. In this story, the narrator is Death. I thought it is a bit morbid at first. It is January 1939 in a bitterly cold Nazi Germany and Liesel is soon approaching her tenth birthday. Liesel, her six-year-old brother Werner and their mother are on a train journey to Munich. Along the way Werner died and has to be buried in a cemetery alongside the railway track. As Liesel and her mother are about to leave the cemetery, a book falls out from one of the grave diggers coat pocket and Liesel picks it up and hide it in her clothing. Liesel is later taken on a car journey by Frau Heinrich to a fictional town of Molching, very near Munich to be handed over to her new foster parents. Her mother herself is continuing her journey to another place, perhaps to be rounded up by the Nazi SS men and further on to the concentration camps. Both of Liesel biological parents are Communist Party members which Hitler despises as much as the Jews, blacks or any other categories of humanities which is deemed not of the "pure Aryan race" or could somehow place the mighty Germans in jeopardy.

In Molching Liesel becomes the new daughter to the elderly couple Hans and Rosa Hubermann. Hans' gentle demeanour and his accordion playing quickly win Liesel over. It was Hans who teaches her the alphabets and how to read. Liesel is one of those children where a love of reading comes naturally and she is good with her "words" too. Together foster father and daughter read the book that was dropped by the grave digger at Liesel brother's funeral entitled "The Grave Digger's Handbook". Rosa Hubermann is a kind-hearted woman hidden beneath a witch exterior of loudness and constant swearing and scolding. Liesel is befriended by her twelve-year-old next door neighbour Rudy Steiner who becomes her partner in book and food thievery. It was a difficult time for most people in Molching. Hans is a house painter who finds himself out of work most of the time. Rosa supplemented the family's income by doing the laundry for the wealthy people of Molching, including the Mayor and his wife Ilsa Hermann.

A few months into her life in Molching, Liesel, Hans Hubermann, Rudy and Rudy's father Alex Steiner go to a gathering celebrating Hitler's birthday. Part of the celebration is a bonfire to burn books. When the ceremony is over Liesel picks up a partially burned book from the bonfire and hide it under her coat. It just happens that Ilsa Hermann was leaving with her husband and she sees Liesel taking the smouldering book. It was around this time too, Liesel learns the truth that her real mother has disappeared and is not coming back for her anymore. Liesel hates the Fuhrer as she begins to understand the Fuhrer's role in all these events.

Situation in Molching is getting more difficult, with work shortages and food shortages too. Jews are being rounded over and taken into custody, their properties being confiscated, their shops and businesses being destroyed.

Hans Hubermann was a soldier in WWI. He became friends with a German Jew by the name of Erik Vandenburg during that time. Erik somehow saved Hans life. After the war Hans promised Erik's widow that if ever she or her son need any help in future, he promised to help them. Erik's son Max Vandenburg enlists the help of his friend to contact Hans and to ask Hans to hide him in his house as Jews are being rounded and prosecuted in Germany. Hans agrees and one night Max arrives at Hans residence, tired, weak, almost at death's door. The Hubermanns hide him in their basement and nurse him back to health. It is not easy for the family, as the punishment for hiding a Jew will be the same as being a Jew themselves. So Max lives in the basement, even when the Hubermanns biological children Hans Junior and Trudy come home for Christmas. Liesel becomes a friend to the 22-year-old Max. Max asks Liesel to describe the outside weather to him everyday using her own words. He encourages Liesel to express herself in her own words verbally or in writing.

While picking up or delivering laundry done by her foster mother, Liesel develops some sort of friendship with the mayor's wife Ilsa Hermann. Frau Herman allows Liesel to read in the library in her home every time Liesel goes there. Ilsa Hermann knows Liesel's love of books and reading when she witnessed Liesel picking up a partly burned book from the bonfire on Hitler's birthday. Perhaps Ilsa Hermann feels a strong connection with Liesel as her own son who is lost in the ongoing war also very much loves to read.

When Max Vandenburg falls sick in the basement, Liesel reads to him. She steals books from Ilsa Hermann's library. She does not go there anymore as the Mayor's wife stops engaging Liesel foster mother to do her laundry. One day the SS comes to check their basement, checking for its suitability as an air raid shelter. It is by sheer luck that the SS does not discover Max under the basement stairs being very sick.

Liesel begins to read aloud in the basement of her neighbour on Himmel Street, which serves as an air-raid shelter, every time the Himmel Street community is there sheltering from the bomb drops. People begins to like her reading as it tends to calm them as they focus on the story Liesel narrates. In fact one of the Hubermann's neighbour, Frau Holtzapfel begins asking Liesel to come to her house on a regular basis to read to her. For that chore, Liesel is paid with whatever foodstuffs Frau Holtzapfel has at that time. Liesel's reading must be something very compelling as Frau Holtzapfel is actually not very neighbourly with Rosa Hubermann. She used to spit at the Hubermann's front door every time she passes by.

After Max recovers from his sickness, he decides to leave the Hubermanns for fear of endangering their lives. Max encourages Liesel to write as he says he will be present always in the words written by Liesel. A few weeks after that Hans Hubermann receives a letter informing him of being conscripted into the German army despite his age. Liesel and the outwardly tough Rosa are very sad about having to let him go. While Hans is away, Liesel witnesses the parade of Jews being marched away onto Dachau where one of the concentration camps is situated. Liesel breaks into the line of Jews searching for Max Vandenbug and gets thrown down by the soldiers.

A few months later however, Hans Hubermann comes home after being injured slightly in the leg. He once again cheated death as he changed seat with another younger soldier who is killed when their army truck overturned. Liesel remembers Max advice and she starts writing the story of the book thief. One night after completing her story, Liesel falls asleep in the basement. There is no air-raid sirens but bombs begin falling on Himmel Street while the inhabitants are sleeping. In the morning, Liesel is discovered safe in her basement. Hans Hubermann, Rosa Hubermann, Rudy Steiner, Rudy's  mother and siblings all perished in that bombing. Liesel runs and hugs Ilsa Hermann where the latter arrives at the scene and she drops the book that she had written. It was then that Death picks up the book and learns of her story.

Two years after the bombing of Himmel Street, Max Vandenburg came to meet Liesel who by that time is staying with Rudy's father Alex Steiner.

Death then tells the story of him coming to get Liesel when she is in her nineties. After all, as Death puts it, everybody dies. By then she had made good of her ninety years, she had had a good life. She migrated to Australia, became a famous writer, got married, has three children and a few grandchildren. Death is overwhelms by humans who can be beautiful and can also be hideous in nature.

The last page of the book