Stormy Weather

The Arrival

"Welcome to Hong Kong, Madam!" he said cheerfully.

"Thank you", I replied, glad that he could speak reasonably good English.

"Be aware Madam, they have issued No 8 storm signal!" he added.

"Uh? No 8 storm signal?", I asked, puzzled.

"Yes.. you know the typhoon that hit Philipines, that killed thousands of people? It may be coming here to Hong Kong."

Hurraaaahhhh ..... I said to myself.

"But don't worry Madam, the wind now not so strong. Low, low. Last time in Philipines, high, high. If you need any transport, just ask the hotel to arrange for you. Don't take taxi."

"I see, ok, thank you".

I think he meant well. But what a way to welcome and break the ice with a visitor!

****************************************************************

The Settling In

"Hello housekeeping?"

"Yes, how may I 'hep' you, Madam?"

"Do you by any chance have a compass that I can borrow?"

"I beg your pardon, Madam?"

"A compass?"

"Err... sorry Madam, I don't understand you. Can you repeat please?"

"A compass. Do you have a compass?"

"You mean Condom?"

"NOOOO!! No! No! Not condom! C o m p a s s !"

"Comm....pass....?"

" Yes, compass? You know compass? The thing that shows the direction of North South, East West?"

"Err... sorry Madam, I don't understand. Can you speak Mandarin?"

"Uh uh. I can't speak Mandarin."

"Should I send someone to your room to help you?"

"No, it's okay. I will call the reception desk. Thank you for your help"

"I'm very sorry Madam, I cannot help."

"It's ok, thank you."

Hmmm.... nice going. I have the prayer schedule, the direction of the qiblat, but no compass. Of course I don't have a condom either. Won't be needing that as much as I need the compass.

I called the reception desk shortly after and sort of got some basic help to start with.

As it is, the window is directly facing West and the wall on the right hand side is North. I have to estimate 286 degrees from North. Hmm.... I know it may not be spot on but I have to be 'yakin'. Semoga diterimaNYA.

Oh well.... at least there's a reason for me to hop outside later this evening (weather permitting) to the shops across the street to look for a simple gadget that I shouldn't have left home without.

Salam,
Ibu

The Emperor's New Clothes

Have you read or heard the story about the emperor's new clothes? Do you still remember it?

The story, originally written by a Danish poet and author, Hans Christian Anderson, is about an emperor who unwittingly hires two swindlers to create a new suit of clothes for him.

If you have not heard it or cannot remember it, here .... have a go !

The Emperor's New Clothes
by Hans Christian Anderson

" Once upon a time there lived a vain Emperor whose only worry in life was to dress in elegant clothes. He changed clothes almost every hour and loved to show them off to his people.

Word of the Emperor's refined habits spread over his kingdom and beyond. Two scoundrels who had heard of the Emperor's vanity decided to take advantage of it. They introduced themselves at the gates of the palace with a scheme in mind.

"We are two very good tailors and after many years of research we have invented an extraordinary method to weave a cloth so light and fine that it looks invisible. As a matter of fact it is invisible to anyone who is too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality."

The chief of the guards heard the scoundrel's strange story and sent for the court chamberlain. The chamberlain notified the prime minister, who ran to the Emperor and disclosed the incredible news. The Emperor's curiosity got the better of him and he decided to see the two scoundrels.

"Besides being invisible, your Highness, this cloth will be woven in colors and patterns created especially for you." The emperor gave the two men a bag of gold coins in exchange for their promise to begin working on the fabric immediately.

"Just tell us what you need to get started and we'll give it to you." The two scoundrels asked for a loom, silk, gold thread and then pretended to begin working. The Emperor thought he had spent his money quite well: in addition to getting a new extraordinary suit, he would discover which of his subjects were ignorant and incompetent. A few days later, he called the old and wise prime minister, who was considered by everyone as a man with common sense.

"Go and see how the work is proceeding," the Emperor told him, "and come back to let me know."

The prime minister was welcomed by the two scoundrels.

"We're almost finished, but we need a lot more gold thread. Here, Excellency! Admire the colors, feel the softness!" The old man bent over the loom and tried to see the fabric that was not there. He felt cold sweat on his forehead.

"I can't see anything," he thought. "If I see nothing, that means I'm stupid! Or, worse, incompetent!" If the prime minister admitted that he didn't see anything, he would be discharged from his office.

"What a marvelous fabric, he said then. "I'll certainly tell the Emperor." The two scoundrels rubbed their hands gleefully. They had almost made it. More thread was requested to finish the work.

Finally, the Emperor received the announcement that the two tailors had come to take all the measurements needed to sew his new suit.

"Come in," the Emperor ordered. Even as they bowed, the two scoundrels pretended to be holding large roll of fabric.

"Here it is your Highness, the result of our labour," the scoundrels said. "We have worked night and day but, at last, the most beautiful fabric in the world is ready for you. Look at the colors and feel how fine it is." Of course the Emperor did not see any colors and could not feel any cloth between his fingers. He panicked and felt like fainting. But luckily the throne was right behind him and he sat down. But when he realized that no one could know that he did not see the fabric, he felt better. Nobody could find out he was stupid and incompetent. And the Emperor didn't know that everybody else around him thought and did the very same thing.

The farce continued as the two scoundrels had foreseen it. Once they had taken the measurements, the two began cutting the air with scissors while sewing with their needles an invisible cloth.

"Your Highness, you'll have to take off your clothes to try on your new ones." The two scoundrels draped the new clothes on him and then held up a mirror. The Emperor was embarrassed but since none of his bystanders were, he felt relieved.

"Yes, this is a beautiful suit and it looks very good on me," the Emperor said trying to look comfortable. "You've done a fine job."

"Your Majesty," the prime minister said, "we have a request for you. The people have found out about this extraordinary fabric and they are anxious to see you in your new suit." The Emperor was doubtful showing himself naked to the people, but then he abandoned his fears. After all, no one would know about it except the ignorant and the incompetent.

"All right," he said. "I will grant the people this privilege." He summoned his carriage and the ceremonial parade was formed. A group of dignitaries walked at the very front of the procession and anxiously scrutinized the faces of the people in the street. All the people had gathered in the main square, pushing and shoving to get a better look. An applause welcomed the regal procession. Everyone wanted to know how stupid or incompetent his or her neighbor was but, as the Emperor passed, a strange murmur rose from the crowd.

Everyone said, loud enough for the others to hear: "Look at the Emperor's new clothes. They're beautiful!"

"What a marvellous train!"

"And the colors! The colors of that beautiful fabric! I have never seen anything like it in my life!"

They all tried to conceal their disappointment at not being able to see the clothes, and since nobody was willing to admit his own stupidity and incompetence, they all behaved as the two scoundrels had predicted.

A child, however, who had no important job and could only see things as his eyes showed them to him, went up to the carriage.

"The Emperor is naked," he said.

"Fool!" his father reprimanded, running after him. "Don't talk nonsense!" He grabbed his child and took him away. But the boy's remark, which had been heard by the bystanders, was repeated over and over again until everyone cried:

"The boy is right! The Emperor is naked! It's true!"

The Emperor realized that the people were right but could not admit to that. He thought it would be better to continue the procession under the illusion that anyone who couldn't see his clothes was either stupid or incompetent. And he stood stiffly on his carriage, while behind him a page held his imaginary mantle.

The End

*****************************************************

Tonight, I will read the story of "The Emperor's New Clothes" to my boys.

I do not wish to see my boys growing up becoming like this , not wanting to tell the truth to their "emperor".

And I pray to God that if they were to be in "emperor-like" positions one day, their actions would not be dictated by their own sheer fear of the truth & not disillusioned with their own inferiority complex and that of others.

.

Pencil Tekan

One of my usual morning routines involves getting Ameer ready for school - bathe him, watch him brush his teeth, dry him up, dress up & 'after bath' hugs & kisses on the cheeks.

After moving to Emerald, my mornings have become less stressful because I no longer have to redah the downtown traffic jam to get to the toll/highway. That alone is a saving of at least 30 mins.

So, while the morning routines are the same, the quality of delivering those routines have greatly improved. I can even sip my morning coffee calmly at the kitchen deck, observing the neighbourhood surrounding and watching Ameer playing with the kittens at the same time too! Cool .....

Quite simply - I don't feel rushed in the morning like before!

That is good.

Now that I have extra 30 mins in the morning, maybe I should start exercising before I go to work? Hmmm... maybe.... maybe :D

Anyway... I digressed.

Yesterday, after helping Ameer get ready for school, the coffee, the kittens, I went downstairs (yeah...our kitchen is "upstairs" !) followed by Ameer from behind. Normally, he would watch cartoons while waiting for his teacher to pick him up. Somehow yesterday, he just followed me and just stood watching me picking up my handbags and this and that.

I asked him, "Ameer tak tengok kartun?"

He replied, "Ameer nak pencil tekan".
Short & crisp, but looking up to me with a pair of hopeful eyes like a puppy from the pet shop window.

Pandai budak ni nak psycho ibu dia, but I thought rationally ... heyyy... berapa banyak pencil daaaa.... the one box each should be more than sufficient to last 6 months ( no joke ok? not one, two or three pencils, but one box each!)

"Ameer kan dah ada banyak pencils. Why do u want a pencil tekan? Besides, susah tau nak masukkan pencil leads tu dalam pencil tekan ".

He started frowning.

Alamak... takkan pagi2 dah nak start sandiwara kot? Ni yg tak syiok nih.

He replied softly, "Ameer nak pencil tekan. Abang Hafiz tak bagi pinjam dia punya. Dia kata nanti Ameer rosak kan. Ameer tak nak rosakkan. Ameer nak pinjam ajer. Tapi Abang Hafiz tak nak bagi pinjam". And he said this with his eyes looking down at the floor - reminded me of a scene of a convict pleading for lenier punishment in court.

"Oh ye ker? Kesian Ameer....", memang pandai pyscho budak ni.

There is plenty of pencils of all sorts at the "shop" near where I work. I could grab one in a jiffy I'm sure. But heyyy.... I was not about to give in so easy ok?

So I tried another rationale,
"Tapi kan Ameer... Ibu dah beli baaaaaaanyyak pencil untuk Ameer haritu kan?"

"Ya"

"So.... duit ibu dah tinggal sikit dah ..... tak cukup nak beli pencil tekan".

Ameer kept quite for a while. Then he said,
"Ok lah Ibu. Sorry Ibu".

Oh! That was fast! An early victory for Ibu I thought. Good for me!

Then we hugged as usual. I love you. I love you too. I miss you. I miss you too. And he salam & kiss my hand. Then Ameer walked slowly into the TV room adjacent to the main door to get his morning dose of cartoons. Phewww..... I put on my shoes, grabbed my bags, checked if my handphone & car keys were in there and picked up my notebook bag.

Just as I was about to walk to the car, Ameer shouted from inside the TV room,
"Wait Ibu. Wait!"

Apa pulak lah lagi?

I poke my head inside and saw Ameer dragging his school bag out from the TV room. He put the bag right infront me and he started rummaging through his bag pockets, left, right, inside, out. I had no clue what was going on.

Hmmm... I came home late the night before and didn't get the chance to see his school work. Maybe he wanted to show me his drawing, I thought.

Suddenly Ameer said, "Ah! Dah jumpa! "

Then he stood up, opened up his small palm for me and asked,
"Ibu, is this enough?"

Staring blankly into my eyes were three shiny 20 cents coins.

"Cukup tak duit circle-circle ni untuk beli pencil tekan, Ibu?" he asked innocently.

I felt a lump in my throat. I just stared at the three 20 cents coins (duit circle-circle to Ameer) and Ameer's hopeful face interchangeably.

"Ibu boleh guna duit ni untuk beli pencil tekan untuk Ameer. Please Ibu?", he pleaded.

I had to hold back my tears - which I'm very good at.

I think Ameer really wanted a pencil tekan.




That's Ameer for you.


Salam,
Ibu

.

BBQ & Makan-makan

Kepingin BBQ bersama fellow blogger dari Istanbul?

Pencil this in your calendar:

Day/Date: Saturday, 14th June, 2008

Venue: Kota Emerald, Rawang

Time: Petang2 .... exact time to be confirmed.

Guests of Honor: Simah & Halil, all the way from Istanbul !!!

To all those who know Simah, why not make this date a memorable one? Come join us and let's get together-gether over makan-makan. To those who do not know Simah yet, hey.... this is the opportunity get to know her then.

But... but... but..... be alerted...... oleh kerana Ibu ni kurang pandai memasak (Ayah would disagree completely - he would say totally hopeless and tak pandai masak langsung!! Sigh.....), the main menu would therefore be......

BBQ laaaaaa!! Marinate over nite, then bakar jerr ... kan senang? hehehe.....

Sila, sila... don't be shy - this is the time to get to know Simah up close & personal, learn about her cinta 2 benua (kot2 la boleh buat skrip drama/filem? tak ker huntung tuh?) and how this Malaysian lass has survived being on foreign soil that she now calls it her home too.

Pot luck ker? Hmmm.. ntah lah. Datang lenggang kangkung pun tak per. Janji sudi makan BBQ yg ibu buat tu (pssstt..... standby eno pencuci perut?! LOL!!!). Kalau nak bawak periuk beruntung pun, ok jugak... hehehe....

Those interested, pls can you email me at cerita_ibu@yahoo.com and I'll send you further update in due course.

Salam,

Ibu

p/s Peringatan kepada yg ada anak2 lelaki - itu Hatice, anak Simah, ibu dah booked! hehehehhh..

NS camp tragedy: One too many

As the mood of Mother's Day lingers in the air, I can't help but feel very sad and sorry for the family of Hui Min, the latest casualty of poor health & safety administration at the National Service camp.

The scalding of Ameer's right thumb due to hot water spill a few weeks ago was enough to choke and haunt me. On the day the incident happened, I stayed half awake all night through, physically blowing his already bandaged thumb but emotionally feeling guilty for what happened to my baby and worried sick about his recovery.

Imagine how Hui Man's mother was feeling?

Waited for her 7As daughter to come home from NS camp to commence her Form 6, but was greeted with her lifeless body instead. Gruesome.

And all the Datuk could say .... 'She might have been suffering from it for a long time and did not know about it until her death'. And of course they are not going to scrap it just because one or two deaths only.

Just because one or two deaths only?

Just because?

One or two only?

I don't care lah who's in charge, under which ministry, but 16 deaths over a span of 4 years? That's apalling statistically! And horrifying ethically!!

This latest fatal incident is an outright negligence by the NS authorities. Eh! No. It should be gross negligence. Yeah..yeah... yeah..... siasatan, siasatan, siasatan. Cut the crap and just admit it lah!! At the very least, be compassionate about it - say sorry & show your remorse. And if you are not going to scrape this whole thing - then for goodness sake, take the next steps to close the gap fast & furiously.

Aiyoyoooo.... only now they are talking about getting NIOSH certification? If this happened at the workplace, employers would have been taken to task within days - slapped with summons, compounds, imprisonment. If this happened in school hostels, the caterers and the school administration would be grilled alfresco.

But for the NS authorities? Oh...it's just one or two only - what's the big deal. Goshhh.... can you pls wash your mouth with chlorox arr Datuk?

Sigh... bila cakap banyak2, they say bloggers... itulah kerja diorang, exaggerating the truths.

Exaggerating eh?

HALLLOOOOO!!! Can we borrow your sons and daughters pls? Meh sini makan sama2 chicken rice tuh? Meh sini sama2 wait in line to be sent to the clinic? Meh sini duduk sebelah and join the joy ride of waiting for timely proper medical treatment? And if something serious happens to your sons or daughters, simply welcome the response of "oh... she might have had it before but did not know about it" and "ohh.... just one or two children of the many orang besar, no problem... we have room for more, let's just get on with it" with big round of applause pls, will you? Would you? ANSWER ME, YOU HEARTLESS MORON!!

Don't talk about NS camp lahhh... the primary and secondary schools pun you orang avoid kan? Almost all are sent to private or international schools. Some send overseas terus. And you expect all of us mothers to stay calm and collected and be happy with the condition that you put our children through at the schools and NS camps? %$@# *&$!(**>( !!!

(Have I not controlled my fingers, you would have seen all the toot...toot words appearing after the last sentence!)

When you take custody of our children for that short period, you are to assume full responsibility of their health & welfare. The signature that we pen down (or going to pen down 8 years from today) on the consent form, doesn't absolve YOU of the accountability of ill administration by the people who report to you. You should be jointly and severally liable for what happen to our children! The failure to ensure that trainees are rendered expedient medical attention when the need arises is a gross negligence of duty and that, from the opinion of this ibu, can tantamount to a breach of trust that all the ibu-ibu have entrusted upon you.

From the eyes of an ibu,
YOU,
ARE GUILTY AS CHARGED !!

To all mothers out there, selamat hari kita.



.

911

I thought the first thing that I would write about after the come back was on the moving house ordeal that has kept me away from blogging for the last month or so - the reason why Cerita Ibu has been collecting dust.

But what could be more important to update on than the grim domestic accident in our new house? Aiyaiya.....

It all happened last Saturday mid morning which started off well, bright and cheery as with any other non working day :)

We were all gathered around the dining table. Not for breakfast , no.... but for our usual weekend together-gether stuff. Hafiz was doing his Kumon, Ameer his coloring. Abang Idin not in the picture - went on school camping trip. Ayah & I were surfing the net. To be exact, we were fulfilling our statutory duty to e-file the income tax returns. Well actually, it was Ayah who did it all. I merely ransacked my bag, retrieved my income statement, passed it on to him and answered a few questions

1) books? yes, max

2) insurance/epf? yes, max

3) pelepasan anak? yes, 3 orang

4) parents medical? yes, RM2160

5) zakat? errrrrkkk... alamak bang! guilty as charged!

Those kind of questions. And Ayah said IRB owes me RM2,000++ ! Yipeeeee!!! By the way, I was making online payment for my credit card bills - which never seem to finish! why arrr?

As for the ambience that morning.... the dining area sliding doors wide open. The morning breeze and smell of grass refreshing. Outside, birds chirping & Blackie meowing. In the kitchen, Bibi grumbling - something about the dirty laundry. Cakap jawa - tak faham! From the backyard, the trickling sound of the backdoor's neighbour's swimming pool and water feature was therapeutic.

You see.... nothing could go wrong.

Or so we thought!

And how wrong we were.

Out of a sudden, Ameer appeared from the kitchen (when did he move from his seat??!), weeping. "Ayah...... Ameer sakit ni...."

I was like .... ishhh... apa lagi la budak Hafiz ni menyakat adik dia? I didn't even look up. I think neither did Ayah. Well at least not immediately.

Ameer persisted, "Ayahhhhh..... tengoklah ni!!"

And Ayah must have looked at Ameer and it was his "LA'ILA HA'ILALLAHHH! AMEER WHAT HAPPENED??!!!!" that startled me.

I jumped out of my seat when I saw what Ameer was weeping and complaining "sakit" about. His right thumb and a small part of his backhand! Burn? Scald? Oh my god!! Hot water! Outer layer skin destroyed! Redness exposed! Ouchhhh..... Oh Ameerrr.... my darling Ameer...... sakitnya anak ibu.... Cam mana la boleh kena ni?! Oh my dear baby.....

"Macam mana boleh kena ni Ameer!!?"

"Bukan Hafiz, bukan Hafiz!!! Ameer nak air kat situ....." said Hafiz, while pointing at the thermal pot and coffee making tray.

SHIT!! ( Uh! Sorry.... ) How on earth could he reach that high? Did he step onto something?

"Ameer sakit bu.... sakit ni!" Ameer continued weeping.

Ayah just stood there. Didn't move. Couldn't move? Half frozen, I think.

"Ok sayang... jangan nangis.... " I carried Ameer into the kitchen to get the 1st aid kit. Alamak..... kan baru pindah, mana pulak letak eh? Alahai.... Oh yes! Found it. But NO BURNOL!!! Ishhh....

Meanwhile, Ameer continued weeping, "Ameer sakit bu....sakit bu..... "

"Hang in there Ameer! Nanti Ibu cari ubat ni...." trying to console my baby in pain.

In my mind, the first aid lessons on burns & scald was flashing back & forth, back & forth - blurry vision. I was not good in paying attention in class. So in that zig zag of a nano second, I was helplessly trying to think of what home remedy I could resort to in this emergency situation. Something cold. Something cold. I must find something cold.

And I rushed to the fridge and took out - what else? butter!! Grabbed a spoon, scraped a thin layer of butter and quickly but slowly .... ( hey...apa daaaa... quickly but slowly???) I mean, gently applied the thin layer of butter onto Ameer's little thumb.

"Ameer sakit bu.... sakit ......"

My heart broke into pieces.

Oh my dear baby. My handsome Ameer. I kissed him on his forehead, hugged him and consoled him, " Ibu ada ni OK Ameer? Ibu sayang Ameer!" ( nasty thoughts began creeping in ... what a useless mother! Anak depan mata pun tak boleh jaga.... ).

Ameer, though still weeping with tears rolling slowly down his cheek, was actually pretty calm and composed. He didn't cry out loud at all. Merely weeping. I wiped his tears away again and again. Hugged him - gently of course, on hi alert by then and cautious of not wanting a burn & scald home accident to escalate into suffocation.

We took Ameer to the clinic in town shortly after. I had to "tiupkan" Ameer's thumb all the way to the clinic to soothe his pain. Whatever it takes to console my little one.

(Ameer 'blowing' his own thumb to soothe the pain)

The doctor asked what that creamy yellow paste on Ameer's thumb was and I told her I couldn't find burnol and that was the only thing that I could think of then. She smile generously, and I figured she must have been quite impressed with my home remedy (the butter!!). She said I could also use ice cube or ice pack in the absence of burnol (OF COURSE!! And there was plenty of ice cube in the fridge, and a brand new ice pack which we got as free gift when we bought that eyes massager few weeks back!! AH! If only I had paid attention in class....)


We went into the "dressing" room and the doctor expertly attended to Ameer's wound immediately. After cleaning the wound from the mess of my home remedy, she applied what appeared like a "whip cream" white cream generously over Ameer's thumb and bandaged it all up neatly.

Throughout the 'procedure', Ameer DID NOT cry at all ..... Not a single weep. Nothing. The doctor was pleasantly surprised with that. She offered Ameer some sweets thereafter but he did want to take any and just clung to me. It was Hafiz who offered his willingness for the sweets - which help draw some laughter from both the doctor and the nurses.

The doctor advised me not to worry. While the outer layer skin seemed destroyed, the burn was superficial and not severe she said. Nevertheless, she said she had to bandage it all up because knowing little children, they can be quite 'lasak' and would play outside the house, so that might expose the wound to gems. Well.. at least that's what I concluded.

Ameer.... oh Ameer..... I'm very sorry for what had happened, sayang. It's unthinkable for such a thing to happen to you whom we all know as the cute 'baby' of the house who hardly ever got into trouble. What's more with both parents at home at that time. It shouldn't have happened.


Until today, we still haven't figured out how he could have reached that high to press on that thermal pot button. Each time we asked Ameer about it, he would turned and walked away responding, "Ameer dah OK dah!". Hafiz on the other hand, was having his head "inside" the fridge to help himself with some yogurt when the incident happened so he couldn't be an eye witness to tell us what and how it actually happened other than "Ameer nak isi air panas dalam cawan kecik tu agaknya ...."

But accidents do happen, my darling Ameer. I'm sorry that it happened to you this time. Nevertheless, we must thank Allah that it was just that and nothing more. As we all know, there must be a hikmah in every single event. What a blessing in disguise - we now know you can quite comfortably write with your left hand. And you can colour with your left hand too without any problem at all. Ambidextrous boy in the making!

We are now still sending Ameer for his daily dressing. Not at the same clinic though - as on the second day, the dressing was done by a nurse who was sneezing & sniffing most of the time, who did not wash her hand and who blatantly disobeyed the doctor's (not the same as day1 doctor) instruction not to burst the blister! With the little recollection from what I had read on 1st aid before - it was a valid instruction from the doctor. And since that particular doctor on duty on day 2 was so not engaged with the treatment for my little boy ( as in "err... nurse! you do lah huh? this, that, don't do this, don't do that" .... and then straight back to his seat), I decided to take Ameer straight to Damansara Specialist Hospital (outpatient emergency) thereafter.

And everynight since last Sunday, we have been a regular at the emergency outpatient clinic. Jauhhhhhh weiii from Rawang, but anak punya pasal.... sanggup! The nurses washed their hands thoroughly each time of course.

Errrr... and how come the daily dressing at D'sara Specialist cost lower that what the GP charged? RM15 - RM20++ at DSH vs RM50 at the GP. I don't understand.

Anyway...........

A few more days to go Ameer and you'll have your right hand undressed in no time :)

.

Blogging from a new pasture

Knock! Knock!!!

Ahh chooooo...... Euuuwwwww...... so dusty this place. Shoo spider, shoo.... Give way to ibu.

Coz' I'M BACK !!!!

p/s Tapping neighbour's WIFI. Ayah's one soooooo secured (konon) yet soooooo kaput.

The winds of change ....

They thought it was only a breeze - soothing & refreshing, but not strong enough to erode the cliff.

They ignored the dissatisfaction that have been building up for a few years now, dismissing it as exagerated noises from a few disgruntled people.

They underestimated the need for a more open and transparent communication, sidelining the louder voices from other channels such as blogs, websites, online news & sms as cheap thrills preferred by the monkeys.

They assumed that what worked in the past decade is still current in this millenium.

They thought who were popular before would continue to win the hearts of the people simply because of their popularity.

They've got it all WRONG this time !!

**************

Ayah & I brought the boys for roti canai & ice lemon tea this morning at the ever popular Restoran Ali Maju in Rawang new town. While the usual aroma of roti kosong, garlic naan, tosei garing and tandoori chicken fills the air just the same, a different tinge of something else was pretty obvious. The mixed feelings of shock, anger, rejection and acceptance were written on a lot of different faces. People dived their noses into the pages of the local newspapers - not on the regular weekend pull outs of sensational celebrities stories, but this time on the shocking results of the General Election aka PRU12.

Oh well... shocking it would be for those who ignored the writings on the wall.

Shocking it could be for those who opted to lepak at home or do their usual Saturday chores instead of going out to the polling stations to cast their votes.

Shocking it might be for those who thought it was just another general election.

******************

I am not a politician. Betul...... hahaha.... though a few colleagues thought I have the looks of a PKR member written all over my face. While a few other friends thought I could be part of the younger blood in Puteri Umno. And I could still remember how I was encouraged to take up law for my field of studies during the pre-SPM results interview by the potential sponsors - so that I could help rebutt Mr Karpal Singh ( not kidding! guess there were still a lot of staunch supporters of the rulers from amongst the officers of the scholarship providers' back then).

Yes I do follow the updates on local politics from time to time. But no... I am not a politician. I'm just a regular working mom.

What bothers me though is the fact that some of the very obvious views and increasingly demanding needs of the people that are within the grasps of basic understanding of a regular working mom can continue to be blatantly ignored by some of the top politicians in this country.

Heck! If they know children of the urban areas are more demanding than those in the rural townships, why should they expect their parents to be any different?

Read this and tell me if I am wrong. Tom & Jerry & Doraemon on TV2 maybe sufficient to keep some children in some Felda somewhere glued to the TV - with due respect. But elsewhere in Bangsar, Bukit Antarabangsa, Kota Damansara, Subang and now even RAWANG (kenapa? tak percaya?), PS2, PSP, X Box, handphone & fully loaded prepaid card are the gadgets least expected to keep the children calm and steady and for the parents to maintain some degree of sanity while sipping a cup of tea with some friends. And hey.... we haven't even touched on the varying expectations of the babies, the toddlers, the preschoolers, the primary school goers and the hormone-raging teenagers.

So why is it so difficult to acknowledge and accept that in the above 'elsewhere' - RAWANG included, it's no longer sufficient to have the parents of the children to be satisfied with just having the electricity and water connected, the tarmac resurfaced, the traffic lights in good working order and pot holes covered up?

There are a lot of things that the politicians could learn from mothers, I tell you. After all, haven't they heard that the hands that rock the cradle can rule the world?

And hey... there is one other thing that the politicians can learn from WORKING mother you know! When the rocking and the lullabying is 'outsourced' to the domestic maid, you expect the children to always listen to the mother just because she is the mother? Yeahhhh right!!! Go fly wau. Dreamy mommy. God knows what kind of lullabies were sang to the children to soothe their ears. I can bet you my expiring Enrich points that it is of a different tune, accent and lyric altogether.

*************

So if the politicians have not been "at home" and have not updated or renewed the grocery checklist - they shouldn't expect the people at home would be oh-so-happy with the contents of the grocery shopping bags brought home.

Saja lah Ibu nak bercerita ! Sesekali air bah, sesekali pantai berubah....

Sombre. Numb. Hopeful at the same time.

p/s I'll be counting the days to see the "harga minyak" diturunkan. But eh..... depa tak bagitau pulak minyak apa eh? What if they clarify that they actually meant "minyak cap kapak" ?!! Bagi hilang pening dan buangkan angin?!!! Biar betul.......

If only I could use the dice ......

When I was a kid, where I grew up - it used to be a serious thing. At least from Bapak's view of the election. To him, it was about putting your trust and confidence of your future in the hands of the right people. The people who, from Bapak's simple view, would provide a better future for his children, development for the country and peace & harmony for the nation.

Bapak was a marine police officer, you see. He expected orderliness. He upheld orders from the higher ups. Challenging authority was not in his vocabulary. So this election thing was a really serious matter to him. It was not something that we siblings should joke about. Cynical remarks of the ruling party or satirical comics of the election process were unheard of down south. It was a stronghold for the powers that be. And no way any deviation from the norm should ever be considered to be initiated from under his roof.

I remember I followed Mak to the polling station and into the booth too. It is still very vivid in my mind as to how I reminded Mak on which box to PANGKAH because Bapak said so. I think Mak followed what I said. Does that qualify me as an infuential party campaigner? Hey... every single vote counts!

Perhaps from a limited point of view, who Bapak & Mak voted for then must have worked for them as they now see their children doing & living much better than they did. Bapak finished standard 5. We all finished at the very least until Form 5. Bapak managed to save up for a Yamaha motorbike in exchange for his bicycle to go to work. Some of my sisters bought super bikes for their boys as rewards for good SPM results. Mak stirred up two eggs, fried them in thin spread cut into 8 equal pieces for equal share amongst us during dinner. We now have our maids enjoying scrambled eggs for breakfast.

During the last one or two elections, Bapak still spoke about how progressive Malaysia had become. Proton. Petronas Twin Towers. Penang Bridge. Wawasan 2020. No second guessing of who he voted for.

I have not called Bapak this time. I wonder if his views remain as simple as before.

I am pretty sure he still feels this election thing is a serious matter. If I asked, I can bet my clubcard points that he would still stand by the motion that this is about putting your trust and confidence of your future in the hands of the right people. The people who would provide a better future for your children, development for the country and racial harmony.

But today, I don't read just Berita Harian only. I read & hear from a few others. And there is no way I could have escaped the propagandas coming my way via other streams too - hardcopy, emails, television, radio, internet and sms.

It would shock Bapak I'm sure if I show him the online posters, the sms jokes, the sing-along election karaoke on you tube, the powerpoint slides on dalil-dalil why si polan should not be a leader, etc. Knowing his heart condition, I would have to ensure Tuan Doktor is not on leave to catch some snakes before I show Bapak all those propagandas. It may be a laughing matter to those who want to chill but it is a serious matter to my father.

On reflection ...... though I laughed at the jokes and enjoyed ( and shhh.... even sang along) the la la la you tube karaoke, I sort of miss the times when there was a lot more respect amongst one another and decorum in the way people voice their views. Does it have to be the way it has turned out to be today for the sake of wrestling power and authority? Is this a taste of what good looks like on freedom of speech? I wonder what and how all these would evolve into when it is my boys' time to talk to their children about general election in the coming decade.

In one half of the picture, the creative urge and strong push to challenge the status quo for all the wrong doings that have been cited have put me in a more upright position to be wary of those in power. In the other half however, there is not one convincing proposal, not even a spin, on how it would be done differently (fool proof strategy & action to deliver better) if some others nestled into the much desired seats.

While the sketch on 'ubah lah gaya hidup' to cope with the increasing toll and petrol price is quite funny and catchy at the same time, the 'others' or rather the alternatives have not (yet) confirmed that they would not do the same thing with other staple needs if they were elected.

While the allegations that those currently holding the reins of power have not tried hard enough to ensure safety & security of the young ones hold some truth, the sheer sanctioning of throwing stones to the buses ferrying some other mothers' children suspected to be phantom voters are not a sight for sore eyes either.

While I aspire to adopt Islamic practices as a way of life than merely having it as a status of religion printed in MyKad, I find it ironic that some self proclaimed spiritual leaders make doas for the Almighty to "melaknati" other fellow muslims merely for the sake of not losing the powers in hand.

While my heart aches learning just how much the private jets and the official planes cost, my senses have not picked up the assurance that the ones reporting on it would sell them back to potential buyers and channeled the proceeds to the needy (like partially sponsoring Kerp's new wheels maybe? or guaranteed employment opportunities for Kak Pi's buddies? or providing free education, and I mean really free, and build more public libraries that are accessible to all the children in this country?) instead of using the funds to buy supersonic rockets to go the moon in the name of justice.

SO HOW ?

Should it be for the Devil that I have come to know OR the Angel that I don't know ?

It's only a few hours away before I have to PANGKAH in the box.

Or should I not bother at all and just sleep late, enjoy my slumber, then wake up and catch a movie?

Quite a tough decision for a working Ibu to make eh? Hmmm... no wonder Bapak said this is a serious matter. It is indeed. It is not a game of snake & ladder, mind you.

If one can passionately writes on how one supports his or her party of choice, so can this pleasantly insane working Ibu blatantly shares her doubts of either choice. Kan?

Every feeling is a valid feeling. Yours. And mine! Having different views and feelings though, should not make us online enemies.

This is after all, my story, for my children.


:)

Party Apa?

I'm not apolitical .... busy rather. Extremely. They say, when it rains, it pours!

Still manage to have a fair bit of small talks with my children re the general election though. Nothing serious. Just entertaining the innocent questions coming from my 3 children.

Children are very observant, who dares to disagree? My boys are no exception. All those posters and bendera put up practically everywhere .... lamp posts, traffic lights, roundabouts, empty shop lots.... could not have missed their attention. Most of the time though, they (the posters) have been the object of their "I Spy With My Little Eyes" on board kill-the-time game instead of subject of general election discussion.

Some serious questions do pop out from time to time though. And some of the answers can be quite hilarious and thought provoking at the same time. Here's one scenario.

Abang Idin : What party are you going to vote for, ibu?

Ibu: Party Tupperware.

Abang Idin: Alah Ibu.... jangan la main-main.

Ibu: Hey...Undi adalah rahsia you know?

Abang Idin : Eleh... Teacher Rameni dah share dah party apa dia nak vote.

Ibu: Really? Hmmm... and what would that be?

Abang Idin: PAS.

Ibu: REALLY??!!!

Abang Idin: Teacher said, PAS tu kan party Islam.

Ibu: So?

Abang Idin: Ye lah... Islam tu kan baik. She said she likes Islam.

Ibu: Ohhh.... PAS tu yang mana satu eh?

Abang Idin: Alah Ibu ni.... yang logo dia gambar bulan tu lah....

Ibu: Ohhh....

Ameer: Ameer tak nak bulan! Ameer tak nak bulan!

Ibu: So Ameer nak apa?

Ameer: Ameer nak ghoket!!

Ibu & Abang Idin: Whoaaaaa...... GHOKET!

Ibu: Kenapa Ameer nak ghoket?

Ameer: Sebab nak naik ghoket pergi outer-space. Nanti boleh jumpa Transformer!

That was followed by gelak sakan by yours truly, Abang Idin and Hafiz ( who was quiet since the beginning of the discussion).

Ibu: Hafiz pulak nak vote siapa?

Abang Hafiz: What is 'vote'?

Abang Idin: Aiya you.... Vote pun tak tau? What larr...

Ibu: Well..... Do you know what General Election is?

Hafiz: General Election? Ermm... no.

Ibu: Hafiz nampak tak poster-poster kat tepi jalan semua tu.

Hafiz: Oh..... yang gantung banyak banyak tu, yang ada gambar orang semua tu?

Ibu: Err.. ah ha! So that means, general election is coming. In general election, it's time for us to choose who to become our leaders.

Hafiz: Leaders?

Ibu: Errm... (cam mana nak cerita ni?) Like Prime Minister ke...Or President ke?

Ameer: Ah! Macam Optimus Pghime!!

Another ketawa sakan ensued.

Ibu: Hafiz nak jadi leader tak, like the President or Prime Minister?

Hafiz: Oh no!! No... No...

Ibu: Why not?

Hafiz: Because I don't know how to TALK.

Oooohhh.... that left me chuckling and wondering at the same time. Remember I said children can be very observant? It's either Hafiz has observed that one needs good communication skill to become a leader OR...... or what? I leave it to your imagination ;)

Assalamualaikum & good days ahead people.

It's in the air? (Part 2)

14th February is here again :)
And I've got it all well planned & executed this year I tell ya!!

9.00 am: review day calendar, read/reply/delete/archive emails
9.30 am: 121 with Regional Director - talent assessment prep
11. 00 am: Team meeting - referral scheme do's & don'ts
12.00 am: Phone call to Hafiz & Hafiz teacher
12.30 noon: Lunch with Regional Director; benchmark small talk
2.00 pm: 121 with CB's PA - sign off TA's schedule/governance meetings
3.00 pm: 121 with Regional Director - ethical trading standards & audit scoping
4.00 pm: 221 with HR Mgrs - new office layout seating discussion
5.00 pm: 15 mins catch up with Regional Director on assessment feedback
(he left for Spore shortly after)
5.30 pm: Resume 221 wth HR Mgrs - new office layout sign off
6.00 pm: 121 wth RH - prep for agencies' ethical trading standards briefing
8.00 pm: 121 wth AZMM - review submission for UK Team Talk updates
9.00 pm: read/reply/delete/archive emails
10.00 pm: time to call it a day laaaaa....
10.30 pm: reach home - multitasking time part 1
- grab dinner & watch TV in the kitchen
- review Ameer's & Hafiz homework
- reading session, title for the night "Where Are Your Ears"
- nite-nite boys!
11.30 pm : pack Hafiz's books for Friday's timetable
Midnight : multitasking time part 2
- check Yahoo email (awaiting reply from long lost Kak Mekna - di mana dikau?)
- read Star online
- blogroll to the critical few

But ohhhh..... my nose got worse!

Actifast, actifast - where art thou?
Can't afford to get sick
Friday's briefing on ethical trading, mind you....

Gotta hit the sack ..... eyes half closed already.

Uh? Am I forgetting something? Or some things?

Like what?

Like...... what about the Chocolate? Musical cards? Roses? Teddy Bear? Candle lit dinner?

Hmmmm..... yesss.... What about them?

Ohhhhhhh! Oohhhhhh! Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!

Hmmmm.... Oh well! Guess they'll be just fine without me.

Like all previous years.... and the years to come. They'll be just fine without me.

No worries & no regrets at all in that department.

I caught myself humming to the tune of

L@V3 is in the air
Everyday I look around
Ooooo.... oohhhh
L@V3 is in the air

Only to be brought back to reality with this chorus:

Ahhh... Ahhhh.... Ahhhhhh Chhhhooooo!

Ish...ishh...ishhh..... That's what's in the air for me.

ZzZZzzzzZZZzzzz

p/s How was your 14th Feb? Well planned & executed too?

It's in the air?

AHHHHH CHOOOOO !!!!!!!

Urgh... tissue please .....



* *
_

Happy New Year .... Happy Chinese New Year !

Ha Shana... wa sula baca lu punya komen arrr..... just in time.

Sapa kata bukan tahun balu?

Aiyaaaa..... Bila wa pegi keleja ha... wa nampak manyak nimau tau! Bukan kotak2 punya. Tempat wa keleja haa... diolang hantar nimau dalam loli woooo... Bila wa nampak nimau satu loli... hah...wa sula tau, ini hali laya mesti sula mau mali.

Waaa... manyak syiok arrr... apa pasat manyak syiok? Sebab boleh cuti 4 hali!!

Wa manyak suka hati. Bila cuti 4 hali, balu wa boleh latang sini tempat, bagi hilang semua habuk2. Itu Simah sula bising ini tempat maaaaaanyak habuk wooo! Aiya...soli, soli. Soli laaa... wa maaaaaanyak busy wooo!

Wa ingat aaarrr... wa mau hantar itu kad hali laya untuk kawan2 china tau! Tapi balu minggu lepas wa pelasan arrr..... itu kad semua belum pos lagi. Aiyaaaa... busy punya pasat la.

Habis, sikalang mau bikin macam mana?

Aiya.... nasib baik aler ini blog. So har... kita bagi ucapan plospelity on line lah hah? Okay what?

Wa kasi lipit ( read: repeat ..ahaks!!) pantun laya tahun lepas pasal wa maaaaanyak syiok itu pantun. Tapi kasi modify sikit la ha? Enjoy haaa..... Kasi tepuk tangan lulu sebelum baca pantun okay?

HALI LAYA SULA MALI
DIOLANG HANTAR NIMAU SATU LOLI
SATU TAHUN SATU KALI
GUA BIKIN SILAP GUA VELLLLLY SOLI!

Ha.... syiok arr ini pantun? Kalau syiok, bagi tepuk tangan lagi la... hahaha....

To all my fellow chinese bloggers : U.Lee, Daphne ... aiya! Dua olang saja ka? Mana cukup wooo!
To all my chinese friends & colleagues ( I doubt they read this blog ...)
To all my chinese neighbours ( mana lu olang beli itu bunga api ha? Manyak cantik wooo!)
To all my chinese ancestors and ancestor-in-laws
To Ah-so kat pasar lawang yg selalu simpan/deliver ketam utk hali laya ibu (tenkiu arr.. Ah-so punya customer service no:1 in the world!)
To Patrick, contractor yg bikin lumah (aiya... bila lumah wa mau siap?)
To all other friends (olang lain punya hali laya, lu orang pun lapat cuti 4 hali kan? Enjoy haa...)
And to all silent visitors out there, if any ...

GONG XI FA CHAI !!!

Happy New Year, Luv!

It was -5 degrees and we were having so much fun chasing one another on the 4 inches thick of soft white surface and throwing snow ball to each other when we realised it was 10 minutes to midnight. We chased around the snow man, throw a few more snow balls and took another glance at the the brightly lit cottage that was all covered with icy flakes in that near freezing temperature before we made the dash.

We rushed to the grand entrance to watch the fireworks. It was already full to the brim by the time we got there and we had to squeeze ourselves through the crowd to find a spot to catch a glimpse or two of the firework display if we could, stretching our necks over the heads of hundreds more. Almost out of breath, we hold on tight to each others' hands not wanting to risk separation in that madness. The jubilant mood anticipating the clock strike was everywhere.

As the countdown began, he wrapped his arms around me and hold me even closer. Our cheeks touching each others'. We hugged each other tightly and snuggled into each others' body, enjoying every moment of doing just that. And slowly but surely we joined in the festive crowd for the last few counts of 3-2-1 and shouted

Happy New Year!

In a split second, the vibrant colorful display of fireworks emerged in the sky with a grand big bang. First red and yellow, then green and blue. Followed by a spectacular splash and mixture of the whole palette soon after, much to the oohhhss and ahhhhs of the jaw dropped audience.

Almost instantaneusly too, we turned to face each other.

He stared into my eyes with his gentle eyes and slowly planted a kiss on my nose. Then on both sides of my cheek.

I kissed him back on his nose. And then on his cheeks too.

"Happy New Year, sayang!" I whispered to him first.

He pulled me even closer. The tip of his nose touching mine.

Despite the chill of the cold weather, the warmth of his body overwhelmed me as we cuddled each other. We were oblivious to the loud cheerful crowd around us.

At that moment to savour, there was only the two of us embracing each other, loving one another.

With his soft but husky voice, he whispered back to my ear,
"Happy New Year, Ibu! Esok ada firework lagi tak?" asked Ameer innocently.

"Esok takde dah. But we can still play the 'pop-pop'. Nanti kita beli kat Mydin ok?" I answered assuringly while still nozzling Ameer's nose. A display of affection and love which I do freely with my little ones without any worry of what other people around me would say. Something which I obviously would not do for Ayah (well.... holding Ayah's hands maybe but I'm definitely not nozzling his nose while in the public eyes!!! )

From right below, another small pair of hands tugged my jacket.
"Happy New Year Ibu! I love you!" cheered Hafiz excitedly.

And then another face emerged from the crowd, "Ok jom, let's go back inside and play some more games!" urged Abang Idin, with Ayah nodding in agreement, appearing from behind.

The Snow World closed at 12.10am but the Indoor Theme Park would still be open till 1.00am. So off we went back inside '5 beranak' to maximise the remaining of what's left of our 'investment' at Genting Highland in the first hour of this new year.

Oh! What a moment! A joyful feeling that no mother would want to outgrow.

PEACEFUL MIND, LOVING HEART, JOYFUL SPIRIT, HEALTHY BODY AND ABUNDANT BLESSINGS ARE MY WISHES FOR YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE !

(from Ibu, Ayah & anak-anak dari Kota Keriangan)

.

Selingan - Raya Haji Pics

I'd better post these before they get accidentally deleted. Not many in the collection coz I forgot to recharge the camera battery. And yeah .... no one else cared to remember either. Semua ibu jer yang kena ingat tau! Mana aci?!

Anyway .... let's see what we've got.

A basket full of home made ketupat, manually weaved by yours truly, ready to be handed over to Bibi. 30 pcs ngam-ngam, no wastage whatsoever this time. Yesss!!!

Ketupat ready to for the hungry tummies.

Ibu's hari raya signature dish - Ketam Masak Menjilat Jari! Hehehe... tapi memang ramai yang menjilat jari this year coz we only managed to secure about 5 kg. That was 3 kg short of our usual ketam-raya supply for both families ( Ibu & Ayah's sides).

The pak & mak sedara to you my boys ....

From left, Pak Uda & Pak Long, puffing their cigars.... the reason why I had to stay further away; couldn't stand the stench!

Then Mak Uda & Mak Anjang.

Followed by Pak Anjang, who escaped Udang Goreng Kunyit this time around. Kita masuk buku 555 ye? Patutlah ketam tak cukup!
The ever popular tuan rumah MAK LONG still looking fresh and vibrant despite hours of hard labour in the kitchen the night before.
My everdearest Ayah at the right end. Ironically, he's the one with the most white highlights despite being the youngest brother.
Hmm... banyak no berfikir ye?!
Eh! Who's that standing by the door? Cik Ton kah? (Ayah's younger sister). I just enlarged the pic. Opppsss... mana bisa Cik Ton berkumis? That was Pak Cik Kamal daaa. Cik Ton's hubby.

Not quite the full quorum. Yes.... They have a big family indeed.

While the adults bergebang, let's see what the kiddos were doing.

Ameer & cousin Nakhwan (anak Pak Lang) bonding at pondok.

The bigger boys having some kicks outside Mak Long's porch. All are "Alongs" except for Hafiz.

The other Angahs, Achiks and don't know what else were upstairs playing PS2.

The girls?! Where were they? Hmmm....all locked up in another room having their girls' talk. I could hear their giggling from outside the room. Been there, done that. Didn't want to spoil their fun.

My headaches, my heartthrobs - the three musketeers.
Yang berbilang warna.
Abang Idin (milo). Ameer (horlicks). And Hafiz (choc-o-cino).

At last, after about 4 hours at Mak Long place, they started squeezing into the back seat, getting ready to hit the road to balik kampung to JB pulak. A long journey for Ayah. An opportune time for Ibu to get some sleep. Yeaaaayyyyy!!!

I have to mengorat my sisters & nieces for pics in JB. Our camera battery dah kong by then!

So that's all for now folks.



.

Eid'l Adha and beyond (part 2)

It is quite common in a typical Malaysian family for the parents to be amongst the first members of the household to perform the hajj. My family was no exception.

We were all very excited when Bapak and Mak (or Atok & Nenek to you my boys) received their invitation and confirmation letter from Tabung Haji circa late 90s. Each one of us wanted to have a piece of it somehow, no matter how small or insignificant it might seem - from sponsoring the whole kenduri doa selamat, a token in the form of a nicely embroided telekung for Mak, a comfortable pair of sandals each, a sturdy and safe luggage for Bapak, right down to the ribbons in striking colors that were to be tied to the luggage for easy recognition at the airport carousel. Without doubt each one of us also started calculating in our head silently how much more did we need to top up our savings if still insufficient and started to wonder out lout rhetorically when our turns would come actually in the very familiar tone of "bilaaaaa la agaknya turn kita pulak eh?".

Nearing the weeks that my parents were due to leave for the holy land, all of the children, most of their siblings, lots of relatives & close friends flocked down to visit them in JB; either to attend the kenduri doa selamat, to seek forgiveness, to wish them well for a safe return trip, or even to simply kiss their hands to 'ambil berkat'.

BUT .....

With this kind of story, there is always a but somewhere ...

Barely 3 days prior to their departure to Mekah, in the middle of the night, I received an emergency call from my elder brother (Uncle Bard to you my boys) about Bapak complaining of severe chest pains. That must be serious I thought. The Bapak that we know hardly fell sick during his entire working life. A retired marine police officer, our non smoking Bapak had a very high threshold level for pain and would never ever consider falling sick as an option for him. Such confession of serious pain from Bapak, what's more in the middle of the night, was a real concern indeed to everyone and no one in their right mind dared to dismiss that as trivial . My brother said, Mak and my 2 other sisters were waiting nervously for my steer. Somehow, despite being the younger sister, I became the final consult that particular night. And without hesitation I requested Bard not to risk waiting at the emergency ward at GH JB but to rush him direct to a private specialist hospital instead. It has got nothing to do with lack of confidence with the public hospital but time was of essence. My view struck the cord with everyone and we assured Mak not to worry about the medical bill. Ayah and I, being the only ones out of 'hometown', drove down to JB that very same night.

It turned out that Bapak had a heart attack; with 3 arteries blocked at 98%! The surgeon's advice was to do angiogram on one of them straight away. He said, due to Bapak's critical condition, one of the arteries must be unclogged as soon as possible as temporary measure to ease the blood flow; the other two blockages can be discussed later subject to financial consideration. The consultation, surgical and medical fees? RM5,000. For one and one blockage only. The doctor assured us he would help with all the necessary reports and paper work to enable Bapak to claim back whatever claimable from the Pension department or for us children to claim from EPF. We agreed without objection for the need of speed. We had to. We must. Who to bear how much and pay back to whom - belakang kira. First things first, better be safe than sorry.

The very next morning, my sister and I went to JB Tabung Haji office to report the incident and to seek advice on immediate next steps with regards to my parents' intended pilgrimage that year. Needless to say, the much anticipated planned pilgrimage for Bapak and Mak that fateful year had to be postponed until the next Hajj season or until Bapak recuperated well enough to be medically re-certified as fulfilling the "able-bodied" criteria, whichever is later.
Let me take the pleasure of repeating when this happened. Barely 3 days prior to Bapak's flight departure to Mekah, okay?. Yes, only 3 fingers up please and count: 1, 2, 3! Not many. 3 days only!

The officer@ Ustaz yang I dah lupa namanya, was surprisingly very calm. After taking us through all the administrative procedures, he shared with us one classic piece of advice, "Ini lah namanya ketentuan Allah; kita manusia hanya merancang, tuhan jua yang menentukan. Adik berdua pesan kat Mak, jangan risau banyak sangat ya? Mesti ada hikmah disebalik setiap yang ditentukan."

A very common advice. One so common that could have been heard anytime anywhere from anyone - even from the TV cerekarama. So common that it could have been easily taken for granted without much heeds. For me personally, that particular morning advice pierced right through my skin, bones and rib cage straight into the center of my heart; triggering a high pitch shrieking alarm bell that seemed impossible to switch off, sending an alert message throughout all my blood vessels and a wake up call to my active yet semi conscious neurons.

The irony of all this was that all the while before this particular chapter, it was always Mak who had to be in & out of the hospital or clinics, either for medication or emergency treatment for high blood pressure, migraine, pain in the knee or other joints and what not. It was as if the hospital and the clinic had a specially designed revolving door custom made just for Mak's frequent and unobstructed access. Yet, as fate had it, when it came to the moments of truth, it was Bapak who stole the thunder.

Bapak felt very guilty for the delay and kept apologising to Mak and all of us for all the unnecessary trouble he thought he had caused. Mak remained very supportive and played her household counselor's role to Bapak and all of us, reminding that every cloud had its silver lining and this kind of things that had happened could well be a blessing in disguise.

After the angiogram, Bapak went through angioplasty for the other blockages at the then Universiti Hospital (now PPUM). Cost? For police force pensioners, only RM6.00 for registration. He was heavily prescribed with medications though, some free, some expensive drugs on own expense and was recommended to follow a strict diet. Bapak recovered well throughout the coming year and was eventually certified medically fit to go for his pilgrimage with Mak the very next Hajj season, albeit with a reminder that he would be under close monitoring by Tabung Haji medical team. What was there to fuss? The closer monitoring the better, we thought.

Amidst all these, I found out that one of the heart surgeons handling Bapak's case in UH that bapak affectionately called as 'Tuan Doktor' turned out to be my once long lost class mate from college prep days who happened to be the husband of an old buddy from my alma mater. What a small world! Maka terjejak lah kasih dan tersambung lah semula tali silaturrahim antara kawan-kawan lama. A blessing in disguise? You bet.

Meanwhile, Ayah & Ibu still shuddered with the thoughts that hovered in our mind - what if we continued the typical planning for such a worthy trip to take place later for our golden years - you know, after we have lived our life to the fullest? When the pockets are not drained by the mega sales, long term loans fully paid, children all grown up and can take care of themselves, and the mind all prepared to go, YET with an ailment that surfaced at the 11th hour like what happened to my very own Bapak? The spirit ever willing because the end could be near but the flesh naturally weak because the end could indeed be around the corner.

With all these happenings, it only further entrenched Ayah's & Ibu's heartfelt desire to perform the hajj the soonest we could.

BUT then again .... kita manusia merancang, tuhan jua yang menentukan.

So there is another BUT? What now?!

To be continued.....



.

Eid'l Adha and beyond ...

It has been two years already. How time flies.

I have a mole below my left ankle. I remember during my childhood days, my aunt Busu ( now known as Nek Busu to you my boys) interpreted that as I would travel far. I believed her. How could I not? I was told she was the one who chose my name for me. That sounded like a big deal to me. So I grew up with a self fulfilling prophecy that I would travel far because 'Busu' predicted so.

I am now residing in Rawang, working in Mutiara Damansara, commuting daily on the NKVE - hmmm.... doesn't that count as traveling far? I've only used the car for 3 - 4 mths now, and I checked this morning it has already clocked about 15,000 km already. That shows I do travel far, don't I? Ahhh... I digressed.

Yes, I wanted to travel far. Not just between Rawang & Damansara daily. I wanted to travel the world over if I can.

Soon after marrying Ayah, I found out that he too wanted ( actually he still does) to travel the world over. Specifically, he wanted to visit the 7 ancient wonders of the world. Busu was right after all! Now we both husband and wife would travel far together-gether.

As we progressed in our own careers, it soon became apparent that my jobs were mainly desk-bound. You know, shuffling papers here & there, meeting and talking to people now & then. The farthest would be Sabah & Sarawak. Oh yes... overseas, but South China Sea only. That was it. Ayah on the other hand, with his IT background, backed with the much sought after software license and project management exposure, could easily secure jobs or assignments that involve traveling to anywhere in the world. That's if and only if he really wanted to. But that would mean him traveling on the job on his own. Concern is, the traveling far was supposed to be done together-gether by Ibu & Ayah. Attached to the hips if possible. Not one here and the other elsewhere. Tried it once - away from each other for about 9 months. Ayah in Jeddah and Ibu in ...where else? Rawang. The absence of each others' company was too much to bear. We've decided we have to be under the same roof, well... at least most of the time.

That didn't kill our desire to travel the world over. Except that the vision became clearer - it cannot be solely dependent on work related ( i.e 'sponsored') travels because that would be synonymous to both of us traveling to different directions at different times on our own agenda, mostly business. We want to travel the world over together-gether. I snap your photo. You snap mine. I hold your hands, you hold mine, and my luggage too please :). Get the drift?

There is another twist. Not only do we share the same desire to travel far, but without necessarily influencing one another, we both also came to the same conclusion that our travel destinations must be prioritised. We made up our mind to go for hajj as soon as 'possible' before we travel to other worldly desired destinations. They say, great minds think alike. But hey... fools seldom differ either.

We figured Eiffel Tower would not get any shorter. The dome of Taj Mahal would not be any less shinier. Stonehenge would not lose any of the stones. The leaning tower of Pissa would still stand, though tilted. The Sphynx, well.. it may be further eroded year after year - but it too will still be dusty just the same. And the Sydney Opera House - my choice this one - would not move on its own.Not visiting any of these during our lifetime would not be a major 'non conformance' in our books. After all, it's the 5th pillar. So we thought, let's get the priority right for both us.

Some of our friends and relatives said, that must be an early calling for us both. The beaconing.

Some others said, you two rugi lah... Enjoy first gua cakap lu! Still young what? What's the point of going too early? There would be too many remaining years after you return, hence the higher chances of you two still committing sins after sins. The idea (perhaps) is live your life to the fullest, then go to hajj & repent. Upon return, go to surau often, concentrate on ibadah and start preparing for the life hereafter.

Well, what can we say? Everybody is entitled to his or her own opinion.

We had one of our own. And we were sticking by it. Our priority got further self reassured, at least while we still can and while we were still able-bodied to do so.

Is being able-bodied good enough though? Is having enough savings to fund your pilgrimage sufficient? Apparently, for "young people", that may not be good enough. Not quite. Not just yet.

So for some good number of years after Ayah & Ibu embedded our desire to prioritise our travel destinations, and for many moons after we carved in stone our commitment to perform the hajj while we were still able-bodied, we were kept waiting for the invitation to be the guests of the holy land.

The waiting that we dutifully obliged with. Without much fuss.

To be continued ......


.

Pringles tak halal?

WHOOOWWWW .......


Don't eat this one!

p/s Hafiz pesan, " kita tak boleh makan pringles banyak-banyak. Sebab nanti kucing nak makan pringles, pringles dah habis.... kesian kucing ....... " Meowwww!

p/s That is NOT ibu in the background.

Takziah Simah, di atas pemergian Baba ....

PROFESSOR SABAHATTIN ZAIM, 81.

They call him the "professor of professors".

They call him "master of economics".

He must have educated thousands of students and scientists, amongst whom include Turkey's own President Abdullah Gül.

And the list of awards & honors in recognition of his contribution are almost endless.

But to Halil and Simah, he was simply Baba - the beloved father and father-in-law.

To their beautiful children, Hatice & Baddin, he was simply Dede.

When I received the short text from Simah yesterday, "Kak, bapa halil dah pergi"; I stood frozen for a while. In a flash, the memories of admiring the family photos in Simah's hallway and running my fingers through his books on Halil's shelves came running back to me.

Ayah & I did not have the chance to know Halil's & Simah's Baba up close and personal when we visited them in Istanbul a few months back. Yet having learnt of Simah's modern fairy tale love story from the horse's mouth herself and having met her beloved husband Halil and their two lovable children Hatice & Baddin, I feel that the tribute to the late Professor Sabahattin Zaim as is now spread all over Turkish newspapers on his contribution to "humanity & culture" is almost an understatement.

Nevertheless, there are things in this world that cannot be seen or even touched, rather felt with the heart.

For what we have witnessed during our short stay with the Zaim Jr family, it was crystal clear that Baba has indeed raised a fine gentleman and that Baba has done more than what words can describe with his consent to bind the two hearts in a marital bliss despite the lovebirds' prior challenge of being shores apart.

Simah dear, I read about your relentless service to the late Baba during his final days with much admiration. Each time I read your entries on caring for Baba, I have this funny mental picture of a "Malaysian Nightingale" in action, clad in her baju batik kelawar, burning up her midnight candle running up & down the ward aisle caring for the ailing Baba (though your roster were normally in the morning, right?). Joke aside, I'm very sure not many would be able to do the same like what you have done for Baba, my dear.

To Halil, yes... it is for the better as the pain and suffering is no longer felt by him. And there is no greater treasure a father would have amassed other than a son who prays for him after he left for the hereafter.

To Hatice & Baddin, you'll miss him we know. He'll miss you too, do you know? A little prayer for him would bring a smile to his face wherever he is, bringing you two closer at heart to him each & every time always.

With Professor Halil Zaim (Jr) surviving - carrying the educationist DNA in his flesh and blood, with the love of Simah the Malaysian Nightingale loyal by his side, and the young and fast growing Hatice & Baddin ever ready to conquer the world, Professor Zaim (Sr) 's legacy as one who lights his candle to enlighten others will surely prevail ....

May he rest in his peace. Al-fatihah ....

A true modern epic of "cinta dua benua" - Simah & Halil

Hatice & Baddin cuddling a kitty


****************************************************************
* read more from the press *

Zaim passes away, Turkey loses master of economics

Professor Sabahattin Zaim, known as the “professor of professors” and the “master of economics,” passed away in a private hospital early Sunday in İstanbul.

Professor Sabahattin Zaim, known as the “professor of professors,” opened high schools and faculties in İstanbul and Sakarya and educated thousands of students. Zaim, an 81-year-old professor who had been receiving treatment for lymphoma for some time and who underwent an operation two weeks ago, died around 4:15 a.m. on Sunday at Sema Hospital in the Maltepe district of İstanbul, where he was placed in the intensive care unit on Saturday. Zaim will be laid to rest today in the family’s graveyard at İstanbul’s Edirnekapı Cemetery after the noon prayer, to be held in Fatih Mosque. Zaim’s doctors said he was in critical condition on Saturday. President Abdullah Gül, one of Zaim’s former students, upon hearing that Zaim had been hospitalized called Zaim’s relatives and received information on the state of his health. Zaim was born in the İştip (Štip) province of Macedonia in 1926 and moved to İstanbul in 1934 with his family. He graduated from Ankara University faculty of political sciences in 1947 and was nominated district governor in several provinces of Turkey. He was admitted as a research assistant in the department of economics at İstanbul University in 1953 and served as department chair until he retired in 1998. Zaim worked as a member of the Higher Education Board (YÖK) between 1996 and 2000 and contributed to the establishment of Sarajevo University in 2003 as a founding rector. He was given the Honorary Award for Contributions to Turkish National Culture by the National Culture Foundation of Turkey in 1990 and received the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) award the same year for his contribution to Islamic economics. He also received the Lariba Award from the Lariba Islamic Bank of Los Angeles in 1996 and was nominated for the highest award given by the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen’s Association (MÜSİAD) in 2002 and for the award of merit by the Turkish Writers’ Association in 2003. Zaim educated thousands of students and scientists including President Gül. He was married with five children. Associate Professor Numan Kurtulmuş, one of Zaim’s research assistants, stressed that Zaim’s memoirs, which he shared with his students, will be published soon. “Zaim told his stories to a group of his students, including me, in the 20 weeks after he retired. He had a great collection, bringing together all the documents and news articles prepared and published about him. He approved the publication of his memoirs and we will publish them in the coming weeks.” Recalling that Zaim was the most important Turkish figure in the field of labor and Islamic economics, Kurtulmuş added: “He contributed to the establishment of the majority of charity organizations and foundations in Turkey in the last 50 years. He was a man who continuously strived to serve humanity and was loved by his students.” President Gül, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Deputy Prime Minister Nazım Ekren, Interior Minister Beşir Atalay, Finance Minister Kemal Unakıtan and former politicians, Ali Coşkun and Nevzat Yalçıntaş, stand out among Zaim’s students. In a previous interview with the state-run Anatolia news agency, Zaim noted that he did not imagine that his students would be prominent figures in Turkish politics in the future. “Yet, I believe that they will exert their utmost efforts to serve the country and Turkish society,” he said. Zaim continued reading and writing after he retired from the faculty of economics and administrative sciences at Sakarya University in 1998 and is known to have spent his retirement giving lectures and involved in social and cultural activities both in Turkey and abroad.

10.12.2007

Today’s Zaman İstanbul

There's still tomorrow

With much excitement each one volunteered

Hafiz: "Patricia !"

Ameer: "Nasya !!"

Abang Idin: "Siti Rooney !!!"

It was very heartwarming that all of you my boys thought of a girl's name for the baby. For once you were all unanimous that it should be a baby girl.

Hafiz, Ibu will have to check if there is a meaningful arabic equivalent of Patricia, ok?

Ameer, I wonder how you knew such a name? Did any of Ayah's friends or my friends' hubbies have anything to do with this choice of name?

Abang Idin, Siti maybe; similar to your cousins in JB. But Rooney? hmmm ... not likely I think.

Thank you my boys for suggesting those lovely names.

For the time being, Ibu will KIV them first ok?

Hopefully we will retrieve this posting again in the near future for practical reference, insyaAllah.

Meanwhile, Ibu need to recline deep into sleep to prepare for tomorrow's procedure.

Good nite all.

In search of the missing little one ...

She said she couldn't detect it.

She said it could have disintegrated.

She said it's the body's natural way to either absorb back some disintegrated things to remain in the body or flush out some others.

She said (and we could saw it clearly from the screen) that the gestational sac is still intact, which explains why I am still feeling the common hormonal effects.

She said this is quite common in the first 8 to 12 weeks.

She said causes for most are not known.

She said 1 in 5 ends this way.

So have I become one of the statistics?

She added that I should go for the procedure soon. As soon as today.

She noticed how Ayah & Ibu fell silent and instinctively knew we were not immediately agreeable.

She said perhaps we should seek second opinion if we are not sure with her explanation.

Perhaps we should.

Ayah led me out of the clinic in silence.

Perhaps Ayah knew Ibu too well not to dwell on the emotional side of this kind of things. Rather, rationalise what to do next.

Perhaps Ayah may not be so sure how to handle Ibu if Ibu became too emotional about it right there & then.

As usual I didn't. I remain stone faced. Yes I was rationalising hard in my mind.

Perhaps we should seek second opinion, Ayah suggested. Ibu agreed - third & fourth if we have to.

We went separate ways back to each other's office.

I dived my nose into the contracts piling up in my tray.

I set my mind to enjoy the dinner & croaking session planned for the nite.

Later Ayah sms.

For the first time after I left the clinic, tears welled up in my eyes and finally trickled down my cheek - behind closed door.

We've been praying hard for one that is healthy & well and for the best.

Perhaps this is His answer to our prayer because only He knows what's best for us.

Perhaps the best is yet to come :(