Istanbul Chronicle: Chapter 2 - Moving across continents

"SELOW LIKE SENAIL ", I had warned Simah on my attempt at blogging & posting of pictures from the Istanbul trip.

Of course, my self fulfilling prophecy turns out right (again!). In fact, I'm slower than snail! But hey! Better late than never. So here are some introductory accounts of Ayah & Ibu in Istanbul, tracking a fellow blogging sorority mommy, Simah, about 4 weeks ago. Or has it been longer than that? Gawddd ... I lost track of time.

The hotel that we stayed at was on the Europe side of Istanbul. And Simah's place was on the Asia side of the city. That means if I could make it to Simah's place, I would have travelled to two continents by road in an hour's time by choice. That was one heck of a motivation.

As it turned out, I had quite a bad cough that week and came Friday, my cough had not shown much sign of recovery, so I wasn't sure if we should spend the weekend at Simah's place. I told Simah about my cold and my fear of spreading it to her family but she said not to worry about it. I'm thankful she helped cast that doubt away.

Alas!The goody bag shall be delivered! 'Mawi' pun ikut sama.

Simah sms me the directions to her place. In summary: Go to the jetty, take the ferry, then take a taxi, then show the address to the cabbie. The directions were in Turkish and I'm guessing it said: straight, belok kiri, belok kanan, after traffic light terus, terus, terus, then second traffic light belok kanan...... hehehe. Pretty easy ... But getting across Istanbul from the Europe part to the Asia part, kena naik ferry? Oooohhh.....That got me worried. Silap haribulan buleh sampai ke Penang!

Ayah was more concerned about the luggage. Which was a valid concern indeed as we had by then ended up with an additional one big heavy bag (a story which deserved another entry on its own altogether). And with my cough, he reckoned that I was not going to be much of a helping hand. He asked me to ask Simah what floor she was on, kena naik tangga or naik lift? hahaha.... Today boleh gelak la, but that time he looked damn serious! So, nak tak nak I had to call Simah and asked, and she just laughed away .... " Ada lift la Akak ! Don't worry !", she said reassuringly. Cehhh! Bikin malu jer. Nampak sangat la we all ni tak fit kan? Naik tangga pun tak larat.

We were to reach her place by 8.00 pm to be safe. Ayah did not want to take any chances and so we took a cab there. Ayah gave the cab driver the address & direction and "Yes... yes, easy to find", he said. We believed him.

As soon as we boarded the cab, we both looked away from each each other. Bukan 'bergaduh'. Rather, entertaining our own thoughts, absorbing the views of the scenic routes, the people, the buildings and catching glimpses of Istanbul way of life from inside the yellow cab. As the views were the only part of the cab ride that would be free of charge regardless of the kilometre reading, might as well take full advantage of it. I'll let the pictures do the talking. Enjoy ......















From the hilltop overlooking the lush greeneries and the bhosporus sea.

Standing tall as a distinctive skyline and as a defining statement that historic Istanbul is indeed keeping pace with one-upmanship of modern towers is Istanbul Ritz Carlton Hotel.

No...... that was not where we stayed. If only!

The Train, The Tram

Both using electricity, but notice there was no barrier to the lanes nor were there any danger sign posted.

For the 2 weeks I was there, there was no news whatsoever of people being ran over or electricuted by the electric trams or trains. Hmmm.......

Left: The Attartuq Monument located at the roundabout of Taksim Square.

The exposure that it gets for being located right smacked in the middle of a popular shopping area is undeniable. Even if the significance of the Attartuq empire maybe oblivious to many, at least it can be safely assumed that the old and the young, locals and visitors alike have indeed seen the monument from afar and with many even came within close contact .

The recent catchy advertisement on Radio ERA insinuating that many of us especially amongst young Malaysians do not even know the whereabouts of our Tugu Negara, let alone having it touched - pierced painfully to my heart.
Sigh ....


Now on a lighter side ....

Take a closer look at the photo above, especially the surrounding buildings.

Zooming in at the building on the right of the Attartuq monument, I give you ....

Istanbul's own version of : "Damsel in Distress" -->

Hehehe....

As with many sleek cab drivers, showing off his skills manouvering the city's cobbled back streets for short cuts to avoid the traffic congestion, save time and meter reading for the best interest of the customers was a must to the one we hired!

So we thought.
















Right: Fishing on the bridge seemed to be a popular afternoon theme - weekdays or weekends alike. Bagus jugak eh? Tak lah membazir duit asyik menyopping ajer.

Is there a river in Selangor that I can throw my hook, line & sinker?

Looming in the background was a mosque.

A close up of the majestic mosque as we got nearer.

The typical curtains dressing many metropolitan city with dwellers battling for space in high rise apartments seemed unavoidable for Istanbul with its city population reaching up to millions of people.

Once we crossed the toll plaza over the Asia part of Istanbul, the cabbie started to show signs that he was lost! He made a few phone calls and kept referring to the address given. He stopped at a gas station and a few other shops to ask for directions. Finally I said let me call my friend so that she could give the direction - and as if that was an evil mantra, like a knee jerk reaction the cab driver replied that it was not necessary. The address suddenly seemed to come back on his radar screen. Hmmm..... he might have taken us for a ride after all! I still called Simah and handed the phone to the driver. I think he insisted he knew how to get there.

And indeed, in less than 3 minutes, we got there!

Just as we were about to take out our luggage from the boot, I heard,

" AKAK !!! TINGKAT 4 !"

Hahh! Sah suara Melayu..... tidak syak lagi !

I looked up & saw Simah waving her hand with a warm & welcoming smile greeting from her window up above, ala-ala Rapunzel calling from her tower.

That was the start of a beautiful and memorable weekend spent with darling Simah & her wonderful family.















Above, left: Simah's two beautiful children, sweet & witty Hatice and handsome & shy Baddin, cuddling a cute little kitten at Beyazid market area.

Above, right: The two newly acquainted Dins together, Simah's Sabahaddin and Ibu's Sabarudin.

And the icing of the cake .....

At least 8 years together and still going on strongly, lovey dovey.
A truly exemplary "cinta dua benua" !

A lot more to spill ... but as with even the most healthiest nutritious drink, the doctor's advice is to always take it in moderation. I don't want to spoil your appetite with too much too soon.

So, until my next picture blogging ( entah bila la tu ..... ), blog-roll ergonomically. Take care of your back - sit upright and don't slouch! ( That's the ibu part of me definitely ...)

Cheers all ! Wassalam.

Istanbul Chronicle: Chapter 1 - Half globe trotting

Looking back to just yesterday, I remember how I had cold sweat all over me. Our flight was 5 hours away, I hadn't finished completely my review of the "thing" that needed my review. I hadn't finished packing our clothes. My cold did not seem to get any better. And the nurse called the person who came in later than me to see the doctor first ... Urghh!!! By the time I collected the cold medicine & antibiotic, it was already 12 noon.

We ran across to Bintang to get Vit C supplies for the kids, and to exchange some money. No direct exchange to that currency and so we opted for Euro & USD. We rushed home, and I sort of just stuffed my clothes & Ayah's into our luggage. Then I continued with my last minute attempt to review the last few worksheets - unbelievable!

And then my phone rang. The plane did not land in KL last night they said - technical problem. WHAT???

But they re-arranged alternative flight for us, the first 2 options offered I rejected outright because I would have to travel separately from Ayah. Finally they offered us SIA but the flight would only take off at 9.45 pm, transit at S'pore, with stopover in Dubai.

I only heard 9.45 pm departure and both travelling together. And I said OK lah....

What a blessing! I finished off the review which was necessary to ensure our 5000+ staff would be able to smile this month end. I managed to replicate the email & send it by about 4.30 pm. Phewww.... Flight delayed? But expected arrival a few good hours earlier? Ada hikmah disebalik setiap kejadian.

Ayah packed his "gadgets" - travelling parents these days must be prepared with the equipment to stay in touch with the children. So cable check, earphone check, speaker check, web-camera check - except that he was not sure if Abang Idin knew how to log on to YM with webcam. And so a last minute 1-2-1 tuition took place, with Idin meng-iya kan saja apa Ayah dia kata.

I looked at all our luggage. One small luggage for office wear, one medium size luggage for our casual wear, 1 notebook bag each, and 1 very special luggage for her. This special luggage was full of Msian goodies such as Maggie, ikan bilis, jelly powder, brahim ready-to-cook, sup punjut adabi and asam Moh Far Kor to name a few.

Boy have I been away from home once or twice for what seemed like eternity! And indeed the items in her wish list were indeed some of the simple pleasures of Msian "cuisine" that I missed very much those days. So I made sure all the items in the wish list were grabbed from the hypermarket shelves for that dear someone. I also grabbed lots & lots of jeruk mangga until one of the floor managers who walked past whom I knew quite well asked me if I were 'craving'. Well ... at least I thought it must be the asam that made him think that I was pregnant and not my ugly bulging buncit tummy. Craving pun craving laaa....it was in her wish list and I want to see her smile. The dear someone who is another blogging mom that I only came to know in recent moons by a sheer coincidence really, when I checked out her site, thinking that it belonged to my sis-in-law. Funny how our blogosphering friendship blossomed eversince - common ground of course being mothers of children.

I looked at the bag again and I wondered if Allah would really grant me a chance to meet up with her & her lovely family. The goodies were ready. Actually - I also threw in one non-edible into that bag - tampal koyok cap tiger. HAHAHA ... dunno why!

Ayah saw me daydreaming and gave me the time-check eye brow. And whooosshhhh I hurried to get ready.

That was yesterday.

This morning finally, we touched down on Istanbul - the only city on earth with a foot on two continents which stand proudly at the crossroads of Europe and Asia. "A city which a sheer mention of its name awakes people's fantasies of civilisations and religions, old and new, historic and modern" - this I read and copied from the hotel room brochure about this beautiful city.

Ahhh.... The weather is so nice out there. But Ayah is snoring. So here I am blogging from the hotel room, overlooking the Bhosphorus Straits.

Istanbul
Just you wait
In between work & leisure
We'll roam your streets & straits ...

To my dear blogging sis if you are reading this, hope we would finally meet soon. "Mawi" dah tak sabar nak jumpa you.

To Abang Idin, please do your best in your term exam this week. I'm sorry I'm not around to help you with your studies - but that would also mean you can study in peace, without me nagging behind your back.

Wassalam .....

A Mother's Love - by Helen Steiner Rice

A Mother's love is something
that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion
and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish
and enduring come what may
For nothing can destroy it
or take that love away . . .
It is patient and forgiving
when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters
even though the heart is breaking . . .
It believes beyond believing
when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty
of the rarest, brightest gems . . .
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret
like the mysteries of creation . . .
A many splendoured miracle
man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence
of God's tender guiding hand.

~Helen Steiner Rice~

HAPPY MOTHER's DAY !

Lessons from IJOK

Hey! That place is not that far away from Rawang!

As usual, Ibu often write in retrospect... looking at things in hindsight.

And if there's one good lesson that's easy like counting 1-2-3 for ordinary citizen and hoi polloi like Ibu to grasp from the Ijok's by election, is that such "by-election" is a sure quickie to get your neighbourhood downtown's main street pot holes covered up with shiny tarmac overnight without the hassle of calling up the 'no one seem to be answering' icy cold hotline, without the need for writing complaint letters which you'd better make sure you make copies in case your follow up query is expectedly greeted with 'boleh fax kan sekali lagi ke Puan?' and without having to climb up and down the ladder of the local townhall to actually re-send the same letter and make sure that the 'oh-we-citizen-are-so-scared-of-you officers' to actually physically acknowledge receipt of the letter in person - and that if the 'person-in-charge' to ackowledge receipt is not outstation, or on leave or out for morning coffee ( but it's almost noon already?!!).

(breathe in....breathe out... breathe in ...breathe out).

Think - if this is the big election - the budget would have been too stretching. Too many pot holes to be covered within the same short span of time. But this was not. This was only a by-election. And Ijok had it all to herself this time.

Ijok - I'm not even sure if that name is mentioned for announcement of breakfasting time during Ramadhan, like some other names I learned from such announcement - Marudu & Kota Samarahan to name a few.

But hey!! A by-election it was, and so all focus gathered on one small constituency. Ijok suddenly gained the nation's attention; being under the lense of a magnifying glass to the power of ad infinity.

I imagine, some of Ijok's concerns that could have turned into quick wins recently could be:
1. Visibility - banners, posters, buntings up? check!
2. Key leaders 'turun padang' to personally chit chat & shake hands with the rakyat? check!
3. Electricity connection for remaining houses without? check!
4. Houses still without T.O.L? Give them now, now, I mean after they agree to cross the right box? check!
5. Trading licences for the side walk warungs approved? check!
6. Meet the 'oh-do-i-really-have-to-meet' rakyat ceramah sessions? check!
7. Kitty bag - just in case some families with children ran out of milk powders and don't have much left to survive till month end ? check!

Ahhh.... after all the above were not mere fishing of votes. Those were noble acts of the rulers for their humble citizens. So dig in Ijok people! Dig in deep, if I were you!

What was this again? A by-election? And how can I have one taking place in my town?

Google, google, google ..... Opppss!! Vacancies arising from reasons of death, resignation or disqualification of my town incumbent MP or State Assembly(wo)men?

Alamak... Though I wish something real quick should be done to the pot holes at my downtown mainstreet, the non existing public library and the malfunctioning traffic lights, I don't want to be so cruel to be wishing for such reasons cited above to be happening. It was bad enough that YB had to be hospitalised after he accidentally caught on fire when officiating Abang Idin's school's sports day... sigh.... kesian YB!

But more importantly ... I personally won't be satisfied with just some quick wins. But how many feel the same? Or those quick wins are good enough for the majority still?

Sigh .....

Letting him go ...

He's been bugging me for a week or so ...
- when can he have his own space
- how to show his own profile
- how to link to his favourite sites
- how to upload photos

And so today I helped Abang Idin to 'put up' his own place. With him having his own 'space', I could finally correct the mistaken identity. But as I changed back my profile, I felt a sudden tinge of sadness. I could remember the same undescribable feeling when sending him to Primary One, five years ago. He was small size for his age ( he still is!! ) and seeing him disappear into the crowd of the other Primary Ones almost choked me. Tears welled up in my eyes. Ayah just smiled and assured me he was going to be fine.

Yet, I couldn't help but feel emotional about it:
- Like letting him go off on his bicycle without the training wheels for the first time.
- Like encouraging him to pay for his own goods at the cashier tills.
- Like watching him joke around with his friends at school about things only boys of the same age understood.

It's like deja vu - only a different scenario this time - the same feeling overwhelmed me all over again as I helped him choose the template and colours for his text, columns & banners for his very own brand new blog.

Another history in my chapter as a mother unfolded today - managing the emotional challenges of modern day parenting - fronting your little one pleading for independence for cyber space.

Safe for his spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes here & there, I trust Abang Idin, who is no longer 'my little one', will be a responsible blogger.

Welcome Son, into the world of blogging ( but still under my guidance, no? yesss..... ) Since you are still under the official age for blogging, thus your ramblings remain under my nose for the time being. Nevertheless, I hereby grant your site temporary certificate of fitness ....

Enjoy the masterpiece under continuous construction :
Idin's World: The M.U. Supporter

Love,
Ibu

Mistaken Identity

Thought of updating the blog tonite. And voila!! What a surprise... i seemed to have changed name to Idin! And I love football! The TaekwanDo bit was close though.... but hey.... hahahah.... tergelak sorang2 la ibu jadinya.

Alahai anak teruna ibu .... si abang Idin ni... dah start blogging dah !! He must have logged on to my blog (it's on auto sign-in on this notebook), and created a new blog of his own - but not realising it appeared in my blog!!! I remember now, he called me in the afternoon at the office and told me about his blog and I promised to read it when I got home ( tak sempat nak memblog la at work) . And I forgot all about it. Log on tonite and only to be pleasantly surprise with my new profile! Hahaha ....

If you click on my profile kat sebelah kanan ni, you will not miss his newly created blog, smacked in between my two blogs.

I'll leave it there for a while for your reading pleasure. Won't be that difficult to guess what he is into.

And have a go at this Pop Quiz after reading Idin's World:
1. What happened in my room on Friday the 13th, 2007, at 3.43 pm?
2. What's the score in the last match, Man U vs AS Roma?
3. Who scored the goal at 91st minute during Liverpool vs Man U?
4. My Story So Far is whose story actually?
5. What is the past tense of 'fight' ?
6. What is a 'hat-trick' ?
7. Which Club was Rooney initiated into when he was just 6 mths old?

Oh well... can't say I didn't learn anything from an 11 year old's blog !

I will not charge any space rent for the time being Abang Idin, ya? Nanti free-free ibu transfer kan into your own blog. I promise I won't correct any spelling or grammatical error ( though it's very tempting).

Okay lah, gotta go.... before I get a red-card from Ayah.... Good nite all!

Wassalam,
Ibu

No longer just a boy, but not yet a man ....

Abang Idin turned 11 yesterday !!!

Happy Birthday ..... May Allah bless you my son.

More stories to come.... with or without your consent Abang Idin :)

Love,
Ibu

Ibu in hibernation

Thank you to all who dropped by .... appreciate it very much. Tak sempat nak reply comments. Will do so as soon as I can... bila la tu?

Not procrastinating. Rather, prioritising.

Will be back.

Wassalam,
Ibu

Pengajaran, imbasan, panduan & wawasan

Peribadi Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary

SEKADAR MOTIVASI....
(aknowledgement: Thank you Kmar [all the way from Barcelona] for sharing this in our alma mater egroup)

Petikan kata-kata
Y. Bhg Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary

L/belakang Syed Mokhtar
- Umur - 53 tahun
- Pendidikan - SPM
- Mula berniaga - 19 tahun (jual beli lembu dan kerbau)
- Kekayaan -RM1,425 juta
- Ke 7 terkaya di Malaysia
- Ke 32 terkaya di Asia Tenggara (Forbes)
- Antara syarikat miliknya - MMC, Pelabuhan Tg. Pelepas, BERNAS, Gardenia, DRB-HICOM dan Bank Muammalat
- Kereta - Proton Perdana
- Sumbangan sosial -Yayasan Al-Bukhary,institusi pengajian untuk 3,000 pelajar, Muzium Kesenian Islam, Kompleks Al-Bukhary, menaja kelas tuisyen untuk pelajar Melayu, pengindahan Masjid Negara, sumbangan RM1 juta untuk Tabung Tsunami dan menaja setiap tahun penghantaran rakyat Malaysia yang tak mampu untuk tunaikan haji.

- Bagaimana sumbangan sosialnya bermula - Bilamana ibunya menyuruh memberikan sebahagian elaun ( RM750.00) pertamanya sebagai pengarah syarikat beras kepada jiran yang susah. Sebahagian lagi (RM750.00) ibunya simpan. Selain itu, ibunya juga menyuruh beliau menghantar lampu kerosen ke surau-surau untuk menerangi kegiatan sepanjang malam bulan Ramadhan. Dari situ bermulalah pembentukan peribadi dan pemikiran Syed Mokhtar yang kita kenali hari ini.

1. Ada sebab kenapa saya bekerja seperti tiada hari esok. Agenda sosial dan kerja-kerja kemasyarkatan itulah antara sebabnya. Saya mahu meninggalkan warisan untuk anak bangsa yang kekal berpanjangan

2. (berkenaan know who) Bangsa lain tak mengapa tapi orang Melayu kena berdamping dengan orang politik sedikit-sedikit. Tapi masalahnya kita tidak mahu melalui kesusahan; banyak yang mahu senang dengan mendampingi orang politik semata-mata.

3. Tiada apa-apa rahsia. Saya ini hamba Allah biasa, budak dangau macam saudara semua juga. Tuhan jadikan manusia ini sama sahaja. Proses kematangan saya yang membezakannya. Saya percaya sesiapa pun boleh menjadi apa sahaja asalkan mereka berusaha dengan tekun. Tetapi tentulah ia memakan masa. Tiada jalan singkat.

4. Saya mengenali kekuatan dan kelemahan saya. Apa yang tidak mampu buat saya akan minta orang lain tengok-tengokkan. Saya melalui jalan yang susah tapi itulah jalan yang kekal.

5. Kita perlu menggunakan kepakaran mereka (bangsa Cina) kerana mereka jauh lebih maju dan mahir daripada kita. Apa yang kita kurang faham kita berkongsi dengan tujuan untuk belajar dengan mereka. Apabila sudah faham baru kita boleh menjaga kepentingan kita.

6. Saya sedih melihat sistem sekolah pondok di Kedah. Saya ada cita-cita mahu memodenkan sekolah pondok. Kita kena maju.

7. Saya terlibat dalam perniagaan ini kerana saya tiada pilihan lain.

8. Untuk memajukan perniagaan, memang kena banyak sabar dan kuat berusaha.

9. Tidak ada jalan singkat. Saya belajar tentang perniagaan ini sejak kecil lagi dan saya juga biasa kena tipu.

10. Saya pun suka kemewahan. Saya pun suka tengok dunia, ke Tokyo , New York dan London . Saya pun suka pakai baju elok. Tapi kita hendak bermewah setakat mana, hendak pakai baju banyak mana, hendak tidur dalam berapa rumah satu malam, hendak makan pun sampai larat mana ?

11. Dalam hidup ini kita sebenarnya tidak ada status; ada masa di atas, ada masa di bawah.

12. Ketika Allah memberika kemewahan, kita kena turun ke bawah, tengok mana-mana yang boleh dibantu. Allah beri rezeki melalui kita untuk kita tolong orang lain. Rezeki itu bila-bila masa dia boleh ambil balik. Jika ada orang korporat Melayu yang tidak mahu turun ke bawah mungkin kerana bayangan duit itu lebih kuat daripada yang lain.

13. Korporat Cina turun ke bawah membantu. Orang Cina ada pelbagai persatuan. Kita tidak ada; kalau ada pun berpecah. Orang Melayu kita tidak mahu bekerjasama kerana perasaan dengki menguasai diri. Sudahlah tak mahu berusaha, apabila orang lain berusaha mereka marah

14. Rezeki yang ada itu sebenarnya untuk orang lain. Memang dari segi hukum pun begitu. Kita kena keluar zakat dan fitrah. Tetapi zakat fitrah banyak mana sangat. Islam agama yang adil; ia minta sedikit saja. Oleh itu, kalau ada duit yang lebih ia seharusnya dibelanjakan dengan baik.

15. Saya tak kisah kalau saya tak buat semua ini. Saya boleh tak buat apa-apa dan balik ke Alor Star. Tetapi saya rasa hidup ini sia-sia. Orang Kedah kata kalau mati nanti mata tidak tutup rapat kerana tanggungjawab depan mata kita tidak buat. Orang lain ambil kekayaan kita, ambil hak kita dan pergunakan kita, kita masih tidak buat apa-apa !

16. Saya ada emotional attachment kepada agama, bangsa dan ummah. Saya bukan individualistik. Diri saya tidak penting. Pangkat dan gelaran ini kepada saya tidak mustahak .

17. Saya sedih media tonjolkan saya begini. Saya malu kerana orang Cina kaya beratus-ratus kali ganda daripada saya. Tapi saya tahu orang Melayu kalau hendak berjaya kena kerja kuat tidak kira siang malam. Kita ada kekuatan yang tuhan beri melebihi daripada bangsa lain. Tetapi untuk maju kita perlu berusaha.

18. Saya asal daripada tidak ada apa-apa. Apa yang saya tidak tahu saya belajar, minta tolong daripada orang. Saya tidak malu. Saya bukannya mencuri. Saya usaha sendiri. Sikap pemalas dan pemalu ini yang orang Melayu kena atasi. Kita kena berani kerana benar. Apabila kita dapat keuntungan dan rezeki lebih, bolehlah kita menolong orang.

19. Kaya itu bukanlah kepada diri sendiri. Kaya itu adalah kepada kumpulan perniagaan ini, kepada bangsa dan kepada orang ramai. Saya hanya memegangnya untuk sementara sahaja.

20. Saya tiada keinginan untuk menyimpan kekayaan ini untuk anak dan isteri. Duit ini tidak akan kekal. Saya percaya hanya perkara yang baik yang kita lakukakan akan kekal. Bukan duit yang akan melindungi saya nanti tapi apa yang saya lakukan sekarang.

21. Saya perlu terus mencari peluang dan perniagaan lain supaya kita terus dapat bantu orang lain mengembangkan diri masing-masing. Saya bukan buat semua ini untuk diri saya semata-mata.

22. Ada juga yang saya usaha tapi tak dapat dan orang tak tahu. Apa yang saya dapat itu yang jadi masalah kononnya Syed Mokhtar sapu semua. Bangsa lain memegang pelbagai kepentingan dalam ekonomi, siapa pun tak kata apa. Ini masalah orang Melayu. Di kampung orang Melayu berpecah kerana politik, di bandar berpecah kerana ini (wang).

23. Saya percaya kalau rezeki itu Allah beri kepada saya ia bukan untuk saya tetapi untuk orang ramai juga. Orang tidak tahu banyak syarikat yang saya ada ini gagal dan tidak maju kepada saya tetapi orang tidak tahu.

24. Banyak orang percaya bahawa dia mesti ada RM10 juta atau RM20 juta dalam tangan baru hidup boleh selamat. Ini yang menyebabkan mereka hanyut daripada menolong orang lain. Mereka lebih takutkan diri sendiri. Mereka lupa bahawa kekayaan tidak boleh membantu selama-lamanya.

25. Orang kata saya takda duit tapi banyak hutang. Orang berniaga mana yang tak berhutang. Tapi mesti tahu bagaimana hendak meminjam dan membayarnya semula. Ada cara boleh kita buat. Tapi sebelum berhutang RM100 juta mesti sudah fikir bagaimana hendak membayarnya balik. Mesti ada tanggungjawab. Banyak orang mahu senang tapi tidak ramai yang mahu bertanggungjawab.

26. (perasaan setiap kali mendapat rezeki) . Saya ini kata orang Kedah, lebai kodok bukan lebai pondok. Tapi saya tahu hal-hal asas. Kalau mahu saya minta terus dari tuhan. Tuhan beri manusia akal dan fikiran. Kalau hendak pakai baju dan seluar biarlah padan dengan badan.

27. Kesenangan yang saya perolehi ini datang dengan tanggungjawab (bila pinjam bayar balik dan buat amal jariah). Kalau hendak dibandingkan dengan bangsa lain, perniagaan saya ini tidak ada apa. Tetapi walaupun sedikit tetapi yang sedikit itu ada berkatnya.

28. Saya suka kalau nikmat sedikit yang saya dapat itu orang lain boleh berkongsi sama.

29. Saya kadang-kadang kecewa dan sedih melihat anak orang alim yang sesetengahnya lupa diri setelah mendapat kekayaan. Saya pun sama seperti orang lain suka hendak ke luar negara tetapi kita tidak boleh lupa kubur kita dan asal usul kita. Di kampung kita mungkin ada jiran-jiran yang perlukan bantuan .

30. ......kalau tidak mungkin saya sudah ke Haatyai dan jadi nakal. Saya manusia yang banyak buat kesilapan. Tetapi saya insaf, beristighfar dan jalan lagi. Sejak awal saya ada kesedaran mahu mengekalkan hak kita sebagai orang Melayu.

31. Saya kata kepada diri sendiri kalau kerana itu saya terpaksa bersusah sedikit pun tidak mengapa.

32. Kekayaan ini tuhan beri kepada saya untuk saya menolong orang lain pula. Saya percaya kepada keberkatan rezeki. Hari ini kita tolong orang, esok lusa orang akan tolong kita pula dengan cara yang lain.

33. Kalaupun tidak sanggup tunggu 34 tahun seperti saya berilah sedikit masa untuk faham selok belok perniagaan, Insya Allah boleh maju.

34. Kita jangan cepat putus asa. Putus asa boleh tapi kena cepat-cepat kuatkan semula semangat untuk bangkit balik. Jangan jadikan agama hanya satu tempat untuk kita bergantung apabila kita susah. Tanggungjawab ibadah adalah tugas seharian.

35. Lifestyle ? Saya tidak ada lifestyle yang kena masuk kelab sana dan sini. Tapi tak semestinya saya tidak boleh turun ke kelab. Orang Melayu kalau hendak ke depan mesti ada cara hidup yang fleksibel, boleh naik dan turun.

36. Lifestyle ini sebenarnya satu penyakit. Saya biasa pakai Mercedes tapi sekarang saya pakai Proton Perdana untuk sokong kereta nasional. Kereta itu pun cukup untuk bawa saya ke mana-mana.

37. Tiada sebab kenapa orang Melayu tidak boleh maju. Ini saya berani perang dengan sesiapa pun. Orang Melayu boleh maju . Kalau saudara jadi wartawan saudara kena tanam semangat suatu hari nanti mahu ambil alih akhbar ini. Tidak ada sebab kenapa ia tidak boleh berlaku.

38. Kejayaan dan kelemahan orang Melayu bukan disebabkan oleh bangsa kita dan agama kita. Ia berkait dengan sikap dan cara kita berfikir. Gigih, tekun dan tidak mudah putus asa merupakan kunci kejayaan kita. Tapi perkara ini kurang wujud dalam cara orang Melayu berfikir.

39. Tuhan memberi peluang kepada siapa saja yang bekerja kuat. Apa yang ada pada saya ini hanya usaha. Kalau anak dangau macam saya boleh, tidak ada sebab orang lain terutama mereka yang dari pekan tidak boleh.

40. Kita tidak usahlah selalu mengulang-ulang perkara yang boleh memberikan kesan psikologi negatif kepada orang Melayu (kereta dan rumah besar). Kita kena kurangkan bercakap tentang kereta besar dan rumah besar . Sesiapa pun mahu pakai kereta mewah tapi bukan itu matlamatnya.

41. Orang Melayu sebenarnya kena membantu diri sendiri, kena bekerja keras dan fokus.

42. Sikap merendah diri perlu sentiasa ada dalam diri seseorang walau setinggi mana pun kejayaan dicapai.

43. Apa yang saya buat ini (kerja-kerja sosial) semuanya bermula daripada didikan orang tua saya sendiri.

44. Saya sendiri berhutang sambil berniaga dan buat sumbangan amal jariah. Saya tak mahu tunggu hutang habis baru hendak buat semua ini. Saya takut kalau hutang habis saya pun mati dan apa pun tak sempat saya buat.

45. Saya biasa saja. Hidup saya tidak berubah, dari dulu beginilah. Saya terima apa saja nikmat yang diberikan oleh Allah. Tidak ada segelas air, ada setengah gelas pun saya bersyukur.

46. Kalau kerana sedikit bantuan itu mereka lulus peperiksaan dan hidup mereka menjadi lebih baik, saya sudah gembira. Saya tidak boleh buat banyak. Alhamdulillah, lebih baik buat sedikit daripada tidak buat langsung.

47. Saya tiada minat untuk beli kapal layar atau kapal terbang. Saya fikir kalau saya beli sesuatu biarlah orang ramai boleh pakai. Saya suka kalau saya beli sesuatu yang mahal, biarlah orang ramai boleh pakai.

48. Saya gembira dapat membantu. Saya mahu orang lain merasai (kesenangan) apa yang saya pernah rasa. Saya tahu bagaimana perasaanya. Saya kata kepada diri saya, apa yang saya dapat saya mesti beri orang lain merasainya sama. Jangan beri kurang, lebih tak mengapa. Itu yang membuat hati saya seronok.

49. Saya rasa saya ingin menyumbang lebih daripada ini. Saya kata kepada kawan-kawan ini baru warm-up saja; kita belum berjalan lagi.

50. Saya rasa kita terlalu banyak ketinggalan.


Kepada anak-anak ibu;

" Harta benda dan anak pinak itu ialah perhiasan di dunia; dan amal-amal soleh yang kekal faedahnya itu lebih baik pada sisi Tuhanmu sebagai pahala balasan, dan lebih baik sebagai asas yang memberi harapan"

(Surah Al-Kahfi: Ayat 46)

Cuti musim hujan

During musim tengkujuh recently (Dec 06), we went holidaying to a place where no one in their right mind would go - TIOMAN.

Oh well.... so we were left-minded that time.


No snorkelling, no sun-bathing, no island hopping - laut bergelora & hujan memanjang.

But we had fun, just being with & around each other.

Tangkap butterflies, kejar monitor lizard, kena kejar dengan monitor lizard, watching (not riding) donkeys, layan kucing & berkenalan dengan monyet pulau tioman .....

Since we are not going anywhere this school hols, here are some photos to help us reminisce the not so distant past.





Mat-mat Rempit Junior ....
raiding wave.











"Meowwwww.....
Am I too sexy for your camera? "

"Hello kitty... come here kitty...
Let me check your nose."

"Yours is not as much as mine!"

Ummphhhh.....Ameer enjoying his 'nikmat dunia'!

And boys being boys, they just knew how to have fun!

Terlajak perahu boleh ditarik

I never thought that I would be commenting about politics here in "Cerita Ibu". This was, still is, intended to be read by my children(eventually , when they know how to read, or when they have switched to other web-based interests other than just on-line games).

But I remember I was barely 12 when I first joined the class 'debating' society - defending and opposing all kind of motions to help sharpen 'thinking on my feet'. Which means, Abang Idin ... for you it is just around the corner. Besides, you have already been voted as the class best speaker recently. So I think it's about time that I sprinkle this blog with some serious issues for you to read and ponder.

I learned from the blogs of Kak Teh, NS and then MM, that one Minister was recently reported by Sin Chew Jit Poh ( 09/03/07) to have said that "bloggers are liars" and "they use all sort of ways to cheat others" and "bloggers like to spread rumours" and "they don't like national unity".

It was also reported that from what the minister knew, "out of 10,000 unemployed bloggers, 8,000 are women" and "bloggers like to spread rumours" and "they don't like national unity" (sighhhh.... this only goes to show how much he really knew). He was also reported to have asked people not to believe bloggers and gamble away Malaysia’s future because 50 years of Merdeka (Independence) takes a lot to achieve it. “We have to show to the people our positive attitude. If the world learns from us, there will peace and no civil war".

Is such hasty & sweeping generalisation from Pak Menteri an exemplary show of our nation's positive attitude ? Short circuit thinking maybe, but positive attitude? A far cry.

As I commented in one of those blogs, kepada bapak-bapak di atas sana, jangan sampai kerana pulut santan binasa. Ingat panas sentiasa sampai ke petang ke? Kalau ringan sangat mulut nak quote statistics on women blogging, cuba lah study our nation's latest demographics. Nanti esok kalau hujan renyai2 turun ditengahari, baru la sibuk nak memancing women bloggers punya undi?

The future voters are conceived, brought to this world, raised, nurtured and easily influenced by the "hands that rock the cradle". Don't put us down and take us for granted - employed or unemployed alike, as we still do sing to our children to sleep, since even before they were born - and if the picture you paint of us is nothing but petty, those songs we whisper to them (your future voters), ain't gonna be lullaby-baby no more.

Remember wahai Pak Menteri, behind every great man, there is a great woman. Behind every great nation, there are great women that help sustain the powers-that-be.

Ingat sebelum terlambat.

To my boys .... I don't know what the future holds. I will ask Ayah to backup all my entries externally, just in case one day in the future, we wake up only to be rudely greeted by a message on the pop up screen which says; "Opppssss! Citizen of blogosphere, sorry... talian anda tidak dapat diteruskan lagi, for the sake of national unity".

Wassalam

The morning I cried to work

I was dressing up to work when he crept up behind me, clutching his 'poo-bee' (nickname for his bantal busuk).

"Ibu nak pergi kerja ke?", he asked. Mata kuyu, terkebil-kebil trying to avoid the lights.

"Ya sayang. Paginya Hafiz dah bangun?" I answered and asked and knelt down and hugged and kissed him.

"Bila ibu cuti?". He kissed me back.

"Cuti? Kenapa?", while running my fingers through his hair.

Still clutching tightly his poo-bee, he laid his head on my shoulder.
"Hafiz nak ibu".

"Oh, ok... esok dah Friday, then dah Saturday. Kita boleh pegi jalan2 sama dgn Ayah sekali, dgn Abang Idin & Ameer ok."

"OK. Tapi Hafiz nak ibu".

"Ya lah, ni ibu ada ni".

"Hmm... Hafiz nak ibu. Nak tengok TV dengan ibu".

"Oh.. Nanti ibu balik kerja, kita tengok TV sama-sama eh?"

"Hmmm... tapi ibu balik nanti, Hafiz dah tidur. Hafiz nak ibu".

I was lost for words. I felt the lump in my throat. I hugged him tightly.

Ibu bisik kat telinga dia, "Sorry Hafiz. Ibu banyak kerja kat ofis. Nanti kita tengok TV sama-sama ok?"

I looked at my watch. 6.45 am. Running out of time and had to hit the road.

I had a quick breakfast with Hafiz that morning. In front of the kitchen TV. Just a sip or two of my usual Tesco Coffee and a bite or two of Bibi's french toast. Hafiz minum susu - dalam botol.

"OK Hafiz, Ibu kena pergi kerja la. Nanti lepas mandi, Hafiz pegi sekolah tau?"

"OK. Nanti Hafiz lukis gambar untuk ibu".

"That's my boy! " I kissed him again, both left & right cheeks. Hafiz reached out for my hand, salam & cium tangan ibu.

And off I went to work.

That morning I drove to work with tears.
Lots and lots of tears.

Weird factors about Ibu, at last!!

People have long moved on to new entries and I still haven't answered the tag challenge from D.

Sorry D dearie, Ibu sibuk sangat lately. Nevertheless, at long last today I finally find some time & muster some strengths to put together a list of weird things about me to be read by those who know me but most who don't ... which is not quite a good way to introduce myself to others, is it? But what the heck, since I am a good sport anyway - hahaha...perasan la, since tak de orang nak puji. So, put on your seat in upright position & fasten your seat belt. Here we go....

RULES: People who are tagged should write a blog post of 6 weird things about them as well as state this rule clearly. In the end, you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. Don't forget to leave a comment that says 'you are tagged' in their comments and tell them to read your blog.

Weird things? Hmmm... ok. I think there are a lot of weird things about me for sure. But taking into consideration that this blog is dedicated to my children who at the time of blogging this are all underaged and not eligible to vote yet, I have to be cautious to "publish" in here only those things that do not require strict Parental Guidance when being read. So for all my kind blogosphere friends who visit this blog, bear in mind, these are the mildest of Ibu's weird factors :) Those who know me personally, shhhhh.....

Weird factor No 1:
I only know how to drive a car (which has to be auto). I know nothing else about cars. And not interested to find out or learn either. There were some weird episodes of Ibu with cars. Drove with the handbrake still on (from Jln Klang Lama right till I reached home at RAWANG !!!), re-fuelled brand new car (1 week old) with .....DIESEL! Drove at night without lights on until HALF WAY through the journey (uishh... macam Paris Hilton la pulak). Drove off from petrol station without putting back the fuel tank cap securely. There was also one time I drove half way home from airport with the wing mirror safely 'tucked' inside (Ayah parked the car, siap 'simpan' itu wing mirror. Then he flew off. I had to drive home. Didn't know which button laaa....). And as you can imagine by now, of course I don't know how to handle flat tyre (other than call AAM or call Ayah), re-fill water or minyak hitam, switch off the alarm, bla...bla...bla.... The bright side of this? Opportunities for Ayah to still show his male supremacy over me.

Weird factor No 2:
Still on car - but this time my 'parking' skills. Only know how to do L parking and has to be front loaded. And preferably with no cars on either side or only one. No side parking, no reverse parking, no tight spot parking. Doesn't matter if I have to walk far, but hey... i'm grateful I can still walk. Anyway, it's the least form of exercise that I can manage these days. Hehehe.... rationalising.

Hai... bila la nak dapat 'driver' ni eh?

Weird factor No 3:
I only cook beef twice a year, Raya Puasa & Raya Haji. This is perhaps linked to Ayah's weird factor who doesn't like to eat beef (nanti terselit celah gigi katanya....). But I am myself convinced that that link is secondary. The primary reason of cooking beef only twice a year is .... sebab Ibu ni memang kurrreeennng la bab masak-memasak ni. Kurreeeng pandai, kurrrreeenng waktu and most obviously, kurreeeng kerajinan.

Weird factor No 4:
I love to 'collect' contest forms, with or without slogans, with or without proof of purchase. Dutch Lady, Kit Kat, Nescafe, Drypers, J&J, Star Crossword Puzzle, Friskies, KFC, McD, Shell ..... you name it. When I do my weekly groceries for example, I would always watch out for these forms at the product aisles. And if not available at the aisles, I would be oh-so-rajin to drop by the customer service counter to find out if there's any contest form of whatever products, and collect whole bunch if there are. What do I do with forms? Oh well... some I did send out - as in taking part in the contests. Siap bagi standing instruction kat Bibi tau, itu Dutch Lady logo & Drypers barcode mesti kena gunting & bagi simpan. Hehehe.... But some are simply left on the microwave oven for Bibi to dispose after few weeks or so, if she saw them left untouched. Have I won anything? Adalah a few hampers from Friskies, some paper photo frames from Drypers (duhhh!!), a free 4 days/3 nights stay at Berjaya Tioman Island Resort - which we couldn't take advantage off because I was pregnant that time & was confined to limited travelling. That's about all really. Haven't received the key to that BMW or 2 1/2 bungalow at 1 Utama yet, or that 1 million worth of insurance coverage even. But I still do collect those forms.

WEIRD you all say? Ha... wait la, wait. One fine day I will win that Route 66 vacation from the 'percutian dengan pemanduan terhebat di dunia' contest. Oh yes, if you want to follow, you can try to squeeze yourself into my luggage, I don't mind.

Weird factor No 5:
I collect pencils. Not pens. But pencils. Not any kind of pencils. But the ones from hotels. Which means, if I attend business meetings at hotels, i'll definitely bring back 2 or 3 pencils. At the end of each meeting, I will without any hesitation pick up my pencil, and a few others from nearby tables and simply stash them in my handbag without shame or fear. What do I do with them? Nothing. I don't write using pencils at work. I hardly sketch & draw these days. So I don't know why. I remember once when I was packing to go for an out of town business meeting & I asked Abang Idin if he wanted any souvenir from where I was travelling to, he answered with a sombre face, "anything will do as long as it is not the hotel pencil". Oucch!! But my collection is depleting fast these days, no thanks to my boys who simply take them away without prior permission. Each time I asked where are your own pencils? Gone. Kawan pinjam tak pulang. So if you open my boys' pencil cases, you will see a few pencils with cartoon characters and a few with hotel name imprints.

Weird factor No 6:
I can't seem to finish my perfume. I love perfume and have a few different ones. But I use very little of it each time. A tiny bit of spray or splash on my wrist & behind my earlobe and that's it. Cam mana nak habih? I still have half a bottle of Chloe Narcisse (from Lancome ke ni? ntah la, lupa dah) that Ayah gave for hantaran kahwin umpteenth years ago. Does perfume have expiry date? AYAH .... if you are curi2 reading this blog (why don't you want to admit that you do love to read my blog, Ayah??), this particular weird thing about Ibu does not absolve you in anyway whatsoever of the due consideration and eventual action to buy me a bottle of nice perfume for my next birthday, comprende honey?

So there you go. The minimum required 6.

Now I have to tag another 6 bloggers? Rasa macam main childhood game zaman dulu-dulu pulak, it's called 'ram-ram-rit' - lari lari, kejar-kejar, cuit somebody, orang yg kena cuit tu pulak kejar orang lain. That I can do. But I don't know that many bloggers, and most of the ones that I know & frequently visit their blogs have all been tagged. Therefore, the lucky ones remaining whom I hereby gladly tag are :

Ryzah - my junior at school
OSH - fellow blogger
Ninuk Noviati Sachlin - bukan artis indon ya... wink!
Syikin (yg pandai & rajin memasak)" - whose blog I often visit dgn harapan I will pandai masak just by reading the recipes
Shana , my one & only 'ahli majlis tertinggi' who has now joined the blogging moms club

and last but not least

My darling Ayah... who has never updated his blog since he created it.

To my boys, i hope despite all the weird things about me, you all will still love me. At least because I can still manage to drive you all to McD, can anyam ketupat to be eaten with with beef rendang twice a year, have pencils on standby in case you lost all yours and smell nice most of the time so you all still prefer to snuggle next to me instead of next to ayah :)

Will people still read my blog after knowing this weird things about me? Hopefully la ek? Itu pun if I manage to update the entries.

Wassalam ...

Pantun "Laya"

Received this greetings via sms:

Hali Laya China Sula Mali
Beli Nimau Satu Loli
Satu Tawoon Satu Kali
Gua Bikin Silap, Gua Vely Soli

:) Hehehe... manyak funny ....

Gong Xi Fa Chai ....

Ketupat

"Ibu! Dah nak hari raya ke?", teriak Hafiz yang mengintai dari tingkap rumah.

He must have seen the daun kelapa that I carried, and co-related them with ketupat for hari raya. Good association. "Ha'ah!" Ibu jawab selamba. Ayah smiled, proud of Hafiz 'self discovery' progress.

The daun kelapa only cost us RM4.50 for 50pcs. Reasonable. But that was just the raw material. Total cost towards finished products was much higher :

Pre-production training & technical jargons clarification among siblings:
1. Daun ketupat
Hafiz : "Ni daun apa ibu?"
Abang Idin : "Let me guess, daun kobis?"
(KOBIS ??@%#!! I was speechless! )

2. Isi ketupat
Hafiz : "Boleh tak kita isi udang dalam ketupat?"
Abang Idin : "Kah!Kah!Kah! You no-brainer you!"
(Eleh...as if 'daun kobis' was such a brainy answer?)

3. And the answer is ....
Abang Idin : "You mean, coconut leaves?"
Hafiz: "Bukanlah, ibu kata daun KE-LA-PA!"
Ameer: "Bukanlah, ibu kata daun KE-PA-LA!"
(Alahai.... lebih baik ambik orang Myanmar jadi helpers)

Labour cost (unquantifiable):
1. Tukang anyam ketupat (Ibu)
2. Tukang lap daun dengan kain basah (Abang Idin)
3. Tukang menyepahkan lidi yang separated from daun (Hafiz)
4. Tukang bawak lari daun yang dah siap di lap (Ameer)

Entertainment cost (conducive work environment is vital...):
1. Disney, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon channels actual airtime (unfortunate for tukang anyam but essential for the other tukangs)
2. Tukang berdengkur kat sofa (Ayah). Hmm...penatnya drive ke pasar!
3. Tukang sorok Astro remote controller (Hafiz) so that Ibu couldn't switch channels

Subsistence provision:
1. Susu berulang kali(Ameer & Hafiz)
2. Chocolate ice cream (Abang Idin) as upah lap daun, but self service
3. Teh O (Ibu)- separuh mug ajer sebab Ameer dah langgar & tumpahkan

Factor in these productivity adverse disturbances:
1. Ibu turun naik tangga untuk buat susu Ameer & Hafiz berulang kali
2. Ameer acting as QC inspector, loosening a few ketupat yang dah siap on the pretense of "nak check ni siap ke tak?!"
3. Abang Idin & Hafiz squabbling over which channels to stay tune to
4. Ayah's snorring - definitely not music to my ears
5. Time out for
a. Ameer nak pegi toilet
b. Ibu nak pegi toilet
c. Ibu kena lap Teh O tumpah
d. Ibu kena kutip balik daun kelapa yang Ameer bawak lari

Safety precaution (read: ibu shouted):
" Lidi kelapa bukan Light Saber! Jgn buat pedang! Nanti tercucuk mata! "

Total production time :
5 hours for 50 pcs (EXCLUDING isi beras dalam ketupat - I can't finish this entry if I were to include that episode).

So, there you go my boys! The ketupat fear factor challenge that Ibu has learned to conquer. The adrenalin kick was unbelievable!

Nevertheless, it's all worth every effort, sweat & tears.


I know I'm not a good cook. In fact, I am a lousy cook! The rendang your Ibu can prepare is next to nothing compared to those served by other godly moms out there. But if there is one thing about hari raya that I hope you boys would remember is that this Ibu of yours would make sure, with God's willing, to serve all you 4 boys (including Ayah) fresh, home-made, original traditional style, personally weaved, ketupat daun kelapa - di pagi hari raya.

Satu pengorbanan jugak tu kiranya.

Selamat Hari Raya Qurban anak-anak ku...

Wassalam,
Ibu

Not So White Lie

"Did you brush your teeth before going to bed last nite?", ibu tanya Abang Idin.

"Yes", he answered crisply. Eyes still glued to NFS* Carbon game on the TV screen, cautiously monitoring his Porsche Cayman S (**) manouvering the sharp drift, both hands expertly handling the PS2 controller.

"Are you sure?", ibu repeated - because I was not so sure.

"Iyeeee......" he replied affirmatively, irritated by my line of questioning which was obviously interfering his concentration to maintain his lead over the other cars, Eclipse GT (**) and Mitsubishi Evo (**).

I walked over to the bathroom and VOILA!!! The toothbrush was still lying by the sink, complete with the toothpaste on it, untouched. Dah la 'pasta gigi' tu ibu yang picitkan malam semalam, tinggal gosok jer gigi tu. Itu pun malas. I picked up the toothbrush and stepped right infront of him, blocking his view of the game.

"Ni amende?", ibu tanya.

"Eh! eheh... eheheh...." he looked up. Sambil tersengih-sengih, exposing a line of not so white front teeth. A non verbal admission that he was indeed lying right through his not so white teeth.

Eyyyyy budak idin ni. Geramnya!! I'm still thinking of what kind of 'stick' he should deserve for lying early Sunday morning.

Maybe I should geletek him real good. Siap badan!

Wassalam,
Ibu

* NFS : Need For Speed

(**) all the names of the cars in the PS2 game were identified by Abang Idin himself as I was typing this entry.

Tengok Wayang - Cuba Teka Cerita Apa?

Lately ni banyak pulak blog entries pasal cerita2 kat wayang.

Ibu & ayah memang rajin gak tengok wayang but almost always with the boys. So obviously the movies that we watch are either cartoons, animation or G rated stories. Lagi satu condition, must be stress free stories. Ayah kata, kalau kena bayar sorang RM7-8 sorang lepas tu keluar panggung sebak2 dada nangis..... naahhh! buat bazir duit jer. Itu Ayah yang kata. Ibu pulak sebenarnya, believe it or not, tengok lah cerita sedih mana pun, tak nangis (except for 'Rain Man' featuring Dustin Hoffman).

Anyway, setelah sekian lama ibu tak tengok wayang cerita melayu, malam semalam ngorat ayah gi tengok satu cerita melayu. Masa balik rumah nenek last weekend, Ibu Noi kata, radio S'pore dok openly memperlekeh kan cerita yang satu ni. A lot of radio callers from seberang ridiculed "angan-angan" Msian film producer for such a story and anticipated it to be disappointing.

Weyy... cubit peha kiri, peha kanan sakit jugak. Jadi ibu bersemangatlah nak memartabatkan filem melayu yg satu ni. Tak sangka penuh la pulak panggung. Oleh sebab we all ni jenis "just in time" (semadang lambat....), so tak de chan la cekup good seats at good price. So kena beli couple seats, yg tak de discount for kids. Tak pe lah... sekali-sekala tengok cerita melayu.

It turned out that this movie was NOT BAD AT ALL!!! Abang Idin & Hafiz terkekeh-kekeh ketawa. Ameer was so engrossed with the characters; masa 'hero' kena pukul & jatuh, dia siap jerit, "ibu....tolong lah dia bangun! tolong lah ibu!". Kuat la jugak suara dia, agak2 separuh panggung boleh dengar. Famous sekejap ibu.

Dipendekkan cerita, seronoklah budak2 bertiga tu & ibu & ayah budak2 menonton cerita ni.

Dan bangun tidur hari ni, pagi-pagi lagi Ameer (while still in his pyjama) dah merangkak-rangkak atas lantai, siap dengan geleng-geleng kepala & jelir-jelir lidah, sambil mengeluarkan special sound effect yang dia baru belajar semalam:
CHKKK! CHKKK!! CHHKKK!! CHHKKK!! CHHKK!!!

Ha! Cerita apa la agaknya we all nonton semalam ek?

Cheers!
Ibu

Kasut Raya

Sepasang kasut anak lelaki boleh beli 2-3 pasang kasut ibu.

Untuk 3 orang anak lelaki? Cair credit card!

Mujurlah raya setahun sekali (raya yg nak kena belikan anak-anak kasut ler!)

Mujurlah manusia ni dicipta hanya ada sepasang kaki seorang (maximum). Kalau macam caterpillar, tak ke naya?

Mujurlah hari tu pakai credit card ayah .....

ahahaha.... uhuhuhu... bestnyer!

p/s Ingat lagu Aznil, "Jangan, jangan, jangan...jangan cepat marah, nanti cepat tua, bikin gaduh saja ...." :D

Up, up & away ...

Bukan cerita terkini.

Ameer jerit nak Bob! Hafiz pun jerit nak Bob jugak. Sorang nak Bob The Builder. Yang sorang lagi Sponge Bob. Both glued to the shop, admiring, drooling & pointing excitedly (all at the same time) to the colorful shapes & designs of helium balloons which I knew would soon be the subject of negotiation between mom & sons, source of crocodile tears and eventually traded to maintain parental sanity. Ibu kalah melayan permintaan anak-anak. Ameer & Hafiz emerged from the shop as the happiest kids on earth, smiling gleefully from ear to ear, holding one Bob each.

The damage? RM12 X 2 = RM24!!! Cekik darah betul kedai tu. Terbang duit ibu!

Habis beli belon, we hurried up to Kluang Station untuk berbuka puasa. Hafiz & Ameer makan sikit jer ( maklum ler, tak lapar....). Selebihnya berkejar ke sana ke mari dua beradik ni, menghela belon masing-masing. Since masa tu orang lain pun sebok berbuka puasa, so the aisle was clear. Nobody cared. Ibu perhati, ada jugak dating couples who looked on and smiled, admiring the kids. Dalam kepala ibu sempat terfikir, senyumlah korang sekarang, esok-esok when you've got kids of your own baru tau langit ni tinggi ke rendah. Nasty thoughts? hahaha...takde lah... bak kata bibi, ah yang bennnerr!

Tiba-tiba Ameer menangis. Hafiz pulak jerit, "No! No! Don't go!", sambil kepalanya mendongak ke atas. Ibu tengok Ameer dah bercangkung dan berjuraian air mata, menangis beriya-iya. Hafiz cuba memujuk, "Ameer, jangan nangis! Jangan nangis! Nanti kita suruh ibu beli lagi". Alamak! Tu yang tak sedap dengar tuh.

Ibu mendongak. Abang Idin & Ayah pun. And so did most of the other customers who were distracted from their sumptous juadah berbuka puasa by Ameer's wailing. Rupa-rupa nya Bob The Builder dah terlepas ke atas. Bob dah terbang ke ceiling. Ketinggian yang pada anggaran mata kasar ibu, tak kesampaian untuk digapai dengan tangan, walau berdiri atas bangku.

Ibu terus bergegas untuk memeluk Ameer dan mengelap air matanya yang boleh saja membanjiri Persiaran Surian and drown the whole world kalau tidak dihentikan. "Tali belon terlepas! Shian Ameer!", Hafiz membuat ulasan lintas langsung. Ameer pulak teresak esak, sambil merayu-rayu, "Ameer nak Bob Bidder, Ameer nak Bob Bidder!" Alahai sayunya. "Ok, ok, jangan nangis eh? Nanti kita beli yang lain", janji ibu tanpa fikir panjang.

Secepat kilat Hafiz mencelah, "Ameer good boy, don't cry ok? Ni amik Abang Hafiz punya balloon Sponge Bob", pujuk Hafiz sambil menghulurkan belonnya kepada Ameer. Whhooooaaa ... how cool? Brotherly love! Sejuk hati ibu dengar pujukan Hafiz untuk adiknya.

"Abang nak tau? Hafiz good boy tau....dia offer Sponge Bob dia kat Ameer", balas ibu. Hafiz sengih-sengih, malu konon. "Ye ke? Wahhh.... good boy Hafiz!", puji Abang Idin pula. Hafiz sengih lagi. Kali ni makin lebar. Ameer tak de reaksi apa-apa. Still numb. Saki baki air mata masih bergenang di kelopak mata. Mungkin masih terkenangkan Bob yang satu lagi.

Tapi kening Ayah berkerut, tanda ada perkara yang dia tak setuju. Ibu malas nak tanya. Bila Abang Idin & Hafiz leka bercerita benda lain, Ayah cuit ibu dan berbisik "I think he has an ulterior motive", sambil matanya mengerling ke Hafiz. "Hishh.... tak baik la Abang ni. Ok lah tu dia bagi belon kat adik dia", balas ibu in denial.

Lepas solat kami semua sepakat untuk pulang terus ke rumah. Sudah pastinya kena menempuh laluan yang sama - lalu depan kedai belon tadi. Oh ohhhh..... tiba-tiba aje hati ibu berdebar-debar. Banyak lagi sedara mara Bob kat situ!

Bila dah dekat dengan kedai belon tadi, Hafiz terus genggam tangan ibu kuat-kuat. Dalam hati ibu terdetik, oh tidak! tidak! tak mungkin! Tapi apa yang tersirat dah pun tersurat. Tepat kat depan muka pintu kedai belon tu, Hafiz terus aje menyeret ibu masuk ke dalam kedai sambil menuding jarinya ke arah satu belon. Kali ni gambar The Cars, 'Lightning McQueen' pulak. Dengan muka yang serius dan suara yang tegas bagaikan ketua perbarisan kawat kaki memberi arahan, dia berteriak, "Hafiz nak yang itu! Ibu belikan! Ganti yang Hafiz dah bagi kat Ameer tadi!".

Ayah tersenyum sinis. Dengan selamba dia berkata, "What did I tell you?"

Hmmm alahai..... ni betul-betul punya kes duit terbang. Belon terbang ke ceiling, duit ibu terbang ke awan!! Lagi RM12.

A price this mother had to pay, for celebrating a show staged by his five year old, too fast too soon.

Wassalam,
Ibu

Kemelut parking menjelang raya

Sudah seakan kelaziman, setiap tahun menjelang raya kami sekeluarga pasti berkunjung ke Ampang Park. Bukan untuk berbuka puasa di Cozy Corner. Tapi untuk merenung, menyentuh, membelek dan mencuba fabrik-fabrik indah yang sesuai dan mampu dijadikan baju raya untuk sang ibu, abang besar & abang-abang kecil. Seronok tengok variasi warna warni walaupun hanya untuk menjamu mata kerana kebanyakan pakaian yang berkenan di mata tak sesuai dibeli - samada sebab baju-baju tu tak cukup lebar untuk ibu atau harga melimpasi bajet. Abang besar lazimnya tak banyak songeh - asalkan ada saiz, warna sedondon dengan baju ibu & 3 orang askar-askarnya, kira dah cukup syarat.

Tahun ni tengahari gat-gat kami dah bergerak ke destinasi yang bisa meringankan dompet abang besar atau mencairkan kad kredit ibu kalau tidak beringat. Sepanjang perjalanan, lagu raya berkumandang di radio. Sesekali terdengar abang idin ikut menyanyi lagu raya - tapi bab korus ajer. Ameer terlentuk di pangkuan ibu sambil memerhatikan ketulan-ketulan awan yang katanya, "suka sangat ikut kereta kita". Hafiz seperti biasa menumpu sepenuh perhatian kepada kenderaan di jalanraya dan akan berteriak gembira sesuka hati tanpa amaran setiap kali dia terpandang "kereta mr bean". Teriakan yang pastinya akan mengembalikan ibu dari angan-angan melaram baju kebaya kepada realiti semasa.

Sedar tak sedar dah masuk kawasan meletak kereta. Penumpang-penumpang semua mula tegakkan kepala, bersedia untuk mendarat. Tapi.... alamak.... parking penuh la pulak. Ingat kan bergerak tengahari kot senanglah dapat parking. Anggapan meleset. Berderet-deret kereta beratur - lagak sorang-sorang pemandu bagaikan helang nak sambar anak ayam, bersedia untuk menyambar mana-mana slot tempat letak kereta yang kosong. "This is not going to be easy", kata abang besar sambil menggeleng kepala. Dia mula meronda perlahan-lahan sambil memerhati kiri dan kanan. Askar-askar ibu pun sibuk memantau.

Lepas "tawaf" 2 - 3 kali, kami terpandang sebuah kereta nun di hadapan dah mula nak gostan keluar. Askar-askar ibu bertiga pun dengan segera meniup semboyan, "Tu nak keluar tu!!! Cepat ayah! Cepat!!!" Abang besar pun apa lagi.... vrrooom ke hadapan & menghidupkan lampu 'signal' sebagai memberi isyarat dia "chop" slot kereta yang nak keluar tu. Askar-askar bertiga pun dah mula teruja. Ibu lagi ler teruja. Dah terbayang baju-baju raya bagai melambai-lambai sambil merayu-rayu, "bawak lah aku pulang.... bawak lah aku pulang....." Abang besar terus mengambil kedudukan strategik, agak ke hadapan sedikit dari kereta yang dah nak keluar tu, agar dia boleh mengambil alih tempat yang sama secara 'reverse parking'. Mutiara katanya, "biar bersusah-susah dahulu, bersenang-senang kemudian". Maksudnya, bila dah penat shopping dan nak keluar parking nanti, tak payah susah-susah sakit tengkuk menoleh ke belakang. Ibu akur saja. Bukannya tengkuk ibu..... so apa-apa jer lah.

Sedang kami menanti penuh harapan, selamat saja kereta tadi keluar dari parking slot tu, tiba-tiba saja muncul kereta warna putih dari belakang meluncur laju mencelok - baik punya celok - mencopet the exact parking slot yang abang besar dari tadi dah berpeluh-peluh "chop".

"WEIIIYYYYY !!!!", hampir serentak kami anak-beranak ter-menjerit. Ibu menjeling ke dash board, lampu isyarat yang abang besar nyalakan tadi masih setia pejam celik pejam celik. Terasa menyirap darah ibu. "Apa hal mangkuk ni?!", terpacul keluar dari mulut abang besar dengan nada keras menunjukkan kemarahan dia mendidih secara mendadak. Askar-askar terpinga-pinga, dari wajah mereka jelas terpancar kekeliruan dan kekecewaan; ada juga orang dewasa "kurang pengajaran" yang tak faham bahasa lampu isyarat? Abang besar terus menarik hand brake dan melangkah keluar. Dalam hati ibu terdetik gusar, "Biar betul abang besar ni. Nak bukak gelanggang ke? Rasanya dulu-dulu dia tak sempat khatam kelas taekwando....".

Tapi seperti yang dijangkakan, abang besar yang memang boleh tahan terkenal dengan kesabarannya menyapa dan menegur dengan sopan, "Err.... sedara! Kami dah tunggu dari tadi ni". Ibu cuma diam memerhati, dengan harapan pemandu kereta putih tu akan gostan dan keluar semula.

Malangnya dengan selamba si mamat pemandu kereta putih pencopet parking tu keluar dari keretanya sambil menjawab dengan nada kurang pengajaran, "Eh! Engkau kan dah ke depan tadi? Aku masuk la .... Engkau cari je lah tempat lain!"

Ishhh...... Berdesing telinga ibu, bagai terasa gegendang telinga bergetar. Panas! Tegang! Kalau bibi ikut, mesti dia tambah lagi satu vocabulary. Genting !

Ibu mengetap bibir menahan geram. Askar-askar pulak dah mula menjengukkan kepala ke luar tingkap kereta untuk menonton sandiwara orang dewasa.

"La.... kan kami dah pasang signal dari tadi. Tak kan tak nampak kot?", sahut abang besar. Nada suara dah agak mula tinggi sikit.

Si mamat kereta putih terus menjawab dengan biadap, "Eh! Engkau kan dah ke depan tadi kan? Apa hal ? Dah ke depan tu terus jer lah ke depan. Aku masuk la parking!".

Ibu terkedu! Betul ker apa yang ibu dengar ni? Darah yang dah menyirap tadi rasanya melonjak terus ke tahap maksima. Terasa seakan-akan gunung karakatao akan meletup pada bila-bila masa saja. Dalam benak fikiran dah terbayang segala macam perkara yang boleh di buat kalau nak balas dendam. Tapi sabar...sabar... bulan Ramadhan.

Sejurus kemudian si minah pula melangkah keluar dari pintu sebelah . Penuh bergaya, meletakkan sunglasses di atas kepala dan terus beredar ke arah anak tangga untuk ke kompleks tanpa menoleh ke belakang pun kepada kami sekeluarga. Si mamat masih terkial-kial nak kunci kereta - secara manual.

Abang besar menarik & menghela nafas panjang. "Astaghfirullah hal azim ........ Kenapa buat cam ni? Kau tak puasa ker?" tambah abang besar lagi. Bila terdengar soalan abang besar tu, si mamat tadi bagai terpaku sedetik. Dia melemparkan pandangan kepada abang besar. Tapi sekadar melemparkan pandangan. Dia buat tak tahu saja dan pertanyaan abang besar itu akhirnya tidak diendahkan langsung oleh si mamat tu dan dia beredar saja dari situ dengan berlagaknya.

Ibu rasa degup jantung ibu semakin kuat. Terasa bagai boleh keluar asap dari hidung macam Loch Ness Monster. Ibu genggam tangan sendiri kuat2 menahan geram.

"HOW RUDE !", abang idin bersuara. Hafiz pulak menambah, "Ibu, kenapa orang tu ambik parking lot ayah? " Baru ajer ibu nak buka mulut nak menjawab, abang besar terus memintas dan menjawab, "hmmmm..... orang tu tak tahan nak pergi toilet agaknya. Tak per lah, biar kan dia. Kita cari tempat lain".

Geram ibu masih terbuku di dada. Dalam tak sedar, ibu dah capai pen dan sekeping kertas dalam glove compartment dan terus menconteng, "A$$ H( )7E" Errr....oppsss!Toooooooot ! Tapi memang tu lah yang ibu conteng kat kertas tu - tindakan refleks di luar kawalan. Abang besar menjeling dan menepis kertas tu dari tangan ibu. Dia menoleh ke belakang takut2 kalau askar-askar sempat terlihat apa yang ibu tulis.

"Can I leave that ( kertas tu ) on his windscreen?", pohon ibu kepada abang besar - tapi dengan nada yang sangat rendah sebab malu pulak kalau askar-askar terdengar. I couldn't believe I asked that but I really did. And worse was that I was also actually hoping that abang besar would let me do it. Ibu mengutip semula kertas yang ditepis abang besar tadi.

"Hishhh...... dah lah tu! Let it go. Kita tengah berpuasa ni kan? Jangan sampai ibadat puasa kita tak diterima. Lagipun kalau dia calar kereta ibu ni nanti, ha.... sapa nak jawab?"

Ibu terkedu sekejap. Betul la tu pesan abang besar tu. Malu la pulak rasanya. Tapi geram betul. Ibu terus menarik nafas panjang untuk memberi laluan oksigen ke otak dan beristighfar 2-3 kali untuk menenangkan hati. Askar-askar diam jer, samada tak berani nak masuk campur ataupun masih confused dengan 'sketsa' tadi.

Ibu diam jer. Abang besar senyap. Askar-askar sunyi sepi.

Ibu menarik nafas panjang sekali lagi. Abang besar pun.

He turned towards me and touched my right hand lightly. "Dah lah eh? Let it go. Biar lah dia. Mungkin ada hikmah di bulan puasa ni", pujuk abang besar lagi dalam usaha menenangkan hati ibu. Ibu diam saja. Ibu pun sebenarnya tak nak lah rutin menjelang raya kami tahun ni tercemar begitu sahaja hanya kerana akibat kekurangan pengajaran sesetengah manusia. Tak berbaloi rasanya. Tapi tak nafi kan terbuku rasa geram di dada.

Abang besar kemudian menyambung semula usaha pencarian tempat meletak kereta.

Baru lewat satu pusingan, setibanya kami di exactly the same row yang terjadinya kemelut parking tadi, kelihatan sebuah kereta mula "gostan" untuk keluar dari kotak nya. Abang besar tersenyum lebar. Belum pun sempat abang besar mengaktifkan lampu isyaratnya, tiba-tiba beberapa buah kereta lagi di hadapan kelihatan mula bergerak keluar dari tempat letak kereta masing-masing.

"Look ayah! Look! Here! There! And there too! And .... everywhere....." Abang Idin berteriak gembira sambil menuding jari ke banyak arah. Oh la la! SubhanaAllah. MasyaAllah. Dalam beberapa kelip mata sahaja, tiba-tiba tersedia 4 atau 5 buah petak kosong untuk dipilih.

"See... see.... see...... now we are spoilt for choice!" abang besar bersuara. Ibu masih tak terkata apa-apa. Tergamam dibuatnya.

Abang besar meluncurkan kereta ke hadapan sambil memerhati kiri dan kanan. Yang mana satu nak pilih ni? Tak lama kemudian dia memperlahankan kereta dan memberi lampu isyarat tanda dia chop satu petak berdekatan.

"Akhahahaha ", Abang idin ketawa. Ibu tersenyum. Ameer & Hafiz? Blur.

Ayah membuat reverse parking untuk masuk ke petak letak kereta pilihan dia. Di sebelah kanan beliau elok saja terletak sebuah kereta berwarna putih yang kami cam sangat!

Ibu buka glove compartment dan mencampakkan kertas yang ibu conteng tadi kedalamnya.

Sambil melangkah keluar dari kereta, ibu menoleh ke arah kereta putih di sebelah kanan. Dalam hati bersuara, " hmmm..... nampaknya kita berjiran la sekejap di bulan Ramadhan ni ya? ".

Setiap yang baik dan indah itu datangnya dari Allah SWT. Dan perangai-perangai yang kurrreeennng sikit tu, sekiranya ada, timbul dari kejahilan diri kita sendiri.

"The real winners in life are the people who look at every situation with an expectation that they can make it work or make it better."

Wallahualam....

Ibu

Hints of Ramadhan

"Any expectation?", Boss ibu bersuara. Tu standard opening line in our meeting routines. To capture what we expect from the meeting - to know more of certain topics, to get clarification on issues, to get proposal signed off, to learn of project progress, bla..bla..bla....

The table was split 50-50. Half locals, half expats. Of the locals, 50-50 split again. Half muslims, half non muslims. Lepas sorang2 kawan seperjuangan ibu menyuarakan expectation masing2. Semua official expectations belaka. Control macho semua. Walaupun sebelum masuk meeting tadi ramai bersungut sebab the meeting was not scheduled, just a few hours advance notice.

Boss tengok ibu & senyum. Tinggal ibu sorang belum bagi expectation. "Saving the best for last?", he teased. Ibu tengok jam. Pukul 3.00pm. Dalam kepala ligat fikir, sempat ker ni?

"Errr.. yes! I have 3 expectations - on behalf of the muslims. Can I request we have a 15 mins break at 4.15pm? And that we finish the meeting by 6.00pm the latest. And err.. it would be good if everyone can agree that we skip Starbucks order today".

Kawan2 yang lain senyum. The Mat Sallehs sengih2. Muka boss berkerut - tak faham. He's very new in the country. And I'm sure he must have read that Msia is a progressive moderate Muslim country. But from the look on his face, I knew he was not prepared to hear such a request - one made on behalf of the muslim mgmt team members in an office meeting? I imagined, he must be wondering, is there real distinct need for such separatism?

"Any particular reason why?", he asked. "Not that it's not agreeable, but you were very specific with the timing", he added. He looked genuinely concerned.

Ibu ingat masa waktu belajar2 dulu, puasa during Summer. Berlambak depan mata orang teguk Coke waktu matahari tegak atas kepala. The guys ( ayah lah ni...)had challenges "puasa mata" sebab minah2 salleh semua dok sun bathing at their front lawn. Exam waktu berbuka tu cerita biasa. Tu waktu di negeri orang, di tanah asing yang rata2 rakyatnya tidak celik Islam, tidak celik Ramadhan. Ibu fikir, kalau waktu belajar dulu tu mungkin susah nak influence towards a decision to meet such expectations.

Kini, 15++ tahun dah berlalu. Cabaran Islam & Ramadhan bertukar rupa. We are constantly faced with the challenges of "blending" in the sake of projecting maturity & professionalism at the work place. But it bothers me if we had to pretend about our commitment to our faith & our practices. Apatah lagi tatkala kaki berpijak ditanahair sendiri.

"Yes boss! We need to break at 4.15 pm for our prayer, and today is the first working day of Ramadhan. We need to knock off by 6.00 pm the latest so that we can reach home in time for breakfasting with our families", ibu jawab flat in one breath. Sambil betul2kan tudung ibu yang sebenarnya tak senget pun, I made a quick glance around the table; everyone was nodding in agreement, the non muslims alike.

Boss terlopong kejap.

If I'm going to be marked any lesser for voicing that very simple expectation - so be it. I'd rather be known for my stand than having to all the time sway in the direction the wind blows. And besides, I think such a direct hint is a good "on the job orientation" for my new boss

"Oh my! I'm sorry I didn't realise some of you guys are fasting today. You all look energetic as usual, I can't tell!", boss responded. "Yes, of course we shall break at 4.15pm. Take 20, please. Yes, we shall finish by 6.00pm."

I saw my colleagues faces lightened up. I thought I heard "YES!!!!" but in a whisper.

Boss tambah lagi, "And I think if some of you guys can last this long without food and water, I'm sure the rest can survive a few hours without Starbucks."

Ouch! Not sure if that one was received with enthusiasm by the Mat Sallehs. But no signs of coup d'etat. No violent seizure of power, not yet. I think they were all just happy to be let off the hook by 6.00pm.

"Would 6.00pm be too late? Do you have enough time to cook?", an expat colleague menokok tambah - dengan harapan he would also benefit from an early finish.

"Don't push it, my friend. You know the answer." Ibu jawab pendek, disambut dengan soft laughter from around the table.

So that was one expectation tossed across the board room from a working mum during Ramadhan.

My steer to you Boys - speak up! Especially when upholding our commitment to our faith. Or, if you boys esok besar turn out to be the one sitting at the head table, then bear this in mind. There may be people who are shy to speak up, at the expense of them fulfilling their other obligations. Ask more, than just tell.

Wassalam.

Career Discussion

Can you recall your childhood ambition? You know....the auto-replies that you responded when adults asked the typical question of "What do you want to be when you grow up?". Zaman ibu kecik-kecik dulu, seingat ibu lah... the typical answers would include; doctor, lawyer, cikgu, polis, askar, nurse ( or was it 'misi'?). Yg a bit more imaginative and creative would include; princess, penyanyi, cikgu silat. Ibu dulu nak jadi.... err... hehehehe, bak kata Siti, " biarlah rahsia...."

Ibu: Dah besar nanti Ameer nak jadi apa?
Ameer: Ameer nak jadi GHOBOT !
Ibu: GHOBOT? Rrrrrr...RO-BOT ke?
Ameer: Ah, betul! GHO-BOT !
Ibu: Hmmm.... kenapa Ameer nak jadi robot?
Ameer: Sebab Ameer nak tangkap orang jahat. Ameer nak tembak dog!
Ibu: Hah? Nak tembak dog? kenapa!?
Ameer: Sebab dog naughty boy!! Haritu dog gigit abang Idin. Kesian Abang Idin. Bila Ameer jadi GHOBOT, Ameer nak tangkap dog!
Ibu: Ye ker? Macam mana Ameer nak jadi robot?
Ameer: Arr.... Nanti kan, Ameer pegi sekolah GHOBOT. Sekolah yang ajar ABC macam mana nak jadi GHOBOT.
Ibu: Ohhh... ada sekolah robot ke?
Ameer: Ada. Ibu, ibu! Boleh tak Ameer jadi GHOBOT?
Ibu: (terdiam. apa nak jawab ni eh?)

Ibu termenung sejenak. Instant thought was, the obvious influence of tv, comics & cartoons on children's mind! Dreadful isn't it?

But then again, on further reflection... exploring the other half of the invisible picture, I could trace the sentiments of good vs evil, the innate desire to protect your loved ones, the pursuit of knowledge towards achieving ambition. Hmmmm...that's not bad at all for a 2 and a half year old.

And, hey! My son seeking my blessing for his future! How sweet....

Ibu: Emmm....boleh!
Ameer: Yeah! Yeah! TQ. Good girl ibu.

Aik!?! Good girl ibu? Ibu pulak yang dapat positive reinforcement? hehe. This time it was my turn smiling from ear to ear.

My steer to you, my boys - follow your heart and your mind. Not just your brain. Which road to take depends on where you want to go. Kita ni khalifah di bumi Allah. Pohon petunjuk dan hidayah agar jalan yang kita pilih diredhaiNYA, untuk kebahagian dunia dan akhirat.

When you have a sense of your own identity and a vision of where you want to go in your life, you then have the basis for reaching out to the world and going after your dreams for a better life. Live out your imagination. Dream big. Live fully.

BE WHAT YOU WANT TO BE!!

Wassalam,
Ibu