End of the rainbow

Taking a well deserved holiday.

Merry Christmas, Selamat Menyambut Aidil Adha and a Happy New Year to all my cyber friends..........

If you are in Kuala Lumpur, do not forget to check out the street deco along One Utama, you'd think that you are at Orchard Road!

And enjoy the annual fireworks on New Year's eve, put up by Ikano and the Curve. We usually view them from the balcony of our bedroom while the cats would all hide under the bed...

See ya next year.

Goodbye, Su.

After training the new maid for a week, Su (the senior maid) ends her career in our house today.

I usually bring in a new maid for the old one to train before she leaves, macam changing of the guards, for the simple reason I'm lazy to get into the works of showing where the garam and the gula are in my kitchen. Besides, Su already had a routine in place, hari Isnin sapu rumah, hari selasa vacuum, hari rabu mop, hari khamis sental the exterior porches, tingkap and pintu, hari jumaat tukar bedsheets, hari sabtu cuci fridge, hari ahad lepak! So, the new maid ikut saja lah senarai tugas tersebut.

Last night we went out for dinner, a farewell treat from Dilla for Kak Su.

This morning we said goodbye.
Tasya gave her an angpow, thank you Kak Su kemas bilik Tasya, basuh dan gosokkan baju Tasya.
Kak Su: Bye Adik, Abang. Kak Su mintak maaf banyak2 ya. Semoga jumpa lagi.

I took another quick trip to Port Klang.

Bukan ke Su sibrengsek tu suka purak2 pekak bila aku cakap dengan dia, and I often murmur to myself that I've never met a homosapien who actually took 5 whole minutes to make one small step forward when I called?
pastu apasal pulak aku nangis ni?
Uuuurrghh....

I hate goodbyes!

The Remisier and I.

My Remisier (the person who executes your trades at the stock market), Shirley, is the closest a person could get to me as far as my financial issues are concerned.
Not even my Banker, not even my husband!
She has been my confidante for the past 20years or so.

Each morning by 8.55am, the moment I switched on the PC, I got directly online with the Stock Broker.
I first scroll my account summary page, discussing and confirming with Shirley my exact position left from the trade done a day before.
Checked the Outstanding position, Margin Equity and pledging , balance of stocks available in the portfolio etc...

By the time the bell rings at the Bursa Saham within the next 5mins., I would have somewhat decided what I plan to do for the day. By then I will have the entire trading session going on live on my desktop, blinking figures in red and green....well, preferably green...The lists of most active counters, top gainers and losers , and my own hoardings will all be blinking, changing quotes by the seconds, for me to base my decisions on.

No 2 days are the same, my conversations with Shirley are often beyond comprehension to people other than us.

Yesterday, I caught up early with Shirley.

mama: Shirley, check my Ara*. Are the IPO for the REIT already in my account?
shirley: Yes, it's on the list and entirely paid for.
mama: sell the mother.
shirley: all?
mama: yes, all.
shirley:done.

In 2 seconds, my inbox was already blinking with the sell and matched order, stating the amount of shares I've sold in the open market.

mama:throw Ede*
shirley: How many?
mama: everything.
shirley: what price?
mama: give the buyer.
shirley: keyed in.....OK done!

mama: clear my Ica*.
shirley: it's in the retail account.
mama: it doesn't matter, sell.
shirley: give the buyer? OK, done.

mama: Dialo* is ex-div?
shirley: Yes, paid, 11%, you were entitled.
mama: sell dialo*
shirley: You've just bought last week during the cum.
mama: Within T+4?.Contra then!

mama: Rid of Tanama*. I'm tired of them!
shirley: this counter is only starting to move.
mama: I'll buy back later. Give all to the buyer.
shirley: ALL?? it will require 2 bids.
mama: clear whatever on the current buy bid and stay there as seller until finished.
shirley: roger.


It went on and on the entire morning.
By lunch break when we have the space to talk normally, Shirley called on my mobile.

Shirley: Puan MI, are you buying some properties again?
mama: Nope.

Shirley: Do you have informations that I'm not aware of?
mama: Nope. C'mon, I'm no Martha Stewar*.

Shirley: Do you plan to crash the market, then?? Please lah, have some heart, it's not easy for us to touch 1,100points, you know that!
mama: Hello?!? Haven't you heard of 'profit taking'????? Aaiyahh, I'll buy back later, mah!!!

And the day's index went down by 13.28points to 1,088.42points or -1.2% at the closing yesterday, the biggest one day decline since July 14th.
No Sir, Mr. Bursa Saham Chairman Sir, it's not my doing! I never touched your Blue chips!
I'm only an investor on the sly, who happens to be so free now that the school holidays are here...

Happy shopping.

Changing of The Maids.

If you have just recovered from a bout of vertigo, flu, migraine or PMS, take my word seriously, don't ever attempt to go to The North Port Jetty at Port Klang to collect your new maid. I did just that yesterday, and when I returned, I decked my aesophagus with a series of repeat medication plus my blood pressure went to a territory where it haven't been before!!!!.....

My previous maids were supplied by an agent. This time around, I thought I wanted to 'jimat' a bit and tried to arrange one myself with the help of a friend in Tg. Balai.

I found out that filling up The Immigration form is such a hassle that perhaps doing your own laundry from now on would be much simpler, if not for the metacarpal syndrome which you suspected that you could be suffering from..

Like, in order to 'qualify' for a foreign maid:-
-both you and hubby must be working - checked.
-total income must be more than RM3,000.00 per month - checked.
-you must have a child younger than 15 years old - uh huh, Imran will be 15 in 3months' time....

mama: I never knew that you are of any use to us until we have to apply for a maid, Imran!

Looks like this will be our last of a row of 19 maids, who have been hired and fired over a period of 26years in our household.
Unless we have another baby, which is completely out of the question,
or we have a sick parent, also very out of the question as I can never figure that my mother would consider staying with me even in her healthy state!

After a month of paper shuffling, medical tests, trips to the Immigration office, finally, I was to collect the new maid at the ferry terminal of the North Port in Port Klang.

The people sitting at the MPK had better pray hard that the Sultan of Selangor would forget about the existence of that piece of no man's land.

The moment you step out of the car and into the complex, you'd think that you are already across the straits in Tg. Balai.
It was so filthy , almost everyone talked loudly in the Indon accent.
The dangdut music blaring from a karaoke set, keretek cigarette smoke filled the entire airspace, the hostility and suspicion on everyone's face.....
I could sense that it was me who was the foreigner in my own country.
I was so embarrased to be there!!!...

After 'Ocean 2' safely docked at the jetty, we waited for another 30 minutes for Immigration clearance. It was enough for me to absorb the unfamiliarity of the surrounding. The tough life some human form have to endure in order to earn a living in a more prosperous neighbouring country. We are so lucky to be Malaysian, never mind the present highly criticised leadership, after all, President Bush is a lot dumber!

I hurried out of the complex with the frightened looking new maid in tow, my hair smelling of rokok keretek smoke, ear ringing with dangdut music, clothes covered with dust.

mama: and you expect the new maid to understand the concept that dirt is an 'allergen' in our house???? ...

sigh.....

The Road Last Travelled.

It was highly probable that I could be driving through that gate for the very last time yesterday.




For the past 5years, I was entering and leaving the compound with Ikram. Some mornings I would still be half asleep and in my tattered pyjama, waving unceremoniously to the guard on duty at the gate, from behind my wheels..



Alas, no more queuing here, waiting for the prince to come down from his airconditioned classroom.....

We left the premise at 4.00pm yesterday, after Ikram's last paper, with mixed feelings. Happy, sad, relieved and anxious that Ikram will henceforth start the new chapter in his life as an ex-student.

mama: so. we'll only be back for the result in April, eh, dude?

Ikram: Yeah, and I hope it will be one of the happiest moments in my life!

mama: OK, how about RM11,000.00 for 11A's!

Ikram: Uuh, I kinda messed up the Physics paper quite a bit. Can I settle for 10K with 10A's instead??...

mama: Nope, buddy, winner takes all...It's all or nothing at all!...

Ikram: Now is the part where I will have to tawakkal, right mother?

Right Ikram. I know you have done your best.

The object of my ramblings infront of his school building in his school uniform for the very last time......

And all the best to the parents, too.....

Yes, Mr. Prime Minister!

Sigh.., Mr. Prime Minister,
Finally, who told you that?
Yeah, you say it right!


Pasaran saham perlu teguh – Abdullah

PORT DICKSON 28 Nov. – Pertumbuhan ekonomi yang kukuh dan pasaran saham yang teguh sangat penting bagi mewujudkan keyakinan terhadap ekonomi negara, kata Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Sehubungan itu, Perdana Menteri mahu melihat pertumbuhan ekonomi diperkukuh dan usaha penambahbaikan dilakukan dalam Bursa Malaysia.

Menurutnya, penambahbaikan pasaran saham akan menonjolkan imej bursa dan dapat menjana keuntungan, sekaligus memastikan wujudnya aliran masuk pelaburan langsung asing (FDI) yang lebih mantap ke negara ini.

...Utusan Malaysia Online......

Thank You, Mrs. Radha!

I sent Ikram for the last tuition class at Mrs. Radha's this evening.

I packed a box of chocolate to accompany the card which Ikram bought on Sunday.
Ikram wrote a message:

"Thank you teacher for your guidance, without which I would still be failing in my exams".

Oouw,
I cried!!...

.

The Traveller.

Papa returned from Helsinki, threw out his winter clothings, and repacked his summer ones to head for Surabaya the very next day. Next week, I suppose he will be getting ready his Ihram suits as he will be involved in some of the Hajj flights which has just started....

Aduhai, mama letih melihatkan papa's schedule, at the same time mama terasa lebih letih being a single mother especially during this crucial time when Ikram is facing an important examination. The tension is, sort of, on me alone to bear.

Actually, even if papa is in the country, it is still my responsibility to get the kids where they are supposed to be, and see to it that they have the minimal of problems.
But I suppose the weight is lighter if, later in the day, I have someone to whine to, and who could at least pretend to agree that I make the right decisions, all the time.

I subscribe to the adage that behind every successful mother, there is an ever consenting father!!!



Papa: After all these madness, we go for a holiday, OK, mama. Kita pergi Penang ker...

mama: Ha'ah, pergi Seoul ker....

Papa: Eh, tu tak sama category!! Are you sure you run a Travel Agency??

Papa was drooling over the Penang Road's Kari Kepala Ikan, I had a hallucination of distributing good Korean Won to the traders at the Nam-Dae-Mun market.

Infact, both of us are anxious for the examination season to be over:

-I need the long awaited breather, to be out of stress until next year when it will be Imran's turn to face the PMR.

-Papa wants Ikram to start his training to be a Pilot. He wishes for Ikram to continue his legacy in the National Airlines, after he retires.

I must remember to remind Ikram to choose an uncomplaining wife when the time comes,
otherwise, he has to develop the art of agreeing,
afterall, papa managed thus far.......


.

D Day

Today is the start of Ikram's SPM examination with Prinsip Akaun as the first paper.

It's not without drama, however, as yesterday evening, hardly 24 hours before the big day, Ikram needed a new calculator.

mama: what happens to your calculator? It was with you yesterday!!

Ikram: I misplaced it.....

mama: OMG, Ikram, you better go and get the same one so that you will be familiar with it's functions!! Now, hand over your exam slip and IC for me to make copies of them.

Ikram: You can't use copies to enter the exam hall.

mama: I know, but in the event that you misplace them, at least I have copies before I could start a quarrel with the invigilators.....

Last night, Papa called from Helsinki where he is attending a meeting, to give Ikram a last minute encouragement.

This morning, Dilla woke up early to wish Ikram the best of luck, and to do a quick checklist of things he was supposed to bring.

In the car, I made a brief inquiry: your IC, your exam slip, your stationery, your brain.....
Ikram: I've just done that with Kak La at the door, mama!!!!

Right now, Ikram is in the exam hall and I am in the office praying hard for him.
Ya Allah, terangkan lah hati Ikram,
Ya Allah, permudahkan lah ujian keatasnya,
Ya Allah, jauhkan lah Ikram dari sebarang kecuaian.........

Amin....

.

Of Second Chances.

Ikram is holding on quite well there, I hope!

He has been doing trial runs, some sort of a rehearsal, on his SPM exam, by trying out past year exam papers within the stipulated time and quite happy with his results.
There are a fair bit of improvements required here and there.
Meanwhile, I am keeping a close watch on his food and his health.

Not even a drop of rain is allowed to fall on his head...
mama: 'Nanti demam!!!'....

Nak makan Tiramisu?
mama: OK, I'll order one from the 'Secret Recipe' this evening.....

As I take up this role of his complete supporter, I reflect on my own road in pursuing education.
When I was much younger, before leaving for a boarding school at age 12, my attempts of self study at home would be interpreted as trying to escape from doing the housework!

-Pergi basuh pinggan!!
-Tolong jaga adik!!!!!
-Malas lah tu, buat2 nak belajar!!!....
At that age, it's my words against the establishment.

The establishment then was my one and only mother.
She took up a post of a fulltime housewife, incharged of 5 children at that time, with minimal cooking as far as I can remember..
No other career, no gawking at the stock market, and no sending kids to school as we walk the miles to go there.

Luckily, my dad was far sighted, noticed my determination, and saved me from slavery by allowing me to bring my books and sat beside him after school, while he was on duty at the Police Station of Parit Jawa, in Muar.
He did get into trouble with my mum, once in a while, though never with his superior....

mama: Macam tu lah susah nya masa mama nak belajar dulu, Ikram!
Ikram: Yes, mama. We have heard about the story many times before.....

Holiday

That was certainly a very long one week break of doing nothing. I spent it by sitting around, gossipping, eating, sleeping and watching television (kenapa I tak paham tengok cerita pontianak tu, hah?!?)
.....and putting on 3Kg of toxic waste into my system..
It's so counter productive that if I don't start work today, my brain will probably suffer from a permanent damage due to prolonged stagnation.

On top of that, work I must, in order to cover the meteor-sized hole I've created in my Bank account in the name of Hari Raya. Am waiting for the KLSE CI to break the psychological 1000point to recoup my losses....(in the event that no pahala was rewarded out of the act of giving away duit raya).

Meanwhile, both my eyes will be on Ikram for the next 3 weeks as he will be sitting for his SPM.
G'Luck, mate! mama doakan your hard work will ultimately pay.....

Baju Raya

We are so fortunate that we have Mary, the boutique cum tailoring owner located behind my office, to sew our Malay traditional costumes for us all year round. She has in her record our exact measurements and whenever her suppliers come with new stock of imported materials, she would pick some for me and my girls. She'd come up with some simple designs and within 2 weeks they will be ready to be hung in our burst at the door wardrobes.

For this Raya season, Mary has prepared all our baju kurungs and kebaya one month in advance. Since this is her first year of working, Dilla did not foresee that in the month of Ramadhan, most of the Malay staff in her office wear Baju Kurung. Somehow, she has already worn her Baju Raya to office. Poor girl, I felt bad that she will not be dorning new clothes for the festival as no way will Mary accept new orders barely a week before Raya!!!!! However, I still rummaged through the cupboard and found 5pieces of material bought by papa on his travels overseas, not cut into a dress yet.

The next day, I put on the saddest face and begged Mary to try and get them ready for Dilla before Raya. Mary said she wouldn't want to quarrel with her tailor but will try her best.

Yesterday Mary phoned me with tears in her voice!
She explained that one of her clients sent 2 pieces of Batik silk specially selected from a designer in the East Coast for her Raya attire. Mary's tailor had accidentally cut the cloth according to Dilla's measurements. Since Dilla is a size 0, nobody could dream to fit into the baju which is ready for collection.

Mary: Now the client and her tailor are both crying! The client has no new baju for Raya, on top of losing her personally chosen material, and the tailor will have to compensate her. The client asked for RM800.00 for the cost of material.

Mary desperately asked for my favour if I could just purchase the baju kurung for Dilla. She offered the 2 suits for RM500.00, with the tailoring fee waived.

mama: well, err,....let me see the baju first.....(tried to sound reluctant but could not hide the glee in my voice...)

Mary: They are sooooo beautiful, I promise you!!!

Today, 3 days before Raya, Dilla is the accidental owner of 2 suits of someone else's new Baju Raya. And as her gratitude, Mary managed to rush Dilla's own 5 sets of baju too.

Dilla: Alhamdulillah....Inilah rezeki Bulan Ramadhan!!!!...

Al Fatihah

Late last Thursday, my mother phoned to inform us that my grandma did not look too good. She could no longer take in any food and in a state of semi-consciousness.

After sahur, I was making plans to go back to see her. I was discussing with papa that perhaps I could go and get some baby food for my grandma when another call came to inform us that she has passed away.

innalillahiwainnailaihirajiun.....

My grandma lived to a ripe old age, outliving one of 2 adopted daughters and both sons-in-law.

During the funeral, almost all of her cucu, cicit, piut (?) from all over came to see her for the last time. Amongst them were a Member of Parliament (yep, that handsome Datuk from Pilah is my cousin!!), a Mayor, a Chairman of a Bank and a Wakil Rakyat. It was apparent that even she was actually childless, she was much loved by the entire families of her adopted daughters and her own brothers' children and grandchildren too.

My grandma went to grave with well kept secrets, one of which is the identity of who my mother really is.....

p/s: Mr. Lim Goh Tong sir, could you please find out if one of your sisters was given away to a Malay couple (the husband was a police sargeant in Bekok, Johore) in 1933?

Apo Nak Di Kato...

Negeri dialect for dummies.

mi: ASM mak, apo kabar?
(Hi mum, how are you?)
mak: sihat. Dah bukak poso, dah dapek sireh OK lah.
(I'm well, after the iftar I've eaten my sireh, I'm OK)
mi: kalau tak makan sireh apo jadi?
(What happens if you don't eat your sireh?)
mak: Badan den raso sombab, jantong den macam bongkak..
(My body feels like it's gorged, my heart swollen)
mi:Orang ketagih memang macam tu, sekarang dah lambek nak suruh boronti..
(Addicts are like that, it's too late now to ask you to stop eating the sireh)

mi: Atok macamano skarang?
(How is grandma now?)
mak: Den risaukan dio tak berak2 sojak kono stroke.
(I'm worried that she has not passed motion since she got the stroke)
mi:Dah, tak lalu makan camano nak berak?
(Since she is not eating well, how to go to toilet?)
mak:Tu budak kocik baru kluar pun berak yo, takdo makan apo2 doh.
(A newborn baby also passes motion eventhough he has not eaten anything. )
Nor kato apasal mak nak risau, dio pun dah seminggu tak terberak. Den kobar kan, kau tu pokok dek kau tak terberak sebulan pun! Den risaukan atok kau sobab den yang jago dio!
Your sister Nor said not to worry, she too has not gone to the toilet for a week. I told her, that's her problem, I don't give two hoots even if she doesn't go to the toilet for a month! I'm only worried over your grandma since I'm taking care of her...)
mi: habih tu, atok seleso tak?
(Is grandma comfortable then?)
mak: Bilo si Idah dah mandikan, nampak cam tak sakit. Kau kato nak nuntut ilmu dio, dah dapek?
(After the maid bathes her, she doesn't look sick. You said you want to learn the tips from her on how to look forever young, have you got it?)
mi: haritu kitorang gurau2 cakap kek dio, dio buek derk yo.
(That day we jokingly asked, but she refused to let us in to the secret)
mak: skarang atok dah tak dapek cakap, tak boleh turunkan petuo. Nanti kau mintak petuo nak cantik, dio bori petuo burok...
(Too late, now she can no longer talk, she can't transfer the knowledge anymore. Otherwise, you ask for the mantras to appear pretty, she may give you the ones that would make you look ghostly)
mi: mak ajo lah mintak dulu, nanti kitorang ambik kek omak!
(In that case, you learn them from her first and pass them to us later!)
mak: membising den doh. Nanti den pulak yang susah nak mampuih!!!
(No way !!!! I'm not going to be the next person who would find it difficult to drop dead!!)


So much for a mother-daughter bonding!!!!...
It's entirely not your fault if you don't understand what the ramblings are all about...

Apolitical

The house is extremely quiet this fasting month of Ramadhan.

Everyone retreats to his/her own room in the evening after school/work, waiting for the call of azan to enable us to end our fast for the day.

Any legible form of communication will only be heard at about 10mins after the start of iftar at the dinner table. Sometimes what started as small talks lead to huge, emotional discussion, an argument or a quarrel.

Yesterday I pointed out to the girls that a Dato' neighbour from 3 houses away is buying over the similar bungalow next to it. He'll probably build a bridge across the balconies of the 2 houses and end up with a semi-palace.
I made a back-of-the-envelope calculation while swallowing the ikan terubuk bakar cicah air asam, that the purchase could easily set the Dato's bank account by at least RM5mill.

mama: Don't you all wonder how could a retired Police Personnel afford such purchase??

Tasya: There are enough of corrupt people in the country from within the Police, Customs and the Politicians. You only need to read the daily newspapers to realise that!!

Tasya said that she could perhaps try to marry herself off to a Politician so that she'll have a richer life.

mama: That's not the way I brought you all up. Incase you aspire for something extra, achieve it with your own effort so that you have your dignity intact.

Tasya was of course joking (I hope), and came out with a general observation that the politians in our country are so lame! Our leader can't even fight LKY. Nak gaduh pun kena tulis surat!
And did you read LKY's reply? It was reiterating what he had said earlier so that it looks clearer for our leader to understand better, and on top of that, he was not sorry for what he had said but instead was sorry that we are unhappy about it!!!

mama: He made sure he sent a copy of his letter to our media so that incase our leader could not interprete his letter as intended, at least it's out in the open for everyone in Malaysia to see.

Tasya: LKY even listed things once said by Tun Dr. Mahathir about Singapore and he pointed out that he has never retaliated towards them.

mama: Of course nobody dared to ridicule us when Tun was our leader. Now that we have a dumb one, they can just humiliate us, as and when they please!

papa: Hoi, hoi, tadi masa puasa mata pun tak boleh buka! Sekarang bila dah kenyang, you all are ready for a coup d'etat!!!

Tasya: Ye lah mama, you better not write those things in your blog. Our cats will get into trouble since you have pasted their fotos there!!! Did you know about that guy who got into trouble for criticising the current leadership in our country??.

mama: Ya and the irony is, more readers are flocking to read his blog.......and while you are at it, you can also read here and here and here.......

OBITUARY

Tuxy Jetta Zones
1 May 2005 - 26 Sept.2006

It took me 3 days to ponder whether I should actually jot down this very sad episode in my life. I don't feel like grieving anymore however I felt as if I'd betray Tuxy by excluding her untimely demise from the fold of my memory.

3 days ago, we had our iftar in tears. In fact I couldn't remember if I ate at all, with everyone at dinner table sobbing, blowing noses and trying our best to contain the sorrow. I even saw Imran wiping his eyes with the sleeve of his t-shirt, shaking in tears.

The drama started at 6.30pm when papa returned from the nearby shop.
papa: Where is Tuxy??
mama: I've not seen her today!
papa: I saw a dead cat by the curb of the roundabout, looking exactly like Tuxy.

I've just finished taking my bath, wrapped my wet hair in a towel and rushed downstairs.
I searched for Tuxy all over the house, garden, front yard.
The maid said Tuxy did not turn up for breakfast this morning.
I was beginning to be frantic and started calling out her name..

At about the same time, Dilla arrived from work at the gate and I asked her to drive me to the curb to check on the dead cat.
I was in pyjama pants, loose t-shirt, hair bundled in a towel and wearing the maid's garden slippers.
The moment I saw the still body, I knew it was Tuxy!!
I turned to Dilla and she confirmed my worst fear by just seeing the tears already welling in her eyes.

Tuxy must have been hit by a vehicle while foraying just about 50 meters from the house.

Tuxy came to our lives by a split second sheer coincidence about 16 months ago.
We were at my mother's house in Kuala Pilah when Imran saw this very pitiful Siamese cat, body covered with fungus, belly bloated with worms infestation and suffering obviously from severe malnourishment.
She was probably 2 weeks old and could hardly walk, creeping from the drain outside my mother's kitchen.

Imran said he was sorry for the cat.
I took her in my palm and bathed her in warm water. After an attempt of feeding her with whatever human food available from my mother's kitchen, I told papa that the kitten required medical help, as her skin appeared to be curling up as a result of fungal infection.

That evening, as we prepared to leave my mother's house with the poor kitten in a box, Imran saw ANOTHER one in the drain. This little girl was far worse than the one we picked up earlier, one eye plastered up with dried mucus almost blind, and having bad diarrhoe. She was a mess of black, ugly thing and if we did not take her along with us, she would probably not last another day.

Papa: You mean we are going to end up with 2 sick kitten?
mama: mama tak sampai hati, papa. I already took one but could not ignore the other just because she was ugly. My conscience can't take that!

The moment we arrived in KL, I took them to the family Vet. They were dewormed, given a course of antifungal treatment for 2 weeks, vaccinated and prescribed with specified kitten food.

After they were cured, they turned out to be 2 beautiful girls, Chihuahua is a bit clingy but Tuxedo or Tuxy as she was later lovingly called was very independent. Her favourite pastime was sitting on top of one of the pillars in my garden, watching the world passed by....

I'd naughtily disturb her peace and tranquility by calling out her name and waving to her from the balcony of my bedroom.

She had very pretty, shiny, jet black coat of hair by now, the reason why I jokingly called her Tuxy Jetta Zones....

She loved the garden, spent most of her time there. She was my constant companion at the Koi pond, biting playfully at my feet, left, right and then left, perhaps to alert me of her presence.

I used to tell the cats to be careful of the passing cars.The guilt is still there, that I did not do enough to protect Tuxy from one.
But 16 months of life, free to roam and venture around, is better than 6 years of living protected in a cage.

Tuxy was aptly buried under the Cempaka tree at one corner of her favourite garden of our house, very close to the pillar where she frequently held station.

May you be happy at the cats' heaven, darling.
Once in a while, don't forget to look down on mama at the Koi pond!, I'll be missing you!!

In Loving Memory.

Tuxy and her sister ChiHuaHua within the first week of coming to our lives.







.

Ramadhan is here again.......

Alhamdulillah, we are given the opportunity to perform our ibadah in the month of Ramadhan again. Other than trying harder in my efforts to be a better muslimah, top on my priority list this Ramadhan will be cutting down on purchase of food for the breaking of fast.

mama: Tahun ni mama tak nak membazir macam selalu lah! Mama nak beli just enough food for everyone. Beli 3 keping kueh and I'll cut them for us to share...

Ikram: Aren't the kueh already cut when you purchase them?

mama: Yes, and I'm going to cut them further into even smaller pieces!!!!..

Everybody at the dinner table looked at me in disbelief.

On Saturday, my mother called to inform me that my grandmother suffered a stroke. That it eventually came was not quite a surprise since my grandmother is already 98 years old. After the first sahur, we drove back to Kuala Pilah to pay my grandmother a visit.

She of course cried when she saw us, especially after setting her eyes on Tasya. Even with half her body hardly functioning, she still remembered not meeting Tasya for so long since my daughter had been away studying in London.

I pray that whatever days left in her life will be easy for her, and that she will not lose her dignity. We know how it is with stroke patient when she would require assistance even in her private moment.

We left Kuala Pilah the same day at 2pm and decided to check out the Pasar Ramadhan at Jalan Melang. It was the first day of the fasting month but the Pasar was already a hive of festivity. I saw lots and lots of food cooked in Negeri Sembilan way. Tasya and I walked around the rows and rows of Ramadhan hawkers and went back to our waiting car with:















1. Gulai tempoyak daun kayu
2.kerabu daun pengaga
3.Daging salai masak lemak campur belimbing buloh
5.Gulai sayur maman
6.masak lemak ikan masin dengan nenas
8.Acar limau jeruk

All these are sold for RM2.00 per serving.

9. Ayam percik at RM1.80 per stick. Try buying the same at Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, I saw on TV last night that it would cost you RM5.80 each at the Pasar Ramadhan here.

10. Rendang ayam dengan daun puding. Tasted just like my mother's.

Lepas tu papa menambah lagi dengan:

1.Dalca
2.Gulai sotong
3.Ayam masak madu.

My main intention of trodding down the Pasar Ramadhan in Jalan Melang was to go and get my 2 favourite N.Sembilan traditional kuih:














The Buah Sepang a.k.a Badak Berendam which I purchased from 2 different makciks.

Another all time favourite is the Kuih cucur (second plate from left) which is made of tepong beras and gula anau. It's difficult to prepare in your own kitchen but cheaply sold during Ramadhan at RM1.00 for 3pcs.

The rest in the picture are good old cucur pisang, toothless delight, buah melaka, cucur badak, and agar2 santan with gula melaka.

At only 2pm, and another 2hours of journey back to KL, I've already bought 2 jugs of icy watermelon juice:

Ikram: Whatever happened to your cost cutting measures, mama?

mama:Today is different, I bought the food so cheap but delicious, besides I wanted to help the Ramadhan traders in my kampong!!!!...

ye ke??

Astaghfirullahalazzim....

(disclaimer: Food arrangement and the use of carca-marba utensil is courtesy of my made-in-Indon maid. Any fatal flaws against the acceptable etiquette is not the responsibility of mama-irma).

Lihat lah, Dunia....

Finally, after 8 years of working moderately hard, Malaysia Airlines decided that we are worthy of an 'Outstanding Sales Achievement Award'!!!! This award really belongs to my entire staff, without whose effort, this accidental travel agent would have called it a day many, many years ago..

I called myself the accidental travel agent purely because I have never thought that I would be counting airticket stocks each morning, 6 days a week, as a career. Being married to an airline staff, with free annual tickets to do my personal travels, my most meaningful participation to any overseas trip thus far was holding on to the boarding pass handed over to me at the airport by dear Papa.

After leaving a Government job, I set up office in my own bedroom, with only a desk and a laptop hooked online to a stockbroking company. I buried myself thick in serious stock market investment and very soon it appeared like it was a battle between myself against the ticker. After 6months, and a fattened bank account, I became an isolated person. I waited for papa to come home each day to brag about my daily haul and if he failed to show any expression of being impressed, I would start a quarrel.

Papa suggested that I should go back to seeing the world. I started meeting friends again. To make a short story long, one dear friend requested if I could help him manage his fledgling Travel Agency. I asked to buy it over instead, and in 2 weeks I was the owner of a business I knew next to nothing about. Papa nearly had a heart attack!!!!!

I went for a short intensive course in an effort to equip myself and only then started to familiarise myself with the AIRIMP codes, using Alpha, Bravo, Charlie for A,B,C instead of Apple, Bola and Cacing!!!!...ha,ha,ha....
I learnt the structure of a fare ladder, calculated the maximum & minimum permitted mileage and created airlines routings worldwide, within 2weeks.
I obtained a Certificate in Travel Trade with a Credit and could now arrange for your trip to the North Pole.

Fast forward 8 years later.....What do you know, the national airline has kindly concurred that we are one of the Outstanding Achievers amongst Travel Agencies in the country.

Here's hoping to a more profitable business in the years to come......

Farewell, Irwin.

Imran and I spent the entire day yesterday watching 'The Crocodile Hunter' on the Animal Planet channel, a marathon programme as a tribute to Steve Irwin, the wild life conservationist who was killed by a stingray on Sept.4.

Steve's passion towards conserving especially wild animals, made him a very special and kind person that should the stingray lived, even it would have regretted stabbing Steve on the chest, piercing his heart, in that freak accident last Monday!

I watched documentary after documentary filmed by the brave Aussie. I laughed out loud watching him made a face like a spoilt child, declaring "I want to be an OrangUtan!!!", after spending a whole episode being with a family of the specie.

I cried when his dog, Sui Irwin, died of old age. He spent the last hour with her, him sobbing as she died in her sleep. It was just like a page from the book 'Marley the dog' which I've just finished reading.

Steve started catching and rescuing crocodile at age 9 . The knowledge he imparted through the documentaries he made were those he acquired from the school of hard knocks, scratches and scars. He said that he didn't believe in spreading information through reading from pages of texts, but by demonstrating them. Indeed, the way he went about explaining the habits of the Slow Lorris, and the life in a colony of Macaque, were exactly what I learnt from the text books for my Animal Behaviour class in University Malaya, doing my own degree in Zoology. I had to memorise the mechanics of the snake's movement through an imaginary pattern but Steve explained it all by just holding on to a snake's tail!.. But he'd later say: "Now, this is really dangerous, don't try to do it at home, kids!"

Irwin spent his life trying to rescue endangered animals and it was only appropriate , I suppose, that he died doing what he loved.

Goodbye now, mate,
May you rest in peace...

My Own Merdeka Hero!!

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Suddenly, the Merdeka celebration this year carry a different air of festivities in our family, due to Imran's involvement in his school Merdeka projects.

One of the projects, the raising of a giant flag was telecast live on 'Malaysia Hari Ini' programme on TV3 at 8.00am this morning. Imran's mediocre participation as one of the students chosen to wave the state's flag is something I was so excited about.

I rushed home from sending his big brother Ikram to school, just to be infront of the telly. Not before telling Dilla to be on standby with the recorder incase I could not make it. Never mind that Dilla too was going to be late for work. Of course, the night before I have already alerted my mother in Kuala Pilah not to be elsewhere but infront of the TV at the specific time....

Such an enthusiasm, unfortunately, TV3 didn't give Imran a special airtime, perhaps because he was only bearing and waving a Sarawak flag! ha,ha,ha....
(we will next be able to see him perform in the Kawat Tatu Hari Merdeka at the Stadium on the 9thSeptember,2006)

Before he left the house this morning, I managed to capture his image on the camera in his full Kadet Remaja's regalia. He has just been promoted to a LansCorporal, and a typical mom, I am so proud of my son no matter how small the steps he made on his move forward.

I'm grateful that my children are raised in a Merdeka environment, where they are free to seize every opportunity to be the best person that they could possibly be.

Merdeka!!!

Happy Birthday, Hisham!

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Happy Birthday to who?
To Hisham!
Which Hisham?
Hisham, my penfriend since 1971!

That means we have been penfriends for 35 years...

Penfriends, to us the oldies and mouldies of yesteryears, are just like the current version of friendster through the internet if you like.
However it required more effort than clicking on the keyboard of your computer.
We write letters, in our best handwriting, usually on our school's writing pads , put a stem on the envelope and hand them over to the prefects to be posted.
The reply from a penfriend took another extra step of being scanned first by the teacher on duty for the day, before it could reach you .
All these did not deter us girls from writing to our penfriends.
Most of us had at least one penfriend from another boys' boarding school.

I used to exchange lots and lots of information with Hisham on all of my activities in school.
It was like blogging, really...
I wondered how he put up with them, then.
Hisham was the first to know that I became the champion in Poem reciting competition in Johor.
He knew that my choir group came out the National champ for 2 consecutive years.
I described to him at length of my participation in the school play as Princess TupTim in the 'King and I'.....

I valued Hisham's friendship, as he too wrote back on a weekly basis.
He continued writing even after I sent him a foto of myself with the school compound as the background. I thought I was ugly and Hisham would stop writing once he set his eyes on my pic.
He sent me pictures too which I still keep in the drawer until today. He was very goodlooking.

His letters were the only thing I look forward to those days besides the monthly registered letter containing my monthly allowance from my dad.

We stopped writing for a while, after Hisham left for UK to further his studies.
It was not economical anymore, I suppose, and besides Hisham must have been busy mixing around with new international friends.

We went our separate ways, leading our separate lives, but Hisham has always been in my mind.

Some years back, I hit his name at an email address and sent a brief hello.
Lo and behold, he wrote back with a hello in return!

We had a lot of stories to catch up on.
I updated him on my family, and he on his.
Hisham knows where I am and I know where he is holding up.
We have not met, even after 35 years.
We are still penfriends.....

Happy Birthday Hisham!
I know that all of your dreams have come true......
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Khidmat Negara, Tanggungjawab Bersama!

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We were about to put our heads down on the pillows 2 nights ago when we heard a loud thud coming from the study room.

Gdbooom!!...Boom!!!.Oh MY GOD!!!!!

mama: Apa tu, papa, cuba you pi tengok, Ikram kena electrocuted ke?

Papa rushed out of bed but before he could reach the door, it was already opened by Ikram.

Ikram: Papa, mama, my name is listed as a candidate for the National Service next year! Oh sh*t!! Oh Sh*t!!!!! ......

mama: How do you know, Ikram?

Ikram: I've just checked it out at their website!

Ya Allah, macam mana nak calm Ikram down ni. He has always been against the idea of having to do the National Service. He said that it's a waste of his bloody 3 months!

Ikram: May I pretend to be suffering from OCD or something??......

Papa: Since you have no choice but to do it, you might as well enjoy the experience, Ikram. Think of it positively, you'll be given training in self reliance, character building, appreciation for your country and you'll be a stronger person when you come out.
If you choose to moan and groan, you will be miserable every single day of your life when you are there!...

mama: Kesian Ikram. Hope they will allow you to use fork and spoon for your meals.
( Ikram doesn't know how to eat using his fingers...) ,
lepas tu Ikram tak payah lah nak tunjuk2 tere, ikut aje apa instructor tu suruh.
Kalau ada budak nak rebut2 remote control tv, biarkan ajer..
(I was reffering to a boy who was killed by a fellow participant over a fight for TV remote control).
Cuba avoid masuk dalam air kotor yang bertakung.
(A few students were hospitalised due to bacteria infection as a result of being soaked in a puddle of water contaminated by animals).
Kalau Ikram takde duit, telefon ajer mama, tak perlu ikut instructor pergi Bank!
(A girl claimed to be raped by the instructor while hitching a ride from him to the bank)

With all these worries, mama pun go: Oh sh*t!!, Oh sh*t!!!!!!....
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The Wisdom Tooth.

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Ikram woke up in pain yesterday. He requested that I made a dental appointment for him as he felt that half his face was acting in concert, determined to make his entire day miserable.

I picked him up after school and sent him direct to the Dentist's chair.

Dr. Putri: Oh my! You have 3 wisdom teeth coming out at three corners of your gums all at the same time!!!!! How old are you?

Ikram: 17!

I had my last tooth coming out while celebrating my 49th birthday. I was in excruciating pain that I could count the throbs of my gum to be in the same rythmn as the pounding of pillars at the construction site of Mutiara Damansara. Henceforth, I gave up my right to blame the lack of wisdom tooth for all my childish antics.

The children were sorry for me, they bought a Spa treatment as a birthday gift hopefully to sooth away the pain. Since it was the Father's Day celebration, papa got to go as well.

Halfway through the treatment, I got to soak myself in the bathtub strewn with rose petals of different colours.

mama: Eh, papa! I am bathing in 'air bunga', very soon I will be able to find a partner and get married to a handsome and rich Datuk!!!!!

Papa shouted from the bench where he was covered in a plastic wrap not unlike a mummia, in his thick Penang slang:
'Bukan ka hang baghu nak tumbuh gigi, dah gatai nak menikah????'

Ha, ha, ha....
We both laughed so loud that the guest next door must have expected that we were up to something lucrative....

I digress.

Back at the dentist office, Dr. Putri explained that 2 of the teeth were nicely placed. The one that bothered Ikram was on the upper left gum where the poor fella actually leaned towards the inside of Ikram's cheek for lack of space. It would require simple extraction, however, if I were to do it today, the inflamation would cause Ikram much pain.

mama: what do you propose as the best option for Ikram?
Dr. Putri: we will treat the sore with anti-biotic and pain-killer for 3 days, when the tooth is stabilised, I will proceed with the extraction.
mama: OK then, we'll see you again in 3 days' time. Until then, will Ikram still be in pain?
Dr. Putri: It should be bearable after 24 hours of medication.

On the way home, Ikram said he half expected that I would instruct the Dentist to just proceed with the extraction and do away with all the hassle!.

Ikram: But you consider my best interest and comfort, first and foremost. I don't think I will ever get a better mum than you, mama!!!

mama: Ooouuww, I love you too, Ikram...
Welcome to the world of wisdom!!!
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Size '0'

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I must be the most backward mom in Lembah Klang for it was only last weekend that I know there is such a thing as a size '0' for a dress!!

I accompanied Dilla for shopping and I found out the reality behind her grouses all these while, that the fashion market is hostile to people her size!
Dilla, at 23+, could still fit into her clothes purchased when she was in standard 5, but the problem is she now has to wear an adult's image in order to be taken seriously as an auditor from a prestigious company in the city.

Our mission was to get her new 'working clothes', but those are not available at the Children's Department!. 'Miss Selfridges' are too frilly and sexy, 'mng' too casual, 'Zara' too heavy.
Thank God for 'Urban & Co'! I was at the point of giving up when we walked towards the half asleep salesgirl who turned out to be such a pleasant and helpful soul.

mama: Do you have suits in her size?
girl: Size 0, yes we do have a few left.
mama: Take them all and let my daughter try them on.

While Dilla was at the changing room, I asked the girl what's size '0', i.e. zero, did it mean there was no size at all????....
The salesgirl explained that size '0' is for adult with a teenager body who needs grownup designs. You can't go to work in 'little-bo-peep' dress bought from the children department, can you?

We finally managed to get some nice suitable stuff which could last Dilla for a few months. Infact, we purchased every piece that came in size '0' at the store that day, except for one black attire which papa said should only be worn to the boss's funeral.
Aaauuww papa, you are so cruel!!!

Later in the evening, I read in the paper that Victoria Beckham too is wearing a size '0'.
wow, what do you know, suddenly I understood what size '0' she was referring to!!!!
According to her, she could not fit into any clothes without doing much alteration on her own. She declared to have a waist of a seven year old, which means she could actually share her son Brooklyn's jeans. Imagine, David Beckham could be much richer if she should just do that.... (especially if her claim that she pigs on her food is not true!).
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The World Cup

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The World Cup fever is finally really going to be over this weekend!!

The whole nation had been gripped by the euphoria, just flip through the daily newspapers, listen to the radio, switch on the telly or have dinner at the mamak's stall..everything revolves around the soccer mania.

Hopefully our own national soccer team has learned a lot from the massive exposure. The technics and the strategies, and the most important the killer instinct of wanting to win!

In my house, I don't have to scan through the morning newspaper to realise that the world cup is still ongoing.
I just have to look in despair at Imran's drooping head on the table over breakfast!
and Dilla's red eyes on her way to work...

mama: Imran, the late nights to morning soccer games are doing you no good! Why don't you stop watching and get back to normal life?

Imran: Ha, ha, mama, you are so funny!

mama: Funny you said? I can be real funny by just switching off the Astro splitter in my room, lock my door and pretend to be dead until the next morning!!!!
Funny hah!?!
I still can't tell my mother to try not to be funny even at my age!
Do you know that?!?.....
Huh!!!.
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Kuala Lumpur - 3rd rude city in the world!

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Reader's Digest survey on 35 world's capital has discovered that Kuala Lumpur has emerged as the 3rd in the world for sheer rudeness!

What?!?...
Aren't we the first? (we lost only to Mumbai and Bucharest).
I mean we always want to be the tallest, the biggest, the longest, the highest....
We don't have much luck this year, do we?. Not only are we not able to build the first crooked half bridge, we can't even score a first in being the rudest!!!!

I must have contributed towards us getting at least the prestigious 3rd placing!
Yesterday, as I was deeply engrossed infront of the telly watching yet another Korean Drama serial 'Lovers in Prague', the house phone rang...

Rrriiinnggg....
Rrriiinnnggggg...

mama: hey, where is everybody??....anybody??.....

Rriiiiiiinnnnggggg.......

Aiyo!!!
It better not be my mother-in-law!!!
I walked very quickly to the family hall to pick up the phone.

Amoi: hello, may I speak to En. Aziz?
mama: he's not home yet.
Amoi: may I know what time will he be back?
mama: why do you want to know?
Amoi: I need to discuss with him regarding something.
mama: what??
Amoi: If he is interested to look at our holiday time-sharing plan.
mama: no, he's NOT interested!!
Amoi: how do you kno..
'click'!!
I put the phone down and quickly walked back to my bedroom to continue watching 'Lovers in Prague'.

See what I mean?

I would probably earned us a plush 35th position, if my telephone conversation went something like this:

Amoi: hello may I speak to En. Aziz?

mama: Oh, I'm terribly sorry and definitely have to profusely apologise to you because En. Aziz happens to be still on his way home from the office. You know the kind of traffic jam here in the city of Kuala Lumpur, everybody needs to earn a living and we do not mind sharing the narrow road with everyone even if we have to pay the expensive toll.

Amoi: may I know what time will he be back?

mama: well, I'm really not very sure, but I can try my best to assist you if you allow me to, after all I'm only watching a Korean Drama and it will only make me cry, anyway!

Amoi: I want to know if he's interested in a holiday time-sharing plan.

mama: Yes, that holiday time-sharing scheme. We have heard about the plan and was even duped (excuse my word, perhaps 'convinced' is more appropriate) once by a Duta Vista. We paid RM28,000.00 for a membership fee, but because we were late in paying the annual maintenance fee of RM1,000, our membership was cancelled. It was so silly of us, it's not the company's fault at all!! We were the ones who didn't read the very finely printed terms on the contract.
Due to the bad experience, I'm truly sad at the prospect of having to disappoint you this time around. However, I would like to compensate your effort for asking us by inviting you over for tea. I'll try to make that fluffy pancake once again and if it still turns out to be like a block of brick, I will drive over to the nearest bakery to get some British scones for you. Will that humble gesture be acceptable to you? Please...oh, please......

Amoi: 'click'!!..(orang tua ni dah giler agaknyer, or, have I called someone from a different city??!!)....
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Menimang Cucu.

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Congratulations to my friend, Opah, who has just been a grandma 3 times over!
Opah is a practising professional engineer who is also a wife, a mother, a grandma, a bibik and a housekeeper!

Her ability in multitasking is beyond me, who could only manage an extra job of pampering 6 cats without whining.

Another friend, Izan (NekJan), is a grandmother of 2, a career lady with a young girl's blush still on her cheeks.

Juyah has just become a hillarious first time grandma who prefers to be lovingly called WanJu. Believe me, she herself is still very much a spoilt little girl. Her antics are unprintable here...

And Bani once told us that she had to coax her son and daughter-in-law to lend her cucu to be pampered. She is now somewhere in UK on sabbatical doing something postPhD.

Sigh...from gigglish teenagers of the 70's, we are now in the era of grandmothering...

The other day papa looked at me and asked:
Are you sure you 'want' to turn 50??

mama: well, 50 is just a figure written somewhere, I'm not sure where, on the data entry of the Registration Dept. where I'm not in-charged of.
Unlike most people, I self-calibrate my day to consist of 48hrs, based on which, my existance is 25years thus far.

papa: That's the way to go, mama.
Age is just mind over matter, if you don't mind it doesn't matter!!
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Motivation Camp.

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During the first week of this school holidays, Ikram had to attend a motivational camp at some God forsaken place in Ulu Yam.

mama: Don't you have enough of these motivational thingy coming from the entire clan at home??

Ikram: Since it is already included in the Semester fee, I might as well go and check it out!

But Ikram said his glasses is no longer good, he can't see a mosquitoe flying pass by.
We went to the optician and got his eyesight checked.
The power has doubled, courtesy of small prints of the text books, not the computer screen, playstation or the television set!.....:)?!?
When he tried on the new pair of glasses, Tasya said Ikram looked like Joon Sang, the hero in Korean Drama "Winter Sonata"!

On Friday, Ikram started packing, complete with Papa's newly acquired viewcam in tow.

I drove him to the school, as we arrived at the school gate, his handphone rang.
mama: who was on the line?
Ikram: Natalie's mum. She asked me to take good care of Natalie.
mama: Amboi! Hang tak tau jaga diri sendiri, nak pi menyanggup jaga anak dara orang!!!

The next day I received an sms from Ikram:
mama, sorry, bad news. I tripped in the river whilst jungle trekking and lost my specs. Sori mama, jangan marah ye!

I tried calling him but it was impossible. Papa said there was probably no phone coverage in the area.
I sent an sms all the same:
It's OK, are you injured? Take care of yourself!

Menyesal pulak mama berleter2kan about him not being able to take care of himself!
Dah jadi macam doa pulak!!

I've just returned from the same optician, bringing back the same spectacles as the one that got lost in the river of Ulu Yam...
Now my son looks like 'Joon Sang' all over again..





Bae Yong Jun as Joon Sang in 'Winter Sonata'.
It is said that no one has a smile like his......
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Happy Birthday, Girls!!

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When Tasya was one year old, we threw a big birthday bash for her.
She was surrounded with lots of toys, gifts from family members and friends.
But she told me that she wanted a baby as a present.
I didn't know exactly what she meant, but as if she is destined to have all her prayers answered, Dilla was born spot on Tasya's 2nd. birthday!!!

Since then, Dilla has been Tasya's sparring partner, in good and bad times, celebrating the same day each year for the past 23 years.

Happy Birthday, my 25th May girls!!
How about a double wedding too?!??...

I could almost hear them both screaming: Oooohh NO!!!!, mama, please NO!!!!!!!.......

The Sad Sonata.

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Lately I have been crying so much until I've developed sags under both my eyes!

Yesterday, my beautician called to remind me that my monthly facial treatment is due.
I agreed to a 4.30pm appointment thinking that I could spend time on the bench after picking up Ikram from school.
However at 4.15pm, I called Ally to cancel my appointment.

mama: Ally, we won't be finished until 6pm, right?
Ally: Ya, treatment should be over latest by 7pm.
mama: Sorry Ally, I'll have to reschedule the appointment! I have to be home at 6pm to watch The Sad Sonata!

That's the cause of my weeping so much.......

The Sad Sonata is currently shown on RTM2 at 6.00pm-7.00pm daily From Monday to Thursday.
It's such a sad story about love that is denied through cruel twists of fate.
The serial has put my activity for the day at a standstill for an hour each evening.

Imran: Ya Allah mama!!!! Sedih sangat ker???? (after he saw half a box of drenched tissue paper on my bedroom table).

I'm not qualified and do not want to write reviews on dramas, but Korean dramas manage to consume me thus far!
We first started watching 'The Winter Sonata' a few years ago.
When papa came back from office in the evening, he found Tasya and Dilla sprawled at the family hall wailing profusely.
As he entered the bedroom, I was wiping my face with a face towel (as tissue papers would not be sufficient to dry away the tears!!!)

Papa: Weh, is there a funeral here????
You girls are sooo silly!!!

Later on I cried each evening watching 'Autumn in My Heart'.
and 'Love Story in Harvard',
and 'Stairways to Heaven'.........

They are well made dramas depicting the Korean culture, bersopan santun, full of respect for the elders, work ethics, value of frienships, and able to make us cry buckets.....

Our film makers should emulate them.
Instead of showing Harith Iskandar running around the house in his underwear showing his 'lanjut' thingy, with Ida Nerina berkemban ditengah2 rumah ditengah2 hari....,
The film maker told us to swallow the fact that it IS being Malaysian,
nak bertengkar2 lagi dengan whoever dare say otherwise (after all they have won an international award)*..

Ooooppss.....I've said earlier that I am not a qualified movie reviewer!!!!!

*No prizes for guessing which movie!!!....




The Sad Sonata
*Reviewed by jicy

Oh, the sweet bitterness of first love. This of course is a common recurring theme in most Korean dramas. Sad Love Song, just as the drama name suggests, delivers a tragic storyline about three characters; through their passion to launch careers in the music industry, their lives are intertwined by fate within the intricate nature of love and friendship.

Three-handed concerto
As a boy growing up, Seo Jun-young (Kwon Sang-woo) hates his social status of being the prostitute's son. He is ashamed of being raised by his single mother (Na Young-hee), who owns a pub at the American army's base area. Humiliated with the endless teasing, insults and bullying at school, Jun-young is frequently involved in fights with his peers. All until he meets Park Hye-in, who showers him with love and diverts his attention to develop his musical talent of becoming a promising composer.
Park Hye-in (Kim Hee-sun) is Seo Jun-young's childhood sweetheart. A tragic infancy resulted Hye-in losing her parents, and then she suffered the loss of her eyesight during a severe illness. Seo Jun-young, as her classmate, first started to help out Hye-in by the request of their teacher. However, within time, Hye-in and Jun-young build a strong bond of friendship that blossoms into everlasting love. Hye-in was raised by her aunt, Audrey (Jin Hee-kyung), who works at the pub owned by Jun-young's mother. She inherited her mother's beautiful voice and enjoys playing the piano with hopes of becoming a renowned singer.
Seo Jun-young's best friend is Lee Gun-woo (Yeon Jung-hoon). They met in the occasion of a bizarre misunderstanding which led to a violent fight between the boys. After Lee Gun-woo and Seo Jun-young beat the crap out of each other, both of them eventually formed a special bond and developed a close friendship during high school. Lee Gun-woo is the heir of his father's successful telecommunications business company in South Korea. The loss of his mother during childhood has impacted Gun-woo's life, which causes him to distrust love. He is a bit rebellious towards his father's requests, as he has an ambitious dream of starting his own music production company.

Fateful tragedy
Seo Jun-young is a tragic character in this drama. His only love, Park Hye-in, continues to be separated from him, while he suffers through a series of misfortunate events without her. He gets a new identity as Choi Jun-kyu, while he lives with his father (Lee Young-ha) in Seoul, for high school registration purposes. During some of the lowest point in his teenage life, his friendship with Lee Gun-woo and Jang Jin-pyo (Mc Mong) alleviate some of his distress.
When Park Hye-in's aunt, Audrey, decides to marry her American boyfriend and seek a new life in New York, Hye-in unwillingly leaves Jun-young to be with her aunt. Life in America turns out to be a complete nightmare. Audrey's abusive husband leaves Hye-in and Audrey to seek another refuge, whilst Audrey looks aimlessly for means of employment to finance their trip back to South Korea.
Coincidently, Lee Gun-woo comes to New York to further his studies at Princeton. Fate brings Park Hye-in to meet Lee Gun-woo at Central Park; it is love at first sight for Gun-woo. He instantly becomes a saviour to Audrey's problems. He helps Hye-in to land singing gigs at a jazz club, finances Hye-in's eye surgery and loves Hye-in with all his heart. He even assists Jun-young to visit New York, in hopes of helping Jun-young find his girlfriend. The attempt fails through a drug trafficking mix-up and Jun-young, destined to be apart from Hye-in, is sent back to South Korea immediately.
Hye-in's life falls apart when she loses touch with Jun-young and receives a false informed letter about Jun-young's death. Lee Gun-woo stands by her through her depressed days, suicide attempts, and Hye-in still passionately lingers onto her first love, Jun-young, who lives in her heart. In the meantime, Gun-woo actively pursues Hye-in, and proposes to her.
Upon the completion of his studies, Lee Gun-woo returns to South Korea with Park Hye-in, and Gun-woo proudly brings Hye-in to visit his best friend, Seo Jun-young (whom he knew as Choi Jun-Kyu from high school). At the first sight of Park Hye-in and Lee Gun-woo together, Seo Jun-young's heart sinks to rock bottom. The turmoil follow suit for all three characters, at the crossroads of choosing love or friendship, depicts one of the saddest melodramas..
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The Brainless Napoleon.

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In 1996, a banker friend needed money to start a business and decided to sell his 3 storey bungalow in Kg.Tunku to me.

I thought why not, sold some shares in the stock market, and the house became another compliment of the KLSE .

I heard later that my friend did not do well in his business, lost the money and lost his house...
Since my family did not want to stay in Kg.Tunku, I rented the property out to a Singaporean businessman who turned the place into his headquarters.

We'd think that I should now happily collect my monthly rental and spend them all on my children.
However, as a property owner, I have to pay the municipality a 'cukai pintu' (door tax??) twice a year, and a 'cukai tanah' once a year. Not to forget 28% of the collected rental goes to inland revenue as business income tax.

It's the time of the year to pay the 'cukai tanah' again, before 31May each year, or else, a 5%penalty will be imposed.

For the said house in Kg.Tunku, the cukai tanah has always been RM137.00 per year.
It has been so since 1996!!
This year I received a hefty bill of RM16,400.00!!!!
Wey, gilo ko, tak roti kiro??

I sent Ariff my office boy to inquire at the land office in Shah Alam.
The clerk there told him that she'll investigate and will let him know the outcome after 6 days.
After 7 days, Ariff made the call.

Ariff: Puan, saya dah call pejabat tanah, diorang kata memang cukai ni RM16,400.00 sebab tanah tu luas!
Kalau Puan tak puas hati, diorang minta Puan call this phone number and talk to Mary.

I looked at the bill and realised that some smart worker at the pejabat tanah has keyed in the keluasan tanah as 81,600meter persegi, translated to be a hefty 14.5 acres.
I checked the previous bill and it was only 0.12acres!!

If I were to own 14.5acres of prime land in SS1, I could build 120 units of 3storey bungalow lots there. I will not name the place Kg.Tunku, but MamaIrma Mansions instead!!!

Realising the source of the mistake, I promptly called the number given by Ariff
mama: hello. boleh saya bercakap dengan Mary?
answerer: Mary bukan di talian ni, sila dial 03-********

after dialing the new given number,
Hello, boleh saya bercakap dengan Mary?

answerer: Ini bukan number Mary, dial 03-****** (the first number in the first place!)
mama: eh, tadi saya dial number tu tapi girl tu kata dial number ni!
answerer: siapa yang pandai2 bagi nombor ni? awak ada nama dia????
mama: Takpe lah, saya perlu bercakap dengan Mary sebab ada kesilapan pada bil cukai tanah saya.
answerer: Mary dah tak buat billing lagi, dia sekarang dah bertukar ke bahagian pendaftaran. Puan sekarang kena call Amy di nombor 03-*******.
mama: OK. terima kasih.

I dialled the said Amy.
answerer: sori, Puan Amy busy, telepon balik selepas 10 minit.

after 10 minutes,
answerer: sori, Puan Amy keluar minum....

Ini yang darah aku menyirap ni!!
Nanti hujung tahun masa budget, diorang lah yang paling sebok minta kenaikan gaji, bonus segala, tapi prestasi kerja macam bawak kereta lembu!!!

mama: Tapi saya perlu cakap dengan seseorang yang boleh selesaikan masalah bil cukai tanah saya ni!

I heard the girl called out to someone named Jo.
After explaining the mistakes to Jo, he said I'll have to talk to Ani!!!
I RE explained to Ani, trying all the time to be extra polite hopefully my problem could be solved.

mama: you see, Ani, rumah akak ni cuma sebijik bungalow di KgTunku, takkan lah luasnya sampai 14 ekar. Kalau gitu termasuklah kawasan perkuburan Islam, jerat Cina dan Sek. Keb. Kg.Tunku!!! Lagi pun cuba you tengok rekod bil akak sebelum ni. kan dah bertahun2 bayar RM137.00 saja, kenapa tiba2 jadi RM16,400 pulak tahun ni???

Ani: Ini akak kena pergi pejabat tanah di Shah Alam, ground floor, counter 16, bawak sales and purchase agreement dan geran tanah yang menunjukkan bukti tanah tu cuma 0.12 acres!

mama: Bukan ke you all tu Pejabat Tanah, takkan tak boleh tengok rekod yang you all ada, dah siap nombor HSD, no.Lot, no. akaun...lagi pun geran tu kan ker you all yang keluarkan?

Ani: sori kak, akak kena betulkan rekod dulu! Jangan lupa settlekan sebelum 31May, kalau tak akak kena denda!

#%^#...(pundek hang lah!!!), korang yang taip macam tak pakai jari, lepas tu tak nak gunakan otak untuk nak perbetulkan kesilapan,
kitorang taxpayer yang susah!!...
Apa jadi dengan pesanan Pak Lah supaya pegawai kerajaan jangan jadi macam the little Napoleon?
Ntah2 diorang tak paham pun apo ko bondo eh litel napoleon tuh!
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The Gold Mine.

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The Pharmacy located in the same block as my office has become a regular hang-out spot for me. Nowadays, Pharmacies have evolved into interesting retail outlets selling not only pharmacological products but also personal accessories such as hairclips and aromatherapy paraphernalia.

I have been buying products like the Pharmaton, Remifemin, iron tablets, supplements consisting of ACE+Zinc for my mother, anti-arthritic for my grandma, spirulina tablets, saw palmetto plus pumpkin seed for papa....etc.
(cannot divulge too much, if my insurance agent is to know, she will add a loading into my health insurance premium, suspecting poor health!)

The rate at which I am stocking these items on the shelf of my dining cabinet, I might as well acquire the pharmaceutical business myself.

Yesterday I was there to get my another month's supply of anti-cholesterol drug.
mama: Give me the literature!

Mr.Lau: Hai, nak baca literature lagi...

mama: Ya lah! I want to know exactly what are the chemicals I will be pumping into my internal organs!

Mr.Lau:......(looking at me reading the very very fine prints)...
mama: I understand all these. I did a double major in Bio-Chemistry too when I was in University.

Mr.Lau: How interesting and a varied life you have! I wish mine is as colourful, all those knowledge and enjoying your travel agency business. Look at me!!! I studied pharmacy but end up squatting here behind the counter until sh*t also cannot come out already!!...squat and squat and squat all day long!!!!.......

mama: You are doing OK Mr.Lau, I see a lot of walk-in customers here.

Mr.Lau: Ya, but this place has become a 'kedai runcit', with very small profit margin. I cannot be rich like you, not in a 100 years...The turnover at your travel agency is huge!!! and you get to see the world!!!!!....

mama: No, no Mr.Lau. You are wrong! I am NOT rich because of the travel agency! I would probably be, if I am the supplier of nasi lemak for the MAS first class cabin service.

I am an investor!!

Since Mr.Lau has become like a friend to me, I told him that there are a lot of money to be made in the Bursa Saham Malaysia. It is like a gold mine. A gold mine!! You only need the right tool and the right location to dig!..Go read all the stock trading literatures available locally and click on the KLSE site that shows the realtime daily quotes for your complete guidance!!!

The KLSE Composite Index is at it's 6year high right now! I squatted for 6 years for this moment to arrive! My 23years of experience pouring over charts tell me that we could be smack at the bottom of an uptrend. Just walk along and enjoy the pickings.......

Best of luck and happy trading!!!.
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123040506

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It's 12.30pm on 4th of May 06 now!!
Fancy that!
So, I'm spot on the 123040506 time zone ....
Happy 123040506 to me.
Whatever mama,
as long as you are happy!!..
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A mother's daughter?

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Ikram said he did some quiz which was put up by a lifestyle, health and medical page.
He answered some questions like:
How often do you exercise? Never.
What do you eat daily? Junk Food.
What's your activities? Sedentary.
etc.
etc.
and with all those horrifying answers, the result said that he will live up to 76years old and will probably die of cancer.

mama: that easy?

Ikram: yep, not to worry considering the average lifespan for a man is 72years.

mama: if you manage to remain after 70, you'll live to collect the RM1.5m I insured your life for!
Ikram: if I perish at 69?

mama: I will collect it on your behalf, provided I manage to outlive you until I'm 101!

Ikram: I hope you will!!

mama: I don't think so, Ikram. As it is now I'm already so tired, juggling everything in one life!

Ikram: But could you please try to be around at least until I could introduce my future wife to you?

mama: Why?

Ikram: I want her to witness what a terror you are, so that she'll understand how I survived my childhood! And she could then write it all in her blog!!! HA, HA, HA!!!!!

mama: Ikram, people laugh at jokes, not insults!! #%^#!!!!

Could my kids be seeing me the way I see my own mother?
Oh, No!!
I hope Ikram is joking!
He is probably trying to scare me off, since he is now in the process of negotiating a Honda Civic instead of the Proton Gen2 which I promised he'll get, once he has a driver's license after his SPM.

I need a brainstorming session with papa tonight!!!!!!!........

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Instant Noodle Doodle.

.
Tasya asked me to purchase some Maggi mee in-the-bowl on my way home. She got used to the food whilst studying in London, and thought of having it tonight.

Ikram accused me of practising a double standard.
He has been stopped from consuming instant noodle. I have always insisted that he eats healthy freshly prepared meals, which is good for his mental development.

Ikram: I thought you said monosodium glutamate will hamper the progress of neuron connectivity in your brain?...(I made that up without referring to any medical journals).

mama: yep!

Ikram: How come Kak Sya may request for Maggi mee whilst I can't??????

mama: It's OK for Kak Sya to languish a bit since she is already so clever.

Ikram: what about me?

mama: You have to first prove yourself with valid documentation.

Ikram: well, I've just received my monthly exam result today. I scored 88 marks for my modern maths and 90 marks for my additional maths......

mama:......(terlopong......wanting to hug him from the driver's seat)......Congratulations, Ikram!!! so, all these ferrying you to and fro tuition centres, with me growing old behind the wheels has finally shown some results???

Ikram: Yeah, it appears that it wasn't a result of abstaining from eating instant noodles!!!!

The moment we reached home, other members of the family were waiting around dinner table. I entered the dining area and made an announcement:
'Fellas, listen! Ikram has just received his monthly exam result today, and he scored 90 marks for Add Maths!'

Everybody jumped from their seats.
The kitchen burst into euphoria.
The cats dispersed frantically in all directions as if asking 'what?..what???...what??????'....
Papa stood up and firmly shook Ikram's hand:
'Congratulations Ikram! From 10 marks to 90 marks after 3 months of tuition!!
We are so proud of you!!!!'

(mental note: If Ikram scores A1 for both his Modern Maths and Add Maths in his upcoming SPM Exam, I'll get a pair of imported sarees from Mumbai for the dearest fierce Mrs. Radha!)

Ikram: err..mama...may I have a bowl of instant noodle for dinner tonight???
mama: NO!

Dictatorship rules and is still alive and thriving in my household!!

Happy Anniversary!

.
Last night, the person who shares the date wished me 'Happy Anniversary!'
mama: 'Happy Anniversary' to you too, papa!

26 years is a long time to be holding a bond in marriage, what more a happy family together.
Somehow we made it, alhamdulillah!

One thing for certain, it requires plenty of giving but not expecting anything in return,
always remember the goods and forget the bads....
and having tons of humour.

Haven't we heard that marriage is all about complementing each other?
That's very accurate in ours, with papa making up for ALL that mama lacks!!!he,he,he.....

Thank you children for your congratulatory messages,
we sure do deserve them!
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Pain In The Neck.

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I woke up Monday morning with a pain in my neck. No, I'm not saying that I am the pain in the neck! I've got a pain in my neck!!....

The right side of the neck felt very tight as though someone is holding on to my neck, shoulder and the scapula. The anxiety had even caused me a headache and I felt nausea while driving Ikram to school early in the morning. Even the Hindi song played on Radio Music didn't help to ease the cranky feeling....

It was worse as I sat in my office watching the ticker on Bursa Saham. A lot of 'reds' compared to 'green' which was fine since I've not taken any serious position in the current run-up in the market yet. But I was breaking into cold sweat. and the painful neck was getting tighter..

Cannot tahan, I walked to Sartika Sari a few doors away for a massage. I spent 2 hours of office time there listening to all the possibilities of the neck pain. Ibu banyak angin, urat Ibu tersimpul, otot Ibu bengkak, Ibu makan sotong (??),....etc...etc....

Back in the office, the pain is still there, less RM120.00 paid to Yera the masseaur.

I tried to troubleshoot the problem by self diagnosing.

Could it be due to high cholesterol level in my blood? I had it checked once before and didn't do anything about it.
So I walked to the pharmacy and got the level tested. It was 8.55 !! The pharmacist gave me one look and with RM20.00 less, I knew I had to make the trip to my Dr.Koo!!!

Once in Dr. Koo's clinic, I showed the Doc my test result and complained that I got a stiff neck and shoulder.
Dr.Koo: What has a stiff neck got to do with your high cholesterol level?
mama: well, the deposits from the cholesterol in my blood are stuck in my neck veins, blood could not flow properly that's why I felt the discomfort.
Dr.Koo: God, NO! please,please madam, it doesn't work out that way!! Your pain in the neck has nothing to do with cholesterol content in your bloodstream! That's not what I learnt in med school!!!! Please.....

So, Dr. Koo went on and ask a few other symptoms:
tangan kebas? no.
difficulty in turning left and right? no.
gawking at computer too long? err......no, I take lots of breaks in-between.
tough pillow? no, I use contour pillow.

Dr.Koo has always known what I'm up to. My weak stomach, my lazy eyes, my fear of needles.... He has been my physician for the past 8years. He once dashed to my house to give me a jab for my vertigo attack. At that time, the whole world went round and round, I was throwing up everything in my stomach and could not tell where my legs and my arms were.

Dr.Koo prescribed some tablets for the neck pain.
RM50.00 for consultation, RM35.00 for the tablets.
If the pain doesn't stop after 3 days, we'll send you over to Damansara Specialist Centre for a neck scan!
Oh,ya, by the way, since you were upset about the cholesterol, here's a month's prescription of zorcor.
RM125.00 for anti cholesterol......

I swallowed the tablet promptly as I came out of Dr.Koo's clinic at 4pm.
By 7pm whilst waiting for Ikram from his tuition centre, the pain was completely gone!!
It was as if someone had pinched it away!!!...

I called Dr.Koo to inform him.
Dr.Koo: OK, no need for neck scan, no need for a tube of blood to further check your cholesterol, It was muscle spasm! Go change your pillow, measure your head to make sure the contour pillow suits your size.....
and don't gawk too much at the price changes in the stock market!!!

Papa said, as always, I tend to go round and round in trying to solve a crisis. It costs time and money. Should I went straight to Dr.Koo to address the problem, I would only spend 30minutes and RM35.00 for the tablet + RM50.00 for consultation,
instead of RM120.00 at the masseaur and RM20.00 at the pharmacy plus 2hrs.30mins for their services.....and RM125.00 for my anti cholesterol!!......

By the way, I also purchased a packet of salonplast for RM3.90.
That night I asked papa to paste a few on my back, shoulder and neck.
I appeared like a bundle of flesh with postage stamps all over.
Imran: what happen to mama?
papa: I'm posting her to Timbuktu, she's a pain in the neck!!....
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Ikram's woes

.
Ikram bit the tip of his tongue, on the left side of his mouth.
He showed the poor crushed thing to us.
His younger brother Imran said he looked like someone suffering from AIDS.
Imran saw a picture of an AIDS sufferer with a tongue looking like that being shown by the counsellor at his school.

Ikram: How in the world do I get AIDS?. I don't share needles (not that I need to use one) and I've never had sex , what more a random one!...
And I'm certain that my mother did not have AIDS when I was born, otherwise, she will not be driving us around anymore, today!

Ikram is the greedy one. He eats a lot and can't blame him for gobbling hurriedly on his food when he has so little time to eat in-between school and tuition classes.

And with an injured tongue, he still wanted to have waffles with ice-cream at A&W located at the Ikano Power Centre.
Once there, Ikram made a gesture to go to the comic shop since he tried not to talk due to the pain.

Imran noticed his agony and said: Abang, orang tu tengok kita and kata ' kesian budak tu, dah lah hudoh, bisu pulak! Tapi nasib baik adik dia hensem'.....

Ikram was so annoyed and gave the brother one swing of the arm.
Imran: Adoi, sakitlah, ba**, bod***..........

I wanted to tell Imran that it was his fault in the first place, but, reprimanded Ikram that his TaeKwonDo expertise is never to be used to incapacitate anyone including his brother.
Otherwise, I'll end up with 2 handicaps at Ikano Power Centre, enjoying the A&W root beer floats.
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Don't Cry For Me, Argentina!

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Papa is leaving for Argentina tonight....
hu,hu,hu......
Penatnya mama tinggal sorang2 to carry out ALL the chores.
I'll have to do double trips in the morning sending those scholars to schools at 2 different directions.
And whenever papa is not around, the population always claim to have no appetite and I have to take them out for something they may like to eat instead.
The worst part is picking up Ikram from tuition at night, rabun and ngantuk!!!...

'Apa2 lagi lah kauu ni, nak pergi Argentina,
orang lain diSyarikat tu sedang kira uang yang akan diterima dari MSS (Mutual Separation Scheme)'....
....ala2 Pak Hj. Bakhil dalam Film Labu Labi..

mama: nak kira hari....nak kira hari...
nak kira hari....nak kira hari.....

Al-Fatihah

.
Papa came home from the office yesterday, looking grim.
As he opened the door, he told me, Hariyani has passed away this morning.

mama: Hariyani?......(silence)...
what did she die of? (Choked and half expecting the answer).
papa: They told me she got cancer....

Innalillahiwainnailaihirajiuun.....

Hariyani is the 6th of my peers who has passed on due to the big C, before the age 5o..
First it was Pip (my colleague at MITI),
then Kat (my auto industry buddy),
then Ana(my Domestic Trade fellow officer),
then Leha (my primary schoolmate),
then Zakiah (my STF74 friend).....

Nowadays, the frequency of you hearing about someone dying of cancer has become as routine as one being pickpocketed.
It's so sad.

They say it's because of our modified food intake,
Lack of exercise,
stressful life....

Whatever, I leave my fate to the Creator.
He brought us here,
and He will decide when to take us back
(hopefully to a better place.....).

Al-Fatihah.

'Hijrah Remaja'

.
If Dilla is to accidentally stumble upon my blog today, she will half expect that the title of my entry will be just that - 'Hijrah Remaja'!!

I was over the phone with some affected old friends, busy giving out free, solicited and unsolicited advice and my own two-cent worth views on The New Automotive Policy. After the reality dawned onto them, they decided to give me a call to compare if their interpretations on the guidelines were accurate. For a while, I heard myself sounding not unlike Datuk Dr. Zainal Aznam making his analysis on the newly tabled National Budget on a Friday in October. I adore Datuk Zainal Aznam!! He could make all those economic jargons so easy to be understood by non-economists like me!

By the way, in-between feigning my sympathy towards the filthy rich, I received a message from Dilla reminding me to watch the first episode of a talk-show programme called 'Hijrah Remaja' on Astro Ria Channel tonight. She will not be able to see the show since she is now in campus, preparing for her final exam of a final semester of the final year!!!........

I forgot all about it until I was changing channels after the News at 9pm. and saw Adam, the host of the show introducing the penalists by then. I managed to contain my patience for hardly 10 minutes of the 30 minutes airtime for the programme.

I definitely am no remaja anymore because the programme SO disturbed me!!
What's with the 'Ustaz' who came with a bad hairstyle, trying to do with his unfunny quips and jokes? He probably tried too hard to fit into the group, like a square peg in a round hole.
Even papa who was not actually watching, made a remark, is this joker going to be a permanent feature of the show?

And other members of the panel? They are in the 16-23 years age group.
Some of them looked lost ,with shallow one liner opinions.
It didn't help that the topics ranges from : Akad Nikah, Dating, Adat Resam Melayu or something to those effects.
To give you an idea, the ustaz at a time actually coached a penalist to say 'Dari berchatting terus berdating, lepas tu bunting!'
Like, hello?? Ustaz?? Is that a proper phrase to be said by a young girl who looked very ill at ease herself in handling the issues? And the girl went on to say something like : what to do, it's the norm nowadays.
Is it?
I don't know.
It certainly is NOT the norm amongst the youth I came across in my surroundings i.e. my own children, my nieces and nephews and my friends' children.....
Or I ought to wake up incase it is true!

It certainly helped a lot, Adam, if the penalists were given the topics for discussion ahead of the recording sessions, so that they came prepared with substancial knowledge of the subject matter.
You were impressive though, compared to the Adam I met chewing betel leaf with MakTok at my house during last Raya, he,he,he......

Hopefully the next episode will not be as painful to watch since Dilla and her cousin Nini will be making their special appearances......
I don't want to hide under the pillow, with Bella's tail poking at my nose, girls!!!


p/s: The handsome host sedang bercinta dengan seorang puteri Raje.
(source: cosmos, cosless)
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The Reading Glass

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Rather busy in the office this morning, now that auditing period has started. Berselerak files on the table, on the floor, on the lap.....he,he,he....

Suddenly,.... kelepark....
Alamak, a file dropped on my spectacles, my reading spectacles!!!!
Habis lah hari ni, macam mana nak baca blog!!!!...kah,kah,kah...

I walked to the optician located at the end of my office block.

mama: Hi, I want to purchase a reading glass.
mr.ng: Why do you need a reading glass?
mama: To read!!! (of course).
mr.ng: Reading glass is only for a slightly aged lady, do you need one?
mama:.....(eh, optician ni, does he need a pair of spectacles as well? Tak nampak ker aku dah rabun jauh and rabun dekat nih?)....
Yes, I badly need one, I can't view my computer screen anymore!!
mr.ng: How old are you? 25?
mama: 50 LAH!!
mr.ng: ...(purak2 terperanjat!!)..

After testing my eyesight, I decided on a lightweight, rimless, titanium Gucci frame.

mama: Make sure it's ready by lunchtime, OK?!?
mr.ng: OK, but let me measure your iris to enable me to place your focal point.

mr.ng used that magnifying glass and looked closely at my eyes, again and again.
mama:....(apasal lagi ni? Aku ada cataract pulak ker?)...
mr.ng: You've got a hazel coloured iris! It's so rare and beautiful!

mama: ...(Eih, sudah2 lah memuji tu, dah beli Gucci frame pun!, By the way, it helps if only mr.ng at least resembles Richard Gere!) .....

Good try, mr.ng! I know it's hard to do business nowadays....
It's true. Even the infamous AP Kings are cringing in their Versace underpants this morning, after the guidelines on the long-awaited New Automotive Policy was released last night!

How do you know, you asked?
I know. I should know!!!

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