Crossed Lines

I mentioned 'The devil wears Prada' the other day and this guy looked confused. He thought I said the devil drives a Prada because he asked is it Prada the car? & it was my turn to get confused because I asked, is there Prada the car?

& I was doing my bead work the other day and out of the blue he asked me, are you putting a car on that work of yours? I said, any bead work that I do would definitely not have a car on it (I thought that goes without saying..)

But the whole thing made me wonder what is it about men and car anyway? And made me also think that men do have a lot of car thoughts mulling in their head..

*****

Young At Heart

Ustaz kata ada hadith dari Abu Hurairah ra that goes something like thus.. this is in my own words, ok?

Orang tua-tua, selalunya hati nya muda sebab 2 perkara : satu, sebab sukakan umur yang panjang & dua sebab suka harta yang banyak.

I am still thinking about the hadith dan masih tercari-cari maksud-maksud yang tersurat & yang tersirat. It also got me thinking about getting older and being molded into the "old people" label. Still wondering about it and trying to imagine the "mold" that I want to be in.

*****

The Guitar Story

Does anyone know about the Canon Rock video by JerryC or his wannabes? Yes? No?

Anyway that is the most popular music video played by the boys at home for quite some time now. I thought it is quite interesting actually. Nice to see the boys being impressed with the show of a talent (any talent, that is).

When someone asked me - can I buy a guitar so that I can play like that? - I thought the asking for permission part was sweet and the guitar part was .. well.. different but ok (I think). But since the question was asked by neither my sons nor daughter, the answer has to be no unfortunately.. (Sorry yang - it has to be a no for you.)

Do you get my story?

*****

A Sense For Style

You tend to see different management styles after a certain number of years at work.

Some bosses have it right or they are almost there and just a pleasure to work for. Unfortunately there are others who just don’t have a clue. Still there are others who are delusional about their own management style .. and makes the office such a toxic place to work in, dont you agree?

Ever met a boss with Napoleon’s I come & I conquer viewpoint? Or one who enjoys telling you what/how to think that you cant even have your own opinion about anything? What about someone who talks at length about any subject but don’t make much sense to you? & the one who’s almost nonchalance about anything & everything?

On the other hand what about the boss who appreciates you as you are and understand your limitations? And the one who looks after your professional development?

I wondered about this subject because someone lectured us like naughty little children in a meeting when we didn’t respond to the questions asked. We are mature adults with intelligent mind, pretty extensive experience and an ability to communicate efficiently. Did the person who asked the questions wondered why the questions were not answered – well, small considerations like is there something wrong with them ie ALL OF THEM or is there something wrong with me..?

Common sense and management style do go hand in hand - I thought that is a given fact..

*****

A New Venture

Well, it's nothing big - only trying to play around with photo-editing software. When he looked at my edited photos my so-called artist-to-be son said ok lah.. These are the before and after photos that I did.

Before anybody belittle my efforts, let me tell you that I am very proud of my little (tiny?) achievements here, ok?

The other day Iman said that her server in the office went down so she went to my blog. When her friends asked her what she's reading she said, my mum's blog. Her friends' responded like, your MUM has a blog?? Iman said some of her friends dont even know about blogs. So I came to think that I am quite a hip mum after all.. ha-ha.

*****

A White Jasmine In The Garden

Whenever I look at my white jasmine it reminded me of the guy who worked on the renovation that we did. He had fingered the white petals and looked at the flowers for a long time. Wondered what he was thinking of then. Arwah dah pun..

Tried to look for more info on this species, unfortunately cant find any yet.

It's A Laugh

No doubt we’ve come a long way where independence and freedom is concerned – especially so for women.

But no matter how much I would stand up for liberation and fight for my rights (please don’t equate that with equal rights between the sexes), I think through the thousands and thousands of years, women remained steadfastly the same on the inside. We are still the same sensitive creatures that Allah created (this is but my very own personal opinion and not meant to be debated..)

Someone said something today which I thought was very off-handed. I cant put my finger on that inkling exactly – but anyway it made me wonder if I was being ultra-sensitive about it or maybe it was meant to sound the way it was said - offhanded. & if the latter is the case, would anybody else be troubled over it (like I am)? Made you confused, didn’t I? Good! Women are indeed the misunderstood species anyway..

The laugh is not because the whole incident was funny; but mocking really - because despite all that strong and independent portrayal, a little brusque encounter can drag you down a long way.. (advocates for women’s lib would definitely have my head for this I suppose).

I do tend to ramble.

*****

Does Friendship Really Last Forever?

I don’t believe in that forever thing – do you? I think we become friends with others because there is a common ground that we can interact on like we were at school together or work in the same office or live in the same place.. something like that.

But as time moves on we go our separate ways and then developed different views on things and appreciate dissimilar ideas and maybe even support different political doctrines (that might be the final straw to any friendship - who knows?)

Friends that we make along the way just fade slowly away to the background till the next time you see him/her you realize that you really have grown apart from each other. You dont know how to greet each other and you dont even have that common footing anymore. Even worse, you may start thinking how you were even friends back then..

So no, I dont believe friendships last forever..

*****

People Watching

SCENE 1
Was on my way to work when I saw the Myvi in front of me has this bumper sticker that read "Cool Babe On Board". I thought that is a bold statement for a local woman to put on her car and was curious to see who that woman is. I overtook the car and looked - alamak, a middle aged pakcik was driving.. so no cool babe there..

SCENE 2
Was browsing in Marks & Spencer the other day and saw a mat salleh woman doing what looked like her Christmas shopping. Her shopping basket is full with the under-things and all seem to be in red or various shades thereof. I thought, how cliché - and then wondered what other races/religion think of the way we celebrate our own festive seasons. I also thought that man.., she's really going to have some big festive season celebration considering the items she has picked for herself.. ha-ha.

SCENE 3
There were 3 other people in the clinic while we were waiting for the prescription after Eirfan's circumcision the other day. The youngest in kain pelekat is obviously the patient-to-be. The second is the father to the boy and the third is the grandfather. I thought it was very sweet of the father to include the grandfather and of the grandfather to want to be included. I whispered to my significant other, you must do this when the time comes..

*****

A Queen And A King

No - I didnt mistype that, I really want to write a queen and king and NOT a king and queen..

I read a quote from somewhere that said there's an Indian saying that goes something like this - if you treat your wife like a queen then the only way she would treat you is like a king.

I suppose that would work the other way round too.

I think this makes a lot of sense..

*****

We Did It

What would your answer be if the following hints are given to you?
a. happens at school holidays
(weddings..? vacations..? clear traffic?)
b. involved children under 10 or so
(summer camps..? )
c. boys only

ha-ha.. yeap, you guessed it right - bersunat! Managed to get that over with last Sat despite all leave being frozen and a bunch of other uncertainties. Eirfan didnt cry or anything but was very tensed sampai doktor kena suruh dia relaks 2 - 3 kali.

But all went well. The appt was at 830 am and by 9:20 everything was over. Today makes it 5 days already since the procedure and he's recovering well. We went for a follow-up with the doctor on Tue & he said the boy seem to have some allergy to the antibiotics. He gave some more medicine & some cream to apply.

But one thing I must mention is that Eirfan took full advantage of his confinement - everytime somebody came back from somewhere and walked through the front door he would ask, ada beli apa-apa tak untuk Eirfan? The first time Iman was asked the question she looked blank and asked, like what? After that she knew. So far he already got comics and chocolate bars and icecreams and chips and all kind of drinks (the unhealthy kind - I must emphasis that). I drew the line when he asked for a game boy. I think that's pushing the matter a bit too far.

We all played a lot of Uno too just to get him occupied. He's already asking if he could get out and play - must be bored with the downtime already. Soon, I promised. I'm glad we've got that done and over with.

Sebelum.. tunggu giliran..

Starting soon..

After - he refused to look at the camera
*****

Bahasa Jiwa Bangsa

None of these pantun are mine. I copied them from a book that I read because each made me remember something.

The scene of Latifah Omar picking pucuk ubi flashed in my mind when I read this – in black and white of course..
Harum baunya si bunga tanjung
Harumnya sampai melintas gunung
Tuan ku anggap sebagai payung
Hujan dan panas tempat berlindung

This reminded me not to swear so much - whilst driving especially.. and to take note of the words that I utter every time. What you say reflect your true self. Istighfar banyak-banyak..
Kalau ada menanam tebu
Boleh dijual di pasar desa
Kalau kita jadi tetamu
Biar pandai berbudi bahasa

This reminds me of a time that I was sick and nobody really pabderd to my needs (sob..sob, poor little spoilt me) and I said to everyone at home – no one can take better care of me than my mum. I remembered how my mother pampered me when I was down.. must call up my mum.
Apa diharap padi rendang
Daun berombak ditiup bayu
Apa diharap budinya orang
Tidak sama budinya ibu

And this should be one of my principles in life..
Jika gelisah mengingat dosa
Lakukan taubat sebenar taubat
Jangan diulang esok dan lusa
Ingatkan diri sentiasa taat

*****

Cinta Meniti di Bibir

I think the title sounds nice. Please pardon yours truly as she does the masuk raga angkat sendiri stint here..

On the other hand, I think cinta berputik di hati or cinta tersemat di sanubari would sound even more profound and poetic. But the title suits my purpose in this instance as I am talking about the new movie Cinta.

The reviews said it's a touching movie that would bring tears to your eyes without you realising it. I asked friends if anybody would want to see it. No takers there.

There's a big ad about the movie along Jalan bangsar. At first I thought it is a play at Actor's Studio in Bangsar or something like that. It caught my attention because Rahim Razali is one of my fav actors. Lakunan yang bersahaja. He doesnt seem like he is acting.

Caught a snippet of a scene on tv last night where he said, isteri itu bukan nya satu ? (I dont remember the exact word but I remembered it as a possession) tetapi satu anugerah. Dont your heart just melt with lines like that?

ps - I suppose that line would be applicable to husbands also, dont you?

*****

Of Contents & Substance

Aton mentioned about Jeff Ooi this afternoon and I wondered why the guy looked familiar. Then I remembered that I read his blog entitled LemakLemang sometime back. I told Aton he blogs everywhere and I wish I could be like him.. he’s a photo-journalist etc etc – hey, exactly what I want to be when I grow up! Ha-ha..

But there is this teeny bit of difference between me and Jeff (he-he..) ie he wrote about real stuff, you know – not mundane things like what happens at home with the kids. Mind you, I don’t think there is anything wrong about writing on home or kids.. but there must be substance to the stories. Sadly, I don’t think my blog has that pertinent information that I can call substance. I mean come on, who cares how I spent my weekend and if my wishes dont come true?

Anyway now I am looking for a substance - any substance - for my blog.. (I seriously think I have identity issues... )

*****

The Weeekend That Was

It’s 1830 hours on a Sunday. Appropriate enough to write about the weekend I suppose.

The mood is right after all – hey, Diane Summers is doing her very own ‘Last Dance’ on Light and Easy. ha-ha.. I have the tv all to myself (mind you, I listen to the radio on the tv.)

The evening is almost dark. It rained heavily just now (like any other evenings, these days). Iman is still caught up with her Prison Break series on the pc. Eirfan is at the playground with friends. Ilyas is still deciding if he wanted to continue sleeping or to wake up now (can someone please help me with this..?) & Zack must be sleeping also as he just came back from his futsal game which started as early as 0900 this morning (I envy him all that energy..)

Now about the weekend. Sat started early enough – Iman had to put in some extra hours at work so we sent her to the office. We stopped for breakfast at the usually crowded place along MRR2. It must be the timing - the place is (ohh – I have to write this – it is Andy Gibbs on the waves with Everlasting Love – my fav yearrrs ago) anyway, this breakfast place is not yet busy. The roti canai boy, as usual fulfill my order fast enough. I never ask my husband to wait line for the roti canai – he couldn’t get the preferential treatment that I do. Ha-ha..

Anyway after sending Iman we did some walking at the KLCC park. Gooood girl..

Since forever I have wanted to be able to brew the best tom-yam ever. When better than this weekend? So we stopped at the pasar tani to get all the supplies and fruits and.. and.. uh-oh, Eirfan had already made complaints and long faces – time to go home. I asked if we should stop by the school book store to get the list of books to buy for Eirfan, but a huff from the back seat told me that it was not a good time to do that. So we went straight home.

Opened up ALL the recipe books I have to find the direction to tom yam heaven-land. Chef Wan’s recipe uses the readily flavored cubes, so I skipped his. The only other recipe I found was a Kung Tom Yam. So I tried that – the result? Nothing to shout about although Iman said it is nice. Need to find another recipe later.

We had lunch invitation in Bangi. Traffic crawled all the way from Cheras to Serdang – can you believe that? They said because of MAHA. A good thing too actually, as when we got to Bangi we were ravenous and did justice to the food served. Shohor’s bungalow is nice, open and airy. He should have made that fish pond a swimming pool instead. That would be fabulous.

I also had 2 new recipes I wanted to try out – yeap, when else if not the weekend? The first is the super-licious munchy choc chips- that’s what the recipe said. Tapi tak super-licious pun – tasted like my regular cookies. As usual the children turned a blind eye to any choc chip cookies – they have had it with that when they were small. So I packed most of the cookies to be sent to Antie Da’s. Yan & Amir would appreciate my effort if the people at home wont..

For dinner I tried the second recipe that I have : baked paprika & parmesan chicken. It was thumbs down, but the recipe got 4 stars on the net – must be ..me!! So both recipes will go to the bin.

I slept like a log Sat night. & Sun (today) I was burnt out (ada ke burnt out in connection with work at home?) Anyway I didn’t do anything today. Didn’t feel like socializing so I skipped the aqiqah-cum-lunch invitation from Zihan (bad, bad girl – but the invitation came in the last minute anyway – that’s my excuse..) Went out to lunch at McD of all places, instead.

That was Sun so far, but at least I already have dinner on the stove.. What a weekend – but I am not ready for Mon. But come to think of it, was I ever ready for Mon anyway..?

*****

If Wishes Came True..

.. I would not wish for money or wealth ~
as how much would be enough anyway?

But,
I would wish for supreme faith and iman
and an ocean of wisdom
an eternal silatur-rahim and ikram-muslimin
and then for the best of health for everyone.

And a successful career for the children
and of course happy families for them too

But most of all, I would wish I could be blasé of what other people might think
and be dispassionate of what they have to say ~
(after all everyone's entitled to their own opinions)
and in fact not pay a heed to how they express their two-cents worth of anything!

I wish I could just wave my hand, make these pointless concerns go away..
and save myself a lot of headache.

I wish I just dont care.

*****

Raya Stories Part 5 - Raya Scenes

Beraya this Syawal..

Grapes in Mira's yard.. amazing!

Funny faces : Safia Binti Shaiful Azmi ..

My raya lights that were put up with masking tapes..

The tramisu was great..

If you must know, they were arguing over the recipe pulak here..

A blooming lily in the pot from my garden

Matching in colors.. and in celebration spirit

*****

Patience ~ A Virtue Indeed

Went to TH yesterday for some transactions. Found out then that I have misplaced my accounts book. Where could it be? It never left my bag as far as I knew.

Searched my bag about three times then. After that I checked all the other bags that I have in the car. It was obvious by then I didn’t have it with me. All that trip for nothing..

Searched my bags again when I got home. And the dresser drawers. And then the other drawers. The console table. The cupboard. Nowhere could the book be found. Iman said check your office tomorrow.

I doubt the book would be in the office, but searched everywhere I did. And as I thought, it is not in the office either.

Called up TH & asked what to do. The instructions given were to get the form at TH. Fill it up. Go get the stamping done at LHDN. Then go back to TH for the processing of the new book.

Sounded simple enough. But there was no parking at TH and traffic at lunch is always terrible anyway. And the jaga at LHDN was helpful but so garang.. and of course I had to pay for the stamping too..

It was drizzling when I left LHDN. Quickly got to my car, got in, locked the door, turned on the ignition, pulled the seat belt and looked down to buckle the belt in.. and what do you know..? Nestled neatly between the side of my seat and the hand brake and a bit hidden by the belt release buckle was my accounts book..

Subhanallah.. & mengucap panjang dibuatnya. The pages of the book felt crisp – it must have dropped from the bag some time back and got sort of baked in the car. What amazed me is that I had buckled the seat belt many, many times and never saw that book there but once I had gone through the motion of getting a new book, voila, there it is right under my very nose!

Only Allah knew the wisdom of what had happened. I thought this was a very tough lesson indeed where patience is concerned..

*****

Raya Stories Part 4 - The Twelfth Day of Raya

No, we didnt have any leftover turkey..

We wanted to invite some friends over for dinner last weekend. We had the menu ready and then started to discuss who we would invite.

Well, we cant invite every friend we have for obvious reasons. We decided to invite A, and B. And C must come also. Well, we cant invite B without inviting D too. Neither can we not invite E. And what about F? And G invited us to their place last raya, so we had to include them into the list also. And then H and I and J..

The list of guests was quite impossible to manage. Everyone just had to come. We thought hard about it and then thought about it some more. In the end we decided not to have the dinner do after all.. end of story and the brewing headache.

We had a light dinner that evening then watched Journey/Steve Perry in a 1981 concert on VCD. He-he.. The children said where did you find this thing? But it was not too bad – they watched the whole thing with us. After that we played Uno – Eirfan insisted. I have to have quality time with the guy after all so I managed to bully everyone to play. After that we watched a movie and then went to bed.

Actually, the evening turned out better than any raya dinner party would have..

*****

Raya Stories Part 3 - Bermaaf-maafan Seikhlas Hati

Raya is the best excuse to go visiting – if you need any excuse, that is. It is nice to go visit aunts and uncles at least once a year if not more, whether out of obligation or because of other reasons.

Last weekend, among the many houses we visited was my aunt’s. It was lovely visiting her, not because it was raya & they served the best nasi dagang (mana belajar pun entah – no timur blood there..) or they have ice cream goreng or the best cendol or the fact that her house is so immaculate and that they are so nice and hospitable.

It was the fact that they had mended the mother-daughter relationship this raya that was so wonderful to see. What's raya if we cant forgive our loved ones?

Juadah disaji sarat semeja
Buat tetamu menjamu selera
Perasaan yang lara, hati yang terluka ~
Usah lah dibiar terus bertakhta
Bermaafan jua kita di hari raya
Agar kasih sayang terus terpelihara, hingga ke akhirnya

May Allah protect all our silatur-rahim always, Insya’allah.

*****

The Young Artist

Collage? I never heard that when I was in school. But after many, many years of having small kids in school I have a teeny bit idea what that is.

Anyway, for the end of year exam someone chose to make a collage art. As in previous years, he would practice making the piece with his sister before the exam. She would teach him to do it then he would take the sample to school and then emulate that as closely as he could during the exam.

They practised the night before the exam..

This year he made a butterfly using the collage technique. And yippee.. he got an 'A' for that. But.. actually the title of the collage he was supposed to make is rumah impian. So yang sebenarnya dia dah terkeluar topik lah tu..

'A' butterfly collage

ps - He got an 'A' too last year. He had to make a mask, if I am not mistaken. He said it was too difficult and he didnt finish his mask in class. So he submitted the one that he made with kakak the night before. . Ada ke..? But I do admire his resourcefulness.. he-he..

*****

Raya Stories Part 2 - The Water That Poured Down From The Sky

Living in the wettest place in the country is not easy, let me tell you. It rained all the time, any time. One minute the sky was clear and the next you'll see dark furling clouds gathering at the tops of the hills. You may need to take the clothes out to dry in the sun three or more times a day. And you would get reprimanded by your teachers for not turning up for the extra curricular activities because seriously, you thought it had rained where school is located. And in town, people take bets on if it is going to rain or not.

So when it rained last raya - heavily, mind you - we were not surprised. The rain poured out of the sky for a good couple of hours before we noticed that uh-oh, the parit behind the house had overflowed.

We checked the main drains in front of the house and yeah, another uh-oh, that had overflowed too. Not only that, rain water was gushing in through the gates like someone had let water out from a big dam. The newly upgraded six-lane trunk road in front the house contributed to all that of course. The roads are built much higher to yeah, you guessed it right, avoid the roads from flooding. By doing that the houses, my mum's in particular, got all the water instead. And the drains all around the roads are too small for all the water to pass through efficiently.

Water had already covered the first step up towards the house. There are only two steps to get into the house, you see.. My mum took all that in her stride (I told her it is because we are home, she know she can rely on us. Kalau tidak, sure mak dah panik..). The children were happy and excited, jumping up and down watching the water. Our couple of heroes worked in the rain to lessen the effect of the water - unsuccessfully.

Then as quickly as it had started, the rain stopped. The heroes cleaned the terrace floors. But uh-oh - guess what? It rained cats and dogs again.. After that we just watched and hoped the rain would stop before it cause any serious damage. It finally came to a drizzle, maybe about 5 hours later.

All that woe in the name of development. Welcome everyone, to Malaysia Maju.

*****

Raya Stories Part 1 - The Photos That Were Never meant To Be

Ok, so here goes with the raya stories that I have..

The first can't be anything but a sob.. sob.. story. I didnt have a decent camera for my raya.. huaa...

The Sony Customer Service told my daughter the camera could instantly be usable again by changing the battery. We trusted that %$#*% agent.

I went back to the center to double confirm that before I buy the new battery - just to be told again that it is the display that is faulty, not the battery after all. She also said that it could take at least a week to repair, if not longer. What?!! Please believe me when I say that I didnt swear or glare or threw a tantrum at/in front of the agent (I only did that when I got home and retold the story to anyone who'd listen to me .. he-he..)

So anyway, no camera for raya but thank Allah for my handphone (by the way the old phone got stolen. Well, that's another story to tell), I managed to capture a few miserable photos this raya. Coincidently we were not so well coordinated this raya on the gambar thing. We didnt take any family photos like we always conventionally do every raya.

So this raya this is the best that we did with the photos.

Ni dah besar pun berebut mintak duit raya..

Seronok raya dengan si kecik..

She had the (dubious) honour to distribute the duit raya this year.. he-he..

Mesti kira duit raya..
*****

A Writer's Block

Chewwwah.. A writer's block konon.. as if!

A friend who used to be a journalist had said it was tough being a writer because you need to write immediately what you feel otherwise the idea would be gone and you might not have another compelling topic to write about later. You may sit and think and will yourself to think some more but that’s it – there is just no light at the end of the creativity tunnel.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I have a lot to write about, but the idea has not enough vigor to make me able to actually build up the effort to write about it.

I want to tell about my raya ie how mum took it all in although tak larat nya dia. How my wajik turned out sallow. How it rained so bad that we thought the house might just get flooded. How I finally managed to make all my kueh raya and put beads on my baju raya. How I put the lights up on my porch. And also about nonsensical things like pe’el ibu mertua ku, drivers and traffic and all the food that we manage to consume though we were trained to eat frugally all month during Ramadhan.

I want to tell them all but I cant seem to write them down as I have this - yeah, writer's block, you see. We'll see how long this will last, then I will start writing again about everything - and nothing - like I always do.

*****

Putting Liberation In The Back Seat

Dont get me wrong, I'm all for liberation in fact - for the right reasons and causes, of course.

The other day ESPN played short takes of rugby and football (soccer to you maybe?) Which is fine - but these are women playing rugby and soccer. Female soccer is old story - but rugby?

Personally there are no other games that I detest more than female soccer (maybe synchronized swimming on second thoughts). But female rugby? God forbid! - this is really something else. What's so thrilling about playing rugby to the girls anyway? Mind you, I do admire those guys in boldly striped shirts getting tough on the field. Yeah, I would definitely call that thrilling...

But sorry, I dont see anything to admire about girls getting all rough and dirty in unflattering shirts and shorts on the field. However the game seem to be getting more popular by the day, especially at the colleges. Stanford has its own female rugby team. And MIT and UCLA. Let's not forget about the world cup too as most of the so-called developed countries have their own female rugby team. Maybe there is no 'new' or challenging enough sports for the women anymore..

Me? I'll definitely give liberation a rest when it comes to female soccer and rugby. Oh, and synchronized swimming? This has nothing to do with liberation whatsoever, but let's shove that onto the shelf as well..

*****

Sunset On The Serengeti

It was what somebody said on Travel & Living that I got sort of re-acquainted with Serengeti. It clicked in my brain, but I couldn’t remember what it is all about or where I heard it before. I thought there is a movie with such title; but cant find it on the net. In fact, Wikipedia does not even have an entry on Serengeti within its extensive array of information.

It is said that sunset on the Serengeti is stunning. Oh and by the way, Serengeti is one of the national parks in Tanzania. With spectacular landscapes like Mount Kilimanjaro and Lake Victoria, what is Serengeti anyway..?

Serengeti comes from the Maasai word Siringitu, which means “the place where the land moves forever”. Doesnt that sound wonderful? It is famed for the annual migration of millions of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles and other animals to follow the seasonal rains in the African plains.

The colors painted of the Serengeti sunset that I saw was purple and amber. I wondered why purple and then I saw the photo below. It is indeed a beautiful shade of lavender and amber.

*****

Syawal 1427

Did you notice? The radio stations have started playing raya songs - yippee.. Raya is so not raya-like without the lagu raya. So now I am starting to feel the mood for raya.

Called up my mum and asked what are her raya plans. Last year we celebrated raya at Bangi as she was not too keen to celebrate at home. This year she's staying put at home so we are going to balik kampung. And I have no doubt whatsoever that she is celebrating raya there because her anak-mak-coang aka my brother who not-coincidently is the youngest in the family said he wants to balik kampung this year. Last year he was in Houston for some whatever training. This year he cant wait to raya at home with mak.

That's nice. I can tumpang sekaki and raya at home as well. Entah berapa kali je lagi pun boleh nak raya dengan mak.

Dont get me wrong - but my mum is old. She cant walk that much, cant stand that long, cant lift anything anymore and dont have that good an apetite. But I am always amazed that she reads the papers every day, cant get enough books to read, still remember all the 50-something names of her cucus, writes very well and do other things that people younger than her cant do no more.

She said all her live, other than a couple of deliveries (me and my dearest brother, that is), she had never been admitted to hospitals. The one and only exception was when she had that pacer implanted.

It's really nice to be going home this raya. I sure hope not everybody is going home as well. No offense to my dear brothers and sisters, but these gatherings can be sooo cramped sometimes.. You just have to trust me on that...

*****

Ramadhan al-Mubarak Part 3

Duduk diam tak diam, it's already the 16th day of Ramadhan.

The children has started to be fussy over the food served. The other day we had beriani gam. Doesnt that sound yummy? Yeah, but Eirfan took a few mouthfuls & then declared he's full and refused to have anymore. Yang tak tahan nya buat muka keremut tu.. Sahur is even worse.

Any dish suggested are also shot down. They are looking for something out of the ordinary. ( Oh, now they want to start thinking out of the box..? ) But that's still ok, as long as they can think of what they want to eat.

But this Ramadhan seem to be the 'toughest' for me, so to speak. Bought some lepat pisang - Iman said there's no kelapa inside - ma buat lagi sedap. Bought kuih cara manis - they said, tak ada gula - ma buat lagi sedap. Wanted to get some cucur udang and they said ma buat lagi sedap. & then I bought ready made mee rebus sauce and they said - yeah you guessed it - ma buat lagi sedap.

Yeah it's tough - I told the kids that I'm starting to get nervous when buying something thinking what you people would say.. Actually yang mak masak tu bukannya sedap sangat - someone said, it's just air tangan mak tu. I suppose there is some truth in that - look how much we love mum's cooking anyway.

*****

A Room With A view

Nope, this is not the novel nor is it the song.

It is the view that I have from my window. It overlooks the hills which is part of the Taman Warisan Selangor (if you have ever heard of that). I cant remember what the hill is actually called.

But if you are ever at the dam here you can walk up to the top of the hills. Many city folks walk up on weekends. You'll see many cars parked outside the dam gates on those days.

On cool mornings if you are early enough, you can see mists hanging over them hills. And on wet, about to rain days you can see the clouds coming down and covering the hills like puffy white cotton and soon you can feel the wet drops falling. Reminds me of the Maxwell Hills on a cool rainy day.

It was about to rain one day when a friend left our home. He saw the clouds and was impressed by the view. He said, is there any house on sale here? This is something you cant find anywhere in my area (he lives in Puchong) or maybe anywhere else in KL. Unfortunately for him there is none.

Thank goodness, I dont think I would want to live so close to him.. What's a great view if you cant enjoy the company?

*****

Motivation 101

Went to a talk hosted by a CEO recently. He's young. He's not that tall. And his boyish looks make him look even younger.

His English is very good. It comes most naturally to him. He made jokes, but not stupid ones and all his tales are related to the subject under discussion. Surprisingly that although it is Ramadhan, there didnt seem to be anybody yawning or nodding off in the room.

He seem full of energy and very at ease with the subject and the audience. And one cant help but to appreciate his confidence, philosophies and the charisma that he potrayed.

He said he wasnt the best or brightest student in his class. But he is blessed with the ability to communicate.

Someone asked how he keep himself motivated. He said:
First, you must learn how to listen.
Second you must have clarity (Ambition ie where you are taking your org to) .
Thirdly you must feel that you have an amanah to fulfill.
When he leaves (or asked to leave) his employment in future, he wants to feel that he has made a difference to his company.

And when asked how he motivates his employees, he said with a laugh, put the fear of God into them. I cant tell if he was serious or otherwise.

But anyway what he said seem like a workable plan to me..

*****

Super Mums.. And The Not So Cool Ones

I think Lizzie's mum is great. She's smart (smarter than Mr McGuire himself), very capable and handles crisis with flair.

Susan has no spine. Her daughter has to back her up most of the time.

Bree on the other hand is the worst. She ruled with an iron hand, but failed none the less.

Mrs Cosby maybe smart but her husband is even smarter, and funnier. She seemed a bit fake too.

The Possibles are great, both of them. Look how great Kim turned out to be, but then you can be perfect if you are in the cartoons too!

Ms Gilmore isnt my idea of a great mum - she could be a great friend though.

I cant think of the best mum, but I can think of the greatest grandma. I love Julie Andrews when she was the grandma to the princess, Anne Hathaway. She's charming, sweet, understanding and just there when you need the best grandma.

Anyway, the most super-duper mum of all is of course my very own mum. You only have to look at me to know that!!! he-he. Cheers to all mums who make it through thick and thin to be where we are now. Hang in there, the best is yet to come.

.. but that song on the radio by John (Cougar) Mellencamp said "life goes on, even after the best things are gone". How sad - he was singing about a love gone wrong of course.

*****

Ramadhan al-Mubarak Part 2

Went to do the groceries today. The store was much busier than usual. It is Ramadhan after all; and somehow that alone turned us into food freaks, which is antithesis to the ibadah itself. The book Fadhilat Ramadhan said, apalah erti nya bertahan lapar, berpuasa di siang hari tetapi di malam nya kita makan sehingga tiada batasannya..

Raya music blared store-wide, from P Ramlee songs to the latest less popular ones. I thought it was in poor taste - we havent even warmed up to Ramadhan we are already jumping towards Syawal. Playing up to our sentimentality of the raya celebrations that's what the store people are doing - so that we are swayed to buy and buy some more. Kan ke one of the places Rasulullah tak suka pun is the pasar? And arent we not supposed to play these songs until certain days before raya itself?

Anyway the queue was long, like ular kena patuk. There was a young boy creating quite an uproar at the checkout counters like a typical American youth at a rock concert or maybe at a football game. The only difference is this (unfortunate?) boy has the down syndrome. All my doa to his mum who gently but unsuccessfully tried to curb her son's enthusiasm.

The girl at the cash register threw my stuff around - she really need to be retrained .. or fired? I was glad to get out of the store without biting off anyone's head. Coincidently we took the wrong escalator down and had to walk through the parking lot with all that fumes.. I really should have stayed at home.

*****

An Ear For Music?

Caught the word sonata in the papers today and thought : is sonata in the mainstream of vocab already? What's new - after all we are already familiar with what used to be 'difficult' words like deja vu and cliche and collaboration and on.. and on.. And then thought what exactly is sonata?

Almost everyone knows about the Korean 'Winter Sonata' and Hazami's own version of that in Sonata Musim Salju; which coincidently Hazami cant even sing decently when performing live..

Your friendly wikipedia said sonata literally means a piece that's played, as opposed to a piece which is sung. The word came to be used for a principle of composing large scale works, and be applied to most instrumental genres. In the 20th century the term continued to be applied to instrumental works.. You know Wikipedia, it has a lot of details..

And then it lists all the famos sonatas composed by the legendary composers like Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms and Schumann...

Coincidently, do you know that Mozart started composing at the age of five and can play the piano blind-folded with his hands crossed? whew..

And that Beethoven started to go deaf at 28 although he still compose. If I am not mistaken it was Beethoven who composed 'angry' pieces maybe because of his ailment. I dont really remember and the Wikipedia dont mention that.

A guy I know have an ear for music alright, he can sit at the piano and just play any tune, old or new. His wife said he didnt learn any notes or go to any piano class. At birthday parties and raya gatherings he would play for us beautifully. He also bought electric guitars for his two sons. Last raya the ceiling almost came down on us when the boys plucked (pluck? do you pluck electric guitars?) - anyway when they played their guitars. Luckily no angry neighbors came over with brooms..

*****

Ramadhan al-Mubarak

So it's Ramadhan again. Thankfully had managed to quickly scan the Fadhilat Ramadhan as planned before the bulan barakah started.

Sedih pulak Ramadhan ni. The two boys are at college. So there are only 5 of us at weekends and minus one during weekdays. Made the boys' most loved buah melaka yesterday. Making the kueh was not as fun or hillarious as before. The boys would make weird, funny and fancy shapes whenever they helped with the kueh. Yesterday only Eirfan managed to come up with a Mickey shaped buah melaka - which he searched for and ate later.

Bought delicious looking dates on Fri; but being a nenek already, I left it at the kedai. A friend had went to look for it and kept it for me at the office. So tak kesampaian lah hajat nak makan kurma sedap tu. Nevertheless my one and only kak hajjah had already distibuted boxes of kurma for us so there are still dates for iftar.

& yesterday a neighbour also sent some dates to my home. But the same neighbour had, during previous Ramadhan/Syawal ... Let's not mention the bad things this blessed month. Do I forgive and forget? I joked and asked if I could sedeqah the dates back to them. But I guess not. Iman said clearly you are not sincere with the so-called sedeqah ma. Best to forget it.

Called the boys and asked how their first day of Ramadhan went. They said, biasa je. Trust all children, old or young to be so cavalier in these matters. Boys, especially.

Hope to spend more time on amal this month. Wish everyone a most blessed Ramadhan.

*****

To Forgive & To Forget

I was queuing at the ATM one day. The lady doing transaction at the ATM wore a tudung that seem too dressy for an office attire. The shade also seem to compete with the colors on her clothes. In addition, my critical eyes thought the cut of her almost-Punjabi suit is a bit unbefitting for the office too.

She took a long time to finish her transactions, okay? That's why I noticed all those things about her. The third time she pushed her card into the slot I almost lost my cool. She cant need that much cash! I peeked to see who she is. And I go, oh my God - it's J from one of the previous projects. We had bunked in together at the workshop.

We caught up with each others' news and then parted. I thought her clothes are just - her. That is her color and her flamboyant sense of style.

Something else happened the other day which made me realised that you might be offended, got mad, lose patience or was hurt by friends. But to forgive and to forget are the key elements to friendships, dont you agree? Let's hope our friends appreciate our tolerence of their crankiness, moodiness, rudeness, eccentricity, foolishness, selfishness etc etc ...

*****

There Is A Circus

Loops and hoops are common with circus performances, don’t you agree? Imagine the clown being tied up with many, many loops and cute poodles with ribbons on its head in endless jumping acts through the hoops.

But then again in the office environment, if you were an IT guy you would know all about endless loops. And if you are unlucky enough you would be working with people who would go through hoops (with you tagging along, God forbid) with no end result in sight. What a nightmare!

Save me. The circus is not in town, but here - in my very office. Please, keep me in the loop and I appreciate that you please do close all the loops. But please, don’t make me jump through any hoops..

ps -this reminds me of an incident during the previous general election campaign. We were eating at a gerai when the candidate with her supporting kuncu-kuncu came and asked us to vote for her. The guy sitting behind us said look, the circus is in town..

*****

Terms of Endearment

When I was very young we used to laugh quietly at mum when she got out names mixed up. She would want to beckon me but ended up calling some other sisters’ names before she got my name right. We told her she has too many names to remember, that’s why she jumbled all our names up – which is very plausible actually.

Now I find the kids are laughing at me for the very same reason. In the end I find out it’s much easier to call everyone by one name, ie yang. Let them find out whom I meant when I call out yang.

But recently I decided that I really should be more prudent when using the endearment. I discovered that I had called the boy at the pasar tani yang. And the waiter serving me at the gerai. And the girl at the launderette. And oh my gosh, people in the office and at meetings too.

It didn’t stop there – I started calling the parking attendant bang. And of course the driver of the school bus and .. and.. The guy in the office blushed when I called him bang (hey, dont take me too seriously here!) which in turn made me feel uncomfortable and almost turned beet-red too!

So these days I am more restraint, so to speak, and is more sensible when using any terms of endearment. Everyone got their proper names back again. & the people at the pasar tani, gerai and launderette? They all remain nameless.

I also stopped calling anybody macha – my sons said that means abang. The young man serving us looked bashful when I asked him what is the meaning of the word macha. He said macha is like calling abang to your spouse and ane is like calling your own brother. So now we all know. And lately any terms of endearment are used very prudently indeed..

*****

Pandora's Box

Mentioned Pandora in my sms to a friend recently. The response that came back was, "That was the first time I had to open a dictionary to understand any sms". Ooopss..

I wondered if anyone else know about Pandora. Not many. But surprise, surprise, my bachelor said it is bala ie calamity. He said Pandora got a box as a gift. She was told not to open it. But her curiosity got the better of her and open the box she did. The contents of the box was all the calamity the world could have. Pandora quickly closed the box, but it was too late. The world had turned up-side down because of the content of the box that Pandora had let out. Pandora did not know that the only thing left in the box after she had closed it was hope. This element hope was supposed to be the cure to all the misfortunes already being let out..

I gaped at my son after he finished telling the story. He said he had to learn all that in one of his assignments.

I went to the Wikipedia to understand more of the story that my son told me and found that Pandora is a part of the Greek mythology. You know, Zeus and Aphrodite and Hercules and Pegasus.. (did you watch the animated Hercules movie?)

The Wikipedia also said Pandora's Box has become a metaphor for the unanticipated consequences of technical and scientific development. I always translate Pandora's Box as unpleasant surprises. So now I know. And kudos to my bachelor..

*****

The Splendor .. and Tragedy of Love

I agreed not to work late that evening. But I don’t control my destiny, do I? So I was late despite my promises.
When I got to Istana Budaya the parking space was full and the attendants guided me from the front entrance right through the parking lot and out again the back entrance to the big trees behind the theater - where I had to find my own spot near some small gerai..

The theater was crowded too. It turned out that it was the closing night – last day of the show. Thank goodness for wireless technology, I quickly found them in the crowded reception area.

I grew up in the kampung, never been to the theater – ever! So of course I don’t know my way around the prestigious place. But since someone had so kindly bought the tickets for us to watch the theater of course I had to go. It was my birthday present after all..

The steps were very steep. Some poor makciks had to be very careful coming down the steps. We got to the seats. They creaked as we sat. Well, what do you expect, right? We are almost at the very top of the theater, I could almost touch the roof (ie read that as the cheapest seat on the house, ok – and it is not that cheap too..) ha-ha..

But the performance was worth all the effort made. It was a new experience, watching the theater. The performance was as good or even better than what all the reviews said/wrote. The props were impressive. The choreography was amazing with that many performers. And the main characters ~ what can I say.. I'm in love.. he-he. I was also told later that most girls came back from the theater and said that.

If there are any more performance on Puteri Gunung Ledang in future I recommend everybody go and get a dose of a great local theater (not that I have seen any other though).

ps - I cant help but wishing that life then were a bit more liberated so that the legend didn’t turn out so sad after all.

*****

He's Back..

My bachelor #2 ~ that's who. It is the semester break so he's here at home. Prowling the kitchen, sleeping on the sofa, walking in and out of the house for futsal, work out at the gym, teh tarik sessions with friends etc etc.

He keeps a very tight schedule everyday - his style. Sleep till noon, lunch, more sleep, wake up for futsal or to go to the gym. Short winks again before dinner. Then it's time to surf the net, chat or listen to blaring music on the PC. Then out for teh tarik with friends. Come back and watch movie(s) or tv. Sleep is after Fajr prayers or shortly before.

Reminds me of my much younger days when my brother came home for his own breaks from college. He slept at extended odd hours all the time too & we envy him the 'freedom' that he had. We wondered why mum, being so strict herself, let him get away with that sleeping habit. Now I know.. ie nothing much can mum do then, like there is not much that I can do now.

This bachelor is supposed to learn to cook during his break. So far little has progressed. I chided him for letting his friends do all the cooking at his bachelor pad, so to speak. So tomorrow evening we are going to do groceries shopping so that he could learn how to buy chicken, clean and cook them. Instead of just eating them. This should be fun.. or a pain..

*****

The Third Quarter Review

It is already September, the last quarter for the year. I thought it would be timely also to conduct a review on my so-called personal performance this year at this time..

One thing that came to mind is the new year resolution that I made for myself. In Jan I made a pledge that for 2007 I will complete at least one book each month on intellectual topics or religion or other serious subject matters that prove as a challenge to the mind. Pretty steep ambition, huh? Quite different for me where new year resolutions are concerned..

I was on track until April ~ then the whole plan went out of control like a kite whose string had broken and plummeted uncontrollably down to the ground.

It is already Sya'aban and Ramadhan is very close round the corner. I have a fancy to revisit the Fadhilat Puasa before then too. I guess it has not been a successful year where this resolution is concerned..

Seem like I have lots of catching-up due..

*****

Much Ado About Nothing

I was well prepared that evening. I have my blanket. Enough pillows. Kleenex box beside me when I sneeze or cough. Lozenges. Even bottled water. Dont even ask about the remote controller - of course it is in my clutches. If anybody, but anybody thinks he can have the tv that evening, he'd better think again..

I was talking about the evening of Aug the 28th, of course. The wedding.. the first meeting after the break-up. You know..

Fifteen minutes into the programmes we were swapping channels like nobody's business. So eager to soak in all the juicy details.

Then the wedding got to the slow-mo mode as they got to the merenjis part and things are so proper and correct.

And then the meet-up also got sluggish as the girl suffered break-ups in her speech and shed tears prettily. It went from bad to worse when the guy came up and everything is just too personal for him to share on the media - what's the purpose of going on live then?

We were bored. We decided to stick to the wedding in the end ~ the stars invited to sing during the santapan are quite good actually..

We were in bed before the bride & groom got to cut their wedding cake. We dont even know what happened on the other channel. I suppose a half-hour of the naked chef on his Italian trip is more entertaining than all that were promised for that evening..

****

Bodily Shutdown

It wasnt that awful. But the waiting was. I'm talking about being sick and waiting to get better, that's what.

I was out of the office for a week. A whole week! Seem like it was something serious and damaging, dont you think? But it was only a cold, fever and lots and lots of coughing.

I asked the nice lady doctor why I feel so drowsy all the time whereas there dont seem much wrong with me. She said, oh dont worry, it's just a way your body is telling you that it is weak and need to shut down for a while. So you just go home, take the medicine and just have long rests. Dont even think about cooking she added. So yeah, I didnt think about ~ never mind do ~ any cooking at all. The poor darlings at home..

So during the downtime I moped and brood around the house. Nothing much could spark any interest from me. I wondered when I could start going to work again.

Last night while watching CNN and their reports on Iranian President calling Bush for a talk and a few more bodies that were found in Iraq not to mention reports on Lubnan, I said I cant imagine how those American newscasters could report all that they are reporting without feeling ashamed or guilty of what their country is doing to the whole world!

Then something clicked in my brain. I realised that hey, I am capable of strong opinions and managed to form some logical feedback on serious matters after all. So I deem myself fit to work again today..

*****

By The Moon and The Stars Junk

Someone sent me an e-mail on the moon and the stars and personality prediction and all that rubbish. I always take these with a pinch of salt. So this is what they say about me..

They : No matter what, everyone will love you because you are ruled by the Moon.
Me : Yeah, yeah ~ cut that crap. Just get on with it.

They : You daydream a lot.
Me : Hmmm..

They : You have a very low self-esteem, you need to have a back up for every move in your life.
Me : Hey, that’s what that smart-aleck guy inferred in class that day – that.. that creep! Grr..

They : You are very unpredictable. You tend to change according to time and circumstances.
Me : So, tell me something I dont know..

They : You are selfish.
Me : Excuse me, I am not!

They : You have a very strong sense of musical and artistic talent and powerful verbal communication.
Me : You are kidding me! I like music ~ I wanted to learn the piano but haven’t got the opportunity to start yet. Singing? Not a note. Art? I cant even draw a stick. And yeah, I talk so much that I trip over my tongue.

They : You can be sweet as an angel.
Me : Me? Are they talking about me? (..cough..cough..) I need some air here.. for a moment there I almost fainted.

They : You can also be ruthless when double crossed.
Me : I do not. I never hold a grudge. Err.. I don’t, do I?

They : Some might say you have sixth sense.
Me : Melalut lah tu.

They : You will become a poet, writer, an artist or a business person.
Me : Pantun-pantun ni tak pandai la. I am not a writer, but wish I could be one. An artist? Never! But I am definitely a business person wannabe..

They : You are not strong in love, so your relationship will be in disarray until you settle down.
Me : Well, what do you know..? That’s why I settled down very quickly, otherwise I’d be perpetually heart broken.. he-he..

They : If you are a girl, you will be responsible for your family.
Me : Nope.

They : You will sacrifice your life for your family.
Me : I suppose any decent person would sacrifice for their loved ones. This is such a sweeping statement that applies to everybody.

They : You are gentle.
Me : (.. speechless… blush gitu..)

They : You are intuitive with a broad vision.
Me : Oh yeah? So how come these training people from SmartOrange send me to this class on enterprise strategy etc etc ? No vision at all, broad or otherwise - that's me.

They : You make a well-balanced person.
Me : Yes, I am the man.. er.. woman, I mean.

They : Your best match is from groups 2, 7, 5 or 9 as no other people can put up with you!!
Me : (..gasp..) Hey! That’s my husband..!

Ha-ha.. Dont trust these rubbish.

*****

Milestones Part 1

I like to think that life comes in 3 parts. The first is the school days till graduation. The second is career and the young family. The third I would guess is after our own children have departed (virtually if not physically) for their own lives and we would once again, be on our own. There could be other stages in later life that I have not had a sight on yet..

I'd think that I am moving towards the later part of the second stage.

Attended my daughter's graduation yesterday. When we got home she had said she didn’t feel much at graduating. I told her I shed some tears that morning in the hall because the occasion is a major milestone in my life. And of course the doa was beautiful and the varsity song was poignant. The band played nice jazzy music; interspersed with soft gamelan throughout the ceremony.

It certainly doesn’t feel like it was that long ago since she was a baby. Lionel Richie was singing ‘Hello, is it me you are looking for?’ then. But here I am twenty-something years later writing about her graduation.

Certainly there are thousands that graduate each year. But when one of your own graduates, it is a big deal. It definitely is a major milestone in my passage through this life.

*****

Crying Me A River

It was an occasion to celebrate.

Her name on the big screen.

With friends.

The Graduate

.. sobs..

I suppose the pictures say it all..

She was a cantankerous baby. It was somewhat difficult handling her then.

But she did well in school. I missed her first day at school though. Her first year started in Dec instead of Jan – something to do with the monsoon & floods. Unfortunately I was away so her father had sent her to school.

She did pretty well in her primary school exams. She scored straight As in her PMR. She was over the moon. I cried. She scored a few more As in her SPM. She cried because she thought she should have studied harder and gotten better grades. Of course I cried too.

So now she has graduated. She said she has no feelings whatever about her graduation. When I told her I cried at her graduation ceremony she said why? I said because the occasion is a different milestone in my life as it is for hers..

Congrats, yang. Love you.

May Allah place us among the learned, the faithful, the successful and among His loved ones. This is but the beginning and the best is yet to come, Insya’allah.

*****

Much Blessed

I was driving home the other day when the traffic came to an almost full stop at some houses along the road. I wondered what was going on and eased off my foot from the accelerator pedal.

Turned out that the local council had demolished some rumah kilat along the road. There were boxes and raga all over the place filled with house owners’ belongings. The owners themselves were hanging about looking upset, angry and worried. There’s a small canopy close by. I suppose that’s the roof over their head that night.

The next day I passed by the same area and noticed most boxes were gone but the canopy and remaining items with a couple of people were still there. I suppose those left have not found a new place for themselves. My sympathies are with all of them.

So when I have a bad day today I told myself to stop looking at people who are better than me, in the worldly sense, but look instead at those who are on the other side of the scale. I have much to be thankful for. & I came up with these lines today..

Traffic is bad and the drivers are rude
Work is uninspiring - and I’m so not in the mood
Bosses and peers make me an unlikely joyful crowd
And in fact, there are so many more I could go on about.

But if I were smart then I would see
That I am actually blessed with treasures aplenty
Family and health that are so very dear to me
And faith and friends to keep me in safe company.

Yeah, if I were smart I would definitely see ~
Allah has been bountiful indeed upon me!

And so I decided to quit feeling sorry for myself today.

*****

Male Drivers!

I was the model for all city drivers this morning. I didnt change lane haphazardly, I yielded to motorcyclists and I even let others overtake me. The traffic contributed to the mood of course. The road was not too packed and generally the drivers behaved ..

.. until I got onto Jalan Tun Razak and tried to change lane. Yes, of course I used the signal! But this mamat, seeing that I was about to pull in front of him, sped up and immediately pull alongside me so that I cant chage lane in front of him. He avoided making eye contact, his face turned to his right but he was mumbling something, swearing at me I would guess.

It's just not me to give in on the road (there goes all my good driving etiquette. Well, the few that I have anyway). I refused to give way but drove beside him behind the front car. After a few seconds he looked my way, I shook my head at him, signifying how disgusting, appalling, atrocious and immature his action was. Then I drove off and changed lane a few cars further up.

While still feeling mad, I wished him a miserable day ahead, full of torture and nightmares and anguish ..

*****

Friends

Felt melancholy this morning. Thought about a lot of things including life (of course!), work, mum, enstrangements etc. But one thing got stuck in my mind. Friends.

Sometimes friends come and go as we move on. Even the best of friends. Few we keep in touch with but the others just slip through.

This morning I decided to revive old friendships that somehow just slipped by. Also pledged to make better ties with all the other friends.

To all my dearest friends, thank you for making work a bit easier, days a bit more cheerful and for the sharing & caring. Wish all my friends the best of the best! Love you all.

*****

Mum & Her Orchids

Mum's favorite past time is gardening and her passion lies in orchid cultivation. Nothing pleases her more that seeing her flowers in bloom. And bloom they do those flowers of hers. We are amazed that her flowers grow so well.

My brother had taken these photos and showed them to her. She said, Cantik nya.. When my brother told her the flowers are actually hers she said unbelievably, Ye ke..? ha-ha.. So these are some of the orchids that mum has in her garden. Trust me, she has many, many more..

Makan-Makan

Had a makan-makan at Damansara last weekend.

Only one word could describe the food that was served - wow! There was beriani gam and roasted lamb legs and beef with blackpepper sauce. There was also buttered button mushroom and salad with edible flowers accompanied by an assortment of dressing.

For dessert there were cream puffs and a selection of kuih Melayu with lots of delicious chocolates. And let's not forget the fruits - there were manggis and rambutan and longan and etc. Did I forget anything else?

Oops, of course there was mak there.. hehe.. got carried away with the food there for a moment. And Mak Su and of course the other members of the clan. I wanted to get some pictures but didnt have a camera with me.

Only Eirfan was eager to tag along to his auntie's house; the others were busy elsewhere.. sokmo macam tu. We told everyone else about the food when we got home. They were mad/glad they didnt go depending on their concern with regards to the waistline..

Thank you to the host & hostess for the greatest lunch - and there goes my good intentions on bersederhana where eating is concerned..

*****

Getting Back To Basics

Visited someone at the hospital last weekend. He's had an operation for colon cancer. Was in the ICU for some time but now recovering in the wards, Alhamdulillah.

He's as weak as a baby, cant even begin to sit up on his own on bed. The specialist has not briefed immediate family the next steps toward recovery. May he have a speedy recovery.

There are 6 beds in the ward, all with similar cases. The most heartrending patient of all was a 20-something adik being taken care of by his father. Kesian. Dari kecil sampai besar, tak habis ayah jaga anak tu. May Allah bless them both.

I decided to be more careful and selective on the family diet. Nothing works like being healthy. Ya Allah, please bless us with good health.

*****

It's A Sad Story Again..

I sent off the other bachelor back to campus on Sun. He was in a jovial mood - meeting friends again. But not that crazy about school I would guess.

This time the boys had to share a house outside campus so it's a new experience for them. The house is a brand new one. I hope they would not 'destroy ' the house at the end of the tenure - like all bachelors do.

& yesterday the other bachelor also returned to his own campus. Classes are starting again.

It's going to be quiet around here. No one to fight over the PC. No one prowling in the kitchen looking for food. No one coming in or going out for teh tarik. No one stopping and honking in front of my gate. No one asking where the socks are. No one wanting to use the car... Yeap, it's going to be real quiet.

Someone remarked that my blog has a sad mood to it. Sedih actually the word that was used. I thought about it, and agreed that to some extent it is sedih. But personally I'd rather describe the blog as emotional ..

And yeah I know, I am being emotional again ..

*****

On Music

I am no expert on music. But I know what I do or do not like. The kids say my songs are out-dated. So do my friends.

In fact the kids say the songs I like got out-dated many times and I still listen to them. Examples are like Emotion which was sung again by Destiny's Child some time back and Every Breath You Take. Nevertheless I still like the original versions sang by ? (whom I cant recall) and Police respectively. I actually resented Puff when he sang every Breath You Take in his very own version.

I got laughed at by a friend who loved AC/DC because I like Anne Murray. But AC/DC?? Come on, get some real music please.. Someone asked me, why Dione Warwick? And I got a snicker or two for still liking Sting and Lennox and Streisand.

I favored Janet Jackson and Madonna and Toni Braxton and Mariah Carey for a bit but got tired of their colorful stories. Was engulfed by Robbie Williams and who's-that-guy? (Ronan Keating actually) for a while too. Occassionally I like the songs but not the singers themselves like Eminen and Destiny's Child.

Lately Il Divo is top on my list. And I got a good ribbing for that too.

I guess I can can tolerate very small doses of modern pop like Britney's Everytime, but I'll stick to evergreens. No teasing or raised eye brows or jokes about my choice of music or singers, please. Thank you.

*****

A Wedding In The Family

& suddenly we had two weddings in a row in the family. Last month was cousin Aida's and most recently Nana's.

A nice touch ~ lovely photos of the bride & groom put up at the main entrance..

And the pakciks seem to have an enjoyable late morning tea and assorted kuih-muih..
The children seem to have fun..

And the makciks were busily gossiping. Must be something serious.. heh-heh.. (And hence the signs of the children getting bored. Take note they have started fidgeting & changed the camera settings ..)
Then the children started to be funny.. like the Malay heros from the 60s with tilted songkoks here..

After akad ~ the bride & groom having tea..

Everything had went well. Bride & groom mingling with aunts, cousins, nieces & nephews..

Till the next niece's/nephew's wedding..

Congrats to the bride & groom and parents of the bride for a very nice wedding.

*****

World Cup Mania

It wouldnt do if I dont have anything to say about the World Cup, right? Everybody's got something to say about it..

There are two football freaks at home. One had to catch all that hype with friends on mega screens at some mamak shop somewhere. The other just contented to watch all the actions at home.

The others? So.. well, yeah it is the World Cup..

Me? I thought the grass is really green at all the fields. And that the temperature is pretty hot for an European summer. And that the commentator that we had smiled a bit too much for a sports scaster and Shebby could do a much better job than that main anchor guy. I love the color that the Dutch guys wore and most of all I think van Bastan still look great at 40-something.

That's all that I can sum up on the games.

Oh, and that chauvunist-flavored joke we get on email about the world cup? Yeah that one. I am sure the girls are very happy the men are occupied elsewhere during these games. That way we get to do the things that we enjoy doing without anybody checking up on us.. heh-heh..

I personally think the World Cup should be held more often ~ like every other year or so..

*****