Perspectives

After a hard day fighting, yes literally fighting with the users, I looked into the mirror after prayer and saw the fine lines (well, maybe not so fine after all) on my face and thought - I dont need these kind of hell at this age. I should be sitting at my table and peacefully doing my work..

But nevertheless certain flashes of the iron lady in 'The Devil Wears Prada' flip through my mind.. she certainly didnt quietly sat at her desk!

I checked and found out that Demi Moore is a year older than me and Julia Roberts and Sandra Bullock are younger only by 4 and 1 year, respectively. I am 15 years younger than Stevie Nicks and 24 years younger than the rocking grandmama Tina Turner.

And I so hate Brad Pitt - he looks sooo good at my age.. They all certainly dont look like the type that sat quietly at their so-called desk.

*****

A Happy Life

Something I found when I was reading and thought I should share - I am suddenly being philosophical these few days and I dont know why..

Anyway. An American psychologist said that living a happly life is actually a fine art that entails among others :

1. Getting a job that you love. (Me : Dont love your job? Dont fret, you are not the only one..) Failing that, then you should get a hobby that you adore.

2. Taking care of your health - that is the spirit of your happiness.

3. Having a goal in life that will propel you forward which will give you energy and motivation.

4. Terima lah kehidupan ini seadanya; accept the bitter and the sweet.

5. Living in the present. Tomorrow has pass; learn from it and move on.

6. Thinking before you act. You are responsible for all the decisions that you make. Dont blame anyone else.

7. Looking at those who are not as lucky as you are.

8. Smile. Be cheerful. Keep company with optimistic people.

Feeling happy already..?

*****

.......?

I mused noisily yesterday, what is the purpose of life?

And I was reminded that there is a verse in the al-Quran that translates to almost something like "Manusia dan jin tidak dijadikan kecuali untuk menyembah Allah."

I know that - maybe I should rephrase that to - I think I know that. But nevertheless I wondered long and hard how to live up to the true meaning of the verse.. My own arguments on the fact that I am neither a daei nor a sufie but simply a lowly human being sounded like lame excuses even to my own ears.

I gave my own original question some long thoughts. I think I was asking the question in the general sense. But in restrospect I wondered yet again if there could be anything general about an important question like the purpose in life..

*****

Blue? On A Fri Evening..?

It's Fri. The people in the office went ga-ga for a while maybe because of the week-end. Now it's very quiet.

I'm somehow feeling blue about the weekend - which is queer. I have a birthday party on Sat and an appointment on Sun. And lots to-do in between; not like I've got nothing planned.. Maybe I'm missing the boys (yet again).

This post reminds me of the cartoon on Syib's Bunnehmunches that says almost something like, if I dont blog where else would I go and whine? I so agree.. But you dont mind that I whine, do you guys?

*****

Doodle-dee

I was at Mali's (http://a-passion-for-food.blogspot.com/2008/01/somewhere-to-eat.html) last night.

Beside us sat a young couple. The girl wore a uncooperative look and the guy had a frown. I thought they could be having a fight - and why not, I whispered to my daughter.. it is Valentine and all she's getting is dinner at the gerai..

And last week I asked my children if they are celebrating Valentine of any sort (most of them are going steady, help me.. ). They frowned and shook their heads and said no, no. But I wonder what they do behind my back.

So last night I found out they did not celebrate Valentine (at least they didnt celebrate it last night, that is). One was at home, the other we met at Mali's having dinner with friends and the last had just woken up and was just going to have a shower - seem like Thur is a free day and he had slept all day.. duh..?

Being a parent I find that my mind is always on the roaming alert.. (which reminds me of Elvis' "Suspicious Mind"..)

*****

Sejarah & Kaabah

I seem to be keen on history lately (and in fact I dont know why). I was interested in the subject of WW1 / WW2 and Hitler and Normandy for a while when I was 15 - the history teacher was cute (but yet today for the life of me, I dont understand why I had thought he was cute.)

Anyway, I was reading about Sejarah Makkah while waiting for Eirfan to finish his homework yesterday, and came across this :

Ada beberapa hadith Nabi saw yang menyatakan bahawa Kaabah akan rosak pada akhir zaman. Hadis itu diriwayatkan bahawa Abu Hurairah ra berkata bahawasanya Rasulullah saw bersabda:
"Kaabah akan dirosak oleh Dhus-Suwaiqatain (seorang lelaki dengan kaki kecil) dari Abyssiny." (Bukhari)

Dan dari Aisya ra bahawa Rasulullah saw bersabda:
"Satu pasukan akan menyerang Kaabah dan ketika mereka sampai pada suatu tempat yang lapang, bumi akan menelan mereka, dari yang pertama sehingga yang terakhir." (Bukhari)

And it was also told that "..Kaabah tidak akan dibina semula.." sebab di akhir zaman, nama Allah pun tak akan disebut lagi; but there is no hadith sahih that was quoted to support the claims. So wallah-hualam.

*****

Life's Idiosyncrasies

I know a lady who, all her life lived in a upper middle class area. Have a couple of children - not more. Drove a BMW and whose hubby drove a Merc. She wore gorgeous clothes. She plays the piano; her children play the piano. She serves tea in her Royal Albert teasets.

Then she retired and moved to a sprawling house with a pool in the suburban area. Now all she wants to do is to rear lots of ayam serama, ayam kampung, ayam mutiara and itik nila and itik angsa.. did I miss any of the birds here? Duh..

I also know a datin who climbed the corporate ladder throughout many, many years. Welcome to corporate Malaysia GLCs - she was in the HR dept; and she wore kerawang kebayas and beautiful kurungs. Her weakness is the heels that she wore. She has Bally open toed heels and St Michael's strappy heels and clasically cut italian pumps - you name it, and if she doesnt have it she knows about it.

Then she retired. After a couple of months at home playing the role of a lady-of-leisure in her flatties she had serious sore legs and feet. She paid a visit to her GP and surprise, surprise was told her feet missed their heels so much that they ached! He recommended her to wear heels even at home.. Duh..?

*****

Like History Repeating Itself

I was talking to my son last night and asked him, what would you be when you graduate later, yang?

He: Uhh.. uhm.. err.. A geophysicist! (He declared enthusiastically - after some quick thinking on his part, if I may add..)

Suddenly I felt almost like a fish out of water - maybe like what my mum must have felt when I told her I was taking up computer science all those years ago. Maybe she thought I'd be a scientist with my white lab coat flapping around me - what the heck, I thought I was going to be a scientist with the white coat flapping about me! (Talk about being misguided..)

Anyway.

Me : But what would you do exactly? (I know what is geology. And I know what is physics; well, at least I know enough to know that I dont like it..)

He : Uhh.. uhm.. err.. (here we go again and I know what that meant) I'm going to look at rocks and study them.

Me : ok.. (pause. And thinking hard how geology and physics could co-relate) What are you learning now?

He : I look at rocks.

Me : Oh.. (bigger pause) Is that all?

He : That's it for now.

Me : Belajar rajin-rajin, tau?

I went to my friendly Wikipedia and it says:
Geophysics, a branch of earth sciences, is the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic, electromagnetic and radioactivity methods. The theories and techniques of geophysics are employed extensively in the planery sciences in general.

The field of geophysics includes the branches of:
- seismology (earthquakes and elastic waves)
- gravity and geodesy (the Earth's gravitational field and the size and form of the Earth)
- atmospheric science
- meteorology and climatology
- geomagnetism (study of the earth's magnetic field)
- geothermometry (heating of the Earth, heat flow, volcanology and hot springs)
- hydrology
- physical oceanography
- petrophysics
And etc etc.

Unfortunately, my mum never had Wikipedia at her fingertips all those twenty-something years ago.

*****

The Swinging / Rocking (?) Eighties

You Belong in 1981

Wild, over the top, and just a little bit cheesy. You're colorful at night - and successful during the day.

What Year Do You Belong In?

Despite claims of not favoring being named an eighties-person, I find that Eagles' "I Cant Tell You Why" and Journey's "Small Town Girl" and Clapton's "Wonderful Tonight" could smooth somewhat ruffled feathers.

And that Foreigner's "Urgent" and Rod Stewart's "Young Turks" and Police's "Every Breath You Take" and the boss' renderation of "Born In The USA" could lighten the mood up a notch.

Whilst Gibbs' / Streisand's version of "Guilty" and Cetera's / Amy Grant's "Next Time I Fall (In Love)" could simply put you on cloud nine..

Now who's not an eighties-person..?

*****

Good Times

It is the CNY break at the colleges and the boys are back at home.

My fridge is well stocked and the house is full of noise - from Eirfan mostly. He has fun with all the abangs playing PS, watching movies and cartoons. He loves it mostly when abangs send and fetch him from tuition.

Yeap, we have cars coming and going at the front gates (and at ungodly hours too if I may add..) and meals are always elaborate with breakfast and afternoon tea too. Whereas usually meals are always takeaways, breakfast are ate out and teas..? never heard of it..

It is going to be a fun CNY break I'd guess..

*****