Come today, gone tomorrow

I have been sitting here at my desk staring at the computer for almost an hour already and still I'm at a lost at what to write. The funny thing is I had this interesting piece in my mind just last night and had planned to write it early this morning. So here I am at my desk as planned but I just can't remember what it was that I had wanted to write. Been unsuccessfully trying to recall what it was that got me all excited last night so much so that I had difficulty sleeping! I had to say to myself, sleep first. Tomorrow early in the morning you can write it. But now, its all gone! Just like that. The memory just fail. I give up!

Just the three of us

The holiday season is almost over. After a long break, the schools will be starting soon. The universities are also almost back in full swing. My son, Hanafi, has gone back to UTM Skudai to begin his new semester. My daughter, Fatihah, has already started her new semester one week ago at UIA while my youngest, Hafizi, is well into his second semester of his foundation year at Uniten. So that left just the three of us in the house on most days, my wife, Shima, my eldest son, Hakimi and myself.
Come 2009, which is just a few days away, I will also be back at work. Back to the routine of the last 29 years. That's how long I have been working! Just seems like yesterday when I first reported for work way back in 1979. Anyway, that's another story...

A Night Out in Shah Alam

Hanafi in front of Plaza Alam Sentral

A Night Out in Shah Alam

View of SACC Mall

At McDonald

A Night Out in Shah Alam

In front of Plaza Alam Sentral, Shah Alam

The whole family decided not to have the usual dinner in the house. Instead we went to Shah Alam for a change. Left the house after the Isya prayer and headed for Plaza Alam Sentral first to meet Hakimi. Decided to try one of the many stalls there for some food and Teh Tarik. Later on went to McDonald in Section 4 for more food.

A year is gone.... so fast

As the year draws to a close, I can't help but reflect on the year that has been. For me, nothing much have changed. I'm still much the same, working to make an honest living, making ends meet at the end of the month. No doubt the pot has got much bigger than when I first started but then the needs and the wants has also grown in tandem. I would say 2008 is a trying year as the world grapples with the economy that is rapidly slipping. Until a solution is found, 2009 can only gets worse.
Life, as they say is a never ending lesson!
As for me, only God knows what awaits in 2009. I, as always, can only look forward to it.

A Day Out

Having Teppanyaki for a change

So far my holidays had been spent lazing around the house, doing nothing much except eat, watch TV, go to the mosque, swim and sleep. Was getting a bit bored. Perhaps this is how it will be when I retire in a few years time. Anyway, today, on Christmas day, decided to go to Low Yat to have a look at some of the new computers and handphones in the market.

No matter what!

Went to Time square and saw this big Christmas tree. Forget the bad times we are going through. Enjoy whatever we have, be grateful always, and who knows, the good times might be just round the corner.

Saturday and Sunday

The Perdana Ballroom
Cars parked alongside the road almost a kilometre away from the market.

Saturday morning, I was at Mid Valley for a bowling event organised by my department for some of TNB's partners. On Sunday I went jogging with my wife at the Shah Alam lake. Then stopped by at the Sunday market for some groceries before heading home. Looking at the cars parked by the roadside and the large crowd, you'll never thought that we are in an economic slowdown. People are still buying! and buying! and buying!
Later in the evening, we attended a wedding reception at the Felda Perdana Ballroom, KL. One of our Haji friend ( we met while performing the haj in 2002) was marrying off their daughter. By the time we got home, it was almost midnight. And to think that early tomorrow morning, I have to send my son to Uniten. So much for the holiday............

One busy holiday

Just when I thought I could spend my first day of holiday lazing around the house, I was jolted from my thoughts by my wife asking me to accompany her to the immigration department in Putrajaya. Our application for a new maid has just been approved and we need to collect the documents. So off we went to Putrajaya to do the necessary. Made it just in time to collect the documents and still be able to go for the Friday prayer at the mosque near my house.
Then after the prayer and lunch, I thought I could just spent the afternoon quietly in bed and slowly doze off but alas! it was not to be. My daughter wanted me to accompany her to the Store in Sungai Buloh town. She wanted to repair her computer. It seems that the WiFi is Kaput. So there goes the afternoon and also the first day of holiday.

I am on holiday .. ye.. ye

One Final Bit

Thursday 18th of December was my last day at work before going on a two weeks holiday. The whole day was spent at Armada Hotel, PJ where we had a bit of a seminar cum meeting session at the hotel. I presented a paper on risk management while others presented papers on their respective departments. It was a bit tiring as it went on till 6.30 pm. Still knowing that after the session I'II be on long leave helped to make it much easier on the mind.

Dreams don't always come true

I am not technically inclined and never will. My first love has always been reading and maybe a little bit of writing. When I was in school, my favourite subject was English. I just enjoy learning the language. Be it reading, grammar, vocabulary or composition, I just love them. I remember wanting to be a writer or a journalist when I grow up.
But God had other plans for me. After form 5, the only way I could further my studies was to secure a scholarship as my parents surely could not afford the fees. Having moved into the science stream for my upper secondary education, the only scholarships I could hope to get was those that had to do with the sciences. Sure enough, I managed to secure a scholarship to study Mechanical Engineering in England and with that, it effectively ended my dream of becoming a writer.
Almost 30 years on, I still dream of becoming a writer although my English now is only half of what it used to be.

A honeymoon that was not

Form 4 is commonly known as the honeymoon year. Its the year to relax after the pressure of the form 3 examinations and before having to study real hard for the form 5 examinations in two years time. I don't know about others but for me, I was really on honeymoon.
Everyday after the morning school session ends, I would cycle home, have lunch, take my bath, say the afternoon prayer, have a short rest and then... cycle back to school. There, I would join in all kind of activities. Football, sepak takraw, badminton, rugby, basketball, ping pong, gymnastics etc. etc. That's how I would spend my afternoons. I will only go home just before the evening prayers.
On weekends I would be at the cinema, watching movies. The morning show was dubbed cheap matinee and it would show rerun of old movies. A ticket cost only 0.40cts. That's where I would be on most weekends.
Studies were far away from my mind. So much so that I did badly during the first and second term examinations. Finally, my father has had enough and he put his big foot down..............

I read the news today (1)

Its the economy again

Despite all the gloom, I have a hunch that things are on the upbeat again. The Dow has been more positive than negative over the past few weeks. Similarly with the Hang Seng and the Nikkie. I dare say the feel good factor is back. Bumpy though the road ahead may be, I dare say the ride will be a pleasant one.

Dreams are no more a secret

The Japanese are at it again. They will think of all the weirdest things and make it happened! The latest is making your dreams available for all to see. In other words, they have invented a way of showing them on a screen while you dream away. can you possibly believe that? Off course at the moment it is all in its early stage yet but give them a few more years. I bet you they will be able to do it!

Some things cannot be explained

It was reported that a would be thief was found dehydrated, hungry and scared in a house cum shop in Trengganu. Apparently, he went into a house with the intention of stealing but as soon as he entered, he was kind of lost. It was like he was in a cave with no exit in sight. Try as he might, he only ended in circles. When the owner came back after being away for three days, the thief was found, hungry, dehydrated, scared and traumatised. He is now in a hospital, recovering from the ordeal.

A Winter to Forget

In a way, coming to England in the month of September to begin student life there is not quite the best of beginnings. This is the time when summer has long disappeared and the cold wind of autumn has taken over. In the months ahead, the cold will get even colder as chilly winter makes its presence. The days get shorter as the nights get longer. Night time is 4 pm and it stays that way till about 8 am the next morning. The sky is dark and gloomy and the atmosphere is downright dull........ and the bloody cold, it has a way of making you feel down!
For a person coming from a tropical climate where the sun rises at 7 am and sets at 7 pm everyday, where the sun never stop shining except when it rains occasionally, where the temperature is hot all of the time, facing winter for the first time is an experienced to forget. The cold, the short daylight hours, the new surroundings, the food, the dark and gloomy days, they all add up to a miserable winter.
Luckily I had the studies to keep me occupied. Otherwise, I wouldn't have survived my first winter.

When Life is at a Crossroad

In life, you don't always get what you want. Many a times you are forced to make a choice. However, no matter what's the choice, you are bound to loose something. In other words, choose one way or the other, you'll end up the loser.
In circumstances like this, you can only choose the one which you think will cause you to lose the least. Nonetheless, in most cases, the choice is not that simple. Firstly, you never want to lose anything. Secondly, the loses are not always tangible. Therefore, how do you know which choice will make you lose the least?
In Islam, the prophet has taught us how to make a choice when faced with such a circumstances. Do the 'Istikharah Solat'. If you do it with all sincerity, then God will guide you in His own way to the right choice.

The Wedding Ceremony

The Akad Nikah was followed by the wedding feast on Saturday at Kelab Golf SSAS, Shah Alam. The invitees were mainly her friends and close relatives. After this the welcoming ceremony by the bridegroom will be held in Perlis, his home state.

Akad Nikah

The Gifts
The Bride
The Bridegroom waiting to Akad

Last Thursday I attended the akad nikah of my niece. The event was held at masjid Al falakh, USJ. Real glad it went without a hitch.

The 1966 World Cup

I was 10 years old when I first heard of the world cup. The year was 1966 and England was the host. At that time, the matches were not shown live on TV like today although some recorded matches were shown. The only way to get the news were through the newspapers or through the radio. Still, I followed the tournament closely. Pele was in his prime and was expected to lead Brazil to glory. Unfortunately, he was literally kicked out of the tournament by over eager defenders and as a result, Brazil went out early. England came out winners for the one and only time in their history beating Germany 4 - 2 in the final.
I still remember vividly watching the Charlton brothers, Bobby Moore the captain, Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles, Geoff Hurst the hattrick hero and many others. I also remember Backenbauer, then a young and upcoming player, playing with his hand in a sling, a result of an injury.
This game is best remembered for the third goal scored by England which until today is still being disputed. Television footage has so far failed to provide an answer. Did the ball crossed the line or did it not?

I read the news today

Bulls on a rampage!
The Hang Seng index jumped dramatically higher over the last three days. Although there was a slight setback on the second day, the bulls came charging back today. Similarly, over the last 10 days, the Dow Jones has mostly been on the rise. Other indexes have also shown similar upward trends though not as much. Have we have seen the last of the bears?

Another tragedy, another round of announcement
Yet another tragedy happened. Same area. 14 bungalows destroyed by a massive landslide resulting in 4 deaths. Immediately, announcement after announcement were made. Mainly, to say no more hillside development. How many times have I heard it all before? Yes, for a few months, there will be a lot of hue and cry but soon enough, everything will quieten down and the development will start ......... again. Until another tragedy!

What ills Malaysian football?
I saw the third goal scored by Vietnam in the match against Malaysia. What a joke! My grandmother could have done better! The days when Malaysia could stand on the same ground with Japan, Korea and even Thailand are long gone! Where are the Soh Chin Ans the Mokhtar Dahari, the M. Chandran? Where? Please show up!

England here I come

In late September 1974, I arrived for the first time in England to begin my university education there. There were about thirty of us scholarship holders in that group. On arriving at Heathrow airport, a group of senior Malaysian students were waiting for us and from there, we were taken in a bus to Brighton where the college was situated.
Earlier, we had taken the Boeing 737 MAS flight from Kuala Lumpur to London. It was my first time on a plane. At that time there were no direct flight to London. The plane had stopovers in Dubai and later Beirut before its final destination to London.
I was just 17 going on 18 then. Inside me, I was feeling all excited and eager. After all, this was like a dream come true. England, the London bridge, Parliament house, the river Thames , Trafalgar Square, Picadilly Circus, Manchester United, Liverpool, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Cliff Richard, all these and much more. If before, they were just pictures, stories or movies, now they were going to be real. I could hardly believe it!
And so began the next phase of my life ........ which lasted five years.

Its a wet Raya

Its a wet wet Hari Raya Aidil Adha. The rain was on very early in the morning. At one point I thought we were never going to make it to the mosque for the Aidil Adha prayer. Luckilly the rain slowed a bit about half an hour before prayer time. That was when we quickly made our way to the mosque.
In the afternoon the whole family went to Setia Alam to my nephew's house. He was having a small birthday celebration for his daughter. Happened to meet my sister there and decided to follow her back to her house in Subang Jaya for more makan and chit chat after that.
At night my wife's brother and sister together with their families came to the house. All in all, it was quite a Hari Raya Aidil Adha despite the rain that never stop.

This the season for Haj

Once again, the haji season is back. More than two million people from all over the world will converge in the holy city of Makkah to do the haj. It will begin on 10 zulhijjah with the wukuf in Arafah, follwed by the stone throwing rituals in Mina for three days and finally the Tawaf and Sai in the grand mosque.
I have done it twice. Once in 1996 when I went alone. Then in 2002 with my wife. Both times the experienced were something I can never forget. To finally see for myself Makkah, the Masjidil Haram, the Kaabah, Bukit Uhud, Masjid Qiblatain, Masjid Nabawi in Madinah and many many others. It was real and its happening right before my eyes!

An outing to Low Yat Plaza

Breakfast at Time Square before going on to Low Yat
A view of Low Yat from inside.

On Sunday we went to Low Yat to buy a new handphone for Hanafi. His old handphone had gone kaput so he needed a new one. Must have been the Hari Raya atmosphere for somehow I felt a bit generous on the pocket. By the end of the day, it got....... a lot lighter!

Visit to Sg Bil mini hydro in Tg Malim

Plenty of food on arrival.

Crystal clear water. Very inviting!

The entrance to the village. The mini hydro is a few kilometres further up the road from the entrance. The river runs alongside the road. An enjoyable visit and a Saturday well spent.

2,000,000 million note

Have you heard of a 2,000,000(I can't remember the currency) note? If you have not, then you are hearing of one now! It's found in Zimbabwe. Its not surprising since the inflation there is thousands of percent. And the value in US Dollars? its 14 US Dollars! About RM 70! Can buy you a nice piece of shirt!

Of days gone by.....

For my secondary education, my father decided to transfer me to King Edward VII school (famously known as sekolah KE) in Taiping. For a young boy like me, moving from a small rural school in a small town called Selama to a big school like KE in a big town like Taiping, the changed was a cultural shocked.

I was in awe of everything, the school, the building, the students, the teachers, the classrooms etc. etc.! Fortunately, being young and eager and wanting to prove myself, I quickly absorbed all the changes and made myself at home in the new surroundings.
Form then on till form 5, this was to be my school. Five years of many pleasant memories. They say school days are the happiest days of your life. I agree fully.

From EASY jet to Air Asia

Years ago, no frill airlines were unheard of. I first came across such a thing in 2000 when I took my family to England and Switzerland. The flight from Malaysia to England was normal enough but from England to Switzerland, we took EASY jet, the no frill airline. I had to make the booking (through the internet) a few months ahead to ensure I get the cheapest price and once booked, there's no such thing as changing the date/time. On confirmation of booking, I was given a number to present when checking in.
The flight itself was very early, 7.30 am, if I remember correctly and the airport was not Heathrow but Stanstead. We had to leave the hotel at 4 am in order to reach the airport before 6 am. On the plane, it was free seating. No free refreshment as well. If you want, you have to buy.
The flight itself was pleasant and we reached Switzerland in about an hour.
When Air Asia came into being, I can't help but remember my experience with EASY jet.

Now its 5.15pm

When I first started work almost 30 yrs ago, punch out time was 4.15pm. That was really good. We had plenty of time to do many things after coming back from work like jogging, shopping, visit friends etc. Then they changed it to 5pm. Still not too bad. I still had enough time to go jogging after work. Then it was changed to 5.30pm. That was really bad. On reaching home, it would normally be dark already. There's no time for anything else except to get ready for the maghrib prayers.
Now its 5.15pm. Still too early to see its effect.

Just my thoughts

It is still a total mess....

Just when I thought the worse is over, the Dow Jones plunged more than 600 points on more bad economic news. After four days of moving upwards, it ended in the most terrible of ways! What a letdown! All the four days of gains melted away just like that! terrible! terrible! terrible!
It is still a total mess out there!

The Smiling Sky

Two nights ago, I was watching the TV while waiting for dinner when my wife asked me to look at the sky outside. I walked over to the side of the house where I could see the sky clearly from the opened door. What I saw was something I have never seen before! A smiling face made up of the moon (mouth) and two stars (the eyes). My wife and children were clearly excited although I was very nonchalant about it.
The next morning I read in the papers that this was something special and it only happens every five years. Should have known better!

A restaurant too far.
Every Sunday morning, my wife and I would have breakfast in one of the many restaurants in Sg Buloh. Last Sunday, we wanted to try somewhere else, having tried almost all of the eateries in Sg Buloh. We wanted to go to Shah Alam but half way through the Guthrie Corridor, I said to her why not we try somewhere in Kg Subang. So, instead of going straight on to Shah Alam, I took a left turn at the Kg Subang junction and headed for that place. But driving through the place, we couldn't find not one restaurant that caught our fancy. So I just kept on driving and driving and before we knew it, hei! We're back in Sg Buloh!
With our stomach feeling hungrier by the minute, we finally stopped at one of the restaurant to have our breakfast. And guess what! It is just minutes from our house! after having gone so far.