A stranger on the prowl

I was briefly at the 'office' yesterday. Never thought I'd be back so soon but its something I needed to do as there are still some loose ends that need to be taken care of. After all, one just cannot walked away after thirty years and never ever go back again. The short time spent there was nice, although at times, I felt like a stranger in what used to be my 'second home'. Anyway, life goes on and so have I.

Its going to be Man U vs Barcelona!

Looks like its gonna be Man U vs Barcelona for the League Championship final. Both won 2-0 away against Schalke and Real Madrid respectively in the first leg semis. I don't fancy Schalke to come back from two goals down at Old Trafford but Real Madrid might just be able to do it at Barcelona. But then again, they will have to reckon with Messi. If he is on song, Real Madrid better be singing too!

Keeping to the routine

It still has not sunk in yet. Maybe because the last few days, I have been quite occupied. One thing for sure, I have not been able to keep to the time in taking my meals. It used to be 7.30 am for breakfast and 1 pm for lunch, almost to the dot. Only dinner will the time waver a bit. Now, it really is a struggle to maintain the routine. I definitely must not let this continue too long. The same goes for my jogging. Must get back to the routine soon.......

See it as you like

A different kind of life

This morning I'm feeling it. One by one my children goes off to their places of work. One at 6.30 am, the next at 7.30 am while the last one at 8 am. Meantime, I'm sitting in front of the TV, not watching anything in particular, changing channels every few seconds. Earlier, I had gone to the mosque for the morning prayer, came back, read the Quran, had breakfast and that's it! Yes...that's it. Oh....I forgot! My car needs topping up of the lub oil, my house needs to be rid of white ants, the water pump for the pool is running 24hrs a day when it shouldn't, I need to fill up my income tax form before its too late, another car needs to be send for servicing, The roof is leaking at a few places, the kitchen door has .........wow! the list of things to do is endless!

No wonder!

Of the people that go to the mosque, only half can read the Quran. From those that can read, only half can read it well. From the half that can read it well, only half can read it with 'tajwid'. From the half that can read it with tajwid, only half actually knows it fully. From the half that knows it fully, only half master it. From the half that master it, only half read it with understanding. From the half that .......... I can go on and on!
Now what about people who don't go to the mosque?

So who?

Now that the clay court season is in full swing, with the French Open being the finale, I just wonder who can stop Nadal from winning it again. Federer in his prime couldn't. In decline, he don't stand a chance. Djokovic could prove to be a handful but on clay he is a lesser player. Murray, Sonderling and others, they are not Grand Slam material just yet. So who?

The roads less travelled

Living in the Klang Valley, it pays to know the roads less travelled. It will allow us to avoid the traffic jams that occur frequently, even in the worst of time. There are many roads that lead to a place. Most of the time, we only know one road or route. Unfortunately, thousands of others also know that same road. We can learn from the taxi drivers. They definitely know how to find their way around.

Winning again

Maurinho is at it again! What? Winning trophies off course. He is a winner. He wins trophies, be it in Portugal, England, Italy, Spain or wherever. I have always thought that if there is one man who knows how to play Barcelona, then he is the man. Meticulous in his preparations, his football may not be attractive but he can win trophies, something Arsene Wenger cannot.

My first day

I woke up this morning and wondered why do I have this feeling that I have all the time in the world. Then suddenly I realised......yes...I actually have all the time in the world. Wow! what a wonderful feeling. After thirty two years, I have almost forgotten how it feels to be free! Now... I know and it feels really great! Really really great! They say after two or three months at the most, you will get bored of doing nothing. Ah...who cares....Let me enjoy this moment. Two months can wait!

My last day

As fate would have it, my last day was spent away from the office, in PD. Earlier, in the morning I had driven to work for the last time in my life. It felt so unreal. Imagine, never having to work ever again after today. After being so used to working, thirty two years in all, its a frightening thought actually. In PD, I received pats on the back plus congratulatory words from colleagues. I felt emotional at times but then, on second thought, this was the day I have been waiting for. Tomorrow....yes tomorrow, I can't wait for tomorrow cause tomorrow my shoulders will feel lighter, my mind will feel freer while the air I breathe will have the word retirement written all over it. Yes...I definitely can't wait for tomorrow.

Finally the end is near

Tomorrow will be my last working day. As fate has decided, I will spend my last working day in PD, overseeing an event which I help organised. After that, God knows what I will do. Yes! I'II be on leave prior to retirement...... for a life of rest and recreation? Or a new beginning!

A never ending struggle

Life is such that it is a never ending struggle. As long as you are living, the struggle continues. For us Muslims, it is the quest for the ultimate, a life in heaven that is forever. For some, following the right path is not a problem. For others, the struggle never stops. At some point you'd think you have it all within your grasp but then life is never like that. Today its green, tomorrow it can be red! Sometimes, at an age when you should be contented and just waiting for the day, you are actually in the midst of another struggle. Ah.......if only life is not such a struggle!

A rainy day

Its been raining since early morning. Wanted to send the car to the workshop for some repair work but I guess I'II do it some other day now. The rain makes it difficult to move without getting wet. In times like this, staying put in the house is the best option. Anyway, I will have days and days of nothing to do soon, so there'll be plenty of time.

Comedy at its best

I saw the latest installment of the Maharaja Lawak program. Nabil really caught the eye with his masterful performance. As a stand up comedian, I think he is way above the rest although I know some of you might not agree. Really enjoyed his piece....what a riot!

What next?

I have no plans for my retirement. I don't know what I will do in the coming days, weeks, months or even years ahead. All I wish for is to remain healthy, be the best servant there is to God and ........... what? I really don't know! Sometimes not knowing what the future will be like makes it even more interesting, even exciting. It opened up all the possibilities. I feel like I'm a young twenty three years old graduate once again, with a whole lot of future ahead of me. It really feels that way!

Retirement talk again

At the office today it felt surreal. My last few days before I walk off for good. My mind was everywhere except at the workplace. Its difficult to concentrate or do anything when you know these are your last few days at the office. Thirty two years have passed. It all seems so fast. That's why the Quran says when the time comes, some people will feel like they had lived only a day!

Some things remain the same

Its been four days since I wrote anything on my blog. Wow! I thought it was only yesterday! I remember writing about the Masters. Before I knew it, the players who played at the Masters in the US are already teeing off at the Malaysian Open. It sure is four days but one thing has not changed. Rory Mcllroy is still at the top of the leaderboard, only its now the Malaysian Open.

High noon at the Masters

It was a dramatic shootout no doubt. As many as six players were in contention at the turn, including one Tiger Wood. Finally one player shot less than all the rest, firing birdies on each of the last four holes. A deserving winner all right! I can't even spell his second name, but he is Charles Swat...... It was exciting to the last.

It ain't over till its over

Rory Mcllroy was still leading by one at the turn on the final day. With only eight holes out of seventy two left to play, he was cruising nicely to a win. Suddenly, it all began to unravel. On the tenth hole, he fired a wayward shot, took a triple bogey and never recovered after that. He finally shot an eighty, something unbelievable for a professional, a talented one at that. For Rory, the old saying, it ain't over till its over, certainly rings true.

The problem with other alternatives

The prolonged nuclear disaster in Japan has set back the nuclear power industry many many years. Its definitely bad advertisement! As a result, calls for other form of energy are getting louder with renewed vigour. I understand the concern but personally, I don't see any other alternative at the moment. They just cannot give the amount of energy that we need. Until that is solved, nuclear energy remains the best bet.

A new chapter will begin

A chapter of my life is about to reach its conclusion soon. All too soon, I'm reaching the end of the highway. When the time finally arrives, I will get in my car and fade into the sunset, closing a chapter thirty two years long. Then, a new day will dawn......signaling the start of a new chapter! Do I dare anticipate what it will be like?

Struggling?

For a team that is said to be struggling to find its best form, Man U is certainly doing well. Top of the league, in the FA cup semis and holding the advantage in the two legs Champions League quarter final. What more can you ask?

What!

What is going on? A dead body was found at another MACC office, presumably having fallen from it. Even before the mystery of the first one could be solved, we are finding ourselves facing another mystery. I could hardly believed it when I first heard the news! Strange things do happened. This is definitely another one of them.

Dirty politics

Talk about politics being dirty but the infamous video with the word S... must be the pits. You cannot get any lower than that. As usual, opinions on the video by the politicians differ, base on which side of the political divide they're on. Sometimes it makes we wonder if our politicians have a mind of their own!

Teachers who belong to the psychiatric ward 11

Just the thought of what the seven years old child went through sickens me. He had to endure two hours of beating, all the while his hands tied to a window. How helpless he must have felt. How can a person be so cruel. Only a coward and a bully will do that! Terrible! This incident is by no means an isolated one. There have been similar cases before. What's wrong with these teachers! I know its only a small number of them but all the same, they are giving the teaching profession a very bad name!

Teachers who belong to the psychiatric ward

Don't know if I was outrage, sad or shocked but it was just unbelievable. Tying up a seven years old child, beat him to a pulp until he d........ I can't even bring myself to write the word! What kind of a man is he? Must be mad, obviously. We shouldn't be letting madman running loose on our kids! Its too dangerous!

1000th posting

This is my 1000th posting since I started this blog more than three years ago. A milestone I never thought I would reached. Don't know how long I will keep on posting but at the moment, stopping is far from my mind. Guess I will go on and on and on............ for as long as I find pleasure in doing it!

How to choose when there is no choice!

Making choices is always hard especially if it is between the devil and the deep blue sea. Choose one way, it is the devil. Nobody in the right mind would want to be with the devil! Choose the other way, it is the deep blue sea. Unless you are a good swimmer, chances are you are going to get drown! In situation like this, what do you do?

A young man with a big heart

Ryo Ishikawa, the young Japanese golfer, really impress me. Not...I'm not talking about his golf. We know already how good a player he is. I'm talking about his heart. He has pledge to donate all his 2011 earnings to the tsunami victims. Now that really take some doing! Only a man with a big heart will be able to do such a thing. His heart is definitely among the biggest!