Hoping against hope

Its been more than a year since I retired. Looks like its going to be a long one, even permanent. I don't see anything in the near future. Can't see the light at the end of the tunnel but then again, one never know. Something could be on just round the corner. Many things I never expected or foresee but they happened just the same. I am hoping there will be another one, something related to work. I believe I can still contribute for many more years to come. After all, Dr M is still going strong at ninety two years old.

More than two years ago

When they were still little babies. Now they have grown a bit with a little sister to content with.

Best decision ever

Motorcycle is a very useful vehicle to have. I should have seen it a long time ago but somehow I didn't. All the time I was struggling with traffic jam but it never occurred to me that riding a motorcycle is one way to beat it. In fact at the moment, it is the best way. Now I have used my bike for over three years already. I am still enjoying it. I just love riding the bike. I must thank my father for having the insight to tell to take the motorcycle license as well to go with my car license. Alhamdulillah, I followed his advise. For over thirty years, the license was not needed. I was driving the car all that time. Then, a few years back, I decided to buy a bike. That remains one of my best decision ever.

The bike

Now, I ride the bike whenever I go out alone. To nearby areas like Gombak, Setapak and Danau Kota, to KL and PJ and even as far as Cyberjaya, Subang Jaya, Pucong and the likes. Only when I bring the family along will I drive the car. I have improved a lot since when I first bought the bike a few years back. That time I almost got into the path of a lorry when attempting to ride the bike having just bought it earlier. A few minutes later, I almost hit a roadside concrete  while riding to work because I don't know how to turn at a sharp bend.

That will do the trick

Went to a workshop yesterday to repair my motorcycle. It has been giving me problem for quite sometime already. In the morning, it is difficult to start. Then when riding, the engine stops all of a sudden whenever I slow down in a traffic jam or stop at a traffic light. It was very inconvenient. Yesterday, it happened while I was navigating through a traffic jam just after the Pahang roundabout. I had to push the bike to the side before starting again. The workshop did some thing with my carburetor and the timing. Hopefully that will do the trick.

second hand

From what I have learned, never buy a second hand motorcycle. It will only provide you with much headache because of all the problem that you will be facing. My motorcycle is about four years old now  having bought it new. Problems are beginning to appear every now and then. It gets especially irritating when its the engine that is giving the problem. For example, my motor is difficult to start in the morning. It started a few months ago. I have been to a few workshop but none has been able to solve the problem. Changed spark plug, changed battery, clean the carburetor, all have been done but the problem still persist. Because of it, I am seriously thinking of getting a new bike.

Or what?

Its Sunday morning but for me, everyday has been the same ever since I retired more than a year ago. Every day is Sunday as far as I am concern. It is only the schooling of Akid and Maisarah that keeps me aware of the different days and week. Otherwise, today is no different from yesterday and tomorrow. The tragedy of the Tahfiz school is still very much in the news. How can boys so young have murderous instinct in their mind. It seems that they felt nothing in their heart after they have done it. They act as if nothing had happened. Two of them even helped their mother at a pasar malam after the fire. Really really sickening just to think of it. Is it a failure of our education system, or our social system or what?

Her favourite activity

She likes to climb the grille. From there she can see better what's happening outside, not blocked by the car. She especially likes to see the fish monger who will come on a motorcycle every morning. He will park in front of the house and sound his horn. The village ladies will then come out of their houses to buy their fishes for the day. To stop her from climbing the grille, I resorted to putting a chair instead. At least she will be standing on the chair, not climbing and clinging on to the grille. Sometime she climbs really high.

Dinner time

Great respect

Have not been well the past few days. Feeling a bit under the weather. Have not been to the surau for the last two days because of that. Because I lead the prayers, have to be on top and on my toes every time I go to the surau. Prepare myself, mind and body. While leading the prayers, don't want to make mistakes, don't want to suddenly feel like wanting to go to the loo, don't want to be coughing and losing the voice and many other unwanted things that can happen. I don't know about other imam but that's how it is for me. Now I am have great respect for the other imam. To be able do it for years and years. They must have something I don't have. Sometime I long for the days when I can just go to the surau/mosque, pray and come back, with nothing to worry at all.

Jalan Merbau, Kg Bukit Cerakah, Ijok

Its Merbau once more

It seems that I have an affinity for the word Merbau. I bought an acre of land at Merbau Sempak many years ago. The price I paid seems cheap now but off course it was expensive then. I had to borrow and the monthly payment to service the loan was a burden. Anyway, after many years doing nothing with it, I finally managed to build a house. Now I am in the process of buying a small plot of land at Jalan Merbau, Kg Bukit Cerakah, Ijok. This after visiting the area many times and looking at all the options available as there are many that are on sale. Finally I chose this one. I plan to build a small hut there.

Another look

Yesterday we had another look at the area in general and the land in particular. It was about fifteen past three when we left our Gombak house. By four, we were already standing on the piece of land. That means a forty to forty five minutes drive only using the Latar highway. My son, Hanafi was there too. He was doing some cabinet fitting work at a nearby housing estate so took the opportunity to view the land as well. Who knows, he might be my contractor for the house. From there, we use the back lanes to Puncak Alam. It took a bit more than five minutes only. Only the locals will know these roads. Now we know as well.

More and more appealing

I have some idea on the design for the house to be build but it needs refinement. That I will discuss with the contractor when we discuss the detail later on. For now, I need to settle the process of buying the land first. If everything goes as planned, this will be the second house I will be building, in sha Allah. Not sure if it will be the last! We've been to the area many times already in the past few weeks. Every time we go, the place looks more and more appealing. The kampong boy in me must be showing its true colours.

A day in the life

Its thirty past five in the  morning. I'm already up and ready for the Subuh prayer at the surau. As I will be leading the prayers, I would normally go through my mind the verse that I plan to recite for the prayer. Its been that way since I became the 'imam' more than three years ago. I do a bit of preparation before going to the surau, to ensure everything go smoothly. Even then, many a times, I stumbled such that I had wanted to quit on numerous occasion but I had to continue because no one wants to be the imam when I am around.

Usually before going to the surau, if times permit, I will do the Tahajud first.

The kids

The kids will be still be sleeping as it is still early in the morning. They go to bed by half past ten and will be in their slumber by eleven. Dinner will usually be between eight to nine.

Back from the surau

By six twenty, I will be back from the surau. That's when I will start my memorising of the Quran. It will last from about half an hour to one hour. I can't do longer than that cause my mind will get tired. Then I will start to lose focus. Alhamdullillah, this practise has been going on for so many years already. Not all the time but on and off. Since becoming the imam, my memorising has improved tremendously. Its more solid now. At the same time, the number of verses that I have memorised have also increased a lot. In sha Allah, my dream of memorising the whole Quran is still on. It may be a long way away but as long as I am continuing, the dream remains alive.

Ten to eight

Akid and Maisarah will be ready for school by this time. They have taken their bath, brushed their teeth and put on their pre school uniform. As for Munirah, she would still be in her slumber.

What is my choice?

Been looking at options available to build a house through the internet. The main objective to spent as minimal as possible. One thought is to be a contractor myself, meaning get fully involve in the process of building the house. I pay the workers their daily salary. The rest I will handle myself. That way a lot of money can be saved. However, it requires my full involvement. I might have to be at the site everyday. Without any experience whatsoever, can I do it? The other is to get the cheapest quote on the house that I want to build. Then leave everything to the contractor. I just pay as per progress. This again might not be so simple. Twice I did it before and twice, the contractors failed me. One didn't complete the job while the other took one and half years to complete. So, what is my choice?

Right first time

Nowadays with the internet, information is readily available. Still, it does not make the job of choosing the way forward any easier. I have been surfing the internet but up till now, I am not any wiser nor any nearer to deciding. I am still searching. I can't make the wrong choice or I will end up having problem like before. If it happens, it will be worse this time as I can't afford it. I have a limited budget. The job has to be done, right first time. There's no room for error. That's why I am very careful this time. I hope to make it right first time this time.

That's it

Definitely it is not an easy choice.  I plan to build a small house, just enough for the five of us. I plan to keep the cost down to below a certain figure. I have to keep it that way to go with my limitations. That's the plan at the moment. What happens later on, that is if I have some extra money, then I will expand the house. For the moment, that's it.

I was shocked

I first read about the tragedy that killed twenty people very early in the morning on the day it happened. It was a whats app posting I think. However, I just brushed it aside thinking this must be an old story that resurfaced or fake news, as always is the case with the social media these days. The fact that the message said about twenty people died made me disbelief it or take it lightly cause I thought its impossible for such a big thing to happen but nothing has been reported. It reinforced my thinking that this must be not true. Its only later in the day when many more news about the tragedy appeared in the social media that I started to take it seriously. When I finally realised that it really happened, I was shocked!

I was shocked

Its the same with the big tsunami tragedy that happened many years ago which killed more than a hundred thousand people. I was watching the a sporting event on television when there appeared at the bottom of the screen, a news flash about a few people killed in Kuala Muda, Kedah as a result of strong wind and flood. At that time, tsunami was unheard of. People don't know the word. Its the same with me. It was just a news flash and I thought nothing more about it except to that the wind and flooding must be quite bad. Otherwise, people don't get killed. Little did I know how later this would turned out to be. Later on, there were more similar news flashed across the screen. This time in Sri Lanka. Then in India. Then in Indonesia. Later in the day when the full story came out, I was shocked.

Big brother and two little sisters

A nice place to settle

I bought a piece of land situated off Jalan Merbau, one of the main thoroughfare within the kampong. It is just after Parit Mahang and before kampung Cerakah. The land is small enough such that it doesn't cost a bomb but big enough for the hut that I plan to build. A five minutes drive to the right along the kampong roads will get me to Puncak Alam housing areas. A ten minutes drive to the left also along the kampong roads will get me to the seaside town  of Jeram, famous for its seafood restaurants. A drive out to the front will get me to Ijok, about ten minutes away as well. The Latar highway is five minutes away. So as can be seen, it is well connected and yet, it is in a world of its own. Peaceful and out of the maddening crowd. A nice place indeed to settle.

In sha Allah, its a good one

I visited the place a few times before making the decision. Still, it was quite an easy one, a no brainer. First of all, the money that I have is limited so the choice is limited as well. Can't afford the houses that the developers are selling nowadays which will break my bank. Next, the place is easy to get to. Well connected and near to a highway while not being too far away from KL. Then, its the place itself. The charm of the kampong life and atmosphere, a relax and pleasant environment, an easy going lifestyle. These things and more attracted me. Off course, the cost of the land is within my budget as well. Its a choice I have made. In sha Allah, its a good one.

Been a while

Its been a while. Two weeks and a bit more I think. Just couldn't find the urge to write anything. Therefore thought I'd give it a break and what a break it turned out to be. Anyway, its nice to be back. The feeling of wanting to put thoughts to paper is back, albeit only a little. Hopefully, it will remain  to become like the tsunami, wave after wave of thoughts finding their way to papers. Been busy the last two weeks going to Banting, Sungai Buloh and Ijok, looking for a small plot of cheap land on which to build my dream house. In the end I found one that I like, cheap enough for my pocket, big enough for a small hut.

Monsters

I found Banting and the surrounding areas like Jenjarom not to my liking. These quiet small towns have turned into monsters, are crowded with people, traffic lights at every corner, with vehicles jostling for space on the streets that have become busy and dangerous. These kampong areas has become too urban with plenty of shops, offices, factories, housing estates and whatever else that comes with progress. The same with Sungai buloh. It is no more that little village tuck in a corner somewhere, so peaceful and far far away from the maddening crowd. Progress has turned it into a busy, crowded and noisy place, with people here, there and everywhere. How on earth have they turned into such monsters? Not for me then!

The choice

The moment I drove into Parit Mahang and the surrounding areas like Bukit Hijau and Bukit Cerakah, villages situated a few kilometres away from Ijok town, I had a liking for it. Quiet, peaceful and still sparsely populated. Palm trees cover most of the areas but with a sprinkling of houses in between where there are people staying. The roads are nicely tarred and ....... empty. That's the biggest attraction. Very little cars on the road. Land are a plenty and still cheap. Development is coming for sure but is still in its early stages therefore, it will be a good twenty or more years before it become monsters like the rest. The good thing about this place is that it is situated not far from Latar highway. The moment you reach the end of the highway, turn right for a few metres before turning right again to enter the area. Straightaway you are in a different world.