Nothing To Write.......

When I started this journal I thought I could write thousands of things . And now it has been almost 2 months since my last take. I simply could not think of anything interesting to write.

I have been wanting to buy a flat screen TV for quite a while but it was put on hold for a few times. The old box TV still so faithful, it only need a gentle knock on its top and walla....popped out my favourite AFC channel showing a young girl while eating her bowl of rice tapping the top of her TV. Guess after constantly being knocked, it went kaput a couple of weeks ago. So I went hunting for an LCD TV and replaced the bulky box TV. So proud that I also own an LCD TV now, but nay, there is nothing to shout about. Almost anybody can buy an LCD TV now. So ,writing about getting an LCD TV would not be a good idea.

Last month I fully settled the car loan with the bank. After working for a long time and the finances has stabilized , I thought I could managed to change the car for a new one. So I booked one of the national car latest product. However I have yet to get the car as the waiting list is quite long. Aah... I cannot wait. It make me nervous. But as I travel to work everyday, I see so many new cars on the road. Guess a take on getting a new car also is not a good thing. No big deal!!

I had this cough for almost a month . It was so annoying and I was also frustrated for not being able to eat my favourite King of fruit and the longan. It was so bad and with the Influenza A pandemic, it came to me that a new virus might have mutated from the H1N1 and somehow got its way into me. Anyway I was glad that it was a normal cough, otherwise I would be part of the prime news and be quarantined.

Charlie's Angels was one of my favourite television series. So , when the news of Farrah Fawcet passing broke, I felt the lost. But when I went to the office the next day, there was no response from any of my colleague . Seems like I was the only one in the office who knew Farah Fawcet. Most of the younger people never heard of Farah Fawcet. Am I that old???? Better not say anything on Farah Fawcet. Hehe.

I grew up with Michael Jackson's songs. Obviously my son became a great fan of MJ too. As a toddler he would start wriggling to all the fast beat songs. As he grew older he would impersonate MJ dance moves especially the moonwalk. I vividly remember that during one of MJ concerts we watched on TV, we were awed by his dances and I blurted out " Terornye MJ ni. Ma rasa dia ni genius. Genius ni selalunya cepat mati". Like millions of MJ fans, my son was in sombre mood for several days over his demise. But thousands of things have been written on MJ that another take would be passed unnoticed.

Alas, for the past 2 months there was simply nothing to write.

LITTLE BIG THINGS.......

I have a passion for baking. I used to take orders from friends and colleagues and baked chocolate cakes, cheese cakes, carrot cakes and cookies. Raya seasons I would make a small fortune selling cookies. Unfortunately about 2 years ago I had to stop pursuing the small business that I love so much due to health reason. However, at about end of March 2009, this colleague of mine started hassling me for a birthday cake for her daughter that fall on 24/4/09. I suggested that she order from my sister or any of the bakeries. It would be very exhaustive for me especially if I had to bake on working days. But no, she persistently nagged at me that my cakes taste good, my sister's not the same, 'please please please' almost every other day. Anyway, for a friend's sake and at the thought of her little girl excitements I gave in and obliged. Lo and behold, after I've finished the baking I felt this high sense of satisfaction, so good though it's only a chocolate cake with simple deco. She also presented me with books on cake decorating bought by her sister in London on my birthday early May 2009. Thank you Yus for gestures that relived the passion I thought I've lost.

About 3 weeks ago in one of my regular visits to Tesco Ampang for groceries or 'lepakking' when, after loitering for a while my knees started wobbling. I had to find a place where I could sit and rest my legs. I found an empty bench and told my sister to carry on with wherever or whatever she wanted to do. Most of the time it would be only me and my sister frequenting the shopping complex. Guess my son like most other youngsters seldom accompany the mother, maybe afraid of being called 'anak mak' by his friends. I started reading a newspaper I bought earlier, ignoring the hustle of people passing up and down in front of me. Then, came a gutsy sexy lady in a spaghetti strap shirt with a tight and sat besides me. I guessed she is about my age. I looked up and smile at her. I knew I would lose my privacy. True enough, she started blabbering about her knee problem, where she seek treatment, asked me where I live, how many children I have, bla bla bla. She was getting on my nerve and I was about to get off when she said, ' you ni cantik ye. anak you mesti handsome'. Not wanting to continue the conversation I said thank you and excused myself.

Same thing happened at Jusco Maluri last week. After getting all the groceries, I sat at a bench. If I' don't read the newspaper, I love watching people around me. Their behaviour, fashion, shoes, handbags, small kids and everything else. It came to me how lucky we are to be living in peace and harmoniously in this country. Then came a thin Chinese old lady accompanied by his son and sat beside me. I turned to her and we started some conversation. To my surprise the old lady also told me that I am 'cantik'.

I pondered over the two incidents as to what perspective of 'cantik' the two ladies saw in me. Being a makcik with size X?L, I still cannot figure it out. Whatever it was, it certainly put me high above the pedestal.

Anyway, to the sexy lady in Tesco, if I were to see her again I'll show gestures of apology to make up for being judgmental.

ABAH

25hb April 2009 , genap dua tahun abah pulang ke rahmatullah pada usia 76 tahun. Abah meninggal jam 11.30 pagi akibat sakit tua di HUKM dan dikebumikan diperkuburan islam Kg Nakhoda, Selayang.

Abah mula menetap bersama ku di Cheras selepas emak meninggal dunia pada tahun 1991. Al Fatihah untuk emak dan abah.

Sudah menjadi ketentuan Allah setiap yang hidup akan mati. Kita menerima dengan redha akan kehilangan ahli keluarga tersayang dan meneruskan kehidupan. Namun segala kenangan bersama tidak akan dilupa sampai bila-bila. Ada peristiwa-peristiwa adalah perkara biasa pada seseorang tetapi memberi impak yang besar pada yang lain. Bagi meneruskan kehidupan mungkin masa yang diambil untuk mengatasi kesedihan berbeza dan mungkin juga kehidupan selepas itu tidak akan sama lagi.

Semenjak abah tinggal bersama, rumah ku secara tak langsung menjadi rumah utama. Arwah abang sulong (meninggal tahun 1990) dahulu menetap di Palong, Gemas, kakak pula di Kuala Pilah. Adik-adik menetap di Selama (Perak), Seremban, Ampang , Bukit Sentosa, Gombak dan Kuantan. Seorang adik perempuan tinggal bersama ku . Hampir setiap hujung minggu rumah ku tidak pernah sunyi dari kunjungan adik beradik . Kalau tidak semua pun, pasti ada seorang bersama ahli keluarga datang menjenguk abah yang menginjak usia. Biasanya kalau sudah berkumpul pasti meriah dengan pelbagai hidangan . Dari pagi hingga malam tak henti henti kami makan. Kami sekeluarga dari ibu bapa hingga ke anak-anak kebanyakkan nya montel-montel dan 'comel-comel' belaka. Paling meriah apabila menyambut hari lahir abah atau hari raya. Rumah ku yang agak kecil itu jadi sesak dan semuanya duduk berhimpit-himpit. Tiada siapa pun yang kisah. Keadaan itu seolah-olah menjadikan kami semua lebih mesra. Yang pasti airmata abah akan sentiasa bergenang menyaksikan keseronokan itu.

Sekarang kami masih meneruskan tradisi yang seronok itu tapi tidak sekerap dahulu.

Abah juga adalah seorang yang sangat gemar memandu. Abah akan memandu berjam jam lamanya tanpa menunjukkan rasa letih atau mengantuk. Ada antara kami sudah abah ajar memandu seawal usia 11 tahun. Anak ku diajar memandu pada usia 8 tahun . Malah anak mamak tempat abah minum teh tarik pun diajarnya memandu. Sebelum bersara pada 1985 abah adalah seorang polis trafik. Abah mengetahui hampir keseluruhan jalan-jalan besar dan kecil di Kuala Lumpur ini. Abah sentiasa menjadi rujukan anak-anak dan menantu untuk ke sesuatu destinasi. "Abah, jalan mana yang paling senang kalau nak pergi tempat ni....," "Tempat ni kat mana Bah", antara pertanyaan yang sering diajukan. Dan dengan bangganya abah akan memberi jawapan yang tepat. "Masa kerja dulu, kalau ada eksiden abah kena ukur jalan tu, tangkap gambar tempat kejadian dan kenderaan terbabit. Lepas tu abah akan buat repot. Abah pernah kutip cebisan otak yang bertaburan atas jalan raya ", cerita abah.

Seringkali juga jika tiada sesiapa yang datang berkunjung, abah akan ajak aku, anak dan adik perempuan untuk 'recce' jalan-jalan yang baru siap dibina. Waktu itu harga minyak tidak lah semahal sekarang, begitu jua tol. Suatu ketika kami menuju ke Putrajaya dan Cyberjaya yang masih dalam pembinaan dan jalannya masih belum elok dan cantik. ' Huh! jauhnya Putrajaya ni'. Aku yang hanya duduk macam 'mam besar' di bahagian belakang pun rasa penat dek jalan yang berlekak lekuk itu. Sekarang ada rakan sekerja yang berulang alik dari Putrajaya ke tempat kerja di Jln Raja Laut, KL tanpa merungut sedikit pun. Hobi 'recceing' jalan-jalan baru juga terhenti sejak abah mula sakit.

Anak ku merupakan cucu yang paling rapat dengan abah. Semenjak dari darjah satu lagi abah lah yang menghantar dan mengambil anak ku dari sekolah setiap hari. Secara tak langsung abah banyak mendidik dan menerap nilai-nilai hidup pada anak ku. Namun semasa di tingkatan satu aku menghantar anak ku untuk tinggal bersama adik bongsu di Selama dan bersekolah disana. Biarlah...ada perkara-perkara yang aku tidak mampu curahkan pada anak ku sendiri. Biarlah dia mengalami sendiri suasana kehidupan dikampong pula, dan jadikan pedoman hidup seterusnya. Sepanjang anak ku berada di Selama, hampir setiap bulan aku dan abah berulang alik melawatnya. Aku tidak pernah merasakan lebih selamat jika abah yang memandu tidak kira waktu. Beberapa minit masuk sahaja kedalam kereta aku mula lelap. Abah kata, pemandu yang baik adalah apabila penumpang boleh tidur tanpa tersentak. Selepas SPM anak ku kembali tinggal bersama. Ketika itu kesihatan abah sudah mula merosot. Aku sungguh terharu kerana pada usia yang masih mentah, anak ku mendapat 'rezeki menjaga orang sakit'. Aku terkesima melihat kesungguhan dan keikhlasan anak ku menjaga datok nya yang uzur di rumah selain adik beradik ku yang lain juga. Dihari hari terakhir ketika abah dimasukkan ke hospital anak ku juga turut bergilir-gilir dengan adik-beradik ku menjaga abah. Dan sungguh mengharukan disaat abah menghembuskan nafas terakhir anak ku tiada disisi. Dia baru sahaja pulang kerumah untuk merehatkan badan setelah semalaman tidak tidor . Setelah anak ku kembali ke hospital dia tidak lagi dapat mengawal perasaan dan hampir pengsan menangis dibahuku.

Kini setelah dua tahun abah pergi, ada kalanya aku tersentak sendirian seolah-olah masih mengharap pada abah.' 'Tentu lebih senang menyelesaikan masaalah ini jika abah masih ada'. Yang pasti anak ku masih lagi tidak tidor dibiliknya sebaliknya bersusah payah mengangkat tilam keluar dan masuk untuk tidor diruang tamu. Dia masih lagi terkesan akan ketiadaan dan mengalami mimpi-mimpi manis berkaitan datoknya.

.....Al Fatihah....

MISSING SON AT THE GP

The loudest race on earth was subdued after torrential rains poured and red-flagged on the 32 out of 56 laps as Jenson Button was leading Nick Heidfeld and Timo Glock at the Malaysian GP in Sepang last Sunday.

The ferocious storm made it impossible for the racers to continue. After waiting in vain for almost an hour for the storm to stop, the race was officially called off and Jenson Button of Brawn GP was declared the winner. Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber and Timo Glock of Toyota were second and third place respectively. The runners were awarded only half point because the race did not reach two third of the distance. This happened only the fifth time in the F1 history.

The trophies were awarded by Datuk Sri Najib Tun Razak, the new premier two days after being sworn in.

Sorry guys! I was not there at the GP though. I only watched the event on television.

It was my son who got to go to the GP as security personnel. He started off to Sepang at 7am on Friday and was home slightly before midnight. I was then halfway between KL and London in my sleep. The same went for Saturday and Sunday.

He is 21. On any normal days I don't see him much either. In the morning I would be on my way to work while he is sleeping, or he too on his way to college. I would always treasure that short precious time where we would have some small talks over dinner before he disappear again for his workout in the gym, studies or having his teh tarik with some friends. Guess, one can't expect boys to be idled for long in the house.

That whole Sunday without realising it, I irked the people around me sulking over what time it was, wasthe GP finished yet, when would my son coming back....OMG... I'm missing my son! ' Hish.. your son is a 21 year old young man and he's only gone for 3 days to Sepang jer, not 3 months to Timbuktu! Well, a mother is a mother. Her child would always be a small baby to the whole of her life.

That night I simply had to wait for my 'baby tua' to come home before I could do this ''fly to Paris'.

Starting a Blog....

• I was not into the IT world or the net until after the last general election where the results shocked the nation. I was then avidly following the political on goings on the conventional media until at the height of the campaign, suddenly popped this new thing to me called 'alternative media'. Due to some budget constraint I was only able to get a notebook after the general election. So.... this is what there is about politics in the net. After sometimes when these politicians became more and more uncivilized, I got fed-up. Heck, let the hooligan be! There are better things closer to me like my sister's blog on baking, her links of other baking enthusiasts, Chedet and others that I can bury myself in. Still, I was only a silent reader until my nephew started his blog recently and I wanted to post a comment for support. It's so frustrated when you only appear as anonymous. Thus here I am wracking my head as I've never write on anything before.

My Old Ray Ban

About 2 weeks ago a colleague brought his notebook with mobile broadband to the office for some help from another colleague to download some software which was of no interest to me. In the office only the boss and a few other staff with certain function get to access the Internet while the rest of us will have to make do with the intranet. While there were hive of activities at my back, I kept on doing my own work without paying much attention. Suddenly one particular word struck the eardrum and ringed sweet memories of yesteryears, and that was RAY BAN!

"Apa cite pasal Ray Ban ni?" I asked. Then they showed me to a 'cool' Ray Ban enthusiast website. I remembered having a pair of this much hunted item which I bought in my early days of work in the early 80s. It felt so good to be able to buy out of my own pocket this brand eyewear and proudly wearing it whenever i walked under the glaring sun.

Then to my horror it came to me that i might have lost it during the many times I shifted from one rented house to another before I finally settled down in my own. After work that day I hurried home and frantically searched for the now invaluable piece. I almost burst into tears of joy when I found it still intact except that it was not in its original casing but of other type in one of my dressing table drawers. That night I slept with a smile.

The boys at the office 'in thing' Ray Ban...
Safiq's-

Hafiz's
















Fadzly's
















and tada.. Mine, the Classic