bravo ex-comrade

Last Thursday I was at the Tesco as an escapism from a 'boringness' being at home alone - mak stayed for two nights at her one and only sister's place in Gombak, dh and aina day-balik kampung in Hulu Langat. I dropped by the office for two hours only to witness cold and still office since everyone was still away celebrating their rayas. As I was passing by the plant aisle, sat on a wheelchair in front of me was a familiar figure of a man whom I've known used to be full of vibrant, talkative and cheerful. Though hesitated at first (fear he might not recognize and just ignore me), I smiled at him and said, Haji Fesal? He smiled back and replied, Hajah ada sini tengah beli barang. Not sure myself on whether to ask him on his health condition or not, i said, ok haji saya pergi cari hajah.

At the perishable section, I almost cried with joy when I saw Hajah Azmahton. Masya allah, she doesn't change an inch, still look as young as the last time I saw her - more than 8 years ago. We had a long chat relaying all the happenings in our work and family lives in the past 8 years. She lost a grown-up daughter to meningitis, (fondly called kakteh whom at that time studied is UIA). I remembered what a fair and fine girl kakteh used to be. A year after that Hj Fesal got his leg amputated due to diabetes (that being the reason he is now on a wheelchair). Ya Allah tears almost rolling down my cheek listening to all she had gone thru in all those years - Earlier she had lost the only son and another 2 children in their infants. She is now a Senior Deputy Bursar and the sole breadwinner of her family which now consists of a hubby and 5 girls. But her face doesn't show even the slightest of sadness but only redha.

Though taller in height compared to her, yet I felt so small and inferior - to her determination, calmness, patience and expression of devotion to Allah. All praises be unto Allah, the All knowing, Most Gracious, most Merciful. Before we depart, she handed me an invitation card to her daughter's wedding to be held in December. Till we meet again friend,  may God bless you with happiness, love and laughter too ....and everything else that makes your life a happy one for you. Amen.

picture paints a thousand words - raya part 1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

pagi aidilfitri

  

Syukur alhamdulillah tahun ini dapat menunaikan solat sunat hari raya di Masjid Ubudiyah Seksyen 19 dengan mak dan DH. Bacaan imam pun sedap dan berlagu masyaallah kalau tahu makna bacaannya pasti akan lebih menusuk kalbu lagi. Aina tidur di rumah abah di PJ malam tadi. Katanya "nak ikut makteh beraya sebab mama tak raye sebab along jauh". "Sorry darling tapi mama pun rasa aina akan lebih seronok kat rumah nenek PJ sebab ramai cousin brothers and sisters dan echah. "

Pulang dari solat, dapat pula skype lagi dengan sweet prince. He sounded cheerful and I felt so bahagia.. Di sana malam raya - baru lepas makan 'besar' dengan rakan-rakan serumahnya dengan pelbagai juadah yang dibawa oleh seorang yang dipanggil pakdin oleh students malaysia di sana. Pakdin ni seorang malaysian prihatin, bertugas di Toronto dan ini tahun kedua beliau 'belanja' students malaysia di sana. Malam tadi sebelum takbir meamor dapat video called dengan hampir semua orang including DH, aunties dan cousinsnya. Pagi ni pulak dengan nenexnya.

Lepas maghrib malam tadi (malam raya) seorang sahabat prof called dari makkah. Rindu sangat padanya sebab dah lama tak jumpa dan pemergiannya ke tanah suci mengerjakan umrah tanpa sempat berhantar dan berpesan. Beliau bukan saja seorang sahabat tapi dah macam kakak kandung yang sempurna whom I have never had. I felt so touched when she said she prayed in front of kaabah for me and hope to see a 'better' me. Amin.

Allahuakbar indahnya kebesaran Ilahi.

takbir malam raya

 

Thank you muzh, dekwan, BIL megat, BIL rani, SIL angah, SIL ateh, halim, hatim, nabila and nadhirah

for coming over to takbir raya.Will skype-send aiman the recorded takbir.

aidilfitri without meamor

with other malaysian students in Toronto 2008

Its aidifitri tomorrow. Last year aidilfitri was celebrated without meamor and this year it is going to be the same (is it celebrating when there is no celebration?). For a family of 4 (plus mak 5), not having all of its members in an event is a significant loneliness. 2 years aidilfitri without him here, listening to takbir raya really inviting tears, the routine would be skype after subuh, performing the mass solat sunat raya at section 19 masjid, having a 'breakfast' of rendang, nasi impit and kuah kacang then continuing skyping again before visiting MIL and FIL in Petaling Jaya. And aina will be following ateh visiting families and friends.

Pagi lagi sudah ke pasar seksyen 6, cari daging, ayam dan beberapa lagi mengikut nota pesanan yang mak dah siapkan. Tapi kali ni DH helped me since troli pasar rosak and tak larat nak angkut seorang barang pasar nanti. Balik rumah buat washing and hanged all cucian at the car porch sebab cuaca tak berapa panas. Then buat house spring cleaning (its a big task) - sweeping, mopping, clearing the dust, mengemas yang bersepah-sepah. Luckily aina independently helped washing the car porch area (time kasih aina, mama saayang aina!). How I wished I still have a maid. Ria, our last maid ran away while I was away  in Bosnia.Beza ada maid dengan tidak, life now is a bit huru-hara since semua kena buat sendiri, baiknya pulak 'we enjoy the privacy'. If meamor di sini, all those chores are a mother and a son's shared work - sambil kemas sambil dengar dan nyanyi lagu raya sama-sama, saat-saat akhir pun sempat pergi beli bunga ke, pasu ker when we found the decoration tak cukup meriah. But for these 2 years, everything is kept to very simple and minimum.

Petang raya eve ni DH and aina had already left for takbir at FIL's place. I had chosen not to go since I promised to skype meamor on the night raya eve. Hope this raya would be a better one for him compared to last year since it falls on Sunday and now he rents a house with 7 other Malaysian students. Last year he wore a full baju melayu siap samping on the raya day and attended classes!

nasib baik tak pecah kereta orang

Tengah hari tadi temankan Kak Rj Norhayati seorang sahabat dari uitm shopping. Dah lama sangat kami tak jumpa oleh kerana kesibukan tugas masing-masing.  Setiap kali dia telefon, dia akan complaint "asyik I jer selalu telefon - u kan sya selalu janji nak telefon balik tapi tak pernah nak telefon". Masya Allah 'munafik kalau selalu berjanji tapi tak tunai' ni. So, lepas ni I shall note whatever promises I made so I will remember and ensure the delivery. Shopping can be a 'crazy splendour' kepada ramai wanita but not for me but for the sake of a friendship I had made myself available all afternoon. And I enjoyed every moment bersamanya - an 'anak kerabat raja' driving me in her new latio while I sat comfortably listening to her stories and soft soothing music, ok what! Kami bergegas-gegas berjalan dari Shah Alam Mall ke SACC kemudian ke PKNS Complex sampai nak tercabut kaki cari her baju kurung biru tapi tak jumpa-jumpa. Dulu-dulu dengan izin DH we used to 'dating' dari pagi sampai malam dan shopping kain and tempah baju raya dengan kain corak dan warna yang sama yang dibeli dari Gulatis di Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. How sweet. We found that many boutiques these days are selling less unique but very common items up to being 'mediocre' in quality of design and materials.

Di SACC basement parking tadi I directed a 'havoc' drama. Terdengar suara perempuan menjerit-jerit histerical tapi tak jelas biji butir yang dijeritnya and a sound of car screeching. Tiba-tiba teringat kisah Canny Ong, Suzilawati dan kanak-kanak perempuan yang hilang so I shouted to a few men yang kebetulan berada di situ 'kejar, kejar, tolong, stop that car, ada orang kena colek'. I was also looking for a 'besi' so that I can break the glass of the moving vehicle. Berderau darah dan hampir semput juga nafas  berada dalam situasi kejadian tu. So those men pun kejar and stopped the car - alhamdulillah satu lagi kes pencolekan telah berjaya dilumpuhkan I thought. But to my surprise - cerita sebenarnya, perempuan tu gaduh dengan her husband or boyfriend I was told. I confirmed with the security officer there dan rasa amat lega. Tapi ya tuhan, bergaduh sampai macam tu .... perempuan ke apa tu? And nasib baik I did not find the 'besi'. If not i will be landing myself kat 'balai' dekat-dekat raya ni. But I am glad.... masyarakat Malaysia khususnya Shah Alam masih prihatin and I witnessed that with my own eyes.

selamat berangkat mencari ilmu akmal

Akmal is heading for the Trinity College Dublin Medical School
dengan doa tulus ikhlas mengiringi perjalananmu mencari ilmu


matlamatmu, gunung indah di kejauhan

dengan bekal semangat waja

laluilah denai semangga

gunung itu pastikan kau tawan kemuncaknya

 

  

  

berbuka with friends 3 days in a row

I had my berbuka at Tesco JM Briyani today with the one and only sweet lady whom I knew sharing the same birth date with me (but of course we're of different years). I am a dragon who wished to be a leopard and a lion at enthusiam ?! while she is a replica of perempuan melayu terakhir! Both of us are truly piscean - ultra sensitive creatures which she called as having the extra extra sense. Actually we didn't plan to berbuka together. I drove the sweet lady back to Shah Alam after we both attended a meeting in the BJ Campus. All the way in the car we had lively and lovely chats about work and people minus the gossips?! The rain poured heavily and the traffic jam was real bad. We reached near Kelab Shah Alam past the berbuka time. So we drove to Tesco, had a mug of orange each while walking in search of a decent restaurant. We had to queue until about 8.15 to be seated at JM Briyani.(The last time I drove alone back home to Shah Alam from BJ, I had almost fallen asleep while on the moving wheels. I had a short nap at Elmina only to be awaken at half past 7 - past the berbuka time)

Yesterday I had my berbuka with Dr Nasser and the gang from Marketing, Corp Comm and International at Grand Bluewave Hotel hosted by Dr Nasser. He will be leaving the university to join another one in Bangi. I guess he views the grass over there is greener than here. Good luck Dr Nasser, I hope to see you there one day - a step higher on the ladder (you know what I mean!). After the good berbuka I joined a bunch of dedicated students in a meeting on organizing an Eid Fitr celebration at the university which ended at 12.05am. I think if I am a wakil rakyat, at the rate I am going now, I might secure the next election seat!


Kesian DH, mak and aina for those 3 days I've been away for berbuka...

dione warwich & friends - that's what friends are for 

a good song the amisoens sang together in genting highlands last year