pasca56

PANJAT

2010-07-19T10:03:00.018+08:00

Jam Seiko hadiah harijadi dari anak-anak baru menunjukkan pukul 11 pagi, landrover yang akan mengangkut kami bersama beberapa pengunjung yang lain hanya akan naik Bukit Larut pukul 1 tengahari. Fikri dan mak dia lebih rela tunggu, aku rasa daripada tunggu baik panjat saja pelan-pelan, walaupun jaraknya lumayan juga kira-kira 10 km dari kaki bukit.
Dengan berbekal satu botol air mineral aku mula panjat, jam menunjukkan pukul 11.30 pagi tepat.
'Wa maanyak kuat!' aku sapa seorang warga emas keturunan cina, nampak sungguh selesa dia memanjat.
'umur belapa sekalang'
'70 taun o' bangga betui dia jawab. Dia stop kat pondok 2 kira-kira 1.5 km dari bawah, aku terus memanjat.
Ramai dah mula turun. Tapi dalam perjalanan aku memotong sekumpulan anak gadis yang nampak keletihan memanjat. Dengar depa berbisik, coba nak bagi semangat kat kawan-kawan yang letih tu kut.
'Tengok tu, atok tu kuat'
Aku tengok keliling, tak ada atok yang lain.
Makin keatas makin sunyi, ada kawasan yang redup menyeramkan, takut juga terserempak dengan babi hutan atau binatang buas. Mana nak lari, kiri tebing menanjak, kanan jurang dalam dengan pokok dan semak tebal.
Terus panjat, tak rasa letih, kaki juga ok, cuma denyutan jantung agak cepat bila jalannya menanjak. Slow down sikit untuk normalkan balik denyutan.
Dah hampir satu setengah jam memanjat, perlu tiga jam jalan kaki untuk sampai Bukit Larut kata penjaga kaunter tiket.
Terus panjat.
Tiba-tiba rasa seram, tengkok rasa meremang. Remangnya tak hilang-hilang. Kata orang kalau rasa macam tu ada makhluk halus sedang perhati kita atau lebih seram lagi dok mengekori kita. Keadaan kawasan memang sunyi, redup dan menyeramkan.
Teringat waktu balik dari lawatan kerja keSarawak dulu, ada makhluk halus yang ikut balik ke rumah. Waktu tu terasa sakit di bahagian tengkok, mungkin makhluk tu dok bertenggek kat situ. Kemudian sakit tu berpindah kat isteri aku pula lepas dia tolong urutkan, barangkali dia lompat bertenggek kat tengkok orang pompuan pula. Alhamdulillah lepas jumpa Dr Zainal, makhluk tu balik semula ke Sarawak.
Tengok jam dah pukul satu, landrover dah bertolak naik ni. Aku menunggu ditempat yang agak landai supaya landrover mudah berenti.
'Apa berat sangat ni!' komplain pemandu landrover selepas aku naik.
Sah makhluk tu naik landrover sama-sama dengan aku.
Sampai diBukit Larut, aku habiskan air mineral dan buang bekas kosong dalam tong sampah sambil berbisik kat makhluk tu,
'Hang ikut botoi ni, jangan ikut aku balik'
Malam tu aku tiduq nyenyak, alhamdulillah. Harap makhluk tu dah dapat balik ke rumah dia.

Sunday 18 Julai @ 2 pm kami checked out dari Kamalodge dan balik.

sekali-kali seronok juga keluar jalan-jalan,
apalagi kalau ada yang sponsor.
Sapa nak sponsor ayah jalan-jalan ni?

STRESS

2010-07-15T08:25:00.008+08:00

Dalam rancangan Tanyalah Ustaz ditv 9 pagi ini dengan tajuk menangani stress seorang peserta wanita distudio bertanya:
' Ustaz, mengapa kaum wanita lebih ramai mengalami stress daripada kaum lelaki?'
Dalam kontek perhubungan suami isteri cukup relevan kalau soalan ini ditukar kepada:
'Mengapa para isteri lebih ramai mengalami stress daripada para suami?'
Betul ka persepsi ini?
Jawapan Ustaz: 'Stress tidak memilih jantina. Dalam keadaan stress macamanapun lelaki atau suami berkemampuan menahan emosinya, stressnya tidak ketara, sedangkan wanita atau isteri tidak mampu menahan emosi, mereka meluah dan mempamirkan perasaannya dengan kata-kata dan airmata. Fitrah ini memberi kelebihan pada lelaki supaya tindakan yang dibuat tidak didasarkan pada emosi semata-mata'
Tuhan maha pencipta, dibezakan sifat antara lelaki dan wanita. Bayangkan suami yang terburai emosinya ketika berdepan dengan masalah rumahtangga, apa yang terjadi pada isteri, penampar dan sepak terajang.
'Suami yang penyabar, mampu menahan perasaan dianggap lemah pula oleh isteri' cerita salah seorang kawan saya mengenai rumahtangganya ketika berbual-bual menunggu isya di masjid.
'Kalau macam tu sekali-kali nak kena bagi penampar baru balance!'
'Jangan, jangan. Itu emosi'

Lelaki memang menyimpan perasaan , sukar nak diluahkan.
Wanita sebaliknya.

Apa nak buat ketika wanita meluahkan perasaan tak puas hatinya.
Bagi lelaki obatnya sabaq' lah banyak-banyak. Buat perubahan apa yang termampu.
Bagi pompuan luahlah perasaan tu kalau itu boleh menenangkan, telinga ni akan sabaq' dan tidak akan letih untuk mendengar.

Tu lah sebab kebanyakan oghang lelaki mati dulu dari oghang pompuan.
Simpan perasaan.
Jodoh Allah yang tentukan, apa yang Allah berikan itu lah yang terbaik.
Alhamdulillah.

IKATAN KELUARGA

2010-07-07T10:08:00.008+08:00

Lega rasanya kerana anak-anak semuanya telah berjaya, lulus dari menara gading dan kini telah bekerja. Fuad ketika ini masih memerlukan bantuan kewangan dari masa kemasa kerana katanya elaun yang diperolehi dari ' chambering' masih tidak cukup untuk menampung perbelanjaan. Syima, Fadhli tinggal di KL sudah tentu memerlukan banyak belanja tapi alhamdulillah mereka anak yang baik dan mengerti tentang tanggungjawab terhadap ibubapa. Fikri pula sentiasa sabar melayani kerenah mak dan ayah dia, nak buat macam mana nasib dialah sebab tinggal bersama depa.
Ikatan keluarga kini agak kukuh, tak tau dimasa depan macam mana. Keikhlasan, kejujuran, keprihatinan adalah sifat-sifat yang amat penting bagi mengukuh ikatan kekeluargaan. Kewangan? Ya cukup penting, kerana wang jika digunakan dengan ikhlas bagi membantu adik, abang atau kakak yang memerlukan dapat memperkuat ikatan keluarga juga. Tapi bantuan pun ada hadnya juga takkan bantuan dapat dihulurkan sepanjang masa tentunya membebankan walaupun yang menerima bantuan itu adik, kakak atau abang kita.
Apa penyelesaiannya?
Dana keluarga mungkin boleh meringankan beban ini. Tiap ahli menyumbang secara bulanan kedalam dana ini dan dana ini dilaburkan untuk kepentingan masa depan. Ibubapa boleh menyumbang modal permulaan dan anak-anak menyumbang secara bulanan. Dana ini boleh dipinjam untuk tujuan pendidikan, beli aset, modal perniaagaan dll. Pinjaman hanya mula beroperasi setelah lima tahun dana terkumpul.
Macammana? Setuju?

metformin

2009-10-20T11:21:00.017+08:00

It took me almost 15 minutes to walk from my house to USM Pharmacy this morning to have my blood sugar checked. Yes if you have abnormally high sugar level in your blood, regular walking can effectively help bring down the blood sugar to its normal level. Lately I have this symptom of dizziness and based on the medical checkup which I underwent two weeks ago it shows that my sugar level is high and Doctor told me that I need to lower my blood sugar level as quickly as possible.
For almost two weeks beginning from the first day of hari raya I had this feeling of lightheadedness and dizziness. In fact on the first day of hari raya after taking some beef soup I had a sensation of disorientation and motion (vertigo) and the house seems to be spinning. I lie down and it took me quite some time before I could again control myself.
A week ago doctor gave me metformin, a drug used by diabetic to reduce the sugar level, to be taken twice daily. I have taken the medication for the last four days now and together with my new food menu, eating more fibre and less carbohydrates, my visit to the pharmacy today is simply to find out whether there is any change in my sugar level or not.
'Pak Cik posa tak?'
'Tak, saya nak check sugar level lepas makan. Saya dah makan satu keping roti pagi tadi'

Today result on 20.10.2009 : 4.5
Past result based on blood sample taken on 7.10.2009: 10.8
'Pak Cik punya sugar level ok, normal'
'Alhamdulillah'

Untuk menjaga kesihatan, amal Sabda Nabi s.aw. berikut:
'makan apabila terasa lapar, berhenti sebelum kenyang'

family tree

2009-08-07T08:41:00.014+08:00

I wes expressing my anxiety to my sister over the loosening of family connections nowaday, when my mother chipped in on how her ancestors tighten back the family knot,
'Orang tua dulu dulu kalau adik bengadik dah jauh depa pedekat balik. Kalau nak menikah depa tak mau cari orang luaq, cari kaum keluarga yang dah jauh sikit, ambik buat menantu. Macam ni kaum keluarga jadi tak terputuis'
In those days it was considered normal practice when distant relatives made promises to have their son or daughter married to the son or daughter of other relatives without the knowledge of the couple involved. And this practice of promised marriage or prearranged marriage did happen in my family too, involving my elder brother.
It happened in the sixties. My late grandmother did petty business for a living and used to stop over or visited her distant relative while doing her business. In one of her visit she saw 'ada sekuntum bunga yang sedang mekar ditaman kat rumah kaum keluarganya itu.'

' Aku ada cucu jantan, anak tengona, kerja kerani. Kalau hampa setuju mai la kita pedekat adik beradik, bagi depa menikah.'

Without hesitation this relative of hers happily accepted the offer and my grandmother was given a photo of the bride-to-be to be shown to my brother.

('pedekat adik beradik' is a subtle way of saying or making promise for a marriage) .

My grandmother was very very disappointed indeed when her proposal to 'pedekat adik beradik' was totally rejected by my brother. Imagine the frustration and embarasment she had to undergo.
That distant relative was made to wait and was heard complaining to other relatives,
'Bila depa nak antaq rombongan mai meminang anak kita, la ni ramai dah dok mai minta. Anak kita ni biaq la bagi kat adik beradik daripada bagi kat orang . Lagi pun baguis pedekat adik beradik,
kalau padi kata padi,
jangan kami tertampi-tampi,
kalau jadi kata jadi,
jangan dok biaq kami ternanti-nanti.'

Kesian juga!

When asked later on how she was able to solved the issue without hurting the feeling of her relative, my grandmother had only this to say,
'Tu la gatai mulut pi dok janji dengan orang. La ni biaq abang hang cari bini dia sendiri'

Now you don't have to worry about getting closer to your relatives, you can now surf www.geni.com and built up your own family tree. Your children may use it to find out who their ancesters are as well as their distant relatives. Complete your family tree by visiting your relatives and secure all information from them.

SELAMAT MENJALANKAN TUGAS AS PEGAWAI FARMASI FIKRI.
SELAMAT BELAJAR LAGI FOR ANOTHER YEAR FUAD.

Hospital

2009-07-16T17:36:00.015+08:00

We felt relieved when Fikri was given a clean bill of health and was finally discharged last monday after spending five nights in the Penang GH for suspected dengue fever. Since he was on drip days and nights non-stop, and we too got the feedback that his platelets count was going down, we felt a bit worry as to the seriousness of the disease. Furthermore there is no drug presently available to treat dengue and what they do to the patient is to drip them with lots lots of drip solution, hoping that the virus causing the dengue got flush out when the patient urinate.
And of course when your love ones fell sick, you get closer to Allah, supplicating for His mercy and protection and sincerely hope that Allah heals him soon enough. And we do have parents for the sake their children health are ever willing to sacrifice thereupon their own life.
Never forget that illness that befall upon us is a test from Allah and in this very time that Allah wants us to reflect and that He is the creator of all things, the real and the unseen.
The five days that he was there we never fail to visit him. As we walked along the hospital corridor on our way to ward 17, we came across patients with all kinds of illnesses, some sitting alone on wheelchairs, old folks with bandaged eyes, some on stretcher with frail faces and also this old woman sitting quietly and alone on the bed oblivious of what is happening around her. I wonder what's in her mind and what is she thinking about.
I suddenly recalled an event that happened a few week ago. I was reading Quran when my mother came to me and said,
' Bila aku mati hang baca lah banyak2 hadiah kat aku'
Another event that I recalled was when I brought my mother to see her ailing younger sister (Mak Tam) a few month ago.
'Minta doa kat Tuhan kalau nak mati jangan la sakit lama2, tak dak sapa nak pengesoh kita. Kita dok sakit tak bolih nak buat apa, depa kerja banyak, langat ka nak bela kita'
These are some of the things old folks (I am one of the old folks) have in their mind and what their wishes are as they wade with what remain of their life in this world.

FIKRI
TAHNIAH DIATAS TAWARAN JAWATAN PEGAWAI FARMASI. DAH SUJUD SYUKUR?.

*pengesoh - to look after a sick person

Mop

2009-06-03T10:44:00.018+08:00

A few week before retirement I had this thought in my mind - why do wife normally live longer than the husband . The wife as I observed survive many many years after the husband had passed away. I am not trying to deny the will of Allah in determining someone life, but there must be factors behind it that make wife live a healthier and longer life than the husband. In fact statistic show that woman's life expectancy is higher than the man's.
Husband who smoke a lot I think they deserved it when they 'close their eyes' earlier than their wife. The lifestyle they lead not only bad for their organs but also their entire family. I think the government has been right in asking the cigarette company to label their packet of cigarette with pictures of diseased organs and fetuses caused by years of smoking cigarettes.
I think wife is more active when at home especially during weekends doing housekeeping and so on. Have you heard wife complaining about their husband sitting idly, watching tv or reading newspapers while wife is busy doing housekeeping, cooking, looking after babies and so on and so forth? While wife is burning their calories by doing all these things, the husband is accumulating fats and plaque of cholesterol in their arteries. In this kind of situation, no wonder that wife will outlive their husband.
So I started my first day of retirement by mopping the floor, sweeping it, washing plates, so on and so forth. Mopped marble floor look kind of shiny and it really feel smooth on your soles when you walk on it barefooted. Not a grain of sand or dust to tickle you soles and consequently you had this enormous feeling of satisfaction.
'Tapak kaki tu tak rasa apa apa ka?' with a smile I asked my wife, at the same time trying to hide what I have done during her absent from home and hoping that she could feel the different.
'Alaa saya buat kerja ni dah bertahun tahun, TAK TANYA PUN'
Jawapan macam ni yang buat umur husband jadi pendek, betul tak?
Disappointed? or just accept it as an undeniable truth!
So what's your reaction if you get that kind of unappreciative answer?

BUAT LAH KERJA DENGAN IKHLAS, BARU ADA GANJARAN PAHALA. ORANG YG APPRECIATE KERJA ORANG LAIN DAPAT PAHALA JUGA.

*'sugar coated' in the above dialogue.

Penyejuk Mata (qurrata a'yon)

2009-05-26T21:52:00.010+08:00

Sejuk mata emak ayah tika menolak daun pintu,
terpandang anak diatas sejadah, sujud menyembah Allah yang satu,
menadah tangan memohon ampun kepada Allah atas dosa emak ayah,
munajad dipertiga malam dengan linangan air mata,
sholat diawal waktu, wajah jernih dibasahi wuthu'
senyuman terukir dibibir, aurat terjaga,
mata memandang lembaran qur'an, lidah tertil membaca firman,

Sejuk mata emak ayah tika melihat anak
santun berbudi, lembut
bersalam mencium tangan, bertemu pipi
atok, mak char', mak ngah, mak dak, mak tam, mak lang, mak cik, mak su
ikhlas menolong membantu pabila bertemu,
bergurau, senyum dan ketawa,
menghormati dan menyalami sepupu, anak saudara,
sahabat emak dan ayah,

Sejuk mata emak ayah tika memandang anak
berpakaian mengikut syariat,
tidak bertindik disatu telinga,
berbakti
untuk agama dan warga,
sentiasa sehat, cergas, bertenaga.

Syima, Fadhli, Fikri, Fuad adalah permata,
buah hati emak dan ayah,
penyejuk mata.

PHARMACIST FIKRI, SETINGGI-TINGGI TAHNIAH.

Toilet

2009-05-17T10:46:00.024+08:00

I had just stepped out of the toilet's door when an Indian lady confronted and cynically spoke to me in fluent longat utara,
'Apa Pak Cik ni masuk bilik ayaq pompuan!'
'Ya ka!, sorry sorry, nasib baik tak dak pompuan'
I turned my head looking for something to confirm what she had said and ooh yes there I could now clearly see woman-wearing-gown signboard pasted to the wall for all to see. How on earth that my eyes missed seeing it in the first place. Lucky me, there was no one in the toilet or no reporter around while I was using it. Very unfortunate of me if someone might made a fuss out of it and simply accused me as 'pak cik gatai' or an old peeping Tom or a potential molester. And the allegation is then turned into a sensational news splashed in the newsmedia.
Actually you become oblivious of your surrounding when your mind is preoccupied and wrestled with many problems. Problems are multifaceted, they can be family, financial, business, etc and these mind boggling problems may unconsciously drift your mind away to another unknown dimension. I think this what happen to me that day. I was in another dimension when I entered the wrong toilet. I might have seen the signboard but my mind failed to register it as a lady's toilet. Or was it the age factor that caused the incident?
The embarrassing incident occured at Pasar Dato' Kailan (Allahyarhamah Dato' Kailan is the mother of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) in Kepala Batas. This Pasar is an imitation (not like) of Pekan Rabu in Alor Star. It is worth visiting it if you happen to be in Kepala Batas.
Syima, Fadhli and Fikri were born when we were staying in Kepala Batas. Kepala Batas which was a small and quiet town 30 years ago, has turn into a bustling town with many government offices, a hotel (Hotel Sri Malaysia), beautiful housing areas, dewan mellinium, well-equipped hospital and now is set to become a modern, sophisticated, futuristic administration centre for Seberang Prai Utara District. Big thanks to Pak Lah.

BERSUNGGUH-SUNGGUH DAN BERISTIQAMAH DALAM BERAMAL SOLEH.

Project

2009-04-27T12:26:00.042+08:00

We finally agree though risky to put our hard earned money into NSH Maju Enterprise (NSH is combination of the first letter of our names, Ng (age 52), Safiee(58) and Hasim(59)) and initiated our first 10 acres vegetable growing project at Titi Panjang Merbau Pulas.
The project looks viable on paper and money back guarantee after the third round of planting , provided that the vegetables produced are of good quality, high demand, and no glut of the products in the market. Price of sayur as usual not stable, fluctuating every now and then. When the vege price goes down the one who suffers most are the producers, as to middleman, they keep on smiling all the way to the bank.
For good crop growth, chicken dung is a must, blended into the soil a week or more before sowing the seeds. With high yielding quality seeds, adequate fertilisers, competent workers and a comprehensive infra such as drainage, overhead irrigation system, fences, farm roads, strong trellis (for climbing vegetables such as timun, kacang panjang) etc, the risk insha'allah can be very much reduced.
Manual workers are legal Bangladeshi, recruited and trained to become highly motivated workers, hardworking, punctual. With regard to punctuality, we are very concern and strict with them.We will deduct their income if they came late for work. They are also not allow to engage in too much talking while working as this can affect their work efficiency. We make sure that their wages are paid on exact date as promised. We realize that late payment even by one day can demotivate them.
Safiee with his 30 years experience in vegetable planting is the backbone of the project. He is very competent and knowledgeable in running a commercially large scale vegetable farm. He provides the overall expertise, planning and also supervising the 7 Bangladeshis recruited for the project.
Money for the project come from two Finance Ministers MrNg and me.
Work starts at 7 o'clock in the morning and finishes at 6 in the evening. 'Rondaan' in the project area is also being carried out during the night. Hard works are really needed to make it succeed.
Seven acres are now planted with bendi, kacang panjang, and timun and the remainder three acres will be planted with petola. Currently the project produces about 60-90 kg bendi and 200-300kg of timun and the generated income is still inadequate to pay wages for the 7 workers. We still have to go deep into our pocket to make the project running. Hopefully with good management practices, we will be able to reap some profit and generate enough income insha'allah on the third round of planting to cover the expenses incurred.

KATA RANG TUA:
KALAU TAKUT DILAMBUNG OMBAK JANGAN BERUMAH DITEPI PANTAI
START A PROJECT WITH WHAT YOU KNOW BEST.

Al-Hafiz

2009-04-18T21:59:00.030+08:00

If I had begun the journey years, years, years ago, I might have arrived at my destination by now. But as people always says, it's better late than never, more importantly when seeking knowledge and improving your spiritual life. With patience, unwavering mental strength, perseverance, long healthy life, and adopting the right method any good muslim or muslimah is capable of achieving the desired destination, insya'Allah.
The first step of my long journey began when I enrolled as participant to a one day course on new effective method of hafazan Surah Al-Qur'an organized by Pusat Islam USM. The new 'kaedah' of hafazan called 'Kaedah Jibril' specifically created for the busy working muslims was presented by the creator of the 'kaedah' himself Ustaz Hj Mohd Asraf Ayob Al-Hafiz. Participants who diligently follow this 'kaedah' are guaranteed success as they will be able to by heart 10 popular surahs out of the 114 surahs in the Qur'an in less than seven months.
'Membaca dan menghafal surah-surah AlQu'ran adalah ibadah yang tinggi nilainya dan merupakan amal soleh yang sangat dituntut untuk dilaksanakan'
Allocate time for reading and understanding Al-Quran no matter how busy you are.
Begin the first stride, start the journey now.
Two well known official Imams at masjid Al-Khalid USM, Ustaz Zamrus and Ustaz Zaid son of Professor Zhari whom I know very well attained the title of Al-Hafiz at very young age. They began their journey early and they now have safely arrived at their destination. How nice to be able to stand before Allah and by heart recite beautifully any of 114 surahs in the Qur'an.
Kak Long, Bang Ngah, Bang Lang and Fuad, have you begun your journey yet?
The destination to your journey is AL-HAFIZ (AL-HAFIZAH).
INSYA'ALLAH.

TAHNIAH DAN KESYUKURAN PADA ALLAH ATAS KELAHIRAN CAHAYAMATA PERTAMA:
NORAZLIN DAN ZAIDI.
AZREE DAN SUHANA.

Cars

2009-04-11T18:16:00.023+08:00

My first car purchased in 1980 using government loan was a brand new German technology Opel Kadett 1.2S, plate number KL 2083. Priced at 11000 ringgit on the road, this was the only car I could afford. Popular Japanese-made cars like Toyota Legenda, Mazda Capella, Mitsubishi Lancer, Mazda 323, Datsun 120Y etc, priced around 15000 to 20000 ringgit were a bit expensive for a newly appointed government officer like me.
Opel was a good car and very durable, and it served my family well for almost two decades before we decided to part with it and sold it to Kak Lang.
Another continental car we had at that time was an Italian-made car Fiat 131 Mirafiori. The car belong to Allahyarham Uda Kudus and it was very kind of him to place the car temporarily with us before flying off to Canada with his family. The car, famous in the early eighties was very comfortable to drive especially for long distance travel and I like it very much for its soft, smooth and spongy seats and road stability.
My experience with a Japanese-made car was in 1991 when I bought a secondhand Nissan Sunny for 17000 ringgit and after using it for seven years traded it in for 14000 ringgit in exchange for the new Proton Wira which Fadhli is using it now.
This Proton Wira bought in 1997 is a good car.
'Bang Ngah, if you want your car to look smart, cuci selalu, kalau bolih polish, lagi cantik'
I had just retired from my government service when Fuad (baru first year at that time at Uitm) insisted me day and night to buy him a car. He adamantly refused to use the campus bus giving me all sort of excuses. I tried hard to remain tough but finally had to admit defeat to this lawyer to be. I bought him a Kancil hoping that he would be happy with it. I was utterly wrong.
'Kancil is too small for me la ayah and it gives me lots of problems. I want bigger car'
He sold the kancil and bought a Gen 2.
Right now Syima is using her mother's first car Proton Saga bought in 1991 (Are you satisfied with the car or are you thinking-thinking of buying a new car?) My wife presently drives a Toyoto Altis and left her second car Proton Waja to me. Fikri, nice, cool, undemanding guy of the family, is the only one who has'nt got a car yet.
'Fikri, if you want I can give you your mother's Proton Waja. I'll wait for my Sijil Simpanan Premium to strike, god willing I might be driving a Merce or BMW, who knows!
OR if not, will one of you buy me one?'

SELAMAT MENDUDUKI PEPERIKSAAN TO FADHLI, FIKRI, FUAD DAN KEPADA SYIMA, SAYANG DAN YANG TERSAYANG SELAMAT MENJALANKAN TUGAS. MOGA ALLAH MEMBERKATI SEMUA TUGAS YG KITA LAKSANAKAN.

Rain

2009-04-05T16:56:00.033+08:00

It was indeed a moment of jubilation the day the rain began to fall at the end of last february. Two months of hot and dry weather and not a single drop of rain inevitably scorched the grasses, turning them brown, making them scarce and unpalatable for the skinny cattles to graze.
The 200-odd limau madu trees which were planted three and a half years ago on a 2.5 acres piece of land at Tengkorak Batu Bukit Selambau, naturally produced smaller leaves and furled their leaves upward during the dry spell in their bid to conserve water and reduced transpiration.
But for the 20 durian trees planted 15 years ago in that same piece of land, the flower initiation was in fact began during the dry period and alhamdulillah almost all the branches in all the trees are abundantly covered with flowers. It is very interesting to note how the kampung folks rightly describe the development of the durian flower based on the size of the flower buds. The flower buds at their first stage are called 'Jari cicak', they are then called 'mata ketam' as they grow slightly bigger, and finally 'terung belanda', the size just before the buds bloom into flower. Surprisingly drought seems to have little effect on the 40-odd longan trees there. They keep on producing shoots even during the dry period.
Showered by rain, the land is beaming with life again. The scorched grasses turn flush green much to the delight of the four cattles which we rear for the sole purpose of biologically controlling the grasses. The durian flower buds burst and bloom into beautiful yellowish-white blossoms. The canopy of the limau trees are of light green, dense with thousands of magnificient tiny white flowers. What a sight to behold!
Inshaallah the durians, longan, rambutan and limau will be ready for harvesting in September or October. The children are always reluctant to follow me to the orchard when asked to simply because of the mosquito bites and many other reasons only known to them.
Dah besa jadi orang pekan, besa senang, ajak masuk semak sikit dah tak mau.
I know Fuad (pity him) hate durians because of their pungent aroma. Fikri, when he wants to see somebody, refrains himself from eating them (You can always use colgate total or other oral wash to clear off the durian smell from your breath) . My wife, Syima, Fadhli, Sayang, pantang tengok durians, they obsessively love them. Ulaq sawa lalu pun depa dah tak nampak.
Hopefully this time around all of them are willing to go to the orchard, braving out the mosquitoes, picking and tasting the fruits where they are grown.
See you all in six months time, in the orchard!

doctor

2009-03-26T14:48:00.006+08:00

I visited the doctor for the second time at Sungai Dua government clinic a week ago bringing along the results of my blood test and my final BP reading which I collected from one of the nurses of the same clinic. On my first visit I complained to the doctor of slight numbness on my left arm beginning from the elbow down to the fingertips. Although the numbness had since disappeared but the phenomena worried me and this was what brought me to get to see the doctor.
I think most men shun the doctor because they don't like to be told they are suffering from some kinds of ailments or diseases. What I dread most is to have to swallow in two to three kinds of medicine on a regular basis.
My BP readings as told by the doctor was okay. The first reading taken three weeks before the appointment was 140/90 which was high, but it dropped to 130/80 on the fifth reading taken just minutes before seeing the doctor. Unfortunately my blood sugar and cholesterol levels were high so much so that doc suggested I be put under medication to lower my cholesterol as well as a diabetic patient. How come I am a diabetic, all this while I make sure only a small amount of sugar is added into my drinks or sometimes no sugar is added at all. I'm quite doubtful, and I think I need a second opinion on this important matter. I told the doctor not to put me under medication yet and asked for her advice on reducing blood sugar level the natural ways. Yes, I need to do regular exercise and consume foods or drinks containing less sugar and eat more fruits or veges. I will again do the check-up in three months time.
I go to Bukit Jambul every alternate day now, spending about 40 minutes scaling the lower slope up and then down. Bukit Jambul has its highest peak but it's too high for me, my knees are not that strong anymore to climb it to the top.
I don't know yet whether doing this can help reduce the sugar level or not but for sure it makes me feel really fresh, healthy and fit after the climbing. 40 minutes is more than enough to make my body completely drenched with sweat. The feeling is really wonderful. Alhamdulillah.

Mishap

2009-03-19T10:19:00.003+08:00

It costs me 240 ringgit today to repair the damage on my Waja. The damage is small but the cost to repair, cement and repaint it is quite heavy on the pocket especially for a pensioner who receives a meagre amount of retirement allowance every month. Unexpected spending like this will definately disrupts your monthly tight budget commitments.
The mishap happened yesterday while I was negotiating a narrow bend to enter Tabung Haji parking area in Sik. I swerved the car too much to the left not knowing that there is a one-foot-high concrete kerb on that side. We heard the awful screeching sound as the lower part of the car grazed the concrete kerb. The graze caused a one-foot long dent and scratches, missing the door lower edge by just a quarter of an inch. Who's to blame? Blame yourself for being so careless.
Although all proper precautions have been observed mishap could still happen. Kita sekadar merancang, Allah yang menentukan.
As we grow older our ability to focus or concentrate is slowly reduced.
Mood definately influences your way of driving. Don't drive when you are angry. This is important if you are a passenger talk nice to the driver, don't make him angry.

Atar

2009-03-09T14:45:00.023+08:00

A distraction indeed when in the middle of your shalat as wind from the fan blows in your direction, your nostrils suddenly scent something unpleasant coming from a makmum praying beside you. You guess what? Yes you are right - the unpleasant odorous body of the makmum, the sour smell of his armpits, or the musty smell coming from his many days of wearing the same unwashed, unchanged jacket or shirt.
As the scent impulses reach your brain you lose your focus and the mind starts to wonder.
'Hai! dah berapa hari budak sebelah ni tak mandi. Baju tu tak pernah basuh ka! Pakai la perfume bila nak mai jemaah.'
For this reason that whenever possible I will take a bath before going to the masjid and habitually squirt atar oil on my baju melayu so as to obscure my ori unpleasant body smell if I ever had it.
It's a sunnah to wear clean, odorless outfit and to smear a few drops of atar perfume so as to give you a pleasant smell before going for a congregational prayer.
Atar perfumes are usually prepared and sold in a concentrated form so if it is used too much it will give out too strong a smell and the smell might repel some people especially youngsters. I often got complains from my niece for using atar in her presence.
'Jangan pakai banyak-banyak sangat Pak Teh. Pening la!'
At least my body smell of atar not the sour smell of the armpits.
My wife, a passionate atar user often shops for her favourite and latest up to date fragrants at Bajuineed perfumery store located at Lebuh Pantai, Penang. For easy identification and selection by customers, the atars there, are named after well-known branded perfumes found in the market such as Boss, Polo. Armani, Dunhill, Poison etc. The given names are based on their smell that resemble the mentioned products. Customers who prefer traditionally branded atars, there are lots of them to choose from- Malaikat Subuh, Seribu Bunga, Kasturi, Hajar Aswad etc (just mention it, they have it). The last time I went there was about three weeks ago when Syima wanted to buy some atars for her own used. Atars are definately suitable for young and olds.
Muslims should choose atar for their perfumes because it's alcohol free, bersih and suci.
Bring along a small bottle of atar wherever you go. People love to be near you when you emit nice and pleasant smell.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AHMAD FUAD CELEBRATED ON 4 MAC 2009. YOUR DREAM IS OUR DREAM TOO, MAY ALLAH BLESS U AND BESTOWS UPON U SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS TODAY AND ALL THROUGH THE YEAR.

Bukit Selambau

2009-02-27T12:17:00.016+08:00

The resignation recently of ADUN Bukit Selambau hail from Pakatan Rakyat (he joined PR after winning the election early last year as an independence candidate) has thrown this small town located 20 km from Sungai Petani into prominence, gripping the attention and subject of conversation of all political leaders and masses alike. DUN Bukit Selambau voters will again elect their YB through by-election due to be held in April.
I am very familiar with Bukit Selambau and I know every corner of it. I was once a student of Sekolah Rendah Bukit Selambau from standard two to four before I joined Special Malay Class in Ibrahim Primary School Sungai Petani. When I was in Secondary School I commuted by bus from Bukit Selambau to the school in Sungai Petani up until I finished my secondary school.
During emergency rules (in the fifties), Bukit Selambau was declared a black area by the government due to the presence of communist insurgents in the area and was put under curfew from 7 pm to 7 am. To cut the insurgent food supply, the town was completely fenced and heavily guarded by soldiers. Purchasing of foods such as rice, sugar, flour by kampung folks were also controlled. They could only purchase these controlled food items from 7 am to 7 pm when the curfew would be temporarily lifted. Purchasing could only be done through special permit and the amount of foods bought was also controlled (enough for the family consumption) and subject to checking by the guards at checkpoint. Harassment from time to time by communist insurgents made kampung life at that time tough and difficult.
In the sixties the primary products produced by the people here were tapioca, groundnuts and rubbers. The Malays were mostly rubber tappers and the Chinese grew tapioca and groundnuts.
But now, the Malays here are more enterprising, getting involve in many kinds of business activities. Presently pineapples are much grown here and it seems to become one of the the main product of Bukit Selambau , and I can assure you that pineapples planted here are the best. Bukit Selambau is also well-known for its seasonal fruits such as cempedak, rambutan and durian.
Inhabitants of Bukit Selambau are soon to see leaders of political parties coming prior to the by-election. Beware of politicians who give empty promises. Do not be easily influenced by these goody politicians. My advice to the BN and PR, field local Malay as election candidates. My advice to the voters -VOTE JUDICIOUSLY.

Nostalgia

2009-02-23T15:53:00.007+08:00

Driving through the narrow road to the village where I was born is in fact a journey down memory lane. I did a nostalgic journey to Kampung Siam, my birth place a few days ago to pay tribute to the passing of my cousin who spent her whole life there.
Kampung Siam was where I spent my childhood and part of my teenhood years, growing up together with my cousins and neighbouring kids. We passed our free times playing marbles, tops, kotak-kotak (empty cigerette boxes), chongkak, jengket and at times secretly went swimming in nearby mining pools.
Pipe water was non-existent in the kampung then, so we use well water which turned very muddy after heavy rainfall for washing and bathing. Our drinking water, my brother took it from the roadside public pipe located in the Bedong town.
Latrine was the hole type, where after months of using it, the brimful stool almost touched your buttock. The smell was terrible, disgusting!.
The wooden house we lived in, built in the sixties was spacious and airy due to its many windows. Me, my grandmother, brother and two elder sisters lived in that house and were later joined by our cousins. With so many mouths to feed, I wondered how my grandmother and my brother at that time managed to make ends meet. Foods were always enough for everyone to eat.
The kampung once beautiful, looks ugly now. The drains once well maintained are now clogged with rubbish, the water remains stagnant and dirty. No new houses being built, some of the old houses are vacant and left to rot.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WIFE, CELEBRATED ON THE 22nd FEBRUARY

Forgetfulness

2009-02-18T10:56:00.005+08:00

I never forget to bring the keys to my house whenever I leave home. It happened one day that I left home not only forgetting to close the front gate but also leaving the bunch of keys still hanging on the padlock. Lucky that my wife realized it and she took the keys before some bad guys found them.
I think it is common for the elderly to experience forgetfulness one way or another. I considered it as normal if for examples they forget to switch off the bathroom light, to charge the handphone battery, or even forget the names of their close relatives or friends.
This phenomena of forgetfulness is not only confined to the aged, youngsters can also be inflicted. I know one young, cute, petite female USM's student, she stays at the hostel, and goes home only during the weekends. One of her duty when she's at home is to prepare lunch for her grandmother.
'Dah nak masuk lohor' (zohor) ni nasi tak masak lagi ka!'
'Laa, lupa la tok'
Whether she really lupa or just using the word as an excuse, tak tau la. You know what she has been doing by looking at her unruly hair and sleepy eyes.
Lately I forgot doing quite a number of things but not to the extend of forgetting my name or forget to take my bath (dimentia). The reason I forgot to lock the gate and left my keys there was because I deviated from my routine. I normally drive the car out from the porch and parked the car just outside the gate, come out from the car, lock the gate and drive. On that day the car was parked outside, I just opened the gate big enough for my body to pass through, open the car's booth to put my shoes in and then drove off. Because of this event, my wife make a fuss out of it. She told my children that I am gradually losing my memory.
One thing that I learn is not to procrastinate work lest you will forget. Finish it there and then.

KAK NET KEMBALI KERAHMATULLAH PADA 17 FEB 2009, SEMOGA ALLAH MENEMPATKAN ROH NYA DIKALANGAN ORANG2 YANG BERIMAN DAN MENJADIKAN KUBURNYA SEBAHAGIAN DARI TAMAN2 SYORGA

Imam n makmum

2009-02-11T10:47:00.011+08:00

Leading congregational prayers whether as Imam or just following the imam as makmum, carries a heavy burden of responsibilities.
The imam must be familiar not only with rules of sembahyang jemaah, but he should also be able to recite Quran with 'tartil' that is reciting the Quran with proper ' tajwid' and 'makhraj'. As Imam to my wife, I used to get complains from her.
'Apa abang ni sebut huruf pun tak betul, huruf sin jadi sod, huruf tak ada qalqalah baca qalqalah, yang ada qalqalah tak baca' ( thank you sayang for being a responsible makmum) , now I feel comfortable reading Quran after I have attended and completed a five years tajwid course at Masjid Sungai Ara .
I went to Masjid Sg. Ara with my daughter every Sunday six years ago 'bertalaqi' with Ustaz Saidin. She did not finish the course but I know Syima can recite Quran well and with 'tartil', she once represented her school in one of the Inter-School Quran reading competation held at Sekolah Rendah Bayan Lepas Pulau Pinang.
Shalat berjemaah at masjid can sometimes be embarrassing for the makmum. The Imam should inform the jemaah beforehand if he wants to do a sujud tilawah in the first rakaat. We are familiar with Surah as- Sajadah but not with other surahs which have the sujud tilawah.
What happened during one of the shalat subuh( bukan pagi Jumaat) was that the Imam recited the surah which had the sujud tilawah, and after the takbir he went down and did the sujud tilawah. Ignorant of the surah I did the ruku' (I did not know what's happenning because I close my eyes during shalat to attain khosoo') thinking that the imam was doing the same. I incidently opened my eyes and really terkejut badak, I was the only one dok tengah ruku'.
'Apa la tok imam ni bagi la tau dulu kalau nak buat sujud tilawah! Kita bukan alhafiz' I grumbled.
I asked my friends after the shalat, rupa-rupa nya I was not the only one yang tekena.
One of my friends gave this cynical remark:
' Tu la orang suruh belajar tak mau belajar'

Message: Fuad, Fadhli, Fikri - rajin2 sembahyang dan baca Quran. Baca Quran dgn bertajwid fardho ain

Birthday

2009-02-08T15:34:00.006+08:00

Death is certainly inevitable. But can we be deadly certain that we will still be alive tomorrow. If Allah permits yes we will.
From time to time Allah tests us with death of our love ones, friends, and relatives. Tears fill our eyes as we see them being lowered into the grave, helplessly our mind wonders who will be next and when will our (my) turn be. Will we be celebrating our birthday year after year? When will it be our last? Alhamdulillah thanks to Allah the merciful for giving me the chance to again celebrate my birthday this year.
At the age of 59 , celebrating birthday is no more a happy occasion, its more of a soul searching moment where you want to be alone and reminisce the spiritual failures that dotted your life. The day when we recall the wrongdoings that we have committed. The day where we again sincerely invoke Allah for forgiveness and hope that He will accept our repent. And the day when our mind is preoccupied with thoughts of life after death. Am I ready for that? Am I prepared to face the 'day' that Allah says as the day full of regrets? Yes the day when all mankind regret for what they have done during their lifetime. The day when the doer of good deeds regret for not doing more during their earthly life. The day when the wrongdoers who died unrepented regret the most.
Protect us ya Allah from the hell fire.
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) died at the age of 63. If you live beyond 63, its a blessing from Allah and a bonus given to you by the Almighty.

THANKS FOR THOSE WHO DOA AND WISH ME HAPPINESS ON MY BIRTHDAY.

dignity

2009-02-03T15:51:00.009+08:00

The elderly no matter what status they are to you- a husband, wife, mother, father, grandfather, grandmother- should be treated with utmost care, showered them with love and dignity. They have sacrificed and protected you enough, giving you all the loves that you need as you grow up. Now it's your turn to reciprocate the love and devotion they have given to you all their life.
Be very careful when speaking to them, avoiding words that can irritate them, hurt their feeling or offend them. Do not raise your voice upon them and do not say something that can bring shame to them.
I once visited a very sick man. Bedridden, he was unable to talk but he could hear well and respond with gesture when someone talk to him. As I was looking at the man's frail face, the wife spoke with high voice that can be heard miles away about her husband's condition.
'Pak cik ni malam tadi sakit perut, bengak(berak) tak bengenti, dari pukul 5 petang sampai 6 pagi, tujuh belas kali bengak, jenuh laaa mak cik dok cuci, dok tukaq pempers. Pempers pula bukannya murah. Saya sampai tak tiduq malam dok kena jaga dia'
Conversation like this right in front of the ailing husband might embarrass him and make him feel that he's a burden to his wife . Nevertheless I very much appreciate her patience, love and tireless support for the husband. May Allah bless her.
Statement of Allah: 'Only those who are patient will receive their reward without measure' (39:10)

amazing

2009-01-23T17:36:00.004+08:00

Meal time is quiet and dull for warga emas whose children are staying away from home either working, studying or having a family of their own. We never plan what to cook as we normally do when one of the children or all of them are at home.
Fikri has a passion for cooking. He is the Iron Chef.
Ask him this question ' masak apa hari ini ?.
His reply 'Just name it , I'll cook it!'
Amazing! He can cook any cusine from any place in the world. Extremely delicious.
Pose the same question to Kak Long. 'Masak apa ari ini?
'Masak simple simple sudah lah ayah' Kak Long ni sebenarnya pandai masak, saja tak mau tunjuk but you have to try her kek coklat. I love it!
What about Fuad, the blue- eyed boy of the family.
'Nak makan apa ari ni?'
'I'm on diet!' Really? I'm doubtful. He frequented posh and expensive restaurants own by celebrities when he is back in Shah Alam. He blame his dad for his prominent jaw and pipi gembem.
Bang Ngah pula ' give me the money, I'll buy chicken madu for you' Bang Ngah memang kaki makan ayam. Atok mail pun kata macam tu. Yang special, he could finish his food in just a few second. He swallowed it. He should slim down. Dah macam dipam pam.
Pesanan from Mom 'Makanlah Makanan yang Toyyiban Halalan'
Untuk Sofea - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! FROM ATOK DAN WAN

wife

2009-01-19T14:54:00.005+08:00

Allah the provider, bestowed mankinds with necessary apparatus- hands, eyes, ears, mouth, legs, genitals, mind and so on-for him to use them in accordance to His will. What you do, good or bad will be accounted for. Be aware that in yaumal kiamah during the hisab, with Allah permission, every apparatus given to you will act as witnesses of Allah.
Shirik or associating Allah with others or giving companion to Allah is a major sin and Allah will never forgive shirik sin. Shirik sinners will be forever in hellfire. Nau' zubilla.
In the course of our life, we befriended many people. Lucky enough if we have friends who keep reminding us of the right path. Friends can lead us go astray and worst if we are one of the collaborators who led others go astray.
When we get married we hope someone very close to us share the responsibility of reminding us from time to time of our wrongdoings, protecting us from going astray or falling into unintentional sin. Who is the best person in this world to do that, it is none other than our own beloved wife.
'Tak ingat ka diri tu dah tua, dok tengok lagi benda-benda macam tu!'. I was watching Miss Universe when my wife blurted out.
I quickly changed the channel.
' Buat dosa saja tengok program macam tu'
I agree with her. Thanks to Allah for giving me such a good wife.

Prophet says: If you are to choose a woman for a wife, choose someone who is pretty and has property but more importantly someone religious.

cucu n atok

2009-01-17T11:31:00.007+08:00

I'll be 59 next month. An 'atok' now with one cucu (Sayang Sofea) and many cucu penakan (grandsons and grandaughters of my elder sisters and brother).
'Dah ada berapa orang cucu?' asked an old friend recently met.
Same question will pop up when long lost friend meet one another. Of course all those atoks are proud of their cucus and the number of cucus they have, as if these cucus become some sort like an indicator for measuring their succes in life.
We love our son and daughter but undeniably we love our cucu more. Its fitrah, god make it that way. You can bear seeing your wife rotan your own kids but not when your cucu being rotan in front of you. If you wish to do it, do it when atok is not around.
Atoks are sensitive lots. No question about your sincerety when reprimanding your kids but sensitive atok might take it differently.
'Ala depa nak kenen kat aku, depa buat-buat la marah kat anak depa'
Be cautious with these sensitive atok. Hati depa ni mudah sangat tengentak especially when it involves their cucu.

Firman Allah: 'Your wealth and your offspring are only a trial' (64: 15).
Good cucus are those who doa for their atok, their parents to be placed in paradise among the faithful

mom

2009-01-14T12:45:00.003+08:00

It's a great blessing when at this ripe age, your mom is still around. How nice to be able to spend time talking to her, show great affection for her and listen tentatively to her advice and gossips. Her heart delighted and you can see happiness on her wrinkled face the moment she sees you, welcomes you or greet you.
"Lama tak mai" she will say, as if we have not visited her for years long. The irony is that only last week we came and see her. She is not nyanyuk but to an old lady, (she's almost 86), staying at home (my adik perempuan's house) doing nothing and sometime alone, a week seems a long time. I think almost all parents feel the same, longing to have their kids around them.
So when my daugther sms to me asking for my credit card number to buy online return flight home, I happily gave. My wife and I love to see her (other kids too) home and it's always true that three heads is better than two. We spent time together and indulge in more lively and cheerful conversations. Although the meeting is short but its really meaningful. And mind you those sons and daughter who find time to visit their parents will be rewarded in the hereafter and considered as good deeds by Allah.
Prophet s.a.w says: You will be rewarded if you set your eyes on these 3 things: Firstly your parents that means you come and visit them regularly. Secondly the ulama that is be near to those that can give you knowledge of your religion. Thirdly the Kaaba, you are required to fulfill haj and umrah.

advising me

2009-01-11T14:20:00.002+08:00

Killing time is one of the problems faced when people go into retirement, especially those who fail to plan before they retire. They visit their former office at regular interval and finally realize they are not welcome. Staff simply pretend to be busy and some ignore them totally. Upper level pensioner distribute name cards claiming to be expert on this and that. Those with lots of cucu (grandsons, grandaughters) spend time visiting them, and bear the burden of being bullied by the cucu-cucu buas. Some undergo sedentary life: reading newspapers, watch tv, makan, minum and tidur. To get attention and to show power lost after retirement some even provoke and 'fight' with their wife. Flirting for those who feel young at heart, extra money to spend, and unaware that rumah kata pergi kubur kata mari.
Time lost is like kaca terhempas kebatu. Devastation. With little time left which Allah gives to you now, what are going to do? At this age, you can be an aruah at any time Allah wishes. What is the best choice?
Allah says: By time. Verily man is in loss. Except such as have faith, and do righteous deeds and (join together) in the mutual teaching of truth and of patience and constancy (Surah: 95)

Before being call to Allah just do this: have faith in Allah alone, do good deeds, advise others wisely, patience always in good and bad time.

introducing me

2009-01-10T12:04:00.000+08:00

almost 3 years now since I retired from my govt service and it seems just a couple of days ago. Time runs so quickly. I always wonder why when I am down with flu or fever, it takes longer days to recover compare to a few years ago. My legs feel uneasy when I stand too long queuing to pay my bills or cramp painfully when I do some stretching on bed early in the morning. The skin especially around the neck look dry, loose and it stretches longer when pull. There are prominent wrinkles in between the eyebrow with baggy skin below the eyes. Cheeks beginning to sag, rough and dry. I still got a few hairs on my head but its all grey and listless, thinly in front, both sides and at the back of the head but almost empty on top. No wonder barber takes only a few seconds to finish doing my hair. Sleep is easy (alhamdulillah). While sitting on sofa watching tv, or lying down on carpet without bantal. Waking up from this improper sleep bring pain to neck and shoulders, and I need lots of minyak kapak or minyak urut to cure it.
As age catches you up, your strength reduced, your tissue deteriorated and finally when you are placed in the grave after the roh left your body, you body deteriorated completely and you are totally blended with earth. So whats left to help you: Prophet says your good deeds that you do during your life time, your sons or daughters who pray for you, benefial knowledge that you passed to others.