Yeay! Today is the last working Saturday for Malaysian civil servants. I hope the government will retain this 5-days week policy for good. Aaammmiiiiinnnnn :-)
Anyway – I’ve been wanting to blog about so many things but somehow could not find enough time doing so, here’s a quick note on this and that: -
# Firstly, I think it’s not only appropriate, but almost necessary, to applaud Aiz for a job well done with PPS. Like so many other Malaysian bloggers, I am glad that I can rely on this blog-tal, not only to increase my own readership, but to enable me sneaking a peek at other people’s thoughts and views. In a way, PPS is almost akin to KL Sentral Station – where blogs with different voices, nuances and definitions all come together under one roof just like KTM trains, Komuter, Putra LRT and Monorail all congregate at Sentral… Happy belated 2nd birthday PPS and here’s wishing that you will live on and on and on...
# Then, there’s that recommendation by this blogger to err, write a memorandum on this issue. The so-called issue on misuse and abuse of the Internet by civil servant is rather close to my heart since I use the e-mail a lot not only for official uses but also to interact with friends and colleagues; I make a lot of friends and also keep in touch with both friends and family via Yahoo Messenger and I blog. And yes, I do receive lots of funny and not-so-funny video via the email as well as downloading stuff on my own. I’ll try to write more about this some day, insya Allah.
# Next, there was this heartfelt plea by this blogger on this issue that actually stirred something inside me to share my own experience. But then again, I guess since Ayah had trained me to wear tudung since I was eight and I actually started to wear tudung properly (as in – at school, after school and even at home whenever non-mahram visited) when I was about 11, I guess my story won’t be as interesting as those who actually has to find real courage and strength to don the hijab, like this girl. Still, at the end of the day, I guess I worry more about those who are already wearing the hijab but are not showing qualities as Muslim women… (those who wear tudung but don’t mind losing their virginity before marriage, wear tudung but matched with really sexy outfits, wear tudung but indulge in heavy petting at public places – the kind of girls who got written about in Mastika and covered in NTV7’s Edisi Siasat a while back)… The kind which make some people come out with remarks such as “baik tak payah pakai tudung…” I worry about them as I worry about the trials and tribulations the future generation have to face in maintaining their dignity and modesty as practising Malay Muslim women.
# Then, another note by this blogger also actually touched somewhere deep inside since currently hubby is a ‘monthly husband’ and we have been a long-distance couple since our first month of marriage. Come September, when I have to fly to Japan to pursue my masters degree in Waseda and leave both him and baby behind first (for him to finish his course and then to apply for unpaid leave and for baby to get all her required early immunisation shots), it’ll be about five or six months before we’ll get reunited. It’s going to be very difficult being away from both a newborn baby and hubby. But nobody said that it would be easy. Besides, I believe if both of us do what we have to do as in accordance to Allah’s plan for us, then we should not be sad neither should we feel afraid as He promises that He will be with those who are patient…
This old nasyid below by Suara Hati, as I got on e-mail this morning, somehow reminded me that for those who have to be apart from their loved ones for a long time, life could be sweeter when we remind ourselves that it’s all in Allah’s will, not ours.
PERTEMUAN BUKAN MILIK KITA
Pertemuan menghadiahkan kita kasih sayang
Jika cinta satu pasti bertemu ia tidak ternilai
Kerana antara hati kita
Telah tiada antaranya lagi
Yang ada hanya cinta kasih Ilahi
Kita berpisah hanya sementara
Kerana pertemuan bukan milik kita
Jasad dan suara berjauhan sentiasa
Namun cinta abadi
Biar terpisah selalu menderita
Kerana syurga menagih ujian
Sedang neraka dipagari oleh nikmat
Bertemu tidak jemu berpisah tak gelisah
Bicara kita adalah bicara sufi
Tanpa suara dan kata-kata
Kerana penghubung kita adalah suara hati
Bertemu berpisah kerana Allah
Lagu: Suara Hati
Lirik: Pahrol Mohd Juoi
Saturday, June 25, 2005
Friday, June 24, 2005
Welcome to the mother's world
Wore the ‘uniform’ for the first time at work today and caught some attention for it. I’m nearing my seventh month and this morning was the first time my colleagues saw me in a maternity dress. It’s a typical dress - ankle length, long sleeved, one piece with some frills above the abdomen area. I must admit that it was quite difficult to find a ready-made dress that suits me since apparently affordable long sleeved, full length maternity dresses that could fit a 5’5” person are not that easily available. I bought two pairs earlier – but I found them to be a bit senteng, so I feel a bit reluctant to wear them to the office.
However, yesterday I was in luck as I found two nice pairs (similar patterns in different colours) that suit me well in Nilai 3. I don’t shop in Nilai 3 all that often, but I was in Bandar Seri Putra so I thought I might as well try looking in the nearby Nilai 3. Actually, right after work yesterday, I went to Bandar Seri Putra to bid my farewell & bon voyage to Masni and her husband Ayie before their departure to UK. Ayie is going to pursue his PhD in Cardiff – Masni’s former university. Masni has been one of my closest buddies since high school and we’ve always kept in touch all these years, so I really did not want to miss saying good bye this time around. I’ve known her whole family too and was pleased to meet them at Masni’s place as well as to sample her mother’s cooking. Since I missed lunch and was really famished by the time I arrived there, I was delighted to be served with all sort of nice food – bihun goreng, rice with assorted lauks, cucur peneram and nice preserved mangoes and buah kuini for dessert. Well, I supposed we all know how pregnant mothers can get excited about all these jeruk stuff, kan?
After bidding proper good bye - hugs, pats on tummy and all - I then moved on to Nilai 3. I went there with my 19-year old cousin Firdhaus, who acted as my consultant, as we went shop-hopping, looking for suitable wear. I liked some of the two-pieces on sale, however since they were mostly pants ( which I could not wear to work) and the skirts were short, I had no choice but to limit my selection on the one-piece long dresses. It was rather frustrating to note that the nicer ones always came in unsuitable designs for me – either they were short or ¾ sleeved or they were knee length. But then again, since I don’t feel like getting my maternity dress tailor-made, I have to settle for what’s available off the rack, so I made my two new purchases albeit accepting that they were a bit short on the back. Bought some loose blouses too, that can be paired with some pants or skirts. At least I can alternate between wearing the dresses and some blouses.
So, I wore my new dress this morning, peach coloured with a matching tudung.
Saliah, my colleague who had been insisting on me wearing the ‘uniform’ seemed really thrilled to finally see me in it and even asked me to parade it in front of her. So did Raihan, another mak buyung who’s in her eight month but had started wearing her ‘uniform’ a couple of months ago. Even my next door neighbour Mohana, who’s still recovering from some fever, could not help herself commenting on how obviously pregnant I look in the ‘uniform’ (all these while, they have been commenting on how small my bump is). Well, who could help but grinning at all those comments, huh?
I guess, putting on the maternity dress for the first time at work could be quite a memorable experience – especially when one receives a comment like I did from Kak Wan, a senior officer, as we passed each other in the pantry this morning;
“Welcome to the mother’s world”
However, yesterday I was in luck as I found two nice pairs (similar patterns in different colours) that suit me well in Nilai 3. I don’t shop in Nilai 3 all that often, but I was in Bandar Seri Putra so I thought I might as well try looking in the nearby Nilai 3. Actually, right after work yesterday, I went to Bandar Seri Putra to bid my farewell & bon voyage to Masni and her husband Ayie before their departure to UK. Ayie is going to pursue his PhD in Cardiff – Masni’s former university. Masni has been one of my closest buddies since high school and we’ve always kept in touch all these years, so I really did not want to miss saying good bye this time around. I’ve known her whole family too and was pleased to meet them at Masni’s place as well as to sample her mother’s cooking. Since I missed lunch and was really famished by the time I arrived there, I was delighted to be served with all sort of nice food – bihun goreng, rice with assorted lauks, cucur peneram and nice preserved mangoes and buah kuini for dessert. Well, I supposed we all know how pregnant mothers can get excited about all these jeruk stuff, kan?
After bidding proper good bye - hugs, pats on tummy and all - I then moved on to Nilai 3. I went there with my 19-year old cousin Firdhaus, who acted as my consultant, as we went shop-hopping, looking for suitable wear. I liked some of the two-pieces on sale, however since they were mostly pants ( which I could not wear to work) and the skirts were short, I had no choice but to limit my selection on the one-piece long dresses. It was rather frustrating to note that the nicer ones always came in unsuitable designs for me – either they were short or ¾ sleeved or they were knee length. But then again, since I don’t feel like getting my maternity dress tailor-made, I have to settle for what’s available off the rack, so I made my two new purchases albeit accepting that they were a bit short on the back. Bought some loose blouses too, that can be paired with some pants or skirts. At least I can alternate between wearing the dresses and some blouses.
So, I wore my new dress this morning, peach coloured with a matching tudung.
Saliah, my colleague who had been insisting on me wearing the ‘uniform’ seemed really thrilled to finally see me in it and even asked me to parade it in front of her. So did Raihan, another mak buyung who’s in her eight month but had started wearing her ‘uniform’ a couple of months ago. Even my next door neighbour Mohana, who’s still recovering from some fever, could not help herself commenting on how obviously pregnant I look in the ‘uniform’ (all these while, they have been commenting on how small my bump is). Well, who could help but grinning at all those comments, huh?
I guess, putting on the maternity dress for the first time at work could be quite a memorable experience – especially when one receives a comment like I did from Kak Wan, a senior officer, as we passed each other in the pantry this morning;
“Welcome to the mother’s world”
Thursday, June 23, 2005
The Johor - Melaka Trip, Part III
The last leg of our trip was kind of lame, but it was basically the only time hubby and I actually spent some time alone. In effect, we went on a long, educational date of some sort and by the end of the day, my feet really hurt from the four-hours non stop walk… We walked all over Melaka City Centre – all around the major historical sites - Stadhuys, St Paul hill, A Famosa, Independence Square, etc.
We toured two museums, even walked to the Maritime museum (well known for the huge old ship structure), but by then I was too tired and pleaded with hubby not to enter it. The Muzium Budaya, located in the replica of the Sultanate Palace (next to A Famosa ruins) is recommended for parents with school-aged children. From what I’d seen, heard and experienced that day – the children there seemed to enjoy getting a glimpse of Melaka during its glorious days as Venice of the East. And to think that the entrance fee is only RM2 per adult! The Islamic Museum, located next to the Museum of Arts and Beauty not far from Dataran Kemerdekaan, still has a lot of room for improvement in terms of content and display. But since we only paid RM1 each for entrance fee, I won’t complain much.
I’ve been told by Abang Azrain that food really doesn’t cost that much in Melaka compared to KL. So, hubby and I decided to have our lunch in Klebang, before we went to Melaka city centre. I must admit that I was pleased to note that our lunch, consisting mee bandung, mee goreng (with fried egg on the side), rojak buah, kopi ginseng, soya bean drinks and two mugs of warm water only cost us RM10.50. The same menu would’ve easily cost us about RM15.00 in KL.
Cheap food - everything on the table only cost us RM10.50
Stopped by at Lendu to visit one of hubby’s many mak angkats. He has a few mak angkat actually – a few I’ve never have any opportunity to meet so far. As a student in Egypt, he used to act as tourist guide during holidays, and in the process got a few nice makcik to care for him and became his mak angkat.
This particular mak angkat of his is one nice lady who, unfortunately, has been left by her husband who marries another younger girl. But she never bitches about it. Photos of her husband still hang proudly in her home – he never divorces her, but simply left without leaving any news of his whereabouts or providing any support. Still, she seems perfectly content to be at home – entertaining herself with raising some deers, some peacocks, taking care of a small fruit orchard and operating a small business selling air mussoffa (holy water of some sort, produced by certain qualified persons writing selected Quranic verses using ink made from saffron around white plates or something to that effect). She always look so calm and at peace with herself that sometimes I could not help thinking what a pity that the husband fails to appreciate such a wonderful gem as this lady.
But then again, sometimes people do take their blessings for granted, right?
We toured two museums, even walked to the Maritime museum (well known for the huge old ship structure), but by then I was too tired and pleaded with hubby not to enter it. The Muzium Budaya, located in the replica of the Sultanate Palace (next to A Famosa ruins) is recommended for parents with school-aged children. From what I’d seen, heard and experienced that day – the children there seemed to enjoy getting a glimpse of Melaka during its glorious days as Venice of the East. And to think that the entrance fee is only RM2 per adult! The Islamic Museum, located next to the Museum of Arts and Beauty not far from Dataran Kemerdekaan, still has a lot of room for improvement in terms of content and display. But since we only paid RM1 each for entrance fee, I won’t complain much.
I’ve been told by Abang Azrain that food really doesn’t cost that much in Melaka compared to KL. So, hubby and I decided to have our lunch in Klebang, before we went to Melaka city centre. I must admit that I was pleased to note that our lunch, consisting mee bandung, mee goreng (with fried egg on the side), rojak buah, kopi ginseng, soya bean drinks and two mugs of warm water only cost us RM10.50. The same menu would’ve easily cost us about RM15.00 in KL.
Cheap food - everything on the table only cost us RM10.50
Stopped by at Lendu to visit one of hubby’s many mak angkats. He has a few mak angkat actually – a few I’ve never have any opportunity to meet so far. As a student in Egypt, he used to act as tourist guide during holidays, and in the process got a few nice makcik to care for him and became his mak angkat.
This particular mak angkat of his is one nice lady who, unfortunately, has been left by her husband who marries another younger girl. But she never bitches about it. Photos of her husband still hang proudly in her home – he never divorces her, but simply left without leaving any news of his whereabouts or providing any support. Still, she seems perfectly content to be at home – entertaining herself with raising some deers, some peacocks, taking care of a small fruit orchard and operating a small business selling air mussoffa (holy water of some sort, produced by certain qualified persons writing selected Quranic verses using ink made from saffron around white plates or something to that effect). She always look so calm and at peace with herself that sometimes I could not help thinking what a pity that the husband fails to appreciate such a wonderful gem as this lady.
But then again, sometimes people do take their blessings for granted, right?
Friday, June 10, 2005
The Johor - Melaka Trip, Part II
Day 2 – Sunday
I really pity my sister-in-law. In her absence, there was one large plastic container filled with unwashed mugs, cups and dirty plates in the kitchen. And I saw a peek of a mountain of yet-to-be folded and pressed laundry in her room. I guess Zsarina can’t be wrong when she imagined that “there'd be millions of Malaysian men (Malay men especially) who would be as helpless as babies (and nowhere as cute) if their housewives suddenly decided to quit taking care of their laundry, food, groceries, household bills and housecleaning”. My brother-in-law is one perfect example of such man.
However, since I could not stand the smell, I did not help out with the dishes except for those newly used ones. And since I didn’t want to intrude her private room, I did not help with the laundry as well. But I tried to keep the house as tidy as possible as we left – with two active kids under 5 years of age, that’s quite a feat. But they say it’s better to have active kids than quiet, inactive ones. “Nakal tandanya cerdik,” or so people claimed.
We were taken to another restaurant in Kota Tinggi for brunch. Hubby had lontong kering once again while I had some too-salty lontong basah. Guess hubby is quite fascinated with lontong kering because they are quite hard to find outside Johor. Abang Nazri suggested trying out the sup tulang – but I had never been keen on soup and hubby thought it’s too early to have soup as he prefers taking soup in the evening or later at night.
Then, hubby and I went on to Ayer Tawar to visit my eldest aunt who’s staying at her eldest daughter’s place. Mak Long used to make really nice tempe, but she had stopped making them ages ago, but still it was nice to be treated to some fried tempe at her place. Or rather, my cousin Kak Jarah’s place. Kak Jarah, or more affectionately known as Abang Aya, is of Mak’s age, but she seems a lot more energetic. She’s really into old-folk care now since she has to take care not only of my Mak Long, but also her husband’s stepmother. Not to mention that she used to take care of her husband’s mother too, until she passed away a couple of years ago.
I really, really respect Abang Aya for I think few women can surpass her strength. Her husband has another younger wife, who could actually be asked to take care of his mother and now, his stepmother. After all, taking care of one’s mother at a later age could be rather taxing. Abang Aya has to deal with Mak Long who could be quite demanding at times. Then, at times, she has to take care of her grandchildren too. Sometimes, Abang Aya even has to babysit her stepchildren when the younger wife was not feeling well and what-nots. Despite the unfair treatment (in my opinion anyway), she gets along well with the younger wife – and oh my, that takes a lot of strength…
Hubby had a one-hour nap while I chatted with Mak Long, Abang Aya and her stepmother-in-law. After solat and lunch, we made our move. Next stop was supposed to be Melaka, my cousin’s place not far from Sungai Udang, but we had some detours first.
First – there was an unscheduled stop in Kulai to meet Lina and Rudy. Lina used to study in Manchester and now a medical doctor working in Hospital Sultanah Aminah in JB. Rudy, her husband, is a Singaporean who used to study in Birmingham. I knew Rudy through Lina, but I am equally fond of both of them. Lina reminds me a lot of myself. So I guess it’s hard not to like Rudy who appreciates her for herself.
We were supposed to meet in Kota Tinggi or JB, but finally decided to meet in Kulai, at Lina’s younger sister’s place. Just nice too, since hubby and I had to pass by Kulai on our way to Melaka anyway (to use the highway). We both missed each other’s wedding, but Lina took Rudy over to my place in PJ not long after her wedding to introduce him to my family (she’s close to my family as well, even calls my father “Ayah” instead of Pakcik or Uncle). She even took Rudy and his family to my in-law’s place not long after my wedding to make up for not attending my kenduri. So, I feel it’s only fair for me and hubby to return her courtesy by visiting her while we were in Johor. I’m glad to note that Rudy and hubby hit it off well too despite meeting for the first time. Upon noticing how deeply in conversation Rudy and hubby were, Lina’s mother asked us when was the last time they met – to which both of us answered simultaneously – that was their first meeting. All is good though – it’s always good to know that one’s spouse is on good term with one’s best friend’s spouse, kan?
Then – there was a detour to Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, to visit hubby’s college friend, Qamarul. Coincidentally Qamarul’s grandpa was not feeling very well, so hubby and I visited the grandpa as well. The old frail man reminded me of my own late Tok Ayah, who passed away when I was sitting for SPM more than ten years ago and I missed being there with him during his last moments on earth. I asked hubby to make du’a for the ailing grandpa and hubby obliged, reciting lots of selawat and du’a as he held the old man’s hand. I made some du’a too, simultaneously making some du’a for my own grandparents.
After treating us to some home-made soup, Qamarul led us back to Ayer Hitam, the famous porcelain and ceramic centre in northern Malaysia. We ended up spending over RM200 on vases (as souvenirs for both Mak and my mother-in-law), artificial flowers, fridge magnets, art stuff and what nots. Since it was already 8.40 p.m. when we arrived, not surprisingly, hubby and I were among the last to exit the shop when it closed at 10.00 p.m.
There were lots of accessories for traditional Malay wedding on sale too. We managed to tease Qamarul about how convenient it will be for him when the time arrives for him to settle down since he can go to a relatively cheap one-stop centre to get most of the things needed for a wedding. Qamarul explained that he hasn’t found a suitable candidate for a wife yet, and hubby said that maybe I could help him there. But then again, I pointed out that he’s only 24 where else my single friends are mostly above 25 years old. He immediately replied that age is not a hindrance, after all Rasulullah wedded Siti Khadijah who was more than a decade older than him – it’s the akhlaq that counts most. I was rather amazed by his quick quip and could not help thinking that the woman who finally marries this guy is one really lucky lass.
I really pity my sister-in-law. In her absence, there was one large plastic container filled with unwashed mugs, cups and dirty plates in the kitchen. And I saw a peek of a mountain of yet-to-be folded and pressed laundry in her room. I guess Zsarina can’t be wrong when she imagined that “there'd be millions of Malaysian men (Malay men especially) who would be as helpless as babies (and nowhere as cute) if their housewives suddenly decided to quit taking care of their laundry, food, groceries, household bills and housecleaning”. My brother-in-law is one perfect example of such man.
However, since I could not stand the smell, I did not help out with the dishes except for those newly used ones. And since I didn’t want to intrude her private room, I did not help with the laundry as well. But I tried to keep the house as tidy as possible as we left – with two active kids under 5 years of age, that’s quite a feat. But they say it’s better to have active kids than quiet, inactive ones. “Nakal tandanya cerdik,” or so people claimed.
We were taken to another restaurant in Kota Tinggi for brunch. Hubby had lontong kering once again while I had some too-salty lontong basah. Guess hubby is quite fascinated with lontong kering because they are quite hard to find outside Johor. Abang Nazri suggested trying out the sup tulang – but I had never been keen on soup and hubby thought it’s too early to have soup as he prefers taking soup in the evening or later at night.
Then, hubby and I went on to Ayer Tawar to visit my eldest aunt who’s staying at her eldest daughter’s place. Mak Long used to make really nice tempe, but she had stopped making them ages ago, but still it was nice to be treated to some fried tempe at her place. Or rather, my cousin Kak Jarah’s place. Kak Jarah, or more affectionately known as Abang Aya, is of Mak’s age, but she seems a lot more energetic. She’s really into old-folk care now since she has to take care not only of my Mak Long, but also her husband’s stepmother. Not to mention that she used to take care of her husband’s mother too, until she passed away a couple of years ago.
I really, really respect Abang Aya for I think few women can surpass her strength. Her husband has another younger wife, who could actually be asked to take care of his mother and now, his stepmother. After all, taking care of one’s mother at a later age could be rather taxing. Abang Aya has to deal with Mak Long who could be quite demanding at times. Then, at times, she has to take care of her grandchildren too. Sometimes, Abang Aya even has to babysit her stepchildren when the younger wife was not feeling well and what-nots. Despite the unfair treatment (in my opinion anyway), she gets along well with the younger wife – and oh my, that takes a lot of strength…
Hubby had a one-hour nap while I chatted with Mak Long, Abang Aya and her stepmother-in-law. After solat and lunch, we made our move. Next stop was supposed to be Melaka, my cousin’s place not far from Sungai Udang, but we had some detours first.
First – there was an unscheduled stop in Kulai to meet Lina and Rudy. Lina used to study in Manchester and now a medical doctor working in Hospital Sultanah Aminah in JB. Rudy, her husband, is a Singaporean who used to study in Birmingham. I knew Rudy through Lina, but I am equally fond of both of them. Lina reminds me a lot of myself. So I guess it’s hard not to like Rudy who appreciates her for herself.
We were supposed to meet in Kota Tinggi or JB, but finally decided to meet in Kulai, at Lina’s younger sister’s place. Just nice too, since hubby and I had to pass by Kulai on our way to Melaka anyway (to use the highway). We both missed each other’s wedding, but Lina took Rudy over to my place in PJ not long after her wedding to introduce him to my family (she’s close to my family as well, even calls my father “Ayah” instead of Pakcik or Uncle). She even took Rudy and his family to my in-law’s place not long after my wedding to make up for not attending my kenduri. So, I feel it’s only fair for me and hubby to return her courtesy by visiting her while we were in Johor. I’m glad to note that Rudy and hubby hit it off well too despite meeting for the first time. Upon noticing how deeply in conversation Rudy and hubby were, Lina’s mother asked us when was the last time they met – to which both of us answered simultaneously – that was their first meeting. All is good though – it’s always good to know that one’s spouse is on good term with one’s best friend’s spouse, kan?
Then – there was a detour to Parit Raja, Batu Pahat, to visit hubby’s college friend, Qamarul. Coincidentally Qamarul’s grandpa was not feeling very well, so hubby and I visited the grandpa as well. The old frail man reminded me of my own late Tok Ayah, who passed away when I was sitting for SPM more than ten years ago and I missed being there with him during his last moments on earth. I asked hubby to make du’a for the ailing grandpa and hubby obliged, reciting lots of selawat and du’a as he held the old man’s hand. I made some du’a too, simultaneously making some du’a for my own grandparents.
After treating us to some home-made soup, Qamarul led us back to Ayer Hitam, the famous porcelain and ceramic centre in northern Malaysia. We ended up spending over RM200 on vases (as souvenirs for both Mak and my mother-in-law), artificial flowers, fridge magnets, art stuff and what nots. Since it was already 8.40 p.m. when we arrived, not surprisingly, hubby and I were among the last to exit the shop when it closed at 10.00 p.m.
There were lots of accessories for traditional Malay wedding on sale too. We managed to tease Qamarul about how convenient it will be for him when the time arrives for him to settle down since he can go to a relatively cheap one-stop centre to get most of the things needed for a wedding. Qamarul explained that he hasn’t found a suitable candidate for a wife yet, and hubby said that maybe I could help him there. But then again, I pointed out that he’s only 24 where else my single friends are mostly above 25 years old. He immediately replied that age is not a hindrance, after all Rasulullah wedded Siti Khadijah who was more than a decade older than him – it’s the akhlaq that counts most. I was rather amazed by his quick quip and could not help thinking that the woman who finally marries this guy is one really lucky lass.
The Johor - Melaka Trip, Part I
After six months of marriage, we finally found some time to visit Mak’s relatives in Johor. Right after our wedding, I took a week off for bertandang – visiting relatives and close family friends around Negeri Sembilan, Klang Valley, Kedah and Penang. We planned on visiting relatives in Johor a few months after the wedding, but a month after our wedding, hubby had to go to Terengganu for his one-year course and could only return during school breaks. Yes, he came back during school break in March, but at that time I had not recovered well from my hyperemesis gravidarum yet. So – this school holiday, we made it a point to reserve a few days out for the Johor trip.
So, last Friday, after finished praying Isyak, I called Mak Ram’s house (Mak’s elder sister) in Pontian, to remind her of our arrival. To my surprise, the call was answered by Abang Azmin, a cousin who now resides in Labuan and was unable to attend my kenduri. When I told him that hubby & I were going over to Pontian, it was his turn to be taken by surprise. He didn’t quite believed me at first, but I told him, now that he’s around, I must visit Pontian to save me a trip to Labuan to introduce hubby to him & his family.
Turned out that all four of Mak Ram’s sons returned to Pontian that day, it was almost like Hari Raya. I guess, once the five-days week for government servants are implemented, there’ll be more family reunions held over the weekend rather than waiting for Hari Raya to gather everybody together. Still, despite having all her sons and family under one roof, Mak Ram still insisted on hubby and I having the privilege of resting in the guestroom-connected-to-a-bathroom. Her grandchildren mostly occupied the family hall for the night.
Among Mak’s many sisters, I feel closest to Mak Ram and Mak Su. I feel most accepted by them, like I am truly their niece, rather than their sister’s stepdaughter. Mak Ram and Mak Su helped out a lot during the wedding – Mak Su sponsored lots of goodies as part of the ‘berkat bag’ while Mak Ram loaned some of the stuff used for the pelamin since the theme colour for my cousin Azman’s wedding in 2003 was similar to mine. Mak Su even took the initiative to decorate the baskets used for distributing bunga telur long before I started any decorating on my part.
Even when I was still a child, Mak Su and Mak Ram pampered my brothers and I more than Mak’s other siblings. Maybe partly because it is in their nature as teachers to be more gentle and understanding towards kids from broken house. Maybe because we were just at the right age when we were first introduced – Adik was a toddler who could have been Mak Su’s student while Abang and I were still in primary school and could have been Mak Ram’s students. Maybe because Mak has always been closer to them and that closeness was extended to us as well.
So, it’s small wonder that I chose to visit Mak Ram’s house first in my series of relatives-visiting around Johor. Besides, Mak Ram still lives at the same lane where my late Mak Tua used to live and where Mak was raised up.
Day 1 – Saturday
Woke up to a wonderful breakfast. Everybody was too tired to cook, so Abang Azrain, the eldest cousin decided on getting instant breakfast – bought them. Fortunately, the district hospital in Pontian offers one of the best traditional Malay breakfast delicacies. There were nasi lemak, fried beehoon, assorted kuih as well as lontong kering. Hubby tried out lontong kering for the first time ever, and was treated to lontong everyday for the next two days.
With exception of Abang Azmin, the son from Labuan who had to go and visit his in-laws in Batu Pahat- Mak Ram and the rest of the gang had been invited to a wedding in Kulai. So as they left home, hubby and I made our way to Mak Su’s house, which is less than five minutes away from Mak Ram’s place – on foot.
Coincidentally Mak Su just returned from a tour around Egypt. So hubby and her had a lot to talk about – mostly swapping stories and views on tourist havens in Egypt. Since I’ve never set my foot in Egypt before, I was pretty content to just listen to them chatting. Good to know that Mak Su enjoyed her trip very much. If you ask me, I think my retired aunt has gone to more places that I’ve ever been to, and she even plans to visit Japan since I am going to stay there for a while beginning end of this year, insya Allah. By the way, together with my cousin Azman, we acted as tourist guides when Mak Ram, Mak Su and Abang Azmin went to UK while Azman and I were still studying there. I guess it’ll be fun to host and act as a tourist guide for my inquisitive aunties in Japan.
After a while, hubby and I took our leave and moved on to JB. At first I was thinking of visiting Kota Tinggi first, since two of my aunts reside there. Turned out that one aunt had gone to Melaka to send her eldest granddaughter for registration at Multimedia University. So, had a quick change of plan and went to JB first instead.
Visited a cousin’s place in Kampung Melayu Majidee. Hubby had his first taste of the famous Murtabak Singapore. We were told that people from all over JB don’t mind queuing up for this delicious murtabak during Ramadhan. My cousins in Shah Alam also always pack some murtabak to-go everytime they finished visiting their siblings in JB. There are actually three cousins living in JB , but a couple is away to perform umrah in Makkah while another cousin and her family went visiting her sisters in Shah Alam.
Next destination – Kota Tinggi. We decided to crash at my sister-in-law’s place first and to visit Mak Long, Mak’s eldest sister in Ayer Tawar a little later. But by then, both hubby and I were so tired that we finally made up our mind to postpone the trip to Ayer Tawar to the next day. My sister-in-law, Kak Telaah was not around since she had to attend a nine-day course in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Abang Nazri, her husband took their two kids and us out to a nice Chinese Muslim restaurant, Restoran Hassan Ong, for dinner. As we enjoyed the siakap tiga rasa and some Japanese tofu, Abang Nazri told us how once Kak Telaah suddenly craved for siakap tiga rasa while she was pregnant with their eldest daughter. So, Abang Nazri had to go to the nearest sea food restaurant which was about a half hour away by motorbike, bought two pieces of siakap and returned home. By then, it was already past midnight and just like her sudden craving, my sister-in-law suddenly lost her appetite for the siakap. Which really frustrated her husband then – but he understands now that one can’t blame the wife when that happened. Some things are just beyond pregnant women’s control…
So, last Friday, after finished praying Isyak, I called Mak Ram’s house (Mak’s elder sister) in Pontian, to remind her of our arrival. To my surprise, the call was answered by Abang Azmin, a cousin who now resides in Labuan and was unable to attend my kenduri. When I told him that hubby & I were going over to Pontian, it was his turn to be taken by surprise. He didn’t quite believed me at first, but I told him, now that he’s around, I must visit Pontian to save me a trip to Labuan to introduce hubby to him & his family.
Turned out that all four of Mak Ram’s sons returned to Pontian that day, it was almost like Hari Raya. I guess, once the five-days week for government servants are implemented, there’ll be more family reunions held over the weekend rather than waiting for Hari Raya to gather everybody together. Still, despite having all her sons and family under one roof, Mak Ram still insisted on hubby and I having the privilege of resting in the guestroom-connected-to-a-bathroom. Her grandchildren mostly occupied the family hall for the night.
Among Mak’s many sisters, I feel closest to Mak Ram and Mak Su. I feel most accepted by them, like I am truly their niece, rather than their sister’s stepdaughter. Mak Ram and Mak Su helped out a lot during the wedding – Mak Su sponsored lots of goodies as part of the ‘berkat bag’ while Mak Ram loaned some of the stuff used for the pelamin since the theme colour for my cousin Azman’s wedding in 2003 was similar to mine. Mak Su even took the initiative to decorate the baskets used for distributing bunga telur long before I started any decorating on my part.
Even when I was still a child, Mak Su and Mak Ram pampered my brothers and I more than Mak’s other siblings. Maybe partly because it is in their nature as teachers to be more gentle and understanding towards kids from broken house. Maybe because we were just at the right age when we were first introduced – Adik was a toddler who could have been Mak Su’s student while Abang and I were still in primary school and could have been Mak Ram’s students. Maybe because Mak has always been closer to them and that closeness was extended to us as well.
So, it’s small wonder that I chose to visit Mak Ram’s house first in my series of relatives-visiting around Johor. Besides, Mak Ram still lives at the same lane where my late Mak Tua used to live and where Mak was raised up.
Day 1 – Saturday
Woke up to a wonderful breakfast. Everybody was too tired to cook, so Abang Azrain, the eldest cousin decided on getting instant breakfast – bought them. Fortunately, the district hospital in Pontian offers one of the best traditional Malay breakfast delicacies. There were nasi lemak, fried beehoon, assorted kuih as well as lontong kering. Hubby tried out lontong kering for the first time ever, and was treated to lontong everyday for the next two days.
With exception of Abang Azmin, the son from Labuan who had to go and visit his in-laws in Batu Pahat- Mak Ram and the rest of the gang had been invited to a wedding in Kulai. So as they left home, hubby and I made our way to Mak Su’s house, which is less than five minutes away from Mak Ram’s place – on foot.
Coincidentally Mak Su just returned from a tour around Egypt. So hubby and her had a lot to talk about – mostly swapping stories and views on tourist havens in Egypt. Since I’ve never set my foot in Egypt before, I was pretty content to just listen to them chatting. Good to know that Mak Su enjoyed her trip very much. If you ask me, I think my retired aunt has gone to more places that I’ve ever been to, and she even plans to visit Japan since I am going to stay there for a while beginning end of this year, insya Allah. By the way, together with my cousin Azman, we acted as tourist guides when Mak Ram, Mak Su and Abang Azmin went to UK while Azman and I were still studying there. I guess it’ll be fun to host and act as a tourist guide for my inquisitive aunties in Japan.
After a while, hubby and I took our leave and moved on to JB. At first I was thinking of visiting Kota Tinggi first, since two of my aunts reside there. Turned out that one aunt had gone to Melaka to send her eldest granddaughter for registration at Multimedia University. So, had a quick change of plan and went to JB first instead.
Visited a cousin’s place in Kampung Melayu Majidee. Hubby had his first taste of the famous Murtabak Singapore. We were told that people from all over JB don’t mind queuing up for this delicious murtabak during Ramadhan. My cousins in Shah Alam also always pack some murtabak to-go everytime they finished visiting their siblings in JB. There are actually three cousins living in JB , but a couple is away to perform umrah in Makkah while another cousin and her family went visiting her sisters in Shah Alam.
Next destination – Kota Tinggi. We decided to crash at my sister-in-law’s place first and to visit Mak Long, Mak’s eldest sister in Ayer Tawar a little later. But by then, both hubby and I were so tired that we finally made up our mind to postpone the trip to Ayer Tawar to the next day. My sister-in-law, Kak Telaah was not around since she had to attend a nine-day course in Kota Bharu, Kelantan.
Abang Nazri, her husband took their two kids and us out to a nice Chinese Muslim restaurant, Restoran Hassan Ong, for dinner. As we enjoyed the siakap tiga rasa and some Japanese tofu, Abang Nazri told us how once Kak Telaah suddenly craved for siakap tiga rasa while she was pregnant with their eldest daughter. So, Abang Nazri had to go to the nearest sea food restaurant which was about a half hour away by motorbike, bought two pieces of siakap and returned home. By then, it was already past midnight and just like her sudden craving, my sister-in-law suddenly lost her appetite for the siakap. Which really frustrated her husband then – but he understands now that one can’t blame the wife when that happened. Some things are just beyond pregnant women’s control…
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