Dear Civil-Servant-who-likes-to-commit-AWOL,
I'm sure that by now your boss or your peers must had tried telling you to stop
coming late to the office; or
leaving the office early; or
missing in action in between punching the punch card in and out; or
all of the above
It's common knowledge that most absenteeism cases are committed by employees in the support group, so if you are in the management and professional group - it's worse because you should know better.
And you in the support group - who says that you have any right to come and go from the office as you please? The office does not belong to your father/grandfather/great grandfather, so please treat it with respect as the money which pay your monthly salary originates from the rakyat.
From 316 disciplinary cases recorded in the first quarter of 2009, absenteeism accounted for 179 cases. That's more than half of the cases recorded. And not all absenteeism cases are treated as disciplinary cases. Most cases are merely dealt with administratively, not subject to the procedures laid out in the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993, so only Allah knows how many cases actually are out there.
So, back to you. Yes, you who treat absence without leave from work oh-so-lightly. Who are you kidding, really? Do you really believe that you are going to get away with it with no penalty whatsoever? General Order (Chapter C) allows your emolument to be deducted according to days you went absent without leave.
And you who loves punching your punch card in the morning, goes missing, and punch your card out in the evening - do you think that your emolument won't be deducted because there's proof that you were not absent from work? How about if your boss started making an hourly roll-call for you, or your Chief Clerk started making a log book to check your attendance every other hour? Hah, yes, there are methods to certify your presence in the office apart from just relying on the punch card after all...
And really, do you think you will get way from this that easily???
I mean, if you are a Muslim, and we do know that the largest composition in the civil service is made out of Muslim, then you will be questioned for your doings in the hereafter. It doesn't end here, in this world. You would be held responsible for your doings in the hereafter.
So - by being absent from work without leave, you are not being fair - not only to yourselves, but also to your family, your colleagues and those outside there who would be better officers than you had you not be in the position they could've filled otherwise.
By 'not being fair' , or in other words, being 'cruel' to yourself, I mean that you are going to be held liable for your wrongdoings, so surely purposely not going to work while you get paid for it is an offence. It's different if you want to work and there's no work allocated for you, but if there's work for you to do, and you simply skip doing it for no good reason, don't you think that's just plain wrong?
And the money that you get from not doing your job - yes, your salary. You take it back home, you feed your partner and children out of that 'dirty' money, do you think it would not affect them? Aren't you being 'cruel' to them by feeding them out of money made not through good, clean work, but rather dishonest mean? You did not work, you did not deserve being paid, so that money could not be really 'clean', can it?
And you burden your colleagues at work by not doing the tasks you were supposed to carry out. Somebody else have to do it in your place. Other people have to do what you were supposed to do and you think they would not be mad at you? You goes absent, and set bad examples to other honest, hardworking officers. Do you really think that you and your attitude will not have any effect whatsoever on your organization? Think again.
And had you not be in the position where you are now - someone else could have easily filled up your position and do a better job. But he or she could not do it because the place is not vacant. Your name is there. Your presence in the office pay roll means others could not be where you were supposed to be but you are not really there. So, yes, you are not being fair to others out there who could do a lot better job than you do.
So - if you really are not interested in your job - quit.
If you really want to be in the government service - please change for the better.
Otherwise, just stop being cruel to yourself, your family, your friends at work and others by quitting.
Remember your promise to serve the rakyat when you first joined the civil service?
(I mean, come on, everybody knows that at some point of time, you must had had promised to serve the rakyat by being a civil servant.)
Rather than continuing your AWOL thingy, you would be of better service to the rakyat by not being in the civil service.
Seriously.
Thank you.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Friday, July 24, 2009
Keeping the surface smooth - part 2
I'm not saying that I am good, and she's not.
She has her own strengths, and I really, really would like to believe that she's good at heart, only that, it had not been effectively communicated to others.
The reason that I have "no case" with (or against) her - is because I don't care much for what others want to say about me, so long as I know that I don't bother them. They want to gossip about me, so let it be. People do that - even 'friends' do that. If they really, really care for me and want me to change for the better, than they would let me know on which area I should and could improve. But if they want to say mindless things about me which might be untrue - then, that's their problem, not mine. I may have no power over what others want to do or say, but I do have power, almost total control, over my reactions towards them. So, I rarely let other people's words bother me (or at least, not too much)
To me, being in the same sector means we should try to work with each other well, to create a synergy, to help make things better for the good of all.
Which means that, rather than being 'unit-centric', we should all work for the greater good of the sector; looking at the 'big picture' in achieving the sector's mission and vision.
Which also means that as team player, we should try not to focus on what others are doing wrong, but try to focus on what we can do right to help them. And rather than worrying about us chipping in more compared to others, more concern should be placed on whether we are giving enough for the benefits of all.
In short - more emphasis on 'we' and 'us' rather than 'me' and 'I'.
So - how should I confer this to her, without making her lash back at me with "alah, they all pun dok ngumpat you jugak, you je tak tahu" kind of response?
She has her own strengths, and I really, really would like to believe that she's good at heart, only that, it had not been effectively communicated to others.
The reason that I have "no case" with (or against) her - is because I don't care much for what others want to say about me, so long as I know that I don't bother them. They want to gossip about me, so let it be. People do that - even 'friends' do that. If they really, really care for me and want me to change for the better, than they would let me know on which area I should and could improve. But if they want to say mindless things about me which might be untrue - then, that's their problem, not mine. I may have no power over what others want to do or say, but I do have power, almost total control, over my reactions towards them. So, I rarely let other people's words bother me (or at least, not too much)
To me, being in the same sector means we should try to work with each other well, to create a synergy, to help make things better for the good of all.
Which means that, rather than being 'unit-centric', we should all work for the greater good of the sector; looking at the 'big picture' in achieving the sector's mission and vision.
Which also means that as team player, we should try not to focus on what others are doing wrong, but try to focus on what we can do right to help them. And rather than worrying about us chipping in more compared to others, more concern should be placed on whether we are giving enough for the benefits of all.
In short - more emphasis on 'we' and 'us' rather than 'me' and 'I'.
So - how should I confer this to her, without making her lash back at me with "alah, they all pun dok ngumpat you jugak, you je tak tahu" kind of response?
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Keeping the surface smooth
It wasn't until last week I learned about a lot of 'stories' going around the office that I'd missed.
- A married guy (whose wife is either pregnant or in confinement after giving birth, depending from whom you hear this story...) who made his moves towards a young unsuspecting single girl, who now had asked for a transfer due to 'pressures' from left and right...
- Top level management's interest in re-positioning our sector's Executive Officer as the division's Executive Officer...
- An officer seemingly keen on creating disharmony among officers in the sector
So, what have all these has anything to do with me?
First - that 'young unsuspecting single girl' who was duped into believing that slick guy is my unit's clerk. Understandably, she's now under a lot of pressure - her mother had even asked her to quit. I personally believe that a transfer to her hometown would be a better option - she won't lose her job, her mother could worry less with them being in the same district and that sick guy would have some trouble troubling her with all the distance.
Second - while I'm the so-called 'sector's admin officer", our EO has been doing all the nitty gritty stuff and she's good at it. The sector need her around. At least for the time being, what with us having no Chief Clerk and all.
Third - other officers in the sector have asked me to 'talk to' this particular officer because it seems like I am the only one who has 'no case' (read: 'bengang') with her.
#####
So, how could one advise someone with a 'superiority complex'?
You ask "what is 'superiority complex'"? Well, overheard 'clues' are something along the line of:
- "Oh, we got more stuff done than others. Other units do not have that much to do anyway"
- "I don't know about others, but I know that my [insert cooking here] was a big hit during lunch yesterday. The Big Boss loved it!"
- "My junior officers are the best speakers. They know more compared to others"
- (To her junior officer during a retreat program ) "You don't have to man the laptop, it can be stressful. Let others man the lap top. Not you"
- (To a junior officer from a different unit in the same retreat program) "You man the laptop. My officer had done enough."
And I won't start on 'putting one against another' incidents. Or 'talking behind one's back' - saying one thing in front of you, and another behind your back. I was told that when the junior officers compared notes among themselves, it really made some of them simply lost their respect for her as an officer more senior than them.
But this is not my war with her. I was told that she remarked to others that I only relaxed most of the time, very unlike her who found it difficult to relax even for a bit.
Well,
I might not appear busy, running there and here all the time;
I might not write memos for colleagues in the same sector (which got our colleague all riled up, asking "What the???.You might want to write memos to officers of different sectors - not in the same one!");
I might not report to the Big Boss or Bigger Boss often;
I don't mind others getting more invitation to give talk more often than I do;
But - I get my job done.
Just because I don't work in the same fashion that she does, it doesn't mean I have any lesser job than hers. Or work any lesser than her.
After all, when one have piles of thick files on their desk, it could only indicate whether they have a lot to do or do not know how to do their job well.
#####
You know how it is like when you used a pencil to write on a piece of paper, made a mistake and erased it, the surface of the paper is no longer smooth?
I would like to keep that harmony going on, to keep the surface smooth.
But I find it difficult to do so. Tak banyak, sikit, ada juga tercalar di hati.
I know - I'm so weak.
#####
Oh Allah - please forgive your servants who keep 'menzalimi' our own selves...
Thursday, July 16, 2009
It's tragical (Marwa Al-Sherbini - syahidat al-hijab)
She was called "terrorist", "Islamist" and "slut" by her 28 year old Russian-German neighbor in a public park as she was playing with her 3 year old son just because she donned the hijab.
She lodged a complaint against him.
He was fined Euro780 and appealed the fine.
She went to the court in Dresden, Germany to state her case.
She was stabbed 18 times in the courtroom in front of her 3 year old son.
A pharmacist, she was four month pregnant with her second child.
Stabbed
18 times
Witnessed by her 3 year old son
In a courtroom during a judicial session
When her husband sought to protect her from the xenophobic attacker, guess who got shot by the court security?
The husband, not the attacker.
The husband (who was in Germany on a research fellowship) was critically wounded as he was stabbed by the attacker and shot by court security.
("The guards thought that since he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," or so said the deceased's brother to an Egyptian television station.)
*****
When Theo van Gogh, a Dutch film director who had deliberately and contemptuously belittled Muslim culture, was killed by a Muslim in 2004, it was hugely dramatised in the European media.
Why the brutal stabbing of a pregnant woman, who was the victim of a religious slur, who had not done anything that could be construed as an act of provocation, has received so little publicity in the same media?
Because she's a Muslim?
Because she wore hijab?
Sad
Unbelievable
*****
Al-Fatihah for Marwa Al-Sherbini.
May Allah bless her and her family always
(My heart really goes out for her son. Huzaifah is not yet 4 and I can't imagine how traumatized a child his age would be to witness such horrifying scene)
She lodged a complaint against him.
He was fined Euro780 and appealed the fine.
She went to the court in Dresden, Germany to state her case.
She was stabbed 18 times in the courtroom in front of her 3 year old son.
A pharmacist, she was four month pregnant with her second child.
Stabbed
18 times
Witnessed by her 3 year old son
In a courtroom during a judicial session
When her husband sought to protect her from the xenophobic attacker, guess who got shot by the court security?
The husband, not the attacker.
The husband (who was in Germany on a research fellowship) was critically wounded as he was stabbed by the attacker and shot by court security.
("The guards thought that since he wasn't blond, he must be the attacker so they shot him," or so said the deceased's brother to an Egyptian television station.)
*****
When Theo van Gogh, a Dutch film director who had deliberately and contemptuously belittled Muslim culture, was killed by a Muslim in 2004, it was hugely dramatised in the European media.
Why the brutal stabbing of a pregnant woman, who was the victim of a religious slur, who had not done anything that could be construed as an act of provocation, has received so little publicity in the same media?
Because she's a Muslim?
Because she wore hijab?
Sad
Unbelievable
*****
Al-Fatihah for Marwa Al-Sherbini.
May Allah bless her and her family always
(My heart really goes out for her son. Huzaifah is not yet 4 and I can't imagine how traumatized a child his age would be to witness such horrifying scene)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Cabaran Tag
Was tagged by Anira since... so long ago that I've forgotten when it actually was.
Anyway, here goes...
Do you think you are hot?
Yes, at least to my hubby, hehehe...
Upload a favorite picture of you
Why do you like that picture?
I want to remain as cheerful as the girl in the picture seems to be ;-)
When was the last time you ate pizza?
Hmm, last month when we had this 'buy 1 and buy another for RM1' coupon.
The song you listen to?
Anything played on MuzikFM on the way to and fro office
(I prefer IKIM.FM but the car's radio being a Japan-spec, could only play channels which are up to 90.00Mhz, and IKIM is 91.6...)
What are you doing right now besides this?
Waiting for calls from other department, editing a paper prepared by subordinate, thinking about things to do tomorrow...
What other names do you prefer besides this?
(Besides A.Z.? or Azra? or Haida?)
Haizra Azida
Now I would like to tag new victims to do it
1. Zarin
2. Jaja
3. Hanis
Who is number 1?
One of the Labbies - the first batch of language lab assistants in our former school. We've been in touch with each other since leaving school back in 1992. Used to be my buddy to attend other friends' weddings (but he missed coming to my own wedding! He thought it was going to be held on Sunday, but it was held on Saturday, so there). Cool and fun to hang out with.
Say something about number 2
Sweet despite her 'ganas' appearance. Vulnerable despite her 'tough' look. Contradictory in so many ways, yet honest-to-goodness in her own way. One of a kind.
What about number 3?
A kouhai (junior) who's been mostly a silent reader, and now I'm her silent reader pulak. Ahah - baru aci, ye dak? Here's a light entry suggestion for her mostly-filled-with-heavy-entries blog.
Anyway, here goes...
Do you think you are hot?
Yes, at least to my hubby, hehehe...
Upload a favorite picture of you
Why do you like that picture?
I want to remain as cheerful as the girl in the picture seems to be ;-)
When was the last time you ate pizza?
Hmm, last month when we had this 'buy 1 and buy another for RM1' coupon.
The song you listen to?
Anything played on MuzikFM on the way to and fro office
(I prefer IKIM.FM but the car's radio being a Japan-spec, could only play channels which are up to 90.00Mhz, and IKIM is 91.6...)
What are you doing right now besides this?
Waiting for calls from other department, editing a paper prepared by subordinate, thinking about things to do tomorrow...
What other names do you prefer besides this?
(Besides A.Z.? or Azra? or Haida?)
Haizra Azida
Now I would like to tag new victims to do it
1. Zarin
2. Jaja
3. Hanis
Who is number 1?
One of the Labbies - the first batch of language lab assistants in our former school. We've been in touch with each other since leaving school back in 1992. Used to be my buddy to attend other friends' weddings (but he missed coming to my own wedding! He thought it was going to be held on Sunday, but it was held on Saturday, so there). Cool and fun to hang out with.
Say something about number 2
Sweet despite her 'ganas' appearance. Vulnerable despite her 'tough' look. Contradictory in so many ways, yet honest-to-goodness in her own way. One of a kind.
What about number 3?
A kouhai (junior) who's been mostly a silent reader, and now I'm her silent reader pulak. Ahah - baru aci, ye dak? Here's a light entry suggestion for her mostly-filled-with-heavy-entries blog.
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Not stupid
Being illiterate does not necessarily mean one is stupid.
Being of lower academic qualification does not necessarily mean one is stupid.
Rasulullah s.a.w was an illiterate.
Yet, even before he started receiving revealed knowledge from Allah,
he was respected in his clan for his wisdom.
He was "ummi" - illiterate.
Yet, he was also "fatanah" - wise.
So wisdom and literacy does not always go hand in hand.
Having one does not necessarily means having the other as well.
But which should count more?
Being of lower academic qualification does not necessarily mean one is stupid.
Rasulullah s.a.w was an illiterate.
Yet, even before he started receiving revealed knowledge from Allah,
he was respected in his clan for his wisdom.
He was "ummi" - illiterate.
Yet, he was also "fatanah" - wise.
So wisdom and literacy does not always go hand in hand.
Having one does not necessarily means having the other as well.
But which should count more?
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
"No, you are not ugly"
It must be quite a feat for her - in her rather petite frame - to carry a 12 year old boy to the toilet because he 'oversoiled' his diaper.
But she does it anyway.
It must be quite a feat for her to patiently keep answering repetitious questions from her students. (I know it must be a feat because I find it difficult sometimes to keep my cool when Huzaifah keep repeating asking me question which I'd already answered, probably hoping I would change my "no" to a "yes")
But she keeps her cool with her students all the time.
She has assorted mix of students. Some look okay physically but have little IQ. Some are in fact little in stature. Some are confirmed ADHD, others are autistic. They are all special, each in their own way.
It really touched me when she told me that this year, for Eid, she's inviting a few select students - those left at the Welfare Center by their own parents - to spend the Eid with her as part of her family in the kampung.
One of those left at the Welfare Center is a daughter of a well-to-do couple. A "Datuk" and "Datin". Asked if they would come and visit her on Eid, she replied to her teacher that no, her parents never spend Eid with her. They would only send some new clothes for Eid but never take her back home to at least spend one special day with her siblings.
"They are ashamed of me, Cikgu. The rest of my siblings are normal. I am not. I am ugly"
"No, you are not ugly. And there's nothing to be ashamed of. This year, you will come and spend Eid with me and my family. You are going to be part of my family, ok? My children will be your adik-adik, ok?"
#####
"Yes, I admit, it's not easy to be a teacher for a "special education" class. But being their teacher has taught me lots of things too. And it's difficult not to fall in love with them. I love them all, despite having to deal with stuff teachers in normal schools don't usually deal with. Stuff that usually are reserved for mothers for their small toddlers - cleaning them up, putting their clothes on, feeding them. But they are unique. Truth is they are not "kurang upaya", only "beza upaya." If only we, the so-called 'normal' ones could learn to appreciate them more..."
I have lots of respect for dedicated teachers like Diana.
I wish that all 'special education' children would get the love and attention of at least one teacher like her...
But she does it anyway.
It must be quite a feat for her to patiently keep answering repetitious questions from her students. (I know it must be a feat because I find it difficult sometimes to keep my cool when Huzaifah keep repeating asking me question which I'd already answered, probably hoping I would change my "no" to a "yes")
But she keeps her cool with her students all the time.
She has assorted mix of students. Some look okay physically but have little IQ. Some are in fact little in stature. Some are confirmed ADHD, others are autistic. They are all special, each in their own way.
It really touched me when she told me that this year, for Eid, she's inviting a few select students - those left at the Welfare Center by their own parents - to spend the Eid with her as part of her family in the kampung.
One of those left at the Welfare Center is a daughter of a well-to-do couple. A "Datuk" and "Datin". Asked if they would come and visit her on Eid, she replied to her teacher that no, her parents never spend Eid with her. They would only send some new clothes for Eid but never take her back home to at least spend one special day with her siblings.
"They are ashamed of me, Cikgu. The rest of my siblings are normal. I am not. I am ugly"
"No, you are not ugly. And there's nothing to be ashamed of. This year, you will come and spend Eid with me and my family. You are going to be part of my family, ok? My children will be your adik-adik, ok?"
#####
"Yes, I admit, it's not easy to be a teacher for a "special education" class. But being their teacher has taught me lots of things too. And it's difficult not to fall in love with them. I love them all, despite having to deal with stuff teachers in normal schools don't usually deal with. Stuff that usually are reserved for mothers for their small toddlers - cleaning them up, putting their clothes on, feeding them. But they are unique. Truth is they are not "kurang upaya", only "beza upaya." If only we, the so-called 'normal' ones could learn to appreciate them more..."
I have lots of respect for dedicated teachers like Diana.
I wish that all 'special education' children would get the love and attention of at least one teacher like her...
Dush dush...
Conversation during lunch
aezack : My staff had a potluck breakfast this morning
esskay: So, what did you bring.
aezack: Didn't know that they were going to have a potluck breakfast, so did not prepare
anything. Otherwise I might ask bibik to prepare some chicken nuggets or something...
esskay: Oooh, I guess your staff knew that you would only bring chicken nuggets, that's why they didn't inform you earlier that they were going to have a potluck breakfast...
aezack: Oit! Oit! That hurts...
aezack : My staff had a potluck breakfast this morning
esskay: So, what did you bring.
aezack: Didn't know that they were going to have a potluck breakfast, so did not prepare
anything. Otherwise I might ask bibik to prepare some chicken nuggets or something...
esskay: Oooh, I guess your staff knew that you would only bring chicken nuggets, that's why they didn't inform you earlier that they were going to have a potluck breakfast...
aezack: Oit! Oit! That hurts...
Friday, July 03, 2009
"Macam orang biasa je"
Funny how my subordinates - and even peers - reacted when they learned that Mak used to be in a rather senior position before her retirement in the civil service.
"Tapi puan macam orang biasa je..."
"Eh, memanglah saya orang biasa je. Takkan saya mutant pula, orang luar biasa.."
"Isy, taklah. Maksud saya, puan ni anak orang berada tapi macam biasa-biasa je"
#####
Sometimes I wonder what do people expect from the children of ex senior civil servants?
I know that another friend of mine who shares almost similar background with me kept being told that she's "macam orang biasa je" when others find out about her background.
We sometimes asked each other - what are other people's expectation of us?
I mean, okay, our parents used to be in senior position.
And yes, our parents used to make quite a lot compared to others in the civil service.
So?
What is there that make people almost always tell us that we are "macam orang biasa"?
Are we supposed to be unlike "orang biasa"?
Are we expected to be "luar biasa"?
In what way?
It's almost like there are expectation for us to be spoilt brats or the like.
Seriously.
#####
Trust me, there were moments that we wished we are actually "orang biasa-biasa"
The friend I mentioned had trouble persuading the guy she was interested in, that her family had no objection against her marrying him, whose family background is "biasa-biasa saja".
He insisted that only birds of the same feather should fly together.
She was broken hearted.
And remain unmarried until today.
Once a long time ago, I was interested in a guy who hailed from a rural area, who used to rubber-tap and he claimed that his house had no indoor toilet.
I told him that I had no trouble accepting him, his family, his rural way of life and all.
He insisted that I might.
"You've grown accustomed to living in a big house, having a maid, not getting your hands dirty doing nitty gritty stuff. There is no way you could adjust to living the way my family does"
It was really frustrating.
I wanted to give us a chance, but he gave me no real chance to prove myself to him.
All because he believed that I do not come from a "biasa-biasa saja" family background.
#####
It hurts - when one is told by the person she's interested in that they could not be together because she deserves 'someone better'.
It hurts even more - when what he meant by 'better' is only in financial terms.
#####
We have been raised by parents who do not look down upon others because they in turn, were raised by parents who had undergone lots of hardship.
We were made never to forget our roots.
We were made to realize that it's just Allah's rezeki for us and not our own doings that put us in the comfortable zone.
We were trained never to differentiate others because of one's wealth or status.
We were trained to accept others as who they are.
Sometimes it's quite frustrating when others do not accept us for who we are.
But rather, (mis)judge us for who our parents are.
"Tapi puan macam orang biasa je..."
"Eh, memanglah saya orang biasa je. Takkan saya mutant pula, orang luar biasa.."
"Isy, taklah. Maksud saya, puan ni anak orang berada tapi macam biasa-biasa je"
#####
Sometimes I wonder what do people expect from the children of ex senior civil servants?
I know that another friend of mine who shares almost similar background with me kept being told that she's "macam orang biasa je" when others find out about her background.
We sometimes asked each other - what are other people's expectation of us?
I mean, okay, our parents used to be in senior position.
And yes, our parents used to make quite a lot compared to others in the civil service.
So?
What is there that make people almost always tell us that we are "macam orang biasa"?
Are we supposed to be unlike "orang biasa"?
Are we expected to be "luar biasa"?
In what way?
It's almost like there are expectation for us to be spoilt brats or the like.
Seriously.
#####
Trust me, there were moments that we wished we are actually "orang biasa-biasa"
The friend I mentioned had trouble persuading the guy she was interested in, that her family had no objection against her marrying him, whose family background is "biasa-biasa saja".
He insisted that only birds of the same feather should fly together.
She was broken hearted.
And remain unmarried until today.
Once a long time ago, I was interested in a guy who hailed from a rural area, who used to rubber-tap and he claimed that his house had no indoor toilet.
I told him that I had no trouble accepting him, his family, his rural way of life and all.
He insisted that I might.
"You've grown accustomed to living in a big house, having a maid, not getting your hands dirty doing nitty gritty stuff. There is no way you could adjust to living the way my family does"
It was really frustrating.
I wanted to give us a chance, but he gave me no real chance to prove myself to him.
All because he believed that I do not come from a "biasa-biasa saja" family background.
#####
It hurts - when one is told by the person she's interested in that they could not be together because she deserves 'someone better'.
It hurts even more - when what he meant by 'better' is only in financial terms.
#####
We have been raised by parents who do not look down upon others because they in turn, were raised by parents who had undergone lots of hardship.
We were made never to forget our roots.
We were made to realize that it's just Allah's rezeki for us and not our own doings that put us in the comfortable zone.
We were trained never to differentiate others because of one's wealth or status.
We were trained to accept others as who they are.
Sometimes it's quite frustrating when others do not accept us for who we are.
But rather, (mis)judge us for who our parents are.
Thursday, July 02, 2009
The other AHB
* Both my younger brother and I share the same initials - AHB (or AHBB), hence the title
When we were small, people used to ask us - "which one of you is older?".
It could be confusing to others since I call him "Abang" (elder brother) and he calls me "Kak" (elder sister).
That's how we are referred to in the family - I am Kak, he is Abang and our youngest brother, Adik.
Kak. Abang. Adik
(And that's why among the children of our maternal cousins, we're called respectively as Chik Kak, Paman Abang and Paman Adik)
He turned 33 yesterday, on July 1st.
Up until now, most of his friends and colleagues still thought that he is the real "Abang", as in he's the elder brother and I'm his younger sister.
Which could be flattering at times, yet also embarrassing.
Flattering because it might be a sign that I look younger than my age (ehcheh!)
Embarrassing because it might be a sign that I'm not as mature as my own younger brother.
But, never mind.
I'm ok with people mistaken me as the younger sister.
Hihihi.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
Once we swapped clothes.
(Back when we were innocent children who knew nothing about the hadith that forbid us from wearing clothes meant for and imitating opposite gender)
I wore his boy scout uniform
He wore my school uniform, complete with the tudung.
We looked at ourselves in the mirror.
"Hey, I look more handsome than you"
"Hey, I look sweeter than you. See, I have dimples."
Oh well, I don't have dimples.
He won, I guess.
(But seriously, I was more handsome than him in boy scout uniform)
Hehehe.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
We talked about the latest Transformers film.
He already watched it on the opening day, 24th June with his pregnant wife.
When we were small, we used to save our pocket money so that we could buy our own "toys".
(Back in the days when kids watched "cartoons" and not "animated series", and no one understand what "action figure" stands for.)
We were each given 60 sen a day as pocket money - back then, 60 sen was enough to buy a glass of cordial drink (syrup or orange) and a plate of nasi lemak/mee goreng in the school canteen.
We were nuts about Transformers - and challenged each other to save more so that we could buy better 'Transformers toy' than the other.
Being quite tomboyish, I was a big fan of Transformers and M.A.S.K. (Mobile Action Strike Kommand?) and later X-Men.
I remember having this dream of owning the biggest and most complicated 'Transformers toy' so that Abang could no longer beat me in that department.
It took weeks to buy a single toy (the cheapest Transformers action figure cost about RM20 back then, and the most we could save up each week is RM3), so the 'competition' was really tough.
And now, there is no single trace of all those toys we bought back then.
Unless one counts my brother being a producer of animation series as a trace left by his fascination with all those cartoons he watched as a child
Hahaha.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
#####
Happy Birthday my dear brother.
May Allah bless always.
Love you lots (even though I seldom say it in person)
When we were small, people used to ask us - "which one of you is older?".
It could be confusing to others since I call him "Abang" (elder brother) and he calls me "Kak" (elder sister).
That's how we are referred to in the family - I am Kak, he is Abang and our youngest brother, Adik.
Kak. Abang. Adik
(And that's why among the children of our maternal cousins, we're called respectively as Chik Kak, Paman Abang and Paman Adik)
He turned 33 yesterday, on July 1st.
Up until now, most of his friends and colleagues still thought that he is the real "Abang", as in he's the elder brother and I'm his younger sister.
Which could be flattering at times, yet also embarrassing.
Flattering because it might be a sign that I look younger than my age (ehcheh!)
Embarrassing because it might be a sign that I'm not as mature as my own younger brother.
But, never mind.
I'm ok with people mistaken me as the younger sister.
Hihihi.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
Once we swapped clothes.
(Back when we were innocent children who knew nothing about the hadith that forbid us from wearing clothes meant for and imitating opposite gender)
I wore his boy scout uniform
He wore my school uniform, complete with the tudung.
We looked at ourselves in the mirror.
"Hey, I look more handsome than you"
"Hey, I look sweeter than you. See, I have dimples."
Oh well, I don't have dimples.
He won, I guess.
(But seriously, I was more handsome than him in boy scout uniform)
Hehehe.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
We talked about the latest Transformers film.
He already watched it on the opening day, 24th June with his pregnant wife.
When we were small, we used to save our pocket money so that we could buy our own "toys".
(Back in the days when kids watched "cartoons" and not "animated series", and no one understand what "action figure" stands for.)
We were each given 60 sen a day as pocket money - back then, 60 sen was enough to buy a glass of cordial drink (syrup or orange) and a plate of nasi lemak/mee goreng in the school canteen.
We were nuts about Transformers - and challenged each other to save more so that we could buy better 'Transformers toy' than the other.
Being quite tomboyish, I was a big fan of Transformers and M.A.S.K. (Mobile Action Strike Kommand?) and later X-Men.
I remember having this dream of owning the biggest and most complicated 'Transformers toy' so that Abang could no longer beat me in that department.
It took weeks to buy a single toy (the cheapest Transformers action figure cost about RM20 back then, and the most we could save up each week is RM3), so the 'competition' was really tough.
And now, there is no single trace of all those toys we bought back then.
Unless one counts my brother being a producer of animation series as a trace left by his fascination with all those cartoons he watched as a child
Hahaha.
He's 33 now.
Masya Allah, how time flies.
#####
Happy Birthday my dear brother.
May Allah bless always.
Love you lots (even though I seldom say it in person)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
LinkWithin
