The great ones

Great uncles and great aunts are all that's left now that both Tok and Tok Ayah are no longer with us...
From the humble beginning in a remote village tempat jin bertendang called Kampung Sungai Batu in Kedah, alhamdulillah, now my great uncles and great aunts have come a long way...

Tok Lang and Tok Teh

These men and women lived during the tough times under Japanese Occupation and during guerilla war was constantly fought with the communist under the Malayan Emergency period. They raised their children since from pre-independence days - the ladies had to go to Kelas Dewasa to learn how to read and write in roman alphabets (they had no difficulty reading and writing in Jawi because they had been taught how to read the Quran since they were very young).

Tok Long with her eldest grandson and family

It goes without saying that life in the traditional kampung in the 1960s was a far cry from today living in a modern house in the Klang Valley. I remember hearing stories of Tok waking up really early in the morning so that she could make kuih to be sold at the schools by her then school-going children. This - back in the days when there was no blender/mixer/self-timed oven, so everything had to be laboured manually. Plus the fact that she still had babies and toddler - her kids being quite close in terms of age-gap and with no washing machine, she had to do all the laundry - tonnes of traditional nappies included - manually. Near the river too.

The younger ones greeting Tok Lang and Tok Teh before leaving the kenduri

My father and his siblings are very close to their maternal cousins due to the proximity of their old houses as well as age factor. Cousins tend to be closer when they are of the same or near same age - and that's part of the reasons why my uncles and aunts are close to their cousins. This was back in the age when all of them were afraid of their Pak Lang who is the most 'cengil' (strict) and knew they could get away with pranks if they were near their jolly, not-so-'cengil' Pak Teh.   

Ayah with his Pak Lang

Nyah sharing a light moment with her Pak Teh

Today, Tok Lang is no longer as 'cengil' as he used to be. And Tok Teh is still as jovial as ever. Tok's elder brother, Tok Long has passed away for quite some time. Tok's youngest brother, Tok Chik passed away when he was in his forties in 1992. Tok Ayah passed away in the same year - when I was sitting for my SPM. And Tok passed away 15 years later, in November 2007, on the same day of my younger brother's kenduri. ('kenduri sambut menantu' for my SIL)

Tok Lang with Teh, her DIL Mak Su and her daughter Nyah Koza

Alhamdulillah, during my cousin Imad's wedding last Sunday, the mood was definitely more cheerful and not as sombre as it was during the last kenduri in 2007.

It was good to meet up with our great uncles and great aunts. There are many things that we can learn from them and they are very willing to share. When I was asked where my kids were and replied that they were at home, down with chicken pox, I was immediately advised to go find "daun semambu" (neem leaves), "bagi anak mandi dengan daun tu, pastu letak kat bawah cadar, bawah sarung bantal" and "jangan bagi anak kena hujan, sat ni dia jadi hitam". Oh, okay. Yes, orang-orang dulu loves sharing traditional tips even without being prompted because it's in their nature to distribute what little knowledge they have. I supposed it might have something to do with the fact that they lack documentation - so the great wise ones will try to distribute and disseminate information  by word of mouth to one and all everytime they have a chance to do so.

Tok Long with two of her daughters, Teh Noriza and Chu La

After all, 'ilmu yang bermanfaat'  is a type of charity that benefit the 'donor' even after they have passed away, kan?

Just a little note

Reading this entry, prompted me to re-post part of a tag I did for Kak D  back in 2008. I'm not sure whether or not Mak has read the entry on Islam Inspires Meme, so this is just a little note to let Mak know, just in case she has doubts...

"4) Who is the most inspiring Muslim woman to you and why?

Sharing the sentiment with Kak D and Nadia, for all the reasons that they had already stated in their respective blogs, I agree that Saidatina Khadijah is the most inspiring Muslimah. Thus, I'll take this question as "Other than Saidatina Khadijah - who is the most inspiring Muslimah to you and why? "

There are so many prominent figures to choose from - Saidatina Aisyah, Saidatina Fatimah, Rabiatul Adawiyah, Zainab al-Ghazali.... but I'll go with someone close to me - my Mak.

Mak gives her all to support Ayah all the way.
Mak gave her best in attending to both her late mother and mother-in-law.
Mak gives her best for her siblings even when it is not reciprocal.
Mak gives her best for her kids even when we broke her heart time and time again, and even when we know she gives more selflessly and generously than our own biological mother.
Mak gave her best to the rakyat when she was a civil servant - never afraid of any political master, not even when she was demoted of sort.
Mak is still giving her best to the society by voluntary works.
Mak gives her best to Allah by giving her all"

Sushi King RM2 Bonanza

It's Sushi King RM2 Bonanza time again - April 12th -15th 2010 (in Peninsular Malaysia - it's April 19th - 22nd in East Malaysia).

Ok, so there's usually nothing much to shout about Sushi King's sushi. But since I am a cheapo, ha ha  RM2 per plate for sushi that are normally priced at RM4 - RM6 seems like a good deal, I immediately agreed to tag along when Kit invited her friends on Google Buzz. The bonanza is only for Sushi King cardmembers, and each cardmember may bring up to 4 friends along. At first Kit thought of having sushi for lunch on Friday but since the bonanza period ended on Thursday and her heartsister found it a bit difficult to go on Wednesday, we met after work yesterday.

Rin was the one who queued up first, although I believed I'd arrived earlier - because I had to go and get some calamine lotion as well as prescribed stuff (cetrizine) at the pharmacy for Humaidi and Haniyya - both are having chicken pox now, poor kids. And yes, it must be hard on them, all those discomfort, itching and hindered from scratching  causing Ibu as well to lose sleep at night, so please don't mind my puffy eyes and eye bags

It started with Huzaifah's extra itching after we came back from Bagan Lalang - brought him to see a doctor on Monday and was told that it was break-outs of his eczema. But upon closer inspection we later realised that it was chicken pox, so we stopped sending him to his kindie. Mak and Ayah came to Putrajaya to attend my cousin Imad & Atie's "kenduri sambut menantu" on Sunday, and returned to Kampung Tunku, taking Huzaifah with them. Huzaifah's condition is most severe - made worse by his eczema, I supposed. Staying with his Tok Ayah and Embah means he will get exclusive attention compared to being at home, so maybe it'll be easier to cater to his extra need and demand for attention during these few weeks.

Okay, back to sushi.

Kit warned us that since she did not had any lunch, she was going to make the most out of the 1 hour limit we had. As soon as we were seated - even before the hot ocha (green tea) and gari (pickled ginger) arrived - Kit started enthusiastically lifting plates after plates of sushi from the kaiten belt. Since I too was seated next to the kaiten belt, I merrily joined in the fun of lifting plates after plates of sushi too and had to return some, untouched, of course . Mind you - not all plates are priced at RM2 - temaki (like california roll), tsumami (like chuka iidako & chuka kurage) and maki zushi by order are still sold at normal price. Still, it was good to have the otherwise pricier stuff like unagi and ebi furai sushi at RM2 per plate.

The girl behind the counter had to accomodate our requests again and again each time a new dish arrived at the preparation counter, "bak sini satu dulu dik". Turned out it had been Kit's second trip to Sushi King in Alamanda during this Bonanza period, and knowing her, it might not be her last, ha ha since she just went there on Monday with her officemates. And she's a regular at this outlet because Syidah, a staff there admitted that Kit is a familiar face. So there - not only Kit a recognized patron of BookXcess, she's a known patron of Sushi King in Alamanda too. Made ones wonder, if the management knew she blogs, would they treat her extra nicely?

Kit with the staff who recognized her as "customer biasa" at Sushi King Alamanda

All of us had a lot of sushi - and gari. Kit swore that I was only there to have the gari, ha ha - I'm a self-confessed pickled ginger junkie. Kit thought that she and I would have more plates, but even Rin, who has just started eating sushi recently  never mind that due to her aversion to seafood, she mostly had tuna,which normally cost RM3 a plate ate as much as yours truly - 9 plates each. Kit topped us by just a mere plate, 10. Total - 28 plates for 3 pax. Yeah, I know - there my diet went off the kaiten belt...

 Ama ebi, surimi hotate, furai ebi, tori kara age , chuka ika sanzai

This stack is only half of what we had - the first half had already been taken away earlier on

Now, I just have to do extra work-outs to accomodate the 'extra' that I had. (Not to mention the 2 plates of delicious nasi beriani during Imad's kenduri, huhuhu...) Thanks a lot dearest Kit and Rin for a laughter-filled evening - and you take good care, okay!

X-Japan Reunion - Bagan Lalang 030410

Went for a reunion of sort for former Malaysian graduate students in Japan and respective families at Bagan Lalang. Hubby mentioned about it in passing earlier on but I didn't pay much attention until on the very morning itself.

"Where are they going to gather?"
"Not sure. Check it out with Nana."
"I don't have Nana's number."
"Ask Haidi. I know you have his number" isy tahu aje Pak Ostad ni nombor siapa ada dalam phonebook kita

Called Haidi but he told me that he was in a meeting - in Seremban, on a Saturday morning.  proof that government servants go the extra mile all the time despite it usually goes unnoticed by the public

"Call Nana," he advised before shutting down the line.

I called Asri instead. (Haidi's SMS which contained Nana's number arrived a lot later)

"Jumpa kat Bagan Lalang. Kumpul dekat-dekat Gold Coast"

It was an impromptu decision. Hubby had gone to Seremban on Friday but gave permission more like encouraged for us to join the 'reunion' of sort. "There's going to be some BBQ. So just bring a dish to share and some stuff that can be barbequed."

A last minute rummage through the freezer produced nothing much suitable to be barbequed. So I fried some noodles - a'la "yaki soba" style. Asked bibik to cut some mangoes to be put in a plastic container. And brought along two packets of 10-pieces of Ramly burger patties. Pathetic, I know especially when others brought pieces of marinated chicken, squids, prawns, fishes But beats the need to go shopping what with having two shrieking pre-schoolers and a toddler who keep seeking for my attention. The boys are all extra 'demanding' when their father is not around, partly because I rely more on Pak Ostad to be the strict disciplinarian in the family. Partly because they know I will spend more time and do more things together with them during the weekends, so everybody want more piece of their Ibu than the others, ha ha. it's sibling rivalry, alright

Humaidi trying to join in the fun with some other kids playing at the playground

Arrived in Bagan Lalang at about 1 p.m. Called Asri to confirm the exact meeting place, but he was still on the way. Brought the kids to a playground at the near end of the so-called "Gold Coast". The tide was low at that time so even when Huzaifah insisted on wearing his swimming attire, I explained to him that he cannot swim because the water was so far away. Bagan Lalang is really nothing much to look at during low tide - what with the water being so far away from the beach and all. I promised he could play with the water when the tide is higher. But meanwhile he just had to satisfy himself with having fun at the playground. Never mind that it was scorching hot - all three brothers just want to have a tumble under the sun at the playground. While I don't usually let them play under the scorching sun - I thought it was a safer bet to let them kill the time on the playground than in the car while waiting for confirmation from Asri on the meeting point.

I called him back more than a half hour later and he advised me to turn back a bit. It was quite easy to locate them - with two familiar cars (imported from Japan using personal APs) lined up the street.

We had fun meeting, chatting & reconnecting with each other. I supposed the real 'yardstick' for us to realise how fast time flies was by noticing how the kids had grown! Not to mention the new additions too.

Anyway, it was good to note that the kids really had a good time too - the big girls barbequieng stuff, the smaller girls & boy playing in the sand and all. Poor kids - the tide remained low until when we had to pack everything up because it started raining at around 5.15 p.m. So, no swimming in the sea for the kids - despite having been in the beach and them ruining a raft-float even before it was used in the sea.

But all in all - it was good meeting up and catching up on good old days :-) 

P/S: Kak Zaba, sesekali tinggalkanlah jejak di ruangan komen. Barulah A.Z. tahu ada juga pembaca di kalangan member-member seJepun dulu, hehehe

Meeting the Dean

* Many years ago, when I was a second year Law student in Leeds University, I received a letter requesting me to meet the Dean of the Faculty of Law. I procrastinated for as long as possible - two weeks - before finally meeting him. I was reminded of how different Mr Brownlee was from the person I first imagined him to be when I read my old journal. I thought Dr Brownlee the Dean would be a 'mean old beardy man', yet the person I met was quite young, handsome in a 'bookish' way many professors are, with thick brown hair and beard and surprise,surprise a very easy man to talk to. 

Here's an excerpt from my journal, dated May 21, 1997.

"How do one prepare to meet a Dean? I didn't do any preparation. Only that I expected some grumbles and gruffles from a mean old beardy man. Oh my - I only got the beardy part correct - the rest can really be disputed.

He started with the usual stuff -  why am I so late in responding to the letter, why am I not making the most of the faculty's teaching facility and what nots. He sternly told me that should I fail to see him, he would've written a letter to the Exams Syndicate, asking them to de-bar  me from the exams. Alhamdulillah , I am thankful and grateful that Allah made me see him then.

I felt lousy upon entering his room, but I definitely felt better went upon exiting. Not necessarily feeling good, but at least not as lousy as when I first entered the room. Well, I guess BT is right - it's definitely good to talk (Note: "It's good to talk" used to be British Telecom's tagline)

I don't remember how exactly it started. One moment Dr Brownlee made a remark on how unhappy I seemed and the next thing I knew I took his advice to spill it out. That I did.

I went on and on. Telling him how I despise law, how I hate law, how each time I open law books I would only shut them back because I couldn't stand them. How I always went blank for a few minutes whenever I faced law questions, suspecting that I have a mental block of sort against law.

I bared to him how painful it is to do something that you hate and yet you just have to do it because you don't have much choice. There's your deal with your parents - to study law in UK. Your obligations to the sponsor. Your responsibility as the eldest in the family, especially not to upset your parents again what with your brother did just that by dropping out. Your obligations towards your people, your country, your brothers and sisters in Islam to uphold their good names.

And how sometimes it hurt so deeply because not many are ready to listen when I pleaded them to. They  persuaded me to go on, not to quit - but they never really understand me. And most of all, how conflicted I felt in all this.

"Ooh... you are in the wrong course, aren't you?"
How true.

Unlike a trained counsellor, Dr Brownlee didn't just listen and analyze things. He did a big no-no for a counsellor - he advised me.

Told me to pull myself through if I wanted to go on with the course - and it seemed that I have to. So I have to make the most of what's availabe to help myself out. It would be a pity to drop out in a course when one's already two third of the way.

Then he told me that law was also not his first choice. Had he been given a choice to re-do it, he'd taken up History instead. But he went on with his headmaster's wish and he pulled through. He'd forgotten all about how it hurt then.

"Twelve months come and they go. They really go. When it's all over, you'll forget this bitter part..."

He said, if I could've pulled through until this stage, he was sure that I could make it to the end. I just have to start opening those books (which are sitting like ornaments on my desk) and work hard again. That's the price I have to pay, at least for the time being.

He recommended me to talk to a counsellor at the University Student Counselling Service - and he personally recommended me to see a Ms Marian Sedley.

"No magic solutions, but she might help you to consider the options you have now"
I took the USCS brochure he offered and agreed to go see a counsellor. He also offered to talk to Mr Passey (my personal tutor) on my behalf, to explain the difficulty I'm having right now in doing law.

Dr Brownlee is indeed a nice bloke - notwithstanding his brown beard and stern looking face. I actually cried when I talked to him - the tears just went gushing down. A bit embarrassing really, but sometimes it's good to cry too...I never realised until then, how talking to someone on the faculty could actually help."

* He was right - Twelve months came and went. They really went. But I never forget 'that bitter part'. Not really. Alhamdulillah - it had only helped to make me a 'stronger' person. At least I managed to graduate with honours. So Mak really should not be comparing me getting a 2nd Class lower  with her also getting a 2nd Class lower despite the huge differences in our SPM results (her a 2nd grader and me a single digit aggregate). He he he.   

Panda?

Conversation with Humaidi yesterday evening.

Humaidi:  (pointing to a picture of a kitten) Ini ku-cheng.
Ibu:          Yes, that's a white kitten.
Humaidi:  Kitten... meeeooowwww...
Ibu:          That's right, kitten meows, meeeooowww....
Humaidi:  (pointing to a picture of a puppy) Ini an-jheng
Ibu:          Yes, that's a black puppy.
Humaidi:  Puppy... woof woof!
Ibu:          That's right, puppy barks, woof woof!
Humaidi:  (pointing to a picture of panda) Ini panda
Ibu:          Yes, that's a black and white panda.
Humaidi:  Panda... heeeee yaaahhhhh...

Hah?? Heeee yaaahhhhh?
Clear sign that he's been misled by Kungfu Panda.
Adoi!

Picture stories: 2-in-1 tag

There are a few tags/awards from fellow bloggers which I'd been advised to accept & pass on others.
When it comes to awards - I must admit that I'm a bit shy to accept them. Not because I don't appreciate being given awards by well-meaning friends. I do appreciate them all - it's just... hmm... just... Well, I don't know exactly why, but somehow I feel content enough to know that I'd been "awarded" by friends without having to announce them here in this blog...

Anyway, there are two tags relating to photos - so here's my take on them:

1. Tag from Kit

Rules:

1) Take a recent picture of yourself or take a picture of yourself right NOW!

2) DON’T change your clothes, DON’T fix your hair…just take a picture.

3) Post that picture with NO editing.

4) Post these instruction with your picture.

5) Tag 10 people to do this
 
Ok, #1 - #4 done.
Snapped this photo just a moment ago, after lunch.
Definitely no cloth changing, just a bit of tudung-fixing. Eh - tudung is not hair, kan?

As for #5, I'm tagging... errr... anybody who feels like doing this tag :-)
 
 
2. Tag from Ermayum
 

1) Go to your photo files…Select the 8th photo folder.

2) Select the 8th photo in that folder.

3) Post that photo along with the story behind it.

4) Then challenge 8 blogging friends to do the same!

L to R: Aniz, Ernie, Yana, Faez, Hairi, Nori

This is a photo of the clerks in my office having their breakfast on a Friday morning.
(I know it must be Friday because Hairi is wearing baju melayu). It's almost a routine for them to have breakfast together before 8.30 a.m., and to have it in the middle of the office so that it's near to their work stations, just in case there are phone calls to entertain before 8.30 a.m.

The 'island table' is also often used for lunch by the clerks. It was there in the first place to help making document-sorting-to-be-put-into-folders easier. But it is also convenient for other purposes.

Sometimes, when officers go outstation or go balik kampung, we would bring back ole-ole for the staff and the ole-ole would be put on this 'island table' - be it duty-free chocolates from Langkawi, tabaloi or kek lapis from Sarawak, kuih semar from Terengganu, dodol from Melaka, keropok amplang from Sabah, jeruk buah from Penang etc.

Sometimes, when our CC (Chief Clerk) feels like mothering the rest of us (she's 54), she would make some tea/coffee and announce to everyone in the sector that they could get their own mug out to get some hot tea/coffee from the 'island table'.

Sometimes, one or another officer would be generous enough to cook or buy breakfast for everybody in the sector - and yes, the nasi lemak/nasi goreng/bihun/mee/sandwiches would be put on - where esle? - the 'island table'. Sharing is caring, right?

Yes, it is convenient to have such a multi-purpose 'island table', kan?

Challenge 8 blogging friends, eh?
I hereby challenge (ehcheh) these 8 to do this tag...
1) Kit
2) Jaja (I have a feeling it's going to be photo of your baby girl)
3) Anira
4) Rin (update please, it's been ages dear)
5) Lina (bet it's going to be Japan-related photo)
6) Klynn Ismail
7) Dakwanie (blog dah bersawang tak ingat punya)
8) Hanny Zurina (because you seem to be good at blogging about photos)

Ok. Done!

We didn't go to school for almost a year...

A chat with Mak Tam and Atie, my cousin Imad's wife at Mak Tam's place last night brought back memories of my primary school days. Originally, I went to Mak Tam's place hoping to help out with preparation for the coming 'kenduri sambut menantu' for Imad and Atie. Turned out they had ran out of  "Al-Mathurat Sughra" for the goodie bags, so the goodie-bags-packing-process was put on halt last night. And I ended up chatting with Atie and Mak Tam

Together with my younger brother Abang, we missed almost one whole year of formal education when I was 9 and he 8. That was due to the bitter custody fight between my parents at that time. When ever we were in Sungai Petani and Ummi sent my brother and I to Sekolah Jalan Sekerat, Ayah would come and pick us up from school and we would gladly followed Ayah back to Kulim, to stay with our grandparents, Tok and Tok Ayah.

And when ever we attended SRK Tunku Abdul Malik in Kulim while we were in Ayah's or Tok and Tok Ayah's custody, Ummi would come to our school and practically 'kidnapped' us - hands held tightly and mouths almost gagged by adults, since Ummi was almost always assisted by cohorts, teachers and all - back to Sungai Petani.

After several episodes of these 'kidnap' incidents, Ayah stopped sending us to school, while simultaneously fought for custody of our youngest brother, Adik, in court. Both Abang and I were 'of age' and could state our preference to stay with which parent after our parents' divorce was finalized. Both of us chose to stay with Ayah. But when Ummi kept 'kidnapping' us from school, used her position to influence some friends in the state Education Department to bar us from attending schools outside Sungai Petani and all, Ayah thought for the sake of our welfare and 'stability', it was better to let us be homeschooled. It was not an easy decision.

However, being the busy contractor that he was, apart from buying numerous revision and exercise/activity books for us, Ayah did not spare that much time to homeschool us. And we couldn't really depend on Tok, Tok Ayah or the TV Pendidikan to be tutored at home.

But alhamdulillah, both Abang and I did not do too bad when we re-entered formal education again a year later, in SRK Damansara Utama. We missed almost one whole year of formal education, but we caught up quite fast. Never mind that during the 're-adjustment' period I once got 19/100 for my English test because I could not differentiate using 'a few' from 'a little'. I remember answering "A little children were playing in the field" and "Add a few sugar in the mixture". No wonder I only got 19, eh? Ha ha.

Anyway, I digressed.
Alhamdulillah, when we moved to PJ, we were blessed with a great support system - a stable family (finally!) after Ayah married Mak, good teachers at school, good tutors and simply great new friends.

And I will forever be indebted to a particular good friend named Ismarita Ismar...

*to be continued

Akif is 3!

Masya Allah - how time flies!

Almost can't believe that our beloved Muhammad Akif Humaidi - also affectionately known as 'anak jepun' in the family since he was born in Tokyo - is now 3.

Alhamdulillah...

Now that he's three, Humaidi...

* weighs about 13.3kg and 94cm in height, no longer chubby as he used to be, in fact rather skinny...

* is a fussy eater. It's very difficult to feed him three solid meals daily, but I've been told that since he is growing normally and has a  super normal energy level , there is little to worry about.

* has started to show readiness for potty training since lately he has been preferring to go in the buff than wearing a disposable diaper. Now, if only he would somehow give a sign that he needs to go to the loo... instead of simply doing his business everywhere anytime he feels like it

* still loves humming and singing (in his own language)

* still has the 'ability' to sleep at any place,anytime he feels like it wonder who he takes after, eh?

* has shown signs of growing out of having curly hair

* has overcame his fondness for walking on tiptoe and love running/climbing everywhere

* still loves counting as we walk up or down the stairs

* loves scribbling on the wall  what is with young children fascination with clean walls???

* speaks in 2-word sentences, and learning to go up to 3-4 words sentences

* is showing shorter attention span for activities compared to when he was an infant

* enjoys making other people laugh

* hates brushing his teeth or having his teeh brushed by others

* loves playing with the water - and experimenting with water. At one time or another, he had shoved most of his toys in the kitchen sink

* can complete simple tray puzzles as well as up to 12-pieces puzzles

* loves his ocean creatures and wild animal toys, and can name wild animals that he's familiar with in both Malay and English.

* is very fond of watching Little Einsteins and the movie Cars

* sometimes speaks Malay with an accent. To our amusement, he calls cats 'ku-cheng' and dogs "an-jheng".

He still has a lot to learn when it comes to perfecting his speech and fine motor skills - buttoning up his own shirts, holding a pencil like an adult does, drawing circles, straight lines, crosses and stick figures.

Nevertheless, alhamdulillah I am very happy, relieved and grateful that he has been pronounced 'normal' by the doctor after going for check-ups after check-ups due to his 'slow' development in some areas...

Here's making a do'a that Muhammad Akif Humaidi will grow up to be a faithful Mukmin, a qurratun a'yun to the parents, a determined and courageous mujahid who will be showered by Allah's blessings all the way.

Amiiinnn... 

Love Currypuffs

I'm not used to writing book reviews.

This is an exception because, well, since I bought the last copy of this particular book at the book fair, and the author good-naturedly humored my request to include the word 'amoi' in his autograph, I figured I have nothing to lose by writing a review for this rom-com (romantic comedy) novel.

Warning: This review contain spoilers...

The good

"Ibu, kenapa ibu gelak sorang-sorang?" - Huzaifah, upon noticing me laughing out loud as I read the novel.

This book can make you wet your pants laughing.

Or at least it can make others wonder "what is so funny?"  by looking at you grinning in amusement as you read it.

It's filled with remarks that may sound normal when they appear in conversations in kopitiam or Facebook, but really funny when they appear in a novel. Daily stuff that makes one go, "oh, that is SO true!".

Like the commentary on traffic jams and drivers in KL - the rude ones, the obedient one and the over-the-top obedient ones that annoy others behind them.

Or the commentary on Hindi film plot.

Or on how Malay dramas are filled with 'coincidences'.

This is easy reading stuff - the words easy to read, the plot easy to understand, the characters easy to connect and identify with. Even the cover itself is easy on the eyes. Very creative indeed!

Ali, a photographer at a political newspaper/horror magazine publication company, fell for Sarah, an editor in a more establihed publishing company where Ali's housemate is working. Sarah graduated from Al-Azhar University but chose not to become an ustazah as she believes that dakwah could be conveyed through other mediums, including comics. 

Ali in his bid to woo Sarah and Sarah's dad approval, lied that he too graduated from Al-Azhar.

As the story progresses, 'lying' becomes the central theme to this novel - how it leads to conflicts and how Ali tries to redeem himself by trying to 'correct' stuff.  

I like how despite Ali's several attempts to be a hero, it is Sarah who kicks a**es in the story. Go Girl Power! Woo hoo!

Not only is she good in silat, she is also an activist, willing to go the extra mile to promote Malaysian comics with an Islamic breath to the public who are more familiar with Japanese manga.

I like the fact that Ali is willing to go the extra mile to learn making "karipap paling sedap di Mesir dan di Malaysia" from Pak Shakir to win back Sarah.

The heroin kicks a**es, and the hero cooks. Cool!

I also like the fact that the writer inserts Islamic messages here and there without sounding too much like a preacher. Simple words that go straight to the heart, like,

"Nah, kalaulah putus cinta itu buat orang berduka, mengapa acap kali kita memutuskan cinta tuhan pada kita? Kenapa kita membiarkan tuhan duka, kerana kita tidak mencintainya lagi?" 

The not-so-good 

Several spelling/editorial errors here and there. 

Datuk Razali Bunari became Datuk Ghazali Bunari on page 28.

Datuk Mukhzanuddin was once written as Datuk Razali Mokhzanuddin on page 16. 

Ali met Sarah in Taman Tasik Titiwangsa but was described as coming back from Taman Tasik Perdana on page 60. 

Elementary stuff, I know, but I expect only the best from PTS books.

Although still 'bearable', there are many 'inside' jokes (among the Sindiket Sol-jah & co) and sometimes, satires that the readers could not understand. Maybe the writer could improve on this in later publication.
And the writer 'misuses' the usage of the phrase "masya Allah", another elementary mistake that would not be made by a "novel Islami" writer.

"Masya Allah" means "as Allah may wish".

In Malaysia, many 'misuse' this phrase, saying it when they are angry, upset or surprised in not-so-good way. Whereas we are supposed to say "Masya Allah" when we see something nice or something we like or when we praise someone, giving recognition that all good things come from Allah. maybe you could try asking friends who study in the Middle East for further explanation

All in all

I like.
Not something I would recommend to my Mak, but I would gladly loan it to those who long for easy reading stuff.

Fluff, but not chaff.

Corat-coret Pesta Buku: Trivia KLIBF 2010

1. "Saya pun ada kawan nama Huzaifah. Panggil Ujai juga" - Faisal Tehrani

2. "Bila-bila nak beli buku PTS, cakap je. Boleh dapat 20% diskaun. Bila-bila pun." - Azzyzul, Senior Exec at PTS
We saw each other as I was done with shopping at PTS booth, both took a second look at each other and both wondered the same thing at the same time - "kita pernah jumpa, tapi kat mana ye?".
School? No...
University? No...
Work? No...
It finally hit us that we were in Sarawak together last December. He's part of Dr Jamal's team, of which, hubby was also a member. Duh - why did it take us so long to recall? must be the old age


3. "Ini dah kena banned ni, dah jadi bahan sejarah..." Zunar, as he promoted "Gedung Kartun".

4 "...saya syak, 1 sehingga 2% pembelian buku oleh masyarakat Malaysia adalah kerana faktor 'membeli kerana hendak memberi sokongan moral kepada kawan-kawan" - Sinaganaga
Hmm, I bought "Pulut Sakura Serunding Kasih" because it's written by Kak Lela, a long-distance friend in Japan.
I also bought "Life is an Open Secret - You, Me and We" in support of my senior in school.
And Ustaz Hasrizal Jamil used to be in my school too even if it was only for a week or two
And Zakaria Sungib is related to Mak.
And Shopuan Anuar Ahmad is my Pak Chik.
And Nisah Haron used to be in the same class with hubby in high school. but I've started reading her writing long before I married my husband, when I was still in high school
Hmm, Sinaganaga could be right, after all...

5. "Akak masih macam dulu. Tak banyak berubah!" is that because of 'awet muda' or because I looked older than my age when I was younger? - met up with many juniors - from school, UK, and even Nihon days... Sorry, I know I can be bad with recalling names, but thank you for "masih sudi menegur akak ni.."

6. I won both small gift (notebook and pen) and goodie bag at ITNM booth during their "Siapa Cepat Dia Dapat" quiz.
Was the first person to respond to the invitation to participate in the quiz. It took some times to get a group of people to join the quiz, so I managed to read through the ITNM catalogue and pamphlet before most other join in. Huzaifah even took the liberty of playing with his newly purchased wooden puzzles there, on the floor in front of the small platform in ITNM booth. Was the first to get the 'small gift', and the 7th to get the much more coveted goodie bag - consisting a translated book, a notebook & a pen. I was hoping to get a translated novel, but ended up with a book on managing professionals at school. Never mind, I still enjoy getting free gifts. Ha ha.

7. Turned out many of my favorite writers - including Prof. Mohd Kamil Ibrahim, Ustaz Hasrizal, Ustaz Pahrol Juoi, Abdul Latip Talib, Sinaganaga - were there on the last two days but I didn't get the chance to meet up with them, hmm alahai... But it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside to note that more people are paying attention to "book celebrity" as it could be an indicator that more people are reading worthy stuff rather than just entertainment magazines the likes of URTV...
That's progress.
Indeed.

Corat-coret Pesta Buku: Panas

Don't ask me what crazy notions I had that led to having a date with my not-yet-5-year-old son, Huzaifah to the KL International Book Fair. I thought of the trip as a reward for him - since he has shown more signs of being a responsible brother notwithstanding all the fumble-tumble sessions with Humaidi since he started kindie. At home, as I got him ready for our 'date', it seemed like a good idea. He was in good mood, all smiling, chattering excitedly.

But turned out, it might not be that great of an idea after all...

1. It was extremely hot on that Saturday.
Traffic from Putrajaya to KL was rather smooth, but the queue for parking space in Hentian Putra terminal was exteremely long - it took longer to park than to drive from Putrajaya to KL. Not something that one would welcome under the scorching sun. Especially since Huzaifah kept 'meratib', "Ibu, nak pergi pesta buku", "Ibu, jom pergi pesta buku", "Ibu, cepatlah pergi pesta buku," to which I had to patiently response, "Nanti lepas parking kereta, kita pergilah." Again and again and again...

2. It was extremely crowded that Saturday.
In fact - PWTC was more crowded on Saturday than on Sunday, when I made my solo trip. Or at least, it certainly felt that way. I know, it's only to be expected - what with the lure of good discounts, great bargains, meet-the-fan sessions, various performances (no, not by pop artists - more towards literature/books/comics related stuff) and all.

3. Over-zealous Grolier and (other similar companies) promoters who simply don't understand the word 'no' could really spoil one's moods.
They resort to whatever tactics possible to make sure your child stop at their booth and the parents had no choice but to sit down too. It's just bad luck that I have a five-year-old-son who could not resist normal-shaped mouth-blown balloon, what more bright, shiny, floating balloons of various shapes and designs. And more bad luck that Huzaifah is a fan of Mickey and his friends, making him an even more easy 'prey'. Arghhh!!!

4. There were moments when I felt my own tempers rising...
When Huzaifah said he wanted a Thomas (the Tank Engine) book, he really insisted on finding it, never mind that we had already gotten so many other books for him. We searched for it high and low, but could not find even a single Thomas book. At one stall, he saw the advertisement for a set of Thomas books at the back of an old copy of a British magazine.
"Ibu, ini buku Thomas!" he hurled the magazine at me excitedly.
"Ini bukan buku Thomas, ini iklan saja," I took the magazine and put it back in the box marked 3-for-RM10.
"Ujai nak buku Thomas! Ujai nak buku Thomas!," he grabbed the magazine back.
"Okay, okay, let's look for Thomas book, but this is not a Thomas book, so let's put it back in the box."
He grabbed it again.
I grabbed the magazine one final time, put it back in the box, and dragged him away from the stall.
"Over there, we might find a Thomas book over there, come on, let's go..."
But Huzaifah had already started throwing tantrums.
Wailing, shrieking, almost biting my hand, he struggled to get away from me.
I held his hand tighly and kept walking. Embarrassed but grimly ignored the stares thrown our way by passers-by.
Once or twice another parent would try to calm Huzaifah down too, but to no avail.
I picked him up, put his slippers in one of the plastic bags (the slippers were already thrown on the floor and a woman picked them up and passed them over to me, who was grateful for the help) and carried him as I ascended the escalator to the next floor.
I walked all over the exhibition hall, while carrying him and it was not until he grew confused by all the different booths on the different levels when I dared to put him back on the ground, and he stayed close to me voluntarily.

5. And then, there was the scalding hot tea...
Before we moved on to the exhibition hall across the river, Huzaifah asked for some food and drinks. All the walking and browsing not to mention the shrieking and struggling must had made him hungry. We went queueing for some juice and sandwich (for him) and mineral water (for me). All the make-shift cafes were operated by staff from Riverside Restaurant (if I'm not mistaken), so the price was a bit high. Which is rather disappointing - I would have thought the owner of PWTC could rise to the occasion and open up opportunities for small entrepreneurs to set up F&B stalls during KLIBF, you know, in line with the 1 Malaysia tagline - "people first". If you want to put the people first, (and we all know that the visitors to KLIBF are not sought after by lobbyist unlike visitors during a certain party's General Assembly season and hence could afford the high F&B prices) then the people should be given the choice to buy cheaper F&B from a few competiting providers. Not 'forced' to buy from a single provider that offer food at high price. Overheard were complaints and grumbles on "mahalnya makanan kat sini...", especially from those who looked like they have travelled far to come to the book fair (not locals of Klang Valley who are used to simiar prices at restaurants they frequent) RM3 for nasi lemak kosong or a glass of teh tarik, RM5 for diluted orange juice, RM6 for a plate of cold nasi goreng (which remind me of those selling for RM1.50 at pasar malam). Yes, food was rather expensive...

Anyway, I digressed.
After Huzaifah finished his cheese sandwiches and juice, he asked for more juice. I queued up to get another glass of juice.
Suddenly "PRAANNNGGG!"
One tea pot on the electric tea pot warmer containing teh tarik exploded, shattered to smithereens.
Part of the scalding hot tea spilled over to the customers in line, including yours truly.
I checked on Huzaifah who was standing right next to me and was horrified to see his t-shirt smeared with a large splotch of teh tarik.
I went down, to further inspect if any debris from the broken pot hit him, but alhamdulillah none did. But Huzaifah rubbed on his chest like he was in pain, just like I rubbed on my left hand where part of the hot water spilled.

I remember reading that a cup of hot liquid spilled over a toddler is equivalent to a bucket of hot water being spilled over an adult. Granted, Huzaifah is no longer a toddler, but the pain must be greater for him, the large stain bearing witness that at least a quarter of a cup of hot tea spilled over him.

Not one word of apology was uttered by the girl behind the counter.
Not one word of apology was uttered by the girl who cleaned up the mess in front of the counter, as she picked up the shattered pieces of the tea pot, a mug and all.
Nobody checked on the customer to see if everybody was all right.
Nobody apologized.
No one.

I was so mad that when I paid for Huzaifah's juice, I lashed out at the cashier, "Adik, tadi masa teko pecah, teh panas tu terkena anak akak. Habis basah baju dia. Ni, tengok ni...(pointing at the large darkened splotch) Tapi, tak ada seorang pun minta maaf..."
The cashier was flabbergasted.
"Akak pun terkena air panas juga. Tengok ni tangan akak..." I showed her the back of my left palm which had turned all red due to the hot tea spill.
"Akak tak kisah bayar makanan kat sini mahal, tapi customer jagalah betul-betul... Mana manager kalau nak komplen? Siapa pun tak minta maaf. Tak ada seorang pun minta maaf masa tu. Macam mana ni?"
I knew people were staring.
Peduli!

"Sorry kak. Sorry... Minta maaf..."
The cashier found her voice again.
I saw a well-dressed man emerged from the 'kitchen' and immediately turned my attention to him. Told him what happened and asked him, "Macam mana bila jadi macam tu, tak ada siapa pun yang minta maaf?"
Aren't the staff well-trained to react and response by putting the customers first above all else?
The tea pot might have exploded on its own, an honest-to-goodness accident, but its content had spilled over to some customers - so, can't the staff at least say sorry to the customers?
What is so difficult about that?

If such incident had happened in Japan, the girl behind the counter would immediately said sorry, "Moshi wake arimasen".
And the girl who cleaned up after the mess would also apologized.
Profusely.
Repeatedly.
And they would in fact checked on the customer's safety.
And those who would've gotten even a single spill of the hot tea would be compensated - maybe by an offer of free food or drinks or even more.
Customers always come first.

Yes, I have left Japan 18 months ago, but sometimes, it's incidents like this that made me wish I'm back in Japan...
Duh!

Time to shed some: 1 Month Progress Report

Remember me talking about joining "Klinik Citra Sihat" at the office?
After a month of the watching what we eat & sticking to regular exercise routine, yesterday was the weigh-in day for us, and guess what?
Alhamdulillah, I've lost 2kg!

Some of us lost more, and one clerk actually put on an additional kilogram. "Fear not," Sham, the 'instructor' said, "it happened because Kak Su inhaled steroid for her asthma treatment. Taking steroid can bring about the side effect of putting on weight."

My CC lost 1kg - a feat for someone who is 54 and hasn't been on a regular exercise routine for ages. I almost could not believe that I've lost 2kg because previously when I was conscious about shedding some kilograms off, it went off one week and I gained the weight back the following week. I haven't checked my weight for some time, but I knew that I'd lost some because last Sunday I could put on my old pair of jeans again. It's still a bit tight on some areas, but since it's not made from stretchable materials, I knew that I've lost some inches...

I believe losing 2kg in 1 month by exercising and watching what I eat is a lot more satisfying than losing 6 - 10 kg by going to slimming centers or taking expensive slimming products. I thought of losing 5kg in 3 months (10kg in 6 months) - a realistic goal which is achievable, insya Allah. Losing 2kg in the first month certainly helped boosting my spirit up to strive for more, more, more...

No, I don't do crash diets. I eat like I normally do - only I am more aware of what I'm eating right now. I try to avoid taking deep fried stuff for breakfast, I drink a whole lot more of plain water these days and I exercise at least every other day for 15 - 50 minutes... Some days - like on Mondays and Thursday - I do it in groups. Otherwise - it's at home, doing light exercises, lunges, sit-ups and stuff on my own. I may not push myself too much (compared to how Sham drill us every Monday & Thursday) but at least I make a conscious effort to 'keluarkan tenaga' tak kisahlah kalau tak keluar peluh pun

I like the 'lighter' feel - and I try not to sit down in front of the PC all day long at the office - taking a walk every hour or two when it's okay to do so. I do feel more energetic around my kids now - not as energetic as they are, but at least I can keep up with them better, alhamdulillah...

It's true - it's easier to stay motivated when we do it in a group - the 'competition' to lose more, the support and encouragement we give each other and all. Alhamdulillah, I'm happy with the progress so far and looking forward to losing more and more, insya Allah!

Corat-coret Pesta Buku: Meet-the-writers session

I went to the KL International Book Fair 2010 twice - on Saturday, March 27 for a mother-son date with Huzaifah and then made a solo trip on the last day of the fair.

Alhamdulillah, managed to meet some writers while I was there.

1. Zakaria Sungib
I've been a big fan of Chicken Soup for the Soul series. So, when I heard passed by Galeri Ilmu's stall and heard the promotion about a new "100 kisah kehidupan", I grabbed a copy of "Secubit Halwa Penawar Jiwa". A quick glance through the book confirmed my hunch that, like Chicken Soup of the Soul, it's a collection of stories by ordinary people, but with an Islamic breath.

I asked for an autograph by the writer. Zakaria Sungib may not be as well known as Ustaz Hasrizal or Pahrol Mohd Juoi, (I also bought books by both of them) but he's a distant relative of mine, on Mak's side. He didn't recognize me when he asked me for my name before signing the book. I didn't actually expect him to anyway, since our meeting was very brief - he and his family were about to leave Mak's place when my family and I arrived in Kampung Tunku during Raya. Upon noticing the many kids (almost 10?), I asked Mak if she had given them any 'duit raya', and Mak replied that she had ran out of small changes, so I offered to give them some. Rushed upstairs to get the duit raya but by the time I alighted the stairs, the MPV they were in had already went out of Mak's gate. I had to run and knocked on it to make them stop. "Ni, ada duit raya sikit..." I smilingly handed over the green packet to one of his girls.
I remember that vividly because it is very rare for me (or anybody else, I think) to chase after someone to hand over some 'duit raya'. Usually, it's the kids who wouldn't leave the house until after they were given some 'duit raya', kan?

Anyway, I digressed. When I thanked Zakaria for the autograph, I mentioned Mak's name and his face immediately lighted up. Murmured something about reading Mak's blog and that he would like to discuss it further with Mak. Hah - and Mak didn't know that he, an editor for a publication company, actually reads Mak's blog and probably sees a future blook out of Mak's entries so far...

2. Sis Zabrina a.k.a Zabrina A. Bakar
When "Life is an Open Secret" was first published, I was still in Tokyo and asked Kit to get one for me. She bought two - one as a gift for me, another for herself and asked me to inform her of more such books should I come across them. Kit loves it. I do too, to my delight, since at first I only wanted to have a copy of the first book because I know Sis Zabrina (or Kak Bina as we, her juniors in school call her) personally.

I knew that she already had a meet-the-fans session during KLIBF 2010 earlier, on March 21 , and I was not aware that she was going to have a second similar session on March 27. So I was pleasantly suprised to see her at Pustaka Yamien's stall. Went to her booth. She took a look at me and confirmed that she knows me, but could not recall from where or which era of her life...

"I'm your junior from Smap Labu lah" and I told her my name.
"Oh ya!! Now, I remember... Masya Allah, when did you grow to be so tall?"
"Alah Kak Bina, I've been this tall since I was 18 - but you've last seen me when I was 14, so I supposed I had grown since then..." (both vertically and horizontally, but I digressed)

The first meeting was kept short because Huzaifah was agitated, and I had to follow after him in his quest to find "Thomas" (the Tank Engine) book. I returned to see her with a calmed down Huzaifah who by then had already gotten a sword-shaped balloon courtesy of Grolier.

Chatted for a while hah, who would have thought that I would end up having someone from her batch as my SIL and bought her second book, "Life is an Open Secret - You, Me and We" and asked for her autograph.

Her autograph include a line that said "Stay cute & cun forever"
"Only for my juniors," she almost winked as she handed the book to me.
"And do poke me on FB, okay, so that we can keep in touch..."
Ha ha ha. Yes, my senior in school can be cute like that...

3. Nazri M Annuar
I first learned about "Karipap-Karipap Cinta" from one of Nisah's entries on KLIBF 2010. Bloghopped to Dunia Vovinska and found myself attracted to sample this particular "karipap". I didn't manage to get any PTS book during my first trip to KLIBF with Huzaifah so I made it up on Sunday. My haul at PTS alone would've totaled up to more than RM200 if not for the 30% discount (I got two "PTS 10 Tahun" woven bags and two gift wrapping papers as gifts for my purchases)

As I browsed through the Novel section of the PTS booth, I saw a copy of "Karipap-Karipap Cinta" so I casually picked it up. Little did I know that it was the last copy available in the booth until I heard the announcement, "Buku "Karipap-Karipap Cinta" yang terakhir telahpun dibeli! Sudah HABIS DIJUAL!" followed by a hullabaloo of clappings and whistling and what-nots. One of the two girls near me who earlier on picked up the novel and put it back on the table asked "Eh, buku tu dah habis ke?," to which a guy in PTS uniform replied, "Dah habis lah. Hah, kan dah menyesal letak balik buku tu...". I grinned at them, mumbling "Sorry ye" to which the girls quickly replied, "Eh, takpe..."

A guy in PTS red uniform came up to me, informing me that the writer was around should I wish to have the book autographed. I nodded, walked up to the writer and asked if it would be okay with him to wait a little while until after I paid for the book(s). He nodded, almost shyly.

Turned out the writer had another 'last copy' with him - so mine was not exactly the 'last copy' of the day, still, I think the hullabaloo is kind of a good promotion for both the book and the writer. A sign of "good job!" to the writer, to keep the writer's spirit up as well as to make others who haven't gotten a copy to wonder what was all the excitement about and might motivate them to get a copy available elsewhere.

That Sunday, I wore a black 'muslimah' t-shirt with red sleeves with a pair of jeans and a matching red tudung. Having learned about Nazri's fondness for 'amoi' from his blog, I teased him about it - which resulted in me getting the word 'amoi' as part of the autograph. One day, should he become a bestseller writer like many believe he would, the book may fetch a high bid for it when it goes for auction on E-bay...

"Nanti dah habis baca, tinggalkanlah komen dekat blog..."
"Insya Allah"
Heh, I might even post an entry on the book itself...

Corat-coret Pesta Buku: Eh! Eh!

Photo taken from here

A bit surprised to see the faces of Huzaifah and I among the pictures posted on this blog this morning. (Please don't mind the shiny oily face - it had been one very long afternoon, taking Huzaifah for a mother-son 'date' at the KL International Book Fair 2010)



But then again, Huzaifah tore the plastic wrapping to two of his new wooden puzzles right there in Ameen Publishing stall while the writer was having his meet-the-readers/autograph session. The photographer even took a picture of Huzaifah playing with the puzzle right there on the floor of Ameen Publishing stall. If you think I am a terrible mother for not discplining him to play with stuff at home - well, I figured having a calm and quiet Huzaifah is a lot better than a shrieking Huzaifah rolling on the floor to protest against me not accomodating his wishes.



Anyway, it was nice finally meeting Faisal Tehrani in person. OK - I was happy to get his autograph, I even got the two newly-bought "Ingin Jadi Nasrallah" t-shirts autographed too. Yes, I am nerdy that way . But he is a favorite writer of mine after all. In fact, I even bought a copy of "Manikam Kalbu" and "Bedar Sukma Bisu" from Ujana Ilmu while I was still in Tokyo, and received them via my parents-in-law when they visited in spring of 2008. (And I can never thank Nisah enough for agreeing to let me postpone making the payment until I was back home months later.)



So yes, while I am way past the adolescent stage of feeling oh-so-excited to meet up with a celebrity writer - it was nice meeting the author whose words I have devoured and enjoyed. Mak observed that Faisal Tehrani blogs like an 'angry young man' - up to some extent his other writing could be interpreted as the voice of an 'angry young man' too. But reading them, one knows that the writer had gone into extensive research and I like that. I really appreciate how some writers put in a lot of homework so they end up writing fictions that are educating, and not merely entertaining.



Hopefully, panjang umur, murah rezeki, we''ll meet again insya Allah...

Siapa ituuuuu?

Ibu had nothing better to do (while the two elder boys were sleeping), so she snapped some photos of her youngest - in hijab...

No, he's not usually dressed up in hijab. No way!

This is just a one-off thingy that Ibu did when her hormones were not so stable yeah, blame it on PMS and Ayah was away for a 3d/2n meeting in KL so there was no one to stop Ibu from acting on a crazy impulse