tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-100061862024-03-24T01:44:27.406+08:00MKI Ramblings UnlimitedRamblings of a Retiree who is still not tired!!MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.comBlogger534125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-32262693902913129752017-04-17T11:03:00.002+08:002017-04-17T11:17:10.780+08:00Mother 4 - My 1st Parent/Son 'Heart 2 Heart' TalkIn the late fifties and early sixties, with high respect for elders which was one of a general ethical training given to children of the time, teenagers would not cross the path of their parents and other elders, both literally and physically, and would wait after them. Talking back, interrupting, even personal decorum in their presence were no no's then. That would absolutely be disrespectful. My parents however allowed me alot of freedom, to do things on my own, and make my own decisions, under their watchful eyes notwithstanding. My father, was especially open with his relationships and allowed discussions when necessary.<br />
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I had just finished school after passing the Senior Cambridge School Certificate and was at the 'junction' to either further my studies or fit into the job market somewhere. I was then a temporary teacher in a school in Batu Pahat, earning some pocket money for my keep. My father called me one day and in the presence of Mum 'discussed' my future with me. My first 'adult' talk with my parents.<br />
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Father of course talked first, and he opened up by asking me how I was coping with my teaching job and whether I enjoy teaching. He went on to say that now that I have finished school I was already an adult and I was free to do whatever I please. I was free to consider and do whatever is right or wrong, weighing and analysing them by myself after all the guidance I have had when in school and in the process of growing up. If to me it was right I was free to do it and if it was wrong then leave it he said. The decision was mine and Father will not interfere. However, he strongly reminded and cautioned me to always be vigilant and in whatever I do and whatever steps I make I must always uphold the family name. I must preserve family tradition and never to blacken the family name, especially Father's and Mum's names and reputation. Father will not volunteer help or advise but will gladly do so if I ask.<br />
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Mum had with her a few newspaper cuttings showing various opportunities for me to apply. There was one that she said or thought I would be interested in, that is to be a trained teacher and another to be an apprentice in a bank. I was not interested in either one, and I told them that my interest was in Engineering. Ok they said and left it at that.<br />
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A couple of weeks later Mum asked me whether I have done anything to pursue my interest in Engineering. I said no but that I had kept scanning the papers looking for advertisements that would lead me towards that direction. She asked me whether I have asked for Father's assistance. Didn't he tell you that he would not offer help or advise unless I asked, she said. Hmmm, that was my mistake! I should have remembered what Father said. That evening I sat with him after dinner and told him my interest to pursue Engineering and asked for his help. He said he will look into it.<br />
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The next evening, after returning from office, Father told me that he had made a couple of phone calls, and that I was to go to Kuala Lumpur the following week and attend an interview for entry into the Technical College. Hmmm, an example of Father knows what to do! (To be continued)<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Teratak Senyum Simpul<br />
<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-52965809467332637582015-09-03T10:36:00.002+08:002015-09-03T10:36:39.284+08:00The month of Syawal, Eidl'Fitri monthThe month of Syawal, the celebration for Eid'l Fitri, has been a 'low-key month' for Ramlah and I. We do receive visitors, mostly family members and especially those younger than us, but we hardly go out visiting as is traditionally the practice during Eid month. Our health has not been that good and we had to avoid exerting ourselves. Nevertheless we did manage to make a trip south for several days, mainly to visit my elders. There are not many of them left to visit and I recognise that Ramlah and I have become elders ourselves! Our younger brothers and sisters and their families, nephews and nieces, close relatives, came to visit. Most of them know of our health conditions and although they came as guests most were ready to help in laying the tables and cleaning up afterwards.<br />
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One Saturday, two weeks through Syawal, our children arranged to receive their cousins and close relatives in Teratak Senyum Simpul. I took the opportunity to invite our immediate neighbours as well. It was a day of fun and laughter, plenty of food and drinks, all arranged by the children using food caterers. They even arranged for helpers to come and help clean up. Ram and I did not have to do anything except entertain the guests.<br />
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Ram's nephew and nieces:<br />
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My nieces:<br />
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Immediate neighbour:<br />
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My nieces:<br />
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Thats my younger brother sporting same hairstyle!!<br />
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The 3rd and 4th generation after us!!<br />
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Another neighbour, same name with my daughter:<br />
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On the last day of Syawal, one of my cousins held an open house in his residence for the 'AliDara Clan'. Ali and Dara were my grandparents.<br />
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Sita carrying Faizien Naufal with my cousins:<br />
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Plateful of durian seeds!<br />
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Home prepared and family recipe: 'roti naik'<br />
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Main feature, the durian!<br />
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The host Datuk and Datin Khairil Anuar and Rossaya:<br />
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Thanks Dato and Datin for being such a gracious host. We all had a good time and meeting relatives all at once was so comforting.MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-87557835397253227282015-07-20T13:38:00.001+08:002015-07-20T13:40:02.005+08:00Hari Raya 2015 - Family GetawayJust like last year, when Ram had to go through another cornea transplant on her left eye during Ramadhan, this year's Ramadhan had also been a trying period for her. So was it for me. Both of us had very bad flu and cough and it was tough coping. with the incessant coughs, weezings, and sniffles, pressure was impacted on her eye that some times it became painful for the eyes. But Alhamdulillah, with Allah's blessings, we persevered and managed to perform the necessary obligations, or at least most of them, with very high hope that all our efforts and prayers are acceptable by Allah and we seek His guidance always. <br />
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Then came Syawal and Eid'l Fitri. There was the usual reciting the Eid takbir and doa from house-to-house of our neighbours starting from soon after Isya' prayers and ending at about 1.00am or so. There would be food in every house and most of us would just take a bite or two or otherwise it would be tough overfilling our tummies then. Children especially, my grandchildren included, would enjoy these visits, as apart from eating good food, they will receive raya packets as well. There were easily about 70 children that night. By strange coincidence, five of the houses we visited served pizza and the children enjoyed themselves.<br />
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The next day, after Eid prayers and family breakfast, we had the usual rendang with rice cakes and also glutinous rice (ketupat palas) for breakfast, we adjourned to Ram's elder sister's house in Shah Alam for lunch. Lunch was the sister's signature lontong and more rendang.<br />
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We decided, breaking from our traditional annual Eid routine, to get away as a family for the Eid holiday period. We chose a place called Kepyok to spend our time together (google 'Kepyok Malaysia' for details), a resort quite a ways from the city, about an hour drive out to a remote area where there are alot of greens and of course serenity.<br />
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We spent two nights there, all of us, 2 grandparents, 6 parents and 7 grandchildren. We had the whole resort to ourselves. The resort is owned by a local Malay, Zakaria and his Japanese wife, Yasmin Yoko, who happens to be a very good cook. Tessa, Sita and Yasmin Yoko, had prearranged the menu for all the meals throughout our stay. Yasmin was the main chef and she has a helper to help her in the kitchen, We were all allowed access to the kitchen, encouraged to make ourselves at home, cook ourselves or together with Yasmin if we need to. The children get to make their own pizza and they had much fun! So the meals were Japanese, which everyone of us love, barbecue and pizza, Japanese rice and curry, sushi, a lot of vegetables, fruits, sweets and cakes. Steamed sweet potatoes, red beans soup, featured as snacks together with other snacks which are always on the dining table. Beverages available anytime throughout. </div>
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When not eating the children swim a lot, the pool is always so inviting, </div>
even after a lot of pizza!<br />
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When not eating and or not swimming, the children would play with the fish in the pond built around the chalets, or chase after the house cat, ducks and other domestic animals, and run up and down the hill to the gazebo:</div>
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For relaxation they woulod play chongkak, board games, monopoly, the piano, or read in the library.</div>
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Time well spent, Alhamdulillah.</div>
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited</div>
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Teratak Senyum Simpul, PJ</div>
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MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-48150784517902466232013-12-06T21:19:00.000+08:002013-12-06T21:19:53.958+08:00The Beautiful Chrysanthemum FlowersSorakuen, a park in downtown Kobe beckons. There was an ongoing chrysanthemum flower exhibition and its an opportunity not to be missed by Ram. I had the opportunity to view a similar exhibition at the Akashi palace grounds several days earlier. The day was fine with mild weather and conducive for a walk around the park. This visit was made more interesting with the presence of a wedding couple, in traditional Japanese wedding gear, going around the park as well and taking pictures. We took the opportunity to take some pictures with the newlyweds with their permission. Omedetto guzaimasu.<br />
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With the Newlyweds....<br />
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The winning Chrysanthemum Entry - Ichiban<br />
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Some of the Chrysanthemum on display.....<br />
Aren't they beautiful?<br />
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More of the beautiful Chrysanthemum....<br />
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We spent a good part of the morning walking around the park, typical Japanese with streams, a water pond, rock paths crossing the water streams, a tea house, etc.<br />
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Then it was time for lunch and the Ohtanis took us to a sushi restaurant in a suburbian shopping complex not too far away from their house. Medium sized restaurant serving only sushis, and very good ones too. They were also quite reasonably priced, cheaper than most of the restaurants we have been to!<br />
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This was a fulfilling day indeed......<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Kobe, Japan<br />
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<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-2585305295509757132013-11-19T22:55:00.002+08:002013-11-20T20:41:00.282+08:00A Short Trip to Kobe, continued 2<br />
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I was, some thirty years ago, working in Tokyo full time for almost three years and had frequented Kobe then. Kobe was then the HQ of the Contractor that was employed to build the ABF Fertilizer plant in Bintulu and they had their project office in Tokyo. I was assigned to this Tokyo office to monitor their Engineering Design and Procurement activities. In the course of my work I had made friends with many Japanese staff, two of whom had become very close family friends. One is the Ohtanis who remained close till this day. The other was the late Kodama who passed away due to heart complications more than ten years ago.<br />
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Most of those working in the Tokyo Project Office were from Kobe and had returned to Kobe at the end of the project or at the end of their careers. Many of them are retired by now. Ohtani tried to arrange a get-together with some of these staff and only managed to get two of them to meet up. It was holiday period at this time and many of them were away.<br />
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The planned meeting was at Awajima JR station on Monday, a public holiday and the third day we were in Kobe. Ohtani and I went by car to Awajima, a half an hour drive from the house, and met Maeda san and Tori san at the Railway Station. It so happened that there was a Chrysentemum exhibition at the grounds of Awajima Castle and the four of us proceed to view the exhibition. We had alot to catch up on. It has been thirty years. Viewing the exhibits was an excuse for us to be together. Did alot of talking and very little viewing, ha ha ha! Stopped at a kiosk where ochanimizu or Japanese green tea was served in the typical, colourful Japanese chawan or tea bowls. We sat at a corner of the rather large and decorated kiosk. The tea was long swallowed and gone and we had yet more stories to share amongst ourselves.<br />
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Tired of sitting down, we took a walk in the town and crossed the market place with stalls selling fresh seafood of all kinds. It was fascinating. There were some sea urchins or sea animals that I have not seen before. On display were varied staff from the tiniest of anchovies to the larger sized rayfish larger than a car!<br />
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Lunch was at a quaint little shop or restaurant, operated by a husband and wife team, serving only tamago yaki, roasted balls of egg in batter with a small piece of octopus meat as filling. This apparently was a specialty in this town. It is normally eaten after dipping it in sauce. It had a unique taste and I guess the sauce makes the difference. There were only five tables in this shop capable of seating only about a dozen people. While we were there I noticed many customers come in for takeaways. Each of us were served a dozen of the roasted balls, each ball slightly smaller than a golf ball and all of us finished up our shares washed down with ocha. We then went for coffee in another quaint little shop nearby. Over coffee we went through old photographs, with all of us having black hairs but have now turned all white!<br />
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Ram meanwhile was at home with Ayako. Ayako's friend, a former college mate and also room mate, came visiting on hearing Ram's presence and wanted to try English conversation. Ram showed them how to cook authentic Malaysian curry chicken. I think they had alot of fun cooking and also conversing, they in English and Ram trying it in Nihongo or Japanese language!<br />
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Dinner was chicken curry and rice with some salads. Ayako chan had also cooked something that was similar to the tamago yaki except that its the version with less egg. The tamago yaki had one whole egg yolk in each, making it rich in taste. Ayako's version was milder in taste and can be taken as it is without sauce and have no aftertaste. The real tamago yaki has to be taken with sauce to eliminate the rich egg aftertaste. Both were lovely anyway, and we could reminisce over it as we have tried it many years ago in Tokyo. While we enjoyed the food Ayako cooked, the Ohtanis were enjoying the chicken curry and Toshihiko had second helpings!<br />
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To be continued....<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Kobe<br />
<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-54484446021271960532013-11-18T02:00:00.000+08:002013-11-18T22:19:47.762+08:00A Short Trip to Kobe, continuedAfter breakfast on the 2nd day in Kobe we went in two cars to Awaji Island, some two hours drive from Suma-ku where the Ohtanis live. Awaji Island is connected at both ends to the mainland by wired hanging bridges.
The longest bridge is Akashi Kaikyo Bridge (Pearl Bridge) which is 4 kilometers long with the longest suspended span being 2 kilometers. The stay cable on which the bridge's driveway is suspended on is slightly larger than 1 meter in diameter, made up of smaller wires of about 5mm diameter bundled up together, and each 5mm wire is made up of smaller wires of about 1mm bundled up together. This bridge is lighted up at night, different colours for different seasons.
Awaji Island is well known for its large white onions which are quite sweet to taste. Its very nice taken with hot rice after it is lightly browned in olive oil over a slow fire. I was introduced to it at dinner that night and I loved it. We walked into one supermarket outlet and true to Awaji specialty, there were onions and more onions, either raw, cooked, or made into sweet cakes and the likes. They were lovely.
Another unique attraction of Awaji is the swirling waters at each tide change (twice per day). To view this one have to take a boat ride to one edge of the island where the waters of the Pacific Ocean meets the waters of Awaji bay. Because of the different levels of the two waters at change of tides, the water swirls in a cyclonic formation and then it breaks. It was fascinating to view this wonder of the Almighty's creation. A truly magnificent phenomenon. We spent about two hours on the double decker sailing boat that was modernised with diesel engines!, viewing this swirling waters. It was a fun ride.
Lunch was at a restaurant on the cliff at the edge of one end of the Island. It being a national holiday the place was crowded with people and we had to wait a while to obtain a table that can accomodate the five of us. Food served were mostly Japanese fusion and very tasty too. An ice cream vendor just outside this restaurant was just irresistable! Amongst the many flavours they do have, yes you guessed it, they have the onion flavoured ones. There were several view decks around the restaurant and the view? It was fantastic. One can see the Pacific Ocean and the meeting point of the ocean and Awaji bay.
We took a slow walk around the park in the vicinity of the restaurant and to the car park. It was getting dark then and we headed home. Did not haveor the opportunity to view the coloured lightings of the Akashi bridge though. Perhaps it was still too early then.
For dinner, the Ohtanis prepared some 'yaki imo' that is stone baked sweet potatoes for us. I used to enjoy yaki imo when I lived in Tokyo about thirty years ago and for tonight it was nostalgia. The imo that Ohtani prepared were lovely. Nice, soft and sweet. Main course for dinner was tempura, which Ram likes very much. We just could not have enough. It was lovely.
To be continued......
MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Kobe
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One fine evening, as I was resting in bed with my ipad in hand checking emails, a promotional message from MAS came through offering cheap discounted tickets to various destinations around the globe. These offerings were to end precisely at midnight and it was then slightly passed 10pm. One of the destinations on offer was to Osaka at RM739.00 return, which was very cheap indeed. I clicked 1st to 7th November, keyed in Ram's and my details, chose the seats and checked the total price. It came out to RM 1806 return for the two of us. I asked Ram whether she wanted to go to Kobe on those dates and told her a quick decision is in order. She agreed. I keyed in my credit card details and voila, we were confirmed straightaway for KLIA - KIX - KLIA.<br />
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Sometime later I emailed a very close Japanese family friend living in Kobe, the Ohtani's, whose two children, Ayako and Toshihiko, were like our children and they, were very close to our own children too. Informed them of my flight details and got an immediate response from Ayako-chan, welcoming us and offering us to stay in her 3 room apartment. She lives in the apartment alone and it is also close to her parent's house just about 5 minutes away by car. That settled it and we were all geared to go to Kobe come 1st November. There were excitements both sides and emails were interchanged with advices and informations for us. Although the Ohtani's have been to Malaysia many times, they also attended all of our childrens' weddings, this will be our return trip to Kobe after a very long time. About thirty years. Much must have changed in Kobe and we were excited. Also, November will be the season for Khaki or persimmon, which is my favourite and the Ohtanis' have set aside some time for us to go persimmon picking, which was thoughtful of them.<br />
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We got some Malaysian food ingredients, including curries and korma, which the Ohtanis like, to bring along with us. Packed our stuff and luggage in two bags and ready to go in the late evening of 1st November. Sita sent us to KLIA and we proceeded to check-in, went throuh immigration and on to the boarding gate all in due time although there
was a very long queue to drop off our bags at the check-in counter. The flight was on time and arrived at Kansai airport at the scheduled time of just before 7.00am. Checking through the Japanese immigration and customs was easy. Tadasu and Miyuki Ohtani were waiting for us just outside of the arrival gate.<br />
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I was fortunate to be sitting by the window on the right side of the plane. As we were preparing to land into Kansai airport I observed the magnificent rising sun in the horizon. It was a beautiful sight. It was preparing to shine over the Land of The Rising Sun, as the saying goes. The rays of light emitting, getting brighter and brighter as the clock ticks on, colouring up the distance skies in various hue that left me in peace of mind. I was lost in my imagination of the beauty displayed for my eyes. So tranquil easing the soul into submission to the Will of Allah, the Almighty, the creator of this magnificent daily phenomenon.<br />
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We were also surprised to have met my cousin with his wife and son on the same flight with us. They were on holiday to Osaka and would proceed to Kyoto and later to Tokyo. They will be flying out of Tokyo back to KL.<br />
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Kansai airport stood on a man-made island on the east side of Osaka bay while a smaller Kobe airport was on another man-made island across the bay nearer to Kobe on the west side. A ferry took us across the bay in half an hour. Ohtani had parked his car at Kobe airport. It would have taken about two hours by car to go around the bay from Kansai airport to Kobe, and that too if there was free flow traffic.<br />
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Twenty minutes out of Kobe airport Ohtani took us to Kobe mosque on our way to Ayako's house. It is an old mosque, the first in Japan and built by the muslim traders who came in the early 18th. Century and has seen several refurbishment over time. It has a main prayer hall that can seat several hundred people at one time and an upper hall for ladies. Annexed to it is a utility hall with an attached kitchen and other amenities. Across the mosque is a shop selling halal food, a majority of which are imported from elsewhere, so the prices can be quite expensive comparatively. We bought some halal chicken to go. We had tea at a quaint little shop in a building near the mosque ithat was once a school and which had been turned into a food court of sorts. This little tea shop was once the school's Supervisor's office!<br />
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Another twenty minutes by car we arrived at Ayako's apartment. Lucky for us it was on the ground floor of a four storey walk up building. Comfortable. Ayako was at the community area playing tennis when we arrived and we went there to watch her. When done we went back to the apartment for lunch of rice, soup and Japanese otak-otak, some fish and vegetables fried in flour, a larger version of the popular Malay jemput-jemput or chokodok. Rice was typical sticky Japanese rice which I had missed alot. It was reminiscent of my time living in Japan some thirty years ago.<br />
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Then it was time to go persimmon picking at a persimmon farm not too far away from Ayako's house, about twenty minutes by car. For a fee, one can go into the persimmon farm, that stood on the hillside (Ram had to climb the hill with some difficulties, and so do I), eat as much persimmon as we like, and anything that we take out will be weighed and paid for accordingly. It was fun. I had six whole persimmon and Ram had five! more than enough to satiate our appetite, ha ha ha! I was like a child in a candy store, mouth agape, at the many persimmon trees each full of persimmon at various stages of ripening. It gets dark pretty early here at this time of the year. Sundown was at about 6.00pm. We spent our time in the farm until it was almost dark. No dinner that night after all the persimmon we had!!<br />
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To be continued......<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Kobe<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-39913047036564478552012-12-12T23:55:00.002+08:002012-12-12T23:57:26.135+08:00A True Story?Somebody left this in my in-box and I thought I would share it as I believe, it coming through the net, it is in public domain and would not require permission to reproduce. It is verbatim with minor presentation rearrangement. Happy reading....<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A True Story. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The details of the 11th
March 2011 will forever be fondly cherished in my mind's memory book. It was to
witness a most uplifting experience which can only be beaten i think by my
first trip to see the Holy Ka'ba at 16 which was pretty awesome! And sorry to
sound so boringly cliche but the day really did start off as a normal cold
morning in North London with nothing to look forward to besides the Friday
sermon, but it very quickly turned into a series of divinely orchestrated
happenings that nobody could so perfectly arrange except the Lord of that
day. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Having only recently
returned (much against my will mind you!) from Saudi Arabia, I found myself in
North London at a sleepover at my Gran's house which has never lost it's
enjoyability since chidhood! My Grandmother ever full of life and I
often playfully race each other to see who will be the first one to wake the
house up for fajr, although she beat me that day i do usually win of course,
(yeah right!). I wake up and carefully make my way downstairs in the dark to
turn on the hot water so my gran is spared the hardship of a cold fajr
ablution, I hear her whispering from the top of the stairs, "Son, the hot
water isn't working," much to our aggravation. The boiler man
was supposed to have fixed it already! No point crying over spilled milk, we
brave the cold water, pray Fajr and jumped back in our warm cosy beds rescued
from the biting cold. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now I usually leave my
house straight after fajr to head to my university library, but that day the
bed seemed to be so much more welcoming! I snuck up next to my gran in her room
the way I've always done since 10 and im not ahsmed to admit it! Doesn't take a
genius to work out it wasn't long before I knocked out! Before I knew
it it was 11.10am, oh my God i was late, this is the first time I had gone to
sleep after Fajr in months, i was very upset and disappointed, yet trying to
convince myself it was the cold's fault! Tut tut! Grumpy I was as I left the
house with my whitest dressing and newly bought muslim hat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I got on the 29 bendy bus
which, as usual, was packed out like a tin of sardines!. However, I was
fortunate enough to fight my way to a seat to open my Quran and read surah Kahf
on my way to Jummah prayer as is recommended. A couple of stops further I
noticed a very old and fragile woman get on the crowded bus with enough
shopping and bags to cause a nuisance to many who mercilessly barged her side
to side! My heart warmed to her and I called her over from the other side to
sit down and offered her my seat and that's where it all started. She
returned my gesture with such gratitude that I don't recall receiving from
anybody before, she definitely left an impression on me as she struggled to
mount herself on the seat. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Thank you very very
much" she finally said whilst seeming out of breath from climbing the
chair "That's very kind of you to get up for me," she added in a very
soft just about audible Italian accent. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"My pleasure, you
are like a mother to me and your right is far greater than I have put
forward," I politely replied. A courteous gesture which in the
Arabic language would have been quite standard?? Yet it seemed to resonate
quite deeply with her, she stared at me while her smile grew wider and wider,
complimenting the blush on her face! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wow I thought, I mean
apart from how cute this old woman looked, being away for some time I started
to realise the chasm between how our senior citizens are treated in the Arab
world and how they are treated or mistreated should I say back home in
our London streets? Definitely food for thought and a social responsibility
that needs to be urgently flagged. It's quite a woeful state and offensively
shocking I think that one in five pensioners in our country as rich as it is
officially live below the poverty line. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What's that you are
reading in your hand?" she asked me. "Is it the qur'an?" she
said as she smiled beating me to the answer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yes!" I
jumped, overwhelmed, marveling over this woman. My sympathy quickly
turned into admiration and awe. She had caught my attention. She just had
something about her, I couldn't put my thumb on it? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I have always
wanted to read the qur'an" she added. The passenger next to her got up to
leave the bus for her stop, I rushed to fill it and learn more about this
woman. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"This book is from
God to raise man's conscience and guide him towards that which will allow him
to prosper," i said excitedly in a trained evangelical tone.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Yes I have come
across many Muslims in my life, they are very nice and courteous
people to me," she said <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"That's very kind of
you to say that," I replied. A barrage of questions flooded into
my mind, but she seemed to tell her own story quite well to my attentive ear so
I preferred to listen more than speak for now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Did you see the
news today," she said in shock... "what happened in Japan, the
earthquakes and tsunami?! it's just terrible. God is fed up of us," she
remarked, "we have made a mess of everything," she added.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I had assumed she was
Roman Catholic given her Italian background which she later revealed in our
conversation. The lady went on to quite a lengthy analysis of massive
social and moral degradation. I was thoroughly enjoying our conversation,
I felt like I was talking to a friend, she met my inquisitve questions with
deep insight. It was clear she had seen a lot in her life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I am 81 years
old," she smiled. I almost dropped my jaw. This woman was older than
my Gran and had lived longer than most could even dream of living. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What do you
do?" I asked. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I own a book
shop" she replied which explained quite a bit since she seemed quite
well-read and with-it up there. "The catholic church have lost
it," she randomly added bringing the conversation back to religion,
"only the Muslims have really held on to their teachings and values,"
she added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My heart began audibly
pounding now, could it be that Allah will save this woman hours before her
appointment was the thought running through my head? Dawah Dawah Dawah I told
myself! We continued to sing Islam's praises. One thing I can say in hindsight
is that she definitely seemed impressed and almost moved throughout the
conversation of the Muslims' general will to be convinced by God's law within
an unforgiving culture of anti-God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I am so happy that
I've met you" she randomly said touching her chest as her eyes slowly
welled up. Strange I thought, but i could see sincerity all over the face of
this woman? A truly bizarre meeting and by this stage the whole bus was fixed
on our story as it slowly seemed to be climaxing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My bus stop was fast
approaching, I quickly tried to turn the topic of conversation to what really
mattered, Allah (praised and exalted be He), or at least regurgitate anything I
could recall from my meager understanding of Aqeedah classes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Islam is a
beautiful religion," I preached, "it hasn't left anything out for the
guidance of man, the most important of them is His (God's) service and worship
and to get to know Him. He created us and was too compassionate to leave us
without a messenger to guide us to a straight path. Mohammed (peace and
blessings be upon him). Everything between the Heavens and Earth celebrate His
praises and He has no partners." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I noticed her leaning
more and more towards me. Her shoulders now pressed against mine as she
struggled to hear. I continued. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"I am so happy I am
so happy," she exclaimed in her very soft tone with highly emotional break
ups in her voice. "In this world, the believer is travelling to his Lord
until he reaches Him, those who do not know the path to their Lord and nor do
they strive to know it are truly in loss." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By this time I was
praying in my heart that Allah guides this woman, she certainly seemed sincere
The water in her eyes slowly amassed while I described Allah to her
until one stream managed to escape and run down her cheek. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She interrupted me as she
reached for my hand, "you know I was in a coma when I was 79, I am
lucky to be alive the doctors tell me, I am so happy that I've met you,
God has saved me for a moment like this, oh how I'd love to read the quran, can
you get one for me please, I'll give you the money?!" She reached for her
bag. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No no of course
not, I will not accept, it's honestly my pleasure, how many of your likes will
I get to meet again in my life," I courteously said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She smiled and was deeply
touched, I quickly learnt that she was not used to being spoken to so
politely. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Let me give you my
address," she said as she wrote it down. "Here, please send it to
this address," <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Sure," I
replied, "I will drop it off personally." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Oh, but do get me a
large print," she requested, "my eyesight isn't what it used to be
you see." She put the pen back in her bag and smiled as though she had
been reunited with a long lost friend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I was sitting there
rattling my brains about this woman, I mean she is very old, what happens if
she dies before I get to her with the Quran? What if she dies before saying the
shahaadah?! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She interrupts my
thinking and enquires "so where is the nearest mosque son, I know there's
a very big one in Regents Park, no?" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm still not sure what
her exact intent was behind that question but this was my chance and I'd never
forgive myself if I don't take it. My mind told me that she wants to take her
shahadah, but thinks the conversion process is like christianity and you must
be baptised and what not! I went for it.. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"No ma'm," I
replied. "You can meet God as a Muslim merely by an utterance of the
tongue, a testimony that He is one." Her face lit up as she implicitly
ushered me to keep going.. "Repeat after me," I said "Ash-hadu....",
"Ash-hadu"..... all the way to the end. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Slowly we completed the
testimony of faith in Arabic and began to pronounce it in English. She
struggled but showed determination to even pronounce every letter. And given
that she was from a catholic background, pertinent to add to the shahaadah was
that 'Jesus is the prophet of God and that God is above having any
offspring". <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oh no, she didn't repeat
after me, she paused and withdrew her closeness to me. I was heartbroken, I
really wanted her to say it, it anti-climaxed, she paused, struggled to speak. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"What a beautiful
thing to say," she said much to my relief! Her voice emotionally breaks up
again. She gathered her strength, "yes, yes, Jesus is the prophet of God,
you know I have felt like that my whole life and didn't know where to turn I'm
so happy," she began wiping her eyes now. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I fought back my own
tears as my hairs started to stand on end. I promised that I'd send her the
Qur'an. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"Please write that
down for me," she said "that testimony we just said, it's so
beautiful," she added. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I happily obliged. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">"And also please, I
have a son, he's not Muslim, please can you speak to him, he's 45 years
old," she pleaded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I was speechless and in awe of this woman's
story that I could only nod my head in silence and say "of
course." <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She smiled an
unforgettable smile. "My name is Filomena," she said. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I smiled at her,
"and my name is Ismail" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">My stop had approached, I
pressed the bell, heaved my heavy bag onto my back, gave a polite smile and
briskly walked to pray Jummah prayer pinching my friends, I was to meet my
friends and share with them the amazing story of this women who Allah had saved
from the Hellfire moments before her appointment. I only hope that I get the
Qur'an to her in time...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By: </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/guidanceoftheday">Guidance of the Day (Islamic Pearls of Wisdom)</a></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">
........end.......</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
MKI Ramblings Unlimited,</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
Petaling Jaya </div>
MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-49019889609138589942012-12-02T04:54:00.001+08:002012-12-02T04:54:40.222+08:00Mother 3 - The Old Malaya Days Cont'dSometime in 1957, we moved from the small government quarters to a bigger one not too far away from the old house. This new house has four bedrooms, two bath, kitchen and dining hall with a reasonably large lounge area. It was just as well as there were then six of us kids and the old house was a wee bit too small for all of us to mess up, ha ha. we had a lot of space in this new house, as it came with a large compound. We planted some fruit trees around the house and Mum, although busy in her political activists activities, could find time to plant vegetables at the back of the house. It was all of us, siblings, that had to look after the plants, watering them and tending to them. Later, four more siblings, two boys and two girls, came to join us in messing up the house. There were four of us boys and six girls altogether.<br />
<br />
I was already in my lower secondary school, the English College, now known as Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar, when we moved into this new house. I walked to school daily and it would take me more than half an hour to reach school. I attended the religious school, Sekolah Agama Ayer Molek, in the afternoon. Afternoon school session were from 3pm to 5pm. Sometimes I have to rush to English College for sports, games and extra-curricular activities in the evenings. I indulged in most of the outdoor field games and did a lot of jogging, while indoor I participated in the debating and literary society.<br />
<br />
Mum and Dad were always busy with their own activities and away from home often. When at home they will also be busy with their paperwork while we kids have to be 'busy' with our school work. There was no TV at that time and the radio/gramophone set was where we got local news, at specific news times, and also local entertainment programmes. The 45rpm and 33.33 rpm extended play records were our additional source of music. I vaguely remember our first set of manual gramophone. One had to wind the player up before setting the needle on the turning record to get the music to come on. One wind up would be good for one song. For other entertainment we were left with our own devices. TV was introduced in late 1963 early 1964 and in black and white. I was already in college then and away in Kuala Lumpur.<br />
<br />
Mum, apart from being the treasurer of the Women's wing of the ruling political party, was also involved with another body, the WI or Womens' Institute, and together with some friends formed a cooperative which she headed for many years. She stepped down from running the cooperative a couple of years before she turned 90. At the same time she and several other friends started a kindergarten, which is still operating until today. Some of the early students of the kindergarten are now parents! Mum stood for the local council general elections sometime in 1958 on her own political party ticket and was opposed by a candidate from the labour party. I remember following her on her campaign trail into the villages and even some remote areas that was part of the constituency<br />
she was to represent. We went house to house, meeting the occupants with Mum introducing herself as the candidate and the promises of what she can deliver when elected, bla bla bla........ She won the election but she stayed for only one term.<br />
<br />
Mum also tried her hands at food business. She bid and won a contract to run a school canteen and she operated it for a couple of years. I think she stopped when she could not get good helpers to run the operation and also that the canteen was taking her away from her political activities. Basically, she is a politician first, a community activist second and business woman last. Following her closely had taught me a lot of life-lessons. The first issue I realised then was that life can be tough when you have to juggle between your various levels of responsibilities but it is how you manage your time in carrying out your responsibilities is key to achieving a good balance. Then what was tough becomes easy. Time management therefore is one criteria for life skills. There are many more life skills that I learned from Mum and Dad. I will share them here as I go on in my coming postings. May Allah be pleased......<br />
<br />
MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Petaling Jaya<br />
<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-25142954149856852762012-09-30T17:05:00.000+08:002012-09-30T17:05:39.976+08:00Mother 2 - Old Malaya DaysAs I mentioned in my last posting, Malaya of the late forties and early fifties was under the British rule after the Japanese were defeated in the second world war. The bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the war. All state and federal administrative functions were British and the Brits held the various Managerial positions, with each Sultan having a British Adviser, who not only advise but also mostly run and rule the state. The way things were handled then did not go well with the people and they formed factions to fight the British rule, the most militant of which was the Communists, who went underground. Then there were the clandestine Communist sympathizers providing them assistance as and when feasible, to counter any effort by the British to rehabilitate the country in the aftermath of the war. <br />
<br />
As a young boy, pre-school and primary school years, I grew up in the above era. There were curfew hours, when all have to stay indoors; there were restricted movements with inter-town travels only allowed with police escorts; and there were food rationing. If Mum and Dad wants to return to Muar from Johor Bahru, of course with me and my sisters in tow, we have to schedule our trips according to the police escort hours. If one dares to travel on their own without the escort, one runs the risk of being ambushed by the Communists or worse still, one may be marked as a Sympathizer!<br />
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We lived in a government house located very close to the main entrance to the British Advisers residence in Johor Bahru. This residence is in a fenced up, sprawling area of perhaps 50 acres in size, with a very large double story bungalow, with several servant quarters attached to it at the back. Its guarded around the clock but as a child I was free to roam the grounds and used to play there often. It has four tennis courts, a lawn bowling pitch and garages for several cars. I used to watch the Mat Sallehs (that's how we called the Brits) playing tennis and/or bowling; men in their white shirt and shorts and ladies in white skirts or gowns. I became friendly with the servants working in the house. In fact, they were all friendly with us and with Mum and Dad. (Mum and Dad are by nature friendly with everybody, irrespective of colour, creed and social standings. They were as friendly to the servants of the BA Residence as they were to the Adviser himself and this nature of theirs hold true with other members of the society we live in). The servants would often drop by our house for chats, tea and biscuits (some they bring from the 'big house') but I suspect they were 'informers' to Dad and maybe Mum as well on the BA's activities etc. Mum and Dad were with the activist movement then and any inside information of the British would be useful. Me, I enjoyed the scones, the branded British biscuits, chocolates, etc. that they bring along. I get these whenever I go into the residence as well. I even had meals there sometimes. The BA then was a bachelor, so no lady of the house to fuss over things and no children of his running around. <br />
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Mum and Dad meanwhile were active with the newly formed political party then which was fighting for the peoples' rights to self rule. They had the British to contend with on one hand and the Communists on the other. History had it that we gained independence and D day was 31st August 1957. However, all these gains were not without problems. The insurgents created a lot of havoc around the country. They continued to thwart attempts made to peaceful transitions from the British to local self rule, with the Sultans as Head of state. The Communists would continue to attack government installations, police stations, housing communities, and even ambushed fleet of cars travelling along lonely interstate and inter town roads. The activists, Mum and Dad included, continued their fight to gain freedom from the British meanwhile. The first legislative elections were held in 1954 with a resounding victory by the ruling party that remained in power until today, winning elections after elections every four to five years. Mum stood in one of the elections and won. I remember having to assist the campaign helpers when Mum stood for elections and learnt a lot of the struggles the elders went through.<br />
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After gaining independence, there was the initiative to form Malaysia, which was to include Sarawak, Sabah, Brunei and Singapore with Peninsular Malaya. However history showed that Brunei declined to join in and Singapore pulled out after a short while. Sarawak and Sabah were indecisive. A fact finding mission was held to gauge the peoples' response to the proposal and it was headed by one Lord Cobbolt from the British East Asia London Office. Mum was one of those engaged in the mission, which was called the Cobbolt Commission. The result of the mission was a very positive yes and so Malaysia was formed with Sarawak and Sabah. I remember Mum, after returning from the mission, was treated somewhat a celebrity in the eyes of the local. She remained as popular from then until her last days. The elders remember her very well.<br />
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Mum and Dad continued sacrificing their time and energy to the political party, with both of them holding positions in the governing body, and leading committees and sub-committees. Mum had been the Treasurer of the Women's wing for many years and Dad was the Head of the youth movement from his younger days until he no more can call himself 'youth' and that was at an age of 45, I think. At the same time he was the permanent Chairman of the movement for many many years. Both of them got voted in, year in and year out repeatedly. Not that there were no other contenders for the positions during election of office bearers, but I guess their popularity and performance when in office speaks volumes of their having been voted in again and again. This involvement by them took them away from home very very often. Many times I followed them to the politicl party headquarters and in the process learnt quite a few things about life, rights and freedoms. I was in my formative growing up years, and I think it was destined right timing for me. May the Almighty be pleased with Mum's and Dad's efforts and I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to experience what I had gone through. I am what I am today as a result of growing up in those difficult years.<br />
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Everyone were excited when news came that the late Tungku Abdul Rahman Putra, the first Prime Minister and his loyalist team members, managed to convince the British to give independence and allow self rule to Malaya. They landed in Malacca, now Melaka, on their return from the mission and were duly accorded the grand welcome they deserved. Everyone then waited for the proclamation of independence at midnight of 31st August 1957. The shouts of 'Merdeka' reverberated through the nation called by the late First Prime Minister, while the British flag was lowered and the new Malaysian flag raised in all glory. Thus began our self rule and independence. The country has prospered, ups and downs notwithstanding, ever since, and may the country continue to prosper.......<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-29499497921710349832012-09-23T23:50:00.000+08:002012-09-30T13:29:19.227+08:00Mother 1 - The Early DaysThis is an attempt to relate what I can recall of the early days and the happenings in the lives of my parents, Hj Ismail bin Md Yassin and Hjh Kalthum binti Ali. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the facts I put through but from memory recall its the best I can do. I stand corrected if any of my readers would care to straighten the facts. These thoughts will be posted here in installments, and as and when feasible.<br />
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Hjh Kalthum binti Ali was the eldest child of my maternal grandparents Ali bin Hj Budin and Dara binti Yaakob. She has thirteen siblings one of whom, the third child, passed away in infancy and another, the fourth child, while studying at University Malaya, located in Singapore at that time. I met all, although memories of some of them are just vague, except the one who died in infancy. Eight of my Mother's younger brothers and sisters are still alive now.<br />
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Mother grew up in Muar and attended a religious school that was close to the house she stayed in. She, and a few of her younger siblings (I think there were three of them then) were looked after by her paternal Uncle, Hj Abdul Rahim bin Budin, the eldest brother of Ali bin Hj Budin. Grandpa Ali, the seventh of eight siblings, was then working in Pagoh and only came back to Muar occassionally. When Grandpa got himself transferred to Muar, he built a house on a piece of land that he bought within the Muar township. Mother stayed in this house and continued her schooling in the religious school and then went on to become a religious teacher. I do not know whether she had any teaching training but a teacher she became.<br />
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Father, meanwhile attended Muar High School, an English school, and also the same religious school that Mother attended. That was where they knew each other. He went to work in the police depot in Johore Bahru in the early years of 1940s, possibily in 1940 itself, as a non-uniformed staff and later, presumably after he had saved enough money, married Mother. Mother, to be close to Father after they got married, got herself transferred to another religious school in Johore Bahru, continuing as a teacher and later went on to become the headmistress of the school.<br />
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1940's was when Malaya (it was not Malaysia yet then) was under Japanese occupation, in the midst of the 2nd world war. I was told that times were hard then. There were not enough food, freedom of movements were curtailed, and the Japanese were tyranical slave masters. One of my uncles, Father's younger brother, Abdul Jalil, died at the hands of the Japanese when he was in his late teens. I came along in the midst of the Japanese occupation. I was initially left in the care of my grandparents in Muar until I was about two years old when Mother brought me along with her to Johore Bahru. When she goes to teach in school I was left with a neighbour who babysits me and a little later my sister as well. A couple of years later Father was given a Government staff quarters to live in and by then Mother managed to arrange for a live-in maid to look after us little kids! Several years later we moved into another quarters which was much bigger and just as well, since the family had grown bigger. All my ten siblings were born between these two Government quarters.<br />
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As a result of the war, and the running of the country, first by the Japanese and later the British, coupled with insurgency of the communists and anti-British movements, times continued to be hard. You all would have read these in history books in school, and if not books on them are available in the library. Food were rationed, especially rice and each family had to keep food ration cards, There were curfew hours and there were restricted residents areas. All these had incited the locals to fight for their rights of freedom. They moved towards obtaining self rule and independence from the British which was obtained after much effort from all locals irrespective of race and religion. I grew up in this era. The era of activists, strong political inclinations, to the right or to the left, and my parents were deep into the thick of things. They fought, together with other activists of the time, the formation of the Malayan Union, a British attempt at further dividing the people and ruling them!!, They continued to be active through the years after that in politics.<br />
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As a small boy, from pre-school and through primary school, I often followed my Father and Mother or one of them at a time, to their political meetings and gatherings. I used to listen to the speeches, some fiery, some hard-hitting the British (and I think the pro-British locals as well!!) and some thought provoking on the future of the nation. I used to bring along my school work and home work with me when I followed them. I knew almost all the political leaders of the time and listened to their speeches, their ideas, ideals and what they fought for. Coupled with what I saw in terms of various developments, the happenings around us, the transformation of the country into an independent state, formed the basis of my own political thinking and ideals. My Father and Mother were my role models then. They showed me the way, I may not agree totally with them then, but they showed me the way, and I took it all to be what I am today, physically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. May Allah bless them for all their sacrifices, and for giving their hands guiding us, their children, to be who we are today. May Allah be pleased.....<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Petaling Jaya<br />
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<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-5881824857433122022012-09-20T15:23:00.000+08:002012-09-20T15:23:00.653+08:00The Quintessential Dad - Republished <br />
Hj Ismail bin Md Yassin bin Abdul Jani bin Moepati<br />
22 Nov 1921 - 8 Aug 1986<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV1bhkeMkSdSKXGLDPnHH1k7CCzXP5E0V_zHw16939wQwBcyTz2HGRFIQoT7OL2rnIHuFyRXQYmTqIbYYYdb9ju77sEWtrmZwNsACnFnDJkI6j2XiV93mWrgJrEOuaAoyIqG2jw/s1600/Abah.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573964848789298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV1bhkeMkSdSKXGLDPnHH1k7CCzXP5E0V_zHw16939wQwBcyTz2HGRFIQoT7OL2rnIHuFyRXQYmTqIbYYYdb9ju77sEWtrmZwNsACnFnDJkI6j2XiV93mWrgJrEOuaAoyIqG2jw/s320/Abah.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dad, Several Years Before His Retirement From Government Service</span></span><br />
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That’s my dad. A quintessential dad, an inspiration to me especially and I believe to my siblings too. He held no secrets nor grudges on anyone and was friendly to all irrespective of colour, creed and social status. He was as comfortable mixing with the cleaners, grass-cutters and the like as he was with family, friends, neighbours and dignitaries. He was ever ready to help those in need and would share what he had with others. He was a good planner and had very clear vision and mission in life. I was often reminded to treat another person as a human being, not according to position. I was taught to respect elders always and to seek knowledge from them, to learn from their experience. I was told at a young age to always keep a note book and a pencil/pen in my pocket and use them. He told me you will forget what you see, what you hear unless you write those that you want to remember. Indeed, motivational gurus taught that you will remember only 20% of what you hear, 40% of what you see and hear, and 70 – 80% of what you see, hear and do. He once asked me to write in my notebook, “There is never any glory in never failing but a lot in arising after every fall”. I have held this close to my heart all my life. Never give up but to strive to do better always.<br />
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As I mentioned in my previous posting on my ancestors, dad was the eldest amongst his siblings. Being the eldest he learnt quickly that it was his responsibility to take care of the siblings just as it was his responsibility to take care of his immediate family. He was the eldest son (his six siblings, dad was fourth, of the same father and mother died when they were very young, and nine other younger siblings from a step-mother). Granddad was very sickly towards the end of his life and passed away at an age of sixtyish when dad was about 35. At that age he suddenly found that he had a big family to look after. Six of the younger siblings were at various stages of schooling age with the youngest just starting at year one or was it year two? (my memory is playing tricks with me, ha ha ha!). The two youngest were younger than me and one above that a couple of years older. So, my uncles and aunties became my playmates.<br />
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In his younger days, dad went to an English school in the mornings and attended religious school in the afternoon. It was in the afternoon religious school that he had eyes for this beautiful girl in the same class with him. She was brought to school daily by a fully covered trishaw (society was very strict then, a young woman and a young man were not to be seen together at all, let alone chit chat, while dating was taboo!). She had a younger brother whom dad befriended and they became close to each other. Obviously dad had ulterior motives, ha ha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgVBwgKdwiOxz17M_huKG21erq2UxzRlZNHm46U3wtqNR67TWMwiXwTlnpo_lOxMWRxlt_YtJ73Mrl_p2zGlXoES4mUTyYHlgSUrG3fYb7l3_9T0mO_EpBDvyBhq2vvJiImKsTw/s1600/Mak.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573847864221538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgVBwgKdwiOxz17M_huKG21erq2UxzRlZNHm46U3wtqNR67TWMwiXwTlnpo_lOxMWRxlt_YtJ73Mrl_p2zGlXoES4mUTyYHlgSUrG3fYb7l3_9T0mO_EpBDvyBhq2vvJiImKsTw/s320/Mak.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mum, Active in Politics, Women's Movement, Community and Public Service</span></span><br />
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This beautiful girl ultimately became his wife and is my dear mum. They got married on 3rd January 1943 and I came along to start messing with their lives in September 1944. Malaya (became Malaysia in September 1963) was at that time under Japanese occupation and I was told that life was very hard then. Rice was scarce while tapioca became the staple food for a while. Milk was difficult to come by, and as an infant I was fed boiled tapioca water instead. Luckily there was breast milk and that was a luxury since mum was then a teacher and had to be away from home. I was taken care of by my grandma for a while until Mum found a baby- sister for me. That was how I had to survive with tapioca water, since breast milk supply was away from home ha ha!! Things improved a lot after the Japanese left (they lost the war, remember) and the British took over administering the country. Substitute baby milk was subsequently made available then and it was of the ‘Lactogen’ brand. Other brands were introduced much, much later. After me, nine other siblings followed to maintain messing up mum’s and dad’s lives, and together with a few of my uncles and aunties it was a crowd in the house, ha ha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8EChAYa5oB3103Q45s2Mqobh-zMLgOZ5JanvzboZ868YY7qnI8ksI5uh5UF4oDeJ9ldC-rQRPoneuweZU9mMMSA2C0YnIzO1BTk0Jq2vc7SkJrxc8cK4qA6-mAjrLftqqTq1dA/s1600/Abah+n+Mak+6+Jan+1943.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573681907555090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8EChAYa5oB3103Q45s2Mqobh-zMLgOZ5JanvzboZ868YY7qnI8ksI5uh5UF4oDeJ9ldC-rQRPoneuweZU9mMMSA2C0YnIzO1BTk0Jq2vc7SkJrxc8cK4qA6-mAjrLftqqTq1dA/s320/Abah+n+Mak+6+Jan+1943.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 199px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Three Days After Their Wedding on 3rd January 1943</span></span><br />
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Dad started work in the Government service initially at the Police Depot as a civilian staff and stayed in that office for several years. Many of his colleagues then, both uniformed and civilian, became his close friends and they came to the house to learn English and English conversation under dad’s tutelage. Apparently dad was privileged to have gone through an English school, learnt and studied English, and true to his character his tutelage was voluntary without expecting anything in return. I used to sit in in his English class and he was very patient and helpful to the point of being overly accommodating to the errors and omissions made when tutoring his colleagues. I picked up English here and perhaps picked up some of his character traits as well.<br />
From the Police Department he was transferred to the Government Audit department, then to the Medical Bureau and finally to the Marine department where he retired as a Deputy Port officer. At the same time he was involved with the scout movement and also heavily involved with a political party that came into power to rule the country. I remember that he was repeatedly voted in as the Youth Chief for many years. Mum was equally involved and stayed on as the Women’s division treasurer being voted in year after year by members.<br />
With Dad and Mum heavily involved in the current politics then and away from home so often we, the children, were left at home on our own and I, being the eldest but still in school, was tasked to look after my siblings. I learnt to do the marketing, cooking and other chores very early. Apart from that I was also exposed to many life challenges at a very young age just as dad was when he was young but his was out of circumstances while mine was out of design!! (More of this in my upcoming postings). I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to grow up and grow fast!! May the Almighty be pleased…..<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Petaling Jaya<br />
MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-42384461205179190052012-09-18T14:40:00.000+08:002012-09-20T16:07:04.883+08:00The Passing Away of A Legendary Community Leader - That Was My Mum.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hajjah Kalthum Binti Ali, my mother, passed away peacefully at 0154hrs on Tuesday 4th September 2012. Her recorded birth date was 22 August 1922, which made her officially recorded age as 90 years. However I remember seeing notes that she and my late dad had written in their 'scrap' books, and indeed she had told me when I was younger that her actual birth date was 3 years prior to the official registration of her birth date. So that made her 93 years old when she passed away. The reason for this delay in registration was because of the practice at that time when parents did not give much thought to registering their newborns and when they do register they just pluck a date to record, some to their advantage, for example in starting school, or much later in starting work or when getting married. It would be so long later that they forget the actual dates. Only the individual would remember their own birth date. The same was with my dad's birth date. He was one year older than Mum.<br />
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Mum led a full and active life. She had ten children, yours sincerely being the eldest, and brought all of us up in an exemplary manner. She balanced worldly commitment on a same platform with obligations to spiritual demands. She taught us to be humble, to respect others and to fear Allah the Almighty. She was our pillar of strength, our base reference, always there for us and to many of us our savior in times of need. She divides her time for her husband, children and the needs of the community well. Yes, she had a good life and I will try to write more of how exemplary she was in the days or weeks to come. For this post let me just concentrate briefly on the last two years or so of her life.<br />
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She had been active, albeit in her slow mannerism, as she was going on in age and tire herself easily, until the late evening of 29 April 2010, a Thursday or eve of Friday 30 April, when she had a fall in her room, after losing her balance when she got up to go to the toilet. The maid was at hand to help her up. She did not go to the hospital but instead went the next morning with one of my sisters, who had for the past 23 years stayed with Mum, to consult a lady masseuse whom people in the neighbourhood considered an expert on bone fractures and such!! The masseuse opined that there was no fracture but indicated that Mum's back bone was out of alignment and would need traditional treatment to realign the back bone. All the other children only knew of the fall two nights later when Mum's condition got worse and in great pain!! She was brought to hospital by ambulance and promptly attended to. An x-ray image taken of her back bone showed a compressed 4th vertebrae, a result of the fall. She had a good rest that night in hospital, and stayed on for a few nights more.<br />
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Mum's condition after that fall slowly deteriorated. After her discharge from hospital she was given intensive care by her children and grandchildren. She needed to take it easy. The doctor who attended to her suggested we allow her compressed bone to heal naturally and prescribed medicines for her. She continued with medication and doctors' follow-up treatment but one day, about three weeks later she had again to be hospitalised when she lost a lot of blood due to an internal bleeding. The hospital again promptly attended to her and she recovered, but not fully apparently.<br />
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Mum was going on to 91 then. She could walk, albeit very slowly initially, but later it became a great effort to even take a few steps from her room to the sitting hall just outside of the room. She needed full attention and had to be assisted in all her daily routines. She could not manage personal grooming on her own anymore. She sat with us at meal times but that too became an effort for her. Her hands were shaking and could not hold the spoon steady for long. It pained us to see her in that condition, and we know that she was fighting hard to do 'things' on her own. We were patient with her. Meals took longer than normal but that was okay with us.
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As time goes on and as her condition deteriorated she had to be wheeled around even in the house. All of us took turns to spend time with her. Mum agreed that she had to let go of her administrative routines (she had, until the moment, still held certain and several positions in voluntary work within the community) and one sister looked into divesting these including taking over her banking needs. Banking had become another great effort for her. The bank officer, the kind soul, had to go to her in the car, see to all the administrative banking needs there personally. To take her to the bank was another effort in itself. Initially it was quite okay to take her out in the car once in a while, away from the confines of the house but later even these outings became difficult for her. She would be very tired. She would fall asleep in the car, sometimes on the way out of the house. She was no longer interested to go out.<br />
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Mum's condition deteriorated further when she could no longer sit in the wheel chair for too long. She would fall asleep. She would not be able to get out of bed to sit on the wheel chair on her own and had to be assisted. Then later she was lying in bed and had difficulty to sit up on her own. She had to be assisted. The wheel chair was left aside unused and she does not leave the room. All attention to her was done in bed.
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Throughout all the above, Mum was constantly reading the Quran, reciting zikir, and would chat cheerfully with us whenever we are around to visit. Sometimes we would read the Quran together, sometimes we read and she listened. Her lips were always moving, perhaps reciting zikir softly.
About four months ago, she was no longer interested in sitting up in bed and preferred to lie down all the time. She acknowledged all those who came to visit, sometimes remembering who they were and sometimes she just stared at them. She did not talk and would smile a lot.<br />
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This last month was the month of Syawal in the Muslim Calendar. A month of rejoicing after fasting the whole month of Ramadhan prior to it. My wife and I, our children and grandchildren drove to JB on the second day of Syawal to be with Mum. We had a gathering of the big family on the third day of Syawal (most of my siblings and their children and grandchildren were there), starting with the reading of verses from the Quran and reciting zikir and doa. Top activity was a barbecue, managed by the third generation in the family. There was a good turnout as always and Mum's house 'Teratak Kasih' was a hive of activities for three days straight. Mum however remained in her room, aware of what's going on but in her condition did not (or could not) join in the merriment. Then came time for us to leave and Teratak Kasih became quiet again. The daily routine there continued until the second week of Syawal.<br />
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We were at an uncle's house one evening for a Syawal gathering after dusk. It was Saturday 1st of September 2012. I received a call from my sister in JB that Mum's condition was bad. Her blood pressure had dropped to 70/40, which was very low. The family doctor advised for everyone to be alerted but said not to panic and instead to monitor her blood pressure. I hitched a ride from my brother-in-law who happened to be in KL and returning to JB that night. We arrived in JB at about 2.00am on 2nd September.<br />
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Mum's condition remained the same for most of the time. She was breathing heavily but was calm. We read the Quran by her bedside and took turns reciting the zikir close to her through the night and onto the whole of Sunday. Her blood pressure fluctuated between 70/40 and 90/60 most of the time and she continued to breathe heavily.<br />
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On Monday 3rd September Mum's blood pressure rose to 110/70 and remained stable. She was then breathing normally and managed a smile now and then. She continued to be calm. I decided to follow another brother-in-law who was driving back to KL alone, arriving home at about 6.00pm. However, soon after the Isya' prayer I received a call that Mum's condition had gotten bad again and this time her blood pressure could not be read. We decided to go back to JB then.
Sita said she will drive first and let me rest and to take over the driving only if she got sleepy. It was about 11.00pm 3rd September then. I could not sleep. I silently said my prayers in the car. At 2.00 am my sister called to say that Mum had passed away at 1.54am. I made several phone calls to inform kinfolks of the news while Sita continued to drive all the way. My siblings said it was up to me to decide how and when to perform the funeral and burial services.<br />
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We arrived in Teratak Kasih at close to 3.00am.
I considered Mum's siblings, (Mum was the eldest) there were five of them living in KL, having to drive all the way to JB and would only start their journeys early in the morning. I then decided that preparatory services be started at about 9.00 am, prayers in the house at 12.00 and then in the mosque after the Zohor prayers. All went like clockwork. A police report of the death was made, burial grounds arranged and funeral services arranged accordingly. Mum's younger brothers and sisters, and other family members and friends, arrived in time for the last rights. Even son Shaffik arrived from Sarawak just in time for the funeral services, having arrived by air at Senai airport at noon and Amir fetching him to Teratak Kasih.<br />
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Mum was finally laid to rest in a grave close to my late dad, my grandad, step grandma, my uncles and other relatives. It was not a family burial plot but it so happened that the space could accommodate family members together. Services were over by about 3.00pm and all of us went back to Teratak Kasih. We held prayers for late Mum for three nights in succession attended by congregation of the mosque and family members. So ends the life of a loving wife and mother, a Legendary Community Leader, an Activist, a Politician, a teacher, a religious motivator, a 'Sri Kandi' in the eyes of the community. That was my Mother...... May Allah bless her and place her in the gardens of Jannah together with those whom He pleases..... Amin ya Rabbul AlAmin.<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-87789359601477858312011-11-28T13:56:00.001+08:002011-11-28T13:57:33.294+08:00Khatam Al QuranSunday, 27 November 2011, 1 Muharram 1433, A new day, and the start of a New Year in the Muslim Hijri Calendar. In Bintulu, Sarawak and in the late afternoon, Shaffik and Mini held a "Completion of Quran Recital Ceremony" or "Khatam Al Quran", for his two elder boys, our elder grandsons, who are 10 an 9 years old. <br />
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In addition to the Khatam Al Quran, thanks-giving was also held for the purpose, and for the recovery from illness of the third boy, recovery from operation of their Grandma, for Shaffik's transfer to a new company subsidiary and appointment to a new position and others. <br />
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Shaffik informed us of the function. We could not be there, Ram having just recovered from her eye surgery, was advised not to travel too far. Although it was a small gathering of close friends and neighbours it appeared as a colourful ceremony, motivator for the kids and the younger siblings to do well. <br />
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<i><b>The guests in attendance. The youngest, Hadeef, is the one standing in front</b></i><br />
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<i><b>Preliminaries before the recital.....</b></i><br />
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<b><i>The recital session by Hifzhan and Haziq</i></b><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRy_LmyjiOb7w1dvdhyphenhyphenOk3Cnrb3jDBds987pyyoCtqBqxsEXKKkBULrkE5aq9T7KnPiAifKB3cseMNBR6df6rBP1UpE36RbubCgvfO6qvXRgx7xtmr9x7zSbb3eY1YlKZvSjO_hQ/s1600/Khatam+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="240" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRy_LmyjiOb7w1dvdhyphenhyphenOk3Cnrb3jDBds987pyyoCtqBqxsEXKKkBULrkE5aq9T7KnPiAifKB3cseMNBR6df6rBP1UpE36RbubCgvfO6qvXRgx7xtmr9x7zSbb3eY1YlKZvSjO_hQ/s320/Khatam+5.jpg" /></a></div><br />
<i><b>The Quran teacher is the one on the left</b>.</i> <br />
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Now that the kids have completed reading the Quran, we hope it will motivate them to understand the Quran better and to seek knowledge from it, not be contented by just having recited it. May the Almighty be pleased with their efforts......<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-19702295097314631722011-10-17T09:51:00.000+08:002011-10-17T09:51:53.607+08:00Ram's Left Eye cont'd.Ram had to stay in the hospital for two nights. She was still vomitting on the second day, during the day time but by evening she was ok and was discharged the following day. The nurses had to administer several eye drops two hourly while other medicines were prescribed to stabilise her. I was with her all the time and slept on the couch which was quite comfortable for my purpose. Tessa and Amir came by after office.<br />
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At home she was resting alot, eye drops administering frequency were reduced to four times per day and she had to continue taking anti-vomitting tabs., anti-gastric tabs., steriods and pain killers, all adminisstered dilligently. Her two sisters, Siti and Rashidah came and stayed with us for a few days and Ram's niece sent her maid one day to help clean up the house and do other chores. That was a relief....<br />
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Then came an emergency. A scary one too. It was Friday. I had just returned from the mosque and was about to have lunch when Ram complained of pain in the eye. Her eye had become red. I applied eye drops, but it continued to get more red with the pain getting more prominent. I rushed her to hospital. The doctor on call duty was one who was familiar with Ram's condition, having assisted the regular doctor when treating Ram several times in the recent past. He found one of the sutures had burst and the loose end had poked the eye and lid causing the pain and also the redness. The loose ends were removed. Ram's eye was ok after that and the redness slowly subsided. Phew! It was scary and I was very nervous then. Thank you for His Guidance and Protection and may He be pleased....<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-84487057911552564942011-10-12T21:45:00.002+08:002011-10-12T21:45:35.621+08:00Ram's Left EyeAnother repair (the fourth)of Ram's left eye was carried out recently. Tuesday 4th of October it was, and it was planned as a day care operation, which meant that Ram need not be hospitalised. A rest of a few hours soon after the operation was thought to be sufficient and she could have been sent home after the good rest. The doctor had to straighten the cornea (still with stitches on) and at the same time insert the new lens (a recent scan carried out showed that the cornea is properly settled and a good reading of the lens' specification could be determined). However, we found out later that what's planned and what's actual were two different things!!<br />
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Ram went in at 8.00 am and she was prepared for the operation. The prerequisite tests, like blood, urine etc etc were done earlier. Now her eyelashes needed trimming, her hair to be bundled, and many other little things that we take for granted in our daily life needed attention. She had good care by the operation theatre staff. I found one quiet corner in the waiting lounge, this ipad handy, biscuits and coffee in a flask kept aside in my backpack next to my comfy settee. There were other people in the lounge, family members of patients undergoing various operations on their eyes, most of them looking unsure of what to do, some reading newpapers, some magazines provided, but most not really reading.<br />
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1.00pm. I was half asleep when the nurse told me that the operation on Ram was successful and that she had been wheeled out of the operation theatre and resting in the day care lounge. I was allowed to go in and see her. She was a little dissheveled but otherwise cheerful and smiled when she saw me. I stayed for a while with her and went back into the waiting lounge not long after. A little while later a friend, Ghani and wife, Maziah came to visit. Maziah was allowed to go in and see Ram while Ghani stayed with me in the waiting lounge. They left not long after that. Apparently this visit cheered Ram up somwhat.<br />
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4.00pm. The nurse told me that Ram is ready to go home. After changing her clothes the nurse gave Ram tips on how to take care of the eye, showed her the medicine and eye drops with frequencies to be applied, and I realised then that the tips were actually meant for me, ha ha! Just then Ram started feeling nauseatic and soon after started vomitting. Suddenly there was a hive of activities around Ram, and not long after a decision was taken to detain Ram in the ward. She was not allowed to go home. Similar condition when she had the cornea transplant one year ago came flooding back into our minds. It was the vomiting bouts then that triggered all the setbacks on her left eye and necessitated several corrective surgeries including a rejection of the cornea. Phew! It was heart rendering for me. I was worried, scared, angry, disappointed, and all the negative thoughts that can happen at the same time. But i realised then that I have to be strong for ram's sake. I must think positive. She vomitting several times more while in the ward did not help my positive front. I was not good at acting and the teardrops in my eyes showed. Good thing that Ram could not see well with one eye bandaged and the other without her glasses!<br />
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More to follow! May the Almighty be pleased.<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-685684126111627332011-09-22T16:27:00.003+08:002011-09-22T17:38:22.315+08:00Long Overdue PostingGot this new iPad, a gift from my children and their spouses for my birthday. I was configuring the 'machine' and went into my blog. I did not realise that it has been almost a year since my last posting. I have been lost in Facebook that I neglected my blog. I will try to add posts to the blog from now on, ....... We shall see if it really happens.<br /><br />There are a lot to write. Many things have happened in the last ten months or so, top of which is Mum's condition and Ramlah's left eye endless treatment and attention. Let me sort all these out and post as and when I get the lax time, which is not much really since I have to devote full attention to Ram. We shall see, with the Almighty's blessings of course.....<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-30751796925869537442010-12-24T15:47:00.002+08:002010-12-24T15:55:57.901+08:00Time To Let GOAt our Wednesday weekly breakfast gathering (no particular significance on the choice of day) held in the lower lobby of our local mosque, friends and neighbours spend about an hour and a half to share thoughts, information and opinions on current issues openly and without any fixed agenda. Provision of breakfast food is arranged by the operator of the sundry shop-cum-canteen of the mosque and sponsored by either the operator or individuals voluntarily. These meetings of minds of men and women, who are almost all retired professional individuals from both the private and public sectors, have been going on for over a year. <br /><br />For years, ever since I moved into this community about thirty years ago, several groups of individuals have been going out, and on almost daily basis soon after the pre-dawn prayers, for breakfast at any one of the many eating shops and stalls in town. Of course over this period in time many have gone (May they rest in peace) and new ones have joined in, but the tradition continued. However the current batch of retirees, amongst the congregation, felt that better utilization of the time spent can be achieved if this gathering can somehow be structured (albeit loosely) and then see to what level the group can move on to. Indeed, the group has recently put up a letter of protest and suggestion to the local authorities over an issue affecting the community, after having discussed the issue at the gathering. So, the group can move on to be a pressure group, a think tank, an advisory group or anything for, the benefit of and be useful to, the community. <br /><br />At the last breakfast gathering, and since this is the New Year in the Muslim calendar, attendees were asked if any would share their resolution(s) or anything similar on this New Year thing (within a ten minutes time limit). I stood up to talk about my decision to ‘let go’. I have, by default, and by being the eldest in the family, chaired my family grouping, the ‘Warisan TCC’ which is an association of family members that was started off by my late father. I recently decided to decline election as Chairman and paved the way for the next generation to take the lead. It is time to ‘let go’ and allow the young to take over the helm. I briefly explained to the breakfast group how Warisan TCC was formed and what the benefits gained by the members were and this generated a lot of interest amongst the listeners. What was to be a ten minute talk turned out to be a half-an-hour discussion and that span of time was certainly not enough to cover everything about what Warisan TCC was about. It may well be a study of ‘how to’ later on. <br /><br />The above is an example of how the breakfast group make useful of the time available and what else can happen if the group decides to see things through to an upper level. May the Almighty be pleased with our efforts………<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-74961572654209921962010-12-22T18:34:00.001+08:002010-12-22T18:41:57.072+08:00Life Dreams and AchievementDinosaurs – the giant animal that lived and survived in the jungles million years ago. Big in size, strong and ever intimidating. They are territorial, take control and will not compromise. Some of the specie are carnivorous, some vegetarian and they fight to protect their perceived rights. Because of their size and strength they were arrogant and conceited. They damage the environment and slowly destroy their source of food and ultimately became extinct. They did not realize that when they die they were food for the ants, insects and worms, and their bodies rot on the very ground that they forget to look at when they were alive, just because they kept their heads very high up in the air. They finally end up having their bones displayed in museums all over the world! <br /><br />The ‘dinosaurs’ is a study of status, of power and strength, of how these influence attitude. If only the realization of how life ends is factored into the equation then attitude will change from arrogance to humbling. No need to act privileged, to intimidate and show off, to humiliate and downgrade. Lead by setting good examples without expecting recognition which will actually come in due time…..<br /><br />My wish for the future is for the ‘Leaders’ that be to come down on earth and act real. No artificial pretences, no make-beliefs and negativity. All of us have jobs to do, responsibilities to take care of and lifelong dreams to strive for. There are no short cuts to all of them. It is only hard work to achievement. May the Almighty continue to provide guidance always……..<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-82117147517887223912010-12-15T00:19:00.004+08:002013-11-20T22:07:24.128+08:00The Quintessential DadHj Ismail bin Md Yassin bin Abdul Jani bin Moepati <br />
22 Nov 1921 - 8 Aug 1986<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV1bhkeMkSdSKXGLDPnHH1k7CCzXP5E0V_zHw16939wQwBcyTz2HGRFIQoT7OL2rnIHuFyRXQYmTqIbYYYdb9ju77sEWtrmZwNsACnFnDJkI6j2XiV93mWrgJrEOuaAoyIqG2jw/s1600/Abah.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573964848789298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV1bhkeMkSdSKXGLDPnHH1k7CCzXP5E0V_zHw16939wQwBcyTz2HGRFIQoT7OL2rnIHuFyRXQYmTqIbYYYdb9ju77sEWtrmZwNsACnFnDJkI6j2XiV93mWrgJrEOuaAoyIqG2jw/s320/Abah.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 207px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Dad, Several Years Before His Retirement From Government Service</span></span><br />
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That’s my dad. A quintessential dad, an inspiration to me especially and I believe to my siblings too. He held no secrets nor grudges on anyone and was friendly to all irrespective of colour, creed and social status. He was as comfortable mixing with the cleaners, grass-cutters and the like as he was with family, friends, neighbours and dignitaries. He was ever ready to help those in need and would share what he had with others. He was a good planner and had very clear vision and mission in life. I was often reminded to treat another person as a human being, not according to position. I was taught to respect elders always and to seek knowledge from them, to learn from their experience. I was told at a young age to always keep a note book and a pencil/pen in my pocket and use them. He told me you will forget what you see, what you hear unless you write those that you want to remember. Indeed, motivational gurus taught that you will remember only 20% of what you hear, 40% of what you see and hear, and 70 – 80% of what you see, hear and do. He once asked me to write in my notebook, “There is never any glory in never failing but a lot in arising after every fall”. I have held this close to my heart all my life. Never give up but to strive to do better always. <br />
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As I mentioned in my previous posting on my ancestors, dad was the eldest amongst his siblings. Being the eldest he learnt quickly that it was his responsibility to take care of the siblings just as it was his responsibility to take care of his immediate family. He was the eldest son (his six siblings, dad was fourth, of the same father and mother died when they were very young, and nine other younger siblings from a step-mother). Granddad was very sickly towards the end of his life and passed away at an age of sixtyish when dad was about 35. At that age he suddenly found that he had a big family to look after. Six of the younger siblings were at various stages of schooling age with the youngest just starting at year one or was it year two? (my memory is playing tricks with me, ha ha ha!). The two youngest were younger than me and one above that a couple of years older. So, my uncles and aunties became my playmates. <br />
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In his younger days, dad went to an English school in the mornings and attended religious school in the afternoon. It was in the afternoon religious school that he had eyes for this beautiful girl in the same class with him. She was brought to school daily by a fully covered trishaw (society was very strict then, a young woman and a young man were not to be seen together at all, let alone chit chat, while dating was taboo!). She had a younger brother whom dad befriended and they became close to each other. Obviously dad had ulterior motives, ha ha! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgVBwgKdwiOxz17M_huKG21erq2UxzRlZNHm46U3wtqNR67TWMwiXwTlnpo_lOxMWRxlt_YtJ73Mrl_p2zGlXoES4mUTyYHlgSUrG3fYb7l3_9T0mO_EpBDvyBhq2vvJiImKsTw/s1600/Mak.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573847864221538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYgVBwgKdwiOxz17M_huKG21erq2UxzRlZNHm46U3wtqNR67TWMwiXwTlnpo_lOxMWRxlt_YtJ73Mrl_p2zGlXoES4mUTyYHlgSUrG3fYb7l3_9T0mO_EpBDvyBhq2vvJiImKsTw/s320/Mak.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 201px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Mum, Active in Politics, Women's Movement, Community and Public Service</span></span><br />
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This beautiful girl ultimately became his wife and is my dear mum. They got married on 3rd January 1943 and I came along to start messing with their lives in September 1944. Malaya (became Malaysia in September 1963) was at that time under Japanese occupation and I was told that life was very hard then. Rice was scarce while tapioca became the staple food for a while. Milk was difficult to come by, and as an infant I was fed boiled tapioca water instead. Luckily there was breast milk and that was a luxury since mum was then a teacher and had to be away from home. I was taken care of by my grandma for a while until Mum found a baby- sister for me. That was how I had to survive with tapioca water, since breast milk supply was away from home ha ha!! Things improved a lot after the Japanese left (they lost the war, remember) and the British took over administering the country. Substitute baby milk was subsequently made available then and it was of the ‘Lactogen’ brand. Other brands were introduced much, much later. After me, nine other siblings followed to maintain messing up mum’s and dad’s lives, and together with a few of my uncles and aunties it was a crowd in the house, ha ha!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8EChAYa5oB3103Q45s2Mqobh-zMLgOZ5JanvzboZ868YY7qnI8ksI5uh5UF4oDeJ9ldC-rQRPoneuweZU9mMMSA2C0YnIzO1BTk0Jq2vc7SkJrxc8cK4qA6-mAjrLftqqTq1dA/s1600/Abah+n+Mak+6+Jan+1943.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5550573681907555090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV8EChAYa5oB3103Q45s2Mqobh-zMLgOZ5JanvzboZ868YY7qnI8ksI5uh5UF4oDeJ9ldC-rQRPoneuweZU9mMMSA2C0YnIzO1BTk0Jq2vc7SkJrxc8cK4qA6-mAjrLftqqTq1dA/s320/Abah+n+Mak+6+Jan+1943.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 320px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 199px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Three Days After Their Wedding on 3rd January 1943</span></span><br />
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Dad started work in the Government service initially at the Police Depot as a civilian staff and stayed in that office for several years. Many of his colleagues then, both uniformed and civilian, became his close friends and they came to the house to learn English and English conversation under dad’s tutelage. Apparently dad was privileged to have gone through an English school, learnt and studied English, and true to his character his tutelage was voluntary without expecting anything in return. I used to sit in in his English class and he was very patient and helpful to the point of being overly accommodating to the errors and omissions made when tutoring his colleagues. I picked up English here and perhaps picked up some of his character traits as well. <br />
From the Police Department he was transferred to the Government Audit department, then to the Medical Bureau and finally to the Marine department where he retired as a Deputy Port officer. At the same time he was involved with the scout movement and also heavily involved with a political party that came into power to rule the country. I remember that he was repeatedly voted in as the Youth Chief for many years. Mum was equally involved and stayed on as the Women’s division treasurer being voted in year after year by members.<br />
With Dad and Mum heavily involved in the current politics then and away from home so often we, the children, were left at home on our own and I, being the eldest but still in school, was tasked to look after my siblings. I learnt to do the marketing, cooking and other chores very early. Apart from that I was also exposed to many life challenges at a very young age just as dad was when he was young but his was out of circumstances while mine was out of design!! (More of this in my upcoming postings). I am thankful that I was given the opportunity to grow up and grow fast!! May the Almighty be pleased…..<br />
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MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />
Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-1314580982894647492010-11-25T23:01:00.007+08:002010-11-26T00:44:29.165+08:00Mum In JBIt has been a long time since my last blog posting. I have been busy?, Yes, I have been procrastinating? Yes too, I have not been well? No, not really - Ram was not well and I had to take over all chores in the house since there were only the two of us and all chores have to be done and we have no help or maid to assist us like many people do!!<br /><br />I previously posted a write up of Ram's left eye cornea replacement operation which was done in early August, i.e about 4.00pm 2nd August to be precise. Since then Ram had been very careful not to exert or expose herself to the elements while the medicine, eye-drops application regime were strictly followed. So, I had to do all the chores in the house and run errands as necessary. These activities have become a daily routine and left me without much free time for the social networking activities. <br /><br />There has been occasions when I had to go to JB to see Mum, and at these times Ram will stay back in her sisters' house about half an hour drive in the next town. However, some two weeks ago something prompted Ram that made her decide that she should make a visit to Mum in JB. And that was a few days before the Eid'l Adha celebrations. So we decided to take a slow drive to JB on the afternoon of Eid'l Adha, just the two of us. We took about seven hours (normally the journey will take less than four hours) for the journey stopping five times at rest areas to rest. We stayed several days in JB, mostly spent time with Mum in the family house which had been renovated and named 'Teratak Kasih'.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG48YDdaBRx3n3DWtG4PgBM3Qa51d4J-yMimlNqY1mWA926MfYpANbgQKBUeXI_rO_6AQDwjFVZiG0E7nncsUp2t2ao0OaZ2-_O3zjbf3hrCNNyxpDe_qhS-DFFlmu3BPsuHHqg/s1600/Mak+-+Garden+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJG48YDdaBRx3n3DWtG4PgBM3Qa51d4J-yMimlNqY1mWA926MfYpANbgQKBUeXI_rO_6AQDwjFVZiG0E7nncsUp2t2ao0OaZ2-_O3zjbf3hrCNNyxpDe_qhS-DFFlmu3BPsuHHqg/s320/Mak+-+Garden+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543504959605166978" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">No Effort Pushing The Wheel-chair, Mum is Light!</span></span><br /><br />Mum, ever since her fall several months ago, is very slow in her movement and is not yet able to walk on her own. She sits in bed and is moved around in a wheel-chair. Brother Abid and family stays in Teratak Kasih to take care of Mum and other siblings with their families come over to the house often, just to make sure that Mum is accompanied and not lonely. She spends her time reading the Quran, Zikir and reading religious books etc. and sleeps in between. Once in a while brother Abid and/or other siblings would take Mum out of the house to visit relatives or to go to the bank or do other necessary things, just to take her out of the house. But we notice that these outings tire her easily. No surprise though as she is already 91+ years old.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdxzowcjvrHpRxP3uGYUByEkw2VOqhTgqltH8WNkUl42KkrE3Q1n0MK7J7t4iEyUV4shCTsfJY4kmvitpA8mdOhbDYdnNLwqHeddGP311nfSzsiTOFhDQW_mZ_ZDsXhMZ4Hm9EQ/s1600/Mak+-+Garden+020.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdxzowcjvrHpRxP3uGYUByEkw2VOqhTgqltH8WNkUl42KkrE3Q1n0MK7J7t4iEyUV4shCTsfJY4kmvitpA8mdOhbDYdnNLwqHeddGP311nfSzsiTOFhDQW_mZ_ZDsXhMZ4Hm9EQ/s320/Mak+-+Garden+020.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543515967593939458" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Very Relaxed</span></span><br /><br />While in JB we took the opportunity to visit other close relatives, and also to go for our favourite food outlets, at times when Ram felt well enough to move around. We try to avoid crowded places, too open areas, the sea-side etc. to ensure that Ram is not overexposed to wind, dust, smoke and so on. She wears protective (and fashionable!!) eye-wear but still, we need to take precautions. So far so good. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvRLJnIIbBY0o3PGkEYB5xugmsvvHjjF2IeREfIchxdrf2Mwu3IOPW0MsuZB2uhriNXAyfNhDLpGpwZTZgncwBNWOW3EzsbaGfCmSiebKCoQ9kE_wEVdzw4n5XQVUXQsT6qursw/s1600/Mak+-+Garden+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCvRLJnIIbBY0o3PGkEYB5xugmsvvHjjF2IeREfIchxdrf2Mwu3IOPW0MsuZB2uhriNXAyfNhDLpGpwZTZgncwBNWOW3EzsbaGfCmSiebKCoQ9kE_wEVdzw4n5XQVUXQsT6qursw/s320/Mak+-+Garden+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543519553915090450" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Brother Abid Contemplating Something? Maybe Re-arranging the Flower Pots!!</span></span><br /><br />Our return journey back to PJ was also a slow drive. We took longer this time. We stopped at the rest areas but most were overcrowded with travelers. Hence we just rest in the car and visited a close friends house somewhere along the way to do the necessary toilet and prayer activities. It has been a while since we met this family and a good time for a revisit while taking the opportunity to do the necessary in their house, thus avoiding the crowded rest areas' facilities. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfREFHqQeimD1kEgObKro7SQXK_hQHKqMhEj5LRRqFhyphenhyphen24iDF5ifGbkmOdxMyq1D8K-oix5OM0gaDbsjM36kMaV3A9Hc1YzGXa1BlcmCnynsGYH04RIx_v4l3F2jmIggdz9ChpQ/s1600/Mak+-+Garden+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfREFHqQeimD1kEgObKro7SQXK_hQHKqMhEj5LRRqFhyphenhyphen24iDF5ifGbkmOdxMyq1D8K-oix5OM0gaDbsjM36kMaV3A9Hc1YzGXa1BlcmCnynsGYH04RIx_v4l3F2jmIggdz9ChpQ/s320/Mak+-+Garden+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543523175742414290" /></a> <span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Yup, Rearranging Pots It was!!</span></span><br /><br />We arrived home quite late and Ram took several days to recover. She was complaining of headaches and numbness on one side of the head the next day, and was sleeping most of the day. Looks like we cannot make long drive journeys too often yet. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS78ZXs2CfxWa1gg6RGt-GmPXUh7o6F6NgX8DjgaI1P3FJOAoCnzCZ4LpsG7n0sN07wtfg7FECSfYoPSJod0gdAk5591eYVZgmg80q6AvW0J9bHC1h9hFbcPSasrHbH1cNGA9S5w/s1600/Mak+-+Garden+031.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS78ZXs2CfxWa1gg6RGt-GmPXUh7o6F6NgX8DjgaI1P3FJOAoCnzCZ4LpsG7n0sN07wtfg7FECSfYoPSJod0gdAk5591eYVZgmg80q6AvW0J9bHC1h9hFbcPSasrHbH1cNGA9S5w/s320/Mak+-+Garden+031.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5543527146002504178" /></a><br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-44207667325416217652010-09-05T18:56:00.002+08:002010-09-05T19:08:54.248+08:00Ten (10) Commandments Of Those Over 60 years old.I do not know the source of the following but it was forwarded to me by a friend. I should be practicing them now! or am I already? ha ha ha..... <br /> <br />1. Focus on enjoying people not on indulging in or accumulating Material things.<br /> <br />2. Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left. <br /><br />Travel if you can afford it. Don't leave anything for your children or loved ones to quarrel about. By leaving anything, you may even cause more trouble when you are gone. <br /><br />3. Live in the here and now, not in the yesterdays and tomorrows. It is only today that you can handle. Yesterday is gone & tomorrow may not even happen.<br /><br />4. Enjoy your grandchildren (if you are blessed with any) but don't be their full time baby sitter. You have no moral obligation to take care of them. Don't have any guilt about refusing to baby sit anyone's kids, including your own grandkids. Your parental obligation is to your children. After you have raised them into responsible adults, your duties of child-rearing and babysitting are finished. Let your children raise their own off-springs. <br /> <br />5. Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow. <br /> <br />6. Enjoy what you are and what you have right now. Stop working hard for what you do not have. If you do not have them, It's probably too late.<br /><br />7. Just enjoy your life with your spouse, children, grandchildren and friends. People, who truly love you, love you for yourself, not for what you have. Anyone who loves you for what you have will just give you misery.<br /> <br /> 8. Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.<br /><br />9. Befriend death. It's a natural part of the life cycle. Don't be afraid of it. Death is the beginning of a new and better life. So, prepare yourself not for death but for a new life with the Almighty.<br />10. Be at peace with your Creator. For, He is all you have after you leave this life.<br /><br />Thank You<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-11622057104117630092010-08-25T11:50:00.003+08:002010-08-25T11:59:46.468+08:00Aging - An Interesting ReadReceived this from a friend who got it from the net:<br /><br /><br />MINISTER MENTOR LEE KUAN YEW ON AGING<br /><br />MY CONCERN today is, what is it I can tell you which can add to your<br />knowledge about ageing and what ageing societies can do. You know more about<br />this subject than I do. A lot of it is out in the media, Internet and books.<br />So I thought the best way would be to take a personal standpoint and tell<br />you how I approach this question of ageing.<br /><br />If I cast my mind back, I can see turning points in my physical and mental<br />health. You know, when you're young, I didn't bother, assumed good health<br />was God-given and would always be there. When I was about -'57 that was - I<br />was about 34, we were competing in elections, and I was really fond of<br />drinking beer and smoking.. And after the election campaign, in Victoria<br />Memorial Hall - we had won the election, the City Council election - I<br />couldn't thank the voters because I had lost my voice. I'd been smoking<br />furiously. I'd take a packet of 10 to deceive myself, but I'd run through<br />the packet just sitting on the stage, watching the crowd, getting the<br />feeling, the mood before I speak. In other words, there were three speeches<br />a night. Three speeches a night, 30 cigarettes, a lot of beer after that,<br />and the voice was gone.<br /><br />I remember I had a case in Kuching, Sarawak . So I took the flight and I<br />felt awful.. I had to make up my mind whether I was going to be an effective<br />campaigner and a lawyer, in which case I cannot destroy my voice, and I<br />can't go on. So I stopped smoking. It was a tremendous deprivation because I<br />was addicted to it. And I used to wake up dreaming...the nightmare was I<br />resumed smoking.<br /><br />But I made a choice and said, if I continue this, I will not be able to do<br />my job. I didn't know anything about cancer of the throat or oesophagus or<br />the lungs, etc. But it turned out it had many other deleterious effects.<br /><br />Strangely enough after that, I became very allergic, hyper-allergic to<br />smoking, so much so that I would plead with my Cabinet ministers not to<br />smoke in the Cabinet room. You want to smoke, please go out, because I am<br />allergic.<br /><br />Then one day I was at the home of my colleague, Mr Rajaratnam, meeting<br />foreign correspondents including some from the London Times and they took a<br />picture of me and I had a big belly like that (puts his hands in front of<br />his belly), a beer belly. I felt no, no, this will not do. So I started<br />playing more golf, hit hundreds of balls on the practice tee. But this<br />didn't go down. There was only one way it could go down: consume less, burn<br />up more.<br /><br />Another turning point came when - this was 1976, after the general election<br />- I was feeling tired. I was breathing deeply at the Istana, on the lawns.<br />My daughter, who at that time just graduating as a doctor, said: 'What are<br />you trying to do?' I said: 'I feel an effort to breathe in more oxygen.' She<br />said: 'Don't play golf. Run. Aerobics.' So she gave me a book, quite a<br />famous book and, then, very current in America on how you score aerobic<br />points swimming, running, whatever it is, cycling. I looked at it<br />sceptically. I wasn't very keen on running. I was keen on golf. So I said,<br />'Let's try'. So in-between golf shots while playing on my own, sometimes<br />nine holes at the Istana, I would try and walk fast between shots.. Then I<br />began to run between shots. And I felt better. After a while, I said: 'Okay,<br />after my golf, I run.' And after a few years, I said: 'Golf takes so long.<br />The running takes 15 minutes. Let's cut out the golf and let's run.'<br /><br />I think the most important thing in ageing is you got to understand<br />yourself. And the knowledge now is all there. When I was growing up, the<br />knowledge wasn't there. I had to get the knowledge from friends, from<br />doctors. But, perhaps, the most important bit of knowledge that the doctor<br />gave me was one day, when I said: 'Look, I'm feeling slower and sluggish.'<br />So he gave me a medical encyclopaedia and he turned the pages to ageing. I<br />read it up and it was illuminating. A lot of it was difficult jargon but I<br />just skimmed through to get the gist of it.<br /><br />As you grow, you reach 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and then, thereafter, you are<br />on a gradual slope down physically. Mentally, you carry on and on and on<br />until I don't know what age, but mathematicians will tell you that they know<br />their best output is when they're in their 20s and 30s when your mental<br />energy is powerful and you haven't lost many neurons.. That's what they tell<br />me.<br /><br />So, as you acquire more knowledge, you then craft a programme for yourself<br />to maximise what you have. It's just common sense. I never planned to live<br />till 85 or 84! I just didn't think about it. I said: 'Well, my mother died<br />when she was 74, she had a stroke. My father died when he was 94.'<br /><br />But I saw him, and he lived a long life, well, maybe it was his DNA. But<br />more than that, he swam every day and he kept himself busy. He was working<br />for the Shell company. He was in charge, he was a superintendent of an oil<br />depot. When he retired, he started becoming a salesman. So people used to<br />tell me: 'Your father is selling watches at BP de Silva.' My father was then<br />living with me. But it kept him busy. He had that routine: He meets people,<br />he sells watches, he buys and sells all kinds of semi-precious stones, he<br />circulates coins. And he keeps going. But at 87, 88, he fell, going down the<br />steps from his room to the dining room, broke his arm, three months<br />incapacitated. Thereafter, he couldn't go back to swimming. Then he became<br />wheelchair-bound.<br /><br />Then it became a problem because my house was constructed that way. So my<br />brother, who's a doctor and had a flat (one-level) house, took him in. And<br />he lived on till 94. But towards the end, he had gradual loss of mental<br />powers.<br /><br />So my calculations, I'm somewhere between 74 and 94. And I've reached the<br />halfway point now. But have I? Well, 1996 when I was 73, I was cycling and I<br />felt tightening on the neck. Oh, I must retire today. So I stopped. Next<br />day, I returned to the bicycle. After five minutes it became worse.<br /><br />So I said, no, no, this is something serious, it's got to do with the blood<br />vessels. Rung up my doctor, who said, 'Come tomorrow'. Went tomorrow, he<br />checked me, and said: 'Come back tomorrow for an angiogram.' I said: 'What's<br />that?' He said: 'We'll pump something in and we'll see whether the coronary<br />arteries are cleared or blocked.' I was going to go home. But an MP who was<br />a cardiologist happened to be around, so he came in and said: 'What are you<br />doing here?' I said: 'I've got this.' He said: 'Don't go home. You stay here<br />tonight. I've sent patients home and they never came back. Just stay here.<br />They'll put you on the monitor. They'll watch your heart. And if anything,<br />an emergency arises, they will take you straight to the theatre. You go<br />home. You've got no such monitor. You may never come back.'<br /><br />So I stayed there. Pumped in the dye, yes it was blocked, the left<br />circumflex, not the critical, lead one. So that's lucky for me. Two weeks<br />later, I was walking around, I felt it's coming back. Yes it has come back,<br />it had occluded. So this time they said: 'We'll put in a stent.'<br /><br />I'm one of the first few in Singapore to have the stent, so it was a brand<br />new operation. Fortunately, the man who invented the stent was out here<br />selling his stent. He was from San Jose , La Jolla something or the other.<br />So my doctor got hold of him and he supervised the operation. He said put<br />the stent in. My doctor did the operation, he just watched it all and then<br />that's that. That was before all this problem about lining the stent to make<br />sure that it doesn't occlude and create a disturbance.<br /><br />So at each stage, I learnt something more about myself and I stored that. I<br />said: 'Oh, this is now a danger point.' So alright, cut out fats, change<br />diet, went to see a specialist in Boston , Massachusetts General Hospital .<br />He said: 'Take statins.' I said: 'What's that?' He said: '(They) help to<br />reduce your cholesterol.' My doctors were concerned. They said: 'You don't<br />need it. Your cholesterol levels are okay.' Two years later, more medical<br />evidence came out. So the doctors said: 'Take statins.'<br /><br />Had there been no angioplasty, had I not known that something was up and I<br />cycled on, I might have gone at 74 like my mother. So I missed that<br />deadline.<br /><br />So next deadline: my father's fall at 87.<br /><br />I'm very careful now because sometimes when I turn around too fast, I feel<br />as if I'm going to get off balance. So my daughter, a neurologist, she took<br />me to the NNI, there's this nerve conduction test, put electrodes here and<br />there. The transmission of the messages between the feet and the brain has<br />slowed down.<br /><br />So all the exercise, everything, effort put in, I'm fit, I swim, I cycle..<br />But I can't prevent this losing of conductivity of the nerves and this<br />transmission. So just go slow.<br /><br />So when I climb up the steps, I have no problem. When I go down the steps,<br />I need to be sure that I've got something I can hang on to, just in case. So<br />it's a constant process of adjustment.<br /><br />But I think the most important single lesson I learnt in life was that if<br />you isolate yourself, you're done for. The human being is a social animal -<br />he needs stimuli, he needs to meet people, to catch up with the world.<br /><br />I don't much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag,<br />because I get to meet people of great interest to me, who will help me in my<br />work as chairman of our GIC. So I know, I'm on several boards of banks,<br />international advisory boards of banks, of oil companies and so on. And I<br />meet them and I get to understand what's happening in the world, what has<br />changed since I was here one month ago, one year ago. I go to India , I go<br />to China .<br /><br />And that stimuli brings me to the world of today. I'm not living in the<br />world, when I was active, more active 20, 30 years ago. So I tell my wife.<br />She woke up late today. I said: 'Never mind, you come along by 12 o'clock. I<br />go first.'<br /><br />If you sit back - because part of the ending part of the encyclopaedia which<br />I read was very depressing - as you get old, you withdraw from everything<br />and then all you will have is your bedroom and the photographs and the<br />furniture that you know, and that's your world. So if you've got to go to<br />hospital, the doctor advises you to bring some photographs so that you'll<br />know you're not lost in a different world, that this is like your bedroom.<br /><br />I'm determined that I will not, as long as I can, to be reduced, to have my<br />horizons closed on me like that. It is the stimuli, it is the constant<br />interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to<br />what's going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world.<br /><br />In other words, you must have an interest in life. If you believe that at<br />55, you're retiring, you're going to read books, play golf and drink wine,<br />then I think you're done for. So statistically they will show you that all<br />the people who retire and lead sedentary lives, the pensioners die off very<br />quickly.<br /><br />So we now have a social problem with medical sciences, new procedures, new<br />drugs, many more people are going to live long lives. If the mindset is that<br />when I reach retirement age 62, I'm old, I can't work anymore, I don't have<br />to work, I just sit back, now is the time I'll enjoy life, I think you're<br />making the biggest mistake of your life. After one month, or after two<br />months, even if you go travelling with nothing to do, with no purpose in<br />life, you will just degrade, you'll go to seed.<br /><br />The human being needs a challenge, and my advice to every person in<br />Singapore and elsewhere: Keep yourself interested, have a challenge. If<br />you're not interested in the world and the world is not interested in you,<br />the biggest punishment a man can receive is total isolation in a dungeon,<br />black and complete withdrawal of all stimuli, that's real torture. So when I<br />read that people believe, Singaporeans say: 'Oh, 62 I'm retiring.' I say to<br />them: 'You really want to die quickly?' If you want to see sunrise tomorrow<br />or sunset, you must have a reason, you must have the stimuli to keep going'.<br /><br /> -------------- ooooOOOOoooo -------------<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-18815889698725207802010-07-16T11:33:00.007+08:002010-07-16T16:17:51.964+08:00Mum's Second Visit To TempuaMembers of the family, the Warisan TCC family, decided to have a 'Gotong Royong' or a group workout, to paint the house as most of the major renovation and re-modelling work are almost complete. Mum, on hearing the group workout insisted in being present to see the progress. She was excited and I was told she woke up at 4.00am and wanted to get ready to be taken to see the house.
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<br />It was 9.00am when I went to pick Mum from my sister's house, where Mum is temporarily accommodated while renovation work is going on, and only brother Zulfakar and Zulkifli were in the Tempua house. The others came straggling in within one or two hours later, some even later than that. Never mind the later arrival. Everyone was enthusiastic in helping out and sharing the work load. There was indeed close cooperation, especially amongst the younger third generation to get the work done and more importantly, the spirit of togetherness and camaraderie was very evident. That was the intent of this 'workout' in the first place. To see the smiles on Mum's face was the ultimate reward to everyone present.
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<br />Mum commented that the house is more spacious now and agreed that it will be a good venue for the family to meet often. There is no need to hold the big family gathering in a hotel as have been done previously. We have the space to hold it in the house and also utilise the compound of the house by using tents etc. In deed this was the intent after we discussed amongst ourselves, the elders of Warisan TCC, to remodel the house. At the same time it was to give more space and room for Mum in the front portion of the house, in comparison to her old room which was rather secluded, lacking proper exchange of air and ventilation at the back of the house. Her old room has now been remodelled too and rearranged such that two more, slightly smaller, rooms were made by utilising an existent space at the back of the house next to the room.
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">New Main Entrance</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXTf2_IUkTD8KzQPLqlLqDsuB1va2JvYq67Z6VfnCrY09OEF4cmTZt-BwFvDw7eN4NatsNzED3QxqwqG-JOrZqENP20AgG8jqndLDDBYlH5W8gr4F_t69c2U_AqHIJOAPVU4n-Q/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXTf2_IUkTD8KzQPLqlLqDsuB1va2JvYq67Z6VfnCrY09OEF4cmTZt-BwFvDw7eN4NatsNzED3QxqwqG-JOrZqENP20AgG8jqndLDDBYlH5W8gr4F_t69c2U_AqHIJOAPVU4n-Q/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494399425044816242" /></a>
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Mum's New Room With Attached Bath And.... </span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyc261_wioJdPCKNrDZNv1F9dAtiB9rCAsAS15AbZS3vSjvwNpRUkfDeKNhoAZqs6n5E0jEL45NYhq-VU6M3BsClFafi9veFESLlQHG86mc5F8A1a9duLACxhC84XIa1_etiujQ/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+014.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilyc261_wioJdPCKNrDZNv1F9dAtiB9rCAsAS15AbZS3vSjvwNpRUkfDeKNhoAZqs6n5E0jEL45NYhq-VU6M3BsClFafi9veFESLlQHG86mc5F8A1a9duLACxhC84XIa1_etiujQ/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+014.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494399418990557394" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">.....Wide Bay Windows</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6sPPYBnoTkD75fI5TLuxf1XLm43G2UnsTxGR-WHTQowwN7tEwDJt4DA8lXoj9Rb4JRLE6Ypc3WKGO23T50-Dh47GRYnFztUUaZis2H_O4b9WwmFZ7pixDs0WKSTwTvD9xyXC6g/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;"src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6sPPYBnoTkD75fI5TLuxf1XLm43G2UnsTxGR-WHTQowwN7tEwDJt4DA8lXoj9Rb4JRLE6Ypc3WKGO23T50-Dh47GRYnFztUUaZis2H_O4b9WwmFZ7pixDs0WKSTwTvD9xyXC6g/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494399401081612770" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">After Touring The House</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqUI4N-JFCJwUdKusMWJu0X-NXRW_j9HEAw7NnAuSpkl19r7XsPMm_nkplE0Xx713HtOyG_tB1GrAKs8RczhfwCbpC7wYP2O0bq66quurzV1YdyhXF_RfAougXtyChM3ytSzvvA/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqUI4N-JFCJwUdKusMWJu0X-NXRW_j9HEAw7NnAuSpkl19r7XsPMm_nkplE0Xx713HtOyG_tB1GrAKs8RczhfwCbpC7wYP2O0bq66quurzV1YdyhXF_RfAougXtyChM3ytSzvvA/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494394359388574514" /></a>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy44hiZhHS-p__naNxfN19bFijea7GFp7YBd4A25bwnUu3xr06xOssDA5Z5IJao5b8F4uUjo9GAy8x-OqWN9GCgugxpuOptEazE9_ctaUpR_QUBxHOvjVyLVk03-kWhQpjy5hjHA/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy44hiZhHS-p__naNxfN19bFijea7GFp7YBd4A25bwnUu3xr06xOssDA5Z5IJao5b8F4uUjo9GAy8x-OqWN9GCgugxpuOptEazE9_ctaUpR_QUBxHOvjVyLVk03-kWhQpjy5hjHA/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494394352769509970" /></a>
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<br />Brother Zulkifli brought mixed breakfast food and drinks for the family members to enjoy amidst all the work.....
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-weight:bold;"<span style="font-style:italic;">>Mum Relaxed While Checking Out Progress</span></span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOK8jT7hP5pPEeoJOuZU8rwHVYbWpocE8f7TocjVRluE5Rp19hIqbdjVFGHCdDMg1nGiPV7uI5X9rwSkU0KB1_UlxK95sLhGWGtn_AN-tXMAc-gqeeI9MN9akXYcAJKyCLleYqw/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOK8jT7hP5pPEeoJOuZU8rwHVYbWpocE8f7TocjVRluE5Rp19hIqbdjVFGHCdDMg1nGiPV7uI5X9rwSkU0KB1_UlxK95sLhGWGtn_AN-tXMAc-gqeeI9MN9akXYcAJKyCLleYqw/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494394344964217810" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Check Out The Chandelier - Show Off,
<br />Just Coz Mum Was There, Ha Ha!</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4HAkpNq8YKX-YIdu9AU7Z8vE1M-4gDcAYdAvL1kUz2UvbOi5-5pt4r9UEPyD7YAU_x5xsLl5ZXxs5e5ZciwS6A61PGRXod8LmENqITfDAN8IxXISBoQmNc9El1OJQ2dPIz2Qeg/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+010.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4HAkpNq8YKX-YIdu9AU7Z8vE1M-4gDcAYdAvL1kUz2UvbOi5-5pt4r9UEPyD7YAU_x5xsLl5ZXxs5e5ZciwS6A61PGRXod8LmENqITfDAN8IxXISBoQmNc9El1OJQ2dPIz2Qeg/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+010.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494394338592822946" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The New Warisan TCC Corner - The Information Center</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQ-YYXMxtZ1pM8-PispYHlVNCL1UtQqDlSZkKZwUsMgSDfzt90btG0vOd7JwHvt85asLHSGCOa-xE0kECw8DMrGFL2ciBRRiys7kC0c1KdtUV-0h_V2FJEClhf5V_-EmXRQTkaQ/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaQ-YYXMxtZ1pM8-PispYHlVNCL1UtQqDlSZkKZwUsMgSDfzt90btG0vOd7JwHvt85asLHSGCOa-xE0kECw8DMrGFL2ciBRRiys7kC0c1KdtUV-0h_V2FJEClhf5V_-EmXRQTkaQ/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494394326414261714" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Entrance To Recreated Room and The Kitchen To The Right</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2ME7hnMBQkvganZKryFWTZ5I6ULOpAC_3NfGbRBnRlvGhIgOmPcP5WMWs-x_klIknL4bml9uh3jDDd_91qb4Um-r3S55ChvoOYkYF8MQGCXUyw3v3HgR_i5zwM73MF9KfqWj3w/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+008.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2ME7hnMBQkvganZKryFWTZ5I6ULOpAC_3NfGbRBnRlvGhIgOmPcP5WMWs-x_klIknL4bml9uh3jDDd_91qb4Um-r3S55ChvoOYkYF8MQGCXUyw3v3HgR_i5zwM73MF9KfqWj3w/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+008.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494345065370381538" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">An Additional Room Recreated</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKhhUyXEl6vqOTmlxgeJTA9LEIOy3NixNm-iDVyixlTpziKOiQa4G2f7zR6AxSawJtvB8NON0BgaU1R_lHDs4QycI6uj50xl5csSO_fSRRjqXiugvkX2vVX6jJfVJOHY24d5-EQ/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+016.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAKhhUyXEl6vqOTmlxgeJTA9LEIOy3NixNm-iDVyixlTpziKOiQa4G2f7zR6AxSawJtvB8NON0BgaU1R_lHDs4QycI6uj50xl5csSO_fSRRjqXiugvkX2vVX6jJfVJOHY24d5-EQ/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+016.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494345057386924850" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">3rd Generation - We've Got A Job To Finish</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuD1bZIIkAHzcS7nl3fJ9B6ZuADFiE-7AasM8AiRC3W4jmzhLXMRvAG6sO7AvzuVaDJrwEyY48ZcdTx8UsVBO6OGB5WsHgCy0Sp7yUSllAn8oPCgkOByh7KkVqmo03FWcsvZxhQ/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+025.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMuD1bZIIkAHzcS7nl3fJ9B6ZuADFiE-7AasM8AiRC3W4jmzhLXMRvAG6sO7AvzuVaDJrwEyY48ZcdTx8UsVBO6OGB5WsHgCy0Sp7yUSllAn8oPCgkOByh7KkVqmo03FWcsvZxhQ/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+025.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494345051015925874" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">No No No! Not Gossipping, But Sharing Information Ha Ha Ha!</span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP0P6NRgy2U18vGXVLTrOKBqLw6o8YsKmA6ZElIvw9eXTlgBxok5wBXqYah0D7PLOK5OsC84h9qQ6kvj37qkbThyphenhyphenyikJamJNIlOHvMjD62XMWpEkUchENkYdUioyrjT2pVhnPPw/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNP0P6NRgy2U18vGXVLTrOKBqLw6o8YsKmA6ZElIvw9eXTlgBxok5wBXqYah0D7PLOK5OsC84h9qQ6kvj37qkbThyphenhyphenyikJamJNIlOHvMjD62XMWpEkUchENkYdUioyrjT2pVhnPPw/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494345044177984770" /></a>
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<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">3rd Generation - More Stories To Share ? </span></span>
<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdXQ0ps9sK6eruQUxB5Zz14-IZs9RMtQWiTfNtq9A8xV-aRG8JvJlihe2cYrCxx__lYT41bwtXl2txXJyYNutstBk1ht7QM4LiM7EztKf1shJeRGJuBKEUEYY_R-JwUpY9J9EAA/s1600/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+024.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdXQ0ps9sK6eruQUxB5Zz14-IZs9RMtQWiTfNtq9A8xV-aRG8JvJlihe2cYrCxx__lYT41bwtXl2txXJyYNutstBk1ht7QM4LiM7EztKf1shJeRGJuBKEUEYY_R-JwUpY9J9EAA/s320/Mum's+2nd+visit+to+Tempua+024.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494345036297568834" /></a>
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<br />Mum stayed on for about two hours in the Tempua house. I sent her home to Sis's house and in the car she commented on the new space and whether we can hold the next family gathering in the middle of the Muslim month of Syaaban, which will be in a couple of weeks time. We have, in fact, planned for it and will have to double up to complete the work by then. We seek the Almighty's guidance and pleasure to achieve this target and may He be pleased with our efforts.....
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<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited
<br />Petaling Jaya
<br />MKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10006186.post-71752421694167545022010-06-29T16:19:00.013+08:002010-06-29T23:00:20.205+08:00Newlyweds Visited Grandma In JBBoth the newlyweds are back at work and back into the daily grind chasing schedules and work commitments, leaving them not much time to attend to family and social needs. As newlyweds Tessa wanted to meet up with Grandma in JB and introduce Amir to her since Grandma could not attend their wedding. Saturday was the only day they could get away from the 'grind' and off to JB they went. Meanwhile we arranged with my sister Rosni to host a gathering of relatives, uncles and aunties, cousins once and twice removed, to a high tea gathering to meet the Newly weds.<br /><br />Ram and I had an invitation for an evening of 'Maulid' session at the State Mosque in Johor Bahru. It was held on Friday soon after the late afternoon prayers through to dusk prayers and followed by dinner. So, we left PJ early Friday morning and stayed on until late Sunday afternoon.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Grandma In Her Best Waiting For The Newlyweds and Other Family Members</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggckCJtM3Dr2GtnYCUkG8yb7YhwEpF_akdtdYq5niRi1RtHp14PUbwiyMiHOg0knyXrVkuKkD5Z3vjRPUv3IiZYQCcUr9rafF5JmRxAT4opwUaZqQBN_LG8mCp_Rz4g42PqUWvEQ/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+002.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggckCJtM3Dr2GtnYCUkG8yb7YhwEpF_akdtdYq5niRi1RtHp14PUbwiyMiHOg0knyXrVkuKkD5Z3vjRPUv3IiZYQCcUr9rafF5JmRxAT4opwUaZqQBN_LG8mCp_Rz4g42PqUWvEQ/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+002.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488146707072927378" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">The Newlyweds</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuyHhpdSffwHcxsuWe4swnQCYgkl5bkfgH5EEQ4sLS2TClaPZUjXIf0wJJV6JgXXKXT2rkhSzT5wSErn22hJptull3n9y5ta8i9-w1Ue1KfkbpZ-aiMEqhvn9ejoD5S9Puw0Cpw/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+003.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUuyHhpdSffwHcxsuWe4swnQCYgkl5bkfgH5EEQ4sLS2TClaPZUjXIf0wJJV6JgXXKXT2rkhSzT5wSErn22hJptull3n9y5ta8i9-w1Ue1KfkbpZ-aiMEqhvn9ejoD5S9Puw0Cpw/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+003.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488129655083606754" /></a><br /><br />There was a good turnout. We managed to get another relative to cook laksa, Tessa's favourite, spaghetti noodles in fish sauce with several types of vege condiments prepared Johore style. It turned out to be everyones' favourite too. There were other foods as well, fruits and sweets, and local cakes more than enough for everyone present that day.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Also Newlyweds?? But why sit far apart? Ha Ha! Brother Abid and wife Juli</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRd89sLaM8t_-_LLY8L7SAQDyIV-5oA_M9unPYsQsjnw6y88vR-D4CqbBVmbCzgp-sZiot9YHX5A0RXGkAAurHoa5bgyR8WexFiqHo0tYyyMoVbi2Nc9xg6gIKmi9o9Fz6n9C4w/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+004.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRd89sLaM8t_-_LLY8L7SAQDyIV-5oA_M9unPYsQsjnw6y88vR-D4CqbBVmbCzgp-sZiot9YHX5A0RXGkAAurHoa5bgyR8WexFiqHo0tYyyMoVbi2Nc9xg6gIKmi9o9Fz6n9C4w/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+004.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488129646713710770" /></a><br /><br />Mum/Grandma enjoyed the attention she got from everybody, I think, as she continued to stay in the lounge throughout the afternoon. Usually after about an hour or less of sitting in the lounge she would go into the room and lie down, but not on this day. Her younger brother, Uncle Sudin sat for a while chatting with her and later her younger sister, Aunty Saedah also came. Aunty Saedah is a little hard on hearing, hence there were some hilarious moments when Mum and her talked to each other!! <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">U<span style="font-style:italic;">ncle Shamsudin, Mum's younger brother</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcfbLK6Vjf0Ua-q0kDoP7OqYT2zEisJbo7h4HXGyMYvlRg9Q8yGomFkG4Qj4GdmSxwJb0BhWf76YBivP6Cf5x_suFT9yHk49Fe_8l5D6ZfoT9B0Uzx3nVfr-I62rgA25qU_u5rw/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+005.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwcfbLK6Vjf0Ua-q0kDoP7OqYT2zEisJbo7h4HXGyMYvlRg9Q8yGomFkG4Qj4GdmSxwJb0BhWf76YBivP6Cf5x_suFT9yHk49Fe_8l5D6ZfoT9B0Uzx3nVfr-I62rgA25qU_u5rw/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+005.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488129639212704274" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyvTtmgHLpRSdxwuCW-a7E6IcsYEu6QRf3fwbR2wbpitWYqyZ-Ou-DaWR4Kq9iL-J53rb_q58Zq8EG8N-h3w8XMLxaq-zMmnPk3FetV1lS4PmHiXmsqZOiE0Le1tRwzx3L43GtA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+006.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyvTtmgHLpRSdxwuCW-a7E6IcsYEu6QRf3fwbR2wbpitWYqyZ-Ou-DaWR4Kq9iL-J53rb_q58Zq8EG8N-h3w8XMLxaq-zMmnPk3FetV1lS4PmHiXmsqZOiE0Le1tRwzx3L43GtA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+006.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488129632939453042" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Laksa - The Bride's favourite... but then its everyones' favourite too!!</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuK1ooTy5TLS_tCW2RDLfD3OeEEO5gyFsw6tlSroMjrFzoq8a-FW2pc-pRE1sO9I17vqPQdBtqs1vHecubGuzKiDWB0AEsmq7kaNS2pat6o5tODtJ3zidRLmhZ2SI8AanrfvkbA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+007.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjuK1ooTy5TLS_tCW2RDLfD3OeEEO5gyFsw6tlSroMjrFzoq8a-FW2pc-pRE1sO9I17vqPQdBtqs1vHecubGuzKiDWB0AEsmq7kaNS2pat6o5tODtJ3zidRLmhZ2SI8AanrfvkbA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+007.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488129618518355778" /></a><br /><br />A good afternoon. Nice weather. Good turnout of relatives. Everyone enjoyed the camaraderie and togetherness.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8strHF03AVu5KMhwZqeH-Bz6osQqjo7eOkGJKwkiyrPzWlIBbi8Od-nKsdQ_4lbqm6WYBfC4UkxPCJW-48PS1e2FljgbXHXIBu9I1YenqTn-FuvPwXuaLB7k-KMZDoHhKkTjFYw/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+009.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8strHF03AVu5KMhwZqeH-Bz6osQqjo7eOkGJKwkiyrPzWlIBbi8Od-nKsdQ_4lbqm6WYBfC4UkxPCJW-48PS1e2FljgbXHXIBu9I1YenqTn-FuvPwXuaLB7k-KMZDoHhKkTjFYw/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+009.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488126525358891778" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAj3X-SlZbKZYCB7XLZWeJJQqqSi3mkvSOjyvbfOQ6YfiPvI8vV46-p2SN9wkw44p9XhoaAg47-22I6Ws0SGcT1IlMSHTpXhJyoOKE7sZ-dnOFSEsQOY9RtfkT0az9nLcerRPug/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+011.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAj3X-SlZbKZYCB7XLZWeJJQqqSi3mkvSOjyvbfOQ6YfiPvI8vV46-p2SN9wkw44p9XhoaAg47-22I6Ws0SGcT1IlMSHTpXhJyoOKE7sZ-dnOFSEsQOY9RtfkT0az9nLcerRPug/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+011.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488126511349817890" /></a><br /><br />An Uncle on my late Dad's side, Baharudin, also came with his wife and his d-in-law and granddaughter. Also the wifes of my late paternal uncles with children and grandchildren. Quite a crowd.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Another Uncle and Wife</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYF6pX3aXa4ChT1yl98QzXZXl55gxiK0t8l_-vClwg_1sUHgsR3YGTICAJujsq6BwAJK6VymX_Wo0i1DrVYQXjggHtZu-fIoeAc4AmFuNSXfhDXDl7R6WyD6lxEBZXtxCRe0MCw/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+015.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYF6pX3aXa4ChT1yl98QzXZXl55gxiK0t8l_-vClwg_1sUHgsR3YGTICAJujsq6BwAJK6VymX_Wo0i1DrVYQXjggHtZu-fIoeAc4AmFuNSXfhDXDl7R6WyD6lxEBZXtxCRe0MCw/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+015.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488126503459864386" /></a><br /><br />We found out, by coincidence, that an old friend of our family, The Roccherdis, from Palembang, Indonesia, were in JB to visit their daughter, Windy, working in the Indonesian Consulate in JB. Tessa Shaffik and Sita used to be close friends and played together with Windy and her elder siblings, Lita and Yudy, when they were kids, and that was many many years ago. We managed to contact them and they came for the gathering. It was very pleasant in deed to have them visit. Coincidentally Windy occasionally goes on stage for functions performing evergreens in keroncong and thus has a lot in common with brother Abid and his daughters who give stage performances as well. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Old Friend from Palembang - Windy and Ibu Roccherdi</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMGbPTHDJ_y2eMg9GWJ8EEkA-tpQZLk9-D0YROt200R_BwBG6Pqlvfn29R00RVYShRNxGFxM4H0mtgeU9NpZvilHcR47wruUOOPcKB2aZhGl52w_W9-mQ3aaaaQrjDZQiXEWOeg/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+018.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMGbPTHDJ_y2eMg9GWJ8EEkA-tpQZLk9-D0YROt200R_BwBG6Pqlvfn29R00RVYShRNxGFxM4H0mtgeU9NpZvilHcR47wruUOOPcKB2aZhGl52w_W9-mQ3aaaaQrjDZQiXEWOeg/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+018.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488126501264244850" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">That's Pak Roccherdi</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdEevp0yZw8aWAp3KYt3Z1vsZzLPjxwIM2caoB-3gtXFiy8O4th_Y4c_BMBwUsI0qAyJM6HDFcK3rcI8q7G6NXs_wjL9wYeu7OPTpOJZD1BPR82tI8WlvJLLwjUdY7RNy6MQ0UQ/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+019.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdEevp0yZw8aWAp3KYt3Z1vsZzLPjxwIM2caoB-3gtXFiy8O4th_Y4c_BMBwUsI0qAyJM6HDFcK3rcI8q7G6NXs_wjL9wYeu7OPTpOJZD1BPR82tI8WlvJLLwjUdY7RNy6MQ0UQ/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+019.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488126486272749474" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Hostess - My Sister Rosni with Uncle Baharudin<span style="font-style:italic;"></span></span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54zRY-hgjGcHETNZvujxCY41BX_16jwaCPBYRnkn7YVYoBvnjrMyNGitA-5mgw6xGa-4Xh7jV_hx8q1vzaTAy0oJ3z4lMgdvWcvs275LN3EnvCmb7abpgdsZQCc9jSxPBa4d8Qg/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+022.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54zRY-hgjGcHETNZvujxCY41BX_16jwaCPBYRnkn7YVYoBvnjrMyNGitA-5mgw6xGa-4Xh7jV_hx8q1vzaTAy0oJ3z4lMgdvWcvs275LN3EnvCmb7abpgdsZQCc9jSxPBa4d8Qg/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+022.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488115154537521602" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Hmmmmm Yummy!</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPeAe1Eko8a3vmERFmf_LdBdkBGN-NlAbLMeH-LM0H7m0NBFawZl_1x7wuu190HnAEtfD_bmtrLg2C89FntTQ6wDbQW-VORgicAbu6-Swj8r7QwvrEf_tRSfN1wgYrubebxhO_A/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+023.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAPeAe1Eko8a3vmERFmf_LdBdkBGN-NlAbLMeH-LM0H7m0NBFawZl_1x7wuu190HnAEtfD_bmtrLg2C89FntTQ6wDbQW-VORgicAbu6-Swj8r7QwvrEf_tRSfN1wgYrubebxhO_A/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+023.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488115137965651170" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Enjoying the Food</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXdti5O2ZWt1cP3Abs-JKP5iKBj4vVMzc5A_rxHTqpk-QhLhoSQg_wSXlEEKWM1Gpr_xoHzm1H7hLM7xbjJfLI1TY0CDaDLqfCnuII79R93n-sdzv_aNn-ej8TF2uS9MaujiJOA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+034.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXdti5O2ZWt1cP3Abs-JKP5iKBj4vVMzc5A_rxHTqpk-QhLhoSQg_wSXlEEKWM1Gpr_xoHzm1H7hLM7xbjJfLI1TY0CDaDLqfCnuII79R93n-sdzv_aNn-ej8TF2uS9MaujiJOA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+034.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488115131436189570" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Hairani - Another Sister Just Arrived</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEAea9q0kIrcMhgMIaFc4N_8YTvDq3c6k3uyWiNIDbHO2Xa28FilqyxThpknUwE9cnqkp47TZngN6xaYmeLUuymhP7i4K1G2yaM30-PRvshTaR2-vJtsgMNgh-SSIP7v2q4VMlA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+035.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEAea9q0kIrcMhgMIaFc4N_8YTvDq3c6k3uyWiNIDbHO2Xa28FilqyxThpknUwE9cnqkp47TZngN6xaYmeLUuymhP7i4K1G2yaM30-PRvshTaR2-vJtsgMNgh-SSIP7v2q4VMlA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+035.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488115123575726642" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">Brother Kifli-Oops... did you bite the chilli?</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zhtbEFefgDox9wyLUSsISm70kRH-tuje__z9KLt488GgtnzCNyhh5Q4dofpIyG4kKG1HSXr2RhjLPEut46nGEPqeVcWs1Z5GPwabl1p-b3EbZV26Vc1aLvUE9CZO4E-iE0r8vQ/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+036.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5zhtbEFefgDox9wyLUSsISm70kRH-tuje__z9KLt488GgtnzCNyhh5Q4dofpIyG4kKG1HSXr2RhjLPEut46nGEPqeVcWs1Z5GPwabl1p-b3EbZV26Vc1aLvUE9CZO4E-iE0r8vQ/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+036.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488115109102774706" /></a><br /><br />Tessa's cousins on Ram's side were also present for the merriment. A good turnout in deed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><span style="font-style:italic;">First Cousins, Second Cousins and More..... Can Amir remember all?</span></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8PvodobsJhgWX_BbQHSplpZcgniwL7cFnDMefXkX_jwtOG_N-pJ6rb_pPLW0HuoOVv8NwSaBeBcMsaDMMxsn1OqsXKy3nhhoYOc8yToWlREu0LaEjNioDNUbXrHeFao8-EPwWw/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+039.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL8PvodobsJhgWX_BbQHSplpZcgniwL7cFnDMefXkX_jwtOG_N-pJ6rb_pPLW0HuoOVv8NwSaBeBcMsaDMMxsn1OqsXKy3nhhoYOc8yToWlREu0LaEjNioDNUbXrHeFao8-EPwWw/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+039.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488110666924142146" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPhRCZbBuenvJgewij-OcEFubIxKtnfjaXFcl-xM7m4V_sS7VE8QDhqMGuEVl8j2K1Z5u1puqQAOEPZM9K8j0uaUlxN2T-LPZslzy3efZwudMWjYzqhykD0TsKqhbjrtPsYjbGA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+045.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmPhRCZbBuenvJgewij-OcEFubIxKtnfjaXFcl-xM7m4V_sS7VE8QDhqMGuEVl8j2K1Z5u1puqQAOEPZM9K8j0uaUlxN2T-LPZslzy3efZwudMWjYzqhykD0TsKqhbjrtPsYjbGA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+045.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488110655854515122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDqfdF9xm_m0mBp5rf_vIYGz6apKtbCrO-0KekK-9EOW9H45IGT06lxVbIQ09aXkLpDEPXTjtLj9r6p_4bVFyJWE1f-0FvuB0kMIIjMZRlqvRBUAkkegTqTBXvKYzeIqT_kkx0A/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+046.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLDqfdF9xm_m0mBp5rf_vIYGz6apKtbCrO-0KekK-9EOW9H45IGT06lxVbIQ09aXkLpDEPXTjtLj9r6p_4bVFyJWE1f-0FvuB0kMIIjMZRlqvRBUAkkegTqTBXvKYzeIqT_kkx0A/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+046.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488110648559358530" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmg4MQzmOYwlTxpaCmoGiFCuBVYy8YeNgDlBD5uc2A9qfrKhMmLDo-_sPUda_5u6X_o78hul-PCCefrpZxr9jjQckAGd2PoN9ZK-7S-faWQQj8ZjLgBMnRLKNkdTsQ0JtuZs1gA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+049.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcmg4MQzmOYwlTxpaCmoGiFCuBVYy8YeNgDlBD5uc2A9qfrKhMmLDo-_sPUda_5u6X_o78hul-PCCefrpZxr9jjQckAGd2PoN9ZK-7S-faWQQj8ZjLgBMnRLKNkdTsQ0JtuZs1gA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+049.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488110632953110722" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdmd8-MmQpo1EA4sFX72ZhWrUJrhN1VZghzDbU_Y8MwwhqIWC-DwvS9gIdsJeTDxptcghjBBm4f_iThVahiyWVnk58oig1FVHWPN-Y0XJy5y6Wz3ImGgQ-hZfAtNsNuze-ruaUA/s1600/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+051.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdmd8-MmQpo1EA4sFX72ZhWrUJrhN1VZghzDbU_Y8MwwhqIWC-DwvS9gIdsJeTDxptcghjBBm4f_iThVahiyWVnk58oig1FVHWPN-Y0XJy5y6Wz3ImGgQ-hZfAtNsNuze-ruaUA/s320/Newlyweds+In+JB+W+Yok+Mak+051.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5488110624754226802" /></a><br /><br />All praises to the Almighty, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds, for bestowing upon us the pleasure of a wonderful afternoon and the days beyond, for keeping the newlyweds and all others present in good health so that we could all meet with renewed and lasting family relationships and we continually seek His Guidance and Protection to preserve the good relationships amongst us present. And may He be pleased with all our efforts........ Amin YaRabbul Alamin....<br /><br />MKI Ramblings Unlimited,<br />Petaling JayaMKI Ramblings Unlimitedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02056955208386568858noreply@blogger.com6