MKI Ramblings Unlimited

Khatam Al Quran

2011-11-28T13:56:00.001+08:00

Sunday, 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.

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.

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.

The guests in attendance. The youngest, Hadeef, is the one standing in front

Preliminaries before the recital.....

The recital session by Hifzhan and Haziq

The Quran teacher is the one on the left.

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......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Ram's Left Eye cont'd.

2011-10-17T09:51:00.000+08:00

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.

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....

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....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Ram's Left Eye

2011-10-12T21:45:00.002+08:00

Another 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!!

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.

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.

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!

More to follow! May the Almighty be pleased.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Long Overdue Posting

2011-09-22T16:27:00.003+08:00

Got 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.

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.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Time To Let GO

2010-12-24T15:47:00.002+08:00

At 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.

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.

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.

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………

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Life Dreams and Achievement

2010-12-22T18:34:00.001+08:00

Dinosaurs – 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!

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…..

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……..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

The Quintessential Dad

2010-12-15T00:19:00.004+08:00

Hj Ismail bin Md Yassin bin Abdul Jani bin Moepati
22 Nov 1921 - 8 Aug 1986

Dad, Several Years Before His Retirement From Government Service

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.

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.

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!

Mum, Active in Politics, Women's Movement, Community and Public Service

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 boiling 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!

Three Days After Their Wedding on 3rd January 1943

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.
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.
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…..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Mum In JB

2010-11-25T23:01:00.007+08:00

It 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!!

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.

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'.

No Effort Pushing The Wheel-chair, Mum is Light!

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.

Very Relaxed

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.

Brother Abid Contemplating Something? Maybe Re-arranging the Flower Pots!!

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.

Yup, Rearranging Pots It was!!

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.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Ten (10) Commandments Of Those Over 60 years old.

2010-09-05T18:56:00.002+08:00

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.....

1. Focus on enjoying people not on indulging in or accumulating Material things.

2. Plan to spend whatever you have saved. You deserve to enjoy it and the few healthy years you have left.

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.

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.

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.

5. Accept physical weakness, sickness and other physical pains. It is a part of the aging process. Enjoy whatever your health can allow.

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.

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.

8. Forgive and accept forgiveness. Forgive yourself and others. Enjoy peace of mind and peace of soul.

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.
10. Be at peace with your Creator. For, He is all you have after you leave this life.

Thank You

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Aging - An Interesting Read

2010-08-25T11:50:00.003+08:00

Received this from a friend who got it from the net:

MINISTER MENTOR LEE KUAN YEW ON AGING

MY CONCERN today is, what is it I can tell you which can add to your
knowledge about ageing and what ageing societies can do. You know more about
this subject than I do. A lot of it is out in the media, Internet and books.
So I thought the best way would be to take a personal standpoint and tell
you how I approach this question of ageing.

If I cast my mind back, I can see turning points in my physical and mental
health. You know, when you're young, I didn't bother, assumed good health
was God-given and would always be there. When I was about -'57 that was - I
was about 34, we were competing in elections, and I was really fond of
drinking beer and smoking.. And after the election campaign, in Victoria
Memorial Hall - we had won the election, the City Council election - I
couldn't thank the voters because I had lost my voice. I'd been smoking
furiously. I'd take a packet of 10 to deceive myself, but I'd run through
the packet just sitting on the stage, watching the crowd, getting the
feeling, the mood before I speak. In other words, there were three speeches
a night. Three speeches a night, 30 cigarettes, a lot of beer after that,
and the voice was gone.

I remember I had a case in Kuching, Sarawak . So I took the flight and I
felt awful.. I had to make up my mind whether I was going to be an effective
campaigner and a lawyer, in which case I cannot destroy my voice, and I
can't go on. So I stopped smoking. It was a tremendous deprivation because I
was addicted to it. And I used to wake up dreaming...the nightmare was I
resumed smoking.

But I made a choice and said, if I continue this, I will not be able to do
my job. I didn't know anything about cancer of the throat or oesophagus or
the lungs, etc. But it turned out it had many other deleterious effects.

Strangely enough after that, I became very allergic, hyper-allergic to
smoking, so much so that I would plead with my Cabinet ministers not to
smoke in the Cabinet room. You want to smoke, please go out, because I am
allergic.

Then one day I was at the home of my colleague, Mr Rajaratnam, meeting
foreign correspondents including some from the London Times and they took a
picture of me and I had a big belly like that (puts his hands in front of
his belly), a beer belly. I felt no, no, this will not do. So I started
playing more golf, hit hundreds of balls on the practice tee. But this
didn't go down. There was only one way it could go down: consume less, burn
up more.

Another turning point came when - this was 1976, after the general election
- I was feeling tired. I was breathing deeply at the Istana, on the lawns.
My daughter, who at that time just graduating as a doctor, said: 'What are
you trying to do?' I said: 'I feel an effort to breathe in more oxygen.' She
said: 'Don't play golf. Run. Aerobics.' So she gave me a book, quite a
famous book and, then, very current in America on how you score aerobic
points swimming, running, whatever it is, cycling. I looked at it
sceptically. I wasn't very keen on running. I was keen on golf. So I said,
'Let's try'. So in-between golf shots while playing on my own, sometimes
nine holes at the Istana, I would try and walk fast between shots.. Then I
began to run between shots. And I felt better. After a while, I said: 'Okay,
after my golf, I run.' And after a few years, I said: 'Golf takes so long.
The running takes 15 minutes. Let's cut out the golf and let's run.'

I think the most important thing in ageing is you got to understand
yourself. And the knowledge now is all there. When I was growing up, the
knowledge wasn't there. I had to get the knowledge from friends, from
doctors. But, perhaps, the most important bit of knowledge that the doctor
gave me was one day, when I said: 'Look, I'm feeling slower and sluggish.'
So he gave me a medical encyclopaedia and he turned the pages to ageing. I
read it up and it was illuminating. A lot of it was difficult jargon but I
just skimmed through to get the gist of it.

As you grow, you reach 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and then, thereafter, you are
on a gradual slope down physically. Mentally, you carry on and on and on
until I don't know what age, but mathematicians will tell you that they know
their best output is when they're in their 20s and 30s when your mental
energy is powerful and you haven't lost many neurons.. That's what they tell
me.

So, as you acquire more knowledge, you then craft a programme for yourself
to maximise what you have. It's just common sense. I never planned to live
till 85 or 84! I just didn't think about it. I said: 'Well, my mother died
when she was 74, she had a stroke. My father died when he was 94.'

But I saw him, and he lived a long life, well, maybe it was his DNA. But
more than that, he swam every day and he kept himself busy. He was working
for the Shell company. He was in charge, he was a superintendent of an oil
depot. When he retired, he started becoming a salesman. So people used to
tell me: 'Your father is selling watches at BP de Silva.' My father was then
living with me. But it kept him busy. He had that routine: He meets people,
he sells watches, he buys and sells all kinds of semi-precious stones, he
circulates coins. And he keeps going. But at 87, 88, he fell, going down the
steps from his room to the dining room, broke his arm, three months
incapacitated. Thereafter, he couldn't go back to swimming. Then he became
wheelchair-bound.

Then it became a problem because my house was constructed that way. So my
brother, who's a doctor and had a flat (one-level) house, took him in. And
he lived on till 94. But towards the end, he had gradual loss of mental
powers.

So my calculations, I'm somewhere between 74 and 94. And I've reached the
halfway point now. But have I? Well, 1996 when I was 73, I was cycling and I
felt tightening on the neck. Oh, I must retire today. So I stopped. Next
day, I returned to the bicycle. After five minutes it became worse.

So I said, no, no, this is something serious, it's got to do with the blood
vessels. Rung up my doctor, who said, 'Come tomorrow'. Went tomorrow, he
checked me, and said: 'Come back tomorrow for an angiogram.' I said: 'What's
that?' He said: 'We'll pump something in and we'll see whether the coronary
arteries are cleared or blocked.' I was going to go home. But an MP who was
a cardiologist happened to be around, so he came in and said: 'What are you
doing here?' I said: 'I've got this.' He said: 'Don't go home. You stay here
tonight. I've sent patients home and they never came back. Just stay here.
They'll put you on the monitor. They'll watch your heart. And if anything,
an emergency arises, they will take you straight to the theatre. You go
home. You've got no such monitor. You may never come back.'

So I stayed there. Pumped in the dye, yes it was blocked, the left
circumflex, not the critical, lead one. So that's lucky for me. Two weeks
later, I was walking around, I felt it's coming back. Yes it has come back,
it had occluded. So this time they said: 'We'll put in a stent.'

I'm one of the first few in Singapore to have the stent, so it was a brand
new operation. Fortunately, the man who invented the stent was out here
selling his stent. He was from San Jose , La Jolla something or the other.
So my doctor got hold of him and he supervised the operation. He said put
the stent in. My doctor did the operation, he just watched it all and then
that's that. That was before all this problem about lining the stent to make
sure that it doesn't occlude and create a disturbance.

So at each stage, I learnt something more about myself and I stored that. I
said: 'Oh, this is now a danger point.' So alright, cut out fats, change
diet, went to see a specialist in Boston , Massachusetts General Hospital .
He said: 'Take statins.' I said: 'What's that?' He said: '(They) help to
reduce your cholesterol.' My doctors were concerned. They said: 'You don't
need it. Your cholesterol levels are okay.' Two years later, more medical
evidence came out. So the doctors said: 'Take statins.'

Had there been no angioplasty, had I not known that something was up and I
cycled on, I might have gone at 74 like my mother. So I missed that
deadline.

So next deadline: my father's fall at 87.

I'm very careful now because sometimes when I turn around too fast, I feel
as if I'm going to get off balance. So my daughter, a neurologist, she took
me to the NNI, there's this nerve conduction test, put electrodes here and
there. The transmission of the messages between the feet and the brain has
slowed down.

So all the exercise, everything, effort put in, I'm fit, I swim, I cycle..
But I can't prevent this losing of conductivity of the nerves and this
transmission. So just go slow.

So when I climb up the steps, I have no problem. When I go down the steps,
I need to be sure that I've got something I can hang on to, just in case. So
it's a constant process of adjustment.

But I think the most important single lesson I learnt in life was that if
you isolate yourself, you're done for. The human being is a social animal -
he needs stimuli, he needs to meet people, to catch up with the world.

I don't much like travel but I travel very frequently despite the jet lag,
because I get to meet people of great interest to me, who will help me in my
work as chairman of our GIC. So I know, I'm on several boards of banks,
international advisory boards of banks, of oil companies and so on. And I
meet them and I get to understand what's happening in the world, what has
changed since I was here one month ago, one year ago. I go to India , I go
to China .

And that stimuli brings me to the world of today. I'm not living in the
world, when I was active, more active 20, 30 years ago. So I tell my wife.
She woke up late today. I said: 'Never mind, you come along by 12 o'clock. I
go first.'

If you sit back - because part of the ending part of the encyclopaedia which
I read was very depressing - as you get old, you withdraw from everything
and then all you will have is your bedroom and the photographs and the
furniture that you know, and that's your world. So if you've got to go to
hospital, the doctor advises you to bring some photographs so that you'll
know you're not lost in a different world, that this is like your bedroom.

I'm determined that I will not, as long as I can, to be reduced, to have my
horizons closed on me like that. It is the stimuli, it is the constant
interaction with people across the world that keeps me aware and alive to
what's going on and what we can do to adjust to this different world.

In other words, you must have an interest in life. If you believe that at
55, you're retiring, you're going to read books, play golf and drink wine,
then I think you're done for. So statistically they will show you that all
the people who retire and lead sedentary lives, the pensioners die off very
quickly.

So we now have a social problem with medical sciences, new procedures, new
drugs, many more people are going to live long lives. If the mindset is that
when I reach retirement age 62, I'm old, I can't work anymore, I don't have
to work, I just sit back, now is the time I'll enjoy life, I think you're
making the biggest mistake of your life. After one month, or after two
months, even if you go travelling with nothing to do, with no purpose in
life, you will just degrade, you'll go to seed.

The human being needs a challenge, and my advice to every person in
Singapore and elsewhere: Keep yourself interested, have a challenge. If
you're not interested in the world and the world is not interested in you,
the biggest punishment a man can receive is total isolation in a dungeon,
black and complete withdrawal of all stimuli, that's real torture. So when I
read that people believe, Singaporeans say: 'Oh, 62 I'm retiring.' I say to
them: 'You really want to die quickly?' If you want to see sunrise tomorrow
or sunset, you must have a reason, you must have the stimuli to keep going'.

-------------- ooooOOOOoooo -------------

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Mum's Second Visit To Tempua

2010-07-16T11:33:00.007+08:00

Members 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.

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.

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.

New Main Entrance

Mum's New Room With Attached Bath And....

.....Wide Bay Windows

After Touring The House

Brother Zulkifli brought mixed breakfast food and drinks for the family members to enjoy amidst all the work.....

>Mum Relaxed While Checking Out Progress

Check Out The Chandelier - Show Off,
Just Coz Mum Was There, Ha Ha!

The New Warisan TCC Corner - The Information Center

Entrance To Recreated Room and The Kitchen To The Right

An Additional Room Recreated

3rd Generation - We've Got A Job To Finish

No No No! Not Gossipping, But Sharing Information Ha Ha Ha!

3rd Generation - More Stories To Share ?

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.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Newlyweds Visited Grandma In JB

2010-06-29T16:19:00.013+08:00

Both 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.

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.

Grandma In Her Best Waiting For The Newlyweds and Other Family Members

The Newlyweds

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.

Also Newlyweds?? But why sit far apart? Ha Ha! Brother Abid and wife Juli

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!!

Uncle Shamsudin, Mum's younger brother

Laksa - The Bride's favourite... but then its everyones' favourite too!!

A good afternoon. Nice weather. Good turnout of relatives. Everyone enjoyed the camaraderie and togetherness.

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.

Another Uncle and Wife

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.

Old Friend from Palembang - Windy and Ibu Roccherdi

That's Pak Roccherdi

Hostess - My Sister Rosni with Uncle Baharudin

Hmmmmm Yummy!

Enjoying the Food

Hairani - Another Sister Just Arrived

Brother Kifli-Oops... did you bite the chilli?

Tessa's cousins on Ram's side were also present for the merriment. A good turnout in deed.

First Cousins, Second Cousins and More..... Can Amir remember all?

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....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Former Housemates Dinner Gathering

2010-06-26T08:18:00.015+08:00

1966 through to 1968/69. We were bachelors sharing a bungalow house in Teluk Gadong, halfway between Kelang and Port Kelang. We were all of about the same age and were all on our first jobs. One was in the Customs, others were in the shipping industry while I was with the petrochemicals/fertilizer industry. We had 'activities', innocent ones, like most groups of bachelors of that era do. These activities drew us close to each other.

All of us got married within three years of each other, all have children and all have grandchildren now. We met often in the early days, but as time went by, with pursuits of career, family commitments and life demands taking center stage in our lives, our meetings became less and less frequent. If at all we met at weddings and other rare occasions.

At the same time some opted for further studies and indeed one went on to complete doctorate level while some others improved their standings in society. We were the captains and lieutenants of our chosen industry and vocation. Some gained titles with prefixes to their names but we are all still known by our own short names when we were first together.

With impending Tessa's wedding, one of us, Rahman, suggested we should find a date for all of us to get together. Although all would be present at Tessa's wedding but it would not be a suitable occasion for us to catch up on the long lost times. A date was found and we agreed to meet over dinner at the PJ Hilton one evening last week.

Rahman and Azizah hosted and all turned up on time. A lot of friendly banter and memory recalls that night. We laughed at the antics of some and at incidents of past. We had a good time and a lot of catching up with each other. It was pleasant and it was nostalgic. Would we want to do it again? Yes everyone said and we will just have to find another suitable time to do that. We should include one or two others that we could not locate for this occasion.....

That's Rahman and Azizah, The Hosts, Checking Out If Any Of Us Have Arrived

Ismail and Wife Next. Yati too but Where Was Daud?

Yusof Greeting the Camera? Ha ha ha!

Minah and Ramlah Exchanging Greetings at the Back with Ever Smiling Daud at the Corner Forefront

Hi! Harun, Long Time No See!!

All Together Now - Lets Scratch Our Backs! Ha Ha Ha!

Omigosh! What's That Huh?

Golf Talk Of Course

Some Went For Buffet Spread, Some Ala-cart But In The End All Had A bit Of Everything!!

Ramlah On the Right, Yati Center and Masri Next to Yati

Wow! A Big Pan of Pizza! Shared by All! Waiting In Anticipation?

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Breakfast Family Gathering

2010-06-23T23:42:00.011+08:00

My Youngest Sister, Dr Munira and husband Dr Ismail, held a breakfast gathering in their house in JB last Saturday for the family. It was an opportunity I would not want to miss and I had yet to see Mum after Tessa's wedding. Mum could not attend the wedding as she was not too well to travel long distances after the fall she had several weeks ago. She is recovering slowly and is able to travel short distances now. She can also walk about in the house, slowly but with help from others. More than that she will need the wheel chair.

All my siblings and their families living in JB were there for the gathering and there were lots of laughter and fun banterings around. Breakfast was mainly 'Nasi Lemak' i.e rice steamed in coconut milk with various condiments like cucumber, boiled eggs, fried anchovies, prawns in sambal (chili gravy) and other foods.

Mum was the happiest of all I think. She did not move about and sat in her chair all the time but she was smiling all the way and asked about the wedding and the wedding couple several times. I must remember to ask Tessa to go down to JB and introduce the Bridegroom to her Grandma as soon as possible. She is still in an island somewhere for her honeymoon.

Pictures as follows.....

With Mum

Food and More Food!!

From Tessa's Wedding - Special Cake For Mum Who Could Not Attend!!

Wash Up Time

The 3rd Generation

In-Laws - Puff Puff Time, Heh Heh!!

Out-Laws? Ha ha! White Haired Siblings!!

Not Done Eating Yet?

What Happens If I Blow The Soup Spoon?

Soup On My Chest - Yak!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Transforming Teratak Senyum Simpul - The Road, Driveway and House for Wedding

2010-06-17T11:11:00.015+08:00

The selection of wedding date was made by the wedding couple, with parents' blessings of course, but there was only three months grace period. At such short notice most of the big halls in town and hotels have been fully booked, some up to one year in advance. We had no choice but to hold the wedding in the house. There are the pros. and cons. to holding the wedding in the house but there is no limit to the number of people we can invite. Halls will be limited. Ramlah and I come from a very big family, and our circle of friends have widened over the years, hence there are more advantages to hold the wedding in the house. We need however to do some transformation. The house has to be spruced up, permission to close the road had to be obtained from the local authority and the police, but most of all permission from the neighbours, especially the close ones, had to be sought since some of their driveways will be blocked during the function, indeed some were blocked for several days.

Plans to transform Teratak Senyum Simpul or 'Hut of Tantalizing Smiles' were put in place. Yup, we have named our house such to invite smiles from one and all who pass through our gate. Preparations for the wedding took several weeks. Tessa herself was the planner and roped in her close friends to help. Son, Shaffik took over a week before the date and that week, preparations were at a fast track but in a controlled pace because all at work were professionals in their own work area. Tents were put up on the road in front of our house and in the compound. Dressing up the house with various decors took several days. Preparing the bridal room and other wedding paraphernalia were similarly paced. Furnitures were moved and our immediate neighbour came to our rescue allowing us to store them in their house. Loose stuff in the halls and other areas in the house were boxed up and stored in the attic. It was hectic, it was busy but still there was proper control.

Here are some pictures of how the house was before and after transformation.

Before Transformation:
The Hall and Dining Area

The Library On Top

The Intended Bridal Room

Many Hands Make Work Easy!!

The Road In Front

The Patio

The Entrance Driveway

The Front Compound

The Road Outside The House

The Tents Coming Up In Stages

Tratak Senyum Simpul / The Hut Of Tantalizing Smiles

Before The Guests Arrive

Transformed Bridal Room

Under The Tent Within The House Compound

Honoured Guests - Amir's Family Members

The Long-awaited Event, Tessa's Wedding.....

2010-06-16T00:00:00.000+08:00

Natesa Yuslina is her given name and Tessa or Tess or Kak Long are names she goes by amongst colleagues at work, amongst friends, relatives and immediate family. Whatever name she is known as they are beautiful names and to us, Ramlah and I, she is our beautiful first-borne. The day finally came for us to give her away and that was on the 12th of June 2010. The lucky guy to have won her had our full blessings. She has flown from the 'cuckoo's nest' a long time ago chasing a career that has taken her through the various facets of corporate management and also to many parts of the world and have taught her self-confidence, perseverance and independence but most of all she has learnt to often come back to the cuckoo's nest for renewed build-up of the good traits. She now has a chance to share these traits with someone that she love and adore and I hope the sharing will be in the atmosphere of physical and mental togetherness in the presence of emotional security. These are values Ram and I have adopted throughout our married life.

The build-up to the event had put in butterflies in Ram's and my tummy, which had increased in population as the days drew nearer although we knew at the outset that we had good people that we can depend on. The planning was initiated by Tessa herself and the execution was carried out by close friends and relatives with son Shaffik being the main coordinator. There was a good turnout for the event and I think by estimates it was more than 90% attendance. We were lucky that the food caterer had brought along raw materials that they cooked on the spot noticing that there was no let up of people coming for the event. There was more than enough food for everybody. The roads leading to our house, I was told, was jammed up with cars of guests who came. At the height, many had to double park making the traffic flow even worse.

The marriage solemnisation ceremony was scheduled to start at 11.00 am and was to be immediately followed by the reception. There was a slight delay though, but all turned out ok in the end.

Arrival of the Bridegroom and Entourage Accompanied by Orphans and "Hadrah" Group from Yayasan AlJenderami Following Closely Behind

The Bride Flanked by the Bridesmaids Waiting patiently

Some had become Restless?

Yayasan AlJenderami Orphans and Hadrah Group singing welcome and praises

Waiting for Ceremony to Start

The gifts in Seven Trays from The Bridegroom with the Traditional Return of Nine Trays from The Bride

The Two Spokesmen, Bride's cousin, a recently Retired General of the Army, on the left and Bridegroom's Uncle, a Practicing Architect, Representing Each Parent and Exchanging gifts

Checking Checking Checking ! ! !

Thank you for the Gifts!

These are our Gifts In Return!

I Think The Bridegroom is Getting Nervous! Lets Start With the Solemnisation!

The Solemnisation: Amir Mu'az bin Ahmad Zulkifli, Aku Nikahkan dikau.......... / Aku Terima Nikah Natesa Yuslina bt Mohd Kamil.......

The Declaration: I do solemnly declare that if............

Handing of Maskahwin

Rxchanging Wedding Rings

With Both Parents

Reception At Bridegrooms' on 13th June

The Wedding Cake and thats a model of Amir's car!!

Two days of celebrations and the many days of preparations went on very well. The settings for the wedding and for the reception were of non-standard features which were pleasant and left the guests very pleased. The butterflies in our tummy have now flown away. The newlyweds are now honeymooning on a far away island. Our prayers are for them to be happy and have a blissful life together for the rest of their lives. Amin YaRabbul Alamin.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

A Chance Meeting A Friend Of Old....

2010-05-20T17:38:00.002+08:00

We were out in the other side of KL today doing some ‘must do’ errands and stopped at a restaurant that we have not visited for a good ten years or more. The restaurant is still the same, the same operators and the same spread of food, mostly traditional southern malay cooking, and as crowded as it used to be during lunch time.

All of the tables were taken up but there was a four sitter table with a lone customer who, when seeing us looking for seats offered us to join his table and we gladly took the offer. It was very kind of him. He looked kind of familiar and apparently he too was sizing me up as someone familiar to him. The moment he started to speak I recognized the voice and his face immediately became familiar. A face I have been familiar with but add to it the ravage of time for more than thirty years, with wrinkles at the odd places, a set of teeth that have shown signs of overtime use, and receding white hair covered by a skull cap. I must have appeared the same to him, ha ha ha! Suddenly we had a lot of questions for each other and lunch? We forgot how the food tasted as we were busy concentrating on information exchange.

He lives nearby he said, his wife is always busy at her medical clinic in the city and all his children have their own things to do and so, lunch has been a lone affair most of the time. He married late, hence he is retired (a retired businessman) but his wife is not ready to retire yet; his eldest just married recently and he is hoping a grandchild will fill up the void in his daily activity. He did joke that he has no capacity to start another kitchen, ha ha ha! That was his usual self, always full of pun and jokes.

He asked about my family and closed relatives and was surprised that my mum is still alive while one or two others have passed away. Mum is a wonderful woman he said. Her busy activities in politics and other family connections must have been an inspiration to him. He asked where mum lives and when I told him where, he was immediately familiar with the area as he often pass mum’s house when visiting his own relatives nearby. If it’s the third house going up the slope, on the left and slightly elevated from the road level is familiar he said. The gate is always open during the day he said and noticed a lot of activity going on, and always thought that the house is cheerful and the owner must be ‘somebody’ respected, since there were many going ins and outs, perhaps visitors for the owner. He often wondered whose house it was but had never asked anybody. If only he had, then he would have been one of the regular visitors for mum and not be a stranger to us for more than thirty years!!

I told him of the impending wedding in my house, I did not have a wedding invitation card with me then, and invited him and family to the affair stressing that a personal invitation is more valuable than a mere card!! He promised that he will attend and I am looking forward to his presence. What a pleasant chance meeting that was…….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

In Melaka

2010-03-31T20:23:00.008+08:00

There was a cousin's wedding in Melaka last weekend. Ram and I went down to JB a few days before the wedding to visit mum and other family members. Ram also had some personal errands to attend to in JB. We have been away in UK and thought we should go down to visit Mum.

While in JB and apart from attending to the necessary errands, we also took the opportunity to visit the grave of elders, Ram's family home, favourite food outlets and others.

On the way back to KL we stopped in Melaka to attend the wedding reception. Brother Abid lives in Melaka, so his house was our base when we attended the wedding. Mum was taken by brother Li to the wedding. Brother Joe came from KL and that made a rare occassion for the four brothers altogether in one place.

The Four Brothers

One sister and all our spouses were there in Abid's house after the wedding. We just had to take a picture together.

Four Brothers, A Sister And Spouses

Mum Had Just Arrived

Although we had our fill of food at the wedding reception we just cannot turn down the 'signature' fried noodles prepared by Abid's wife. It was a hot day. Cool iced juice and hot black coffee were both welcomed to wash the noodle down.

Fried Noodles High Tea

Sis-in-law Giving Instructions to Her Office Whilst Mum Takes A Nap

Mum Going Home

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Two Sisters In UK

2010-03-02T20:02:00.001+08:00

Two Sisters, Aishah and Hani, my nieces from my youngest sister, are in UK. Both are studying to be medical doctors in two different Universities, Aishah in Dublin and Hani in Bristol. We had the opportunity to catch up with them recently.

Aishah was on a break and came to Tenby one weekend. The weather was not too good the weekend she came nevertheless we took the opportunity to go out and visit some places close to Tenby. We drove to St David and Fishguard and visited the church and interesting heritage buildings there.

Two Red Cars, Fahrul's on the Left; On The Right Is More Attractive!!

A nice drive to St David, through country roads with country view and occasionally along the beautiful beaches but too cold this time of the year to stop and enjoy them!!

In St David With Aishah

From St David we drove on to Fishguard and stopped at a restaurant for lunch, a fast food outlet and one that we were familiar with having been there once before.

Going For Lunch

Lunch In Fishguard

Last weekend Sita had some commitment to attend to in Eastleigh, a town close to Southampton. On the way there we stopped in Bristol to visit Hani. She was waiting for us in her house which is close to the University. The two little kids were happy as they could be free to move around in the house after being cooped in the car all the way from Tenby. We only stopped for a while and moved on before it got too dark. It was another two hours drive or so to the hotel in Eastleigh.

Just Arrived At Hani's House In Bristol

With Farhani (Hani) In Her House

Hot Tea On A Cold Day With Crackers To Add Flavour While Catching Up On Old Times

Don't mind me please! I'm updating my facebook!!

My New Groove

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

More of Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

2010-02-28T04:39:00.000+08:00

From the Main South Shield Park, after Najla had her fun at the swing and the sand shovel, we went to another park nearby, by the mouth of the River Tyne, an area where there were displays of metal sculptures, in bronze I think they were, nicely made by one Spanish Artist (deceased). I forgot his name. The place is called "Conversation Corner", with stories behind them if one care to let one's imagination flow.

Hi! Little One

Senior Folks In A Meeting

A Family Gathering?

A Hand In Friendship Was Offered, Najla Shook It In Response

Looking Out To Sea In Anticipation, For The Ship To Come In?

A discussion going on?

"My oh my, look at the time", Keeping An Appointment With A Friend. Where Is He?

There were many more other sculptures similar to the ones in the pictures above. They were really conversation pieces.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Newcastle-Upon-Tyne

2010-02-26T04:15:00.024+08:00

View From The Top Of Castle Keep in the City Center

Of all places why Newcastle? and at this time of the year? they said..... For one its been there and we have not been there yet but for another, and this is the main reason, to visit a close friend, Henk (HVA) and his wife Norma, whom I have not met for years, more than the number of fingers in both hands. We were together in the oil and gas project of building an oil refinery. We have not been in contact since we parted ways that long time ago. Recently another friend sent me a group photograph of the pioneering team for the refinery which triggered my memories and of the times spent with each member of the team in the photograph. That was also when I decided to locate this friend whom I know lives in UK and alternate with Greece depending on the heat of the sun. Since I was going to UK very soon I thought it would be nice for us to get together. I asked around, got hold of his email, followed through and the result was this trip to Newcastle.
Another View of the City
The Colourful Millenium Bridge

After arriving at the apartment in Sandhill Road, Quayside, I called HVA who was expecting my call anytime then. I had pre-informed him of our expected time of arrival and he had expected us to call over for dinner at his home. With the satellite navigator it was no hassle finding our way to his home, an apartment some 10 minutes out of the city. Dinner was Greek food, something not quite unfamiliar for us as we have had Greek food before, and something that we looked forward to to try. The food was good but we were so immersed in exchanging stories and catching up on lost times that the food became a secondary element of the visit. The children on the other hand were enjoying themselves with all the attention given by the elders, Najla had wooden building blocks to play with while Fieras was free to roam about on all fours, most times annoying his elder sister by knocking her building blocks down!!
With Norma
On The Trampoline in The Study
HVA

Henk and Norma were most hospitable and took care of us while we were in Newcastle. They took us to South Shields, close to the mouth of the Tyne, to a museum first, then to a park and later saw metallic sculptures by a Spanish artist and sculptor in another sandy park, the Conversation Corner of South Beach, close by. The sculptures tells an unwritten short story if only one would observe closely and let imaginations flow.

At The Museum

Najla was most excited on this outing as she had opportunities to do activities that she enjoyed. Starting with the Museum in town we spent quite a while viewing the exhibits shown including some live, glass-caged reptiles.

Najla was most fascinated with the snakes. She spent quite a long time at the display.

I am not scared of the snakes

Coal Mining Displays, Stressing on Operation Safety

At The Playground

From the Museum we moved on to the park where there was a pond and several children playgrounds suitable for various ages. In fact there were facilities suitable for 'children' of toddlers age upwards, those with walking sticks included, ha ha ha!! I noticed many children, parents and grand parents, including yours sincerely, enjoying themselves. The weather was good, sun shining bright and a slight breeze on our faces.
With Granny Norma feeding the ducks
Operating a sand shovel. "I am Bob The Builder"
Lovely Day and Weather

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

A February Birthday In Tenby

2010-02-23T09:14:00.000+08:00

The weather was wet and gloomy, outside temperatures in the very low single digit, occasionally going below zero, the sun hiding behind dark clouds, but the day was a special day for Tok Mi, one that is celebrated annually, come rain, snow or sunshine, heh heh. If not for anything else but for reminding that the age number is up another notch although at this age we have begun to consider age as just a number, a combination of digits that keep changing annually, and secretly wishing that we add it up one by one annually as many times as possible, with the Blessings of the Almighty.....

Najla prepared a special card for Tok Mi, one she did all on her own, in her own hand, quite an effort for a five year old. I asked her in the afternoon, when she returned from school, what day this was, and she replied that it was Tok Mi's Birthday and that she has a special secret for Tok Mi to be given to her at dinner time. True to her plans she handed the card to Tok Mi just before dinner together with hugs and kisses naturally....

The Address on the cover

The Message For Tok Mi

Dinner was at a very nice and cozy restaurant in the country side not too far away from Tenby that Fahrul brought us to. It was in a large country house with a large waiting area and a proper fireplace. There wasn't a crowd that night and we almost had the place to ourselves, thus A-ok for the kids too. Normal dinners are usually starters, main course and dessert, but here the portions were big and we all could only manage starters and main course. All had to give the dessert a miss although the cheese-cake was very tempting. This was the third time I had to give cheese-cake a miss sheeeesh!

In the Waiting Lounge

Three Generations

The Fire Place

Tenby Family

We took our time for dinner and we were not rushed. They served as and when we were ready, no hurry. The food was good, the portions big and true to our family's tradition each individual orders were different and the dinner plates kept rotating amongst us, ha ha. A way of satisfying our varied tastebuds all in one dinner.

At The Dinner Table With Fieras Heading The Dinner!!
A Birthday Cake?

It was a good dinner outing, the extreme cold notwithstanding, and I think Ram enjoyed herself. About three hours for dinner was something extraordinary, easy and laid back but with overfilled tummy was something we were not used to cope with. But then, it was a special occasion and something we rarely do even if birthdays comes once a year!! But then next birthday will be quite a challenge then......

Between Starter and Main Course!!

Always In Control!!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Long Distance Driving in UK

2010-02-21T03:20:00.000+08:00

Our third week in UK was spent travelling Northeastwards to Newcastle. Fahrul could not get away from work and remained behind in Tenby. With two little kids, Najla and Fieras, we took the country road through Aberyswyth and then to Liverpool. We stopped at several places to view the sceneries and the facilities and then stayed overnight at a hotel in Chorley just outside of and to the North of Preston, Lancashire, which is further north of Liverpool. The weather along the way was cloudy with rain here and there and of course cold, but we had the warmth of the car!! Approaching Aberyswyth

No fan of the Team but just had to stop over

We had a surprise when we woke up the next morning in Chorley. It was snowing and the grounds around the hotel were all white... brrrrr.... Snowfall stopped by mid morning and we were on our way off to Newcastle taking the country roads again and avoiding the motorways as much as we can. We took the country road through Barnard Castle, a small, hilly town with the castle on top of a hill. We stopped for a while to stretch ourselves and then off on our way to Newcastle-on-Tyne targetting to arrive at our apartment before it gets dark. We arrived at Gateshead, Newcastle-on-Tyne, at just before 4pm, timely enough before it was dark, met the apartment owner who showed us the apartment, our residence for the next three nights, and got ourselves settled. The apartment is on Sandhill Road, close to the river and close to various attractions nearby, including many restaurants and shops. A Tesco Express outlet was closeby. The two kids were very excited once we got in into the apartment, clearly relieved that they could run around after being cooped in the car for hours on end. The apartment was very comfortable, nice and practically designed, big enough to accommodate 5 adults. If the couch in the lounge is converted to a bed two more adults can be included. The kitchen was well and fully equipped, hence we were well accommodated for the stay. There was a jacuzzi in the bathroom, very handy in the cold weather heh heh!!

The Apartment is with arched windows on the firat floor to the right of the Red Building

The sitting lounge with breakfast table, kitchen door at right and Bedroom door at left

The main bedroom with door to annexe room

Excited kids favourite play area at upper level of the annexe with a double bed

The couch converted to a double bed

We started planning our outings as soon as we settled down and the kids having got over their excitement. More of these in the next posting.

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Long Haul Flight

2010-02-04T08:03:00.001+08:00

We are in UK already, after a 14 hours flight and arriving in the wee hours of the morning. We were originally scheduled to arrive at about 9.30 pm but the flight was rescheduled to arrive at 3.00am. I have travel insurance which compensates flight delays in blocks of six hours and I am just half an hour short….. sigh!

We were apprehensive taking the flight. It is not the first time that we take these long haul flights but this is the first time we do it on a budget airline, but it is one voted the best budget airline in the world. We took this flight as it is very much cheaper when compared to the regular airlines we are used to. There is a more than 50% discount actually. We were apprehensive when we got a lot of negative comments and flak from others who hear that we will be taking the budget airline. And when the airline rescheduled this flight I thought, “oh my! Will this be the beginning of all the negativity I hear about?”

We arrived at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang just in time for the flight. We’ve checked on-line, hence it was a no hassle bag drop at the counter. Just had time for the evening prayers and then on to security and immigration formalities, no hassle too. No time to even browse at the D-Free shops as they had called for boarding. I was using walking stick and the attendants were extra helpful during boarding. We got to our seats (at the back of the plane, purposely chosen to be near the toilets!!) and were surprised that the seats were comfy and with sufficient leg-room!! A good start to the journey, I thought.

The flight was uneventful. We were comfortable all the way. No free entertainment on board (but one can rent Air Asia X hand-held entertainment-pod for RM30 with a wide selection of video-on-demand). We skipped that because even when we travel MAS we very seldom watch movies. We had pre-purchased food and they were good, slightly small portion than MAS but what the heck! We can always order extra if not enough. Pre-ordered food came with a bottle of mineral water. They have quite a selection of food, beverages and drinks, sandwiches, chocolates and tit-bits.

In-flight I was reading a lot. I finished their in-flight magazine front to back, and I had brought along reading materials of my own. I also had the i-pod which was convenient.

We arrived about 10 minutes behind schedule which the pilot attributed to strong headwinds during flight. Formalities at the arrival terminal were without hassle and there were no customs officials at the check-out. Fahrul was already waiting for us when we exited the arrival hall with our thick clothes. It was 1 Celcius outside!!

So, where were all the negativity and the flak others threw about the flight? We would do it again, and at more than 50% discount to the regular ticket if flying by other airlines, we thought we made a good choice. Only downside is the flight arrived at Stansted airport which is way to the East of London but convenient transport facilities were available if required.

We travelled the six hours road journey to Tenby with Fahrul and Sita alternating in the drivers’ seat. Najla and little Fieras were excited of course. Fieras just took a few moments to size us up and was soon all over us giggling and smiling. He showed off that he can crawl and beginning to hold onto things to stand up. They were quite active when on the road, keeping us entertained somewhat….

Winter Penguin??

Lost in Baggage?

Overall it was a good trip. Our return in six weeks time will be the reverse and I hope that trip will be as good as this trip….. and may the Almighty grant us this priviledge and may He be pleased……

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire, Wales.

High Tea With Friends

2010-01-31T09:04:00.008+08:00

Saturday afternoon. An opportunity for a get-together amongst friends. We had two family friends over for high tea in Shaffik's house. One of the families was previously in Tenby living in the same housing complex with Sita and Fahrul. They returned some few months ago and have temporarily settled in their house close to Shaffik's house. The other family has been very close that we are just like one big family, never failed to get together every opportunity we get whether in Bintulu or KL/PJ.

There were a lot to share amongst us, a lot of news to catch up with and plenty of good food too. We ate, we chat, joked and forgot time. Food intake limits were also exceeded, ha ha ha. The children too enjoyed themselves playing and doing pranks on each other. It was a lively and lovely afternoon. So busy talking that we forgot to take more photos, ha ha ha....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Bintulu

The Pioneers

2010-01-30T21:51:00.003+08:00

The Melaka Refinery Pioneer Team

Shaffik received the above photo from a friend in his office and emailed it to me. It immediately transported me back about twenty years when we were starting the Melaka Refinery project. We were amongst the pioneers then. Almost all those in the front row and some in the back rows have now retired, although some of them are like me, retired but not yet tired, doing something with their lives and not resigned to be a full time retiree. Some have gone on to be consultants, some have started their own firms and businesses while some others have become 'head-honchos' of companies all in the oil and gas sector. These are where our experience and expertise lies and where we can make a difference. Only a few of the younger ones are still working in the refinery but they too are approaching their retirement ages.

I am still in contact with some of those in the picture, and some others not in the picture; that is how I know what they are doing and how they make useful commitments to their retirement times. I recently managed to make contact with one who now lives partly in the UK and partly in Greece (depending on the heat of the sun!!). It has been a long time parting and since I go to the UK to be with Sita and family a couple of times in the year, the next one coming up very soon, I thought it would be very nice if I can take the opportunity to meet up with him. Hence we are following up on each other and promised to arrange a visit to his location in the UK, something that I very much look forward to.

The above picture was taken in the early project preparation stage of the Refinery. Most of those in the picture were picked from various other completed projects in the oil and gas sector. I had then just ended my seven years in the Ammonia/Urea Fertilizer project starting from earth work, through the design, engineering procurement, construction and commissioning of the plant followed by commercial operations. It had been a most enriching experience for me which culminated in my managing the commissioning and commercial operation of the Urea Plant. This wealth of experience stood the test for the next project I was assigned to, which was the Melaka Refinery.

The Melaka Refinery attracted a different kind of challenges compared to the Fertilizer project, but with experience recall, and a strong project management team whose members were complementing each other and 'gel' as a team, we managed to successfully complete the project and once again I was called upon to lead the commissioning and start up team. It was tough when we were actually and physically at it but looking back now, its nostalgic, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. So, I spent quite a long time looking through the above picture when I received it, slowly going through each member one by one and reminisce on how each and everyone of them had impacted upon me and how each of them had contributed towards the successful implementation of the project.

The above experiences are what I am now sharing with other young minds in the organisation on an 'on-call' basis. Not too frequent, just about once a fortnight, but often enough for one like me who walks around with a walking stick, whose RAM (Random Access Memory) slowly fading but ROM (Read Only Memory) as strong as ever, ha ha ha! I am thankful to the Almighty for the experience and the opportunity given to me to share them with the hope that they will somehow benefit the younger generations, in the organisation especially. May the Almighty be pleased with my efforts......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu

On The Move Again

2010-01-25T16:57:00.005+08:00

Something we have been looking forward to see..... our little grandchild in Bintulu. The last time we saw him was when he was about five months old, last September. We have not been able to travel to Bintulu since then because of the many commitments we had in the peninsular that we could not find a clear window to be in Bintulu for an extended period. It is only now that we can really get away. Phooohhh...... we may have retired but we still have various commitments to attend to.

We took a mid-morning flight from KLIA to Bintulu yesterday, arriving in Shaffik's house at just after 2 pm. The kids were excited as usual but little Hadeef refused to get near us, screaming his head off each time we tried to hold him. He kept sizing us up from a distance, but not for long though.... 2 hours later he was happy ro play with us... ha ha ha.... apparently having developed confidence seeing his elder siblings so free with us. He is a little too heavy for us to carry for too long and hence we just play with him while he is in his stroller or on the floor. He can sit up but is still unable to move or crawl, staying put at wherever he is put down. He should start crawling soon and by then all stuff around the low levels in the house will have to be moved higher from him!!

The bigger children were in school this morning and we had a good part of the morning to play with Hadeef. Now the elder siblings are back from school and all of them are all over us as usual with Hadeef wondering away.....

Hey! Whats That In Your Hands And Covering Your Face?

We are gonig to be here for a week. Let's see what happens through this weekend....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Bintulu

Weather Dependent Travel

2009-12-20T21:48:00.001+08:00

Heard over the news that some airports in Europe are closed due to heavy snow and very bad weather. All my children are away now. Tessa is in Italy, somewhere between Rome and Milan. Shaffik and Mini are in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Sita, in Wales, is getting ready for a trip to Prague, Vienna, Salzburg and Innsbruck with Fahrul and the kids. All of them plan their holidays away from work at the end of the year. Maybe it is not such a good idea to go to Europe this time of the year after all, given the repeated end of year adverse weather conditions.

Due to the closure of the airports, planes are stuck and flights cancelled or delayed. The rippling effects of these delays are felt all over, even in areas where there are no snow!!

Three of our grandchildren are with us in PeeJay. They are keeping us occupied. They are quite big enough to do many things on their own but they do still need close supervision from us. It is very pleasant to have them around though as there will not be a dull moment with them around, their pranks and tricks keep us entertained at most times. One drawback though, they hog the TV. Its cartoon whenever they are around!! They tried to take over my laptop but I have the old, slow, laptop which I allow them to use, hence I am still in control of my laptop!!

Shaffik and Mini are due to return in a few days and soon after they will go back to Bintulu. The house will be quiet again...... hmmmmmmm....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Long Distance Driving

2009-12-17T00:06:00.000+08:00

For the wedding in Jawi, Penang I decided to drive and included a trip further North to Perlis. Immediately after the wedding reception at the bride's house in Jawi we made the two and a half hours drive to Kangar, Perlis and headed straight for Fahrul's parent's house.

We had, for quite a while, intended to visit the North again and also meet up with Fahrul's parents. They had been to KL several times and visited us and we had to look for opportunities to reciprocate. The wedding in Jawi gave us the reason to go further North and visited them. We arrived in their house in the late afternoon. It was a pleasant and easy drive, highway all the way and no congestion anywhere, except when we passed the area close to Butterworth when traffic was quite heavy. But that was only for a distance of about twenty kilometres. Lots of greenery with rice-fields as far as the eye can see on both sides of the highway the rest of the way.

While in Kangar we put up the night in Fahrul's parent's house. We had to. Fahrul's dad went straight for my big luggage and brought it right up to the bedroom upstairs. He said he wanted to make sure the bag does not get back into the car and insisted that we put up the night there. We were not given the opportunity to decline his offer!! We had quite a bit of catching up to do too. It has been quite a while.

Dinner that night was at a seafood restaurant, and there were many, close to the jetty for passenger and commuter boats to Langkawi Island, some twenty kilometers away from Kangar. One not familiar with the rows of seafood restaurants would be lost for choice of which to patronize. Apparently Fahrul's parents had their favourite.
The food at the seafood restaurant was good. We had fish, prawns, squids, crabs and vegetable dishes cooked in various styles that they continued to whet our palates. Not sure about Ram but I think I overate that night. The cool sea breeze and the lively atmosphere then only added on to the enjoyment of food served, food being my number one weakness. We later found out that the dinner cost less than half of what we would have to pay if it was in KL or even in JB for that matter.

We left after breakfast the next day and started our journey southwards. We decided to take the old road that pass through the villages and skip the highway, to the next town of Alor Star. It was not a good decision though as the road was quite congested all the way, made worse by the so-called 'nuisance' traffic, i.e those who, for reasons of their own, decided to drive slowly and hog the centre of the road!!

There did not seem to be much changes in Alor Star. I could get about town easily and remembered the roads and the various spots we used to visit when we were there previously. Ram wanted to check out the market-place, and I was lucky to be able to get parking space closeby. We spent quite a while there and then moved on to have lunch at a restaurant serving a wide choice of good local fare. Again I overate, phew!! And again, the food was cheap. The full meal for one person cost the equivalent of a cup of coffee at Starbucks or Coffee Bean!!

Our next stop was at Kamunting to visit a former schoolmate/classmate of mine. It took me a while to find his house. The place have changed a lot since my previous visit several years ago. I could not recognise the buildings and most of the roads have been upgraded or major reconstructions were still taking place with road diversions that was confusing me. I found the house after quite a while but unfortunately he was not at home. We met his wife and was also privileged to be able to welcome his grandchild of a few days, a first-borne from his youngest daughter. We learnt that he now has eight grandchildren altogether, beatimg me by two!!

It was late afternoon already then and we had a long way to go to return to PeeJay. We continued on our journey southwards after saying our goodbyes, and after talking to my former classmate on the phone from his house. Soon it was dark and I noticed that I had difficulties lifting my leg while driving and it also felt a little numb. We still have about three to four hours drive to make to reach PeeJay. We decided to stop in Ipoh and checked into a hotel for the night. I did not want to take the risk of continuing the drive in the condition I was in. After a good nights' rest and relaxation through the next morning we continued our journey home arriving in the late afternoon. I guess I was just exhausted the evening before and the feeling reminded me that I am not as young any more. I should not overdo things and should take strides that are lower or slower in pace. May the Almighty forgive me and may HE be pleased and continue to guide me always......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Surprised……. Inns That Were Not

2009-12-15T06:37:00.000+08:00

Three weddings in two weeks, one in Kelantan, one in KL and one in Penang. For the out of town and out of state locations we accommodated ourselves in Inns, in group bookings to be together with family and relatives. An Inn is defined as an accommodation opened to the public offering more than six rooms and at least one food outlet. This is to differentiate Inns with bed and breakfast accommodations.

Since the weddings took place during the day, specifically in the afternoon, we planned other activities as well, to make full use of the opportunities being in the respective locations.

The Inn we stayed in in Kota Bahru had 35 large rooms each offering two queen beds and tea/coffee making facilities. We were assigned a corner room and had two windows, bright and airy. However, they had no food outlet. So, by definition, they cannot be called an Inn but only a boarding house. We had to go out for our meals or buy packed food to take back to the Inn. That aside, the Inn was well managed, clean and orderly, not anywhere near the facilities provided by the ‘starred’ hotels but sufficient for our restful needs. The staff of the Inn were friendly, accommodating and helpful. We managed to get about town while in Kota Bahru and my comments were posted here earlier.

Another Inn we stayed in was in Jawi, the Jawi Inn. It has only eleven rooms, two of them very large and others standard with two single beds. There was no tea/coffee making facilities in the room, no fridge, and non-functioning TV!! There was a space that looked like a restaurant but it was not functioning. There was also a small conference room. Does it deserve to be called an Inn?

We arrived at the Jawi Inn after a four hours long drive from PeeJay at 2.30pm. The room assigned to us was not ready. The previous guest had just checked out. We had to wait for our room to be cleaned. Then we had to do our bed ourselves!! There was only one staff manning the Inn. He man the reception, he cleans the room, he does everything else necessary to make the Inn function!! The job is rotated in shifts amongst three people. Yes, you guessed it. Many things had to give with a one man show. Top of the list was cleanliness. There were flies all over, even in the room. The Inn has a manager but he was away in Langkawi, playing golf!!

We had half a mind to check into another hotel or Inn but there was none nearby. Since the whole family was there, all eleven rooms were taken up by the family, and since the programme required us to be away from the Inn and we only require it for sleeping, we decided to stay on. After a short rest on checking in we had to get ready for the wedding solemnization ceremony. We returned after the ceremony and had another short rest before leaving for the barbeque dinner in the bride’s house. We returned after midnight tired and very sleepy. Woke up late the next morning and had to go out for breakfast. Then it was time to get ready for the wedding reception. So there was hardly time to notice the comfort or was it discomfort of the Inn. The bombshell came when the family requested an extension of stay from the 12noon check-out time to 1.00pm. The lone staff said, after consulting his ‘invincible’ manager of course, that there will be a charge for one hour!! No amount of coaxing would change his mind. We decided not to pay but to check out and gathered at a mosque in front of the Inn.

Soooo, will I come back and stay in the Inn in the future? Noooo never. Do I recommend the Inn to people? It will only give me a bad name! ha ha ha……..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Two Weddings Back-to-Back

2009-12-14T06:34:00.000+08:00

Having attended the wedding in Kota Bahru we have two more weddings to attend. One was for the daughter of Ram’s nephew in Kuala Lumpur (no pictures available yet) followed by the wedding of my nephew in Jawi, Penang. (Pictures of this wedding were posted earlier).

We received news of the KL wedding through sms and later received an invitation card. We would have appreciated it more and would be more responsive if Ram’s nephew had contacted us personally and perhaps discuss the wedding and its preparation. This was the wedding of an only daughter and the only child. At the very least they could have enlightened us on the preparation, the programme and if there was any need for input from us. Sms’ are too brief and impersonal and the invitation card just stated the date, time and place. The solemnization was on one evening and reception the next evening. That was all that we knew. We guessed then that the bride’s parents had everything thought of and can manage without our help, hence there was no need for us to ‘poke our nose into their business’, so to speak. We were just like any of his acquaintances or associates, not like family.

We had the wedding of my nephew in Jawi, Penang, with the solemnization ceremony on the same day as the reception for the KL wedding. We opted to be in Jawi and skip the KL reception, after all what was important was the solemnization ceremony for which we made a point to attend both, and on the assumption that Ram’s nephew do not really need us around except as guest in attendance. However, a couple of hours before the solemnization ceremony I received a phone call from the father of the bride requesting if I could be his spokesman during the ceremony. I would have gladly obliged but his spokesman for the engagement ceremony several months ago would be present for this solemnization ceremony and I thought he should continue to be the spokesman for continuity. We were not at the engagement ceremony (somehow they missed us) and were not sure of what transpired then.

Wedding solemnization ceremony is a mix of religious demands and cultural tradition. It is a formal affair and is a revered and holy occasion at the same time. Culture and tradition liven up the ceremony and add value to the ‘coming together’ and unison of two families. It is like a merger, one that should last for lifetimes of the families. These cultural and traditional values are now lost in the modern mainstream. Religious requirements however, are still adhered to as it is demanded and without which there is no wedding. Several elderly folks present at the ceremony, and also at the reception ceremony the next evening I was told, had ‘raised eyebrow’ and I am sure many amongst them had questions like “where are our heritage, our cultural values?” etc., running in their mind while observing the proceedings. Money and material wealth appear to have ruled their lives and taken over the wealth of culture and tradition.

The wedding of my nephew in the bride’s house in Jawi, Penang was also held over two days, starting with the solemnization ceremony held immediately after the late afternoon prayers in the local mosque. This ceremony followed the religious requirements as well as traditional practices. An afternoon tea reception followed in the bride’s house. The bride’s family then invited us to return later in the evening, i.e. after the late evening prayers for a barbeque session just so that the two families could meet, interact and acknowledge the unison of the two families. There was much exchange of light banter and pleasantries that we forgot time and left for our hotel soon after midnight. The actual wedding reception was held the following day at lunch time. The reception by the groom’s side was held two days ago in JB i.e. a week after the ceremony in Jawi. The bride’s family and relatives arrived the evening before the reception day and were received in a get together dinner session in the groom’s parent’s house before they proceeded to their hotel. The two families continued with the light, friendly banter and pleasantries and by now the two families were like old friends. There was all round camaraderie and friendliness. The cultural and traditional practices do play big roles in making this camaraderie happen.

The actual wedding reception was held in the afternoon of the next day. Friends and families gathered together and the bride’s families present interacted with the JB families and guests. There was a lot of fun and laughter amidst an informal setting. I believe everyone enjoyed themselves meeting up with friends and relatives. I met a distant cousin whom I have not met since I was in primary school and another cousin that I have not met for many years! It was indeed very pleasant……….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

On The Road - For Three Weddings

2009-12-13T21:28:00.007+08:00

On the road again. There were three weddings over the last two weeks starting with one in Kota Bahru on 30th and 1st, then another wedding in KL 0n the 4th. The third wedding was in Jawi, Penang on 5th and 6th and then for a reception of the same wedding in JB on the 11th and 12th. So we were all over the country in two weeks.

We started off for Kota Bahru taking the early morning flight on 30th from Subang, not too far away from our home, and definitely much closer than having to travel to KLIA in Subang. It was a one hour flight arriving in Kota Bahru airport at 8.30am. Ram's niece, and mother of the bridegroom had arranged for a self-drive car for us to pick up at the airport. Hence transportation for the two days we were there were taken care of.

It has been a long while since our last visit to Kota Bahru. We wanted to meet friends and relatives while there this time and in between the wedding receptions. We were quite free in the afternoon on the first day and in the morning of the next day, as the receptions on both days were at around lunch time. However, due to road construction activities in the city, especially the building of a second bridge close to the current one across the Kelantan River, there were massive traffic jams on both sides of the river. We spent the whole evening just to cross over the bridge and later cross back just to visit a friend living on the other side of the river. It took us one and a half hours to cross over the bridge one way!! There goes the evening.

We took the opportunity next morning to go about the city. There definitely has been a positive change in the road system around the city and it is much easier and pleasant to drive around. The city also looks much cleaner now compared to how it was several years ago i.e. when we were last there. There are several new buildings amidst old building in the city centre and I hope that there will be efforts to preserve some of the old buildings as pride of heritage. Noticeably the old palaces and government buildings are still standing and have been nicely spruced up, adding on to their touristy and aesthetic values.

After the wedding reception on the second day it was time for us to go to the airport and fly back to Subang. We dropped off the car at the airport and checked in for the flight. There was a slight delay but no hassle. We were home in good time, and planned for attending the next wedding and the next trip out of Klang Valley......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Another Wedding In Pictures

2009-12-13T16:27:00.011+08:00

Another wedding. This time it is of my nephew, the youngest son of my third sister and fourth sibling,to a girl from Jawi, Penang. We drove to Jawi for the function held over two days. More of the travel later and here's some of the pictures....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

In Kota Bahru For A Wedding

2009-12-10T10:28:00.014+08:00

Two days in Kota Bahru (KB) for a wedding. (The wedding was in Pasir Putih, some 40 kilometers from KB but all decided to stay in KB). This time it’s the wedding of Ram’s grand-nephew. It has been a long while since our last visit to KB and we had planned to squeeze in meet-ups with old family friends while there, and if time permitting. There are several, including my paternal uncle who lives part of the time in KB and partly in KL. Let’s see the wedding pictures here first and more rambling later…….

Groom's Parents With Gifts For The Bride:

The Bride - Full Anticipation

Grams & Mum Ever So Happy...

Goodbye Bachelorhood:

Parents of the Groom:

Family Lunch:

With Family:

Lunch

2009-11-29T23:46:00.000+08:00

We were out on errands around town and came lunchtime. Ram suggested we try out this celebrity restaurant somewhere in Section 11 Petaling Jaya owned by a singer popular since the late 70’s. It was quite easy to find the restaurant as it’s in a block of shops facing a main road. There were sufficient parking spaces in front of the shops and we found one very close.

The restaurant was quite nicely decorated, lots of potted plants and nice seating arrangements, with an outer terrace and an air-conditioned interior seating. There were people sitting at the outer terrace and more people in the interior portion. We found a corner seat for two and made ourselves comfortable. The waiter came to take our orders of the day’s special. There were two separate set meals on the day’s special and Ram and I decided that we order one of each and as we usually practice share the food when it comes. It took a while for the food to come. There were not too many customers, as there were still many empty seats and yet we had to wait awhile for the food. I wonder how it would be if the restaurant had been full with all the seats occupied.

The food came and we were at it right away but not because the food was anything to shout about but because we were hungry. The dishes was nothing special after all, and are of ordinary ones that we can get at other outlets, and having tasted them here we thought that those others that we have tasted elsewhere were much better and tastier. The décor and settings in the restaurant certainly does not make the food any better. Then came the bill. We were quite surprised as it was pricey, really pricey and not commensurate with the food served and the ingredients used in cooking the food. The special was nothing special after all. Perhaps we took the wrong choice of food and perhaps other dishes they serve are much better but after paying the bill we were not set to return anytime soon or later. ……….

Singapore – The Journey to Cross Over

2009-11-27T16:17:00.001+08:00

My recent posts were about a trip south to Singapore to attend a wedding. We have been to Singapore countless times. It is just across the causeway from Johor Bahru where both Ram and I grew up. When I was in school I used to go across by stage bus and later crossing over and travelling around by scooter and much later still driving across by car with my children in tow. In those days crossing over was with no hassle at all, no passport required and no customs checkpoints. Later came passport control and custom checks. There were times we travelled to Singapore for several days in succession, one day for shopping, next to lunch and watch the latest movie, another day to attend a theatre show and dinner and each evening returning home in Johor Bahru. Ram in her younger days however used to sleep over in relatives’ houses in Singapore as her mum grew up there and has a big family who maintain contacts to this day.

After Ram and I got married we lived in Klang and later Petaling Jaya and by then trips to Singapore were infrequent. Most times we would drive over until driving was made difficult by too many traffic controls, restrictions and fees such that it got too expensive to drive your own car. Public transport in Singapore had by then become a convenient mode of movement around the island, so there was no need to drive your own car. We would leave our car in Johore Bahru , use public transport to go over and continue using them on the island. Or, if we have to go over direct from our home in Petaling Jaya we would fly and then use public transport on the island.

Last weekend, for the first time, we took an express bus to Singapore. No big deal to many but for us it was something that we had to try out, to see whether it is convenient, pleasant and restful, as touted by friends who had regularly used the express bus service. We opted for the service with starting point very close to the LRT station where we can conveniently reach since there is a LRT station on the same rail line close to our house. It was indeed convenient, very comfortable and pleasant. We arrived at the bus starting point in good time and had help from the bus operators in storing our luggage. They were friendly and helpful. The journey took just about five hours with one stop at a rest area in between. On arrival at the immigration and custom checkpoints the bus operators were again helpful guiding us through the checking process. Our destination in Singapore was at a shopping square very close to a MRT station. No hassle for onward transportation from there.

Our return journey four days later was by the same mode in reverse. Not much to comment about on the mode of transport as it was just as customer friendly. I guess they maintain their standard of service to customers. For each direction we have to exit the bus twice for the customs and immigration formalities. Once at the Singapore side and then on our side. The bus operators continued to be helpful to the passengers. I had to use the toilet facilities after completing the formalities on our side of the crossing and how disappointed I was with the facilities provided, and this was at the entry point into our country. We are still far far away from the ‘international’ standard that many of us dream of!!

There was a singing celebrity amongst the passengers of the express bus we took on our return journey. While waiting at the lounge before boarding the bus I noticed this burly, robust, casually dressed, long haired person, probably slightly younger than me, walking in with a sling bag on his shoulder. Although his back was towards me I could make out that he is the popular, veteran, Malay singer whose songs are of the Malay rock/jazz and contemporary type. He went about doing his thing quietly and unobtrusively, very low profile. When he turned and looked at me I nodded and smiled at him. He acknowledged the nod and smile and bent his body forward slightly while doing that, obviously according respect to an elder. I guess my nod and smile was with an unspoken message, “Hi, how are you and I recognize you” and his nod and smile was, “I am fine, thank you and I know that you recognize me”. This was when we were still in the waiting lounge in Singapore. I was picking my memory for a name to this person. However when the bus stopped at the rest area half way through the journey there was a small crowd around him. Some calling out his name (only then I remembered his name as Ramli Sarip! ha ha!) and some taking pictures with him while others requested his autograph to which he modestly agreed every time. He would wave back at people waving to him from their cars or from distances celebrity style.

Health and wellness aside, the rain in Singapore was no help in lifting up our spirit; but this Singapore visit did forge closer relationships with Ram’s Singapore family and a new family as a result of the wedding. We do not know when our next visit will be made but we are quite determined that the next visit will be using the same mode of transport, perhaps with another celebrity along for the ride?......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Singapore – Fairy Lights Street

2009-11-25T02:41:00.011+08:00

Three days and nights in Singapore would have been exciting, fun and memorable. Past visits experiences come to mind every time and current scenes would inevitably be comparisons to contend with, new buildings in place of old ones or in former open spaces, new skylines, new traffic systems, new restaurants and outlets and so many modern changes supposedly set to make it more attractive, friendly and comfortable for customers and the public at large. Yes, we were looking forward to this visit but……… two days before the trip I fell sick.

I had a long day of lecture mostly standing and talking to the class on a very dull, rainy day. I was later caught in the rain, drenched somewhat, on my way home. When home I was really ‘pooped’ and not up to do anything but to go to bed early but, when I got up the next day, I felt horrible. My head was heavy, I was nauseating and the room seemed to constantly twirl around me. I was in bed most of the day and wondered if it would be possible to make the trip to Singapore planned for the next day. We had planned to attend a wedding and also spend a few days there. I went to my regular private clinic and saw the doctor who prescribed something to overcome the problem and assured me that I can make the trip to Singapore.

So it was, early the next morning, we were on the express bus to Singapore, arriving at the hotel at about 4pm. Ram’s nephew was there to meet us. He was making or rather checking preparations for his daughters’ wedding to be held in the hotel the next evening (see my last pictorial posting on this). Rain continued to fall in Singapore. Throughout our stay rain halted our movements starting from late mornings to early evenings, the best part of the day really, to move about the city. My health condition was also not completely up to mark. Hence our movement about the city was rather limited, but we did make efforts to move about every opportunity we got, rain notwithstanding.

Orchard Road, the main shopping street of Singapore, was lighted up for Christmas. It was like a fairyland in the evenings, with lighted up buildings, Christmas decorations everywhere, lighted up streets and of course shopping frenzies. Discounts were offered; buy one free one, price cuts up to 70%, special discounts to house membership cards or special cards on top of the discounts on offer, and a myriad of ways to entice shoppers to make their purchases. The streets and shopping outlets were crowded with people, especially in the night when the lights were on. We were part of this crowd.

One difficulty we had when in the area was to find suitable food outlets. There were many food outlets, a food-court in almost every shopping complex, but hardly any that we would be comfortable with given the restrictions on our food consumption. We managed to find them though and made do with what were available. The food offered were ok, nothing to shout about as we have tasted better, but suited our taste buds.

Noticeable everywhere were the friendliness of the elders, the smugness of the middle-aged and care-free of the young. I guess modernization has its effect. But service seems to be up to mark. Cleanliness appears to be naturally inclined by everyone and public toilets a boon. High marks for the regimented ways these are maintained. Regimented? Yes…. many laws, rules and regulations to make everyone toe-the-line and make the city a pleasant place to be in. Without them would the city be what it appears today? I wonder and continue to ponder……………….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Singapore – Wedding In Pictures

2009-11-23T14:01:00.011+08:00

On the road again. This time to Singapore for Ram’s grandniece’s wedding. The wedding was held in a hotel in the Orchard Road area and that was where Ram and I stayed for three nights. Marriage solemnization was held in the hotel in the early evening followed by the wedding reception after a half-an-hour break for the evening prayers in between.

Bride-in-waiting:

The Solemnisation:

Homage To Elders?

Here They Come - Wedding Reception Begins

Bride's KL Family

3 Generations -

With Bride's Immediate Family:

Bride's Singapore Family:

There are more weddings scheduled in the next few weeks. More of these to follow.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Relaxing Time

2009-11-14T15:37:00.003+08:00

Saturday, a day in the weekend, starting from Friday evening, when Ram and I can just relax and not have anything to chase, no commitment to attend to and nothing specific to do. Only for the day. Come evening we will have guests to entertain in the house but for the 24 hours preceding its relax time. The first whole day we have to ourselves since several weeks ago. Somehow we had things to do, visits to make, commitments to address, weddings and two funerals to attend, and a myriad of errands to run and responsibilities to handle these past few weeks. Several weeks ahead of us we have a full calendar of activities, but today? its relax time.

How did we spend the time then? Lots of prayers, reading the Holy Book, sitting at the patio and enjoying the lovely evening calm, sleeping early and waking up very early, reading short stories, watch light movie on DVD, and sitting around doing nothing.... a beautiful day. It has been quite a while since we had the opportunity to do this and we fully enjoy this luxury of spending relaxing time together.

We spent additional time in our obligatory prayers, we read the Holy Book together, choosing one chapter and understanding the content, its purpose and intent and reflecting on its implication to our lives. Caught up on the news and did some light reading at bed time. Watched one of those 'feel good' love you, hate you and love you type of movie on DVD and the rest of the time just lazing around. A beautiful day indeed.

One day like this is something that we look forward to cherish. We may plan for it but there is always something to deprive us from achieving it. Murphy's law states, "if there is anything that can go wrong, it will, and at the most inappropriate time". So, whenever Mr Murphy is proven wrong, we get to enjoy the time more. We are looking forward to the next opportunity of a good time doing nothing.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

A Day Of Lecture and Facilitation

2009-11-05T22:33:00.001+08:00

I have often mentioned in my past write-ups that I have commitments to address at my previous place of work. These commitments had been in various forms, some were just consultations, some were talks and dialogue sessions, some lectures and facilitations. Others were audits of activities and performance, situational assessments and reviews, skill development schemes and so on. In a nutshell all were to do with human behaviours. All would demand my experience recall. They have been interesting, invigorating and reminiscing opportunities for me. There is a saying that if you enjoy your work and what you do you will not work a day in your life. To that, I have not been working at all since I retired.

A few days ago I facilitated a session where the participants were new employees, some young and fresh university graduates while some others not so young having had varied working experiences elsewhere. There were 46 of them altogether. The topic of my lecture and facilitation was ‘Introduction to the Downstream Oil and Gas Activities’. It is an information type of facilitation consisting of half-a-day lecture and half-a-day group work. The content of the lecture was mainly on the utilization of hydrocarbon and how it is reconstituted to form the various products in the downstream of the oil and gas industry.

To concentrate on how hydrocarbon is reconstituted, refined, broken down and to continually talk about the chemistry of hydrocarbon would make it very dull for the participants. As the participants are of different backgrounds and disciplines like, finance, HR, security and others, to make the lecture interesting is indeed a challenge. I found that whenever I go into the chemistry of it many of the participants will have blank stares as though they look through me into outer space. It’s as though I talk about alien things. Of course there are those who had strong chemistry background and would knowingly respond to me and I would then take the opportunity to get them involved in the presentation as well. Otherwise I would intersperse my presentations with real life examples and analogies or related stories and experiences that I went through in my years in oil and gas.

I am no politician and where politics is concerned I tend to stand aside and watch the happenings but I noticed that when I tag on current politics to the oil and gas scene, whether local or overseas, there was interest amongst the majority of participants and at times the discussion became lively. Of course I steered clear of being specific, of indicating alienation to any political group, by generalizing always but I do note that amongst the young minds there was the tendency of them looking at current things negatively. I don’t commit myself to any side and would leave the discussion hanging for the participants to think for themselves. My objective was to interestingly present the message of oil and gas to the participants, in any way that could easily be understood, and that’s the core. Anything additional on the sides I consider fringes to spice up the presentation, nothing more……… May the Almighty be pleased......

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Two Generations Removed....

2009-10-30T10:11:00.006+08:00

Md Yasin bin Abdul Jani, 1896 - 1957

The man in the picture is my paternal granddad, Md Yasin bin Abdul Jani. This write up is meant for my siblings and their children, my cousins, second cousins, and others who may know of our families, and remember this man. My memory of my granddad is sketchy and information I have on the man is also sketchy. It is my hope and wish that this write up is corrected for anomalies and inaccuracies and records straightened up if possible by anyone with the correct information.

Migration of Indonesians to Malaysia (Malaya) and vice-versa, if any, started even before the times of that (warrior?) Parameswara in 1400s (based on the history lessons I attended in school) and the absence of any identity checks and records made it rather difficult to track or make traces of the migration. I guess this migration phenomena continued ever since although there is some form of identification efforts to differentiate the people from the two countries and others now.

Three young men, Abdul Jani, his elder brother Aspani, and another brother (name unknown), all still bachelors I think, migrated from Pekan Baru, Riau, Sumatra in the mid 1800s by a rowing boat to look for better pastures across the sea. After several days of travelling in the boat and braving the waves, guided by the positions of the sun in the day and the stars at night, and food rations running low, they landed in Tanjung Minyak Beku which is at the coast of Batu Pahat, Johor. How long they stayed there is not known. Perhaps due to difficulties in making a living In Batu Pahat the three brothers decided to move on. They then continued in their boat and followed the coast northwards landing in Kesang. They eventually parted ways there. Aspani, who was a skilled goldsmith, decided to venture South, landed in Singapore and worked as a goldsmith. Abdul Jani, decided to settle down in Parit Jawa and went into farming. The third brother continued migrating North. It was believed that he finally settled down in Lumut. I think he took the boat with him. Not much is known of the two brothers. I remember my dad once visited a relative in Singapore, a sailor, who was a descendant of Aspani. I was a small boy then and I do not remember what happened after that visit. (Singapore was then a bustling seaport and many young men in Singapore became sailors to see the world).

Abdul Jani set up home in Parit Jawa, got married and had three children, Md Yassin, Fatimah and Othman. I do not know much about the life of Abdul Jani, what he did, where he lived and who he married, but I do know that he maintained contacts with his other relatives in Sumatra. So also information that I have on Fatimah and Othman are rather sketchy. I remember some of their offsprings and that too are sketchy. Other family members could perhaps add on to the facts that I noted here.

Md Yasin joined the Police force and rose in ranks to be a Police Inspector until retirement. He set up home in Muar, marrying a woman, Damnah bt Said from his father’s village in Riau, Sumatra as his first wife. If I am not mistaken this was an arranged marriage. His job as a police officer (people called him Merinyu Md Yasin) had him posted to various towns in Johore. I know that he was posted to Muar,Tangkak, Pontian, Kota Tinggi, Keluang and other towns. His job had him dealing with the local public a lot. He was one of the few who owned a car. He was a friendly, good looking man, with good (maybe enviable at the time too) government position, respected and popular amongst the locals wherever he was posted, and especially so with the pretty ladies. His family remained in Muar whenever he was posted to other towns. He married several times, in the various towns that he was posted to. How many times grandpa married I am not too sure but I remember my dad said many times, more than the fingers of both hands! However he had children only from two of the wives, from my own grandma, Damnah, and another grandma Rafeah Ismail (we called her Tok Nyah). Tok Nyah hailed from Pontian, married grandpa after the death of Damnah, and lived with grandpa in Muar and later Johor Bahru.

I did not get to meet my own grandmother, Damnah, but I do remember my step-grandmother, Tok Nyah and got to meet, only once, two other step-grandmothers, one in Kota Tinggi and another in a seaside village in Johor Bahru. I do not remember their names and do not have any information of their lives. I know that they do not have any children with my grandpa, hence no unknown cousins anywhere!

Grandma Damnah had seven children. Five of them died either at birth or when still very small. My dad was fourth and an uncle, Abdul Jalil, sixth. Abdul Jalil, after a skirmish with the Japanese soldiers during the Japanese occupation, died at their hands as a young man in his twenties. So my dad was the sole survivor (coincidentally in the middle) amongst his siblings from grandma Damnah. Grandma Damnah died when dad was about 5 years old. She was laid to rest in Pekan Baru, Riau. One of my paternal uncles managed to locate her grave when he visited Pekan Baru not too long ago. We made a promise that if we can get away from our busy schedules we would go together to Pekan Baru and he would show me where her grave was located but that did not happen. My uncle passed away suddenly before we could make that trip. I am still determined to locate my grandma’s grave and am looking for pointers and the Almighty’s pleasure towards locating it.

Grandma Rafeah or Tok Nyah had nine children, seven boys and two girls. These were the ‘paternal’ grandma, uncles and aunties that I know of and grew up with, while my dad was always considered as Tok Nyah’s eldest. All the children were born in Muar where Tok Ayah and Tok Nyah lived until they moved to Johore Bahru sometime in 1948. I remember the large wooden bungalow that has quite a large, open yard in the front and side of the house. I played in the house and in the front yard a lot, faintly remember the naughty pranks I played on my uncles, and had my grandpa or grandma’s protection whenever I get the wrath of uncles and aunties, heh heh. I was the eldest grandchild you see, and I got away with anything. Tok Ayah built a raised floor wooden bungalow in a village some 15 kilometers away from the Johor Bahru town centre. It was raised tall enough for cars to be parked underneath the house. It was a large house with several rooms upstairs and a fairly large kitchen with attached dining at ground level in the back portion of the house. The compound of the house was also large, much bigger than the former house in Muar. I spent a lot of time in this house and played with my uncles and aunties.

Tok Ayah came to our house in another part of Johor Bahru often. He usually came alone and by bus. He had to take two buses each time. I don’t remember him sleeping over but remember playing with him often, hide and seek, cowboy & red Indians, tops, kites and so on. He passed away late 1957 of a lung problem. He was quite sickly towards the end of his life and came to our house very infrequently. On the day he died, I remember sitting at one edge staring at his body and wondering why he was so still, did not get up and why people were coming and going to see him. I used to miss this man much after he was gone but had the uncles to contend with after that. Dad was busy with his work and also the political uprising at the time, hence less time for me allowing me to spend a lot of time with my uncles. However dad would catch up with me whenever he was free, going on outings, playing games in-door and outdoor. I have a lot of fond memories on this………..

This Picture Was At The Muar House Before Moving To JB. Standing Back from Left: Salleh, Mahmood standing in-front of Ibrahim (Awang), Tok Ayah, Md Shah (Idris), Mariam, Hamzah. Sitting Left: Fatimah (Sarah) with Baharudin (Musa) and Tok Nyah with Md Nor

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Memories

2009-10-24T11:35:00.014+08:00

A Beautiful Lady and Her First-born, Taken More Than 60 Years Ago! No Prize For Guessing Who They Are!

Third week of Syawal is usually a time when I go down to JB to catch up with family and friends. This time people are getting back to their routines after a week or two of running around in celebration and receiving visitors at home in between. That is how Eid Fitri is observed. One month of Syawal dedicated for seeking amends to one year of happenings in ones' life.

We had planned to leave PJ early Wednesday morning with a first stop at Brother Abid's house in Melaka for lunch. That plan was thrown a'skewed however with the passing away of a 74 years old maternal uncle (in-law) on Tuesday night. Ram and I were at Aunty's house that night until the wee hours. The funeral service started at about 10am Wednesday and over by about just after noon. So, lunch in brother Abid's became late high tea and with the usual courtesy Eid Fitri visits in Melaka we ended the evening and rested for the night in Abid's house. We had a long day Thursday and needed a good rest. We had to catch up on lost sleep too.

Thursday was indeed a long day. We left Abid's house and headed for Muar and then to Batu Pahat, then to Pontian and finally JB arriving at almost midnight. We took the opportunity to visit friends and relatives in the various towns we passed through. The visits were ok but it was tough on our tummies with all the good food served upon us on these visits. Indeed my waistline has changed and weight on the upper scale now ha ha ha!

In Front Of My Sister's House with Brother-in-law and his grandchildren, a Brother, His wife, Nephews and Nieces

Ram & Her Niece

While in JB we spent a good part of the time with mum and also visited Ram's and my relatives, including my younger brother Kifli who was not well and housebound due to some problems with his leg. On these visits we saw some old photos of Ram's and my relatives, and some of mine too. I manage to retake these photos for my album, not as good as the original but suffice for my purpose.
Ram's Dad

We had to return to PJ by Saturday as we had several invitations for the weekend to attend to and these invitations involved eating and over eating..... phew!!! how do I get back my old waistline????? A tough one that..... We managed another visit on the way back to PJ, this time an aunty and family living in Senai, some 30km out of JB. More food..... my oh my.... glorious food.... Aunty even packed more food for us to take home in spite of having eaten in her house .....

Ramlah & Ramlah (Ram and My Auntie - same name)
With Aunty & Family

Ram's Eldest Brother

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Petaling Jaya

Alzheimer

2009-10-15T21:51:00.002+08:00

I visited a relative, 74 years old, diagnosed with early stage Alzheimer and
doing strange things in the house like, keeping the house keys in the letter
box, shoes on pile of clothings in the wardrobe instead of the shoe rack and
other similar things. He remembers me and my wife though and recalled the fun
things we did together when we were young, etc.

I checked out the subject on the net, and there were many, just by searching
alzheimer, and voila! there were so much information. Interesting read. Check
out the difference between normal forgetfulness and alzheimer. Lifting your
glasses onto your forehead and later searching for it all over the house is not
yet alzheimer, going upstairs to look for something and forgetting what it was
you were looking for when there is normal and not alzheimer....

Alzheimer is when you keep the iron in the freezer as an example, or when you
go out and forget the way to return home. One neighbour drove his car to PJ
town, did his errands and forgot where he parked the car. After a long while he
took a cab to go home. He remembered Kampong Tunku but did not remember where
his house was. Cab driver had to ask several people in Kg Tunku when ultimately
one recognised him and sent him home. Phew.... that's scary...... His wife
passed away one day, and in the evening after the funeral his children held
prayers in the house, he was asking everybody why there were so many people in
the house....

Just sharing.......

Chance Encounter Amongst Old Friends

2009-10-06T21:03:00.007+08:00

43 years ago, 3 young men amongst many other young men, started work in a then newly established chemical manufacturing plant, a downstream hydrocarbon industry, in a then remote area of the Klang Valley. This remote area has now become a bustling industrial area with the signature congestions and traffic jams and so on so forth. The three got together very well, were close, and often do things together, mahjong, cards, outings etc. etc. that is quite personal to reveal heh heh. Time passed and one of them left to pursue a career in the airline industry which took him hopping the world over and not much time to spare for his two other friends. More time passed on and the second young man left to pursue his career in the oil and gas industry which took him to other locations far away from the Klang Valley. Meanwhile the three got married and started their families. The first two met once and somehow later managed to become immediate neighbours in their present homes. The third friend set up home not too far away. However, as close as they were they did not manage to get together.

One fine day, at the wedding of one of the children, the three met again and as far as I can remember subsequent meetings were at weddings of their other children. Phone numbers were exchanged each time they met, email addresses were exchanged, one or two emails and sms's were exchanged and that was about all. They have all retired now but still active in their daily lives in their own way. The two immediate neighbours too hardly got time for each other.
The Three Friends Who Rarely Get To Meet. I wonder how two of them manage to keep their hair black???

Two days ago, a Sunday, one of the two immediate neighbours held an open house in celebration of Eidl-Fitri. Invited guests started streaming in but the immediate neighbour could not attend his neighbour's open house immediately as he was held back at home by streams of visitors for the Eidl-Fitri as well. He managed to get away in between visitors quite a little while later after all and popped over to the neighbour's house. Most of the invited guests have left by then. And by timely coincidence the third friend arrived with his wife just then. Very timely indeed and a nostalgic meeting too. When will they meet again......? Only time will tell...
The Immediate Neighbour And The Third Friend

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Keeping Family Tradition Alive

2009-10-05T15:33:00.000+08:00

It was the third day of Eidul-Fitri, traditionally a day when all 10 of my siblings and their family members gather together to renew family ties and commitments under the family grouping of WTCC . This was the 27th annual gathering and four generations, starting from Mum, were involved. Mum, the 'le pedron', the Patron of WTCC must be the happiest person in the family that day. It was a day that started off with some family members invading the hotel swimming pool very early in the morning, then breakfast, then a meeting of elders (AGM)to review and renew WTCC activities, look at its finances and attend to other normal business of an AGM, while the younger ones, went through their own activities including drawings and paintings, games galore for the little ones, the tiny tots of the family; all these were followed by buffet lunch in the hotel restaurant and the day culminated with a gala night held in the main ballroom. The gala night was not the end though as the younger ones gathered for a game of futsal the next day.

Everyone was dressed in the WTCC red and black T's for the 'day' activities and on that day one can see this red and black T-shirts everywhere in the hotel. The whole day activities were planned and executed by a team led by my sister, the second sibling, and assisted by another brother, the eighth sibling, and the COO of WTCC, and his committee members.

A serious session started off at 9.00am in the meeting room where the elders, with Mum overseeing, sat in an Annual General Meeting of WTCC, chaired by yours sincerely being the chairman 'by default'. (Mum, at 87, apparently was only interested in the finances of WTCC as she was on copies of the balance sheets, P&L and other finance data the whole meeting period!!) This was the 27th annual meeting. The meeting started off very well, the finances and investments reviewed and were in order, activities for the year reviewed and for the coming year charted, other initiatives were proposed to enhance WTCC's position in terms of member opportunities and benefits for which a working group was assigned to take an in-depth look at the proposals and their implementation if deemed viable, a SWOT analysis. There are more work to be done but it will be worth the effort. The AGM ended at about 12.30pm and all gathered in the restaurant for the buffet lunch. The kids and bigger children were already there having their lunch. As we entered the restaurant we could see, almost half of the restaurant, all in red already started enjoying their lunch.

After lunch the younger members of WTCC then prepared the hall for the Gala night, putting up the backdrop, pictures, children drawings and other preparatory activities with the help of the hotel staff. By 5.00pm everything was ready. Ram and I was invited to have a once through lookover in the hall and I obliged with a thumbs up for a preparatory job well done. It has to be, after 27 years it has become a routine now, especially so when the members in the preparatory team were led by a few members who are professionals and already familiar with event management at their respective places of work.

The Gala Night started at about 7.30 pm with the arrival of family members and children. We had our uncles and aunties and a few cousins as invited guests. Mum made an entry into the hall at about 7.45pm with four school-going martial arts exponents performing a welcome. This was followed by a photography session and by 8.05pm the gala show began starting with the tiny-tots, 4 to 10 years old, performing a traditional folklore dance. They had been practising for about a month and it was fun watching them perform. (Watch it on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miSo-81nKQM&feature=player_embedded. Also watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvh-h7LAig&feature=related). Dinner was after two short speeches by the Chairman, organising committee and by me as WTCC Chairman. There were several performances by talented family members during dinner. Then there were study and special achievements awards to family members given out by Mum as Patron of WTCC, raffles and draws, an auction to generate funds for WTCC, quiz and other fun activities drawn up by the organising committee. The night ended at close to midnight with everyone leaving the hall with something in their hands and a memory to last for at least another year. I think everybody had fun that night. It will be a great challenge for the organising committee next year whoever they will be........
Mum's arrival pushed by Chairman organising committee
WTCC Group photograph
Warisan TCC Chairman giving a speech

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Eidul-Fitri and Birthdays

2009-09-25T23:16:00.011+08:00

The 1st day of Syawal and Eidul-Fitri was on Sunday. It was also my birthday. The next day was Najla's birthday. So, my children decided to celebrate the three occasions together. There were lots of food for the Eidul Fitri and two different birthday cakes, one each for Najla and me. Two birthdays and 60 years difference.

As usual we started off the day with morning prayers at the mosque. The mosque was full 'to the brim' with the congregation consisting of male and female adults and also children. On normal days only men and a handful of women congregate at the mosque for the daily and once weekly Friday prayers. But for the two annual Eid prayers the mosque will be full, just as it was last Sunday. After prayers, with our grandchildren in tow, we paid our respects to our Imam whose house is just next to the mosque. There were others visiting him too, so we just stayed for a while. The children of course were looking forward to receiving the small packets from the elders.

At home, food was ready on the table. And, there were the two cakes. Najla could not wait to have her candles blown and to cut her cake. We did it simultaneously and then proceed to savour the food spread. Our usual 'signature' sweet meat was also available. There were spice flavoured rice, white rice cubes, and also glutinous rice cooked while wrapped in coconut leaves, all taken with sweet meat and various other dishes of rendang and curries. Phewww.... diet control took a back seat that day.

Family members and Rams nieces and their families came visiting, and there were merriment all round. A whole day of eating. By evening we were ready to leave for JB, to visit my Mum, and also to spend a few days there to visit other elders but most of all to participate in our annual family gathering, the WTCC gala night. I will write a separate posting on this.

On the way to JB we stopped to visit Rams sisters, Siti and Rashidah, in Shah Alam. Rashidah, who recently went through a rough time battling cancer and whose treatment is still ongoing, spent a quiet Eid at home with Siti. It was 8pm by the time we got away from Shah Alam and the four hours drive to JB, arriving at the hotel in JB at close to 1.00am. We decided to stay at the hotel where our family gathering function was to be held on the 3rd day of Eidul-Fitri....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

End of Ramadhan

2009-09-25T08:08:00.005+08:00

Ramadhan ended on Saturday. One month of fasting, of fighting against mental and bodily desires, of abstaining from food and other physical needs during the day hours, of supplicating and devoting all energy and efforts towards seeking Almighty's pardon and exoneration for past misdeeds, and His guidance for our future well being, has ended. We then seek to ponder our renewed efforts to become a more devoted person, in the hope that we will maintain good health and that we will live to meet the next Ramadhan.

As we break fast on this last day of Ramadhan we rejoice, with the thought that we have won the fight against negative emotions, against our internal mortal desires, rejoice at the thought that He has guided us well, and hope that all our efforts in the last one month meet His requirements, and seek his acceptance of the same.

We also rejoice at the presence of all our children and grand children (except for Fahrul who has to be in Tenby, Wales) in the house to celebrate the coming of Syawal, of Eid Mubarak. We also look forward to meeting up with other family members in the celebration of Eid Mubarak.

As it has been the tradition, at the end of Ramadhan and the start of Eid Mubarak, the eve of which were spent with the men and children in the neighbourhood gather together and move house to house to recite the Eid Takbir, glorifying the Almighty and seeking his forgiveness and guidance always. There were close to thirty adults and same number of children in our immediate neighbourhood going round house to house that night. The children had alot of fun, partaking in the food offered in each house and receiving little packets containing some money and in some instances goodies of chocolates and cookies. We started immediately after the Isya' prayers and ended at just after midnight. The young children enjoyed the most, although some were already sleepy-eyed but forced themselves to continue obviously seeking to receive goodies from each house visited. I think all enjoyed themselves, and the atmosphere of merriment had begun.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

5 Months Old in a few days

2009-09-12T13:15:00.000+08:00

Hadeef Hafiy Mohd Shaffik, 5 months in a few days, born on 18th April 2009. Bubbly, demanding and a light sleeper....

4 Months Very Soon

2009-09-12T13:08:00.000+08:00

Fieras Naufal Fahrul Nizam 4 months old, born on 22nd May 2009. Quiet and observant but can really scream....

Going on 8 and 9

2009-09-12T12:45:00.001+08:00

Hifzhan Haafiy, right, will be 9 on 16 February 2009 and the younger brother, Haziq Haafiy 8 on 2 February 2009. Cheeky and playful....

4 going on 5

2009-09-12T12:23:00.001+08:00

This cute girl, Haadieya Hasya Mohd Shaffik, is 4 turning on 5 on 22 February 2010

4 Going On 5

2009-09-12T12:12:00.001+08:00

This little girl, Fadieya NurNajla Fahrul Nizam, is 4. Going to be 5 on 21st September 2009. Ain't she cute?

Health Pointers - VCO - Virgin Coconut Oil

2009-08-10T08:16:00.000+08:00

I am doing two jobs at the same time, vacuuming the floor while writing this posting. How convenient. The whirring of the robot vacuum cleaner with its soft lights blinking soothes the nerves or is it the thought of the job being made easy that is soothing? I wonder.

I mentioned a trip to my Alma Mater in my earlier posting here. I had for sometime been looking for virgin coconut oil (VCO) which is touted as one natural oil whose food value exceeds other oils in the market. There are even claims that the developed world, in their quest to promote their agricultural products like soya and peanuts, has hoodwinked the whole world by falsely claiming superiority of their product over coconut oil and claiming VCO for causing adverse health conditions like high cholesterol. The truth is out now. Numerous research and studies have been conducted on the virtues and intrinsic values of VCO. You can read all of them by searching VCO on the net and http://www.thevirgincoconutoil.com/, is one of them that provides a wealth of information. When I was a little kid I remember granny, both sides, and mum too using coconut oil for almost anything, cooking and frying, keeping some in a jar and placing nice smelling flower petals in it which is later used as hair-oil, taking some in a small bowl and placing one or two cloves of pounded garlic in the oil which is later used in massaging tired legs and muscles, and a myriad of other uses, too many to mention. As a kid I used to have skin problems especially at the back of the knee and at the fold of the forearm which was well treated with coconut oil. Mum would rub coconut oil on my tummy whenever I complained of tummy aches. There are many more uses of coconut oil. However, over the years, the dependence on coconut oil waned with the onslaught of advertisements over the health values of peanut oils, soya oils, polyunsaturated oils and others of similar lies. The demand for VCO slowly decreased over the years until it is so difficult to get any now! Very strong and very subtle this onslaught by the super nations to deny a share in the market for edible oil from the developing countries, the third world and the backward nations, most of all of which has plentiful coconuts.

I checked out the shops, supermarkets and hypermarkets for VCO but none of them carry it in their stock. I then tried several pharmacies and one of them had it in capsule form which was not what I want. Ram even tried making VCO but it is quite a hassle as it takes quite several hours to produce it and all you get in the end is just two or three tablespoons of oil from one coconut. A couple of weeks ago I visited a couple, a very close family friend, in fact he was my housemate when we were bachelors and we were just starting work then. We are close but we rarely meet as we now live in different towns. This couple operates a spa and a healing outlet. Naturally when we were there the topic of our discussion was the spa and health. That’s when I mentioned VCO and they were aware of the high value of it in terms of maintenance of good health and healing. They mentioned that one department in my Alma Mater, the Chemical Engineering School runs a research centre, the Chemical Engineering Pilot Plant (CEPP). It is at this school that they obtain technical support for their spa. One of the research products of CEPP is VCO. This product is sold to the public. So, it will be very convenient for me to obtain VCO. Special classes are conducted in CEPP for entrepreneurs to learn the technique and the machineries necessary to produce VCO in commercial scales. I will consider attending one of this classes later.

So it was, one fine day last week, we drove to my Alma Mater in KL, braving the traffic jams, and located this CEPP outlet. True enough, they have VCO for sale and they also have other products made in the pilot plants which are located in the main campus in JB, some 350 kilometers south. We got the VCO that we want and we found out that the person who is in-charge of this outlet lives not too far away from my house. How very convenient. We need not brave the KL traffic jams now to obtain our VCO supply. Furthermore my youngest sister and her husband lecture at the south campus in JB. They did check out the availability of VCO supply at the main CEPP outlet there and there were plenty of different packing sizes. So I can be assured of regular supply of VCO.

I encourage readers of my postings to search VCO on the net and read of the possible benefits that can be derived from the use of VCO. Have fun reading and try VCO out sometime. I hope it will be beneficial to you as well……….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya.

A Blind Cleaner

2009-08-06T22:52:00.011+08:00

One lazy weekend, some fortnight ago, Tessa showed me a flyer from a stack of flyers that were just pushed aside in a corner of the mini-kitchen table in our house. I have seen these flyers that occasionally came through our mailbox but have not bothered to read any of them. This particular flyer caught Tessa’s eyes and she passed it on to me while enquiring if I am not interested in it. On reading it my inquisition got the better of me and started reading every detail available. I even visited the website given on the flyer. They were having a promotion at one of the shopping malls and that day, a Sunday, was the last day of the promotion. I have resolved not to go to any of the shopping malls on a weekend much so on a Sunday as the place will be very crowded and before anything else you will have to go round and round looking for parking space. Once you park your car you will have to jostle with the crowd in the elevators, escalators, and in some popular shop outlets too. Children, young and not so young, with parents chasing, teenagers in groups and young couples will be taking over most of the spaces in the complex. In short, you will not have peace shopping!! To get out of the complex will be another hassle, too many cars coming in and going out at the same time. The politicians ask us to be resilient and withstand the economic downturn. Huh! What downturn!! Are these people in the malls just whiling away their time and not shopping?

The next day, a Monday, Ram and I was out for some errands and also visited my ‘Alma Mater’ to check out some products from a pilot plant that is run on a research basis (this will be a subject of my posting later). We had some time after lunch and decided to visit the actual showroom of the product mentioned in the flyer. The showroom is located in Sunway Mas Commercial Center, a satellite town not too far away from our house, within a new development area of PeeJay North. I am not familiar with this area but I managed to get route guidance over the phone from the guy in the showroom. This guy turned out to be the big boss himself and when we arrived at the showroom he was alone, as all his team members were dismantling their stuff at the promotional site in the shopping mall. He said that they got home very late in the night the previous night and hence took their time to dismantle and sort things out this being a Monday. He proceeded to demonstrate the gadget and mentioned that he had been studying similar products for quite a number of years and only now found one that had addressed the flaws found in all the previous products.

The product is a robotic vacuum cleaner. Ram calls it the blind cleaner. It moves around according to design and would go anywhere as long as its path is not impeded. It will change direction when it touches an object or when it reaches the edge of a floor or a fall off like the stairway drop etc. The guy who demonstrated the cleaner to us has, over the past several years, studied various robotic cleaners, their design and function, their construction and most of all their performance. There were several detrimental flaws in these previous cleaners that have been removed from this particular design. One example is: when the cleaner touches an object, like the leg of a chair, or the bottom of a cabinet or anything similar, it will retract a few centimeters backwards from its path and then turn to its side. The previous ones do not retract but would turn as soon as they touch an object, and by turning it sometimes scratches the object. This cleaner is designed to move in a square direction, circular direction clockwise and anti-clockwise, zig-zag direction and cris-crossing direction. It will retract and change direction when it reaches the edge of a floor, say at the staircase and will not fall. The design comes with two sets of brushes, one rotating long brush at the mouth of the vacuum inlet and another one circular brush that dislodge dirt and dust from the floor especially at the edges. There is also an Ultraviolet light incorporated to destroy any bacteria collected.
Looking For The Charger
One interesting in-built feature is the ability of the cleaner to find its charger once the battery is almost depleted. It will move around and look for the charger and when it come close docks itself to recharge. On one occasion when it was docking I told Ram that the baby has found its mother and is now breast feeding….. ha ha ha! So, the cleaner is good to work on its own. You can leave the house when it is at work, no problem. You can even set for it to continue working after it has been fully recharged.

Baby Getting Close To Mum!!

Mum Found

Docking Onto Charger

Charging Starts,.....

We have had the set working quite well and I think frequency of mopping the floors can now be reduced, provided vacuuming is done frequent enough, thus less strain on us. If only a mobile robotic floor mopper can be designed……….. ha ha ha! wishful thinking…..

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Separate Long Distance Journey

2009-07-14T00:04:00.001+08:00

Ram and I were scheduled to return to PJ, leaving Tenby on Saturday. We planned this several weeks ago and chose Saturday as it would have been convenient for Fahrul to send us to London it being a weekend. That’s what we thought. As always we, mere mortals can only plan but He disposes. It turned out that Fahrul had to return to KL for some work starting on Sunday evening. For Fahrul to leave Tenby with us on Saturday would have been too much of a rush for him. So, he decided to leave Tenby on Friday. As Sita has fully recovered from her confinement they decided to travel together to KL and take this opportunity to introduce little Muhd Fieras Naufal to the family back home. Thus it was planned that Fahrul, Sita and the two kids leave on Friday while Ram and I leave as scheduled on Saturday. We could have changed our tickets to travel with them on Friday but it would have been too costly to change with all the additional charges and penalties.

It was also planned that Fahrul and family uses the office car, a van rather, to accommodate the entire luggage and baby paraphernalia, to send them to London Heathrow on Friday. Ram and I were to drive the car to LHR on Saturday and leave the car at the long term parking facilities for Fahrul to pick it up when he returns to LHR from KL in two weeks time. It was a nice arrangement indeed.

So it was, all preparations were made for the travel. The packing started one day in advance, Najla getting in the way with excitement now and then and little Fieras demanding attention just the same. It was also planned that Najla skips school on Friday. The school had planned an outing to the local beach for all the children on Friday. Najla is one who would not turn down an opportunity to be at the beach. She loves playing in the sand but this time she does not mind missing it as the prospect of travelling back home was more exciting. On Friday morning we told her that if she wanted to join her school at the beach she could as there is enough time for her to do so since they were only leaving for LHR in the afternoon. This was how the conversation went in the early morning of Friday soon after Najla woke up from her sleep:
Fahrul: Good morninggggg Najla. How are you today?
Najla: Fine
Fahrul: You want to get ready to go to school?
Najla: No
Fahrul: Your school is going to the beach today and there is enough time for you to go if you want. Don’t you want to join them at the beach?
Najla: No
Fahrul: I thought you like to go to the beach and play in the sand…..
Najla: Yes, but I do not want to go today
Fahrul: Oh! Really. Why don’t you like to go to the beach today? You can play in the sands with all your friends….
Najla: But I have already said goodbye to all my friends and told them I will be travelling home….
Ha ha ha! That made sense. It can be embarrassing still for a five year old to meet her friends again after having said her goodbyes….

They left in the office transport at about 2.00pm. We were quite apprehensive with the thought of Fieras having to travel long distances, of whether he could take the journey but according to Sita it turned out to be ok. Fieras and Najla slept most of the way in the 5 hours car journey and the 12 hours plane journey. The only thing unusual she noticed was that Fieras tended to pass motion more often, and a lot each time, when in the plane but was none the worse for it. Perhaps pressures of the plane cabin did that.

We started our journey to LHR from Tenby at about 1.00pm, after spending the morning packing the bags. The weather was not so good. It had been gloomy, raining and drizzling the whole morning and was the same almost all the way into London Heathrow. After two hours of driving I began to get sleepy and had to stop at the next rest area to nap. It was a long nap, more than half an hour, and had a leisurely afternoon snacks and coffee at the restaurant lounge after that. We finally arrived at the long term car park area at close to 7.00pm, parked the car (all formalities were done online earlier by Fahrul), and was soon on the way in the shuttle provided to terminal 3 in LHR.
All flight formalities went smoothly. The flight was full but it was pleasant and restful for us, long queues at the limited toilets aside. Arrival formalities at KLIA were also smooth. Tessa was at the airport to fetch us and we went straight to Shah Alam as planned with Tessa and Sita to meet Ram’s sister who underwent a cancer operation recently. Sita and the little kids were already there waiting for us and of course Ram’s sisters too. Then came Ram’s nieces and their families. I think Najla and especially Fieras must have been overwhelmed with all the attention showered upon them.

We decided to put up in Shah Alam for the night and returned to PJ the next afternoon. back to the routine rigmarole of cleaning, laundry, etc., amidst satisfying the jet lag and sleep cravings. More later….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

For Want of A Better Location To Visit

2009-07-10T07:56:00.000+08:00

It was a wonderful Thursday. The sun was up and the weather looked promising for the day. Najla was in school and Fahrul at work. Sita had gone out with the ‘wives’ friends for brunch and brought little Fieras along. We decided to take a drive to another town called Fishguard in the west coast of Wales, for want of an outing really.

Fishguard is about 40 miles from Tenby lying on the west coast of Wales. The road leading to Fishguard was small and we took about an hour and a half to reach it. It is a small town with just one cross street and a roundabout. There were many small restaurants however and several shopping outlets on the two long main streets. Several outlets were on sale and we got ourselves several items to take home.

We were hungry and stopped at one café serving all day breakfast. It turned out to be a disappointment though as most of the items in the menu were no more available then. We moved on and finally stopped at a chicken outlet operated by a Kurdish guy who assured us that the food he served are suitable for us. We decided to have lunch there and moved on.

There wasn’t much to see in Fishguard but the trip there and back was nice. The countryside with rolling hills and green expanse was fascinating. We had to go back to Tenby before late evening to fetch Sita and the two kids from a friend’s house close to Najla’s school. It was just another day of outing for us and another experience to add to our travels……

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales.

Lazy Days

2009-07-09T05:35:00.000+08:00

It had been lazy days this past week, mostly spent at home playing with the kids, reading, watching TV, especially the Wimbledon finals and the MJ memorial service, and whiling away time cruising the net on my HP Mini. The downside of this low physical activity while staying at home is the increased frequency of opening the fridge door and the kitchen cabinets rummaging for snacks and the ever available ‘waistline enhancers’!! Sita’s habit of stocking up the fridge and the larder with goodies of all kinds ensures these back and forth trips happen. So, it was a week of sedentary activities and exercises limited to punching the keys on the HP mini, working the TV remote, and trips to the kitchen and bedroom, heh heh. We did go out but these outings were mostly to restock the kitchen or to eat out.

I was conscious of what all these sedentary activities will do to me and I do monitor the effects daily. No adverse effects noticed though. Perhaps it is too short a span of time to have any effect. Anyway, we will be travelling home this weekend and once at home there will be a lot of activities, travelling and errands to run that I do not have to worry about inactivity and waistline structure effects.

We were out for breakfast at a very popular all-day breakfast outlet in Narbeth about 15 miles from Tenby. It was a Saturday, the day when the two William sisters were matched against each other in the Wimbledon Ladies single finals. No rush for us to watch the match as one William will win anyway!! The sun was out, temperature around Celsius 20s and hence pleasant for a family outing. The baby had to be taken along but he was a good baby all the way. He slept most of the time that we were in the restaurant. We took our time with the good breakfast, crispy roasted vegetarian panini, very fresh and crispy salads, rocky chocs, lemon cakes, with black and white coffee, white choco drink, chocolate and strawberry shakes and so on…. The restaurant was well patronized, with all tables occupied and we had one that was close to the entrance, which meant almost everyone who enters the restaurant will notice the baby in his pram, and there will be pleasantries and pleasant banters, especially from the elderly ladies. One family with small children, looked like three generations just like us, at the table next to ours was all the time eyeing the baby, especially grams sitting across the table in direct view of baby Fieras.

After breakfast we took a walk around the quaint little town, with Sita and Fahrul stopping at a baby shop to look over at baby stuff and bought several items for little Fieras while Najla insisted in buying a pair of shoes for herself. She just would not give in to baby, typical of small children, little streaks of hidden jealousy.

It was mid afternoon by the time we got home and on TV Serena Williams was winning over her elder sister, just as I predicted. The next day, Sunday, was the men’s finals with Andy Roddick matched against Roger Federrer. We had to stay in and watch. In the morning we went to a car-boot sale nearby and made sure we return home before the finals start. Najla wanted more books and car-boot sale is one place she can have a wide selection to choose from. I was glued to the TV the rest of the afternoon, all through the tough fight between the two tennis giants. They had to go four and a half hours of a total 77 games in five sets and Federrer finally got his 6th Wimbledon singles title and 15th grand slam title beating the reigning Pete Sampras 14th. Even Andy Roddick apologised to Sampras over his failure to deny Federrer his grand slam title. It was a tough fight and very tiring for both I am sure and it was a game worth watching to the end.

So, that was how the weekend went by, quiet and lazy. The following days of the week went quite similarly and with baby Fieras needing constant attention we really do not mind staying home. It was pleasant all the way……

At The Car-boot Sales

Wimbledon Champion

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

At Home In Tenby

2009-07-02T23:10:00.000+08:00

I arrived in Tenby at close to 1.00am last night. Everyone’s asleep and Fahrul has to be in office in the morning. I am all pooped up and was ready to go to bed, a most welcoming activity after the delayed train journey. Ram said I was sleeping like a baby.

I was up early this morning and waited for Najla to wake up. Baby Muhd Fieras Naufal was up earlier and crying for his milk. It has been four weeks since I last saw him and he has grown but not as much as his cousin Hadeef in Bintulu. Hadeef looks chubbier. Fieras appear to prefer to cling and not wanting to be left alone. Its demanding on adults when he does that. One just can’t do anything then except to hold on to him. He will scream soon after he is put down.

, Initially drowsy on waking up, Najla was excited when she saw me, and had many questions for me later. She had to prepare for school, however, and was reluctantly dragging herself to the bathroom etc. I continued my sleep for a couple of hours after Fahrul and Najla have gone. It was a leisurly Thursday for me, playing with baby Naufal and chatting with Ram and Sita. I was in no mood to go out although the weather was pleasant to be outdoors. I spent time mostly watching the Wimbledon tennis ladies semi-finals where the Williams sisters entered finals and will fight each other in the finals on Saturday.

The day was uneventful, spent quietly at home and playing with the kids. Luckily Najla agreed to go on-line for her favourite programmes and games leaving the TV free for us to watch the semi-finals. What to do tomorrow? We will see how the day goes….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire
Wales

A Train Journey Gone Awry

2009-07-02T07:40:00.002+08:00

I love the train. I have always been fascinated by the train. Ever since I was small I have always viewed the train in awe and wonder. I enjoy train rides. During my engineering student days I had to do a six months practical training and had several options, one of which was to do it in the National Train Central Workshop. Yes, you guessed it. It was a natural option to take and I went through the practical training at the workshop and enjoyed it very much. Whenever I am near a railway track and when a train pass by I will stop whatever I am doing and view the train as it passes.

I am now on my way to Tenby from Reading by train – the First Great Western Express. I have arrived earlier from KL by MH4 MAS flight. The flight was normal and arrived in London Heathrow on time, and that was 4.15pm London time. I took the regular rail-air link express bus service from LHR to Reading where this train journey began for me. I had pre-booked this train journey from Reading to Swansea and a connecting train to Carmathen, where Fahrul is supposed to come and fetch me. I have done this trip several times before and it is so very convenient, but ……… not this time though.

The train was initially delayed by about 20 minutes in arriving Reading, due to some signaling problems they had in Paddington, the starting point of many train journeys from London. Apparently many trains were delayed as well. However there is a greater delay now. Someone had shoved a shopping trolley onto the track somewhere near Swindon and a train ahead of ours had run over it causing its hydraulics to rupture and left it immobile. So, there we were stuck on the track in between stations. The Train Manager announced a plan of reversing the train several signals behind and divert the train onto another track to Swindon. We waited….. Then the Train Manager announced that they are not able to execute the plan to take the alternative track as there are now a couple of trains behind us in the queue. So we waited some more.

It has been more than an hour of wait and it is now 10.15pm. They have resolved the problems of the train ahead of us. Finally we are on our way but the problems have just begun. Many passengers have connections to make and similarly for me I have a connection to make at Swansea. The Train Manager is arranging for the connections, most likely by taxis for all. I am in contact with Fahrul and are looking at the best option for us tonight.

Fahrul decided that it is better for him to fetch me at a station just before Swansea, the Port Talbot station, and forgo the connection of Swansea to Carmathen as it will be a hassle at Swansea to catch a connection to Carmathen. One will have to wait for the Station Manager to do a headcount of passengers needing the connection service and then arrange for the appropriate bus or taxis and so on and so on. Fahrul had gone through this before and it is no fun and will be very slow with a lot of wait and wait, especially when it is late at night!!, hence the decision to meet at Port Talbot.

The train is moving very fast now, trying to catch up lost time I guess. We were told that we can have drinks and snacks at the buffet car ‘on the house’ and off I went to the car several coaches ahead. I opted for coffee (to stay awake) and biscuits and look forward to stop at Port Talbot. Better record this experience on my new HP Mini I thought. We are almost reaching Port Talbot now and the time is about 11.40pm. It will be another two hours to Tenby by car and I am so very sleepy now……

Will I take another train travel? You can bet I will, today's experience notwithstanding.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Little Cousins

2009-05-26T14:45:00.005+08:00

Little Cousins. One in Tenby and the other in Bintulu, born ~ 5 weeks apart, one through a 'short-cut' in the morning and the other naturally in the late evening. Whichever way they came out they are nevertheless beautiful little boys, much adorable, huggable and a joy to the eyes. Don't they just look wonderful? Their elder siblings just can't get enough of touching and stroking them and all, I think, having secret wishes to hold the baby
but are prevented by the parents and grandparents from doing so with the excuse that the little ones are too little and still fragile for them to hold in their hands. I remember Haadieya arguing with me when I said that she is still small to carry the baby that "Everybody says that I am big, so if I am big why I cannot carry baby?) ha ha ha! its true she is big, but only in comparison to those of her age, but not big enough yet to be carrying a baby. Anyway, I managed to coax her to sit cross-legged on the floor and placed baby on her lap to make her happy and indeed she was. Then Hifzhan and Haziq did the same too and I think they all enjoyed the experience. It is the same with Najla. She also requested to hold and carry the baby but we have managed to persuade her not to, so far, but I am sure we cannot keep her at bay for too long.

The little baby in Tenby has not been named yet. The parents are intending to name him Muhd Firas Naufal. So, Hadeef Hafiy and Mohd Firas Naufal are cousins, of almost the same age, who will grow up being compared to each other by many, naturally. Comparisons aside, my prayers are that they will grow up to be useful citizens of this world and receive the guidance and protection of the Almighty always. May the Almighty be pleased.....

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Baby's Homecoming

2009-05-25T10:20:00.007+08:00

Little baby 1st homecoming from the hospital was on Sunday 24th afternoon, two days after birth. Najla was very excited, not so much that baby is home, but more of mummy being home. She had been crappy the day before when she realised that mummy was not coming home yet and we had to almost continually keep her occupied lest she throws tantrums.

We were at the hospital in the afternoon on Saturday to visit baby and mummy and we brought Najla along. She was beaming when she saw baby and mummy, insisted that we take some pictures of her with mummy and baby and seemed to be overawed with little baby, touching him in trepidation, as though expecting baby to wake up and scream at her!! She remained fascinated over her little brother and kept her eyes over the baby every now and then. At the same time she was throwing questions after questions to mummy. She also felt mummy's tummy and then look at the baby, perhaps wondering whether baby has truly come out from mummy's tummy, ha ha!!

It was very difficult to get Najla to leave mummy and baby at the hospital when it was time for us to go home. She cried in the car and at the hypermarket where we stopped to buy groceries. The hospital is in another town, Heaverfordwest, which is bigger than and some 45 minutes drive out of Tenby. In this town we can get a good variety and choice of groceries and also 'halal' items. Because Najla continued to cry I had to sit with her at one corner of the hypermarket while Ram did the shopping alone. Najla finally fell asleep, obviously exhausted of crying, and I had to carry her and let her sleep on my shoulder. Luckily she is slim, small and light!!

Late Sunday afternoon was when baby arrived home with mummy and daddy and baby was sleeping peacefully in the 'carry-on' car seat on arrival. Not long after that he woke up and wanted to be fed. For the rest of the day and night baby was crying often, and was passing alot of 'wind' his tummy being obviously unsettled. We had to apply all sorts of techniques to make baby comfortable but we were almost up all night through. It was only early in the morning that baby was more settled and had a few hours of sleep. Phewww.... what a night..... I hope this will not be a sign of the many more sleepless nights to come....

Najla, about to hug Mummy on her arrival home

Just Like Tok Bi in that 'Nyonya' dress!!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Pembrokeshire,
Wales

Second Child for Sita and Fahrul, Sixth Grandchild for Us

2009-05-23T04:50:00.000+08:00

All praises to the Almighty. Sita, due to deliver baby on 1st June, by calculation, has three hours ago given birth to a baby boy, her and Fahrul's second child and sixth grandchild for Ram and I. The baby is about 10 days early. Najla does not yet know that she has a baby brother. She is fast asleep and she is going to be very disappointed when she wakes up and finds that she has a brother. I wonder what her reaction will be.

We have not seen the baby yet but Fahrul has passed some photos just after birth. We shall wait a few days before taking more photos as by then baby should stabilise.

I am happy, and all praises to the Almighty, that I now have four grandsons and two granddaughters. More postings on the baby to follow.....

Cold Cold Cold Tenby

2009-05-19T02:38:00.005+08:00

Ram and I are already in Tenby. The temperatures are supposed to be > 15 Celsius in the day hours, which is long and > 10 Celsius at night but no no no. The actual temperatures were like 12 Celsius day hours and single digit night time. Sun up is at about 3.30 am and sunset at 9.30 pm. My body clock is misbehaving and I do not know if I am jet-lagged, tired or just plain sleepy. So, when I sit down and relax, and if my eyes droop I will just let sleep happen. I will not fight it.

We left home early on Sunday 17th morning to catch the 10.00am flight from KLIA to LHR. Tessa sent us to the airport and we had a preflight ‘flight’ to the airport at ~ 170km/hr on the freeway. In spite of that there were several cars that were faster than us but not a BMW Z4 driven by a young man (I wondered if it was his car as he looked too young to own such a car!!) with the soft top open. Perhaps he was just enjoying an easy drive or just cautious with a borrowed car!!

Check-in at the flight counter was a breeze as I used my upgraded frequent traveler card and I did not have to queue. Yes, flying off to Tenby so many times over the last six months or so and to Bintulu twice in a month for the last six months and the three or four return trips to Terengganu per month six months before that have earned me enough recognition to be upgraded. We had more than an hour before we have to report at the flight gate so we took the opportunity to relax and enjoy lovely breakfast at the airline lounge. Flight was on schedule, and there was an empty seat next to Ram’s, so it was pleasant extra space. There was a strong headwind, somewhere between 120 to 160 kilometers an hour, throughout the journey and I think the pilot had to overwork the engines to keep schedule. He overdid it I think, because we arrived London half an hour early but the pilot came on the radio to say that there is bunching of flights to land at Heathrow and we have to wait our turn. In the end we landed a quarter of an hour behind schedule. The bunching of flights landing in LHR caused a long queue at the immigration and it was a good hour before we cleared our passports and retrieved our baggage. That aside the flight was pleasant, with good service provided by the cabin crew, and easy passage through customs. We were quite apprehensive as we brought some herbal treatment stuff for Sita to use during her confinement and we expected customs to give us a hard time. But, as Sita always says, “Do not worry too much. Whatever it is, things will usually work out in the end. Just put your heart to it and a little prayer of course”.

Sita was waiting for us, beaming end to end when she saw us, at the exit of customs, happy to see all our baggage intact and to learn that there was no custom check. Fahrul was then driving around the airport area as Najla was then sleeping and did not want to wake her up. She continued to sleep even when we got into the car and only woke up about half an hour later, maybe awakened by our conversations and laughter. It’s a 5 hours drive to Tenby from London, including ‘toilet service and pit stop’ and I fell asleep part of the way. We arrived in Tenby at about 10pm and it was just getting dark!!

The next day was a confusing day for our body clock, don’t know whether to sleep in or go out. The rainy and ‘balmy’ weather does not help any. It was much nicer to snuggle in between the bed sheets than be up and about. However, today was a much nicer day and I could go for a walk around the area in the late afternoon just in my long-sleeved T and ordinary pants. Temperature was about 15 Celsius but it did not stay that way long. By 7pm it became cloudy and balmy again. I hope the weather will improve as the spring moves on to summer…….. maybe a little farfetched a hope for UK, knowing what the weather here had been over the years!!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Tenby, Wales, Pembrokeshire

2009-05-16T20:07:00.003+08:00

We are back in PeeJay. We have a series of medical checkups, over three days before the weekend when we will fly to Wales. We received uneasy news however and had to take some consoling actions before we leave. Ram’s younger sister, Rashidah, was diagnosed with and confirmed to have an early stage cancer of the breast. She had earlier checked with her regular doctor of some problems she had and the doctor recommended that she does a thorough check. Through the niece who is a doctor in one of the specialist hospital in KL, she went through proper scans and x-rays to determine the problem and it was confirmed to be cancerous. Now it is decision to make on the timing for removal of the cancer. We had a free Saturday and spent time with her and Ram’s other sibling in their Shah Alam apartment. We brought lunch along on the visit and had it with them. A little after lunch another niece, the younger sibling of the specialist doctor, came to visit with his son. So we had a pleasant meeting with close relatives that day and I think it sort of cheered up Ram’s sister a bit. We still do not know what the outcome will be but we hope and pray for the sister, that when the doctors do open her up will not find much of a problem and that she can get on with her life unabated. She appeared to be taking it positively and strong and we hope she will remain so. May the Almighty keep her under guidance always.

Ram had her regular eye check up at THONEH on Wednesday and went away with fresh supply of eye drops. Her eyes were ok, and the doctor is just waiting for the proper occasion to do her left eye. The hospital is still waiting for the new and latest equipment to arrive and to use on her left eye operation. So she will have to continue with just one good eye for a little while longer.

Our own annual, full, medical checkups turned out quite some surprises though. Ram has improved on her blood pressure and blood sugar level but her backbone shows a little deterioration. She will have to be careful when bending down or lifting heavy stuff. On the other hand I have better controlled bone mass structure, an improvement from the last check up a year ago. It is no wonder then that I found much less need for the walking stick recently and that waking up in the mornings has been sprightlier with less pain in the joints. The abdominal aneurysm seems to be holding on with no deterioration, so, no worries there. We shall continue with our routines, be more aware of what we eat, and of course we must not forget our exercise routines. We have not practiced regular Qi Gong and must now make it more regular. We had resolved sometime back that we should cut down on our meat intake and increase our veges and fruits, more proteins and less carbo, increasing nutrients over fats. Results of the medical tests also suggested that we reduce our seafood intake. Luckily fish does not fall under the category of sea food and is a recommended food in our case.

Our next check up is at the Government Community Health clinic. We obtain our regular medicines there and with the results of the full medical checkup the day before we went to the clinic very early. The doors were already open when we arrived at the clinic and our queue numbers were 32 and 33. Nevertheless, with the systemic flow of checkup process at the clinic we were done in about an hour and a half, complete with doctors’ consultation and our prescriptions filled up. We received a three month supply of medicine. That should cover us for the period Ram is away in Wales with Sita and impending arrival of the baby and I, away in Bintulu to continue with my obligations at my former place of work.

We will be off to Wales on Sunday 17th and I will try to continue posting on this blog while away in Tenby. Meanwhile, May the Almighty protect us all and may He provide guidance to Rashidah in these apprehensive times…….

That's Rashidah on the left

Just Before A Dinner Outing In January

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Petaling Jaya

Thanksgiving Prayers for the Newborn

2009-05-10T23:07:00.006+08:00

We decided to hold a thanksgiving prayer session to mark the arrival of little Hadeef Hafiy and it was held in the late afternoon of Friday 8th. Shaffik invited his colleagues and I had some of my old acquaintances in Bintulu to join in. It was a joyous occasion and the centre of attraction was of course the little baby. We had a group of elders from a local mosque to lead in the prayers and we perform a simple ceremony of cutting Hadeef’s hair and ‘introducing’ him to zam zam holy water and dates. Most of those present took turns in cutting the hair, wiping dates on the baby’s lips and putting a few drops of holy water in his mouth.

The elder siblings were busy the whole day preparing packets of goodies to be distributed to all present that late afternoon. They were enjoying the job as the goodies consist of chocolates, sweets, cakes and biscuits and hence, one or two got into their mouths while packing, ha ha ha! They then proudly carry the packets in decorated baskets and presented one each to all present during the late afternoon occasion. Afternoons of the week had been very hot every day, and the heat continued until late evening but on Friday, the day of the prayer session the weather turned out to be pleasant. It rained in the early morning of Friday and the weather continued to be mildly cloudy the rest of the day. So, it was a pleasant afternoon after all.

Shaffik arranged for food through a regular caterer consisting of yellow rice, mutton curry, beef dalcha, chicken in tomato sauce and honey, salads and other condiments, several types of fruits, several types of local sweets and cakes, soft drinks and the ever popular ‘teh tarik’. There were about seventy adults and counting the kids there would have been about ninety people. There was more than enough food for everybody and we could pack some to give away too. This was because several invitees could not join us as that weekend was a long weekend when many in Bintulu took the opportunity to travel out of Bintulu.

Hadeef was a good boy throughout the occasion. He seemed to relish the attention given. He was awake all the time but did not make any sound. He just lay there in the comfort of his dad’s arm while being taken around to each guest present and later in his grandma’s arms while being taken to the ladies present.

In closing the ceremony an acquaintance of mine, who is a religious teacher and preacher, gave a talk on the virtues of starting proper in child upbringing, of leading the children in a balanced atmosphere both worldly and spiritually, of setting good examples to the children and not be overly indulgent and so on and so on……

Every one partakes in the food spread at the end and there were lots of merriment and laughter. Amongst the crowd were some people that I have not seen for some time and it was in deed a joyous occasion. We caught up with ‘lost time’ and promised to meet up again soon. How soon will that be I wonder…….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu

Watchful Eyes of a Little Girl

2009-05-01T21:51:00.006+08:00

Hadeef Hafiy is now one month old, our youngest grandson and brother to Haadieya, the only girl of four siblings in Bintulu. Little Hadeef does not seem to need much attention and is also quiet. He hardly cries and only made baby sounds when he is hungry. Generally he cries when he is being cleaned and when being bathed, especially when his private parts are touched. Will he grow up to be a private person? I wonder.

The elder sister, who wanted a little sister very much but made do with a little brother instead, tries not to show any emotion when attention are showered to the little baby. However one day Mummy told me that Haadieya confided that Tok Bah and Tok Mi does not love her anymore. I asked Haadieya why she said so and she scolded her mummy for telling me that fact:

Haadieya: “Mummyyyyyy, I told you not to tell Tok Bahhhhhhh” and was about to cry
Mummy: “Sorry, sorry, sorry”
Tok Bah: Holding Haadieya tight, “Why do you say that Tok Bah and Tok Mi don’t love you anymore?”
Haadieya: “Because you always hold baby and call baby only……” Yes we do that often and I had to think up a good answer to diffuse her negative thoughts,
Tok Bah: “Now, now, you must always remember that Tok Bah and Tok Mi love you very much and still love you very much”
“Because baby sleep always, Tok Bah got to keep calling baby to attract his attention”
“That does not mean that Tok Bah and Tok Mi do not love you or for that matter your elder brothers. We still love you very much”
“We continue playing with you, do we not?”
Sometime later, I hugged her again and with her lying down I held her supporting her neck in my left hand and hugging her at midriff with my right hand called “Haadieyaaaa, Haadieyaaaa, where are you” several times and rocking her while doing that the way I called baby every time I hold him. I can see the change and brightening up of Haadieya’s face enjoying the attention given to her. Ha ha, an overgrown baby, certainly jealous of the little brother. I must remember to keep her attention going always…..

Hadeef’s little belly button came off clean within a week after birth. Our experience was that when belly buttons of his siblings came off clean there was a slight change in the baby’s condition, like a rise in body temperature or baby becoming stressed up, crying and noisy but not with Hadeef. He was very quiet and showed no change at all. I do suspect that he is going to be a very private person…….
Shaffik made it a habit of taking Hadeef for a short ‘sunbath’ several mornings, on his first week at home, at the gazebo as his skin showed a tinge of yellow, a possible indication of ‘jaundice’, but it was only a tinge and does not look serious. It is common to note that babies had to be retained in hospital for several days after birth, to treat for possible ‘jaundice’ infection. The tinge of yellow on Hadeef’s skin however disappeared soon enough and nothing to worry about, but he does seem to enjoy the morning sunbath heh heh!! He was awake but kept wriggling his hands and feet, with eyes closed and no sound from his mouth….. starting to enjoy life a little early doesn’t he?……….

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu

Hafiy the 3rd

2009-04-18T19:52:00.002+08:00

Shaffik and Mini got another boy, another Hafiy (a second name given to the elder siblings and looks like will be given to this one too - Hafiy the 3rd!) Mini gave birth at about 10.20 this morning at a private hospital in Miri. Baby weighed in at 2.9 kg and both baby and mum are doing ok.

Our fifth grandchild and third grandson. The two boys were overjoyed when told that they now have another brother but Haadieya kept missing the point by refering to the baby as 'my baby sister' several times during conversations. By evening she accepted the fact that the baby is her baby brother and not sister. I guess, in her own way, she was psyching herself to accept a baby brother even though she very much wanted a baby sister.

I sat with her after the evening prayers and talked with her about what she would do when the baby comes home in a few days, that baby will be sleeping with mummy alot and that she will have to give way to baby and so on. Oh! she said, "I can still sleep with mummy and baby and I will help feed baby milk, and help baby sleep - demonstrating with her hands how she will do it" very confidently. Her excitement grew as we continued to talk and she reminded me several times that I should not be loud, putting her forefinger to her lips and whispering, "you must not wake baby up. Baby need to sleep and I will talk to mummy very softly" She rambled on and on and on about baby and I did not detect anymore of that baby sister thing. She has got over it I guess.

Hafiy the 3rd, born today at 10.20am

I browsed through to February 2005 in this blog archive when I posted pictures of Haadieya when she was born, and the pictures look almost the same, especially in the eyes region, but thay do not look identical though!!

MKI Ramblings Unlimited
Bintulu

Interesting Life Experience

2009-04-12T16:36:00.002+08:00

A friend sent this to me......

From a 97 years old doctor:

At the age of 97 years and 4 months, Shigeaki Hinohara is one of the world's longest-serving physicians and educators. Hinohara's magic touch is legendary: Since 1941 he has been healing patients at St. Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo and teaching at St. Luke's College of Nursing. After World War II, he envisioned a world-class hospital and college springing from the ruins of Tokyo; thanks to his pioneering spirit and business savvy, the doctor turned these institutions into the nation's top medical facility and nursing school. Today he serves as chairman of the board of trustees at both organizations. Always willing to try new things, he has published around 150 books since his 75th birthday, including one "Living Long, Living Good" that has sold more than 1.2 million copies. As the founder of the New Elderly Movement, Hinohara encourages others to live a long and happy life, a quest in which no role model is better than the doctor himself.

Doctor Shigeaki Hinohara JUDIT KAWAGUCHIPHOTO:

Energy comes from feeling good, not from eating well or sleeping a lot. We all remember how as children, when we were having fun, we often forgot to eat or sleep. I believe that we can keep that attitude as adults, too. It's best not to tire the body with too many rules such as lunchtime and bedtime.

All people who live long regardless of nationality, race or gender share one thing in common:None are overweight... For breakfast I drink coffee, a glass of milk and some orange juice with a tablespoon of olive oil in it. Olive oil is great for the arteries and keeps my skin healthy. Lunch is milk and a few cookies, or nothing when I am too busy to eat. I never get hungry because I focus on my work.. Dinner is veggies, a bit of fish and rice, and, twice a week, 100 grams of lean meat..

Always plan ahead. My schedule book is already full until 2014, with lectures and my usual hospital work. In 2016 I'll have some fun, though: I plan to attend the Tokyo Olympics!

There is no need to ever retire, but if one must, it should be a lot later than 65. The current retirement age was set at 65 half a century ago, when the average life-expectancy in Japan was 68 years and only 125 Japanese were over 100 years old. Today, Japanese women live to be around 86 and men 80, and we have 36,000 centenarians in our country. In 20 years we will have about 50,000 people over the age of 100...

Share what you know. I give 150 lectures a year, some for 100 elementary-school children, others for 4,500 business people. I usually speak for 60 to 90 minutes, standing, to stay strong.

When a doctor recommends you take a test or have some surgery, ask whether the doctor would suggest that his or her spouse or children go through such a procedure. Contrary to popular belief, doctors can't cure everyone. So why cause unnecessary pain with surgery I think music and animal therapy can help more than most doctors imagine.

To stay healthy, always take the stairs and carry your own stuff. I take two stairs at a time, to get my muscles moving.

My inspiration is Robert Browning's poem "Abt Vogler." My father used to read it to me. It encourages us to make big art, not small scribbles. It says to try to draw a circle so huge that there is no way we can finish it while we are alive. All we see is an arch; the rest is beyond our vision but it is there in the distance.

Pain is mysterious, and having fun is the best way to forget it. If a child has a toothache, and you start playing a game together, he or she immediately forgets the pain. Hospitals must cater to the basic need of patients: We all want to have fun. At St. Luke's we have music and animal therapies, and art classes.

Don't be crazy about amassing material things. Remember: You don't know when your number is up, and you can't take it with you to the next place.

Hospitals must be designed and prepared for major disasters, and they must accept every patient who appears at their doors. We designed St.... Luke's so we can operate anywhere: in the basement, in the corridors, in the chapel. Most people thought I was crazy to prepare for a catastrophe, but on March 20, 1995, I was unfortunately proven right when members of the Aum Shinrikyu religious cult launched a terrorist attack in the Tokyo subway. We accepted 740 victims and in two hours figured out that it was sarin gas that had hit them. Sadly we lost one person, but we saved 739 lives.

Science alone can't cure or help people. Science lumps us all together, but illness is individual. Each person is unique, and diseases are connected to their hearts. To know the illness and help people, we need liberal and visual arts, not just medical ones.

Life is filled with incidents. On March 31, 1970, when I was 59 years old, I boarded the Yodogo, a flight from Tokyo to Fukuoka. It was a beautiful sunny morning, and as Mount Fuji came into sight, the plane was hijacked by the Japanese Communist League-Red Army Faction. I spent the next four days handcuffed to my seat in 40-degree heat. As a doctor, I looked at it all as an experiment and was amazed at how the body slowed down in a crisis.

Find a role model and aim to achieve even more than they could ever do. My father went to the United States in 1900 to study at DukeUniversity in North Carolina. He was a pioneer and one of my heroes. Later I found a few more life guides, and when I am stuck, I ask myself how they would deal with the problem.

It's wonderful to live long. Until one is 60 years old, it is easy to work for one's family and to achieve one's goals. But in our later years, we should strive to contribute to society. Since the age of 65, I have worked as a volunteer. I still put in 18 hours seven days a week and love every minute of it.

Traffic Woes

2009-04-09T19:25:00.000+08:00

The traffic in Bintulu, once a quiet fishing village that has grown into a bustling industrial town, is beginning to show the traits of traffic that, if their flow is not properly planned and managed, will cause daily congestions and unnecessary hold ups that will also cause unnecessary stresses for drivers. To make matters worse, drivers here are still taking the easy way out every opportunity they get, disregarding standard traffic rules and regulations. Most behave as though Bintulu is in the 80’s and 90’s where people just park their cars anywhere they please, make U-turns anywhere possible even if going against traffic. It was ok those days as there was then not much traffic on the road and the roads too were few. In the 80’s there were only two traffic lights, several more were put up in the 90’s and there are now traffic lights everywhere. And yet, drivers sometimes disregard them. On one occasion I was driving slowly behind a row of vehicles on the slow lane of the road when a car, several vehicles ahead of me, simply stop on the flowing lane to allow several passengers to disembark, one passenger even got out of the car on the fast lane side, throwing cautions to the wind!! I was stopped behind the row of cars and I just looked on in disbelief at the unconcerned attitudes of the people ahead of me.
Disciplining drivers will be a tough job for the authorities. One sure way of making them toe the line is to enforce the traffic summons. However, before doing this the road system and design, the parking system, the road surfaces and conditions must be made conducive and friendly to the public. I noticed that newly developed areas and commercial centers are built with a lot of car parking provisions. This is a good start. The parking systems they use are people friendly. You have to pay when parking your car and paying is made easy by using coupons. If you get parking compounds, paying for them is also made easy for the public.
One sad situation, adding to woes of drivers and car owners, are the conditions of roads. There are far too many potholes patchwork that the road surfaces become uneven and are quite dangerous to fast traffic. Making matters worse are the many over laden and overburdened trucks and lorries plying the main roads such that the roads become even more uneven. These lorries blatantly overload and they seem to get away with it all the time. When driving on these roads one can feel the steering wheel going its own direction when going over these uneven surfaces. A slight misjudgment by the driver can lead ones’ car to the side of the road, and the sides of the roads are usually soft earth. There are very few places where the road shoulders are hard and even very few with sufficient sides and shoulders. So, in times of emergencies one has no side table to stop the vehicle on and has no choice but to take a portion of the road to stop the vehicle, causing other traffic to dangerously swerve usually to the middle of the road and then causing disruption to the flow of traffic in the middle of the road. Accidents and mishaps can and do happen at times. This is perhaps the reason why the driver I mentioned earlier stopped on the road to discharge his passengers.
Bintulu is fast becoming a modern town, with modern buildings, shopping malls, hotels and commercial centers that are spread into several pocket areas. It is properly planned but the roads are something else. There is a dire need to upgrade the roads to a higher class road that can withstand excessive pressures of increasing traffic and heavy ones too. Most of all, there is an immediate need for proper enforcement of traffic rules. Stop double parking and haphazard parking especially at the end of school hours and on peak periods. There is at least one school located in all the major roads in Bintulu and end of school hours are just times of traffic chaos at these locations. Something needs to be done to alleviate this daily chaotic situation. If the authorities are thinking of bringing Bintulu and upgrading it to a first world city then all its infrastructure works should be designed to first world standard and more importantly maintenance and administration should also be of first world standards. It will be tough to achieve and much tougher to maintain….. We shall see what happens in the future……

MKI Ramblings Unlimited,
Bintulu, Sarawak