"You will not talk to my wife like that ~!"

2007: Di Tok Bali ~! Perjalanan pulang dari Kuala Lumpur ke Kuala Krai, singgah di tepi pantai untuk berehat!

Only two days ago I wrote about 'Pongoh' and 'Gedebe!'- or 'Temper with a don't give a damn attitude' and how I have changed for the better. Oh well...What a premonition! This morning, while I din't lose my temper, I displayed my 'Gedebe' in the face of one 'Kurang Ajar' - or 'ill mannered' person.

"Pongoh!"



Cili, jika di makan mesti lah terasa pedaasnya~!
Baik lah makan tomato dan nenas tu jika tak tahan pedas~!



'Pongoh' is Kelantan speak for  'Panas Baran' or 'Hot tempered'.

Orang Kelantan dulu2 ramai yang 'Pongoh'. Di sertai pula dengan sikap  'Gedebe', or 'Berani, Come what may', lalu timbullah satu reputation orang Kelantan sebagai 'Pongoh dan Suka bergaduh!'

"Ambil kan Peta!"

Last Friday, LiL and I were on our way to the old house to take whatever was left behind and also to do some cleaning up before we handed over the house key to the compound management when our son Amirul called my mobile.

Amirul: Ayah bagitau Mak jangan lupa ambil kan peta!

Me: You better talk to mak!

Puzzled with which 'Peta' he meant I passed the phone to LiL, while saying, "Amirul suruh ambil kan peta!"

Equally puzzled, LiL asked quizzically, "Peta mana pulak?"

Then she burst out laughing. I mean more than LOL kind of laugh....it was ROTFL kind of laughter.

Sensing that I was feeling left out, she said with a chuckled, "Amirul was reminding us to ambil comforter lah...bukan ambil kan peta!"

I joined her, laughing. I tried vainly to defend myself, "But but, he did say, ambil kan Peta!"

Lately, either my hearing has gone cross-wired or people who speak to me have been mumbling with their words.

Last night for example, soon after we switched off the light and settled in under the duvet, I heard she said  with a sniff, "I love you!" Instantly, I turned on my side and extended my hand to hug her, and whispered, "I love you too - nak ka?"

I got a sharp reply, "Isk....I cakap I have flue lah~!"

Not to be out done, of course I replied, "I have flue too - nak tissue ka!"

"Hahahaha!" we both laughed.

Managing anger, a perspective ~!

Anger management! How good are you?
Many experts now are making good money by conducting workshop showing others how to manage their anger. I however, have simple philospohy - and it is free!

I often ask angry people who come to me - "why do you allow yourself to get angry?"

My life: a silly reflection...

In a life so full of drama, I have gone through the ups and down like everyone else. Along the way, I have taken people up with me, and a few followed me down the cliff too. For a life which most time has been spent treading deep waters, and some other time spent tip-toeing slippery slopes, I have been lucky to still be standing on firm ground. To God my undivided gratitude! I have been living right on the edge!

A wise man once told me, "Unless you dare to go to the edge, you won't be able to see very far!" Like any gullible man, I have taken the words of the wise man, unquestioningly.

I wish the wise man has also said, "However, young man, you may wish to know that very often what we see depends on what is within us not what is out there!"

The popular saying, "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder!" supports what I have just said. Whether or not one sees the landscape as full of thorny bushes or of flowering roses, is personal to the beholder. Eyes, are windows to our heart - both outside in, as well as inside out!

One can choose to see a glass half empty or half full! One can see problems as blockages or as hurdles which eliminate competitions. One can see cracks in the walls as dents, or as spaces where light can shines through. I always try to see the good side of things...

Yes, I have tasted failures. Many~! I failed my A-level. I failed my second year in University. I failed this and i failed that. I was living too close to the edge, I fell face down many times. Each time, I got up and dusted myself, all the wiser! Scarred, but not scared! Repentent, but no regrets! I bounced back...with a few 'aha' moments to add to my notes about lessons from the school of hard-knocks! Today, by any measures of averages, my life and successes have been above average! Again, my full gratitude to God, the Compasionate and the Merciful~!

Just a few weeks ago, I lost close to one hundred grands (yes, five zeroes in the figure) because a property purchase deal went sour. I lost my 10 percent deposit. At first I was angry. I hurled profanities to a few - my lawyer, my bank, my real estate agent, and the seller. But mostly to myself!  My wife didn't say much, but what she said, sobered me up. "You have asked God to 'Permudahkan urusan jual beli of your properties'. You have made some profits, and this is the only time you think you lose. Maybe, by losing what you lost, prevents you from losing a lot more in the future. Should you not trust God?"

I was speechless. All I could do was to get up from my hot seat and went to  hug her with a kiss. My way of saying, thank you!

Sometimes, I worry for myself. Have I become so numbed to failures that I approach life with an out of place swagger ?  Confidence to the point of a fault, and turning myself into a cocky old man? Should I continue to throw caution to the winds, or should I take more deliberate steps in this rather late part of life's journey? Is there a need to continue to be at the edge, when in any case my eye sight does not permit me to see that far? The saying, "Go as far as you can see, when you get there you will see further!" I used to put up on my wall does not hold true much longer. My knees are weak. My back gives me pain. My eyes sight failing. Should I not be happy to simply find firm ground under my feet, and be happy where ever I am!

In a life already full of drama, I can say I have been there and done that. But honestly, who cares? People of today are too busy navigating their own lives, they have little time for your past, good or bad! They care for your present, and that too, if you are relevant to them.

The answer, therefore, is to remain relevant to people around you! To my family, I hope, I remain relevant in more ways than one. Sometimes, we do need a little reassurance.

I dread to think of my fate, once I become no longer relevant to anyone?

That was perhaps how DODO had become extinct! The silly old bird was of no use to any other living creatures, even to its own kind.

Sssetok Anging~!

"Sssetok Anging~!"

Penyakit nih kalu terkeno gak boleh nyetok! hahaha. Entry ni kawae nok tulih dalae bahaso kelate handerek perceng. Kalu ado hok dop pehae, nasib lah wey!

Ambo jak kkecik lagi ado doh penyakit dok leh sssetok anging nih. Bilo terkeno gak, mulo lah masae muko, panjae mucong! Dop tahu lah guano boleh terkeno penyakit nih. Oghe kappo kato sebab maso kecik mulo kawae anok bosu, jadi manjo. Mok ayoh kawae bukae lah oghe kayo, senae pong dok. Tapi gak, kalu kawae nok gappo gappo gak, dio caghi ightia jugop sapa kawae boleh. Tapi mugo kito oghe susoh, jadi tak dop lah mitok bendo pelik2. Habih2 nok mmanjo pong, cumo mitok nok minung air milo o beng jah lah.

Oghe hop ado penyakit ssetok anging gak, payoh bbaso selalu lah. Keno bui angingg kor dio sokmo. Payoh wey nok ssaing dengae puok demo nih. Kalu boleh gak, mitok jauh lah.

Lorr ni gak, kawae dop peghati anok2 kawae pong ado nnughung penyakit nih jugop. Hok Aloh laa...doh nok buat guano~! Terimo jah lah~!

Halim Yazid, dalae lagu dikir dio ado cerito pasa penyakit 'Anging' nih. Lirik tu kawae letok bbawoh nie..

(The 'Wind' phenomenon - Within the context of traditional healing rituals and theatre, the word angin, refers to desires or urges, in particular those that may have remained unfulfilled or suppressed. Such situations result in illness which may be emotional or psychological. If left unattended, this illnesses have the tendency to manifest themselves physically. Cure is affected by allowing the patient to fulfil the supressed desires, which sometimes leads to the enactment of theatre...blogging is a form of theatre! hahaha. So this is my cure. You figure?)

Angin – Halim Yazid

Bade kurus kering
Sebule doh setok angin
Dok depe tengoh serambi
mano wei gende nok main teghi

Angin mokyong menogho
musing naik ko palo
pulut kuning nga bunga telor
bangun nok nyayin tabib nok lupo

Ribut maghi saloh musing
Hujan turun salah ketiko
Nok tohok bui koghe lain
Ingak pesan ayoh sako bondo

Nik tanggung la soghe dighi
Teluk Lesung tanoh negri

Sejuk kaki tange
Sebak didale dado
Duduk nok mitok sene
Sene lah soghe sene lah seghemo

Raja didale stano
Balae di rembak bala
Khijo biar sempuno
Tido lah male jange mengiga

Selekan lah nik selekan jaga
Toksoh ghalit duduk laung lamo
Balik asal sedio kalo
Pulang pulih adat seghupo mulo

To tabik pun ado cede
Nasik kunyit aye pange
Angin nyo manusio
Jadinyo tok seghupo

Ado angin besari bahalo
Ado pulok angin kecik dewo mudo
Angin ditengoh laut
Jange sapo nok sekat
Itu angin kepala ribut
Angin lah kudo duduk beghama

Tokleh tughut sangat angin
Punoh tuboh rusak habih jiwa
Hok gemuk jadi kuruh kering
tokleh nok wat khijo gapo sekaro

Maghi kito pakat la tukar
Angin sako tohok lebar
Tughut la angin baru
Angin semangat nok maju
Arghini lah kito melayu
Di tali angin keno besatu

Samo kito wat khijo
Rebut pluang hok ado
Kayo wi samo ghato
Sene lah soghe
Sene seghemo

Sindrom Syiok Sendiri! & A game of Volleyball

SSS ini satu penyakit yang semakin menjadi-jadi sekarang ini. Dengan tersebarnya teknologi IT melalui berbagai channels seperti 'Muka Buka', Blog, kawanster dan sebagainya semakin menjadi2lah SSS. Ada juga yang sanggup membayar untuk mendapatkan domain website di atas nama sendiri - all in the name of SSS!!

Bloggers SSS!!

Pp sendiri pun terlibat! Kadang2 tu menulis, mengambil dan memasukkan gambar2 sendiri, mengarang entah apa2 ~ lepas tu dok melangut membaca blog sendiri dan tersengeh2 sendiri! Apa kes nya itu, jika tidak kes SSS.
Sekali buat ok lah.....dua kali buat, kira benefit of the doubt la....but jika hari2, hingga kan kucing beranak pun nak istihar kepada satu dunia ~ itu apa kes, jika tidak kes syiok sendiri!
Pp memang guilty sebagai salah seorang bloggers yang Syiok Sendiri ni......I know, I know, but I like lah to be like that! Hehehe.

Tapi Pp tak kisah pun. Syiok juga dapat syiok sendiri. But you all bukan macam tu kan? *wink wink*

Latest Syiok sendiri story from me!
Today I played in a Volley Ball competition bersama Masyarakat Malaysians di sini bersempena menyambut Maal Hijrah!
Our team which was called 'The Burj Spikers' came runners-up after losing by a very small margin to a better team on the day. It was so Syiok dapat bermain, sambil bergelak ketawa bersama kawan2. Penyokong2 juga macam syok jer memberi support kepada feverit team mereka!

Above: Picture taken by FND. It was yours truly attempting to spike! hehehe The ball went over the net and we won a point, but it was not really a spike but instead a tap over the net only lah!

Below pictures were taken by Rusdi using his mobile phone. Our team in white! The guys in Red became the eventual champion. According to Tuan Syed Hasrin, the Consul General and who played as a member of the white team, the event was successful in bringing Malaysians in Dubai together ~ closing ranks and improving our network. He congratulated MyUAEPRO for organizing! Bro Afza deserved full credit as the main organizer.

Pp sponsored the books which were given as prizes for the champions.
Players were seen taking a rejuvenating energy drink ~ The Tongkat Ali can drink was a special promotion by FAMA who was here recently to promote their products!

Gambar2 di atas membuktikan sindrom syiok sendiri!

My own questions....my own answers!

Sometimes, something in our life requires a little push. Just like a pendulum which swings and finds its own rythm and comes to a stop when it reaches velocity zero ~ there are times the same law of physics applies to our life too. When that happens, exasperation seeps in for those who are restless. Tranquility awaits those who are contented.

I feel like my pendulum is coming to a stand still! And I am not sure how ro respond. Part of me has many questions and lots of doubt. Another part of me is feeling rather grateful, finding peace with this stop!

My own questions....

How much must we have before it is enough?

How far must we travel before we arrive?

How much must we lose before we even realize?

How close must we get before we hear His name?

My many doubts....

Too many to list

Too private to share

But I am filled with them.....of what will happen after? And what will happen ' if '......or what will happen 'if not'?

At velocity zero there is not much activity we can do with our limbs but a lot we can do with our mind. Perhaps, we need to make more effort not in nudging for the next bout of swing! Perhaps the effort required is to try harder at not doing anything! To find peace and usefulness in stillness!

Aku hanya ingin berehat! Apa kah salah dengan kemahuan begitu?

Sering aku melihat bintang berkelipan

sungguh indah dan menawan

walau pantas aku berlari

lautan dan benua aku rentasi

bintang tetap berkelipan jua

tanpa berubah dari paksi kesetiaan

dia tidak kemana-mana

walaupun dunia tergesa-gesa

mencari ...memburu...mengumpul segala!

Perhaps it is time I just let my pendulum rests in its equilibrium!

Apakah paksi yang aku cari? Kesetiaan aku kepada apa dan siapa?

Selamat menyambut Maal Hijrah!

"Nok gi kuano tuh!" (Where are u heading to?"

"Nok gi kuano tuh?" ("Where are you heading to?")
Whether out of concern or curiousity, the question is asked nine out ten times when a villager meets another while on the move in our little village back then when I was a child.
It is a way of acknowledging the presence of the other person. And it is a way information networking works in a village in time of no mobile or house phones. Later on when someone else were to ask, "Ado nampok Pp ko?" ("Have you seen Pp?") Then the answer is readily available! When there is a need to locate Pp due to an urgent situation, Pp can be traced through this informal information networking. So a casual "Nok gi kuano tuh?" is always taken seriously and will always receive a considered reply.

At home tonight, all our bags are packed and we are ready to go! Eight Passports and Eight Air tickets are safely tucked into LiL's handbag. Pp and family are going somewhere. Neighbours have been informed of our absence so that they can keep an eye on our property. Local community watch men have updated so that they can be alerted by any extraordinary activities around our house. The timer for the auto water sprinklers have been set so that our lawn and plants will continue to survive. The fridge has been rid of items expiring while we are away. And, not to forget, waste bins have been emptied! To avoid stale smell when we returns, we are leaving the upper floor bathroom windows partially ajar and their doors opened to enable air to flow through the house.

"Nok gi kuano tuh?" our English neighbour asked when I asked him to collect and keep daily newspapers from our garage. Of course in his language but the meaning remains the same. It is a socially acceptable thing to do to show some concern and even some curiousity. Not asking can be construed as not caring.

"Demo kato demo nok gi kuano?" ("Where did you say you were going again?") asked my friends who came over for lunch at our house today. It was a great feeling to spend time with friends one day before our travel, all of them and including a long lost friend from STAR whom I met by chance at a dinner reception the night before. Yes, Dr Rosli Azad Khan with his family and friends came over too, and it was a pleasure to have them.

The answer my friends is, "We are going to Istanbul for a family vacation and we will be leaving in the wee hours tomorrow morning. And lucky us, a friend even volunteered to drive us to the airport!"

Selamat Hari Raya Eidul Adha to all our relatives in Malaysia, and all our friends wherever you may be! To people who are performing their Haj ~ May you be rewarded with Haj Mabrur and may all of your prayers be answered!

God bless!

Jamu.........telan sebiji senyum seminggu!!!

Gambar dari album raja jamu. hehehe. jangae marah deh, gugha jah....kalu marah gak, abe pin keno tulih namo lah tuan punya gambar nih! hehehe

Pp nak tolong promote Jamu! Hari tu semasa karnival sukan ada seorang kakak menjual jamu. Ada jamu untuk lelaki, dan ada untuk perempuan.
Ada jamu pembuka selera, ada jamu yang membuat pemakannya menyelerakan! Penjual tersebut memberitahu, memang sudah terbukti khasiatnya. Rakan beliau pula menyokong padu. Kedua2 mereka aku nampak begitu ceria dan bahagia! hehehe. Menyakin!!! Aku bersama beberapa rakan2 berteduh di sebelah gerai dan memerhati saja gelagat mereka yang menghampiri meja jualan jamu tersebut.

"Ini jamu apa?" seorang lelaki sebaya dengan aku. bertanya.
"Jamu selera!" jawap salah seorang rakan nya yang datang bersama.
"Jamu kuat!" Jawap seorang lagi di susuli ketawa.
Mereka bertiga beredar. Di dalam hati aku yakin jika tidak semua, seorang dari mereka akan kembali untuk membeli!!

Pokoknya, masih ramai yang segan silu untuk membeli jamu. Ini kerana jamu sering di kaitkan dengan keupayaan / kekuatan prestasi di ranjang seorang lelaki atau wanita. Prasangka ramai terhadap mereka yang membeli jamu ialah, "Ha, mesti dia lemah !"

Sambil kami sekumpulan yang berteduh di bawah payung gerai tersebut bergurau mengenai jamu.....
sepasang suami isteri menghampiri. Si isteri berbisik sesuatu kepada suami sambil mengarah pandangan kepada jamu2 yang terbentang di atas meja jualan. Si suami malu2 tersipu2. Mereka sekadar menghampiri dan terus beredar. Mungkin malu dengan kami yang mengusik secara berseloroh.
"Eh kamu ingat isteri dia suruh dia beli ka tadi tu?" kata kawan aku.
"Eh nampak suaminya steady jer.....mungkin isteri dia yang nak beli untuk diri sendiri kut! Jamu kacip Fatimah tu hebat!!!" Jawap kawan kami, seorang wanita.

Kami di situ hampir setengah jam. Hanya tiga pack yang laku di jual. Itu pun satu aku yang beli, bukan untuk aku lah!! Untuk jiran aku. hahahahaha!!! Dua pack lagi di beli oleh sepasang suami isteri yang begitu loving dan sporting gitu !! Satu for him, dan satu for her!! Memang best aku tenguk mereka berdua tu bergurau sambil kenyit2 mata~memang sah kenyitan ada makna tu!! hehehe

Aku berfikir sendiri.......Ada beberapa jenis pembeli jamu!

1.Muka Selamba! Jenis ni tak kesah apa orang kata. Dia datang, dia baca tulisan di kotak jamu itu, bertanya lebih kurang kepada penjual dan membeli beberapa kotak. Mereka ni selamba ~ jika ada soalan pun berkisar factual information seperti bilakah waktu sesuai untuk di makan dan sebagainya. (Pasangan suami isteri itu pada aku termasuk golongan ini!)

2. Mahu tapi malu! Mereka jenis ini, akan menghampiri gerai dan pura2 ingin membeli barangan lain. Mata mereka merenungi kotak2 jamu. Jika ada pembeli lain, mereka akan beredar. Tapi sudah pasti mereka akan kembali.....bagaikan helang berpusing2 di awan memerhati mangsa. Sebaik saja mereka yakin tidak ada yang memerhati, mereka memasukkan sedozen kedalam handbag atau beg plastik yang memang mereka sudah bawa sebagai persediaan. Mereka bayar pun with exact change, jadi tak perlu tunggu lama2. They will be gone in a flash....( Tiga lelaki tadi memang jenis ini. Aku perhatikan dua dari mereka berkisar2 di sekitar gerai tersebut menunggu kami beredar sebelum datang semula untuk membeli! Malu lah tu.....)

3. Mahu tolong kawan! Jenis ni akan datang dengan confident, dan bertanya kepada penjual lebih kurang beginilah, "Kawan saya minta saya belikan jamu untuk lelaki. Kak ada jual?"
Atau jika perempuan, dia berkata, "Kawa saya tu minta saya carikan jamu untuk suami dia tu hah. Maklumlah orang2 muda zaman sekarang ni, badan mereka sejuk sebab asyek minum ice jer! Ada jual ka Kak?"
Tektik mahu tolong kawan ni saya selalu juga dengar! Hahaha, aku sendiri termasuk golongan ini. Huh!!

Actually, pada aku lah kan....tak perlu malu membeli jamu. Umpama pil vitamin, memakan jamu bukan semestinya seseorang itu sakit atau lemah. Mungkin sekadar berjaga2 untuk kesihatan tubuh badan. Maklumlah, nak guna lama beb!!!

Jamuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu............Jamuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu
satu untuk dia, satu untuk kamu
pasti hebat ruas bertemu buku
ada jamu rapat, ada jamu jitu
berkhasiat, telan sebiji senyum seminggu!!!

Abusing human..

Single in the City: When you’re the object of abuse, you know how hurtful it is

Rym Ghazal

Finally, it is out there in the open: a raw and honest look at how certain people are treated in our society. In a television advert, a veiled woman shouts in a distinctively Gulf accent: “What are you, stupid?” at an Asian maid in front of a table packed with friends and guests.

The camera follows the maid, who looks absolutely miserable as she retreats to the kitchen, where she sits in the middle of the floor.

Shockingly honest, these ads, entitled Rahma (mercy) have been making headlines for their blunt look at how migrant workers can be treated in Gulf countries. The Jeddah-based Full Stop Advertising has created them as part of a charitable campaign urging people to show compassion to others, if they in turn are expecting Allah to show mercy to them.

The abuse of maids, drivers, labourers and migrant workers in all kinds of fields has long been one of the core criticisms made by Human Rights Watch and other similar bodies for as long as I can remember. So I was glad to see that the issue is finally being tackled so openly and so professionally on popular Arab satellite TV channels. It has certainly ruffled a few feathers – and no doubt made more than a few people feel ashamed of the way they have treated their servants.

I will never forget how one of my friends, who comes from a wealthy Saudi family, would make her maid wait for her with her bags in the heat of the playground after school finished each day. Sometimes the poor maid would be standing out there for at least an hour as my friend sat and chatted with us inside.

“It’s OK, she can wait,” she would say of the maid, who had been her nanny since she was born. It used to make me so angry that I often got into fights with her.

That was many years ago when we were both 12, and my friend was far from alone in her attitude: so many other people treated their servants with similar lack of compassion that she simply thought it was OK, that it was the norm.

But it’s not just migrant workers who have to endure this kind of treatment, there are other more subtle abuses endured by those stereotyped into specific social roles. Being a single Arab woman of mixed lineage, I have experienced some of them myself.

Earlier this week, for example, I was struggling to find accommodation, and was shocked at the amount of sexism I met. “Just move in with a family or with your family,” was the most common response I got from real estate agents or other figures of authority that I had to deal with.

“You’re an Arab woman, you should not be on your own,” said one of them. Then an hour later, someone from a legal department refused to let me move into a “family complex” cause I am, in his view, a “bachelor”.

As a single Arab woman in the Gulf, in public places when there is a division, I am forced to go to the “family” section as the “singles” section is reserved for men. Apparently, if I were a Western woman, then the rules would be different and I wouldn’t have heard comments like: “Why are you alone? Why aren’t you married? Where is your family?”

Such comments are not exactly abuse – and nothing compared to what some migrant workers endure – but nonetheless, they left me feeling uncomfortable and bothered. It is a working world now and – trust me – I didn’t choose to be away from my family. Most of us are forced to work for a living and sometimes that takes you away from the family – even to a different country.

I wouldn’t dream of being a burden on my family; yes, strictly speaking I know I don’t have to work, as I am female and my father is obligated by Islam to take care of me. But I want to do something with my life.

It was these constant sniping remarks about me and my life by people who didn’t know me but thought they had the right to comment that I found so offensive and tiring. We single Arab women are trying to leave our mark in this fleeting world. That is our business. I don’t hear single Arab men being quizzed about why they are single.

Yet there are times when we should all speak up about the behaviour of others. For instance, the other day in one of the malls I saw a little boy screaming at his maid and hitting her as she was trying to wipe his runny nose. There was no sign of the mother and so the child did as it pleased, treating the maid with the greatest disrespect.

I spoke to him in Arabic and am glad to say he became quiet and began to behave himself. He even looked ashamed – and all it took was a gentle reminder that the maid is human and someone to be treated with respect and compassion.

rghazal@thenational.ae

Brands and me....

Global TOP TEN brands, as reported by Milward Brown Optimor, are...


And here are some of the Top Luxury Brands....
...
I spent 11 years working in a company which focus on making consumers part with their money buying 'dreams' they wish to come true.

Aspirations and dreams sell! A person with darker skin aspires for a fairer one - hence Fair-n-Lovely skin care! Women aspiring for silky flowing hair buys one of the many shampoo brands off supermarket shelves, paying way above the cost of producing them.

Brands are 'aspirations'! Brands are 'dreams'! Brands are something which the media hype has placed them 'in your minds'! Ok, before you shoot me, of course brands represent appropriate quality and status. Each brand has its own brand promise, made of certain DNA, and bring alive certain personalities.

pictures from abdul halim, and shoes are certified originals! hehehe

Each of the brands in the picture above offers quality and no doubt self gratification to the beholder!

Why people spend their hard earned money on brands requires a full study by experts in human pyschology. Some even spend money which they can hardly afford.

Today's young executives are so vulnerable and conscious of branded luxury goods. They don't think twice about spending as high as 30 to 50 percent of their monthly salary to shop for those items.

I was at a social gathering not too long ago when a young man came and sat at a seat next to mine. He extended his legs forward, carefully lifted the helm of his jeans to expose a pair of 'Branded shoes!'. Walalala - they sure look expensive and smart. I know the young man, and I know that the shoes had to take long walks on stone pavements to find taxi stands. Well you see, the shoes belong to a young executive who has just started in his career and does not even own a car yet. But he chased his dreams .... of owning the second best thing which can carry him around, SHOES!
That observation prompted me to ask a question, but only to myself.

"Why would someone place out of proportion priority on buying luxury brands?"

My own son when asked whether he like to buy a car of 'certain made' gave an instant he reply, "No, the car is for old people!"
Such is his perception of the car. He ended up driving my 5 year old Beetle! The car is 'cool!' according to him. And of course!! - It is my car!!

His clothes are mainly from store labels. Tasteful, smart but not excessive! That to me is getting it right. At his age and earning power, boutique and brands can wait! Right now it is about basics!
"Ukur baju haruslah di badan sendiri!" which simply translates to mean, "Don't spend more than you can afford!"

Brands, especially luxury brands should not be purchased to compensate for things one 'do not have'! When I was young, I used to admire an old Towkay called uncle Chim - he would walk in and out of local banks in Kuala Lumpur wearing Pagoda singlet, Hawaian shorts, and Japanese slippers but with bags and bags of his Malaysian Ringgit!!!
That despite the fact he was wealthy enough to have built a Pagoda, danced to rumba dance on a vacation in Hawai, or to fly weekly for Sushi in Japan....
He was the brand - Towkay Uncle Chim!! When a man is himself a brand, there is Not a need to compensate anything with anything.....

Come to think of it, I wonder why my ex boss was always wearing expensive shoes, suits, and watches?? Ermmmm....'something' missing sir??

Madu....

For a few days I went round believing and trying hard to help a friend of mine who has asked me to look for a 'madu' for his wife.
"Eh engkau biar betul!" I asked, bukan sebab jelous tapi sebab rasa macam tak percaya.
"Betul lah!" He sounded grumpy on the other end of the long distance call. I was paying for the call, so I could not quite figure why he was sounding so grumpy. Afterall, shouldn't he be excited when he was about to get a second wife.
"Kenapa?" I asked a follow up question.
"She is not well!" He said, and I noticed the impatience in his voice.
Then he said he had to disconnect, because his boss has entered his office and wanted to speak with him.
"Tolong tau! How much also ok. But I want original one!" He said and hanged up.
"Ciss, sempat pulak melawak mamat ni!" Kata hati aku.

Kamal ( bukan nama sebenar ), as far as I know has been a decent husband and father. He has been married for twenty years. He has had occasional office flirts, but that was about all. So I was surprised when he suddenly brought up the subject of wanting a madu for his wife!

So I have asked a few friends, "Do you know any ladies who do not mind being a second wife?"
The danger with that question was, as I found out, they immediately thought I was looking for a second wife for myself. Oh Nooooo.....LiL God forbids!! hehehehe.
Not me!

So after three days, I sms my friend, "K, hang cari sendiri lah calun isteri hang tu. Aku tak mahu terlibat! Kirim salam kat isteri hang yang sungguh baik tu!"
In less than two minutes, Kamal called me. Tak pernah2 dia tu nak call long distance. Jika ada call pun, setakat miss call and he expect me to call back! Hampehhh, I tell you, so cheap skate like la my friend yang sorang tuh! But this time he called.

"Hello....Apa cerita brother!" I said.
And all I heard was a belly busting laughter from his end. He tried to speak, but instead he continued laughing. Finally, he manage to say, "Oittt pakpayne! Aku suruh hang cari MADU lah weyyy....EMM. AAAY. DEEE. UUU.....MADU yemen tu lah....for my wife. She is not well! Yang hang nak carikan aku bini tu buat apa!!!"

Apakah!
Oh well, was it all in my mind? hehehe.

Coincidently, LiL is not feeling well tonight. Maybe I need to go out and look for madu too for her. hehehe

E-bay'ed!!

A friend at work has been parading his antique cameras - a couple were models which brought me back to yesteryears of the late sixties. Model like the 'Seagulls' - top view, twin lens reflex camera! I used to pose in front of one when I was in standard four because my teacher wanted to include my picture in his Teacher's college report!And he has shown me a few more!

With a wide grin on his face, he told me, "I got this from e-bay!"

Hohoho.....that was one conversation I should not have had. Last weekend I registered myself into e-bay, and truth be told, I am now an addict! I have been bidding everything....from jewelleries to oil paintings, and from antiques to electronics!

In the last two days, have placed bids on 31 items....and I have been staying up late monitoring and counter bidding. There is something about this on-line auction that appeals to people like me.....people with certain 'kiasu' in their DNA. "Oh my God, you are heading for trouble - I can see that coming. Auction means it is also ok to lose, and there must be a limit to everything!!" LiL went berserk with my new found addiction. Even the seventy-five year old white gold ring with a clear Ruby stone which I have bid for USD123 and won failed to excite her.

picture above from e-bay! Go to the gemsymons store here.

Then when I accidently did not close my e-bay window, she took a look at what else were I bidding - she went wild-cat mad!!

"What on earth do you want all those 'cockerels' for? Where do you want to hang them?"

"Hey, there aren't any ordinary cockerels.....!! They are so beautifully painted - with texture of movements and splendid colour tones - they look so alive!!" I reasoned.

Huh....She has seen that I was bidding on seven oil paintings of cockerels. Two of them from the same artist! I just don't know why, but I instantly fell in love with painting of cockerels ! Perhaps it is another sympton of serious mid-life crisis huh??!

Both will be mine after paypal settled payment, and shipment is received! TQ Lisa Gloria, the artist!!

Anyway - of the seven, I was only persistent in seeing to the end two of them - and I paid USD149 for each! I googled the artist's name, and was delighted when I found her blog! And what more - she has actually blogged here, about the two oil painting which I have purchased! Aren't they gorgeous!!! LiL agreed with me that the paintings were splendid, but she still thought I should curb my e-bay hogging! hahahaha.

Now I am secretly looking for a 2 carat solitaire diamond to bid as a 'blackmail present' for her! I have been told, "Diamonds will melt a woman's heart!". I will give it a try. Ermmm, however my gut feel is not so optimistic that my tactic will work. I think, she will really trip off the cliff if she finds out about this one!!

*Wink*

Sakit!!

My fever reached 40 degree high. Medicine brought the temperature down. But bacteria has also infected my tonsil. To fight the bacteria my brain produced somekind of signals for my body temperature to shoot up again. This morning, the thermometer read 39 degree. Since last night I could not swallow. It was so painful.....even a sip of water brought involuntary jerking reaction from my whole body.

.

This morning I went to see a E.N.T specialist.

He took a peep into my throat, and mumbled some medical jargons to his nurse.

Then he took a swab of the infected area - for microbiological testing. I supposed he wanted to ascertain what type of bacteria was nesting on my tonsil to have caused such degree of inflamation.

The nurse also took my blood sample - to test for CBC, whatever that means. Later I asked the girl who took the sample, and she said, "To check for any infection in your blood".

Ermmm.....

I waited patiently for the results of the tests. After one hour, the doctor called me in again. This time he told me the infection is very serious. He wanted to admit me for IV! Instantly I asked to rest at home instead. The thought of being hospitalized during this Ramadan month was not so appealing - what more with LiL not able to drive. He agreed but with a strict order, "Don't leave home!"

I am on a house arrest!

.

The next appointment is on Tuesday. By that time, the result of the microbiological test will be known. But hopefully, a bagfull of medicine he prescribed today would have cured me.

The pain has been unbearable. However a friend reminded me via a text message,

"Moga cepat sembuh. Untung jadi seorang Mukmin. Kata Nabi, bila d uji dapat
pahala ( dia sabar ), dan bila d beri nikmat juga dapat pahala ( dia bersyukur ). Sakit ini juga ada hikmahnya. Sebagai ujian atau kafarah ( penghapus dosa yg
lalu, yg tidak akan d kira lagi di akhirat ). Mmg untungnya mereka yg d timpa
sakit dan tahu hikmahnya."

Malam ini aku bersyukur kepada Allah kerana memberi aku sakit....dan memberi aku ingatan betapa nikmatnya sihat. Walaupun sakit bukan kepalang, sungguh nikmat sekali bila dapat menelan sesudu nasi bubur yang disediakan isteri. To the two friends who came visiting tonight to cheer me up - "Thank You!!"

Terasa macam ada yang masih sayang...hehehehe.

"On the way Madam...."

Baru mendapat khabar dari koresponden TV9 di Dubai bahawa video rakaman Bazaar Ramadan ini akan muncul menemui penonton Berita TV9 malam ini ( Isnin Sept 8th ).


The above - updated with you-tube video recording of the first Bazaar Ramadan in UAE! OOopppss, 51 and not 31 as said at the end of the video! Tersasul sbb cuaca boleh tahan panassss....hehehe

2pm today LiL called me at the office to ask for the gas man's number. She has just started to cook for our Iftar when the gas ran out. No fuss there! I gave her the number and she said, "Lucky it is only 2pm!"

Yes, lucky indeed, I thought to myself.

When I arrived home at 4pm, she was outside tending to the plants. It was still hot, so I asked her, "What are you doing in the sun?"
She wiped her face and replied, "I am waiting for the gas man. He said he was on the way!"
"That was 2 hours ago!"I queried.
"Yes, since 2 hours ago I have called him four times and each time he told me 'On the way madam!'."
Lil was obviously agitated. I walked into the kitchen and saw two pieces of crabs in the frying pan - half fried and lots more awaiting frying. The rice has been cooked using the electrical rice cooker. Vegetables readily chopped and washed, not yet cooked. To show my concern, I called the gas man, after reminding myself to remain cool.
"Sir, on the way sir!" came the reply.
"Where the *toots* you? You have been on your *toots* way since 2pm. We want to cook ! You understand!!" Oh my God, I lost my cool. Ermmmm.....
"Sir, you want gas, yes! I on my way sir!" He was like a broken record programmed to repeat the same line.
"How far? what time?" I asked.
"On the way sir!"
I gave up.

We decided to wait, patiently. LiL and I kept ourselves busy googling for recipes to cook for the Ramadan Bazaar this coming Friday. We want to open up a stall, and have even decided to name our stall 'Rencah Ranches'. We were having fun, and spent good time in here and here looking and copying recipes for traditional Malay Kuih. Thank you!!

6pm, and our gas man did not arrive. We took a decision to buy food. But where? No warung or pasar ramadan we can drive to. We asked the children what they wanted, and almost in unison came a reply, "Burger King!!!". Huh - burger for iftar!
"Why not........" I said, and gestured to LiL to come with me to the Burger King, a mere 10 minutes drive from home.

Today, someone has been trying to deliver our gas supply, and he has been on his way since 2pm. For five freaking hours, a flight from Bombay would have touched down and taxied safely in Dubai, and we could have collected our gas cylinder at the arrival hall!!!

And we were still waiting for our gas at 7!!!

And this man was only from Al Qouz,

reputedly and factually

only 30 minutes

drive away.

But but.....the burger was good, I tell yea!!!!

Top: Burger plus dates. Above, crabs - left uncooked!

"If I could turn back the time....."

A chat with sis Raden Galoh on this Friday afternoon covered many grounds. Towards the end, I asked her if she wish to choose a topic for me to write on.She suggested, "If you could turn back the time...what would you do?"
I agreed to the topic, and requested that she too write on the same. We agreed to release the posting latest by 12midnight Dubai time. I therefore rush back from a Merdeka Go-Kart race here in Dubai, and sat at my lap-top straight away upon reaching home. Read here about the Go-Kart race as reported by Bernama.

"If I could turn back the time......"

Silat!
When I was a child I enjoyed reading about Malay heroes such as Tok Janggut and Mat Kilau. I found stories about Hang Tuah and his legendary friends inspiring. Panglima Hitam was another heroic character I admired. If I could turn back the time....I would learn some of their Silat and 'ilmu kebatinan'. I don't exactly know the reason for my wish, but I do get occassional pangs of regrets for not mastering silat and some of those 'ilmu pendekar'.
Perhaps, there is inside of me a wish to 'pukul' those penjahat2 to our ugama dan negara!!!
Prakkkkkkk!!! one karate chop sambil cakap, "Nah! rasa kan!!" *Puas hati aku!*

Swimming!
I had a beautiful childhood. One filled with love. Born the last child and the only son, I was the center of my parents' universe. I had all of their attention and love. I did well in school and was the favourite student of my Quran teacher. There aren't much I would have done differently.....but one thing I wish I had. I would have learn to swim! Not just a swimming pool swimmer, but I would want to have been able to jump off trees into the Kelantan river like many of my childhood friends. Tak de la asyek jadi penunggu seluar dan baju mereka jer! Ini tidak, asyek asyek depa dok kata, "Kau tolong jaga baju kita orang ye!"

Hafiz!
I Khatam Al-Quran at the age of ten. The second time a year later. If I could turn back the time....I want to be a Hafiz Al Quran. If I could turn back the time....I want to speak Arabic and understand the Al Quran! Tak de la macam sekarang ni hah...dah lima tahun kat negara arab ni, cuma tahu cakap "AhlanWasahlan..." jer!! But but, I do remember by heart some of the Surah Lazim! Tapi ada juga apabila solat anak2 bertanya, "kenapa ayah asyek2 baca surah Qul Huallah tu jer!"

Repentence!
I have consciously committed many sins throughout my life. Some were big sins, and some were small sins. Some were sins with people, and some were sins with God. There were times I had repented. But there times when I repeated the same sins. If I could turn back the time....I want to stay repented! To stay clear from sins which I have regretted doing in the past! Fortunately, this is something which I can take control from here on....May God provide me with the resolve and strength to stay on the right path! Kalau sekali buat dosa tu dah berdosa, tapi boleh lah kata lupa. Kalau dah dua kali tu....ermmm, saja cari pasal la tu!!

I have only one mother - and she is gone!
I lost my father when I was ten. I grew up mourning his death and envying my friends whose father were there for them. When i graduated, I regreted that he was not there to celebrate my success. When I received my first salary, I swallowed my tears of sadness that I was not able to spend on him. But I did very little differently for my mother who was then alive. I let her live without my constant presence....I let her waited by the phone without bothering to call for weeks. I visited her occassionally and was always in a hurry to return to my job. Seldom did I tell her that I love her. When she was sick, I called to ask her to go see a doctor - little did I realize that all she wanted was for me to come home and hold her hands. When she was really sick towards the end of her life, I was shuttling from Singapore to visit her - without even considering that if it was the way around she would leave whatever was important to her to attend to me. She would do that because I was the most important thing in her life! If I could turn back the time....I would without hesitation and without a doubt - give my time to my mother! I would have taken leave from my job indefinitely....for she is the most important person in my life. Unfortunately I failed to realize that then when she was alive. I live with this one regret....and I ask God to forgive me, for all of my sins to my mother for not being there as a son should have. I have only one mother, and she is gone....forever! Unfortuntely, I could not turn back the time. *sampai la ni dok sedih pasal tak jaga bonda* Hangpa jangan tunggu sampai mak dan ayah hangpa takdak naa....jaga depa baik2 naa...!!

My darling...
Rain or shine, she has stood by me. And I pain her aplenty!
Thru hard times and thru good times, she has been by my side. And I hurt her often!
I have seen her tears....because of me she cried.
I have heard her prayers....for my well being she prayed.
Her heart bled....and I was holding the knife.
Her wound healed.....but her scars remain.
Yet, she loves me. Despite everything, she forgives me.
She is my darling! And if I can turn back the time....
I will possessively protect her, sincerely cherish her, and obsessively love her.....and not to hurt her!
But I could not turn back the time....therefore, I can only promise to make up for the time which have passed. She is my my darling...and she is my wife!!
*ntah kenapa ntah, bila habis tulih bab nie, aku dok tingat lagu tujuhpuluhan....knock three times....* Oh my darling, knock three times on the ceiling if you want me......

Role model!
Growing up without a father figure was hard for me. It turned harder when I myself became a father. I simply did not know how to role model as a father figure for my children. If I could turn back the time....I want to be a better father to them all! Forgive me children....I will keep trying!! *amboi...bukan main pulak! hangpa anak2 pun kena ingat...kena jugak cuba jadi anak2 mithali!! dengaq kata ayah naa...selalu tolong ayah naa....!! nanti ayah pencen, huluq2 la pitih tu naa!!* hehehehe

Let's get physical!
Whenever I go to a beach....I do not care if I see someone with a physic of a body builder. Whenever I am at a football field, I don't envy people who can run like Brian Giggs or bend balls like Beckam. But I do care.....Whenever I walk with my children, I wish I can cope up without panting and puffing. And it bothers me...that whenever I put on my trousers, I have to hold my breath in order to be able to button them up! I do wish so that I can walk up any stairs straight. I wish I am more physically fit!!
If I could turn back the time....I want to exercise more regularly and consider the food I eat!
*yang ni harus lah aku tulih...baghu lagi pi pereksa doktor....ubat yang dia bagi tu pun belum habih lagi dok telan nih....*

If I could turn back the time....I want to be a better Muslim! A much better Muslim!!
*Serius ni Budin! hang jangan dok gelak kat aku!!!*

--To sis Raden Galoh and to all readers of bakpo, Saya menyusun jari memohon ampun maaf jika ada salah dan silap. Semoga Puasa kita nanti di terima Allah!--

Talking about wealth...

Creating Wealth…!!

Way back then…(1960s)

When I was young, I stood open mouthed and wide eyed – admiring in sheer amazement and envy of my friend's new Raleigh bicycle. He took all the admirations in his stride, as he cycled the symbol of wealth around our village. One thing admirable about him – he let his friends tried out his bicycle or even carried us around one at a time as a pillion rider.
Being wealthy in those days – meant you can afford a brand new Raleigh bike for your child. My friend’s parents were wealthy. They had wide expanse of padi-fields, many acres of rubber plantation, and also a tractor which they rented out to other farmers in the village.

Way back then, creating wealth was by means of tending to the soils, toiling the land, and landing good catch from rivers and canals. Creating wealth was harvesting what you grew, barter trading eggs from your poultry farm for coconuts and vegetables with your neighbors. Creating wealth was buying a pair of goats, raised them until they reproduced. Upgrading you keep from goats to cows, and from selling of cows came a source of wealth! Creating wealth was also a matter of saving any surplus in cents and ringgit notes by depositing them into ‘piggy banks’ made from bamboo trunks.

Way back then, I myself was enterprising and participated in wealth creation. I bought ice blocks from a ‘Nyonya shop’ in the nearest town – hacked them into smaller blocks, placed them in gunny sacks filled with saw-dust. Those ice blocks were products which I carried around the village on my father’s old bike – advertising them with my high pitch screams “Air batuuuuuuu……air batuuuuuuuuu!!!”.
Normally I made a net profit of one ringgit per day, but reached as high as three Ringgit during fasting months!

Creating wealth – way back then was through sheer hard work.

Back then….(1980s)

When I graduated and started to earn salary – I did not waste much time before buying a house. My thought was, instead of paying rental just as well I pay the banks for my loan installments. My first purchase was a two bedroom compact house on a plot measuring 14’ by 65’ in Taman Melawati. Small, yet we were proud and happy owners. My first enterprising move – I negotiated with the seller to elevate the price so that I could get a 100% bank loan. As part of the negotiation, I agreed to pay for any incremental difference of property gain tax which he had to pay! That house bought for RM60k was sold two years later at RM73K. I made my first profit – and we moved to a rental and bigger house. The profit from the house sale was deposited into ASN! That was my early exposure to equity and unit trusts. Great lessons!

When our first child was born ( Adlil ), I shared with LiL my vision of buying a house each time we get a child. Six children later, I am pleased to say – I kept to my vision!!!

Later, a friend introduced me to ‘Futures trading’ of the palm oil commodity. That was an expensive lessons for me! I lost my ASN savings….and lots more. No more commodity futures for me!!! And not for my next generations either!!!

Then the same friend convinced me that investing in the stock market were safer. I was gullible – so I did. It was ok until one day when Saddam decided to attack Iran! I saw my capital shrunk and kept shrinking. When it hit 50% loss – I exited. I have stayed away from stock market since then…..!!

One day, my wife came home telling me about a get rich quick scheme which her office colleagues have invested and made lots of easy money. What ever remained from the stock market, I placed with one guy called ‘Pak Man Telo’. A few months later – his business went bust and I lost everything!!

The only investment which has seen my money grow year after year has been the real estate investment.

These days…

In Malaysia!
Creating wealth in Malaysia in recent years – means joining politics and getting into the right circle. Just to show that life is not all unfair, there are a few people who made it through honest effort of sheer hard work. Read about two of them here.

In U-ay-E!
Creating wealth means being lucky in winning the millionaire prize during the monthly National Bond draw!
For those with strong hearts, creating wealth in U-ay-E is about gritting one’s teeth, closing one’s eyes and splash money to invest in Real Estates!!
Many have got it right!!! The only flaw in that system is that – you need to be wealthy first in order to create more wealth.
To the less than wealthy average person like me – we can talk all day and admire with envy all night, listening to stories of how others have made it!
But – there is one millionaire in U-ay-E for every sixty people! Read here about it, and be inspired!!

Sometimes, I long for the good ole days…..when a ‘ice cream potong’ was all the indulgence I need to make me so so so happy!