Sorry GARUDA.. Its OURS!

The moment I write this entry, the Tiger team has just won the football SEA Games.... (poor Garuda!!!!)

Congratulations to all Malaysians.... Hubby was not at home ..and Amir has fallen asleep.

Managed to sms hubby on the victory.. and this was what he replied : yuhooooooo.... padan muka Indon: Wow.... that's too much ... but who cares anyway... Yuhooooo!!!!!! I agree with you mr hubby.... lol!!!

Flashback.....

I am not a football fanatic now compared to those good old days when I was in my primary school. Those stars like Super Mokh, Santokh Singh, Soh Chin Aun, Arumugam were my favourites and I adored them like crazy... Players like Fandy Ahmad (a Singaporean), (unfortunately that is the only name that I could recall now) would made me glued infront of the TV... not really to watch the game and his tactics but I believe it was more towards adoring his looks.  Well that was many years ago... when one of my ambitions was to be a successful athlete. Kenapa? Tak percaya???

My 2 cents worth...

Those veteran athletes - I think they really played for the nation and the country ... and not so much for the money. Perhaps things change positively and we can see that nowadays outstanding players can cari makan easily if they are committed and plan their career wisely. They are well paid (perhaps better than what I am earning now) and for those who are really good, they are hunted and offerred with superb benefits and perks! How time flies...... Even some of these players are becoming celebrities... not only their popularity is at par or better than some hot actress/actors in town ...but they even tied knots with film stars... Some of them ... their lives have been widely commercialized...

But if we were to compare now and before, I think we have better athletes before than what we have now. Sometimes I wonder if we can have the juniors to run as cool and as confident as Saik Oik Kum, sprint as fast as Rabuan Pit and Marina Chin and all rounders like Hanafiah Nasir and Zaiton Othman, the bionic woman...

Countries like Thailand, I bet they have the replacements for Anat Ratanapol, Sumith Promna, Suchart .... and Philippines must have gotten the new lady sprinter to replace Lydia De Vega...

All of a sudden, I think I should have pursued my dream to be an athlete.... if only I can turn back the clock! hahahaha...

But whatever it is..... Tabik spring to all the players who roared and jumped  like tigers... You boyz rocks!!!

To the Garudas... sorry boys .. tonite is OURS!! go and fly kites....!!!!!

An ANNIVERSARY Letter

Dear Hubby..

Congratulations to both of us.  15th years of sharing happiness and sorrow, spending quality and 'not so quality' time together and etc has made both of us a better person/couple I guess.

Yeah we did encounter all sort of problems that sometimes put our relationship maybe at stake..but we managed to reach to a point where we make up, forgive and maybe forget. I have to say that I wanted to forget certain things.. but I have to tell the truth, I can't.. and I am still trying! (that's life ... sighhh)

And it takes both of us to make this 'partnership' survives and lasts. I would say, that is the rule every couple should have in order to survive in a marriage. True enough, its not that easy to practise.. It takes courage, sacrifice, patience and not forgetting the love for each other.

Dearest Hubby, even though our marriage was once at a  'critical juncture', I am glad that we've made a wise decision. Its not that easy. It hurts both of us like hell (at first). But I believe we are now a matured and sensible happy couple ...  We understand each other better now...and hope it will continue till the rest of our lives.

To my other half... yes... I still love you as much as I love you ..the first time we met.. :)
I know this is not easy for both of us. But alhamdulillah we sailed through for 15 solid years.
Thank you for the love, care and whatever the package is...
Happy 15th Anniversary..  and lets look forward for more exciting years ahead!

Kedai Cucur Udang, tauhu goreng...

I was talking to my SIL on my favourite food yesterday. Well that is one of our 'must talk' topics when we meet up. Something that we share in common. According to my dad, when you eat good (sedap) food, it makes your day. Well.. I think it is true to certain extend...what more if the food is your favourite.

Talking about food, I think the venue is not really an issue. We, Malaysians really go for the taste of the food. Venue is secondary! As long as you're comfortable, fast and good service offered, that is an excellent to me!
15 years ago, I used to have my lunch and frequented a small decent shop at Semenyih - where they sell tauhu, cucur udang, nasi ayam and kerang rebus... I can feel them all in my throat now... hehehhe...The shop was ran (and still) by a Malay family. From the cashier, to the chef and the waiter/waitress - they have family ties.

The shop, I could say is never stopped from receiving customers. Every now and then people from all walks of life and from all races enjoy the food served. But in order to secure a table (if you dine in), you have to be fast... Full House all the times. When you get yourself a table, you have to order the food on your own. I took time to familiarize myself with this "dine in rule". Failing which, you can merely get yourself drinks ..and that depends if the waiter/waitress stop by at your table!

But I guess, the food served is the sole catch! So no matter what happen, be it rain, be it weekends, you can see layers of people queuing and standing.

The tauhu goreng and cucur udang is superb! The sambal is yummylicious...And I think Semenyih is famous due to this shop...

I have never had the opportunity to go makan at this shop after I left practicing. I can only go there on weekends. Last 2 weeks we planned to have our lunch there. To my expectation the scenario is still the same. The 'dine in rule" is still enforceable and valid. I secured a table. Waited for a waiter to take orders on our drinks. I went to a counter where a lady kept on on cutting the tauhu and cucur udang into pieces. Before I approached her, there was a man standing in front of me queuing for order. "Dah habis".... the lady said.. without looking at us. I know that lady... She was in her teen maybe...when I first came to the shop and she was the cashier and still the cashier... (how time flies... !!)

We left the shop...On the way back I told my other half ... the owner never changed at all. When I frequented the shop, I think the owner has already ran the business for quite some years. And it has been more than 20 years... the shop is still the same... the service is still the same....you have to rush for your own orders ... the only thing that they maintain is the taste of the food!

I believe if the same opportunity is given to a Chinese man... he might have built a chain of family business... offering good food with superb customer service. I ask myself what is in the mind of that Malay man for not even do an extension of his shop (that equals to having more tables to serve more customers). What is so freaking difficult to do that! The business has been running for years...and layers and layers of people keep on buying / having food and there's no improvement at all????

I told my other half, if I were to be the owner, I might have chains of restaurant... I might have diversified my business... Its just that I don't have the  opportunity...

"That's the difference between Malay businessman and Chinese businessman" - an answer from my other half. I tried to rationale the situation and giving the owner of the shop couple of scenarios...analyzing his inability to grow the business...

If the Chinese is given this opportunity... they will grow and transform the business..
Again, this is not about being a Malay or Chinese.. this is about the ability and willingness to transform for good or remain stagnant to be complacent and in comfort zone..

In the end I couldn't find any significant and good reasons to defend the owner...
At this point of time I think the statement by my other half is VALID!

AIR KELAPA MUDA vs ANTI VIRAL

I received SMS from hubby ... Amir is down with fever and chicken pox. He sounded so panic that forced me to leave all tasks that I was focusing on and headed back home. While driving I couldn't get the incident happened 10 years back  out of my mind..... when we lost Azmin due to severe chicken pox! Some might  think that this is (losing someone due to chicken pox) is ridiculous. But that's the fact.

Reaching home, I rushed to get Amir and true enough it was chicken pox.. that small rashes were everywhere on his body. But knowing Amir, he was as talkative as usual even though I could see that he was trying to fight the uneasiness, the itchiness feeling that he had on his body.

There was only a couple and their daughter waiting for their turn when i reached the clinic. So it wasn't a long wait. Before reaching the clinic, I received smses from friends advising to give Amir air kelapa muda. Ada yang suh pergi jumpa Bomoh!!. Really appreciate that piece of advice.. I realised that even the Malays who are now "Western" believe in drinking the air kelapa muda!!!

The Dr's advice was simple and sweet! " No air kelapa muda... bath as usual....drink barley as its cooling and let your son play and be active..." My eagerness questioned him ... why no air kelapa muda ..ppl said when you drink air kelapa muda, the virus will come out... He laughed at me and asked me back... "Do u mean the virus has its stock in our body". Its merely our beliefs... Medically it has not been proven as such.... and  once you have caught with chicken pox, there is always a possibility that you will catch it again- its totally depending on our immunity system. His prescription - anti viral, calamine lotion and progesic (for fever). "That's it ?" I asked... He smiled with a nod and ensured that within 7 days everything will be fine.

I remembered when Azmin caught chicken pox... he bathed ... he took anti viral... and I am almost certain that he had that air kelapa muda as well. It was a combination of our community beliefs and modern medication...
Amir's Doc did mention when you drink air kelapa muda , no doubt all the virus will come out... but if one's immunity system is not that strong, it can cause death.
 
Amir is getting better.. I guess when it happens to a child, his/her antibody can really fight compared to those who caught this kinda virus when they are at a later stage. Even I myself had chicken pox when I was 34. And the pain was very unbearable....

Whatever it is - be it modern medication or our granny's beliefs and practice, Be it air kelapa muda or anti viral,  HE has the full right on us..
To late Azmin - though everyone in the family never stopped missing you every single day and night... we know HE Loves U more. Rest in Peace!

I found PEACE here

Labbaik Allah humma labbaik
Labbaik la sharika laka labbaik
Innal hamda
Wan-ni'mata
Laka walmulk
Laa sharika lak

It was 2005 when I was given the blessings to be part of those jamaah performing their Umrah..... an experience that I will never ever forget for the rest of my life. Frankly, I was at first not confident of myself. I had this fear ... fear of what would happen to me ... for some foolish things and actions..spoken or unspoken which I have done all those years...

My thoughts were lingering to the stories that I read everywhere ..on some people who were not themselves when they were at Mecca.... who were not able to perform any of the rukun...

But i must be crazy if I were to dismiss this golden opportunity offered to me. Together with parents and Oya (who was around 11 years old) we headed to Medina - the first point of the rukun.

I found Medina to be a very 'calm' place. ...We spent 2 nights and proceeded to Mecca - the moment that I waited with greatest fear inside me...

Medina - a photo that I managed to snap from my room.

I didnt realize that I wept before we left for Mecca...

All the way from Medina to Mecca (I totally forgot the duration of the journey) all jamaah was reciting the above verse. Our Mutawif was a young Indonesian guy. His Arabic was perfect. Since I learned Arabic during secondary school, I understood his conversation well. But I had a hard time to fluently communicate in that language.  Anyways I managed to assist those jamaah from Malaysia who had a tough time asking and seeking direction for toilets, mosque and etc. I did my bits - spoke in Arabic and asked the way... A pat on my back!!!

The moment I reached Mecca, I was as if playing hide and seek... peeping from far how does the Kaabah looks like. But the moment I saw the huge Kaabah with so many people of different colors, heights and countries surrounding, it was the most beautiful and quiet moment that I had in my life. All of a sudden, I felt so humble..an experience I couldn't express in words... Guess we have to be there and experience it our own..

Some pics taken. I almost forgot the name of the places. But we went to Bukit Uhud, Jabal Rahmah, Arafah and Taif.
 

HIra' Cave - The place where our Prophet hide himself ....

Bukit Uhud .... where Uhud War took place

Jabal Rahmah... They said if you are not married, Insyallah, you will find your soul mate... (unfortunately I was and still a wife to my beloved hubby :))

At Taif ... the coolest place in Mecca.

Outside the mosque in Mecca. I was caught by the police for snapping some pics. But managed to escape....:)

Medina... still missing this place...

On our way back, we stopped at Jeddah and visited the Mosque where they implement hudud punishment. Since it was not Friday, we missed the scene. I bet I am not that brave to watch the punishment anyway.

I wonder when I will be given the privilege to be one of the guests again here....
Managed to perform almost all prayers daily in the mosque. Did pray hard for myself and hubby and for the rest of my loved ones at prominent mustajab places ...

Now after 6 years, I can still smell the streets in Medina and Mecca, my bare hands can still feel the texture of Hajarul Aswad ... and I still have the endless hope to be there and reunite with all the experience left ...
Now after 6 years, I think I am a better person. I watched how some people changed for good...
What more... I have my lil Amir - HE answered my prayers well...
....and Happy Eid Adha to everyone!