Thought of Tot

Meet Tot, my brother's new baby

Diam Itu Lebih Baik

Aku rasa kalau kita rasa kita ni tak pandai, tolonglah duduk diam-diam dan jangan buka mulut. Kalau kita tak pandai aka bodo, adalah lebih selamat bila tidak berkata-kata kerana tiap patah perkataan yang keluar dari bibir akan melambangkan tahap kebijaksanaan kita. Jangan paksa diri untuk bercakap hanya kerana kita tidak mahu dianggap bodoh, kerana walaupun adakalanya diam itu dianggap kurang bijak dan tidak berpengetahuan, tapi kalau kita suarakan juga apa yang terbuku, kelihatannya kita ini lebih lebih bodoh.

Dan ada ketikanya juga bila kita banyak berdiam diri, orang sekeliling akan lebih ternanti-nanti buah fikiran kita yang mereka anggap mungkin terlalu bernas untuk diluahkan.

Dan juga lagi kadang-kadang bila kita diam, lebih seronok kita melihat dan mendengar buah-buah fikiran mereka yang berebut-rebut nak tunjuk pandai........

First Love

Everyone has a first love story to tell.

Mine happened when I was about 12. He stayed just a few houses away from mine. Though not from the same school, we went to the same tuition. I was a bit tomboy then and was always in pants. Never really believed that somebody would be attaracted to me. But he did, the boy who was fair, soft spoken, sweet face with some freckles, smart and everything a first love should be; naive and honest and never pretentious.

He and I would walk together after tuition and we would have the longest phone call at nite chatting and talking away as if nothing else mattered. We talked about everything, school and friends; only to be disturbed by his mother calling for him to help her with his small brothers. I did all the talking most of the time and he just listened.

Saya suka dengar kamu cerita

We went out once and I had to lie to my parents for that. It was a nervous experience for me, feeling very uneasy and afraid that we might be caught by my parents, friends and teachers. I had to even ask him not to sit next to me in the bus.

Nanti atas bas, kita jangan duduk sebelah sebelah lah,
kamu duduk kat belakang

and he being the person he was, just followed my suggestion.

Oh we both did well in school but I just had to borrow his notes somehow. I can never forget the time he lent me his history notebook only to find at the back of the page, colors of drawing of sweet hearts with "I Love You, Ann" in the middle. I was in cloud nine for months.

On my birthday he gave me a huge gigantic birthday card to show how much he loved me. For a boy his age, he was indeed romantic and sweet.

Our parents were not really happy with our situation. It was still a "no-no" for kids at that time to experience the boy-girl love relationship. His father had to come and discuss with my father for us not to be in contact anymore, but we managed to survive the resistants from our parents, quite a few times. We were both determined to proceed with our young and sweet relationship.

After sometimes, we somehow started to fade away from each other's life. I didn't really remember how it ended but I found out after the break up that he had another girlfriend. I knew the girl and I could say that the girl had some resemblance with me .

A few years later, I heard from a friend who heard from her mother, that both of our parents (mine and his) had to get some holy water from some Ustaz to make us forget one another. I didnt know how true the story was. I never asked my mom.

We didnt keep in touch after the episode. I knew that he went to US for his degree and I went on to meet other people. I heard that he got married when in US. I saw him a few years back at the Mosque on Hari Raya but I never saw his family .................... until recently. My sister called me to check on one blog and I did. After all these years I could still tell from the photos in the blog that its him. Happily married with four beautiful kids and a wonderful wife. He is doing very well and they are now staying outside Malaysia.

I read the wife's stories, their life together, how they met and everything, and I can say that its the same old him, sweet, shy, humble, smart. Reluctantly, I have to admit that there's a tinge of envy inside of me from reading their stories. There's even a big "What if....." somewhere there.

But I know, it was never meant to be for me and him. Like all other first loves, it had to end somehow, even without the holy water.

I know he is happy now and I am too for him. The wife is lucky indeed.

Popo Potter

I was not among the fans in line, camping the whole night in front of the bookstores all over the world. I have all the other 6 books and of course I would not want to miss this one. I could wait, I didn't even pre-book the book, I knew I had all the time in the world. Its Alor Star after all, you would not find kids in Hogwarts' uniform floating around the nite of pre-launching. But I knew one (no, shes not a kid anymore) in Kampung Berjaya who couldnt wait for the book, and even she did not have to wake up at 3 in the morning.

I went to Borders in Penang that day, and there were many left on the rack but they didnt have the cover (supposedly to be adult's version) I wanted.

I bought one at Tesco for RM69-90.

Dont blame me ! Would you pay another RM40-00 more for the same book?

Hey.. I even bought my GAP shirts at FOS for RM19-00 each!

PS: I still cannot get close to the book, Popo has not left the book since I first brought it home.

Ada Orang Demam

maf factory: lusa!
maf factory: 1 hari lg
maf factory: hari sabtu petang tuang reja
Me: wah wah wah
Me: order kat mana the phoenix..?
maf factory: ha?
Me: hahahaha
Me: saja main2 bahasa
Me: (order of the phoenix)
maf factory: deathly hollows la
Me: tauuu
Me: saja ja
maf factory: kat popular pasific tu la
maf factory: haha
maf factory: pasaipa xda mph kat aloq staq ni
Me: hmmm
Me: org alor star tak baca buku.....

Nurul- Ahli PKM ?

Nurul YM me just now, requesting me to be a "pengadil" in her application form. Just look at the questions they want her to answer:-

*Note: Remember... this is 2007

Adakah tuan/puan pernah menjadi ahli Parti Komunis Malaya?


Adakah tuan pernah berkawan rapat dgn seorang komunis ?


Adakah tuan pernah berkawan rapat dgn seorang yg tuan ketahui adalah atau pernah menjadi seorg komunis atau seorg yg bersimpati dgn komunis?




Aku rasa Amir Muhammad mesti ada problem nak isi borang seumpama ini...

:-|

Ps: Nurul, just so u know.. for question no: 2, I'm not a communist. A Commuter , yes !

Losyen Tegang

Cuti hari minggu lepas, atas permintaan adik aku, aku bawa anak kucingnya ke Vet. Memang aku sudah biasa dengan Dr Ravi sebab dia jugalah Vet Popo. Dr Ravi ada dua orang perempuan penjaga kaunter depan yang aku tak berapa ingat nama mereka, tapi setiap kali aku ke sana, mesra jugalah mereka melayan aku.

Petang itu, sambil aku menunggu giliran, sambil berjalan melihat-lihat mainan baru untuk Popo, salah seorang daripada penjaga kaunter itu datang kepada aku sambil memegang tangan bercakap lembut dengan aku.

Kak, kak ... kami ada jual produk baru untuk perempuan

Aku terpinga-pinga

Ha ahhh.. Kak... produk tu nak bagi tegang dada dan punggung.... dan juga muka

(sambil kedua-dua tangannya mengarah-arahkan ke dada dan punggungnya)

Aku masih terpinga-pinga

Meh.. maih.. kami tunjuk macam mana

Sambil dia menarik tangan aku ke kaunter. Aku masih terpinga.

Di kaunter, kawannya mengeluarkan dan menunjukkan aku satu botol losyen.

Kak pernah dengar tak nama produk ni..?

Aku menggeleng kepala

Kak tengok ni muka Kak ....

(menyua dengan cepat satu cermin kecil ke muka aku)

Salah seorang mereka kemudiannya mengambil tangan aku dan menyapu dan mengusap losyen yang mereka tunjukkan tadi.

Kak rasa dak.....?

?

Rasa dak sampai ke bahu...?

?

Nahh... kak tengok cermin ni.... Kak nampak dak pipi kanan kak dah naik sebelah..?

Aku pun memegang cermin kecil tersebut sambil mencarai-cari pipi aku yang dikatakan sudah bengkak naik sebelah.


Aku bertanya:

Tegang macam mana nihh..? Sapu kat tangan saja boleh tarik urat sampai tegang pipi naik kat muka.... ?

Ha ahh...... bukan mukasaja kak, dada kanan dan punggung kanan kak pun naik juga tau

Kedua-dua mereka kemudian tertawa geli hati galak malu-malu.

Kak.. hari Sabtu nih... kami ada buat demo kat rumah saya.
Kak mesti mai (datang) tau.. !!!

Aku pegang cermin muka yang kecil itu lama ................................

sambil fikir......

Vet mana lagi yang ada kat pekan Alor Setar yang kecil ini yang boleh aku bawa Popo lepas ni.....





*sigh*

Down With The Flu

It has not been an exciting week for me. I've been down with the flu.
Alhamdulillah, it was a good reason for me to stay in bed and have a good rest nevertheless.

And look who's been on my side when I was too weak to get out of the bed.

Nurse Yang Dah Terbongkang .... Penatlah Konon

Du'a My Dear

When My servants ask thee concerning Me,
I am indeed close (to them):
I listen to the prayer of every suppliant
when he calleth on Me"

Al Baqarah:186

And your Lord says:
"Call on Me; I will answer your (Prayer)"

Al Ghafir: 60

Do you realize that :-

1. you can actually ask Allah for ANYTHING, yes anything at all
2. you can speak to HIM not only during solat/prayers
3. you don't have to memorize all the dua's in Arabic
4. you can tell Allah all your problems in Malay or English or just in any other languages you fancy

• Allah listens to you
• Allah hears you
• Allah is close to you more than you ever know

Do you also happen to know that there is nothing impossible in this world, if Allah wills.

Do you know that when you're stuck in the most difficult moment in your life or even if you cant find a parking space .... you can call for HIS help.

Its the simple everyday things in life
that should make us feel close to HIM.
You don't have to be on the prayer mat to call for HIM.
HE is everywhere.

"I promise you I will dua' everyday"

Piano Motien

Motien anak Dato'. Kalau dah anak Dato' ni, orang selalu anggap anak orang kaya lah kiranya. Aku mula kenal Motien waktu atas bas masa aku tukar sekolah waktu Darjah 3 Merah tu. Ya lah Motien waktu tu Darjah 3 Biru, kelas paling terrer. Tapi Motien tak boleh nak belagak lama dengan aku pasal aku "dok kelas bodo" tu sebab tahun yang berikutnya aku telah lompat terus masuk ke dalam Darjah 4 Biru, satu kelas dengan Motien nih.

Bila dah satu kelas, satu bas dan yang buat kami lagi baik ialah sebab kami juga duduk satu 'taman' (taman perumahan, bukan taman bunga). Aku ingat lagi waktu mula-mula Motien ajak aku ke rumahnya lepas sekolah. Excitednya aku ...!!! Yang aku excited sangat sebab aku dengar Motien cakap kat atas bas hari tu rumah dia ada P.I.A.N.O . Mak abah aku cikgu saja, mana mampu nak beli piano kat kami adik beradik. Tapi bagi aku waktu tu, kalau rumah yang ada piano kira cool habih laaa.


Petang tu, lepas habis buat kerja sekolah, aku pun capai basikal kayuh ke rumah Motien. Rumah dia lebih besar sikit dari rumah aku sebab bapa dia ada buat tambahan. Bila dah sampai rumah dia, Motien pun ajak aku masuk. Kamu boleh bayangkan otak aku waktu tu, yang berfikir dan tercari-cari piano Motien. Bila dia ajak masuk bilik, kaki aku masih nak jalan-jalan pusing rumahnya, sambil mata tercari-cari benda Allah piano nih.

Agaknya muka aku sangatlah 'obvious' dan 'transparent' membuatkan Motien bertanya.

Kamu nak tengok piano saya ka..?

Angguk.

Jom ikut saya

Aku pun ikut macam anjing terjelir lidah


Motien bawa aku masuk satu bilik. Aku tengok ada katil saja.

Motien kemudiannya melutut tunduk bawah katil dan tarik keluar satu piano kayu yang kecil.


.

Darjah 3 Merah

Lagi cerita sekolah.

When my mother transferred me from a mixed school to an all girls school, I was placed in the last class, Darjah 3 Merah since all other classes were already fully occupied. With due respect to my classmates, I have to tell you that most of the pupils in the class, say about 80% of them could not even read. The other 20%, due to some unfortunate circumstances, were the ones who were last or second last in their standard two exam and had to be placed in that last class "E", out of the five classes.

I had no problem adjusting myself to the new environment. I made a few friends and I still remember some of their names especially Neoh Phaik See and Noraini; the former for always being second in the class and the latter, third. I was closer to Phaik See rather than Noraini and Noraini apparently didn't really like me. I guess because I was new, a top in the class and being our class teacher, Puan Faridah's favourite. Noraini never failed to tell me to my face that she would and she could take the top spot I had been holding for the last two terms. This kind of threaten really made me worried. I was a bit disturbed and anxious that she might be able to do that. Being a child you have your own set of worries and problems and Noraini's words were one of them which led me to being sleepless at night.

But Alhamdulilllah, at the end of the year, I still finished first in the class and had the opportunity to go on stage for the prize giving ceremony from the late Sultanah Bahiyah.

And in the words of my newly acquainted* wise friend, Motien:-

"Dia boleh la dapat nombor satu ; dia dok (duduk) kelas bodo"

Welcome to the world of Motien.

:-)

*edited: that year 1980 I first met Motien

Amitabh Bachan Atau Rishi Kapoor

Aku ada seorang kawan di sekolah namanya Misbah.

Misbah seorang gadis yang sangat "Perempuan Melayu Terakhir".

1. Pendiam; tidak banyak bercakap macam aku dan Motien yang selalu menguasai persada kebisingan kelas.
2. Pemalu; ya satu ciri yang semakin pupus bagi wanita sekarang.
3. Senyum yang menawan; Misbah tidak ketawa berdekah-dekah, Misbah hanya senyum., dan kalau pun ada lawak yang paling lawak bagi Misbah, dia hanya akan tertunduk-tunduk keras perut menahan ketawa sampai 'ungu' mukanya
4. Hitam Manis; oleh kerana Misbah bukanlah putih melepak, maka 'ungu' lah mukanya bila merah bercampur gelap. No, Misbah bukan anak mami.
5. Pandai; Misbah selalu dapat No: 1-5 sahaja di dalam kelas.
   

Misbah, kawanku itu sangat gila suka filem Hindustan. Sewaktu waktu itu, mana ada Shah Rukh Khan lagi. Yang popular antara yang aku ingat-ingat lah, Amitabh Bachan (belum putih janggutnya) Rishi Kapoor, Shashi Kapoor dan lain-lain Kapoor yang sewaktu dengan mereka. Walaupun telah dikatakan Misbah ini pendiam, tetapi apabila bercerita tentang tentang 'hiburan Hindustan' pastilah teruja sekali Misbah itu (note*tahap teruja Misbah boleh dikira sama dengan tahap minima dengan tahap teruja empunya blog).

Misbah duduk di depan aku dan Motien. Disebelah Misbah teman baiknya Adilah (yang kembarnya Azilah, yang pernah bertukar kelas demi untuk bersama kawan baikmereka, walaupun seorang sebenarnya sepatutnya di kelas A dan seorang di B (thats another story)).

Aku dan Motien mempunyai satu hobi ketika itu membuat kuiz untuk Misbah. Sungguh teruja kami apabila mencipta permainan untuk Misbah.

"Misbah, katakanlah, bayangkanlah kelas dah nak terbakar, Amitabh Bachan ada di pintu depan kelas dan Rishi Kapoor ada di pintu belakang kelas, kamu kena pilih satu saja, kamu nak pilih pintu mana?"

Wahh.. tatkala mendengar soalan ini, kamu boleh bayangkan keadaan Misbah waktu tu. You should look at her face, dengan 'ungu' mukanya Misbah seolah-seolah berada dalam situasi yang gawat sambil merayu-rayu aku janganlah dia diberi pilihan seperti itu.

"Ahhhh... eshhh ...eshhhh.. (sambil mendekap kedua tapak tangannya dan tertunduk tunduk) tolonglah... eshhh... saya tak tau nak pilih ni..... Janganlah tanya soalan macam tu...."

Ahhhh.... the sweet sweet Misbah.

I wish I could go back to that time when we were all 14 and the simple quiz like that brought such euphoria. The quiz thing would be our favourite pastime while waiting for the next Ustazah to get into the class. It never failed to make Misbah's face turned 'purple' and Motien and I were loving every moment of it. We kept changing the names every now and then. Sometimes it would be between Sashi Kapoor and Rajesh Khana, at times Bachan and some other Kapoor. It was such a torture to Misbah but we all had fun alright.