Ma's Salamah Saddam - Good Bye Saddam

Nora and I were surfing last nite when we came to know about Saddam's execution. At first, we both did not really know how to describe our feelings. Reading about Saddam's last moment, I could say, theres a tinge of sadness actually, not that we really like him but I supposed its because Saddam for whatever he had done to Iraqis, had actually stood up against America and I think we ought to give him some credits for that. The sadness Nora and I felt must be due to the fact that Saddam was a Muslim and that he had been handed over by the America, with all their plots and plans to eliminate him, to be executed. Nora said that may be if he had been killed by any other Muslims, we wouldnt be feeling this way; sad, disturbed, uncomfortable, wary. I dont think theres really any relieved or satisfaction in those feelings because we re not Iraqis who had been under Saddam's tyranny.

And I guess, there is sadness somewhere in every Muslims because being Muslims, theres still a bonding feeling somewhere among us especially when it comes to matters involving Muslims vs Non-Muslims, even in Saddam's case.

To Neuter Or Not To Neuter

That is the question.

Popo is becoming more and more active as the day goes by although hes still a quiet boy. He loves to play with his toys and sometimes when I'm not playing with him, he would be jumping here and there as if hes playing with an imaginary friend. I'm a bit worried whenever he plays with his 'friend'; he would be jumping in his litter box and suddenly rushed off running to the kitchen, or hide under the table or under my wardrobe as if hes seen a ghost. And his game with me now involves bitting my hand and my toes. I know its a sign of affection and that he just wants to play with me but his bites are still painful nevertheless.

Since hes heading towards puberty, I'm now considering whether to neuter him or not. My personal preference is to neuter him while hes still a kitten. A male cat who has been neutered would be less aggressive and less likely to spray his urine all around the house. Moreover, I am more concern when the time comes he needs to go out and find a girlfriend (during mating season) and I'm sure I wouldnt know how to handle him when hes on heat and starts to scratch and kick the door to go out.

How would my baby boy survive the outside world with all the other street cats who own the neighbourhood. Popo would surely have to fight them to get their girls or else he would have to venture further outside the neighbourhood in search of a mate to fulfill his passion (hmmmm...). My father's cat, Saddam (yes his real name) was having the same problem, he would be roaming the streets and started to fight with other cats almost everyday. Being a Saddam that he was, he would still be coming back home with all the bald patches here and there, wounded, scratched and bled sometimes.

I dont want Popo to go through the same ordeal. .

The reason I was having doubt was because I was afraid that he might loose a bit of his masculinity and that the 'housemates' would be coming back and worse still if they start to befriend him. But well, after some reading from the internet, I think the pros of neutering far outweighs the cons.

I think I'm going to go for it !

Source :

http://www.winnfelinehealth.org/reports/early-neuter.html

http://www.kittenrescue.org/spayneuter.htm

You Love Somebobody Because You Love Him

You dont need to justify the feelings you have for him, nor do you need to justify his love for you. I truly believe in "Love is what you give and not what you expect to receive" and if the person returns your love, oh what a bonus!. If he really loves you, he loves you; period.

But some people find it hard to accept that the person he/she is in love with is returning his/her love. In this world of searching for love it all depends on your luck. It if its meant to be, its meant to, if it its not, then its not. Many of us have experienced the broken heart of love being rejected, and many of us too had in our past found it hard to love the person who was falling head over heels with us. Thats just the way the world works; some guys have all the luck and some guys just have to make do with what they have (and try to feel lucky having them).

And the funny thing about us mortal being is that when the other person really loves you in return, you make it hard on you. You start to have all sorts of crazy ideas about why does this person love you too? And if you re one with emotional baggage with inferiority complex issue who thinks himself as someone not worth of being loved, things can sometimes be very very difficult for both the person and his love object. The other person would have to be the one to work hard on loving him and show that he is truly worth of love.

Sometimes, when the other person loves you, and because you love him too, you will try to eliminate any other unwanted reasons and justifications for that person returning your love. This is where you start to play some little games of questions hoping that person would diminish the assumptions you create. Like when cK called me and I knew its beacuse he missed me; but women being women you want the man to profess his feelings; to say them in words (Men are From Mars; Women From Venus - John Gray) . So I started to ask him why was he calling me ... and I further added my own answer that he called me because it has become his routine. Little did I know that it hurt him because to him, he called me for the obvious reasons; he loves me, he misses me and he just wants to hear my voice. And my reason for the false accusation was because I wanted him to say that in words, and not just let me play with my own assumptions even though I have known the fact.

It has been more than 7 years now, but I still wonder what is it about me that he loves me, may be its because by chance since we re in the same district, maybe he hasnt met the other beautiful girl, may be I'm just his alternative until the right girl comes along for him. I still can picture myself seeing cK looking at me with love and I just stood there searching for any other person in the room, thinking that he might be making a mistake here and finally pointing the finger at myself "Who...Me..???"

And even if cK questions about my love, I think its up to me to prove my love for him; instead of being hurt (yes it can be hurtful) only time and all my efforts and determinations will be the jury of my true feelings.

I Should Have Stayed Being Silent

Silence is the best answer to many a question

(because)

Tongue is a beast, if it is let loose, it devours.

Imam Ali AS - Nahjul Balaghah

How true and how wise when one chooses to be silent, rather than uttering words that are of no value, worthless, inconsiderate and to some degree hurtful to others.

I should have stayed silent for a very very long time.

A Great Silence overcomes me,

and I wonder why I ever thought
to use language.

Jalaluddin Rumi

p/s: Maaf ..........

Kampung Boy - A Hit in USA

December 14, 2006

MULTIPLE AWARDS AND PRAISE FOR LAT

Malaysian cartoonist Lat is no stranger to awards and recognition — they've been raining down on him for many years, mostly in Southeast Asia...

Here now some award news from the USA, not one, not two, but three marks of distinction have just been bestowed on KAMPUNG BOY!

1.
Kampung Boy has been named an Outstanding International Book for 2007 by the United States Board of Books for Young People and the Children's Book Council. A list of this year's Outstanding International Books will appear in the February issue of School Library Journal, and the books will be promoted by the USBBY and the CBC at meetings and conventions throughout the year.

2.
Kampung Boy has been named to the Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books Blue Ribbon List for 2006--their best books of the year. It will appear in the January edition of the Bulletin.

3.
Kampung Boy has been chosen a Booklist Editor's Choice for 2006.

Source: http://firstsecondbooks.typepad.com/mainblog/

Cinta Lelaki : Untuk Adik Lelakiku

Aku percaya cinta itu adalah satu rasa yang dicampak oleh Pencipta untuk mengembirakan hidup kita, dan juga menguji serta ada kalanya memakan dan menyiksa hati kita. Cinta sangat penuh dengan keajaiban. Hatta akal sekalipun tidak dapat menewaskan cinta. Akal seringkalinya kalah kepada cinta. Hanya akal yang beriman yang boleh mengawal cinta yang seringnya bersalut nafsu.

Cinta pertama seorang lelaki seringnya menjadikan mereka seperti betul-betul buta. Cinta pertama seorang lelaki juga bersifat begitu naif dan berseri dengan jujur. Cinta pertama seorang lelaki sering dapat dihidu oleh wanita yang dicinta, dan dengan cinta yang dipegang oleh wanita itu ianya seperti satu senjata yang amat berkuasa . Wanita yang baik akan menggunakan senjata itu dengan penuh bijaksana untuk kebaikan kedua-dua pihak terutama jika dia juga amat mencintai lelaki itu, tetapi malang sekalilah lelaki yang cintanya dipegang oleh wanita yang tidak jujur, berhati hitam yang boleh menghidu bau emas sejauh seribu jarak. Senjata yang dipegang akan digunakan hanya untuk kepentingan dirinya. Namun lelaki yang sedang mengalami cinta pertama tidak akan dapat membezakan antara dua jenis wanita ini.

Lelaki mencintai wanita cinta pertamanya berlandaskan kepada banyak sebab utama, tapi pilihan teratas seringnya jatuh kepada kecantikan luaran wanita tersebut, walau kecantikan itu sangatlah bersifat subjektif. Cinta pertama seorang lelaki tidak berlaku sewaktu umurnya 30 tahun, dan oleh kerana ianya sering berlaku pada umur yang sangat muda, lelaki masih terlalu awal untuk benar-benar mengenal. Wanita hanya dilihat dari sifat lahiriah yang luaran sedang hati budi dan sifat sejati dalaman wanita masih begitu kabur di pandangan mata muda mereka. Cinta yang diberi akan sepenuh hati mengharapkan satu akhiran yang halal yang membahagiakan.

Namun tak semua cinta pertama akan berakhir dengan "mereka hidup bahagia selama-lamanya". Wanita yang tidak menghargai cinta pertama seorang lelaki kadang mengambil kesempatan di atas ke'naif'an lelaki mereka. Jika wanita tersebut belum saja lagi begitu membalas cinta itu sepenuhnya, masih ada keinginan hatinya untuk melihat padang lain yang mungkin lebih hijau pada firasatnya yang lugu itu. Berlaku lah sedikit kecurangan yang kemudiannya akan betul-betul menghancurkan hati lelaki mereka. Ya, lelaki boleh menangis atas kelukaan yang dihadapi saat cinta pertama. Air mata itu lah yang akan seterusnya menjadi dendam kepada wanita-wanita yang akan hadir di kemudian hari di dalam hidup mereka sehinggalah mereka bertemu pula dengan cinta sejati. Hanya cinta sejati yang akan melembutkan hati keras lelaki yang telah dirosakkan oleh cinta pertama mereka.

Sebagai manusia kita sentiasa mengharapkan perjalanan yang penuh dengan bunga-bungaan dan bauan yang harum, namun perjalanan hidup yang sebegitu tidak akan dapat mematangkan kita. Pelayaran hidup yang tidak beralun dan berombak akan membuatkan kita terbuai layu. Jika cinta pertama kamu berjaya, Alahmdulillah, pasti akan ada lagi di dalam perjalanan hidup ini yang akan menanti kamu untuk mengajar kamu sesuatu tentang hidup. Dengan wanita yang bersama kamu sekarang, masih banyak yang akan membuatkan kamu terus belajar mengenali wanita pertama yang kamu cintai itu. Teruslah mencintainya dengan seadanya dia, yang juga seperti kamu masih belajar tentang kamu dan juga hidup ini. Maafkan lah atas ketidasempurnaan dia kerana kamu juga tidak sempurna.

Namun, tak semua lelaki juga akan kekal dengan cinta pertama dan cinta sejati kerana yang aku diberitahu lelaki boleh sahaja akan bertemu cinta sejati kedua, ketiga dan seterusnya ke empat.

I once heard : "Men are born polygamous". But not all men .......... of course.

Adikku, if you belong to the former, hmmmm... I'll blog about that when you come to that point insya Allah ... LOL

Popo

Ok. I may sound like another single-pathetic-woman-with-cats-around-the-house. But I do have a cat now, Popo. The reason being, it is my last resort to calm down the 'housemates' who were roaming my house like kings.

My knowledge about cats is very limited, but one thing I knew for sure was that I wanted a male cat (no I'm not being sexist.. I believe any female felines would be able to scare the housemate just the same). Popo was not a healthy cat when I found him, being a kitten and living with the other ferocious street cats, he must have been bullied. Even some of its whiskers I believed had been cut by some stupid punk kids. It must have been a very tough world for him.

I took him to the vet few times already for the basic vaccins. The first few days when hes with me I was sick and and I must have trasmitted some of my fever to him. As the result he was also sick and had to be taken to the vet again. I was actually worried when he was sick. I couldnt sleep worrying about him.

Hes one happy healthy kitten now who likes to snuggle my feet. I bought him some toys, scratch pad, vitamine paste (it does look like a toothpaste, only its black with tuna falavour) and I must have spoilt him a bit with good food.

Duh.... I dont want to go on and on about Popo. I must admit I talk a lot about him these days....

When I told Nora that cK must have been tired hearing about Popo; Nora said .... in a very low tone voice "Ohh... hes not the only one...."

OK , OK I heard ya !!!!



ps: Oh ya the Kings of the house seem not that bold anymore ........

Popo The Quiet Predator

I finally decided that I should be getting myself a new housemate of my choice to scare away the housemates not of my choosing.

I found him at the wet market in town. He was sitting all by himself and looked so quiet.
He is quiet alright for I hardly hear him 'meowing' except during the ride home in the car.

"What should I call him ?"

"Mat Odongo"

"Ohh come on.. not that kind of name"

"Call him Popo, I used to have a cat by that name when I was small"

Best Friend

You are responsible for your own happiness.

"Happiness is about how you choose to view the world
not about how the world can accomodate you"

-cikgu Nora-
Old Town
Alor Star-10 Nov 2006

My good friend Cikgu Nora. We can spend our time together until the wee hours of the night, just talking, discussing, debating, chatting and all the activities that stimulate our minds and the topic could be just about anything under the sun. My best friend after cK.

Queen Ann

"Oh my Queen,
how hv u been,
ure lost never to be seen,
here i am waitin so keen,
to see ur name again here on my phone screen"

sms from Hadie
07-Dec-2006 /12:51 am

_____________________

Everybody calls me Ann. I grew up with that name which is a bit different from my original name in the birth cert. I never knew how it all started except that according to Tok it was her idea, being the first child and first grandchild, I was treated like a Queen and I guess "Ann" was the closest to my real name .... thus "Queen Ann" must have popped into her mind.