Kita Yang Mudah Lupa.....

Seorang kenalan kami mengalami kidney bacterial infection. Selepas mendapat rawatan dan sembuh, dia mendapati kedua kakinya bengkak. She went for a check up. The doctor advised her to do ECG and blood test as the swelling could be triggered by heart, kidney and liver problem. Dalam kecemasan, her heart rate shot up to 120 beats/sec during the ecg test.

The next day, she went to pick up her blood test result. Some of her enzymes had quadrapled showing signs of liver problems. The doctor advised for another blood test. My God, she was really worried.

The next day, we accompanied her to do the other blood test. We also advised her to get a second medical opinion. We also noticed that she now carries telekong in her handbag as dia ni kerap lalai solat bila shopping or travelling. During the visit mendapatkan second opinion, cara doktor menerangkan agak menenangkan. And the doctor suggested to calm down and bersabar tunggu the second results.

She was supposed to pick up the second blood test results on Friday. But the second medical opinion membuat dia selesa. Petang Sabtu baru ambil result. Pun dia tak mahu jumpa doctor di situ. Dia nak jumpa the doctor yang bagi the second opinion kerana selesa dengan that female doctor. The results showed she is negative hepatitis B&C. But her T4 is high showing hyperthyroidism. But dia dah santai sebelum jumpa doktor. She no longer carries telekong when shopping melangkau asar & maghrib.... Ya ketukan insaf hanya sementara... and kita antara mahluk yang mudah lupa anugerah Allah.

Kedekut

This morning, I told my wife that my ex-Dean invited us to his post raya Open House this Sunday.

She said "Wah... Last week, your Dean buat Open House. This Sunday your x-boss. You tak kena buat ke?"

I told her "Elaun Deputy Dean kecik!"

And she complained "My Dean tak pernah buat Open House.......!"

I asked "Dia kedekut ke?"

She nodded. And I said "Hmmmmm...... Ye tak ye juga. Dia pun kedekut nak proses your promotion entah dah berapa kali. Your latest application pun dia tak mahu proses walaupun your much much juniors tanpa PhD, publications and research grants dah dapat AP!"

My wife tersenyum kambing. I added "Tak pe lah. You collect aje your AP back-dated pay di akhirat!"

Getting Younger 2?

Dearest wife,

This morning before leaving for work, we hugged and kissed... And you reminded me "My lipstick on your lips!" Sambil meratakan your lipstick on my lips, terdetik di fikiran.... After more than 20 years of marriage, it seems that we kiss, cuddle, hug and ..... much much much more now than we did in the earlier years of marriage. Are we getting younger as each day passes by?

Or are these the qadas, jamak takdims or jamak takhirs?

Anugerah Allah

1. I love lamb shank stew very very much. Namun of late, kualiti Irish stew di Secret Recipe rasanya dah menurun. Beberapa teman turut menyatakan padangan serupa saya. But baru-baru ni, we bought a couple of frozen lamb shank. And my beautiful wife masakkan stew. Oh... terangkat and taste kalau tak better as good as the original stew di SR. Sesungguhnya my dearest wife is an Anugerah Allah to me. She has the brain, the look, and many natural talents. Among them is cooking.

2. Saturday baru ni, beberapa teman semasa di Brisbane came for dinner. As these friends dah beberapa kali disaji her Laksa Johor, sheppard pie and home made tiramisu, she decided untuk masak menu lain. And she cooked lamb stew lagi for the 3rd time bulan ni. Terangkat lagi walaupun shank tak dapat diperolehi. Terhirup mereka dan saya. Ada seorang ni, spaghetti pun dia pi taruh lamb stew! And she has the courage to say "I like it this way!".

3. Sesungguhnya my wife is an Anugerah Allah to me!

Ulik Mayang

I wrote this 2 kerat pantun many many many months ago sebaik sahaja keputusan PEMILU Parlimen Marang yang lalu diumumkan:

Mayang diulik mayang, malang si Lebai Malang;
Berketuk di Senggarang, telur pecah di Marang!

Idea terbit apabila melihat Hj Hadi dan kerabatnya berketuk hebat apabila partinya memenangi DUN Senggarang (Johor) tanpa bertanding di atas kesilapan teknikal calon UMNO. Satu sejarah: Pertama kali PAS menang di Johor. But kegumbiraangnya dicalari kekalahan beliau sendiri di Parlimen Marang (Terengganu).

I SMSed this pantun to several friends & my abang ipar. Abang ipar said "This is the best pantun during this Pemilu fever!"

Keroncong Buat Anna vs Keroncong Buat Ana

Yesterday I received a call from Ana who seeked clarification on my last week write up (enclosed) on a bulletin board. I told her that the write up was nothing to do with her! Anna is definitely not Ana. Anna@Mongolia is definitely not Ana@Pt Keroma!!
_______________

Written: 9 Nov 2006

Keroncong Buat Anna: Remembering Faizah


Maniskah bermadu dengan cinta antarabangsa? Apakah dosa cinta sehingga perjalanan-perjalanan cinta antara benua yang beribu kilometer akhirnya tidak dihargai? Apakah wajar segala pengorbanan jiwa raga, wang & masa dibalas dengan peluru dan peledak?

Sejahat-jahat Suhaimi ada guts membunuh sendiri. Atau apakah kerana Suhaimi tidak mempunyai cukup wang atau cukup kenalan di kalangan UTK & Bukit Aman?

The Datin's Diaries II

Arghh.... Her divorce proceedings penuh di dada-dada akhbar beberapa bulan yang lalu. She was NOT a Datin but a "young" Puan Sri.....!! Teringat kad yang she gave me... No Datin, no Puan Sri.... Just S. Definitely not Dang Suria Awang Chik kita...

Butang Suasa, Teluk Belanga II

1. Last year, a week before Ramadhan, my mum passed away.

2. This is the second year I celebrated my raya as a yatim piatu. 2 weeks before raya, I went back to Muar to have tailor-made my new baju raya. A teluk belanga of course. However, I can only have it 2 weeks after raya.... So kena pakai "bajuuu... lammma!" Yang 4 tahun dulu pastinya my ipars and birases won't perasan.

Frust tak dapat baju baru... I teringat nak cari butang baju teluk belanga tu yang dah 5 tahun den idamkan.... Dah puas cari di Klang Valley tapi most goldsmiths tak tahu pun apa dia butang baju melayu teluk belanga. Even all the malay salesgirls pun tak pernah dengar butang baju teluk belanga or baju johor! Perak betul. Cuma terdapat satu kedai di One Utama tapi tak berkenan dan emas pula.....

Terlanjur balik BP lepas tempah baju, singgahlah kat kedai2 emas di the Store... Most kedai tak tahupun apa butang teluk belanga. Hanya satu kedai emas cokia/tradisional aja yang ada jual butang teluk belanga dan suasa pula. Den berkenan dengan yang square tapi ada sikit imperfection kat satu bucunya i.e. tak betul2 perfect square. Tak le beli... dan masa suntuk.... But my Siti pula yang terberkenan and bought a butang emas teluk belanga for herself. Den gigit jari ajalah.

3. A day before raya dalam hujan lebat, meredahlah den dan my Siti ke hujung Jalan Rahmat... Masuklah kami ke berbagai2 kedai emas di Jalan Rahmat-Jalan Arab? sebaris Sing Kong Cermin Mata... Banyak pula kedai2 emas multi generasi.... Sudahnya jumpa juga butang suasa square yang dicari (walaupun lain sikit dari yang diidam?)... Harga murah pula.... Terus beli sampai 2 butir... satu square kebiruan & satu oval crystal clear. Hujan lebat pun terus terhenti.....!!!

4. This raya dapatlah den bergaya dengan butang suasa baru dan baju teluk belanga lama.....

Butang Suasa, Teluk Belanga I

Written: July 28, 2004

When I was young, my mum jahit sendiri my baju raya Melayu Teluk Belanga. Bila dah masuk Darjah Lima, I insisted tak mahu baju teluk belanga. I selamba told my mum "Alamak dah tak style...!". Memang teringin sangat nak pakai cekak musang spt kawan-kawan anak orang berada sikit. Juga segan pakai seluar cerut. Terpaksalah ayah bawa pi tempah di kedai kerana my mum tak pandai buat baju cekak musang & seluar moden berzip. So I kept on wearing only cekak musang till a few years ago bila I realised that I should be proud of teluk belanga & my mum's jahitan. But my mum dah tak larat menjahit la ni! Mata pun dah kurang nampak. So beli aje yang siap di kedai sahaja. Dulu masa my mum nak bagi her best work/creations, first class dan percuma, saya BERDEGIL tak nak. Apa boleh my mum buat walaupun I was still staying in her house?

Orang memberi, kita merasa
Orang tak sudi, nak salahkan siapa?

The Datin's Diaries

29 March 2006

Attended a 2-days international conference. Saw an elegantly dressed 40ish Malay lady with an active radar. Never saw her before at conferences, seminars or meetings organised by our professional society. Tertanya di hati, "siapa pula kodok ni?"

At lunch, a CEO of fish related company whispered to me and another Prof. "Nampak that lady(the above lady) yang duduk across our table? She is a Datin yang dah dua tahun tak diberi nafkah zahir & batin. I tengah uruskan proses cerainya di Mahkamah Syariah." Saya berbisik kepadanya "Patutlah radarnya agak aktif!" Dia tergelak " She is rich and self sustainable. I dah ada 2 and Prof dah ada dua. Give me your card so that I can introduce you to her." Cepat saya bilang "Saya tak bawa card hari ni!"

30 March 2006

Nearing the afternoon coffee break, the Datin came in with a young, extremely fair and skinny and sexily dressed lady to "our professional conference". Teman sebelah dok tanya "Kodok mana pula yang dia bawa?".

During the coffee break, saw Datin introducing the young lady to many of my colleagues in the society. Tiba turn CEO tu bersama Datin and the young lady. Tiba-tiba CEO tu melambai-lambai saya. Not to embarrass the CEO yang beriya-iya melambai, saya pun joinlah mereka. Datin pun perkenalkan kepada that Indon TV exec. CEO kenalkan saya kpd Datin. Lepas tu Datin hulur card dia. (Puuhh Director of a manufacturing company and she stays at Bukit Antarabangsa). Terpaksalah den hulur kad kapcai den.

Later I told the CEO and Prof. "I have given my card to that Datin". Both pun tersenyum berpuas hati. Saya pun hairan mengapa mereka beriya-iya. Apakah this 47 years old Dr K tak layak dapat a 27-years old Siti? Yang pasti Dr K ni masih sayangkan his early 40ish Siti AlJabri.

p/s Teringat jawapan Guru Polygamy 101 kami apabila ditanya seorang yang teringin "Ya Syeikh.... kita ni dah agak berumur. Macam mana nak cari yang baru? Masih boleh "laku"kah kita?" Jawapan Guru Poli "Yang paling mudah, cari wanita (30-40ish) yang baru 2-3 tahun bercerai. Sebabnya ............"

Siakap Senohong Gelama Ikan Duri

On Valentine’s Day, Shafie was dropped from the cabinet. A UPM DVC, Shafie’s close ally, SMSed me around 4 am the next morning:
“Saya diminta oleh pihak ‘atasan di luar’ utk dptkan feedback rombakan kabinet baru Pak Lah. Tak sedap pun tak apa. SMS kpd saya.”

I SMSed back asking him to reveal who is that ‘atasan di luar’. He refused to name the person on SMS. However he later called and gave me a name. I yet to give him my response. But I did forward the messages to a colleague. He SMSed back “Too late. Damage done!” “Rupanya cerita Hindustan belum habis. Ingatkan hero dah menang. Rupanya cerita masih panjang. Yet to know who are the real hero and crook!”

Today a friend brought an NST and showed me this news. One thing keeps bugging me is “What will Prof Zohadie and Prof Zulkifli’s comments be?” I am more interested to hear what Prof. Zohadie will say about the Pak Lah’s chop (on Shafie.) in a press statement. All my colleagues wished Zohadie gives a short statement. One colleague will love to hear Zohadie cites a pantun “Siakap kerisi gelama ikan duri; Asyik kacau VC, cepat jadi mantan menteri!” Another wished Zohadie would say “Allah makbulkan doa saya. Doa orang yang teraniaya cepat dimakbulkan Allah!” I am wondering if Zohadie will just say “Kapok!”*.

*What is “kapok”? When I was young, I used to bully my cousin’s son who is a few years younger than me. Whenever my mother scolded me for bullying him, he would always say “Kapok!” The first time I heard that word, I had to ask my late father what “kapok” means (as my father had never taught us Javanese). He told me “kapok” in Javanese means “padan muka”.

_______

'Despite rumours, I was hopeful'
June Ramli

NST 17 Feb 2006: KUALA LUMPUR, Thurs.

He had heard speculation that he might be dropped from the Cabinet, but Datuk Seri Dr Shafie Salleh was full of hope that he would be retained.

When the announcement was made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi at 2.45pm on Tuesday, and aired live, the former Higher Education Minister said he was not taken aback.

"I heard speculation that since former Information Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Kadir Sheikh Fadzir, new Natural Resources and Environment Minister Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid and I did not win seats in the last Umno elections, we would be dropped from the Cabinet in the reshuffle.

"However, despite the rumours, I was hopeful that I would be retained as a minister.

"But I was not surprised (at being dropped)," he told the New Straits Times at his house in Petaling Jaya.

Shafie watched the announcement in his office at the Higher Education Ministry with his staff and Malaysian Ambassador to Libya Datuk Zulkifli Yaacob.

Asked if he was sad when he heard the news, Shafie laughed.

"I watched the announcement with Datuk Zulkifli. When my name was not announced in the line-up, he (Zulkifli) felt embarrassed, but I told him... No, it’s OK," he said.

Shafie said he then finished some paperwork and packed a few books from his office before leaving the ministry at 5pm.

"I was working that morning as usual and discussing policy matters with a University of Malaya lecturer involved in a training course on international politics and economics for Myanmar diplomats and administrators.

"I even told her that I would visit the university sometime soon."

Shafie said Zulkifli had come to see him to discuss ways the ministry could help Libya become an educational hub.

"Libya looks at us as a good model for Third World countries and he wanted me to help conduct some kind of educational expo there."

Asked if it would be easy for him to switch himself off from his ministerial position, Shafie replied:

"Yes it will, and I think Datuk Mustapa Mohamed (the new Higher Education Minister) is great for the job because he was chosen by the Prime Minister."

Shafie said he would meet Mustapa on Monday to hand over the reins at a simple ceremony.

"I have helped put a foundation to this ministry created in 2003. Now, I think what Mustapa needs to do is to launch it," he said.

Asked whether his spats with former Universiti Putra Malaysia vice-chancellor Datuk Dr Mohd Zohadie Bardaie and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Mohd Zulkifli Mohd Ghazali could have resulted in his exclusion from the Cabinet, he replied: "No, I don’t think so. That is nothing, it was just an administrative matter. "

On whether he had failed the Prime Minister in not turning the country into an educational hub, he said: "For the record, I must say, I used to come back from work every day at 10pm. There is much to do in the ministry. Sometimes my wife (Datin Dr Mizan Adiliah Ahmad Ibrahim) had to bring me dinner.

"I like the ministry and I have worked hard and tried my best to do everything I could."

Did he know why he was dropped? "I don’t know. He is the Prime Minister and he can choose his Cabinet ministers. It is his prerogative. But I can tell you that I am still loyal to him (Abdullah) and I only work for Umno."

On his future plans, Shafie said he would devote more time to Umno and his constituency, Kuala Langat.

"I met Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today. I told him that I wanted to be more active in politics and offer my expertise to the party. I am trying to get an appointment to meet the Prime Minister."