Aku lupa dia "Teenager"......

            My bad! Aku betul2 terlupa yang di depan aku ni is a teenager trapped in an adult's body. Kesian dia!
            Aku lupa yang golongan remaja menganggap setiap masalah yang melanda mereka merupakan masalah yang paling kritis dan berat di dunia. Lebih berat dari kemelut gabungan Syria, Palestin, Rohingya, Mesir.
            Aku lupa that to a teenager, dunia harus berhenti dan tumpukan sepenuh perhatian kepada setiap permasalahan mereka. Tak kira bila dan di mana kita.
            Aku lupa bahawa remaja hanya mampu fikir tentang diri mereka saja. Bagi seorang remaja, dia saja yang terpenting dalam hidup dia. Orang lain diwujudkan hanya untuk akur kepada kehendak dia.
            Aku lupa sang remaja tidak mampu [atau tidak mahu?] fikir tentang perasaan dan kehendak orang lain. Bahawa hanya mereka saja yang tahu betapa sukar dan sulitnya permasalahan mereka. Mana mungkin orang lain faham atau pernah lalui keadaan sama dengan mereka.
            Aku lupa that a teenager always feels yang dia sangat2 dizalimi oleh orang2 yang menyayangi mereka. Yang orang2 ni sebenarnya hanya suka mengongkong dan tak mahu lihat mereka bahagia.
            Aku lupa yang remaja hanya akan buat apa yang mereka suka. Pada bila2 masa yang mereka suka.
            Aku lupa remaja tak suka ditegur, dinasihati. Mereka saja yang betul dan paling pandai dalam dunia. Bahawa orang2 tua semuanya kolot dan bodoh tak faham bahasa.
            Aku betul2 lupa!
            Aku lupa bahawa sang remaja itu tahu dan yakin tentang hala hidup mereka. Walaupun pada pendapat aku, akal si remaja hanya panjang sejengkal.
            Aku lupa bahawa seorang remaja selalu menganggap diri mereka sudah dewasa. Walaupun mereka masih perlukan orang lain untuk finance their lifestyle.
            Aku lupa yang remaja mana mampu berfikir panjang dan melihat hidup dari perspektif berbeza. Tak tercapai akal mereka.
            Aku lupa hidup seorang remaja is one drama after another. Setiap situasi perlu dijadikan sensasi. Cara mereka untuk meraih perhatian dunia.
            Aku lupa remaja tak berapa gemar mendengar tentang agama. Pada mereka mati itu jauh dan agama untuk masa tua.
            My bad!
            My bad!
            My bad!
            Tiba2 aku rasa letih. Letih melayan kerenah remaja. Terasa letih berbulan2 mendengar. Terasa sia2 kering air liur memberi pendapat dan nasihat.
            Memang betullah orang kata yang bila dah tua2 ni jadi lebih sensitif. Terasa pula tak dihargai.
            So....maybe I should just tell her to come back when she's all grown up and an adult - if she wants to talk on "serious" matters. Setakat nak layan isu2 teenager...okay aja bila2 pun in syaa Allah.
            In the meantime, aku titipkan doa untuk si "teenager" semoga dia cepat dewasa dan berupaya untuk membuat pilihan2 yang terbaik untuk diri dia :)

Pound vs Kilogram

A joke a day, chases doctor away.

Situation: In the kitchen.

Woman B: What are you doing?

Woman A: I am pounding the chillies.

Woman B (annoyed look): Hmm.... We don't use pound anymore.

Woman A (curious look): Ha? What are using nowadays?

Woman B: Kilogram, you know! Kilogram!

....on Friendship and Favours....

            Today was such a day. Favours asked and favours given. All in the name of friendship.

            Zai is a childhood friend. We've known each other since we were 12++. We met at boarding school. Only to discover that our families knew each other too. Which forged a stronger bond between us.
            From dormmates to bff to partner-in-crime to "sunset years" buddies!
            Enroute to her place yesterday morning, I stopped to pick up some baking powder for this baker extraordinaire - for use as ant bait instead of going into her cakes. Also picked up a packet of bicarbonate soda she requested.
            A request fulfilled. She happy, me happy :)

            We [Zai, Kemar and I] then drove off to meet up with Daing - who had graciously and generously hosted a lunch at KGNS to fulfill my request. Daing went one step further - she actually invited 14 of us to this lunch!
            Thank you, Daing :)
            And several of the 14 came bearing gifts, mostly for the host who will be going off to Mekah to perform her hajj soon in syaa Allah.
            See how happy she looks with her presents!

         
          And how happy we were with ours!

           Key finder......

 Great food......

Wonderful company...................

 

Chu on her superbike - a sight to behold!

An unexpected invitation to Koji's beautiful home......

 

.....for tea.

It didn't stop here. I got hungry and felt like having scrambled eggs and toast. Zai rustled those up for me...plus her divine coffee.

Yup! Friendship is such. Favours requested. Favours fulfilled. With no thought of compensation.

And Allah somehow gives much more when this happens. Alhamdulillah..... :)

on Chin Peng [and co]: So he's a hero eh.....

            Try telling that to my late dad......
            He was a member of the Royal Malay Regiment during Chin Peng's heydays of pillage, slaughter and terror. Who spent countless days in the jungles of Kelantan, Perak and several other states. Who experienced several Ramadhans there. I believe, there were several Syawals that he wasn't home too.
            Who saw his buddies being murdered right before his eyes.
            Who had to "clean up" the villages after massacres by the "glorious" PKM. Villages close to jungles were mostly inhabited by Malays. Who were predominantly farmers. Who became the "food source" of the commies.
            Yea...tell that to my late dad......
            Who almost died during several ambush episodes.
            Who discovered that the communist he killed was sometimes of his ethnic race.
            Tell that to Pakcik Mansur who lost his leg - thanks to a commie booby trap.
            Tell that to my maktok [grandma] whose army son went missing for 2 years....and presumed dead. Only to turn up with healed gunshot wounds.
            Tell that to my mum who had to console numerous army widows. Who lived in fear of being one herself every time dad left for the jungle.
             Dear Bawani, Khalid Mohd Ismath, Hishamuddin Rais,
             I'd love to slap your faces. With both hands. Real hard. Until I'm too tired to slap.
             And I think many army kids from that era would like to do the same....if not worse!
           

on Mothers: You'll need them forever.....

            No matter how old I get, I never want to be alive without my mum. Not that I'm particularly close to my mum. My relationship with her is arm's length at best. But I've always counted on her being there. Always on top of whatever transpires in this big family of mine.
            I don't confide in my mum. Or have much to say to her. She sees the cheerful side of me most of the time. But there were times when she confided in me. And times when I fought for her - me being the outspoken one in the family. There was a time when I took care of all her worldly needs. Now, my sister does that....plus taking care of her emotional needs. She, along with my youngest brother, are the two people who connect with mum on a deep level. I'm happy to be on the peripheral playing cheerleader.
            Social events at No30 centers around mum. This has been the way since bapa passed on. During the months after mum's stroke, there was a dearth of social functions involving non-No30 residents. We just weren't up to it. It seemed strange to host events without mum being the grand hostess. Close family friends who visited also felt this. Normally mum would be the one "holding court" and taking center stage.
            Family activities eg vacations, eating out etc were non-existent. We are a very sociable lot her at No30. But since October of last year, we've been somewhat quiet. No open house last year. A lacklustre raya this Syawal too.
            However, mum's condition improved a few months ago. And she wanted to be up and about. So the family eating out sessions resumed. She even managed to go raya-visiting.
            Things looked well for her until the open house a few days ago. We rushed her to Ampang Putri. She was okay after a couple of days there. But a heart problem was detected. There's nothing much the doctors could do given her age and health condition. So we prayed that all will be well with her.
            Now she's back in hospital. With a worsened heart condition.
            I'm ready for the worst.....though I still pray that she'll make it this time around too......

on Price Hikes: Life's like that lah.....

            Folks who know me would say, "Of courselah you have nothing to complain about. You still live with your mum." And they'd be spot on!
            I live in a tiny flat behind mum's bungalow. Rent free.
            Most of my meals are consumed at other people's dining tables - mum's, sister's, daughter's, brother's. We all live on the same compound. I dismantled my stove and gave away the gas cylinder.
            Which makes me a parasite of sorts I guess..........
            I don't own a car. Or motorbike. Not even a bicycle. I walk when I can't hitch a ride or get a taxi.
            I smoke cheap cigarettes because I feel it's sacrilege to pay RM10 a pack to slowly kill myself.
            I attempt to grow my own greens and stuff. So far the kailan, carrots, kangkung, tomato, chilli, spinach, okra, cucumber, pegaga, mango, guava, soursop plants are still alive. Though I've yet to experience the thrill of harvesting them. Am praying that I'll get the chance to do so.
            I now drink Kopi Hang Tuah because I'm somewhat rascist.
            Endeavouring to stay away from Zionist friendly products have saved me some RM.
            My daughters' eatery provides my contribution to potluck parties. A good thing my friends love the food.
            Being abaya clad I needn't worry about my wardrobe. What I have takes me everywhere. Nobody notices black clad ladies in oversized clothes much.
            Being over 50, single mum, unemployed get me a lot of invitations for free meals. Free rides too.
            My grandkids think I'm dirt poor as I only have biscuits and dates in my flat. Add that to a yet-to-be-fixed-for-the-longest-time refrigerator. So they hardly ask me for anything. They only drink plain water in my home as I only stock that plus tea and coffee. I figure they could easily run home to get their Milo, Vitagen, CalciYum, Peel Fresh fix.
            All visitors to my home know that they'll need to bring their own food when they visit at mealtimes. They bring enough to feed me too. My friends are really very nice people.
            My electricity bill seldom exceed RM100 every quarter. I know that if I sleep regular hours like most folks, I'd probably cut that down by 30%.
            A 3kg box of MaxKleen 9 laundry detergent lasts for more than 6 months.
            Since I don't cook and mostly eat at other people's dining tables, I don't do a lot of dishwashing. I've the same bottle of dishwashing liquid which I bought when I first moved in - sometime in October last year.
            My family's water supply is free. We pipe in spring water from the hills at the back of the property.
            I'm a lazy so and so who loves staying in. And can comfortably survive on biscuits and dates.
            I'm SO blessed! ;)
            Sorry I can't bitch along with you......but I promise to nod emphatically.......

of Gardens: My sister's handiwork

 

                     

  Zai, Leha and I enjoying the garden - with Khadeeja :)