This is another piece posted to an e-group I subscribe to. Sorry again for it has no credit but I am sure the original writer would love to have it shared [I pray this is not a trojan horse for some malicious virus]
Some very interesting and true statements!
A Birth Certificate shows that we were born; A Death Certificate shows that we died;
Pictures show that we lived!
Have a seat and Relax - And read this slowly.
I believe - That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do.
I believe - That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.
I believe - That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.
I believe - That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.
I believe - That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.
I believe - That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.
I believe - That you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I believe - That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I believe - That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.
I believe - That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I believe - That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done,
regardless of the consequences.
I believe - That money is a lousy way of keeping score.
I believe - That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.
I believe - That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up.
I believe - That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I believe - That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with howmany birthdays you've celebrated.
I believe - That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I believe - That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.
I believe - That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.
I believe - That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I believe - Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.
I believe - That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.
I believe - That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.
I believe - That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.
I believe - That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.
I believe - That the happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have .
Thursday, January 10, 2008
Monday, January 7, 2008
Get a Life and Live It
Salaam all,
This piece of speech by Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD posted on an e group is so beautiful that I simply have to share it here.
"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life.
Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul. People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.
Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre at my job if those other things were not true.
You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.
I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.
By telling them this:
Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".
This piece of speech by Anna Quindlen at the graduation ceremony of an American university where she was awarded an Honorary PhD posted on an e group is so beautiful that I simply have to share it here.
"I'm a novelist. My work is human nature. Real life is all I know. Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work. You will walk out of here this afternoon with only one thing that no one else has. There will be hundreds of people out there with your same degree: there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life.
Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank accounts but also your soul. People don't talk about the soul very much anymore. It's so much easier to write a resume than to craft a spirit. But a resume is cold comfort on a winter's night, or when you're sad, or broke, or lonely, or when you've received your test results and they're not so good.
Here is my resume: I am a good mother to three children. I have tried never to let my work stand in the way of being a good parent. I no longer consider myself the centre of the universe. I show up. I listen. I try to laugh. I am a good friend to my husband. I have tried to make marriage vows mean what they say. I am a good friend to my friends and they to me. Without them, there would be nothing to say to you today, because I would be a cardboard cut out. But I call them on the phone, and I meet them for lunch. I would be rotten, at best mediocre at my job if those other things were not true.
You cannot be really first rate at your work if your work is all you are. So here's what I wanted to tell you today: Get a life. A real life, not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger pay cheque, the larger house. Do you think you'd care so very much about those things if you blew an aneurysm one afternoon, or found a lump in your breast?
Get a life in which you notice the smell of salt water pushing itself on a breeze at the seaside, a life in which you stop and watch how a red-tailed hawk circles over the water, or the way a baby scowls with concentration when she tries to pick up a sweet with her thumb and first finger.
Get a life in which you are not alone. Find people you love, and who love you. And remember that love is not leisure, it is work. Pick up the phone. Send an email. Write a letter. Get a life in which you are generous. And realize that life is the best thing ever, and that you have no business taking it for granted. Care so deeply about its goodness that you want to spread it around. Take money you would have spent on beer and give it to charity. Work in a soup kitchen. Be a big brother or sister. All of you want to do well. But if you do not do good too, then doing well will never be enough.
It is so easy to waste our lives, our days, our hours, and our minutes. It is so easy to take for granted the color of our kids' eyes, the way the melody in a symphony rises and falls and disappears and rises again. It is so easy to exist instead of to live.
I learned to live many years ago. I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get. I learned to look at all the good in the world and try to give some of it back because I believed in it, completely and utterly. And I tried to do that, in part, by telling others what I had learned.
By telling them this:
Consider the lilies of the field. Look at the fuzz on a baby's ear. Read in the back yard with the sun on your face. Learn to be happy. And think of life as a terminal illness, because if you do, you will live it with joy and passion as it ought to be lived".
Thursday, January 3, 2008
F.R.A.N.C.E
Salaam all,
Remember the acronym? I was first introduced to it in 1973 when I got to attend SMSP [the very first boarding school in Pahang] by the 'English Medium' students when they exchanged their fancy autograph books and me and other 'Malay Medium' girls went gaga over all the FRANCE, PARIS, *I have a pen, my pen is blue, I have a friend, my friend is you*, *forget me not* and other standard autograph acronyms and phrases. Those were the days ...
The pleasure of the company of old schoolmates at the recent gathering still lingers. We have had such a gathering before, initiated by S now an expatriate in Brunei. That was my second participation. I missed the first one.
I happened to sms J whom I have not met since we left school three decades ago. He made it to the gathering and after a couple of reintroductions, he was again the ‘ketua kampong moyok’ he was back then in the classroom.
The bunch of us had such a great time helping each other to finish the food on the plates [just like when we were thirty years younger] amidst laughter that broke out often and lively chatters. I marveled at the coziness and the ease we didn’t have when we were at school. I wished I could capture that moment and never leave. The camaraderie and joy of being together were beyond description. After three decades the only issue was trying to catch up with details about what we have been doing with our lives.
I had this article in my saved folder on “True Friends” written by Pn Sri T D Ampikaipakan, 23 Nov 2007, Winning Ways, Star Online.
Friendships should last and not fade with the passing of time.
“Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it’s just enough to know that they are standing by.” – Anonymous
"… So what kind of a friend are you? What kind of friends do you have? Are you one who will only make friends with people of your kind, or are you one who look for kindred spirit? Do you have great friends at the workplace or are the colleagues you think as friends quite happy to stick a dagger in your back?
Parents are often terrified when their children come back from school and talk about their “best friend”. They want to know who they are, who their parents are and where they come from. Parenting concerns often centre around “friendships” which the children make as they go though school and university.
A person is shaped by the environment around him. It follows that the friends he has will ultimately mould you.
We also know that our children would rather talk to a friend about things that worry them or of concern to them. Experts tell us that children need to connect with other children and form friendships, which in turn teach them a lot of social skills. They learn to share, understand each other’s interests and accept that everyone is different despite shared interests.
What makes a good friend? Let’s make a list:
· Anyone who is not judgmental but will tell you the truth about you and your actions.
· Someone who does not compete with you unfairly.
· Anyone who is thrilled when things go brilliantly for you.
· A person who cheers you up when things look down.
· Someone who defends you bravely when people are vicious.
· Someone who is there to boost your morale and motivate you when you have failed.
· Anyone who will laugh with you, cry with you, and act silly, when the situation requires it.
· Someone who befriends you irrespective of who you are or where you come from.
Good and lasting friendships are always a blessing. Some friendships formed at school last a lifetime. Some people have friends but as they grow older, they change, their interests change and they move on and make other friends. That’s okay, too.
People say that when you grow older, like-minded people come into your life and friends who envied your success will move away. It is also a fact that you will eventually outgrow some of your friends.
Then there are those who have lost friendships because of a jealous spouse/ relative/ sibling/ peer. The death of a good friendship is often the hardest to deal with. It is sad and tragic. …
There is a pattern to every friendship: we hope that it will endure over time and distance, mistakes and misunderstandings … "
To my friends, my eternal gratitude for making my days sunny. Thank you.
Remember the acronym? I was first introduced to it in 1973 when I got to attend SMSP [the very first boarding school in Pahang] by the 'English Medium' students when they exchanged their fancy autograph books and me and other 'Malay Medium' girls went gaga over all the FRANCE, PARIS, *I have a pen, my pen is blue, I have a friend, my friend is you*, *forget me not* and other standard autograph acronyms and phrases. Those were the days ...
The pleasure of the company of old schoolmates at the recent gathering still lingers. We have had such a gathering before, initiated by S now an expatriate in Brunei. That was my second participation. I missed the first one.
I happened to sms J whom I have not met since we left school three decades ago. He made it to the gathering and after a couple of reintroductions, he was again the ‘ketua kampong moyok’ he was back then in the classroom.
The bunch of us had such a great time helping each other to finish the food on the plates [just like when we were thirty years younger] amidst laughter that broke out often and lively chatters. I marveled at the coziness and the ease we didn’t have when we were at school. I wished I could capture that moment and never leave. The camaraderie and joy of being together were beyond description. After three decades the only issue was trying to catch up with details about what we have been doing with our lives.
I had this article in my saved folder on “True Friends” written by Pn Sri T D Ampikaipakan, 23 Nov 2007, Winning Ways, Star Online.
Friendships should last and not fade with the passing of time.
“Friends in your life are like pillars on your porch. Sometimes they hold you up, and sometimes they lean on you. Sometimes it’s just enough to know that they are standing by.” – Anonymous
"… So what kind of a friend are you? What kind of friends do you have? Are you one who will only make friends with people of your kind, or are you one who look for kindred spirit? Do you have great friends at the workplace or are the colleagues you think as friends quite happy to stick a dagger in your back?
Parents are often terrified when their children come back from school and talk about their “best friend”. They want to know who they are, who their parents are and where they come from. Parenting concerns often centre around “friendships” which the children make as they go though school and university.
A person is shaped by the environment around him. It follows that the friends he has will ultimately mould you.
We also know that our children would rather talk to a friend about things that worry them or of concern to them. Experts tell us that children need to connect with other children and form friendships, which in turn teach them a lot of social skills. They learn to share, understand each other’s interests and accept that everyone is different despite shared interests.
What makes a good friend? Let’s make a list:
· Anyone who is not judgmental but will tell you the truth about you and your actions.
· Someone who does not compete with you unfairly.
· Anyone who is thrilled when things go brilliantly for you.
· A person who cheers you up when things look down.
· Someone who defends you bravely when people are vicious.
· Someone who is there to boost your morale and motivate you when you have failed.
· Anyone who will laugh with you, cry with you, and act silly, when the situation requires it.
· Someone who befriends you irrespective of who you are or where you come from.
Good and lasting friendships are always a blessing. Some friendships formed at school last a lifetime. Some people have friends but as they grow older, they change, their interests change and they move on and make other friends. That’s okay, too.
People say that when you grow older, like-minded people come into your life and friends who envied your success will move away. It is also a fact that you will eventually outgrow some of your friends.
Then there are those who have lost friendships because of a jealous spouse/ relative/ sibling/ peer. The death of a good friendship is often the hardest to deal with. It is sad and tragic. …
There is a pattern to every friendship: we hope that it will endure over time and distance, mistakes and misunderstandings … "
To my friends, my eternal gratitude for making my days sunny. Thank you.
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Happy New Year
Mini gathering at Secret Recipe Mid Valley. Senah's treat. Senah [kiri sekali] came home for holiday. Hassan [kanan sekali] has joined our crowd during AGM EXSAS 2007 last April. Jalaluddin made it for the first time after 1977 ... that was 30 years ago. He is Jalal the ketua kampong moyok we have always known. Thank you Jalal for making time for our little get together. Tim [third from right] also joined us for the first time. Yati [second from left] joined us for the second time.
Hope many more will join the regulars for our next one. It was well worth it. The hours spent were unnoticed. It was truly comforting to be in the company of friends . Thank you and Happy 2008. I pray God to keep me in health for the next one. Here's wishing a good one to each of you who share this virtual space and read my stories. Thank you.
Friday, December 28, 2007
Hang On To A Dream
I am listening to Hardin's Hang On To A Dream. The simple lyric and the soulful melody is simply captivating. Sometimes I can't help it but welled up listening to it for it pierced deeply. With a few more days left of the year, and the moon is once again playing silhouette; bathing the trees in cold half light, am fighting hard to hang on to my dreams.
Looking back, I must admit 2007 has been kind to me. I rediscovered freedom and friendship, two things I lost when I left school and became a wife. The discoveries were made possible through the advance of technology which eventually led me to this new found love ... blogging!!!
Though I am still struggling to reduce all the goings on in my head into comprehensible pieces, the effort somehow brought indescribable relief. Brings some kind of order into the chaos of feelings, rationalizations, anger, hopes and thousand others. The ablility to articulate what I have inside my head helps booster a bit of confidence ... something I used to have in abundande but somehow lost most of it along the way to getting aged. Funny though! It should have been vice versa. Oh well!!! That's life and it is real not a fiction.
Looking back, I must admit 2007 has been kind to me. I rediscovered freedom and friendship, two things I lost when I left school and became a wife. The discoveries were made possible through the advance of technology which eventually led me to this new found love ... blogging!!!
Though I am still struggling to reduce all the goings on in my head into comprehensible pieces, the effort somehow brought indescribable relief. Brings some kind of order into the chaos of feelings, rationalizations, anger, hopes and thousand others. The ablility to articulate what I have inside my head helps booster a bit of confidence ... something I used to have in abundande but somehow lost most of it along the way to getting aged. Funny though! It should have been vice versa. Oh well!!! That's life and it is real not a fiction.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
The Look Of Love - Diana Krall
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNp79hF-xZw
Among my fav song. Am looking for Norah Jones' next.
"The Look Of Love"
The look of love is in your eyes
A look your smile can't disguise
The look of love is saying so much more than just words could ever say
And what my heart has heard, well it takes my breath away
I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you, now that I have found you
You've got the
Look of love, it's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Be mine tonight, let this be just the start of so many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow and then seal it with a kiss
I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you, now that I have found you
Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
Light and easy listening while staring at a pic of a silhuette bathed in half light against the sheets of light rain dancing in the wind outside the window with a steaming mug of hot black coffee ...
looking back hurts hellovalot ... for a long while, I was much too depressed to even raise my head to look ahead ...
and then ... perhaps God gets tired of my wailing ... I looked beside me and you were there ... my friend ...
you gave me your hand and took me thru' ... making the break and taking the leap ... and you were always there ... I only need to hold out my hand and you'd take it ... never asking ... you just give ... unconditionally
you are like the stars ... I don't always see them but I know they are always there ... I can never touch them but the beauty of their lights will always shine on me ... captivating, mesmerizing, exciting and help me keep on dreaming ...
thank you
Among my fav song. Am looking for Norah Jones' next.
"The Look Of Love"
The look of love is in your eyes
A look your smile can't disguise
The look of love is saying so much more than just words could ever say
And what my heart has heard, well it takes my breath away
I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you, now that I have found you
You've got the
Look of love, it's on your face
A look that time can't erase
Be mine tonight, let this be just the start of so many nights like this
Let's take a lover's vow and then seal it with a kiss
I can hardly wait to hold you, feel my arms around you
How long I have waited
Waited just to love you, now that I have found you
Don't ever go
Don't ever go
I love you so
Light and easy listening while staring at a pic of a silhuette bathed in half light against the sheets of light rain dancing in the wind outside the window with a steaming mug of hot black coffee ...
looking back hurts hellovalot ... for a long while, I was much too depressed to even raise my head to look ahead ...
and then ... perhaps God gets tired of my wailing ... I looked beside me and you were there ... my friend ...
you gave me your hand and took me thru' ... making the break and taking the leap ... and you were always there ... I only need to hold out my hand and you'd take it ... never asking ... you just give ... unconditionally
you are like the stars ... I don't always see them but I know they are always there ... I can never touch them but the beauty of their lights will always shine on me ... captivating, mesmerizing, exciting and help me keep on dreaming ...
thank you
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
ANAK OMAK (2)
It’s been raining non stop since Monday. 10 days ago anak omak came down with a fever which was first diagnosed as dengue and the doctor at UIA clinic told him to test for platelets counts everyday until the 7th day of the fever onset. On the fourth day of fever, he had platelet count test and it was at 150. On the fifth day, the count was 125. On the brink of the dawn prayer on the 6th day, anak omak called asking to be taken home. I went to his college and took him to the university clinic for his platelet count test. It was 105. He was in a very bad shape. I was surprised he was not warded. The doctor who attended him explained to me that he’ll be warded only when the count drop to 90. I didn’t know what that meant. I asked the doctor if I can take him home because he was too sick to look after himself. The doctor was indifferent. I asked if he could be given MC because there was no way he could attend class in that condition. Then I took him home.
Once home, I gave him the dengue remedy I read about on my egroup - papaya leaf juice. He downed the 2 tablespoons of the bitter juice extracted freshly from the crushed papaya leaves. I was hoping for the miracle as described in the posting but it didn’t come. It was a torturous night with high fever, non stop vomiting and excruciating muscle and joints pain for him and a lot of heartache for me seeing my son in such condition. I spent the whole night holding the pail to his mouth, rubbing his back and emptying the pail. I gave him a wash with cold wet towel and urged him to gulp down isotonic drink to compensate for the lost fluid. He managed to keep down few spoonfuls of porridge and fell asleep in exhaustion.
I dozed off on the chair when at 4.00 am he got up for his paracetamol. He had some cereal then woke me up and told me go to bed. He seemed to be getting better. I tried to catch up my task which was getting behind schedule. He drifted into a fitful sleep on the sofa.
Perhaps he felt some difference when he took the bitter papaya leaf juice. He asked to take it again when he woke up. Later he forced himself to finish half a bowl of porridge. His fever didn’t seem to abate despite the four hourly paracetamol prescribed by the doctor. His headache was getting worse and he was complaining of difficulty to breathe. It was the 7th day. Trusting the papaya leaf juice, we decided to give it time to work and postponed going for the final count of platelet. I persuaded him to take a bath to try bringing the fever down. He must have felt a little better after the bath and managed to take in two small scoops of his favourite strawberry icecream.
He drifted in and out of sleep the whole day and the vomiting was less frequent and less violent. However, by night, the fever and the vomiting worsened. He started complaining of pain in the abdomen. He refused the isotonic drink claiming the carbonate was giving him gas and making his tummy very upset. The vomiting got so severe he couldn’t even keep the plain water down. He asked me to de-carbonate the isotonic drink and forced small gulps down. I could only rub his back and wash his face and the upper part of his body because his feet were ice cold. The headache was very severe that he cried out each time his body was racked by the vomiting. He kept asking how long before he could take another dose of paracetamol. The night felt so long. The hour arm on the clock seemed to be dragging a hundred tan iron ball. His moans got louder and more frequent.
I suggested taking him to hospital and he asked me “ kalu gi sepital boleh buat apa? Doktor cakap bukan ada ubat pun lain pada paracetamol. Pain killer lain tak leh nanti entah apa apa ngan platelet. Kalu platelet turun 90 baru masuk wad. Ini dah minum jus daun betik, platelet maybe dah naik. ” (What’s the point of going? Doctor said there is no medication other than paracetamol. Other pain killer will jeopardise the platelets. Only when platelet count drops to 90 will be warded. Now taken papaya juice, the count might be up). So we decided to brace the remaining hours. At 4.00 am he took paracetamol again and slowly drifted into another fitful sleep, moaning every now and then.
The vomiting subsided and he was able to sleep the whole morning. He woke up feeling slightly better and took another bath. He was able to eat a piece of toast and some ice-cream. At 2.00 pm I drove him to the emergency room of Jerantut Hospital. His fever returned and he was put on drip. The doctor asked me to wait outside. By 5.00 pm I got tired of waiting and inquired about my son. He has been sent to the ward about an hour earlier and nobody thought of informing me. Sheeeeeshh!!!
Once home, I gave him the dengue remedy I read about on my egroup - papaya leaf juice. He downed the 2 tablespoons of the bitter juice extracted freshly from the crushed papaya leaves. I was hoping for the miracle as described in the posting but it didn’t come. It was a torturous night with high fever, non stop vomiting and excruciating muscle and joints pain for him and a lot of heartache for me seeing my son in such condition. I spent the whole night holding the pail to his mouth, rubbing his back and emptying the pail. I gave him a wash with cold wet towel and urged him to gulp down isotonic drink to compensate for the lost fluid. He managed to keep down few spoonfuls of porridge and fell asleep in exhaustion.
I dozed off on the chair when at 4.00 am he got up for his paracetamol. He had some cereal then woke me up and told me go to bed. He seemed to be getting better. I tried to catch up my task which was getting behind schedule. He drifted into a fitful sleep on the sofa.
Perhaps he felt some difference when he took the bitter papaya leaf juice. He asked to take it again when he woke up. Later he forced himself to finish half a bowl of porridge. His fever didn’t seem to abate despite the four hourly paracetamol prescribed by the doctor. His headache was getting worse and he was complaining of difficulty to breathe. It was the 7th day. Trusting the papaya leaf juice, we decided to give it time to work and postponed going for the final count of platelet. I persuaded him to take a bath to try bringing the fever down. He must have felt a little better after the bath and managed to take in two small scoops of his favourite strawberry icecream.
He drifted in and out of sleep the whole day and the vomiting was less frequent and less violent. However, by night, the fever and the vomiting worsened. He started complaining of pain in the abdomen. He refused the isotonic drink claiming the carbonate was giving him gas and making his tummy very upset. The vomiting got so severe he couldn’t even keep the plain water down. He asked me to de-carbonate the isotonic drink and forced small gulps down. I could only rub his back and wash his face and the upper part of his body because his feet were ice cold. The headache was very severe that he cried out each time his body was racked by the vomiting. He kept asking how long before he could take another dose of paracetamol. The night felt so long. The hour arm on the clock seemed to be dragging a hundred tan iron ball. His moans got louder and more frequent.
I suggested taking him to hospital and he asked me “ kalu gi sepital boleh buat apa? Doktor cakap bukan ada ubat pun lain pada paracetamol. Pain killer lain tak leh nanti entah apa apa ngan platelet. Kalu platelet turun 90 baru masuk wad. Ini dah minum jus daun betik, platelet maybe dah naik. ” (What’s the point of going? Doctor said there is no medication other than paracetamol. Other pain killer will jeopardise the platelets. Only when platelet count drops to 90 will be warded. Now taken papaya juice, the count might be up). So we decided to brace the remaining hours. At 4.00 am he took paracetamol again and slowly drifted into another fitful sleep, moaning every now and then.
The vomiting subsided and he was able to sleep the whole morning. He woke up feeling slightly better and took another bath. He was able to eat a piece of toast and some ice-cream. At 2.00 pm I drove him to the emergency room of Jerantut Hospital. His fever returned and he was put on drip. The doctor asked me to wait outside. By 5.00 pm I got tired of waiting and inquired about my son. He has been sent to the ward about an hour earlier and nobody thought of informing me. Sheeeeeshh!!!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
ANAK OMAK
Epit has been calling me every so often, something he has never done before. His fever is worsening. I told him to get a couple of papaya leaves and get 2 tablespoons of juice out of it. I had no idea how he could do that in his room at the university.
I called Ayong to try getting the papaya leaf juice somehow. Since it was night, Ayong said she could only do that after her class the next day. Epit called again telling me he was feeling worse. I was exasperated. It was almost 10pm. I called his father and TOLD him to get the papaya juice to Epit. He said he would do that as soon as he could. I knew it would be never. Why did I bother?
I tried to finish as many scripts as I possibly could which was not many. I must have dozed off at the table when Epit called again. It was about 6am. He asked to come home.
There was no way I could drive to KL in my sleep deprived condition. Anyway, Epit might not be able to walk down from his room. So I called my youngest brother to accompany me. Luckily this was school holiday and he was not unwell himself.
Reached UIA at about 9am and Epit was able to come down himself. His fever had subsided a bit. He had an appointment at the university clinic for another platelets count.
Took him to the clinic. His platelets count dropped to 108 from yesterday’s 125. I told the doctor I want to take my son home. The doctor said, usually the count would return to normal on the 7th day after the onset of the fever. I decided to take Epit home considering his muscle and joint pains were making him very weak and it would be difficult for him to handle the fever from a university room. The doctor gave him 3 days MC. I took Epit home.
At home I made sure he took the papaya leaf juice every 12 hours.
As far as I know there's no specific treatment for dengue fever. Hospitalized patients are just put on IV of saline solution ... pretty much the same as taking isotonic drinks.
I think it is a standard procedure to wait for the 7th day after the onset of fever and unless the platelet counts drop to below 90 there's no point of hospitalization.
Anyway Epit prefers to be home nak bermanja ngan Umi kot. Kalau kat ward tak ada sapa nak layan dia. Kalau kat rumah ngan Umi boleh manja lebih. And I am confident it couldn't be any worse. I am also giving him the papaya leaf juice as recommended in postings to our YG. I notice every time after he took the juice, Epit seemed a bit better ... not in so much pain. Memang doctor hanya bagi paracetamol to bring down the fever and helps with the muscle and joint pains which didn't help very much so far. I hope his platelet count will improve tomorrow. I'm giving him another dose of the juice in the next hour.
I called Ayong to try getting the papaya leaf juice somehow. Since it was night, Ayong said she could only do that after her class the next day. Epit called again telling me he was feeling worse. I was exasperated. It was almost 10pm. I called his father and TOLD him to get the papaya juice to Epit. He said he would do that as soon as he could. I knew it would be never. Why did I bother?
I tried to finish as many scripts as I possibly could which was not many. I must have dozed off at the table when Epit called again. It was about 6am. He asked to come home.
There was no way I could drive to KL in my sleep deprived condition. Anyway, Epit might not be able to walk down from his room. So I called my youngest brother to accompany me. Luckily this was school holiday and he was not unwell himself.
Reached UIA at about 9am and Epit was able to come down himself. His fever had subsided a bit. He had an appointment at the university clinic for another platelets count.
Took him to the clinic. His platelets count dropped to 108 from yesterday’s 125. I told the doctor I want to take my son home. The doctor said, usually the count would return to normal on the 7th day after the onset of the fever. I decided to take Epit home considering his muscle and joint pains were making him very weak and it would be difficult for him to handle the fever from a university room. The doctor gave him 3 days MC. I took Epit home.
At home I made sure he took the papaya leaf juice every 12 hours.
As far as I know there's no specific treatment for dengue fever. Hospitalized patients are just put on IV of saline solution ... pretty much the same as taking isotonic drinks.
I think it is a standard procedure to wait for the 7th day after the onset of fever and unless the platelet counts drop to below 90 there's no point of hospitalization.
Anyway Epit prefers to be home nak bermanja ngan Umi kot. Kalau kat ward tak ada sapa nak layan dia. Kalau kat rumah ngan Umi boleh manja lebih. And I am confident it couldn't be any worse. I am also giving him the papaya leaf juice as recommended in postings to our YG. I notice every time after he took the juice, Epit seemed a bit better ... not in so much pain. Memang doctor hanya bagi paracetamol to bring down the fever and helps with the muscle and joint pains which didn't help very much so far. I hope his platelet count will improve tomorrow. I'm giving him another dose of the juice in the next hour.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Rose
It's almost 5.00 am and I have not been to bed. I reached home at about 12 midnight after sending Ayong back to UIA. Her brother left earlier on his bike despite having a bad fever for the past two days. Just before I reached home he called to tell me that he went to see the doctor and the prognosis is possible dengue. I am praying the prognosis is wrong.
They were home for a three weeks semester break. And now ... coming home to an empty nest ... the loneliness just pierced through as deep as it could possibly go and came out the other side
I am supposed to have finished one quarter of my task three days ago and yet here I am listening to the songs on Yahoo Launchcast and this one song simply tugged at my heart, unplugging all the pent up emotion sending it in a torrent pretty much in the manner of La Nina
ROSE - Bette Midler
Some say love it is a river that drowns the tender reed.
Some say love it is a razor that leaves your soul to bleed.
Some say love it is a hunger; an endless aching need.
I say love; it is a flower and you, it's only seed.
It's the heart afraid of breaking, that never learns to dance.
It's the dream afraid of waking, that never takes the chance.
It's the one who won't be taken who cannot seem to give.
And the soul afraid of dying, that never learns to live.
When the night has been too lonely and the road has been too long,
And you think that love is only for the lucky and the strong.
Just remember in the winter, far beneath the bitter snows;
lies the seed that with the sun's love; in the spring becomes the rose.
This ROSE is especially dedicated to a very special person whom I owed so much for rekindling my dying ember. Thank you and may Allah bless you!
Friday, November 30, 2007
CELOTEH (3)
Here is the concluding part:-
On the second day, I was the first person to arrive in class and remarked to the lecturer-in-charge that there were not enough tables in the room. I ended up helping him to bring down the tables from upstairs. In schools and colleges, there is no janitor or handy man. We have to do everything ourselves including moving tables and chairs and cupboards and cabinets. So there I was in my heels carrying a table down two flights of stairs. I was wondering if my insurance covers that kind of situation. Maybe someone in insurance might come up with a special plan for teachers – there are more than 200 thousand of us out here.
Since the first day, I detected wireless connection in the room but could not get associated to the network. I enquired from the lecturer-in-charge about the kind of arrangement made for my group concerning Internet connection since it is one of the course components. His response was negative so again I requested to speak with the Head Department ….
Somehow an access point was installed in the room during lunch.
On Wednesday morning, I found myself in the Director’s office (summoned) earnestly justifying my actions (which has by now been registered as complaints – not my doing though) but somehow I ended up feeling like I was supplying him with classified information about a certain department. I took the opportunity to suggest some topics which I think should be covered during the course because after two days of classes, I honestly felt that I was not getting what I was supposed to get from the course and the coordinator kept giving us excuses. So when the Director asked for my opinion, I gave him my honest ones or so I thought.
However, by the next day my honest opinion has turned into complaints about lecturer’s insufficient ICT skills and ‘periuk belanga terbang melayang menghentam’ the scapegoat and I was it. Gee weez! And guess what! I became an ‘inFAMOUS celebrity’. Even the Head of Unit (an EXSASian, Nnnnnnn Jnnnnnnnn class of ’81- I hope you read this Nnnnnnn) turned up in the classroom to ‘see’ this teacher from Jerantut. All the lecturers who came to the class knew my name and I was officially appointed ‘Penghulu’ for this first cohort. Hehehe! The male teachers were so happy and I could see their wives wearing big ‘batu’ studded earrings.
On the second week, I sat down with one of the lecturers who seemed unhappy with the macro and micro facilities at the institute and think that the top gun of the college has personal interest in the company which gets the contract to supply and service all the ICT need at the institute which kind of creates a bottle neck situation. The ICT infrastructure (read: broadband facilities) of Kxxxx Xxxxx is way below what is required and available at the college. Hence the millions RM worth of equipments supplied and installed to the college under Multi Media Super Corridor Programme launched in 1997 just went to rot. There is nothing anybody can do about the persisting problem.
Personally, I feel this is a real ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ and the ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ situation.
Exsasians would be familiar with these two expressions: ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ was a misquote (I think) from brother Yyyyyy and ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ was coined by brother Dddddd (I sincerely hope both would not claim royalty from this poorly paid teacher).
I regard the bottle neck situation created by over specification of ICT facilities at the institution as ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ because the infrastructure available at the location is very limited and this situation is in fact the reality of our country. For all the hypes over MSC, in actuality there is hardly 2 MB availability of broadband connection for the mass despite the latest launching of MAESAT (?). Hey! Yours truly is using a wireless fixed line telephone (cdma) and paying the dial-up rate for internet connection which is quite hefty and that is a ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ situation.
In conclusion, I think we are in serious need of a paradigm shift in our attitude towards responsibilities. We should be professional in carrying out our duty. Material and personal gains should not be the guiding force. At the end of the day, the money we earn will be used to feed those innocent children who in turn will take care of us when we are no longer able to care for ourselves.
Wassalam.
On the second day, I was the first person to arrive in class and remarked to the lecturer-in-charge that there were not enough tables in the room. I ended up helping him to bring down the tables from upstairs. In schools and colleges, there is no janitor or handy man. We have to do everything ourselves including moving tables and chairs and cupboards and cabinets. So there I was in my heels carrying a table down two flights of stairs. I was wondering if my insurance covers that kind of situation. Maybe someone in insurance might come up with a special plan for teachers – there are more than 200 thousand of us out here.
Since the first day, I detected wireless connection in the room but could not get associated to the network. I enquired from the lecturer-in-charge about the kind of arrangement made for my group concerning Internet connection since it is one of the course components. His response was negative so again I requested to speak with the Head Department ….
Somehow an access point was installed in the room during lunch.
On Wednesday morning, I found myself in the Director’s office (summoned) earnestly justifying my actions (which has by now been registered as complaints – not my doing though) but somehow I ended up feeling like I was supplying him with classified information about a certain department. I took the opportunity to suggest some topics which I think should be covered during the course because after two days of classes, I honestly felt that I was not getting what I was supposed to get from the course and the coordinator kept giving us excuses. So when the Director asked for my opinion, I gave him my honest ones or so I thought.
However, by the next day my honest opinion has turned into complaints about lecturer’s insufficient ICT skills and ‘periuk belanga terbang melayang menghentam’ the scapegoat and I was it. Gee weez! And guess what! I became an ‘inFAMOUS celebrity’. Even the Head of Unit (an EXSASian, Nnnnnnn Jnnnnnnnn class of ’81- I hope you read this Nnnnnnn) turned up in the classroom to ‘see’ this teacher from Jerantut. All the lecturers who came to the class knew my name and I was officially appointed ‘Penghulu’ for this first cohort. Hehehe! The male teachers were so happy and I could see their wives wearing big ‘batu’ studded earrings.
On the second week, I sat down with one of the lecturers who seemed unhappy with the macro and micro facilities at the institute and think that the top gun of the college has personal interest in the company which gets the contract to supply and service all the ICT need at the institute which kind of creates a bottle neck situation. The ICT infrastructure (read: broadband facilities) of Kxxxx Xxxxx is way below what is required and available at the college. Hence the millions RM worth of equipments supplied and installed to the college under Multi Media Super Corridor Programme launched in 1997 just went to rot. There is nothing anybody can do about the persisting problem.
Personally, I feel this is a real ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ and the ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ situation.
Exsasians would be familiar with these two expressions: ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ was a misquote (I think) from brother Yyyyyy and ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ was coined by brother Dddddd (I sincerely hope both would not claim royalty from this poorly paid teacher).
I regard the bottle neck situation created by over specification of ICT facilities at the institution as ‘lebih kuah dari sudu’ because the infrastructure available at the location is very limited and this situation is in fact the reality of our country. For all the hypes over MSC, in actuality there is hardly 2 MB availability of broadband connection for the mass despite the latest launching of MAESAT (?). Hey! Yours truly is using a wireless fixed line telephone (cdma) and paying the dial-up rate for internet connection which is quite hefty and that is a ‘sudu sebesar belanga’ situation.
In conclusion, I think we are in serious need of a paradigm shift in our attitude towards responsibilities. We should be professional in carrying out our duty. Material and personal gains should not be the guiding force. At the end of the day, the money we earn will be used to feed those innocent children who in turn will take care of us when we are no longer able to care for ourselves.
Wassalam.
CELOTEH (2)
Here is the second part of the Celoteh.
There was no one to direct our questions to. So we waited. After an hour of grinding the heels, my feet screamed of agonies and begged for a respite. I tried the closed door and it was not locked, so me and the other ladies went in and rest our poor feet.
More teachers joined us in the room. I was getting concerned because I still did not know where to go to. I came out of the room and saw a few more people walking around the courtyard. They turned out to be more teachers and were in the dark as well. They thought I was the person in charge (well .. my size always causes confusion – many thought I am a Guru Besar)
Other teachers in the room came out too and as we were deliberating the situation, a rather disheveled looking man ‘berlenggang kangkung’ carrying a CPU came into the courtyard and rather unassumingly admitted he was the person in charge BUT since there were other ‘things’ going on simultaneously and bla, bla, bla …(he mumbled something incomprehensible).
I took the lead to inquire about our schedule for the day since it was almost ten and the first class was scheduled at ten thirty. Another incomprehensible explanation and he told us to go and register for rooms at the hostel (which requires us ladies in our high heels to walk quite a long distance to our parked cars and drag our luggage all the way) and to have breakfast prepared for us at a café a few blocks away. Then he disappeared.
I figured that I could not get back in time for the first class so I decided to do that later. By ten thirty, many who went to register for hostel room have not returned and the man appeared again and insisted that I go register for the room and have breakfast because there was no way the first class could start.
I thought of registering for room during lunch break and turned to the said person-in-charge requesting confirmation about the day’s schedule. He was unable to be conclusive. I suggested speaking with the Head of Department and he made a few calls with his mobile.
A well dressed handsome young man came and introduced himself as the Head of Department (HD), and the man in charge turned out to be one of the lecturers at the department. We gathered in the room we went into earlier. HD explained that he was going on transfer next week and asked us to send any complaint or comment directly to him.
I took the opportunity to tell him about the difficulty of finding the registration desk due to absence of signs and voiced out my dissatisfaction about the way the registration was handled. I expected some kind of information at the registration desk and registration for room and car sticker to be taken care of during course registration as is the usual practice for such courses. HD apologized for the inconvenience and said such comments will be noted to improve the situation for the next six cohorts.
I thought everything was settled then and despite the unsuitable condition of the room, class commenced about two hours later than was scheduled and conducted by no less than the Head of Unit from the State Resource Centre. It was an introduction to the ‘Aplikasi Perdana’ under the Smart School Concept, a component of MultiMedia Super Corridor launched in 1997.
It was quite upsetting to note that after ten years of being launched and RM23 billion spent on the concept, this key personnel treated all the course participants as ignorant of current trend in information technology. The intro to ‘Aplikasi Perdana’ treated video conferencing, internet and emails as novelties. I think the lecture notes must have been prepared ten years ago and was never updated. (This should be a strong reminder for me to update my notes for my students).
Oh dear! Looks like I am running out of space again and have to extend the series. I hope I am not boring you to death with my ramblings. If I am, I would appreciate it if you would let me know and tell me how to make the reading better.
… … … bersambung lagi
There was no one to direct our questions to. So we waited. After an hour of grinding the heels, my feet screamed of agonies and begged for a respite. I tried the closed door and it was not locked, so me and the other ladies went in and rest our poor feet.
More teachers joined us in the room. I was getting concerned because I still did not know where to go to. I came out of the room and saw a few more people walking around the courtyard. They turned out to be more teachers and were in the dark as well. They thought I was the person in charge (well .. my size always causes confusion – many thought I am a Guru Besar)
Other teachers in the room came out too and as we were deliberating the situation, a rather disheveled looking man ‘berlenggang kangkung’ carrying a CPU came into the courtyard and rather unassumingly admitted he was the person in charge BUT since there were other ‘things’ going on simultaneously and bla, bla, bla …(he mumbled something incomprehensible).
I took the lead to inquire about our schedule for the day since it was almost ten and the first class was scheduled at ten thirty. Another incomprehensible explanation and he told us to go and register for rooms at the hostel (which requires us ladies in our high heels to walk quite a long distance to our parked cars and drag our luggage all the way) and to have breakfast prepared for us at a café a few blocks away. Then he disappeared.
I figured that I could not get back in time for the first class so I decided to do that later. By ten thirty, many who went to register for hostel room have not returned and the man appeared again and insisted that I go register for the room and have breakfast because there was no way the first class could start.
I thought of registering for room during lunch break and turned to the said person-in-charge requesting confirmation about the day’s schedule. He was unable to be conclusive. I suggested speaking with the Head of Department and he made a few calls with his mobile.
A well dressed handsome young man came and introduced himself as the Head of Department (HD), and the man in charge turned out to be one of the lecturers at the department. We gathered in the room we went into earlier. HD explained that he was going on transfer next week and asked us to send any complaint or comment directly to him.
I took the opportunity to tell him about the difficulty of finding the registration desk due to absence of signs and voiced out my dissatisfaction about the way the registration was handled. I expected some kind of information at the registration desk and registration for room and car sticker to be taken care of during course registration as is the usual practice for such courses. HD apologized for the inconvenience and said such comments will be noted to improve the situation for the next six cohorts.
I thought everything was settled then and despite the unsuitable condition of the room, class commenced about two hours later than was scheduled and conducted by no less than the Head of Unit from the State Resource Centre. It was an introduction to the ‘Aplikasi Perdana’ under the Smart School Concept, a component of MultiMedia Super Corridor launched in 1997.
It was quite upsetting to note that after ten years of being launched and RM23 billion spent on the concept, this key personnel treated all the course participants as ignorant of current trend in information technology. The intro to ‘Aplikasi Perdana’ treated video conferencing, internet and emails as novelties. I think the lecture notes must have been prepared ten years ago and was never updated. (This should be a strong reminder for me to update my notes for my students).
Oh dear! Looks like I am running out of space again and have to extend the series. I hope I am not boring you to death with my ramblings. If I am, I would appreciate it if you would let me know and tell me how to make the reading better.
… … … bersambung lagi
CELOTEH
I wrote this piece for my little column Celoteh Kak Azlina on my alumni website http://www.exsas.com.my/ and caused quite a stir at the mentioned institute. At first I was rather put off by the reaction from some of the staff but come to think of it I now read the old adage “A pen is mightier than a sword” with a slight smugness. Never in my life had I effected such strong reaction by relating a true account (from my very own personal experience) of what took place. Here it is copied from the column:-
Assalamualaikum everyone.First school mid-semester break is over and I did not get any break at all. I was away in Cameron Highlands for the final week of ETeMS course for Year Six Science Teacher 2007. It was a gruelling week but the ambience of the place somehow diffused the sombre nature of the business at hand.
One of the course participants got married on Sunday and that very Monday he had to join us in CH. So, guess what he did!! We did manage to get Rosa Pasadena Hotel (our three star accommodation provided by Jerantut Education Office) to provide the newly weds with a cake during the special dinner on our final night there.
I took the new Lojing road to CH. The drive from Jerantut to Gua Musang took about three hours. Before reaching GM town there is a left turn to Pulai which will take you to CH. I did not take that turn because I was supposed to regroup with my convoy leader at Lojing. I broke away from the convoy when I had to stop for petrol at Kechau.
I thought I was behind so driving up the gentle slopes easy corners no speed limit very little traffic four-laned road was done at full speed. The scenery was fabulous. The secondary jungle (I think the prime jungle has all been timbered a long time ago) was flaming with colours.
I arrived in CH in about one hour from GM minus my convoy leader. Apparently, he missed the left turning to Lojing at Kuala Betis junction and drove straight to Dabong and unfortunately, there was no mobile reception along the way. He made it to CH about three hours later.
The drive back was even better. I was not in any hurry to keep up with any convoy. I made stops after stops after stops along the way from Brincang to Kg Raja. Yes! I made sure to have the last bite of chocolate dipped strawberry, stumbled upon fried ice-cream and washed everything down with strawberry milkshake. Burp! Excuse me. And oh! I almost forgot the ‘Stretched Chai Tea’ I accidentally discovered at Bharat Tea Shop. Chai tea is recommendable for those with lots of ‘angin’ (pus-pus included).
I arrived home to piles of exam papers waiting to be marked (five classes of not less than 30 students each and paper 1, 2 and 3 make fifteen bundles and the marks to be submitted on Monday). Tengku Puan Pahang is coming for the State Girl Guides ‘Pertandingan Kawad Kaki” on 24th March and yours truly is the secretary of the event.
Anyway, out of respect for the hard works of my colleagues on EXSAS, I attended the Semsas 7’s Rugby final held in SEMSAS on Sunday 18th March 2007: my very first time watching a game of rugby. Honestly, I've never cared much about rugby. I always thought of it as a very exclusive chauvinist type of game.
However, after watching those boys (some were surprisingly skinny) panting and chasing after that oval ball (aren't balls supposed to be round?), I think I'm 'corrupted'. I believe now that rugby is a very suitable game for boys (brawny and skinny), especially ones with stress issue. It helps those capricious boys with raging testosterone spent a bit of that 'wild' energy (making a wild guess here). I was impressed by the organization of the event and the commitment of all the participating teams: kudos to the organizing committee (EXSAS Eagle).
I wished I had attended the event earlier which started on Friday but I was away in Kxxxx Xxxxx attending in-service-training for smart school teachers. I want to share my taste-of-ash-in-the mouth experience during the first week of the so called “Kursus Bestari” carried out at an institution where hundreds of teachers are trained every year and are then entrusted to educate our children.
I arrived at the college at 8.00am. Registration and briefing was supposed to be from 8.00 to 10.00 am. It was a very large place and I had a hard time finding the registration desk. There was not a single sign or arrow to point me to the right place. Finally after a lot of asking and walking, I saw a sign “Pendaftaran Bestari” printed on A4 paper pasted on a glass door.
I went through the door into a covered courtyard and saw a few ladies standing outside a closed door. There was a table nearby and there were some files and a piece of paper for registration. I was the eighth person to register and all of us kept asking each other where to go to for the briefing.
This is a lead in to a bigger case of sweeping under the carpet attitude in relation to macro and micro development of our country. Since space is limited here, I am breaking this account into two parts.
… … … bersambung
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
WORDS ...dedicate them all to ...
Consider these scenario:
One person posted an article to an egroup in the spirit of sharing the justification of a nationwide “gelombang BERSIH” (a rally initiated by NGO’s and the oppositions). Whilst the validation of such act is still being debated by the government and the opposition, the article has started another bout of horn locking on the egroup.
1 - This is the excerpt of the article posted. I put the focus of the ensuing arguments in bold for emphasis.
n wrote: untuk dikongsi...
”Islam membenarkan demonstrasi, 12 nokhtah perhatian Ustaz Abdul Ghani Shamsudin
http://www.harakahdaily.net/bm/index.php/utama/islam-membenarkan-demonstrasi-12-nokhtah-perhatian.html Berhimpun dan mengadakan demonstrasi; menunjuk perasaan secara aman adalah salah suatu tindakan yang sah dari segi syara dan undang-undang untuk menyatakan penentangan terhadap kemungkaran. Ia suatu pendekatan yang berkesan untuk menyerlahkan pengaruh dan kuasa kebenaran. Dengan itu orang yang zalim akan kembali sedar menginsafi kesalahan diri mereka. Hukum asal berhimpun secara aman dan berdemonstrasi adalah harus . Tapi kalau dirujuk kepada 'Maqasid al Syaria'ah' ia mungkin menjadi 'Mandub' atau sunnah. Malah ia mungkin beralih kepada hukum wajib seandainya tidak ada cara lain untuk menegur dan membetulkan …”
2- Then a member responded to the posting emphasizing the bold lines by ADDING the word “berubah (change)” :
d wrote : “…Menarik juga bahawa beliau memberi pendapat bahawa hukum itu berubah-ubah mengikut keadaan. … Itu juga telah dibincangkan dahulu dan sesetengah kita menanggap perubahan hukum itu adalah rapuan yang tidak berasas.”
3 – Next another member responded to the first response :
s wrote: “… Bila dikatakan *hukum berubah-ubah mengikut keadaan*, kita kena faham bahawa yang berubah-ubah adalah *keadaan*, hukum tidak pernah berubah.”
s went on and gave two examples on how “hukum” is never changed. The examples involve the hukum on consuming pig and alcohol … both are haraam for Muslims. However, in a matter of life or death consideration, consumption is ‘allowed’.
4 – d posted a lengthy response …”Yang menjadi 'substance' dalam perkara hukum tentulah keadaan. Hukum tak akan berubah dengan semena-semena. Tentulah ada keadaan yang mengubahnya.”
... giving highlight to the limited examples … “Sebab itulah juga I memberi highlight mengenainya supaya semua tidak kaku dalam pentafsiran hukum …jangan menghadkan diri dengan contoh tersebut … bukan hanya tertakluk kepada babi. Pokoknya ialah survival insan Muslim itu …”
5 - to which s conluded with a two liner: “Kesimpulannya masih sama, HUKUM TIDAK BERUBAH, YANG BERUBAH ADALAH KEADAAN. Bersandarkan kepada hadis yang mengatakan, "Yang haram itu jelas, yang halal itu jelas".
6 – and d riposted : “… Apakah bedanya apa yang I perkatakan, apa yang ustaz itu perkatakan dan apa yang brother perkatakan? … Adakah ianya menjadi salah bila I katakan, atau ustaz itu yang perkatakan? Atau adakah ianya menjadi betul apabila ianya datang daripada brother? Apa yang brother cuba buktikan? Apakah pembuktian itu bertentangan dengan kefahaman I?”
... after which the next responses in the thread lost the original argument point which is “hukum berubah mengikut keadaan”.
7 - sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiizzzzzzz. Who is the moron here?
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas in Islam and The Philosophy of Science wrote:
“A word as it really is, is a symbol, and to know it as it really is, is to know what it stands for, what it symbolises, what it means.”
“If we were to regard a word as if it has an independent reality of its own then it would no longer be a sign or a symbol, as it is being made to point to itself, which is not what it really is.”
“Suppose that a person, touring an area, comes across a warning written in red, “Beware of Rottweiler.” If he is reasonable enough, what one often expects him to do next is to pay heed to the message and leave the place, lest he encounter the Rottweiler.
But suppose that, instead of leaving the place, he spends his time pondering the very composition of the sentence, measuring the shape and size (length, width, diameter, etc.) of each letter and determining its colour and shade, then given the somewhat obvious context, his reason will surely be questioned at the very least.”
8 – I think this para from Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas answers my question in #7.
“It is clear therefore that a word, as a sign or a symbol, remains useful as long as it points to the meaning or message it is supposed to convey. Otherwise, one may spend one’s time scrutinising everything surrounding the word, yet miss its very raison d’etre.”
One person posted an article to an egroup in the spirit of sharing the justification of a nationwide “gelombang BERSIH” (a rally initiated by NGO’s and the oppositions). Whilst the validation of such act is still being debated by the government and the opposition, the article has started another bout of horn locking on the egroup.
1 - This is the excerpt of the article posted. I put the focus of the ensuing arguments in bold for emphasis.
n wrote: untuk dikongsi...
”Islam membenarkan demonstrasi, 12 nokhtah perhatian Ustaz Abdul Ghani Shamsudin
http://www.harakahdaily.net/bm/index.php/utama/islam-membenarkan-demonstrasi-12-nokhtah-perhatian.html Berhimpun dan mengadakan demonstrasi; menunjuk perasaan secara aman adalah salah suatu tindakan yang sah dari segi syara dan undang-undang untuk menyatakan penentangan terhadap kemungkaran. Ia suatu pendekatan yang berkesan untuk menyerlahkan pengaruh dan kuasa kebenaran. Dengan itu orang yang zalim akan kembali sedar menginsafi kesalahan diri mereka. Hukum asal berhimpun secara aman dan berdemonstrasi adalah harus . Tapi kalau dirujuk kepada 'Maqasid al Syaria'ah' ia mungkin menjadi 'Mandub' atau sunnah. Malah ia mungkin beralih kepada hukum wajib seandainya tidak ada cara lain untuk menegur dan membetulkan …”
2- Then a member responded to the posting emphasizing the bold lines by ADDING the word “berubah (change)” :
d wrote : “…Menarik juga bahawa beliau memberi pendapat bahawa hukum itu berubah-ubah mengikut keadaan. … Itu juga telah dibincangkan dahulu dan sesetengah kita menanggap perubahan hukum itu adalah rapuan yang tidak berasas.”
3 – Next another member responded to the first response :
s wrote: “… Bila dikatakan *hukum berubah-ubah mengikut keadaan*, kita kena faham bahawa yang berubah-ubah adalah *keadaan*, hukum tidak pernah berubah.”
s went on and gave two examples on how “hukum” is never changed. The examples involve the hukum on consuming pig and alcohol … both are haraam for Muslims. However, in a matter of life or death consideration, consumption is ‘allowed’.
4 – d posted a lengthy response …”Yang menjadi 'substance' dalam perkara hukum tentulah keadaan. Hukum tak akan berubah dengan semena-semena. Tentulah ada keadaan yang mengubahnya.”
... giving highlight to the limited examples … “Sebab itulah juga I memberi highlight mengenainya supaya semua tidak kaku dalam pentafsiran hukum …jangan menghadkan diri dengan contoh tersebut … bukan hanya tertakluk kepada babi. Pokoknya ialah survival insan Muslim itu …”
5 - to which s conluded with a two liner: “Kesimpulannya masih sama, HUKUM TIDAK BERUBAH, YANG BERUBAH ADALAH KEADAAN. Bersandarkan kepada hadis yang mengatakan, "Yang haram itu jelas, yang halal itu jelas".
6 – and d riposted : “… Apakah bedanya apa yang I perkatakan, apa yang ustaz itu perkatakan dan apa yang brother perkatakan? … Adakah ianya menjadi salah bila I katakan, atau ustaz itu yang perkatakan? Atau adakah ianya menjadi betul apabila ianya datang daripada brother? Apa yang brother cuba buktikan? Apakah pembuktian itu bertentangan dengan kefahaman I?”
... after which the next responses in the thread lost the original argument point which is “hukum berubah mengikut keadaan”.
7 - sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeiiiiiiiiiizzzzzzz. Who is the moron here?
Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas in Islam and The Philosophy of Science wrote:
“A word as it really is, is a symbol, and to know it as it really is, is to know what it stands for, what it symbolises, what it means.”
“If we were to regard a word as if it has an independent reality of its own then it would no longer be a sign or a symbol, as it is being made to point to itself, which is not what it really is.”
“Suppose that a person, touring an area, comes across a warning written in red, “Beware of Rottweiler.” If he is reasonable enough, what one often expects him to do next is to pay heed to the message and leave the place, lest he encounter the Rottweiler.
But suppose that, instead of leaving the place, he spends his time pondering the very composition of the sentence, measuring the shape and size (length, width, diameter, etc.) of each letter and determining its colour and shade, then given the somewhat obvious context, his reason will surely be questioned at the very least.”
8 – I think this para from Syed Muhammad Naquib al-Attas answers my question in #7.
“It is clear therefore that a word, as a sign or a symbol, remains useful as long as it points to the meaning or message it is supposed to convey. Otherwise, one may spend one’s time scrutinising everything surrounding the word, yet miss its very raison d’etre.”
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
All In A Day (1)
Today, I submitted the bundle of the sideline task I undertook since 26 Oct ’07. Huarghh!!! What a great relief!!! Beginning to feel like my spine was bending and my neck and shoulder could break anytime due to all the strain. My eyes, my poor eyes!!! Hmmm … and I only have until 26th Nov before I begin another bundle. I have thought of quitting after each bundle is submitted but each year it is harder and harder to get replacement. Not many are willing to undertake this task for it requires a complete commitment and one would be tied up for the whole three weeks.
Sideline apart, my hormone is returning to normal I guess and since the past two days I’ve been feeling elated. Although I haven’t finish my work with the first bundle, I attended a special 'kenduri’ (party) my alma mater hold to say farewell to relatives and friends before embarking on a very special journey to do ‘haj’. Here’s wishing Nonie and hubby “Semoga mendapat haji mabrur” and I pray I too will get to kiss Hajaratul Aswad soon after you.
Sideline apart, my hormone is returning to normal I guess and since the past two days I’ve been feeling elated. Although I haven’t finish my work with the first bundle, I attended a special 'kenduri’ (party) my alma mater hold to say farewell to relatives and friends before embarking on a very special journey to do ‘haj’. Here’s wishing Nonie and hubby “Semoga mendapat haji mabrur” and I pray I too will get to kiss Hajaratul Aswad soon after you.
It so happened the kenduri was on the 10th Nov, the same day a big rally was supposed to take place in KL. I was too tired to drive, been without proper sleep and rest since I began the bundle. So, Pae (another alma mater) took the turn to drive (the two of us have been taking turn at the wheel whenever we attend events in KL). We were stuck in a massive traffic jam at Gombak toll. Took us one hour and a half from Gombak R&R to the toll. And both of us were in black with yellow ‘tudung’. He he he … we did expect to be stopped at the police road block but probably two old ladies did not look so much of rally participants.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
English2German
Still up to my nose with the sideline task I undertook couple of weeks ago. And looks like I won’t be getting any long break before the next batch of task arrive at the end of the month. Huh! Am getting too old for this. Too much abuse on my poor back and wrist. But the magnetic bracelet I started wearing last month seems to help a lot with the Carpal Tunnel.
Still rummaging in my saved folder and found this tongue-in-the-cheek illustration of English language. This particular piece was sent to me by someone very special who got it from someone else too. Sorry … again no proper credit. I am taking it for granted the originator of this piece would love to have others enjoy the pun. So in the spirit of sharing fun ... here is
English2German
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph"will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl!
Still rummaging in my saved folder and found this tongue-in-the-cheek illustration of English language. This particular piece was sent to me by someone very special who got it from someone else too. Sorry … again no proper credit. I am taking it for granted the originator of this piece would love to have others enjoy the pun. So in the spirit of sharing fun ... here is
English2German
The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language of the European Union rather than German, which was the other possibility.
As part of the negotiations, the British Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a 5- year phase-in plan that would become known as "Euro-English".
In the first year, "s" will replace the soft "c". Sertainly, this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard "c" will be dropped in favour of "k". This should klear up konfusion, and keyboards kan have one less letter. There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year when the troublesome "ph"will be replaced with "f". This will make words like fotograf 20% shorter.
In the 3rd year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be expekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible.
Governments will enkourage the removal of double letters which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling.
Also, al wil agre that the horibl mes of the silent "e" in the languag is disgrasful and it should go away.
By the 4th yer people wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing "th" with "z" and "w" with "v".
During ze fifz yer, ze unesesary "o" kan be dropd from vords kontaining "ou" and after ziz fifz yer, ve vil hav a reil sensibl riten styl.
Zer vil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi tu understand ech oza. Ze drem of a united urop vil finali kum tru.
Und efter ze fifz yer, ve vil al be speking German like zey vunted in ze forst plas.
If zis mad you smil, pleas pas on to oza pepl!
Saturday, November 3, 2007
What Does Love Mean?
Touching words from the mouth of children for what love mean. A group of professional people posed this question to a group of 4 to 8 year-olds, "What does love mean?" The answers they got were broader and deeper than anyone could have imagined.
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." -Rebecca - age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy (4)
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl (5)
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your Frenchfries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy (6)
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." - Terri (4)
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." - Danny (7)
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" -Emily (8)
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." -Bobby (7)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate," - Nikka (6)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." - Noelle (7)
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - Tommy (6)
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked At all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." - Cindy (8)
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." - Clare (6)
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."- Elaine (5)
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." - Chris (7)
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - Lauren (4)
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." - Karen (7)
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." - Jessica (8)
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"
See what you think:
------------------------------------------------
"When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." -Rebecca - age 8
"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." - Billy (4)
"Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other." - Karl (5)
"Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your Frenchfries without making them give you any of theirs." - Chrissy (6)
"Love is what makes you smile when you're tired." - Terri (4)
"Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is OK." - Danny (7)
"Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and you talk more. My Mommy and Daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss" -Emily (8)
"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." -Bobby (7)
"If you want to learn to love better, you should start with a friend whom you hate," - Nikka (6)
"Love is when you tell a guy you like his shirt, then he wears it everyday." - Noelle (7)
"Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." - Tommy (6)
"During my piano recital, I was on a stage and I was scared. I looked At all the people watching me and saw my daddy waving and smiling. He was the only one doing that. I wasn't scared anymore." - Cindy (8)
"My mommy loves me more than anybody. You don't see anyone else kissing me to sleep at night." - Clare (6)
"Love is when Mommy gives Daddy the best piece of chicken."- Elaine (5)
"Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." - Chris (7)
"I know my older sister loves me because she gives me all her old clothes and has to go out and buy new ones." - Lauren (4)
"When you love somebody, your eyelashes go up and down and little stars come out of you." - Karen (7)
"You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget." - Jessica (8)
-----------------------------------------------
And the final one
Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman’s yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said, "Nothing, I just helped him cry"
Friday, November 2, 2007
Life Is A Gift
Darn the PMS! Disturbing my focus on task at hand. Also, it is starting to rain everyday now. The gloomy sky matches my mood. Nothing much can be accomplished in this kind of mood. So, whenever it hits, I'd rummage in my folder and reread something I 've been collecting for moments like this. Since I am a blogger now, I can share this piece which reminds me to relish every moment for it might not come around again.
Life Is a Gift
Today before you think of saying an unkind word - think of someone who can't speak.
Before you complain about the taste of your food - think of someone who has nothing to eat.
Today before you complain about life - think of someone who went too early to heaven.
Before you complain about your children - think of someone who desires children but they're barren.
Before you argue about your dirty house, someone didn't clean or sweep - think of the people who are living in the streets.
Before whining about the distance you drive - think of someone who walks the same distance with their feet.
And when you are tired and complain about your job - think of the unemployed, the disabled and those who wished they had your job.
But before you think of pointing the finger or condemning another - remember that not one of us are without sin and we all answer to one maker.
And when depressing thoughts seem to get you down - put a smile on your face and thank God you're alive and still around.
Life is a gift, live it, enjoy it, celebrate it, and fulfill it.
Relish the moment, it may not come around again!
Relish the moment, it may not come around again!
Thursday, November 1, 2007
In Tribute To All Teachers
My dear sis ZMS send me this beautiful piece. I wish I could give credit to the author but I am not familiar with the convention of quoting and the author of this beautiful piece of discourse was not mentioned in the forwarded mail. I hope to learn how to handle this issue later. If there's anyone reading this posting has something to share about this, please, I would really appreciate the info. However, I simply have to share this with my friends. This is in tribute to all teachers.
What Do Teachers Make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
''I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant...
You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE
"What do you make Mr. CEO?"
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
**M and S ... Mr CEO rings any bell?**
What Do Teachers Make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach.
To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, and then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could
I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental.
You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
''I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write. Keyboarding isn't everything.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math. They use their God given brain, not the man-made calculator.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know about English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life."
(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)
"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money isn't everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant...
You want to know what I make?
I MAKE A DIFFERENCE
"What do you make Mr. CEO?"
His jaw dropped, he went silent.
**M and S ... Mr CEO rings any bell?**
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Appreciate What You Have
Ahhh ….. this is the hardest part of blogging …. to keep going. Getting started was hard enough but keeping going is harder. There is so much to put down but I don’t have the spontaneity. I am too corrupted with the technical and mechanical aspect of writing. I hope I’ll learn to “de-corrupt” (if ever such word exist in the corpus of English Language). In the mean time I wish to share something I collected from RexBarker@HumourNetwork.com sent in by Randy F of Atlanta.
"Appreciate What You Have”
The baby is teething, the children are fighting, and my husband just called and said to eat dinner without him. Okay, one of these days you'll shout, "Why don't you grow up and act your age?"
...and they will.
Or, "You guys get outside and find yourself something to do and don't slam the door."
...and they won't.
You'll straighten up their bedrooms all neat and tidy with bumper stickers discarded, bed-spread tucked and smoothed, toys all displayed on the shelves, hangers in the closets, animals caged, and you'll say out loud, "Now I want you to stay this way!"
...and they will.
Then you'll prepare a perfect dinner with a salad that hasn't been picked to death, a cake with no finger traces through the frosting, and you'll say, "Now there's a meal for company."
...but you'll eat it alone.
And you'll say, "I want complete privacy on the phone! No dancing around, no pantomimes, no demolition crews! Silence! Do you hear me?"
...and you'll have it.
No more plastic tablecloths stained with spaghetti, no more anxious nights under a vaporizer tent, no more dandelion bouquets, no more iron-on patches, no more wet-knotted shoe strings, no more tight boots, or rubber bands on pony tails.
Now, imagine your lipstick with a point. No baby sitter on New Year's Eve. Washing clothes only once a week. No PTA meetings, no car pools, no blaring radios, having your own roll of tape, no more Christmas presents made out of toothpicks and paste, no more wet-oatmeal kisses, no tooth fairy, no giggles in the dark, no knees to Band-aid.
Only a memory of a voice crying, "Why don't you grow up?"
And in the silence will come the echo, "I did."
This is Rex Barker reminding you to appreciate what you have and when you have it. Don't wait until after things have passed to appreciate them. Lets all focus on what we do have - not what we don't have - and let there be giant smiles on our faces.
I like Barker’s reminder – to focus on what we DO have. I remember someone very dear once told me to count my worth not only in what have to be done but in what I have achieved too .
Well, to Momilo – enjoy your talcum powder snow and to limau purut kacang botor, my heart goes out to you. I pray you have the strength to ride out the little storm. Like all storms, this one will subside and sometimes there is a beautiful rainbow at the end of a little storm.
Wassalam
Friday, October 26, 2007
What's Happening To Our Teens
I went to a school today for a task I have been entrusted to carry out after form three students sat for their summative test. I’ve been doing this for many years now and am convinced that the task is a booster for the age to catch up with me fast. The toll is especially high on my sight and carpal tunnel. The knots in my shoulders are so tight and ahh .. my poor back is crying for a respite from all the abuse it has been subjected to over the years.
Am not complaining but contemplating rather. I first did this for the experience and now I feel compelled doing it because I am experienced. What an irony!!! Many times I thought I’d quit by declining the invitation but at the last minute, they couldn’t get a replacement and I ended up being the “replacement” for myself. All because … *alaa … akak boleh sebab tak de sapa nak kacau ke apa …. anak anak dah besar … tak payah nak kena rush gi ambik anak kat sekolah ke nak kena masak bla bla bla…*
Today, as I was returning to the meeting after breakfast at the school canteen, I asked something to one of the girls and as I turned away another girl asked her …*mak sedara awak ke tu* in a cynical manner and broke out laughing (my three colleagues were taken aback and crunched their faces while shaking their heads).
The issue here is impudent behaviour of the 16 year olds of a religious school. Such behaviour is not exclusive to this bunch of young girls in lowered head-cover. In fact, many of you will agree with me and even attest to the fact that such behaviour is so rampant among our teenagers.
Gosh! I am sleepy. Sorry friends… the old bones need to lie down *tongue*. Will try to continue tomorrow. Good night.
Am not complaining but contemplating rather. I first did this for the experience and now I feel compelled doing it because I am experienced. What an irony!!! Many times I thought I’d quit by declining the invitation but at the last minute, they couldn’t get a replacement and I ended up being the “replacement” for myself. All because … *alaa … akak boleh sebab tak de sapa nak kacau ke apa …. anak anak dah besar … tak payah nak kena rush gi ambik anak kat sekolah ke nak kena masak bla bla bla…*
Today, as I was returning to the meeting after breakfast at the school canteen, I asked something to one of the girls and as I turned away another girl asked her …*mak sedara awak ke tu* in a cynical manner and broke out laughing (my three colleagues were taken aback and crunched their faces while shaking their heads).
The issue here is impudent behaviour of the 16 year olds of a religious school. Such behaviour is not exclusive to this bunch of young girls in lowered head-cover. In fact, many of you will agree with me and even attest to the fact that such behaviour is so rampant among our teenagers.
Gosh! I am sleepy. Sorry friends… the old bones need to lie down *tongue*. Will try to continue tomorrow. Good night.
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