What You Can Do With RM10 In Manjung

With the recent hike in fuel and sugar prices, we the ordinary people can’t help but cringe with anxiety as how it will impact our daily lives.  We are also constantly being reminded that GST is good, prudent spending is necessary, and we must do our bit to help the country’s economy so that we can all benefit from being a high income nation by 2020.  Oh yes, we must…………

I am not sure we can make sense of it all, but cope with it we must.  This lazy Sunday morning, I’ve just confirmed that for RM10 I can still provide a decent breakfast for a family of four in Manjung.  This should fit in perfectly with the need to cope.  However, I imagine it’s much easier to do this in Manjung than in the big cities.  So for this amount to meet your breakfast needs, you may want to consider these few options:

~ Don’t eat out – this is mandatory, or else you'll definitely need more than RM10.

~ Buy basic but tasty commonly available breakfast choices ie roti canai, nasi lemak & bihun bungkus etc minus all the frills ………forget rendang, ayam goreng, paru sambal etc.  Taste is very subjective so the best bet is to buy at our preferred stalls. I have a few in ManjungJ

~ Don’t go for nasi dagang, bihun sup, soto, lontong or any of the slightly more complicated to prepare options.  The more complicated they are, the more likely they are going to be pricey.

~ I don’t know about other places, but kuih in Manjung is still RM1 for three, and you can mix and match as you please.  Yes, way to go Manjung!!!

~ The obvious choice is to cook at home for breakfast…………but for me it’s faster and more convenient to spend RM10 instead.  Home-cooked food is a better option for lunch or dinner in my household, definitely.

So here’s what I got for RM10 this morning.  Exactly RM10.  And as a bonus I got to throw in the Star newspaper as well.  I just love Manjung………

The full spread complete with the Star newspaper for RM10

Roti Canai & Murtabak

Karipap & Apam Polka Dot/Chocolate

Dry Spell

After the longest dry spell EVER, this is my first entry for 2012. It’s rather pathetic really, I know.  But I must also declare that while this entry breaks the long silence, it does not indicate the beginning of continuous stream of thoughts coming from my end either.  I’m doing this merely to say that this BLOG is still alive and that I have all the intention to keep it going.  I guess after completing a Masters Programme where writing was part of my daily struggle for survival I just needed to give myself a break........too long a break as I now discover….hahahahaha.

What do I want to say here?  Firstly, I want to say that I’ve discovered a new threshold in my own capacity to endure stress, pressure and pain.  Being a student again and stretching myself to complete all the assignments particularly my thesis really put me under a lot of strain........Did I manage it well?  Not sure, but with the amazing results I got I sure hope so.  The experience also re-affirmed the conviction that the more you give the more you get back.....and it comes with a bonus, peace in your heart no money can buy.  Sadly, I also discovered some of the ugliest sides of human being.  Unbelievable and incomprehensible as they seemed to me, I still believe that there were positive values to be gained......although easier said than done.  I am thankful for the opportunities that have allowed me to see many attributes in human beings.  Generosity, kindness, caring, empathy, compassion etc exist in many forms..........if we open our heart to see them, then we’ll see them in abundance, but if our hearts seek the opposite then we’ll only see hatred, deceit, betrayal and other similar destructive values.....and that’s sad.  I am still learning about human attributes; mine as well as others’.  It’s a life-long journey of learning for sure, and I hope and pray that the experience will only affect me positively and make me a better person.  Amin.

Hello to you all......and to me as well!!!

My Non-alignment Foreign Policy of India has been keeping me misaligned from other things....oh well

Despite my lengthy hiatus, my blog is still alive as far as I’m concerned.  Just wayyyyy too busy to jot anything in.  So today’s entry is just simply to tell the cyber world that this space is still active.  It’s also a reminder to me that this space still belongs to me.  So to the 9000+ visitors from 109 countries who have visited my page so far, thank you!!!

So much to say but just don’t think I can spare the time to let my mind wander away from my thesis paper.  Work.....work.....work....!!!!  Need all the energy and momentum to arrive at the finishing line......safely.

The world continues to move on despite my hibernation.  Ghadaffi is dead.  Now that he is dead, we are hearing both sides of him, the monstrous image of a dictator versus a rather philanthropic more obscured side of him.  Are they really true?  Will the flood in Thailand bring down the cost of Toyota and Honda cars in our country?  Hahaha.....“Dried-up” cars anybody?  How about the audit report of leakages in government spending? How to answer that?  Very difficult!!!  Extension of retirement age to 60, good or bad?  Good as government can save money by delaying paying for pension by 2 more years for each person, that’s lotsa money.  But bad for those at lower hierarchy whose promotions are set back by 2 more years?  Win-win solution, really?  The All Blacks outplayed but still won the RWC final.  Referee too liberal, France was jinx, Blacks were hampered not having Dan Carter and had to resort to a 4th string Fly-half?

I don’t know the answer to any of those questions, and I’m not that interested to know now.  My life is “get up, read, think, write, sleep”, period!  So for now, this abysmal entry will just have to do.  So long people and I’ll be back soon enough I hope.

Chaotic Brain Activity

Just a little whining on my part.  Been glued to my computer for over two weeks now, spending literally every available seconds to tap on the keyboard with the hope that credible and meaningful sentences will appear on the screen.  Countless number of books about India scattered on the desk and on the bed, with hundreds more journals being opened, read, cited and closed again, repeatedly for God knows how long.   Thesis oh thesis.......Today has been the longest marathon by far.  Since 10am this morning till 2am, with just short intervals for things that I needed to keep me human ie eating, drinking, praying, going to the loo, taking a shower, calling my family etc.  My back is killing me. In fact today (no....yesterday technically since it’s 2.12am now) I actually had to juggle between thesis and group work....how fun!!!

Sleeping has been a luxury I can’t really afford.  But I need the sleep. Going to bed between 1-2am every day and waking up at about 6.40am.  No afternoon nap.  The result; fully charged and eager to type and type without feeling sleepy.  Conclusion: That what stress and anxiety do to you.  I must’ve been thinking even when I’m asleep.

I keep praying to God to keep me healthy, to keep my mind sharp and hope his blessing will guide me through successfully through this self-inflicted ordeal.  I am thankful that I have a wife who supports me fully, and two adorable angels whose sweet little voice, indistinguishable over the phone, to keep me determined to stretch my endurance beyond imagination.

Been monitoring my BP, it's just a little high now.  Hope it will be okay when I wake up tomorrow.

Not complaining......just expanding what’s left of my brain activity before I head to bed.  Another joyful day tomorrow.....expecting another adrenaline-charged effort on my part to meet my Thesis Chapter deadline on Thursday.  Please makbulkan doa ku Ya Allah.  Amin.

The Many Lessons From Death

When death occurred, there is no more lesson to be learned by the deceased.  By that time it could only be either regrets and despair, or joy and jubilation.  It all depends on the deeds while the person was alive.  When the scale tilt, where does it lead the person to...... to the pleasures of heaven, or to the deep suffering of hell, Nauzubillah.

The lessons of death are for the living.  It’s not an easy topic to write about, honestly.  I’m still pondering on the lessons of the recent experience of hearing about the death of a few people I know.  A colleague and a friend passed away a few days ago after a short battle with the unexpected disease of malaria upon returning from a foreign mission.  He was my senior in high school, and a colleague at my work place.  Though we were not particularly close, I’d known him for more than half of my life.  I had a long chat with him before he left for the mission a year ago, and that was the last time I saw him.  He was definitely a wonderful person and I’m sure he will be dearly missed by his family.  What lessons could be drawn upon by his wife who not only had to deal with his passing, but shortly after, the passing of her own father.  Subhanallah.  My sincerest sympathy to the family of Cdr Husaini and I hope Allah Almighty will bestow upon them strength and rahmah as they deal with this difficult situation.  And I pray that he will be placed under the grace of Allah and be rewarded with the pleasure of heaven for his good deeds, InsyaAllah.  Alfatihah.

I also heard about the death of a person I knew from a few years ago whose passing came at the hand of unscrupulous criminals in a neighbouring country.  A loss of life over a petty issue, at the hand of somebody who viewed life so lightly?  How do you draw lessons from such tragedy?  A Frenchman so full of energy and potentials, but his life journey had come to an abrupt stop.  My sincerest sympathy to his grieving family, and I do hope the responsible criminal will be brought to justice.

And just today, my course mate from Thailand, Anuchit Peerathamrongkul, had to learn of his father’s passing just a few days after returning from visiting him.  I could see sorrow in his eyes, I knew it as I had experienced it myself when Abah passed away two years ago.  As Anuchit made his way back to his homeland in Thailand, I pray that he and his family will have the strength while dealing with their losses.

The nation is also mourning the death of a Bernama journalist who was killed by a stray bullet in Somalia.  Noramfaizul Mohd Nor, who was part of a humanitarian mission to famine-stricken Somalia was 200m away from arriving at a place where he was being put up when the stragedy struck.  What lessons do we draw from this?  Definitely not those being echoed by the politicians at the moment.  I also pray that his mother who was especially distraught by the incident, the wife and the rest of his family will be bestowed with grace by Allah as they deal with this tragedy.

As I visited my father’s grave during hari raya, I also pondered on what lessons that I must draw upon from his passing.  It’s been two years but I still see the glimpse of his faces almost every day.  Subhanallah.  Alfatihah for Abah and I pray that he is doing okay in the afterlife.

So let’s draw lessons from the death we see, let’s draw lessons while we still can.  Let’s draw lessons that we can use to benefit us when the time comes when our own death will become the lesson for others.  I am still pondering, I am still learning my lessons, I think we all must.

A little Intrusion Anyone?

Pleasant looking? Chirpy and friendly? The answer is still.....NO!!!!

Pernah tak kita terfikir dalam kehidupan sehari-hari berapa kerap privacy kita kena ‘invade’ tanpa kebenaran, samada dalam sedar atau tak? Tah kenapa ari ni I was really irked bila some dude called me to offer pakej insurans. Yang pertama......hellooo! Where did you get my number? Nasib baik dia polite in the conversation but how about the usual attempt at small talk......."Apa khabar? .......oooo abang sambung belajar? Bagus tu", then followed by some probing questions..... "Umur berapa yer bang? Anak berapa? Gaji berapa?"....... then finally we came to the very reason why he called me…."Kita ada pakej insurans ni….pre-approved…bla..bla..bla. Abang cuma perlu setuju dan kita akan buat semuanya". Anyway, this was not the worst of them all obviously. Nasib baik dia cakap baik2, ada tu dengar kita tak interested terus hang-up.....bengkek betul!!!!

Kita tak ada pilihan kekadang tu, nak marah tak sampai hati…….tapi bila orang dah kata tak berminat dia tak faham2 lagi. Yes, I’m a little soft-hearted when it comes to dealing with these strangers telemarketing people so I normally try not to be rude and just say that I’m not interested. Camna nak interested dengar ceramah pasal “penternakan ikan Arowana yang ditaja oleh kementerian so and so......yang diadakan di Teluk Intan......or was it Taiping” when I am actually in KL and has no intention to leave the government any time soon. These Arowana farming folks have called me at least 5 times already. So if any of you Arowana gang read this......STOP CALLING ME OK!!!!

Dan yang satu lagi ni keep calling me to offer a special package since I’ve been such a loyal customer of Visa or Mastercard or whatever. Ok..... So since I’m such a good customer how come you need to verify the name of the bank that issued me the cards and had the cheek to ask me for the 16-digit number on those cards. I guess I’m not such a great customer after all. Bugger off and......STOP CALLING ME OK!!!!

How about the emails, FB messages and sms saying that I’ve won a zillion dollars and just begging me to simply reply in order to confirm my prize. Then I guess I must also thank my lucky star bila ada heir of some super rich folk who died recently yang tersangat desperate nak transfer duit berzillion dollars masuk my account sebab tak nak kena re-possessed by whoever. Wow......kena panggil 007 ni utk selesaikan nih. For you guys who have sent me such messages......get a life and STOP BOTHERING ME OK!!!!

Then there’s the flyers in the mailbox, promosi yang diselitkan dalam newspaper........Nak ubat kuat? Nak buat loan tapi blacklist? How about........kehidupan saya susah dahulu tapi setelah berjumpa so and so......di lokasi so and so..... kehidupan saya terus berubah menjadi kaya raya!!!!!! Yeah, I wish it were that easy.......dan boleh pula mintak tolong sebarkan. Tolong ler….LET’S SAVE THE PLANET AND USE THE PAPER FOR BETTER THINGS SHALL WE???

Ni apa kes? Cantik ke? Ada korang yg buat keja ni kisah ke?  I guess not:(

Some even hired amateur actors menyamar jadi students ke, budak praktikal ke kekonon buat survey......then dengan muka terkejut teramat sangat......."Abang, woo you suda menang ini satu kereta...... saya amat terkejut kerana saya sindri tida pena melihat sesiapa memenangi-nye” Then he called his “supervisor”......dan kata “supervisor saya juga amat terkejut kerana dia sindri tida pena melihat sesiapa memenangi-nye”. Come on!!!! I then said, let’s do it this way. How about saya sedekah pada awak kereta tu sebab saya tak perlu pergi ke so and so tempat untuk jumpa supervisor awak. “Abang, you jangan mara sama saya maa......tadi orang ruma belakang suda mau hantam sama saya” and guess what......”Abang bole kasi saya ayir ke, mau minum suda penat jalan jauh ooo”. Ini macam pun ada ke? LEAVE ME ALONE OK!!!!

Tapi yang kekadang hati saya jadi lembut ialah bila ada mereka yang datang minta derma di stesen minyak ke, jual keropok dari rumah ke rumah ke, kutip derma di shopping kompleks ke dan macam2 lagi. Saya tau kekadang tu ada kemungkinan mereka ni ada sindiket yang berselindung di sebalik kaedah “minta derma” ni tapi bagaimana pula kalau memang betul2 mereka memerlukan? So rasanya yang penting niat kita ikhlas untuk bersedekah, dan kalau yang menerima tu buat tak betul itu biar mereka jawab dengan Tuhan. Amalan kitapun masih banyak kepincangannya hopefully dengan bersedekah secara ikhlas dapat jugak kita tingkatkan pahala.  So bila rasa ikhlas saya bagi, tapi kalau terdetik macam rasa sangsi dan curiga......saya just cakap "tak pe, terima kasih.....atau it's okay, no thank you" berulang kali sampai the person goes away.

Anyway, I know yang saya akan berterusan kena approach dengan pelbagai kaedah untuk jual barang ke, minta derma ke, minta sedekah ke, atau untuk diperdaya. Harap2 the last one tu dijauhkan Tuhan.

Sebenarnya just mumbling away coz saya sedang mengalami “mental block” untuk menyiapkan assignment yang saya dah tau apa yang nak ditulis, bagaimana nak menulis cuma tak dapat transform them into words yang sesuai untuk short essay of 2500 words.  Tengah2 tension tu pulak tiba2......you guessed it, a telemarketer called...lagi ler tension.:)

Anyway, I just wish essays boleh campur bahasa rojak like I just did for this entry.  Sonang kojo den.  U faham apa yang saya explain kan, so what's the problem kalau my essay if of mixed language? Hahahaha..... Kepada those fanatic advocates of Malay language or even English language for that matter......sorry kerana tak guna proper bahasa to communicate.  Hahahaha, just gimme a break ok. Tolong jangan ganggu saya, atau cuba2 call me........GO BOTHER SOMEONE ELSE’S LIFE OKAY!!!! (pun intended).

Something To Ease The Dry Spell

This blog has been subjected to a prolonged dry spell due to my struggle to cope with the recent changes in my life and the inevitable challenges that tag along as bonus. It’s a preamble of excuse to myself and I don’t seek any sympathy in saying it actually. Life as a student again has been difficult to say the least but I have also learned to accept it and move on. Not my own words but cited from an advice given to me by an unlikely source. Alhamdulillah......God-sent help came in many forms.
I have been mesmerized by the experience so far. My introvert horizon is being stretched beyond my imagination. I make parallel of this experience to like a kid being placed in a room full of comic books. I’m just so fascinated with the subject that I just crave for more. The difference though, while a kid’s mind is like a sponge, mine resembles more of a strainer and I keep having to read and re-read the subject and still feeling somewhat lacking in my knowledge. And the lecturers were intimidating initially as they spoke the subject like they were born with it, in immaculate English as well mind you. One of them was even cited in one of the old books from my graduate course and that was like almost 20 years ago. Most have written books, some have appeared on TV, while some have academic credentials from the likes of John Hopkins University. And they have been nice, tough but nice. I guess I am really just a tiny little fish in a really huge pond.

But that’s not all. As it turned out, the fountain of knowledge goes even beyond the lecture hall. My course mates are the creams of their organization, having demonstrated their worth throughout their long and illustrious careers. As one of the youngest, (if not for this guy who hails from across the causeway I’d be the youngest) I felt inferior and intimidated most of the times when I started the course. I felt like an even tinier fish in a pond that was growing bigger by the seconds.

But then I realised that it was not the end of the world. There is actually so much to gain. I just have to look for the positive side of things, even in the face of hardship and despair. And to be honest, it is not always easy but it has been working for me so far. I take comfort in the little things, like admiring the view of KL skyline, monitoring the progress of the car park construction directly across from where I live, seeing this particular foreign security guard who salutes me every time I pass through the gate (have to ask him why one of these days), my limited success in shedding weight (3 kilos so far......yeah!), improving my endurance in swimming, hearing the laughter of my children, watching my wife perseverance in juggling the family affairs, taking sanctuary in comfort food like instant noodles, watching my rugby team slug it out in the league, basically just taking it all in and looking for the little hidden jewels in life which if we do not pay attention to will just simply pass by unnoticed.

You can call this coping, but I call it accepting and moving on with my life. It has not been easy but I hope that I’ll be okay, InsyaAllah.

From Comfort to Discomfort Zone

I had been on familiar ground for a very long time.  For many years I always felt quite comfortable with my working environment.  It was my home ground and I felt very much protected and secure in carrying out my daily activities.  The work scope and the challenges varied and changed over time, but I always felt I could manage it. And I did.  And eventually I ended up feeling very comfortable, too comfortable it scared me.  I was afraid I would become complacent, and I felt I needed a new challenge to stimulate my appetite for success.

Well, I got just what I asked for....... and more.  I’m now officially a full time student.  It’s been more than 15 years since I completed my degree and going back to learning environment requires some significant adjustment on my part.  And the subject of International Relations is very alien to me; realism, pluralism, constructivist, differences between neutral and non-alignment, state and actors, contemporary strategies....oh my.  Migration from engineering/logistics to IR......my head has been spinning just from the thought of it.  The lecturers are mostly prominent figures in IR world.  I just recently discovered that one of them was cited numerous times in a few old books from my undergraduate studies.  I was mesmerised just being in their presence.  And how about my classmates, everybody but one is at least a few years older than me.  One of them even has two grandchildren and has just recently held a wedding reception for his youngest daughter.  Some are just a few years away from retirement.....and I’m still about 15 years till mine.....wow!!!  I didn’t feel there was any room for me to share about the headache of trying to enrol my kids in Year 1 of primary school.  These guys are well beyond that already.  How about their working experience or academic qualification then?  Most have commanded big organisations, be it a battalion or a ship or an aircraft squadron, and have regular interactions with the top brass of their respective services.  Some already have masters in other fields and one I know has been pursuing his Phd which he has to put on hold until the end of this programme.  These are some bad-ass individuals, some in the true sense of the word due to the nature of their job in dealing with the unthinkable.

I was intimidated to say the least.  I had trouble breathing......literally!!!  I felt very small in the midst of this whole new environment.  I was inferior, in every aspect it seemed....The whole week had me struggling to comprehend the predicament I got myself into.  It felt impossible to come out on top.  I never felt such anxiety before.  One whole week of feeling like this and I knew I could not let this go on.  What would you do??  What would you do when faced with such obstacles.....???

It’s almost the end of the second week, and I can confess that I’m feeling much better now.  I am okay.  I feel confident, not of the outcome as it is ultimately in the hand of God, but of my perseverance and will to complete this.  A complete turn-around from last week.  Why and How?  The demons of fright, anxiety and intimidation are gone.  I got rid of them.  I know there are going to be some major obstacles coming my way.  I know I may not have the upper hand in many situations.  I am at a disadvantage in many ways.  I accept. 

But then, I do have some of my own strengths, some of which I feel will propel me to comprehend the challenges ahead.  I have accomplished some incredible feats in my life, and I wouldn’t have done so if not for my own strong points.  I have come to accept the card I got dealt with.  I asked for it in the first place.  This is God’s plan for me.  I just have to give my best and leave the rest to Him.  And slowly I feel much more peaceful.  I begin to see situations where I actually have the upper hand, I begin to see the positive in even the most dreadful prospect, and I start to see that there is always something to be learned in every challenge.  I begin to see that it’s all about accepting, maybe ‘redha’ is more suitable word to describe this.  I am astonished at the speed of the transition and how good I feel now.  It’s not false hope I’m sure.  I know I still have mountains to climb.  But I have accepted that this is the situation I’m in, this is what I asked for, it’s going to be hard, I’m going to struggle.  I just have to try my best, exploit my strengths and just redha that whatever happens is not because of my lack of trying.  Wasn't this what I’d been saying to myself before every time I encountered hardship in life?  Yes indeed.  It’s just that when the bar is raised higher, sometimes self-induced doubt creeps in without my realising it.  Alhamdulillah I’m back on track and even more motivated and determined to give it my very best.  I know some of my colleagues are facing their own demons right now.  I hope they will eventually come to term and be able find the way to cope with the dreadful feelings.

I am glad I got this out of my chest.  I praise God for making me realise quickly what I should have already known and accepted from the very beginning.  This is what I will say to sum up this posting; just accept (redha with) your fate no matter how difficult and unfair it may seem, give your best to deal with it, ask for God’s intervention to grant the outcome you hope for...........and leave the rest to Him.  InsyaAllah that’s what I intend to do and I hope He will give me strength and courage throughout.  Amin.