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.

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.

Causes for an ‘Absolutely Normal’ BP Reading

My latest BP reading post-Solat

 

I encountered a little health scare recently.  During my encounter with the back pain incident a few weeks ago (link to the entry here), I also discovered during the admission check at the military clinic that my Blood Pressure (BP) was high.  The staff said that it was probably due to my being in pain and the anxiety I felt from my ordeal.  The Doctor who took my case also observed the high BP but she said in order to be sure I must conduct BP monitoring routine for at least two weeks.

And I did just that.  My father-in-law has a portable BP kit at home so I borrowed his.  So for the past two weeks I’ve been taking my BP at a three times a day interval.  Alhamdulillah, although some of the BP readings were fairly high the first few days during my recovery from the back pain, they have pretty much returned to normal trend now and have consistently remained there.  I have also rejuvenated my enthusiasm to lose weight and exercise more often following the ‘gentle’ reminder about this potential health risk.  With my late father’s long history of having high BP and my mother currently under medication for the same problem, I must consider myself being in a high risk category due to hereditary reason at least.  So less food intake, less fatty and oily food, more vegetables and fruit.  I am also adding a new routine of taking apple cider twice a day to add to my already established habit of taking Quaker oat in the morning.  Good stuff this apple cider I tell you….. if you can stand the smell and taste that is.

The most enlightening discovery from doing this BP monitoring has been on how my BP can actually dip to the ‘absolutely normal’ zone due to two activities.  We are talking 108/68 here folks with my record lowest being 104/64.  That’s my systolic/diastolic readings, just Google it to find out what they mean. 

Predictably, one occasion when my BP regularly drops is after an exercise.  I usually take my reading a little over an hour after coming back from an exercise.  That’s done normally after completing my warm-down routine, a short 10 minute session of putting ice pack on my knees to reduce pain and swelling (I’m a PCL surgery survivor and experiencing early ‘osteoarthritis’ so swelling and pain are my loyal companion now), followed by shower and light dinner.  So far, although my heart beat is still between 80-95, the BP reading has been a nice one to look at.  Yeah!!!

The most surprising discovery however is how both my BP and heart beat can go down to the ‘absolutely normal’ zone shortly after..........performing solat.  Initially I thought it was a coincidence but it has happened quite a few times now (those few times that solat didn’t have the same effects were probably due to my own less than khusyuk state while doing it).  My yet again another encounter with absolutely normal BP reading post-solat just now has convinced me that praying to the Almighty has led to this incredible effect.  I know I don’t have the scientific proof to show it (must do it in a controlled environment, must also have means to rule out the other probable influencing elements ie food, rest, pressure, must get it published and verified etc. etc.) but I’m absolutely convinced nonetheless.

There are new things to be learned every day.  And for that I am thankful.  Alhamdulillah.

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.

2011- My perspective

I can’t think of a year that promises to have so many things going on for me, all at the same time. 2011 is just barely into its first day and I am already bracing myself for all the things this year has in store for me. I am very excited while at the same time feeling a little apprehensive with what lies ahead.

These are some of the new phases I’m going to experience in 2011:

~ My children, after spending 3 years in kindergarten, will be starting school in Year 1 both in primary school and Sekolah Agama this Monday. This alone brought in a whole set of new adjustments to my life. My twins are all excited and really looking forward to going to a new school. They adapt to changes so easily compared to us adults.....sigh.

My kids on their Orientation Day

~ My wife has just finished with her studies while I’m starting mine in a week. Being a full time student again after more than 15 years is definitely a drastic change in my routine.

~ Moving house, but not really moving.....and having to stay separately from the family for a year. It’s like living from a suitcase, but in my case, it’s like living from two suitcases, the rented apartment I’m gonna be living in and spending the weekends with the family at a place, while very nice, but we can’t really call it our home.

~ Relinquishing my post as the rugby chairman/coach for Navy Orca. Breaking the news to my players was one of the hardest things I had to do. And not having to worry about them like I do my children or family members will hit me hard in the few months to come. I’m going to miss them, miss being at the field, basically being completely detached from something that has been a big part of my life for the past 4 years is going to be difficult.

The newly designed team logo which I created to rejuvenate the team when I took over 4 years ago

The tense pre-game scene and the adrenaline rush are all part of my rugby memories now

~ Moving from using wifi from a fixed line broadband at home to using wireless broadband. It’s been too convenient with Streamyx but I now hope the wireless access will be good enough and I will be able to capitalise from its mobility.

Speed...speed....have you got enough speed?  I'll soon find out

~ Living in a cosmopolitan city as opposed to enjoying the laid back small town atmosphere. Experiencing the chaotic shopping scene on Christmas day was a rude awakening to what lies ahead. Stuck in a jam enroute to Ikea, stuck again in the long queue at the highway exit, wandering aimlessly in the vast parking zones but not finding a spot easily, stuck again in a long lunch queue, feeling loss in the sea of people who seemed to be unaffected by the frenzy, while I was feeling all claustrophobic. And again last night, trying to enjoy new year with family and relatives......same things again: traffic jam, sea of people and long queues.....and yes, inflated prices......I’ll have to get use to all of these now. Not all bad though, more choices for food and more choices for everything from entertainment to household needs. The pro and cons I guess.......

This is where I'll be for the next 1 year at least

So 2011, welcome! Hope it brings not only changes but also all the prosperity and success to make this world a better place.  InsyaAllah.

Why can’t we get it right the first time?

Prelude ~ My friend from Switzerland told me once that in his country, people do not need to re-confirm their appointments. He said once you’ve agreed, both parties will undertake the commitment to fulfil their obligation without having to be reminded to do so. Sounds really wonderful. When re-work/correction/re-check are not required, we have more time to attend to other pressing issues. Wastage goes down, efficiency goes up....voila, we have a very productive society and everybody goes home a happy camper in this beloved Bolehland. Sadly, more often than not, that is not the case here.

Judging from my recent encounters with various inefficiencies and obstacles when dealing with our own systems, I am afraid to concede that our society is a long way from becoming a world class......and to think that Tun Mahathir’s Vision 2020 is not too far down the corner already.....sigh...come on, wake up!!!!.

I was recently given the run around trying to register my twins for Year 1. I finally got my order to transfer to KL in late November, leaving me with no choice but to register my kids well beyond the stipulated deadline. I went to the state education department, and was told that all registration must be done online. Registration online –checked! I went to the preferred school after that but was told they have no say whether my kids can attend school there, ‘school placement will be done by the district education department-via online’. After waiting for the ‘2 week window’ for the process to take its due course, and still no news of the school for my kids, I decided then to go to the district education department. To my disbelief there were at least a hundred disgruntled parents there with all sorts of issues ranging from not being able to send their kids the school they prefer, to their kids being sent to schools in a different district. And to think there were that many ‘re-work/correction/re-check’ that had to be done.......what an inefficient on-line system!!! Anyway, in my case, I was told that while I’d done my registration on-line, the school had yet to ‘confirm’ my registration online, despite my showing of the school’s stamp on my kids’ birth certificates. No...no...it has to be done online. I was dumbfounded but decided to remain patience......and asked, 'what does it take now for the process to move forward'. The lady said, ‘give it a week for the school to confirm online, and re-check after that’. I decided to go back to the school to ‘drive’ the process. True enough, with a little insistence, the ‘confirmation’ was done within half an hour-via online! I wanted to go back to the district education department immediately but was told earlier that the officer who could make the decision was not around. ‘You can call him personally on Wednesday when he comes back....Here’s his number’. Thank you!!! So, came Wednesday, I gave the gentlemen a call. He was very nice, and told me that he took extra effort to rectify all outstanding school placements and asked me to just check the system. Believing this could be the end of my misery I gave the system another try. And a false hope it was as the status had not changed beyond what I saw on Monday. A little agitated, I gave the guy another call. He said, ‘I may have overlooked some names, I’ll rectify them today and you should see it by tomorrow. If it’s still not rectified then, call me back right away’. Surprise...surprise...came next day, still no school for my kids in the system. He said, 'the system has been very slow, I will try to do it this weekend, so please check again on Monday'. Sigh....double sigh.....Still no confirmation of school for my twins......We are still at the ‘we’ll try’ stage and don’t know how long before we can get to ‘we can confirm’ stage.

The following are some things that didn't go right the first time related to my sister’s wedding preparation:

~ The hall for the wedding was filthy with trash and I had to clean it up myself. The guy responsible promised to send somebody to clean the mess up (which should have been cleaned before the hall was handed over to us). That somebody never arrived and the person responsible eventually simply refused to answer our calls.

~ The lady who was supposed to prepare the ‘pelamin’ on stage promised to come to set it up in late afternoon before the wedding day, then delayed it till early night, then delayed it again till before 11pm, and her final promise was before the next morning. Last I checked at 0120am, the pelamin was not there and she stopped answering her phone. She quietly set the pelamin up without our presence early next morning, and when we arrived later, we had to re-adjust the setting for the cake cutting ceremony because it was placed too far back. Sooooo very easy to get this one done right the first time and yet, so much rework and adjustment had to be made. After taking into consideration that she also ‘deliberately’ forgot and had to be reminded that she was supposed to provide fresh and not artificial flower bouquet for the bride, as well as trying to escape from her commitment of providing red carpet at the walk way, it’s is safe to assume that I’m not going to recommend her to others.

And this one was my experience dealing with the most famous rugby brand in the world....we are obviously talking about the ‘local’ company representing the brand.

~ How difficult is it to do jersey alteration? Piece of cake you say. That was what they said too.......but the truth is it’s been 8 months!!! ...and still they can’t get it right.

How about trying to change billing addresses and to cancel some services following the news of my transfer to KL? I have already called my credit cards companies, phone & internet service provider, satellite TV company, mobile phone company etc ....they all sounded very helpful and friendly over the phone....at least we’ve got to that stage now in this country. Should I be optimistic and run my hopes way up there that there will be no hick ups? I’d love to be proven wrong....please...please prove me wrong!!!!! However, after weighing the prospects I am already gearing up for another round of phone calls to these companies to straighten things out. As I said, prove me wrong....PLEASE!!!!

Well, I have already accepted that I can’t change the world we live in. I know though that giving up is not an option as we will continue spiralling down if nothing is done now. So let’s start small....let’s fulfil all our little promises and commitment. Let’s get things right the first time.....or at least let’s strife to at least make that a real objective and not accepting anything less unless there is a concrete reason for it. I’ve always believed that the place to start is within my own family. Then on to my dealing with others, be it at work place or in my social encounters with people. Let’s take our promises and commitment more seriously, especially so when we know that the way we react/respond affects others directly or indirectly.

Awal Muharam 1432H - A New Beginning In Many Ways

It's 1 Muharram 1432H, the first day of the new year in the Islamic Calender.  Lots of happening in my life.....too many to mention.  Wish to write blog entries about some of them but I doubt I'll have the luxury of time to do so.  A quick dumping of my thoughts then before I lose them.......

~ My youngest sister got married.  I had the privilege to perform the 'akad nikah' to give her away for marriage.  I was swarmed with the wedding preparation, in crisis mode most of the time but Alhamdulillah it all went well at the end.  The smile of content and happiness I saw on my sister's face was all that I needed to see......

~ I finally got my instruction a few weeks ago to move to KL in early January 2011 to further my study.  Suddenly overwhelmed with all the documentation and other administrative things related to my transfer.  Also had to come up with my thesis title and hopefully it's the right one.....'The Balancing Act-...bla...bla...bla.....'.  A mouthful but we'll see if the topic about the US vs China/India is good enough....

~ Now quickly have to work on the family transfer to Shah Alam to stay with my in laws while I stay separately near the college.......only 30+km separation for one year, I guess we can handle it....

~ Also had to register my twins for Year 1 in Selangor instead of Perak as a result of my transfer.  Obviously we did the registration well beyond the stipulated window to do so......and because of that, had to endure the running around between the state and the district education departments, and our preferred school.....back and forth....back and forth.  As of today, still no confirmation of the school.  My patience has been stretched but I still have much in reserve.....just bring it on.  Will call the 'officer' in-charge tomorrow to see if we can progress beyond 'we'll try...." to "we can confirm.....".  The 'on-line' system in place is really 'in-line' system as we always have to wait....and wait....and wait some more.

~ I finally have the taste of how much preparation is involved when your kids start to go to school.  The uniform alone....I lost track of what we have bought....pinafore, inner shirt, complete baju kurung for primary school and sekolah agama, tudung, shoes, socks, kapur kasut, stationery (hundreds of items, literally), school bags, water bottles etc.  Next will be books, school fees, orientation day and first day of school.  And imagine having to do this for twins......Aren't I glad that my wife is taking this like nothing.....I guess her skill as a former secretary comes really handy in this situation.

~ As a bonus....in the midst of all these cacamerba, I suffered from sleep deprivation, lack of rest and over indulgence in good food (can you call this last one as suffering?) which eventually resulted in my blood pressure 'going upstairs' (naik atas.....?????..hahahahaha).  Border line as the doctor said but I really must do something about it........

However, despite this seemingly ultra chaotic life I've been leading these past few months......I must say that I don't have much to complain about.  Life could be better....but the life I have now is well and truly good enough......Alhamdulillah.

My Blog Has Been Visited By the 6oth Country

Some of the countries in my stats

I was hoping to jot in something in my blog this weekend. Unfortunately I was occupied with other things such as attending my daughters’ Graduation & Concert, going to a wedding, working on my little garden and trying to complete an overdue task of writing a 15-page analysis on engineering and logistics support. All of those while trying to shake off the sleepiness and fatigue after spending 30+ hours conducting marathon interviews for 61 people.

Yes, lotsa excuses......

I am going to write in something short and sharp tonite. Just want to share a small milestone for my blog. It has been visited by the 60th country yesterday. The latest one was by somebody from Finland as my blog registered 3,700+ hits up to date. It’s nothing compared to the likes of Dr Mahathir whose blog reached 31 million hits so far. But for somebody like me, that’s more than enough. I am truly happy with the way things are at my home in cyberspace.

Predictably, most hits came from Malaysia and followed by the US as I do have many friends from both countries. So, to all of you who have visited my blog and took the time to read it, thank you very much from the bottom of my heart. I do not know but I can always hope that my writing in this blog has benefited not only me but others as well, directly and indirectly. I will continue on, and thanks to all of you, this little achievement will go a long way to inspire this self-made blogger to put up more meaningful entries in the future.

Terima Kasih. Thank You. Xièxiè. Nandri. Shukran. Merci Beaucoup. Danke. Gracias. Khob-Kun. Grazie. Arigato Gozaimasu ..................... Thank You, Thank You!!!!

My Favourite Barber Shop

I have been going to this same barber shop for the past 10 years. I first started to frequent this place to get my haircut because it was the nearest one to the house I rented when I got married in 2000. I still preferred to go there even after moving to a new house in 2004 which was further away than the one I rented. I moved house again last year, and yet I could not helped but keep returning to the same barber shop every 3 weeks. Wow.....this also reminds me that I’ve stayed in Lumut area for 8 out of the 10 years of being married.....hmmm.

A berbershop pole similar to this can be found at almost any barbershop, including at Kedai Gunting Rambut Muhibah

This particular barber at the shop, a fairly young chap, has been doing my haircut fairly regularly. There are normally between 1-3 barbers in there and more often than not I somehow manage to end up in his chair. He always dresses smartly, donning a neatly pressed long sleeve shirt and long pants. He’ll greet me with a smile when I come in, and will call me ‘Boss’ when it’s my turn.

Anyway, tonight I went there again to this ‘Kedai Gunting Rambut Muhibah’ for my regular haircut. This time the same barber was alone in the shop. He was enjoying a Gardenia Bun, which I later assumed to be his dinner, but at the sight of me entering he quickly stopped eating and said ‘Boss’ and pointed to his barber chair. I told him that I could wait and helped myself to getting a magazine from the rack while he finished his dinner. Within a few minutes I was ushered to sit on his chair to begin the usual routine of making my hair back to military standard again.

This is not the barbershop I'm writing about, although very similar in nature.  I went to this one in Lumut because my friend Chris who came to visit from Switzerland suddenly had the urge to have a 'cheap' haircut.

This guy has his own method in carrying out his duty. And he is very polite I must say. He is very precise, he does the same thing every time he cuts my hair. I like getting a hair cut from him although he does need to be reminded to make my hair shorter on top. He does everything with precision, from using the electric cutter, then moving on to using the scissors…snip!...snip and finally using a freshly opened disposable razor to shave and clean the edges of my hair. The best part is that he will massage my scalp, my neck and my shoulder and finally completing his ritual by cracking my neck. Yup, he must have been trained to do this as the other barbers at the shop stop at only massaging the scalp. He will clear as much hair as possible from my scalp once he is done, and then he will rub cheap hair cologne/tonic all over my hair. The smell…ooolaaalaa but I don’t mind. Straight to the shower immediately upon returning home with no stopover in between! All that pampering for a meagre RM6. What a treat.

Guess how long has he been doing this to my hair.....4 years!!!! Amazing!!! Even more amazing, is the fact that I never knew his name before this. Very sad on my part, yes I know. I do talk to him and the other barbers, but very little I must admit. So tonite I started a conversation with him, Murgis who hails from Chennai, India. Murgis, I assume the spelling based on how his name sounded to me, has been in Malaysia for 4 years now. He learned his trait of cutting hair in India for 1 year before coming to Malaysia to ply his trade here. Murgis is a bachelor and stays at a rented room on the upper floor of a bookshop nearby. He told me that one of the barbers has gone back for a vacation to India for 2 months. His turn to go back will be next year. It’s cheap to travel back to India, ‘Only RM1 ticket with Air Asia’ he said and he further explained that there are frequent flights by Air Asia to Chennai and many other cities in India.

Murgis is from Chennai India

Why am I taking the time to write this entry about Murgis. It is because he has been an important part of my life. His little role of cutting my hair every 3 weeks has been one of the little treats I look forward to. Why??? I guess the 15-20 minutes I sit in his chair is one of the most peaceful moment that I could enjoy after a long and hectic day.....to the extent of almost falling asleep at times. I guess his shop is one of those sanctuaries I have been using to escape a little bit from all the stress and pressure I face daily. A three weekly therapy so to say. Despite the many barbershops in the area, I keep wanting to go here.....for 10 years already. Go figure. So Murgis, thanks to you and thanks to the rest of the barbers at Kedai Gunting Rambut Muhibah. And I regret I only realise this today, so I pledge that I will talk more to Murgis and the other barbers and will try to appreciate them more for their little contribution in making life a little better to me.