Neo-Experience of Ramadhan

My semester break begins today and hari raya is just about a week away.  But I’m still here at my apartment, swarmed with books on Nehru and India’s nonalignment foreign policy with the hope that by the end of the week I’ll be able to translate my thoughts on the subject into written thesis material worth submitting to my Supervisor.  Hopefully when it’s all done (one chapter of many that is), I’ll be just in time to celebrate hari raya and the birthday of my “cekodok penyek” (term I used for my girls......and that is a definition I must elaborate one day I guess).

The latest re-printed copy of the book on Nehru's thoughts.  I am reading selected parts of the book but my copy is much earlier, a 1964 re-printed version of the original one

 My Cekodok Penyek will be seven this weekend

Ramadhan has also been moving fairly quickly for me this year and as I write this, we are already into its last quarter.  Fasting this year has been another new experience for me.  Being away from family during the week in Ramadhan has given me time to be much more disciplined with my diet.  My breaking fast menu normally is either pasta or bubur lambuk (special rice porridge found abundant during Ramadhan).  Bubur lambuk has only been the one made by mother in law (better than any other bumbur lambuk that I’ve tried including the famous Kg Baru’s), and sauce for my pasta was made by my lovely wife, both frozen to perfection to last me for the entire month.  Just add sambal ikan bilis or sambal kerang (spicy fried anchovies or cockles) and voila, I have just the meal I need for my breaking fast.   As a result of my ‘modesty’ in the food I consume, I’ve been able to shed almost 3 kg so far, bringing my weight further down to the weight when I was a bachelor.  And the total for this year weight loss record......6kg!!!!  No worry, I’m still human.  My breaking fast menu with the family during weekends constitutes much wider spread, complete with noodles and kuih as appetiser, and a full course of rice and the lauk.  And I’m sure I’ll gain some weight back during hari raya.  Honestly, based on my experience so far, the ‘modest’ meal I consume has been more than enough and my sahur (early morning meal) has been a mug of quarker oat with 3 spoonful of Anlene milk.  I also consume plenty of plain water throughout the night to rehydrate my body.  As a result of this whole moderate approach, I’ve been healthy throughout Ramadhan Alhamdulillah, and I’ve been able to perform Tarawih without feeling sleepy (nap in the afternoon contributes as well) and still have a little bit of drive left to do my assignments till late at night.

The Tarawih prayers at the mosque I go to has been ideal in my opinion.  A short tazkirah (not more than 10 minutes) preceding the prayers and Tarawih of only 8 rakaat.  An ideal combination as far as I’m concerned and kudos to the mosque for coming up with such ingenuity.  The pace is good, no rushing, and done in the comfort of air-conditioned hall.  The best!!!!  I have gained some invaluable knowledge as well during the tazkirah, the fact that it is short and sharp makes it easier for me to capture and remember the salient points.  I wonder if such a short tazkirah has better impact on the jamaah compared to certain long-winded ones that get you neither here nor there.

Shah Alam mosque -  one of the mosques I go to for Tarawih prayers

Ramadhan this year is also coloured with a little family challenge.  My wife was admitted for four days at the hospital after suffering cycles of fever for a week.  It turned out that she had dengue fever.  She was just discharged on Monday, and after going through 7 bottles of IV fluids, I’m glad to see that the worst is over.  She is still recuperating at home and hopefully she’ll be alright by the time hari raya comes.  Me....shuttling between KL and Shah Alam, looking after my twins and our little sanctuary we called home, while juggling my fast approaching assignment deadlines have been a good reminder how challenges can just crop up when you least expected.  However, if you redha (accept your fate), you’ll be in a much better state of mind to deal with the situation and the fact that all these occurred during the holy month of Ramadhan has made it easier for me to deal with them.  Alhamdulillah.

As with the previous few years, I’m still sticking to my pledge of not going to Ramadhan bazaar.  I went once actually when I visited my best friend in Lumut for breaking fast.  I bought kuih talam from the usual trader we frequented, murtabak and the famous Pyan Popiah (this dubbed the best popiah in Sitiawan area can be found behind Billion shopping complex in Manjung) as buah tangan for our host.  And after reading that there were more than 500 people suffering from food poisoning during the first half of Ramadhan and a study revealed that 30-40% of food at certain bazaars were contaminated, I think we must be careful with the food we buy.  I suggest just buy from your known stalls and if you must try something new, the safe bet is to get something that is cooked on the spot like murtabak.  Even certain cook-on-the-spot food like ayam percik or otak-otak could be recycled (hypothetically, not accusing anybody) so just take the necessary precaution.  And we must recognise that majority of the operators are not 'seasoned' players in food business and only ply their trades once a year, so we must understand the potential shortcomings in the first place.  I’m not against buying food from Ramadhan bazaar as I know there is definitely a need for it especially for those who work.  And for me actually, the main reason for my pledged absentee is to refrain from over-indulgence, and the statistics I read in the paper just strengthen my belief in the issue.

 The famous Pyan Popiah

Piping hot murtabak

 Iftar menu at my best friend's house - Gulai rebung, lala, ikan bakar, daging masak kicap etc.

So as we try to heighten our tempo of amalan during this “dijauhkan dari api neraka” third phase of Ramadhan, and as we get nearer to hari raya, and as my marathon thesis writing begins to move at full force.......let me just take this opportunity to say Salam Aidil Fitri and Maaf Zahir Batin, and may the end of Ramadhan be blessed with rahmat as we continue our efforts to be closer to God, InsyaAllah. 

And please, please, please.....take extra precaution on the road as we make our way back to our kampung.  Be mindful that during raya period many drivers who are not experienced in highway driving or driving in heavy traffic will be out there behind the wheels (including many who have not fully comprehended the handling of their newly purchased vehicles specifically acquired to show off to their orang kampung:)).  Please drive defensively and anticipate these additional challenges on the road.  Let’s be extra cautious out there and if you don’t drive, please remind those who do (including your buddy, spouse, relative or even your bus drivers!!).

Have a great hari raya every one!

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).

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.

My Wife’s Great Accomplishment

 The proud moment

Congratulations to my beloved wife.  After 4 long years full of challenges and sacrifice, she has successfully completed her degree in Human Resource Management from the Open University Malaysia (OUM).  When we decided to embark on this journey, we knew it was going to be hard.  Her driving to Ipoh in the early morning on Sunday every 2 weeks, me having to look after our little daughters, her struggle with health on a few occasions that forced her to skip classes, postpone some papers and a couple of final exams, and her many sleepless nights trying to complete papers and assignments are just some examples of the hardship we had to endure during this period.  We even had to face some critiques questioning her rational of pursuing a degree, or the few skeptics who dismissed the credibility of getting an OUM degree.  Well, as the saying goes....."that which does not kill you only make you stronger".  I am glad we did not pay much attention to those naysayers and just kept on going.

  The fruit of her labour....well done Azlin Abd Aziz

Why did she take up the challenge?  Of course I can’t answer on her behalf.  She has her own reasons.  But I did believe from the beginning that the whole journey of acquiring a degree would broaden her horizon and perspective on things.  I always believe the undergraduate experience helps a person to develop a more structured thought process, it helps to develop his/her analytical skill and ultimately enable him/her to approach a problem in a more systematic manner.  I think my wife has shown some of those potentials already.  We did not even think about her getting a job upon completion either.  We decided then to just do it and not worry about whether or not she would seek employment eventually.  I am glad she took up the challenge, and I am pleased to see the much wiser and stronger individual that she has become.

 I hope my little angels are inspired by their Mama's accomplishment

Of course looking back, there are just so many memories.  I acquired some basic cooking skills along the way, only reserved for my family consumption obviously......hahahaha.  The kids loved it, really!  I learned a few valuable knowledge about economy for instance......aggregate demand and aggregate supply, what subsidy does to the shift of equilibrium......so is subsidy good? Now I can form my own opinion, that’s for sure.  She was also so critical about the “appearance” of her paper (I think it was due to her previous experience as a secretary).  The quality of paper, the type of cover, the colour of the ring binder, the spacing of paragraphs, you name it.  She was very meticulous.  Oh, and I think Gardenia has made millions by now from her faithful consumption of Bun Ikan Bilis and the likes during the long lectures at OUM.  Gardenia, I think you should give her a medal for that, serious!!!!  And above all, she has proven to herself especially, that she is capabled of accomplishing great things if she puts her mind to it...... although during some difficult periods she did doubt herself but fortunately at the end she persevered.  And the fact that she managed to conquer her own self-doubt has made her a much stronger person now.

One thing for sure, the whole journey has also strengthened the bond that we share.  I can also appreciate now that being Mama to my kids is not easy, and it has also been proven that I can handle my kids........with lots of guidance and reminders from my wife of course…hahaha.  These are the added bonus that we did not consider earlier on.  For that I am truly grateful. Alhamdulillah. 

 I am so proud of you

So Azlin Abd Aziz, cherish the joy of graduating as you have definitely earned it.  You truly deserve it.  I am so proud of you Sayang!!!  Congratulations!!!

 An incredible day for us all

Mike Flanagan’s 20th Anniversary as the United States Naval Academy Head Coach......Congratulations Mike!!!!!

Mike Flanagan the greatest coach ever

I’m writing this well overdue entry to honour my rugby coach Mike Flanagan. Mike was my coach for more than 3 years during my academy days. When he first arrived in 91, I had no idea who he was, didn’t know he was a legend at Towson State and wouldn’t have thought that he would transform my game beyond my imagination.

This is his team

(and mine too)

This year is Mike’s 20th anniversary as the Head Coach at the academy. He was such a colourful character back then, and I’m sure he still is. He was loud, he didn’t mince his words, four letter words were synonym with him, he really was in your face kind of a coach. But above all those, he was a great coach who was really passionate about the game, a person who made rugby his religion and brought the academy rugby to a soaring new height.

This is Mike's 2008 Team

(they beat Army that year...yeah!!!!)

I am truly blessed that our paths crossed, an encounter that changed my rugby game forever. Mike was the one coach who catapulted my game beyond my own expectation. He pushed me hard, well he pushed everybody hard. But I really felt at home under his watch. I have such wonderful memories playing under his tutelage; I created some miracles while playing for him, we beat Army 15-12 at their home turf in 1992, I scored an unexpected try against Towson in the dying second to secure us the win during my Second Class Year season, the beating we gave Towson State despite the hype of them giving us a good fight during my final year, the incredible first game of Eastern Championships against Dartmouth although we then suffered a heartbreaking loss to Harvard, the sweet victory in the Cherry Blossom Tournament against Loyola Marymount enroute to winning the tournament, securing the highest scoring game against Clemson, the many pushover tries we scored due to our immaculate technique and strength in the scrum etc. In fact sometimes I wasn’t sure whether I was playing for the academy or I was playing for Mike. On one occasion, I was using crutches after suffering an injury in the first game, only to play the next day albeit with a heavily strapped ankle and could only run at jogging pace the whole game.... Mike made me feel that I could be Superman!!!!! Hahahahaha.......and an ample dose of painkiller did help as well.

This is how Mike's team play

One thing I never understood though. Mike never once scolded or yelled at me. Everybody else had their fair share of Mike’s piece of mind either during training or during the games. But he excluded me from the receiving end of his wrath. Maybe he took pity of me thinking that I wouldn’t understand his !@#$%^* words anyway:0. But he never meant to harm anybody and we actually became accustomed to Mike’s way of doing thing....... it was simply Mike’s way. And his way has produced wonders, absolutely! Mike’s way was never the easy way, everybody knew that. He made us ran till we dropped (ahhh.....the killer hill next to the pitch, such wonderful memory), the front rows like Vinnie Johnson would develop cauliflower ears due to the endless scrums the forwards had to endure every day, I was given at least 25 rugby balls everyday to spin at with my scrumhalf partner Darren Platz so that we could develop killer speed and accuracy in our scrumhalf passes, we would have scrimmage every Tuesday to polish our game conditioning and tactics, the killer sprinting we did at the end of every practice and many more. Killer routines all around..... you bet. And above all, Mike was the most brilliant tactician. He knew where our strengths lied and let us exploited them. Mike’s style of rugby suited me very well and I had nothing but fun on the pitch.... I felt at home every time I stepped into a game. I’m sure the hundreds of players who have had the pleasure of playing for Mike felt the same way.

This is the kind of results that Mike produces

So Mike, I know they are planning some incredible programmes to celebrate your incredible achievement. Have a great time, as I know you will. This entry is just my small way of saying how much I appreciate all that you have done for me. Coach, thank you from the very bottom of my heart. You are the best coach one can ever ask for. Congratulations on achieving this incredible milestone in your illustrious career.

Allergy Attack…Arrghhh!!!!

I decided to go swimming on Monday after more than 3 weeks of no physical activity. Final exams, semester break and a field trip to Singapore and Indonesia really kept me away from any meaningful exercise. The 40-minute session in the pool was really good and I could feel myself sweating profusely throughout. Should be good for the body right? Not this time as the next morning I started to feel lower back pain when I woke up. Dismissing anything amiss, I went to attend lecture as usual but instead of being able to shake it off, the prolonged sitting in less than ergonomic chair in the lecture hall led my condition to get worse. By the time the day session finished I was struggling. Even simple bending or twisting was becoming more painful than before.

The situation got worse and by bedtime I knew I was in trouble. I slept lying on my back the whole night without any possibility of rolling to either side. Imagine being in the same position for more than 6 hours. When I woke up this morning I decided that it was time to go see the doctor.

The waiting at the military clinic wasn’t bad as I was called into the doctor’s office not long after I “reported sick” at the counter. The examination was short and sharp. “Any allergy?” he asked, “No” I said. Off to the treatment room with a prescription in hand, and a jab shortly followed. I felt a little better almost immediately and drove back to my apartment.

As I sipped my coffee and read my newspaper, I started to feel this niggling itchiness around my eyes. Ops....am I allergic to the medication? Nahhh.....don’t think so. Within 5 minutes my eyes were all swollen and after consulting my chief nurse (my wife Lin) who is a veteran in allergy department (she is allergic to almost all antibiotics and half of the pain killers in the global inventory!!!!), I quickly put on my uniform again and drove back to the clinic.

Voltren is the culprit

I was attended to almost immediately upon checking in at the clinic. “Yes, you have an allergy here. Any difficulty breathing? Are you aware of any allergy you might have? Are you allergic to any painkiller?” All of which I said “No” to. Another jab and it was all done. Went back feeling sleepy and fell asleep until almost 2 pm. Still feeling groggy as I type this entry.

Red and puffy eyes......still there shortly after the second jab but the itchiness was gone almost immediately

Yes, I know now that I’m allergic to this “Voltren” and must remember to mention it next time before being prescribed with any medication. I guess remembering my childhood cartoon series “Voltron” would help me to permanently remember the name. Hahahaha ......

The city is slowly being swallowed by a heavy downpour. Perfect signal to jump back into bed. I was just starting to put another gear into my thesis writing before all this happened. Oh well, I guess Jawaharlal Nehru and his nonalignment foreign policy can still wait. Life is full of surprise!!!!

Heavy rain on the way to break the current dry spell

Hello Pekanbaru

Logo Provinsi Riau

(Bumi Melayu Lancang Kuning)

Saya baru kembali dari lawatan sambil belajar ke Johor, Singapura dan Pekanbaru di Riau. Melihat perkembangan Indonesia Malaysia Singapore Growth Triangle (IMS-GT) adalah agenda utama. Selama seminggu melakukan lawatan ke Wilayah Iskandar, pusat latihan pegawai tentera Singapura, sebuah syarikat besar di dalam defence industry Singapura, Konsulat Malaysia di Riau, Pejabat Gabenor Riau, syarikat pengeluar minyak Chevron Pacific Indonesia dan syarikat akhbar tersohor di Riau dikenali sebagai Riau Pos banyak yang saya pelajari mengenai institusi di ketiga-tiga negara, dan kebetulannya saya perlu menyediakan laporan terperinci sekembali lawatan maka saya memang sentiasa perlu mencatit pelbagai maklumat dan data terperinci setiap lokasi dilawati.


Namun selain pengalaman daripada lawatan rasmi, saya sebenarnya lebih teruja untuk berkongsi pengalaman peribadi melihat kota Pekanbaru yang merupakan ibu negeri Riau. Memang ianya tidak semaju bandaraya KL atau Penang, tak juga seperti Johor Bharu, namun tetap mempunyai keunikannya sendiri. Kalau nak buat perbandingan, Pekanbaru sekarang baru dalam proses membina flyover yang pertama di dalam kotarayanya maka boleh bayangkan suasana trafik yang masih bercelaru dan sentiasa mengalami kesesakan. Saya duduk di hotel the Grand Jatra betul-betul di tengah kota Pekanbaru, mudah nak meninjau kerana tempat shoppingnya memang dekat dengan hotel. Tapi bukan saya dapat jalan sangat sebab jadual lawatan yang padat, tapi isteri yang turut serta mempunyai lebih banyak masa untuk merayau-rayau menghabiskan duit belanja yang saya beri. Ditambah pula ada isteri pelajar Indonesia yang menjadi host kepada isteri-isteri yang ada, maka bab menghabiskan duit memang tak perlu risau.

The Grand Jatra di tengah-tengah kota

Apa yang boleh dibuat di Pekanbaru? Rasanya kalau perihal shopping tak sehebat Bandung atau Jakarta (walaupun saya tak pernah sampai ke sana tapi bersandarkan ceritanya, Bandung dan Jakarta memang syurga berbelanja) tapi bagi barang-barang seperti kain lace, kain pelekat dan beberapa barangan lain masih lebih murah di Pekanbaru berbanding Malaysia.

Pasar Ramayana merupakan salah satu tempat shopping yang menarik

Riau adalah sebuah daerah (Provinsi mengikut istilah Indonesia) yang amat tebal dengan semangat kemelayuannya, terbukti melalui nama jolokannya Riau Bumi Melayu Lancang Kuning sehingga masyarakatnya melihat ungkapan Hang Tuah “Tuah Sakti Hamba Negeri, Esa Hilang Dua Terbilang, Patah Tumbuh Hilang Berganti, Takkan Melayu Hilang di Bumi” (dipetik dari website rasmi pemerintah Riau) sebagai asas kepada jati diri masyarakat melayu di Riau. Di Pekanbaru sendiri tersergam banyak bangunan kerajaan yang tinggi dengan nilai kemelayuan di dalam rekabentuk senibinanya, malah video promosinya silap-silap boleh disangka promosi mengenai adat budaya melayu di Malaysia, lengkap dengan nyayian dan tarian serta pakaian yang hampir serupa. Sejak menjadi wilayah autonomi tahun 2001 dan setelah berlaku pengasingan daerah Riau dan Kepulauan Riau sebagai dua daerah yang berbeza pada tahun 2004, Riau semakin maju ke hadapan. Saya sendiri agak terpegun melihat Pekanbaru yang begitu asing bagi saya sebelum ini. Berikut adalah antara yang saya perhatikan selama 3 hari di sana:

Ciri-ciri kemelayuan amat terserlah dalam rekabentuk bangunan pejabat Gabenor Riau ini

Pakaian dan budayanya yang banyak ciri-ciri serumpun dengan kita

~ Pekanbaru dinobatkan sebagai salah sebuah bandar terbersih di Indonesia. Memang bersih, tak boleh lawan kebersihan Singapura tapi usaha mereka memang boleh dibanggakan dan kita boleh belajar dari kejayaan mereka ini.

~ Riau merupakan salah sebuah daerah pengeluar minyak terbesar di Indonesia, namun carigalinya tertumpu di daratan di beberapa kawasan utama seperti Minas dan Duri. Banyak hasil minyaknya weh!!!

Hasil minyak sumber kekayaan utama

~ Masjid Agung An-Nur tersergam megah di tengah-tengah kota Pekanbaru amat saya kagumi kerana rekabentuknya yang teramat gah dan unik. Di sekeliling ruang solatnya yang luas dan di setiap tiang serinya yang entah berapa jumlahnya, terpahat ukiran ayat-ayat al-Quran selebar lebih kurang enam inci diperbuat dari tembaga. Wow!!! Sempat saya sembahyang Jumaat di sana dan melihat cara beribadat masyarakat Islam melayu Riau. Ritualnya hampir sama, dan khutbahnya juga amat bagus kerana khatib tidak membaca teks khusus. Tapi bab kena bagi duit saguhati untuk simpan kasut supaya tidak hilang....hmmmm. Derma ikhlas yang tidak ditetapkan nilainya.......Agak kurang bersetuju. Terdapat banyak juga masjid yang indah saya nampak di Pekanbaru yang kebanyakannya mempunyai persamaan dalam beberapa ciri rekabentuknya tapi kerana kesuntukan masa tak sempat melawat atau mengambil gambar. Satu kerugian bagi saya dan kalau berpeluang lagi memang aspek ini yang saya nak lihat dan tahu dengan lebih dekat.

Masjid Agung An-Nur Pekanbaru

~ Saya melihat kebanyakan bangunan yang tersergam indah adalah bangunan kerajaan. Terlalu jauh perbezaan antara keadaan bangunan kerajaan berbanding bangunan milik persendirian. Ada yang mengatakan setelah menjadi wilayah autonomi, pentadbir Pekanbaru mempunyai lebih banyak budget tapi kurang cekap menguruskannya maka berlaku ketirisan dan pengurusan kewangan yang tidak begitu efisyen. Entahlah ....... pastinya ini bukan sesuatu yang boleh dirumuskan oleh seorang warga asing seperti saya yang datang berkunjung untuk tempoh yang begitu singkat.

~ Akhbar di Riau sememangnya bebas melaporkan apa juga berita tanpa perlu risau terhadap pengaruh pemerintah atau pihak tertentu. Bagi daerah Riau sahaja saya difahamkan terdapat 17 akhbar harian. Adakah akhbar di sana lebih bebas berbanding akhbar di sini? Bagaimana tahap kematangan masyarakat dalam menilai berita yang disampaikan? Bagaimana pula tahap kamatangan akhbar sendiri dalam melakukan self-censorship. Itu adalah antara persoalan yang saya terfikir sepanjang lawatan ke syarikat akhbar terbesar di sana. Apa-apapun, berita lawatan rombongan yang saya sertai turut dimuatkan setiap hari oleh akhbar tersebut. Glamer lah juga......

Ibu pejabat Riau Pos

~ Indonesia berbangga sebagai sebuah negara yang mengamalkan ‘true democracy’. Perjawatan penting seperti Gabenor Provinsi, Datuk Bandar (Wali Kota), Pegawai Daerah (Bupati Kabupaten) semuanya dilakukan secara pilihanraya dan tempoh memegang jawatan dihadkan kepada tempoh tertentu seperti contohnya 2 penggal maksimum bagi Gabenor. Kalau di negara kita semua perjawatan di negeri dan PBT adalah secara lantikan. Kalau pendekatan sebegini boleh dilakukan di negara sebesar Indonesia, persoalannya mengapa tidak di negara kita? I know it’s not that simple but why not we consider it.

~ Makan......memang terbaik!!!! Bermula dengan jamuan tengahari oleh Konsulat Malaysia, seterusnya jamuan tengahari oleh pejabat Gabenor Riau dan jamuan tengahari yang kami biaya sendiri, sememangnya makanan di Pekanbaru sedap. Ikan patin gulainya, sambal jeringnya, sambal hijaunya, sambal kuininya…. perghhhh!!! Memang saya makan banyak semasa di sana. Tapi yang paling nikmat adalah jus buah-buahan yang teramat berkualiti dan murah berbanding di negara kita yang selalunya teramat cheapskate dalam menyediakan jus. Pada harga tidak sampai RM3 segelas besar saya rasa jus avocado, jus durian belanda (soursop) dan jus mangganya memang terbaekkkkkk!!!! Paling tidakpun kalau nak cepat dan sedap, bakso pada harga berpatutan memang senang didapati cuma kena berhati-hati di mana nak makan, saya biasanya memilih makan bakso di shopping complex atau restoran yang nampak bersih dan teratur.......takut kena food poisoning. Kepada mereka yang berniaga di Malaysia, kenapa ler buat jus yang ‘cheapskate’ tapi charge harga mahal, di Pekanbaru jusnya teramat berkualiti tapi kenakan harga ‘cheapskate’......baru betul!!!! We have so much to learn still, bila ler nak berubah agaknya.

Gulai patin (boleh cuba juga ikan baung yang dimasak cara serupa)

Sambal jering (atau jengkol)

My all time favourite.....jus avocado (dikenali jus alpokat di sana)

~ Satu soalan......kenapa Malaysian kalau ke negara luar atau bila berbicara dengan warga asing cuba mengikut slanga atau accent warga asing tersebut? Cakap dengan orang Indonesia accentnya pun ikut jadi Indonesian…Wah Bapak , hebat sekali!! Enggak ada diskonnya? Hahaha......tapi kita tak pula melihat orang Indonesia mengajuk accent kita, kenapa ye? Bila ke UK, accentnya mengalahkan orang British……Ohhhh, how wonderful! Would you like a cup of tea?......How are you mate? Itu bila jumpa Australian....Cool Man, whassup brother? .....American accent anybody? Kena buat kajian ni kenapa kita cepat sangat terikut-ikut cakap orang lain. Adakah itu maknanya kita ni cepat menyesuaikan diri dalam apa suasanapun atau adakah kita mempunyai krisis identiti sehingga merasakan hanya dapat berdiri sama tinggi bila bercakap seperti mereka. Tapi kalau melihat bagaimana sesetengah kita mencedok budaya Mat Salleh lebih dari Mat Salleh sendiri, boleh tepuk dada dan jawab sendiri. Ingat lagi semasa sekolah dulu, bila ada Mat Salleh belum kenal lagi siapa dah awal-awal lagi panggil ‘sir’. Bab yang suka ikut accent orang lain ni saya rasa kita kena ubah sikit untuk kebaikan masa depan. Ya, saya sendiri turut melakukan kesalahan ini tapi saya dah lama cuba untuk berubah.......cuma kekadang terselit sikit-sikit tu adat ler.....hahahaha.

~ Melencong sikit tapi rasanya tak lari sangat dari tajuk.....semasa di Singapura pemandu bas yang membawa kami mematuhi semua peraturan lalulintas di sana. Contohnya bila nampak lampu kuning dia akan perlahankan kenderaan untuk berhenti, tapi lain pula keadaannya bila memandu di Malaysia. Belasah jer walaupun lampu dah bertukar merah. Pelik kan? Begitu juga pemandu Singapura yang memasuki Malaysia dan mula memandu macam pelesit......adakah ini cuma sekadar melepas gian. Di Pekanbaru pula pemandu-pemandunya tak bawa laju tapi peraturannya lebih mengikut siapa berani dan siapa besar. Pemandu bas boleh memotong barisan dan menghimpit sehingga kereta terpaksa berundur bagi memberi laluan, bas membunyikan hon menyuruh basikal ke bahu jalan dan bukan cuba mengelak penunggang basikal tersebut. Kadang-kadang seriau melihat betapa dekatnya bas berselisih dengan kenderaan lain, dan pastinya kereta atau motor akan memberi laluan kepada bas kami.

Jalan utama di tengah-tengah Pekanbaru di mana flyover sedang dibina...sibuk memanjang

Secara keseluruhannya saya suka melihat keadaan di Pekanbaru. Penduduknya yang ramah dan mudah tersenyum, pekedai yang sabar melayan kerenah pelanggan tanpa mengeluh atau memasamkan muka, pemandangan di jalanan yang menceritakan seribu satu pengertian dan yang paling saya teruja ialah melihat potensinya, Pekanbaru sendiri dan provinsi Riau seluruhnya untuk menjadi sebuah daerah ekonomi yang maju dan berdaya saing. Memang masih terlalu jauh untuk dibandingkan dengan negara kita tapi tanpa sedar mereka semakin merapatkan jurangnya dan kalau kita tidak berhati-hati, kita akan ketinggalan akhirnya. Senario yang sama juga saya perhatikan semasa lawatan ke Ho Chi Minh City dan Hanoi beberapa bulan lepas, so wake up Malaysians!!!......ingat dulu ramai warga kita ke Singapura untuk shopping kerana barangannya yang murah dan kuasa beli kita yang tinggi. Macam déjà vu pulak melihat begitu ramai warga Malaysia berbondong-bondong shopping ke Ho Chi Minh City dan Bandung ketika ini. Adakah keadaannya akan berubah sebaliknya satu hari nanti? We’ll see and harap-harap tidak jadi begitu.