The nth of the last

Auntie has lost count how many days it was since auntie's besday. A few days ago auntie discovered a few strands of white hair on auntie's head and so tokujut coz selama ini auntie amatlah perasan betapa awet mudanya auntie (well, I'm so self confident about that, I really believed it even though so many tesco young employees called me makcik, Auntie always tell myself that they are addressing that jongos woman lining up behind me and not yours truly). And also because masa auntie potong rambut a few weeks ago nyonya hairdresser baru jek puji tentang kehitaman rambut auntie. Sob! Sob!

Anyways, actually auntie nak blog pasai white hair last week dah but decided against it tapi today rasa terpanggil plak coz kengkawan mengingatkan balik birthday auntie. Petang we were suppose to get together for tea and bila auntie sampai kat bilik Intang, depa rupanya buat surprised besday tea. Tenkiu kengkawan despite the very rushed party (about half hour only), it was very nice and greatly appreciated.

Tenkiu and Sorry Intang kerana mengotorkan alas meja opis you. Since sekarang ni opis auntie agak berjauhan dari Intang's auntie is getting less chance to do our routine winding-down ritual every evening before going back to our spouses and family. That I'm going to miss the ritual is probably a subconscious reason why it took auntie almost a year before auntie finally make any real effort to move. Tu pun still ada dua tiga kerapah lagi kat opis lama. Tenkiu Shaida for coming to tea and also for the lovely impromptu dinner last week. Auntie akan jadi Shaida's neighbour soon and AH is looking forward to getting sepinggan or sepiring or sejuring dari apa yg Shaida masak hari-hari untuk Che Bak, suaminya (nampak sangat AH seorang suami yg deprived).

Tenkiu Samantha kerana teman auntie balik opis lepas korang citer pasai hantu petang2 hari. And tenkiu for confirming opis auntie takdok hantu...so far. Yes, Samantha ada that kind of gift yang bagi seribu ringgit pun auntie tamau acquire (kalau bagi 10,000 ringgit mungkin auntie or even sleepyhead akan consider coz we are embarking o kitchen cabinet projects, but that's another story).

Anyways, kerana takdak sorang pun terpikir bawak camera yg berjurus sket ke tea party, auntie tatau la bila auntie boleh dapat gambar from camera phone kengkawan ni, especially Samantha yg tak pernah download gambar from camera semenjak awal tahun lepas. So, enjoy la artist's impression of besday cake yg kami makan kat tea party tadi:



BABAI

Books and Lamps

This a quick morning entry (hey, despite what you think, auntie does work sometime!).

First the books part,

Congratulations Sleepyhead on the new glossary publication. Inilah the bane of our profession. The cliched "publish or perish". But these days we have to do much more than that to stay alive in this job: "publish, pretend to teach, give students high marks and suck-up or perish!" But then, auntie tak sweat sangat la pasai tu. In the end, rezeki kita Tuhan yg tentukan. Dok suck-up pong, tup2 gomen tukaq, tak ke rugi 3-4 tahun membontoti last boss yg mungkin may lose the last shirt on his back or the the last pants on his a_s for that matter. Baik la dok low-profile and compete dengan diri kita sendiri. Maksudnya, kalau hari ni kita dapat tulis glossary IT, esok kita mesti tulis lagi bes yg akan menjanjikan pendapatan lebih lumayan seperti menulis glossary masak-memasak ke, tukul-menukul ke... (ok, ok auntie dah merepek dah ni...sbb baru pekena kopi 3 in one and on adrenalin).

Anyways, Sleepyhead, selamat maju jaya and terus menulis and btw, buku yg auntie contribute chapters pun baru keluar. Tajuk dia something on "Teknik Berfikir". Kalau semua university offer this course as a university-wide course, Insya Allah auntie boleh kaya 10 tahun lagi. Tu pun kalau new HE Minister kata kursus berfikir relevan kepada job-market. Kalau dia kata producing robotic graduates to the job market lagi relevant, bukan saje buku auntie akan jadi tak laku, office auntie yg dok buat research pasai oghang puang ni pong akang abih tadok stabuk. Maybe auntie kena start re-'skilling' myself with karipap-making. Hrmmm. But I got an apartment to renovate, so how?


Now the lamps part,

Before auntie really sign off to do some work (like looking up mak's karipap recipe tu), auntie nak tunjuk gambo kat bawah ni ni kat the maybe-unknowingly-blogging-brother whom auntie hopes still baca blog auntie (coz hari tu dia sedikit confuse dengan one of auntie's entries, but being the closet intellectual that he is, auntie hopes he perseveres with this blog) .

Anyways, 1000 tahun yg lalu auntie ada beli lampu camni dari Argos, UK dan hopefully masih ada dlm kotak2 serabai auntie kat attic rumah lama mak tu. Kalau ada masa tulun cari and letak tepi or hantar rumah baru mak so that kalau auntie balik boleh senang terus ambik (and tak perlu gi 'ceroboh' kediaman korang to kerobek kat attic tu). Ada orang nak buat opis kat apartment baru and that lamp is just nice for the office table. Tulun ek? Kalu dok jumpe maksudnya auntie dah misplace kat mana2. Sob! Sob!





Babai dang wassalang!

Mommy and London and Hi Intang

Mommy is now regretting giving that sage advice to Sleepyhead and tempias also kat auntie. Sorry, Mommy, auntie dah pergi cancel cuti to London and have already used the allocated money for the tickets to commit myself to nice laminated flooring project for my new apartment. Anyways, even without the advice, auntie would have finally withdrawn from the plan because the ticket fares are actually way beyond what auntie had budgeted. To tak termasuk shopping money lagi. Maybe if Mommy's trip have been in autumn or winter, the tickets would be cheaper. So, hopefully Mommy will get another trip like this in the future.

In another turn of event (hehe, like news plak), auntie would like to welcome auntie's dear friend Intang to this blog. After so many months asking her to visit this blog, she finally conceded a few minutes ago. Pastu siap boleh komplen takde cerita pasai dia. Intang, now that you have started visiting the blog, you may suddenly find too many stories about you plak. In any case, kita kang banyak rahsia rumahtangga yg dikongsi bersama, dan our spouses may have access to this blog, so I have to think real hard before ceritaring about what we are up to at the office (other than pretend to be working, of course).

To the possibly 7 other people reading this blog (4 of them know Intang), Intang is one of the pioneering member of the infamous gang badak, the youngest in the gang but prolly the most sensible. Like Mommy, she's an avid planner and have 35 years of her and her family's lives ahead already worked out on paper (originally, in a series of little notebooks she carried in her handbag, later in her well-used Palm Top). Did I mention Intang is a Psychologist by training and an expert on coping with stress? This also means that we get free related consultation with her whenever we are down in the dumps. AH is also a regular 'client' of Intang and his gripes are, of course, about auntie. Well, he has been warned that the confidentiality therapist-client rule does not apply in his case.

OK, before auntie goes back to work, rasa-rasanya yang mana satu The Psychologist? The other person would be The Garang Communicator.

Je vais a Londres ou je ne vais pas a Londre, Part II

Despite auntie's systematic analysis using de Bono's (maybe auntie should've just listen to Bono of U2) PMI, Mommy, ever the sensible economist, has reminded auntie and Sleepyhead how money spent on (sic) London could have been more well-spent on decorating and renovating (where necessary) our newly acquired nests. Of course Mommy is genuine because by us not going to London is a big loss to her (she has to be all by her lonesome self there). Although Mommy's sage advice was only for Sleepyhead, lepas check flight tickets auntie felt that auntie has to postpone this trip also. Especially because the fares are sooooo exhorbitant and could prolly be used to get two sets of 3-seater leather sofas for auntie's new apartment. So, maybe auntie akan tunggu sponsored trip to London (which means more slogging away at the grindstone to achieve this privelege), hopefully soon.

So, sorry, my dear frengs...no kirim la maknanya.

So, these are some of the things to remind us of GRAND OLE LONDON:

The famous t-shirts

There are many things people lurvvvv about LONDON, but these are some of Auntie's favs:

The scrumptious breakkies

Ooooo, i Lurvvvv English muffins

The bland but so beautifully formed crumpets

And scones!!!!!!

The greasy, paper-wrapped fish and chips (not the quaint, yuppy-class one served in American-influnced Malaysian restaurants)

The shopping.....

(Auntie may be pleibian, but these are auntie's fav places, among others)

Of course, you will see auntie stepping into this store from time to time.

In terms of travelling this year, of course auntie has this to look forward to...

(Relaku pujuk hati ini....sob sob)

Ini adalah...

Favorite song auntie masa ini:




"How To Save A Life"

Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
And you begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you've told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you've followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he'll say he's just not the same
And you'll begin to wonder why you came

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

How to save a life
How to save a life


Sorry, tatau camne nak letak music video dia kat blog but there are a few on YouTube.
Enjoy!

Ini adalah...

...rupa AH bila bangun tidur pagi tadi (well, of course gambar tu bukan dia but you can use that for imagination). Auntie telah mengalami mimpi yang sungguh ngeri malam tadi di mana auntie telah berlawan dengan sekor raksaksa (dlm bentuk pompuan cantik yg cuba goda AH) dan auntie telah bagi dia (raksaksa pompuan tu, bukan AH) sebijik!

Malangnya, mangsa sebenar ialah suamiku. Tolong la bagi kat dia nombor tepon mana2 pertubuhan (selain WCC coz auntie Honorary Secretary WCC) yang memberi khidmat teledera.

PS: Malam ini mungkin auntie akan terajang raksaksa itu sampai jatuh, so AH better go sleep in the other room.

Je vais a Londre our je ne vais pas a Londre...

...c'est-a-dire le question.





The English translation of that rustic French is: "I go to London or I don't go to London, that is the question". Let's do a de Bono PMI (Plus, Minus, Interesting) analysis, shall we:

Plus:

• Auntie boleh bersukaria
• Auntie boleh dok kat apartment cung
  
• Auntie boleh bershopping
• Auntie boleh visit kampung halaman auntie
• Auntie boleh bersukaria (and repeat 1000x)

Minus:

• Buat penghabih duit jek

Interesting (where you are not sure whether the point is good or bad)

• Kena tinggal AH coz dia takleh ikut
• Balik2 jek terus kena pi KL for 2 weeks for training
• Tak leh tengok TV Mesia (duh!)

Nampaknya 'Plus' paling banyak point, so Auntie kena pegi London. Yeayyyyy!

German Lady in PD

Bro1 has put a picture of the German Lady in PD in his blog. This is of course after she covered up her swimsuit. Apparently she shares the same birthday as auntie. Gutten taag.

Second and last

This is the second day of the last year...

And here are bersukaria pictures:

This is the cake courtesy of the staff (they donno auntie blogs). The besday is shared with Hasniza, one of the staff. Hers is actually on the 17th but all-in-one is better than none what..?

These are the thoughtful staff. Second besday gal is in lavender tudung.

Late afternoon celebration in Intan's room.

More prezzie

and more...

isn't the resemblance uncanny? it must be the german woman in pd.

Thank you kengkawan for all the lovely gifts. Mdm Lady Boss also gave love prezzies but auntie belum take picture.

The first and the last Part II

Sorry, sorry. Oleh kerana auntie already said tenkiu in e-mail and on YM to them, auntie terlupa say tenkiu on blog to mommy and sleepyhead. Tenkiu my lovely, dependable sisters. Bila auntie turun KL kita mesti ada girls day out.

BABAI

The first and the last

Today is the first day of the last year auntie will claim the age 30+. Of course there are many mathematical equations that auntie can use to show that auntie is in fact of school-going age but auntie will not delude herself.

Anyways, thanks for all the good wishes and prezzies either promised or already delivered :).

One of the bestest prezzie is the besday wish from mon cher pere. First time in all of these years. And using technology some more. Here is his sms:

Selamat hari lahir bak dan mak ucapkan dlm prjalanan k trengganu dgn din

Well, never mind that only half of that sentence is a wish. It is still soooo precious.

Other smses include:

From AH:

Appy Bes Day Ngok Ngek Abung! I Lap U.

Earliest sms for the day from Samantha:

Chor, happy almost 40... (all nice polite wishes)...Do safe sex wakakakaka

My response:

Tenkiu. Sorry late reply. We were having veryyyyyy safe sex aka kroh kroh (zzzz to the uninitiated)

Intang, Samantha, Shills, Noya & K Nor, thank you always for sesama memperingati besday masing-masing. Dah dekat2 senja ni memang selalu ada yg terlupa: "Eh besday badak A, esok ke ari ni?" "Dok, bulan depan la sudin...."

Gambar bersukaria besday akan ditunjukkan bila senang. Sekarang kena balik utk mula celebration ngan AH plak coz pagi tadi pi kerja subuh sepihi. Babai.

Piscean and Welcome Lady Emi

Hari ni auntie dapat tau, selain daripada kaum keghabat, 2 co-presidents geng badak dan Ms Hart, ada sorang lagi orang yg visit blog auntie yg penuh dengan gambar keluarga Hj Endut dan kaki AH ni. Selamat datang Lady Emi. Auntie tau lady emi adalah geng bukan-badak kepada sleepyhead. Auntie dah jumpa ramai kawan sleepyhead tapi maybe auntie belum jumpa lady emi.

Lady emi ada tinggal comment dalam blog entry auntie yg about long-live piscean. Mungkinkah dia juga piscean? Kalau begitu, auntie wish a happy birthday to lady emi whichever date her birthday is this month.

Of course, mommy, being the economist and always planning ahead, had wished happy birthday to auntie last week even before Penang had a change of government. Mommy seemed to have gauged that she will be terribly busy this week writing 1000 and one reasons why the stock market has plunged.

Although there is change of government in Penang, this shall not have any influence at all on auntie's unhappiness about seeing the last of the digit 3 in front of auntie's age. Of course, auntie' happiness is compounded by the foreseeable prediction that AH will forget auntie's birthday unless auntie knocks his memory with a kekabu-laden bantal golek tonight.

Well, anyways, shall auntie act nonchalant or all excited tomorrow? Hhhhmmm....

tribute to grandmothers

Masa auntie dok kemas barang kat office auntie semalam, auntie terjumpa a poem auntie wrote a few days after our tok, Tok Bibah, passed away. I think auntie e-mailed this poem to mommy and mushu but just in case they have lost it, here it goes again (auntie dah hilang soft copy, so auntie has laboriously re-written it):

Limericks for my grandmother

She was a budding eleven
When she was banned from her playing haven
Her mother said you should no longer climb those trees in the garden
Stay at home and from your sisters get the domestic lessons
For come the month of seven
You'll be married to your cousin

Five children and miles of journet later
She was barely two and twenty if she was a day older
When the news came that her husband and anchor
Slain by enemies in the forest yonder

She remembered their vows together
Education is the most precious gift we could offer
To our children, equally sons and daughters
These promises she would never break asunder

Unlearned in the lettered world herself, she went on
No jobs were too difficult, never easily put upon
I must at least see through my eldest's schooling, she determined
No matter that she was a girl, and people around were jeering
That she'd be slaving in the kitchen in the end

Her widowed state was never a hindrance
To enjoying life as given by God abundance
She, on the other hand, never refused Almighty's bounty
Who gave her two more husbands and children aplenty

She was ever the maternal harbour
Pulling sons, daughters, their descendants together
In subtle harmony and candour
In sadness and in laughter

One of her last words keep haunting me
With my granddaughter I would like to be
But she lives in yonder state
In a tower with height so great
She'll have difficulty if I'll be ill
I don't want to do this to her, even if consent she will

In her eternal sleep pearling dews sprinkled her forehead
Her ending was husnul khatimah we sincerely prayed
At eighty she has gone to meet her Creator
But her spirit lives with us forever
And forget her we will never
Tok Bibah in our minds, constantly, ever.

Al Fatihah

26th May 2003, noon.


In the spirit of celebrating grandmothers, here's another poem I wrote in memory of my honorary grandma, Tok Lebaq:

An Ode to Tok Lebaq

(who passes peacefully on the 8^th of May 2005, May Allah Bless Her)

(fashioned after Elizabeth Barrett Browning’s “Sonnets from the Portuguese”)

How do I remember thee? Let me count the ways:

I remember when your name was fist mentioned,

Spoken with underlying affection,

I wondered at the person,

Who could invoke such deep devotion,

From a granddaughter who otherwise seems utterly “no-nonsense”

I remember that day I met you,

Such a wonder I should tell you,

That a big, bulky name has been given,

To such a tiny graceful woman

The most profound thing I remember though,

Is how warm you welcomed us all,

So gracious a host I couldn’t ask for,

You embraced us into the family with sincere candour

I remember your eyes and seasoned face

They mirrored well-numbered journeys through time and space

Of life full of wisdom and sage

That never waned in spite of your age

We will always remember our honorary grandmother

With fondness in hearts but regrets never

You have touched our lives and somehow make them richer

We shall treasure that always and forever

May Allah bless you with His most worthy Rahmah

Tok Lebaq, we solemnly bid you goodbye with His words, al-Fatihah

May 10, 2005

12 noon

Sleepyhead,
Where is that poem you read for Mak on her birthday a couple of years ago? I hope you have not lost the scraps of paper we wrote it (in all of five minutes) on.

long live piscean

Auntie has been in and out of office and home because of work and hardly had anytime to sit at the computer. Auntie also tengah dok pindah office dari office yg auntie pernah dok selama 10 tahun ke office 'baru'. Walaupun auntie dapat office baru about a year ago, I keep putting off moving coz there are like two lorries of things in auntie's old office to move to the new one. Lagipun, new office belum ada book shelves yg proper (very important condition for auntie's line ofwork). So, for the past week or so, auntie has been 'abusing' my privelege of having a kind Research Officer by asking her to help me move my books and kerapah from the office. Auntie is using the "...dan tugas-tugas berkaitan yang lain yang diperlukan oleh Ketua Penyelidik" part of the RO's term of reference to justify this. Getting the books moved is a very 'berkaitan' part of doing research what...? How would we do research if my reference materials are all over the place? So 5 car loads of books and files have been moved and sekarang tinggal kerapah yang tak semenggah seperti kasut2 auntie (yes, kat rumah dah ada sekepuk, kat office sekepuk lagi) and mainan AH yang we all tak tau mana nak letak sementara nak tunggu dapat rumah.

Anyways, this entry is supposed to be birthday wishes to fellow Pisceans. First, Happy Belated Birthday to Shills who celebrated her 4++ (hehehe) birthday on the 1st of March. Shills is in Jakarta, so donno la whether she had a besday bash or not. Shills was a co-president (could be self-elected) of our now-less-active 'badaks' (as in cute-nyeeee) group. Shills also blogs. See my blog list to go to her blog. Her blog always make me hungry coz it's full of pictures of glorious food.

Another birthday wish goes to my dahling Ajmal. 2 years old on 3rd of March. Only person in the family who shares the same star sign as auntie. Ajmal's latest pic (I presume) is in ayah aka bro1's and sleepyhead aka mushu's blogs. Bila party ni? Auntie selalu miss kiddies' besday parties.

Anyways, to the above and all other Pisceans, may we gentle, artistic people live long, prosperous lives. Amin.