Kisah sekolah

Auntie supposes today is a good day as any to start updating auntie's blog again after over a month of hiatus. As usual, been busy doing this and doing that. In the mean time, many events came and went without auntie able to 'report' them on blog. Of course, auntie's main excuse was the lack of workable camera for auntie to put pictures with words but now auntie got meself a nice carry-in-handbag camera, so hopefully, auntie boleh update blog more regularly, presumably to the delight of friends and family yg still dok baca blog ni.

1st event auntie nak report (although auntie didn't have own pictures of it) was the 4zero reunion celebrating of auntie's school friends. This reunion is to celebrate our batch reaching the age of 40 this year and still feeling fourteen. Sadly,auntie did not get to attend the reunion in Pullman Resort Putrajaya coz auntie was conducting a training in KL and then auntie went home to Kuantan for a family event (so more past-event entries to come!). The picture above was the cool design that the gang had come up with to signify the celebration. It was also the design on the sexy apron that everyone got for door gifts (auntie will post pictures of auntie's apron later).

Tapi, walaupun auntie tak pergi, auntie telah berjaya mengirim sebuah puisi sebagai dedikasi kepada kawan2. Auntie pernah dikenali disekolah sebagai penulis puisi yg agak kompeten si sekolah dulu (chewah) so tak heranlah mengapa madam presiden kepada AJK penganjuran yg dikenali sebagai PGK (Pompuan Gila Kuasa)telah meminta auntie menulis sajak utk event tersebut. Thanks, Tatee for the request. If was my great pleasure.

Sajak auntie dibaca oleh soft-spoken, calm and collected Shahnaz,now a teacher in Kedah. Tajuk sajak is "Cerita Kita 2". Cerita Kita 1 was presented in our reunion in 2006. So, here goes:

CERITA KITA 2

Kawan-kawan,
Kita ketemu lagi,
Bukan hanya di jasad dan mata,
Tapi jua di hati nurani,
Persahabatan kita ini tidak mengenal jurang fizikal
Kerana ia tertambat jauh di sudut kalbu yang suci.

Kawan-kawan,
Pernahkah kita terfikir saat dulu,
Bertemu dalam sunti,
Usia manusiawi belum kenal kendiri,
Tapi kita sudah perlu mengerti,
Tanpa ibu ayah bersama di sisi,
Kita sesama mengisi kekuatan mencari hala
Cabaran hidup remaja

Kawanku,
Kita bersama seperlapan usia,
Kita bersaudara sehayat yang ada,
Empat belas, empat puluh, hanya angka,
Sahabat sezaman di hati sentiasa.

Duhai sahabat sezaman,
Kita bertemu berpandang mata, berlapang dada,
Yang tiada bersama, dalam ingatan kita tetap serupa,
Yang pergi tak kembali, usah dilupa walau seketika,
Al-Fatihah usah lekang di bibir untuknya.

Marilah dalam pertemuan ini kita panjatkan,
Syukur yang tawaddhu’ kepada Ilahi,
Kerana dengan kehendak-Nya jua kita bertemu lagi kali ini,
Dan marilah pohon doa pada Yang Esa,
Hari ini penuh makna bahagia
Dan biar berkumpul kita saat ini
Bukan untuk akhir kali.


SEMPENA HARI GURU, AUNTIE NAK UCAPKAN SELAMAT HARI GURU KEPADA SEMUA GURU YG PERNAH AJAR AUNTIE. YG AUNTIE MASIH INGAT TERMASUKLAH DI SEKOLAH RENDAH: PN KAMARIAH SULONG, CIK AMINAH TAIB, MS LOW OWN THYE, MRS FONG, CIK CHE SU, USTAZ-TAK-INGAT-NAMA-TAPI-TELAH-TRAIN-AUNTIE-UTK-MUSABAQAH, MS YAP-GURUBESAR, PN FARIDAH, USTAZAH ZALEKHA, PN SABIHAH; DI SEKOLAH MENENGAH TERMASUKLAH PN SAODAH, CIK NASRIAH HJ MAGHRIBI(PRINCIPAL), PN NAEMAH, MR TAN JHI SENG, MS VICKY, USTAZAH FATIMAH, USTAZAH ZABEDAH, UST MUHAMMAD, PN RUSNAWI (the only teacher yg pernah marah auntie- hehe, good student la kunun), MS NANA TILAKA, MR TILAKA (brother of Ms Tilaka), MS LOH, PN ALAWIYAH (ramai lagi auntie ingat muka tapi tak ingat nama); KAT UNIS: JOANNA SHAPLAND, JG MERILLS, JOHN SUTCLIFFE, SHIELA TILLY, MS LILY (tak ingat surname), MICHAEL ANDERSON, JANE CONNORS, IAN EDGE, ANDREW HARDING. MANY-MANY MORE NAMES YG AUNTIE TAK INCLUDE COZ AUNTIE TAK INGAT NAMA TAPI AUNTIE INGAT ORANG-ORANGNYA.

ANYWAY, THE GREATEST TEACHER'S DAY AUNTIE NAK WISH IS TO THE BEST TEACHER IN THE FAMILY: CIKGU HALIMAH HJ AHMAD. AUNTIE ALSO WISHES HER A WARMEST BELATED MOTHER'S DAY.

Auntie sudah ada ini...

So, soon, auntie akan gumbira to blog again.

Tenkiu.

Misused and Abused- THE REAL THING

Sebagai selingan kerana auntie tengah busy prepare for auntie's training on violence against women, here's a brief way to introduce the issue (pls go to the url and watch the animation):

facetheissue


Also, auntie was pleasantly surprised with a feedback from a participant in last year's training. Her tribute to the training is here

Misused and Abused

Tajuk entry ni takde kena mengena dengan wanita2 yg auntie bantu dalam kerja amal auntie. Au contraire (betul ke ejaan ni?), it refers to AH's feelings about being married to auntie. This is evidence in this phone conversation:

Kringg! Kringg!

Mamachupan: Hello.

AH: Mamachupan, can I talk to you now?

Mamachupan: Yes, apa dia AH?

AH: Ni, I nak mengadu pasai bini I ni.

Mamachupan: Kenapa?

AH: Tadi dia balik rumah, duduk atas katil pastu k-r-k hidung dia dan membuat cubaan memegang I dengan tangan dia yg bekas t-h- hidung tu. Bila I tanya dia, sape ajar buat benda camni ni, dia kata MAMACHUPAN! Pastu dia cabar I suruh call you to verify. Hidup I sungguh lah stress sekarang.

Mamachupan: Kekekekeke (auntie tak dengar exactly apa mamachupan cakap). Of course I tak suruh dia buat tu.

AH: Memang la I tau. Tapi sbb dia cabar I, I kena call la you jugak. Macam ni singkatlah hidup I. Asyik kena seksa dengan bini. Dah lah I dok stress dengan krisis negara dan dunia. Pastu kena deal pulak ngan bini yg samseng. Semuanya nak menjawab.

Mamachupan: Tu la, AH. Sape suruh pi kawin ngan pompuan yg cerdik pandai! (Hehehe. Ni auntie agak jek apa mamachupan kata).

Auntie kata:
Bang, ni phone no teledera: 1 800 88 3040.

What were you up to when the lights were out?

Auntie thinks most people auntie knows managed to observe the 'let's turn the lights off for an hour' call tonight as part of the Earth Hour Campaign. Although there are a few people who are skeptical about the campaign eg questioning about how fleeting this observation is and whether it could significantly contributed to saving the earth if people then forget about it and continue their merry way with wasting energy. Auntie agrees with this argument to a certain extent. Hopefully people don't just take this earth hour call as a sort of fun and game only or worse, just to clear their conscience for all possible wastage they have committed. Let's hope this is a beginning or a continuous effort in our strive to help reduce the world's wastage and to guard our earth against impending destruction due to mindless usage and wastage.

Well, anyway, how did you observe earth hour? Auntie and AH decided (well, mostly auntie decided and AH gamely followed) that we should turn all the lights in the bedroom off as well as the TV and computers. But we did have the air-cond on coz both of us would have been suffocated without it (you would understand this if you ever had the privilege of seeing out room (but not likely in the near future). At the moment we do not have control over the rest of the house because we have the title-owners living with us (AH's parents, of course). But AHs's mom thought that the lights off was a government injunction, so she had followed through with it while asking to be excused (from no one in particular) from switching the alley and toilet lights because she may need to use the loo in that hour or so. AH's Tok Umi called at 7.00pm today to remind us about the lights-off, which, auntie suspects, what gave the idea to Mak that this is something that all government-fearing citizens must do. In any case, Tok Umi might have thought the same thing, which is why she promptly called all persons on her phone list to remind them about the lights off. You must also know that Tok Umi has not been able to see for a few decades now, so lights off may not really mean any change to her world but we must admire her diligence and consciousness about these things.

So, what did you do to while away the dark hour? Auntie knows of at least one person who blogs. Tak aci! Computer still emits lights! (Hehe, AH did put on the torch light from time to time to suluh auntie, just in case we crushed each other on the bed- no dirty thoughts, you folks!). Also, AH keeps whining why we have to do this while other people do not seem to be observing it (because we could still see lights coming into our room from outside). Why only now he wants to do what other people do, auntie wants to ask?!

Anyway, while the lights are out, auntie was thinking of this song (or part of it):

Close the window
Calm the light
And it will be alright
No need to bother now
Let it out
Let it all begin
Learn how to pretend

Romantic je bunyi nya. But of course nothing of the sort happens for us. Other things that DID NOT happen with us during the lights out are:

1. Baby making. Hehehe. At our age, and with our dispositions, we don't think we can attempt this in an hour. Too much pressure. Kalau nak tau, our mukaddimamah ie AH having to 'risik2' and auntie having to decide whether to agree to the act may take half of that hour. (Ok, sape tak nak dengar or imagine tak tentu arah or nak termuntah, sila switch ke blog mamachupan, or better still, blog shasha yg berkapang tu)

2. A quickie? (Hehe. Same as above).

3. Talked about our life plans. We ended up mostly talking about politics (and mostly about how it sucks).

4. Make plans about what to cook tomorrow. Although we did come to an agreement that we may have breakfast at Pak Wan's in the morning.

5. Sleep. No, despite a lack of passionately romantic activities, we did do our version of romancing the spouse. Bini urut laki, laki urut bini.

Shall we attempt another lights off next Saturday? Definitely, maybe!

Good night, everyone. May Allah bless you with His wisdom and peace in times of darkness.

The Upper Hand

Most of the time AH could stand auntie's many antiques (according to him!). But at times, auntie thinks certain things auntie does drive him up the wall...



...such that it may have triggered this conversation:

Bini: Bang, kenapa kalau abang nak kata 'pisang' abang mesti tunjuk tangan camtu, takleh ke tunjuk jari camni jek [PS: pisang is a euphemism, ok?]

Laki: Boleh tak kalau tak question setiap statement/ benda yg abang buat?

Bini: Kenapa pulak tak boleh, bang? Kan kalau macam weird je, mesti la bini boleh tegur?

Laki: Tu, tu, tengok tu! Ada jek nak jawab. Nanti abang jatuh mati, pun mesti 'auntida' [bukan nama sebenar] akan tanya, " eh, kenapa ni bang? Kenapa abg baring atas lantai ni? Abg mati ke?" Eee geramnya, aku! Kalau tanya macam tu, abang akan bangun semula dari mati dan cekik 'auntida' [bukan nama sebenar]!

Bini: [ketawa tak makan saman]



Most of the time, though, we have good, peaceful times like these...

Of course, AH prefers if auntie drives and he sits back and enjoys.

This is our family potrait. All chummy. It may all be a facade!

Night, night. May Allah bless you and yours.

20 minutes to four-zero

By the time auntie log in the blog and write the title entry, it's 18 minutes to four-zero. Well, not exactly coz auntie vaguely remembered the numbers 8.50 p.m. on auntie's birth cert, so technically, it is still about 16 hours to four-zero (in this economically declining climate, you want to stretch what you can, kan?).

So, what are auntie's last thoughts and wishes while still being 30-something? Let me see...

1) If with God's blessing auntie get to live beyond 8.50pm tomorrow, auntie thank Almighty Allah for his rahmah. Even if auntie didn't, auntie still have the same prayers.

2) Auntie's thoughts are with Auntie's friend Rosmaria, who did not get to be with the rest of auntie's school batchmates celebrating our 40th year, Insya Allah. Maria passed on May last year. Alfatihah.

3) Auntie hope in the last 30 plus years of auntie's lives auntie had not caused hurt to people around auntie. But that's not realistic. Of course, auntie have hurt people. And auntie seek forgiveness for that. Auntie hope auntie would do better in the next 40 years or so.

4) Auntie hope auntie will be a more patient person as auntie gets to be 40 (so auntie still have 7 minutes to be impatient!)

5) Auntie pray that Allah continues to grant auntie good health, wealth (not only material-wise) and wisdom (which is sometimes solely lacking)

(5 minutes to go ni...)

6) Auntie prays aunties parents live to see many more birthdays of their children and grandchildren

7) Auntie prays that if Allah grants auntie and AH long life, we will not be a burden to anyone.

8) Auntie prays for peace on earth.

9) Auntie wishes thank you to AH and aunties families and friends for what they have meant to auntie in the last 30 odd years. Looking forward to more meaningful lives together.

10) Thank you Allah.


Amin Amin Ya Rabbal 'Alamin.

Wassalam

12.00 am, 12 March 2009