Broken Bed

During the younger years a favourite past-time for the kids was to tumble around and have boisterous play on our double-bed. Ayah and me will sometimes be participants or even be referees if it got too rough. I thought now I could spend quiet time in bed minus the playful kids.

It is far from the truth; we always have bed parasites now called the big kids. Once while waiting for everyone to get ready for the evening prayer I lied down on the bed. Then ayah lied down as well. Later came the bed parasite namely Mameh and Bubba. They started boisterous play again, Ayah included.

Suddenly the wooden plank supporting the bed broke. I was so suprised. The bed felt like jello. Everybody was chased off the bed. Now there is a new family rule: no boisterous play in bed.

Dik Yan was not around then, that saved the poor bed from total destruction.

Mary Poppins

It is not only in the movies that you will find Mary Poppins. Dik Yan is our very own Miss Poppins. We had a company training session over one weekend at Avillion Hotel, Port Dickson. It was a very short stay and we really did not have a chance to enjoy its many facilities. During the last day Ayah was so exhausted from the training and the paint ball activity included that he decided to have a quick snooze before the drive home. Dik Yan and I had a quick walkabout around the area in the drizzle. The wind was getting stronger and we had to hold on tightly onto our umbrella. I am glad our Miss Poppin didnt fly away.

Roti canai

The whole gang just loves roti canai. Each has a unique way of eatingthem.

Ayah likes it banjir style with lots of gravy and sambal thrown in.

Mameh the standard style. He will just dip lightly in the gravy.

Bubba will cut a big piece, roll it, press it small, shove it in his mouth, and make it look like a small bite. And if you get an opportunity to see his cheek you know it is really not that small.

Dik Yan will dip her roti canai in half boiled eggs. That will make some people's hair stand.

As for me I will put sugar in my dahl gravy. Exactly like how Tokki would do it. Without the sugar it is really not roti canai. And I refuse to do away with it. Once there was a sugar crisis, people around me would stare as I put sugar in my dahl. It is just a small amount. Anyway I have been saving sugar all this while by having unsweetened drinks.

Drifted at sea

Tokki was a very hard-working man. He was once a fisherman. He did hatever work he could do to earn an honest living to take care of his family.

During one of the monsoon seasons, he and his boat-mates still went out to sea. As usual Tok would wait for him the next day to welcome him home and help with the days catch. She and others waited for hours but the boat could not be seen. Hours passed, everyone knew that they must have been caught in a monsoon storm. I could not imagine how Tok had felt.

The kampung people started a search party and Tokki was found 2 days later, beached some 5km away. He could not really recalled what happened. He said he drifted at sea with no food to eat. Tok was really glad that Tokki was safe and sound.



اللَّهُ الَّذِي سخَّرَ لَكُمُ الْبَحْرَ لِتَجْرِيَ الْفُلْكُ فِيهِ بِأَمْرِهِ وَلِتَبْتَغُوا مِن فَضْلِهِ وَلَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ

It is Allah Who has subjected the sea to you, that ships may sail through it by His command, that ye may seek of his Bounty, and that ye may be grateful. (Al-Jathiya:12)

Only in Malaysia

It is amazing how words are spelled and phrased in our multicultural country, this country that we love. Ayah received an email about a shoe shop in Muar. It is called "Kedai Kasut Kang Kang". For a malay it sounds rather odd, shoe shop spread your legs in a not so dainty way.

In a conversation with Dik Yan, she remembered her school teacher. And this was what she said "Cikgu adik jalan kang-kang".

She wanted to say that her teacher walked bow-legged but instead said her teacher walked with her legs spread in a not so dainty way. She should have said "Cikgu adik jalan keng-kang".

That's how different the meaning differs by just one alphabet; kEng and kAng. Only in Malaysia.

Hard Rock Not The Cafe

I was due to attend a Quality presentation however had to detour because Ayah was suffering from severe pain. We went to Damandara Specialist Centre instead. We met the general practitioner(GP) at the Emergency And Accident. The GP did a urine test. The result came after an hour later indicating possible stones in kidney. Ayah was referred to Dato' Dr K (not Dato' K Siti Norhaliza) who also ran an X-ray, CAT scan, and ultra sound; which confirmed a uric acid stone in the urinary tract. Yes hard rock not the Cafe.

We went through different options of treatment. First was using medication to dissolve the stones. Second was to blast the stone using ultrasound waves. Third was to use a scope up the manhood to pull the stone out. We quickly agreed option three was out. The doctor mentioned that normally a stone of the size Ayah had could come out naturally within a month. That was a relief. We opted to go for option one.

The good doctor gave one week's supply of medicine. He gave his contact number if we need to call him. Then he asked us to see him in 2 weeks' time.

The day after Ayah had another episode of pain at 4am in the morning while I was having a good night's sleep. And the next day again during a super cousin's wedding dry run he suffered another bout of unbearable pain. He managed to go through the event with a few large drops of cold sweat.

Ayah could not last the week; what more the one month for the natural process of purging the stone. After the long weekend we met Dato' Dr K again and opted for option two - the ultrasound blasting. After checking the position of the stone, he immediately arranged for an ambulance to take us to Tawakkal Hospital in KL where the machine was located. The blasting took about an hour but the waiting was longer. Since Ayah was given a jab of anaesthetic he was a bit groggy and had to be wheeled out on a wheelchair. The trip back in the ambulance was scary yet an interesting adventure. It was complete with screaming siren, weaving in and out between other vehicles and centimeters apart from them. Just remembering this would cause my heart to beat faster. We reach the hospital in one piece. Ayah could finally have his peace.

The Nutcracker

After any great dinner there would be the washing and the cleaning up. We all worked together to clear up. Dik Yan would do the dishes and Mameh wold clear the table. Occassionally Ayah, the penyakat(teaser), would poke at Dik Yan's back. She would automatically respond with a back kick. Once she got it right in between ayah legs. You know where that is. Ayah could not stand up straight after that. Dik Yan really had a good nutcracker kungfu back kick.

Ayah had learnt his lesson but it does not stop him teasing Dik Yan. Since then he would go to the closet and take out the long cobweb cleaner. He would use that to poke at Dik Yan knowing full well that it would be impossible for her reflex back kick to reach him.

The Sun - Shamsiah

Week after week our Saturday afternoon Quran reading class continued unwavering. Our enthusiasm remain strong. We have added new elements to our lessons. Reciting Al-Fatihah to perfection in order to help the new imam wannabes, and memorising of the common surahs to add to the 3 Quls which some of us keep reading during our prayers.

During one of the sessions the ustaz turned to us and asked to read the As-Shams. Mameh looked at me and indicated that it was my turn to read. I said it was not Shamsiah but was the surah As-Shams. He said that he remembered requesting for that surah but the ustaz asked for me to recite it. Because of that confusion we all found it so difficult to stop laughing during the lesson.


وَالشَّمْسِ وَضُحَاهَا
By the Sun and its glorious splendour (As-Shams:1)