Salam Ramadhan

Salam Ramadhan to all Muslims.

May we be given the strength, comfort, serenity and patience to perform extra duties to get the bonuses that this holy month has to offer.

And may this Ramadhan be a better Ramadhan than the previous ones to all of us!

I'm 43

First off, I’d like to thank all my family, relatives and friends who sent me Birthday wishes and prayers via Facebook, emails, SMSes and calls. Thank you sooo much.... I really appreciate your thoughts and do’as :)

Yeap, I turned 43 three days ago, 15th August. And Alhamdulillah, I feel great about it. I feel truly blessed for being given the chance to continue my journey in life with my loved ones for the past years and many years to come, insyaallah. And I pray that the life of my loved ones and friends be filled with Good health, Happiness, Love, Success, Umur panjang, great Rezeki and showered with Berkat and Imaan. May all of us be blessed in all areas in life. Ameen...

OK, what did I do on my birthday?

Well, the Saturday started off early in the day with Dear Hubby and I doing our marketing at Pasar Tani Kelana Jaya. Then went to my office to get the birthday gifts I left in my office drawer for my maid Tini who happened to share the same birthday with me.... only she’s 20 years younger...hahaha... Rushed home to fetch the girls for their taekwondo class, left them with the Master, did some errands and had brunch at the ever-so-packed restaurant.

I saw something I haven’t eaten for years – pulut+kelapa-parut+ikan masin. Not my favorite though... but I suddenly had this vision of my Mak’s cooking and this was one of the menus she‘d usually do when requested by Ayah. I’m not a pulut eater, so I couldn’t finish it. While pushing the plate away, I suddenly went blurry eyed. Teringat Mak pulak ...huhuhu...

Went back to the complex to get the girls, got home, showered etc and left for Bukit Jalil National Squash Center to meet up with the Squash Queen– Nicol David! Hanna, Hasya and Haifa were so excited to see the World’s no1 (I'll put some pix in my next post).

Went to Amcorp Mall straight from Bukit Jalil to check out some ‘things’ for my birthday gifts. Didn’t materialize tho’, instead we ended up buying some DVDs and had an early dinner at Salero Negori.

Came home, bought 2 cakes (one for me and one for Tini the maid), showered etc and had the ‘cake cutting ceremony’ at 9pm.

I was dead tired when my head hit the pillow that night. But I couldn’t help smiling when I realized how great it was to be able to do all these. Syukur came to mind. Syukur Alhamdulillah for the opportunities given to me - to taste the sweetness or the bitterness in what life has to offer, with great companies to share them with.

(I think I didn’t imagine having a few more of those crow’s-feet when the clock struck 12 to mark the end of my special day, but I'm pretty sure I fell asleep that night wearing a smile).

Oh, here’s an excerpt from the 14-A4pages birthday ‘card’ given by my cheeky Haifa:
You are my Stars
You are my Heart
You are my Love
You are my Moon
You are my Flowers
You are my Butterflies
You are my Sun
You are my Dragonflies
You are my Diamond
You are my Camera --- aiik?
You are my Everything
(Ibu, masa Haifa punya birthday, please belikan icecream cake. Selepas tu, belikan Rabbit, Cat, Hamster, Parrot, Bird, Fish, Burung Pipit and Frog)

LOL!

Segalanya Kerana Donni

Kosmo - August 12, 2009

Oleh SUBASHINI RAJANDRA
subashini.rajandra@kosmo.com.my

Sekumpulan bekas pelajar Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Kulim, Kedah terus gigih berjuang mengumpul dana sebanyak RM250,000 demi kepentingan ‘anak-anak tersayang’ di Kiulu, Sabah.

Begini bermulanya cerita yang ingin disampaikan. Pada 20 Mac 2007, akhbar Daily Express News di Sabah memaparkan sebuah artikel yang cukup menyayat hati. Sesiapa sahaja yang membacanya dapat membayangkan kedaifan hidup sebuah keluarga yang terpaksa kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang untuk terus bernyawa.

Kisah itu menceritakan bagaimana enam orang adik-beradik dan ibu mereka sekadar 'kenyang' dengan menjamah bubur nasi dan sayur kangkung. Menyingkap kisah hidup mendiang Donni John Duin, 11, dia ialah seorang anak yang pendiam dan tidak bermasalah. Penderitaan yang terpaksa dilalui sejak bapanya disumbat masuk ke penjara akibat dadah begitu menyentuh hati.

Menurut ibunya, Hina Joloni, 39, setiap kali pulang dari sekolah, wajah Donni begitu murung kerana tertekan dengan ejekan dan cemuhan rakan sekelas. Menyarung pakaian yang kusam dan hanya mampu menikmati sajian ringkas, Donni merasai keperitan yang teramat pedih.

Seorang kanak-kanak di Kiulu, Sabah merenung masa depan yang tidak pasti ekoran kesukaran datang ke sekolah.

Kali pertama, dia cuba membunuh diri tetapi gagal. Namun dalam percubaan kedua, Hina menemui anaknya yang sudah tidak bernyawa. "Apabila saya menegur perbuatannya yang cuba membunuh diri pada kali pertama, Donni memberitahu bahawa dia sanggup berbuat demikian bagi meringankan beban keluarga."

"Setidak-tidaknya, kurang seorang anak untuk diberi makan dan bahagian makanannya boleh dibahagi kepada adik-beradik lain," luah Hina mengenangkan kata-kata anak kesayangannya dengan penuh hiba.

Sebaik sahaja membaca kisah itu, entah berapa ramai daripada kita mampu mengimbau kembali kisah pilu tersebut. Mungkin ia sudah lenyap daripada ingatan kita ketika ini tetapi bukan bagi Raja Ali Raja Othman, Hamidi Baharuddin, Kamaruddin Yusop, Noor Bakri Ahmad, Mashitah Puteh, AR. Meor Wazir Zul'Aidin dan rakan-rakan mereka yang lain.

Raja Ali berada di bumi Sabah semasa kejadian pilu yang menimpa Donni berlaku. Selepas mengadakan perjumpaan dengan Sabah Credit Corporation (SCC) atas dasar kerja, beliau berbual dengan Pengurus Besar SCC, Datuk Vincent YK Pung. Ketika itu jugalah, isu Donni dibincangkan.

Hina Joloni manakala Donni (gambar kecil).

Di Sabah, hampir 5,000 remaja dilaporkan terpaksa berhenti sekolah sebelum sempat menduduki peperiksaan Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR). Bukan kerana tidak berminat tetapi dibelenggu kemiskinan dari generasi demi generasi. Selain itu, mereka juga menghadapi kesukaran perjalanan berulang-alik dari sekolah yang terletak jauh dari rumah.

SCC menerusi kelab sukannya sentiasa menjalankan aktiviti tanggungjawab sosial korporat seperti mendirikan asrama sekolah dan surau di Sabah. "Pada tahun 2007, saya difahamkan sebanyak lapan buah sekolah masih menunggu mendapatkan bantuan membina asrama," kata Raja Ali ketika ditemui Kosmo! di Kuala Lumpur.

"Sebagai seorang bekas pelajar yang pernah menikmati faedah kemudahan asrama, saya meminta Vincent supaya menyediakan asrama di sekolah yang benar-benar memerlukan di Sabah. Sekolah itu akan menjadi projek 'kami' yang diusahakan secara bersatu padu," ujarnya sambil merujuk 'kami' adalah rakan-rakan sekolahnya yang popular dengan gelaran Killerbatch.

Killerbatch merupakan sekumpulan pelajar Maktab Rendah Sains Mara Kulim, Kedah yang pernah tinggal di asrama maktab tersebut dari tahun 1979 sehingga 1983. Mujur disediakan sebuah tempat tinggal yang berdekatan dengan tempat pembelajaran, mereka tidak perlu risau tentang cuaca panas atau hujan sekali gus berpeluang belajar dalam suasana selesa dan tenang. Berdasarkan pengalaman manis itu, Killerbatch memahami betapa susahnya kehidupan bagi sesetengah kanak-kanak di Sabah tanpa asrama.

Jika musim banjir, sebahagian jambatan gantung ini hanyut dibawa arus sungai.

Pada hujung tahun 2008, SMK Tun Fuad Stephens di Kiulu, Sabah muncul dalam senarai sekolah yang menantikan pembinaan asrama. Sebanyak 100 daripada 1,400 pelajar di sekolah itu memerlukan asrama dengan kadar segera.

Sebahagian besar para pelajar ini berjalan kaki selama dua hingga tiga jam merentasi hutan dan sungai menuju ke sekolah. Menurut ahli Killerbatch, Megat Zulkarnain Mohd Nazri, dia pernah terserempak dengan seorang pelajar tingkatan lima, Jefri di jambatan Poturidong, Kiulu yang bangun seawal pukul 4 pagi agar tidak terlambat ke sekolah.

"Apabila dilanda banjir besar, sebahagian jambatan gantung ini hanyut," katanya.

SMK Tun Fuad Stephens mempunyai sebuah asrama desa tetapi ia telahpun dihuni oleh 100 pelajar. Dengan 16 orang ditempatkan dalam sebuah bilik, ia menyukarkan Guru Besar, Marsha Anthony Bongkok dan wakil Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG), Joisin Rumut mencari ruang kosong. Ada juga yang terpaksa berkongsi katil dengan adik sendiri meskipun sempit.

DARI kiri: Hamidi, Kamaruddin, Bakri, Meor dan Raja Ali. Duduk di hadapan ialah Mashitah.

Mengetahui keadaan genting yang dialami di sekolah ini sejak bertahun-tahun, Raja Ali, Hamidi, Kamaruddin, Bakri, Mashitah dan Meor sepakat meminta ahli-ahli Killerbatch lain mengutip derma yang disasarkan berjumlah RM250,000.

Secara kebetulan, tahun ini menyaksikan sambutan ulang tahun Killerbatch yang ke-30. Pada majlis keraian yang diadakan pada 4 Februari 2009 di Taman Ekuestrian Putrajaya, ramai hadirin termakan pujukan mereka. "Bagi menjadikan acara ini lebih bermakna selain bersuka-ria, sesi kutipan derma dilakukan pada hari itu juga."

"Proses itu diteruskan sehingga bulan Mei lalu apabila kami berjaya mengumpul sebanyak RM57,426," ujar Bakri yang kerap mengadakan pertemuan dengan ahli-ahli jawatankuasa projek Asrama Donni.

Sebagai ibu bapa, mereka semua amat memahami kesegeraan bagi membina Asrama Donni sebelum bermulanya sesi persekolahan tahun 2010.

"Walaupun kami sibuk dengan kerjaya masing-masing, berulang-alik ke luar negara dan menyediakan yang terbaik buat keluarga sendiri, kami komited untuk menjayakan projek sulung ini dalam apa juga cara sekalipun," kata Bakri lagi sambil disokong oleh Mashitah.

Usaha murni yang diperjuangkan oleh Killerbatch ini mampu mengubah nasib pelajar-pelajar di Kiulu, Sabah.

Pada 16 Mei 2009, satu sejarah manis terpahat apabila majlis penyerahan cek bernilai RM57,426 kepada pihak SCC diadakan. Kutipan itu digunakan sepenuhnya untuk kerja-kerja pembinaan Asrama Donni di SMK Tun Fuad Stephens, Kiulu, Sabah. Seramai 10 delegasi yang terdiri daripada Raja Ali dan rakan-rakannya datang ke Kiulu bagi menyaksikan majlis pecah tanah pada keesokan harinya.

Turut dijemput hadir ialah seorang guru yang mengajar pada era Killerbatch iaitu Teh Sharifudin Abdullah. "Dahulu mereka terkenal dengan kenakalan yang memeningkan kepala guru. Sekarang, mereka sudah berjaya dalam bidang masing-masing dan saya bangga dengan anak-anak didikan saya yang menyahut konsep 1Malaysia yang dilaungkan oleh Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak," kata Teh menerusi perbualan telefon dengan Kosmo!.

"Killerbatch, rata-ratanya terdiri daripada mereka yang beragama Islam manakala SMK Tun Fuad Stephens mengisi hampir 70 peratus pelajar beragama Kristian. Inilah yang dikatakan keikhlasan yang lahir merentasi agama, bangsa dan sempadan geografi," tambahnya.

*************************************************************

My heart goes out to the children of the remote areas such as Kiulu, who spend hours just to get to their schools every day. So sad... to keep even one child in school before he could be a drop-out is an important milestone indeed.

And here we are.... with our children in their cozy rides to school and lunchboxes full of nutritious food.

Sedihkan?

It’s great that my wonderful friends from Killerbatch embarked on this Kulim to Kiulu project. Although I’m not actively involved, I’m always here giving them the support. So far, insyaallah we’ll get another RM50K from TuneTalk Chief Talker Contest in which a Killerbatch rep constested and won. Next will be the Charity Art Exhibition with IMissHimSoMuch. Later will be Ghazal Party Queen (theater) in December 2009. And I guess it doesn't stop there!

Let’s just hope and pray that we’ll get enough donations to complete the building of Asrama Donni.

Mak's 67th Birthday

Dearest Mak,
Happy 67th Birthday Mak! I hope you have a wonderful day today. Just came back from my teambuilding trip... I really wish I could talk to you earlier this morning, but you know lah - the schedule was too full.

Mak,
Thank you Mak. Thank you for being the best mother that one could ever wish for. Thank you for being with us thru thick and thin. Thank you for lifting us up to your shoulder when we couldn't see. Thank you for the sacrifice you made when you left your career simply because you wanted to take care of us. Thank you.. thank you Mak... thank you sooo much for everything.

(You're so full of Patience, Love and Understanding that sometimes I wonder why I can't have at least a quarter of those traits in me?)

Mak,
My wish for you on your birthday will always be - for you have a great health, a world full of serenity in imaan and mountains of love, happiness and laughters...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAK! I LOVE YOU!

Happy 48th Wedding Anniversary!

Ayah dan Mak tersayang,
Dari hati yang tulus ikhlas, Ja do’akan semoga Ayah dan Mak dipelihara di dalam kebahagiaan dunia dan akhirat. Semoga segala yang terbaik - keimanan, kesenangan rezeki, kasih-sayang dan kesihatan – dikurniakan untuk Ayah dan Mak yang sentiasa menjadi tonggak untuk kami, anak-anak.
Dan semoga kehidupan yang dikongsi bersama selama 48 tahun (dan tahun-tahun yang mendatang) akan dirahmati Allah sentiasa.

Tahniah Ayah dan Mak.... Selamat Hari Ulangtahun Perkahwinan yang ke 48!

Anakanda sekeluarga,

Away From Home

Would you believe me when I say that after all these years (after working with the same company for more than 18 years, and married for nearly 18 years), I only left the comfort of my home (outstation) for less than the digits on both of my hands combined?

Whenever I was involved in a project, and when the time came for me to go see the customers, there would be a good soul in my project team who would gladly take my place. And I’d be more than happy to switch places. Although sometimes I thought that it would be nice to see some new faces and places, I felt that I’d be needed more at home, especially when the children were smaller and my hyperemesis gravidarum was at its peak.

Hmmhh.... no wonder I susah naik pangkat.. LOL!

Anyway, that’s why I’m a bit worried now. I’m gonna get myself occupied this coming weekend with the tasks of removing those leeches from my arms and legs and flying like a fox and building those rafts by the sea and counting the number of mosquito bites on my bare skin and wrestling a Burmese python and hunting those wild boars....

I know I exaggerated a 'lil there.... but ... yeap, I’m going for my company teambuilding this coming weekend. For 2 nights, 7-9 Aug. Urrgghh!

I know it’s not a big deal to some people who are so used to travelling, but it is to me. I’m now a confirmed IT nerd, who can’t leave the comfort of her desk/home for an adventure out there in a jungle so green and the sea so blue. I’m so ashamed of being a pessimist, but I can’t help feeling that this is soooo NOT ME now. As a teenager, I’ve climbed a few hills, went thru the jungle a few times and drank the cold sweet water from the streams, thanks to those camping trips I made when I was in MRSM.

But now? At 43? Alamaaak... lecehnya!

Since it’s compulsory to attend, I’ll have to go but I’ll be missing Hanna, Hasya and Haifa’s swimming competition in Cheras which will be held on the 8th and 9th of Aug. Kesiannya the girls.... I won’t be there to cheer for them and watch them compete.

Sigh.

And please... oh please don’t make it rain there in Lumut. I hate those pacat and lintah!

My Ramblings on Shoes

I love buying shoes, ever since I was a student back in the States. But my hectic lifestyle as a student (and worker – in the University’s Bookstore) would prevent me from wearing anything else other than my Nike or Reebok most of the time. So, I’d only resort to only window-shop whenever I went to the malls. I was used to having to swallow my saliva in a style that only Pepsi drinkers would know – when the gulping sound could be heard from miles away! And I’d be drooling at the same time, while my hands in my jeans pocket trying to count the greens that I had. That happened only when I saw a pair of something that really caught my eyes – yes – SHOES!

That was why I loved summers in California. I got to wear my sandals to the beach. Or went shopping in them. But since I never skipped taking summer classes during my 4 years there, I’d still have to wear my University sweaters, shorts, my worn Reebok and the JanSport backpack to school.

It was when I graduated and started working in a mall that I began my new hobby – buying shoes! Getting my first paycheck in the real world (the University Bookstore job as the Price Changer wasn’t really considered as one, ok?), saw me spending my dough on two pair of sandals! At that time I still couldn’t afford to buy branded shoes, so I practically adopted Payless ShoeSource as my buddy-store. Since I worked in a mall, every lunch I’d walk around and never missed trying a few shoes (and most of the time, buying) at the store. That was my era in high-heels/stilettos!

I still remember those leather sandals from Brazil. Loved them. They were so comfortable and durable.

You see, the major difference between those people selling shoes in the States and Malaysia is the way they treat their customers. There, those Uncle Sam’s people would ask you to sit down on the stool, hold your feet and put the shoes on for you. Tak geli pun. Unlike here (oklah, maybe not all).

Imagine this – you’re a mom with 4 small kids in tow and one crying baby in your arms asked for a pair of shoes for your no4. The salesperson would come and open up the box and shove the shoes to you. You’d then have to squat down (with the crying baby still) and tried several times to put the shoes on the no4 who’d be running here and there. And you’d then scream your lungs out for her to come and stand still so that you could make her put them on. The baby in your arms would cry even harder.

And guess what the salesperson would be doing all the while? Taking the dirt out of her fingernails or staring into nothing while playing with her hair, or simply trying to pop her oozing pimples, pretending she didn’t hear a thing! And when you ask for her help, she’d say that it’s the right size and it fits your no4 like a glove. Seeshhhhh...

Ok, you don't have to imagine being that mother. She was me!

My patience was tested again recently. Since I'm currently into wedges, I saw one pair of Clarks in the Curve a few weeks back and had been trying to get my hands on them... but to no avail.

** This is Siver Ash in tan leather**

I went to a few Clarks store but couldn’t get what I wanted – it was either the size wasn’t available or the color I liked was out of stock. So one day I went to the Clarks section in OU Jusco. The Clarks salesgirl (or probably the supervisor lah judging from her ‘kerek’ness) was standing next to some boxes writing something (or pretending to). I politely asked her :
“Excuse me dik, do you have the new wedges?” (I realized that there were no new shoes on the rack.. tak stock-up ke?)
“Apa ada kat situ saja kak”, she said to me without even glancing my way.
“Apa yang latest kat sini ye dik?”, I asked again.
“Apa yang ada kat situ saja kak”, came the reply.

Hisshhh... Hangin aku satu badan! Macam nak baling kasut saja kat muka dia! But I didn’t know why I just left. I should’ve said something bitter to her.. but I guess I wasn’t in the mood for a fight.

I think there’s a blessing in all that. Last week, while in Sunway Pyramid to catch Harry Potter’s latest movie with Dear Hubby, kids and maid, I found what I was looking for! To my surprise, the Clarks store in Sunway had so many varieties to choose from. And I managed to score this one:

** This is Speed Boat in tan leather**

So practical and comfy. Love this wedges!

**Now I remember what I've forgotten to do yesterday - to sort out the 6 pairs of shoes I have in my car!

Manchester United Asia Tour 2009

No, I’m not a football fan. And I don’t watch any football matches on TV except when Dear Hubby persuaded me to sit with him in front of the TV while he watched the Chelsea dudes doing their things. I know a few of the Clubs names and their players, but that was it. My knowledge on footballs stops there.

So when the second match between Malaysia XI and Manchester United was announced after the cancellation of the MU-Indonesia match, Dear Hubby was initially keen to go but somehow changed his mind later. It was when we went to Bukit Jalil on Sunday for the girls’ swimming lessons that we decided to go.

You know why? The booth selling the match tickets was right in front of the National Aquatic Center! Eh, macam, nak suruh pegi saja! Dear Hubby asked the girls, siapa nak ikut? Only Hasya was interested. So after swimming a good number of laps, took a shower and performed his solat, Dear Hubby went outside and got into the queue. It apparently took him an hour to get to the counter, and bought the 3 tickets.

After coming back from work yesterday, Hasya came to me – Ibu, I have no Baju Merah lah Ibu. I said – Oh Hasya sokong MU lah ya, not Malaysia? I only got a sengih from her. Of course I didn’t have any with MU or Nike-AIG t-shirts for her to wear, so I took out her red F1 Ferrari t-shirt. At least she got to wear it this year since we didn’t get to watch F1 last April (..huhuhu..). Anyway, Hasya’s mother decided to be neutral – so she opted for brown! Malaysia boleh, MU pun boleh!

We were running late and had to have a quick bite of 1901 hot dogs while waiting for the green at the traffic light. Managed to get to the stadium in time... and here’s the first pic we took while at the gate entrance :

Hasya, Mr and Mrs Engku Emran and Dear Hubby (cropped!)

The big screen

Malaysia XI players on the big screen

MU players on the big screen

United before the game, Owen : 4th from left

O'Shea and Berbatov

Ferdinand, Rooney and Anderson

Macheda and Evra

Fletcher and Jonny Evans

**note : I'm not sure of all the names... belasah sajalah!

"Hmmmhh... how come there are only 5 balls? I thought we brought in 50?

Malaysia XI and United - grand entrance

Malaysia XI, Malaysia Boleh!

United We Stand

The players - Malaysia XI and MU

Giggs after taking the corner

O'Shea - taking the alcohol test - walking the line ..hehe..

SexyBack... oops... Tosic's back

Seconds before Owen scored a goal. You can see my excitement juz by looking at how 'sharp' this pic is!

Owen (again) after an unsuccessful attempt

Sir Alex, the Man!

Malaysian youngsters, post-game. Okaylah tu - First game 3-2, now 2-0. Yang mahal tu experience!

We left the Stadium Nasional Bukit Jalil at 11:15pm, reached our housing area at around 11:40pm and had a late night snack at Kayu for its Roti Telur Bawang.

Conclusion : I enjoyed the game. Hasya did too. She said that she didn’t know that football game could be that interesting. Dear Hubby said that the match wasn’t as good as the first match he saw on TV on Saturday, but still, it was not bad after all ....

The Welcomed Guests 3

I know I owe some friends on the story of the progress of my welcomed guests – the bird(s).

Remember the entries on the two eggs? And the nestlings? Well, on one scorching hot day in May, one of the lil birds died. Apparently the nestling couldn’t survive the heat since the nest was facing the beastly hot evening sun on that May 13. My maid Nani took the dead bird and buried it on the side of the road. Poor birdie.

So we were left with one, which was named "Spikey".

We waited for it to grow its feathers and all, and we were so amazed with the rapid changes it made. The feathers seemed to grow like an inch a day!

The first four pix were taken on May 15.

*We put it on the Golden Chain plant while it waited for its mom. Feathers are not fully grown yet


*Still waiting for Mommy...

*Mommy's finally here!


*Hanis was so excited. Her Spikey was so manja with her!


* May 17 - Spikey on Hanis's shoulder


* June 8 - Another new egg in the same nest. I'm not sure whether it came from the same couple or not. The egg is quite small compared to the old ones. I doubt it will hatch though :{


Spikey left us when he knew how to fly on May 20. But we could still hear him chirping away up on that tall tree behind our house and my Hanis would go "Pie-tee, tumb here!" Budak pelat, LOL!

My dear old friend, Che Sepachendera

Thank you Google. Today I just found out that my dear old friend’s name was Che Sepachendera.

She was around 90 years old when I first saw her. I was around 6 at that time. She was old, but never frail. We bonded up pretty fast, and she became my bestfriend ever since... until I said goodbye to her when we moved out when I was 15.

You see, my family used to live in a teacher’s quarters on a school compound. Most who lived in the quarters (7 families altogether) were either working in Pejabat Pelajaran or teachers elsewhere. Like my AYAH, who taught in SAHC/KSAH from 1/6/1968 - 31/12/1980. The house that we lived in was a small one-story semi-d. There was a small river behind my house. It was located in the compound of Sekolah Rendah Tunku Abdul Halim, Kampung Baru, Alor Setar - an all-boys primary school. The whole area was fenced up in a 7-8 feet of brick wall.

And Che Sepachendera was my neighbor. The oldest one there, but no doubt the strongest one of the lot. She’d never fail me. She’d be there for me, rain or shine. I'd spend my time with her almost everyday. I adored her so much but I never bothered to know her name then. So ignorant of me.

Sigh.

My sister, brothers, girlfriends, boyfriends and I used to play with her all the time. We’d walk around her, hugging her all the way until we made one complete round. We’d sing songs, play hide-and-seek and tell ghost stories when we were with her. Somehow with her, the ghost stories seemed so real. I guess it was because she was old, and ghost stories went extra-ummph with her around.

I remember one enormous tree in the compound. A Pokok Pukul Lima -which was really humungous. We were told that the tree was hundreds of years old. The roots were so large and protruding that we loved to play on them all the time. On school days, the SRTAH boys would even climb up that tree!

We used to play in our big compound which I think had 5 buildings for classrooms, one canteen, one building for outdoor toilets, a covered space for bicycles/cars, two badminton courts, one big field, two small fields, long/high-jump sand-pit, enormous trees and some climbing areas - where we could play rounders, toi (galah panjang), roller skates, hide and seek, police and thieves, buaya-katak, lumba lari, batu tujuh, jengkek, and many other made-up games.. or simply lazing around.

Oh how I missed those days... when your mind was free and you had nothing to worry about. You laughed, played and played and only came home when it was Maghrib or when your mom called out for you.

And in all those times, this old friend of mine would watch out for us. I knew then that she also watched out for the hundreds of SRTAH boys, whom I believe worshipped her too.

That was my Che Sepachendera....
Istana Che Sepachendera to be exact.




Pictures taken from here, TQ:) This is the short write-up on her :
"The Sepachendera Palace was an old palace situated at Jalan Kampung Baru, Alor Star, also known as 'Istana Kampung Baru'. This palace was built by the late Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah in 1882 for his first wife, Che Sepachendera upon his ascension to the royal throne. The architectural design of the palace has the influence of Thai architecture".

And I found an entry on her by Kotastar. TQ Pak Non :)

I cried when I first saw the pictures. There she was, looking so old and lonely... and beckoning me. Oh, how I missed her!

Goodbye MJ

It's a sad day today. MJ's gone.

I first fall in ‘love’ with him when he was with Jackson 5. The song BEN was my favorite, even until now.

I had my first on-stage dance performance in MRSM Kulim - with his song Off The Wall. It was Friday Night Special2, May 1980. I was in Form 2 then.

I was always amazed at how smooth a dancer he was.

And a brilliant singer.

Goodbye MJ.

Black or White, you’ll be missed dearly.