Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Memories Are Made of These

From left: Pok KU, Uncle Som, AG, Iain, Anak Si Hamid, Fatimah Abu Bakar and Mak Andeh (back to camera)
From left: Cat-in-Sydney (hidden by Kak Teh's photographing hand), Mamasita, Datuk Sak, HM, Raden Galoh and NanaDJ.

From left: Lovey dovey couple Mamasita & Datuk Sak, another pair of lovebirds MH & Raden Galoh, and naughty loyar Elviza, who came sans spouse (straight from work, said she).

From left: 3 orang Tranu - Uncle Som, AG and the Sydney Cat's Meow - Iain and Anak Si Hamid.

From left (back): Glamorous Ida Hariati & Kak Teh. (Front) Not-so-glemeres Kama and ever-smiling Mamasita.

From left: Ida (in black), Ishak Nengah, NanaDJ's number one supporter Mahadzir, Aishah Ali, Rocky, Nuraina, Raden Galoh and Datin Dr Nor.

Whoa! Macam perhimpungan agung parti politik lak!

"Our" Boys! Yeeeehaarrr!

Oh boy! What a blast it was last night. And to think that it wasn't even that way planned initially. All said, I am glad it turned out the way it did, for it sure beat a boring quiet chat with dinner thrown in. What a fun way to spend a few precious hours together with friends - old, new and long-lost!

I have known Zaharah Othman (she of blogworld's Kak Teh fame) and her oh-ever-so-handsome other half Wan Hulaimi (blogger Awang Goneng) since I married into the late Pak Rahman's (Tan Sri Hj Abdul Rahman Hashim, the slain IGP) family in the mid '70s. Kak Teh and my former in-laws are blood relatives.

Although Kak Teh and I were colleagues, it was her elder sister J that I was closer to, for J's senior police officer husband was a close aide of my late father-in-law. We saw the couple often at the family official residence in Lembah Guillemard and later, Jalan Kia Peng.

Kak Teh and I last met in 1979, in a lift at Balai Berita where we both worked as journalists. If I am not mistaken, soon after that she left for London to start a new life with her beloved Awang Goneng.

On the other hand, Wan Hulaimi and I share the common bond of being 'Orang Terengganu', something we both proudly wear like a badge of honour on our sleeves. All said and done, we 'budu' people (Terengganuese and Kelantanese) do tend to stick together. The presence of gracious Pok Ku just about summed it up.

When Kak Teh informed that she and AG would be returning to Malaysia for a three-week break July-August, Pak Abu and I decided we would take them out to dinner. I am glad we didn't stick to the original idea of a cosy foursome 'makan-makan'.

It somehow didn't seem right to have Kak Teh and AG just to ourselves that we decided we would expand the guest list to include some of the bloggers we already knew or have met. As the plan unfolded however, it began to take a life of its own.

In the end, we decided it was best to let Kak Teh herself do the inviting; after all she was in possession of their contact numbers. Kak Teh, you scored an A with that list; how I wished we could invite even more. [Psst, you all better start leaving your mobile numbers in my e-mail, for future dos].

The dinner invitation was for 8pm but we decided to go to the Club well before Maghrib so that we could pre-order the food. While in the lobby, a Club member (and regular commentator in my blog) told us that two of our guests had arrived.

Pak Abu and I hastened to the Bunga Raya Chinese Restaurant, only to be confronted with a wargamas couple coming down the stairs from the restaurant, and looking rather lost. I knew I had come face-to-face with the delicately-framed, quick-witted Queen GOW (Grumpy Old Woman) and her man Iain.

I must have startled the poor woman with my rude greeting (in jest, of course) of "Just where do you think you are going?" before introducing myself and hugging her tight and plonking messy kisses on her cheeks. We had never met but it felt like I had known her forever!

Dear Anak Si Hamid (Kak Maznoor) and Iain, Pak Abu and I couldn't thank you enough for gracing our get-together with your presence. It was such a pleasure, ma'am, to meet you in person.

Soon, the other guests began to arrive. Any semblance of normalcy took flight the moment Kak Teh and AG walked into the room, accompanied by Mak Andeh. We rushed to greet them, the ladies wildly hugging and kissing Kak Teh with joyful abandon.

Sorry AG, I know you felt you too deserved to be so enthusistically mauled by us ladies, but I can only speak for myself; I personally was afraid Pak Abu might retaliate by not signing the bill later if I did, for conduct unbecoming of a Mak Aji!

I was overwhelmed to note the presence of folks I used to work with in the Press (bloggers and non-bloggers alike) who are also close friends of Kak Teh and AG. Thank you Rocky (of Rocky's Bru) Nuraina Samad, former Sunday Mail editor Aishah Ali, well-known emcee Ishak Nengah, and Fatimah Abu Bakar of Akademi Fantasia fame, for making it to the dinner.

Conversation flowed freely. Gales of laughter followed good-natured ribbings as tales of yesteryears were recounted 'dengan penuh perasaan' by Kak Teh. The media folks present were her college mates as well; thus the outpouring of sweet, funny 'cerita-cerita silam'.

Dinner concluded at 10.15 and we adjourned to the mini-theatre for some karaoke. Ishak took the floor with Andy William's 'Love Story", followed by Hetty Koes Endang's "Demi Cinta Ni Ye" faultlessly delivered by Ida Hariati.

I contributed Gladys Knight's "Midnight Train To Georgia", Jaflam crooned 'My Way", Pak Abu paid tribute to "Beautiful Maria" while Mak Andeh gave a heartfelt "Saving All My Love For You." Wow MA! You have the vocals, man!

Aishah Ali proved she still had it with a rousing "Dancing Queen" by Abba. True to form, her back-up dancers comprising Kak Teh & Co, flooded the floor, gyrating the night away.

Rocky paid a sweet tribute to Anak Si Hamid (who happened to be his former schoolteacher!) by singing a lovely duet with Nuraina. The song was "Let It Be", popularised by The Beatles.

The dancing continued with Boney M's "Sha La La" and Yopie Latul's "Poco-Poco" by yours truly. I tell you, those ladies really could hold their own in the poco-poco department! How I wish I could sway my ample derriere in rhythm like they did.

Uncle Som proved his mettle by crooning "Widuri" with such soothing ease that I wondered if he had ever sang professionally before. He and my late father went back a long way; we lost touch and met again in blogsphere last year (he is also a close buddy of Pok Ku).

We finally called it a night at 12, just like Cinderella. A memorable outing that really was. Thank you folks - Datuk Sak, Datin Mamasita, Datuk Jaflam & Datin Dr Nor, Raden Galoh & MH, Cat-In-Sydney & her Meow, Kay_Leeda, Tireless Mum & Shah, Ida Hariati, Mak Andeh, NanaDJ & Mahadzir, Elviza, Pok Ku, Uncle Mohd Som, Anak Si Hamid & Iain, Rocky, Nuraina, Aishah & Ishak, Fati and last but not least, Kak Teh and AG - for proving that you folks are still "very happening" people!

33 comments:

Pokku said...

Thank you for a wonderful evening. I enjoyed talking to Maznoor & Ian.
I regret not shaking hands with Kat In Sydney. I discovered later that she is a regular commentator on my blog using the name Angelina Jolie. Of course there were other luminaries too that I missed the chance of touching base.
You are a heck of a singer. I have been judging singers as part of old job and I know what I am talking about.
I could not sing last night because I have not got my teeth yet.

_deli said...

Salam Kak Puteri,

Bohonglah kalau saya kata saya tak cemburu; tapi alhamdulillahlah siratul-rahim tu semakin meng-erat. Bila dah jumpa kawan-kawan lama, as if time stood still kan?

Saya tumpang seronok (dengar,baca & pandang) ajalah dulu. Someday maybe...

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Pok Ku.. as gracious as ever. It was great to hv you with us. Suker sokmo jupper Pok Ku.. hehe'

Deli - Insyaallah.. satu hari berjumpa juga kita ...

tireless mom said...

Kak Puteri dear

You are the champion. Without you, the meet will not be a reality. I had a ball of time last nite. Teringat what an angel you are. Terkilan tak boleh nak borak lama and get to know you better. Dah malam buta pun can't sleep, endless postmortem with hubby.

ps Actually I had a makcik blogger teeshirt for you but cancel nak beri, cos I may have to go back to the maker to re-order a different size. Will try to do that.

ummisara said...

Kak Puteri,

Bestnya... :)

mamasita said...

O Puteri,
I was quietly very sad the clock had to strike 12 midnight!

What a ball!

Nevertheless, it marked the beginning of our friendship with you and Kak Teh and everyone who came..so very nice.Except for Kay and Cat-in-Sydney & hubby, semua kawan2 terbaru for us.Wowee!

O yea..Dato' kata Rocky cakap kat dia.."Nice to finally meet up!" Yey!Pecah iceberg semalam!! hahaha

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Kak Puteri,
Purrr....this cat was so well fed last nite, even by skipping a few dishes. As you Gganu people would say, "se'eh sungguh kenyang perut bodo" hahahah.....meow meow meow...
Didn't volunteer to sing coz I didn't bring my reading glasses...sudah tua lor!

Tommy Yewfigure said...

Hi Puteri,

Wah, what a star studded lineup of Malaysian blogosphere luminaries having a great time together. I would have felt so out of place amongst u guys like a cricket team 12th man/water boy…heheh.

Under proper protocol, all of you shouldn’t be under the same roof at the same time. Never mind, good thing is everyone enjoyed themselves, different opinions put aside & let loose in a friendly way lah, of course.

I bet there are a few aching bones & hoarse voices this morning. Gee I just luv watching people have merriment. Psst Kama, any embarrassing stories to tell kah?

Cheers,
Tommy.

Ida Hariati Hashim said...

Kak Puteri,

Tq so much for the lovely evening. I had fun last night, the food was excellent and the company was awesome! And Oh yes, the karaoke bit was enjoyable, madam, u can sing la..wah wah wah..

Tak sangka boleh terjumpa Kak Teh at the seminar, tu la jodoh pertemuan di tangan Tuhan, kan...:-)

My salam to Pak Abu.TQVM.

jaflam said...

Well, well, well thank you very much Mr. & Mrs. Perfect Host. Good thing that you invited me.... or else I would not know how to forgive you heheeee. Wish you both luv and happiness always.

Pi Bani said...

Amboi... enjoy sakan nampak? Jealous orang Ipoh!

Zendra-Maria said...

Waah veteran's night out I see. Some more kena nyanyi .... kalau I dah terkonciang-konciang. HAHAHAHA just being sour-grapes :D glad y'all had fun!

Aishah said...

Hi Puteri and Pak Abu,
Thank you soooo much for the lovely evening!I had a blast. We must do it again and hey, you can sing! Where were you when we were looking for singers at the NST for Mothers of the Year and the Satff Retirement dinners and such like, dulu?
Anyway, lots of thanks from Ishak and I.

Anonymous said...

Hai Puteri & Pak Abu,

I really would love to stay longer last night but I was worried that my car would be turned to a labu on the hour. I had a good time and wish for more of the same. Both of you were really good hosts distributing yourselves well among your guests. The food was good and generous but most of all the crowd. Very charming and I had the privilege of getting to know some of them. We were very lively at the karaoke session. I am sure all of us felt very young last night me especially and I enjoyed reliving some of those moments. It is like Bukit Besi once more. Thanks for inviting me.

Mohd Som

NanaDJ said...

Puteri,
Thank you, thank you, thank you. What an enjoyable night!!! We enjoyed ourselves very much. It was so nice to meet Kak Teh and AG and all the other bloggers, at least I now know the faces behind their nama glamour.
You sure have a good voice, sounds like a pro. We must do this again, in London (???)...acah aja!
Salam and thank you to you both

Typhoon Sue said...

hmmm... looks like u guys had lotsa fun

elviza said...

Kak Puteri & Pak Abu,

Thank you for feeding me! Kenyang banget seh... *teringat Ida nanyi lagu Indon tuh! but still, you can sing lady - both you and Kak Puteri and Aishah and the rest lah.

I had a ball, I think other guests at my table (Dato' Sak and Datin Mamasita included) mesti dalam hati kata "cakap banyak betul budak Elviza nih!"

Couldn't thank you enough for a night of fun.

Aisehhh... I was just telling few people at the dinner that I'm single now you put up this posting that says I came sans my spouse. Tsk tsk tsk

Unknown said...

Salam kak puteri and pak abu...

Terima kasih daun keladi... Had a good time walaupun dalam hati dok berdetik: ni suka-suka nak dapat duka... Hehehe... I put all negative thoughts aside as I really wanted to enjoy myself and I did... eh we both did. MH suka sgt kak... for him yg quiet tu, was a big milestone... Me, dapat jumpa my seniors; isteri dato' jaflam, tireless mom... and with elviza sitting next to me? It was a blast kak!

TQVM you two!

elviza said...

Btw, I am so delighted I finally met the great anak si hamid!! That was a surprise alright....

Okay that is an understatement, actually I was sooooo bloody happy!

Fadhil said...

Salam Kak Kama,

Seems like a very enjoyable night out for old, err I mean senior, bloggers. I would've fitted right in, heheheh.

Naz in Norway said...

*glad all of you had a nice time! Thanks for the pictures too :)

Kak Teh said...

Puteri and Pak Abu, it was well past two am after we got home but both of us were still looking at the pictures we took and couldnt stop talking abt the dinner. Both of us cant thank you both enough for what you have done - am truly, truly touched. I have missed the company of my old friends and colleagues and I wanted to meet new blogger friends and you and Pak Abu made that possible that evening. I must admit I didnt eat much, but I lost my voice eventhough I wasnt karaokeing . and i did make a fool of myself poco-pocoing but it didnt matter.

We got lost driving home but even then we had fun, with MA at the wheel and Anak si hamid and iain at the back.
It is not an evening that we will forget easily.

and errr, where's puteri?

I echo the others here - you are one swell of a singer. If i had the opportunity I would have tried my impersonation of Uji Rashid - but I know now that I shouldnt do it with you and Ida, Pak Abu, Ishak and Mat som and Jaflam around!

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

MA said...

Dear Kak Puteri

What can I say - you (and Kak Teh arm-twisting tactics) brought me out of my cocoon to join the "masyarakat" so to speak LOL.. I had a great time with the great minds the likes of Anak Si Hamid, Pok Ku, Uncle Som et al


I think more "angin" masuk mulut I rather than the food as delicious as it was - due to the laughters made by many quips and wits from them.


Err...Kak Teh, we didn't get lost but we sort of detour with me making one legal U-turn in Hartamas and an illegal U-Turn in Gombak (shhhhh...). Bila lagi you dengan AG nak tengok pemandangan KL di waktu malam...Haha...Iain and ASH were worried when they couldn't recognised the routes I took...haha didn't I tell you guys I drive like a cab driver?? Cilok through all the shortcuts and alleyways.


Anyway Kak Puteri I hope I didn't make a fool out of myself thinking I was Whitney Houston for a while. I ni kalau dah pegang mike, boleh lupa diri kejap...:P


All in all, I echo others in saying what perfect hosts both you and Pak Abu were. Thank you for the good time and great company that I had.

anak si-hamid said...

Dear Puteri and Pak Abu,
Thank you buckets and buckets for the lovely meal and the after-dinner entertainment. When we finally got home we said how wonderful it was to see the youngsters having such a good time and how priveleged we were to be made a part of it - quite, quite unforgettable!!
We had such a rollicking good time - the last time was when (?), 20 years ago (?) when you youngsters were still 'wet round the ears', that being said affectionately. We wished our knees were still as good as then because we could show you how we can rock especially Iain who used to be the rock n roll champion in his village in NZ!!
As a wargaemas I find it such an honour to meet all the bloggers that have visited AsH and whose blogs I have read - ranging from the mature 'fruitcakes' to baby Elvira. May we all live long and prosper as they say in Star Trek.
But above all, dear Puteri and spouse thank you for bringing us all together. I think you are such a warm, big-hearted lady and we are so glad to have met you.
If you all could have been my students like Rocky was, it would have made my teaching days more memorable and meaningful.

Loads of love from Darby and Joan

mekyam said...

i only have three words!

JELES! JELES! JELES!

*boo-hoo-hoo-boo-hoo-hoo* [sniff!]

thank u mak aji puteri for lovely photos of very happening people. i'm like starstruck impressed gitu! :D

Kama At-Tarawis said...

TM - hehehe, now you know your kak puteri big-sized gitewww!

edelweiss - tu la.. i wish i can get everyone far and near to come, baru best.

mamasita - rocky's cool.. am glad datuk sak and him finally met..

cat - i am not through with you yet.. we still have time to 'se'eh' ourselves all over again.. hehehe

tommy - we had a whale of a good time for sure. embarrassing stories? how i wish ada.. tapi dont have lah.. all very staid..

ida - dah ditakdirkan we were meant to met, that's why.

jaflam - oohh, you awal-awal lagi pak abu sudah sound.. tu jeff yg kita jumpa dulu kat pwtc dah jemput ke belum? ..hehehe.. am glad you cam with yr beautiful datin.. comel lote!

pi & zendra & sue & oldstock - insyaallah naz balik nanti kita buat lagi satu round.

aishah - happy sangat you two could make it. lama tak jumpa. those nst days i very malu nak nyanyi..heheh

uncle som - happy that you could make it. like i said before, each time tengok you, teringat kat bapak.. uncle som, you could sing!

nanadj - i dont mind poco-pocoing in london! hehehe

elviza - you were like a breath of fresh air amongst us..

raden - i am so thankful you both datang walaupun kurang sihat. thanks so much sweetheart..

kak teh - what can i say? "Mana Puteri?" hahahaha.. kak teh kak teh.. before you balik, kena ada satu round kopi..

MA - my good samaritan.. nasik baik ada you tolong drivekan tetamu-tetamu agung kita.. tq so much MA.. sesat sikit2 ok what..hheh.. now i know u kakai karaoke jugak.. jom next time!

ASH - what can i say.. wors fail me. suffice to say you both made our day just by being with us..

mekyam - tu la.. you are so jauh!

Salt N Turmeric said...

wah ramai lagi rupanya. just came fr mamasita's. ingatkan 3 couple aje, rupa2nya ramai lagi. dah tu, buat kat lake club's chinese restaurant pulak tu. did u guys have the dim sum? drooling!

MrsNordin said...

Sorry I couldn't make it but it sure looks like you all had a great time! I'd surely like to hear you & MA singing!

Well anyway, kalau ada rezeki, insyaallah I'll get to meet you and K.Teh.

MrN is still in the hospital. I think he'll only be discharged on Saturday. I'm back in the office today. Letih lah!

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Mrs N, am sorry to hear abt your other half. Hope he'll recover soon. Yes, let's hv tea (or something) with Kak Teh before she balik.. am ready whenever you are.. all you hv to do is e-mail me..

Kama At-Tarawis said...

Farina - there were 29 of us altogether and the food was an eight-course chinese dinner.. dim sum depa serve siang aja and on certain days only now. waitlah, bila you balik cuti ka, we'll do it all over again..

Salt N Turmeric said...

Kak Puteri, 29 ppl? wah mesti meriah and heboh LC malam tu. lol. dim sum only on certain days? so sad. nanti i balik kena make sure jumpa on days tht they serve dim sum ya? ;)

Awang Goneng said...

Sdri Puteri Kama (the hostess with the mostest) and Pak Abu (so generous, and a singer too!),

Sorry I'm late (as Rocky used to say to Anak Pak Hamid at school) but thank you, thank you! It was a lovely night for us to be able to see so many friends and good blogging neighbours. And thanks MA for ferrying us around KL, I enjoy illegal turns and illict byways. I enjoyed meeting (and re-meeting) everyone and I'm sorry if my Trengganu shyness held me back from going over to you personally to say hello. (Now you know who made the first move when I met KT at the NST). And Iain and Anak Si Hamid, och aye the noo, thanks for the Haji's Book, my childhood memories are in there, and thanks for outing Iain as the only Rock-n-Roller in the (Kiwi) village.

Never met so many talented singers over a Chinese dinner!

God bless you all, especially Puteri Kama and Pak Abu.

kay_leeda said...

Dear Kak Puteri,

Here I am, a week later, meddling my camera and still looking at our pics together. Ahhh...what can I say, it was a greatttt do!!! It was such an honour being in the company of so many powerful bloggers like Kak Teh, AG, anak si-hamid and your good self. It was so "un-sangkable"..heh..heh. Siapa lah kita ni, budak setahun jagung di blogland.

Thank you Kak for the invite. Really enjoyed singing too. Both you and Pak Abu were just superb hosts :)