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!