Filial (Im)piety

The story broken by local Chinese daily, Sin Chiew, and picked up by many other newspapers yesterday - the one out of Singapore about an elderly couple in Jurong forced to make the staircase of a school their home - was truly depressing.

The unfortunate duo (a retired manager and his wife) gave up their duplex to their only son as a wedding gift two years ago, hoping the newlyweds would invite Ma and Pa to stay and look after them in their old age.

The son and his wife did for a year, before selling off the property for close to a million ringgit to buy another condo. That done, the ungrateful son then packed his parents off to stay with their other child, a daughter.

A year down the road, the daughter too decided they weren't welcome after all. She callously changed the locks to keep them out. Homeless now, the wargamas couple had no option but to seek shelter on the staircase of a school.

This lamentable story came to light when the couple related their predicament to the school's secretary.

To think it was their own flesh and blood who did this is beyond belief. What kind of offsprings did they spawn? Heartless doesn't even begin to describe them.

Why didn't the children just abandon the parents in a charity shelter somewhere if they sayang their money so much, not wanting to fork out a single sen to park those sorry souls in an old folks home?

Whatever the parents' fault, I think turning a couple in their twilight years into the streets to fend for themselves is extremely cruel. Even unwanted pets get sent to the SPCA.

Last I heard (some years back this was), the Singapore Government had wanted to introduce a law that would make it a crime for children to abandon their parents.

That sounds just about right, coming out of ultramodern, uberdeveloped, metropolitan but soulless Singapore, where ageing (and jobless) Mom and Dad can be a real cramp to one's lifestyle.

Blame it on that unabashedly crude and materialistic "Singapore Dream", summarised by what is known as the Five Cs; Cash, Credit card, Car, Condo, Country club.

Sadly, they have forgotten to stack up the chips of the more important Cs - Caring, Concern, Consideration - the ones that would serve them well beyond this transient world.

The Road To Confusion

I am getting very confused. There are far too many e-mails with conflicting views with regards Influenza A (H1N1) in my mailbox that I don't know what to think anymore.

Just about the only common thread the senders of these e-mails share is that they meant well (at least I'd like to think they do). Still, I am pretty peeved to have found myself in this current state of uncertainty.

One e-mail said we should all be afraid - very afraid, in fact - because H1N1 will soon reach pandemic proportions (if it hasn't already) and thousands will perish. It's God's wrath upon mankind, muttered he darkly.

Another said the current death toll is much higher than what is let on but the authorities are keeping the lid on to avoid panic. "It's going to decimate our population!" screamed the writer, giving me unnecessary goose pimples.

Yet another said we are making too much out of this perceived threat. "It's just another strain of flu; it's the Press that's blowing it out of proportions," the writer poohed-poohed dismissively, conveniently taking potshots at mainstream media (sigh.. what else is new!) at the same time.

The fourth missive, claiming H1Ni as one monumental scam, was purportedly written by a paediatrician from Damansara Specialist Hospital, by the name of Dr Musa Mohd Nordin.

Calling the current H1N1-induced fear a 'sensational nonsense', he put forth a lengthy argument in support of this theory (half of which was lost on me, anyway), but I am not in the mood to humour him. Yet.

Now, who am I to believe? To paraphrase Mulder on X-Files: "The truth is out there." I'm sure it is. What remains is to sieve through the chaff to find it.

Did H1N1 begin life in a laboratory somewhere or did it really mutate from the common cold virus? Perhaps it truly is 'bala Allah swt' after all, or could it have come out of outer space? Such dizzying but not so improbable thoughts....

Conspiracy theories abound, naturally. Where would we be without these highly imaginative people, anyway. The world is having a field day blaming conspirators ranging from the US Government to Tamiflu manufacturers.

Whatever its origin, I'd rather err on the side of caution than adopt a lackadaisical attitude towards H1N1. Like I have said many times before, it's better to be safe than sorry.


PS:

Found this while scrolling my blogroll. It's a good write-up about H1N1 in Newsweek, reproduced by Hantulaut in his blog.

Pak Abu's Birthday Dinner

Nawwar and June (in red) hamming it up for the camera. Note the Mardi Gras paintings on the wall.


Pak Abu and Ann looking apprehensive. Must be the oversized knife. Looks more like a machete! On the skewer is Picanha beef cut ready for serving.

Pak Abu with his solitary candle nestling amidst caramelised bananas and vanilla ice cream.

It has been quite a while since I consumed a lot of meat at one sitting (eating 'satay' morsels doesn't count). I am speaking a whole range of red and white meats; roasted, grilled and barbequed.

Frankly, I am not a meat person. I love all kinds of seafood, with the exception of fish. Give me lobster, prawn, squid, crab, oyster, calamari and abalone anytime, washed down with any mint-flavoured lemony lime thirst quenchers, and I'm all yours.

Pak Abu on the other hand is big on chicken and loves meat, so off to Carnaval Churrascaria in Damansara Jaya we trooped for dinner earlier this evening to give him a treat well deserved, it being his 57th birthday today.

A bit of trivia: A churrascaria is a Brazilian or Portuguese steakhouse. Churrasco is a cooking style; roughly translated, it is Portuguese for 'barbeque'. It owes its origins to the fireside roasts of the gauchos of Pampas.

In modern restaurants, the 'rodizio' service is typically offered, In this, 'passadors' (meat waiters) come to your table with knives and a skewer, on which are speared various kinds of meats, be it beef, fillet mignon, lamb, chicken, duck, turkey ham, sausages, fish, as well as grilled pineapple and bread smothered in sour cream.

Carnaval Churrascaria is one such Brazilian restaurant in Petaling Jaya. It is located at the endlot of a row of shophouses (next to Maybank) just metres away from The Atria in Damansara Jaya.

The eatery, decked out in Brazilian national colours of yellow and green, looked bright and cheerful. Two flags - Brazilian and Malaysian - shared space behind the bar while paintings of the Mardi Gras, in a riot of colours, adorned the walls.

Pak Abu had eaten there once before a couple of years ago, with a group of corporate head honchos and avid golfers, and had spoken highly of it. So I decided it would be nice to surprise him with another 'churrasco' dinner.

The salad bar was filled to the brim. There must have been about 20 varieties to choose from, ranging from Thai-style glass noodles to fusilli, cole-slaw, green salad, potato salad, kidney beans, diced tomatoes in garlic and basil, fried aubergine slices, wedges, boiled ladies fingers with sambal....

The meats, tender and juicy, kept coming every so often that we eventually had to tell them to halt the conveyor belt of skewer-bearing passadors.

My favourite meat (the real thing, not the Brazilian passador although he was quite a looker himself.. hehehe.. ) was the lamb slices, eaten with mint sauce prepared from scratch, with fresh mint leaves.

For the customary candle-blowing, we decided to stay away from a cake; it's far too rich for Pak Abu who is a recent diabetic. I had wanted to get him his favourite (and less calorie-laden) tiramisu cake, but they didn't have it at the bakery I went to earlier in the day.

The restaurant instead prepared its specialty, caramelised bananas with three humongous scoops of vanilla ice cream, and stuck a candle in the middle of the dish. Still indecently rich, but not as bad as a royal icing overload on a normal birthday cake.

All considered, it was good night out for the family, our 'last kopek' really, before Ramadhan...

H1N1 Scare

Joe and Ann after getting their respective jabs at the hospital. They had to wait for 7 hours due to a big crowd thronging for medical attention. People are just not taking chances with H1N1.

It has been a rather unsettling week for the family, especially the sibling trio of Naj, Joe and Ann who share an apartment in Bandar Utama.

It wasn't too bad for us three (Pak Abu, Awwa and myself) in Taman Tun although I did come down with the sniffles and a rather severe bout of coughing. Thankfully, yesterday's temperature test proved everything was a-okay.

Some time last week Joe complained of flu. A slight fever then developed, followed by racking coughs. As he got worse, his sister Ann picked up the virus and suffered alongside.

They were still harmoniously sniffling and coughing when the eldest, Naj, got home from outstation, and promptly staked a claim in the misery.

In the meantime, Joe developed breathing difficulties. His asthma acted up and over the weekend he passed out. Luckily Naj and Ann were around to lend a hand. Self-quarantine was ordered and duly adhered to.

Subsequent blood tests revealed no H1N1. Syukur Alhamdulillah for that. One can never be too careful these days. Reports say H1N1 is expected to be around for at least one year - that's a scary thought indeed. It's like having a stalker in our midst. A silent killer is on the loose.

Let's not take this H1N1 scourge lightly. Do our part; wash hands frequently, stay away from crowded places as much as possible, wear a mask, see a doctor for a throat swab if you develop even a slight flu, and get your temperature checked if you feel feverish.

Cut down on your socialising; the parties and cinemas can wait. Drink lots of water too. And have enough rest. Take all the preventive measures you can possibly think of. Like they say - better safe than sorry.

Tuesday Rant

When I started blogging just over a year ago, the one thing I promised myself not to do was write political commentaries; in other words, indulge in so-po (socio-political) blogging.

Which is just as well, really, because there are so many good so-po bloggers out there. It doesn't matter where their political inclination or affiliation lies. What does matter is that they write with such passion and conviction that you can't help but give their thoughts due attention.

Of course, there are also those whose only claim to fame is their ability to spew venom in the worst possible way, by being obnoxious. These are the bigots whose political depth is suspect, but whose ability to swear and cuss is not.

There were times when I itched to hit back, especially when my race and religion came under attack by people professing to uphold freedom and justice. Despite being born here and living here all their lives, their reluctance to integrate is nothing short of bewildering.

Rubbishing other people's faith is something I can't stomach. If you have nothing nice to say, just shut the fish up. My religion is sacred to me as I am sure yours is, to you. So don't push your luck too far. Sarang tebuan jangan dijolok...

Having said that, I also abhor those who pontificate; their holier-than-thou attitude makes me want to puke. And I have no love for people who use religion as a political platform. Religion is above politics and those who use it for political gain should rightly be vilified.

I am writing against the grain of my promise because of what have been happening in the country lately. I don't have to expand on this; unless you have been living like a hermit in a cave somewhere, you would know what I am talking about.

Non-Muslims dispensing with 'fatwas' about pregnancy outside marriage and illegitimate children (don't cloud the issue here with rapes etc please) and the 'halal/haram'ness of beer?

Muslim scholars and respected royalty coming under fire for exercising their right to speak and express their own opinion? Gangsterism in "Utopia"? (Not quite as squeaky clean as you had made yourselves out to be, eh?) I need not say more.

1) mengata dulang paku serpih; mengata orang dia yang lebih.
2) meludah kelangit, jatuh kemuka sendiri.
3) menepuk air di dulang, terpercik kemuka sendiri.
4) semut di seberang lautan nampak, gajah di depan mata tidak.

Lest they forget, there is a SILENT MAJORITY out there of which I am a member. I don't need to take to the streets and disrupt the lives of my fellow peace-loving Malaysians to prove my point.

I have been doing it at the ballot box ever since I could vote, and like hell I shall exercise it again in the not-too-distant future. Just don't underestimate the collective power of 'us'. We don't need to resort to Bollywood antics to make ourselves heard.

Oh, a footnote before I conclude:- I was amused to read Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's comment (in yesterday's dailies) that the National Day celebrations in Penang could be postponed due to H1N1.

[For the record, I am not an advocate of independence day celebrations. I have no use for mega concerts, military parades and pyrotechnic shows. I celebrate the way I know best, by raising my country's flag at home and flying it on my car. I am unashamedly patriotic, so sue me].

I salute LGE for being a concerned leader. "Our priority is the people's safety." How gracious, how noble. But how come there wasn't a squeak from him when those kutus were having street demonstrations and illegal rallies in Kuala Lumpur recently?

After all, the H1N1 virus isn't discerning, to attack only Penang Merdeka Day revellers and not Kuala Lumpur's kaki protes jalanan, especially the kind who led children like cows to slaughter, to be used as a human shield so that the image could be flashed around the world for international condemnation, not to mention turning it into a "modal" to whack the authorities...

The 10-minute Poem

Today I attended a creative-writing workshop and was asked to write, among others, a poem within 10 minutes. Below is my embarrassingly feeble attempt at poetry.

[Berpeluh beb! Five minutes gone just wondering how to wriggle myself out of this 'trap', two minutes to get my act together after realising I couldn't use the old standby of 'migraine', and three final minutes of desperate scribbling!].

Strangely enough, the first thing that came to my mind was Lillie's (pix above) kitty litter.

Other people wrote about the magnificent owl in the night sky, a telephone conversation between two friends, and daddy's blanket, and all I could come up with was cat poo. I think I have too much crap dwelling in my head (sighh...)


Lillie's Poo

A lapse of just one day
was all it took to make Pa bray
for I had forgotten to empty the litter tray

Preoccupied with work
Lillie's toilet escaped my thought
until a familiar odour surreptitiously wafted

"Cats!" spat Pa contemptuously
"Why didn't they just poo out there in the yard?"

"Because......." soothed Ma patiently
"We live 10 floors up, Pa
And the yard is the big blue sky
That's why... !"

To Pee or Not To Pee

After Pak Payne's poetic lament in "What Is Becoming of Me...", I am feeling a wee bit 'Shakespearish', thus "To Pee Or Not To Pee..." [the next entry will probably be "To Pi Or Not To Pi, to Phi Phi"; THAT's the question!]

Is it true that you have to pay two ringgit to take a leak in KLCC? What exactly do they have in the washrooms there, paintings by Old Masters? The sprawling tourist magnet isn't exactly our playground, so we don't know. We hardly go to the city centre, by the way.

Everything that we need and want can be found in our own backyard; there's One Utama, The Curve, Ikea, Ikano, Damansara Uptown, and further up, Hartamas. In fact, we are within walking distance to One Utama that I sometimes go there on foot. It takes only 20 minutes, and at a leisurely pace too.

I certainly do not mind paying to use a shopping centre's toilet facility, but I think two ringgit is a bit rich, considering other places like One Utama and The Curve do not charge a single sen for the same. And their loos are as clean and spotless as those found in five-star hotels.

I wonder what the rationale is for charging two ringgit for a pee (or a poo). I may be wrong, but I still think the management is just trying to make a quick buck, well knowing that when you gotta go, you gotta go...

Oh, I forgot to mention I was told they give you a packet of 'wet-ones', presumably for you to clean yourself up afterwards. I guess that's their justification for the two ringgit charge.

But what if I refuse the packet because I have this habit of bringing my own wherever I go? Can I get a discount on the two bucks?

Two ringgit is a lot of money these days. For this amount, one can have two meals at Restoran Rakyat Ukhwah 1Malaysia, or two packets of that famous Nasi Lemak Taman Tun.

Be that as it may, I have decided I shall not enrich KLCC further by peeing in their first-rate toilet. No, I am not bringing a bedpan when shopping in KLCC, don't worry. [Psstt.. Pak Abu says he's not considering the bottle either.... it's too bulky to hide in his pocket!]

Pak Abu and I have found the solution; we shall continue to avoid KLCC as we have done in the past, unless there is a real need to be there.

I can't promise to stay away because Kinokuniya is gobsmacked in KLCC and it has some of the best collections of books ever. If you like Pablo Neruda, go to Kinokuniya for it carries an impressive stock of the poet's work.

If you are coming One Utama way, give me a tinkle. I pace the aisles of both Old and New Wings almost everyday. That's my routine. Perhaps we can have Ultimate Mocha together at The Coffee Bean. Best of all, you don't have to pay to pee!

Sweet Spots

"Make a memory with your children
Spend some time to show you care
Toys and trinkets can't replace those
Precious moments that you share.

Money doesn't buy real pleasure
It doesn't matter where you live
Children need your own attention
Something only you can give.

Childhood's days pass all too quickly
Happy memories all too few
Plan to do that special something
Take the time to go and do.

Make a memory with your children
Take the time in busy days
Have some fun while they're growing
Show your love in gentle ways."

Elaine Hardt

This entry goes out to every single one of you. It matters not if you are a grandparent, Mom or Dad, single adult, a teenager, or even a kid. Whether you are seven or 70, one common bond that binds us together is our unconditional love for our family.

As a parent, what and when was that last memorable moment you had with your child? In defining this moment, it would be a time spent together, or an incident experienced together that was significant enough to remain forever etched in your memory.

I know of a child who had hazy memories of an expensive family holiday in the UK, but could never stop talking about sharing a loaf of bread with his mom to feed the ducks at the Serpentine in Hyde Park.

I call such moments Sweet Spots. People I know call them by many other names - Happy Moments, Highlights, High Points, Twinkling Moments - but they are basically the same thing, that is, significant moments tucked away in the treasure trove of one's memory bank.

Despite the name, such memories need not even be saccharine sweet. There was one incident, neither sweet nor heartwarming but hilarious (with the benefit of hindsight, that is), that remains etched in my memory until today. It makes me laugh each time I think of it.

It happened 35 years ago when the ex, while teaching me how to drive in the vast compound of his father's official residence, jumped out of the car instead of grabbing the wheels the moment I careened out of control towards one of the pillars at the porch.

The cop manning the sentry box at the entrance looked in horror, expecting a crash-boom-bang! anytime. I managed to evade the pillar by ploughing through (soon-to-be) mom-in-law's precious bed of gladiolis and some potted plants, narrowly missing her much-prized orchid garden. [The family said it should have been the pillar and not the matriarch's flowers].

A close friend quoted the time when his friends ganged up on him during a poolside barbeque and threw him unceremoniously, fully clothed, into the pool. Another recalled singing in the rain at the top of her lungs with her siblings during one downpour, whilst walking home from a kampung school.

Never mind that they were soaked to the skin and had to dry their books on the pangkin (a raised wooden platform in the front yard of a kampung house) later on. Singing in the rain was simply fun, fun, fun. And the memory stuck.

I am sure you have your own sweet spots to share. Even everyday gestures can be just as memorable; a big hug from the kids when you walk through the door after a long day at work, the little ones 'helping' you cook in the kitchen, celebrating your team's goal together, playing the piano with your child and singing in perfect harmony together, watching the sunset by the beach with the entire family...

Unlike westerners, we Malaysians hardly practise the culture of capturing our moments on camcoders or any video recording devices. We are digital camera-inclined and use the video function only sparingly, to record only special events like birthdays, weddings and such.

[Taping other people's conversations and embarrassing private moments with malicious intent don't count, ok].

I think it's about time we start and let's not limit ourselves to just 'special' events, because a sneak kiss by the beloved is just as special, don't you think? Always have a camcoder handy. More often than not, sweet spots involve family members, people you are most emotionally connected to. I am inclined to think those involving small kids are the best - a baby's first steps or first word, for example.

Let's create memories and capture them visually for posterity. I used to be so technologically inept that I didn't even know how to handle the TV remote or operate the video recorder and the microwave oven. I fumbled with all the buttons on the mobile phone, and was absolutely terrified of the computer. And Internet gave me the chills; I didn' quite know what to make of it.

Today, at 55, I surf bigtime, blog, google and wiki-ed, download songs and videos and stuffs. And I carry a digital camera in my handbag at all times, ready to capture memorable moments at the flick of a finger. Seriously, I never thought I would come this far. Sweet spots, here I come!

PS: Somehow, I am not ready for a Blackberry yet. It looks intimidating (too many functions I'm sure I'll lose my bearing in the maze).

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!

Suka Dalam Duka

BUOH SETO TOK MA (Grandma's Mangosteen)

My feelings have been on a rollercoaster ride since yesterday; the ups and the downs tumbling upon me with equal ferocity.

The good news is that husband-wife blogger combo of Kak Teh and Awang Goneng are in town, and God willing, I may get to meet these old acquaintances of mine again after 30 years.

Another cheery bit is that I finally made my acquaintance with bloggers Mamasita, the lovely and youthful-looking Datin from Kuantan, and busybee corporate lady, Kay_Leeda (albeit via the telephone). If all goes well, we are meeting soon. Looks like the blogging sisterhood is expanding its tentacles (not that I'm complaining!)

The downside is the sudden demise of well-known ad supremo and film-maker Yasmin Ahmad whom I first met in the mid '80s. Yasmin had gone on to become a force to reckon with in the local and international advertising industry. All too soon, she is taken away from us. Al-fatihah.

This morning, I accessed my blog, only to be confronted with yet another devastating bit of news, that blogger Bergen, an old chatter friend and fellow "orang kampung" (we both hail from Dungun), is stricken with high-grade sarcoma (bone cancer). This is so tragic, especially since his beloved aunt (who raised him) passed away hardly a year ago. Bergen, our prayers are with you.

On the tail of all these is Pak Zawi and company, offering a ray of hope for the schoolchildren in and around the village of Tok Sangkut in Pasir Mas, Kelantan, via the establishment of Tabung Kebajikan Tok Sangkut (please read here).

The picture above is that of a painting by talented Cikgu Mazeri Othman (Deen) of Pasir Mas being put up for auction to raise funds for the kids. This is the first of many more such paintings to be so offered for the cause. I can tell it's a lovely piece of work and I am not ashamed to admit that I am smitten.

While not a purebred Kelantanese, one half of me definitely is (courtesy of my maternal grandfather who hailed from Kuala Krai). Flimsy as that may be, I am very proud of this connection. As such, I feel duty-bound to promote this 'Tabung' that aims to assist the future generations of Kelantan in their studies.

Let us do any which way we can to get this Fund rolling. Every little bit helps. Semoga usaha kita diberkati Allah Subhanahu Wata'ala.

Staple On The Cheap

The Ukhwah Restoran Rakyat 1Malaysia, located in Lorong Medan Tuanku Satu (next to Prescott Inn) Kuala Lumpur

(pix taken from Star Online)

Way back in 1974, a restaurant named for the man in the street opened its doors in Kuala Lumpur, at the site of what is today a public fountain in the shape of a monkey pitcher plant, in the vicinity of the traffic intersection near Dataran Merdeka.

I remember Restoran Rakyat well for I was amongst the thousands of common folks who thronged it on days when the heart was heavy and the pocket light, as light as the day was long.

I was then a rookie reporter just months into my first job at the Malay Mail and struggling to cope with life, on a shoestring budget in a big city. Despite putting up with a kind-hearted aunt and her family of six in a cramped DBKL flat, I was perpetually broke.

Entering the workforce sans paper qualifications had plunged me right to the bottom of the totem pole, with a take-home pay that was woefully inadequate even for a single working girl.

[I had started work by choice at 19, steadfastly refusing to finish my studies, much to Opah's chagrin. By the time I returned to the books aged 27 and a mother of three, she had passed on, never knowing that I had made good on my promise to graduate from college someday].

There were times when I took to walking from the Bandaraya flat in Cheras to my place of work in Jalan Pantai Baru, Bangsar, because I couldn't afford the bus fare and was too embarrassed to ask for a small loan from my aunt.

The morning walks would take slightly over two hours at a brisk pace, passing by the Railway Station and National Museum (my favourite stretch), and arriving Balai Berita drenched in sweat, face aglow from the 'forced' exercise.

It was Restoran Rakyat that kept the likes of us sorry souls nourished for a mere pittance, for it served a full meal of rice, curry and some vegetables, and a glass of iced water, all at one ringgit per plate. The menu, thankfully, varied from day to day.

I don't remember why the restaurant eventually closed its doors, and when; in all probability when I was living in the UK in the mid '70s, or in Kuantan, post-London. By then, my life was already on an even keel and memories of Restoran Rakyat eventually dimmed over time.

Yesterday, I flipped open Sunday Star and lo and behold! There's a new Restoran Rakyat in town! Best of all, it's keeping to the spirit and tradition of its erstwhile namesake by offering good food at very low prices.

One piece of roti canai and a glass of teh tarik for just one ringgit, right in the heart of Kuala Lumpur - that's what you get at Ukhwah Restoran Rakyat 1Malaysia.

Located in Lorong Medan Tuanku Satu (next to Prescott Inn), this non-profit oriented eatery, a week into its operation today, is owned and run by Koperasi Pendidikan Islam Malaysia Bhd, better known as Ukhwah.

What's heartening to note is that Ukhwah president Datuk Rahim Baba could be seen lending a helping hand, clearing and cleaning tables alongside his men, all members of the co-op, during peak hours. That's walking the talk for you.

On the downside, three days into operation the nearby mamak joints had 'sent a clear message' (to quote Datuk Rahim) asking the restaurant to "maintain the market price of food." I hope, for the sake of the needies, he won't buckle under pressure.

He says he won't budge because he believes food should be reasonably priced. He even gives an insight on pricing, noting that most restaurants make 200% - 300% profit from selling food.

Datuk Rahim stresses that even at 40 sen apiece for roti canai, the restaurant still makes 100% profit because the actual cost of making roti canai is only 20 sen. As for teh tarik, he says he makes a profit of 18 sen by selling it at 60 sen a glass.

The newspaper report says Ukhwah Restoran Rakyat 1Malaysia needs RM2,000 a day in sales to break even, to cover rental of RM7,000 per month and salary of its 16 (all local) staff.

Reading this bit of Malaysiana had me all choked up. Restoran Rakyat of the 1970s fed me when I was low on cash. In the current tough economic times, Ukhwah Restoran Rakyat 1Malaysia serves to fill the belly of many a man (or woman) in the same predicament.

I only have good wishes for Datuk Rahim Baba and his band of Ukhwah men. May God bless your good work!

Ozlin & Amirah

Amirah Anuar (pix above)

OZLIN

1) Ozlin, a loving wife and devoted mother to two small children, turned 35 this year. Young and beautiful, this soft-spoken, graceful woman had a whole life ahead of her.

Tapi kita hanya merancang; Tuhan juga yang menentukan (we can only plan, for our fate is in the hands of God). Who would have thought her journey of life would end so abruptly, depriving two little kids of their doting mother, and their daddy a loving spouse.

A colleague of my son Joe, Ozlin succumbed to leukaemia yesterday morning. She was buried in Kuala Lumpur on the same day, after Zohor prayers. Ozlin was diagnosed with terminal-stage leukaemia only two months ago.

Pak Abu and I were on our way to Temerloh, Pahang, to attend the wedding of a niece when Joe called just before noon to inform us of the sad news.

We knew Ozlin because she had joined us on a couple of occasions at the KLGCC (Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club) for karaoke, together with Joe and a few of their co-workers from the advertising agency.

She quit the agency late last year to join her husband who was based in Singapore. Because of that, we didn't get to meet her before we left for the Hajj in November last year. But she did send us a message of good wishes through Facebook.

We shall miss you dear Ozlin. Semoga Allah swt mencucuri rahmat ke atas rohmu dan menempatkannya di kalangan roh-roh mereka yang beriman.

May you rest in peace and may Allah swt bless your soul and place it amongst the pious and the blessed. Al-Fatihah.

AMIRAH

2) Amirah Anuar is a lovely young lady of 24. A smart girl, she completed college with a Second Class Upper in Finance just a couple of months ago, and harbours thoughts of doing her masters degree in the United Kingdom, just like her dad.

Four years ago, at the age of 20, Amirah lost her right leg to cancer. Ever an optimist, this plucky niece of mine, whose mother is my younger sister Ana, takes everything in her stride.

She faces challenges head-on. She makes light of her status as an OKU (physically-handicapped person), preferring instead to concentrate on other worthwhile issues like her studies and her family. Her sunny disposition had, in the past, helped us through during her hours of anguish.

One morning two weeks ago my sister Izah called with the devastating news that after four relatively quiet years, Amirah's dreaded cancer had returned with a vengeance, this time lodging itself in her lungs. All I could do was cry by the phone.

Three new lesions were detected, two in one lung and one in the other. Doctors at Kuala Lumpur Hospital, where she was admitted, had determined that the cancer was at stage four and immediate surgery was recommended.

Due to the location of the lesions, she was referred to Institut Jantung Negara (National Heart Institute) for the operation.

Pak Abu and I went to IJN to visit her last Tuesday, a day before the operation. She was understandably nervous and very subdued.

She confided that she was afraid of what lie ahead, and that she didn't relish the idea of undergoing chemoteraphy all over again.

While the four-hour surgery went well, doctors were unable to remove one of the lesions due to its close proximity to the heart. Thus she would have to avail herself to full chemo soon.

Amirah is pragmatic about her chances; medically-speaking, her life expectancy is three years. She is aware of this and has accepted it, as we have, painful and heart-breaking as it may be.

Redha is the word. At our end, we have tried and will continue to try to help Amirah overcome this scourge any which ikhtiar we could. In the final analysis, Allah swt knows what's best, so in Him we put our absolute trust.

We love you Amirah!