Neo naik truck.

Posted on by under Kindred and Lineage

I am currently in Shah Alam when I am supposed to be at home in Sitiawan. What happened was my sister’s Neo broke down just before Ijok and right after the Chinese graveyard. She couldn’t press the pedal, the stering wheel can’t be controlled and slowly the car stopped on its own. She called Proton Service Centre and waited about 45 minutes for Abg Proton. He came with his wife and managed to start the car. About two minutes after that the car broke down again and this time nothing can be done except to have it towed to Proton’s workshop. We waited more than an hour for the truck. My sister had already fallen asleep, I got bored of waiting that I counted how many vehicles that passed us by. From 12.44 am to 12.55 am, there were 59 wehicles including 3 motorcycles and the tow truck is vehicle nnumber 60. Abg Proton had asked another friend, Abg Proton 2 to send us to Shah Alam. On the way, Abg Proton 2 took us to Mutiara Damansara Proton Centre to wait for Neo and settled some forms. We arrived safely in Shah Alam at around 3 a.m.

They are really nice guys, including the Abg Proton On the Phone and Abg Insurans. I gave Abg Proton 2 some money, a treat for him and Abg Proton. Abg Proton even invited us to his wedding in March. Har har har. That was really nice of him.

Here’s some pictures of Neo in Mutiara Damansara.

Neo is still on the truck. The guy in black shirt and white pants is Abg Proton 2.

In the process of getting Neo on to the ground.
Neo is already on the ground.

Later today we’ll be heading to Sitiawan in Mak Cu’s Waja and will probably pick Neo up on Sunday.

To Abg Proton, Abg Proton 2, Abg Proton On the Phone and Abg Insurans, if you are reading this (I dont think you read this by the way), we just want to say thank you very much for your help. We really appreciate it.

Yesterday.

Posted on by under Emotions Revealed, Kindred and Lineage
This is meant to be posted yesterday.

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

Today, 17th January 2007, marks the eight month since the day that Allah took Ayah’s life. Time really flies. It felt like yesterday that I received the news that he was admitted to the hospital. It felt like yesterday that I was allowed to go home to see my family, full expenses paid by Marjon. It felt like yesterday that relatives are afraid to tell me the bad news as soon as I landed. It felt like yesterday that I visited his grave for the first time and cried. It felt like yesterday that I visited his grave every weekend. It felt like yesterday that I helped Mama to placed the tombstone on his grave. It felt like yesterday that I helped to plant some orchids next to the tombstone. It felt like yesterday that I scattered flowers and pandan leaves on the grave. It felt like yesterday that I cried because he was not there to celebrate my birthday. It felt like yesterday that I held a tahlil for him. Everything felt like they have just happened just the day before. But, all these things happened in the course of eight months. I still have not visit his grave since I came back although this was the first thing that I wanted to do.I really wished that I had done so during the one week I was at home now that I’m missing him very much. It hurts when mama said that she dreamt of him sometimes. It hurts when Jaja said that he came into her dreams. He had never come into mine. If I had just one wish, I wish that he will come into my dream, even for a short while. I wanted to see him very much, for I am missing him dearly.

Lecturers say the darndest things:

Posted on by under Quoted Quotes

‘Focused skill is like having a boyfriend. You can’t teach two focused skills just like you can’t have two boyfriends at the same time.’ (on the teaching of four skills in English language classrooms)

‘Elaborate with examples. For those of you who lack of English, huraikan dengan contoh.’ (on Professional Development assignment)

‘We can work together because I’m an English educated man.’ (on collaboration/working together between the HEP and Cohort 2 students)

‘OK, your reading is not bad after all.’ (during Professional Development tutorial)

‘We have loss our statute and prestige because we have teachers like you!’ (on teaching being a profession)

‘Haa, yang itu, dah sampai Marjon.’ (during Islamic Civilisation lecture, of which I fell asleep)

Welcome 2008.

Posted on by under Daily Scribbles
2008 is going to end its first day of the year. To tell you the truth, I have no new year resolutions. Well, I had one, but it was destroyed as soon as my cousin switched to one of the channels that highlighted new year concert/celebration. The resolution was not to watch any new year concert/celebration/countdown.

Since I have no new year resolutions, I am just going to reflect last year’s resolution.

Well, I was cheated by some group of men, (resolution #1 does not mean in the world of ‘percintaan’, but by any man). The computer/maintenance people did not come when they said they will. I eventually did some dieting (didn’t turn out well, by the way). I still procrastinate (started TECC assignment 3 days before the handing in date, not to forget the non-sleeping Sunday nights/Monday mornings so that I can hand in the drafts of the dissertation by Monday noon). I think I did more reading, especially for the Comparative Education module. I stopped doing my reading log a few days after resolution #5 was made. I did not exercise, well, I considered shopping as exercising. So, at least I may have burnt some fat. I did stop complaining, and whenever I started to complain about things, I remind myself to stop. I did do things sincerely, though at times I still feel irritated as I was the only one doing certain things. I did not manage to travel to other places. I did get a part time job as a student ambassador and a mail sorter. I did find some time every day to read the Quran after Maghrib or Isya’, but I did not read the translation to the verses. Finally, I don’t know whether I have become a better person inside out. That, I have to ask opinion of others. 😀

So, I still have no new year resolution. Everyday is a new day anyway, so you can make new resolution every day as you wish.

On a serious side.

I was fairly disappointed with the kind of celebrations that we have in our country. Concerts, gathering of men and women, countdowns, etc. It does not reflect the Islamic country that we claim ourselves to be. Yesterday itself, there was about 4 to 5 concerts being aired on the television, and those concerts were in KL alone. And in today’s Harian Metro, there was a full page coverage on the celebration and only a small section on the Bacaan Yassin to welcome the new year in Melaka. There was an Islamic forum and nasyid performance held in the mosque next to KLCC, but I guess some people would prefer to choose to attend the concert at KLCC, for it was the entertainment that they were looking for. Buletin Utama highlighted that social problems have emerged each and everytime new year is celebrated. Well, it is pretty clear anyway. These problems emerged every year but still we still have concerts and celebrations to welcome the new year. You know the impacts of these sorts of events but you still hold it anyway. So why bother saying that we still have the ‘ketimuran‘ in us, when everything that we do is all ‘kebaratan‘.

And there’s this sending mat rempit to Kutub Utara by Pemuda UMNO. ??!!??. And a plan to use mat rempits to bring the voters to the voting centres in the next election. Again, ??!!??. May I suggest that we recruit all these mat rempits to become delivery guy for Mcdonalds, KFCs and Pizza Huts. Or FedEx, Nationwide Express, DHL, UPS can recruit them as despatchers. Maybe all the kedai mamak can have their own delivery guy too. At least these mat rempits have a long term job, rather than something that they will do only once in five years.

Let us see what kind of news we are going to get tomorrow. And I’m sure we all gonna be surprised, well, maybe not.

Happy new year.

Last one from Plymouth.

Posted on by under Travel Discoveries
12 hours and counting. Soon, our stay in Plymouth will come to an end. And this shall be my last entry from House 20, Student Village, University College Plymouth St Mark and St John, Plymouth.

Will be missing this place. Will definitely be missing the people I have been working with. May we see each other again and may I have the opportunity to see this place again. Amin.

Goodbye Marjon. Goodbye Plymouth.