Happy Birthday Bea...

And on this special day, I'm dedicating this oldie to you....but the message is forever true.
Dont you worry, age is just a number. Of course, we can always ask Sarah (Mynn and Mama Sarah's daughter). After all, she is now in Shah Alam. From now onwards, I suspect that little Sarah will be our 'feel-good channel' especially on birthdays. So, Sarah, berapa umur Auntie Bea hari ni ye???? ;)


Baby, I'm yours (baby, I'm yours)
And I'll be yours (yours) until the stars fall from the sky,
Yours (yours) until the rivers all run dry
In other words, until I die

Baby, I'm yours (baby, I'm yours)
And I'll be yours (yours) until the sun no longer shines,
Yours (yours) until the poets run out of rhyme
In other words, until the end of time

I'm gonna stay right here by your side,
Do my best to keep you satisfied
Nothin' in the world can drive me away
'Cause every day, you'll hear me say

Baby, I'm yours (baby, I'm yours)
And I'll be yours (yours) until two and two is three,
Yours (yours) until the mountains crumble to the sea
In other words, until eternity

Baby, I'm yours
'Til the stars fall from the sky
Baby, I'm yours
'Til the rivers all run dry
Baby, I'm yours
'Til the poets run out of rhyme

One Flu Over The Cuckoo's Nest

This entry is basically t o explain what I’ve been going through since my last real update.

It all started with a case of bad flu. One thing about me is that I seldom fall sick, but goodness when I do, it becomes something of an Altantuya case – the end is nowhere to be seen. And I happen to be the kind of person who will avoid the doctor at all costs unless it’s really necessary. So, the flu was a necessary case and the good doctor gave me antibiotics for three days. I did feel better after having down the pills, but it wasn’t enough to do something about my respiratory tract. The phlegm just wouldn’t go away. And from there, it went from bad to worse.

So I went to see the doctor again. This time, he gave a week’s worth of antibiotics and a whole lot of other medications. Still, there is a persistent feeling of uneasiness somewhere in the chest. Any doctors here want to take a guess what it is? Oh, and Bea is unwell too. She might have caught it from me.

However, being down doesn’t equate to being out and even though I’m feeling unwell, I’ve been going back to Kelantan; not only to see Wan my mother, but also to oversee the renovation works. Yes, it’s almost Ramadhan but the house is not yet 100% complete.

This is the door to the balcony of the upper floor.

Bear in mind that these are only the presentable parts of the house. Not every nook and cranny is as pretty as they are. Well, at least not yet.

You know how it is when it’s the fruit season in the kampong. You go into the orchards, enjoy a few durians, and then bring back a lot more back home to really dig in. Only in my case, it wasn’t just durians, but also mangosteens and rambutans and buah dokong. I thought that eating a lot of fruits would be good for the flu. But could it be the culprit that’s causing my persistent coughing and itchy throat?

I’ve been planning to visit ikelah and DITH at the house, knowing that their two daughters are back. But week after week, I just didn’t feel up to it; up until last weekend where the two daughters have gone back to Russia, and I was stuck in the convocation ceremony of Kak Zah’s only son. Do you remember Kak Zah? She’s the ‘wind beneath my wings’; the cousin who’s more like a sister who has been taking care of my aged mother at home. I think I owe it to them to make her day extra special. It’s the least I can do for this kind soul who has been of great help, may Allah bless her.

This is Mohd Syariza bin Ahmad, the graduate. Congratulations, your dad would have been so proud of you.

Who's the graduate here now? Amboi Kak Zah, sampai terseret ke lantai jubah tu!

The girl on the right is Syariza's half sister, Ayu.

To ikelah and DITH, the house must be very quiet now with only Maman at home. Don’t worry, ours is the same with only little Elvis constantly belting out new and unheard-of-before songs. I know that Mynn and Puan Mama Sarah are back in Malaysia. So where are the both of you now? If you’re around Setapak, perhaps we can meet at one of the nearby mamak stalls for some good old teh tarik?

So Sorry...

SORRY...for the long silence.
and, SORRY...for not leaving comments to your entry/ies. I've been so busy and uninspired. So for now, can I just share with you this article written by Datin Ampikaipakan on.... "Saying Sorry" accompanied by this beautiful song from Akon. Enjoy...


Saying sorry
Learn all about the art of making an apology.
WINNING WAYS by DATIN T.D. AMPIKAIPAKAN


HOW difficult is it to say, “I’m sorry”? Many years ago we heard this famous phrase “love means never having to say that you are sorry” and we thought “wow, what a profound idea.” Think about this now and see how it affects the lives of everyone who is in love.
Imagine this scenario: You are in love and your boyfriend takes you for granted. He makes you wait, is perpetually late for appointments, has no regard for your needs and has no remorse for the trouble he causes you. To add insult to injury, all he says is “love means never having to say I’m sorry!”

Although this takes place between two people, you feel the indignation while reading this. If we were to follow suit, can you imagine the heartaches all around because we would then have the licence to hurt our loved ones and use the excuse of “love” not to show regret for our actions.
Why do we say, “I’m sorry”? Why should we apologise? When do we apologise? As part of good manners you say “sorry” when you have made a mistake or hurt someone unintentionally or intentionally and you begin to regret that. It is all about respect.

When you feel that your actions or words have caused someone pain, mental or physical, you regret the “lack of respect” that you have shown. Hence you feel the need to apologise. When you apologise you make amends, you are telling the person you have hurt that you regret your actions, and you do not want him/her to think badly of you because of your transgressions. That is the premise we work with when we apologise.

We often say “sorry” without thinking. We accidentally step on someone’s toes and we say, “oops, sorry”, and all is forgiven. We forget to do an errand and we apologise. We may even make some serious mistakes that cause other people to lose money, we become mortified and often struggle to find the right way to say “I’m sorry”.

When you make a mistake, say something out of turn or have hurt someone’s feelings, you need to examine the extent of your transgression.

· How serious was it? Did you embarrass someone or are you more embarrassed by your action?

· Who got hurt by your actions? If your transgression is detrimental to your reputation or your integrity, then rectify the situation quickly so that people forgive you.

· There are times when the mistakes you make are so phenomenal that a simple “I’m so sorry” sounds inadequate. What happens if you kill someone by causing an accident? How do you apologise to a parent whose child you ran over? How do you apologise to a child who lost a parent because of your carelessness? In times like these, apologies are so difficult to make and when even one is offered, acceptance and forgiveness is hard to come by.
When you plan to apologise, you have to decide whether it is verbal and/or written. If it is a verbal apology, you need to consider the following:

· The words you need to use
· Your body language/facial expressions
· The tone of voice

If it is a written apology, you need to consider:

· The words you use
· The tone of the letter
· Whether it gets the right message through

If you want to apologise for a mistake, do it properly so that your apology is given and accepted with equal grace.

A sincere apology is done with insight. You should always run what you want to say through your head or share it with a friend so that the apology sounds sincere and thoughtful. When you apologise, look at your body language and facial expressions.

You have to look sorry! You have to feel bad about the whole incident and your face must show regret when you say the words. A bad apology is just like the one made by our two esteemed MPs for the faux pas that happened a month ago.

Take another look at the facial expressions in their photo. They had a smirk on their faces and looked so unapologetic that it was obvious they were forced to say sorry when they did not mean it. The bottom line – apologise when you really mean what you say!

The following is an example of a thoughtful written apology that was made when a serious injustice was done to a person and how a heartfelt apology made a difference to the relationship and put it back on an even keel. This is part of a long letter of apology:

“I’m writing this letter to say I’m sorry. This letter has been written a thousand times in my head, drafting and redrafting to try and put in words what I feel – sorrow, sadness, regret for my part in the injustice done to you over the years ?

“Just because I have written this letter, you don’t have to feel you have to ‘forgive and forget’. If you feel the time is not right or you still have some residual anger or feel unease or disquiet, it is your right and I respect that. All I want to do is atone and acknowledge a misjudgement. It has been a salutary lesson for me and I hope it will be a cautionary tale to our children that they should always try to do the right thing and be fair and just to all and not to take relationships for granted and abuse it.

“So as I begin, let me end by saying SORRY. When all’s said and done, what is SORRY worth? Sometimes it’s little – a token, a crumb, a throwaway line like ‘sorry I’m late‘. Sometimes it’s huge and terrible like: The White House is sorry for the collateral damage to civilians in Iraq in our ‘justified‘ war. I hope my sorry is somewhere in between – terrible but retrievable – like an honest broker trying to forge a connection between our estranged relationships.”

Say what you mean and mean what you say, even if you are trying to say, ”my humble apologies!”


P/S : Pycno just would like to know.....Do you find it difficult to say that you are sorry?

A Belated Birthday Entry

It has to be one of the quietest birthdays that I have ever celebrated. All the kids came back home. My eldest and Number 2 who are both in University, my Number 3 (only daughter) and Number 4 who are both in boarding school also happened to have their 'monthly holiday allowance', and of course my youngest; the only one left at home.

Everyone was very cooperative yesterday - waking up early and taking their shower. And instead of the usual arguments trying to decide where to go, everybody just said "Why don't you decide where we should go today, Birthday Boy?"

I've been to The Curve a couple of times before, but because of the distance (and traffic, possibly too), none of my children have had the chance to go there along with me. Therefore, I decided to take them yesterday. Thankfully, traffic wasn't as bad as I had expected. I parked the family vehicle at Cineleisure, which was a block away from The Curve. But it didn't matter much.

My youngest was tugging me, insisting that we should all go watch the new Harry Potter movie (by the way, I must tell you that I happened to be #61 in the queue of people at Carrefour Wangsa Maju yesterday, lining up to buy the final installment of The Boy Who Lived. I was there at 6.45 am, together with Bea and Number 2, who is simply potty over Potter. Since we were one of the earlier ones to arrive, we were served with breakfast. Also, I got to buy the bookS - note the 'S' - at RM 69.90 each. Potty Number 2 insisted we buy both editions for 'collectible reasons'. I decided to comply with his wishes as I am still beaming with pride over his exceptional MUET results - he was one of the hundred plus in the country who obtained Band 6)

Anyway, back to the movie. Since there was already quite a sizeable amount of people waiting to buy tickets to the movie, we decided to go watch it another time. Afterall, Number 1 was inquiring (in his usual tiresome manner) why should we waste two hours and a half to sit in a darkened room when we could stroll around and buy things. And stroll we did around The Curve.

Eventually, we ended up at Ikea (situated across the road from The Curve). My eldest has always expressed his desire to throw out all pieces of furniture in the house and replace them with new ones bought from Ikea. Naturally, he was admiring the simple and elegant designs of chairs and tables and wardrobes and pointed at how they'd all fit in nicely in our home. However, you know me to be an old faithful and I just can't bring myself to throw out (or even give to others) those dog-eared books, limping long serving tables or even those cracked cutlery - which I think looks like patterns, what with the 'retak seribu' design. However, the youngest child didn't find the activity fun at all and began to pull a long face. In fact, after a few metres, he just sat down and would not budge at all. Never mind that people were staring and Bea was scolding him. I took that as a sign to go for lunch.

I wanted to bring them to Ikea's own dine-in spot as I've heard so much about their famous Swedish meatballs. However to my dismay, there were too many people queuing. And to find joined tables which could sit all seven of us was practically impossible. But thank goodness for the existence of small eateries scattered at the ground floor of Ikea. So to please everybody, I announced that it was a 'free-for-all' affair. That ended up with Bea, my eldest and Number 3 having mee rojak, Number 4 having a sandwich, my youngest tucking into white rice and chicken curry, and yours truly having a modest serving of kuih onde-onde and Nyonya Yam Cake. However, my will of steel soon waned, and I ended up buying 'Paus' (no, not that big mammal that lives in the sea) at Baoz.

After having refueled, we went back to the Curve via an underground tunnel joining the two buildings. Number 1 cunningly took the opportunity of buying himself a pair of non-pleated pants which in my opinion, makes him look similar to a walking ironing board due to his tall and slender frame. There also happened to be an education fair, and Bea decided to buy some workbooks for attention-deficit Elvis.

Around three plus, we drove back and along the way it rained heavily. So you can imagine our dismay when we arrived home to the sight of soaking wet laundry that was, ironically enough, left out to dry earlier on in the morning. After having said our prayers, everyone settled down for a short afternoon nap.

Later on after Maghrib, I took the family out again for some makan-makan. Again, everyone was thoughtful enough to leave the decision making to me. How I wish they are as polite and obedient on other days, and not only on my birthday! But considerate Pycno, knowing fully well that his adoloscent children like snappy meals, took them for pizza. And what kind of birthday would it be without a birthday cake? Thus, the children took me to Secret Recipe so that I could choose my (rather late) birthday cake. Funnily enough, everybody was too full to eat anymore, and the cake went into the fridge and only came out again this morning for breakfast. There's still some left. Anybody?


And here are cards from Number 3 and Number 5 respectively. I was especially touched by little Elvis' card. He was tugging the mother at The Curve to buy the card and standing in a corner after that to personally write down his birthday message. Not only that, he was also very expressive - giving me bear hugs and saying how much he loved me. How thoughtful of him!

This came from Number 3 - she made it herself from some manila card and newspaper.

This is from Elvis. Can you read what it says?

What are you doing the rest of your life?

Hmm.....entahlah.

Aduh sedih nya.....

The first time I heard this song was at a supermarket - I was instantly mesmerised by the slow and sad tune. From that moment, the haunting music kept playing in my ears, all the while I was trying to find out who the singer was.

As you can see, I've finally managed to track down the song, titled Izinkan Ku Pergi. It's sung by a fellow named Kaer. Does anyone know who he is?. In the meantime, I think I'll let myself be carried away in the sad, sad melody...

(Please don't think that I am all about songs and melodies. It's just that at the moment, I am rather 'uninspired' to write about anything worth mentioning. However, not wanting to be left behind, I feel that it's just appropriate to fill up the empty space with something, wouldn't you agree?)

Selamat Hari Ibu!!

Some of the heaven sent mothers that I have known and who have touched my life

Oh, sweet mother of mine, I love you more than you will ever know. You are loved more than words can say. I may not have that many opportunities to see or call you, but I never stop loving you. You made me who I am today... good and wonderful all because of you.

Mothers are the flowers of our lives, the thorns that prick us when we're off track, the leaves that catch us when we fall. Every day I see what a wonderful job you do raising all your children and I could never thank you enough for all that you have done. Thank you for your LOVE, SUPPORT, and GOOD HOME COOKING. And not forgetting, for potty training me.

To the sweetest Mom of them all. To the greatest Mom anyone ever had! You’re the absolute BEST Mom we could have and an inspiration to us all…thank you for your love, your joy, your guidance, your wisdom, and your smile.

We hope your every day is wonderful, especially today. May ALLAH bless you ALWAYS.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!

Mungkin?

Shaken To The Bones

Pycno is finally back, alhamdulillah, after a long journey that has taken me to my favourite haunt up north, then to Kelantan. And now I'm back in KL. Arrived around 3 o' clock in the afternoon.

To be honest, Pycno extended invitations to the rest of the family, but nobody wanted to tag along. So you see, I'm always revealing myself! Pycno may appear to be lovable in cyberspace, but not to his loved ones in real life; so much so that they don't want to follow him even on holiday. So DITH, there's no need for the raised eyebrows. My solo holidays are actually a win-win situation for them and also for me.

I'm the kind of person who when around, I just can't pretend not seeing, or not knowing things which are happening around me. Case taken into example - waking up the household every morning. But even when I'm not around, I will still hold onto my 'reign of terror' (as described by my children). You can ask Bea, even when I was away in Penang, how many times did I SMS her in the mornings, just to check up on her whether she has woken up the children and performed their Subuh prayers or not.

Ayyo. Pycno really needs to learn to let go. I remember one of the entries written by DITH - the one about having an almost empty nest now. Why is it that I am not feeling as sad as her? Maybe when my nest is empty, only then do I no longer need those solo excursions to retain my sanity.

One thing I want to share with you about my trip to Penang this time around, is about the public transport on the island. If you ask me, Penang is only second to Kuala Lumpur. But why is it that I get the feeling that public transport there is comparable to India? Not that I've been to India, but perhaps Ayumi can enlighten us on this.

Now you just have a look at this:

Do you notice how the door is tied to the pole using a piece of rope?

I used to think that it was just my luck to get all the bone shaking buses. But as my recent trip proved, all of the buses serving Penang Island are very much capable of rattling your bones (Unfortunately, Pycno's bones aren't that young anymore. Does that mean I have to start taking Anelene Gold too?)

Now, Penang is a favourite with tourists; and just like Pycno, foreign visitors would also like to really get the feel of being a Malaysian, and not just show photos to their friends back in the UK. I wonder then, how do they feel when they board a bus to reach their destination - and I'm not only talking the feeling in their hearts, but also in their bones. Can you imagine the picture where those bone shakers go for the emergency brake? Not a pretty sight I can assure you.

Now you may be asking "If you have all those complaints, why not just take a taxi?". The reason is because I like using public transport. Even here in KL, I will always use the buses and the LRTs. So, every time I read about complaints by angry commuters in the newspapers, I can empathise with them. How I wish our big menteris try to board a packed LRT early in the mornings, or better still, try to stand directly under the sweaty armpits of a fat salesperson in a packed bus that hasn't been moving since the past 30 minutes, all the while being treated to the aroma of some cheap imitation perfume mixed with the piercing bodily odours from the rest of the passengers. Then you can tell us whether we are still 'almost there' as a developed nation.

I noticed this eatery at the Sungai Nibong bus terminal:


I guess that that the chef must absolutely love adding garlic and lots of ginger to his dishes. So much so that he's even inviting the customers to F**T disini as a show of appreciation.

Note: That was just a personal joke. Perhaps in Arabic, the name has a beautiful meaning. But to a person like me, I couldn't help but find it amusing, to say the least. Of course, I did not take my meal there, for I did not wish to show my appreciation through that way. Not in a cafeteria at least. Sorry for the blurred image. My son told me that I had forgotten to turn on the flash.

From Penang, I took another bus to Kota Bharu. Due to the long weekend, all the seats in the usual buses were already taken. So, I had to settle for a 'bas tambahan'. I was assured by the person selling the tickets that I'd be getting a comfortable 'bas persiaran'. However, that was not the case. Just like its cousins in Penang, this bus was also a bone shaker. Frankly speaking , I'm amazed it managed to arrive in one piece. Sure, the air conditioning was cold - something like winter in Coventry I suppose. But that does not really matter. So long as it took me safely to my destination to see my mother.

Just to share with readers here: the bad news is that the house is still not completed since the workers shifted their work to my brother-in-law's house, which is due for a wedding in June. So, kita mengalah dahulu lah. The good news is that the lower floor is done, and ready for occupation. In fact, my mother has moved back from my sister's house into that new room. I promise to post a picture once the whole thing is finished and painted nicely. As of now, there's not much difference between the interior and the exterior, except that the roof is now there, and the walls have been plastered.

I suppose it was because of my tales about the bus from hell that one of my favourite nieces offered her car for me to go back to KL. How nice! Can you believe it, I left my mother's house at 4 in the morning, and had my breakfast of nasi dagang at Kuala Terengganu, bought keropok lekor along the way, and even lemang at Kijal.The children absolutely loved the lemang, which I also gave some to my neighbours.

So Ikelah and DITH, I actually drove past Kuantan, Cherating and Gebeng, some time around noon. Of course I remembered all of you, but the idea of stopping all by myself was not a comfortable one. So when I read that comment from DITH about when are we going to go to TC, I quickly told Bea that we have to find time to visit you. But how do we go about doing that without bothering you? So, if you promise only to accept us when you are truly free, then we will come and drop by. If not, the most that we'll do is stroll along barefooted, with big straw hats and big shades, walking leisurely incognito on the beach behind (or is it in front of?) your house.

This is an entry written without much thought as I'm feeling a bit under the weather. I've always told you that I need a holiday after my holiday. Ni pun dah rasa seram sejuk dah. I think I'll go and cover myself now, if you'll excuse me.

Belum Tentu Berapa Hari dan Berapa Malam

I know many cannot stand this song, not because that it's not a beautiful melody, but simply because a certain 'Malaysian sweetheart' happens to like it so much, just before her wedding day for reasons only known to her. Even Bea cannot stand listening to this tune. But fair and non-partisan Pycno will never allow emotions to rule his decision.

I've always loved this song, and it does not matter who else happens to like it too. Even if it is the worst of my enemies, I'll at least give that person credit for having the same good taste in music. So Bea, much as I can understand the reason why you cannot be listening and admiring this song so much loved by Malaysian's sweetheart, I still feel that you should not allow your emotions to rule your judgement, unless you honestly despise it. The song I mean.

So to keep it safe, I'm not dedicating this song to anybody else other than myself. Thank you :)

P.s. I'm going away for a short holiday to Penang and Kota Bharu, Kelantan. I'll be back at the end of next week. I know Yoshi that you'll be going to Cameron Highlands. Maybe I should drop by to meet you on my way to Penang? *wink*wink*

Tak apalah. Cukuplah kita berjumpa di Langkawi dulu, ye?

A True story about Racism

The following scene took place on a BA flight between


Johannesburg and London.

This is a true story.

A White woman, about 50 years old, was seated next to a Black man.
Obviously disturbed by this, she called the air Hostess.

"Madam, what is the matter," the Hostess asked.

"You obviously do not see it then?" she responded.

"You placed me next to a Black man.

I do not agree to sit next to someone from such a repugnant group.

Give me an alternative seat."

"Be calm please, " the Hostess replied.

"Almost all the places on this flight are taken.

I will go to see if another seat is available."

The Hostess went away and then came back a few minutes later.

"Madam, just as I thought, there are no other available seats

in the Economy class.

I spoke to the Captain and he informed me that there is

also no seats in the Business class.

All the same, we still have one seat in the First class."

Before the woman could say anything, the Hostess continued:

"It is not usual for our company to permit someone from

the Economy class to sit in the First class.

However, given the circumstances,

the Captain feels that it would be scandalous to make

someone sit next to someone so disgusting."

She turned to the Black guy, and said,

"Therefore, Sir,

if you would like to, please collect your hand luggage,

a seat awaits you in First class."

At that moment, the other passengers who were shocked by

what they had just witnessed stood up and applauded.

If you are against Racism, please send this message to all your
friends.

Don't matter......

I'm posting this simple, yet beautiful and meaningful lyrics to assist Mynn and my Elvis to sing along. To the "muda dan semakin remaja" bloggers, you can also do the UB 40's moves to get the feel of the rythmn. And, I'm also dedicating Akon's song to Hiyoshi, who will be celebrating his 21st birthday today, HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MANY HAPPY RETURNS OF THE DAY to you. Dah daftar mengundi?? And more importantly, dah ada calon untuk di undi??? ;)


"Don't Matter"

Konvict Konvict
Oh
Ohoohwooe
Oooh
Ooohhwooe

Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Cause we gon' fight
Oh yes we gon' fight
Believe we gon' fight
We gon' fight
Fight for our right to love yeah
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you

Nobody wanna see us together
Nobody thought we'd last forever
I feel I'm hopin' and prayin'
Things between us don't get better
Men steady comin' after you
Women steady comin' after me
Seem like everybody wanna go for self
And don't wanna respect boundaries
Tellin' you all those lies
Just to get on your side
But I must admit there was a couple secrets
I held inside
But just know that I tried
To always apologize
And I'ma have you first always in my heart
To keep you satisfied

Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Cause we gon' fight
Oh yes we gon' fight
Believe we gon' fight
We gon' fight
Fight for our right to love yeah
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you

Got every right to wanna leave
Got every right to wanna go
Got every right to hit the road
And never talk to me no more
You don't even have to call
Even check for me at all
Because the way I been actin' lately
Has been off the wall
Especially toward you
Puttin' girls before you
And they watchin' everything I been doin'
Just to hurt you
Most of it just ain't you
Ain't true
And they won't show you
How much of a queen you are to me
And why I love you baby

Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Cause we gon' fight
Oh yes we gon' fight
Believe we gon' fight
We gon' fight
Fight for our right to love yeah
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you

Oh oh oh oh oh
Cause I got you
Cause I got you
Ooooh
Cause I got you babe
Cause I got you

Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Cause we gon' fight
Oh yes we gon' fight
Believe we gon' fight
We gon' fight
Fight for our right to love yeah
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you babe
Cause we gon' fight
Oh yes we gon' fight
Believe we gon' fight
We gon' fight
Fight for our right to love yeah
Nobody wanna see us together
But it don't matter no
Cause I got you

Terlalu Istimewa

It's that time of year again when I'm very, very busy with work (what else?) - not to say that I'm not around, reading and leaving comments wherever appropriate *wink*

Just to remind everyone that I'm still in business, the above video clip is dedicated to all the special people in my life. In more ways than one, you have touched my life and I will never be the same man again, ever.

Sesungguhnya kalian semua terlalu istimewa dalam hidup pycno....

Of Needles and Squirrels

When Ikelah tagged me, I was a bit stunned. Honestly, what kind of weird things would a man of my age have left inside of me? But anyway, since he's such a good friend, I don't mind scavenging my 'box of memories' in search of perhaps some of the more crazy things I might have done as a young adult.

Note to family members: IF you happen to come across this, don't think of it as an opportunity to take personal swipes at me. You are not allowed to do so, so long as I'm the first to rise in the household.

One more thing: I do hope that I'm not revealing myself too much by telling you all these things.

1. I am, what you could call, a regular visitor of the gents. This however, has nothing to do with a lack of control over my bladder. Instead, it is an attribute of my water drinking habit. I drink a lot of water - something common with the Chinese - to the extent that I will make several trips to the loo in a day. My children have in the past, nicknamed me "The Pee-man". Now you know the real meaning behind the nickname Pycno - which is pronounced as Pee-no, mind you, or...should I change it to Pee-yes now? :)

2. As much as I frequent the toilet, I floss my teeth even more frequently. In fact, I can floss more than I brush. This would be a habit that I picked up during my days as a student overseas. So Mynn, I do hope you'll join me in a floss fiesta once you come back.

3. I suppose you already know how much I love to shop for clothes. However, what you don't know is that, when I like a particular article of clothing, I will buy several 'copies' of it - in different colours.

4. I am afraid of needles. In fact, I avoid them as one would avoid the plague. I hold so much terror in my heart for the thing, that when I was going for my hajj, I tried convincing the doctor in charge of my check up to skip the poking bit of the process. Thank goodness, I managed to pull it off. Ha'ah kan? What reason did I give to him? I've forgotten already.

5. I'm an old faithful - though this hardly counts as weird since I know of several other people who are also the same.

6. I have this unusual compulsion to hide the things that I've bought - and clothes would be right at the top of the list. In the end, I forget where I've hidden them. Bea calls me a squirrel for this trait of mine. Well, at least the next time we want to hold a treasure hunt, we needn't go to the woods or parks. It'd be enough just to hunt down all my past purchases scattered around the house.

So, how about that? Go on ikelah...have a good laugh. After all, laughter is always the BEST medicine. I hope my list of eccentricities would be therapeutic. Take care and ....semoga cepat sembuh. ;)

Back In Bangkok...Hmm, Takde Tempat Lain Ke?

Assalamualaikum and hello everybody. Sorry for keeping quiet for the last couple of weeks. I've been too busy and have actually been away out of the country. When Drroza was complaining how expensive it was to buy tickets for Mohamad's trip to London despite the recent MAS fair, boy, don't I know about that for I just bought tickets for myself, Bea and Elvis. I did not tell about it since our good friend was in hospital recently, and I don't think it was appropriate for me to be talking about merry making with everyone else feeling rather sober. However, the tickets had been bought, and plans had been made and so when the time came, I could no longer postpone it.

Yes, it was a belated anniversary gift for Bea. Not for Elvis though, even if I did have to bring him along (and have him missing school for a week). Yes, I was back in Bangkok for one whole week. Told you I'm an old faithful. If I like a place, then I'll go over and over again.

The weather was very hot - in the range of 3o to 35 degrees. Thankfully, it wasn't much of a sight seeing trip, more of like a really relaxing getaway, with lots of makan-makan to boot. Can you believe it that we spent most of our time at the shopping complexes? Not to say that we shopped extensively as we didn't carry that much cash with us. Maklumlah, rumah belum siap lagi. To be honest, with the current condition of the house, I felt a bit guilty to be going for a holiday. But both of us have been busy, and Bea has been very kind and helpful. Even my children were very supportive and thought that we deserve the break. Surprisingly, none of them whined, asking to tag along. Besides, my eldest has his exams sometime next month, my second will be sitting for his finals starting today, and my only daughter is also busy preparing for her SPM this year. Number 4 is so busy and so into rugby right now, and of course, the little Elvis; I just can't let him out of my sight even for a second.

Well, here are some pictures that I'd like to share with you. Just in case you would like to plan your own Bangkok getaway :))

I thought this was a good guide for tourists when hailing cabs.

This was at one of the Sky Train stations. Over there, they have security guards to ensure the safety of passengers. Definitely something we can learn.

The Thais are very creative. Can you see? Sugar cane being sold in the peeled form, just waiting to be chewed.

This Ferris Wheel was at Suan Lun Night Market. Elvis enjoyed himself very much riding it.

Meet Rahoo, the demon who according to myth, had something to do with the lunar eclipse. He was one of the characters at the Joe Louis Thai Traditional Puppet Theatre.

Well, you see how popular Elvis is. Here, he - or rather, his forehead - is flanked by two very pretty Thai girls.

At the Calypso Cabaret, Evis met another of his fans - Dan from Michigan.

Even on the way back at the departure hall, this Thai boy insisted to have his picture taken with Elvis (or was it the other way round?)

Another one of Elvis' antics - posing next to the Three Headed Dragon

p.s. I know that I've been tagged by Ikelah, however, I'm not quite in the right frame of mind yet to be telling weird things about myself. I promise to work on that once I'm back to normal. It's good to know that you are on the road to recovery, Ikelah. Still on leave? Take care my friend.

Tentang Rumah Yang Belum Siap, Majlis Pertunangan dan Singa Yang Menjelma

Sudah lebih sebulan berlalu, dan rasa nya telah terlalu lama saya menghilangkan diri dari alam cyber. Walau pun ‘malas’ telah saya jadikan sebagai alasan sebelum ini, namun itu bukan sesungguhnya alasan yang sebenarnya. Sibuk tu, memang lah sibuk juga. Tapi, siapa pula, terutama sekali yang tinggal di ibu kota ini, yang tidak sibuk, ya?

Selama sebulan lebih yang telah berlalu, banyak sekali yang telah berlaku. Ada yang boleh saya berkongsi dengan rakan-rakan di sini, ada yang tidak boleh, dan ada juga yang saya sendiri tidak tahu cara untuk berkongsi. Entah bagaimana, tetapi tiba-tiba terasa perkataan dan ungkapan samada dalam Bahasa Inggeris mahupun Bahasa Ibunda sudah tidak cukup untuk menggambarkan segala apa yang di rasa dan di lalui. Sementelah pula, saya sedari bahawa penguasaan bahasa saya tidak lah begitu baik, ditambah cacatkan lagi oleh kurangnya latihan yang di buat.

Walau apa pun, biarlah kita berbicara tentang perkara-perkara yang boleh dan sanggup saya kongsikan bersama dengan anda di sini. Yang selebihnya, mungkin ada rakan lain yang akan menyentuh dan memperkatakan tentang nya, atau juga, suatu hari nanti, saya mungkin akan diberikan ilham serta kekuatan untuk menulis mengenainya.

Saya pernah memberitahu pada Aidil Fitri yang lalu, bahawa saya sedang membaiki rumah yang di diami oleh ibu saya di kampung. Pada masa itu harapan saya, ianya dapat disiapkan pada Hari Raya Korban. Betul sebagaimana dijangkakan oleh DITH….memang ianya belum lagi siap. Mungkin lepas ini DITH boleh menilik bila pula saya akan mendapat kenaikan gaji? Bergurau sahaja. Lebih baik saya bertanya kepada bos saya (Aha! Adakah itu bermakna pycno makan gaji? Jeng jeng jeng….)

Bagaimanapun, beginilah rupa rumah itu sekarang. Lebih baik daripada dulu, tidak begitu?

Seperti jangkaan drroza, beginilah rupa rumah ibu saya yang belum siap. Seperti sebuah kubu pertahanan Belanda.

Salah satu sudut di dalam bilik ibu saya


Inilah rupa siling berhias di dalam. Saya sukakan motif yang ringkas sahaja

Adakah para pembaca sekalian masih mengingati Arwah Pakcik Lan dan Mak Nab? Semalam, anak bongsu mereka melangsungkan pertunangan dengan seorang jejaka pilihan hatinya. Memandangkan ibu bapanya sudah tiada, maka kakak sulungnya, Fuzainee yang mengaturkan segala persiapan untuk acara istimewa itu. Saya berasa sangat gembira menghadiri upacara pertunangan tersebut kerana dapat berjumpa dengan ramai sanak saudara saya yang berasal dari sebelah Johor.

Dan walaupun saya tidak melafazkannya di majlis tersebut, namun saya pasti sekiranya arwah Pakcik Lan dan Mak Nab masih ada, mereka tentu akan merasa terlalu gembira dengan pertunangan anak bongsu mereka itu. Saya dapat bayangkan Pakcik Lan dan jenaka-jenakanya yang sentiasa menghiburkan hati para hadirin, manakala Mak Nab pula tentu sekali akan sibuk membuat kerja sambil berceloteh bersama para wanita di dapur.

Kepada Nur Hafizah Mazlan, ucapan TAHNIAH dari Abang Pycno.....(itu lah nama Abang di alam cyber ini). Beritahu awal-awal ye bila nak kenduri nanti. Kami semua nak pergi ke Johor beramai-ramai untuk memeriahkan majlis dan bertemu sanak saudara di sana.

P/S: Dan baru sebentar tadi, rumah jiran kami di kunjungi dua ekor Singa. Saya mengambil kesempatan untuk mengucapkan Selamat Tahun Baru. Semoga di tahun "Baby" ini, kita semua akan mendapat kebaikan dan kesejahteraan

Sang Singa mencari-cari ang pau

Seperti mahu berkelahi pula mereka berdua ini. Agaknya yang satu mendapat ang pau lebih?

Only the best wishes for a good friend...on her special day!!

From Bea and Pycno:

Happy Birthday Roza, our very good friend
To us you are heaven sent
We’ve never known a brighter spirit
With all good thoughts and deeds of merit

A kinder person we’ve rarely known
Your friendship true and love you’ve shown
So today our special friend
With all our love we do send

Special bouquets of all God’s flowers
Filled with prayers with all His powers
To keep you safe throughout your days
And strength no matter what comes your way

Be strong my friend, and may Allah always be with you

...zzzzz........

I'm just lazy to post anything for now. Lazy to leave any comments and lazy to even think. I'm lazy to even finish this sentence.........zzzzzzzzzz........

White flag.....I surrender.

Cinta.

Sungguh pun Pycno suka menonton, tidak lah pula gemar Pycno mengheboh-hebohkan cerita apa yang telah ditonton atau bakal ditonton. Bukan nya apa....Pycno sendiri tidak bangga dengan hobi ini, malah sedar dan malu dengan diri sendiri. Ingin sekali saya mencari sebab dan alasan untuk membawa bersama anak atau isteri untuk menonton bersama. Setidak-tidaknya kalau terserempak dengan orang yang mengenali Pycno di pawagam, senang saja saya memberikan alasan bahawa Pycno sebenarnya di 'paksa' anak atau isteri untuk menemani mereka menonton, walaupun hakikat adalah sebaliknya.

Paling saya gemar ialah menonton sendirian di pawagam yang tidak ramai penonton, atau lebih baik lagi, langsung tidak ada orang yang menonton selain dari Pycno. Apa lagi kalau cerita nya bagus, dapatlah saya menghayati cerita sepenuhnya tanpa gangguan orang disebelah yang mengunyah bertih jagung atau menghirup coke atau pepsi, siap dengan kesan bunyi nya sekali. Pycno juga tidak sabar dengan orang yang menerima panggilan dari telefon bimbit mereka sewaktu menonton. Demikian juga dengan pasangan yang bukan sebenarnya berhajat untuk datang menonton, tapi sebaliknya lebih berminat untuk berlakon didalam panggung. Gelagat-gelagat yang kurang sihat inilah menyebabkan Pycno tidak berapa gemar untuk membawa anak-anak bersama. Mujurlah juga anak-anak saya sendiri tidak pula gemar menonton.

Namun begitu, kalaulah anda kelapangan, pergilah menonton filem CINTA. Bawalah anak dan pasangan anda bersama. Ada pengajaran untuk semua. Saya telah membawa Bea dan anak-anak menonton semalam, dan kami semua bersetuju ini adalah satu-satu nya filem Melayu yang baik sekali. Kalau sudah menyaksikan filem itu nanti, berikan apa pendapat anda mengenainya.

Selamat menonton...

P/S: Untuk menyenangkan Mama Sarah menyanyi bersama, saya sertakan lirik lagu dari UNGU. Mama sarah hanya dibenarkan menyanyi bersama, BUKAN me'nyumbangkan' lagu tersebut, ya!! ;)

Tercipta Untukku

menatap indahnya senyuman diwajahmu
membuat ku terdiam dan terpaku
mengerti akan hadirnya cinta terindah
saat kau peluk mesra tubuhku

banyak kata
yang tak mampu kuungkapkan
kepada dirimu

Chorus:
aku ingin engkau slalu
hadir dan temani aku
disetiap langkah
yang meyakiniku
kau tercipta untukku
sepanjang hidupku

aku ingin engkau slalu
hadir dan temani aku
disetiap langkah
yang meyakiniku
kau tercipta untukku
meski waktu akan mampu
memanggil seluruh ragaku
ku ingin kau tau
kuslalu milikmu
yang mencintaimu
sepanjang hidupku

aku ingin engkau slalu
hadir dan temani aku
disetiap langkah
yang meyakiniku
kau tercipta untukku
meski waktu akan mampu
memanggil seluruh ragaku
ku ingin kau tau
kuslalu milikmu
yang mencintaimu

Papa Bear

I was scratching my head wondering where my profile picture had gone to when my eldest son came around and casually provided the answer. Since he was so kind in explaining why my picture had mysteriously disappeared, I also asked him to find a new picture for me. I thought I almost heard a snort of disgruntlement from him

Anyway, this picture really depicts me. On more than one occasion I've found myself falling asleep in my chair while reading the daily newspaper, or any other reading material for that matter. Somehow or rather, even Bea and Elvis also ask me to go sleep in the room. The problem is, when I want to go sleep, I can't. So I end up sleeping on the chair in the end. Kadang-kadang sampai sakit leher dibuatnya.

Just a short, short entry. To relieve the sakit mata from reading too much ;)