Hectic
The past two weeks had been very hectic. Had to spend 10 to 12 solid-hours at office {Lunch at 4.30pm}. Progress meetings, briefings,seminars during office hours, and writing minutes, briefs and preparing reports/lists during non office-hours. Everybody and everything screamed for top priority. " Just 3 items, please put out my minutes, first". Yea, but I have 70 top priorities to deal with before your meeting...Hmm.
Sometimes you have to become reluctant logistic manager. Sometimes your colleague have to morph into traffic controller. There's no realreward in it. Just to get the work, done. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Despite that, manage to finish reading Sri Diah's KL dimana Suamiku (KLDS) after one month's late night reading. {Curi baca before going to sleep. Some books are to be read when we are alert. Some when we are drowsy}. If we take Natasya's plight in KLDS too seriously, the stats for Andalusia will manifold, hah hah. Me, Mr Right hasn't found me, yet ;). Some (marital) challenges (for the unmarried as well as the married ppl) are meant to be overcome. The limited time endowed upon us must be put to good use. Then there'll be no regret.
MBA managed to poison me to buy KLDS. Well, it's the rebate money and had to be spent at the Koop anyway.
RM174.99 spent on one Biology book {Now my physical science collection is complete; Physics -which Angah can occasionally borrow to prepare her teaching material, Chemistry - which Pokchu borrowed during his Matriks day and Biology for his current endeavour}, Hadiths berkaitan Taharah (hygiene), Fiqhus Sirah, and of course, KLDS.
Can't wait for the approaching weekend. Heard there's going to be sale on Friday at JJ ; 50% - 70% discount , for members only 8( . KL , mana fulus extra-ku... . Well its more fun to spend time at MakLang's kenduri...

A Bend in the Road
by Nicholas Sparks


Finished reading on Sunday morning. Unfold from two perspective; the third person - the narrator, and the first-person- the murderer turned healer. Moral of the story; sometimes you forgive, but you don't forget. Ranked second from the three books that I've read:
1) Message in a bottle
2) A Bend in the Road
3) Nights in Rodanthe

Tried very hard not to jump pages.Succeeded.

Feels Like Hari Raya
Today's driving's ultra hyper smooth; just 35 minutes to reach my office. Feels like driving thru a deserted city on the first Eid Fitri.
Where have all the drivers gone ? Usually Saturdays are packed, too. But not today's Saturday.
Reminds me of my younger bro (Mr Barney's papa); Fresh Prince, oops that was his pre-marital nick / Uncle Phil, oops too XL/PRamlee {ahh...very apt}. PRamlee loves to dispense his wisdom (just about everything; computing,driving,servicing cars,which prepaid SIM card to use when island-vacationing locally,everything!) every now and then.
During Eid the year before previous, PRamlee drove us (Bapak+Mak+myself) to Shah Alam via Sg. Buloh-Subang. The road at the residential area near the Stadium was so deserted, that you could drive in reverse gear,zig-zagging for as long as you wanted {without damaging your gear box, of course}. There he dispensed a few driving maneuver one could only pull during {first} Hari Raya {in a deserted place}. I think you can guess lah.
PRamlee loves to make U turn in the smallest possible space (just like any man-driver would do with any wira -sized car), he'd just squeeze (himpit)to the side and swing. I'm not sure whether his current Japanese car is lowered or not, but the previous one behaved like a platypus; kept suduingbulldozing forward, and to the driver in front would felt like he's being tail-gated.
Sometimes I'm a devil (which pygmy possum driver isn't ?), too (according to my sister; a kelembak driver).Well, she's no exception, either.

P/S: Just love to see (again, and again, and again...) one lowered white Atos with blue dots passing thru. Reminds me of an armadillo.

Wet Friday
Driving to work in drizzle, this morning. Somehow the raindrops make the mild road congestion a bit bearable.
Didn't feel like waking up this morning. These past few days felt like I'm living in between high temperature on my left and low temperature on my rights. There's occasional sharp pain at the tip of my toe and on my knee. The nights are too damn cold; had to wear thick sock to sleep. Mr barney, the little bundle of boundless energy slapped my face when I tried to sleep early. I knew you were afraid to be left alone Mr barney, but there're yai and nyai to play with.
Suffered one of the worst head-ache yesterday. The occasional cough sent tremor to my cranium.
After I got back from work, asked Mak to place her back of hand near my neck. Asked her if there's any temperature rise. That's what we always do when we are feeling down; in a way asking for sympathy, understanding,attention, whatever.
Mak said it's normal that when someone we love left, he/she took a little piece of you with h**. Eventhough our mind are denying the pain, our body will show it in some way or another. Even my stronger sister, Angah is down with fever.
Worklife is too damn hectic this week; daily meetings, seminars,appointments,etc. I'm reminded of a Thai professor philosophy. Even though you want to be an easy going person and don't like (office)politics sometimes you have to deal with technical politics - in getting commitment fullfilled from your peers, in getting coorperation and getting the instructions followed (and excuses reduced) by your anak buah and getting resources (fund,floorspace,reminding h** the procedure to follow,empowerment) from your superior.

Life can be made easy.

Just semile; any ever-gracious Thai would say the English word in Thai lingo.

URL
http://smile.cpe.ku.ac.th

Supir
4.30 am : Mak woke me up. Still groggy. Felt like sleeping till 6.30 am. Ah, now remember; got to pick up Pokchu, my kid-brothter at Hentian Putra. He's on his one-month break from KUSTEM.
5.20 am : reach the entrance to HP Multi-level Parking. Yikes!, some j****ss parked h** WE1** banger with protruding rear blocking half the entrance. Come on lah, if you can't tuck your banger nicely out of the way for others to enter the parking area, leave ur banger @ home and take ur brain wid u!
6.17 am: Reach SU. Solat.
6.41 am: off to work.
7.20 am: Pass thru the traffic light near C*L**X Damansara Damai. Phew!! this is the feeling of getting stucked in a traffic-jam; not a nice feeling. (Definitely not to be repeated)Usually leave for work around 6.15++ am (but no later than 6.25 am) and reach U* a few minutes past 7.00 am.
7.55 am: Reach F* and done with parking.
8.02 am: swipe smart-card and clock-in for work.

*Supir ~ Chauffeur

Ambengan
Yesterday's Tahlil for my late Makwo was accompanied by Ambengan ; a dry but coriander-and-cummins-fragrant dish in a huge rounded tray.
After the Tahlil, the women would take a peek on how the male guests react to the dish (quite hilarious). Some just melopong while the 'wise' one would divide the dish into equal portions and transfer it into plastic containers laced with banana leaves (in the old days newspaper laced with banana leaves carried in large clean cotton hankerchief) to take home (berkat)for the love ones. The guests were suppose to share (eat) the remaining together. Another symbol of berkat.
Reminds me of my late nyai who used to prepare mee siput fried with black pepper as one of the nasi ambeng dish.
Reminds me of my childhood, where my sister, my two brothers and I would put a large portion of white rice, vegetables and lauk on to a smaller rounded tray perched on an overturned wooden lesung Bapak made. We gathered around the dulang and enjoyed (we call it makan-duri short for makan khenduri) the meal to the last grain of rice.

More info on nasi ambeng:
1)http://fajaronline.tripod.com/onlinelog/20mei.htm
2)http://www.danchan.com/weblog/harimauj/45061
3) wkdin juga ;)

Who wants to be a millionaire ?
(Quoted from Zikrah on RMKL)

If you are posed a question:

How many gates are there to Jannah ?
A. 6 gates
B. 7 gates
C. 8 gates

And if you choose a life-line (to help answer the question) by contacting somebody anywhere in the world, who do you contact ?

An engineer who's not aware of the related hadith?
An engineer who's aware of the related hadith?
A person who read hadith ?

RIYADH_AS_SALIHEEN/BOOK9/CH185:THE MERITS OF ABLUTIONS(WUDU')
1032. `Umar bin Al-Khattab (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "Whoever of you performs Wudu' carefully and then affirms: `Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu, wa ash-hadu anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa Rasuluhu [I testify that there so no true god except Allah Alone, Who has no partners and that Muhammad ((PBUH) is His slave and Messenger],' the eight gates of Jannah are opened for him. He may enter through whichever of these gates he desires (to enter).''
[Muslim].



Volume 4, Book 55, Hadith Number 644:SAHIH BUKHARI
Ubadah bin As-Somit r.a reported:
The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: Those who testifies/affirms (recite the shahadah):

`Ash-hadu an la ilaha illallahu Wahdahu la sharika Lahu, wa anna Muhammadan `abduhu wa Rasuluhu

and that Isa is Allah's Slave and His Apostle and His Word (KUN) which He bestowed on Maryam and a Spirit created by Him, and that Paradise is true, and Hell is true, Allah will admit him into Paradise with the deeds which he had done even if those deeds were few." (Junada, the sub-narrator said, " 'Ubada added, 'Such a person can enter Paradise through any of its eight gates he likes.")

Related URL:
1) http://hadith.al-islam.com/Bayan/Display.asp?Lang=mal&ID=14
2)http://www.dartmouth.edu/~alnur/ISLAM/HADITH/RIYADH_AS_SALIHEEN/book9.htm
3)http://www.dartmouth.edu/~alnur/ISLAM/HADITH/RIYADH_AS_SALIHEEN/book9.htm#CHAPTER%20185
4)http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/sunnah/bukhari/055.sbt.html#004.055.643

Atypical week (30th Sept - 6th Oct 2003)
30th Sept '03 - visit Makwo after servicing car. Saw her feet wrapped in sock. Cold. she said. Left for Sg Buluh after leaving Cik Y's duit bawang with Makwo. Have to reach SB before three; promised Mak to take her to Eco*s*ve to buy our monthly supply of groceries.
1st Oct '03 (1.00+ am) - received news from Pak Man. Makwo (Mak's eldest sister) passed away around 12.30 am. Al-Fatihah. Official cause of death - Athsmatic Attack. She's been on supported breathing for 2+(?) years. One of her young grandchildren (she has 14) quipped 'Nenek sakit idung'. May ALLAH blessed her with better the best life in the hereafter.
2nd,3rd,4th,5th - Tahlil after Isha'. Have been shuttling Mak to Keramat in the morning. Returned to SB to pick up Bapak in the evening, to attend tahlil. SU has been our hotel for the past few days; a place to lie down until morning when journey to Keramat began again.
Today(6th) - tonight, the 7th Tahlil. The Tahlil will be followed by Ambengan.

Typical Sunday
Another typical Sunday for me.

Morning:
Week-end (hand) washing. Yet to learn how to use one of those washing machine. Besides, Mak had just hand-over her old washing machine to my cousin for tinkering or dumping, whichever applies.

Watering the lawn. Bunga raya tanglung pruning.

Rearranging my two tote-bag contents. Lately felt more and more like Rory Gilmore. One tote-bag for my akhirat reading material. One bag for techie reading material. No wonder my shoulders felt like an imbalanced dacing.

Week-end Chauffering(10.30 am):
Pick Mak up from kebun. Take pokok asam keling for Bapak to replant. Leave Bapak to continue with his gardening and fishing.
Send one of those labu air (Bapak & Mak labour of love) to Pakcik's house.

Continue Journey to Keramat via Pekan Kepong-Jalan Kucing-Jalan Pekeliling-Jalan Semarak-Jalan Kent. Stopped at Lorong Kiri 16 to pick up Bingka Bombai for Cik Tun's merisik.

Send Bingka Bombai to Cik Tun.

Transit at Makwo's house for Mak's three o'clock appoinment with Cik Tun's merisik entourage. Had Nasi Dagang lunch made by Mak Ngah. Must find time to experiment with the remaining of my Rice King Somali. This King Somali is really berani air. Last time I tested, one cupful of King Somali required 3.5 cup or water, before it's tanak (properly cooked). Not like those Beras Wangi; takut air. If not careful, might end-up with bubur eksiden.

Watched Anita. {Don't have Astro at home lah, even RM45.00++ cannot fit into my monthly budget}. Nice programme on Anita - Bukan ku Pinta {or something like that, don't have photographic memory like Mahathir lah }. Bukan ku Pinta is a program about our Warga Istimewa. Learn about many things from our Mr Rasul, Mrs Rohana, the doctor from Disease Control {forgot his name}, Mr Tuah the lawyer. Reminds me not to judge ppl with their outward appearance, not to take advantage of the 'handicapped priviledge',fighting spirit,no such thing as limited capability; we can always learn and make others understand better , etc.

2.30pm: Send Mak Ngah for her Sunday OT at ChipPack. Drop Mak at Taman Keramat to join Cik Tun's entourage. Return back to Makwo's house to pay myself hutang tidur. Was still dizzy from the Putrajaya trip.
4.45pm: Pick up Mak. Drop by at Giant Permata. Packed like sadin. Sale or something. Return to Sg Buloh via Lingkaran Tengah 2.

One the way home, refuel and check tyre pressure at Petronas Paya Jaras.
6.45pm: Reached home.
9.00pm: Watched Mahathir on TV3 while ironing my working dress. Muslim woman must look presentable {Just learned from Ideal Muslimah; Chapter Two} via Pak Adib's blog.
10.30pm: Do a bit of reading on Instant Palm OS Applications.
5.30am (Monday): Mak woke me up. When did I fall asleep ?

Visit to Putrajaya
This is how I'm going to spend my Saturday-working-day.
Will depart at 8.10am.
Hope we have enough time to visit one of our 'drop-point'; Taman Botani. I'm taking my copy of 'Herba & Perubatan:Tradisi Zaman-Berzaman. Maybe I can spot some of them plant. Am also hoping Taman Botani sells one of those 'high-value' herbs. Not Tongkat Ali lah!
I bet some of the ladies (moi, inclusive) hope we have time for Souq, too.

Ta Ta. Wish me safe journey!!