Moving Forward

The year is new, five days down and many more to go. Kids are back in school, all set for another year of facing head on challenges in academic pursuance. With one child sitting for a public exam this year, I am already getting butterflies in my stomach.

It felt rather awkward this morning when I wrote in my note book the new year – 2010. How time flies, in fact it zooms, a more accurate way of describing it actually. At the speed things are progressing, next thing we know first quarter is up; goals and targets would need looking into, and be reassessed for any realignment and readjustments.

Beautiful and colourful blooms of Ho Chi Min City

Ho Chi Min City - local fruits, rambutans anyone?

Talking about goals, targets and new year resolutions of any sort, do I have any for 2010?? Simple answer to that – NO. Being as unoriginal as the next person I could buddy with, I just did not want to bother drumming into myself about loosing weight, committing to putting more into my savings account, having control over those impulse buying etc..etc… I’ve tried doing all these for the past what, two, three years?? And not much has changed since. So why bother renewing these vows. Let it be…let it be…

Having said that, I do not want to go astray either. Thus, in my mind, I pretty much know what I want and where my focus would be this year. Alhamdullilah, I have started working on some of my undocumented goals. Tough…tough but the tough has to get going, no matter what.

View of Batang Ai Dam, Lubok Antu, Sarawak

Morning market in Lubok Antu

Moving forward, at times does require looking back. As I do leaps in 2010, I must not forget to look back at 2009; and indeed it was a great year. Many things happened both at the office and home front. Alhamdulillah, I was able to deliver what was expected of me, and came out with minor bruises.

Heavy beaded kebaya in Pasar Tanah Abang Jakarta.

Nasi padang indulgence in Jakarta

Shanghai's Nanjing Road shopping heaven

More shops on Nanjing Road

Year 2009 was great; lots of jalan-jalan, be it work or personal. With RTs thrown in at planned intervals, I couldn’t have asked for anything more. There was that trip to LA (Lubuk Antu lahhh…), friendly neighbors Indonesia and Singapore, and the other adventurous destinations like Ho Chi Min City and China. But the most memorable one was Umrah to the Holyland with my Mom and daughter Farah.

Masjid Quba, just outside Madinah

Along walkway of Masjid Terapung by the Red Sea in Jeddah

2009 was a year where I networked with more blogger friends. To be so up close and personal with sifu bloggers – Kak Teh, Mamasita, Kak Puteri and the rest of the gang was an overwhelming experience; one I will treasure close to heart.

Kak Teh & Kak Puteri....my Blogger Idols

So much power from these ladies...I thought I felt the floor shake that new year's eve at OU
Kak Puteri, Naz, Kitchen Guardian, Datin Mamasita & my favourite cup cakes are from none other than Zaitgha.

Northern beauties

It’s fun to look back, but it’s even more fun to look forward and I am confident with the positive outlook for 2010. No doubt life is going to be hustling with “excitement”, but come what may, and to quote Lord Vader, I'll “do what must be done”.

Have a beautiful and great year folks!!

Beautiful & great....just how we felt after that bliss at a hideout in Bangi. Betul tak Kak Teh?? Tak percaya, tanya Kak Ezza too. If tak percaya lagi, ask Nisa, Kak Teh's SIL.
No point asking me coz the answer will be a definite YES!!

Mok Cik Nah Kemamang

There was a missed call on my mobile a couple of days ago. My phone was on silent mode, resulting me to not notice the call. When I checked later, I saw that the call was from my dear Mok Cik Nah. I made it a mental note to return her call once I was more free to talk.

Mok Cik Nah hails from Kemaman, Terengganu. A small sized person, with a rather dark complexion, Mok Cik Nah is one amazing lady I've ever met. I remember clearly the first time I saw her. Looking lost, she gave the salam and showed me the room card, similar to the one I had in my hand. She asked if she was in the correct room. I told her yes and she gave me one sweet smile, I would never forget. Such honesty was shown on her face and I knew I could “click” with this mok cik in no time.

That brief intro happened about 3 years ago at the Anwar Movenpick Hotel Madinah Al-Munawarah. Mok Cik Nah, Mom, ABE and I together with about 300 more pilgrims were in the same haj group - KT 10. The long flight from KLIA to Madinah had obviously tire us all. But we were all overwhelmed by the fact that we were just steps away from the holy mosque, Masjid Nabawi, Madinah.

Mok Cik Nah & me at the foot of Jabal Rahmah

As we settled into our room, the suaikenal process started. We later got to know that Mok Cik Nah was a widow, and was on her first Haj. She and her biras had saved enough money to make this trip to the Holy Land. When asked what she was doing in the kampong, she replied this to me, “Alah..mok cik kije cuci kain kak rghumoh orghang. Kadang-kadang bila kapa (kapal) masuk, mok cik gi la cuci-cuci kapa tu.” Mok Cik Nah spoke very thick Kemaman dialect, causing me to have raised eye brows at times, trying to comprehend what she was saying.

Mok Cik Nah and her biras came along with us to the mosque for Zohor prayers that day. She had earlier asked if she could follow us as she didn’t know how to get there. She also told me that she was afraid to use the elevator on her own, fearing that she might get trapped in it. She said that she had seen it on tv once.

Her innocence and sincerity made me realize how determined she was at fulfilling her duties to God Almighty. She was the first one to be up in the morning and she’d be all ready waiting for us to go together to the mosque. She once told me that her children had helped her with the funds to go perform her haj.

“Anok-anok mok cik beri duit, bantu mok cik ni, kalu tidok kè, mok cik tok saapai Mekoh,” said Mok Cik to me one day as we sat eating the kueh she had brought along with her. It must have taken all her life long savings for that journey, I thought to myself.

One time she asked if I could accompany her to the shop to buy jubah for her family members. She said she was afraid that she might “keliru” with the Arab money. Plus, she asked me to help her bargain for things, “Ida, tulong mok cik cakap denga tok arab tuh. Dapak muroh sikit.”

When she got the things she wanted, she was one very happy person. At the hotel room, she’d go saying this jubah for this person, and that sejadah for that person or cousin or relative. Indeed, we became close, even though dialect was a bit of a challenge. There were times I had to listen carefully to her words, more so for Mom, as she was completely no comprendo of the utterances of Mok Cik Nah.

There was a time when she asked for ABE to accompany her to the Tabung Haji office to help her withdraw money. She said, “Mok Cik takut sesat.” And when she came back, she was full of praises of ABE. She said to me, “Baik kè Zul tu..” Chewah…kembang semangkuk mamat tu jap!!

Haj 2005...a spiritual odyssey, indeed it was the Haj of the heart for me

Even after three Haj seasons, Mok Cik Nah still keeps in touch with us. The talian silaturrahim which started in the Holy Land is still strong. Every now and then she’d call and ask about Mom, ABE and the children. I felt bad at times having to cut the phone conversation short when she called when I was in meetings or discussions. My promise to return her call was only achievable once the weekend came, when I was less busy and more relaxed to chit chat.

I was so happy one day when Mok Cik Nah called to say that she had opened a mini market in Cukai, Terengganu. She humbly rendered, “Agok nye, rezeki lepah balik Mekoh ni.” Siapa sangka kan, berkat doa di Tanah Suci, now she no longer needs to go from house to house washing clothes for a living. Alhamdulillah, I was elated by her good fortune and she could now pursue her plans for the family.

Each time Eidul Adha came, I am so much reminded of Mok Cik Nah, a woman with so much courage and bravery in her. What enchants me most is that, although we may not speak the exact same lingo, and come from two varied backgrounds, the spirit of ukhwah which seeded in the Holy Land is still strong.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Mok Cik.

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha to all.

Trick or Treat

It wasn’t till I set foot onto Uncle Sam’s land, the tradition of “trick-or-treating” became distinct to me. When I was in school, I remembered reading about it in magazines and I was pretty sure I had seen some horror movies of Halloween ghosts and what not’s on television. My memory is unable to back track so far off into the tele series in the late 70s and early 80s however. But I remember watching Laura Ingalls running around in the prairie with her little basket, off to the neighbors’ houses “trick-or-treating”.

And that was it with Halloween for me. What else could I expect of Halloween in the sleepy town like Seremban? Nak kena kejar dengan Pak Cik jemaah surau kalu berani nak carve pumpkin bagai!!!

I guess when you are 17 going on 18, there were loads of things you’d want to try our. Apalagi lah in this Uncle Sam’s land. In fact, that very same year was indeed the onset to a whole lot of new encounters, this small town girl was about to experience. New place, new culture, new friends and of course Halloween was another new thing as well. That October in 1982, I had my first “lemak-lemak labu” taste of this ghosts and spirits a plenty, community celebration a.k.a Halloween.

One of the first signs of Halloween is when the pumpkins start making their appearances on the door step. I thought to myself, “Rajin nye lah nak pi korek-korek labu tu and turn them into scary look a like creatures.” What a waste, Mat Salleh buat carvings hantu, and Melayu would have definitely turned it into masak lemak labu. East and west, a world of difference!!!

Okay what next, now that you have the pumpkin on the door step. Haa…time to go treat-or-tricking!! But before that must go get a costume. What shall it’d be? Frankenstein, ET, Darth Vader, take your pick. Well, just like the carvings I didn’t bother doing this ritual either. It was more for the children I must say. Going around all dressed up in costumes saying, “treat-or-trick”. Most doors they knock on would treat the children with candies and cookies rather than do a trick.

I went on my first Halloween so called party with this one senior guy (ehem..ehem..teka lah sapa??) We have been bumping into each other after our Anthropology class every Tuesdays. And later we were formally introduced at a friend’s makan-makan invitation.

The relationship had been casual, purely plutonic. If we happened to bump into each other oh well, we’d just smile and pass an exchange or two. We’ve gone to the library a couple of times together and being a gentleman he was, (masa tu lah…now, masih ka?? soalan cupumas tuh!! So, dah boleh guess sapa dia???) he had a few times walked me home.

State Street on normal days

That Halloween night we went to State Street were the party was. It was a cold night and the street was packed with crazy people dressed in all imaginable ghosts and funny looking costumes. I was somewhat confused as there were streams of people walking up and down. I wondered if they had an actual destination they were heading to. From a distant, I could hear music blasting. There was already a band playing. So we decided to hang out at the concert area for a while. The band played one song after another. Then it played this 60s number “Shout”, a catchy tune by the Temptations. And that song got the crowd on their feet!!! I remember the lyrics somewhat like this:

You know know you make me wanna
(Shout) Yeah, yeah
(Shout) Yeah, yeah, right
(Shout) All right, all right
(Shout) Come on now, come on now
(Shout) Yeah, yeah, yeah
(Shout) Come on now, hey, hey
(Shout) Alright now, yeah, yeah

Wah…ala-ala seronok gitu!! But the most funny thing was my senior was also moving to the steps of the song!! Hah..hah…tak ku sangka this engineering dude had some groove in him!! Ok, that got him scoring points in my books of liking, since I was also into dance and music. Ummppp…at the back of my mind, ader harapan nak ajak lepak-lepak listen to music lepas ni.

We stayed for a while at the concert area. The crowd began to swell and at one point it got pretty rowdy due to the madness in alcohol consumption. “Time to go”, my senior said to me and I followed him like a little lost cat.

The whole entire street was packed with people in costumes. Never have I seen people so absorbed in a celebration. Occasionally, we passed groups of students high from pot smoking. Ummpp…sekali dua bau smoke from their pot smoking tu did make me that little high, causing me to place one or two fuddled footsteps.


It was a good two hours we were at the party scene. We wanted to go grab something to eat, but the restaurants were packed. The line was long even for a mushroom slice pizza at our favourite pizza joint Rocky Rococo down on State Street. “Let's head back for home lah”, I said.

We walked home that night. It was a long walk back to my apartment and it was dead cold too. Halfway home, it started to snow lightly. Snow flurries fell and covered the ground like a fluffy white carpet. Ahhh…it was snowing, how beautiful (and romantic too!!). Surprisingly, it wasn’t as cold as how it felt earlier and the gush of fresh air was indeed making the walk a very pleasant one.

It was a good 30 minutes walk from State Street to my apartment in University Avenue. When we arrived, I contemplated if I should ask my senior up for some coffee as I wasn’t too sure if my roommate was home. But since it was still a long walk for him back to his place, I figured, one cup of hot coffee would not do any harm. Plus it was cold, there was nothing like a good cup of Folgers. So he was invited up. Normally, I’d have reservations about inviting guys up the apartment, but well, it wasn’t like I hadn’t gone out with him before. And he decided to be funny, there was always the vacuum cleaner or my thick calculus text book I could use to defend myself with. Hayooo…kalu kena ketuk dengan calculus text tu, mau jadi high, more high then the ganja smoking kat Halloween party tu..


One cup of coffee followed by the next one and later we stumbled upon a horror movie on television. My roommate later came back and some other friends had followed her up to our place too. In no time, we were already into out next pot of coffee. Then the frozen Pillsbury croissants went into the oven. Macam party lah pulak dah…

As the night was getting late and my senior and the other guests excused themselves, all geared up to venture the cold again, back to their respective apartments. I thanked my senior for being such a spot taking me to the Halloween party. After he left, I felt a funny feeling that something was brewing....ummpp…I wondered what it was!! (ehem..ehem….buat-buat innocent lah pulak!!)

Just as I was about to sneak under my comforter that night, the phone rang and my roommate said it was for me. Heh..heh…guess who was on the other line?? Siapa lagi if not my Halloween chaperone…..

Thank god for call waiting from Wisconsin Bell. Otherwise other callers would be guessing siapa lah yang bergayut till the wee hours that Halloween night.

And that was how it all began….