THE GEM IN THE GARBAGE

                                 Illustrated by my eldest son Luqman Hakim 


In the name of God the Most Merciful The Most Beneficent


The garbage collector heard a faint little cry between the heaps of rubbish. At first he thought it was just the sound of a cat but it didn't feel right. He followed the sound. The cry became louder and louder. There on top of a garbage bag something he was afraid to find. A little baby...

The little baby boy born perhaps not less than a few hours looked so hapless. His umbilical cord still intact. What a place to be in the few hours of your life...thought the garbage collector. Why was your mummy so cruel or perhaps she was just a little girl scared just like you?

The police came and took the baby to the hospital. The nurse cleaned him, the doctor treated him and the welfare worker processed him. Then he was sent to an orphanage. The news about him found in the dumpsters went abuzz in the local newspaper for a few days. After that everyone forgot about him. It seemed the whole world had forgotten about him.

The boy grew from one orphanage into another. He went through a lot. He was abused and sexually abused. Sometimes he would cry himself to sleep. He soon realized that there was nobody to save him. He had to do something to change his life. He had to be his 'Superman'. He still had faith in God to guide him and to give him strength.

 Growing up in a difficult surroundings did not dampen his spirits. He was  not a bright student but he was a hardworking one. He didn't get to go to a university but he worked hard as a labourer. In time he saved enough money to open a small business.

Ironically, he was dumped in a dumpster but he also made his fortune from the dumpster. He is now a successful entrepreneur in the garbage recycling business. He is also a happy family man.

This is a true story of a little baby unloved yet growing up,  managed to claw his way up. Come hell or high water he was determined to go through the hardship and bitterness.  He never gave up hope  unlike his own mother, who gave up hope on him.

FLOWERS ARE NOT JUST RED !

Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang


Saya sangat suka mendengar lagu 'Flowers Are Red' nyanyian Dawud Wharnsby. Lagu asal dinyanyikan oleh Harry Chapin. Sebab... liriknya membuat kita berfikir, bertafakur...adakah cara kita mengajar anak kita membentuk mereka untuk berfikir?

Negara2 maju sudah lama tidak menggunakan buku2 teks. Kalau sesuatu kerja rumah diberikan, mereka terpaksa menggunakan akal kreativiti dan mencari dari pelbagai punca untuk mencari jawapannya.

Malang sekali di sekolah2 kita, buku2 teks masih di pakai guna. Selalunya kalau satu soalan diutarakan, hanya jawapan dalam buku teks itu sahaja yang betul. Betul ke macam tu? Sepatutnya buku2 teks ni dah lama dicampak buang.

Ianya hanya membuat guru2 dan anak2 tidak mahu dan tidak boleh berfikir di luar kotak..out of the box...Anak2 sepatutnya diberi kebebasan untuk berfikir ,,, mengenlpasti masalah dan mencari solusi masalah tanpa hanya berpandukan dari satu punca sahaja.

Dan... jawapan tak semestinya satu sahaja kerana...... FLOWERS ARE NOT JUST RED....

THE WISE MAN

In the name of Allah The Most Merciful The Most Beneficent


One day a wise man met an atheist. The atheist argued about the Creator of the universe.

"There is no such thing as the Creator of the universe. It is only a figment of  human imagination"

The wise man kept quiet and just listened to the atheist ramblings on and on on how impossible the universe could be made by a higher being.

 "Give me a reason to believe that God made this universe" he said nonchalantly.

At last the wise man said, " wait for me tomorrow at the same time and the same place and I will tell you".

That night, there was a storm and the village where the wise man lived was flooded.

The atheist waited for the the wise man for a long time and at long last the wise man arrived.

"I'm sorry that I'm late but you know about the flood in my village. Fortunately, a tree fell down and then cut itself into a boat. Then I had to wait for the boat to come and fetch me so that I can come here" said the wise man seriously.

"What? You want me to believe that crazy story?! How could a tree cut by itself, made itself into a boat and sailed by itself . You must be mad!" shouted the atheist.

"Sooo...if you cannot believe that a single tree could not do all those things by itself, that it needs someone to make it,
Then WHY is it so difficult for you to believe  that this whole world and the big universe could never exist by itself that it has a Maker, its own Creator... Allah the Almighty."

TERIMA KASIH CIKGU!

Dengan nama Allah yang Maha Pemurah lagi Maha Penyayang


Hari ini ialah Hari Guru untuk Malaysia. Di negara2  lain seperti di Amerika dipanggil Teacher's Appreciation Day. Rasanya hampir untuk semua orang hari2 persekolahanlah adalah hari2 paling gembira. Kadang kala ada juga hari2 yang menakutkan.

Saya ingat lagi semasa di darjah satu. Baru sahaja masuk sekolah beberapa minggu sudah kena dipanggil gurubesar. Gurubesar kami ialah seorang Sikh yang sangat tinggi. Kesnya saya dan kawan main di anak sungai yang berada di luar pagar sekolah yang memang dilarang keras.

Malangnya gurubesar sendiri nampak. Dia tidak lah menjerit marah pada kami, dia hanya memberi isyarat dengan jarinya supaya naik ke atas. Dengan baju sekolah yang basah kami pun naik [sekolah kami atas bukit], kami memang lah dah mengeletar kecut perut. Nak tengok dia pun kena melangut sebab dia tersangat lah tinggi. Masa tu rasa dia seperti Giant, Monster pun ada. Habislah kena marah. Yang kesiannya kakak saya yang masa tu darjah 4 pun turut kena marah sedangkan masa kami main tu dia ada kelas agama. Sori.. la Yati.

 Tetapi guru yang paling memberi impak besar kepada saya ialah seorang guru yang peliknya pernah menjadi guru sekolah rendah saya dan guru sekolah menengah saya. Dia coach pasukan hoki sekolah semasa saya di sekolah rendah dan di sekolah menengah. Saya bermain hoki daripada saya berumur 10 tahun sehingga tingkatan 5. Dia juga mengajar saya subjek Sejarah.

Bestnya cikgu ni dia seorang pendengar yang baik. Bila ada masalah apa saja boleh cerita kepadanya. Dia memberi saya harapan ketika saya rasa hidup ini nampak begitu sempit terutamanya di ketika usia remaja. Tahulah zaman remaja, 'blur era'. Dia juga memberi keyakinan untuk saya meneruskan cita2 sehingga berjaya masuk ke Law School di UK.


Kepada Cikgu Latifah,,, Berjuta2 terimakasih setulus dari hati. Semoga Allah memberkati jasa mu. Kepada semua guru yang membaca blog ini tidak kiralah yang sudah pencen atau belum, SELAMAT HARI GURU! 

COOL RIVER

          Bukit Lagong River

May peace be upon you.

It was so hot and sticky the last few days. Yesterday it rained bringing much needed reprieve from the heat. My family went to Bukit Lagong River which is only 5 minutes drive from our home during the hot spells.

The water was cool and refreshing. The heat completely vanished once you dipped your feet in the water and when you completely immersed yourself in the water, it was simply divine.

There are other rivers with waterfalls near my house but this is the nearest. There are the Kancing River Forest Reserve which  is a 10 minute drive and the River Tua which is about 20 minutes away from my house. These rivers are much nicer [to some people], bigger and have more facilities than Bukit Lagong. But then you have to pay to get in.  Bukit Lagong - free.

If you live in and around KL, feel free to come.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

IN THE NAME OF GOD THE BENEFICENT, THE MERCIFUL
.

THE BEST GIFT ON MOTHER'S DAY IS NOT I PAD, I PHONE, DIAMOND RINGS OR GOLD BRACELET.


 THE MOST VALUABLE GIFT ON MOTHER'S DAY TO ME IS WHAT MY YOUNG SON HAD WRITTEN ON A PIECE OF PAPER... I LOVE MY MOM SO MUCH....


 IT IS THE MOST PRECIOUS BECAUSE THE GIFT COMES FROM HIS BIG HEART AND IT GOES STRAIGHT TO MY HEART....


HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY !

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 3

 continuation from the last post....

May peace be upon you

Marriage life was not a bed of roses for Zakiyah. She's borne her husband 10 children. 9 boys and a daughter. She lived in a simple kampong house so far removed from the grand istana [palace]. Yet she never complained. Her husband was just a tranport worker for a soft drink company and  his meagre income could barely support the big family.

Therefore she knew she had to help to supplement the family's income. She sold 'nasi lemak' [rice cooked with coconut milk] at the roadside. Fortunately the high grade mango trees she planted many years ago have fruited well. She learned to climb the tall mango trees, to pluck the highly sought-after fruits and sold them to the Chinese 'towkays' for a good price. All the money went to the childrens' well-being and education. Life was definitely hard for her.

One day her biological mother and her brother turned up at her doorstep. It was an awkward re-union. They exchanged pleasantries and then no words were exchanged between them. Her mother did not expect anything from her. How could she? She left her small forlorn child to a stranger. But she just wanted to let her know that she  she still cared, she still loved her. Sadly, in  Zakiyah's eyes her mother now was merely a stranger.

Today  Zakiyah is already in her 80-s. All her children are grown-ups with their own families. She can sigh of relief that she made it. Her children, one is an architect, one studied Geology in Boston University, a lecturer, a bank manager, all of them turned out alright. She said she could have never 
imagined that her children could be so successful  professionally. "All I ever wanted for them to be healthy and happy."

That is the story of my mother-in-law. I need to write this because I know for certain no one in her family would write her story and I don't want her story to perish just like that. But most importantly, I want her grandchildren to know her story and appreciate her sacrifice. My mom-in-law never spoke bad things about other people. Patient and loving to her children. She went through a lot in her life yet she is grateful for everything God has given her.

 We all love her...      HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 2

May peace be upon you


Mak Ungku [not her real name] was a soft spoken lady. Gentle and kind-hearted yet did not express her love openly. Elegant befitting the wife of a Sultan. She took in children mostly from poor families, abused children and mostly children not wanted by their own flesh and blood.

The girl was given a name...Zakiyah. [not her real name] She still remembered her Chinese name but never uttered it till today. She played with the other adopted kids and soon forgot her loneliness. They played together with the prince and princess too in the 'istana' [palace]. She said, " they were just like us, friendly and playful. We were not allowed to go outside the istana's perimeter and never to mix with the 'common' people."

I was taken aback when she told me she was taught to address the royalties from the sultan to the prince and princess as 'tuanku' [your highness] and they too addressed among  themselves formally - ayahanda, bonda, kekanda and anakanda. I always thought the prince and princess would just call their parents something common like mom and dad? Where do I get that idea from? From Disney Channel....?


The Sultan did not allow girls even the princess to have a formal education. Even though she was bright,  unfortunately she was illiterate. Her son once said if my mother had been educated, she would probably be a mathematician or an accountant by now.
  
Then the Japanese army came. The Istana was not spared. Their luxury lives turned topsy-turvy. They had to improvise. She said they, like other people in the country had to plant a lot of tapioca  plants to sustain their lives. Perhaps their lives were not as miserable as the common people but to people who had led a luxurious life, it must be a very difficult time for them.

World War II ended. At the age of 24 she was married to a 40 year bachelor in Melaka. It was like any other marriages at that time... an arranged marriage.

to be continued...


Author's note : Real names are not given to protect the privacy of the persons involved. Moreover you need permission from the sultan and therefore no state is mentioned.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY 1

May peace be upon you.

She was seven when she was given away. It was pre-war Malaya. She remembered when her father took her hand and led her to a strange place, to a stranger. He promised he'll come back, but that was the last time she saw him.

She was given away because of one reason only....she was a girl. The Chinese belief - girls are bad luck to a family. Her mother was reluctant to give her away but she was against her whole family. She knew her will and determination was futile. Forced to give up her daughter, tears welled up in her eyes and heart.

The only thing she could do was to at least find a well to do family to take care of her child. Then she heard about the second wife of the Sultan. She was barren. Apparently she took in children of various races to become her adopted children.

The little girl must have felt very afraid and lonely. She was in a strange unknown world. Tears had fallen but it eventually stopped because she knew nobody from her family would come for her.

She could only speak Hakka - a Chinese dialect. Everyone was speaking a language incomprehensible to her. But being as she,  an intelligent girl, she picked up the language - the Malay language in no time at all.

The big 'house' which she later learned was actually an 'istana' [palace] was far removed from her ramshackle family home. She was to call her adopted mother not as mom, mother or mama but as Mak Ungku. Thus begin her life among royalties.


Author's note : I have not finished writing this true story. I decided to write it in segments or installments, whatever, because the story is a bit wee too long. 

 

MASA UNTUK MEMILIH....PRODUK TERBAIK.

Selamat sejahtera kepada semua

                "PILIHLAH YANG TERBAIIIKKK!".{ Lukisan ini dilukis oleh anak saya,Nabilah}


Minggu ini adalah masa untuk memilih....produk! Memilih barang yang baik punya.
Ada beberapa petua untuk memilih calon..eh!...maksud saya produk...

Pertama: Pengguna sangat suka memilih barangan yang mempunyai warna yang menarik. Minggu ni warna yang popular ialah hijau, biru dan biru campur merah. Entah lah kenapa..Tapi janganlah pilih berdasarkan...my favourite colour. Sori lah Kak Bedah colour biji remia tak dak...

Cara packaging juga sangat penting untuk citarasa pengguna. Bentuk bulat ke, tiga segi ke dll.
Asalkan ia boleh menampung isinya

Tapi warna dan bungkusan menarik je tidak mencukupi. Yang paling penting apa yang di dalam bungkusan tu...

Kedua : Ingredients : Jika anda orang Islam make sure bahan2 dalamnya halal dan toiyib. 
Juga pastikan bahan2 yang digunakan menyihatkan bukan akan memberi mudarat kepada kita. Ye lah gambar di depan nampak cantik tapi tengok2 bukak di dalam sudah busuk..

Satu lagi yang penting ialah kandungan lemak. Make sure ianya 'fat free'... tapi... bukankah Fat Free dalam bahasa Melayu maksudnya 'Lemak Percuma'?. Eee...janganlah 'terpilih' produk yang memberi penyakit jangka panjang. Pastikan kenyataan jelas dan tidak mengelirukan.

Ketiga : Fit for the purpose. Katakan anda membeli juicer. Yelah andakan mahu minum juice tiap hari kerana mahu sihat. Pilihlah mesin yang boleh mengeluarkan jus selama beberapa tahun seboleh2nya 5 tahun. Jangan pula "terpilih" mesin yang hanya boleh mengeluarkan hampas, jus nya beberapa titik je.

KEEMPAT : Pilihlah produk yang selamat. Barang2 elektrik terutamanya. Jangan 'terpilih' barang elektrik yang bila kita 'on' kan aje, kita pula jadi barbecue. Kena elektrik shock! Silap haribulan rumah kita pun hangus. Oleh itu pilihlah yang selamat untuk kita dan keluarga kita.

KELIMA : Tarikh lupus. Pastikan anda tidak 'terpilih' produk yang sudah habis tempoh lupusnya. Produk yang telah habis tempohnya boleh mendatangkan bahaya kepada pengguna. Lagipun kalau sekejap
je dah tak boleh digunakan, rugilah kita.

Itu je pandangan bernilai sekupang saya dalam 'memilih' calon..errr.. maksud saya...produk.

SELAMAT MEMILIH....!