Day 4: Trip to Japan (7 April 2010)

At Tokyo eki waiting to board the shinkansen.

The fourth day in Japan is full of travelling. After checking out from the Washington Hotel in Shinjuku, we took a train to Tokyo eki. From there, we took the shinkansen headed for Kyoto. The bullet train that we took was the Hikari Superexpress. The journey on this superexpress is approximately 2 hours 45 minutes covering a distance of nearly 500 km. I have been told that a normal journey by road will take about 6 hours. The shinkansen only stopped briefly at four stations (Shin-Yokohama, Shizuoka, Hamamatsu and Nagoya) before arriving at Kyoto.

View of Kyoto from the hotel room.

When we arrived at Kyoto, we promptly checked into the Granvia Hotel which is conveniently located inside the eki itself.

Later that evening, we took the train to Minami-Kusatsu eki to meet up with Malaysian students from Ritsumeikan University. The meeting place, a family restaurant called "Syazeria", took 15 minutes to walk to. We managed to meet up with 15 students from the university - a master's student, 9 final year students and 5 third year students.

It was a very full but productive day. By the time, we returned to the hotel, it was already close to 11:00 p.m.

Personally I was exhausted, but I was happy that our objective for the day has been met.

Day 3: Trip to Japan (6 April 2010)

My Japan trip continues on the third day with a visit to Hachioji, about 45 minutes by train. Hachioji is about 40 km to the west of Shinjuku where I was staying. As the JR line was crowded because of the peak hour, Zaki and I decided to take the Keio line to Keio Hachioji eki. From there, both of us walked towards another eki, JR Hachioji, to board the JR train to Nishi Hachioji eki. Interestingly, the JR Hachioji eki is located within the Sogo complex. Sogo is of course a familiar name to many Malaysians who love shopping.

Anyway, when we arrived at Nishi Hachioji eki, a student from Tokyo University of Technology, Hairul Faizal. He had arranged for the students to meet at a Pakistani restaurant called "Ashiana" which is not far from the eki. The restaurant was small, but more than suited the purpose of the meeting. Including Zaki and myself, there was a total of 19 Malaysians altogether, which essentially took up half of the restaurant. The students are those studying at Tokyo University of Technology and Takushoku University. The restaurant's owner must be smiling with the large turn up.

We returned to our hotel by taking the JR train direct from Nishi Hachioji eki all the way to Shinjuku eki. By the time we arrived, it was already close to 11:00 p.m.

Next stop: Kyoto.

Some initial observations in Japan

When one goes to a country with an entirely different culture, one would certainly notice a lot of uniqueness and differences on life in that country. This is my first trip to Japan. I have been to a few other countries before, but they were either European countries or Northern African countries, on top of neighbouring countries like Singapore and Indonesia.

In all honesty, I expected Japan to be way different compared to the other countries that I have been to. And it certainly is obvious from the moment the aeroplane touched down on the tarmac of Narita Airport. As the plane was taxiing to the disembarkation bay, I noticed the airport workers on the tarmac bowing to the plane passing by as a mark of respect. Similarly, when I boarded the bus from Narita to Shinjuku, every time the bus was about to move to the next stop, the attendant at the stop would bow down in respect. I find this aspect of the Japanese culture interesting, as it seems that respect is embedded within their society. They do it because showing respect is a part of their norm. It is not something that is forced on them - at least, that's how I view it.

After two days in Tokyo, I have done quite a bit of travelling in order to meet up with Malaysian students around the capital city. Here, I get to experience first hand the well-known efficiency of Japanese transportation. The accuracy and efficiency is excellent, bar none. Honestly, if public transport in Malaysia can be half this efficient, I think most of us would feel more than happy.

Cleanliness is again another enviable trait of the Japanese people. You could hardly see any litter or cigarettes being thrown on the streets, walkways, trains or underpasses. I noticed that almost all parts of the city that I have gone to have signs that forbid people from smoking on the streets. Do this in Malaysia, and suddenly you will get complains left, right and centre.

Another fascinating observation is the reading culture. In the past, I actually envisaged that almost everyone who commutes would be reading a book when they are in the trains or buses. However, this is not the case (at least from my first two days of observing). About half of the commuters would read (books, comics, newspapers or magazines), but interestingly the other half would be busy texting messages on their handphones. I guess with the advent of technology, people have begun to shift from reading books to texting messages.

I have about two more weeks to go. I am pretty sure I will get the chance to experience more of the Japanese way of life. I will certainly jot them down here if I have the opportunity.

Day 2: Trip to Japan (5 April 2010)

There were two places that we needed to go to on this second day. The first was Shin Okobu, and the second was Hiyoshi. We were meeting students from Waseda University at the former and Keio University at the latter.

Zaki and I walked towards the Shinjuku Station. We were scheduled to meet a student from Waseda University at Shin Okobu. We travelled by train from Shinjuku to Shin Okobu.

The student, Khairi Faiz, was already waiting for us in front of the eki (station). As it was already around lunch time, we decided to have lunch at a quaint little Indonesian restaurant called "Restoran Merah Putih" at Shin Okobu (picture above). It's quite easy to miss the restaurant as it is located on the second floor and it is very small (which is typical of most shops in Japan). The food to me was average, but at least it gave a reasonable alternative to the food normally found in Japan.

After we were done discussing with Khairi Faiz, we left the restaurant to head for Hiyoshi. It was raining quite heavily at that time, and we had to buy umbrellas from the convenient shop just across the restaurant. From there, we walked back to Shin Okobu Station to go to our next destination, Hiyoshi.

Upon arriving at the eki at Hiyoshi, we were met by a student studying at Keio University, Wan Mohd Aizuddin. He took us to Keio University, first by walking through the Hiyoshi Campus then to the adjacent Yagami Campus where engineering and science students are located. We met two more students there, Nazirul Afham who is a final year student, and Abul Hassan Johari who is a master's student. Later, we went to a family restaurant nearby for dinner and we were joined by five more undergraduate students who just arrived in Japan about two weeks ago.

After everything that needed to be done was done, we walked back to the Hiyoshi eki, and travelled by train back to Shinjuku where we were staying. Unlike the train journey earlier, this time the trains that we took were crowded. By the time we arrived back at the hotel, it was already 10:00 p.m.

We were definitely exhausted. On my part though, I am happy that we managed to cover two universities on this second day.

Day 1: Trip to Japan (4 April 2010)

I arrived at Narita Airport just before 7:00 a.m. local time. The flight was smooth aside from the drunken professor who sat beside me who kept drinking whiskey from take-off non-stop. [This is a strong case for not having liquor on board a flight]. Anyhow, the weather upon arrival was somewhat cold for spring. I came to Japan with a colleague, Ahmad Zaki Udah, to carry out a couple of tasks for the organisation that require us to meet Malaysian students who are studying at 15 universities.

From the airport, we took the bus to the Shinjuku Washington Hotel. We arrived at the hotel pretty early, just before 10:00 a.m., and hence we were not able to check in just yet. Coincidentally, one of Zaki's old friend invited him over to a hanami at Shinjuku Gyoen that afternoon. We left our luggage at the hotel and walked from the hotel to the park. There were literally thousands of people there enjoying the picturesque view of sakura in full bloom. It was quite an experience really to be able to view the blooming sakura in the park.

After the hanami, we returned to the hotel by taxi, as we were already too exhausted from the flight, lack of sleep and the walking (from the hotel to the park). After checking in at the hotel, I had a short rest before going out again for dinner with Zaki.

To sum up, the experience of being able to view the sakura on the first day was a rather befitting welcome for a first-timer like me. Hopefully, this memory will remain as something special and unique in the years to come.

Canon

Way back in 1994 when I was in Glasgow, a junior who became one of my closest friend, Nazrul Adlin introduced me to "Canon in D Major", one of the most beautiful classical songs ever composed. The serene composition is relaxing, captivating, uplifting, motivating and inspiring. Whenever I am down or whenever I found it hard to study, I would play this song.

Lately, I have been listening to this song again (and its many versions). I still feel the same feeling as I felt nearly 16 years ago. The beauty (and nostalgia) of the song has not been lost.

Facebook vs. blog

It has been a while, hasn't it? It's ironic really. My starting page every time I open my browser is my blog. I get online everyday, and yet I don't blog as often as I used to be. It's not that I don't have anytime to jot down. It's not that I've run out of ideas. It's just that I'm starting to think that blogs are becoming obsolete... by Facebook.

I also notice that most of my blogger friends who have Facebook accounts are also slowing down on blogging. (I am guilty for introducing Facebook to many of my blogger friends). Only those who are still "uninfected" by Facebook seem to still be actively blogging. I wrote on this in September last year, that Facebook is actually "killing" some of the activities that we do in the past.

I won't stop blogging though. But I won't be blogging as often as I used to.

Simple gesture that made the day

Last Tuesday, just before I started my lecture, a familiar face was standing not far from where I was. It didn't take me long to realise that it was my student from the previous semester.

This student was from war-torn Iraq. Her family came to Malaysia during the attacks on Baghdad by the Allied forces. And her family has been here ever since.

The reason she was in the lecture theatre that warm Tuesday afternoon was to personally convey her thanks to me for the lecture I gave last semester. I find the gesture from this student particularly humbling and motivating. It was the last thing I expected any student to do.

Nonetheless, that gesture made the day for me. The lecture that followed was also equally satisfying and rewarding. The students were attentive and participative. The class was lively. I hope this particular class will continue to have the same motivation in the last few weeks of the semester.

As for the Iraqi student who came to the class last Tuesday, I pray that she will continue to do well in her studies. She has a promising future ahead of her.

In memoriam: Haji Harun Rejab

Everyone, I am very sure, who studied in Sekolah Menengah Sultan Badlishah (SMSB) after 1984 knows this name. A name that was synonymous with the school from 1984 until 1993.

Yes, I am sure that all students and teachers know Haji Harun bin Haji Rejab. He was a strict disciplinarian with a penchant for results. He was bold. He was, in my eyes, a legend.

When I entered the school in 1987, Cikgu Harun, as we would call him, was already serving as the Principal of the school. I remember very clearly to this day how everyone would go quiet as a mouse when he walked pass our classes. He did not carry a cane. But his mere sight was enough to make everyone shiver (initially with fear, but when we left school, we knew it was actually respect).

Loathed him, or loved him, Cikgu Harun turned SMSB into the school that is respected in all sense of the word. It was him who made us realise our true potentials. It was him who motivated us to strive for the best and achieve excellence.

In academics, beginning from 1987, the school maintained a 100% Grade 1 record for the Sijil Rendah Pelajaran (SRP) national examination. The record was maintained until the abolishment of SRP. In the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) national examinations, it was during his reign as Principal that the school experienced a quantum leap with the number of first graders in SPM and those who did well in STPM increased tremendously.

In sports, the school did very well in athletics and hockey. I remember during my schooling days that a number of the school's athletes went on to represent the district and state in various events.

In co-curriculum, we did very well in debating competitions. Between 1989 and 1991, in an English debating competition for the northern region held in Sungai Petani, SMSB came up as champion three years in a row with each year coming home with the best debater title. Interestingly, after coming up champs for three years running, the school never got invited to the debating competition again! In many other competitions, SMSB would be crowned as champions as well. And the list of successes would go on and on.

Cikgu Harun began to notice me, I believe, in 1989 when I was in Form Three. I remember vividly a couple of months before SRP, he called me up to his office. I was, of course, a nervous wreck because I had never been called to the Principal's office. It turned out he wanted to motivate me. But of course, his way of motivating people was, to say the least, very unconventional. There were no compliments. Although it has been nearly 21 years, I can still remember his words very clearly even until today:

"Cikgu tak mahu tengok Shaikh di sekolah ini lagi tahun depan."

Rough translation: "Shaikh, I don't want to see you in this school next year."

Weird way of motivating people to do well, but that was vintage Cikgu Harun at work. I got the message loud and clear. Essentially he made me promise that I would do well in SRP, and apply to a boarding school for my SPM level. I delivered on the first promise that is to do well in SRP. In fact, I was one of three students who scored 8A1 in that particular year. But I did not however keep the second promise. Instead of going to a boarding school, I remained in SMSB. I still remember how the Senior Assistant, Puan Siti Faridah, kept hounding me again and again, pleading with me to take the application form so that I will apply to a boarding school. I never did take the form. And I remained in SMSB for another two years.

Cikgu Harun never did say anything about it. On the one hand, I think he was disappointed that I stayed. On the other hand, I could sense that he was relieved in a way. The majority of the top scorers of SRP had left SMSB when we got into Form Four.

I was never really active in sports or extra-curricular activities, and I knew that Cikgu Harun was aware of this. I was perhaps one who would fall under the "nerd" category. I got word that in 1990, Cikgu Harun instructed my English teacher to ensure that I would take up debating. Truth be told, I hated talking in public. Debating was never in my list of "to do" things.

Somehow, after being told that it was Cikgu Harun's "instructions", with a heavy heart I agreed to be part of the debating team that represented the school for the Palani Cup in Sungai Petani. We were going in as defending champions. I remember clearly how we practiced almost every afternoon after school. And when the competition began, it was an experience that I would cherish for the rest of my life. We went on to defend the title, and I walked away with the best debater title. It was perhaps one of the sweetest memories of my life, and that achievement got the school talking for quite a while. In retrospect, while I may not be an orator, this particular exposure was perhaps the turning point in my life when I gained the confidence to speak in public. And for this, I have Cikgu Harun to thank.

The year 1991 went by pretty fast. We sat for the SPM examination. And as fate has dictated, I got an offer to further my studies in the UK before the SPM result came out. I went to see Cikgu Harun a day after I got the offer. He congratulated me and wished me luck. And again, rather unconventionally said (with a tinge of irony in his words):

"Shaikh keluar juga Badlishah!"

Rough translation: "Finally, you are leaving the school!"

I saw him again just before I flew to the UK in January of 1992. And years later after his retirement, I would drop by to see him on occasions just to see how he was doing. In 2000, he came to my wedding. And to me, to have my former Principal attending one of the most important events of my life was indeed a great honour.

I have heard in the past year or so that he had not been well. And when I received the news of his passing this morning over Facebook, I was saddened. I am sure many of my friends who had the great benefit of being in SMSB during the era of Cikgu Harun Rejab would understand very well my sentiment.

I am sure that each and everyone of us left the school feeling proud of being a part of the school. It was there that we developed our true potentials, and Cikgu Harun was our chief guiding light. His methods may be unconventional, but they yielded the necessary results. It was Cikgu Harun who dared us to dream the impossible, striving for the best and come out as champions.

If only he knew how most of us today are now all over the world - the USA, the UK, Australia, Singapore, the Middle East and of course Malaysia - working as professionals in various fields.

For all that you have done for the school, and more so for each and everyone of us, we thank you, sir.

Your passing is indeed a great loss. May Allah SWT reward you with al-Jannah for your deeds. We shall indeed miss you greatly.

Al-Fatihah!

Hot air

I got this from an e-mail I received from Encik Ibrahim Apandi Tuan Yaacob, my former student advisor from my UK days. I have come across this story many years before, and I thought that since I got this for a second time, I would share it with everyone.

A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She reduced altitude and spotted a man below. She descended a bit more and shouted, Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago but I don't know where I am."

The man below replied, "You're in a hot air balloon hovering approximately 30 feet above the ground. You're between 40 and 41 degrees north latitude and between 59 and 60 degrees west longitude."

"You must be an engineer," said the balloonist.

"I am", replied the man. "How did you know?"

"Well, answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I've no idea what to make of your information, and the fact is I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help at all. If anything you've delayed my trip even more."

The man below responded, "You must be in management."

"I am," replied the balloonist, "but how did you know?"

"Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You have risen to where you are due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise which you've no idea how to keep, and you expect people beneath you to solve your problems."

Some interesting observations

I intended to put this down in writing shortly after coming back from the UK, but was not able to do so until today. It is interesting to note some things when I was there, and here are some of these observations that I find fascinating:

1. Unlike Malaysia when certain people argue that the disease should be called Influenza A(H1N1), Britain simply calls it "swine flu". No one seems to be sensitive to the term used. Just check the NHS website.
2. Speaking of the NHS, just before I flew home, there was a news report that states the NHS could be crippled by alcoholism. A BBC report stated, "With a quarter of England's population consuming hazardous amounts, alcohol addiction already costs the NHS more than £2.7 billion a year".
3. Richard Branson seems to be everywhere these days. From music to racing, and from airlines to trains (Virgin trains anyone?). Check out Virgin's website.
4. My friends who studied in Glasgow would be particularly interested in this one. The popular KRK wholesalers is still there, and doing fine.
5. Despite reports saying that Proton sales are up in the UK, I did not see a single Proton car while in London, Edinburgh and Glasgow. But you can easily find Malaysian brands on supermarket shelves.

There you go. Five things I find interesting from my trip to the UK.

Caledonia

It is time now for me to return home to Malaysia. The visit to the UK was made special with the short visit to Glasgow and Edinburgh. Glasgow in particular has a special place in my heart. I hope to revisit this city again soon.

Somehow the song "Caledonia" (which is the old name for Scotland) seems apt at this juncture. Have a read at a part of the chorus from the song, and have a listen.

So let me tell you that I love you

That I think about you all the time

Caledonia you're calling me

And now I'm going home

And if I should become a stranger

You know that it would make me more than sad

Caledonia's been everything I've ever had

I hope to arrive in Malaysia, refreshed and motivated, insya-Allah.

Random UK thoughts

I honestly feel that this visit to the UK (my first real visit since 1996) is a memorable one.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip is the nostalgic return to Glasgow. Aside from being able to revisit my place of study, I was also able to meet up with the Cunninghams who were very close to the Malaysian students back in the first half of the 1990s. Visiting the Cunninghams has allowed us to rekindle the good old times and also to catch up on each other. The Cunninghams were like family to the Malaysian students in particular those who were at Langside College.

I had a chance to revisit Edinburgh. When I was there, the city was preparing for Hogmanay (the new year's eve celebration). There were a lot of tourists coming up to Edinburgh despite the freezing cold weather in Scotland. I was told that Edinburgh is the place to be for Hogmanay. The city is as beautiful as I have remembered it. The picturesque view of the Edinburgh Castle, I believe, is something that all visitors will appreciate.

I was also able to meet up with a number of friends while in London. Ahmad Hakimi and Dr Hazlita are close friends from our student days in Glasgow. Both of them are now in London, and it was a pleasure to have been able to meet up with them at their home. 'Aisyah Ali was a part-timer at Yayasan Ilmuwan, and is now studying in London. Shamsul Anuar was a dear old friend whom I have not seen in ages. Being able to meet up with old friends whom you have not seen in a while is certainly something to look forward to.

Back in my student days, I did not really come down to London as often as one would imagine. The simple reason to this was that I simply did not like the city which I felt was crowded. Well, it is still crowded. But I think I have learnt to adjust to this city. Interestingly, there is not one single day when you walk down the streets of London that you would not come across a Malaysian. From CEOs of GLCs to actors to businessmen, all of them are here. There are times I feel like I was walking along the streets in Kuala Lumpur. The only difference is that it is much much colder here in London. But come to think of it, you would not find any CEO of a GLC to be walking down Jalan Sultan Ismail going into a fast food shop, would you? (I saw a well-known CEO walking along Edgware Road going into a kebab shop for lunch with his family).

There are many Malaysian restaurants in London. I went to a few, but I must recommend a newly-opened eatery situated at Craven Road near Paddington Station. The place was opened 5 months ago, and is called "Tukdin". Of all the Malaysian restaurants that I have gone to, Tukdin is perhaps the best in terms of food. Even the teh tarik here is tasty and classy. Tukdin is known for its nasi lemak, sate goreng and pisang goreng aiskrim. So, if you are down in London, have a stop at Tukdin. It is worth it.

Nine days in the UK. It has been nostalgic. It has been a trip down memory lane. But at the end of the day, truth be told, there is no place like home.

Different, but familiar

When I arrived at Glasgow Central Station on the 27th of December, I noticed an air of familiarity to it. Nothing much has changed. Well, in general the station still looks very much just as I remember it. The notice board is of course different. But everything else was very familiar, right down to the clock in the station.My accommodation in Glasgow was at Buchanan Street which is just a short walk away from Glasgow Central Station.

As I walked along Renfield Street, then onto Gordon Street, before turning into Buchanan Street, my eyes were actually peeled on the streets' surroundings. The buildings' look the same, but there are a lot of new shops now. Most glaringly, I noticed a few Starbucks outlets along the way.

As noted by my former Mathematics lecturer, Mrs Margaret Cunningham, the Starbucks outlets actually provided an option for people wanting to meet up with friends. In the past, people would go to local pubs or bars, but now people can opt for cafes like Starbucks.

While there have been changes, Glasgow still feels the same after 13 years.

[Pictures courtesy of Szakif Ramli].

Snow white

As far as I can remember, throughout my student days in Glasgow, it did not snow in December. Yes, there was snow but not in December. There was ice in December, perhaps even some sleet. Hailstones were more likely to come down in December. But I say it again, it did not snow in December. I remembered snow came down in February and March. Even then, the snow that came down did not last for long. Snow wasn't thick and it didn't stick.

A week before I arrived in the UK, I have been following the weather of the country. There has been a rather unusual weather pattern. The temperature has been coming down to levels that was somehow unexpected by meteorologists. And snow came down very heavily a few days before Christmas.

No snow came down on Christmas day when I arrived in London. When I travelled up north on the 27th, you could actually see snow on the ground. It is even more apparent as you go further north of Lancaster into Oxenholme and the Lake District. By the time you get to the Scottish border just after Carlisle, everything is literally snow white, from the hills to the grounds, as well as rooftops, and even cars were not spared from being covered in snow.

It was a beautiful sight to behold. Frankly, what I saw was nothing like the snow that I experienced in the first half decade of the 1990s. The snow still persisted on the day I travelled back south to London.

What a sight it was. Masya-Allah!

[Pictures courtesy of Szakif Ramli who accompanied me in this UK trip].

Life is like spaghetti

An old friend of mine, Shamsul Anuar spontaneously coined that phrase when he came down to Paddington to meet up with me yesterday evening. "Life is like a spaghetti," he said referring to the different points in our lives that we have crossed paths with each other.

I first met Shamsul way back in 1982 when my family moved from Alor Setar to Johor Bahru. He was my classmate in Sekolah Rendah Seri Tebrau. His family moved away from Johor Bahru in 1984, while I left the city to move to Kulim in late 1985.

I entered Sekolah Menengah Sultan Badlishah for my secondary school, and was there up until I finished Form 5 in 1991. Amazingly, Shamsul entered MRSM Kulim during Form 4. While we were in the same town literally, we have never met each other.

In late 1991 after our SPM examination, both of us attended an interview for scholarship offered by Petronas. We were interviewed on the same day (as I remember it, it was a Friday). Shamsul, whom I had not seen in 7 years noticed me, and said hi. It was a very brief chance meeting so to speak.

I left for the UK in January of 1992 under the Petronas scholarship initially to do geology. Interestingly, Shamsul was offered to do geology as well, but he turned it down. Had he accepted, we would have been coursemates at the University of Glasgow.

In September of 1992, I went down to London. Whilst walking back to Malaysia Hall (then located at Bryanston Square), I passed by Shamsul. I didn't realise it at first, but seconds later, it hit me that the person was Shamsul. I turned my head, around the same time he did. It was one of those "one in a million" chance encounters, and of all places, we met in London. He had just arrived in London then under MARA scholarship. Later that afternoon, I went up to the place he was staying before going to Concorde College in Shropshire, and we chatted for quite a bit.

For the next couple of months, we got in touch with each other using snail mail. This was a time when e-mail was not common yet. Naturally, we got busy with our studies, and we just lost contact over the years.

When Shamsul got married, he sent me an invitation. I was already working at IKIM at that time. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend his wedding, but I did give him a call to congratulate him. That was the last time I was in touch with him...

...until 2008. Thanks to Facebook, he was able to trace me. Since then, we have been in touch using Facebook albeit virtually.

Yesterday, alhamdulillah, for the first time since 1992, I met my old friend, Shamsul Anuar again. It was a nice warm feeling despite the rather cold winter temperature. We talked and reminisced about old times and old friends. While we have not seen each other for nearly 17 years, it never felt that way. I guess that is the uniqueness of childhood friends. No matter how long you have been apart from each other, the shared "childhood years" is actually a strong bond that is difficult to sever.

With our somewhat "unique" history, I figured that was why Shamsul said, "Life is like spaghetti." Imagine each of us is a strand of spaghetti in a bowl or a plate. And that strand of spaghetti is the path that we take in life. There are times our paths will cross with one another. There are times when they are completely apart from each other. And yet, there are also times when the strands (paths) are so near and yet are apart.

While I have part ways with Shamsul for the time being, I pray that our paths will cross yet again, insya-Allah.

That perfect feeling

As I write this, I am in London. I arrived on Christmas day, and will be flying back to Malaysia on the 2nd of January. Apart from London, I managed to go up to Scotland revisiting Glasgow and Edinburgh.

Much can indeed be written about this nostalgic trip. I was a student in Glasgow between January 1992 and June 1996. While I have been back to London a couple of times (mainly on transit between flights), this was my first time to have really gone back to the place I studied once. And what a memorable return it has been.

As I walked on the snowy hilly grounds of the University of Glasgow, every little bit of memories past passed me by. The snow that has fallen days before made the visit all the more special. When I walked into the compound of the main building, a bagpiper played some bagpipe tunes. Apparently there was a wedding at the chapel, but the tunes of the bagpipe music was played as I walked in giving rise to a very special feeling.

The sky was clear. The ground was white with snow. The air was fresh. Bagpipe music was playing in the background. The temperature was just above freezing point. But I could certainly feel the warmth of memories of yesteryears.

Everything was just... perfect.

And truth be told, it really felt like I have come home.

You never know

I was at the money changer earlier this afternoon to buy some Pound Sterling for my UK trip. I had to wait a while as the money changer had to get the Pound Sterling from one of his nearby branches. While his assistant was sent to the other branch, I sat patiently while chatting with the owner.

He asked, "Your voice sounds familiar."

I replied somewhat surprised, "Really? Where have you heard my voice before?"

He said, "I am quite sure I have heard your voice in the radio. Have you been on air on Radio IKIM?"

I froze for a second. All this while, I never thought that it is possible for a person to actually recognise a voice he hears on radio. Hesitantly I answered, "Yes, I do have a programme on Radio IKIM".

He later went on to say how much he loves the programmes on Radio IKIM. He gave very positive comments on the radio, which I think is a very good indication for the Islamic radio.

While waiting, we talked about a host of other things. Around this time, I glanced at a notice on the wall that says, "Exchange rates are negotiable."

I am not a person who likes to bargain for things. Most times I buy things according to the price indicated. Similarly when it comes to this, I was not really in the mood of bargaining. The exchange rate for Pound Sterling for today was RM5.60 to a Pound. Without asking, he suddenly said to me, "Tell you what, sir. I can give you the best rate for exchange. For you, I will give RM5.50 for a Pound Sterling."

I nodded in agreement. For me, it is better than the actual rate that was initially offered. Deep in my heart, I find this episode rather amusing in a good way. The money changer recognised my voice from radio. He said that he likes and benefits from the programme that I have been doing all these years. It is indeed a motivation for me to hear this from a listener in person. But what surprised me was that he was willing to offer me a rather good rate for currency exchange without my actually doing any bargaining.

I guess you never can tell how we influence or impact other people. I never imagined that the programme that I contributed to on radio has such an impact on people. It is indeed a compliment, but you never know what people are willing to do to assist you once you know that you're the person they hear on radio.

Aside from the good rate, the money changer even offered to come to the office should I ever need his services again. Talk about personalised service. I guess there are some perks to appearing on air.

You never know.

You can never go home again

There is a saying. It goes something like this. "You can never go home again, but the truth is you can never leave home."

My one and true home is Malaysia. This is where I was born. This is the place that I grew up as a child. This is also the place where I went through my early teenage years. And this is also the place that I am earning a living and building a family. There is no substitute for Malaysia in my eyes.

Yet, there was a place that I spent nearly half a decade towards the end of my teenage years and my early youth. That place welcomed me to its chilly and cold weather, yet its people were pleasantly warm and friendly. I regarded that place as my second home. This was the place where I studied. This was also the place where I learnt to be independent. And perhaps, it is not wrong to say that this was the place that taught me the meaning of life.

That place was Glasgow in Scotland.

I was last in Glasgow in 1996. That was more than 13 years ago. Now, it seems that I will be setting foot to my second home again very soon. I will be leaving for the United Kingdom in less than 12 hours. Upon arrival in London, I will be going straight up north to Edinburgh where I will spend two nights. And from there I will be heading for Glasgow.

The feelings that I have now is somewhat difficult to explain. The best that I can think of is that the feelings are similar to the time I was leaving Glasgow for good. This time around, I am returning to Glasgow for a brief visit.

I have a fondness towards this city. It has a special place in my heart. Indeed while I may have left the city, the memories of the city never left me.

It will be good to be back "home".

New things in the horizon

The Hijrah new year just started last Friday. The year 2010 will commence in ten days time. It is somewhat of a coincidence that there are a couple of new things looming in the horizon for my life with the beginning of the new year. These new things are very much like a hijrah for myself and my family, as well as for some of my colleagues.

My two boys are growing up. They are very active, and they require space to run around and play. Our current abode is an apartment. Living in an apartment with two young boys can be stressful to the boys. I don't actually allow them to play outside the apartment because of the cars zooming by on the road. There is no compound for them to play.

After giving it a long thought, I decided to search for a landed property some time around August. After viewing a number of houses, I decided to buy a double-storey link house which is also an end lot. The house is also located in Taman Setiawangsa and is quite near Masjid Muadz Bin Jabal. After a bit of a wait, I finally got the keys to the house yesterday evening.

I took my family to see the house earlier this afternoon. My two sons were ecstatic. They were running around the empty house in joy. My eldest son especially seems eager to move into the new house.

The house has been tastefully renovated and extended by the previous owner. I will be doing some repainting job and minor repairing in the next few weeks. Hopefully, if everything goes as planned, we will be moving into the new home in mid-January insya-Allah.

Meanwhile at work, renovation work has also commenced for the office unit situated on the third floor (just across where I am now). It is expected that the work will take a month to complete. I have been given the indication that I will be one of those affected with relocation once the new office space is completed. Should the original planning remain the same, aside from myself, seven other people will be shifting to this new office space. If everything goes as scheduled, barring unforeseen circumstances, I may be moving into the new office by the end of January.

It looks like 2010 C.E. and 1431 Hijriyyah are off to a promising start. I pray that the rest of the year will be good as well. And I believe that is indeed everyone's hope.

Shared concerns unite people

I was at Institut Jantung Negara (IJN) yesterday morning, specifically at the blood laboratory. I was there to give my blood sample for my upcoming appointment with my cardiologist next Tuesday. Before anyone starts messaging me to inquire about my health, let me assure everyone that everything is well. I was at IJN in late August for a screening programme to ensure that I have a clean bill of health. Alhamdulillah, my heart is fine and dandy. The only thing that was somewhat worrying was my cholesterol level, which my cardiologist referred to as "alarmingly high". Essentially this coming visit is to check if there is any improvement from my last visit.

In any case, that is not really what I wanted to blog about. Rather, I would like to share my observation which I have seen many times before, but have never put in writing.

When I arrived at IJN, there were already many people of different races waiting at the laboratory for their turns. The seats were full. Most of the people waiting were elderly people. I opted to wait outside the laboratory while keeping my eyes peeled for my number to be called.

While waiting, I saw an elderly Malay pak cik exchanging his by-pass experience with an elderly Chinese uncle.

There was also a Chinese lady who was probably in her sixties giving encouragement to a Malay woman slightly younger than herself. The Malay woman looked somewhat worried, but the Chinese lady managed to calm her down.

Then there were three elderly gentlemen, one Indian and two Malays, talking and commenting about their health and the medication that they have to take.

I smiled when I saw all this. I have noticed this before whenever I am at hospitals and medical centres. When you are there, people don't look at you as a Malay or a Chinese or an Indian. People look at you as a patient who is in need of treatment. And believe me, IJN is one of the places that you can actually see this happening.

As I was observing, the elderly Chinese lady who was earlier giving encouragement to the Malay woman beside her waved at me. She pointed to an empty seat nearby. I smiled back gesturing my thanks, and walked to the empty seat.

Shortly after, it was the Malay lady's turn to give her blood sample. After the procedure was completed, she walked out and promptly shook the Chinese lady's hands saying good-bye.

Then it was the Chinese lady's turn. She went in for about five minutes. And when she got out, she walked pass me and gave a cheerful smile. I smiled back while nodding my head.

Each of the elderly men that I mentioned got in when their turns came. And each time, when they came out, they would shake the hands of their newfound friends wishing them well and saying good-bye.

To see this happening right before my very eyes, where perfect strangers of different races with nothing much in common safe for their illnesses, chatting merrily and shaking hands when bidding farewell, was somehow humbling. The people that I observed were mainly elderly people who were over 50 years of age. I sincerely wonder if the young generation has the same quality as these elderly people.

Over the past many days, I have read that sports can unite people of different background. Aside from sports - and some would argue, music - another uniting catalyst is perhaps the shared concerns on health.

Two targets

The Muslim New Year begins with the beginning of Maghrib (or sunset) early this evening. It has always been reminded that Muslims partake in the hijrah to better themselves in all sense of the word. It is somewhat similar to the new year resolutions that one often makes at the beginning of the Gregorian new year.

For the past few years, I have not made any particular resolutions. Rather than having resolutions, I set myself specific targets to achieve. I admit that I have been pretty ambitious in the past couple of years. But for this year, I have set my eyes on two specific targets that I hope to achieve in the new year (be it 1431H or 2010CE).

The first target is to complete my thesis for my PhD. I will be starting my fifth semester at the end of this month. I hope that the whole writing process will be completed in this semester. I pray that I be given the strength to do this.

The second target is more spiritual in nature. I hope and pray that this will become a reality. I plan to perform my haj in the coming haj season.

Let us all pray for a better year with the beginning of the new year. Salam Hijrah to all.

Condolences to Adyani

On Monday evening, while I was on holiday in my hometown up north, I received a call from one of the research executives attached to Yayasan Ilmuwan. She informed me that her father had just passed away.

The next day, a number of her colleagues from Yayasan Ilmuwan drove to Banting to visit her and her family to offer the organisation's condolences. I was unable to make it since I was still in Kedah.

Nonetheless, I would like to offer my heartfelt condolences to Nor Adyani and her family on the passing of her beloved father. I pray that his soul will be blessed, and that Adyani and her family be given the strength to carry on in spite of this big loss.

Al-Fatihah!

Welcome home

I was at KLIA at 3 a.m. on Monday morning waiting for my parents' return from their pilgrimage to Makkah. Their flight touched down just after 4 a.m. and they finally got to the departure hall around 5:30 a.m.

There was a huge crowd as expected. Family members were waiting anxiously to see their loved ones. It was an emotional wait, as most of the jamaah haji are senior citizens, most of whom like my parents, have never been overseas (or at least as far away as Saudi Arabia). They have been away for about 45 days, and everyone was most definitely eager to see them walk out into the departure hall. One interesting banner caught my eyes. The writing on the banner was: "Welcome home, Haji Abah and Hajjah Mama". Cute wordings, but yet very apt.

Alhamdulillah, my parents arrived safely. While they have some coughs and fever due to the harsh conditions especially in Makkah, Arafah, Muzdalifah and Mina, they are well. As their eldest son, I am happy that I have been able to assist them in sending them to perform their fifth pillar of Islam. I know that it has always been my parents' dream to go to Makkah. And this year, their dream has become a reality.

Welcome home, Haji Abah and Hajjah Mama!

In memoriam: Adawiyah Yassin

Last Monday, I received the sad news of the passing of Puan Adawiyah Yassin. She was affectionately known to many of us as "Kak Ada". As I blogged in October, she suffered a stroke. This happened in the month of Ramadhan. Now, just a few days after Muslims celebrated Aidiladha, Kak Ada has left us forever. She was 56.

Everyone I spoke to remembers her as a kind, hardworking and sincere lady. I knew her way back in 1999 when I started doing programmes for the Voice of Islam which is under the Voice of Malaysia belt of programmes. She was a producer for the English programmes under the Voice of Islam, and later she headed the Voice of Islam unit. Indeed, while she remained behind the scenes in the production of these programmes, her role was significant in ensuring that the programmes are aired successfully.

To her family, I pray that all of you will be strong in facing this loss. On a personal note, I shall miss her kindheartedness. To this day, I can still hear her golden voice. May Allah SWT bless Kak Ada's soul.

Al-Fatihah!

Voices in my head

That famous and oft-quoted line from the movie The Sixth Sense suddenly comes to mind. "I see dead people...," so said Cole Sear, the character played brilliantly by Haley Joel Osment.

Don't get me wrong. I do not see dead people. But I have been hearing voices in my head. More specifically, when I read books.

For the past couple of months, I have noticed that whenever I read books written by people I know personally, the words on the pages "speak" to me when I read them. And the voices that I hear are the voices of the people who wrote them, right down to their intonation. It is a surreal experience, most definitely, because I find myself hearing the words rather than reading them. It is as if the authors are speaking to me instead of me reading their work.

Somehow I don't feel that this is something that I should get freaked out with. Instead, I find this experience rather stimulating. It makes reading more interesting. I guess that is one of the reasons why I could finish reading three books at one go, virtually cover to cover, last night. Rather than reading as a mere visual experience, reading has now become an auditory experience as well.

I mentioned this experience to a friend earlier this afternoon. I may be off-tangent, but he seemed somewhat worried with what I told him. Anyone else has a similar experience, or at least knows of anyone else going through this experience? Do share.

Like I said earlier, I am not freaking myself out by this development. I prefer to look at this from a positive point of view. It enriches my reading experience. Either that, or I have obtained a mutant power.

"I hear my books talking."

New personal benchmark

I have been writing academic articles for journals since 1998. All these articles are mainly for locally-published journals. During this time period, I have not actually written anything for international journals, even though I have presented academic working papers in international conferences and also contributed to chapters in internationally-published academic books.

A few months back, Professor Dr Adeeba Kamarulzaman of the Faculty of Medicine, Universiti Malaya asked me whether I would be interested in co-writing an article for an international journal. Most definitely, my reply was in the affirmative. Earlier this evening, I received an e-mail from Professor Adeeba informing me that the article has been accepted for publication. The article will be published in the journal's issue due in April 2010.

The journal is the International Journal of Drug Policy, which is an ISI-WoS journal with a high impact factor. Professor Adeeba, by the way, ranks at number 15 in the Top 20 academics in Universiti Malaya who publishes in these high impact factor academic journals.

I am very grateful to Professor Adeeba for giving me this very valuable opportunity, and I am also thankful to Allah SWT for providing me with this avenue for my academic development. This first step is actually a new personal benchmark for myself. I hope to continuously challenge myself to do better in all that I do.

Writing mode in full swing

Writing is something that I love doing. But as with most things, writing is also something that is very much dependent on mood swings.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been writing quite a lot. Most of the things that I write lately seems to focus more on academic stuff. Creative writing seems to be temporarily on hold. Of course, my attention lately is more towards writing up my thesis.

I pray that I be given the strength and good health so that I can continue to write consistently (and subsequently complete) my thesis.

[Note: The picture in this posting has nothing to do with this blog entry. It's there just for a smile or perhaps a giggle].

Heartfelt condolences

The news of the passing of Datuk Pian Sukro, the Chairman of the Energy Commission took me by surprise this morning. He passed away in Rome, Italy. I do not know him personally but I most certainly know his wife, Professor Datin Dr Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian whom I worked with way back in 1997-1998.

My heartfelt condolences to Professor Kobkua and her family.

Al-Fatihah!

The perfect straight line

I am currently editing a compilation of articles for a philosophy book to be published by the Centre for Civilisational Dialogue, Universiti Malaya. I came across a phrase I personally feel very interesting:

Science is not about drawing the perfect straight line.

Of course, this phrase can be interpreted in many ways. To me, most people look at science as a means to achieve perfection. But ask anyone who is a scientist, in conducting experiments, it is well-nigh impossible to draw a perfect straight line from the data gathered from the experiments conducted.

Students who study science have the tendency to manipulate and change their data so that they can draw the best straight line. Such manipulation is a manifestation of insincerity, and hence affects the students' integrity as future scientists. For, if this is to be allowed and if this is a common practice, are we to say that in the search for perfection, we are allowed to cheat? What then is the meaning of perfection when the road leading to it is far from perfect?

To me, these are thought-provoking questions. As a part-time lecturer teaching History and Philosophy of Science, I believe that the above-mentioned phrase can be a topic for a lengthy discussion all on its own.

Less blogging, more writing... and other things

I can't seem to get myself to blog as often as before. I am unsure why this is so. I still have much to comment on, but most times when I get on the Internet, I just could not bring myself to focus on blogging. At the most, I would only blog hop friends' blogs.

I hope to be able to blog more frequently although not as often as before. Blogging is a good training to polish up on my writing. But at the same time, there are other commitments that have taken up quite a bit of my time.

Although 2010 is still a couple of months away, I can say in almost certain terms that blogging won't be heading the list of things to do in 2010. I have several targets that I have set for next year, and most of them involve writing but blogging, fortunately or otherwise, is not one of them.

My number one priority is of course to finish up the writing of my PhD thesis. I do not wish to prolong this any longer. All the materials for writing up the thesis have been gathered. What I need to do now is to push myself to sit down and write it all up. Sounds easy, but believe me, I find myself staring at the computer screen without actually doing much.

I have also tasked myself to be more productive in coming up with academic journal articles. This is perhaps an avenue which I haven't actually pushed myself into doing in the past. Actually, if everything does go as planned, my first international journal article will be out in the first quarter of next year. More info on this in the future.

Aside from this, I also owe my publisher the manuscript for my third novel. I have started writing this, but it is quite difficult for me to find the momentum to keep going as I get sidetracked with other things. Coincidentally, I am writing two novels simultaneously - both of which I hope to get published in 2010.

The work at the office also involves a lot of writing and editing. I am currently editing an autobiography, re-editing the second print of a book that Yayasan Ilmuwan published some time back, assisting with the writing of another autobiography, co-writing a book, co-ordinating the editing process of a number of other books, and trying to write a few books myself. I know this sounds like quite a workload but this is actually far less than what I had to shoulder at my old work place. By comparison, this is more like a breeze rather than a storm.

For the past few months, I have also been active in presenting working papers and giving talks at least once a month. Next month, I will be presenting a paper at Bio Malaysia 2009, the biggest biotechnological event for the country. The conference programme can be seen at this link.

I know it sounds like my life revolves around writing. And to most people, I guess, this sounds boring and monotonous. The fact of the matter is that I am loving what I am currently doing, and I do not plan to stop doing this, at least not in the foreseeable future. Nonetheless, I am trying to spice up my routine by doing things that I don't normally do, or by doing things which I have stopped doing for a long while.

One of this is travelling. Having said this, I have to admit that my travelling plans are not exactly holiday trips but rather working trips. I have quite a list of countries to go to beginning December. I will shed more light on this when the details are clearer and firmer. But probably as a hint or a teaser, the December trip will be like returning to a place where I was most fond of.

Respect thy customer

I am a firm believer of giving credit when credit is due. If a service rendered goes beyond expectation, I think that it is only fair that the service be praised as exemplary. An example is the experience at the Immigrations Department that I blogged a few months ago.

I am also a person who does not tolerate rudeness and non-professionalism. Again I have blogged about this before in this entry. To me, a service that is given in a manner not professional and worse still, rude is a service that does not deserve my patronage and hard-earned money. If I had a bad experience at a place, I will no longer go to that place.

This past couple of weeks, I have been extremely busy with work at the office. As such, I don't really have that much time to spend on meals. Most times, I would choose one of the three cafes in my office compound as they are the most convenient.

On Thursday, at around 11:45 a.m., I decided to have an early lunch since I had an appointment at 12:30 p.m. at the office that will most likely eat up my normal lunch time (no pun intended). The cafe that I went to is literally just a few steps away from my office. Anyone who is familiar with my office would know which cafe I am referring to. I chose this "red" cafe (which supposedly promotes Penang, the "island" where I was born) to have my lunch simply because it was the nearest and most convenient. Should my guest arrive early, I could easily hurry myself back to the office.

When I arrived at the cafe, there were only three other people sitting at one table. I noticed they were waiting for their take-away order. A waiter almost immediately attended to me. I put in my order, and about five minutes later my drink arrived. While waiting for my food, I sipped the drink I ordered.

Around this time, I noticed that the three people at the next table who were waiting for their take-away order actually ordered something for 15 people! I knew at this point in time that my order would take a while to be ready. I also noticed that there was only one cook in the kitchen, which to my mind was odd, because lunch time is a busy time for an eatery. To only have one cook during a busy period was plain ridiculous.

I glanced at my watch. The time was already 12:10 in the afternoon. I had already waited for almost 25 minutes. Even the three people who ordered take-away meals for 15 people were still waiting for their order to be ready. My glass was almost half empty.

Knowing that there was no way I could have my lunch in time before my 12:30 appointment, I called the waiter to inquire how long it would take for my food to be ready. Innocently (and I must say quite rightly), the waiter went into the kitchen to ask the cook. At this juncture, I could distinctly hear the cook scolding the waiter (and indirectly scolding me) with a very loud voice. He said something to the effect that, "Be patient! Can't you see there's only one of me? Can't he wait?"

The cook's voice was indeed audible. I heaved a heavy sigh. The cafe's captain then came to me apologising for the lateness (but not for the cook's outburst). I told him just to cancel my order, and I would pay for the drink I just had. After paying, I walked back to the office without even having lunch. By then, I had also lost my appetite.

This is just another example of people who are not professional and sincere in doing their jobs. In the first place, there seems to be no respect for the paying customer. The principle of "the customer is always right" does not seem to apply. Scolding a customer whether directly or indirectly is something that should never be done. Chances are, as in my case, you will lose your customer.

Secondly, the management of the cafe should have been more professional in managing the running of the cafe. Anyone with a logical mind would be able to say that there should be more people during peak hours. Frankly, you would never face this kind of a problem at a mamak stall.

Sometimes I truly wonder if there is ever a place "where everyone knows your name". As I said earlier, places like this cafe do not deserve my hard-earned money. I have decided not to step into the cafe again. After all, there is no point going to a place if you don't get the respect a customer deserves.

And when you choose to do that to a blogging and Facebooking customer, then word would certainly spread almost instantaneously!

Wishing her well

My colleague Encik Mazilan and I went to Seremban on Monday to visit Puan Adawiyah Yassin. As a result of her stroke, she has been bed-ridden for a month now. In spite of her condition, she remains strong-willed.

I pray for her recovery. Her strength in facing this test is indeed a motivation to everyone.

Joy and sorrow

I was back in Kedah over the weekend. My parents organised a kenduri kesyukuran as they will be going to Makkah for their Haj in about two weeks time. Many relatives and friends came over to wish them a safe journey. It was quite a touching scene actually to so many people coming over and praying for my parents' safe sojourn for their pilgrimage.

On the same day of the kenduri, two friends namely Szakif and Sholihin were at the International Islamic University Malaysia for their convocation ceremony. My heartfelt congratulations to the both of them on their academic achievement, and I pray that they will continue to achieve success in their respective careers.

Later that same evening, I received a text message from the son of someone I have known for many years. His mother Puan Adawiyah Yassin, affectionately known as "Kak Ada", had suffered a stroke and is now unable to speak. Kak Ada was my producer back when I was a contributor to the Voice of Islam, a radio channel aired by RTM. According to the message, Kak Ada has been discharged from hospital and is now in Seremban. The news took me by surprise. I pray that her health will improve and that she and her family be strong in this trying times.

Around the same time I received the text message regarding Kak Ada, I received another text message from my colleague Encik Mazilan who informed me that our executive chairman at Yayasan Ilmuwan, Dr Khairul 'Azmi Mohamad, had just underwent a surgery in Johor Bahru. He is recovering well from the surgery. I pray for his speedy recovery.

Quite an eventful and emotional weekend indeed.

Congratulations, Prof Abu Bakar

Yesterday, I had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Professorial Lecture of Professor Dr Abu Bakar Abdul Majeed at Universiti Teknologi MARA. His lecture was on the issue of cloning and other bioethical issues entitled "To Clone or Not To Clone... and Other Ethical Issues in Pharmacy and Medicine".

I have known Professor Abu Bakar since I joined the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia (IKIM) way back in 1998. In more ways than one, he was my mentor and teacher when I was then a junior officer at the institute. His articles and talks are always thought-provoking and inspiring. His Professorial Lecture yesterday was no different.

I must congratulate Professor Abu Bakar on his lecture that was awe-inspiring. I noticed many in the audience gave great interest to his delivery, and even after the lecture many people went up to him to not only congratulate him but also to get his further comments on the issue that he put forward. Rarely do people talk about cloning from the academic point of view. To hear Professor Abu Bakar talk on cloning from an academic and an Islamic point of view was indeed fascinating.

I wish Professor Abu Bakar all the best in his future undertakings. He has recently been promoted to the rank of Assistant Vice Chancellor of UiTM. I believe he has a bright future ahead of him.

Subtitling gone wrong

I cringed when I watched an episode of "National Geographic" on TV1. The narrator mentioned the word "deforestation".

And the subtitle read "stesen depot".

Huh?

More subtitling horror here.

A week away for Aidilfitri

I have not had that many opportunities this year to return to my hometown up north. So, this year's Aidilfitri was the opportunity for me to head up to Kulim for about a week.

I left the capital on Saturday morning right smack into a seven-hour drive to Kulim. On a normal day, it will take just over four hours but because of the long festive holiday, people were leaving Kuala Lumpur in droves.

The weather throughout Aidilfitri has been quite unpredictable this year. I didn't actually move around that much, just jetting from my parents' house to my mother-in-law's house throughout the week. Relatively speaking, this year's Hari Raya was quite quiet.

The week away was also good in that I stayed away from the Internet. It's quite a relief to actually have a life outside the virtual world. Anyway, now that I'm back in KL, chances are it will be back to routine.

In any case, allow to me to take this opportunity (belated though it may be), to wish all my friends and blog visitors, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri and maaf zahir batin.

Blame it on Facebook

I know I haven't been blogging in quite a long while. Blame it on Facebook.

I also know that I don't get that many visitors anymore. Blame it on Facebook.

I noticed that the number of physical Hari Raya cards sent and received this year has dwindled tremendously. Blame it on Facebook.

I also noticed that not many shops actually sell Hari Raya cards this year. Blame it on Facebook.

I noted that the number of e-mail notifications has increased twenty-fold. Blame it on Facebook.

I also noted that I don't actually send out that many e-mails anymore. Blame it on Facebook.

I observed that many friends have taken up virtual farming. Blame it on Facebook.

I also observed that many colleagues are enjoying the virtual world more than the real world. Blame it on Facebook.

But bottom line, in my case at least, I have managed to get in touch with many long lost friends. You can blame that on Facebook too.