Working holiday

I will be away from tomorrow until Monday. Yayasan Ilmuwan is organising its first family day at the A Famosa Resort in Melaka. While the three days will be used to unwind, I will be bringing along some work that needs to be done by Tuesday.

Working holiday of sorts.

Relieved

Alhamdulillah, I am very much relieved now that the two books that I have been working on are now at the printers. The books - Sekilas Pandang Ismail Ibrahim and Ke Arah Umat Hadhari - will be out by the end of the month, insya-Allah. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude in particular to Norhanizah and Rohaizad for assisting me in getting the books done.

I am going to focus my attention on other things for the next few days, before starting on a couple of new book projects next week.

Until then, I will say with utmost cynicism that I will try to get some rest as well.

Wish I had brought some bread to go with the jam

Picture from The Star

How ironic.

While the evening drizzle on Monday brought back wonderful memories of years gone-by, the afternoon rain yesterday was an entirely different story altogether.

I left home for Universiti Malaya at 6.30 p.m. expecting to arrive around 7.15 p.m. I was unaware that the two-hour downpour that ended half an hour before had created havoc in the city. I was trapped in a massive traffic jam and only arrived at the university just before 9 p.m.

It took me nearly two and a half hours to reach my destination. While I thought that I had gone through the worst jam in my life some time back (which coincidentally was a trip to Universiti Malaya as well), this latest experience certainly broke my personal record of being trapped in a bad traffic jam.

As they say, sabar sajalah.

Busy 2009

Time sure flies when you have plenty to do.

It sure felt like yesterday when I bade 2008 good-bye and welcomed 2009. Lo and behold, the first two months of 2009 are now but history.

Plenty of papers to present. Plenty of books to publish. Plenty of events to organise. New staff members to be recruited. New projects to look forward to.

I have been tied down with work these two months, and from the look of things, I've my schedule virtually packed until June of this year.

Now, where do I slot in my holiday?

Autumn drizzle

My alma mater, the University of Glasgow, during autumn.

I am still at the office as I blog this. I just came back from dinner, and it is drizzling.

Somehow, the ambience of the night reminds me of an autumn rainfall in the UK. It certainly felt like walking down a street in Glasgow during one of those nights when I walked back from the mamak shop to the office. And I can't help but remember the half a decade I spent there.

Those were certainly one of the best (and perhaps surreal) times of my life. And they will forever remain special and cherished deep in my heart.

Heavy lips

I notice that in Malaysia, it is difficult for people to say "thank you" to others. It's not so much that we want to be appreciated by being thanked by others, but rather it's part of our manners when we express our appreciation to others.

From my experience in the UK, the people there are more appreciative of others. When they receive help for instance, they would instantaneously quip "thank you". When they are asked if they want something, they would say "yes, please". When they don't want something, the would respond by saying "no, thank you".

Similarly, the Japanese people have manners that would leave people in awe. They bring good manners to a new level altogether. The phrase "domo arigatou gozaimasu" is seldom forgotten. From the first time you get to know a Japanese beginning with the introductory phrase "hajimimashte" to "dozo yoroushiku", you'll find that the Japanese culture is full of respect and appreciation towards others.

Sadly though, I find that Malaysians have heavy lips. The words "thank you" or "terima kasih" are seldom uttered these days.

I am sure many of us have gone through this experience. At the rate that good manners are being eroded these days, I wonder if there will be any left in the future?

Happy birthday, Facebook

I just found out that Facebook has just turned five on 4th February. Its predecessor, Facemash, was set up on 28th February 2003 (about a year before Facebook came into being). I wonder if it's founders ever thought that Facebook would turn out the way it is now.

Whatever it is, I have found Facebook to be extremely useful in tracking down old friends as well as networking with people.

So, if you're not a Facebooker yet, perhaps it's time to jump on board.

More on Facebook here.

Coming out in March

Title: Sekilas Pandang Ismail Haji Ibrahim
ISBN 978-983-44372-0-6
Editors: Shaikh Mohd Saifuddeen Shaikh Mohd Salleh & Norhanizah Ismail
Publisher: Yayasan Ilmuwan
Number of pages: 316
Price: RM28.00

Will be out in the third week of March.

Misdirected message

I had a good laugh yesterday.

At around 6 p.m., while having a discussion with a colleague at the office, I received the following text message from a friend:

Syg... I kat ofis skrg. TC.
[Honey, I'm at the office now. Take care]

Upon reading the text message, I realised that my friend had misdirected the message to me. I had a good laugh when I confronted him with the message. And he was very much embarassed, to say the least. He explained that he had wanted to send the message to a special someone whose name also starts with the letter 'S'.

Moral of the story? Check that you have the right receipient before sending your SMS or MMS.

P.S. I don't mind getting misdirected SMS or MMS. They serve as light-hearted entertainment for a workaholic like me.

Whispers

Those of us who use Yahoo Messenger (YM) would certainly be familiar with the notification sound when our contacts come online or goes offline. The sound is akin to a whisper (for lack of a better way to describe it). It sounds like "Psssttt..." or something like that. This is actually the default sound for YM which one can actually change if one chooses to. I never changed the default setting simply because I didn't think that it'd make much difference.

Several months ago, my wife was at my office. She was marking her exam scripts while I was doing my work in front of my trusted laptop. Then I had to leave the room to attend to some matters on the administrative floor. When I came back, my wife asked me whether I have an automated air freshener in the room. You know, the one that would spray air freshener at certain intervals. I said, no. When I inquired her reason for asking, she said that she heard the sound of something similar to an automated air freshener.

I didn't respond because she could just be imagining things. Then I had to leave the room again, this time for a discussion on Level 2. About 15 minutes into the discussion, I received a text message from my wife saying that she has left the office building. When I met her later, she told me that she kept hearing the "whispering" sounds when I left the room. To hear whispers when no one is around was certainly too much for her to take. Strangely enough, these whispers were conspicuously absent when I was around.

Now, bear in mind that this incident takes place one day after a staff who was working late said that he saw "a shadowy figure" lurking in the background on his floor (Level 1). The staff rushed out of the office into the elevator, and he could hear "footsteps" chasing him down the stairs. He could also smell some sort of fragrance during the incident.

With that incident happening the day before, I did not want to speculate on the whispers that my wife heard. For days and weeks that followed, I have been staying back late for work, and I didn't hear any whispers in my room. That certainly got me puzzled.

Puzzled, that is, until two days ago.

I was at the office late at night with Rohaizad working on the book "Ke Arah Umat Hadhari". I was just outside my room when I heard a "whispering" sound. At first, the sound took me by surprise. But upon rationalising things, I realised that the sound was very familiar. I rushed into my room, stood in front of my laptop, and I started laughing when I realised what the whispers were.

It was the sound of one of my YM contacts going offline. All this while, I hear the same sound when I am in front of the laptop. So, the sound comes at the same time as the text notification of someone coming online or going offline. As such, my mind did not register anything peculiar or odd. Only when I was not in front of my laptop that I realise that the sound can be mistaken for someone whispering.

When my wife heard the whispers, she was not in front of the laptop. To her, it was like someone was whispering to her.

I told my wife what the whispering sound actually was. She nodded, but I don't think she is totally convinced. After all, the incident involving my staff on Level 1 is still unexplained until this very day.

Long overdue

I know I have been away from the blogosphere for almost a week. That's a relatively long time for me. Since the beginning of the year, I have been very busy, comparatively speaking. It wasn't like this last year. Nowadays, I would be lucky if I get around four hours of sleep.

Office hours are between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. However, since the beginning of the year, I have been clocking in at around 7.30 a.m. and clocking out at around 10.00 p.m. on a "normal" day. The month of February is worse as I find myself clocking in at 7.00 a.m. and clocking out at 1.00 a.m. on most weekdays. It feels like I'm working double shift. On weekdays, chances are you'll find me at the office as well although I'd only spend about 6 hours working.

It's exhausting, but I don't have much choice. I have a deadline to meet. Yayasan Ilmuwan is in the midst of publishing a 600-page (approximation) book entitled "Ke Arah Umat Hadhari". This is actually one of my first assignments when I joined Yayasan Ilmuwan. There are 22 chapters in this book. The on-again, off-again, on-again status of the book contributed to its delay. There are a few chapters that were challenging because of the difficulty in finding writers. There were also writers who have agreed to write but changed their minds without informing the publisher. There were quite a few chapters that needed to be rewritten.

In any case, I am glad that the agony of getting the book out is almost over. I am fortunate to have the able assist of Norhanizah (on editing) and Rohaizad (on layouting). Hanizah has the unenviable task of proofreading the whole manuscript, while Rohaizad has been patient enough to work with me on minimising errors on the book as well as making the book presentable. I'll put up the cover once it is finalised.

We have also identified a very credible company to do the printing. And I hope, come the third week of March, the book will finally be out after a long gestation period of two years.

I can breath easier when it's all done.

In memoriam: Mohd Zin Mohd Sel

I received the news of Pak Zin's passing at around 5 a.m. this morning from his son-in-law.

I knew Pak Zin from my Glasgow years. He was the warden of Malaysian students in Belfast. He was seconded to Glasgow twice (once in 1994 and once in 1995). It was during this time that I made the acquaintance of Pak Zin.

He was always a jovial fellow. I remember how he would come over the Malaysian Student Centre which is next door to the warden's quarters, and spend hours chatting with us - finding out our problems, etc. There was never a dull moment when Pak Zin was around. He would share stories from the Japanese era right up to the early days of independence. He would share his experience of dealing with the IRA in Belfast to ensure the Malaysian students' safety. He would often tell funny stories and would laugh out loud at our silly jokes. His passion was playing scrabble.

He even extended an invitation for us to visit him in Belfast. I remembered how three of us - Azri, Suhaimi and myself - flew off to Belfast for a whirlwind visit. It was quite an experience to be there, and Pak Zin was kind enough to host us for the duration of our visit. In 1996, Pak Zin was posted to Manchester. I visited him just before I came back to Malaysia for good. And again, Pak Zin played the role of a very good host.

After most of the student centres were closed down due to the 1998 economic recession, Pak Zin came back to Malaysia. He stayed for a while in Bukit Antarabangsa, which is just a stone's throw away from where I stayed. From time to time, I would visit him. And there were occasions that I would accept his challenge to play scrabble.

Later on, he moved to Puchong. I didn't get to see him as often as I did before, but still I was very much in contact with him. Towards the end of last year, I met up with him several times. I would drive to Puchong and accompany him for a chat over teh tarik. That was when I knew about his deteriorating health. Even then, he was still very jovial.

When I received the news of his passing just before subuh today, I was very much saddened. Pak Zin had touched the lives of many students during his years serving in the UK. I am sure most of the students especially those in Belfast and Manchester would find his passing a great loss.

My sincerest condolences to the widow and the family of Mohd Zin Mohd Sel.

Al-Fatihah.

School buddies, 24 years later

About a month ago, five school buddies - some of whom have not met each other since 1985 - were reunited.

From left: Shazali (the engineer), Norizuddin (the businessman), Wan Alimi (the corporate figure), Yusrin (the lawyer), Shaikh (the academic)

I don't know about the others, but it didn't feel like we haven't met in nearly a quarter of a century. Our paths may have diverged and our thoughts may have matured differently, but we still share a special bond in the form of a mutual past.

Flashback 1985: Shazali (back row, extreme right), Norizuddin (sitting, extreme right), Yusrin (sitting, second from right), Wan Alimi (sitting, fourth from right), Shaikh (sitting, fifth from right).

I would say that all of us have certainly went a long way since our schooling days in the 1980s. I am very happy that my friends have found success in their lives today. Then again, we are talking about some of the brightest students I have ever known. Shazali is an engineer with an oil and gas consultant. Norizuddin has his own business. Wan Alimi is the vice president of a well-known investment bank. Yusrin is the senior partner of his own law firm.

I am indeed proud to have made the acquaintance of these friends of mine long before they are "somebody". Someone once remarked to me that friends whom you make during your school days would last longer because the friendship is not built upon what you have become, but rather, who you really are.

Manja

When I was in the UK, I was pretty much active in student activities, though initially not by choice. I was appointed as Assistant Secretary of the UMNO Club of Glasgow in 1992 with the understanding that I was only there to help the Secretary who is a friend from my batch.

The following year, I was made Secretary - again not by choice. I had wanted to relinquish all positions because "being active" was exhausting. However, when I was given the trust to do something, I would give it my very best. With the able leadership of the Head of the club and dedicated team in the committee, we managed to make the club the biggest in terms of membership and the most active in terms of activities in the UK at that point in time.

I remembered going around from house to house alone after class during the cold winter to get people to join the Club. It was exhausting, but the outcome was rewarding. I managed to get 133 members to sign up as paid members.

Of course, that was not an easy task. More often than not, people would ask me, "What do I get in return if I join?" My standard answer was, "We'll be having a lot of activities for the students here, and members will be given priorities and will enjoy special privileges."

Most of them did sign up after that. In the weeks that followed, people could see the varied activities that we had lined up for the students in Glasgow. Those who didn't sign up initially would sign up later on when they saw the benefits that they could gain as members.

Nonetheless, there was always the problem of "ahli manja" or "pampered/spoilt members". There are those who kept on asking for more benefits, rather than offering their services and help in organising activities. Sometimes, I just wished I had paraphrased JFK's famous quote: "Ask not what your club can do for you, ask what you can do for your club."

Since coming back from the UK, I have taken an inactive and silent role. I am not interested in being active in any organisations, clubs or whatever. I suspect the same can be expected here in Malaysia.

I suppose part of the problem that the country faces when it comes to corruption and money politics is due to the existence of these "ahli manja". They will keep on asking what (and how much) they can get, rather than asking what they can give for the benefit of all.

I have also noticed these "ahli manja" in my workplace. I guess they are probably everywhere. These are people who would make sounds when they feel that they should get something, but would suddenly disappear out of sight and not make any noise when they could not deliver what they are supposed to do (read: what they are paid for to do).

Frankly, I am tired of these manja people. To me, I am more concerned that every sen that I get from my salary is worth the amount of work that I do. I would rather give more than what I get. I remember one Hadith of the Prophet Muhammad that mentioned to the effect that the best of people are those who are beneficial to others.

That is why I commend and salute my staff members who go beyond their call of duty. These "rarities" are assets to an organisation. And believe me, these are the people who would be rewarded.

Not the manja ones.

New look

It has been a long while since I changed the look of TeropongSkop.

I hope that this new look is fresher.

Do note that I am still doing changes to the blog's layout from time to time. Some of the links have yet to be added, but will be taken care of in the not so far future, insya-Allah.

Enjoy, and as I used to say (and haven't said in quite some time), keep on coming and I'll keep on blogging.

Disclaiming disclaimers

"Goods sold are not returnable".

"Deposits are non-refundable".

"Once broken considered sold".

These are some of the common disclaimers that we see at most shops. But apparently, according to this article I read today, these disclaimers are not based on the law. Even fact, the National Consumer Complaints Centre (NCCC) said that these disclaimers are unlawful and should not be displayed on receipts or within shops.

This is an important information to every consumer. Consumers have right, and these rights are enshrined in the Consumer Protection Act 1999 and the Sale of Goods Act 1957. The disclaimers that we often see, however, are not.

Read the article in The New Straits Times. It's an eye-opener for us, consumers.

Terima kaseyyy...

I am happy to read this in the news today. Some weeks back I commented on the undeserving Datukship of Shah Rukh Khan. But today, I am more than glad that David Arumugam has been made a Dato'. To me, this is long overdue.

Alleycats, one of the very few successful non-Malay band in the Malay music scene, has left an indelible mark in Malaysia's music terrain. Their tunes are evergreen and even today's generation is familiar with the band's brand of music.

David Arumugam, the lead singer of the band, is perhaps one of the most recognisable singers in the country. His trademark "terima kaseyyy..." after every song is most unforgettable.

To David Arumugam, and also singer Khadijah Ibrahim, congratulations on being made Dato' by the Sultan of Pahang.

Tennis elbow

Since I started playing badminton again, I have developed a condition called tennis elbow. Medically, it is called lateral epicondylitis. In simple terms, it is a condition where the outer part of the elbow becomes painful.

Truth be told, I have never heard of any of the terms before. The pain is familiar but not the terms that come with the pain. So, today I have learnt something new. Here is more information on this condition.

Apparently there is also a condition called golfer's elbow or medial epicondylitis. Fortunately (or otherwise, depending on who you talk to), I am not a golfer.

A day in my life

Today has been very hectic, for lack of a better way to describe it. The morning began with the ritual checking the e-mail. Then I rushed to Universiti Malaya for a meeting to discuss a seminar on Islam and science that we are organising next month. This was followed by a press conference, which I knew nothing about, to talk about the said seminar among other things. Frankly, the reporter was more interested on other matters.

As soon as that was over, I rushed to the Institute of Islamic Understanding Malaysia for a discussion on the possibility of organising a radio forum, also next month. As it was already near lunch time, I suggested to the senior producer that we have a lunch meeting instead. That way, I could save my time by not having to go for lunch after the meeting.

Then, I rushed back to the office for another meeting regarding a book due out, guess what, next month. After the meeting, there were two discussions at the office, after which I rushed back home to change for the weekly badminton session.

I got home about 8.30 p.m., and managed to play with my sons for a few hours before they went to sleep.

By the end of the evening, I was virtually too exhausted to do anything else.

In case anyone is wondering, this is a typical day in my life. And for no reason whatsoever, I just thought I'd like to share this song by The Beatles entitled "A Day in the Life".

Working papers

It has been quite a while since I last presented any papers at any conference. Today, when I got into the office, I have four invitations to present working papers at conferences, including one international conference. Two of the papers are on Islam and biotechnology, while the other two are on Islam and information and communication technology.

I guess I better start cracking. Better get these papers ready early, otherwise I'd be rushing for time at the last minute.

What holiday?

I spent Monday working as I have a discussion with a biomedical professor at Universiti Putra Malaysia. He just came back from a conference in Hyderabad, and he had actually forgotten that Monday was a public holiday.

When he messaged me about meeting up on Monday, I agreed as I didn't have anything on that day. It was only moments before our scheduled meeting that the professor realised that it was a public holiday, and asked whether I wanted to reschedule. Since he was already in his office and I was already in the vicinity of the university, I said that I didn't have any problems to proceed with the meeting.

In any case, one of my staff found out that I was working on a public holiday. And the immediate response from the staff was, "I'm glad I'm not the boss. At least I have my days off."

I realise that it is somewhat true that the so-called "bosses" work regardless of weekends or public holidays. One of my colleagues who head a project management team, was at the office yesterday (Sunday). The executive chairman meanwhile would be at the office until about 9 or 10 at night.

I don't think that it's workaholism. Rather, it's a sense of responsibility to ensure that the organisation is well that we have to give it our all, public holidays or not.

Revitalised spirit

I am not one who likes to sit down and attend courses. I am the impatient type, especially when the speakers talk gibberish and more so when I detect factual errors in what is presented.

Anyway, earlier today, I decided to attend a workshop organised by Penerbit UTM Press and Utusan Publications and Distributors Sdn Bhd. The workshop was for those who would be interested in joining the science fiction writing competition.

One very good thing that came out of this workshop was that I have managed to regain my writing mood that got lost when my pendrive went missing. Now, I am back to writing regularly again. I hope the momentum will continue.

Nine years on...

Last Monday was the ninth anniversary of my marriage. My wife and I are now blessed with two boys.

I have a lot to be thankful for. And one that I will never forget to be grateful for is the wonderful family that I have.

Changing lifestyle

Subconsciously and consciously, I have been making an effort to live a healthier lifestyle.

These days, I have been taking packed breakfast from home consisting of sandwiches. I rarely take my breakfast outside anymore.

I have taken up badminton again after a 15-year break. We have a weekly badminton session for the staff. I am pleasantly surprised that I still have the stamina to play this game.

I have also increased the fibre intake in my meals, and taking olive oil as a supplement.

Hopefully, these efforts will help me libe a healthier life, insya-Allah. It's quite a challenge to remain disciplined in observing these changes, but what is a little sacrifice for a better and healthier future?

I'll have tea and wifi please

Office broadband is offline.

Mobile broadband is too slow.

Solution?

Go to a bistro or a coffee shop for free wifi.

It could be worse

Imagine sitting in front of the computer. Imagine you were sending a very important e-mail. Imagine that your e-mail needed to be sent urgently.

Now imagine, just as you were about to push the "send" button, the Internet connection went off.

I guess that's the story of my life lately. Things go wrong at the wrong time. It's part of life's many challenges. And I keep telling myself, it could be worse.

The whole office had an Internet disruption this afternoon. One of my staff checked with the Internet provider and we were told that there is indeed a problem with the connection. And the problem is in Merbok in Kedah. And somehow, in this small borderless world, Kuala Lumpur is also affected.

Oh, well. As some might say, "Sabar aje lah..."

Finding that which is lost

While my data may be gone forever, another aspect of me that is equally missing is my writing mood. I have yet to find my writing mood since that incident.

My priority at the moment is to recover whatever I can especially data that are work-related. Frankly, I am not sure whether I can get myself back to writing in the near future. Academic writing, perhaps... since it's part of my job.

But I am not too certain about creative writing. My mind is not ready just yet. It is tiring just thinking about it.

Soldiering on

Looks like the first month of 2009 has come and gone. Time sure flies when you are occupied. I am not sure how I will cope with my workload this year. In spite of challenges (anticipated or otherwise), I will try to soldier on and give it my best.

I can only pray that I be given the strength and good health to do so.

Out of the loop

Sometimes I just feel that I am out of the loop with some of the goings-on around me. On the one hand, it is good because I can stay focused on what I am doing. On the other hand, I just sometimes feel lost. Some people say, ignorance is bliss and that the less you know, the better. But I just don't feel right about not knowing what's happening.

Oh, yes. I felt the same thing some time back.

Silver lining

One of the positive things that came out from my losing my data is that I am more organised than before.

Alhamdulillah.

Yes, indeed there is a silver lining.

Nice cake... wish I was there

My sister got a surprise on her birthday yesterday. The surprise was planned by her friends at the university.I wish I was there to see her reaction. Nice cake, though. Interesting choice of words.

Lost forever

My whole working life revolves around writing. I started writing seriously around 1997. And I have dabbled in academic, journalistic and creative writing.

I have written more than 150 articles for newspapers, magazines and academic journals - both local and international.

I have written more than 100 academic working papers - both local and international.

I have written two novels published in 2007 and 2008.

I have written three unpublished short stories.

I have written a script for a television drama which won second place in a national script writing competition in 2007.

I have written a master's thesis.

I am currently writing a memoir - Fikri's to be exact, entitled "Echoes of My Heart". The writing process is nearly completed.

I am currently writing two novels. Both are halfway done.

I am also currently writing my doctorate thesis. The introduction and literature review have been completed.

And all these are stored in my laptop and backed up in my pendrive.

Last week, my laptop crashed, and apparently there is no way to retrieve the files. Yesterday, I lost my pendrive containing all those I listed above plus some other equally important files. The pendrive must have been lost while I was outside the office. I retraced my tracks to no avail.

More than ten years worth of work gone just like that. God knows how many hours and sleepless nights were spent writing all those things. Heck, the thrust of what I do for a living is writing. And they are all gone.

Doubtless I have some of those lost in hard copies or stored online in websites. I can retrieve those easily or scanned them again. It will take time, but it is something doable.

But those that have yet to be published and those that I did not have hard copies (because the writing process is still on-going) - they are lost... forever.

Fikri's memoir. The two novels. The three short stories. The television script. My PhD thesis.

Imagine having to rewrite those that cannot be retrieved. I have no choice but to rewrite these, but the end result will be different. The rewriting process will be more difficult. And I have no idea when I can begin because currently I am just not so in the mood to redo what I have done.

Ten years of work now gone.

I feel like a big part of me is lost forever.

Happy 21st birthday, little sister

Today is Liyana's 21st birthday.

I would like to wish her all the very best, in particular her studies. As one would probably guess, there is quite an age difference between myself and my sister. That is why I will always regard her as my little sister, even though she is now 21.

Happy 21st birthday, Liyana.

Job hazard

I would imagine many think that it is impossible to get hurt when one is writing or typing.

Au contraire!

Earlier this morning, around 1 a.m., I somehow managed to sprain my right arm while typing an article for a magazine. What began as a throbbing pain on my shoulder, spreaded to the whole arm.

When I went to sleep around 3 a.m., the pain was still lingering. And when I woke up, the pain has somewhat lessened, but the throbbing on the shoulder remains even as I blog this.

Oh, well. It goes to show that there are hazards to everything that we do.

Mega sale

Malaysians are so fond of sales, even during these hard times.

In any case, I am doing a dear friend, a favour by putting this announcement here. Kumpulan Utusan will be holding its warehouse sale from the 30th of January until 5th of February beginning 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. every day. The sale will be held at Utusan Publications and Distributors Sdn Bhd's office at No. 1 & 3, Jalan 3/91A, Taman Shamelin Perkasa in Cheras.

If you love books, have a visit, and I am sure that you will not regret it.

Shameless plug: Be sure to get my first novel, Ombak Senja, at the warehouse sale if you haven't got your copy already.

Safe journey

A close friend and former colleague, Rohaizad, has just left for Makkah al-Mukaramah for his umrah today. He will be there for about two weeks.

I pray so that he'll be healthy and strong throughout his minor pilgrimage.

Lunar new year

To all my friends and visitors who celebrate Chinese New Year which marks the beginning of the lunar new year, I would like to wish a very happy and prosperous year ahead. While many predictions and forecasts paint a gloomy year to come, let us all channel our strengths towards overcoming whatever challenges that may await.

Gong xi fa cai!

Birthday wish

My mother will be celebrating her birthday tomorrow.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish her a very happy birthday. Thank you for always being there for me.

Pleasant start

My lecture at Universiti Malaya earlier this afternoon reminds me why I love the academic world. It serves to strengthen my resolve that one day I will indeed jump into the academic world proper.

That is my ambition and aim.

KL Internet traffic

Mobile broadband devices is indeed a boon. But sometimes they drive me crazy.

Whenever I am outstationed, I find mobile broadband to be very very handy. The Internet connection whenever I am outside Kuala Lumpur is usually very fast, and it is an enjoyment being online when this happens.

However, I have noticed that of late, connection in Kuala Lumpur is getting worse. Is it just me or is this true for everybody? I have no problems getting connected, but the speed is so slow that I am usually unable to connect to Yahoo Messenger or get into my Blogger account. At least I could still check my e-mails, but still, is Internet traffic really that bad in Kuala Lumpur?

Back to lecturing

This academic year, I have been approached by a faculty and an academy under Universiti Malaya to lecture. I am truly honoured and humbled by their trust in me.

While the new semester is well into its fourth week now, I will only begin to lecture this week at the Academy of Islamic Studies for the subject "Isu-isu Islam tentang Sains dan Teknologi". As for the subject of "History and Philosophy of Science", I will only start lecturing this for the Faculty of Science in May during the 8-week special semester.

I enjoy lecturing. It gives me the opportunity to keep myself updated with the subject matter. And in a weird kind of way, it rekindles my memory of my university days in Glasgow.

As expected

To be honest, I was not the least bit surprised by the ceasefire in Palestine. After pounding Gaza for 22 days killing more than 1,000 lives, Israel is pulling out. As I blogged last week, I suspected that Israel would pull out before the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

To me, the conflict in Palestine is not just about religion. Not many people realise that not all Palestinians are Muslims. The bottom line is that the Palestinian issue is a humanitarian one. And it also has to do with our inability to keep a "bully" at bay when the bully has a "godfather" giving protection.

I will continue to pray for peace and freedom for the Palestinians.

Putting things in order

I am a control freak. I hate it when things are chaotic or not placed in its proper order. That is why, one of my aims for January is to put things in order at the office.

Frankly, I am understaffed at the office. Yes, we do have about 35 people working under the Japanese education project. But they are actually contract staff who are designated specifically to that particular project. For the organisation proper, there are only three of us.

I am fortunate that a couple of the project team members are helping me out with special tasks which are relevant to what they are doing. On top of that, we are also going to hire four new people for the organisation proper, partly to assist me and partly to assist the numero uno.

But hiring staff can be a tedious process. Since we are small, we do not want to bring in the wrong people who shine (pretentiously) during interviews but at the end of the day, prove to be a liability (or worse, a parasite) to the organisation. While it is the prerogative of the employer to hire and fire, in truth it is actually easy to hire but very difficult to fire someone. And most definitely, we do not want to come to that situation.

In any case, January is a very busy month for me. I have become more organised than the last few years, and I hope by the month's end, things will be very much in order as they should be.

Anticipation

I was supposed to have an appointment at 6 p.m. yesterday. However, the appointment was cancelled at the eleventh hour.

Because of this, out of the blue, I decided to call up a close friend from my primary school days in Johor Bahru, Yusrin Faidz. He is the only person from those days that I still manage to meet, albeit sparsely, over the years. We were even in the Scotland around the same time. In fact, Yusrin and his family were at Glasgow Airport when I first set foot there.

Anyway, we spoke about a reunion of sorts although nothing concrete was planned. Then I called up another primary school friend, Shazali. I have only been exchanging messages over Facebook with Shazali since we managed to trace each other a few months ago. This would be the first time that I actually speak to Shazali since 1985!

Interestingly, when we spoke, it was hardly noticeable that we have not seen each other for nearly a quarter of a century. He is based in Pasir Gudang, but he told me that he would be playing golf in Shah Alam today. I suggested that we meet up, and he said it'd be good to get the others as well.

So, I called up Yusrin again and told him about the proposed meeting in Shah Alam. He immediately called up Norizuddin, Wan Alimi Zaki and Adeline. Only Adeline could not make it. Norizuddin and Wan Alimi agreed to attend.

Flashback 1985 - Seated: Adeline (on teacher's right), yours truly (on teacher's left), Wan Alimi (next to me), Yusrin (seated, second from right), Norizuddin (seated, extreme right), Shazali (standing back row, extreme right).

And here I am, waiting in anticipation to meet up with old friends from my childhood years. I have not met Shazali, Norizuddin and Wan Alimi since I left Johor Bahru in 1985.

I am anxious and excited, but at the same time, I remember someone saying to me:

You will find that your best friends are those from your childhood. They chose to be friends with you because of who you are, and not because of who you have become.

Song for Gaza

A blogger friend, Jie, directed my attention to this song written and performed by Michael Heart. I find the song touching and very apt. It is called "We Will Not Go Down".

Have a listen, and have a prayer for the Palestinians.

Readjusted routine

Beginning Monday of this week, I have had to readjust some of my routine. I am in the middle of completing the editing and typesetting of a very thick book that Yayasan Ilmuwan is publishing. I have to temporarily shift my focus and attention to the publication of this book, and hence all other writing projects (read: creative writing) have to give way for the time being. I am at the office until midnight for a few nights already this week, and I suspect this will continue for another week.

As such, for those who have been anticipating the sequel to Transgenesis: Bisikan Rimba, I plead for your patience. Insya-Allah the sequel will be completed and the novel will come out this year. But it will be a bit later than originally planned.

I pray that I be given the strength and health to undertake all these tasks.

And now... the door that wouldn't unlock

Level 3 continues to be problematic. If you don't believe me, read this, this, this, this, this and this.

I was out for a meeting earlier this afternoon. As usual, I'd lock the door to my room. When I came back to the office around 2 o'clock, I was not able to unlock my door. Apparently the keyhole got pushed inside, and one of the screws fell off rendering the lock useless. I had to call the contractor who did the job many moons ago. He arrived one and a half hour later.

The problem was fixed after half an hour. But all in all, I wasted two hours just because I couldn't enter my room.

How much longer?

I have tried many times over the past week to blog about this. Everytime I started, I couldn't finish my posting. My emotions overwhelmed my ability to transfer my thoughts into words.

I could not just comprehend the inhumane act of terror that is transpiring in Gaza, Palestine. I could not accept the unnecessary loss of innocent human lives as a result of a transgression of the Zionists. People the world over, Muslims or otherwise, are enraged and outraged by the atrocities.

And yet, that is all that we could do. For so long as Israel has its "guardian angel" in the form of the United States of America, then the world is helpless, no matter how disgusted and angered the world is. Everyone knows that what is happening is a war crime against humanity. And yet, no one - including the United Nations, the Organization of Islamic Conference, the Arab League, the European Union and what-have-you - could do anything to stop the blatant act of terrorism.

We could only watch. We could only offer our sympathies and prayers. We could probably send in our medical teams (like what Mercy Malaysia is doing). But I guess, those are the only things that we could do. [While world leaders continue doing what they do best - talking and more talking].

This is my two cents on what's going on in Gaza.

The Israelis are bombarding Gaza while they think they can. I suspect they will stop by the 20th of January. Why this date? It is the inauguration day of the 44th president of the United States. None of us know how the new president will be towards Israel. The president-elect has been rather quiet on this issue. No doubt, a certain air of friendliness between the USA and Israel will continue to be there, but will it be at the level of the George W. Bush's era or the Bill Clinton's era? That remains to be seen. So until the question is answered, Israel will pound Palestine like there's no tomorrow (just in case, they won't get to do so when Barrack Obama is in the White House).

Oh, another reason for the attacks on Gaza? What else, 2009 is election year for the 18th Knesset to be held on 10th February, 2009. [Knesset is the legislative branch of Israel]. For Ehud Olmert's party, Kadima, to retain power under the new leadership of Tzipi Livni, it must show to be "in control" of the Palestinian issue. And what better way to show it than by showing brute military force on to the people of Gaza?

How much longer before the aggressions are ended? And how many more lives have to be killed before it all ends?

New e-mail address

The National Transplant Resource Centre (NTRC) now has a new e-mail address.

Anyone wishing to contact NTRC can do so using the following e-mail:

ntrc@moh.gov.my

Bleeding no more

I am happy that Sime Darby has decided not to pursue its intention of taking over IJN. And I hope it stays that way.

If a corporation like Sime Darby really intends to serve the public, don't take what is already there for the public. Set up a new one as an alternative, and compete healthily with the existing government specialist hospital.

In any case, my heart bleeds no more.

Disturbing reality

I felt so disturbed when I saw today's edition of The New Straits Times. The newspaper's front page displays an image of a Palestinian father distraught in front of the bodies of three very young children.

The image is disturbing. And the image brought tears down my eyes. I just cannot imagine if I were to be in that position and situation.

I cannot begin to wonder what must be running through the minds of the Palestinians who are going through this carnage. Who, in their right mind, would want to hurt - what more, kill - innocent children?

That image on the front page of The New Straits Times will remain in my memory for quite some time. It's a reminder to me of just what Israel is.

Let us continue to pray so that these atrocities will come to an end... for good.

Save IJN

As one of my new year targets, I am joining the chorus of bloggers and Malaysians who are against the privatisation of IJN.

My feeling on this matter is no secret. I have blogged and written a newspaper article on why IJN should not be privatised.

Let our voices be heard.

Not so happy start to 2009

And so 2009 is here. There is of course the usual fireworks and much fanfare. As usual, I stayed at home. I'm not the type who revel in celebrating the coming of the new year. I'd rather be at home with my family and get my much needed rest.

Anyway, this new year, to me and (from the text messages I have received) to many Muslim friends, did not start on a happy note. The offensive launched by the Israelis on the Palestinians showed the world how 2009 will not be such a happy year. We have heard about the impending economic and financial recession. With this latest atrocity by Israel, I'd say we're in for a year full of global political uncertainties.

Somehow, I feel that the Israelis are just taking advantage on the last days of the Bush administration. Many are pinning hopes of world peace on the incoming US administration. I am not hoping for too much though. But one can hope and pray so that these atrocities could be stopped before more innocent lives are lost.

For Muslims, may I urge that we perform the solat sunat hajat with the Qunut nazilah recited in the second rakaat, solat sunat ghaib and followed by the recitation of Surah al-Mulk, Surah at-Taubah and Surah al-Anfal. May Allah SWT show us the right path and provide victory to the surpressed Palestinians.