Blast from the past

From time to time, people from your past would cross your path. When that happens to me, I would usually be overwhelmed by a sense of nostalgia. This was especially so a couple of days ago when two people from two different eras of my life crossed my path again.

The first was Wan Mohd Hafizam Wan Ismail. Many may have a sense of deja-vu when reading his name. He was in the media often in 1999 when he donated part of his liver to a boy, Mohd Afiq Iqmal Mohd Zaini. I first met Hafizam shortly after he donated part of his liver. And I met him on several occasions after that. One memorable occasion was when IKIM organised a forum in Port Dickson where he was one of the panelists while I moderated the session. Unfortunately, that was the last time I met him. That is, until Wednesday, when out of the blue I received a phone call from him.

He is involved with a Merdeka related event to be held at KL Tower. There he met one of the participants of the forum who happens to be working in KL Tower now who happens to be one of my juniors from school. Talk about how small the world is. Anyway, Hafizam got my number from my school junior and he called me up. It was quite a pleasant surprise to receive his call. We didn't talk long, but I sure hope that we'd be able to catch up real soon.

Then later in the afternoon, I accidentally bumped into one of my housemates in Glasgow, Ir. Khairul Izman. The last time I saw him was about seven years ago, and he hasn't changed a bit. It's good to know he is doing well. I would say he is the only guy from Glasgow that I know that already got his professional engineer qualification. And he owns his own firm to boot.

All in all, last Wednesday was filled with these nice surprises. It is good to be able to catch up with old friends from time to time. And indeed, it was a blast.

New lease of life

Fikri and Hui Yi in IJN yesterday.
Picture from The Star.

Fikri is in the news again today, at least in The Star. I'm not sure whether the other papers carry this news item as I haven't got the chance to scan through the others yet.

When I spoke to him on Monday, he told me about the function organised by the IJN Foundation. And today's news was about that special get-together.

I hope that this kind of news would continue to create awareness on the importance of organ donation. Without donation, there will not be any transplants. And without transplants, patients like Fikri would not be able to get a new lease of life.

I also hope that Tee Hui Yi would also get a donor soon. It has been way too long for the little girl to be on IVAD.

Migraine pain

Back when I was in university, I started to have serious bouts of migraine. The doctor there prescribed me some medication to alleviate the pain but really it wasn't enough. He even suggested that I be more selective with what I eat as he explained that certain kinds of protein could trigger migraine. And that's what I did. I managed to identify what it was that would trigger my migraine, and I found out coffee was one of them.

I haven't had coffee since 1993. That's a long time. And it certainly helped. I haven't had migraines as frequent as I used to back then. Even when I do get migraines, they were very mild.

But last night, I had one of the worst that I could remember in ages. I'm not sure what caused last night's migraine. It could be from the pressure of work or lack of rest. Certainly I don't think it was coffee that caused it because I didn't have any. Nonetheless, the experience last night was quite scary. Aside from the continuous pounding pain on the right side of my head, I also noticed that my limbs were weak and difficult to move. My heartbeat was quite erratic and fast. This lasted for well over two hours.

The only thing I could do was sleep. Fortunately when I woke up this morning, the migraine was but a painful memory. I really hope it does not recur.

Perhaps, it was one way my body is communicating to me to get enough rest.

So very tired

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then I'll let the following picture do the talking for me. This is how I am feeling right now for the past few days...

Back in IJN

Fikri is warded again for his on-again off-again fever. This is the second time he is warded in two months. I hope the good doctors at IJN will be able to identify what is actually causing his fever. They're awaiting the blood test results. I hope everything will be well with Fikri. He will be sitting for his SPM this year. And he needs to be in good shape to do so without any interruptions.

My prayers are with you, Fikri. Get well soon!

P.S. Another book plug. Fikri, for those not in the know, was the first person in the region to be fitted with a device known as IVAD internally. The IVAD unit, commonly referred to in the media as "the mechanical heart," is a means to sustain Fikri until he got a new heart. He received a new heart on 16 December 2005. His experience and story will be told in his memoir aptly entitled Echoes of My Heart. So stay tuned for updates on this. We hope to have the book out in 2008.

Making a point

Some people like to beat around the bush when they talk. They will go round and round before they reach to the point that they want to make. If we are unlucky, these beaters around the bush would not even get to their point. Or worse still, they will forget what it was that they wanted to say in the first place.

There are others, meanwhile, who just go straight to the point. These straight talkers would just fire away what they wanted to say point blank, no holds barred and unplugged. No time wasted here and no one would be left waiting for the point to come, but more often than not, most would be left pondering as to why this straight shooter was so blunt.

Of course, the best is for us if we could balance between the two. Go straight to the point by all means, but butter it up a bit with some niceties and compliments. The trick, of course, is to be able to create a moderate approach to the two. Here, moderation is the key word.

A former colleague many many years ago made a remark that he found my way of putting points across as being too surgical. I asked him what he meant by that. He replied that I was too matter-of-factly in my approach.

I can't say that I disagree with his assessment. When it comes to things academic, I would prefer to be "surgical" as he so rightly said. But when it comes to things creative, I can be quite "theatrical" in my language with all the idioms, wordplays and what have you. I suppose it very much depends on the situation. On certain occasions, it helps to be theatrical in your approach. And there are times when you need to be surgical.

As for going straight to the point, another former colleague related to me an interesting story. Her daughter told her one day, "Mom, please tell daddy to quit smoking. I don't want him to die young." And the father was sitting in the living room puffing away. I wonder how he felt when he heard that?

Talk about being straightforward. Then again, most kids do speak their mind unabashed. It's a pity that this, more often than not, gets lost in that process called "growing up."

Coffin on wheels

I guess by now everyone would have read this piece of news. It is indeed a harrowing tragedy, one which could have been avoided, especially when it is reported that the driver was not fit for the job. The journey was very much like riding a coffin on wheels.

Alas the question remains, how safe are we when using the public transport? We are basically putting our lives in the hands of bus and taxi drivers when we use public transport. But how aware are they that they are carrying this huge responsibility on their shoulders?

Everytime an accident like this takes place, suddenly everyone started to give their opinions on what needs to be done or what should have been done. This knee-jerk reaction is almost expected everytime a tragedy strikes. And then, after a few weeks, things get quiet again. Those who died would be forgotten. The accident itself would become mere footnotes in the archive of newspapers.

Such is the psyche of our society - outraged when something happens, opinionated when reacting to the aftermath of the incident, and forgetful when the incident has come to pass. Pretty pathetic, this attitude that we have.

My sincerest condolences to the family members of those who perished in the accident. I am sure that the grieving family members would not easily forget.

If I knew Darth Vader...

It's not that I don't have anything better to do, but I was feeling somewhat bored this morning. So I went on and did this silly test to find out my name in the Star Wars universe if I existed in it.

Your Star Wars Name And Title

Your Star Wars Name: Shasa Sapen Your Star Wars Title: Neecho of Cinahcem

What Is Your Star Wars Name and Title?

Shasa Sapen, the Neecho of Cinahcem, indeed... *lol*

Talking plants

I am sure many of us have seen people talking to plants. This is supposed to help plants grow healthier, or so they say.

But what if it was the other way around? What if plants could communicate with people? This certainly sounds like something fresh out of the realm of science fiction or fantasy. Or so I thought...

While thinking of the topic for my entry in the blog, I went surfing and found something pretty intriguing. Apparently, in the US, they have invented sensors that would allow plants to call your phone to inform that they need water. My guess is that it's not really the plants who call but the lack of moist or water in the soil would trigger the sensor to send a signal to plant owners. The news was broadcasted on "Good Morning America" and anyone interested can have a look at it here if the link is still functioning.

Sure is scary thinking about this. Some things we thought as science fiction has now become reality. Leonardo da Vinci visualised a helicopter in 1493 before helicopters become a reality in 1942. Jules Verne wrote about men landing on the moon in his 1865 classic De La Terre a la Lune before Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon in 1969. There were at least 4 similarities between Verne's story and the actual landing.

Coming back to the issue of "talking" plants, I think we have seen quite a number of this portrayed in science fiction novels, comics, cartoons, television series and movies. In a way, I am not really surprised with this technological development which allows plants to "inform" us of their needs. It'd certainly help in ensuring the plants are well looked after.

But if plants could indeed talk, I bet we humans would get an earful.

P.S. This is prepublicity and perhaps a bit premature, but I'll mention this anyway. My second novel Transgenesis, which has a science fiction flavour and is currently being written at an accelerated pace, touches among others on the issue of "talking plants." But of course, that's just a very minor teaser. More on this from time to time.

Litterbug

One of my pet peeves is litterbug.

This evening, as I was driving in front of Giant Supermarket in Taman Setiawangsa, an elderly man who just came out of the supermarket, simply threw away an ice-cream wrapper he just unwrapped from an ice-cream. He did this so casually and nonchalantly while slurping away his ice-cream.

I wonder what kind of example would this kind of person show to the younger generation. I must commend the informercials by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment for highlighting these issues. One informercial that I am reminded of is the one with two boys who sent the message across on the need for us to throw away our own rubbish in designated rubbish bins. "Our rubbish, our responsibility." I wonder how many of us have this mentality.

To me, litterbugs are a selfish and irresponsible lot. Too bad they are not insects. Otherwise, we could just spray them away with insecticide...

Say what?

The Malays have a saying, "ayam bercakap dengan itik," which literally translates to "chickens speaking to ducks." This saying roughly refers to a situation whereby two people using different languages try to communicate with each other.

I had an interesting experience pertaining to this matter last night.

I went out to buy some burgers at a burger stall. While waiting for my order to be ready, I chanced upon a conversation between two Arab expatriates and one of the burger sellers. The Arab men were speaking English with a very thick Arabic accent, while the burger seller was trying to speak English as best as he could albeit with a distinct Kelantanese accent.

Sensing the difficulty in communication, I decided to act as translator. I became a sort of mediator between the Arab men and the burger seller. The Arab men would speak in English with a mix of Arabic, and I would translate it to Malay for the burger seller. And the burger seller would answer in Kelantanese Malay dialect, and I would translate it to English for the expatriates.

The whole thing took about 10 minutes as the Arab expatriates had a lot of questions. Nonetheless, I got to experience first hand the act of mediation. And boy, it wasn't easy even with a simple matter like buying burgers.

Coming home last night, I could see the urgency of mastering as many languages as possible. I am fortunate that my Malay and English are decent enough to be understood. And what little I know of Arabic certainly helped last night.

With the way the world is "getting smaller" these days, it's handy to be able to master more than two languages. Otherwise, we would indeed have a situation where chickens try to talk to ducks.

One of those days

This has been one unproductive day for me. I am mentally tired, physically drained and emotionally worn-out.

Today is really one of those days...

I really, really need a break. I wish I could just pack it all up and go away for a few days. Get some rest and unwind. Go cuti-cuti Malaysia.

Alas, such time is not here yet. I have some things to settle. But after that, I will definitely go on a break. Have some time for myself.

Unwind. Refresh. Rejuvenate. Recharge. Reload.

Till that day comes, today has really been one of THOSE days...

Wedding bliss

One of my juniors from Glasgow, Saiful Izwan tied the knot on Saturday. His reception was held at his parents' home in Shah Alam on Sunday.

So, to Izwan and his bride, my congratulations to the two of you. I pray that your union will be blessed with happiness.

Shoes are for walking

What is it about shoes that got some people going crazy? I remember many years back reading about Imelda Marcos who left 2,700 pairs of shoes at the Malacanang Palace.

Some months back, I was at the hotel suite of a Member of Parliament. I was astonished that upon entering his suite, there were about 30 pairs of shoes on his shoe rack - all belonging to him. I wondered how many more pairs he has at home. I was told later on that this MP is crazy about shoes, branded ones nonetheless. Oh, well. The only thing I could say is that nothing can stop him from buying shoes. After all, other people will go crazy with other stuff. I know a friend who changes his car just like he changes his shirt. I on the other hand would go crazy in bookstores.

As for shoes, I think I am satisfied with this old pair that I have which I bought for under RM50. I don't care much about the price or brand, as long as they are comfortable. I have been wearing them for over two years. Not bad for a cheap pair of shoes. Value for money, don't you think? After all, shoes ARE for walking.

Who wants to be a millionaire?

Way back in 1995, a friend told me of his dream to have his first million by the age of 35. If I do my math correctly, he should be 36 this year. I never actually got around to asking him whether he has made his first million.

I also remember back then when I used to naively think that money is not all that important. This was of course before I started working and before I had a family.

Today, while I still naively think that there is more to life than money and that money is not everything, I will however agree to the notion that you need to have money to be able to live in a city like Kuala Lumpur. Things are not cheap these days as many would attest.

Interestingly, last night a friend posed the question of what I would do if I were a millionaire. It took me a while to answer. I said that my first priority would be to pay the zakat on the income. Then I would go off and settle my debts - the usual stuff like house, car, etc. Then I would like to send my parents for their Haj. After that, I would also like to perform my Haj as well along with my wife. I would also want to set aside a certain sum for my children's education fund. Oh, and probably buy myself a new pair of shoes, I said while pointing at my shoes which have shown the telltale signs of age.

My friend laughed, instantaneously saying that I was very naive and wasn't creative.

When I went home, I sat down and pondered for a while. In my wildest dreams, never have I thought of becoming a millionaire. And in reality, I have never aimed for that as well. I guess it would be good to have that much money because you'd always have "spare cash" in your account(s), but I wonder if I would sleep more soundly? As far as I am concerned, what I would like to do is to earn a decent and honest living so that I can support and provide for my household. I don't care so much if I have a million or not.

What is more important to me is that the earning is halal and enough to make ends meet. And while at times this can be very hard to do, alhamdulillah so far I have managed quite well.

Opting out vs. opting in

I haven't blogged much about organ donation of late. However, I find that this piece of news from Singapore to be very interesting. The Fatwa Committee of Singapore has issued a new edict that paves way for Muslim Singaporeans to come under the country's Human Organ Transplant Act (Hota).

What does this mean? With regards to organ donation, Singapore utilises the opt-out approach, whereby a person is assumed to have agreed to donate his organs when he dies unless he signs an opt-out form. This law previously only covers non-Muslims, but with this new edict, Muslims are governed by Hota as well. The need for this ruling has arisen as a result of too few Muslims have in Singapore have opted in to become organ pledgers. In fact, the trend in this country sees the number of Muslim pledgers falling in the last three years from 924 (2004) to 496 (2005) t0 87 (2007).

The Fatwa Committee of Singapore is of the view that:

...Hota gives a Muslim enough opportunity to opt out during his lifetime, and that this approach to obtaining consent is in keeping with Islamic law.

Malaysia, however, does not have similar laws. We use the approach of opting in should one volunteers to become an organ pledger (and hence, donor when the time comes and when the need arises). While I agree that becoming an organ pledger and eventually an organ donor should be voluntary, extra effort must be taken to ensure that those waiting for organs do not die waiting.

The write way

A friend posed me a question the other day asking me why I like to write so much. I guess part of the reason is that it is much easier for me to express myself in writing rather than verbally. Talking has never been my strong point, so writing seems to be a much more appropriate outlet for me to voice myself out.

So what am I writing these days?

Aside from the three blogs I maintain, I contribute radio scripts regularly for the Voice of Islam for RTM and a programme called "Ad-Deen" for JAKIM.

And currently I am also trying my best to finish my second novel with a sci-fi slant, Transgenesis. It's more or less halfway done. At the rate I'm going and sans any unforeseen circumstances, it should be done in a month's time (hopefully).

I will also be starting Fikri's memoir soon. Tentatively, the title is aptly enough, Echoes of My Heart. For those not in the know, Fikri is the first patient in the region to be fitted with a mechanical heart inside his body. He subsequently got a new heart in December 2005. This memoir is essentially written to increase awareness on organ donation and transplantation.

On top of all these, a publisher also enquired whether I'd be willing to write some semi-academic books for them. I'm still considering this invitation as my hands are quite full at the moment.

Oh, and I owe an academic article to be included into a book on bioethics to be published by Universiti Malaya.

Too bad I'm not a full time writer.

5,000 and beyond

The visitor counter hit the 5,000 mark yesterday.

I would like to record my thanks to all who have been frequenting my humble blog. As I have said many times before (but not so often lately), keep coming and I'll keep blogging.

None of my business?

Almost every morning, not far from my office, I could see students playing truant. They would loiter and smoke behind the row of shops. They seem to have a "couldn't care less" attitude. To them perhaps, they have their whole life ahead of them - so, why worry, what's the hurry? They have all the time in the world. So right now, is the time to enjoy, have fun and live life to the fullest.

I can't help but feel sorry for them. By cutting school, they're missing on education. I sincerely believe that they're playing truant out of a sense of misguided freedom. While these school students are teenagers who are capable of thinking for themselves and differentiating between right and wrong, most of them I would think have yet to reach a level of maturity. If they have, they would certainly have been able to know that education is important, and that playing truant won't help them at all.

I wonder if they realise that competition is very stiff these days? I wonder if they know that it is difficult for even the best of students to get a place in universities in this day and age, much less get to do what they really want to do? I wonder if they are aware that without paper qualification, it is difficult to get a good job? Heck, even having a first class honours degree these days is not sufficient. More and more people are entering the job market with masters and professional qualifications. How on earth will these truants be able to compete?

I hope I am not sounding like I have a "holier-than-thou" attitude. I am just very frustrated actually. I know most of the teachers are a dedicated lot. They are trying their level best to be educators. But their best won't be of use if the students themselves do not have the realisation that for them to succeed, change has to come from within themselves. They need to have the urge and the drive to succeed.

Teachers will give the proper guidance but unless the students themselves want to be guided, then all the effort will go up in smoke. I have taken to task some of the students who were loitering when they are supposed to be in school. All I get were snide remarks like "Rilek la pak cik. Bapak kita orang tak kata apa pun..."

I could feel my heart stopped upon hearing that. They are right, of course. I am not their father. I am not even their relative. I am only a total stranger who is saddened by what I see. And what I see is not pretty. These students have all the potential to succeed in their lives. But they are literally throwing their future inside the drain. And while it is not my business as they so clearly pointed out, I could only pray that they realise the folly of their ways before it is too late.

And I sincerely pray that my children will not go down the path of the truants. For if they ever do, then it becomes my business to set things right.

More about nothing

This entry is a continuation of an entry I put up some time back on "20 things you didn't know about nothing" by LeeAundra Temescu (Discover, June 2007).

1. It is said that Abdulhamid II, the sultan of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1900s, had censors expunge references to H2O from chemistry books because he was sure it stood for "Hamid the Second is nothing."
2. Medieval are was mostly flat and two-dimensional until the 15th century, when the Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi conceived the vanishing point, the place where parallel lines converge into nothingness. This allowed for the development of perspective in art.
3. Aristotle once wrote, "Nature abhors a vacuum," and so did he. His complete rejection of vacuums and voids and his subsequent influence on centuries of learning prevented the adoption of the concept of zero in the Western world until around the 13th century, when Italian bankers found it to be extraordinarily useful in financial transactions.
4. Vacuums do not suck things. They create spaces into which the surrounding atmosphere pushes matter.
5. Creatio ex nihilo, the belief that the world was created out of nothing, is one of the most common themes in ancient myths and religions.
6. Current theories suggest that the universe was created out of a state of vacuum energy, that is, nothing.
7. But to a physicist, there is no such thing as nothing. Empty space is instead filled with pairs of particles and antiparticles, called virtual particles, that quickly form and then, in accordance with the law of energy conservation, annihilate each other almost instantaneously.
8. So Aristotle was right all along.
9. These virtual particles popping in and out of existence create energy. In fact, according to quantum mechanics, the energy contained in all the power plants and nuclear weapons in the world doesn't equal the theoretical energy contained in the empty spaces between these words.
10. In other words, nothing could be the key to the theory of everything.
    

Hehehe... how's that for nothing?