Of inheritance and family tree

I have always wondered why I got to inherit some property across the border (talk about Rantau Panjang, Kelantan and Sungai Golok, Thailand).  It was some acres of rubber plantation which was under the care of a grandaunt (Tok Su Sitah).  I remember during my primary school days when I would walk across the Rantau Panjanag-Sungai Golok railway bridge (only a hand wave at the immigration officer attending to the border crossing booth would get the approval nod) to collect earnings from the plantation.  Not much, but a 100 Baths (RM10 equivalent) per trip went a long way in those years.  All the while, I thought that the Tok Su was my maternal (Mok Aji Esah) grandma's sister.

It was only recently and after some inheritance complication that I got a clearer picture of who I really am.  Seemed that I had a super rich great great grandfather, Haji Semael (Ismail), residing in Sungai Golok.  One of the sons, Lome (Abdul Rahman, my grandfather) married Esah.  Between them they had my mother, Kalsom (Som).  Som, being the favourite granddaughter, was endowed the said rubber plantation.  The venturesome Lome died young of mushroom poisoning.  I cannot recall anything of my mother.  She passed away when I was only a baby.  I remember spending my school holidays at my grandma's place at Kampung Kubang Bemban, Pasir Mas, located adjacent to Pondok Haji Ghoni.  Turns out that my grandma is a sister-in-law to Tok Su Sitah.

Now caring after my grandson, Adam, the heart is nudging me to seek my roots, wondering who had cared for me when I was a baby.  With the elders mostly gone, this could be a tough venture.

Unusually Loud People

Some people just want to make themselves heard, by everybody around, irrespective of place and even though we don't have ears for them.  I was at the hospital last Wednesday taking my cucu for his medical.  (Adam was diagnosed with a thyroid problem at birth and has to regularly meet up with his endocrinologist).  It was a hospital setting, crowded, what more being in a paediatric clinic.  Due to the long wait, some kids were dozing-off whilst some were screaming their heads off.  Indeed we have enough noise as it was.

Then there had to be a particular lady who was really loud.  Loud to the point of distraction and being a nuisance, let it be talking to her partner or talking over the phone.  I was really pissed off as my cucu was dozing peacefully.  No amount of stares could make her understand.  Wish I could tell her off but refrained to save my regrets later.

Seemed that this kind of people are everywhere in a crowd, let it be hospitals, bus, train, cafe, clubhouse....just name it.  I call this noise pollution and an infringement of other's auditory space and privacy.  It should not happen in a civil society but I guess we have a long way to go.

Happy Birthday Nur Damia Darwisyah

A neighbour's only child turned one today.  A celebration it was but not with the normal cone caps and birthday chorus.  For one it started with a doa selamat led by the neighbourhood surau imam followed by a nasi minyak feast and the dig into pulut kuning.  There was also a continous stream of guests near and afar.  It turned out to be quite a neighbourhood function.

With the reception tents erected, one could easily

mistake the occasion as an 'on-the road' wedding reception! 

The door gift for the guests would easily beat 

the ones offered at most wedding receptions.

What I love most is the garden setting.  The mom should be congratulated for her creativity and the opah for maintaining such a beatiful garden.

Opah's blooming garden.  A welcome sight indeed.

Happy birthday Nur Damia Darwisyah Zulkifli. 

Sorry no pics of the birthday girl.  She tired out and was fast asleep when we came.

I am a big boy now - Adam

Remember me?  Mami Tok had been too busy these days to show me to the world.  I knew she had been snapping my pics.  I flourish well and had a full run of Tok Abah's house with my walker whenever I am back during the weekend.  I know I have been an armfull (no hands can handle me now).  At 9.7 kg, Ayah Cik (Nazim) did compare me with the 10 kg rice pack!  How cruel of him.  But I know I'll melt him with my grin (toothless yet).  Nothing can stop me now, except for the boundaries set so that I would not fall down those steps.  Can't wait to see if I can just launch myself through.

02 May 2011 @ our Banting home

12 May 2012 - Tok Abah came visiting and up his lap I'll be

11 Jun 2012 - They posed me with quite a problem to solve

Yey.....nothing can make me happier with all worldly problems solved

09 Jun 2012 - As wet as a marathon runner can be

My father's age

I was summoned by my father to be home over the weekend over some unsettled family matter.  So it was a quick balik kampung weekend trip for us.  AirAsia did come to mind but thinking of the travelling hassle later, we chose to drive.  Without the normal holiday crowd on the highway we did arrive early at my father's.  The Kajang-Kuala Kangsar-Grik-Jeli-Penglima Bayu route took us just 6 hours using the SKVE-Elite-NKVE-PLUS-Kuala Kangsar-Grik-Jeli highways!

We expect to settle the matter fast.  However, going to the Pasir Mas Land Office and a quick look at the land title by the attending officer we were told to have father's IC verified by Registration Department Head Office at Putrajaya.  For that we have to go through the State Registration Department, Kota Bahru.  Seemed that my father's ID on the title has the KN prefix.  This could be for the population of his age group.  Apart from filling the form provided by the Kota Bahru office, we have to provide a photocopy of my father's ID card.  That was when I realised he was born in 1934.

I made a mention to him in passing, calculating his age.  He laughed it off saying that that was not his real birth year for he was already able to read in 1933!  The date was a random date picked during the ID registration excercise then.  Who knows how old he is.  I figure he is in his mid 80s!

Lost in my own world

I thought I was up and about with technology and current happenings.  It was until I was helping my youngest with her class assignment that I realised I was still living the life of the dinasour era.  She is in Form Two and had been assiged to come up with a group play and has asked me for a likely topic.

Play, theater, broadway, drama...what immediately came to mind was Shakespear.  SMASH did come to mind too.

For class fun and laughter, I suggested Taming of the Shrew.  The script came easily googling the internet.  They even have children's version of it.  I had it printed out for her to share with her group to have the initial idea of things.  Alas, she came back with a long worried face for none in the group understood what the classic was all about, far from appreciating it.  I promised them an abriged version giving them just the main story line.  Still no takers.  I am lost for words.

The lot draw in class got her group as the first to be presenting.  All were panicking as they were yet to come up with an agreable story line and script with only the weekend to come up with the play.  They volunteered to be on their own but seek permission to group at a friend's place to discuss the play, in a matter of life and death.

They came up translating a song video clip to a play.  I salute their ingenuity and more importantly, keeping up with their time.  It was presented to the class getting accolades for their effort.  Another job well done.

Where does this leave me?  I have to move with their time to be with them.  Bye-bye Shakespear, welcome 'modern' literature.

Will you marry me?

Was at a nephew's engagement ceremony Saturday last (May 5, 2012).  With my husband (as always) we have to be at the meeting point earlier then scheduled.  "Let us do the waiting, and not let others be waiting for us".  To him being late for an appointment is a crime.  Lucky for us the point was by the Kelana Jaya PKNS Club and a soccer match was on-going.  So we have the game to while our time while waiting for the other family members to arrive.

With the full family members assembled, we made our way to the host's home.  We have to park quite a distance away as the place was already jam packed with relatives, friends and other guests.  We walked in the searing sun bearing the engagement gifts.  Hope nothing melts.

We were cordially received by the host and directed to the sitting area and the gifts laid out.  Then the negotiation starts with appointed representatives from both sides.  The host has a nephew as the spokesperson while we have a family friend.  I wouldn't call it a negotiation really as most issues have been pre-discussed and agreed upon.  What matters was both sides have agreed that they be officially engaged on the day with the nephew's mom menyarung cincin on the bride-to-be.  The wedding is set to be in a year's time, sometimes in March of 2013.  Quite a period to be engaged by today's standard.

Then it was the engagement lunch.  More of a feast to me as food was laid out much to everybody's satisfaction.  We said our thanks to the host and bade our goodbyes soon after.

This is the simplest engagement ceremony I have ever attended, yet some questions beget answers.  Since most of the agreement have been under cloak, I feel that it would be much simpler to have it Western style, with a gift box bearing the engagement ring and the groom-to-be asking, "Will you marry me?"   End of business and making it a real private affair between the two of them as they wished it be.