Caring for Wan

Wan has eight children from three different marriages.  Kak Nah, the eldest is from the first child bearing wife.  However, that marriage was not to last.  True to the Kelantanese spirit they (Wan and his ex-wife) remain friends and we children used to stay over at her (ex-wife's) place during the school holidays.  My eldest sister was brought up by her mother.  Next came my brother and me before my mother passed away.  My remaining five siblings are from my stepmom who brought us all up.  She passed away in 2000.  Thanks to my stepmom we remain close-knit to this day.  A younger sister passed away this year, leaving seven of us to care for Wan.

Wan at tea time.

We believe Wan is in his 90s but no one knows for sure.  In spite his age Wan is in excellent health.  Until a few years back he was zipping around his rubber holdings dotting from Air Chanal, Jeli to Kg. Landar, Pasir Mas in his 4D Toyota Hilux.  He is a very independent person until his sight failed him even with lens change operations.  Lately dementia has also set in.  Sadly he has to give up his independence and rely on us children who willingly take turns in caring for him.  For this I have to salute my brothers and sister-in-laws for they took upon themselves to care for him as except for my late sister all of Wan's daughters are staying out of state.  Kak Nah settled in Kuala Selangor, my youngest sister is teaching in Klang and me though retired chose to settle in Kajang.

For all these years I had only a 10 day turn to care for Wan (28 November - 8 December 2013).  Not that we were not willing but as always, aging parents would rather stay in their own place or close by rather than some place else.  What more when we are out towners.  The opportunity to persuade him over was when my sister got talking to him about a well known eye doctor in Klang.  Seemed that a few of her friend's folks had their sight restored after visiting this doctor.

Another obstacle is to persuade him to take the flight.  Not that he is terrified of height but his rationale is that should there be a crash there would be nothing to cling to as everything will be crashing down!  Good thing that Tabung Haji only offers air passage for the compulsory once in a life time pilgrimage.  He would have taken the sea voyage should one be offered!  It was after much persuasions that he relented to fly into KLIA.

He was with my sister in Klang for a while before it was my turn to care for him.  Kak Nah came to give hand for the period of Wan's stay with me.  Being close to 70 herself, this is her only way to care for Wan.  There is no way for her alone to care for Wan.  This has been a great help for me for I am also taking care of Adam, my two year old stay-in grandson.  We soon set ourselves in a routine with me doing the cooking and bathing Wan.  Kak Nah took care of Wan at meal time for he can barely see what is served before him.  The hubby took care of chatting him up and keeping his wake-up hours occupied.  Nazim once took him to the barber for a shave.  With boisterous Adam in the house, Kak Nah mostly took care of Wan's day need while I took the night shift.  With her hypertension and diabetic conditions to care for, I made sure Kak Nah got to bed early in the night.  My night shifts normally start at about 9.30 pm.

The four-generation shot.

The challenge came in the night.  As he spent most of daylight sleeping away, Wan tends to be awake at night and he wanted to chat away.  He'll remember snaps of his past life and will relive it.  One time it'll be the parang going missing and he'll be searching the room for it.  Later we'll need to take the buffalo into the shade.  Then it's his motobike out there as he lost the key to unlock the gate to bring it into the house compound.  Soon there are robbers creating havoc in the house!  Took us a while to live his 'reality' and came up with appropriate responses.  Yes, the parang is safely in the store, the buffalo has been taken to the shade of that big tree, his bike is safely in as we've located the key, and the robbers were all dead in the gun-fight!  Try repeating that for ten nights plus other incidences and you'll get the hyper-tense situation we were in.

Alas all good things has to end.  After another short stay at my youngest sister's he insisted on going home.  Things were much easier this time around as the fear of flying has finally eased.

Deaths came our way

Come this age, places we frequent are wedding kenduris and ziarah those who were invited back by Allah.  They used to say that death of those close to you come in threes.  I had four this past few months.  

We bade our goodbyes to a brother-in-law on June 27, 2013.  He was the husband to my elder sister who had been a father figure to me while I was doing my sixth form in a boarding school away from home and the four years I was in college.  He was close to celebrating his 73rd birthday.  He succumbed to gout initiated complications.

On Eid Fitr, I had a call from my younger sister.  Apart from the usual eid greetings I was informed of a cousin's passing on August 5.  He was my uncle's only son.  His passing was indeed a shocker to us as we never knew of him being sick.  He was 36.  Seemed that his initial complain was of gastric ailment but later zeroed to auto-immunity complications.

At a friend's son wedding reception on August 18, I was informed of another friend's wife being admitted to HUKM for lung complications.  He was hushing it down and not receptive to visitors to allow the wife to rest.  On August 22, SMS were flying announcing her passing.

In the morning of August 21, my husband's cell was shrieking with an SMS.  It announced the passing of our neighbour from our old neighbourhood.  We never knew that he was admitted days earlier to the Kajang Hospital due to stroke.

Innalillahi wainnaiallirojiun.  May their souls be amongst the blessed, In shaa Allah.

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!

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.

Introducing Wan Amirul Asyraf

A brand new family member joined us today (April 14, 2012), Wan Amirul Asyraf, a 3.32 kg baby boy to our son Wan Mohamed Nazim and wife, Nor Sherliza.  He came in early in the morning at about 3:40 am via cesarean.  The C cannot be helped as his heartbeat was getting irregular and no longer in synchrony with the mom's.  So rather than risk it, a C it was.  Alhamdulillah, he came out healthy pink.

Hello world.....here I come

Name Calling

When Oldstock addressed me as Kak Wan, it drawn on to me that with accumulating years, I have gathered roughly equivalent name calls too.  As far as home name goes I was Midah to close relatives.  Don't know how that came about though I addressed myself as Dah when talking to them.  Midah stuck long and fast and I remember the name call to be home around Magrib time together with greatgrandma calling her ducks home.  It went  'di..di..di..di...., Midaaaaahhhh...keleeeek' repeated several times over.  That call signified that I was long overdue for my evening bath and it grew louder should there be no response from me.  Put the blame on the folly of kampung friendship and games we played then for the whole village was our playground.

When it was time for primary school, I was known as Wan Faridah to teachers and friends alike, though a few teachers would address me as adik Wan Ibrahim (sister to Wan Ibrahim).  Having an elder brother in school has its advantages.  Close friends called me Dah for short.  It's the Kelantanese way of addressing, picking up the last syllable as gi for pergi (go).  With yet closer friends we just go by mu (kamu, you) and aku (I).  This went on into secondary school, though we have nicknames by whatever the caller fancy addressing you by, some which may not be even to your liking.  But that was how one was known to the 'world' then.

I moved out of the state for my high school.  Contrary to the Kelantanese, they picked the first of the name syllable.  So I was Farid to my peers and Kak Farid to the juniors.  That Farid is a male name was small matter as it was an all girl boarding school.  Going on into college life the prefix Wan was added on and Wan Farid it was.  Dah remained among close friends from Kelantan.

Going to the States for my further education, our name is indeed confusing to foreigners used to the surname and family name calling.  To solve matters I told them to address me as One (spelt Wan).  It was pretty convenient then and being the only Wan around helped.

Coming back home and appointed to a Serdang posting, I remained as Farid or Wan Farid  to my former school and college peers and Dah to my close Kelantanese friends.  Staff would address me as Cik Wan and Puan Wan when I got married.  Junior colleagues would  address me as Kak Wan.

Then came the time when we have a new generation of staff intake in mid 2000s.  They were the same batch as my children with some of the mothers younger than me.  Some ventured to call me Mama or Ma for short with the officious few retaining the Puan Wan call.  Returning from my Haj trip in early 2002, the prefix Hajjah Wan came by.  All were acceptable.

On the home front, the title heaped too.  New to motherhood with my first born, I wasn't prepared as to how my daughter was to address me.  My step-mom came to the fore with mummy and the name call stuck.  Even my husband came to adopt that call.  Gladly I have now graduated to Mami Tok.

Over the years, I have grown to recognise who is talking to me by the way they address me.  For his age, Oldstock has address me right.

Adam's Entry

I am more of a buai gantung guy

(7 Jan 2012)

.....but in case of emergency, this bouncy net will suffice.

Much later I would need the garden trampoline.

(2 Jan 2012)

Who is the fairest of them all?

With Abang Kimi & Cik Man (2 Jan 2012)

My visit to Mami Tok's office after her retirement.

The room's a mess as she was clearing off the unwanted.

I could really make a bigger mess should I be allowed to.

(14 Dec 2011)

My newly discovered toy, my own hand!

(28 Dec 2011)

It's Another Trip

Life is so full of uncertainties.  Barely a day after our trip back from the East Coast we had a call that our besan was admitted to the Bukit Mertajam Hospital ICU.  We made a quick decision to visit her leaving the house at about 8:30 am, Saturday.  The target was to be at the hospital by the lunchtime visiting hours.  We made good the target arriving at about 12:15 pm.  Good time indeed for a first timer to the township.  The hospital security staff were helpful, literally taking us to the unit amidst the twist and turn route.

She was restless in spite of being heavily sedated and with wires and oxygen supply for assisted breathing.  On being told that she can hear us we gave our salam and mentioned her of our arrival.  She paused from her restlessness and was then much more calm.  The attending nurse updated us of her condition.  The sedation was more to allow her to rest.  Turns out that she collapsed due to high blood pressure and hypoglycemic condition.  They, however, did a CT scan to eliminate cranial blood clotting as the reason for her condition.

We gave a call to the husband telling him of our arrival.  He was then busy with a wedding kenduri of a brother's son in the village.  The earlier plan was for us to meet-up at the hospital.  It was then that we decide to drop over, thus another search.  The place is Kg. Kubang Ulu, Penanti.  After several stops asking for directions, we made it to Kg. Kubang Ulu.  Penanti signboard was more like a railway station's.  To find a place having a village kenduri is easy, just pick one with lots of cars by the road.



Taking a well-deserved break at BM Hospital grounds.

Alas, by the time we arrived our besan has left for the hospital.  It seemed that the hospital called for some personal supplies which he dutifully delivered.  Not knowing anybody at the kenduri we waited for his return.  Our waiting choice was a big shady tree by the road shoulder.  Not for long though for our besan was soon with us and we were ushered to the kenduri.  It was all beef dishes and with our hypertension to check, it was not a feast that we were to enjoy.  We soon took leave from the kenduri host to go to our besan's house.  Another first for us.  Soon it was time for us to leave.


The changing landscape as we drove up north

 Rolling...

The exquisite waterfall at the Selangor-Perak border

Mountainous...

Limestone hill outcrops

Flat padi fields

Initially our plan was to spend the night at either Bukit Mertajam or Seberang Jaya.  However, with much daylight left we decided to put up at Taiping.  Incidentally, the day's paper has a pullout about the township places of interest.  I fancy the famous Taiping Lake Gardens while the better half was talking about the famed mee-udang (salespitched: selak udang baru nampak mee!).  Our youngest who is with us is OK with both choices but specifically mentioned that there not be another zoo trip.  We were at Taiping some years back for the zoo night safari.  She must have seen enough then.

The Seri Malaysia Hotel Taiping

With no prior reservations and being the school holidays we were lucky to have a room at the Taiping Sri Malaysia Hotel.  Except for an early evening drive at the Lake Gardens, there is not much night life in Taiping, we soon seeked our beds.  After a tiring whole day drive, the bed was indeed beckoning.

Being so close to the famous Bukit Larut (aka Maxwell Hills), we planned to go up the hill.  With the ticket costing RM6/person we were driven up using the four-wheel drive Land Rover.  The 30 minute uphill drive was indeed scary, with 72 hair-pin corners and turns, a simple slide would mean several meters down the ravine.  But the sight from the hill station was bewitching.  We can see Taiping town right across to the Straits of Malacca.  My daughter was asking whether it is possible to see Sumatera.  No, it is not.  

The Bukit Larut foothill

We have company for the uphill ride

Landslide!!!

The welcome at the hill station

Moss growing on the roof, sign of high humidity

Looking far out into the Straits of Malacca

Pine with hanging Spanish mosses

Our very own azeleas in bloom

Tumbling downhill

Looks like there is minimal maintenance of the hill station.  Capitalising on the mild cool temperatures and abundant rainfall (this place is known to register the highest annual rainfall for Peninsular Malaysia), fresh landscaping could do wonders to the place.  As  it is, facilities are rather run-down.  Was telling my daughter that I would readily grab a job at this place should there be one on offer.  I just love cool mountain climate.  We spend about 2 hrs here before taking the Land Rover for the 20 minute downhill trip.  A teenager with us on the downhill trip was engrossed with a computer game.  What a waste of the trip.

Downhill we stop over for a durian feast.  Not a real feast for it was just two fruits between the three of us.  The taste was just heavenly.  Since durian is a big no no in the car, we took out our folded chairs and consumed the durian in-situ.  Sorry, for the goodness of the durian, I forgot all about the camera.  Finally, a lap around the Lake Gardens before taking a turn into the PLUS Highway for our way back home. 

The iconic hanging branches at the Taiping Lake Gardens

The lake

Larut Hills from the Taiping Lake Gardens.

One thing about this trip up north, the food at the R&Rs are just 'bleah'.  We can't help but brought our own food for the trip.  The south and east coast R&Rs serve better tasting dishes.

Adam Update

With my eyes able to focus, I can now stare back at the camera (28/11).

All bundled up at the start of the Penang trip to

meet my  paternal gramps for the first time.

Grandma is in no position to travel (1/12).

Awake and enjoying the rolls of the ride.

I know my hair's a mess.  Ibu should know better.

I need to look smart for my first meeting with my gramps.

Sham & Hassan

We were at a wedding reception of a friend’s daughter at Muadzam Shah, Pahang on Saturday, November 26, 2011.  We, means the husband, youngest daughter (Wan Nur Aiman) and yours truly.  Faiz was supposed to join us but a last minute miscommunication over his leave, left us with no choice but to leave without him.  He will be home alone over the weekend and a few days after as we planned on driving to Terengganu and Kelantan after the Muadzam function.  Hope the flood will not be in our way.

Muadzam is over 3 hours away and to be at such a faraway function drew some questions from my daughter.  The place is just too far away for a kenduri and she didn’t want to be disconnected from her friends, especially her web friends.  At 13 she is too young to be home alone and we insisted in her coming along in spite her resistance.  While explaining Aiman the need for us to be at this reception, I think it is best that I share this bonding that I have with Sham and Hassan, the parents of the bride.

It happened years ago (1984?) when I was at CIMB UPM (it was then Bank Bumiputra Malaysia Bhd [BBMB]) doing some financial transaction with Zaharah, a very close friend.  We bumped into Hassan and Izham.  Hassan was to leave for his PhD on a scholarship somewhere in the States.  While congratulating him for the scholarship award, we jokingly commented on what a waste it was for him to be going alone.  Hassan was still a bachelor then and shyly deflected our comments.  Should he go with a family, all expenses will be paid for with a family allowance to top.

Driving back to the office I commented to Zaharah that Sham would be a nice candidate for Hassan.  Sham was then a teacher assistant to our preschool children.  I know Zaharah’s child (Hasniza) and my children (Shaida & Nazim) adored her and were never happier at the pre-school.  Sham came from a respectable family with a strong religious foundation.  Zaharah was in agreement.  Zaharah is a person of action (she still is!).  She knew Hassan well as she was staying with a mutual friend close to Hassan while studying in the UK.  She suggested that Sham be introduced to Hassan.  We hatched out a plan to drive to the pre-school during an afternoon lunch break, called Sham out to the gate to talk about some school matters.  Hassan was to make his observation from inside the car and no way was he to show himself.  But I made the mistake of switching off the car engine (it was more of a sub-conscious action to take the ignition key upon leaving the car) thus the air-conditioning.  No way was it possible for Hassan to remain in the oven hot car.  He sheepishly extracted himself from the car showing himself.  Sham was obviously curious asking us who he was.  We told her half truth, a friend joining us for lunch.  It remained at that and we soon excused ourselves to go for the said lunch.  Barely 500 m away Hassan surprised us both, “OK, she is the one!” announcement.  I turned to Zaharah and both of us were just too shocked for any comments.  This is too good to be true.  Then the three of us burst out laughing.  You can’t remain a 35 year old bachelor and make that consent at an instant.  Now we (Zaharah and I) began to have our doubts.  Nevertheless we told Hassan to do it proper and have the families involved.  We’ll be there for referral.

From there on things went lightening speed.  Hassan went home to Johore telling about his new find to his family.  They were equally dumbfounded but were relieved that Hassan finally found his to-be soul mate.  Izham was ecstatic thanking us for doing what he had been trying to make Hassan commit to for years since.  We made a mention of the happenings to Sham’s sister, a close office friend.

To cut the story short, Hassan and Sham were soon engaged and married in time for them to depart for the US together.  I believed they went to Urbana-Champagne.  Later we had news of a child being born, Faizah, the bride at the reception that we went to.  We got to meet Sham again when they were back home from the States.  By then apart from Faizah we were also introduced to Syukri and Hanif. Last count they had eight children.  There’ll be seven more trips for us to Muadzam but I am not complaining.  I am happy for the family and I cannot but feel to be part of them.

Our congratulations to Faizah & Zaki.

Adam is flourishing, Alhamdulillah

It's the sleep, sleep, sleep life...... Hey, I woke up for my bottle, remember?

19 Oct 2011

2 Nov 2011....please get the flash off my face. 

Umi Tok did mentioned me resembling Abang Amir.

4 Nov 2011....blissfully snoring away

9 Nov 2011 - the drawn face after the one month immunisation jab. 

Sure I screamed at the nurse.  The jab did hurt.

Ibu will give me my bath after this much needed snooze. 

Don't I resemble Tok Ayah Pi?

Adam Iman's Debut

It was an excurating wait for us all.  Calls kept criss-crossing between the house and the hospital for the 5th upto late morning 6th for us to be kept updated of the hospital happenings.  We could only heave our relieved breath after 1:20 pm, October 6, 2011, with news of 3.2 kg bundle safe delivery.  He chose to arrive via vacuum suction.  He is our Adam Iman.

Adam Iman at Day 1 in grandpa's arms

Awaiting a new addition to the family

There were gentle knocks on our bedroom door at about 2:55 am this morning.  I was half-awake, more asleep.  What finally jerked me up was when mentally reminded that our eldest was with us in the house.  She has taken leave from work while awaiting her delivery due date, expected on the 7th.  But looks like NOW is the time! 

Woke up my husband and rushed to the door.  Sure enough, my girl was at the door.  "Think my water just broke!".  That announcement got us into motion.  There was no labour pain though but we rather not risk it.  Woke up my youngest.  She chose to join us to the Serdang Hospital.  By 4:30 am we were in the car driving to the hospital, less than 10 minutes away.  The normally jam-packed road was eerily twilight zone in nature, with the approaching dawn.

We checked the expecting daughter into the maternity clinic and called the son-in-law.  He was then about an hour away at their house in Banting.  The plan was that their school going son should not be missing school, but he will need to today.  We changed shift with his arrival and head for home.  A good rest is needed to prepare for the new arrival.

We waited for news should there be some new development.  Nothing changed much even after our evening visit at about 6:30 pm.  My daughter was admitted to Ward 5F, Bed P03.

Happy B'day My Dearest

It's my husband's birthday today.  His 62nd.  It's a double celebration as our second born and first boy, Nazim, was born on this date too.  It was not planned, but he chose to come in (out?) to the world earlier than anticipated.  In my labour I forgot all about my husband's birthday.  It was only when I was back in the recovery ward and when he thanked me for such a fine birthday present (the son) that made me recalled his birthday, and that was 31 years ago... Now Nazim is a father of two. 

Happy birthday to them both and may they both be blessed..........

As narrated by my late father-in-law, my husband arrival came days earlier than anticipated too.  My late mother-in-law came into labour traumatised by a robbery that took place earlier in the night.  Seemed that eight of them robbers took to breaking the door in the attempt to rob the family. 

My father-in-law was born to a family of nine boys and he was the eighth born.  Brought up in the village they took to religious education and the silat, the art of self-defence.  By then he had a five year old daughter and a three year old son and was working as a porter for the Malayan Railways.  He put up a strong defence leaving three of the robbers dead and the rest escaping into the dark of the night.  What a way for my husband to arrive into this world.

Nazim didn't come easy too.  I was put into induced labour as my gynea then, Dr. Prakash, suspected something amissed during my last ante-natal check-up.  He must have been super active, as at delivery it was realised that the umbilical cord was all around his neck.  He too was handed to me with a small cut on his head.  Seemed those in the labour room were over zealous when they tried breaking my waters.  In spite the journey, comparing among the siblings, Nazim was easiest to care for as an infant.

Of Travel Agents and Failed Service

We were at KLIA on the early evening of September 13 to see Ya (Wan Nor Shaheera Wan Hanafi), my niece, off to Cairo for a four year degree course in Arabic language.  The 5th floor check-in level was indeed crowded with students and family members sending them off.  Ya and the group from Kelantan had flown in earlier from Kota Bahru airport.  They came in two batches, by the early and late afternoon flights.

I left the office earlier than normal (with permission) for home to see Ya off.  We are to also deliver her excess baggage (by local flight standard) that was sent by bus yesterday.  Since Ya came in the early flight, I know she should be panging for rice. I prepared nasi goreng kampung for her and friends.  It was around 7 pm by the time we arrived at KLIA.  We managed to locate Ya (thanks to mobile phone technology) and get her and friends for early fried rice dinner.  They had their picnic on newspapers on the airport floor.  The fried rice was thumbs-up and they recommended that I go into the catering business after retirement!

After the 'picnic', we ushered them to the nearby surau for their Maghrib and Isya' jama' prayers.  What a crowd.  We can literally see people solat one on top on the other.  Luckily for me that I performed my ablution at home, else the que would be worse than trying to get a ticket for the local football Premier Cup.

Then the wait begins.  It was supposed to be a group check-in, and we waited and waited.  As my knees would stand no longer I moved on to be seated and be away from the crowd.  I had time to get into the airport bookstore for a copy of Fatini Yaacob's Natrah: In the name of love.  So I have a reading material to while away my time. 

By then it was 9:30 pm but the group check-in line had not moved much, and that was for a flight that is to take-off at 10:45 pm.  It dawn on to us that Cairo is not to be for these kids tonight.   Soon the kids were called to assemble at their first meeting place.  The truth has to be told.  It turned out that the travel agent had delayed making payment to EgyptAir.  Poor kids, the excitement were wiped off from their faces.  I was in a state of disbelieve.  By then the travel agent representatives were no where to be seen (good move, else some relatives would go after them with their pent-up frustration). 

Luckily for the kids, the Kelantan Islamic Foundation representatives had by now took charge.  We also spied a YB around who is also on the Foundation Board.  They managed to secure rooms at KLIA Concorde Hotel for the kids to spend the night while waiting for tomorrow's promised flight.  Once things are secured for the kids, we baded Ya and her friends good night, goodbye and good luck and headed for home.  What a service from the travel agent.  They can rest assured that the business with the Foundation will not be theirs for years to come!!!

Ya and some of her friends finally left for Cairo last night (14 Sept).  She called in at about 8:30 pm telling me that once she had checked-in her baggage.  Not everybody was lucky.  Some of them from the group are made to wait another day for the next available flight.

For better or for worst, this served as a lesson to all concerned.

The Open House

For the past few years Hari Raya had indeed been a closed family affair for us all.  Just us and the children, lately with additions of their spouses and children.  Not that we are hermits among the crowd but most immediate family members and friends living in the vicinity of the Klang Valley joined the balik kampung exodus.

So raya means just us and my iconic nasi dagang for all (stretching from breakfast, lunch and dinner!!!), the solat sunat raya and spending the rest of the day lazing around.  I need to mention that my husband will have his must satay menu.  So the day will also be spent grilling the satay.  As this raya coincided with our Merdeka holidays, we have a whole week of full corum family stay-in.  The home is indeed a riot with laughter and kids screaming, not to mention Mami Tok needed to see to the daily menu change.  The things with my children, they do not fuss much around food, even fried rice is a change and well appreciated.

The Klang Valley populace was back to normality the week immediate after raya.  That's the time when friends chose to drop in while we are back to work.  So it'll be good to have everybody in at one go and be prepared for it.  I had been planning for the open house all along, but failed to commit the date until last Friday.  Due to a heavy work schedule up to the end of the week, the e-mail announcement only went out at about 5:30 pm on the day.  The invitation was for Sunday, September 11, 2011 from 12:00 pm onwards (while stock last).  By then most of the staff has already left the office.  I got to verbally invite those still hanging around the office and took to sending SMS the others and appealing them to forward to the others.  Was hoping of all hopes that they'll get the invitation.

Simple menu really, but the nasi dagang has to be there.  There was nasi himpit with satay and mee curry plus the normal raya cookies.  The nasi himpit was cooked the evening before for proper jelling.  So was the sambal kelapa for the nasi dagang.  The curry for the mee and the nasi dagang itself was prepared early in the morning.  The tuna and makerel masak kunyit lengkuas to go with the nasi dagang was prepared before I retire for the night. 

Faiz and a cousin, Faizal, took to the outdoor charcoal satay grilling.  Luckily for us, Faizal just arrived in the morning from Kelantan.  He is to register for an engineering course at UiTM come Monday.  A helping hand indeed.  My eldest was not able to make it home as the husband was on 24-hr duty the day before.  So was Nazim and his family as the kids were still recovering from a bout of stomach flu (how ailments come about to be called these days).  Amir and Meera were terribly dehydrated after bouts of vomiting.

In spite the rain and downcast skies, we had a great turnout from neighbours, friends and their family members.  The first drop-in was Fauzy and family around 12:30 pm and the last was Johaary and his family members at about 5:30 pm.  One noticable difference this open house was how the children and grandchildren of friends gyrate to our grandchildren's corner, some even refusing the food spread before them for their new found corner.  The battered toys were god send to parents who were able to enjoy the raya spread and spend time catching up with friends.

This could be my last raya open house while still in service as I'll be retiring early December.  But I do hope to have friends over even in my retirement.  Though tiring, the get together was worth it all.  Incidently the office will be holding our raya gathering next Friday, September 23.

AidilFitr; Syawal 1, 1432

AidilFitr is here again (Syawal 1, 1432H; August 30, 2011), much to the rejoice of the Muslim world to celebrate the end of the Ramadhan, the fasting month.  Yet some are saddened by the exit of Ramadhan.  "Ramadhan, the month of my Ummah", to quote the holy Prophet Muhammad s.a.w.  This year's auspiciousness of AidilFitr is further enhanced by it's double celebration with Merdeka Day (Malaya's Independence Day) normally celebrated on August 31.  They say this double celebration comes once in 30 years.  Wonder where I was some 30 years ago that I can't really recall such a celebration!  Merdeka for this year will instead be celebrated on September 16, commemorating the formation of Malaysia.

Unlike most Malaysians, we again made no balik kampung plans for the celebration.  It has been this way since Ma passed away.  Going home without her around had not been the same.  The second reason being my eldest is heavy with her child.  She's due early October.  The journey would be too strenuous for her.  Thirdly, we have to admit that we are much too old to tackle the traffic.  Normally it'll be a 9 hour drive to reach our hometown.  Come Raya time, I've heard friends making it in 13 or even 16 hours!  That's way too long for us.  To add to that we'll be encountering all sorts of drivers along the way, mostly young ones with new cars sprinting their way.  We'll just make way for them.

Some years ago we managed the journey home.  Laid out plans to visit out of town relatives on the second day of the celebration but the hellish traffic refused to leave us.  The roads were jam-packed and the journey led us nowhere but to more frustration.  So now we choose the peace of our own home preferring other more favorable time to balik kampung.

Wishing all Muslims a joyous Hari Raya AidilFitr and a resounding "Merdeka!!!" to all Malaysians.

The full clan

Standing: Aiman, Abu Khori, Nazim, Meera, Sherli, Faiz

Sitting: Shaida, Wan Hussin, yours truely, Amir

Squatting: Hakimi

My eldest with her hubby & son (Abu & Hakimi)

Nazim with his wife, Sherli and children, Amir & Meera

Teary eyed Amir refusing to leave the tripod alone

Faiz & the father



Kak Sherli with Hakimi



Aiman & her self-portrait as usual

My Brother's Wedding

We flew back to Kelantan last Saturday to be with the clan for my youngest brother's wedding.  We were all grown-ups and married with children of our own when Balya came into our lives.  Agewise he is sandwiched between my two boys, Nazim and Faiz, and they were playmates everytime we balik kampung for the holidays.  My youngest sister then was close to 18 when Balya was born.  She was already well known as Mak Su La (Acu La for short) among the nieces and nephews and heaved a big sigh of relief for with a male younger sibling she can still retain the title.  With such a big age gap, Balya was raised much a loner, siblingwise, as those close to him were away in either boarding schools or colleges.  Ma passed away when Balya was in his early teens and he is shuffled between pondok schools without really graduating from any.

Time passed and with some start-up financial assistance from father he grew-up an entrepreneur. Too early to call him a success (though that is what we are wishing for him) but he is making a fine living for himself and employing a staff of eight (I don't have even a single soul under my employment!).  He met his match recently and with an elder brother mediating, his marriage was solemnised on July 21, 2011.  The majlis Kesyukuran Sambut Menantu (reception on the groom's side) was held on Sunday July 24, 2011.  The reason for us to be home. 

It would have been great had all my children and their family balik kampung together.  But with everybody having commitments of sort, it was just the hubby, Aiman and I that took the flight home.  Driving would have been too streanous for us and Aiman who have to skip school.  Thanks to AirAsia, the trip was affordable.  With the family home gathering crowd, we chose to lodge at a rented abode, a stone's throw away.  My youngest sister (Acu La) with her big family chose Zainun's Palace.  She was lucky, Pn. Zainun, the proprieter, was around when she checked-in.  She was offered the biggest room at the lowest charge.  Benefit of a small town community.

The bunting announcing the event

Arrival of the bride's entourage

The newly weds

The oldies (pengantin lama)

The newly weds, the siblings and father

Our threesome with father

Faizal teasing a younger sister

The family home was buzzing with activities when we arrived.  The kenduri tents were under construction and nieces and nephews were running around.  There wasn't much activities in the kitchen as we catered food needed for the reception.  Any cooking done in the house was to prepare the required meals for the family members present.  There was a heavy downpour late in the evening accompanied by strong winds drenching the workers working with the tents.  Everybody had to call it a day leaving with promise of coming in early tomorrow to finish the job.

We turned-up early Sunday to help with whatever job that needed attending to.  My husband and the men of the family busied themselves arranging the chairs and spruicing up the reception area. I turned to the kitchen.  We, the sisters, had earlier decided to share preparing the hidangan beradab between us.  I took to cleaning and preparing the prompfet for masak tiga rasa, the youngest sister took to preparing the steamed siakap and fruit cocktail, a niece the syrupy gula hangus pudding (she took the shortcut in ordering the ayam golek from a restaurant in town)!, a sister-in-law took to skewing the prawns and another cutting up the melons.  Later we have my brother's (the groom) staff bringing in the fern shoots (pucuk paku) and helped turn the vegetable to mouth-watering kerabu dish.  Gotong royong has never been this fun before!  I know Ma is smiling at us all for putting up this fine show together.

The full clan with in-laws, nieces and nephews

The first guest start arriving at about 12:30 pm and the flow went unabated until about past six!  This is a kampung setting and any time limit to a kenduri is a big no no.  The bride's entourage came in past 3:00 pm and were immediately usured to the the makan beradab table.  Then it was meeting the family and photography sessions.  All starts and ends well and we are all happy for Balya and his wife, Ayu, the brand new addition to the family.

Wishing you the very best Balya and Ayu dearest.