Bill of Health

When it comes to annual health exams, fear is my motivator. Like two years ago, the motivator was the death of Anita Mui. This year, it was a friend of a friend, who is not a smoker but was diagnosed with 4th stage lung cancer. She wasn’t aware of the illness until she went for a check-up following a difficulty in raising her arm. She also noticed her back suddenly is besieged by moles. It’s so happened that I had been having shoulder ache after a night’s sleep, and when I checked my back in the mirror, shudder! there are a lot of moles.

I went to SJMC for an Executive Health Screen last Friday which took 2 hours altogether (waiting time+tests+free sandwich). I thought the results would be known that day, but I had to come back for them. Co-incidentally, Pay Less Books was having a clearance sale at 3K Community Hall not far from the hospital, so I decided to treat myself to one full day of “leave”. Just to release tension. Needless to say I enjoyed myself very much; I got many good books; spent RM81.50 on 18 books, mostly hard covers! Bloody Cheap.

So today, I went back to see the assigned consultant, Dr Mazidah who used to treat my mom for her thyroid condition 10 years ago. Alhamdulillah, the results are all good; my sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol level etc. all are good - excellent. Only a minor problem with my heart that records a sinus arrhythmia, which the doctor said, is nothing to worry. But she urges me to take a stress test to know more details. And all four cancer t markers came back negative which are a relief.

I am thinking to incorporate some form of exercise in my life next year, and I am thinking Yoga! We shall see.

Test

Life is full of surprises and lessons for those who ponder.

A month before Ramadhan, a friend confessed to me that she is in great financial difficulty as her husband's business is not bringing in much dough, bills are mounting, and meeting the demands of her growing children is challenging, to a point that she had to hock her jewelery for RM3,000 to get through the month. She had turned full-time housewife ever since her lay-off 7-8 yars ago. I listened to her, mouth agape, as she fought back tears. I've been visiting her house periodically for years now, but didn't notice her predicament as she was always cheerful and always, and always gave me something to take home when I leave. I thought everything was fine. She said she didn't tell out of respect for her husband.

My poor, beautiful friend. This is the friend whom when we were younger, always wore stylish clothes and have lots of jewellery. She is still slim and beautiful, but gone are the need for make-up, new clothes and trendy shoes. Everything she does now is for the family. She learns new skills and with these skills, she helps her husband to provide for the family. She now makes nasi lemak and kuih-muih and sells them at gerais. This is a very demading job that deprives her of sleep; she only sleeps 2 or 3 hours a day for six days straight. I worry for her health, but she says, desperate situation requires desperate measures.

But my friend is redha; she says, Allah will not test us more than we can endure. She tells me now she understands and is convinced that Allah is the ONLY provider. Every rizq is determined by Him, and Him only, not by others. Allah gives her the ilham and the strength in what she does now.

I pray to Allah she come out victorious. I have no doubt she will, one way or another.

House

My favorite tv series nowadays is House or House M.D. shown on AXN Mondays at 10p.m with repeats at different times. After checking the episode guides, I notice that I have missed quite a lot, and thanks to Google, I discovered a site dedicated to the transcripts of all the episodes; wow, it's like discovering a goldmine!

So, for those who are a fan, here's the treasure; www.twiztv.com/scripts/house . Have fun!

Postscript: For a medical discussion of the series, visit www.politedissent.com/house_pd.html. Interesting you!

Incredible Woman

During the recent raya celebration, my sister and I traded stories. We were planning to go to Tanjung Bidara when my sister recalled she has a friend there, and proceeded to tell this story. This friend is a dentist and they have kept in touch over the years through their high school alumni yahoogroups. The sequence of the following story may be jumbled, but they all happened to her.

This dentist lives in Melaka with her three children, and has a weekend husband whose business keeps them apart during the weekdays. The reason why she stays put in Melaka is to be near her elderly parents. She suffered from leukemia some ten years ago. While battling her illness, she learned that her husband was having an affair. Eew! Alhamdulillah, she recovered, and the marriage is still intact.

This year, her illness returned. So again she had to go through a battery of treatments. This time around, she discovered that she was adopted, and as a dutiful daughter turned to take care of her real parents; now she has two sets of parents to care. Alhamdulillah, she is recovering from her illness.

What is so incredible to me is that, during last Ramadhan she also sold cookies in her clinics (she has two), cookies that she made herself! Unbelievable. According to my sister, she started her cookies business many years ago to fill her time as husband was always not present, and over time she had accumulated a clientele whom she can’t refuse every raya.

Salute!

Resepi Dodol

Resepi dari sepupu Embak di Melaka (khas untuk Little Sis)

Bahan-bahannya:

1 kampit tepung pulut cap Gajah (500 gm)
1.1/2 kg gula tuak
3/4 cawan gula pasir
4 biji kelapa besar (5 biji kalau kelapa sebesar kepala budak baru lahir)- jadikan 1 mangkuk* santan pekat dan 2 mangkuk santan cair

ukuran mangkuk: 3/4 bekas aiskrim - kesimpulannya, agak-agak lah sendiri.

Cara-caranya:
1. Dedat kuali bersih-bersih pakai bata, lepas tu dengan berus dawai, dan akhirnya dengan hampas kelapa.
2. Potong gula tuak kecil-kecil dan cairkan dengan santan cair, kemudian tapis 2x dengan tapis kelapa, dan ayak tepung.
3. Panaskan santan pekat dengan tepung (yang telah dicairkan dengan santan cair dan ditapis).
4. Masukkan air gula yang ditapis.
5. Kacau selama 4 jam. Pastikan tidak berkerak atau hangus.

Raya Haji nanti kita kacau yek!

The artwork

Two young nephews did this to my door when I left them, supposedly to watch a video. I guess they got bored. I told their fathers about the "artwork", and I demanded them to repaint my door; but I got no result. They just laughed it off, and said that I should keep it as Raya momento. So, terpaksalah Embak cat sendiri.

Come to think of it, I must thank them both for making me paint my door; I have a very "berseri" door for Raya.

Much Ado About a Pin

Early this year, unbeknownst to me I qualified for a "Quarterly Champion Challenge", which is actually a sales challenge for which the qualifier will be recognized by a golden pin and a mention before a regional convention. I was away when they held the convention, so I neither got the pin nor, of course heard my name called out. It wasn't a big deal to me, anyhow it's just a pin. So I thought at first. After a month, my Manager asked me about the pin, so I told him, I have not gotten it.

So he gave the Regional Executive a call. The botak-head Executive thought another colleague was the winner, that's why he's keeping it. I was too shy to remind him after that when there was still no pin. Finally, he got around to it and handed me the pin last Monday, 2 quarters after winning the first quarter's challenge. Needless to say I have not qualified since then.

Now, the pin is pinned onto my postboard. It is nothing more than a piece of metal plated in gold paint, but it is a recognition for job well done. I said I didn't care, but I lied.

Ramadhan al Mubarak

The following notes are from the lecture on fasting by Ustaz Sulaiman Usman Kabuye last Sunday.

1. Fasting purifies the heart.

2. Satan is ineffective on people who fast.

3. When fasting, one must leave all the haram, eg. protecting the tounge from back biting. Of course many more.

4. One way to do it is by being in i'tiqaf in masjid.

5. To treat the heart, observe the following:
i. Read Al Quran and reflect on the meaning.
ii. Empty your stomach (Fasting)
iii. Stand in the night - Qiamullail
iv. A short time before Subuh; after Qiamullail, contemplate on Allah.
v. To be in the company of good people.

6. Nabi used to stop eating about 20 minutes before Subuh.

7. It's ok to brush your teeth as Saiditina Aishah reported that Rasulullah used to clean his teeth with siwak while fasting.

Selamat beribadah di bulan yang barakah ini wahai adinda-adindaku sekelian.

Langkawi Lagoon

Resort bersebelahan apartmen kami di Langkawi. Khabarnya sewa semalam ialah RM900!

Langkawi

12-14 September yang lalu, Embak, mak, abah dan Linda melancong ke Langkawi. Aik, koma-koma mesti kata, asyik berjalan je Embak ni, tak kerja keeeee? Jangan jeles ya. Sebenarnya abah yang berhajat nak pergi ke Langkawi sangat-sangat. Mula-mula ajak mak, mak tak mahu ikut. Abah hampir ikut rombongan Pakcik Misai naik bas reramai ke Langkawi, punyalah kepingin sangat. Itu yang buat Embak aturkan trip ini khas untuk Abah. AirAsia pun ada offer tiket RM19.99, Chik dan isteri pulak sponsor penginapan; kiranya trip ni dah dapat 50% diskaun.

Kami sewa kereta sebiji dan berbekalkan peta, kami puas ronda satu pulau. Kami juga ikut bot island-hopping, cuma mak sahaja yang tak dapat naik ke pulau-pulau Dayang Bunting dan Beras Basah sebab tangga jeti tinggi dan cerun. Gambar di atas ialah pandangan dari bot memandang ke Pulau Dayang Bunting, menanti penumpang-penumbang bot kami. Di Pulau Singa, kami dapat lihat pertunjukan helang-helang terbang dan terjun mencecah air. Embak enjoy betul show ini sebab ianya semulajadi, macam ikan-ikan lumba di laut off Lovina, Bali. Embak dapati di Langkawi tempat-tempat tumpuan pelancong dah banyak yang "tacky" dan "contrived", contohnya Oriental Village dan Kota Mahsuri.

Di Pulau Beras Basah yang pasirnya putih dan halus, tiba-tiba hujan turun dengan lebatnya. Dan perjalanan balik kami ke Langkawi tersangatlah choppy, tetapi tersangatlah seronok. Kami basah kuyup, terpaksa balik ke apartment untuk salin baju sebelum keluar balik meronda Langkawi.

Abah enjoy habis, tapi mak dah swear off melancong. Embak faham, she has mobility problem. But for Abah, he's already thinking about Sabah.

Air Terjun Gabai

Pada 2 September yang lalu, Embak dan kawan-kawan dari FSG HUKM ber-riadah dan bermalam di Mestika Safa, Pangsun. Keesokan harinya kami berkelah di Air Terjun Gabai. Disebabkan hari sebelumnya hujan, maka air terjun haritu tersangatlah banyak dan laju airnya. Masa kami sampai tu, tak ramai lagi orang yang bermain di air terjun tu, jadi Embak pun ambil peluang berendam. Tapi hajat nak mandi bawah air terjun tu tak kesampaian sebab air dalam (kita tak pandai berenanglah), dan nak susuri batu-batu di tepi, licin pula. Tapi sekurang-kurangnya hilanglah kempunan. Rasanya setelah 4, 5 kali ke Gabai, ini kali pertama Embak dapat mandi.

Orang yang berdiri dalam gambar tu, bukannya Embak, tapi kawan Embak. Embak nak buat macam dialah, tapi tak berani. Jeles kita.

Tangling

This is my favorite breakfast joint. This place is actually renowned for its nasi lemak, but I feel I have eaten better nasi lemak elsewhere. I come here for the noodle fare served by this stall Mee Goreng Tangling. Honestly, I have not tested the mee goreng, but I have tried their Kung Fu Meehoon, Mee Kicap, Kuey teow soup, mee hailam and Wantan Mee Curry. They are all delicious, and fairly priced.

And on Wednesdays, there is a one-lorry pasar tani in the parking lot. It’s only one lorry but they have so much stuff; various leaves; some I do not know their names, ubi kayu, ubi keledek, umbut kelapa, young coconuts, a few types of pisang, tempe, etc and when in season, durian and other local fruits. Not forgetting yummy snacks; tapai, rempeyek, roti canai segera , kuih denderam and my fav, thinly sliced kerepek pisang tanduk.

This lorry comes all the way from Johor and I was informed that after the Tangling parking lot, they go to Bukit Aman, which is nearby before returning to Johor. The most fun part is paying for my purchases; it’s always cheaper than I had thought. I am not sure whether the guys don’t know their math or that they just like to give discounts. I never correct them, I always choose to believe the latter.

Merdeka ke 49

Salam Merdeka ke 49 untuk pembaca-pembaca blogku (yang terdiri dari adik-adik dan anak-anak menakan). Gambar ini diambil dari bilik Embak, menunjukkan bumbung baru. Jika diamati di tengah-tengah foto ini ada Jalur Gemilang yang dipasang oleh Abah, seperti setiap tahun. Penat Embak tunggu bendera tu berkibar, tapi angin sepoi-sepoi bahasa sahaja.

Rumah-rumah di Taman Embak ini sudah 28 tahun umurnya, maka sudah sampai masanya bumbung-bumbung diganti baru. Sebenarnya, Embak siarkan gambar ini khas untuk Ayie yang khabarnya sedang kerinduan. Hang in there, Bro dan selamat bercuti semua!

I can't quit Bali

I'm back, actually it has been a week already. As promised, here's Siti and hubby gracing the front page of Jawa Pos, proving she is very the fofular in the Republic.

Bali is as charming as ever. Oh, before I proceed, I must thank Pak Hazil for sponsoring the trip. And mucho thanks to him and his family for the memories.This time around, I get to see more of Bali i.e Kintamani, Seminyak and Tuban. And I get to eat properly: the following being most memorable; seafood at Jimbaran, Nasi Padang at Natrabu in Denpasar, and the most delicious, Nasi Jawa at Kuring Restaurant in Seminyak.

To put icing on the cake, a well-known director sat next to me on the flight home. I am not a fan of her films, but I am glad to have known her (as much as I could in that 3 hours); she is actually a very nice person. She even invited me to a private (limited to 15 invites only) pre-screening of her latest film. But as I said, I'm not a fan. Unfortunately, the invite is not transferrable.

Bali - Part 3

It's 1.15 am, and I have just finished packing for my trip to Bali in a few hours. Yeap, I am going to miss the majlis akad nikah of our chanteuse. While there, I'll keep my eyes and ears open to their reaction to the wedding, and collect pictorial evidence to post in my blogs later, thanks to my brother who has kindly given me his digicam for good. Mucho gracias Bro.

Ta ta, hingga ketemuin nanti.

Temptation

We are always tested with a temptation, aren't we? My most recent major temptation is to get a new car. You see, my Iswara is 8 years old, and according to my good friend, that's way beyond its useful life, and the common wisdom is to replace it with a new car, preferably not another Proton car.

However, my training in financial planning and "The Millionaire Next Door" teach me to minimize investing in depreciating assets. And I have been successful in not succumbing to my younger days' habit of changing car after I completed my car loan 4 years ago. But a series of air-cond breakdowns have gotten me thinking, it's time to change. Suddenly, I started to drool over every Getz, Acsent, Vios, Mini Cooper, and my dream, Golf GTi. My mind was constantly debating the merits of Continental cars, Korean or Japanese or whether I should get a second-hand car instead. I stopped by Hyundai showroom to enquire. My heart leaped with joy when the Star Sunday had a page dedicated to the latest car models and pricing. It seems that everything is saying, Go! Go!

O how I suffered three days driving without air-cond because my schedule was so tight to get the aircond looked at. But yesterday afternoon, I managed to come back early from a seminar and stopped by my mechanic's place. He fixed the aircord fan's motor in 10 minutes. As soon as the cool air-cond air hit my face, I regained my senses. Don't care what other people say, the new car will just have to wait.

Me happy.

Gulai Lemak Nangka

Hari ni Embak cuba masak lauk ni ikut cara Bali. Yang lainnya orang Bali Embak tengok suka pakai cekur dan daun salam dalam gulai-gulai mereka. Rencah untuk masak lemak nangka Bali adalah:

bawang merah
bawang puteh
lengkuas
biji ketumbar
kunyit basah
cili merah
cili api
cekur (mereka panggil cekoh atau kencur)
belacan
daun salam
serai

Jangan lupa bahan utama: nangka muda, santan dan garam.

Tadi Embak tak pakai daun salam dan belacan. Tapi masih sedap. Dapat lagi satu variasi masak lemak nangka.

(Resepi dipetik dari The Food of Bali tulisan Heinz von Holzen & Lother Arsana). Tak de gambar nak share lah. Belum dapat digicam dari adik Embak.

Tom

I had actually written up a story about Tom but my left pinkie accidently deleted it. I really don't feel like rewriting it; so just enjoy this picture of my irreplaceable and handsome cat, Tompok at age 1 with 8-year old Ayie in front of our neighbour's house.

A day in the life of a person in comfort zone

25th July 2006

My alarm goes off at 6.20 am. I linger in bed for another 20 minutes just enough time for doing the necessary without passing Syuruk.

7.00 am - My elderly neighbour, Makcik M is chatting with my Mom in the living room while they catch the early programs on tv. My dad comes back with breakfast. I take out frozen meat from the freezer. I decide the main dish would be daging asam pedas. I eat half a nasi lemak, while Mak and Makcik M look on.

I go to my room, switch on the computer and check my mail, my favorite blog etc. Mak calls me to "cucukkan benang kat jarum' for Makcik. So I come down, put on my glasses and do the task. "Hai, Along pakai spek ke?" Makcik M says in surprise. "Kak Semah kau pun dah pakai spek". Kak Semah, her daughter is 53, what do you expect? "Kita orang dah tua dah Makcik". Apparently, she is not aware that she too needs eyeglasses.

8.00 - I plan for my work day, itemize and prioritize tasks in my notebook. Pick what stuff to bring to office, and decide today I would bring my notebook as well.

9.30 - I go to the kitchen and discover santan on the countertop. Well, that would certainly change the menu. I delve into the vegie bin, and take out terung and kobis, must cook these vegies before they turn bad. They have been in storage for 2 weeks already. In the end, I have the following on the table:

Ikan bawal goreng (1 pc)
Daging rebus serai
Daging goreng sambal
Terung masak lemak rempah
Sayur kobis goreng

I know it's quite a spread; I always go overboard after skipping a day of cooking. Yesterday, I had to leave my home very early for a whole day conference at Sunway Convention Centre, leaving my family to the gerais behind BP. The thing with my father is that he is inept at buying prepared lauk. He buys the same lauk everytime. Even though he says "tak pe" , I feel guilty because I know he much prefers home-cooking.

11.00 am - My opto rings me, informing that my glasses are ready, but the frame is not to my order. I could take it and use it while she makes another pair, if I want. So I tell her, I can wait since I already have a pair. I don't mind really because it means defering another charge to my credit card.

11.30 am - Put on my workgear, while in my head I rearrange my plans for the day. The phone rings, my father picks up the phone. I hear Abah converse about Hani Mohsin's passing, WHAT?? Inna lilla hi wainna lillahi rajiun. Al Fatihah. After an early lunch, I go to BSN. My friend calls to confirm the news that I yet to hear from the radio.

3.00 pm - Suv called to inform that Boss is seriously sick. We know he has been down with kayap for a week now, but Suv says Boss asks that we pray for his health. To me, that's alarming. Suv suggests that we all pay him a visit. I sms him asking permission. His wife calls the office saying he's too weak to entertain us. The only thing to do now is to pray for his recovery.
I check my mail; 1 junk mail, 1 bill and a letter from FPAM, which I know contains the result of my CFP exam. I open it anxiously, praying that I pass for I cannot bear paying a fee for a repeat sitting. Alhamdulillah, I PASS!!!

7.00 pm - I am at my laptop now, blogging about my day. My tonight would most likely be filled with reading and then, sleeping. I have picked two books that I must speedread to revive my spirits; Secrets of Successful Insurance Sales and Million Dollar Selling Techniques. Ehemm...

My growing-up buddies

Bersedia, Embak masih dalam mode nostalgia lagi. Gambar di atas adalah gambar Embak bersama rakan-rakan seangkatan di tingkatan lima, di sebuah sekolah asrama penuh di pantai timur. Tak payahlah sebut tahun berapa kan, tapi tengok pesen rambut dan pakaian kami, dah boleh stemet eranya.

Sebahagian besar dari kami bersama sejak dari tingkatan 1 lagi, dan dalam perjalanan ke tingkatan lima, ada plus dan minusnya (dikeluarkan sebab masalah displin atau grade, dan dimasukkan atas keputusan baik SRP). Nisbah pelajar lelaki:pelajar perempuan ialah 1:2, kalau tak silap 49 lelaki dan 98 perempuan semuanya. Ada yang datang dari keluarga nelayan, buruh kasar sehinggalah golongan kaya. Tak silap Embak, ada seorang anak menteri, seorang anak menteri besar dan seorang anak timbalan menteri besar. Oh, it was a big deal then.

Kami membesar bersama seniors, warden, guru-guru, dan staf, kebanyakkannya jauh dari keluarga. Zaman dolu-dolu, gomen memang suka hantar jauh-jauh, macam Embak yang duduk di KL, dicampak ke Pantai Timur. Macam-macam kerenah dan peristiwa; kalau bikin cerita bersiri kat tv memang bolh jadi hit punya, sebab belum ada yang buat kan? Siapa nak bahan, hubungi Embak, boleh cerita.

Fast forward, x years later, di antara kami ada yang menjadi (2 orang dah jadi ahli politik, tak kurang hartawan, usahawan, cendekiawan) dan ada yang biasa-biasa aje, dan ada juga yang kurang menjadi. Apapun, kami masih akrab, sampai kisah makwe/pakwe, rumahtangga dan anak-anakpun dikongsi dalam yahoogroup.

Kami masih lagi "the boys" atau "the girls", walaupun kami hampir menjenguk senja. Sadly, kami dah kehilangan 5 "boys"; "the boys" seram jer, ialah kalau dikira mortality rate mereka, kira tinggi tuh, > 10%. Alhamdulillah, "the girls" belum ada lagi yang arwah.

Tak lama dulu kami buat grand reunion sekolah; kami ajak sekali semua bekas guru, dan semua bekas staf yang kami dapat cari. Kami charterkan satu bas, bawak mereka turun ke KL. Yang bestnya, kakak-kakak dan abang-abang dewan makan masih ingat nama-nama kami! Either my buddies and I have been special to them, or they just have excellent memory.

FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS MALAYSIANS IN KUTA

Wajah-wajah inilah yang kami nampak di Kuta. Gambar Siti menghiasi tabloid "Nyata" semasa kami di sana pada 13 April 2006, dan dalamnya siap dengan gambar Datuk K lagi. Pada waktu yang sama di Malaysia, gambar Datuk K cuma tersiar dalam emel-emel sahaja.

Cuba teka gambar kedua tu, siapa ye? Tak lain dan tak bukan, Nordin Mat Top, pakar bom yang menjadi buruan Kerajaan Indonesia. Gambarnya kami nampak ditampal di tiang-tiang lampu, mesin ATM dan di kantor-kantor sekitar Kuta. Ganjarannya sampai Rp 1 miliyar. Tak tahu pulak berapa tukaran dalam RM. 1 juta ke?

Kami ke Kuta dari Lovina dengan bas Perama lagi. Tiketnya Rp70,000 seorang (RM28) sama macam tiket dari Ubud ke Lovina. Tak sangka pulak bas tu berhenti di Ubud semula sebelum ke Kuta. Jadi dapatlah kami jengok Tegal Sari sambil refill air mineral. Penginapan di Kuta tak kami tempah lagi, cuma rujuk buku "Rough Guide", untuk cari penginapan yang dekat dengan stesen Perama di Kuta. Kena yang dekat, sebab kami tak nak heret beg kami yang dah sarat jauh-jauh.

Kuta punyalah sesak, berbeza dengan Ubud dan Lovina. Kira "culture shock" jugaklah. Turun je dari bas, pekerja Perama tanya " Udah ada hotel?". Terus akak jawab, "Ya, kami mau tinggal di Puri Agung". Terus ditunjukkan arah ke situ. Taklah jauh, dalam 300 meter, tapi tak glamor betul kena tarik beg atas jalanraya (bayangkan Chow Kit).

Akhirnya jumpalah Puri Agung (puri=istana). Menurut "Rough Guide", penginapan ini ialah jenis losmen (rumah tumpangan). Kecik je, bangunan dua tingkat, ada 12 bilik semuanya dan ditengah-tengahnya ada laman sekangkang kera. Sewanya Rp50,000 (RM20) semalam.

Sebelah-menyebelah Puri Agung semuanya losmen juga. Padat, disulami lorong-lorong kecil semuat motosikal lalu. Jauh beza dari Tegal Sari atau Hotel Bali Taman Lovina. Konon-konon nak jimat duit sikit sebab nak last minute shopping. Tapi kalau lain kali datang Kuta serik nak duduk kat losmen lagi. Dinding tak ada sound proof langsung. Lepas kita orang dengar sebutir-sebutir jiran sebelah, kita orang terus kawal sikit volume, yalah, kan sama bahasa. Nasib baik malam tu kami tak dengar bunyi-bunyi mengerang. Mungkin ada, tapi kami tak dengar sebab hujan. Kat luar pulak, bunyi motorsikal tak henti-henti sampai ke pukul 1 pagi. Tak macam orang-orang di Ubud dan Lovina yang kecut nak keluar malam, sebab takut jumpa hantu. Di Kuta, hantu lain yang keluar malam. Di Kuta banyak pub dan kelab, betul-betul cater untuk pelancung asing.

Aktiviti kami di Kuta relaks sahaja. Bersiar-siar di pantai Kuta, dan window shopping. Ingatkan nak tambah souvenir, tapi beg dah sarat, takut pulak kena denda dek Air Asia. DVD lanun selamba je diaorang jual dalam kantor, macam OK aje. Harga yang baru Rp10000, yang lama Rp7500. Itu yang tergoda tuh. Beli jugaklah.

Memori yang paling berkesan di Kuta ialah akak dibahasakan sebagai "embak". Pertama, dek seorang mamat ni yang sedang memandu mobilnya, bertanyakan saya yang dijalanan, "Embak, di mana musolla?" Juga, oleh budak muda pembantu di Puri Agung. Akak sebenarnya mendidih jugak. Apa, ingat aku tua sangat ke? Dahlah kat Lovina orang ingat akak mak si Tar. Balik Malaysia baru tahu yang embak maksudnya kakak, bukannya makcik. Yalah, kita bukan ikut serial Indon di TV kan. Memang berkesan memori itu sampailah jadi nama blog ni, hee hee.

Lepas dah pergi ke Bali 2 kali nih, rasanya dah puas tengok Bali. Tapi tak tahulah kan, kot-kot terdatang lagi.

CHASING DOLPHINS AT SUNRISE

That morning of 12th April, Che Tar and I woke up early, had our breakfast at Greenfields (the breakfast at Tegal Sari is better) and soon after off we dashed to the Ubud market for more souvenirs. We had to come back by 11 am as our bus was to leave at 11.30. The ride to the market and back was "gratis" meaning, on the house. Lots of things are sold there, from prepared food to produce to souvenirs. The shopping started off very calm but ended very frantic when we realized that it's time to leave. We didn't wait for our ride to come fearing that we would be late for the bus, so we took a cab instead.

Luckily the distance from Greenfields to the Perama bus station is about 20 steps, so we managed to reach it, with bags in tow in no time. But the bus was late. Oh well, it's better than if we were late. We were going to Lovina (acronym for Love Indonesia)which is located in the nothern part of the island. The journey took 3 hours with a stop midway in the town of Candikuning.

We reached Lovina at about 3pm, checked into Bali Taman Hotel and was pleasantly surprised that we were upgraded to a better room because the hotel had to accommodate a big group of German tourists. We unpacked our packed rice which we bought from a Muslim vendor in Candikuning and ate in grateful silence, after missing rice for 2 days.

We made our way to the beach in the evening hoping to catch a sunset. The beach is dull; its sand is black, residue of a volcanic eruption 4 decades ago. We were soon greeted by vendors selling stuff; we bought some because they were so relentless. The sunset was not that spectacular. Nearby, there was a ceremony going on; a group of villagers in their smart attire giving some kind of offering to the sea. The wailing of the priest and priestess went on until night time.

We woke up very, very early the next morning to catch a boat to sea to see dolphins! That's the main reason of our trip to this place. After several miles offshore, we (and like 20 other boats) met a few schools of dolphins. We didn't linger long, we had to return ashore to catch a bus that would take us to Kuta. Two other memorable things happened in Lovina; one, we saw one guest who could be George Bush's twin, and the other, which is so unjust - one of the vendors on the beach thought I am Tar's mother! Brengsek.

The unforgettable Fritos

Many, many years ago, I was lucky enough to study in the US of A. Those were very impressionable years, and until today I still wear the threadbare sleeveless "Minneapple" t-shirt when it's hot and sometimes the many-holed "Hamline University" sweatshirt to bed. A nostalgic person I am one! And every now and then I would have this craving for a certain salty snack called Fritos Corn Chips.

I have, for the longest time scoured the aisles in supermarkets for this particular snack; I even went to that one shop in Jalan Ampang that caters to the ex-pats community for this chips, but no one sells this chips in KL.

The last time I snacked on this chips was in 1998 or 1999, when my doctorate friend came back for a holiday. Since then, I had to be satisfied with a memory. Of course, I have friends who visit the States but I was too shy to ask them to get if for me. So when I learned that my sis-in-law was going to Santa Fe for work early this month, I jumped at the chance. Thanks to her, I am now munching the corn chips as I type these words.

What's so special about this snack? After all it's made of only corn, corn oil and salt. It is actually quite SALTY and when you eat on an empty stomach, it gives you a very satisfying and fulfilling experience. On that note, I shall stop munching and save the balance of the chips for later when I am really famished.

My Bali Experience Continues...

After checking into our new accommodation at Greenfields, Che Tar and I went to Perama Bus Station which is located just 3 metres away(Perama is Bali's biggest tour bus company) to buy tickets to Lovina. They cost Rp70,000 one way per person.

By 7 pm, we were ready to go to Pura Desa Kutuh (pura=temple). There are many cultural troupes in Ubud, as Ubud is known as the centre of Arts. There are many programs to choose from, so I consulted Pak Nengah for the best show tonight. The ride to the temple is complimentary. The driver dropped us off and promised to come back when the show is over.

We were early, so Che Tar and I sat in the front row. The stage is set outside the temple, kalau dalam kuil, tak naklah Embak masuk. By the time the show started at 7.30pm the theatre was filled with tourists.

The show started off by a procession of musicians,dancers and a priest. According to the program booklet the priest had just blessed the performers in the temple. Maybe not tonight because the priest proceeded to sprinkle holy water on the stage, the music instruments and the performers. Luckily he didn't spatter us the audience. The audience silently whispered to each other about the seated odd-looking musician; a mat salleh who played a flute-like instrument.

After a loud and lonnngg instrumental, the dancers came out; graceful dances alternated with scary mask dances. About 6 dances in all, if I'm not mistaken. I was sooo glad when the show finally came to an end. The young dancers came down to the floor to tuck a flower behind our ears but seeing I was wearing tudung, the girl just handed it to me.

Overall, I felt the show was HEAVY. I didn't mind the delightful head and eye movements of the petite young dancers, but the horrible looking masks and distorted movements of the male dancers disgusted me. Nonetheless, an interesting experience.The last time I was in Bali, I saw the Barong dance. For my next trip, I want to catch the all-male chest-baring Kecak dance. Yay!

JOGGING errr, WALKING, rather

At the beginning of the year, as usual, I made a list of things that I pledge to do, one of which, is exercise. You see, the newspaper, the internet, the radio, the tv have all been telling me, in order to have good health, one must not only eat well, sleep well, have positive thoughts, one must also EXERCISE! My manager has long advised me to join Clark Hatch, nah I said. I don't want to pay money to exercise. So I opted for the cheapest form of exercise, jogging! And I'd need a partner for that.

So I asked my buddy, Che Ani to jog with me. So every Friday evening, we would try, the key word here is "try" to jog together. To make it more interesting, we would change venues.

So the first two sessions, we jogged, oklah, we brisk walked, oklah, we breeze walked at the infamous Kelana Jaya park. Then we switched to Taman Tun park. Then to that park beside Amcorp Mall, then we walked at the housing estate where Che Ani lives. All in all, I think we jogged like 5 times. In between, I managed to jog with Che Tar twice at KLCC and Taman Tun. We started in March, and ended in May. The last time Che Ani and I attempted to exercise was to the furniture shop near her house, after which we immediately adjourned to IKEA in her car.

We blame the afternoon showers lah. So many times, rain-rain only. So, I switch to morning exercise. Since Che Ani could not join me, I brave myself to jog/walk at the park near my house. I promised myself to do it at least 3 times a week. But so far, I have not been consistent.

This morning I had a bonus! I caught sight of one jogger who is so "my type". I remember my Ustaz said the first sight is halal, the second one is also ok, the third yang tak boleh. So, after I first saw him, I jogged in the opposite direction knowing very well I'd bump into him again as we were both circling the lake. Senyum meleret gue. Best! Best!

Current Book: My CFP Text Book, final exam only 3 days away!
Current Distraction: www.joeperantau.blogspot.com

MASUK JAWI

Hakeem and little sister, Mai



Yesterday, my nephew Hakeem confidently went to do the obligatory. He is a brave, little man, not only didn’t he cry; he chuckled when the doctor performed the procedure. “Geli”, he said. His mother who went with him to the clinic said, there were many boys who were circumcised at the clinic yesterday; only one rather big size boy wailed. There was one boy, about 12 who went unaccompanied.

Being only 6, he is a champion because he beat two older cousins aged 8 and 9, who when asked, "Bila nak sunat nih?", they would shake their heads, “tak maulah!” . Hakeem was not in any way forced; he volunteered himself.

To my little soldier, "Bravo!"

REAL STORIES OF THE PENCOPETS

Two weeks ago, I met up with a childhood friend who told me how her car parked in front of her house was stolen; a neighbour-witness told her someone in a tow truck towed the car away. And how her husband's car was broken into because he left a big envelope in the front seat.

I got my "share" last Tuesday morning when coming back from a jog, I found my car windows smashed, and my glove compartment askew. I was about to tell my friend yesterday of that unfortunate incident when he told me, that very morning, his friend's purse was snatched while she was in her own car! Her error; she was oblivious to her surroundings as she was busy talking away on the mobile phone.

Another friend whom I saw yesterday afternoon told a similar story; her student, also driving a car, had her purse snatched by a motorcyclist at a traffic lights. So be wary, you are a target of the snatch thieves whether you are standing by the roadside or sitting in "the safety" of your car. Why, o why are there so many bad people nowadays?Geram betul!

So I hope we all learn from these stories. 1)Do not buy expensive cars. 2)Do not leave anything of interest in the car. 3)Be alert and wary of people around you. 4)Lock your cars, and 5) Pray for Allah's protection at all times.

As for me, despite my loss, I gain from my experience. I now do not drive to the park I jog in anymore. Instead, I walk to it.

HOW NICE...

.... Tash Aw uses this term "a maiden aunt" in his book The Harmony Silk Factory. Softer and dignified, don't you agree than "a spinster aunt"?:)If you have not read the book, do it. It's first class. Last year, the book won Whitbread First Novel Award.

THE CHILDREN OF KELIKI

Pak Pande (lucukan namanya!) asked us where we would like to go. We asked him to take us to the craft villages. We spent some time at the wood and painting villages, but bought nothing. We stopped barely 5 minutes at the silversmith as Tar and I weren’t keen on the pieces. We were actually discouraged by Pande from buying at these places because according to him things are cheaper in Tegalalang. Since, we were charged by the hour, we asked Pande to skip the other villages, and take us to Tegalang. He recommended that we go to Keliki first to visit a traditional Bali house, as it is just outside Tegalalang. We agreed.

You know, when Pande said “traditional Bali home”, what conjured in my mind was a beautiful home resplendent in everything Bali, from the garden to the furniture; similar to the ones I have seen in lifestyle magazines. But to that Balinese man, it means the home where the regular Balinese live. It was indeed a simple house with several quarters shared by 2 or 3 households with a common prayer area and kitchen. These are poor people. They do not have a garden or a fountain which I thought were standard features in a Bali home. Instinctively, I took out the Apollo cakes (that I wanted to give to Giri, then Pande) and gave to the hostess, “For the children”, I said. She thanked me and placed the box on the table. She quickly returned with 3 cups of strong coffee (homegrown and home-brewed, memang kao!). Sampai saya balik, bebudak tu langsung tak gaduh nak sentuh kotak tupun. Admirable!

There were indeed many shops in Tegalalang. They lined the 2 or 3 km road offering all kinds of stuff; a shopper’s heaven. But since time was the essence, we only stopped at shops that sell items on our shopping list i.e. frames and bowls. Pande clocked 4 hours and 45 minutes, so we paid Rp 285,000 to the hotel. Tar went straight to her massage and I to a next door hotel to arrange for our accommodation for the night. I have tried to extend our stay at Tegal Sari, but TS was fully booked. Have I known Tegal Sari was soooo nice, I would have reserved for two nights. According to Pande, throughout his 4 months tenure at TS, the hotel has always been fully occupied.

THE MEN AND WOMEN OF TEGAL SARI

l to r: Pak Nengah & Pak Sudharta

In the semi darkness, we read a signage that pointed inwards “Tegal Sari Accommodation 20M --->”. “Sudoh!” For some reason, I was expecting the hotel to be by the roadside. We pulled our suitcases on a narrow, cobbled path towards the pointed direction. We came to a sign that said “Greenfields”. Where is Tegal Sari? In the dark and in fatigue, 20 metres seemed to be very far. We came to a bend, and suddenly, a surprised but pleasant voice greeted us. It’s the reception clerk of Tegal Sari Accomodations. He asked for my name and confirmed our reservation, and quickly briefed us our room number, the breakfast hours and menu, and other facilities; all of which can also be found in a folder in our room. He sent for a porter to carry our bags, and he walked with us to the room, which is on the first floor of a bungalow, that houses 4 rooms.

I was very, very happy with the room. It was beautiful and clean and honestly true to the pictures posted on their website www.tegalsari-ubud.com. Before I flew in, I didn’t know of this website. I chanced upon the hotel when I surfed one of the middle-men sites, so I was relying on second-hand information. The “hotel” has not been rated, not even a one-star, so I was not expecting much. I now recommend it to everyone, especially for the excellent service of the staff. Their staff, are very courteous and like many people in Bali, speak at least one foreign language. Throughout my 4-day stay on the Island, I heard the Balinese speak fluent English (of course!), Japanese and French and some German.

Pak Sudharta took the time to explain to us how to use the secured safe. This is a first, I tell you. No hotel staff has ever done that before in all my travels. But it was actually rather unnecessary as we do not have valuables to make use of the secured safe. We were actually praying that he would finish so that we can take a bath and hit the bed.

Tuesday, 11th April 2006.

We woke up the next morning to the soft sounds of the traffic. Lucky for us that Tegal Sari is not by the main road. I went to the balcony, and before me was a vista of green. Beauuutifuuul! The hotel is right smack in the middle of a sawah padi.

We went down to the café for the complimentary breakfast. Tar and I both chose avocado ("adpokat" in Bahasa Indonesia) juice. I also ordered banana lempeng and she chose the banana jaffle, which is two pieces of toast with slices of banana in between. The avocado juice was simply delicious.

After breakfast, Tar enquired whether the masseuse has arrived as she had booked one for 9am. The masseuse was not able to come, so the urut session was postponed to 4 pm. We talked to Pak Nengah on hiring the hotel’s car with driver to take us sightseeing to the villages surrounding Ubud. Each village has their own unique specialty, the very concept what Malaysia is trying to emulate. The car charter rate was Rp60,000 per hour. Pak Nengah said he himself will drive us.

One thing I noticed at Tegal Sari is that they seem to have this policy that the male staff attend to female visitors, and; vice versa. I noticed this one American gentleman, who arrived that morning asking for a certain female staff, and when she appeared; embraced her. Apparently, he is a returning guest. I was sure there’s no hanky-panky going on, but to me that is evidence my alleged policy works. Guests keep returning! In my case, I was hardly speaking to the female staff during my time there. All my questions and requests were attended by the male staff. I still remember the attention and the smiles of Pak Nengah, Pak Sudharta and Pak Pande.

Later, Pak Nengah told us that he was needed to man the reception counter, and his colleague, Pak Pande (who looked twenty but is actually 32) will drive us instead.

BALI REVISITED

By a stroke of good luck, I manage to create this blog. True to Che Tar's words, it's so easy.... So here's my new attempt to publish a blog after 1 year's hiatus.

Hmm. The subject that had been on my mind these past two weeks is my recent trip to Bali. But the memories are fading slowly by the day, so I feel it is right that I record my impressions of the trip here.

Che Tar and I flew into the island on 10th April from the new LCCT , and by the time we landed at Ngurah Rai International Airport it was a little after 8 pm. I was counting on Pak Giri, the guide from my last trip to wait for us there. But he was not there!I rang him up, and he apologised saying that he did wait for me, but thought I could not make the trip. True or not, who's to know? The plane was actually an hour late.

It was dark, and raining, and the town that we wanted to go to is about 45 minutes away. According to Rough Guide (last printing Dec 2005), the airport taxis are reliable and safe, and they charge Rp115,000 for a ride to Ubud. I enquired, but the fare is now Rp175,000. Must be the reaction to the various oil price hikes this year.

At the same time, a Mat Salleh guy was also asking for a Ubud-bound taxi. Light bulb!! "Do you want to share a taxi?", I asked. Despite the taxi supervisor's refusal to let us share a taxi, we went ahead and crammed the guy's and his girlfriend's giant backpacks and our two bags into the bonnet. Ngam-ngam muat.Wah! I felt like we were in some reality show. Applause, people. We overcame our first crisis and extra points please, for saving some money.

The couple, Bob and Kath are from England. They are on a round the world tour since September 2005. They quit their jobs, and do not have a clue what they will do when they return home in August. They told us about 1-world ticket for which they paid 3,000 pound to British Airways for the air tickets for their entire journey. Good value scheme, I'd say. And the couple, bold and reckless, I feel. But they are young, in late twenties, so I figure they can afford the risks.

We reached Ubud at around 9 pm, the journey was made slow by the wet roads. The area on Jalan Hanoman was quite, I guess most people, including the tourists were already indoors. We dropped the couple first so they can look for a room. A few steps away, the taxi driver dropped us at a spot where, he said, our pre-booked hotel is.