The holidays are here again! Twice a year, my nephews and nieces from Penang will visit their Atok and Nenek and Mak Long.
I always look forward to these visits, but honestly, after a few hours, I would have to put on a shield to survive, which is turning on a deaf ear when one child screams to another and holding back when a parent scolds a child. And a blind eye when the house starts to resemble a shipwreck. Cooking and washing will increase a few folds, the tv, cd player and computer will be surrendered to keep the kids entertained.
My brain cells had a good crack to find that cuti-cuti Malaysia spot that’s not too far from KL that will provide precious bonding opportunity with the young ones. Am I complaining? Hell, yes! But at the same time, they give me a good excuse to skip work for a few days. Me smiling.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
Monday, May 28, 2007
Write a will today
Amanah Raya Berhad is having a promotion on will writing now until 30th August 2007. It now only costs RM150 to write a will (usual RM350). No extra charge for rewrites later and free safekeeping for life. Hurry to your nearest ARB branch, or you could register your interest with me as I am an authorized agent of ARB.
In your will, other than the distribution of your estate (less debts), pay attention to:
1. Appointment of ARB as the wasi/administrator of your estate.
2. The guardian of your underaged children.
3. Your favourite charity should you want to generate eternal pahala.
ARB staff will guide you on faraid distribution and probate matters. You could also contact me for clarification.
In your will, other than the distribution of your estate (less debts), pay attention to:
1. Appointment of ARB as the wasi/administrator of your estate.
2. The guardian of your underaged children.
3. Your favourite charity should you want to generate eternal pahala.
ARB staff will guide you on faraid distribution and probate matters. You could also contact me for clarification.
The grass is not always greener the other side of the longkang
I used to envy a friend.
Today, I sit in her living room, in a grand house, in a posh area. I see that she has some white hair now, but her complexion is as fine as a twenty-year old. We talk about the inconveniences of growing older, but agree that age has somewhat made us see things more clearly, i.e wiser. In passing, she mentions something about her “polygamous” husband. That’s new; in the past she has never mentioned him like that, just “my husband”, even though she is in fact wife no. 2. And then, she confesses, yes her husband has taken a new wife. And she is heartbroken. Who wouldn’t? For many days and nights, she struggles to find acceptance, to have “redha”.
She says, One day, my daughter (8 years old) came to me and asked, Mommy, do you regret marrying daddy? She waited for my answer, I just couldn’t respond, my heart was heavy with sadness. And then she asked again, Mommy, do you regret having me? Then, it hit me. I realize the marriage had not been all futile. It takes my innocent daughter to make me realize something good did come out of the marriage.
Tears well up in my friends eyes. Embak, always the emotional, cry along. I am learning to cope with this trial, she continues. My children are very supportive and understanding. I read books about women in Arabia and how they cope with polygamy. And I turn to Allah most of all.
It is heartbreaking for a wife when her husband takes a new wife irregardless what th wife she is. Another friend of mine who is a third wife fell into depression when her husband took wife number 4.
I guess a rich polygamist will always strive to fulfill his quota.
I am no longer envious.
Today, I sit in her living room, in a grand house, in a posh area. I see that she has some white hair now, but her complexion is as fine as a twenty-year old. We talk about the inconveniences of growing older, but agree that age has somewhat made us see things more clearly, i.e wiser. In passing, she mentions something about her “polygamous” husband. That’s new; in the past she has never mentioned him like that, just “my husband”, even though she is in fact wife no. 2. And then, she confesses, yes her husband has taken a new wife. And she is heartbroken. Who wouldn’t? For many days and nights, she struggles to find acceptance, to have “redha”.
She says, One day, my daughter (8 years old) came to me and asked, Mommy, do you regret marrying daddy? She waited for my answer, I just couldn’t respond, my heart was heavy with sadness. And then she asked again, Mommy, do you regret having me? Then, it hit me. I realize the marriage had not been all futile. It takes my innocent daughter to make me realize something good did come out of the marriage.
Tears well up in my friends eyes. Embak, always the emotional, cry along. I am learning to cope with this trial, she continues. My children are very supportive and understanding. I read books about women in Arabia and how they cope with polygamy. And I turn to Allah most of all.
It is heartbreaking for a wife when her husband takes a new wife irregardless what th wife she is. Another friend of mine who is a third wife fell into depression when her husband took wife number 4.
I guess a rich polygamist will always strive to fulfill his quota.
I am no longer envious.
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Excuse Me
I have not blogged for 2 weeks now - last week I was couped in a hotel for 5 days (actually 3 and half , because we had field trips on the remaining days). My mind was focused on learning, and meeting new people. So that's my excuse. Heck, I can't even convince myself that is a good one.
Really, I do not have much to say; my life is that flat. Perhaps you could go to these blogs for the time being. I peruse this daily,
http://www.rickey.org/ for the latest on Sanjaya Malakar and other AI contestants, and this, weekly:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-bSgka9MjerQP1V1Jo45o
for beautiful prose to wind down over the weekend. Deli, the latter is actually your blog. To the other 3 readers, you should visit Deli's blog. This poet had people in tears last Saturday when he recited his poems before them.
My current read: E. Annie Proulx's Shipping News (which I pick after watching Brokeback Mountain and reading Ms Proulx's short story of the same title).
Really, I do not have much to say; my life is that flat. Perhaps you could go to these blogs for the time being. I peruse this daily,
http://www.rickey.org/ for the latest on Sanjaya Malakar and other AI contestants, and this, weekly:
http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-bSgka9MjerQP1V1Jo45o
for beautiful prose to wind down over the weekend. Deli, the latter is actually your blog. To the other 3 readers, you should visit Deli's blog. This poet had people in tears last Saturday when he recited his poems before them.
My current read: E. Annie Proulx's Shipping News (which I pick after watching Brokeback Mountain and reading Ms Proulx's short story of the same title).
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Lets not be idle
Wah, what a long break we are having; it’s a week off work if one takes Friday and Monday as leaves. Since I am without agenda this time, my yesterday and today were spent on watching and re-watching Robert Altman’s Gosford Park VCD, which I bought during a trip in Hong Kong 4 years ago which by the way, I still do not know whether legal or pirated. The packaging and the VCD's quality are convincingly original but it cost me equiv RM10 only, - what da ya think? It was a title that I was looking hi and lo for in Malaysia at that time, so when I saw it in Hong Kong, I grabbed it. But the Chinese sub-titles irk me every time.
I have actually watched this video twice before, but this time, with surplus free time, I looked up the internet to research the movie. I joined the discussion board on IMDB website, looked up for Ebert’s review and downloaded the script to make sense what the mostly British cast are saying.
It’s a story set in 1930’s that takes place over 1 week or so at a grand manor in the English countryside with a murder thrown in, in the middle of the story. The cast is comprised of two sets of people; the upstairs people i.e. the aristocrats and the guests, and the downstairs people i.e. the servants. I don’t know how to summarize the storyline, because there are so many characters and sub-stories, so I just say this. It’s a movie that you cannot blink, because you chance to miss a gesture. Many times I have to press the replay button to see what all the characters in that frame are doing. All in all, it is a very well made movie.
Do you know that the Americans and the British have different pronunciation for the word “valet”?
Ah, I also stumbled upon this website http://www.gutenberg.org/ which hosts millions of e-books that you can download for FREE. And Frank McCourt’s favourite author P.G.Wodehouse’s works are listed. Yay! I know I’ll be as busy as a bee tomorrow.
I have actually watched this video twice before, but this time, with surplus free time, I looked up the internet to research the movie. I joined the discussion board on IMDB website, looked up for Ebert’s review and downloaded the script to make sense what the mostly British cast are saying.
It’s a story set in 1930’s that takes place over 1 week or so at a grand manor in the English countryside with a murder thrown in, in the middle of the story. The cast is comprised of two sets of people; the upstairs people i.e. the aristocrats and the guests, and the downstairs people i.e. the servants. I don’t know how to summarize the storyline, because there are so many characters and sub-stories, so I just say this. It’s a movie that you cannot blink, because you chance to miss a gesture. Many times I have to press the replay button to see what all the characters in that frame are doing. All in all, it is a very well made movie.
Do you know that the Americans and the British have different pronunciation for the word “valet”?
Ah, I also stumbled upon this website http://www.gutenberg.org/ which hosts millions of e-books that you can download for FREE. And Frank McCourt’s favourite author P.G.Wodehouse’s works are listed. Yay! I know I’ll be as busy as a bee tomorrow.
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