IFTAR AT MIRA'S PLACE

My mum and I had a wonderful iftar at Mira's place last night. Nothing fancy and elaborate. Just a small gathering with a few close friends and Mira's family. Coco, my mum and I arrived quite late since we decided to buy some fruits at the last minute. We had to make a detour all the way to town before finally heading to our destination. FooArt and his wife, Yati, had arrived much earlier after FooArt closed his salon at sevenish. The food prepared by Mira was excellent but catching up with each other was priceless. We definitely had a good time that night. Lately, all of us have become so caught up in our own hectic schedules that we rarely have time to get together like we used to. All of them are busy running their own business and unlike them, I am the only salaried employee in the group. Most of the time, our schedules will clash. They are usually busy during school holidays and weekends when that is the time I am usually free. We don't even get together for tea or karaoke sessions or anymore. I was not planning to stay long in the beginning but I ended up going back after eleven. If I had my way, I would have stayed much longer but unfortunately, today is a working day for me. I'm hoping our next gathering will be better and longer than this one. An outing with everyone in tow would be nice but I guess it will have to wait.

TEEN MARRIAGE : SYAFIK AND YANA

A wedding between a 16 year-old boy and a 14 year-old girl which can be watched on youtube has invited a lot of positive and negative comments from viewers. To some people, the couple might be a little bit too young and immature to get married but I guess everyone has his or her own opinion concerning teenagers getting married. I prefer to see the positive side of the union between these two young lovebirds. They might be young but with proper guidance and support, they can be a better couple than those who are much older. After all, there are many couples who are unable to sustain their relationship despite their so-called maturity. To this couple, congratulations and may both of you stay true to your love.

p/s These pictures are the captured stills from the youtube video. I think both of them look so sweet together.

RAMADHAN 1433H

InsyaAllah, Muslims in Malaysia will start observing Ramadhan this Saturday. The time for spiritual purification and soul cleansing is back once again to greet Muslims all over the world just like the previous years. With the sighting of a new moon, the gates of heaven will be opened and blessings will be abundant for all who seek them. Ramadhan also gives us the opportunity to heal ourselves from any negativity that can tarnish us physically, mentally and spiritually. In this post, I would like to wish everyone a wonderful Ramadhan. I hope I will be able to observe this holy month as well as possible. A lot of good things have come my way this year and I feel I am truly blessed. It's time for me to give myself an internal inspection and correction. I also wish for spiritual enlightenment, insightful wisdom and ability to differentiate truth from falsehood. May our submission and devotion to Allah make us better servants to Him. InsyaAllah.

URBAN EXPLORATION : BETWEEN LIFE AND DEATH

I found this totally interesting website 'Urban Exploration' by accident when I was reading a posting on my friend's facebook. It is sad to discover that there are so many abandoned buildings and structures around us which have gone unnoticed. Structurally and architecturally, the foundations of most of these buildings are still intact despite their being abandoned for quite sometime. One of the places mentioned in this website is Pulau Bidong in Terengganu which was once used as a refugee camp for the Vietnamese 'boat people'. A good friend of mine used to work on the island more than 20 years ago teaching English and a few other helpful skills to these refugees before they resettled in other first world countries such as the United States, Canada, Australia and France. The island is still not properly developed until now and visitors to the island will only be greeted by ruins and remnants of all sorts. Closer to my hometown is this almost forgotten 'ghost town'. Nobody ever pays much attention to it and most people will only drive by without giving it a second glance. Most of the shophouses are in severe dilapidated conditions and are clearly not fit for living. Like a lot of other small towns that mushroomed all over Perak in the last century and especially during the 'tin rush', this deserted little town once had been the 'heart' of small villages surrounding it. Sadly, it does have the same lucky fate like the other towns. Instead of flourishing and enjoying what modernisation can bring, it has been left behind to die a slow uncertain death. I haven't had the chance to exactly explore this place and I don't think it is safe to do so alone. This place is called Kampung Kepayang and there are still a lot of people who live around the area. I think one of the reasons why this place is unable to survive is due to its location which is non-strategic commercially. Not many would want to start or have a business here since there are a few other towns a few kilometres away providing services to the residents around the area. In my opinion, it is a shame to see places like Pulau Bidong and Kampung Kepayang neglected just like that. They had a past and they had a history. Give them a new breath of life or grant them a dignified death. Don't let them suffer like this.

p/s I did a little editing to the pictures so as to give them a more romanticised quality. The buildings actually look real bad in real life.

IT FINALLY RAINED!

The hot, humid weather was too much for me to bear and just when I thought it would never rain until September, the weather suddenly changed in a blink of an eye. I was taking a short nap in the living room this afternoon while waiting for my Mum to come back from her dialysis when I felt totally cold. I forced myself to get up and to my surprise, it was raining. It has been a while since it last rained and this time, the rain came down real hard. The drain in front of my house was full of rainwater which was moving fast and carrying a lot of junk. The heavy downpour was also accompanied by gusty wind, rolling thunder and electrifying lightning. I switched off all the major electrical appliances and sat quietly in the cold, dark house since there was nothing I could do but wait for the rain to subside a little bit. By the time my Mum reached home, the rain had already abated. I am totally grateful for this much-needed respite from the sweltering heat that has been going on for quite some time now. Everything around me looks so dry and brittle especially the trees and fields in my neighbourhood. People also get tired (and also irrationally angry) easily and going out in the scorching sun is not fun at all. The fasting month is quickly approaching and I hope the weather will turn out all nice and pleasant by then. One thing for sure is both my Mum and I will be sleeping like babies tonight.

FLASHBACK: PML

Being an 'old' guy, I am into a lot of 'old' things (not antiques since I can never afford them). When I say 'old', I mean things that were familiar to me when I was growing up. PMLs or 'pinggan mangkuk lama' have long been the craze for quite a number of people (especially women) in Malaysia. Fans of these types of crockery will go to all lengths to complete their collection. They will trade with other collectors, rummage through the back of old shops, visit flea markets, ask from family members (usually their mothers and grandmothers), buy online (where the prices are ridiculously exorbitant most of the time) et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Some of these PMLs were not really that expensive in the first place especially the ones which were made in China. They were used mostly by Malay and Chinese families during their daily meals. My mum told me that back in the 60s - 80s it was common for Malays to lend their PMLs for any 'kenduri' (especially weddings) since nobody had enough crockery for the guests to use. That is why if we look at the bottom of some of these pre-loved PMLs, we can find the names or initials of the owners written. She also mentioned that many Malays from the older generation preferred not to use transparent plates since they could see through the bottom of their plates. Nobody ever thought back then that these PMLs would become 'prized' items like they are now. PMLs which were made in England and Japan were much more expensive and beautiful than the ones made in China. China-made PMLs have been given Malay names such as 'bunga kangkung', 'bunga kekwa', 'bunga ros', 'bunga dahlia', 'bunga peony', 'bunga padi', 'bunga sakura' and 'bunga lalang' based on the designs and colours by PML collectors since there were no specific names for them in the first place. There are many other designs that I'm not familiar with though. I have to admit that these PMLs have their own charm and attraction. I do not own any complete set of any of the PMLs but I do have a few odd pieces here and there. At the moment, most of them are sitting pretty in my cabinet but I do use them once in a while.

These are PMLs (from the 'bunga kangkung' collection).

These are also PMLs (from the Johnson Brothers Old Mill collection).

These are my still not stored PMLs (from the 'bunga kekwa hitam' collection).

This slightly chipped PML is used as a feeding bowl for my cats (they deserve their own PML too).

This PML is without its cover so I use it for my money plant (FYI the flowers are fake and for decorative purpose only).

This is NOT PML. Don't start looking for the whole complete set because you will never be able to find it. This one is a 'gift' when you buy a big box of 'Daia' detergent.

LET'S KARAOKE 23 : ABBA - SUPER TROUPER

Back in high school, I had a friend who was a big fan of ABBA. Both of us were staying in the same hostel and our beds were next to each other. He was one of my best friends during my early teens before both of us discovered other like-minded friends and interests. He is still a good friend of mine though and we still keep in touch with each other until now. He knew a lot about ABBA and was especially nuts about Agnetha Fältskog. For those who don't know, Agnetha was the blond goddess with the sexiest bum in show business long before J.Lo and Beyonce's derrières took centre stage. During weekends when we had nothing to do, my friend and I would often sing a few ABBA songs that we knew. Our favourites were Chiquitita, Angel Eyes and Voulez-Vous. At one time, one of the hostel wardens was listening to us without our knowledge. We were singing near his room since we thought he had gone for his weekly outing. He only made his presence known when he started clapping after our 'performance'. We quickly scrambled from our 'stage' never to return. Since that day, we tried to avoid him whenever possible. I haven't listened to this song for quite a long time and I guess it's time I called my friend to see if he would like to join me for a few ABBA karaoke sessions the next time he comes down to visit me. This time, I will make sure that the Super Trouper lights shine on us brightly!

The single's cover

Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you

I was sick and tired of everything
When I called you last night from Glasgow
All I do is eat and sleep and sing
Wishing every show was the last show

So imagine I was glad to hear you're coming
Suddenly I feel all right
And it's gonna be so different
When I'm on the stage tonight

Tonight the Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
Smiling, having fun
Feeling like a number one

Tonight the Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you

Facing twenty thousand of your friends
How can anyone be so lonely
Part of a success that never ends
Still I'm thinking about you only

There are moments when I think I'm going crazy
But it's gonna be alright
Everything will be so different
When I'm on the stage tonight

Tonight the Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
Smiling, having fun
Feeling like a number one

Tonight the Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you

So I'll be there when you arrive
The sight of you will prove to me I'm still alive
And when you take me in your arms
And hold me tight
I know it's gonna mean so much tonight

Tonight the Super Trouper lights are gonna find me
Shining like the sun
Smiling, having fun
Feeling like a number one

Tonight the Super Trouper beams are gonna blind me
But I won't feel blue
Like I always do
'Cause somewhere in the crowd there's you

p/s This one is for you, Alzafri! Thank you for making high school years fun and tolerable.

MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING

FooArt, one of my homies, got married yesterday after Zuhr prayer at the Sungai Lesong Mosque. These pictures were taken the night before the 'akad nikah'. The wedding recepton will be held later next week.

FooArt's mum (in red and white) and my mum (in grey) having a very late dinner at Man and Ida's house.

Mira and Coco in their best 'beached whale' poses. Mira's baby, Iman, was clearly fast asleep and oblivious to what was going on around him.

Kak Teh, FooArt's sister putting the pounded henna leaves on his fingers while the others waited for their turns.

My mum, Ida's mother, Kak Teh, FooArt and FooArt's mum. The back of Coco's head also makes its appearance in this picture.

That's me fixing the pounded henna leaves on my mum's fingers.

Ida (the hostess), Shaun, Ady and Man in the background.

THE LEGENDARY CONCERT

These are 4 superstars who have left their indelible footprints in the local music world. Sheila Majid, the petite chanteuse, made an impact on the Malaysian music scene with her debut album which was aptly titled 'Dimensi Baru' in 1985. Zainal Abidin was the lead singer for Headwind and had vast experiences performing in clubs long before he made the concept of world music acceptable to the local audience. The androgynous singer of Search, Amy, was partly responsible for the popularity of 'rock kapak' back in the 80s. Jamal Abdillah was the winner of Bintang RTM 1979 and despite the many controversies surrounding his life, has remained immensely popular. The final leg of their Legendary Concert will be held sometime this month in KL. I truly wish I could be there to witness these four legends in action. :(

REDESIGNING MY BLOG

I've thought about getting a new template for my blog and giving it a new face-lift quite a number of times. To tell the truth, the look of a kiddie blog (my blog that is) was not what I really had in mind in the first place but I am not that savvy when it comes to anything ICT. I don't know how to use a lot of softwares that can enhance the look and appearance of my blog. My knowledge regarding applications and gadgets that can be used is also very limited. Hence, the reason why my blog still looks the way I started it more than three years ago. Any guest to my blog will most probably assume it as belonging to a newbie and to tell the truth, I don't mind that perception one bit. They are absolutely right. No doubts whatsoever. My blog looks like a kiddie blog. I am a newbie. I am quite ICT-challenged. I am ..................... (fill in the blank yourself). I am not embarrassed to admit all that (but I am not proud either). I've received a few (more than just a few actually) comments from guests and readers who visited my blog, and I thank all of you for the suggestions and advice. One of the visitors mentioned about it being too green and lacking that personal touch. A few suggested that I get rid of the fish swimming at the top right-hand corner of this blog since it would tamper with downloading time. I know the fish can be quite distracting but I sort of like them there. I guess it's just one of my idiosyncrasies; liking something for no apparent reason. Some advised utilising the 'read more' button so that my entries will be shorter in appearance and not occupy a lot of space. Others queried about not being able to post any comment. Many felt strange not seeing any Nuffnang or adsense ads on my blog. I never answered any of these questions (I don't think I ever will) simply because I didn't know how to answer them or I didn't know what they were referring to (I'm a newbie, remember?). I've also learned a few things but I am still in the dark on how to make this blog user-friendly, appealing, interesting, impressive and blah, blah, blah blah, blah. Changing the way this blog looks means trial and error, and I don't like using this method since I might not be able to undo anything that I don't like. As a conclusion, I'm going to leave it the way it is for the meantime. If you see any changes here from time to time, it will only mean one thing : I have learned something new that I really like.

p/s I've replaced my profile pic with a new one but I don't think anybody will notice that teeny weeny change. I've also removed a few links that I think I no longer need on my blog.