Reunion...

...Under a Cloud

Well, it was not literally under the cloud but it was a way of depicting how this reunion of mad redo1 and his ex-Semesdian friends happened. It was a Facebook message from Engku Azmi informing us of the condition of our former schoolmate Ridzuan Safuan or Doer who had to go under the knife in order to take out the tumor attaching itself to his brain.

After a few days the news came back from his family that the operation was largely a successful one but a minor setback for Doer was him losing his sight.

Thus Mohamad Hilmi took the initiative of arranging a visiting party to see Doer and his family at the Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) in Kubang Kerian. So on the set day Hilmi and his wife, Masrina, Nizam, Abu Hasmadi and mad redo1 together with Suhainita sat our butts in Hilmi's Toyota Innova and set the GPS for HUSM.

The journey started a bit late. During this 3 hour drive everybody cast their memory back to events happening more than twenty years ago when we were less a person than ourselves today (body mass that is).

With a few unexpected departures already, with the latest being Irfan due to chronic diabetes we wondered whether the list will increase anytime soon. Of course we prayed it would not, at least not in the immediate future.

When we reached HUSM, Suhainita has been renamed Eskay for reasons known to many ex-Semesdians, a gentler version of her nickname from our schooldays. It was also past visiting hours.

We managed to meet Doer's wife who was returning to kL to commence her work after taking so many leaves in order to tend her beloved Doer. It was good to see her maintaining high spirits during this trying times.

Then we proceeded to the Intensive Care Unit where Doer was being observed after the operation. His mother was the one left taking care of him for a while. Fortunately we were given the permission to see Doer. 

I never like hospitals and prefer not to set foot in one especially under circumstances such as this. However it is not what we like or do not like when it comes to this kind of situation. So mad redo1 entered the room with Nizam and Doer was in his bed with an oxygen mask was put over his mouth and nose.

It was difficult to express one's feeling when facing such situations. We tried to communicate by talking softly but Doer was still under sedation and despite responding to some of our communication his attempt to talk ended in gibberish.

We departed for home shortly after leaving Doer with our prayers for his recovery.

On the way we made a stop at Kuala Besut for dinner and this time another reunion of sorts happened when another schoolmate of ours, Suharto popped up. He was still his usual self. Now a General Manager at Demong Beach Resort he offered a discounted rate should anyone of us decided to take some time off.

The conversation went on for quite some time and by the time mad redo1 reached home, it was already one in the morning.

...

A Half Year...

...Review

Six months have passed since AKS#1 left the nest for a hostel life at SMAAZA.


Yesterday mad redo1 and Linda went to the school for a review of Berg's performance during the recent examination. Suffice to say that she did not perform too bad and as a bonus Berg is in the top ten percent among her peers.

That is something to cheer about.

Unfortunately, all are not that rosy with Berg still insisting on a transfer to another school, which something mad redo1 is not really fond of doing as a mid year transfer means disruption to her studies and also the process of adaptation to a new environment.

For me, most of her problems stem from her relationship with her fellow students as they found her straight talking nature is quite insensitive. At the same time their nosy nature of poking their nose at personal matters is also the source of irritation for Berg, and to a certain extent for Linda and mad redo1 too.

For me it is up to the individual student on how to dress outside the school during their personal time as long they do not imitate the style of Lady Gaga or Beyonce. But no, some of the students have to bring this matter to the teacher.

The teacher should have put a stop to this gossiping nature at that time and not become a gossiper herself. That if we live in a perfect world. Unfortunately, we don't.

Thus Berg's future at SMAAZA is still remain unknown for the time being.


...

Appreciation...

...Just for a Day?

Everybody is wishing Happy Teacher's Day through all kinds of media.

So, is it okay if mad redo1 does not follow the trend?

Would that be considered as un-grateful?

Perhaps.

But the best appreciation a teacher can get from his/her students is when they turned out to be human beings with the mind of a human and not a being with human face but the heart of an animal.

Be it a millionaire or just a road-side sweeper, most teachers will always feel proud that their charges are living the lives as humans, and I believe many would feel pain in their hearts seeing any recognizable face being brought to court in handcuffs and charged with criminal wrongdoings.

I may not be a recognizable face in the media but as long as I am living as a decent human being, earning what is meant for me and try to impart the same principles to my off-springs, then I am appreciating the teachings of all my teachers right from the first knowledge that I gained till the day I breath my last breath.

...

Worthwhile...

...Wait

Remember when you were a child and walking in a shop, suddenly your eyes were attracted to a toy. With high hopes you ran to your mother and asked her to buy you the toy. But hopes turned into ashes when she told you that it would not be yours today. 

"Lain kali ya..." (Next time, alright?)

This is a trend that somehow continues to be with us even when we are adults. We see something that tickle our fancy but this time around we have to tell ourselves:

"One day..."

Well, that was the case for mad redo1 when he wished for either a Nikon D90 or a D300 (now D300s) a while back. Although he already has a D60 mad redo1 found there are a number of limitations with the most popular entry level DSLR from Nikon which limit the level of satisfaction from the output.

Well, yesterday my wish has came true with a D90 coming home with me after waiting for quite a while. The joy is the same as I felt when finally I got to have my favourite toys, although this time the toy is much more expensive and at the same time could be more than just a toy for me.

Hopefully, I will be able to come up with better shots, artistic or work wise with the additional gear to my arsenal.

...

Feeling Safe...

...No More

Taken from Today's News Straits Times. 

2 rob teacher at kindergarten

2010/04/14

By Jason Gerald John

ALOR GAJAH: Two men, one armed with a parang, stormed into the compound of a kindergarten in Taman Bukit Rembia and robbed a female teacher of cash and jewellery worth RM6,000 yesterday.

There were four children, aged 5 and 6, in Tabika Perpaduan during the 12.15pm incident, but none were harmed.

It is learnt that at the time of the incident, the 50-year-old teacher was alone with the four children as her colleagues and other children had gone home.

District police chief Superintendent Umar Ali Shaifuddin Shaharuddin said the teacher was with the preschoolers in the compound of the kindergarten, waiting for the arrival of their parents.

"Suddenly, a black Proton Wira stopped at the entrance of the kindergarten and two men, one armed with a parang, alighted from the car, rushed toward the teacher and instructed her and the children to go into the kindergarten.

"They then demanded that the teacher surrender all her valuables."

"Fearing for the lives of the children, the teacher handed over all her cash and jewellery," he said, adding that a third man was waiting in the car during the robbery.

Umar said the robbers were all in their 30s.

As a parent who sends his child to a nursery and kindergarten, mad redo1 wonders whether the same thing will happen here in Terengganu. These places are fast becoming targets for desperate robbers who see the women running the centres as easy prey, especially with the safety of the children under their care is at stake.

Many assume that the owners of the nurseries and kindergarten are usually women with lots of money, especially with the amount they charge to parents for sending their children under their care nowadays.They will attract even more attention if they have all kind of rings and bracelets dangling from their fingers and arms.

I hope the incident will not become a recurring theme in our daily dose of crime in the news to the extent the nurseries have to resort to employing security guards to ensure the premises' security. It will mean the nurseries will have an additional operating cost that will no doubt will be transferred to the parents.

To a safer Malaysia.

...

Shot...

...in The Butt.

Lisa is thirteen months old now, which means she is due for another scheduled shot as advised by the Health Ministry of Malaysia.

Again, we proceed to the Rohana Seripah Clinic which has been our peadiatrician since day 1.

Lisa is cheerful while waiting for her turn. Her naivety is certainly adorable. Nina knows what is coming for her sister but still maintain a straight face.

Then the moment comes. Berg is thrilled to see another AKS receiving the jab and not her anymore.

And the wailing starts. But as usual for Lisa it does not last long, just under a minute then she is back to her usual joyful self.

Apart from her hand keeps rubbing her butt everything else is normal. Thank you Lisa for being such a good AKS.

...

A Year...

...Passes.

From the moment she cried her first wail after the Maghrib adzan a year ago, Ainnur Khalisa Shukriah has been a source of joy to all of us in the household. It is good to have a baby again, it gives you the sense of being needed by someone. But a baby is a work in progress, and the rate of its growth is something that you wish can be slowed down a bit. Just so that it will remain... well, as a baby.

Sounds a bit selfish isn't it but I believe many parents are wishing the same thing, to see their off-springs remain as they are the day they were born. Children grow up at a really fast rate. For mad redo1 it still feel like yesterday he received his first bundle of joy way back in 1997, now AKS#1 has entered secondary school phase and AKS#2 is in Year 3.

But for the third AKS, she is still a baby in mad redo1's eyes. And today it has been a year since she joined us in the family. 

Her birthday is not a spectacular event but mad redo1 hopes it will be enough to be remembered for the whole life-time.

Ainnur Khalisa Shukriah, HAPPY BIRTHDAY my baby, may be this is the first of many more to come.

...