Saturday, October 12, 2013

LIFE IS SO PRECIOUS AND FLEETING...



Two weeks ago I was invited to an hour of video recording of my post heart-bypass surgery experience which I underwent 11 years ago, for a former classmate and renown plastic surgeon Dr Charles Lee to be featured in his HeartTalk Website http://hearttalk.com.my/ . In the afternoon there was another one hour recording session with five heart bypass patients (myself included) and by coincidence my very own cardiologist from our National Heart Institute (IJN). Charles himself had recently underwent a bypass and found the experience traumatic and life-changing and was still coming to terms with that surgery. His aim was to share the experiences of other bypass patients to help/comfort other similar patients and to prepare would-be patients.

One of the panel member was a very strapping, healthy-looking 62-year English gentleman who was a retired American football coach, Alan, who now made Malaysia his home for the last few years. He seemed to be the most healthy and least troubled among the panel when describing his experience despite having had a couple of bypasses.
A few days after the session Alan sms me to say that he was pleased to have met me and would like to keep in contact. I replied that I felt the same and that I would contact him after my upcoming holiday in Lombok.
Yesterday morning (10-10-13) I sms him to invite him for lunch today but did not get a reply. At 6 pm I called his number but got no answer.
An hour ago (11-10-13) I received a sms from his number which said Alan had died on 28 September (the very next day after we contacted each other by sms). He was found lifeless on his living room couch and autopsy concluded he died of a heart attack!
I really felt a lump in my throat and felt tears in my eyes to be again jolted into the reality how precious and fragile this life can be...

MAY YOU REST IN PEACE ALAN.

Monday, June 17, 2013

Mid Year Hello!

Hello, hello, hello. All too soon it is mid 2013 and I have not made an entry since January. Well I am blissfully retired now and far from my worry about how to spend my time, the hours and days seemed to have breezed by and I still have not been able to do all the things I set out to do or promised to do once I stopped working. There is no end to the domestic chores and I still have not organized many things in the house which I really ought to.

And I have finally embarked on travels again. In April I finally realized my dream to go to Kyoto in Japan (one of the few countries I have never been to) and had a most wonderful week there. I had always been intimidated by the idea of going to Japan, at the back of my mind I was worried about the communication problem having heard so much tales about Japanese not speaking English. Well maybe not many people spoke English there but it was so easy getting around with the perfect transport system and information. In fact it was one of the most hassle-free holiday I ever had, plus the perfect weather and the kindest and most polite people ever. I was also lucky to be introduced to a Japanese friend of a friend who took the trouble to show me around for two full days. I missed the cherry blossoms but it was a blessing in a way as all cherry-blossom tourists had left by the time I arrived Kyoto so everywhere I went - the temples, shrines, palaces and gardens, there were few people only and in some I had the whole place to myself.

Now I am even dreaming of going to Kyoto in Autumn some time!



In May I spent a week in Usbekistan, staying at my dear friend and colleaque Hamidah's house and visiting Samarkand and Bokhara as well . That will be in my next entry.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Happy 2013, free again!

1st January 2013, a quiet day at home. My sweet granddaughter Kuca and family left after a late breakfast (and a romp in the pool at our clubhouse before that) to continue shopping for school stuffs before they return to their kampung (village). They stayed the night and we had a lovely dinner at the Lake Club, rather quiet at the coffee house restaurant , despite all the parties to welcome the new year at the Club's other outlets.
Kuca, three years and three months is a real bundle of joy, sweet, smart and inquisitive, good natured and just plain adorable. A few minutes before midnight she came into my bedroom to say goodnight; she kissed my hand and asked for a hug and really hugged me with all her heart. That's when I told her we have to watch the fireworks first before she goes to sleep, at the stroke of midnight from the balcony upstairs.

So here I am at the beginning of a new year, a free man again/at long last. I was briefly free for four months after I retired from my last job when I was offered another appointment. Now just about five months to the end of my third year contract I threw in the towel with a 24-hour notice and a month's salary thrown in . Enough is enough! Work, money, position are nothing when your honour and integrity are questioned. My work and contributions are widely acknowledged by the public, our clients and my staff but not the 'powers-that-be', so what is the point of going on!

Looking back,  2012 had not in fact been a great year for me. @011 was a big bang where I stamped my mark, but things slowed down to a more relaxed pace in 2012. On the personal level, I did not do as much overseas travel as I would like to (unjustified restriction by the powers-that-be) but there was a lot of short internal travels with me discovering my own country.

So where do I begin now, with my new found freedom? I had thought of going far away just to forget everything that had happened but I only got as far as Penang for five days. And it was really the comfort of my own house, my sanctuary, my cocoon that I actually needed. My good friend in Hove, England wrote a very kind, persuasive email asking me to come and spend a few weeks with him to 'drown my sorrow'. But hey, I am over it now, seriously and Alhamdullilah!    

So life goes on, and I am confident something good is cooking up for me. For now I am just enjoying the pleasure of freedom - not having to go to work and not responsible for a whole gamut of things. Last Friday I went to the MAS office and acquired return tickets to Osaka (my actual destination is Kyoto) for mid April - I am finally going to Japan! And in May I will go to Tashkent and visit mygood friend Hamidah. In the meanwhile I can choose to go to Makassar, or Ambon or Surabaya (again) if I want to. Thank God for liberty, at last!
Have a great 2013 everyone.