Big and small mercies!

Saturday again, free at last! No appointment whatsoever. I really should be working on a painting I have been invited to exhibit next month! The days and weeks have gone so fast and there have been some trying periods for me, which led to the ever-ongoing internal debate within me whether I want to continue working. Patience, patience my man - it will have its rewards, if not already there.

Tonight three of my 'better' staff go overseas. One of them for an 18-months masters degree programme in the UK, for which we went through endless hassle getting the approval and the funds. But it is a good investment for the institution though we will sorely miss his expertise for some time. The other two, ladies, I dispatch to Frankfurt and Berlin for a week to do some homework and research on book fairs, museums and galleries. Steady now ladies, get the most of your trip! My own proposed trip to Melbourne last week was overturned by the powers-that-be, which is just as well. I am in no mood for travels at the moment. Anyway I will be spending Deepavali in New Delhi with dear friend Seng Sung and Julia and Christmas in Canberra with friends there.

I had a good Hari Raya Open House two Saturdays ago at my Club house. Could not invite as many people as I would like but it was a warm cozy number, mix of friends and relatives.

Over the Malaysia Day long weekend I made a trip to my favourite East Coast, a two night stay at the ever busy and crowded Hyatt Kuantan (with the oh so noisy air con system!) and a day outing to Cukai/Kemaman where I had lunch at my nephew's brand new expanded house. I discovered some new nurseries near the hotel and went home with a car full of plants. As usual I made a stop at Lanchang to visit my darling cucu Kuca and had a nice lunch with the family. Kuca is such a doll, and such a bundle of joy! Frantically learning to speak and can relate well to her 'atok'.

The budget announcement yesterday was somewhat predictable! From what I gather I will get my RM500 pensioner's bonus and half month's salary bonus in December. And my pension will be increased by 2% yearly. Retirement age has been moved up to 60, the second time since I went on retirement at 56! But I shouldn't complain. I was given a tree year extension of service on contract when I retired, and five months after that was over I was offered this present job. I have now passed 60 years of age and am still working, what's there to complain about about (haha - so why the ever ongoing debate whether I should continue working?). Anyway, Alhamdullilah for big and small mercies.

This month four of my friends, Mushlim, Rezal, Fauzi and Amin embark separately on the haj pilgrimage. May you all be blessed with a good pilgrimage and may Allah SWT facilitate all your rituals and grant all your prayers my friends, amin. 

Have a nice weekend all, God bless.     

Dawn from my bedroom balcony some days back.

Of Bandung, Hari Raya season and painting with the maestro

It's the 12th day of raya and being a weekend there are open houses everywhere, including right at my front neighbour's house (a single mother with three young kids). But I was not invited, understandably as we hardly know each other except for the early introduction when I first moved in and the occasional hi and waving from our cars or driveways. But isn't open house meant for everyone! Anyway just as well I was not invited; I would not have tolerated the food with the current state of my stomach. I had food poisoning last Sunday night at Bandung and it had taken so long for my stomach to settle back. I also skipped a wedding luncheon invitation today at my (again) front neighbour of my Putrajaya house. I had even loaned them my garden compound for the occasion and had ensured Mehbob cut the grass and cleaned up the garden yesterday. Well my brother Wes and his wife did attend the luncheon, in a way representing me as well. I hope my absence did not offend them.

Last Friday, the fourth day of raya I flew to Bandung with my loyal travel companion Hoong Po for what was supposed to be a 6 days holiday. I really should have trusted my first judgement, that Bandung was not a great place to visit. My first visit there was in 2004 only for 2 days and I did not like it at all. Against all odds, I decided to give it another go and it proved to be AGAIN, disappointing and rather a disaster with the food poisoning! So instead of coming back on Wednesday I flew back on Monday, forgoing two night paid hotel accommodation and having to pay penalty on my airfare! Hoong Po stayed on and was in Cirebon that disastrous Sunday. I did not want to join him on that long drive to that hot, sweaty place and just as well as it took him a marathon 9 hours to get back to Bandung the next day! And there wasn't much for him to do to pass the days till Wednesday either.

 On the positive side, today spent a few hours with maestro artist Yusof Ghani who invited me to jointly paint with him at his studio in Shah Alam. Wow, what an experience that was. The results are the two paintings here. The green/brown one is his though I started with the base and outline. The other one is mine with some instruction from him. The subject/theme is mine - for me always the same subject - ALLAH! I look forward to more painting sessions with the maestro.

My darling cucu Kuca who turned two years old two weeks go had her birthday party at her kampung in Lancang, Pahang today (I'll visit her next weekend when things are quieter). As a present I gave her a painting of flowers by an autistic female artist which I bought at the MCAT (Malaysian Contemporary Art) art exhibition of autistic artists at MATIC in July. Although it is still early, hope this will inspite her to love art like her atok.     

Aidilfitri 2011

What a blessed and happy day yesterday, the first day of Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2011. I went to the mosque, made my rounds and was informed that my relatives wanted to visit me in the late afternoon. Luckily Hoong Po was staying with me, was worried if I could cope, though my nieces would always help out.
Well at 4.00 pm 10 families and their brood descended on me simultaneously! It was such a warm, feel- good gathering and I am touched that my family decided to make my house the venue for our gathering.

Selamat Hari Raya and maaf zahir batin everyone!

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 2012

See video: http://youtu.be/I10PsRWHICk

Treats in Surabaya and Malang and farewell SAJ

It's the eve of Ramadhan and there is a great sense of calm around me, alhamdullilah. I finally feel rested and there is still much of the evening left yet.

It had been quite hectic since I came home very late on Friday night (you could say it was already early Saturday morning) after a week's very pleasant holiday in Surabaya and Malang. Neither were 'happening' places and were not really tourist destinations, but I had a good time nevertheless. The real treats were the two hotels I stayed at in both places - The Majapahit in Surabaya and The Tugu Malang in Malang. These heritage hotels were a world class of their own - beautiful, excellent ambiance and service. It was a real privilege staying in both, four nights at The Majapahit and two at Tugu Malang. Both Surabaya and Malang were so traffic-infested and noisy (like most Indonesian cities), but both hotels were a heavenly oasis of calm and serenity.

These days I like spending my holidays in Indonesia. The country has such a strong identity of its own and people were just so polite, considerate and friendly. I never once felt alone or ignored the whole seven days I was there though I knew no one in either places. On arrival in KLIA Friday evening what did I see, a man repeatedly shouting and lecturing a lady sales assistant at the Duty Free shop (even after she had apologised). Why can't Malaysians be civil and considerate to each other, we are sometimes so righteous and so full of our selves!

Of course I came home with some two dozens batiks; most will be given away anyway (sedekah Ramadan la)! The only negative occurrence of my holiday was leaving behind my personal hand phone at Surabaya airport. Granted the phone was old but I lost all contacts and contents! Fortunately I had my business hand phone with me. I have to now start building my contact list again!

This morning I went to the funeral of our Seniman Negara/National Laureate Datuk Syed Ahnmad Jamal who passed away last night at the age of 83 after a rather long illness. May he rest in peace. The artistic legacy he left behind will be treasured and inspirational for generations to come. I went to visit him the day before departing for Surabaya but he was just too ill to receive visitors. I did speak to him on the phone a couple of times and visited him in hospital some months back.

We will miss you Datuk. May you be placed among the chosen people. Amin!

A Friday lament - changes and life goes on

A Friday salam and greeting to all.

Isn't it expected that things change, people change and WE change! Sometimes we are prepared for it, sometimes not - and that's when it takes a toll. I know I have changed, and I accept it. But some things about me that I wish would change never do! Such is life.

Some changes are for the better and some for the worse. It's funny that despite all the rhetoric about changes, when they do happen, they can cause many of things - sometimes happy and sometimes not. And alas, some things/people just never change!

I wholly accept the changes in me, they are inevitable as long as I am living. So why is it sometimes difficult for me to accept the changes in other people. I should know that nothing is permanent. People come into your life for a purpose and when they slip away it is also for a reason. No big deal. Even family members and close friends can change, love can turn into hate, support into envy, admiration into jealousy, a smile into a smirk, friendship into animosity, etc etc. It's all part of life's cycle.

Of course I wonder why some people drop off from my life. At the same time, I involuntarily drop off from some other people's lives too for some reason or another. It's all about choice. Just that when I made my choice to drop off from other people's life I know for what reason it was, but when other people drop off from my life I wonder over and over what had I done wrong to deserve such a fate! Phew!

Anyway, I strongly believe that in life things are destined. Nothing but God is permanent...

" Life goes on and we pass through
  Days of sunlight days of tears
  Live the way life comes to you
  Foolish wasting precious years.

  Here today, tomorrow gone
  Say goodbye
  And life goes on....."

Have a blessed Friday everyone, God bless.

Buah delima

Ambilkan saya buah delima

Masak sebiji dibalik daun

Budi mu tuan saya terima

Tidak ku lupa bertahun tahun....

See video :http://youtu.be/sFx5KfNjaEI