Hari Raya Pertama with the People I love

On the 1st day of Hari Raya – My family – People that I love…


In the garden with Mak and my brothers

Ayah

Papaya leaf

Mak

Me & Syaza

Jefri

Syaza & his dad (Dakbang)

Dakbang

Dokmen

Ayah & his cucu Jida

Adik

The Sulaiman Atan Clan 1 (Mak, Syaza, Adik, Kak Ani, Dakbang, Jida, Dokmen & Ayah)

The Sulaiman Atan Clan 2

My Siberian Tiger






Me & Azraai




My new house -- hadiah from Ayah -- view dari belakang

WATER WATER EVERYWHERE

Ashwad and Me


Juling air

Today I realized something. Whenever I stepped out of the car, I will be either on a lantai simen or jalan yang ditar or ‘cobbled roads’.

I don’t remember berjalan atas tanah yang berumput at least over the last 5 days.

Itu sebabnya kasut I tak kotor (and BTW, I only have one pair of working shoes – itu pun cowboy boots…. Tak der pun orang nak hadiahkan I kasut… sob…sob – pura-pura menangis).

Maksudnya?

Kalau hujan, air tak meresap dalam tanah tapi mengalir dan berkumpul di kawasan yang rendah.

Lagi lebat hujan lagi deras air mengalir dan cepat berkumpul lalu banjir – kalau parit dan saluran tidak sempurna.

And this suddenly reminded me of my mom.

Mom would always tadah air hujan yang jatuh dari bumbung dan gunakan air itu untuk cuci lantai, cuci longkang, siram pokok, untuk basuh kereta and to fill the mini pond untuk angsa berenang.

Kadang-kadang air yang ditadah berbesen-besen banyaknya sampai boleh basuh 10 kereta at one go.

Selalunya in KL kalau hujan, ada saja tempat yang banjir, walaupun dah ada smart tunnel.

Kalaulah bangunan gomen dan swasta boleh tadah air hujan dan guna untuk flush jamban ker, cuci lantai ker, kan kurang sikit air mengalir kat jalanraya.

I think mom’s solution to reduce our house water bill can also be used to reduce water bills for big corporations and can help prevent floods in a city with paved roads and walkways.

Macamana air nak meresap dalam tanah?

Tanah dah ada 'coverline'. Parit sentiasa tersumpat sebab orang suka buang sampai merata.

Vote SS for office...hahaha...Kalau SS duk kat Parlimen,lingkup negara kau. Tapi mesti dye rambut murah, tak yah cukai...

OF FROGS AND RAINY DAYS

When it rains, the frogs will do that desperate but soothing love-call.

When it rains, I just love listening to Barry Manilow…

They don’t make good music and songs like Manilow’s anymore.

And the song 'Ships' is really about me and ayah.

ONE LAST CRY

Yes Jon Azman, you are right. Spot on.

It's encrypted within. And yes I am down to my last cry.

And it is all about putting a stop to living a lie. I will take on your offer to discuss over coffee at our favourite place.

And Kam too has reminded me several times, while looking for something that I don't have I must never allow myself to get hurt in the process.

Yes I am not making any sense.

It is all part of the encryption. So is life... My life...

RAMADAN COMING TO AN END ...

Me, Dangsuria & Roy

It’s 8:25 pm.

I just got back from buka puasa with Jef at Carls Jr, Pavilion, my favourite.

And we had Baskin-Robbins’ ice cream for dessert.

And Ramadan is coming to an end. It was just like yesterday when we started fasting.
It’s just so fast.

Every time Syawal comes, I will thank God, for giving me the chance to celebrate Raya with my parents who are already in their 70s. I don’t think I can handle Syawal without them though I know it will be soon... not too long from now … So it makes me appreciate quality time with mom and dad so much.

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It’s that time again when colleagues will sell kuih at the office.

I bought kuih sepit and kuih bangkit, my favourite.

And I don’t think they will last for Raya.

My AWANI brothers and sisters have been consuming them during buka puasa.

And that is the best … Makan kuih with good friends.

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On Friday they will leave KL.

Roul will go back to Terendak Camp.

Fiza will go back to Batu Pahat.

Samson to Temerloh.

And Azman will balik kampong to Semenyih (yang ini dekat, boleh pergi).

My subordinates will not be around for a week. I will be so lonely at the Newsroom… no one to tease and gurau with… I will miss them.

I will surely miss Dangsuria’s laughter, Kam’s cheeky remarks, Nazri’s attempts at being funny, Mama Rina’s half-baked jokes and double vision and Kate’s irritating ringtone.

Jef will go home to Bahau on Saturday. I will miss his company and witty remarks. He will sure look dashing on Raya day in his Turquoise Baju Melayu.

I will be home in Sungai Ramal with Mom and Dad.

To everyone, Selamat Hari Raya and have a safe journey home.

To the special people in my life – I love you – and you know who you are…

Lagu Raya

Selepas colour rambut, inilah hasilnya:

SUP LIDAH BANGSAR

I only reached home at midnight.

Lepaking and bersembang with Moqq, Milla, Kichi + girlfriend and Moqq’s cousins, after Terawih time, was so much fun.

The sup lidah at Pelita Nasi Kandar in Bangsar could be the reason that made us talked and joked non-stop.

Right after consuming the sup, terus berpeluh badan, panas dan rasa nak ketawa – no, I’m not implying anything, or speculate the ingredients…

Among others we talked about my friend Luke’s encounter with a pengemis buta.

Here’s the story:

Luke was in a generous mood. A pengemis buta came and Luke took out his wallet and was looking for a one ringgit, 5 ringgit and 10 ringgit notes. He couldn’t find any. He only had a couple of 50 ringgit . So he took out the 50 ringgit note and gave the pengemis. The blind man, after feeling the note said, “Dik, ini banyak sangat ni, ini 50 ringgit…” And Luke said, “Bang, kalau abang tahulah apa saya dah buat (read: kenakalan dunia), saya kena bagi abang lagi banyak, bang… ambik jer lah…”

Then we talked about how I was so honoured when a girl came over and asked my autograph in a grocery store in Kuala Kangsar and she told me to wait to get her mom to take a photo with me.

I waited and realizing that I was restless, she screamed to her mom,

“Mak cepatlah, orang nak ambik gambar dengan artis ni..” The mom said, “Siapa dia?” The girl said, “Chef Ismail…” And I tersipu-sipu… Banyaklah resemblance…

And we joked about how Milla, and Mohsein’s cousins spent the whole day ‘shopping’ only to buy satu kerongsang… Macam tu lah kalau shopping ngan oang pompuan.

Anyway, before the sup lidah session, I had a great time berbuka puasa with Jef, his parents and siblings at Dewan Perdana FELDA.

They were in town to do some raya shopping and Jef & I thought it would be a great idea to buka puasa with them. And true enough, we had a great time.


Me, Abang Mustafa (Jef's Dad) and Kakak (Jef's Mom)

Me, Jef, and Jef's younger brother Asrin


Asrin & Adik


Makan time

And it is already Friday

And what will I do this weekend?

Catch up on my reading... yes, 3 books and 7 magazines are waiting for me.

Then planning for editorial content for the coming shows...

I will just curl up like a tenggiling and digest the info on Saturday and Sunday atas couch in my favourite Renoma. Hmmmm... Not a pretty sight.

Then bangun kejap and buat mind-map for content treatment.

And also follow up with Squashy's project. Oi En Squashy, cepatlah, mana feedback dia? I need to incorporate dalam a bigger powerpoint presentation yang dalam Bahasa Melayu punya. You know lah bila jumpa goment ni...

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Today, will buka puasa with anak-anak yatim at Bursa with friends.

Tomorrow will buka buasa with Jef and his parents and the clan at Dewan Perdana Felda.

Lepas tu supper/early sahur with Moqq. Kat mana Moqq? Somewhere yang ada sup lidah? Like Pelita in Bangsar?

Looking forward... so malam ni kenalah basuh baju yang warna hitam tu... Oh... I hate washing. Nak hantar laundry tak sempat plak...

Cobaan...

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BTW Wira, nice to hear from you after bertahun-tahun hilang di mata. Rupanya dah jadi orang London.

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LIHATLAH SEKELILING KITA, BACA TANDA-TANDA DAN BERTINDAKLAH DENGAN BIJAK

Selamat pergi Sazli Morah Abas.

He was a good man.

I worked with him when I was in the News and Current Affairs Division of TV3. Sazli was a very hardworking sports producer. I was the Current Affairs & Research Editor then.

Kerk informed me early today that Sazli 'meninggal dunia dan akan dikebumikan di Lenggeng, Negeri Sembilan.'

Many good people and friends of mine have left me forever. Most of them are a lot younger than me. May be my time is near.

Al-Fatihah...


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Members of the civil society are beginning to get tired, some angry and some very angry.

They are asking questions like "do they really care for the people, or they just love to prolong the sufferings of the people who voted for them or against them?".

Whether they realize it or not, or prefer to be in denial, the signs are there -- today, the KLCI closed lower, again...

And foreign investors are thinking twice about us, citing political risks, Bernama Radio says that almost every morning... Anyone listening?

And add the Lehman crisis to that and also the downward trend of palm oil prices... what do we have? Yes, you know the answer.

Sep 16 has gone. Now 'swapping' is the new label.

The people are beginning to ask... 'Do you really care for us?'

Ayah, what is going to happen to our shares?

Have compassion for the common people. They voted you!!!! They want you to perform.

After this, we will see a more powerful and organized civil society movement in PRU13, I believe...

So fellow Malaysians. the next time you see me on the street, you will not ask this editor anymore about this issue, as I have posted what I feel here...And as a journalist I have to remain neutral..

TIME TRAVEL TO THE 50s - 60s ERA

I don't know about you, but in my case, on a couple of occasions, I will dream of something (yes, mimpi), and a month or two later it will become a reality.

Sometimes not exactly, but the direction and environment would be almost the same as 'described' and 'told' to me in my sleep.

Last night I had a beautiful dream.

I was in a play, in a huge theatre in the 50s and 60s era, and I was the lead star.

But I could not really remember today, my lines...

But I delivered the following song really well in the play... (and yes, I will record it later and upload here and on You Tube).



Dengar...
O...jeritan batinku
memekik-mekik
memanggil-manggil
namamu selalu

Sehari rasa sebulan
hatiku tiada tertahan

Kupandang kiri
kupandang kanan
dikau tiada

Risau,
batinku menangis risau
makinkau jauh
makin hatiku bertambah kacau

mengapa kita berpisah
tak sanggup menahan asmara

O... dengarlah
jeritan batinku..

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I had a great time entertaining our guests at ASTRO's buka puasa yesterday at KL Convention Centre.

Thanks to Fadzillah Shahrum of The Bank of East Asia, for sending me the photo below.

Fadzillah and me

RAYA 'COMES EARLY' AT ASTRO AWANI

Getting ready for ASTRO's buka buasa at KL Convention Centre.

WEEKEND REPORT

It has been a great weekend indeed.

It is 2 am now.

I just got back from a teh tarik session with Rafizi Ramli.

The occasion? Rafizi’s birthday.

We celebrated his birthday with Murtabak and Daging Masak Kicap.

And since it is Ramadan, there was no Marilyn Monroe coming out of a huge cake singing Happy Birthday President Raf...

We talked about lots of things from politics to MCKK, our alma mater.

I admire Rafizi’s stamina in ‘giving back’ to the community – coaching the debating team of MCKK and helping out the hockey team.

A noble thing indeed...

We all must give back – it is all about sharing.

Part of our wealth, rezeki and talent must be shared with others to help the community -- something like paying zakat.

Rafizi inspires me … I wish I have the drive to do more…

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Not once but twice.

Yes, I went to see The Other Boleyn Girl TWICE!!!

First with Jef on Saturday… And the second time earlier today with Roul… I just love the movie …

Anne Boleyn (played by Natalie Portman) was a great strategist.

It is all about working hard to get what you want even though you are not the favourite one…

I can identify with that …

It is a bit like the story of my life…

I won’t go into details.

But I will just say,I had to compete all the time. I won most of the time, but the price of success sometimes made me ask this question – “Is it worth the effort and time?”

Can’t love just ‘datang bergolek and datang melayang?”

And what about a 'level playing field'?

Decipher…

Great minds do think alike…

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Ah yes… Baju Raya…

Normally I will not buy any… except for Baju Melayu.

But for a good reason…

As ‘a front-liner for Astro AWANI’ I have to attend functions for Buka Puasa and Hari Raya and I just need to give a variety of ‘colours’ to the photographers, in addition to the smile.

Me and Jef had a great time selecting our Baju Melayu at JL Manshop on the 3rd floor of BB Plaza right in front of Metrojaya.

JL has lots of linen Baju Melayu. I love linen. I don’t like the shiny silk/rayon ones as they tend to stick to my body and make me look like ‘kampit beras Basmati’.



I went for the pink Baju Melayu and Jef got himself a nice blue/purple one.



Right after shopping for Baju Melayu, we went to see The Other Boleyn Girl and later makan at our favourite place – Carls Jr. I am addicted to the Famous Star burger. Yummmm…

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My phone kept on ringing with friends asking who will be the next to be caught under ISA after Theresa Kok, Raja Petra and the journalist from Sin Chew.

I said, how would I know? All I know is Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is against it… Now this is interesting….

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Now excuse me, I just need to do this… To my English Teacher, my English is still OK…

I very the angry just now. Almost hit the car in front lar, coz the driver simply-simply eat my road. I horn-horn, never change. See-see, oh, he sending SMS. What lar? I very angry if people SMS while driving. Some more eat my road. Celaka. Almost kemek my nice Pearl White car. Some more after I overtake, want to jelling-jeling pandang-pandang. Think what? Siti Nurhaliza-SM Salim song ha? So big ah you drive X5. Blady hell… Make lose pahala only puasa month…

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