InnaLillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun

Dear Sisters:

First, yesterday's front pages were all about Obama watching Osama being killed. Murdered would have been more appropriate I think, because the news said that he was unarmed ... Of course no video, no body. Throwing his body in the water indeed ... Kadirjasin.blogspot.com has some thoughts about this. Do visit him. It's in Bahasa Melayu though. I had my own thought .... pseudonym of course... InnaLillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun ... do you think this will make any difference to those who understand ...

Then, in the taxi to the business place (still using the taxi despite what has happened), I heard on the news that three young sisters had drowned at a familiar waterfall resort. Two bodies have been recovered so far ...

The small resort is on the way to our parents home. The news said that a father, his three daughters, and a female friend of the father were swept away by a sudden rush of water from upstream. The adults were saved by other people in the vicinity, but the children vanished downstream ...

I thought that's the end of the news ...


I reached the shop. Immediately, my shop assistant said that three girls, daughters of so and so had died of drowning in U.B. (the name of the resort). Shocked I said AstaghfiruLLAH, InnaLillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun and asked what had happened? The details were part of the front page news today ...

The father worked in a shop less than 10 meters away from ours. The children, like many children of staff and business owners in this area, had this entire complex as their playground. Their life and  their parents life are sometimes played out in this very public area. So they are very familiar faces. A very, very sad ending to some unfortunate life events ...

Allah SWT loves them more ...


* The girls were 5, 4 and 2 years old. The eldest sister is still missing ... Mother has one more son with him ... May Allah SWT keep her warm with infinite sabr ...
* As the river seeks the sea, so my soul seeks thee ... will the soul of the girls meet that of Osama's in the sea? Allahuaklam ...

Love and salam ...

Sisters

Yes ... Not the ones that you are born with... But the ones that you acquired along the life's complicated and winding journey. Recently I noticed that these beloved sisters of mine (a British, a Singaporean and a Sarawak-Bruneian)  have R as their initials. And my mum and dad tooo...! Of course mother was never known by her birth name. She has her special name ... S. My other beloved sister in Dimondale* has S for an initial too.

My British Sister R I met in Walsal. But the beginning was in Brunei where both Singapore Sister R and I were working with the Government Educational concerns.

I wanted very much to get that Masters. What to do? I talked about it with Singapore Sister R who completed her Masters in IT in the UK using her own fund. How did you do it? How much do you need? So many questions ... and her answers and guidance gave me the courage to send in the notice for resignation. Ten years on the job and I had enough to tide me over the 1 year program and extra for the family, alhamduLILLAH.


She said you'll need about 10,000 sterling pounds for tuition and another 5,000 for food and lodging. She was good at managing her budget, she said that was more than enough. Me ...? Many things happened in the process and of course the budget got extended ... despite enrolling in a less expensive university environment.



That was slightly over ten years ago. 1997 to be precise. It will be much much more now I am sure. But the point is ... you can do it if you plan for it.

1997 was a bad year for Malaysia and the whole world ... time was tough for everyone who are not employed that is. I didn't realise it then ... never was good at national and economic affairs ...being overseas did that to you ...

At the airport as I was saying goodbyes to the family ... the airport officer who was watching and listening to us said with a smile... How is it in this bad times you are taking our money out of the country ...

Honestly I did not comprehend the seriousness of the situation until in the University when a Prof S... came to me at the Computer Room with a concerned look on his face. M.... he said. Are you okay? A lot of Malaysian students are going back. They can't afford to stay. If you have any problem whatsoever and need help please tell me, he said. Grateful for his concern, I assured him that I was prepared for this, financially AlhamduLILLAH... despite our currency sliding terribly against the British pound.

Overdue nevertheless, Dearest Sister, thank you for giving me the courage to pursue and realize my dream ...and another dream coming on ... hmm ... that PhD ... insyaALLAH. Definitely I believe that dreams are made in our minds and supported by great sisters, many things can happen InsyaALLAH ...

Love and salam ...:-)

*Dimondale of East Lansing, Michigan.

Real Lesson in Physics

Met Cikgu M and family tonight at the hypermarket. His first three children were with us at the kindergarten. His first and second, Im... and Fa..., I remember very well.

Im..., being the first born, was prone to difficult moments in the beginning. He was about four when he started pre-school. He was an inquisitive young man but teacher could not gave that full attention. He needed special times and I used to take him out of the class to give him that time.

That day he was crying. I can't recall the cause for the tears and runny nose. But he was really upset. So I took him away and chatted with him.

That's the way with him ... just chat about anything but the reason for his crying. He kept on sniffing and I kept giving him the soft tissues to clear his runny nose.

He couldn't stop ... "Im ..." I said. "Remember when we talk about solid and liquid. Now this is easy. This tissue is solid. And this thing coming down from your nose is liquid! Okay?" He laughed ... and forgot the tears... AlhamduliLLAH.


* To Im ... whose full name in Arabic means: Different, unique, or excellent ... May Allah The Most High guide your every step and cloth you in wisdom.

* I have not quoted their full names. I will need their permission for this ... :-)

Attitude

I was at the bank last Monday. My "favourite" bank as usual ... Six counters, and two were open. And there were ONE THOUSAND customers. Please, sorry, I am exaggerating. It felt that way ...  it was so slow ...

What else to do ... Seated on one of the comfortable seat (this is an improvement which I appreciate* ...) As usual, I will be busy observing, watching and listening, discreetly of course ...

In front me, on the small table, a gentleman has put his book ... DEVELOPMENT ISSUES IN ISLAM by a...Mr. Sadeq. I could not see the author's full name but a good book to note, I thought. I will try to find that ...

An elderly lady was seated next to me, her grandson about 4 years old keeping her busy ...chatting ... pusing-pusing ...

A male customer at the counter took out some cash from his wallet, and in the process, dropped some coins.

Grandmother directed her grandson's attention to the coins on the floor and said (playfully of course ...) "Go and get those coins."

  And grandson answered: " Those belong to someone! ... (in BM ... Itu orang punya) ...

He was just a small boy and I really appreciate that. He has an ATTITUDE. He can compare right from wrong, and differentiate the two.

Compare this:

Three teenage boys on late shift finished cleaning at a Fast Food Restaurant. Close to mid-night. Presumably still had energy for more cleaning. What to do? Go and clean that shop that sells Silver trinkets ...

And the next day they were caught and detained by the police ... CCTV everywhere boys!

Now mothers were crying. I saw one of them with the Silver Shop's owner in a serious discussion ...

To cut the story short ... I met Lady Silver and asked her the progress of the incident ... and she said everything is okay now. The parents have paid for the stolen items and I have withdrawn the police report ... she said they are so young  and yet they have very BAD ATTITUDE.

I responded ... actually it's not BAD ATTITUDE ... they have NO ATTITUDE ... They are not differentiating BAD or GOOD. They must be thinking that they can have some fun ... a joke ... donkeying around ...

Now with the police experience, they may start having an attitude hopefully for the better ...


* These cushy seats should tell us something ...an apology for the service perhaps ...

SELAMAT DATANG

Selamat Datang  ... Welcome ... Ahlan wa Sahlan

Selamat Berkenalan  ... Pleased to meet you ... I am borrowing that beautiful phrase of the two sisters in the earlier posting "Second Language" ( I've to learn how to link this to the posting) ...

Sweet ... :-) welcome to my first follower ... ikinj ...

I don't know you ikin ...

But I know you are a thoughtful person ... I've visited you at ikinj.blogspot.com ...

Again ...

Ahlan wa sahlan ...

And ...

Salam :-)

Dear Sister

I must tell you. There are people from heaven. And there are people from most probably ... I don't feel like being nasty here ... from I don't know where.

I took a taxi today. As I do normally to the business place. Since the husband has the car for work.  But today I was going to the bank in town.

It was a cab from the call cab operator. You call and they'll send you a cab. I use this service to feel more secure. Although if anyone wants to be nasty, they will, regardless. May Allah SWT protect me from evil and evil people.

So this taxicab arrived. As usual they'd be positioned so that I would have to go to the middle of the road to board the taxi. Is this the way it is supposed to be? I don't know. Please remind me how is it in the UK. So I opened the door and there immediately my eyes fell on a shiny black metallic, most probably new, mobile phone. Someone's phone here I said to the driver. Must be the previous passenger's, I continued, picked the phone and passed it to him. I can't recall if he said anything but he placed the phone next to him on the passenger seat.

I might have been wrong. I could be grossly mistaken. But I did have a tinge of uneasy feeling that that was not okay ... and so being the champion of the trodden that I think I am (huh?), I blurted ... let me check the name of the phone owner ... I was not even sure if I know how to do that, all these new models (I have a thousand year old Nokia, proudly dropped here and there, and still whispering ...) But I wanted the taximan to at least do something about it there and then (Sorry Sister, I've heard about so many people picking up things and never made any effort to trace or return them to the rightful owners... And these were people that I thought I could expect better of them).

and ... THAT MAN turned towards me. So violently and these are more or less the translation of HIS TIRADES (He was doing it in Bahasa Malaysia) ... DO YOU THINK I'M DISHONEST? I AM A MUSLIM. I'M MAN OF FAITH ... I KNOW MY JOB. IT IS MY JOB TO DEAL WITH THIS TELEPHONE. GET OUT OF THIS CAB IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT ... oh oh ...I thought I've touched a raw nerve there. It could not be that bad that he should shout at me for this ... anyway the me in me can't hold my peace and said ... I just wanted to help ... YOU DON'T NEED TO. IT'S MY JOB ... he screamed back ... so I kept quiet and just informed him of my destination and the route I wished for him to take ... After all I could have been at fault ... A while later he called the cab operator on call and informed the lady taking the call about the phone. AlhamduLILLAH, that's what I wanted.

Awhile later, the phone rang. He answered, and I could hear a woman's voice with concern about her missing telephone. He answered and from the conversation I felt that he's not a very pleasant person. He must have been forced to do this taxi driving job, for whatever reasons. 

Moving on, I could sense that he was still angry and wanted to teach me a lesson. He drove over road humps like a donkey slapped ... not that I've seen or know how a donkey reacts when slapped ... :-) Unpleasant, but I kept quiet ... Of course in my mind I thought he was "SATAN in Disguise" (sorry). He was running a low, slow music when I first boarded the taxi ... and now he's fiddling with the tape and up he's turning the volume on some talk about Iman etc by a speaker ... I understood ... The great man wanted me to know that he's a religious man, has religious tape in his cab ... no nonsense, man ... stupid you're listening to music just now ... quietly I "helped" to listen ... ohhhh I hate hypocites ... but still I could be wrong ... I kept my peace ... But THE SATAN in him could'nt ... Again he fiddled with the tape, this way that way and in the process turning the volume higher, shrieking into my ears.

Then I said (nicely of course, honestly sister...), please turn the volume down ...and the SATAN (sorry again for this name calling) in disguise was waiting for this moment, turned around and shrieked ... I"VE NEVER MET ANYONE LIKE YOU BEFORE! ...now that's it ... I said what's your problem. I'm just requesting for you to turn it down ... THAT you want to get upset? ... that phone i wanted to help, you also got upset ... jusT beCAUSE you're a MAN you tHINK you cAN SIMPLY BULLY A WOMAN. DID YOU SAY YOU HAVE IMAN? YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE,  MUNAFIQ! (Of course I was slowly and definitely raising my voice! wishing that those words were firestones raining on him)

Oh sister what do you think  he did? ... He covered his ears and said I DON'T WANT TO LISTEN TO YOU. STOP TALKING! ... me? stop talking when you've triggered that avalanche!

I WILL NOT. YOU LISTEN. YOU ARE A HYPOCRITE.

All this while he was driving ... GET OFF FROM THIS TAXI ... he screamed back and stopped by the roadside close to the State Palace. GET OUT he screamed again. I DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS. I WANT TO GO FOR SOLAT  he continued his scream ... MUNAFIQ  I said, IF YOU HAVE IMAN YOU WOULD KNOW THAT ADZAN (for solat Zohr) WAS MORE THAN HALF AN HOUR'S AGO. AND A MAN'S SOLAT IS WITH THE JAMA'AH! IF YOU TRULY HAVE IMAN ... I am still in the car and he was getting out. He could have pulled, punched or I don't know what else ... I took out some cash, double the usual fare and threw it onto the front seat, and got off the cab. He took them and threw it back onto the roof of the cab as he went back in ... meanwhile I noticed a motorcyclist nearby, observing with concern, his phone on his ears (calling the police perhaps? I didn't find out). I took and threw the cash back in, a five dollar note remained on the car. As the taxi moved away, I took the note and passed it to the motorcyclist. Please take it I said. But he was more concern that I was alright. I am okay I said and called the cab's operator, narrating the entire incident within the motorcyclist's hearing. That was a terrible thing to do the motorcyclist said ... you are the customer... It's okay I said. Thank you for stopping by I continued gratefully. Take the money back he said ... Please take it, I told him. Use it for your fuel, it makes feel better after this anger. He was worried. Assuring him , I said goodbye and walked on.

It was a long way to the bank. But at that instant, I'm remembering a certain beloved sister who walked all the way carrying that much needed printer from town to that old Walsal Campus. And she was expecting! I should be ashamed of myself. AlhamduLillah, this is nowhere near strenuous as compared to that. So I walked slowly ... thinking ... passing in front of the palace, alongside the state administrative building where the chief minister is located and downwards into town. I didn't note the time but reached the bank in about 20 minutes probably ... sweaty ...it was mid-afternoon and we have challenging afternoons here ... and still thinking ...the reason for this narrative so that I can stop thinking ... about it ...:-)

Salam and love.

p/s Do please come over and to help you please note:

*Malaysian Currency is Ringgit Malaysia (RM) not the Dollar.
*Bahasa Malaysia (BM) is our official language, our mother tongue. But when I am angry or upset I switch to English. Just like the girls  I narrated earlier, it's less embarrassing to utter harsh words, even gutter words to make clear things to unreasonable makhluk ...
*The taxis here turn on the radios, tapes, whatever sounds the drivers prefer ... you can normally request the drivers to lower the volume ... I don't remember radios or music in the taxis of UK.

Second Language

English is not our home language. Not our mother tongue. But somehow it allows many users who would never be caught saying those grey words in Bahasa Melayu (aka Bahasa Malaysia). Happily they can chomp and spit those words out as if they are born with it.

Two days ago I had two young ladies (sisters, I found out later) charmingly discussing a soap and its uses. The soap contained the herb "sirih leaves" (Pun leaves for my British Sisters). The younger girl said ... oh this soap is also good for washing the p---- region. Shocked, I asked ... what did you say? ... and as smooth and cool as a cucumber she repeated ... the p---- region. The v----- she elaborated.

Wow ... try saying that again in Bahasa Melayu ... I said. Oh no. Not in BM. Malu lah (I would be embarrassed) to say that in BM ... she laughed. In English okay ... not our language ... it does not feel bad ... she continued.

So what do you do ... I enquired ...

Am a student ... and am off to Manipal Medical College in India tomorrow ... she answered sweetly.

Oh you're a medical student! That's why those words are so smooth on your tongue ...

The both of them laughed, extended their hands to me and said ... SELAMAT BERKENALAN! ... to this "as old as their mother" lady! Sweet ... In these days of couldn't care less nobody says "Selamat Berkenalan".

*Grey words - vulgar ... own defined.
*SELAMAT BERKENALAN! - Pleased to me you!