SHAH JEHAN SPEAKS

Well Done, Adam Harith!

2011-11-14T23:31:00.007+08:00

One of my little friends is Adam Harith. He is 4 years and 4 months old. Yesterday was his annual graduation ceremony at kindergarden. First, I got invited. Then I readily accepted the invitation. And yesterday, I went. It was held at a community hall somewhere in the greens of Petaling Jaya. A harmless occasion. Adults (parents and some extended family members) and children filled the space. Beautiful scenery and sound. An exposure of some sort for me. And perhaps, a useful guidance when my time comes. Thank you to Adam's parents, my good friends, who included me in their wonderful venture.

Dr Asri my favourite scholar said in one of his talks that there are 3 ingredients to improve oneself (or to produce an islamic quality child). The first is the values or syllabus, the second being the teacher and the third being the environment. All 3 must be present.

Of course raising a child to his full potential is not easy. But with persistent effort and right attitude, that can be a achievable dream. Effort also includes a lot of supplications to God.

The world is both a challenging and beautiful place. The basics of life learned by a child is obtained from his/her parents. In fact, parents mould the child.

Happy parenting folks!

A Shocking Loss

2010-12-14T01:00:00.003+08:00

Rest in peace dear Uncle Che Arr. You were my friend's father, my client and were like a father to me. Our encounters took place over a period of 6 months. We last spoke just over a week ago.

Uncle Che Arr passed away on 12 December 2010 in his sleep at his hometown in Perak. He was 72 years old.

Al Fatihah.

12 November Once Again

2010-11-13T03:35:00.012+08:00

All praise to God. And utmost gratitude to Mom. I reached 34 on 12 November of 2010. Extra time willed by God means there is a task to fulfill. God willing I will carry on. Grrrrrr....

Nowadays teh ais makes my day and I find Jati Kelana Jaya's teh ais commendable. Not excessively sweet and the taste of tea is strong. And last night at Jati the big screen was showing ESPN channel and in a segment related to MyEG there was a lady hosting the show. The guest was also a lady. And I had a mild shock. This was not a pure entertainment show yet the ladies were dressed as though they were attending some night clubs or party. Errr, and the focus was on? Must have been on the ladies' figures and not so what they were talking about. Ouch. I mean, why must there be a diversion? Why was the focus misleading? Do you TV producers really have to go to that extent? Playing with hormone levels and not intellect? Pity my friend who was with me as he had to entertain my complaints.

Facebook wise, a friend on a far away land dug up one nostalgic song. And the best part is, most of the lyrics are in my memory. Must have been there comfortably all these years as, as we can all see below, the words are not that many. Enjoy...

Cintamu Mekar Di Hati- May

Kau umpama bunga yang mekar di hatiku
Kuharap kau mekarlah selama lamanya
Kau umpama bintang yang menyinari hidupku
Kuharap kau terus bersinar

Ketika kau perlukan aku sentiasa aku ada di sisimu
Ketika ku rindu padamu terasa cinta semakin dalam
Sayang kasihku abadi cintamu mekar di hati ini
Kau dalam ingatan di sepanjang hayatku
Demi teguhnya cinta selama lamanya

Lullaby-Shawn Mullins

2010-11-09T22:19:00.004+08:00

Hey, smile more girl! You lose the ability to smile, you lose a little bit of yourself. You frown, and that is even worse!

A song that chants "Everything's gonna be alright....". Cannot agree more to this. If it is not going to be alright, it means death is next. If not, it is "there is a light at the end of the tunnel".

A wise friend said "There is so many space in this world, why settle in an empty space?". Yup. The ability to make choices. Let's make the best ones.

Shawn Mullins-Lullaby

Because I Love You- Stevie B

2010-11-08T14:26:00.001+08:00

A blast from my past. Really. This song suddenly appeared at the back of my head. No recollection of the singer. Just the beautiful melody and meaningfully sweet lyrics. An acoustic number.

Suka No. 23- You (Stranger in the Night)

2010-10-28T01:02:00.002+08:00

It's the rhythm. Hide and seek and hard to catch. But catchy anyway.

Sheikh Mishary Rashid

2010-09-21T02:23:00.001+08:00

Beautiful voice reciting beautiful Quran beautifully.

My Memory Has Not Failed Me

2010-09-14T18:45:00.004+08:00

"I guess that this is where we've come to...."
Phewwww.... It was a torture, remembering the tune but not the lyrics nor the title. All I could remember of this song was that it had to do with a member of Linkin Park. Then everything got unravelled. Nostalgic number this is. It was playing while I was enjoying my initial years of legal practice.

Fort Minor-Believe Me

Ramadhan 1431 Hijriy And Lailatul Qadr

2010-08-28T02:08:00.030+08:00

11th August 2010 marked the start of Ramadhan and fasting for Muslims in Malaysia this year. In my previous posting I wrote about a kind soul who encouraged me to revert to reading the Quran. Since then, I have had the privilege of sharing F's regimes for Rejab and Sya'baan and now Ramadhan. The peak of Ramadhan is the final 10 days whereupon the Quran mentions that the Lailatul Qadr (the Night of Power) will descend with all its goodness and blessings. And what better way to achieve and to meet al Qadr than with filling our time with acts of worship like prayers, zikir and reciting the Quran.

Here's F's itinerary (in the quest for Lailatul Qadr) for the last 10 days of Ramadhan:-

Maghrib= Break of fast at home
10 minutes after maghrib=maghrib in jama'ah (congregation)
maybe rice before isya' prayers at home
Isya' in jama'ah and tarawih prayers
Recite Al Quran from 11 to 12 pm at home
Sleep before 12am
Wake up at 2am or 2.30am
Drive to Masjid Asy Syakirin KLCC for night ibadah
Sahur at mosque
Subuh in jama'ah
Recite Al Quran till break of dawn
Sleep time during the day=10am-12pm, 2pm-4pm (suitable for those self employed)

Less food, less sleep but more action during these 10 days!

Meaning of Surah Al Qadr (Al Quran, 97: 1-5):-

Power
In the name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful.[97:1]
Lo! We revealed it on the Night of Predestination.
[97:2]
Ah, what will convey unto thee what the Night of Power is!
[97:3]
The Night of Power is better than a thousand months.
[97:4]
The angels and the Spirit descend therein, by the permission of their Lord, with all decrees.
[97:5]
(The night is) Peace until the rising of the dawn.

(Translation from: www.altafsir.com)

Being mortal humans, we are in the dark as to whether we will actually meet Ramadhan and Lailatul Qadr of the next years. Because of this, we Muslims are encouraged to make full use of the Ramadhan that we currently experience. F also shared with me the gist of the lecture he heard from the mosque i.e. on hunting for Lailatul Qadr. Of course, we aim to i'tikaf (retreat) in the mosque in the final 10 days of Ramadhan. If we are not able to do that, we may i'tikaf on the final odd days of Ramadhan. Failing of which, we may strive to i'tikaf on the night of the 27th. If we are not able to do that, we may sleep during the night of 27th and stay awake from 2am till 5am doing the acts of worship.

May we stay energised to welcome Lailatul Qadr!

Short of Welcoming You Aboard!

2010-07-06T00:03:00.007+08:00

A good friend is expecting the arrival of someone special in 9 months. And that special someone is not a baby but instead she being a member of the Malaysian Bar! The ultimate ending to a person who has undergone law study. Yes, finally Ch is on her way to becoming an advocate and solicitor of the High Court of Malaya. Congratulations to Ch on her commencement of pupillage on 1st of July 2010!

Since my own experience went as far as 9 years back, the memory is a mixed up of joy and pain. Pain was there of course. The pain of having my Borang 1 not accepted at the first instance by Mr Murali of the Kuala Lumpur High Court because my name was not as per my Identity Card. As my name was rather long, I had decided to write "Bt" instead of "Binti". This proved to be fatal. And so I learned among others that Identity Card is a benchmark for many legal things.

It so happened that 1 day before Ch was to commence her pupillage at a reputable law firm in Kuala Lumpur, I was scheduled to have a court appearance at the High Court division in charge of admission to the bar (the Bahagian Rayuan dan Kuasa Kuasa Khas). So, i snapped a picture of the signboard at the entrance of the registry of that division. And fate had it that the next day I met Ch and was able to show her the very signboard which she was supposed to encounter when she file her pupillage papers. And today Ch actually filed her papers and yes, she admitted to having seen the signboard that I had showed her previously.

Ch is a woman of substance. She did her LLB part time while working at my previous firm. Repeated her CLP examinations several times. Deferred her pupillage as she had to concentrate of other major events in her life. Now married and having her own home, she is all ready to embrace pupillage. This must be extra hard for her considering the fact that it was several years ago that she completed her CLP. For most of us law graduates, we undergo pupillage fresh out of law school. Salute to Ch!

And so I told Ch that pupillage is no kacang. It is hard work and the work is alien to that which we learned in law school. In law school we learned much about substantive law. In practice, it is procedural law and substantive law altogether. It involves a lot of getting-used-to. And I am sure you can do it, Ch. Brave your heart and everything will turn out beautiful!

Missed June, Hi July 2010!

2010-07-01T15:58:00.003+08:00

Especially to my dear brother:

Life is a lesson to be learned. Problems are indeed opportunities. Brave your heart bro. Be thankful to God for the heartbeat. Success is in the mind and the might!

1st of July 2010:-

a) a dear friend's 34th birthday. May he fares in his life well.

b) the legal fraternity in Muar Johor celebrates their first day of operation at the new Muar Court Complex. Congrats Muar lawyers and court officials!

c) today, sitting of all High Courts and Lower Courts in Malaysia starts at 8.30 am, instead of the usual 9.00 a.m. The Chief Justice has however promised that no striking out of cases until close of court sitting for the day. And that we should all try this new time for 3 months.

Yeah, life on a faster lane!

More Godly Signs

2010-05-28T23:23:00.009+08:00

The college called life. The informal learning process. And of noticing God's signs and responding to them.

An older friend of mine is a very dedicated mother. A filial daughter. She is also a great daughter in law. Of course she is a superb friend and confidante. Ms E updated me about her mom in law who is recovering from stroke. The poor lady is 88 years old. And she is responding very well to physiotherapy. Ms E relayed how a good son her husband is to his mother. Caring and providing the best care regime for the mother. At their home. And Ms E admitted that the children's communication with grandma in a way contributes greatly towards her well being. I am amazed. And here you have non-Muslims who are doing exactly what Islam preaches to its believers. To care for and honour your parents. Yes, this is a very difficult thing to do especially if you have your career and own family to attend to.

A Muslim son's duty towards his parents follows through until the son dies. It does not end when the parents die but instead when he himself dies. A Muslim daughter who is married owes her obedience to her husband. Parents in law ranks similar to one's own parents. Despite the death or divorce from one's spouse.

Both Ms E and her husband are doing exactly this. Imagine the lesson they are giving their 3 young children. Kudos to you two!

I have been getting emails on free Quranic lessons. Never responded though. And just this evening, I actually received a personal invitation to attend such class. In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, one hour per week and it is free! Subhanallah. I take this as a cue for me to revisit the holy habit of reciting the Quran consistently.

"Fear not death. But fear the failure of living a meaningful life". Of course what defines "meaningful" differs from person to person.

The ticking of the mind should never stop!

Me Rambling

2010-05-26T22:31:00.006+08:00

What is PNH? PNH is Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria. A good friend asked what it was. Well, dear friend, this is the name of my blood disorder. It is a type of hemolytic anemia. It means anemia caused by destruction of the red cell. PNH by itself is not fatal. Death comes when it is accompanied by other physiological disasters. And death can be caused by a myriad of other circumstances. Fear not death. Fear the fact that we fail to live a meaningful life.

In Islam, praying (solat) is a form of communication with God. The Prophet (Muhammad) was once asked why he prayed until his feet swelled. When he as the Prophet of God was without sin, infallible. And he replied, why can't I say my thanks to my Creator? And so prayer not only serves as a means to seek God's forgiveness. It is also our way of saying something to Him. Anything.

And of late I have noticed God communicating with me. At least this is what I think. He shows His signs many times. He responds. And what do I do? I choose to see. And I pray and hope that I am faring well.

Selagi Ku Bernafas

2010-04-08T19:36:00.007+08:00

Fate has it that I chanced upon a blog page which consists of videos and blog links. When video speaks, it speaks volumes which is more than writing has. One piece of video was of particular interest. And so, I came up with the following words:-

Rakyat Malaysia tak bodoh. Cuma diperbodohkan. Kerja memperbodohkan orang adalah dengan menipu, berlakon atau menzahirkan separuh kebenaran. Tapi proses memperbodohkan orang ni tak lama. Lama-lama kebenaran timbul jua. Kalau orang yang memperbodohkan orang ni ingat rancangan dia berjaya, dialah yang bodoh. Bodoh tak salah. Tapi merugikan. Memperbodohkan orang, salah.

I pray we will all stay wise.

Lirik A.P.I. - Pelita | Print Lyrics

2010-04-01T20:59:00.005+08:00

Lirik A.P.I. - Pelita | Print Lyrics

Posted using ShareThis

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMlIHgz57U4

Note: The song is called Pelita. By a collaboration called API. Vocals are Noh Hujan and Azlan. Positivity all over, this song is.

A Passing

2010-03-28T23:19:00.004+08:00

For the record. Abang Usop the husband of Kak Ton who both sold laksa and cendol etc near Wisma FAM Kelana Jaya, passed away around 11 a.m., 27 March 2010 (Saturday). He would have been 50 this year. The cause of death or rather, the events prior to his passing was, that he collapsed at home after complaining of chest pain. Allahyarham Abang Usop had been hospitalised some time at the end of last year. He was a fighter of some ailments. When he was discharged from the hospital, he was his normal high spirited and jovial self.

His passing was a shock. I had a brief chat with him the evening before. Our cars met on the road near the stall and he asked "Nak tanya apa tu?". I replied " Nak beli gamat!". And he replied "Gamat ada kat Langkawi!". Hahaha, of course. Allahyarham and Kak Ton were regular users of a brand of gamat product. In fact, he told me about the product several months back. After the brief encounter, I was contemplating returning to the laksa spot but decided that I would ask Allahyarham next time. And now there is no next time. But Kak Ton had informed me about the gamat product anyway.

I have been having PNH for 14 plus years now. And the anemia can be severe at times. And still death comes to those destined to meet it. My late father died suddenly too, due to chest pain also. Chest pain seems to be the sign of sudden death. May their souls rest in peace among the faithfuls.

Allahyarham's family lives in my neighbourhood. And now Kak Ton is left with her 3 growing children whose ages range from 16 to 20. I hope you stay strong, Kak Ton. There is a hikmah behind every event.

Come April come.

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) - Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center

2010-03-16T00:26:00.000+08:00

Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria (PNH) - Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center

The Week That Was

2010-03-02T13:17:00.001+08:00

Funny I have been replying this recently when asked by friends of how I was doing: "Life has been, at a time when my life is about to nosedive, there comes the hands of God to scoop me up onto the surface". And that keeps on happening.

And last week was one of those weeks where things out of the norm occurred. One, a university friend I have not met nor heard of for almost 10 years had surfaced on facebook. And so we got on the phone line quick enough. And God how she has transformed, or should I say evolved. From the bubbly smart always thinking girl to a mommy of three kids. Way to go Z!

And then there's L, my ex Sri Aman schoolmate. We went back 20 years. Wait, 20 years!!! I am old. In numbers only but still, I am old. Old is gold. And thank God I was speaking with L on my fixed line for if it had been my handphone, my right hand would have become numb threefold after talking with her.

Last night, I fulfilled an invitation by a good friend to a kenduri kesyukuran. With orphans. I was apprehensive up till the last minute because I did not know what to expect exactly. Because of all the things that can break me, orphans is one of those who top the list. But I guess, I prepared myself so it went smooth. I went smooth. And seeing Nowseeheart on the stage and singing along with them, the food tasted so good. Nowseeheart's vocal rendition of their songs was as good as in their album. Go go Mujahid!

Earlier in the week, I went to see a good friend at her neighbourhood. That was where I discovered an otak-otak producer which I think is quite a rarity in Klang Valley. The real otak-otak in coconut leaves are known to be ubiquitous in Johor. And I was in luck as the one I found was truly deeply tasty.

And so I asked my friend, is Egg Noodle Mee the same as Wantan Mee? I asked this because I saw that the egg noodle mee served at Old Town White Coffee resembled the wantan mee that I know. And my friend said, yes. And why the different name called? A said, perhaps because Wantan Mee is associated with the non-halal nature, so the need for a different name. I said, no such need. I had been eating Wantan Mee since I found a halal one served at the food court at Carrefour Subang Jaya many years ago (now it is no more there. I get my wantan mee from The Chicken Rice Shop nowadays). Personally, Egg Noodle mee does not sound pure and instead creates confusion.

And when I want to search for Hokkien Mee, I will have to visit Homst, TTDI.

Which style of Wantan Mee shall I have: dry or soup? This is difficult.... Ahhhh... Two visits will solve this.

-Saturday 27th Feb-

A Lady's Choice

2010-02-25T00:53:00.003+08:00

25th February 2010. The clock keeps ticking and there is no turning back. The obvious Prednisolone withdrawal symptoms are disappearing. But the non-obvious ones, I do not know. Doc, I am not playing with my life. It just so happens that it looks like I am doing that but actually I am not.

Of choices and making them. Of having choices and being able to choose. But if you do not? If you do not, just grab whatever is in front of you. How do you know such is an okay thing to do? Sometimes you do not. Time will tell. Apart from playing with life, one can also play with time. Life and time are at one's disposal.

A friend has just opened a kindergarten. Its concept is simple. Choose good over evil. The skill of making good choices and actually making them. For example, choose to be happy, choose to be hardworking, choose to be a successful vicegerent of God. The kindy teaches this to young kids. Great concept.

I choose to move on. Facing adversities every step of my way, I choose to accept the challenges and embrace them positively. Yeah, grumble a little bit here and there but finding solutions is next.

"...Hidup ini penuh erti buat kita berdua. Lupakanlah segala-gala sengketa. Janganlah dikenang, engkau bangkit semula. Agar kau dan aku hidup dengan bahagia. Inilah kehidupan. Pancaroba..."- Pancaroba, Grey Sky Morning

Of Signals and Sayings

2009-12-19T13:00:00.012+08:00

Very soon it is going to be the Gregorian year of 2010. As for the Muslims in Malaysia, yesterday all of us celebrated Awal Muharam of 1431 Hijry. As for the Christians, it will be Christmas next week. The cute Christmas tree at Hailam Kopitiam SS2 has been blinking day and night this past few days, I believe. Cute.

A very good friend is writing a book related to the history of Johor. At the moment, he is still in the process of compiling his materials. This involves visiting the libraries and graveyards in Johor and England, and interviewing several personalities. This good friend is over 70 years of age and he is Danish by birth. His endeavour is most inspiring. The actual writing is slated for July 2010. By this time, he would have have completed his European tour for next year. All the best, Pak Haji!

PNH wise, Prednisolone at the dose of 7 tablets (that would be 35 mg) per day is not sufficient to suppress my hemolysis. But then again, I cannot stand the water retention effect as well. The moon face is rather annoying. So now, it is about balancing those two i.e. episodic hemolysis and moon face.

And God, in all His greatness, has been great to me. Life has been about communicating with Him. He is all listening. He is all granting. He sends me signals, among other things. Last week, a close acquaintance, who had been missing for many months turned up at my door. He asked for my namecard. When he passes on, could I help his son, whom he will ask to contact me, to attend to his property matter? Of course, sir. But this will happen when he is no more. Last year when Mr K came to my door, he was in pain (he has cancer). I felt for him. This time around, he is currently undergoing chemotherapy and he was pleased with the whole thing. His son is back from overseas. Mr K did not seem as depressed as before. The drug could be doing him good after all. And I guess, when you are at that juncture, you talk of death bravely, matter-of-factly, as though you are all prepared for it. Perhaps he is. And I should be too. Because life is, in all its possibility, about death.

And a friend put this to me. That life is about identifying our limitations. That we have to know which is limitation and which is barrier. That barrier is something that if we apply some conditions, we are able to go around it. He was saying this because there is only so much we can do. As human beings, we cannot do more than we are able to. We have our limitations. But we must know them. So we need to differentiate limitation from barrier. And despite the physical and intellectual effort that we are capable of doing, there is a limit to those. Until we hit our limitations, keep on striving.

So now, should we take things one day at a time or be quick in leading our lives? We have our physical and intellectual limitations, among others. And we also have our time limits. Hadith of Prophet Muhammad says to grab these 5 things before the consequential 5 things occur i.e. young before old, health before sickness, rich before poor, free before busy and life before death.

Answer: whatever we do, do not waste time. Not to say we should rush but suffice if we plan our life well, give priority to things that matter, observe our duties and obligations to those that matter, do good and avoid evil, think and act positively, keep on the right track and do not waste time.

Happy new years!

Our Neighbours

2009-10-04T17:45:00.009+08:00

It is 4th of October 2009 today. A lovely Sunday. Soon we will be writing 2010. When you look at food packagings, you can very well see 2010 printed on the "best before" section. 2010 is near. In 2010, God willing, I will be 34. Not young, not old neither. But hey, age is just a number. Old is golden. I believe in that. But unfortunately not everybody grows into old age. We demise when the time comes.

Around us, the people of Sumatera, Indonesia and Manila in the Philippines are facing the bitter experience of life. As of the news today, 4000 thousand people are still trapped due to the earthquake in Padang. The death toll rose to 603. In the Phillipines, after Typhoon Ketsana and the major flood, the northern province is now hit with Typhoon Parma. Landslide killed 12 people in a village raising the death toll to 16.

The act of God in action. Man cannot predict nor stop it from happening. Assess and move on. But the moving on will require plentiful of money. That is when kindness play a pivotal role. Love is colour blind. And so, it knows no boundary. We have, we help. We can.

More reading:

1. Padang Earthquake-Bernama News
http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=444303

2. Typhoon Parma- The Chosun Ilbo (English Daily-News From Korea)
http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/10/03/2009100300400.html

3. Typhoon Parma-MSNBC News
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33135385/ns/world_news-asiapacific/

Love Is In The Air

2009-09-30T01:20:00.010+08:00

The day Tuesday yesterday dated 29th of September 2009 was just 1 of those lovely days. The heat was less as rain poured in late evening. No untoward incidents occurred. I was fed well. Had a good and fruitful chat with my guru. And my being outside the house ended with a dinner with a dear friend. Prednisolone did not pose much antics, or was it adjustment taking progress?

And a dear friend is anxiously waiting for the arrival of his newborn. Child number 2. So he was in standby mode. The dear wife is also anxious despite this being her second delivery. Because this time around, the baby is expected to be delivered normally. Unlike the first baby who was induced. My humble advice was, when the water breaks (the amnion ruptures) that is the time to go to the hospital. May you have a smooth delivery, Sarah...

Are other days less lovely? Possibly. The day when things do not go as planned. When the unexpected occurs. When you exert time and energy doing things that trespass into your list of things to do. Alas, one must always remember that problems are opportunities. This is one way to exercise positive thinking. Positive thinking is vital for survival. Meaningful survival. It paves the way to move on.

My days ahead can be disastrous, calamitous, depressing. But I can look at things differently and handle the situation so as to make it better, if not settled. Without less than lovely days, can we actually appreciate those lovely ones? Love is in the air...

Every Breath I Take

2009-09-28T00:37:00.010+08:00

Every breath I take entitles God to receive thanks from me. Thank you Allah. For having had those good samaritans to donate precious blood. And to have those stored red cells to work in my system. I had 4 packs of them starting 4th September 2009. Accompanied by 3 doses of liquid Prednisolone. Prednisolone the mighty and powerful corticosteroid. Thank you to all those angels in the hospital particularly those attached to Ward 6TD Menara Timur, UMMC. And thanks to the inventor of blood filters, without which my journey through blood transfusion would have been a painful one.

7th September I was discharged into real world. It was Nuzul Quran day and so a holiday for my native Selangor. The discharge was accompanied by oral Prednisolone. 12 tablets of 5mg Pred everyday. By this time, my saliva had been bitter at times. Prednisolone in action. No problem. This is my second encounter with Prednisolone. I tried it for a good 9 months in 2005. Until I could not handle its most life-disturbing side effect i.e. susceptibility to infection. Infections of even the minor kind.

I am a frequent defaulter from my follow up. Up to a stage where loved ones and doctors are at lost for words. But I believe in their hearts they know that I know where to go when I am in dire need of blood. And when that happens, it is a situation where I know that red cells cannot be made adequately (according to my low standard) in a short span of time with the demands of life (usually work related) being hard pressed on me.

And so, today the 27th of September, 23 days after the first administration of Prednisolone, the fluid and fat retention side effect of it has taken place. Possibly causing hypertension. Moon face is me. And so do heavy perspiring, intermittent blurry vision, progressive headache, among others. Heightened sense of being had taken effect a long time ago. So, I am keeping vigilant of the time when I become otherwise.

But then, despite all these side effects, the feeling of having ample hemoglobin to move you around is precious, priceless. I am now able to handle house chores without obstacles. No impact on the heart nor the limbs.

And so it goes..... Hemoglobin at the price of Prednisolone. Fair bargain. Until I can no longer stand Prednisolone's antics. Hahahaha!

For more reading:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prednisolone

Hello Mates!

2009-08-14T22:30:00.006+08:00

The nation is on a countdown. I am on a countdown. With eyesight blocked by the varying intensity of haze in Petaling Jaya, the death toll from the mighty and powerful AH1N1 virus stands at 56. The 2 youngest casualties being 1 premature baby and a 2 month-old baby.

A page from Ministry of Health Malaysia's website: http://h1n1.moh.gov.my/FaktaH1N1.php
Some useful facts and tips on how to confront the virus. I guess, as with other combats, the best man wins in this combat with the tiny but mighty virus. When having my lunch today, I decided to use my hands instead of fork and spoon. Out of my norm, I washed my hands with soap before eating. I would not normally like to wash my hands with soap before I eat as I find the frangrant smell of soap a disturbance to my endeavour. But now is an exception as we are facing a pandemic.

And on 24th July, little Damira @ Damigha and her big sister Icha and their parents left Malaysia for Germany. They stayed in Malaysia for a good 22 days. Enough for my family to meet Damigha for the first time since she was born. This 15 month old baby is unlike Icha when she was small. For one, Damigha is breastfed by her mommy. I believe this leads to her being very attached to her mommy and at the same time a composed and satisfied baby. She has a great sense of humour too. A joker at times.

And Icha, she has grown to be a lovely and well behaved 7 year old. Her time is filled with mind occupying activities and she is soft spoken like her daddy. She is also a caring sister to Damigha. I am impressed. Icha and I could be sharing some similar characteristics as we are both Scorpios. Time will tell and I cannot wait to see this.

Well, some pictures of my German bundles of joy:-

A Revelation Of Sort

2009-07-03T01:00:00.001+08:00

It is always nice to be able to enjoy the company of good friends. I had such privilege some days ago. Those who joined our table were introduced among themselves. And so the exchange of handshakes and names. And namecards for those who had them.

In the course of the conversations, I learned that, sadly, there are some Muslims who are only Muslims by birth. Not by practice. To the extent of consuming the forbidden/haram. Sad because these people have lost grip of Islam. Most probably because of ignorance and habit. And what could have caused the ignorance? Probably lack of Islamic basic education.

I always thought that if a Muslim has had basic Islamic education, if ever he or she strays at some point of her life, she has something to return or revert to. But if she does not have, what can she possible return to? Unless of course, she has been given the hidayah by Allah. This could be due to the fact that she has a kind heart eventhough she has lost her way.

Education, spiritual and worldly are both important. Because we Muslims have been destined to live in 2 worlds. First this world that we are living in. Second and the last one, is the hereafter. We must excell in both. Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) said "Work for the dunia (world) as though you will live forever. Work for the akhirah (hereafter) as though you will die tomorrow".

And so, to relate to the current phenomenon of Muslims themselves criticising Islamic moves (for example implementation of hudud law on Muslims), it could possibly be that those objections come from these born-Muslims-only section. No wonder. Sometimes, their objection is more intense than those of the non-Muslims. So, learned Muslims out there, please help to give da'wah (preaching) to everyone, Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Islam is often misunderstood. Justice needs to be accorded to it.

What Gives

2009-07-02T01:03:00.004+08:00

I always believe and want to believe that when everything else fails, my mind is all I have that can function. It does not need much energy as in doing physical movements. It requires less. One just needs to be conscious. Why am I saying all this? Because, to put it simply, PNH and its relative anemia can at times be debilitating. I so want to tour around Zoo Negara and enjoy the sight of animals before my very eyes but before contemplating such activity, I have to calculate, assess, evaluate.... Whether I can physically finish the tour and carry myself back home. So, those days that pass without much lethargy, I thank Allah profusely. But for those days that I can still breathe, I thank Allah too.

A few weeks ago I missed 1 week of work. That also meant that I missed 1 week of opportunity to chase people in the course of my legal work. But then, I vowed and hoped that the following week, I could rise again and resume work. And by the grace of God, I have risen and the peak is this week. Peak because I got involved with more running around than usual. At the corner of my mind, I thought that if what I am doing now is not something that I should be doing, than I would not have been doing it all this while anyway. How we see ourselves is not the same as how others see. But what matters most is what we think of ourselves.

I would like to think that as long as I have faith, and I strive, God will surely, definitely help me.

Merah Dah Marah

2009-04-28T01:35:00.004+08:00

I am back on blogspot. Someone from blogspot had enquired as to how he could follow me on my wordpress blog. So I hunted in that direction and learned that one could only follow fellow wordpress bloggers. Inter-following between blogger.com and wordpress.com, not that I know of. And this made me feel very thankful that I had not abolished my this blogpage as soon as I started on wordpress. I had merely called this my first blog and the other, my second. Even their titles are exactly similar. Just trying out the best of both worlds!

Today I caught up with my favourite drama today-Merah Puteh. Merah became angry twice. First, when Anggun told him the truth about her absence of feelings towards him. Second, when he learned of his mother's unrelenting hatred towards Puteh. How natural Zahiril Adzim's acting can be. Kudos to him for helming the role like he did.

Posting pictures on the blog can be a slow process. I had managed to upload several on my other blog but the way they turn out, emmm, there is much editing to do. This can be very time consuming. In fact, net surfing is time consuming. I guess I have to get the hang of it and plan my time on it well.

I am also at http://shahjehanpj.wordpress.com

Combat in the Green

2009-02-03T00:33:00.008+08:00

Oh wow! The International Islamic University (IIU) now boasts a green and jungle-like entrance. Like it has been there for quite some time. Which is exactly the case. Since I left it in November 2000. I was passing it by on my way to Dusun Ali King Paintball, Gombak which is about 500 metres from IIU on the way to Kampung Sungai Pusu.

A dusun ("orchard") for paintball? Yes it was indeed. Being hypoxic that I am, I chose not to indulge in the sport but rather enjoyed the nature. And the meals of course! Delicious home made nasi lemak fare for breakfast. The anchovies sambal was the signature dish. And barbequed meat and seafood together with salads for lunch. Heaven! The ladies who prepared the dish must have been very capable cooks because the food served were all finely done. Thank you makcik and pakcik!

Going back to the journey to the dusun from the main road, well, vehicles are parked by the roadside. Then one walks about 100 metres up to the orchard. The path was rather hilly with huge forest stones. I brought along a mat for purposes inclusive of taking rests during my journey but no, I did not spread my mat anywhere along the trail. I knew we had reached the playing field when we saw some huts in front of us. There was a hut which served as a kitchen and counter, a hut being the equipment station, a hut for restroom, and 2 huts with chairs and tables. And further up, within plain sight, was a bungalow. And in front of that bungalow was another one in the making.

The paintball arena was directly opposite the huts. It was hilly. So, 2 teams who are fighting will have one team at the bottom and one on top of the hilly ground. Being the person not involved in the wargame, I was given 2 cameras for me to snap pictures. And so I brought the cameras at allowable places and snapped candid and non-candid pictures. By noon, I could feel the sweat already. Next to the arena were 2 man-made pools with PVC pipes jutting out above them. The water is suspected to be flowing from the hills on top. I did not verify this fact though.

Behind the kitchen hut, there was a pond. Green in colour with some water plants in it. I was informed that there were goats and rabbits being reared close to the bungalow on the higher ground. Looking at the staircase leading to the bungalow, I gave it a miss. Mini Batu Caves.

The combat was good. Not too deafening nor hectic. I guess the players got scared of being shot so they took careful steps. Oops, I forgot to mention the players. There were around 16 of them, divided into 3 groups. 1 girl in each group. Half of the players and me were from a group of former students of Sekolah Menengah Sains Muar, Johor. Two from the SPM Batch of year 1993, one from the year 2004 and the rest from the year 1991. The other half are friends and relatives of one of the former students. He was also the organiser of the activity. Thank you sifu! In the course of the activity, 3 more of former students came to join the gathering.

We had breakfast at 10 a.m. And then the shooting started at 11 a.m. We had lunch around 2 p.m. By 4 p.m. we dispersed. And then, we got off to another location for another activity of fun and laughter. Karaoke!

What observations I made? I made not only observations. I also made connection with the green nature. Refreshing. Such fresh air and water flowing from the little river on the way up the orchard. And to have touched the water from the pipe jutting out into the ponds. And to have stepped on the pebbles and huge stones on the trail up.

And I experienced social interaction. Old friends, new friends, friend's spouse and child. I even felt seasoned. Having celebrated the 32nd year of my life last November and now in my 33rd year, I felt more stable and relaxed doing what I did. One thing I could never do that is fighting paintball. And one thing I have not yet dare doing is singing karaoke. So I had a great time singing along and laughing at all the sporting souls. My classmate while I was 16 and 17 years of age brought his wife and 20 months old son. I had the time of my life playing with the little boy who was as chirpy as a little girl. And my friend's wife was warm too. She was my age.

I guess when we are in our 30s, we tend to become more relaxed and stable emotionally. At least more than when we were in our 20s and teens. No offence given or taken. Alls well ended well. Life is good. Despite the negative forecasts and unlikeable events that have affected the manufacturing industry lately, I believe we can still search for rooms that can offer us happiness. Gladness. Feeling at ease. The greatness of God.

And Kampung Sungai Pusu which is at the end of the road leading to Dusun Ali King, has prospered in sight as compared to when I was a student in IIU.

Forecast Becoming Reality

2009-01-29T20:42:00.002+08:00

The longer I breathe God's air, the more lessons in life that I pick up. Some things happen on our own accord, some on others' accord and some on nature's whim and fancy. Is the last one accurate? Perhaps. It is my other name for fate, destiny. Sometimes, something that we long for or like, might not be good for us. Something that we despise, might just be good for us. In general terms. No particular occasions. My brain likes to work that way. Because I tell it to work that way. Hahahaha. You control you. Unless you prefer some other power to control you.

End of last year, the newspapers were preparing us with the statistics on the workers to be retrenched this year. By the hundred thousands. And this year, this month, it is happening as forecasted. The reality is manufacturing industry particularly electronics is suffering. And the Central Bank of Malaysia made the move of reducing the base lending rate. And the price of salt water fish is on the rise (this is attributable to the extincting nature of the sea fishes, I believe). Amidst the reports that certain imported fish is kept in formalin before it gets to our kitchens.

A friend of mine told me yesterday that his company's factory is closing till 2nd February. What happens to the workers after that has yet to be decided. Several options are available. Stay or goodbye. I am talking in general, swaying terms. This must be the brain being lazy. Where is the might? And a friend was relating, in general terms, how a few of our friends will be the casualties of the economic slowdown.

The reality is our economy and the world's are hurting really bad. We are feeling the pinch bit by bit. All that is left surely is our soul. Keep positive dear soul.

I Am A Sponge

2008-12-31T10:58:00.007+08:00

At a time when almost everyone else born in one of the years of the Dragon i.e. 1976 has celebrated his or her 32nd birthday, I just had the priviledge to do that on the 12th of November. Old news. On the very first day of January every year, I start to get myself accustomed to being in the age corresponding to the very year. So, come November, being my real age does not cause a blast. Nah... But I do feel grateful to God for letting me breathe and enjoy His wonderful world.

The Holy Quran says "Ask the knowledgeable amongst you if you do not know". The Final Prophet said in a hadith, "Seek knowledge until China". "Knowledge is sought from the womb till the tomb" (Ooops, that rhymes... In Malay it doesn't...). More accurately, the grave. I used "tomb" so it rhymes with "womb". "Seeking knowledge is compulsory upon all Muslims". The renowned Muslim scholar Ismail Faruqi said that every Muslim is a scientist, such as the result of having to think deep and hard when observing the creations of Almighty Allah.

Me-these few months, I have been favouring calling myself a sponge. What do I mean with that? Well, there is so much informal lessons of life that I have had the opportunity of learning. And by learning I mean, I actually absorb the lessons that come with life's incidences. We human beings have the choice whether to pay attention to something, to take note of, to delve upon the matter, to derive positive gains from it or dismiss it.

Informal- because it is free and I do not need to set my foot on any institution of higher learning in order to learn. And there is actually no formal teacher. The teacher can be my mother, my ENT specialist, my fellow members of the bar, the presiding judge, the court interpreter and staff, my clients, my friends and foes, my acquaintances, the people I meet on the streets, the waiters and waitress, the cook cum entrepreneur together with the mastermind cum entrepreneur of Restoran Nasi Lemak Cikgu, and many other human beings I get in contact with on a daily basis.

Being a sponge, I observe and absorb the impact of the social interaction. The requirement of being a sponge- I keep an open mind and heart. Regardless of my emotional inclination and nature, I have to stay open minded. In the event of my being criticised, I still be a sponge, absorbing each and every criticism laid on me. Those could be true, those could be presumptive. Second, on top of being a sponge, I am also a smart sponge in the sense that any negative feedback being hurled at me, they are all converted and then stored in the positive form inside my memory. Hahahaha. In short, I am a sponge with a filter and converter inside. Third, I am always receptive to new ideas and thinking. But receptive does not necessarily mean I accept all input. They have to be filtered first.

What has being a sponge got to do with seeking knowledge? Well, life offers things to be learned doesn't it? Life carries with it loads of lessons to be learnt. There is a reason for everything. There is always hope. Problems are opportunities. You are what you think. (You are also what you eat). And the list of positivity goes on. Like a sponge, we human being have the capability of thinking and absorbing what nature and our everyday living has to offer. We analyze information, we feel life events, we store them in our memory. And best, we put the good principles to practice. Knowledge is power. It makes us better human beings. It empowers our being.

Salam Maal Hijrah of 1430H! And Happy 2009!

1948 Batang Kali Massacre

2008-12-21T23:57:00.014+08:00

I read with great interest the article that was featured in The New Sunday Times today, 21 December 2008 on a massacre that took place in our own backyard Batang Kali back in 1948. Frankly speaking, this piece of history was nowhere in my memory. It told of the only living survivor, Tham Yong who until now spoke of the bloodshed with tears. Tham Yong related her account.

After the Japanese left Malaya after the World War 2, communists ruled. At that time, British returned to finish up with its colonisation. In June 1948, the British declared a state of emergency due to the insurgency of the communists (The communists were active fighters of the Japanese during Japanese occupancy). In a small village in Batang Kali, Selangor, one British troop consisting 14 men came, opened fire on the men and torched the village. The women and children were loaded onto a truck and taken away for some time before they were released back to their village.

Tham Yong related how, before her very eyes, one man was caught with what was actually a permit for collection of durian written in Chinese. Thinking that the piece of paper was a communication with the communist, a British soldier asked the man to run. The man refused to do so. The soldiers pushed him and when he did run, they shot him from the back.

After that, the women and children were transported in the truck. After the village became out of their sight, they could hear gun shots. When they came back a week after that, they saw all the lifeless bodies. The bodies were half eaten by animals and most of them looked as though they were running away when shot.

The then Malayan government offered some explanation saying an enquiry was duly held. But no trace of investigation has been found. In 1970 a newspaper in Britain ran an explosive account on the mass killing. The soldiers involved had affidavits sworn admitting that the villagers were shot in cold blood. The villagers were forced at gun-point to run, and then kiled to make it look like an escape attempt. Why? Because some British soldiers had been killed by communist insurgents weeks before. So the high ranking British officers orchestrated the killing as a revenge.

The matter received major attention in Britain but was left untouched until it was highlighed again by BBC in 1992.

What do Tham Yong and the descendants of the victims want now? They want the truth to be told so that history is set straight. That the British government should at least apologize for the acts of its servants in the course of its colonisation exercise.

This reminds us of the agenda brought forward by HINDRAF (Hindu Rights Action Force). The marginalised section of the Indian society wants Britain to be accountable for their act of bringing the Indians to Malaysia before World War 2 and thereafter ignoring their welfare. But their claim is rather far-fetched. The HINDRAF members further believe that due to this neglect by the British, they are suffering till now.

The Japanese are not without sins either. While carrying out its Japan Imperial invasions, their soldiers had caused misery to a number of women called the Comfort Women. The majority of these women were from Korea and China. The women were subjected to a form of sexual slavery. Justice is still being sought for.

These were related to the pre and post World Wor 2 events. What about now? Now we have Guantanamao Bay and the use of Abu Ghraib prison by the moden day colonialist, the US in respect of its Iraqi invasion.

No one human deserves to be killed without justification. No one nation deserves to invaded for the sole reason that a nation is supreme. People who fail to respect others, fails to respect itself. A pair of shoes might not be enough to instil some sense into a person's brain but it is a sign. A humongous sign. We rejoice in the fact that a person has been able to do what we have no chance of doing. Human beings do not condone cruelty. It is just a matter of having the will and power to retaliate or not.

Friendship Or Whatever Ship Can Be Cheap

2008-12-17T00:49:00.009+08:00

This is really a personal account. Not to say all the other previous postings are not but this can be a little bit dramatic. Emotional. Can't help it because by nature I am more emotional than intellectual. More idealistic than realistic and practical. But since my emotional sense is high, I get to be aware of how damaging this condition can be. So, God has destined that I am also equipped with the capability to self assess. Hahaha.

Friends. Yes we do need them. Nature dictates that friends can be of varying degrees. The friend in need. The friend in days of glory. The friends who are friends because we happen to bump into each other in the spaces that we move about. The friend who came to be because of some interaction history. And those friends whom we communicate with only once a year but the spirit of friendship remain at an intense degree.

Do we have to put effort in making friendship work? Yes. In doing so, we can fall into the situation of only one person tries to do the tango even though it normally takes two to do so. After a while, that person gets sick of doing that trick so he or she scraps the whole idea. And moves on to other people. I am of the view that in dealing with everyday human interaction, one must think with one's head and one's heart. In conflicting situations, the head prevail. We would not want to be a burning candle would we? Let us be the sun or the lightbulb. We do not get burned in the process.

And the factor that binds friends together? This is my observation. Friendships forged during childhood and adolescence seem to have a longer and more lasting effect. Why? One, because at a young age, a person has still yet to find his or her true identity. He is still searching. He is still flexible. As a result, he does not impose any conditions on anyone or anything. He accepts his friends as they are. Provided his friends jive with him. Two, there is usually no ulterior or pecuniary motives behind the friendship. It is all about self acceptance, sincerity and happiness.

Coming of age and being an adult, a person has found his true self. He is not so much seeking for an identity. Instead, he is finding ways to enhance himself. His finances, his reputation, his career, his future. Does he need new friends? Yes. Since these friends will be able to assist him in achieving his life goals. Will he be able to associate himself with these friends since they are his friends? That depends. If he is free, if he is in need of certain assistance, if he has problem, if he needs the friends' support.

Of course, at this juncture of his life, he had already created a family of his own. And he is now a person of family responsibility. A dedicated worker. Friends of the world must all understand this phase in human life. Point well taken.

When friendship falls into the hands of foul hearted people, the friendship is reduced in stature to a low level. These people befriend people for as long as they need. The minute some disagreement ensues and the person feels he or she can do away with his or her friend, then she makes her way. No matter how kind and helpful this friend had been to him or her during the course of the friendship.

Moral of the story to me (obviously I am writing based on my personal account) is first, have full confidence in yourself. Keep your self esteem high. Believe strongly in God. It is okay to feel sad but grow out of it. Assess the situation. If I am at fault, admit that it is and ask for forgiveness. Do not repeat the same mistake. If it is not my mistake, I have nothing to lose. I feel good with myself and my life. I have to be grateful with everything God has allowed me to own and feel. Accept the incidence with an open heart and move on with my life. If I want, I can even forgive the other person. Why? Because when you forgive, you will forget and you let that episode pass. Then you are good to move on. In mind and in heart.

The same goes if people having blood relation with us let us down. People can be stupid and do nothing about it. All we can do is to set them thinking. If they are capable of doing that. The rest, like anylising and actually acting on the thinking is so not up to us. We have no control in such a situation. So let is be. Me, I try and do move on.

I believe it is good that God has made us human with all the lack of perfection. In all our weaknesses, we can be forgetful. We can be blind. In such state, we can forget the minor mistreatment committed by other people which had left us being upset. Because of that, we can move on. We must move on. If we don't, we are committing a disservice to ourselves. It can tantamount to self destruction. Don't we love ourselves? Move on.

Rule of thumb (subject to exception where applicable) is (1) think/plan/strategise, (2) make the effort (do it with excellence ["ihsan"]), (3) pray to God ["dua"], and (4) the result, accept whatever it may be ["tawakal"]. Life can have rule of thumb you know...

When The Land Decided To Slide

2008-12-14T14:52:00.015+08:00

Has anyone heard of a hilly township? One where a large number of houses are built within the boundaries of a hill. Places of abode in the form of bungalows, condominiums and terrace houses. Not just 1 condominium complex but several of them. Bukit Antarabangsa at Ampang is one such township. I call it a township. A small one. It has a petrol station, supermarket, pharmacy, Burger King outlet, shops and recreation facilities. Around 5 thousand people reside in Bukit Antarabangsa.

Last Saturday the 6th of December 2008, a major landslide occurred and damaged 14 bungalow lots and killed 4 people. Affecting Taman Bukit Mewah and Taman Bukit Utama in Bukit Antarabangsa. The cause was reported to be soil movement due to water retention. It has been rainy for the past weeks. And so, the land decided that it was time to slide.

Slide it did but why did it have to land on the 14 units of residential units. Were the units at the wrong place at the wrong time? Who in their right thinking mind would have a place of dwelling only to become endangered in your own home? There must have been something awfully wrong with the location of the houses then. That they have to become the casualties of a major landslide. And what was so destabilising that had caused the soil to slide? Something caused the soil to move and it was highly unfortunate that the 14 bungalows were below the highland. Two issues-weak soil and mislocated residential units.

One of the geology experts interviewed was of the view that the landslide was not an act of God. It was the act of human beings. He could be true. Look back at the 2 issues. At least 1 hit- mislocated residential units. But hills do not become weak unnecessarily. So the weak soil-something must account for it. Human hands most possibly. Greedy, irresponsible human hands that tamper with the nature. Or rather, mishandle the nature.

It is not wrong to desire a home with a breathtaking view of the nature. More so when the decision to purchase was influenced by the representation that everything is all well, secured and legal. But does the other party to the contract come with clean hands? Is there more to discover other than what was obvious? Well, we will hate when that happens. Like when the revelation is made 10 years after. Or after lives are taken. God forbids.

What is done is done. No use crying over spilled milk. We can only assess the situation, learn from it, move on and improve. I pray God grants the residents of Bukit Antarabangsa patience and physical and emotional strength to face the situation.

I Think Therefore I Say

2008-11-26T22:43:00.004+08:00

Shah Jehan is a confirmed hibernating blogger. But the thing about hibernating is there is the "wake up" occurence. So, now, I have awoken from my pseudo sleep.

What made me woke up? Hahaha. The not-so-sensational-but-equally-interesting issue on yoga being proclaimed "haram" (forbidden) by the Malaysian National Fatwa Council. After the same council issued a fatwa that cross dressing by women is "haram".

The Quran says "As alu ahlaz zikri inkuntum la ta'lamun" which means ask those who are learned amongst you if you do not know. I am not a qualified Islamic jurist. And the fatwa council members are. Islamic religious edicts are their niche. Therefore, at the outset, I concur with their "ijtihad" (a thoroughly formulated Islamic opinion in matters of practical rules of the syariah-I have to define it in such a way because really, the fiqh dictionary is out of my reach and my years of learning the principles of Islamic law were very much pre-historic) which now has a binding effect because it is endorsed by a consensus of jurists.

In substance, I also concur with the fatwa. The Quran says the "haram" is clear and the "permissible" is too. Simple. Nothing difficult with the background of the issue that called for such ruling.

Personally, I have never tried yoga. But I know it originates from Hinduism. As a Muslim, one must always be careful in what one is doing because, certain things, if done for fun can be taken for real by the religion. What more if done with intention. Yoga can be said to be one area which is grey. It originates from a different religion to Islam. And it has its various sets of conducts and movements. Can a Muslim really ascertain that the movements of yoga is doubt or unIslamic free? If you can, I guess, you are spared the effect of the fatwa. If you can't, you are caught by the hadith of the Prophet that means to say that doubtful (shubhah) matters are best left behind.

As a patient of PNH and one who has been suffering for 13 years now, I had been constantly trying out alternative methods. I cannot call these methods alternative treatments because their respective medical efficacy has never been proven. I stopped indulging in the hunting-for-cure-expedition about 2 years ago. For me personally, apart from the hematologists' proven treatment regimes, pure honey helps to preserve my physiologically fragile status quo. No others. Other supplements are indeed good for health but they do not specifically target my underlying medical problem.

My last attempt at healing was chi qong of the meditative type. The chi qong master had to only breath in and out, and direct his palm across my body from a distance. The part of body directly opposite with that of the palm could feel something. Sort of a prick. How do you explain that. According to the master, the pricky feeling was energy collected from the surrounding. And later directed at that part of body which suffers imbalance in energy. Energy is then supplied in a course of time. With the intention of correcting the energy level thus healing the illness.

After a while, I started to have a feeling that this procedure, with its explanation which I failed to connect to the religious tenets of Islam, could or might be in conflict with Islamic faith. I did not know for sure, but I just abandoned the whole thing. For all I know, there could have been some jeannie transporter involved. Nah, it was not worthwhile battling God's test with something possibly God forbidden. Didn't make sense to me.

So, I moved on to self-healing. Spiritual healing. My style. Islamic style. If fellow human beings could devise a method to collect energy from thin air, why can't I formulate similar strength from within me.

I do not know about other religions but I know that in Islam, preserving one's faith is of utmost importance. And so, should any Muslim trade it for something else in the name of health, wealth or anything? Tepuk dada tanya selera.

Playing With Puppy?

2008-11-10T00:11:00.005+08:00

Oooooh....Shah Jehan has not been speaking for a while now. I'll bet her English has rotten now. Bit by bit. I could feel it. The words fading off and on. Could be because of lack of practice. Could also possibly be due to her low oxygen level. Whatever it is, she will try to keep on writing. Whatever gives.

One problem, last week was a week where I frequently missed reading the daily newspaper. My favourite The New Straits Times. When I read less input, I kind of have less substance to write about. I did not even have the urge to buy today's Sunday Times. Something else is on my mind. And I know what it is. Something that has got to do with my past but which is taking off at present.

I know sweet little Sue Ern since she was around 3 years old. My former boss' daughter. At that age, her mother used to bring her to the office. That time, she was still in her adorable baby shoes. Those shoes typical of babies. Her obsession at that time was playing with teabags. So she was at the office pantry and had the time of her life playing with Lipton teabags. Swinging the teabags. And my, she was a hardcore fan of sweets. And her mother did not have any problem with that. During her visit, I had to go to the shop downstairs to buy some curry puff. And so she tagged along. In her baby shoes.

Today Sue Ern is 9 years old. Even before Sue Ern went to kindergarten, she was a little kid capable of talking with adults. She would relate stories and respond to our interjections. We were amused. Such an intelligent child. 2 years ago, we met again during breaking fast event at One Utama. She was there with 1 of her Barbie dolls. She came to my table and we chatted about her kid stuffs. Now you might be wondering, the child was intelligent or the adult was childish? It was both. Sue Ern had many things to relate and I just listened and asked from time to time.

Last year, Sue Ern started sms-ing with me. A bright child now becoming technology savvy. And my, when you talk about a child sms-ing in English, proper English, you can imagine her command of the language. It is not only talking, it is also about writing. Being the adult, I always had to remind myself to type in full and proper English. So as not to spoil the child's command of the language.

Today, Sue Ern's sms came again. After quite some time. Apparently, she and her family joined her mother's company in their trip to Penang. She said she had lots of fun. Sue Ern related how she now has her own room and a puppy named Sugar. She asked me when we could meet. When we actually do meet, she could show me the puppy and we could play with Sugar the puppy in her room.

Problem. How do you answer a child that as a Muslim, you do not play with dogs of any age. That by doing so, I will later have to immerse myself with 6 times worth of water and 1 time clay. Well, being an aunt to 11 nephew and nieces and with plenty of readings on children, I had enough sense to note that with a child, truth is the best. But the truth must be delivered in a way that is acceptable to the child.

The best that I could think of was, "Sue Ern, I would like to meet you and see Sugar, but for religious reasons, I cannot play with it. Can you take photos of it and after that you can show them to me when we meet?". Sue Ern liked the idea. Thank God.

Sue Ern and I have not met for quite a while. Even more so since I left my former employment. She was saying to me how much she and her younger twin brothers have grown. And that I would not recognise them now. Well, I told her, I would recognise her and Chee Boy and Hao however they have grown. Chee Boy and Hao are 2 years younger that her.

So when could we meet? Sue Ern said she would have to "dig" her time during this school holidays, so that we could meet. See how fast paced and hectic a child's life can be nowadays...

Respiratory Inferno

2008-10-20T02:05:00.007+08:00

I am organising a gathering for former secondary schoolmates and members of the alumni of the school. While talking to one ex-classmate about the venue, he enquired whether the place is a non-smoking eatery. I said no. He was relieved as he said he would be able to take some puff then.

Alright. Fine. I can just imagine the guys coming with their cigarette packs. Smoking away as the nicotine thirsty cells in their brains long for supply. Like drug addiction, it is the brain making the calls of whether to smoke or not. Chemical and physiology at work.

But then, drug addiction is a victimless crime. In Malaysia, drug consumption is a criminal offence. One can be sent to the rehabilitation centre for it. Who is the victim? The addict himself.

Let us look at smokers. Research shows that smoking damages the lungs and causes aesthetic defects to the smoker. Research also shows that secondary smokers are at greater risk for developing lung cancer as compared to smokers. Secondary smokers are persons who themselves do not smoke but inhale cigarette smoke as a result of being in close proximity with a smoker. A great many number of sufferers of lung cancer are actually non-smokers a.k.a. secondary smokers. And smokers are not criminals. Or should they now?

If smoking becomes a crime, and in the context of my contention above, then smoking is unlike drug addiction. Because smoking is a doing with victims. And so, shall we say smoking is worse than drug addiction? I believe we should. Let us narrow the definition down. Alright. Public smoking is worse than drug addiction. In order to counter that contention, smoking should rightfully be done in seclusion. Away from anybody. Then it becomes a victimless act. Well it cannot be called a victimless crime because it is not designated a crime as yet.

One true story. In the book section in an issue of Reader's Digest, the author reiterated one incident he could never forget in his whole life. The author was a doctor in a hospital. In his years of practice, there was one incident which he regretted the most.

One day, a man was brought into the emergency room. He was in his early thirties and worked in the production line of a factory. In the course of his dealing with one of the machines, he lost his hand. Fortunately the hand was there with him in the emergency room. The doctors worked at reattaching his hand. The operation was a success. And so the patient was hospitalised till he recovered.

The author as the attending doctor asked the patient whether he smoked. The patient said yes. And so the doctor told the patient that of all the things the patient should not be doing while recuperating was to not smoke. At all. The patient was not to smoke at all. Or else, he would lose his hand. The patient understood this and promised that he would not smoke.

However, one day, the patient succumbed to his addiction and took a puff. Later, the doctor noticed that the hand which was reattached to the patient's limb was looking unhealthy. After some days, the hand died. Well, I cannot recall exactly how many puffs the patient took.

The doctor then explained that the loss of the hand was due to smoking which reduces blood/oxygen flow to the cells in the hand. In the end, the hand died. The doctor was devastated that his patient was then handicapped just because of smoking when they had actually succeeded in reattaching his hand. If only he did not smoke. For just a while.

I believe in such a situation, smoking is indeed a bad habit with a victim.

The Week That Was

2008-10-20T01:19:00.004+08:00

The week started on Monday the 13th. Apart from routine work, a few interesting things happened. I got myself involved with 2 matters which were sort of volunteer in nature but rewarding nevertheless. Of course, the week was wet all over until now. It has been raining daily for a great many days now. I should not be complaining. Rain is much much better than draught.

I recently got myself reconnected with old friends from primary and secondary schools. Through the ubiquitous Facebook of course. The old girls and boys of my secondary school seem to be rather enthusiastic in their endeavour so much so that there are groups created as base. I accidentally became in charge of 1 event which will take place very early of November. It is a head counting process now. Who is confirmed coming, who will not and who might be.

Simultaneously, I am helping the person in charge with the alumni business by becoming sort of a broker. Brokering souls who would be interested to join a business related endeavour.

Along the way, I, the non IT savvy person, have been compelled to try out a few internet-related functions on the computer. All in the belief that computer technology serves to ease human tasks and if I still do things manually, I will be wasting a lot of time and energy. Plus, the end result will not be systematic. Time consuming but it is all worth it.

A dear friend of mine got nominated to contest in the MCA elections. Last week was a week of campaigning for him not only around Klang Valley but it extended to the northern section of the country. It ended with the election yesterday but I could only find out the results of the top posts from the major newspapers. I decided to let the guy take his breath first. The news to me can wait.

The first few days of last week saw my life being accompanied by a kitten apart from my mother. The very stray kitten which I mentioned in my previous weblog. The littlest of 3 cats and the most innocent and the cutest. As my mother objected to my adopting the kitten, I only gave it food and water. And a name. Chot Chot Kutty. The "Kutty" is the deviated version of "Kitty" which was supposed to be the more suitable name. Since I could not resist the cute-ness.

As at now, Chot Chot has not been seen. For a good 3 nights it has not been at my gate (Chot Chot takes shelter at the drain under my gate). And the fact that it has been raining daily makes it harder for it to be seen. I hope Chot Chot Kutty is alright.

When Chot Chot was around, 1 thing it liked doing was going after my feet. And my mother's. It found fun and joy in being able to play with human feet. And the normal jumping and running after moving things. Normal for young cats.

I hope my dear political friend is alright. And so do I hope for my little furry friend.

Shah Jehan's Animal Days

2008-10-09T00:05:00.003+08:00

I thought the event was just a coincidence. But it happened again today. Second coincidence.

About 2 months ago, I reached my office door, opened it, went in and did my work. When it was time to go for lunch, I packed my things and made my way out. As soon as I opened the office door, I noticed something awful. Animal litter. Could not have been a dog. A dog would not have been able to go past the grill downstairs. Must have been a frightened cat running for its life. And left its trails for me and my next door neighbour. Funny how I did not notice the waste before.

So, lunch was put on hold and I was on my knees scrubbing away the litter. That reminded me of a similar incident a few years back at my former place of employment. After cleaning the cat litter at the staircase with a colleague, I fell ill for some days. This time around, I had to clean the mess alone as my neighbours had not come in for the day. In the middle of cleaning, they came and got shocked.

Done with the cleaning, I decided to go home to clean up before resuming my plans for the day. At my car and as I was opening the door, a dog emerged from under my car. I jumped and gave way for the beast to make his way. The dog was a regular around that area. My office is located in one of the shop office units in a row. Directly facing us is a row of terrace houses. The white adult dog, I believe belongs to one of the houses. I said to myself, this must have been my "animal day". Cat and dog matters. Hahaha.

And today, as I was leaving for office, and true to my mother's words, 3 young cats were having siesta under my car which was parked outside the gate. No matter how hard I pressed on the accelerator, the cats would not budge. I knew then that it was going to be a task to get them out from under my car. I shoved my umbrella at one of the cats and it made no effort to move. Because the umbrella did not touch it. How could I. My mother came to the rescue with her "penyapu lidi" (a broom made from coconut leave's stick).

2 of the cats ran to the other side of the road. The 1 left behind seemed to be the smallest of the 3 and in fact the most beautiful. And the most innocent. The little one thought my mother was playing with it. And I did not know how, suddenly the little one was at my mother's feet sprawling on the floor playfully. How typical of cats. Cute. And I had to make my move right away.

Before that I asked my mom as to how she managed to get the cat away from under my car. She replied by saying she did not know and maybe the cat was in need of some loving. That amused me.

Near the office, I parked my car under the trees in front of the houses which are facing my office block. In one of the units lives Mr Khor a person I got to know recently. He lives with his brother and his family. It so happened Mr Khor was alighting from a cab at that very moment. He saw me and I went to say hi to him. Remember the white neighborhood dog I talked about earlier? Mr Khor informed me before that his brother, who already has a pet dog, had adopted the white dog. His brother gives the dog shelter, food and a bath. And the white dog, which does not have a name, seemed to favour the house 2 doors away from Mr Khor. The white dog was at that particular house as we were speaking.

As we were having conversation, the white dog ran towards me from behind. He was coming very close and I said to myself, that would be the end of me. But Mr Khor assured me that the white dog is harmless. And he was right. The dog turned back. It really knew how to make a joke.

And so, I said goodbye to Mr Khor and off I went to my office. Cat first, and dog now. Another "animal day" for me.

Blonde and Blue

2008-10-07T23:23:00.003+08:00

Janice Dickinson or something the former supermodel has a series on 8TV. Sunday night, I caught a little bit of the show. Enough to see a young fresh upcoming model being groomed by her. Beautiful lady with clear blue eyes. Her hair was brunette.

Monday morning, I had breakfast at Nasi Lemak Cikgu. Cikgu has retired from running the restaurant and now is replaced by his daughter Ana, and her husband. Ana cooks the dishes. I envy her. Because she can cook such delicious nasi lemak dish. And the restaurant is now looking bright and cozy since the makeover.

After all eaten and drunken, I made my exit and headed to the sundry shop along the same row. On the way, I heard sounds of kitten. Oh wow! 3 beautiful yellow kittens all healthy and playful. With the mother around. Playing happily at the front of the motorcycle shop. Some distance away, there was another kitten. White and alone. I did not dare go near the yellow kittens for fear one or all of them might come near my feet. The kittens are not very little. Just nice for playing and holding. But still dependent on the mother for milk. Bigger than the size of a mouse.

I took a close look at one of the yellow ones. Its eyes were blue. Clear blue eyes. And the face was round. Absolutely adorable. And it was busy playing by itself. Reminded me of my own first and only cat for keeps-Johnny. He was yellow too and stayed with us for 3 years. Until he died. I held on to the belief that Johnny will become soil in heaven.

This morning, I had my pre-office conversation with my mother. I told mom that blonde people normally have blue eyes and so are yellow coloured cats. And mom did not agree to the comparison. But I still wonder about God's greatness. We are after all God's creatures. With hair and furs.

My Youngest In Town

2008-09-29T00:15:00.002+08:00

I have 3 elder sisters. They are all older since I am the youngest. This fasting month, my eldest sister Along had been breaking fast at my mother's every Saturday except for yesterday. And yesterday, Alang had her turn. Alang is number three in my family of 5 siblings. She has 5 children. The eldest is Sofia, 15, followed by Soraya, 14, Sofina 11, Sofi Azrie (a boy), 9 and Soraiha, 3.

Soraiha is fondly known as Aiha. This little girl is bubbly and still retains features of a baby. Thus she becomes my target of extra attention. I often pointed out to my mother how I missed the times when my nephews and nieces were babies. Then, things were more lively as I really enjoyed playing with them. Now, many of them are well into their teens. So, no more cheek pinching and playing baby games. Instead, it is cyber communication with them now.

Aiha likes to befriend adults. Me included. When she comes over, she likes to play writing and drawing. And she likes people to read to her. When I go to the kitchen, she will follow. Same goes when I go out to the side of the house. And Aiha will have loads of questions. Usual with children her age I believe.

She can eat on her own but of course the amount of food that goes into her mouth is less than if she is fed. Yesterday, while everybody was busy breaking fast, Aiha had in front of her noodle soup in a bowl. She was not getting much of the noodle onto her spoon and too bad nobody gave her a fork. So I scooped the noodle and fed her. Everytime I fed her a spoonful of soup, she would sip it without fail. This girl was a fan of soup it seemed.

Aiha is not my youngest niece. Of all the 11 grandchildren that my mother has, she is the second youngest. The youngest is Damira, 4 months and living in Aachen, Germany. If Damira was here, she would surely be my center of attention. Damira's elder sister is Danisha who is 7. She is 5 months younger than Naufal, my eldest sister's youngest. I wrote about Naufal and him fasting in my previous weblog.

So, the sponge of the family is Aiha. Everything said and taught, she will absorb. I just hope she learns good things and will soon be able to know right from wrong. As with her other siblings and cousins who are all now in school except little Damira.

That Was Close!

2008-09-28T00:36:00.003+08:00

Well, I was close to breaking my car's window screen this afternoon. And I was cool the whole time. There was no need to be unnecessarily panicky. What happened actually? Well, I left car with the engine and air conditioner running and then absent mindedly and manually locking the door from the outside.

I was at the courier service lodge-in centre half an hour before it closed. As usual there, I jumped out of my car with the engine running and rushed inside. It takes only a few minutes. As soon I came to my car, I searched into my pocket. Out of habit. This happens when the car is locked. But the unnatural thing was, the engine was running! So, of course the keys were inside. Arrgh! Disaster. One thing to do was to get a taxi back home and get the spare key. But there was a problem with that. I could not recall where the spare key was.

Then I tried forcing the window screen down with my bare hands. To no avail. All right then. I had to use the screw driver to force it open. So, I went back into the lodge-in centre. I asked for a screwdriver and told the female staff about my predicament. She quickly called the male staff who was there to go help me. He asked her to pass the long ruler to him.

This young chap was a Macgyver, it turned out to be. Well I cannot disclose the exact procedure the Macgyver undertook. For fear it becomes an abused skill by the evil hearted. But suffice to say that the Macgyver really knew what he was doing and at last, the internal lock button on the driver door lifted up. The door was now unlocked! Thank God Almighty. I did not have to proceed with my intention of breaking any window screen.

I thanked Macgyver for his kind deed. I vowed in my heart to write to his employer. So that his noble deed of assisting a careless customer like me would not go unnoticed. Mohd Helmi, thank you. You are my hero.

There was a lesson to be learned. Do not take anything for granted. I cannot afford to do things absent mindedly even if the things are routine. Care must be exercised at all times. Prevention is better than cure.

I got my wake up call this afternoon. Thank you God for alerting me.

Let Us All Be Wary

2008-09-16T18:26:00.000+08:00

People beware! If the powers that be do not like what you are doing, or writing or thinking, you might get arrested. And if they feel you are under threat, you might also get arrested. Despite human rights and rule of law, such measures can be legally taken. With certain justifications. And today, the de facto law minister of Malaysia was reported to have resigned from his post. He was disappointed. The very effort he was undertaking in revamping the legal system has been sidelined. ISA has again been abused in the name of public interest and national security.

Abuse of ISA-this is bad because it involves casualties. Detainees are put away for up to 2 years at camps. They do not have the opportunity to defend themselves. They are at the mercy of the Menteri Dalam Negeri. Why must we have such legislation when we have a comprehensive legal system which stand on the principle of justice? Where all are innocent until proven guilty.

The executives and legislators can go on and on in justifying their actions but at the end of the day, are they convinced themselves? I really cannot understand the need to arrest a reporter for reporting something that she heard in the course of her duty. And the minister said her arrest was because her life was under threat? Doesn't make sense. If her life was under threat, police could be directed to accord protection to her. Not by arresting her!

This is like when back in 1998, the alleged conspirators in Anwar's sodomy charge were charged, convicted and sentenced. Now in 2008, the conspirator in the latest Anwar sodomy saga is not charged and scot free. When the charge is still the same-consensual act. One can infer that people with power have the ability to misuse and abuse it and they can be creative in doing it. It is just a matter of giving justification. And we the rakyat are free then, to formulate our own and creative conclusion.

The multimedia commission of Malaysia recently blocked an online newspaper website. Later, they uplifted the ban. As with the mainstream newspaper, journalism is about reporting and writing. Writing reaches out to the readers. And readers are not stupid. We possess the ability to understand what we read and form our opinion. Though we seldom express it. So, it is unfair to assume that by reading something on the internet, we will automatically be brainwashed by what we read. Furthermore, it is general knowledge that internet is a place where the good and the evil roam. One has to exercise more care when surfing its contents. So, please do not underestimate the readers' intellectuality.

Shouldn't I be wary? I should but I am not doing anything immoral or wrong. I am just expressing my opinion. And will you be influenced by what I have written? It is your call to make.

Skipping Lunch Anyone?

2008-09-05T11:43:00.000+08:00

That time of the year is back. Where food outlets promote their offerings for this festive month. Which makes one wonders, is this a eat-till-you-die month or rather a month of purification for the soul. But I personally feel and notice that things are at a slower pace now, including breaking fast affairs. I guess many of us Muslims are into reflecting upon ourselves this year. Being faced with adversity and all. So, correctly thought, we should return to God Almighty.

This is my 32nd year of living. So, fasting has become a lifelong practice. It has come true to its meaning. That fasting is an act of worship ("ibadah") that is solely between the servant and his Creator. Human eyes cannot tell if one is not fasting but God can. So, the gist is to be true to oneself. Because God is the round-the-clock witness.

Thank God so much for the intermittent rain. It has helped me a lot. In not feeling so much thirst. In not feeling utterly hungry. In making a trip outstation for work. In running to the Courts and back.

When Ramadhan comes, I think about the peace and tranquility that it brings. And the many rewards that God has promised us Muslims. And the many opportunities that I miss just because of work and fatigue. I cannot remember the complete meaning but it is said somewhere that Ramadhan is a month of blessing and forgiving and one more. The Prophet said "There are 2 kinds of happiness for a person who fasts; one is when he breaks his fast, two is when he meets his God". The first part is of course apparent to all human beings. Personally, fasting makes me appreciate food like no other month can. Hot Milo and bun can taste so good. Even a drop of plain water can taste so wonderful. Happiness when meeting God... this part I have yet to muster. Maybe I won't till the time comes.

To relate a story. My eldest sister and her husband are two God fearing persons. Educated and well to do, they always put emphasis on Godliness in their everyday life, with the children in tow. And my sister makes her children fast even when they were in kindergarten. Her children are Nadhira, seventeen, Naqib, twelve, Nafiz, ten and Naufal, seven. On normal days the children are constantly reminded to observe their 5 daily prayers. And in congregation when situation deems fit. During Ramadhan, the father takes the boys for Terawih as well. All three boys.

On the first day of fasting which was last Monday, my sister and her family broke fast at my house. When it was an hour and a half before breaking fast, Naufal was flat on the floor and complained to his mum that his stomach hurt. This seven year old boy is a testament that fasting can never harm the human body. The whole family missed their bersahur ("pre dawn meal"). And here Naufal was steadfastly fasting. And so all his siblings including me his aunt were all around him. He is the youngest you see. The mother coaxed him and rubbed his stomach. Nadhira offered to play Naufal's favourite song from the movie Impak Maksima on her MP3 mobile phone, which she did. Every so often Naufal would be asking how long more before breaking fast. And then his brothers were taking turns to pat him and even landed some kiss on his cheeks. Naufal then asked for "air sirap" (the red coloured sweet drink). And I offered to make one for him. Not one cup but one jug. And Naufal requested from his mum to feed him rice later. The mum readily concurred.

Breaking fast all done, Naufal said he did not want to fast the next day and that he wanted to bring "air sirap" to school the next day. He said the teacher at school said he could eat some place else. And of course the parents voiced their objection in a light manner. When Naufal told his mum that he wanted chicken nuggets for "sahur", the mum replied saying that she could make them but only if Naufal fasted the next day. But Naufal wanted it anyway.

I never know what happened to the litte guy the next day. The parents must have been cracking their heads over how to convince the small child that he has to fast nevertheless.

I concur with my sister's and her husband's regime in training the children while they are still so young. Because time and facts have shown what happens when parents fail to do so. 5 daily prayers and fasting need to be trained early. If one starts late, one better has a strong will power to do it. By starting young, those practical religious deeds become a way of life. Thus, no exertion is needed to ensure one keeps by it. Contrary to those Muslims who start late, say in their teenage years or upon calamity befalling, then one has to be driven by a strong will power to perform prayers and fasting on a regular basis.

I think about medical advice that recommends people to drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. When one fasts, one do not urinate as often. And so I infer that having no food to digest makes the body fine without much water. And water is used in digestion process. Doctors out there, please correct me if I am wrong.

Another thing, when the stomach is empty, one can focus on religious matters better. The feeling of humbleness, of being a weak creature, of being dependent on God. Ramadhan being such a blessful month, I guess fasting assists in attaining such stature. The stature of being closer to God. This happens once a year for us Muslims. A great gift by God indeed.

And the Prophet felt really sad when Ramadhan reaches its end. Because he said, he didn't know if he would ever see the blesssful month again. And so should we.

Happy fasting all Muslims. May you relish Ramadhan and come out victorious!

God Have Mercy On Us

2008-08-26T13:06:00.000+08:00

By nature and by practice, I am a truly emotional person. But most of the time, in my conscious state of mind, I always try not to portray this side of me. But today, I am going to do just that.

Readers of The New Straits Times especially (I do not know about other mainstream newspapers), notice how the front pages have been a glamour platform for the powers that be, via their special arms? These past few weeks, in fact, since DS Anwar's wife resigned from her post as member of parliament for Permatang Pauh, the headlines and the national news have been about gaining political victory and the ruling government bashing the opposition. With all sorts of petty but sensationalised stories reported.

One can never really ascertain the truth of the reports. We only read about them and the inputs by the mainstream media. If we care to read further, perhaps we could extend our reading onto the internet. Even these sources are differing opinions based on various types of supporting evidence. Sometimes these could be hearsay as well. So, we just read, hear, wait and see.

But one can never miss noticing that our Anti Corruption Agency ("ACA") has suddenly been super efficient and productive in carrying out its duties. They seem to have been successful in bringing to the door of justice top officials with charges relating to corruption. Coincidentally, during the campaigning of the Permatang Pauh by-election. If only the ACA was this good before the 8th March general election. Perhaps, the swing would not have been as great.

And why the sudden inclination to swear by the name of God in worldly matters which is best dealt with by the Courts of Justice? Why the easy way out of resorting to this kind of swearing in light of normal everyday political accusations? I feel such act is blasphemous. With my limited knowledge of Islamic law, I believe the act of resorting to swearing in God's name for matters which do not fall under griveous crime serves as a convenient way out. And shutting all avenue for such matter to be determined according to normal legal procedure. I agree with the call by the Sultan of Pahang that the ulama should come forward to educate and guide the public on this latest trend.

(This goes to the people concerned)-Please stop taking advantage of religion and God to serve your own needs. Come on. It is enough if you do not fear God or the divine implication by doing so. But we the people of the nation are not stupid. We know good when we see one and vice versa. Reporters and editors of all newspapers, please exercise more diligence and adhere to strict moral standards in carrying out your job. Just like how we are answerable to our clients, employers, superiors and loved ones, we are also answerable to God.

But being positive minded that I am (I try to at least remind myself to think positive when the need arise), I believe that goodness will come. No matter how bad our situation becomes, so long as hope is in our hearts, goodness will prevail. Evil and evil doers will be forgotten with their stories put behind.

Malaysia and Malaysians need to progress. We need to move on. We must not let minor petty and intellectually non deserving events affect our efforts to achieve our dreams for better future. Look on the bright side. The good and the positive will triumph.

Quoting From An Advertorial- "Patient Safety as a Field of Medicine" by Prof Dr Reiner Lehner (New Sunday Times 10/8/2008)

2008-08-24T18:46:00.000+08:00

An advertorial I found highly useful to all of us-titled "Patient Safety as a Field of Medicine" by Prof Dr Rainer Lehner, Medical University of Vienna. It was published in the The New Sunday Times dated 10/8/2008. Let me share the piece with you:-

"The practice of medicine primarily contains three parts. Part one is the pathogenesis. This is where a certain disease is defined with its origins, reasons for occurrence and explanation of the symptoms thoroughly investigated. In practice, this step is taken when a patient makes his initial visit to his doctor. The second part involved the diagnosis. This relates to understanding what is not normal with the human body and what the attributing causes are. This raises the question of what is normal and what isn't. The third and most critical element of the practice of medicine is of course the treatment. It is imperative that pathogenesis, diagnosis and therapy are all correct in order to successfully treat a problem.

It is not uncommon to hear of people who have had unsatisfactory experiences with their doctors. For the last 15 to 20 years, systemised date on error rates in medicine have become available. Recent studies show that 80% of all medical mistakes are due to non-technical issues such as breakdowns in communication, understanding, shared visions, and the effects of stress. These studies attribute inadequate performance to non-conducive work environments.

Society has entrusted physicians for the whole scope of pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment and it is perceived that there is no place for mistakes in the practice of modern medicine. Technological progress and the apparent precision of surgical performances have in fact created an expectation of perfection.

When confronted with an occurrence of medical error, some hospitals react by treating every error as an anomaly, for which the easy solution is to blame an individual with the promise that "it will never happen again." Law suits, especially in the US are a big business and the number of legal suits on medical error continues to rise. Unfortunately, this approach has diverted awareness from the kind of systematic improvements that could decrease errors. Many errors are built into existing routines and devices, setting up the unsespecting physician and patient for tragedy.

To cope with new developments and complexities, there is a need to introduce process management as a new dimension to the practice medicine. Medical errors are one of Americas leading causes of death and injury. A recent report by the Institute of Medicine estimates that as many as 44,000 to 98,000 people die in US hospitals each year as the result of medical errors. Statistically, more people die from medical errors than from motor vehicle accidents, breast cancer, or AIDS. To address this, the US agency for Healthcare Research and Quality provided 20 tips to help prevent medical errors. They are:

1. The single most important way you can help to prevent errors is to be an active member of your health care team

2. Make sure that all of your doctors know about everything you are taking. This includes prescription and over-the-counter medicines, and dietary supplements such as vitamins and herbs

3. Make sure your doctor knows about any allergies and adverse reactions you have had to medicines

4. When your doctor writes you a prescription, make sure you can read it

5. Ask for information about your medicines in terms you can understand- both when your medicines are prescribed and when you receive them.
- What is the medicine for?
- How am I supposed to take it, and for how long?
- What side effects are likely? What do I do if they
occur?
- Is this medicine safe to take with other medicines or
dietary supplements I am taking?
- What food, drink, or activities should I avoid while
taking this medicine?

6. When you pick up your medicine from the pharmacy, ask: Is this the medicine that my doctor prescribed?

7. If you have any questions about the directions on your medicine labels, ask.

8. Ask your pharmacist for the best device to measure your liquid medicine. Also, ask questions if you're not sure how to use it.

9. Ask for written information about the side effects your medicine could cause.

10. If you have a choice, choose a hospital at which many patients have the procedure or surgery you need.

11. If you are in a hospital, consider asking all health care workers who have direct contact with you whether they have disinfected their hands.

12. When you are being discharged from the hospital, ask your doctor to explain the treatment plan you will use at home.

13. If you are having surgery, make sure that you, your doctor, and your surgeon all agree and are clear on exactly what will be done.

14. Speak up if you have questions or concerns.

15. Make sure that someone, such as your personal doctor, is in charge of your care.

16. Make sure that all health professionals involved in your care have important health information about you. Do not assume that everyone knows everthing they need to.

17. Ask a family member or friend to be there with you and to be your advocate (someone who can help get things done and speak up for you if you can't).

18. Know that "more" is not always better. It is a good idea to find out why a test or treatment is needed and how it can help you. You could be better off without it.

19. If you had a test done, don't assume that no news is good news. Ask about the results.

20. Learn about your condition and treatments by asking your doctor, nurse or other reliable sources.

(Prof Dr Reiner Lehner was previously attached to a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur)".

No, my intention of reproducing these tips are not to attack doctors. No evil intentions are involved in any way in the posting of this piece. It is just that I find this article highly useful as guidance for patients and their relations. I am a patient myself and I value the service that hospitals and their staffs have accorded to me.

When I was first admitted and later diagnosed in 1995, my late father gave this piece of advice to me. He said, stand up for yourself; no one is going to stand up for you except you. That was in the light of my being constantly in and out of the hospital and while in hospital, the doctors would be taking my blood for tests at least twice a day. So I complained to my late father. I was 19 then, and during the first 6 months after diagnosis, I was a regular lodger at the hematology ward. I remember my Merdeka Day (Independence Day) in the year 1995 was celebrated in the ward. That was during my longest stay at any one time which spanned a little more than a month.

So I strongly believe in standing up for oneself(which is of course for a good cause) especially when you are alone. Thanks Dad. After all, I believe that the objective of patient care is always the patient's best interest. These tips, I hope will assist in achieving just that.

Almost Hibernating For Good

2008-08-22T17:40:00.000+08:00

Oh my God. It has been almost 2 weeks since I last wrote. What have I been up to? Blame it on information technology and communication advancement. I was hooked up on internet, browsing several social networks of which I am a member, corresponding via email and chatting daily. Yes, chatting daily because the messenger application is on throughout my working hours. On high-strung days, I can resume my presence in front of the computer after working hours.

At the back of my head, I know this infatuation is not here to stay. I am also well aware that cyber communication can be addictive. The gist of the matter- communicating with human beings. Like talking, having conversation, both of which are dear to me. But do not get me wrong. I am a good listener too. A responsive one though.

So, all these activities requiring tappings on the keyboard have indirectly steered me away from my own blogpage. The more I talked with my fingers, the less time I have for thinking and the less idea I have to ignite my writing. Nevertheless, writing is what I am making myself used to. Even if I do not have exceptional talent in writing, I am still going to do it. As long as I do not succumb to the hibernating mode. God forbid!

Because I think writers are made and not born. One has to train one's mind to think productively and to acquire the skill to deliver one's idea clearly. Writing is nothing without audience. Writing is about communicating. Communicating one's thoughts.

So, this is my piece for today. I hope I have more interesting ideas to write about after this. Have a good weekend everyone!

Night Market At Your Gate

2008-08-09T20:19:00.000+08:00

Ever been to SS5SA Kelana Jaya on a Saturday evening? When you can see cars being parked along the drains, concentrating on the Wisma FAM area, you have reached the territory for night market. Happens every Saturday without fail. No. Fails only on Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

My parents' house is located at the row facing the side of 2 rows of shops. The night market, being in the shape of "U", has one stretch that happens to be right in front of my house. Meaning, the sellers do their business on the road in front of my house.

There are 2 ways to look at this event. One, it is like having a fun fair of some sort every week. You can buy food, drinks, groceries, clothes, shoes and many other things. Balloons, toys, popcorns.

Second, it is a night of suffering. At least for us residents of the affected row. Come 6 p.m, there will be a sea of people shopping. But hold on, what happens to my car? This is the sole problem for us residents.

Our cars. If you think you will want to go out at a later time, you better park your car where the night market does not block your way. If you think your car is better off inside the compound of your house, you may park it inside. But if there is any urgent need to drive later, you will be at the mercy of the traders and the visitors.

If you are sick or in need of ambulance picking you up, be rest assured that you will have to find your own way of getting yourself near the ambulance. Because the ambulance will have to park away from your house, which road has now become blocked by the night market.

And my, my oh my. My pleasure in enjoying my favourite TV shows are shortlived. (There is Akademi Nasyid Saturday night). The noise from the generators. With my upgraded hearing (after a wax-removal procedure), the world has suddenly become a noisy place. Night market noise included.

We mobile young people do not feel so bad. The senior residents are the ones who suffer to a certain extent. There is this one uncle who walks using a walking stand. He got weak legs after a stroke. His daughter told us that on Saturdays that they go out for worship at the temple, or going to their relatives' houses, her father will need to walk with his walking stand, slowly, to the car which is parked some distance away from the house.

Come 11 p.m. the sellers will be packing their things to go home. And after they leave, the Alam Flora employees will come and clean the site. The next day, we residents will see that there are some leftovers from the night market. In the form of grease and smell. And our drains become the rubbish dump of the day. Unfortunately Alam Flora's jobscope does not cover the drains.

Complained we have. But since we complained individually, the complaint fell on deaf ears. With the recent change in state government and community representative, we will voice our complaint, still.

Really, have you ever heard or seen night market right in front of peoples' houses? Total disregard for freedom of movement.

Dietary Tips From A Layman

2008-08-06T23:57:00.000+08:00

My favourite newspaper at the moment is The New Straits Times. Ever since it became compact and less than half of the old size. The size is not half of the old one. It is even smaller than The Star. Therefore, it is so awfully cute and handy. Inspires me to read on. But size alone is not the attracting factor. To me, font type and size and also contents are the determining factors.

So one fine day, The New Straits Times featured an article about non-healthy eating. Do you know what happens when you wash down your fat-containing food with cold water? This is what I learned from the piece I read. The fatty content which is already in the intestine becomes solidified as a reaction with the cold water. After it solidifies, the fat, which is now in a more solid form, deposits onto the lining of the intestine. Now the intestine has a fatty skin covering it. What happens to the digestion process now?

When there is some sort of fatty blanket covering the intestine, the absorption process becomes hampered. You can imagine some of the nutrients that our bodies so need being obstructed in its attempt of absorbing into the intestine. As a consequence, our body is not getting the nutrients it should be getting.

More so if one is a health conscious person. Before the food enters the mouth, everything on the table is nutritious and healthy. Once inside the body, things are still healthy. But once cold water is poured inside, the nutrients get blocked. And wasted. And our body is left undernourished.

In the long run, the fatty blanket or whatever relates to it, becomes toxin to our body. And I do not have to explain to you what happens when we have toxins in our body. Gruesome isnt it? What teh ais or nescafe ais can do to you when you drink it after you eat nasi lemak. Or roti canai. Or mee goreng mamak.

And then the article mentioned how it is that the older generation of the Chinese like taking hot drinks with their meal. Usually hot tea. For good digestion and hence, good health apparently.

One more point, but I cannot recall where I got the information from. Its about tea. From what I gathered some time ago, tea is a substance which contains high level of acid. It is not healthy to drink tea with food which contains protein. This is simply because, acid when mixed with protein will result in a hard substance which is unhealthy for our body. But I cannot recall the exact damage this hard substance causes.

As we know, green tea and brown tea contain among others antioxidants. And several other nutrients which I am not able to name. Bad news. The nutritious components of tea are lost when tea is mixed with milk. This is because when tea mixes with milk, one new substance is formed. What an irony because milk tea tastes good. And Malaysians love teh tarik and teh ais.

Sometimes, when we feel that we have over indulged ourselves in eating, we try to correct things by eating a certain fraction of food and leaving the rest. This could be harmful to our health. For instance, when eating eggs, the goodness of it comes from eating the egg in full. When we take just the white and discard the yolk, we end up not getting the balanced nutrients that egg can offer.

So, I can say at this juncture that the way to good and healthy eating does not lie on the nutrient contents of food alone. The technique in eating plays an important role in determining whether we actually feed our cells nutrients.

There is a lot Muslims can learn from Prophet Muhammad's technique of eating. Prophet used to say that all illnesses originate from the gut. And he is the best example of living his everyday life in a healthy and modest way. Taking into account the notion of hot food versus cold food. The Prophet would counter hot food with cold food and vice versa. He would not eat meat originating from the sea at the same time with meat originating from land. For example eating chicken and fish in one meal. And the Prophet did not drink milk after eating fish. And many other interesting eating techniques that my mind fails to recapitulate.

With all the damage done, fasting is one proven way to detoxify our body. Apart from the modern detoxification regimes that we have now. In a nutshell, healthy living and healthy eating requires one to acquire a certain degree of knowledge relating to diet and nutrients. We do not live to eat but instead, eat to live. Our dietary habits must be capable of contributing towards the quality of our lives.

Moonlight-The Shah Jehan Version

2008-08-05T13:48:00.000+08:00

Have you ever watched Moonlight on TV9? Saturday night. The one where Mick St John the private eye is so gorgeous he is forgiven for being a blood thirsty vampire.

During my most recent blood transfusion, I equated myself with that of a vampire. But in my case, the blood is consumed not through the mouth but through the veins. That kind of thinking made me felt like getting blood has got a class of its own. Just like the good looking vampire drinking blood from a glass with his best buddy. I forgot the buddy's name. It has been 2 weeks since I watched the series.

The hematology ward at University Malaya Medical Centre is called Ward 6TD. 6 because it is on the sixth floor. T stands for Timur which means it is located in Menara Timur (the East Tower). D, beats me. 6TD has around 30 beds and a day care facility.

Day care facility is dedicated to those patients who need to undergo certain treatments and medications that do not require them to be warded. Among the treatments are chemotherapy and blood transfusion. The day care room is placed in a hall with several comfortable sofas. There are always 3 highly experienced nurses in charged of the day care. These nurses are capable of doing bloodworks just like doctors.

By bloodworks I mean extracting blood from the patient's vein and storing it in the tiny tubes for blood test. And fixing Branula (or pipe as I like to call it) on the upper limbs for blood and medications to be transfused into the body.

For chemotherapy, the nurses will have to put on a coat and cap when administering the medications which are in the form of intravenous drips. I believe this is because chemotherapy drugs are cytotoxic which means poisonous to cells. I guess it is similar to handling radioactive substances.

The last time I was at day care was a week ago where I had received 2 packs of packed cells. Red cells. I learned from my Talassemia friends that blood filters would be helpful in preventing antibody reactions. So, it has become my practice to get blood filter first before receiving blood. What the filter does is it filters the leukocytes present in the blood pack. Leukocytes contain antibody so if it is filtered, then hopefully there will not occur any reaction when the blood meets the host blood. And on all occasions that I used blood filter, there has not been any reaction.

Reaction can be scary and troublesome as it may cause the patient to be itchy, having rashes, developing rigour (where the body shakes uncontrollably) which is preceded with chills and later causes fever and cold. When reaction is mild, some steroidal medication may help. But when it is bad, the blood transfusion will need to be stopped.

If you see blood receipient rushing to the restroom every 10 minutes while on his or her second pack, that is because the patient has been given a diuretic medication which seeks to rid the body of water. This is so that the heart will not be overburdened due to the incoming blood in large volume. The problem with rushing to the restroom is you do not go by yourself just like that. You have to take the IV stand with you. This tends to slow you down a little bit.

When the second pack finishes, and you do not get a third, then, in the absence of any complications, you are good to go. Home,where else. Pink and fully energised. Thank you God for the kind souls who donate blood. And for the blood bank staffs. And to the ward staffs. God bless them all.

It's Close, So Close

2008-08-05T09:23:00.000+08:00

My left ear. The left ear. How can I ever be without it. This morning I had a visit with my ENT doctor/surgeon. The left ear, which had been subjected to an excavation exercise last Friday, is now free from post-procedure cotton. The doctor said the inflammation has greatly subsided. Now let the healing process continue. I am to continue with the antibiotic plus steroid drops until the bottle finishes. The ear thing looks promising. Exactly what I had hoped to hear. In my state of imbalanced hearing.

I apologized to my doctor because in my attempt at patting my left ear lobe dry (after shampooing my hair after 3 days), the cotton dropped. In a way, that was good because I would have been spared the little embarassment that the soiled cotton would entail.

And so I took my seat near the ENT tools station. And armed with his tool, the doctor took a look at my left ear, inserted that tool, poked into my ear and wow, I was no more deaf. Wonder what he poked on. From then onwards, I am back hearing. But this time, the left ear seems to be picking up so I am hearing more intensely. Now it seem like my other ear has become deaf.

The ENT doctor explains that my brain is now adjusting to the fact that my left ear has resumed its normality. In due time, both my ears will be hearing equally and normally. Everything the doctor was saying was good news. I could not help but to smile the whole time. Yes, thank God Almighty, after the turbulent episode of my life caused by the pain and partial deafness, I am getting my normal hearing back. It is just that now I have to be patient and let nature take its course.

In a way, my left ear is sort of like a bionic ear. Even the sound of the ceiling fan is loud enough to be called noise. And all other high pitched sound. Ouchhh!

I thank you God. Praise be to you.

That First Time Under The Drill With Anaesthesia

2008-08-04T00:26:00.000+08:00

Alhamdullillah, praise be to God Almighty. I made it. I got out alive.
Friday after Jumaat prayers (for the Muslimun), I registered myself at the counter of one of the hospitals in PJ for an ear procedure. Unfortunately it was a procedure under general anaesthesia. So, anxiety was in the air though not tremendous. Just a little bit. I checked myself into this place and later, when I was okay to go, my sister and her family would take me home.

This procedure was done a week later than scheduled. Why, because I had to top up my blood before the anaesthetist could accept me in his operating theatre. My hemoglobin level was, in the words of my ENT surgeon, not compatible with life. 3 gram per I-forgot-what. The acceptable limit was 5 or more, so off I went to Emergency to get admitted into the ward. The whole week, I received a total of 4 packets of red cells.

I am grateful. Truly I am. More blood did not really boost up my condition. But it did get rid of the lethargy and the shortness of breath. I could walk the distance without any obstacles. But I know that time is running up. The hemoglobin is decreasing as I type and so I have to be prepared. Mentally.

Oh yes, what happened after I registered was the nurse showed me to my room. And I was briefed about first, the ward and later the preparation for the procedure. The operation gown and the things not to be brought with me. And then came in the anaesthetist. Poked me at 2 places. One for the branula or pipe as I call it. And one to extract a few teaspoons of blood for full-blood-count. The anaesthetist did not forget to prescribe for me one tablet of painkiller and anti-anxiety medication, half a tablet.

Half an hour later as I was being pushed into the operating theatre, I had this feeling of wanting to laugh ever so freely. Like when I was on regular Prednisolone 3 years ago. I guess the anti-anxiety medication had worked. No anxiety at all.

I woke up when it was time to move to my hospital bed back in the ward. At that time I was still feeling drowsy. One hour later, I was my oldself. Yes, time to go home but the ENT doctor still had not arrive.
Long live the doctor as he came into the room. Yes, after this I am free to go. And so, I was allowed to go home but I was to come again the next morning to settle the check out. Fine with me.

Of course, the doctor supplied me the extracted ear wax which he excavated. For me to keep as souvenir. So that I will constantly be reminded never to insert cotton bud or anything into my ear. Let the wax come out by itself.

As at now, even though my left ear is now clear of any wax, it has been stuffed with a cotton of some sort. Until such time it is proper for the doctor to take it out. Till then, I am still partially deaf.

Alhamdullillah, though anemic and all, I have managed to go through one medical procedure. Not under the knife but under the drill (or whatever name the ENT surgeon calls it).

Speed Reading

2008-08-04T00:24:00.000+08:00

How many of us read fast? Can we really read fast? Or should we read fast? Yes, we should read fast most of the time.

Slow reading accounts for spending more time than necessary hence losing out on many things. We waste precious time. During examination we lose the opportunity to accomplish more so that we could get more marks. More often than not when we read slowly, the words that we read may easily slip our mind if we do not put an effort to retain our grip on what we are reading.

In speed reading, we train our eyes and mind to flip many words at a time and in the process our mind becomes compelled to retain the information that we are supposed to absorb. One of the do's in speed reading is that one must not move one's head when reading. Only the eyes move across the page. One must not stop and repeat the word but instead keep on reading.

Speed reading is by training. And according to a newspaper article, there are some skills that one should acquire in order to practise speed reading effectively.

Schools and universities should conduct more training for this study skill as it is a powerful tool in enhancing the students' academic capability. Can we start this very instant everyone?

A Thing For Writing

2008-08-04T00:23:00.001+08:00

Abdul Razak Baginda said in one of the newspaper interviews I read back when I was in my student days that many of our local lecturers or teaching staffs at the institutions of higher learning were not writing enough. In the form of articles, books and so on. I do not know if that is true to this day because I personally have not been in an academic environment since graduating in the year 2000. If that still holds water, then how sorry our state of affairs is.

Reading is a noble habit. We can see people reading while waiting, when feeling bored, when compelled to do so, and when curiosity sets in. But after many many many years of reading and reading, does not one ever want to express one's thought onto paper? So that that very masterpiece could be shared with other people for the good of mankind. Or, so as to make a statement. Or as an agent of change. After many years of being the passive reader, does not one ever wish of analysing what one has read or rather, form opinion based on one's voluminous lifelong reading?

It has been the view of many from the society that local university students lacks the ability to form their own opinion. Or maybe the confidence or willpower to express their thoughts.

This attitude of passive reading and reading only for the sake of passing examinations should stop. The culture of productive writing can be emulated by the teaching staffs. Analytical thinking and expressing one's thoughts should be inculcated because without the practice, one loses the skill and the ability.

One way to start expressing one's idea is by writing small. And one of the most practical and cheapest way of doing that is by writing blogs. Which is what I aspire to do. With time, I hope I will be able to write more and better. Happy reading and thereafter, writing!

My Comfort Food

2008-08-04T00:21:00.000+08:00

Well I cannot really say for sure what comfort food means. But I believe it has got something to do with food that brings comfort to oneself. Perhaps in times of mental and emotional challenges, one craves for a certain kind of food. Or, by eating comfort food, one is relieved of feeling tortured.

On that premise, I say that my comfort food is nasi lemak. My comfort drink will be teh ais. But to say nasi lemak is my comfort food will not be accurate as nasi lemak is more of a staple food in my dictionary.
The type of nasi lemak that I like is that wrapped in banana leaf on the inside and brown paper on the outside. The cooler the nasi lemak, the better is the taste. The sambal has to be adequate and tasty. The chilli finely pound. Groundnut is not compulsory. Neither is cucumber. But hard boiled egg is a must. Ommelette-no no. It spoils the nasi lemak taste.

Kelana Jaya has one eatery which specialises in nasi lemak with friend chicken. The name is Nasi Lemak Cikgu. It is sort of a restaurant/cafe. The ambience is peaceful and neat. Simple and not overcrowded. It offers nasi lemak with freshly fried chicken and other side dish like rendang kerang, sardine fish, pergedil, ayam masak merah and telur mata kerbau.
For those who are not nasi lemak hardcore fan like me, you may have one of those hawker fare dishes like char kuey teow, fried noodles, nasi goreng kampung, tom yam and the likes in this eatery. Nasi campur is not served here.

Nasi lemak is such a ubiquitous food that it has gain high popularity. The television station TV9 airs Nasi Lemak Kopi O from Friday to Sunday, 8.00a.m. to 10.00 am. In this talkshow, various nasi lemak makers who sponsor their nasi lemak for the programme will be interviewed at the end of the show.

A few years ago, while receiving day care treatment at the hospital, I got into a conversation with fellow patients. One Indian gentleman said that nasi lemak is a healthy food despite the claim that it contains high cholestrol. He said that contrary to popular belief, nasi lemak is indeed a complete meal in itself. It has carbohydrate, protein, vegetable and so on. One has to eat nasi lemak in its entirety because of the effect each ingredient has on the eater. The cucumber is said to counter the effect of the oily sambal. I find what this gentleman said to be believable and could be true.

But of course, in the name of healthy lifestyle and healthy eating, one must always eat in moderation. One may eat anything that one wishes but must not indulge beyond limit. Too much is bad. Especially if one does not engage in exercise.

Really, I can eat nasi lemak everyday. Twice a day each day. And when I lie down sick, the one food that comes to mind will always be the humbly wrapped nasi lemak. 2 packets at one go.

Neat Town Of Klang

2008-08-04T00:18:00.000+08:00

I was scheduled to be at the Klang Sessions Court No 4 today. The Court is not housed in the Court Building but instead is located on the second floor of Menara A&M of the Garden Business Centre, Jalan Istana, Klang. In the middle of the Klang town, after the river. Directly opposite the Menara is Mahkamah Syariah Klang.

The last time I was in Klang town, that was due to a Court matter, was around 2002-2003. The Court Building is housed on the hill. But while I was is town today, I did not get to see the hill nor the Court Building.

My my, how clean and structured the commercial buildings in Klang town are. Rather clean. I cannot say things had changed from before, because I could not really remember how things were before. All I could remember was how I turned left before the river and so lost my way. I had to ask a few locals before I was on my way up the hill. And after I finally found the Court Building, I could not easily find my way back to Shah Alam/Kuala Lumpur. I was somewhere heading towards Andalas before finding the correct way back. So that was a little bit of a nightmare.

And today, some 5 years later, I was again summoned to Klang for work. And this time around, as there were more buildings existing in Klang and I am a much better driver, I made sure I turned into town after the river and not before. And kept on reading the signboards while manning the car. But of course, as what my native Klang friend pointed out to me, Klang is an old town and so it is not so well structured. The signboards were not very helpful as they were not continous.

As the Menara A&M is on Jalan Istana, I kept driving based on my instinct looking for the street. It came to me that before, I did not emphasize much on the street name and instead would rather stop and ask strangers for direction. In Klang today, I felt I had to focus on the street. Streets ahead do not have signboards to assist non-locals like me so I had to just drive along and be on a lookout. Then I found Jalan Istana and right ahead Menara A&M.

I kept saying to my learned friend, the counsel for the opposing side, that Klang town is such a historic and well kept town. He concurred with me. And pointed out how Klang is a town centered near the river. Being an old town and all. The architecture of the buildings was that of the English design. Had I come on a casual visit, I would have stopped by to admire the buildings.

Again, the lack of signboards caused me to experience a certain degree of uncertainty. I was finding my way back to Shah Alam/Kuala Lumpur but being trapped inside the town without proper signage made me felt uncertain. There was no cause for worry as I was not pressed for time. But merely following the flow and not knowing whether you are on the right track is not a nice feeling. I just kept on going straight, stopping at the few traffic lights until I saw one little signboard showing the way to Shah Alam. But the signboard was not assuring in itself. I proceeded to follow its direction but soon was questioning its correctness as along the way and at some junctions, there was no subsequent signboards. Again I drove on instinctively. But there, I saw a similar board in front of me so I followed it.

I was getting close to my way back. And in front of me was a big signboard showing the way to Kuala Lumpur and Shah Alam. But there was no arrow. Only the names of the destination! At times like this, one has to rely on lady luck and be quick in switching lanes. And finally, I was on the Klang/Kuala Lumpur highway. Thank God. I improved from the last time I was in town. It was a purposeful journey. It was englightening. I guess I owe it a lot to my several years driving experience. Because that kept me cool throughout the in-town driving.

I Am A PNH Patient

2008-08-04T00:16:00.000+08:00

I am a PNH patient. Residing in Malaysia. PNH stands for Paroxysmal Nocturnal Hemoglobinuria. It means defective red cells becomes destroyed in sleep thus releasing hemoglobin (Hb) into the blood stream. As a result, the patient becomes anaemic at various degree depending on the rate of destruction.

I do not know many patients in Malaysia having PNH. In University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), there are 2 other PNH patients whom I know. In Perak, there is one more. All three are males. Now I remember, there is one more. A girl seeking treatment at SJMC (Subang Jaya Medical Centre).

A good friend of mine, who is among the 4 that I know, had just undergone bone marrow transplant (BMT). He has surpassed his first 15 days and is now looking forward to this 84th day or some sort. On that day his hematologist will perform another round of bone marrow aspiration to check and see how the new marrow is doing. So far, his hematologist said his blood picture is promising. I am very happy for his. To be able to raise enough funds to do BMT and to have had a willing donor.

Me? Nah. I do not have enough funds and neither do I have a willing donor. So the idea is remote. At least for the time being. PNH makes my life fluctuate. There are good days and there are bad days. But on average I can say bad days outnumber the good days. The last bad days episode I had was the one that started on the second week of May until mid June.
But thanks to Almighty God. He wills that I breath still. And so will I. So help me God.

From A Wise Friend

2008-08-04T00:12:00.002+08:00

Don't know how my new friend could sense this but his rendition of the words of wisdom seems to be on point. This one is on friendship, in Malay:-

"Teman biar berjuta tapi yang setia cuma satu. Bukan untuk diguna tapi untuk dijaga. Bukan untuk dimusuhi tapi untuk disayangi. Bukan untuk sementara tapi untuk selamanya. Bukan untuk dilupakan tapi untuk diingati. Bukan untuk ditinggalkan tapi untuk dirindui. Bukan hanya di sini tapi di mana-mana. Dan bukan setakat ini tapi hingga hujung nyawa".
(Typo amendment here and there)

Personally, friendship is very hard to foster at my age. I made some observations and concluded that:- Friendship blossoms at a young age. When one's personality is being moulded. Still lacking here and there. Searching for the suitable circle of friends. Friends who can accept you.

As one finishes the course of college education and enters the employment world, one becomes solid in personality. One already has a group of friends and one feels content with oneself. Confidence is high. Does one need to find anyone else in completing oneself? Not so much. And one has found one's soul mate. Life ahead will be about carving one's niche and amassing wealth for the partnership and its issues. How natural.

But alas, one needs to expand one's business or career. So one needs contacts, network, whatever you call it. So, we get acquainted. To serve one's personal interest, whatever that maybe. But does one actually socialise as much and as passionately as one was younger? Yes and no. Depends on whether one has time for socialising outside one's family circle.

I have not reached the phase after this. So I guess it is going to be like this:- As family life becomes stable, children fully grown and becoming independent, the parents who were once college students and fresh working adults, now can take a deep breath and take a step back. Relax. Suddenly time is abundant. Hah, time to gather with friends. And so, one's life become sociable once again.

For us still carving our niches and making our presence felt in the working world, thank God for Friendster, Facebook, Spaces, Myspace and all other social network engines. Friends are only keyboard taps away!

Doa Hamba

2008-08-04T00:07:00.000+08:00

Rakan internetku yang bijaksana telah menghadiahkan madah-madah indah. Dengan kebenarannya, saya paparkan madah pujangga tersebut buat tatapan kita semua yang belum tua dan tidak lagi muda.

"Jika doa hambanya dimakbulkan, tandanya Allah menyayangi hambanya. Jika lambat dimakbulkan, tandanya Allah ingin menguji hambanya. Dan jika doa hambanya tidak dimakbulkan, percayalah... Allah merancang yang terbaik untuk hambanya".

Bukankah Allah Taala telah berjanji bahawa setiap permintaan hambanya akan dimakbulkan. Namun begitu semestinya ada syarat-syarat bagi doa dikabulkan. Doa yang menepati syarat dan juga pendoa yang menepati syarat. Kalau doa yang tak baik, macam mana nak dikabulkan? Kalau pendoa menjadikan makanan yang haram sebagai darah daging, adakah Allah akan kabulkan doanya? Apa pun, Allah jualah yang maha berkuasa mengabulkan doa hambanya mengikut apa yang terbaik untuk hambanya.

Salam Rejab!

The One Radio Station For Me

2008-08-03T23:45:00.000+08:00

I listen to Xfresh FM by Astro. By nature. Ever since May 2006. It is rather irresistable so much so that whenever I switch to other radio stations, I just could not stick to them and will always revert to Xfresh. It is so refreshing.

Xfresh's target listeners are youngsters, youths and young adults. Or so I believe. I definitely do not fall under these categories. Mine would be mature adults. But hey, who cares. Who is prosecuting anyway.

Why should anyone consistently listen to Xfresh? One, it does not seem to live on advertisement. I do not know how it can afford to do this but it does. If fact, it prides itself in the fact that it does not contain many advertisements. Unlike other hot and popular private radio stations. RTM radio stations I am not sure because I do not listen to any of them. Rather, my mother and I watch their TV stations.

Secondly, Xfresh airs only Malaysian songs. Malaysian singers or Malaysian made or both. And it also has its fair share of independent bands. Independent as the groups are not attached to any mainstream big record labels. Previously these bands would only be found performing gigs in clubs or underground arena. But now they have emerged into the public entertainment scene and are cutting albums. A few of the independent bands are Hujan, Meet Uncle Hussain, Estranged and One Buck Short. To name a few.

Thirdly, as the genre of songs played are Malaysian, listeners can be assured that the songs are moral in nature. Be it pop, ballad, rock and roll or hip hop, all boast the Malaysian values that we are so proud of. The songs are in Malay and English alike. And how talented our own local artistes are.

Finally, being moral and all, Xfresh also periodically airs tips and inspirational words for listeners. That we should care for our nature, that we should be honest and so forth.
It has been 2 years since my radio at the office and in the car have each been permanently positioned to Xfresh FM. I cannot seem to reposition it anywhere else.

Xfresh is to me as addictive as Teh Ais and McDonald's Ribena

I Am One Of You Guys Now!

2008-06-13T19:36:00.001+08:00

Hi Netizens and Bloggers,

I read an issue of Reader's Digest a while ago and came across this lady who blogged on her experience of living out of a car. She expressed herself in her blogs. Before that, she could not open up to anyone. Best of all, the blog is free of charge. And it had done tremendously for her life. Very inspiring. So here I am. Happy corresponding, and reading!