Independence

(1) This year, Malaysia will be celebrating its 52nd years of independence from Britain, on 31st August 2009.

(2) We like to dress according to western styles, wearing coats and ties at work (even though our hot climate is not suitable for these kinds of dresses). If somebody wears baju melayu or baju batik to work, people probably will laugh. He/she is not professional, they might say. Not to mention our leisure clothes..jeans, slacks, t-shirts..all need international brands. Those who wear locals, are not 'up to date' and might be called 'village boy'.

(3) We like to eat many foreign foods and delicacies. Nowadays, it has become our culture. Those shops are everywhere.

(4) We try to build our country according to western mould. For us, building high and tall buildings, driving nice big cars, fashionable like them, traffic jam during peak hours of commute times, going to work from 6 a.m until late night, let our teenagers and kids to have 'fun' themselves, which raise many morality issues, western music and gigs everywhere, going to shopping malls and shop until we're drop are the signs of modernization and development. Those who didn't go through these are not 'develop'.

(5) Now imagine how it was when we're small, especially for those who're being raised in the 1950s - 1980s, don't we feel how easygoing life was?

(6) Now, don't we feel we miss those times right now instead of our current life?

(7) Next question is, are we really independence?

Motivation

Remember this !

Smooth roads never make good drivers

Smooth sea never makes good sailors

Clear Skies never makes good Pilots

Problem and hassle free Life NEVER makes a strong person

Be Strong enough to accept the challenges of Life

Don't ask Life, 'Why Me?'

Instead say 'Try Me!'

Memori (Part 2)

(1) Bulan Ramadhan datang kembali, tahun 1430H ini.

(2) Pengalaman masa berpuasa zaman kecil-kecil dulu pun menarik. Saya pergi sekolah naik basikal, kadang-kadang tu panas terik masa tengahari. Tercabar juga iman ni, maklumlah umur baru berapa. Lepas balik sekolah pagi, kena pergi sekolah agama pula. Mengayuhlah lagi. Kadang-kadang saya merengek jugak dengan mak saya, tak nak pergi sekolah agama, mengada-ngada. Kadang-kadang dilayan, kebanyakan masanya tak dilayan. Pergilah juga saya, walaupun berat.

(3) Bila balik sekolah pukul 6.30 petang tu, dah tak ingat lapar dah, cuma ingat nak sampai rumah cepat, kayuh basikal pun laju-laju. Sampai-sampai rumah terus ke dapur. Yang saya paling ingat ialah aroma masakan mak saya, dengan dianya tengah sibuk ke sana ke mari memasak. Satu rumah bau.

(4) Berbuka puasa, saya memang tak amalkan sunah nabi, maksudnya saya terus makan makanan berat, pas tu dah pukul 8 baru solat maghrib. Kadang-kadang solat dalam keadaan perut penuh, tak khusyuk langsung. Masa makan tu memang berselera, tak ingat apa dah.

(5) Lepas tu bersiap pula untuk solat tarawikh. Ayah saya suka bawa saya dan adik lelaki saya ke Masjid Sultan Ibrahim, tepi sungai Muar. Saya memang suka solat di situ, sampai sekarang ni. Luas, orang ramai, meriah, rasa lapang dada. Masjid ini warna putih, jadi bila ditambah dengan lampu-lampu di sekelilingnya, jadi permandangan yang cantik. Ditambah pula dengan bayu laut malam, memang mengasyikkan. Saya pernah belajar mengaji di masjid ni, dengan bilal, namanya bilal Saad. Suara dia memang merdu masa azan, sampai sekarang saya ingat lagi. Sekarang ni dia sudah pindah ke masjid lain, saya tak pasti kemana.

(6) Balik solat tarawikh, bermulalah aktiviti malam kami. Oleh sebab malam-malam bulan Ramadhan syaitan diikat, jadi kami tak takut langsung jumpa hantu malam-malam hari. Jadi kami tanpa rasa takut main nyorok-nyorok. Habis rumah-rumah kat kampung tu jadi tempat nyorok, cakaplah rumah mana yang kami tak lalu. Kampung saya agak besar, bukannya kecil. Mana-mana semak yang ada pun kami menyorok, tak takut pun kena patuk ular ke, sengat dek lipan ke. Kalau sekarang ni, macam-macam saya fikir kalau nak menyorok malam-malam.

(7) Main mercun dan meriam pun ada. Sampai mercun meletup masa tengah pegang. Nasib baik jari saya masih ada lagi. Kami tak main meriam buluh, tapi meriam tanah (guna kabaid, letak air, tutup lubang tanah, lepas 2 minit buka dan bakar di lubang tu). Bunyi dia memang kuat.