Peristiwa M*din - Revisit

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Danisy panggil dia May-Den. Dia memang suka ke situ. Ada-ada saja nak dibeli. Selalunya barang yang tak masuk dalam senarai. Co*kies cri*p lah, vitag*n lah, yogurt lah, fresh milk lah bla bla bla. Kebanyakannya yang berkaitan dengan makanan sebab Danisy suka makan. Dia juga suka ke situ sebab May-Den is just a 5-minutes walk away from our home.

Tapi apa yang nak Mak Lijah nak citer di sini is not about what we buy in M*din.

...However, sebelum Mak Lijah buka cerita, Mak Lijah nak minta maaf banyak-banyak dulu dari Pak Lijah sebab menyebabkan dia tensen pada skala richter di tahap optimum (rasanyalah) gara-gara dua peristiwa yang berlaku di M*din.




Suatu lewat petang tu, Mak Lijah rasa nak singgah sekejap kat M*din on the way back from office sebab Kakak ada pesan macam-macam barang sekolah plus nak beli barang-barang dapur sekali. Pusing punya pusing, akhirnya dapat lah parking agak jauh sikit, depan stesen minyak M*bil.


By then dah pukul 6.30 petang dan awan dah mula berkumpul plus setitik dua titik air dah jatuh
atas kepala Mak Lijah. Tapi Mak Lijah dah determined to buy barang-barang Kakak hari tu juga sebab she needed them for the next day. Lagipun Mak Lijah estimated that the most I would spend my time there would be only half an hour including the queueing.


So Mak Lijah grabbed all the needed things within 20 minutes which include sotong, ayam, sayur and a few more perishable items... and mula berjalan ke arah kaunter...Sambil mulut terlopong... Dah hujan rupanya. Hujan yang amat lebat pulak tu. Oh...oh... Macamana ni? Kejap lagi nak Maghrib dah. Tak per lah. Tunggulah 15 minit lagi.


Selepas 25 minit.


Hujan masih lebat. Tiada langsung tanda-tanda nak reda apatah lagi nak berenti. Jam dah pukul 7.30 malam.


Kring...kring...(bunyi standard telefon, walaupun handphone tak bunyi lagu tu)


Mak Lijah : Pak Lijah... Dah sampai rumah?

Pak Lijah : Dah.

Mak Lijah : Mak Lijah terperangkap ni, kat M*din. Hujan lebat sangat. Parking keter jauh plak tu. Harus basah kuyup kalau berjalan ke keter (hint..hint...). Bla...bla...bla... Tak bawa payung. Bla...bla...bla... Depan M*bil...

Pak Lijah : bla...bla...bla...

Mak Lijah : Sigh.....



Kring...kring.. (hujan masih lebat)


Pak Lijah : Mak Lijah ada kat mana ni?

Mak Lijah : Depan pintu M*din.

Dipendekkan cerita, Pak Lijah datang dengan kereta, hulurkan payung sambil Mak Lijah hulurkan balik barang-barang yang dibeli tadi. Maka berjalanlah Mak Lijah ke keter dalam hujan yang lebat itu, berpayung, dalam kegelapan malam. Mujur tak kena dinner di kedai mamak kat situ.


Terima kasih Pak Lijah...






*Sambungan* - A Revisit


After that peristiwa, I went back to M*din about a week later sebab nak buy some stuff since Mak and Ayah were coming over from Teh's house. This time around, I decided earlier that I would be spending just a little bit longer in M*din sebab ada banyak barang dapur yang nak dibeli. Lagipun the weather looked clear and tak ada tandapun nak hujan.

Alhamdulillah, kali ni dapat parking betul-betul depan pintu keluar M*din.

Among others, Mak Lijah beli ikan, sayur, cili, ulam, bihun, roti, calci-y*m, dan macam-macam lagi benda yang berat-berat lah, and tak lupa juga susu pekat sebab Ayah takes tea like five times a day, an old habit which he cannot give up since as long as I can remember. He is addicted to having tea every single day.

So when I was satisfied with everything that I needed, Mak Lijah pun berjalanlah ke kaunter untuk membayar. Sambil cashier dok scan barang-barang tu, Mak Lijah menyeluk-nyeluk my Co*ch handbag to look for my car keys. Senang... pegang siap-siap kunci, tak payah nak tercari-cari masa nak ke kereta nanti. That critical time could be the time when a peragut would grab the opportunity to start work.

After paying, sangkut handbag kat bahu, cop resit (I don't know why they have to do that), Mak Lijah pun pergilah ke kereta carrying all the heavyloads with both my hands, with much difficulties. Oleh kerana beratnya itu, lima langkah dari pintu keluar M*din pun rasa macam berjalan 5 kilometer... Mujurlah kunci keter Mak Lijah ni yang jenis boleh buka boot kereta dari jauh.

Sampai jer kat kereta, cepat-cepat Mak Lijah push-opened the boot dengan siku, lifted all the stuff dengan saki-baki kudrat yang ada (lepas ni sure dah build-up muscle) dan GEDEBUM... Mak Lijah lepaskan semua barang dan terus SLAM...! Fuuhh.... Lega....








Kring...kring....

Mak Lijah : Pak Lijah ada kat mana?

Pak Lijah : Dah nak sampai. Kenapa?

Mak Lijah : Erk... I think I am locked-out of the car.

Pak Lijah : Huh? Laa.... Macamana... bla...bla..bla...

Mak Lijah : Entah... Lepas tutup boot tadi, cari kunci dah tak ada.

Pak Lijah : Mak Lijah kat mana ni? Dah cari dekat-dekat situ?

Mak Lijah : Baru habis shopping kat M*din. Rasanya kunci termasuk sekali dalam boot masa (GEDEBUM...) masukkan barang-barang tadi. Bla...bla..bla.. (excuse....excuse...)

Pak Lijah : Ingat tak kunci spare ada kat mana?


Dipendekkan cerita, Pak Lijah came to pick me up kat M*din so that we could go home and look for the keys together although the custodian of any keys is solely Pak Lijah.

Half an hour later we finally found the keys somewhere and we drove back to M*din together. Nasib baik Pak Lijah insisted to park and help me with the keys, walaupun Mak Lijah dah kata that I would be fine because... the keys couldn't work! Puas tekan sana sini, ketuk-ketuk dan macam-macam kaedah lagi... sampai Pak Lijah dah almost run out of patience and decided to call his mechanic-friend from the service centre that we visit frequently.

While he was busy dialling, Mak Lijah grabbed the keys and decided to do it my way. Masa tu, we were at the side of the car, dekat pintu drebar and as I was walking towards the boot, La illa ha illa anta sub-haka inni kuntum minnazzolimin... tekan-tekan the button of the keys and.........

...the lights flashed twice...

And since then, Mak Lijah dah fobia about going to M*din. But then again, that's the best place to stop after work sebab sangat convenient.

How lah, then?

Oh, I am so sick!

oo
Semalam Mak Lijah dapat MC sebab demam, sakit kepala, pening, macam-macam ada. Sebenarnya demam ni sejak first day of school lagi. Tapi Mak Lijah buat-buat tak tau jer sebab agenda sekolah lebih penting during those two days than my health.

So pergilah jumpa tuan dokter pagi semalam.



"Have you been coughing a lot lately?"

"No."

"Do you have difficulties in breathing?"

"No."

"There's a lot of phlegm in your lungs."


Blink...blink...


"Do you need MC for today?"

(You bet I need it. It's already 10 am. Don't expect me to drive to work NOW.)

"Yes, please."


RM35 untuk tujuh jenis pills and capsules plus a bottle of cough syrup which I don't really need, and... MC for the day.





"Mama, Kakak kena salin nota dari buku Kajian Tempatan. Cekgu nak esok. Tapi Kakak tak ada buku tu."

Off to kedai buku kat Jalan TAR. Kena balik cepat sebelum 1230, takut terserempak dengan colleagues yang MAY be "berjalan-jalan" kat that area for lunch break. What would they think? Dapat MC tapi pi "melawat kawasan" pulak.



"Mama (dengan muka monyok), Kakak rasa bukan buku Kajian Tempatan lah. Kena salin pasal 'bengkel'. Kajian tempatan ni tak ajar pun pasal bengkel(?)"

Vrooommm... This time around, park kat belakang Semua House. Bayar RM6 untuk 15 minit.



Today:

Terngiang-ngiang kat telinga soklan ni "Do you have difficulties in breathing?"

Sepatutnya Mak Lijah jawab YES. Memang Mak Lijah tak rasa sesak nafas i.e. tercungap-cungap macam baru lari lintang-pukang, tapi dada Mak Lijah rasa sebak. You know... rasa tight chest... Macam baru menangis (walaupun tak nangis).

And today, I accepted the fact that I was sick because I was a secondary smoker...

READ: People who do not smoke directly and inhale smoke from a cigarette smoke by his/her neighbor is known as passive smoker, secondary smoker or indirect smoker. According to the American Heart Association, nearly 35,000 passive smokers die of smoke inhaled from a lit pipe, cigar or cigarette. Among the passive smokers, women, children and infants are at a higher risk. The symptoms experienced by secondary smokers are coughing, excess mucus formation in the airways, chest discomfort, chest pain, and lung irritation. They even feel irritation of throat, nose and eyes. If the passive smokers experiences chest pain, it can be an indication of a heart disease.

So, how did Mak Lijah actually make use of the one-day MC?

Dua hari yang sibuk

Hari itu datang lagi. The first day of school. Dah selamat berlangsung semalam.

Bangun pukul 5.50 a.m., Abang yang mandi dulu dengan liat sekali. Too long dah dok bangun lambat. And then Kakak. She's calmer now, compared masa dia di Tahun 1, 2 and masa di tadika dulu ketika dia kuat mengamuk waktu bangun pagi.

Bila dah siap bersarapan dengan mushroom soup (yes... that's their favourite breakfast. Nasib baik Cik Campbell tolong), masuk keter pukul 6.40 a.m.and started off. Tiba-tiba, "Alamak..."

"Hah... apa yang tertinggal?" (Macam dah tahu)

"Kasut"

"Laa... Abang ni... First day dah lupa. Pot..pet...pot...pet..."

Selepas hantar Abang and Kakak, Mak Lijah rushed back home to uruskan Danisy pulak. Sampai rumah pukul 7.35 a.m.

Danisy pun macam good mood jer bangun pagi sambil suruh Mak Lijah cepat sikit buka baju dia sebab nak mandi.

Seperti tahun lepas, Mak Lijah hantar sendiri Big Baby Danisy ke tadikanya, for the first two days, walaupun dah masuk tahun ke dua dia di situ. Dah senior, lah konon. And yet I am still pampering him. I am still not ready to let him go on his own. Not yet, not at least until he is in Tahun 2 nanti.

Can't help but teringat kisah dia tak lawan budak yang cubit dia di restoran Salero Negori dulu tu.

Mak Lijah usik-usik dia juga, tanya dia tak nangis ke, macam budak junior yang menangis-nangis nak ke mak dia ataupun macam yang sorang lagi tu, siap lari keluar nak kejar mak dia. Danisy cuma tersengeh dan cakap, "Apalah Mama ni".

Hari ni dia komplen kasut dia ketat dan strapnye dah terkoyak. Looks like kena beli another pair for him. Kakak pun komplen kasut dia dah ketat. Adeh...

Petang ni Mak Lijah dah bayar the last yuran of the year. Thus far, the expenditure on fees, books etc alone :

Yuran pelbagai : RM141 (Abang); RM84.90 + RM121.00 (Kakak) RM210 (Danisy)

Buku : RM 22 (Abang) RM33.60 (Kakak) RM 50 (Danisy)

Pengangkutan : RM 85 RM (Kakak); 60 (Danisy)

JUMLAH KESELURUHAN RM 807.50

Woweeee....!!! Boleh beli sepasang Nine West tu...

Begitulah investment kita kepada anak-anak, kan? Demi mereka.

Year 2008

While the date is still there,

Happy New Year, everybody...!!!

Happy Anniversary

` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` ` `

It has been 15 years of :


chocolate

strawberry

chilly




honey

vinegar

pepper





AND YET, IT ALL TASTED SO SWEET...

Hap...pening Penang!

Dah nak masuk tiga malam Mak Ljah sekeluarga berada di Pulau Pinang (or easier to say "Penang") for our much awaited end-of year holidays.

Last year at this point of time, Mak Lijah dan Pak Lijah were in LA. Baru balik dari Universal Studio and looking for tempat makan yang "sesuai". By that time, nafsu makan dah tertutup sebab dah tak ada selera langsung dengan makanan barat (masa tu dah dekat 10 hari away from Malaysia, on my way back from Venezuela). I missed nasi and sambal tumis. I missed nasi goreng kampung, asam pedas, ikan puyu pekasam, teh tarik, bla...bla...bla...

Back to Penang...

Bila berada di hotel ni on the Christmas eve (di pinggir pantai), rasa pelik yang amat sangat dengan lautan manusia bertopi merah yang membuat bising, menjerit-jerit, diiringi bunyi muzik yang amat kuat (we are on the 17th floor).

Jalan kat depan hotel tu memang dah jammed yang amat perit dengan manusia yang menyembur buih sabun (yang diperasankan sebagai snow) ke atas kereta yang terpaksa dipandu ultra perlahan dek lautan manusia di atas jalan yang tidak memkirkan keselamatan sendiri... Yang teruk tu, tulis perkataan-perkataan lucah pulak. Kesian pemandu kereta yang tak boleh nak buat apa-apa sebab takut dengan lautan manusia yang macam tak boleh mengawal diri.

Apa nak jadi daa... Ke... aku yang perak?

Pendek kata, happening betul lah kat Penang sekarang ni...
Macam-macam pe'el manusia.
Nak sangat tiru barat, sampai over lah pulak. Kat LA pun tak der kejadian-kejadian pelik macam ni. Orang putih tak lah behave macam ni.

Apa nak jadi daa... Ke... aku yang perak?



. . . . . . . . . .

Breaking News

It's finally here. The announcement was made through a third party. So how am I supposed to feel? Dissapointed? Confused? All in?

The news is that Putihah has finally decided to go back to Indonesia for good in August next year when her permit is due.

She said she was going to Johor to marry, yesterday. But the sms today said that she had forgotten her passport and that the ceremony will now be in Kajang at her adik's house. Previously she told Kak Ani that her Kakak lives in Kajang. And what has her passport got to do with the akad nikah? They all have KPT don't they?
What's new in her dongeng story?
(By the way, we are all in Santan since Wednesday.)

Anyway, we have to be prepared for her depature, next year. First I have to brain wash Kakak and Danisy about the situation. They have known Kak Putihah almost all their life. It would be strange for them I supposed, for the first few months. Then I would have to brain wash our new maid about the house chores not as to be that of Putihah's.

Now about this future maid-to-be. For the past two days, we've had two "part-time" maids who came to our house to help with the house chores. They worked like machines! No need to tell them what to do, they just clean-up the whole house like they've lived here forever. Now, that's the kind of maid I want to have. I'd probably use the agency in getting one next year. But how do I know if I'd get a good one? Macam beli loteri kan?

Rumpun Bak Serai

Source : Wikipedia

Junjung bak sireh

Tapi sekarang ni Mak Lijah amat kurang selesa dengan frasa berikutnya:

Itu lah kita di Nusantara



Menurut Wikipedia (and it is most likely true) :

Nusantara is a geographical concept of Indonesia which refers to all Indonesian regions from Sabang until Merauke. The word Nusantara was taken from an oath by Gajah Mada written on a Javanese old manuscript of Negarakertagama.



So what's this about irama Nusantara? Has it any elements of Malaysia? Dulu hot sekejap this so-called irama Nusantara bila M. Nasir composed Mustika. And then there's Sheqal's Cinta Nusantara and suddenly Manan Ngah has a "Nusantara" as his middle name.

Just forget about Nusantara. Forget it because WE ARE NOT FROM NUSANTARA. Don't compose anymore songs that says it is irama Nusantara. Let them have it all. Let's just have irama Malaysia.

Dangkalnya! Apa lagi yang kita ambil dari dia? Udara tak nak claim? Air hujan tak nak tuntut? Awan berarak tak nak digapai? Bintang-bintang tu... pergilah amik, simpan dalam lemari nkorang.

Batu-batu kecil yang kat pantai Johor sana or mana-manalah persisiran pantai di Malaysia ni, partially mungkin datang dari tempat diorang, kan? Tak nak saman ke?
What are we going to do with the batu-batu yang mengikut ombak laut dan terdampar tu? They are going to be there for long, right? We don't even know the difference - whether they came from accross the sea, or if they've already been there for a long, long time. They just become a part of our shore. They become ours. So what are we going to do about it? Or what are THEY going to do about it?

Nanti tempe pun kena pulangkan. Not to mention pegedil, meatballs and what else? Nanti mi bandung, mi jawa semua kena tukar jadi mi Perlis, mi Kedah. Itupun kalau diorang tak claim copyrightlah.

And is anyone also going to claim dikir barat as theirs too? Oh come on... That would probably mean boria pun akan di claim by God-knows-who and would the Portuguese sue us for joget?

Protes lah...protes...
Demo lah...demo...
Itu jer cara nak cari makan...
Dapat 30,000 rupiah sorang, blah lah diorang.






Sayang wangi serainya tiada
Tinggal bau di alu lesung
Apalah serumpun tiada bermakna
Andai pekerti sudah terpasung

Welcome

Selamat datang ke dunia baru, Ahmad Rayyan.

Dunia yang sebenarnya.

Dunia ini bulat, tapi tak licin.

Sebab tu lah banyak pancarobanya.

Sebagaimana cerahnya siang dan gelapnya malam, begitulah kehidupan kita.

Ahmad Rayyan is the latest edition to our clan.

My latest nephew.

Born on 15 November 2007, exactly one month before his mom's birthday.

Pandai pilih tarikh.

3.7 kg, slightly lighter than his cousin, Danisy, when he was born, i.e. 3.85 kg.

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SELAMAT HARI LAHIR, RAYYAN..., DARI AUNTY MAK LIJAH...

Mak Lijah : Encik, semalam ada kecurian kat Jalan %@$#.

Pak Guard : (??) (blink..blink..)

Mak Lijah : Rumah saya, kat Jalan %@$#... basikal anak saya hilang.

Pak Guard : Oh..., Jalan %@$#... Sana jalan depan... Itu rumah baru kasi bikin... Sana masuk kiri. Itu Jalan %@$#

Mak Lijah : Bukan... Saya nak bagitau, semalam ada orang curi basikal anak saya. Rumah saya kat Jalan %@$#.

Pak Guard : Ya...ya... Sana jalan depan sikit saja... Masuk kiri... Sana dekat rumah baru bikin.

Mak Lijah : (????)




Sigh...

Salam semua.

Mak Lijah tak ucapkan pun Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, kan?
Tapi, the delicious cup cake yang kat atas tu cukuplah kut untuk merangkum ucapan Mak Lijah walaupun dah masuk 16 Syawal.

So how was your Raya?

Raya Mak Lijah tercemar hari ni, dengan kecurian basikal Abang. Adehhh....

Pythagorean theorem

The relation in Euclidean geometry among the three sides of a right triangle.

Named after the Greek mathematician Pythagoras, who by tradition is credited with its discovery and proof, although knowledge of the theorem almost certainly predates him.

The Pythagorean theorem: The sum of the areas of the two squares on the legs (a and b) equals the area of the square on the hypotenuse (c). The theorem is as follows:

In any right triangle, the area of the square whose side is the hypotenuse (the side opposite the right angle) is equal to the sum of the areas of the squares whose sides are the two legs (the two sides that meet at a right angle).




Semalam Mak Lijah tolong Abang buat revision for his Maths end-of-year examination when he got stuck at Pythagorean Theorem. Sebenarnya by now (bila dia naik form 2), Mak Lijah dah fobia sangat tengok soklan-soklan diorang sebab they are so different and more difficult than what we used to do those days in the 80's.

Dah ler tu, banyak betul perkataan-perkataan bahasa Inggeris yang 'terlupa' dan tak reti Mak Lijah nak solvekan problemsnya. Siap rujuk dictionary lagi to find out what those words actually meant.

Sebab nak control macho, Mak Lijah pun trylah ajar Abang menjawab a few of the soklan-soklan yang tak dapat dia jawab. Tapi sebelum tu, baca dulu formula-formula kat buku teks dia.

Suprisingly Mak Lijah boleh apply konsep dia and managed to help Abang to solve the soklan (bukannya susah pun). I am actually amazed with myself, sebab rasa macam dah berkarat sangat otak ni dan dah tak boleh nak stimulate especially on numbers and formulas. So Mak Lijah pun ajarlah dia a few difficult questions yang dia dah gave up saaaaaamm....pailah satu soklan tu, Mak Lijah pula yang gave up.

After a few approach dah diguna, finally Abang got it figured out by himself and he actually got the answer correctly. That's another amazement. I am so proud of him. I supposed he has improved his problem solving skill and has deeper interest in Maths (fooohh..!), at last. As a bonus, Mak Lijah suh dia tidur dah lepas tu (it was nearly 11 pm dah) and I said that he can survive tomorrow's (today) examination, insha Allah.

Since the Maths "stimulation" tu, I was unable to sleep last night. My brain was so activated that I could only see the formula. To add to that, masa sahur tadi, tengok NUMB3RS plak.... Adehhh...

I was here...

A cruise through the park. Gambar ni diambil masa City Tour. Cost about 45 Swiss Franc. Dibawa berjalan di sekeliling Geneva, followed by this train ride ke Old Town Geneva. Beautiful...




This was in Bel Air. Pergi shopping lah konon. Lebih kepada menjamu mata. Banyak kedai-kedai jenama teratur di sini. Got onto the bus to get there and balik dengan tram.




This photo was taken dekat the famous Lake Geneva. The white swans were so tame, tapi takut juga kalau they swim too close. Tak tau what they can do. Cantik sangat pemandangannya. Dah jadi wallpaper of my hp...




The famous air pancut ot Geneva. Mujurlah sempat tengok sebab katanya dia tak ada di musim-musim tertentu. Lake Geneva tak beku masa winter.




Gambar ni diambil dekat some monument (nama tak ingat).

Jealousy

Here I am actually watching and paying attention to a boring BBC Prime tv program about JEALOUSY in a lousy low class hotel in cold Geneva. I can’t believe I am allowing myself being indulged with this matter. What is Geneva doing to me?
(If you are coming to Geneva, TRY AS MUCH not to stay at this W hotel in Rue de Bern)

Kisah benarnya macam ni (program dia berbentuk reality show). Ada sorang pompuan ni, namanya Kelly, teramatlah jelesnya kepada pasangannya, Nick, sehingga dikatakan memudaratkan perhubungan mereka. Kelly sentiasa mahu tahu apa yang Nick buat sepanjang masa dan selalu mengesyaki Nick melakukan sesuatu di luar pengetahuannya. Contohnya dia selalu menelefon Nick walaupun Nick sedang bermain golf ketika itu dan menuduh dia membuat perkara lain.

Ada seketika tu, mereka pergi dating di sebuah pub. Nick memesan beer untuk mereka berdua dan bersedia untuk bermain pool. Baru seteguk minum, Kelly dah gelabah tanya Nick macam-macam soalan provokasi. Baru saja Nick pegang kayu nak mula main pool tiba-tiba Kelly kata dia don’t feel too well dan minta Nick hantar dia balik. Nick terkedu lalu dengan berat hati berjalan keluar, tetapi berpatah balik untuk berkata sesuatu kepada rakannya yang sedang bermain pool. Kelly pun mengamuk lalu memalukan Nick di hadapan kawan-kawan dia.

Oleh kerana jelousy yang keterlaluan ini, mereka decided to consult a therapist. Selepas beberapa terapi, Kelly menunjukkan perubahan yang positif dan tidak lagi jeles yang ekstrim. Sayangnya, Nick pula yang mula mengesyaki Kelly mempunyai kekasih baru kerana Kelly tidak lagi sibuk bertanya ke mana dia pergi dan sebagainya seperti dulu!

Snap..!

Attention.. attention… So is jealousy good or bad when it’s Nick’s turn now to become jealous?

Mak Lijah rasa jealousy is a form of therapy by itself. It’s a form of check and balance. Kalau kita jeles, sebenarnya kita rasa tergugat kerana ada orang lain diberi perhatian selain daripada kita. Why is that? Kita jer ke yang perlu diberi perhatian tu?

Jawapannya, YES! Ha..ha.. cruel, kan? Mua ha..ha..ha..

I am here...

Gadis dan Bunga

Yesterday Mak Lijah attended convocation anak saudara Mak Lijah di UNITEN. Penuh warna-warni dengan bunga.

Teringat jaman Mak Lijah terima ijazah dolu-dolu kat Dewan Tuanku Syed Putra, USM. Masa tu terasa amat meriah. Pesta konvonya dekat saja dengan Dewan Canselor. Betul-betul pesta. Seronok rasanya.

Berbanding dengan USM, Mak Lijah keliru pula samada UNITEN ada buat ke idak Pesta Konvonya seperti universiti-universiti lain. Ataupun tempat berlangsungnya Pesta Konvo tu di tempat lain, berjauhan dengan dewan tempat menerima ijazah. Macam tu ke? Aiseh... terlepas lah pulak.

Masa berlangsungnya penyampaian ijazah tu, Mak Lijah dapat sakit kepala pulak sebab cuaca yang panas terik ditambah lagi sebab terpaksa lepak kat khemah atas jalan tar sambil melihat berlangsungnya majlis menerusi kaca tv saja. Tak dapatpun masuk Dewan yang dingin tu, kuota dah penuh. Kalau kat USM, kaum keluarga lain dapat juga duduk dalam sebuah dewan khas yang dingin sambil menonton lintas langsung dari situ. Selesai saja majlis, hujanpun turun renyai-renyai. Patutlah panas tadi...

Apa-apapun, Mak Lijah seronok juga sebab anak saudara Mak Lijah ni, dah berjaya mendapat segulung ijazah. Terasa macam baru minggu lepas menghantar dia ke kampus di Muadzam Shah. Cepatnya masa berlalu...

Jangan Bergaduh!

Last weekend Mak Lijah pergi lunch di Salero Negori kat Hartamas dengan Kakak and Danisy. Mak Lijah drove agak laju, about 120 km/h kat Jalan Kuching sebab takut terlambat, lauk habis. Masa tu tengok jam keter dah pukul 2.18 pm. Ini gara-gara tunggu lawyer yang lambat datang ke rumah lah. If not we all dah bersiap pukul 12.00 tgh lagi.

Mujurlah ada banyak lagi lauknya dan tak ramai orang, cuma tiga meja jer occupied. Mungkin sebab hari Sabtu. Kalau hari lain, kadang-kadang tu pukul 1.15 pm pun lauk dah habis. Sampai jer kat restoran tu, Mak Lijah suruh Kakak dan Danisy duduk kat satu meja kat sudut tu dan terus order lauk-pauk kegemaran Mak Lijah, gulai urat, ayam goreng berempah, masak lemak tempoyak pucuk ubi dll pucuk lagi + petai, pegedil dan kari ayam untuk Kakak.

Selang sebuah meja dari meja kami ada ler 2-3 orang perempuan dan seorang kanak-kanak about Danisy's age sedang menjamu selera. Kakak dan Danisy yang memang lapar dari tadi betul-betul concentrate makan tapi kumat-kamit mulut tak sudah-sudah, pot-pet...pot-pet... Mak Lijah pun enjoy gak ler makan sebab dah lama tak ke situ.

Habis makan jer Kakak and Danisy pun ke belakang nak basuh tangan sementara Mak Lijah buat operasi DBKL - menghabiskan lauk. Sedang asyik membuat operasi tu, Mak Lijah paling ke belakang dan ternampak imej Kakak kat cermin almari sedang menarik-narik sesuatu. Mak Lijah rasa pelik sebab it's so unlikely that Kakak would be pulling Danisy's hand. Tiba-tiba Mak Lijah dengar suara Kakak dah jadi semakin kuat, "Dah lah tu, jangan bergaduh."

Alamak! Lagilah pelik! It's so unlikely that Danisy would be involved in a fight! Mak Lijahpun bingkas bangun dan terus meluru ke arah budak-budak tu. At the same time, Kakak dah berjalan ke arah Mak Lijah memegang tangan Danisy dan budak yang duduk kat meja tadi tu mengekor Danisy dengan tangan ada gaya nak memukul Danisy.

Oh my God! Apa dah jadi ni? Mak Lijah cepat-cepat tarik tangan Danisy, berlakon sikit dan bertanya kuat-kuat kat Danisy sambil berjalan ke meja kami...

"Kenapa Adik? Dia buat apa kat Adik?"

"Dia cubit Danisy."

"Danisy cubit dia ke? Kakak, what happened?"

"Tak tahu... Budak tu tak bagi Kakak dengan Danisy lalu, lepas tu tiba-tiba jer dia tarik baju Danisy. Lepas tu dia cubit tangan Danisy. Kakak pun dia cubit. Kat sini..." (menunjuk kat perut)

(Ni masih dalam babak lakonan sebab suara sedikit kuat dan lakonan ala-ala loyar soal-balas saksi)

"Ishh... takkan lah dia saja-saja cubit Danisy? Habis tu? Danisy buat apa?"

"Tak buat apa-apa. Danisy tarik balik baju Danisy je."

"Danisy tak cubit dia balik?"

"Tak..." (Masa ni Mak Lijah rasa bangga sikit.)

Tiba-tiba...

"Excuse me? Anak you kena cubit ke? Itu mesti anak I yang cubit. Kat mana dia cubit?"

"Eh, it's ok.. Budak-budak..."

"No, it's not. Dia ni nak berkawan, tapi kasar sikit."

And she left just to come back with the boy.

"XYZ, salam... and say sorry."

Danisy pun angkat tangan dia untuk bersalam, tapi si XYZ tu tak angkat pun tangan dan pandang tempat lain.

"Danisy, salam..? "

Danisy pun salam dengan budak tu, feeling puzzled (I guess dia tak paham kenapa dia pulak yang kena beriya hulur tangan sebab yang buat salah is that boy).

Danisy pun minum air sirap dan ajak Mak Lijah pulang. I can't help but feel proud that Danisy did not retaliate to that boy. But is that good for long? He will grow up and would probably meet all sorts of people yang lebih ganas dari tu. Imagine if both of them were 18, macamana, ek?

Should I teach him kick-boxing?

Mak Lijah's Birthday Cupcake

That's about it.

Mak Lijah's Birthday Cupcake on a cute Japanese saucer.

25

No... I cannot be 25 years 'young'.

Mak Lijah diakadnikahkan dengan Pak Lijah on 25 December, tahun Islam was 1 Rejab. Christmas Day. Banyak cerita-cerita best malam tu terpaksa dikorbankan sebab Pak Lijah nak datang...

I graduated from USM when I was 25. Masa tu baru kawen dengan Pak Lijah. Masih lagi di alam bulan madu.

Kakak was born on 25 June 1998.

Sean Connery, was born on 25 August 1930.



...and Happy Birthday to me, 25 July, today...

min·i·mal·ist

being or offering no more than what is required or essential

A couple of weeks ago Mak Lijah sekeluarga pergi ke sekolah Abang for their open day. Abang had to sell school T-shirts kat gerai dia. We all lepak-lepak jer around the school compound sambil melayan Adik yang kejap nak tengok fish, sekejap nak makan sushi dan macam-macam lagilah yang dia nak buat. Macam baru terlepas dari kandang.

Ramai juga ibubapa yang datang memberi sokongan moral kepada anak-anak mereka seperti kami. Tak kurang juga ada budak-budak yang mengambil kesempatan memandu kereta ibubapa mereka ke sekolah pada hari tu, Perdana, Mercedes, Volvo dan sebagainyalah. Masa itu jugalah masing-masing nak menayang girlfriend masing-masing.

Masa dok lepak kat 'pondok' depan gerai-gerai tu, Mak Lijah peratikan juga gelagat budak-budak sekolah dia, girls and boys. Although sekolah Abang is an all-boys school, student perempuan ada juga, yang belajar di tingkatan 6. Tapi yang Mak Lijah dok asyik peratikan tu, rasanya bukan budak Melayu tingkatan 6 lah. Asyik benar berkepit berpasang-pasangan.

MashaAllah... min:i:mal:ist sungguh! Jangankan skirt pun kat peha paling atas, baju/blaus pun sehabis sikit yang mungkin! Yang bersinglet pon ada, yang micro mini skirt tu.. aduh... dengan ketatnya sesendat yang mungkin - macam sarung nangka. Memang tak sampai setengah meter kain pun diguna untuk menjahit skirt tu. Rasa nak tarik-tarik jer skirt budak-budak tu. Dan yang lebih menyakitkan mata tu, they are still young, not more than 15. Mana datang budak-budak Melayu ni? Melayu kota? Isshh... Malunya Mak Lijah budak-budak sekolah ni berpakaian macam tu. Agaknya boyfriend diorang ni ada competition kut, nak tengok girlfriend siapa yang paling minimal dalam berfesyen. Lagi minimum, lagi HOT gamaknya.

Dah tua sangat ke Mak Lijah sampai dah berfikiran macam tu, hah? Conservative sangat ke Mak Lijah dalam berfesyen ni?

Rasanya kalau bab menjaga maruah ni, dia tak ikut zaman ibubapa dilahirkan, kan? Apa dah jadi dengan budak-budak perempuan Melayu ni? Ibubapa tak beri panduan ke? Ataupun ibu merekapun sememangnya berpakaian macam tu?