The Rendezvous

I woke up at 4:30a.m today…. As I need to catch a scheduled flight to Penang at 6:55 a.m. Penang? Yes I am going to Penang for some personal matter which I am not going to disclose here. I managed to get there on time, parked my car at LCCT car park which will cost me around RM30 for the parking fee alone. Did I tell that I am going for a short trip? Because later around 9 p.m, I will be catching another flight to KL as tomorrow I have to work.

All this while I thought Air Asia flight is a non reserved flight. But to Penang, all seats were reserved. I don’t realize that my seat number was printed on my boarding pass….. I end up seating next to a girl even though there were a lot of empty seats available.

This girl is very weird. She sits next to the window at her right side, but keet looking at the other window to check the outside view. Normally I like to look outside during takeoff and landing. But due to this girl’s weird behaviour I had to keep my head straight otherwise I will have to look straight at her face. It is very uncomfortable for me to look somebody straight at his/her face at a very short distance. That is the first thing.

The second thing is, she cannot stop from moving. Move here, move there, turn here and there….. There were 4 times she hit my hand at the arm rest. I think it was due to the large handbag that she carries along with her. I don’t know why she didn’t put it at the compartment. A lot of things inside there…. Books, towel, makeup, keys….etc etc

Shortly before landing, she looks for something. … her hand phone…. I thought we supposed to keep it off until reaching the terminal? And because of too much of movement, suddenly she accidently dropped her hand phone. She tried to reach it under the chair. But she cannot because her back is not flexible enough to bend, and her handbag is too big for her to squeeze herself in her effort to reach her hand phone.

She tried to ask a help form the passenger at the back…. But I think that passenger were asleep… she tried again and again… and look at me. I just ignored..... Even though I asked myself, why not be a gentleman and help her… but the other side of me said… peduli dia!! Siapa suruh telampau banyak begerak… I kept my head straight, pretending like nothing happened…. And indeed I cannot look outside during landing…. She once again without fear, enjoyed the view through the opposite window!!

The clock now shows at 7:03 p.m. I am now waiting for my flight back to KL and enjoying my meals at McD. I managed to take some pictures. Bayan Lepas International Airport is so dull. It doesn’t change since 4 years ago, the very first time I set my foot here. It became old and older, ugly and uglier.

My laptop running out of power now. So I have to stop here before it turns into hibernation mode.

Hai!! Domo… sumimasen.

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Lupa Diri

1. Ada sesetengah di kalangan orang Sabah yg nyata sekali tidak menghargai dari mana mereka berasal, budaya, bahasa dan asal usul mereka. Mereka ini berasa malu mengakui atau bermanifestasi secara langsung bahawa loghat mereka ini berbeza daripada orang-orang yg berasal dari Semenanjung.

2. Secara umumnya, loghat yg digunakan oleh orang Sabah ini berbeza berbanding dengan loghat yg digunakan di semenanjung Malaysia. Bagi orang Sabah yg berada di Semenanjung Malaysia, ramai di antara mereka yg berasa malu untuk menggunakan loghat asal kerana kononnya malu ditertawakan oleh orang lain.

3. Walaupun bukan semuanya demikian, namun pada hari ini saya menyaksikan lagi suatu keadaan di mana saya berasa sangat mau muntah melihat gelagat orang-orang Sabah yg tidak tahu malu ini.

4. Sekumpulan orang Sabah yg merasa diri mereka ini elit, kononnya dapat menguasai loghat percakapan semenanjung dengan fasih, mentertawakan seorang yg lain, kerana menggunakan loghat bahasa sabah yg pekat.

5. Mereka ketawa terbahak-bahak kerana bagi mereka ianya merupakan suatu yg lucu. Tetapi mereka tidak sedar, seluruh ahli keluarga dan saudara mara mereka yg berada di Sabah pun menggunakan loghat yg sama. Mereka ingat mereka maju, moden dan sofistikated. Pthuiii!!

6. Kalau mahu diikutkah hati dan perasaan, mahu saja saya menyimbah air panas di muka mereka yg nyata sekali tidak hensem dan tidak cantik. Walaupun banyak hal2 seperti ini yg saya perhatikan dahulu, tetapi kali ini merupakan yg paling menjijikan, dan meloyakan.

7. Bukan saya menyatakan tidak perlu berasimilasi dengan budaya atau loghat tempatan. Bak kata pepatah masuk kandang kambing mengembik, masuk kandang kerbau menguak. Tetapi janganlah sampai mentertawakan orang lain, dengan penuh kenikmatan dan keegoan.

8. Jika kau tidak menghormati diri sendiri, tiada orang yg akan menghormati engkau. Sekadar untuk mengingati termasuk diri sia yg selalu pelupa ini. Bagi mereka yg terasa, dipersilakan mengemukakan hujah-hujah protes kerana pada bila bila masa saya bersedia menjawabnya. Sekian harap maklum.

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Thought of Friday.....

I am glad, today is Friday. I was busy thinking about my job, my career. Indeed, I contributed most of my time and energy to prepare myself, applying for jobs here and there, both government and private sector. I believe some people will think that I am crazy… looking for a job in this tough time? Might not be a good move, might be the opposite too. But, in the end, what I think is that matter.

I was a bit surprised as I lose 3kg from my total body weight. I had been exercising regularly for the past 4 weeks, with an intention of maintaining my health, as I am diagnosed with high cholesterol level. Today, one of my colleagues from other department which haven’t seen me for that period told me that I looked thinner. I checked it out and found that I indeed lose 3 kilos. Actually I want to maintain my ideal body weight which is 60kg. I guess I need to eat more from now onwards.

Next week will be marked a start of the Lent season. I will attend the Ash Wednesday Mass on the 25th February 2009 at 8.00pm. What is Ash Wednesday?

It is a day when we remember our mortality and mourn for our sins. We again convert our hearts to the Lord, who suffered, died, and rose for our salvation. We renew the promises made at our baptism, when we died to an old life and rose to a new life with Christ.

I didn’t realize that, next week will be the last week of February. There will be another one month before we can say, 1st Qtr of 2009. I still remember last year when I said, my plan will be accomplished within the 1Q of 2009. I do not want to say anything before the 1st Q of 2009 is over. Hopefully everything gonna be okay.

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The Heart Desire.....

Today, I received a parcel from someone considered very special to me. I like it very much….. A lovely card, a VCD, drawings and even vitamins….. hahaha… She got a great talent and I really admire the work done.

The VCD consist a number of romance/love songs. Ngam ni dengar sambil mengelamun….. The Card contains a valentine message with my portrait…. Well, it’s actually how I looked like at four years ago, when I still have lots of hair and still young….. now, much different already…. Hahaha… anyway isn’t it wonderful? At least for me it is. BLEK!!

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Asal Usul Valentine's Day

1. Dalam senarai para martir kuno, ada disebutkan 3 St Valentine yg berbeza, yg mana pesta kudusnya dirayakan sama-sama pada 14 February.

2. St Valentine yg pertama, adalah seorang paderi dan doktor di Rom. Ia bersama dengan St Marius dan keluarganya menghibur para martir pada masa penganiayaan oleh Kaisar Claudius II.

3. Pada akhirnya, St Valentine juga ditangkap, dijatuhi hukuman mati karena imannya, didera dengan pentung dan akhirnya dipenggal kepalanya pada tanggal 14 Februari 270.

4. St Valentine yang kedua adalah Uskup Interamna (sekarang Terni, terletak sekitar 60 batu dari Roma). Atas perintah Prefek Placidus, ia juga ditangkap, didera, dan dipenggal kepalanya, dalam masa penganiayaan Kaisar Claudius II.

5. St Valentine yang ketiga mengalami kemartiran di Afrika bersama beberapa orang rekannya. Tetapi, tidak banyak yang diketahui mengenai santo ini. Pada intinya, ketiga orang kudus ini, yang semuanya bernama Valentine, menunjukkan kasih yang gagah berani bagi Tuhan dan Gereja-Nya.

6. Kebiasaan mengungkapkan kasih sayang pada Hari St Valentine adalah secara kebetulan bertepatan dengan pesta sang santo. Pada Abad Pertengahan, terdapat kepercayaan umum di kalangan masyarakat Inggris dan Perancis bahwa burung-burung mulai berpasangan pada tanggal 14 Februari, “pertengahan bulan kedua dalam tahun.”

7. Chaucer menulis dalam karyanya, “Parliament of Foules” (dalam bahasa Inggris kuno): “Sebab ini adalah hari St Valentine, di mana setiap burung datang ke sana untuk memilih pasangannya.” Oleh karena alasan ini, hari tersebut diperuntukkan bagi para “kekasih” dan mendorong orang untuk mengirimkan surat, hadiah, atau tanda ungkapan kasih lainnya.

8. Walau nampaknya saling bertukar ucapan selamat valentine lebih merupakan kebiasaan sekular daripada kenangan akan St Valentine, dan meski perayaan lebih jauh telah dikafirkan dengan dewa dewi asmara dan semacamnya, namun ada suatu pesan Kristiani yang sepatutnya kita ingat.

9. Kasih Tuhan kita, yang dilukiskan amat indah dalam gambaran akan Hati-Nya Yang Mahakudus, adalah kasih yang penuh pengurbanan, yang tidak mementingkan diri, dan yang tanpa syarat. Setiap umat Kristiani dipanggil untuk mewujud nyatakan kasih yang demikian dalam hidupnya, bagi Tuhan dan bagi sesama.

10. Jelaslah, St Valentine - tanpa peduli yang mana - menunjukkan kasih yang demikian, menjadi saksi iman dalam pengabdiannya sebagai seorang imam dan dalam mempersembahkan nyawanya sendiri dalam kemartiran.

11. Pada Hari Valentine ini, seturut teladan santo agung ini, setiap orang hendaknya mempersembahkan kembali kasihnya kepada Tuhan, sebab hanya dengan berbuat demikian ia dapat secara pantas mengasihi mereka yang dipercayakan ke dalam pemeliharaannya dan juga sesamanya.

12. Setiap orang hendaknya mengulang kembali janji kasihnya kepada mereka yang terkasih, berdoa demi kepentingan mereka, berikrar setia kepada mereka, dan berterima kasih atas kasih yang mereka berikan.

13. Janganlah lupa akan sabda Yesus, “Inilah perintah-Ku, yaitu supaya kamu saling mengasihi, seperti Aku telah mengasihi kamu. Tidak ada kasih yang lebih besar dari pada kasih seorang yang memberikan nyawanya untuk sahabat-sahabatnya” (Yoh 15:12-13).

14. St Valentine telah menunaikan perintah ini, dan kiranya kita melakukan hal yang sama.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

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Proceed on: "Asal Usul Valentine's Day"

Wallet

The above picture is my wallet. I had been using it since early Matriculation and was the first wallet I ever had as I did not use any wallet before to keep my money, as a matter of fact that I did not have much money to keep.

I think it looks old, and whenever I put my coins inside, the coins always accidently drop out of a small hole at the bottom side of it. I don’t really intend to buy a new one, as I rarely can see any type catching my interest. But while walking around the shopping mall today, I saw one piece that look simple and attractive enough for me to have a look. So, I bought it at RM120.

So, here is my new wallet. I expect it to serve me for another 10 years, which means I only buy a new wallet in the next recession. I have this habit of buying wallet during economic crisis without knowing about it. But I don’t think in 10 years time from now will be another crisis. I guess only. No data to support my prediction as I talk with imagination. I like to talk with imagination. I had seen many facts being manipulated, in order to justify the failure of the bad system managed by ‘smart’ people.

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The Spectacular Ignorance.

I decided to buy a new spectacle last year and after went through from one site to another, one brand to another, i think i found the one i like most. Its a Rodenstock Crossover. I bought it in July last year, as a replacement of the old one, which i had been used since I was in Matriculation.

After using it for some time, i think its great, because of the glass quality and the comfortable design. It is my habit to clean my spectacle every morning and night, both after shower, and i use my damp towel to wipe the glass....

Not until yesterday..... something happened. Can you guess whats wrong with it? Can you see what is not normal with me with my glass on?

It was not due to the spec's poor quality, rather than my own ignorance. A friend of mine told me before, how to handle and clean, and don't do this and that, otherwise this will happen. But, I ignored..... KOTOH!!

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