2009 Precious Re-cap!

Salam.

It was not until the holidays, did I find myself getting more into life. Yes, it's holiday, that's lively! So what I had during the holidays was nothing other than joyous moments with dear parent and friends who dropped by the city.

2009 waved us goodbye,but it's memories don't. Here's mine,a special re-cap on the year end sale! Oh I mean,holiday. :)


1. A visit to Muzium Negara with ayah and ibu.

There was this ASEAN exhibition, alongside with the 'Magis Rimba' if I remember correctly, which were both good stuffs to pay some close gaze at.

Here are some photos I shot covering the ASEAN exhibition, enjoy!

Philippines. This is a replica of the kingdom's magical yet mysterious cock, a representation of the governance.

Thailand. A piece from the country, here's a bird cage of bamboo. Notice the pagoda and dragons motive on the top of the structure. A wonderful piece of traditional arts.

Indonesia. Where legends lie, these three keris are some of many those told over centuries. It was such an opportunity to have a close view of these.

Brunei. Coming along from the country, antique pieces with splendid craftsmanship.

Malaysia, our own, with the giant rebana ubi used during the '98 Commonwealth Games.

All the 10 flags of the member countries, and the ASEAN flag.

A map showing the countries of ASEAN.

What's that?

It's emping padi,pal! :)

Salam,and good day fellows,

This is yet another favourite snack among my family members,including myself. Emping padi is common to the Northerners (if the word delivered what I mean well,thank you),Southerners,Easterners,Westerners,Southeasterners,and the list goes on rolling out of my window....in short-wherever you find paddy. Preparing this snack too,takes the simplest steps ever required. (Other than boiling water,certainly.)

Here we go!
First,the main ingredient..what's that? The paddy flakes.

Cook the flakes (WITHOUT oil) in the pan until it turns brownish.

When we finish roasting the flakes,it'll look like this.

Ready? Not yet...there's more!

In a separate bowl meanwhile;

A bowl of grated co-co-nut, (what's with the spelling?)

Add in some sugar and salt...

Kacau..(bukan kacau orang ye!) Gaul. Ha,baru betul...hehe!

Put in the flakes that you've roasted...

Gaul lagi...

Tadaa..!

And...it's ready! Aw don't you lick the screen,please!

Ready,emping padi!

It is best served warm with coffee... Try it when you have the time to,alright!

My best regards,and have a great day!

22nd October 2009.

Salam.

-Wednesday, 21st October 2009


How is she? I texted my mother. She gave a call. I answered though it was during assembly.

She don't seem to be able to make it.

Who's there? I asked.

Everyone.

I cried hard. My friend held me tight. I choked. I was drowning in between my own sobs. I couldn't breathe.


-Thursday, 22nd October 2009

My mother and I were both by her hospital bed. We couldn't sit at her right side,there were the ECG machine that beeped continuously and another machine which I don't recognize,still as a statue.

That morning I took the farthest seat from the lecturer's table. So I could write my feelings down on a quiet page of a paper.

I call it, 'An Overnight Stay'. It's how I felt. In it,I wrote that I would've told her that life isn't too cruel. But I was losing her,I couldn't even tell myself what would happen the next minutes. It killed me,to see her the way she was. It killed me,to remember that I could kiss her if she wasn't there with the life support machine near. If she was home on her usual bed-not this bed of a hospital-I could have. But if only I could.

This loss,is not any similar to any loses I have had all my life. It's painful. I begged,I begged Him to spare me some time so at least I can see her-but that was only for one last time after nights of praying that she would get up fine and return home. I was feeding myself hopes,unsure whether it were false ones.

Everyone was then at her house-my uncles,my aunts,my parents,my cousins-everyone but me. I was held back with my classes-and for a second I cared not about the classes,I wanted to leave. I wanted to be by her side. What's there to this life of mine. At the very second

And I cried,night after night.


I doubled reciting yaasin. From only once a day after the Maghrib prayers to after each prayers a day,whenever I have the time it troubled me not. Least than ever. And at last my parents got me and brought me back to our hometown. Where everything began. Where her love for me grew.


Near 4.00 pm we reached Hospital Taiping. I stepped on the soggy earth. I passed the building and I looked up. "I'm here,"

We saw grandpa in front the gate,waiting for it to be opened again in a few minutes. He came near and spoke with my parents,me myself near enough to hear him say that the doctor told him grandma was not going to make it. I was silent.

When the gate was then opened,we walked in,to meet my aunt who grabbed me and cried on my shoulder. But I didn't cry,I couldn't cry. I couldn't believe that it was happening. Grandma lied silently breathing. I looked at her and patted my aunt's back.

As she walked away I turned to grandma and lowered down to reach her. Then came my mother,she greeted her. I followed. Can she hear us? I asked. My mother said she couldn't,according to the doctor. Silent again. But we didn't trust the doctor anyway,we talked to her. We talked. A friend sent you his regards,I whispered near her.


I told him that I'm afraid I couldn't send his regards,my grandmother stood very little chance. His reply stirred my mind. I tried to be calm.


"Then let her go in peace."


"Yes,if that's the best," I repeated after him.

Fake strength raw and alive,feasting on my ruined will.

My heart fought and screamed a silent answer.

Do you even know what you're saying? I sighed.

Be calm,I said to myself. Be calm.


Oh my. That,I couldn't bear. I felt as if I had sands going down my throat. No one could read my mind. No one could tell how painful it was. To accept it unwillingly.

Grandma,I'm here,I whispered. Then I sat down and watched her. Her left arm on the bedside. Her right arm on her chest. I reached the table and got ourselves both reciting yaasin.

It was around 8.00p.m. We stopped. My throat was sore. "I have to stop for a while,"I told my mother. I drank in gulps of water,one at a time. 9.45 p.m. "I'm tired,I'm sleepy."

"Get a few minutes of snooze there,"my mother pointed at the waiting area.

No,I said. "It's ok,let me just read it for another time. I'm afraid I would fall asleep. This is painkiller,can't they stop giving her this so that she opens her eyes and look at us?"

"No,the doctor knows. She'd feel the pain if they stop it."

"I want to talk to her." My eyes blurred.

And we continued reciting yaasin,my right hand on her forehead.

I felt my hands going up. I looked at her. She tilted her head up. I stared at the ECG machine. Zero. There was no reading on it,a straight green line on the screen.

I was struck panic. My mother silent too. Then she took another deep suck of air. The reading was 100. Zero. 200. Zero.

A doctor came by.

"Why is this so? My mother called out. Please see this,"

I placed another hand on her chest. I wasn't sure if she was still breathing. My mother instructed me to whisper her the syahadah. I was still,I was confused and I asked myself if I really should.

It's time. I told myself. Slowly,I came nearer,closed my eyes,soothed her on her forehead softly and whispered the syahadah into her ears again and again. I was shivering myself. My legs froze. In my heart,I hoped that she wouldn't be scared. I said it in my head,don't be scared grandma,I'm here...listen to me. I never stopped,but my heartbeats were thunderous-and I was scared but I fought it all away,I had to. Though I was half capable and maybe less capable than ever. I held her close to my heart. The one I love.


11.03 p.m.

"Make way,it shouldn't be like this. Take this away,"said the doctor.

I seized my handphone. A few other doctors hurried by. We were forced backwards. Then the nurses.

I couldn't help myself. I cried out helplessly,soundlessly. My tears were a stream of river right down on my shirt. I didn't see my mother. I stood and hugged myself,watching. We sat on an empty bed just across and sought for a peek in between the curtain. They were trying hard,pushing her chest as rapidly so that her pulse would come back,and her heart awake. Awake...


We waited. I couldn't feel my knees. I was afraid like never before. I was terrified right down to my bones. No,this can't be happening,please Allah spare her,I prayed.


A Chinese doctor came out. No,oh no.

"You're a relative of her?" He asked politely enough I got it at the very second. I understood.

My mother nodded. Daughter,she answered.

"Mom is no longer here,"


I trembled. I gave up. It felt so,and I let myself fall down. I went to the cushion and sunk myself into it. I cried and looked across to her bed. I love you. I hushed in disbelief. You waited for me.

And cried all my breath out silently with all the might left. Very little was left. Too little.

Grandma who loved me so much is no longer here. My tears. Cried. Hard no one could stop me from drowning as I saw them take her away from her bed. Allah...


Tuesday,22nd December 2009.

I dreamed. I wasn't sure what was it. When I opened my eyes and reached my phone it was 4.00 a.m. or something,I couldn't see clearly. I looked at the window and saw her sweetest smile. She was looking straight back at me the way I was at her.

I gazed,and it was only for a few seconds. I was arguing whether what I saw was true. But it seemed so true,it seemed so.

I rose and sat. I miss you. How I miss you. Then I trembled again.




It's been two moths now,tonight. And she will forever stay in my heart,the one who loved me with all the sincerity in her. I love you,grandma. I love you. And I will make it for you. For all the love and care you gave me.


Al-Fatihah.

Merenung Lautan.

Salam,

Dah lama rasanya tak catatkan idea yang selalunya datang tak tentu masa. Disebabkan itu,banyak cetusan fikiran hilang begitu saja (tak sempat tulis masa itu juga). Yang ini pun dah hilang separuh bahagian (sebab tak sempat nak tulis masa idea datang tu lah,) jadi terpaksalah buat semula... Saya nak kongsi puisi ni,tentang kehidupan. Baca dulu,nanti saya huraikan. :)


Rasa pahit yang makin biasa
Hari demi hari
Menyaksikan transformasi langit
Yang kian penuh warna


Bulan,bintang,dan inderaloka
Adalah aku.


Rasa hangat yang makin membara
Tenggelam,timbul dan tenggelam lagi
Makin lama makin merana
Hanyut dalam mencari diri


Bagaimana mungkin begini,
Sinar hilang di hujung jalan


Nafas lemah hampir rebah
Namun masih terus berdansa
Hingga hampir ke hujung lembah
Menanti yang hilang kembali semula


Jauh sudah kini,
Kian lupa rentak yang Kau atur


Kau harus kembali
Jika bukan aku yang mampu
Tapi aku masih berdiri
Sambutlah tanganku sekali lagi


Sebelum kasih yang paling suci ini
Hilang tanpa jiwa pemiliknya


Kiri,kanan,belakang dan hadapan
Bisikkan jalan dan pandulah arahku
Kaca makin mengabui pandangan
Sudah kabur dan canggung langkahku


Arah jalan yang kucari kini bukan pada papan tanda
Bukan juga yang zahir di atas petaku,tapi perancanganMu


Hampir semalaman aku merenung laut (di seberangnya cahaya neon jingga)
Mencari-cari penawar kalau ada
Dan kini jelaslah kala dua pandangan bertaut
Kau selalu ada dan aku lupa



Sajak ini (kalau boleh dipanggil sajak) menggambarkan kehidupan manusia yang selalu lupa dan hilang arah dalam keindahan dunia yang fana. Apa yang saya cuba sampaikan di sini,sebagai remaja kita sangat mudah hanyut dan kadang kala dah terlambat bila kita tersedar. Sebelum semua itu terjadi,ingatlah hidup harus ada tujuan. Bukan sahaja duniawi,tapi juga hakiki. Dan ingatlah juga,tiada cinta setanding cinta Allah buat hamba-Nya. Sungguh,Allah itu Maha Mendengar lagi Maha Pengampun. Selautan kasih-Nya tak terbanding dengan mana-mana cinta duniawi.


Salam Maal Hijrah 1431,maaf lambat sedikit. (Sebab idea hilanglah jadi lambat ni. -_-) Semoga segala kebaikan dalam diri kita sentiasa mekar,dan semangat terus membara tanpa jemu memperbaiki diri. Kalau nak berkongsi pandangan,boleh kita bincangkan di sini. Kalau tak ada pun,tak apa...terima kasih juga,sebab sudi baca! (Walaupun saya tak tahu. Tapi awak tahu!)

Haha. Jadilah tu,kan? ;)

Into the deep...and up! (Part 2)

Salam.

I'm sorry this second part took some time to rise from the bottom of the sea. Hehe.

Alright now,the first submarine made its first appearance during World War 1. It was then called the U-boat,its name meaning 'undersea boat'. During the season,it was one of its kind amongst the most fearsome war machines made by the German.

The evolution of submarines started ever since,with opposing countries of the Allied Powers and Central Powers both in an ongoing strategic battle of producing better war gears.

Seven decades after the birth of Ictineo II,the first steam-powered sub,the German introduced U-boat for the main purposes of performing raids on ships delivering ammunition and other supplies to USA and Britain in retaliation of Britain's attack on Germany's supply ships. The U-boat,however,had quite an interesting reference- 'wolf packs' because the strategy used for sinking other ships is to cruise close to one another in a convoy so that it'd be easier to attack the target ships.

An artist's illustration of the U sinking Lusitania which was delivering ammunition to Britain. The attack,which claimed the lives of more than 1200 American civillians on the ship,raged US for the loss.

One interesting fact: When USA entered the WW1,the Germans varied the U-boat raid tactic by spreading the units all around,from Atlantic to the Mexican Gulf,to African coasts;even as far as Penang!


What,our very own Penang?


Yeah,our own Penang. I'm surprised too,but no joke-it's on Wiki.


Enough now about U-boats,I think. There are actually loads of amazing stuffs to read on to know more about the famous U-boats. If you have the time,do surf for some of the controversial attacks of U-boats that had dragged the United States into the intercontinental battle,you'll find it very interesting,I guarantee. It's not like reading the History textbook. This is quite different. (After all,there are no History texts to flip!)

Internet makes it less boring,you know? If not,why on Earth do you think would I suffer writing this? My spine's hating me..!




.
..
...
....
.....
....
...
..
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And...that was the intro.



~~~~~~



Don't you weep,I'm finishing it now... ;)


I promised to tell you why I like submarines so much,didn't I? Here they are!



1. SPEED

-The modern nuclear-powered American Los Angeles Class submarine is capable of cruisning at 20 knots above the sea surface and an additional of 15 knotts,making it a super 35 knotts underwater.


2. SECRECY
-These modern nuclear-powered submarines too,are capable of manouvering under the sea for months without having to rise-unlike its traditional ancestors. In Jeremy Clarkson's I Know You Got Soul,he denoted that in an occurrence,a ship once sailed for forty days,not realizing that a submarine had been cruising along underneath her all the while.


3. ABILITY

-The Earth 70% covered with water,submarines are spared the extra advantage;it can hide under solid icebergs, in the vicinity of an island,or anywhere-just anywhere 2/3 of the world-without being detected. Some lucky enough to be fitted in with sophisticated radar systems and superb nuc-powered engines are even capable of reaching to a destination before an aircraft does and to move away from a spotted area within seconds. That means,by the time a submarine was located in a specific location,it is able to escape from the target radius before the enemy even make it to fire their torpedoes. Amazing,isn't it? Just imagine what a splendid defense it'd make!



And here's Malaysia's very own submarine,KD Tunku Abdul Rahman.

The submarine's first public exhibit.





KD Tunku Abdul Rahman on it's way to our homeland.


This Scorpene class submarine,later classified as Perdana Menteri class under the Malaysian government,arrived after a 54-days voyage from France.

Our very own submarines were built collaboratively by Direction des Constructions Navales Services (DCNS) of France and Navantia of Spain.

The cross section of a Scorpene class submarine.

That one's a bit small,isn't it? Take a look at this one.

(do click on the image for full view.)

These diesel powered submarines are armed with Blackshark wire-guided torpedoes and Exocet SM-39 anti-ship missiles,as for defense against intruder ships. Equipped with TSM 2233 Mk 2 sonar, Scorpene class hulls are capable of going as deep as 350 metres underwater.

Based on its electric-diesel power generation,Scorpene class subs can stay underwater ranging from 40 days for compact version,50 days for normal (this variant of which is currently owned by Malaysia) to an additional of 50+21 days for models installed with air-independent propulsion (AIP) system. Its 1250 kW power and 2900 kW electronic engine empowers a top speed of 20 knots underwater and 12 knots surfaced manoeuvre.

Currently,KD Tunku Abdul Rahman is accompanied by the Agosta class submarine as a supplemental training unit.

Arriving our beloved country on September the 3rd 2009,the historical date marked a new significant hope for not only the Royal Malaysian Navy but every Malaysian as a symbol of an advancement in the country's front line defence force with the birth of this new pride and joy-KD Tunku Abdul Rahman and very soon,it's sister,KD Tun Razak by the end of 2010.

So here comes the end of our journey on the submarine. Going down on a 'voyage to the bottom of the sea'...blup blup blup! Now they won't see us. ;D

Into the deep...and up! (Part 1)

Salam.

I'll take you into the deep. Well whenever it's school holiday (school holiday means our holiday too) it's always my friends asking


"Hystrix ko balik naik ape?"

or

"Weh ko balik dgn ape,parents ko ambik eh?"

...and me answering;


"Kapal selam!"

or

"Ak dah beli tiket kapal selam..."


Yes,you read that right,it is kapal selam. I occasionally scratch my head for a reason why I love submarines so bad too. Okay,that's one and another thing,I now have finally found a way how to make it reasonable to love things about submarine in addition to its ability to submerge and float on the sea surface despite the body of tough solid steel.

Isn't it just...marvelous to rise up from underneath the sea and then vanish without too much ripples appearing to be noticed?

My dear favourite Top Gear host Mr. Clarkson has recently became a writer. And he never failed to enchant his magic in every of his words just yet... Again,in his humorous 'I Know You Got Soul' (on every machine he came across and found a 'soul' in it);this Briton reveals that he had always got the passion in submarines.

What!? Submarine??? Oh Jeremy,you and I share a destiny! We could capture the world in a sub,and,and..

...


I'm sorry,I'm terribly sorry.


Well Jeremy shares in his piece,which I'd gladly quote here (pleasure to have your name in my blog,well spoken chap,)

"Actually,I've always loved submarines. Way back when I was a small boy my uncle, who lived in Nova Scotia and claimed to be a salesman,once came from Canada to England on a sub. He never said why or how it was like,but I spent the next ten years hanging on to his trouser leg. To me,he was James Bond. He probably was."

-Jeremy Clarkson on submarines,in 'I Know You Got Soul'.

Not to forget my friends,that is how obsessed Mr. Clarkson was,and perhaps still is,with submarines. But that is just his,mine certainly a different one. Oh you just have to be patient...the fun is yet to come! ;)


Now,would you believe me if I tell you that the early submarines weren't build using metals at all? They were wooden,yes,wooden structures.

How did they work this thing,huh?

That is Drebbel,the eldest brother of the submarine family. It was,as you've seen,built with wood as its main material. And better still,it survived the journey,lad,instead of sinking its way down into the sea maiden's mists.

As I was 'facebooking' and writing this post,I found this on Google. (I love my iG!) Look dear,it's a timeline of the birth of the physics masterpiece and an amphibious stunner...

The development,the hardship!

There,the earliest,which is at the upper of the graphic-is the Drebbel. Following it later in 1700's is 'The Turtle' (which really looks like a turtle to me,suits the name best!) and so following...

Whoopsie! I again plead for your forgiveness for now is the time,this is where,I will leave you wandering-half blind for answers. I say half,because I am only going to leave you hanging with your forefinger on the cliff for one out of two things two wait for.

One is the history of submarines,briefed above;


...and two is why I like 'em so much,I mean very,very much! This is where I'd put in amazing facts about subs-why they're considered cool! (That's the best part!)


Until the next post,keep hanging on tight and have a nice day! ;)

Made easy?

It was Greek to me...
-Julius Caesar


Salam.

So let's go to Greek. Um I mean, I mean let's see what's Greek. To me.

Europe English.


The European Commission has just announced an agreement whereby English will be the official language for the EU rather than German which was the other possibility.

As part of the negotiations,Her Majesty's Government conceded that English spelling had some room for improvement and has accepted a five year phase-in plan that would be known as 'Euro-English'.

In the first year, 's' will replace the soft 'c'. Sertainly,this will make the sivil servants jump with joy. The hard 'c' will be dropped in favour of the 'k'. This should klear up konfusion and keyboards kan have 1 less letter.

There will be growing publik enthusiasm in the sekond year,when the troublesome 'ph' will be replaced with 'f'. This will make words like 'fotograf' 20% shorter.

In the third year, publik akseptanse of the new spelling kan be ekspekted to reach the stage where more komplikated changes are possible. Governments will enkorage the removal of double letters,which have always ben a deterent to akurate speling. Also, al wil agre that the horible mes of the silent 'e'in the language is disgraseful,and they should go away.

By the fourth year, peopl wil be reseptiv to steps such as replasing 'th' with 'z' and 'w' with 'v'. During ze fifz year,ze unesesary 'o' kan be droped from vords kontaining 'ou' and similar changes vud of kors be aplid to ozer kombinations of leters.

After zis fifz yer,ve vil hav a reli sensibl riten style. Zer wil be no mor trubl or difikultis and evrivun vil find it ezi to understand ech ozer. Ze drem vil finali kum tru!

-Taken from MEP,4th issue.



So dear,have we seen Greek yet? No? Well that was Greek to me,was it not?

Tonight,do dream and laugh out loud-about going to Greek with me! ;)