Sunday, November 25, 2012

Oh My English......

I came across something which happened few weeks ago.

Had my weekend breakfast at McDonalds accompanied by The Star. Read an article on page 35 "Improving English in Schools" by Mr Seah Chiang Nee. Although the experience shared and views were based on what he has encountered in a neighboring country, everyone in Malaysia especially in the Ministry of Education should really looked into it.

When I moved to Johor to sit for my SPM, I missed my English teacher Miss Zahorin (from SMK Buyong Adil Tapah) the most. Not because people said we looked alike and similar in characteristics, but because she was a teacher of passion and of course she taught English. On one incident in my new school, I had chosen a different answer for an MCQ exercise, me alone while the rest of my classmates unanimously chose a different answer. I still remember the question "The TV show is (fill in the blanks). While the rest of them chose irrational I had chosen illogical.

Since I am the 'odd' one my answer was deemed wrong. After school, I went to the Teachers Lounge to seek for clarification regards to my answer. Unable to answer me, my teacher directed me to another teacher. The answer to which I was given was "Illogical is an Oxford level choice of word, so we don't use it".

Me being me, the blur one accidentally blurt out "Are we Malaysians that dumb or such a low class people that we are not even allowed to use these so-called Oxford level of words?"I think my teacher was taken aback by it and the look on the other teachers was a mad one. What happen to me? Nothing really except for the fact that I became very quiet...very very quiet in class. And that from that point onwards my teacher chose to ask for my answers before deciding which one is the correct answer. I strongly believed that it should not be the case. I do not want to feel important or anything, I just wanna a fair share in learning and that is all I am asking.

In fact now, while working I noticed how Malaysian level of English has indeed getting from bad to worse, well not to mention myself. The standards are deteriorating and unfortunately very less people seemed to be doing anything. Children have been "brain-washed" to hate English and that it is worth of nothing. Those who speaks though, tend to imitate the Beverly Hills 90210 kinda slang or Hillary Duff's Lizzie Mcguire kinda thing. It is funny indeed. They are trying very hard in faking it that when they were asked of a few simple questions, they tend to "melilanglibu" (panic). Such a wannabe.

Well, for me.... My grandfather has banned me from reading any Malay newspaper, until and unless I have read any English newspapers. That is how I got attached to The Star, especially on Saturdays. People always misjudged me by assuming that I am looking for job opportunities, The Star has a lot of it on its Saturday's edition. But I was more excited about getting more articles to read by just paying RM1:50. yes, I am a cheapskate what can I say huhuhu. It helps as I am not always on the internet reading other stuffs.

On a serious note, I do hope they re-consider implementing the English for Maths and Science back into the school syllabus as it offers extra help for the youngsters to understand the importance of English.

Losses and more losses

Well, I guess today's headlines will be the losses of Malaysian Football and Malaysian Team which took place yesterday. Honestly I was sleeping in the afternoon when DLCW was playing against China's Chen Long. I was not aware that our men's double was playing as well and lost to China's Cai Yun and Fu Haifeng.

Though most of the time I will be seating in front of the television watching our own Harimau Malaya in action, I did not have a good feeling last night and true enough we lost 0-3 to Singapore. Is this just a humble defeat before leaping to our opponents for the next games up till the final? I seriously hope so.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Three Weeks and Counting

Okay, I guess those of you who have been following my blog would know that I will be getting married next month

So the wedding cards are on their way to friends and family.I found a place to get my "Tudung Nikah" and bits of "Hantaran" is already planned. Of course there are things which I need to settle and one of them is registering at JAWI! Yea yea I know what's taking so long. Well ,my parents went to perform Haj this year and after they have left I was informed by my dad's officer from KAGAT that I need my parent's wedding's certificate before I can go for registration. And Dad is reluctant to let me know where the documents are. I know maybe because it will be stored in some secret location with the rest of the documents.

So the rush will begin after my parents are back. Immediately I will need to see uncle Ustaz before submitting the application to JAWI. Uncle Ustaz assures me that it will be possible and he will try to help us out. So I am settling other things at the moment.

Waa panic panic...hahahaha nope not yet. Panic button is still intact.


Apa Sebenarnya....

Well, I know the title is in Malay but allow me to mix these two language in my post but I promise I will do it nicely so that everyone can understand what I would like to share today.

Traffic was kinda smooth today. I left home at 6:55am and even stopped to pump some petrol and arrived in the office at 7:40am. Not bad eh? Well I guess mainly its because of school holiday season I guess. But not so for traveling back home. Yesterday I was stuck for 25 minutes in the traffic jam in front of my office, and traveling via the toll was only 15 minutes! Well KL is known for its traffic jam anyways so I should not be grumbling about it.

That is not the content in referring to the title up there. I received a rather disturbing SMS from a dear friend of mine. "Salam sahabat tolong doakan kejayaan aku dlm kes penjagaan anak aku. Bekas suami dah melampau sampai telefon dan ugut mak aku".

Immediately I called her up to find out what had happened. But before that lets flash back a little bit from the beginning.

My friend got married in the month of Syawal few years ago. I was the Lady in Waiting (that's how her family refers to me at that point of time - padahal kerja pengapit ajer pun). Well, a few days before I actually went to her house for the wedding, she called me while I was driving back from Giant in Johor (balik kampung beraya dengan Atok) crying and shouting "Aku tak nak kahwin, apa nak jadik jadiklah". I was so surprised that I stooped the car immediately by the side of the road! I literally slammed on the brake ok for I was shocked. Yelahkan, lagi dua tiga hari nak kahwin kot nyer.

But she told me that its because her fiancee, have not completed the things which were needed and required for the wedding. The bank draft for "Mas Kahwin" and some other stuffs. At the same time informing me while sobbing that she had helped him with other things such as the "hantaran", "Baju Nikah" etc. Bear in mind that at that point of time she was already working in Subang, staying in Kerinchi and without fail going back to Ipoh on weekends to prepare for wedding which will be taking place there.

Well, I remember that I told her to cam down and that matter as such is no laughing thing and no joke as it involves a lot of people. After almost half an hour with her on the phone, she finally agreed to talk things over with her fiancee before taking any other actions.

The wedding went (picture taken from this blog http://antofagasta.blogfa.com/) on and then we sorta lost contact with each other. I knew she got a baby girl, moved to Penang and continuing her studies while working. And on one fine day out of a sudden, she told me that she got divorced!. Waaa that is scary! She called me up and wanted to see me.

We met up in Wangsa Maju Secret Recipe, our favourite hangout back during college time. At that meeting, the whole story came out and I really knew the truth. She was unable to share it earlier as she was still married to him. Dalam Islam seorang isteri tidak boleh menceritakan perihal buruk suaminya kepada sesiapa melainkan pihak berwajib seandainya ingin meminta pertolongan. And so she has been keeping everything to herself all this while. Poor girl, and she told me how things would not have happened if she were to tell me the truth before the wedding day.

Don't get me wrong she is not at all blaming me but she knows that I will stand beside her, with her with her decision had I known the truth.

Remember the phone call that got me slamming the brakes? The reason for that particular phone call - it was made after she got a call from a lady claiming that she was also her fiancee's girlfriend asking if she is okay with the idea of polygamy. What the hell?!?!?!?! Not yet married but guaranteed a "madu". Imagine getting that kind of call even before you get married.

Nak di jadikan cerita bakal suami dia pada ketika itu sudah punya "perempuan itu" (gelaran yang selalu kami berikan pada orang yang dengan sengaja merosakkan rumah tangga orang lain). Perempuan itu menyatakan betapa dia sangat menyukai dan menyayangi tunangnya dan sanggup berkongsi kasih seandainya kawanku ini bersetuju. Sah sahlah kawanku tak setuju. Gila ker apa? Yea saya faham payung emas di berikan kepada yang isteri yang sanggup bermadu tetapi janganlah pulak lelaki menjadikan itu alasan untuk berkahwin lebih dari satu bila yang satu pun tak tentu. Memang Allah memberikan ganjaran tapi Allah juga menyatakan syarat syaratnya.

Dia terus nak batalkan perkahwinan itu tetapi malangnya hasratnya di tentang habis habisan oleh keluarga. Dia ada abang dua orang, adik perempuan seorang dan adik lelaki seorang. Kesian dia, takder siapa yang nak backing dia. Patutlah masa kahwin tu dia takderlah nampak macam ceria sangat. Buat buat gembira.

Bekas suami dah kahwin lain sekarang ni, tapi bukan dengan perempuan itu, dengan perempuan itu yang lain, perempuan itu 2.0. Kawan sepejabat dia. Nak jadik cerita, masa diorang kerja sesama dulu, pernahlah perempuan itu 2.0 datang rumah kawanku, mengadu pasal suami dia (iyer masa tu dia isteri orang). Ingat kot memang ikhlas nak minta tolong, rupa rupanya ada udang sebalik tomyam! Kononnya pada waktu itu mereka suami isteri selalu bertengkar sebab perempuan itu 2.0 ni tak boleh mengandung.

Nafkah anak tak pernah di beri, anak tak pernah di jenguk. Ada sekali kawanku hantar mesej sebab anak nak kena bedah di tangan ada bengkak sikit. Jawapan bekas suami "Kau bayarlah dulu nanti bil bahagi dua". Sentap kawan aku ni terus dia jawab balik "Eh bodoh , aku bukan nak duit lah. Tapi sekurang kurangnya jenguklah anak ko tu"! Pertama kali kawan aku ni menyumpah bekas suami. Kalau dia bercerita tentang bekas suami, (selalunya benda yang salah lah kan) dia akan pastikan anak dia takder bersama sebab dia tak mahu memburukkan bapa kepada anak dia. Itu satu aku hormat dengan kawan aku ni.

Bayangkan bekas suami nak tunjuk baik siap pergi Ipoh jemput mak kawan aku ni ke kenduri kahwin dia. Sekarang berentap nak anak pulak (FYI perempuan itu 2.0 masih belum mengandung yea - no speculation please. Mungkin belum rezeki). Dah beberapa kali di panggil mahkamah tetapi masih degil, akhir sekali mahkamah keluarkan surat saman dan di hantar melalui peguam kawan aku ni.

Part ni pun kelakar jugak. Pergi rumah bekas mak mertua dia - bekas suami duduk di sana. Bekas mak mertua cakap bekas suami takder, tak boleh ker bagi pada dia ajer? Peguam cakap tak boleh, atas arahan mahkamah kena serahkan surat ke tangan bekas suami. Dan dan bekas mak mertua call dan turunlah bekas suami dari tingkat atas rumah dengan berkain pelekat. Lawak tak? Aduhai makcik jangan bersubahat sangat boleh tak? Soalan yang memang popular dari mulut bekas suami - sebab anak ni tak duduk dengan saya, tak payahlah saya kasik nafkah ye tak? Dengan selamba rock peguam tu menjawab lebih kurang begini "Duduk atau tidak anak itu dengan encik, tanggungjawab encik untuk memberi nafkah kepada anak itu sepertimana yang telah di pertanggungjawabkan oleh Allah sebab anak itu amanah". Hambik kau! Sebenarnya bekas suami dia ni anak seseorang yang agak ternama terutamanya dalam hal hal berkaitan mempromosikan konsep kekeluargaan tapi tak payah sebut namalah. Cuma kesalnya bekas bapa mertua dia sibuk promosikan cara hidup keluarga Islam tapi anak dia tak tahu yang dia kena beri nafkah anak walaupun anak tak duduk dengan dia.

Lepas dapat surat saman itu yang bekas suami ni meroyan telefon bekas mak mertua dia. Satu bahagian yang aku rasa kelakar, dia sebenarnya tak nak pun bela anak dia, cuma dia beri kata dua pada bekas mak mertua dia - kalau mak kawan aku ni tak nak bela anak dia dia akan pastikan anak dia akan tinggal dengan dia. Gila ker apa, dah lah bapak kawan aku ni tak sihat, mak dia tak pandai bawak kereta ank hantar anak jemput anak dari sekolah. Ko tak nak bela dahlah, suruh bekas mak mertua kau bela buat apa?

Nampak sangat dia cuma nak menyeksa kawan aku. Dia beritahu kawan aku dia lebih berhak jaga anak dia sebab dia dah kahwin, mungkin betul. Tapi bagaimana dengan tanggungjawab yang tak pernah ko lunaskan pada anak itu? Terus terang nafkah itu cuma untuk melepaskan diri kau dari di pertanggungjawabkan oleh Allah sebab Alhamdulillah kawan aku seorang yang berkerjaya dan boleh menanggung anak itu sendiri.

Dia siap perli kawan aku tu bila dia telefon mak kawan aku " Dia tu kalau nak kahwin lagi dah bertaubat ker?" Apa maksudnya itu? Kau yang curang dari sebelum kahwin lagi lepas tu kau nak burukkan kawan aku pulak. Dia siap tanya lagi boleh ke kawan aku mengajar anak dia membaca doa makan. Siap dia plak kena perli dengan bekas mak mertua dia "Hai jangan kata doa makan, AlFatihah pun dia dah pandai. Siap bersolat lagi sekarang". Padan muka kau nak burukkan kawan aku pulak muahahaha (maaf aku pulak yang over).

Hai entahlah, tetapi yang pasti aku mendoakan agar kawan aku akan beroleh hak penjagaan penuh terhadap anak dia dengan kebenaran melawat untuk bekas suami dan perempuan itu 2.0. Dan semoga kawan aku akan terus dapat membesarkan anak dia menjadi anak yang solehah.

Mohon doakan agar anak itu kekal dengan ibunya.

To my dear friend, I will always be with you.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

No Title As Yet......

Assalamualaikum and Good Morning Everyone,

I know this blog has not been updated for quite a while. Well, to justify I had a lot drafts kept inside the draft box but as I wrote I notice that I did not have quite an ending to the entries and hence it was kept in the draft box for like forever :)

Let me begin by saying that I am sick, flu and cough for the past two weeks since last Monday to be exact. Change of weather (yeah, everyone like to blame the weather rite?) food, drinks...etc. Well, I for one am not good at looking after what I eat, as in even though I am well aware that I am still coughing I still drink ice or cold drinks, although not that often. Got a good scolding from my brother continuously huhu

We had Deepavali celebration in the office yesterday. Last Sunday I went to buy some presents and gifts for the celebration. And we bought some cakes from Kings Confectioneries . At first Jun, my friend who is in charge of the celebration wanted to buy the cakes from Secret recipe. In terms of distance, it is nearer to my office. However, in terms of price, its way cheaper with the new promotion done by Kings. For members, you can get 50% discount on any 1kg cake with no minimum purchase and you can buy the cakes with no maximum purchase! Imagine a cake worth of RM 60 is now worth of RM30! And for 7 cakes we saved roughly about RM 200. Had we gone to Secret Recipe instead, we would have been spending like almost RM600. Jun was so happy as she gets to cut down the budget and use it to spend on something else, say more food :)

I was part of the Fun Club Committee, but I chose to work quietly and decided that I will not go for any meetings. Why? Because no one can actually control the meeting and so it will be dragging on and on and on...Previously no Bosses were to handle these activities, just the managers and staffs. But since the bosses are part of it, of course I can not like barge in and cut the meeting as and when I like right? Eversince I was promoted about two years ago, all but I do is meeting. And I kinda find as a waste of my time. Let's go in discuss accordingly, wrap it up and leave kinda thing is the one for me hehehehe

Well, I bought myself a pair of new Punjabi Dress. The one I kept wearing is almost 10 years old and that is the one i have been wearing eversince, either to the Deepavali celebration or any Indian or Punjabi weddings. Hahahaha just to feel it more I guess. Yup, plain poyo I know.

But unfortunately as the event started, my flu got the best of me. I can even walk and so I was slumped at my chair feeling drowsy. Abang Ben came up to me and told me that I was pucat, I smiled weakly. Before he added "macam mayat" then I frowned and he laughed. He put his hand on my forehead and told me that I was burning. The funny part is I was shivering even as I was using a jacket. I end up putting my head on the table to rest and just closed my eyes.

Then my brother came and woke me up, asking me to eat some food which he took from the pantry. Waa the menu for the occasion was Nasi Beriyani...again. Chinese New Year - Nasi Beriyani. Hari Raya - Nasi Beriyani. Deepavali - Nasi Beriyani. Christmas - Nasi Beriyani. We need to do something about this stereotype menu here. That I shall propose for the next celebration.