Saturday, June 18, 2011

LOSING THE JOY OF CHEWING

Then there were three, now there are none. Yes, I have no incisors and pre-molars on my lower jaw. All that I have now on my lower jaw are two molars on each side.

Even my upper jaw, the teeth are just waiting their turn to be extracted.

Now I can hardly chew on anything. Imagine having no upper molars and with only four lower molars there is nothing much I can do as far as chewing is concerned.

Now, or was it long time ago, I have lost the joy of chewing good food. Like other good things, we appreciate them only when we lost them.

I have lost the chewing and tasting all those good food. Even my favourite cashew nuts now taste plain since I can't chew them.

Now all I have to do is wait for the gum to shrink before I can put on my dentures.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

FIRST HARVEST OF BREADFRUIT (SUKUN)

My breadfruit is already matured. I can tell it by looking at the colour of its skin. It is slightly yellowish compared to the bright green of the immature one.

But, it is way up there, on the highest branch. I have to use the ladder and a pole to bring it down. With a slight push there it is, thumping down on the ground..

It was light and a bit soft to the touch.

I cut in into two longitudinal halves and begin to skin it. Then I slice it into a few 1-cm thick wedges and soak them into salt water.

My wife then deep fries the wedges till golden brown and crispy.

They make wonderful snack. As good, or even better tasting than the deep-fried yam or sweet potatoes.

MAMA & PAPA WATERHENS WITH 4 CHICKS

This morning as I was sending Amalia to school, a very beautiful sight caught our eyes. It was a rare but a sight that would remain for a long time in our minds, especially a nature lover like me.

A mama and papa White-breasted water hens (wak wak) were crossing the road in a semi-hurry with four chicks following close behind in a line. They were still in their jet-black down feathers.

I am very happy. You want to know why? Their presence shows that the environment around Taman Samudera Timur is still pristine enough to support a family of waterhens.

I have not seen such a sight for a very long time now. It is my pray that the chicks will not fall prey to some mischievous kids or predators like the civet cats and grow to be beautiful adult waterhens like their parents.

I remember chasing after them when I was a kid very long time ago. But now I do not do that anymore. I rather see them free anytime compared to keeping them in a closure like many people prefer.

Good luck waterhens. May you continue to live happily in the what-ever-remaining bushes...

Thursday, June 9, 2011

A BUSY JUNE

I am supposed to drive around almost the entire Peninsular Malaysia from the 12 to 22 June to check up on our students doing their Industrial training at several institutions and farms.

Then the dean told me to get my passport ready. We are going to Medan from 16 to 19 June. So Medan here I come. 

I had to renew my passport as it is expiring in August. For that I had to pay RM300 for the five-year new passport. 

For that I have to reschedule my visit. May be I can finish it before the end of June.

But the main issue lingering in my mind is Diyana's departure date to Turkeministan. When is it exactly? She told me this morning that it would be sometimes next week.

Don't tell me I should just let her go to a foreign country for a three-week duty without seeing her off? I do pray that I will have time to do just that before I leave for Medan.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

SHARE YOUR LOVE

It is just too much to call the legally wedded wife as a 'First class prostitute' no matter from what angle you look at it. That was what I have read of late about a movement to train women as better wives.

How low can you stoop to equate the role of a wife as that of the world's oldest profession.

Sex is just a part of marriage, not the sole purpose of the amalgamation of a man and a woman!

The problem lies actually in the denial syndrome that frowns at a husband who wants to take another wife.

Taking a second, third or fourth wife is completely legal from the point of view of Islam, if he can be just to all of them.

Having a second wife is regarded as a crime or even a sin by the majority of wives. To them, it is an act of not loving one's wife any more, unfaithful.

Actually, to be honest about it, it is any man's nature to have the intention or desire of having two, three or four wives. It is just that this and economic considerations that makes him reconsider his intention.

To many, it is his wife and probably his off-springs' rejection that make him forget about his desire, though deep inside him it is that he actually wants, especially when he wants more in a woman than mere sex.

So, come on stop being a hypocrite. Know and understand one's husband's right and not make him choose between you and her.

It is not that his love for you has gone with the passing years, it is just that he wants the love of another woman.

Why not share, rather than keeping his love just for yourself? Knowing well (though you never want to admit it) that you now cannot any longer meet his demand of attention and love.


To husbands, don't take this as a signal that you can marry another woman wantonly.


I am just suggesting that it is all right to marry more that one wife provided your intention is clear, and you are sure you can provide justice in your marriage.


I am just requesting for the women folks to seriously think about it rationally, without jumping to the ceiling just because their husband says that he is planning to marry another woman.


It is allowed by Islam. Why prevent something that is permissible and at the same time letting some thing that is not permitted to go on unabated like no one cares - free relationship between the opposite sex that lead to so many social ills like baby dumping.




 

IT IS LONELY UP HERE

Yes, we have moved. All members of the Faculty of Agriculture and Biotechnology have moved to the new but rather poorly finished building in Kubang Badak Campus (or more popularly known as KUSZA campus). 

The latest news is that even the Biotechnology department has received the marching order even though initially it is understood that they will stay put.

As usual, I was the first to move, that was on Thursday itself. There was nothing much to move except papers that I have to keep. I did it by myself, carrying a little at a time using two traveling bags into my car.

For me the new office is more comfortable. I do not have to drive long in the morning. It just takes me 5 minutes to reach office.

The only problem here is that Facebook is off limit. I do not know why, but they block the usage of Facebook. I just cannot understand the real issue behind this. Thus, I am lonely up here for the time being, much to the like of my wife!

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

SHE HAS END-STAGE RENAL FAILURE

She has been diagnosed with the end-stage renal failure. Not long after that her eye-sight went bad - retinopathy. All these because of her neglected diabetes.

She could not see details anymore. All she could see is blurry images.

She was also weak and could hardly walk without people's help. Her mind too suffers as the result of her condition.

The question is, who is going to look after her in the long run? My wife? I don't think so she has the energy to do it day in and day out. You know her, her own household chores already tire her body.

Her only son, well I don't think he is dependable in that respect. He has been pampered too much to know what to do without being repeatedly asked.

Her husband too. Up to now he still thinks that his wife is going to recover soon. It has never come to him that his wife may require much longer time to recover or may never recover at all.

They, as a family, have to change the way they live. Now they have an important member incapacitated, may be for life.

I do pray that her condition improves soon. As I just cannot envision how their life going to be without her being active.

OF GLOSSY STARLINGS, YELLOW-VENTED BULBULS & TINY WEENY TAILOR BIRDS

Our residence is not as luxurious as other bungalows, but it is blessed with flora and fauna soothing to the eyes and mind. 

Would you believe me if I say that the trees inside our compound provide shelter and foraging ground for not less than half a dozen bird species.

Let me introduce you to the trees that I have planted in our housing compound. They are Moringa oleifera (there are six of them the last time I counted them), mango, breadfruit, water apple, banana, bamboo, yellow palm, and many other flowering plants.

That mango tree is very special as it bears two kinds of fruit - the huge apple mango and the 'pauh' variety. Right now it is flowering, budding and fruiting too.


The breadfruit tree is also busily fruiting. In fact I have just tried two last weekend and they are indeed tasty when deep-fried.


The banana tree (given by a lorry driver) seems never want to grow tall at all. Suddenly it surprised everybody when it began bearing fruit last two weeks.

As they fruit, birds come by the dozen to feed or play. Yellow-vented bulbuls are always busy harvesting palm fruits or chasing insects among leaves.

Glossy Philippines Starlings have found crevices in the house interesting enough to build their nests in. They must be competing for space with the nuisance bed-bug-bearing bats!


Tiny cute little tailor birds are always busy hopping on the chain-link fence or on the twigs going after flying insects or crawling caterpillars. I have yet to see their nest till now.


Magpie robins are always the first to wake up, even earlier than me. Before dawn prayer, they start to sing on top of the roof. When two males meet, their song can go on forever.


In short, our residence is indeed a nature's gallery where human dwellers and flora and fauna interact making life interesting...Welcome to our residence!



 

I CYCLED TO SCHOOL

As I drove past SK Pusat. my alma mater, my mind suddenly flashes back to a scenario sometimes 45 years back.

It was a hot sunny afternoon after school. There I was, cycling back from school under the punishing hot sun. It was a relatively new Raleigh bicycle.

The distance, well it was well over 6 miles from the school to Kg Bukit Kuang.

The road was not as busy as it is now. We could hardly see any cars passing by. Only timber lorries were making full use of the road to bring the bounty from the forest to sawmills. They, especially the empty ones were really the kings of the road then.

As far as I could remember there were only three cars in Chukai then. One was owned by the late Syed Noh and the other two, well, I have forgotten who the owners were, but I know for sure that once in a while I did hitch a ride in one of them two to school.

Six miles was easy for me back then. No sweat. But knowing well that something delicious was waiting for me at my late aunt whom I called Mak Long, in Kg Besut, I usually stop at her house for lunch. Still vivid in my mind how I criss-crossed the roads in Kg Besut before making it to the main road.

In youthful zealousness I got was involved in a few little road mishaps in Kg Besut. One was when I ran over the back of an old male muscovy duck. The duck was ok. It was me who came tumbling down and hit the jagged edge of the road. My knee was wide open and I just laid there in great pain. Cikgu Taha came to my rescue. After cleaning my wounds and repairing mr bicycle's handles, there I was speeding home, asif nothing had ever happened.

The second incident occurred on the way to school. As I was speeding away, out of a corner I saw a motorcycle crossing the junction. As it was so near to me, I just rammed into the back tyre and fell down. The
motorcycle rider stopped and helped me up. I continued my way to school after getting my bicycle handles realligned.

A rude driver overtaking me at a dangerous corner brings me back to the present world. I pressed the gas paddle slightly and the car speeds on chasing the Proton saga.