ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY

Here I am all alone after office. No one to talk to or to accompany me for dinner, except when the Dean call for either dinner or breakfast.

Sleeping alone at night is the worst torture for a pensioner like me.

With only the television as my companion, that too with an Astro with a limited programme, I while away time before I fall asleep, either on the sofa or on the bare bed.

As far as my sleeping time is concerned, well, it depends on how tired I am at the time. It may be as early as 8.30 or as late as 2.30 in the morning.

It is all up to me to fall asleep. There is nobody to ask me to go to sleep.

Waking up is different. I always wake up a few minutes before the hp alarm goes off, at 5.45 am. 

Yet, I am still accused of being either on the phone most of the time or having a romantic dinner with someone special.

No matter what, I am all alone again, naturally....

LET THEM BE

No one is guilty of his or her thought. No sin is committed if it is not yet implemented. That is what ISLAM teaches us, not something coming out of my mouth.


So, it is ludicrous, to say the least, to arrest someone wearing a T-shirt with something written on it, something that is so innocent such as the word 'Bersih'.


I am no politician, but being an altruist and a strict defender of the innocents and the underdogs, I detest all forms of actions that are not according to the Law. I hate it when the 'strong' act on the weak just because they fear of the weak wrestling away their power.


I have seen it all. How a peaceful rally turned ugly after it was provoked.


All I want of my country is to respect its citizens' right to voice their feeling, even though it may not be pleasant to the government.


I want MALAYSIA to be a first class country in all aspects of life.


Let them be. Allow them to rally peacefully. Be tough with them only, and only if they become unruly.
 

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.

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...

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.

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.