Category: random thoughts

I’ll summarise the past couple of weeks just to keep my mind off the accident. What’s done is done after all.

My last night class was on the 31st October. It was such a mixed emotion for me. Feeling excited and having a sense of achievement that after almost two years, we’ve already completed our classes but at the same time, sad because I know that I wont’ be able to come back again. The school will be closing down to make way to new residents come next year.

Mr Jeya, a caretaker for the school

Mr Muhammad, one of the guards of the school

I’ll never forget this place. Lengthy and endless bus journeys have I taken to reach there and the interaction between my classmates and teachers. It was memorable. I want keep this image in my mind for a long time.

Doodling while supposed to be studying

Studying in a restaurant of all places!

My first paper was on the 2nd November and it was then that I realised how painful it was to try to write at high speeds within a certain time frame – to write in all the ideas and answers as much as possible.

The worst bit was during the geography paper when I had to write non stop for a solid 3 hours. My hand got cramped at the end of the paper. And yet at the same time, I felt that time just passed by too quickly.

If I could choose between typing and writing, I’ll choose typing.

After that I learnt to adapt. My strategy was to use those wonderful ink gel pens with soft grips around them and wear a band aid around my writing finger to cushion it.

I’m not too sure how the results will come out. To be honest I’m not all that confident, but I’ve done what I could.

Work! work! work!

Juggling through work and studies isn’t an easy thing to do, believe me. I wish I had more time. So that I could do what I want to do. Or maybe clone myself so that I can concentrate on one thing at a time.

Like attending the Suchida method brain development skills with my mum and learning that all children from the age 0 – 6 has the brain capability to become geniuses.

Mum and me posing at the Mandarin Hotel

Yes they actually used esp cards in one of the activities to train the mind

Or going to a newly wedded friend’s house warming party.

Narima and me posing after visiting Shahida’s house

But now the exams is over, I guess I have more time do the things that I wanted to do. End of the week, with Hema’s wedding coming up and a vocal course, I am looking forward to that. :]

I was riding to work today and stopped by the road to take some shots of the school building.

The school building was next to the hindu temple. I pass by this temple almost everyday and yet this was the first time that I ever saw it up close.

It was rather magnificent in its golden glory. And I paused to see each statue decorating the façade. The caretaker was right next to me.

me : Hi! Can I take a picture?

caretaker : Hallo! You want to take a picture? Take the entry, its nice.

me : Thank you!

caretaker : This area where you are at, is the common hall, this is where we do functions and mass prayers.

me : Oh! Can I go in? I’m not Hindu though.

caretaker : Sure! Our temple is open to any races any religion and any beliefs. You should have come here last month. We had a fire walking ceremony.

There are so many beautiful and interesting things around us. But in this mad rush, Sometimes we miss them on our rush to our destination. We’re going so fast that we hardly have the time to appreciate them.

Maybe its time to slow down.

Back in school, we’d always exchange cards when hari raya was approaching. Inside the card, there would usually be little messages of invitation and friendship.

Reading them would always bring about a good feeling about the moments and experiences that were shared.

Such beautiful handwriting

I enjoy receiving these cards. And I keep each and every one of them. There are some in my pile which are about 10 years old even.

Not too sure if the kids in school now even exchange cards anymore.

I know that there are sites like e-cards and ‘friendster’ where you could send your messages. But I feel that it’s still nice to have a physical item in your hands that you can hold and read without having the need to switch on a computer.

A card from someone I looked up to back in school

Some of my cards are already yellowing with age already. But it just gives them more character.

And I was hypothesizing, since this humble bloggariffic is read all over the world, would you like a card? I think its would be fun. Just email me your mailing address 🙂

For about a week in the office, we could hear the sound of a kitten mewing. It sounded like it came from the false ceiling.

Everyone was puzzled. How could the animal climb all the way up there? And how was it able to survive all the while without any food?

Yesterday, Ah Soon, one of the caretakers of the school took a ladder and climbed up to investigate. After a length of time, he didnt find anything and had to stop.

Ah Soon tried again today and he finally caught the little minx.

Isnt it adorable?

Of course it being unaccustomed to humans, it was a little wild. It bit Ah Soon’s hand while he tried to hold it, and it wont stop hissing, so he had to put it in a little cage for a while.

We didnt mistreat it, we swear!

Poor little fluffball. It was shivering and looked most miserable. I asked Ah Soon if I could have it for a little while.

I took the kitten outside of the office where there is no air conditioning. And I had a good look. It was a fuzzy tri coloured cat with lovely grey eyes.

As a kid, I’ve kept alot of cats as pets. Through experience, one of the ways to comfort them is to hold it and stroke it.

I decided risk having my hands clawed and gently held the kitten by the back of the neck then cradled and stroked it.

Amazingly she quietened down. She seemed a little puzzled at her surroundings but she didnt make a fuss.

Ah Soon noticed

Ah Soon : Want to keep it? I’ll get a box

Me : I cant! All my siblings has athma

Ah Soon : Aiyah, I’ll get a box and poke holes in it, you keep it ah!

Me : Cannot! (frowns as I do want the kitten)

Ah Soon : Keep lah! If not I’ll have to release it somewhere else.

Me : (panics and sees a student) Eh boy! Do you want this kitten?

Student : Oh yes! I love cats!

Me : Do you promise to take good care of it?

Student : I do! I do!

Lucky boy. Now he has a lovely kitten. I do hope that she’s in good hands.

—

I do believe that pets are good for the human soul. Caring for another living thing brings about compassion, love, care, responsibility and many other good qualities.

Its even possible to rehabilitate a person with a pet.

And why not? If a delinquent wont hear another persons advice, maybe an animal could allow them to open up.

I’ve always observed at how in general, people shy and rambuctious both alike, would turn into mush when encountering animals. Thats the healing power that these creatures have.

Its one of the rare connections that we have left, in a vastly disconnected world that we live in.

[audio:arabicsong.mp3]

This song has been around for as long as I can remember – even my dad said that he’s been hearing it since his youth. And yet it still sounds evergreen.

Every ramadan, the radio will play this right after the evening prayer announcement. So every time our family break our fast together, we’d hear this song.

When I listen to it, I do get nostalgic sometimes.

I started fasting since young. My parents would wake me up at an insane time before dawn and persuaded me eat something. I was supposed to not consume any food or water. Since I was just beginning, I started with just half a day.

As some years passed by, I fasted for longer and longer till I managed to complete a complete day. At the age of 9, I was really proud of myself. I was part of the ‘big people’.

Of course as a kid, there were days when I cheated. As a kid, I went to religious classes at the mosque. My peers taught me to drink the water that was meant to be for our ablution (Haha. Naughty naughty) and sometimes at home, I would peek into the fridge and pop something in my mouth when I thought no one was watching.

Ahhh … Those were the days.

To me, fasting is a spiritual activity which tests the human endurance and heightens the level of empathy towards the less fortunate.

And I feel blessed to be able to break my fast with my family to sit, talk and eat together as compared to the regular days when everyone is doing their own thing.

Perhaps I’m feeling nostalgic because I realise that there is nothing that would last forever. One day perhaps, my siblings will leave the nest to get married or to persue their own goals. And though my parents arent so aged, we all know that we are not meant to last.

Even the radio station is considering of changing the arabic song to something more modern.

We should enjoy and appreciate what we have right now.

Its now the 7th day of fasting and another 24 more days to go.