August, now and fifty years ago
It is August, possibly the
month which carries memories of notable events in Pakcik’s family life.
If one sees Makcik busy about
this time, year after year, fixing Malaysian jalur gemilang at the back and front of
Nuri, on the tree house and at Almanar, one would admire her patriotic spirit.
I would let people at large think so, why not?
At Nuri
At the tree house as well
And at Almanar, no doubt
On 30th August of
each year we ‘celebrate’ ( with songs and dance?) my great lady’s very own birthday.
To her the 31st August celebration is meant for her in the first instance. To Pakcik the
31st August celebration is in honour of Pakcik’s own birthday which
comes at the turn of that month.
If that is not enough, August
brings Pakcik's family back 20 years ago when our
only princess was married on 25th August, followed a day later, on 26th,
by our elder prince’s wedding. If twenty years is not far back enough we move FIFTY years ago when it all started, as recorded in my last entry ( click here
). Indeed, in the shade of a large durian tree two young persons sat united –
50 years ago this August.
I am fortunate to have a WH
Smith Diary of 1994 which carries records of certain events in my family.
WH Smith 1994 diary
Clearly, two pages dated 25th
and 26th carry some records of the two weddings in our new home, Nuri. where we
had barely settled down.
Page 25th August & page 26th August
Those two weddings at Nuri
have been blessed with one girl and five boys which give us the right to 'datukship' ( grandparents' status). And now two of these grandchildren have completed their secondary
education. Their grandmother has started to dream of seeing more weddings at
Nuri, and the beginning of yet another generation of great-grand …..
______________
Flipping through the 1994
diary I found on page for 22nd April (equivalent to 11th
Dzul Ke’dah 1414) an entry which began with “My Hijrah to KT” .
My 'Al Hijrah' on 22nd April 1994
Reading what I wrote then of a simple event, I congratulate myself today for having chosen to make simple entries on what happened. That I chose to own and enter a dairy at 58 is not a common practice.
For whatever degree of relevance to my life I chose to record as follows the event of that day, 22nd April 1994 :
“At 8am the two of us left KL
for KT in our Proton which was packed with assorted essentials, crockery, pots
and pans, suit-cases, my books of reference on tafsir and Arabic, laptop, Black-and-Decker
tool box, mats, a piece of carpet. It was for all intents and purposes, my
‘Hijrah’ to KT. I stopped for Jumaat prayers about 50 km from Jerangau ………….
etc.”
“Our house was by no means
ready – but we were determined to move in – So we had our first night in NURI……. Etc”
I am glad today to go back in
time and read my thoughts. It has been twenty years since we moved (hijrah) our
home from the busy KL city to a very quiet locality – semi jungle, fronting the
South China Sea. There are still wild boars and pythons today living in the neighbouring bushes.
It is hard to believe that some
years ago we were forced to erect a low brick wall to fence our area (about two
acres of land) after our tapioca and banana plants were mercilessly attacked by
those dangerous brutes. It was only a week ago, one dark evening on our way home, I had to stamp hard on my
foot brake of our Alza to avoid running into two black animals I assumed to be two black cats on the road. Instead they were two young boars running across my path.
____________________
And soon, after having settled
down at Nuri, we started Almanar, hoping the work I planned for needy children would keep me occupied and happy during my autumn days. To HIM we owe all these twenty years and a very pleasant life.
Berkhidmat
kerana Tuhan untuk kemanusiaan.
22 comments:
Assalamualaikum pakcik..ayah saya juga suka menulis di dairi. He passed away 20 years ago..he still able to scribble some words in the last few weeks before he left us. I keep his 1968 diary. Inside he jot down about my arrival into this world. He was serving as an army in sarawak at that time..
Tahniah "Pakcik". Alhamdulillah Allah kurnia umur panjang yang dapat dimunafaatkan. Seronok dapat mendengar kembali episode hidup lampau. Bolih di kira bewarna warni. Hidup saya agak mendatar. Namun saya tetap bersyukur kerana yakin Allah maha mengetahui dan maha bijaksana dan semoga apa yang dianugerah pada saya itu yang terbaik di sisiNYA. Demikian juga galur hidup "Pakcik".
Sama-sama kita berdoa Allah menerima segala usaha mengabdi diri padaNYA. Tahniah juga pada "Makcik".
dear Pakcik, interesting that you've already owned a laptop in 1994, what brand and specs..?
August definitely belongs to both of you. And flipping through previous diaries is a joy only keepers know. The locked memories ... Cherished forever, that can be unlock again and again. Selamat Hari Merdeka! Pakcik and Makcik. p.s. Like the tree house.
NBK,
Waalaikum Salaam, madam
Tahun 1968 arwah ayah bertugas di Sarawak. Itu tahun anak kedua Pakcik dilahirkan - sebaya lah! Masa itu Pakcik diyugaskan syarikat (yang Pakcik kerja)bertapak di Jesselton (sekarang K Kinabalu - Sabah) dengan tugas dinegeri Sabah, Brunei dan Sarawak. Selalulah keSarawak kerana masa 'comfrontasi'dengan Indonesia banyak minyak kegunaan askar perlu dihantar kehutan untuk kegunaan ashkar menjaga sempadan pendalaman.
Munkin Arwah tidak jauh berbiza umur dengan Pakcik. AlFatihah untuk arwah.
Ngasobahseliman,
Kita semua diberi pelbagai nikmat dan dugaan. Dia adil. Tinggalnya kitalah yang dikehendaki berusaha mewarna warnikan hidup kita untuk kebaikan keluarga dan mereka yang memerlukan bantuan.Terima kasih sudi berkongsi pandangan
Muhaini,
In the olden days without f/b etc we resorted to pen and paper. Photos were printed and carefully placed in albums.What will be like in another fifty years can be beyond today's imagination. Can, for instance, messages be transmitted direct from brain to brain ?
Salaam to you and family.
C Minah Tonggek,
Menonggek kemana lama tak nampak?
I think it was a DELL inspiron 1100.
It was just learning to to send emails before being coerced by children to start blogging.
Please tonggeklah selalu kemari. Will give you a cup of tea.
Pak Cik
As pointed out by Cik Minah Tonggek, I too envy you for being far ahead of me in terms of laptop usage. In my (former) company, which is supposed to be an international one, my colleagues and I got to be provided with one only around the year 1998. That was also the year when we started getting e-mail facility (lotus notes). But then I believe your (former) employer is more international than mine.
Idris Mamat
Dear Idris,
I had computer long ago but I am only good at writing e-mails and using it to publish my blog entries.
My old employer introduced computer in the 1980's to minimise interoffice memo writing. But I had my own excuse to carry on the old way. I was senior enough to avoid being reprimanded being told what to do!
People are now using h/p for everything. I use mine purely as a telephone and sms, nothing else. I refuse to learn all those things. Without a laptop I am just helpless. That is how learned I am!
Indeed, 8 is a much sought after number in certain cultures.
The 8th month certainly is a prosperous one for our family.
Happy anniversary and happy birthday to my dearest parents.
"O my Sustainer! Bestow Thy grace upon them, as they'd cherished and reared me when I was a child"
Nwar,
The heading of page 26th August was 'Anwar's wedding', your 20th anniversary two days ago.
Seeing your mention of '8 is a much sought after number in certain cultures' babah Googled and found the following:
"People with the lucky number 8 have strong intuition and insight, so they have the potential to explore things undiscovered. They are usually mild and honest to others. Their characteristics would never lead to arguing with other people or causing them to be depressed. Nevertheless, in order to avoid hurting people around them, they always hide their real emotions, whether they are sad or happy.
Strong points: Due to their decent temperament, they have a good reputation. It is certainly not a nominal compliment because they are always there for philanthropic deeds and generous offer."
If what is said above has any truth at all, the words 'honest, philanthropic deeds and generous offer' are complimentary indeed.
Your prayers are part of the good things about 8, and we are greatful to Him.
Dear Pakcik
Many happy returns of the day today Aug 30th for Makcik and to you Sir, tomorrow, Aug 31st. Semoga sentiasa di berkati Yang Maha Esa ALLAH SWT.
You've planned well ahead all of your resolve and these are all in good stead falling into place as planned. Salam!
Hank
Sdr AlManar,
Sorry for the late feedback or comment but surely you would know we really appreciate yr brief of yr past and those of the family and the success that has come to Al Manar, an envy by many who too would wish to make such contribution but unable to do so. Re yr diary that's unfamiliar now but you certainly get back in time and see the reality of it all. August is close to my heart too, having chalked several events during that month. So let me wish all the best and the most deserving to both of you and especially a memorable RECOLLECTIONS OF 31 AUGUST. thanks for yr comment of us and our neighbour.
1. Writing diaries is certainly a disappearing act. Some may argue that it has transitioned to writing on facebook or blogs. I disagree as the core to writing a diary is the sense of intimacy and secrecy. To share your most inner thoughts and feelings only with yourself. It is the honest truth. The same cannot be said for public postings (most times anyway) and have gone through a natural self filter of 'for public viewing'.
2. A comment that babah was ahead of your time in 1998 to have a computer. I have to say that actually, it was just a matter of course. My babah introduced the ZX81 to us in 1981! I remember babah bringing me to his office to 'play around' with the WANG computer. It was a time when not many people have even heard of the word 'IT', and yet my babah was convinced that it was something that will change us all. Talk about foresight! So, my babah having a computer SEVENTEEN years after the ZX81... ha ha, you can understand when I say, with a slight shoulder shrug, 'of course'.
3. Happy birthday Mami. Everything good that I am, I owe to you and His will.
Love you both.
Hank,
Thank you for the good thoughts, Hank. Something bothered me when you said 'You've planned well ahead all of your resolve...'
No Hank, Much of what happened was not my plan, HIS. It is wrong for me to claim having planned events of my life. You have proven to be a good poet. I think you did not plan it, although your bag of tools had, all the time, had what you needed to be able to be a good one. But we sit and plan, nevertheless, praying and hoping that it all ends well.
KotaStar,
What you are having today is what I have never had and what is beyond my dream to have.I look and look at those pictures you posted of your family with people who will be in history of great people. Isn't that enviable?
I enjoy going through your postings of people and p;aces. To your children your blog will be a valuable document to look at their past and, more, their parents' past as well.
Salaam to you and family.
No3
Spectrum ZX81. Your babah will never forget that. Up in the attic of 99 Westbourne Terrace, a boy of Standard 5 sat totally absorbed in front of that magic board, hours on end, creating his own games.
His father never thought that the interest shown by the boy of 11 would lead him to a career the father could ever dream of for the boy, let alone plan for. Today we proudly claim foresight! No, not quite, ordained more likely.
How true it is when you wrote 'the core to writing a diary is the sense of intimacy and secrecy'. Your father enjoys reading his secret thoughts of those days' events. There is a mixture of joy and satisfaction, punctuated with sadness and regret, too. And all these, seeing what they have today your father and mother have nothing but Alhamdulillah. They have, today, what they could never, in those days, plan and dream of having.It is that simple.
With love, thank you No3.
Pak Cik,
Just a small clarification about my comment earlier. 1998 was the year my then employer provided me with a laptop (not tabletop). Tabletop was given much, much earlier. Computerisation of office operations (using main-frame) was initiated in mid-1970s.
Idris Mamat
Assalamualaikum. Atuk,
I just want to start knowing you... Huhu. Rasanya belum terlambat, kan..
Sudah lama saya tidak aktif dlm blog.... Banyak ilmu pengajaran perlu saya cedok & hayati di sini
Dear IM,
Yes it was table top that departmental managers were strongly recommended to used in inter-departmental communication. I was always lagging behind in this modern gadget. Now I am trying to make up the lost time.
Muallim Adham,
In life we do not stop learning. I was invited to give a talk to a group of potential English teachers at a university recently. My message was to go on learning to improve to be a truly well regarded teacher.
I have as much to learn from you. I have just left some comments on your blog. Do email me.
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