Selamat Hari Lahir

We went to Belanga at the Garden yesterday. Initially there were four of us, so we were not allowed to sit at the table for six. Muni, the birthday girl, told the waitress that she was a friend of the owner. I could see the waitress was not happy. Still she had to take away the "reserve" signage off the table. Yes we need a big table for we gonna have not enough space for nasi dagang, nasi kerabu, daging bakar, ayam panggang, ayam percik, lompat tikam, keropok, birthday cake, sirap selasih, teh ice, air kelapa etc etc. Freeflow of Kelantan delights.

Dalam keadaan ketat tali pinggang, Datin kite sempat pulak buat kejutan dengan deklamasi sajak. Pendek tapi padat. Antara ungkapannya yg menarik "dream with yr eyes wide open..." This kind of surprise she had never done before.

Anyway, it was my first time at the Garden. I find cantik, selesa, lapang & tak ramai orang. Sesuai untuk releks-releks, hepi-hepi, angan-angan. Sesekali. Kalau dapat check-in kat hotel di atas pun OK. First time terperanjat bila ke toiletnya. Beberapa washing basin not functioning. There was no bath area & no disposable toothbrush. The charge is RM5/pax. This certainly is another thing I will forget about the Garden.

Walau apapun, Happy Birthday Muni. Sama2lah kita tingkatkan iman. Semuga Allah melindungi & memberkati semua kehidupan kita yang semakin berkurang ini...

Still here

No I did not go into hiding. Not sabbatical of course! I guess it is just the conventional me that could not subscribe to full idea of an open diary. The past few months there were (still are) few things dominating (sucking energy out of me) my mind (or rather the "other" me) which are too personal, too sensitive, too private to write. And I don't think if by sharing here with others it will do me or others any good. I just wanna forget them...

Besides I was kept bz to catch up with my readings. I have been attending classes on Arabic language-cum-siroh held in my office after work twice a week. The ustaz is a phd holder. He often give the class some sort of preview or interlude which requires us to read more on our own ie if we want to know the ending or details. Bukan buat homework bahasa Arab but siroh. The ustaz keeps the students awake or the class more interesting by combining language, history, geography and travel. Listening to him, Many times I regret my previous visits to Syria, Turkey, Egypt & Lebanon. A "waste" because I missed the "jejak rasul" element. Why? No knowledge on siroh & happy-happy travel (ikut travel agent biasa). So much so now, where ever or when ever possible, I "justify" the so many books purchased many2 years ago. Almost 75% were left unread. Bak kate masih baru. I also spent many good hours googling the subject matters kat internet.

Ada kalanya terasa sayang dengan masa. Siroh atau pastikan ada bekalan untuk perjalanan ke alam barzakh & akhirat? Takut "malam pertama" (as Neckcun say) gelap & ngeri...