Bigger than the Universe

That weekend was not quite as eventful. Along with my usual extra long naps in the lazy Saturday and Sunday afternoons (my princess Awateef suggested that I should start up a Snooze Club and be the President, along with Sakura the cat as one of the affiliate), I did spend the time watching the rerun episodes of Dragon Ball & the new season 7 CSI, though I still prefer the cool ‘H’ in the Miami version, playing with my kids, groceries at Kar Foo and browsing books at MPH with my dear wife.

But last night, suddenly I was brought to this idea of multiverse.

It started when Ahwaz my eldest, while on our way sending him to his tuition class, asked what kind of star was it while pointing to a brightly shining object in the night sky.

'That’s the biggest star in our galaxy', said my wife.

'It’s not that big to me', replied Ahwaz.

I said quietly to myself, that thing is certainly not the Death Star, the military battle station of Lord Vader. “Emm Yang, that I’m afraid is not quite right. Well, my son, that star is certainly not the biggest, neither it is IN our galaxy. By the way, in our galaxy there’s only one star which is the Sun.” Of which much later, I found that statement was not quite right either. The sun is known as a yellow dwarf star in our Milky Way galaxy, so neither quite right  as the only star nor the biggest in the our galaxy.

Yeap, surely not the 'star' on Page 3 in the tabloid version of the Sun. “That star is one of the many billions number of stars in our universe”.

“Thanks. You are cool Ayah, how come you know everything?” praised Ahwaz.

“Well, I did graduate in Aerospace Engineering from the 2nd (or maybe the 3rd, why the heck should I care) oldest university in the UK you know. Anything between the sky and the Earth is my expertise, you should at least follow my footsteps.”

“But why engineers can only afford Korean cars?” “That my son is what we technocrat called a fit-for-purpose lifestyles.” Luckily, there’s no more why’s and how’s, as we already reached his tuition centre.

Back to the galaxy issues, many galaxies will make up a universe. Many universes will then make up multiverse. There’s a theory that there are parallel universes that is similar to ours. That means, somewhere out there (‘the’ very far away in space and in time), there maybe another us. What do you mean ‘another us’? I leave that, to the theorist (remember my admonition when wrong theories, assumptions and deductions are applied?)

In the other universe, I guess my other self will have the opportunity to do what I only dreamt to do. I’m sure my other self could be a renowned poet. Writing endless couplets of enchanting words that could soften the hardest heart. Or maybe, an accomplished cricketer who’s batting skills matching Sachin Tendulkar and bowling faster than Shoaib Akthar.

Another me in another universe somewhere, would be an animal caretaker, joining WWF or some other organisation like that. There’s also this guy call me, in yet another universe who is just a simple guy working as a janitor in a building somewhere, who is proud of his job.

Dream on my dear self. You are in your own multiverse.

Still Don’t Get It, Do You?

For me the most mind boggling thing after the massive defeat of BN in the last election was all the political analysts, all the pundits when asked for their 2 sen, said the reasons for this defeat were due to Hindraf issues, high fuel price, early election date, Anwar factor, PAS promises, DAP meritocratic chanting bla bla bla.

It is not worth their credentials at all, these so call experts. The reason simply we have a very weak and incompetent PM. He was not in control, he is still not in control. This, plus his failed spin-doctor, his PPE degree SIL a.k.a. the Kerbau Jantan.

Hang ingat hang boleh bodoh-bodohkan rakyat Malaysia ke? Hang tak faham ka, orang tak suka kepimpinan hang sebab hang bodo.

Bo-dollah, I would like to recommend you to commit suicide, political suicide that is. So, quit-Lah.

In a Nutshell

It's almost midnight, out of the sudden I felt small. Real small. Insignificantly negligible. My mind drifted to this day, every year, for the last God knows when.

It's my birthday. The day I was born. A tiny and feeble boy without much hope, with a fragile health. Well, that boy survived. He almost drowned when he was six years old. If not because of some 'makhluk Allah' that save him, pushing him from the bottom of the big drain in the wet wet wet Bagan Serai.

Life in the kampung, was not exactly all fun and frolics. I remembered that with 50 cents as the duit blanja, I can't afford the 30 cents Vitagen, or the 50 cents Nutella, or the 70 cents delicious ice-cream cones.

I did my best. I did get top of the class. I did go to a boarding school. But you know what, initially I had only 2 pairs of school uniforms, and 2 pairs of baju Melayu, with nerdy-looking spek kerajaan. My dad even sent me with a taxi.

I did became the captain of the school cricket team, a Perak player, a member of the Prefect Board, a Librarian, secretary of the House, a corporal in the Cadet Corps, got a relatively good result in SPM. Had a girlfriend. Went to another boarding school for 'A' Levels, became the Headboy, achieved the 'Tokoh Pelajar' award, went to UK, did Aerospace Engineering. Lost the girlfriend. Travel all over.

Came back to Malaysia, became an engineer, did offshore projects, got married to a great lady, have four wonderful kids, become manager, travel all over etc. ...

Never do I forget my humble upbringing.

That's my life, in a nutshell, as told by yours truly.

What Word?

Subang Jaya

The other morning, I was a bit late sending the kids to school. It was 7.35 am, and I was about 250m to the corner of Ateef's school entrance. Suddenly the car in front of me stopped and the driver was about to make a U-turn, without warning.

"What the &%$*!"

"Daddy, what the hook nanny did you just said?" Ateef suddenly bursted out.

"Nothing sayang. Just look at that stupid car."

"Don't you ever say that word in front of me again."

"What word? That word. Sorry sayang. I won't say it again."

I just had my lesson learnt early in the morning.

Kepadamu Kekasih

Februari datang lagi.

Februari bulan rindu. Bulan mengenang sang kekasih. Walau pada hakikatnya, semua para kekasih mahu mereka dikenangi pada setiap waktu, setiap hari, setiap 24-7-365. Tetapi kelemahan dan kealpaan yang ada pada diri sendiri, memungkinkan kita tidak mampu berbuat demikian. Apapun, yang paling penting, kita jangan harus berputus asa. Mesti terus mencuba.

KepadaMu kekasih
Aku serahkan
Jiwa dan raga
Jua segalanya

Itu kata-kata M Nasir di dalam lagunya. Kalau diteliti, lagu itu sebenarnya untuk kekasih Yang Maha Agung, tapi pada pendapatku, boleh juga kita tujukan pada kekasih di luar sana, pada para kekasih di dunia yang fana’ ini. Aku tujukan lagu itu pada mereka para kekasih (seperti aku) yang banyak cacat celanya, juga pada mereka-mereka yang banyak ketidak sempurnaannya.

Perasaan cinta yang lahir di dalam hati kita bukanlah boleh dibuat-buat. Cinta itu bukan kemahuan fikiran. Cinta adalah anugerah dan rahmat Tuhan. Kata Qaisy mengenai kekasihnya Layla, “I pass by these walls, the walls of Layla, and I kiss this wall and that wall, it’s not love of the house that has taken my heart, but of the one who dwells in those houses.” Kalau sedang asyik bercinta, segalanya tentang kekasih akan membuat kita rindu. Rindu pada paras wajahnya, merdu suaranya, manis senyumannya dan segala apa tentangnya.

"... but the one who dwells in those houses."

Suatu ketika dahulu, aku berada di sekitar bandar Glasgow yang dingin dan beku, ketika cinta puppyku hilang entah ke mana. Aku juga bersama sahabat karib yang segak bergaya bernama Rosman (katanya, itu bukan nama sebenar) yang sedang asyik mabuk bercinta dengan seorang gadis manis yang bernama Ana (ini juga bukan nama sebenar) yang waktu itu sedang menuntut di dalam jurusan undang-undang di kota London. Pantang waktu cuti sahaja, kedua pasangan ideal ini akan sentiasa bersama. Memadu kasih asmara. Jarak ratusan kilometer antara London dan Glasgow bagai tidak memberi makna. Jarak, kata mereka, bukan menjadi satu rintangan. Pertemuan yang kerap bukan sesuatu yang mustahil.

Di kedinginan begini
Kalaulah harummu
Dapat ke mari
Menyapaku

Glasgow yang dingin dan beku

Sedang aku bersendirian sambil berpuisi dan bergurindam tentang rindu yang hilang di suatu musim luruh, pasangan belangkas Rosman dan Ana mesra bercanda di mana-mana. Hingga ke Sherwood Forest di daerah Nottinghamshire, sambil mereka mendendangkan lagu Bryan Adams yang waktu itu berada di tangga Nombor 1 carta rancangan BBC Top of the Pops. Seronok agaknya kalau bersama kekasih di sekitar hutan lagenda Robin Hood, sambil bersumpah untuk setia.

Take me as I am
Take my life
I would give it all
I would sacrifice

I would give it all

Cinta itu sebenarnya satu perjuangan. Setiap perjuangan perlukan pengorbanan. Tuntutan korban itu kadang kala amat berat. Demi kecintaan untuk menegakkan Kalimah Tuhan serta menolak kemungkaran, panglima terkenal Tariq ibnu Ziyad telah membakar semua kapal armadanya ketika mereka baru mendarat di Gibraltar. Seru Tariq kepada bala tenteranya, “O People! Where can you flee? The sea is behind you, and the enemy in front of you!”

The sea is behind you, and the enemy in front of you !

Dengan semangat berkobar-kobar, bala tentera Islam dengan mudah mengalahkan tentera kafir Raja Roderic yang zalim pada suatu musim panas tahun 711 Masihi. Berkat pengorbanan Tariq dan tenteranya, Islam telah bertapak di bumi Sepanyol selama lebih 700 ratus tahun. Satu jarak masa yang begitu lama, sebagai perbandingan Islam di Malaysia baru sekitar 500 tahun.

Kalau kita sekarang anggun bergaya dengan aksesori Loewe atau Tous dari Sepanyol, ada kemungkinan yang perekacipta jenama-jenama designer ini, datang dari keturunan Tariq ibnu Ziyad. Mendiang Salvador Dali pelukis prolifik Sepanyol sering berbangga pada keturunannya dari bangsa Moor di Andalusia, bangsa panglima Tariq ibnu Ziyad.

Sebuah karya Salvador Dali

Setelah kembali ke tanahair, pasangan merpati sejoli Rosman dan Ana melangsungkan perkahwinan. Perkahwinan mereka amat meriah dan berwarna-warni, penuh dengan janji-janji untuk setia selamanya. Rezeki mereka melimpah ruah. Mereka dikurniakan anak-anak yang comel dan bijak. Kawan-kawan dan para sahabat karib amat seronok dan bersyukur melihatkan dua insan ini bahagia dan punya potensi yang besar di dalam kedudukan mereka yang stabil di kelas pertengahan.

Kemudian ujian maha besar pun tiba. Ditokok tambah gangguan pihak ketiga. Mahligai indah satu dekad hancur luluh begitu sahaja. Tidak tahu salah siapa. Mereka saling tuduh menuduh. Dulu kekasih, kini bagai musuh. Kata Rosman padaku, “Hisham sahabatku, tiada apa yang tinggal dalam diri ini, sudah tiada ruang lagi. Kemana hilangnya keroncong cinta aku dan Ana yang selalu kami nyanyikan bersama?”

Rosman, sahabatku. Aku tidak punya jawapan mutlak. Hidup ini, seperti juga cinta, adalah suatu perjuangan. Aku cuba memberi kata semangat padanya. Aku bukan panglima perang sehebat panglima Tariq. Aku cuma seorang sahabat karib. Kata pesanku mungkin tiada memberi kesan atau tidak langsung akan membakar semangat untuk bertarung dengan ujian getir. Tapi ingatkanlah kata-kata hikmat penyair Sasterawan Negara Usman Awang tentang perjuangan hidup.

Kawan-kawanku yang dikasihi
Di belakang duri 

Di depan api
Kita tidak bisa undur lagi
Duri dan api

Tajam panasnya kita hadapi

Kita tidak bisa undur lagi

Selagi ada nyawa, hidup ini perlu diteruskan. Walau duri atau api di hadapan, di belakang atau di keliling kita. Kekasih di dunia ini tiada yang kekal. Kembalilah dengan semangat juang untuk meneruskan kehidupan. Mintalah pertolongan pada Tuhan dan redhalah atas takdir yang berlaku. Semua yang berlaku tentu ada hikmah di sebaliknya. Kerana Dia yang lebih mengetahui. Kerana Dia yang lebih mengerti. Mana tahu di dalam perjalanan kehidupanmu yang baru nanti, kamu akan bertemu kekasih yang setia, yang lebih baik dari Ana. Atau kalau nak dijadikan kisah hidupmu lebih klasik, mungkin kamu dan Ana akan bersatu kembali, sama seperti dahulu di waktu musim bunga-bunga berkembang. Tiada yang mustahil.

Akhirnya, para pembaca yang budiman, Februari datang lagi. Kisah Qaisy dan Layla masih belum selesai, begitu juga antara Rosman dan Ana. Di bulan mengenang kekasih ini, marilah kita sama-sama mengenang dan menghargai pengorbanan kekasih kita. Ucapkanlah terima kasih tidak terhingga pada si dia. Terima kasih kerana sudi berkongsi sama-sama di sepanjang jalan dan liku kehidupan. Terima kasih juga kerana bersabar dengan kerenah dan ego (lelaki seperti aku) kita.

Tetapi, dalam mengenang kekasih kita, kalau yang dapat dilihat hanya perkara-perkara yang kurang baik, fikirkan kembali, kenapa kita jatuh cinta dengannya mula-mula dahulu. Fikirkan segala kenangan terindah. Berilah dia peluang. Peluang sekali lagi. Berilah jua si dia hadiah istimewa. Boleh dipilih yang mana mampu dalam majalah GLAM ini, betulkan my dear aunt Wirda? Kejutkan kekasihmu dengan pemberian ikhlas. He or she deserves it.

Bersegeralah. Sang cupid sudah berkeliaran dengan panah asmara. Semoga kamu berdua jatuh cinta sekali lagi. Dan berkali-kali selepas itu hingga ke akhir hayat.

Kepadamu kekasih di luar sana …

GLAM

An Ice Cream on One Fine Day

Imagine a country where there’s neither winter which is bitterly cold, nor extreme summer heat which is blistering hot and dry or dusty. Imagine a tropical paradise. Imagine no more. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Malaysia.

Well, whenever you feel like to enjoy the day here, an ice cream would suit you fine.

I remember well, when as a kampung boy, with 50 sen as the duit belanja for school, can never afford the Magnolia’s ice cream cone which then costs 70 sen. Those rustic days, I was imagining that one fine day I could afford those sumptuous ice cream with ease.

During my first year in Glasgow, I had to study Mathematics E1 a.k.a. first mathematics for aeronautical engineers, with topics like Algebra, Calculus, Geometry and Vectors. Where during SPM and A-Levels, I was not at all comfortable with Math, on the contrary during the undergrad days, math seems to be the easiest.

Anyway, in Vectors there were sub-topics such as 3D vectors and finding the volume of parallelepiped (what?) and methods to locate the midpoint or centroid of some funny shapes. I vividly remembered the math lecturer while on this topic and after explaining some theorems drew a shape of a triangle with semi-circle on its base, and said this to the class: “Ladies and gentlemen, that’s an ice cream on a summer day!”

On those fine summer days in the UK, I did enjoy Gino Ginelli (bet that none of you knew this).

Fast forward to the present, I do enjoy and take some time appreciating nice ice creams especially if they are from Baskin Robbins or Andersen. These ice creams taste even nicer with the company of Jay and/or the kids, or even with friends.

(actually, there’s something else other than the above, about the pleasant feeling while having those nice ice creams, but somehow, things quickly happens, and will not be the same anymore, I guess)

Song in Your Head Part 2 (a.k.a. Precious Moments)

All together now.

Sing.

Ooooo, ahhhh precious moments
when will I see you again
when will we share precious moments
will I have to wait forever ...

On the way back from Sugar Land to Greenspoint, Texas.

Blast-Off Part 2 (a.k.a. Failure is Not an Option)

The first word uttered from space was ‘Houston’. Meant for the Mission Control Center at the NASA Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston.

Remember the last time during our iceman Dr Sheikh’s mission to outer space? Beside the mission control room in Baikonor, there are 3 more similar control rooms in Houston. Here, you could see all space actions LIVE.

According to our JSC guide, the most important (and the most powerful as nobody can override him, including the US President) person during any mission is the Flight Director. In the word of an ex-Flight Director Gene Kranz (or was it Ron Howard) the Flight Director of Apollo 13, 'failure is not an option'.

The Americans are proud of their space technology advancements. Initially, the US was taken aback by the Russians when they launched their many firsts (Sputnik, dog, Gagarin, woman ...). The Americans put their acts together and exerted really hard to establish their space missions and able to put the first man on the moon, even with some failures (Apollo 1, Challenger, Columbia ...) and lives lost (each live lost commemorated by an oak tree) but they never look back. Since then, the US has made a quantum leap to be the world super power.

Despite all these jaw dropping space things, at NASA what really amazed me was the sight of a young lady with tudung who works there.

American Pie

Dreams, the American way. All the high aspirations by each citizen to have the opportunity and the freedom to work hard and to achieve their goals in life, regardless of class, gender, race or ethnicity. Can’t blame them, America is a great nation.

The few days I’m here, I do realised my dreams (hence, the motto: life is but a dream). Firstly my business dealings went quite well. More than expected. Secondly, syukur to Almighty, all the careful planning are working ... as per planned.

The last few days, me too is absorbed with what is currently the whole nation engrossed with. Firstly the weather. Syukur, Houston is spared by the recent snow storm that swept the nation. Or else, I might be sketching poetry on ‘di kedinginan begini ...’

Houston in winter is likened Scotland in summer. Dingin dan nyaman dan sunny.

Secondly, the Super Bowl XLII (read 42nd). Being a UK grad, I hate anything American. When previously my US grad house-mate talked about NBA, NFL, Eastern Conference bla, bla ... I don’t really give a damn. But here, now, the Super Bowl is HUGE mannn. I think it is next to Thanksgiving, well except the turkeys are spared. Luckily, during the flight to LA few days ago, I watched The Game Plan movie and have some idea, which is all about American Football, with The Rock as the famous Boston quarterback.

Then, the Super Tuesday. The Democrats, the Republican, Barack Hussein Obama, Hillary ‘I stand by my man’ Clinton. The US Presidential candidates, to my opinion are very outstanding (especially Obama). Only if our present leadership have half of his wit.

So bye-bye, miss American pie. Drove my Chevy to the levee, But the levee was dry.

Taking about Chevy, I was at Houston Downtown to visit the Auto Show at the huge Reliant Centre. There were a lot of exciting cars. One of them was the 2009 Chevrolet Camaro. You know, the one that transforms to Bumble Bee in the movie Transformers.

Houston, Touchdown

I took a Continental Airlines 757 from LAX to Houston's George Bush. Everywhere in the brochure, the in-flight magazine, the safety instruction etc. never fail to mention about their 45,000 Continental co-workers. I think next time, I'll use that word, 'co-worker'. It sounds great.

Anyway, there's a black American sitting beside me in the jet plane. Being true to my ownself (naturally unfriendly), I really don't give a damn on who's next to me. To my surprise, he said, "You from Malaysia?"

"Yes, I am." How the heck did he knew. I tried to look like locals, i.e. the Latino or Hispanic (did someone said 'Pablo'?).

"Actually I saw you talking that Malaysian accent with the guy with the skull cap (he meant the Haji who I'm with). I just came from KB."

What Al (Alfred? Albert? Alf the Alien?) meant was Kota Baru, where he was going on and off to Cakerawala offshore platform doing some work. From Houston he's going to Lafayette in Louisiana. 

re-LAX-ing

LAX Los Angeles

For the last 3 hours I was with one guy speaking Malay at this Tom Bradley Airport. Good to have some company. Nak solat pun senang. My next flight to Houston will be in 3 hours time.

Meanwhile, Starbucks is the place to dwell.

Leaving on a Jet Plane Part 2 (a.k.a. Rindu di Musim Dingin)

Life is a journey, through time and space. Every day of your life is a page of your history. According to an Arab saying, all of us are divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are moveable, and those that move. I don’t know what that really means,but here I am again, on the move.

“... all my bags are packed, I’m ready to go ...”

I’m flying to Houston, for some deepwater oil (nope, not the minyak urut) business. The journey will be a long and arduous one. It will be a 20 odd hours of either sleeping, watching all-not-yet-shown-in-AXN House episodes, playing In-Flight Trivia, chatting with the kebaya-clad stewardess, but mostly sleeping.

I have a couple of non-business days in Houston and LA. Donno who I’m gonna meet this time. Hope everything will go well. Lemme share a secret, before entering to a new place, or a premise, or a city, make it a practice to recite the ‘Doa Masuk Bandar’. God willing, people will love you, and all your dealings, will be smoother than silk.

Sudah terasa rindu padaku?

Why don’t you grab the GLAM Magazine February 2008 issue. Hayati goresan tintaku. Rindumu pasti terubat. Or worst case, maybe getting shoddier.

“... tentang rindu yang hilang di suatu musim dingin ...”

Animal Face-Off

What if hypothetically two animals could assume the same identity? 

"Bro, hang tau tak sekarang ni kancil dah jadi babi."

Said a colleague to me one day. 

What the heck is he trying to imply. Being a proud owner of a non-fussy, very low maintenance, good mileage second national car, his statement would obviously made me upset.

Kancil is a very robust no nonsense car which you could bring it hassle free to any pasar malam, Kg. Lindungan, Taman Medan, Taman Datuk Harun, to a packed Carrefour car park etc. I have no frail, I have no comment on my multi purpose Kancil.

The other day, I went with my SO to OneU during the weekend. We took the other car (the family 7-seater). Somehow, after minutes of looking and searching, highs and lows, for an empty parking lot, it was fruitless. There were occasions where I was (as if) racing with another car to rush for a potential empty space, and eventually lost.

"Abang, quick, further right, at that corner, there’s an empty parking lot." 

Said my SO with much enthusiasm, after almost quarter an hour looking and searching hopelessly.

Almost like a WRC driver, I step on the clutch, put on to the first gear and sped off. I was about to make a turn to the seemingly empty parking lot when, without realising I uttered ...

"Babi betul, ada Kancil la."

There you go. My colleague was right after all.

Kancil

Babi

The Year That Was 2007

Bandar Sunway

Tomorrow is a new year. May all that is good will be, and what’s evil will be cast aside. May the Almighty shower His blessings and guidance to all of us, to our families as well as friends throughout the year two thousand and eight.

Banyak yang berlaku di tahun 2007. Banyak yang manis-manis. Yang pahit telah aku letak jauh jauh.

Anyway to recap, here goes the highlight:

Jan: Strategies, art of war, positioning, it’s all in the mind.

Feb: Newbie on the blog, so many things to say (mostly ciphered) and share.

Mar: At the cross-road of life. The virtual experience seems so real.

Apr: Every April is without doubt the month of love.

May: Mothers, Teachers and a nice poetry.

Jun: A cool dad, just ask my kids.

Jul: Melayu sesat di Belanda.

Aug: A dinner which satisfy more that the tummy.

Sep: Welcome O Holy Month of Ramadhan, to me who is not ready ...

Oct: ... with this heavy tribulation.

Nov: Victory (in life and cricket) comes for those who are focused, patience and ...

Dec: ... steadfast.

Obviously there’re the endless Lion City trips, LIMA photo shoot-outs, cricket, Tennis Titans, T20s, cacing business, movies, Brick Lane, Golden Jubilee, more strategies, GLAM write ups, F&S, kids, cats, Harmoni, HP, etc.