14 February 2008

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

12 February 2008

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)

04 February 2008

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.

03 February 2008

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.

02 February 2008

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.

01 February 2008

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. 

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