Graduation 2018

Congratulation to my dear 22 year old son Ameerul Ahwaz on his July graduation from Heriot Watt University getting a B.Eng. in Petroleum Engineering. The story behind why he chose that course was because he's truly inspired by the success of my former classmate/boss Nik Hamdan of Barakah Offshore Petroleum, especially with his flashy Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 488 and Porsche sports cars as well as his swimming-pool equipped bungalow in Glenmarie Residence.

Anyway, I really appreciate his achievement under the circumstances. He tried his best in getting over the difficult and challenging engineering subjects especially in the tradition of excellence well known within the Scottish Universities forte (all the Kelvins, Adam Smiths, James Watts, etc. were from Scotland).

In my undergrad days in the ancient Glasgow University back in the late 80s and early 90s, I had to endure the bitterly cold environment and those lonely days (the aftermath of a break up) in addition to the strenuous aerospace engineering subjects and being faraway from my family. Even with all these obstacles, I managed to graduate on time in July 1991 (Summer Graduation) as opposed to many of my friends who had to resit for their exams and finally graduated in December (Winter Graduation).

Ahwaz and his Petroleum Engineering degree
from Heriot Watt University, July 2018

The Honours Board
Congratulating the Graduates

Ahwaz's cool dad with his
Aerospace Engineering degree from 
Glasgow University, July 1991

Hopefully, he will successfully embark in a conducive working environment. Unlike me, as right after graduation I set myself up for an epic sabbatical carefree journey of four months in the Indian subcontinent (well that's another story) from July until November and practically did nothing and just 'lepak kingkong' at my home in Sitiawan until the next February.

What People Think

What do actually people think about you?

Sometimes, I asked myself this question. What actually people think of me?

To be honest, I don’t even care to bother. When I do things to anyone, the last reason for me to do it was because of what they think about me.

I do it for the sake of seeking the pleasures of Almighty. I did it because I like doing it.

Having said that, I hope that people do genuinely like me and hopefully for the right reasons.

I am the kind of person who will take some time to open myself up, if ever. Maybe to someone else who are both sincere and respectful. Liking me for who I really am, without holding up a mask or being false.

Having said that, I hope my SO still like me, even though my networth has shrunk to oblivion, similar to some other 30,000 oil & gas professionals in Malaysia.

I hope that my children will still love me, even though I haven’t took them for shopping spree or going for overseas trips for the last two years.

I sincerely hope that my boss at work still appreciate my little contributions to the company.

I'm also hoping that my fellow batsmen still have that uneasiness of negotiating my skiddy and sometimes in-swing bowling during a cricket match, just like before.

The least of thing that I think people musing over about me is about my outwardly appearance. 

To me there is so much going on in this mind of mine. I could be engaged in practically all the intense and intelligent discussions and discourses on any given topics. I love science, engineering, history, politics, economy, sports, architecture, religion, philosophy ad infinitum. But certainly not on the topic of my looks.

The other day, at one of the PETRONAS Service Station, after I have finished filling up my sports hybrid, I noticed a familiar looking lady sitting in a car in front of me.

"Bad, Bad, oh my God, you looked so handsome !!" That particular day, I was in my full Baju Melayu complete with its buttons, unlike P Ramlee.

"Haha, haha ... hello Nor, apa khabar?"

She happens to be my former office colleague. It's been a while since I met her.

"Sebab you dah kahwin je, kalau tidak mesti I dah tackle you !!"

"Haha, haha ..." I felt like choking myself.

There were other occasions, when after a meeting was over, I received similar tone of messages. And all I have to say was, "Haha ..."

exempli gratia

Counting My Blessings

It's very easy to express dissatisfaction, and it's damn too easy to always complaint.

This and that not right, those and what not weren't good enough.

The last couple of weekends while we were still in the month of Syawal, my SO and I organised (not-so) open-house events for friends and families, well mostly friends. My SO will prepare her sumptuous biryani rice and special lamb curry plus other delicacies for the guests.

While my tasks would be making the drinks and maybe preparing the associated salad dishes.

Most of our friends have expressed how delicious those biryani was and how tender and succulent the lamb was (and my SO will then say that she's using the pressure cooker, instead of the normal cooking method).

Some went on to the extent saying that what they had was the best tasted biryani rice ever (I'm sure they haven't gone to biryani restaurants nearby the Lahore Gaddafi Cricket Stadium yet).

Anyway, me and my family are counting all the blessings given by the Almighty for each of the tasty biryani morsel that we partake, and each of the drink that we inadvertently gulped.

Count Your Blessings, Not Your Problems.

The very delicious lamb shank and biryani rice
at the Dera Restaurant, Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Exotic art deco brickworks on the restaurant facade