Twenty Nineteen, Thank You

﷽‬ 

In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate.

It has been quite sometime since I write anything when a year ended, the last time maybe some six years ago.

Between 2013 till 2019, many things happened to me. Both of my dear parents passed away, my professional working life has been ups and downs. I was out of the Oil & Gas industry for three years and went into Aerospace, and back to Oil & Gas early this year.

Anyway, 2019 has thought me well.

First things first. I have come to a point in life that I'll will not give a 'serious' damn about anything anymore. Meaning, whatever happens, happens. I will not lament to anything. I will not ask for anything from anybody.

My Allah is sufficient.

However, I will try my level best to do all the good things, where possible. I will exercise my own judgement. I will play a fair game in this mortal life. I'm one of those 'good guys'. Even though, they normally 'finish last', but they don't really care because they are the good guys.

I will contribute to the best of my ability. And if I cannot do more, and I will not do more (previously, I did more). I always keep my options open. I will always be grateful, and I will always be 'redha'.

God willing.

In 2019, I also did some travelling ...

• March: Miri, Labuan, KK
• April: Doha, Chicago, Calgary
• May: Houston, Lake Charles, Doha
• June: Jakarta
• August: Labuan
• September: Jakarta
• October: KK
• December: Tokyo, Fujisan

For 2020 and beyond, may Almighty Allah forgive our sins, and replace our sins with His boundless Blessings. May Almighty Allah protects us and our family members, our friends and everybody from all calamities of this world and the Hereafter, and may He showers all of us with His Mercy and Kindness.

Aminnnn ya Rabbal alaminnn.

Batting at Number 9

Normally batting position at number 9 (or for that matter, number 8 until 11) are reserved for bowlers like yours truly.

But, that does not mean that I can't utilise the willow to my whims and fancies. I hit 34 runs with fours and a six.

Not bad for a lower order batsman batting at number 9.

TPCA Oval - A Good Hunting Ground

TPCA Oval in Kajang has been a good bowling venue for me. Maybe, the natural turf and usage of my spike boots suit me well enough, especially the bowling run up was kinda smoother.

In two different days, within 3 different matches, I got 5 wickets.

When I was 18 …

January-February

The year started when I was still in a denial mode.

It was slightly just a month after I left school. I left Sekolah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, in Ipoh, where I spend most of my growing up adolescent years. Frankly, it’s kinda difficult to leave school just like that. In fact, some of us STARIANS, felt that we have never left, for some, until so many years later.

This time around, I was staying for a longer period, more than I could remember, in my kampung, in the same house I grew up during my childhood.

That fact alone was a bit awkward, as most of the time during school holidays, I came back home just for a short duration as I was always traveling. Either with the school cricket team, touring other SBPs (Sekolah Berasrama Penuh) or while playing with the Perak State age-group cricket team, touring KL and what not.

So, spending an extended period of time in my kampung with practically nothing to do nor schedule to meet, or school homework to be done … that was awkward indeed.

I then made a point that I shall be making myself useful. Every day, I swept the house clean, with brooms and mop. No cobwebs and no ‘tahi cicak’ will be present under my watch. I will ensure that the carpets were dusted and the sofas were properly aligned. I even developed a method of cleaning the glass window panes by using wet old newspapers.

I started a habit of staying a bit late at night listening to the radio for DJs Pokpok and Tutu. Listening to their melodramatic chitchats, proses and couplets and of course, those wonderful love songs played on air ...

--00--

March-April

It's my birthday month.

I remembered scribbling 'Happy 18th Birthday to Me' using a marker pen on the mirror of a 'set-board'. Recently, when I visited the old house in my kampung, I still saw that piece of neat writing (albeit tarnished a little), as if 30 odd years have passed, but it was just like yesterday. 

I bought myself a cake with candles and whatnot (kinda sad, wasn't it), made a mugful of hot tea (yes, I'm a tea-guy) and celebrated my birthday alone in the house. 

Well, nobody was in the house anyway, and nobody remembered.

No wonder, up until now, when my birthday comes ... I have taken out the reminders of my birthday from the social media and will take a day leave from work, and will spend the day on my own, pretending that I didn't care. The fact is, my birthday is THE MOST IMPORTANT day of my life.

Towards the end of March was the time the SPM result came out. 

I did relatively well. Not the best, but good enough to deserve the government Public Services Department (JPA) scholarship. I was given 2 choices initially. The first one was for the study of Medicine, but I have to choose to enter Matriculation Courses in the local universities namely UM, UKM or USM. The other was to study any one of the technical and engineering courses in the UK listed by JPA.

The choice was very clear indeed, I knew that I have no interest in becoming a doctor (never crossed my mind), even though my handiworks are normally very precise, and I could be if I wanted, a brain surgeon.

So the UK it was, and Aeronautical Engineering sounds good enough (and later on, Tom Cruise's Top Gun, partly became my inspiration, no, not just the F14 Tomcat aircraft, but those lovely ladies as well).

--00--

May-August

... I was enrolled for the Sixth Form classes at SMK ACS in Sitiawan. Guessed what, I came back to the very school (I was in the adjacent SK ACS) after 5 years. Initially, it was a bit awkward as it was a co-ed school, but I adjusted myself soon enough. Very well adjusted, to be honest. 

I borrowed my elder brother's Vespa scooter for commuting from my house in Batu 7 Lekir, to the school about 5 km away. Those days, I don't even have to wear a helmet. However, that fun riding on the scooter reminded me of the movie Roman Holiday I saw during the cinema weekend shows in STAR, of which I plan to do it in Rome, one fine day, God willing.

One of the nicest things for the Sixth Formers was the freedom to go to the canteen whenever there's no class, or at your convenient time (so not just during recess). The other differences were that their uniform was all whites and with black leather shoes. These could be privileged to others, but for me, I had enough of five years of wearing all whites and black leather shoes while at STAR. It was nothing new.

I remembered I had a little crush on one of the girls there, in the same class. Wavy hair and fair looking girl. Reminded me of Hazlina. But, I was hopelessly not equipped with any flirting skills. Moreover, I saw a childhood friend of mine (also in the same class) who happened to be a long distant cousin of mine, had an eye on this sweet lady. So be it. So I moved on ...

--00--

September-December

I was selected as the recipient of the JPA scholarship to study Aeronautical Engineering in the UK, provided that I pass the university entrance requirement i.e. the GCE Advanced Level exams. I was placed at the Sekolah Menengah Sains Teluk Intan (SEMESTI) for a period of two years (September 1985 to June 1987) for this. I did enjoy my time there, to the fullest.

• I was the Headboy 
• The recipient of Tokoh Pelajar award
• Founder of SEMESTI cricket (even selected to play for Perak State U-20)
• Represent the school at the district level in 100m (my personal best was 11.xx seconds)
• Lots of friends, girlfriends and adik-angkat(s)
• Close with the great teachers there

Sebenarnya Aku

Entah apalah
tanggapan mu
tentang kecanggihan
kejuruteraan
mencarigali minyak
tentang pelantar
di luar pesisir pantai
tentang struktur derrick
samada pelantar itu terapung
atau berdiri kukuh
di atas jeket keluli
mungkin prosedur upending
tentang finite element
tentang sub surface
tentang remote operation
ketika ribut taufan
di Teluk Mexico

Bagaimana pula
perihal kejuruteraan
aeroangkasa
kejayaan melawan
kecepatan 9.780 m/s²
dengan enjin Saturn V
lalu “the Eagle has landed”
di Mare Tranquillitatis
pada hari ini
lima puluh tahun dahulu

Sebenarnya aku
mengagumi keBesaranNya
mencipta lautan
dan angkasaraya
dan segala rahsia alam
yang kita tahu
hanyalah sedikit cuma

-Galveston, Tx

It Might Be You ...

Time...
I've been passing time watching trains go by
All of my life
Lying on the sand watching sea birds fly
Wishing there would be
Someone waiting home for me
Something's telling me it might be you
It's telling me it might be you
All of my life

Looking back as lovers go walking past
All of my life
Wondering how they met and what makes it last
If I found the place
Would I recognise the face
Something's telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it might be you

So many quiet walks to take
So many dreams to make
And with so much love to make
I think we're gonna meet some time
Maybe all we need is time...
And it's telling me it might be you
All of my life

I've been saving love songs and lullabies
And there's so much more
No one's ever heard before
Something's telling me it might be you
Yeah, it's telling me it must be you
And I'm feeling it'll just be you all of my life

It's you, It's you
I've been waiting for all of my life
Maybe it's you (It's you), maybe it's you (It's you)
I've been waiting for you all of my life
Maybe it's you, maybe it's you
I've been waiting for all of my life

-SB

Some Random Photo Stories: Calgary's Vagary

Sometimes, unexpected and inexplicable things happened and you forced to change yourself accordingly, to best deal with the situation. 

Slightly just a month joining a new company, I was asked to travel halfway across the globe to the wintry Calgary.

Arrived at the Calgary International Airport (YYC) late at night, end of April.
I was greeted by snowy shower.
The scene was like in the Die Hard 2 movie.

Obviously, thinking of a sunny Spring, I came a bit unprepared with -5 deg C.

I did what I did back then in Akihabara during desperate times ... used the kain batik (in Japan, it was a kain pelikat) as a scarf.

It was a nice feeling, stepping on a fresh snow.

Since there were ice and snow on tall buildings, and they tend to fall, so be cautious a bit.

After the meeting with PETRONAS Canada. Before this,
I visited them in Delhi, Milan, Paris, and Ashgabat (Turkmenistan).
Some said, I looked cool in these outfits .... haha.

Calgary's mission accomplished, time for lepak.

al Hoor ul iyn

“And (there will be) Hoor (fair females) with wide lovely eyes”

I got lost again with those beautiful, huge eyes.

-O'hare

Hum Tum

Tere naino ki bhool bhulaiya mein
Bobby kho jaaye

In the charm of your eyes
Bobby will get lost

-Kristal CC

At the Embassy

The other day, I was making a visit to the US Embassy at Jalan Tun Razak to apply for a US visa. My 2006 US Visa already expired. 

The plan was, for me and an office colleague to make a trip to the Americas. 

Firstly to Calgary in Canada, for a visit and discussion with the Trade Representatives of the Government of Alberta, some meetings with Canadian telecommunication companies, and another meeting with PETRONAS Canada.

Secondly, from Calgary, we shall take a flight to Houston.

Yes Houston. The big Texan city which I have visited twice before, in 2006 and 2008. This time around my team and I will be joining the Offshore Technology Conference (OTC) there. It will be held at the Reliant Center in Houston. Previously, I was there at Reliant to visit Houston Auto Show, after I finished my working visit at Honeywell.

Anyway, after making the necessary online application and getting the visa interview date and what not, I went to the Embassy to submit my passport. There was a large crowd of visa applicants, most of them Chinese looking. That morning was kinda hot. It took me about half an hour to get to the visa interview counter, after a very long queue and after I got my fingers biometrically printed.

I was greeted cordially by an American gentleman at the counter.

“Good Morning, how are you Sir?’

“Good Morning, I’m good,” even tough I was a little bit hungry as I haven’t had my breakfast yet, and not to mention, I was slightly sweating.

“So, what’s the purpose for your visit to the States?”

“Well, I’m planning to attend the OTC in Houston,” so far so good.

“What do you do in Malaysia, wait … so you did your degree in the UK, and you were the Corporate Director of an aerospace company.” Seems that, he already answered his own question.

“Now, you are working as the Industry Expert in Oil & Gas. Whoa, life must be good !”

“Ha ha, I guessed,” at that very moment I felt that I’m not so very sure why he’s saying what’s he’s saying.

“That will be all, your visa will be ready in 2 to 3 days.” 

I felt relieved, and expressed my thanks to him. The whole interview session lasted about 3 minutes.

Houston, we don’t have a problem, alhamdulillah.

Blending In

It's all Allah Almighty's plan. He's the best Planner.

Suddenly, after three long years in the oil & gas (O&G) wilderness, out of the blue, I managed to be employed in one of the outfit of a GLC, focussing in O&G.

With all my shortcomings and my untold sins, Allah Almighty still give me chance to correct myself and bring me to His straight path. May He always guide me and all of us towards peace and tranquility. We still have all the chance to seek His refuge and His forgiveness for our past sins.

I will try my best to contribute, and to share my experience and know-how.

Amin, ya Rabb-al-amin.

Bowling Dot Balls

I was bowling 12 dot balls to two good batsman Jonty and Yazid Imran (ex Malaysian cricketer and javelin thrower) in 3 overs.

HR Thing

Jack Welch asked how you as a boss could hire a person who is smarter, more creative, or in some way more talented than you? The fact is, if this is managed properly, it will be a big win, as you will have a team member whose talent will very likely improve everyone’s performance and reputation, including yours.

Then I remembered the story of Prophet Sulaiman asking from his talented subjects, who can bring him the Bilqis throne. An Ifrit said that he will bring it before Prophet Sulaiman could rise from his council. However, there’s one person by the name Asif ibn al-Birkhia who had knowledge of the Book said, ‘I will bring it to thee within the twinkling of an eye!’

Then, Prophet Sulaiman saw Bilqis throne placed firmly before him and he said, ‘This is by the Grace of my Lord.’

One way is to recognise the bright talent and resources in your organisation, and sometimes the outward appearance do not necessarily indicate the full potential of a person. And always, be thankful to Almighty Allah.

Allah knows best.