Istanbul (dan Bursa) Aku Datang ...

I have been to Istanbul now and again, still I haven't have enough of this beautiful city. 

Its architecural sights and sounds. And, as if one had but a single glance to give to the world, one should gaze on Istanbul. 

The stunning glimpes of Golden Horn, Marmara Sea and the Bosphorus.

... and Bursa.

Blue Mosque at the backgroud

Catamaran to Mudanya

Galata Tower behind

Clio to Söğüt

Ertuğrul wannabe

Mount Uludağ in Bursa

Tramways

Çamlıca, the largest mosque in Turkiye

Getting Used to being Used - Part 2

Previously I narrated some anecdotes of what I thought would be, some parts of my life constructs. That I am, like you, are just assets and tools for the higher beings, with additional roles meant for much bigger purposes.

The story continues ...

Aci, Aci Ketuk Pintu:

Unlike P Ramlee's memorable 'Aci Aci Buka Pintu' masterpiece, where Nana was home late and asking Aci to open the door, assuring her not to be fearful of owls or jembalang with slit eyes and striped nose. According to Nana, he had a semambu cane (famously ackowledged to be useful to disperse all the jembalangs and jins) and a short machete to scare the hantus and syaitans ...

... one fine late evening, I was about to start my car at Citta Mall, when suddenly an Aci (term used for an elderly Indian woman) knocked on my car. As I lowered the window glass, she started mumbling in some incomprehensible words, was very animated and using a lot of hand gestures (just like the previous Aci at IOI Mall). 

From what I gathered, she wanted to go to the Subang Skypark area (the opposite direction of where I'm heading), and at that particular moment, transports seemed very difficult to get as the traffic was very heavy. By looking at her work attire, she's probably working as a cleaner at the mall's McD restaurant, and she's clearly in need.

As if instructed by the higher beings and without hesistation (off course), I opened up the door for her, and offered to sent her there. What else I could do, at that instance as I neither have magic semambu cane nor short machete, to disperese the heavy traffic.

I made sure that she's comfortable, adjusting the air-cond blower and setting just the right temperature, as well as reducing the radio volume (normally with loud 80's songs). She's with a rather small stature, snugly sit in the lower-than-normal sports car opulance leather seat. She said nothing throughout the journey.

To be honest, I had mixed feelings. My eyes watered and I'm almost breathless. 

• Am I an earthly guardian angel chosen by the higher beings to help Allah Almighty's creature who was in distress? 
• Just how many of my untold sins have been wiped out because of this very small deed? 

Arriving at her destination, I asked her, "Aci ada duit?" While quickly handed over few fifty notes. She extended her skinny hand to shake mine. To my surprise, she kissed my hand.

"It's ok Aci, take care"

As I headed home from Subang Skypark, my eyes still watered and I was still breathless.

Another Day, Another Aci:

One fine day, as I was driving into the last corner road to my house, together with my wife, I saw an Indian lady with a cute dog, waving frantically at my car. As I stopped the car and lowered the window, she said,

"Uncle, thank you Uncle."

Dah sudah, what was it this time. Anyway, why did she called me uncle.

"Thank you Uncle, itu pagi ada worang jahat kejar saya, dekat itu temple. Nasib baik kereta Uncle ada tolong halau itu worang jahat."

"Terima kasih banyak."

Ohh that. That day during my routine early dawn driving to the mosque, I saw a woman running frantically towards the temple. I slowed down my car just so that she could reach the temple safely. I had no premonitions whatsoever. But I did realised that there was a nondescript car stopping and moving on the other side of the road. It was about 5.25 am and still very dark.  

"Itu worang jahat mahu kidnap saya Uncle, thanks Uncle." 

Ok. 

Still, you could have addressed me as Abang / Ane or something.

Tika dan Saat Ini

It is the 3rd of August 2022.

With the Grace of Almighty Allah, yours truly still alive and breathing, still have the gift of iman, still being blessed with the cability to perform the fardh amal and sometimes the non-obligatory ones, still healthy and able. Still being employed and do not have any major ailments. Have enough earnings, for food, shelter, mobility and other necessities. In fact I have more than enough. Whenever there is an opportunity, I shall share it with others.

Thank you Allah, syukur Alhamdulillah.

2021 A Year to Remember

Thanks 2021.

Thank you for all the joy and adventures. All the suspense and thrills. Endless virtual meetings. Heading the Oil & Gas, working closely with PETRONAS, DNB etc. Covid-19 and what not, still there. Vaccination and booster shots. Walking/Jogging in the park, tahajjud and frequenting the mosques. Slight injury at the shoulder. Entertaining the wife and kids, cats. 

Vaccination and what not

My Favourite Position

In solat, what is your favourite position? Is it takbiratul ihram, qiyam, rukuk, sujud etc ?

Whereas sujud is when we will be closest to the Almighty, I find myself at ease when at 'duduk di antara dua sujud' position. 

Whereas, people will do the action rather quickly, I shall take the longest time and will read the doa slowly and surely:

رب اغفر لي  

وارحمني 

واجبر ني

وارفعني

وارز قني

واهدني

وعافني

واعف عني

Covid Diaries

As of today, there are over 180 million of this Covid 19 cases and more than 4 million deaths. No parts of the world is spared.

In addition to the original version of the virus, now there are different variants such as the Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta, which present different kinds of challenge in developing the vaccines.

Anyway, I also had my fair share of this pandemic, many thanks to my cluster - Kluster Menara.

The drive-thru swab test.

Welcome to Sg Buloh.

It was the first time I was in an ambulance. It was driven fast.

I had some random visitor.

I was at the hospital for 11 days, luckily I brought my Mac and Beats.

I had no symptoms, but they took x-ray and my blood just to make sure.

My company has a reserve army ... they are the ones extending the assistance.

Those days, everyday we took turns to order food from outside.

After the 1st dose.

Kluster Hindustani.

                                                            

Terima Kasih 2020

Terima kasih tidak terhingga pada mu 2020.

Sekitar 2020:

Company meeting in some resort somewhere.

Cuba-cuba menyelam.

Annual STAROBA Dinner with '84 friends.

Four for.

My Glasgow University housemates.

Ayra's 7As and Yayasan Peneraju's CAT ACCA.

Work from home, the new normal.

Selamat Hari Raya ... solat raya kat rumah.

Covid - 19 positive, 11 days at Hospital Sg. Buloh.

Ex Aussie vs Ex England, got 3 wickets.

Trying tennis.

Somewhere in Terengganu.

Leading the Oil & Gas.

Tea anyone?

COVID-19

This Covid-19 

whomsoever you are

you are but nothing

when such thing 

like this pandemic 

falls upon the world

all seems equal

including yours truly

My Recent Bowling

I joined the team FCK Provocateur in the MCA sanctioned cricket tournament named SBP A-League started last 22-23 Feb at KTJ Oval.

My bowling figures were quite amazing, especially for an otai. Six wickets in 6.5 overs.

FCK Provocateur vs Syndicate (3 overs, 2 wickets):

1. Fikri Fahiman c. Ruzmi b. Yours Truly 9
2. Arif Amir b. Yours Truly 6

FCK Provocateur vs Devil Bats (3.5 overs, 4 wickets):

1. Ilyas Jamil c. Amirul b. Yours Truly 1
2. Fuad Johari c. Amirul b. Yours Truly 14
3. Nazmir Sungip c. Najib b. Yours Truly 28
4. Zulkifli Amirudin b. Yours Truly 1

A Four-Four on Sunday

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.